Saturday Morning Ramblings+Fall Cleaning

It's here!  One of the many reasons I love working in the school system.  I just survived my first week in the schools, and now I get to look forward to a long weekend with my little man!  (Having a 5 year old insist that he was 54 yesterday before I screened his hearing doesn't hurt either).

We're pretty busy this weekend, and we have so much that needs to be done at home!  Any of you feel that way?  I had originally planned to stay up last night and get a lot done, but I swear Cam and I were in the bed by 8pm.  My goal this morning is to sort through Cam's closet:(  This is a part of having babies that I have come to find can hurt a momma's heart.  Removing all their adorable little clothes you JUST bought, and replacing them with bigger sizes.  I'm coming to find that Cam's closet is almost empty!  I've got to save up some extra cash and make some time to go shopping soon...which isn't so bad I guess.   Plus... what a blessing to know he is growing and healthy.  Thank you, Lord! 

I figure a little cleaning everyday will be a good way to muck through our mess, and keep everything organized and neat for the upcoming cooler months.  Plus lighting a couple of pumpkin candles, and throwing up a fall decoration or two along the way won't hurt either;)

I found this printable on Pinterest to keep me focused on what I want to accomplish over the upcoming weeks.  The link can be found below;)

Free Printable here from askannamoseley.com

And if you have a little helper like mine...good luck to you!

Happy Fall Decorating and Cleaning

(and last weekend of Summer!)

Baby's First Flight

As with any post, I never want to appear as if I know everything!  I just like to talk about what worked and what didn't work for us throughout certain experiences (and take note for next time!)  Today, that topic is flying with toddler:)

What worked:
1.  Snacks: they were my personal life saver when Cam got cranky and wanted to let the whole plane know.  
2.  Packing reasonably: you don't want to be toting a baby and a huge, bulging carryon and purse (or worse, a piece of luggage!)  I fit only the essentials in my purse and carryon and the things I needed immediately during the flight in my purse.  This worked well!
3.  Organize: make sure everything is easy to get to.  Nothing worse then dumping out an entire bag to find what you needed was all the way at the bottom (which is usually the case with me...)
4.  Pray!  You may think I'm kidding, but I'm not.  Prayer is the first thing I try to always do before something that makes me nervous or that I am uncertain of.  
5.  Take advantage of the window.  At first Cam didn't care, and then he loved it.  I think it's worth a shot to try snagging the window seat.
6.  Make em' tired!  
7.  Easy access to important things...wipes, book, diapers, clean change of clothes (which I FORGOT!)
8.  Call before to let the airline know if you plan to have a toddler/infant in your lap.  Delta cleared the seat beside me, and made a specification that I had a baby with me on my ticket.  It will save you some extra steps at the airport.  *This is something I didn't know!
9.  Something else I was worried about...how will I change him?!  Cam almost always has a major bowel movement every morning.  I had nightmares of the diaper odor filling the plane, with a lot of mad passengers.  Our flight was at 7am, and I was a little panic stricken to say the least.  I actually googled (yes, I did) it to find out if they have changing stations on the airplane.  Turns out they do!  It also suggested that you can do a quick change in the seat if no one is beside you.  However, if your babe does it's business like my little boy...you may wanna hike back to the tiny restroom:)  I did, and it wasn't too bad!

What didn't:
1.  Technology-I guess it depends on your kid.  Cam could care less most of the time.  I packed both my iPad and iPhone within easy access and all he did was confuse Siri.  And throw them (which could cause some potential damage to the Target).
2.  Forgetting a blanket: the plane was kind of chilly, and when Cam went to sleep I would have liked to have wrapped him up.  Luckily, I had a jacket on hand.  (And scored a $2 fall blanket with foxes on it in ND before we headed home for the second flight!)
3.  Not having something new.  I slipped some of Cam's favorite snacks in my bag while we were in ND for the trip home.  He hadn't had the snack in over a month so he was very excited to have something new that he loved and wasn't spoiled with for the way home.  I imagine this would work just as well with a new/forgotten toy:)
4.  No change of clothes.  Yes I did.  I forgot a change of clothes for the first flight and by the time we reached Cade we embraced him with open arms and no pants!   Needless to say, the second time around I packed a change of clothes.

I've worked on this post for a while, so half of it was put together before our flight home.  Let me just tell you- on the way home Cam didn't sleep one wink (unless you want to count the last 5 minutes practically on the ground.)  People were rude to us, I cried twice, and nothing made him happy.  I guess sometimes there are no simple answers and all we can do is try to survive! 

What are your experiences with traveling with a toddler?  What worked, what didn't?  I'm sure we will be doing this again before we know it, Lord willing! 

Happy Wednsday, everyone!
Xo

Lately

Wow!  What a week!  
Let me just take the time to share that I love my job.  While it is just the first week, and I am very stressed at the moment... I am right where I always wanted to be as a speech therapist.  Aside from a stay at home mom, this is a dream mom job!  So praise the Lord on that note!
I've been very busy turning a storage-ish old bathroom closet into a speech classroom...this is what it looked like before I began.  After pictures coming...you might be able to tell where my stress has stemmed from?

As far as beginning a schedule again after summer fun?  Cam seems to be adjusting well as long as he long as he doesn't see me physically getting into the car to leave.  I am doing okay with going to work (I think because I can compare it to my past work in the nursing home) and feel so blessed to be in the schools.  I do dream about his cute little cheeks and toothy grin every time I go to and come home from work.  I am so excited to see him at the end of the day:)

We miss the Mr. terribly...but God has a plan!  

We have been busy working around the house as well.  My inner interior designer cannot be put to rest.  I finally made a little progress on the playroom side of our office.  I have to brag on my uncle.  I had a vision, we worked together...and here is the end project, just as I imagined!  He is amazing!  I  have about two more little details to add, but it looks so good!  Cam is in heaven when we walk in the room.  

And can we just stop, and breath in the upcoming fall weather?  I am crossing my fingers because the heat seems to follow me wherever I go!  We've decked our house out in fall to encourage this season to set up camp here in our neck of the woods:)  So expect a lot of fall posts coming in the future;)

Today's Pearl of Wisdom is for my little sister.  She just moved into the University of Tennessee last week and is pretty overwhelmed!  As any new college freshman should be!  Isn't God's word just where to go in such a situation?  It never fails us when we are overwhelmed!  Click here for your free printable.

I hope everyone had a great Monday;)

School Bells Are Ringing

 "Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."

I love this quote and I love that movie.  ("You've Got Mail" for those of you less familiar or maybe left wondering).  And doesn't a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils sound nice this time of year?  Well, it especially does to me as I enter the school on the other side.  I'm not entering my schools as a student anymore, but as the school speech therapist!

Remember me in your prayers, because I am both excited and terrified at the same time.  Excited that I am right where I'd always dreamt I'd be in this profession and with a family, but terrified because it's something new.  I find that it is in doing something new and scary that I allow God to work through me the most, so perhaps this situation will be no different than what I have experienced before...I can only hope!

So friends, here's your Pearl of Wisdom for the week from Matthew 18:3.  I did this one in honor of anyone working  with children.  I think we can learn a lot from the kids we are surrounded by everyday...I have come to find with a little one of my own- some of the greatest lessons can be learned best through the eyes of a child.  The Lord often draws this verse to mind when my adult vision gets too blurry.  I plan on putting it right on my desk(s) to remind me to take note of my students this year;)  Enjoy!

Adventures in the Nodak

Alternate Title: Nothing adventurous happens in North Dakota until WE come to visit

Our calm and tranquil trip to see the Mr in North Dakota came to an end yesterday.  Just as we had moped and prepared ourselves for our teary goodbye, we drove up to the airport about an hour away from our flight to find the airport declared practically a crime scene!  An employee spotted us trying to find a way in and explained the airport would be shut down until further notice d/t a substance that tested positive as an explosive...

Long story short.  We are still with the Mr, once again soaking up our last day.  The last I heard, the bomb scare was due to a passenger who went through security with a laptop that had wires exposed.  When security asked him to turn the laptop on, it would not turn on.  The passenger was reported to have been non compliant and arrested!  Read more about it here.

This person could have very well been on our flight...One of my worst nightmares could have came true yesterday.  All I can do is thank God from the bottom of my heart for looking after us.  I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.  I'm still a little scared about flying out of a place that just went through such a scare, so I would appreciate it if you all would remember to say a prayer for us as we prepare for another flight later this evening.

Soooo, since we had another day to spend with daddy all to ourselves, what did we do?  

Seized the day, that's what! :)

All those days of sitting in the apartment came to an end and we got to explore a little bit of Williston.  The Mr gave us a little tour of downtown, the Missouri River, the Lewis and Clark wildlife management area, and my personal favorite- Gramma Sharon's Family Restaurant where we finally got to enjoy a nice breakfast together just like our Saturday morning ones back home.  That may be one of the things I miss the most about Cade being gone...but I was so happy to get to squeeze that in with him before we have to part.  

After we stuffed our mouths, we went to the park.  Cam absolutely loved it, and had a blast (mom and dad did too).  And we may or may not have had a fellow playmate streak across the playground stark naked.  The poor mom chasing after him apologizing incessantly.  #lifemade

I am a little, okay a lot, heart sad, since today, we are leaving our favorite guy in the whole wide world.  And I swear if he sings Sam Smith's "Stay" one more time, I'm gonna put mayonnaise in his toothpaste tube!  Let's just rub a little more salt in the wound, shall we??

 I am so thankful for the wonderful two weeks we have spent together.  Now all that's left to do is bid farewell to summer, start this new job, and begin another daddy countdown.  God is good in every circumstance!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend;)

PS...If you are a fellow Peanuts lover, they are having an awesome sale on zulily today, lasting until Monday!  Loving this and THIS for Cam!

Camden Tripp and God

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commmandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Deuteronomy 6:5-7

I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday so far!  Just wanted to share a little bit about how I've been trying to apply this verse to my little family's life as I don't think our babies are ever to young to begin learning about our Lord!

Since Cam was born, I began reading, "Heaven is for Real, For Little Ones."  I found this board book at Target and figured I'd give it a try after falling in love with the "Heaven is For Real" memoir.  The pictures are bright and simple, and pages durable enough for infants to touch and feel.  Cam loved this book, and we tried to read it in his rocking chair before bed at least a couple of times a week when he was a baby.

A couple of weeks ago, I felt he needed something a little more, (for my sake as well!) and found the "Jesus Calling" Bible Storybook we use now.  I can't say enough great things about this book, as it has beautiful illustrations, short but accurate stories for kids (and toddlers), and always ends with a verse from the bible and paragraph devotion for kids.

Cam has absolutely fell in love with bible story time.  Sometimes, he even goes and grabs it from the bed to look at during the day!  After we read the story, we allow him a chance to look at the pictures and talk about everything he sees.  So far, we are very interested in the moon, baby, grass, and camels.  OH boy;)  We always talk about who is on the cover of his book as I am trying so hard to get him to learn to say "Jesus!"

Not only is he learning about God's word, but it is a great way to wind down for the night and cue him that it is about bedtime and lights out!  

While I am so pleased with our selection in books, there looked to be so many great ones as I researched!  I actually have two that my mom used to read to my siblings and I that I plan to alternate after we finish the one we are reading now.  Let me know if you guys have any favorites, I'd love to hear!

We are also trying to teach him to say a bedtime prayer and say a blessing before meals.  He is catching on quick as he always slaps those precious hands together to talk to God, and is always ready to clap at the end;)  Talk about a proud mommy right here!

I would love to hear how you all attempt to teach your little ones about Jesus...

I'm all ears!

*All images are property of Peaches & Pearls

Pearls of Wisdom

Well ladies, I've almost been blogging for two years!  I can't believe it.   I love having this little outlet to write, be creative, and share my adventures with anyone who cares to read.  But lately, I've been feeling somewhat restless.  Which, is one reason I decided to pick up the book "Restless" by Jennie Allen (I highly recommend this read).  She has inspired me to admit that I indeed do feel like I am made for something more than how I've been living my life lately.  Particularly, my life as a Christian.
The restlessness I speak of is in reference to my desire to serve my heavenly father.  

If you are a reader it's no secret that I love my family, holidays, kitchen experimenting, fashion, and decorating.  While I feel that writing about those things are fun and innocent, I often leave out the best, most important thing about my life.  Jesus!  

I am convicted that I do not share enough of my faith here.  As my blog evolves and grows, I never want to forget one of the main reasons I am able to write about the blessings the Lord has entrusted me with.  With all of that being said, I've been seeking and praying about it along and think I may have found an answer.

As we know, our most powerful weapon here in this life is God's word.  God has instilled in me the love of doodle and hand lettering and I often wonder how that can be used to honor him.  

God I'm not the best, I'm nothing groundbreaking, and this seems insignificant to things that others are doing for you.  But I'm not a speaker, I'm not a singer, I'm not a leader, so maybe this is something I can do to bring honor to you?  I know that your word says "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men;" Colossians 3:23.  So I aim to begin serving you with a talent you have given me in hopes it helps and inspires others...

Every week (as my schedule allows) I want to offer a free printable with a special message from God's word.  As an encouragement to you, whether you just want to read it here, print it and toss it, stick it in your bible, or pin it beside your workspace, etc...I hope it encourages you through your week and brings honor and glory to Jesus, my Savior who showed me (and anyone else who calls on him) mercy and grace.  It's the least I can do for him.

So here it is.  My first gift to you.  And this first one is in memory of my Aunt Karen, a life long fighter of cancer.  No MORE tears:)  I hope this encourages and makes your week a little bit brighter as you are equipped with a little message from God's word:)

Download your free printable version here.

*I used a phone to create digital copy, heres to hoping a scanner will offer better quality when I return home!;)

Happy Monday, everyone!!

Picnic + Cam's Staycation Favorites

Happy Friday, everyone!  I'm looking forward to possibly getting to explore a little in North Dakota this weekend... What are your plans?  I have to say we are still enjoying our staycation, though I may attempt hauling Cam to the park with or without the stroller this next week just to get out in the sunshine a bit!  The patio is great, but I cannot leave this place without letting Cam enjoy that park a few days.  

Speaking of sunshine, we took advantage of that patio and freshly cut grass (no more dandelions, though he did stuff the head of one shredded dandy up my nose all the same) and had a fun-filled morning setting up shop outside for a picnic with some Halloween music, chalk, and toys.  We really enjoyed it...in fact, Cam is knocked out at the moment after all the fun;)

Cam's Staycation Favorites
1.  Banging pots and pans together (especially during phone calls) and leaving a trail of them all over the living room
2.  Using the stick that doubles as security for the screen door as a guitar
3.  Spinning in circles
4.  Running behind the couch and unplugging all electronics
5.  Leaving a trail of cheerios all around the apartment
6.  Brushing his teeth (we brush them 103,456 times a day)
7.  Eating unhealthy amounts "na na's"
8.  Stuffing Dandelions up my nose.  I can't tell if he wants me to smell or blow...so I do both
9.  Dragging our clothes from the suitcase, all over the apartment (AFTER I organize them)  It's a daily routine.
10.  Requesting Coo Coo's all the time... aka "cookies."  Thanks for introducing him to oreos, dad!  
11.  Trying on every hat and shoe, or trying them on me.
12.  Pushing trashcans around the apartment.

Can any of you imagine a toddler doing such things?;)

And my personal favorite of the past few weeks?  The fact that Cambino is loving selfies.  
Now, I am not a fan...but when I get this reaction from him...cheeeeeeessssseeee!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...Halloween!

Anybody else out there feeling the excitement?  During our lazy days in, while we wait on the Mr to arrive home from work, we have filled our days with Halloween Pandora radio (with an occasional visit to Michael Buble Holiday), fall doodling, and impatiently trying figure out how to work our amazon video stream so we can watch all of these (below) festive gems!  I'm pretty sure I might break out the old backhand spring tuck when they work (and I might come home looking like a mummy in a full body cast...)  

There is something special about Fall and Christmas that turn me back into a kid again.  It's almost a magical kind of feeling... Isn't God so good to let us enjoy these little seasons in life?

To put me in even more in the fall spirit fall items have arrived.  It seems I always anxiously await the arrival of all the fall clothes and decorations, and lo and behold... today was the day:)  It was hard to squeeze in everything...so I'm sure there will be more to come, but for now get in the fall spirit and check. it. OUT!;)

{1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6} {7} {8} {9}

What are you most excited about for fall of the year?:)

Me?  The pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, decorating, fall festivals, cozy sweaters, boots, scarves, dressing Cam...

"I could go on forever, baby!" ;)