On His Terms

Update

2010-06-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your prayers!!! God answered in His own way...

...5 days after my last post I broke my elbow.

My life these past 3 weeks has really slowed down.

My mom came out for a little over 2 weeks to help me with the kids, my dad has been here this week and my mom-in-law comes out next week.

This injury has been such a blessing in some ways... Most of all I have loved spending time with my parents.

I will update soon. Blessings to you all.

Balance

2010-05-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

If you happen to stumble upon this post would you pray for balance for me?

Do you ever have those seasons in your life when you feel like you're barely keeping your head above water? Its not necessarily a bad thing, just that your life is B U S Y?

That is my life right now. Busy, chaotic, exciting (I'll admit), but definitely unbalanced. I am 2 weeks behind in school with Emma; partly due to my work, partly due to having the 2 babies (well Brody just turned 2, so he technically NOT a baby....but still...if I have to change diapers and feed them, they're a baby to me). Regardless, I really need to figure out this balancing act.

I'm typically really good about juggling things, but I've never had this many balls in the air.

I was re-reading Proverbs 31 and I noticed that she had "servant girls" (scoff). At this point I would give my left foot to have a few girls come to my house, do some chores, prep some meals, run a few errands, and bring fresh flowers while their at it (because I love fresh flowers in my home).

Until then I guess I will have to become the master at organizing. Pray that happens sooner than later...

Hi

2010-04-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

Wedding season is in full swing for me, so busy is the norm right now. But I notice that I somehow have new people following my blog and I just wanted to say HI to those of you who are new here and of course HI to all of you who are not! :)

I will post something interesting soon but most days I am just trying to keep my head above water. Since you all are multitasking superstars like myself, I'm sure you understand! :)

Until then.....

Really, This Breaks My Heart

2010-03-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this may seem like the lamest post ever, but its my blog so whatever... Oh, and if you're super liberal, just skip this one because you will likely take offense to my more conservative views.

Because we don't have cable I watch TV either via Hulu.com or whichever TV network streams shows on their website (like LOST on ABC, which I am super behind on). When that doesn't work we have Netflix and if its not on instant play I have to wait for the DVD to arrive in the mail the 'old-fashioned' way. (I still can't believe I'm blogging about this.)

Anyway, I used to love watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 on TLC! They were a great Christian family, their kids were adorable, they were tackling the near impossible with grace and humor, and I loved seeing their kitchen cabinets adorned with scripture-written index cards. Plus, they made my parenting two children (at the time) seem like cake.

By the time their relationship hit hard times we had already cancelled cable and so left in my mind was the happy fun-loving Gosselin's from the early days. Of course I heard about their split here and there but thought for sure they'd work it out. And they didn't. Enter Netflix and I was able to 'catch up'.

The last season they have on instant play is season 4 where Jon and Kate renew their marriage vows. Being a Christian and a Wedding Planner I was of course interested in their wedding. What broke my heart was when they explained to their kids WHY they were renewing their vows, the significance behind it all, that they were promising with their children (and America) as witnesses that they would be together forever.

That must have been a hard one for them to explain away to their children....

Something I noticed at the end of that season 4 was how Jon openly said that he didn't want to do the show anymore. He is private and wanted his life back. Kate was obviously not on the same page and she reasoned away his reluctance to do another season.

Ahhh.....let this be a lesson to us women! Not that anything Jon did was justified in any way (adultery never is), but as Christian women we should not emasculate our men (and I know from personal experience how that can be easy to do at times)! We are always saying that we want our husbands to lead our family's but only if that fits in with our agenda and plans? Kate showed Jon disrespect so many times during that show. I wonder where they'd be if she reverenced him, affirmed him and had really listened to his concerns regarding their new-found fame? I would bet LOTS that they would be living it up in their nice big house with their 8 adorable babies, happy. Not perfect, but happy. And I have a feeling they would both give up everything right now to have their family back together.

Anyway, their whole situation breaks my heart. More proof that no family is immune to this type of destruction. And no matter who they end up with, that person will never understand all the time and sacrifice that went into having two sets of multiples, 8 kids total. No one will ever appreciate that experience or relate to it like they do.

I did a post a long while ago about this awesome book entitled "Created to be His Help Meet". No matter how you feel about your role in marriage, or where your marriage is right now, if your desire is to have a healthy, Christ-centered, happy, lasting marriage: read it. It totally challenged my views. I admittedly hated the book for a while, but God's truth (whether I liked it or not) was all over it. Check it out.

So what do you think? As a Christian rooting for another Christian family, did your heart also break?

p.s. At the beginning of this post I said that this is probably the lamest post ever....lame because I hate discussing celebrity couples, not lame because of my conservative views. And I am positive that this post was my needing to vent after watching GMA last week (yes, online) and learning that Kate will be on Dancing With The Stars. Every time I see her (with her new hair and all) I feel sad for her and her family and I pray that something good would come out of all this for them.

A Favorite Quote

2010-02-22T12:07:00.001-08:00

Below is one of my favorite quotes. Just thought I'd share. Happy Monday! :)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

--Marianne Williamson

An Award For Me?!

2010-02-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to Jessica for this awesome award!! How very sweet of you for thinking of me!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank then link to the person that gave you the award

2. Pass this award on to 10 bloggers you've recently discovered & whom you think are fantastic
3. Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won
4. State 7 Things about yourself!

The 10 bloggers who I think are fantastic and never cease to make me smile are:

1. Bethany @ Something To Talk About

2. Megan (who just happens to be my lil sis) @ Simple Sayings...

3. Taryn @ Deep & Not So Deep Thoughts, by Taryn

4. Lindsey @ Mommy Wonderland

5. The Nester @ The Nesting Place

6. Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious?

7. Angie @ Bring The Rain

8. Kristina @ On Fire in PNG

9. Kelly @ Kelly's Korner

10. Layla @ The Lettered Cottage

7 Things About ME:

1. I will be 28 in 2 days!!!

2. I am mildly obsessed with the Twilight Saga.

3. I just planted my first organic garden two days ago!

4. My blackberry is my constant companion.

5. I crochet and really enjoy it.

6. I am a wedding planner and love it.

7. I eat a piece of dark chocolate almost daily.

A Virtuous Woman

2010-02-18T08:19:00.001-08:00

I have been meditating on Proverbs 31 for the past week. Right now I am balancing being a wife, mother, and homemaker with homeschooling, being a business owner, serving at church, and on and on. Throw in a newborn, gardening, weekly errands, and coffee with a friend (if I'm lucky) and I find that I have little to no time for me.

But reading Prov 31 reminds me of the kind of woman I want to be.

That instead of getting overwhelmed I need to be thankful. When I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day I need to realize that instead of staying in bed until 7:30am (even though my older 2 kids are up by 7am) I could always get up at 5:30am with my husband and gain an extra 2 hours of quiet time to spend however I choose (but I am sooo tired these days!).

So she is my goal, this virtuous woman. Its always good to have goals, right? :) The passage is below. Enjoy!

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Who can find a vurtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
She is like a merchant's ship,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast
for her household
and plan the day's work for her servant girls.

She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.

Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.

She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.

She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her;
There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Proverbs 31 NLT

Look Who's 1 Month Old Already!

2010-02-04T14:25:00.001-08:00

Miss Kyndall Arianna!!!!!!!!

My how a month has flown by! What is Kyndall up to these days? Mostly sleeping and eating but she is more and more alert each day and really starting to take in her surroundings. She is a pretty good sleeper at night and she takes a pacifier (gasp!) which her sister and brother never did. Kyndall is very easy-going, not fussy, super sweet. We think she might get her Daddy's blue eyes, but we aren't holding our breath. :)

We are so blessed to be parenting this sweet little thing. And little she is! At birth Kyndall was 6.1 and just this week she weighs in at 8.5 (Brody was 8.6 at birth). She has also grown two inches!! I am loving the newborn stage and know that it will soon be over!

Below are some pics of Kyndall taken today. Enjoy! :)

Food

2010-01-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

I love food. And I love knowing where it comes from. If you are even slightly interested in knowing more about what you are putting into your body check out these documentaries:

1. Food, Inc.

2. The Beautiful Truth

3. Food Matters

Kyndall Arianna is Here!!!!

2010-01-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

After 20 hours of my worst labor yet Kyndall Arianna is here! She arrived at 4:20am Monday, January 4th. She weighed in at only 6lbs. 1oz.! Our smallest baby so far! But she is perfect and healthy, loves to nurse and sleep! We are blessed!!

Our new family of 5!!

We agonized a bit over her name. Mark chose Kyndall, which means "inspiration, fire". It eventually grew on me and I love it now. And I chose Arianna, which means "very holy". Our prayer for Kyndall is that she follows God's command to "consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 20:7)

Goodbye 2009

2009-12-30T12:14:00.000-08:00

In 2009...

...I discovered that fostering a 4 day old newborn for nearly 3 months was HARD. A lot harder than I expected. It changed me and I look forward to the day when we are called to do it again.

...I learned to talk less and listen more. Discipline is golden.

...I realized that being a size 4 (or 2 or whatever) isn't important to me like it once was. I am beautiful, I have had three healthy pregnancies and have beautiful babies to show for it. Bring on the big butt and stretch marks! I AM BLESSED!

...I fell more in love with my husband than I ever thought possible. I am SO thankful for God's provision over my life when He placed my husband in it over 13 years ago and His many blessings and provisions ever since.

...I laughed so hard that I literally wet my pants (did I mention I'm preg with #3)! 'Nough said.

...I embarked on the journey of homeschooling and while unsure about this calling, felt God's hand ALL OVER IT! And it turns out I actually really like it.

...I (we) finally bought a house!!!! This was SO exciting and I am SO thankful for my humble little dwelling!

...I lead and completed my first Beth Moore study. Was super nervous about the intensity, but learned so much! Highly recommend it.

...I convinced my husband to get a cat. I have no idea how I accomplished this, but the cat is here and I am happy. And hubs even likes him.... go figure!

...I became a Twilight FAN! Who would have known that 4 books would cause such a fun obsession in my life and the lives of my girl friends?! Eclipse....here we come!!!!!!!!

...I accepted that despite all my efforts to be in control, I'm not... and I'm okay with that. I actually prefer it that way now.

Excited about all that is in store for us in 2010! Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Out Of It....

2009-12-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

I am 35 weeks pregnant now and completely out of it. Very uncomfortable, super tired, but WAY excited to meet our girl!! :)

I had Emma at 37 weeks and Brody at 38 weeks and so I am feeling all the stress and anticipation that comes during the final weeks of pregnancy. I am trying to be organized since I am also preparing for the Christmas festivities, homeschooling Emma, running my business, etc.

I feel super anxious about meeting this baby... And now that I know what it feels like to deliver a baby without drugs, a little nervous about that too. OUCH. But I've done it before and I can do it again. I just hope that she doesn't weigh nearly 9 lbs. like her brother did.

Below are a few pics that our friend John (who also happen to be a photographer) took about 3 weeks ago. How much bigger will the belly get??

Halloween

2009-11-10T07:34:00.001-08:00

Halloween was a blast! Emma was a 50's girl and Brody was a little Charger. We started off with a Halloween pizza party with friends and then went around with our group of nearly 20 kids trick-or-treating! Last year the kids were kind of confused by the whole thing, but this year they had it down! SO FUN!!!

Most of the kids...

Pizza time!!

Me & my sweet Emma.

Emma with her good buddies Ian (doesn't he look thrilled?) and Kenzie.

Emma was a princess last year so we told her she had to be something different. :) She has already declared that next year she will be Aurora! These girls share names (from left to right): Ava, Emma, Emma, Ava :)

Emma and one of her best friends, Emma G.

They would storm the houses.

Our buddy Eric in all his 80's coolness.

Emma's New Love

2009-11-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

About 8 months ago Emma began asking for a kitten.

We told her that she could get a kitten when she turned 5 and after we had bought a house, not thinking both events would happen so closely together.

Well, those two things just happened in September.

Below is Emma with her new love, her kitten (who has yet to be named...we are accepting suggestions). The kitten is a 6 1/2 week old female.

Emma is BEYOND overjoyed. I love the little thing too, she is so cute! Mark is actually really sweet with her (he picked her out). Brody thinks she's neat and Molly thinks she is the funnest "toy" we've brought home for her in a while. :)

2009-11-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

It has been a looong time.....

....since I opened my prayer journal.

If I'm honest, probably over a year. And so many prayers have been answered (whether I liked the answer or not). Dang it! Wish I would have wrote them down in the midst of it all.

I have some things on my heart and I really want to see what God will do, how He will answer...

Emma's 5th Birthday Pics

2009-10-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am FINALLY getting these up. October has been crazy! Below are pictures from Emma's 5th Birthday Party (a month late, but thats how it goes sometimes). :)

Me and my big 5 year old! So proud!

With Tia Megan and Uncle Bryan.

With Vava, who Emma adores!

Emma and Brody, best buds!

Aunt Stacie and Uncle Chad.

Nana and Papa!!

My little family. So blessed!

Auntie Kari and Uncle Adam (who were our gracious hosts)!

Time to make a wish!

My big girl! Such a sweetie!

Time to cut that ice cream cake....

but Mark broke the knife!

The birthday girl gets the first piece!

Papa entertaining Brody.

Delia and Emma!

BUSY!!!

2009-10-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

After a week of painting, cleaning, updating and packing we are finally in our new house! What a BUSY week...and its still not over! There is so much to unpack and set-up, but I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel!

We could not have done this without the help of Mark's parents! Thank you Perry and Cathy for all your hard work! We appreciate you both so much!

Before and after pics to come!!!! :)

Have a great Monday!

-Alison

Emma's Ear Piercing

2009-10-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Emma asked if she could get her ears pierced around May. After discussing it we told her that if she still wanted them pierced in September then she could get them pierced for her birthday. She talked about it all summer long and as mid September approached she was very sure that she wanted to get them done. So the day before her birthday we headed to Claire's with all her Aunts and her Nana in tow! :)

Emma started to get really nervous once she was in the chair. Picking out her pretty pink flower earrings seemed to help her nerves a bit. I told her we could leave but she refused. :)

Marking where the holes will go.

I had to make sure they marked them just right.

"OUCH!!!" was what she said VERY loudly.

Then we both cried.

3 minutes later Emma was all smiles.

After taking a look-see my (almost) 5 year old says it was worth it!

Finished!

2009-10-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I learned to crochet almost 2 years ago and really enjoy it! My Grandma Borges is the master crocheter and I hope to one day be as good as she is. Below are pics of my first afghan! I started it last year and was a few stitches away from completing it. I finally pulled it out again about a month ago and finished it. Right in time for "winter"! :)

My Grandma & Grandpa. They are in the Azores right now and come home in a few days!

Fun With Friends!

2009-10-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

We love hanging out with friends and birthday parties are always so fun! Here are the kids at another fun birthday party at the Grogan's house a few weeks ago!

Emma and one of her best friends, Emma Grogan. They are so cute and they call each other by their full names so as not to get confused. :)

Brody getting into the party fun!

The balloon game! Who can hold the most?

Emma and her buddy Christian tied!

Brody playing outside. This boy melts my heart.

My handsome guys!

My Secret Indulgence

2009-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm coming super clean with this.

I am addicted to the Twilight series. *GASP*

It all began this summer when my very practical sister, Kari, told me that she was reading Twilight. She said that she really thought I'd like it. I figured that since she's one of my closest I'd give it a shot, even though the whole vampire thing has never appealed to me at all. But it was summer and I needed some good beach reading material. Plus, I'd seen the movie and it was pretty good.... so why not?

Little did I know how completely in love I would fall with this series. I am almost embarrassed to admit it. I read the whole series in less than 3 weeks. And my kids are now very familiar with all the Disney movies we own because of it.

So how far exactly has it gone??

Yes, I have already bought my ticket for the opening midnight showing of New Moon on November 19th (technically the 20th) where I will stand in line with my Twilight girls....and a bunch of tweens.

Yes, we are all wearing our "Team Edward" shirts (3 of us will be wearing our maternity Team Edward shirts....cause that's just how we roll).

Yes, we are in the process of planning a New Moon party which we will attend prior to the movie (pics will be posted). Games, trivia, Twilight Saga talk, here we come!

Yes, there has been talk of a girls trip to Forks, La Push, Port Angeles and possibly Seattle during a Twilight convention.

Don't judge.

Megan's Engaged!

2009-10-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

My baby sister, Megan, is getting married!!!

Meg is one of my favorite gals and I am so happy for her and her husband-to-be, Bryan!

Here Meg and I are the night of the proposal. We had it all worked out weeks prior to this night. She had no idea!

Me & Meg about an hour before...

Sisters!! Kari and I had it all planned out...

The proposal!!!

She said YES!!

Flashing the bling! So pretty!

The happy couple.

Meg and Bryan are getting married October 25th...THIS October 25th! She is so DANG lucky that she has a Wedding Planner for a sister! :) She's actually planned almost everything on her own and its going to be beautiful! I love fall weddings!

Hello October!

2009-10-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

I LOVE October!

I love fall! I love driving up to Julian to see the leaves changing on the trees (because I live in SD and you just don't see that here) and of course for their famous apple pie. I love breaking out my fall decorations (which would have been up already had it not been for our upcoming move). And I LOVE my pumpkin spice lattes from Starbuck's. mmmmm.

But this month is going to be crazy!

We have a new house to paint starting on the 11th (do you like to paint? We're having a painting party ya know...), we move in on the 17th (do you like heavy labor? Free pizza for all!), I have 2 weddings (one of which I am in) on the 25th and the 30th, and of course trick or treating with the kids and our friends and all their kids the 31st. This is on top of homeschooling, field trips, consults with brides, leading a Bible study, and life in general.

Times like these I wish I were rich and could hire someone to help. Just to cook meals, run errands, clean my house, walk the dog, etc.

Pray I survive October! :)

************

I have been meditating on this verse all week:

"If you enter your place of worship and are about to make an offering, but you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God" (Matthew 5:23-24 Msg)

*************

In our couples small group there are 3 of us that are preg right now! Its so fun! We are all due around the same time and we're all having GIRLS!

These are also my Twilight girls (minus Jeannie). That is a whole different post, but yes, we're obsessed like 15 year old teens.

*************

Happy October!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

5 1/2 months pregnant with #3!

Home Update

2009-09-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

We closed on our house this past Wednesday and we are officially homeowners!

YAYAYAYAYA!

We are so excited and feel so blessed that we found a home that meets our needs! Everything went smoothly and our realtor and lender both said this was the easiest deal they've closed in months.

The sellers will rent from us until October 10th and then Mark and I (with the help of awesome friends and family) will spend that week painting, doing some demo on a few things, and new carpet and window treatments will be installed. We'll move in the following weekend.

I know I keep calling this a "God thing", but here's one more thing that just added to the sweetness of this entire process:

Mark and I began dating on October 17th, 1997 and every year since have celebrated our "anniversary" on that day, even after we got married (in addition to our wedding anniversary, of course).

This year we'll be moving into our first home on October 17th! What a great way to celebrate! :)

Have a happy Monday!

-Alison

Everything

2009-09-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is who I am. This is what I believe. I am unashamed.

I have never been more sure of this than now.

Our First NFL Game!

2009-09-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Mark and I went to our first NFL game on September 5th! It was so different than what we expected. The Chargers were playing the 49ers (our team vs. our childhood team) and it was very cool to see a live game. I won't lie, being packed in the trolley butt to belly was miserable and ALL the people everywhere totally took me out of my comfort zone. But it was a good experience and we had great seats!

5 months pregnant here!

Reminded me of all the high school football games we enjoyed together. Except I was in a really cute band uniform! :)

Seaport Village

2009-09-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Seaport Village is one of our favorite places to hang out! The kids love seeing the boats on the water and there is always something exciting going on. Mark and I love the atmosphere and the live music. We try to get out there once a month or so and here is a recent visit at the end of August.

Almost 5 months pregnant above (8/30/09).

Emma loves Seaport Village for two reasons: #1. The merry-go-round

And #2. The frozen yogurt. Brody's first time trying frozen yogurt! He loved it!

Giving kisses is one of Bro's favorite things! :)

Stuff

2009-09-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Of course I woke up with the events of September 11, 2001 on my mind this morning. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by such a tragedy.

I will always remember my friend Chaundra (roommate at the time) waking me up to tell me what happened. The rest of the day was filled with confusion, tears, cigarettes (yes, we smoked back then...stupid college kids) and ABC newscasters. School was closed for nearly a week and I remember our city of Fresno being in a daze, as all the country was.

************

Today I am more thankful for my friends than I think I ever have been. True friendship is such a gift. I am appreciative of the reminder.

************

Our friends John and Taryn had us over for dinner on Monday. We love them and love spending time with them and their sweet Carson. Its always a good time. Besides our pre-dinner stroll on the beach where we stumbled across clam poachers (biggest clams I have EVER seen btw), the highlight of the evening was John's homemade nectarine cobbler.

I have been thinking about it daily since. It was SO GOOD!!!

John passed on the recipe to me and I will pass it on to you:

Nectarine Cobbler

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

5 c Nectarines, sliced
1 c Sugar
2 Egg yolks, beaten
Cinnamon, topping-
1 c Flour
1 1/4 ts Baking powder
6 tb Sugar
1/4 ts Salt
6 tb Butter
1/2 c Milk
2 Egg whites, beaten stiff

INSTRUCTIONS

Toss fruit with sugar, stir in yolks and turn into a buttered 8x8" pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and toss lightly to mix. With a pastry blender, cut butter into dry ingredients until crumbly. Add milk, stirring until smooth, then lightly fold in egg whites. Spoon over fruit. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until brown and crusty.

Have a great weekend!!! :)

Homeschooling Update

2009-09-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Many friends and family have asked how we're enjoying homeschooling and so I thought I'd post a quick update.

We are now on week 5. Its been exciting, trying, and challenging. We love it.

I am so thankful that we school from home, are done by lunchtime on most days, and have the whole afternoon to play, explore, rest, visit with friends, etc. I love spending this time with Emma. We have so much fun and I'll be honest, she's not the only one learning here. And I'm not talking about the curriculum (although it has been a good refresher!). I am learning so much about myself as a woman and mother. No one is more surprised than me that this is the course our lives have taken and I am loving my roles!

Emma is thriving and learning so much (this week we learned about the Vikings!) and seeing her growth first-hand has been so rewarding! Her strongest subjects right now are reading, math, and Bible. She really enjoys science, especially the projects which we do on Thursdays, and Language Arts. I foresee us homeschooling for years to come.

Thanks to our families and friends for the support and encouragement! We really appreciate it. :)

Just Sayin'....

2009-09-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

I will never go see Legally Blonde on Broadway. If you caught the last 10 minutes of the Bonnie Hunt Show then you may understand where I'm coming from. Everything about it annoys me, especially their voices. Nails on chalkboard.

p.s. I really liked the movie though.

************

I am only 5 months pregnant and I'm pretty sure I'm already waddling. Waddling bothers me. When I walk I make a conscience effort to walk as normal as I can.

Also, since we're on the topic of pregnancy, when people ask me what I'm craving I usually say nothing. The truth is I'm craving beer. Other than taking a little sip of hubs beer every now and then this is one craving thats easily avoided. But SO weird and a first for me!

************

I cannot wait until we move into our house! What will I enjoy and appreciate the most about having our own four walls? Never EVER having to take the dog out again. I am going to LOVE having a doggie door!

PRAISE!!!

2009-09-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my prayer requests at the bottom of this post?

Well Mark just called to tell me that our lender just locked in a 5.0% interest rate for us!!!!!!!!!!!

HUGE PRAISE!!! Thank you Lord!!!

If you prayed with us for this, THANK YOU!

This brings our mortgage down by another $100/month!

I am almost in tears. This just keeps getting better and better and I am SO thankful for the Lord's blessings.

Please pray that we close escrow by September 27th to keep this great interest rate. We are ahead of the game and the sellers have been wonderful (another praise, they now have an accepted offer on a home as well)!

Thank you!

-Alison

WW-Prescott Park, Portsmouth NH (my favorite park)

2009-09-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Monday Musings

2009-08-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

For Today...Monday August 31, 2009

Outside my window...a HOT sunny day.
I am thinking...about how much I have to do today.
I am thankful for...our new house!!!! Escrow opens today!
From the kitchen...breakfast, dishes that need doing.
I am wearing...shorts and a t-shirt.
I am creating...as organized a schedule as I can. Life is busy. Thank God for calendar's.
I am going...to my ultrasound appointment today. Hopefully we can confirm the sex of the baby!

I am reading...Midnight Sun (I'm sick, I know), and the book of Esther.
I am hoping...and praying that escrow closes by the 30th of Sept.
I am hearing...Emma talk about silly things.
Around the house...mess. Gotta clean up before Stacie gets here in a few hours.
One of my favorite things...the holidays!!! I'm already so excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, crochet/knitting with the gals, Stacie visiting for a few days, going back to our new house for the inspection, ultrasound.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: Me and my sweet Brody last Christmas. I miss him being my little baby. He's getting so big.

House Details

2009-08-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how God works. I know that God's hand has always been upon our life, but many times it felt that He was working behind the scenes and we had to really pay attention to see what He was doing.

This is not one of those times.

He has been so present and so blatant in this situation that we cannot help but see Him all over it.

_____________________________________

We began looking for a house in mid-April. We had a big list of everything that we "needed": detached home, at least 1700 sq.ft., 4-5 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms, office, family room, living room, formal dining room, eat-in kitchen, large master bedroom with large jacuzzi garden tub and separate shower, large backyard, attached garage, AC, in a newer part of town, etc.

After about 2 months of looking and going through 20-30 homes we were humbled. We realized that we were not going to get everything we wanted. Actually, we realized that we weren't even going to get half of what we wanted.

We (I) got frustrated and decided to put our house-search on hold. Mark was especially uncomfortable looking for a house when we weren't certain of his job security/pay (for those of you who don't know, Mark is in the military and on shore duty but will be done in November at which time he will take a job in finance, where he currently works). We emailed our realtors and told them we'd continue our search in the fall once we knew what Mark would be making.

In the beginning of August I sent our realtors an email just to let them know that we still planned to resume our search in the fall. They emailed back and asked for our new search criteria. We thought hard about this and drastically reviewed our true needs: at least 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, family room, office, nice backyard for the kids, attached garage, no bars on the windows. ;o) However, I forgot to email them back for a few weeks.

I got back to them 2 weeks ago. One of the first listings they sent us was for this sweet little white and yellow home in an older part of town. We decided to see it because it was so cute and from the pictures the backyard looked fantastic. We went to see it last Thursday (8/20) and as soon as we walked in I whispered to Mark, "I think this is the one".

The house was cheerful and quaint. A cozy 1352 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, an office, nice sized family room, garage with workbench (Mark loved that), and a fantastic beautifully manicured large backyard. We LOVED it. It absolutely met all our new criteria.

We met the owner, Pat, in the backyard and his "girls", two little Shih Tzu's. We told him that we also had a Shih Tzu and there started a great conversation about the home, our kids, our pastimes. After 10 minutes we left. We put an offer in that night.

We were told the home was a short sale (if you know anything about short sale's you know that the are NOT short) and as our realtor was on his way to our house Thursday evening to pick up our offer I prayed to God and told Him that I couldn't handle a short sale process. I am too impatient. "Please God, if there is anyway this situation can change, I will be so thankful". Mark came back in from running the papers out to our realtor and said, "You'll never believe this! The home is for sale by owner. Its not a short sale after all".

Wow. Quick answer to prayer. Thank you God.

Monday we received a form from our lender that provided us with our estimated mortgage - and it was nearly $300 higher than we anticipated. We were so discouraged and I spent most of that day in tears, knowing that we couldn't afford that.

Mark and I prayed that night that if this home were God's will for our family that somehow that number would be lowered.

The next morning we got a call from our lender. He made a mistake on the mortgage estimation and it was $100 less.

Another answered prayer. Thank you God.

We prayed again that night that our mortgage would somehow be lowered even more.

The next day we looked over an insurance form and noticed an error of $40.

Another answered prayer. Thank you God.

During this time the owners countered the offers; ours was the strongest so they didn't ask for more money, just terms of escrow, which we agreed to. We were told we'd have an answer by Thursday evening or Friday morning.

We prayed to God that if this was the home for us that our offer would be accepted. We prayed that Mark would know about his job soon (we were still uncomfortable planning a future mortgage around an uncertain salary).

Friday morning Mark called me soon after he got to work and told me that we were going to get the house. I asked why and he said, "My boss just called me in to her office and told me I'd be getting the position with the pay we need".

Another answered prayer!! Thank you God!

Two hours later our realtors called and asked if we were ready to buy our first home!!!

THANK YOU GOD!!

This entire process has been amazing to us. The market down here is crazy and we honestly doubted that we'd ever find a home...and certainly NOT in two weeks.

To make the whole situation sweeter we went over to the house last night to meet with the current owners, Pat and Cheryl. We learned that they are also Christian's who had been praying for God's guidance regarding the selling of their home 30 days prior to putting it on the market. Cheryl told me that we really made an impression on Pat when we met in their backyard during our first viewing of the home. They told us that they wanted the family with the Shih Tzu! :) We hit it off with them and feel so blessed to have met such a wonderful, Godly couple!

So thats the story thus far!

Prayer requests:

1. We open escrow Monday and pray that we close by September 30th.

2. We pray that we are able to lock in a 5.25% interest rate (or lower). That would bring our mortgage down another $100.

Thank you friends and family for you Facebook love after our announcement, texts, calls, etc. We are so stinkin' excited!!! God is so good!!!

-Alison

Impatience

2009-08-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: The owners of the cute little house have countered a few offers ours included. Luckily they didn't ask us for more money, just terms regarding closing escrow and some other minor stuff. All counters have to be responded to by 1pm today (Thursday 8/27) and we should know by this evening. Please pray that we'd be content either way. Especially me.

---------------------------------------------------------------

We found a cute little house that meets all our needs.

We put an offer in on Friday.

We have been waiting to hear if it was accepted or not (last we heard it looked good).

Waiting is one of the most difficult things in the world for me to do.

The suspense is killing me. I pray we get this house. I pray that I will find peace in God's will for us either way.

I would love it if you would pray too.

Thanks,

Alison

Monday Musings

2009-08-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

For Today...Monday August 24, 2009

Outside my window...roses close to blooming.
I am thinking...about baking. Its been a while since I baked a pie.
I am thankful for...opportunities.
From the kitchen...breakfast in about 20 minutes, then mopping floors.
I am wearing...my pj's.
I am creating...nothing at the moment but that will soon change. Crochet, here I come.
I am going...to try to be more patient.

I am reading...Beth Moore's Esther study.
I am hoping...that we buy a house soon.
I am hearing...the tv...Emma woke up a few minutes ago and is watching Noggin.
Around the house...The smell of coffee.
One of my favorite things...family visiting!
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, consults with brides, site walk-through with bride, playdates, church, dinner with friends, etc.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: my sisters. I miss them.

Wordless Wednesday: Will it ever happen...??

2009-08-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Because I have neglected you...

2009-08-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Our family and friends who live far away use this blog as a way to keep up with us and the kids.

And lets face it...I have been really slacking lately, and for that I am sorry.

So in an attempt to get back into it I will try to post at least twice per week (as if I didn't have enough on my plate...why do I do this to myself?!). :)

And in turn, I am requesting that each of you (Lindsay, Kari, listen up) start your own blog so that I can keep up with you too!

___________________________

I am knee deep in Beth Moore's new study "Esther: Its Tough Being a Woman". I am leading this study through our church and so far our group is really enjoying it.

I have read the book of Esther, but true to form (or so I had heard) Beth Moore has really gone so deeply with this that its as if I am reading Esther for the first time. Luckily, one of my mentors, Judy, lead the same study a few months back and gave me some great advice before I began our study.

Its not as intense as I thought it would be, but I still have to get up 2 or 3 times a week at 6:15am to devote an hour and a half to it to stay on track.

And ya know what? I don't even mind.

I like that quiet alone time with God, Esther, Beth and my cup of decaf. Its a great way to start the day. To remember that we have a Sovereign God who moves behind the scenes and uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect will.

___________________________

A few of my faves from the summer:

2009-08-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

For Today...Monday August 17, 2009

Outside my window...a typical San Diego overcast morning. I love it.
I am thinking...that once again we have a busy week ahead of us.
I am thankful for...everything I've been given.
From the kitchen...its breakfast time but soon it will be school time.
I am wearing...my pj's.
I am creating...a successful business and love it.
I am going...to take Molly to the groomers today. She needs it badly.

I am reading...WAS reading Breaking Dawn...I got totally addicted to the Twilight Series and loved it!
I am hoping...that Mark gets his job offer SOON.
I am hearing...Emma go on and on about how badly she needs a cat.
Around the house...Things need straightening.
One of my favorite things...crocheting! I am getting in the mood to do it again. Fall must be near! :)
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, consults with brides, playdates, etc.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: Here I am 4 months pregnant. The bump just started to show. I'm almost 5 months now.

A Cabin in the Woods....

2009-08-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

...Sounds so lovely right now. I need a vacay in the worst way.

Yes, I'm Alive....

2009-08-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am alive. No need to worry. I have just been extremely busy. Between homeschooling and my business, I have had little time for anything else.

Homeschooling is going great! We school for about 2 1/2 hours every morning and we're staring to get into our own groove now. Its so rewarding for me to see Emma learn and I feel God's hand all over this. We meet our homeschool group on Friday and are really excited to connect with other families in our same boat (although we have several friends who are homeschooling). Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement! We are going to have a great year!

My business is doing so well and I am so busy now! For those of you who don't know, I am a Wedding Consultant and started my own business here in SD a few years ago. I took about a 9 month break when Brody was born and started my advertising up again this past spring. I am getting lots of business now (huge blessing) and even brought on an assistant to help out.

For those of you who are interested you can visit my website at www.oneandonlyevents.com. I have a blog there too (mom, those pics you've been wanting to see are up....) if you'd like to follow and you can even become a fan on facebook. Also, if you haven't already done so, please vote for me in the Channel 10 News A-List Competition for Best Wedding Planner!

Oh, one last thing to share (for now)....we went and visited Faith (our former foster baby) this past weekend!!!!! She has gotten so big! Of course I cried when I was loving on her and she was just smiley, like always. I'd like to think she remembers me, but she is only 4 1/2 months old... I still think she knew who I was. Hopefully we'll be able to keep in touch with her for a long time. We really miss her. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Sonlight, Here We Come...

2009-07-23T09:33:00.001-07:00

Today I ordered Emma's curriculum for this upcoming school year!!

It was SO hard to choose! Mostly for two reasons:

1) I was getting so much advice from so many different homeschooling Mom's that I was just all over the place researching this and that. One said that they loved a certain curriculum and the other said she hated it...and so on. I decided to follow my gut (which typically steers me in the right direction).

2) The curriculum that I kept gravitating towards (Sonlight) was BY FAR the most expensive one I came across, which is always pretty typical for me - If I like it, its usually the most expensive one, danggit! But in my defense, its all inclusive and I don't have to spend time doing lesson plans, which I spent the past year doing. With the baby coming, running my business, leading a woman's group and on and on and on.... I just can't stress about creating lesson plans this year.

But something awesome happened this month:

In just two weeks I booked 4 weddings, more than covering the Sonlight curriculum with some to spare. Praise God! Now that I think about it I don't really recall bringing this to Him in prayer recently, but I struggled with it for months. He knows me and He is faithful!

Emma and I are super excited about this upcoming year as we officially embark on homeschooling! Please pray for us during this time! I'm sure it will be interesting, to say the least! :)

-Alison

p.s. Thank you Paula, for giving me peace and encouragement during this time! I am SO SO SO thankful to have you mentor me through this! Love ya!

Bikini Baby Bump?

2009-07-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've decided not to get a maternity bathing suit.

I went last night with my sis and realized that there are only 2 months left of summer and I'm not big enough for a big old maternity tankini. Plus, I don't want to spend the money on something I'll never wear again.

So, I guess I'll rock the bikini preg with a tank over it or something. I did it with Emma (minus the tank, but I was in shape and 10 lbs. lighter then). I wasn't pregnant during the summer with Brody, but did have him May 2008 and wore a really cute one piece for the first time in years (which is too big now).

Here is Nicole Richie....what do you think of pregnant women in bikini's?

Happy 100th Post to Me!

2009-07-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

Wow. 100 posts!

Its been awhile so here's the latest:

No, I didn't get the WE show, but I'm okay with that. The competitor in me would have LOVED the bragging rights and business exposure, but the wife/mom/homeschooler/pregnant chick/business owner/church volunteer in me thinks that this is best for our family. Still, I'm pretty honored that I made the top 5 out of nearly 200 wedding planners interviewed. What a great experience!

I'm now 12 1/2 weeks along and still not in maternity clothes. This reminds me of my pregnancy with Emma (wasn't in maternity until 14 weeks). Or, to be completely honest, it could be that I'm a size larger than I was so squeezing into my clothes isn't really a problem.

I'm super excited about this week because my youngest sister, Megan, is coming for a visit tomorrow- Monday! She doesn't know it yet, but I bought the Ann of Green Gables movies (they had a box set at Best Buy) and we're gonna have an Ann Shirley Marathon!!! I bet she'll be THRILLED! Of course we'll do our usual: sushi, beach, maybe pedi's (I need one Meg, humor me).

Summer is in full swing and I need a swimsuit! Fun stuff. NOT! Thank goodness Meg will be here to help me find something and give me an honest opinion. I have never bought a maternity suit before and I'm not looking forward to it. I'm sure everything will be pretty picked over, but maybe I'll get lucky.

Does anyone else think the Bachelorette is kinda weird? I have been sucked in to this nonsense and am irritated by Jillian every Monday night. Personally, I would have kept Reid last night. Not too sure about her decision to keep Ed... really curious to see how this will pan out and if she'll find love. One great thing about this show is that it reminds me how incredibly blessed I am to have the husband I do.

HELP!!!

2009-06-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

**Updated to add: The cereal is Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran. I called my sis who has a memory like a steel trap and she remembered correctly, of course! But some of you who left comments also guessed correctly! Thanks!!! :)**

Last night I was craving this certain cereal SO badly. The only thing is, I have no idea what its called and thats where you will hopefully come in.

Description: It is a granola/oats type cereal but not clusters of granola. It is dark brown and shaped like a college-type font O (kind of squared and boxy). That is all that is in the cereal, no flakes, no berries, no apple cinnamon flavors. Just this college-font shaped O. Its sweet and pretty rich.

Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?? I've gone to 3 stores trying to find this cereal and have had no luck (I thought Trader Joe's carried it, but sent my husband to search for it there...planning on going back myself JIC he missed it).

If the correct cereal is named a reward may be in order!

Brody's 1st Birthday Pics (finally!)

2009-06-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took me FOREVER to get these up! Life has been crazy, but here they are! We can't believe our big boy is one already!

Grandpa and Brody.

Tia Megan taking Brody for a walk.

Time for the pinata!

Big sister's turn (the pinata was more for her anyway)!

Even Tia Megan got into it!

And Logan (not sure what Jeff is doing)...

And cousin Brittany, too!

I received A LOT of harassment for that b-day hat. I am definitely defending myself here.

Eating cake for the first time!

My sweet Brody.

Being rowdy with Papa.

Still thinking about cake...

Is It Just Me Or...

2009-06-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

1. ...Has SYTYCD become super sexual? Last nights opening performance where the chicks were dancing on the pianos in the rain with lots of low camera booty shots caused my husband to say out loud, "Good God....is this a dance show or a strip club". And don't even get me started on Mia Michael's number from Wednesday. I LOVE Mia's work, but c'mon...the chick is married. Or did we forget that? Oh yeah, another man grabbing your bum doesn't count if you're on SYTYCD or an actress or...*insert excuse here*. I'm sure her husband was thrilled and just so proud. We want our young women to be classy and intelligent but what are shows like this (and 90210 and Gossip Girl and Audrina Patridge's waaay-too-steamy commercial for Carl's Jr.) teaching our super impressionable young women (and teaching our young men about women)? I'm just saying...

2. ...Didn't Michael Jackson, the cute one with the amazing voice as a child, the one we all rocked out to in the 80's, die years ago? Have we forgotten his disturbing interviews where he proclaimed that young boys sharing his bed is natural and right? Um...I haven't. I mourned the loss of this great talent years ago.

3. ...Have you also been trying to resist reading the Twilight series but since EVERYONE loves them are about to cave? I'm thisclose to doing it. Even my super-practical sister, Kari, is completely hooked. Did you read them and love them or should I look into other summer reads?

Oh What A Day...

2009-06-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

So yesterday the hubs and I made the 3 hour trek back up to Burbank for my interview to meet with the WE tv show's Executive Producer's.

What an experience!

Let me back up though...

When I got the call on Friday I was told to expect an email with all the info. I never received that email so Monday I called to let them know. Thank God that I called because I had lines to memorize! I haven't done that in years! There was also a 26 question application that needed to be filled out. (This was in addition to everything else I had to get ready.)

Needless to say, Monday and Tuesday were crazy.

But I memorized my lines, put my portfolio together, re-vamped my emergency kit, got my resume, client folder, and application all set to go.

So I get to the studio and am immediately taken to a holding room where I am eventually joined by 6 other consultants. I wasn't impressed with any of them really. And I tried to be unbiased because I was scoping out my competition.

There were two older women (I'd guess late 50's, early 60's), one was wearing a leopard print shirt complete with a matching leopard encased blackberry, the other had pink hair. There was a beautiful gal who seemed like she might be a good fit until she announced that she didn't like to be on camera because the women in her family have small eyes (?), there was a really stiff/serious planner who had a lisp, another who was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and asked if she could curse, and another who had pretty red hair but tried to say something funny at every opportunity. They all seemed nice enough, but not anyone I'd be interested in watching on tv. (p.s. if I don't get this, I will still watch the show; curious to see who got it.)

I was so relieved when my name was called to be interviewed.

It was great meeting the Executive Producer's. They seemed really nice and the interview went very well. I stumbled on my lines once but it was minor. They were impressed with my emergency kit and its contents, which also got a few laughs. I answered all of their questions and felt I answered everything really well. They asked if I'd ever done tv and I told them no. They told me that I looked great on camera and asked if I'd had my make-up professionally done for the interview...again I said no and Katy, the owner of the casting company, said that it looked great (totally did not expect that, but thanks!). I flat out told them that I was born for this. Maybe sometimes I am just too frank.

When the casting director escorted me out she told me that I did great and that I am definitely in the top 5. And in case you're wondering, nearly 200 people interviewed last week and they narrowed it down to 12. All of us were interviewed yesterday and thankfully there will be no more callbacks!

So either they'll call within the next week or two and offer me the show or they won't. That's where its at now. I'm not gonna save face and say "oh it's been a great experience, so either way I'm happy". Truth is, I want it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'd love to do it.

At the same time I know that the Lord has plans for me and whether this is included or not is fine. I'm a busy gal as it is, so I'll have plenty to focus on if I don't get it.

But it would be so cool to host a tv show!!!

If you think about it, say a prayer for me. Thanks!!! :)

~Alison

WE TV CALLBACK

2009-06-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

I got the call tonight!!!!

The Executive Producer's of 'Wedding Bliss' want to meet me on Wednesday!!!!

So back to Burbank I go...

I am so excited and nervous. Plus, they gave me a laundry list of all the stuff I need to bring (ahhhh!):

1. A prop: like a wedding favor or something to make my interview pop. (I honestly had no idea what she meant when we were talking about this....make my interview "POP"? Buuuut.....okay. I think I'll bring my Emergency Kit. Its loaded with tons of stuff in case of a wedding emergency.)

2. Professional Portfolio: So I know that I should already have one made, but I never thought I'd really need it, so I don't. Now I have 4 days to bust out with a really awesome portfolio that will impress TV Exec's. Pray that I can do it. Its really stressing me out. I don't know the first thing about portfolio's. (Any advice is welcomed.)

3. Consult Folder: I give one out to every prospective client at every first consultation. Right now mine are white with a transparent copy of my logo stuck to the front. Looks good, but not good enough for the Exec's. I need to have my logo printed onto the front (something I've been meaning to do for a few months). I need to get this done prior to Wed.

4. Resume: I will include it in my portfolio. Its not stressing me out too much, but its tedious. Haven't done a resume in about 5 years, maybe more.

Please please pray that I don't get super stressed about this and that everything falls into place. Please also pray that I manage my time wisely and that I get a lot accomplished this weekend while Mark is around to help with the kids.

Thanks!!! I'm so excited and will keep you all posted!

~Alison

TV....Here I Come?!

2009-06-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned it before, but I am a Wedding Consultant (aka Planner, Coordinator).

Last week I received a call from the We TV Network because they are casting for a new show called Wedding Bliss which is all about one Wedding Consultant who plans a fabulous budget wedding for a deserving couple in just one week. There will be 6 episodes total; 3 will be shot in LA and the other 3 will be shot in other locations that have yet to be determined. Their casting company came across my website and asked if I would come to Burbank to interview for the role.

Um, ya!

So yesterday the hubs and I made the 2 1/2 hour trek up north for my interview. I was super super nervous. We went over questions that they were possibly going to ask me and I felt pretty confident going in.

The interview was in a room that was painted green, with a stool in the center, a small boom mic in front of the stool and a video camera. Behind the camera was the interviewer, Kat.

The first thing Kat said was, "This is not your typical interview. Don't be polite. Be blunt." to which I responded, "Blunt in my middle name.". She laughed and the tone was set for a pretty awesome interview. I turned up the personality and answered every question with complete confidence.

After the last question was answered she invited me to meet the owner of the casting company, Katie (the two Consultants interviewed before did not meet Katie - you have to cross the waiting room to get to her office). :) This was a really good sign and I was stoked! Katie was very nice and she asked me if I had ever acted before. I told her I'd done theatre years ago, but no TV. We talked for a few more minutes and then Kat gave me the info about callbacks.

Callbacks are next week and I'm pretty sure I will get a call. Whether or not I'll get the show, I don't know, but what a fun and exciting experience and what a great opportunity! I am flattered that they even called me!

Keep your fingers crossed!! :)

~Alison

Our Goodbye

2009-06-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

Faith just left about 20 minutes ago.

It was so hard to buckle her into her carseat one last time. She just looked at me and smiled. What's really difficult for me is that as far as she knows, I am mommy. I don't want her to feel abandoned. I hope she does okay in her new home. I hope she is cuddled and loved on. I hope her new foster mom has dark eyes and hair like me so that Faith finds her familiar.

I miss that sweet baby.

I had convinced myself that I'd be okay. After all, I get to sleep through the night again, no more bottles to heat, no more mom-visits, many less diapers to change (Brody is still in diapers so I'm not completely off the hook), so much more time to myself....

But I was wrong. All that is worth it when you see her sweet little smile. I cried when she left. And yes, I'm crying now. I know that its for the best that she is with her big sis.

I have two sisters and that bond is so special that I cannot imagine my life without them. And those two girls need to bond. They are just so sweet.

Luckily, I befriended her mom and we have plans to do a playdate soon. She gets unsupervised visits now and I know the girls will return to her within the next few months. Whether they'll stay, I don't know. But I wanted to be someone she could rely on and turn to if/when things get tough.

I will continue to pray for this family and I just know that God has big plans for sweet Faith. Thank you for all your prayers, words of encouragement and support. We so appreciate it.

Fast Food: My Enemy

2009-06-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

One thing I HATE about pregnancy:

fast food cravings!

This always happens to me during the first trimester. I smell that charbroiled smell as I pass Carl's Jr. on my way to Wal-Mart, or the sauteed onions as I pass In N Out on my way to...wherever. You get it.

So today I enjoyed my last double-double animal style and will now commit to NOT indulge in fast food...well at least not more than once a week. I think that's reasonable.

So.... off I go on my two-mile walk. Honk if you pass me and the cutest dog in the world, Molly, who just got groomed today. :)

Update

2009-06-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have been really slacking on here.

I'm exhausted.

But I have news: We heard from baby Faith's social worker that she will be moving Friday. Her 2 year old sister is also in foster care and they think it would be best to have the girls together until reunification with their birth mother can happen. Although we are sad to see her go, we agree with her social workers decision.

I have 2 sisters and there is nothing like the bond we share.

I have my last mom-visit on Thursday and then we will drop Faith off at her new home on Friday. I am in the process of making a little scrap-book for her this week with pictures of her and of us and little stories about how she has been as a baby these past 10 weeks.

This experience has been the most exhausting, challenging, and rewarding thing we as a couple have ever taken on. It caused so much self-examination and we are better because of it.

********

I am now 8 weeks pregnant and starting to show already (but have managed to not break out the maternity clothes...yet). For the most part I feel good. I am tired and feel sick from time to time, but other than that I feel like myself.

My first doctors appointment is on June 22 and I'm expecting to have an ultra sound done to date the pregnancy, but am certain that I'm right on.

I had a dream the night before last that we were at an appointment and our midwife told us we were having twins, a boy and a girl. HA! That would be hilarious but completely fitting of our crazy lives. :)

We have decided not to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Since we have one of each we figured we'd keep it a surprise. A few of our friends did this recently with their thirds and it was fun to guess and see the outcome.

Unless we are having twins....then we will HAVE to know! ;-D

*******

Pics of Brody's first birthday party will be up soon!!! He was such a cutie and loved his birthday cake!

Also, our friends John and Taryn, took his 1 year pictures and I need to post those as well! SO stinkin' cute!

And, Mark's birthday was last week and yes, we have more pics!!!! Ahhh! I need an assistant! :)

Hope you all are well!!!!

-Alison

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here Comes #3...or is it #4??

2009-05-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

That's right....

We're expecting our third baby!!!!!!!

After a week and a half of what I thought might be the swine flu (just kidding), Mark and I found out on Mother's Day that I am pregnant (how fitting, huh...Mother's Day of all days)!

SHOCK is an understatement.

No, we were not trying. Yes, we are thrilled!

Did I mention SHOCKED?

But we gladly accept the blessings the Lord sends our way and we are very excited!

I am only 4 1/2 weeks and we're due sometime in January. I considered not announcing until 12 weeks because of a previous miscarriage, but we figure the more people that know the more people who can be praying for us! :)

So thank you in advance for any prayers you send our way!!!

-Alison

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

(where I wish I was)

Just to Clear Things Up...

2009-05-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

That cute little pup on my last post is not our dog. I'm just hoping to get a boxer one day. They are so sweet! :)

Also, I have some news but can't really put it out there yet. More to come....

And finally, just a random thought: Fuddruckers - what's the big deal? We ate there last night and although it was good, I would not call it the "world's greatest hamburgers". I definitely prefer Islands Burger's. But I WILL say that they had a live senior citizen band (that's right) that ROCKED IT! We all danced and had a great time! Totally worth it! :)

Have a great Tuesday!!!!

Monday Musings

2009-05-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

For Today...Monday, May 11, 2009

Outside my window...a very still and overcast Monday morning.
I am thinking...where do I start? I have so much on my mind...
I am thankful for...my children! Mother's Day was awesome!
From the kitchen...coffee needs making, dishes need washing.
I am wearing...my pj's.
I am creating...an Orphans Care Team that will hopefully reach many.
I am going...to get new head-shots done today for my website.
I am reading...parenting books.
I am hoping...that things fall together this year.
I am hearing...quiet - 2 of the 3 kids are still sleeping.
Around the house...chores need to be done.
One of my favorite things...eating out! I love a good restaurant.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, hanging out with Eve and Shay today, head-shots with the Bergmann's, Em's soccer practice, girls night out on Friday.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: possibly my future dog. So cute!

Happy First Birthday Brody!!!

2009-05-02T19:17:00.001-07:00

Today is Brody's first birthday and what a fun day we had! Brody's birthday party was great and it was so nice to visit with friends and family.

We took LOTS of picture but I forgot my cord to upload them so they'll be up on Wednesday most likely. Look forward to those!!!

It has been a great year with Brody and we are so blessed to have been given the honor and opportunity to parent, guide and mentor him. We are so looking forward to celebrating many more milestones with our sweet boy.

Thank you to all the grandparents for your help putting this together! We are so thankful to you for all you do for us and our children!!!

Time for the hubs to rub my feets! :)

Have a great weekend!

-Alison

Wordless Wednesday: Brody's First Haircut!!

2009-04-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is what Emma wore (minus the flamingo mask).

Brody didn't even cry!

The clippers made him a little nervous.

All done! My handsome boy (5 of his 6 teeth are showing)! :)

One Of My Favorites

2009-04-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

The first blog that I ever stumbled across was Angie Smith's blog, Bring The Rain. If you haven't read this family's story - you must. Angie is a wonderful writer and I love love love reading her blog. It has touched me and encouraged me as a young Christian woman/wife/mom. She truly inspires me.

Angie is currently in India working with Compassion International. She is in need of prayers and I ask that you would all lift her (and the whole Compassion International team) up in prayer. Angie's latest post resonated with me in such a deep way....

...I may (or may not) have mentioned it, but having Faith here has been a wonderful albeit difficult adjustment that has left Mark and I tired and tested.

Angie's post reminded me of WHOSE child we are caring for and how significant that is. It put our desire to serve God in this way back into perspective. Because believe me...we have had moments where we wonder why in the world we signed on for this.

But this is not about us.

And I am so thankful that the Lord reached out to me today and reminded me of exactly why we are doing this. That the child we are caring for, loving on, waking up twice a night for, feeding, changing, rocking, nurturing is HIS.

We have been given a wonderful opportunity to minister to her family and love her as well as we can while she is a part of our family. And even is she never knows who we are, it is so worth it.

Monday Musings

2009-04-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

For Today...Monday, April 27, 2009

Outside my window...birds chirping on this overcast CA day.
I am thinking...that I need to bust out some cleaning/laundry today.
I am thankful for...my friend Jenny who is arranging meals for our family and is bringing us dinner tonight!!!
From the kitchen...counters need cleaning.
I am wearing...a thermal shirt and pj bottoms.
I am creating...a more organized home this week.
I am going...to the party store today to buy stuff for Brody's first birthday party!
I am reading...the book of John this week.
I am hoping...that the weather will be nice for Brody's party.
I am hearing...Emma reading and the baby swing.
Around the house...baby stuff galore.
One of my favorite things...sleeping without interruption - oh how I miss it.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, hanging out with Eve Tuesday, leaving for central CA Friday.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: aren't they cute?! (Thank you Aunt Sharon for Brody's bday present! The clothes were adorable and he loves the trucks!)

My Latest...

2009-04-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here drinking my coffee in my personalized Anthropologie mug that Kari got me for Christmas wishing I were still in bed. I miss sleeping. I am the type of girl that needs 8 hours of sleep in order to be nice. Today I will have to work VERY hard at being nice.

**********

Lately I've been day dreaming about moving to the South. Specifically Texas, South Carolina (maybe not after the fires there...so sad), Georgia (Savannah, to be exact) or Tennessee.

I think that this is because for $250,000 I can get this sprawling 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2900 sq.ft. home in Texas:

Beautiful, huh?

For $250,000 I can get this 4 bedroom, 2 bath 1300 sq.ft. home in South San Diego (about 30 minutes from downtown):

Big difference, huh?

We have been home searching and although our budget is more than $250,000 (it has to be to get something large enough that is in the area we live) it is super depressing to know that if we left this expensive state we could get so much more for our money.

Mark would leave in a second. His reasoning: we could move to the South or Midwest, he'd get paid the same as here in Southern CA, but we'd live so comfortably. It would be easy and so much less stress.

If it weren't for the fact that most of our family lives in central CA, I'd totally be on board. I've always secretly wanted to be a southern belle! ;)

**********

Remember my plans to shape up?

Yeah...I forgot about it too.

I still exercise here and there, but have not hit it hard in a while. I could blame my busy schedule, the ~~energy-sucking~~ demands of kids, etc., but regardless, summer is just around the corner and I need to go bathing suit shopping.

Joy.

I better get on it or I'll have to sport one of these from modestswimwear.com :

Kidding. I am modest (especially with these few extra pounds hangin' out) but I'm thinkin' a tankini will do for this year.

**********

Next weekend is a BIG weekend for me (oh yeah, and Brody!).

My baby boy is turning one a week from tomorrow! *sniff sniff*

In preparation for his Birthday festivities (big bday party on May 2nd up north) tomorrow is his first haircut! I will probably cry because I am a big baby when it comes to milestones. Sunday is his 1 year pictures. I can't believe its been a year already! We are so, so very blessed and he is the most precious little boy.

Pics of his first haircut coming soon....

*********

There is a lot more that falls under the "my latest" category but I'll end with a very interesting article that I came across this morning:

Apparently there is a 'No Poo' Movement sweeping the country (I may be exaggerating a little). I might just have to give this a try; I'm a little granola when it comes to things like this. It was such an interesting read and I am seriously considering giving it a go (but oh how I'd miss my shampoo)...opinions??

Have a great Friday!

-Alison

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: Pics From Easter

2009-04-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Day Before Easter:

Finished coloring eggs with Nana.

Ready to open Easter baskets from Nana and Papa!

Coloring eggs at Grandma & Larry's house.

At Grandpa & Delia's for dinner.

My beautiful sister, Megan.

Opening Easter baskets from Grandpa & Delia.

Brody was more interested in Grandpa than the bunny!

Our Resurrection Eggs!

Easter Sunday:

Stop #1 - Mom & Larry's House

Grandma & Emma both looking beautiful!

(Emma's Princess pose - its her new thing.)

Our family.

With cousin Grace.

Stop #2 - Uncle Ray & Aunt Evie's House

Brody's first Easter!

Checking out the eggs.

Brody with pretty little Grace.

Emma huntin' away....

All the ladies...

All the fella's...

Stop #3 (that's right...crazy busy) - Tia Delma & Tio Telma's house:

With Grandpa (& Bro's Nie Nie...he was tired).

Love hanging around this table.

Calgon...Take Me Away

2009-04-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

I really thought that I would transition into foster parenting with grace.

Wrong....!!!

I have been so tired these past few weeks, and I have to admit, a bit overwhelmed.

Juggling the kids schedules, Emma's activities (like play-dates and now soccer), nursing Brody, feeding the baby every few hours (these two combined at night - not fun), taking the baby to mom visits, diapers, diapers and more diapers, running my business (not sure if I've mentioned it but I'm a Wedding Coordinator), leading a Bible study (which sadly, I've missed the past few weeks), homeschooling Emma, and keeping up with the house chores and cooking:

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If there is anyone who owns a luxurious spa out there who wants a review done, I'm SO there! I need a break. Some peace and quiet. Time to recharge.

But since the spa scenario is unlikely, a date with my husband tonight will have to do. ;o) We're going to one of my favorite seafood restaurants and I plan to wine and dine like this is the last date we'll have for a while...

...because it probably will be.

*Random side note: Emma is watching Go, Diego Go! - the one about Macaroni Penguins and she just said, "That's gross! I didn't know penguins had an egg in their cu!" (pronouced COO)

In case you haven't figured it out, cu is our word for bottom. In Portuguese "cu" is slang for rabo, which literally means bottom.

She is so funny!

*********************************************

Okay, time to get ready for my hot date! Hope you all have a great Friday evening!

-Alison

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Three Kids

2009-04-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

Exhausting.

That is all I can say.

I used to want four and was even open to five but today caused me to rethink that. Today I ventured out with all three and let. me. tell. you.

wow.

I got in the van (LOVE IT!) and halfway to our destination realized that the stroller didn't get returned to the van (LOVE IT!) after unpacking it yesterday from our trip to visit family up North for Easter. So...I had to lug Bro on my hip, Faith in her carrier while Emma trailed behind.

Needless to say, my back is killing me. Have I mentioned that Brody, who is 11 1/2 months, weighs 24 lbs.? Yeah.

Other than the hectic day of trying to run errands with the three kids, everything has been working out well with little miss Faith.

Please continue to pray for us. There has been talk of Faith's two year old sister staying with us as well (!) and I just don't know if I can hang with all four kids. If its the Lord's will I know I can do it, but man oh man...

Hope you all had a great Easter! Pics to come soon!

-Alison

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Court

2009-04-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: The social worker called us at noon and the court ruled to keep baby Faith with us! Praise God! I was nervous all morning and so relieved that the judge made a wise ruling.

Don't misunderstand, I am sad for the birth mother but at the same time she made the decisions that put herself in this situation and baby Faith shouldn't suffer for her mistakes.

There is another trial April 20th (the Jurisdiction & Disposition Hearing) and that will determine whether the baby is to be under the jurisdiction of the court (like her sister, who is also in foster care - this scenario is likely) and to evaluate how the mother's disposition is and whether they will continue to offer her services (which they will if she continues to do what she's supposed to).

There is a slight chance that the court could grant her custody of the baby, but the children's social worker thinks that is highly unlikely since the hearing is in 3 weeks, she isn't able to care for her 2 year old right now and she'll just be starting her services.

So it looks like baby Faith will be here with us for a minimum of 6 months. Can anyone get a good deal on a van? :)

Please continue to pray...

*********************************************

Today the Judge will decide whether baby Faith stays with us or is placed with her mother.

Nervous is an understatement.

I spent over 3 hours with the birth mother this weekend and I cannot see how any judge would put a child in her care. I am sad for her, I am sad for Faith. I am praying that God gives this Judge wisdom and that Faith stays here.

I can't go into details about conversations I've had with the birth mother, but I am fearful of Faith's safety if she goes back today. I knew the mother has some mental issues going in to this, but witnessed them first-hand this weekend.

Please be in prayer for baby Faith. Also, please be in prayer for her mother and father. They have a lot of issues to work through.

*********

On a lighter note, Faith is a complete joy! She is such an easy-going baby. She eats so well and is sleeping great. I thought that we would be completely sleep-deprived, but she sleeps through the night better than our own babies did and they were great sleepers!

Emma thinks that she is so sweet and Brody is very curious about her! :) Here is a pic from this weekend (thought I'd share since her face isn't too visible).

We have so many friends and family praying for this precious child and ask you to lift her up in prayer as well.

I will update as soon as I know anything...

-Alison

We REALLY Got The Call

2009-04-03T19:01:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning and just had a feeling that we'd be getting a call from our Placement Coordinator.

Sure enough, at 11am, she called. She wanted to know if we would take a 4 day old baby girl and if so, could we be at the hospital before 3pm. We didn't even think twice about it. We dropped our children off at a good friends house and off we went to the hospital.

Mark and I both knew that we'd be getting called for a baby. After last week's experience we felt the Lord preparing our hearts for it.

It was so very strange going to the hospital, signing all the release forms in place of the birth mother, and then meeting the mom only to leave with her baby minutes later.

My heart broke for her.

But while we were there I did my best to reassure her that everything would be okay. That her sweet baby is in good hands and that I'm sure she'll return home soon (which I'm not). She seemed to like us and I think she felt a little more reassured after our conversation.

There is a court hearing on Monday to determine whether or not the baby can return to her. From what I've heard from all the social workers involved with this case, its not looking good for the mother. She has 4 other children that have been taken from her. I am sad for her.

We'll see what the Judge decides on Monday.

I know that many of you are wanting details, but I can't really divulge too much about the baby here. We have to keep her identity as confidential as possible. I'll call her baby Faith here on my blog. She is adorable and very calm. She is a healthy baby was not born with any drugs in her system, which we are thankful for. I have already spoken with the birth mom on the phone this evening and she says that baby Faith sleeps very well through the night, so we'll see how that goes! :) I'll be meeting with the birth mom a couple times over the weekend so they can spend time together.

Thank you all for your prayers. We feel honored to be caring for this sweet baby while she is here. I have faith that Lord will do His good work throughout this situation and I have faith that there will be a positive outcome.

Happy April Fools Day!!!!

2009-04-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

I had to do it! Its expected of me! :)

But thank you for all the well wishes and congratulations!!!! There will be a similar post one day- a REAL one- as we do hope to get pregnant one more time. But as for now, I am not expecting! (I feel kind of bad...I put up this post to fool my hubs at work...and yes, he freaked out!)

Love you all and hope you have a fantastic April!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

We Got The Call...

2009-03-31T08:57:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday our Placement Coordinator called us. She had a 20 month old boy that she needed to place and asked if we would take him. I told her that we were licensed for a 2-3 year old little girl but she informed me that we could easily change our license to accommodate the little boy. I told her that I wasn't sure it would work. We'd have to get another crib and he would have to share a room with Brody, who will be 11 months in a few days (not too sure about messing up his schedule at this point).

Mark was at work so I told her I'd get back to her once I spoke with him.

When he got home he told me that we should take this little boy in; that we'd make it work. I called her back and she had already placed the little boy with a family (who can only keep him for 2 months, then he will have to be placed in a new home - poor guy).

Our hearts were affected and we decided to change our license (which was a seamless process). So we're now licensed for 2 children: 1 male 0-2 yrs and/or 1 female 0-4 yrs.

The next day at work Mark was relaying the events of the previous day to a co-worker. She offered to give us a crib and a car seat. It turns out that her mom recently closed her in-home daycare and needed to get ride of a few things.

So Mark came home last night with a really nice white crib (all of Brody's furniture is white), mattress, and car seat. What do you think God is doing here? I am so excited to see what's going to happen with all this...

If you think about it please continue to pray for our family and the child(ren) who will be placed with us. Also, we're in the process of looking for a house to buy...pray that God brings us a house too! Now we definitely need a little more room! :)

-Alison

Laminin

2009-03-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

Will you take 9 minutes to watch this - its really quite amazing.

Monday Musings

2009-03-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

For Today...Monday, March 30th, 2009

Outside my window...trees with budding leaves.
I am thinking...that I need to dust upstairs before Mark gets home.
I am thankful for...the patience I am experiencing today - this is rare.
From the kitchen...tonight is fried rice - I love my wok.
I am wearing...jeans and a Chargers shirt.
I am creating...a refreshed business.
I am going...start reading a new book this week (hopefully).
I am reading...the book of Proverbs.
I am hoping...that the weather stays so nice so we can go fishing this weekend!
I am hearing...Cinderella.
Around the house...toys everywhere! Emma has friends over.
One of my favorite things...the beach. I really need to go by myself soon.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, hanging out with friends Tuesday, in-laws arrive on Friday.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: I am craving this so badly right now...

Praise Post!

2009-03-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

I feel like I need to Praise God more for all the blessings I have. Here are just a few things I am thankful for this week:

For my husband (and kids). Mark is by far the best husband any gal could ask for. He swiffers, plays with the kids because he really enjoys it, supplies me with large doses of sanity when I need it most, and loves me when I look my worst. I am blessed.

My best friend, Lindsay, for bringing out the 13 year old 8th grader in me and making me laugh hysterically. I am so thankful for our years and years of friendship.

For Eve, who surprised me with Starbuck's on Friday morning; that was so sweet and I really love hanging out with her. I really appreciate our friendship and hope we continue to grow closer.

For AnnaMae, who I consider my sister here in SD. (Doesn't she look super cute in this pic?!)

For my crockpot, which both makes my life easy and make me look like even more of a fabulous housewife. :)

For mini M&M's. I adore those little things.

For my sisters, whom I love and miss and want to spend a long weekend with very soon, just us girls!

An Award!!

2009-03-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA for a while because my BFF, Lindsay, has been in town since Sunday. She just left this morning :( and I'm missing her already! I get so busy with the daily happenings of my life that I sometimes forget how much I miss her! Linds and I have been BFF's for 14 years now and to commemorate that we discussed a future post that I will be working on, so look for it some time soon. :)

____________________________________

While I was away I received this little baby....

Yup, my humble little blog has received its first award! Thanks Amanda, for listing my blog as one of your faves!! :)

The rules of this award are to share 7 things you love and 7 bloggers you love. This is way too easy!

7 things I love:

-Jesus

-my wonderful, honest, loving, loyal, sexy husband

-my sweet children

-my family

-good friends

-nature

-naptime

7 blogs I love and read often:

-Bring The Rain

-Kelly's Korner

-The Macs

-William's Family Blog

-Really, Are You Serious?

-My Life: Defined

-Life, Liberty and the Pursuit...

Be back soon! Have much to share!

-Alison :)

Frustrated

2009-03-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

I called our placement coordinator on Monday because I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the fact that we still don't have a placement.

She told me that since we have been very specific about the child's age (we requested a 2-3 year old little girl) that it might take a while to receive a placement. Then she asked where we are located in the county and said that actually she expected that we'd get a placement really soon because there is a need for English speaking families for 3 year old little girls.

Am I being super impatient or is this taking forever? I have given this to God and He knows how discouraged I am....especially since we have been ready to serve in this way since October. We jumped in so excited and ready to meet this need in our community but didn't expect it to take this long.

Please pray that I would be at peace regardless. That I would trust God's plan. I am fully aware that I can't see the whole picture but sitting here idle is driving me crazy.

Wordless Wednesday: For Megan (Emma & Fun B the Clown)

2009-03-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

My Mom and her husband, Larry, came to visit this past weekend. We had a great time hanging out with them. On Saturday we took them to the beach, which is what we do when anyone comes to visit since most of our family and friends don't live 15 minutes from the beach like we do. :) The weather was so nice; it was overcast and was nice and cool, perfect for a walk.

My Mom and Emma had a great time together!

And I had a great time chatting it up with my Mom...its been a long time since we spent uninterrupted time together - we even hit up Target and did some shopping, which was fun.

Here are the guys (I love Brody's expression...the 'I-smell-a-fart-face' has become his fave). :)

Believe it or not, Mark (my very resourceful husband) rigged the camera up on a box of wipes to take this picture and I think it turned out so good (considering)! :)

Here are me and Miss Emma - she was pretending to be grumpy.

And my little family...I am so blessed!

Later that day during our Target excursion my Mom picked out a new Fancy Nancy book for Emma and Target just happened to have the matching outfit that Fancy Nancy is wearing in the book! Emma was so stoked and she's been wearing it daily (Mom, she now loves the fancy necklace's)! :) Thanks Mom and Larry for a fun weekend!

-------------------------------------------------------

I remembered that today was St. Patrick's Day at about 9am after checking my Facebook and seeing all the 'Happy St. Patrick's Day' posts. It crossed my mind yesterday as I was making out the dry erase calendar that hangs over my desk (its been that kind of month...I JUST changed it from Feb to March).

I decided to teach Emma about St. Patrick's Day and we had lots of fun! Penmanship today was Irish-themed with words like "clover", "lucky", "leprechaun", "green beer" (KIDDING)!

Emma opened the fridge to find that a Leprechaun had gotten in and turned her milk green! She kept saying, "those sneaky leprechauns!"!! :) Then I told her to go wash her hands after breakfast in her Dad's bathroom and this is what she saw:

She said "Mom...a leprechaun peed in Daddy's potty"!! :) It was great!

I'm off to get some sushi in honor of St. Patrick's Day! I realize that sushi has nothing to do with the Irish, but I look for any opportunity to have sushi! :)

Monday Musings

2009-03-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

For Today...Monday, March 16th, 2009

Outside my window...a beautiful day and one I hope to get out and enjoy.

I am thinking...that I am a bit overwhelmed with so many options.
I am thankful for...my sisters and mom, who I constantly bounce ideas off of.
From the kitchen...pork roast with veggies in the crockpot.
I am wearing...my pj's, but need to change.
I am creating...a new weekly schedule.
I am going...to sort things out and try to relax.
I am reading...the book of Proverbs and really enjoying it (there are 31 Proverbs so I am reading one chapter a day).
I am hoping...to meet our foster child this week.
I am hearing...silence. Its naptime. ahhh.
Around the house...mostly caught up.
One of my favorite things...sushi. Hands down.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, organizing before we have visitors next week.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: Emma and Daddy playing Old Maid - Emma's fave!

Distractions

2009-03-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

This week I am taking a break from "Monday Musings" and "Wordless Wednesdays".

I have been so busy, that I just haven't had the time. I have some things (good things) going on in my life right now that have kept me distracted. But I'm here to share the latest!

___________________________________

In Emma news:

Yesterday we had to run errands and Emma dressed herself. She does this often and whether it works or not is hit or miss. Yesterday it was borderline "hit", so I let her wear what she had chosen (which was a shirt that had a pink sea horse on it and jeans that had all these hot pink patches with flowers). She completed her ensemble with a purple sparkly jeweled necklace, a strawberry shortcake bracelet, and her sparkly princess shoes (similar to the ones below).

We hadn't been in the car for 5 minutes when Emma let out a big sigh and said, "Its hard being a princess!".

That about sums it up folks.

Here she is after a princess birthday party she went to last week:

___________________________________

In Brody news:

We have a crawler people!

This milestone has made my life crazy! But Brody is the cutest crawler I have ever seen! Think bear cub meets sumo wrestler. Classic.

This is one of the only ways I can contain him (Mark actually came up with this idea):

Doesn't he look thrilled?:

Brody is 10 months old this month and I can hardly believe it! He is the sweetest little boy and is really into cuddling with his mama right now. I am savoring every moment!

Mac-N-Cheese Nostalgia

2009-03-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

For years now I've told Mark of the different meals that my sisters and I used to eat growing up. My Dad cooked a lot of the time and although he made some really good stuff (at one point he dreamed of being a chef and opening his own restaurant), he also made some...interesting concoctions.

Today Emma was really wanting Mac-N-Cheese for dinner and as she was asking my mind instantly jumped to my Dad's version of the American classic.

My Dad used to make us Mac-N-Cheese, but he couldn't just make it according to the directions on the box. He had to tweak it - because heaven forbid we eat something out of a box that didn't have some added ingredients to make it more hardy. So he would add a can of tuna and a can of cream of mushroom soup (not sure if this is original, but never heard of anyone else fixing it this way).

My sisters and I LOVED it!

I made "Mac-N-Cheese with Tuna" (as we used to call it) for dinner tonight and Emma gobbled it down. still kid-friendly.

Mark wasn't as thrilled. Turns out its not really his thang.

As I ate, I just thought about my childhood and all the good memories I have. I missed home and the way things were back then. It feels like such a long time ago.

Once I have our scanner up and running I'll have to post a few pics from back then. I was an 80's/90's kid all the way! :)

Words Are Needed

2009-03-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

I know that typically my Wednesday's are "wordless", but today I just feel an inner stirring of discontentment and words are needed for me to sort through it.

As some of you (family and friends) may know we have decided to stay in Southern CA. This was a big decision and an enormous leap of faith on my part.

If you know me personally, you know that I can be controlling and have always envisioned my life going my way (which rarely happens, hence this blog...my record of letting go of control and letting God direct my paths). This is an ongoing struggle for me. I am independent, strong, willful and stubborn, which I had always viewed as definite strengths - and at times they are - but these characteristics have also been the cause of stumbling and hard lessons learned.

For the past two years, maybe more, I have been learning to be led.

This was a new concept for me (and believe me, still so difficult). About a year into learning to be led I was encouraged by a book, which I had ignored to read a few years prior to moving to SD at a pivotal point in my marriage. A time when we were both losing and in danger of massive failure. By God's mercy, we ended up in SD, immediately began attending a healthy church, made some great friends and started anew. I finally got around to reading this book last year, and it completely changed my view of why I was created and for whom I was to serve. It took my liberal, contemporary views of wifehood and scrambled them into an almost unrecognizable version of who Alison was created to be.

I was far from it.

And I longed for it.

I began on a journey of servitude towards my husband and God that I never dared embark on before (vulnerability is not my forte). And yes, I have failed more times that I can mention. But I continued on and purposed to be the Godly wife I was created to be. Much of that meant surrendering my will and learning to trust and follow my husband.

Over the past few years I have been tested in this area like never before.

{Back to staying in Southern CA.}

I have been wanting to move back home (Central CA) since we've been in Southern CA. I talked about it daily. I got in touch with a realtor there so that I was in on the real estate happenings when it came time to buy a home. I inadvertently brainwashed Emma into saying things like, "I can't wait to move back to..." and, "its so much more fun in...".

So you understand that it was no secret what my plans were.

Mark, however, was under tremendous pressure to find a good job back home in this terrible economy when he had a perfectly good job offered to him here in SD that he was excited about.

I continued to press on with what I wanted. I continued to discourage him.

I'm not sure how or when it happened but the Lord spoke to my heart and made me realize (I actually think it was at Bible study a couple of weeks ago) that I serve and honor Him when I serve and honor my husband. Even if that means that I don't get what I want (or what I think I want).

I prayed about it... and I mean on-my-knees-prayed about it (you know its REALLY serious when that happens) and finally came to Mark with what was on my heart. I basically gave it over to him. I told him that he was placed as the head of our family for a reason and I trust him to make the best decision for our family.

He was (visibly) relieved. And he decided. And I literally watched the stress fall from his shoulder's as he told me that he really felt it was best for us to stay. (He was going to forego it all to move us back home because he wants me to be happy more than anything.)

And I was humbled. Thank you Lord for your provision over my life by giving me this man.

Oddly enough, I felt relieved too. Not because a decision had been made, but because I had allowed him to do what he was called to do: Lead.

So now a whole new slew of stress has entered our lives as we prepare to really establish ourselves here and I'm trying to process it all. Our largest source of stress: buying a house. Although it is a great time to buy, houses down here are still expensive (especially on one income, I will probably have to return to wedding planning...thats a whole separate post); there is a lot of competition by other prospective buyers and multiple bids on one property.

*sigh*

I am feeling overwhelmed by that and the other things happening this year: foster care, Mark transitioning from one job to another, me (probably) starting to work part-time again, homeschooling Emma, leading the Orphans Care Team we started last year at our church, in addition to many other things we are involved in.

If you think of it, please lift us up in prayer during this hectic time.

I know that my worries and my stress are small compared to others who are struggling with sickness, the death of a loved one, losing homes or jobs and I almost feel guilty bringing my worries before God. But I know that He cares about the details and for this I am so thankful.

-Alison

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Monday Musings

2009-03-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

For today...March 2, 2009

Outside my window...perfect weather - as always.
I am thinking...that I have lots to do but little motivation to do it. It must be Monday.
I am thankful for...the dishwasher.
From the kitchen...counters need cleaning.
I am wearing...a t-shirt and pj pants.
I am creating...plans for the week.
I am going...to possibly have coffee with Eve tonight and looking forward to it.
I am reading...The Shack and I have mixed feelings about it.
I am hoping...to get the ball rolling with our plans.
I am hearing...Emma working on penmanship and the hum of the fridge.
Around the house...need to dust and put laundry away.
One of my favorite things...my crockpot!!!
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, getting together with friends, signing Em up for soccer.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: One of the many ways I spend my days - having tea parties with my sweet babies (and Molly the dog). I love my job!!

My New Specs

2009-02-28T10:02:00.001-08:00

Well, here they are:

Like I said before, I still have 20/20 vision, but my eyes get really tired when I'm reading. These specs should help 'em out. :) Check out Emma in the background...she could care less about my glasses. haha!

Have a great Saturday!

Brody News

2009-02-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

More and more it looks as though we'll be staying in San Diego (this is obviously a terrible year to job search) which is making me realize that I really need to keep the family in the loop even more. So this is for you family. (Let me know you were here - leave a comment.)

Brody is still not crawling (and I'm definitely not complaining) but he is getting everywhere he wants to (via rolling, scooting, etc.). His latest discovery: Molly's kennel.

Brody has also been trying new foods and snacks. His favorite snack is Pirates Booty (puffed rice and corn, pretty much turns to mush as soon as it touches his tongue). Brody had his first bitter biscuit yesterday evening and LOVED it! They are for babies 10+ months and since Bro will be 10 months on March 2, we figured why not?

I love this face:

Of course, Emma had to have one as well. ;-)

I'm not too sure how Brody felt about that.

And lastly, although I promised Mark I wouldn't, I just couldn't help myself:

The chunk after clean-up (if I knew it was going to turn out so cute I probably would have moved the diaper). Look at those legs and buns! This brings new meaning to 'baby got back'! :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hair Day!!!

2009-02-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

Today is HAIR DAY!!!

I'm getting my hair done today (FINALLY) and I'm stoked! I love going to the salon and it being all about me for 2 hours... Rarely does that happen. And I really need some pampering/relaxation right now.

So real quick because my appointment is at 3pm - should I go from my long 'do (trimmed up of course...my bangs are longer than normal here):

...to this short 'do (or something similar)?:

Story behind this:

We were at Disneyland and I saw this chick and really liked her hair. So I had to get pics and getting them from the back were easy because we were sitting behind her. But of course, I needed to get some shots from the front so I went in front of their table and pretended that I was taking pics of Mark and Emma, who were seated behind her table. Look at Mark playing along in the last pic! haha! I'm SURE I looked ridiculous, but whatever.

I haven't gone short in a long time....so what do you think?? Stick with what works or try something new?

Monday Musings

2009-02-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

For today...February 23, 2009

Outside my window...trees with new buds.
I am thinking...that I need to take something out of the freezer for dinner - right now.
I am thankful for...naptime.
From the kitchen...dishes are clean, but need putting away.
I am wearing...a thermal from Old Navy and pajama pants.
I am creating...a crocheted blanket that I will be done with this week.
I am going...to coffee tonight with a friend and looking forward to it.
I am reading...The Shack and think its a really interesting take on the Trinity.
I am hoping...for a placement soon.
I am hearing...Emma working on penmanship and Brody attempting to nap.
Around the house...things need some straightening.
One of my favorite things...is naptime (haha...I have a case of the Monday's).
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, getting my hair done (finally), picking up my glasses (!), game night with some friends on Friday.
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: My baby is using a sippy cup (this pic was taken about 2 weeks ago)!

Our Ministry

2009-02-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

A couple years ago Mark and I began to discuss what our ministry as a couple would be. We had never really thought in those terms before and were challenged by friends that we met at church.

We thought about it and prayed about it and let the Lord know that we were open and willing for His use.

Enter summer 2008 when we started exploring adoption and foster care options (something we'd never thought we'd do). God put this on our hearts - strongly. Since the timing wasn't right for adoption and since we still wanted to serve we started our foster care licensing classes.

We learned SO much. We were so ignorant of the magnitude of this need; our eyes were opened and our hearts were touched.

We attend a mega-church in Southern CA (weekly attendance is around 6,000) and we just thought...what if we brought this to the church? What if there are other people like us who have adoption/foster care/orphan care on their hearts but who don't have the information front and center? And what about all the families within our large church who have adopted, are providing foster care and do have hearts for this?

So I decided to start an Orphans Ministry (and dragged Mark into it...he loves me).

We got a group together and got the ball rolling and this weekend we brought this to our church, front and center, and had such good interest.

My friend Ana and me, manning the table.

We had over 30 families show interest in this ministry who signed up for more information. (30 interested families may not seem like a lot to you, but I had been praying for 20, so God more than met my expectation!) In March we are hoping to have an informational mixer for those families who are interested in learning more about adoption and foster care.

We are so excited and I wanted to share!!!

And yes, we are STILL waiting for a placement. Its been almost a month now since we were licensed and I am just trying to hang on to patience and trust. But seriously, this kind of stuff kills me. Please continue to pray for us if you think of it.

One last thing...yesterday was my 50th post! wow. Who knew this blogging thing would become such a fun hobby?!

Okay...off to finish watching the Oscars (not that I've watch half the movies nominated, but whatever). :)

My Birthday Night

2009-02-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

I had a really great Birthday! Mark took me to a fabulous restaurant and we had a wonderful time! The only thing that could have made it better would have been to spend it with my family and friends! I miss you guys!

Here I am at the restaurant (btw, I got that dress for $24.99 at Target about a month ago -love it). Oh...what's that you notice? The necklace? I bet you would like a closer look. ;)

Well, this man...the love of my life...

completely surprised me with this:

A beautiful vintage diamond necklace (yes, those are black diamonds...I have a thing for black)!! Which I was completely not expecting. He led me to believe that I was getting this:

Which I would have been THRILLED with, but I definitely preferred the necklace! :)

And here we are, the happy couple. Can you believe we've been together since we were 15?! (well, mostly.) I absolutely love this man!

Making a birthday wish...I have so much to be thankful for! I am so looking forward to this next year!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

2009-02-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

Today is February 20th....my FAVORITE day of the year! :) My Birthday!!!!!

And it just so happens that 20 is my favorite number...interesting fact: I turned 20 on 2-20-2002 (and now for those of you who didn't already know my age - 27, another number I love).

So to celebrate my Birthday I....

...went to the optometrist. You thought it'd be something cool like, "to celebrate my Birthday I'm going on a 10 day cruise" right? Not quite. (Although my husband is taking me to one of the best restaurants in the city and we have the sitter until 11pm. Good stuff!)

My optometrist is a family friend of ours. He and his wife are in our small group and we love them. Really great people.

Anyway...to celebrate my growing older, I got a pair of these babies:

Well not these specifically, but they are still the same ~~expensive~~ stylish brand and look very similar to what I actually got. A picture will follow soon.

I still have 20/20 vision, but my eyes get tired really easily now when I'm on the computer or reading. So to KEEP my great vision, I need to take care of 'em and that now requires reading glasses. Did you know that your eyes and feet are the two most neglected areas of your body? Just thought I'd share.

So I'm off to celebrate the rest of my day! Thank you friends and family for the cards, gifts, emails, texts, etc.! I love you guys! ♥

Alison

Wordless Wednesday: Dedicated to Uncle Awesome

2009-02-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

And The Worst Mom Award Goes To...

2009-02-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

ME!!!

Today was Brody's 9 month well baby appointment. The following is an ~~EMBARRASSING~~ accurate account of how the appointment went:

It was pouring when we arrived and we were all mildly soaked by the time we walked into the office. Emma has a tendency to act a little crazy in these its-raining-so-run-as-fast-as-you-can situations and of course ends up taking twice as long to get inside.

But we made it. And on time (punctuality is something I pride myself on).

However, we waited in the waiting room watching The Little Mermaid and then Alvin and the Chipmunks for nearly 1 hour. *side-vent: If I am expected to be on time, shouldn't they show me the same courtesy??*

We finally get to the room. I tell miss Emma to stay seated when the nurse comes in and to be obedient.

The nurse asks me to undress Brody *Emma disobeys, gets up and is in the way; I reseat her* so we can weigh him (btw: he weighs 23 lbs. 14 oz. - now that he is much more mobel, he has only gained 5 ounces in 2 months). The nurse tells me that I can put his onesie back on *Emma disobeys again, I reseat her* and wait for the Doctor (who I really like...we lucked out).

I put Bro's onesie back on while Emma CONTINUES to disobey. She is nearly 4 1/2 and typically very well behaved. This was blatant. I was irritated. I once again tell her to get back in her seat, she protests by saying she doesn't want to so I pick her up and put her there when......

WHACK

I look over and poor Brody, at his 9 month well-baby appointment, has just rolled off the table onto the cold hard floor! I almost couldn't believe it! He is screaming, Emma is screaming. I felt like screaming. I call for the nurse who immediately gets the Doctor. Luckily, Brody hasn't broken anything - he fell on his very fat thigh. I felt: terrible, worried for Bro, embarrassed, pissed at Emma for disobeying (because we all know that had she not disobeyed I would have not been distracted), but ultimately, I felt like the worst mom!

I should have known better than to leave him, even for a second. Brody has been rolling for months. He has never had a fall at home because we are so careful. I was so distracted by Emma that I shifted my attention from Brody to Emma and in that 3 second shift all hell broke loose.

So there you have it. I deserve the Worst Mom Award today. Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day!

Make me feel a little better. Has anything like this ever happened to you?

A Few Things

2009-02-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

First of all, I just have to say thank you to all the cool chicks who stopped by to welcome me to SITS! I was so surprised to see so many comments waiting for me that I thought for a moment that I was saucy (haha)! It was so great to read your welcome comments and then visit some of your blogs. I plan on stopping by every single one to take a read and say hi! :)

Secondly, how darn cute is my little basketball player?

This was her last day of basketball at the Y. Here the Dad's are playing against the kids (the kids won, of course!).

Emma made 2 baskets!!

Me and my girl after the big game.

Chowing down after playing hard (yes, Emma was the only girl).

Emma wants to do soccer next, so we'll give that a go. I am just dying to see her in little shin guards. Too cute! :)

Monday Musings

2009-02-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

For today...February 16, 2009

Outside my window...a dark rainy night.
I am thinking...that the day flew by.
I am thankful for...the wintery day and the fire in the fireplace.
From the kitchen...the smells of the pork roast I made for dinner.
I am wearing...my Newport, RI hoodie and cozy pants.
I am creating...as little chaos as possible.
I am going...to watch Heroes tonight and I'm looking forward to it.
I am reading...Created still, but got The Shack for V-Day and plan to start it tomorrow.
I am hoping...and praying that Mark gets the job that he wants.
I am hearing...Mark and Emma play the sentence game (a game where Mark writes a sentence out on the white board and Emma reads it. If she gets them all right, she gets a prize).
Around the house...everything is picked up cozy.
One of my favorite things...is watching Emma try to play basketball.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study, Bro's Dr. appt., me and Em have eye appts., hopefully get my hair did, cause it NEEDS it, my BDAY on the 20th!!!
Here is a picture that I'm sharing: the Faja das Almas. I haven't been there in 8 years and I'm dying to go back. My grandparent's live there 6+ months a year.