Kanati!

I know, I know I have been MIA the past few days. Lets just say I have been having kind of a rough time lately, but I know it's because I have let school overtake and not made time for myself or for GOD. This IS changing TODAY! Yes, school is important, but not more important then being sane or than God. So that being said I will fill you in a little on the past few days.

Ben saw this puppy the other day and really fell in love with it. He debated within himself  A LOT about whether or not he wanted to get it and I remained a mutual party and didn't give my opinion on the matter.... well he just couldn't get her off his mind so meet Kanati.... pronounced Can-Not- A (like the long letter A):

Kanati! Our little Husky!

 (she was in the shade here so it isn't the best picture ever)

Playing!

Liam was upset and Kanati was licking his tears.

Kanati is such a lovable dog, but I am not looking forward to warding off the chewing habit... huh. This poor baby might as well be considered a rescue though because when we got her she was crawling with fleas. We knew it was bad, but had no idea how bad. We gave her a flea bath as soon as we got home and I bet she had 200 fleas on her... no joke. We had to use our fingernails and tweezers to get them off because they were just everywhere. I was crying, and at times when we hit a huge patch or two that were just a huge moving giant blob of fleas, I was gagging about to throw up. It was so terrible, but luckily she is fine now and will live in a very loving home. Ben is just so in love with this dog.

As I'm sure you know introducing a new member into the family takes time so that has kept me really busy, along with a huge test that I really think that I may have FAILED, because it was the hardest test I have EVER taken. I also spent a whole day almost trying to find fall books for Liam and it was an epic fail. We did get one book, but could not find any that I really liked. Even the stores were out. The biggest downside to living in a big town.... December and our little town cannot get here soon enough! 

I am determined to get things right in my life again so any encouragement or scriptures to look up are welcomed! This to shall past. I know it's because I just let school rule my life instead of God, but I'm thankful that I recognized it and am getting back on track. School is easier when you have God on your side: )

Mommy on,

Liam's Mommy

p.s. Hannah is not being neglected she got a flea treatment and therefore can't have a bath for a few days and her hair needs cut bad.... I didn't want to post embarrassing pictures of her lol. 

Challenges and Peay Pride!

Today was Family Day at APSU! I had to go to get some quotes for the paper, so I decided to take Liam and Ben along too, and I am so glad. I didn't even know there was a such thing as Family Day until I was assigned the story... and it is so much fun. Liam got to stuff a cheetah and put an APSU shirt on it, play on a bouncy things, take pictures with the school mascot the "Governor" for a photo strip with mommy, make a mega phone, and have an awesome picture drawn of him, and he got a cowbell for the game, and a fishing balloon!  The carnival was so much fun.

After the carnival Liam and me came home and made supper and ate. Then we left for the football game. We got there an hour early because I wanted to make sure we could get a decent parking spot! Well let's just say that I'm not a perfect mommy (even though I try to be) and Liam tested me for only the second time in his life. After an hour and fifteen minutes he was throwing a blood curtailing fit because I would not let him run around. Finally I caved and let him walk while I walked with him and he ended up falling on the concrete. I felt like the worst mom ever. Low and behold we ended up just leaving the game at the end of the first quarter : ( The minute he got in his car seat he fell asleep. I hated being tested, but I'm glad I put his needs and safety of going home over my want to watch the football game! I just hope we don't have to many trying moments like that one! Liam did have a lot of fun the first hour before the game started though lol. He was dancing, and yelling through his mega phone, and shaking his cowbell like crazy.

Here are some adorable pics from today:

It was a good day, until the challenging moment at the end, but now Little Liam is sleeping and I am about to start writing my story and then studying for a British Literature class.

Mommy on,
Liam's Mommy 

Free Books, a Haircut, and Shots.

Fall is so close I can smell it! I LOVE Fall! It is most definitely my favorite season of the year, following with Winter. I love the oranges, and mustards, and browns, and reds, and creams! I love the pumpkins and the gorgeous landscape around me, and the hayrides and bonfires. I just LOVE fall. Today was a cooler in the morning so I dressed Liam in an adorable fall inspired outfit! Then we unfortunately had to go to his 15 month baby well check up which consisted of two shots : ( I hate it when Liam has to get shots. Usually he does really good, but one of his today was tetanus and we all know how much that hurts.

Ben and I decided to start a tradition with Liam after I believe it was his second checkup ever... we get Liam a book after every scheduled doctor appointment (like the one's where he gets shots)! Books are a great reward for being good and bring more knowledge to your babies life! Usually we try to have the book with us at the appointment so we can read it for the first time there, however today I didn't have the book yet so after shots we went to get a kids meal from Chick-fil-A, and then we went over to Toys R Us to pick out a book. This time we got:

It was a really cute book about slowing down in life, and being polite, and not always being in a huge hurry. So cute!

Speaking of books there is an awesome program called "We Give Book" through Pearson publishing company. http://www.wegivebooks.org/pages/about-us..... they are trying to promote digital and online reading in today's children and for every  book you read, a book is donated to children in need. There are even two campaigns to choose from to have the books sent to. There are a ton of online books to read (current books too like Lady bug girl) and after you finish one you just click donate book and one is donated! It's awesome and totally FREE. Definitely check it out.

After Liam's doctors appointment we came home and took a nap and then we went to the mall for a bit. I actually bought a few articles of clothing for myself all in smaller sizes (the pants WAY smaller) then the clothes I had on! Ben got his bow fixed up and we got Liam a haircut. He didn't do as good as he usually does, but we made it through looking handsome as ever. We let his hair get WAY to long this time.

I know you can't see his hair very well in this one, but it is way cute. He just really didn't want his picture taken (but I snapped a quick cute one... just not much hair is showing). haha
I am so glad that Liam and I actually got to see each other today! I love him to pieces! 

Artwork Please!

So yesterday was the BUSIEST school day of my life thus far. I woke up and took the Praxis Exam (a huge state test), and then went immediately to school to have my Brit Lit paper looked over. My Brit. Lit professor is the campus deemed Nazi grader, so I just didn't feel confident enough to turn it in without having someone who has had before to look over it. Well that process totaled in 6 hours. I am so glad that I sought out help though because this is how many mark ups I got on one page by the lady who has had this professor before:

Crazy right. The bad thing is, my content was great, but the professor likes certain wordings to be used, and old fashion MLA and stuff like that, so I had to change a lot of stuff. I ended up not even going to bed until 2 a.m. and I still didn't get all my homework for the night done.
Today I was almost falling asleep in all my classes. It was not fun. After class I took a much needed nap and then Ben, Liam, and I went to the river to eat dinner and have a walk. I am so thankful to get to do little things like this with my family. I barely got to see Little Liam yesterday, and only some today so I am thrilled to have the whole day together tomorrow to play, play, play.... and of course craft haha. Here is some of the artwork that he has done at daycare and brought home to Mommy and Daddy:

 Can you tell that Green is his favorite color? 

 Tree Shape painting! 

 Tree handprint. 

 Multi Cultural Marker Art.... HE only put two lines on this one...  Maybe it was because he had a brown marker and not a green one? 

Painting Masterpiece! 

So pretty much I have a little artist who loves GREEN!

Mommy on,

Liam's Mommy 

Can You Say Cotton Ball Butt?

Well today has been a much better day. Other than freezing at school everything has ran pretty smoothly. Liam and me did a special craft tonight and it was a lot of fun. We did cotton ball smashing. Here are the ingredients in case you want to do it to:

Cotton balls
1 cup flour
1 cup water
Food coloring if desired ( if you choose to use food coloring separate mixture in to the appropriate amount of bowls)

Mix all the ingredients together and dip the cotton balls completely in the mixture. Then place the balls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes,let cool, and then let the smashing begin.

This craft is great for hand, eye coordination and giving the child a since of empowerment( which is sometimes a good thing).

 Dipping the cotton balls in the mixture!

 Just out of the oven (and cooled)!

Can you say Cotton Ball BUTT! BAHAHA.

Smashing time! 

This project was so much fun. Liam was kinda hesitant to smash the balls and we think it's because we tell him not to smash up his food, but he did do a little smashing and laughed a whole lot! It was great family fun! Defiantly try it out! 

Happy Birthday ART!

Miscellany Monday!

1.Q is for Quilt! We are so close to being done with our letter book ad it is so bitter sweet. I am so happy that I decided to start this project with Liam and that even though we can't do it everyday we have kept it up. It has brought some awesome memories.

2.Today is Ben's 23rd birthday. I feel so bad because I have not felt good today at all and even had to make a doctors appointment and go to it, but I tried my very best to still kinda make it special for him.

3. This was a super long weekend we just had had and I am going to have a super long week as well. I want it to just be the weekend again already so I can finally relax for a few days.

4. I a starting to get really excited about moving home soon! Plus we have a new game
plan for selling the house and I am pumped about it.

5. My car got in a wreck yesterday : ( Ben backed it into a light pole and the damage is kinda bad. Bad enough that we defiantly had to call the insurance company. : (

6.Perry the Platypus and Candace jello that Liam had with his dinner tonight! I LOVE fun food! 

7. Art work that Liam did today for his daddy's birthday. Ben just loved it. It is a campfire hand print and a deer hand print!

8. I have to get off here because I seriously don't even have time to be typing this very sentence, but really wanted to blog tonight!

Mommy on,
Liam's Mommy

Tragedy and Pottery Painting!

So let's just say that today has no exactly been my day. There have been good parts yes, but the bad one's were so hard to look past. We had plans of going home today, but soon after I woke up I realized that I just had to much work to do to be able to go home today.
 Ben took Liam to daycare so I could work, and I headed to the school library. I did a lot of my homework, and got everything that I needed printed off, and my work email checked. Next, I went to get a new school i.d. printed off because I lost my original one. Well I ended up having to go to three buildings to do this and had to pay $20 : (. This being said, I needed a potty break and I put my ten pound computer book on the counter and did my business and washed my hands and decided to go wait in a massive line for a free t-shirt since I was already at the school and was feeling accomplished.
Well after I got my t-shirt I realized I wasn't hauling around my ten pound computer book anymore. I looked everywhere for that book, and made calls and nothing..... it is gone. My $200 computer book is gone, and it is not even the middle of the semester yet..... I now am going to have to buy a new $200 computer book and I balled on campus all the way to my car and until I got home and cried to Ben.
I do not think I have ever lost anything important in my whole life. I remember leaving a purse at Kmart once when I was really little, but that's it. I am devistated.
In an effort to save the day, I decided to put my crazy work load on hold, and go do something fun as a family. We choose to go paint pottery. (We are gonna go on Monday maybe again with a good friend, but we wanted Ben to be able to go too). Liam painted three really cute coasters!

Getting used to the sponges.

 Starting to paint.

 Finished products.

Liam and I with the finished products.

Painting pottery was A LOT of fun. I am really looking forward to doing a lot more of it as Liam gets older. Maybe it can be our special Mommy/Son thing! 

After pottery painting we went to target and found some adorable Hungry Little Caterpillar and Thomas stuff for stocking stuffers for Liam. We also scored The Cat in the Hat dvd for $3.99! Then we went to TJ Max to finish off a wedding present, and of course made a gap stop where I got a $40 sweater for $10! 

Now Liam is conked out and I am attempting to start my 5 page British Literature paper for my supposed Nazi grading teacher : / Jesus guide my hands as they type! I am just to busy to do it right now, but I promise I will post pictures soon of the art work Liam has been bringing home to me from daycare. I even got two new pieces today! eekk. 

Mommy on,

Liam's Mommy 

P.s. Ben set an extremely good example for Liam and actually paid his library overdue charges. They cut the $72 into $20 (it was still way to much to have to pay for books that were only a few days late), but he really wants to be a good example to Liam and we really like to get library books together so he paid the dues. Proud wife moment right here! 

SWAMPED!

Ok so today I have been SWAMPED, like more than I usually already am. When I woke up I immediately started cleaning, then I worked on some homework. Ben treated me to a nice relaxing pedicure, but I still had to bring a reading assignment with me to read during the pedicure.

When I got home, I sat on the couch and sipped on a Starbucks, and then I had to get dressed and go to an All State open house. When I got back from that i ate, briefly played with Liam before his bedtime, and now I am back to homework, and research. Like I said, I haven't stopped going today! Hopefully tomorrow will be better (even though I already know I will be gone from 7am till 8pm), but Liam brought me home some awesome art work from Daycare that I cannot wait to share with you guys and he can drink from a cup WITHOUT a lid. He is one awesome baby! I love him so much and have missed him so much this week, but this weekend should be nice and open for just him!

Mommy on,
Liam's Mommy 

"Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning that September Day?"

"Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning that September Day?"


On Tuesday September 11, 2001 like out great president George W. Bush, I was in a classroom. I was a fifth grader in my uncle Mike's classroom when we got word of the south tower being hit by a plane. The tv's were turned on in the whole school and as young children it was hard to understand why out teachers were crying and scared. I remember just watching the tv trying to figure out what I was looking at. I had no idea what the World Trade Centers were, or even where they were located. As we were watching we saw the second tower get hit and teachers were going hysterical... I was just trying to figure out what was going on around me and why I was seeing people jump out of buildings to their deaths. I remember being scared and getting under my uncle mike's desk with seth and zack. I just wanted to go home so my mom could tell me what happened. When the towers began to collapse I remember crying, but I didn't really know why I just knew something really bad just happened. Terrorism was never in my vocabulary until this day.

The rest of the day the tv's stayed on and most of the teachers didn't even speak. It was so scary and confusing. I knew something bad had happened, I was just to young at the time to understand just how bad it really was. While I was setting in my classroom in a state of confusion, my future husband Ben was in his 6th grade classroom watching the screen in a state of courage knowing that he would join the Army the second he was old enough to fight for all the people who had lost their lives that day.

On September 11, 2001 I was in a classroom a young child, and eleven years later on September 11th, 2012 I will be in a a classroom again, as will my first baby who will be in his daycare classroom.  Eleven years ago I did not know that I would marry a U.S. soldier and be an Army Wife. I did not know that would be personally affected by this day forever in the form of the military. This day brought courage to millions of citizens who joined the military to fight for this countries freedom, and it also brought on more deaths that tied to this day. A soldier in my husbands unit died for our freedom, and as a POC in the FRG I had to call mom's, dad's, and wives of soldiers in my husbands unit along with 2 other girls and read a script to these family members that had the word "died" in the second sentence. Hearing the screaming out of crying women and men as I read this script, was the the hardest thing I have ever done. After they heard the word died they all thought I was calling about their soldier when really I was calling to inform them that yes a soldier died, but it wasn't their soldier. I can only imagine the terror of every individual who answered their phone on September 11, 2001. This terror is something I wish on no one, to receive or to experience. The candles we light every 9/11start out standing tall and strong, just like the towers were, and by the end of the day they are melted down and wax is all over the cardboard piece that supported them, just like by the end of the day the towers where burnt down and scattered all over the ground which supported them.

This post is very similar to the one I posted last year, however just like every year my knowledge of 9/11 has greatened. Since last 9/11 last year, I have met some amazing people tied to the story. I was able to meet the top living fire chief who led in the towers on that day and here his story. I was also able to hear the story from an actual Newyorkan who had an aunt and a sister in the towers. This was such a terrible day for America and it truly will always affect us. Every year there is more to be learned and every year there is more to be fought for. I even learned of a lady who is one of only two photographers to be allowed to continually photograph the wreckage and she now suffers with serious PTSD.

For the husband who told his wife I love you one last time before his plane went down in a field, for the wife who stopped in the stairs to call her husband to say I will love you forever, for the mothers and fathers who kissed their kids goodbye the morning they died, for the policemen who rushed in with the firemen to help get others out only to die themselves, for the soldiers who fought back and lost their lives. today, tomorrow, ten years from now, we will remember. God Bless ♥

-unknown

Thank you to all the first responders, police officers, firefighters, and American Soldiers who fought that day and who are still fighting. RIP to everyone who lost their lives that day and the soldiers who have lost their lives since then. A special remembrance to SPC Christopher Barton who died in honor for this country.

Miscellany Monday!

Miscellany Monday! YAY.

1. I don't think I have really told many people yet, but I will be transferring to Murray in January, and along with that transfer will be a slight major change. I am still going into education and I am still getting English, but English is no longer my main field.... Special Education is! I am so excited about this change. I will Pretty much be endorsed in Special Education, but with an attachment of English. Also, I will be K-12 now instead of just high school!

2. I have decided to make a quiet book for Liam and I am getting pretty excited about it! The only problem is I can't decide if it should be for Christmas or just because? Thoughts? Here is the first thing I worked on: 

There will be a picket with gumballs in it to put in the white circle! The gumballs will be numbered! 

3. We got to do two more letters tonight! The M that we skipped over yesterday, and getting back on track with the P.

4. I have really been having my Faith tested lately, but I am staying positive and giving it over to God and determined to make it through these bricks in the road.

5. I learned a great lesson today: stop underestimating yourself. I have been wearing jeans lately that are HUGE on me, because I was determined the size smaller wouldn't fit. Well I was wrong ... two sizes smaller fits! Ben was so happy... he was like yay no more saggy jeans... keep those on haha. After my serious weight gain I lost a lot of my confidence, but I am SLOWLY gaining it back. (and then I'll have another baby lol). 

6. I bought all this felt for Liam's quite book and I just knew he would love playing with it. Ben dumped it on his head and instead he just wanted to set on his car and look at it, or blow his nose (his newest accomplishment- that HE LOVES) with the felt. sigh! 

7.. I need to get off here, because I have some reading to do for class, and need to go over material for my test again before bed! 

Mommy on,

Liam's Mommy 

Stop the Cancer Smoke!

Hey everybody. I didn't really have time to blog yesterday, but boy was it a fun day! The morning was spent doing homework, which consisted of 100 pages of bible thin paper and even tinier text in practically a foreign language : ( I am not a huge Chaucer fan.
Then we all got ready and went to the mall area. We got some household essentials and then got two more Christmas presents for Liam. I think he is going to have a really great Christmas. However, even though we have already got him a few presents I really don't know what all I want to get for him. What are some other moms getting their little boys, or toys that you know 1-2 year old boys like? I need HELP lol. The only other thing we did yesterday is we went to a Kip Moore concert at the river.
Ok I have to get serious for a minute. I cannot wait until cigarettes are made illegal, because I know it WILL happen, I just don't know how soon. When we were walking around at the river I literally couldn't breath there was so much cigarette smoke. I was seriously worried about Liam's health for a little bit. It is not fair to walk around on the Earth that we all share, outside for that matter and have to inhale cancer smoke, because people choose to smoke and kill themselves slowly. It is so gross and I am starting to get to where I get bitter when I am outside and people are smoking. I shouldn't have to stay in my house and never be able to go outside because people want to spread their cancer smoke. STAY INSIDE with your smoke people. There are kids around and adults who care about their well being. Sorry about the rant, but I seriously couldn't breathe out there and my throat has hurt almost all day today.
On a better note we finally got to catch up a little today on Little Liam's Alphabet book! WE did K, L, and N (we skipped over M till tomorrow).

I'm so glad that we got back to it! 

Btw the way a quick funny story, Ben is a felon lol (JK) he managed to rack up a $72.00 late fee on children library books, I kept telling him to take them back and now he will reap the consequence. 

Mommy on,

Liam's Mommy 

Goodbyes and Stand Up 2 Cancer.

You know you've been busy when you load the dishwasher before bed, and then wake up to realize you forgot to actually start it. That being said:

This is what I had to have my cereal in this morning.

Today has been a pretty hard day on me. I had to say buy (for now, not forever) to my longest, truest Army Wife friend in Clarksville. I pretty much only have one friend left here and we better see a lot of each other because I am just tore up about Darci moving. I know that her and the kids are thrilled to be HOME again though with her Family. I also got to FINALLY meet Darci's mom today and she is so sweet.

Today has been pretty dull, I cleaned my house, and I helped Darci clean hers. Emotionally I'm kind of a wreck, but Ben made up for it some when I came home to a candle lite dinner. It was DELICIOUS. I took a picture of it on my iPad and cannot figure out how to post it to here (which I am not happy about AT ALL), but trust me it was awesome!

The only other somewhat interesting thing that I did today was take some Grandparents Day pictures with Liam, I don't particularly like how they turned out so I think I am going to re-shoot them tomorrow. I will post one from today anyway though. 

Liam's cute in it, but i don't like the glare on the frame, and Liam really didn't feel good today so he wasn't that in to it. 

This part of the post will be a little random, but I was wallowing in my sadness earlier, when the "Stand Up 2 Cancer" Telethon came on. I wasn't really aware of this organization before tonight, but there program touched my heart. I guess I never really knew what cancer was until the 6th grade when one of my good friends was diagnosed with it, but now I am to well versed with the evil disease. One of the really touching parts was when Taylor Swift sang a song from her brand new unreleased album Ronan. The song was so touching. It seemed like it was about a little boy she actually knew, but I don't know for sure. The song was released special right after she sang it on the show on iTunes and it's only .99! everyone should go buy it. All the proceeds go to the organization. It is the first song I have ever bought off of iTunes myself! (Ben usually buys and takes care of all my music)!

Mommy on,

Liam's Mommy 

Discipline!

So it has been a few days. I'm still getting used to my school schedule and getting back into the swing of writing for the paper. I have also been living the last week of my best and longest army wife friend living in Tn. You could say I have kind of been a wreck.
Anyway, I have really been thinking lately about parenting and the rights and wrongs.  There are so many different parenting styles out there it's crazy, and I caught myself wishing I had a manual. Well this thought left me feeling ashamed that I didn't realize I already have one... The Bible!
A good friend of mine and me were talking last night about how people parent and specifically discipline.... Or lack there of. Discipline is an extremely touchy subject with moms I know, but don't you wish sometimes it was the same for everyone. I don't believe in beating or hurting your babies, but I also don't believe in letting them do absolutely anything and everything they want to do and never disciplining when disciplining is needed.
One of the things my friend and I were talking about was what to do if our kids are playing with a mean or aggressive child and that child is not disciplined. Obviously any mommy who sees here babies getting bullied want to protect their child, but what should you do?
I think the best way to handle that kind of situation is to let the parent know what their child did and tell them that isn't behavior you allow at your home.... Hopefully that parent will discipline or at least talk to their child about not exuding that behavior anymore, but if they don't honestly you really can't do anything about it and it stinks. My advice to myself is to remove yourself and your babies from the situation if it gets to bad or another child continues to act in a way you don't agree with. I would personally try a few more play dates and if it continued, as much as it may hurt I would have to let my motherly instincts kick in and decide to no longer associate with the family.
I think that every mom has the endowed right to choose how to discipline whether it be spank, exhibit the same bad behavior back to them that they showed to you, time out, or a good talking to, but discipline is necessary. The fact of the matter is even if you personally choose not to discipline your child they will receive it eventually in places like school or daycare, or the court of law when they're older.
I leave you with this..... Make my life easier lol don't let your babies be hethans and don't let yourself cringe at the though of being friends with heathen children/ childrens mothers.
Also, " train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it." - proverbs 22:6. So save yourselves a lot of time and energy and trust your instincts and trust God.

Mommy on,
Liam's Mommy

See this little one is disciplined when needed usually by the distraction method or talking and he still loves me! 

P.s. I'm typing this from my brand new iPad and I LOVE it. 

Sold my First Order!

Hey guys. Boy am I feeling much better than I was when I wrote my last post. I am caught up, or ahead in all my classes and have even been able to enjoy myself for the weekend.

Friday we went to a going away party at Darci's house, and it was fun, but all I could do not to ball my eyes out... I can't imagine how I will be when she actually pulls out of the drive: (

Anyways, I sold my first order to Darci Ann Photography and I am so excited about it!

I also got to sew up two more ties and a bow tie before the party.

Yesterday was a total family day. We went to Toys R Us and got a baby shower gift, and two Christmas presents for Liam. Then we went grocery shopping at the commissary, and watch a movie to end the night.
Today was great too, however I have had a heavy heart for the Rakkasans who left for a deployment today and their families who were left behind. Lord please be with everyone of them and bring them home safe.

 We made it to church (thank you Jesus), and then afterwards Ben took Liam and me out to lunch at Red Lobster! While we were there, a group of seventy year old women were talking about "Honey Boo Boo", and then one of them was like "Who the heck is Honey Boo Boo?." It was hilarious, Ben and me literally lol, we just didn't care, it was to funny not too! After that we took a nice family nap.
Once Liam went down I have been scrapbooking, and making a special surprise for someone! I also still have to finish up a baby gift before I go to bed.

Hope everybody has a great Labor day tomorrow!

Mommy on,
Liam's Mommy