new do

so, i got a new haircut. and that usually means the same ol, but this week...i was ready for something new when my old hairdresser came back from NYC! he's back! and i was so happy i let him do whatever he wanted.
so, that's what i got and i love it. ryan was so cute texting me while i was getting it dyed "GO FOR IT! CHOP IT!" and hoping that i would. so i did and he loves it. i am getting more used to it each minute really. so that is my major excitement in life...sad, but fun!
christmas time is coming...oh wait! it's thanksgiving in less than a week! once again, sad that we just pass by what a great holiday. but truely i can say that i am always thankful and constantly express my thanks to God for all he's done and is doing and will do for me and my family and those around me. i am forever thankful for the fact that he's given me LIFE and LIFE TO THE FULL! i have more than i ever need and could ever want in the life he's given me. This holiday season i am just going to try and try to be patient and not to stress.
my goal this week was NO STRESS and i think i succeeded. i haven't gotten stressed or anxious except for maybe a few minutes total this week. i'm feeling God's strength helping me with my anxiety. yes, i get anxious. about the stupidest things. people don't expect that with my personality, but i am a very anxious person. i'm just too highstrung and i know i need to chill. chill and let God fill....haha, lame. but really. i'm working on it daily.
enjoy the pics.
:)

promised land and hope....

so, this really isn't my usual post, but i have to write this down.
In Sunday school we're learning about the Isrealites and their unfaithfulness toward God even when he is ALWAYS Faithful!!!!
when reading i found it interesting that they are kept from THEIR promised land, for good reason. and it hit me...what is keeping me from my promised land. every day i'm going to try and break through one thing thats keeping me from my promised land, my abundant life, my JOY, my fullness of spirit, my "truth", because if i can overcome and have greater faith in HIM i will reach my promised land. i can be like Joshua and Caleb who recieved the prize. we all can. as i search to find what is keeping me from that Promised Land i know that it is clearly SIN. getting rid of the little things that "so easily entangle" us and running toward HIM, my PRIZE, my PROMISED LAND, will find all thatis missing in this mundane world. I do love life, but lately we've (ryan and i) been feeling like somethings missing. we need MORE, not materially - but spiritually. a hunger and a thirst for HIM.
the hope that we found in studying the isrealites was that even though they didn't enter the promised land, and maybe i "never" will, but their children did. and isn't that what we want? essentially all i now want in life (since having caedmon) is that he has a better life that I did...and mine has been pretty darn good :)
i desire that he reaches his promised land, and with the decisions i made i can teach him more so that he also overcomes and reaches the promises that God has for him.


ok, so i'm not the best writer, but i had to release that. i know that i have a desire to reach God's will fully for me and see what he has more me in a new way each day. I only want the same for my son.

God bless you all and give you HOPE for his promised land awaits!

on the homefront...

so, what's been happening lately
1. fighting sickness
2. getting sick
3. finishing kitchen
4. CLEANING
5. working too much
6. Christmas planning and shopping
7. trying to re-prioritize, re-organize, and re-evaluate a lot

so, caedmon has been fighting fevers and coughing and a bad cold since friday night. it turned out to be an ear infection. he's doing okay, but not sleeping well and totally not himself. he's miserable, but trying to be a good boy. amazinly he's not had any accidents, is so polite saying he loves us and saying thank you all the time, and he's been a good boy despite. ryan has been an AMAZING daddy. doing pretty muche verything for him. they've been sleeping in the guest room, and ryans been getting up with him multiple times a night. i'm so thankful for ryan.
luckily, we had a day off this week for veteran's day. that was nice. i got my backsplash tile done! it just needs grout, but looks fabulous and really makes the kitchen complete! now only new curtain rods and some wall art projects and i'm done!
speaking of done: i'm done christmas shopping for caedmon! we're going to leave the rest of it up to grandma and grandpas! he was so easy this year: a few mega blocks sets and some cars and a few other little things. i'm excited for this Christmas, but i can't believe how fast this year has gone!!!!! my guy was just a toddler and now he's a BOY. i am planning a great christmas picture again this year...no definite plan yet, but something is brewing :)
hopefully the next pictures i post are completed kitchen pictures!!! :)

A Captain Caedmon Halloween!

Trick or treat! look for the Orange Squares! (aka recess cups)

Caed and his best friend Evee!

CAPTAIN CAEDMON's awesome pumkin- a batman pumpkin!

favorite pictures

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laura took some awesome pictures of my little family. these two are by far my favorite.
ryan and i are so in love lately, this picture just makes me happy. you know, if you've been married over like 2 years, things kinda chill out. but, ryan and i are happier than ever lately. so excited for life. so excited for our future, so excited to see our son grow each day. today is ryan's bday and i woke up in prayer. thanking God for bringing him into this world and guiding our lives together. i thank God how well we fit together, how well we work together. one of the greatest compliments i've ever got from our relationship is from my mom she said to me, after she was leaving our home when caed was 3 weeks old, "you and ryan are a real team. you can do anything together. you're a great team and you will enjoy all of this and get through every thing together. you're awesome." it sums up how i feel about us. i always remember our "TEAM" whenever i'm facing anything. i'm not alone. i have the best partner and teammate ever!
The second picture, the one of us and caedmon makes me so happy. i feel like this IS OUR LIFE. we watch him. we watch his every crazy movement and we're filled with joy. he is so joyful and exhuberant and expressive and excited....he's wonderful. even when he doesn't act "perfect" he's great for us! watching him grow has been a blur. we always have to check ourselves as which day it is, what year it is! time is going by so fast. he's the exact boy we've always wanted.
a few funny things bout caed lately:
his new favorite TV show is "Batman Brave and the Bold MUSICAL!" its the perfect blend of ryan and i! it's hillarious and awesome. what makes it GREAT is that Neil Patrick Harris is in it as The Music Miester. i love it. caedmon knows the songs and sings the love song to me in the a.m. when watching.
today he told us this, in these exact words," caedmon got time out. in the gym. cause maria. yeah...had to get time out in the gym." who gave it to you, did livi. "No miss sokah did" he tells us EVERYTHING its so funny. i did find out this time out was because of kissing maria so much.
caed also told me all about each little einstein, in detail while taking a bath. i love how skilled in language he is. it makes me happy, he's such a "babler"!!!
enjoy your night and your weekends! i know i will!

mahoney wedding

I was lucky enough to go with laura to the wedding of stephanie and ryan mahoney. it was a rainy and foggy day, but this wedding party didn't mind one bit! they were the sunshine on a dreary day! for sure the most excited bunch of friends - ever! they even booooogied down the isle youtube style.
here is a collage - unedited of pictures that i took from the day. i never put any up that i take so i thought i'd do it Derek Henderson style. (cause he rocks) i made them too small res. but wanted it to be able to upload quick.

blur

my eyesight is blurred. i never get enough sleep. lately caedmon has been up for like 2-3 hours in the middle of the night! it's so annoying and defeating! ryan and i dont know what to do, but we're pushin' through, knowing this will pass - eventually.

during the waking hours..we've been busy these past few weeks.

i made caedmon's halloween costume - beyond adorable! and we are finishing up in the kitchen.

i'll be shopping for new curtains and a new dining table this week! :)

life is good...like always.

caedmon news: he is talking in full sentences and putting amazing sentences together. "Daddy is a boy. Caedmon is a boy. Daddy and Caedmon are boys. " "Oh, i have another idea!" *usually a bad idea! "Caedmon CAN do it!" - also usually a bad idea.

he was in DC a few hours this week and made a crown in honor of the story of Queen Esther. here he is with his crown!