Big 1-year old!!!!

Oh my! When Andrew turned one it seemed right, I soaked in every moment, playdates, walking, smiles, eating, teething, everything was new and exciting! So when it was his turn to turn one, it seemed right, normal. He seemed the right size, everything. But when my youngest, Matthew turned one last week it was not the right time. He is too little, it couldn't have been a year! Where did the time go? I don't even feel like I blogged about him much! I feel like it just slipped through my fingers...if this is how it is going to be forever...I am going to have to do something!

Matthew is our joy. He is God's way of telling me that He is control, and he knows best. Matthew was not part of my "plan", but he was the answer I didn't even know I was looking for. He LOVES life! He is on the go all the time and when he sees you, you get a big smilea and a "hi". He loves everyone, but his favorite person is his da-da! David walks in and the rest of the world is put on hold. He can't do anything until David picks him up. I love it! He has been pulling up since he was about 10 months old and is cruising on everything. He can stand a second, and then falls down. He is definately my earliest moblie baby. He had been army crawling, but last week on his birthday he just started crawling on all fours. He is an easy, easy baby. He loves to play and do anything his big brother and sister do, I really don't know what I would do without him.

Last Thursday the 17th was his actual birthday and he played at church. We then went out to dinner as a family. Then last Sunday he was dedicated at church and we had a family party at home. I have gone with the theme for the first birthday depending on what their bedding is. Andrew's was teddy bears, Kaitlyn's was butterflies and flowers, and so Matthews was first birthday with sports on it. It was cute and of course Reasor's did the cake and they did a awesome job. We had Papa, Grammy, Ponca and Uncle Michael. Unfortunately Holly had to work and couldn't come..we missed her.

I cannot find the cord to download pictures from the day, but here are some pics from over the year. What a year...what a boy! We love you Matthew Aaron, more and more every day!

Why do we listen?

I am going to be real, and put myself out there and share what is going through my mind right now so that hopefully if you are going through anything this will be an encouragement to you and so I can go back to this and read it and remind myself of what I have committed to.

Why do we listen to the lies that Satan tells us? When he tells us that we are no good, that we have no meaning, why do we listen? And then we take it ONE step further and then we actually begin to BELIEVE it and buy into it! Why do we do this? We have a God who sent His one and only Son to die for us, because we are that special and that awesome and we are that worth it. BUT, and this is a big but for me, I cannot claim it for myself. I know it, I teach my children it, I discuss it with my friends and my faith is at the core of it, but I have trouble claiming it for myself. Even writing those words down felt uncomfortable, and why? Why cannot claim it? Well, right now I don't have those answers, but I am tired of not thinking highly enough of myself that I don't find the answers. I am tired of not being the person God created because I don't claim His love for me and begin to believe Satan. I get in the muck and the mire of life and allow the rivers to overflow me and buy into the crap that Satan puts in my ears. So guess what, no more I am here claiming that Satan, you have no footing, you have no ground to walk, you will no longer find the person who will believe you, I am putting on my armor and fighting this fight with my Savior! I am being proactive, surrounding myself with love and scripture and guess who is no longer welcome: SATAN! I know that that is not going to stop him, but if God is for me, who is against me?!

Thank you for letting me share, and reading this and I will ask for prayers as I search God's face and begin to make proactive steps in my life for HIS approval, for HIS smile and for claiming HIS love to experience HIS full person, grace and love. Thank you!

Snowklahoma...Blizzard 2011...and more!

Well we have had snow like I have never seen in the 35 years that I have lived in OK! On February 1st it snowed and snowed and snowed! 14 inches here, with drifts taller than Kaitlyn! In Owasso there was 21 inches...SERIOUSLY! Where do we live South Dakota!? :) Then it snowed AGAIN, another 6 inches! So we had NINE snowdays, but that did not include weekends...or the fact that there was no church....so we had a lot of family time! It also got to be 20 below!!! It was crazy weather!

Not only did the snow come down, but the flu came down on our house. It started with Andrew after Martin Luther King, and then we had a smaller snow fall, and so he was in the house with the flu, the following Saturday Katilyn came down with it, and then Matthew and then the huge snow fell! So we were doing well until last Tuesday when I came down with it and strep. Thankfully my dad was able to come over, because the kids were still stuck in the house! So it has been a crazy time in our house!

Here are some pics of the snow storm...Andrew played in it almost every day with the neighbors, and loved it. The best day was the Saturday when it was pretty outside and the second six inches came down and it was powerdery. Forts were built, snowmen were built...it was fun! I wished I could have taken more pictures, but while the older ones were out, the younger one was inside and I could not leave him...but they had a great time!

Pictures from Matthew's First Birthday will be coming up, because he will be turning one this Thursday and this mommy is not handling it very well! :)







We were able one day to make playdough and I like the homemade kind more than the storebought! It was a really easy reciepe! In fact there is an entire website focused on homemade playdough! http://www.playdoughrecipe.com/

Bloom inCourage

I love Angie Smith...she has inspired me, made me laugh and helped me during my grief as I know she helped thousands of others. Well I also love to read, so I have decided to join her book club called Bloom that inCourage has decided to sponser. The book seems outstanding, and I tried buying it at Mardel, but couldn't get it, so I am going to Barnes and Noble to get it. Join with me if you want, watch this video, click in the link I have on blog, and let's dig in!

Playing Catch Up!

Well I offically win the best mom award! I sent my son to school with the flu! I know it has been done before and I will do it again, but I couldn't believe I did it. He had said right after Christmas break that he did not feel good, but was better by 10, so I thought this was the same thing...but no! By the time he got home he was running a 100.5 fever and by the time he went to bed he was running 102. I took him to the Dr the next morning and they tested him for the flu and it was positive! Luckily we had snow days so he did not miss a lot of school, but it was still hard to see him like that! I think that since he had the vacination he got over it easier, because I have known people to not get it and was harder for them to get over. Thank the Lord for vaccinations! It has really been going around here, so I am hoping my two little ones don't get it...so far so good!

Before the flu overtook us we got a special treat! We got to visit daddy in his office! He has worked at BOK for two years, but haven't been able to see it. Andrew was out of school and all of the kids had fun sitting at his desk and meeting his co-workers. I loved it because I can visualise where he is sitting and I love meeting the people he works with. I am so proud of my precious husband. He works very hard to provide for his family, he gets up early so he can get home and spend time with his family at night. He is amazing! Here are some pics of the kids in the BOK tower!

Hope you enjoy, thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Living simply with a purpose

Wow! Christmas has come and gone...we are in a new year and I am just now posting! We had the most amazing Christmas (2/3 sick, but still wonderful)! As we start a new year, David turned 35, we FINALLY got Matthew a crib and he is now sharing his room with Andrew. It is going so well and David and I finally got our room back! :0 I will posting pictures of everything soon!

Now what I meant by my title...My momma passed away Nov 2008. I had a three year old and a six month old...and I was surviving. All I was focusing on was how I was going to get out of bed each morning, feed and clothe my kids and give them a regular life. Then as I was getting back on track...along came my pregnancy with my precious Matthew. Now as wonderfully perfect as he is, I was then trying to survive and fight all the tiredness of the pregnancy, all the sickness of the pregnancy. Then I had him and was so happy, and as I was getting out and feeling "normal" I had my gallbladder surgery. Then summer hit, daddy kept getting sick and then before I knew it Andrew started Kindgerten. Then I began BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), and my eyes began to open up. I realized I was still in survival mode. My fellowship with God was on non-existant, I was not engaging with my kids or my husband, I was snapping at everyone, I was not aware what was going on around me. But by attending BSF and reading God's word, He began to whisper to me, follow me Allison, learn about me, talk with me and I will give you the strength and the knowledge on what to do to make your life go forward in a wonderful direction! So that is what I did.

I have really dove head in to FlyLady. My Control Journal is better than it ever has been, and I have USED it! I didn't just start in Jan because it was a good year, but began in Dec with homemade ornaments, and cookies for the neighbors for the first year, really began family traditions..I have been so proud of myself, yet giving God all the credit!

I have made several Dr. Appts. Made my OBGYN appt (YUCK!), my endroconolgist appt and a new appt with a Dr for a physical.

I also have started making notes and began really using coupons and learning how to save money at every turn.

I am patient with my kids, following through with them and listening to my husband.

But most important....I am listening to my God! He is revealing so much about who He is as a parent, who I need to be as a parent and how much He desires a relationship with me.

I also want to blog more. I have LOVED following uplifitng, encouraging blogs and I want to be those encouraging, uplifting blogs.

So this is just the first of a long line of blogs of my family and how God is going to continue to work in my life!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!!!!!

You are how old??!!

He is one week old here, look like anyone we know?!

My precious first born son turned SIX this past week. Seriously?! I can't believe it, but I have never in my life been more proud of a boy as much as I am with this kid. I mean it, I am not just saying it because he is my son...he is one neat boy! Here are some things about my boy:

• He loves (and I am not saying that lightly) football. He makes up his own plays, plays quarterback, reciever and tackle. In fact, this summer would find old games from the nineties on ESPN Classic just so he could watch football!
• He is an avid reader and is reading so much and so well!
• He loves to draw and even write about what he draws, and does very well!
• He is learning about God and beginning to apply that to his life
• He loves playing with friends, especially our next door neighbors Michael and Jordan.
• He loves the computer and video games and knows how to find a game and play them without any help.
• He is a great brother, he does tackle them, but is there to defend them in a moments notice and loves them very much.
• Is hiliarious and gets jokes and tells his own with his own wit and timing!

I could go on and on and on, and we are so proud of him and couldn't imagine our lives without him.

The picture here is the only picture of his birthday that have right now...long story, but some are on my phone, some are on my friends phone. This is from dinner out for his birthday, then we went and looked at Christmas lights.