Swagbucks

After reading about Swagbucks search engine on many blogs that I follow, I decided to give it a try a few months ago. Since I quit work last year, I'm always looking for easy things that I can do that can be a bit of a treat for Donald and I every once in a while. One thing that I've done for the past few months is by using Swagbucks as my search engine instead of Google or Yahoo. This search engine randomly awards Swagbucks when you are searching, and they accrue in your account until you cash them in for giftcards, video games, or other goodies. I always save mine and cash them in for amazon.com giftcards or starbucks giftcards. I use the amazon giftcards to help with the cost of college textbooks, and use the starbucks giftcards for a treat for Donald and I when we're out on the weekends.
You won't get rich, or make a ton of giftcards, but I get excited when I go to my mailbox and have free giftcards in there! I downloaded the toolbar so I always remember to use it when I need to look something up. They also have an awesome referral program which is that you earn 1 Swagbuck for each Swagbuck your friends earn up to 100 per referred friend. Can't beat that! The link above is using my referral, so if you might be interested, check it out. I only post things I believe in and have seen work, and I've received several giftcards now, so I can honestly say it works.

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!



I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! We had a delightful Christmas. We enjoyed time with out families on Christmas Eve as we celebrated with food, laughter, and gifts. Jackson was so excited about the gifts he got. He has enjoyed these gifts so much since he got home, and now I'm trying to figure out how to add onto the house to fit all the toys he got (Just Kidding! We will be working to figure out a plan to be able to fit all these items into our house, which will probably include donating some of his older toys.) Considering his train set is approx. 5' x 5', which takes up a large space in my living room, but it's essential to have it in there, and have it running at all times. Just ask Jackson, he'll tell you so. He also loves his remote control dinosaur which needs lots of space to roam and attack innocent bystanders (poor Gizmo!).

Donald and I were so truly blessed at Christmas as well. We received items that we will use, and things we would never buy for ourselves. We enjoyed the fellowship with our family immensely. Nothing can compare to this time we spent with our family, and we're so thankful for that.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas as you and your family reflected on the true meaning of Christmas.

Reflections on Christmas

This year I committed to really make the journey to Christmas a personal journey for me. I wanted Christmas to be a personal spiritual journey in which I reflected on the birth of Christ and the impact that had for me. I just wanted to share a few of my reflections.

I am in awe that a perfect Savior would choose to come into this world in a dirty, smelly stable. That He would choose to leave a perfect place to live in this imperfect, cruel world to save a sinner like me. WOW!

Our pastor was preaching this morning about how prophesy in Micah had revealed that He would be born in Bethlehem, but when He was born, He was born into this world rejected and alone. There was no room for them in the inn, and Mary was forced to have him in a stable because there was no where else for him to be born. Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes herself because there were no others there to welcome Him. It seems no one in Bethlehem was waiting on their Savior to be born. It makes you wonder, is anyone waiting for his second coming? Are we busy about His work waiting on his second return?

I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and reflect upon the meaning of Christmas in your own heart.

1 Adventure Down, 1 More to go

Yesterday was my last day of my internship in acute care. What a challenging semester I have had with classes and this internship. This semester proved to be a difficult one with lots of challenges, but a variety of learning opportunities. When I started this semester, I felt a bit overwhelmed as I was in a new setting...one that was very intense, and came with a variety of complicated cases. I've had days where I was so thankful for the opportunity God had given me to encourage a patient and their family, but also days where I felt beaten down because it's heartbreaking to watch what some of these families go through. It's encouraging to watch these families overcome and prevail against adversity in their life, and to see their faith in God strengthened as they endure the trial.
I've been re-reading a book by Dr. Joseph Stowell, and have been so encouraged as I have read about adversity, and how and why God uses adversity in our life to show just who God is in our life and that His grace is sufficient. Just this morning I was reading and he was writing about how when we have difficulty in our life it's like a huge blinking light on our head. Everyone takes notice, and wants to see how we're going to respond. That's so true!
I have enjoyed laughing with families, and have also shed tears for families as I've seen the adversity they face, and from personal experience know it's not an easy road. I've had many opportunities to remind families that God is ultimately the One who decides when we take our last breath not us or doctors, etc. I'm so thankful for the professional and personal growth I have gone through this semester. Who knew that a semester I dreaded so dearly because of the personal impact it might have, proved to be such an encouraging experience!
I'm out of school for the next month, and will enjoy this time to slow down, and catch-up on a few things. I start clinic back in January and will be working in an out-patient rehab setting. I will graduate on May 10. YES!! Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to study for the PRAXIS exam for Speech-Language Pathologists. I take the exam on January 10, and must pass in order to obtain licensure and a diploma. Whew! There's a lot weighing on this test which will test everything I know and goes back to even my undergraduate studies.

Word of the Day: Complicated

So, apparently today my mom and brother, Josh were having a conversation and Jackson overheard the word "complicated" being used. Mom proceeded to explain that a complication was "a mess." Jackson has been using the word ever since we left Mom's house tonight. It's found it's way into songs, conversations, and jokes. He uses this word in a variety If he wants to make you laugh "complicated" is the word, if he doesn't know all the words to the song "complicated" just might be the right word, and sometimes he's simply talking and "complicated" seems appropriate in his conversation. It's cute to watch, and gives us a laugh each time.
Thanks Mimi and Uncle Josh for educating my little boy today on "complicated." It's been fun to watch!

Christmas Lights

Tonight, we enjoyed a special night together as a family. Jackson loves Christmas lights, and we had been hoping to get out to look at the Lake Myra Christmas show. We finally had an opportunity to go tonight since my final exams are now finished. We had a wonderful time. We bundled up with gloves, toboggans, warm coats, and of course coffee and stood out there watching the show for about 40 minutes. It was beautiful as always, and Jackson danced, laughed, sang, and had a wonderful time. Of course he wants to go back soon, and I know we'll go a few more times before Christmas.
When we got home tonight, we enjoyed watching 2 deer running through the neighborhood. One of the nice things about living where we live is there is always plenty of critters running through the neighborhood for us to watch (That includes snakes, but we stay away from them!). Jackson really had a nice time watching the deer run through all the neighbors yard before dashing into the woods behind our house. Of course, when they went away he wanted us to make them come back. He didn't understand we can't exactly call the deer back like we do Gizmo, but he enjoyed seeing them.
I'm glad this holiday season our family is committed to slowing down and enjoying the true meaning of Christmas, and celebrating this special time of year.

Redplum.com

Just thought I'd share if you're needing diapers or Star Wars items for gifts, check out www.redplum.com. There's many coupons for Star Wars toys which would make great Christmas items if you know anyone who likes Star Wars, and also there's a $2.00 coupon off of a pack of Huggies.

Hope someone can take advantage of the savings!

Catch-Up

Wow! Where does the time go. I have so many things that we've been doing that I'd love to post on here, but it's so hard for me to keep up with everything. So, I'll post a few of the things we've done recently.

This holiday season, I really wanted us to do something as an outreach for others. I want Jackson to grow up knowing that Christmas isn't a time of getting presents, but a time that we can celebrate Christ's birth, and be a blessing to others as well. Jackson and I put together 2 boxes for the Samaritan's Purse shoebox ministry at church a few weeks ago. Jackson was excited that we went shopping for toys and other items to put in our shoebox. He had a great time putting these boxes together, and was excited about taking his boxes to church to drop off. Here's a pic of him with his box. We're also participating in a few other outreach programs, so my prayer is that Jackson will grow up enjoying the blessings we have been blessed with, and blessing others as well.

We had a nice, busy Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful time of fellowship with family. Jackson was especially excited because his new cousin Dylan had just come home from the hospital, so we stopped by to visit with them, and let Jackson meet him. He loves babies, and has talked about his visit with Dylan for days now! Jackson also enjoyed his time with his cousin Kaylie. He cherishes their time together, and loves the time that they get to spend together. I hope they grow up to be close. I know when I was growing up, I always loved my cousins, and the special friendships that we shared, and still do.

Well, so much more has been happening, and hopefully I'll be able to post some more happenings soon.

An apple a day....

Jackson discovered this week that apples don't come in slices, and he can eat the whole thing without me slicing it. Here's a few pics. It was entertaining to watch!

The Beauty of the Age of 2

What a wonderful time of year it is! I love it when the weather has changed, and you get to see the beautiful leaves changing, and the air is a bit nippy. Christmas is just around the corner which is exciting! Finals are also just around the corner which is nerve-wrecking! I'd love to be spending time snuggled on the couch with my sweet hubby or my cute mama's boy, but unfortunately I have been spending lots of time working on studying for finals, writing papers upon papers (grad school is full of papers!), and working on a presentation I have to present at the hospital on Monday. Hopefully later today I'll be able to upload some pictures I've been taking of Jackson with my new camera.

Sometimes I wish I could just freeze time and soak up this wonderful age of 2 1/2. This is such a fun age as children learn their independence, and can communicate so much better. Recently, Jackson has been talking to me about events that occurred back in April. I'm just amazed at his clear recollection of the events he is talking about. I love hearing him tell me about Christmas, and that we celebrate it because it's baby Jesus' birthday. I love that we were out shopping today and he saw lots of Christmas trees, presents, snowmen, etc but his eye was immediately drawn to the nativity scene and what it represented. I love hearing him sing in the car as we drive from one place to another. Oh the beauty of the age of 2! Their hearts are so tender and receptive at this age. So, while I spend lots of time locked away working on papers, studying, etc; I make sure to spend plenty of time each day soaking up the beauty of the age of 2!

Senioritis has begun...

Remember in high school when graduation was nearing, and you didn't feel like going to school anymore?!? Guess it's a common experience therefore the phrase "Senioritis" was coined. Well, it's officially hit me, and I'm a little less than 6 months from graduation. Wonder how I'll ever make it til May?!? Christmas break! That's how! Luckily, Christmas break begins in only 25 days, and I'm ready! Exhaustion is setting in! This has been a long road to getting my master's degree...One that's definitely been worth it, but also has required me to devote most free minutes that I have to school work. I look forward to relaxing in the evenings instead of working on schoolwork, sleeping in instead of getting up early to work on schoolwork before Jackson wakes, and enjoying my weekends again instead of planning them around the hours of schoolwork that needs to be completed.
So, the countdown to Christmas break begins!

Love...

Recently, our digital camera died. This camera has been with us since we got married, our honeymoon, the birth of Jackson, etc... It's been through a lot, and it's last us over 4 1/2 years, but let's face it, it's never taken the quality of pictures that we would like. It's done an okay job, but not a fabulous job. I'm pretty practical though, and prefer not to spend money on a new camera if the one we have still works, but since the camera broke, we decided to save our money for a month or so that way we could buy the camera we've been wanting. So, I introduce you to my new love...

The Nikon D60.

I have already taken hundreds of pictures in only a few short days. Jackson was excited about the new camera at first, and willingly posed and smiled for pictures. That was short lived, and now he's back to turning his head around when he's tired of being in front of the camera. Either way, I've captured some great pictures, but I'm having to be creative to get him to look at the camera. I share with you a few of my favorite pictures from the past few days.

A fun day at the park

Jackson and I enjoyed an afternoon at the park the other day. It has been such beautiful weather lately, so we thought we'd take advantage of it! It's so wonderful having such a nice park only minutes from our house, so we frequent this park often.

Happy Halloween

Jackson was very excited about his costume this year. He wanted nothing more than to be a football player! He cried after going to multiple stores and not finding football pants that would fit him. Never fear! I'm not ashamed to ask for help, and was able to find help at a local factory here that manufactures sportswear and sells all over. Boy, am I thankful that they had 1 pair in his size they were willing to sell me! Jackson has wanted to wear this costume every single day, and often asks to sleep in it too. I guess Donald has instilled in him a love of the Pirates. AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!

Pumpkin Patch

I'm so far behind posting the latest happenings at our house, so I'm going to try to catch up a bit. We went to the pumpkin patch with some friends a few weeks ago, and we had a blast. Jackson had a lot of fun, and enjoyed the fun things they had to do there. This place was more like a carnival with the train, slide, pony rides, petting farm, etc. He loved it, and we had a great day together as a family.

Update

Sorry we've been a little scarce lately. I've been busy with classes, and it's so hard to believe there's only a little over 1 month of classes left until I begin my final semester of graduate school. That also means, I'll be taking the state licensing exam in 2 months, so I've been preparing for that as well.
We're heading out of town for the weekend. Donald has to go out-of-town for work, and Jackson and I try to tag along when we can so we can see some new things. So, I've been trying to figure out what Jackson and I will be doing while Donald's working. Not sure yet, but we'll be close the Blue Ridge Parkway, and many other things, so I know we'll find something interesting to do, and it'll allow us to spend some good quality time together. I hope to post some pictures soon of some other things we've been doing, but it may be next week after we return. We'll be leaving Friday night after trick-or-treating and we'll return on Sunday, so hopefully I can get back to blogging more regular then.

NC State Fair 2008

So, Donald and I debated heading to the State Fair because of the rain that would be rolling in today, but decided to make the best of it and head out anyways. We had a great day together as a family! It didn't rain the entire time we were there, and the crowds were minimal. We didn't really have to wait for any of the rides that Jackson wanted to ride, and we had no trouble getting from place to place because the crowds were easy to navigate in and out of. Because we spent less time waiting in lines, we were able to do and see many of the things that Jackson wanted to do, but his favorites were definitely holding the baby ducks/chickens, riding the pony, and riding the rides. He saw this interesting robot while waiting to ride one of his rides, and it came over and talked to the kids, and scared him so much he wanted to get off the ride. He says now it was a nice robot talking to the girls, but he was a little upset by how large it was at the time. Here's a few of my favorite pictures.

Realizations of an SLP

I've had the priveledge of working in an acute care hospital this past semester for grad school. I've learned so much in this setting, and have really enjoyed it. I knew going into grad school that this would be the hardest semester for me because I didn't know if I was ready to face an internship like this. I didn't know if I was ready to face death because emotionally I feel so vulnerable after the loss of my precious dad, and even after almost 2 years, it still feels so fresh. I think this internship has been one of the best things to help facilitate the healing process even more. Anyone who is hurting and healing, I encourage you to give of yourself and you will gain so much more.
Here's a few of my realizations I've had:
1- Death never gets any easier to deal with. It will always be someone's loved one, someone's husband/wife/dad/mother/child/friend, and making the decision about end of life measures never gets any easier, but what a family needs most during this time is empathy and education. That's what I can offer to a family with a loved one who is dying. I have been in their shoes, I know what it's like, and I can give of myself because I can empathize.
2- This is the absolute perfect profession for me. I feel honored to be a part of such an honorable profession that helps people every single day, and the impact you can have is profound. Each day when I walk out the hospital doors, I know I have made a difference in someone's life that day. The information I share may not always be positive or may not be what the family had hoped to hear, but the manner I present it in, the empathy I can show, and education we give encourages families, inspires patients for success, and make an impact in that individual's life.
3- Medical intervention is so wonderful, but despite what we know as healthcare professionals, the Great Physician can intervene at any time as He sees fit. We will never understand His plan, but I'm so glad that I can see His hand at work each day.
4- I have so much left to learn. I learn so much each day, and I'm so thankful for the doctors, nurses, and other speech-language pathologists who take the time to explain various medical conditions to me, various therapeutic techniques, and diagnostic techniques.

What a great weekend!

We had a great weekend this past weekend. I have been wanting to see my good friend Brooke for some time now. It'd been quite a while since we've been able to get together. She's such a busy woman with work, and she's only lived within driving distance for a while now, so we planned to get together this weekend, and have fun and catch up for ole times sake. She drove down, and stayed with us and played with Jackson. He had such a great time with Miss Brooke. He's still enjoying all the toys and the book that she brought for him. Jackson loved her, and had a wonderful time with her! We enjoyed a girls night out with a nice dinner at my favorite Greek restaurant, and watched "Nights in Rodanthe."
So glad she was able to visit. Some friends will remain friends forever no matter the distance between you, or how long it is between visits. That's how you know you're true friends! I'm thankful to have such wonderful friends.

Crazy busy...

So, it's been a little bit since I posted, and things have been crazy busy! I'm in the middle of midterms, so I've been so busy studying away for these midterms. There's a lot of things going on right now with school, so it's keeping me busy. I'm preparing all my documents for graduation. Crazy that it's only 7 short months away. WOW! I'm filling out all the graduation paperwork for ECU, and also trying to prepare my resume' and document clinical experience to submit to ASHA who is the licensing body for Speech-Language Pathology. They require a lot of paperwork and documentation to show that I have had a variety of clinical experience, and competent to work with various individuals with a variety of speech disorders. I'm also working hard to make sure I have all the required experience necessary, so it's crunch time!
Also, since this weather has been so beautiful, Jackson and I have been spending lots of time outdoors doing fun things, and working in the yard. He really is a great helper to have, and he enjoys working so much, so we try to find helpful things that he can help with because he enjoys that.
Donald and I went to see the movie Fireproof last night with some friends, and it was really a good movie with a great message. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to definitely see it as it presents a great message about marriage and how God's love enables us to love differently than we could were we not saved. With divorce as rampant as it is these days, it's always great to have a reminder of how God views marriage, and that marriage isn't easy, but you never leave your partner in the middle of the fire!

Singing

Lately, Jackson loves to sing. He'll sing to the radio, sing to the TV, or just start singing a song he knows. He'll pick up on words that he hears and put them in a song. It's just so funny to hear him singing while playing throughout the day.

Here's his version of "Twinkle, twinkle little star"

Tinkle tinkle little star
Like a diamond, like a diamond, like a diamond, like a diamond in the sky.

Then he might throw in a few other words from the song that he knows. He loves the phrase "Like a diamond in the sky" so he tends to repeat it a few times, and then he'll add "in the sky."

The precious things they do during this age, make you want them to stay this age forever.

Sweet dreams

This was the conversation this morning as I woke him to get him ready for the day.

Me: Did you sleep good?
Jackson: Yes (as he shot me a beautiful grin...he's such a morning person)
Me: Did you have sweet dreams?
Jackson: Yes
Me: What did you dream about?
Jackson: Daddy
Me: What did you and daddy do in your dreams?
Jackson: Me and daddy say prayers.

Guess he remembered him and his daddy saying his bedtime prayers last night before bedtime. He's just so precious and innocent. I could cherish these days forever!

Finger Painting

The weather has been absolutely beautiful the past few days, so Jackson and I have had the best time outdoors. We've been working to till our yard and plant grass seed this week, and thanks to a lot of sweat hours put in by Donald, the yard is finished, but it's time to wait and see what it turns out like when the grass seed sprouts. Jackson has been a big help in the yard as we drives his tractor around and throws sticks and rocks in the back of his tractor to help us haul off.

Yesterday, I pulled out the finger-painting supplies while I cooked dinner, and he had a great time creating masterpieces. Here's a few pics of him during his artistic moments.

I love this little boy so much, and I feel so blessed to be his mother!

Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin' Alive

That's how I feel this semester! I'm swamped, but I'm alive =) My supervisor at my intern site has encouraged me to use a schedule to help me stay on track with all the responsibilities I have as a wife, mother, student, therapist, and as a person. She gave me a schedule that she uses, and it has blocks of time on it, and I schedule out what responsibilities I am dedicating that time to. I've been using it so far this week, and I must admit that it's kept me more accountable for getting things done, and not procrastinating. I'm caught up on all schoolwork. I could use to study quit a bit more, but I have blocked out time the rest of this week to study for midterms. I also blocked out time each week to study for the state licensure exam which it looks like I'll be taking the first week of January. It's so refreshing to see all of my hard work over the past few years finally paying off, and now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope to begin sending out resumes' soon after taking the state licensure exam, so only a few more months of this crazy, hectic schedule!
I could've never made it this far in grad school were it not for my super supportive family. God has blessed me beyond measure with an extremely supportive husband, mom, in-laws, and other family and friends. I'm so excited to be pursuing this dream to help people in such a special way. I get asked often why I chose this field, and it's hard to describe. It's hard to describe how exciting it is to work with the children who have worked for years to be understood by others and they finally get it, or to work with an adult who has had a stroke and has fought so hard to survive and get back to their life with their family, and to see them work in therapy and finally be able to speak again or eat again. I'm convinced that the paycheck doesn't matter when you see the impact you can have on others, and encourage them to take advantage of this second chance at life that God has given them.
Well, enough of my reflections tonight. You can see my mind is set on graduation! Hopefully this I'll be able to post some cute pics of Jackson and the things he's been into lately. He's growing so fast and learning so much. I hope to be able to share soon!

Labor Day Zoo Adventure

So, it's taken me a little while to get on the ball and post pictures from our Labor Day adventure to the zoo. We had a great idea to visit the zoo on Labor day, and it seems there were lots of other people who had the same idea. It was rather busy, but not too bad. We still had an enjoyable day together, and Jackson had a wonderful time. He was at a great age to really enjoy it, and get excited about the various animals.

Movin' Up

It seems like just yesterday, we welcomed Jackson into this world. It's amazing to think that's been over 2 years ago now, and how much he has changed our lives. We wouldn't change it for the world! Being a parent is such a rewarding experience, but is also such a stretching experience. I'm constantly reminded of how much I must call on the Lord for strength and wisdom as a mother, but I know that God would not have blessed us with such a blessing without equipping us to also raise Jackson in the way that he should go if we only seek Him.

Tomorrow Jackson moves up to the preschool class at church. We're excited about the new class, and the new things that he will learn in this class as they explore and learn more about God. Just reminds me even more how quickly he is growing up and how independent he is becoming as a 2 1/2 year old!

Imaginary Play

So, I never knew how imaginary play would develop, but apparently it has made it's appearance at our house. I've noticed for the past few weeks, Jackson would pretend to take his animals on excursions, or he'd pretend to feed the animals, or things like that, but I think today, his imagination has taken off, and it's such a cute thing =)

Today he pretended to steal my nose and put it back in place for a while, and when that got old, he pretended to cook me something to eat and serve it up. I asked what it was, and it was hot dogs with ketchup and then I was served juice to go with it. When I asked what kind of juice, "good juice" was the response. This was just a few of Jackson's imaginations, the list goes on, but it's so cute to watch it develop. It's as if it came from no where.

I'll post more soon. I need to get some pictures up from our zoo excursion over the Labor Day weekend.

Watermelon Festival

We had the pleasure of enjoying some time with the Congletons this past weekend. We had a great time catching up, and letting the boys spend time playing together. Jackson is still talking about what a big boy he is now that he knows how to drive a motorcycle. Jackson and Kaleb rode an umbrella ride at the Watermelon Festival, and they were able to ride the motorcycle. It's so refreshing to see them laugh and have a good time together.

Thank you Congletons for having us down. We had a great time and will have to get the boys together again soon!

Whew!

WOW! What a week it has been! School is back in full force, and it's taking some adjusting to get used to all this schoolwork again and clinicals have begun once again. We're making it, and things are settling in a little bit now that I'm getting used to it, but the first few days were a little intense. I'll be posting some of the things that we have been up to in the next few days, now that I have time to sit down and catch up a little at a time.

Little Boys

So, we haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but we have been rather busy here lately! I've been trying to accomplish a few things around the house, and spend extra special time with a special little man before I return to school tomorrow and clinicals on Thursday. Jackson and I have spent lots of time doing boy things. What do boys like to do? This special little boy LOVES tractors (we've spent countless hours playing with tractors), reading (he has a definite love of reading some of his new books. We often read each one 10-12 times a day. Actually, I just pretend to read them while he looks at the pictures because I have them memorized!), playing outside, playing with Mr. Potato Head (We had all 100 parts laid out on the floor yesterday so he could decide what combination made the absolute best potato head. So maybe it wasn't 100, but there sure were a lot of parts!), and of course getting ready for Pirate football season! We have been practicing the Pirate sound (ARRGGGGHH!), saying different Pirate cheers, and talking about our love of the Pirates (well, especially daddy's love of the Pirates). Not sure if Jackson will head to a football game with us this season, but he already has the football outfit, and he's been invited to join the rest of us for at least 1 game, so we'll just have to see. Not sure he would enjoy sitting there for that amount of time without actually playing something. He's definitely a participant not a spectator. He asks me to "Play Ball" everyday at least 5 times, but this usually refers to the sport of baseball because he's been practicing since he could stand up how to hit that ball with a bat, and now he's quite good at it.

As previously mentioned, I begin school tomorrow and clinicals on Thursday. This will be one of my hardest semesters yet, but it will hopefully be my last intense semester. The Spring is shaping up to be a much easier semester before GRADUATION! I have enjoyed this special time with Jackson this Summer. We haven't gone a lot, but have spent a lot of time around our house which for Jackson is a vacation because we go so much the rest of the year. He enjoys his time here with his toys, his things, and his schedule. It's kinda sad to see the summer go, but I do enjoy Fall weather, and I'm excited about some of the things we have planned for the Fall.

Boxtops for Education

Just a note:

If anyone is not collecting Boxtops for Education and would be willing to spend a few seconds clipping them to save for a school, I gladly collect them, and donate them to schools across the U.S. About a year ago, I joined with several other mothers who don't have children old enough to attend school yet, but would like to help out the school system by adding a few dollars here and there to their budget. We generally are able to send at least $50 a month to a school to help a little. We all know the education system is under a tight budget, and a little extra money from Boxtops for education assists in some of the extra expenditures. If you're interested in collecting, you can message me, and I'll send you my address to send them to.

**We also collect Labels for Education from Campbells products (worth $.05) , and the Tyson box pieces which are worth $.24
Thanks for helping this cause by just using your scissors =)

Watering Flowers

Tonight, Jackson was able to get in his swimming pool for a bit after dinner. It was a little later than we had hoped by the time Donald got home and we had dinner, but he still had a blast. He decided to use his pool to water the flowers in the yard, so that's exactly what he spent majority of his time doing.

I love the face in the first one. =)

The train station

Jackson loves things that go, move, or make noise. His current loves include trains, motorcycles, big trucks, etc. You get the idea....He loves boyish things! This week my nephew was taking a train back home, so we had the pleasure of seeing him off at the train station. Here's a few pics from Jackson's first interaction with a real life train. (Not so sure he realized just how big they were, and that you can't hold them like you do your toys.) Thanks Mimi for making this such a special adventure on the big trains. He's enjoyed talking about them for a few days!

Lunch with Daddy

So, yesterday Jackson and I ventured to Holly Springs to enjoy lunch with Donald. Jackson was so excited all morning to eat lunch with daddy. We try to do this every so often so Jackson can visit where daddy works and say hello to all of Donald's co-workers.

We had a wonderful lunch at a cute little Mexican restaurant in town, and Jackson enjoyed the chips as always! Once it was time to take daddy back to work, the scene turned ugly. Jackson was VERY upset that daddy wasn't coming home with us and instead had to work. I snapped this image of Jackson as we were about to drive off. Daddy gots lots of hugs and kisses before leaving, but it simply wasn't enough for Jackson. I heard Jackson scream in octaves I have never heard from him before.

Guess he's a daddy's boy! (I know deep down inside he's a momma's boy too, but there's just something so special to him about his daddy at this time in his life. It's a beautiful thing.)

I'm also including a video of him talking while playing about loving his daddy. These moments are priceless!

Sweet summertime!

So....it's been a while. We had a hectic week last week, but we're starting to get everything back together. Unfortunately, my laptop died last week, so it took us a few days to get things going with our older computer. As you may or may not remember, Jackson threw a remote control back in February and cracked the screen on my laptop that I had purchased for graduate school, so we were forced to buy a new one back in February, so we've only had this laptop for 5 months. On Thursday, the motherboard apparently went out on the laptop, so after talking with the super helpful employees at Best Buy, they've sent it off for service, and it should be back in 1-2 weeks. Thank goodness! In the meantime, Donald and I have been working to replace the hard drive on our old computer to get it back up and running. This was our first baby. I remember this computer being our first big purchase after being married for only a few months. Boy does time fly!

Donald had Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off work this week, so we've enjoyed him being home this weekend! Jackson will be upset when he wakes up to find Daddy is at work again and not home with us, but I'm sure him and mommy will have lots of fun things planned for tomorrow to make up for it =) Today, I started our day by making homemade blueberry biscuits from scratch for the first time. It was a success, and everyone loved them, so I will definitely do that again! We used the blueberries that Jackson picked while at Mimi's house on Friday, so they were even better, because they were picked with love. We took Jackson to the park tonight after eating dinner, and he had a great time playing and making a new friend with another little boy that was out there. We try to take him to the park several times a week since it's very close by and it has lots of great play equipment.

Well, that's all for us right now. I'm enjoying being home for a few weeks, and frantically trying to get everything done that I had hoped to accomplish while on break, but before long I will begin school again and an internship at a local hospital. I'm excited but have so many things to get in place before then!

This Crazy Life

Life can be crazy! Hectic! Busy!

Tonight as I settled snuggly into bed with my laptop after a long day, I was greeted by a John Deere tractor and a toy car Jackson had left here earlier while playing. I had to smile! I went in his room to check on him because he has been running a fever this afternoon, and couldn't help but smile at him sleeping so sweetly. While reading with Jackson in his Bible tonight about Noah and the ark, it was so sweet to see him so excited about Noah, and he wanted to hear the story twice tonight. Do I think he understands why God sent a flood or what the rainbow symbolizes? No, but I'm thankful to see his interest in reading his Bible daily.

You know...life is crazy, hectic, and keeps you on your toes, but I love this life! I constantly am busy keeping up with a very active 2 year old, keeping up our house, pursuing my degree, or just being a wife or mother, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Let the vacation begin!

Let the vacation begin! I have finally finished another clinical rotation for grad school, and I'm on vacation for the next month! I can hardly believe it! This is my first real break since grad school began 2 years ago. I have had a 1-1 1/2 week break here and there, but generally I've still had class work to finish up, etc, but not this time! I'm excited about the many projects I'm hoping to tackle here around the house, and hope to be able to enjoy some family time and maybe a mini-vacation before school starts back up in high gear.

I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I really enjoyed my last clinical rotation. I had no idea I would glean as much knowledge, and grow so much as a clinician during this last rotation, but I'm thrilled that I did, and very thankful I had such a knowledgable supervisor who was so easy to work with. I look forward to my next clinical rotation next month, and am so happy to say I only have 2 left before graduation! This has been such a long journey, but to think it will all be over with in only 9 short months is overwhelming but so exciting! Donald and I are earnestly praying about what direction we will go once graduate school is completed.

Baseball

Today is Donald's day off work this week, so we're enjoying the day together as a family. I think I recently mentioned that Donald's job decided to go to 4 day work weeks for the time-being, and it has been great for our family. Jackson enjoys having Donald home 3 full days a week, and it's great that we have time to do something together as a family. We had planned to go to the park this morning, but it is a bit too warm to go to the park today. We may end up going later today or we may save that outing for another day.

Donald and Jackson have been playing baseball this morning, and I've enjoyed watching them and cheering them on. Jackson has become quite good at hitting the ball with his baseball bat, and he gets so tickled and has such a great time with his daddy.

Hope y'all are enjoying your day with whatever you are doing today. Summer is going by so fast! Tomorrow is my last day of my current internship, and so I hope to be able to enjoy the rest of the summer before embarking on my last months of graduate school.

Wedding Weekend

What a busy week we had last week! Donald's brother David was married this past weekend, and we spent this past week tying up loose ends before leaving for the weekend of wedding activities. We had a busy, but enjoyable weekend. We try to stay in contact with our friends we have had for years and years, but it's always so hard with us all living in different places and many of us now having children, but we were able to spend lots of time with friends and have already planned our next time together.

Here's my favorite picture from this weekend...a sweet picture of Donald and Jackson before the wedding. Jackson was determined to spend time with his daddy before the wedding. He would continuously tell me, "I need to talk to daddy," and he would make his way over to daddy to say "I love you." He'd come back to where I was sitting and do the same thing again. He sat through the entire wedding ceremony and only said he wanted to be with daddy 1 time which I thought was quite impressive.

Where have we been?

Here at our house, we have been quite busy now that summer is here. Jackson and I have been enjoying the weather as we can, but it's been a little hot the past few days for us to get out until later in the evening.

Good news! Donald is now working 4 day work weeks for right now. We are still adjusting a little to his new schedule, but Jackson and I have enjoyed him being home a extra day during the week. We're not sure how long this schedule will last, but it works out great for us during the summer, and we'll enjoy it while we have it.

Hopefully more posts will be coming in the coming days along with some new photos of Jackson.

"Ants In Your Pants"

Jackson has become very animated in his everday talk an his language has grown tremendously recently. Today, he has been so very active so this was our conversation:

Me: Jackon, do you have ants in your pants?
Jackson: No Mommy! It's pee pee.

I just giggled. This is such a sweet age!

Happy 4th of July!

Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July. We enjoyed some great family time, and enjoyed having Donald home from work. We grilled hamburgers on the grill, and then headed to Clayton to enjoy the fireworks. We set off a few smaller fireworks in the yard and had sparklers here at the house, but Jackson was scared of those. As soon as we lit those fireworks, Jackson ran to us with open arms saying "Mommy-scared!" I didn't know if he'd like the "big fireworks" as Jackson calls them, but when we got to Clayton, we found a nice grassy area to put our blanket down, and we enjoyed strawberries while waiting for the fireworks. Jackson had a great time, and was sad when they were over.

I'm truly thankful that we live in a country that gives us the freedoms that we hold dear. Were it not for the men and women who faithfully fight for our country, we might not enjoy those freedoms, so thank you all that you and your families sacrifice for our freedom!

Potty Training and Update

So, I thought I would work with Jackson on potty training at the end of this month when I'll be home more because clinicals end at the end of July; however, Jackson has shown a great interest in potty-training lately, so this weekend he has using the big-boy potty almost exclusively. He usually has 1 accident a day, but that is a major accomplishment in only a few days. I'm letting him do this at his pace because I know how difficult it must be on a 2 year old with our current schedule. On the days I have clinicals, Jackson and I leave the house at 5:45 AM, and no 2 year old is worried about using the potty that early in the morning. I'm so proud of him and the little boy he's becoming! I'm sure this potty-training phase will have ups and downs, but I'm proud of how far he's come in just a few short days!

I realize I haven't said much about my current internship lately, so I thought I'd give a brief update. I'm truly enjoying it! The 8 hours that I'm there really fly by because it is such a face-pace, upbeat environment. I wasn't sure how I'd like working with adults with swallowing disorders, but I have come to really enjoy it, and often look forward to going into work so I can see the patients and the progress that they are making. I wanted to become a speech-language pathologist because of this type of environment, but the course of events over the past few years changed my mind in some ways and made me think I would work in the public school system. The caseload is varied and challenging, but I'm learning so much each day. I'm not sure what God has in store for me, but I'm excited about the possibilities. To think that in 10 short months, I'll graduate and be finished with this chapter of my life is overwhelming at times, but I will be so glad to be finished!!! I've started studying some for the Praxis licensing exam as it will be such an in-depth exam asking me to recall things from undergraduate which seems like forever ago! Hopefully by December, I'll be ready to take the exam so that I can begin my search for employment.

Nap Time!

Here's a sweet photo I caught today. Donald and Jackson had just woken up from their Sunday afternoon naps after church. Jackson ran downstairs and jumped on daddy's check and laid there until he woke up. Donald was awake; however, his eyes happen to be closed in this picture. It's moments like this that remind me how thankful I am for these blessings in my life!

Picnic in the Park

What a weekend it's been! We have had such a great time together as a family. Saturday we packed a picnic and headed to the park to enjoy an evening together. I think it's fair to say Donald and I had as much fun as Jackson did just being a kid. Here's a few pictures of our family night together. I wasn't able to capture pictures on the carousel or the train ride that we took around the park. Jackson was a little afraid of the carousel for some reason; however, he absolutely loved the carousel in April at the zoo, so maybe he wasn't able to warm-up to the carousel long enough before it started spinning. We will definitely be doing this again soon. Jackson has mentioned several times today that he wanted to go to the park, and he told us his favorite things were the big slide and the train.

Upromise

I love shopping, but even more, I love scoring a great deal on the things that we need. There's so many ways to do that, but one way I've learned to do that is through Upromise. I've been using Upromise for the past few years, and as of today, I've earned $164.08, which isn't a lot for a few years, but it's free money. I started out using this for my college expenses, but now I use it to save for Jackson's college expenses. Hopefully by the time he goes to college, I'll have enough saved for 1 semester of books or something =) It adds up slowly, but it's free!

Right now, if you join and make an online purchase by 6/30/08, you'll earn an extra $10 in your account. They will even let you start an account if you're expecting, think you'll have children in the future, want to help save for a family member or friend, etc.

The way Upromise works, if you haven't heard of it, participating companies offer a percentage of your purchases back in the form of savings for college expenses. They offer you the opportunity to put this savings into a 529 college savings plan or you can ask to withdraw your money as needed if you fill out the withdrawal form and mail it in. I choose to withdraw my funds and put them in a college savings account. You register your store cards and they automatically keep track of your purchases. Many stores offer the option of registering your card such as CVS, Harris Teeter, and Lowe's Foods. If you choose to also register your credit cards, you can save at places such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, and you can also save extra through shopping online through their website. I order many Christmas gifts online and save quite a bit of money through walmart.com, bestbuy.com, target.com and many others. If you haven't checked it out before, check it out, and I'll answer any questions I can. I'm an affiliate for this program, so if you sign up through my link I get $4. So I encourage you to use my link, but if you choose not to, check it out and earn yourself some free cash!

Coupons

Those that know me best know that for the past 10 months since I quit work, I have been on a quest to save our hard-earned money by working hard at making the money we have stretch that much further. One way I have been able to do that is through the use of coupons. We save hundreds each month through coupons. I have added a coupon toolbar on the side of my blog that will allow you to print coupons. If you see any you like, be sure to click them to print. They change often, and coupons.com is a site I have used for many months. I receive a small amount of money for any coupons printed through my website, so I encourage you to check it out if you haven't before and save yourself a little bit of money.

**We love the Muir Glen Organic tomatoes. They are our brand of choice now. There is a $1.00 off coupon which makes them only pennies at most places such as Wal-Mart, but they have a much better flavor than other canned tomatoes, so we use those in our spaghetti and other dishes and LOVE it!

Birthday

Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes on Thursday. My life is as sweet and enjoyable as it is because of God, and the friends and family I surround myself with! I love y'all! I had an enjoyable 26th birthday, and it was so special because of the time I was able to spend with my family. God has truly blessed me with a special family that I wouldn't trade for the world! They were sweet to travel to Raleigh to enjoy dinner with us, and it was a nice time of fellowship.

Jackson knows a thing or 2 about birthdays, and while we were eating dinner last night at our favorite restaurant, which has candles on the table, Jackson said, "Birthday mommy. I blow out." He thought it was a birthday candle for him to blow out. He has sang me "Happy Birthday" more times than I can count the past few days, and I have just enjoyed hearing his sweet voice singing.

Home-made Ice Cream...YUM!

So, I've been a little slack this week in the blogging world. What a busy week as I finish up papers, finals, etc as the summer session is coming to a close. I must say it is quite a relief to be finishing up this semester, and just knowing that there are only 2 more semesters left in this journey towards my master's degree! How exciting!

On Father's Day, we decided to make home-made ice cream together. Donald had never had home-made ice cream, and I was thinking of fond memories of my father, and one thing that came to mind is the fun things we would always do as a family, and I thought of how much I loved the summer when my dad would make home-made ice cream. YUM! We decided to make strawberry ice cream. Jackson was such a great helper when it came to packing the ice and rock salt around the ice cream.

**Thanks Lacy for such a great wedding gift! We love it!

Phrase of the Day: "Not Bad"

The phrase of the day has been "not bad." Anytime you ask Jackson if he likes what he's eating today he'll say "Not bad mommy." Not sure where he picked it up but it's so cute. When he says it, you just get the feeling he's such a big boy and knows exactly what he's talking about. I love it =) He says the cutest things somedays!

Happy Father's Day tomorrow! Father's day is always such a hard day for me as I miss Papa so much! During days like this, I remind myself all day how thankful I am that I had such a good dad, and I had him for the 24 years that I did. I'm constantly reminded of what a positive influence Papa had on my life, and how many people never have that influence from their dad in their lifetime! What a privelege to have him as my dad, and to have all of the cherished memories I have of him. I love you Papa!

Sesame Street Presents: Elmo Makes Music

I thought I had already posted this post, but realized it was saved as a draft, so this is from May 31st. What a great time we had.

We had a nice weekend. Saturday night we took Jackson to Sesame Street Presents: Elmo Makes Music. It was a fun musical, perfect for the little ones. It had all of their favorite Sesame Street characters (well most of them anyways), and was upbeat andd fun. We enjoyed spending time with Van and Nicole, and Jackson definitely enjoyed his time with Sophie (he was still talking about her even today). Jackson is still talking about going to Elmo's house, so seems he really enjoyed it. Here's a few pictures from our outing.

Summer Fun!

I think everyone who knows Jackson knows how much he loves the outdoors. Now that he knows how to lock/unlock and open/close every door on the house, we have our hands full trying to keep him indoors when he's supposed to be. Not to worry...we have invested in the doorknob covers to keep him from opening the doors, which has worked so far, but he is smart so I'm sure it won't be long and he'll figure out how to get around those too. That's what happened to the cabinet locks. This weekend we let him enjoy the nice hot weather outdoors. We got his swimming pool out and let him play in it. He had a great time running in and out of the pool. Donald and I had a great time laughing at him and all his antics. Oh the joy he brings to our lives! Here's a few pictures from this weekend. I think they really capture the many excited faces of Jackson.