Yep, I Sure Did....

I sure did change my template... again! I just couldn't resist that big NEW symbol beside the design tab. (I am a sucker for that sort of thing!) So I have been sitting here tinkering with my blog... instead of vacuuming and dusting my house. Opps! I have tried countless combination and finally picked this one! I think it goes with my blog name pretty well. Anyhoo, I hope you like my new look. Now if only it was this easy to give myself a make over... hmmmmm. Now I am off to fix lunch, feed a hungry baby, change diapers and clean the house (and just maybe try to catch a quick nap while the kids are sleeping). Happy Tuesday everyone, I will leave you with this fabulous smiling face!

Monday Mugs

Are you in need of a mindless Monday Blog post? Are you struggling to deal with the weekend being over and can't muster the strength to type a single word? Well, Monday Mugs is for YOU! I may or may not "borrow" ideas from IheartFaces and post my interpretation of their weekly theme. Without submitting my photo for judgement and not being forced to follow the rules. Oswald Cuties

Happy Monday Bloggers! I am linking up with Oswald Cuties "Monday Mugs"! I enjoy linking up and seeing new blogs! You never know when you may find a blog that you LOVE!

Today's theme is pets

Jezebell

Sadie

Ok, technically we don't have pets... we had pets. Two beautiful kitties! They both had such amazing personalities and we LOVED our kitties. They were our kids before our daughter was born. Sadly, Lula Mae began having breathing problems after she was born. She was fine outside or at other people houses that did not have cats, but at home she coughed non stop and had terrible red watery eyes. So when Lula Mae was 4 months old we finally found new homes for our beloved kitties. I sure do miss those lovable little fur balls!

Letters Of Intent

Dear Flies,

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are so incredibly annoying and I really wish you would all just drop dead! You are driving my daughter crazy. If I have to hear her say "Mommy, ewww a big bug! Get a paper towel Mommy! Help!" one more time I am going to scream! If you aren't careful I may buy a bug zapper and put it in the middle of the living room and watch you all get burnt to a crisp! This is your last warning. If I were you, the next time the door is open I would book it! Thanks and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Love,

The Lady Who ALWAYS Forgets To Buy A Flyswatter




Dear Lula Mae,

I love you sweet heart, but if you don't start eating better Mommy is going to have a mental breakdown. I am so tired of sending you to bed hungry. At least try things before you refuse to eat them. You are already a tiny girl, lets don't go losing weight. I am so glad that you love healthy things, but you can't live on fruit, bread, cheese, yogurt and avocado alone my dear. Please eat something that I cook for Daddy and me! That sure would make my life a whole lot easier. Thanks in advance!

Love,

Your Very Frustrated Mommy




Dear Followers,

YOU ROCK! All 12 of you! Ok.... 11 of you (I am following myself for some reason). I am glad there are people out there who like to check out what has been on my mind. Perhaps someday I will have 20 followers, or even more! I just wanted to say thanks!

Love,

Your Fellow Blogger




Dear Inventor Of The Automatic Soap Dispenser For The Home,

You don't fool me! You "invented" something that has been around for a long time and have now made it "available" for people to purchase for their homes. Well, I think this is just a dumb marketing ploy to make you millions of dollars. Your commercial is quite convincing. I am quite discusted at the fact that the top of my soap pump is covered with thousands of germs. One quick thing though.... IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT I RUB THE TOP OF MY SOAP PUMP AND NOT WASH MY HANDS AFTERWARDS!!!!! All of those germs I just come in contact with are about to be scrubbed away with the SOAP I JUST DISPENSED INTO MY HANDS!!! You are taking advantage of all the germaphobe's out there, you know that? Nice try, but I'm not buying!

Sincerely,

The Cheapest Germaphobe Around



For more letters of Intent, check out Foursons

From My Devotional...

Christ has no body now on earth but yours; yours are the only hands with which He can do His work, yours are the only feet with which He can go about the world, yours are the only eyes through which His compassion can shine forth upon a troubled world. Christ has not body on earth now but you.

-St. Teresa of Avila



Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.

-Phyllis Diller



Try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.

-Charlotte Bronte



We sometimes fear to bring our troubles to God, because they must seem small to Him who sitteth on the circle of the earth. But if they are large enough to vex and endanger our welfare, they are large enough to touch his heart of love.

-R. A. Torrey

Today I'm Stressed

Today I have been up to my elbows on poop...

Today my hands are dry and cracking from washing bottles and sippy cups...

Today my right foot is sore from stepping on several toys strung about the house...

Today my washing machine is getting a workout as I catch up on laundry from the weekend....

Today my head hurts from concentrating on the bills for an hour...

Today I am in need of a shower because I weeded the flower beds and got quite sweaty...

For all of these things I am grateful! I am thankful for all that poop because it means my little ones are healthy. I am thankful for my dry cracked hands because it means I have water and soap for washing dishes. I am thankful for my sore foot because it means my little ones have toys to play with. I am thankful for all the laundry because it means our family has clothes to wear. I am thankful for the headache concentrating caused because I know we have money to pay our bills. I am thankful for being sweaty because it means I have a home with a yard to tend to.

Even things that seem to be negatives are truly positives! On days like today, when I think I am stressed, I just remind myself....

and there is nothing negative about desserts ;-) Hope you are all having a great Monday! This week, focus on how blessed you are instead of how stressed you are!

Letters Of Intent

Dear Cop That Ran The Red Light,

I saw you. Yep. I saw you. In broad daylight, plain as day, run that very very RED light. Your lights weren't flashing and your siren wasn't blaring. Not on a high speed chase, not off to save a kitten from the top of a tree, not to help a child out of a burning building, not even to pull over a reckless driver. Nope.... to pull into Chick-Fil-A for lunch. You sicken me. You used your power to beat the lunch crowd. Wow. Nice job. If I could give you a ticket, I would. I hope you enjoyed that chicken sandwich. Honestly, I hope it was cold and nasty. I hope your sweet tea was sour. Oh, you got a Coke, well I hope it was flat! I hope they forget to give you napkins and a straw. I hope you got ketchup all over yourself when you opened it to for your (hopefully) cold, over salted fries. Next time you run a red light I hope it is to save an old lady from a mugger... not to grab a bite to eat. I'm watching. And young people are watching... make better choices and set a better example. I expect my children to learn positive traits from a cop.

Sincerely,

The Woman Who Wants To Do A Citizens Arrest








Dear Infection That Took Uncle Larry,

I don't say this often... I hate you.



Sincerely,

A Grieving Woman

Lula Mae's School Update

Linking up with 1+1+1=1

I finally got a few videos of Lula Mae doing some of her "school". (By the way, school is going very well! I can't wait to really start home schooling this little girl!) It has been tough to get these videos for a number of reasons...1) we just had a baby so we are quite busy around here 2) Lula Mae is obsessed with the video camera and can't focus well when it is on 3) Lula Mae has been going through a phase of not wanting to answer anything I ask her in an audible tone (which is quite frustrating at times) 4) as all parents know, as soon as you try to video tape your child doing something amazing they won't do it... then you put the camera away and the do fantastic! None the less, we finally got a few clips! Nothing too impressive but I'm happy to share any progress that Lula Mae makes in school! I know she can do much better than this, but she still did a great job! I didn't get any clips of her doing her list of just random words (she can now read over 130 words! Go Lula Mae!), but that will come another day! Sorry if the volume is low! Enjoy! And as you watch this remind yourself that she just turned 2 years old :-) Opps, pardon my bragging....again!

Homemade Learning Toys
(Flash Cards)

****To see more Learning Toys and Tot School visit 1+1+1=1****

Monday

I feel like her hair looks.....

Letters Of Intent

Every Friday I read Letters Of Intent. Lots of people link up so I get to read lots of them. I finally figured I would join in on the fun! So every Friday I will have a new Letter Of Intent to share on my blog. I hope you will enjoy my venting :-)



Dear LOUD singing Wal-Mart Greeter,

You make me nervous. There is no need to sing at the top of your lungs while you are doing your job. A simple "Hello, welcome to Wal-Mart" would suffice. I think it is safe to say that you make everyone in the store uncomfortable. Do you realize that no one likes going to Wal-Mart in the first place? You make me like it even less. When I come into a store to shop I don't particularly expect to hear a man belting out gospel music. Don't get me wrong, I am a Christian and love to worship the Lord with music too... just not at Wal-Mart. Sorry. When I enter the store and you are at the door I came in, I make sure to go out the other door when I leave just to avoid you. I am sure some people think you are cute and sweet... but you don't fool me. Do your job and get me a buggy that has good turning wheels, doesn't pull to the left or right drastically and doesn't BUMP BUMP BUMP the whole way through the store. I would like you to do your job so that my shopping experience is happier. So basically... stop singing and try doing your job. That would really be great.

Sincerely,

The Woman Who Didn't Go To Wal-Mart To Get A Headache!

Sweet Memories

This was the last time I saw Uncle Larry. It was a joyful day. He and Aunt Mary had come to see Jayce. Look at that smile on his face! Contagious! I am grateful to God that Uncle Larry was able to meet Jayce. He prayed for him as well and that means more to me than anything. Jayce is being watched over by a very special man.

When I think of Uncle Larry, this is what I picture... a huge hug and special kiss. For as long as I can remember I have hated to tell Uncle Larry goodbye. It never failed... I would cry and beg him not to go. Oh how it would pull on his heart strings! I love looking at this picture.

The day that I heard Uncle Larry was not going to make it was no different. I cried and begged God not to let him go. I had a choice... I could go down to Charleston and see him one last time (sick, in pain, possibly not even knowing who I was or not able to talk to me) or I could stay home. I stayed home. At the time I was happy with that decision. I wanted to remember him healthy, well and happy. How selfish of me! He got a very rare chance to say his goodbyes, accept death and prepare to meet his Heavenly Father. Not many people get that chance. I blew it. I was thinking of me and not Uncle Larry. Now I have to live with that decision for the rest of my life. I could have hugged him one last time, heard his voice and told him how much I loved him. But I didn't. He may have wanted to see me one more time and tell me goodbye. But he didn't get to all because I was being selfish. I have a huge amount of guilt right now that I am praying for peace from. I know God will get me through it, but I also know it will take time. Uncle Larry meant the world to me and anyone who knows me could tell you that. Grieving is hard. Loss is hard. Knowing that Uncle Larry has legs and is walking with Jesus is not! Knowing that he will never suffer again is not! I am so glad that he is home! I am so glad that he is with his Mom and Dad and Brother again! I will get one more chance to see him again, and I am sure not going to blow it! I am going to live a life of Faith like Uncle Larry so that I know I will get that chance. Thank you God for giving me another chance by sending your Son to die on the cross so that I may have everlasting life!

I love you Uncle Larry and I can't wait to see you again. That is going to be a great hug, I just know it! I sure am going to miss you! You tell Granny, Granddaddy and Uncle Mark that I miss them too. Save me a place at the foot of the throne!

Dear God

Dear God,

Please watch over Uncle Larry. Help him not to hurt or suffer anymore. Take away his pain, fear and anxieties that he may have. I know he will be with you soon, but please give him some more time to see his sisters, wife and children. This is tough God. I trust you with all my fears. I am not ready to get the call that Uncle Larry has taken his last breath. I am more than afraid. Why is death so hard to accept? Even though I know he will be in a better place with you, I am still asking "why". I know I shouldn't and I'm sorry. Help heal my heart God. Help me to trust you with everything, even death. I am going to miss Uncle Larry God, more than I can express. Take good care of him God. I know he will be so happy to see Granny, Granddaddy and Uncle Mark. Tell him I love him when he gets to heaven. Thank you God for giving me such an amazing Uncle. Thank you for being with him through all the good times and bad times. Your love will get our family through this. Be with everyone God and help us to feel your presence.

All for your glory,

Amy

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -Matthew 5:4

The Past Two Years

A Picture Walk Down Memory Lane

Leaving for the hospital!



She is here! How beautiful!



One month old!
Still so tiny!






Five months old! Chubby little cheeks!





Nine months old! Finally wearing bows!




One year old! Celebrating your first birthday at Magic Kingdom! You had just met Mickey Mouse for the first time and were so happy!



15 months old! Always smiling and laughing!


16 months old! Finally starting to walk! This is on the trip to Disney World that we found out we were expecting Jayce!


21 months old! Looking so much like your Daddy!

I have been a Mommy for two years. I am so honored to be Lula Mae's Mommy. She is an amazing daughter and I don't know what my husband and I would do without her! Since Lula Mae has turned 2 I can't stop thinking about how much she has changed from 1 to 2. I mean, she changed tons in her first year of life, but the second seems almost monumental! So many milestones have come and gone. My little baby with chubby little cheeks is now a toddler, looking more and more like a little kid everyday. She is such a funny kid with a bubbly personality! Charlie and I have known since Lula Mae was only a few months old that she was going to be a funny, silly enthusiastic kid... and boy were we right! She is a nut, just ask anyone who has ever met her! She is super smart too! She blows my mind on a daily basis with all the things she knows and can do. One thing is for sure, when she is having a good day (which is most days) they are REALLY good, but if she is having a bad day it is REALLY bad. High highs and low lows! There is no in between with that little girl! She is such a free spirited child and a stranger to no one. She has no fear, which makes my heart worry from time to time. She is such a loving little girl too. God is going to do something big with her life, I just know it. He is going to use her for something amazing. I have enjoyed seeing God work on her these past 2 years and I can't wait to see what the years to come have in store. I love Lula Mae more than words can say! The day she was born she changed my life. God gave her to Charlie and I for a reason. I pray that Lula Mae (and all my children for that matter) will know God from day 1 instead of day 8,030... Yes, I was 22 years old before I truly knew God. But that is a post all its own, this one is for Lula Mae!

Llewellyn Marie Bell
May 14, 2008

You love.... animals, reading, dresses, shoes, Daddy, baths, family time, balloons, movies, Mickey Mouse, your routine, Jayce, Uncle Buck's train, being outside, pajamas, talking, Eric, the doctor, being independent, your bed, sleeping, your monkey blanket... this list could get pretty lengthy!!!

You hate.... BIRDS, having a pony tail taken out, having to say goodbye, being told "no", meat of any kind, when Daddy goes to work, having your ears cleaned out, having your fingernails cut.

You learned.... how to walk, how to talk, how to read over 100 words, your colors, your shapes, your numbers, to recognize the alphabet, how to run, how to climb, how dance, to read sentences, to eat with a spoon and fork.... this list could go on and on and on!!!!

Such a sassy, sweet, vibrant little 2 year old! I can't believe we have a 2 year old! Feels like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital. Lula Mae, you are amazing and I love you so very much! This year was fun, and I'm sure the next year to come will be too! I pray for you everyday. I pray that you will love God with all your heart, that you will stay pure, that you will know Jesus Christ as your savior, that you will love others the way God loves you. I pray many other things for you my sweet little girl. You make me so proud and so grateful. I love you. This post is a little late... but better late than never, right?

To: Gina And The Gang From: Lula Mae

Okay, this is really just for a friend of ours... but all are welcome to watch of course! Honestly, I am posting it because when I tried to email it to her I realized it was too big. Opps! So out of laziness I put in on my blog! Yep, I'm lazy! Lazy and BUSY! So Gina, that is why you never got that email I said I was going to send!