In my shoes-- FINALE!

WOW! 

You guys, I can hardly believe I have made it this far! For the first time, ever I blogged every day for a  month! 

Honestly, I am both relieved that it is over because of the huge commitment it is to my time, and sad that its over because I really liked having some direction and knowing that I would have something to write about. That's what gets me sometimes...just knowing what to write. So, I had fun! I will definitely participate next year, if I have the opportunity! 

Before I end the series I wanted to give you a little glimpse into yesterday! 

I felt very overwhelmed this week with everything that needed done at home. We were gone all weekend (if you recall) and that left a ton of laundry and cleaning undone. This week is full of fun things for us, so I didn't know when I'd find the time to clean and try to get caught up. Yesterday, Wednesday, ended up being that day. 

The kiddies slept in a little bit and I was up early which made it easier to get things done. I blogged (you knew that right?), but let me go ahead and say that I am sorry if it didn't make sense. I wrote here and sent some emails before my mind was awake, I think. I say this because I wrote up an email to my dad with directions to our apartment and gave him completely wrong directions! I told him to go left every time he was to go right and I told him our house was on the right side of the road when its on the left! Sheesh! He read me the email once he made it here...thankfully he knew about where we lived and our lovely neighbor helped point him in the right direction! If you knew my dad, you'd know how funny the situation was--he is great (read amazing) with directions. Its like he has a map in his head. He goes on road trips without a map, GPS, anything! And here is daughter (the one who is actually pretty good with directions) and she can't even get him to her own house! Ahh! Gave us a good laugh! So, if my blog yesterday made no sense, its from lack of coffee. :) 

So, back to yesterday--

I spent the morning cleaning and doing laundry. Then we headed to the grocery store and Capitol Market to pick up a few things for dinner and a pumpkin. Dad came over to carve the pumpkin with us and enjoy chili after E's ballet class. 

That was the "big event" for the day, yesterday. 

Tonight is Trick-or-Treat and we are spending the day doing fun things! I am planning to take E to Krispy Kreme here in a little bit because if you dress up and come in, they'll give you a free donut! KK is pretty awesome about giving away their donuts! On National Talk Like A Pirate day, we went and E said, "Arr Matey!" and got a free donut. When I told her we were going today she said, "Oh! I will say 'Arr Matey' so they will give me a donut". Hard to explain that doesn't always get you a free donut! ;) 

Hope you enjoy this Halloween/Reformation Day! However you celebrate...or don't celebrate. Just make it a fun day! We are planning to!

In my shoes- day 32

I know this was a 31-day series, but I haven't finished up the month of October yet. So, I've decided that tomorrow will be my last day of the challenge.

Tuesday.

Yesterday. 

It was another long, busy, fulfilling Tuesday. 

It always begins with rushing around to get to book study and leaving the apartment early enough to not get ticketed for being parked on the right side of the road during street cleaning day. Thankfully, tomorrow is the last day of street cleaning for the year! That will make my life easier. 

We left early enough to stop by the fabric store on the way. I am planning to make something for E for Christmas and wanted to pick up the fabric! Ohh! Its going to be cute!

Book study was great and Little E loved her class. Her words, "I had fun! And I didn't push anybody!" Baby steps, people. Baby steps. 

Our next stop was my mother-in-law's house. She had a friend in town and wanted her to meet the kiddies. We already planned to go to LB's for the rest of the morning/early afternoon, and since they live in the same neighborhood that made it easy! We were at Mawmaw's house for a few minutes before heading to play (kids) and chat/drink coffee (moms) at our cousins' house. 

We enjoyed lunch with LB and her family and then headed to our house for nap time. We were only home about an hour before Hubs got off work. That's the nice thing about a busy a day. We hardly realize he's gone before he comes home! 

Had a pretty low-key evening as a family. Hubs cooked pasta for dinner and I picked up our candy for Trick-or-Treat. Our neighbors were giving a TV away, so we claimed it which meant the guys had to move it from their apartment next door, to ours. Before bed we read another chapter of Catching Fire. Katniss just stepped into the arena before we closed the book. All I can say is, "Seriously?!? Water??" 

Enjoy your Wednesday, friends! 

And be sure to come back tomorrow for the last post in this series! 

In my shoes- day 31

Is this really day 31? 

I think I may have messed up somewhere or something because it is only October 29. 

Oh well! 

Yesterday, Monday, was definitely a catch-up day! Although, I don't feel like I got caught up on too much. Little Lady E is really starting to get into playing by herself and playing pretend. Like, pretending she is going to the beach or the grocery store. Its really adorable...especially some of the things she says. She was off playing for most of the morning yesterday which allowed me some time to do a few things. I mainly got things on the computer caught up. Things I need my entire mind for that I don't usually get to do when the kiddies are awake--bill paying, budgeting, etc. 

After lunch, they both napped so I got a short, much-needed nap as well. When Hubs came home, I went for a run. Since we'd be out of town it had been about 5 days since I ran, and it was a perfect evening for one. Then we ran to Kroger to pick up a couple of things that I needed to finish our dinner. 

Honestly, the evening couldn't have been better. 

We came home, ate a warm bowl of potato soup, got the kiddies back in the car for a secret Halloween week activity (don't worry...I'll reveal it later). When we got home from our adventure, the kiddies both got baths and into bed. I made decaf coffee for Hubs and autumn spice tea for myself. We enjoyed a couple left over brownies and Oreos while we reviewed the budget for the coming month, looked over the calendar for the week, and planned a few Christmas gifts! 

We crawled into bed and I read another two chapters of Catching Fire. Seriously. How do you only read one or two chapters of a book like that? She totally leaves you hanging at the end of every chapter. Not. Fair. I really wanted to read another chapter, but I had already been reading for an hour and it was getting late. Guess we'll have to wait until tonight. I honestly think we will be done with the book before the week is over. We really are that engrossed in it. Tell me I'm not alone! And, why didn't I read these books earlier?!? 

I had better go get ready for another busy Tuesday. 

Thankfully this is the last Tuesday until April that we have to worry about street cleaning! Hurray! :)

In my shoes -day 30

Sunday-- travel day!

We woke up early and left my sister's home around 7:00 yesterday morning. With a 6 hour drive ahead of us, we wanted an early start. We stopped by Dunkin' Donuts on the way out of town because we love it and do not have one anywhere near us. Then we got on the road and attempted to go for a while before stopping. We had to make a couple potty stops for E sooner than we wanted, but they were quick. We stopped for lunch about 2 hours from home and made it home around 3:00. 

My mom came over with a roast, sweet potatoes, green beans, and brownies for our dinner. It was really nice to not have to cook after a day of traveling. 

Each year our church celebrate's Reformation Sunday by watching the movie Luther on Reformation Sunday evening. The children are encouraged to dress as a reformer and snacks are provided. It is always a fun time, but we weren't sure we'd get to go this year because of being gone all weekend. We felt up to it though, so we went. But not before we got the kiddies in costume. See, if you dress up, you get $5 gift card to the church boom store. I know that is the only reason Hubs took time to dress the kiddies up ;)

E was Lady Jane Grey and G was Martin Luther. E wore her Cinderella dress so that was simple. G on the other hand required some quick thinking and sewing. I managed to find a small peice of solid brown fabric in my sewing stuff. I sewed the ends together for a simple triangular hood, cut the hood off and sewed it to the rest of the fabric width wise so there was plenty to wrap around him, and tied a belt out of twine that Mom had. It turned out really cute. I wanted so badly to use eye liner and draw hair like Luther has in the movie (if you don't know what I am talking about, look it up) because I thought it'd be hilarious and oh-so-fun but I ran out of time. He was still the cutest little monk I have ever seen. 

Once we got the kiddies in bed, I read another chapter of Catching Fire to Mike. We started reading it aloud in the car on Friday and are over halfway through it. Honestly, I am so over the Hunger Games part of it and totally wish she didn't have to go back into the arena! I mean, come on! My nerves were shot after the first one. I'm just not sure I can handle it again! 

We said good night after just one chapter, and for that I am thankful. G had a hard night...growth spurt maybe? He was up twice and that is not normal! Praying today goes smoothly as I try to catch up on things and prep for a fun week ahead of Halloween festivities. 

In my shoes -day 29

We are getting ready to pack up and head home this morning, but I wanted to recap yesterday first.

I woke up yesterday morning way later than anticipated. G was up early to nurse, but after that I went back to sleep until almost 8:00! E was already awake and having breakfast when I got downstairs. 

The town was having a little fall festival so we went to that for a bit. The kiddies (my sister's girls and E) decorated a pumpkin, got their faces painted, rode a pony, looked at fire trucks and other big trucks, and bounced in the bounce house. They also got to pet some animals, and the goat got ahold of E's scarf. Thanks to Grandpa Matt for not allowing the goat to eat the scarf and Little E! Funny thing is, she didn't want to wear the scarf because she said the donkey (aka pony) would eat it! Prophetess? Possibly. ;)

At home, the preparations for the birthday party began. Bot of my nieces have birthdays in October and since family lives out of town, they have a "family party" one weekend to celebrate both birthdays. It's fun and chaotic at the same time. Lots of people, lots of food, and loads of presents. E was super excited to see her Aunt B (my younger sister)! We had a lot of fun at the party. E was so sleepy that halfway through the party, she wanted me to take her to bed. I did and she crashed! 

My little Baby G decided its be a good day to roll over for the first time. I'm not sure if it was real or a fluke, but he went from his back to his tummy. Isn't it typically the reverse first? Either way...it was exciting. He just seems so big now when he holds his head so high during tummy time. I got the cutest picture of him yesterday and I will post it this week. 

We were wiped out, so once everyone left we just hung out and watched football the rest of the evening. My oldest niece taught me how to make bracelets using the Rainbow Loom. Apparently they are all the rage here but I have never seen them. Good ol' WV...always last to get the new trends. 

 The kiddies went to sleep pretty easily except for a fit G threw around midnight. Gripe water and some bouncing helped him out so I assume he was a little gassy. 

So, home we go! It was a fun weekend but we are all worn out. Here's to hoping E sleeps most of the way home!

In my shoes--day 28

Right now, I feel like everyday is the same--crazy! Maybe that's just this season of life with a toddler and an infant.

We planned to leave around noon yesterday to drive to my sister's house in Pennsylvania. At 9:00 I still wasn't packed. There were diapers to wash, kiddies to wash, dishes to wash, and clothes to pack. Why did I wait until the last minute?!? I decided to bathe everyone and get us all dressed and ready before packing. Not my best idea ever. G-man was crying (read: screaming his head off), I was trying to pack stuff, and E came in completely naked. Yes. After taking time to dress her, she completely derobed. Picked Baby G up and he spit up down my shirt-- down the inside of my shirt. Thankfully my mom came on her break and hung out with those silly kiddies of mine so I could finish packing. 

Hubs got home around noon and off we went! The trip was a little long, but nice...except for the fact that E talked basically the entire 6 hours. Honestly, though, it wasn't a bad trip. 

When we arrived, E was so excited to see her cousins! They played for several hours and completely entertained themselves. It was waayyyy past bedtime when we finally put her down. She slept in a sleeping bag on the floor with the big girls, and while it took her a bit to settle down, the rest of the night went well...she was exhausted from the trip, from not napping at all yesterday, and from playing. 

It was really fun introducing my sister and her family to Baby G-Man! He was so smiley for them too. Sweet boy!

Every time we are here we end up staying up too late. No exception last night. We finally got to bed around midnight. I'm the only one up now and that's just because G-man was hungry. I'm praying the girls sleep for a while because it could be a long day if they don't! 

Hope each of you enjoy your weekend!

In my shoes--day 27

 Thursday! What a fun, hectic, exhausting, exciting day!

I started the day at 5:00 with an early morning feeding for G-man and decided to just stay up. I made granola and pumpkin muffins because its been on my list to do for days now! Also may a hubs some eggs with mushrooms, olives, and spinach for his breakfast. Cleaned up the kitchen a bit. All before 6:30! Whew!

After Hubs left for work, I sat down to gather my thoughts and plan out the day. 

We needed to go to Target and it was street sweeping day, so I decided we'd go early...as early as is possible for a Mama and 2 littles. We made it there a little after 10. I picked up what we need for our trip (which, by the way, we leave in 5 hours and I haven't packed a stitch of clothing....or anything else). We stopped on the way home to visit Hubs on his break, at the car wash to clean and sweep the inside of the car, and the library to pick up Catching Fire that was on hold for me. I'm hoping to start reading it today...we'll see.

At home we had lunch and nap time. I worked on making a baby shower gift for this weekend. I thought I'd never get it done! When E was a baby she would scream and cry every time I started to sew...coincidence? I think not. Baby G was sleeping when I started sewing yesterday and woke up screaming, and continued screaming for 30 minutes! Sheesh! What is with my babies and not wanting me to sew? 

Our city had two different Trick-or-Treat activities last night. We took E to the farmer's market as Cinderella, and was she ever cute! Then we headed to the mall for a little bit (can you say insane?).

Cinderella and her prince

Just moments after the coffee incident (see below for details)
:)

DQ gave out tiny cones. She was elated!

Baby G-man just along for the ride. 

Want to hear some crazy stories from last night? Well, Baby G decided to poop right when we got to the mall so the first place I went was the bathroom. It was a big one and I only had a couple of wipes with me. Ahh! It was messy but we managed. I kept thinking about it just being one of those mom-moments...it just happens and you deal with it the best you know how. Then, I sat down at Starbucks to nurse G-man and Hubs put his coffee right next to the diaper bag while he took Little E to see the Chic-Fil-A cow. Not sure what happened, but I felt liquid on my foot and sure enough I had spilled the coffee...like the entire contents of a 12oz cup! All over my feet, the diaper bag, table, floor. Thankfully we are pretty tight with the Bux people (Hubs was a shift manager there for a while), so they replaced our drink and helped us clean up. 

We came home, had a quick dinner, and got the kiddies ready for bed. It was a little chaotic (understatement) because of all the excitement and fun we'd had earlier. We finally got them to bed and went downstairs to watch Marshall play some football (just the first half). We were ready for bed after that. 

Now, on to packing and prepping to leave! Happy Friday! See you back here tomorrow :)

In my shoes-- day 26

Since this morning I am writing about yesterday (Wednesday) which was technically day 25 should I re-title this post? I figure I'll just leave it as day 26. 

So, Wednesday has come and gone. 

It wasn't a very exciting day.

We got up and Hubs went off to work, as usual. G-man woke up to nurse around 6:30 and then went back to bed. Actually, both the kiddies stayed asleep/in bed until around 9:30! So not the norm! I enjoyed the extra quiet in the house and got a few things done before they got up. It was a cold, rainy morning (much like today) and that made me just want to crawl back into bed under warm, cozy covers. But, I refrained, and managed to get laundry done and some things organized (from when we rearranged the house...its a work in progress). 

When Little-Lady E woke up, she had a stuffy nose and just didn't feel like herself. All she wanted do was lay on the couch and watch Cinderella. Honestly, days like that don't come often so I let her. She lazed around all day. She even told me that she didn't want to go to ballet class...which is not at all normal. 

G-man had a good day too. He took a nice long nap in the morning (about 2.5 hours). I think both of them were completely worn out from the previous day's activities. We didn't leave the house all day. 

Hubs came home around 3:00 and we skipped ballet. It was nice to have the afternoon free. He studied because he was leading prayer meeting that night. I heated some soup from the freezer and made some bread for dinner. Perfect for the chilly evening we had. Then we packed everyone up and headed to the church for prayer meeting. 

We made it home around 8:45, got the kiddies in their PJ's, and had a snack. E had some cheese puffs but we (the adults) waited until she went to bed and indulged in some ice cream. :) 

It was a pretty low-key day, but a much needed day of rest (especially for Little E).

Today looks like another cold, rainy day. Only difference is that I have things I have to do...meaning we have to leave the house in this mess.  Our farmer's market is having their annual trick-or-treat tonight, so we are hoping to go to that and finish packing for our little weekend trip to see my sister and her family. 

See you back here tomorrow for Fun Friday and an update on how our Thursday went. 

In my shoes -day 25

This blogging at night thing is for the birds! Seems like I forget almost every night and end up throwing something  together on my way to bed. Although I have been doing it this way basically this whole 31-day challenge, I think I am going to switch it up and start writing in the mornings for the next few days. 

Hopefully we will both get more out of it. My mind won't be so tired, I will remember more fun details, and my writing will be better (hopefully).

So for now, good night. I will be back in roughly 10 hours to tell you about what our Wednesday was like. 

In my shoes - day 24

TUESDAY

Wake up early.

Rush out the door.

Stop for gas.

Morning Bible study. 

Coffee and chatting with LB.

Grocery store.

Target.

Home by 3:00 for late lunch.

Naps.

Hubs home.

Dinner a friend's house.

Home--late.

Good night.

In my shoes -day 23

Today (Monday) was catch up day and while I didn't tackle everything on my list I was somehow okay with that. Pretty big deal for this Mama! 

There was still so much to do from where we rearranged the rooms this weekend! Clothes needed sorted and put away, some small painting projects needed done, the kitchen was a total disaster and laundry is quickly getting out of control! 

Thankfully the kiddies cooperated and I was able to get a lot done in the morning. I painted the built in book case in our room. Just the back of each shelf. It's a nice goody color that is a good warm compliment to the cool purple-gray on the walls. You can see a snapshot of it on my Instagram! I got a few other organizational things done (board games, clothes, etc), washed dishes, and loaded the dishwasher. No laundry got done today, but I can do that later this week. 

E took a long nap today, but Baby G-man has kind of hit a wall on the napping...or any going-to-sleep for that matter. He's having trouble going to sleep, mostly during the day but at night sometimes too. He barely slept this afternoon and was fussy for a good part of it. Not the way I really wanted the afternoon to go. 

We spent the evening with the McFarland family having our usual Monday night taco dinner! Always a good time! Despite it being past bedtime when we left, we stopped to see my dad since we were in the neighborhood. It'd been too long since we'd seen him and E loved on him so much. It was sweet! 

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a busy day, so I better wrap this up and hit the sack! Good night, wonderful readers! 

In my shoes- day 22 {family photos}

Another week has begun as another Sunday comes to a close. Its hard to believe we are ending this month and the end of this challenge to write for 31 days! 

Sundays always seem to be packed days for our family. Even when we try to leave them open, they get packed full of things easily. Probably because the bulk of the morning is spent at church worshipping and enjoying the gathering with our amazing church community. 

Today was no different. 

Little E ended up having a slumber party with her Cisa (my mom) last night, so we got up this morning with only one child in our home. You'd think that would make it easier, but it really didn't. We still had to gather things for E since her sleep over was spur-of-the-moment and she didn't have a change of clothes. We ran her things to Mom's house and got her ready there before heading over to the church. 

It was a special day for our family at church because Hubs was officially put before the church and installed as an elder. We were asked to come forward to receive a challenge and so that the other elders could pray over us. It was a sweet time and the fact that the majority of Hubs' family was there to witness it made it even sweeter! 

After church, we brought the kiddies home and my mom and I went for a run. It was a gorgeous afternoon (sunny and 60's) for it! I had been wanting to go to a local park to run, but didn't feel safe going alone. It was fun to have a running buddy to chat with too (Hi Mom!). 

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing a little cleaning and I even got a chance to sit with a cup of autumn spice tea and read--all alone. Wow! That is rare! So blessed by that 10-15 minute span of time to myself. 

This evening we celebrated a friend's birthday with a little party at their home. The food was great, as was the time with friends. Honestly though, my favorite part would have to be the Reese's peanut butter cup cheesecake! WHAT!?! It might not seem like a big deal to you, but I don't ever make desserts that contain dairy since I am the only one who can eat it. Cheesecake is a favorite of mine but I rarely have it. I savored every bite of that cheesecake tonight. Yum! 

Once we got Little E to bed, our neighbors/landlords/friends came up for a few minutes. We spent some time talking and praying. I just love the body that God has placed us in. SO wonderful to live in this type of community. 

Now, its off to bed! 

But first-- here is a preview of our latest family photo shoot! We finally got the pictures last night and I want to share a few with you!! 

Good night! 

In my shoes-day 21

Brrrr! The weather turned much cooler here today...the rain didn't help things either, but we still enjoyed our day.

Hubs had an early morning meeting that ran a little late so our morning didn't really go as planned. Honestly, I was a bit frustrated but eventually got over it. 

We, rather I, started getting the details of our room rearrangement worked out (switching closets and such) while Huns hung out with the kiddies. After lunch we headed down to Gritt's Farm to enjoy their fall activities. We met up with my mom and my cousin's little boy who is just about a year older than E. we had a blast! E particularly enjoyed petting the donkey and playing in the corn box (basically a sand box but with corn kernels). 

It started rainy while we were there, so we left and headed to Bon Evan's to warm up. Soup for us and pancakes for E. my mom decided to take E with her when we left there and she is having a slumber party! Hubs and I took advantage of an evening with only an infant to go play Settlers of Catan with our neighbors and enjoy some good football and good company. Hubs almost won but was sabotaged by yours truly which allowed Megan to win. We women have to stick together when it comes to Catan! 

We are really looking forward to church tomorrow! Hubs is starting to teach a new training hour class on 1 Thessalonians so he is going over his lesson now. I think it's finally time to put Baby G in the nursery so I can enjoy Hubs' lesson without distraction. 

Good night and stay warm (if you're in cold weather like we are)!

In my shoes-- day 20

Oops!

I completely forgot to write last night before I went to sleep! I think it's ok though because at some point I wrote twice in one day so I am actually a tiny bit ahead of where I should be...I think.

Fun Friday lived up to its expectation!

I spent the morning cleaning while Huns was at work. He came home at noon and we enjoyed our afternoon! After lunch the kiddies were napping so Hubs and I got some time alone to sit on the porch and chat over coffee. After nap we went to Lowe's for more paint and Kroger to get a couple things for dinner. We haven't done our Friday tradition of homemade pizza in a while, so that was on the menu. Typically I just make the crust from scratch but with all the work ahead of us that evening, we decided a mix would make life easier. That's where Kroger came in. 

After dinner we began moving furniture to rearrange our rooms. E was upset about it at first, but them we couldn't get her to stop. She kept saying, "I'm moving!" and she'd carry stuff to her new room. I was planning to move closets today but she stated that last night. 

It was a long evening of hard work, so we were pooped (which would be why I didn't write)! 

The weekend is shaping up to be a fun-filled, busy one as well! Looking forward to tonight's post with some photos of the fun we are planning to have! 

In my shoes -- day 19

Well, our living room is painted! (Almost) We ran out of the gray for the accent wall, but everything else has been painted including the baseboards and trim! 

That took up the majority of the day and the kiddies did really well entertaining themselves while I painted. 

This evening we went to a visitation for a friend's grandmother and had hopes of going to pick up some paint for another room, but that didn't happen. G-man needed to nurse so we came home, got E down early, and enjoyed a snack and some time of talking and catching up on how our days went. 

Tomorrow is Fun Friday and Hubs is taking a half day off of work. Really looking forward to having him with us in the afternoon and hoping to get more done on the painting and rearranging of rooms. Will post pictures next week when it's all done! 

In my shoes--day 18

Wednesdays are always busy for us!

We started the day with our weekly library story time and a visit at my mom's office (complete with a pumpkin donut). Then home for lunch and nap time for the kiddies.

Erin (our landlord/friend) and I began painting the living room which will soon be our master bedroom.

That lasted about an hour before I had to leave to take E to ballet class. Hubs met us there and took both kiddies afterward so I could enjoy some time alone at the gym. 

Came home, made taco salad for dinner, had a friend over to join us, and even made chocolate chip cookies to enjoy with our coffee. In there somewhere Baby G had a major blowout which was extremely comical considering is our friend who was over is a young single guy and Hubs tried to convince him to change the diaper. It was way more than a diaper change...it actually turned into a bath! Whew! 

Both kiddies are finally in bed and we are making our way to dreamland soon! 

Good night all!

In my shoes--day 17

Wow! What a long, busy, wonderful day! 

Want to know what the prayer was that God answered for me yesterday? 

Well, I'll tell you because it played into today. 

I have been praying for a Bible/book study to attend that would be during the day and where childcare was provided. I am ok with attending studies in the evening, but that is really the time I like to spend with the Hubs when he is home, so something during the week while he is at work would be ideal. I've been praying about this for a few weeks now, and a friend of mine invited me to a study at her sister-in-law's church! And, to make things better, they are going through Give them Grace a book that I have started reading but never finished. Wow! Thank you, Father! 

So, we loaded up and made the 20 minute commute for this study this morning. Little E had a blast in her "class" (her words) playing with the other children and making some fun crafts. 

I enjoyed myself as well, and am looking forward to the next several weeks as we meet together as mothers, learn together, and encourage one another. 

After the study, we headed out the road to my mother-in-law's house. She kept the kiddies for about an hour while I took a walk with my cousin/friend/confidant/mentor. It was a gorgeous day for a walk and I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with LB, being strengthened by her encouraging words.

When we finally headed home it was past nap time and Little E fell asleep on the way home. She woke up to have lunch when we got home and then went back to sleep. Baby G-man also had lunch and went to sleep which left me to relax a little. I actually managed to get a good nap in and everyone woke up just minutes before the Hubs got home from work. It was perfect timing! 

We enjoyed our evening by taking a nice, long family walk, having dinner, helping my mom move a dryer, and having an ice cream snack while watching our Tuesday night show--NCIS. (I know, we're dorks). 

After such a difficult day yesterday, today was refreshing. Isn't it wonderful how God works like that? Giving encouragement and refreshment right when we need it most. While I didn't get much work done at the house today, I had a great day working with others and on relationships. I'm very thankful for the day God gave me today. 

Praying for a wonderful night of sleep as well! :) 

Blessings, readers!

In my shoes--day 16

Manic Monday just about sums it up.

With a busy weekend behind us, I thought today might be full of naps for our littles. I couldn't have been more wrong. Grouchy baby and toddler made for a yucky afternoon. As a matter of fact, when Hubs got home E informed him that, "Mama was crying on the couch. She had tears." 

 True story. 

E was crying and so was G. Loud. I just decided to join them. 

It really wasn't all bad, but just most of it. 

The blessings? God's leading and causing my sinful heart to follow. I truly believe today was a bit of a spiritual attack more than just kids acting up. God had led me specifically to do something uncomfortable. The Enemy didn't want that to happen, because when truth is spoken chains are shattered and lives are freed. In the end, God had his way, but not without a fight...at least that's my perspective. 

Another blessing in the midst of the madness? I had a specific (very specific) answer to a very specific prayer. Thank you, Jesus! 

So the day was not fun with some happy little blessings strewn throughout it. 

Good night! May the babies and Mama out there all sleep well! :)

In my shoes-- day 15

Wow! We are half way through this challenge and that means almost half way through the month of October! Crazy!

Sundays are busy days...days that don't lend themselves to writing. Today was no exception! 

Our church had their annual picnic today. It's my favorite service of the year, typically. We make a little trek out to Kanawha State Forest where we have the service and enjoy lunch and the afternoon surrounded by our church family. It's always so much fun! Today was no exception.

We didn't get home until close to 6:00 (we left this morning at 9:30)! We made smoothies for dinner and just relaxed after a busy weekend. 

Tomorrow it's back to the grind. 

In my shoes-- day 14

Not your typical Saturday around here!

Started with an early morning and a 5k with my mom! Hubs and the kiddies came along to cheer us on. Then we headed to my Granny's house to visit since my uncle was in town. The farmer's market in our town was having their annual Pumpkin Party where children can paint pumpkins and do other fall activities for free. E loved it last year so we headed over there for a bit. All of this happened before lunch! 

Whew! We were worn out!

Hubs took off with some friends on a 3 hour trip to watch Alabama beat Kentucky while I stayed home with the kiddies. Sunday is our annual picnic at church so I worked on the pie and side dish I am taking. Then, we had girls night! 

Several girls came over who's hubbies were also at the game, and we enjoyed some soup, apple cider, and pumpkin carving. It really was a blast! Little E had so much fun with another little girl that came and Baby G enjoyed being passed around and held. 

Now I am waiting for my squash and apple bake to finish up while nursing G and dreaming of bed! I know I will crash when I finally get there. Hubs should be home early in the morning, and then we head out for a day in Kanawha State Forest with our amazing church family! 

Busy day and busy weekend! So much relationship building and enjoying each other...I love it, but this introverted Mama might need some quiet time this coming week. :)

Night ya'll!

In my shoes-- day 13

Another weekend has begun!

Friday we had "fun Friday" and we really did have a blast! 

The short and sweet version is that we met some friends at the park for a picnic play date! The weather was perfect with blue skies, sunshine, and temps in the low 70's! Little E had a great time swinging, sliding, and playing with her little friends. G was either in the ring sling or napping on the picnic blanket and enjoying the warmth of the sun. This Mama enjoyed having others mamas of littles to chat with too. 

Nap time was much needed after a morning playing. I did laundry and a few other little chores around the apartment while the kiddies napped. The Hubs got home around 4 and I got some time to go to the free community center down the road. Hubs also won a gift card at work today, so we ordered take out from Applebee's for dinner...hooray for no cooking tonight! 

We spent the evening as a family...running a few errands. When we got home it was bedtime for Little E. Let me add that it was the easiest bedtime ever! She started getting herself ready by undressing and going to the potty. I helped put her PJs on and brush her teeth. Then she went straight to bed with no complaint or requests for snacks (basically an excuse to stay up). We tucked her in and haven't heard a peep since!

Hubs and I made kettle corn (which I ate practically all of) and vegged on the couch for a bit. Then we hit the hay early because we have a big weekend ahead! 

Hope you are taking time to enjoy your weekend whether you are relaxing or busy with fun activities. Enjoy the moments you have with friends and family or the alone time you have! 

In my shoes-- day 12

Thursday is always a welcomed day around here. Why? Because it means Friday is almost here! 

We had a better night of sleep last night, but still not back to our "norm". I'm thinking Baby G might be going through a growth spurt. 

We made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast. It was a bit of a rough morning. E was just grouchy. Thankfully nap time came quickly today. 

Thursday was basically a cleaning day. I got several loads of laundry done, unpacked from our trip last week (late, I know.), and tackled a couple of projects on my project list. I was able to bleach the shower curtain...well the liner. Been meaning to do that for a week or so. I also got my couch cleaned. Our little Zoe dog like to lay on the couch and its cream colored so it started looking grungy. I got the cushions cleaned a bit but I won't be able to tell much about it until it dries. 

It was a pretty good afternoon. I snagged a tiny nap and even got to read a little bit...a very little bit but it was reading none the less. E was a bit whiny after nap, but much better than the morning despite the episode where she used a crayon on the hardwood floor (Erin, if you are reading this, don't worry. I cleaned it up). Baby G basically entertained himself on his play mat for a good part of the afternoon which is how I was able to get work done! So thankful the kiddies behaved and I got a couple things accomplished. That's rare in this season of my life so I don't take it for granted at all. 

In the evening, my mom and our neighbor took E to a local homecoming parade while the 3 of us stayed home. It was nice to have some time to talk without much interruption and to have dinner with only adult conversation...and some peace and quiet. We took a little walk and G-man slept through it all in the ring-sling. It was the perfect fall evening for a walk. 

E came home and told us all about the parade while shoveling as much candy into her mouth as she could before bed time. We snuggled and Hubs read a story before tucking her into bed. Now we're on our way to bed to rest up for "Fun Friday" and the rest of our busy, fun weekend ahead!


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In my shoes--day 11

Writing a daily blog post while up late nursing a baby-- that's my life right now!

Tuesday night was really hard. Not sure why Baby G didn't want to sleep, but he didn't. Thankfully the Hubs is amazing and was up a lot while letting me get a little rest. Wednesday morning was rough. The Hubs goes in early on those days and I woke him up just 15 minutes before he needed to head out. Days like that I am glad he is a guy and only takes a few minutes to get himself looking presentable.

Both kiddies woke up right after he left which meant that it took me forever to get myself going. Hubs usually makes the coffee but didn't have time, so I was fending for myself with two littles already awake. It was just one of "those" mornings...days, rather. G had a hard time napping all day, but Little E-girl was great. She was content to watch Sleeping Beauty most of the morning which allowed me to get a few things done. We skipped our normal library trip because I was too tired to try to make it. I was able to get one of my bigger projects done (clean out/organize the hall closet). We had a crock pot dinner which I started Tuesday night so it didn't require much attention.

One big event for us-- E got her first "hair cut" by yours truly. By hair cut, I mean her beloved "rat tail" is now in a ziplock bag. She had this one lock of hair that extended half way down her back while the rest was really short. I finally snipped it a little and it looks so much better. Hooray for no more knotted rat tail every morning!

The Hubs came home to me sleeping on the couch. I managed to get Baby G to nap only while holding him and I ended up falling asleep too! We hurriedly got ready for ballet. Have I mentioned how much my girl loves ballet? She adores it and it is so fun to watch her. 

The weather was perfectly Fall, so after ballet we scarfed down dinner so that we had time for a walk before prayer meeting. 

So, there you have it! Just another day in my shoes!

In my shoes-- day 10

Wow! I have made it 10 days into this challenge! Yay! That really is an accomplishment for this sporadic blogger. 

Tuesday. I woke up a little early...rather I stayed up after an early morning nursing session with Baby G-man. It was nice to be up and have some peace and quiet. I've missed those times recently, but I have also desperately needed the extra sleep. Give and take. Before The Hubs left for work we had a chance to discuss some things about our life and this season. I've mentioned it here in this space before, but we (mainly me, I think) feel like we are in a perpetual season where God is telling us to wait. I am so ready for this to be over so we can really put down some roots and settle in a bit. I got a little emotional, but it was good.

I soon realized that we were out of dog food (really, I already knew but had forgotten until Zoe reminded me that it was time for her breakfast). That's when I decided that a trip to Wal-mart was in our near future. I really don't enjoy shopping there, but The Hubs won a gift card at his training last week so it just made sense to go there. I also needed to stop by the bank and a few other places, so off we went! Running errands with kids can really be a pain sometimes. Getting both of them in and out of the car is challenging...especially when you only have street parking at your house. Sometimes we have to park a good distance from our apartment. That's when I get frustrated. 

Lunch and nap time came right after we got home and that's when I got moving! I really wanted to just nap, but my house has really been a mess and it was getting to me. We are selling some books on Amazon, so I got those all stickers and packed up to ship to the service center. Dinner went into the crock pot. The floors got vacuumed and steam mopped (that's been a long time coming). I even had time to make some glass cleaner, wipe down some windows/mirrors, sweep the back porch and declutter a bit. Baby G slept long enough that I got a 10 minute cat nap too! Hallelujah!

I made a little chart for the refrigerator door so that the things we need to do each week can get crossed off and The Hubs and I will both know what chores still need done. I am hoping it will help keep this place from getting out of control again. Some people can just let it go, but it really starts to clutter my mind and rob my home of the peace I desire when my house is a mess. I can't live that way for very long. 

We had some friends who we hadn't seen in a long time over for dinner and it was wonderful! Little E had a late night (again) which made bedtime hard. When she gets over tires, bedtime is a pain. She finally got to sleep though! And her parents followed soon after. 

I know this stuff can't be all that interesting, so thank you for continuing to read. It's really just good for me to write and put my thoughts "out there". So glad I took this challenge for that reason. I am the type who has to talk through and process things, so this really helps me to see my mundane days in a better light...in truth. 

In my shoes --day 9

Not getting fancy tonight and definitely not going to romanticize things. Mondays are usually catch up days and aren't easy days. Mondays after a weekend away are brutal...at least in my experience.

My children may have slept decently while we were gone, but Sunday night was rough. Really rough. Monday morning I was a tired Mama with a grouchy girly. Thankfully I was able to get her back to bed for an hour or so and she was much better. She's like me in that way...not enough sleep makes her a real grouch! 

We managed to make it to the grocery store before lunch. Getting Little E down for nap was hard after lunch. Baby G slept for almost 3 hours and I was really hoping to get some rest myself but E wouldn't nap. As soon as she went to sleep, he woke up ready to nurse. No rest for the weary sometimes.

One amazing thing about Monday...I didn't have to cook dinner! We went to our cousins' house for taco night and enjoyed some wonderful conversation and fellowship. It was the perfect way to end a rough day. I am really hoping that Tuesday brings with it some motivation (for me) and cooperation (for the kiddies). I need to do a ton of things...like unpack from our trip, for one. We'll see, but for now it's off to bed! 

In my shoes-- day 8

Sunday was travel day! We travelled home and immediately had commitments that we had to fulfill. It was a fun, but long day! 

More details later. For now, it's off to get some rest! Praying my babes sleep well tonight and long into the morning!

Stopped at Gigi's to visit and have lunch with her and other visitors. 

Finally got to hang out with Hubs/Papa!

Aunt B and Kev were the other visitors!! Hooray! 

It has been way too long since we'd seen them. We had a fun afternoon enjoying our time with them. 

In my shoes-- day 7

Disregard the comment I made yesterday about my children sleeping well on our trip. Friday night was not a good night. Baby G was up twice to nurse and was gassy (my best guess) and wouldn't go back to sleep. Being at someone else's house with a baby screaming in the middle of the night is so stressful! I hate the thought of waking someone else up. Needless to say, I was thankful that I was able to sleep in a little bit once Baby G got back to sleep. 

Went on a nice little run when I did get up and then enjoyed coffee and breakfast before heading to my first cross country meet. My cousin's friend is currently #1 in his region so we went to watch his race today. It was really fun until the rain began pouring and we had to walk back to the car with two kids through a wet field. My socks were wet and we were all chilled by the time we got to the car.

Lunch and naps followed our arrival home and then we did some shopping!

One bad thing about living in a small city in a small state is that we don't have as many shopping options. So, we hit up World Market and Trader Joe's!

"Customer in Training" 

She LOVED the shopping cart that was just her size...although her steering wasn't quite on target.

Back at the house, my aunt and I made black bean burgers and sweet potato fries before going on a last minute trip to Fuzziwigs candy store. Needless to say, E loved the candy store. She was wired and had a tough time getting to sleep...partially because she was hyper and partially because of the thunder storm.

Fuzzwigs! 

SO much candy! 

I told you we were admitted choc-o-holics.

October 5 has another story in our lives. It makes 6 years since The Hubs led me on a wild goose chase that ended with him meeting me at the New River Gorge and popping the question! I obviously said a big, emphatic YES! But, that wasn't Saturday, so more on that later :)