Everything but the kitchen sink

I think the Holy Spirit isn't the only thing manifesting itself in our church's members if you know what I mean! We've been through 2 boxes of the Dayquil/Nightquil combo pack, if that tells you anything. And I think I'm finally coming down from my cold medicine high long enough to catch you up to date.

Drew & I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary last week, as you saw in my previous post. We've crammed a lot into the first 3 yrs of our married life and I have to say, I'm looking forward to some down time. :) You all know that I live and breathe for our children and am so glad God planned it out the way He did, but this was the first anniversary Drew and I celebrated without a baby on the way. And we lived it up! We devoted a weekend to just the 2 of us. Here are some snap shots from our time together...

This was right before we had breakfast @ Sophia's House of Pancakes - our favorite breakfast place. Of course, it was noon by the time we got there but that didn't stop us! (Corrinne had started running a fever the night before we were supposed to leave, so I wanted to take her in to the after-hours clinic before we left to make sure it wasn't an ear infection. Which set us back about 2 1/2 hrs. Oh, motherhood.)

Next stop was the Oliver Winery in Bloomington, IN. If you haven't been there before, you need to go! Its so nice - they have complimentary tastings and tours and a cute little stone patio and picnic area around a lake for you to enjoy your cheese, bread, and wine. I'm not a huge wine drinker, but our favorite was definitely the Creekbend Traminette. If you get a chance - try it!
This was after we enjoyed dinner at Stone Creek and had just gotten back to our hotel room. It was fun to remember what it was like to date Drew. (Not that hotel rooms were ever included in "dating Drew".) Even though I can't stand it when his toenails touch me or when he leaves the kids' clothes laying on their changing table right next to their hampers, he's still my absolute best friend in the whole world and my favorite person to be around. As I wrote in his card, being married to Drew is the most fun I've ever had.
These two are so much fun to watch together! Since Corrinne is able to do a lot more Cash has really started including her in his life. He always gives her some toys when he gets some out of the toy basket, and is sure to be very gentle with her. He's tried to share his snacks with her, but we try to explain since she STILL has no teeth she can't have those just yet. And just yesterday morning - this is my favorite - I heard him calling for me from his room. He was saying, "Mom! Mama!....Ma? Dada? Dad!!.....DaaaaaaDa! (long silence) Ninne?" I had to giggle at the thought of Corrinne going in and getting Cash out of bed.
This is just my most recent favorite picture of Corrinne! She's 7 months old now and getting so big! She's almost 18 lbs and is rolling everywhere. She's pretty easy-going but has a definite opinion. She loves music and dances whenever she hears it. She think its funny when Cash cries (poor Cash) and loves bouncing in her exersaucer!

The best love story I've ever heard...

Our wedding day, March 9, 2007.

Weekend Trip to Chicago, August 2007.

April, 2008

Becoming parents - May, 2008

Cash's 1st Birthday, May 2009

Meeting Corrinne, August 2009

December, 2009

Happy Anniversary, Drew! I love you more than you'll ever know...

A Bumper Sticker:

"Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you'd like to meet Him."

I wish I could take credit for that one, but I stole it from a friend of mine's facebook status. My mom will especially love it.

My first blog award...

Awhile back, I was awarded the very prestigious blog award that you see below. Thank you, Thank you! This is so unexpected! I don't know what to say...thank you to my beautiful children for giving me material to blog about on a daily basis, my loving husband for not getting angry when I choose to blog instead of watch TV with him, and Laura over at Lilly Loves for nominating me! :)

Apparently this award comes with some requirements...

1. Thank and link the person who gave you this award. Check!

2. Pass this award onto 5 blogs that you think are fantastic. Check!

I nominate:

Annie - Life As We Know It

Dad - Just Thinking

Meagan - My Lipstick Diaries

Ashley - Sommer Family

Amanda - The Dunaway's

3. Contact blogs and let them know they've won. Check!

4. State seven interesting things about yourself that people may not know.

Let see if I can come up with 7 "interesting" things about myself...

1. My full name is longer than the alphabet.

2. Most girls try to grow long nails...not me. I hate the feeling of having long nails. I trim them frequently.

3. My favorite cosmetic item is mascara! It would definitely be my "stranded on a deserted island" item and I've been tempted to put it on my kids several times. Yes, even Cash. Have you seen their lashes?!

4. When I was younger I would tan so well that a black boy in the 1st grade was convinced I was bi-racial! No wonder people ask me if Corrinne is too. :)

5. I am totally hair styling-challenged. I blame it on how fine my hair is, but its the main reason I usually keep my hair short. Poor Corrinne...

6. When I was 22 a woman prophecied over me. She told me God made me to sing and I should stop holding back for fear of people thinking I was just showing off, etc. I hear those words every time I get up to sing in church.

7. When I try clothes on in a store, if I like the outfit I do a little dance in front of the mirror.

Oh Em Geeee!

If there has ever been a time in my life where I truly, 100%, without a doubt, absolutely HATE my hair, it is now. (Including the "I'm growing out my cute pixie cut" phase.) I blame it all on Drew. He's the one that talked me into growing my hair out after we reminisced about our honeymoon while looking at pictures of me with a ridiculous tan, long hair, and a flat stomach. Considering the long hair is the only attainable feature at this point I committed to growing my hair out. I immediately regretted that decision. If only I were a "celebrity" like Kate Gosselin and had the luxury of time and money (even though I have 6 less children than she does...) to sit in a stylist's chair for 20 hours and have extensions put in.

In other news, I finally (FINALLY!) got sick and tired of the pudge thats taken up residency on my body and I'm taking the Special K challenge! Starting tomorrow I'll be enjoying a bowl of Special K cereal for breakfast, a protein shake for lunch and sensible dinners everyday for 2 weeks. I figure its only 2 weeks. Anyone can commit to something for 2 weeks, right? Special K promises you'll lose up to 6 lbs, or a dress size in that 2 weeks. I'll let you know how it works for me.

I'm also proud to announce that Crying it Out worked wonders for little miss Coco and we have not rocked her to sleep since! I'm telling you -- the first nights the hardest but its get much easier really fast! She's also become somewhat mobile and now rolls all over the place to get to wherever it is she wants to go...we have found her under Cash's table and chairs, getting toys out of the basket in the play room, and almost under our ottoman. Its exciting to see her grow and develop, but a little frightening to consider we'll have 2 mobile children soon! Lord, help us!

So long, 3am snuggles

Operation Cry It Out 2010 commences this evening. Prayers are appreciated. As we learned when Cash was a baby, the first nights the hardest.

here goes nothin'....

Boys will be boys...

I always knew this day would come, but wasn't sure how I would respond to it...

I was sitting on the couch drinking my lunch replacement protein shake (yeah right. replacement.). Corrinne was bouncing happily in her exersaucer, Cash was playing with his guitar. Next thing I know, Cash is climbing up on the couch with me. Knowing our rule is you have to keep your bottom on the couch, he immediately sat down next to me. I thought "how sweet" until moments later he's standing on the couch (with his shoes on!). Before I could get "sit down!" out of my mouth he leapt off the couch onto the floor!

This is the child that didn't start walking until he was 14 months old because he didn't want to fall down. The same child that can't even really jump yet.

All I could do was wait to make sure he was ok before cracking up. Then I told him that was a BIG no no.

Life with a son. And so it begins...