After dressing Anna in a denim dress this morning for church. I came downstairs to find she had added quite a few accessories to her outfit. She was quickly digging through her toy basket and had her straw beach hat on carrying her winter burberry purse, carrying her last years easter bunny and looking for her Dora sunglasses. We were running extremely late and didn't feel like arguing so off she went to church in her ensemble.

Anna wanted to make a gingerbread house after church several Sundays ago. I thought it looked easy enough so we started our gingerbread house preparations. We built it and it looked cute for about 5 mins. then it fell completely apart. LOL My friend told me in FL the heat melts them and it's hard to get them to stick. Finally after putting it together for 3 times it stayed. Here is a picture of the finished product. There is another picture of Anna eating the gum off the top of the gingerbread house. When we finished she looked at me and said, "mommy I am going to eat it." And so far she has lived up to her word as slowly everyday candy disappears from the house.

After sleeping in her own bed since 10 weeks old, over the past month things changed and Anna slowly started showing up in our room at night. So at first it wasn't a big deal until it continued night after night. So we promised her that if she'd sleep in her bed all by herself she could go to Chuck E Cheese. She replied, I don't want to go to Chuck E Cheese! So we tried several other promises to no avail. Until one day the new build a bear flyer came in the mail. They had a bunny dressed up in a fairy costume decorated with Candy Canes. Anna loves Bunnies, Fairies, and Candy Canes. It was like her three favorite things all rolled into one. So after sleeping in her big girl bed she got to go build one. Here's some pictures of the big event. She named her bunny Cotton Candy. lol

We had Jason a birthday party on Sunday the 12th. Anna was so excited about the cheesecake (Hubbie's favorite) and the candles. We sang happy birthday and opened presents from family near and far. Anna especially liked the one balloon we had. lol It was a day full of surprises. Thanks!

Anna was so excited today when she saw Santa in the mall. She couldn't wait until she got to tell him what she wanted for Christmas. I took advantage of it while she was excited. Last year we got her all dressed up and she cried and refused to sit in his lap. Wow! What a difference a year makes.

They had fake snow that you could play under as you went to find Santa. She loved the snow and didn't want to leave it when we left. Of course it couldn't be to perfect Anna tried to pull her shirt up as the picture was being taken and she did a little bit. Oh well. At least she sat there and smiled this year. lol

Anna's favorite game is hide and seek. She loves moving all the pillows on the couch to make a house from them. She'll make pillow houses and hide for at least 20 mins.

She loves hiding and is getting quite good at it. The other day I turned around in the living room and she was completely gone. I looked everywhere I knew to look and she had wedged herself between the wall and computer chest and then pushed the door to the computer back against the wall so she was totally hidden. She may be a private investigator later in life who knows?! lol

Anna enjoying a nice November day with her sun hat. She better enjoy it while she can b/c if we move the days of sundresses in November will come to a sad, sad, ending.

Another day that feels unproductive. I did nothing really taxing today yet it's only 7pm and I already feel exhausted. I still have clothes in the dryer that need to be folded and put away. I have clothes in the washer that need to be drying. I still have a 2 year old to put to bed who lately has made that a nightmarish chore. So right now I am just simply trying to escape to anywhere.. and this was the fastest place I could reach. lol

I didn't get to do my exercise today but I did get my devotion in and that I love. I have been very consistent with that lately but I've been putting forth an effort. I am going to start the Beth Moore Believing God bible study next. I am sorta sad my current Creative Correction bible study is ending but I am excited about what new things God might be teaching me.

Please pray for God's Will in a job move that may or may not be in our near future. My husband was up for a promotion in Richmond, VA was told he definitely had the job and then later found out maybe not. We want whatever God's will is for our lives at this time so please keep us in your prayers.

I want to start decorating because Christmas is my favorite holiday and last year we were moving due to a promotion (yes God is good) and I didn't even get to put up a tree this year I am afraid to put up my tree because we may be moving. For those of you who don't know me well my tree usually goes up right after Halloween. I usually skip thanksgiving and jump right in with two feet to Christmas. lol Did I mention it was my favorite holiday. I have already been wrapping Christmas presents.

This will also be the first Christmas my husband and I have been away from home but now we live so far away it just isn't feasible to go home for Christmas. We live in FL and family lives in KY. It's bittersweet, I am excited to start our own traditions as our own family but I'll miss seeing the extended family too. We will be in after the first of the year though so hopefully we'll see everyone then.

I can't wait to see my new niece baby Mia I hear she's growing leaps and bounds. I purchased the baby who should be 4 or 5 months at Christmas two 6 month outfits I took back today b/c I was told she needed a 9 month outfit!! I can't believe how big she's getting. I can't wait to see what she is like. My nephew Maxwell is only nine months older than Anna and he has his own little personality very strong and determined with a great sense of humor. I can't wait to see what my brother and sister in love's new little one is like.

I also can't wait to see our other nephew Lawson. He is such a little man now and he would love a sibling so I know he and Anna will have a blast together next time they see each other. Anna loves making people laugh, she getting that from her father who I think may have been voted class clown when we were in high school. lol I know he keeps me laughing and that's one of the reasons I married him.

Yes, traditions are changing and time is flying by faster than I'd like it to be. It seems just like yesterday my friend from kindergarten and I were playing the alligator game outside on my swing set. Now she is a married pharmacist who still lives in KY and I am a SAHM who lives in FL and my best friend now is almost turning 40!! Where did my life go??? I was amazed when we switched churches and were put in the SS class with 50 year olds.lol I see all these college kids down here and think wasn't I just doing that yesterday and then I hear my little girl call "mommmmmyyyyyyy" Mommmmmyyyy" which is her new thing to drive mommy crazy she says "mommy" only dragging out to 7 syllables instead of 2. Then I snap back to reality and realize that before long my little one will be making her first best friend in Kindergarten and playing her own games on her own swing set. In a blink of an eye it changes so I am going to try and enjoy each moment. Thank you for letting me vent.

Nonna sent Anna a package and when I asked Anna what Nonna sent she said, "A bunch of crazy stuff." lol She got the pink hair and some fashion jewlery. She also sent stickers that Anna asked for and quickly put all over her legs.

As you can see Anna really enjoyed the puppy "Graham" and the PJ's she got from her Gammy and Pap.

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff -- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

This was passed on to me from another pumpkin. Now, it is your turn to pass it to a pumpkin. I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.

Happy Fall Y'all!

1. I love to read
2. I am trying to be more diligent in my walk with the LORD.
3. I love crab legs.
4. I like Chai tea.
5. I like green tea.
6. I like walks on the beach although I rarely take them.
7. I struggle with my weight.
8. I aspire to be a better mommy.
9. I aspire to be a better wife.
10.My favorite authors are Lisa Whelchel, Nicholas Sparks, Max Lucado, Angela Thomas, and Mary Kay Andrews to name a few. (told ya I liked reading).lol
11. I have an abnormal fear of frogs.
12. I remember faces not names.
13. My ideal day is a day spent outdoors whether it be at the beach or in the mountains, I love God's creation!

Yesterday Anna was playing on a stool and I asked her not to play on it. Well needless to say as two year old wisdom would have it she disobeyed and played on it anyway. It fell on her foot and hurt her toe. After she calmed down from crying she said, Mommy I am not going to play on that stool anymore. I am going to tell Jesus I am not going to play on that stool anymore. I said, Ok. She proceeded to say this with her head bowed and her hands folded in prayer: Dear Jesus, I am so sorry for playing on the stool and I will never ever play on the stool again so my toe doesn't get hurt. I am so glad to see that even at an early age she knows she can turn to the Father. Isaiah 54:13 "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children." After she said, her prayer she was calm and began to play again.

Sometimes I get sooo tired of doing correction when it would be so much easier for me to pick up the toys than to ask 5 times for her to take 30mins. to pick up what I could pick up in 10mins. Sometimes it would be so much easier to say, yes you can have that than to say no 79 times in a row, but I want her to know "no means no". Sometimes it would be so much easier to ignore who I am talking to answer her so she will stop the incessant "mommy, mommy, mommy". Why do I chose the harder path, you may ask? How do I keep following this path I've chosen you may wonder. I gain my strength and endurance from the verse GAL 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up"

I try to remember that Jesus was a toddler too and even he had to grow wisdom and favor with God, check it out it's in Luke 2:52 So all you struggling mom's keep your head up our season's coming!