My Weekend

I can honestly say that I am really nesting!! Friday I was determined to get Jaxon's room pulled together before my shower. I started cleaning out that room/closet and by the end of the day, I had a mess from the back of the house to the front!! It was everywhere!! I did throw away 2 bags of trash and started on a third (sorry Becky. I told you I threw away 3). THREE BAGS OF TRASH IN MY HOUSE -- JUST TAKING UP SPACE!! WOW! That felt good!!

I cleaned up my scrapbook mess that was happening in my living room due to baby shower hostess gifts. I had my laundry piled HIGH on the couch. My house was a wreck!!

But, today it is all pulled together -- well, for the most part. My laundry is put away. My scrapbook stuff is put away for now. I cleaned out and reorganized the hall closet. Jaxon's room is mostly clean and my dishes are all done. Yes, I'm sure that I'm nesting!!

Monday, my plan is to attack my scrapbook closet. I know there are things in there I will never use and it's time for me to downsize a little bit!!

Aaron's at the World Series right now as I'm typing this. I'm watching on tv and I have to say that I'm almost a little jealous!! His brother caught a home run ball during batting practice and they were first in line to get into the stadium!! Aaron sent me a picture of him from his seat -- definitely nosebleed seats, but I am sure it is fun anyway!! Right now, they say it is 39 degrees in Denver . . maybe I'm glad I'm not there! ;)

My shower today was great!! I love a good theme party and it was all Dallas Cowboys!! Amy had a great idea to make a flower vase out of a football. They cut off one end and put some rocks in the bottom to help it stand up and they put flowers coming out of the top. It's too cute!! The whole thing was great. There weren't many people there, but I thought it was so much fun! We were able to sit around and talk about mommy inventions. Lots of things left to get for Jaxon, but that will be fun, too!!

Aaron's mom and sister took me to Sharky's tonight for dinner. It's been a few weeks since I've been in there and it was so good!! Aaron's mom wasn't all that impressed -- like mother, like son! We got it to go because my boys were with Joel and I was afraid they would come home, but her food got cold on the way home and it wasn't as good. I think she should give it another try at least!! ;) I sure enjoyed mine!!

I think that's all for my update of the weekend so far. Aaron's mom and sister are coming over after church tomorrow and the boys are going to paint some little piggy banks that Aaron's sister bought for them. Please pray for my boys! They are really missing their dad -- and I mean REALLY REALLY missing him!!

Dr. Appointment

Yesterday I went to the dr. for another ultrasound to see how big Jaxon is getting. I gained 6 pounds -- UGH! Anyway, Dr. A measured his head and the due date came up as October 27th!!! I thought it was a miscalculation, but Dr. A said, "Well, his head is larger than average." Great.

He measured his stomach and told me that that measurement would give us a good idea of how much he weighed right now. That measurement said he weighs 6 pounds 13 ounces -- RIGHT NOW!! I have 5 weeks left!! Dr. A said that since I'm tall, I'm more likely to have bigger babies. He is guessing that Jaxon will be between 8 1/2 pounds to 9 pounds!!

His leg measurements had due dates from November 2nd to November 17th. His heart was beating normal and it's definitely a boy -- no question about that!!

Now, I know women do it all the time. I know that Pam has done it every time and at home at that!! I don't know why, but the thought that Jaxon already weighs 6 lb 13 oz just flipped me out yesterday!! Dr. A said the ultrasound could be up to a pound off either way -- bigger or smaller and that Jaxon should gain between half a pound to a pound each week from here until the end. Payton was 8 lb 3 oz and Evan was 7 lb 11 oz induced 10 days early.

He was all bunched up, so we didn't get any pictures. He is head down and he has dropped, although he still feels like he's in my ribs. I'm not dilated at all, which was kind of nice to hear, but I sure wish these contractions I'm having were doing some good!!

Please Pray for Julian

This is a little boy I've "met" over the internet. He has the same cancer that my brother had. They thought it was in remission, but on Monday they found out that his cancer has returned. Of course there are several options for his parents. They meet with his head doctor on Thursday morning to discuss treatments. They are really leaning on God and believing, but I wanted to share this slide show to show this beautiful boy. Gosh! These pictures bring back memories of my own brother. WARNING: May cause tears to flow -- at least it did for me.






Makes the pinched nerve in my leg seem like nothing at all.

Yes, Jesus Loves Evan

Yesterday we went to look for some coats for the boys. They seemed to have a million and one coats last year, but they seem to have disappeared. Anyway, we found a Dallas Cowboys fleece pullover thing for Payton, but I didn't really want to spend $20 on that (although I know that's not a lot -- well, actually it is for a pullover).

Anyway, Evan kept telling me that he wanted a Chiefs coat. I kept wondering how we were going to find that in Texas without spending an arm and a leg for a coat he'll wear one year.

Anyway, last night Aaron told me to go to Goodwill this morning and see what I could find. We pulled in the parking lot and Evan asked why we were there. I told him we were looking for a coat and he said, "But remember, I want a CHIEFS coat."

We went in and were looking through the rack. I found a black and blue coat that was in good shape, but he wasn't having it. He wanted the CHIEFS. I went to the other side of the rack and look what I found:


He was so excited!! And it was only $3.24!! Yes, the sleeves are almost too short, but I just couldn't pass it up! He is SO proud of that thing!! I told him I had to wash it and he didn't want to take it off! I just kept laughing thinking that God cared whether Evan had that CHIEFS coat or not!!

The story behind the wall

I met this lady online on a scrapbooking board named Amanda. I was asking if anyone had some textured football paper. She did and through various e-mails, she asked me what I was going to do with it. I told her about my plans for Jaxon's room and the football field. She e-mailed back and said she had done a football field on her son's wall in the University of Alabama. I asked for help and she did that!! Her field looks AMAZING!!!

Anyway, we "talked" several times over e-mails about the room and how it was coming along. This week, she posted this post on the scrapbooking bulletin board:

First the not so good part: Friday I was told I probably had a brain tumor!

I was very scared. I am only 26 and have two children 3 and 1 year. This can't be happening to me.

So, today I went in for more testing.

We didn't tell but just my mom, my two BFFs, and my neighbor. Sunday in night church we had a missionary speak on how as Christians we say we believe in miracles but do we act like it? Do we believe that if we pray for someone they can be healed? At this point I was called out of service because Drew was crying in nursery. So when I came back in after the service was over Scott and my mom met me at the door to tell me I was healed.

Disclaimer: as a Christian I do believe in healing but I have always been weary of those preachers you see on t.v. that "heal" people on the spot. Now this guy dosen't speak to people before the service because he doesn't want to be accused of being a hoax. Someone who can talk to you, read your body language and then "heal" you. Please keep this in mind.

Back to the novel: So I thought they meant, yeah we got to believe I'm healed. Yadda, yadda, ya. But no. During the sermon he stopped and looked around the room. Then said there is a young mother here who has a brain tumor. She hasn't told many people but I am asking all of you to stop this service and pray with me that she will be healed. God has great and mighty things for her and she can't do them if she has this tumor. Although it is begining it still needs to be gone! So everyone, including my pastor whom we haven't told yet, is looking around trying to figure out who it is. They pray and go back to the sermon. At the end, he would call people out and say like sir in the yellow shirt, you have leukemia and you don't believe you will ever be healed from it. God just wants you to believe. Things like that. So I was the only one he didn't specifically call out, because I wasn't in there. After the sermon my mom told my pastor what was going on so they went and got me. As soon as I walked up to him he knew I was the one. He told me the same stuff he told everyone else and then a bunch of people gathered around and prayed for me.

Today, the doctor couldn't find the same stuff the first doctor did. They are redoing new bloodwork and I get another MRI Wed. But I know I was healed last night.

Please, do not think I am hookie or weird or anything. I don't go to a church where we play with snakes or anything. I go to a normal church where a wonderful Man of God came and REALLY did heal me through the grace of an everloving God.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I wanted to share my news. I've heard of people saying they were healed but I've never actually "known" it to happen to someone I personally know or love. By the grace of God I will watch my children grow up. Thank you for reading this! I love you girls just like my own IRL BF (in real life best friends) and just wanted to share!

I am so excited for her. (The stuff in the parenthasis (sp?) is translation for the lingo we use on the board.) On this board, you do kind of develop relationships with women that you don't really know. There are a few on there that I talk to almost daily, but you never really know what they believe or much of anything else. Plus, it's a PUBLIC forum. She could have seriously taken some flack just for posting that!! But, the ladies on there really encouraged her -- testimonies about how they had been healed of something or how they knew of someone who had been healed. It was nice to see all these ladies who you "know" but you really "don't know" confess their beliefs and it just makes the board more neat, in my opinion. I was able to share with her the testimony of my brother and how God healed him from a brain tumor, too. The thread had been locked this morning because someone posted a comment about how could someone NOT believe in healing and another lady got offended, so the moderators locked the thread (nobody else can post on it).

The cool thing is that I can't help but think about her story every time I look at that football field. I think it has greater meaning for me than just another testimony. I'm not sure if healing will be "Jaxon's thing" or what it exactly means, but I cannot tell you how excited I am for this woman.

The coolest thing is that the same day or the next day, another lady posted this testimony:

Praise GOD!

Sorry if you don't believe, but my son is living proof of miracles and God's healing powers! We just got home from our 10 hour adventure to Childrens Hospital in Seattle to have Garretts follow up CT Scan and Neurosurgery appt.

PRAISE GOD! Our baby is healed!! No kidding, I was speechless when the neurologist said "I don't know how else to tell you this, but you don't need to come back here! Garrett's fluid levels are normal and his head is growing at a normal rate." I cried I was so happy...and of course secretly SHOUTING inside "Thank you LORD for your healing and answered prayers!!!"

This lady's son had excessive fluid on his brain and even had to wear one of those helmet things to keep his head from swelling. Again, ladies posted with encouragement and testimonies. I just love it!! Of course, one lady had to post, "I don't pray, but you will be in my thoughts today." Everyone else was just amazing with testimonies and excitement for this miracle.

Anyway, I just had to share how God is using a public scrapbooking forum to shine!!

The Curtains & My Toes!!

How's that for a title?!?!

Krissy came over today and we got the curtains hung up!! I LOVE THEM!! They really make the room!! So, here's a picture of those:


Then, in the last secret sister round, Candy gave me a gift certificate to Creative Nails for a pedicure. I've put it off and put it off because I'm really not fond of people touching my feet. But, I had until Saturday to get it done and decided to go today. Here's the picture:


Yes, they're blue. Guess I might have gone a little overboard on this whole Dallas Cowboys thing!! ;) Now, the big question is -- So, what did you think? I liked it, I guess. Probably not something I'll keep doing, but it would be nice every once in a while, I guess. I did like having all the dead skin scraped off of my feet. They look SOOOOOO much better!!! The girl that did mine was really sweet although she didn't say a whole lot. Her husband was doing the lady next to me and told me they were expecting their first child. It was funny to listen to all of them talk. I liked paying attention to all their toenails. I wonder if it's mandatory that they all wear sandals and show off their toes?

Anyway, it was a good day. I have a story I'll share later about the lady who helped me with the football wall. . . gotta run for today!

I just can't wait!!!

I just can't wait to show you guys the pictures!!! I'm so excited about this room and even though it's not quite finished, I just have to share!!

So, instead of trying to upload all of them to here, click on this link and you can see the slideshow from start to almost finished!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=fyhgbqj.cb6yyud3&x=0&y=7tu0eu

I am so pleased with this room!! Just a few more things to get done. The curtains are going up tomorrow and the ceiling fan . . . hopefully this week. Then it's time to move the furniture in and just the littlest details!!

WOW! I can't believe how close it's getting!!

It Is FINISHED!!!

Well, at least the paint is finished!! The nursery is done!! Now all that's left is to hang the curtains and the ceiling fan, move in the bed, and move the dresser from the closet. I am so excited!! I'm not quite ready to share pictures just yet. I actually have the star to attach and then my masterpiece will be complete!!!

Speaking of that star, it has been my biggest headache over the last few weeks -- trying to figure out how to do the star and the end zones. I found some print out stencils online that were perfect, so that was taken care of, but it was that silly star!! There was a Cowboys magnet at the mall that I thought was $6 and I thought I could trace it and then paint it in. But, when I went to pick it up, it was actually $13!! Not paying that for a large magnet that I have nothing to do with except put on my fridge after I'm done!!

Then, my genius friend, Krissy, said, 'Hey! What about those stars that you see at places like the prom where they hang them from the ceiling?' I went straight to Card & Party Factory and there were the stars -- in about 8 different colors and about 6 different sizes!! So, I bought a large blue star, a smaller white star, and an even smaller blue star. I stacked them on top of each other and it looks just like the Cowboys star!! And, I didn't have to paint anything!!!

Anyway, I am so very excited that it is complete. I'll be sharing pictures within the week. I just want to get the curtains hung first.

Also, here's a little something that Aaron found that I absolutely love and I thought I would share it with all of you!!!

www.grocerylistmaker.com

You HAVE to check it out!! You can check off the things you need and it prints out a list of just those things and it's all categorized!! And, if you need something that isn't on the list, you just add it yourself. I checked off everything and printed it out to hang on the fridge. I have a highlighter near by and when we run out of something, we just highlight whatever it is that we need. Today I went to Wal-Mart with my list and was checking out in 30 minutes!! Now, it wasn't monthly grocery shopping or anything, but I loved having my list all highlighted!! I think it just makes my life easier!!

I am determined!!

I wanted to title this blog "I am OBSESSED", but I think a better word is DETERMINED. I'm DETERMINED to get this nursery finished!!! I feel like I've been working on it forever. Although, it's only been a few weeks off and on, I guess just because I've had the whole thing in my head since July and how many times I've drawn it all out on my graph paper, it feels like it's been forever.

I can say that I think I know more about the Dallas Cowboys than I ever thought I would. I know their colors, what the field looks like, I even know a few players and their numbers. I only have one wall left in the nursery to finish and it's the football field. So, I've been checking out the Dallas Cowboys website and looking at the new stadium through the hole in the roof down onto the field. All the while, learning about the tradition of the open roof and the Dallas Cowboys. I've been trying to match the font of the field. I can't find the right stencils, but last night I realized that I have my scrapbooking die-cut machine (my Cricut (pronounced Cricket)) that can cut letters out and I can make the stencils. . . I just don't have the right cartridge.

Right at this point, Aaron would think that I'm nuts. He thinks I'm getting too detailed on this room. I just keep telling him that it will be AWESOME when it's finished. I already have a few kindergarten boys that are wanting to move in there!!

I did find a lady online who has done the whole football field thing on the wall. She did her son's room in the University of Alabama. Her wall looks AMAZING!! I just hope this wall looks half as good as hers when I'm finished!!

BUT, the reason that I'm able to focus so much on this room is because I'm learning to delegate. I am so thankful for that!! By delegating things out, I'm able to focus on the nursery. I'm able to focus on my house. I'm able to not be all stressed out about how many things I have to get done in a day or this week. And, in learning how to delegate, I am so thankful that I get to go to children's church on Sunday morning and I don't have to do a single thing -- just be there.

I'm even getting "the night off" tonight. I'm thinking about heading to the scrapbook store for a few hours of crop therapy. Gosh! Before, the only time I really had to do that was the last Sunday of the month. I don't know what I'm going to do really.

My goal for today is to:
* Finish taping off the yard lines in Jaxon's room and get them painted
* Get Payton & Evan's room picked up and organized again (aka throw a bunch of stuff away)
* Get my laundry all done

Then, maybe tonight I'll head to the scrapbook store for a little R & R and use her Cricut and the cartridge there.

Gosh! Maybe I should have delegated someone to finish Jaxon's room!! No, I'm too much of a control freak for that! ;)

P.S. Here's something neat that happened to Aaron last night. Ever since we got married, Aaron has wanted to go to the OU vs UT football game (aka The Red River Shootout). But, tickets have been expensive and hard to get. About a week ago, Aaron's cousin called and said he MIGHT have Aaron a ticket, but he had to make sure it wasn't taken already. Aaron got excited, but that started to fade after days of not hearing from Ryan. But, last night at 10:30 pm, Aaron's phone rang. His cousin has him a ticket on the 50 yard line on the first row on OU's side!! Aaron is so pumped!! He kept telling me it was an answer to prayer. I just laughed. He thinks I'm not excited about him going, but I really am. Yes, I have to take my kids to 3 birthday parties on Saturday -- two of which are at the same time, different places -- but I'm really excited for him. And, I'm excited that at least the boys and I have something to do on Saturday!! So, if you watch the game, rejoice with Aaron that he's there!!!