Presley is ready for it to snow, AGAIN!!

We are suppose to get 3-5 inches in the next few days.. So exciting.. You would think I would be tired of the snow by now, BUT since they are great at getting the roads salted.. I really am enjoying it..Maybe Matt will even get off work ( YEAH right!)  Thankfully, he is off Wed, and Thurs.. So hopefully we will get to go sledding this week.

I just love Lavender..P's bib is one of my favorite colors on her.. so I had to get a few shoots.. But, I was so proud of myself.. I took a few.. Then I took the camera INSIDE! it was hard, I admit.. lol
But, I wanted to play with her..so we had a blast in the snow..just the two of us :)

She was cracking me up, "acting" like it was snowing..and her catching it? :)

Can we say Eyelashes?? 

We started the morning with the Judd family..(Her children are precious, and baby Mia was giving me baby fever..with her big BLUE eyes, and huge SMILE..)
 I love this girl, and her name is Tiffany..how great is that! It was meant to be, for us to be friends! :) Also, Presley had a blast! We just love playdates with sweet friends during this colder months. :)

Winter in Ohio

Its cold her in Ohio.. I just looked at the weather and its currently 13 degrees..the low is 2. In Memphis, snow was a big deal ( there was mad craziness at the grocery..people act a little insane) and everything shuts down with the thought of snow. Not here. We have snow on the forcast 3 days this week. Its amazing..because you get to get out and do normal things, since they salt the roads so well. Its totally different living here.. but, it has been a good different. I am loving the winter..but, I admit, I am pretty excited about the spring! Because we can go to the park, play on the playground, and run through the sprinklers! Presley LOVED the sprinklers last year, so I am sure we will go often. I think this year, we may even go to Kings Island.. lots of people have season passes just for the awesome water park, so we may have to try that out.

We have been keeping busy with playdates.. Last week, we made it over to see Lindsey, Greyson, and baby Sehla. Presley had a blast.
 She has been loving getting in other people's beds lately.. The last two places we have been I have found her like these! lol
Its so funny... I walk to thinking she is playing with her friend.. NOPE, she's in their BED! ;)

I think she's probably getting ready to move to the toddler bed ( but, i feel so safe with her in the crib)

She actually climbed out of hers the other day and fell out, so if that happens again, Matt and I will moved her to her toddler bed. :( kindof sad.

Greyson and Presley

 I just LOVE this picture of her and her friend, Grey.. So sweet!

I am getting excited for MOPs and Ladies Bible to start back up soon...we are a little burnt out on coloring, TV, and playdough!
I am excited to visit these two places soon.. The first one is less than 10 min from me..the other is probably 20.. Run, Jump, and Play it has an indoor playground, with huge inflatables, and glow in the dark bowling..heard its fun! And the second one, our MOPs group is going to soon...Bananas
And when Matt is off next week, we may go to the the Cincy Children's Museum ( which is AWESOME, Presley loved it) or the Aquarium. Love that we have some indoor things on our list!

Right now, I am loving these.. even though I DO NOT need to know how many calories are in them!
UDF Milkshakes.. NOTHING like em!

Listening to Miranda Lambert, Trace Atkins, and Taylor Swift..this southern girl has to have her country. But, I love LOTS of music..just at the moment..loving these 3. 

LOVING my Iphone.. Pandora is amazing.. Presley and I have started a new thing.. we listen to the Toddler station or her favorite the Dora station ( which had ELMO, too..tonight!).. gotta love FREE radio.. WE act so goofy..and sing so loud our neighbors probably HATE us. :)

I absolutely LOVE these two.. I tape them, and watch them during P's nap.. but, sometimes, its good for her to PLAY instead of watching TV, and I use this time, to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, pick up the house, fold clothes, and LAUGH out loud.. HODA's playlist is my favorite.. We could be great friends, I just know it. Kathie Lee is hilarious, too.. Together, well, its just good TV!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

My favorite verse at the moment. It has always been a favorite, just one that's pretty special at the moment.

Really loving this little angel!

She has done so many cute things lately.. I love that she is TALKING up a storm..and repeating everything.. 

*I call our dog Daisy inside..and she stands at the door with me, saying, "Daisy, come in!" lol

*She also, see baby Jesus in her little Bible sleeping and says, "Shhh, baby Jesus sleeping, Mommy."

*She got on the potty this morning..and looked at me very seriously, and then starting Mooooing. What? love it!

*She was watching Dora the other night..and I was so happy her Daddy got to witness this too, they started "gorilla walking" and she started doing it too!! lol IT was hilarious..and now, sometimes during the day, she "gorilla walks" across the room!

*She loves her Daddy, gets so excited to wake him up in the mornings. Loves giving him butterfly and eskimo kisses :) 

*She is loving going on playdates..She asks me.. "Are we going to Chloe's house again?" so cute. 

*She is somewhat picky with food, which I know is pretty normal at her age, but can be a little testing..But, all and all, she is a sweetheart..and I am blessed to be her mommy.

I made this yummy meal tonight for dinner.. Meatball and Provolone Subs..YUM!!!! They were so easy..gotta love crockpots this time of year!!

WE are pretty excited...

Because 3 days in a row...

Excuse the pictures, taken with my iphone.. Today, she said, "Mommy go potty?" and she took me to the bathroom to go :) YAY!! so proud of my sweet baby girl!!!

New Years Resolutions

So, here they go.. I hope I can stick to them all this year. They are always so easy to make, and also so easy to break. lol

1. Read more. I love to read, esp. when I get into a really great book. I am currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I just got it yesterday, but, have heard great things about it. 

2. Have more date nights!! We only go on dates when family visits. I think we have been only 2 or 3 since we moved. We have been here 8 months, so thankfully, we have a few great friends that have offered.. YAY! We hope to go on one very soon! :) 

3. Continue to watch movies with Matt.. we just started really getting into watching movies at home more, and I love it. So, thank you Netflix! :)

4. Continue to pray for Presley and her future, health, and development. We pray everyday for her and I love the fact that she has started saying the blessing before meals, so sweet.. all by herself, she bows her head, closes her eyes..prays, and says a very clear, AMEN! Wow, the SWEETEST thing ever!!!

~ Hoping to read this book after The Help.. Power of a Praying Parent

5. Save money.. esp. through coupons. I am learning more about coupons.. so I hope to save some on our visits to the grocery.

6. Lose 10 lbs. enough said! 

7. Enjoy the simple things, soak up every moment with Presley..as much as I LOVE to take pictures, at times I have been too worried about taking pictures, instead of enjoying the moment.. and I love to look back at them, but, I want to "experience" life with her, too.. I don't want to be the annoying wife or mom that has to take 1,000 pictures, and I don't won't P to look back and remember me always with a camera in her face. lol

So, I plan to chill out some with the picture taking. I actually have started, and it has been WONDERFUL so far! :) I will still take them.. just not as many and not stress about getting a "perfect shot," because seriously, who CARES!! :)

8. Go somewhere I have never been before. 

9. Ok, I am pretty much over facebook. I do love staying in touch, don't get me wrong.. but, it is kindof getting old for me. People "checking in" everywhere they go?? what?? I don't CARE!!! And people just seem to brag about what they have or are doing..blah blah blah.. I have seriously, thought about getting rid of my account. But, I love being able to put pictures on for family.. I have thought also about making the pictures just where my family can see.. We will see. Enough with that soapbox.

10. Love and support my husband more and more. He is such an amazing husband and works so HARD for me to be home. He is the best DADDY in the world..gets excited to come home from work, read to Presley and rock her to sleep..so sweet!! I am very blessed. I also love that he could care less about impressing anyone. It is such a great quality.. a rare one when it comes to men. I remember in high school and college, it seemed like alot of guys talked about themselves all the time, how great they were at whatever, how much $ their parents had ( um, turn off!!), it always seemed people are trying their best to out due everyone..Not Matt. You get what ya see.. and Matt was so different when it came to material things, still is.. I LOVE HIM for it.  He doesn't even have a facebook..LOL, and I LOVE that about him, even more!! So, I plan to love him unconditionally, and learn to be a better person because of him.

Chuck E. Cheese playdate

We had a fun day with Presley today!
Matt and I took her to Chuck E. Cheese for the 1st time..since he worked on her birthday, I wanted her to have a fun day. I got a 20 free token coupon for her birthday, so it was FREE. I love FREE! Our friends Suzy and Brian, and their little girl, Lily meet us and the girls had a BLAST. Lily is one of Presley's only "girlfriends" ( she has a ton of boy friends) so it was fun to see them play together. She got super excited as soon as we walked in and loved the fact that she could just run whatever she wanted to. She also LOVED riding the horse ( i think it was the highlight of the day:) It was so nice having a 3 day weekend with Matt. Its always sad to see him go back to work.
Here are some pictures of our fun day with the Birthday Girl:

Lily and Presley "playing" telephone

Lily Bug

She loved this horse! lol

Not sure what to think about this mouse.

LOVE THESE PICS! :)

And this was the HIGHLIGHT of my day! One happy little girl!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Presley

 WOW! I can't believe Presley is 2! She is such a joy, and I love being her mommy :) I feel somewhat sad when I look back at pictures because she isn't a baby anymore, she's a little girl. I am so glad that I have been good about taking lots of video and pictures along the way, to go back and see how much she has changed and to remember every step of the way.
We celebrated her birthday early in Memphis several weeks ago, so we didn't do a party on her actual birthday, but, since this girl LOVES balloons, Matt picked one up on his way home from work and had if waiting on her when she woke up. She was THRILLED, she played with it ALL day :) Matt had to work until 6, so we went to some friends house to hang out for a few hours to bring in the New Year. We ended up coming home around 10, and sweet baby girl stayed up until we got home. She loved playing with all the other kiddos. We plan to take her to Chuck E Cheese on Monday when Matt is off..it will be her first time to go, so hope she likes it! :) We let her open her presents from us and friends that had sent them in the mail today. I also made cupcakes to take with us on New Years Eve, so she could blow out a candle and have CAKE as she calls it on her special day.
I LOVE my little Presley Ruth!!!

She makes the stars sparkle and the moon shine, and everyday with her is the best day of mine!!

Matt and I love her to pieces, and are enjoying every moment with our little sunshine!

A look at the past:

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

Joy

God has taught me so much in the last few months.. Mainly, how truly blessed I am. I can't imagine my life any different. He brought Matt and I to Ohio for a purpose..a purpose I am now seeing daily. I have made some amazing friends, girls I feel so connected with. I am so encourage by these sweet girls..they are such Godly sweet girls..and there focus it on Jesus..instead of this world..exactly what I needed. At times, this world can look so appealing.. but, it will let you down every single time! That new want or thing never completely satisfies us.. We always want more, nothing is every "good enough." The world tells ya to carry all the worry/stress on yourself instead of leaning on Him. He didn't create us to do it all by ourselves, that's why he desires that personal relationship with us. This is all become so real in my life, and for that I am blessed! I am blessed to have Godly parents, praying I can be the same for Presley.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
 I am really for the first time ever, seeing how to have true Joy. I remember back in high school, Dr. Rogers (my pastor at the time) preached a sermon on true Joy.. He said if you put Jesus 1st, Others 2nd, and Yourself last that will = JOY!

I have learned so much through the Ladies Bible Study at church..I have grown leaps and bounds! I am super excited to start the new one in a few weeks!! Here is the one I am leaning towards ( we get to pick from several) Faithful, Abundant, True Bible Study

Other things that are giving me a little piece of Joy at the moment :)

My sweet friend Ashley introduced me to the most amazing candle ever.. Seriously. It is awesome!

What the website says about the scent. See they even said best candle ever. :)

Maple honey.

 Grandma used to cure all ailments with her special cup of warm spirits dashed with lemon juice. The best part was the spoonful of maple honey. And does this candle ever cure your senses! Get ready for the best candle ever.

AND a very big thing..I found out my camera isn't broken-- just got set to a custom setting..causing it to not take pics.. YAY.. it does, however need to be cleaned.. but, I can handle that! Don't sweat the small stuff..huh? I was trying so hard to not be upset..and thankfully, it would have been for nothing. I am so proud I didn't let it ruin my holidays :)