Slippers, Signs, Sophia, & Sweets

A lot of not that important stuff has been happening the last couple of weeks (or since whenever the last time I posted was).  Sometimes, well, many times, there are things I want to post, and I just can't.  Sometimes that's because I let my mouth get away from me too quickly, and sometimes it's just because things are happening that I can't share.  Either way, I have just not wanted to blog the last little while.  I struggle with being authentic but not vomiting my business out on everyone...but I so don't want to be seen as a fake person.  If things are tough, I want to say they're tough - not that everything is coming up roses.  So...I would just say there have been some weeds in the roses lately.  The main things have been good, and I know that's what counts, so I'm trying to focus there.

So...I'm going to update on some dumb stuff :)

First of all, I got the GREATEST deal on slippers for James.  I got them for like $2.80 a pair and free shipping from The Children's Place.  This is a terrible picture, but I don't want to take time to try to get a better one - these should work for James through the end of the year!!  YAY! Great deal!

I've been into Pinterest for a while now, and some of my favorites are these scripture signs.  The next nursery we do, I can't wait to use one of these - they are just beautiful.  

I really like this one - I like it when it's more obscure verses (thought I know I've heard this one before)...not just the standard ones "everyone" knows :)

 Landon and I were blessed with a new niece a couple of nights ago!  Here's a picture I stole off of Facebook of Sophia Marie :)  Isn't she a doll?  Looking forward to meeting her very soon!!

Alright.  One more very safe thing to post about is a recipe.  Since I lost my part time job at the end of the year, I've been seizing the day on my new found free time.  I've been doing the P90X exercises 3 times a week (that's my limit), and I've been cooking more.  I have been LOVING Pinterest for the recipes - I'm going to try one in a few days that's a pepperoni roll - like a Stromboli sort of...uh, we'll see.  Then I found one last night that's this BLT salad thing - holy moly, it looks AWESOME.  So, maybe I'm balancing out eating with the exercising :)  I've made three special desserts in a row the past three weeks!!  Momma gave me a Philadelphia Cheesecakes & More cookbook for Christmas.  I'd like to share the dessert I made this week.  It's FANTASTIC!!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert.

12 Nutter Butter peanut butter sandwich cookies, divided
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg (8 oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tub (12 oz) Cool Whip topping, thawed, divided
2 squares Baker's Semi Sweet Chocolate, melted

1.  Crush 8 cookies; mix with butter.  Press onto bottom of foil-lined 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.  Mix next 4 ingredients with mixer until well blended.  Whisk in 3 cups Cool Whip; spoon 1/2 cup into small bowl.  Blend in melted chocolate.  Spoon half the remaining cream cheese mixture over crust; top with layers of chocolate mixture and remaining cream cheese mixture.
3. Freeze 4 hours or until firm.  Invert onto plate.  Remove foil, then re-invert dessert onto serving platter so crumb layer is on bottom.  Coarsely break remaining cookies.  Top dessert with remaining Cool Whip and cookies.

Delicious.  Tonight we had dinner with friends and enjoyed Paula Deen's basic meatloaf, texas toast, steamed broccoli, and hashbrown casserole.  Whew, it was goooood.  While everyone else's week is calming down, ours is ramping up for Sunday.  Praying for God to do great, great things in lots of hearts, but especially in mine.

Love those Shoes

I have the potential to have a shoe problem.  Lack of money helps me with the potential problem.  You can't buy what you can't afford (well, I mean, you can, but it bites you in the end).  James really is growing fast, and he needs some new shoes.  I think it must be a "mom" thing, because I think Landon does not understand this, but it's just as fun for me to pick out clothes and shoes for James as it is for myself - especially because looking for CUTE boy stuff is like a serious treasure hunt.  It's tough.  James got some Christmas money so I wanted to get him a few pairs of new shoes.  One pair I had already bought at Stride Rite in Destin but James was asleep in the stroller, so I didn't make him wake up to measure his foot.  Mistake.  I started second guessing myself after we got back up here to Georgia.  I decided to return the shoes and let them measure his foot.  So, last night we made a short trek over to Discover Mills.  DM is a strange place.  There are many things I could say about it, but I will pass.  If you ask me in person, I'll be happy to share my thoughts.  Just know we did not park at Burlington Coat Factory.  This was the first time I'd shopped in this particular Stride Rite Outlet.  It was FANTASTIC!! They had a great selection and some GREAT sales!!!! Exciting.  I would have bought more shoes, but Landon was with me and was giving me the "eye" so I just got these three...and that was a feat in itself :)  I did end up returning the cute boat shoes I'd bought for spring/summer because James would have needed a bigger size than what I got - which is what I was afraid of.

We got these CUTE tennis shoes!

 Some casual shoes.

 Okay, and wait for it.  My favorite buy of the night.  These sandals for next summer - church-y sandals.  FOR $14.99.  I am serious.  People, this was incredible.  I love these little sandals - and James had the exact same pair this past summer.  

Man, kids need shoes, and shoes aren't cheap, and their sizes change FAST.  Will be revisiting this Stride Rite often, despite having to go to Discover Mills..if I can make it out alive each time.

Why I Hate Exercise

And, the new year is upon us.  Another new year.  Another round of resolutions.  Not that there's anything wrong with resolutions.  They're not so much for me, but to each his own.  I've tried lots of resolutions, and without fail, I always fail at some point...pretty quick after the year starts.  I've tried working out, reading my Bible everyday for some crazy amount of time that is not realistic, being nicer to Landon (ha...), and on and on and on.  The past two weeks I've been doing some of Landon's P90X workouts.  I told him this only after I'd done the first one.  Let me tell you why.  In fact, let me just share with you some of the reasons I hate exercise.

1.  I hate accountability - and let's face it, most of us do.  I don't want anyone asking me if I did the workout.  If I did it, good for me, and if I didn't, not your business.  Don't ask me.
2.  I hate sweating.  I've always hated sweating.  I've always been an indoor girl.  I remember my parents having to threaten me within an inch of my life to make me go outside.  Just to stand outside.  Picking up pine cones are some of my most hated memories.  Sweat is gross.  Although, I do acknowledge, that one of the best feelings in the world is taking a shower after having sweated a lot.
3.  I hate big shoes.  I've gotten a little better about this, but I still don't really like tennis shoes.  I'm more of a flats and keds girl.  You have to wear big shoes to exercise, and it makes me mad that they are expensive - I would much rather spend money on something else of greater value to me.
4.  It takes a long time to see results.  This is just my opinion.  Seems to me like my problem areas will always be my problem areas no matter what lengths I go to to improve them.  Oh yeah, and then if you start to see results and you take a year off from exercise, all your hard work...down the drain.  Um, not good.
5.  You have to take off your makeup before working out and reapply it if you are going somewhere after you finish...unless of course, you work out in the morning - which I would NEVER do.  My body is soft from sleeping in the morning, and I just cannot - I repeat - cannot - work out first thing in the morning.

Nevertheless, I'm feeling pretty good about this P90X situation.  You know, on the real program - if you do it like serious business - you work out 6 days in a row and then take 1 day off and start again.  Well, sorry, but no.  I'm not doing that, Tony.  I want to do it 3 times a week.  I do not like my legs and behind, so that's what I want to focus on.  I'm doing three workouts - legs and back, cardio, and kenpo x.  oh, and ab ripper x after all of these.  So, two weeks down...and what will happen next?  Will I continue?  My hope would be that I could continue and do more if I want to, and then get in noticeably better shape before we decide to try to have another baby - not that this will happen tomorrow...or even sometime this year, it's just something that is important to me.  I'm worried 5 pounds with one baby will turn into 20 pounds with two babies...and good night if I had three babies...I could be weighing 60 more pounds or something.  I'd like to get in better shape than I was when I got pregnant with James - in my mind this makes my starting point even better for baby #2 (whenever the time comes).

Alright.  Probably no one cares.  I just thought this was an amusing subject and wanted to remember my thoughts forever and ever :)  So, I am BRINGING IT.  For how long?  Who knows.  And don't ask.  I'll update you if I want you to know.

V-Day Tree

So, I got this tree on sale at Michael's for $19.99 yesterday.  I really have wanted to put a tree in James' room to decorate for each season.  Isn't this cute???  He seems to like it sometimes/not care at all sometimes...

Here's what it looks like:

I tried to get him to stand by the tree, but to no avail.  For some reason, a one a half year old won't "look at me and smile while you touch the heart."  Right...

On a sort of related sort of not side note, I moved James' room around yesterday while I was in there.  Sometimes my self sufficiency is a downfall because I always think I can do everything myself.  Well, yesterday,  when I was trying to shove a bookshelf across the floor, the whole thing broke and collapsed and stuff went EVERYWHERE.  I was very lucky that James was out of the room when it happened because I know it would have hurt him had it fallen while he was in there.  So, the room is moved around...we are all fine, but lesson learned, dad gummit, sometimes I have to get Landon's help!! :)

My Deep Love for Deco Mesh

So, here's the situation.  I have a new obsession - deco mesh.  I don't know if this will be out of style next Christmas or not.  That is something I am really good at.  I always decide I like things after the peak of them being in style is over.  WHATEVER.  I must continue with the deco mesh.  I kept seeing things at Christmas decorated with this, and clearly I have time, so I bought some that was for sale at a little gift shop in my parents' hometown.  Next Christmas, you may not be able to recognize the Frymire home for all the deco mesh I intend to decorate with.  I want to do a garland around the front door like this - but maybe inside so we can enjoy it.

 Then, I want to do our Christmas tree like this...oh yes, there's an instructional video to watch for free.

 AND THEN, as if all that weren't enough, I saw there are instructions on how to make the Christmas tree below out of a tomato cage.  Um, what?  I am in.

So, here's my purchase...waiting in the closet for next Christmas.  Green, red, and a red/green smaller ribbon-y mesh.  Okay, now let me just tell you about the ornaments.

My thoughts is to use these big ornaments on the garland.  I love Cracker Barrel (I promise this relates to my post).  I love their after Christmas sales.  I got the last 6 of these big ornaments - all the same - for like $2.10 each or something like that.  I think they are going to be perfect!!!!  I just have to try to keep up with this stuff (which is not easy for me) until next Christmas.  I love to put things in "perfect places" and then for some reason I just forget where those places are when I actually need the items... 

Santa C brought...

Okay.  I know, I know, people have different opinions about Santa Claus.  And, I know, Landon is a pastor.  I guess we should be so all out spiritual that we don't do Santa, but sorry, folks, we're just real.  Landon and I both had great childhoods believing in Santa Claus.  It didn't crush our hearts or make us not trust our parents when we found out he wasn't real :)  And, since we both had parents that focused mainly on the REAL reason for the season, Santa was never completely out of hand for either of us, I don't think.  So, we're doing it.  We did it last year and we're doing it this year (by "we", I mean, I put everything out the night before) :)  

This train table was given to us by Blake & Kari & Landon Murphy at church.  We were so thankful for their generosity in giving it to us when Landon outgrew it.  I've been keeping it upstairs in the bonus room for almost 6 months waiting for Santa to bring it for Christmas!! I was worried because there was no train, but James got a train by coincidence in Florida that fits in here perfectly!

A lot of these books/puzzles I got at the consignment sale months ago and have been saving.  Can't wait to read Pout Pout Fish!!!

Oh...and look what Mickey (or as James calls him, "Minnie" - he calls Mickey and Minnie, "Minnie") is sitting on.  A potty!!! Exciting!

 

Florida Christmas

First of all, I forgot the camera when we went over to Landon's family's house to celebrate Christmas.  This is beyond unfortunate because I REALLY wanted to take pictures over there and James and everyone.  We LOVE our camera that Landon's parents gave us last Christmas, and I just hate we forgot it at their house.  BUT, Landon's mom took some pictures with her camera, so stay tuned - I'm hoping to get some of those at some point.  After we got back home, I took a couple of pictures of James' favorite gifts from Nanna and Grandaddy.  

His one - his "go-pa-ga".  That's what he calls basketball.  Don't ask me why.  Just sounds like it to him I guess.  He loved this gift so much that he woke up the next morning after receiving it asking me about it.  Go-pa-ga?  Go-pa-ga?  He is even doing better actually letting go of the ball and not just dunking it in.  Landon says we are going to make millions off him and retire early :)  HA.  

This is another big winner - the ta-ti.  Who doesn't love a ta-ti?  The only thing he seems unsure about it that if you push a button, the tractor moves by itself, and when that happens, James goes behind a chair and hides :)

Okay, as for me, my big gift from the Frymire's was a KitchenAid mixer!!! WHAT!!!???  I know, exciting.  

Here is my first creation - a Pecan streusel sour cream pound cake.  It's not like 4 stars...so I probably wouldn't make it again, but it's pretty good, and the mixer was AWESOME. Uh, except I have to learn that once you put the flour in, you have to start it on a really low setting to let it get mixed up good before you do it to #6.  

Okay!  Christmas with the Wise's!  Here's Krista and me and James.  James has been calling Krista "Kitty" which is HILARIOUS to me.  He can halfway say Matt's name - just Ma without the tt's.  

Alright, Chomp!!

After Santa Claus, church that morning, a 6 hour drive to Florida with no food, and finally home with family opening presents.  Tired, but happy :)

Are my parents cute or what??  

This is a WREATH.  No one I gave it to seemed to know what it was.  Landon thought it was a picture frame.  Clearly, Daddy did not know either.. :)

Ah, a classic.  Potato Head...

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit one night.  I LOVE THEM.  So thankful James has gotten the chance to know them.  

We also had a visit from Steph...but uh, no pictures :(  

A GREAT Christmas.  We are beyond blessed with our families.