tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45969143770603588022024-03-12T22:04:10.283-04:00The Bells will be Ringing!Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-11400598781357522016-08-02T13:40:00.000-04:002016-08-02T13:40:21.727-04:00New Blog!Hi all. I have a new blog. So please stop by! <a href="http://coffeeandcookiecrumbsblog.blogspot.com/"> Coffee and Cookie Crumbs</a><br />
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Thanks and see you soon!<br />
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<img src="https://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-73451473647674785172015-08-24T07:50:00.000-04:002015-08-24T07:50:20.308-04:00Get To Know Me Monday: EngagementI'm doing a series of "Get to Know Me Monday" posts because I've been on and off the blog for a while. I thought I'd take the opportunity to re-introduce myself to what few readers I do still have! ;) I've spiced it up a bit by going through the alphabet: one new letter a week. To see weeks a-d, scroll down to the bottom of this post.<br />
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This week, I'm up to letter "E"! "E" is for engagement! (I don't like a post without pictures, so the formal engagement photos are all from our engagement session at Clemson! Photos from our actual engagement are down below!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljnn4kkpDNY1nS-4xdMJoUB4700FQ5hA1idPN_bU18KREiBJH5YaH7fK7UJW_D33s6zo-fiWxitz7pV1q7IuwosREoudFTMOQ1Ka05wRFz84fsDd0frKwMOYKJEc6LcYxEMjYPz9QcI9X/s1600/189976_714526621166_4557207_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljnn4kkpDNY1nS-4xdMJoUB4700FQ5hA1idPN_bU18KREiBJH5YaH7fK7UJW_D33s6zo-fiWxitz7pV1q7IuwosREoudFTMOQ1Ka05wRFz84fsDd0frKwMOYKJEc6LcYxEMjYPz9QcI9X/s640/189976_714526621166_4557207_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> *David played soccer at Clemson, so we had to get some on Riggs field! He surprised me (again!) with the scoreboard that had his jersey number and our wedding date on it! We ended up using it for our Save the Date!</span><br />
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David and I met in college (another post for another day!) and dated for 4 years before he popped the question. Most of those 4 years we spent together, but then he graduated and got a job, and I graduated and went back to school in a different city. We were still close enough to visit regularly, so we did, but did the "long distance" thing for a couple years. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsDM5BdSBwKUMfFWIGwGywFOzDDB8G5dpct8CttLtsUTzd8pkHFJMsPf-xhq5RfOF2FvjznhmhIRz6EefGTsC5Y2J_rcle8LMVtMFrIZ35gPXhB5ThZUFQO8RI-ReD3k8ZEAqAQlRbbJa/s1600/196010_714530373646_585837_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsDM5BdSBwKUMfFWIGwGywFOzDDB8G5dpct8CttLtsUTzd8pkHFJMsPf-xhq5RfOF2FvjznhmhIRz6EefGTsC5Y2J_rcle8LMVtMFrIZ35gPXhB5ThZUFQO8RI-ReD3k8ZEAqAQlRbbJa/s640/196010_714530373646_585837_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Our little family on Riggs Field-yes Marley got to be a part of the pictures!)</span><br />
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During one of my weekend visits in October of 2010 (Halloween weekend!), David suggested we go out to eat. This wasn't out of the norm at all--just like most un-married, kidless couples, we had money to spend. ;) We went to P.F. Changs, one of our favorites at the time. He kept asking me all kinds of questions, like "what have you enjoyed most about the last 4 years together? What have you liked least? What's your best memory of us?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeyqe_XbPyODwshQ2nM7LKzjykPwjm4YsINSZftplYYczvqcanSfU7I20GVbdQI12EdCJziepDzqFa4oiFQFqMkhQwxuvmNRJa0ID1hpgxlnewm8Tj9pz_JtPUuZfQIrcgYlpjz4C8MPD/s1600/199938_714523497426_6890977_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeyqe_XbPyODwshQ2nM7LKzjykPwjm4YsINSZftplYYczvqcanSfU7I20GVbdQI12EdCJziepDzqFa4oiFQFqMkhQwxuvmNRJa0ID1hpgxlnewm8Tj9pz_JtPUuZfQIrcgYlpjz4C8MPD/s640/199938_714523497426_6890977_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Death Valley, our home away from home!</span><br />
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A little weird, as David isn't really the sentimental type, but I didn't think anything of it. Maybe he genuinely wanted to know and it made for some good conversation. We finished dinner and like every good chinese restaurant, got our fortune cookies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZaobx4jOrk0mdnzBuGJGK3oy-WhpNof3YbToiSxApohH_SunWpBkD75DbjqxpRhWpPPzrvLf3bm6ESHTCzm7jg4DyTkMdcNqpq7DiERFfS1SUdOw5X6mHT6K2eKNDydoYylMap9CMSYe/s1600/197384_708478102446_5237699_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZaobx4jOrk0mdnzBuGJGK3oy-WhpNof3YbToiSxApohH_SunWpBkD75DbjqxpRhWpPPzrvLf3bm6ESHTCzm7jg4DyTkMdcNqpq7DiERFfS1SUdOw5X6mHT6K2eKNDydoYylMap9CMSYe/s640/197384_708478102446_5237699_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*two of my favorite loves: Clemson and David!</span><br />
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My fortune said, "Something very good will happen to you soon." Hmm, I wonder what that could be? Will I pass my nursing exam? Make it to Christmas break without having a mental breakdown? ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lQdTFpcA3-JHzL2Mn3QSB2bz9NHnBTw9NEXzrcuZLj49s120LZjwUQSG1DssqKfd2Ii4-7LsOHL1uaCYJZ4hYbQkUjrGN9YH5pSikK2ynnNnTAOSOjsJXp4Ds6KFciSv7lbp2GIqK7Fy/s1600/196769_714529106186_3697817_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lQdTFpcA3-JHzL2Mn3QSB2bz9NHnBTw9NEXzrcuZLj49s120LZjwUQSG1DssqKfd2Ii4-7LsOHL1uaCYJZ4hYbQkUjrGN9YH5pSikK2ynnNnTAOSOjsJXp4Ds6KFciSv7lbp2GIqK7Fy/s640/196769_714529106186_3697817_n.jpg" width="426" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Riggs field :)</span><br />
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We headed home after dinner, pulled into the garage, and walked into an extremely dark house. I mean, all the lights were off inside--it was DARK. Except for a faint glow I could see out the back door onto the deck. David led me to the back door and told me to close my eyes. Of course I obeyed, although my heart was pounding! He opened the door and....our 6 pound yorkipoo ran out! David said, "crap! keep your eyes closed!" And went chasing after our dog.<br />
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Once Marley was safe inside the house, he came back and told me to open my eyes. The momentum had been building at this point because I'd been standing there so long with my eyes closed, he was out of breath and nervous, and....he was straight up in my face. Like I could see nothing but his face, even in my peripheral vision. Hey babe, I love you, too, but this is kind of weird. At that point, I knew what was happening and I couldn't focus. He said something I couldn't understand, couldn't comprehend because, hello! He was asking me to marry him, I think? He said something along the lines of wanting to spend the rest of his life with me and then...<i>he was on one knee.</i> He was on one knee....HE WAS ON ONE KNEE!! <br />
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And as soon as he bent down, the "faint glow" from the deck came into focus as he had carved 5 pumpkins by hand to ask me to marry him! They were all lit up and beautiful in the dark!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fAFzj6urAbWEwBjUZj17Qe9dLGKUOY04yRpqC28lrEinVVIpTyEBRj482_ysMccPAzbGqhMYX-yE9qXxo5Quw9GAe_mB_xu6pLJrJShZPp49EbI2r_hmsQP7VgsHRtHASQSDDE63RWfu/s1600/149623_677716064816_2048381_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fAFzj6urAbWEwBjUZj17Qe9dLGKUOY04yRpqC28lrEinVVIpTyEBRj482_ysMccPAzbGqhMYX-yE9qXxo5Quw9GAe_mB_xu6pLJrJShZPp49EbI2r_hmsQP7VgsHRtHASQSDDE63RWfu/s640/149623_677716064816_2048381_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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He slid the most gorgeous ring on my finger and I started crying and calling all my family and friends--who knew well ahead of time that this was going to take place. And a little less than a year later, we said "I do" and are still enjoying our lives together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiLYZNGJ3vhHyuU7QdCS3xaJQU7OxIUtoQbqLDZiqQa-platoQphR14jo0fySAc9ZhdjWt89iJDAXPHEs1xi78zivo-WK7wXzcEbquupflILAtLjEKQxWRzJZN00A_tHd_5XxG3JXx0HT/s1600/73535_677719527876_488572_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiLYZNGJ3vhHyuU7QdCS3xaJQU7OxIUtoQbqLDZiqQa-platoQphR14jo0fySAc9ZhdjWt89iJDAXPHEs1xi78zivo-WK7wXzcEbquupflILAtLjEKQxWRzJZN00A_tHd_5XxG3JXx0HT/s640/73535_677719527876_488572_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*crying and looking all ridiculous because I'm engaged!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTALZKBFJSnMyVDAerEDKizX8KPhgXDh6ZQ3JBqWFOJ6PP9cb2yZF40rZk3ecFShX5wJVFXozNT70XnxY2B6D-cMnJ3OyDk-cOqCLFzGPvDpN5vVI3bKv5fVJRsT5OOG-Iz8PNOC76D6cH/s1600/149732_677725011886_334259_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTALZKBFJSnMyVDAerEDKizX8KPhgXDh6ZQ3JBqWFOJ6PP9cb2yZF40rZk3ecFShX5wJVFXozNT70XnxY2B6D-cMnJ3OyDk-cOqCLFzGPvDpN5vVI3bKv5fVJRsT5OOG-Iz8PNOC76D6cH/s640/149732_677725011886_334259_n.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*First picture as an engaged couple!</span><br />
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It was the perfect engagement, very David, very creative, very detailed. And the fortune cookie was just an added bonus to an already perfect proposal! Since the next day was Halloween, we set the pumpkins out on the front porch for all the trick-or-treaters to see. All of the parents stopped by to ask what the answer was: yes, of course!<br />
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<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/get-to-know-me-monday-is-for-activities.html">Get to Know Me Monday: A</a><br />
<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/get-to-know-me-monday-books.html">Get to Know Me Monday: B</a><br />
<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/08/get-to-know-me-monday-c.html">Get to Know Me Monday: C</a><br />
<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/08/get-to-know-me-mondays-letter-d.html">Get to Know Me Monday: D</a><br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-17709922042059332942015-08-19T13:10:00.000-04:002015-08-19T13:10:30.406-04:00Life LatelyI <i>just </i>emptied my phone to the computer (because I had no more storage!) so it's a good day for a "Life Lately" post!<br />
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<span id="goog_999888345"></span><span id="goog_999888346"></span>Lately, we have been:<br />
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Locking ourselves in the only room that doesn't have a working key....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdMSg5cmEKuz2mYpEu5x5DMlIVSUnDRk_wUFGPHXCXMbv0Vr0-wScogXUOHcpXVD4Zams6Tzi4i_tY7LA6Ml9dN0_fdMNmbx3X2XK6J26-zw0vw3rRGaTd1zosqcWV5xjTj9VWqiQtbmj/s1600/IMG_8740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdMSg5cmEKuz2mYpEu5x5DMlIVSUnDRk_wUFGPHXCXMbv0Vr0-wScogXUOHcpXVD4Zams6Tzi4i_tY7LA6Ml9dN0_fdMNmbx3X2XK6J26-zw0vw3rRGaTd1zosqcWV5xjTj9VWqiQtbmj/s400/IMG_8740.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Playing IN our water table, instead of with it...<br />
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Getting some crafts done before Griffin arrives...<br />
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Doing some learning with Minnie Mouse...</div>
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Waiting on Daddy to get home from his NEW job...<br />
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Taking care of some personal hygiene....</div>
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Meeting friends for playdates...<br />
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Going on Starbucks dates with Mommy....<br />
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Loving on Teddy, who must go everywhere with us now...<br />
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And turning 22 months old! How in the world did she get so big??<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-59537425618246516832015-08-17T08:24:00.004-04:002015-08-17T08:24:50.283-04:00Get to Know Me Mondays- The Letter "D"Today's "get to know me" post is all about my dislikes! Also, my pictures have nothing to do with my dislikes..because why would I want to look at pictures of things I don't like?!<br />
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<b>1. Mushrooms/grits/seafood:</b> I refuse to eat anything that shares a name with something that can grow on your foot. (Fungus.) Ha! Grits are too textured for me, just thinking about it makes me want to gag! And seafood is too slimy or fishy-tasting! I will eat popcorn shrimp (and hushpuppies!) and some types of salmon/tilapia depending on how they are cooked.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OueDCH9W0yyTgZgO7oqTcqs8pSvgh8OrSqtQ9BtoQ-3kpOeKA0zL1YUck9CAqLv4cEPVvBiiYQyoA7mQhofEvOsxcHJrXkAvjZdIQKmynRN6kjFzPV7jIiRyN_cWxM_XsQdoSaqMiRTD/s1600/IMG_7800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OueDCH9W0yyTgZgO7oqTcqs8pSvgh8OrSqtQ9BtoQ-3kpOeKA0zL1YUck9CAqLv4cEPVvBiiYQyoA7mQhofEvOsxcHJrXkAvjZdIQKmynRN6kjFzPV7jIiRyN_cWxM_XsQdoSaqMiRTD/s400/IMG_7800.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<b>2. Cleaning toilets:</b> Of all the household chores I would love to pass off (and I will when my kids are old enough!!), cleaning toilets takes the cake. I <i>hate </i>having to scrub the grime off toilets, knowing exactly why what's growing there is, indeed, growing. Why aren't the brush handles longer?! I can't stand to be that close to it. And for some reason, boys can't ever seem to keep it all the way in the toilet, so there's always dried droplets on the sides when you lift the seat up! I know that's all very vivid, but I need you to feel my loathing of toilet cleaning!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi_j-i56EBmEnI-VXFtPnyVySLSLB10EEsICo9Ip_pon8rnroTA1mw5dA1tDK44YH5VWVkCQJMBr_Xfia7GN8l067T7lG-GRKTe-ZygpXV_nnP9pv7vMKJCced6Fxom62LwfIEwc4YlyB/s1600/IMG_8015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi_j-i56EBmEnI-VXFtPnyVySLSLB10EEsICo9Ip_pon8rnroTA1mw5dA1tDK44YH5VWVkCQJMBr_Xfia7GN8l067T7lG-GRKTe-ZygpXV_nnP9pv7vMKJCced6Fxom62LwfIEwc4YlyB/s400/IMG_8015.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<b>3. Touching raw meat:</b> I guess I can rule out being a chef? Touching raw meat drives me insane. If I have to touch it, I'll do what needs to be done, wash my hands really well, and then get the clorox wipes out and wipe down the whole kitchen. I ended up with salmonella poisoning in the hospital the night before my nursing licensure exam an I haven't forgotten!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO50ezfBMlC6DZaG4ktxmhj1hs43MKzYNEUTanBLSTwkhUqHGvr-qzesf5LJkYas26I6PlIJE23YzlLyjZDw_U4l9Z7g9QcOkZKD3mMOSxhVDtAyByb3PUaaGfOq1fW-QMtNtXM8m-vll2/s1600/IMG_8214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO50ezfBMlC6DZaG4ktxmhj1hs43MKzYNEUTanBLSTwkhUqHGvr-qzesf5LJkYas26I6PlIJE23YzlLyjZDw_U4l9Z7g9QcOkZKD3mMOSxhVDtAyByb3PUaaGfOq1fW-QMtNtXM8m-vll2/s400/IMG_8214.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<b>4. Lying: </b>I don't like when people lie to me. It's frustrating that you don't respect me enough to just be honest! And people who lie seem to continue lying to cover up their other lies. It gets a bit ridiculous in the end. And so not worth my time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_WTUCgN-YSW7p8Ufh0uuNwKCIGNZtvSYcULgV1Cz6bCDGOpm7JjGOLyTv665GhpaGdO_LZimisHi07YrhNC40uiHQUFIiO1FiM9jAoVu0me8yE7eI9HNjNMRvE5RWWNPLsSixNvgIYFL/s1600/IMG_8398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_WTUCgN-YSW7p8Ufh0uuNwKCIGNZtvSYcULgV1Cz6bCDGOpm7JjGOLyTv665GhpaGdO_LZimisHi07YrhNC40uiHQUFIiO1FiM9jAoVu0me8yE7eI9HNjNMRvE5RWWNPLsSixNvgIYFL/s400/IMG_8398.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<b>5. Extremely hot weather:</b> Don't get me wrong, I love summer. I love the activities summer brings, but summer in the south is just too much! 100 degree, humid days is way too hot for my liking. Give me a breezy 80 in Hawaii and I'm a happy camper. Better yet, fall is really nice, too. Pumpkins, spices, apple-picking, and pretty color changing leaves...and of course warm coffee!<br />
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If you want to see my other "Get to Know Me" posts, you can go here:<br />
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<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/get-to-know-me-monday-is-for-activities.html">Get to Know Me: A</a><br />
<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/get-to-know-me-monday-books.html">Get to Know Me: B</a><br />
<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/08/get-to-know-me-monday-c.html">Get to Know Me: C</a><br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-66568983618483542062015-08-14T07:58:00.001-04:002015-08-14T07:58:45.667-04:00Friday FiveWow, Friday got here fast this week! At the beginning of the week, our calendar was pretty bare, but it filled up fast. And next week is filling up fast, too! Here's this week's edition of my Friday Five.<br />
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<b>[ONE]</b><br />
Hadley's school tote and lunchbox came this week. I think they are so cute! But it's becoming more "real" to me that my just-born baby is going to preschool next month. She was so cute putting her milk cup in her lunch box and zipping it up. (And unzipping and taking it out, putting it back in and re-zipping....)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7mkf_t51IDKUJ8T5yBeMSks4IYOGChldjn8sUwq_x2RptOEBcVs6M6GITGWjZi1Oh2WwXU6jJULUkKjxU9ueonz1UrJKJNPHGR1sCiWKtZkOxSOHDmEiVS5og2kvMc3s2K8yWc-phzna/s1600/IMG_8911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7mkf_t51IDKUJ8T5yBeMSks4IYOGChldjn8sUwq_x2RptOEBcVs6M6GITGWjZi1Oh2WwXU6jJULUkKjxU9ueonz1UrJKJNPHGR1sCiWKtZkOxSOHDmEiVS5og2kvMc3s2K8yWc-phzna/s640/IMG_8911.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<b>[TWO]</b><br />
Hadley's friend Rachael and her mom Emily were having "Rachael's Week of Fun" and invited us to tag along for some of their activities! Wednesday, we went to the children's museum and Hadley had such a blast! She enjoyed the water table so much, she had to change clothes--even after having a smock on!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qxbZ-fE_YTiYxh3gL-whWqdYqxi-TgB3a7cUI82fgawYXVqrsBrCS_q23GPnkf386jl4vlnRBXlj_Ox9WAh-3xAvJOe2J1XBinVaHDn502julnuf80NxiD7GJsAPKnzGT7ssgMBBKn8H/s1600/IMG_8961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qxbZ-fE_YTiYxh3gL-whWqdYqxi-TgB3a7cUI82fgawYXVqrsBrCS_q23GPnkf386jl4vlnRBXlj_Ox9WAh-3xAvJOe2J1XBinVaHDn502julnuf80NxiD7GJsAPKnzGT7ssgMBBKn8H/s640/IMG_8961.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>[THREE]</b><br />
I don't do much exercising when I'm pregnant. Womp womp. The last time I was pregnant, I walked a million miles in the NICU and walked in the evenings at home and was put on bed rest at week 36, ha! This time around, I'm busy chasing a toddler and the summer has been so incredibly hot I haven't walked as much as I'd like. But I do get out and walk some every week, but this week, this is what our "walks" have consisted of! :) (Hubby is a good sport. I don't actually do this, but Hadley insisted Mommy sit with her in the wagon...how could I say no?!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXv6PiW0HgXv7HFYZiuWpJXqS6HuFLglDKUEfanhF7NHLa9Kazw2nOkZ-VJXPzBRGe0flfrljL27FI5NqJ55tOGJg9Eu4d9ISyyJaFGYFPBU0wEouP4cKw_R6HCnVD7-A9LbxJp5ziq7I/s1600/IMG_9024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXv6PiW0HgXv7HFYZiuWpJXqS6HuFLglDKUEfanhF7NHLa9Kazw2nOkZ-VJXPzBRGe0flfrljL27FI5NqJ55tOGJg9Eu4d9ISyyJaFGYFPBU0wEouP4cKw_R6HCnVD7-A9LbxJp5ziq7I/s640/IMG_9024.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<b>[FOUR]</b><br />
We saw our son! He's got some pretty chubby cheeks in there and loves to have his hands by his face. I can't believe we have 10 short weeks to meet him! I thought I had 10 more weeks to meet Hadley, too, when we really only had 8. I'm interested to see what this little guy's plan is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINGA4BkiO6SUnovz2Ehl_yGYzb3YOilnoIkZiLDf3SsENtaPxsiZxOJZrIiYaL4TT4vHCQfZ65QpPyNikgvmuDX-glMLb4ImR8xwMV388q6gfAcfdPj9aBklXR6SR3C-hJJgTL8V6QVFr/s1600/IMG_9011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINGA4BkiO6SUnovz2Ehl_yGYzb3YOilnoIkZiLDf3SsENtaPxsiZxOJZrIiYaL4TT4vHCQfZ65QpPyNikgvmuDX-glMLb4ImR8xwMV388q6gfAcfdPj9aBklXR6SR3C-hJJgTL8V6QVFr/s640/IMG_9011.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<b>[FIVE]</b><br />
We are getting our maternity pictures made this evening! I have no idea how that's going to go with Hadley, but I'm hoping we get some cute photos. I loved my maternity session the first time around, so I'm hoping to get some great ones this time. It's at 6 pm about 30 minutes away from where we live--right at dinner time in rush hour. I hope Hadley will survive! :)<br />
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And just because this girl is so sassy, I'll leave you with this picture of her walking the dog.<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="border: 0px; text-align: center;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-1623329434569326632015-08-12T08:13:00.002-04:002015-08-12T08:13:29.384-04:00Personal Reflections: Carseat SafetyI haven't done a Personal Reflections post yet. I'm sure these will be the posts that get everyone's feathers all ruffled, their panties in a wad, and all up in a tizzy. I'll start by saying: <i>these are my own thoughts and only that. I'm not looking to start a fight and I am by no means judging other mommas! To each his (or her!) own. We are all looking for the best way to care for our own families and this is how I'm choosing to care for mine.</i><br />
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Part of the issue today with <i>everything </i>is that there are too many options! There are 15 different kinds of fat-free milk at the grocery store, 20 different types of toilet paper, and 17 different flavors of goldfish! Y'all, why do we need 17 different flavors of goldfish??! (I'm pretty sure these aren't accurate numbers at all, but you get my point!). <br />
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It's a blessing and a curse, really.<br />
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The same goes for carseats. We aren't relying on one badly made carseat to protect our child, but it's our responsibility as their parent to research the thousands that are on the market to make the best decision in case the inevitable were to happen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFVdiuomJSaNXfaLxKyWGOtTUxW-5lZWA7lqirfXVbR3pTfsnSbta-RPtupuYUg_aLBRntQciIiCDeCholoJGDcpQWevDsPedZPpb0Z08DNcrkKmwRksy4wTOGCK7RUuw8Vjb4fm7JX-6/s1600/IMG_2184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFVdiuomJSaNXfaLxKyWGOtTUxW-5lZWA7lqirfXVbR3pTfsnSbta-RPtupuYUg_aLBRntQciIiCDeCholoJGDcpQWevDsPedZPpb0Z08DNcrkKmwRksy4wTOGCK7RUuw8Vjb4fm7JX-6/s640/IMG_2184.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*And just because it wouldn't be a good post without some pictures of my snuggabug...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
When Hadley was little, we used the <a href="http://www.chiccoshop.com/gear/car-seats/infant/keyfit-30-infant-car-seat-%26-base---papyrus/07061472190070.html?cgid=gear_car_seats_infant_car_seats#gclid=Cj0KEQjw3auuBRDj1LnQyLjy-4sBEiQAKPU_vaQ03GUUeKobaDP0Pm5TQqfHMy5tbvsYQkUbTekNtpQaAnpV8P8HAQ&selected=bcXHgiaagYVCwaaadhK0o9YX9e&start=8&cgid=gear_car_seats_infant_car_seats">Chicco key fit 30</a>. Griffin will also use this car seat because it is still within the expiration date and hasn't been in any accidents. Hadley now rides in the<a href="http://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/chicco-reg-nextfit-trade-convertible-car-seat-in-intrigue-trade/1041308561?Keyword=chicco+nextfit">Chicco Nextfit</a>. When Griffin is old enough to need a bigger seat, we will research the best car seat for him and us at that time. Here are some of the things we did/ continue to do with our carseats:<br />
<br />
<b>1. Professionally Installed:</b> We called our local police department and set up a time for them to TEACH us how to install the carseat correctly. One of our cars has the new LATCH system and one doesn't. We needed to know how to install the carseats into both vehicles. We needed to know how to change them <i>correctly </i>if we ever got a new car, and we learned a lot of tips and tricks to making sure the car seat wasn't moving. It was one of the best things we did. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/LATCH">http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/LATCH</a><br />
<a href="http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html">http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRp6TNsnPiJurCF0Io5LiL0a1-Q04RrdPz_I9NwORdHpEn1JpcMOgGVhCj2IEUoiSWoPWUkLMFnfvRIkPTblcRWfZ2Pl39ob3pZryxdTdorfLYuM-F5nXhWrVIQs-keOnZJ2VMKxsC0RdT/s1600/IMG_2208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRp6TNsnPiJurCF0Io5LiL0a1-Q04RrdPz_I9NwORdHpEn1JpcMOgGVhCj2IEUoiSWoPWUkLMFnfvRIkPTblcRWfZ2Pl39ob3pZryxdTdorfLYuM-F5nXhWrVIQs-keOnZJ2VMKxsC0RdT/s400/IMG_2208.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Look at my tiny, jaundice baby!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<b>2. Rear-facing:</b> Hadley will be rear-facing for as long as possible. Even though guidelines say you can turn forward-facing at 2, we will NOT turn her around to forward-facing at two years of age. The Chicco Nextfit allows her to be rear-facing up to 40 pounds, or until she reaches the height limit of her carseat. She's a petite thing and nowhere near 40 pounds or the height limit. Recent research has shown that children's neck muscles are not strong enough to withstand impact if they are forward-facing before 4 years of age. Clearly if she was too big to be rear-facing, we would have her forward-facing, but she's not so we won't. She doesn't know any different yet, so she doesn't fight us about it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://csftl.org/why-rear-facing-the-science-junkies-guide/">http://csftl.org/why-rear-facing-the-science-junkies-guide/</a> (awesome explanation of just the facts.)<br />
<a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704630_2">http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704630_2</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvc-KM2a6ktD9E2sUBxfFPhKgT-_CodevohBtBBI6aaCxymnQ8KFkZKB12U5-l0ADSCW37-x5jKa0TmjpOa0wrz6R05I6OLxDXy3ReLQxIlMQMiUokiGdXByiglSuk4JxUu1jWaUJXxh7/s1600/IMG_4637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvc-KM2a6ktD9E2sUBxfFPhKgT-_CodevohBtBBI6aaCxymnQ8KFkZKB12U5-l0ADSCW37-x5jKa0TmjpOa0wrz6R05I6OLxDXy3ReLQxIlMQMiUokiGdXByiglSuk4JxUu1jWaUJXxh7/s400/IMG_4637.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I know it's blurry, but guys, look at that face! She's a ham.</span><br />
<br />
<b>3. Middle Seat/Back Seat:</b> Hadley's carseat is installed in the middle of the back row of our cars because that is the safest place for her to be in a collision (air bag deployment). And her carseat fits properly there. If it didn't, she would be on one of the sides. Unfortunately, we only have one middle seat in our car (ha!) so I'm going through some major mommy guilt as to which child should be in the middle when the new baby arrives, haha! ;)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thecarseatlady.com/center-or-side/">http://thecarseatlady.com/center-or-side/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SeF2HG4kSNO3jvvRb2MTsVMYYkPhGbonyfk9e7_9C4IPJfgPo0-kHyTh901cLFHcAXKeT8knmZscduwyP_dvlrBA0sq73ot-Mlun81hQcCo5xPJib5IGgbRVCOh4_tIDcz11VERMFTSk/s1600/IMG_2597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SeF2HG4kSNO3jvvRb2MTsVMYYkPhGbonyfk9e7_9C4IPJfgPo0-kHyTh901cLFHcAXKeT8knmZscduwyP_dvlrBA0sq73ot-Mlun81hQcCo5xPJib5IGgbRVCOh4_tIDcz11VERMFTSk/s640/IMG_2597.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Clearly unimpressed with the proceedings.</span><br />
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<b>4.</b> We keep the car seat manual with the car seat at all times. Chicco even has a little compartment for it. That way, if we are ever out and need to change the car seat to another car, if we have questions regarding how she's sitting, etc., we have a go-to immediately for answers. Yes, we do all of these things because "research says so", but we also do what we do based on how Hadley's car seat works best.<br />
<br />
<b>Here are a few other links if you're interested:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx">https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx</a><br />
<a href="http://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/Car-Seat-Safety.htm">http://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/Car-Seat-Safety.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlryzszv9hJr_3vk_vyeYZnE-UYm9Yxbv68HISL0QRoHuHKn9OpyU73LADCnFkqntK_KhstEJ-cRrzp8l820AnJQm6AqgSKHvEDx8t7f5z9n2_nA-rOhLZEijmSme9IyAmkk_CbTgx9X3/s1600/IMG_4640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlryzszv9hJr_3vk_vyeYZnE-UYm9Yxbv68HISL0QRoHuHKn9OpyU73LADCnFkqntK_KhstEJ-cRrzp8l820AnJQm6AqgSKHvEDx8t7f5z9n2_nA-rOhLZEijmSme9IyAmkk_CbTgx9X3/s640/IMG_4640.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Holding Mommy's hand. She'll always do this, right??</span><br />
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Remember, these are just the things <i>we as a family </i>are doing to keep our baby girl safe. What about you mommas? What car seats do you use? Any tips I should incorporate?<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-89289397603294893722015-08-10T08:08:00.000-04:002015-08-10T08:08:27.551-04:00Get To Know Me Monday: CI took last week off from blogging because my mom was here! All week! To watch Hadley! So I could get some much needed stuff knocked off my mile-long to-do list. Oh, it was such a big help and I did actually get a lot accomplished.<br />
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But back to the grind today. Today's get to know me is the letter C-- all about college! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41pVRdzMjp6PnW5GBZKWk5Pvyrmz2BHBl82a0T8eBdGDhw-k6Pq5VwRuBv7dciDBlYJ_Q15JHj_7Vc-nlKhH-3yiCv2FQRnCHKhsTcKBWWrODEwmXc2iiPxQ-bV3CBlSuE3GaZlxEjks0/s1600/1923317_510245247676_8424_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41pVRdzMjp6PnW5GBZKWk5Pvyrmz2BHBl82a0T8eBdGDhw-k6Pq5VwRuBv7dciDBlYJ_Q15JHj_7Vc-nlKhH-3yiCv2FQRnCHKhsTcKBWWrODEwmXc2iiPxQ-bV3CBlSuE3GaZlxEjks0/s640/1923317_510245247676_8424_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Tillman Hall covered in snow</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
I attended <a href="http://www.clemson.edu/">Clemson University</a> and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. You can find Clemson fans all over the world and they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. I don't think I've been traveling anywhere, wearing something Clemson related, that I haven't been stopped by other fellow Clemson graduates. There is just something special about the place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-k1RQgMEAEj5MaFPDUMsD3O3pFeW8uxKALG44NDzHEytjBzcj3KwR154azrVXFOFzVVt5xu9CokrFIWHef888rGlwXUIiuvQeBuEO5pi5wRm8ub3HGY7CVkTggckLqL7SdA2VxiZ366s/s1600/1928790_510244638896_9539_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-k1RQgMEAEj5MaFPDUMsD3O3pFeW8uxKALG44NDzHEytjBzcj3KwR154azrVXFOFzVVt5xu9CokrFIWHef888rGlwXUIiuvQeBuEO5pi5wRm8ub3HGY7CVkTggckLqL7SdA2VxiZ366s/s640/1928790_510244638896_9539_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*College Game Day!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2i7WRObGrUybQ7gw4zjkK3N23TrmwbdgwI6IrzchKWP6noDSMdEZnaO5a_eWajlp2tsrj5_S-mM4a695y83MiqgoTp-hQtQzqkaUnH_dtO8dZsuyJFYr4xTkaHJbIArCN1HUEdyXQLsoo/s1600/1929333_517470622966_7269_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2i7WRObGrUybQ7gw4zjkK3N23TrmwbdgwI6IrzchKWP6noDSMdEZnaO5a_eWajlp2tsrj5_S-mM4a695y83MiqgoTp-hQtQzqkaUnH_dtO8dZsuyJFYr4xTkaHJbIArCN1HUEdyXQLsoo/s400/1929333_517470622966_7269_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*The Tiger at a soccer game</span><br />
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I get so giddy during football season when I see all the Clemson flags flying proudly on the interstate as Tiger fans head to Clemson for football games. Football games in Death Valley, seeing the players run down the hill, singing the alma mater with 20,000 others who know <i>exactly </i>what it means to be there...it's all just magical.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBuiLCuGJku8PeL-xFDlTn3gsy5Qkac_HB-g4UHg9ry86Sd_CKGjU1Yrdc3MxVGssR1EhfBdti_8TqOgNr36zGNvE2JGX2ii2FgHKPsADNclojuVEVaJGsP_XNtqacvI0tACuDZ5CQdl1/s1600/60888_667662567106_8198096_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBuiLCuGJku8PeL-xFDlTn3gsy5Qkac_HB-g4UHg9ry86Sd_CKGjU1Yrdc3MxVGssR1EhfBdti_8TqOgNr36zGNvE2JGX2ii2FgHKPsADNclojuVEVaJGsP_XNtqacvI0tACuDZ5CQdl1/s640/60888_667662567106_8198096_n.jpg" width="476" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*It's game time in Death Valley!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
And to top it off, it's where I met my husband. (All the heart eyes, y'all!) That's a post for another day, but it just adds to how much that school means to me. Even Hadley has gotten in on the Clemson action. David and I got married the same day Clemson played FSU. (yes, they won!!) We had people in the audience "watching" on their phones, letting us know when Clemson scored and after the ceremony, we all gathered around to watch the end of the game before celebrating. 3 years later, Hadley decided to come 2 weeks early--you guessed it, the day Clemson played FSU! We are doing our best to raise her right! ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKpMMcWp79pM3wnpv2QjIoch0JAYNgoyCFmyT5VrK8iIsKSS1KhOxI2gct2707oElWhWQvo9vPViAo7zGXkXKfZi8Dh5ro6zYU_AEaopwJP6zVd7sB58HHCOLgnzFYS0bf_Uf7Z8qgnwA/s1600/IMG_1782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKpMMcWp79pM3wnpv2QjIoch0JAYNgoyCFmyT5VrK8iIsKSS1KhOxI2gct2707oElWhWQvo9vPViAo7zGXkXKfZi8Dh5ro6zYU_AEaopwJP6zVd7sB58HHCOLgnzFYS0bf_Uf7Z8qgnwA/s400/IMG_1782.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Hadley's daddy played soccer at Clemson!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiew_oSeCzP5FcJ7A0UoTnq6ZwPIYeZEfeJgMC8oHFnAQMTwu4k1ylvauWTkOOzezjh4JOXAzpQmeNTCBHFL1YnDQqQ2xXeXDvLJTSU6y7sPAyrkjJrDEBPYNz4iza8wlnfkiLdIucQD3ja/s1600/197384_708478102446_5237699_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiew_oSeCzP5FcJ7A0UoTnq6ZwPIYeZEfeJgMC8oHFnAQMTwu4k1ylvauWTkOOzezjh4JOXAzpQmeNTCBHFL1YnDQqQ2xXeXDvLJTSU6y7sPAyrkjJrDEBPYNz4iza8wlnfkiLdIucQD3ja/s640/197384_708478102446_5237699_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*We even had our engagement pictures done on campus...in Death Valley.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnMg5qBFDjml06svDYhyOeyaBp5IpRKHUabIppqXjJxdj1OpuqC-uLKVlX2mSRznTsN1_gokUU-qUGZ8IlCCQogAL4v1oZ0XdrOhCSAj_-zBQ29f665hc0AQGuBUeuPBzHDs2nFIVvT6N/s1600/1146726_10205218509329438_7190429339336125717_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnMg5qBFDjml06svDYhyOeyaBp5IpRKHUabIppqXjJxdj1OpuqC-uLKVlX2mSRznTsN1_gokUU-qUGZ8IlCCQogAL4v1oZ0XdrOhCSAj_-zBQ29f665hc0AQGuBUeuPBzHDs2nFIVvT6N/s400/1146726_10205218509329438_7190429339336125717_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I may be biased, but I'm pretty sure she's the cutest Clemson fan EVER.</span><br />
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So, are there any Clemson fans out there?!<br />
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To see Get to Know Me Mondays from the past:<br />
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<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/get-to-know-me-monday-is-for-activities.html">Letter A</a><br />
<a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/get-to-know-me-monday-books.html">Letter B</a><br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-64433545280959176512015-07-31T08:12:00.000-04:002015-07-31T08:12:24.249-04:00Friday FiveI'm linking up again this week with <a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4449741132&group=0&frame_type=a&context=feed_all&context_ids=&blog=11297011&frame=1&click=0&user=0">Darci</a>, <a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4449741132&group=0&frame_type=a&context=feed_all&context_ids=&blog=11297011&frame=1&click=0&user=0">April</a>,<a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4449741132&group=0&frame_type=a&context=feed_all&context_ids=&blog=11297011&frame=1&click=0&user=0"> Christina</a>, and <a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4449741132&group=0&frame_type=a&context=feed_all&context_ids=&blog=11297011&frame=1&click=0&user=0">Natasha</a>, <i>plus </i><a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4449741132&group=0&frame_type=a&context=feed_all&context_ids=&blog=11297011&frame=1&click=0&user=0">September Farm</a> for this week's edition of Five on Friday!<br />
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<b>[ONE.]</b><br />
This weekend is being spent at Hadley's Grammy's house! (My mom.) My family all lives in one place, with the exception of my cousin Scott and me. Whomp whomp. But we still like to get together as often as possible, and this weekend we will be celebrating Aunt Amy's (my cousin) birthday! Which was in the middle of July! But who cares... :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE6A9OZit7SVmupIoI3B4dLKh91gC_UHOvC9B5rDLqkds9Q9Z3WnE3p5rfCeUJ5eZvMg3YMhJ8Qbu3ADLBuuQqgguKuvu0kmrEWkyVM7ypOHpoexv7__7tVV6nuX2NgJZzEDkvXvSOZEb/s1600/20150605-DSC_0120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE6A9OZit7SVmupIoI3B4dLKh91gC_UHOvC9B5rDLqkds9Q9Z3WnE3p5rfCeUJ5eZvMg3YMhJ8Qbu3ADLBuuQqgguKuvu0kmrEWkyVM7ypOHpoexv7__7tVV6nuX2NgJZzEDkvXvSOZEb/s640/20150605-DSC_0120.jpg" width="426" /></a><br />
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<b>[TWO.]</b><br />
Hadley and I met some friends at the zoo this week and had a lot of fun, despite the heat. Poor Hadley was soaked, she was so hot. Our zoo just had a baby gibbon born a couple months ago, so we were excited to see that! When we got to the exhibit, we moms were <i>thrilled </i>to see that Daddy Gibbon was actually taking a turn watching over the baby. Momma Gibbon was sitting on the floor eating some oranges. We got so tickled imagining her handing the baby off to dad and saying, "here, it's your turn!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJPlbRGRLdHcPUcPYQjklFPKC2T10LYycTCFYfeFWtg9S6-5wr0b8cjcxkCPzIcSBS_w130QQkuN2kAmS2_o2d8eVzuyCFd0vjaUKHS2QoDW34ZG-aldgmsDVrw2OZDaabCGwSGIda3mT/s1600/20150729-DSC_0150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJPlbRGRLdHcPUcPYQjklFPKC2T10LYycTCFYfeFWtg9S6-5wr0b8cjcxkCPzIcSBS_w130QQkuN2kAmS2_o2d8eVzuyCFd0vjaUKHS2QoDW34ZG-aldgmsDVrw2OZDaabCGwSGIda3mT/s640/20150729-DSC_0150.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>[THREE.]</b><br />
This sweet pea has a cold. She's such a trooper, running around playing, but her nose runs constantly and she's been sneezing for the last two days. She's had a low-grade fever and wants the occasional cuddles. She's actually been pretty healthy for her first year and a half of life, but I'm afraid of what we're going to get ourselves into when she goes to school in the fall! Flu shots all around!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-Ag6SzThieGqGtI0LGv-F5BPR9uPcJim9n9yzr6MZXcEGx7qjbNIRjLdib3MH-IA48zze2B1KRtQMGvsmCu5n01DP7gNdw7MqMstEg6_LrJ66fvsIoHtYsfzF_uX7L3X2zkNpHwW_l6R/s1600/20150527-DSC_0075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-Ag6SzThieGqGtI0LGv-F5BPR9uPcJim9n9yzr6MZXcEGx7qjbNIRjLdib3MH-IA48zze2B1KRtQMGvsmCu5n01DP7gNdw7MqMstEg6_LrJ66fvsIoHtYsfzF_uX7L3X2zkNpHwW_l6R/s640/20150527-DSC_0075.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>[FOUR.]</b><br />
Do you guys make meatloaf? My Aunt Diane makes the <i>best </i>meatloaf! I've tried her recipe before but there is so much juice on top, it's so runny! My aunt just gave me<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Stick-Healthy-Meatloaf/dp/B006AEVRB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438305469&sr=8-1&keywords=healthy+meatloaf+set"> this pan</a>--it's a meatloaf pan! Have y'all ever heard of this before??! I'm so excited to try it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOl_upJ631ZGN8LifaDg8ny-cCyqLc8JpvO9tcNfJOAiH_fILCOHnQ93DQaH4-4j9IIPQ52xyBPHDo8bpX2DrIzHx2Vpytst_rVX2eaB0pNNIxwxTa8GwpxiIlPGaVhs70ZmXx-ndk4Oz0/s1600/61VE%252BUHJhcL._SL1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOl_upJ631ZGN8LifaDg8ny-cCyqLc8JpvO9tcNfJOAiH_fILCOHnQ93DQaH4-4j9IIPQ52xyBPHDo8bpX2DrIzHx2Vpytst_rVX2eaB0pNNIxwxTa8GwpxiIlPGaVhs70ZmXx-ndk4Oz0/s640/61VE%252BUHJhcL._SL1000_.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Stick-Healthy-Meatloaf/dp/B006AEVRB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438305469&sr=8-1&keywords=healthy+meatloaf+set">via</a><br />
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<b>[FIVE.]</b><br />
My grandparents came last week and my grandmother is the photographer in our family and she took these two pictures of my girl while they were visiting. The one of Hadley "smelling" the flower just cracks me up!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOZuvHojiDZFbeED_koB6cRgl9QQCLNpwSDyih7bPhMsHp-eZnHN3IEG_b52aXp6uEClups6JHXInSU_aNLoTDi51y_b_WlQX0sZgJV8ez-MrB3B1o_DhtgbrDs2ryQ6E7jAJ89x2bSPc/s1600/_MG_7732_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOZuvHojiDZFbeED_koB6cRgl9QQCLNpwSDyih7bPhMsHp-eZnHN3IEG_b52aXp6uEClups6JHXInSU_aNLoTDi51y_b_WlQX0sZgJV8ez-MrB3B1o_DhtgbrDs2ryQ6E7jAJ89x2bSPc/s640/_MG_7732_1.jpg" width="426" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo9yGMXtrBFJe1cf5vBxsGKZBGuVSq5ti7BtJ3pAr3-G4sCCoyXR_lq-Jmwufw4Ex8gTIb2DOYu1QgLiWk2w6qEuXOg6ZhYwYF3hoTCQeAqiEZMkTbYGVF2kOeDu1J4A52ehiK6hAFM3C/s1600/_MG_7722_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo9yGMXtrBFJe1cf5vBxsGKZBGuVSq5ti7BtJ3pAr3-G4sCCoyXR_lq-Jmwufw4Ex8gTIb2DOYu1QgLiWk2w6qEuXOg6ZhYwYF3hoTCQeAqiEZMkTbYGVF2kOeDu1J4A52ehiK6hAFM3C/s640/_MG_7722_1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="border: 0px; text-align: center;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-79855977278907310992015-07-29T07:07:00.000-04:002015-07-29T07:07:26.295-04:00What's Up WednesdayI had a blog post idea for today about the books I've read in July and then got to thinking that a) I just wrote a blog post on some of my favorite books and b) I only finished two and that might not make for such an interesting post. So, I decided to tag along with <a href="http://thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com/">The Larson Lingo</a>, <a href="http://pinteresttoldmeto.blogspot.se/">Pinterest Told me To</a>, and <a href="http://shullfamily.blogspot.com/">Mix + Match Family</a> for What's Up Wednesday!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QEQ7PG7bLetkczT_7iMaKziqRvVBbvSky69DAiHP4uhorFsSbRMfzubg_oSZckc12OXuphJRm4n-W4Tih0JPodBef_UassZKDl7izBX2s1f0WLeFJtI8PSrhqCVUSxHIeOakswxuuZc/s1600/WUWquestions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #1b947b; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QEQ7PG7bLetkczT_7iMaKziqRvVBbvSky69DAiHP4uhorFsSbRMfzubg_oSZckc12OXuphJRm4n-W4Tih0JPodBef_UassZKDl7izBX2s1f0WLeFJtI8PSrhqCVUSxHIeOakswxuuZc/s640/WUWquestions.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" width="346" /></a><br />
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<b>What We're Eating This Week:</b><br />
We've got some yummy spaghetti on the menu, my Aunt Diane's special recipe for sauce and some of this delicious right here! It's a recipe that's been in our family forever, my grandmother's friend originally introduced it to her and we've been eating it up ever since!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF0jJw2wW_rYATNraS6OBAmdq0-y6njI0TdUyjNInbJEqIj-J97iS1hEMtA3ZRAirvkTiXtClMrog-hvHdZUAmygr6dqXd7lJTooQjUc7U4bxR0mUAhWI4irsgG6AgzJPJKoN7Ec0P535/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF0jJw2wW_rYATNraS6OBAmdq0-y6njI0TdUyjNInbJEqIj-J97iS1hEMtA3ZRAirvkTiXtClMrog-hvHdZUAmygr6dqXd7lJTooQjUc7U4bxR0mUAhWI4irsgG6AgzJPJKoN7Ec0P535/s640/unnamed-3.jpg" width="634" /></a><br />
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<b>What I'm Reminiscing About:</b><br />
Maybe it's because I'm getting ready to have another little one around, but can you believe my sweet girl was ever this small? It makes my heart sad and happy at the same time. You mommas out there know exactly what I mean!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm72oHNpYOeyUnB3YFnPFBNrlTArH9wmaWjjzWdgfXH06aVixnyWVG9gwCJ3qzyLxxBnp9XtVwsn732hBzIaL7xhIX4nMh1Vsrit1SwOJddx-AATEJl3MPzMH-AM4HQSHZUZcgu49y0TzQ/s1600/IMG_2297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm72oHNpYOeyUnB3YFnPFBNrlTArH9wmaWjjzWdgfXH06aVixnyWVG9gwCJ3qzyLxxBnp9XtVwsn732hBzIaL7xhIX4nMh1Vsrit1SwOJddx-AATEJl3MPzMH-AM4HQSHZUZcgu49y0TzQ/s640/IMG_2297.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>What I'm Loving:</b><br />
I know I mentioned this in last week's <a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/5-on-friday.html">Friday Five post</a>, but I'm still loving the <a href="http://www.target.com/p/sinful-colors-professional-nail-color/-/A-14827903">sinful colors nail polish!</a> We are still going strong a week later with just a few chips at the base of my nails! With all of the dishes, bathing, and cleaning up I do, I'm thrilled with how well this polish is holding up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JLF0ZA5dF3qbg55avtIS_Y0TCnxJtk0Cqo6Gx88mtKeU1hLCldkzlP13I_rDDbewES037jC9csiKbA_on6LH9-WeJFru-kR-SXUBQ14KuJ1seFlQf2u4Fsb5ag_uQGvusKbzOYK_cflD/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JLF0ZA5dF3qbg55avtIS_Y0TCnxJtk0Cqo6Gx88mtKeU1hLCldkzlP13I_rDDbewES037jC9csiKbA_on6LH9-WeJFru-kR-SXUBQ14KuJ1seFlQf2u4Fsb5ag_uQGvusKbzOYK_cflD/s640/unnamed-2.jpg" width="478" /></a><br />
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<b>What We've Been Up To:</b><br />
Working on accomplishing our summer bucket list! This past week, we painted flower pots and planted some seeds--we're keeping our fingers crossed something actually grows!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAgjsczNBn3DzQuf0kkWMOrVxWAm6kH5EdiYJTXouQh4ngKXR28W6ndsziYh8SN4oxALlcw7hYCPd5j_2ZJO88Bi0EOpWKtjhUHIfMFYDnbxjMYAjP0wa2hvCHvpl0dTavRHaX2ggFWGC/s1600/unnamed-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAgjsczNBn3DzQuf0kkWMOrVxWAm6kH5EdiYJTXouQh4ngKXR28W6ndsziYh8SN4oxALlcw7hYCPd5j_2ZJO88Bi0EOpWKtjhUHIfMFYDnbxjMYAjP0wa2hvCHvpl0dTavRHaX2ggFWGC/s640/unnamed-1.jpg" width="478" /></a><br />
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We also made pizza for dinner. And by made, I mean Hadley "taste-tested" all of our ingredients while I put the pizza together!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1PkmxM266RowMq67yzK8M_XiPABOIAYxmUEVDXzIHjzV6fURXa66zhx9aYjpnxN16dld5Q8QrgXe1dIuMl7XNkrD8t98XyhyphenhyphenWPHp5EZuvUDS_pobonN7gBH5gDvXLkaaMCFAdrv2TpwW/s1600/Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1PkmxM266RowMq67yzK8M_XiPABOIAYxmUEVDXzIHjzV6fURXa66zhx9aYjpnxN16dld5Q8QrgXe1dIuMl7XNkrD8t98XyhyphenhyphenWPHp5EZuvUDS_pobonN7gBH5gDvXLkaaMCFAdrv2TpwW/s640/Collage.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
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<b>What I'm Dreading:</b><br />
More 90+ degree days. Y'all, I know for a fact it wasn't this hot during my last summer pregnancy and I'm so over the heat and humidity. I'm all for summer fun, but when you can't even walk outside for 5 minutes without melting a little, it's time to pack it up and move on to fall!<br />
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<b>What I'm Working On:</b><br />
My mile-long to-do lists (that's right, I said lists!) before Griffin gets here in October! No lie, every family member has a list and I'm trying to do my best to get things checked off in a timely manner. Unfortunately, lists seem to grow longer faster than I can get things done!<br />
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<b>What I'm Excited About:</b><br />
It's consignment sale time! Some of my favorite winter outfits last year for Hadley came from a consignment sale and it's back next week! I'm hoping to find some similar looking outfits for Hadley and Griffin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m-WJGMW_je6e9_yuZi6SBXlqjocfdK5lqW2pQacUXuZyT2yX3T8UmRL8JkJh_MecyLrhFTwrVujw_QEy2xS97Q14KJCFU0urdnMjWSyD8J_NIhynTcAvW9MI1aUmUPh9OQUhcQOwnwcH/s1600/10915234_10101023194951316_1873959428257783775_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m-WJGMW_je6e9_yuZi6SBXlqjocfdK5lqW2pQacUXuZyT2yX3T8UmRL8JkJh_MecyLrhFTwrVujw_QEy2xS97Q14KJCFU0urdnMjWSyD8J_NIhynTcAvW9MI1aUmUPh9OQUhcQOwnwcH/s640/10915234_10101023194951316_1873959428257783775_n.jpg" width="620" /></a></div>
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<b>What I'm Watching/Reading:</b><br />
Let's be really honest right now: if the tv is on, it's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Or Sophia the First. Or Doc McStuffins. I get quite the education out of it. Sometimes I even find myself with it on when Hadley's napping. As far as reading goes, I'm finishing up the last book in the Outlander series I mentioned Monday, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/written-in-my-own-hearts-blood-diana-gabaldon/1114917830?ean=9780553386882">"Written in My Own Heart's Blood" by Diana Gabaldon</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8Tt5KnpFC_yIWP1_9nmUHkC68FicWWe-TQj3LLP7fqkPCzjXsVjbT_5BtA3Su_lvitC937CmvNAacKgjJLtdvLkFeu2feFHSaJRjg0eM8fE3NUUkIX8goRHD_92zzjR412med8D8Miru/s1600/9780553386882_p0_v2_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8Tt5KnpFC_yIWP1_9nmUHkC68FicWWe-TQj3LLP7fqkPCzjXsVjbT_5BtA3Su_lvitC937CmvNAacKgjJLtdvLkFeu2feFHSaJRjg0eM8fE3NUUkIX8goRHD_92zzjR412med8D8Miru/s400/9780553386882_p0_v2_s192x300.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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And working my way through <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strong-mothers-strong-sons-meg-meeker-md/1116149376?ean=9780345518101">"Strong Mothers, Strong Sons" by Meg Meeker.</a> I have no idea what to do with a boy (!!!) so I'm reading books on boys right now, ha!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LUwRywGrna9EnqX-d4PS3B08-na_WIB-KWFWmRcrEj98pDMMdPobKLIXGICpkxhT_Aw09IL_Ag40GXuzoTWsz0tN4JTaJ_ROqRsTa9a3isYrsrBe8mALdfASY7CWLb-z5RqebUGSiD6i/s1600/9780345518101_p0_v1_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LUwRywGrna9EnqX-d4PS3B08-na_WIB-KWFWmRcrEj98pDMMdPobKLIXGICpkxhT_Aw09IL_Ag40GXuzoTWsz0tN4JTaJ_ROqRsTa9a3isYrsrBe8mALdfASY7CWLb-z5RqebUGSiD6i/s400/9780345518101_p0_v1_s192x300.jpg" width="258" /></a><br />
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<b>What I'm Listening To:</b><br />
Currently, the white noise machine over the monitor. It's nap time at the Bell house! Also, thunder. To cool it off for point 5 seconds and heat right back up.<br />
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<b>What I'm Wearing:</b><br />
So, we aren't hanging out on a boat, but this is the exact outfit I'm wearing right now. Minus the sunglasses. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqsk4RR3p7ZLwpdSdCV5qSGOzVD4if73Odrn62Id8apUfKO4Wl7mtv0vcaaumfFYRwtABODxGeXx8N08x6dTuYVq8tIFO8ukwQLxyGX6F9lYXsbjwR9VVtBwTizT-6WBE-L0wGzXDjWCx/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqsk4RR3p7ZLwpdSdCV5qSGOzVD4if73Odrn62Id8apUfKO4Wl7mtv0vcaaumfFYRwtABODxGeXx8N08x6dTuYVq8tIFO8ukwQLxyGX6F9lYXsbjwR9VVtBwTizT-6WBE-L0wGzXDjWCx/s640/unnamed.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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<b>What I'm Doing This Weekend:</b><br />
We are headed to Charlotte for my cousin Amy's birthday dinner! I love when all of my people are together, so it's going to be fun for sure!<br />
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<b>What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month:</b><br />
My glucose test!! (Said no one ever!) Jokes aside, dare I say cooler temperatures? I'm thinking that's not going to happen quite yet, so technically this weekend is a part of next month and we'll also be traveling back to Charlotte for my mom's birthday later in the month as well. So, we are gearing up for lots of family time!<br />
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<b>What Else is New:</b><br />
We are trucking along on Griffin's nursery. David got it painted, so now we are just waiting on the furniture to arrive!<br />
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<b>Bonus Question: What Will You Miss Most about Summer:</b><br />
The temperature for sure!<br />
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Hahaha.<br />
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Actually, I'm going to miss spending all day e'rday with my sidekick. She's such a social butterfly that I enrolled her in preschool 2 mornings a week starting in September. (Cue the uncontrollable sobbing from this hormonal pregnant mom...) I have gone back and forth about sending her, but I really think it's going to be good for her. She will get to interact with kids her age without me present, I'll be able to get some cleaning done, and once Griffin is here, spend some one-on-one time with him like I did with Hadley. I know, I know, it's going to be harder on me than her, but can't she just stay little forever??!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-10166943432332508812015-07-27T07:20:00.001-04:002015-07-27T07:20:04.386-04:00Get to Know Me Monday: BooksI decided last week that because I've been absent from the blog for so long to re-introduce myself through a "Get to Know Me Monday" post each week, and by going through the alphabet! This week is the letter B: all about books!<br />
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I love to read. I come from a family of teachers, one of them being a Doctor of English who taught in college and they all love to read. They passed that love on to me! And I'm so grateful because I <i>love </i>getting lost in a good book. I've been known to finish a book in a day! (Well, that was back in the day before I had a toddler to run after...) So, here are a list of my favorite books, not in any particular order.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBi-uRQ97yLOaKU5ZXLB108-gPkO3JM1QKincVI1k7-XitvkiIRV4mYzHSDutJJIrOnTe9iYUWzd88gojjCu5fPJ8zVPRr_P2FZYIJHhDcXa-UheRrVP0N1XPAOw2LOAIvXQ6QBMQIeWB/s1600/9781593082017_p0_v4_s454x700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBi-uRQ97yLOaKU5ZXLB108-gPkO3JM1QKincVI1k7-XitvkiIRV4mYzHSDutJJIrOnTe9iYUWzd88gojjCu5fPJ8zVPRr_P2FZYIJHhDcXa-UheRrVP0N1XPAOw2LOAIvXQ6QBMQIeWB/s1600/9781593082017_p0_v4_s454x700.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pride-and-prejudice-jane-austen/1116668146?ean=9781593082017">via</a><br />
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<b>Pride and Prejudice: by Jane Austin</b><br />
I love everything about this book. The style of language, the strong female character, and of course the love story. I'll be honest and say I had to re-read it because of how it's written, but every time I re-read it, I pick up on something I missed before because I was so caught up in trying to read it correctly. And oh, Mr. Darcy, I am a <i>huge </i>fan. Is it possible to fall in love with a fictional character? Because if so, it's definitely him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_1OfaqQEU0_YHk2Kix-Xo9wyYog77sOzI8np3yK4A_GNzyy5fxJLlTJRnXGw_sHQeezj1GYZcfr-evW1dGWLyOG1NAVgjWz4zUDu-OnS2eghxbJ3n6vZXMcSA7exLOqCn0fw8nZkUhQB/s1600/9780545069670_p0_v4_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_1OfaqQEU0_YHk2Kix-Xo9wyYog77sOzI8np3yK4A_GNzyy5fxJLlTJRnXGw_sHQeezj1GYZcfr-evW1dGWLyOG1NAVgjWz4zUDu-OnS2eghxbJ3n6vZXMcSA7exLOqCn0fw8nZkUhQB/s1600/9780545069670_p0_v4_s192x300.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-j-k-rowling/1100036321?ean=9780545069670">via</a><br />
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<b>The Harry Potter Series: by <a href="http://www.jkrowling.com/">J.K. Rowling</a></b><br />
I can't pick just one. These books were coming out every few years when I was growing up and I would go to the midnight book reveals to get my book, stay up all night reading, finish the book and be heart broken that I had to wait another few years for the next one to come out! These are my go-to books if I can't find anything new to read or just need something to tide me over. The movies are so well-made, but they are nothing compared to the books. Everyone should read them. My husband asks me questions all the time about things from the movies and I tell him: "read the books!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzlhf7rfh3Rr5meTydPyUTx9-2lj-Ykk46JEzX8L6gFl6wLVH0PLdFSyPA6_0mTHcVR-VIDhV1R8KIDRpOAM6mPxD25_4bNAcE9eiy81APGsLgckICwSJaFRq2Cnn7ByI1lLhuTAajRcW/s1600/9780440212560_p0_v7_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzlhf7rfh3Rr5meTydPyUTx9-2lj-Ykk46JEzX8L6gFl6wLVH0PLdFSyPA6_0mTHcVR-VIDhV1R8KIDRpOAM6mPxD25_4bNAcE9eiy81APGsLgckICwSJaFRq2Cnn7ByI1lLhuTAajRcW/s1600/9780440212560_p0_v7_s192x300.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/outlander-diana-gabaldon/1100171677?ean=9780440212560">via</a><br />
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<b>The Outlander Series: by <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/">Diana Gabaldon</a></b><br />
I am a late bloomer to the Gabaldon train. She's been writing this series since the early 90's (I think.) and the content was way too mature for me at that point, but a colleague introduced me to these a couple years ago and <i>I am hooked. </i>1940's Claire (a nurse from WWII) falls back in time (stay with me folks...) and meets/falls in love with a Scottish highlander Jamie Fraser. All of the books are based on their adventures (including sex and romance, ladies...!) Jamie is another character I swoon over, although I wouldn't want to meet some of Gabaldon's more hard-core followers because they might challenge me on who has a right to Jamie's fictional love, haha! ;) Starz has just wrapped up the first season of Outlander, based on these books, and they did a <i>fantastic </i>job. I'm so ready for season 2 to start. And the best part is, she's still writing this series! So more Jamie and Claire for all of us!<br />
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These are just a few of my favorites, but what should I add to my collection? Anything I absolutely can't miss? I'm up for reading anything: fiction, historical fiction, biographies, classics...give me some good ones, y'all!</div>
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Missed the previous Get to Know Me post? <a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/07/get-to-know-me-monday-is-for-activities.html">Check it out here.</a></div>
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-68066059346835979422015-07-24T07:53:00.000-04:002015-07-24T08:28:40.057-04:00Friday FiveMan, it's been a long time since I've linked up to post a 5 on Friday! Today I'm linking up with <a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?%20post=4449677142&group=0&frame_type=a&context=feed_all&context_ids=&blog=3264152&frame=1&click=0&user=0">Karli at September Farm</a><br />
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<a border="0" href="http://farmerbell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/karlib83/SUMMER%20oh%20hey%20friday_zpsozsveclw.png" /></a><br />
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<b>ONE</b><b>. </b><br />
We have had a lot of visitors this week and it has seriously been the best! My entire family lives about an hour and a half away so I really, really miss them! After having seen them pretty much every weekend in June for wedding stuff, a month without seeing everyone seems so long! Aunt Amy came to visit Tuesday and Hadley's great-grandparents came to visit yesterday! My heart is always so full when my people visit. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Tjo6BdiCsjhkRbJ7xCpFaqhPUjbs5JKXG5AVX1FcNXh576w9HqWKRcFS1m6zPIs40yMJmsutKAbE6quEAh47ianSACRwRUXFbt68sd1GgWWL2bQXifvZMpHXDn0tbnNrCR6bXlgQodr/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Tjo6BdiCsjhkRbJ7xCpFaqhPUjbs5JKXG5AVX1FcNXh576w9HqWKRcFS1m6zPIs40yMJmsutKAbE6quEAh47ianSACRwRUXFbt68sd1GgWWL2bQXifvZMpHXDn0tbnNrCR6bXlgQodr/s640/unnamed-3.jpg" width="478" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_x3FwoJ7bxbE54FtqHxMzvgpJCdf9iSOmcQH5Mc2La7NmMNE72fk0WKtFugjEV8WxyIIdGc2hkJt0Mw3OsPjUTuV9mOV8Wlaup3oovmqNCq-14F1E00YkYX9432mj1NU5c1GUGjzM9vz/s1600/1392521_10100568712083626_1496191187_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_x3FwoJ7bxbE54FtqHxMzvgpJCdf9iSOmcQH5Mc2La7NmMNE72fk0WKtFugjEV8WxyIIdGc2hkJt0Mw3OsPjUTuV9mOV8Wlaup3oovmqNCq-14F1E00YkYX9432mj1NU5c1GUGjzM9vz/s640/1392521_10100568712083626_1496191187_n.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
(Clearly this picture wasn't taken this week...but call me a sentimental pregnant lady...I've been looking at pictures of my little girl when she was a baby! Meeting great-grandparents for the first time...melt my heart.)<br />
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<b>TWO.</b><br />
Have you ever heard of <a href="http://www.target.com/p/sinful-colors-professional-nail-color/-/A-14827903">Sinful Colors nail polish</a><span style="text-align: center;">? My mom had one color at her house and I painted my nails with it and y'all, it lasted SO long! I usually use OPI and Essie, but I went out and bought two more colors of this nail polish because of how well it lasted! I'm always washing dishes or cleaning something up and my nail polish seems to chip so quickly. Sinful Colors lasts a long time and I'm really pleased with it! And it's only like $1.99 at Target--score! I think they sell it at Wal-mart too, but I'm not sure. Grab a bottle, try it out, and let me know what you think!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2oOPrQEoBBsjceAXairXv7JX0yrHVxZKC1wu36OFYR6qjTEodsxAzvBIGDsuDRQABamSicbN4Q91io5e_mOqJgQdUrV8HgDHE4etJh7PQLdklRxX8pIXKMNe9GpALITCsZ4jbYqiem6F/s1600/SINFUL-COLORS_nail-polish_VALENTINES-DAY1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2oOPrQEoBBsjceAXairXv7JX0yrHVxZKC1wu36OFYR6qjTEodsxAzvBIGDsuDRQABamSicbN4Q91io5e_mOqJgQdUrV8HgDHE4etJh7PQLdklRxX8pIXKMNe9GpALITCsZ4jbYqiem6F/s640/SINFUL-COLORS_nail-polish_VALENTINES-DAY1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="http://chiccitylife.com/accessory-series-shop-affordable-nail-polish-sinful-colors/">via</a><br />
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<b>THREE.</b><br />
<b></b>I'm going to be the one to say it: it's too dang hot and <i>I'm ready for fall. </i>We (as in me and my hubby) have talked multiple times about just how hot and humid it's been this summer. By 9:00 am every morning, the humidity is so bad it already "feels" like 90 degrees outside. I don't know about you other mommas, but I can't take my 21 month old out in that heat?! And the girl needs some running around time! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPz2heujrhnb_qjglrFeB_xQeZ6IuyQDlb-LC_zEGsnf9oZqyxmHnnSeYByhPL0crJJLA5noOw1kS8BwqtEnUZ83V6VvNxaRV_wh0nL6GQOWNKrZum2bdPVdKTLcdbMbQP3FJLOKtN54X/s1600/808c919cef9194c11828e1701181e186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPz2heujrhnb_qjglrFeB_xQeZ6IuyQDlb-LC_zEGsnf9oZqyxmHnnSeYByhPL0crJJLA5noOw1kS8BwqtEnUZ83V6VvNxaRV_wh0nL6GQOWNKrZum2bdPVdKTLcdbMbQP3FJLOKtN54X/s640/808c919cef9194c11828e1701181e186.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazing-snaps.com/2013/12/central-park-manhattan-new-york-city.html#_RojQRD">via</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggprr8rrQbfzUCzdGfu2tGbCG0aZf8R7TAMFyygr6Exw_S2q7dAR_Vbfe9g34O_2x3FOAGovnLGFp35g1n19bimDVDBUoX8ifkMk_4_5CME0_jxmUcBoO41cyP6mqmbzUpOd-nplJ1YpRV/s1600/10433094_10100964142353196_6772287595445602324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggprr8rrQbfzUCzdGfu2tGbCG0aZf8R7TAMFyygr6Exw_S2q7dAR_Vbfe9g34O_2x3FOAGovnLGFp35g1n19bimDVDBUoX8ifkMk_4_5CME0_jxmUcBoO41cyP6mqmbzUpOd-nplJ1YpRV/s640/10433094_10100964142353196_6772287595445602324_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>FOUR.</b> <br />
I have a huge list of projects to get done before Griffin arrives in October. I'm <i>s-l-o-w-l-y </i>making progress. As far as diaper bags go, I'm planning to get a bigger one than I have now with essentials in it, plus 2 individual bags: one for each of my babies- that has their own stuff in it. (Like a change of clothes, diapers, any medicine they might be on, etc.) I finally got around to monogramming their bags yesterday while my grandparents were here and I am thrilled with how they turned out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWidjB5ClqoE_4OjcL5d59SftsFkEch0pL8Y5BklP2RkQ4A8sjezxtFww78YyihU2HhP8IF-Zk9EfX1jTt9IXX_kRA9r29-6B3mncCjk1jzWGsLNf8rLQAheNe7PA0Izf5u3u12nhUPix/s1600/unnamed-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWidjB5ClqoE_4OjcL5d59SftsFkEch0pL8Y5BklP2RkQ4A8sjezxtFww78YyihU2HhP8IF-Zk9EfX1jTt9IXX_kRA9r29-6B3mncCjk1jzWGsLNf8rLQAheNe7PA0Izf5u3u12nhUPix/s640/unnamed-9.jpg" width="478" /></a><br />
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<b>FIVE. </b><br />
And because it's still 100000 degrees out, I'm just going to throw this out there. 5 months until christmas!! Oh, happy day...I can't wait to decorate the house and enjoy twice the fun this year with my daughter and my son!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMNhGRA_3hp0k98DMlCHcqCYp1SxEwx0m1SmSx4h7XD3qv6iprpKNGoWstVXwaDyU2qgB4Shst6rSfbJegDESWLGWx61E9wUHmLbfe_tvmbN7VDNbB9cSPyeJ0lYUUOt0CO7rFC6ifXzh/s1600/10390480_10101023200694806_7703639788479855051_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMNhGRA_3hp0k98DMlCHcqCYp1SxEwx0m1SmSx4h7XD3qv6iprpKNGoWstVXwaDyU2qgB4Shst6rSfbJegDESWLGWx61E9wUHmLbfe_tvmbN7VDNbB9cSPyeJ0lYUUOt0CO7rFC6ifXzh/s640/10390480_10101023200694806_7703639788479855051_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a border="0" href="http://farmerbell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" img="" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-2333942898887756122015-07-22T12:56:00.000-04:002015-07-22T12:56:06.893-04:00Life LatelyWe have had a really busy summer. Here's a little about what we've been up to lately.<br />
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Hadley's Aunt Amy (my cousin, but more like sister!) got married in June! At the beginning of June, all of her bridesmaids took a weekend trip to Charleston to celebrate her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEW9FJlgfAseRSMw6FmiYPjIidNQsckuOTLtTnW46g2dAYbcv-XG7Qbma_PUDxARuNKZsavvS4TMvTXM1BUFziovSGlZRRz9jcyfm2KvYi_8WyMLjoiQqn_UMGe5yf06nzNNRWassy6e4/s1600/20150606-DSC_0198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEW9FJlgfAseRSMw6FmiYPjIidNQsckuOTLtTnW46g2dAYbcv-XG7Qbma_PUDxARuNKZsavvS4TMvTXM1BUFziovSGlZRRz9jcyfm2KvYi_8WyMLjoiQqn_UMGe5yf06nzNNRWassy6e4/s640/20150606-DSC_0198.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And at the end of June, she got married! Hadley was the flower girl and I was so proud of my girl! She walked all the way down the aisle holding her little bouquet and my hand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuU827_GuNKdZU5H0OWvcl-6sAJgcwxaKYolSUqqKPGC-UfF6F5V2WfzHUkDeD6kYlVb9fXzhseWZsRWeeFSlnFU8em4r1sQGnfU3Kgec8WJxMIt3LSyMfVfGQRIa5kuqN98QOxMyowIq/s1600/11403351_10101228363801296_4483381309643379352_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuU827_GuNKdZU5H0OWvcl-6sAJgcwxaKYolSUqqKPGC-UfF6F5V2WfzHUkDeD6kYlVb9fXzhseWZsRWeeFSlnFU8em4r1sQGnfU3Kgec8WJxMIt3LSyMfVfGQRIa5kuqN98QOxMyowIq/s640/11403351_10101228363801296_4483381309643379352_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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After the wedding, Hadley and I spent a week with my family while our bathroom at home was being renovated. We spent lots of time at my grandparents pool! We are spoiled! I was also proud of how Hadley took to the water! She would kick around the pool in her little float ring and had the time of her life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-cmHHF7ly51QP_qE3eimTPy_mta7ET3h5S0NohB9BPQ_GRxHDLN-slns7qx-o1geqrD7mHstcXSFd1lWthiAU4yV0EKlwzXJPvztz8Ub9p9CkDQNUFxXMAVc1HEH3j7NPFXjcNf08LbX/s1600/unnamed-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-cmHHF7ly51QP_qE3eimTPy_mta7ET3h5S0NohB9BPQ_GRxHDLN-slns7qx-o1geqrD7mHstcXSFd1lWthiAU4yV0EKlwzXJPvztz8Ub9p9CkDQNUFxXMAVc1HEH3j7NPFXjcNf08LbX/s640/unnamed-10.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We spent July 4th weekend at the lake with David's side of the family. I was afraid Hadley wouldn't like wearing her life jacket, but it didn't seem to bother her a bit! She got to see her first fireworks and she LOVED them. She's fearless, this one. On another note, she's decided she hates sleeping in her pack n' play when we travel, so while we were at the lake, David had to sleep on a pallet on the floor while Hadley and I slept in the bed. At least she slept well, haha!<br />
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We have also done a bunch of things on her summer bucket list. We had ice cream at Happy Cow, a local creamery. The cows get fed right in the front, so always stop to say "hello" to them, grab some ice cream, and sit around to eat it! Hadley couldn't wait for her ice cream to soften a bit, so she ditched her spoon and went straight to licking! ;)</div>
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She also got her first taste of a s'more. I'm not sure she enjoyed it one bit...that smile on her face is priceless, haha!</div>
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And we visited a local farmer's market! Hadley got to try a chocolate croissant, a mango smoothie, dance to some music, and even talked her Daddy into buying her some pretty flowers. She's pretty smooth!</div>
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I went to the Shania Twain concert with a couple of my girlfriends and we had so much fun! It definitely took me back to my younger days. When I was pregnant with Hadley, anytime she heard music she would move all around and now the girl loves to dance <i>all the time. </i>And that's not an exaggeration. But this kid? Didn't move a muscle during the concert. I'm so interested to see how different they are when he finally arrives!<br />
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We celebrated our "fur"st born's birthday. He's seven. I can't believe he's technically considered a senior now. Cue the tears. Luckily most little dogs live a little longer than bigger dogs and this boy has a lot of life left in him! Until we bring another baby home, and then we might have to start medicating him, haha!</div>
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Hadley has figured out how to lock doors. More specifically, lock herself behind doors. We have a key that works on almost all of the door knobs in our house, but unfortunately she found the one room with the one knob that can't be unlocked for some reason. Of course being the concerned mom I am, I took pictures of this whole thing....<br />
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And our favorite Aunt Amy (yes, the one who got married in June!) came to spend a couple days with us while Uncle Tyler was out of town for business. Clearly, this girl loves her people. I can't even handle Hadley's hand.<br />
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I love my camera, but I sure do love the iPhone photo invention. Sometimes it's so hard to capture that perfect moment when I'm trying to chase down my big camera. That fleeting moment would be gone. So these photos are grainy from my phone, but definitely filled with a lot of love!</div>
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-74220290300946929112015-07-20T08:18:00.002-04:002015-07-20T08:18:45.450-04:00Get to Know Me Monday: A is for ActivitiesI am officially the worst blogger in the world. I'm pretty sure it's written in a book somewhere and I should be receiving my award in the mail any day now. I have no idea why it's so difficult for me to sit down and write about my life!<br />
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<i>Oh, wait. It could have a little something to do with chasing a 21 month old around all day and growing a new human at the same time. </i><br />
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Somehow, other women make it just look plain easy. To me, it's sometimes like pulling teeth and I don't want it to be like that. So, I've concocted a new plan. I want to be <i>intentional </i>about documenting our lives right now, so we can remember all the fun, mundane things we do. I'm going to attempt 3 blog posts a week (<i>gasp!) </i>but they will be the same posts each week.<br />
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Mondays are for getting to know me. I feel like that might be a good place to start. I've "started over" twenty-thousand times (I counted.) and think it might be nice to start at the beginning. So I'm going to run through the alphabet--one letter a week-- so you can, well, get to know me.<br />
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So, without further ado, today's blog is brought to you by the letter "A": "A" is for Activities<br />
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I don't have much time these days to really delve into the things I like to do, but I do try to get back to them occasionally.<br />
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<b>I like to monogram. </b>Before I even had a girl, I wanted a monogram machine. I have a Brother PE-770 and I love it! Hadley has lots of monogrammed clothes that wouldn't really be an option if I didn't have my own machine, because let's face it, I'm not forking out money every time I want her initials on a piece of clothing. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYS7PcNmFUdpGuNRrz9AoGqm2laGvfJthum-BrQE9ATVm3RKpRssyXkwwsvhhPnIHSNFx7-rvz01jKIHApt5ha9euNIQiTjdd67Ht4e9Rn7ijWS-e2RNvZ3B9EQrP68ikDEeWjIMUWQGL/s1600/20141011-DSC_0308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYS7PcNmFUdpGuNRrz9AoGqm2laGvfJthum-BrQE9ATVm3RKpRssyXkwwsvhhPnIHSNFx7-rvz01jKIHApt5ha9euNIQiTjdd67Ht4e9Rn7ijWS-e2RNvZ3B9EQrP68ikDEeWjIMUWQGL/s400/20141011-DSC_0308.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<b>I like to sew. </b>I'm still very new to sewing, but I have my grandmother's old Bernina sewing machine that I love working with. I made Hadley's baby blanket, a couple of bags, and her christmas stocking. (which reminds me...I should probably start working on a stocking for Griffin...) I'd like to try my hand at some outfits soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijz25yp0j5YoaL49n8g_yGnwLWxz085NJCUYmtm95dE07UhR8oTUMF1lOddcBR_s6CKTb5WQQnvRASxLVeEcma0LmgVJw__oWrJLZYaTEFaU1UyjDanKAjz56Ak1-LAog-jeoULYzNFIUM/s1600/IMG_2126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijz25yp0j5YoaL49n8g_yGnwLWxz085NJCUYmtm95dE07UhR8oTUMF1lOddcBR_s6CKTb5WQQnvRASxLVeEcma0LmgVJw__oWrJLZYaTEFaU1UyjDanKAjz56Ak1-LAog-jeoULYzNFIUM/s320/IMG_2126.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RIWyb2WuO_e6-74DXuyBaAxX1eTLRC7ZUa-bonmWn-Tt65S3qkGd70n2oHDiHnVk2-pnAon0ebIPQfI8w4wFA7bQqumMAPy4z4K1G4_0ukg4CiPIwSstYZ4eSiaV159bufoKG2I4WezL/s1600/IMG_2558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RIWyb2WuO_e6-74DXuyBaAxX1eTLRC7ZUa-bonmWn-Tt65S3qkGd70n2oHDiHnVk2-pnAon0ebIPQfI8w4wFA7bQqumMAPy4z4K1G4_0ukg4CiPIwSstYZ4eSiaV159bufoKG2I4WezL/s320/IMG_2558.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<b>I like to read. </b>Reading has really taken a back seat since Hadley was born. I love traveling through the pages of a book and can spend hours laying on the couch reading a book from cover to cover. I'm actually trying to make this more of a priority so that I can instill a love of reading in Hadley, too. Monkey see, monkey do right? I can't wait to read "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" with her when she's older!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgsuLoMGCxPuyzBTfvBm33gn7u2hM7XbOujr7f67STh8DHMQNESISIwQluZ5mmPCpP6_bS7Z7kYOQh_KezUqqqtthlDNcfgpwgX8FeuSSnFiOaZ6TV57Y0CWRpQA-kthpckCqhQqu1Jd6/s1600/pride-and-prejudice-book-cover-by-jessica-hische.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgsuLoMGCxPuyzBTfvBm33gn7u2hM7XbOujr7f67STh8DHMQNESISIwQluZ5mmPCpP6_bS7Z7kYOQh_KezUqqqtthlDNcfgpwgX8FeuSSnFiOaZ6TV57Y0CWRpQA-kthpckCqhQqu1Jd6/s400/pride-and-prejudice-book-cover-by-jessica-hische.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<a href="https://rachelwritesabook.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/pp-why-i-prefer-zombies-to-the-original/">via</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VnahRVRYbRWg1G4zO-IB68PjFGLq5EGPPxKGFLJJ4TYyqxLIRlwIlvSAKuiJZeT5IOfbx3WuBQDNWXceriDx-3rlMPlh7vLSCSd2inZHJPrGTtECMG-lfBeuDXJr4HT1Wd1vzkd0eMOh/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VnahRVRYbRWg1G4zO-IB68PjFGLq5EGPPxKGFLJJ4TYyqxLIRlwIlvSAKuiJZeT5IOfbx3WuBQDNWXceriDx-3rlMPlh7vLSCSd2inZHJPrGTtECMG-lfBeuDXJr4HT1Wd1vzkd0eMOh/s400/Unknown.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
<a href="http://twentieschic.com/encore-encore-harry-potter-series-will-never-get-old/">via</a><br />
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<b>I like to take pictures. </b>I am no photographer by any means, but I do like exploring life through the lens of my camera. I'd like to take a photography class some day!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTfijsIJ4BALu62kfd0FhH1SmQRD2L6pQVOCa0kvXGFrBh4H__xSqAQdXVbblV5_gPySnZz0yS8I57djKbIC85XXcaU18qrSJx_JTXXoonSfAwB6IPLiKFIV60YWeAoM0Nu_7p2tpYsS-/s1600/20150120-DSC_0726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTfijsIJ4BALu62kfd0FhH1SmQRD2L6pQVOCa0kvXGFrBh4H__xSqAQdXVbblV5_gPySnZz0yS8I57djKbIC85XXcaU18qrSJx_JTXXoonSfAwB6IPLiKFIV60YWeAoM0Nu_7p2tpYsS-/s400/20150120-DSC_0726.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWExEYRGFIAhP_jPHKCQZaJdjA9gGuhTT8bEfXDgHa7LD_VtnXzaijpqn29jZWAuGNqY0EI3EnDcn4sdxk-CJBiTBw7N_g9xFkIKWIFTU13gp-JnKadxHLJ4ZtTGoh1-ufeqaAtVx0l2Kz/s1600/IMG_3113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWExEYRGFIAhP_jPHKCQZaJdjA9gGuhTT8bEfXDgHa7LD_VtnXzaijpqn29jZWAuGNqY0EI3EnDcn4sdxk-CJBiTBw7N_g9xFkIKWIFTU13gp-JnKadxHLJ4ZtTGoh1-ufeqaAtVx0l2Kz/s400/IMG_3113.JPG" width="266" /></a><br />
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I enjoy a lot of activities, these are just a few! And thankfully, these are things that I can pick up and do whenever I have some down time. Which isn't often these days! What are some activities you enjoy? Anything I should try?<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-26550075471669139202015-06-08T08:18:00.000-04:002015-06-08T08:18:00.378-04:00Hadley's Summer Bucket List #1 and #2I am <i>so </i>excited to be adding another member to our family in October! I will admit, I was really surprised and it took me a while to realize that Hadley isn't going to be my baby very much longer. I thought I had more time, haha! But God had different plans and here we are. (She will, however, still be my baby girl--so glad I will still be able to say that for now!)<br />
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Now, I'm realizing that this is my last summer with just my girl. I want to spend as much time with her one-on-one as possible before our worlds change, so I sat down the last week of May to create a summer bucket list! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBL0Af-MedECKzRgKI_3WcFZHZukZuPEHriQrlWHTZdmms-f0-Il8YA2gEi58vbz6vaTBa9_8Fea3vYE6GsmrM_TXRrcJx0sSetWDmrt3vKjVxyEtAd6vM3zRqI4dX6I3v3b3Iv0v-gmd/s1600/11350617_10101193920331286_3200893516009833625_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBL0Af-MedECKzRgKI_3WcFZHZukZuPEHriQrlWHTZdmms-f0-Il8YA2gEi58vbz6vaTBa9_8Fea3vYE6GsmrM_TXRrcJx0sSetWDmrt3vKjVxyEtAd6vM3zRqI4dX6I3v3b3Iv0v-gmd/s640/11350617_10101193920331286_3200893516009833625_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I don't know that we will get to all 50 things on the list, but that's okay--we can roll them over to next year with both babies!<br />
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We started checking things off the first week of June!<br />
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<b>#1: eat a popsicle</b><br />
<b> </b>We blew up a baby pool on our back deck, put a slide on the side, and she went to town! She had so much fun playing and "swimming"! I don't know about you, but swimming always makes me hungry, so we whipped out the popsicles (before dinner, too!) and she ate hers like a champ--in the pool!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa4V3UeNF3rQj70UCKs_fWRi38k-ubmt4ZmNNnn_h7wB5YyfCacSByoDadce4YVJvqSB7R2npHdg5CatGBq7_wQwkBoMS6XTVeelPx6NMS7WVRBHcbtz-Zc7zAsGI0FnM8cLBJPxFg4C7/s1600/20150601-DSC_0095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa4V3UeNF3rQj70UCKs_fWRi38k-ubmt4ZmNNnn_h7wB5YyfCacSByoDadce4YVJvqSB7R2npHdg5CatGBq7_wQwkBoMS6XTVeelPx6NMS7WVRBHcbtz-Zc7zAsGI0FnM8cLBJPxFg4C7/s640/20150601-DSC_0095.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>#2: rent books from the library</b><br />
<b> </b>I love reading. It's something I got from my mom and my grandmom. And I want to pass it along to Hadley, too. There is just something about being transported to and lost in a different world. So one rainy, cool day we headed to the library to get a library card, sign up for the summer reading program, and rent some books! <br />
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I wonder what we will get into this week?<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-5194649721461293422015-05-27T07:56:00.000-04:002015-05-27T07:56:56.603-04:00Isn't It Funny...Isn't it funny how quickly time slips away? Life happens and I won't apologize for that! I have every good intention of continuing to blog, but engaging and enjoying my daughter takes precedence these days!<br />
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So the last few months did, in fact, happen for us, and boy have they been action packed!<br />
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Let's recap:<br />
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1. I started <a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/02/homeschooling-hadley.html">"homeschooling Hadley"</a>: that quickly bit the dust when I....<br />
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2. Found out I was pregnant! I was so, so tired I just couldn't continue coming up with lessons. It took all I had to make it to nap time so I could also crawl into bed. ;)<br />
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3. I became an Aunt, David became an Uncle, and Hadley became a cousin! David's sister had our first niece. Growing families are so exciting!<br />
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4. We found out Hadley is going to have a BROTHER! I just can't even describe the surprise we felt when we saw it was <i>definitely </i>a boy on the ultrasound.<br />
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5. We've traveled pretty much every weekend for graduations, wedding showers, and family time. It's been so fun, but man are we tired!<br />
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6. I created a Summer Bucket List for Hadley! It has 50 things to check off, we may not get to them all this summer, but we sure are going to try! I want to soak up all the time I can with my only child!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-36919799030286471862015-02-27T14:12:00.002-05:002015-02-27T14:17:11.418-05:00Homeschooling Hadley: Sick WeekWell, this week was supposed to be week 2 of homeschooling Hadley, but Sunday evening she came down with a pretty high fever. Monday morning she seemed to feel pretty good, so we did lesson one, but it was clear by the afternoon that she was not feeling her best.<br />
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Tuesday morning her fever way still up (102.7!!) and she was not her playful self. I piled her in the car and took her to the doctor--in the middle of a snow storm. We sat at the doctor for 2 1/2 hours...with all the other sick children in our town! <br />
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Her fever was so high I was worried about the flu or a UTI. The UTI would have been bad news if you remember <a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2014/01/prayer-request.html">this post</a>. I was just praying we weren't going to head down that road again!<br />
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The flu test was negative, ears/throat looked great, and her WBC count was normal, so we were pretty sure it was just viral. If her fever was still high Thursday, I was going to have to bring her back Friday morning to test for UTI. My grandparents came down Tuesday to see Hadley and they loved it because she was such a cuddle bug. My grandmother made dinner for us which was such a help--and delicious as always!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlIkWFnq0Xvj6XqwQQIU8yKxdTfI337Ad3xjA98Tw-jLxC8-AYNZxmVUyuPRapdlEB5xoJMpKEePojerAPbOVckr8v4081g3-ShRbzboijNZHNswDZAGlaYXJ2EgqSpIqXvt2ULGaG5zM/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlIkWFnq0Xvj6XqwQQIU8yKxdTfI337Ad3xjA98Tw-jLxC8-AYNZxmVUyuPRapdlEB5xoJMpKEePojerAPbOVckr8v4081g3-ShRbzboijNZHNswDZAGlaYXJ2EgqSpIqXvt2ULGaG5zM/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0iIv6AjugsOTS_H6w-lw6mREvTuWH2C_YHYcwz35YNXyNWlOjpUXJJKHgjrZZjxOz3I6cu8wQ8FVx3EeX-iuhM_LmWgiK-U7wfHb1BXlClNbzWujdEtAVr3kFurr8-Q-z4VI3PcjXLFr/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0iIv6AjugsOTS_H6w-lw6mREvTuWH2C_YHYcwz35YNXyNWlOjpUXJJKHgjrZZjxOz3I6cu8wQ8FVx3EeX-iuhM_LmWgiK-U7wfHb1BXlClNbzWujdEtAVr3kFurr8-Q-z4VI3PcjXLFr/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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Thankfully, her fever broke Wednesday. She started acting like my sweet, funny girl again and by Thursday she was back to her typical crazy self! <br />
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It sure made my momma heart happy to see her smile again! So, I didn't push any lessons this week and we just cuddled and when she felt better, we made up for all the play time she missed while she was sick. <br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-10945471921594258412015-02-21T13:35:00.000-05:002015-02-21T13:35:11.052-05:00Homeschooling Hadley: DogsHadley <i>loves </i>dogs. Like <i>looooovvves </i>them. So I thought it was fitting that this week, we learned all about dogs!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Monday:</u> Monday was introduction day. I wrote the word "dog" on Hadley's chalkboard easel and drew a picture of a dog. (The drawing is terrible, but Hadley walked right up to it and said, "dog!" so it must have been good enough for her to know it was a picture of a dog!) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjoWGITOY0e86_GeHkTaj_YZJdeFxPIEAP-jRcD8iWlX7EgwMd8VjbsQUMZiIkMJgr0An2wZu4XGsvaJSHxEg4rQPMg25SQ7v_EmA65_LGwucAaF9bZXSN9hTVzE3PEnInUzy2rN7gWdX/s1600/20150216-DSC_0771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjoWGITOY0e86_GeHkTaj_YZJdeFxPIEAP-jRcD8iWlX7EgwMd8VjbsQUMZiIkMJgr0An2wZu4XGsvaJSHxEg4rQPMg25SQ7v_EmA65_LGwucAaF9bZXSN9hTVzE3PEnInUzy2rN7gWdX/s1600/20150216-DSC_0771.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
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We went over our bible verse for the week: "Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds." Proverbs 27:23. I know she won't be able to memorize bible verses at all, but I want to start incorporating them so they will always be a part of her routine. <br />
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We also read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Matthew-Van-Fleet/dp/1416941371/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424113133&sr=8-1&keywords=dogs+matthew+van+fleet">DOG by Matthew Van Fleet</a>. Hadley loves this book! There are fuzzy parts for her to touch and some of the dogs have moveable parts! It's a pretty great book! We also talked about the sounds that dogs make. We chose to go with "bark, bark" :) <br />
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Hadley had fun playing with her toys in between each part of the lesson, so all in all, today took about 20 minutes! Hadley also enjoyed pointing out other dogs in books we read later during the day. So much fun!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday: </u> Hadley found out the hard way today that if you're home-schooled...there are no snow days! We are iced in with the rest of the south, but still managed to get our "lesson" in. Hadley learned about the parts of a dog with this great page from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rockets-Mighty-Words-Tad-Hills/dp/0385372337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424192032&sr=8-1&keywords=rockets+mighty+words">Rocket's Mighty Words</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYxhvM5pfEfDeS7nchyphenhyphenn2kmtRqN2ZehvKytAn-zuIrbLpTEouu6_ILuiZJKKRdN5XF49tvNZg6vtueVdQamCSTNIPn8B_oybfE7fsyuqTCFM7Ty60Qv9OcfLmfRqoy8D4HSZuT84z6rTX/s1600/unnamed-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYxhvM5pfEfDeS7nchyphenhyphenn2kmtRqN2ZehvKytAn-zuIrbLpTEouu6_ILuiZJKKRdN5XF49tvNZg6vtueVdQamCSTNIPn8B_oybfE7fsyuqTCFM7Ty60Qv9OcfLmfRqoy8D4HSZuT84z6rTX/s1600/unnamed-4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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She also got to point out different body parts on her own dog, Marley--who was less than thrilled to be involved in the lesson. We read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doggies-Boynton-Board-Sandra/dp/0671493183/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424192062&sr=8-1&keywords=doggies+sandra+boynton">"Doggies" by Sandra Boynton</a> and we played by walking (and barking!) on four paws like dogs do!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FoHXIIeX6EOcTsvsH94yjh59BaXELcjeJvpe7aCnrvrDEEB_7Cl63rYplYawASIBGoWM0UuIXFBBXNVP2bBZ9D-0-3yAo_ao5ms2Fi83pDBmtbw6HqB01SkraQGi9b1YmiIohCQ-zkI1/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FoHXIIeX6EOcTsvsH94yjh59BaXELcjeJvpe7aCnrvrDEEB_7Cl63rYplYawASIBGoWM0UuIXFBBXNVP2bBZ9D-0-3yAo_ao5ms2Fi83pDBmtbw6HqB01SkraQGi9b1YmiIohCQ-zkI1/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday:</u> Wednesday's lesson had to wait until it warmed up a bit outside! (Warmed up to a hot 34 degrees!) Because it was all about how dogs get exercise. Tuesday we "walked on paws" like dogs do, but we were actually supposed to walk Marley this day...outside...after an ice storm. *Good planning, Mom.* We went over our bible verse and read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spots-First-Walk-Eric-Hill/dp/0399244824/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424363479&sr=8-1&keywords=spots+first+walk">"Spot's First Walk" by Eric Hill</a>. Hadley loves flap books, so she was pretty entertained. Both Marley and Hadley enjoyed being outside in the freezing cold, I however, didn't! It actually started snowing while we were out there. But we weren't going to let that ruin our lesson!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday:</u> Hadley has some stuffed animal dogs, so we lined up all our dogs up and talked about how they all have the same parts, but they look different! Some are big, some are small...some are furry. ;) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjvMQj2l2nYAbwe8CrsniAWIUI3nyP4aEnOemKB6jm4FdxSM0x_Ap15mS3hA_i28jGhAQqqDhiVM7pcVOaoqQzumPU6nBw_uKrmg0UIdtosTb8mj2_vc0Ey3yxnpvpNHguNbd0yCHrRbQ/s1600/20150219-DSC_0818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjvMQj2l2nYAbwe8CrsniAWIUI3nyP4aEnOemKB6jm4FdxSM0x_Ap15mS3hA_i28jGhAQqqDhiVM7pcVOaoqQzumPU6nBw_uKrmg0UIdtosTb8mj2_vc0Ey3yxnpvpNHguNbd0yCHrRbQ/s1600/20150219-DSC_0818.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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We read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wheres-Spot-Eric-Hill/dp/0399240462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424363586&sr=8-1&keywords=wheres+spot">Where's Spot? by Eric Hill</a>--another flap book. And we colored a picture of a dog! Hadley <i>loved </i>coloring! She has fat crayons and we used colored pencils, too. She spent about 20 minutes coloring!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe6QB9JLTXS99O4fTQyg6QZljJCdQqKuJvbDhc3gAkqdzglkmSJwuXN6QaI_RsaJuT-2ek5iF8p5gpFH_xo0OWQ68oi8_MqYIX7mkgN7oumIX8MTpGkvEBahT1xjb6MTgvWG3Hchk9hTh/s1600/20150219-DSC_0824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIe6QB9JLTXS99O4fTQyg6QZljJCdQqKuJvbDhc3gAkqdzglkmSJwuXN6QaI_RsaJuT-2ek5iF8p5gpFH_xo0OWQ68oi8_MqYIX7mkgN7oumIX8MTpGkvEBahT1xjb6MTgvWG3Hchk9hTh/s1600/20150219-DSC_0824.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><b><u><br /></u></b>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Friday:</u> We finished week 1 of #homeschoolinghadley !! We read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Read-Myself-Beginner-Books/dp/0394800206/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424462106&sr=8-1&keywords=go+dog+go">"Go, Dog, Go" by P.D. Eastman</a>. Even though the words are short, there are <i>lots </i>of pages and Hadley couldn't sit still for the whole thing. So we went through and picked out different dogs and whatever else she wanted to pick out. (Like the moon and a boat.) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcyw2xX0RprD1bVSriFIPkxZlhxmJoApVDxCJ6WXTCX8NlObcVCtpCpl50aOCkTaQ1EPZHt3QRtWACdxE9lpyAkpLgG4G0ZhAlYLYqvB6iCKVrdhD2c5fDjgv9lIPs81JADK2K9o4_Tn8/s1600/20150220-DSC_0840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcyw2xX0RprD1bVSriFIPkxZlhxmJoApVDxCJ6WXTCX8NlObcVCtpCpl50aOCkTaQ1EPZHt3QRtWACdxE9lpyAkpLgG4G0ZhAlYLYqvB6iCKVrdhD2c5fDjgv9lIPs81JADK2K9o4_Tn8/s1600/20150220-DSC_0840.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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We went over our bible verse and got to watch a youtube video! I found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MzrMpM8OKc">this 3 minute video </a>on youtube about babies and dogs "talking" to each other. Hadley <i>loved </i>it because she loves babies and the dogs were making all kinds of sounds. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZbYzqTBdS0k0GzAOxFQAwPEH28ZkCrQpwxsLOSNwBKrMwWnIOKB0TLHBpZWrVH5ojX1Q_0D-Gw5Vk-edf1OLrHeR2DYfNlbsi6mY_SJ_c0slABjZAayJNk2HK85-jgkYFRJlWADUmQx6/s1600/20150220-DSC_0844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZbYzqTBdS0k0GzAOxFQAwPEH28ZkCrQpwxsLOSNwBKrMwWnIOKB0TLHBpZWrVH5ojX1Q_0D-Gw5Vk-edf1OLrHeR2DYfNlbsi6mY_SJ_c0slABjZAayJNk2HK85-jgkYFRJlWADUmQx6/s1600/20150220-DSC_0844.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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We finished up by playing with her "dog" Spot, picking out body parts and giving him treats.<br />
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Such a fun week!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-21995164258718541192015-02-20T10:21:00.001-05:002015-02-20T10:21:03.526-05:00Stitch FixWell, I caved. I've been hearing a lot about stitch fix all over the place recently and when it popped up on my Facebook ads recently, I reluctantly went to the site to check it out. Once there, I knew I was going to sign up. Since I'll no longer be wearing scrubs to work, I'm in need of some new pieces to spice up my wardrobe. I want good, quality pieces that will last, will mix and match with things I already have, and maybe some statement pieces, too. I am also terrible at fashion! I like to call my style the "mom" style. Jeans, sperrys, cardigans...I'm pretty sure I scream "mom" everywhere I go. The sad part is, I dressed like this long before I even had kids, haha! I'm not frumpy or anything like that, but just very "Mom-ish". So the fact that someone styles things for me? You had me at hello! Pair that with the fact that I don't have to actually travel anywhere to shop, but just wait for a package to show up at my door? Well, alright. If I must.<br />
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I signed up for an every-other-month delivery and may even back it down to every 3 months eventually. I'd like to get new pieces each season, but don't want to be spending a fortune each month, either. I got my first box today and here's the breakdown:<br />
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<i>**Sorry about the picture quality/shadows! I took the pictures on my own and clearly didn't get the lighting right. Although, some of it isn't the lighting, but just me! ;)**</i><br />
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*Not Pictured: Dante Cut Out Metal Oval Layered Necklace<br />
-It was cute and I wish I could show it to you, but the clasp was broken. So I couldn't even try it on. Boo. Clearly I <b>sent back</b>.<br />
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*Lauree V-Neck Drape Dress<br />
-I was really hoping I would like this dress. It was so cute in the box and I love the navy color, but when I tried it on, it just didn't flatter me! The waistline sat a little strange on me and my shoulders look very broad. I <b>sent back</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JQg3mfa6-UB9HZ24TNCyaudw9fnyuQw15Uukn84jwFpAePCmmPXEmp9TL6TAXlGLSqwVLYBZNmCv5tbCsq1IGvLuJWBFM9mxvSt6CFfD-xLWuxT-jOs60Z7__PNkdjze5MZo74uqK_cw/s1600/20150217-DSC_0781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JQg3mfa6-UB9HZ24TNCyaudw9fnyuQw15Uukn84jwFpAePCmmPXEmp9TL6TAXlGLSqwVLYBZNmCv5tbCsq1IGvLuJWBFM9mxvSt6CFfD-xLWuxT-jOs60Z7__PNkdjze5MZo74uqK_cw/s1600/20150217-DSC_0781.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
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*Stellan Draped Cardigan<br />
-I <i>loved </i>this cardigan! I loved the feel of it, I loved the neutrals, and I loved it's versatility. I so wish I could have kept it, but I have so many sweaters and cardigans in my closet right now, I couldn't justify it. :( So, I <b>sent back</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdsaLUuDg2KT7fqEJ404A7rEymV_s50e4-im5iGOT_4eKv0qIvOZq2PuVc3IS9HZx-4s3_0iYqRz-FX8mi7p8By0Zm3mNH7IqxlUdv66lBMjzhHx831HcRvbHIkXJLDTBLsFwYB3NCYX6/s1600/20150217-DSC_0777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdsaLUuDg2KT7fqEJ404A7rEymV_s50e4-im5iGOT_4eKv0qIvOZq2PuVc3IS9HZx-4s3_0iYqRz-FX8mi7p8By0Zm3mNH7IqxlUdv66lBMjzhHx831HcRvbHIkXJLDTBLsFwYB3NCYX6/s1600/20150217-DSC_0777.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><br />
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*Jimmy Ankle Length Skinny Jean<br />
-I liked these. (Pictured above..and below!) They fit great and would be easy to dress up or down. Except I already have a pair of black skinny jeans. Again, I <b>sent back</b>.<br />
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*Colibri Solid Tab Sleeve Blouse<br />
-<i>Loved, LOVED </i>this shirt. Loved it. Hubby said it "slimmed" me out. Easy to dress up, easy to dress down. A color I never would have considered for myself and I love the length. <b>KEPT!</b><br />
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If StitchFix is something you think you might want to try, and you're so inclined, will you click <a href="https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3467587">this link to my referral page</a> on StitchFix? Thanks!</div>
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-66222037392559517012015-02-19T07:26:00.002-05:002015-02-19T07:26:22.984-05:00Homeschooling HadleyI finished up in the NICU last Wednesday and because my new job requirements are some Saturdays and some evenings, I am going to have a lot of time to devote to my baby girl! I am so excited about this, as I felt pretty guilty recently for having to nap and being exhausted the days after I worked the previous night. I know Hadley got far too much time in front of the television, but some days that's all I could do to survive. But, that's no longer an issue!<br />
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Hadley is <i>so </i>smart and is picking new things up everyday. I <i>love </i>watching the wheels turn in her head! She's not in preschool and I'm the only form of entertainment she gets right now, so I thought it would be neat to start "homeschooling" her! I do not plan to homeschool her in the long run, but I do want her to learn things while she is home with me. So, each week I am going to cover one topic with her, read some books, do some crafts, etc. I'm really excited about it!<br />
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**Disclaimer: Hadley is 16 months old and the best way she learns right now is through free play. Because of this, I've limited the "lesson" to be done within an hour each day, usually less. Each piece of the lesson takes no more than 5 minutes (usually) and if we are doing something she doesn't want to do, we don't do it! I'm not forcing her to participate in any activities she doesn't want to! I want to cultivate an appreciation for learning in her and I want her to have fun!<br />
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If you want to keep up with our lessons, I'll be posting weekly as well as putting pictures on <a href="http://instagram.com/erinbellrn/">instagram</a> under the hashtag #homeschoolinghadley<br />
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Follow along with us!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-51132069794430314832015-02-11T07:59:00.001-05:002015-02-11T07:59:16.821-05:00Being a Parent Is HardBeing a parent is hard. I know, I know...I only have one! Some families have 2, 3, 4...and if you're the Duggars you have upwards of 2 dozen kids! I haven't been there (yet!) so I can honestly say I don't know how you do it. Hadley is 15 1/2 months and <i>never </i>stops. Never. I love it because she is learning so much and doesn't want to miss anything, but by the end of the day...my butt is whooped. Over the past few days, I've thought about the different reasons parenting is hard to me. Here's a few of them.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Always on the go!</span></i></div>
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Parenting is hard because <b>I don't know if I'm making the right decisions for her. </b>Is keeping her out of daycare the right choice? She's so active and friendly, would she bloom even more with children her age? Or would she not get the attention she needed? When do I need to take her to the dentist? I brush her 10 little teeth every day. But... I let her eat raisins...are her teeth going to rot and fall out before we even get our first cleaning? I let her watch tv sometimes. (The horror...) Is she going to develop a learning disorder because I let her watch tv before the recommended age of 2? Is the time right to cut out her morning nap, or does she still need that sleep?<br />
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Parenting is hard because <b>I have no time to myself. </b>I have to make an effort to get up at 6 every morning to make time for my devotional, enjoy a cup of coffee, and a little quiet before baby girl wakes up. Shower by myself? Joke. Change from dirty sweats into clean sweats? Not without a sidekick. Bathroom? I have my own personal flusher. Eat a delicious breakfast? Only if I want to share most of it (with my daughter, my dog, and my cat...yikes.). And when hubby gets home from work, he needs attention, too! ;)<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(My sincere apologies to all the Target shoppers who get to see my un-showered, no make-up self multiple times a week...it's the stage of life we're in, y'all.)</span></i><br />
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Parenting is hard because <b>the house is always a mess. </b>There is always laundry to do, dishes to wash and put away, and toys to clean up. But the exact toy I put away is the exact toy she wants to play with at that exact moment. And she wants to play with Mommy. I can't do laundry and dishes when my girl wants to play. I've always heard, "there will be time later to put things away." And that's right. There is time later when she naps or when she goes to bed. But what they don't mention is when she naps and goes to bed, all I want to do is sit down! Prop my feet up! Have a drink of water! (Or wine...) Read a book! And most of the time I choose to sit down instead of clean up. (Sorry to those of you who have been to my house when it's a mess...you can attest to what I'm saying, ha!)<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm not sure the glass door will ever be clean again. ;)</span></i><br />
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Parenting is hard because <b>I can't stop kissing her chubby cheeks when she says "no." </b>She's a little person now, full of her own opinions and she won't hesitate to tell me "no" when she doesn't want hugs and kisses. <i>But I made you! I can hug you and kiss you any time I want to! </i>But, in order to teach her that people need to keep the personal boundaries you set, I solemnly let go and try to keep the hurt from my eyes. <i>Can't I just kiss your cheeks one more time? </i>"No." Okay then.<br />
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Parenting is hard because <b>I can't put her down when she falls asleep in my arms. </b>I'm going to be brutally honest here. I rock my baby to sleep. And I don't feel bad about it one bit. Now that she's a little older, she's usually still slightly awake when I put her in her bed, but there are still those (fleeting!) times where she falls asleep in my arms. And I just can't put her down. The drool spot on my shoulder gets bigger and bigger, her warm breath gets sweet and sweeter, and her little body just relaxes until she practically melts into me. I know in my head it would be best to put her in her bed, but my heart just can't do it. One more minute, just like this, please. After all, she won't go to college wanting me to rock her to sleep!<br />
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Parenting is hard because <b>my face hurts from smiling so much.</b> This child of mine is so full of life. She dances, she spins circles, she stomps her feet, claps her hands, and will send herself into fits of giggles that you can't help but laugh at. My face hurts, y'all. I can't help but smile when she dances to T. Swift's "Shake it Off", or sees "Mimi!" (Minnie Mouse) on tv, or attempts to mouth the songs I'm singing to her, or sees herself in pictures and says "Ha-yee!", or...the list goes on and on. I have wrinkles around my eyes and permanent grin lines. She fills my heart with such joy and everyday gets better and better with her.<br />
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Parenting is hard. It's supposed to be, I think. The constant worry, the constant fear of "am I doing this right?" But she is so worth it. She's mine. God made her the perfect daughter for me. He knew just who she would need to raise her into a strong woman and He knew just who I needed to push me to be who He needs me to be for His kingdom. I will gladly take the tough decisions, the lack of privacy, and mess, all if it means I get that one "yes, Mommy" you can have one more kiss.<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-43465342193884912642015-01-25T15:38:00.001-05:002015-01-25T15:38:07.458-05:00The Story<i>(Pictures in this post are mine, faces and names are blurred out for obvious reasons.)</i><br />
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When I wrote <a href="http://thebellswillberinging.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-new-beginning.html">my first post in January</a>, my heart was very heavy. Changes at work were being made quickly, and it was hard to wrap my head around what that meant for my family. I was pretty vague in what was going on because I couldn't share too many details at that time. But, the path has been cleared again and now I can give a little more insight into the first month of 2015 and what's been happening in our family.<br />
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If you've read very long (which I understand most probably haven't, I have a tendency to start and stop my blog depending on how busy life gets...oops!), you will know that I am a nurse. For the last 3 1/2 years, I have been a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse in a Level III hospital. It is my dream job. It was the job I got after graduating nursing school. And it is a job I love.<br />
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I have spent countless hours bathing, changing, and feeding other people's children. I have spent hours upon hours soothing upset babies who miss their mommas, rocking and singing them back to comfort. I have placed IV's in the tiniest of veins, taken blood pressures with the tiniest of cuffs, placed the tiniest of leads on the tiniest of bodies.<br />
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I have consoled scared parents, taught parents how to change trachs, trach ties, ostomy bags, and the physiological and psychological aspects of kangaroo care. I have loved extra hard on babies whose parents have simply given up on them and done more post-mortem molds than I'd like to remember.<br />
I have done compressions on the smallest bodies while witnessing the most extraordinary of miracles in the survival of the baby next door. The same babies have taught me what it means to be a fighter, an advocate, and humble compassion for the lowest of these.<br />
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To say that these babies and families have my heart would be an understatement. <b>Which is why leaving them on February 11th will be so difficult for me. </b><br />
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At the very end of December, we got wind of changes in the NICU effective February 22nd that would effect what we wanted for our family. Change is inevitable and in the long run, these changes will benefit the babies I love oh so much. So I completely understand and support the changes! But I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place. The changes will affect how my family runs. Right now, Hadley isn't in daycare, but these changes were going to force us to put her in daycare. David and I spent hours and hours analyzing every single option for our family. I was frantic because I didn't want to throw Hadley into just any daycare--and finding a good daycare takes time and research! Time we didn't have. Hence my frustration and worry.<br />
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If you've made it this far, congratulations! To make a long story a little shorter, I received an offer for a position elsewhere in the hospital that I am really looking forward to! Hadley will not have to go to daycare (yay!) and I will get to work some Saturdays and some evenings (not even all night...yay again!) meaning Hadley is going to get some quality time with her Daddy--and I know they are both looking forward to that!<br />
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God is good. This was a huge test of faith for my family. Financial burdens are a real thing and we need my paycheck. Plain and simple. Not working wasn't an option for us, but neither was paying a fortune for daycare. We literally had to go to God for this whole request and he more than provided for our family. This new position is not one I had ever thought about nor a road I ever thought I'd go down. I don't know that I would have always been with the babies, but I didn't see myself leaving them so soon. But God has other plans for me now and I am excited to embrace this next step in my career, while continuing to care about my sweet family I love so much!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-69812918667006464172015-01-21T08:15:00.001-05:002015-01-21T08:15:07.093-05:00A Picnic and a Goose AttackDo you know what the beauty of living in the South is? 70 degree weather in the dead of winter. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous the last few days and we have taken full advantage here. David was off work for Martin Luther King day, so while he was doing some fix-it stuff around the house, we pulled Hadley's little tikes slide outside on the grass for her to play on. This girl had a ball! We were all covered in dead grass before all was said and done and Daddy sprayed us off with the leaf blower!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Playing outside on our slide!</span><br />
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Yesterday, I met my friend Erin (Yep! Same name!) and her sweet baby girl at Furman for a picnic and a walk around the lake. We sat on the ground around the amphitheater and had our packed lunches, while Hadley ate some of hers and fed the majority of it to Cheyenne--the dog. Bless her sweet heart, she seems to think that every animal is going to starve because she always feeds Marley, too. And in her defense, Marley probably looks pretty malnourished compared to all the other dogs she's met in her short 15 months of life. (15 months! What?! Where did all of that time go...)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I can't get over this beauty.</span><br />
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After lunch, we loaded the girls up in the strollers and walked around the lake and just talked (and walked) our butts off. It was so. much. fun. I hardly ever get adult conversation anymore so that mixed with sunshine and exercise--it was a good day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Walking around the Bell Tower</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Bell Tower at Furman University</span><br />
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Little Maddie needed a snack break so we stopped at the bell tower on campus while she ate. Hadley enjoyed the time getting to run around and quack at all the ducks. This was her first time seeing a duck "in real life." She's seen them in books, but of course they are much more fascinating in 3-d. And of course she thought they were all starving, so she kept feeding them her gerber puffs from her snack cup. They were eating it up! Literally. There had to be at least 40 ducks, geese, and swans surrounding us. Fortunately, they were in the water and we were up a little higher on solid ground.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Eating a snack while the ducks congregate in the water.</span><br />
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Out of no where, this huge black swan came swimming up and you could tell he was a bully. All the other ducks backed up and he gobbled up all the snacks. And he was really close. <i>Really close. </i>And he had that evil look in his eye like he would try just about anything to get those snacks. I was a little wary of him and kept an eye on Hadley. I had my camera and wanted to snap a shot of my girl sitting down, so I walked a little ways towards the water and turned my back for a split second. Before I knew it, I heard a lot of squawking behind me, Hadley is SCREAMING bloody murder, which made me scream--which interrupted Maddie's meal and made her cry, which made the squawking continue in the water. It was such a hysterical mess!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Evil black swan.</span><br />
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I knew that swan was bad news and I was right. As soon as I turned my back on it, that thing jumped out of the water! I think Hadley screaming scared him, though, and he hopped back in pretty quickly. And we put the snacks away after that. ;)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My beautiful friend Erin and Maddie!</span><br />
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Unfortunately our warm weather will end soon-- I think I heard they might be calling for snow this weekend-- but I am grateful for the chance to get outside without a chill and for good friends to do life with!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-91126551993180716272015-01-15T11:03:00.001-05:002015-01-15T11:03:09.180-05:00The Principle of SharingHadley is learning something new every day. I love it. She soaks up every piece of knowledge that comes her way and I soak up all the enjoyment of watching her learn. Now that she's almost 15 months old and interested in other children, we've started to work on sharing.<br />
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This girl has some serious God-given spirit and spunk and she knows what she wants when she wants it. And by golly, you better be prepared to get it or she will really get onto you. (Literally, she tries to climb up your leg to get to whatever she's wanting.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">See? Spunk.</span><br />
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She's not in day care so the only time she's around other children is 1) church nursery 2) gymboree class 3) MOPS nursery. 2 out of the 3 I'm not around to witness how she's acting, but I always get good reports so I'm going with it. At gymboree, she's pretty independent. I'm pretty sure she has a little monkey DNA in her (ha..) because she climbs on everything by herself and she's good at it! But when they bring out the bucket o' balls...watch out because she will knock you over to get to them!<br />
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And she loves sharing the balls! So weird, right?! I've seen kids come up to her and take balls right out of her hands and she just looks at them. (She takes after her Daddy that way. Me personally, I would have probably grabbed the ball back and bitten the kid for good measure.) She's recently started putting up a little fuss about it. No tears, just reaching for the ball and signing "please". And she's very good at giving the ball away if prompted.<br />
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I do work with her at home as well. As in, she has to share toys with me, I share toys with her etc. She shares her soggy, already chewed food with me, and begrudgingly I have to share my un-chewed food with her, too. (Can't I just eat my oatmeal in peace?! Only if I want it at 10:30 after I've already been up for 4 hours...!)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just sharing Mom's water...</span><br />
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But, Hadley and I are going to have to have a serious talk here soon. She's gotten a fever 3 times in the last 3 months (all 3 times have been after she's been in MOPS nursery/gymboree) and I'VE gotten sick every. single. time. She's hardly been super ill, which I am SO thankful for. She spikes a pretty nice fever for a couple hours, may be a little extra whiny, sleeps it off and--bam-- she's like brand new. A day later, I feel a little weird and...<span style="text-align: center;">it just keeps getting worse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fevers just stink.</span><br />
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She's getting so good at this sharing thing, she's sharing her germs! I love that she is so smart and learning things so quickly! But, I need her to to learn that germs is just something we don't need to share! ;)<br />
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Really, though. I can't imagine how it would be if she were in daycare. The horror.<br />
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On a completely different note, my blog is getting a mini-makeover. Hubby is working really hard at making things look a little cleaner and I love him for it! Thanks, babe!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-59929329260370173382015-01-08T14:27:00.000-05:002015-01-09T08:41:59.755-05:00Christmas 2014Hadley and I headed home to family the Monday before Christmas. (David had to work Monday and Tuesday...plus we decided we'd need 2 cars to get all of our gifts home...ha!) We had some fun stuff planned and couldn't wait to get into the Christmas spirit! <br />
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During Christmas, Charlotte has a production called The Bearstein Bears at Founder's Hall downtown. It's a chorus of mechanical bears that sing Christmas songs. It's really pretty neat. My mom, Grandmom, Granddad, and I took Hadley to see the bears because we knew she would love them--and she did! But I think she loved running around even more! The atmosphere was so great; there were so many kids, Hadley could run some energy out, and we just had a really good time. I'd highly recommend it if you are ever in Charlotte during the holidays!<br />
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Christmas Eve, we did our typical Christmas Eve dinner at my grandparents house, pajama search, and sat around and talked. It's always such a blessing when we are all able to be together! The times are few and far between now so the usual games and puzzles got pushed to the side and we enjoyed just hanging out with each other. We also enjoyed early bed times because, you know...we're old now.<br />
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Christmas morning, we all got up and had bacon and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I made Hadley eat before she could open any presents. I'm not sure how many years I'll be able to pull that off, but I knew she'd be grumpy if she didn't get some grub. This girl loves to eat!<br />
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And then we opened gifts. This girl is such a gracious little gift receiver! She wanted to immediately play with whatever she opened and didn't want to open anything else until she had played enough with her toy. (Except for clothes. Those she threw right over her shoulder. I guess even one year olds don't like to receive clothes as gifts!) Hadley had so many gifts, she had to stop and take a nap before she could finish opening them! <br />
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I loved Christmas being in the middle of the week. After all was said and done, the family was all still around for the rest of the week. We got to spend a lot of time hanging out, catching up, and everyone got to love on our baby girl. I don't know how, but our Christmases seem to keep getting better and better!<br />
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<img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px;" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4596914377060358802.post-76860900004960640192015-01-06T07:55:00.004-05:002015-01-11T20:07:09.554-05:00A New Beginning<div style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I wish I could say that I rang in 2015 with the excitement each new year should bring. In the literal sense, I guess I did. We had some couple friends over and we ate yummy food, played games, and laughed until we cried.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But in the bigger sense, 2014 went out and 2015 came in with a lot of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety. My first thought was, “I’m already not a fan of 2015.” Surely, it will redeem itself, right? I mean, there are 359 days left in the year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish I was the optimistic type, but I’m a realist to the core. I don’t look at the glass half-full or half-empty. The glass isn’t full and it isn’t empty. That’s it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t want to go into too much of the story right now, as I’m sure details will emerge over the next few weeks. But our family life is going to have to change due to unforeseen circumstances. I’ve looked at every option imaginable (realist, remember?) and things are still uncertain. Ahh, I want an answer and I want it now!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the morning of December 31st, I grabbed my bible and was scouring verses looking for something to make me feel better. Not an answer necessarily, but just begging God to speak to me…let me know everything will be okay. (Dramatic much?!) I read a bunch of good bible verses, all about anxiety, about stress, about relying on God. But nothing really stood out. I closed my bible, feeling a little defeated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Until my bible study on January 1st. If you are a She Reads Truth fan, like myself, you know what bible study I’m talking about. It referenced John 1:1-51. It was a very great read, great devotional. I could already feel my soul stirring and then, there it was. The very thing I had been asking for just mere hours before. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” (John 1:50)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My breath left me. I could literally hear God saying, “Erin, here I am. This is only the beginning. I’ve got it all covered, you will see greater things than the beginning of this year.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">God is good. That verse had nothing to do with anxiety, or uncertainty, or dealing with stress. It had everything to do with looking to the future. I went looking on my own for verses to make myself feel better and I wasn’t even looking for the right thing. He knew just what I needed and He provided in His own time. And I know He will provide, in time, just what we need as a family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, I’m still anxious and worried, but it will work out. I’ve got God on my side! (And this beauty, she's on my side, too!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/erob310/Blog%20Pictures/signature.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03626085555634894833noreply@blogger.com1