Big Changes

August is the month that always seems to bring big changes in my life. In 2001, August was the month when I was diagnosed with diabetes and thyroid disease. It was the same month, and same day that year actually, that I found out I was getting laid off. See what I mean? BIG changes! Then in 2006, August was the month I found out I was pregnant! Another BIG (but very good) change. Now in 2010, August is bringing about some major life changes...even bigger than the past if you can believe that! This August we will be packing up and moving several states away to Nashville, TN.

Brad got a new job in Nashville, which has been a result of many years of searching and many prayers. My prayers were more focused on him getting that new opportunity here in Orlando, where the majority of our family is, but God has other plans it seems. I am torn because I'm so happy for him, but so sad to be leaving family and friends, my job and a whole life that we built here. Right now our whole life is in motion...my job, Evan's daycare, our house...all these things have to be figured out in a new city. We are very grateful that we do have Brad's sister and family there in Nashville, so we have smiling faces to great us when we arrive.

But all these BIG changes, even the good ones, come with at least some amount of fear and worry. Looking back I can see how God worked through what seemed so devastating 9 years ago, so why wouldn't he be working in that same way now? He is, and I need to remember that. My emotions make it hard for me, but I'm fighting them and praying a lot. Looking to God's word helps. Isn't that how He works? He puts you in situations where you are reminded how helpless and out of control you are. He wants you to come to him as He is the only true help, and he doesn't want you to lose sight of that.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

We've already seen God working in so many ways over the last few weeks. I am going to be able to continue working at my job, just remotely. God has placed me in a wonderful company with great people. This is the job he dropped into my lap, through a dear friend, right after I got laid off 9 years ago. He knew what the future held. I am in the process of hiring a marketing assistant to be in the office and support me. It had always been the plan to have a 2 person marketing department, and I'm excited that there are some very qualified candidates who are interested in the position. I had looked to fill this position 4 months ago, but had a smaller qualified candidate pool available at that time and the company decided to use internal resources instead. Again, just shows how God works in the right time.

Ideally, we would like to move up to Nashville over Labor Day weekend. Brad needs to be at his job that first full week in September. They are currently letting him work remotely for the month of August to give us the time we need for the move. But, as of now, we don't have a place to rent. We have a few options we are looking into, and keeping our eye out for anything new. It's so hard when you don't know an area...we are using our family up there as a resource, which has been a huge help! But, preschool for Evan has also been a bit hard to find in a good location to where we may rent and where Brad's job is, and is also affordable. I didn't realize how good we had it at his current preschool, I guess. Plus, I would love a Christian preschool again. I got discouraged at first but have found some possibilities that are Christian. Hoping we really like them once we visit them.

I would appreciate prayers for all the final details to work out quickly and in God's will. And prayers that my emotions don't overwhelm me as we say goodbye. My family and friends have been so supportive and helped make it so much easier for me. There encouragement means the world to me, and also reminds me why I loved living close to them. I'm going to miss everyone so much! But don't worry, we will be visiting as much as we can - definitely for Christmas. Plus, I may need to come back from time to time for my job.

Show Us Your Life - Marriage Proposal

I love thinking back to the day Brad proposed to me. It is such a special memory for us. We had been dating for just about 2 years, and had started talking about marriage several months before. We were actually considering holding off until Brad finished college but that would have been about 2-3 more years. (I already had my degree and was in the working world, and Brad was working in addition to school himself.) We prayed about it and ultimately, we just felt a tugging at our hearts and knew we were ready for this next step sooner rather than later.

So I knew the proposal was coming, but I wanted to be surprised and Brad wanted to surprise me so we left it up to him to make the decision on when to ask. I am a bit of a planner though! :) So I gave him ideas and examples of what I liked for my ring. I think he liked this anyway because he wouldn't be worried whether I would like what he picked out or not. I did mention once that it would be fun for him to propose on New Years Eve, that was only a few months away at the time. He swears he doesn't remember me saying that...but it may be what planted the idea in his head! :) Guess, we'll never know for sure. So when Brad told me he was making plans to take me out for New Year's Eve I was anticipating good things!

There were also other clues that I couldn't ignore...or maybe I was looking for them! It was all such an exciting time in my life (wrapped around a very difficult time in my life as well, but that's for another post). The biggest clue was at a Christmas gathering with his family. When his Dad prayed for the family, he said something about me being "part of the family" or an "addition to the family." Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact wording, but I picked up on it, and later (after the proposal) Brad told me he did too. It was definitely a slip up by my future father-in-law because they all knew he would be proposing soon. Another little clue, was when I bought new earrings that December (they were very small hoops that had diamond looking gems in them) and Brad commented that they looked like rings. Hmmm...could he have thought that because he'd been looking at a lot of rings while engagement ring shopping! :) I put it in my memory bank that day and just smiled.

In the end, Brad took me to Lee's Lakeside at Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando. (Sadly, it is no longer there.) We were one of the first ones seated that night right by the window overlooking the lake, and the sun was setting. I'm glad there wasn't a lot of people around. I could tell Brad was nervous. He couldn't quite sit still during the salad. Later, he told me he had planned to wait to ask until dessert but realized he just couldn't wait any longer. So during salad, he looked at me and said he had something he wanted to tell me. Then he told me how much he loved me and how he couldn't imagine his life without me. He saw an amazing future together for us, and then he got down on one knee by the table and asked me to marry him! Of course, I said yes! :) Then Brad was finally able to relax, and we talked excitedly about the future.

He did an amazing job with the ring. He had it made with the help of a friend who worked at a jewelry store. It was ever prettier than I had imagined it would be. He told me he would upgrade the main diamond to a bigger one in the future, but I thought the size was perfect. Even to this day, I still have the same diamond...and I love it! He also was a complete gentleman and asked for my Dad's hand in marriage prior to the night he proposed. I was living with my Dad and Stepmom at the time so he had to be stealthy with his planning to not tip me off.  When we got home that night they were waiting to hug us and congratulate us! Then they took our picture by the Christmas tree. That picture still sits in a frame in our bedroom today. [I will have to add the photo in later because I don't have access to it right now. We look really young in it.]

And if you want to check out more fun marriage proposals, check them out at Kelly's Korner Blog. I can't stop reading them all!

Potty Training Success - Part 1

Well, after much effort, we've finally had some success on the potty training front!! For about 4 weeks or so now, Evan has actually been telling us he has to go pee-pee, and then going on the potty. Even in the last week or so, he's started standing up to pee. What progress!

We think the turning point was an event at preschool. (Side note: I'm so grateful for his teacher for working so deligently with him on potty training. Being a two-parent working household, we really needed that consistency during the day to make it happen.) He had refused to go potty before going outside to the playground, then had an accident while playing outside. This makes it hard for the teachers and aids because then one of them has to leave and change him, leaving the other kids with less supervision. So one day his teacher told him he could either go potty and then out to the playground, or NOT go potty and he'd have to go to the office during playground time. Being the stubborn little boy he is, he chose not to go potty and go to the office. We think he didn't like being left out of the playground fun, because the next day he cooperated and went potty so he could go out on the playground. The next few days he didn't have any accidents and that Friday night, he came home and told me he had to go potty for the 1st time! He also did great the whole rest of the weekend, always telling us he had to go and doing it himself.

Since then, he talks all about being a big boy and going the potty by himself. He's even consistently done well while visiting my mom for the weekend, and staying the night at my dad's. We do keep him in a pull-up at night because first thing in the morning he still has accidents. Also, right after naptime at school he sometimes has accidents as well. But, at this point, I'm happy for the great progress that he's made! Now, the next hurdle, #2. He hasn't got that down. Doesn't tell us he has to go with that, and still refuses to sit on the potty and go #2. But I'm hopeful I'll be posting Part 2 success in the not too distant future.

Beautiful Birthday

UPDATED: PHOTOS ADDED

The past few years my birthday has gone by without much fanfare, which is fine with me. I've been very preoccupied with my busy life and raising a little one so the days really are just flying by! But it was very nice this year when I got to have some extra fun celebrating my birthday. I felt so special as so many people wished me well on my birthday. And I got to celebrate 2 weekends in a row, with both family and friends. I had, not one, but 3 cakes! All were delicious, but one was extra special because it was homemade and amazingly decorated by a sweet friend. Plus I got to go to 2 performances, one a ballet and the other Cirque du Soleil! La Nouba - the Cirque du Soleil show - was a surprise from my husband...he did good!! :) I had no idea what he had planned and it's something I had mentioned a long time ago wanting to see.

Oh, and I've decided to start celebrating the anniversary of my 29th birthday because I really don't feel any older than that! And I won't tell you how many anniversaries I'm celebrating this year! But life is good, and worth celebrating another blessed year!

Evan loved to help me blow out my candles!

This is the beautiful cake my friend made...by hand. Isn't it amazing!

Making Marshmallow Fondant

Just for anyone that might be interested, here are details on making marshmallow fondant. I thought after my last post, those of you who may like to make your own fun fondant cake, would like to know how. Please don't be intimidated, it's really not hard just VERY messy. But it's so fun and you can truly be creative.

I first learned the directions for making marshmallow fondant here - http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm.

She is very detailed, which is good, but I've now found some more concise directions at the links below. The link above also runs through the whole process of putting the fondant on the cake, where the other links just show the fondant recipe.

http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Rolled-Marshmallow-Fondant

http://www.ehow.com/how_4681043_marshmallow-fondant-recipe.html

 

http://candy.about.com/od/fondantcandyrecipes/r/mm_fondant.htm

 

Here are some of my tips:

• If you color the fondant, use Wilton dyes that you can find at local craft stores...I got mine at JoAnn's. Also, be sure to wear latex gloves when coloring the fondant so you don't color your hands, too! :)
• Crisco is your friend, use LOTS of it to keep your hands from sticking to the fondant and the fondant from sticking to the table. Also, as Peg points out, you can use Corn Starch on the table for rolling the fondant out. Overall, I've found the Corn Starch has worked better for me.
• Find yourself fun cut-outs at JoAnn's and you can easily decorate the cake with those. See posts on my Mickey Mouse and Baby Shower cakes to see what I mean.
• Fondant will last in your fridge for several weeks so make it in advance. Just coat it in crisco, cover with plastic wrap and then put it in a ziplock bag, being sure to get the air out. Also, don't put different color fondant into the same plastic wrap or ziplock since colors can bleed.
• Use thick buttercream (not whipped) icing to ice the cake. The fondant will hold better to the cake.
• For fun ideas for cakes, visit this website - http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/. They posted my Mickey Cake there - http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/coolest-circles-mickey-mouse-birthday-cake-66.html

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. And if you try this, let me know! Wish I could invite everyone into my home and show you how to do it, but I'm sure you can probably find a video on YouTube. :)

Evan's 3rd Birthday Recap

I know I'm a bit behind in posting photos and details on Evan's 3rd Birthday party, but the last two weeks just took off and I haven't been able to catch up until now.

Evan's party was a blast! Evan had a great time with all his family and friends...there were 13 kids total and lots of adults too. The weather was just perfect...not too hot or windy, and no rain! Here's a view of the party in pictures. It was a CARS theme and I really tried to have fun playing on that theme. My cake didn't turn out bad, but ended up not fairing very well in the car ride over and in the heat. The icing melted (think my mistake was using whipped icing) and the fondant was slipping down the cake so it looked squished on the bottom even before the party started. I was pretty diappointed at first, but once everyone started arriving all that disappointment melted away...I think I can look back and laugh about it now! We actually had to put Evan's remote control Lightning McQueen car up against the back end to keep the whole end from falling apart. That definitely makes me smile now! In the end, Evan's only 3 years old and he didn't care if he had a perfect cake, nor did he really notice it falling apart. He just loved his Lightning McQueen cake and kept coming over to it and pointing it out. And many other kid's eyes just lit up when they saw the cake. And I put the time and love into making it for him...that's all that matters!

Menu
Lightning McQueen Race Day Sandwiches (made to look like a checkered flag with dark and light breads)
Mater's Tater Salad
Sally's Spinach Dip
Mack's Mexican Dip (spelled CARS with the tomatos on top)
Fillmore's Fruit Skewers (Evan ate a ton of these - loves his fruit!)
Flo's V8 Cafe (lots of different drinks including capri suns, Evan's favorites)

Activities
Ramone's House of Body Art - painting wooden cars
Playing on the playground - Evan loves the swing and insisted on swinging one last time after we have finished cleaning and packing up.

Here is photos of the cake right after I finished...if only it had lasted, but oh well. That's life. :)

UPDATE: Want to learn to make marshmallow fondant and cool cakes? Check out my latest post.

Celebrating 3 Years with Our Little Ray of Sunshine

Today is Evan's 3rd Birthday! I still can't believe that it's already been 3 years since I gave birth to him and our life got a whole lot brighter! :) He was born at 8:39am and weighed in at a big 9 lbs 13 oz and 22 inches long. (Thankful I had a c-section.) And he's never stopped growing and thriving since then. I just love it!

Last night I made my famous black bottom cupcakes. Evan loves to help put the papers in the cupcake tin, and then put the topping on them, with supervision of course. If not, I'd have had batter all over my kitchen. I sent him to school with the cupcakes today. He wanted to carry them in himself and was so proud to give them to the teacher to share with his class. Right about now is their snack time and the kids should all be enjoying the yummy treats and celebrating Evan's birthday. It would be great to get some pictures of that. So, why am I not there!!??!! Oh, yea, I have to work. :( I am definitely reminising about last year though when I took the day off so Brad, Evan and I could all celebrate together. But we've got a fun CARS birthday party planned this weekend so we'll be doing plenty of celebrating and focusing on this 3 year milestone. And I'll be taking plenty of photos of that! Plus, I set up for Evan to get a birthday call from Tigger tonight using Disney Enchanted Calls. I'm so excited to see his face when he hears it - definitely going to be getting that on video! (If you want to ge a free phone call for your child, I found out about a freebie here.)

Well, now for tonight and tomorrow night, I've got my work cut out for me with final preparations for Evan's party. I'm making a Lightning McQueen birthday cake using fondant...and hoping it turns out half as good as the picture in my head! Plus the other final food preparations. We are having the party at a local park with a playground so the kids should have fun! And I'm praying for no rain or heavy wind! But right now it looks like the weather is going to be beautiful. Wish I could be outside right now actually. I'm loving the spring weather. I actually pulled out my capri pants for work today. I'm enjoying being a bit more casual and comfortable.

Hope you all are looking forward to a great weekend as well!

The Joy of Easter Sunday

On Friday I attended our church's Good Friday service. It was a great reminder that though the world sees the cross as humiliation and death we know it is about love and eternal life. Amazing how God conquered death for all of us! It was a great way to start the Easter weekend.

And today, Easter Sunday, we had a wonderful day celebrating that He is Risen at a traditional church service at the church where Brad and I got married. It's also the church I grew up in. Evan was totally adorable in the Easter outfits I got him...yes, I got two only because I found amazing deals! Pretty much got both for the price I would have paid for one elsewhere. I really don't shop there much but wasn't happy with the selection elsewhere so I ended up finding them at JCPenney. Check out my cutie below! Oh, and he just got a new haircut on Thursday. It's shorter and not so shaggy.

 

Evan and his Aunt Tara (my stepsister)

Jumping for joy on Easter!

I think here he is wondering whether he's going to like the candy in this Easter egg!
(and this is outfit #2)

On Saturday we also got the chance to dye Easter eggs. Evan loved this as he is very artistic. I got these stamps with dye that you could also paint on with a brush.

Here he is concentrating so hard! He has taken to drawing and coloring,
pretty much anything artistic. Takes after his Daddy!

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter! And that you continue to be filled with the joy that God brings through his son's death and resurrection!

Letters to God

Okay, I just watched the trailer for the new movie LETTERS FROM GOD. Tears welled up in my eyes. I have to see this movie. If you haven't heard of it or seen the trailer, check it out here - http://www.letterstogodthemovie.com/the-movie. We need more uplifting films like this that point to our true source of hope, God.

I also found this post on the movie website blog. Oh, how it echos my heart...
http://www.letterstogodthemovie.com/blog/early-in-the-morning-/

And finally, a great quote to reflect on from Sheila Walsh on the Women of Faith blog.
http://blogs.womenoffaith.com/blog/2010/03/fully-alive/

I just wanted to share these with you all...so this post is short and sweet. Hope everyone's having a good week!

Potty Training Update

Well, we are off to a start...thought it's a slow start...with potty training. I still don't have a free weekend until after Easter so no Potty Training Bootcamp yet. But Evan's teacher has decided to work hard with the last 3 kids (all boys) in the class who aren't potty trained. So he's been going without pull-ups at school regularly! Though he is consistantly having accidents and came home with someone else's socks on yesterday! Oops, guess I forgot to put new socks in his backpack. 

I did try him one overnight without pull-ups but even though I grabbed him right when he woke up, he had already wet the bed. :( I've been putting him on the potty before bed for about 10 minutes but he doesn't do anything. Then 5 minutes later after brushing his teeth he'll go pee in his PJs!

Overall, we are realizing he just doesn't get how to tell he needs to go. It doesn't hit him untill he is already going. Last night he told me he was going pee as he went. Not enough time to get to the potty before he was done and we were cleaning up yet another mess. Luckily, it's been more in his clothes than on our carpet. I'm hoping something will click soon. For now, I've got 2 changes of clothing including big boy underwear in his backpack at school because we know there will be more accidents. And I'm still struggling with patience throughout this whole process. I put a pull-up on him for on the way to school the other morning as I wasn't in the mood to clean up a messy car seat cover. And I'm lucky I did because he went #2!

Evan's 1st Class Photo

I can't believe it's that time already! He's just 2 years old (almost 3) but because we have to put him in full-time daycare we went ahead and started him at a Christian preschool. So here is Evan's 1st official school class photo! Aren't the kids adorable! They just crack me up with their smiles. The photographer did a great job getting them to smile SO BIG!!! I think Evan looks like he may be the class clown! There are actually about 4 students missing so his class looks small. He can name every one of his classmates though. And the cute little girl on the left front with the cute pink boots...I found out she mentions Evan and one other kid in the class in her prayers. So sweet! I think he's having a blast at preschool and that just makes me smile. :)

Sushi Making 101

I have wanted to make my own sushi for years now. I first learned about it before I got pregnant with Evan so probably 4 or more years ago. I even bought a rolling kit that included a mat and instructions. But there was just never the opportunity, and then the kit ended up forgotten about in a drawer. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, Brad and I had a rare Saturday afternoon to ourselves because my mom and stepdad were entertaining Evan, and decided to grab some sushi. During our lunch I remembered the kit and how I'd still hoped to do a sushi making night. I realized Brad's birthday was coming up in a couple weeks so I mentioned it to him. Since he loves sushi, he was all for the idea! So we contacted a few friends and scheduled it for last Saturday!

It was a great time, and though we went all out for our first time, if we had kept it more simple, it would have been cheaper than eating at a sushi restaurant. We did end up being able to enjoy sushi for 3 days because of all we'd gotten. I think we will incorporate this into our dinner plans more often.

In addition, Brad loves tempura so he decided to make some shrimp tempura as well. I told him up front that I'd get everything for making regular sushi rolls but if he wanted tempura, he'd have to do it himself. I'm not good with oil. In fact, I almost burnt down our house when I was a teenager making mozzarella sticks! Okay, not really, but I did start a small fire on the stove!

I did some research up front to learn how to do everything and though I'd share what I learned. First off, I found this great website, http://makemysushi.com/. You have to check it out if you want to make sushi. It has demonstration graphics and all the basic information you'll need to know.

Luckily, Orlando has great Asian markets downtown that offer supplies at the best price, but many Publix supermarkets now offer everything as well, just a little bit more cost. I was lucky to have a guy help me at the Asian market who was a chef for many years and gave me a run down on how to make the shrimp tempura. A five minute lesson of what he'd learned over 10 years! I passed this info along to Brad and he did a great job with it. It turned out delicious. That was the one thing that was all gone by the end of the night. (Also, the website I mentioned has a shrimp tempura tutorial - wish we had seen that before, then we would have known to put them on a skewer to keep them straight. Well, we'll try that next time!)

If you are interested in trying this out for yourself, below are the basic supplies/food you'll need. You have to make sure to get sushi rice - it's a short grain rice that will be sticky enough to hold together when you roll it. It actually sticks to your fingers when you are making it, so have a bowl with water and sushi seasoning mixed to dip your fingers in.

Basic Supplies:
Nori (Seaweed)
Gari (Picked ginger)
Wasabi
Sushi Rice (Shari)
Sushi Seasoning (or rice vinegar, sugar and salt - see recipe at link below)
Rolling mat (the ones with one side flat and the other round are the easiest to use)

Filling Ingredient Ideas (Choose ones to make the rolls you like):
Tuna - raw
Shrimp - cooked
Imitation Crab
Carrots
Avacado
Cucumber
Cream Cheese
Green Onion

Topping Ideas:
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Spicy Mayo

Here is the direct link on how to make the sushi rice - http://makemysushi.com/index.php/Sushi-Preparations/sushi-rice.html

Check out all the other links in the Sushi University area for tips and techniques for rolling the sushi and cutting the filling items. You can make traditional rolls or just put together different combinations that look good to you and enjoy! I liked being able to try different combinations than what is typically available. All were very good!

Here are some fun photos from our sushi party. I'm definitely ready to do it again soon!

6.3 A1C!!

This number is amazing! Especially since I've been hovering at around 7 to 7.5 over the past 3 years. I haven't been in the 6 range since I was pregnant with Evan. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Diabetes speak, I am talking about my hemoglobin A1C, which is essentially a 3 month average of my blood sugars. This is such an important number that I have my blood tested every 3 months to check. It's an indicator to how I am controlling my blood sugars. If I have more highs and lows they will throw off my average.

The one big difference over the last 3 months has been my Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). This is a system that reads my blood sugars continuously (every 3 minutes) and transmits that to my pump so I can see a graph of what my blood sugar numbers are doing at all times. I upgraded my Minimed insulin pump last year in May and bought the CGMS transmitter and 1 box of sensors, but was having trouble using them in the beginning so I took a break, that turned out to be a long break! I finally got back into it at the beginning of January and it seems those 2 months really helped my average, aka my A1C. So, I've had to suck it up and purchase more as I ran out the other week. With my deductible it's going to be a bit more expensive than I would like but it's for the betterment of my health! Who can put a price on that? Though it's something I struggle with regularly as I hate what I have to put out for medical expenses. But overall, I am so grateful that such advanced technology is available to help me get the best control possible!

Today Marks 7 Years of Marriage!

Well, today marks Brad and my 7th anniversary! It also means we've known each other and been together for over 10 years! I just can't imagine my life without him, nor would I want to! It is amazing to look back at our wedding. I posted our favorite wedding photo below. You can just see the joy on our faces! It was a beautiful day I will cherish forever. And it was a great start to a wonderful marriage. It hasn't always been easy and we don't always feel happy. But that is life. And we are taking this journey together one day at a time. We've been tested, we've seen tough times, and are actually walking through a hard time in our lives right now. But I've always felt God cementing our lives together....giving us strength and helping us learn to lean on each other and him to get through it all. So today I feel that same joy and realize how my love for my sweet husband has grown and strengthened over the last 7 years of marriage. I'm looking forward to the many years ahead!

On our Wedding Day - March 15, 2003

Recent photo - March 13, 2010
(Celebrating Brad's birthday and our anniversary
with our first attempt at making sushi. So fun!)

I definitely see a change in Brad's appearance (in a good way!) as he's matured, but I still seem to have the same baby face!

And some more fun photos from our memorable wedding day!

Potty Training: Consistency and Commitment

I'm finding that the key to success in potty training my little boy is going to be consistency and commitment. As a two working parent household it's hard for us to commit to the consistency it takes to potty train him. We've watched videos (actually, I think Evan liked watching the potty training video more than we did!), read articles and listened to parents who have been through it. We are just trying to figure out how to make it work for us. We have the potty chair, the potty chart with stickers, and treats for a reward. He was sort of interested when we first introduced it all but now he just runs away screaming "No" when I say he needs to go to the potty. I really have no indication when he goes pee but I can definitely tell when he is going poo as he does this funny little dance! Oh, and it's usually right at dinner time! Fun! Ulimately we are finding it's really less about whether he is ready, which I think he has been for some time, but whether me and my hubby are ready! :)

Life has been crazy and hectic and so many things have taken priority over potty traning. But I recently heard about a 3 day potty training bootcamp. I was really hoping it wouldn't come to that though many said it's what works, but others also say that kids just "get it" and you don't want to force them. Who to believe? A lot of little boys I know were around 3 years old and Evan will be 3 in April. But he shows the signs of readiness so I've decided we need to take action soon! :) Oh, and he's one of only 2 kids left in his 2 year old class that aren't potty trained. His class is mostly girls though and they tend to pick it up earlier, so at least that makes me feel better.

Unfortunately our schedule and the ability to stay home all one weekend to do the training is hard. March is our month of birthdays, both friends and family, so we have events booked most weekends. Right now I'm realizing I don't have enough big boy underwear (as they tend to have a lot of accidents), and I've got a cold that is just hanging on, plus we are having someone babysite Evan overnight next weekend and I really don't want to put them in the position of having to deal with a newly potty trained little boy! All of these excuses (though valid I believe!) are going to get in the way until the last weekend of March or first weekend of April, depending on when my nephew's birthday party gets scheduled. But once I pin down the weekend, we are going to get him potty trained! I'm putting it out there so I'll have even more motivation to follow through! I need to be held accountable I think.

Anyone have any tips or feedback on their experience potty training? I'd love your thoughts and reassurance that it isn't as awful a process as I think it is and I shouldn't be dreading it! :)

A Typical Day in My Life

It's Show us your Life Friday at Kelly's Korner Blog and she's asking everyone to share a typical day in their life. I thought I'd join in since it will be great to remember in the future what my typical day was like at this time in my life.

I'm a working mom so I'll outline a typical workday, which is M-F for me.

6:30am - wake up and shower
7:30am - wake up my toddler and get him ready (luckily my hubby shares the responsibility of getting Evan up and to school in the mornings so every other day I get to sleep in a bit, or get to work a bit earlier to get caught up on things there)
7:45am - grab something for breakfast - usually to take in the car
8:00am - we are out the door, watching videos like VeggieTales or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the car on the way to his preschool
8:30am - drop him off at preschool (Evan loves to give me multiple hugs before he'll let me go. So sweet.)
8:45am-9am - get to work where I do a variety of marketing activities. Typically I'm at my desk writing e-mails or working on a proposal or searching for new project opportunities. Every day is different. I also have meetings both in and out of the office periodically.
12:30-1pm - grab lunch, usually something I eat at my desk so I can take a shorter lunch and leave work earlier.
5:30pm - leave work and head to pick up Evan from preschool (again, this is every other day...if I take him in the morning, my hubby usually picks him up in the afternoon and vice versa but occasionally I end up having to do both because of a change in my hubby's schedule.)
5:50pm - pick up Evan and head home
6:30pm - usually get home around this time. (My hubby is usually home already though he teaches and his class changes monthly so sometimes his class runs later if it's an afternoon class and sometimes he's not home in the evening when it's scheduled at night. I hate when he has night classes - I feel lonely.)
6:45pm - Start dinner. Evan usually wants to help me so I find something for him to do like stirring something or pouring an ingredient into the bowl.
7:30pm - We all sit down together and eat. (I love this time of day and just slowing down to enjoy a meal together after a busy day.)
8:00pm - Bath time for Evan, then in his PJs.
8:30-9pm - Put Evan to bed, which is a process as he always wants another hug, or water, or a book, or something else! :)
9pm - clean up dishes from dinner
9:30pm - my down time - finally! Usually chat with my hubby about his day, then catch up on shows on DVR, check out Facebook or Twitter, reply to e-mails, blog, work on a bible study assignment or work on downloading and organizing photos for my scrapbooks. Sometimes if I have a burst of energy I'll clean. But usually I'm pretty tired at this time.
11pm-12am - go to bed. I'm really trying to get to bed earlier, around 10:30pm, but I usually get caught up doing something and I really need that "me" time at the end of the day.

Weekends aren't on a regular schedule. They are my time for errands, visiting family and friends, and catching up on cleaning and laundry as I don't have much time for any of that during the week. Though occasionally on Thursdays we'll meet up with my Dad and Step mom at a restaurant for dinner. That's fun and nice because then I don't have any dishes to clean up!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

I'm Really Still Here - and an Award

I know, I've been a bad blogger. :( This new year just kick started into high gear and I've been feeling so behind in all areas of my life. Unfortunately, my blog is often what gets neglected in these times. It may also be that I'm on a computer all day and when I get home I find it hard to get back on when I really need a break from it. I know these are all just excuses! I'm good at excuses, but I am going to try my best to keep this blog updated more often. We also haven't been doing much but daily life things so don't have too much to post about.

Anyway, my blog friend Summer has given me an award! My first one ever! It's the "Your Blog Makes Us Smile" award. Thanks Summer...she is just a ray of sunshine herself and I find such strength and perspective when I read her blog. I know what I deal with having diabetes is minor compared to her health problems, but as I see her deal with everything she goes through day to day it helps me find the strength on those days, like today, when my blood sugars are high and making me feel terrible. She is an inspiration truly! You should check out her blog!

Now I'm supposed to pass this along, and sadly, I'm not sure if I have 7 blogger friends to list. I'm really new to the bloggy world, and a lot of the blogs I read are popular blogs that many others read and have received many other awards. But here are a few:

Stephanie Sofka - my sister-in-law can always look at a situation from a different perspective and learn from life's circumstances, all while focusing on God. And she can always lift your spirits. She's a strong and sweet Christian women and I'm so proud to call her sister and friend. Oh, and she's kinda like me - a sporadic blogger! :)

Mike Sofka - want a good laugh? Check out my brother-in-law's blog. He is one of the most hilarious people I know! When he and Brad get together, it's a laugh riot the whole time! Yet he is also serious in his faith in God, and he's good at picking out great bible verses to share that seem to be just what others need to hear.

Layne - I recently connected with Layne through another diabetes blog. She lives right in town and we just met the other day. It is so nice to have someone around here who understands what I'm going through and that I can share experiences with. We've been able to learn so much from each other already! She has a great blog where she chronicles her life and how she manages her diabetes, and her job as a nurse in a NICU, which I think is just amazing!

Elle Nault - I love how through her blog I can tell how much she enjoys being a mother. She has a sweet spirit, and is honest and open with her feelings surrounding what is happening in her life.

Now I'm to list 7 things that make me smile. This part should be easy enough!

1. My little sunshine - my son Evan who is going to be 3 years old in April
2. My husband - his sense of humor is always making me laugh!
3. Watching my husband and son play together
4. Being surrounded by family, wherever and whenever!
5. Shopping - for a sale or deal of course!
6. Getting together with girlfriends
7. A bright, sunny day - good thing I live in Florida!

Thanks again Summer for giving me motivation and a topic to get me back into blogging!

One Little Word for 2010

I'm forgoing resolutions this year and just sticking with one word to focus on in 2010. I started this last year with the word Cherish. And I really feel that word exemplified 2009. I time and again praised God and was thankful for the blessings in my life throughout the year, even among the hard economic times that hit me and many of my family members and through the struggles with my health. I also stepped up my photo taking, doing a photo a day and recording it in an album...a way I love to remember and Cherish all that happens in my life. Unfortunately, I'm not done compiling the album but I have great notes and digital photos so I know I will get it done in the next few months.

For 2010, I've chosen the word Trust.

I felt God put this word on my heart over the last few months. I have trouble giving my all to God, and fully trusting him with all aspects of my life. I always seem to keep a piece or pieces for myself, trying to handle them in my weakness. This year, I'm committing to giving it all to him and following his lead, even if it requires a large amount of Trust. I almost hate to say that because I'm scared of what that will mean...which is why I've struggled with Trust in the past. I'm asking God to take away my fears and replace them with hope. I'll be remembering this verse daily.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (New International Version)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Anther translation says he will "direct your paths" and I like how that better clarifies it. God is in control and will direct me where he wants me to go. Thankfully, I don't have to trust in my weak and failing human nature.

He has already given me a glimpse of his trustworthiness this past week. He answered a prayer within 24 hours of me praying for it! I was awestruck at how quickly and unexpectedly it happened...it never has happened this way in the past. I think it was God's way of saying "I'm here, I'm listening and I'm providing...you can count on me." We all need a reminder of this. I know not every answer will come so easily as God has his perfect timing in everything, but I praise God for the surge of hope he gave me through this simple answer.

Well, I wish you all a great and blessed 2010! Maybe you'd like to join me in picking a word for the year? If so, I'd love for you to share it with me. :)

P.S. Click here for a bunch of words to give you ideas.