I was going to name this post "A Big Bust," but then I decided it would conjure up images of large braziers...not what I had in mind. Then I thought about calling it "A Big Flop," but that wasn't the idea I was going for either. So, let's just call it "not as planned." If you recall, I sent my child to school in a costume on Friday thinking it was Halloween. The rest of my weekend pretty much followed the same pattern. The Plan: Have a pumpkin carving party with friends Friday Night. The Reality: Attend work gala with husband and send a thousand thank you's to Susan for taking care of my boy last minute. The Plan: Take Eli to Monster Mash at Corvette Museum The Reality : Eli falls asleep in route, so I pick up pizza for lunch and hold a sleeping baby while we eat. The Plan: Trunk Or Treat at church on Saturday Night The Reality: I totally confused the date, so we sit at home and play. The Plan: Carve Pumpkins Sunday afternoon. The Reali

Do ya'll ever have those days you feel like are epic fails? No way...me too! Try as I may to be organized, it's just not my strong suit. Perfect example: I hadn't heard anything all week about Eli's Halloween Party at daycare, so yesterday I decided to ask for details so that I could be the super- awesome, cool mom who brings the best treats! And of course being "the best" takes lots of organization and planning so I needed to be prepared. Well as fate would have it, when I walked into the building there was a big, orange sign on the entrance table with all the details! I thought it was ingenious positioning for all the "other" parents who were less attentive to their child's academic dealings. The sign asked parents to bring in a bag of individually wrapped candy and to send their children's Halloween costume for the party that would take place at 10:30 am. I won't lie, I may or may not have been slightly crushed when I realized th

It's What I'm Lovin' Wednesday again, and I'm linking up with Jamie to play along. I'm LOVIN' Pininterest! I don't get to play much, so I want to show off my finds today! I've LOVIN ' this super cute coat. I have a coat in every color but green and pink, so one like this would be classy and cute at the same time. Christmas present potential...HINT HINT!! Speaking of Christmas, I'm LOVIN' that as of yesterday it's TWO months away! I'm LOVIN ' this fancy twist on chocolate milk. I'm LOVIN' that it may be a great treat to serve at our Pumpkin Carving Party this weekend! While we're talking about the weekend, I'm LOVIN' that we are going to be busy at "Monster Mash," "Trunk or Treat," and TWO "Trick or Treating" events. Expect lots of pictures in the next few day! I'm LOVIN' this precious reminder today. I'm also LOVIN' this awesome kitchen organization!! On a

Starting Weight: 1*3 Current Weight: 1*9 Pounds Lost This Week: 1 lb Total Lost: 5lbs Best Moment: Seeing the scale go down! Worst Moment: Learning that my beloved Baja Fish Taco is 9 points...AFTER I ate two!! What I Miss: Not too much this week. I am learning not to make drastic changes all at once because it leads to binging and overeating. Instead, I allow myself an occasional treat! Overview: This week has been really busy with a lot of "life." While Eric was out of town, I went to see Mom and Dad. Everything is just a little off, including my gym routnine. The good news is that I have been very dilligent about making better healthy eating decisions. It truly is a process that takes time and dedication. Quick fixes and crash diets bring temporary results. My goal is to change my habits for a lifetime.

One of the reasons I enjoy blogging so much, is seeing the blessed lives so many people have. I have walked away from my computer inspired so many times by your crafts, your kids, your fashions, and your homes. However, sometimes I think we (and by that I mean ME) tend to present ourselves in a pretty little package to the world. But, LETS BE REAL. Life ain't always pretty. It's an endless cycle of poopy diapers, runny noses, and kitchen messes. So, for our final trip to the orchard this fall, I decided to leave behind the cute clothes, the matching outfits, and the pretense. So in sweat outfits we hit the hay...LITERALLY! There weren't 5 billion picture retakes to get a cute pose... or even a hair combing involved. Instead, there was jumping in the hay, a dirty little boy, and lots of silly playing. There was also animal petting, tire sitting , and big boy pretending! Oh, we can't forget fort playing, swing-set sliding, or slushy drinking. I love my "picture per

We had another super, awesome weekend! Eric went deep sea fishing in Florida, so Eli and I headed to Nicholasville to spend time with my family. We surprised my mom at work on Friday afternoon before heading to meet my grandmother and dad. Eli was excited to see them but didn't share the same enthusiasm for eating dinner. He was HORRIBLE and cried the whole time. Luckily everyone understood that he was tired from a short nap and long drive! After dinner we went to Hobby Lobby to get fabric for the playroom curtains, then it was off to bed to rest up for a big day with Uncle Clay! Saturday morning we got up and went to Richmond to see Clay and Mandi! We toured Clay's new apartment and went to eat at O'Charley's before hitting up the pumpkin patch! Eli enjoyed his very first pony ride on Jasmine! He looks a little unsure in the picture, but he talked about it all day so I think he secretly liked it! He then spent a significant amount of time in the bouncy house where Un

It's time for What I'm Lovin' Wednesday , so I'm linking up with Jamie again this week. It's a dreay, cold, rotten day here in Kentucky yet my mood is surprisingly upbeat thanks to Pininterest and these hysterical signs that I'm Lovin' : Totally not making fun of this very serious disease, but you have to admit that this is funny! Just for laughing, I'm Lovin' your sense of humor! My hubby is a photoshop genius, so I can totally relate. I'm Lovin' this kid's expression...classic! I'm lovin' that although this is what I feel like at the gym these days...I'm not alone! What funny things are you lovin' today?

It's Wednesday to you, but I'm writing this a day early because I just need to be honest with you. Can we talk? Ha! Truth is, this has been a really rough week for me with Weight Watchers and not just because my mother-in-law is an awesome cook and I lack self control in her kitchen! It's been a hard week because I have really lost motivation. Seems odd really, because I met my goal of losing 5lbs my first month. I think I was hoping to lose more.. Anyway, I started praying yesterday that God would restore my motivation while also teaching me to rely on his strength alone. Well, we serve a faithful God and everywhere I looked this morning there was something pointing me toward a final goal and closer to him. First, it was a blog post by a woman I greatly admire who lost 30 pounds this time last year, next it was a few verses in my daily Bible reading, and finally an interview for the show. I realize that this journey to living a healthier lifestyle will take roughly a year.

I think sometimes in the midst of daily routines and the monotony of every day life, we sometimes neglect to see the priceless treasures in ordinary moments. Take blogging for example, for the past two years I have documented weekend outings, home makeovers, birthdays, holidays, and every other major event. It's the less exciting stuff like nightly dinners and bedtime routines that fall to the waste side, which is sad. When I remember "days gone by" my first thoughts aren't of family gatherings and summer vacations. They are of ordinary moments like when Eric and I used to play cards on the back deck every night, or when I used to read Eli the same three books every afternoon. As is expected in life, these routines change with every passing year but they are part of our family story and memories in which we find great joy. One of the "routine" items that has fallen to the sidelines this fall is our trips to the park. At least two days a week I take Eli to th

I would like to start by pointing out that this is my 300th post! Ok, moving on....we had a wonderful weekend with Eric's family. Eli had been visiting since Wednesday, so you can imagine how excited we were to see him Friday night! Since it was a beautiful fall weekend, we took advantage and went hiking in Illinois at a place called Garden of the Gods, but first we had a yummy lunch at Just A Burger which is an amazing hometown burger joint in Marion. Here are me and Eli with my mother-in-law when we first started the trail. Me and hubby atop a bluff! Breathtaking views! The whole time we were walking on rocky bluffs, and Eli kept wanting to throw the rocks (aka bolders) haha! I did let him through a few pebbles over to keep him happy! Here is grandad and his boys! This picture is worth a thousand words! Nan also got to pose with her boys before we left! I think Eli's favorite part of the whole day was riding the ferry. He was asleep and missed it going to IL, but coming hom