Summer Fun

No summer is right without drinking water from a Starbucks cup or eating as much watermelon as one little belly can hold! I think right now Levi would eat watermelon for breakfast, lunch and supper if let him! He LOVES it!!! :)

Little Boy Adventures

Last night we had some energy to burn so Levi and I went out wandering… We headed to the Middle School by our home because there is lots of open spaces to wander. And little boys can explore anywhere! We even found a very colorful creature there! Levi wasn’t too sure about this guy at first but he warmed up to him once he realized he wasn’t alive! ;-)

 

 

Only thing better than colorful creatures is my taking his picture(ok – it’s really the cell phone he fascinated with!).

 

 

Must.Get.Closer

 

 

 

Love this little face!

 

 

Climbing on tables!

 

 

And what he spent most of the time doing? Walking around on these stones picking them up and dropping them over and over.

 

 

 

Happy Mother's Day

I'm so thankful to be this little boy's Mommy and I'm so glad he has such a wonderful group of women to call Grandma and Great-Grandma. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family! Happy Mother's Day to all of you!  

Mother's Pray

by Kristen Getty

Before you close your eyes to sleep

I have a promise still to keep

As I hold you in my arms

I pray your little frame grows strong

And faith take hold while you are young

This is my prayer for you

Hold my hand, I'll teach you the way to go

Through the joys, through the tears

The journey of these years

May you trust Him till the end

May you trust Him in the end

This world is not as it should be

But the Savior opens eyes to see

All that's beautiful and true

Oh may His light fill all you are

And the jewel of wisdom crown your heart

This is my prayer for you

Hold my hand, I'll teach you the way to go

Through the joys, through the tears

The journey of these years

He is with us till the end

He is faithful till the end

You'll travel where my arms won't reach

As the road will rise and lead your feet

On a journey of your own

May my mistakes not hinder you

But His grace remain and guide you through

This is my prayer for you

Take His hand and go where He calls you to

And whatever comes, seek Him

With all your heart

This will be my prayer for you

Father hear my ceaseless prayer

Oh keep her in your care

December Stuff

Blogging has fallen apart! I try to wear too many hats sometimes. At least Christmas was only 4 months ago... ;-)

Here's some December "Christmas" pictures to tide us over until I can get this thing going again!

Visiting Kate :-)

Ahhh, Levi has gotten so big in the last couple of months!! *sniff sniff*

Christmas Part 1

And as the norm goes this will pretty much be pictures only… That’s what everyone wants to see anyway though, right?? :-)

 

 

 

 

Hershey’s Chocolate World(first trip for Levi!)

  

Looks are deceiving – he really did like the chocolate bar. :-)

 

Something New

So I’m not sure if you know this about me or not but I’m really into health and wellness. I strive to be healthy(don’t always succeed) and I enjoy helping other people be healthy as well. That’s why I decided to start selling Nature’s Sunshine. They have over 600 products so there is something for everyone. By spending $40 you get a free one year membership which allows you to purchase the products at a wholesale price. You could also decide to sell the products like I am doing or just buy them for your own personal use. The nice thing is the wholesale prices are very comparable to different brands that I’m buying in the store so I’m not spending anymore money by using Nature’s Promise.
I’ve love for you to check out my website: http://simplybewell.mynsp.com/ or shop at http://www.naturessunshine.com to see everything we have to offer and if you have any questions or need help placing on order please let me know!! If you place an order you’ll want to use 3201097 as the Sponsor’s account number at checkout.

I think that something everyone is focusing on right now is how to stay healthy over the flu season.

Flu-Who: 10 Immunity Boosters to Start Right Now 

Flu season is upon us, and we’re already seeing many suffer.  The good news is you don’t have to be one of them if you start boosting immunity now. Here are 10 simple ways to prep your body so it’s strong enough to repel viral invaders all winter long:

1) Do your D’s – Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin D3

2) Do take a probiotic daily – Probiotic 11 or for kids Chewable Probiotic Powder(chewable)

3) Do stock up on antiviral herbal supplements – Immune Stimulator or for kids Elderberry Immune

4) Don’t eat crap – lay off the Christmas cookies! ;-)

5) Do get your greens – Natures Harvest (Is vegan, dairy-free and lactose-free)

6) Do garlic – Garlic or Garlic with Parsley

7) Don’t skimp on sleep – Herbal Sleep or Melatonin

8 ) Do break a sweat

9) Do chill out

10) Don’t wash with antibacterial soap

Immune Stimulator

Elderberry Immune

Giving Thanks

There are lots of "30 Days of Thankfulness" going around. People are posting one thing daily for the whole month of November. To be honest I didn't even try to participate but that doesn't for a minute mean I'm not extremely thankful for the blessings in my life. So here are my 30...

1) The grace of God: My loving Heavenly Father is always there ready to forgive when I fail Him(which is often).

2) My husband: I waited a long time to meet the man I would be able to call my husband(or at least it felt like it). We've known each other for 4 years and have been married for 3 and honestly it has been great. I can't imagine life without him. I say a Winnie The Pooh quote this morning that said "If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, So I never have to live without you!" And that's exactly how I feel!!

3) My baby boy: His birth was far from what I ever imagined it(I'm still a little bitter about it, haha) but he arrived and was/is healthy and that's what I'm most thankful about!! Plus he's a little sweetheart and sooooo CUTE!!! :)

4) My Mom: She is my lifesaver every morning when she shows up at my house to watch Levi. I feel bad for every Momma out there that has to wake up their baby and back up a days work of food, ect and take them to a sitter before going to work. Plus all the little things she does to help around the house and so much more!!!

 

5) My Dad: For always being a good Father and for providing for his family. I give him a hard time a lot but it's only because I love him!!  

6) My Grandparents: They are both in their 90's and have been married for almost 65 years. What an amazing legacy!! I know my Grandma must be the most patient person ever because I can't imagine living with my Pap that long!! ;-) Pap was just telling me this morning about how they met and that as of March 2013 they’ve known each other for 70 years. So amazing!! :)

7) Mike's family: It is a big family! If I listed everyone separately it would probably take up the rest of my list! :-) I'm thankful for their loving home where I have always felt welcome from the very first time I walked in the door.

 

8) My job(and Mike's job): I'm thankful we both have great jobs that allow us to meet our families needs. So many struggle find employment/make end's meet and I'm thankful that right now we don't have to worry about those things.

9) For Breast Pumps: So after the C-section I just wanted to be able to breastfeed. I don’t know why it was so important. Maybe it’s just a Mommy thing. But Levi and breastfeeding just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe I could have tried harder but instead I exclusively pumped for 7 months. It may have been the hardest thing I ever dedicated myself to doing. But I did it and I'm thankful for the 7 months that I could provide Levi with the healthy nutrition you get from breast milk.

10) The weekend trip I won(at work) to Williamsburg, VA: We haven't gone yet and although I will be sad to leave Levi behind I'm looking forward to spending time with Mike. And it's only two nights. I'm sure Levi and I will both survive!! :)

11) Our cameras: So many pictures of so many memories! I love to be able to sit down and look at them over and over again. Especially Levi because he's growing so fast!!

12) My health: So many people are sick and struggle with a variety of health issues. I'm thankful everyday of my life where I am healthy!

13) Online fitness websites: Thankful for the support of other Mommies as I work to lose this baby weight and a little more...

14) The Treadmill in the basement: I have no idea how people have time to make it to the gym. I'm thankful that all I have to do is go down to the basement to get a workout in.

15) Spring/Summer: Sure Fall and Winter is nice but I hate that it gets dark so early. I can't wait to be outside again. And spring will be so fun. Can't wait to take Levi to the park!!

16) The abundance of food we will be eating today: I'm so thankful for food. I love to eat! But there are so many people in the world that don't have the luxury to eat the way we do in the USA and we definitely take it for granted! Oh and I didn’t have to cook anything which was also nice!

17) Missionaries: I'm so thankful for the Men and Women who follow God's calling and go around the world to tell people about Jesus and salvation!

18) Church/Bible: I'm thankful for the freedom we have to go to church and worship God. And for the good Church that we go to and the challenging messages we hear from God's Word! And that we can freely own and read the Bible.

19) Our Home: I'm so thankful for our home. I love it to death(maybe exaggerating a little bit) and yes even though we talk about selling it(and moving out of town) I can't imagine not living here. By the way this picture is badly outdated. The trees by the house and the mailbox are gone and the indoor outdoor carpet is ripped up… :)

20) Our blog: I have trouble keeping up with it but I love being able to go back and look at all the memories on its pages!

21) Carbs & Sugar: Sorry couldn't resist. There are so many diets going around these days that restrict what you are allowed to eat. Sometimes it’s gets old because it seems like NOTHING is good for you. But honestly I love my carbs and sugary foods and don't plan on giving them up. I will however ALWAYS eat them in moderation.

22) Target: Do I really have to say anything here? It's my favorite store(and second home) EVER!

23) Cloth Diapers: These are a huge money saver. And they are so much easier now(compared to when my Mom used them) snaps and no pins and plastic pants. Oh and I’m thankful for Mom stuffing them for me!! :)

 

24) For Pandora: It’s so nice to be able to stream free music!!

25) That I live in America: Seriously have been blessed to have been born here. I take the freedom I have for granted!!

26) For flip flops!: I’m not sure who invented them but I’m glad they did! I hate shows and flip flops are just one more reason I can’t wait for spring again!!

27) For Coffee Houses: And the many fun dates Mike and I have had at them. Even know it’s always fun to sit down with a latte and play a good game of rummy(even though I always lose).

28) For our dishwasher: Granted Mike does a lot of dishes around here(I’m sure more than I do) but since we both work I’m thankful for the timesaver of using the dish versus washing everything by hand.

29) For Friends: Though I kinda feel that we are somewhat lacking in this department(as far as having friends that we actually hang out with) but I am thankful for the few sets of friends that we get to spend some time with every once in a while. Levi enjoys these visits too!! :)

30) Thanksgiving: I'm thankful for a day that we can dedicate to giving thanks and truly counting our blessings!!