A Child's Faith

Yes, it has been a long time since I have been on here. We have had alot going on! Since my last blog, we have sold our house, moved and bought the same house twice. Long story and not a fun one but it is over and we are no longer squatters so all is good. We are in the process of having new wood floors and tile put in downstairs, painting the entire house and still trying to unpack. Just so you are aware, in case you were wondering, concrete floors are cold, very dirty and not recommended! lol

Anna Beth completely relaxed after we made the move and seems to have settled, She has gotten over the separation issues and has been taking life by storm once again. We have enjoyed a more peaceful Anna Beth although it is never completely calm when she is around. Drama is common with her but more manageable now that we are in our house.

Brian and I have been focusing on Obedience with Anna Beth lately and making her aware of the people that she hurts when she disobeys. Some of you will recognize this definition... Obedience is doing WHAT I'm told to do, WHEN I'm told to do it, WITH a happy heart. Anna Beth can quote it by heart and I use it just about every time we have a "moment." She has been more aware of whom her actions are affecting, especially Jesus. About 2 weeks ago, I was filling up the car and Anna Beth had been quoting the pledge of allegiance for about 20 minutes so I had begun to tune her out. All of the sudden she said, "Mommy, Jesus lives in my heart!" I said, "yes, Jesus can live in your heart if you ask Him to come live in your heart and forgive you for your disobedience." (We have not used the word "sin" yet so I had to break it down) I have not heard any other comments from her on this subject until October 30th. I was putting Anna Beth to bed, which is unusual in our home, and Anna Beth and I were having prayer time. She interrupted me and said, "Mommy, I asked Jesus in my heart" "You did?" I asked. "Where is he now?" "He's in my heart" said Anna Beth. I talked to her about the fact that Jesus cannot live in the same place where there is sin and then I went through what sin was with her. She agreed and stated that Jesus did live in her heart. We went on with our prayer time and thanked Jesus for living in her heart.

I got up from the bed and went and shared with Daddy what had happened and we both came to a realization. Salvation does not have to be a complicated process. I had always pictured having a conversation with Anna Beth in front of an open Bible and kneeling down and praying. For her, this was not important. At 3 years old, she understands that Jesus is real, she loves Him, He loves her and that He wants to have a relationship with her. Simple! I know that in time, she will come to understand on a greater level but right now she has faith that is bigger than even Brian and I can understand. God is more real to her at 3 than He is to us in many ways. She considers Him through-out her day when, as adults, we often schedule time to think about Him.

There will come a time that Anna Beth will realize the depth of God's love for her and how He expressed that through the death of His son Jesus. For now, I believe that my child has Jesus in her heart because she states this to me with authority. I am a very grateful Mommy. Grateful that God has made Himself so real to my little girl, that she believes in Him at a very young age, grateful that I am able to hear her strong faith and grateful to be the mommy of such a special little girl!

"No More Mommy!"

Ok, so yesterday I reached the point that I was just tired of being a Mommy! There, I said it!~ I am being as honest and raw as I can be. Anna Beth has just been having a really difficult few weeks and I am emotionally drained. There is so much guilt that goes along with knowing that I am in this place. She needs me so much but I need a break from being needed! It does not help that Brian and I have not had an evening away from her since the middle of June. I love her dearly but I just grow weary of all the battles. She doesn't want to go to Sunday School, or preschool or get dressed, or does not want to wear one of the 3 outfits that I picked for her to choose from. She wants mac and cheese but not on that plate, she does not want that cup but this one, it goes on and on....

I called Brian yesterday and told him that I was coming to his Upwards Flag Football practice because I did not want to be alone with her anymore! Tears were pouring down my face all the way to the football field and I was praying and asking God what more can I do to help her through this? I want to raise her with love, discipline and Jesus being the reason we make good choices. There are times that I just want to throw in the towel because of the work that goes with that. I know that I can't because I know the lifelong consequences of that choice but there are days that even prayer do not seem enough! At the football field were other mothers from our church that dared to ask me how I was doing and I was blunt. I was instantly encouraged as they began to tell me that they had all been through the same thing and there was an end to this. The guilt over feeling this way was lifted and I was allowed to feel hurt and sad.

After talking through this with Brian last night, we started to realize some of the fears that Anna Beth is going through right now. A few weeks ago, we put our house on the market and began the conversation about moving with her so she could be mentally prepared. (Anna Beth needs plans to feel safe) In the process of preparing the house to sell, we decided to move Anna Beth's cat to my sister's house so we would not have to deal with the pet issues in selling the house. We knew that Anna Beth would have a little trouble with this but I do not think that we realized just how much. Anna Beth thinks of Bootsie as part of the family. When she talks about her family, it is mommy, daddy, Anna Beth and Bootsie. There is no distinction that Bootsie is a cat! She also started back to preschool around the same time, started dance classes and has no understanding of what moving entails. She has this great fear that we are going to leave her right now and I think that in her little mind, if we would leave Bootsie, why would we not leave her? She has also been every unsure of leaving anything behind. As we talked, my heart just began to hurt for her as I realized what we have asked of her in the last few weeks. Anna Beth's greatest fear is being separated from us!

I really do not how to ease her fears except to constantly reassure her that we would never leave her where it was not safe and we will always come back for her. Walking through that conversation did not change the circumstances that we are going through with Anna Beth right now but it has made me more compassionate towards her. Discipline is an even greater responsibility right now because there is safety in boundaries. Right now it is important for her to have that picture of the cat on the fridge even though I am trying to keep things clean. So much of me wants to be selfish and walk away from the frustration of the moment but I know that God will allow that time later and right now He has asked me to give more of myself than I think able because He wants my dependence on Him!

How's the Teeth?

Anna Beth had her first dentist appointment today! We had been talking it up big for the last few days and preparing her for the noises and things that she would see so she was excited and thought that this was a really big girl thing to do. I woke her up and the first thing that she said was, "Is it time to go to the dentist?" We had trouble with the wardrobe as she wanted to dress up in Sunday clothes and we finally agreed to a simple Sunday dress and flip flops. She would not however wear panties as she had no Hello Kitty ones clean so we settled on her wearing a pull-up. I as a little surprised at this decision as she has not wanted to wear pull-ups in several months but I went with it to keep the peace and move on. We arrived at the dentist office with camera in tow for Daddy to see later. Her hygienist was wonderful with her. Anna Beth began to talk as soon as she left to go get the dentist to check her teeth. "Mommy, my dentist has a sink and my dentist has a TV in the ceiling and my dentist has..." This went one until she arrived back! lol Poor thing had a sad report on her teeth as she has chipped every front tooth that she has, in fact one of them is loose. We brush her teeth twice a day but she still has a few stains from the chips that she has developed over the last 3 years. No cavities that they could find but my poor dear is just clumsy and will have to deal with the result of this until her teeth fall out and she can start over. Anna Beth's gums were actually bruised as she had run into a door handle last night and we think that this is what made her "orange tooth" (as she calls it, it is stained) loose. The dentist actually mentioned fixing the offending tooth but I really see no reason for it unless Anna Beth gets really self-conscious.

Brian and I have been a bit amazed lately at how much Anna Beth has changed in the last couple of weeks. It is like she is on a quest to learn at least 100 new things each day and she will not be quiet until she figures it all out. Yet she still sounds so young at the same time. Marsh mellows are still smarchmellows and hic-ups are still make-ups but at the same time she asks the really deep questions. She has really in been into figuring out the differences between girls and boys and even her and I. Some of the stuff she has said sends us into real giggles. Below is a few of the conversations that we have had lately...

"Mommy, why does Daddy have 2 bottoms and we only have 1?"

"Mommy, (as she is looking at her chest) my boobs don't lift up!"

"Mommy, I have hair growing on my arms"

"Mommy, Daddy has hair on his belly but we don't... that's funny!"

"Mommy, do you remember that black lady?" said Anna Beth. "What black lady?" I asked(I was a little surprised by this statement as we have never referred to anyone by their skin color before.) "You know, she had black hair" Now it all made sense to me! LOL

Anna Beth on the phone with Daddy... "Daddy, I not cry today." This was not true so I heard Brian telling her that this is not what Mommy said so Anna Beth said, " I know but after I stop crying I not cry again all day!"

Anna Beth in the bathtub with her water babies was heard saying... "What did you do? That was not a good choice! Ok that's all right.... You did a great job!"

Daddy and Anna Beth were coloring together "Daddy, you did a great job!" (She has always been a great encourager and sharer)

"Mommy you are beautiful and I love you!"

"Daddy, Mommy and me, we are a family! I love my family!"

"Jesus, I sorry for not listening to Daddy"

We have also been going through a real separation anxiety phase lately and I am not sure what to do about it. The other day when I dropped her off at school, she actually was laying in the floor with a death grip on my ankle, screaming at the top of her lungs. She has also been crying at Sunday school. Anna Beth has been going to dance class for about 4 weeks now and loves it but this last week she sat outside the door with me and did all the dance moves but refused to go in for the first 20 minutes. She has been changing so fast that I sometimes wonder if she is feeling fearful because she does not need me as much.

We are daily in awe of the little girl that God gave us and so excited when she talks about Jesus in daily conversation. Being her parents has been one of the most trying and rewarding tasks that has ever been set before us!

Funny Ramblings...

Anna Beth has been so funny lately with the things coming out of her mouth. This last Saturday we were out looking at houses and made a stop for lunch. Anna Beth and I made a detour to the bathroom and finished up by washing our hands (of course!). The paper towel dispenser was automatic and would dispense another towel as soon as you tore it off. I grabbed one for myself and Anna Beth. When it spit out another Anna Beth looked up at it and said, "We have enough but thank you!" It was so funny but for the life of her she could no figure out why Mommy was laughing.

On last Thursday, I was driving home with Anna Beth from an errand and she began to talk about Jesus. She spends a lot of time trying to figure Him out and we have had many conversations related to this. Anna Beth began to tell me that Jesus was in the seat next to her and was buckled up to be safe. I am glad that she is so aware of His presence but sometimes it is hard not to laugh out loud when she is so literal.

Tonight, I was running the dryer and Brian's shorts were kicking up a bunch of noise. (He has a metal buckle on them) Anna Beth leaned over to me and said, "Mommy, it sounds like popcorn" The girl does love her popcorn.

The pictures attached are from the fountains in front of the court house in downtown Nashville. I was shooting some senior photos for a friend of mine. Anna Beth had been great for the 3 hours of pictures and I let her get soaking wet. She came home in some extra panties that were in her bag and froze in the car. I asked her if it was worth if and she said YES!

Visions from the past...

After flipping through Facebook, I have been faced with visions of my past and realized just how much they have shaped me and here is how...

My mother grew up in an abusive home and for years struggled with her anger and fears. That was demonstrated through the way that she disciplined me. For years, I hid bruises and lived in fear. Mom never meant to hurt me but truly was just raising me the way that she had been taught. My teens were difficult as our relationship was a struggle. At 16, I was molested by a boy in our youth group and at 19, I was date raped. I had learned to hide things from my parents that could cause friction and thus I remained quiet and led my parents to believe that I had just been rebellious and strayed.

My early 20's was a time of renewal in Christ and my relationship with the Lord grew to such that I was awed by Him everyday. I was accepted by a ministry that traveled across the country teaching about personal revival. This is the time where I learned to hide my fears and emotions from other believers. As a children's minister, I thrived! I delved deep into the Word and sought out the truth. My personal truth was my worst enemy at the time. In that type of ministry, people do not want to hear that you are vulnerable and raw. I saw some amazing things and truly believe that God had a strong hand on that ministry but there were times that I was driven by the leaders to search for hidden sins that only caused me to become depressed and fearful. We called this a "witch hunt for sin" Instead of allowing God to show us our sin, we went looking for it! Staying in "host" homes was my biggest downfall. Fears from my past surfaced and I could not put into words the hurt and healing that was taking place in my heart. This was interpreted again as rebellion and caused such great grief that I began to struggle with eating and sleeping. In the end, I left the ministry before the end of my 3rd year. Staying was just too painful and yet I struggled for years as I felt that I had failed to complete the task set before me. This was one of the darkest times in my life as I felt completely alone.

It took me a full year before I could go back and become a part of church. The church that I returned to was not the church that I had left 3 1/2 years earlier. The church had split and become bitter and hard. Several people in the church were angry and blamed the ministry that I had been a part of for destroying the church and I found that again, my "safe haven" was no safe place. God was so faithful to me during that time and continued to mold my heart in the image of Him. I finally found a church that I could become a part of and began to work in the Children's Ministry there. It was an amazing time and I grew in my faith much as I wrote and developed the Bible curriculum. Children have a way of restoring your faith in people and old wounds began to heal.

During this time, we discovered that my Grandmother had Alzheimer's. I bought a house and moved her in with me. The next 2 years were spent working during the day with special needs children and picking Grammy up from adult daycare at the end of the day. That was personally a very draining time for me. She threw books, coffee mugs and various other items at my head as she could not express her anger and frustration very well. My evenings were spent putting the knobs back on the stove to fix dinner, cleaning up, pulling stuff out of the trash that she had thrown away such as pictures, Bibles and jewelry, fishing stuff out of toilets and finally getting her bathed and to bed. In the end, Grammy was getting up about 3 times every night and getting lost in the house. Usually she was looking for the bathroom so putting her back to bed meant cleaning up messes and tucking her in. After 2 years, I realized that I could no longer cope and it was time to move Grammy to an assisted living center.

My sister moved into the house with me and I decided to get back into the real world. I started surfing the net and spending time with my Bible study buddies. It was a time of refreshment and delight at what God had led me through. During this time, I met the love of my life on a dating web site. Brian traveled back and forth for months from Nashville, TN to my home town of Jackson, TN. He was a professional drummer and was the sweetest thing on this side of heaven. God had given me a man of wisdom and one fully devoted to loving me! We were married on January 24th, 2004, just 11 months after having met online! I moved to Nashville and finally began the journey of opening my heart up to others.

God has been so faithful to me during the darkest of times and He has lead me to a church that loves the faults as much as the gifts. As Brian and my friends have slowly pulled away the layers of fear on my heart, I have found a sense of redemption in Christ for the first time in my life. I had never experienced unconditional love here on earth. There were always stipulations and clauses. I have known in my head that I was loved by God but the last 4 1/2 years has been the first time that I have ever seen it manifested. My daughter has been a gateway to forgiving and understanding my Mom. While I had chosen to forgive in the past, I began to understand her on a level that was not possible until I had a child of my own. I have loved getting to know my parents in a new way, There are treasures here on earth that were given to me to mold me into the image of God. I am no Grecian Urn but I have found that I am still special. All the knobby points and craters on my shell are my signs of growth. This is my journey to date and I am excited to see the testimony that will continue in my heart. I am forever grateful that God gave me the strength and grace to send me through the fire. My heart is full of joy and I am daily reminded of the life that He saved me from as I watch the world around me. He could have allowed me to be the one that was raised in a house of drugs and prostitution and yet He did not. My heavenly Father chose to send me along a path, that while hard, was not unconquerable with His direction and strength.

Ring, Ring, It's Boots on the phone....

On Saturday, we went over to my sister's house and had soem friends over to swim and eat. Anna Beth was fantastic until our friends left and then she turned quickly. We ened with a very rough afternoon.

We got stuck at their house until 9 pm that night waiting for Anna Beth's car seat to dry after and bit of an accident. When we finally had everything and were ready to hit the door, Anna Beth decided that she was not ready to leave. Brian handed me his cell phone and headed to the kitchen. I was not sure what he was up to but I soon found out. The phone started ringing and I realized that it was Brian on my sister's line. I answered the phone wondering what he was up to and heard the meow. Apparently Boots Kitty Cat Wood was calling! LOL I put Brian on speaker phone and called Anna Beth over. She was facinated when she realized that her cat had called and was asking her to come home. Bootsie never says a word at home other than meow but she talks up a storm over the phone. Brian hung up the phone and Anna Beth took him the phone and said, "Daddy, you want to talk to Bootsie?" I got up and headed around the corner to make the call and play Bootsie for a while. Brad and Denise were about to loose it on the couchand things got worse when Brian asked Bootsie to let him talk to the fish! I was loosing it behind the kitchen counter trying to figure out how to make fish noises and Anna Beth was believing it hook, line and sinker. LOL After the 2nd call, Anna Beth was ready to head home and see her Kitty but the only problem was, that she kept asking to call her cat all the way home.

On Thursday Anna Beth cried (and when I say cried, I mean screamed) non-stop for an hour and 45 minutes. We are having to be careful what battles we choose because we get tired of fighting with her. On Tuesday night, we went to Baskin Robbins for their $ .99 night and she went down a ramp that I told her not to. I told her when she got to the end that she would get a spanking when we got home if she stepped off. She looked at me and stepped off. All the way home, she said, "I don't want a spanking Mommy." I told her that she made that choice so now she had to get her spanking. When we got home, she refused to get out of the car. I unbuckled her car seat and she buckled it back. For 10 minutes she sat in that hot car with the door open and us staring out the window at her. I finally took the plastic spoon to the car and spanked her there. you would have thought that I killed her when in fact, I barely tapped her. She then screamed for another 45 minutes and we had to sling her over the shoulder to carry her in. Why? Why did we end up with the most stubborn child on earth? LOL I have never seen another child with the same determination that she has. She has actually been horse for the last couple of weeks from crying so much. I believe that she is also going through a growth spurt right now because she wakes up every night and has gotten very tall and skinny. Hopefully all will settle down once we get back to the routine of school and she is happy again.

Bible Study in a Storm!

I have been finding it very difficult to get alone with my God lately. Apparently my child feels that she should have my full attention at all times. I have been having my alone time when she was laying down to rest in the afternoons but she is no longer resting. I also felt that it is important for her to see me reading and praying so that she sees that it is a part of our everyday lives. This becomes a bit useless when I yell at her to leave me alone so I can pray! LOL In the end I feel as though this time set aside has been for nought.

There is a balance and I feel that my time is being pushed aside when I also believe that it is more important than ever to have that worship time with the Lord. I love my little girl but I need this and am trying to find a way to make it work together. Oddly enough my time with the Lord today was focused on misplaced attention. My attention has been all over the place lately, not on the matters of my heart. This only seems to be amplified when I am kicking my child out of the room so that I can have a few moments of peace to reflect and meditate on the condition of the heart. I find that instead I am sitting there dwelling on my frustration that I do not have that time and wondering what she is destroying just beyond that door.

She is so precious to me and I am grateful to God that He gave her to me to raise. However in the midst of that I believe that the One to whom I am grateful is also being neglected. Today, while she did give me time alone eventually, she also decided to use that time to "clean and fill" her vaporizer. This ended up being poured all over the carpet in my hallway. Another mess to clean and another time with God interrupted. After fussing, cleaning and a few of my tears I realized that I had just ruined any witness that I might have been to my child today! Where is the balance and will I be able to lead my child toward the Lord?

Too Cute...

Anna Beth has done and said that funniest things lately. On Monday, Brian and I took turns staying home with her because she was sick. I had the afternoon shift and was trying to get some work done from home when Anna Beth thought it would be a great idea to play the Brian's drums right behind me. I listened, appreciated and tolerated for about 20 minutes and decided that I had had enough. Just as I was about to say something, "I heard her say, "1...2...3...4... go!" Away she went banging with all her heart on her Daddy's drums. Last night she was counting off for him while he played! LOL That same day, she walked up to me and said, "Momma, I have the make-ups" This means hick-ups! She later came by again and informed me that she was ready to see her emails. (I have created a special email just for her that is monitored by me so that the family can send her stuff) Anna Beth cracks me up talking about listening to Mommy's I-pod and wearing her pretty croc's. She sounds so old at times!

Yesterday evening, Anna Beth was outside playing with her friends in the front yard and I peaked my head out to check on her only to discover her standing in the middle of the road at dusk! She has been warned on many occasions that she is never allowed in the road but she thinks that her friends can do it, why not her?! How so you explain to a 3 year old that they are not as old as they think that they are? I can usually trust her for brief spurts outside with the older girls because they keep an eye on her but this time they were keeping an eye on her as they rode around her in the street with their bikes! AHHHHHH! Trust is gone and Anna Beth is going to just have to put up with Mommy hanging around while she plays for a while longer.

There are days that I miss my baby but for the most part, I am grateful that my little girl is exactly where she is at. It has been so much fun to watch her personality develop and the discoveries that she has found. The time goes so fast. The other night I was kissing her on the neck and between her giggles she was telling me to stop. I told her, "No, Mommy has to do it alot because very soon you will not let mommy do it at all!" This is why I blog, to hold on to those special moments that someday will be hard to remember. Those little things that I laugh and cry over now will be hazy and forgotten. This is a way to preserve a bit of my girl for her to read about one day. I want her to know that her Mommy loved her, agonized over her and delighted in her.

Rasing a drama queen...

I am sure that all of you out there that do not have a little girl are wondering what it is like to raise a little girl. Just in case you are considering taking on this huge task let me walk you through our morning at the Wood household with Anna Beth!

Last night, we blew up the queen sized blow-up bed and the 3 of us piled on to watch a movie. After the movie was over we decided to "camp" out in the living room for the night so we all got settled and dozed off. This morning dawned bright and beautiful around 9:30 am and Anna Beth was sweet enough to wake us with kisses and giggles. She then informed us that she was stinky. After a quick discussion about using the potty vs. the pull-up I told her to get a pull-up and the wet wipes so daddy could change her. Then a 10 minute conversation continued about the fact that she had to be the one to get the stuff and that Daddy was going to change her. I thought all was well but then Daddy moved her to an easier place to change her and she dissolved into a screaming crying drama mess because she did not want to be changed on that side of the couch but the other side. After time-out on the steps and then time-out in the room and alot of tears Daddy and Anna Beth emerged ready to face the day. During this, I was making french toast, sausage and chocolate milk for breakfast. I was ready when they arrived downstairs including the powered sugar sprinkled on top. Anna Beth took one look at the plates and sat in the floor crying again because she wanted to use one of her plates instead of Mommy's plates. In order to just have some peace, I changed her plate but that was not enough. Daddy was supposed to have a pink plate as well. This caused more tears... then she did not want milk but koolaid. She was cold and needed a blanket... she wanted syrup on one French toast but not the other and then she put them together to eat them like a sandwich! She wanted 2 pieces of eggs not 1. She wanted to feed the fish and how could Daddy feed them without her?! All of these involved tears and crying and took about a total of 40 minutes to get through breakfast. I was just grateful that breakfast was over.

After breakfast Anna Beth had to clean up the chalk that she had drawn on the wall during one of her time-out sessions the night before. A time-out session that was required because Anna Beth stood there and peed on the floor while talking to me after I had just asked her if she needed to go potty! After she colored on the wall she had to sit there another 2 minutes!

Seriously, before you consider having a little girl you will need to understand that with her sweet face, giggles and kisses comes a side full of drama, tears and ear busting screams. I am not saying that I regret having her but I am pondering ever doing it again! LOL

It is so much work to raise her in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Oh... it would be easier to give her what she wants and let her go on her merry way but I know that is not what God has called us to do as parents. I am praying that all of this hard work and many prayers will be rewarded with a wonderful woman that lives a life in full surrender to the Lord. Anna Beth has such a wonderful heart and takes such good care of those around her and I know that one day all of these mornings of frustration will bear incredible fruit!

Mommy... I put a bow on it!

Anna Beth slept in this morning so after she woke up we made our usually phone call to check in with Daddy, we then headed downstairs for breakfast. After eating our bowls of cereal. starting a load of laundry and getting the kitchen in working order again, I headed back upstairs to separate the laundry. Anna Beth was contentedly watching Sesame Street so I thought I was in good shape to get a few things done.

Upon arriving back downstairs, I discovered that Anna Beth had "re-arranged" the 3 loads of laundry that I had folded the night before. She had taken every towel, blanket, and piece of clothing and laid them flat one on top of another. I looked at her with a grin on my face and asked what she was doing. She informed me that she had put a bow on top and indeed she did. There was a small hat atop the giant pile of clean laundry! LOL After a phone call to Daddy that involved lots of laughter I began to "unwrap" the laundry. At the middle of the pile I found my "gift." It was her wet wipes box. After a game of chase and tickles through the house I began to re-fold all the laundry! LOL While my house is in a state of continuous mess due to episodes like this, my heart is full with the knowledge that God has given me a child that will delight me all my days!

We finished the morning off with cheesy eggs and apples for lunch! I am excited to see what amazing and funny thing that she will come up with next. I am hoping that she will take a nap so that I can get the house cleaned for our trip and some more laundry done. We will see if the cooperation will continue but I know that God's gift to me will continue to leave me laughing, crying, frustrated and fulfilled as a mother. My life is full of blessings and today I have had to stop and take the time to thank God for them.

I was recently told, by a very old friend, that those hard days will get better as she gets older and while I am grateful that that is true, I also do not want to loose these moments waiting for the easier days to come. They go so quickly and even though there will be days that I sit in a parking lot and cry out of humiliation for the behavior that my child just exhibited, the days are also full of those sweet and sensitive moments. Those moments that Anna Beth asks me to read her a book about Jesus, I can listen to her pray, I can hear her giggle in delight and I can hear about something new that she has learned or discovered. They are ever fleeting. My baby is growing up and she reminds me that she is a big girl everyday!

Thank you my gracious Father for the child that you have given to Brian and I. Thank you for her strong sense of who she is and her willingness to defend that. Thank you for the guidance and the people that you have sent along side of us to encourage us as we raise this precious child. Thank you for such a strong and supportive husband that adores both of us. You have given me one of the greatest gifts that a woman could ever ask for, my family!

Finally... a good day!

I awoke this morning with high hopes that the day would be positive with Anna Beth and so far that is true. It was a slow and lazy start but has continued with having the 3 girls from next door over to eat frozen pizza and watermelon. They then all moved to the back-yard to climb in the big blow-up pool to swim. They are taking turns between laying out, the sprinkler and the pool. LOL I am actually having some time to myself to get caught on work and have a peaceful moment as the oldest is keeping an eye on Anna Beth for me. What a blessing!

Last night we went to an Electronic store to deal with a customer service issue which pushed me over the edge! The manager was rude and condescending to both Brian and I. He actually said that he did not have to fix the mistake that the company as a whole made and he was doing us a favor. I have never had such bad customer service in all my days and I went so far as to contact the headquarters this morning via email and let them know that I was willing to take this to the Better Business Bureau if they did not respond! I understand people make mistakes but there is never a reason for rudeness. Needless to say, we are never returning to that store!

After that we headed to Toys R' Us. Anna Beth had received a $25 gift card from Brandon and Emily for her Flower Girl Services. This was the first time that we had ever taken her to a toy store so she was completely overwhelmed. Anna Beth ran from one aisle to the next squealing like crazy! lol I have not seen her that excited in several days. We finally decided on a Lite Bright, Hello Kitty flip flops and a Hello Kitty pink purse. She had to have a little help from Daddy to pay for all of her purchases but she had no idea that he did as he stood on the other side of the counter to pay the difference. It was a great stress reliever after what had happened earlier.

I have spent most of my afternoon getting fraudulent charges taken off some our bills and about to head into the world of work. Overall a great day and I am looking forward to what the rest of the evening holds!

Hard Day!

Today was such a hard day with Anna Beth that I ended up sitting in the front seat of my van in the Kroger parking lot sobbing! Why do kid's push to the brink of insanity? I believe that she sat down in the middle of every aisle and threw a fit, then she proceeded to run away from me. She has been obnoxious for the last couple of days and I am sick to death of listening to her scream from time-out. No form of punishment is working right now and the only thing that I can do is be consistent. I must say though that my patience is wearing thin. If I did not contain self-control she would not have been safe with me today! LOL

I love her dearly and fear the idea of anything ever harming her but there are days that being her mommy is very hard. She pushes so hard to win and thus I dig my heals in even harder. We are not fighting over issues of safety but of who is in charge. Listening seems to be the biggest obstacle right now. There are times that I want to put a speaker up to her ear so she will listen. I realize that it is not a matter of listening but performing the task that I gave her. I really do understand why so many working mom's give up and let their kid's rule the home. There are times that it feels as though this would be the easiest way but I want Anna Beth to grow up with discipline and focus. I want her to understand that her disobedience hurts Jesus. I do not want to take her spirit and drive from her but teach her how to control it.

Raising her often drives me to my knees in prayer because there is nothing else that I can do! I do not want to be angry with her and I do not want to show her anything but unconditional love like my heavenly Father. I order for that to shine through I cannot teach her in my own strength. This is an impossible task without guidance from above!

The Wedding is over...

The wedding of Brandon and Emily Wood is finally over and we can all relax a little now! We had a great time and Anna Beth walked down the aisle like she does it everyday! We were so proud of the way she behaved. The wedding was on Saturday and that encompassed the entire day so Sunday we relaxed a bit. After sleeping in, we headed over to Emily's parents house to watch the newlywed's open their presents. That night, we made a trip to the local Ice Deli and then rested.

Monday was spent at the St Louis Zoo with Grandma and Grandpa Wood. Considering how tired Anna Beth was, she was on her best behavior and we had a great time. Her favorites at the Zoo were riding the train and the bears and penguins. After walking the Zoo for 5 hours, she was asleep before we got out of St Louis! LOL

It has been sometime since I have been able to blog and I know that there are things that I am going to regret not getting written someday. Anna Beth changes so fast and she has the funniest stories. We have tried to stay close to home as much as possible since we have and will be so busy. There has been a water fight in the front yard between Brian and I. Anna Beth ended up the wettest of all but that is nothing new. There has been new phrases that have come out of that child's mouth and there has been the usual drama at work.

Speaking of work... I really am at a loss as to what to do. I feel so loyal and yet there has been no loyalty to me. My pay is well below the average for what I do and I have to deal with feeling like the 3rd wheel on a daily basis. I love what I do but there are days that the personal relationships get difficult to deal with. I realize that these will never change and there are days that I can deal with these easily but then there are others that it is hard to swallow. I just want to feel appreciated and have not had that affirmation in over a year and a half. I have really tried to seek the Lord for what to do and I think that I have gone deaf for I am getting nothing! LOL Really though, I wonder if He has told me to move on and i have just chosen to ignore Him because it is easier to stay than to start new or does He want me to stay to teach me something new? I guess the only answer to keep listening and seeking other jobs. If the door closes then I know where I am to be.

Now for my dearest Anna Beth, wow, what a delight she is! She still cannot pronounce her L's so a "lid" is a "wib" and so forth. She comes up with the most outrageous things! She has recently begun saying, "oh, my gosh" and we are trying to break her of that quickly. We have begun to watch less and less TV because she picks things up so fast. Yesterday, her older friends from next door were busy playing with their friends from school and she was so hurt because they did not want to play with her. She truly believes that she should be able to playing the road because they do. She does not understand that she is only 3 years old vs, their 5 & 7. Anna Beth has also picked up a southern drawl. I am not sure where she gets it as Brian is from Colorado and I have never spoken with a heavy southern accent. My only guess is that she gained it from school. "Ice Cream" sounds more like "Iiiiice creeam." somehow she adds extra syllables to every word. It sounds incredibly funny coming out of her little mouth!

That is about all there is going on in our lives right now! We are on the count down for vacation and looking forward to getting away from work for an entire week. I have big plans for Brian's Father's day as well that should be great fun!

Mother's Day

It has been a long time since I have actually sat down and written about one of my days but I could not resist filling you in on my perfect Mother's Day. I have just about one of the sweetest husbands ever and he planned the perfect day.

Brian got me up on Saturday and told me to get ready, we went and dropped Anna Beth off at my sister's house and then we took of for my mystery date. We arrived at the Opry Mills Mall and Brian informed me that we were going on a Dinner cruise aboard the General Jackson. Could he be any sweeter? Just the 2 of us, on a mid-day cruise! We had 2 hours of talking and just enjoying being together.

After the cruise, we headed back to Denise and Brad's where my mother and dad had arrived. We ate dinner together, gave Nana her birdhouses and just had fun. It truly was a very sweet time and I thank my husband for how hard he works to make me feel special as a woman and a mother. I never expected to treated with such love and respect and am grateful for the way he loves me.

"But Why"

is the thing that I hear out of my 3 year old's mouth about every 20 seconds! I know that this is normal but it is driving me nuts. We are also keeping my sister and her husbands puppy for the week while they are on a delayed honeymoon. That along with the fact that Brian has a gig that has had him tied up until 10:30 pm every night this week and this will continue through Friday night, has me worn out and ready to go into a coma like state for a week. I am grateful for the gig and the extra money for vacation in June but this makes me very grateful that I am not a single mom. I have alot of admiration for the women of this world that do it day after day. I know that if God called my husband home that He would give me the grace but right now I really do not see how it is possible. lol

It has also been a difficult time at work. As most of you know, I am a staff accounant for http://www.hobby-lobby.com/ and no this is not the craft store. We are beginning our yearly audit on Monday and so this week is full of gathering information that the auditors will need to issue accurate financials for our company. We are also heading into our Month End next week. Then begins the process of reconciling all the GL and bank accounts all over again... This is a never ending cycle and has been complicated by the fact that we are preparing for a large system change. Have I mentioned that I am ready to enter a comma like state? lol My poor boss the CFO has it much worse than I and I really do not know how she is keeping it together right now. her husband to be is very ill and is on a transplant list. When i see her trying to juggle the kid's, her man and work, it makes me very grateful to have the life that I do.

Anna Beth and I headed out to Smyrna again tonight to check on my sister's house. We went last night and I realized that their two goldfish had already eaten an entire 10 day fish feeder. The are very fat fish! lol As we were stopping at the pet store to pick up the feeder, we saw a gentlman on a motorcycle covered in tattoos. Anna Beth shouted out the she had seen Uncle Brandon! lol Uncle Brandon is a marine based in N.C. right now and yes he is covered in tattoos.

The only other news that is going on in the Wood household is that Brian got a new drum kit last week. He is very proud and he got a great deal on it. I am just glad for him to have his own kit again. It is a DW kit and the guy sold it with all of the hardware which is a better grade than he had in the past as well as cymbals and high hat. The cymbals alone are worth $1000 and he got the whole kit for that!

Speaking of Brian, have I mentioned lately how amazing he is? Our children's pastor at church sent out an email to all the men on his email list today about "bouncing" their eyes away from temptations. Brian and I had recently had this same discussion at the mall. While we were there, we walked past a woman that was not properly dressed by our standards. As we passed I was walking slightly behind Brian and moticed that he had seen the woman but quickly moved his eyes away from her. As we walked further away, I thanked Brian for the respect that he had just shown me by looking away. Brian began to tell me about a book that he had read that talked about bouncing your eyes off things that might tempt you to lust. Brian stated that he tried to do this all the time so that he could be faithful to me in all areas of our marriage! Wow! What a lucky girl am I?!!! I am so proud of the husband that I have and am grateful that he works very hard to keep his mind pure. Not that he can't lust after me all he wants! lol There are times that I forget what a struggle this can be for him and fail to pray for him in this area. Brian is such a strong man with very strong morals but only by the grace of God can any of us remain faithful in our relationship with our heavenly Father and our realtionships with each other. I try often to let Brian know how proud I am of him and what a man of God I believe that he is and has become.

That is my brag session for the days so I will sign off and get the girl, dog, cat, fish and myself ready for bed! Anna Beth and I have a great day ahead tomorrow for we get to spend it with each other!

She is sooo sweet!

Lately Anna Beth has been coming out of her terrible two's and has overall been very sweet. We still have our moments but she is getting better! Today was a busy but good day. We had grocery's to buy and a house to clean! Anna Beth was very good but managed to get hurt twice while we were out. I think that she is even less graceful than I am, if that is even possible. lol While we were getting fruit at Walmart, Anna Beth leaned over into one of the big plastic bins holding grapefruits. She was trying to reach some apples just above them. AS she did this she actually managed to fall face first into the bin and there were grapefruits larger than a softball flung at her head. She also got hit with the bin itself. She was more embarrassed than anything but it was pretty funny. Later as I was pushing her through the store, she was playing in the back of the cart. I had gotten, at her request, the cart that has the 2 seats in the back. I had warned her 3 times to stop playing but she jumped one last time just as I was pushing forward. She fell backwards out of the cart and hit her head on the floor. This time she was really hurt. After some TLC, she sat quietly in the cart like I had been asking her for the last 20 minutes!

Lately, Anna Beth has really been putting together what we have been telling her about Jesus. We try as we have our teaching moments with her to tell her that Jesus is always with us and it does not just make mommy & daddy sad when she does not listen but it makes Jesus sad too! We are so grateful that she is also reinforced with this at preschool and church. The other day I heard her fussing at Boots (the cat) and this is what I heard..."Boots, you not scratch mommy & daddy's bed! That's not right and it make Jesus sad when you not obey!" I laughed but I was also grateful that she understands what her disobedience does to Jesus. She also asked me the other day, when she had not listened to me, "Mommy. that make Jesus sad?" I am thrilled that she is tender hearted and wants to please Him!

Last night when I arrived home, I discovered Brian and Anna Beth upstairs in our room. Brian was separating laundry to put up and Anna Beth was preparing "supper" She had set up and fake table and tablecloth on the floor fashioned out of blankets. She asked us to sit down and she headed downstairs to bring us our "supper" After a couple of trips she informed us that we needed to pray before we ate so we all bowed our heads and she began, "Dear Jesus God, Thank for you for this day and thank you for this food annnnnnd AMEN!" It was the first time that we had ever heard her pray aloud alone. It was so sweet and our hearts just melted!

I need to go spend some time with my husband. Denise and Brad were over for dinner tonight so we have not had much time to talk tonight. I will up-date again when I can but until then, God bless and good-night!

Girls Game Night

I have not been on here in a bit so there is some catching up to do. Anna Beth has been pretty funny lately and behaving fairly well. The other day I was giving her a bath and I slipped on a wet spot next to the tub and Anna Beth said, "Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!" While she did not do this to humiliate Mommy it did just that. lol I could not help but laugh at her appropriate remark and try to remember that she does not realize what she is saying! She also had her Daddy playing princess and king with her. Anna Beth had created a "house" in our closet. Brian was sitting on the floor playing with her, when all of the sudden she said, "Daddy, you go out there, I'm tired of your games!" Brian realized in that moment that he says that to her almost every night as she makes excuse after excuse to not go to bed. lol

Brian went over to a friends house on Monday night to watch the Championship game for March maddness and he had a great time. Last night, I had the opportunity to join a bunko group with some of the ladies from our church. I had so much fun with those girls! They are some of the sweetest women that I have ever met and this is the first time that I have really had an opportunity to just hang out with them in such an intimate setting. We talked for almost 5 hours and never played bunko! lol Maybe next time... we realized it was getting late when 3 of our cell phones started ringing. Apparently it was 11:30 and our husbands were beginning to wonder if we were coming home. I finally got home around mid-night and then talked to Brian for another 30 minutes or so before finally going to sleep. I am paying for it now after an 11 hour day at work!

My reports are almost done running so I am signing off and heading home to my sweet family!

Family Day

What a fantastic day! Brian took yesterday off to just spend the day with his 2 girls and we had so much fun. We have been working non-stop lately and we just needed some time for the 3 of us.

We slept in and then took off for a day filled with fun. Our first stop was a place called "Pump It Up." It is a place filled with inflatable rides. Since it was raining all day yesterday it cancelled our picnic in the park so we spent $7.00 and played in inflatables for 2 hours. There was almost no one there so Brian and I climbed through all the slides and obstacle courses with Anna Beth and jumped with her. I have not heard her giggle that hard in a couple of weeks! She loved racing Daddy down the slides and having Brian and I jump so hard that it made her fall.

Next we went to lunch and Chick-fil-a, where again she played on the indoor playground. I really do not know how she does it! lol Then off we went to the store to pick up some food. Anna Beth loves to push the kid size carts and since we did not have alot to get, I filled her basket and she was thrilled. She is so funny driving that thing around. I have been trying to teach her left and right when we go to the store by saying turn Right or turn Left when we are navigating our way through the store. Usually the cart gets heavy and she throws her whole body into turning the corners. By the end, it is so full that she can barely see over the top of it. Just before we left she asked to see my list and she went over it herself. Anna Beth said, "Okay, let me see... we have got everything so now we go pay and go home."

After a lazy afternoon of a movie and naps, we had dinner and I gave Brian and Anna Beth hair cuts. It was one of the most perfect days ever and I am so grateful for those times where we can just relax and play together as a family!

Inventory is over!

After working 12 and a 1/2 hours on Saturday, inventory is complete and the steady march towards our yearly audit begins. It has been a long and tiring week and I awoke this morning with a very bad migraine. Brian headed off to church leaving Anna Beth and I sleeping in the bed. I hated to miss my class but even my skin on my face hurt. I spent most of the day sleeping and my head is down to a dull ache.

Brian just took off with Anna Beth for a Daddy daughter date to McDonald's. She left dressed in her plastic dress up shoes and a pink purse filled with pennies! lol I had to hold back the laughter as she marched to the car in those shoes. Now I have a few minutes to myself to gather my thoughts and write about my weekend.

Friday was a busy day at work getting ready for inventory but I was looking forward to my evening with Brian. I had reserved us a room at a hotel near work so we could relax and spend some time just the two of us. My sister watched Anna Beth (thank you Denise!) for us so we could have a date in the midst of the craziness we call our lives. Brian and I have been so busy with work and Anna Beth is at that age that she demands to be heard that we have been falling into bed exhausted each night and forgetting to spend time with each other. Friday night, after work, we checked into the hotel and then headed out for dinner. After alot of talking, dinner and a margarita each, we fell into bed exhausted!

Saturday morning we headed to Starbucks at 7 am to meet my boss. We gathered the Starbucks orders and headed to work for a long day! After a bumpy beginning, variance reports, and recounts, we finally headed to pick up our girl at 7:30 pm. I had been staring at a computer screen for almost 10 hours, putting in part numbers and inventory amts. My eyes were glazed over and Anna Beth, after having not seen us since Friday morning, was ready to talk. All the way home she rambled. I am not sure of what all she said but here is a small bit of a conversation I heard her having with herself in the backseat.

"Uh, it's raining! How did that happen? Let me think... (humming) I'm thinking.... Mommy, look, the light turned green and it started raining and then the light turned red and it stopped! That's so funny!"

This was non-stop until about 11:30 last night! lol I really do not know where she comes up with the stuff that she says but it never ceases to be amusing. After some negotiations, because we were to tired to do battle with her last night, we finally got her in a bed in the spare room with the cartoons going. I headed to bed and was asleep long before Brian climbed in. (sorry Baby!)
Today has been a day of resting and I have refused to do any house work! The dishes and clutter will keep until tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, it is year-end so I will have another long day of journal entries, reconciling and closing out the year. I need to go back to bed now! lol

Thick Paint...

What a day! My sister Denise took half a day off today and came by the house for an afternoon of girl fun. I had worked from home all morning so Anna Beth was ready for attention. We ate a quick lunch and then headed out the door. We went to a place called "All Fired Up." It is a place to paint pottery. We went cheap and Denise and I picked things to put in our fish tanks. Denise painted a turtle and I, a flat frog. I will add pictures when I get them back on Saturday. Anna Beth picked out a heart to paint and choose the color pink. Imagine that! Could the child be any more girly? LOL She had so much paint caked on that I had to scrape it off with a paper towel because it would not dry. I finally got it as smooth as possible and and added another coat. Then we added dots to cover all the imperfections. She ended up picking out another heart because Denise and I were not done. Who knew it could take so long to paint a turtle and frog that can fit in the palm of your hand? lol

After we finished our pieces and tuned them in for firing, we headed to the lake. I wanted to pick up some rocks to stack and put in the fish tank. Upon arriving, Anna Beth discovered the ducks and decided that she wanted to pet them. She spent a good 30 minutes chasing those ducks and never caught a single one! After chasing the ducks, she headed down to the lake to throw rocks in the "river." She picked up rocks that were so big that they basically landed on the ground in front of her. She was so funny and completely worn out by the time that we headed home. She was asleep before we arrived at the house!

it was a fun day and I got very little house work done. This was the only day that I am going to be able to stay home with her this week. I am working an extra day since this is our week of inventory and our fiscal year end is Next Monday. I have had to do alot of work from home in order to stay ahead of the game so I can handle the things thrown at me last minute. Brian and I are already tired and it is only Tuesday. I am about to wrap it up and head to bed right now. I will have sweet dreams tonight of a peaceful day with one of my best friends and my little girl!

Sweet Sleep

I have about 20 minutes before I wake my sleeping child. Anna Beth suffers from Allergies and asthma. The last few days have been every difficult for her and in return for us. With all of the flowers in bloom, she has been coughing for 3 days straight. She has no congestion, just a dry cough. As a result, she has not been able to get good rest for the last 3 nights until last night. We have been starting her out in her own bed but for some reason her cough is less frequent when she is in our room, so she usually lands in our bed around midnight. We just can't take listening to her struggle all night! We have been doing breathing treatments every 4 hours which means there are times that we are up at 3 am giving her a treatment.

Last night started out the same with her coughing about every 3 minutes in her sleep. I could not take it anymore and after seeing my tears Brian said to go get her. After getting her settled in our bed, Anna Beth finally settled down. I lay there next to her waiting for the next cough and praying in between them. They started getting farther and farther apart so I began praying, Lord, just let her get 1 hour of deep sleep before the next cough! He answered my prayer and she slept sound from about 1 am on. She pushed me out of the bed around 3 am so I went off to the spare room to get some sleep. I did not care as long as that child got some real sleep.

Brian and I got up and were getting ready for work this morning and she continued to sleep so peacefully that I emailed my boss and let her know that I was going to let Anna Beth sleep in for a bit and I would be in late. (I have a great boss and flexible schedule). It is almost 9 am now and I need to get her up and going. I really hope that she does better in the next few days!

Hosanna

Today was so much fun! It started out with a big breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, and pancakes with orange juice with Nanna and Papa (my mom and dad). After breakfast we dashed off to get ready for the huge Easter Egg hunt at the park that our church (TDF) puts on every year.

We arrived in plenty of time for the egg hunt and got in place to get those eggs. As soon as they finished the count down Anna Beth dashed off for all those eggs. She found a couple of eggs that were empty so she tossed them aside and headed for the filled ones. In the end she was loaded down with a basket and a half of Easter eggs. She shared some her candy with her friends and then we hit the slides and rides. She should have been worn out when we left a couple of hours later but she was still raring to go when we got home.

Denise and Brad had joined us and the boy's took off to go pick up a few things while the girls decorated Easter eggs. As we were finishing up, I asked Anna Beth to tell Nana and Denise what she learned at Sunday School last week. The following is the conversation that took place:

Anna Beth said, " I learn about Jesus"
Mommy(me): "What did Jesus ride on to get into the city?"
Anna Beth: "He rode a donkey:
Mommy: "What did the people do when he rode in on the donkey?"
Anna Beth: "They say, We love Jesus!"
Mommy: "Did they also say, Hosanna?"
Anna Beth: "I'm Anna"
Mommy: "But did the people say Hosanna?"
Anna Beth: "Whose Anna, I'm Anna!"
Mommy: "No, Hosanna"
Anna Beth: "But I Anna!"

This went on for about 5 minutes and finally we established that she was indeed Anna! LOL

The night has ened with one very tired little girl, Nana, Papa and Mommy and Daddy

Checking my list...

Yes, I am a list checker and I think that this is rubbing off on my daughter. There have been times that I have been shopping and gotten something that was not on my list and I wrote it down and then marked it off. I know, I am a sick individual! lol Usually my day starts off with making my list wheather at home or at work. They are always longer than I can evr acheive and I cannot remember the last time that I was actually able to do everything on my list because as I said before, I am an overacheiver.

This morning, after finally getting Anna Beth into the tub and giving her the "list" for the day, I mentioned that we were going to the store to get groceries. Next thing I know, she has found a pad of paper and a pen and says, "Ok Mommy, what do we need?" lol I did everything that I could to hold in my laughter! I asked for a sheet of the paper and we both made our "lists" for the store. Next came the coupons. Anna Beth proceeded to go back over the list to remind me what coupons we needed. Off we went to the store and amazingly enough Anna Beth remembered almost everything we had written down.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with her "helping" me clean the fish tank, pick up the house, baking cookies and rice crispy treats for this weekend and down-time to just relax with my girl.

I know, you wish that you were me because my life just sounds so exciting! lol It is the life that I have prayed for for years. To listen to her chatter and be amazed at the things that she comes up with, to hear my husband's voice through the phone telling me that he misses me when he has just been at work for a few hours, to feel a sense of accomplishment when a room is clean (even if for just a few minutes) and to know that I am completely in the will of my heavenly Father.

At the end of the day, to hear my little girl remind us that we had to pray for our family before we go night-night is a sweet reminder of the time that we have invested in her little life. Of course, there is the 3 times that we have to send her back to bed after she has prayed so earnestly but she is not perfect and we are not perfect parents. We are parents that work very hard to teach her how to love and live like Jesus and be examples of that in our daily lives. We fail daily but we are covered by the blood and we persevere.

Day at the Park!

This was one of those days that you just love. Anna Beth was an absolute delight and we had so much fun together!

I had a meeting this morning with a friend so I dropped Anna Beth off at school and headed out. The meeting only last an hour so we ran to the house and grabbed our stuff for the day and headed out. First we hit the slides at the park and then the swings. When her asthma started acting up we headed to Chick-fli-a to eat lunch (I had a coupon!) where she also played in the indoor playground for 45 minutes. I thought that she would be exhausted at this point but she was still raring to go. With my file of coupons, we headed to the store for our grocery expedition. I grabbed my cart and Anna Beth grabbed her mini cart and off we went to do some serious damage to the store! LOL I always have to remind Anna Beth to put things into her cart gently or we end up with damaged fruit and veggies. Everything that could fit had to go into her cart so she was loaded down by the end of the trip. We headed to the line after a quick inspection of her cart to remove those extra items that Anna Beth had picked up. She insisted on having some of the bagged groceries loaded into her cart so it was all I could do to keep her out of the sight of moving cars. Let's just say that I dread it when she gets her driver's license! LOL She helped me load the groceries into the back deck of the van and I just knew she would be sound asleep by the time that we arrived home. No such luck for me. She talked all the way home to keep herself awake. LOL Upon arriving home we unloaded the car and then I mananged to get her to lay down and watch a few cartoons. Still... no nap. I have finally given up and sent her outside to play with her best friends next door. Maybe we will make it to bed early tonight so Mommy and Daddy can get some down time.

On the way home from the store Anna Beth informed me once again that she was going to be an "Angel like you(mommy) someday and Daddy was a Bear, Roar." I thought it very funny that she thinks that Daddy roars! She also infomed me that Uncle Brad was going to be in her wedding and she was going to wear her wedding dress. She tagged on that Daddy and I could be in it as well! I think that I have watched too many wedding shows in front of her! LOL I really do not know where she gets this stuff. Brian seems to think she takes after me but I highly doubt that since I am a very non-emotional person! LOL

Grace Day!

Today was a day that I was able to exercise grace and able to do something that in my own strength I could have never done!

You see, I have a co-worker that has very little respect for me and in unguarded moments lets it be known. She had a couple of such moments today and I began to pray as soon as she let it slip. Everything in me wanted to just tell her off but I knew that my God's grace is sufficent. It took some time and a little ranting to Brian but I was able to forgive and move on.

Later I volunteered to help her with a project that she had been struggling with and again she made a hurtful comment. Again, I begin to pray. I know that there is nothing that I can ever do to change her opinion of me but it is my responsibility to respond with love. Not my love, but God's!

I know that this may seem small and silly to you but for me this was a victory moment! In my own strength I will never succeed but I know that in my weakness, my heavenly Father is very strong. Instead of anger, I am learning to bestow blessings. Instead of hurt, I am learning to bestow grace. Instead of a grudge, I am learning to love. God placed me in this position, not for the money, not for the benefits but for the opportunity to grow in my reltionship with Him. I am grateful that He loves me enough to sqeeze me until I learn to call out to Him!

Poor Girl!

I am really going to have to take good care of myself for the next few years because if anything happens to me my poor Anna Beth will be poorly dressed. It is not that her Daddy does not try but he is too much man to understand how to put in a hair bow or match red's and pink's. To him they are all the same color even if they completely clash! This morning I asked him to get Anna Beth a pair of socks to go with her jeans and t-shirt. Not only did he come back with dress socks for church but they were 2 differnent socks! LOL One was polyester with lace and the other was cotton with eyelet lace. I showed them to him and asked him if he really thought they matched and he said yes!

He is a fantastic Daddy to our little girl. He is sensitive to her emotional needs and he treats her like a little lady but he has no idea about girl's fashion! LOL

Getting Organized...

is a very hard thing to do when you have a 3 year old following you around undoing everything that you just did! LOL Anna Beth was overall sweet today but was starving for attention because apparently she belives that she never gets any.

My goals for the day were to pack up some of her old toys to make room for the new ones. This was accomplished with much effort since Anna Beth realized that all her new toys were around for her to play with. I think that I put them up at least 3 times today! I also needed to get my kitchen back under control from this last weekend. There were a few dishes that I was just too exhausted to clean until now and that was accomplished with my little helper at my side. She is very good at drying dishes! Next to tackle was Anna Beth's bath for the day. This required me to take one with her so off we went along with every bath toy that she owns.

Each of these goals were interrupted to jump on the bed, read a book, listen to her tell a story, and clean up a potty accident along with a few other things!

My house is still not completely clean but I was able to invest time in my child. Take time to teach her about how to clean and how to be a little more like Jesus. I find more value in her little life than a spotless house and thankfully I have a husband that values that as well!

What a Weekend!

It was a weekend for the record books in the Wood household! It snowed, we had both sides of the family down for the weekend and Anna Beth had her giant, Hello Kitty/PLaydough birthday party!

First the party-
I hit the ground running Saturday morning, running up to the church and meeting part of the family up there to get the place decorated. I left them to finish while I headed home to grab the birthday girl and the rest of the family. When I reached to door of the house I heard Anna Beth crying and knew that we were in the middle of a battle. Apparently she did not want to wear the cute outfit Mommy picked out for her but wanted to wear a pink sweatsuit the was 2 sizes to small. I carried her to the car in just her jeans with snow laying on the the ground! LOL After finally strapping her into the car seat, she screamed all the way to the church. At that point, she really could care less about her party and just wanted to wear that ugly pink thingy! About 2 minutes before the first party guest walked in the door, she was standing in the room buck naked. We compromised and she wore the shirt and a pair of jeans, no hair bow and no shoes. She looked terrible but was happy so I let it go! LOL

The party went well but Anna Beth had to take breaks every now and then from the crowd. At one point, she sat in her tent by herself while the rest of the crowd played with playdough. She just needs to get away sometimes. She handled the rest well until they sang Happy Birthday to her and she had tears in her eyes because everyone was looking at her! She made it through and loved all of her gifts!

After the Party-

I had all ten of the family piled into the living room eating on TV trays and a card table because Anna Beth's toys had taken over the dining room. By eight o'clock that night I was ready to go to bed!

Sunday-

Dawned extra early because of Daylight savings time and I quietly headed out of the house with the 3 girls next door, leaving my family behind sleeping. I had to teach Sunday School so off we went. We skipped shurch to spend some time with the family before they had to head back to IL. During lunch, we were gathered around the table and Aunt Lindesy asked Anna Beth what she wanted to be when she grew up and her response was, "An Angel like Mommy!" Needless to say, I forgave her of all of her trangressions from the day before! LOL

We finished the day with a shopping trip to find an Easter dress and playing with Anna Beth's new leap frog computer. She loves it!

It was a great weekend but I am ready to go to work and get some rest! LOL

Stayed under budget!

I know this is going to sound silly to some of you but there are others that will appreciate it. Today was shopping day for the coming weekend. I budgeted $150 for all the food for Anna Beth's birthday party and extra family. When I say extra family, I am talking about feeding an extra 7 people! I made my list gathered my coupons and headed to the stores. First I hit the Dollar General Market to get the staples which are usually much cheaper there. I mananged to spend $75 there and then headed across the street to Walmart. There I spent $74.39. This is just under my $150 budget. This included some cleaning supplies and detergent. I am very proud of this accomplishment because this tends to be very hard for me to do. Iwas also thrilled that Anna Beth was on very good behavior and I was able to get done and home in 2 hours.

If you have not checked out a Dollar general Market, you should. I found boxes of Capri Suns for $2 and at Walmart they were $2.24. When you are buying 5 boxes, this is quite a savings!

Did not know I could do this...

Wow! I thought only really computer savy people could set up their own blog and I am not one of those. You give me an excel spreadsheet and I can tear it up but ask me to actually create something and I stand there with my tongue hanging out! LOL Thanks to Jessica P. I am going to try bloggin on a more regular basis. If I had known that it was this easy, I would have done it a long time ago! LOL

Back to the Party planning and Hello Kitty posters for my 3 years olds b-day on Saturday!