Is it just me???

Getting the bug!

2009-06-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm SOOOO wanting to get the sewing machine back out and do some projects!! I've got the bug! I put the machine up after I tried to cut my finger off making Baylee a twirl skirt... I don't think I have that rotary cutter any longer... pretty sure the hubby threw it out. I can't be trusted! :) Anywho... I've got quilts, skirts, and curtains on the brain! Saturday's going to be busy... but looks like Sunday I may bring the sewing machine out... depends on how much I get done around the house in the mean time. I'll probably be putting something together to donate to Adam and Gwen's benefit to be auctioned off. I also need to start getting hairbows made up for the craft show I'll be doing in the fall. Long way off, I know, but when I can only get so many done in one day... it comes pretty quickly! I've put everything on the back burner for a while now because we've been so busy... but I can't take it anymore! :)

FAST food!

2009-06-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

We eat WAYYY too much fast food at our house! So, we've decided to challenge ourselves to a week with no fast food. So far today has went well... but we've been home all day so that makes it easier. We'll see how the rest of the week goes.

Get in the kitchen mommy!!!

2009-06-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

YES... this is what my lovely two year old daughter tells me now! She told me she wanted a hot dog and applesauce when she got hungry this evening and told me to get up and get in the kitchen! I don't know WHERE she gets this stuff... and these phrases come from no where. She's been really wound up the past couple of nights... I'm def. ready for daddy to get back home!

DONT USE YOUR DEBIT/CREDIT CARD AT SONIC!!!!

2009-06-04T12:43:00.001-07:00

UGH! So... May 3rd I went to Sonic... probably to get ice cream for Baylee and I (I don't remember). But anyways... I'm looking at my bank statement going through to see where all my money goes when I notice that I have two identical charges at Sonic about 20 minutes apart. WEIRD! I come to the conclusion that I was double charged on my debit card. I call Sonic to let them know and see what I needed to do about it. I was told by Sonic to contact the bank to dispute the charge. I call the bank to dispute the charge who tells me that I need to contact Sonic b/c they can just run a credit on my card. I call Sonic to tell them what the bank says and they tell me that they can't do that and give me a number for "the boss". I call this number and get no answer and leave a message. I call the bank back to tell them what Sonic said. They call Sonic themselves... get the same number... leave a message and are STILL waiting. In the meantime, I call Sonic again to raise hell since I got no answer from that bad number. The manager I spoke to says "it's happened to about 10 other people... there's nothing we can do... you'll have to talk to the boss." I explain to him that he doesn't answer or return my messages... the manager's response is "yes, I know... they're pretty bad about that.". OKAY SO WHEN AM I GOING TO GET MY F-ING (excuse my language) MONEY BACK!?!?!? THIS IS OBSURD!!!!! UGH! So I got absolutely NO WHERE. He told me that "the boss" would be in today at 11am. I call them on my lunchbreak around noon. Come to find out he won't be there until 2! So I call back at 2... well he got called ot an emergency and had to go to Columbia and he won't be back until about 6 this evening. At this point I'm completely FED UP! No one can help me and I keep getting the run around. I'm sure the managers I'm speaking to are just giving me times to call back AFTER their shift ends so I can be passed on to the next idiot. SO... I filed a complaint with the Better Buisness Bureau. STILL don't have my money back and dont' know if I ever will. I'm beyond irritated... at this point... it's not about the money. It's theft! They stole my money! Whoever batched the credit card machine that evening KNEW that there was an extra charge on there but did nothing to fix it. I will NEVER EVER EVER use my debit card there EVER again... and really have no deisre to ever do business there again. I'm going to post it on Facebook... Twitter... my blog... to everyone who will listen to hopefully save someone else the headache that I've had to go through!

I love my girl time!

2009-05-31T05:57:00.000-07:00

My little girl rocks and I love spending time alone with her. I'm missin the hubby but I really do cherrish every second I get to spend one on one with her. She's so much fun! Now she's sitting on the couch with her feet propped up on my lap, sucking her thumb (ugh), and watching Playhouse Disney. I love it when she sings along with the songs.

We're in for another busy day today. We're taking lunch to Nanny and Pa this morning for Papa Bull and we have grocery shopping to do too. Then we'll come home for lunch. My unoranized hubby didn't mow the lawn before he left and the battery on our rider doesn't hold charge. If we had a push mower I'd be more than happy to use it... but we don't! SO... if Logan is able to come over and get the mower going for me, I'm going to try to get the lawn mowed while she's napping... I'm a bit nervous about that! I also might be taking pictures of Brent, Barbie, and their kids today. Busy-ness! I love it though! Well, gotta run... we need to get ready to go grocery shopping so we can get it home and put away before we take lunch over to Pa.

I have WAY too much stuff!!

2009-05-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

My aunt and I are having a garage sale at her house she's selling in a couple weeks. My mom kept Baylee last night and today so I can get some stuff together and pack it over there. I haven't even touched all the stuff i need to take over there and have already got 3 carloads full... one's already there, one's loaded and ready to go, and I have one more ready to load. UGH! I'm really excited about getting rid of old stuff to save some space and de-junk the house... but OH MY! It's hard work. I guess this will make me think twice before I buy any more junk! Too bad the hubs isn't here to have to work for it too... he's the junk buying king! He'll be happy when he gets home to a clean(ish) basement! I really thought it was going to make more of a dent in the basement, but I suppose I have LOTS more to get rid of. I'm thinking I'll freecycle a bunch of it because I just want it GONE! I suppose I shouldn't call it junk... there's lots of really good stuff that I just don't have room for that I would have kept if we did. I'm really sad about seeing my Quesadilla maker go... I love them but I just don't have room so I can use the stove to make mine! :) We're going to OK in July so maybe I'll have some shopping money after this! :)

Ahhhhh... what fun!

2009-05-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

So vacation went great! We had a wonderful time and Baylee did great the whole time. She was such a good girl! She did much better in the car than I expected and got a little sleep too! Friday we took off after I got off work and stopped at Bass Pro Shop in Columbia to get a fishing pole for Cody. His didn't come apart and we couldn't fit a big one in the car. Then Cody took us out to Lonestar for supper and it was YUMMY! Then we made the rest of the treck to the cabin. I did a mapquest since we're old fashioned and don't have a GPS! :) Maybe Santa will bring us one this year!! Our directions ended at DeSoto (not where we needed to go to the cabins). I was driving and getting panicky... it took us MUCH longer than it should have but we actually found the cabin and got settled in. Saturday we had a yummy breakfast at the cabin and went to some shut ins and Elephant Rocks State Park. It was a great time and we managed to avoid the rain during our activities.
Sunday, Cody, myself, and Baylee went to the St. Louis Zoo since we were nearby. Cody had NEVER been to a zoo before! It was PACKED and humid but we had a good time. Baylee enjoyed all the animals. We got back to the cabin early so we could enjoy the park we were staying at but got rained on.
We ate breakfast with everyone Monday morning and then took off. Stopped at Bass Pro... AGAIN and had lunch at Red Lobster... YUUUUUUUMO! We got home at a decent hour and I think everyone enjoyed sleeping in our own beds.
Grandpa enjoyed babysitting Jack and is going to miss him!

I most definitely need some GRACE today!

2009-05-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

1. Baylee making me laugh this morning being her SILLY self!

2. Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake... and because my grandpa came over and surprised us with it... I have the best grandpa in the world.. HANDS DOWN

3. Kendall, Laura, and Kenlee might be moving here soon! YAY!!!

4. Bright sunshiney days... clear skies! Even if it is a bit overly windy... I'll take it!!

5. Taking our first family vacation this weekend!! I'm nervous/anxious/excited all at the same time.

Whew! Much better... sometimes I just have to remember that things are GOOD and I need to balance the good with the bad. You can just ignore the bad for so long though before you're ready to EXPLODE... and I think I just exploded! :)

Some people!!!!

2009-05-20T12:08:00.001-07:00

I hate to complain about anyone or anything... but today I just have to VENT! I've had a pretty crappy past 2 weeks! I'm really trying my best to make the very best of it and stay positive but I just can't today!!! I'm a very lucky girl... and I try to remind myself of that every day. I have a pretty darn good family, a daughter that I thank God for with my every breath, and wonderful in-laws. But SERIOUSLY... I'm tired of getting dumped on and treated like utter CRAP! I won't name any names or list any specifics... but SERIOUSLY!!! Just because YOU'RE having a bad day doesn't mean it's okay to take it out on me. UGH! I'm totally rambling and I know this doesn't make any sense... I'm just very angry right now! I'm going to go take a deep breath and remember why I do this every day!

very sad....

2009-05-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, the tornado that touched down in Kirksville took the life of a great man, Gustavo Ochoa. He was an incredible person, a wonderful friend who will be missed more than anyone could know. I thought so much of Gus, as I know so many other people did. He touched so many lives in so many ways. It's so hard to believe that he's gone and had to go in such a horrible way. Here's to you GUSTAVO, my "cool" friend. I love you!! May you rest in peace.

What we've been up to!

2009-05-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all my favorite mommies!! I got spoiled today! The hubby bought me new work out/walking tennis shoes Friday as an early Mother's Day gift. Then he and Baylee went out this morning and picked me out a BEAUTIFUL hanging flower basket. Then my mommy took Baylee to pick me out some pretty flowers and a balloon (which I think was more for her than for me) :) But I loved every second of it! I treated myself to a Subway lunch.

My poor abandoned, lonely blog! I know I promised pictures and I'm going to deliver this time! Hmm... since the last time I blogged, Baylee turned 2! Yes 2! I know, where does all the time go?!?!? She had a WONDERFUL birthday party and got to see lots of her favorite people and got lots of good things! She's still a sassy 2 year old and talking more and more clear every day. She says sentenses and counts and can even say most of her ABCs and recognizes letters and will tell you what they are correctly. She counts too. She also sings along with the radio and knows every word to the song by Brooks and Dunn "Cowgirls Don't Cry". She's pretty much the coolest, cutest thing ever. :) Okay, I'm done with my mommy brag session (It is Mother's Day)

Let's see... what have we all been up to? Cody and I have decided we are farmers now and have planted a small garden out front and a bigger one in the back and also have things growing inside as well. I have some green peppers and sunflowers I started inside that are growing. It's amazing! :) I have the blackest thumb you can get, but maybe it's starting to turn a bit green! Cody's not having much luck with corn, but he's doing really well with tomatoes and green beans. I have a tomato plant in my topsy turvey that seems to be doing well.. it's pretty neat! I have another one that I'm probably going to wait to put out until one of Cody's tomato plants are started so I can use one that we've grown. The first one we bought at Hy-Vee's nursery. :) Cody's also building us a patio/deck thing out in the back yard. I guess it's more of a patio since it's not attached to the house? I'm REALLY looking forward to that being done. We have a really nice shaded back yard and it's going to get LOTS of use this year!

We took Baylee fishing for the first time yesterday and it was fun but I don't know that we'll attempt to take her fishing again for a while. She was a bit of a handful and made mommy very nervous around the water. Jack has gotten sprayed by a skunk twice in the past 3 weeks. We had just started letting him get back in the house because his smell wasn't as bad. He still smelled like skunk mind you... but it was light enough to stand to be in the same zip code. Then yesterday when we were fishing out at Nick and Brandy's he managed to find another one!!!! So today we poured vinegar all over him rinsed it with tomato juice, let that sit, then we washed him with Head and Shoulders, rinsed, bathed him in the peroxide/baking soda/dish soap concotion, rinsed, bathed in Head and Shoulders again and I think all we accomplished was getting used to the skunk smell. So looks like Jack will be spending the summer as an outside dog if he doesn't learn how to stay AWAY from the skunks.

Okay, I know you all are tired of my ramblings so here are the pics!

Long time... no blog!

2009-03-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

We've been super busy lately! I know... I know... I say that every time... but really! We are! I've been at my job for almost 3 months now and I can't believe it! Time has went by so fast. I really enjoy my job and the people I work with. It's fast paced so the days go by very quickly. It's lots of fun! I'm still hoping to get the chance to go to nursing school soon. Working in the doctor's office has really made me realize that I really want to be a nurse. I managed to slice the tip of my ring finger off cutting fabric to make Baylee a skirt a couple weeks ago and landed myself in the ER because I couldn't get the bleeding to stop and it was a pretty nasty cut. Anyways... almost 2 weeks later and it's getting better now but I think I'll lose a peice of skin over the deal. And no... the skirt's not finished! :) I think I'll stick to bows from now on. Speaking of which... I just ordered lots of new cute ribbon and I can't wait to make more bows. Hopefully I'll be adding a bunch to my Etsy shop!

Baylee is getting big and we're getting ready to start planning her 2nd birthday! Where does the time go!?!?!? She's talking up a storm and she just amazes us every day at all the stuff she says, knows, and remembers. She's just wonderful! She's almost potty trained... we still have some set backs every once in a while but she really does a good job for not even being 2 yet. Now I guess it's time to think about pre-school next year?!?! Seriously! This is nuts! :) She LOVES Disney's Little Einsteins and really enjoys watching Playhouse Disney in the mornings. She knows all the characters and it's so fun to watch her. She's very vocal about things now and has an opinion on everything and she's very headstrong. I have NO clue where she gets that from! :)

Cody's doing good. We just bought a "new" truck a few weeks ago and Baylee LOVES getting to ride in the truck with daddy. She gets to sit up front and see everything.

Nothing much else going on with us... we're very boring for as busy as we are! :) Hope this finds everyone doing well. I'll post some pictures soon... I promise!

Playing catch up! :)

2009-03-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

I've been bad about updating this lately so I'm doing my best to update it all. Here's the new truck I mentioned in the post below. I knew Cody wanted to get a new truck and we saved back some money so he could buy one... but he hadn't found anything he liked and was really talking like he was just going to wait. Well apparently he got bored Wednesday and went to Milan with Denny to look. I get a phone call at work Wednesday afternoon (the doctor leaves at noon so it was just Heather and I) and he wanted to show me something but it wouldn't fit through the door so I had to go outside... I couldn't figure out what it was and Heather said "maybe he got a new truck!" Well.... if any of you know what happened last year when he found a new truck... he ended up buying this 79 (I think) Dodge truck that had no battery or tires on it. He bought it on the spot without driving it or anything... duh no tires or batteries right! He bought it on the word of his brother and his brother's friend that it was a GREAT truck. UGH! Well... it's sitting in our driveway now with a blown motor.. go figure right! That truck has been nothing but stress for me! He totally lied to me when he said it was a reliable truck... what he meant was that he wanted that truck for a toy to tinker with and work on. **rolls eyes** anyways... I asked Heather if she had any Xanex handy... I might need a few... no really I would! When of course my wonderful husband pulls up in the parking lot in a nice white truck. That surely can't be his.... we didn't save up THAT much money. Nope... it was his. Denny helped him get a really good deal and now he has a running truck. To top it off, it's an automatic so I can drive it and there's room for Baylee's car seat since there's no shifter in the middle. It's got a lot of room and is in good shape... no rust. It's probably the nicest truck Cody's ever had. He's happy... I'm happy and now we own 3 trucks :S

For your viewing pleasure.........

I'm a lucky momma

2009-03-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

Cody's off to weapons qualification drill this weekend in Iowa. He left yesterday morning... really early. Baylee heard him up and decided it was time for her to get up :( so I was up too! We've all got yucky colds... Baylee and I have ours for the second time in the past month thanks to Cody getting his after we got over ours and then ever so kindly passing it back on to us! I get off work at 2 on Fridays and yesterday was SUCH a beautiful day I decided that Baylee and I would have some mommy daughter time so I picked her up from the sitters early only to find that she hadn't gotten down for her nap until 2 and then didn't even sleep for an hour... and it showed. She was a GROUCH. She cried all the way to the park because she wanted to swing and I couldn't get it through to her that we were going to go swing... she wanted to go back home and swing. Then when we finally got to the park it was a muddy mess and there were some little girls playing there that were COVERED in mud. They were running circles all around Baylee and the mom was no where in sight. This one chubby girl that was QUITE a bit bigger than Baylee kept trying to block off parts of the playground set and told her she couldn't do this and she couldn't do that and she couldn't slide. SO I got mad and told the little girl to let her do whatever she wanted to do and to quit getting in her way. She would but in front of her when Baylee was trying to go down the slide. I was angry. So... I figured that I better get Baylee home since it was muddy and I was angry at the fact that a... the little girl's mom just let her kids run all over. The littlest one was not much bigger than Baylee and she came to me with a handful of mud freaking out and the biggest one was bullying Baylee... and for TWO I was probably going to tell this lady about it as soon as I saw her and I really hate confrontation so we went home. Baylee was NOT happy about going home so she cried all the way home b/c she didn't want to leave. We'll have to save the park for a nicer day... or daddy can just build her a swing set in the back yard with a little slide so we don't have to go there. Well... we got home and of course she was just getting in trouble every time she turned around. I sat down to relax after supper and she crawled up in the chair with me and snuggled. About 7:15 I noticed she was really quiet and still... I look down and get a look at her eyes and she's asleep! At 7:15!!! She was a tired girl. But you have to understand that her falling asleep anywhere besides her bed is quite a rare occassion. I held her and let her sleep in my lap for over an hour... it was so sweet! She only does this when she's super tired and I can only think of one time recently that she's done that. So yep... I'm a lucky momma! I think we'll spend today doing some chores since it's supposed to be rainy. We'll get the house straightened up and do some laundry (and by we I mean ME) :) and maybe go grocery shopping.

Oh yeah... and we got a new truck this week too. :)

Remembering

2009-02-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

A great friend today and a beautiful person.... I miss her so much and think of her every day and miss her every day. I love you Holly!

Kisses for Jack

2009-02-16T12:03:00.001-08:00

Kisses for Jack
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

She loves her Jack dog. I haven't felt much like posting anything lately but thought I should at least get an updated picture on here. I got my new camera over the weekend and I'm enjoying it.

Yesterday's Grace

2009-02-05T04:34:00.000-08:00

1. Coming home to my hubby finally being home

2. Coming home to a house that my hubby cleaned

3. Girl talk with Heather M.

4. Eddies Strawberry Fruit pops (YUMMO... and low in calories)

5. The doctor leaving early on Wednesdays... time to get stuff done in the afternoon

Updates on us

2009-02-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

Baylee is doing much better! She finally broke her fever and for the first time she was feverless today (since Saturday). She's still coughing a lot and she has a runny nose... but all that just means the cold is breaking up and coming out. She's getting back to her rotten, sassy self!

The last I knew (as of last night) Cody should be on his way home and probably here tomorrow providing nothing else happens. He was down in the Cape and then they went to Hayti (way down in the bootheel) and last night he was in Poplar Bluffs. I haven't heard from him yet, but he'll probably be texting me around 9ish and I'll know more. I usually enjoy my time to have the house to myself when he's gone... but I had a run of crap luck while he was gone, so I'm ready for him to be back so I can have a mental health day! Anyone have a Zanex?????? I got a fuel pump for my car so Cody and my dad will be putting it in (hopefully) this weekend... just in time for some great weather! I'm ready to be back in my car.

Work is still going great. I really love my job... it's busy, fast paced, and I get to see lots of people every day and it's fun! I can't believe I've almost been there a month! The doctor's wife (works there too) is SUCH a great cook... she's always bringing us in goodies. She makes the BEST banana cake and snickerdoodles... YUMMO! Definitely not good on the waisteline!

I'm ready for some warmer weather! I'm sick of this cold crap! I'm ready to get outside and get fresh (warm) air.

Grace in small things

2009-02-03T18:10:00.001-08:00

1. A phone call from my father in law letting me know I have a car to drive with working breaks! :)

2. Snickerdoodles

3. Rocking in the rocking chair with my sweetie

4. The smell of Baylee's bubble gum shampoo when she gets out of the bath

5. Texting my hubby late at night while he's away

Grace In Small Things

2009-02-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie... today I'm going to have to try REALLY hard to think of five things. It's been a really bad week since last Wednesday and today wasn't any better.

1. My wonderful mom who is always here for me just when I need her.

2. The movie Fireproof

3. Compliments from patients at the office that I've never even met.

4. Seeing Baylee's face at the end of a LONG day.

5. General Tsao Chicken.... which should be here in about 10 minutes! :)

Fireproof

2009-02-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a GREAT movie! I am so inspired after watching this movie with my mommy last night. It's the first movie I can ever remember watching that taught me a REAL life lesson instead of just simply entertaining me. I really want to get the Love Dare book and try it. I really recommend the movie to everyone... it's very powerful with a wonderful message.

I Scream for ICE CREAM!!!

2009-02-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

This is an old one... I'm not sure WHY I didn't get it up here before now. Anyways.. I had went and got Ice Cream treats for everyone one day and Cody didn't want his right then so he put it in the freezer. He got it out the next day and Baylee decided she wanted to be daddy's buddy at that point. She got up there and was stealing the bites off ice cream he would get on his spoon... eventually he went and got another spoon so he could have one and she kept stealing his bites. Then when the ice cream was almost out she went to my kitchen and got out this BIG mixing spoon and decided to use that. She's so stinkin' smart! She cracks me up!

Pics as promised

2009-02-01T12:21:00.001-08:00

Posin'
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

I just love this picture... she's not really posing... just standing there watching Playhouse Disney. She's such a girl!

Today's Grace In Small Things

2009-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

1. Being able to get Baylee's 104.3 fever down to 99/100 overnight without anyone's help (besides the advise of a wonderful ER nurse)) and without a panic attack.

2. My brother in law helping me out while my husband's gone with a faulty hose on the car I was driving to get me by while mine is sick.

3. My mom being able to come over at a moment's notice to keep Baylee at home for an extra day so she can stay home and get to feeling mucho better before going back to the sitter's.

4. Knowing my husband is away from home, but he's away from home to help other families that need him more than we do... it makes me very proud to know he has the ability to help people and as a bonus, gets paid for doing it because that's his job... and I secretly think he enjoys it.

5. A clean bathroom

My poor sweetie!

2009-02-01T04:43:00.000-08:00

Well... Cody left yesterday to help in the Cape (which they all found out as they got there that it was a volunteer thing... but no one was ASKED to go anywhere... oh well, he's not working right now anyways and we could use the money). THEN my dad was working on my car (which broke down on me twice last week... and that's a whole nother blog I'll have to write when I have the humor to actually write and laugh about it) and found out that the problem is the fuel pump... which only costs a measley 250 bucks to get a new one. Let me just get out my checkbook... right! Baylee stayed with my mom and dad Friday night (mom was missing her) and she brought her back and she had a nasty little cough. I gave her some Robitussin Pediatric Cold and Cough. Then later I checked her temp around dinner time and she had a fever of 102. I couldn't get her to eat much and I wasn't sure if I could give her Tylenol or Ibuprofin on top of the Robitussin so I took her to Hy Vee with me to get something to fix for dinner and some Jello in case she wouldn't eat. My mom had called on my way home and told me to call the ER to talk to a nurse to see if I could give her Tylenol for her fever so I did and she said that would be fine. I gave her some and she was still pretty warm... the fever never really went down. I put her to bed early because rest really is the best thing for anyone when you're sick. I watched a movie (Lucky Ones... I don't really recommend it.. it was just okay) and went to bed with her at about 9:30. She was still really warm, but still at 102. I woke up at about 10:30 and she was just BURNING hot. I turned on the light to take her temp (I was sleeping with the thermometer in my hand) and took her temp twice and it was 104!!! I was freaked! I called the ER again and talked to another nurse who told me to put her in a lukewarm bath and keep pouring water over her shoulders and try to get her to stay in there for 30 minutes. In the meantime to give her some Tylenol and rotate Tylenol and Ibuprofin every 3 hours to get the fever to come down. If I could get it to come down even a little I wouldn't have to take her in to the hospital. (Now of COURSE all this is happening when Cody's gone and after the crap ass week I've had) I didn't know what to do so I sent Cody a text message to let him know what was going on just in case it got worse. I kept him updated throughout the night and this morning. I called my mom who kindly offered to come over with me since I was panicking a little bit. I turned down her offer. So I strip Baylee down and wait for her to quit shaking (I woke her up and she's shaky when she first gets up until she gets awake) and she wanted on my lap. I put her up on my lap (we're sitting on the toilet with the lid down) and she peed on me! I had to change my pants and get everything cleaned up... then I put her in the bath. I finally calmed down after about 5 minutes when I checked her temp and it had went down to 102. I think it finally got down to about 101 and stayed there for a while. She didn't want to stay in the bath very long...she was probably in there for about 10 minutes. I put her in her diaper and back in bed. I woke up every 3 hours to give her Tylenol/Ibuprofin. At one point we went into my room to sit on the big bed because she wanted Ice and her Jacky boy (yes... that's what she calls him). But anyways... I won't drag this long story out any longer. She woke up at 6:30 this morning and was ready to get up. Her temp is now 99! I made it through probably the scariest night I've ever had as a mommy. So now I'm just praying she stays getting better and that I don't get it so I don't have to miss any work.

I promise I'll get to posting some pictures soon... I'm slacking... I know

Cody

2009-01-31T09:01:00.002-08:00

Cody just got a call to go down to Cape Girardeu for the winter storm. He'll probably be gone a week. I'll update again when I know more.

Grace In Small Things Day 2

2009-01-31T05:33:00.001-08:00

1. A quiet evening alone with my husband

2. A shining sink

3. Hearing "I love you mommy"

4. 45 degree weather after it's been 6 degrees outside :)

5. Cuddling up at night with my quilt

Grace In Small Things

2009-01-30T06:38:00.000-08:00

I took this from Nicole's blog (SUCH a cool idea!)

1. Baylee waking up and giving me warm snuggles each morning.

2. Cold Dr. Pepper

3. Jack snuggling in behind my legs in the morning keeping me warm.

4. Baylee giggles

5. Hot Chocolate on a COLD morning

Moms

2009-01-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

My great friend Laura forwarded this email to me and it made me smile... I hope it makes you smile too!

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2 nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma sa ys that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads? < BR>1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thi ng about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING --
SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AUNTS
And anyone else who just needs a good laugh!!

Grandma's pancakes

2009-01-18T06:35:00.001-08:00

My grandma's been gone for 6 years and everytime I make pancakes (well... I cheat, I only add water to Aunt Jemima's box mix) but it makes me think of Grandma... she made the BEST pancakes.. from scratch... no measuring cups... no recipe. She always let me add everything and just told me what to do and I would mix it and make pancake shapes and it was always fun. Breakfast time always makes me think of Grandma... she always cooked breakfast and made sure I had breakfast before school. I miss her. :(

Whew!!!

2009-01-16T21:04:00.001-08:00

Well... we've all made it through my first week back to work!! Baylee has been happy to be back to Rose's and that made everything SO much easier! I managed to get a tummy bug Thursday (of course... only me right?) and I'm still not feeling too hot today but I stuck it out and went in to work. It's going to take some time to get back into the swing of things working full time and trying to keep a clean house, cook, and do laundry all while taking care of my (nearly) 2 year old. Which reminds me... I should be thinking about her 2nd bday party already! OH WHERE OH WHERE DOES THE TIME GO???

I just wanted to update everyone since I haven't had much time to call anyone but hopefully once I get back into a routine I'll have more time to keep better contact with everyone.

TGIF!!!!!! I think Baylee and I are ready to sleep in!

Since you're all probably wondering! :)

2009-01-13T05:07:00.001-08:00

My first day went really really well! I really think I'm going to like it and I'm starting to catch on already. I'm pretty much just watching right now... but I'm excited to dive right in. It's a very busy office so there's ALWAYS something to do and it makes the day go by really fast. I thought it would be really hard on Baylee and me to take her back to the sitter's.... but I was wrong. It was just hard on me! :) She took off as soon as we hit the door and got her coat off... didn't even tell me bye! :( She's SUCH a big girl! She went pee in the potty twice yesterday so she's doing well at Rose's with her training (another thing I was worried about).

All in all yesterday was a good day. It was a bit hectic getting back into the work routine, but I think that's just going to take a while to get adjusted to. This morning is going MUCH better. Baylee and I were both getting pretty used to sleeping in and that's probably the hardest part for both of us... she is pretty grouchy when I have to wake her up and I don't get much out of her until about 7:30. :) Like mama like daughter!

Announcement time!

2009-01-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have accepted a job offer at Dr. Spark's office here in town. I am happy to start working on Monday morning! They seem to be great people and I'll be working with a good friend! The hours and benefits are perfect. I'm definitely going to miss being at home with my Baylee Boo but it will be good to be back working again. Thanks for all your prayers and support!

I'M funny!!!

2009-01-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

She's so funny!

The potty!!!!!

2008-12-30T08:01:00.001-08:00

Keith came over to visit this morning and I made breakfast for Baylee and the guys. Keith was encouraging her to go potty in the potty. He told her he would give her bubble gum if she went in the potty. Well off she went... Cody put her on the potty. We left her in there by herself and then I saw her stand up so I went to get her and sure enough... she pottied!!!! She hasn't done it in a while so I was super excited! Then I smelled something and thought she pooped so I checked her and there wasn't anything. I put her on the potty and left her again and Cody went in to check her and sure enough... she made poopie in the potty!!!! And she peed again. I'm off to get some pull ups today. She's not going to the sitter's anymore so I'll be able to work with her until I find a job! YAY!!!!!!

Our Christmas

2008-12-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

Well... we still have 2 more Christmases (is that a word?) but so far, it's been wonderful. We had a great Christmas day at home. Baylee got up early and woke up to her kitchen. She was so excited and it was so great (and worth the hours I spent putting the thing together while Cody took "breaks" to watch his show) to see her so excited over it. The box also made for a fun toy. She loved everything she got and it took all morning to get through all the presents because she had to get each one out of the box and play with it. We've cleaned the house about 3 times today and it still looks like a tornado came through. I sure wish Santa would have left one of those elves behind to help clean up as a little gift to mommy! :) Tomorrow we have Christmas with Cody's mom and sister.. then on New Years day we have Christmas with his dad and sisters and brother and ALL the neices and nephews. Well... I'm exhausted and I need to clean some stuff up and get ready for tomorrow. I'll leave my Flickr link... all the Christmas pictures are uploaded to that site. It's set to private (so all the weirdos can't see all my baby's pics) so you'll have to create an account with Yahoo or Google if you don't already have one and then request to add me. Let me know if you have any troubles!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gashwiler/

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T21:25:00.001-08:00

Family
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

I hope you're on Santa's nice list this year!!! Have a very Merry Christmas!!!!

Twas the night before Christmas

2008-12-24T21:24:00.001-08:00

Sleepin on Christmas Eve
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

Happy Holidays from the Gashwiler's

2008-12-22T06:15:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

It's SUNDAY!

2008-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Which means Papa Bill will be stopping by for his weekly Sunday visit! It also means we're EXHAUSTED from Christmas with the Tuttle's last night. Baylee had a BLAST running around with the big kids this year. She giggled and laughed and jabbered. She also got to play with Julia and Bentley... they are quite the kids! :) I got a few cute pictures that, of course, I'll be posting! This afternoon it's off to Papa Denny's to open Christmas gifts from him.

Asking for cheese

2008-12-20T10:41:00.001-08:00

She wants cheese
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

She loves cheese... it's her favorite. I buy her Mikey Mouse shaped cheese and she will go through the bag in a week. She won't drink milk so I guess it's good that she loves it. Excuse the hair... she's a hot mess.

Meet our new pet... Guy the squirrel

2008-12-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

This squirrel is not really "new" but he's recently become a closer part of our family! :) He's been getting into our trash and making quite the mess the past couple of weeks. I dumped out some leftover Thanksgiving turkey last week and he's been helping himself to the turkey. We didn't even know Squirrels ate meat! He seems to have enjoyed himself thouroughly. I'm pretty sure he was taunting Jack with the big peice of turkey from the tree. He looked right at him the entire time he was eating it. Of course, Baylee had to watch too! She kept saying "hi skerwl" and waving to him! :) I told her she could name him and she started calling him Guy. So I am pleased to introduce you to Guy Gashwiler! :) These pictures are just TOO adorable!

Oh, and I also added a picture of naptime... which is taking place as we speak... Cody is snoring! :)

While I was cooking supper last night, Baylee and her daddy were playing princess! :)

20 months today!

2008-12-18T05:38:00.001-08:00

Sleeping Beauty
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

So about a month ago Miss Baylee started climbing out of her crib. Cody was gone with friends the first time it happened. She came to me as I was getting out of bed to get her! After I got over the cuteness factor of it all... it scared me to death! Then Cody got to witness it and it had him scared. I thought about our options since her crib is convertible but didn't come with rails. We had this twin bed in her room that was mine when I was younger. She really needed the space in her room so it would have been beneficial to lose the crib. After Christmas she'll have a big toy to put in there that's going to take up some room. So I got on the computer and ordered some bed rails from Wal Mart that had great reviews. They came in last week and we installed them Friday night. That first night she woke up scared (I think she has bad dreams sometimes) and spent a big chunk of the night in our bed kicking her dad in the head! :) But since then, she's spent every nap and every night in her very own big girl bed and hasn't had any accidents! I'm so proud of her but can't believe how big she's getting! In 4 short months, she'll be 2!

Christmas so far!

2008-12-18T05:01:00.001-08:00

Well... Christmas is still a week away and Baylee has already gotten lots of neat gifts! Last Saturday we had a little Christmas get together with her best friends Aidyn and Kenlee... they were even nice enough to bring along their parents for us to visit with! :) Kenlee got Baylee the cutest little outfit and a Color Wonders coloring pad with markers. She absolutely LOVES to color so this was a GREAT gift that she's already gotten a lot of use out of! Aidyn got her a big toy horse that she loves to try to ride! :) Jack is happy because it keeps her from trying to ride him!

Last night we got a visit from Nick and Brandy Smith! Brandy's home from Iraq until the 28th then it's back to the sandbox for a few more months. :( They got Baylee some shapeable foam soap from Bath and Body Works and a Color Wonders Coloring book. After they left she played with the soap and LOVED it. She also colored a picture in her coloring book.

She's so much fun this year because she's able to open her own gifts and really appreciate what's inside. So far she has loved EVERYTHING she's gotten. I can't wait until Christmas day. I'm thinking we'll probably have to add on to the house or move after it's all done because her toys are taking over the house! :)

Oh Christmas tree

2008-12-16T07:48:00.001-08:00

Oh Christmas tree
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

Our 2008 Christmas tree

Cody's Christmas Party

2008-12-08T12:40:00.001-08:00

Baylee and Santa Claus
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

Friday and Saturday Baylee and I had a bug and weren't feeling the greatest. Luckily, by Sunday we felt better and we went to Cody's unit's Christmas party. We were extra lucky that JT is transferring back to the Macon unit so we got to see JT, Wendy, Parker, Reese, and baby Julia! Baylee just LOVES to hold Julia and she had a great time with the boys. I have to say I was a VERY proud mama when my sweet little 19 month old walked right up to Santa and let him hold her. She did somewhat okay last year with him... long enough for a quick picture... this year she was a champ! As you can tell by the look on her face, she was quite confused about what was going on and why the guy in the funny outfit with the beard was holding her on his lap! :) She got a goody bag and she won a prize... lucky girl!

Baylee's 1st Haircut

2008-12-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Baylee actually enjoyed her first haircut... her mommy however, was a nervous wreck. I really didn't want to have to do it... but she needed it and I was told that her hair will grow thicker and longer. We'll see if that's true. I'm glad I did it... I think it looks super cute... it's like a little mini bob. I wouldn't mind keeping it just a little longer than that like maybe to her shoulders until she's able to take care of it. Anyways... on to the pics.

Heather Baylee and Julia

2008-11-30T15:47:00.001-08:00

She absolutely LOVES Julia... she wouldn't put her down :)
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

This past week....

2008-11-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Cody was busy hunting. He stayed the weekend with friends at a "deer camp" and it left us girls at home. Baylee stayed the night at my mom and dad's last Friday night with her Aunt Mindy and they played while I was busy at the Novinger craft show. I did surprisingly well and am looking forward to doing more craft shows and hopefully selling more bows! Saturday night was just us girls at home. Sunday morning I woke up to the pitter patter of Miss Baylee's little feet coming into my room! Yep.... she managed to crawl out of her crib! I cleaned her toybox mound thinking that it was what was aiding in her escape. Well... over our long Thanksgiving weekend this weekend daddy caught her escaping again. So, I guess it's still a problem. Cody and I have decided that it's too risky leaving her in her crib with the chance of her breaking an arm, leg, or getting hurt badly. I am getting some rails for her twin bed and we'll probably be transitioning her to the twin bed this week. I'm sooooo sad that my baby has outgrown her crib... i was really hoping to keep her in there much longer. :(

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving Thursday with Cody's family and Saturday with mine. I am definitely wore out from the cleaning and cooking and cleaning again. I still need to get the house back in order after the dinner we had here so I can get my Christmas decorations up... I've been so excited about putting them up!

I've been reading the Twilight books lately and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. I'm on the 3rd one and I started reading them less than a month ago. I finally got a chance to go see the movie with Heather on Saturday. It was good, but as usual... the book was WAY better. I encourage everyone to read them... so great!

And to end our weekend... we got our first snow last night. Baylee was pretty excited about the SNOW this morning! :) She spent most of the day looking out or big window checking things out. She's so much more fun this year since she's more aware of what's going on. I can't wait to take her sledding!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ready for snow!

2008-11-25T07:11:00.003-08:00

Snow Princess :)
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

Daddy showed her how to wear ear plugs

2008-11-25T07:11:00.001-08:00

Huh?? I can't hear you mom!
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

Penguin

2008-11-25T07:09:00.001-08:00

Penguin
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

This is a penguin my mom got Baylee at the craft show Saturday. The booth across from us was a lady that did all kinds of balloon art. She's a clown too, but she wasn't dressed up. You can kind of see the Christmas tree she made far off in the background. She had all kinds of cool stuff, but I wasn't sure if I should take a picture of it or not. But this is Baylee's penguin... she LOVED him.

Hello terrible twos!

2008-11-25T07:08:00.001-08:00

Don't tell her she needs her coat
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

Baylee Paige

2008-11-25T07:07:00.001-08:00

I love her smile!
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

We made it through our birthdays!

2008-11-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

Cody turned 26 on Sunday (the 16th) and I turned 21 for the 5th time yesterday. :) My mom had a yummy lasagna dinner for us on Saturday night. Cody got a cool Budweiser cap with a bottle opener on it! :) And some pliars or something?? We both got gift cards to Sonic and BK!! YUMMO! I got a roasting pan and of course my mom has to get me embarrassing gifts every year so I got underwear! :) Yesterday we went to Heather's for YUMMY cupcakes with Heather (my birthday twin), Keith, Lucas, and Ally. Cody got me some cow"girl" boots (that better Trey?) and I got him a heater that goes on a propane tank to keep him warm and cozy while he's out hunting for the big buck!

Now we just have to make it through Thanksgiving! :) Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone!

Nothing new to report

2008-11-13T10:06:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, so I felt obligated to post an update to update you all on no updates! :) It's been pretty quiet around our house lately. Cody is getting ready for deer season starting this weekend. His birthday is Sunday, mine is Tuesday. We'll be having dinner at my mom's on Saturday night (after dark of course) for our birthdays. I'm getting my crafts ready for the upcoming Novinger craft show on the 22nd. I've got bibs, outfits, and lots and lots of bows... a couple of tutus as well. It's keeping me busy while I'm waiting and waiting for a job. Our booth will be in the elementary gym (by the bathrooms). Still haven't had any more interviews. I keep applying to different jobs... it's just very competitive right now. :( Something will come up soon hopefully.

I hope this post finds everyone doing well!!!

Back to the drawing board

2008-11-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

Well... it's not looking like I'm going to get a call back from Bruce Normile. :( I'm pretty upset about that, I was really really really hoping to get that job. I just put in an application at US Cellular for a Service Technician... we'll see where that goes. There's just not that much out there... I've applied to a handful of places and just haven't gotten anything yet. I'm trying to hold on to hope... but I'm losing more every day.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T11:54:00.001-07:00

TRICK OR TREAT!!!
Originally uploaded by Denita Gashwiler

Hope everyone has a GREAT Halloween and lots of candy!!!

Play-Dough

2008-10-30T15:20:00.001-07:00

Mommy made play-dough today for Baylee to give to her friends at the sitter's for Halloween. Baylee got to keep some as well... still trying to learn that we can't eat it. The first picture, she's cleaning the floors (I know, I'm one lucky mama)

School

2008-10-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

I started classes at Ashford University again last night! I took a LONG break from them during the wedding and trying to get my insurance license.... I'm getting closer to having a "normal" life again. :)

Wedding Pictures

2008-10-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to post this! The video is a collection set to music of my favorite wedding photos. You can look at ALL the wedding photos (and order any you want) here

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

REALLY hoping to get this one

2008-10-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

So, thanks to my dear friend Emily.... I think I found the perfect job! I applied last week and got a call this morning for an interview on Thursday. There were LOTS of applications so they are doing a day and a half full of 15 minute interviews. I'm not sure the exact number of applicants... but from the sounds of it I have a lot of competition. If I do well at this interview, I'll get called back for a 2nd and possibly a 3rd one. I go in for my interview Thursday (the 30th) morning at 10. Any prayers you could send my way would be appreciated... I really want this job. I'm really getting excited about the possibility of going back to work. Staying home is okay, but I miss having a job.

"Falling" Together!

2008-10-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Our room is SOOOOOO close to being done.... I can't even tell you how happy I am today! :) Thanks so much Keith and Logan for all the help on the room and a big thank you to my hubby for taking on the big project and making our room so nice! He's in the bedroom trimming as we speak.... I'm waiting for the paint to dry so I can touch up. Oh and I can't forget to thank Trey for helping watch Baylee today.... on to the important stuff..... pictures so far. Remember, he was still triming and we still need to put trim up.... but it's good to move in to!

Christmas Lists

2008-10-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

This is totally random, I just wanted to have a place to keep all of the things that I want to get Baylee and a little reminder of what I would like to be able to get myself for Christmas! :)

Baylee
--Tea Set
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2735038 or http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2327303

--Trampoline (I think she asked Santa for this!)
http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/Products.aspx?ItemID=14c44f8&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=PRD&ShowMenu=T&ShopBy=0&SearchString=trampoline&RefPage=SearchDepartment.aspx&CmCatId=EXTERNALsearchdepartment&Search1Prod=True

--Lots and lots of Little People
http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2058&e=product&pid=44747

--She LOVES baby dolls and accessories
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2962595
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2333482
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2779433
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2479296

I could go on for days, but then there would be another thing added to my wishlist which would be an addition to the house for all her toys! :)

Mommy

Canon Digital Rebel xti

Updates

2008-10-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Denita had her first interview today at Preferred Family Healthcare. She's got her resume out to several different places so hopefully something will pan out soon. There are a couple jobs that she would LOVE to have. She's been busy cooking new things... she learned how to make potato soup the way Diana made it and she attempted ham and beans today... we'll see how that goes. :)

Baylee is doing great. She had her 18 month checkup and has been very snuggly for the past few days. I think we're on the downhill slope with the teething... it doesn't seem to be quite as bad as it was. We're still working on the potty training as she's showing interest... I'm not ready to lose my baby quite yet so I'm not pushing.

We're (or should I say Cody) are making progress on the bedroom. I'm REALLY hoping it will be done this week. I keep saying that every week though. It will be so nice when it's done... not only because the bedroom will be nice, but because our house will go back to normal again! Denita is going to miss her roommate though! :)

18 Months

2008-10-20T08:28:00.001-07:00

Baylee's 18 months... a whole year and half... WOW! Where has the time gone by? She had her well baby check up this morning and she weighs 23 pounds and is 31 and 3/4 inches long! She's turning into such a big girl!

Punkin Patch

2008-10-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

Today while Cody was working on the bedroom, I decided to take Baylee to the Jackson's Punkin' Patch for the morning. We had a GREAT time! They had a country store, straw maze, corn maze, punkin patch, corn cannon, bounce house, straw pile... and the list goes on. I got LOTS of cute pictures... unfortunately most of them are of Baylee's back as she is running away! Pictures of her face are rare to get these days... she's MUCH too busy to take pictures. :)

Catching up!

2008-10-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I updated anything. I'll try to make all my updates brief.

August
Denita started her job selling insurance with AFLAC. She quickly found out that it didn't pay well and worked the entire month for free! She was also very busy putting the finishing touches on planning the wedding.
Baylee got a twin sized bed in her room and she LOVES to play on it! She is becoming quite the big girl. She repeats EVERYTHING we say.
Denita had her bridal shower and bachelorette party and Cody had 2 bachelor parties. While Cody was at his 2nd bachelor party in Kansas City, Baylee and I spent time in Green Castle celebrating Labor Day and playing with Laura and Kenlee.

September
Denita made her first sale with AFLAC and was busy planning the wedding.
The wedding was BEAUTIFUL.... everything we hoped it would be. We had a great time and enjoyed great company!
Denita's friends from Florida even made the trip to come to the wedding! Her cousin from North Carolina and his wife also made the trip with their 2 girls. The youngest is 2 weeks younger than Baylee. She was able to spend some quality time with them while they were here.
Cody was busy being Cody and working and doing whatever else it is that he does. :)
Heather, Lucas, and Allie came over one night and the kids slept over. Cody set up his hunting blind (thanks JT!) in the living room and they went "camping". Cody just couldn't take it anymore, he was dying to sleep in the "tent" so the next night the 3 of us camped out in the blind.

October
We started remodeling our bedroom. A couple weeks ago on a Sunday Cody woke up and decided that he would rip the ceiling out of our bedroom. From there the project has gotten bigger and bigger. It will be nice when it's done, but we've been living in chaos for 2 weeks and I'm SOOOOOOO ready to see the end of this little venture.
We're getting ready for Baylee to turn 18 months next Saturday... a year and a half...... where in the world has the time gone?????????
Our AFLAC district office in Kirksville closed down and I'm out a job again. :( I'm back on the hunt. I'm trying to keep the faith that I'll find something soon... especially with winter approaching. Everything always works out for us.... I just have to keep remembering that!

I think that brings you all up to date.... we've been pretty boring!

BIG GIRL!

2008-10-03T16:51:00.001-07:00

Baylee peed in the potty tonight!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Door Knobs

2008-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

It's time for a new door knob... today Baylee has mastered opening the front door... little stinker!

Engagement Photos

2008-08-05T17:20:00.001-07:00

Showin' off my bling.. I really like this one
Originally uploaded by dlpartin

SUCH a big girl

2008-08-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm realizing lately how fast Baylee is growing up. She's so incredibly independent. This morning she wanted a snack and she grabbed a bag of oreos... directly after breakfast. I wasn't going to let her have the Oreos... I wanted her to have a healthier snack if she had to have something so I reached for the cabinet that had her whole grain gerber animal crackers. She quickly told me NO and helped herself to her puffs. I used to just be able to give her whatever and she was happy with it. Since I put her big girl bed in her room Friday, she's been playing in her room like a big girl. My baby's growing up! :(

There you go!

2008-07-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

NEMO Fair

2008-07-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Baylee had a GREAT time at the NEMO fair last week. I must say that I am VERY glad it's all over and things are quiet around here... well as quiet as it can be with Cody and Baylee! :)

Well............

2008-07-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

I got up at 4:30 this morning and got ready to hit the road at 5:30 to be in Columbia by 7:30 to take my test. It was nice and clear until I got to Columbia where it just ripped and poured until about noon. I got in and took my test at 8. About an hour into it, we lost power. I freaked thinking I had lost everything I did, but luckily it all saved. I got done about 9:30 and I PASSED!!!!!! I have a product knowledge class with the regional manager in Columbia... then I'll have to go to a series of sales schools in Columbia. I'm pretty excited!

a BIG catch

2008-07-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

This week Cody has off work and he's been out doing "boy" stuff like shooting and fishing. He went today and called me on his way home telling me about this HUGE fish he got. I, of course, knowing him, figured he was pulling my leg. He got home and sure enough.... he got a HUGE fish! It's over 3ft long and weighs around 28lbs! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.

Happy Birthday!!!

2008-07-17T08:07:00.001-07:00

NANNA!!!! We love you!!!!!

Holy smokes!!!!

2008-07-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

I'm having a yard sale Saturday. Cody refuses to get rid of any of his "stuff" so it's just mine and Baylee's things and my goodness!!! I am keeping a lot of her stuff that I just can't part with yet and I thought there wouldn't be much left to get rid of... but I was WRONG. I can't believe the amount of clothes she had for her 0-6 months... WOW! I'm going to have to start getting her fall wardrobe so hopefully this will help put some money towards a fashionable fall wardrobe! :D

I finally came to terms that by the time I finally get back down to my prepregancy size, all my clothes are going to be outdated so I'm getting rid of most of them! Making room for new stuff and trying to clear more room in the basement so Cody can have his man cave back. :)

Pondering

2008-07-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

I'm just wondering how in the HECK I used to do everything I had to do when I was working 40 hours + a week!! I'm home all day and Baylee is at the sitter's 2 days each week and I still feel like I'm drowning in things to do! I guess that's good because it keeps me busy, but how did I do all this before when I was working? I'm planning a yard sale for Saturday so that's taking up quite a bit of time. I'm still taking my online classes PLUS trying to study for my Missouri Health and Life insurance licensing exam that I'm taking on the 22nd of July. I'm printing wedding invitations today and trying to get some hairbows made up for the yard sale so I can try to sell some of those for some extra cash to help out with wedding expenses. We have our engagement photo shoot this Sunday!!

Just my random thoughts for the day! :)

My little darlin' is a firecracker!

2008-07-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

We had a fun 4th of July weekend!! Thursday was Aidyn Rowland's 1st birthday and Kendall, Laura, and Kenlee were in town for the weekend so we had all of them over for a bbq and let the kiddos play! They had a BLAST! Cody took them on a wagon ride and they LOVED it.

And then we had some fireworks.... the kids really enjoyed watching the neighbors shooting theirs off so Mike and Cody went to get a few to shoot off at our house.

On the 4th we went to Green City in the morning for the parade then we had lunch at the park... which was YUMMY and headed over to Nana's (Cody's mom's) for the rest of the day/early evening. Baylee got to play with 2 of her cousins (Ty and Makenna) and Makenna roasted her a hot dog. Then we headed over to my grandpa's for some more fireworks. It was a LONG couple of days but we had a good time!

New Job!!!

2008-07-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

I got a call Monday night and I was offered a job with Aflac!!! I take my licensing exam on July 22nd in Columbia. After that I will start training with the coordintor here in town. Baylee and I got to meet him this afternoon. He's VERY nice! I'm really excited about this opportunity. It's something I've never done before and I have A LOT to learn... but I think it could be really really good for us in the long run!

Good news!

2008-06-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

I got a call back tonight and the manager from Aflac that I interviewed wanted to know if I was interested and set up a time for us to meet tomorrow (Friday) afternoon in Columbia! I'm really excited! I just wanted to update you all on the job hunt really quick... I have to get some questions prepared and do some homework. I'll update again tomorrow when I get home after I know more.

Life

2008-06-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Life threw another curve ball at us and I'm not working anymore. I'm job searching at the moment. I had an interview in Columbia yesterday with Aflac insurance that will hopefully pan out for me. I think it's a good opportunity and there's good money to be made. It's quite different than what I'm used to, but I would be able to get out in the community and out from behind a desk all day! I will hopefully get a call back today or tomorrow to find something out. I would appreciate any prayers or crossed fingers that I get that job!

And... here's a cute video of Baylee at my aunt's house trying to blow a noisemaker.... she's so resourceful! :)

Father's Day will be postponed this year

2008-06-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

We were expecting Cody to be home with us this afternoon... and we were excited about that, but the people in Canton need him more! They got their orders last night and they left this morning to head to Hannibal. They will rally at Hannibal and dispurse from there. As of right now, it's only expected to be 3 to 6 days. From what I've been reading on the Flood 2008 update page, the Mississippi River in Canton is expected to crest on the 19th, so I'm assuming he'll be there until then. They need volunteers to help sandbag and walk the levey all day and night. I'm sure he'll be doing both of those things. We miss him and we're sad he can't come home, but he's gone for a good cause. If you're interested in the updates or reading more about the flood and what they need volunteers for, go to the site below.

http://www.culver.edu/flood2008/start.asp?id=8

Happy Father's Day!!!!

I knew this day would come...

2008-06-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

But it doesn't make it any better!

Cody's unit just got the warning order that they didn't get enough volunteers to go help with the flood in Canton so they are going to make a list of who has to go and it could possibly include all of Cody's unit. I'll update as soon as I hear more.

Cody

2008-06-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

Cody made it safely to Pierre South Dakota. They were camping but I got a text message last night telling me that they had to evacuate the camp site because of bad weather. They are staying there in Pierre at the Armory. Everything's okay, it was just really windy and rainy. I guess the rain was so bad yesterday that they had to quit their training because of the waves and 2 boats sunk. Crazy!!! He doesn't have great reception to call me because I tried to call him so Baylee could hear daddy's voice and we couldn't hear eachother. He did tell me that it was beautiful country out there! He'll be home on Father's Day sometime. I think they have a drill that day, but I'm hoping he'll get home early afternoon.

It's coming together!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

So... I have sent in the deposit for the venue for the wedding. I have the DJ and photographer hired. I just have to put my order in for renting the tables and chairs at Collin's. I'm trying to decide how many I'm going to rent.
I'm going dress shopping again on Saturday just to try on some more dresses... I have one ordered but I want to make sure it's "the one" since I only tried on 2 that day.
I have the bridesmaids bouquets (well Melissa has them at her house). There's not really a ton left to do so I'm feeling pretty good!
My next immediate goal is to get the invitations printed and I'm getting the supplies for that Saturday while I'm in Columbia. So... hopefully I can mail the invites out in July! I have everything envisioned that I want... very simple... very elegant. I'm excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The New Stove

2008-06-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here it is... I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about it!!

Our weekend

2008-06-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Cody left for AT in South Dakota Saturday morning. Baylee and I spent the morning playing at home. Mom came to visit and brought Baylee a new Dora lawnchair that she didn't quite know what to think about. She ended up climbing in it sideways and fell and busted her little lip open. She got her first fat lip. There was lots of blood involved and a very freaked out mommy! Luckily, it healed fast and she got over it quickly. We went out to my mom and dad's that afternoon and had dinner and played. My sister and her boyfriend joined us. They bought their first house together and took a break to come out and hang out with us. Baylee stayed with her grandpa and grandma Saturday night and I went home to get some rest! Sunday morning mom and dad brought Baylee home and delivered the new stove they bought me!!! For anyone that's been to my house and in my kitchen... you KNOW how badly I needed a new stove. I love it! It's a Kenmore flat top stove. I baked a cake in it yesterday just so I could use it. My co-workers are now reaping the benefits! :) I can't wait until Cody gets home to see it! Speaking of Cody, I got to talk to him on the phone Sunday night. He was pretty bored. They were leaving Macon this morning and their first stop will be in Maryville. They should be in South Dakota around Wednesday I think. He was getting more excited about it. I let Baylee swim in her little froggy wadding pool. She wasn't too impressed... she was more interested in wandering about the yard.

Catching Up

2008-05-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to update the blog!

Cody's been home since February and just this morning he left for his 2 week AT in South Dakota. They are staying in Macon for 3 days loading the trucks up and then they start off on a 3 day drive to South Dakota... their first stop is in Maryville. He didn't want to leave us, but I think he'll have fun once he gets there. They are going to let them go see Mount Rushmore! He's back to working with his brother Adam and they are building a huge house out by Downing.

I am back in school as of a couple months ago! I'm almost through my 2nd class! I have one class every 5 weeks. It's challenging trying to adjust to work, family, and school... but I'm making it happen. I'll HOPEFULLY be finished by next summer. Cody proposed in March and we're planning a September 13th wedding! I'm so excited!

Baylee turned 1 in April (WOW how time flies) and took her first steps on her birthday. She has now mastered the art of walking/running and she's all over the place and in to everything. This week she has earned the nickname "bruiser"... see her blog for more details! :)

Hope this finds everyone doing well.... and I promise I'll remember to update this more often!

Update

2008-01-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

So... I'm terrible at keeping this updated!

So... Cody's mom Diana and I got him picked up from basic training on December 19th and safely home. We spent the 2 weeks visiting family for 5 different Christmases and lots of time at home together and we even managed to get my sister to watch Baylee so we could have a night out with friends alone! New Years eve was spent at my parents house and included a very cold bon fire that Baylee loved to watch from the window in the house. It was a great 2 weeks and they went by fast. January 3rd I traveled with Cody to Frt. Leonard Wood where I dropped him off for another 5 weeks and came home by myself. I miss him already! But we've only got 4 weeks to go and I'm keeping myself busy getting a jump start on spring cleaning. I'm redoing our bedroom this weekend to pass the time.

While Cody was home Baylee started getting herself in the sitting position and army crawling and mastered it. Right after she left she started crawling! So... she's mobile now and I don't get much rest.

We got a special visit from my cousin and his family from North Carolina! They have 2 beautiful little girls age 3 and 8 months. Miss Haylee is 8 months and Kayla is 3. They came to visit us one night from Macon and we went to visit them another day. It was soooo good seeing them!

I also started Weight Watchers on Friday and have lost a total of 4.4lbs already and I'm LOVING it! I feel rested and I have a lot more energy (which is much needed since Baylee is crawling). 38 more pounds to go to reach my ultimate goal!
Cody will be home for good on Feb. 8th. We'll go down on the 7th (his mom, dad, me, and Baylee) and then there's a family briefing that afternoon at 1 and then he'll get to go on pass with us that day and then on the 8th at 9am is his graduation ceremony and then we'll go home! I'm also planning a small reception on the following Sunday to celebrate his graduation.

Then and Now

2007-12-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

This is Baylee right before daddy left and then a recent picture... he won't even recognize her! She's grown so much in the past couple months!

Far behind!

2007-12-10T09:06:00.001-08:00

Okay, So I've been terrible about updating lately. With all the holidays and family gatherings and work, I haven't had a chance to really update everyone.
Baylee still only has the 2 teeth. She's sitting up really well on her own and can get herself in the sitting position (although, she only does it when I'm not paying attention). She smiles for the camera and knows what it is. She's shy and she'll go through phases where she won't reach out for anyone and then if we're in a big group of people and she's excited she'll reach out for anyone who will pay attention. Little stinker!

We haven't had a whole lot of communication with Cody lately. He's been really busy. He was injured around Thanksgiving time. He pulled a muscle (hamstring) and didn't know it and it got so bad that he had a couple stress fractures on his pelvis. That set him back a bit, and he thought he might have to go back to basic training for another month, but luckily it didn't and all is going according to plan. He's had a 3 day campout last week and another one this week. He said it was raining and icy there and supposed to be doing it again. I believe he said on Wednesday they have one last test where they crawl with their ammunition under barbed wire while the drill sergents are shooting in the air above them. This made me very nervous (I'm not going to lie) and I'm pretty freaked out about it. But he said as long as he stays down he'll be fine. I told him his butt better not be getting up for ANYTHING. So... I'm praying that he stays safe during his campout Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and through his last test. I think they have a few more things to do and then they'll have a little graduation ceremony from basic training and they'll be done and Diana and I will go pick him up next week! I'm so ready! I know he is too. He got his first pass this weekend and was able to call me twice which was like the best treat ever!

Jack is still a big pain in my side! Although, Cody gave me the go ahead to get him cut. I'm probably having the vet run some tests to make sure he doesn't have a UTI or something first and then he'll have his surgery tomorrow and I'll be able to pick him up Wednesday.

I'm crazy busy at work getting ready for our holiday break plus a few extra days to spend with Cody while he's home and travel back and forth to pick him up and take him back. I've been busy preparing the house and trying to spend some time with friends before the holidays start. Planning a big grocery store trip this weekend to get everything stocked up for when Cody comes home since I don't cook or eat much since he's been gone. I'll hopefully get Christmas shopping finished up too.

Hope everyone else is doing well... and that's what's going on with us!

Have a great week and hope to see everyone around Christmas time.

Something to make me smile

2007-11-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

God knows I need it!

Really hating the military

2007-11-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

I just got a couple more letters from Cody yesterday. He's still really really homesick. I think it's getting worse. I hope he's alright! Anyways, he's been having a rough time! On Halloween night I guess most of the drill sargeants were gone and it was pretty relaxed. They had an hour of free time that they could write or take showers or whatever. Cody waited until the rush for the showers got over and then took his later. He said there were a few others that had the same idea as him. They have to change their clothes in the changing room, they can't change in their rooms. So... he hung up his ACUs (camo uniform) and shirt. When he went back he grabbed his ACUs and put his shorts and shirt on. When he got to his room, he realized that his top shirt was missing. He ran back to the changing room with his room mate and couldnt' find it. His roommate found his wallet thrown in the corner. He said everything was in it but $40 in cash he had. Later, one of the other guys was doing laundry and found his top shirt stuffed in the dryer minus his name, rank, and army badges. He went around every room and tried to get them to fess up before he told the d.s. When he told the drill sargeant, he didn't care. He told another one and he also didn't care. But I guess one of the other ones sat them all down and told them there better be an envelope with $40 in his office. No one would fess up. So... one of his roommates went around and collected money so they all didn't get in trouble. I don't know if Cody ever got the money... but it's really got me mad! He's still not even getting all the pay he's entitled to and the person I'm supposed to go through is no help AT ALL. Err... it's so frustrating!

Chick!

2007-11-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Baylee's first Halloween was yesterday! She was a trooper, after having 5 shots! She let me put her in and out of her costume (wouldn't fit in the car seat in it) several times to get her pics taken and then trick-or-treat to a few people. She was really tired and ended up running a low grade temp by today. She's still a happy girl though! She cleaned up at Halloween though! Nanna got her a pumpkin bowl filled with yummy baby food! And a treat for mommy! :) And Great Grandpa, Grandpa, and Grandma got her her very own cell phone and a bag full of baby food (mommy's favorite that I ate until I was 16!) Peach Cobler!! And her babysitter got her a shirt and some baby food... my sister got her some Gerber Graduates Peach Puffs... she ended up doing really well! Can't wait to get her pictures back! I didn't get many pictures of her since she wasn't feeling well and we were on the go. I'll put her back in her costume again tomorrow and get some good pics to send to daddy!

I love the mail man!

2007-10-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

We got another letter from Cody on Saturday. He's really homesick... misses me and Baylee bunches. I can't wait till he's home!
He also got to call home Saturday night... but we only got to talk for 30 seconds. He graduates on December 19th.

Craziness!

2007-10-17T08:02:00.001-07:00

So... work is insanely busy for me right now! I have been so exhausted from stress at work that I've been falling asleep with Baylee on the couch at 8pm!!! But... I must say, it's really great snuggle time for us!

Still haven't heard from Cody since Saturday... I wonder how he's making it at the actual "basic training". He mentioned on Saturday that they had finally started making them run and some of the guys got sick. He said it did make him a little light headed. He should be in good shape when he gets home.

A "Break Through"

2007-10-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

Baylee's first tooth has broken through!! It's her bottom front one. I felt it after we got home from Red Barn when she shoved my finger in her mouth to chew on... she put it right on there and sure enough... it's a tooth! FINALLY!

Oh.... and I got to talk to Cody again... he actually called right after I discovered the tooth. I was soooo happy I was able to share my excitement with him. My friends probably would have been nice and acted excited if I would have called them... but it's just not the same. His actual basic training starts on Monday... he'll be home in 9.5 weeks... that should be around the 19th of December... I'm so ready for him to be home. I miss him lots and I hope time goes by fast until then. We're going to keep busy.

Baylee and I have a trip to Columbia planned for Saturday to get her 6 month photos and I think Cortney and Aidyn might come with us! We're going to meet my best friend (Cortney's cousin) there for lunch and to hang out. I'm really looking forward to some fun time away from home.... I love being home... but it's not home without Cody.

My Wonderful Crazy Morning!

2007-10-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

Our morning started off nice. I got up and did a 30 minute workout with Denise Austin on TV. Then I got Baylee's breakfast ready and got her up and dressed. About that time, mom got there and helped me feed her breakfast. Then she played with Baylee while I got ready for work. After she left I got Baylee all bundled up and strapped in her car seat to go to Rose's. We got to Rose's and did the normal drop off routine. I went out to my car to find that I had locked the keys inside the car while it was running! Ugh.... what a wonderful way to start my wonderful day out! I had a spare set of keys in the house, which was locked (I'll remind you at this point that my car and house keys are locked inside my running car). So.... I think. My only chance was to break into the basement window. Okay, got that figured out... but now how in the heck do I get home? I called my boss, Ron, to let them know my dilema and that I would be a tad late for work. The wonderful person that he is, he offered to come get me and take me to my house to get my keys. I had quite a time breaking in... he couldn't help much since it was such a tight squeeze to get to the window... I easily popped it open and ripped the screen (not in that order) and had quite the time getting down. I almost fell onto the table sitting below the window and knocked everything off of the table... finally got inside and got my keys. But now... I'm a dusty mess from the window. But... I got my keys and got into my car and I'm at work.

Whew!