little life update

Well I've seriously been neglecting to update my blog lately, and I know that some of you are family and friends who read it to find out how we are and what we're up to!

Blake is very busy with work, which is sad because we miss him - but we're so thankful that he has a job and is able to provide for our little family!  He's also discovered that he really loves to cook!  Almost every weekend, he's making some "manly, meaty meal" or good ol' southern comfort food, like rice and gravy or chicken stew.  I'm one lucky wife!

DIY Cord Storage Project!

I've been on an organizing kick lately, and I was completely inspired after reading this post from one of my new favorite blogs!  I, too, was guilty of storing all of my cords and connections in one box, and always struggled to find (and then untangle) the one I needed!  So last week when we took a trip to Hobby Lobby, I bought a photo storage box ($3.99) and some pretty scrapbook paper (5 @ $.59 each).  I cut an old diaper box to form the dividers, then decoupaged it with the paper.  I cut slats, then put it together!  Here's the before/after:

End result: I now have a way to neatly store and organize my cords and connections in a pretty box!  

<3.

my sister lauren

Today is my baby sister's twelfth birthday.  I can't believe how the years have flown by.  I was thirteen when she was born, so I was old enough to care for her, and remember her well as a baby.  I remember how her hair stood straight up, I remember singing her to sleep in her room at night.  I remember her terrorizing the dogs, and I remember how cute she looked dressed in her princess costumes.

extreme makeover: blog edition

Please bear with me as I'm making a few changes to my blog's layout and appearance.  I've never been really happy with the design, and I'm tinkering with it (along with the idea of enlisting the help of professionals).

I'm really excited about the way it looks so far!

A Story from the Trenches of Mommyhood

Well it's been a while!  I've been in a blogging "rut" lately, and though a lot has been going on, I just haven't felt like writing about it, lol.  But today, I feel like it.  So here we go.

We live in a home with one bathroom.  One toilet, one bathtub, and one bathroom sink.  As there are four of us living here, this presents some challenges.  Because I had just put the girls in the bathtub and hadn't even shampooed their hair or soaped them up, when Isabelle informed me that "Lacey diarrhea."

Oh yes.  Lacey diarrhea.

Holiday Shopping and Toddler Tantrums

Before I begin this post, I feel I must ascend my "soap box."  *Ahem.*

Holiday shopping is not fun for toddlers and children.  It's long and boring, and they hate being confined to their strollers and shopping carts.  This makes them prone to tantrums, which makes this holiday shopping extremely stressful for parents (and those within hearing distance of those tantrum-throwing children).

I used to be one of those people who would shake my head and say what a shame it was that parents don't discipline their children anymore.  I guess having children of my own has changed my perspective a little.

(I'll take that piece of humble pie to go, thanks.)

toy rotation system

Today I had a rare mixture of energy and ambition, and these are the times I usually tackle projects.  Today's project was the girls' toys.  They both just had birthdays, and this weekend I realized that their toys no longer fit inside their designated containers (one large toy box in their bedroom plus one storage ottoman in the living room).  (Not to mention Christmas is right around the corner and they'll probably get even more toys!)  I decided that this was ridiculous, especially since they no longer played with most of those toys (yet still managed to make a huge mess with them every day).

What I've been up to Lately

Hello friends and family - it's been a while!  These past few weeks have been pretty busy for us.  I can't write a whole lot about everything, but care for some highlights?

• A few weeks ago, Lacey and I went on a little road trip to go visit my dear friend Nicole (and her adorable daughter Evie) in New Orleans!  We had an absolutely wonderful time!
• A lot of my free time has been spent knitting (I'm knitting Christmas gifts this year for some of the women in my family and Blake).  
• I'm also reading a wonderful little book called A Mother's Rule of Life.  I'll write later about how it's helping me with my vocation as a wife and mother!

25

25.  I turned 25 on Friday.  And I can't believe how time flies.

I remember being excited about being "lucky 7-years-old," and excited about finally being able to get my driver's license when I turned 16.  And then 18 was big too, and 21 meant I was really an adult.

When I was younger, I remember thinking that 25 was old.  Maybe it is, but I don't really feel old.  Just older.  I still feel like the same person I've always been, and that's a good thing for me.

"I'm Rocking My Baby"

I came across this beautiful poem a while back, and thought I'd share it.  


"I'm Rocking My Baby and Babies Don't Keep"


Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth, 
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth, 
Hang out the washing, make up the bed, 
Sew on a button and butter the bread. 
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking? 
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking. 
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue, Lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo. 
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due 
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peek-a-boo 
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew 
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo 
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo 
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue? 
Lullaby, rockaby lullaby loo. 
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow 
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow. 
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep. 

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton