The Rally Fro.

Oh hair how I love thee. I like to say I'm bipolar with my hair. One day I want something, another day I want something different. My style doesn't stay the same for a very long time. Over the last 5 years my hair has been various colors and lengths...the below picture is a glimpse of what it's been...

When I got pregnant with Deuce, I got a "hair" education from my wonderful sisters-in-law. Who knew that taking care of different textured hair took so much work! I learned all about the possible type of hair my boy could have. When he was born it was jet black and silky and soft. Then it fell out on the top and he looked a little old man. At this stage his hair didn't take much work... 

photo courtesy of Photography By Toni Landon

As his hair has grown it's gotten coarser, thought it's still soft, and very very curly. Hubby and I debate about cutting it on a near daily basis, he wants to cut it, I want it to grow. After all, his hair will only be in "my control" for so long, as he grows up he will likely want to cut his beautiful curls off...as it grows though, it does take work. Our hair process is as follows:

Bath time

Wet hair

Shampoo hair

Condition and leave the conditioner in for the remainder of the bath

Rinse

Spray in leave in conditioner/detangler

Dry him off, lotion, jammies etc..

Spray in more leave in conditioner

Put him on my lap with my cell phone and comb his hair out section by section..

Once hair is detangled and combed through, put in hair moisturizing cream

Hair Before Bath

Hair After bath and "the process"

The combing out can easily take around 45 minutes...the back of his hair where it rubs the car-seat and bed while he sleeps can get very tangled and matted. 

I probably do this 2-3 times per week...but his hair gets super dry in between and stays "nice" for maybe a day. Any tips out there on keeping it hydrated, moisturized, tangle free between 'the process'?? I'd do it every day but the time it takes just doesn't make that possible, esp since he has a pretty early bedtime (730/745)..

I love his curly hair. I think I've taken the ease of care for my hair for granted and I have such an appreciation now for people who have very textured/curly hair! 

Hubby and my conversations about his hair are hilarious:

Hubs: let's cut it

Me: no but it's so cute

Hubs: he looks like he has caterpillars coming out of his head

Me: but he loves caterpillars! it's so cute

Hubs: but but look at it though..

Me: it's so cute though!

These are daily conversations that most of the time leave us rolling in laughter. 

I keep telling hubs that I'm growing his hair out until his Aunty Shon comes home from her World Race Missions Trip (AUGUST!) I call it...his Aunty Shon Rally Fro.....

Shall we keep it growing or cut it!?

Meal Planning in 5 Easy Steps!

I recently made a Facebook status about my meal planning for the month and how easy it makes life.. I got a lot of requests for an email of a "how to" so I thought I'd blog what I do. (Disclaimer: I am not an expert but this works for me and our family! I also just do dinners, but the same concepts could be applied to breakfasts and lunch.) It takes a little time to get the hang of it and start out, but once you get started it gets easier, you'll get more efficient at it and you will love no longer being asked "what's for dinner?" I started in April of 2013 and now it takes me around 20-30 minutes to meal plan and compile my grocery list for the month. I hope these this helps you in your meal planning journey!

Jamie's 5 Easy Steps to meal planning:

Step 1: I make a calendar in Microsoft Word for the month I am planning for (I usually plan for the next month in the last week of the current month...so I put together my calendar for Feb at the end of Jan)

Step 2: Compile a list of recipes that are tried and true that you and your family likes. I have many that I recycle through months. They are easy, I know how to make them and my family loves them. I usually try to add 2-3 new recipes per month and make notes if they are keepers or not.

Step 3: Add meals to the calendar along with "leftover" nights and "eat out" nights.
**Tips** if you have a day of the week you KNOW are always busy days, use crock pot meals! I love doing these on Sundays so I can turn them on in the morning and they're done with no fuss by dinner, so my Sunday evenings can be really relaxing. Leftover nights are nights I know we'll have a busy day and I might not be able to be home to make dinner. I always make sure there are 2-3 days of meals between leftover nights, so there'll be leftovers :)

Step 4: Compile your grocery list. This step will be the longest in the beginning as you get used to new recipes. Basically write down everything you need for the recipes you've chosen for the month, look for duplicate items to use for dishes. I write down everything I need, then go through the list and separate the list out into categories: Meat, Dry Goods, Dairy/Refrigerator, Produce.. etc.. this makes shopping in the store easier as well because everything for each department is listed in one place. This step will get easier as you go, as you begin to memorize the recipes you use a lot and know what you have already in your pantry/fridge/freezer..once the list is compiled with everything you need for your meals, add the "everyday" kind of stuff... ex: things for kids lunches, milk, yogurt etc.. things you know you always use in your house. Once the list is done with all your meal ingredients and your everyday things..time to shop!

Step 5: Shop and put away groceries and relax knowing you have all the ingredients you need for your dinners for the month!

A few notes:
Perishables will need to be shopped for every week or so...milk, fresh fruit and veggies, etc. Fresh things needed for ingredients for dishes I'll also buy once a week, usually Sunday or Monday after I've glanced at my calendar to see what we need for the week.

This process has had so many benefits for my family....we save money because we aren't eating out last minute, we eat healthier because meals are home-cooked, it reduces stress, I only have to do one BIG shopping trip per month and best of all it eliminates the "what's for dinner?" question! Ha, can you tell how much I despise that question yet ;) We've rarely run into an evening where we don't want what's on the day for dinner and when we have, we just switch it with another day that sounds more appetizing that night!

I don't pre-prepare meals. For me it's easy enough to know what we're having and know that I have all or most of the ingredients I need for what I'm making.

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life, I'll forget to plan the next month....you know what I've done, RE USED the month! HA! nice and easy and most of the work is already done!

Visual examples always help me out so here for you is our meal plan for Jan 2014

January 2014

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1	2	3	4
			New Years
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Wings & Pasta	Tuna Casserole	Terryaki Salmon Asparagus & Rice	Leftovers	BBQ chicken Green beans Rice	Sandwiches	Leftovers
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Roast  Mashed potatos Brown Sugar carrots CROCK POT	Spaghetti & Meatballs French bread Salad	Leftovers	Chicken packets w/veggies	Steak Veggies Rice	Leftovers	Pork Chops Grilled veggies
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
BBQ pineapple pulled pork sandwiches CROCK POT	Cornflake Chicken Rice Broccoli	Chicken Curry Rice	Leftovers	Enchilada casserole	Spaghetti Squash boats	Breakfast for dinner!
26	27	28	29	30	31
SalsChicken Rice CROCK POT	French Bread Pizza	Chicken Pasta w/broccoli or asparagus	Leftovers	Spaghetti French bread

My total grocery bill for what I needed for the month that included all of the ingredients for the dinners, "everyday" stuff, and a few pregnant lady "HEY THAT SOUNDS GOOD" things I "NEEDED" (haha) was just over $200. We budget $400/month for groceries so this leaves more than enough to cover what we'll need to buy through the month. Oh and I shop at Winco usually. Love that places prices! Hah.

If you have any questions, or would like any of the recipes for what I've planned, feel free to ask! Hope this helps you out friends!!! Let me know how your meal planning goes! If I can do it, YOU can do it!

He's still my baby

He's still my baby even though he's 2.
There are times I need to remind myself of this. Times in the middle of the night where sleep seems so much sweeter than being awakened by a screaming 2 yr old. I was reminded of this last night. My boy normally sleeps a solid 10-12 hours with no waking. Once in a while he wake/stir and sing himself back to sleep, sometimes he'll cry a sleepy cry and other (rare) times he will scream out in need of mama or dada. Last night was one of these nights. I let him cry for around 20 minutes and he never re-settled so I went in to rock him. He snuggled right into my chest and I breathed in his baby smell (the smell that is fading day by day into little boy smell) and we rocked...for about 45 minutes. I was tired, but thinking how precious is this time I have with him, where he wants and needs me. For soon he won't be the only baby anymore. Once he was asleep I laid him back down...5 minutes later he was up screaming again, blood curdling screams. This time daddy went in to comfort him for a bit. I dozed back off. Daddy laid Deuce down and you guessed it, 5 minutes later he was up screaming again. I could NOT sleep through it and I could not let him continue to scream "that scream". In a honest mommy moment I was angry he wasn't settling back to sleep and stormed out of our room and got to his door. Opened it gently and saw him writhing on his bed screaming. My heart melted. As soon as he saw me he held out his arms for me. It was clear to me then, that this night, unlike so many others at this point, he needed me. We went and laid down together in the spare room we have and he immediately quieted. He didn't ask for a drink or something to eat, he just laid there content to be close and to be near. He snuggled as close as he could get to me. My face was full of his curly hair, again breathing in that sweet, sweet scent. As much as I wanted sleep last night, he needed me more. It took him a while to fall asleep but he was quiet the whole time, never again uttering the scream we'd heard on and off for 2 hours before. Precious moments were shared in the hours we laid together in the moonlight until he finally drifted back to sleep around 5am. At one point he was giggling and I said "shhhh baby it's night night time" and he responded "shhh, night night" then lifted his sweet face to mine and kissed me. Today I have been weary and tired, but my hours with just me and my boy were worth my sleep. My attitude immediately adjusted as soon as I saw relief in his eyes when he saw me and knew he was staying with me all night long (rare occurrence) I'll never know if it was a bad dream keeping my boy from sleep or something that scared him, all I know is that for last night he needed to be close to me and I'll cherish those wee hours with him forever. I know these days will not last. One day he won't need me so much. As a parent I can forget at times, especially when I need sleep, that he's only 2, he's still my baby, and sometimes all he needs is me beside him so he can be comforted and feel secure.

Isn't this how we should be with Jesus? Sometimes just needing and desiring his company, for no reason in particular? I find myself a lot of times just going to him with needs and wants...but maybe, just maybe, he needs me to be his child and just to need to spend time and be close with Him, for no reason other than to just BE. That I will strive to do more of..for as much as it's worth it to me when my boy needs me, how much more is it precious to Jesus when he knows that we just need him.

Hello Again.

It's been a while since I've blogged. Nearly a year. Crazy how time flies. But I'm back, and determined to be more frequent! It's helpful now that I have home internet. Something I've done without going on 5 years! I figured it was time to join the 21st century ;)
Many things have happened...joy, sorrow, holidays, birthdays, celebrations, new career paths, etc!
I am excited to be back blogging on how I balance the craziness that is Wife, Mommy, Work.
Stay tuned...

Jealousy {envy}

jeal·ous

adjective

1.

feeling resentment against someone because of that person's rivalry, success, or advantages (often followed by of  ).

Yikes! when it's put like that then I'm not sure that describes what I feel. I have a jealousy, however I definitely do not see it as resentment. Maybe it's envy that's more of what I feel. 

en·vy

noun

1.

a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.

Actually that sounds about right. Let me be transparent (an vulnerable for a moment here.) There are a few things I envy, but I will write about only one. That is my envy of stay at home moms(SAHMs). We are all given time, time to do what God has called us to do. I stole this photo from a friend over at http://called2beamom.blogspot.com/ 

God gave us all time. I am envious of the way that SAHMs get to spend their time. They have the day to make sure the home is kept up, meals are made, bills are paid, and of course and probably most important of all they get to spend their time with their kids. Loving on them throughout the day, exploring new things throughout the day, just being able to BE with them. I hate that 40 hours of my week is spent away from my child, that's nearly 2 entire days. 2 days of things I miss out on, laughter, giggles, games, adventures.. I don't negate the work that SAHMs do, I know they face challenges as well, and I have the utmost respect for them, as a matter of fact, most of my friends are SAHMs and they do a wonderful job. 

I struggle with this envy because I am learning right in this moment about how to now prioritize the limited time I have so that I am able to keep our home going and be able to spend time with my boy(s). I normally am an overcommitter, I usually say yes to everything, I love to be involved. This fall I had to say no to something I really wanted to do, something I have a passion for, because I just didn't have the time. A twinge of sadness overcame me that I had to make that choice. Envy starts to creep in, thoughts of "If I could just be at home then I would have the time I need and still be able to pursue my passions" - I have to squash those thoughts, because if I don't I'll wind up just feeling sorry for myself. Instead, I've relished in the extra time that I've had to spend with my baby boy. The hours I've gotten with him because I said no to this opportunity. I still hate that I had to say no though. Envy is a hard thing to squash. The Enemy can use it to drive wedges between friends, and I've tried my absolute hardest to not let that happen with mine. 

Do you deal with envy? What's your strategy for squashing it?

I know that God has a plan, I know he sees me now in this moment and he has equipped me to be a mother, knowing I would have to be working right now. My prayer is for the day when my time is filled with the laughter and love of my children and running our household. 

I know God watches me, I know he sees my struggle, I trust Him.....I will not be discouraged.

"When Jesus is my portion, a constant friend is He, His eye is on the sparrow, and I KNOW He watches over me.."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Pk5YMkEcg

Front yard adventures and fever.

Yesterday I had the day off! Horray for State worker holidays! Hubby went to Redding to go fishing with his friend, so it was just me and my boy. I love these days. I cherish the days where I get him all to myself and we get to play, laugh, and explore together all day. Sure, it can be tiring, but I wouldn't trade these days for anything. The weather was exceptionally gorgeous on Friday, especially for being the day after Thanksgiving and the end of November! I scored an amazing deal on a new DSLR camera on Black Friday so I couldn't wait to start taking photos of my little man! 

My child would live outside if he could. He's always loved it. Even from infancy, if he fussed, we could take him outside and he would immediately settle down. Whenever we open the door he makes a beeline for it, hoping to get the chance to explore the world beyond our walls. We've let him out in the front yard before, he loves it! On one side of our yard we have a rock bed, and since Deuce could crawl he's had his eye on that bed of rocks...I've never let him explore over there until Friday. I was to afraid he'd bite a rock and chip his pearly whites or eat a bug. Well Friday I let him at it and he had the best time! 

See those rocks behind him on the path? He decided those didn't need to be in the rock bed anymore

Yep, immediately mud or a rock went in his mouth...oh well, YES I am that mom who lets her boy eat mud, it's either let him or fight him, I'll pick my battles. I didn't let him chew on a rock though ;)

Loving exploring the rock bed!

 brown eyed boy (and muddy mouthed boy) playing in the fall leaves

I love this little face!

Friday evening a fever set in from his one year shots earlier in the week :( this makes my heart sad, but I get alot of snuggles from my usually energizer bunny boy. Some pics from our cuddle session Saturday evening

 this is his super cheesy, mouth wide open, crinkled nose, squinty eyed smile. (and Teeth, he's got 8!)

I LOVE this smile (and the drool stream!) I also love that when he's not feeling well he can still smile.

 Just playing with the new camera, he's looking like such a big boy

 Any woman alive would kill for these lashes!

 when you're not feeling well, mommy's legs are a good place to rest

Love these curls, little fingers, chubby cheek, and that he just wants to be close when he's not feeling well.

I love seeing life through my baby boys eyes! I love seeing how a rock bed and some leaves can be so entertaining! I love that when he's not feeling well he runs to me! Isn't that how our heavenly father is with us! When we are down or discouraged he wants us to run to Him and rest in Him! When we need something, he wants us to run to Him! I love how seeing life through my boy's eyes makes me more aware of how God feels about us as His children.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy, and my burden is light. (NIV)

Sisters

We all have sisters, whether it be by chance or by choice. Girls all have sisters. I have a sister. She's pretty incredible. I also have a couple girlfriends that I consider sisters. However, there is nothing like the sister you grow up with. The sister that is there everyday, to fight with, talk to, laugh with, cry with, and grow up right next to. This post is in honor of my sister. Today is her birthday and I feel so blessed that God chose us to be sisters. 1 yr apart, irish twins, completely opposite in some ways, yet two of a kind. We had a blast growing up together. The younger years spent playing with barbies and our brothers legos, teenage years spent fighting and learning how to get along, college years becoming closer, and now into our adult lives where we are separated by distance because of her love for the US Navy, but somehow we are closer than ever. Days feel weird when we don't talk on the phone. I'm proud of my sister. I'm proud to say she challenges me to be stronger and speak up, I'm proud to say she's been there in my darkest times to let me cry on her shoulder, I'm proud she's also been right by my side in the happiest of times, I'm proud she serves our country, I'm proud that she's a wonderful Aunty to my baby boy, I'm proud that no matter what she has always been there. My sister is one of my heroes. We have inside jokes that only the two of us get..and memories that only the two of us share...who has the better nose, mr funny duck, hiding under the covers when a strong storm blew out the transformer up the street and exploded the across the street neighbors front light, sharing a room... It's been quite the transition with her being in the US Navy and not having her here close to home. We've had to learn to plan our times together, make it a point to get on the phone, text, facebook...and all of our time together is that much more precious! I've made a point to visit her in every place she's been stationed so I can learn about her life there, see her life there, meet her friends I hear so much about. It makes me feel closer to her. She's about to leave for a 6 month deployment and how I will miss her so. I am thankful for Skype and being able to stay connected! She truly is one of a kind. 

Happy Birthday Sissy! 

I hope you feel honored and blessed today. No one will love you like I do, our sisters love will never be broken. ILY.

 Ecc 4:9-10 Two are better than one because they have good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.