April 12, 2012

In 20 Years..

These are my hopes, dreams, desires, and prayers for our lives 20 years from now...

Lucas will be in college and will be a dedicated Christian man who treats women well.  Hopefully we would have adopted a daughter and raised her to know that we and her Heavenly Father love her dearly.  Travis and I will be 43 and living a healthy life.  Travis will be running his own auto body shop and I will be working in a position that serves our community.  Our beautiful puppy Daisy will have passed and although we will always love our first family dog, we will probably have another retriever.  We will be living in the country in our dream home that we built, with a racetrack in the big back yard.  We will be completely debt free and on our way to being millionaires when we retire, and giving to individuals who are less fortunate will be our normal. 

April 9, 2012

Easter Fun

We had three Easter celebrations this weekend and boy did we sleep well last night!  On Saturday, we spent the day with Travis' Moms' family at his Grandma's house.  We started the day by eating a quick lunch and attending the community egg hunt in town.  His cousin has four kids, so after the community egg hunt, we colored eggs and opened baskets.  Lucas stayed the night at his GT's (Grandma Treasa, but she doesn't like the 'G' word) house, while Travis and I froze at the first dirt race of the year! 












On Sunday, we woke up early for Sunrise service, had a potluck with our church family, then attended regular worship.  It was a fabulous and challenging sermon!  Then we went to Travis' Dads' side of the family.  We enjoyed looking at old pictures, searching for eggs, and ate WAY too much yummy food. 








To end our wonderful weekend, we had my family over on Sunday evening.  We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, opened Easter baskets, and played cards. 






All in all, it was a fantastic Easter weekend.  We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family! 

April 2, 2012

Another Baby?!

A couple people have said congrats to me in passer-by conversation for being pregnant again.  That's a surprise to even me!  :)  We are most certainly not pregnant again.  But these rumors have sparked conversation between Travis and I about when and if we want another baby. 

Right now, we are very focused on our Dave Ramsey debt free lifestyle that it would not be financially beneficial to bring another child into our family.  In a few years when we're debt free, it won't be a financial burden to support another family member.  Having two in diapers wouldn't be a problem if we were debt free.  We are working diligently to meet our financial goals and then can consider having another baby.  I have been told that if you wait until you have enough money to have kids then you will never have them.  Although I appreciate this statement, it shows maturity in having diligence in becoming debt free and patience enough to wait until we can stand on our own two feet. 

Lucas is our pride and joy.  We never thought we could love something or someone so much.  We enjoy being able to give him our undivided attention and spend his early childhood focusing just on him in order for him to learn all the lessons he needs to learn.  With another child in the house, we would not have the opportunity to focus as much undivided attention when he needs it the most.  Time is precious in our household, as both Travis and I work outside the home and often come home exhausted as it is.  I would feel like I am not giving Lucas all of me by having another baby. 

Along with that time issue, sleep deprivation is a fear.  I am constantly tired as it is.  As I think back to Lucas' first few months, I know that I am certainly not ready for the lack of sleep that a baby brings.  Lucas just now, at 8 months, is sleeping through the night.  I don't think I could handle another round of sleep deprivation. 

Throughout my early pregnancy, I slept fairly well and kind of enjoyed carrying a child.  The 'new' excitement kept me motivated and brought me through those first few months.  In the later part of my pregnancy, though, I was absolutely miserable.  And everyone around me knew about how miserable and uncomfortable I was.  You see, I'm a short woman and it was a very hot summer.  Lucas spent his last two months inside of me practicing kicking footballs.  I will be the first to say that I was not a nice pregnant lady and I was not the easiest person to be around. I'm not sure that I want to subject my family or myself to this again.  Adoption sounds like a great plan!  :)

Finally, there's what Lucas' Aunt Tana calls 'second child syndrome.'  Montana is Travis' little sister and is the second child.  She says that for the first child, you devote so much energy and time toward getting ready for them, completing the baby book, taking pictures, journaling your pregnancy, and when they arrive it's so special and miraculous.  Then for the second child it's like "been there done that" and you tend to not do the same special things.  Although I think this is a bit silly, at the same time, I can see how this could happen.  I have documented everything of Lucas' from his first word to first bath to first time he sat in snow.  Would I would have the same time and energy to devote to a second child right now?  I don't think so.  I'm so excited to teach Lucas everything and show him the world that I feel like having another baby would not benefit him or the baby. 

By waiting for a few years, Lucas will be old enough to understand what's happening rather than feeling like he's being replaced.  We will be able to teach him how to be gentle and take care of the baby.  He will independent enough to help with getting ready in the morning, feeding time, and will know how to follow a routine. 

And so, obviously, we will try to wait to have a second child.  And this new baby may not even be ours biologically, but through adoption.  We will see what God has planned for our family!  :) 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a blessed week!

April 1, 2012

Spring Cleaning & Organizing

I have committed for the month of April to do some deep cleaning and organizing.  To make it more manageable, I have created a Spring cleaning and organizing list by each day of the month.  For the next 30 days, I will focus on one messy or dirty spot in our house to get organized and cleaned.  I've told Travis to keep me accountable to this list, as it is important for my sanity to get our lives organized!  Here is my list:
  1. File Safe (Completed today!!)
  2. Bathtub/Toilet
  3. Bookcase
  4. Top of Dressers/Nightstands
  5. Scrapbook Stuff
  6. Baby Clothes In Totes
  7. Mirrors
  8. Kitchen Counters/Table Tops
  9. Bathroom Sink
  10. Microwave
  11. Bedding/Blankets
  12. The Car
  13. Windows
  14. Floors
  15. Fridge
  16. Pantry
  17. Upstairs Yardsale Stuff
  18. Desk/File Cabinet
  19. Dust Everything
  20. Kitchen-Above Cabinets
  21. Stove/Range
  22. Under Kitchen Sink
  23. Upstairs Boxes
  24. Back Entryway
  25. Upstairs Kitchen Stuff
  26. Make Mail Station
  27. Kitchen Cupboards & Drawers
  28. Movies Upstairs
  29. Diaper Bag/Purses
  30. Laundry/Make Up Day for Any Days Missed!
I'm really motivated to get organized, as I feel our lives will be less stressful!  Please pray for my motivation to stay up as I go through this process.  I will try to take before and after pictures as I complete projects!