September Photo Dump

I'm trying to think back to September.... All I know for sure is getting back into the swing of school was hard! It's always such a busy time of year! 

G practicing his swag. 

Momma getting in on it. Hahaha!!

Working at school with momma. 

Hanging out with Rida and Wendy at Jason and Felicia's rehearsal dinner. 

Brandon has a fun family! 

The wedding party 

My little model baby!

I love my boys!!

Dinner date with Rylee Kate. 

Ready to go see Nana! G spent the night with Nana, while Brandon and I spent the night at Crystal Cove BB in Branson. We had a wonderful night away! 

The next day we took Cathryn and Tyler to SDC. So fun!

Taking selfies before school one morning. 

I used the website petsintheclassroom.org to get a grant to get a leopard gecko in my classroom. Brandon named him Leonard. My friend across the hall followed suit and named hers Sheldon! Bahahaha! 

G and I were SO excited when we were finally moved in to our new apartment!! We are living in a basement apartment. Above us are our dear friends Kim and Dan. They are the best landlords! 

This is the banner I made for our fireplace. It sums up how I feel about our new living arrangements! We are so blessed to have a safe, clean, and spacious place to live while we save for a down payment for our next house. 

The girls at work took the kiddos to the zoo. It was SO hot, but we had a great time! 

G was THRILLED to ride the train. This was about nap time however, and he had a melt down when getting off. 

Griffin and Keller were wiped out afterwards. I love these precious boys!

Practicing his modeling. Ha!

I'm loving this stage of life. We are not where we wanted to be as far as having a house, but it's amazing how everything has fallen into place. What God had in store for us was so much better than what we had hoped for ourselves. In thankful I realize that now! 

Potty Training

Griffin has been using the potty for both #1 and #2 now for a month or so now - right after his 2.5 birthday. I was anticipating a battle, but it was relatively easy. However, I think my anticipation of it being hard helped me in the long run because we have been talking to Griffin about the potty ever since he turned one! 

We started with letting him watch us use the bathroom. I know that's really gross to some people, but really? How else is he supposed to learn?? He would follow us in there anyways, so Brandon and I both explained what we were doing each time.  

When he turned 2, we started to let him sit on the potty. Sometimes he would sit with his clothes on, sometimes with just his diaper, and sometimes naked. He brushed his teeth there, and we fixed his hair there to get him used to the feeling. 

Then when he turned 2.5, I started putting him on the potty more when I knew he needed to go. I also let him pick out his own underwear. He of course went with Cars! I would let him wear them on occasion. This is the time he also started daycare two days a week. His teachers would take him potty which helped tremendously! His favorite TV show, Daniel Tiger, also showed an episode where Daniel goes potty. I recorded that, and we watched it a lot. 

So Labor Day rolls around and I thought since I has a three day weekend, he was ready! Unfortunately that was not the case... He did great on Saturday with three accidents and four successes. However, that was enough to make me want to quit! So I did. We went back to just taking it easy. I never wanted to force anything. 

After we settled in to our new apartment in October, I started putting him in underwear every night. He did awesome! So after a week of that, I let him go to church with undies. And that was it! He has been in undies since then! He's only had one accident (when I left him with dad, and dad forgot to take him). At first, we took him every hour, but after a week, he knew the feeling and would tell us when he needed to go. 

Griffin wakes up dry from his naps 99% if the time and about 50% of the time in the morning. I'm so proud of him! I wouldn't change a thing looking back. It was the easiest potty training experience - not that I have anything to compare to, but I have heard many stories. Mommas love to share their stories- don't we? 

His favorite reward - pop tarts!!

Work in Progress

God is continually teaching me patience.

Ugh.

Brandon and I have a five year and even a ten year plan. It's all mapped out at the beginning of our budget folder. I love plans. However, we abandoned the plan and listed our home for sale in May which was/89 an entire year earlier than planned. Why you ask? Because we found the perfect home for us and our family. We needed our house to sell quick so we could make an offer on the White House. And wouldn't you know it! Our home sold in two days which is unheard of in the current market in our area. It was God for sure! Selling a house is SO stressful, and I'm so glad to have that behind us!! I'm thankful to leave the bad neighborhood behind even though we loved our house.

So we made an offer on the short sale, which meant we were homeless until closing. A short sale is never short. It's a lengthy process. The average time to close on a short sale is six months. So we moved in with a friend! Sweet Cathryn has been a very gracious host. We are blessed.

We were supposed to close on the White House this Friday. However, due to a mistake, we did not qualify for our loan. We hilariously make TOO much money! Which is a blessing for sure.

We are currently at Cathryn's still, but will move into a basement apartment at another dear friend's house by the end of this month. Even though I was heartbroken at first, I have realized God is SO good to us. I think he saved us from a lot of future financial struggle.

Since the deal fell through, we have had the funds to pay off Brandon's final student loan. We will pay off my graduate loan next month, and all of our credit card debt will be gone by December! That will be so freeing. After those debts are gone, we just have my car loan and a small student loan from my undergraduate years. In January, we will be saving a ton of money thanks to debts being paid off and a very low rent payment. We will get a conventional loan in a year with a down payment. We will be in such a better financial position.

So today I am thankful. Thankful that He has my back. Even when things seem sad, and I struggle with disappointment, I know there is a better home waiting for us once we have been faithful stewards of our money.

Thankful.
God is good.

August 2014

Well summer 2014 was fun and busy and full of changes. It also passed by too quickly! It was time for school again before I realized what had even happened! 

These two melt my heart!

Brandon had a fight the first or second weekend of August, so G and I went to visit my parents. I watched the fight while cutting out reward coupons for my kiddos. 

He lost. Boo. 

The kid is obsessed with trains! 

Going for a ride! 

Bran helping me cut out lamination. This is an annual event!

We house sat/ pet sat for some friends the first week I went back to work. They had two Great Danes and a weenie dog. Fun times! And a pool!

G loves to swim! 

How we feel about momma going back to work...

I love the ladies I work with! I am blessed!

G finishing off his cereal milk. 

Enjoying a sucker after a family grocery shopping trip. 

Look who is 2.5! 

Chick fil a play date with work friends. 

I work with the best people!

Lunch with my old team!! Miss us all being together!

Drew and G hanging out on the farm with Nana and Papa while Bran and I had a much needed date night!

One night after bath time. 

My new favorite skirt I got in a much needed shopping trip with my mom! It's way too big but I'm hoping it will shrink! 

Griffins new lunch box from nana! 

Today G got a new haircut! It looks so good! 

Crying because he didn't want his picture taken. It's hard to be two...

Beginning to potty train!!! 

Little baby booties are just adorable!