tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90676775179194113522024-03-05T18:15:11.444-06:00The Gibby'sErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-86344006117551775292013-05-16T11:49:00.001-05:002013-05-16T11:49:48.583-05:00Hard Times Call for Desperate Measures<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dieting sucks. Plain and simple. I hate it. I love food. I like eating. So now, after being so good and very strict with myself, 5 days a week for a nearly a month, I'm having a hard time keepin-on-keepin-on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For instance, I ate pizza for supper Monday & Tuesday night and I ate my weight in Twizzler Bites last night before bed....okay, not really THAT many, but still I know better than to eat that crap (especially that late at night). But I just feel hungry ALL the time. And fruit and yogurt and 100-cal packs just ain't cuttin it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I read about this amazing so called "miracle" pill that's all the rage right now and helping women loose extreme amounts of weight. It's actually just an all herbal supplement. Green Coffee Bean. Ever heard of it? Well I hadn't either until just last week. I'm always a sucker for gimmicks of any kind, especially weight loss so I was immediately interested. The green coffee bean extract is supposed to suppress your appetite, block fat accumulation and boost energy. And no, it doesn't taste like coffee. I've been taking the pill 3 times a day for about a week and so far, I see none of that. I see me, tired, lazy and wanting to eat everything in sight. Damn. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I think I'll keep taking it until the bottle is gone and see if I experience any changes. Maybe I just need to give it a little longer. Or maybe it's all a bunch of shit. Or maybe it's because I bought it at Walmart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Long story short, I need to buckle down. I've seen results (I'm down a jeans size! *woot woot*). But I need to see more results. And the only way to do that is to <strong>discipline myself</strong>, which I've NEVER been good at. For instance, back about 8 or 9 years ago, my BFF Courtney & I would go for a long walk every night after work. Like a 6-8 mile walk. We would then proceed to sit on my front porch, drink ourselves stupid and have Pizza Hut delivered. See, no self-discipline here. And it extends further than just the weight loss world. Let's say I see a pair of shoes that I like. I may be successful at talking myself out of buying them for about 5 minutes. Then my lack of self discipline sets in and I buy them. And this may have happened on more than one occasion. But you know what? I never feel guilty about a good shoe purchase :)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Yes, I know. The flowers need some sun. I'm working on it.</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Who cares if I already have 2 pairs of Fatbaby's. A girl can always use another pair of shit-kickers. </strong></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>And these have camo, I couldn't resist.</strong></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-19226855584806133482013-05-13T14:02:00.000-05:002013-05-13T14:02:30.966-05:00Dirty 30<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, it happened. There was no stopping it, no mater how much I wanted to. And you know what? It really wasn't that bad. On May 4, I turned 30.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I actually had quite the wonderful day. Brent had to work that morning, like he does pretty much every weekend, so the kids and I hung out at home, I did a little housework, then we had a dance party! After Brent got home from work, my mom & dad came over to bring us a used/new-to-us deep freeze to replace our dinosaur we currently have. Then a surprise visit from my Auntie :) We ordered pizza for lunch and drank a few beers. Then Meema & Papa took the kiddos home with them so Brent and I could have a date night with our besties. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It was a simple night. We ate (and drank....a lot) at Old Chicago, made a stop at the liq, and did a little Wal-Hell shopping (pretty tolerable when you're under the influence). On the way home, Court & I about killed the boys with our not-so-excellent <strike>singing </strike>screaming, barking like dogs from the backseat, followed by some good 'ole fashioned drinking card games at our dining room table. But you know what, it was the most fun I've had in a LONG time. Sometimes simple is better :) (Plus I got shitballs drunk, which is always fun.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I guess I really don't have much to complain about for a 30 year old. No, my life is not perfect.....very far from it. I haven't finished my bachelor's degree (maybe some day down the road) but I have a good job, a nice home, wonderful friends, a caring family, a loving husband and two amazing children who make my little world go 'round. Life is good.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Me & Brentsky</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Court & I giving the 'ole 3-0</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>This stuff right here is Heaven in a can</strong></span></td></tr>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-79592938217573028652013-05-13T10:57:00.000-05:002013-05-13T10:57:41.334-05:00That's a Wrap!<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the new craze of body wraps. They're supposed to shrink, tighten and firm your bod. I was a little skeptical as first. I mean, how in the world could a piece of cloth stuck to your body for 45 minutes make you skinny?? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, after seeing many before and after pictures on blogs (blogs posted by everyday women on their own weight loss journeys, NOT affiliated with any said wrap company), I was sold. You could definitely tell a difference. And I wanted that difference to show on my own body.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As I've mentioned before, prior to having children, I was pretty fit. I had a nice flat tummy too. At the time I didn't think so, my perception of myself has always been way worse than reality but looking back, I'd give anything to have that flat tummy back. Unfortunately, even 100 crunches a day can't undo what two c-sections have done to my lower stomach. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So after seeing the magic of the body wraps and how they tighten up your flabby spots, I knew I had to give it a shot. I signed up for a membership with ItWorks. You have to join their "loyalty" club to get the products discounted, otherwise you pay out the wazoo for your wraps. After three months, you can cancel at no cost. So I figure after my three months are up, if I'm satisfied with my body image, I'll cancel. If not, I'll keep paying $60 for my monthly shipment of these little pieces of heaven. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So far, I've used one wrap on my stomach and one wrap on each of my upper legs/butt area. I took before/after pics of my stomach (sorry, none of the buttocks area, don't want to completely gross everyone out). </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Before ItWorks body wrap</strong></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: small;">After ItWorks body wrap</span></strong></td></tr>
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I probably should have taken them at the same distance for the full effect but I zoomed in on the after picture so you could really see the difference. It definitely tightened up some of that lower flab....not all of it (there's still a lot under my waistband) but some of it. I'm really exicted to use my 4th wrap. I think I'll do it this week since I should be getting my next ship in a couple weeks. </div>
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Maybe I'll post some more progression pics as I go! </div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-67936830474665737032013-04-29T11:44:00.000-05:002013-04-29T11:44:07.167-05:00Weekends = Bad Erin<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been so proud of myself. For the past couple weeks, I've been doing really good about eating healthy and doing well on portion control. And while it's still hard for me to actually work out, I've been walking. A LOT. But this weekend sucked. I sucked. I just kinda fell off the wagon. Like I was tired if trying and I needed a break. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday, I indulged in crap like Poptarts and chips & salsa and pizza for supper. And I didn't walk or work out....at all....whoops. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday was a little better. While Carter chowed down on s'mores Poptarts for breakfast (my absolute favorite), I choked down fruit and a skinny bagel instead. And I made these awesome Skinny Pepperoni Roll-ups. I found this recipe on a new blog I've been reading, Mama Laughlin. You should totally check her out. She's hilarious. And inspiring. <a href="http://www.mamalaughlin.com/2012/02/skinny-pepperoni-roll-ups.html">http://www.mamalaughlin.com/2012/02/skinny-pepperoni-roll-ups.html</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then I had a down-fall Sunday. The weather was soooo nice (finally). And around our house nice weather = beer drinkin weather (it's a redneck thing.....that, and we'll use pretty much any excuse to drink beer). Anyway, we all know what happens when you drink beer. Even if you're NOT drunk, maybe just a little tipsy, you get the munchies. And all of that hard work and perseverance is thrown out the window. And you eat. You eat bad food. Food that you've deprived yourself from for so long and now you just HAVE to have it! Actually, I wasn't all THAT bad....I just ate a few chocolate graham cracker cookies and ate too many pepperoni rolls and then had pizza again for supper. But just once piece! One positive thing about Sunday though, the kids and I went on two nice long walks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I had no problem getting back into my weekly routine this morning. I drank my protein shake on the way to work and then had a piece of fruit when I got to my desk. And then I started in on the coffee. But one thing I did notice this morning is that I'm STARVING. I had finally got my body into a routine and used to less food and then I went and screwed it all up this weekend and now I feel like I could gnaw my arm off because I'm so hungry. This sucks. Doesn't help that Aunt Flow....that dirty bitch....decided to show up a few days early. Probably that Z-pack I took last week, screwing with my "whore pill." Oh well, at least that ghastly sinus infection is gone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But I vow to get back on track this week. And while I'd LIKE to say next weekend will be better, I make no promises. Next Saturday is my <span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>30th BIRTHDAY.</u></strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"> And I'm really not happy about it. I'm dreading it. Which is why I will be getting stupid, sloppy drunk and probably treating myself to some delicious fried food. I'll pay for it next week. But I will enjoy it. Just picture Monica Gellar's 30th birthday on Friends....yep, that'll be me. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've already got motivation for this week. I weighed myself this morning on the scale in our work <strike>"gym" </strike>nasty ass, sweat stenched, antique weight room. According to the scale, which may not be entirely accurate as it's older than the hills, I'm down 5 pounds! I broke the 150 mark, weighing in at 145! Yay me! So I went and walked a mile to celebrate. And then I had an apple. Double yay me!</span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-69186449924454836992013-04-15T13:33:00.002-05:002013-04-15T13:33:42.710-05:00Old Habits Die Hard.......real hard<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm kinda ashamed to say that my work-out regime has pretty much sucked balls lately. You know that thing I said about not having time? Well, it turns out that holds quite of bit of truth. What I need to work on is MAKING TIME.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But even though I haven't been sweating it out with Shaun T. and participating in Rockin Body all that much, I haven't been sitting on my rear. Since we've finally had some decent weather, the kids and I have been going for a walk everyday. And while we're not walking, we're outside playing. (Which is why I haven't had time to work out inside the house.) I've also been trying to walk on my lunch break everyday. Except today. Because it's raining. I swear, that's not just another excuse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've always considered myself someone who manages time fairly well. Especially considering how busy I am. But being a mother has changed my priorities. Now the most important things are feeding my children, making sure they're bathed, have clean clothes to wear and of course spending quality time with them, whether it be playing outside or playing with toys in their room or wrestling on the floor. This doesn't leave much "Mommy Time." I know this is not healthy. This is probably a big part of why my stress level is sky high. I MUST MAKE TIME FOR MYSELF.....I MUST MAKE TIME TO WORK OUT. (This is where Hubby is going to have to step up.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On a positive note, I have been doing much better on my eating. I've been eating less and choosing healthier options. My goal this week is to substitute my breakfast with either a protein shake or protein bar. I had a shake this morning....wasn't too bad. And it held me over pretty well. I did need a mid-morning snack so I opted for some fat free cereal as opposed to the sugary dry cereal I usually eat every morning. I've been trying to eat more fruit, which is working out pretty well. But those old habits that die hard? Yeah, those would include eating candy....late at night. And NOT drinking copious amounts of water like I should. I'm not gonna lie. I. Hate. Water. Sure, it's nice on a hot day or right after a work-out when I'm dying of thirst. But to just continuously drink water all day long....I can't do it. I hate it. And I've got to change that habit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I can tell that my efforts are slowing paying off. My pants fit a little looser and I do have a little more energy. But I'm nowhere close to where I want/need to be. I've got to get my ass in gear. I've got to get back on the RIGHT TRACK -- thank you Matt Foley. I'm ready to get rid of this flub!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">*Editor's note - I just looked outside. It's not raining. Whoopsies.</span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-13623180414957992912013-04-03T08:09:00.001-05:002013-04-03T08:09:33.832-05:00I'm Baaaack!Wow, it's been quite some time since I last blogged. A lot has happened since December 2011. We welcomed Miss Chloe Janette on February 24, 2012 and we just celebrated her 1st birthday. She has added so much joy to our lives in the past year. Mister Carter turned 4 on February 8. He is so bright and fun loving and HILARIOUS! He's also very stubborn, strong willed and has a strong dose of mommy-diagnosed OCD. He definitely gives us a run for our money. Chloe's becoming quite strong willed herself and has already started fit throwing....at 13 months. Some days, my life feels like one big bucket of stress with a side of insanity.<br />
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I've often heard that exercise can help relief stress. It's also been known to cure a fat ass, which is something I currently own. I seriously think I'm in the worst shape of my life. I'm getting ready to turn 30 in a month and I honestly feel like an 80 year old. I ache all over, my knees hurt too bad to take the stairs at work and I just have this nasty image staring back at me when I look in the mirror.<br />
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How did I get here you might ask? Well, not to blame my kids or anything but, oh who am I kidding, I blame my kids! Don't get me wrong, I love them more than anything but being preggo kinda wrecked my bod. When I got pregnant with Carter in 2008, I was a healthy 130 pounds and looked fairly decent in a bikini. Granted, I had all the time in the world to work out and I actually somewhat watched what I ate. Then I find out I'm pregnant and boy did I take the whole "eating for two" thing to heart. I gained roughly 70 pounds while pregnant with Carter (partly due to hypertension) but mainly because I ate and I ate and I ate. It took my quite a while to drop this weight and I actually never lost all if it. When I became pregnant with Chloe in 2011, I weighed in at 161 pounds. I immediately decided I was doing things differently this time around. I ate a lot less, made somewhat healthier choices and had a 2 year old to chase around so I got my fair share of "exercise." I had a much easier pregnancy (minus the migraines), had more energy, no high blood pressure and hypertension this time around. I only gained 25 pounds. And I lost all my baby weight within 6 weeks of delivery.<br />
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In May of last year, I decided to attempt the C25K running program (couch to 5K). I loved it and was just getting into my groove when after 3 weeks I had to stop because the running was just too much for my poor 'ole knees. (Someday I'll tell you the story about my knees, but for now I'll just tell you they suck). So since I couldn't run, I took to walking. This lasted up until we were hit with a hot as hell fire summer last year. It seriously took your breath away to step outside. Plus, I would get a bad case of swamp ass. So there went the walking.<br />
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Since then, my working out kinda comes in goes in spurts. I'll be gung-ho for a week or two, then Lazy Susan strikes. I also have three other things that prohibit me from losing weight. #1-Time. I work full time and have 2 kids, you do the math. Not much time there to work out! #2-I love to eat. And I love to eat bad things. Chips, Twizzlers, ice cream and high calorie coffee drinks are right up my alley. Oh, and I'm addicted to Diet Coke, so there's that too. And finally #3-I love beer. And no matter what diet I may be on, I will never give up my beer.<br />
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I actually have had major success with Weight Watchers a few years ago. I managed to loose nearly 30 pounds before my wedding in 2005. And it was soooo easy. But I had so something to really look forward to, major motivation. I don't have that motivation now, so it makes loosing weight incredibly hard.<br />
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I'm having a hard time with my approach to the Dirty 30 and I think in part it's because I don't want to "look old." (It's bad enough I'm already getting gray hairs.). I think loosing weight and having the mirror reflect a younger looking body a.k.a. skinnier body will definitely help me feel better about myself. I already battle a mean case of self esteem so I've got to make some changes.<br />
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Today I started a new exercise regime that I purchased online last week. Rockin Body. From what I've gathered, it's pretty much all dancing and supposedly "easy." So far (after the first 15 minute workout), I give it 2 thumbs up! It was fun! I also threw in a few floor exercises to work my legs, butt and abs.<br />
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I know this isn't going to be easy, mainly because I'm going to have a hard time changing my eating habits (hence the pizza box in the above picture). And because I have no self discipline to speak of. But one thing at a time. Baby steps, as Dr. Leo Marvin would say.<br />
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Here's the beginning of my journey, weighing in roughly at 150 lbs (haven't weighed myself in a couple weeks). <br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-61299568367326987592011-11-29T18:38:00.001-06:002011-11-29T18:38:56.487-06:00Photo Card<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; padding: 0 6px 0 6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="width: 105px; height: 34px; padding: 14px 0 0 14px;"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="height:350px; text-align:center; padding: 0;"><a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0BbuGTly1bM3Lg&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET&eid=115"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/0BbuGTly1bM7/0BbuGTly1bM7cl/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1322613517000/0/" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="height:55px; background-color:#f4f4e9; text-align:center; padding: 15px 0 15px 0; line-height: 19px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 15px; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;"><span>Christmas Frame Christmas</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewSEOText" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span><a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards" style="color: #6666cc;">Click here</a> to browse our Christmas card designs.</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div><img width="1" height="1" border="0" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;" src="https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&c1=msc&c2=blogger" /></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-85237856359918908362011-10-23T11:36:00.000-05:002011-10-23T11:36:31.194-05:00It's a GIRL!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last Tuesday, we had our sonogram to find out the sex of the baby and our suspicions were right....we're having a girl! And we couldn't be more excited. Everyone kept asking me what I preferred, and honestly I thought I wanted another boy. It would have been pretty convenient to have all of those boys clothes already (even the right season!) But when the lady told us it was girl, I was beyond ecstatic. I think it will be so fun to have one of each and get to experience what each one is like. Plus, we all know shopping for a girl will be FUN FUN FUN!! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm now 21 weeks along, which means we are officially half way there. February will be here before we know it and boy do we have a lot to do. Because our house only has two bedrooms upstairs, the kids will be sharing a bedroom. This means A LOT of reorganizing. Right now, Carter's clothes take up a dresser and the entire closet and we all know this little girl is going to have tons of clothes herself so we will be getting a second dresser and reorganizing the closet. We also have to buy a new bed for Carter, since his toddler bed will have to be converted back to a crib for the baby. One thing we don't have to do is repaint....thank goodness! The bedroom is two shades of green which can work for both a boy and a girl. Carter's half of the room will be more boyish and the baby's side will have some pink thrown in. The biggest thing we'll be doing is converting the basement living room into a toy room. Which means we'll have to rearrange more furniture. I think we really just need a bigger house! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everything seemed to look great on the sonogram. Little Miss has two legs, two arms, and a healthy heart and she weighs 14 oz, almost one pound! She was very cooperative with us too (unlike her brother)! The sonogram tech was able to tell immediately that she was indeed a girl. With Carter, we almost didn't find out what he was because he refused to turn over....he was as stubborn then as he is now! This little girl is VERY active. I think she moves more than she stays still! I feel her moving almost constantly and she is the most active at night when I lay down to go to sleep. Already keeping Mommy awake at night!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter is very excited that he is getting a little sister. He's been saying this whole time that there is a girl in Mommy's tummy and that he wanted a baby sister. He even helped us pick her name! Brent and I had it narrowed down to two names so we let Carter pick. We've told our parents the name, but I'm thinking it might be fun to keep it a surprise from everyone else. We'll see if I can keep under wraps that long :) </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdg-ITqEl79xLQddW3Gny0CfS28mEXHmdGennlwEiR3X36F8Qg22NdC-SWe8xr2GH1TXkHzIs1-X_uuazQF5r9AikKLcbGH7Ew0cvetWMg67mt4rsaVWoib_4cHaU00crhc5L71H8CQA/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdg-ITqEl79xLQddW3Gny0CfS28mEXHmdGennlwEiR3X36F8Qg22NdC-SWe8xr2GH1TXkHzIs1-X_uuazQF5r9AikKLcbGH7Ew0cvetWMg67mt4rsaVWoib_4cHaU00crhc5L71H8CQA/s320/scan0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-3959118928340230182011-10-08T10:09:00.002-05:002011-10-08T10:09:22.283-05:00Mini Family Vacation<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last Friday, we loaded up and headed to Kansas City for the weekend....for a couple reasons actually. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First off, my Grandpa Granger was a member of the 35th Division of the Kansas National Guard. Every year, the Division has a reunion, which he and my Grandma religiously attended. Since Grandpa passed in 1999, my Mom has been taking Grandma to the reunions every year. The past few years, the reunions have either been in Kansas or in close proximity, so I have attended a few with Mom & Grandma. It's been a real pleasure getting to know some of the Vets from Company C that my Grandpa fought with in WWII and their families. There aren't very many Vets from Company C left, mostly just their families who come each year. These folks have all become very close and even though they only see each other once a year, they're like a little family. Lots of great people and lots of great stories to share. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This year, the reunion happened to be in Kansas City at the Airport Hilton. Brent and I were already planning to take a weekend trip to Kansas City sometime this fall so that we could take Carter to the zoo. So we thought this would be a great time to do it so we could enjoy the reunion as well. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Friday, Brent, Carter and I followed Mom & Grandma up to KC, got checked into our hotel, visited with a few folks at the reunion for a little while, and then Mom, Brent, & Carter and I headed out to the Legends outlet mall for some shopping. Carter was in desperate need of some new shoes and what better place to buy shoes than at an outlet mall! He hit the jack pot with 2 pairs of tennis shoes and a new pair of cowboy boots from Cavenders. After Legends, we headed next door to Cabelas. Carter loves all the animals they have to look at and shooting the toy rifles in the kid's shooting range. But his favorite thing to do at Cabelas is to feed the fish!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Saturday, Brent, Carter & I got up early and had breakfast at IHOP before heading to the Kansas City Zoo. We've taken Carter to this zoo every fall since he was just a little baby. But this year was by far the most fun because Carter is finally old enough to actually enjoy seeing the animals. His favorites were the snakes and the chimpanzees. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After we left the zoo, we went to the Bass Pro Shop to look around. Carter had the most fun testing out all the four wheelers they have on display!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We got up Sunday morning and ate breakfast at the hotel before saying our goodbyes to everyone. Then we headed home to watch the Chiefs game and they FINALLY got their first win of the season!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a great weekend, but we were definitely ready to come home and sleep in our own beds! Looking forward to doing it again next year, rumor has it the reunion will be in Kansas City again in 2012!</span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-37924416851703507202011-09-23T18:18:00.000-05:002011-09-23T18:18:45.084-05:00Weekend Bliss<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ahhh, the weekend has finally arrived. What a long week this has been, although I think I say that every Friday! I started out the week with a horrible migraine. Just when I thought things were looking up, bam, here comes another one. What gives?! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm so excited for tomorrow, as my mom and I will be hitting the annual fall garage sales at Lake Sherwood in Topeka. This is something my mom and I started doing a few years ago and we always come home a with a car FULL of goodies. Toys, clothes, furniture, you name it, we probably bought it! And this year will be especially fun since my friend Amanda will be joining us! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not a whole lot to report on baby updates, except that I've been feeling lots of movement all week, which is very exciting! I can't remember when I started feeling movement with Carter, but I know it wasn't this early. I have read in several places that you are prone to feel movement a lot earlier with your second baby because you know what to expect. I'm 17 weeks today, which means only THREE more weeks until we find out the sex of the baby!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Carter news, we had a bit of a problem on Wednesday with him cussing. Anyone who knows Brent and I knows that we have a tendency to say some choice words and shockingly, we've been known to use those words around Carter. However, Carter is always quick to scold us telling us, "Don't say that word!" (I often times call him the swear police for this reason.) But something got into him on Wednesday and he felt inclined to tell my mom that her Durango was a piece of shit! (He was quick to correct himself and rephrase with "piece of junk.") Then later that night, he informed me that he was going to whoop my ass. I had to turn around so he wouldn't see me laugh. Parent of the year here! But seriously, when this tiny little 3-ft tall person tells you that they're going to whoop your ass, you can't help but laugh. After I composed myself, I calmly told him that those were words that Mommy doesn't want to hear him say ever again. And luckily, I haven't had any further ass-whooping threats this week! </span></span><br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-1956154537918575822011-09-17T14:21:00.000-05:002011-09-17T14:21:54.392-05:00Great Expections<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wow, I ca</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">n't believe it's been 8 months since my last blog entry! For some reason, I just got out of blogging. I've always loved it, but it just seemed to take up so much time and let's face it, time is something us parents don't have a whole lot of. But just recently, a friend/former co-worker of mine wanted to know if I would be starting up my blog again. She wanted to know if I would be blogging about my pregnancy. Yes, we are expecting our 2nd baby! I'm sure this is not news to any of you, as most of you are my friends on Facebook and have either heard on there, or from my mother :) So I got to thinking and you know, maybe I should just start MAKING time to blog again. I didn't actually start this blog until the end of my pregnancy with Carter, but it might be fun to start earlier with the second baby.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yesterday marked my 16 week mark, which means we're getting very close to being half way to meeting our baby! I found out I was pregnant on July 15. And even though we weren't exactly preventing, it was still quite a shocker! But none the less, Brent & I (and our parents) were very excited. When I first found out, the doctor wasn't quite sure how far along I was. According to my last period and HGC levels, they were estimating I was close to 9 weeks along. I had a sonogram on July 27 so they could determine my due date, which they set at March 2, meaning I was actually only 7 1/2 weeks along. So we waited until I was about 11 weeks, when the doctor said I was out of the clear, to tell the rest of our family and friends. Even though my due date is March 2, I will have to have a c-section this time around as well, (normally done 1-2 weeks prior) which means we welcome this baby sometime in late February.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This pregnancy has gone pretty smooth, which the exception of one thing, HEADACHES. I experienced the normal exhaustion during the first three months, but I never experienced headaches like this when I was pregnant with Carter. From about 9 weeks to 15 weeks, I was getting a headache on average 3-4 days per week. Let me tell you how miserable this is when the only thing you can take is Tylenol and you happened to be a person who Tylenol does nothing for. My doctor even prescribed me some Tylenol 3, which didn't work either. The only thing that provided any relief was sleep. But obviously when you work full time and have a 2 1/2 year old to take care, sleep isn't always an option! Thankfully, (like my doctor predicted), the headaches have started to subside since I hit the 15 week mark. Let's hope they're gone for good!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As for the baby, so far everything is looking just great! It's heart rate has been in the 160's every visit, even as high as 166 last time! Carter's heart rate was never this high, usually in the 140's-low 150's. Everyone is telling me that the higher the heart rate, the better chance it's a girl. We don't have too much longer to wait until we find out! We have our sonogram on October 18 so we can find out if Carter will be getting a brother or sister.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Speaking of Carter, everyone is always asking me if he's excited about the baby. And truthfully, I don't know! Some days when you ask him about it, he's very excited. Other days, not so much. Although, one good sign is that every time he sees a baby or is around a baby, his eyes light up and he tells me he wants to see his baby. I asked him last week if he would share his bedroom with the baby, and he very happily said yes! I think he's going to be a great (and very helpful) big brother. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So for now, I'll leave you a current picture of Carter (since it's been SO long) and the first preggo picture of me. Brent took this picture of me at 13 weeks. (It's amazing how you grow so much faster the second time around!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-25074977167835810102010-12-07T13:09:00.002-06:002010-12-07T13:11:03.501-06:00Merry Christmas!<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="WIDTH: 425px; HEIGHT: 494px"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif); HEIGHT: 6px"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 6px; PADDING-LEFT: 6px; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat-y; HEIGHT: 482px"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 14px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; WIDTH: 105px; PADDING-TOP: 14px; HEIGHT: 34px"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif" /></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; HEIGHT: 350px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/0BbuGTly1bM7/0BbuGTly1bM7cW/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1291748964000/0/" /></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; LINE-HEIGHT: 19px; PADDING-TOP: 15px; HEIGHT: 55px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f4f4e9; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 15px; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-seris"><span style="font-size:+0;">Picture Joy Christmas</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewSEOText" style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-seris"><span style="font-size:+0;">Make a statement with Shutterfly <a style="COLOR: #6666cc" href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery">Christmas photo cards</a>.</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: arial, sans-seris"><span style="font-size:+0;">View the entire <a style="COLOR: #6666cc" href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery">collection</a> of cards.</span></div><img height="1" src="https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&c1=msc&c2=blogger" width="1" border="0" /></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif); HEIGHT: 6px"></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-64366993066936781982010-09-07T20:01:00.005-05:002010-09-07T20:15:25.027-05:00Playdate Pics<span style="font-family:arial;"> Enjoy pictures from Carter hangin out with his buds!</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">CARTER & HALLIE</span></strong></p><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514344348360617794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDbtLNLiFSwMlDy1AkkXu2DEwV41qQz_atu6MabEIamp8UKiEuw_gaQcykmDupBkMygiL9J0ZmnmgCbgzB3p8ni2qSzgYNPsBhWAGHWWbNCEMuPpHYQ51nsDZzOyfom42_EbqGdSlnGw/s320/100_2113.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514344313770591042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6puZM9lPXOqHJTAirNra0_3Wcdu1-1DhzVHfh8irbq0OYigk9ha3UAlXE2ZO4VA4Ss3gKsDcmpD0k0uK7qBGqSRctsfe4lJ3tu5HVcrQhbmZ05POF0MSv8miWkUrI5Y7w4VMIc13Q8g/s320/100_2101.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514344300159004642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sWx1bP-hRnpXUhWjVj1x5Jh2_w9kSj8ZzAJqw-z7rjCzQB4pUhk6jbH7kahg0DhcQV9B7vtO9xHPFYFCpz-vKSKhXAV0RqHMHy-FWBmdKXBDn2frTCxRTHe8X8ViYOtWTPrP_py2JEk/s320/100_2095.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514344288393298418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfF3JRilWz39J9GQnSX7DyoUqCW1zDfP86-YdvsFZoRyRpE8UeG37teI0mgTRUFI3m0H_4rl5UIsB9R5eH9QHqlfh5JgfGu8vDKGkVE6SUHV3TDVQYTyHGGlkwbcmhkacPIbEZy2Wkx8/s320/100_2084.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514344274803725378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub39M52hYTxFnXoPo0lh_U78gy-wffGGIK7OOgSm4rtSjfW6k9xOGMMWtyEFUI3X8XKNecVY9mM3kYE9EJEcVlWpKKp6C2Du5QR-UXsbhJGalubX7XOP71bUpHyK66H7mcTdyz_-XZ8M/s320/100_2079.jpg" /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">CARTER & NOAH</span></strong><br /><div><div><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514342576325809682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKccG5gwg668ehwfBCNF6KTHs_CNfsePkUzXOEzHVLBZ0twz6SIeaBnTturO4J0QX0HumYrUwhwgA3Wdj1jO2Xlek7QnXoVSdX0vva_Ok2BHc8iqM2N9IVaIwD-PQMwLmsm0QYvEEKkA/s320/100_2070.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514342567698118354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSR_dYQ9kUp2LL-zT6LLZ_25HLTZmtvcdSU-_u3igFKUa1SdHgpAWOiqJgeAoR8QAhxX-2zbAxJUqlWkd8IvAWMiNiL_HdQ219qaKHfKQv2wxKehMKVAfSbtluUgsUZRZzHjHWjqCWow/s320/100_2069.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514342550367111202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MSEBxYcCTwx5uNrby6eP4D_9fsO9VpmhPGZY72jRrwKs5vMk-TMBgn9L2rDn9p9bfvsFOPE7E7XJ0zQuu6ddqwRuaL6rl550PGWwiuD9o7bh4LIQitfYjdeS56LiIG0kNpnEXF6R7MU/s320/100_2059.jpg" /><br /><br /><div><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">CARTER & AUSTIN</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkfivtpVjNUSejuVs7gj5r-lEo9KcT078l2FsK4IAew5p6EAwB72BRKc7WwmVkxXNcjFJjJ7BsKo9H3nP4zqSB7uBcVz8V6D0_EsyrKIn15ZLo_qk4RXO6g6XHyX5IHmRcRLkXIz17GY/s1600/100_2064.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514342559967092466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkfivtpVjNUSejuVs7gj5r-lEo9KcT078l2FsK4IAew5p6EAwB72BRKc7WwmVkxXNcjFJjJ7BsKo9H3nP4zqSB7uBcVz8V6D0_EsyrKIn15ZLo_qk4RXO6g6XHyX5IHmRcRLkXIz17GY/s320/100_2064.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">CARTER, AUSTIN, NOAH, AND ALANA</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514342540762377218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMCe_TuXRF2jzNmODju0zje0FCxDjzfKfi7xl-4Q8Jw7lrOAL_IP_ZPjI3VWFp6rJUSDF6x0yB5eBnAL83XEF6KPBqPBdk6F28F2Z2wP9jXVQeNVA06nsunfeheA-FN7P3xGx0YPWwYM/s320/100_2057.jpg" /> <div><div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-10453735081679621762010-09-01T14:21:00.007-05:002010-09-01T14:38:53.929-05:00Labor Day Weekend is Coming!<span style="font-family:arial;">The Gibby's are super excited for Labor Day Weekend! That's because we're taking a mini-family vacation! Brent and I both took off work this Friday. Friday morning we are heading up to Kansas City. We're going to stop at Cabela's first. Brent and I absolutely love that store and we've been dying to take Carter as soon as he was old enough to enjoy the animals. Then we're heading on to the Coco Key Water Resort. This is a fairly new, indoor water park in KC....it's actually right by Arrowhead & Kaufman Stadiums. We're doing the water park thing most of the day Friday. We are staying at the Holiday Inn that is part of the water park on Friday night. We also plan to visit the Bass Pro Shop in Independence, MO on Friday evening since we won't be far from it at all!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On Saturday, we're going to the Kansas City Zoo and we SUPER stoked about that! We took Carter last September, and while Brent and I really enjoyed it, Carter was still too young to enjoy the animals. But I know he'll have a blast this year b/c he LOVES animals. We intend to spend the whole day at the zoo on Saturday and then head home Saturday evening. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We were able to get a really good deal on our little weekend get-away through a package deal with Coco Key. We get water park passes for 2 days, a hotel room, and passes to the zoo all for one great price. They also have packages where you can get tickets to a Royals game instead of the zoo. We might have to try that next year. Right now, there's no way Carter could sit through an entire baseball game....he's WAY too antsy!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">To round out our holiday weekend, me, Brent, and Lindsay are heading to Eskridge on Sunday to our cousins Candace & Tuff's house for a shrimp boil. I'm really curious as to how this works. Apparently they throw shrimp, sausage, small ears of corn, and baby potatoes all together in a big pot (or turkey fryer) and cook it up! Then when it's done, they dump it all out on a table covered in newspaper and everyone digs in. Sounds like something you'd see in the South! Brent and I have never attended a shrimp boil, so we're really excited to try it! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">After the shrimp boil, we're going to the Eskridge Rodeo.....yee-haw! Love rodeos, and we'll get to see Tuff's boys compete in the Muttin Bustin, which should be a blast! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I can tell we will definitely be using Monday as a day of R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N!!! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day Weekend!!!</span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-57354795700631729912010-08-26T10:35:00.010-05:002010-08-26T14:53:40.233-05:00Play Date Weekend / Brent's Birthday<span style="font-family:arial;">Last weekend, we went to Nortonville to visit our good friends Amanda and Andy and their little girl Hallie. Carter and Hallie always have a wonderful time together and they hadn't seen each other since April!! Hallie is 7 weeks younger than Carter, so handling the two of them is like a set of twins! But they are so funny together and they really had a ball together last weekend. (Pictures to come.....) </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We headed up to Amanda & Andy's on Saturday and spent the whole day outside playing with the kids. Then Andy grilled us some AWESOME hamburgers for supper! Carter was a little turd that day and refused to take a nap the entire day. So after supper and a bath, he was OUT and slept like a log the entire night! On Sunday, we all drove to Olathe and met my mom & dad at <a href="http://www.jumpincatfish.com/">Jumpin Catfish Restaurant</a>, which is quickly becoming my dad's favorite place in the whole world. He's been dying for us to try it, so we figured why not just do it for Brent's birthday! I myself am not a huge seafood lover....I will eat some fish but I was warned by Mom (another non-seafood lover) that this place had extremely "fishy" fish. So while the boys all munched on catfish, the girls enjoyed chicken and chicken fried steak. *Note: Restaurants that specialize in seafood kinda lack in the chicken fried steak department! And even though Carter acted completely rotten the whole time we were at the restaurant, we still managed to have a pretty good time. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On Monday, which was Brent's "actual" birthday, we celebrated by grilling pork chops, corn on the cob, and veggie kebabs...yummy! It was such a beautiful evening too! We're really enjoying this cooler weather....hopefully it sticks around!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We're really looking forward to tomorrow night.....Carter's having friends over to play!! Noah, Austin, Alana, and Waylon (and their parents) are coming over for a play date. The kids all have such a great time when they get together. Noah is 3, Austin is almost 2, Alana is just 2 weeks older than Carter, and Waylon is just a few months old. It will be nice to let the kids play so the adults can sit back and relax! (Pictures to come of that too!)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-81244387599802817072010-08-16T15:14:00.006-05:002010-08-16T15:20:07.210-05:0018-Month Pictures!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjiDNYeLgbjXHUioTP14OswcORvgPpIfSh-l6TlxOfaKcDeZPqT5WBKinztvfwIkP7uZ79fZN7INJcpRdJIjzw6SCLXUJ-tMo60f2zzCBi2lqbkMgBy4h5AKpo1_mX3CuSMQh7baUzQg/s1600/C18.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506104357544510722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjiDNYeLgbjXHUioTP14OswcORvgPpIfSh-l6TlxOfaKcDeZPqT5WBKinztvfwIkP7uZ79fZN7INJcpRdJIjzw6SCLXUJ-tMo60f2zzCBi2lqbkMgBy4h5AKpo1_mX3CuSMQh7baUzQg/s320/C18.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDLgR1P3-8soj3WUtQr5zk9CRb7PsNgUqFSHCU7VP_ylgaWWCo3tb_r5eAfLDm8_rXMBicv81LkGJulbWb7s7a-CfGLWWrpC_XmX3TjWQ5bO42VBbARkiNxEy5wsL0UI25cTPMoB6t5A/s1600/C17.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506104350998424530" style="DISPLAY: block; 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MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 252px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH24PYP2NJ8kQ6aI6nFONiOfDqHstOxE6R_lOtrdSPuuEDHCMPvUwm4cJBfohsL5hGuC-qbJxjzQ3807MSNk7HVOGMa9mInRAGTy4OncUxYNuJbh5OmNltsmAT_pGRUJSfChUXOXFoO_I/s320/C4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqeWxg9q6XDtcY7RD8YD3bcF64V-v-aTtIazYpR9rxTyKfhPPyHmA18SbJQyTxyVBC2RvLr2_oYCZQM-PJfV2g9HICKM1motslZ21dxGsGrpgfr9NHLghY1NYKbZdXTHzZb5FR4J-RP0/s1600/C2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506103796193243474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqeWxg9q6XDtcY7RD8YD3bcF64V-v-aTtIazYpR9rxTyKfhPPyHmA18SbJQyTxyVBC2RvLr2_oYCZQM-PJfV2g9HICKM1motslZ21dxGsGrpgfr9NHLghY1NYKbZdXTHzZb5FR4J-RP0/s320/C2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYinyaA0fcO3hUCNcjO_3q1JuB1r89fSWZHvDuQDhO5GeXTErKYtwozxHt-QbXBtFrxzjSfjfPxW0TKwm4k-BQTJmo5be2SZ0yU8AYxfCvo0mMi0gQxsIj73QDDfQ9HBHn76Te7s5q_4/s1600/C1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506103788209092898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYinyaA0fcO3hUCNcjO_3q1JuB1r89fSWZHvDuQDhO5GeXTErKYtwozxHt-QbXBtFrxzjSfjfPxW0TKwm4k-BQTJmo5be2SZ0yU8AYxfCvo0mMi0gQxsIj73QDDfQ9HBHn76Te7s5q_4/s320/C1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-33643021474714227792010-08-16T10:48:00.007-05:002010-08-16T10:59:50.407-05:0018 Months Old<span style="font-family:arial;">Carter turned 18 months on August 8, so we took him to get his pics taken on Saturday. They turned out GREAT, the best ones he's ever taken in fact! I'm working on getting them all up, but for now, enjoy this one and the "Faces of Carter" pic on the heading of this blog.</span><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506037395910209970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 149px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwZkXSlk5swkn9D9V6AcMaJ7tJKk9IDX7p2rUcl2wjyQGX_HUIxDk4IRmW_wCHI4BAlTQMxd9mKp1acLhfXJra258UI5ciK0RXACAbhtx6zTBXhOedk9VXEqDcyUVq0xNFeuVvYhl-K4/s320/New_Picture_(2).png" border="0" /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">We enjoyed a pretty quiet weekend; Brent had to work so Carter and I did the picture thing with Mom on Saturday and then just hung out at home yesterday. Oh, and we watched the FIRST CHIEFS GAME Friday night!! I am SOOOO happy football season is here finally...well, preseason actually, but still, it's here!!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">We're looking forward to next weekend b/c we're going up to Nortonville to visit our good friends Amanda & Andy and their little girl Hallie, who just happens to be Carter's girlfriend! hehe It's been WAY too long since the kids have been together, but I'm sure they'll have a grand time together.</span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Hope you all enjoy your week! We are definitely on the count-down to Labor Day Weekend....not only b/c it's an extra long weekend, but b/c we are taking a mini family vacation! Details to come....</span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-67053759142267616512010-08-09T12:40:00.041-05:002010-08-09T15:02:04.270-05:00Forgotten Blog?<span style="font-family:arial;">Wow, I cant' believe it's been over 4 months since my last post! I got into a bit of a blog-rut there for a while and I think it mostly had to do with lack of time. For a while, Brent was working nights (he's back on days now thank goodness!) so it was really hard for me to find time to blog b/c it's virtually impossible to get anything done when it's just me & Carter and the last thing I wanted to do was be on the computer when Brent was home! And then spring rolled around, and now summer and let's face it, we spend virtually every evening outside which = no time to blog. </span><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I've been wanting to pick back up on this blog for quite some time now, but I just wasn't sure where to start! Since March, so much has happened and I didn't even know where to begin. But after talking with my Mom & Lori P. (Mommy #2) last night about their blogs, it really made me want to get back into mine. So, here we go. Here's a short (ha!) recap of what we've been up to the last few months.......</span></div><p><span style="font-family:arial;">*April - - - Ahhh, the start of spring! Kicked off with me & my bud Amanda seeing George & Reba in concert! Then the very next week, I was rear-ended during rush hour traffic in Topeka :( Luckily my car wasn't hurt TOO bad and we were even able to go w/o fixing it. We spent a lot of time at the lake during April, camping and fishing with Brent's parents. </span></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503492933545140130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 246px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 185px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc6NMA6fE6LZPK5VHo6QD_iN6fwVY2n1HKRa7QdFqW78gLLGgz6WwoPU8uXbRL5Mt1LEt8BqllcdFRugr7snMIURA4DizDAlbEXbn3s8m2dkdMbYmv5Z7DFr12tSk8z2HhZu1W75CszY/s320/mander_&_erin.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-family:Arial;">*May - - - April Showers bring May Flowers, right? Not this May. I think we saw more rain than we saw sunshine, which put a damper on Carter's outside play quite a few days. I celebrated my 27th birthday and we had one hell of a rainy 3 day camping trip. Thank goodness Carter spent that weekend with Grandma & Grandpa so he didn't have to endure the yucky weather. We enjoyed the annual Burlingame Rodeo toward the end of the month and celebrated Memorial Day with a BBQ at the Gibby's house. Oh, and I got to celebrate my 2nd Mother's Day with the best little man in the whole world =)</span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503494936333996162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6LgDpfOMN4XKf1vp0uWZMLlxgHPPFYprAFtZx2vX9DZkNMtaEMItviEZ5UBoLckRrg3jJOBW0P1nZsxd6fpx4mzzR_pVvok9MvL4jyF0ZMYwT2QyYnwcH3RI558TguABtxhRjuCxk1U/s320/media46.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503496264449291634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2Zoz5HaVrvZYvUZk5ADwU27putms76Ke4CawJQslOrsvgByvstFE-bJvSCiRD00NEn6MNUCR8oiiqVpIuZEwREwYqrrACKsMjeRJcapIycUD4YS2Tu_9E68MxnVcSHfSarixJx-VjjA/s320/39821_559937159910_62904693_32739521_792529_n.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:Arial;">*June - - - June saw us helping Candace & Tuff prepare for their big wedding day coming up in July. We participated in a couple's wedding shower for them, which was a blast! Brent got to celebrate his 2nd Father's Day, and we spent more time at the lake, especially on the boat. Mom & Dad celebrated their 29 year anniversary!!</span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503493609902968258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 185px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDBOkU3LpXPKGcPmQKlo9vyp7qjh17XTXNxbOFC5WKqOF64ihxiuXeLbg1Tip3YmlIE_oqdr9dU5JPnQGdbu7-hfzeRPIlUAhhuIVbpNP6XrSRlGgFNl5xrwrNUyRlBLdyMHC38zPj7g/s320/candy_&_erin.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503496254767999218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRl2a0xPy-uEBMJPQQaN5z0aULOgo_g4j1RuyWdKiP1a7dTWvONc4839p8ok8OET3ec21GtPS1YXw8nKcVkFSHmhVBH0NCX73cnM9ehQW4TShbfO4g5JSHNwY5qXwkbBs9_qaeBt1F-LE/s320/36349_556330278130_62904693_32601501_2520239_n.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:Arial;">*July - - - Seems like July just started and now it's already August! July was very busy for us and sped right by! 4th of July weekend we attended a baby shower for our good friend Tara, celebrated the 4th w/ a BBQ at Grandma Bryson's and fireworks in Eskridge (we were supposed to go see the fireworks show at Lake Wabaunsee, but it was canceled due to rain). One of my main duties at Matron of Honor for Candace was to throw her bachelorette party which turned out to be a very interesting night, but still tons of fun no less! And just last weekend, on July 31, we watched Candace & Tuff join hands in marriage, at one of the most beautiful and awesome weddings I've ever seen.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503496260842626258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK1n9PIDR0zJiTLXojqJh_Rra-pluS9vJ-3UkfpaF32dQQXZGBJW9piOrMK2RMafDn7Jnlc70bac53sVgQsBuu3ySLhNIpNVXY05Q8vMzawjQGCStmfExu32PnrZW60s3qo4axQqd9GE/s320/40580_559937199830_62904693_32739526_8065696_n.jpg" border="0" /></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503494346036120098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 279px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdq0kg41o_3BgHUcr09WyTxQuoWAjgd5GvyRgnrtchL4klvDYo_O_7AEH990olw4S1uPTYHWn2pxufcCNQHQOyRpXHuGTLHQ2QLHVkTBzvrdoayOFBsFUNsyZB9NyvyULFUAm0WSQAGfk/s320/100_0330.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503494350797321010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcXKjMwejAl4lzej-Kt0gb2_ya6QeLcLYKMcXIdVnVmeGzRPAPqeAZx3B-HtynLoXIfcPrg6U4sSvRg6WhFFiGCf7ef8Un1Ci_FgH9M8I675CvH1B_hytddbdXX3FlhIzhtiIKfMeu2k/s320/100_0323.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-family:Arial;">And now here we are in August, approaching fall already. Preseason football is starting, which makes me giddy and sooooo ready for fall. The temps lately have been so incredibly hot--bring on the cool! We just celebrated my Mom's birthday this past weekend (her b-day is today-Happy Birthday Mom!) and we will celebrate Brent's on August 23rd.</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Carter is thoroughly enjoying summer. He loves to play on his climber/slide, eat at his picnic table, and ride his John Deere tractor.</span></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503497111371164674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxeKdO-Avha3IYJs8ohyAR_oXiv86Pxg2U6JDydAHwSdEg0BQkxqatTKIwcOLowqKJnlgLDq5TB53tjISNlF6QBPIJ5Ks-lJY0_R0R4pTHrqba8RYLnu53TqAFaCAr7Z_mga22VhcFRc/s320/media65.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503497113857353042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsKCqAEo-NLwbFYEmzGIdaOJpFDqRrUCOfJZjE5sfyxIWMrwmz0wEP5354FnGAI_4ZaH6-Hn9l8B7d8-UclebD5zUShMKd89rsVKMDxBIHtIfiijJr_g7sNq9FH8PhXTNMa2vyvgZ4pQ/s320/media64.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503497122831679506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8s0JJBUrlqjVogPiVVJ7V4lgYF4xRTmNf1S0vkETQ8G7H8OMw1h_QT7W5e2Aw7sNFWIjWVXKQfQ-g7T2sQUfhhw9ErJr8SY4yILUyBRr-ulxF05JoANrUZcq_tJI1_H0yalWujUiHdeg/s320/media69.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503497132222858018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaLYVZCFBZdXm8Coq1xINwQPP3N83-muocYoZkYFTyWJp1uTdsIi5EiCF_INc8k_lUAQH-Y0ZTnJbMa6hT6heuIsR7r78NpfUtX1haYbZUfZoPnnvmzlc1Q0odHdmWISYURLgQmR2wV0/s320/media54.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Speaking of tractors, we cannot believe how much Carter LOVES tractors. He's absolutely obsessed with them and usually that's all he'll play with! Meema bought him a set of 4 John Deere DVD's that we've now watched a gazillion times. And when he's ready to watch one, he'll let you know....he will turn on the DVD player, open the door, and bring you the movie so you can put the disc in for him. Silly boy!</span> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">We're very proud of how smart Carter has become. He doesn't say a lot of words yet, but he always knows what you mean and understands when you ask him to do something (yet he doesn't seem to listen when you tell him NOT to do something!) He knows all the parts on his body and will point to them when you ask him where they are. He can even identify his shirt and shorts/pants to you, although he isn't too fond of clothes. He's not very happy when we make him put on shorts to go outside and play! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Carter's best friend is Maggie, or as he calls her, "Maa." He follows Maggie all over the house or yard and always wants to give her hugs. One of his favorite things to do is sit on her back. However, now that he weighs 25 lbs, we try not to let him do it anymore. We don't want to break Maggie's back!</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Brent's job is going really well for him. He's been there a year and a half and has already moved up two positions. His title is "Mold Tech" and he sets the molds in the presses that make the plastic parts. And he comes home VERY dirty and VERY greasy every night. Thank goodness he has uniforms so we don't have to wash all that crap in OUR washer!</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">I'm still chuggin along at the Kansas Dept of Revenue. I love what I do and love my team at work. Some days I wish I didn't have to drive to Topeka EVERYDAY for work, but there just aren't very many options around Osage County! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">So my goal is to keep this blog up and running like I used to. I know many of you have been wondering where I've been, and I'm sorry to keep you hanging! But keep checking back for more Gibby updates and pics of our wonderful Carter-bug =)</span> </p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-16578507651636027662010-03-20T11:49:00.007-05:002010-03-20T12:09:59.288-05:00He's a Walking Fool!<span style="font-family:verdana;">Carter FINALLY took off this week! He had been taking a few steps here and there and cruising around everything, but he just hadn't let loose yet. But as this week has gone on, he was taking more and more steps, and finally by the end of the week, he was a walking fool! So now, he's of course into even more stuff he shouldn't be, but it's okay. I'm just glad he's walking!</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">
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<br />It looks like we'll be spending this weekend inside the house, thanks to the stupid snow storm we got. It better be the last snow of the season! We're ready for spring! We were spoiled with the awesome weather last week. At least Carter got to play outside for a few days. Brent is off this weekend, so we're looking forward to just hangin around the house as a fam, watching college basketball. Go Hawks!!</span>
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<br /></span><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450762528519575378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAlGtQ_hflfXjat0wMwN4iYItQlJMvFFT20TYlcuegBpt2jwR0vIn6Y4eqsfrgdtQPeffNlQ83cgaZ7UD2DZgB45WZ8ZeXj_eXSIvD6Y5k0ylau3IlL4rBcE8EHNjya7LdG9Ic6L4Ceo/s320/media4.jpeg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450763164259585570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-E_pBJVnFkYmhRFHPfKLCYZ1JWyXbobmuNQNh3do1O8eEb6dNW2zQgaqWUPN8Xm5i7e6ne5You8Pg6bhCYwdRvCSkcndI4JZjr1otb8F_SasnlPX2_a4PzpY6zCbXfHoRbLsEGvZeME/s320/media31.jpeg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450762516425680450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zg9FNgj8OT6i0icowEobs-P77dkTDCYA1IeEvenBjhIPZ38lN5pZeNAKdqXFiMv2VFTWtiCTjsYYgyvnGCD-6tWQTC3Rfho4woDtVzVbnTYy4yxYJu8lmuMf5LrgC5VOgPPOV9Em1f0/s320/media3.jpeg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450762505894260978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMwdgxjIuwrCL8luQNVuPotMp5JEGcO0YyKKN4d9QJltTq8Xw7bwbjKps4S3N0UXFpKynxDrDW5B4VWxs6jtf00AOTs6K_bkTfmyE2fSVcrulqRROpJX61YW_2ryWQzTGsL7lOSdykr8/s320/media2.jpeg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450762496908850274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlTcmlX6wkId9NCWykjY7WBDi5tKVmmEVNYVMUrCZoUTqSR8NdSW-MqtlVkWV5z8yMcb6nCJopjsWbh1Yxkb9xkx4h-GlPfMoUWTmHxtrJCH_ye3uLhdA-ltSVouOuwUQvuHJThNNLPg/s320/media1.jpeg" /> </div></div>
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-44684343599018448742010-03-18T12:57:00.010-05:002010-03-18T13:15:17.083-05:00George Strait<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglH_wH9Mr4inkCpWLuZWnRpO8c9OEZ1w1UI54SyWAP5SgTmFX1V-yVNabW_uKwNxU_ifzHu-mVugP1dNc21PlyM52e_GY5DKCvLcXwrOSx9o0DpiXo2VVAr8-YTo_A9n-TXKiMyCJAGug/s1600-h/gs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450038290086833394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglH_wH9Mr4inkCpWLuZWnRpO8c9OEZ1w1UI54SyWAP5SgTmFX1V-yVNabW_uKwNxU_ifzHu-mVugP1dNc21PlyM52e_GY5DKCvLcXwrOSx9o0DpiXo2VVAr8-YTo_A9n-TXKiMyCJAGug/s320/gs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">As most of you know, I have just a teeny tiny little obsession with George Strait. Oh, who am I kidding, I LOVE THAT MAN! I have been in love with George ever since I was a little girl. I remember my mom used to play George Strait tapes every night when she was trying to get me to fall asleep. I remember listening to George on family vacations. I remember every time we would go to the Scranton Bar to eat, mom would ALWAYS play "Amarillo by Morning" on the jukebox. George has always been a big part of our family! </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've seen George in concert one time, when I was pretty young. In fact, I really don't remember it at all. (But I'm sure he was awesome!) I've been dying to go to another George concert since I've been an adult, but it's very rare that he ever comes around our neck of the woods. And then, wouldn't you know it, this year his tour has TWO stops in our area! He was in Wichita back in February and he'll be in KC in April. And REBA is touring with him!! How could a concert get any better?? Two of the best country artists to ever walk the planet....my two favorite indeed!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I begged Brent to let me buy tickets to the show in April, but he wouldn't let me spend that much money. I think this was mostly b/c he "claims" he hates George. (I think he's just jealous b/c I love George almost as much as him!)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">So, I sulked and just thought to myself, maybe I can catch him on the next go around.....if he ever comes back here in the near future! And then, the best thing ever happened......</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My mom came over Saturday and brought in a Country Music Weekly magazine with George & Reba on the cover. She told me she picked it up b/c she didn't know if I had read it yet, and it had a really good article where George interviews Reba. She set it on the counter, and instinctively I opened up the magazine to the middle and there, right in the middle, were TWO George/Reba tickets taped to the page!!!!!! I think my jaw dropped to the floor. I just stood there, staring at the tickets in disbelief. Could it really be? Was I FINALLY going to get to see George again?! Yes, they were real! I gave my mom the biggest hug ever and I even started crying b/c I was so happy!! My mommy is the greatest ever!!! </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">So....on April 9, I will be at the Sprint Center, enjoying the musical stylings of LeAnn Womack, Reba, and the greatest ever, King George. My husband refused to go, so I'm taking my BF Amanda! I know we'll have a wonderful time!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Thank you sooooo much Mommy!!!</span></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-42735245788774170992010-03-10T10:52:00.023-06:002010-03-10T12:58:10.304-06:00I Have a Blog???<span style="font-family:verdana;">So some of you may be wondering if I've fallen off the face of the Earth.....or not! The truth is, our computer is still not fixed and it's been really hard for me to find time on my breaks at work to write a blog. On a good note, I think we may be close to having our computer back. My 2nd dad, Dave, has it right now and is working on cleaning all the viruses off of it. Thank you Dave!! So hopefully we'll be back up & runnin soon and I'll be back to my usual blogging self! </span><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><div>In Carter news......</div><br /><div>*We have a total of 7 teeth now! 4 on top, 3 on bottom, and there are 2 more on top that are rapidly approaching. I'm very excited for this b/c it will help Carter be able to eat a more broad variety of foods. Right now we're pretty restricted to what he can eat and everything has to be cut up into tiny tiny pieces! </div><br /><div>*Carter's still working on the walking thing. We know he can walk....we've seen him walk....he just seems to have no desire to do so! He's taken several steps at a time by himself and he cruises around everything in the house, barely hanging on, but he seems to prefer crawling! And let me tell you how FRUSTRATING this is to Brent & I!!! We're just like, "Walk already kid!!!"<br /><br />*Bubba's become quite the chatterbox! I can't believe how many things he's saying now! He still says mama & dada of course, but now he says "Done" or "All Gone" after he eats. And he points at EVERYTHING and says "What's that?" Of course, it comes out more like "Stat??" He also says "OK", "Yeah", and "Uh-Oh." We also hear tons of undecipherable babbling which I'm sure will eventually turn into real words!</div><br /><div>*We've been working with Carter on learning his body parts. We sing the "Head Shoulders Knees & Toes" song several times a day and right now we're working on where his nose & belly button are. He's catching on very well and will sometimes even point to his nose when you ask him where it's at. </div><br /><div>*Behavior problems!! Some days, I wonder if we have a 13-month old or a 2 1/2 year old b/c let me tell you, this child is ORNERY!! He definitely tests his limits too! He's very impatient, whiny, and moody (just like his Mama unfortunately)! He always wants something he can't have (typical kid I know). Some of the problems we've been having are him sneaking into the bathroom when we don't have the door closed, closing all the doors in the house he can find, trying to eat Maggie's dog food, knocking picture frames down, trying to stand on his little 4-wheeler so he can climb up on top of other things, and throwing EVERYTHING, including his sippy cup, which here lately he has not wanted to drink milk out of. I know these are all typical things that every kid does, and we're willing to put up with it a few times, but now that we're trying to teach him the meaning of "NO" and he has no interest in listening to us, it's very frustrating!!</div><br /><div>*Little man is such a little love bug! He loves to give hugs & kisses (sometimes) but mostly hugs. He even hugs his stuffed animals & Maggie too! It's so sweet. I hope he stays this way forever!</div><br /><div>Well that's about all I have for now. Hopefully it won't be nearly a month before my next post! Enjoy Carter's 12-month shots & a few other randoms I've taken this week.</span> </div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447071607860979218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngIIkcDRS1wY4tsXKYblCSgGaJP7Dj9mBHIKFuca1aPRml6_x6V6Ca7CFNVRP9L9TvMEn5W5o512T4KWD8njAkATQqYBFUjnX_TXU_FzXZRnh7Hw_l40Iy0OUsGSkUx1uakapRPCEXd0/s320/033e03f0-bdd4-420c-b86d-16e517ab7b41w.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447071598752954962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ91QO-v10MDUkn-jeH9fGor1oJpmchdgO7ONMlWiJ6JlVeCxsT3BE_3TxhUQcr_AntXDRRpL4diHpF7EF_BRTI86aCIViGnHynDJWh4NZOCu2J_ZoV7elzy5odYic_qzvEp7hPxMlxDo/s320/fd54fcea-df89-4adc-a830-fd03de000016w.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447071593941398754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSSO8T4y_7yBdC7bkXZwt3y8nc4xBHg-Ds3Sny7jBMzdiKc_HCJtaui57lTQFKR9IYAY-v4Z1SIX9x48yW_tt4U4zsu5St28UkiNXQfzSmGPtvpqjx2uhjtregtdTySnB7bMhnrJvoCI/s320/c79c5e7b-10e0-4dd9-abdb-96bbc3e097bdw.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447071590778368034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Bbz-5mg7GjuUP-e2LErPOcCqKhoX-nBG4RVW-U0HSegA0sKL-h9Q4qBQybNjqk2kdwxO0CvTFMt7FYeTPWdpb4sVX5DTY_97QGFc90Sz0Pz16EugzvgnWcrlmNnvcfz-vYZjd9EsIi4/s320/0b6e8b2e-ba23-4846-affb-c72b8a58ff0ew.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447070889419545794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Nk0TSJjCi1oXfz4JP2KeUP6lxYCy_oNji0Q2Ur3qQz_EY8dJleVduznz5ljF5u3m43o5XUnhqqSJKr3-AV975tEbdsTqVkZj6ghwSahkom3qJuqEOtU6owC8RA41aOXJFvQauXejmrw/s320/bf32a579-98cd-4458-9d8d-0c19e5bdfc81w.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447070884469695922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARIXway9bFnuRQ2IRNNczKRjvd6XTwzMQILu7dJ-JByeXiklyS7jyUjxvPHo03CMo7k_2sB-9XLaeD1Vr1CJrKYhNlPemkjIKREfm7qOaLAAQF4tzjldvGZ4Rba5yZGTrhE_uXAkJ9Wk/s320/media24.jpeg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447070880010374194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnmFl-T6D9n0kW3V8AnO0fk5rQn8MUXQtBCo2Em0ehDlYEp2etrGfooZoWAg4m9DSEXygkWvuliKOvzdPWfdBfyMES_hB1Cjvv51hz6gMXfmD-I2VHSSqUW3B4cwjX9FbCMrE9TlbAkU/s320/media22.jpeg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447070867640474594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxw88IQKNyjg5Kw5aRzNuR4x39EeD3q1YqMqk9ZEA_n55LoiM8R0VlEIXzxTAXpSyvQI1E87Fu9HGFe0RcR7Lf9ZNxWb4OxiHM7QrWgaw5BnmljDgpks3ItDXip9GkDjC3t0PasfJLJU/s320/media21.jpeg" border="0" /> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447080825339990706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKIo0QSEbFjzcr7_7DEMrDuxbxDOoRsyZ_lmANXyrzQOThhIpWwqCuMY5PmPxQMScm60shXuR6yQtNCTQa8zTobfAGGyPE8AWsGxJlshQJ5peLtPmSZm7Ilbit33sRVDecf5iNUq33bU/s320/media23.jpeg" border="0" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-90464163333380477772010-02-17T10:28:00.019-06:002010-02-17T15:32:34.892-06:00Carter's ONE!<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;">I know, I know, I'm HORRIBLE! Carter's 1st birthday was last Monday the 8th and I'm JUST now posting about it! Well, I've actually been putting it off b/c I really didn't want to do a birthday post w/o any pictures and our computer is STILL broke, so I haven't been able to upload any pictures. But, my mom was nice enough to share a few with me, so I can put a few up for now!<br /><br />Carter had a WONDERFUL birthday! His party was so much fun. We had it on Sunday, the day before his birthday, at the Senior Center in Osage. It was a John Deere celebration! We were lucky to have so many friends & family members come--it was so great to see everyone! The highlight of the day HAD to be Carter digging into his special giant cupcake that I made for him, complete with green frosting (see pics below). And of course Carter made out like a bandit! He's just a <em>tad</em> spoiled!<br /><br />I stayed home with Carter on Monday, his actual birthday. We enjoyed a day of relaxing and playing with all of his new toys! Unfortunately Brent had to work that day :( But when he got home that night, we had a birthday dinner for Carter that consisted of pancakes & scrambled eggs (and bacon for Mommy & Daddy & Maggie). After supper, we gave Carter a little bit of birthday cake (like he needed any more after his party!) and then he opened his presents from me & Brent. All in all, I'd have to say he had a pretty darn good 1st birthday!<br /><br />In other Carter news, he got his first hair cut last Friday! Just in time for his 1 year pics we got taken on Saturday. He did soooo good while getting it cut. I was prepared to have to sit there with him, just to ensure he stayed still! But nope, he got right up there on the stool, just like a big boy. Of course, he needed a comb in each hand, but that's okay b/c he did awesome! I can't believe how much the haircut changed him. He definitely looks like a little boy now, not a baby anymore! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Carter now does an awesome impression of the Hulk! It's soooo funny! One day he just started straining & putting his arms up, like he was showing off his muscles, so we quickly dubbed it "The Hulk." We used to have to imitate the Hulk to get him to do it, but now he's learned as soon as hears the word HULK or MUSCLES, he does it and let me tell you it is quite hilarious! I have video on my camera that I will post just as soon as the POS computer is fixed!!</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I have to take Carter to get his shots today after work. We attempted to get them last Friday. I took the day off so we could get his hair cut, bring him to work so everyone could see him, have lunch w/ Auntie Amanda, and then go to his 12-month check-up. Well, they wouldn't give him his shots b/c it had not been exactly 6 months since his last shots. We were TWO freaking days shy!! I was so pissed. I told them it would have been nice if they'd bother to tell me it had to be 6 months to the day when I scheduled his 12 month appointment!! So Dr. Heeb went ahead & checked him out and he's doing fabulous. He's now up to 22 lbs and is 30 inches long, and that big noggin of his is holding a huge brain! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><br />In Erin & Brent news.....Brent got a promotion at work which is soooo awesome for him! I'm so proud of him b/c he's worked really hard! The only downfall is that with the promotion comes a new shift.....the night shift :( He'll now be working 7pm to 7am as lead mold tech on his shift. It's going to suck, but thank goodness it's not every night of the week.<br /><br />I'm still chuggin along w/ my non-diet crap. Not doing very well in my opinion. I just want to eat all the time! And I hate exercise! I do a lot around the house to keep moving, just by vacuuming and picking up the house every night and doing dishes and cooking supper and doing laundry and of course chasing after Carter. It seems like from the time I get home from work I don't sit down until 9:00! So why am I not loosing more weight?! Oh yes, b/c I love food. I can tell I've lost a little bit, but it's just not coming off as quickly as I'd hoped. I guess I'm really gonna have to get my butt in gear if I want to see some serious results. Especially since Candace and I are going dress shopping this weekend for my bridesmaid dress!<br /></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439323069224963682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGpRterU6z3iV57qF5Dtt1tZfdT59hQxJgJAzt4zdP-pdWxATjuR2yA6a1F97ahVgmBUMuRhpi47QODBoPibEhTDkxJYQZ9c5kFp7ak19T-TMdRaKEDdvJjCDXNzupImh7uIeqkhcsW4/s320/media18.jpeg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:verdana;">New Hair Cut!</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439323061811872434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDqBBsrWx7YP2MMyGqScH13H9Euh5ehz3YYsRQPO1JdR9-F05rgGNGrxrcJ0pk5ckuZ6u52QXDeryGcySuOVbua9zyyj6k_3ptAuxsaPuR36aRUs0PYZiCvNAbP2ZKL2pjzyt_u8OfJI/s320/media17.jpeg" border="0" /></span></div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsew0fRuUsq9-7yOT_0sALutpAMtZEUaJBL9InQd7ta_0lY6-spoYwUy8uKxh6MUqkhWVo1d-qHof4D8Ou5YQkwU26_MCCMZZ5w_gaw6dspF8dy7sQMuPecJM5aiJ80Si5DlGenxsQ64U/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+053.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439321159940019474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsew0fRuUsq9-7yOT_0sALutpAMtZEUaJBL9InQd7ta_0lY6-spoYwUy8uKxh6MUqkhWVo1d-qHof4D8Ou5YQkwU26_MCCMZZ5w_gaw6dspF8dy7sQMuPecJM5aiJ80Si5DlGenxsQ64U/s320/1st+Birthday+053.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Carter & Hallie playing at the birthday party</span><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc4-S3wVRGBhqpxs-YOA_Bv44ZFyHpqRhCtRTd6ij4plsuR0bD1b95KNvqjomqoSGpPBge71n8P5vsTwVoGw6jfOzU6kRQmod04tTm09S42327orxMM2e2cMuRf5SkInF6af9yLI0UOA/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+047.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439321157191703970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc4-S3wVRGBhqpxs-YOA_Bv44ZFyHpqRhCtRTd6ij4plsuR0bD1b95KNvqjomqoSGpPBge71n8P5vsTwVoGw6jfOzU6kRQmod04tTm09S42327orxMM2e2cMuRf5SkInF6af9yLI0UOA/s320/1st+Birthday+047.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Have some cake Mommy!</span><br /><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBI8cIhzJG8Hutd2lEh0c4uOGdDBS2kAv3ebq_9G_D-ynLHJxRfJhtgZ2qd0IsXuOslnPUtveI-Hf76Zjotdqg_QbTAj2DPXt9CXyBxifA2LuTz62_OfSmplhCz6Xi7XxMxkE8zN6VOms/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+039.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439321153096299810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBI8cIhzJG8Hutd2lEh0c4uOGdDBS2kAv3ebq_9G_D-ynLHJxRfJhtgZ2qd0IsXuOslnPUtveI-Hf76Zjotdqg_QbTAj2DPXt9CXyBxifA2LuTz62_OfSmplhCz6Xi7XxMxkE8zN6VOms/s320/1st+Birthday+039.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> The Green Monster!</span><br /><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi450pdrzKAk5wlaTTlhB1JJ-mVzLDLbptpX2VpIj42bycWg188zxx894FU5s7rgQz6HOq6avFs_Q9FO1nRE8FwPwKzrbJRo2qOV4L5caWl8VnM9HzgyHrPblpTtdMZmQr6rIlWWga_e20/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+031.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439321145528929586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi450pdrzKAk5wlaTTlhB1JJ-mVzLDLbptpX2VpIj42bycWg188zxx894FU5s7rgQz6HOq6avFs_Q9FO1nRE8FwPwKzrbJRo2qOV4L5caWl8VnM9HzgyHrPblpTtdMZmQr6rIlWWga_e20/s320/1st+Birthday+031.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SVlCmlDke-qsRi9QE3ilg2Xtq0cfjKi550-CaFDYGCLcfH1u5Xvg1eTfuH7JwJUqsBdql4uQuJ0O6h4Xd9U7BYtVl9Kzn8_m5QDKh6p-Ev4UFZfEMDfA4z3ShL0HCBqHgRzblSr35zo/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+028.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439320581713583090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SVlCmlDke-qsRi9QE3ilg2Xtq0cfjKi550-CaFDYGCLcfH1u5Xvg1eTfuH7JwJUqsBdql4uQuJ0O6h4Xd9U7BYtVl9Kzn8_m5QDKh6p-Ev4UFZfEMDfA4z3ShL0HCBqHgRzblSr35zo/s320/1st+Birthday+028.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeqJ33Kua_c5-XgDtEmhQnjzJ-ZhlcpN7EqOhHptTbt9Saf7GC0eyDk2FNAmQjDj0Embr8adlO8zdn18vvqwF3rW6pgAkp82p3mDvyWghuWhPfu1tflBKR2A8hY7yAGZUTsN0MAtGaq4/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+025.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439320580498178178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeqJ33Kua_c5-XgDtEmhQnjzJ-ZhlcpN7EqOhHptTbt9Saf7GC0eyDk2FNAmQjDj0Embr8adlO8zdn18vvqwF3rW6pgAkp82p3mDvyWghuWhPfu1tflBKR2A8hY7yAGZUTsN0MAtGaq4/s320/1st+Birthday+025.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Carter's Cupcake-Cake</span><br /><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8m4tiuj4dGOl7PmhUn9OaGbePjBgptGBvGS5PlfyQxGhdCt8HHuYyve3J4ksmd1oW7TgDbBnCBGJIvBYZUx4wPR1kY4tk2tuXN6uNYCSg8VwHuuTwY_JrcLpklXVmQRLoCk34t2SQ6w/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+007.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439320574419647778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8m4tiuj4dGOl7PmhUn9OaGbePjBgptGBvGS5PlfyQxGhdCt8HHuYyve3J4ksmd1oW7TgDbBnCBGJIvBYZUx4wPR1kY4tk2tuXN6uNYCSg8VwHuuTwY_JrcLpklXVmQRLoCk34t2SQ6w/s320/1st+Birthday+007.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> The John Deere Spread</span><br /><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf-Y0qaC1YY9nGWkdHM4WxgpUycGbLbxSD0So9J8Bix16wcLhqILU2HBjLLkIU57ID2ab4otm085P5LiaOQiJWlnZDkG1iQxkgG4GL-bFUEST2CdRh3e_QqrYpJg63wi9eWe1tpoxN-Y/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+006.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439320569214942946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf-Y0qaC1YY9nGWkdHM4WxgpUycGbLbxSD0So9J8Bix16wcLhqILU2HBjLLkIU57ID2ab4otm085P5LiaOQiJWlnZDkG1iQxkgG4GL-bFUEST2CdRh3e_QqrYpJg63wi9eWe1tpoxN-Y/s320/1st+Birthday+006.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> This is the cupcake I made for Carter.....it looked a lot better at home that morning before we transported it to Osage! The frosting slid and smushed the top. And the green dye in the frosting turned the letters green (they were yellow). Oh well, it still turned out pretty good I think!</span><br /><br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYDWJGplPVftM-LtEfNO0007fLTdt0rcs9hUGA6NgEEztWhe3yTdpZjmqZnmdBKa2h2fe8vMrx5sueTM7oizFtQztDbmlwCXVNI9Fy8EfmL36NG6BmbzQ7wCoDDUmtLwXoCBzGOHco2g/s1600-h/1st+Birthday+004.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439320565505481170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYDWJGplPVftM-LtEfNO0007fLTdt0rcs9hUGA6NgEEztWhe3yTdpZjmqZnmdBKa2h2fe8vMrx5sueTM7oizFtQztDbmlwCXVNI9Fy8EfmL36NG6BmbzQ7wCoDDUmtLwXoCBzGOHco2g/s320/1st+Birthday+004.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-29730260739983124752010-02-05T15:14:00.010-06:002010-02-05T15:25:18.822-06:00Big Weekend Ahead.....and more snow :(<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Just when we think the weather is starting to clear up and maybe, just maybe, Spring is <em>actually</em> just around the corner.....we get hit with MORE snow. I feel like we live in Minnesota or something!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">We have a very big and exciting weekend ahead of us! Sunday is <strong>Carter's 1st Birthday Party</strong>!!! I really hope the weather clears up so that everyone is able to make it...especially since we'll have enough cake to feed an Army! Tonight I need to finish making the party favors; we're making suckers and candy in the shape of tractors, bulldozers, and dump trucks. They're so cool! And EASY. I bought some candy molds at Hobby Lobby and all you have to do is melt these little candy wafers, pour them in the mold, and put them in the fridge to set up for 15-20 min. and voila!, you have miniature tractors and trucks on a stick! We are making vanilla-flavored yellow candies and chocolate-flavored green candies. I'll be sure to post pics of the finished product. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">On Saturday, I have to run to Topeka to pick up Carter's cake and get balloons blown up. Then I'll be busy making Carter's own cake for him to dig into at his party. The famed "smash-cake" as it's been dubbed is a fun way for little ones to enjoy their very own cake on their 1st birthday. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I will say that it's actually going to be a giant cupcake.....I hope it turns out good!!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.....stay warm and BE CAREFUL out there!</span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-31082504363535720802010-02-04T11:22:00.010-06:002010-02-04T12:19:58.739-06:00Looking back.....<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One year ago today, I was extremely pregnant, extremely swollen, and extremely MISERABLE. Remember this???? </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434440779609674258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqWEG5IJpWLJPwbWZkNtji8urb-jcb2LwWUKWBNvnnB1fNKm_tprIDnI-IzqdxFQ-iIC4WPkwp5jNrwjNPOxNigh9d2mGe-eabN0DFIdIs6XcB43NZQg8wb1K-AL3tiyfFgHq3s0wQxU/s320/belly.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434440777054110562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5goyirdFSidxpZP19L-2osZwwHl7duAin2be-NCiYji2tMD_EeBw7KhlR6_vbcxyX34kXzZuFzEbXe5TCPZB4RYwKdNJ7uzfpw4UKl7wbG7FJB0Ht7NXsTkJ3ECcv9J8kxW97rRKGfk/s320/legs.jpg" border="0" />But there was one good thing about February 4, 2009......we found out that our little man would be arriving much earlier than February 23! Carter was still breech and my doctor scheduled a c-section for me on February 11 (Carter obviously had plans of his own). I can still remember that feeling I had, a feeling of pure excitement & happiness, but nervous as hell! I had no idea what life would entail as a mother. While I expected it would be great, I had no idea just how absolutely wonderful and fulfilling it would really be. </p><p>In recent news........We've finally accomplished the feat of getting Carter to drink whole milk! The 2% trick worked! I even got him to drink it out of his sippy cup last night. I don't think Brent's having much looking getting him to use the cup for milk today, but hey, at least he's drinking the milk! I'm really hoping we can get him weened down to just a bottle at night, and then get rid of the bottle all together. Then we'll just have to work on the paci......</span></p></div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434451005655989634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8hVdHHthUrdZ5sLQaOGc-X1-47zk9ms63L4PQRLUwLeu7RJGE5v_5j7cCZGdLyBmDrnB1CRW_7bHvEx2pzNqvfH-eUUklofjP9QLppSaiEDi5XIr1rzeLD67x4N0JfsoWR6ywFahdkU/s320/media14.jpeg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434450997504922290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DlwGvKH3zonOXoyTZcfBfYT00G3u-nlMhw3lMsZMQgOF0SeaoZ61i95Gn-w_QcAfPv4ZY5i0O66jXk4qP3SezenL2AdXUPMz5RpvFtsl02gaPv6aUH-VEUZkNM-IPomTnR1dKmrzofc/s320/media13.jpeg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434451009155999298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphgq90i45gpEjCWECT3fglqbCzcj8JYhmfqmt49EwXMBFPpeBvkQBiLWZz03RBQ1r24T1wRS6WChJ_LO7I57TmEe66X_tiluCpnruQz5wroOOC1JhRRVrtphZoZC1qDA8729-MS20aaw/s320/media15.jpeg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434451020396318098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tuvT4IEJYzdM101FB5u37xC5wlGig0Fh3mJVaBd-SO5UnAM_eak6THMWnpttYbTIgC7Xr00P4WRIIts-_NtRXB02x5wlJOiCO-Hcub8_kJU_ux9zpvjDyDsfim5RmtUB-_kIeRvMv6Q/s320/100_0138.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434451021265771250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWaIfRNEriSiOpeldjcw2QxPqC3p1GD5LnoPAGvtUKoXGVFoeZp9KPmE7OxA9rhx9nvn33WCQ80fN5sGHYcW2-lITbZzJGkV-vPr3cvEjUC66LmKeqmLoM6TyBf-OMlyAt0xk5Kly9Ow/s320/100_0131.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434451137288835010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJIKBsad2ow13d8ZBjHUFgGOpBvZNiyQMntv6mbPW-Ll8FBo8WHCpBTG04NqO66UlTpPR11U679r2OruUJbFZ2f1Kn42LH9Gno1nRUL7XaKB2x19OK3EPPoRYXm7AwNials65A8f5Hxk/s320/100_0140.JPG" border="0" />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067677517919411352.post-63105745807048091042010-02-02T14:47:00.003-06:002010-02-02T14:51:59.723-06:00What an Awesome Deal!!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Okay, we're all always looking for a good deal, especially if you have a little one. Check this deal out from Toys R Us....you can bet I'll be heading over there as soon as I get off work to pick one up! </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </p><p><a href="http://toysrus.shoplocal.com/BabiesRus/default.aspx?action=entryflash&promotioncode=ToysRus-100131&DisplayPageNumber=1"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">http://toysrus.shoplocal.com/BabiesRus/default.aspx?action=entryflash&promotioncode=ToysRus-100131&DisplayPageNumber=1</span></a><br /></p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443155597577067026noreply@blogger.com0