Catching up!

No, we haven't fallen off the planet... Momma is just SuPeR busy! I am working a full time job and then a small part time job on the side. I am also trying to keep up with my painting business, although it gets pushed to the back burner all too often. Also, we have been so busy with church that I am there almost as much as home. That being said - I am SOOOOO happy and blessed right now, and can only imagine it getting better when Dave graduates and starts his career in a field that he loves.

Speaking of - Dave just finished his second clinical rotation and is back in the classroom/lab for the next 3-4wks until Christmas break. He is still doing exceptionally well grade-wise, maintaining his 4.0 GPA. And he seems happier than he has been in a long time :).

Cadence is my little artist! She loves singing (always has) and with me singing more and more at church and other places she is right there with me practicing all our songs in the car, shower, and at home. She also LOVES drawing and will find a pen and paper anywhere we go to draw me something or write the letters that she knows. BTW: she is writing about 5 letters so far! I love her to pieces!

Tatum is a normal 2yr old... following Big Sister around everywhere, trying to Pee-Pee in the potty, wanting to do everything herself, and asking "Why" about EvErYtHiNg!!!! She is not really getting any taller, but she seems to be slimming up some. Her vocabulary is unbelievable - and she is able to remember prayers, songs, sayings... just all kinds of stuff. Tatum still likes school, and asks about her friends when we are at home.

As for me, I am doing pretty well.... I have lost 30lbs since September and am feeling a lot better. I still have 30 more pounds to lose, but I feel like I have a really good grasp on it right now. I am now the Treasurer of our Sunday school class, and I am singing solos and specials with a few of our VERY close church members (actually my bestie's family). We are having a "Concert/Special Singing" at a local Rescue Mission at the first of December. I really do have things to do at/for/or with our church all of the time and I must say - I LOVE IT! I could not think of anything better to do with my time or energy than to spend it with my church family.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and anyone who knows me knows that that means - BlAcK fRiDaY sHoPpInG is almost here! I can't wait for both of these things this year (as every year). I'm also excited about the girls helping me with the Christmas tree this year.

That's all I have for now. Love you all. ♥

Me

Well... not so hot on my end... I have, for the first time in my life, swimmers ear. Having never had an earache before I can now say that, yes, IT HURTS LIKE CRAZY!!!!! I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but this mess is kicking my puny butt! I am on antibiotics and ear drops, and the swelling in my ear has gone down some but not a lot. Evidently you aren't supposed to use Q-Tips EVER... which seems disgusting to me. Dr says "Earwax is a good thing, it's supposed to be there, leave it alone".... All I hear is - "Be gross and leave shampoo and junk in your ear"... Good thing I didn't go to medical school - I would have laughed at some of the things that the doctors have told me :). Hopefully I'll be better soon, but please say a little prayer for me if you have time...

Other than that, I am doing pretty well. I have finally wrapped my mind around losing some weight, so I am trying to be diligent... we'll see how it goes. Hope anyone reading this is having a blessed day. I'll try to post again soon....

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The Girls

Cadence:

Wow! This kid is seriously smart! She has a question for everything, and when she's not digging for details, she's giving me her own thoughts... Not only does she have to know the "Why" of things, she has to know the "When" of EVERYTHING! She wants you to sit down and tell her what we will be doing every single minute of the day, every day of the week! "Where'r we going next?" is her favorite question. Don't know the exact stats on her height and weight right now, but I know at her last Drs Appt she weighed 31lbs. She is my little Princess Diva :)

Tatum:

This girl is one little spitfire too! She has taken to saying "No" all the time. When you tell her to pick up her toys - No. When you ask her to hand you something - No. When you ask her if she just bit her sister - NO! The terrible-twos have come early with this child. I think Tatum's language skills are what amaze me the most with her... she speaks in sentences and phrases! I know that she will do things sooner because she is watching her big sister, but it is still so neat to see how she figures out words and phrases. She pee-peed on the potty for the first time last week! I have to put her on the commode all the time because she wants to be like big sister, but usually she doesn't actually do anything while she is there... But last Thursday - Yay, Pee-Pee!!! This baby also weighs 30lbs, but she is still much shorter that Cadence (she really does look kinda like a dwarf to me).

Both of the girls will be starting Pre-School in just 2 short weeks. I am excited and a little sad at the same time... I know that Pre-School is just getting them ready for Kindergarden and I'm SOOO not ready for that!

Dave

So tomorrow will be my hubby's last Final exam for this semester! Wooo Whoooo! He has made all As this semester (as if that should shock me) and is learning a TON! He will start his first clinical rotation in Cookeville next week to finish out the semester. Then he has a one-week break and the Fall Semester will be in full swing! We don't know what his schedule will be yet, but since he isn't working - it doesn't really matter!!! I'm so proud of him ♥

Get Ready

I'm going to go ahead and give you a month's worth of info in a few blogs... Neglecting this blog is creating more work than if I were just keeping up with it :) Stay tuned...

Hello all! Sorry it's been so long but you know how it goes :).
Everyone is doing great... Dave quit TRW and is in school full time now. We all love having him home at night and on the weekends and the Honey-Do list is getting shorter every week. He has a lot of work with school... last week it was 3 exams and 2 research papers, but he is adjusting well.
Cadence is FINALLY completely potty-trained (thought that would never happen). Health-wise she couldn't be better. She is all princess/diva/drama queen, I can't wait to see what she does at the Fair Pageant this year. Her and Tatum do fight a lot, but they also love each other a lot.
Tatum is our little tomboy... she can fall flat on her face or get really hurt and never whimper! She'll just keep doing what she's doing. Her biggest issue right now is biting - the kid is a serious biter!

Since we are on 1 income we are spending a lot of time at home and we really don't mind at all :). I have been doing really well with my couponing and am able to save at least 50% on our groceries consistently - sometimes up to 75%. I love doing it even though it takes a lot of time. We also joined a new church a few months ago and have been SO blessed by that. We are there whenever the doors are open and the girls are just as excited about it as me and Dave. I never thought that I would find a Sunday School class that I would not be able to wait for Sunday morning for. Don't get me wrong - I have grown up in church my whole life... but I feel an extreme sense of satisfaction where we are now and have learned more than I have in the last couple of years at other churches. We love the members and are also blessed by the fellowship we have with them, and of course, they all think that our girls hung the moon :). Dave and I both helped teach Vacation Bible School this year (something he's never done) and were also blessed by that. Overall I feel an extreme since of satisfaction and peace with my life right now. The list of things that I want to do is still as long as my arm, but I feel completely contented with where we are at this moment. I wish that everyone had this sense of peace about their lives. :)

Head on over to the other blog now - I'm finally going to update it too! :)
www.lovelaughpaint.com

Love you all!!!

Praises

Haven't been able to blog because our lives have been up in the air the past few weeks... Just want to tell any of you that may not know... Dave was accepted into his program at school! I'll try to post a longer, more detailed account of this later, but I wanted to say thank you to all of you that have prayed for this with us. We wouldn't be where we are without the love, support, and prayers of our family, friends, and co-workers! Hope to tell you all about it soon, we have many exciting days ahead!

Quick Update

I really don't have time to be posting, but I can't help myself! Easter was great, the girls got more than they needed and hunted eggs like foxes :). Spray tan was a success. Church was great. Spring cleaning has nearly broken me down, but I'm determined to get my house under control before Dave starts his program (fingers crossed).


Now for the really exciting news. I went grocery shopping for the first time last night after my couponing class. We really needed groceries so I was going to go regardless. I only used Sommer's leftover coupons, and only on things we already buy, but even so - I SAVED $97!!!! Can you believe it? For my first time I was blown away! And I got $10 in catalina coupons printed with my receipt! Can you imagine what my savings will be when I'm actually getting the coupons first and really spending time doing this before shopping?!?!?! I am excited just thinking about how much more I can save. I saved big bucks on big ticket items too - like diapers and coffee (which are necessities at my house). Here are two pics that I took with my phone... keep in mind it's 10:30 at night :). I can't wait to go shopping again! (Not that I really need too since I got a month's worth last night).


Also, we are now 8 days from Dave's interview. Please continue to keep him in your prayers, he is REALLY stressed!

What a week :)

Blogging from home today, going to see how this works :). Today is the first day I've clipped coupons and I'm really excited. My bestie, mom, Mumsie, and a couple of other friends took a couponing class last week and learned some great info! Now I just have to put the things I learned into practice. I am really excited to see how much money I can save and how many items I can get for free. I'll keep you updated on my progress (especially if I make a really good deal) over the next few months. Also, I have been gearing up for a big clean at my house this weekend. Our wonderful cleaning lady is coming tomorrow for her usual magic, and after that I am going to go on a purge streak like no other! I have been looking at all our extra clothes, toys, and junk for too long now and I'm ready for a good old fashioned spring cleaning. Stay tuned on Monday to see how far I've made it. Goodwill is going to be making a killing in us this month! Also this weekend (since it is a long one) I am going for a Girls Day Out on Friday. We are going to see 'Water for Elephants',go out to eat, and to get a spray tan! I am really excited about all 3 of those things ;). Then of course Sunday is Easter and that's always cause for celebration. I hope everyone feels as truly blessed as I do this week. I can't believe Jesus died such a horrible death for someone like me. I am completely undeserving and thankful God sacrificed his son for us all. I couldn't begin to comprehend sacrificing one of my girls for ANYone else, much less EVERYONE else. Thank you Lord for your generous gift to me and my family.

Countdown!

It's time to get excited! In exactly 2wks, which is 14 days (since I'm on a daily countdown myself) David will be in his interview for the program! I am so excited and confident for him. The devil still tries to sneak his litte voice into my head - planging seeds of doubt, but I know that MY God is in control and his plan is bigger than ours. Please keep Dave in your prayers, ask for calmness and confidence. We are very blessed to have such great family and friends. Everyone has been so supportive over the last two years while Dave has been in school and working. I don't know how I would have stayed sane without so much help and support.

Here are a couple of pics of my sweet girls... I have never put Tatum's hair up, but I thought it looked cute like this :) My babies were both in a good mood and wanting to "Cheese" it up

Sorry Folks :)

Haven't updated like I should. The girls are doing well... I just signed Cadence up for gymnastics! She starts on April 27th. Tatum is more opinionated every day and won't stay inside, she wants to be outside ALL day EVERY day. Dave is still doing great in school (read earlier post). As for me... I am excited about all the orders I have coming in with my small side business... I was up until 1am this morning trying to get canvases painted. Please be sure to keep checking out my other blog - www.lovelaughpaint.com - for updates with that. Also, I am going to a couponing class this Thursday and I'm SUPER excited about that. When Dave quits working we are going to need all the extra pennies we can save. I'll tell you all about it later, and I'll do my best to get some stinkin' pics up :) . Hope you all have a blessed week!

Interview Date

Praise the good Lord - we have an interview date for Dave!!! It is exactly 22 days from today - May 3rd. This is the day after his birthday and isn't that a great present?!?! I have a countdown going on my white board at work :) Please keep him in your prayers as he prepares for this in the next 3wks.

New Design

I'm sure you've noticed the new pics and layout. The pics are just some of the buttercup session that we had with Lisa and Jenna of LovingTouch Portraits. As usual, one of the girls (Tatum) didn't want to have her picture taken, but Lisa was still able to get a few great ones. You can see all of them at lovingtouchportrait.com. Also, my new layout is thanks to my sister-in-law Jenna. She runs her own business doing web design and making personalized paper products. As a family member, I am pleased to showcase some of her designs when she gets new material. I love this color scheme and the pics of my beauties up top. You can find her business on Facebook and at jennardesigns.com. She can design a blog/website template for you or make any kind of announcement, invitation, stationary your heart desires! Thank you so much Jenna!!!

Tatum - 18month checkup

Tater Bug went for her checkup on Wednesday and got a great report! Her stats were : Height - 31 inches (25% percentile), weight 27lbs (60th%), and I never remember the stinkin head circumference, but it was (90th%). She has gone down on her weight chart, but the doc says that's normal for 18mo-2yrs because they stop growing so fast. (and she has had a decreased appetite) She is doing perfectly developmentally and is talking more and more every day. She can now even say "I Love You" :). Makes my heart melt. I promise that I will get some pics soon! And if all else fails - we are going to Atlanta for a mini-vacation next week, so we'll be taking lots of pics at the zoo and with Nana! Hope you all are feeling as blessed and loved as I do. ♥ P.S. We still don't know an interview date for Dave, but I am still bursting at the seams for him :)

The doctor's office called me at 7am to tell me that Cadence's test results came back negative for RSV, but that her culture did grow bacteria... I guess this is fine, they didn't really elaborate on what that meant, just said to make sure she takes ALL of her antibiotic. Next piece of new for the day - Dave made a 100 on his physics midterm!!! I am so proud of that stinker I could scream it from the rooftops! I just can't wait for him to get his call/letter/email about his interview date! This weekend we went to TSC to see some adorable baby goats, then we went to Aunt Sommer's house and played in her yard for a couple of hours. (Her yard is better than ours because it is full of acorns :)) Then yesterday I took the girls to church by myself... usually when Dave has to work the night before I will just stay home on Sunday and get things done at the house, and on those days I send the girls with my inlaws to their church. We have been "visiting" Dry Creek church for a while now, and we are truly considering moving our membership in the near future. I LOVED the Sunday School class yesterday, and Dave is excited about going this Sunday. Plus this church is closer to home, it is only about 20mins from our house. The people are always so welcoming and friendly, and they treat us like we have always gone there. I am really going to do my best to go on Wednesday night too, I would like for us to get back to going several times a week. We haven't had pics made in a while, but I'll see what I can come up with and get those posted soon. Hope you all have a great week!

Things I wish she didn't get from her Daddy

You know, I'm sure that Dave would rather not have both our girls be the little divas that they are... you know, high maintenanced, highly opinionated little princesses, but they had to get something from me! :) hehe! Well, they both have inherited something from him that I don't appreciate either... ALLERGIES! Up to this point Tatum has been the one that has had chronic sinus trouble, but after changing doctors and getting put on antibiotics for 5 straight weeks, she has done much better. Now Cadence is in bad shape! She has an upper respiratory infection (we are waiting on a culture to tell if it is RSV) that is causing her big trouble. Bless her heart, she is snoring loud enough to wake the dead! She is now on antibiotics again (2nd time this year) because the doctor says she is just going to be like her Daddy - chronic allergies. There is also a big possibility that she will have to have her adenoids removed... So thank you, David Reynolds, for giving my girls that gene! NOT!!!!! (On the plus side - my big girl has finally reached the 30lb mark!!!!! Hallelujah!)

Big Deal!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Dave turned in his application to the Physical Therapy Assistant Program today! This is a huge milestone at our house and I will be picking him up something special on my way home. The director of the program has already estimated that there will be over 300 applicants this year, and they only accept 32, so we are praying hard and having faith that God's will is for him to be chosen. He still has a 4.0 GPA so that will help some too. We should receive a letter giving Dave a time for his interview within the next couple of weeks. He will have to do this interview in front of 5 people, which makes him REALLY nervous, but we have been practicing, and by the time he goes for it in April - he will be a pro!!! He has worked so so so hard for this for the last 2yrs and it is exciting and scary to now be at the deciding point. Please keep us in your prayers and I'll be sure to post the date of his interview whenever we find that out... Thanks all.

Cadence - 3.5yrs

My Cadence Morgan has turned into a Drama Queen! Lord help you when she doesn't like what you have to say because she will grit her teeth and say "No, Your Not Tell Me That!" Needless to say, we are getting spankings left and right for attitudinal adjustments :). She has opinions about everything and doesn't hesitate to share them with you. She is still in Pull-Ups right now, but most days we go without any accidents and I always let her wear panties when we are at home. Cadence still loves school (even on mornings it is hard to get her out of bed) and she has a different boyfriend every week. Her favorite thing to play right now is dress up princess. My mom got her a trunk with several different princess outfits for Christmas and she loves to get decked out in the dresses, shoes, crowns and jewelry. She is still skinny as a rail and doesn't weigh 30lbs yet... I hope she keeps her metabalism when she gets older (unlike her chunky monkey Momma!) At night she still sleeps with me, hopefully she will get moved back into her bed over the summer, but if not, we aren't stressing about it. Truthfully, she won't be little for long and I don't mind her being in the bed with me a bit! Last night she called me into the room and said "Momma, your need to turn my midifyer on please" (while holding one hand over her chest). She says the cutest things when she isn't being a hellion. Cadence gets tired of Tatum following her around all the time, and is flat-out mean to her a lot, but I'm sure it's the same with any siblings that young and close in age... Cadence Morgan is my big girl and I still love her to pieces!

Tatum - 18 months

This little girl is BeAuTiFuL!!!!!! Oh man, to see those pretty blue eyes and those sweet little teeth when she smiles.... wow. Of course, I'm her Momma, so I can say those things :). Right now, she can say : Momma, Daddy, Sissy, Foo-Foo, Kitty Cat, Pop-Pop, Pa, Grandma, Nana, Mumsie, Go, No, Down, Ball, and babble (which she does ALL the time). She will say "Momma! Gobble gibble, foo biss coww" - which means absolutely nothing, but she says it seriously like she's telling you that she would like to wear a green shirt today! Her favorite word is No (of course) and she uses it often. Tatum is a little love-bug... she will give her Momma kisses all day long and Momma loves getting them :). She also adores Cadence and follows her around every day saying "Sissy, Sissy!" She wants to do whatever big sis is doing, eat whatever big sis is eating, and wear whatever big sis is wearing. Oh and you should see this child priss around! I put a bow in her hair and say "Oh, how pretty" and there she goes - bobbing her head and prancing around! I can't wait for the pageants this year! I'm wondering if she isn't a dwarf because of her extremely short stature, but I guess we'll find out next time we're at the doctor :). I'll post her stats in a couple of weeks after her 18mo checkup :) Love me some Tater Baby!!!

Hello, Are You Still There?

Has anyone missed me? Seems like I dropped off the planet huh? So sorry about the lag in postings, but I'm going to get right on it! I have been busy busy with the business (check it out LoveLaughPaint.com ). My mom is helping me with a booth this Saturday, so I'll have plenty to tell about with that, but right now, I want to catch up with the family... stay tuned...