I know this is the day you all tune in for now!  So I’ll hurry and not disappoint!

Did you know that this week the baby is developing hair!?!?!?!?!  Crazy.  Apparently sprouting hair from it’s head and eyebrows!  Also the baby is now the size of your fist.  That’s pretty exciting.

Enjoy!

-erika

I honestly just didn’t get the time to do the traditional Monday’s Favorites tonight, things like work and spending time with my hubby were a little more important on my to do list, I apologize.  Anyways I came up with a different plan for today though!  Here’s my Monday’s Favorite……..

I love Burts Bees chapstick!  If you’ve never tried it, it’s a must, I promise you’ll never look back!

This photo was taken with a point and shoot camera, which brings up a little photo tip for all you newly engaged girls…….do you remember trying to focus on your new ring up close but it was always blurry?  Well I have a solution for you!  That little flower symbol in your menu options is the trick, the flower indicates that the camera is shooting in macro, which really just means it can focus close up.  So there’s your tip, now go out and try what you’ve just learned and let me know how it goes!

Enjoy!

-erika

Ok maybe you are now intrigued by my title, but I honestly don’t know where this post is going.  I am going to just play it by ear, hopefully it’s not too too much rambling for you.  TW and I went to church as usual on a Sunday then we went out to the inlaws, as usual.  I was not too happy about having to work at 6pm to do inventory until midnight, which obviously if it’s 9:42pm right now they let me come home early!!!  Anyways so TW had to drive me back down to my car, since we weren’t about to take the new car on the inlaws dirt road.  The two youngest little girls, TW’s sister, Tracy’s kids, wanted to come with us, so obviously being the super cool aunt and uncle that we are said sure but go tell your mom.  Laycee the middle aged girl got to sit in TW’s lap first and steer.  I do remember the days of getting to steer, aww what fun those days were!  While that was happening Kynlee, the youngest girl was telling me how she needed a seatbelt and I said don’t worry about it we’re only going down the dirt road it will be ok.  This little girl was totally determined to wear her seatbelt!  She didn’t quit at it until she got it unstuck from the seats!  Her mom would be so proud!  Well they dropped me off at my car and I said hang on don’t leave I want to take my self portrait with all you guys.  I went to my car, got my camera and shucks……my battery died right there!  I was pretty bummed.  So we all said our goodbyes and I headed off to work while Kynlee got her turn to steer down the road.  Maybe I do know what I’m going to write about now………  isn’t it funny how excited little kids get about something us big kids take for granted when they get an opportunity to be big?  My picture today was taken with my phone of me steering my way to work.  I do enjoy driving but certainly not as much as those two little ones!

So I challenge you guys to all find something that you take for granted  that you once were told you weren’t “big enough” to enjoy!  And I want to hear about it!  

Enjoy!

-erika

The husband was out for the weekend doing what basketball coaches do at the State Tournament so I had the house all to myself for a few days.  While I had intended on cleaning, doing laundry, and finishing my entire to do list instead I found myself enjoying some girly activities that I have been neglecting all winter.  As you know sunshine brings out the happiness in us all so I began to scrounge through my closet looking for summery type clothes to match the weather.  Then came along the self tanner, the shaving of the legs, and finally…………..the toe nail polish!

Yes these are some seriously neglected winter tootsies!  I got to finally paint them today and of course then they are all messed up again because as we all know I’m a bit impatient and I slipped on my sandals before they were completely dry!!!!  Ugh…. I hate it when that happens!!!  I feel refreshed though so that’s what counts right!  Now if only I could find time to cash in that massage credit TW got me for my birthday I would be in business!

Enjoy!

-erika

Today I feel like I officially increased my status by a few notches!  I feel like part of the cool kids now, because as you know it all the cool kids drive SUV’s!!!   I only have 15 minutes to get this post in before midnight so I’ll be brief, but I’m pretty excited.  As I’m driving this car I am starting to feel more responsible and trying to drive more responsibly.  Gone are the days of driving 90 MPH to work, please, please, please if you are reading this do not tell my husband or my mom that!  I’m taking the initiative  to act as if I had a child in my car, because well, really I do.  I’m putting my seatbelt on everytime now, mostly because there’s this awful beeping that continues every two mintues until you finally get suckered in and buckle the dang thing in!  I’m keeping it clean.  I feel like a whole new woman, and to think all this change just because of a car?!?!?

I love it!  Today it was officially handed over to me even though I drove it home last night.  I am so happy and I love the color white, oh and I love Honda’s!!!!  This will be my third.

Enjoy!

-erika

Sometimes I’ll be in the car or in a store with my mom and she’ll just start giggling for absolutely no reason, which of course at that point I turn and ask her what is so funny.  She finds it entertaining to watch me do things that she does.  Things like double checking the night deposit at the bank and letting it roll around that one extra time just in case,  separating my food because I don’t want to mix up textures, refusing to try green beans, or like tonights example eating peanut butter from the jar.  I watched my mom growing up eat peanut butter all the time in the kitchen.  I’m not sure why I remember it or even why I started to do it myself today but it was sort of a comfort.  I love my mom so much.  I’m so excited that she now lives in the same town as we do!  That makes swinging by so much easier too!  For instance we get to go to Taco Tuesdays at Qudoba’s on a weekly basis, whereas before she was lucky to see me every three or four months!

Enjoy!

-erika

I have been running non stop again today.  I kept yawning as soon as I got home so that’s what I decided to post about today!  I know I know how boring, no not really I found out some interesting yawning facts as follows while researching the yawn.

Yawning Facts

• The average yawn lasts about six seconds.
• Your heart rate can rise as much as 30 percent during a yawn.
• 55 percent of people will yawn within five minutes of seeing someone else yawn.
• Blind people yawn more after hearing an audio tape of people yawning.
• Reading about yawning will make you yawn.
• Olympic athletes often yawn before competition.

Do you want to know how many times I yawned making this post?  I think somewhere around 22 times!

Enjoy!

-erika

I know you’ve been waiting all week for the next update!  ha ha.  I just thought I would let you in on the news so you don’t feel left out.  TW and I found out that we don’t have maternity coverage on our insurance which was a big surprise to us since we originally thought that was what we were signing up for.  Now we are in a position were we make just an teensy amount more than medicaid will allow.  So we’ve been a bit stressed to say the least in finding a way to pay for this child.  Our prenatal visits at Her Health total $650 a month and that amount won’t even cover the birth in the end!  That will be a whole separate bill.  I don’t know about you but we don’t exactly have an extra $650 a month to just throw away, hence we’ve both been picking up extra jobs/shifts.  I’m trying to find the good in this situation and all I can think of is that we’ll learn how to better manage our money after this is all said and done!!

Anyways today is 13 weeks!  That’s exciting!  Our baby has now graduated to peach size!!!  During this week the vocal chords are under construction……so he can say “Momma” first!

Enjoy!

-erika

Today was my first real day out working on the census on my own in the deep backwoods of Arkansas.  I must say it was quite a humbling experience for me.  I realized just how blessed I am.  I have a home that is in one piece and I don’t have to nail up tin to keep the weather out.  I have a driveway that I can make it all the way up in my car without spinning out or getting stuck.  I have friendly and helpful neighbors that live close by, but not too close.  I have a deck so that when it rains I can walk out to my car without getting my feet all wet and muddy.  I have a home that stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  I am in a very healthy condition that allows me the opportunity to work everyday.  I have a puppy that I can afford to feed and she’s happy and healthy.  I have a very UNLAZY husband that goes to work everyday, even on his days off, to provide for our family!!!!  I have a loving family that is always there for me whenever I need help.  Basically what I am trying to say here is that I am greatful to be where I am at in my life.  I realize alot of those people are in the situations they are in because they got themselves there, but there are also just a lot of old people that live out there that don’t have anyone to help them take care of themselves.  It’s sad to me how we don’t value family as we ought to.  I mean really isn’t our family all we got when it comes down to it?

Today my post was inspired obviously first and foremost by what I was able to witness out there today but secondly by the picture above…….isn’t this what we all drew as little kids?  Wasn’t this (or insert your own replication) a symbol of what we wanted our future to become?  We all wanted the perfect little family in the perfect little house with the perfect little tree in the front yard.  Life was simple then, but I sure am greatful this is almost still a reality for me at least at this point of my life.

Enjoy!

-erika

Tonight we watched Step Up 2 at the inlaws house.  Everytime I watch any of those step movies I totally wish I had any sort of dancing skill.  All that awesome upbeat music just gets my heart pumping and you can’t help but want to get up and dance!!!!  So of course we went home and did all our dance moves for practice……..

Enjoy!

-erika