Thanks to a free moment...

Shout out to Aunt Lindsey who gave me a minute to have to myself today....Meredith begged to go to her house and Lindsey said okay, so now I have a few minutes to breathe...I had a lot of time alone last week, but definately not productive since I had the worst sickness I have ever experienced. I just knew there would be a butt print in my couch from me being there so much. Come to find out I had a bacterial respiratory infection and a double ear infection...YUK!!! I still have not regained hearing in my left ear (the same one that Cory has no hearing in...we are a fine pair)! Cory took 2 days off of work and between that, mom, Drew, Lindsey, and Mandy---it takes a village I swear...they got me through the week. By last Friday I made it to the MD and got some meds. I am almost finished with a 10 day course and I am feeling better....the only thing lingering is a cough, so needless to say, I haven't had too much to report on, nor have I really felt like it. I think sometimes God wants us to appreciate our good health and not take it for granted. I have not worked at all in the past 2 weeks and I will work tommorrow and be off for 2 weeks again. With cut backs and all, there haven't been any extra shifts for me to pick up. February should pick up though because I am working some then. We have been staying busy though....Cory is almost done with the kitchen and I cannot wait to share with you guys the big...and I do mean big, reveal. I am having a Tastefully Simple party on Monday evening and I hope it can be done by then, everyone will be so surprised. Cory is so talented. I know I will enjoy my new sink and tile!!! Cory has also been out at the church property when he hasn't been working in the kitchen, alot of late nights this week. Next week he is on call, so I know we will really be missing some daddy time!!! As far as Meredith is concerned, she somehow made it through my sickness without catching it...Thank God!!! She did round up a cold/cough though, but I am thankful she is getting through without a trip to the MD. She got back to school and loved it and looks forward to that every week. I think I can now say she is offically potty trained. Although she has been working on this for some time, I cannot remember her last accident and some night she is even waking up dry, or dryer than normal. Praise God to be done with that!!! We went this week to play with her friend Rilee Hope and went to see another friend, Hannah's, dance recital. It was so cute watching the girls dance. Meredith wanted to be up there so bad...especially the gymnastics bit! I know she would love it, but now is just not a good time for us. School is her activity for now, maybe during summer break we can sign up for a semester....we will see. She also went to story time this week at the library. This was the first time we went to this particular location...it went really well. There were about 7-9 girls between 2 1/2 to 5. Meredith sat in the front on a mat and listened really well to the stories and even tried to do all of the hand motions to the songs and finger plays. I was impressed, she is growing up!!! I do not have any new pictures to post, but hopefully by Sunday I can put some up of the kitchen. Continue to remember us as a family, this will be our last month on our medication to have a baby. I am at a cross roads right now and I have peace about whichever way things go. If this month is not successful, than we will stop for now and see where the Lord leads. This has been another year and one month gone to trying to expand our family and Cory and I do not feel led at this time to go any further with our treatments. I am exhausted with the medication and the toll it takes on me physically and emotionally. I know God sees and understands our hearts, and I also know He can work a miracle.....Meredith is proof of that! It is good to know when He works a miracle, the result is awesome and we are to thankful to have been blessed with the gift of Meredith in our lives. Financially and spiritually we are not at peace about going to a fertility doctor, please pray with us for wisdom.

It was the Season to be Jolly!!!

I am pleased to report that we all survived the holidays and remain intact and. better yet, unsick. You know I have listened and read several people...and all their gripes, about the holidays and what a crazy time it is, etc. But I have to honestly say, it is one of my most favorite times of the year. Maybe it is just me, but I never mind the busyness, because it is all so much fun. So I cannot really agree with all the hectic nature that I hear so many speak of, because it is really just a great time to enjoy my family and friends and watch the kids enjoy it all!!! There is no Scrooge at our house!!!
I use to think that Cory was pretty Scroogeish, but I can say that this year he really enjoyed himself. I don't know why he is not big on the holidays(I could speculate some different reasons) but none the less, he admitted this year to being one of his bests. I think it has alot to do with the fact that Meredith was at such a fun age....that really helped his spirits!! I as usual enjoyed every minute and every activity. One of the best things we did this year was going to see the Lights at Saulda Shoals. It was really beautiful and definately a tradition I hope we will continue. Meredith and I piled into the back of Cory's truck bed and covered up with LOTS of blankets (it was cold the 3 nights following up until Christmas...go figure). It was a great show of lights everywhere. We really enjoyed it. Maybe next year we will plan a little more time to get out and see the other activities they had there. Meredith also got her goody bag from church the Sunday before Christmas...she thought that was pretty neat to get a bag of chocolate, fruit, candy cane, and Christmas tree cake!!!

Christmas Eve proved to be fun as we shared it with our "extended" family. After that was done, we headed to mom and dad's to spend the night....I still do not know how Santa managed to find us there....it MUST HAVE BEEN quite a trip for him. The night went better than I or Cory expected. Meredith watched Ice Age with mom and dad until she fell asleep (rather late I might add) but slept through the move to Aunt Drew's room to sleep and throughout the night until about 8:30 or 9:00 the next morning. She was really a good sport. It was so funny to watch her check out all of her gifts. We vowed we would let her find everything, but we all kept finding ourselves saying "look at this Meredith". You can't help but be excited about Christmas with a toddler around. She was very patient when we opened all of our gifts. She waited her turn and played with her toys in between.

Although she loved all of her gifts....just as Cory and I expected....she loved her egg carton full of "baby balls", the small bouncy balls, the most. If you ask her today what she got for Christmas, she says "balls." So in other words....we really could have saved alot of money and she would have been happy with the balls only!! That really makes us smile when we think about it. Isn't that how it is with kids though....it really does not take alot to make them happy.

She has loved her other gifts...big and small. She is enjoying everything from her doggy toothbrush holder all the way up to her kitchen. For a few days after Christmas, she was really busy checking everything out and making the rounds to everything. She still isn't tired of anything and I am hoping these things will keep her occupied for a while. Cory and I realized we really do not buy for her throughout the year. I was always under the thought that we don't want to spoil her...even if she is our only one. So I know this was special for her!!!

She has missed being in school very much and has asked about it several times. I know she will be glad to get back this week. She also continues to make us laught with her speech. Soooo many things are coming out. A little adult is emerging...and it is really cute. She is doing so well with the potty.....I cannot rememeber the last accident.....I hope not to speak too soon. I wish I could remember all of the cute things she says. The cutest are the little comments like "okay mommy or okay daddy." Last week she told me something scared her and it "might make me cry, cry, cry all my tears out my eyes." Precious. She insists on answering the phone now, every time it rings....note to all: Great way to get rid of Telemarketers. She says "hello" followed by "whose this" or "whose that?" Her current obsession is her monkey purse. A TINY purse that she insists on sleeping with and taking everywhere she goes. It holds her "baby balls", a play cell phone, and her "moneys" aka a stack of business cards and misc. receipts. Enough about her....I could go on forever!

Cory has been his busiest this past week. He put in 22 hours of overtime at work and also started our Kitchen remodel. For the past 4 years we have been in our house, we pick a project to do after the holidays. We are getting down to the last few areas...and of course the hardest. Right now he has already taken down our cabinets, painted the kitchen, put back the cabinets, installed 2 different over-the range microwaves (he had to have the perfect one, but that is Cory :)), installed under cabinet lighting on one side, bought our tile/grout/new sink/and faucet, and taken off our baseboards. I think he said the taller baseboards will be next along with the other side of under the cabinet lighting. I cannot wait for my deeper sink and taller faucet.....funny what you can get excited over. I have been busy playing with Meredith and putting back/reorganizing my cabinets and pantry. I hope to try and turn over a new leaf this year and to try and be more organized. I do not consider myself a slob by any means, I am lazy and do not take the time to put things away neatly. I am wanting to do better. So that is one of my New Year's Resolutions, along with exercising more (even if it is just walking), and worrying less.....trusting God. I know He has my best interest in mind!!