Praises and go check the story for yourself!

Hello everyone who has been praying for It's a Corny Life and Baby Abigail. There is an updated post on their site and I encourage you to visit and read it for yourself. Please lift up some praises to the Lord for sweet Abigail's will to beat the odds. Also, please pray that mommy recovers and is still able to get all the good "new "mommy time in during these next trying weeks. I am so happy for my BFF that she finally has her baby to look at, to touch and to watch sleep. I know it isn't exactly how she had hoped, having her born so early, getting so ill(both of them) and then of course with the loss of Madison. However, I know that God will bless this family. XO Stacie! We can't wait for all the photos and videos to start trickling into our email box. Also, Congrats on your first week of mommyhood!!!! Thank you to all who have prayed with me and I hope that you will continue to do so.

Hey Sparky!

Two more days until the start of the ASU Football Season. Yahoo! I am so excited even though I wont get to see all of the games seeing that we dont live in the Pac 10 area. However, Comcast does carry FOX Southwest so we will get to catch a few. This Saturday we kick off the season against Northern Arizona University. This non conference game is not to be taken light hearted when you want a perfect season. Go Devils!

Wordless Wednesday

big morning WINS!!!

So for weeks now we have been struggling with sleep issues. If it wasn't teeth issues, sleep disturbances from foreign (Papa) noises coming from the guest room, new two year old fears, pulling up to sitting/standing, learning to skip our night time feeding, etc. You get the picture. No real sound sleep. Oh how I have longed for it. I feel the kids have too as one has often woke the other and crying matches have broken out at 430am (earliest) to only lead to off schedule nap times due to early arousal's and then grumpy days. Normalcy is what this Mommy has prayed for. Not to mention sleep harmony for the whole family.
Well this morning we got our first taste of it in a long long time. Yahoo!!!

Campbell started moaning/crying at 540am (mind you she is potty trained in day and making the move to all night staying dry so the urge to go is waking her a bit earlier than normal). Our rule based on Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is that once a certain age is met no one is allowed out of bed until 6am the earliest(unless sick). I really value the works of Dr. Marc Weissbluth. I have read and re read his book and his sleep philosophy just plain works when you follow it. I am a believer! Point being I let her moan it out. She fell back to sleep just two minutes later. Then I heard a "peep" from brother bears (Travis) room. What was that? My first peep from him and it was 550am. AMAZING! He is so close to getting the night weaning accomplished! I of course wanted to run right away and pick him up and say "what a good boy!" and of course nurse as I was feeling rather full and tight, sorry if that is TMI for all you non nursing folks. But I refrained my urges. No room entering until 6am the earliest. We must both wait it out. We did, only took a minute.

So off to slumber I went again....knowing it wouldn't be long but it still felt good to close my eyes and not move my feet. I then heard the Campbell moan again at 620. Time to get up my mind registers. My mouth whispers "Allow me to be patient, kind and loving....all day long. Amen", My legs move to the standing position and the day begins with feet moving my body to the stairwell. Starting the journey up to the land of Boo Boo Bunny and Brother Bear where we are sure to have a day full of laughs, tears, good naps (hopefully) and new experiences.

I enter C's room. She immediately says "morning" as she sweetly holds her rabbit and blankie. I kiss her and rabbit and then whisper, "brother is sleeping, let's be very quiet"....doesn't always work with a two year old but she's learning. As we go to the bathroom I realize that she is dry. Cant be. But it's true! She gives me a huge smile as she goes pee pee. I smile back thinking...Yes! we have dry morning pants. I bring it to her attention! Her face tells me she is pleased. We clap quietly. Then from down the hall we hear the rumblings of a hungry brother bear. We clean up and head into his room. Very excited to see us. C shouts "morning", "brother wake up". He smiles and giggles with delight. So a hungry tummy I fill as I watch and listen to a happy, busy and now not wanting to be quiet toddler. My heart is singing with happiness. What I then realize is that we all had wins this morning. Sleeping thru the night (OK maybe tomorrow there wont be moans til 6am...but I will delight in this 20 minutes from six as that is huge right now) for all of us and dry pants for a 2year old! Must get camera is my second thought. Grin.

Mommy is going to soak it all in and enjoy the big morning wins! Praises I will sing because even the smallest personal desires through prayer are being answered.

Wordless Wednesday

I'll be back

I've been out of the loop for a little over the week. I have been dealing with some sadness. Larger post on that later. I have also been pretty darn tired. My babies have been going through a night time sleep strike lately that has kept me up for hours. Finally I have had enough and the crying it out began...no mommy to the rescue as most of the time it was sleep standing for both. So being tired and sad leads one to be just emotionally drained and detached from the outside world.

Power of Prayer. Come fold your hands with me.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Rom 12:15 NRSV
This verse reminds me of the power of friendship and the kind of friend I need to be at this very point in my life. With God's help I will offer all that I can through friendship to a particularly special person.


My BFF is amazing. She has seen me at my highest and lowest points. We have laughed and played together in between those times. I have so many wonderful memories of us together. Even some she may feel were scary...jumping the fence to storm the field at an ASU game. Go Devils! Her mother may never forgive me for that sort of fun. Grin. Now that we are older we don't have the advantage of living near one another. Many states and time zones stand between us. However our friendship has sustained the test of distance and time. Never failing or fading. She truly is my best friend forever.

Stacie has been my saving grace many of times. I could never repay her for her kindness and constant love for me. Now it is my turn. I think this might actually be the first time that I have had to be a "rock" for her. Sure I have helped her wipe tears from a break up, etc. But this is the first time this wonderful friend has come to a personal trial that is all her own. Something that I can honestly say I have never had to endure so I have no "words" to comfort her. I have no "experience" to share to assist her. For weeks I have felt helpless. Trying to figure out what I could "do" to make a difference. Finally after pondering and praying, it came to me that I could help by praying. But not just by myself. That just wasn't going to be enough. I would have to pray loudly. I would have to enlist others to pray loudly with me. That through loud prayer and multiples of it I could help. My help might not be something that she can hold in her hand. But she can feel it in her heart. Prayer is so powerful. It is something that can cradle you in the arms of the Lord. I truly believe in prayer!

So I am starting my loud and powerful prayer chain*. Please stand and be counted with me as I pass the Power of Prayer for Stacie.

Stacie, I hope that this token of my friendship is one that will fill your heart and mind with comfort. That not alone will I ask the Lord to hold you and your family in the palm of His hands. That He will hear a great many voices asking for His blessings upon you at this most important time in your life as well as the lives of those you love so deeply.
Hugs.

* To pray loudly with me please take this prayer button to your site.

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Wordless Wednesday w/small sound byte & a few words.

Happy 8th month Travis.

Neighborhood Ceiling Hole Competition

Being the competitive type I couldn't resist making this post. Recently my neighbor & friend did a posting about "thoughts in my head." It spoke of a hole in her ceiling and it referenced my ceiling hole. So hence the birth of the competition. While our hole is still in repair and may be for sometime, I feel we will both have the last laugh when we do the ole "remember when."

Keep checking back for updates on the completion of the repair and the winner of the Neighborhood Ceiling Hole Competition. Blog browsers Got Ceiling Hole? Link us and we'll add you to the competition. Grin.

Yum! Yum!

I have to share this recipe. It is so very good. I tasted it at the HEB near my home and my mom & I decided we just had to make it. Give it a try. You wont be disappointed.

Jalapeno Alfredo
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

1/2 jar Rothchild Jalapeno Pepper Dip
1/2 cup Parmigianino Reggiano
1/2 cup Heavy Cream*
1 can Miller's Select Crab Meat of your choice
1 package J Bar B Cilantro & Monterey Jack Chicken Sausage; Cut
1 container Pico de Gallo*
16oz pasta of your choice

1. Cook pasta according to package
2. Saute sausage in skillet, add crab, juices and all.
3. Add cream and bring to a slight simmer. Add dip & cheese to the cream; then stir till smooth.
4. Add pasta and Pico. Toss until well combined.

*I added a bit more cream. I used 1 cup. I added the other 1/2 when trying to stir till smooth.
* If you would like this to be less spicy. Leave out the Pico. We kept it and it was perfect.

Thanks HEB Cooking Connection for a yummy keeper.

Tossing and Turning on a Saturday

Baby up three times last night.
Babies woke up way too early.
Parents left today.
Tired.
Miss them.
Kids took good naps.
Went to mall.
Husband is power shopper.
We were in and out in an hour.
men + clothes=easy.
Parents made it to destination safely.
Thinking about BFF all day.
Tired.
Kids sleeping.
Leftovers for dinner.
Diapers in dryer.
Watching a Ben Stiller movie with tired eyes.
Pretty funny, good cast.
Flirting with Disaster.
Waiting for BFF to call back.
Worried.
Tired.
Travis crying.
Not going up.
Time for him to cry it out.
Hope Campbell sleeps through this.
A dog's stomach is growling.
Must have dined on sock.
Yuck.
Crying over.
7 minutes.
Feeling more tired.
Probably wont last through movie.
Hoping babies sleep in tomorrow morning.
Hoping Travis goes back to once a night waking.
Really hoping he moves to sleeping through night.
Did I mention I am tired.
Going to church in morning.
Communion Sunday.
Have I sinned.
Of course I have.
Campbell loves the nursery.
She says "in" as soon as we get in the door.
"in" is inside the nursery playroom doors that is.
Travis goes with me.
Better to nap on mommy than no nap at all.
BFF wish this time was easier.
Hoping all is well.
Praying.
Others praying too.
Should I go to bed.
Yes.
Will I?
Probably not.
Feel guilty.
Started movie with husband.
Hate to ditch him.
Know he would understand.
Still would feel guilty.
Hope my parents get some good sleep at hotel.
They are on a trip to Iowa.
In Oklahoma City tonight.
Dad is doing a genealogy search.
He is really into it.
Interests me.
Guess I will get more info from him.
Feel bad for dog.
I hope I don't find throw up.
Gross I know.
Should I call hospital in California?
No, BFF will call when able.
Worried.
Tired.
There is a mosquito in house.
Buzzing around my head.
Hate them.
Movie makes me laugh.
Small burst of energy.
Oops, it's gone.
OK. Think I am going to go to bed.
Hope BFF doesn't call when I am sleeping.
Time difference.
Not that I don't want to talk to her.
Not sure if I would hear phone ring.
Positive husband will wake me.
She won't want him too.
Praying.
Want to go peek on Travis.
Wont because he may wake up.
Have to trust he is fine.
He is fine.
Thirsty.
Need to drink some water.
Going to bed.
Wondering if I will fall asleep right away.
Hope so.
Good water.
I love bottle water.
Hate tap water.
Need to take vitamin.
Praying Travis sleeps all night.
Mommy needs her sleep.
He is crawling.
Pulling up to sitting.
I think that is what is waking him.
Who really knows.
This will soon pass.
Miss parents.
Oh, mentioned that.
I have laundry to do tomorrow.
OK. Really. I am going to bed.
Night.