Jesus- The reason for the season !!

I have not blogged in forever!!! I have been busy with LIFE :) Raising two sweet young boys and being a wife....plus a full time college student at night and online has made for a very difficult 6 months. I have been a stressed out mess!!! I have lost my joy in parenting and in my spiritual walk with Christ. Already, God is showing me new plans for my life for the year of 2011. MY plans were to continue with school to obtain my Elementary Education degree(only 3 semesters left). I had to pass 2 Major exams in order to get into the program and after 2 tries....I finally passed. But, God keeps shutting the door for now. I looked at the classes that I have to complete and each class only has one time it is offered and that is during the day- which throws me off because I have 2 boys who I cannot afford to send to daycare! Plus- even if I could send them to daycare---I would not! I love being at home with them each day and night! So, me being upset, because I WANT to finish school, Brandon and I prayed and decided that right now is not the best time. I have mixed emotions about it all! One day I am so sad because I have made great friends and they are all younger than me and pursuing there degree..I have been in school for 6 years off and on... and I feel like I am a failure and letting my family down. On another day- I am soooooo excited! I can finally keep our house clean during my down time instead of stressing over homework! I can grow close to God in my spiritual walk, instead of always putting "school" first. I can have a back to normal lifestyle! I am excited that I can spend time with my children and not have that thought in the back of my mind that I should be working on assignments! I know God knows what He has planned for our family and even though I may think that I should continue school....right now He is showing me a different direction. I really am looking forward to 2011! I am going to set goals and make the most of every moment! In May, my sister will be giving me a niece or nephew to spoil rotten!!! We will also be celebrating Graham's 1st birthday and Noah's 4th birthday in May!!! Well- enough of me me me stories!! Our family is very excited about Christmas this year!! The rest of the family should be arriving on the 23rd! I have presents to wrap and just few more to buy :) We have been watching Christmas movies and eating lots of junk food (exception of the hubby- he is on a diet --and looking hott! I have been eating his portion of junk food for him!!) This most is soooo random, I know!! I just have a lot on my mind and a lot to be thankful for!!! Are you ready for picture overload?!!!! Here we are!!!

Noah is at such a fun age right now! Here is our most recent conversation about Jesus' Birthday:

Me: Noah do you know why we celebrate Christmas?

Noah: We get to open presents!!

Me: Do you know whose birthday are we celebrating?

Noah: JESUS!! Can we go to His birthday party at Chuckee Cheese?

Me: Jesus lives in Heaven. But we will be celebrating His birthday on Christmas. We can sing to him and even make him a cake!

Noah: We can't go to Heaven for His party...Heaven is a long long long car ride Mom!

This is what my boys do on a daily basis- bounce and play BUZZ lightyear!!

Brandon and I are sooooooooooo ready for Christmas!!

It is very hard to get both boys to look at the camera at the exact same time. (can you see we practically live in our buzz jammies?!)

My sweet Graham- Sitting up already! Where do the time go?! He is 7 months old!

What has he been up to?! Everything! He is sitting up, eating baby food and still taking his bottle, sleeping most nights through the night! PTL! He is very alert and active, just like his big brother! He still takes 2-3 naps a day! He is becoming very mobil...rolling around and trying to crawl!! He laughs and talks all day long...and looooves to be held!! He is wearing a size 3 diaper and 6-9, 9-12 month clothing! He weighs a whopping 18 lbs!! I love my chunky monkey!!

Sharing the love- Blogger Style

Share the LOVE
Jenna @ Jenna's Journey is having a week long comment challenge. It starts tomorrow (Monday) and to play along all you have to do is link up AND be sure to leave a comment on 10 different blogs each day. I don't know anyone who doesn't love comments...it makes us feel like people actually read our blog so I think this challenge will be a great way to keep everyone out of the blogger rut. What's the point of blogging if you feel like no one reads? Just enter below.

Preschool- Here we COME!

Noah and I have been at Preschool for the past year! I have been teaching part time, two days a week for 5 hours a day! It has been great! I had an awesome group of 4 year olds this year! Noah has been in the 2 year old class, but is getting ready to promote to the 3 year olds. He has learned a lot and I am so glad he loves his preschool! He gets sooooo excited talking about it! Here are some pictures of Noah throughout the 2009 school year.

Preschool Graduation- May 16, 2010 Noah (is right above)

What do you want to be when you grow up day! Doctor!

Pajama Day at school/Dr. Suess Birthday - Green Eggs and Ham snack, really it is sugar cookie and green cotton candy!

Noah really had grown a lot over this preschool year, as you can tell in the photos.

Happy Easter!

Sunglasses Day!

Merry Christmas 2009 - 2 year old Preschool Class

Happy Halloween 2009

Nature Walk - 2009

Snack Time- 2009

Chapel Time- 2009

Back In Milan and Enjoying Some MILAN FOOTBALL!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????

The Spain's are !

One of the things we missed about living back home was some Milan High School football! I was a Milan cheerleader through Middle and High School. I honestly can say that for 7 years I only learned a few things about football. One of the things being, which team was on offense and which team was on defense. Sad and pathetic---- best describes me--- I know!!! But, I loved to cheer them on! While living 8 hours away, we would sometimes stay home on Friday nights and get online to listen to some Milan football, all decked out in our PURPLE AND WHIITE! When we moved back we took Noah to his first Milan game! Boy, was it fun! He kept us busy- running up and down bleachers, wanting a snack, wanting to see the mascot- the bulldog! But it was a BLAST!

Back in the day photos of me cheering!

My 2 boys getting ready to watch some ball!

Spain- Hopefully one day I will see my boy playing some football!

Who let the DAWGS out ?!?!

Noah's 1st ER Visit, and hopefully the LAST!

Brandon decided one Saturday morning to let me sleep in and he would take Noah out to the family farm. Noah loves the farm. He likes to ride 4-wheelers, the mule, and the tractor. About 9:30 a.m. I am laying in the bed and I get a phone call on my cell and it is Brandon saying "meet me at the ER, Noah's finger is cut bad!" Well, I jump out of bed, put my clothes on and tell my MIL that we have to get to the ER. Needless to say, we get there, I am more calm than I thought I would be, Brandon is a basket-case, Noah is screaming, blood is everywhere! They get him all stitched up and bandaged up and we go to Sonic to get a slush and head back out to the farm. Brandon is explaining to me what happened and Noah's finger starts gushing again and we head back to the ER, because it is pouring out from the band aid. The sweet nurse reapplies the bandage and we go home for a much needed nap and calm of nerves. SO what happened? Noah was playing in the cab of the tractor and he tells Brandon to open the door to get him out. Brandon went to open the door to let N out and his finger was between the hinge thing and as he opened the door it sliced into Noah's finger almost cutting the tip of his middle left finger off! Praise the Lord that it only needed 5 stitches! But, until this day, Noah remembers exactly what happened and which finger! He calls it his "boo boo" finger. Hopefully this will be our LAST experience at the ER!

MOVING TIME.....

A sad time in our life, but also a happy time. Here is our story.

In 2007, 4 months after Noah was born, God called us to a town called Ashland, Ky. It was 8 hours away from all our family and friends. Brandon had been called to be their full time youth minister and associate pastor. It was very difficult because our little home town of Milan had been where the both of us had grown up our entire lives. We had prayed and prayed about our decision and knew that God was calling and we had to go. We wanted and still want to remain in God's will for our lives. This move was emotional. We were happy- a new beginning, new home, new friends, new church, new lives to influence. We were sad- leaving family, leaving friends, Noah was only 16 weeks old, coming out of our comfort zone.

Hello Ashland, Kentucky !!

We lived in Ashland for 2 years in our wonderful apartment!

Our apartments faced the back, so we were fortunate to have the Ohio River in our back yard!

While serving in Ky, we met wonderful wonderful friends :) Some we will never ever forget! Our Sunday School class was filled with great couples! You know that friends will last a lifetime, when you move 8 hours away and you still talk, cry together, and miss each other like CRAZY! OH, and when you drive 8 hours just to see them!! But, I will do another post on our KY friends later....we do miss them dearly! So, in July of 2009, Brandon and I felt God calling us back to our home town to serve at a Christian School as a Bible teacher and for Brandon to preach on the weekend for pastors needing a fill-in. I was soooo excited to be moving back closer to our families, but then again sad to leave friends that were just as close as family!

We recieved the call on a Thursday afternoon that Brandon had got the job and we had to be packed up and in Milan on the following Tuesday for his inservice. Talk about a quick transition! I had our home packed by Sunday night and we were leaving town on a Monday morning.

July 2009- Hello Milan, TN

Moving quickly, we had no time to even look for a place to live. Brandon's parents graciously allowed us to live in the back portion of their home. We stayed their 6 months. During that 6 months we searched for the perfect home that fit our budget, I started teaching 4 year old preschool students, Noah first ER experience , and we found out that our 2nd child would make an arrival in May 2010.

4th of July 2009

This year we celebrated the 4th with family in Milan. We ended up riding back from the beach with Lolli and Pop. Brandon decided he would drive back to TN to come get us in a week. We enjoyed the visit. We gathered with church family for a city/church wide 4th of July fellowship with amazing hamburgers, hotdogs, drinks, jumpers, music, and fireworks! Noah loved every minute of the firework show! I enjoyed being home to see family, but was even more excited to see Brandon when he got there :) It is soo hard on me being away from him, I start going through withdrawls!

Checking himself out in the mirror of the motorcycle!

Noah getting ready for church, but, he has to ride the motorcycle first!

I love my Lolli

Lolli and Pop and Noah

Noah and Pop being silly.

Mommy and N

Pretty blue eyes.

Happy 4th of July.