Dahlonega Georgia

Q surprised me for our 4 year anniversary and took me on a two day trip to Dahlonega Georgia. It was beautiful! This picture above was on the way. The clouds were beautiful!

This was at our Bed and Breakfast where we had the most wonderful breakfast the next morning. Blue berry french toast! Yummy!!

The Wolf Mountain Vineyard

This was down town Dahlonega. It was the old gold museum.

This was a picture of Helen Ga. I wasn't too impressed with this place. It reminded me of a smaller Gatlinburg Tn. The place we picked to eat was horrible also. We sat inside at first and it was REALLY hot so we moved outside where I got bit by 9 mosquitoes in 20 minutes! (just on my feet and we had two citronella candles)

This place was really cool! It is the Funcky Chicken Art Project Gallery/Studio. It was inside an old Chicken house. The art was unbelievable and very expensive.

This was probably my favorite thing of the trip, Amicalola Falls State Park. It is where the start of the Appalachian trail starts. You can start at the bottom of the falls and hike a ways then climb 175 stairs to the middle of the waterfall to a bridge that crosses. Then you could take another 400 steps up to the top. We decided we didn't want to be stinky the rest of the way home so we only walked up to the bridge then drove up to see the top.

This is the bridge at the 1/2 way mark.

The 175 stairs

4 very busy...crazy...happy...wonderful YEARS with Q!

Can't believe it's been FOUR years! Here's to many more to come!!! I LOVE YOU Q! He has surprised me and is taking me on a two day trip tomorrow! I have no idea where we are going and I can't wait!

...I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad!

One of my favorite things to do is to drive down one of my favorite roads in the summer with the windows down in the car and turn up the music. That's exactly what I did last night on the way to my friend Sarah's cabin on the lake. This time I added taking pictures while driving. I know this is dangerous. :) I forgot that when I upload pictures onto here that I should pic the ones I want first last and last first. (does that make since?) Anyways The pictures are in reverse order so you may want to start at the bottom and scroll up. Q use to think this was weird that I have favorite roads but now he has a few himself.

The cabin.


Byran, this one is for you. I told Sarah that I've read about this on your blog but never seen a picture. :)

My zoom is horrible, I really was pretty close. One of them had escaped when I drove up and I guess I scared it because it ran back into the fence.

I had my eye's on the road, see! :)

I love this picture. It was taken from the passenger window. I think I came to a full stop in the road to get this shot. Don't worry, it wasn't a busy road.

My wonderful Husband kept Deci for me so that I could go stay with Sarah and Kaydee for a sleepover. I'm 27 and I still love sleepovers! The funny thing is Deci slept better than she had all week with only Q home. She only got up once at 4:30. Of course that's how it works! :)

Crop til' You Drop!

We are having a Scrapbooking Party at Lifepoint church if anyone is interested. It's always fun to scrapbook with other ladies! My scrapbook is stuck in October so I'm really looking forward to having the WHOLE night to do nothing but this! That week in June will be the 2nd week Q will be away from me (Youth camp then Mexico) so I know I'll be really looking forward to a ladies night out! My Mom already has it marked on her calendar to keep Deci for me! :) Yay! Can't wait!

Two weeks later...

I just wanted to let y'all know that I SLEPT THOUGH THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT for the first time in two weeks!!!! Switching her to a toddler bed/mattress on the floor has been horrible but now I'm seeing results of being consistent. I laid Deci down at 8:45 ish and she woke up about 5:30! I would have felt a little more refreshed if I actually got to bed at a decent hour. Kerrie, my sister-in-law came over and we watched The Secret Life of Bee's then I just couldn't sleep. (Great movie by the way but has sad parts) Oh, and did I mention that Deci has had a fever for two days now and I had to give her Tylenol last night! Poor girl I know that helped her sleep better. If I could only give her that EVERY night! :) So, now on to my next mission....taking the paci away! If you have any advice on that one please share!

Pictures of the week

Tee Tee in the potty!

So..... We are giving potty training a try. Don't ask me why I thought I should start potty training the same week that I put Deci in a toddler bed but I did! I know, I'm crazy! First off I work at Powerhouse Gym 2 days a week and most of the kids that come are potty trained. Deci started showing a lot of interest one day we were there. I let her sit on the toilet but nothing happened. I decided to go out and buy a little potty for her. I just thought that I better take advantage of her being interested. The next day she tee teed in it! I was impressed! I had to take her every 30 minutes after that. Every now and then she would use the potty and other times her diaper. I've heard that potty training at this age is really potty training the parent. The parent takes the child every 30 min/hour and yes, the child is eventually going to pee in the potty. The past few days she's only used her potty once a day. I know if I'm going to do this I need a weekend of not leaving the house but I can't even think about doing that now. I'm going against everything I said I wouldn't do as a parent!

A wife of noble character

I have started reading this book called "Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be" (by Donna Partow) with a group of ladies from church. I am on day two in the devotion part and I'm already feeling challenged to be the wife of noble character. I looked up the definition of Noble: impressive in appearance and Character: the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions. I have started to think about my actions and reactions to life. I really struggle with being the woman God wants me to be but I've found myself in a time in my life where I'm not happy about who I am. I'm always looking forward in life, dreaming about accomplishing great things but I feel stuck in my selfish life. I am hoping this book will get me off this plateau and headed up the mountain. This makes me think of those ladies in my life, now and growing up, that are such a awesome example of this proverb 31 woman. My favorite thing in the world is to sit down and spend the day in deep conversation with them.

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

Proverbs 31:10-11

The Zoo, minus the ELEPHANTS??

We were trying to get a group picture. :)

Deci trying to feed the snake "bite bites"

Trying to feed the turtle

The gorilla drinking out of the waterfall.

The gorilla. He was my favorite.

Q's favorite part. He loves Rhino's but I was disappointed, they just laid there!

Deci trying to give the camel something to eat.

On my Birthday we took Deci to the Birmingham Zoo. I think we liked it more than she did. I can't believe there was no elephant! What is a zoo without elephants? We had a great day over all. We ate at Moe's for lunch. We saw Matt and Jennifer there and also ran into another old friend from breakaway days who bought our lunch! Deci loved her first experience at Moe's. Our friend Tim is in a band called Act of Congress. It's a folk/bluegrass style band. He gave us a CD and it's really good. We went to the zoo after lunch and ended the day at Cold stone creamery for ice cream! What a fun day with my family! The next day the motor in my car messed up....but I want even go there now... let's think happy thoughts! :)

I thought I would post some pictures from Wade and Kerrie's wedding. Deci was the flower girl. She walked down the isle but screamed when we wouldn't let her up on the stage. My mom had to take her out of the church. lol! It was supose to be an outside wedding but it rained so they had to move it inside. Deci loves her Aunt Kerrie and Uncle Wade!

First Round Goes To... DECI ...

If you have been reading my facebook status updates you may not be interested in what I'm about to say. Last Thursday at our community group I noticed AnaRuth's baby crib was turned into a toddler bed, she is 4 months younger than Deci. I got talking to another mom who switched her son (a month older than Deci) into a twin bed already. They both said it was easy! And that is how it all started! I thought, "Oh, how fun!" I remember thinking those exact words...they have come back to haunt me now. So Last Friday night we switched her crib to a toddler bed. I forgot I was going out with the girls and Q was putting her to bed. He called me at 9:30 and said that she was asleep on the floor. He put her back in bed. When I got home she fell out again. We decided in the middle of the night to assemble the safety rail. This must have made Deci mad. She took hours to get back to sleep. She woke up that morning I think at 4. Every night has gone something like this: Lay down at 8... get out of bed, put back in bed, get out of bed, etc... finally asleep by 9. 1:00 out of bed. I have to go back in her room and stay until she falls asleep or she will not stay in her bed. She does this again at least Once more before 4...then she is up at 4:30 or 5 ready to start the day! We have been living on 4 or 5 hours of sleep each night.

Once, after doing this for hours, me and Q yelling and crying (just me really), we decided to put the baby bed rail back up and let her cry it out. In less than 5 minutes she had climbed out! She has never done that before! I have no clue how she got out! Last night I took apart her baby bed all together and put her on her mattress on the floor. It's been one of the worst weeks with Deci. It reminds me of the first week we brought her home! She didn't sleep any better with the mattress on the floor. After getting up 3 times I let her sleep in the bed with me. Something I said I would NEVER EVER do. I just needed sleep. Then at 5 I took my pillow and blanket into her room and let her play while I slept in her floor. I kept thinking, "I just need sleep, I can win If I just get more sleep." I feel refreshed today. Tonight starts a new week. Deci may have won round one but have no fear, Momma is refreshed and ready to fight!

Trying to catch up...

Yay! My first blog! I can't tell you how long I've wanted to have my own blog. I'm real big on keeping a journal. I have kept a journal since 1990. I haven't always been very consistent but its something that I've always been very passionate about. I hope one day my kids will want to pick up my journals and read them. My earlier journal entries are silly (mostly of boys and friends fighting) but over the years I have developed a close relationship with God, went on Mission trips, fell in love for real, married him, and had a baby and wrote about it all. Now, I'm trying to catch up with the world and journal some online too! I hope you enjoy!

P.S. I am a horrible speller and my grammar stinks so please overlook any mistakes you find. :)