The Overturf's

7 months... Really?! How does that even happen?

2010-07-11T22:12:00.003-05:00

I'm completely embarrassed for myself right now. I'm sure that after my 7 month blog disappearance my regular readers have dwindled. And I don't blame you... I would have stopped checking for any new gems a long time ago. But Alas, I'm back, if only for a brief second to warn you to stand by because there are some new fun things on the horizon! I can't tell you what they are right this minute, but I will give you a hint! It includes a new blog address, some fun new creations I've been playing with and maybe a few giveaways of my fun new creations!! Stay tuned!! By the way, I know this isn't very personal or informative of our recent happenings. But I promise that if you stick with me, you wont be disappointed!! I love you guys, thanks for not losing faith in me!!

Guilty Pleasures

2010-01-14T13:08:00.003-06:00

In lieu of any major life happenings at the moment, I have decided that for today, I'd share a few of my guilty pleasures with all of you, my faithful readers :)
We all have guilty pleasures, "Something that we shouldn't like, but like anyways" as defined by the Urban Dictionary. Most of mine are probably fairly unknown, because I don't always feel like sharing my quirks with the world. But as a special treat, I've decided to make my top 10 list just for you! Send me a comment with a few of yours or if you're a blogger, continue my trend and make your own list. You may be surprised at the guilty pleasures that you have in common with your friends!

1. There are so many TV shows that would fall into the guilty pleasure category, but I decided to include the one that inspired this post, High School Reunion on TV Land. Yeah, what can I say, I'm a sucker for dysfunctional people on reality TV. Real World would probably fit in this category, too.

2. 16oz hot, skinny Chai Tea lattes. I have one every single afternoon. (But in all fairness, I make them at home, so I'm not hitting the coffee shop daily.)

3. Hour long baths. A good book, some good tunes and I could sit and marinate all day long. I think I need to invest in a hot tub.

4. '80's music. Poison, Michael Jackson, Motley Crue, Guns and Roses, Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper, Yes, Please.

5. Rockband and Guitar Hero on the XBox. Ya I can totally rock out on the guitar on that silly game, now just to learn how to play the real thing...

6. Self-help books. Especially those with ideas similar to The Secret focusing on inner peace and happiness.

7. Oogling dirty rockstar boys. In another life I know that i was totally a groupie.

8. Sappy kids/pre-teen movies. The Hannah Montana Movie. 'Nuff said.

9. The public library. I could hide out there all day, reading, studying enjoying the quiet... whatever.

10. Facebook/Blog stalking. Do I really need to elaborate on this one? :)

Man, I'm such a strange girl... Apparently I'm the epitome of organized chaos.
Now it's your turn...

An awesome and amazing 2010 to you.

2009-12-31T09:14:00.004-06:00

It's time for the customary New Years resolution post! Aren't you excited?! I know I am! I can't believe that we are finding ourselves at the end of a decade, I mean, where in the h e double hockey sticks have the last 10 years gone! I remember sitting around 10 years ago waiting for the world to end with all of the technology on earth shutting down because our computers couldn't handle a silly 20 instead of the former 19. Man, how things can change in 10 years and now I sit here at 26 years old (26 really, is that even possible?) with my life having gone in a completely different direction than I would have ever anticipated. And the crazy thing is, I can't imagine being any happier than I am right now!! Okay, so having a little extra money would be nice, but really I don't think that money ever makes you happier, and living with less makes you appreciate so much more. Looking back on last years resolution list, I was thoroughly impressed with how many goals I have actually accomplished this year!! I have worked really hard on my emotional and spiritual side and the results have paid off immensely. My marriage is the best it's ever been, I'm truly happy and more in love with my life than I would have ever expected. I made it back to school after an 8 year hiatus and achieved A's in my first 4 classes. I am truly blessed and have taken up the mantra that I am surrounded by so much love that I always have a reason to be happy. Of course, we all have our bad days but I have learned not to let those things bother me anymore. Of the 10 resolutions that I set last year (you can find that list here, I would say that I have accomplished about 8. And in terms of resolutions, I think that's pretty successful! So for this year, I'm sticking with the 2 resolutions that I wasn't able to achieve last year. Those are concerning my health/weight and finances. I know they're cliche, but I think that the reason they are is because they are the most difficult to achieve. Last year, the 2 resolutions were worded a little differently then this years will be though.
Previous resolution:
*To keep up with bills and get completely out of debt by 2010.
*To lose my last 10 lbs and then maintain (healthfully of course).
New Resolutions:
*Stop eating out so much, keep a budget more consistently and build up our savings account.
*Start working out and take up a vegetarian lifestyle again. Drink more water and get into shape.
Its time for the outside to reflect the happiness on the inside. 2010 will be our year!!
To all of my wonderful friends and family reading this blog, I can't thank you enough for being there and I love you and appreciate you more than I can say. You are the best in the world and I can't imagine my life without you all in it. I hope that your 2010 is amazing and that you can accomplish everything you wish for. I can't wait to see where this year takes us!!

can I get a whoop whoop.

2009-12-17T00:28:00.002-06:00

I just realized that the last time I posted was the Friday before my first full college semester began. If the fact that it's taken me nearly 4 months to update isn't any indication as to how crazy my life has been, well then I don't know what is. What I do know is that my absence from the blog-o-sphere has completely paid off and I finished my first actual college semester with straight A's... With that news, I figured that a celebratory blog post was in order, because lets face it, you can only brag so much on facebook before people start rolling their eyes at you. Let me just say... I'M SO FREAKIN' STOKED.
Okay, now that that's out of my system, we can move on to more pressing issues...
I'm hoping that with my 4 month absence, I might still have a few readers. If you're still with me, humor me and let me know.
So, whats going on with us otherwise? Well, Austyn is nearly halfway through second grade. Still loving school. Struggling a little with reading, still. But otherwise a "delightful student" in the words of her teachers. Begging for a Nintendo DS for Christmas, thank God its not a cellphone instead.
Peyton is starting to talk all the time. Mostly being a little parrot, copying everything you say... its too stinkin' cute, even tho I'm a little biased. He is BADLY in need of a haircut right now. Totally rocking the little 21 month old mullet. I'll try to post the before and after pics this weekend after we take him to get all beautified for the plethora of Christmas pictures that are sure to follow in a mere 9 days.
Hmmm...
What Else...
Wes is busy doing what he always does... work. Nothing new, but he is still enjoying what he does and really enjoys the other people that he works with so there are no complaints.
And for me, well, my daycare is still going strong, right now I have 2 full-time kids and 2 part-timers. While I've had the opportunity to take on more children recently, I'm perfectly happy with the ones that I have right now and I'm just at the right number for my tiny house. I'm also working at Hey Baby, part-time for those of you that didn't know, mainly to give me a reason to get up, shower and put on decent clothes(any of you SAHM's can probably relate with that. Either that or I'm just very lazy, which is a likely possibility as well). The people that I work with are awesome and I love the atmosphere. What more could you ask for?! So as you can see, with all of the different hats (as my 6th grade teacher would have called them) that I have been wearing lately, I've been a little bit pulled in 50,000,000 different directions these past few months. But I can at least take off the student hat for a month and can hopefully replace it with a more diligent blogger hat to entertain all of you that have stuck by my side.
Oh and the Christmas cards will be in the mail shortly...
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. XOXO

A new day.

2009-08-21T20:56:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling completely stumped with my words tonight so instead of rambling through a post, I'll just delight you with a few new kiddo pictures. Included are a couple shots of Austyn's first day of school and birthday party and Peyton at the 4H parade! More later, thanks for the patience :)

My baby is growing up.

2009-06-18T13:30:00.004-05:00

Last week Austyn was in our friends Dan and Alisa's wedding. I had to share a couple pics that I snapped after I got her ready. She's growing up so quickly, it makes me sad.

Ode to the greatest friends in the history of the world.

2009-06-16T09:48:00.008-05:00

Last night I couldn't sleep. As we all know, when that happens your brain starts spinning. I got to thinking about the sad fact that by the end of this summer most of my closest friends will have moved on to other cities. I know that as we grow up and move on in life, it happens. But that doesn't make it any easier. So anyway, I just wanted to make sure that all of my best-ies know just how awesome I think they are and say Thanks for being so totally amazing.
I think that you are truly blessed if you get one friend that you are close to for your entire life (or as much of your life as you can remember). I am lucky enough to have two. I don't know what I would've done growing up without Amanda and Nicole. We've been through so much together and just because Manda is living in Nashville now and Nicole will be moving to Kansas City with her adorable little family in August, I don't expect to ever lose touch with them. They are the epitome of true friendship and I love them both dearly.
Then you have the friends that come into your life through another friend and you instantly bond with and grow to become unexpectedly close to. Amber, whom I met through Wes' friend Ryan has become a very close confidant to me and I'm so thankful for her amazing listening skills and her ability to relate to my current situation. And Lindsey, who is the wife to our friend Mike, is incredibly caring and loves my children (for both her and Mike to embrace our kids without having any children of their own yet, means sooo much to me). And Alisa, who was married this last weekend to our close friend, Dan. I'm so sad that they are getting ready to move all the way to Wisconsin in the fall, but know that we will always be there for one another.
I am lucky enough to be in touch with many of my friends from elementary, middle and high school as well. I love the moments, tho not as frequent as I'd like because we're all so busy, that we still get spend time together, catching up and reverting back to our silly school days selves. Lizzy, Sarah, Liz, Laura, Casie,Stephanie, Amy and Anne, you guys are the greatest. Janine, you are the awesome "cool girl" that I've always envied and I so appreciate you always being there for me. Thanks for welcoming me into your circle and introducing me to your girls, Jaime and Megan are amazing! Abby, I appreciate all of your help when we were working at Dara's together and I'm so glad that we have gotten to continue our friendship since then. Its nice to have someone that I completely trust to stay with my kids and I wish you all the happiness in the world. And I can't forget the boys, Brandon, who is a great advice-giver and will always be my big brother. Dan, who knows me better than almost anyone and still likes me anyway. And Wes, who even tho is my husband too, is my best friend and I can't imagine facing this crazy journey without him.
I wouldn't be who I am without all of you, Thank You for being the greatest friends that anyone could ask for!

8x8

2009-06-10T13:30:00.005-05:00

Okay, since I got tagged twice today by both : Anne and Casie I suppose I'll humor you all and fill it out :)

EIGHT Things I Am Looking Forward to:
1. My Birthday tomorrow!! Woot! :)
2. The sun coming out and it getting warm again so we can resume our visits to the pool.
3. Taking Austyn to see Up this weekend.
4. All of my kiddos being healthy again. All 5 kids are sick with one ailment or another and I'm just ready for everyone to feel 100% again!
5. Dan and Alisa's nuptials this weekend and getting to see my girl her beautiful flower girl dress!
6. Going to eat lunch tomorrow with grandma and my kiddos tomorrow!
7. Working on my class... I know, kinda weird but I'm looking forward to being done with it :)
8. Enrolling in my full time fall classes.

EIGHT Things I Did Yesterday:
Here's my typical mom list :):
1. Woke up and straightened up the living room.
2. Made breakfast for the kids.
3. Cleaned, laundry, studied and took a quiz for my class.
4. Made lunch for the kids.
5. Ate waffles with PB for lunch after I got all the kids fed.
6. Watched Twilight with the girls for like the 2,000,000th time. On Eadon's movie pick day we usually watch Twilight :)
7. Went to Grandma's to help her fix PeeWee's phone.
8. Brought home Chipotle for dinner, got kids bathed and put to bed, and watched Deadliest Catch with the husband. Went to bed.

EIGHT Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Show my family and friends how much I appreciate them. I feel like I don't say Thank You enough.
2. Have more patience.
3. Be able to read people's minds. (Maybe this is why I'm going to major in Psychology :))
4. Be more creative. Trying to entertain 2 six year old girls this summer, I realize how boring I really am!
5. Play guitar. Its on my top 50 things to do before I die list.
6. Be a great decorator. I think this goes along with number 4.
7. I wish I could budget better and be a better saver.
8. Be more concerned about my appearance... I tend to put my hair, makeup and clothes behind everyone else and often look like I just rolled out of bed :)

EIGHT Shows We Watch:
1. CSI: LV, Miami and NY
2. Chuck
3. The Biggest Loser
4. Scrubs
5. Nip/Tuck
6. Hannah Montana
7. ICarly
8. Phineas and Ferb (Ya, I have 5 kids here all day, we watch a lot of kids shows :))

EIGHT Favorite Movies/Books:
Movies:
1. The Illusionist
2. Twilight (even tho I can't fathom seeing it again after watching it 2000000 times in the last 3 weeks.) :)
3. V for Vendetta
4. Meet the Robinson's... Best Disney movie ever :)
Books:
5. Twilight Saga
6. DaVinci Code/ Angels & Demons
7. Jemima J
8. The Host

EIGHT Places I’d Like to Travel to:
1. Ireland
2. Rome
3. The Bahama's (on a cruise)
4. Hawaii
5. New York
6. Disney World in FL
7. Boston
8. Brazil

EIGHT Places I’ve Lived:
1-8. Manhattan, Sad isn't it :)

EIGHT Others that may or may not care to participate in the EIGHT X EIGHT thingy:
Amber
Laura
Nicole

New Kid Pics :)

2009-05-20T22:40:00.002-05:00

School.

2009-05-06T12:00:00.002-05:00

This will be a fast post because my babies are being extra destructive today! So I got officially enrolled at Barton yesterday!! I am taking one class this summer and then will start full time with the fall semester. I am communicating with my adviser now to get all of my classes lined up and complete my associates of science. All classes will be taken online and with 61 hours for completion I am hoping to be done in 2 years. Then onto KSU or another university to complete my Bachelors and possibly graduate degree(still tossing around the ideas for majors). So anxious to get rolling and I keep you updated on my progress :)

I'm Back!

2009-05-03T10:59:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody!! So sorry for the horribly long break since my last post, my laptop cord broke about 3 months ago and i didn't have the patience to type on my iPod. :)
So anyway, I guess I'll just update whats been going on in our little corner of the world, even though things are pretty much the same as they were 4 months ago when I last posted.
Austyn is wrapping up her last month of first grade and I absolutely don't have a clue where this last year has gone. She is anxious for summer and has decided that she is going to play soccer and take dance and swimming lessons. I'm thinking that its going to be a busy summer!
Peyton turned one on April 11th and is walking all over the place, terrorizing anything that is under 3.5 feet high. He loves having "conversations", rambling on and on in his baby gibberish. He and his BFF Lilly keep my life busy, constantly fishing random things out of their mouths and saving them from all kinds of horribly near traumatic events (ex. running out of apple juice or dropping toys to the extreme depths of the trashcan.) :)
Wes is staying really busy, working a ton building his bosses house and helping another guys build his house on the side. Maybe one of these days I will be lucky enough to have his fine craftsmanship on a house of our very own :)
I am just doing good as usual, still loving running my daycare and keeping up our home. I am starting online classes the end of this month and I am so excited to get back into it again. Hopefully when Peyton starts school, I will be done with my degree and be back into the workforce. I'm so blessed to be able to stay home with the kids and I wouldn't have things any other way right now!
Okay so now that this post is starting to feel like a bad Christmas letter (not to mention a ridiculous number of smiley faces), I will sign off and try to do a better job at keeping you updated!

I pledge...

2009-01-21T11:45:00.002-06:00

Maybe you saw this on Oprah or the MTV inaugural ball, but everytime I watch it, I get emotional.
I pledge to stand behind what I believe and stop allowing people to make me question myself. And to worry less and ACT more.
What do you pledge?

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge

Happy Inauguration Day.

2009-01-20T07:09:00.004-06:00

I promise that this whole post isn't going to be political. I just realized that its been way too long time since I updated and thought that this morning would be a good time to do it! What a great day, not only b/c the weather is supposed to be a balmy 41* and sunny, but because we have a NEW PRESIDENT, people! Now, I'm not being boastful because the candidate that I supported won, because honestly even if John McCain were accepting the task today, I would still be just as elated. The key here is that our dear Pres. Bush is adios. I honestly contemplated buying one of the "Jan. 20, 2009: End of an Error" bumper stickers, but didn't because I decided that my silly Bush-loving husband would probably refuse to ride in my car. President Obama most definitely has his hands full stepping into his new role, but my hope is that he can prove all of the cynics wrong and come thru with flying colors. I know that all of the foul ups caused by our previous pres will take a long time to correct, maybe even longer than Obama's first term. But if he stands behind his word, I believe that we can make major strides in these next 4 years.
Okay, enough, I promised that it wouldn't be all political. But, to be completely honest, there's really not that much to report on the home front :) The kids are doing wonderful, Peyton is growing like CRAZY and Austyn is doing really well in school, learning how to read more everyday. I can't believe how close Peyton is inching to his one year mark. It seems like just yesterday that he was born! Alright, Peyton just started yelling from his crib that he is ready to start his day so, I guess that's my cue. Enjoy this momentous day, if you want to come celebrate with me I will be staked out close to the television all morning :)

Happiest 2009.

2009-01-01T07:46:00.002-06:00

Happy, happy New Year! To all of my friends and family, thank you for a wonderful 2008 and all of my best wishes in 2009. I love you all and deeply appreciate everyone who has been supportive of me this year. Cheers to the next 365 days :)

Resolution list.

2008-12-18T09:09:00.003-06:00

I know its a little early, but with the list I'm about to share I figured I would need some time to gain focus and come up with a plan. I usually don't partake in the silliness of making New Year's resolutions, but next year is going to be my best year so far. I'm putting it out there and keeping the end result in mind. I am in a position right now that I could be completely at peace with a little effort and re-focusing. By the way, this list has been constructed over the last month, so lots of thought has gone into each resolution. Here's my top 10 :)
1. To respect myself and put myself first. Whether that means telling people what I need or changing the situation to get where I want to be.
2. To put my kids needs first only after my own so that I can be a better mom to them.
3. To keep up with bills and get completely out of debt by 2010.
4. To flush my life of toxic people and surround myself with people who will help me better myself.
5. To expect more from others.
6. To lose my last 10 lbs and then maintain (healthfully of course)
7. To grow my daycare business.
8. To be productive and full of energy, at least, maybe 80% of the time :)
9. To be back in college by August of '09
10. To be unconditionally happy and to know that I am creating my own happiness, no one else is responsible for that.
What are your resolutions?

T-day Pics

2008-12-10T06:29:00.002-06:00

After that craziness, I'll throw in some pictures for your viewing pleasure. These were stolen from cousin Sarah, so the credit goes to her. Thanks, Sarah :)

Putting it all out there.

2008-12-10T06:00:00.002-06:00

I truly don't know what I need right now. I don't know if I am going through a transition phase due to the new daycare adventure or if, dare I say it, I am not cut out for the exact thing that I wanted so badly. I have been really down the last few weeks. I feel alone fairly often. Not alone in the sense that I need "someone" around really. More alone in my own head, if that makes sense. When I was working at Dara's, I always had someone that I could vent to. There were so many people around that cared for me, I never felt like I was out of the loop. I made friends easily and was complimented often. I'm feeling frustrated with myself now, more than ever. I have so much time to think and be "alone in my head" that I am dwelling on everything that Im unhappy with my life right now. I know I am blessed with my great family and the ability to be able to stay home with my kids. But with the amount of stress that I have put on myself with lack of money, I wonder if it was the right thing to do. I wish that I didn't question myself so much. I wish that I could just let things be and trust that we will always be fine. I'm not used to being so candid, especially for the world to see :) Maybe this will serve as a little bit of therapy for me, just to be able to write down my feelings will be freeing?
I'm sorry, I know this is kind of dismal. I'll end this with a little bit better news tho. I started filling out enrollment and financial aid forms yesterday to start online classes for summer of 2009 at Barton community college. I would like to get my associates online and then transfer either to Ft. Hays online or KSU to finish my undergrad. Then I will be graduated by the time that Peyton starts school in 5 years. Maybe this will put me on the right track and feel like I am doing something productive in making my best life.

Addiction.

2008-12-03T23:43:00.002-06:00

I just want to apologize for slacking on posts the last week. Because of a wonderful friend, I have become hopelessly addicted to the twilight series books. I am about 200 pages from finishing the 4th book after starting the first book just last Thursday. Needless to say, between the time spent changing diapers, making dinner and reading, there hasn't been much time for anything else. Wes was criticizing me (in a joking way of course) last night about the amount of money I had dumped into this in the last week. I have to admit, its a bit ridiculous. After 4 books, the soundtrack and a movie ticket, it has added up. But I had to graciously remind him the price difference in our hobbies and mine are definitely still more reasonable :) Anyway, if you don't have the time to devote to finishing the series, don't start! Wes asked me about why I couldn't get away from them and the only thing I could compare it to was stopping a great movie during the best parts. Speaking of movies, Twilight was eh. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, but unless you already had the passion for the story, the acting was lacking and it was incredibly cheesy in parts. I found myself laughing out loud during some of the more intense parts in the movie. But I didn't feel guilty about it b/c the movie was exactly as the book described (although missing some very important parts, in my opinion). Time to get some sleep, wanted to post as a distraction to get away from the book and go to bed :)

Thankful.

2008-11-27T20:26:00.002-06:00

For everyone who is reading this I'm thankful. We are so blessed to have every person who is in our lives. For the final installment of the things we're thankful for, here we go:
Erin: I'm thankful for my health as well as my 2 health babes. I am thankful for good friends (like ones that bring you food and a great read just because:)).
Austyn: The Jones boys and Gracyn (not to be confused with the Jonas Brothers :)) and family, not just our family, other families too (her words exactly!)
Wes:Pumpkin Pie and whipped cream

Happy Thanksgiving, love you all!

Thanksgiving post continued... part 2

2008-11-25T20:53:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I didn't get my post done yesterday, so we will all choose at least 2 things to put down today!
Erin: A roof over my head, food in my tummy and love in my heart :)
Austyn: Lots and lots of friends, baking with mommy(we just made chocolate chip cookies) :)
Wes: Chocolate chip cookies and turkey, pumpkin pie and ice cream
I guess we've all got food on our mind tonight! LOL :)

Thanksgiving week, Part 1

2008-11-23T11:47:00.003-06:00

Since it's Thanksgiving week, I have decided to pass along what everyone in my family is thankful for. Everyday leading up to Turkey day, I will ask Wes and Austyn what they are thankful for and post their (and my) responses. Here we go:
Sunday:
Erin: I am most thankful for my amazing family. Wes, Austyn and Peyton as well as all of my extended family and Wes' family. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such loving and supportive people all of the time.
Austyn: Food, school and family... she could've gone on forever, but I had to remind her that we were doing this for 5 days :o)
Wes: Family and Friends... (he's my man of few words :o) )

New Adventures

2008-11-19T09:50:00.003-06:00

With a few minutes of quiet while there are 3 sleeping babies, I wanted to update all of my close friends on what I am doing so that there aren't any awkward conversations later on. I have decided to become a vegetarian, both for my own health reasons as well as environmental and animal cruelty reasons. I have a tendency to be quite lazy in the way that I eat and fall back on easy junk food when I am tired and hungry. I have been preparing myself for this for the last few weeks, cutting out different types of meat a week at a time and I have already started losing the weight that I have been struggling to get off since Peyton was born. I have decided that I will still eat eggs and maybe occasionally fish, but otherwise I am going to focus on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I need to take control of my health and I see this as being a way to jump start that. In addition to the health benefits, I am also doing it as a way to live a bit more "green". I have researched a lot of information about the amount of energy it takes to eat meat, both by losing natural resources (grass, land, water) to "fatten up" cattle to eat as well as the horrible practices that go on in slaughter houses. I'm not by any means an animal rights activist, but I have taken on a stance that I want to know what goes into the food that I am eating. Please know that this is completely a personal decision and that I will in no way preach what I am doing to anyone else. I don't promote it, I just think that it's the right thing for me at this time. Let me know what you think and if anyone would like to talk to me about it, please feel free! I'm not afraid of criticism, I've already received plenty of it from Wes about the veggie issue :)

Soap Box

2008-11-17T09:34:00.004-06:00

I don't want to turn this into a political blog. But for just a minute I can't help but to get something off of my chest. I can't understand where some people feel that they have the right to judge others. With all of the different laws in other states that were up for vote a few weeks ago, I was extremely sad about the place where the world is headed. I don't understand how people can come up with a definition of love that is supposed to apply to everyone without understanding other points of view. We are given the right to vote for the greater good of the people and too many people vote without education. When you walk into a voting booth, too many people vote based on what party they are associated with or the ideals they were raised with. I'm not saying that is wrong, but I want to challenge everyone to look outside of the box and DO RESEARCH about what you are voting for. Think about the "what if's". Say you are one of the people that is opposed to gay marriage and/or gays and lesbians adopting children. "What if" you have a son or daughter who is born as a homosexual (yes I believe it is not something that you can choose, but that is MY opinion). How are you going to feel when you never have the opportunity to attend their wedding or spend time with your grandchildren. Who are you to say that 2 men or 2 women can't raise a child in a loving, stable home? Yes, there are challenges that will inevitably be presented, but aren't there challenges in every type of household? As many of you know, this topic hits very close to my heart. Not only b/c my mother, after 35 years finally felt that she could be true to herself and the person that she was born as, but because I have friends and other family members that this directly impacts. Why should they not be able to "love out loud"? There are only 2 people that I believe you have to answer to and that is God and yourself. There is no way that I can say what is best for someone else. I can only open my heart up to everyone allowing them to make their own decisions and give everyone equal opportunities. I have done a lot of research into the law of attraction and practice it in my own life. I truly believe in karma and that god will use what you are passionate about to teach you lessons. I hope that everyone can be blessed with a situation that allows them the opportunity to be open minded. I firmly believe that you can accept people and allow them to be what makes them happy without fully supporting all that comes along with it. I challenge everyone that reads this to be a little bit more open minded today, think about the hardships that other people have that are directly contributed to a decision that you made. Think about the difference that you could make in someone's life just by accepting and embracing them and what they choose in their life. If they aren't hurting anyone, then where is it anyone's place to judge them?

Quote for the day:

2008-11-05T12:07:00.003-06:00

Rosa sat so Martin could walk…
Martin walked so Obama could run…
Obama is running so our children can FLY!

Thank God we are all lucky enough to live in a country as great this one. We are so blessed to have the freedom to vote and I am proud of our country today.

Do you accept the challenge :)

2008-10-29T11:40:00.002-05:00

My friend Laura has a blog which I like to keep up with. This is from her blog, so I'm accepting the challenge in hopes that my readers will get to know a little bit more about me. I would like to tag the blogs that I read regularly... Nicole, Anne, and Casie to fill this out on their blogs and to extend the first part of the challenge to all of my readers without their own blogs: Mom, Amanda... everyone else who reads but doesn't leave me comments :)
Enjoy :)

Welcome to the new 2008 edition of getting to know your family and friends.

This is my rule (I changed them from the email): Anyone who reads this blog must start their own and make this their first post. They must also send me a link to their new blog in my comments section. :) Harsh, I know. Anyone who already has a blog is also welcome to fill out this survey. I tag you all!

1. What is your occupation right now? Daycare provider, mom, chauffeur, chef, personal shopper, housekeeper... :)

2. What color are your socks right now? None, anyone who knows me knows I live in flip flops, even when its cold!

3. What are you listening to right now? 2 babies chattering to each other and playing and one snoring... the greatest sound in the world!

4. What was the last thing that you ate? fish sticks for lunch, healthy, I know :)

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Wes tried to teach me once, but that was a long time ago!

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Grandma Siegle

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, shes a great friend!

8. How old are you today? 25 years, 4 months and 18 days

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Football, College or pro

10. Favorite drink? Diet coke

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Blond highlights

12. Favorite food? hmmm.... so many to choose from! Probably southwest chicken wraps from houlihan's at the moment. Maybe just because that's what I've been wanting for the last week :)

13. What is the last movie you watched? We rented Leatherheads the other night... not very good tho.

14. Favorite day of the year? Everyday when I'm with my favorite people!

15. How do you vent anger? Clean house.

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies and my jump it thing... those are the 2 things that pop into my mind anyway

17. What is your favorite season? Fall... I love the leaves changing and cool temperatures... Football weather!

18. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? I hope the people that have blogs with post at least!

20. Who is the most likely to respond? Not sure... Hopefully everyone!

21. Who is least likely to respond? Probably mom... since she doesn't know how to start a blog :) Love you mom

22. Living arrangements? Happy family... mom, dad, sweet daughter, fun baby brother. No pets tho... too much work :)

23. When was the last time you cried? Watching yesterdays Oprah this morning... I'm a sap :)

24. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Don't know. I'm not sure who all reads this.

25. What did you do last night? Went to bed at 10, woke up at 3 and couldn't go back to sleep so I got up and watched tv and cleaned.

26. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheeseburgers

27. Favorite dog breed? I would like to have a boxer and a boston terrier when we get a house and the kids are older.

28. Favorite day of the week? Weekends when I get to spend the whole day with my favorite people.

29. How many states have you lived in? Just 1, Kansas

30. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

31. What is your favorite flower? Gerbera Daisies

Patience

2008-10-25T23:00:00.003-05:00

Update on the Overturf household! Everything is wonderful and moving along perfectly. I guess that's why I haven't updated my blog in awhile. Its funny that when things are not quite right, we can find so much more to write about. And when things are good, we just feel like we are bragging when we write about how wonderful everything is. I love that I am able to stay home with the kids right now. I appreciate every minute with them now and am finally getting to enjoy them more than I ever have. I feel like I am finally a mom who is self-sustaining. With the quitting of my job, I now have control over my house, cooking dinner and occasionally allowing myself to take a bath with the door locked so Austyn can't come barging in (without feeling guilty :) ). I realize that I earn some time for myself (although I wish Wes would more often. I'm only partially kidding :) ).
Tomorrow is Austyn's big Halloween party. Somewhere around 8-12 kids will converge on my small house expecting to be entertained. It will all be worth the expense and time preparing just to see Austyn having a great time. I will post pictures next week and let everyone know how it goes.
Today I got to talk to a couple of wonderful friends that live out of town now and it was great to be able to catch up with them. Thanks to both of them for the great conversation and thank you for your friendship. I'm so blessed to have all of my great friends and love to be able to reconnect with people that otherwise I may have lost touch with.
Alright time to curl up on the couch with hubby, we're watching Leatherheads and trying to write, I'm losing what's going on with it :)

Photo Purge!!

2008-10-09T22:31:00.002-05:00

Found a few pictures stashed away on my camera! Note the picture of Peyton watching football... that was NOT a set up shot. The kid can sit and watch football for as long as you will let him :) Not a good sign this early!

New room!

2008-10-09T22:17:00.002-05:00

We're stepping into uncharted territory tonight. Peyton is spending his first night in his new room!! YAY! Okay, so it's still not completely done yet, but I took matters into my own hands. Tonight, I set up his crib, got the carpet pieced together and set up a few things. He was asleep in like 2 minutes! I think he likes his new bed! Here's a few pictures of him sacked out, he looks so peaceful when he's sleeping :)

Backwards!

2008-09-12T22:40:00.003-05:00

I know that they are backwards, but skim through the pics and then read the 2nd post for the update :) (Thanks to Sandy for the great pictures of the kiddos!!)

I'M BACK!

2008-09-12T22:31:00.002-05:00

After almost 3 months without a computer, we are finally back in business! So here is a quick update for everyone who doesn't know what is going on in our lives and give you a bunch new pictures of the kiddos!! As of the 3 weeks ago, I am officially a SAHM!! I quit Dara's at the end of August and am getting ready to open up a home daycare!! I'm sooo excited and love being home able to focus on my family!! Austyn started first grade and is loving it already! She really likes her teacher and I think that she is going to be good for Austyn. Peyton is growing by leaps and bounds!! He is rolling over and has gotten very animated. He is still a very happy baby and is getting his very own personality(which happens to be stubborn, just like his mom) :) Everyone is doing great and now that I have my computer back I will try to get the blog updated more often ;)

One More

2008-05-16T17:10:00.000-05:00

I didn't notice this picture when I was going thru picking them to put in the post but when I posted it on facebook, everyone loved it! So I decided to share it on here also! He looks like he loves her already, and we know she loves him!

New Kiddo Pics take 2

2008-05-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

The pictures didnt all fit in the first post, so here are the rest :)

New Kiddo Pictures

2008-05-15T16:55:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry its been so long since I updated!! I have been a little busy these last 5 weeks and haven't had a chance to post :) Some of these pictures are from the hospital, but its fun to see the change Peyton has made since birth! He started smiling this week and I think he is tired of me having the camera in his face trying to capture as many goofy smiles as I can!

Sleep Deprived

2008-04-22T11:14:00.004-05:00

I can not believe that Peyton is already 11 days old! Time flies and he is already changing looks and personality. He is a very good baby, very content most of the time and is sleeping as well as to be expected. He wakes up for a couple hours in the middle of the night, but for the most part he is a great sleeper.
Austyn is doing great with her baby brother and has been a huge help! She loves holding him and feeding him, but we still haven't gotten a diaper change out of her :) We have had to set some boundaries for her with him (ie no tickling him until he is old enough to defend himself :) ) but she is really loving and gentle with him, so I dont think we have much to worry about.
Nicole got the slideshow posted of Peyton's birth and it turned out amazing. The link is nicolemanphotography.com/slideshow/Peyton.
Please check it out!
Thanks for all of the phone calls, visits and good wishes over the last couple of weeks! We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends and I'm so glad we could share our big day with all of you!

2008-04-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

He's Here!!

2008-04-15T09:21:00.002-05:00

Peyton Thomas arrived on Friday, April 11th at 5:51pm. We induced at 1 and he showed up just a little less than 5 hours later, perfectly healthy and beautiful! Things went very smoothly and I think that he was more than ready to meet the world. We've been home since Sunday afternoon and he is doing very well. He's a very content baby and does just as Austyn says, "eats, sleeps and poops" :) He never really cries and if he does its only when he is hungry and doesn't last longer than it takes to prepare a bottle. We have been so fortunate to have many visitors, calls and good wishes. My incredibly talented best friend, Nicole photographed the birth and got some great shots that I will get posted very soon! You can also see some on her photo blog at http://nicolemanphotography.blogspot.com.

Tomorrow!

2008-04-10T08:50:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that in a mere 22 hours I will be laboring away, maybe a few short hours away from being a mother of 2. What a crazy thought. The house seems as ready as it ever will, I think that work is at least ready enough to make it through the weekend without having to call me and I think my body is ready to be in control of itself again. Not that I haven't actually really enjoyed being pregnant this time, because I have. But I think that a good thing can only last for so long and now its time to hold Peyton in my arms instead of carrying him in my belly. I have a feeling that if we weren't inducing tomorrow, he would probably be here any day now on his own because all of the signs are starting to point to it. But the induction at least gives me some guilty sense of control which I tend to need often. I keep reading on baby websites how there is no legitimate reason for induction unless its for the safety of baby or mother, but the doctor seems confident that everything will go perfectly and I trust his opinion. After all, already being 3 cm dilated, 70% effaced and having lost the mucous plug last night (sorry if TMI :)) but my body seems like its ready and may just need a little push to get going.
With Austyn I think I was naive so I wasn't nervous at all to have a newborn at home. Now due to experience and knowing what to expect, I'm again not nervous at all. Kinda strange being a bit of a worrier, I'm very calm and laid back about the upcoming events (although sleeping or attempting to tonight may prove my feelings are otherwise).
Time to go to work for the last day for 3 weeks. I feel a little sense of relief thinking that no matter what, the world is not going to fall apart while I'm off for a bit and the store will still be standing when I get back. Maybe a bit disorganized and chaotic, but still operational. I'm really looking forward to the time off to get to know my new baby and strictly take care of my real family, instead of my work family.
I will update with pictures as soon as I get some free time next week!

Thank you, thank you!

2008-04-06T23:59:00.002-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate Peyton today with me at the shower! I had a great time and love all of the wonderful gifts that we received! Thanks to Nicole for hosting it for me, I couldn't ask for a better friend! You all are wonderful, thanks for being a part of our lives!

37 weeks

2008-04-02T11:12:00.002-05:00

Doctor again yesterday, now 2-3 cm dilated and around 60-70% effaced. Peyton's head is really low and he still doesn't like being poked and prodded b/c he moves up as soon as they check me :) Last night I got extremely sick and am just now trying to keep food down and get my stomach settled. I dont know if I have a bit of the stomach flu or if my hormones are starting to go crazy with the thought of impending labor? I know that we are definitely to the homestretch and ready or not, Peyton will be here soon!!

36 weeks and 2 days

2008-03-27T16:43:00.002-05:00

Another doctor's office visit day! Dr. P checked my cervix today, 2 centimeters dilated, 50% effaced and Peyton's head is really low just barely above my cervix. We scheduled our induction for Friday, April 11th, as long as he doesn't decide to make his appearance sooner! I'm so excited and ready to hold him in my arms instead of carrying him around in my belly! This weekend is going to be a cleaning weekend and by next week I want the house to be ready for his arrival! I go to the doctor next Tuesday to find out if I have progressed any further.
Austyn told Tammy (Wes' mom) on Sunday that when the baby gets here, we are going to send him to live at her house. When I asked her about it, she said that she doesn't want to EVER have to change poopie diapers, so she doesn't want Peyton here! :) I love 5 year old thoughts! I'm really curious to see how she handles having someone else taking "her" time!

35 Week Belly and Sono Pics

2008-03-13T22:34:00.000-05:00

So we finally got around to taking a couple pictures of this swollen bump in my midsection :) Also, these are the pictures from the sonogram last Monday, we had to take pictures of the pictures b/c our scanner doesn't connect to our laptop. Doesn't make much sense huh! Anyway, all is going well as we anxiously await Peyton's arrival.

April 17th

2008-03-10T10:52:00.003-05:00

We went to the doctor for my second sonogram and found out everything looks great. The sono tech said that he is 5lbs 6oz and has a full head of hair! Now we just wonder what color that hair is! They changed his due date to April 17Th, but we are still looking at induction on the 11Th if he hasn't decided to make his appearance by then. The doctor reviewed the pictures and said that everything looks perfect, placenta is still growing and intact, baby looks good, healthy and is growing just as he should. I asked him about my weight again (just like every week)and got the same answer as always. He keeps telling me not to worry, as long as Peyton is growing my weight is of no concern. I was down almost another pound this week, so I've now gained 9 lbs since my 8 week appointment. Not too bad, but I do still have 5 more weeks to go! I am going to try to teach myself how to scan pictures in at work on the scanner and will attempt to put the newest sonogram pictures up so you can see his chubby cheeks and all that hair!

Doctor's Update

2008-02-25T16:26:00.003-06:00

I had my 32 week appointment this morning and got good news from the doctor. He still has a feeling that Peyton is large and wants to do another sonogram in 2 weeks along with my next appointment. He said that if it looks like Peyton is going to be pushing 9 lbs, then we will probably induce early. But he said that we could definitely induce a week early either way, so hopefully we will have a baby by either the 11Th or 14Th of April! Crazy to think how close that is!! So many things to do before then!! Otherwise, Peyton's heartbeat was good, right about 139. My blood pressure, proteins and iron all looked great. Weight was down almost 2 lbs from a month ago, but doc still didn't seem concerned. I'm weighing right about 10 lbs heavier than I was at my 8 week appointment, so at least I know I'm gaining and most of my clothes are still fitting with some alterations (such as the rubber band on my jeans button right now :) ). Anyway, I'm very anxious to see Peyton again in 2 weeks and told Austyn today that she could miss the first part of school to go with us again to see him, so she is excited too. Although, I don't know if she is more excited about seeing her brother or missing school :) Probably the latter! Hope all is well with everyone, those of you reading this that have blogs of your own need to update, I'm having blog withdrawal :)

Sunny Saturday

2008-02-23T09:25:00.002-06:00

Before I immerse myself in house cleaning for the morning, I wanted to jot a quick update! Nothing really new, just growing and stretching and kicking and wiggling. Peyton moves non-stop. Not big movements, just rolling and shifting which sometimes catch me off-guard when I'm waiting on a customer at work. Its hard not to be like "oh, wow, what was that!" :) I think I would get a few strange looks, but as its more obvious now that I am actually pregnant most people would probably understand. I have been told quite often lately that I'm getting "fat" now! I guess my customers are comfortable with me and know they can joke around with me :) 8 more weeks, its sooo hard to believe that I've already been pregnant for 32 weeks! Time flies by and I know these next weeks are going to go by even faster! I have a doctors appointment Monday morning, so I will update the latest after that!!
Can't wait for this amazing weather this week! With the way this winter has gone so far, a week of great weather is just what the doctor ordered!!

Slightly off the mark...

2008-02-12T07:28:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to write a quick post to let everyone know what I'm doing right now with my Mary Kay stock. When I started selling Mary Kay a few months back, my director did my initial order and over ordered some things for me. So to get them off of my shelves and open up some room for some new stuff, I am going to offer everything that I have in stock right now for 40% off. I have Timewise sets and single items, microderm abrasion sets, eyeliners, eyeshadows, lipstick/gloss, pretty much a little of everything, but never the things that I need for my sales :) If you have specific items that you need right now, please let me know!! Also, if you have never done a consultation and would like to find out what I have to offer, give me a call or drop me a line and we'll get it set up! Thanks so much! Thanks for bearing with me about this post, please let everyone you know that uses MK about the sale. I could use the extra space right now and need to clear out my shelves!

Calm before the storm.

2008-02-10T10:07:00.000-06:00

OK, so it's been awhile since I posted. I am still fighting this cold/flu stuff, but that is no excuse for not dropping a line. I apologize. Anyway, no new real big news lately, just lots of time spent getting ready for Peyton! Cleaning house, doing laundry and shopping have been major time suckers lately and I have neglected my blog because of it!
I really need to stay off of the old navy baby website, I ordered another 10 things off of it yesterday! But, I can say everything was on sale and nothing was more than 7.50. So at least I'm bargain shopping! I love buying boy clothes now tho, no pink, no frills, just cute little blue and green pieces! So much fun. Don't get me wrong, girls clothes are much cuter, but with all of the clothing issues we have had with Austyn lately, its refreshing to buy blue :)
I've spent a lot of time at work lately getting things ready for my leave. I am tentatively planning on being off work from April 14th to May 12th. Then after that I will be working Wed and Thursday at night and Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the day when Wes is home with the kids. We decided that the only way we could afford the summer while Austyn is home, is to not have either of the kids in daycare. Then when Austyn starts first grade in August, we will get Peyton into daycare and go back to our regular schedule. I think it will work out well, just limit the time that me and Wes spend together. But that is only for a few months and will be for a good cause, so I'm not worried.
Peyton has been REALLY active the last few weeks again, but as space is getting smaller in his little home, he's rolling a lot more than jabbing. Not a lot of sharp pains now, but definitely a lot of pressure when he sticks a knee or his back against my belly button and pushes with all of his might! He's always active about an hour before bed so Wes has had a good time "playing" with him, pushing on different spots on my stomach. Peyton then responds with a movement either in that spot or by moving to another area to get away from the pokes. I sometime wonder if he gets annoyed by people "invading" his area.
Thats all for now, have to go get motivated for the day!!

Overrun by the flu!

2008-01-31T16:37:00.000-06:00

Austyn and I have apparently been consumed by the flu this week. I called my doc today and was told that there is a bad strain of the flu going around right now causing sinus problems, coughing, vomiting and achy body. I guess that explains Austyn's problems over the last couple of weeks, but I'm surprised that flu is the diagnosis since she never ran a fever. She seems to be doing much better, but Im a different story :) The doctor said it takes 7 to 10 days to run its course and I am somewhere around day 2 or 3. So I probably have a long weekend ahead. The doctor also said that my blood work came back on Tuesday and it turns out I'm moderately anemic as well. So tomorrow I have to start on a new prescription for that. This isn't a very happy post, but I just wanted to let everyone know whats going on in case they dont hear out of us for a few days! :)
On a positive note, I'm stoked about the new port-a-crib that we got for Peyton. I was at Kmart on Tuesday and ran across a $99 playyard on clearance for $60! I was worried about it missing something or being broken, but upon getting it out of the box, it was in perfect condition! I was so excited and will get pics of it posted tomorrow (whether anyone cares to see it or not :) ). It is definitely an upgrade from the laundry basket that Austyn slept in when she was a newborn!
Hope everyone is doing well and evading the flu!

28 Week Labs

2008-01-28T15:01:00.000-06:00

Went to the doctor's office today for my 28 week appointment and labs. Everything turned out well, the glucose test was normal and so was the urine check, which means the UTI is all cleared up. Sorry if that's too much info, just the update :) Baby's heartbeat was 138 and I have gained exactly 10 lbs since my first appointment. It was pretty funny tho, when I drank the glucose sugar stuff, the baby started going crazy! Moving and shifting all over the place, he is definitely sensitive to sugar!
Austyn is home again today from school. She has vomited twice in the last 3 weeks at school and then when she gets home, is fine. She has had some sinus thing on and off, so I dont know if thats causing it or if there is something going on with school that may be making her feel yucky. I am going to email her teacher and see what her opinion is on the situation and what we need to do about it. I'll keep everyone posted!

Organization

2008-01-24T07:15:00.001-06:00

My post last night was successful in that I did have a very productive evening! I'm not sure tho that the post changed my attitude or if it was the tearing in to the bathroom cabinets and organizing. There is something almost therapeutic about organizing. I'm starting to understand its calming effects. Maybe before Peyton gets here my house will be clean and organized after all :) My energy is starting to wain (from what it was 2 weeks ago), but I am going to keep truckin' b/c I want more than anything to have a completely clean, organized home the day that we walk in the door with our new baby. It is going to be such a relief to not have to worry about searching to find things and knowing exactly where things are going to be when I need them. I want everyone to hold me responsible to that b/c I know it makes me feel better when I am living in a happy place :)

Thinking positive.

2008-01-23T16:28:00.000-06:00

Being very frustrated right now, I've decided to make today's entry 3 things I'm thankful for. Then I am taking care of the task of blogging AND changing my attitude so I have a productive evening :-)
1. Heat and Electricity, b/c it would be reallly cold in my house otherwise!
2. Austyn's smile and hug when I come home.
3. The fact that its already Wednesday, so its only 2 more days until the weekend!

What is everyone else grateful for?

Wow

2008-01-22T18:59:00.000-06:00

Wow that's a big belly! I can't believe what a difference 11 weeks make! I can proudly still fit in the jeans I'm wearing in the first picture tho :) Austyn is so excited for her little brother and loves feeling him wriggling around in there!

27 Weeks, January 22, 2008

2008-01-22T18:55:00.000-06:00

16 Weeks, Oct. 9, 2007

2008-01-22T18:51:00.000-06:00

I do solemly swear...

2008-01-22T18:28:00.000-06:00

to be a better blogger. I have been randomly scanning through other blogs for about an hour and have decided to try to write a short quip every day! I'm going to start today with a couple of belly pictures since I HAVE been promising for like 2 months :) Thanks for your patience!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T19:06:00.000-06:00

Wow, lots has happened in 2007. Just sitting here thinking about this past year and all of the ups and downs, its amazing to think that its almost 2008. 7 years ago when I graduated from high school, 2008 seemed so far away. Now its here and I am actually a grown up. Scary thought huh! Married, 1 soon to be 2 children. Wow. I love my life though and all that it includes. I have a wonderful husband and a daughter who I couldn't be more proud to call my own. I have amazing an family and friends who I appreciate more than anything in the world. I have a great job, a roof over my head and a wiggly baby in my belly. That is truly a life to be thankful for! I lose sight of that sometimes, but upon reflecting on this past year it really makes me thankful for all of the things I have in this world. So for everyone reading this, I just want to say thanks for everything and I love you all.
Alright, enough with the mushiness. Just had to get that out of my system :) Baby update: Went to the doctor today. Doctor said that everything looked great on my sono, but my uterus is still measuring about 2 weeks larger than it should be. He said that all he could confirm was that I would have a baby boy sometime in April :) He said my weight issue is fine and that babies are pretty good parasites who take what they need first and leave me with the rest. He said that if I continue losing weight then he will monitor me more closely and check out my diet but until then not to worry. Do have to start on antibiotics tho as we confirmed today that I have a urinary tract infection, not too uncommon, but definitely explains all of the pelvic pain.
That's all for now, have to go on with my lonely New Year's eve as Wes is working in KC until at least 4 in the morning. Me and Austyn are going to bed early! :)

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-25T20:10:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone!! My Christmas gift to you all is to update my blog!! (I'll pause a minute for the cheering to quiet ;) ). So, I haven't been doing very well keeping this current. But to be completely honest, there hasn't been much excitement lately. I feel pretty good, tired and having a hard time getting things accomplished, but good. Starting to anticipate getting started on rooms. I can't wait to get pics posted of the progress (and then hopefully the completion :)).
We have had a great Christmas this year, busy, but very good! I didn't have to work at all today and only worked about 3 hours yesterday. As compared to the last few years, that is a big change! I am thrilled to have had some time off and am feeling refreshed already.
Austyn has really gotten into the idea of Santa this year and we really played it up! She woke up this morning and told us that last night she heard jingle bells and saw a red flashing light outside her window. Wes started laughing but I was envious, I wish I still had that great of an imagination!
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and I love you all!! Happy New Year!!

Jumping Beans

2007-12-06T19:34:00.000-06:00

Watching my belly the last few days has become a pretty humorous event. One of my favorite things when I was pregnant with Austyn was watching her turn over and my belly move, jump and take on different shapes. The last couple of days my belly has started doing that again and its so much fun to watch! Its crazy how in a couple of days Peyton's activity level has increased so much. I feel him frequently during the day, although late evening is definitely his most active time. Austyn is really getting anxious to meet her brother and enjoys feeling my stomach when he is bouncing a round. I think that her being able to go to the sonogram with us made it very real for her. She got to see that there is actually a baby in there and knowing that we are having a boy makes it much more real for us!
Otherwise, everything has been going well, we are busily trying to get ready for Christmas... slowly, but surely :)

Its official!

2007-11-29T20:43:00.000-06:00

Like we all thought all along, its a boy!! We are sooo excited, now we can stop after this one and not have to try again for a boy :) Everything looked perfect and I will get the sono pics posted after I get them scanned onto my computer. He is due April 19th. Just wanted to let everyone know the news, updates and pictures definitely coming soon!! Woo hoo!

busy bee's

2007-11-28T19:12:00.000-06:00

It's been so long since my last entry, but I guess there hasn't been much to fill everyone in on. Sickness is gone (thank goodness!) dizziness still comes and goes, but is now more associated with being dehydrated, so it can be prevented. Drinking water IS important I guess :) Feeling LOTS of little thumps the last few days. Even the occasional flip. Strange, but so exciting. Austyn hasn't been able to catch any kicks yet, but Wes has. Usually it starts in around 8 and lasts until I fall asleep... hopefully not a sign we are going to have a little night owl on our hands :)
Anyway, wanted to drop a quick line just so everyone knows I haven't forgotten about them. Check back tomorrow for a much more detailed update after my sonogram!! Ausytn is so excited for the sonogram tomorrow and can't wait to find out if we are having a dinosaur, lizard, alien or boy (or maybe a girl? :) )Her vote is on alien, just ask her! Woo hoo!

Updated date maybe?

2007-11-15T11:27:00.001-06:00

Crazy last couple of weeks, haven't had much time to even think, let alone blog!! I'm working a lot now, but hopefully my hard work will pay off in a few months when I need some IOU's cashed in!
I went to the doctor's office today for checkup and found out everything is progressing perfectly! Dr. Priddle thinks that I may be a few weeks farther along then we had originally thought. He thinks that my uterus is feeling more like 20 weeks then 17 so our due date may get moved up a little bit. My sonogram is scheduled for Nov. 29th at 4. I'm so excited that in 2 short weeks we will know what we are having and have a set time for when we will be parents again! The scary thing is how much there is to get done before the baby comes, especially if they move my due date up 3 weeks! Scary to think about how fast the next 4 1/2 months are going to go!!
Hopefully I'll have some more news by next week, but if not I hope everyone has a great Turkey day!! I hope that you are looking forward to eating a ridiculous amount of food as much as I am!! Thank goodness for 2nd trimester being done with morning sickness and what a better time to be pregnant!! Holiday eating sounds like fun to me!!

My little alien

2007-11-09T15:07:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I started feeling the baby move but only when I was laying down relaxing. But now, it is becoming much more pronounced and often. It makes me so excited and anxious for all that there is to come!! I wanted to get a couple of belly pics posted, its small still, but definitely there :) That's all for today, time to go pick up Austyn from school! Happy Friday!

Belly Pictures!

2007-11-09T15:06:00.000-06:00

Thoughts and prayers

2007-11-07T18:51:00.000-06:00

This is not going to be a very happy blog, but I need everyones prayers for a dear friend. One of our family friends was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year and things are not looking good for her this week. She has been receiving treatments at CTCA (cancer treatment center of america) in Illinois and they have made the decision that her quality of life would be better if she stopped receiving treatments and come home to pass in peace. She is a wonderful lady and we love her and her entire family dearly. Please keep them in prayers for me as she could really use them right now. If you would like to check out her story, you can read her blog at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jenniferwaters. Her name is Jennifer and you guys may know her if you ever shopped at Clinique in Dillards as she managed it for a long time.
Please for her sake, remember to appreciate every day that you have and love life because you never know how long it will last. I love you all so much and hope you know how much you mean to me.

Woo Hoo for Saturday!

2007-11-03T13:26:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wake up and tell yourself that you are going to have a great day? The last 2 mornings I have woken up and said to myself, "Erin, you are going to make today amazing". And you know what? The funny thing is it has actually worked! I have told myself I'm going to feel good and be productive. I am going to appreciate every thing I can, even if its something I would not normally notice. Today has been great, got 2 bills that I thought I was a month behind on and found out that they are right up to date. Appreciating bills is not something I normally do, but strangely today it seemed appropriate to celebrate it. Simple pleasures I say, isn't that what its about, after all? Still have hopes for my Wildcat's even tho we are behind by 11 at half, we still have a whole half to go. Plenty of time to wake up and win a game!
I had 3 people ask me today either if I was pregnant or if I had something new to tell them. I was so excited by that, again, simple pleasure. I have felt the baby move twice now while I've been standing up, felt it more frequently while laying in bed focusing on relaxing though. Can't wait for my sono in a month or so, just so that I can quit calling the baby "it". Reading another blog by a preggo, she named the baby in her womb "bun". Thought it was cute, thinking I may steal the idea. At least "Bun" is better than "it" :)
Okay, I have to get busy, I'll post belly pictures very soon!

Happy Thursday!

2007-11-01T18:24:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus, this has been a crazy week! I made it through the days without Wes and Austyn and didn't get hardly anything accomplished that I had hoped to. For some reason time goes a whole lot faster if you think you have more of it than normal.
Oh well, all in due time!
Anyway, I have been completely congested and head achy for the last 4 days, otherwise feeling pretty good and getting a little bit of energy back. Dizziness is still hanging on though. If I move to fast or don't take adequate breaks when I'm working I feel like I may hit the floor! That's almost more bothersome than the nausea! But on the brightside, I'm able to eat a little more all the time and am feeling more pregnant all of the time! I guess I should tell my bosses now before they figure it out on their own :)

Family-less

2007-10-26T21:09:00.000-05:00

So as most of you probably know, Wes left to go to Arkansas today for the next 5 days. Austyn stayed all night with dad tonight and will be staying with Mom and Vickey tomorrow night. Today has been very strange and not so unusual, just slightly discombobulating. I have had so many urges to pick up the phone and call Wes, just to be reminded that he isn't close to home to talk right now. While I have heard out of him twice to let me know he is safe, his phone service is very sketchy. I thought that today was going to be very productive, but getting home at 5:30 put a bit of a damper on the productivity. I feel very refreshed though and that makes the day a good one in the least. I went to Target, bought a new throw for the couch to snuggle under and new towels and rugs for the bathroom. Then came home, took a long bath (warm, not hot of course ;) ) and read my new Real Simple mag. Did get the bathroom super clean before I soaked, 1 room down, 5 to go. I guess thats progress :) I do feel very bad that I neglected a friend that wanted to get together today, I hope that she will forgive me when I try and call her tomorrow and set up a new meeting! Anyway, thats all for tonight, its 9:15 and strangely bed is calling my name already. Amazing what a little relaxing and an entire day of NO television will do to your mind!

My Little Alien

2007-10-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

We have a heartbeat!(Yes I'm breathing a sigh of relief)! Went to the doctor this morning, found out I've lost 3 lbs, heard a very good, strong heartbeat (fetal heart tones of 169) and had a pap. Yuck on that last part, but I guess its all part of the process. It was pretty funny though, as soon as Dr. Priddle put the heart monitor to my stomach out pops the beautiful sound of a heartbeat and I was so excited. It was such a huge weight off of my shoulders and I feel so much better about my pregnancy now. Dr P. said that after you hear a heartbeat at this stage the chance for miscarriage drops significantly. That was a relief! Anyway, short entry, just had to share my news and I will write more when I'm a little more rested than I am now :)

A Baby Story on TLC

2007-10-18T13:54:00.000-05:00

Dang pregnancy hormones. While I'm feeling better which makes me think that the hormones are calming a bit, the crying over silly stuff hasn't changed a bit. I have to admit that ever since Austyn, anything will make me tear up. A sappy commercial, song or ANY baby reality show. I still love watching a baby story and bringing home baby, as most of them follow first time parents that I can relate to. Now with baby #2 I feel so much more prepared for everything! That is very comforting and makes me think that I will appreciate everything with this pregnancy and baby a little more. I love my Austyn, she is my world, but it took me a bit and there are things that I regret to have not captured (pics/videos/journaling) with her. I love the little baby bump that I am starting to sprout and can't wait to find out what we are having so that I can start shopping. For now, I guess its all we can do to focus on finances, getting the house cleaned up and rooms moved around and sit and wait. After all, isn't that all that pregnancy is!

Quick note

2007-10-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to write a quick note before I run to work, don't want anyone thinking their being neglected ;)
I was so excited this morning. My stomach has seemed much flatter the last few days, slightly bothersome, but I attributed it to the massive amounts of water that I have been drinking for the last 10 weeks. I have been drinking more caffeine (I know, shame) and it probably acted as a diuretic and flushed out what I was blaming on the baby. Anyway, this morning I was laying in bed, hiding under my blanket (it was 61* in the house, yes I was hiding) and I touched my stomach just out of habit. There was a very noticeable hard bump in there. What has felt like fat and flab for the last couple of weeks has started to come through as what actually feels like a baby belly. That makes me happy because it means that there may be something growing in there, which is comforting. I have lost about 6 lbs, probably because of the nausea but I'm guessing that wont be the case for much longer. With the start of the 2nd trimester this week, I have noticed some very good changes. My hair and skin has started to relax a bit, nausea and exhaustion has subsided a bit and my appetite has started to return (albeit very strange eating habits ;) ). Yesterday, for lunch I had pretzels, twizzlers and half of a blueberry muffin. Not overly nutritious but it kept the nausea at bay most of the afternoon.
Anyways, that turned a little longer than I had planned, just wanted to share my news :) Love u guys!

Woo Hoo!!

2007-10-13T23:47:00.000-05:00

Go KSU!!! KKKKK.... SSSSSS.... UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, WILDCATS! :)

Past entry

2007-10-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

I wrote this in my old blog and thought that it needed to be copied for this blog. Not only because I enjoy re-reading it to help jog my memory but I am trying not to go back to my old blog much because its really not based on a very good time in my life. I know that for some people reading, it will be old news. But for those of my new readers, I wanted to repeat it. Thanks!

Thursday, September 6, 2007
Apologies and Thanks

In an effort to bring more peace into my life, I want to apologize to everyone for anything that may have happened in the past. I know that it goes without saying that we all mess up and half the time, don't realize that we've done anything to cause pain. I know that some people really deserve my apology more than others and I hope that in time, I will have an opportunity to hug them and ask for their forgiveness personally. I hold too many grudges and allow situations to affect me for far too long. I am pledging a clean slate. I am taking any past pain or sadness out of my memory bank. I still have all the lessons that I may have learned, but I think that the lessons are all I need to keep. I hope that everyone will read this and think about it in their own lives. I'm not proud of everything or every decision that I've made, but none of that matters now as I am releasing all those bad feeling and casting them away. Thank you to all of my friends and family, I love you all dearly and hope that you know how much you mean to me. You've helped to shape me to the person I am and can't thank you enough for all of the compassion and love you've shown me.

Thanx!

2007-10-12T16:47:00.001-05:00

Thanks for the love, everyone! For the comments and emails (for those that couldn't figure out how to leave comments :) ) I love knowing that people enjoy keeping up with my silly little life! No big news today, that's all I wanted to say for now! :)

Change of focus

2007-10-11T08:50:00.000-05:00

So, because at this point all we can do is wait on the baby thing and see what happens, its time to change or focus from baby to money. We can't do anything but sit and wait on the doctors to allow us to hear a heartbeat and monitor to make sure is everything is okay, so now its time to work on something we can control. After the 4Th referral to a book called The Total Money Makeover, I finally went out and invested. I really like his strategies and guidelines, very straightforward and to the point. I think that is exactly what we need right now. So this weekend we have planned on sitting down and working on a budget. One of Dave Ramsey's rules is that you have to tell your money where to go. Then the next step is to save $1000 for an emergency fund. He says this should be accomplished within a month, even if you have to sell things or take on more work. I like his thinking, this time is better than any, considering in a mere 28 weeks, we may have another mouth to feed (and clothe and diaper :)). So for the next few months we will be going on a financial diet, sorry if we seem like party poopers. Just forewarning everyone that we may be a little boring over the next few months while we get our finances under control. If anyone is interested, this book is definitely worth checking out. There is a book and a workbook. You don't necessarily need the workbook, but there is step by step directions in it that you don't get from the original book. Helpful for financially incompetent people like me :)
Anyways, no new news on the baby front. Morning sickness and exhaustion are starting to back off a bit. I still definitely get waves of both, but its better than the last 3 weeks where I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to function during the day. Next doctors appointment is a week from Monday and then Wes leaves for Arkansas the following Friday. We just found out that he will be gone from Friday through Tuesday or Wed, so if anyone would like to hang out or walk or go to the park with me and Austyn, let me know! I may need some adult conversation :) Also, please feel free to leave comments on my blog, I have lots of people telling me that they are reading, but only my lovely Anne is leaving me and feedback! I love hearing out of you all, makes me feel loved! Alright, work beckons, guess I probably ought to get there before it gets any later in the day!

KSU vs. KU game pics

2007-10-08T17:56:00.000-05:00

Monday, Monday

2007-10-08T17:27:00.000-05:00

Yucky Monday's. Today was kind of nice tho, because when you work an 11 hour day on Sunday, Monday feels a bit like a vacation :). Yesterday cleaned an apartment and worked at the store for about an hour. Very bad apartment, made me want to come home and clean my own house!
Saturday was game day. Game was bad, but had fun with the experience anyway. I got fried though!! I wish I would've taken pictures of my face on Saturday night, not a very pretty sight! I guess after 24 years of having fair, easily-burned skin I should know better, but no. I didn't use sunscreen thinking, "I will be fine, it will be no big deal". In my defense tho, I read an article today which said that pregnancy makes your skin uber-sensitive, so, I'm sticking with that as my excuse. :) Although the loss in the game was crappy, we had a blast just being there! Tammy, thank you so much for the tickets!
Anyway, today I am officially 12 weeks along and I am starting to feel much more confident that I may be actually carrying a live human in there. 2 weeks from today we will hear a heartbeat and then it will feel much more official. I can't wait for that! I was really feeling yucky this morning, but felt much better as the day went on. I am thankful that everyday I seem to be feeling better, second trimester- here we come! Now, I can't wait for the exhaustion to subside, maybe a few more weeks and we will be in the clear for awhile!!
I will post some game pictures in a bit, stay tuned :)

2007-10-04T16:43:00.000-05:00

A little Austyn Update! Since importing pics from Picasa seems to work much better I decided to catch up on some pics from Austyn's first day of school!! We made Austyn the offer to be able to go whereever she wanted to for lunch on her first day, she picked Spangle's in Topeka :) So Eric (Wes's little brother) went with us and we had a great time having fun and goofing around!

Picture This

2007-10-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

I am trying a different way of importing pics into my blog. Hopefully this will be more successful than the last couple of trys :) Thanx for bearing with me!

Productive Day!

2007-10-04T14:24:00.000-05:00

Today has been a very good day! I am feeling much better today (hope that's not a bad sign) and have been fairly productive at home! I am starting to think in terms of making things better around the house sooner than later, so as to get the most out of my still small frame. I hope to get belly pics posted soon as there is a lot of difference in this 3rd pregnancy belly compared to the first one with Austyn. I can't fathom trying to hide it for 6 months again this time, as I'm almost done with 3 and am already struggling to hide it. Bigger belly means more time to fully enjoy the wonderfully curvy pregnancy body tho. Thinking positive :) I do loath stepping on the scale though, maybe it's bad weight watchers memories, who knows?
Can't wait for the doctor's appointment on the 22nd though. I need that heartbeat to settle my mind and own the thought that I am actually, as a friend recently said, "baking a baby". I love that line :) I actually considered running out to the store today to buy one of those baby heartbeat monitors. Had to remind myself that I'm only 11 and a half weeks and more than likely it wouldn't pick up a sound and would scare me even more. Only positive thoughts, no worries, everything is going to go perfectly!

Bowling night!

2007-10-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tuesday bowling league.. always buckets of fun! Tiredness mixed with a sore back (Me) and sore ribs (Wes) makes for a little less enjoyable bowling night though. I'm sure that we will miss it tho when we are done for the season. It does get us out of the house and when you begin to feel like an old married couple that's an important thing!

Today was first ever picture day for little Miss A. Woke up early and curled her hair and put her in a jean shorts and a cute multicolored gingham tank top. It is hard to justify buying pictures from Lifetouch when I have such an unbelievably talented photographer for a best friend. Makes me a bit biased, I guess. I wonder what it's going to be like when little Miss H starts kindergarten and Nicole has to send her to get her pictures taken by someone sitting in front of a colored background. I will be looking forward to the day :)

Today was a good day, felt fairly crappy but I have to keep reminding myself that being sick is a very positive sign. I wasn't sick at all with the last pregnancy but was horribly sick with Miss A. I am thankful that this time is not as bad as with her but sick enough to know that I am probably in the throes of a healthy pregnancy this time. We can hope at least!!

Happy Anniversary!

2007-10-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's been 2 years already! I can't believe how time flies! We had a nice quiet night, went to eat at Applebee's with Austyn and then went grocery shopping. I guess that means we're officially not newlywed's anymore :) Anyway, thanks to everyone who has supported us over the last 7 years, we couldn't have done it without the support of our friends and family! Time to get Austyn to bed, first ever picture day tomorrow, woo hoo! Bye for now!

Welcome!

2007-09-30T20:02:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our family's little place on the net. Here you can find updates on our family and my exciting new pregnancy. My other blog is a little dark and I decided I needed to create a happy place to show off the fun side of things. Let me take this time to introduce us: Me, Erin: Wife, mother, manager, Mary Kay rep, housekeeper, dog keeper, kid keeper. Husband, Wes: Wonderful husband, father, carpenter, laborer, dishwasher :), dog keeper and wife pleaser ;). Child, Austyn: Amazing 5 year old, kindergartner, full time colorer/doll player/drawer of stars. Then there's Tobey (the dog), Daisy (the cat) and the soon to be named new arrival. but those are pretty self explanatory. Soon to be named, considering my sonogram is about a month away. For everyone who may ask, we will DEFINITELY be finding out the sex (although I have strange feelings already that its a boy) and will hopefully have a name chosen soon after. Wes' choice is Payton Manning Overturf so far. :) Maybe Peyton, that is definitely an option, but the Manning would be a no! On the darker side, if you are just now finding out about the pregnancy, I apologize ahead of time. We decided to wait a bit to tell anyone considering the last pregnancy ended at 10 weeks. I haven't had a chance to tell everyone in person yet, so if you didn't know, I'm sorry. That's all for now, I will try to be diligent in my updates!