What's a post without pictures?

Landrie & Karsyn at the "Beach"

Landrie & Karsyn waiting for the boat

Karsyn's lifejacket was way too big. She could hardly walk with it on. She fell forward and couldn't get back up. It was pretty funny!

Karsyn & Campbell at Incredible Pizza Company ~ Too cute!



Happy Fathers Day, Daddy! We love you!!

Vacation & Happy Father's Day!!

We spent the past weekend at Lake Conroe with our friends from church. We had a great time at the "beach" and just hanging out with friends. The beach was an island in the middle of the lake that was the size of a football field. Landrie has had a fascination with the beach recently, so we told her that's where we were going. The sand wasn't white and the water wasn't crystal clear, but she could have cared less. She was on cloud 9 all weekend! We had a great trip!!

Happy Father's Day to Lamar, Grandpa & Pops!! We love you all!! Lamar and I are so fortunate to have such wonderful fathers. We have learned so much from them about how to parent our own girls.

Lamar is the greatest husband and father! Landrie & Karsyn are lucky girls!! Congrats Daddy on your new job! We are proud of you!!!

Sweet Messy Karsyn

I decided to let Karsyn show some independence. This is the result:





She's a mess, but a happy mess! It took about 10 x longer than usual and I think she only ate half of the food. Oh well...off to the bath!

Family Fun

Thursday we headed down to Gigi & Grandpa's for a long overdue visit. Here's some pictures of the weekend's events.

We took the girls to the creek in Salado. Landrie loved it! Karsyn would have loved it if I would have let her dive right in the water. She is my daredevil child...I can never let her out of my sight or she'll do something adventurous.

Since the creek wasn't a huge hit, we decided to let the girls have some time in their own pool. They were much happier then!

On Saturday, we made a long trip to El Campo Texas for the Kirk Family Reunion. The accomodations weren't too hot, but we had a lot of fun spending time with the family.

Landrie was ready to go for a boat ride in her new Barbie lifejacket. Unfortunately, the paddle boat just went in circles and she cried the whole time. Karsyn wanted to head straight for the water, but we had to hold her or keep her in the stroller.

Karsyn made friends with a dachsund puppy named Chloe. She played with her the whole time. She also started saying "puppy" this weekend. Too cute!!

Karsyn was very happy to be home on Monday!

School's Out for Summer

I feel like I need to sing that song (Alice Cooper) when I type that. :)

We finished off our last day at school yesterday!! I'm so thrilled to be done for the summer! This year we have even more time off than before since they have created a mandatory start date (August 27). I'll have more than 2 months off!

We don't have any major plans for the summer other than a vacation next month with 12 other families. This will be our 2nd trip with this group and I know it will be a blast. It reminds me of our neighborhood trips growing up--either camping or to San Antonio for a weekend at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort--which I totally recommend. I love that we have so many friends who share the same values and have kids the same ages as mine. It is such a blessing.

I'll post some pictures soon. Karsyn is walking everywhere and babbling all the time. Landrie loves to pick on her sister. :)

Happy Mother's Day!!

This is my 4th year to celebrate Mother's Day. The first time, I was pregnant with Landrie and Lamar sent me a miniature rose bush at work to commemorate the day. Each year, the excitement has grown and my Mother's Day gets sweeter and sweeter each year. This was the first year that Landrie really understood what was going on.

She and Lamar had surprises in store. Last night, they had a closed door meeting about their plans for today. This morning Lamar jumped up at the first sound Karsyn made and gave her breakfast (a rare treat). Then once Landrie was awake, she came in and told me "Happy Mother's Day" and that I couldn't get out of bed until my surprise was ready.

I heard them working in the kitchen. Lamar told me later, that Landrie made the blueberry muffins mostly by herself. She got out the bowl, the eggs and cracked the egg herself. She was so proud of herself!

After a while, Landrie and Karsyn came in our room with cards for me. The card from the girls had a iTunes gift card--a great surprise. Landrie didn't want to share the credit with Karsyn, but they both scribbled on the card for me.

We had a wonderful breakfast and a very relaxing day. Tonight we had a family dinner at my parents and celebrated 3 generations of mothers--My grandmother, my mom and me. The girls stole the show as usual, but it was really nice to have all of us together for dinner for the first time in a while.

Happy Mothers Day to the mother's reading this!! I hope you had a great day too!

Before I Was A Mom

I received this from Gigi and thought it would be the perfect post for Mother's Day.

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put them down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom - I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Another Recipe: Chicken Spaghetti

This is becoming more of a food blog than my mom's. :) A friend gave me this recipe and I added a few things. We've all really enjoyed it this week!

Chicken Spaghetti

• 1 lb thin spagetti, cooked according to directions
• 1 rotisserie chicken torn into bite sized pieces
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• sliced mushrooms (1 lb, I think)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz. velveeta cheese
• 1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
• 1 15 oz can chicken broth
• 1 garlic clove minced
• parmesean or cheddar cheese to top

1. Cook spaghetti according to directions. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Sautee garlic, onions, bell pepper and mushrooms in butter until soft.
3. Add velveeta. Stir frequently until melted. Add soups, dressing mix and broth. Stir continuously so cheese won't burn.
4. In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, chicken and veggies.
5. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly. Top with cheese and then bake for 15 minutes more.

This freezes great and is really easy to double. Enjoy

Shrimp & Rice Casserole

I found another new recipe in the Southern Living magazine. I changed it up a little, but we really enjoyed it.

Shrimp & Rice Casserole

1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 1/2 lb. medium size raw shrimp
2 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped (I left this out)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of shrimp soup, undiluted
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup fine, dry bread crumbs

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper and next 4 ingredients, and saute 10-12 minutes or until tender. Stir in soup, shrimp, salt and pepper; cook 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. (Do not overcook.)
4. Combine shrimp mixture and rice. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle evenly with Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!

A Few Firsts

Karsyn has hit several milestones over the last few days.


On Saturday, she tried her first "peanut-jelly" sandwich (as Landrie likes to call it).


On Sunday, Karsyn ate pancakes with her spoon. She is such a BIG girl!

AND, Monday she walked for the first time all by herself!! I'll post a video later if I can figure it out. After she fell down, she looked up at Lamar and I with the biggest grin! She was very proud of herself. Landrie ran over and hugged her and yelled "I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!" She was just as excited as we were.

Picture Post

Recipe: Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

I tried a new recipe tonight. I've had the recipe for a while, but kept putting off making it because I didn't think Lamar liked spinach. He said it sounded "OK" so I'm giving it a go.

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake
1 lb. uncooked rigatoni
1 T olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic
10 oz. chopped frozen spinach
3 cups cubed chicken breasts (or 1 rotisserie shredded)
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) container chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 tsp salt (I used garlic salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Prepare rigatoni according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, sautee spinach, onion and garlic with olive oil until onions are tender. Transfer to a bowl when finished.
4. Stir rigatoni, chicken and next 5 ingredients with spinach onion mixture into pasta pot. The heat will melt the cream cheese.
5. Spoon mixture into baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with shredded mozerella cheese.
6. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

We'll see how everyone likes it. My picky-eater brother is coming over too. He'll be the real test.

I'll have a picture post later of the girls. :)

Most likely to be...

If I had a different career, I'd probably become a Private Investigator. Why?? I'm good at it and I find it very interesting. Most of my detective work has been just out of curiousity until Friday.

I got in my car to take the girls to Lolly's and then head off to school. I was about to pull out of the driveway when I realized my purse wasn't in my car. I got a little nervous, but I figured it was in the house. I ran through the house really quick and didn't find it. I called my cell phone thinking that it would ring and then I'd know where I left it.

Unfortnuately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), my phone went straight to voicemail. I checked my messages and found one from my credit card's fraud department. They wanted to verify some of my purchases.

I realized then that my purse was stolen right from under my nose. First, I know I made the mistake of leaving my purse in my car in the garage, but I still don't believe it gives someone the right to come into MY house and steal MY things.

I called the police and filed a report and also called and canceled my cell phone and credit cards. On Saturday night, I worked with a wonderful police officer who used the leads my mom and I tracked down and arrested the "kid" who took my stuff. He confessed and is facing felony charges.

I'm thankful that the police were able to track everything down. I should get my purse, cell and IPOD back this week.

If I ever stop teaching, I might just become a private detective. :)

Crazy Weather

Last night a crazy storm blew through our area. The sirens were going off and the sky looked pretty green. We weren't sure how bad it was going to be, but we took the girls in the bathroom just in case. They had no idea what was going on, so they just laughed and played while it hailed like crazy!

Most of you know that I tend to be a little rebellious when it comes to things like staying inside during a storm. I kept going outside to look at the sky and to see how big the hail was... The largest hail in our yard was about the size of my fist. This piece was as big as the top of the Dr. Pepper can.

Our wimpy tree in the front yard looked like it was going to blow away.

There actually were tornados that touched down in Fort Worth and in Dallas. We missed that, thank goodness! We're all safe and sound with just a small ding in Lamar's truck.

Happy Birthday Sweet Karsyn...a tad late

Karsyn turned 1 on Thursday! This year has flown by and I just can't imagine what my life was like without her. She is sweet and joyful all the time. She loves to be on the floor exploring everything. She smiles all the time and is definitely a Momma's Girl. I'm so blessed to have my sweet, healthy little girls.

Happy Birthday Sweet Karsyn! I love you!!

Sisters

This time last year, I was one day away from delivering Karsyn. I knew that our lives would be forever changed again, but I also recognized that Landrie's life would be never be the same. I remember crying worried about how she would handle having a baby sister. My worries were wiped away instantly...Landrie LOVES Karsyn. She can't get enough of her. EVER. I thought the new would wear off, but it never has. I am blessed to be the mother of two beautiful, healthy, happy girls and it brings me such joy to see them loving each other. I know how great it is to have sisters and I love seeing Landrie and Karsyn together.

Happy Half-Birthday Landrie! I hope that you've forgiven me for giving you a sister. :) You'll love her always, hate her sometimes, but you will always, always have a friend!

Dyson Vacuum Contest

Janice @ 5minutesformom is hosting a Dyson Vacuum Giveaway. Click here for more info.

I'm always up for a contest + it's a Dyson Vacuum. What's better than that? You can sign up too--with or without a blogger account. All the instructions are there!

Good luck!!

Projects update

Just an update:

The only projects I can report finished are:

• One-on-one time with Lamar. We ate out every meal with no kids. Such a luxury that we took full advantage of.


• The greatest pedicure ever


• The greatest massage ever


• Good times with friends

We did buy the fan, and it's laying in the front room...we MIGHT even get it installed today.

The rest of the list will get done, but I'm not making any promises as to when.

Updated to add pictures of the fan. We put it up the day I posted this. The box advised it was a 2 hour project, but it took us a mere 6 hours! We were not meant to do home improvement projects together...it's just not good for our marriage! ;)

The Girls are Back

My girls are back home! While the break was fantastic, there's just nothing like the sounds of the girls laughing and chasing each other.

Jor and I meet Gigi in Hillsboro on Friday to pick up the girls. Karsyn jumped straight to my arms, but Landrie was a little more hesitant. She had so much fun with Gigi, she didn't want to go home. In fact, she balled all the way to Fort Worth...one of those hysterical out of breath cries. She would stop for a few minutes, but every time she'd think about her fun week, she'd start crying all over again. I think it's really sweet how much she loves being with them.

Karsyn's birthday is coming up, so we keep reminding Landrie that she'll see Gigi & Grandpa very soon.

Thanks for keeping the girls, Gigi! We really appreciated it!

Spring Break

This week is Spring Break! And what a break it is... Gigi and Grandpa have so graciously agreed to keep the girls from Tuesday-Saturday. I'm not sure who was more excited...Gigi or Me. This is the first time since Karsyn was born, that we've been without both of the girls. I have to admit that I miss them already, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying my freedom.

Our plans for the week are to:

• Install a ceiling fan in the front room
• Touch-up paint around the house
• Clean out the garage
• Purge Landrie's toys (don't tell her though)
• Massage, pedicures & shopping (for Jenn & maybe Lamar, too)
• Spend some much needed one-on-one time!

We had a great day of shopping and just hanging out. We've eaten out twice today. That's where we notice our freedom the most. As sweet as the girls are, it is NICE to not be wrestling one or the other while eating our food.

The girls' plans for the week are to:

• Visit their Great-grandparents & feed their chickens
• Go to the zoo
• Go to the circus
• Be spoiled rotten by Gigi & Grandpa! :)

They'll enjoy every minute of it...and so will Gigi & Grandpa!

I'll post pics after they return.

Thanks Gigi & Grandpa! We appreciate the break!

Congrats Daddy!

Lamar received an email last week naming him the FW Flyers HEB Teacher of the Month! The FW Flyers is a NBA Developmental League basketball team. Lamar, Landrie and I get to go to the game tomorrow night and meet the coaches and players before the game. During one of the timeouts, he will be recognized for his award.

I'll be sure to post pictures after we get back!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

My mom gave me this recipe and it's so good and easy, I had to share. I'm sure she won't mind. She found it in a magazine and just as we always do, we take it and modify it just a bit.

1 bag Cheese Doritos (We used Baked)
1 rotisserie chicken deboned and shredded (about 2 cups of chicken)

1 10 oz. can Enchilada Sauce
1 4 oz can Diced Green Chiles
**1 small chopped onion
1 10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 10 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 12 oz can Evaporated Milk
2 cups cheese (Cheddar or Mexican blend)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 13 pan.

Layer Doritos in bottom of pan. Mix chicken, soups, chiles, evaporated milk and enchilada sauce in a bowl. Pour over Doritos. Bake for 30 mins. Top with cheese and a few crushed doritos and bake until cheese is melted. Delicious & EASY!!

**I forgot the onion the first time and it was good, but it is MUCH better with it.

Enjoy!

Long time gone...

It's been a while, but I finally have something to post. Last night we took pictures of Karsyn and Campbell in their matching outfits. And Landrie decided to participate too. A first in a LONG time. Such cute girls!! It's funny to me that in a few years Karsyn and Campbell's 8 month age difference won't be noticed, but last night you could really tell! Karsyn was enamored with Campbell. At times, she would sweetly pat her head and other's she was pulling and pushing on her. I still believe that they will be fast friends in the future.

Princess Poops-Alot

I thought we were over the Potty Training hump, but it seems to have come back to bite us with a vengance. In the last 3 weeks, Landrie has pooped in the potty twice that I know of. Every other time it's in her adorable Dora, Sleeping Beauty or Gymboree panties. I can't figure this girl out!

On Friday, Jordan and a friend took the girls to Club Libby Lu for princess pampering. When she got home, she was wearing a crown, had on makeup and had glitter everywhere.

I am so grateful to Jordan for watching the girls this week! She was an awesome babysitter! I have to be honest and say that she was much more patient and understanding with them than I've seen her be in the past. It must be that college degree! :) We love you Aunt Jordy! Thanks for making this week smooth and easy for me. Good luck at your new job this week!

A New Hairstyle, A Cowgirl & The Fast

Karsyn's hair has been out of control since Day 1. After 8 haircuts by the time she was 6 months old, we decided to let it grow. She just has a crazy texture to her hair and it's very poofy. She's finally reached the ponytail stage... It's growing on me.


She's also trying to crawl on her hands and knees this week as well as walk around the table. The BEST though is that she's saying "Mama" now. She pretty much loves me! She follows me around all through the house and begs me to pick her up. Now that she's saying Mama too, I'm on Cloud 9.

Landrie has decided that she likes talking on the phone. The other night, she called Gigi and was on the phone forever!! You can see how comfortable she is on the phone!! She's acting like a teenager already!

Landrie had her Rodeo at school this week. We had to make a Stick Pony for her to race and she wore her Western gear all week. I went to watch the rodeo and by the time I got there (15 minutes early), her part was over... She was still fun to watch and take pictures of.

Last, but not least, Lamar and I are finishing our 21 Day Daniel Fast. We've eaten fruits & vegetables for three weeks straight. It's definitely been interesting! We've gotten very creative with our food and I'm pleased with our progress. The purpose of the fast was to give God the first part of the year and to "hunger" for God rather than the comfort of food. I've had my cravings, but for the most part it's been OK. I realize how often I turn to food and what a social thing it is for us to eat. Most of our activities involve a meal. I'm thankful that our church encouraged this opportunity. God says "When you fast," but I know I would never have done it without the encouragement of our entire church doing it together.

Tommorow will be a celebration when we break the fast!

What to say...

I haven't blogged much lately. Nothing too exciting has happened, but here are a few pics of the girls from Christmas. They had a great time and were spoiled rotten by all of our families.

I tried to post a slide show with several pics, but I'm more technically challenged than I used to be. These pictures are of the girls the day after Christmas with all of their LOOT. Seriously Spoiled!

Future Blogger

Landrie was checking her email last night! I see a blogger in the near future!

Christmas Tour of Homes

Boomama is hosting the Christmas Tour of Homes. If you've never read her before, she is by far, one of the funniest people that I've ever "met". When she posted the idea for this tour, I couldn't wait to get my decorations up and ready for pictures. I can't wait to see everyone else's homes.

Here's the outside of the house...

Our Christmas Tree in the front room. This is also where all the blogging happens.

Our Stockings. I have 2 stockings in reserve should we have other Kirkles. The 4 stockings fit rather nicely on our mantle, don't you think??

Our Mini-tree in the Kitchen

My Cross Wall

It's not a Christmas decoration, but it is the favorite part of my house. And, since Jesus is the reason for the season, it's a perfect addition to the tour.

You could play "Where's Landrie" in almost all of the pictures. Most of the time I can't get her to take a picture at all, but tonight in all of her ragamuffin glory, she decided to accompany me to take all of the pictures. :)

Thanks for stopping by! Merry Christmas!

Joys of Christmas

I've always loved this time of year, but I think it has an all new meaning once you have kids. This year is special because Landrie is really getting into it. She knows that we're celebrating Jesus' Birthday, but she also wants Santa to bring her every cool toy she sees.

It is also special because Karsyn is learning so many new things. She is army crawling everywhere and just yesterday started pulling up to a standing position. She wants to be where all the action is. She'll follow Landrie wherever she goes...it's so sweet! And Landrie still lights up when she sees Karsyn as if she's meeting her for the first time.

Here's a picture of Landrie's Christmas 2 years ago, and Karsyn this year. They're wearing the same Christmas nightgown and are experiencing the Christmas tree with such awe. I love it!

And the results are...

Our picture taking spree wasn't half bad. It was just getting there that was the problem. It was our weekend to usher at church, so we decided to leave at 3:45 and take pictures before the service. We left closer to 3:55. We had just gotten to the highway when I realized that Landrie didn't have any shoes on!! Lamar put her in the car, and I forgot to go back for her shoes. By then, our gas light was on in the car (10 miles to empty). So, we rushed home, grabbed Landrie's shoes and then stopped for $10 in gas.

We got to church at 4:25 and scrambled to take a few pics. Lolly was great and met us there.

Let me know which is your favorite. I have to choose quickly for our Christmas card.

Not very ladylike, Karsyn.

Grand Picture Plan

Tonight I've planned a Christmas card photo shoot at Church. I've coordinated our outfits and scheduled a haircut for Landrie. Now we just have to pray for cooperation! Especially from Daddy! He hates having his picture taken. :)

I'll let you know how it goes.

New Friend

A new friend came into the world this week!

Matt and Missy welcomed Campbell Kay on Wednesday! Matt's mom and my dad went to high school together and then his family moved next door to us the summer before 2nd grade. Now Matt and I have both married and live down the street from eachother. Our kids will grow up to be friends just like we did! We're living out a 20 year legacy!

They were at the hospital when both of my girls were born, so it was only fitting that we be there when Miss Campbell was born. Landrie was so excited that "Campbell is in Missy's tummy, but she will be here very soon." She also told us that Campbell and Karsyn were going to be BEST friends. I agree!

Congratulations Matt & Missy! We couldn't be more happy for you!

Thank you Gigi!

Gigi saved us from a near disaster this weekend. My department at school is in charge of the Craft Fair. It is always the first Saturday in December. We work year round on the craft fair, but it's crunch time the week leading up to it. We're at school late on Friday night, and arrive back at school by 5:30 on Saturday morning and work all day through the craft fair. It's a lot of work, but a lot of fun too.

The problem was that Lamar had also scheduled a basketball tournament for this weekend. So that left him off duty with the girls, and Lolly was on call to work at her "job" Saturday. Gigi came to the rescue!

She got here at 3 on Friday afternoon and stayed through this afternoon. What a life saver!!! She had a great time hanging out with the girls and I know they enjoyed having Gigi around to spoil them! :)

I told her to reserve this weekend in the future just in case Daddy decides to schedule another basketball tournament!

Thank you GIGI!! We love you!

It's Been A While

I've neglected my blogging and I'm not sure why. I guess nothing monumental has happened around here. It seems that everyone elses blogs that I "spy" on have big, life-changing things going on. So my everyday life just seems unconsequential in the grand scheme of things. For that though I am thankful!

The only updates are:

Football is STILL going on! Bell has made it to the playoffs, so our Friday nights are still busy. Basketball has started too, so we're adding a few more late nights to the schedule.

Karsyn now has 5 teeth and the 6th is on its way. I can't belive how fast she is changing. She is also army crawling. Most of the time she still rolls because it's faster, but if you set something in front of her that she wants, she'll grunt and go after it.



Landrie is such a big girl. She's always talked...A LOT, but its now "big girl" talk. Everyone that she meets she wants to know more about them and who they're related to. She has such a photographic memory. She saw pictures of the Grey's Anatomy stars in a magazine and started talking about the "doctors show". She's a HUGE fan of Dancing with the Stars and was pretty upset that Lamar and I were cheering for Emmitt. She argued with me for at least 30 minutes telling me that Mario was going to win, not Emmitt.



I'm enjoying my girls so much. I can't wait for their reactions to the upcoming holidays. Landrie keeps telling Lolly all the things she wants for Christmas. She's also helping to make Karsyn's list. Too cute!

Call me Mrs. Personality!

I haven't posted in a LONG time...not sure why, I just haven't been in the mood I guess. But, I saw this Personality Test and decided to play along. It's rang fairly true for me. See for yourself...

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have high extroversion. You are outgoing and engaging, with both strangers and friends. You truly enjoy being with people and bring energy into any situation. Enthusiastic and fun, you're the first to say "let's go!" Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Pictures Anyone??

Karsyn sitting up!

Cereal anyone?? She was in the process of spitting it back out at me!

Happy Birthday Landrie! After her 3rd Chocolate Cupcake!

It's BLOGtastic!

It's been 2 weeks since my last post and a lot has happened!

As of today, Landrie is officially a card carrying, bonafide member of the Potty Club! She went to school today without any accidents and went on the school potty 3 times!! While that terrifies me from a public bathroom phobia standpoint, it is great news on the PT front.

Since she was such a big girl, I promised her that she could pick out Dora or Diego slippers at Target. What an adventure...as it usually is. Karsyn was sitting in the front of the buggy (a new thing for her) and Landrie was in the back. She was wearing super cute, fuschia suede clogs from Gymboree. I had her take one off to try on the Diego slippers she wanted, so for the remainder of the trip around Target, she had only one shoe on. We bought the slippers and a Halloween t-shirt for her and then were headed home.

I had already loaded a very sleepy Karsyn into her carseat, when I noticed that Landrie no longer had her shoes on. There was one in the buggy, but the other was nowhere to be found. I took Karsyn back out of the car, loaded her in the buggy one more time, and then we started retracing our steps through Target.

Customer Service hadn't seen the shoe nor had any of the other people on radios at Target. Believe me...I asked. I left my name at Customer Service and hoped that would call if they found it. I came home and began to stress on where I would find the replacment shoes, Gymboree was sold out, so my next guess was eBay. Luckily, Target called and they're holding her shoe for me.

Other news:

• Karsyn is sitting up!
• She is eating cereal -- only when I feel like getting spit on.

I'll post pics later. It is well past my bedtime. Sorry!

I haven't killed her...yet

Some of you were worried that Landrie might not survive the whole PT thing. In fact, one friend wanted to take her home on Saturday fearing for her life. I guess I had that weary look, but it really hasn't been so bad. In the moment, it was TERRIBLE, but I'm proud of our progress.

Yesterday, only 1 accident to report. Today, 2 but that's not too bad considering it was her first day at school in Big Girl panties! I think we've made the turn and are headed toward the finish line.

Thanks for all of your encouragement!

PS: Karsyn started eating cereal tonight. Why do I torture myself so?? I'll post pictures of that later!

I'm on my 3rd pair of panties and its only 11 AM!

So when I posted about Landrie's birthday, I left out an important item. When I woke her up that morning, I told her that we were no longer wearing diapers. She was 3 now, so we didn't wear them anymore. She said OK and happily put on her panties.

We've had a few successes, but more failures. This is SO much work!! I'm still terrified that she will be 5 years old and still peeing and pooping on herself!!!

I've come to the conclusion that Karsyn will be potty trained before Landrie is.

I'm considering the bringing the "cage" back and making her play in there with her potty...ALL DAY LONG! No, you don't need to call CPS...it's not really a cage. Just the name that I affectionately gave it a long time ago--it's really a play yard that we used when Landrie was younger.

So, pray for my patience and pray for Landrie to PLEASE figure this thing out!!! I'm not giving up. We WILL NOT be buying diapers for her anymore...no matter what!

Happy Birthday Landrie!

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of one of the happiest and scariest days of my life. 3 years ago, on October 4, 2003, Landrie Nicole Kirk came into this world 7 pounds, 8 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Never before in my life had I experienced love like that.

After an uneventful pregnancy (despite ALL day sickness), I went in on October 3 to be induced. Things didn't progress like expected and at 3 o'clock on the 4th, the doctors were threatening to stop the pitocin and wait until the next day. By then, I just wanted to meet my little girl. Shortly after that, I was far enough along to get my epidural. Things moved quicker then, but the doctors were worried. Landrie was under stress and they had the NICU nurses waiting when she was born. 26 hours after I was induced, Landrie was born at 9:50 pm. Unfortunately, she was not breathing and was very limp. Thank goodness, the nurses were ready for her and after just a few minutes she was breathing on her own and doing much better.

It still scares me to think about that night, but I also mark that night as one of the happiest of my life. I have experienced more joy in the last 3 years than I ever thought possible.

Landrie is sweet, funny and smart. She has such joy in her heart. I am so thankful that God gave Lamar and I such wonderful baby girls.

Happy Birthday, Landrie! I can't wait to see what an amazing girl you're going to be. I love you!

Best Friends

Lamar has a 7th grade game tonight, so Landrie and I ate dinner together and then we had a girls night and played for a while.

I was getting the girls ready for bed and Landrie ran over to give me and Karsyn a group hug. While she was hugging us she said "Best Friends". I thought that was pretty darn cute, but then she added "One of our best friends is missing!" I asked who and she said "Daddy."

We did miss him tonight. I can wait for him to get home and hear about his sweet girls!

4 words

Brea tagged me for this meme. I'm supposed to write the first thing I think of when I see these 4 words.

1. notebook - I immediately think of the movie "The Notebook". Janelle and I love to watch it. She balls almost through the entire movie. Also it reminds me of my school supplies and pens which are my very favorite things. :)

2. portrait - Portrait Innovations. My favorite place to take the girls for their pictures.

3. glasses - Hmmm. I guess the funniest thing I can think of is Pops at Kyndra's wedding last week. He couldn't see his notes for the ceremony and it sounded like he couldn't read he was stumbling so bad. He finally asked Papa for his glasses. That got a big laugh from everyone.

4. thunderstorm - NAP. Maybe its because I'm desparate to take one, but thunderstorms are my favorite times for naps.

So...there you have it. If you choose to accept the challenge, your words are: baby, tree, summer and water. Leave me a comment if you're playing along!