Vacation Is....Over

Back to reality. Vacation is over. We had a great time visiting family, seeing Charleston, going to the beach, going down the neighbor's sliding board into their pool a million times, acting like a kid again, getting lots of rest, getting lots of help with kids!, eating yummy vegetables out of the garden, grilling out, and just hanging out. It's refreshing to have two weeks off for fun. I've posted some pictures below...  These pictures are in a very random order.

Family.  Papa J, Nancy, and the girls

A Nice Day for a Picnic

Janna and Raegan

Going down the Slide!

Blowing Daffodils

Peyton at Waterfront Park in Charleston

Folly Beach

I put this picture on here to show you the drastic difference between my skin color and Raegan's.  I'm a ghost, she's a little gingerbread girl.

We enjoyed walking to Starbucks and getting a treat (don't worry...Peyton is drinking water....I would never dream of giving that child caffeine!)  My dad has a house on Queen St., so we were right downtown and able to walk everywhere.  It was great!

A random pretty Charleston house

Peyton standing in front of a fountain at the aquarium.

Arnold firing a cannon at the British.

Mom, look at all the cannonballs I gathered up! I have a whole pile!

Arnold and Peyton at the pineapple fountain on the harbor.

Beach Bunny Raegan

My brother Blake and Peyton and my dad.

Break from Blogging/Vacation

The girls and I are leaving for a much needed vacation!  Poor Arnold doesn't get much vacation time, so he will be staying behind.  We will be seeing family in Gaffney and then going to Charleston.  My dad has a house there, so we will be going to the beach and touring.  I'm so excited because I haven't been to a Carolina beach in years!  I used to go almost every year, and now it's been like ten years since I've been! I will try to post pictures and updates if I can get near a computer.  I hope you enjoy your vacation too, wherever you and your family go.

Five Random Facts About Us

1. There is a weatherman in New Orleans, Carl Arredondo, with our same last name.  Everyone asks us if we're related to Carl.  Some have even asked if I was married to him.  Ewww!  If I liked 60 year olds, well then maybe!
2. Arnold's birthday is in June, Raegan's is August, mine is September, and Peyton's is October.  Now we just need a July birthday and we'll have non-stop birthdays all summer and into the fall!  Party!!!!
3. Arnold's favorite show is Wipe Out.  Have you seen this show?  I think it's ridiculous.  It's just a bunch of people falling and bumping their heads, getting muddy, etc.  He thinks it's absolutely hilarious.  I laugh at him laughing.
4. We have a minivan, and the first part of the license plate is SXZ, so we call our minivan Big Sexy.
5. Arnold and I are both newsjunkies, and it's a good thing we don't have cable.  We would probably watch Fox News 24/7.

Get to Know.....Arnold

Wasn't he such a cute little boy??!!

My final profile. I saved the best for last. :) Arnold was born in Texas and his family moved to Louisiana when he was a young boy. He decided after high school to join the national guard in order to pay for college. He majored in occupational therapy and then decided to get a bachelor's degree in psychology. At the time he was working with college students at his church. Arnold felt the Lord calling him to international missions, so he quit his position at the church, quit his occupational therapy job, and went to Africa with the IMB for two years. Upon his return, he enrolled in seminary at an extension center and then moved to New Orleans to finish quicker. He just finished his PhD. He is now a hospice chaplain and he teaches two Old Testament classes at night. Arnold is a loving father and husband who also happens to love computers and superhero movies. No, he is not 13. He loves spending time with our family and doing fun activities in the city. Arnold has a good sense of humor, likes to laugh, pick on people and tease. God is using him as a chaplain to really minister to the hurting and to lead people to the Lord. He is a great leader, intelligent, and a good teacher. I could say more, but I better stop there. I'm already going to be in trouble with these pictures.

Chocolate Delight

I thought I would post a recipe for Friday.  You can try it at your house this weekend, if you are in the mood for a yummy dessert.  This dessert is one of my sister's favorites.  We have it for every special occassion at my grandmother's house.

1 1/2 c. plain flour
1 1/2 sticks margarine, melted
3/4 c. nuts (pecans)
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 large Cool Whip (12 oz. or larger)
8 oz. cream cheese
2 pkgs. chocolate instant pudding
3/4 c. sugar
3 c. milk

Crust: Mix flour, margarine, nuts, and 1/4 c. sugar. Pour into 9x13 pan.  Bake 30 minutes at 300 degrees.

Mix powdered sugar, 1/2 of Cool Whip, and cream cheese.  Beat together and pour into cold crust.  Mix instant pudding, sugar, and milk.  Pour over cheese mixture.  Cover with the remaining Cool Whip.  Refrigerate.

Hope you enjoy your weekend! 

The Perm

I know that title just conjures up all kinds of images in your mind....the 80's, spiral curls, frizz, big bouffy hair, your Mom.  Well let me tell you what I did a few weeks ago...I got a perm!!!  A big, puffy, pouffy spiral perm.  Just kidding.  Now let me tell you the real story.  About a month ago, me and some of the girls in the office were talking about hair.  I told them the story about the last hideous perm I had, which was back in college, and how the perm lasted for two years.  I finally started straightening it, and it looked much better.  And suprisingly it gave my hair a lot of volume.  I was needing a new do anyway and was so tired of my blah, frizzy hair. So after our little chat, I decided to do a little research on the internet about perms.  I found something called a beach wave perm, where they basically use sponges instead of rollers and they use big chunks of hair around each sponge.  I then discovered that you need to find someone who was a "beach perm specialist" because not everyone knows what they're doing.  I googled this and found someone at a nice salon in New Orleans.  He had me come in for a consultation, and then I came back a few weeks later for the perm.  I'll have to admit, I felt a little foolish and embarrased to admit that I wanted a perm.  But he seemed to think that it would work well in my hair but that at most, it would only last six months.  Perfect!  If I looked ridiculous, it wouldn't last that long anyway!  Here is a picture after the first time I washed it.  You probably won't even be able to tell that my hair looks different, maybe in person better, it's pretty subtle.

Would I do it over again? Yes. It's something different, and at least I'm working with the frizz now instead of against it.  And it's fun to see the surprised look on people's faces when I tell them I got a perm. If anyone would like to share a funny perm story, or a boring perm story, please do! It's fun to laugh at ourselves!

Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory Glory!

It is 9:00am and I have been up for four and a half hours already.  If you do the math: 4:30am.  Not by choice.  I wish I could say that I got up that early to spend time in prayer, but that is not the case.  This was when Raegan got up.  She finally went back to sleep around 6, but then I had to get up for work.  But I determined to not be in a bad mood this morning, even when Peyton started throwing her early morning fit.  God is still good to us, and I'm going to keep repeating this to myself all day! 

Last night Arnold did a short little devotion and then he closed in prayer.  Peyton started repeating him as he prayed.  This is how it went:

Arnold:  Thank you Lord for being able to study your word.
Peyton: Thank you Lord study word.
Arnold: God you are good to us.
Peyton: God good to us.
Arnold: We ask that you be with our family.
Peyton: Mommy has blue toenails!  ( I painted my toenails with blue polish a few weeks ago.)
Arnold: Amen.   
AHH, the long attention span of a two year old. 

Dear God

Dear God,

I do not know why my ninth month old does not like to sleep at night.  I thought that she had her days and nights mixed up when she was first born, then I thought her stomach hurt.  But after a few months, she still didn't sleep.  Then she started getting ear infections, and she still didn't sleep.  Now she is teething, and still no sleep.  She is the happiest little baby during the day, but she tortures her parents at night.  Please send your sleep angel down tonight and comfort her.  Please heal her little body.  Please give us some consistent sleep.  Otherwise, Starbucks is going to end up with most of my paycheck and I am going to be addicted to caffeine. 

Thank you God.  We know you are the great comforter, healer, provider, and physician. 

Signed,

Two Weary, Exhausted Parents

The Mall

Have you ever had one of these experiences? 

I go to the mall with two kids under two.  By myself.  It's about to rain cats and dogs.  While inside, Raegan throws her passy out of the stroller.  It's gone forever, probably sitting in the bottom of a trash can by now.  I'm looking for a bathing suit.  Not on the first floor, so I go to the second.  I walk all the way to the other end of the store.  Salesman tells me that they are on the first floor.  I go down the elevator, back to the first floor and walk to the other side.  Finally find the darn bathing suits.  Then I realize that I really need to use the bathroom.  Do I want to go all the way up to the second floor again, all the way across the store to the bathroom?  No.  I go halfway down the mall to the food court bathrooms.  Thirty minutes into the mall trip, and we've done nothing but go up and down the elevator and use the bathroom.  While in the handicap bathroom, Peyton decides she wants to sit down on the nasty floor.  Raegan starts screaming.  Why didn't I attach her passy with the nice little string?  Peyton starts screaming because she does not want to get back in the stroller.  I bribe her with a cookie.  She inhales eats the cookie before I've even taken the second bite of my cookie.  Make my way back to the bathing suits.  Pick the first four that are my size that are decent.  Head to the dressing room.  Raegan commenses screaming.  I try on the first bathing suit.  It fits.  That's good enough for me.  I'm about to have a meltdown myself.  Have to bribe Peyton again with another cookie.  Head to the check out just in time.  Guess what?  The bathing suit rings up for $15 less than the price tag, and I found a coupon for 15% off.  A great ending to a miserable trip.  Note to self: I will never go to the mall again by myself with two kids.

PS-We beat the rain!

Get to Know...Raegan

I like to call her "itty bitty" because she is that, short and little. Raegan has been a totally different child. It's amazing how that happens! From the moment we brought her home from the hospital, she was content to sit and watch her sister. We were in total shock and amazement at just being able to lay her down and watch her sleep or play. Raegan loved being swaddled. In fact, I just stopped swaddling her about a month and a half ago. Everyone says that Raegan is just the sweetest baby. Now while she is that, she has not been a good night sleeper. I have aged ten years with Raegan and her night waking! This has been a mystery to me. Peyton, though difficult during the day, always did well at night. Raegan, though easy during the day, was difficult at night. I guess I can't have it both ways. Now that Raegan has gotten older, she loves exploring, crawling around, and being held by Mommy. Raegan never wants to be left by herself and will pitch a fit if me and Peyton are in the bathroom and I shut the door. She wants to always be where we are. Raegan has a special cry when Peyton is annoying her. She uses this cry frequently. :) It's a "Mommy- please-come-rescue-me!" cry. Boy they learn quick!
 My hope and prayer is that my girls will get along well and become good friends one day. Right now, they just fight over toys. Sometimes they will play together for a few minutes. Raegan is defintely more easy going and laid back, but she can display a little short burst of temper every now and then. She is a busy little thing and generally is a happy baby.
My prayer for Raegan is that God would use her for His glory, whatever he leads her to do one day. We know she will have her own gifts and talents to be used for a special purpose.

Marriage

While I am not a big fan of Al Gore, it makes me sad that any couple after 40 years of marriage and four kids would decide to end their union.  Forty years is a long time!  Have you heard about this yet?  Apparently there was no infedility involved on either side, just a realization that they had "grown apart" and therefore decided to part.  So sad.