Nursing in Public

I'm all for breastfeeding and consider myself to be an advocate for the rights of breastfeeding momma's.  Recently there has been a Nurse - in across the nation at several Targets.  Michelle Hickman was trying to nurse her child (covered up) and was harrassed by several employees.  Therefore, a nurse in was started.  The point was to bring positive light to breastfeeding and to establish rights as nursing moms.  There has been such a divide amongst people!  And some people have been so negative.
I really hate the "go to the bathroom to feed your kid" comment.  I mean seriously, would you want to eat in a germ infested public restroom?  It amuses me that people have the answer to everything.  Like, just use a bottle.  Well, Rod doesn't take a bottle from me.  He also doesn't nurse with a cover.  He hates it and doesn't nurse because he's trying to get the cover out of his face.  I cover up the best I can, but I'm not perfect. Women should be able to nurse whenever, wherever. 
Another comment I hate is "I don't want to explain to my child...."  What?  You don't want to tell your child that a baby is getting food from his or her momma?  Afraid to tell your child that not all babies are bottle fed?  I do try to hide, especially around kids.  I do respect other people, and I've been very cautious with other peoples kids.  I think its up to the parent to explain the situation, but it's also not something I'm going to be ashamed of.  There is NOTHING wrong with feeding your child.  Whether bottle, breast, or formula.  Each mom does what she feels is best for her baby.  I don't judge women who choose to feed their child formula or bottle, so why should I be judged for feeding breast?
The breast has been so sexualized that nursing has become a perverse act to some people.  I think that is disgusting and anyone who puts the two in the same category is sick.  What I don't get, is why is it ok to see a half nude model (Victoria Secret show) but not ok to see a nursing mom?  It just doesn't make sense. 

Why is this ok?

And this isn't?

 

I think its time for a change.

Rod's First Birthday Party!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOT ROD!  Today we had a few friends and my mom join us for Hot Rod's first birthday party.  It was so much fun!  Rod had two of his little friends attend.  One, Brennin is 4 months younger than Rod and already taller.  The other, Allie, was a premie and is also bigger than Rod.  He's a shrimp.  I would love to show you photo's but I'm super lame and didn't get photos of his guests.  Also, in additional lameness, I forgot to get a candle.  I mean really, how does one forget their childs first candle?  We used a tealight - because I'm lame. ;)

mom dad and baby!

Weebles Wobble but they don't fall down!

Made by my mom.  Aint it puuuuurty?

cake faced birthday boy

Nana and Hot Rod

He was either reaching for balloons or a present.

         

And now that the p

Publish Post

arty is over, Mike and I feel like we have been hit by a mack truck.  So very tired.  Good night!

A Year with Hot Rod

Well, it's finally here. Hot Rod is one. God has certainly blessed me with a wonderful baby boy. I couldn't ask for more.

My favorite Christmas gift

1 months old and takin' a bath!

Kisses! (this is still my favorite)

Alyssa giving Rod a bath - 3 months old

Happy Easter! 4 Months

At the Airport! 5 months

Helping mom with laundry - 6 months

At the beach! 7 months

At the air show - 8 months

Go FSU - 9 months

BAM! BAM! Happy Halloween! 10 months

My First Thanksgiving - 11 months

At the Christmas tree farm! 12 months!

Thank you baby boy for being the light of my life.  You will never know just how much you mean to me.  I love you sweet boy!

Vacation....again

Well, its that time of year again. The time when Mike goes hunting and I become a hunters widow for a week. This is my first time at this with Hot Rod. It has been surprisingly calm. As long as I don't leave him alone of course. He hasn't been acting out or anything. We have spent our days watching movies, playing, and working out while he naps. We have also had a chance to catch lunch with my Mother in Law. She bought us some cookie cutters. I wanted shape ones so I could use them as a teaching tool when Rod gets older.
Oh yeah, and it snowed. It is so beautiful. Rod hates it. He cried the second I put him in it. Silly boy. I will post pictures later. Since there is snow I also decided to buy a pair of snow boots. I couldn't find any. I found some cute, brown, waterproof ones but they were too big. I had Rod put them on but he couldn't walk. Now that was comical. I guess buying snow boots just wasn't in the cards.
Can you believe I'm working out while on vacation? I can't. It's weird really. But I'm glad. At least I wont be falling behind. I'm nearly done with my program and I just can't believe it. I have come so far! Just over 30 days and I'm done. Sort of. I think I may try to do a second round of Insanity. I could use it! Ok, I'm tired. Night.

My morning with Hot Rod

My morning with Hot Rod seemed to be great. We woke up at 8:00! I actually got 7.5 hours of sleep! So excited. I brought him to my room and turned on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It was nice. We snuggled and I nursed him until he was ready to get up. He was in such a great mood! I decided a nice breakfast of eggs, potato, and ham was in order.

Looks yummy right? Maybe not but it's not too bad. Rod liked it though.

Dont you just love the look on his face?

Unfortunately, this didn't last long. He started by tossing food over the side of his high chair.

Then it escalated to him yelling at me...

Charming isn't he? I figured he was tired so I wiped him down, changed his diaper, and went to put him to bed. He wasn't going down. He just wiggled and squirmed. I wanted to work out so I grabbed some of his toys and put the play yard up. He did pretty well at first. I made sure he had his sippy cup and a graham cracker or two. He was happy until the last 11 minutes.

He's trapped and miserable. Poor guy. I held him and tried working out at the same time. I admit, I have mad balancing skills. Nothing like holding a baby while doing leg lifts!
Even after I was done he wouldn't go to sleep. We played for a few minutes and he just wanted to cuddle. Eventually, he fell asleep. I guess he didn't want to fall asleep in his bedroom. I would take a picture, but I'm not risking to wake up prince charming. :) That my friends, is a not so typical morning with my little Hot Rod.

Posts that bother me

I am usually not one to discuss stupid posts on Facebook. But what I read this morning really bothered me. I am a part of a fitness support group. I really like it and think it's pretty supportive. What i read broke my heart. One gal posted that her adorable three year old went up to some kids eating McDonalds and told them "McDonalds makes you fat." Later the three year old went up to a woman drinking from a McDonalds cup and told her the same thing.
I couldn't help but find this neither cute nor adorable. I just thought, wow, this poor girl is three years old and already is worrying about fat. She probably hurt some feelings. Especially if any of the people she said that to were on the heavier side. I don't think a three year old should worry about fat. I'm new to this group and didn't want to start anything but I had to say something. I basically told her that I thought it was sad. Instead of focusing on body image she should focus on being healthy. There are plenty of skinny people who are not healthy because of what they eat or sometimes not eat.
Thin does not mean healthy and it bothers me that people are teaching children this. healthy is eating the right foods, getting exercise, and having good self esteem. I am not even sure what happened. When I got back on later it had been deleted. I hope that maybe she changes her outlook on what she says to her kid. But she probably wont. It's time to start promoting healthy life styles and not unhealthy self images.

Late Night Work Outs

I can't believe I worked out at 9:30 tonight. Never in my life have I been a person to work out super early or super late. I just can't get over it. I'm so happy that I did it. Well, sort of. the problem with working out so late is that it gives me a major energy boost and I stay up late. Anyways, I'm so dedicated to this program. In just a few short weeks, I went from not being able to do any push ups to being able to do moving push ups. I just can't wait until I finish the program. i have seen some amazing before and after shots.

I'm not sure what mine will look like though. Since I have hypothyroidism, my weight loss is generally slower than others. I'm hoping that me watching my diet and exercising will really prove to be a good thing. I've heard that people start seeing a change in the second week of the second month - which is in about three weeks. We'll see. I have six weeks left of the program and I'm determined to do well. I don't really have a choice.

In Rodney news - he's was very clingy today. I couldn't even get dinner made without him clinging to me. Mike was out hunting and I wont lie, it was frustrating. Eventually I did get him calmed down. And of course, by the time Mike came home Rod was happy and content. So I was given a hard time about "claiming" to have a fussy baby. Go figure

Exercising and a mobile baby

When Rod was itty bitty and I wanted to work out, or do laundry, or even go to the bathroom alone, I could. I could put him in his bouncer chair and know that in the next few minutes he will still be there. Now, he is every where. I love it. Most of the time. But working out with him is less than a simple task. Take today for example.

I'm following the Beachbody Insanity program. I love it. Actually I hate it. I hate cardio. But its getting me results and I'm noticing my strength is really increasing. Therefore I love it. Today i put Rod down for a nap. I changed clothes, got water, and pushed play. Hot Rod woke up. Really kid! I just pushed play! It was a short nap. I picked him up and brought him out to the living room. He sat on the floor and cried. Once again, I hit pause on the dvd player and took him to his bedroom. I thought he was still tired so I nursed and rocked him. He topped off and did not go to sleep.

At least now he was happy. I took him back out to the living room, put him down in front of his toys and was able to finish my warm up before Rod started fussing again. I got him some cheerios, a wooden spoon, and pot. I was able to work out only to hear the banging stop. I turn around to see that Hot Rod had poured the cheerios on the floor and was smashing them with the spoon. Ugh... so maybe the cheerios was a bad idea. I didn't have time to stop. I kept going. He was entertained.

Towards the end he started chasing after my feet and trying to untie my shoes. I would quickly move him but eventually finished. What a relief. This 40 minute would be work out turned into 2 hours of working out and baby chasing. I was glad I did it. I felt accomplished. I am happy to see the changes I'm making in myself and my body. I can't really see any physical changes but I can tell that I'm getting stronger. Its a start! I'm nearly halfway done and will be taking my 30 day pictures soon. I can't believe I'm nearly halfway through the program. I can't wait to see what the final results are!

Nutrition wise, I'm doing great. I have been drinking a chocolate Shakeology shake at least once a day. It really tastes pretty good. My favorite way to drink it is with 1 C of milk, 1 scoop powder, 1 TBS peanut butter, and ice. It tastes like a reeses peanut butter cup. :) I have also cut out a lot of junk, no longer have a soda every day, and am more conscious about eating late at night. I can't wait to post before and after pictures on here for you all to see!

Sometimes the military isn't all that fun

Especially when your a military spouse, with a child, and you finally, FINALLY find someone that meshes with you so well. I've had a few friends that are great moms. Their parenting style is the same as mine and we respect each other as parents, wives, and friends. I got to see my friend Jana this year in Orlando. She will soon be moving over seas. She moved a few years ago to Alabama. I was ok with that because I knew we would still see each other at least once a year. Now she is moving to Germany and I am so sad.
Cat is the next one to leave. :( We met in birth class. With her daughter arriving early and mine arriving late they are just 5 weeks apart. Allie, her daughter, gets so excited when she see's us! Her and Rod have loads of fun together. We have become close in the past couple of months. Seeing her leave is going to be so sad. I'm not sure why God put us together for such a short time but he did.
I have two choices. I can sit around and be sad, or I can appreciate my friend while she is here a little longer. I know we will be friends for life and hopefully we will see each other in person again. I am also thankful for my other friends. God has put each and every one of them in my life for a reason. One introduced me to MOPS, another a bible study, another has been my best friend since 8th grade, I have a great travel partner, and friends who always make me laugh, and most off all, friends who will be friends no matter what. And even though we don't talk every day, see each other often, or even have kids the same age, they are important to me. I am blessed by how many friends I have and how they stand by me.

My Father In Law Probably Thinks I Can't Cook

So every meal I've made today has been a complete disaster, except for dinner.
Let me start off by saying that I had not yet gone grocery shopping and we were pretty bare. For lunch, I looked what we had and decided to try my own recipe. I found some noodles, sliced tomatoes, shrimp, and cheese. I tossed in some hot sauce and Italian seasoning. After 30 minutes the meal was cooked. I mixed in some cheese, then added some on top. And realized there was mold. Great. Flipping great. I just made a moldy cheese meal for my husband and father in law. This meal was going down the drain. I was so frustrated but had an appointment to go too so they were stuck with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because we had no meat. I know - I'm awful.
After my appointment I head on over to the grocery store where I pick up some much needed groceries. We decided to make some lasagna. I gathered the necessary ingredients and headed home. I also want to add that I was making a meal for my friend whose daughter had surgery. I would have shared my lasagna but she's allergic to tomatoes. I was making her a chicken broccoli casserole. I turned on the oven, got the noodles for lasagna going, and began prepping the chicken. It seemed as if the oven was taking a while to preheat and I was starting to smell something. That's when it hit me. I had put some dishes in the oven. One being a plastic cutting board. That cutting board was slightly melted. Well, now I couldn't cook the chicken because I was afraid something from the plastic would ruin it. Thank goodness I could boil it! While I began layering the lasagna and finishing the rice for the casserole, I cranked up the oven in hopes that it would burn off any residue.
And that my friends, is what happened to me in the kitchens. Best of luck to you on your cooking endeavors.

Ever Felt a Finger Nail in Your Eye?

Tuesday night I was playing with Rod when he grabbed my face and scratched me. Ok mister, its time to cut your nails. I plop him on my lap and do his thumb. Next up pointer. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Then I get to his middle finger. CLIP! That little clipping flew right into my eye! It hurt so bad. It stung and worst of all, it itched but I couldn't scratch it.
I had to have Mike take Rodney and then help get the nail clipping out of my eye. All I wanted to do was rub my eye and get the stupid thing out. I could feel my eye becoming more and more irritated by the second. We go to the bathroom and Mike can't see it. Go figure. SO I have to move my eye around until the clipping moves. Then he spots it! Yahoo!
Except I'm a pain in the butt and I can't keep my eye from moving. It was so uncomfortable and my eye kept going to the only "comfy spot." But I was able to be a big girl and hold still while Mike took it out with a q tip.
My eye still feels funny, I'm sure the clipping scratched it a bit, but I am sure glad to get that out of my eye!

I Hate Good byes

I had a marvelous weekend. I got to see both sides of my family. I started off in Oklahoma and got to see my Pa. Every time I see him it gets harder and harder. I want to see my Maamaw and Pa. Not just my Pa. I love him dearly and I hate seeing him hurt over the loss of his wife. My phone still has his phone number listed under Maamaw and Pa, my address book still shows Maamaw and Pa, and not matter what, I can't think about Pa without Maamaw. Now I realize that this may sound silly, but it is really hard. Now I have more fears to add to my already fear ridden thoughts.
The last time I saw my Maamaw was January 2010. Mike and I were meeting friends in Orlando for the Disney World Half Marathon. We wanted to visit with them before we went to Orlando.
I had called my grandparents prior to going down. I told them that I had mailed them a package and they should receive it shortly. My sister called the day we were to arrive to find out what they were doing. They were in Georgia getting some pecans. I quickly looked on a map to see how far away the town they were in was and it wasn't too much out of the way! I talked Mike into taking me to see if we could meet them at the pecan plant. Turns out this small town had about eight pecan plants. We drove to each one not seeing them. Then low and behold I look over and see them! I told Mike to follow them but he couldn't get over. We ended up not being able to locate them. So, we continued on our way to their house. We arrived and waited. And waited. And waited. My grandparents were not typical. Sitting in the house all day watching CNN was not something they did. They were out and about Party animals of the senior citizen crowd! :) Knowing it could be awhile, we drove to cracker barrel to eat. Mind you, we had been gone for quite some time. I called just before we got to her house.
"Hi Maamaw"

"Hello, how are you?"

"I'm doing great. Have you received your package yet?" At this point we are at their house and I'm getting out of the car.

"No not yet. I had my neighbor watch for it but she hasn't seen the UPS man."

*DING DONG GOES THE DOORBELL*

"Just a minute I think that's the UPS man now."

Both Maamaw and Pa come to their door. They have decorative windows on the door and because of this you can only see the outline of people. This is the conversation we heard.

Maamaw "Who is it?"

Pa "I don't know I can't see"

Maamaw "It looks like two of them. Does UPS come with two drivers?"

Pa "I don't know let me open the door"

Meanwhile, I'm holding my breath because all I want to do is burst out laughing. I mean, these two are the cutest couple you will ever meet. They opened the door and my Pa grabbed me and gave me a big bear hug. They were so surprised and we were so glad to see them! Oh what a wonderful week we had. Just a grand time of hanging out and enjoying each others company. I'll never forget the day we left.

We said our good byes. I was sad. I told them I couldn't wait to see them again. We got in the car and I told Mike we would never wait that long to see them again. I didn't care what it took we would visit. I told him I was scared to leave because my Maamaw was sick and I didn't want anything to happen to her. He told me "Don't worry nothing will happen." He was wrong. He was very very wrong. She died before I could see her. I was in the same town, minutes away from the hospital and she died. I never got to say goobye and she never got to meet Rodney. This moment in my life has changed me.

Every time I say good bye to my Pa, Grandma or Grandpa I get scared. Sunday night, Monday night, and this afternoon I have had panic attacks. Thankfully they were small and I managed to get them under control. But all I could think of was that I hope they are ok and I can see them again. I hate that what happened with my Maamaw has affected me so much but I can't help it. I hate laying in bed at night with horrible thoughts going through my head, clammy, sweaty skin, and feeling nauseated. It probably doesn't help that I forgot my zoloft when I left for vacation. It was the first thing I grabbed when I got home. Hopefully it kicks in soon because I am through with this crappy feeling.

The Virtuous Wife

Who can find a virtuous wife?

For her worth is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

So he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good and not evil

All the days of her life.

She seeks wool and flax,

And willingly works with her hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

She brings her food from afar.

She also rises while it is yet night,

And provides food for her 

household,

And a portion for her 

maidservants.

She considers a field and buys it;

From her profits she plants a vineyard.

She girds herself with strength,

And strengthens her arms.

She perceives that her 

merchandise is good,

And her lamp does not go out by night.

She stretches out her hands to 

the distaff,

And her hand holds the spindle.

She extends her hand to the poor

Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of snow for her household

For all her household is clothed

with scarlet.

She makes tapestry for herself; 

Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,

And supplies sashes for the

merchants.

Strength and honor are her clothing;

She shall rejoice in time to come.

She opens her mouth with 

wisdom,

And on her tongue is the law of
kindness.

She watches over the ways of

her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up

and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises

her:

"Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all."

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the 

Lord, she shall be praised.

Giver her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates.

-  Holy Bible, New King James version

I may never be the virtuous wife (does such a woman exist?)  but I can be the best wife I know how to be. 

First Night Without Hot Rod

Last night one of my best friends got married.  (Congrats Shar Shar)  My mom watched Hot Rod while Mike and I attented the wedding.  Half way through the reception, we get a text from my mom saying "You have the night to yourselves!  Enjoy!"  I had Mike call to make sure we read that correctly.  Sure enough, my mom wanted to keep him.  Since we were having so much fun dancing we figured it would be ok.  Fast forward to the end of the night and I was home by 12:30.

I walked around the house, munching on popcorn and watching a movie on netflix.  I enjoyed my night to the fullest.  I went to bed around 2:00 a.m.  Mike woke me up at noon!  NOON! I can't believe I slept through the night AND slept in!  It was wonderful!  It was amazing!  It was refreshing!  I even hung out in bed for a while because I had nothing else to do.  I ended up sewing.  I started working on a coat for my dog and finished a cloth book for Hot Rod.  Thank goodness I'm done with that!  I went to get him until 4:50 p.m.  I think he missed us!

There is only one problem.  I did not feel guilty.  Well, now I feel guilty for not feeling guilty.  Most women I've talked too have said that the first time they leave their wee ones they feel guilty and worry about them all night.  Me, I did not.  I enjoyed every little selfish minute of it.  Of course I thought about Hot Rod, even went into the nursery and though, I miss the little guy.  But over all, I enjoyed getting to be the "old me."  Know what I mean?  It was just nice to be able to sew without having to stop, sit down and veg with out having to get up and chase Rodney.  I guess maybe I knew where he was and knew that if there was a problem my mom or sister would call.  I just feel guilty for enjoying my free time.  I know so many mommies do not get that, but I did and I am thankful.  I just wish I didn't have the "after guilt." 

September 11th 2001 - we will never forget - or will we?

I woke up this morning and my Facebook was exploding with "10 years ago I was...."  I couldn't help but think of December 7th 1941.  Does anyone know what day December 7, 2011 will be?  Most people don't know.  December 7th of this year will be the 70th anniversary of Pear Harbor.  My parents generation, and my generation, did not experience Pearl Harbor.  We know it was a terrible day in which the Japanese attacked the small Island of Oahu, HI.  It does not affect us like it does someone who remembers where they were on that date.  December 7th is often a day that most people don't even think about.
While most of us will know the feeling of the horrible tragedy - my children will not.  They will grow up know that something terrible happened on that day. And they will go about their business.  Its a sad fact but its true.  They wont know the feeling of what its like to wake up one day and seeing a horrible image on the tv screen.  I pray they never do.  My only hope is that the next generation can know that there are two dark days in our history and to keep them in mind when the anniversaries dates come. 
That being said, 10 years ago I was running late for college.  I hopped in my car and turned on the radio.  I heard news.  I changed station of station and it was the news.  I didn't realize what was happening.  As I got to school I had heard that a plane had gone into the world trade center.  I parked my car and quickly got to class.  The news was so new that no one in the class knew about it.  Like I said, I was late.  I remember a man with a back pack that said, United States Army.  I also remember thinking that his life was about to change forever because he was going to go fight.  At this point was it any question that we would go to war?  I didn't pay attention in class, when it was over I went to the commons.  There was a small tv set up with people surrounding it, seeing for the first time what has happened in our country. 
All I wanted to do was go home.  I raced home as fast as I could and watched the horror  unfold as it replayed over and over on my tv.  Mike was in Japan at the time and he called me.  We discussed what was going on - but I don't remember what we said.  After we said our goodbyes I went to work at walmart. 
It was empty.  There was nobody there.  I assume everyone was at home glued to their screen.  I too wanted to be home with my family.  Its a sad day and a horrible event.  I will never forget this day or what I was doing on this day.
I know my children wont and I'm ok with that.  I don't want them to know the feeling of what its like to have their country attacked. 
Today, my heart goes out to all those who lost their lives on this day.  My heart goes out to all those who lost someone on this day.  My heart goes out to all members of the Armed Forces of our country and those of countries fighting with us.  I give you thanks.   God Bless each and everyone one of you today, tomorrow, and always.

Good Morning Girls

Well,  in just a few days the new season of Good Morning Girls will start again.  It's a wonderful program.  I grew so much in my faith and learned a lot.  I encourage anyone to join.  Especially if you are shy and afraid to attend a bible study alone, don't have to opportunity to join a bible study, or just want the extra guidance for devotion.  The summer session was spent going of Ministry of Motherhood by Salley Clarkson.  For the fall session we will be reading the book of 1 John.  It really takes just minutes a day.  If this sounds like something your interested in, click the button below.  I would love for you to walk this journey with me.

click me!

Michigan and Wisconsin

We are home - and we will be for a little while! YAHOO! It has been great getting to visit everyone but I am so glad to be home. This summer we have been to Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida (3 times), Kansas, and Michigan. Hot Rod is glad to be home too! Now, on to the good stuff!

We went on the trip for Mikes family reunion. It's really a special place. Everyone meets at a cabin that was built by his great grandfather. Every member of the family holds this place in their heart. I know that Mike was really excited to share a part of his childhood with our son.

A view from the cabin porch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I posted about leaving from the road.  It wasn't too bad, we left late but Rod slept pretty well.  By morning however, he was ready to get out.  We decided to stop on the beach of Lake Michigan.  It was incredibly foggy and overcast.  The weather was still nice so we were able to strip Hot Rod to a diaper and let him get dirty!

It took us about 15 hours to arrive.  Boy were we glad to get there.  I could tell Rod wanted to hit the lake.  He loves the water.  He was not a huge fan of this water!  It was cold.  Once he got used to it he was ok.  We still didn't stay in long.  When we are around Mikes family, Mike loves to show off Rod.  It is the cutest thing.  And it gives me a break.  I was able to read an entire book in just two days!
I read the Jaycee Dugard book. It was a hard read!  It does have a happy ending!  I couldn't even put it down.  I read about 40 pages and then it got better.  I can't say whether you should read it or not.  I think thats totally up to you.  She does go into detail and not everyone wants to or can handle knowing details of what she endured.  I'm not sure i can myself.  In fact, I had weird dreams and nightmares for about a week after reading it.  I'm glad I'm done with it. 
Even though I got a rare moment to read, vacationing with a baby is different.  I still get up in the middle of the night, I still breast feed, the trip itself is longer because he wants to get up and move around and instead of sleeping in a tent, we slept inside.   On the plus side, I was also to sleep in.  Thanks babe!  I appreciated that very much! 
The weekend was good.  Full of family, laughter, great food, horseshoes, campfire, and s'mores.  I know Mike was happy we could have made it out this year.

This Jacket was hand made by Mike's Aunt Jennie.  Is it not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

One of the coolest things that happened was feeding swans.  My father in law, Dave, told me that they haven't been around for 20 years.  Both Mike and his dad were excited to see them especially since this was Rod's first year at the cabin.  There is a picture of Mike as a child feeding the swans.  Rod is up next in line.  It was great to see them though.  They ate right out of my hand!  Here is a picture of them.  They were beautiful.  Mean, but beautiful.

On Sunday, it was time to leave.  Since I didn't get to go to Mackinac Island, I talked Mike into stopping at my favorite lighthouse and ice cream shop.  If you have never had Peanut Butter Mackinac Island Fudge Ice cream you must try it!  It is so delicious! I think I added an our to our trip but it was worth it.  Mike might not admit it now, but one day he will! haha

On the Road Again...

I don't know what it is but Mike and I can never manage to leave on time. I mean, we are late every time we head out of town. Today we planned on leaving at 4:00 or 5:00. We left at 8:30 pm. It's a good thing Mike has been working
nights so he is used to being up at this hour. I did drive the first couple hours so he can nap. We are also going to make a stop on the beach of Lake Michigan. We will have a breakfast picnic! I can't wait! Oh and I can't wait for Mackinack Island Peanut Butter Fudge ice cream from Reyba's. Mmmm..... It's a short trip bit ought to be a good one. Family and camping as well. Good times.

Oh yeah - Mike has been driving less than an hour and has already been pulled over. He got a warning. He got lucky.

Please excuse typos. I'm on my phone.

Meeting with the Pastor

That was today.  I was very nervous about it for some reason.  Not sure why, it's not like I had a reason to be.  I cleaned my house all day, but it didn't seem clean enough.  swept, mopped, vacuumed, clean kitchen.  Maybe it was the plethora of baby toys that have inhabited our living room.   Either way, I had to make something for him to eat.  I chose poppy seed cake.  It took awhile to bake but turned out great, especially with warm glaze. Mmmmm.... 

The meeting was uneventful.  We did decide to become members of the church and he explained to us what being a member means, plans for the church, yada yada yada.  As he was leaving, I thought I smelled something burning.  I know it wasn't the cake because I had taken it out of the oven.  I know it wasn't the glaze because I know I had turned that off.  I said goodbye and Mike called me into the kitchen.

Oh no!  My glaze burned!

 

Oh crap - my spoon melted

 Apparently, I forgot to turn off the stove, which resulted in burned glaze and my rice spoon being melted.  That is the perfect spoon and it is melted! I'm so dissapointed.  Of all the things to melt, it had to be THAT spoon!  UGH!  I can't believe I melted a spoon.  The pot is currently soaking and I hope that I didn't ruin our that as well!

On a happier note, Rod was extra cute today - I just love his chubby cheeks!

Is the whole coupon thing driving you nuts?

It is making me cazy.  I love couponing.  Growing up, Mom was always clipping coupons.  She wasn't one of those insane ones, but she definitely clipped her fair share.  Thanks to that stupid show on TLC Extreme Couponing people have been going crazy. Say what you want but it is not ok to dumpster dive with your 9 year old just to get a few inserts!  People steal papers or just the inserts, purposefully use the wrong coupons to get it cheaper, and then get mad when they get caught.  Others will clear the shelves leaving nothing for other shoppers.  This is just poor etiquette.   
I don't get it. Yes its great to get free stuff, but is it really worth stealing?  I mean, honestly its really sad.  I belong to a coupon groups.  I've been debating leaving them.  Some of the members are not ethical and do not practice what they preach.  They complain about people who steal inserts, but then misuse coupons themselves.  I don't see the difference.  Stealing is stealing, whether its a stick of gum or a car.  It makes no sense to me.  I guess it just bothers me that people feel the need to steal in order to get a great "deal"  I don't know.  I like the groups because I can hear about great deals and sales.  But I don't like them because some of the participants make me wonder how honest they are. 
That being said, I've gotten some great deals lately.  I got major discount on women's toiletry, making them .02 cents per box!  Body wash for free, body wash for .26 cents, Free or $1 deodorant, Free shampoo....the list goes on and on.  Some of the items I keep, the rest I'm going to donate.  I don't need a massive stock pile around the house, I just want to be able to save money on every day items. 
Ok, thats all I wanted to say.  :)

My new blog

A couple of months ago I tried to blog but discovered that my account was closed.  I emailed google and worked with them for quite some time.  Then one day I hear "why is this account still showing up?  I deleted it?"  What?  Turns out Mike had deleted my account.  He didn't think that anything was attached.  After I got over my initial freak out, I emailed google again.  Well, I'm tired of waiting.  So, while Life with Hot Rod was great, things in life have changed.  Hot Rod is now mobile.  He's crawling everywhere. Gets into everything, and from here on out, I will forever be chasing Hot Rod.  So, that's where the name came from.  Hope to have this up and moving over the next couple of days.