My Birthday!!

Well, 27 years and 1 hr ago I was born!! I weighed in at 6 lbs 11 oz. and I was 19 inches long. I don't really remember that day....but I'm sure it was a good one! When my birthday comes it is always a reminder to me that summer is on the way!! I love summer time....alright, well, we have a Code Brown situation with Raegan's diaper, if you know what I mean...so, I better run for now!

~Donna K

You know, that mullet wearing exercise guy that always wears spandex and is a little too happy to just be exercising.....

It is 2 days until my birthday!! Woo Hoo!! I have no idea what we are going to do....probably just stay home! Tomorrow after church we are going out to eat and I get to choose the restaurant....I haven't decided yet where to go....hmmmm. But, I am excited! Anyway, my birthday present from Matthew came in Friday. UPS brought a package, but Matthew told me it was something to do with a well pump, so, I didn't think anything of it. Later he called me to see if I would open the box and see if the part was broken....I was thinking "I'm not going to know if this thing is broken!!" When I opened the box I saw a picture of Tony Little (you know that mullet wearing exercise guy that always wears spandex and is a little too happy to just be exercising....) Well, I have been wanting a "Tony Little Rock-n-Roll Stepper"!! I have NO regular exercise routine, and NO time for anything major, and really NO space for any big equipment....so, I figured this thing would be perfect. And so far, I LOVE IT. I am not kidding you, after the 5 minute beginner workout I had broken a sweat and I didn't know if I was going to make it through!! I guess mentioning it on here is a way to keep me motivated to keep it up! Y'all need to ask me about periodically to make sure I am sticking with it. I am bad about not finishing things I start even if I REALLY want to do it. That is something I am working on. I keep saying that someday I will have more time. I haven't seen that day come yet. So, I guess I am just going to have to make time now!! I need to make time for this daily workout!! Maybe it will give me more energy! Lately I have NONE!!

Today we went to Collinsville to trade day. By "we" I mean Avery, Raegan, my bro.-in-law, my sister, and me. We spent the night with my sister last night because Matthew went camping with some friends. We woke up at 6 to get ready. I am glad we decided to go at 7 because we left around 8. When we got there all Avery was talking about was wanting to see some puppies!! As soon as we would see one litter, she was looking for some more! We walked around practically the whole place just looking at the puppies (and some other animals). Then what trip to any flea market would be complete without some food??? We ate some corn dogs, Avery and Raegan (mostly Raegan) slurped down a snow cone and then of course we all split some funnel cake!! yummy!! Avery REALLY enjoyed that and "Aunt Dooby" (that's my bro.-in-law to Avery...haha) showed her how to get EVERY last drop...morsel...errr...splatter, anyway, he showed her how to get every last bit of sugar off the plate! After we ate we walked around a little more and my sister and I browsed through the fruit. "Aunt Dooby" and Avery found some little Dora dolls. 2 of them set him back $1.50 and you would have thought he bought those girls each a pony! We left shortly after that with two sleepy girls that fell asleep not long into our ride home. We really had a fun time! I really enjoy doing stuff like that! I hope to get back there soon! I hope everybody has a GREAT Sunday! Be careful out there it is race weekend! I will be so glad when it is over!! Oh, don't even get me started.....

~Donna K

Beans and greens, baby gates, and the color purple!!

It has been a couple of days since my last post, so I have a few things to blog about!! First of all last night at church I was asked if Matthew and I eat beans and greens every night for dinner or you know, a big homemade meal with fresh veggies and homemade cornbread every night. I hated to unveil the truth.....but, we do not.....the truth is that when Matthew and I got married I didn't really know how to cook much at all. He did!! He started teaching me and I am still learning! I would like to get to the point where every night we have a home made meal that consisted of meat and vegetables that we grew ourselves, but that day hasn't arrived yet. It is a goal of ours, and we are working toward it!!

My second story has to do with our baby gates at home......you know, the ones that they make to keep babies and young children out of places they don't need to be....yeah, those are the ones...I always keep one in the doorway to the kitchen and one in the doorway of our bedroom. I also keep the door to the bathroom closed. This only leaves the living room, dining room, hallway, and their bedroom for Avery and Raegan to have full access to. Well, this morning I heard something rattling and I looked in the hallway and Avery had taken down the gate in our bedroom doorway. I put it back and told her to leave it alone. ( I figured I didn't have it wedged tight enough and that she might have just pulled on it to get it out) A few minutes later I went into our bedroom and both girls followed me (they always do that and then stand there and wait on me to come out). This time Avery just reached right over and pulled the thing that releases the gate and moved it and proceeded to tell me, "This gate was in Radey's way", and then they walked right in. I told her those are supposed to be in their way. I don't know what I am going to do now....I guess I will have to buy the really tall gates.

My final story for now is about Avery and her love of the color purple.....right before Easter, Matthew brought home some baby ducks and chickens that they sell at the co-op. They were dyed all different colors for Easter and Avery LOVED them! She loves anything that is purple and she quickly showed favor to the little purple chicken. She started telling me that the purple one was her "best wind" (translated to "best friend" for those not fluent in Avery-ese). I thought that was sooo precious, because that was the first time she had ever called anything her best friend. Anyway, since then she has called other purple things her "best wind", like a little purple fuzzy ball that we were using to do a craft.... so, I started thinking that maybe she doesn't know how to say "that is my favorite color", so, she just says things are her best friend. I think it is really sweet though, and this morning my mother told me that Crayola is renaming some of the colors in the box of 64 crayons and that the orchid one (or one of the purple ones) is now called "best friends"!! I thought that was really neat! I will have to be sure to get a box for Avery!! I wonder which one will be her favorite....or her "best wind"?? haha!!

I hope everyone has a great day!!
~Donna K

My birthday is coming up and that is always exciting for me! I usually
count down the days, but last year I was preoccupied around this time of the
year ( I can't imagine why....oh, maybe it was that kid that I had at the
beginning of April...lol). Anyway, I have had more time to think about it this
year! I am one of those people who actually looks forward to a birthday and I
actually like to go to a restaurant and have them sing to me.....I know, I
know....it's weird, but I do like it!! This year I will be 27 and that just
seems so weird. I still feel like I should be 12. 27 seems so much older
than 26 for some reason to me, I don't know what it is. I can't believe how fast time
flies either, and every year I can't imagine it going any faster and yet it always does.
I just try to slow down and take everything in! It is like that song that Trace
Adkins sings, "You're Gonna Miss This". If anyone hasn't heard it , here are the
lyrics......

"She was starin out the window of their SUV Complainin
sayin I can't wait to turn 18 She said I'll make my own money And I'll
make my own rules Momma put the car
in park out there in front of the
school And
she kissed her head, and said 'I was just like you' You're
gonna' miss this You're gonna' want this back You're
gonna' wish these
days Hadn't gone by so
fast These are some good times So take
a good
look around You may not know
it now But you're gonna' miss this Before she
knows it she's a brand new
bride In her one bedroom apartment And
her
daddy stops by He tells her it's
a nice place She says, 'It'll do for now'
Starts
talkin' about babies, and buyin a house Daddy shakes his
head And
says baby just slow down Cuz' you're
gonna' miss this You're gonna' want
this back You're
gonna' wish these days Hadn't gone by so
fast These are
some good times So take a good look around You may not
know it now But
you're gonna' miss this Five years later there's a
plumber Workin' on the
water heater Dog's barkin', phone's ringin' One
kid's cryin' one kid's
screamin' And she keeps apologizin' He says
they don't bother me I've got
two babies of my own One's thirty- six,one's twenty- three Huh, it's hard to
believe But you're gonna' miss this You're
gonna' want this back You're
gonna' wish these days Hadn't gone by so fast These are some good times So take
a good look around You may not know it
now But you're
gonna' miss this

You're gonna' miss this Yeaahhhh... you're gonna' miss
this..."

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys the nice weather! I am going to bed!! Good Night!!

~Donna K

30 months....

Exactly 30 Months ago today I was 3 days away from becoming a mother. I had no idea what I was in for! I tried so hard to prepare myself....but, you just can't be prepared for something like that! I mean I knew that a baby takes up all of your time, but then when I had a baby, I realized exactly what ALL of your time is. ALL of it...when you are awake and the baby is asleep...when you are both awake... the rare occasion that you might doze off and then the baby wakes up! It didn't take long to realize that no matter what I was doing, or where I was, I was thinking about my baby! Does she need anything? Is she hungry? Am I not feeding her enough? Am I feeding her too much? Is she hot? Is she cold? Is her diaper dirty? Is she sick? Is she happy? Do I talk to her enough? Do I kiss her enough? And I am sure there are many other thoughts that went through my head! Then, just when I would get all those things checked, it was time to go through the list again! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE being a mom, and this is not me complaining!! I am just saying it is definitely a full-time job!! 30 months ago, even though I was so close to living it, I was still oblivious to what was about to happen! After Avery was born, it was only about 18 months before I got to start the whole experience again! I can remember being worried about having two babies. I knew how much I loved Avery and I just didn't know how I was going to be able to love another baby just as much. When Raegan was born, it started all over, she was a totally different baby that I loved just the same! Just 30 months ago I would have never imagined that when Avery was 30 months old I would have another one (another one that was already a year old at that). I love to watch them play together! I love the way Avery thinks she can take care of Raegan and the way Raegan lets her. I swear Raegan thinks Avery is an adult! I don't want to rush time, but I can't wait to hear their conversations when Raegan starts really talking! I know things will only get even more interesting around this house then! It is hard to believe that just 30 months ago I had never laid eyes on my 2 little girls and today I can't even remember what I did without them. I am positive that is was alot less exciting!! They both have my heart and everyday give me reasons to love them even more!! Thank you Lord for our precious girls!!! Help us to guide them to You!

30 months seems like alot when I feel like I just brought that little girl home!! But in 3 days Avery will be 30 months old!! That is 2 1/2 years!! (I am not saying that because I think my dear blog readers can't figure that out on their own......I am simply saying it to myself, because I can't believe it!! ) My life has sure changed in that time! It makes me wonder what the next 30 months will bring.................

~Donna K

Ok, I am SO excited!! I just made our reservations at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, FL. We aren't going until August but, I wanted to make sure we had a campsite! That is the week of Matthew's annual manager's meeting so, we had to have the reservations for that week! (They have their meeting at the beach every year) We will be spending 7 ....count 'em...7 nights at the BEACH!! It will be 4 years in August since I have even been to the beach and that means that Avery and Raegan have NEVER been. I am sooo excited! I have been talking about it and Avery has it in her mind that we are going really soon. I try to explain to her that we still have a while, but she just doesn't get the whole concept of time yet. The other day I told her we needed to go to Wal-Mart and she said, "Ok, but we just need to go to the beach wight wirst" ("wight wirst" translates to "right first" in Avery-ese........that is something she says all the time...I don' t really know where she got it, but I love it!)

Today, is day two of the blog....I'm still with it. haha....I hope everyone is having a good week. We are, but I could handle the weather to be a few degrees warmer. My plan for this summer is to have these girls outside as much as possible! I feel like we have been cooped up in this house too long!! We are building up a our collection of outside toys!! We have our garden started and I think the cold weather may have gotten some of our corn! Avery LOVES to help in the garden and we have gotten her some of her own garden tools. Matthew is so happy that she enjoys doing stuff like that. We just hope she stays that way and that Raegan follows in her footsteps. The other day Avery and I had a conversation that went something like this:
Avery: "Momma, my ike aminals"
me: "you do?"
Avery: "yeyah" (this is pronounced "yeah" just with a VERY southern drawl)
me: " Do you like cows?"
Avery: "no"
me: "Do you like horses?"
Avery: "no"
me:"Do you like cats?"
Avery: "no"
(I went on to ask about more animals and her answer remained no)
me: "well what animals do you like?"
Avery: "just my ducks"
me: " Do you like Pepper?" (Pepper is our dog)
Avery: "yeyah"
me: "well, Pepper is an animal."
Avery: "No, Mommy, Pepper is a poodle."
me: "Yes, she is, and poodles are dogs, and dogs are animals."
Avery: "oh, ok"
me: "So, you like animals?"
Avery: "Yeyah, my ike aminals!" (as long as they are ducks and poodles apparently)

She is such a funny girl! I love the conversations we have now! Well, I am off to make lunch....

~Donna K

well, that's kinda nice...

I actually like the way this turned out. I'm not done, but I think it can stay like this for a while! Hopefully soon I can get some updated pics on here, and figure out the whole background music stuff. But for now, I will just have to rely on my charm and undeniable wit to keep people coming back for more......although, I think it actually requires someone to visit the first time, for them to "come back for more"....but let's not dwell on that...."If you blog it, they will come" haha....I love this! Alright, I'm out.....

~Donna K

Ok....so, here goes....

I absolutely LOVE reading blogs, so I am going to attempt to do one of my own (Is that what you say? do one? oh well, focus.....). First of all if anyone stumbles upon this that doesn't know me, I type the same way I talk, and well....there is no pattern. Anything that ends up posted on this screen will probably be one long run-on sentence after another. I can't help it....it's what I do....it's who I am. I am the queen of exclamation points and dot, dot, dots (...), and I love to quote people verbatim, and the word verbatim will probably not appear in another blog I write, or compose, or do (or whatever). I am a pretty simple girl, and I have a wonderful life. I stay home with my two daughters....Avery, who is 2 going on 25, and Raegan who is now 1. They keep me busy and I wouldn't have it any other way! My husband , Matthew, runs a farm supply store. He stays busy alot of the time. He insists that he doesn't work all the time just to be away from us (by the way, that was a joke, and it won't be the last). He is not one to sit still and I wouldn't know what to do if he didn't have a half dozen projects going at once. He is a great husband and daddy. We are very blessed!! ....Well, I hear Raegan waking up from her nap, so, I need to go do some motherly duties.....oh yeah, bear with me , my page may be boring for a while. I have to figure out all this stuff. I can't wait til next time....hehe!

~Donna K