The New Year is a Coming!!!

Well, New Years is right around the corner, do you have any big plans? Aron and I have been invited by a friend of our other friends to come to their house. I know, weird right? I wonder if they really even wanted us there, but o well, we are going. We are so excited to get together with some friends. We will also be bringing Sophia along with us, to ring in the new year as one little family. I will be posting some pictures- it is sure to be a fun evening.

I have been thinking over the past few days of my resolution(s). I am so not very good at following this year, but that is one of the resolutions...
1. Follow through with the New Years Resolution LIST
2. I am trying to break out of my comfort zone, we have been talking about this in church lately.
This year, I am going to focus on my walk with the Lord and my openness about this relationship that I have. I feel that this is something that has really been tugging at my heart. I wish that I could just approach others and carry on a conversation about my love for the Lord. My friends at church just make it seem so easy, and I get so nervous. Do you have this fear?
3. Now that I have taken on this new job, SAHM, I need to start getting out of the house more. I need to become more involved in like a mommy group, book club, something to get me out of the house. I am beginning to think that the only places Sophia will ever know is our bedroom, the bathtub, the living room, Honey and Granddaddy's, and Auntie LeAnne and Uncle Ryan's house. I used to be so social, loved going to work (or like to go and see my friends at work, sang in the choir at church, went to PEO every month, helped with Children's Choir at the church, would lunch with girl friends, Bible study, ect..) Maybe I am just in a rut. The other day, my mother came over and I was going to go and meet a friend for lunch (I was wearing black work out pants (as if I work out, and they were maternity), a purple v-neck shirt, and white tennis shoes. It was horrendous, and my mother grinned and said I could not go looking that pretty. DID I MENTION, I HAD SPIT UP DOWN MY BACK!! I knew that I smelled something, just could not find it! HAHA So, I would like to become part of a outreach program for friends!! Call me!!
4. Weight Loss- I think that I always say that, but I just hate to sweat. I am thinking about that WII Fit Program. Any thoughts on that? I think if I quit eating chocolate and drinking sweet tea I might lose about 5 lbs, but I would also die!!
5. Work on the finances!! At my church they are offering a class, Financial Peace! I am so excited and I am going to sign Aron and I up. We are now a single income family, since Aron and I have decided I stay at home with Sophia. We really need to learn how to manage our money better...any tips? I know that some of you are SAHM, what does your family do to make ends meet- did yal win the lottery or something?? Do you work from home?
6. I always need to work on bettering my relationships (with my husband, parents, siblings, friends). This one should totally be above the work out one.
7. I really want to focus more on my writing. Aron and I always talk about when we win the lottery or when I write a book that will be on the Best Seller List, what will we do? He would retire and we would focus on our family and travel. What would you do if you made it big? Do you have a big dream that you want to focus on this year??

I am sure that I have other things that I want to work on this year. Yal must think that I am a mess with all of these things that I want to do. So, what are your resolutions? You have a few days left!!

Love ya!

Caryn

Sophia's First Christmas

I hope that everyone had a happy Christmas. Our first one with Sophia was great. There were a few mishaps (a dog fight, Aron missing Christmas eve and not coming home until 2 o'clock Christmas day, and a small microwave fire), but I think that happens for all families. Right??

On the 23rd, we celebrated with Aron's sister's family. We had such a great time. She made a wonderful lasagna dinner, we opened gifts, and watched the Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (odd, because I did not get half of the skits, but whatever).

Aidan (cousin), Sophia, Annalee (cousin), Katie (a.k.a. Aunt Kitty Kat, my little sister)Aron helping Sophia open her first Christmas present! They got her an Eric Carle caterpillar chair with book and Taggies stackable soft rings. She just loves them!

Auntie LeAnne holding Sophia.

The next night, Christmas eve, Aron was on call, and we did not see him at all that day. He helped us pack up the car and we went to stay at Momma and Daddy's house (since the big snow storm/ blizzard was coming). It looked like we were staying for two weeks! That evening we went to the Christmas eve service at our church. Then on our way home it had begun to sleet. Such a mess, and my poor Aron was out in it! We got home, had dinner, and watched It is a Wonderful Life, such a great movie (had never seen it). Around 10 p.m. we all went to bed so Santa Claus could come to town!

I think we know who the good girl is!! She got so many fun things (lots of them have flashing lights and lots of singing!!) Daddy and Momma made a huge breakfast: breakfast steaks, ambrosia, cheese grits, eggs, fly off the plate pancakes, and bacon! Yum! We were all so tired after that. Then we just spent the rest of the morning playing games and preparing for the opening of gifts. Aron finally got to the house around 2, he was so sleepy!

Honey and Sophia playing with her new doll.Granddaddy, Sophia, and Aunt Kitty Kat.Uncle Jason and Sophia.

Sophia and Uncle Richard

All in all, the Christmas time extravaganza was wonderful.

O yes, the small fire. Well, FYI, if you get the plastic baby food cartons always make sure that you tear all of the foil covering off (this will start a fire!!) The baby food will be charred and a brown spot will be left in remembrance, in the microwave! Thanks Gerber!!

Hope yours was special,

Merry Christmas from the Foresee's!!

Scrub a dub dub- who peed in the tub???

If anyone is grossed out by bladder control, please refrain from reading today!

My sweet baby girl is soon to be six months old. We are learning so many new things each day.
1. She is not a fan of green foods. (I can have three foods on a plate: carrots, peaches, peas, I scoop up the peas place them in her mouth and immediate gag reflex.
2. She loves play time.
3. Sophia is a fan of books. She likes to look at them, touch them, and lick the covers.
4. She enjoys the taste of root beer (thank you to her sweet granddaddy)!
5. Our lovey likes to be held very close to our chest. It is so precious, and I cherish this time with her everyday.
6. Her face lights up a room when Aron comes home from work.
7. Sophia loves her bath time.

Now that Sophia has gained a few pounds and some inches, I have decided that the yellow duck bath tub is to be retired. It is now a toy for our dog Chip (the duck is his nemesis)! Each morning we get into our Whirlpool tub, this is easier for me since I have some back issues. She likes to kick, splash, and blow the bubbles off of her hands. This time is fun for her, and very stressful for me. It is so amazing, once a baby gets a little soapy they become incredibly slippery!! Anyways, the bath time schedule: I get her all washed off, I pull out the drain plug, I stand up to dry off, then pick her up, and there she goes.....yes, my sweet baby, precious wonderful girl, the child that I gave birth to, pees all over me and herself. This is so yuck to me and so terribly funny to her! I run the water again and we get another bath. So, to all of the mommas out there, any tips on bath time? Should I just be doing this in the sink? I really thought that I was killing two birds with one stone. Help!!

Sincerly,

Bath Time Blues in Bentonville

Merry Christmas!!

Just wanted to wish all of our sweet friends a very Merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

Love to you all,

Caryn

Party for 18??

OMGoodness! Well, on the 21st (next Monday) I will be having a dinner party for 18! So much to do and so little time. I have a few short days to :

mop the floors

do the laundry

clean the house

scrub those yucky bathrooms

plan a wondermous dinner menu

transform the entry of our home to a winter wonderland (I just love a project!!)

I really need to start addressing Christmas cards

and the list goes on and on!!!!! Do you ever feel like Cinderella? (Do the mopping, do the dishes, do the sweeping, do the cleaning!!) Where are my mouse friends to help?

Seriously, I am so excited. I just love getting together with my sweet friends. Hopefully later that week I will be hosting both of our families on the 23rd and on Christmas Eve. Such a busy week.

Which also reminds me, Christmas is only 10 days away? Have you finished your shopping?? Aron and I are not exchanging gifts this year, but we still need to get on the ball with the rest of our family. We are such procrastinators, waiting until the last minute!!

I just had to post this photo of our ladybug and our brother Richard! Aren't they just the cutest??

How is your week going- is anyones week as hectic as this? (Please tell me I am not alone)!

Oh yeah, and an FYI, be careful going through all of your stored away Christmas decorations, earlier this month I was helping my momma and came across a BLACK WIDOW! YIKES! Well, I just happened to be going to the garage to get some more things to put out, and there it was, looking at me, almost taunting me, daring me to come and take a step in his direction....a brown recluse----. Well, it totally was not his day.

Mr. BrownICKY Recluse July 1, 2009- December 13, 2009. Enough said.

Stay indoors cause baby its cold outside!!
Caryn

Sophia's Room!!

I have been busy on Sophia's bedroom, as if she will ever sleep in it! I cannot imagine putting her in there, all alone! She seems pretty excited about it!
This is the dollhouse that my Moss and Poss gave to me 28 years ago. I slapped on some fresh new paint, and now our sweet girl can play with it one day! The curtains were made by momma and myself. The little rocker was my great grandmothers. She rocked all of her children and grandchildren in that rocker. The wall behind the chair will have another piece of furniture, but it has not come in yet! The last photo is of sweetpeas Christmas tree!


This is her princess bed! Momma and I went to Hobby Lobby (love that place) and found some hot pink tulle. Momma sewed (by hand) the fringe on the sides and the bottom, it turned out so wonderfully. I painted some fun bugs on the wall!



We have spent many a sleepless nights rocking Sophia in her rocker. The Winnie the Pooh picture was stitched by my momma for me when I was born. The pillow in the chair was given to me by my friend Regan. She made it, the girl is so creative. In the last picture, you cannot see them very well, but my little sister painted a snail family along the baseboard, too cute.

This is the whimsical tree! Momma and I started it one day, then I started having contractions!! Who knew all you had to do was paint to get a baby here! Jason came over and tried to finish the tree for me, but we ran out of time, Sophia was here before we knew it. I completed the tree after she was born. If you look closely, mine and Aron's intials are on the tree (like they are carved on there)! My sister and I painted the letters hot pink and I did a little white outline on them to look like they are stitched. There are also little bugs on the letters. Just a fun project. The last photo is of the toy wall. Katie Grace made Sophia a dream catcher and I turned it into a kite.

Hope you all enjoy her room!

Love yal.