Emberlynn-isms

My daughter, who is fast approaching four years old (wow, how time flies) never ceases to amaze, surprise, and entertain me. She has always brought a smile to my face, but there are more and more moments where she just plain makes me laugh with her silliness. I think the greatest thing about it is that most of the time, she has no idea she has said or done anything humorous until everyone around her is laughing. I, of course, had to blog about these little moments not only to share them with others (who care to know, anyway) but also to document them for myself. So here are some "Emberlynn-isms":

• Emberlynn has been a Christmas fanatic since she was a toddler. She loves the lights, the decorations, the candy, and Christmas trees, so it's no suprise she has found a love for Christmas music. Thanks to my keeping our radio tuned to a station that plays nothing but Christmas music from Thanksgiving through Christmas (for which my husband lacks both enthusiasm and appreciation: "What do you mean, you don't want to hear 'Jingle Bell Rock' for the 879th time?") and also to Emberlynn's preschool music teacher for singing holiday songs with the children, Emberlynn has been quite the performer. Her favorite seems to be "Jingle Bells," and apparently, the lyrics have changed, since this is how Emberlynn sings it: "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way/Oh, what fun it is to ride in a stop in stop in say."
• Speaking of songs, a couple of months ago, Emberlynn started singing a song she had learned from school that went along to the tune of "Father Abraham." She would sing, "Father Gummy Bird had seven chicks, and seven chicks had Father Gummy Bird." Gummy Bird? I wondered. I finally asked her teacher. The song is called "Father Goony Bird." I decided Gummy Bird is much more fun.
• Emberlynn accompanied me to get my hair cut several months ago, and I was getting quite a bit cut off during this particular visit. As Emberlynn watched the beautician cut my hair, she cried, "Where'd Mommy's hair go?! Put it back on!"
• Because Emberlynn has Cystic Fibrosis, she is on a high-calorie diet. She is an incredibly persnickety child when it comes to food and eating, so we don't get as much in her as we'd like. We recently tried giving her a can of Carnation Instant Breakfast Plus, which has about 375 calories per 8-oz. can. The flavor was vanilla. We told her it was vanilla milk. She tried it and liked it. Later, she asked, "Can I have my gamilla milk, please?" Similarly, she has a friend named Camilla whom she calls "Gamilla." And while we're on the subject of cute mispronunciations, she calls her pajamas "gajamas."
• Although she is usually very cooperative when it comes to laying down for naps, Emberlynn, like any child her age, sometimes whines that she doesn't want to take a nap. One afternoon recently, I told Emberlynn she had fifteen minutes until nap time. She replied, "I don't need to take a nap." I told her she did need to take a nap or she'd be tired all day and that taking naps also keeps her healthy and helps her grow. A few minutes later, she came up to me and said, "Mommy, I don't need to be healthy."
• Emberlynn and Cohen play together constantly (not always well, but sibling rivalry is only to be expected), and sometimes I hear Emberlynn say thing to Cohen that we have said to him. For example, if he is having trouble with something, she will say, "Do you need help, son?"
• Tonight at bedtime, I noticed the left side of Em's face had a bit of a rash covering her cheek. I said to my husband, "Oh, her face is broken out." She looked at me with a bit of worry and said, "Oh, no. My face is broken!"

It Pays to be Frugal...Literally

As a stay-at-home mom, we have a smaller budget on which to live than many families who have more than one income. This means we have to budget a smaller amount on groceries than others might. I have always been a bargain shopper, but I have been much more conscious of our grocery bill this year more than ever (among other things) because of the economic crisis.



Thanks to my ever-present love of bargain-hunting and coupon clipping plus a TON of help from several websites, I save at least 50% per week on our grocery bill. I have read articles suggesting that you spend no more than $25 per week per family member, which for us means no more than $100 per week. However, I can not recall the last time I ever spent that much in a week. On average, I spend about $50 each week, which is half the "suggested" amount. Sometimes I might spend more one week stocking up on necessities such as chicken, ground beef, and other nonperishables and items that can be frozen to maintain freshness, but then the following week (and sometimes even the week after that), I will spend less than $50 because I am not having to buy those items.



I wanted to share my tips and tactics for saving money on groceries in hopes that it will help others to do the same. It takes some extra time and preparation on your part, but the benefits are well worth it!



First, I want to illustrate to you just how much I'm saving and basically how much I'm getting for my money. Take a look at the following picture:







Notice the amount of items and that most of them are name-brand. I bought all this at Publix. If I had paid retail, all this would have cost me $76.12. What did I pay? $26.72 plus tax. That's a savings of $49.40, or 65%. The following is a list of what I bought and how much I paid for each item, excluding tax:



2 Bags Fast Fixin Chicken Nuggets- $1.99 each (retail: $5.99 each)

Contessa Green Cuisine frozen meal (family size)-$2.99 (retail: $6.99)

Publix Premium Ice Cream (a rare treat for our family!)-$2.00 (retail: $3.99)

Betty Crocker cake frosting-$ .25 (retail: 1.85)

Betty Crocker yellow cake mix- $ .88 (retail: 1.75)

2 Boxes Domino Light Brown Sugar- $ .50 each (retail: $1.29 each)

New England Ground Coffee- $1.90 (retail: $5.79)

Campbell's Select Chicken Noodle Soup- $ .20 (retail: $2.39)

Purina One Special Care Cat Food- $2.50 (retail: $6.99)

Marie Callendar's Croutons-$ .70 (retail: $1.39)

Big Bag Hershey Kisses and Big Bag Mini Reese's Cups- $2.25 each (retail: $5.49 each)

2 Boxes Cocoa Puffs- $ .99 each (retail: $3.49 each)

100-ct. Lipton Tea Bags- $1.66 (retail: $3.31)

Nivea Body Wash- $1.00 (retail: $3.89)

Covergirl Foundation-$1.19 (retail: $5.29)





These are all items we use or will use. Even though we don't necessarily need the items at the moment, I know we will eventually use them, which makes stocking up a smart idea when you can get things this cheap. For example, I don't normally purchase cake mix or frosting, but with Cohen's birthday coming up, we will need it, and it cost me just over a dollar for both items!



I saved so much money simply by combining coupons with sale items, most of which were priced as "buy one, get one free" (you can buy one for half price instead of buying 2). The main site I utilize to help me with savings is southernsavers.com. The lady who does the blog lists store ads along with the accompanying coupons, many of which are available online.

To break it down for you, here are some tips and tricks you might find helpful for a VERY productive grocery shopping trip:

• Many grocery stores, including Publix and Kroger (where I shop at least once a week), will double manufacturer coupons up to and including $ .50. So if you have a coupon for, say, $ .35 and use it at either of these stores, it will be worth $ .70 off instead. (My local Publix and Kroger stores double coupons, but this varies by area, so check to make sure.)
• Many grocery stores also offer store coupons (it will specify at the top of the coupon; if it says "manufacturer coupon," you should be allowed to use it anywhere, although I have run into some issues at Walmart not taking some). Store coupons can be used in combination with manufacturer coupons. Last week at Publix, I bought flushable wipes for my daughter. I had a manufacturer coupon for $3 off and a Publix coupon for $ .50 off, and the wipes ended up costing me less than a dollar.
• Some grocery stores accept competitor's coupons for an identical items. For instance, Publix will accept Kroger's and Food Lion's store coupons. This is particularly helpful if there is an item on sale at Publix that you have a coupon for from a different store.
• Publix has "buy one, get one free" items every week; Kroger and Food Lion have BOGO items as well, though not as often as Publix. At each of these stores (in my area, at least; again, check your local stores), you do not have to buy 2 items to get the sale price; you can buy 1 item, and it will ring up as half price. I take advantage of the BOGO deals by combining them with coupons. Today at Publix, for instance, the Fast Fixin' frozen chicken nuggets were BOGO (making them $2.99 each, and I had 2 dollar-off coupons, making them $1.99 each).
• At this point, I'm sure you are wondering this: "Where on earth are you getting all these coupons??!!" Thanks to a wonderful technology we call the internet, you can find TONS of coupons online. The best online coupon sources are coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com. The author of the Southern Savers blog posts links to printable online coupons that accompany what's on sale, so the work is pretty much done for you! (Note: most sites only allow you to print so many of the same coupon to avoid fraud.)
• There are also sites where you can download coupons to your shopper's card, and when you buy an item for which you have an online coupon, it will automatically come off when you check out (as long as you scan your shopper's card). The best websites for these are shortcuts.com, cellfire.com, and pgesaver.com. I save coupons to my Kroger card. In addition, you can use paper coupons for the same product. The biggest savings for me when it comes to combining online coupons and paper coupons are on name-brand diapers. I can always find coupons on Huggies and Pampers to add to my shopper's card; then, when they go on sale at Kroger, I use a paper coupon in addition to the shopper's card coupon. Recently, I purchased Pampers at Kroger, which were on sale for $8.99; I had a coupon on my shopper's card for $1 off and a paper coupon for $3 off, so my diapers ended up being $4.99. Not even store-brand diapers are that cheap!
• You can also receive coupons from manufacturer's websites when you sign up. I have signed up with sites such as pampers.com and huggies.com, and I receive coupons in the mail for diapers, wipes, and other products.
• Of course, you can also clip coupons from the Sunday paper. I wait until the Monday after so I can get the paper at a cheaper rate (I pay $ .99 instead of $1.75). However, because I find and print so many coupons online, I generally do not have a need to buy the paper.

I could go on an on about bargain shopping and ways to save money, but I would like to keep this post strictly about saving on groceries. I will later post about saving money on clothing, baby and kids' items, and online shopping.

I hope many of you will find this helpful and be able to use some or all of these tips to help you save OODLES of your hard-earned money.

Something Silly This Way Comes

We all know kids are silly and "say the darndest things," so I thought I'd share some of the silly stuff overheard from these Anderson kids. Sharing this not only gives others a bit of a laugh but is also a great way for me to document all these little moments and sayings that I might otherwise forget.

• Pretty much every time Cohen eats, he has to announce what kinds of food he's eating. So the other night at dinner, I think we heard "Chicken! And corn! And fif fries!" about 400 times.
• We've all had the sniffles and coughies lately, so every time Cohen hears someone cough, you hear him say, "Oh, goodness!" from wherever he happens to be, even if it's across the house.
• My son has recently become obsessed with wisks. If he is within view of a wire wisk, he will yell, "Wisk!" repeatedly until someone gives it to him.
• Emberlynn is in that stage where she likes to make up words or say words she thinks sound funny. She takes it a step further by telling Cohen to say them. Prime example: In the car the other day, here is the conversation:

Emberlynn: "Cohen, say 'chewy'."

Cohen: "Chewy."

Emberlynn: "Say 'choppy'."

Cohen: "Choppy."

Emberlynn: "Say 'stinky'."

Cohen: "Stinky."

(Both laugh hysterically.)

• One of Emberlynn's favorite things to do is to ride her bike. Today, she came inside from riding it and said matter-of-factly, "I love my bike. I need to give it a hug."

• The kids have been watching the movie Cars a lot lately (they get to watch a DVD during their daily morning and evening treatments). It happened to come on TV today, so I put it on for Emberlynn, and when the commercials came on, she freaked out and said, "Uh-oh, Mommy! Cars is messed!" She then proceeded to bring me the remote and told me to fix it and got very upset when I told her I couldn't.

Our First Real Halloween

I was particularly excited about Halloween this year because it would be the first time we would take the kids out trick-or-treating. Emberlynn was 8 months old her first Halloween, and while Matt was at work, she and I stayed home and handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters (okay, I handed it out. And ate some.)

She was 20 months for her second Halloween and spent that week hospitalized at Vanderbilt, which was upsetting for obvious reasons and disappointing because I had made her costume that year. (She was a fairy, and I made her a skirt from tulle.)

Last year, I took the kids to a Trunk-or-Treat in Westmoreland (again, Matt was working), but both Emberlynn and Cohen were quite grouchy, which did not make for a memorable Halloween.

This year, however, Emberlynn got very into Halloween. She didn't mind being dressed up in her costume (which I did early on to get Halloween pics of the kids for photo cards). We explained to her what trick-or-treating was, and she seemed so amazed; I'm sure she was thinking, "Wait, you mean, people just give you candy? No way!" We explained that we would knock on a door and someone would open it, and she would have to say, "Trick-or-Treat!" and then they would give her candy. She would recite this to us, so when the big day finally came, she was very eager.

After meeting some friends, their kids, and my sister-in-law for pizza, it was trick-or-treat time. At the first house, the lady handed each of the kids a fun size package of M&M's, which are Emberlynn's favorite candy. Instead of holding out her bucket, Emberlynn wanted the lady to put it in her hand. You could see her excitement when she saw what kind of candy it was, and she exclaimed, "I got M&M's!" and requested that she eat them right away. I think she would have been happy with just the M&M's, but we told her we had more houses to visit and that she could eat them later. We visited several houses throughout the neighborhood, and the kids received all sorts of goodies (some of which they can not or will not eat that will be thoroughly enjoyed by Mommy and Daddy). Emberlynn thanked everyone we visited for the candy and wished each person a happy Halloween.

Since Cohen is not quite two, he was unable to fully comprehend the experience, but he was very good the entire night and loved being outside. He held onto his own bag of M&M's almost the entire time we were out (apparently, M&M's are the holy grail of trick-or-treating, at least for my kids).

After trick-or-treating for about an hour, we called it a night and allowed Emberlynn to pick one thing from her bucket to eat. I don't have to tell you what she picked.

Vandyland-October 2009

We are fortunate to live close by Vanderbilt Children's Hospital where, among so many things, they specialize in care for kids with Cystic Fibrosis. VCH has become somewhat of a second home to us ever since Emberlynn was diagnosed with CF in July of 2006 at the age of five months. We were all too familiar with the routine of it all when Cohen was also diagnosed in February 2008 at the age of six weeks.

The kids go to what is called CF clinic every 3 months (less if they need to be seen sooner because of concerns with their weight, etc.). People we know like to be informed about how they are doing, so I guess blogging is a good way to keep a lot of our friends and family up to date on their condition.

Last week, the kids had their 3-month appointment. First, they are weighed and measured, their temp is taken, their oxygen level is measured, and their throats are swabbed (to be cultured for any bacteria). They are very laid back about all of it, but they do not enjoy having their throats swabbed (and for that matter, neither do most people I know), but it has to be done. Weight gain is a big deal when you have CF (because weight gain is related to good lung function, which is very important), so we are always hopeful that the kids have gained weight since their last visit. Cohen was 25 pounds, 11 ounces, a 2.5 pound gain from July (which is VERY GOOD), but Emberlynn had gained only a few ounces, which is not good but not horrible, either. Cohen is the better eater, so he tends to gain more weight than Emberlynn, who has a g-tube and receives overnight tube feedings to help add calories to her diet. (Both kids are on a high-calorie diet.)

After all this, we move to the actual exam room and wait on the doctor to come in to talk about how the kids are doing. The doctor was pleased with the kids' progress but was slightly concerned about Emberlynn not gaining as much weight. She decided Em needed to be switched from her Zantac (an acid reducer) to an acid blocker (that I can't remember the name of at this point) to help her absorb her enzymes better. (The kids take enzymes every time they eat to help them absorb the fats and nutrients from the food.) When she examined Cohen, who has been fighting some cough and congestion, she discovered both ears were infected (mind you, he had just gotten over a double ear infection maybe 2 weeks prior to this visit), and she gave him a prescription for Augmentin.

When the doctor leaves, the dietitian the kids see, Kim, comes in and discusses their diets and advises me on any changes that might need to be made (increases in enzyme dosages, tips on increasing calories for each meal, etc.). She did not make any changes to either of the kids' current enzyme dosages, but she did suggest switching Emberlynn from her current feeding tube formula to a different kind that has more calories per ounce but would not add to the amount of formula she would get overnight.

Normally after all this we would be done and would schedule our next appointment at the front desk before leaving, but this day Emberlynn needed her annual labs done (Cohen had his done in April). Fortunately, the nurses had put EMLA cream on both of Emberlynn's arms (shown in the top pic where her arms are red) that numbed the areas so that she wouldn't feel the needle going in when they took blood (they take about 8 vials). So to the next floor up we went, where they called us back fairly quickly. Emberlynn didn't even flinch when they put the needle in her arm, so I highly recommend EMLA cream for anyone with small children who will be getting shots or having blood drawn (it takes about 30 minutes for the area to become numb, so it does need to be done in advance).

Because of Emberlynn's insignificant weight gain, the doctor wanted to see her again in 6 weeks as opposed to 3 months, so we will be returning in December to see if things have improved for her. Cohen will also be seen then for the purpose of keeping them both on the same appointment schedule.

Our Fun Fall Memories

I love Fall for many reasons. I love how the weather cools down after the inevitable humid Tennessee Summer. I love how all the green turns to hues of yellows, oranges, reds, and browns. I love digging out the clothing saved for cooler weather.

Since I have had my kids, I now look forward to kid-friendly activities, including visiting the pumpkin patch. We went to Bottom View Farm one October weekend last year, but this year, Cohen and I went with Emberlynn and other kids, parents, and teachers from her preschool to the farm. Emberlynn was very much looking forward to going to the pumpkin patch. On the morning of the field trip, I went into her room and asked her if she remembered where we were going, and she excitedly replied, "The pumpkin patch!"

Although Cohen was not in his best spirits during our time there, Emberlynn did not let that stop her from having a fantastic time. She loved riding on the tractor-pulled hay ride that took us to the pumpkin patch. She browsed the patch and picked a pumpkin and also helped her brother find one for himself. After the hay ride, we went on the train ride the farm provides. Emberlynn wanted to ride in the green box car because green has apparently become her favorite color. Both kids really enjoyed this part; the train goes around the farm, and we got to see the various fields of different fruits and vegetables. The farm also has a corn maze, a tricycle track, animals, a "corn crib" (which is like a ball pit but with corn kernels!), and a giant slide. I was sure Emberlynn wouldn't want to go down the slide by herself, if at all, but she climbed the steps up and went down alone! I was so amazed! She went down 2 more times after that, and then we had to go because her brother was being quite uncooperative (to put it nicely).

We put our 3 little pumpkins on our front porch, and every time the kids have seen them, Cohen yells, "Punkins!" with great enthusiasm, and Emberlynn will start talking about when we went to the pumpkin patch. I hope this is something they will look forward to and enjoy for years to come; I know I'll never grow tired of it.

The New Birthday Cake

I realized earlier my birthday is a week from today. I will be 25, but oh my, that is another blog entirely. Birthdays are days to celebrate, and we usually do that with food. I'm sure I won't have to worry about anyone making me a birthday cake, but we are supposed to go out to dinner. The thought that keeps popping into my mind is, "Where is somewhere we can go where I can eat something I enjoy but still eat healthy?" I know I can just eat a good salad pretty much anywhere we go, but let's face it, I am kind of cheating myself on my birthday by not having whatever I want and not caring. On the other hand, though, maybe it is my gift to myself to eat well and feel good knowing I made a good choice and not a bad one to make me feel guilty later.

So I guess this year, salad will be the new birthday dinner, and something good like a fruit salad (bring on those strawberries!) will be the new birthday cake. It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to...or in this case, I'll crave if I want to.

Craving the Good Stuff

Thumbing through the Kroger sale paper on Sunday as I prepared my grocery list and dinner menu for the week, I noticed they had strawberries on sale for $1.50 per container. I like strawberries, but I am sometimes reluctant to buy them because I have had occasions where they were sour or just not very sweet and therefore not satisfying. Once I saw them, however, and started thinking about them, I started craving them.

I went grocery shopping today at Kroger, and one of the items on my list was, you guessed it, strawberries. They smelled amazingly delectable, and I think I may have stood there smelling them a bit too long, thereby weirding out my fellow shoppers who were meandering close by. I even had Emberlynn smell them; she obliged and then wanted to hold them all through the store.

As soon as I got home and unloaded the groceries, I just had to taste one of them. I washed one off in the sink, took a bite, and wow....soooooo good. The best strawberry I have had in a while. Now I'm looking forward to having some with breakfast in the morning.

And I don't have to feel guilty, which might be the best part.

Calories=The Enemy

Earlier today I was craving a glass of chocolate milk. I have the ingredients in the fridge: 1% milk and chocolate syrup. But immediately, I thought, "Well, that's like 200 extra calories I can avoid today just by not drinking that."

In a way, it's good that I think this way because I am aware of what I'm ingesting and the consequences of choosing to eat or drink a certain thing. In another way, I hate it because I wish I did not have to be so conscious of it. There are so many thin people who are just naturally that way and seem to eat whatever they want without blinking an eye. (I can't help but secretly somewhat despise them.) On the other hand, sometimes I just don't care. I know what's in it, I know it's bad for me, but darn it, I just want to eat it!

I read all these articles on finding the root of why we overeat. Some people are "emotional" eaters who eat their feelings, whether it's because they had a crummy childhood or whatever. I've searched and searched, and all I can come up with is that my relationship with food has nothing to do with emotion, unless the emotion is love. Who doesn't love having their favorite dessert? I love chocolate, and I don't think I could ever completely give it up. Certainly, there are other foods that cause my weight issues that I could probably give up, but sometimes it's just about convenience or budget or whatever.

If I was a thin person, I don't think anyone would think this is all a big deal. But because I'm heavier, I know people think, "Should you really eat that?" or "Yeah, you probably should count calories."

I have come a long way in the past few years as far as changing my eating habits. It hasn't been dieting, it's been lifestyle changes. More veggies, fruits, and whole grains. Less empty calories. Lots of water. Sodas only sparingly.

This blog is to document my journey through weight loss, to be able to share my thoughts and feelings, frustrations and rants, and triumphs and accomplishments. Although I am not comfortable enough sharing my weight, I will say that my goal is to ultimately be 70 pounds lighter. Feel free to share advice and encouragements, but please do not, under any circumstances, discourage me in anything I do or don't do. There's no room for that.

It's been a while

For someone who loves to write, I sure have been a lazy blogger. I don't even know when the last time I blogged was; I suppose I could have checked before starting this, but oh, well.

So I think I'll start by talking about my kids. Big surprise, right? They are my universe. Emberlynn turned 3 in February. She is my goofy and gorgeous girl who makes me laugh every day and who probably has a higher I.Q. than I do. I am amazed at how smart she is, so I must brag. The girl knows her entire alphabet, can recognize all the letters (uppercase and lowercase), and can tell you examples of words that begin with certain letters (i.e., a is for apple and airplane...). She can count into the seventies and recognizes numbers into the twenties. She knows all her colors and shapes (even pentagon and octagon, people). She has a love for reading, a love we both share, and she could read for hours. Aside from her brilliance :o), she is a wonderful big sister who shares with her brother (as much as you would expect a 3-year-old to share, anyway) and shows such warmth and empathy with him. I realize they will fight as brothers and sisters do, and more so as they get older, but I am grateful they are close in age and can play together so well. I love seeing them together, making each other laugh and just being siblings. Cohen, who is 16 months old now, is a big bundle of energy and smiles more than any kid I've ever seen. His whole face lights up when he smiles, and he melts my heart. I love his hugs and wish I could bottle them so that I could always have them because as he grow older, I know the hugs will be fewer. I never thought I could love a little boy so much. He is loving and friendly and silly, and I love everything about him. He seems to be developing a love of books just like his big sister, and he follows her around and learns so much from her.

I could go on and on about my kids. But now I'll move onto my husband. Matt wants to go to school and get a college education. I want that for him, too, but with him working full time, he wouldn't have a lot of family time if he tacked school onto that. I think he has decided to hold off for a while, but I guess I feel like I have prevented him from following that path. He had to withdraw his enrollment from college when I became pregnant with Emberlynn in 2005 so that he could work full time to help support us. He chose us over his education. He put his family first from the very beginning, but I've always worried he would eventually resent me for it. He says he doesn't, but I still feel that there is some resentment there. I, myself, would like to finish my college education and get my 4-year degree, but I know my purpose right now is to take care of my children. They and and their health are more important than anything else.

So...I could go on about this and that, but it's getting late, and I'm getting sleepy and therefore somewhat delirious.

Ten things I've realized so far this year...all 10 days of it

1. I am not destined to be a fat person my whole life. I can lose weight if I put my mind to it. I've lost 5 pounds so far, and I have the motivation to keep going.

2. My daughter will be 3 soon, and that blows my mind. It doesn't seem that long ago she was this little being growing inside me who I could not wait to meet and hold and love forever.

3. My son is a toddler now. He's still technically a baby, I suppose, but a toddler nonetheless. I'll never forget the moment he was born and I was mesmerized by how beautiful he was.

4. My husband and I are getting ready to celebrate our third anniversary. It doesn't seem like that many years, but we have been through more than our fair share: the birth of 2 children, our children both being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, buying our first home, and all the normal challenges couples face. Through all the ups and downs, we are still going strong and love each other probably more than we did when we got married.

5. My little sisters are teenagers, full of angst and a tiny bit of rebellion. Shauna will be nineteen next week, and she will have one more year of being a teenager before she hits her twenties. Now THAT makes me feel old because I remember holding her when she was born when I was five. Kelsey is fourteen and just went on her first date, has her first boyfriend, and was elected to homecoming court. I always knew she'd be pretty, but the girl is drop dead gorgeous. Fortunately for her, I don't think she realizes that and isn't vain about it.

6. My little brother will be 10 the day after I turn 25 (...25! That's a completely different blog right there, lol), and those of you who know him know he has his fair share of issues related to his disability, but all in all, he is an amazing boy with a heart bigger than most people's. I can see the love and tenderness in his eyes when he is around Emberlynn and Cohen because he just loves them so much.

7. I am beyond blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home mom. It gives my children a stable and constant environment, and it keeps them healthier to not be in daycare or around a lot of other people all the time. Although my patience is often tested, I would not trade this for anything.

8. I have the most amazing friends, without which I would probably lose my mind over a lot of things. My amazing friends know who they are without mention.

9. I have not worked on my writing in who knows how long, and not doing that has caused a big piece of me to vanish. I want that piece back.

10. "New Moon", the second installment in the "Twilight" series, comes out in November, and I can't wait. I'm a Twilightaholic. Or a Twerd. Either one works.