Day 2 of 31 days of organization and life

Day 2, well really day 1, but I am trying to catch up, so going ahead and doing two posts in one day. 

Organization in my eyes:
I love the feeling of being organized.  I feel like things are in order, feel like things are not chaotic and I just feel so much better when I know where things are.  But thinking about all of this just proves one thing to me.  I am a CONTROL freak...ok I admitted it.  I know I don't have to be in control in all areas of my life, but the few things I am good at, I like to be in total control of them. 

So trying to let go and Let GOD help me with some of these areas I feel so unorganized with right now, is going to be awesome to watch and see.  Watch and see how He takes control and watch and see how He wants me to be the mom, wife and friend to others.  It will be challenging but I know in the end it will all be rewarding.

Until tomorrow...Love this sign, now if I can only really do that with ALL the areas of my life. 

Day 1; 31 days of blogging about organization and family

31 day challenge and its been 2 years since blogging, but here we go. 

~What I want to get out of this challenge:
As you can see I'm not as much of a blogger as others doing this challenge.  But I really do enjoy reading blogs, I just find that I don't have the time to sit down and write sometimes.  Being a mom of two girls now has put me in a state of unfamiliar territory...unorganized.  Others may say I am still organized, but I tend to feel otherwise.  So I really want to read others blogs during this challenge to get a deeper root with 1. The Lord (to find comfort and encouragement from other bloggers) and 2. to see I'm not the only one feeling this disconnected with being organized. 

~Organization:
By far this and hospitality have always shown to be my "spiritual gifts".  But it is so hard these days to feel organized.  I haven't been able to put my finger on why yet, but there has to be some answer out there.  I typically am one to always straighten up my house after the girls go to bed, clean the entire house once a week, and remember birthdays, appointments, and special events....LATELY: all of this is out the window.  Yes I pick up occasionally when the girls have put a toy in every room and it is almost hazardous to walk, and I still clean once a week, but not the deep cleaning like I used to, but the one thing that has been really frustrating is being so unorganized that I am forgetting things that should be most important.

~Tackling this the best I know how:
I used to be the type of person that carried around her calendar everywhere (like a purse), but now I find myself barely using it.  I am still old school, where I like to have a calendar book and not use my phone.  I think I just enjoy writing on something and like to be able to see out far on a calendar.  Maybe one day I will convert and use my phone, but for now I am a calendar book kind of girl.  The other thing I think has caused this disconnect is our life this past year...

Break down:
March 2012: my Mimother was diagnosed with GBM (brain cancer)
June 2012: we were asked to move back to Savannah, GA from NC
July 2012: my Mimother passed away (she was like a mom to me)
August 2012: we had Ansley (our 2nd daughter, and we had her a little more than one week after my Mimother passed away)
Same month, three weeks after having Ansley, we moved to an apartment in Savannah GA.
October 2012: found a house, sold our other house, went to NC to finish packing and moving and moved into our new house in Richmond Hill, GA
Jan 2013: Anna Kate (our oldest daughter) turns 3 and starts preschool
March-May 2013: battling a mold problem in our new home....washed everything in our master bedroom...that was a ton of laundry
July 2013: one year anniversary to my Mimother's passing
August 2013: Ansley's first birthday

It may not look like a lot, but it has felt like a rough year.  Lots of emotions, lots of hormones, lots of change.  So maybe this is the underlining factor for this feeling of disconnect and unorganized.  I guess now I just need to figure out the motivation to get back to the way I know works best for me.  I know lots of ppl say to not worry about your house because you will miss what's most important: your kids and family...I kinda feel like I am missing more by worrying than just getting back into a routine like I used to do.  So bare with the randomness of my blogging, but I hope someone can relate. 

Thanks Hazel Hive for encouraging me to write again!!! 

Thanks for reading,
Kelly

Anna Kate's 1st Birthday

Digital scrapbooking design customized with Smilebox

Anna Kate is turning 1

Having Fun Girl Birthday

Click here to browse hundreds of birthday card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

Simply Fall and Fun

A photo album by Smilebox

9 months, 16.7lbs and growing

Anna Kate is now 9months almost 10 months.  She loves to read, crawl everywhere, get into everything.  She lights up when she sees: Daddy, Sadie (our dog), Mommy, her books, Mickey Mouse, food (haha), and anything with lots of bright colors.  Her newest thing: she is learning to push a walker toy.  It is so cute.  It is a walker that looks like a mail carriers buggy.  She pushes it until she runs into the couch and then stops and reaches down to get the mail out and she will put it back in.  I don't have a picture of this yet, but I do have a video I will upload later.  Here are a few pictures of her this month and our adventures to get a pumpkin. 

It got a little cold, so we broke out the jackets

Her newest thing...sticking her tongue out at you

She still likes to get her swing from time to time

Pumpkin patch

She loves her daddy

Almost 9 months

Anna Kate will be 9 months Oct. 2nd.  She started crawling on Sept. 11th, and before long she was everywhere. She loves trying to pull up on anything she can reach, climb stairs, open or play with dresser drawers and pull things out of everything she can get her little hands on.  It's like she found a new world the way she explores the house.  She still isn't fast with the crawling yet, but I know that is a good thing.  It's as if she thinks she needs to be all girly and dainty when she crawls.  She is just so cute.  She will crawl a little, stop turn around and look to see who is watching and then go again. 

The newest thing is our dog Sadie (who is a Shih Tzu) is now tolerating Anna Kate a little more.  She used to just run and hide from her.  But now that Anna Kate is on the move, Sadie really can't go far before Anna Kate finds her.  So hopefully this is the start to a great friendship.  Sadie still may not love Anna Kate, but I think she is liking her more.  Just a few snapshots...

Thomasville, Wedding in Valdosta, Thomasville, Orlando and back to Thomasville...what a trip

As you see...we had a crazy all over the place trip.  But it was a fun one too.  Nick's brother Brad got married in August to the lovely Courtney.  So we left Hickory a few days early and headed to his parents house in Thomasville, GA.  We had such a great time at their house and at the wedding.  Anna Kate didn't do as bad as I thought she would given how many times she was sleeping in a different place. 

After all of that we stayed a little longer in Thomasville because Nick had a conference in Orlando.  So we just drove down from Nick's parents to the conference.  We thought we were going to get to go and see Mickey, but our tickets were only for Universal.  We even tried to go to Downtown Disney in hopes we would see some characters there, but you have to pay to see them.  Bummer.  So since we didn't see Mickey, we bought her one.  She loved it.  She was worn out on the way home.  Here are the pictures from our trip. 

Anna Kate...growing girl

Can't believe my little girl is starting to look not so little anymore.  She is really growing fast.  She is 8months old.  I can't believe that she will be 1 years old in less than 4 months.  Here is little bit of what she is up to these days...

Movement: Sitting up, trying to pull up, pushing up into a sitting position, getting on all fours and trying to crawl.  She bounces on her bottom to get places or she rolls.

Verbal: She loves her gahgahgah, bababab, lalalala, and maybe an occasional dadada or mamama, but not really sure she actually did that or we just wanted her to.  :)  She also loves for Nick to put his hand over her mouth and for her to make the "little Indian" sound.  Too cute.

Motor skills: she loves to pick up things, transfer them from one hand to another, likes to think she can push a ball (but she really can't), loves to eat finger foods (as of now just cheerios and puffs)

Personality: Spirited, smiles all the time, stubborn from time to time (who isn't), a joy to be around, clings to mom when tired (can't complain about that), loves to be around other people and kids her age, laughs

We have lowered her crib.  I found her one day waking up from a nap and had pulled up on her knees hanging on the side...we immediately lowered her crib.  That view on the monitor of your child pulling up will make any ones heart stop for just a minute...Right??? 

Tough things: still not sleeping through the night, gets up once or twice.  But it would be nice for a full nights rest.  Naps are still a struggle from time to time. 

Other than that, she is joy!!  

Just a few more cute pictures

This little girl loves her exersaucer...she gets so excited in it.  How fun. 

Rolling all over...not crawling :(

Anna Kate is rolling all over the place.  I hope she will figure out how to crawl.  As soon as we place her o her tummy, she quickly rolls on her back.  But she will keep rolling to get where she wants to be or if she sees something interesting she wants to get.  It is cute, but I worry about her learning how to crawl.    I know every mom is going to say...enjoy her not crawling, but I would love to see her at least trying.  She will get up on her hands and knees, but then she face plants in the carpet.  Too cute though.  She also has been sitting up so well and can reach for something kinda far and then push herself back up.  So maybe this is the start to crawling.  We will see. 

I love these pictures.  She was on the couch playing, with me sitting right there.  And she was all about trying to eat my camera.  Too adorable.  She also loves her Sadie Girl.  Our dog.  Sadie on the other hand still isn't sure about her though.  I guess she will get there soon. 

Daddy's/Nick's 31st Birthday

Collage customized with Smilebox

locked out...again

So this morning Anna Kate and I went on a little walk after Nick left for work around 8am.  Well, when we returned...we couldn't get into the house.  We have two doors in our house that have annoying locks.  Let me explain...if you are inside the house it doesn't matter if the door is locked or unlocked you can open it either way.  So it happens to be locked and you don't know, as soon as you step out and shut the door, you are locked out.  Lets just say that this is the third time now that this has happened to me at this house.  Can we say...we need to get a hide-a-key???  I'd say yes and I think Nick would second that opinion.  Especially since he is the one that has to come rescue us.  He is always at work too.  How terrible am I...thank goodness he only works 15min away.  Well that is my blonde moment post for today. 

Father's Day and 6months

Father's Day, 4th of July and 6month Pictures

<>

Eating Avocado...look at that face

Daddy and Anna Kate Father's Day

4th of July Parade