September 29, 2010

Thankful Thursday!



Today is Thankful Thursday!  The host this month for Thankful Thursday is Iris at Grace Alone.  Thank you Iris for hosting this great meme.




This week I am Thankful for so many things! 

  • I am thankful for my wonderful husband, who works hard every day to provide for our family and supports me in wanting to be a stay home mother.  Not only is he that, but he loves me and wants to see me happy.  He truly is an absolutely wonderful man.  God has blessed me so much!
  • I am thankful for the vocation I have been called to by God and that it has been going so well. (I will be talking all about this on another day.)
  • I am thankful for not running out of gas. (Read yesterday's post for that story.)
  • I am thankful again for my family's health. 
  • I am thankful for the cooler weather and fall colors.
  • I am thankful for the season of my life I am in now.  Each season has been different, but this one is so far the best!
I have so much more to be thankful for, but I will leave the rest to my prayers and not keep you too long with my babbling.  Thank you all for visiting and continuously reading about my little world on this blog.  Have a blessed day everyone!

Fill It Up Please!

Have you ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Kramer test drive in a car with almost no gas and pushes it to see how long he can go?  Well, I just about lived that episode last night.

We went to my Mother-In-Law's house and Walmart.  I knew I need to get gas, but it just totally slipped my mind while I was in town.  I remembered when my gas light came on halfway home.  I still had about 10 to 15 miles to go.  I was praying that I would make it to the gas station! 

Thankfully I did! I pulled in with a little to spare.  I never thought I would be the one coasting into a gas station on fumes, but I almost was.  That's horrible.  If I'm forgetting gas now what's next? 

So, has this ever happened to you?  Is it a Mom thing or am I just forgetful lately?  I just never want to have that feeling again!

September 27, 2010

Do you blog for your own memories?

If you are like me, you like to write down every single little thing you child does so that you remember it.  I started a journal when my son was born.  That lasted a few years, and I slowly stoped writing so much in it.  Then I got the idea to start my own blog.  A blog where I could journal all those moments and share them with friends and family.

I started printing my blog and keeping it for myself.  After a year and a half, I realized I was not printing them as much.  Well, I found a new and better way!

I found out you can actually turn your blog into a book!  A BOOK!  What could be better to preserve those memories?

The Cutest Blog on the Block is offering to help you make your blog into a book.  You can choose your own cover and posts to include into it.  You even have the choice of getting it in hard or soft cover!

The prices for your Blog Book start at $14.95.  Why wouldn't you want to make the memories you blogged about into a book?

That's not all! You can have a chance of winning your own Blog Book!  They are giving away a custom Blog Book that is a $50.00 Value!  You can go HERE to enter!  The giveaway ends on 9/30, so hurry up and enter.  I know I will!!!

September 26, 2010

New Sweep!

Win Fee Movie Tickets!

To celebrate 20 years Moviefone is giving away 20,000 Movie Tickets.  One Lucky winner will win Tickets for life!

All you have to do is fill out a supper quick quiz.  You can enter once a day!  I would love to win some free movie tickets!

You can go Here to find out more and enter!

September 25, 2010

Saturday's Giveaways!

For my Saturday list of giveaways I don't usually include pictures, but this is a beautiful pair of earrings you just have to see....



You can win them at A Girl and Her Scout! They are a handcrafted pair of Breast Cancer Awareness Angel Earrings-Ends 10/1


At The Fence is giving away your choice of item from Boo Boo Zoo-Ends 10/5


At The Fence is also giving away a set of Pure Pearls Earrings-Ends 10/6


Savvy Moms Save is giving away a Tinker Bell Prize Pack-Ends 9/30

Ok, so my list this week is a little small.  Well, I've been really busy.  I did win the Mickey Mouse DVD I had on one of my last lists of Saturday's Giveaways though.  (Don't tell Will! It's a surprise!!  He begged for it at the store and I told him not today. Then I get home and I have the email saying I won the same exact DVD he begged for.  Isn't that so cool!)

So, keep entering those giveaways and Good Luck!

September 23, 2010

Thankful Thursday

 


I feel like dancing on days like this.  Thankful Thursday is one of my favorite days of the week.  It's the day I can sit and reflect on the week so far and find the little things I may have missed to be thankful for.  This week I had no trouble seeing what God had done for me.

In the last few months, I have been putting all my trust in God.  I have been so much less stressed!  The last few months could have been totally different for me if I hadn't relied on God and all his love.  I know he has a plan and will take care of me and my family. 

The floor fell from our feet a few days ago.  What we thought was the plan God had for us and the best thing for my Husband's musical carrier fell through with in minutes.  It didn't take long to realize what we had prepared ourselves for was gone.  We had no idea what to do.  We had so much riding on this plan.  But God knows what to do.  I leaned back and put it back in his hands.  He loves us and knows what we need.

As soon as I handed it all over to him, things became better.  I am so thankful He has a plan for me and He loves me and will take care of me and my family!  Now all I have to do is wait and see what happens from here.  This hurt us a lot.  My Husband especially, but God will take care of us.  This I am sure of.

What are you thankful for this week?  You can visit Iris at Grace Alone to see what everyone else is thankful for today.

September 22, 2010

Garage Sale!

I love garage sales!  It's a good way to find things at a really good price. 

I have been going through my son's outgrown clothes and items in my house I don't use.  I have been pricing and re pricing.  My problem is that I never know how much to price an item.  To me they are sometimes worth $2.00.  To others they may be worth $0.75. 

So my question today is...."How do you know what to price your items in a garage sale?".

I have until next weekend.  I have house hold items, lots of clothes, my son's old shoes (name brand light up shoes at that), and lots of odds and ends. 

I hope to do well.  All the money will go to getting my son new clothes for winter and things like that.  I will be hitting my own garage and yard sales soon too.

September 21, 2010

Do you ever win?

I go through times when I don't win a darn thing for weeks!  Then I can go through times when I seem to win back to back.  Do you ever win when you enter giveaways?  Do you go through slumps when you don't win for weeks, then all of a sudden win back to back giveaways like that?

I won one giveaway that was for my fur baby.  It's hard to find giveaways for pets.  This is one of the giveaways I listed on a Giveaway Saturday post a few weeks ago.  I won a Fleece Ball from Bentleys Bones from The Cartoon Lovin' Mama.  I was so excited to give it to Charlotte.

She absolutely loves it!  Here are some pictures of her playing with her new toy.  They are a little fuzzy because she wouldn't sit still with her ball long enough for me to take the pictures. LOL!





Now that she has had it for some time, I am happy to report that it has totally stud the test of time and dog.  It has not come apart or became frizzy or anything like that.  Charlotte is hard on her toys, but this is one that we are both very happy with. 

If you would like to get your fur baby a ball of their own, you can find them at the Etsy store BentleysBones.  Everything in the Etsy store is handmade and washable.  They sale Leash Bags, Toys, and Blankets.  You will love the prices too!

September 18, 2010

Saturday Giveaways!

Here are some of those fabulous giveaways I have been entering this week!


Kiddies Corner Deals is giving away a $15.00 Piggy Paint Gift Card-Ends 9/27


Kiddies Corner Deals is also giving away a $40.00 PURELYDOGBEDS.com Gift E-Certificate-Ends 9/24


Maria's Space is giving away a copy of God and Dog to 2 Winners-Ends 9/26


Maria's Space is also giving away a Totino's Prize Pack-Ends 9/24


Minnesota Mama's is giving away a $50.00 Gift card to Anytime Costumes-Ends 9/20


Minnesota Mama's is also giving away a pair of shoes from See Kai Run-Ends 9/20


Minnesota Mama's is giving away a 1-2-3 Grow With Me RV-Ends 9/27


That's not all Minnesota Mama's has a ton more giveaways including a $30 Gift Certificate for Star Costumes-Ends 10/4.  Plus so many more giveaways!!


Bettina Johnson Jewelry is giving away a Blue and Clear Swarovski Crystal Bracelet-Ends 10/1


DDKAY'S Blog is giving away a Beautiful Fall Wreath-Ends 9/21


Preparing For Our Children's Future is giving away a "Kids In The Kitchen" Gooseberry Patch Cookbook-Ends 10/1


At The Fence has some GREAT giveaways I would LOVE to win!  Lori is giving away a set of 3 Zhu Zhu Pets-Ends 9/29


And At The Fence is giving away something my son wants Sooooo Bad! a Pillow Pet-Ends 9/28

Good Luck Everyone!

September 17, 2010

New Sweeps!

I found some new instant win and sweepstakes games! 


Try the Domino Sugar Allstate Sugar Bowl! You could win a VIP Trip for 4 to the 2011 Allstate Sugar Bowl, A VIP trip for 2 the the 2011 Allstate Sugar Bowl, or a free recipe e-booklet and coupons! Ends 10/15 at 11:59.  ( I was able to print my $0.40 off coupon twice!)


Enter the Hand Out Hostess On Halloween Promotion for a chance to win $1 Million & Other Great Prizes. Ends 10/25 at 11:59.

Enter The New World Pasta family of brands "It Pays to Eat Pasta Sweepstakes!"  for your chance to win free groceries for a year or $100.00 cash for your own mini grocery shopping spree! Ends 10/30 at 11:59.

Enter the "If I can Dream" Instant win game and Sweepstakes form Pizza Hut.  You can win $10,000 to fulfill your dreams, Free Pizza Hut Pizza for a year, or one of thousands of Pizza Hut gift cards! Ends 9/25 at 11:59.  (look under the entry for for the alternate free entry!  It will be under 3B in the rules!)

Play the Subway Fiery Footlong Frenzy and you could win a Playstation, Sony prizes, or Subway cards! Ends 10/17.  Get free codes to play here!  You can play 3 times a day!

Thanks to Freebies 4 Mom for some of these great Instant win and sweeps games!

September 16, 2010

Thankful Thursday!

Anther Thankful Thursday is upon us!  I enjoy sharing my thankful thoughts this week with you.  Don't forget to go over and visit our Thankful Thursday Host Iris at Grace Alone and link up so we can all see what you are thankful for this week too!







Today I am thankful for our wonderful family.  We may be a small family compared to most, but we are a happy family. 

My Hubby, son, and I welcomed our dog into our family about 6 months ago and now we are complete.   A family of 3 and a dog makes 4.  What more could I ask for.  I have been blessed!  We have made it through some wonderful times and some harder times.  We are all healthy and happy.  We have a home filled with love.  

So many other homes are not the same inside.  I grew up in a home that wasn't as happy and filled with love.  I can see exactly how blessed I am.   Today I send up my prayer for all families!  I know everyone has a different view of a great family.  I pray everyone comes to have that perfect family some day.  If not here on Earth, where things just don't always work out, than in Heaven with our beloved Lord and Heavenly Father!

Happy Thankful Thursday everyone!

September 15, 2010

My Latest Creation!

 My crocheting has come a long way.  When I took my blogging break a few weeks ago, this was one of the projects that I needed to complete.  It's a Baptismal Gown for my Goddaughter!

It came out so precious!  It was also a little bigger than I wanted it to be.  The pattern was for a newborn and the dress was being made for a much older child.  So, I experimented.  It turned out just a little too big for her, but she still looked cute as could be in it.  How many little girls can say their Baptismal Gown was made just for them.  I even customized it with my own little touches.

Here are a few pictures I took to show everyone!



Here is a close up of the front!


This is a close up of the back.  The flower buttons where part of my special touche!  I crouched them just for this dress.


So, what's next you may ask.  Well, I am working on some bonnets and booties now.  After that I'm not sure.  Any suggestions? 

September 13, 2010

The Color House

Have you ever seen one of those play houses made of card board?  I have seen pictures.  It makes you wonder though.  A house made of card board.  Can it really stand up to a 3 year old.

We visited cousins a while back and they had one.  It took some time to set it up.  Imagine one of those paper dolls you had when you where young.  They had tabs on the clothes that you had to bend around the doll to keep them on.  Well, this had tabs that worked the same way.  The only difference was that the tabs had holes you bent them and then put them into.  The chimney didn't have any tabs to hold it on though. ? .  So the wind kept blowing it off.

After about 15 minutes the house was put together.  It had pictures of fish and sea life printed on it, so we gave the kids markers and let them color the "house".

They had a blast, but the house didn't hold up to a 12 month old, 3 year old, and 6 year old.  After it was colored and played with, it was headed to the trash.  It was a good few hours though.  Too bad they didn't have insurance on it. LOL!


September 11, 2010

Saturday's Giveaways!

Here are a few of the fabulous giveaways I have been entering this week!

Don't forget my Shutterfly Giveaway-Ends 9/20


Sweeps4Bloggers is giving away a Johnson's Natural Package to 3 Winners-Ends 9/18


Sweeps4Bloggers is also giving away Lipo in a Box Shapewear Camisole-Ends 9/18


Sweeps4Bloggers has a Philosophy Birthday Girl Gift Set to giveaway too-Ends 9/18  (It doesn't end there! She has a LOT more giveaways to enter!)


Wild for Wags is giving away a Scentsy System-Ends 9/12


A Frugal Friend is giving away a Gooseberry Patch Keepsake Cookbook-Ends 9/19


Babybix Blog is giving away a Bubble Fun Play Set and Junk Ball Bat-Ends 9/18


Babybix Blog is also giving away an OrganicEcho Magnetic Bug Table-Ends 9/27


Simply Stacie is giving away a Kindle-Ends 10/4


Heavenly Savings is giving away a $15 Piggy Paints Gift Card-Ends 9/11 (Today!)


Heavenly Savings is giving away a Mickey Mouse Clubhoues Road Rally DVD-Ends 9/21


From PDX With Love is giving away Misikko Products-Ends 9/20


From PDX With Love is also giving away Lipo In a Box "Shimmer & Shape" Shapeware-Ends 9/24


Good Luck!

September 10, 2010

CSN Review

How many of you have seen all the great giveaways and reviews from The CSN Stores?  I have seen lots of them and always wanted to know if they really had products I would like.  I did a giveaway for a CSN Store gift card a while back and now I get to do a review myself!

I was so excited to do this review.  The one big problem I had was finding something I wanted to review.  They have way too many items I wanted.  It took some time, but I finally decided on the Hamilton Beach 4 Quart Oval Slow Cooker.



My old slow cooker was on it's last leg and was only 2 1/2 quarts.  I always wanted to try one of the oval slow cookers, and this was the perfect opportunity.  I have to say.  This one is very expensive looking for a not so expensive price tag.  It has a copper-tint metallic base, comfort handles, and a removable 4 quart oval stoneware as well as many other great features.  My favorite feature has to be the warm setting though.  My old one had low and high.  The warm setting just keeps the food warm without overcooking it.  (They must not have had this great idea when I bought my old slow cooker 10+ years ago!)

So far I have cooked beans in it with sausage and it worked perfectly.  Hubby even said they tasted better than usual.  I was a little worried that I would have to change my recipe because this slow cooker was bigger and oval shaped, but no worries.  It cooked them just right and it looked darn good in my kitchen doing it.

I also made meatballs in bar-b-q sauce for Will's birthday in it.  (We call it Swedish Meatballs.  I think that recipe is a southern thing. LOL!) They cooked through with no problem and where wonderful!  We didn't have any left at the end of the party!  That has to mean they where good!

All in all I think this is a great slow cooker and will work well with our family!  I have no complaints and had a great time looking through all the items The CSN Store has to offer.  They have 200+ stores and I don't know how many items to choose from.  I couldn't resist getting a new Calphalon Nylon Spoon and  Calphalon Nylon Slotted Turner though.  I love them both and they are very durable!  That was something I was looking for in my everyday cookware.  I don't know why I waited so long to order them.  I use them litteraly every day now!





I am looking farward to ordering from them again!  Thank you CSN Store for allowing me to do this review!

September 8, 2010

Thankful Thursday!





Happy Thankful Thursday everyone!!! 


Fall is on it's way! The leaves are falling and the sun is setting sooner!  I have pumpkins planted and can't wait.  I love this time of year. 


I am so thankful that we don't stay in one season.  I love Spring. The flowers, the transition from long sleeves and pants to short sleeves and shorts!  I love Summer.  The warm weather, swimming, gardening, bar-b-q dinners!  But I really love Fall!  The colorful leaves and the autumn plants!!! Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the way!!!  So much to look forward to....except Winter!  I am not a fan of winter!!!  I don't like cold! 


I will put up with it though, because I know it will pass and all the other great seasons will come again!


I am also thankful for my friend Brandi.  She has got me off my but and walking down her long driveway almost every day!  She is such a friend to put up with my mumbling and complaining.  All in the name of loosing weight and becoming better friends.  (I am a lazy lady, and she puts up with it all!)


I am thankful for my little boy!  God blessed me so much the day he was born.  Now he is 4 years old and absolutely perfect!  God also blessed me with my Hubby, who made all the happiness I now enjoy possible!  I don't even want to start imagining my life without him right now!


So, share a few of the things you are thankful for with us over at Grace Alone with Iris and the rest of us!

Don't Miss It!!!

Here are some great giveaways I wanted to let you all in on!  One blog that I love to visit is Kiddies Corner Deals.  She has some great tips, deals, and giveaways!  Starting October 11th Nichol will be kicking off her Home Renovation Event, where she will be hosting some great giveaways from some outstanding sponsors. 


Some of those sponsors are Speakman Showers, Channellock, Cushion Source, Mythic Paint, Spin &Go, The Simple Stencil, Delta Faucet, Dremel, and many more.  She will be adding to her list as time goes on.  So don't miss it! I will have her button to remind everyone about it on the right side of my blog.  I will give all my readers a heads up as the giveaways get closer, but for now she has some other great giveaways going on that you can enter!  Don't miss it because I sure won't!

KiddiesCorner Deals


*Also, don't forget about the Shutterfly
Giveaway I have going on right now!*

September 7, 2010

3 Hours and About 8 Colors Later....

This weekend was a busy one for us.  Not because of Labor Day weekend.  No...we had our own holiday to celebrate.  We had Will's 4th Birthday Party this weekend! 

I planed, I cleaned, and I made a cake.  I always make Will's birthday cake.  Not always because I wanted to, that's just how it fell.  (long story)  Since last year I started feeling really good about making his birthday cake.  Each year now, I have been getting better and better.  Last year I made him a Bob The Builder cake, but this year was all about Lightning McQueen!  He had a Cars table cloth, balloons, toys, shoes, clothes, tattoos, stickers, and of course Cake!

I got the Lightning McQueen pan from amazon and got to work.  I didn't realize he was made with so many different colors.  I though I would need mostly red.  Well, was I wrong.  Apparently he is made of about 8 different colors.  They are white, blue, dark blue, red, dark red, black, yellow, and orange.  I had icing and food coloring everywhere.  About 3 hours, at lest 8 piping bags, and 3 tips later I had a cake worthy of my son's birthday!


He had so many friends and family come to celebrate his birthday with us!  Here he is opening his gifts....


And this is some of the water balloons that the kids had fun playing water balloon wars with.  They also got to play on the slip and slide.  We had hot dogs, chips, meatballs in bar-b-q sauce, and cake for everyone to eat too. 


Will had such a fun day.  He got to spend time with family and friends and play, play, play!  What more could a little boy want.  He got the Little Tikes Mud Pie Maker he has been wanting forever and a CARS Tackle Box!  He is such a loved little boy!

September 6, 2010

Shutterfly Giveaway! (CLOSED)

I was lucky enough to be chosen to do a grand giveaway to not 1 but 3 of my readers!

I have used Shutterfly in the past to print pictures and they have always come out nice.  I am thrilled to be able to make some cards now.  They gave me a set of 10 free 5x7 flat stationery cards to try as well as 3 more sets of 10 5x7 flat stationery cards to give away! 

I have been surfing through their cards and found a few I really like.  The one I think I will be getting will be this one....


I really like it and think it will be a great Christmas card for some of my family members and close friends.  I plan on putting a picture of both my babies.  Will and Charlotte together.  What do you think?

You can find more Christmas cards Here!  They have soooo many to chose from.  It took me a long time to pick one. 


This one is so cute too! I wish I would have seen this before Will's birthday party.  It's a Birthday Party Invitation.  Maybe next year!  They have a ton of cute ones to choose from for boys, girls, babies, and teens!


They also have some great Save The Date cards!  I am looking at this one for our 10th Anniversary.  I know I still have about 3 1/2 years to go, but it doesn't hurt to look now!

I know you are dying to know more about the giveaway.  Well, I am giving away 10 5x7 flat stationery cards to 3 winners!  The catch...Taxes, shipping and handling will apply.  Sorry about that, but that is something I have to mention!  Also, please put your email address on every entry or I will have no way to contact you if you win!!!

Mandatory Entry! (CLOSED)

Make sure you read the above paragraph then tell me what cards you would get from Shutterfly if you win!  It could be any 5x7 flat stationery card they offer!

Bonus Entries!

1. If you Follow my Blog you get 3 entries (make a separate comment for each entry).

2.  If you follow me on twitter you get 2 entries!

3. Tweet the following for 1 entry.  Leave the link for me to see!  (Can be don daily!)

#Win 10 5x7 cards from Shutterfly @ http://asavingmomssanity.blogspot.com/2010/09/shutterfly-giveaway.html
#giveaway 3 Winners-Ends 9/20

4.  Blog, facebook, or spread the word in any other way for 5 entries.  You must leave a link for me to see it for it to count!  You can spread the word in more than one way to get extra entries!

5. Leave me a comment on any of my other post for 1 entry.

Giveaway will end on 9/20 at 11:59 pm.  I will use random.org to choose the winners.  The winners will have 48 hours to get back with me or a new winner will be chosen!  I am getting 10 free 5x7 flat stationary cards for myself free from Shutterfly for reviewing.   

Good Luck! 

She Is Such A Good Girl!



Charlotte has come a long way in 5 months.  If you remember, we rescued her from being put to sleep.  She was scheduled for one more week of life.  We got her from a worker at the Humane Society.  No one knew her exact age or if she had had any vet visits much less shots. 

We adopted her and got her shots and figured with she is now around a year or so.  In those 5 months she has been house trained and know knows the boundaries of our yard.  She stays out free in the yard as long as we are outside.  She loves us and plays well with Will.  She knows who her Momma is though and is now a Momma's girl. 

She makes me so proud.  All the work of potty training has paid of and she listens better than Will does.  I often refer to her as my fur baby.  Will considers himself my skin baby.  I know have my boy and my girl and couldn't be happier.  I just wanted everyone to know how good my little girl has become!

September 4, 2010

Saturday's Giveaways!

I didn't enter all that many giveaways this week.  Last week I took a vacation from my blog, so that was a non-entering week too.  I did manage to enter a few this week.  Here are some of them!


The Indie Tot is giving away this oh so cute toddler owl-lined corduroy hoodie-Ends 9/15


Vegancraftastic is giving away a pendant from Pieces of Me Pendants-Ends 9/6


Kiddies Corner Deals is giving away a 16oz jar of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter-Ends 9/9 (This is one of those things I would LOVE to try! I love Peanut Butter!!!)


Kiddies Corner Deals is also giving away a $50.00 Kids Foot Locker Gift Card-Ends 9/10


Kiddies Corner Deals is good enough to also give away an Infinity Pro by Conair Hair Dryer-Ends 9/20


Cars, Trucks, and Teething Rings is giving away a Himalayan Salt Lamp-Ends 9/17

September 3, 2010

Walking?

Do you remember I once told you I wanted to trying to flatten my belly a little.  I thought doing the Kroger Wight Loss Challenge was going to help, but no.  I tried to eat healthier.  With my garden doing so well, I have been eating so many fresh vegetables.  I have been buying fresh fruit.  I eat only wheat bread (almost all the time).  I try to portion control.  Non of it really helped.  I got myself a pilates DVD and started doing it as much as I can.  (I don't like to do it when Hubby is home.  I am way to self concise.)

All of this and nothing.  I feel the burn and the hunger.  Yet, I have not seen a difference.  I don't really know if I lost any weight because I don't own a scale.  I just know my body looks the same to me and my clothes still fit the same. 

Then I get a phone call yesterday.  My neighbor wants to know if I want to start walking with her in the mornings.  The silence on the phone is deadly.  I try to think of a good excuse.  None come.  So, I agree and try to put a good spin on it.  So the road is extremely dangerous with it's one lane and NO LINES.  So I have to get up earlier than normal.  So what! I can do it.  Maybe I can even talk her into going to town and walking at the park.  Oh!, and waiting to the afternoon!  Unlikely, but I can try.  The walking will be good for me!  That's what I need to keep telling myself, and I will have someone to do it with.  I am so lazy!  I'll keep you updated to weather or not I go walking and if it helps.  Hopefully I don't get ran over first.

September 1, 2010

4!




My little man turned 4 yesterday!  I can't believe that it's been 4 years since God gave me my beautiful little baby boy!!!  WOW! Talk about thankful!  Today I am doing my Thankful Thursday post. (Early I know! I couldn't hold it in any more!)

I remember all my life wanting a child.  I always wanted to be a Mommy.  I dreamed of it.  I prayed God wouldn't allow me to go through my life on this earth without a child I could call my own.  What few people know is that, I never expected to get find the love of my life and get married.  NEVER!  I looked into single parent adoption very early.  I was barely 20 and doing research.  I knew it would be hard, but I was determined.  I started setting up my life for that very purpose.  I bought my first vehicle, then house, and saved! saved! saved!  I was going to have my child!

Then I met Kenny.  My world turned upside down when I realized we loved each other and was really going to make a life together.  We both wanted a child in time.  Then, I got the news (very unexpectedly) that I had the very beginning stages of cervical cancer.  It was taken care in one outpatient visit.  The doctor was great and knew cancer when he saw it.  He had it taken out before the results even came back confirming it was cancer.  (The results did confirm it was cancer about 6 weeks after he had removed it.)  They advised me not to get pregnant for at least a year.  The cancer could come back and affect the pregnancy.

So, we waited and waited.  Meanwhile few people knew what was going on.  So, to everyone else who didn't know, we just kept telling them we weren't ready for a baby when they would ask "When are you going to have a little one of your own?". 

A year later we started trying to have a baby.  I prayed so hard! It took a little while (that seemed like forever), but it did happen.  Now we are blessed with our little boy!  He is 4 years old and the greatest blessing in our lives!  He is so perfect for us.  God had everything in His plans.  I just had to learn to be patient and trust in Him! 

To this day I am cancer free!  I have truly been blessed!!!  There may not be any more children in our future, but I have all I need right now!  Happy Birthday Will!!!!

Visit us over at Women Taking A Stand and tell us what you are thankful for!