PALMER'S PLACE

smiley360.com—Be Heard. Be Happy.

2011-07-21T23:17:00.003-04:00

smiley360.com—Be Heard. Be Happy.

So, I love to sign up with company's to try out new products for free. Yes, free!!
I am signed up with Smiley360 and received a free pack of the new Bic Soleil Razors. To my surprise they were much better than the old orange and white Bic razors that I was familiar with. Great free sample!! Who doesn't like to get things for free?

Free Copy of "31 Days to Clean!" book

2011-04-27T15:19:00.002-04:00

Please check out the blog likeawarmcupofcoffee.com. I just became aware of this site today as a friend posted this information on facebook. The author of the blog is a Christian lady and I am so excited to begin browsing her blog in hopes of some insightful encouragement and help in the Christian life. I have yet to know what the blog is entirely about, but it looks so interesting! The author is giving away a free copy of her book "31 Days to Clean!", if you post on your facebook, tweet or blog about her site. I am soo excited to get a copy of this book!

Third Birthday!

2011-02-27T16:30:00.005-05:00

This was the very first cake I have ever cut out and decorated! I used no cake pan. The sides looked terrible, that is why I will only post the top :). Ethan knew who it was and that's all that matters.

He was really into the party thing this year! He was soooo excited and thrilled. Mommy and daddy felt so pleased. I am so thankful .

Ethan beamed with delight when we sang Happy Birthday to him. It was so precious to see him that way! (Above)

He got this leaf blower toy for his birthday. He woke up this morning and came in and asked if he could use it while we were still in bed. Right before we left for church, he asked if he could take it to Sunday School. This kid loves anything dealing with lawn care. He will watch the lawn people in our neighborhood outside until they pack up and leave. I have thought about having them babysit one day :).

Here is me and my big boy. (I would have posted the family pic, but it was too dark) I am so sad that he is getting so old :(. I am so excited to see each new step, but it makes me sooo sad to not have him be my baby anymore. Well, he will always be "my baby" even though he gets big, though I am sure there will come a day when he no longer wants me to kiss him or snuggle with him :(.

The Big "Bad" Switch (for mommy anyway...sniff, sniff)

2011-01-19T22:37:00.004-05:00

Well, as you saw in the earlier post, I painted a few more stripes on the wall and hung Ethan's name up to somewhat decorate the room a little more. I had no idea that as soon as I did my hubby would inform me that it was time for the switch! AHHHHH! No, wait!!!!! I am still not finished with it...I don't think he should be in an unfinished room yet...ummm, the sheets aren't clean?? Oh, who am I kidding? My husband doesn't buy any of that. Well, it is 10:40 pm and I think I hear silence after at least ten "mommy" calling to tear my heart into shreds. Yes, I actually shed many tears. I can't believe it. He has been in that baby bed for a month shy of three years. I can't even imagine the time when he is ready to go off to college or get married! I never thought I would be one of "those" mothers, but it looks like I probably will. Sigh.

Thank you God for such a wonderful blessing of being a mother! I am realizing very quickly that my time with him is fleeting. I pray I can enjoy him to the fullest and most importantly, train him up in the Lord.

Big Boy Room

2011-01-19T22:22:00.005-05:00

So, I had started Ethan's big boy bedroom last March and finally added a few more touches to it it just in time for him to make the big bed switch. (Or big bad switch, for me :) Here are a few photos. It is still a work in progress.

Second Big Snow

2011-01-11T22:29:00.004-05:00

I laugh at that ridiculous looking snowman every time I look at it! At least the one beside it is adorable. :)

Random Pictures

2011-01-11T22:23:00.003-05:00

Our white Christmas and Ethan's bike from Nonnie and Papa.

Ethan's New Bathroom

2011-01-11T22:18:00.004-05:00

This is a huge upgrade from what it was before! The bathroom isn't totally decorated yet, but the walls are repaired and we have an adorable monkey set.

It's POTTY Time!!!!

2010-08-31T17:29:00.004-04:00

Ethan Josiah is officially potty-trained!!!!!! Except for night time, he is only in "big boy" underwear. I am so excited. It only took a week to get completely trained. He actually was mostly trained by the middle of the week. He only had an accident mid-week, because something scared him :). Here are some precious potty pics...I am sure everyone is interested ;). Actually, mom...these are for you!

Our Anniversary Night Family Pics

2010-08-12T15:52:00.003-04:00

Our anniversary and not one picture of us two! Not intentional, it is just kind of hard to take your own pictures. Mr. Cutie got lots taken of him though!

Silly boy!

2010-07-22T16:41:00.002-04:00

So, I am busy downstairs do some housework when I begin to look for Ethan. I started up the stairs and this is what I found. He had managed to get the pool goggles on his head by himself and had Dave's blowgun (minus the darts of course!) waving it around like he was something. I just thought it was cute!

My Little Artist!

2010-05-31T21:01:00.007-04:00

Who said this...

Couldn't be used for this...

With God-given paintbrushes :)

Well, I was on the phone about three feet from our office for about 5-10 minutes when Ethan comes running to me and so sweetly hands me my eye glasses with white paste spread all over the lenses. I saw white paste all over his little hands as well. So, I immediately race to the office to see just what he had spread all over my glasses and to my surprise I find that my "little artist" had spread my hubby's palmade all over the window, chair and was on to trying out the toothpaste. He points and says, "paint". I know my little guy might be famous one day and all, but I just had to clean his beautiful artwork off of my windows. Gotta love him!

Big Boy Bed

2010-05-19T15:10:00.003-04:00

Ethan took a nap in his big boy bunk bed a couple of days ago. My baby is growing up. I didn't put him in there again yet, but it is actually sad to see him in a big bed. He is still my "baby" whether in a big bed or a baby bed!!

Fun in the Sun for the First Time in 2010

2010-05-19T14:54:00.004-04:00

Ethan's first time at the swimming pool for this year! Aren't his sunglasses the cutest???

Fun with Bob and Larry

2010-04-10T22:36:00.006-04:00

My neighbor friend told me about a local Christian bookstore's grand opening event. They were going to have Bob and Larry from the Veggietales. Well, my Ethan has never seen Veggietales, but I thought it might be fun to take him to have some fun anyway. Boy, oh boy, that is just what he did. After standing in line to have our pictures taken, my son would not leave their side. He wanted Larry, to pick him up and hold him! He poked Bob in the eyes a few times and pushed him and almost made him topple right over into the bookshelf! He hogged them until they went away. He was so excited. I thought he would be scared of them, but he absolutely loved it. Here are the pictures of his fun day.

Easter Pics

2010-04-04T16:19:00.004-04:00

Ethan's "2nd" Birthday!

2010-03-03T17:49:00.003-05:00

Presenting the home made cake. (Please don't look at the writing! It was totally messed up and I ran out of gel.)

I had to help him blow out the candles. He tried, but it didn't work.

Big boy with his cool elmo balloon with moving eyes.

Ethan's favorite part of the day! A child after mom's own heart :).

Ethan and his two cousins Jack and Tyler.

Glasses from his new Mr. Potato Head!

My Sweet Valentines Day Gift

2010-02-15T18:56:00.003-05:00

My sweet precious husband gave such thought to my Valentine gift this year! He brought me this beautifully decorated (by him I might add) basket with all kinds of little goodies thoughtfully picked out. He gave me a brand new book of Sudoku (which I am addicted too!) and a bottle of bubble bath (that's where I like to play sudoku). Then, he knows how I love a good coffee so he got me a gift card for a couple of cups of coffee at Carribeau Coffee (where we ocassionally split a dark chocolate covered cherry mocha). On top of all of that, I am always coming home with $2-$6 clearance items from Old Navy, so he gave me a card to go there. I am completely spoiled!!! If that wasn't enough...he made me this beautiful card with a gorgeous pink rose. Yes, he made me a card!!! So thoughtful this year! Every thing he did had some specific meaning and I felt so loved! I'm so thankful for this special time of year that everyday work and struggles can be put aside for a sweet time of romance and expression of love. I'm so very thankful for the love of my Saviour as well. I wouldn't want this time to pass without my thanks for His love! When I see the expression of love from my husband, I am reminded of my Saviours love and just how much I don't deserve it. I definitely am humbled and know I don't deserve my husband's love, how much more do I not deserve my Saviour's love!!! Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Ethan's First Snow

2010-01-09T22:11:00.002-05:00

He absolutely loved the snow. We went out several times and he was soooo excited!

Christmas Pics

2009-12-31T14:32:00.002-05:00

Potty Time

2009-12-27T22:02:00.002-05:00

We borrowed a potty from a friend and we have Ethan try to use it occasionally. He is really good at telling me when he has already gone, he just seems to be telling me afterward instead of before. He has used the potty one time before a bath. Well, the other day he brought me the potty and pointed to his diaper. So, I reluctantly took off his pants and I just figured he had already gone, but to my surprise he went right away in the potty. Wow! My son is growing up so quickly. First potty, then girls, I don't know if I can handle just how fast he is growing up! :) I have really been enjoying him lately. He is extremely BUSY, but he is so lovable. I'm so blessed to be a mommy! Thank you Lord.

Ethan's First Girlfriend!

2009-12-27T15:13:00.003-05:00

Well, I went to pick up my son from the nursery today and as always, I asked how he behaved. The nursery worker informed me that my son did very well and that he was very sweet. She proceeded to explain "how" he was sweet. Her little girl is about 18 mos. old and was Ethan's primary playmate. She told me that Ethan called her by her name (which is interesting, seeing that he doesn't have a very big vocabulary). Then the nursery worker informed me that Ethan hugged and kissed on her quite a bit!!!!! What??? My almost two year old son is already eying the girls?? So, as I was putting his hat on him and getting ready to leave, he points right at her and says "May, May". We left the building and I began strapping him in his seat when I asked him, "Did you have fun in the nursery today?" He responded..."May, May, Awwww". Dave and I couldn't contain ourselves. It was the cutest and funniest thing. He usually says "awwww" when he is giving a hug or kiss. He repeated her name the rest of the afternoon.

Maybe it is time for my Ethan to learn to sit in the church service :)!!!

Just like daddy!

2009-11-21T21:21:00.002-05:00

Well...all except the pink razor :)! Oh by the way, Ethan is under supervision and the razor is covered with the cap. He is also wearing a jersey that his grandma gave him. I have no idea who this specific player is so I hope he is not some horrible guy :)!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T14:18:00.007-04:00

My friend Courtney, was so kind to take me and Ethan to a pumpkin patch. We had planned on leaving around 3:30, but didn't quite make it out until about 4:30. Courtney has two adorable little ones and my little one made three, so leaving took a little longer than expected! It was quite a memorable experience getting there. Anyway, we did make it and of course Ethan woke up waaayyy too early from his nap so it was timed just right so that he was a complete crank while we were there. Of course! I truly expected that to happen. Nonetheless we had a really fun time. Ethan's favorite part was the hay ride. He loved the tractor! He liked it so much that I thought he would really like to sit on it, but he was so tired that he just cried when I put him on it. ( last pic). I am so appreciative of sweet friends, like Courtney, to take me out and spend time with me!

Mr. Handsome ;)

2009-10-15T15:30:00.003-04:00

What Next???

2009-10-14T17:43:00.005-04:00

Here is Ethan having fun getting into my make-up (mascara on his face) as you can see. My eyeshadow was broken all over the floor! (I just noticed how soaking wet his shirt was. He has been a teething machine!) Then you see him putting on my fuzzy pink slippers. The make-up was on Sunday. The slippers were on Tuesday...Oh I almost forgot about him drinking the scented oil that is plugged into the wall on Monday. Silly me!!! Today is Wednesday and no calls to Poison Control just yet! Thank the Lord, it didn't do any damage...well...except scare me half to death! Through it all, my little munchkin is growing up so fast and I am so very thankful for the blessing of being a mother. I truly love him so very much!!

House Pics

2009-09-15T12:17:00.005-04:00

Please excuse any dust or mess you might see!! Also, we haven't painted or decorated anything upstairs. We still have to put the pictures and decor on the walls as well. I'm so antsy to get it all decorated, but time and money have been a hindrance! Oh, well! We are very excited and so blessed to see how the Lord worked this whole thing out for us!!

Still Alive...In a New House!!!

2009-09-14T14:01:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm not sure if anyone even keeps up with us on this blog or not, but just in case, I thought I better let you all know that we are still alive. It has been forever since I have posted anything!! I do have wonderful excuses though :). We finally bought our first house!!! Praise the Lord! We absolutely love it and we are so thankful for all of the space and place to call our own. After being in an apartment for four years, I didn't realize what I was missing! I will take some pics and post them soon. Well...as soon as the house remains clean long enough to snap some shots! My little tornado doesn't let things stay to neat and tidy :). He has absolutely had a blast with the extra room to run around in. Not to mention, all of the extra little drawers and cabinets to empty out! We didn't have internet for awhile...Tell you the truth...I LOVED it! It's amazing how many things can distract us from the things that we should be doing! Anyway, that is my excuse for not posting in awhile. I will post pics soon! Thanks for stopping by!

Buying a house...or NOT???

2009-07-01T09:09:00.003-04:00

Dave and I have been in the process of putting an offer on a house. WHOA!! This is the most stressful process I have been through in a very long time (well, since Ethan's birth :)! We have been on a week and a half of roller coaster rides. First, it sounds like we are going to get it. Next, it doesn't. Then, it does. Then they decide to negotiate with us and we get it. Then, after all of that, the bank decides to change a few minor details! Like not paying the entire closing cost which adds almost 2,000 to our original offer (which, by the way, did increase already)! My husband said NO, NO, NO! Final! So, we are waiting yet again to see if the bank will pay all of the closing or not. If they do not, then we will have to say good-bye to this house that I have somehow become attached to. I said I wouldn't, but...I did! I keep quoting that Proverb that says "a hope deferred maketh the heart sick". That is so true. We have intensely prayed and prayed about this house, so we both know if we don't get it then it is what the Lord is doing and we will praise Him. That doesn't mean my emotions will not be down, but that I will continue to praise and wait upon the Lord. It is so hard not to get our hopes up on things of this world! I will see what happens, hopefully sometime today!

A Few Florida Pics

2009-06-12T15:20:00.004-04:00

Florida Trip

2009-06-11T12:42:00.002-04:00

Dave, Ethan, and I went to Dave's parents house this past week in Pensacola Florida. We had an absolute wonderful time. Dave's mom and sisters worked so hard while we were there. They cooked, cleaned, and watched Ethan. Honestly, it was much needed. Ethan had a blast playing with everyone and swimming in their pool. He didn't like the beach too much. He finally warmed up to it a little before we left. He traveled exceptionally well, but he didn't sleep very well. He woke us up one morning at 4:50!!! Yes, I think I came back more tired than I went. I think it is a good tired though. Dave and I got to go out alone a few times. We went on the pier at night and overlooked the ocean. We had beautiful weather and a great time of relaxing and family fellowship. Praise the Lord!! I will post pics when I have more time. I have laundry to fold and a house to clean now that I am back!!

Ethan Getting Wet from Leaves

2009-06-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

My Lil Slugger!

2009-05-25T12:52:00.003-04:00

Surprise Party

2009-05-25T12:36:00.005-04:00

My friend Aimee invited us over on Friday night. I was really looking forward to going, because we hadn't seen the family in quite a while. To my surprise they had the kitchen decorated and a wonderful chocolate cake made just for my birthday! My friend Jeannie decorated it so beautifully!! We had a wonderful time. The Lord has truly blessed me with amazing, godly, and loving friends. I couldn't ask for more. They sharpen me so much and are always there for me. It was such a sweet surprise and I really appreciated it soooo much!! Here are some pics of the night.

My Birthday

2009-05-20T10:37:00.003-04:00

Well, my birthday was yesterday and I turned "26". I am now officially closer to "30" than "20" and I really don't like the thought of that!!! Anyway, thank the Lord for another year of life!! I had an excellent birthday. I truly felt so incredibly loved! First of all, my grandmother surprised me by bringing me a cherry cheesecake. Yummy!! My mom sent me a card with money. Yipee!! Two aunts and one great aunt wished me a happy day. Then my sweet neighbor brought me some beautiful flowers and a sweet card! I was already feeling soooo overwhelmed with love and then my husband came home. He brought some amazing steaks home and "he" cooked a DELICIOUS dinner. While he was cooking he ran me a bubble bath and I listened to some relaxing music. He kept Ethan so quiet too! It was soooo relaxing and felt so good. Dave stuck a candle in a chocolate lava cake and he and Ethan sang to me. Of course I had tears. It was so sweet. I am going to show you the card that he got for me from Ethan. I thought it was not only perfect, but hilarious!
It's kind of hard to read this so I'll tell you. It says "especially with a kid like me around", then it has this huge white dot springing out that reads"ASPIRIN- 500,000mg"!!!!!!!! SO funny!!!!!!

I am truly so blessed to be alive and so honored to have such loving family and friends in my life. Please pray for me to live closer to and to love my Lord so much that I spend more time with him this year! I have wasted so much of my life and who knows how many more days I have. Life is a vapor that is only here for a little time and then vanishes away...as the Word tells us. Humbling thought as I grow older so quickly!!

And...He's Off!!!

2009-05-11T18:00:00.007-04:00

Isn't it just the most adorable thing to watch a baby learn to walk??!! I love seeing him. He is getting better and better every day. He has also learned how to climb up on one of my chairs in the sunroom. I guess that kind of new found confidence comes when learning to walk! :) By the way...gotta love those frankenstein arms. They are the cutest!!

Dave's B-day Date...Yes I said "DATE"

2009-05-03T20:51:00.004-04:00

Ok, so, Dave had his birthday yesterday. He turned the big "28"!! We actually went out to a nice restaurant. Can you believe it??? Well, I guess we kind of cheated because we left after we put Ethan down for bed. So, our alone time would have been alone time anyway...but who cares. We got out and it was a sweet special time. Praise the Lord for another year of life, health, and a sweet relationship! Birthdays are always a reminder to me of God's gift of life. To live another day is such a blessing. Thank you Father for life!! Here are some pics of our night out.

This one here is a shot of my handsome hubby driving us to the restaurant.

This one is a picture we had taken outside of the restaurant while we waited to be seated.
This is Dave in front of the doors. I thought the doors were pretty! By the way, if you look closely, Dave is holding my brown animal print wallet!! :)
Here is a warm chocolate cheesecake that they brought us. And that is water in those glasses, by the way! :)
And last, but not least, is a picture of us after the meal. You can see that we were both very tired. We didn't get home until almost 11:00pm. We had a wonderful time and the food was great! We split the meal and I am so glad (not just because of the price :), because the food was so yummy and rich that there was no way we could have eaten individual orders.

Park Pics

2009-05-02T10:38:00.003-04:00

Baby Steps!!

2009-04-30T09:55:00.004-04:00

Wow! I cannot believe that Ethan has finally decided to attempt walking!! He has been crawling, pulling up and a little cruising since six months. He has always been very aggressive to keep moving and advancing so I just thought he would be the same with walking, but nope. He has been climbing on everything and pulling things down. He has been able to do everything just fine without walking so he just decided...why try it. Every time we stand him up he will just sit right back down and crawl. He hasn't been interested and when Ethan isn't interested there is nothing you can do to change his strong little mind!! Well, finally, yesterday Dave had him try to walk to me and he finally took a few steps before collapsing in my arms. Sooooo cute. I think that babies are so adorable to watch when they try to walk! I guess he got a boost of confidence after this. I noticed him letting go several times throughout the day to take a couple of steps before falling. I honestly knew he could do it so I just haven't pushed the issue too much. Everyone says things will change when he walks and so I was fine to wait until he was ready :). He has already been into things so I don't know what else he could do by walking??? Guess I will find out. Thank the Lord for the health of our son to be able to walk. So many things I take for granted. God is so good!! So kind of Him to allow us these precious moments to enjoy with our little "blessings".

Is that...Icecream???!!!

2009-04-14T18:51:00.004-04:00

I had just fixed my hubby an icecream cone when...I looked up to see chocolate dribbling from my sons face!!! He is not suppose to have sweets, because I am trying to not have him addicted (as I am :)! We both want to have him healthy (as the Lord allows). As you can see, mommy is the bad guy. Daddy is the fun one who loves to give him treats!!

Easter Pics

2009-04-13T20:56:00.003-04:00

Here is Little Man soaking up attention before the service in his big boy shirt and tie!

Here he is trying to escape the stroller.

He had skipped his nap and so after church he was "all done"!

Lastly, here he is all tuckered out sleeping on the way home! Precious!

Strolling...or...Dragging??

2009-03-29T14:43:00.003-04:00

Well, our family decided to do a little grocery shopping Saturday afternoon. Ethan had been really fussy all week, but he was soooo much better when we went strolling through the store. I was strolling down the frozen food aisle when he began to fuss. Well, I have somehow learned to ignore this fussing at times (key words "at times"), so I kind of heard him but sort of tuned him out. We went down the aisle very slooowwwly as I glanced through everything. When I finally got to the end of this long aisle, I looked down only to see my son hanging out of the stroller. Yes, I didn't buckle him in, because I didn't think he was small enough to slide out...well I found out he was. His hands were gripping tightly to the bar that is in front as his body dragged the ground and his sweet little face barely overlooking the bar. I felt like the world's worst mommy (I'm sure everyone else in the store thought so as well)! I thought for sure someone would call the cops on me for abusing my baby. I felt sooo bad. I wish I had my camera at the time, but I didn't. So, I learned to always buckle my little munchkin and that my son has really strong arms!! :)

TAGGED!??!

2009-03-25T22:38:00.005-04:00

Ok, so, my friend Tascha has tagged me! Hmmm...I am suppose to share seven random facts that aren't common knowledge about myself and I'm just totally a blank about the whole thing. I really am not that interesting at all, so I have asked my husband to help me out. Well...maybe not a good idea. "I don't want them to know all of that, honey". ;0! Nothing, bad, but don't want everyone to know I'm not normal! Ha! Probably too late for that! Anyway, Here is my attempt to "wow" you all with some things about me!

1. Some people (aka...my husband :0) say that I'm incredibly obsessive compulsive. Some examples he, I mean they, give are as follows:
* My baby monitor is a cheap one that has the side dial for the volume and I lay down at night and get up and lay down and get up...continuously adjusting the monitor so that it is at the perfect volume for me to hear every fingernail brush against the blanket. As well as not be so loud that it is fuzzing all night!!
*I must admit that sometimes I go back and fix the diaper after my husband has changed Ethan...Well, it has to be on just a certain way so I feel comfortable, I mean so it doesn't leak!

2. My grandfather made up my first name "Talisha". It was suppose to be for one of his girls, but my grandmother never used it. I was the first grandchild and so my mom gave me the name. Very special! My middle name, however, let's just say my first grade teacher called me by that name one day, and I have never forgiven her! I was constantly called toilet paper. I'll just leave it there!

3. I have always wanted to name my son Josiah. It was one of the first names in the Word that the Lord really encouraged me with. Thus, my son is Ethan Josiah. "Strong and Firm" "God will save".

4. My husband loves to pick his scabs and I CRINGE at the thougth of it! I don't like to mess with anything on my body. Every scab, every bump, every whatever is there for a reason.

Am I finished yet?? Oh wow, three more facts!

5. I love fingernail polish on my toes, but not on my fingernails!

6. When Ethan was born, he made my grandmother a first time great grandmother. He also made my great grandmother a first time great great grandmother!! Oh, and me a first time mommy :)

7. And finally, I like to sleep with my head covered with pillows or blankets. When I was a child I thought that the "people" in my house at night, wouldn't see me and get me if I was all covered up...Thus the habit continues on.

* One more freebie...I went to a christian school in Kindergarten and in my Senior year! Thank the Lord for deliverance from the public school where my life was in shambles. My senior year was when the Lord really worked on my heart to bring me back to Him. Praise the Lord!!

So, hope you were amused somehow! I usually enjoy being much more serious and meaningful, but thought I would have some fun with some of these facts.

Now the rule is that I have to tag seven other people so I tag...
Aimee
Jeannie
Cristy
Tiffany
Trisha
Joy
Courtney (unless she is in Labor :)

Mr. Funny Man!

2009-03-10T19:20:00.002-04:00

Ethan was beating on his drum in this video. He laughs every time that I say "YEAH", then toward the end it really gets hilarious, because he is actually trying to make himself laugh. He is so silly and so much fun!

Make a Smilebox postcard

On another note. I would like to give credit to Mrs. Jeanette who made my beautiful post signature for me. Poor thing, she had to deal with me and that means she is a patient lady! She had to s-p-e-l-l every little detail out for me on how to post it. As you can see, it still has the block around it, but I didn't want to harass this dear woman any longer :). Her website is posted on the side as Easy Custom Blogs. I don't think she normally makes things for people, but she was so kind to go out of her way for me. She explains how to make a signature and so much more on her informative blog! Check it out. She is a sweet Christian lady. (She'd have to be to put up with me :).

Why cry over spilled milk...when you can lick it up!!!

2009-03-10T00:42:00.002-04:00

So, I spilled some of Ethan's milk powder on the floor. As you can see here, he decided to be my little helper and help me clean it up :). What a big helper!!!

The Big 1ST Party!!!!

2009-03-03T08:43:00.007-05:00

The poster! The big day is finally here!
Mr. Happy the morning right before his party! He is ready!
Well, I didn't realize that I needed to rotate this. Oh well, you get the idea :) Excellent cake!
Decorated table.
The cute decor.
Family
Getting ready to grab the little cake that was a block with his name around it.
Diggin' in!
First tastes.
YUUUUCCCCKKKK!! What is this?
All of us after the cake episode.
Dave and I blowing out the candles on the big cake!
Ethan's big friend, Savannah, helping him push a new toy!
Presents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Opening the cards...like he cared :).
Ethan and Laurel playing with a new toy.

Well, Ethan's birthday was on Thursday, but we had his party on Saturday so everyone could be available. Honestly, I thank the Lord for such a special time. Ethan was in a great mood and my friends and family were there to celebrate this BIG birthday! We had a wonderful time. Ethan didn't care for the cake too much. As you can see in some of the pics, he actually started to cry after tasting it a couple of times. So cute! He got lots of books, which he absolutely loves! Here are a few pictures of the day.

Happy 1st Birthday Ethan Josiah!!!!

2009-02-26T07:56:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness!!! You all hear it said many times, "I can't believe my baby is growing up so fast!". Well I will say it again. I cannot believe my baby is one!! I just want to praise our great Lord for allowing me the experience of knowing just how much of a blessing children are! There are things I have learned that I don't believe I could've if I haven't had Ethan. From the crazy, scary delivery, to a colicky fussy baby, to the adjustment of a new life, to the joys of snuggles, to the first precious smile, to the first kisses, to...well, I could go on and on. There are so many joys of being a mother and father. I wanted a little one so badly after losing a precious baby. I just feel that words cannot even describe the feelings and thanks I have at this moment. I have a very important mission field in my home and I plead for the salvation of my little guy. The scary thing is my example of a Christian before him. May the Lord please, please not let our little guy fall prey to my weaknesses! Please Lord save our little Ethan. His name means strong and God will save. I pray for just that! Happy Birthday to our special gift!!

Silly Bedtime Photos

2009-02-18T20:40:00.002-05:00

Getting ready for bed.
This one is just simply hilarious to me!! (above)
Aww, the dreaded agony of having to go to bed. Sometimes I feel like doing this
because I am in agony to get to bed!! :)

My First Valentines Day Presents!!!

2009-02-12T09:50:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

One Year Pictures

2009-02-07T20:04:00.004-05:00

Oh wow. We had a wonderful, yet tiring day. Who knew getting pictures taken could wear you out so much. We went and had Ethan's one year pictures made today at Target and he did so well!! I was so nervous about trying to hit his schedule just right and trying to get all of our clothes just right and thankfully it all worked out great!! He loved it. He was so energetic and smiley throughout the whole thing. They took 50 photos! We had sooo many options it was hard to choose. We also received an amazing discount, for which I am thankful. I'll be posting these pics up as soon as we get them in. While Dave was picking out the pictures (you know one of us had to deal with the little munchkin and Dave is way better at making choices on those things) I put Ethan in a cart and fed him his lunch. He was talking and smiling at everyone as they walked by. He is really outgoing. I hope he keeps it up. He is such a ham! I just praise the Lord for this sweet, sweet blessing of being a mommy. We cuddled, rocked and played before I put him to bed tonight. I love every minute of this precious gift from the Lord. Thank you Father!

By the way...daddy looked very, very handsome in the pics with Ethan as well. He did very good too :)! Me, not so much. My hair looked horrible!!!

Quote

2009-02-06T11:01:00.005-05:00

"It is impossible for a believer, no matter what his experience, to keep right with God if he will not take the trouble to spend time with God. Spend plenty of time with him; let other things go, but don't neglect Him." ~ J Oswald Sanders

I put this post up for myself, but feel free to read and be encouraged. Like I said, I always feel hypocritical to post spiritual thoughts, because I feel like I, recently more than ever, have no room to talk. Since having Ethan, schedules are a little crazy and though I keep him on a schedule, I seem to fail to keep myself on one!! I still don't understand why I think I can find more enjoyment in leisurely activities than spending time with the Lord!

Our Little Cowboy!

2009-01-31T19:34:00.005-05:00

We went to my friend Aimee's for dinner and Ethan found a new toy. This is a horse that you can either rock on or be pushed around on. Ethan was so cute on it. I think he was trying to get it to go somewhere, but all it would do was rock. So cute.

Here is a picture of a delicious cheese cake we had in honor of Laurel's (Aimee's little girl) one year birthday. This cake is suppose to say Happy 1st, but it was very hard to write over strawberries. I do think that my husband did a wonderful job on writing it though, don't you? If I would have tried doing that over those strawberries, I'm quite certain that it would have just been a big blob of icing. Good job, honey!!

Two Babies???

2009-01-22T19:23:00.005-05:00

Um...last time I checked I only had one baby.?. Guess I was wrong!

Friday Nightmare

2009-01-19T10:28:00.003-05:00

Well, this past Friday was really crazy. I had just finished feeding Ethan lunch when a loud siren started going off in our apartment. At first I thought it was the fire alarm, but it wasn't the same sound as the fire alarm. So, I opened my front door to see if I could see anything. I didn't so I came back inside. In my closet I heard a strange noise which really scared me. I was so afraid the whole place was about to burn down. I grabbed the phone book to call the office (with all of this noise no one was here to check it out!!). In the meantime the fire alarm starts going off as well and I panic. I grab Ethan's coat and hat (it was freeeezzziing!!) and race outside to walk to the office. When I walked out I saw gushing (I mean gushing, this was no little water drip!!) from above my apartment. It honestly looked like the place was just going to burst open. To make a long story short, the sprinkler pipes on the fourth floor burst and it had soaked down to me on the bottom floor. I had drippings of water scattered around and the had to actually remove the carpet padding in Ethan's room. Just when we thought they got it all stopped, water started running over our piano!! Crazy! Then to suck up the water we were using a dehumidifier and heaters and fried the breaker which has left us with no electricity in Ethan's room and bathroom for the whole weekend. Wow!

Train Ride

2009-01-15T09:44:00.004-05:00

Ethan has found a new fun toy. Yes, one of those that includes me, of course. It couldn't be something that he could quietly sit and play with for awhile. No. It is a push and ride train. He had it handed down to him. I recently showed him how to put his leg over the seat and sit down on it. Then, I would push him around the house. Well, today I was playing with him in the sunroom and then he waddled off toward his room. That was very strange to me that he was crawling into another room without me :). So I just checked on him really quick, to make sure he wasn't in the toilet or something, and then I ran away to do some things on my own. Well, I'm involved in my task when I hear a grunt. Then, another, another, another, another...So, I went in to see. Sometimes he gets stuck behind a piece of furniture or something so I thought that was what he was grunting for. I walk in only to find him sitting on that train with a huge smile just waiting on me to push him around. Smart boy, huh. I just thought it was funny. He has really grown in the last month. He is turning into a toddler very quickly!!

Precious Moments

2009-01-15T09:33:00.002-05:00

Dave tells me that the name of this blog should be "Ethan's Place", because that is the only thing I write about. Well, maybe he and I will actually have something interesting going on (besides Ethan) one day. Until then...here is a sweet little story.
I have been trying to teach Ethan to give us kisses for a long time now. He was doing it for awhile ( he really just opens his mouth, slobbers and pulls away, but that is all he knows at this point :) then he just kind of wouldn't do it anymore. So, he has been giving me sweet kisses occasionally when I ask. Well, last night I was giving him a bath and he did the sweetest thing! He stood up, wrapped his arms around my neck, pulled his paci out and gave me a slobbery kiss. Then he put the paci back in, pulled it out again and gave me another kiss with a huge smile on his face. It was a priceless moment. I didn't even ask him for it. Those precious moments are worth all of the sleepless nights!!!

Christmas Show!

2009-01-06T06:31:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas Walker

2009-01-05T22:27:00.008-05:00

I was absolutely shocked with this video. Ethan got this walker from his Aunt Wanda and he jumped up and took off walking as if he knew exactly what it was for and how to do it. It was the cutest thing!!

SLEEEEEP!

2009-01-05T20:16:00.005-05:00

WOW! So much has been going on in our lives that I could make 20 posts. Well, I won't do that to you. I'll just put up a couple for now. I noticed that my friend Aimee has announced that she has finally slept all night long! I must say congratulations!!! She has a little girl one month older than Ethan and she hasn't slept either. I would also like to announce that I myself have gotten to sleep through the night (though my situation was forced). My health hasn't been so great so my husband has had me stop nursing :( (incredibly sad and emotionally hard!) and has put our son on a bottle. He amazingly sleeps from 11:00 until 7:00 in the morning. Actually he goes to bed at 7:30, but we are giving him a bottle at 11:00 until he gets adjusted to the new feedings. I had completely forgotten what sleep felt like. It's WONDERFUL!! I never knew though, how hard weaning your baby could be! I have been a wreck over it. Ethan...not so much. He could not care less. Which is weird in itself because there is very little that he doesn't raise a fuss over!! :) I thank the Lord though, because if he wouldn't have taken the bottle I don't think I would have been able to get through this last week. Yes, I have been weaning in one week. Very hard!!

First Haircut

2009-01-03T16:44:00.007-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Ethan's first haircut! I was trying to wait until he reached one year, but finally decided that the mullet really wasn't doing a thing for him! I didn't take him to get it cut and boy am I glad. I had my friend Janet cut it and we did everything but cartwheels to keep him from getting his ear chopped off. These pictures are during and after the cut. I almost cried watching the hair fall to the ground, on the chair, on Ethan and on me. It is almost like he grew up in just a few minutes. He looked soooo handsome!!! Just look at him. Don't you agree? Also, if you look you will see...no mullet!! It's amazing though because it was cut just before Christmas and it already needs it again. I love my baby he is such a doll. His looks definitely must come from his daddy! :)

2008-12-16T12:21:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Bath Time

2008-12-14T19:02:00.006-05:00

Ethan absolutely LOVES bath time. This is great for both of us, because if he is cranky, at night I can just put him in the bath and usually he gets in a great mood. Having a bath suddenly gives him this bolt of energy and he is so fun when he gets out. He loves to grab at the water as it comes out. It splashes him in his face, but he doesn't mind. He really doesn't have a lot of fears. When he is finished taking a bath he will let me know. He stands up on the side of the tub and throws his hands on the tub and grunts. Once I get him out he wants to be put immediately so he can crawl and cruise around without any clothes on. I won't put those pictures up though :).

Convicting Quote

2008-12-12T20:04:00.006-05:00

"There is no work better than to please God; to pour water, to wash dishes, to be a cobbler,, or an apostle, all are one; to wash dishes and to preach are all one, as touching the deed, to please God."~William Tyndale

WOW!! This is for all of you mothers out there who feel like I do. I saw this quote and instantly I was both encouraged and convicted! Since I have become a mother my life has totally changed. My alone time with the Lord is few and far between. Sometimes (a lot of times I should say) I'd rather do something "relaxing" or just some mindless fun hobby instead of discipline myself to worship the Lord. Now, I will be completely honest, I feel like a hypocrite to put anything spiritual on this blog, because I'm definitely not a godly example. As I read this, I think about how much housework and child work there is to do and how easy we can complain. I'm convicted with the thought that I myself need to change my attitude in the business of life. How I need to honor the Lord in serving my husband and raising up our son. The daily duties are not separate from serving or pleasing our Lord. The verse that tells us to serve as unto the Lord and not to man comes to mind. It is not just for us or our husbands, but it should be done as unto the Lord. Also, recently Dave and I were talking about the passage in Mark where Christ tells the disciples that to be chief you must be servant of all. Well, what more opportunity do we need ask for than what we have in being a wife and a mother. I'm afraid sometimes we do not look at this as "christian" or as an opportunity to be a servant, but it is. In actuality it is a great blessing to serve our family. I know that I often want my husband to notice all of the work I do or to watch Ethan for awhile, which really isn't wrong, but being a servant isn't doing things so we can be praised or even rewarded in this life. Anyway, I hope you are able to understand my rambling :). Just thought I would put something up that I deal with and feel is encouraging. May we be thankful for the opportunity to please the Lord today. May we all think of pleasing the Lord with the many mundane things on our list (like those dishes we attempt to clean).

Mr. Cool :)

2008-12-06T11:10:00.003-05:00

I just could not help but put this picture of Ethan up. I guess he knew what his bib said, because I just about died laughing when I looked back at this photo. He is all laid back like he is "The Man". I assume that we will have to be careful what bib we put on him. The "born to be wild" bib might not come out of the drawer! :) I think the "I Love Mommy" bibs will be sufficient until he is able to eat without one!!!

First Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T20:17:00.002-05:00

Ethan Josiah's first Thanksgiving was very fun. He received so much attention it wasn't even funny! I tried to get good pics of him, but all that I really got was ones with my family playing with and holding him. In one pic you see Ethan chewing on Dave's zipper. That child is constantly teething and will chew on anything!! In another pic you see Ethan trying to get the paci from nanny. He is so determined that he just throws his mouth on it while she holds the other end in her mouth. Nobody will take his paci :). He is a hoot. We may never get that thing away from him. I tried to get a shot with the turkey, but it just didn't work out. My favorite one is the one with my ninety-one year old mamaw! She was made a great, great grandma for the first time!

Meeting Grandpa

2008-11-29T16:59:00.007-05:00

Well, my mom and stepdad live in Texas so they don't see us very often. Because of the distance, my mom has only seen Ethan one time when he was two weeks old. :( My stepdad, Bud, hasn't seen him at all...until this week! Ethan had a great time with grandpa Bud. He loved for grandpa to read him his favorite books . I think the visit was a really sweet time and we enjoyed seeing "grandpa" too! (Although maybe not quite as much as Ethan did:)

Clowning Around

2008-11-26T14:42:00.006-05:00

This little suit is absolutely the cutest (and perfect for our "little clown"!). Dave had a piano students' mother ask if Ethan was going trick or treating. He informed her that Ethan was not going and so she sent this little clown suit and told us we had to at least get a picture in it. I really didn't care to much about it, but I did it since she wanted us to. I was sooo glad I put him in it. He was a doll baby!! (Of course I'm not biased!) There aren't very many good pics, because he wanted that poofy thing off!! :) As you can see, he wouldn't let me take the paci, so letting him keep it was the only way to snap a few quick pictures!

Just a Few Random Pics

2008-11-11T12:20:00.004-05:00

A Little Food for the Soul

2008-11-11T12:12:00.002-05:00

"We are not built for ourselves, but for God. Not for service for God, but for God."
~Oswald Chambers~

A Little Dirt Won't Hurt!!

2008-11-07T09:34:00.005-05:00

Well, my son has hit the age where he loves to pull up on mommy's legs. Aw, that's really sweet!! Yes it is except for the fact that mommy can't get any housework done. So, on this particular day I sat Ethan Josiah down in the sun room and quickly darted out of the room before he could realize I was leaving. So I was racing to put a load of laundry in when I realized that my son was very quiet and he wasn't coming to look for me. "I had better go and check on him", I thought. I walked in to see a big dirty mouth. Yep, he had pulled my plant (the only one I can keep alive) over and was eating the dirt. I guess that's the answer...give him a plant to play in. What is so funny is that two days later he ate my body wash!! I assume he wanted to clean out the dirt he had eaten earlier! :)

It's getting cold!!

2008-11-04T11:56:00.005-05:00

Here are a few photos of our little man! The cold season has arrived and daddy has bought Ethan Josiah the latest fashionable faded denim coat. As you can see Ethan is a little confused as to why he has to wear all of this frumpy clothing. He'd rather go around in a diaper!! :)

"There is no more lovely, friendly or charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage." ~MARTIN LUTHER

2008-11-04T11:08:00.008-05:00

I found this quote and just thought it was a wonderful truth!! How little I thank God for the wonderful blessing of marriage. Not only marriage itself, but for a wonderful godly leader and companion that I am able to share this life with. I have a hard-working husband who keeps me at home with our little one. He works so hard and I'm so thankful for his provision in our family. Take a little time to thank the Lord for the one you hold dear. THANK YOU SO MUCH DAVIDE FOR YOUR LOVE AND HARD WORK!!

DEVOTIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2008-08-27T20:56:00.001-04:00

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing yet had been done."~C.S. LEWIS

A NEW JOURNEY

2008-08-27T16:42:00.000-04:00

Well, I never managed to get any photos up of our little guy. So, here are a few pics of Ethan's journey into the world of solid foods. This was his very first time eating cereal. He did GREAT! I don't know who had more fun, Ethan or mommy. :) As, you can see I am still learning how to feed him (who knew there was an art to feeding cereal). Rule #1, never hold the baby, spoon, and bowl of food at the same time. You see what happens...

HELLO!!!

2008-08-10T19:00:00.000-04:00

Well, hello out there to all of my friends (or should I just say Nanny, Mom, and Wanda?). I'm not quite sure how many friends I have out there. These days I can barely remember I have a husband:) Anyway, I have been inspired to begin this blog by my new found friend Aimee Crank. She has been a real encouragement to my new career change. Well, on a serious note, Dave and I are very happy with our little bundle of joy. He will be six months old on Tuesday and he still likes to get mommy up every two hours. I wouldn't trade him for the world. Here are a few pictures as we start our new blog about our place "Palmer's Place".

PALMER'S PLACE

smiley360.com—Be Heard. Be Happy.

Free Copy of "31 Days to Clean!" book

Third Birthday!

The Big "Bad" Switch (for mommy anyway...sniff, sniff)

Big Boy Room

Second Big Snow

Random Pictures

Ethan's New Bathroom

It's *POTTY* Time!!!!

Our Anniversary Night Family Pics

Silly boy!

My Little Artist!

Big Boy Bed

Fun in the Sun for the First Time in 2010

Fun with Bob and Larry

Easter Pics

Ethan's "2nd" Birthday!

My Sweet Valentines Day Gift

Ethan's First Snow

Christmas Pics

Potty Time

Ethan's First Girlfriend!

Just like daddy!

Pumpkin Patch

Mr. Handsome ;)

What Next???

House Pics

Still Alive...In a New House!!!

Buying a house...or NOT???

A Few Florida Pics

Florida Trip

Ethan Getting Wet from Leaves

My Lil Slugger!

Surprise Party

My Birthday

And...He's Off!!!

Dave's B-day Date...Yes I said "DATE"

Park Pics

Baby Steps!!

Is that...Icecream???!!!

Easter Pics

Strolling...or...Dragging??

TAGGED!??!

Mr. Funny Man!

Why cry over spilled milk...when you can lick it up!!!

The Big 1ST Party!!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Ethan Josiah!!!!

Silly Bedtime Photos

My First Valentines Day Presents!!!

One Year Pictures

Quote

Our Little Cowboy!

Two Babies???

Friday Nightmare

Train Ride

Precious Moments

Christmas Show!

Christmas Walker

SLEEEEEP!

First Haircut

Bath Time

Convicting Quote

Mr. Cool :)

First Thanksgiving

Meeting Grandpa

Clowning Around

Just a Few Random Pics

A Little Food for the Soul

A Little Dirt Won't Hurt!!

It's getting cold!!

"There is no more lovely, friendly or charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage." ~MARTIN LUTHER

DEVOTIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK

A NEW JOURNEY

HELLO!!!

It's POTTY Time!!!!