Out with the old, In with the new

2010 is coming to a close, and what do I have to say about it?   It’s about stinkin’ time!!!  Looking from inside out I have to say that this has been probably the hardest year Jarrod and I have been through.  Raising a baby (especially one of Jesalyn’s standards) on one income has not been fun. It’s been stressful to all heights.  We’ve had to make a lot of adjustments and go through a lot of things.  And while we got through them (coming out stronger and better parents) I’m ready for it to end.  I’m ready for the stress to go away.  I’m ready to have a year where I can buy birthday presents for people, and be able to get my friends and family Christmas presents.  I’m ready to stop putting things on my credit card and see that $0 balance again. 

I know that there are two sides to every coin and if I step outside of the situation and look in, I can see a lot of good from this year too.  I see a year of Jesalyn getting to spend every day with her daddy and not having to go to a day care with strangers.  I see a year of getting to travel back to Illinois when we want because we only have one work schedule to plan around.  I see lessons learned.  Lessons learned on how to save money and use coupons, and most importantly, lessons learned on patience and faith. 

All this to say, 2011 bring it on!  I’m trying to have good vibes and faith that Jarrod will find a job and things will be “normal” again…whatever that means.

The Many Faces

In case you've never met my daughter, she is a character. She has got her own little personality and I'm not sure where it came from, but she has us laughing ever single day. So for you own enjoyment:

Our Christmas in pictures

Ni Hao Kai-Lan!!

Dora tent with tunnel:
..i love her face in the first one

 Toy organizer.  Momma loved this one!

She also got 6 dvd's of Blues Clues (with Steve.)  She was ecstatic, but we didn't get any good pictures of it.

 White Christmas. We had to get out for just a little bit

LaSaGnA

Momma was praisin' Jesus tonight.  Why?  Because this is what Miss Jesalyn was doing:

Yep, she ate so stinkin' much, I don't know where it all went. 

Makeshift baby gate

Some little girl, couldn't keep her hands off the Christmas tree and ornaments so daddy came up with this nifty idea =)

Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas tree

We put up our very first official Christmas tree this weekend.  We normally go to Illinois for Christmas so there is no point in putting one up every year.  The first year we were married we decorated a palm tree we had.  I actually really liked it. So unique!

The scheduling didn't work out at work so we are staying in TN for Christmas this year and some of the family are actually coming to us!!  We couldn't host Christmas at our place and not have a tree, and Jesalyn is old enough to enjoy it now.  She was so excited as we were putting it up. She had more energy than she knew what to do with...and that's saying a lot for her.  So, check it out. I think we did pretty good for our first time:

The Latest

So Jesalyn's latest trick requires no words. I'll show you in pictures instead:

Yes, in that second picture she is playing with a potato peeler.  Safety issue maybe.  Jarrod took it away from her for the record, but we have some "mystery blood" that showed up on the counter. Can't find a scratch on her anywhere.