update on LL

So, double l fell asleep around 5:00 last night and slept straight through until 6:30 this morning! As of this morning, no signs of a fever. Still lots of congestion and cough, meaning the nebulizer is apart of the family again. But I think he is in recovery. And no time like the present, because I ran out of eggs and milk, so we are off to the store this morning. I need to finish the muffins and then onto the cranberry relish.

Things are looking up around here and very clean! Amazing how clean these hardwood floors get when company is coming over :)

On an aside, my adorable mom-mom called me this morning to tell me what Martha said about cooking turkeys (on the Today show). She is just too cute and I sure hope I make her proud.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods...

my first thanksgiving... hosting

So I am hosting for the first time. Also, its my first time cooking a turkey. Well, I will be cooking 2 birds, since we are having so many people. The list of attendees definitely keeps growing, but you know what -- I do not mind. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving and I am honored that so many people would like to spend it with us.

I am cleaning tonight and tomorrow. Hoping to start the muffins and cranberry relish tonight. Finishing up the muffins and relish tomorrow and making the pie crust. I will set the table tomorrow night, so all I need to worry about is the turkey and finish the pie on Thursday. My mom, mom-mom and Aunt will be bringing the rest of the food. I know I am pleased with so much help! These ladies know how to cook, so I am a little scared too. Hope those birds are not dry!!!

Hope you are all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

P.S. double l is under the weather. He has a fever, cough and lots of congestion. We started the nebulizer again. Just praying for a quick recovery. We will taking a trip to the doctor if he doesn't improve by tomorrow. I spoke with the nurse today and since he was eating and dancing around, she thought we could hold out another day.

oh look at that... another week has gone by!

Seriously, look at that... another week has flown by and blogging has taken a step backwards when I so thought I was back in the swing of things. Well, guess what? I am beat. Beat tired that is... We have so much going on around here, yet I feel so little is being accomplished. Our third floor was completed in September and we still do not have all the furniture and decorating completed. My bedroom is a mess and I have these big plans that just never seem to come to fruition. Does this happen to you?

Oh and our furnace died! YIKES! We just had our new one installed by a lovely company I must say. I have had a million contractors, subs, etc... through this home. Some so nice and great, others left me very angry. These guys were great! However, do you know how much furnaces are? WOW! That's all I have to say. And right before Christmas. Oh boy! Looks like my bub and I gave each other a furnace for Christmas. Isn't that so romantic :) Last year, we gave each other a sump-pump! Yep, we are very generous with each other.

Anyhow, I am tired and broke, but honestly very content. Its just been peaceful around here. Even with the craziness and added HUGE expenses. God has provided for us and we are doing just fine.

Of course I do hear double l yelling downstairs. For a 2 year old, he may not have the wonderful outlook I seem to have found in my exhaustion. He lives for the moment! And this moment, he apparently wants to wrestle Claire and his dad won't let him.

Look at that in the short time I typed those sentences, all seems well again. See, he really does live in the moment...

Hope you are enjoying all your little moments!

here comes the sun...

I am lovin' that double l has been singing this song all day! Life is good around these parts... hope it is for you as well!

perhaps I should fill you in...

First of all, thank you so much for your kind words. It was absolutely so surprising and sweet for me to receive the emails about your comments. It made me feel so good. So, I must start filling you on the past few months, before I can just beginning blogging away about everyday life again...

And what better place to start than with my precious double l...

He is such a big boy and growing up so quickly. He is 27 months old and becomes more brilliant everyday. Perhaps, I am bias. But the boy is smart. He loves singing songs and doing puzzles. He could just sit with me and chat all morning long. He is all boy and loves to wrestle, play cars and the obsession with trains is reaching an all time high.

I am so happy to report double l is doing awesome with his asthma. He was completely weaned off all meds this summer and has only needed the nebulizer for a very short period as a preventive measure during two colds. We are so thankful. It was music to my ears when bub took him to his doctor's because he got a cold and when they took his oxygen (because they always do) it was 100%. 100%!!!!!!! It has NEVER been a 100%. My bub told me double l's doctor was so excited. She also said she remembered how scary it was when he was only at 90% for so long. To not hear my baby consistently congested and wheezing is such an answered prayer. It truly brings me to tears. His asthma specialist did ask us to start up singulair again in late Fall, so last week he started taking one chewable a day. Meanwhile, I can not believe I just typed chewable. Six months ago, we were mixing the powder in his yogurt. Now my big boy has chewables. TOO CUTE!

We were blessed with the opportunity for back to back vacations at the end of the summer and boy did we have a blast. We went to Cape May first. Double l loved the beach. I can't believe it, but it was his first time. Odd, since I grew up going to the beach. My three month old toes were dipped into the ocean and there my love affair with the beach began. It just past us by the first two years of double l's life, but I am so glad we went. He loved it. He had zero fear of the ocean. Even after he was knocked over by waves, my brave little man ran right back in. My bub and I were nervous-nellies the entire time, but double l had the time of his life. We will definitely need to make this trip an annual event. And the town of Cape May, NJ is just so sweet. I could live there year-round and love it! Then a week after we returned, we were off to Disney. Now, I must tell you that we are totally spoiled. My mom and stepfather are Disney Vacation Members and they love us so much they invite us every year!!!! This was double l's second time and we all had a blast.

Because we are so spoiled and get the opportunity to go so often we never feel the pressure to rush around and get everything in at once. Honestly, I know this is not the norm and I am completely grateful for this annual gift. My bub and I would never be able to afford this trip on our own. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first few nights. Double l was in heaven. He LOVES animals and the fact that he woke up every morning, went out to our balcony and could see all the animals right under his nose, blew his mind. He would shake with joy and shout "good morning animals!". Loved every minute of it. We stayed the rest of our time at the Boardwalk which is such a perfect location. Double l loved the Magic Kingdom and Epcot (the only parks he went to this trip) and loved swimming every day in the pools. Again, he had no fear even though he DOES NOT know how to swim. Clearly, I need to get this boy swimming lessons this summer. The trip was so fun and there are way to many highlights to write in this little post. Maybe I will dedicate an entire post to Disney as we have the best time there.

After we returned, Fall was just around the corner and my superman's playroom was finally finished. UGH! Do you remember the third floor remodel that I so planned for the winter and it did not get complete until the end of the summer. But we love it. Double l has a playroom and mommie (and bub) have a big office! The decorating is not nearly complete, but we have all new walls, new ceilings, new carpet, and new paint. I love it!!! And look forward to decorating both rooms.

Oh and double l has had several haircuts, its definitely not the adorable curly mess it once was. Now its a shorter (still long in some people's opinion ahem...) wavy mess. Here are some recent pics of our double l....






okay, enough of the long post! to be continued...

it's that time again...

5 Minutes for Mom has begun their Christmas Giveaway again. They are sure to have fabulous stuff. Check it out when you get a chance. I totally want this printer. Our printer broke and we have been shopping around and a free one sounds like the perfect one for us! What do you think? I rarely win giveaways, but think they are fun.

And how about this giveaway?? How cute are these clothes??


Check it out! Last year they had fabulous items!

you may say its been awhile...

oh my goodness, its been awhile. I can not believe my last post was in july. and I love that it was double l's birth story. seems like such a good note to end on as he is the only reason I started this blog. but here I sit, reading my favorites (so sorry if I have not commented), and thinking maybe its time for me to get back to my own blog. see I never meant to stop blogging, I just did. I just stopped logging into blogger. stopped having the need to tell life-stories, little rants, etc... we got busy with summer vacations, home renovations, and life's little surprises. but a few of you checked in and boy that made me feel so wonderful. THANK YOU! we are doing GREAT!

please know that I have been out there, reading your blogs when I can, checking out your pictures, wishing you well and learning from your findings.

as winter quickly approaches (my fingers are actually cold), I have been thinking about slowing down and getting back to writing (maybe). because the next day, I think of all the things I have to do and the NO time I have to even think about writing. but then I logged into blogger and just started typing. typing this ridiculous rambling. and I am thinking about all the wonderful things that have happened to us over the last four months and how I want to tell you all about it. all the challenges we have faced and how I could use some advice. I have time for that. I should write all those post. What I should not do is feel the pressure that I think I felt after awhile. the pressure to post exciting, encouraging, thoughtful, well written (kidding - obviously I never felt that pressure) stories. the pressure to attend conferences, read all the emails from companies soliciting 'mommie blogs' and writing them back either accepting their offer (because it was up my ally) or politely declining (because it wasn't my cup of tea). I felt that it wasn't my double l blog that highlighted our adventures.

so, I guess that's why I quit. I walked away. but something made me log in tonight. no reasons even pop into my head. just because I guess.

have you ever quit blogging? just said what has this blog become? run out of things to say because you just don't want to say anything at all?

maybe I will start again. I would love to show you my little man now. he is a big boy. he is so smart and growing up so quick. I think I really want to tell you about it.

hope to see you soon.

~ Courtney