Astounding Article

I was recently reading an article in a magazine that has left me with many emotions and I wanted to share it. The June 2011 issue of Redbook published the article titled, "Why don't I like my own child?" Click on the article and read what this mother has to say about her struggles with her firstborn daughter...(make sure you hit the next button and read all the way to the end)

I was appalled when I first started reading it. Those of us who are parents know that there are moments in every mother's life where we could use a break away from the kids, but if you are anything like me, the break doesn't last long before Im ready to squeeze my little angel again and hear her say, "I love you Mommy!" So if my child didn't ever hug me or really respond to affection it might be tough. And if she didn't seem to develop age appropriately that would also be a hard thing to cope with. But I cannot ever imagine, no matter the circumstances, saying that I didn't like my own child. When you go for your first prenatal visits, the doctors explain to you all sorts of testing that can be done to determine if you unborn child will be born with developmental and/or physical problems. I'm sure everyone has different opinions on this matter, but I personally do not understand the purpose of the tests because if they ever came back and showed that there was a problem with my baby, nothing would change about how I felt about the child growing inside of me, and I would definitely not even for one millisecond consider aborting that baby simply because raising them would be a bit tougher.

So I keep reading the article and I begin to get even more frustrated as the mother talks of how her second daughter was born and she was just wonderful and there was this instant bond between them all because she was an easy baby compared to her first daughter who rarely cried and then grew to be such a happy, friendly child. It literally made me sick to think that a mother could feel this way and I cannot comprehend it. The mother's friend finally gave her a wake call, and I love this, she said, "You are Sophie's mother. You're suppose to be her rock - the person she can count on most in the world for unconditional love and support. It doesn't matter if you like her of not: you still have to support her." 


Sadly, it wasn't until the little girl was 7 years old that the doctors told her parents that she had a decrease in her growth hormones since birth making her about 3 years behind her age. The mother only then started to feel a huge guilt for the years she had tried to push her daughter to be more and wished she had been more when all the while, the little girl had no control over it and was being the only person she was capable of being. Sophie, now 9 years old, is receiving hormone injections and is blossoming extremely well. Towards the end of the article, it seems as if the mother was going down the right path on forming a healthy relationship with her daughter.

Will and I were blessed with an incredibly smart and healthy little girl and I pray daily that this baby growing inside of me will be a healthy happy baby as well, but if that is not God's plan, and we face the difficult task of raising a developmentally slow child I pray that I will love and embrace that child just as much as I love my Emma. I know that it would be a very very hard road but I also know that no matter what, I will always love my children no matter what. I hope that Sophie's mother can see what an amazing blessing her little girl is and that their bond can only grow stronger because she is missing out on one of he greatest gifts God can give us.

Easy as Pie!

I wanted to share with you a recipe given to me at one of my wedding showers. It was the neatest idea, the ladies giving my shower had everyone bring their favorite recipe for me to add to my recipe box. I ended up with some great ones, but this one has to be one of my favorites. It is so simple and quick yet incredibly delicious! Enjoy!

~Fudge Pie~

One frozen 8-inch pie shell

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 cup all purpose flour

(addition of my own, just makes it a bit fluffier! - 1/4 cup milk)

Add ingredients one at a time, in order listed above, blending slightly between each addition until all ingredients are blended well. Pour into frozen pie shell and bake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Fantastic with a glass of milk!

These are a Few of my Favorite Things!

It's that time of year again when the weather starts getting just a bit warmer, the trees start budding, and the flowers start blooming. SPRING! These are a few of my favorite things about springtime...

And Then There Were Four...

That's right folks! The Easler family is growing as baby #2 is on its way! 

We found out February 13th about this little blessing. We have been trying to have another baby since November, which most people would say is not long at all, but Emma happened right away so I guess I just never expected the next one to be any different. However, those two months of negative tests were incredibly difficult. Yet it made me realize how much I actually did want another baby to join our lives. We had always said we would start trying when Emma turned 2 but I just wasn't totally sure I was ready. After those two negative tests I knew without a doubt I was more than ready to take this step and when I fully felt this peace about it ... the next test was positive! Will and I are so excited and what little bit Emma can understand she seems very excited herself! She will already kiss my belly and say her baby is in there :)

We got to see Baby's picture for the first time on Thursday. It was an overwhelming wave of emotions when its little peanut body popped up on the screen and then even more when I heard its fast little heartbeat. It is truly the most unbelievable moment to see this little being growing inside of you for the first time. The are no words fitting for that moment. 

So as we embark on this amazing journey once again, we are so incredibly thankful that God has blessed us with this precious life and greatly look forward to our future with two little ones in our house! 

Healer

I was introduced to the artist of this song by a good friend of mine in Texas a couple of years ago. This song is my very favorite of hers thus far. It's one of those songs that when I am having a tough day or things just don't seem to make much sense, I can listen to it and I am reminded in a powerful way that no matter how hard life may get sometimes, God is always there for me and my ultimate Healer. So I wanted to share this song with you and I hope it brings hope to whatever tough situation you may be facing...

Closing a Chapter...

August of 2009, Will and I signed the final papers and were handed the key of our very first home! It was the most amazing feeling to have a house that was actually ours.

We watched it be built from the ground up. Our apartment we were living in at the time was 30 minutes away from the new house yet we would make many drives down there just to see the daily progress.

Our families came down to help us move in. I was lucky and got out of doing most things because I was 6 months pregnant with Emma :) So my job was setting up house, which I did pretty quickly because I couldn't wait to have everything in it's place.

We had so many great memories in our house. The biggest was bringing Emma home from the hospital to the beautiful nursery we had decorated for her.

So when God called us away from Texas in July of 2010, needless to say, it was a very emotional for us. We did not expect to be leaving our sweet little home so soon after moving in but God had bigger plans for our lives then we did and we had to follow His plan.

The house went up on the market and without much interest we struggled until we got a renter in it in November. And yet again God had bigger plans for us. We were called to move again in March, this time back to our home in Tennessee. We continued to rent our house in Texas and moved in with my mom and dad until we decided how to proceed. We decided to put the house back on the market around September and in doing so, our renter moved out. At this point, we were paying the mortgage again and needed to move forward with our lives here in Tennessee so we really needed to for the house to sell.

With each showing, we never had any further interest. It was very difficult and a time where I had to learn patience and completely trust that God had a master plan for our family. We then had a curveball thrown at us in November. A guy in our church had a house that he was selling and wanted to show it to us. We looked at it and pretty much fell in love. So now we were stuck. We can't have two house payments so all we could do was pray that if the house here was meant for us then something would happen with our house in Texas.

Then a little over a week ago, we got not one but two offers on our house. We countered and within a day someone accepted our offer, which means, as long as everything falls in to place, we have sold our house! The close date is set for March 16 or before. And while I am so excited and thankful beyond belief that this burden will be lifted, there is a part of me that is breaking. I will never again walk through the doors of my house; I will never again sit in my little girl's nursery; I will never again stand in my kitchen cooking dinner while I watch Emma playing. And I know, some may say its just a house and yes it is, but I am a very sentimental person and it was more than just a house to me. But life moves forward and I know that there are great things in store for our family in the future. I don't know if the house we love here is meant for us but I do know that wherever we end up, we will make more great memories just like we made at 500 Jennifer Drive...

Cookies

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 cup flour

1 cup blueberries

1/2 pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 tsp cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Blend in the lemon zest, juice and eggs. Make sure to scrape off any bits of zest that stick to the mixer paddle.

In a separate bowl whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour then mix it into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in the blueberries so as not to burst any. Refrigerate the dough for about 15 – 20 minutes to make it stiff enough to roll.

For each cookie, roll 1 heaping tbsp of dough into a ball then flatten it slightly into a disc shape. Place a 1 tsp cream cheese cube into the center and form the dough around it creating a ball again. Bake them for about 10 - 14 minutes until the edges brown slightly. Transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy!

*I haven't tried this recipe yet but I found it on my new addiction, Pinterest!, and thought these cookies looked incredible!*

What Did God Make?

On Wednesday nights at church, Emma is in a class with her other 2 year olds friends called...

It's the first club you are in of the Awana program. This is a great program that churches offer for kids to really dive into scripture. Now obviously at 2 years old, we aren't having them memorize bible verses quite yet but we are teaching them some very valuable lessons on a 2 year old level. I teach Emma's class along with another lady and each week, through a story time and craft, we teach the kids something different that God made. This year so far we have learned that God made the sun, the flowers, vegetables, farm animals, fish and birds, zoo animals...just to name a few. So last night's lesson was God Made Me! During our story we talk about what God made and then we have the kids say "God Made (fill in the blank)" several times so it will hopefully sink in. They really like it too when we have them say it really loud and then really quiet! We then make a craft to go along with our story so last night we made a picture frame...

The kids really enjoyed getting to decorate their frames with their own pictures. And they are always so proud to show Mom and Dad what they did when they get picked up. So Emma and I were driving home last night and I started asking her what she learned in her class. Now Emma is actually too young to be a Puggle because you aren't really supposed to start the program until the year you are 2 the September Awanas starts. But since I was teaching the class, and she turned 2 just a few couple months later, we went ahead and started her this year and then she will just repeat Puggles again next year. So she is a bit younger than most of the kids in her class and I don't really ever expect her to retain as much of what we teach as the others. But last night she absolutely blew me away. I said, "Emma, tell Mommy what God made tonight?" Without missing a beat she said, "God make-a-Emma!" I cannot even tell you how much that warmed my heart :) So I asked her, "Who else did God make?" Again she immediately role called her whole class, "God make-a-Cawee(aka Callie) an Wuke(aka Luke) an Zoe an Manawin(aka Madelyn) an Way(aka Rae)!" Oh my goodness, I was one proud Mommy! My sweet baby amazes me everyday but that hit the top of my list. I love her to pieces!!

Snow...

I've never been a huge fan of January. It's the month that officially marks the end of Christmas, other than a few of my friend's birthdays and Annie's birthday there are no exciting events during the month, and it's usually just cold and dreary. But there is one thing that can make January wonderful...SNOW!

 I have so missed seeing snow since we've lived away from Tennessee and I was so looking forward to this winter being back here and getting to play in the snow with Emma. However, the weather people are saying that the percentage of precipitation we've had is the lowest this year since like the 1950s. And the temperatures looking ahead are not snowy temperatures either. Emma has only been in the snow once and she was just a few months old. We had a snow in Texas and we got her out to play for just a few minutes, well really just to take her picture in her first snow!

So c'mon snow! Where are you?! If it's not gonna snow, then spring can go ahead and make its debut and I'd be ok with that. But really, I just wanna see some snow :) ... and lots of it!

Nothing but the Water Beneath Us and the Sky Above Us!

I'm a little late writing about mine and Will's cruise we took in November but nether the less, here is the story or our trip. It was the most amazing experience and just to spend a week with just Will was wonderful. Now not to say that it was not crazy hard to be away from Emma for that long because it was extremely difficult, but we had a great time together.

We drove down to Orlando, which to some may seem way too long of a drive but after driving back and forth from Texas so many times, the 10 hours seemed like nothing to us! And the anticipation of the trip definitely helped :). We spent the night in Daytona and got up on Saturday and finished the remaining 45 minutes to Orlando. When we arrived to Port Canaveral, I started to get really nervous. I have a slight fear of water so I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing but once we boarded the boat and saw how incredible everything was, I was alright!

It took us forever to finally leave port that evening. We waited and waited to see the ship pull out but it came time for dinner and we had to go in. The boat pulled away as we sat down in the dining room which was not great timing...I got really nauseated. I wasn't able to enjoy dinner that night whatsoever and we had to go back to the room where we spent the rest of the night. I woke the next morning in my clothes from the night before! Luckily, we were docked in Freeport Bahamas so when I got up we weren't moving. Seabands went on for the rest of the trip :) and they worked wonders!

We did not do any excursions so once we stolled through the market in Freeport, there wasn't much else to do so we decided to get back on the boat and enjoy a nice relaxing day in the sun. It was fantastic! Here are a few pics from our day in Freeport, Bahamas.

Day two, Will woke up pretty early so he could get some great pics as we pulled in to Nassau, Bahamas. I went out with him not too much later and we were able to see Nassau as the sun came up as well as several other ships pull in to port. We saw the Royal Caribbean ship the Allure of the Seas, which just happens to be the largest cruise ship in the world! It pulled in right beside us and it was huge! We would love to cruise on it someday. The Disney ship pulled in on the other side of our boat and it was also quite large. We hope to take Emma on it someday soon! When, we got off our boat, we found a water taxi and took it over the Atlantis hotel. We didn't get to see much of the actual hotel but really enjoyed walking through the village outside of it. We took the taxi back and walked through the famous straw market and what an experience that was! Every single booth had someone trying to get you to buy their stuff! We went back to the boat for lunch and then spent a few hours out in the sun until we pulled away from Nassau. It got pretty windy and quite chilly actually so we went in and got ready for the evening. Here are some pictures from our day in Nassau, Bahamas.

Day three we woke up sailing not too far out from Key West, Florida. Will and I were both so excited to see Key West as we've always wanted to visit there! We actually docked inside a Naval base so we got on a trolley that took us from our ship to the heart of Key West and as we left the port we drove past Navy Seals in training which was incredible to get to see! We had an amazing time in Key West. We took a trolley tour around the town so we could see as much as possible. We at lunch at a little seafood stand, had key lime floats, and of course key lime pie! Key West is definitely a place we would like to visit again and see much more of! Here are some pictures from our day in Key West!

Day four was spent on the ocean all day! I thought I wasn't going to enjoy this very much being confined to the boat for so long but it was actually quite wonderful. We took the whole day and relaxed our in the sun. I finished a book I've been trying to finish for two years! We had one last dinner that evening and went to several comedy shows which we really enjoyed. Here are a few pictures of our day at sea!

So we docked in Port Canaveral early that morning. We had all our luggage ready to go and got off the ship in no time! We were pleasantly surprised how quickly the process went because we were both beyond ready to get back home to Emma. But we had a fantastic time. Our ship was a little older so next time we'd like to go on a more updated ship but the whole experience was simply amazing. So fortunate we were able to take this trip together!

Christmas

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year! Oh how I LOVE Christmas...I love everything about it and literally look forward to it all year long. It is just such a magical time to me. 

~Christmas Decorations~

The way homes look, inside and out, are so special at Christmas. I love driving down the streets and seeing all the lights and trees lit up inside the windows. I love love love smelling the fresh cut tree inside the house and sitting by it in the evenings all lit up with all the memorable ornaments on it. This year has been very different for us. Since we are still living at Mom and Dad's, I don't get to decorate my own place this year, have my own tree with my own ornaments, and put our own lights on our house. So it's been a change for me but I am so grateful to be in Tennessee surrounded by all our family at Christmas. We did get Emma a tree for her room and decorated it with a few of her own ornaments and she loves it. Mom and I picked out tree and decorated it together which was nice because we haven't done that since before I got married. Will helped my dad put the lights on the house and Emma loved as we pulled out all the decorations for inside the house. She even helped place them all! 

~Christmas Traditions~

It's been hard for Will and I to form our own family traditions since we've been married because we have always been traveling at Christmas and then this year our situation is still kinda different but there are some traditions that no matter what the circumstances, will always be Christmas to me. I am in love with the Rockefeller Christmas tree. I never miss the special each year on tv when the tree is lit up for the first time and I am determined to stand at the foot of that tree one day! I also love all the other Christmas specials that come on tv, Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, Charlie Brown, etc. And Emma has become quite fond of them this year too! Her favorite is Frosty. She has me play the song on my phone and wants it to repeat over and over, which it does for as long as I will let her listen to it! It is precious. There are numerous Christmas movies that we always watch and then of course the Christmas baking...Mom and I used to bake so many delicious Christmas treats and I know this year will be no different. One of my very favorite things we do at Christmas is go to my Aunt's house for a Christmas appetizer dinner and games. We always have the best time and the food is incredible! On Christmas Eve, my family usually goes to see a movie, a special dinner at Chop House, touring the millions of lights at Bristol Motor Speedway, then home to read the Christmas Story from the Bible. Christmas Day, we wake up and give each other our gifts. My Mom cooks a breakfast casserole and then Christmas night we go to my Grandma's house for dinner. We will also go to my Mamaw's for a Christmas meal at some point during the season when all the family can get together. 

~Christmas Through a Child's Eyes~

I never thought I could love Christmas any more than I do but this year my love for it has grown as I am seeing Christmas as a child again. Watching Emma discover the joys of Christmas has been the neatest experience. She is definitely my child because she seems to love it all as much as I do. To hear her say Christmas just melts my heart, it is so stinking cute! Whenever we drive by a house with lights, she points and says, "It's Christmas Mommy! There it is!" She is fascinated with all the decorations and I love to see her eyes light up as she takes it all in. I'm not so sure how sitting on Santa's lap will go this year, last year he was not a hit, but we'll see. We are going to take her tonight :)

~The True Meaning of Christmas~

While there are so many things about Christmas that I love, the thing I love most is that for one day, though we should celebrate it each and every day, we get to completely rejoice in the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The world has definitely made Christmas to be something where Jesus could be completely forgotten but I think Christmas is a celebration. It is a celebration in the fact that because a baby was born, led a sinful life, and died on a cross for my sins, I will one day spend eternity in Heaven. When we set up the nativity, Emma helped me put out each piece, putting baby Jesus out last. I hope that I can teach her what Christmas is really about. While it's fun to show her all the Christmas lights and decorations, to let her listen to Frosty the Snowman over and over, to take her to see Santa Clause, to wrap up gifts, to bake Christmas goodies, I hope that I can teach her that it is all simply a celebration leading up to the greatest birthday we celebrate all year long! 

 

Thanksgiving

Psalm 95:2

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

1 Chronicles 16:34

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

There are so many things in life that I am thankful for. I could never even begin to mention all the things God has greatly blessed me with. I love Thanksgiving because I am reminded of how truly blessed I am. I am thankful for these things everyday but especially on this day of Thanksgiving...

I Am Thankful For...

Life and Salvation - assurance that I will spend eternity in heaven 

Mercy and Grace - forgiveness that I am so underserving of

Will - my very best friend and the love of my life, we have a fantastic relationship and a great marriage

Emma - a love I never knew could exist that grows stronger each and everyday

Annie - I know she's just a dog but she is a huge part of my life and brings me such happiness

Food - I never have to worry where my next meal is coming from

Shelter - I have a warm bed to sleep in every night

Transportation - I can get myself safely and efficiently from here to there 

Income - Will and I are both blessed with jobs that provide for our family 

Health - my family faces each day without health complications

Freedom - I can live each day freely in our great country, freedom sacrificially given 

Parents - I am so blessed with the most wonderful mom and dad that show me continuous love

Siblings - my two brothers and my sister I love with all my heart and love the relationships we have

Grandparents -  always been, always will be a huge part of my life, whether here on earth or in heaven

Great Aunt and Uncle - these two people are such a significant part of my life and I'm crazy about them

Friendship - I have amazing friendships that until a few years ago I never knew could exist

Family - I am greatly blessed with numerous family members that I love dearly
Church Family - Boone Trail Baptist Church has welcomed us with loving arms and we are so glad to call BTBC our church home
Tennessee - so incredibly thankful to be back in this beautiful state, to be back home

While life is filled with many ups and downs, we have so many things to give thanksgiving for, not just today but with every breath we take. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

~Happy Thanksgiving~

Cruise Time!

On Friday, Will and I are leaving to go on a trip that we have wanted to go on for years. We are celebrating our 5th anniversary with a cruise to the Bahamas and Key West, Florida. I am SO excited because aside from our honeymoon, we have never done anything like this. But this will also be the first time we have left Emma and my heart is breaking. I know that we are going to have a blast and we without a doubt need the time together but oh my goodness I am going to miss her!

So (with tears as we leave I'm sure), we are leaving Friday morning and driving to Port Canaveral, FL, unless we decide to stop before then. 

Our ship takes off Saturday at 4:00pm. We are both a little apprehensive simply because we are first time cruisers but I'm sure that will fade quickly. 

Sunday morning at 9:00am we arrive in Freeport, Bahamas and will be there til 5:00pm. Our plan is to simply explore the city and maybe hang out on the beach! 

Monday, we arrive in Nassau, Bahamas at 7:00am and will be til 3:00pm. I am really hoping to be able to see the Atlantis hotel and then whatever else seems interesting :)

Tuesday, we will dock in Key West, FL at 12:00pm. I am probably looking most forward to seeing Key West. I have wanted to go here for quite some time and really have no agenda other then seeing what the city has to offer! 

And then Wednesday we spend a day at sea traveling back to Port Canaveral. A fun day of relaxing on the ship! 

We dock Thursday morning and then a long drive back to our precious baby!!

Coca~Cola

My brother just showed me the neatest thing he found online. You may have seen it but we hadn't and thought it was really cool. Coca Cola Freestyle has these new vending machines that have 100+ drink options that you create. It's blended up right there fresh when you make your choice. They are then using the most popular creations and making them actual drink flavors! Pretty neat...the only downfall is these vending machines are only located in certain places. For all my Texas friends...you have lots of choices!
Some of the options...

Cherry Vanilla Coke, Orange Coke, Raspberry Coke


Strawberry Sprite, Peach Sprite, Grape Sprite, Cherry Sprite, Vanilla Sprite, Orange Sprite,    Raspberry Sprite

There are a ton more flavors, these are just a few! Next time I am near one of these I will definitely be creating myself a drink flavor!!