Happy Birthday My Darling Anna

4 years ago you came into this world kicking and screaming. You were a little tiny thing but you knew how to make your presence known. 4 years later you are still a little on the small side but when you decide to make your presence known there is no ignoring you. You are a delight to have around (most of the time lol). There is a quote out there that says something like Don't have children until you are prepared to have your heart walking around outside of your chest. That isn't it exactly but you get what I am saying. It is so true - I look at you and I know that you are my heart. You are the best of me and your Daddy. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are a blessing and I try not to take you for granted even on the days when you are driving me nuts.

Here is a summary of your birth story:

Your Daddy and I got pregnant after trying for a year. I had waited much longer for you than that but you were well worth the wait! We started having problems with the pregnancy when we were half way through. They noticed you were very small and there were times when you would get really still. I started seeing a specialist and having you monitored more often. They noticed you really weren't growing much and they decided you would need to come out early. After a false start they finally set the date (Your Great Grandma's birthday). They did a planned c-section so everything went as planned. Your Daddy and I assumed you would be going to Neonatal and I made him promise me no matter what he would stay with you and protect you. You came out and they checked you out and instead of going to Neonatal they sent you to the regular nursery. There you got your first bath screaming and carrying on the whole time. They put you under the baby warmer for a while and wouldn't bring you to me until I moved my toes. When they told me that is what I had to do to get you I started doing everything I could think of to get my toes to wiggle. They said I did that quicker than most Moms. That is how badly I wanted you in my arms. You are still a Mama's girl and I hope you will stay that way.

This next year is going to be full of changing and growing for both of us. You are going to start Pre-school in just a month. You are going to make new friends and learn so much. You are going to learn that Mommy isn't the only one that can fix things or make it better. You will learn that you can do so much more than you ever believed. In fact, you have already learned that in a few cases. You had a dance camp where you learned so much in one week. You even learned this week how to go down and touch the bottom of the 8 ft pool. You amaze me with your swimming skills! You will do great in school! You will adjust to not having Mommy around (hopefully very quickly). You will be a leader and a follower each in its on time. Maybe you will even learn to share toys and take turns.

Your future is bright! You can be and do anything!!! You are smart, funny and adventurous (at times) you will go far. I want to teach you to believe in yourself and no that you can depend on yourself if necessary. But I also want you to know that you are not alone! You will never be alone! Your Dad and I will always be here for you as will so many other people. But the best one to lean on is our God! He will never let you down and as long as you remember to rely on Him everything will be ok. I hope that you will find something to do with your life that makes you happy! I hope that one day you will find out how wonderful and rewarding it is to be a Mommy. I hope that you find a man that will treat you like a Princess or if you don't that you will treat yourself like a Princess! Because you are a Princess. You have been telling me lately that you are my Princess - I guess that means I am the Queen woo hoo.

I love you with all my heart! As the book says I love you to the moon and back!!! Happy Birthday my darling! I hope it is full of fun and laughter.

New Born

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

This Year

One Proud Mama

Worn Out

I am so tired of all the bickering going on in my house with the 2 extra girls in it. I would like to appeal to you more experienced moms of multiple children on how you deal with it. Please share your secrets cause seriously it is driving me crazy.

I believe this morning I am going to sit them down and lay down the law. If anyone is unwilling to share and arguing follows the item will be taken away for 30 minutes and will come back to the person that requested it (as long as they requested nicely). If it happens again with the same item it will go away for the rest of the day. If they can't sit together and complain they are to close or whatever everyone will have to move. How does that sound? I don't want to be an ogre but come on can't we get along?

The younger one tends to say if you don't do "whatever" I am not going to play with you again. The older one can't decide if she wants the younger ones to play with her or leave her alone. She sends mixed signals and then gets mad if the little ones stop wanting to play with her. Anna just doesn't know how to share and thinks if someone gets something that looks fun she should get it. She is finally picking up on the take turns thing but sometimes it is still hard.

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!!!

Best Baby Back Ribs Ever

Bar-B-Que Ribs

1. Wash the ribs off
2. Put oil on your hands and rub over the ribs
3. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and a little red pepper.
4. wrap tight in foil and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours (if you are doing one rack)
5. Take out and open the top of the foil
6. The meaty part of the rib should be on top. Pour evenly your barbecue sauce of choice all over the top. We used a vidalia onion sauce and it was wonderful!!!
7. Cook for another 45 minutes or so (be sure not to burn your sauce)

This is how my mother-in-law told me to do it and I can tell you they are the best ribs ever!!!

For more great tips go HERE!

Here I am!

So I have been Absent for so long I feel like I should reintroduce myself! Hi, my name is Candace and I am about to turn 36 years old. I have a daughter that is almost 4 but really going on 16, ya know. Anyway, I have been staying at home with her for some time and loving every minute of it. She is going to be starting preschool in the fall and I am scared and nervous about that. I am hoping to start back to school then too. I am going to go to Cosmetology School if I can get everything done in time. I have to start working on that Monday. I really just wanted to do the nail technology classes but they don't offer that separate from the hair. Oh well it won't hurt to know how to do hair, right?

Anna and I have been spending the majority time of the summer in the pool. Anna has learned how to swim as good as most of the older kids. She can even swim to the bottom of the pool and how to do flips. I love watching her in the pool! Next week I get to watch her learn how to dance! She is going to a dance camp and I am praying that she will cooperate lol.

As of this past week we have started watching 2 other little girls, 6 & 8 years old. They are a lot of fun. (most of the time, lol) We are getting on great though and I am sure that the longer we are together the better it will get. Since we have been keeping them we go to the pool twice a day, lol. Anna loves having them to play with. They are teaching her how to pretend, share and how to play nicely with friends.

So that is where I am at, where are you?

Wordless Wednesday - July 4th