a new week...

well its summer around here and things are a changin'. Tuesday and Wednesday were my last days with Hallie and Chase. Im pretty sure Kennedy is going to be sad about this. She really loves playing with them. This is what my tue. and wed. looked likedif you are wondering, that is a chocolate donut in Chase's teeth...it was my last day =) I want him to remember me being a fun cool babysitter =)

It was pretty crazy, juggling these two, my own baby, and two other girls when they got out of school, but it got done, and now, its time for a little break, and I am welcoming it.

I hope to get some relaxing afternoons around here this week. Last week just seemed crazy. I was always trying to get something done, or accomplished, or an errand ran. I was able to get most things checked off the list, but ill probably add 10 more things this week. How does that always happen? I think I just want to be a domestic goddess or something. That would require having it all together, which I dont. Tonight, I realized I forgot to plant my flowers and I really wanted to get them in the pot and watered but I had just gotten out of the shower and put my pj's on. Pj's being a somewhat short dress type thing. Not really what I should be out in the backyard planting flowers in. Im hoping no neighbors saw me. I need a vacation basically from all the hectic stuff that usually goes on. Or maybe even a date night. We did finally have a relaxing night at home tho, with a rented movie and some leftovers. romantic huh? We finally got to see Slumdog Millionaire, and I gotta say, it was even better than I thought it would be.

Our weekend was very jam packed with sunny days, that were beautiful, but nothing takes it out of me like being out in the sun. Not to mention that it has been CRAZY around here with my crawling girl...so off to bed for this tired momma. Hope the weekend was great for y'all!

where the Princess sleeps =)

so one of the MANY blogs I read is Kelly's. She is doing a little Home Tour every Friday, and I havent really participated but I thought I would this week because its Nurseries, and I JUST redid a bunch of stuff in Kennedy's nursery. If you want to see the way it looked before, you can go check it out here. While I liked it just fine, i wanted to spruce it up a bit more. I was never completely satisfied with it. However, I didnt want to spend any money either. So I just worked with what I had, and maybe spent about $5 for a couple things.


So this is mainly what you see when you walk in. I just love her birdie bedding. Justin's mom bought it for us and we are so grateful bc its adorable! i just love birdies =) I wanted her room to be girly and babyish but not like super baby cheesy. i thought this fit the bill!
her bookshelf and ALLLLL the books, mostly bought by her Nanny. Above her bookshelf you will notice her birdie painting that I did when I was pregnant. Well, at first I thought, less is more, but then I thought, nah, MORE is MORE! and so I added more elements from her bedding to it this past week. I just used paints I already had, so it cost me nothing to redo it!

Before:

After:

Just so you know, I stole inspiration from Kim over at Endless Possibilities. She is much more talented than I, but I try and fake it.

Next up, her many stuffed animals. Why does a kid need so many stuffed animals?? Answer, they dont, but for some reason, they accumulate a TON!

this is where the bitnez goes down, you know...

Ok, well i wanted to highlight this little picture because a family friend, Anne, made this for us. I absolutely love her work. If you want to go check out her stuff just click here Eli Silas Designs. She makes original artwork or a frame for your own picture.

finally, I changed how I had Kennedy's name up on the wall. I just wanted it on a shelf. This is a really lightweight wood looking shelf. I like that its not a big super heavy wooden one, just in case it decides to fall (IT WONT) its nice and sturdy up there. This is what you bought from Hob Lob mom =) love me, nk? Also, i bought those frames at Ikea for just $3, not each, TOGETHER. I heart Ikea =) then I just put a verse in the middle frame, and voila! I like it much better now =) everything may not be level, but im not a perfectionist, so i eyeball everything.
oh yea, and her armoire. no big woop. and of course the bow holder I slaved over, and love =)

well, that concludes the friday home tour. sorry I didnt participate earlier kelly. Im a slacker, and I wont be doing it next week because our home office, is our dining room

Thanks for visiting my crib!!!

Jesus Christ is the GREATEST thing to EVER live for

When we were at the Orange Conference, we heard a lot of great speakers and there were so many statements that stuck with me. Im pretty positive that it was Francis Chan that said the words, "Jesus Christ is the greatest thing to ever live for." Those words have resonated in my heart and mind for weeks now. When Im walking Fred I look at all the people I pass and wonder who they are, what they do, what do THEY live for?

On Memorial Day, I thought about this again. We were remembering the men and women who gave their lives defending our rights and remembering their patriotism and service to this country. What an honorable way to live and die.

I later thought about the tons of people I know that are great parents or great friends and would do anything for those that they love. While your country, your family, your passion for what you do in life, are all great things to live for, the fact remains that, JESUS CHRIST IS THE GREATEST THING TO EVER LIVE FOR.

What are we living for? What am I living for? When I die, will all they talk about is how greatly I raised my children. How awesome of a friend I was. Or when a soldier dies, will the accomplishments, and the medals and awards received, the places theyve been, the wars they fought in...will that count in eternity if God was absent in them through it all?

God has had this HUGE story that started even before Adam and Eve, and after our story ends, His keeps going. So, why wouldnt I want to play a role in THAT story? The creator of the ENTIRE universe has given us the free will to choose to work with Him, so what are we waiting for?

I love my daughter SO very much, but ever since having her, I have to say, I am losing touch with a lot of stuff. Its hard to take care of my basic needs like showers and eating, let alone work on talking to God to see what or who out there He is pointing me towards to serve or take care of.

I know this is sort of a different post aside from the Kennedy updates and what not, but I just needed to put all this down so that I can remember to tell myself this everyday, or else, ill find myself living for something else. I just think that if you can grasp that statement, and find it true in your life...if EVERY Christian could actually live their life as though that statement is true for them, things might ACTUALLY change.

injustice might actually cease
the battles you choose to fight each day may all of a sudden seem trivial
we will be better stewards of what God has given us
we may finally learn to LOVE people the way God wants us to, bc selfishness will disappear

If we live for the one who saved us, we would be freed of all the things that dont matter, and able to live to make a change. To make this earth what God intended it to be.

On Sundays, Im in the KidZone at church, singing and acting a fool with all the kiddos. The story time this week was about Adam and Eve and when they ate from the tree. One little girl raised her hand and asked why God put the tree there if He didnt want them to eat from it. I was amazed at this for some reason. How do you explain that to a little kid. Then I thought, its simple really. God gave us free will, the choice to choose to listen to Him and what He wants from us, or to act selfishly and satisfy our own desires, and disobey. He wanted US to choose for OURSELVES, to live for Him.

What am I living for?
What are YOU living for?

Im no writer, and I know this may seem all over the place, but I hope it makes you ask yourself if we are all living selfishly. Is it crazy to think that maybe we could do more? Everytime I tell Justin I feel like Im not doing enough for people, he always tells me that I cant help everyone, I cant make everyones issues personal. But what if I could? Maybe I dont want to be normalized by the American society that tells me to have a house and two cars and raise perfect kids in great schools and send them off to awesome colleges. Maybe I want to live radically, and give more than I keep, and raise my kids in the bush, and help them to see that the world is bigger than Merwin Avenue. That there are bigger problems than your iphone not working correctly, or the fact that they are all out scones at Starbucks.

People are suffering, they are hurting, they are dying of ridiculous causes. I send $38 a month to Billy in Haiti so that he can eat and go to school. Do you know how much I spend on clothes for KP? I dont even know, but its a lot more than that. My daughter has more than any of those kids could ever dream of, how come she should have so much more than them? I dont want her growing up thinking that its ok to have so much more than another child that didnt even bring that sort of depravity on themselves. I want her, to instead of thinking that she gives 38 and keeps 1000, to give 1000 and keep 38. I mean, isnt that what Christ did? He was sitting in Heaven, in absolute perfection, and he came to earth, the sinful earth, where he was ridiculed and eventually killed. He definitely didnt keep more than he gave. He gave a significant amount more than he kept.

How come its so hard to live out a life of love the way Christ did. A life of sacrifice...I know we are human and are prone to our human nature, but we are also the embodiment of Christ, with the Spirit of the Living God inside of us. We are supposed to be Christ to the hurting, the orphans and the widows, to reach out to the lost.

My dilemma...I FEEL all of this, but I STINK at acting on it like I should and so basically I feel like a hypocrite. I just want to be able to say and for others to be able to say that JILL LIVES FOR JESUS CHRIST. Not in a comfortable way. In a daily way. In a radical way.

Well I have a mission, now I just need a strategy

SO much SO fast and WAY too soon

Man I went a lot of days with NO posts! Im just so lazy i guess. Its SO very hard to get the camera cord out of the drawer and upload my pictures you know.

Well it has been very crazy around here. In a matter of ONE WEEK! my daughter has learned to sit herself back up to her little booty (which makes putting her "down" for a nap doesnt work because she can just sit right back up), AND pull herself up to her feet, AND wave bye bye, AAANNNNDDDD CRAWL!!!!! How does all of that happen in just seven short days??!?!?!?!! What is happening to my itty bitty baby? Why is she getting so big so fast. I just want her to snuggle with me and go to sleep on me, like the good ole days. Now if I try to snuggle she wants down to crawl! She does love me though. When I put her down she crawls to me and then pulls herself up into my lap, because we are in love, and we like to be together =) She really is SUCH a momma's girl. Even if I am standing RIGHT THERE and Justin is holding her, if she is sad, she just reaches for me. It makes me feel so special, but it worries me a lil as well.

Also, Im wanting to get her a little swimmy float to hang out in when we go to the pool. There a couple different kinds and i wasnt sure if any of you mom's out there, or not mom's (ill take any advice!) knew if there is one better than another. They have the kind that are like a float and you blow up, and then there is the netting type one. Im thinking I want one with a little canopy as to keep the sun of my sweet lil babies bald head, right? Other than that, I dont know if one is just way better/cooler than another.


Ill get some videos on the VLOG soon of her crawling and pulling herself up. For now there is just one of her playing in the mirror and waving at herself =)oh, and I promised my mom that I would post a link for my Aunt about their father, my granddaddy. Here it is Aunt Jo! http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/the_bonus/04/14/deadly.baseballs/index.html

Terrific Tuesday

Its another GORGEOUS day here in Cincinnati. How can I be sad or stressed with so much sunshine and warmth? I am still sickly but Im getting better. My lil nose is quite sore tho and very red from all the blowing. After my shower last night I put on some moisturizer and almost cried bc it was stinging on my nose SO badly =( I know, you feel so bad for me huh. Enough pity party

Well I know Im her mother, but she is just the cutest little thing right?
I like to post pictures of Kennedy and caption what i think she is saying. The conversation that this picture speaks to me goes a little something like this
Mommy: Kennedy, are you just the prettiest girl ever
Kennedy: Why yes Mommy, I am (as she batts her big blue eyes at me)

Also, mom, my mom, that is, what was going on in your head when you saved this 25 years ago to be worn in the 21st century? When I found this little dress I laughed out loud. Then I put it on her, and she is cute, no matter what, but seriously, what is it? Is it a dress, a laderhosen(sp?) an apron? Im confused.


Well I must get back to Dancing with the Stars, i missed it last night AND 24. DirecTV I am disappointed with your "interruption" of my monday night television.

the Weekend in Pictures

We had a jam packed weekend, and while it was fun, it was exhausting, and I was pretty nasty sick the whole time. Oh joy...

Well I am still sicky and since the baby is napping and I still feel nasty, I wont be writing a whole lot. Let's be honest though, dont you mostly just check out the pictures anyway??? So its easier to just show you what we did this weekend.

Friday, my good friend from college, Danielle, and her husband were in town for a wedding for Len's family. Danielle and I were able to hang out which was so great bc I rarely see her anymore. We were at the place in life where we all only see each other back home, when people get married. Well basically all of our mutual friends are married, so now we dont get together as much. Plus, babies are popping out, and that sorta makes traveling to and from FL not as likely anymore. We were glad to have the chance to hang out, and Im so glad Kennedy and Danielle were able to meet. im pretty sure Kennedy LOVED Danielle. She was always so happy when she was holding her. Thanks for having lunch with me and for bringing Len over for dinner. It was great to see you guys!

Well on Saturday we had another 1st Birthday Party. Im pretty positive this is more for the parents than the child, but they are fun anyway! Here is Kennedy playing with the birthday girl, Claire

the bubbles really mesmerize her

Oh yes, and I was able to hang out with my friend Haley's little boy, Gunnar. Is he not the sweetest little thing you've ever seen. I just love him! It's so funny having a boy around, there have been so many girls. He is going to have his pick...So after the party we were supposed to make it to a graduation, but we were so late that we decided not to go. Probably best for me though, I really was nasty, with no voice and starting to dwindle. We went home and rested a bit before we headed out again to another friends house to hang out with our small group friends. It was a fun night with the boys playing basketball and the girls playing Apples to Apples. I do have to say though that when we got home, I went straight to sleep and slept SO great. I love a good full fun day, but Im becoming a homebody. And I should probably go to sleep right now. Pray I get better soon please.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Baby Food Experiment

Well I finally got around to trying out the whole homemade baby food thing. Im happy to say, it was SO easy, and WAY cheaper! I would recommend trying it to anyone who would want to save a couple bucks...or 40 bucks =)

So here is a breakdown of what I bought, did, tried, etc.

I went to Whole Foods and got a bunch of organic fruits and veggies. I figure if Im going to be making it and saving money anyways, I may as well buy organic. I wasnt buying Gerber's organic bc it was about 90 cents more, and times that by the amount of things I buy, and Id be spending like $12 more a month of the food, so I always just bought the plain ole stuff. I bought sweet potatoes, strawberries, carrots and bananas. For the hard fruits and veggies, like the potatoes and carrots, you just peel them, cut them up, and then boil them until they are nice and soft. Then I put them in the food processor ( I think you can use a blender too, but I had this already so it was perfect!) You can add a little water to make it as runny as you would like. Then I just put them in the little cubes or ice cube trays. If you are going to be using it in the next 2 days, you can put it in the fridge. For the bananas, you just cut it and put in the processor. No fuss for those. I washed some strawberries and threw them in too for some Strawberry Banana. It was seriously easy.

Ok, so I spent $7 my first trip to the grocery. I made enough food for 8 days. Normally, I would have spent $16, so I saved $9! IN the course of a month, I could save about $40.

I am going to go get some squash, blueberries, and whatever else looks good. I like to get enough to make for a whole week so I can just do it on Sundays and then Im set for the week. oh, and a friend gave me a website too if you want to check it out. www.wholesomebabyfood.com Im doing pretty plain and one or two ingredient stuff right now, but down the road, if she gets bored with what Im making, this site will help me mix it up a bit

Well, thats a wrap for my experiment that was a hit, and I will definitely continue doing this. Sorry for those of you who could care LESS about making baby food, but I had so many people asking me how I was doing it, so this way, you all know now =)

My Sweet Seven Month Old

I almost forgot to take some pictures of KP Wednesday, but right after her bath and before i got her in bed, I remembered! So here is my sweet girl with her long legs and big smile =) on her 7 month birthday =)


So my baby food ventures are going quite well. Ill have to give you a little update tomorrow on my progress and all that I have done. Its not that big of a deal but I am quite excited about it!

and one last picture of kennedy with her bunny from Nana. she really loves it! more on her love of Mr. Bunny on the VLOG!

watermelon butt/watermelon crawl

you probably think that by the title of this blog post, i am speaking about myself, but no no, not me. however, i do describe my backside using similar massive objects. losing the baby weight has not been easy, especially with my lack of trying =) but i AM trying now. it was winter, too cold to work out, but now with the nice weather, i really have no excuse to not go for a nice jog, so im attempting a healthier lifestyle.

so, onto the watermelon butt i mentioned...hello my name is Kennedy, and i am incredibly adorable =)

she is quite the model, with her little poses and all. ha! i love it!

this is kennedy's little spin on the "hit" country song The Watermelon Crawl =)

she is so close which is CRAZY bc im not ready for such a mobile baby. she isnt even 7 months yet, its too early!

oh, and here is a little picture of our sweet baby eating. she has this new thing where she likes to rub her face in the middle of her meal and continue to rub the food thats on her hand and arm all over her face, like so...
we love her. can you tell?

a happy FIRST mother's day!

well yesterday was my first mother's day, and it was so fantastic. kennedy and I went to church all matchy matchy. I thought it was cute =) are you proud christi? i figured that she wouldnt always be cool matching her mom, so I should take advantage of the time when she has no say, for she has no words =)

so after church we came home and took some pictures and then I opened up my presents. Justin did a great job getting me sweet "mommy" gifts. I LOVE my new diaper bag. I have never been a vera bradley carrier. I always said that they look like diaper bags. well this one IS a diaper bag, and I love how functional it is. all the pockets and the liner...its PERFECT.

I also love my necklace. It has kennedy's name and birthdate and a bead that is pink because her birthstone is that pink one. I dont even know the name of it. anyway, i can add to it and have more nametags and beads on there! i love it! you can really see it up close if you click on the picture at the end of the post.

my favorite thing was my sweet card from my husband. it made me smile and cry. he is pretty good with the sweet talk =)
afterwards, we went to eat at one of my favorite places, Mimi's Cafe. Its so very delicious =) then we came home so Kennedy could take a little nap, and Fred and I took a walk. We ended the night eating popcorn and watching Zoolander. My pick =) I just wanted to watch something fun and then get in bed bc I was super tired after that long day.

It was a wonderful mother's day and I was very proud to be a mommy and to be Kennedy's mommy. It's pretty easy to be her mom, she is so sweet and loveable

well i will leave you with yet another reenactment. not one of my old outfits on kennedy, but a kodak moment repeat. here is me and my mom on our first mothers day together. apparently its a tradition that you wear red flowers if your mother is alive, and white if she has passed.

and here is kennedy and i with our little flowers on our first mother's day. hope you enjoy this nanny!

oh, and here is a picture of my new super cute shoes
it was a wonderful first mother's day and I am so thankful for my incredible mom, my amazing mother in law, and for my daughter, for making me a mom=)

6 month pictures

so while in Pensacola for only two days, we met up with my very good friend Tara. She was literally flying out to vegas an hour after taking these pictures and was so sweet to spend her last hours in Pensacola working with us. I really do have such amazing friends with the sweetest hearts and Tara is so wonderful to have done this! WE LOVE THEM TARA! Tara's blog is linked on the right if you want to check out all her amazing work

So, onto my faves from the morning.

a whole lot of firsts

So I guess once I didnt blog for a couple days, it was just easier to continue to not update. Before I knew it, I was so overwhelmed with everything to catch everyone up on that I didnt want to just sit down and do it. Sorry for my laziness =) Now im back in the swing of things and promise to update better.

Well, I was looking at my iphoto to see what I had taken pictures of. This helps me to remember what has been happening. That's why I take soooo many pictures, I would forget everything I did if I didnt have documentation...So while looking at the pictures I realized that Kennedy has been doing a lot of new things.

She had her first Graeter's ice cream experience

Her first time "swimming" in her little bathing suit. We were going to get in the actual pool, but it was a little chilly, maybe on our next FL trip. She liked the kiddie pool tho

Her first pedicure...she didnt actually get one. I cant get her to keep her little feet still. I just want to paint her toe nails!!!

Her first baseball game, little league anyway. We were there watching her cousin Ben play

and her first hotel experience. This picture was just too cute, I needed to share it!


also, I just posted a new video so if you are a vlog member go check that out