Monday, April 30, 2012

Dear babes...

Dear Annabelle and Emma Kate,
Can I tell you how cute I think that you are?  Can I tell you that with each diaper change, chat at the table, moments on the floor talking or building or changing the dolls diapers and talking about our day make me love you more?   Your daddy and I are so thankful to have you.  Please know that when we leave you to go on a date night that all we really talk about is the funny things that you do or how big you've become.  Sometimes, when we don't eat dinner but just sit with you guys, it's because we need an "in-house" date night.  We put you do bed and eat dinner and talk and laugh and have a date.  We do this for our family.  To make each other #1 and I will tell to do the same thing when you are married and have babes and can not babysit for you, okay?

Annabelle, you are so much like me, it makes me laugh.  I love it when we are in the car and daddy is driving and I turn around to talk to you.  I tell you something and you will say a "sentence" back to me and then I ask you something else and you give me your big smile and nod your head and say "okay".  It makes me laugh.  Or when I ask you if you understand something and you say "okay".  Girl, it's so precious!!  I can not even handle it.  I love that you are a mommas girl.  You want me.  No one else.  I love that you call Aunt Emily "Emmy", I love that you will point her out just like you do me, daddy and Emma.  You point her out without skipping a beat.  She loves you so much and I am so thankful.  We are starting potty training tomorrow.  We took you to target and you picked out your panties.  Minnie panties. I can't handle this.  We also got you all the snacks and juice that you never get to have and I'm so excited to see you react to your first Oreo.  Sweet one, you are such a good mommy to your dolls, stuffed animals, Emma and Dallas.  Dallas is never with our food or water thanks to you- you are on it!  And Emma, you feed her and try to change her diaper.  She looks up to you so much, please always remember that and be a good example to her and teach her.  She loves you so much!  She gets to excited to have your attention that she kicks you.  I'm sorry AB, she will learn soon that we go not kick each other, or pull hair!!  I love that you are so affectionate with me.  Can you start being more affectionate with your daddy, he needs it.  He wants your attention so bad, think middle school boy fighting for attention.  And he's so jealous for it also.

Emma Kate, you are so much like your daddy it freaks me out.  I love you so much!  I love your big ole' gummy smile.  Daddy and I laugh so hard when we put you to bed and we can hear you in there kicking and screeching and playing.  I love how you are so happy all the time.  I love when you "hug" me, it's so precious.  You just kick and then bury your head into me.  You then look up at me and do this over and over and over.  It melts my heart.  You are such a snuggled, you will fall asleep in my arms or in my bed, still.  I love it when you do this, your hot breath and body just feel so good against mine.  I love your little dimples of knuckles on your hands and your blond hair.  You just smile at anyone and love the attention that you get.  You are not a fan of my cooking, I hope this changes, quickly.  You love your big sister so much and are always looking for her.  If she is in the room, your eyes are on her!  You will literally belly laugh at her when she is doing nothing.  You love to jump!  The johnny jumper is your favorite and you are so happy there, I think it makes you feel included in what is going on.  Can you please hurry up and learn to sit.  You are trying to crawl, you do that funny "swimming" thing and you get so frustrated that you are not going forward.  You did, however, start to move backwards the other day.  You are just like Daddy- never met a stranger, when you are ready for bed, you are ready and will let us know!  You love him so much.  When he is home, all eyes are on him.  You watch him and make noises to get his attention.  You blink a lot like him, haha!

Girls, I love you so much and can just see us being best friends when you both are older.  What if we have boys that join our family... Lord help us!!

I love you,
Momma.

Don't forget about the giveaway... go leave some comments and win some goodies!!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Some iPhone goodies




Easter.

Breakfast, dallas supervising.


Sold the stroller before getting a new one. 






First real beach day.  It was amazing!






Don't forget about the giveaway!  Start following my blog and enter!  Please, I'll feel like the biggest internet loser if you people don't!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

A giveaway

Group giveaway

Hey friends!  We have some fun stuff to giveaway for mother's day.  Wouldn't be fun to shower your momma with some gifts or a momma you know or if you are a momma, just give it to you husband to give back to you on May 13th!

Hilary.


Hilary has a blog and creates over at Handmade by Hilary.  She makes super cute headbands, bows,  and her new signature is a big summer hat monogrammed.  Yes, please.  She can jazz up a plain onsie or bag like I have never seen.  One thing that I have learned from Hilary is that if you think that you can not pull it off, you are wrong!  She will have you styling in no time.  And don't get me started on her super cute little girl.  Hilary and I were pregnant together when we had our first babes.  I love her and her work is outstanding!  She is also an incredible seamstress and can monogram ANYTHING!  Go check out her shop and let her get you wearing feathers and monograms.  She will convert the least likely :)



Bonnie.




Bonnie blogs and over at bonnbonn boutique.  She is so creative.  We met several years ago and we both moved away from charleston.  We became better friends over Facebook and since then we have moved back to Charleston and are good friends.  She is a nurse by trade but has taken a time out to raise some super cute boys.  And they love her momma!  She writes a super cute blog about raising boys, make up and her latest crafts.  She is super creative and love Jesus.  I'm so glad to call her a friend.

Stacie.
                                                               Twitter | Blog | Etsy

Stacie blogs and creates over at bon bons and all my children.  She is a new friend to me.  We started to hang out when I moved back to Charleston.  She is one of the funniest people I know and writes about parenting and other musings along the way.  She stays at home and raises her two small children but works part time to keep her sanity.  She is an incredible cook and is obsessed with Christmas (I mean, I think she is part elf).  You can find her on instragram @staciegregory and you will not be disappointed!!  Stacie started making her sabbath in a jar and I'm slightly obsessed.  I mean you sorta want to lick yourself while exfoliating, just kidding, but seriously!

Tiffany.

Tiffany blogs and creates over at mommy sassy pants.  She is an incredible talent in crocheting and a bigger heart for adoption.  You can see her talents and about her efforts to help bring friends children home from far away lands.  She too stays at home with her little boys.  Her oldest (who is known as baby man in the internet world) is also best friends with my annabelle.  You can find them shrieking in the hallways at church or tucking each other into his big boy bed during play time.  Tiffany also makes baby blankets (if you beg enough and pay her enough, she MIGHT make you one) that are amazing and all her work is outstanding quality.  

From our home.



My husband just made (and by that I mean that, the bottle is still hot in the picture) jalepino jelly.  Oh my word.  It's so good and you will LOVE IT.  Also, I started selling Mary Kay and I'm including one of my favorite eye shadow.  If you would like to purchase some mary kay, you can email me at abbeyalden at gmail dot com and I would love to help you will all your skin care needs.


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I will pick a winner on May 3rd.

Good luck!


Monday, April 23, 2012

Jesus baggage

Were you raised in the church?  I was.  And until Jr. high, now called middle school (what's up with that??), I knew that Jesus loved me and by asking him to come and live in my heart, that I would go to heaven.  Plan and simple.  I knew that he had saved me, but from what?  Swearing at the pool, like the cool kids did.  Or thinking mean thoughts?  Or being disrespectful to my mom or dad?  Or lying once in a while?  Or hitting my sister?

Then, in middle school we went to a christian school that was also a church.  Does that make sense?  A church that started a school.  They were suppose to be different, there was SUPPOSE to be separation of church and school- ha!  Church doctrine was not suppose to spill over into the education side.  Yeah, right.  Now, I will say this.  The education was different and I will save my opinions of christian education for later.  There is enough to write a book about it.  But I will tell you this:

When your parents pour their hearts and souls into their children, they flood them with truth, their version of the truth.  What they believe to be their interpretation of the gospel is, it becomes truth to their children. It's beautiful.  It's what I pray we do with our girls and future Robertson children.

This church-school that we attended for 2 short years has had a profound effect on my walk with the Lord.  I mean years of searching and praying for, what I now to FULLY believe as not truth.  I saw phony like I have never seen it.  I really struggle with not judging people at church, especially women (thankfully, I have an incredible group of women at my church now and I can say that I am on the road to recovery as a reformed women hater!!).

They believe(d) you can lose your salvation.  I can not tell you how many times that I have asked the Lord to be my savior OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!  Maybe if I hadn't had some quiet time with Him in a while or hadn't prayed if a while.  Ridiculous I know.  He is more concerned with me than I am and more interested in my future than I could possible dream of.

During worship time at the church, some women would "talk in tongues" or become "slan in the spirit".  I'm sorry, but that is some scary stuff, especially when your home church barely claps during worship and NO ONE raises their hands!!  *side note, one of my good friends does talk in tongues, or a prayer language.  When I was preggo with AB, I asked her to pray for me about some fear and as she was, she used her prayer language and I almost gave birth right there I was so freaked out.  I actually had to talk to her about it so I could still think she was normal!  haha!!

They would yell during the sermon.  I hate yelling and it does nothing but make me uncomfortable.  You can talk calmly and still get your point across and conviction can still happen.  Amen?  Amen.

It was never said, but definenintly the culture, if you didn't raise your hands during worship and cry, then there wasn't conviction or you just were not holy enough.  I remember almost feeling like I had to ball my eyes out every time during worship over something that happened.  Like I didn't clean my room like my mom asked and therefore I need to repent and cry so hard my whole face turned red.

Fast forward, 15 years.  And here I am, still working on all these lies that have haunted me for what seems like an eternity.  I have finally surrendered about losing my salvation and am in the camp of "once saved, always saved".  I have peace with my eternal destination.  Speaking in tongues freaks me out and I am only okay with my said friend using it around me.  I think that if Frank ever did it, I might sleep on the couch.  Just kidding, but seriously.  I go to a church of non-yellers.  Instead, he is sarcastic and I love it.  He gets his point across calmly and gives me things to think about throughout the week.  Some people raise their hands, some don't.  I sometimes do and sometimes I don't.  No one judges you either way and doing it doesn't make you any more holy than the ones that do.

I attend this amazing women's ministry, sisterhood, and we started a series called "the life study" formally cleansing stream.  This last week, Geoff talked about finding life.  Amazing.  I got it.  He talked about salvation not just being a "get out of hell card".  But why we need it and what it means.  I was floored.  I was telling my friend on the way home that there isn't much that I haven't heard, being raised in the church.  This was the first time that I have heard this!!!!!!

We are all lost; Salvation in healing, restoration and forgiveness.  It's sozo; the save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger/ destruction, to save a suffering one from perishing, to make well, heal and restore to health


Oh my word.  I was just floored.  I got it.  How much my heart needs to be kept safe from danger/destruction.  How my physical needs need to be met.  And on and on and on.  I have not stopped trying to wrap my brain around this for the last few days.

Lastly, this video is absolutely hysterical.  And it's true and this is why I really have not liked church women for a while.  I mean until the last year or so.  I just found them to be so phony and a little too bible thumper for me.  Please laugh as hard as I did.  And if, for whatever reason, you thought that I was like this, I'm sorry.

Happy Monday!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Groove

Do you ever feel like you lost your groove after a life altering situation?  I felt like I totally lost mine after I got married and then after each child was born.  Like needed list of lists to make and then reminders and post it notes on the door and keys in the fridge so I don't forget something.  Forget about being somewhere on time, or even going.  I would cancel all the time after Annabelle was born.
Well, 7 months into having Emma Kate with us and I feel like we are in a groove.  We can be somewhere somewhat on time, I rarely cancel and I don't forget much that should be in the diaper bag.  We are mostly bathed before we leave and I do laundry on somewhat regular basis, so we don't stink, most of the time.  Hair bows and shoes are bonus points in my book.

This weekend Carson got married.  I was a bridesmaid and AB and EK were flower girls.  We didn't leave Charleston on time, so we missed most of the rehearsal.  I changed from yoga pants into a cocktail dress while care bears was blaring from the DVD player and frank was flying up 77.  When we got to the church, Frank and I threw girls into their dresses and she helped me get them in there (he was still in jeans, gasp!!).  No diaper covers or hair bows or shoes.  FAIL.
Wedding day:
Frank is in charge of the girls so that I can come and go and do the sister/bridesmaid thing.  I packed everything when we left and had it all in one bag, or so I thought.
Things I forgot:

  • Purple hair bows I begged my friend to make for the girls (so they would match Carson's wedding colors), couldn't find them in the disaster of a van.
  • Sashes that went on the dresses
  • Iron the dress from being washed after Katie's wedding and the BBQ sauce fiasco.
  • Diaper covers for both girls
  • Shoes, for both girls.  AB wore her pink leather sandals that are super cute BUT NOT flower girl cute
  • Iron Frank's pants, or at least tell him to iron them.  Don't judge me, he was in the military and can iron better than your momma!
  • Appropriate underwear for me... hello pantie lines.
  • Wine.  To survive my big fat mom/wife failure.
Oh and to top it all off, AB would have NOTHING to do with riding in the wagon.  She loves that thing and wants to play in it non-stop.  But when it was go time, she wanted nothing to do with it.  I walked her down the aisle with me. No, I carried her.  She wouldn't even walk.  Emma Kate on the other hand, totally ate up being the center of attention and gave everyone her big gummy smile.
Frank was at the end of the aisle waiting on us and we got them out of there.  I'm sorry, if you have a child that is not old enough to be bribed for good behavior, they should not be at a wedding.  I WILL judge you for you disruptive child.  And by disruptive, I mean more than a sneeze.

Other than the Robertson's being a big mess, it was an incredible wedding!  It was so classy and the food was to die for.  They are headed for their honeymoon and I am so excited for their bright future!  I will post picture once they come in!!

Happy Tuesday friends!

Oh, and will you take 2 seconds and vote for us?

Monday, April 16, 2012

Adoption...

Hey friends,
I know you guys have big hearts, at least you should :)  My friend jessica is doing a HUGE giveaway right now and some other fundraising things on her blog right now to raise money for their adoption.  They are adopting a little girl from China and there is so much that they can and can not do.  Please check her blog out and be inspired by this amazing women who is literally working her tail off to get her little girl home.
*Side note, we were at a birthday party together and Jessica went and sat down so she could keep up with all her nest necklaces.

I have a bird nest necklace and LOVE it!!  It is so well made and love having it hang around my neck.  She is selling them for just $15 but that is just a suggestion.  I told her she should be charging $50!
Here is mine:


Please go and check her out and give that sweet family some loving!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Mary Kay Thursday

So, I think that I mentioned it before, but I started my own business, selling Mary Kay.  Frank and I started going to this event at our church called "married life" and met this couple.  Mary Beth, the wife, and I hit it off.  Turns out I went to high school with her son.  Tony, the husband, and Frank hit it off.  They are the sweetest couple and am so thankful to have them our lives.

Mary Beth asked me if she could do a makeover for me for valentines day, I reluctantly agreed.  She came over, she taught me how to put on make up.  I'm so embarrassed to admit it, I am 29 and didn't know how to put on makeup and it look good.  She started with my "everyday" look and then we added date night on top.  Can I tell you, I looked AWESOME!  When Frank came home, he went to the bathroom and primped for 10 minutes, the girls and I were sitting in the car waiting on him.

Later she approached me, she had me hooked... I had to sell this.  I had to teach women.  I had to let them feel what I felt that night, pretty.



So the bag came.  I was so nervous.  Mary Beth then talked my into going to Charlotte for the career conference.  She said that we would get products in exchange for the cost.  FREE products, she knew I was a sucker!  So we got there, you can read about that here.
The botanical line is new and it is amazing!  I love it!  I feel like my face just took a deep breath.  I have had some random um, imperfections, come out, but I feel like it's that my face hasn't been totally clean from previous products and the junk is coming out.  Here is what I use:

The botanicals line.

Amazing.  There is 4 products that work as a team.  The cleanser, the mask, toner and then the lotion.  Wow.  My skin feels so good and apparently looks amazing too.  People have been commenting on how good it looks.  I guess Mary Kay did know a thing or two about skin care.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Friday, April 6, 2012

Late night Good Friday thoughts

Today is one of the saddest days.  You know the story, so I won't go into it.  But here is a song that makes me super thankful to Him.  That on this horrific day many years ago, He did it for me.



It's only Friday, Sunday is coming!

Birthing...

I have some thoughts i need to share.  Thoughts that are quite controversial and may stir up some emotion.  Bear with me as I process these thoughts.  I am in no way trying to debate, they are just my personal thoughts.

Birthing:
While I think that home births are amazing and women can birth how they want and they actually call the shots, it may not be the safest way.  I mean, what about all the deaths in the family way back when that women died from childbirth.  My great great grandmother died giving birth, at home in her bed.  Her husband moved his toddler and newborn in with his sister to raise them.
What about my friend that had some SERIOUS complications and almost died after birth from internal bleeding and was about to have a hysterectomy?  Praise the Lord, seriously, that she was in the care of her Dr. and in the hospital and they intervined and gave her blood transfusions.  Thank God, they were able to do ultrasounds to make sure that her uterus had stopped bleeder and had clotted just right, or they would have taken it.  She's 27.
What about my friend who gave birth and her babe was having trouble breathing and spend the first week in the NICU on a breathing tube?
What about my friend who's babe is STILL in the NICU and is now 6 weeks old fighting for his life.
These friends are not friend of a friend ladies.  These women are my best friends.  One is a good friend of my husbands (you know, those weirdo's that smoke cigars together!!)

What about them?!?  They were under some of the best care in our area, and their babes were in the best NICU around!  THey didn't know that they were high risk during utero.  If fact, 2 of those three women would be ideal candidates for home births.  The other would even be idea for a vbac.  They didn't know what was coming or that the ya-ya clan would be formed because of them (don't ask, it's another post in and of itself).


Hospital births are amazing also.  I gave birth to both my girls in a hospital with a epidural both times.  It was truly amazing bring life into this world.  
I do not feel that I missed out on or was deprived of "not feeling it".  I felt it alright.  And it was not pleasant, thank you Eve.


What I'm saying is, why do SOME women act like they are self righteous about home birthing or all natural?  Does it give them some right to act like they get a bigger badge of metal?  Have you seen a women recover form a c-section, they are the ones that need a metal of courage especially if they have babes at home already... no lifting for weeks!

My point is this.  Don't act like you are the only women on the planet that has given birth, been preggo or had morning sickness.  There is more than one way to give birth and if you did give birth in your living room, you are no better than nor a better mother than the one that gave birth on an operating room table.

Later this week, if I get enough courage, my thoughts on:

  • vaccinations
  • breast feeding
  • cloth diapering
Happy Friday.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

An update from the real world...

I told you that i started selling Mary Kay.  I showed you what my living room looked like.

At the Mary Kay conference, there were somethings that really got me.  One of which, if you do not have room in your life, make room.  Ouch.  My house is so crowded.  When we moved here, we thought we were buying a home, I told you that story.  So when we packed up, I didn't clean out really.  I thought I would do it when we moved into our newly purchased home (which btw, is still for sale and the price has dropped $25k.  No, I didn't mistype that!!).

Mary Beth (my fearless Mary Kay leader and now good friend) and I were talking about what was on my heart and what I had learned.  She brought some boxes over and we started.  It took us about an hour and a half, maybe 2.  And this is what we got done.




Please ignore the laundry pile that has not gotten smaller than the other day.  My hopes and prayers that there really is a laundry fairy is crashing in on me and I'm sad.

Oh, you forgot how bad it was, okay, here is what it looked like earlier this week.  I got the laundry folded and put away, it was all the clutter that needed to be dealt with!

While MB was working her fingers off on the book case, I worked on the coat closet and it's amazing!!

Happy Thursday!



Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Wordless Wednesday



Egg necklace, you can get it here


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Keeping it real...

Sometimes, we as momma's, women, wives (whatever your role is) think that other women have it together and their house is perfect and their children are always perfectly behaved.  I just want to tell you that this is what my living room looks like this morning.  I already straightened up the floor and it took forever... AB is into the mommy thing and likes to do all things momma to her dolls and Emma is not off limits, to her.

I'm off to tackle this 5 loads of laundry waiting on me and the huge pile in the far right corner, those need to be washed.

Happy Tuesday.


Sunday, April 1, 2012

Emma Kate

Lately, this little lady has been a hoot.  Her little personality has just been making it's debut one day at a time.  I must say that she is way more mellow than Annabelle ever was and most likely will ever be!  Emma Kate just laughs at all the time and just likes to be held.  Last night was a first, she just wanted me. I was frustrated at first because I was trying to get some things done for a party, but stopped myself to remember that I will NEVER have baby Emma back.  Instant attitude adjustment and apology to the little lady was made.

A few weeks ago, I took this video.  It is Emma Kate laughing at Annabelle.  Annabelle is never doing anything but some how Emma will get so tickled.  Please ignore my super annoying voice, I was just laughing so hard at the two of them.
Enjoy!!

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