Why can't I find enough time?

I catch myself asking the question "Why can't I find enough time" everyday! I still haven't figured out the answer, and I've come to the conclusion that I probably never will. There is never enough time in the day for me to spend enough time with my growing toddler! I always feel guilty that I have to send him to daycare throughout the week while I go sit at a desk and stare at a computer screen, while dealing with grown-ups that act worse than my 2 year old! This is something that weighs heavily on my mind. I pray that Noah will one day realize that mommy would do anything to be able to stay at home with him. I hate that when I get home from work in the evenings it only leaves me about 3 hours to spend time with him. Most of that time is fixing dinner, and getting ready for bed too. I will just continue trying to do the best I can at making up for our lost time during the week on the weekends like I have been.

I want to apologize to everyone that follows our blog for not posting one in a long time. I honestly want to post a blog all the time, but I just can't get myself to take time away from spending it with Noah to post one. He is taking a nap right now, or I wouldn't even be able to post this one. I hope everyone understands.

A lot of things have happened since I posted the last blog. We would like to wish our niece Layken Moss a Happy belated birthday that she celebrated on July 4th! We hope you got your card and gift ok:) She is growing up so fast, and we all miss her greatly!

We can't wait to see you again! Noah got to go to his first wedding on July 16th! My youngest cousin Robbie got married to his wonderful wife Mallori:) It was a beautiful wedding, and we all had a great time. We were very excited to officially welcome Mallori into our crazy family! Curtis was the pastor for their ceremony and he did great! As always, I was very proud of him:) Noah did great, and actually surprised me and his daddy by doing some break dancing moves at the reception. We don't know where he learned how to do them, but it was very cute! If he is anything like his mommy, he will love to dance:) Robbie has always been my little brother at heart, so it was a very joyous day for us all!
We also got a special visit from Noah's Nana and Pop a couple of weekends ago:) Noah had a blast with them while they were here. He wouldn't say Nana at all before they arrived, but after they were here a day with us, he started calling her Nana or Nanny:) He will still come up to me and ask me where his Pop and Nanny are! Very cute:) We will be going to visit them in October this year on Curtis' fall break for a weekend since we won't be able to spend Thanksgiving with them this year. We are looking forward to when we get to see them again. Who knows, maybe they will come and visit us again before we go there to see them. We would also like to wish our Niece Autumn a Happy Belated Birthday as well. Her birthday was August 2nd, and we got a phone call from her today leaving us a message that she liked her birthday gift we got her:) She is getting so big, and I can't believe that when I first started dating Curtis, she was still in her mommy's belly! We can't wait to see her again as well:) I hate that I'm always late at sending out cards/gifts, but I hope everyone knows that my heart is in the right place. I also hope everyone knows that I'm thinking of them even though I may not get things sent out on time.

Before I put an end to this past due blog... I know everyone is wanting an update on Noah:) Well, I had to take him to the Doctor Thursday because he was up all night Wednesday fussing. I knew something was wrong with him, but I didn't know for sure what it was. I first thought it was his stomach bothering him, but then when I saw him holding his ear, I knew what it probably was. Yep, he has a very bad ear infection in his left ear! The Doctor said it looked horrible, and he didn't know how my poor little guy was bearing the pain. Do you know what that felt like to me? I wanted to just take all the pain away from him, but I couldn't! I kept him home from daycare on Friday too so he could get some extra love and attention that he needed. I'm giving him an antibiotic and numbing ear drops twice a day. He cries badly when I give him the drops, but you can tell once he calms down that it's a sense of relief that comes over him. He still has a snotty green nose from the infection, but it's slowly getting better each day. Well he is starting to wake up now, so I'm going to end this blog.

Talk to you all soon!

Day Out With Thomas 2011

Sunday Noah got to go spend the day with his favorite "Choo Choo" of all time, Thomas! He was one very happy little boy the entire day. I know that the pictures don't really show how happy he was, but he was concentrating in a lot of them, and the sun was shining in his little eyes a lot. I promise you that he was very happy! He did very good, and didn't cry at all:)

I was worried that he may be too young for this event, but I'm so glad that I went with my gut feeling and took him. He wasn't too young at all, and he had a blast riding on the Thomas train, and playing with all the cool stuff they had there for the kids.

When we arrived at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, KY, we checked in to begin our exciting day with Thomas. We started out by watching a magic act for the kids that Noah enjoyed for about 15 minutes, and then he was done with that part. I don't blame him, because that was more for the older kids in my opinion. Our train ride on Thomas was at 12:20, so we didn't have to wait to long before boarding the train. When we first got on the train and were waiting for it to start moving, I don't think Noah understood that we were on a train. Once we started moving, he got excited and said "choo choo". They had some Thomas songs playing over the speakers during the ride, so that was cute for the kids. I never thought I would be the mom that would sit there and sing "Thomas songs", but I'm actually proud to say I am! I have always been so shy, but it's amazing how having a kid helps get you out of that shell some. When I was singing them to him, I didn't care who could hear me, because it was making my little boy smile:) The train ride was just long enough, because all the kids started getting a little restless at the very end of the ride. I think that was Noah's favorite part of the day, along with mommy and daddy's favorite:) It was a first for Noah getting to ride on a train, and even though mommy and daddy are a lot older, it was our first too! Very fun!

After our train ride we were able to get our pictures made in front of Thomas! Of course I had to buy the picture they took, because that is the type of person I am:) I want Noah to always remember this day since he enjoyed it so much. After the pictures it was time to play with Bubbles, another favorite thing of Noah's. He also got to play with Mega Blocks, trains, Train tables, watch Thomas videos, and listen to stories. Every kid there was having a blast, and it was so cute to see how excited they all got to see the trains!

We ended our day by visiting the gift shop. They had every Thomas toy you can imagine there! Noah picked a Thomas Shake and Go train, and he loves it. I also got him a Day out with Thomas shirt. The kid loves trains and that pretty much sums it up:) When we took our map that they gave us upon arrival, to the gift shop, Noah got a prize for getting it stamped at all the stations they had set up. He got a train wheel that tells all the names of the Thomas and Friends trains, and a set of Mega Blocks!

This was a very exciting day for Noah and us! Very family friendly and we would recommend it for all the parents to take their kids if they like trains:) It took an hour each way there, but it was well worth it. Noah slept the entire way home (so did mommy!). Much needed nap for a much needed family outing:)

My favorite part of the day was that Curtis was home with us and we were able to enjoy the day as a family:) Loved every minute of it! I have been struggling a lot lately with Curtis having to be gone so much, so this was exactly what I needed:) I want him here with us where he belongs as much as possible. We are one Blessed family and we count our Blessings daily! Make sure you and your families count their blessings also!

First Trip To The Zoo!

We would like to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day! This weekend has been a very exciting one for Noah:) Sadly, Curtis has been in Ohio on Army Duty since Saturday morning:( Noah and I have missed him a lot! I have been sending him lots of pictures while he has been gone to help him experience Noah's excitement just a little. I always want Curtis to know that we miss him whenever he's not able to be with us.

Noah was able to go on his first trip to the Louisville Zoo this Saturday afternoon. He wasn't very sure if he was going to like it or not when we first got there because he was a little overwhelmed with all the people that were there. Once we started seeing some of the larger animals like the gorillas, Lions, Tigers, Elephants, etc., he had a blast! He wanted his Papaw to take him out of the stroller and lift him up to see them all!! We couldn't have picked a more perfect day for the weather either. It was in the mid-80's, breezy, and partly cloudy/sunny. Very very nice!! Noah also rode on the tram and carousel. He didn't really like the tram at first and cried a little. Once we started moving, he was ok and enjoyed it. He loved riding on the carousel, and I can't wait until Curtis can go with us next time to share a ride with Noah:)

Overall Noah had a very good time at his first trip to the Louisville Zoo! We look forward to many more zoo trip experiences:) Noah behaved himself very good, and let me just say that I was one very proud mommy Saturday when we were leaving the zoo!! The only thing that would've made our trip better, would've been if Curtis was there with us:)

The rest of our Holiday weekend was spent playing outside (even though it was very hot), visiting mamaw, and Noah getting to visit with my cousin Andy and his girlfriend who was in from New York. I wasn't able to go in to see my cousin sadly, but my mom was kind of enough to take Noah in to my mamaw's house yesterday evening so Noah could visit with him before he had to go back to New York. They gave Noah a birthday present of 2 trains that they ride in New York. That was very sweet of them to think of Noah like that, and I will never forget that:) Noah also had a present waiting for him from my Uncle Kenny and Aunt Barbara that they had left for him. He got some clothes, which is Great! We are very thankful for their kindness, and appreicate their gift. When we visited my mamaw Saturday evening after our zoo trip, my aunt Donna was able to give Noah his birthday present also. He loved his gift from her also:) She got him a Thomas train set, and a cool beach ball that you hook up to the hose and it squirts water out the sides. I can't wait until Noah gets to play with that. I'm thinking in the next couple of weeks with the weather being this hot, he will be getting a lot of use out of that:) I want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone for all his wonderful gifts. It warms my heart that this many people thought that much of my son on his birthday!

Today is just a day of relaxation for us. We have been very lazy trying to rest up for the remainder of the work week. We are counting down the hours until Curtis gets back home with us where he belongs:) We hope everyone has had a good weekend. We also hope you all enjoy the few pictures I have posted from our zoo experience.

Please make sure to scroll down and see all the pictures. The best pictures are at the bottom:)

2 Blogs in 1

I didn't have time to post a blog after Noah's birthday party last weekend. His Nana & Pop came here to celebrate with him. I decided that since I had time, I would combine two blogs into one this week:) The first half of this blog is going to be about his birthday celebration last week that Noah enjoyed a lot!!

Curtis and I were very happy that Noah's Nana & Pop were coming to spend the weekend with us. They were going to be out of town this weekend, so we decided to have a separate party so they would be able to celebrate this special year in Noah's life! Noah was very glad to see them, but he acted very shy around them for a while before warming up to them. He even said "Nana" a couple of times while they were here, so that made us all very happy:) He says "Pop" all the time, but he was very shy around him all weekend. I think he was just messing with his Pop, because right before they got ready to leave he leaned in so his Pop could give him a kiss bye. He loves his Nana and Pop so much!

The weekend had an unexpected turn when his aunt Connie and cousins Austin and Autumn decided to drive here to spend the weekend with us also. It was very nice of them to want to see Noah so badly. Noah had a blast with his cousins even though they didn't get to go outside and enjoy his swing set because the weather was very rainy and cool. He also loved the gift they got him for his birthday, which was a music set that he can play with in the bath tub. He has played with this every night since he got it, and he loves it!!

The weekend was nice and it was good spending it with the Moss side of the family. Noah enjoyed it a lot, and that was what made it so special:) I also wanted to personally thank them for allowing my parents to spend time with them when they were here. It is very sweet of them to accept them in on their celebrations with Noah. It was the grandparents party to celebrate Noah's 2nd birthday, and the swing set they had all gotten him as a gift. They all made it a birthday Noah will never forget, and Curtis and I can't thank them all enough for that! It was a weekend full of family fun, delicious food, and delicious chocolate cake and ice cream!! We also want to send a special thanks to Rob and Judy for everything they do for us whenever they come to visit. We greatly appreciate it all, and will never be able to thank you enough. We love you, and can't wait until you are able to come and visit us again for a laid back weekend:)

Now on to the second 1/2 of this blog:

Yesterday we celebrated Noah's 2nd birthday with my side of the family and a few of our friends. Sadly none of Noah's little friends were able to make it this year to his party because they were taking their naps (we completely understand), but we are hoping that they will be able to make it next year:) We were very happy that their mommies were able to come and drop in for a little while to celebrate with us. It was a very good day for the party, because the weather was very warm and sunny! It's always a great time when we get to spend it with family. Noah was able to play with his 2 cousins Saylor and Bella for a while, so he was happy about that also:)

I had a lot of help from my family with decorating for Noah's party, so I want to say a huge thank you for that. We were also very happy that my cousin Amanda and her husband was able to make it to the party since they weren't sure if they could or not. We did miss the ones in my family that weren't able to make it, but hopefully they will be there next year if possible:)

I want to send out a very big thank you to my wonderful mom! She helped me out a lot, as always:) I am very blessed to have a mom that is so supportive of me, and is always there to help me when I need her. She helped prepare all the food for Noah's party, and helped set up for it. I know that Curtis and Noah appreciate her just as much as I do! She also decorated the beautiful cake, and made the cupcakes for his party:) Noah loved it all! I couldn't have asked for anything better for him.

I hope that one day Noah will look back and realize how much fun he had at his second birthday party even though he went the entire day without a nap. That wasn't good, but he actually did ok. He did have his moments here and there (what toddler doesn't), but overall he did great! He loved all his presents, and I think he has played with every single toy that he got at least twice already:) A big thank you goes out to everyone!

Tomorrow will be his actual birthday, so Curtis and I have a little present to give to him from us. I look forward to having a dinner with just us 3 tomorrow night and just us spending what is such a special day in our family, together:) I can't believe that my baby is turning 2 tomorrow!!

We hope everyone has had a great weekend, and we will talk to you all again soon!

Noah's last haircut as a 1 year old

This cool little dude is who I got to spend my second Mother's Day with this year:) I still to this day find it hard to believe that God has Blessed me so very much in my life! I had a wonderful Mother' s Day and wouldn't have changed one single thing about it. It started with Curtis and Noah waking me up by bringing me their cards they got for me:) The rest of the day was full of going to Church to see all our friends, gifts and a visit to my mamaw. Family, Friends and lots of love made this a perfect Mother's Day for me! A special thank you to Curtis for helping make this day so special for me. I hope all the mom's out there had a very good Mother's Day. I also hope that all the women that are teachers, daycare workers, or any women that mentors children had a Happy Mother's Day also!

Yesterday Curtis took Noah to get his last haircut as a 1 year old. It was a bittersweet moment for me. I was happy that he got his haircut because it was getting pretty long on him (at least to me), but just thinking about that being his last haircut before he turns two made me have a sad mommy moment. It's so hard for me to believe that my baby will be turning two in less than two weeks! Why does time have to go by so quickly in life? I'm just trying to learn how to soak in every second I'm with my family.
Everyday when I get home from work, we eat dinner and then if it's nice outside, we all go out and play as a family. Last night was our last night with Curtis home with us until Friday night. Curtis left this morning to go to Virginia Beach on Army Duty. We will miss him greatly as always, but are very thankful that my mom is able to stay with me and Noah to help out and give us some company:) I am very thankful to have a Mom that is so loving and caring!! I hope that I can be that type of mom to Noah when he is older.

We always have fun as a family and we can't wait until Curtis gets back home with us Friday. We are also excited about Noah's Nana and Pop coming to visit us this weekend. We are very thankful they are going to make the long trip to come and spend time with us, and see their grandson (and of course their son too):) Noah is saying Pop all the time now, but we are still working on him saying Nana. He has said it once for me, but hasn't since then. I'm thinking that he is just waiting to see his Nana and say it to her!

We hope everyone has a wonderful week! We will check back in again soon. Noah says hi to everyone and wants to send his love to his daddy (and so does his mommy). Bye for now!

Happy Derby Day!

We would like to wish everyone a Happy Derby Day:) We had a very relaxing day at home watching the Derby coverage on t.v. all day to see if we could catch a glimpse of Curtis playing in the Fort Knox Army Band. We did get to see him once, so we were very excited about that! We hope everyone else enjoyed their Derby Day.


We also want to say hi to my niece (in my heart she is anyway), Jordan Patricia Flood:) She is my cousin Bobby Jr. and his wife Jenni's baby. She is adorable!! Today she turned 6 months old! It seems just like yesterday that Bobby was calling me telling me that Jenni had her. We can't wait until the day comes that we can finally meet her in person. I have attached some pictures of her that you can't help but smile at when you see how cute she it:) Noah likes looking at her pictures and saying "Baby". The Flood family lives in California so they are many miles away from us, but still very close to us in our hearts. We love them and miss them a lot.


We hope everyone has a great Mother's Day tomorrow.

Crazy About Trains!

One thing that Curtis and I can always depend on Noah wanting us to do daily, is show him the trains that pass by. We live right next to a set of train tracks, so whenever Noah hears a train whistle, he gets very excited and wants daddy and mommy to walk him over to our deck door to watch the train go by. He loves it when we make it in time to see the Engines go by:) You would think we would get tired of taking him to the door every time a train goes by (trust me.. there are a lot of trains that pass by each day), but we don't! If you could see how excited he gets, then you wouldn't ever get tired of doing it either:)

In the first couple of pictures I have posted, Noah was play vacuuming. Yes, that is our real vacuum cleaner. He is pretending to use it since it wasn't plugged in. We have learned that he is a very strong little boy to be able to push our vacuum cleaner thru the house. When mommy or daddy have to vacuum, Noah always wants to do some of it on his own! Let's just say that mommy hopes when he gets older that he still gets this excited to vacuum:)

The last 3 pictures above are of Noah when he heard the train whistle blowing, and he wanted daddy to take him to see the train:) See what I mean about that excited beautiful little smile on his face? Now could you resist that sweet boy? As you can tell by these pictures, he loves trains! His favorite train is the cartoon "Thomas the Tank Engine", but he also loves real trains!! We can't wait to take Noah to the "Day Out With Thomas" on June 5th:) The only other thing that I can think of that Noah loves to play with more than trains, is his Daddy! The older Noah gets, the more he becomes daddy's little buddy:) I love seeing them two playing together or just watching the trains go by! I am such a lucky woman to have these two great boys in my life:) God has truly Blessed me, and I thank him for that everyday:)

I'm going to close this post by asking everyone not to get angry or frustrated whenever you get stopped at a train track anymore. If you start to get angry, just stop and think of all the children that are asking their parents to take them to the door or window to look at the train:) It will make you smile and warm your heart. Once you do that, the train won't seem so long or bad! I hope everyone has a great Derby weekend!!