The Watson Family

Ten Weeks To Go!!!

2012-01-22T23:26:00.001-05:00

Wow...I'm 30 weeks today. It's flown by. It's been a very easy pregnancy, just like with Carly Beth. I'm having serious insomnia but I'm not complaining. Total weight gain is 9.2 lbs...I'm 1.2 lbs heavier than when I was 30 weeks with CB, but I'm still very pleased!

I'm hoping and planning to do so many things differently this time...God has really opened my eyes to a lot since the last time I was here. I know we will endure criticism but we are confident in the choices for our family.

God has done an amazing work in my husband. This summer we will be growing vegetables for the farmers market and taking honey from our three hives. One day, our family will be working together on our own little farm, bringing healthy organics to our community and changing people's opinions about food. This is turning into a passion for us. And I'll be honest...not having my husband leave for work every day definitely will out weigh the work we'll be taking on as a family.

We are excited to meet the new baby. We aren't sure if it's a boy or girl...I'm thinking boy but I could be wrong. I am so grateful for this miracle...I wasn't sure that we would get here again after losing two babies. God is good to us and thankfully He healed our broken hearts.

I Turned 30...and Life Went On

2012-01-10T10:36:00.001-05:00

I've been 30 for 11 days. Thankfully, I'm not crying about it anymore. Actually, I was upset the days leading up to my birthday...I'm sure being pregnant was a factor. But once my birthday came, it was a pretty great day! I am prone to having birthdays that are less than fabulous...but since we are close to my family now, it was great! My Dad and Stepmom took CB on Thursday and kept her until Saturday. It was such a blessing!! I needed a day to myself and Hubby and I got to have a date night. Unfortunately, on Thursday night Hubby's Dad called to to us that his grandmother passed away. Her quality of life hadn't been good for a while, and we know she went to be with Jesus. Friday was my birthday and it was great! Hubby made sure no one forgot to call or text me, myna Aunt Di took me to lunch, my Mama took me shopping...and we had dinner at the farm with her, my stepdad and Samuel. It was a great day. Saturday we went on to Charlotte to celebrate New Years with the Lail's...and Sunday we were busy in Concord with Todd's grandmother's arrangements. Monday we traveled to Boone to bury her. In the midst of all that...Hubby bought a tractor!

Guess our farm dreams are on their way to coming true...

Lucy and Bluebell

2011-12-28T11:23:00.001-05:00

We finally picked names for the baby goats! Their Mom's name is Melina, and so we toyed around with names ending in "a". Most of the other animals have names that end in "o": Jojo, Banjo, Ringo... But these little girls got different names: Lucy and Bluebell. Lucy has a black spot on her nose and Bluebell doesn't. Hopefully their eyes will stay blue :)

Did you know baby goats hop like rabbits?

YouTube Video

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Goat Movies and Christmas Pictures...

2011-12-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

Papa Noah made this barn for CB. It's awesome!!

This is one of the new goats..

YouTube Video

Santa brought CB a sheep family with their own cottage.

Carly and Harleigh...

At Great Wolf Lodge...

Naptime on the way to Great Wolf...

Carly Beth's Early Christmas Present

2011-12-22T14:11:00.001-05:00

Just born this morning...there's a Mommy and Sister too that were camera shy.

YouTube Video

Carly's New Hat...

2011-11-22T12:36:00.001-05:00

She just keeps getting cuter...

Daddy bought CB this hat in Charleston this weekend and she's barely taken it off.

IT'S A...

2011-11-03T21:09:00.001-04:00

It's a BABY! Healthy and has all its fingers and toes! We didn't find out what it is so Baby Watson will remain a mystery until April. :)

If you've been praying for us, THANK YOU!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Abby Cadabby and the Annual Halloween Party

2011-10-31T12:08:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday was my family's Annual Halloween Party at the farm. It was chilly but one of my aunts counted 79 people being there! So awesome! Carly Beth had a great time playing with Mady and the other kids. She even was brave enough to ride the "Haunted Hayride" this year.

There was so much food and fellowship around the campfires. I was so blessed to see some family and friends I hadn't seen in a while. I made an Orange Dreamscicle Punch that was super yummy!

The Halloween Party is one of my favorite family traditions...it's always a hit!

A New Amazing Use for Honey

2011-10-30T10:53:00.001-04:00

Honey! I love honey! Now I'm using it to wash my face. It's antibacterial and a humectant. It's full of antioxidants. My skin has cleared dramatically in only two washes!! I am a believer!! And imagine the benefits to your skin of using a face wash naturally created within miles of your home!! The heat from the shower makes it smooth and not sticky at all. Added bonus...I'm not having to use a moisturizer! My skin isn't feeling dry or getting oily.

Honey is amazing!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Beginnings of a Bluegrass Band...

2011-10-27T21:32:00.001-04:00

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Carly Beth as Abby Cadabby

2011-10-22T17:55:00.001-04:00

Carly is heading to a Halloween party tonight - here's her costume!

Carly Beth

2011-10-18T23:10:00.001-04:00

It Is A Risky Business...

2011-10-17T09:50:00.001-04:00

There are two kinds of people in the world...those that love racing and those that wonder how anyone could enjoy watching cars go around and around in circles. I, as most of you know, am a race fan. You could say it's in my blood. My Mom's family gave me passion for cooking and my Daddy gave me a love for racing. When I was a kid, my Daddy had a drag car and for a while he worked on a Pit
Crew for a friend who raced at Hickory Motor Speedway. My middle brother, Chess, raced go-karts for a few summers; he was pretty good. My Daddy sold his drag car when I was still a kid...but he re-bought it a couple months ago and now he's working on it so he can race. He's also on a pit crew for a drag team. I say all this just to back up that it's totally in my blood.

I've enjoyed NASCAR racing for a while but in recent years I've started keeping up with news of other series and watching some drag races and Indycar on television. I didn't watch enough to have a favorite driver, but enough to know what was happening in the series and I could talk with my Daddy about it.

Yesterday, we were traveling on our way home from Concord, and I was keeping up with the beginnings of the Indycar race on twitter. My timeline began to blowup about a "15 car wreck on lap 12"... As soon as someone posted a clip online, I watched it. (http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/10/16/2494174/dan-wheldon-crash-video-indycar-las-vegas-2011) It was devastating. Cars were in pieces and in flames. But, you just assume that drivers will get out of their cars and walk away after crashing at speeds off 200+ mph because of all the safety changes since Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001. Three drivers were transported by ambulance to the hospital but one, Dan Wheldon, was airlifted. It wasn't until I read of the tarps being used to cover Dan Wheldon's car that my brain began to register the seriousness of what happened. It was highly possible that someone was not going to walk away from that wreck alive.

When we arrived home, I was glued to the tv, anxious for any information on the driver's condition. Two hours after the crash, they announced that Dan Wheldon died because of in-survivable injuries. Tears streamed down my face for a man that I knew nothing about other than he had won the Indy 500 this year but didn't have a ride.

I continued to watch as the remaining cars lined up to give him a 5 lap salute. These men, and Danica Patrick, were bawling as they got strapped into their cars, and I was bawling as I watched from my living room. It was a very eery sight to watch these drivers who were his friends, former teammates, and his competitors honor him in a way that seemed very fitting. (http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/10/16/2494389/dan-wheldon-crash-tribute-laps-video-indycar-series-drivers)

My least favorite part of the regular weekend broadcast of NASCAR is after the invocation and National Anthem when the driver's wives, children and loved ones hug them before they get in their cars...there's always a chance that it could be their last. My prayers are with Dan Wheldon's wife Susie and his two sons Sebastian (2) and Oliver (7 months), and his family and friends.

Some great articles...
http://www.popoffvalve.com/2011/10/16/2494351/indycar-dan-wheldon-killed-at-las-vegas-motor-speedway

http://www.sirius-speedway.com/2011/10/wheldons-death-reinforces-racings-sole.html?m=1

About an Apple

2011-10-15T17:00:00.001-04:00

Well, I haven't really updated the blog with good, juicy, Watson family info in a while. There's a reason...we are going to be a Party of Four! I'm 15 weeks and 6 days pregnant. Baby Watson is about the size of an apple. We are pretty excited. Carly Beth says she's happy she's going to be a sister. Just like last time, we won't find out what the baby is or tell you what names we like. We are difficult like that! There are truly so few surprises in life.

Other than that, things are normal. Carly is learning to read and we are through letter "G" with school. Things are good at the farm. We now have two mules and four pigs to go with the cow and 25+ chickens.

The simple country life is truly for us.

Won't You Join Us?

2011-10-12T13:08:00.001-04:00

Family and Friends,

Todd and I have been discussing how important it is to us to teach Carly Beth about being generous. We have done research looking for a way she can participate and we can impact children in our community. We've decided to collect books for the Barium Springs Home for Children.(http://www.bariumsprings.org/index.cfm) "Barium Springs serves North Carolina's children and families by providing a caring place to live for abused or neglected children, early childhood development for low income families, counseling services and foster family programs. They also offer behavior treatment in a school setting for troubled teens as well as early intervention services for children still living in the community."

Barium Springs has numerous needs for their children, but we chose books because Carly Beth loves to read and because we truly believe that books can impact children's lives forever. They need books for infant, toddler, and preschool aged children. They can be new or gently used.

If you'd like to join us in blessing these children, we are going to collect books until Thanksgiving and then travel to drop them off the weekend after. Barium Springs has homes in Statesville and Wilkesboro, and we are hoping to have enough to split between the two homes.

"Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone." - Andy Stanley

Thank you,
Mandy

Location:U.S. 321,Hickory,United States

Family Reunion

2011-10-01T21:39:00.001-04:00

My family hosted a reunion on the farm today. I was in charge of decorating.

We had a table full of old pictures...even one from the 1800s.

Carly Beth loved playing outside all day.

It was a long day, but a good day.

The Newest Member of the Family

2011-09-12T19:18:00.001-04:00

He doesn't have a name yet...I think he looks like hot chocolate.

He is a Brown Swiss and his eye lashes are super long.

His call translates to "Please Don't Leave Me..."

YouTube Video

Carly and the Crabs...

2011-09-04T12:23:00.002-04:00

Crab traps were set out yesterday and now we are having them for lunch! Carly was a little scared of the crabs at first but she finally got a little brave :)

Homeschooling Update

2011-09-04T09:51:00.002-04:00

Two weeks of homeschooling down!! CB has done amazing! She loves school, most days she begs to do it a couple times. I am so blessed by her eagerness to learn.
We are through letters A and B. She's done great with learning words that start with each letter and learning to write them. We are still working on writing letter B...Carly Beth's looks like a dumbbell.
Carly's favorite part of school is learning to read. She's doing great. Just another 10 lessons and she'll be reading words.
Homeschooling is definitely an awesome adventure for us. I'm so excited to share this with Carly Beth and with you :)

My First Book Review: One Call Away by Brenda Warner

2011-08-26T10:44:00.001-04:00

It would be hard to read Brenda Warner's memoir and not find at least one challenge in her life that you do not identify with. I am amazed at how candidly she writes of her emotions through each event. So often, people who don't understand what you're dealing with look at you like you have two heads when you're honest about how you're feeling. I genuinely appreciate the sheer honesty in this book. While reading, it was as if an old friend was just sharing stories from her life.

Excerpt from Chapter 39:
"I am a former marine. I have a nursing degree. I've lived on food stamps, and I've lived on millions of dollars. I have been divorced, and I've been married to the man of my dreams. I've watched my seven children grow and succeed beyond my wildest dreams, I've watched one baby suffer permanent brain damage and blindness and two babies dies before they ever lived."

I finished this book in just over a day. It is beautifully written, and a page turner. It's a gentle reminder that even the most honest plans we lay out for ourselves rarely go that way. God takes us places we never dreamed of and shows us that His plan may not be the easiest but is always best for us. We are all on a journey to redemption.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishers. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Today was our Third Day...

2011-08-24T20:52:00.001-04:00

Today, Carly practiced writing her name, we colored several "Letter A" coloring pages and did our reading lesson.

After dinner, Carly and I made some (semi-homemade) Apple Dumplings. She did most of the work other than cutting the apples. She is going to be quite the little cook!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Our Second Day of School

2011-08-23T11:18:00.001-04:00

First of all, if you haven't picked up a copy of "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" for your preschooler, just do it. Carly Beth is 3 years and 2 months and she is really doing awesome. She begs to read every day.

Anyway, today was "A is for Apple" day. Carly's favorite part was eating her apple after class. But anyway, she practiced writing her letter A's and she described and colored some apples for our Alphabet Scrapbook.

Practicing our letter M and S sounds from our reading lesson.

Carly Beth's First Violin

2011-08-22T15:27:00.001-04:00

This is Carly Beth playing her "violin" when we saw the Moore Brothers play Friday night...

YouTube Video

First Day of (Home)Preschool

2011-08-22T11:57:00.001-04:00

This morning was awesome...

We cut with scissors

We reviewed the alphabet...

We reviewed writing the letters...

AND...CB got her first (not inherited) Little Critter book!

We read it four times in a row...she's still reading it now actually.

What a great first day!

Carly Beth and Trooper...

2011-08-14T17:11:00.001-04:00

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Random Video from my iPhone #1

2011-08-11T14:03:00.001-04:00

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 1: Teaching Carly Beth to Read...

2011-08-11T13:43:00.001-04:00

We started our reading lessons today. This book is beyond awesome. I highly recommend it. Carly Beth is so excited to learn to read. My only trouble is sticking to one lesson a day. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Carly Beth Plays the Harmonica

2011-08-11T13:39:00.001-04:00

She's quite an artist...

YouTube Video

A Prayer for our Family

2011-07-28T23:14:00.001-04:00

Would you be willing to pray for our family? Don't worry, no one's sick; we aren't in trouble.

We just need a prayer lifted up, and I truly believe the more people praying for the same thing, the better.

Just email me: mandywatson.1021@gmail.com and I'll tell you exactly what to pray for. And, please, send us a request of your own so we can lift you and your family in prayer as well.

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:19, 20 NIV)

Thanks :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Errant Thought Round Up #5

2011-07-25T13:54:00.001-04:00

I love, I love, I hate, I hate
I like, I wish, for goodness sake...
I hope, I hope, I pray, I pray
I will, I won't, and for today...

I love...Books! I just cannot get on the e-reader wagon. I love how books smell, How they feel in my hands, and how they look on my shelf!

I love...Date night. Hubby and I had a date night on Saturday and it was just so refreshing! Make date night a priority in your marriage.

I hate...paying to watch a movie on the theater and the people around me talking. Seriously...We went to see Harry Potter for said date night and the lady beside me was talking to the screen!! Come on!

I hate...how social networking tricks us into thinking we have actual relationships with people. I gave up Facebook last week, even deactivated my account...two people noticed. TWO!!! Seriously, I was surprised that even two noticed, but part of me was thinking "Aren't you people wondering where I went?" Totally a false sense of security in relationships.

I like...baking. It's my newest form of therapy. And pretty inexpensive too...well, until my pant sizes increase.

I wish...there was a way to eliminate addiction. After watching Todd's brother struggle with addiction and losing the battle, my heart just aches for families dealing with these same struggles.

For Goodness Sake...I'm so proud of Carly Beth. I typically hate reading posts some moms write about their child's bathroom activities, but we have been potty training for two weeks and CB has done awesome. I don't have to buy diapers anymore...woohoo!!!

I hope... I get lots of tomatoes canned this week!

I hope...we are successful Homeschoolers. I'm compiling my own preschool curriculum and I think Carly Beth will enjoy it.

I pray...for couples struggling with infertility and multiple miscarriages. I hope that one day it isn't such a taboo subject and people can be more understanding of the emotional journey these families are on. Unfortunately, it bleeds into all facets of your life. Sometimes, depression sets in simply because you can't understand why your body doesn't work the way it was designed to. Simple comments can be hurtful and as hard as you try to be, it's so hard to be genuinely happy when all your friends seem to be having babies. It's definitely a battle you don't understand until you've been there. I just wish there was more compassion for families on the journey.

I pray...that we find some homeschool families with children Carly Beth's age. She and I both could use some friends.

I will...get the mound of laundry on my bed folded.

I won't...give up reading this Kathy Reichs novel until at least the 100 page!

And for today...I'll try to remember that my story is my voice. And my story is MY story for a purpose that one day will
Be revealed.

Houseguest!!

2011-07-24T21:28:00.001-04:00

Last week, we had a houseguest for a couple nights...my young cousin Caitlin! She and Carly Beth had so much fun playing "Restaurant" and dancing around...

Here are a few photos from her visit:

Location:12th St Dr NW,Hickory,United States

Meet Shiloh...oh and Happy Birthday, Samuel!

2011-07-16T22:24:00.001-04:00

My awesome, baby brother turned 12 today. It's hard to believe. Since he was born when I was 17, I've watched him grow and grow, and now he's almost a teenager.

Samuel tends to get animals for presents. He is awesome with animals...he has goats, chickens, a rabbit, and now this sweet little beagle pup named Shiloh!!

(yes, he's in the fireplace...guess he's made that his spot)

Welcome to the family, Shiloh, I'm certain you will be very happy on the farm!

Toboggan in July...

2011-07-13T11:14:00.001-04:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:12th St Dr NW,Hickory,United States

A New Goal...

2011-07-10T08:58:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a great day. I learned an invaluable lesson.

8 years ago, my Uncle Richie died. His final wish was to be cremated and his ashes scattered in the river at Carolina Hemlock Campground in Pisgah National Forest. So, the second Saturday in July, thats what happened. My Uncle wasn't married. He was a biker. And every year on the second Saturday in July, his family and his friends go back to the campground and toss flowers in the river, have lunch and fellowship. Then the bikers ride through the mountains in his memory.

This was my first year going. And when we were standing on the rocks waiting to throw our roses into the water, I had a thought. "Would anyone other than my family remember me 8 years after I passed away?" Probably not. "Man, I want to have friends like these..." and gently in my spirit I had a realization. I shouldn't want to have friends like this, I should want to be the kind of friend that someone would miss having.

I'm not perfect. I have always favored my family over fleeting friendships. I have had "best friends" for only a season, but I'd love to have just a handful of good friends. Girlfriends, couple friends, any friends.

I've been told many times that you have to be a friend to have a friend...but maybe it's more important to be the kind of friend you want to have.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARLY BETH!!

2011-06-20T13:51:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Carly Beth's 3rd birthday. Can't believe my sweet girl is 3...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Old Lenoir Rd,Hickory,United States

Errant Thought Round-Up #4

2011-06-17T00:52:00.001-04:00

I love, I love, I hate, I hate
I like, I wish, for goodness sake...
I hope, I hope, I pray, I pray
I will, I won't, and for today...

i love...BIRTHDAYS!! My birthday, your birthday, his birthday, her birthday! Seriously, how awesome is it to celebrate the day someone came into the world! God chose that day for that person to be born with a specific purpose in mind. Birthdays! Embrace them! Atleast until you're 29...

i love...surprises, but boy can I ruin them! I am a pest at Christmas time. But I truly love surprises, just don't tell me you have one for me.

i hate...seeing my friends hurt for any reason. I just don't like it. Maybe they need more surprises...

i hate...when parents don't keep up with their children in stores. I put my toddler in a buggy to keep her out from under my feet, so please keep yours out from under my feet too. Come on now...

i like...Mint Oreo Cookie Ice Cream. Need I say more?

i wish...I could have a bowl of said ice cream but I finished it all last night.

for goodness sake...I don't understand loud cell phone conversations in the middle of Target about your doctors appointment. I didn't need to know that you're having a hairy mole removed from an unmentionable area.

i hope...Carly Beth is fully potty trained soon. We are so close!!

i hope...my hubby loves his birthday and Father's Day presents this weekend! He's super hard to shop for.

i pray...for continued healing. My heart is still so broken.

i pray...for babies for my friends.

i will...do what I say I'm going to do. Always.

i won't...hit the snooze button during the harvest. I'd rather nap in the afternoon than be picking beans in 98 degree weather.

and for today...I will try whole heartedly to cling to God's promises even when I feel hopeless. Oneday, Someday, Anyday is better than NOday. Gotta have faith that He will bless us, even in the droughts of life.

Location:Old Lenoir Rd,Hickory,United States

Swimming

2011-06-08T10:52:00.001-04:00

Carly Beth is already a swimming pro this year!!

She loves her "gawgles"!

I love that she loves the water!

Carly Beth Gets a Haircut

2011-06-01T20:36:00.001-04:00

The pictures aren't fabulous, CB wouldn't sit still. But today she got a real haircut with layers and everything!! She did well, and she's very proud of her haircut.

I can't believe she will be 3 in 18 days.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Double Date Night!!

2011-05-30T19:27:00.001-04:00

First off, my husband is just awesome, fabulous, and amazing! The newest "tradition" he has put in place for our family is Double Date Night.

This isn't your traditional double date... Todd and Carly Beth go on a Father - Daughter date while I go on a Girls Only date with my "old friend" Laura Jo. We seem to have a solid groove going with every other Fridays being Double Date Nights...I don't even have a curfew!!

This past Friday was one of our fantastic evenings and we took a couple pictures before we left for our respective dates...

Location:Shirebourn,Hickory,United States

Errant Thought Round-Up #3

2011-05-18T12:40:00.001-04:00

I love, I love, I hate, I hate
I like, I wish, for goodness sake...
I hope, I hope, I pray, I pray
I will, I won't, and for today...

I love... my Husband. Unconditionally, whole-heartedly, and more every day.
I love... my Mama. She is the rock of our family. I admire her a lot.
I hate... that we have to experience pain in order to appreciate joy.
I hate... watching my friends go through hard times. I just want to make it better.
I like... watching the dreams of my husband unfolding. One day, we will farm, sell our harvest, and be able to eat every meal together as a family, just like the Amish.
I wish... we were already living that dream. I miss my Hubby when he's at work.
For goodness sake... I wish people would educate themselves about what they are feeding their children. McDonald's is bad, people, and NOT because of Ronald McDonald!

I hope... that one day we have a home full of laughing children.
I hope... my daughter knows how much she loved.
I pray... that two of my very close friends receive the gift of children very soon.
I pray... for my daughter's husband and his family. I hope they guard his heart like we guard hers.
I will... be going to the Farmer's Market today. I love fresh veggies and grass-fed beef!
I won't... lose hope. I know God knows what He is doing, no matter how much it hurts. I will trust Him, He's all I have to depend on.
And for today... I will try to finish reading "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter".

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My 30 Things...

2011-05-17T13:29:00.001-04:00

Well, there have been some things going on in my life, our lives, that have gotten in the way of my list.
We found out at the beginning of April that we were expecting a baby, but sadly, our little baby only made it to 7 weeks and 5 days. I'm not sure why this is our testimony, but we know God has a plan. I certainly have handled it much better than last summer. Thankfully we are in a better place emotionally, spiritually, and even physically with our move. Numerous people have shown God's love to us without even knowing our situation. I believe God intends to give us the desires of our hearts, we just have to put our faith in Him. I know, one day, our home will be filled with laughing children.

So, here's my list as it is now

1. Get a tattoo of a Dove - been meaning to do this for years. I'm going to get two little doves - one for each of our babies that we lost.
2. Read the works of C.S. Lewis. I am not doing well with this. I've put them down for a while. I don't understand. A lot of things I just can't grasp.
3. Discover a way to serve using my passion for Healthy Family relationships.
4. Move back to Hickory. Accomplished this the second week of January!
5. Lose 20 lbs.
6. "Run" a 5k
7. Start doing Yoga twice a week.
8. Learn the final dance from "Dirty Dancing".
9. Stay at the Grove Park Inn.
10. Have a makeover.
11. Learn to make ravioli.
12. Learn to ride a horse.
13. Bake bread from scratch, starting with grinding my own flour. I'm doing great with the breads! Grinders are expensive. Haven't found one yet.
14. Read my 1 year Bible from start to finish, not getting distracted by the Christmas story.(I always go back to Luke when December comes.)So far so good.
15. Learn my family heritage.
16. Make something and sell it on Etsy.com.
17. Be chosen to give the Vision or Communion Moment at Kinetic Church.I tried to do this one before we moved but they wouldn't let me. I won't be achieving this one.
18. Write a cookbook.I'm in the process! I'm working one finding recipes and trying them out. I've got about 30 recipes so far.
19. Read at least 50 NEW (as in I haven't read them before) books. I'm reading a lot. I'll do a post with all the books I've read so far. I've read around 20.
20. Learn how and become a pro at making Marshmallows.
21. Cook my way through two cookbooks, not skipping any recipes, and blog about it! I have chosen a Bread Baking Cookbook and the Farmer's Almanac Cookbook. I'm blogging on discoveringhomemade.blogspot.com
22. Learn my Mamaw's Lifestory.I'm working on this one too.
23. Develop a habit of making all our condiments: ketchup, mustard, vanilla extract, mayonnaise, butter, jelly, sour cream etc... trying recipes now :)
24. Become 100% organic and local for all our food needs. Farmer's market and growing our own veggies. Oh, and we are getting cows!
25. Adopt a child through Compassion International.
26. Be intentional about our home being less chaotic - there's always clutter. House keeping by charts works!
27. Be 100% fast food free except for the occasional Sonic
Strawberry Lime-ade. I'm there :)
28. Be better about our family blog and keeping up with Carly Beth's Milestones.I'm blogging a lot!!
29. Start a book club.I gotta do this :)
30. Let my hair grow for one year - only getting the occasional trim every 2-3 months. Doing great here!

So, there's where I am! :) I'm excited to get my things finished on my list.

Thanks for reading :)

Location:Old Lenoir Rd,Hickory,United States

An Update...

2011-05-11T13:45:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts...I am really trying to be better. :sigh: ... Life gets in the way sometimes, doesn't it? Here are some pictures from the farm...

This one of Carly Beth really says a lot, I think...

Carly Beth and Granna

Carly Beth and Papa

Carly and Me feeding Bo and Jo-Jo...not captured is where Jo-Jo tried to bite my fingers off because I was trying to feed Banjo (the little goat) an extra treat.

Todd got his honeybees this week. I don't think we'll get honey this year, but we should get gallons next year. I've really enjoyed the farmer's markets and Carly Beth has taken a serious lovin' to playing in the creek. Farm life suits us.

An Update in Pictures :)

2011-03-31T15:33:00.001-04:00

These are the new additions to our flock...

Carly Beth playing Dress Up.

Getting ready to spend the day with Granna and Uncle Samuel

Riding on top of the goat feed in Tractor Supply

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:12th St Dr NW,Hickory,United States

An Update on my 30 Things...

2011-03-15T12:17:00.001-04:00

It's time to figure out my progress...here we go!

And Here's The List, in no particular order...

1. Get a tattoo of a Dove - been meaning to do this for years.
2. Read the works of C.S. Lewis. I completed the Chronicles of Narnia and I'm working on Mere Christianity.
3. Discover a way to serve using my passion for Healthy Family relationships.
4. Move back to Hickory. Accomplished this the second week of January!
5. Lose 20 lbs.
6. "Run" a 5k
7. Start doing Yoga twice a week.
8. Learn the final dance from "Dirty Dancing".
9. Stay at the Grove Park Inn.
10. Have a makeover.
11. Learn to make ravioli.
12. Learn to ride a horse.
13. Bake bread from scratch, starting with grinding my own flour. I'm getting good at baking bread, I'm looking for a grinder :)
14. Read my 1 year Bible from start to finish, not getting distracted by the Christmas story.(I always go back to Luke when December comes.)So far so good.
15. Learn my family heritage.
16. Make something and sell it on Etsy.com.
17. Be chosen to give the Vision or Communion Moment at Kinetic Church.I tried to do this one before we moved but they wouldn't let me. I won't be achieving this one.
18. Write a cookbook.I'm in the process! I'm working one finding recipes and trying them out.
19. Read at least 50 NEW (as in I haven't read them before) books.
20. Learn how and become a pro at making Marshmallows.
21. Cook my way through two cookbooks, not skipping any recipes, and blog about it. (Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution and Ina Garten's Back to Basics) just ordered my
Cookbooks!!
22. Learn my Mamaw's Lifestory.I'm working on this one too.
23. Develop a habit of making all our condiments: ketchup, mustard, vanilla extract, mayonnaise, butter, jelly, sour cream etc...
24. Become 100% organic and local for all our food needs. in the process...Hubby is even getting honeybees!!
25. Adopt a child through Compassion International.
26. Be intentional about our home being less chaotic - there's always clutter. Almost unpacked!
27. Be 100% fast food free except for the occasional Sonic
Strawberry Lime-ade.
28. Be better about our family blog and keeping up with Carly Beth's Milestones.I'm blogging a lot!!
29. Start a book club.I'm reading CS Lewis with a friend of mine and getting ready to start reading "Sun Stand Still" with another...
30. Let my hair grow for one year - only getting the occasional trim every 2-3 months. Doing great here!

Up and Down...

2011-03-14T23:55:00.001-04:00

When it's just me and Carly Beth at home, she is awesome. Seriously, we color, sing, and watch PBS Kids all day. But, the moment you add another warm blooded being to the mix, something changes. This includes our dogs. This includes the strangers at Walmart that laughed at us while they were walking into the store and I was trying to fold her body into the buggy seat. (BTW: DON'T LAUGH AT US WHILE YOU'RE WALKING PAST...I may find you in the store later and accidentally knock my buggy into your ankle.)
Every "no" that falls upon her precious ears is a challenge to her independence. I always said "I'll never bribe my child..." but m&ms work wonders. Carly Beth submits to just about anything for a handful of m&ms.
I love CB, but CB loves Daddy...who consequently is the favorite. Hey - he is my favorite guy too, but give me a break! I hate having to correct Daddy, but sometimes it cannot be avoided. Like when CB asks for tea at 8 pm...and he is pouring her a glass even though she's only allowed milk after 7 so I don't have to tie her to the bed while she's on a sugar high.
This isn't complaining, or ranting...just the communication of some factoids :).
I love Carly Beth and her fierce independence. Her vocabulary isn't like kids who go to Preschool, but her imagination is strong. I keep trying to video some of her tea parties, but she catches me!
I love her Daddy too! He is my Knight in shining armor!
I am surely blessed beyond measure.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:11th St NW,Hickory,United States

Without my Scars...

2011-03-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

   I hear people say "I wish I could go back to High School" or "go back to college" ... and granted, I was cute about the time I was 21. I must have had a body image problem, I thought I was fat...but seriously...I had issues. Anyways, I'm moving away from the point of this post.

   I remember who I Was then...7 and 10 years ago, kind of. I remember my mistakes. But I don't really remember who I was without my scars. The things that I have encountered in life that have changed me forever, I think, as hard as they have been, are worth it when I look in the mirror. I am far more compassionate. I make slightly better choices. I know when to ask for help, and I'm not too proud or afraid to ask.

   I try not to complain too much, God knows I could be going through much harder and difficult times.

   Above all else, I don't know who I would be without my scars...or my wounds.

Today, I am Grateful

2011-03-09T23:49:00.001-05:00

Today, I am grateful for two very awesome women whom I have just recently come to know quite intimately. Both I have known for years...like since middle school or before. Neither close friends... But God has woven our stories together in a very special way. And although I'm not going to tell our secrets, I'm going to say that I've learned in just a few days how much stress can be relieved by just talking to someone who understands where you are and what you feel. And even if they don't understand they also refrain from looking at you like you have 3 heads.

Thank you, God, for bringing us together, for letting us help each other deal with our struggles that seem so similar. I KNOW you're hearing our prayers and WILL SEND the blessings we desire.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Ashmore Ln,Harrisburg,United States

A Healing Process...

2011-03-08T23:34:00.001-05:00

Do you have wounds that haven't healed? You may not be aware, but I am a walking open wound. The past year of my life has been filled with joy, loss, anger, blessedness, fury, happiness, faithlessness, and many nights of sleeplessness. So I decided, I'm going to use the Lenten season to change my attitude. I'm going to attempt to make comments of gratefulness instead of complaints. I'm going to pray BOLDLY and EXPECT God to answer instead of praying quiet, faithless prayers already thinking God won't come through.

If I step up to the plate, surely He won't leave me hanging...

"Hope is a desire. Faith is a demonstration. Hope wants it to happen. Faith causes it to happen and acts as if it’s already done." Steven Furtick, "Sun Stand Still"

Location:11th St NW,Hickory,United States

Sleepy Girl...

2011-02-26T21:36:00.001-05:00

Location:1st Ave Pl NW,Hickory,United States

A Post about Samuel...

2011-02-21T23:30:00.001-05:00

This is my youngest brother, Samuel.

No, I didn't say Sam, I said Samuel. Oh and Godzilla the Hen.

Words cannot express how much I love this kid. He is definitely my favorite brother of the five I have (two brothers, three step brothers).

He has a couple gifts that have already made themselves known, one is his way with Animals. He has a bunny, two Billy goats, a Nigerian Dwarf goat, 4 roosters (of 3 different breeds), and he's taking care of our hens. His largest rooster, Rojo is mean to everyone...but let's Samuel carry him around like a baby! no exaggeration! And Godzilla was our meanest hen. She's plucked lots of hairs out of Todd's legs in the past year! But she gives Samuel kisses! A gift! The kid has a gift! You should see him put his goats in their place. Quite a site to see.

His other gift - he has an ear for music. He is teaching himself songs on the guitar and banjo. I'm a little envious of this gift, it's amazing to me.

Samuel, is a character. He likes to talk in funny voices and pretend to be different characters. He sings parts of praise and worship songs until Carly is singing too. He is very smart, and likes to figure things out on his own. He wears overalls 96% of the time and says "Shorts are for sissies." u

He is just a fantastic boy, and I love him. So I thought I would say so. Here's to you, Samuel!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:11th St NW,Hickory,United States

I'll Never Forget...

2011-02-20T20:09:00.001-05:00

Today was the 53rd running of the Daytona 500. Those of you who know me well, know that I am very much a race fan. Before you roll your eyes and call me a redneck, let me say, it's in my blood. My Daddy loves racing. My brother Chess was a go-kart racing champion.
I was very attentive to this year's Daytona Speed Weeks, it's the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt, Sr's death. I remember listening to the race on the radio that day because I was out shopping with my Mom. They said Sr wrecked, acted like it was no big deal and continued the final race coverage...until someone said they had taken him to the hospital. I remember hearing Mike Helton on the radio that night as I was dropping my Jeep off in the Off-Campus parking lot at ASU, saying he had died. My friend Melissa and I were in shock.

To this day, I still read any story written about him, watch any movie or tv show focused on him; it's not an obsession, I promise. He was legendary. I wonder, where he was laid to rest. I wonder, how it must feel for his sons, daughter, and wife to return to that track twice a year. I teared up when they showed all the fans today on the 3rd lap, standing silent and holding a number 3 in the air. What a legacy he left behind.

This post is really for me. I just wanted to pay tribute to the man I grew up watching on tv every weekend with my Daddy.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:21st St NW,Hickory,United States

The Great Hair Debate!

2011-02-18T00:24:00.003-05:00

Mothers of daughters, is there a hair debate in your home? Does Daddy want to dictate the length and style of daughter's hair? This is true in our home. Which would be reasonable except CB HATES to have her hair washed, dried, brushed, curled, styled...heck, she doesn't even want you to look at it!

Nevertheless, I have bit my tongue and let Daddy-Dearest have his way. (The things we do for love!) Partly because I'm responsible for her hair - it's straight - super straight - and that's just like me. But the bigger reason is I asked for it. While I was pregnant, I prayed every day - atleast 3 times - that my baby would be born with hair. No offense if your babies were bald, but it was super important to me. Call me shallow, I can take it.

In honor of my answered prayer, I give you a photographical essay of Carly Beth's Hair Journey...

Born with a bit of a faux hawk...definitely my girl :)

She was three weeks old here. She has her Daddy's hairline.

Sporting a Mohawk, courtesy of Uncle Samuel.

Right out of the bath...

Same here...she's got a little bit of a mullet!

Convinced Daddy to let me get rid of the mullet...

The picture from her 1st Birthday Invitations...

We do this "bangs pulled back" look a lot...

Ponytail!!

2nd Birthday...

"Go Kyle Busch!"

At Geppeto's Pizza

And this is her today. She insisted on looking like Pebbles Flintstone, in public.

Hope you enjoyed...this photo journey made me a little sad. Where did my baby go?!?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:U.S. 321,Hickory,United States

My Valentine's Day...and My Valentine

2011-02-14T23:25:00.001-05:00

Hi, My name is Mandy and I'm a "Reformed Valentine's Day Hater". Turns out, once you have a good Valentine, you have every reason to enjoy Valentine's Day. And, as it turns out, I can see right through your "I don't like Valentine's Day b/c you should love me every day" line as well. Moving on.

We, really I, have been working hard to get my kitchen remodel done. And...I didn't complete my task until this evening.

So, we had breakfast for dinner, which my Hubby loves breakfast. I baked a Chocolate Chip Red Velvet Cake, which he, and CB, had seconds.

I love my husband. He is so wonderful to me, and he is a great Daddy to Carly Beth. I'm so grateful for him and proud of
him. He is an amazing man.

P.S. Thank you for my Valentine's treat!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:6th St NW,Hickory,United States

Family Date

2011-02-10T10:14:00.001-05:00

Tuesday we went out to dinner at one of my favorite local spots: Geppeto's Pizza. It was kids night, and Carly was so excited for pizza!

The highlight of her night was the Buzz Lightyear the balloon man made for her. Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of him to share.

The highlight for me was the cherry dessert pizza! It is my favorite!

I'm thinking we may make a tradition of this...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Hickory, NC

New House, New Beginnings

2011-01-30T21:57:00.000-05:00

Well, we are moved, for the most part...kind of.

This is Carly Beth in her Kyle Busch hat. CB LOVES her new room. She barely leaves it! She cooks and has tea parties all day long!!

This is an "in the process" picture of the new flooring in the kitchen. I'm painting cabinets this week and I can't wait to show you the finished product!!

This was the day I picked up the keys...I just love that we even have a skeleton key for the doors!

This photo is of the hens in their new home. They are on the farm at my Mom's. They are going to be so happy here!!

Regardless of the harder parts of this move, this has already changed our lives. We are so blessed and thankful. God is showing us the path He has prepared for us, and we are so excited of where it may lead us!

God Was Listening After All

2011-01-18T18:23:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting on my couch in Concord looking at everything around me...there's a LOT left to do before Saturday. It's Moving Day! We are moving to Hickory! God has worked out every last detail and a decision that my Husband made on a whim has been awesome. Granted, I've done a lot of packing, donating and throwing away in the past couple weeks, but I know that there's a whole group of people that will be waiting for us when we get there on Saturday to help unload and unpack...and just welcome us HOME.
I am so grateful. Between you and me...just days before the decision was made an this was all set into motion, I had a prayer moment, bowed at the front of the stage at Kinetic Church. I cried out, yelled really, and asked God why He wasn't listening to me. I was feeling like my prayers
for weeks were falling on deaf ears. I begged for a sign that He hadn't forgotten me or cast me to the side. Mere days passed and as soon as we decided we were 100% sure on moving, a job opportunity presents itself for Todd. It's looking like he may only have to commute back to Concord for work a couple weeks. My family has helped us pack and also prepare our new home. They will be there when we arrive Saturday to help get us settled.
I feel a little silly admitting that through my emotions I conveniently forgot God's
Promises in His word were the only proof I really needed. But I'm glad He looked past my audacity and called my bluff.

God really is listening when you cry out, stay faithful, and He will too.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Pine Cir Dr NW,Concord,United States

Santa's Visit!

2010-12-25T13:27:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Stillwater Ct,Concord,United States

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:32:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Hampton Dr,Conover,United States

30 Things To Do Before I'm 30

2010-12-13T17:31:00.002-05:00

It's time to figure out my progress...here we go!

And Here's The List, in no particular order...

1. Get a tattoo of a Dove - been meaning to do this for years.
2. Read the works of C.S. Lewis. I completed the Chronicles of Narnia and I'm working on Mere Christianity.
3. Discover a way to serve using my passion for Healthy Family relationships.
4. Move back to Hickory. Accomplished this the second week of January!
5. Lose 20 lbs.
6. "Run" a 5k
7. Start doing Yoga twice a week.
8. Learn the final dance from "Dirty Dancing".
9. Stay at the Grove Park Inn.
10. Have a makeover.
11. Learn to make ravioli.
12. Learn to ride a horse.
13. Bake bread from scratch, starting with grinding my own flour. I'm getting good at baking bread, I'm looking for a grinder :)
14. Read my 1 year Bible from start to finish, not getting distracted by the Christmas story.(I always go back to Luke when December comes.)So far so good.
15. Learn my family heritage.
16. Make something and sell it on Etsy.com.
17. Be chosen to give the Vision or Communion Moment at Kinetic Church.I tried to do this one before we moved but they wouldn't let me. I won't be achieving this one.
18. Write a cookbook.I'm in the process! I'm working one finding recipes and trying them out.
19. Read at least 50 NEW (as in I haven't read them before) books.
20. Learn how and become a pro at making Marshmallows.
21. Cook my way through two cookbooks, not skipping any recipes, and blog about it. (Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution and Ina Garten's Back to Basics) just ordered my
Cookbooks!!
22. Learn my Mamaw's Lifestory.I'm working on this one too.
23. Develop a habit of making all our condiments: ketchup, mustard, vanilla extract, mayonnaise, butter, jelly, sour cream etc...
24. Become 100% organic and local for all our food needs.
25. Adopt a child through Compassion International.
26. Be intentional about our home being less chaotic - there's always clutter.
27. Be 100% fast food free except for the occasional Sonic
Strawberry Lime-ade.
28. Be better about our family blog and keeping up with Carly Beth's Milestones.I'm blogging a lot!!
29. Start a book club.I'm reading CS Lewis with a friend of mine and getting ready to start reading "Sun Stand Still" with another...
30. Let my hair grow for one year - only getting the occasional trim every 2-3 months. Doing great here!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Helen Dr NW,Concord,United States

Farm Life...

2010-11-23T20:44:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:S Nc 127 Hwy,Hickory,United States

It's Christmas at the Watsons!!!

2010-11-23T12:07:00.001-05:00

Our Trip to Charleston...

2010-11-23T12:05:00.000-05:00

These pictures are from our trip to Charleston...

Carly can be quite dramatic, and she loved the animals at the aquarium.

She totally enjoyed Ben & Jerry's

Carly thoroughly enjoyed her Cookie Monster Cupcake...

We took a carriage ride too. This is Bill.

Dog Walking Success!!!

2010-10-04T23:33:00.000-04:00

First of all, I have been a horrible blogger lately!!

Let me tell you about our dogs...

Meet Jack...as in Jack Daniels:

He is my first baby. He is a Schnoodle and he just had his 4th birthday!! He is barely 10 pounds and extremely energetic!! He is a little mouthy, and he needs some work in the obedience department if I'm being honest. But I love him, he is a great little inside dog. We got Jack as a pup right after we got married and unfortunately I have spoiled him a bit.

This is Sake - Like the Japanese Drink:

Sake Akita, and she is an Todd's dog. She is a rescue from the Cabarrus County Humane Society. The first picture is actually from the shelter. She was taken from a family that didn't feed her. You can see her ribs!! As you can see in the second picture, she has gained considerable weight. I'm guessing she's about 75 pounds. She can take me down, although I try not to let her. She is our outside dog, loves to play, guards our chickens, and is our alarm. She is a wonderful dog, and only barks if there are strangers in the driveway...or she's hungry. We brought Sake home a couple months ago, May I think.

We have two really awesome dogs...the problem is, they don't like each other. Sake thinks Jack is "what's for dinner". We have tried and tried to get them to play together. Their first encounter at home led to Jack being bruised all over his stomach and having bite marks in his back. They stand on either side of the door to the breezeway and growl at eachother.

Until today...Today, I took Jack for a walk and then took him to the outside fence in the backyard. Sake came and greeted him, they sniffed and walked away from each other. So, Todd got Sake on her leash and come out to the front yard, they IGNORED EACH OTHER!! We were able to go on a family walk, they walked right beside each other and barely noticed the other. I am so excited...I hope they can coexist soon...I love them both so much but I want them to get along.

Our Trip to the Fair...

2010-09-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

   Last week, Todd's Mom wanted to take us to the fair. So we went on a Thursday Night and we really enjoyed ourselves!! We saw all kinds of animals, got some fresh local honey, and ate fried Oreos!!

   Todd insisted that Carly needed an animal to remember the fair by, and wouldn't you know, they had an Elmo bigger than her! So, Todd played a basketball game and won her the Elmo. He's apart of the family.

   I think he's a little creepy, but she loves him!

Kinetic Small Group Leaders Retreat - Fall 2010

2010-08-23T18:25:00.001-04:00

So Here we are...in seriousness and silliness, your

2010 Kinetic Small Group Leaders.

What a weekend it was!! We traveled to Gatlinburg, TN on Friday, and no matter what you felt like when you arrived...your cup was overflowing when you left!!

Not only did we have several sessions of learning and worship, we also had fun and relaxed. We made new friends, spent time with old friends, stayed up late playing games, shopped, and really just enjoyed being away for a few days.

Krispy Kreme!!!

2010-08-12T17:17:00.000-04:00

Not sure if you're aware of this, but Hot, Glazed, Krispy Kreme doughnuts are my favorite treat, hands down!! When I go and stay at my parents for a night, I make an excuse to go on a Krispy Kreme run after dinner. My little brother, Samuel thinks it's hilarious! He says he's getting me a life time supply of Krispy Kremes for Christmas.

This past Saturday, it was my mom's suggestion, and we went before dinner!! We had an appetizer, and took home some chocolate iced doughnuts for dessert. I love Krispy Kreme...I wish we had one in Concord!!

Carly is a fan too!!

Errant Thought Round Up #2

2010-07-27T23:27:00.000-04:00

Can't sleep tonight, im hopin this helps...

I love, I love, I hate, I hate
I like, I wish, for goodness sake
I hope, I hope, I pray, I pray
I will, I won't, and for today...

I LOVE...having dinner ready when Todd gets home from work. I enjoy serving him by cooking dinner.

I LOVE...when Carly cries out "Mommy!" first in the morning. It's the only time "Mommy" comes before "Daddy".

I HATE...when people want to voice their thoughts or feelings to the world about something and use facts with holes in them to support their cause. (on a side note, this especially bothers me when it's about me yet I'm not specifically named. Man up!)

I HATE...that I sometimes feel territorial over relationships. I think this is a clear indicator of friendships lost.

I LIKE...eating Saturday lunch at the farm with everyone. What a blessing to enjoy meals as a family. I especially love hearing my Papaw Johnny's stories.

I WISH...I could attend said Saturday Lunches every weekend.

For Goodness Sake...people mistake the desire for accountability as meanness. Just
Because I asked you to commit to something specific doesn't mean I'm gonna beat you up after second service when you don't follow through.

I HOPE...my hubby really enjoys his new position at work.

I HOPE...God blesses us with another child.

I PRAY...that I'm an effective teacher when I start preschool with Carly this fall.

I PRAY...that I'm a better friend now than I used to be.

I WILL...at least get through the laundry mountain tomorrow.

I WON'T...be canning any more pickles this season!!!

AND FOR TODAY...God takes care of the birds,rabbits, giraffes, and all the other animals...surely I can trust that He will take care of me.

Thanks for reading
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Gardening...

2010-07-26T22:00:00.001-04:00

My hubby is quite the gifted gardener. This year, he was really ambitious, and although not everything came in, we have still had a LOT of vegetables to harvest this summer! We are learning how to do everything organic and that's made things a little more difficult, but very worth it.

We have a pantry stocked with canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and pickles; and a freezer with corn, spinach, and various jams.

God has surely blessed us with our garden. Every few days there are tomatoes, zucchini or something else to be picked. I am super excited for our watermelon, cantaloups and muscadine grapes to be ready.

I really wanted to write this post to say that my hubby is wonderful and I appreciate his hard work in our garden so we have fresh, organic veggies. Love you!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

To Blog...or Not to Blog...

2010-07-15T19:54:00.000-04:00

I've been struggling over the last few days over whether or not to write this post. As you can see, I've decided to write it....and I hope you'll accept it with an open mind and an open heart, as it's taken a lot to put myself out here at the most vulnerable time in my life.

The month of June was physically hard for me. On three separate occasions I experienced about an hour of cramping and spotting, and we weren't entirely sure what was happening. The last time was on Carly's birthday, June 19th. On June 24, we found out we were expecting another baby. We were so excited!! We had talked back in March and decided that we'd like to add another member to our family...we could barely keep from shouting it from the rooftops!! We told our parents, a few select friends, scheduled our first doctors appointment, and starting dreaming of how our lives would change next February when our baby came.

Last Thursday, July 8th, I had my first obstetricians appointment. We picked a new doctor, so we had a little "getting to know you" time, discussed how things were when Carly was born. He went over all the tests that were available, went over the "do's and don'ts of being pregnant" ... as He left the room, he told us to schedule an appointment for our first ultrasound the next week. About 2 minutes later, he comes back in the room and says my pregnancy test was negative. He decides to take blood and send it off to a lab for confirmation. If this blood test was positive, I would have to take another one the next week to see if the levels increased or decreased before we had a for sure answer. I had to wait until Friday afternoon for the results from the first blood test.

At this point, I am dying inside. I'd had a funny feeling leading up to the doctors visit, but I just couldn't put my finger on what could be wrong. I chalked it up to being nervous about a new doctor. In a matter of 30 minutes, I went from planning our future as a four member family, to mourning a child that I didn't even realize I had lost. What kind of Mom doesn't realize she lost her baby?

I called my Mom and My Step Mom to tell them what the doctor had said...and I composed an email for our other family and friends because I just couldn't handle going through the story over and over. Nor did I, in my RAW state of emotion, want anyone else to tell me that God had a plan and He knew what He was doing. All I could see was that God's plan was to cause us immense pain. I asked our friends and family to pray for us as we went through the next twenty four hours of not knowing...and I started praying for a negative blood test.

Before you judge me...understand, I could not go through a week of limbo, waiting to take a second blood test, only to be let down with a negative result. I knew, deep in my heart, that our baby was gone. We weren't pregnant anymore. The best possible thing was for that test to be negative. I don't know that I have ever begged God for a blessing as much as I did for that negative blood test.

Thursday night, Todd and I talked, and prayed, and cried....and I cried and cried and cried and cried. On Friday, I got up, with a blanket of peace over my whole mind, body, and soul. I can't remember a night that I rested that well. I continued my Friday as I had planned it and waited for the Doctors office to call.

Thankfully, God, in his infinite grace, gave us our negative blood test results on Friday afternoon.

How are we? We are good. Honestly good. We know that God has a plan for our family, and He knows what's best. We are hopeful that we will receive the blessing of more children in our family, but we are also peaceful with the thought of our family being just the three of us.

I am certain that God doesn't intend on us to go through life's struggles alone. As I shared our doctor's office results with friends who had celebrated our new baby with us, most haven't responded. I am well aware that sometimes, you don't know what to say to people. But, personally, I would rather you say the wrong thing than avoid me.

I don't want pity, please know that. I just want other women who have experienced this to know, we don't have to be ashamed. I know that this miscarriage was not my fault or my husband's fault. God isn't punishing Todd and I for some bad decision we made.

I hope that this blog reaches someone who maybe has been through the same thing. I pray that if you haven't experienced this pain, that you won't have to. But to those of us who know what this feeling is...don't hide it. Don't carry the burden alone. Share with your spouse, your friends, your small group. Let people love you and care for you.

I have to say...I knew that I had a couple of friends that I could count on through anything. Friends that called or texted me over the first few days just to say "I'm thinking about you". What a blessing that was! But I also had people that weren't "close" friends say, "Hey, I've been there". I got an unexpected phone call from someone who said 'Isn't it crazy how it hits you?"

I firmly believe that God didn't design us to "do life alone" ... and that's why I have shared this story with the universe. In my weakest moment, God has revealed to me my support system. Some members I expected and some were the most pleasant surprise. If you called me, texted me, emailed me, prayed for me, THANK YOU!! From the bottom of the deepest depths of my soul, THANK YOU!

I may never know God's full reason for us to experience this pain, but I have already have been shown that God is using this situation for His Good and my own.

Romans 8:28 (The Message)

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Carly's 2nd Birthday

2010-07-03T17:02:00.001-04:00

Carly made her first Build-a-Bear this year. I was really excited for this...but she was over it after the stuffing was done. Oh well, I really enjoyed it!

We, by we I mean I, picked a purple bear that sparkles, it's the iCarly edition. I couldn't NOT pick the bear with her name on it...It's pretty cute. Carly named her "Abby. I'm still pretty excited over this bear....

For Carly's Party, we had a kiddie pool, a splash mat, and a Bounce House!! This year, we opted to do one big party at our house, instead of 4 different parties with all 4 sides of our family...blended families are a blessing. This is Carly and Evelyn. They had fun together, but Evelyn - being the neat girl that she is, did not like the grass in the kiddie pool!

Carly has really enjoyed this present from her Mamaw Betty and Papaw Jeff, it's a small bounce house. She plays and plays and plays!!

This Babydoll Bed is really special. It was mine! My mom sewed the bedding for it, especially for Carly Beth. She loves this little bed, she's even tried to get in it! I love that she is enjoying something that used to be mine.

And this...is Carly's baby. It goes everywhere with her! We got her a diaper bag with bottles, so she can feed her baby too. She is definitely designed to be a mother...amazing how God creates us with our purpose from the beginning...

Errant Thought Round Up #1

2010-07-01T23:36:00.000-04:00

... I'm stealing this from my friend - Kendra ...

I love, I love, I hate, I hate

I like, I wish, for goodness sake

I hope, I hope, I pray, I pray

I will, I won't, and for today...

I Love...curling up with a good book. Even if it is just for 20 minutes, it's energizing, I love it...Hey, what's a good book series to start?

I Love...going back home to visit my family. There's nothing that comes close to the feeling I get when I turn down the gravel road off HWY 127 and prepare to go UP the driveway...nothing compares.

I Hate...wishy washy -ness. Make a decision and stick to it...and don't be afraid to tell people no!

I Hate...my husband's work schedule. He works 55+ hours a week...He's always tired, but he works so hard.

I Like...when someone says or does something that confirms a thought or feeling I have already had. I like confirmation of things that God puts on my heart.

I Wish...we could move to Mountain View....Please, pretty please??

For Goodness Sake...why does my iPhone automatically correct words I didn't mispell, but leaves the words I clearly screw up alone?!?!?

I Hope...I am loving my husband in his love language, effectively. This is something I struggle with...

I Hope...my daughter knows how much she is loved. Some days, are hard, stressful, and I'm ugly...

I Pray...that I am careful to protect my daughter's heart as she grows older. I want her innocence to last as long as it's healthy.

I Pray...that my husband and I get to grow old, or young, together. Though I wouldn't want our children to be without either of us, and definitely not both of us...I can't imagine spending one day without him in this world.

I Will...sleep so good tonight because I haven't recovered from the midnight showing of Eclipse Wednesday morning...

I Won't...be able to rest well though because Todd isn't here in Blufton yet...

And For Today...I am thankful I remembered that I forgot to pack shorts and pants for Todd. If not, he'd get here and have nothing to wear over his underwear....

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY CARLY BETH!!!!

2010-06-20T13:16:00.003-04:00

One Week Old...

One Year Old...

Two Years Old...

Trip to Blufton

2010-05-20T11:55:00.001-04:00

In the car...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Fording Island Rd,Bluffton,United States

Carly's Week

2010-04-24T10:25:00.002-04:00

Busy week we have had!!! Here are some pictures!!!

Carly has started playing a little dress up....she's pretty funny too.

At the Penguin having some fried pickles...we love pickles, and the Penguin

This is Carly's favorite seat!! She watches Sesame Street from her shopping cart quite often!!

A Carly Update!!

2010-04-21T10:03:00.002-04:00

I took Carly to Imaginon Children's Library yesterday. We went with Steph and Evelyn. We didn't know there would storytime! Storytime was about barnyard animals, and Carly really enjoyed it! She liked the puppets too.

After storytime, we picnic lunched at the Perkins and the girls played a while longer. Carly and Evelyn are very good friends. Carly asks for Evelyn frequently "Mommy, Ebbin?" they giggle and chatter...though I'm not always sure of what they are chattering about.

It's hard to believe Carly will be 2 in less than 2 months!!

She has some new favorite things she asks for:
Popcorn
shoes
bath paints
side walk chalk
cake
frosted mini-wheats
playing outside with her ball
ELMO - this one isn't new but she asks for it often!!

-- Post From My iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Chickens!!

2010-04-13T12:15:00.002-04:00

That's right, The Watsons are chicken farmers now!!

One week after bringing them home

Godzilla - she is the runt.

Here's a picture of Carly :)

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Picnic at the Park

2010-03-31T13:11:00.002-04:00

We spent lunchtime with Steph and Evelyn at the park...Carly is such a ham for the camera!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Playing with Friends

2010-03-08T12:08:00.002-05:00

Evelyn and Jonas came to play for the afternoon...they had so much fun playing outside in the yard....even Jack was exhausted at the end of the day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Zootastic Park

2010-03-06T19:38:00.001-05:00

We visited Zootastic Park in Troutman today for Carly's cousin Kendall's Birthday Party. It was really neat! Carly had fun visiting with the animals and feeding them. They had a goat that was only a day old!

- http://www.zootasticpark.com

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Troutman, NC

Words, Words, Words

2010-03-02T21:02:00.001-05:00

Carly has some words perfectly:

Mommy
Daddy
Mamaw
Papaw
Cookie
Jack
Bath
Bye-bye
Hi
Cupcake
No
Yes
Yep
Baby
Elmo
Apple
Eye
Nose
Mouth
Hooray

She also has her own responses to things...
If you say "I love you," she says "too".

She loves to sing - she likes:
"The Wheels on the Bus"
"if you're happy and you know it"
"The Itsy Bitsy Spider"
"Elmo's Song"

She loves to dance and sing...she's so cute!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Unhappy Girl

2010-03-02T20:53:00.001-05:00

Carly loves the bath, but she HATES to have her hair washed...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Helen Dr NW,Concord,United States

Kinetic's 5th Birthday Party!

2010-03-01T12:17:00.002-05:00

Carly enjoying a cupcake... Yummy!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

18 month check up

2010-02-19T08:16:00.002-05:00

So far we have learned that Carly is 24.08 lbs and 34 inches tall!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Olive Hill Ave NW,Concord,United States

Silly Carly

2010-02-15T10:50:00.001-05:00

Carly can be quite funny when encouraged.... She was playing with Daddy's safety glasses.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Canasta @ Mamaw Becky's

2010-02-08T11:52:00.002-05:00

Carly was taking notes and keeping score while we played cards....

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Imaginon Children's Library

2010-02-06T10:01:00.003-05:00

We took Carly to the Children's Library this morning. I've been wanting to come for a while but didn't want to go alone. It's totally awesome and Toddler friendly!

These computers allow you to color by touching the screen.

Carly and Todd on the "Trolley"

Carly coloring...this Is a new joy for her...

Another shot on the trolley...

Carly also loved ALL the books! She's going to be a reader!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:E 7th St,Charlotte,United States

If You're Sad And You Know It

2010-02-05T20:42:00.002-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Sherwood Cir,Concord,United States

If You're Happy and You Know It...

2010-02-04T18:15:00.002-05:00

Right now, Carly LOVES to sing! I hope to get some video of this uploaded soon, but here is a list of her favorite songs:

1) if You're Happy and You
Know It
2) The Wheels on the Bus
3) Elmo's Song

She also loves to dance to the Jonas Brothers...she can spot them whether they are together or it's just one of them....

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Helen Dr NW,Concord,United States

First Eye Injury

2010-02-03T22:37:00.003-05:00

I figured I should document both the great milestones and the scarier ones...

This happened about two weeks ago, she had a black eye for a couple of days too! I told her that she shouldn't put her eye on the corner of the coffee table anymore...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Naptime

2010-02-03T14:06:00.002-05:00

I think it's time for a nap...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:NW Helen Dr,Concord,United States

Carly Likes Hats

2010-02-03T13:00:00.002-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Sherwood Cir,Concord,United States

Carly and Mady's First Sleepover

2010-02-03T12:58:00.001-05:00

Mady came to stay for the night and the girls have played so well!!! I'm so thankful Carly has a cousin to grow up with!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Preview of Carly's Christmas Photos

2009-11-28T23:51:00.001-05:00

Halloween!!!

2009-11-03T17:45:00.004-05:00

Carly was a cowgirl for Halloween this year! I must say...she was super duper cute! This picture was snapped towards the end of the evening because she had been to a Harvest Festival with my dad before they came to the Halloween Party on Haunted Mosteller Hill. She is just too cute!!!

Carly's Shirt...

2009-10-04T10:26:00.003-04:00

Carly sporting her Kasey Kahne shirt her daddy got for her at the Bristol Race =)

Carly's New Hat!

2009-08-26T20:04:00.003-04:00

Carly has her own cupboard at Mawmaw Becky's House. It's filled with random plastic containers. Carly likes to wear them as hats!!

Carly Talks...and walks!

2009-08-17T16:35:00.005-04:00

This video is just of Carly playing and jibbering...she is quite the talker! Oh and she's walking too! This is the first video of her walking that I've posted!

Carly's First Birthday!!!

2009-07-30T15:47:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday to Carly!

Yummy Cake!!

I Love Books!

Sameul, Carly, Caitlin, Mady, Karina and Caleb

Carly in her Little Red Rocking Chair!

Did I get something on my face?

Birthday Princess....

It's Finally Time for an Update!!!!

2009-07-30T14:30:00.005-04:00

Carly turned one about a month ago! She's growing up so fast! I cannot believe it's been one whole year!!! She is walking and talking - She says Duck, Dog, Mama, Da (daddy), Jack, up, That. What else...She dances, she loves to dance. When music starts...she just starts moving!!! We watch So You Think You Can Dance and she boogies the whole time! Carly has 7 teeth.

This picture is from my Aunt Di's wedding about two months ago. She and her cousin Mady rode in a wagon and threw flower petals. They were the cutest flower girls ever!!!

This one is at Mady's Birthday Party.

And this one...is self explanatory!! This is the only cabinet Carly can play in at Todd's Mom's house. It's hers, and she likes to crawl inside and play!

Carly Loves Blueberry Cobbler!

2009-04-09T09:22:00.005-04:00