Dean and Tori: Inn Love

mr. happy clappy

2010-07-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

someone has learned how to clap and i love it! sometimes he forgets to open his fists...so funny!

i can't believe my little tiny baby is getting close to a year old! he's crawling all over the place now-a-days. he's "cruising" on the furniture and sometimes stands all by himself! i am in NO rush to have him walking yet though :) i'm taking advice from mommies who have gone before me to not rush that one. he's waving and saying bye-bye, saying mama and dada (sometimes), and pointing at gracie (our cat) and saying "Ga!" he chases her all over the house, and soon enough, he'll be able to catch her. he's such a happy little guy. everywhere he goes he points and reaches for people. he talks to EVERYONE....never meets a stranger. he loooooves women :) he'll smile and giggle at them. and they love him too (watch it ladies {{wink wink}}). his favorite foods right now are cottage cheese, cheese sticks, cherries, bananas, and avocados. every afternoon when he wakes from his nap we have "snack on the floor" time...where we eat our snack sitting on the floor. it's become routine. each weds we meet some friends at TCBY for waffle cone wednesday....and this kid LOVES frozen yogurt. this past week he screamed at the top of his lungs...real tears...when it was gone. i mean, serious meltdown. everyone in the place thought it was the cutest thing, while i of course was embarrassed.
well, that's all the updates for now! more to come as our little manfriend continues to grow up {{sniff sniff}}. enjoy the video :)

the incredible shrinking gospel

2010-07-28T10:49:00.000-04:00

I'm reading a book title "The Tangible Kingdom" and I just have to share a passage with you. it breaks my heart, but it's so true. I have amazing conversations with some God-fearing friends sometimes that just totally rejuvinate my soul...why don't we live like that daily?? shouldn't we be constantly loving, and sharing, and speaking into eachother's lives in a way that refreshes and refuels??

"I've seen a recurring theme over and over again during the past few years. Even among Christians, our conversations range from politics to the economy to parenting to marriage and careers and yet, one painful reality is usually clear: the Gospel has not touched down on Planet Earth for many Christians.
When and where the Gospel lost its place in the everyday life of believers is a mystery, but there is no doubt that it is not informing most of our basic life issues. We often end up shrinking the concept of the Gospel down to a small set of beliefs or doctrines that have no practical effect on our daily lives. At the same time, we neglect to live out the greater story.

Imagine what could change if the Good News of Jesus was allowed to shape and inform all the areas of our lives."

shouldn't we speak and live out the Gospel in a way that allows the power of the Holy Spirit to do what the Holy Spirit is here to do?? how would our lives, our relationships, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our communities, our towns, our cities, our states, our nations, and our world be different?

common couponing questions

2010-07-28T10:41:00.000-04:00

well that title sure is a tongue twister! i even had a hard time typing it out!
ok, i've been getting some questions about couponing. now, i have only been at this myself for a month or so, but bear with me. i'll do the best i can to answer some of these...and if i don't know the answers, i'll turn to some trusty resources who i know WILL have some answers!

1. can you use multiple coupons for a single item?

yes and no. you can use 1 manufacturer's coupon (MQ) per item...BUT, if you have a store coupon you can stack that on top of the MQ. example, if you have a manufacturer's coupon for cottonelle toilet paper AND Food Lion has a cottonelle coupon out, you can use BOTH for one item. but if you have 4 manufacturer's coupons, you can't use all of those on 1 item.

2. why am i still not getting GREAT deals? I'm still spending $100 a week.

yep, me too sometimes. you really have to be consistent with clipping coupons EVERY sunday...indefinitely. when looking at the southern savers website, i'm still missing LOTS of deals because i don't have coupons from back in May. I'm guessing that come October, I'll have enough coupons to really be getting all the deals that i can be.

3. is it really worth it to clip coupons for 50 cents?? why?

YES! I know it seems like "what's 50 cents? is it worth my time?" let me give you an example of a recent purchase i had. I had coupons for 50 cents off secret deoderant. Harris teeter was having a sale on secret deoderant for $1. Since Harris Teeter doubles all coupons 99 cents and under, that coupon was really worth a dollar! soooo....you guessed it! Fortunately I had 4 of those coupons (harris teeter will only double THREE coupons for the same item). So, I bought 3 deoderants, for $3...used my coupons...and they were all FREE! woohoo! Now, since that deoderant will probably go on sale in another 6-8 weeks, i will have PLENTY of deoderant to last me until the next sale (or longer :)). See?? You never have to pay retail again! yippy! so CLIP COUPONS EVERY WEEK...it will pay off. maybe not a lot at first...but it WILL pay off eventually.

eventually, your coupons will be HIGHER than your total. for instance, i bought $19 worth of groceries from Lowe's recently and had $21 in coupons! and I bought $50 worth of groceries from Harris Teeter and my coupons were $57. And the first time you get an awesome deal...you'll be hooked!!

more questions?? leave them in the comment space below and i'll answer them ASAP!

good luck my fellow crazy couponers! :) i'm so proud of you all!

Stop the World - by Matthew West

2010-07-27T09:50:00.000-04:00

EXCITING news coming soon

2010-07-26T14:10:00.000-04:00

noooooooooooooooo....i'm not pregnant :) I know that's what you're all thinking!!

my jewelry business, which i temporarily put on hold after giving birth to the best thing in the world, is about to have some *E*X*C*I*T*I*N*G news! I'm not quite ready to share it yet...but stay tuned!!

and in the meantime, check out my newest pieces from my Summer 2010 collection by clicking H*E*R*E*

later taters!

tori

how to reduce your time couponing!!

2010-07-25T19:19:00.000-04:00

Find these great tips by clicking HERE

crazy coupon lady...part 3...

2010-07-25T17:27:00.000-04:00

ok ok ok....this pic has nothing to do with coupons. but someone once told me that a post with no pics is boring! so, this is a pic of the quilt that we recently bought levi for his big boy room! now i know that he won't be in a big boy bed for some time yet, but i have been STALKING this quilt, and it FINALLY went on sale so i snagged it up :) yay! i also found some cute surf board signs at a local store to match! dean told me levi's room is going to be "soooo holister." not really what i was going for buuuuuut whatever!

now onto coupons! i hope you crazy couponers stocked up on sunday papers today!! you should have had a redplum insert and a smartsource insert.
now, i recommend clipping only the coupons you will really need. i, along with many people i have known, have been suckered into buying things JUST because i have a coupon and it's a great deal. if you have a store that will offer money BACK on purchases, than it's worth it to clip all coupons (i don't) because you can MAKE $ on buying things you don't need. otherwise, i just clip what i would use. you can do whatever is best for you!
i also want to share another good site with you that was suggested to me:
www.couponingtodisney.com
this site is very helpful for multiple reasons, but especially for Walmart specials :) I got deoderant for 47 cents today and tucks medicated pads (great for after childbirth, so i'll be holding onto these!) for FREE!! So be sure to check this site out for more couponing tips!
another helpful hint for couponing:
do your grocery shopping on sunday, monday, or tuesday. the store sales all switch over on weds. i usually clip my coupons on sunday and make my list. then do my shopping on tuesday. it was hard for me at first, because i was soooo used to shopping on thursdays. it threw a wrench in my "routine" but it's a sacrifice you have to make if you want to be a crazy coupon lady! :)
and the last tip of the day....make a list (preferably use the southern savers website to check the boxes and make an online list) and STICK to it! minimize impulse purchases as much as possible. and don't go to the store hungry....that's always a bad idea :)
So here is what my sunday looks like:
~after church i buy my papers.
~clip the coupons (i stack the 4 identical sheets on top of eachother and clip to cut down on time)
~organize the coupons and put in baggies.
~head to southern savers website and check my main store first (harris teeter)
~make my grocery list for HT
~check rite aid and walmart and make lists (IF there are great deals only)
~once i print my lists, i match up the coupons with the store i plan to use them at. then i put my list and coupons into a baggy labeled "Harris Teeter" (or Walmart, Food Lion, Kroger....whatever)
then i'm all done and ready to go on Tuesday! I also add to the bottom of the list other items i need that i don't have coupons for, such as produce or meats. and i STICK to the list....well....for the most part :)
hope this helps! please comment with any questions or problems you're having!

happy couponing!

crazy coupon lady...part 2

2010-07-22T09:39:00.000-04:00

so, i feel like by couponing, i am beating the brilliant minds of the marketing people at big companies like P&G, Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, SC Johnson, and so forth. here's why:
just imagine a meeting of the big dawgs at proctor & gamble. they've developed a new toothpaste and someone says,
"I think we should charge 75 cents for this product."
everyone else agrees that would bring in a good profit for something that costs 10 cents to make.
then someone from the brilliant marketing department says,
"wait a minute. i think we should charge $2.50 for it. then we should put out some coupons every so often. and for the people who take the time to buy and clip these coupons, they can have the product for 50 cents. everyone else can pay a surplus."
brilliant!
so there you go. wanna beat those brilliant marketing folks with me?? ;)
(Kha, I think you should take this story back to your boss and let me know what she says {{wink wink}})

crazy coupon lady....part 1

2010-07-21T16:31:00.003-04:00

so i've officially been dubbed the Crazy Coupon Lady by my friends...and i like it :) my awesome sis-in-law and one of my friends in town, have both helped me to earn this amazing nickname by teaching me their secrets. and now i'd like to share them with you! in just 2 short weeks i have already scored some INSANE deals!
i spent $1 at Rite Aid and got $57 worth of product.
spent $33 at Harris Teeter and got $70 worth of groceries!
spent $4 and a years worth of women's razors!
spent $30 at Lowe's foods and got $79 worth of groceries....and the list goes on! I mean, this makes places like walmart EXPENSIVE!! crazy thought, huh??
i know what you're thinking

i do NOT have the time for that, you crazy coupon lady

and yes, it does take some time. but once you get a groove and start figuring things out, it really isn't that bad. and TOTALLY worth it in the end. not to mention that there are so many websites out there right now that do most of the work for you.

and here's the one i use:

www.southernsavers.com

so for today, if you're interested in joining the crazy coupon lady in this exciting adventure of savings (i know, i'm a dork. but i really get excited about this stuff!!)....then just keep reading for the first few steps you need to take to get started:

1. from here on out, every Sunday start buying 4 newspapers that have coupon inserts....and have FUN clipping them {{insert sarcasm here}}

2. come up with a filing system that works for you. everyone's might look different. I have file folders labeled "food" "baby stuff" "personal items" household items, and cat food. Then each week, i divide my coupons into those categories, put them in seperate plastic baggies, and put the date of the sunday paper i got them from on the baggy...trust me...you'll want that date labeled somewhere.

3. start stalking the above website!! become familiar with it, browse it, find the stores in your area that are on this website and check them out every so often. read their coupon policies, etc.

that's all for now! you can't do too much before you have a stockpile of coupons. i'll post more helpful tips later this week!

and if you're already part of the crazy coupon club and have some tips to share, please DO!! the more the merrier :) just post a comment below and be sure to read the comments for more helpful ideas!

later taters

oh Levi, you melt my heart....

2010-07-15T22:25:00.002-04:00

wordless wednesday - a photo montage

2010-07-07T10:53:00.000-04:00

dear blog...will you please forgive me??

2010-07-07T10:38:00.000-04:00

I was really on a roll with this blogging business....then i got sidetracked with some craft projects :) it happens....right???
So here is what I've been working on. I might be carried away with making things these days....can someone please come take the paint cans away from me???

the first is an old window from a friends house. we both painted one to hang in our houses! might sound weird...but it looks pretty cool! I plan on getting some pictures printed out to hang in each of the squares at some point. i also have a friend who put old crystal door knobs on a window like this and uses it to hang things on! cool idea!
I also painted an old chair with this yellow paint, distressed it a little, and put it in the play room. the bright yellow really makes the play room look fun!

The next is a picture of our family tree! i saw this idea somewhere and recreated my own in colors that i like. there's a mommy bird, a daddy bird, and a baby levi bird in this picture. and there are plenty of circles to turn into more birds as our family grows :)

Annnnnd, just because i love this kid so darn much, i can't help but put a picture of levi up! we were all at my parents house for father's day. this is a picture of levi playing in the sprinkler with my dad. levi's cousin grant was also there. they had SOOOO much fun! but i think my dad had the most fun :) We had to keep the paci in his mouth to keep him from eating the grass....

We've also been extremely busy with getting our yard situated. We've been in our new house since November, and JUST got some grass laid. so we've been messing with that, planting trees and flowers, and trying to get our yard looking nice. it takes lots of work, time, and patience....it's a work in progress!

and for those in the Pinehurst area, keep an eye out for the August issue of Pine Straw magazine...our famous little man is making yet another appearance, thanks to Along the Way Photography and her amazing photo skills :)

that's all for now! i'm working on a post full of updated pictures of levi. i am NOT, however, working on anymore craft projects....at least for now anyway :)

later taters!

tori

bye bye

2010-06-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

our little man friend is doing so many new things these days! i just can't believe it. it's like he's turning into a little boy...right before my eyes! he's waving "bye" (it's a backwards wave...but still a wave :)). he's climbing on EVERYTHING! he's standing in his crib (this is not a good thing...makes naps a little harder). he's officially discovered doors....push them open....push them closed...open....close....
open
close
open
close
he's mimicking the things we do...faces, noises, etc. it just seems like each new phase of his life gets more and more fun! and each new phase also has it's own challenges. we sure do LOVE you Levi! you're the best gift God ever gave us! {{SMOOCH}}

thanksgiving thursdays

2010-06-17T09:48:00.000-04:00

I'm linking up with Mama's Little Chick to bring you Thanksgiving Thursday! each thursday I'll post 5 things i'm thankful for. hopefully this will be a fun way to be reminded of all my many blessings. you should link up to!

1. being able to stay home with my son! even if i enventually have to go back to work...i'm enjoying every minute of being able to be home for this season of life :)

2. good friends...you know...the kind you can be "real" with and they don't judge you. i don't know what i'd do without em!

3. summer! it's horribly hot here already, but i love the summer! pools, sprinklers, ice cream, popsicles, fresh fruit.....yay for summer!

4. yard sales - i have gotten some AMAZING deals lately on some stuff for levi! we got a red wagon, rocking horse, train table, AND a little baby baseball game for $40! woohoo! yay for yard/garage/moving sales :)

5. God's good gifts - i know i live in the top 1% of the world....and i take it for granted every day. God has opened the flood gates on our lives, just as He's promised, and i am abundantly blessed. not because i deserve it, because i dont, but because he is good. and he is good all the time! yay for God!

go me!

2010-06-15T15:54:00.001-04:00

Yay! i can't believe i got another blog award recently! this is fun :) Thanks to my bloggy friend, Mama Hen at Mama's Little Chick for this great award! be sure to check her out!

The Beautiful Blogger Award has some rules: First you must thank whoever gave the award. more props to Mama Hen for this one! Next I need to tell 7 things about myself you may not know.

1. i could easily overdose on sour watermelon slices. hands down the best candy ever made

2. i don't have a favorite color. i constantly change what i like/don't like. right now i'd say purple and orange are my faves. ask me next month and it'll be different :)

3. this is also why i constantly change my blog background. i guess i just love change??

4. i'm a type A freak. i stress myself out over having everything put away, picked up, and in it's "place." my hubby laughs at me because my theory is, "if it has to be in the attic or storage, then you don't need it. get rid of it." I think I'm missing a sentimental side that most women have....

5. my only goal in life is to glorify god in everything i do....and i have no idea how to do that or what that means. anyone have any answers???

6. i'm a people pleaser. yep. guilty. having levi has helped me in that area a little though. you can't please people and god....this is part of my dilema...

7. i make jewelry! you can check it out here. i took a break after levi was born, but have slowly gotten back into my groove. i need to update with more pics of my most recent stuff! i love all kinds of crafts!

i need to pass this award on to 12 people! which i plan on doing....tomorrow :)

thanks for stopping by! later taters!

tori

Bikes, Boxes, and Baths, OH MY!

2010-06-11T09:53:00.000-04:00

we bought some beach cruiser bikes recently! we've been wanting some for a while and finally caved in. we thought it'd be a great way to get outside, get some exercise, and have fun with levi! his helmet might be a little bit big...but doesn't he look cute!?? I told dean he looked like one of the mushroom guys from the old super mario bros games. tomorrow morning we plan on riding to our local farmers market for some fresh produce! this is deans bike...i don't plan on being the one to haul the baby around :)

He was also a big fan of the box that his carseat came in.

and after all the hard playing we did outside...it was bathtime! climbing up on the bathtub is a big no-no for us, but i just had to catch a picture before sitting him back down :)

happy weekend!

tori

Hold That Thought

2010-06-11T03:56:00.000-04:00

another great daily devotional from proverbs31 ministries! check them out!

Hold That Thought!

9 Jun 2010

Luann Prater
http://www.proverbs31.org/

"Another disciple said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.'" Matthew 8:21 (NIV)

In the movie Bolt, a self-centered Hollywood agent constantly tells his child star, "We'll just stick a pin in that." He holds an imaginary push pin in the air and pretends to shove it into an invisible cork board as he says it. He's claiming he'll save that thought/question/request until later and revisit it. But what he really means is, "Get out of here with that request! Not happening!"

The disciple in today's key verse says basically the same thing to Jesus, "Uh, master, hold that thought. Love what you're doing here, want to be a part of it, really I do. Just need to step over here and handle this task first. You understand, right?" T he three telling words in this passage are "first let me..."

We are busy, aren't we? If I tell you how busy I am maybe you won't ask me to do something else. Maybe you will think I'm super spiritual because I have so much going on in my life. Don't.

When I am the busiest I really am the most self-absorbed. I'm just being honest here. When there is so much to do often the most important things get shoved to the side or don't make the list at all.

Have you ever said this, "Once I get _____ done, then my life will calm down"? You are not alone. It's an easy habit to develop, but a hard one to break!

Hi, my name is Luann and I'm addicted to activity. Embarrassed to admit it, but got to have a real moment with you. God makes a simple request in my life and yours: "Follow Me." But all too often those four words, "first let me _______," slip past my lips. You can fill in the blank with whatever you put before what Jesus is calling you to. Instead of Jesus telling you, 'let the dead bury their own dead,' maybe He's saying:

"Follow Me, and let the kids wait a minute."

"Follow Me, and let the phone ring."

"Follow Me, and let the dishes sit."

"Follow Me, and reschedule the appointment."

"Follow Me, and let the Facebook and Twitter friends wonder where you are."

"Follow Me, and put everything else on your to-do list after Me. Deal?"

It's time to stop putting God on hold. It's time to stop using everything in our life as an excuse not to do "first things first."

Hold that thought ...first let me drop to my knees and pray that God will give me a yearning to put Him first.

Dear Lord, I'm sorry that anything has taken first place in my life besides You. Forgive me and teach me this day to begin with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

wordless wednesdays - sorry daddy

2010-06-09T11:11:00.000-04:00

beach bums

2010-06-08T15:10:00.000-04:00

Levi had his first trip to the beach this past weekend! boy is it hard traveling with a baby...so much stuff to pack for just a weekend! sheesh! fortunately he slept well (most of the time) and did ok in the car (most of the time :)). he LOVED the beach! i think it was slightly overwhelming for him, but this kid loves water so much! of coures our biggest challenge was keeping him from eatting the sand! gross! why does
everything
go
in
their
mouths??? seriously!
we had fun, did some major relaxing, no one got burnt...so all-in-all in was worth the effort! looking forward to a trip to the beach with my family in september!

xoxo

tori

2010-06-02T15:05:00.000-04:00

wordless wednesdays - just chillin

2010-06-02T09:34:00.001-04:00

just another manic monday...or wait....tuesday??

2010-06-01T15:02:00.000-04:00

now that i'm not working...i completely lose track of what day it is. it's like everyday is saturday to me, except sunday is still sunday. it's a good thing :) except when i try to create a clever blog title just to realize that i'm on the wrong day.

oh well! moving on.....

mr. sweet cheeks is breaking his EIGHTH tooth and it has been a bumpy ride with this one! today he was fussy and not feeling well. soooo he had a crappy nappy, a fussy morning, and will NOT let me put him down. but during one of his crappy nappies, i managed to do a couple of projects. i have been needing something in the kitchen to write or tack things to. so i made something with some stuff i had around the house! woohoo for free crafts!

these are two picture frames that are no longer hanging in our house. i took the pictures out, covered the cardboard backing with fabric, stapled it on, and put them back in the frame! easy breezy. then i dug out some tacks and hung a picture on one! the one on the left is for the kitchen, and is made from a dish rag. the one on the right is for the toy room and is from some leftover fabric i've had for years.
gotta love having some time for a craft on a busy monday...i mean tuesday :)....morning!

xoxo

tori

tuna heaven

2010-05-28T12:53:00.000-04:00

i made a tuna dish last night that was YUM! and super easy. i made the recipe up, so you could add your own variations or substitutes depending on what you do/don't like. here it is:

1 large sashimi grade tuna steak (if you don't like your tuna sashimi style, then any steak will do).
can of black beans
fresh cilantro
grated carrots
red onion
salt
pepper
cumin
1-2 limes
EVOO

Coat the tuna steak in some salt, pepper, and cumin. pour a little olive oil into a pan (we used a grill griddle pan..or whatever it's called??). sautee steak for just a few minutes on each side (or longer if you like it cooked more). meanwhile, make black bean salad. drain can of beans and pour into a bowl. add sliced red onion, grated carrots, fresh cilantro, a dash of salt and the juice of 1/2-1 lime (depending on how limey you like it :)). I think this salad would also be good with some tomato and avocado, but we didn't have any. soooo...continuing on.....
remove tuna and cut into slices. put black bean salad onto a plate and top with slices of tuna! it's that EASY!! you could also drizzle on a little soy sauce or chipoltle sauce. We had a side of soy and chipotle (courtesy of my good friend....thanks for the sauce Natalie!)for dipping which worked well also.
This dish was super easy and fast. not to mention yummy and healthy! now that's my idea of a good time.
I need to start taking pics of these meals! that always helps me when i'm cooking. i'll get on it :)

happy memorial day weekend! hope you get some nice time off to relax! and maybe hit up some good sales??? this is also my idea of a good time :)

my first blog awards!!

2010-05-26T19:57:00.000-04:00

i can't believe it! i won two blog awards in one day! and they're my first ever. thank you to Torie at Life with Rylie for these amazing awards!! be sure to check out her blog! she's got an adorable little girl, Rylie, fun give-a-ways, cute pics, and more! and i especially love her name {{wink wink}}
here is my first awesome award!

and this is the second! yippy!

After receiving blogger awards you must pass them on. If you have already received one of these, then don’t worry about it (unless you really want to) I’d like to pass these on to the following bloggers:
Debbie's Art Works
Emily at Raising Redheads
Farah at He Washed My Sins Away
Emily at Southern Domestic Goddess
Christine at A Mama Stork Knows
Mama Hen at Mama's Little Chick

Hope you ladies feel as special as i did! check out all these awesome blogs for crafts, artworks, cute pictures, recipes, fun games, and MORE!

later taters

tori

wordless wednesdays

2010-05-26T15:01:00.000-04:00

my new favorite babysitter

2010-05-25T19:32:00.002-04:00

and the award goes to....................

{{drum roll pleeeeaaaaase!!!!}}

baby einstein!!

that's right. i'm not afraid to admit it. is that bad?? you know, it's funny how before i had kids there were all these things i said i'd NEVER do. letting my baby watch TV was one of them. "they" say not to let your kids watch tv until they're at least 2. well "they" must not be stay at home moms.

so here is a picture of my beloved watching baby einstein (and shrieking in delight, i might add) while feeding himself some green beans and banana.

Sure....most of the food ends up in his bib, or on his lap, but he's getting the hang of it. and this allows mommy to get dinner cooked in peace

{{insert big sigh of relief}}

have i mentioned lately how much i love this kid????

little fishy

2010-05-24T10:42:00.003-04:00

our little manfriend is a HUGE fan of water. and he is completely fearless in it too. so i gotta keep an eye out for him. he dips his face in the water, tries to drink it, flops right onto his belly and "swims" all over the place! he isnt scared one bit.
Example A - levi splashing around like a little fishy. yes....that is a regular diaper on him. it was a last minute "let's put him in the pool to cool down thing" so we didn't put a swim diaper on.
eventually this thing swelled up so big we had to take it off. :)

anyway, he LOVES being in the pool or bathtub! we put just enough water in it for him to splash around on his tummy. the bathtub slightly confuses him, since it isn't as big as the pool, but he flops right down on his tummy and swims all over the place. it's hilarious.

we had some family in town this weekend! my cousins from atlanta came to visit and we had a blast with them! they have a son who's levi's age and it was soooo stinkin cute to see them crawl around and play together. levi would follow asher around the floor, they took a bath together, shared their toys, stared at eachother from their strollers, took walks....so much fun. i look forward to levi having a cousin that he's so close in age with! unfortunately, we didn't get many pics from the weekend {{DUH! what was i thinking??}} but as soon as my cuz sends me some of hers i'll post a couple.

that's all for now!

ciao

tori

Dirty Dozen

2010-05-24T09:55:00.003-04:00

How adorable is this?? I saw this on one of my fave sites today (www.livefabuless.com) and just had to print it out. Ever since getting prego, I am way more aware of what i eat, where it came from, and what's in it. Not to say i don't still enjoy the occassional (more than occasional) junk food snack, but we are making some small steps towards trying to eat healthy, local, fresh, and organic. I have a list of these "dirty" and "clean" produce items on my fridge, but this is soooo much cuter!

sooooo....i printed this badboy out, folded it on the dotted line, and lamenated it!

We also joined a local co-op. I've been looking for one for a while, and a friend led me to this website www.carolinagrown.org

It services Raleigh and surrounding areas (which we thankfully fall into). you can sign up for a small, medium, or large size box. Then each week you go online, pick the produce/meat/dairy items you want, and a box gets delivered to you on the following Sunday! It's all from local farmers, and most of it's organic. The meat is pretty pricey, so we are just doing a weekly box of produce for right now.I can't WAIT to get my first box on saturday! i love the ease of this idea, that i can order as i want (no commitment), and that it helps me stay on budget with my grocery bills! SAWEEEEET! I'll let you all know how it goes. and if you're in the raleigh area, check it out!

later tators

tori

Spaghetti squash spaghetti

2010-05-23T16:53:00.002-04:00

1 spaghetti squash
1 jar sauce
ground italian chicken or turkey
extra veggies(peppers, onion, mushrooms, spinach, etc)

cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, sprinkle with EVOO, salt, and pepper. Roast with the inside facing down at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
While this is roasting, begin sauce! I use a jar of sauce, and doctor it up! I add spinach, onion, garlic salt, mushrooms, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Add cooked meat.
When the squash is done, use a fork to scrape the meat of the squash. it will string up and look just like spaghetti noodles! YUM!! This meal is so good, easy, and healthy!!
ENJOY

tori

bad soy, strawberry jam, potato picking, and trenches

2010-05-18T20:49:00.003-04:00

what a week it's been so far...and it's only TUESDAY!

poor sweet levi had a bad run-in with some soy yogurt on sunday (i accidently bought SOY {{yuck}} which WONT happen again), which resulted in lots of vomiting(as if we don't get enough of that around here??). anyway, our sweet little manfriend is fine, but we ended up missing church on sunday! this was a bummer because one of our good friends was preaching that day.

then on monday, levi and i headed down to good ole rockingham for a visit with levi's ninny and papa! we spent the day picking some fresh potatoes from their amazing garden. i must admit, their garden made me slightly jealous. we tilled and planted a pretty big garden this year, which was completely eaten by DEER!

arrrrgggggg

anywho....

the potatos were later served as a side with chicken alfredo over biscuts. i sauteed those suckers up in some butter and fresh herbs (the only thing left of said garden) and they were delicioso!

then today i spent the afternoon making yummy fresh strawberry jam! oh my goodness is it AMAZING! and so easy. i bought some fresh strawberries from some friends of ours who have a local farm. a good friend of mine came over and we used some fruit pectin (low sugar version) and made a couple of batches to share! it's fresh, low in sugar, and (mostly) natural ingredients! i stored most of it in the freezer, except a small amount to use for now. i can't wait to make some blackberry jam when the blackberries come off the vine in july!

and trenches, you ask???

yep...my husband is awesome and multi-talented. a good friend came over this afternoon/evening and helped my hubby dig trenches and install a sprinkler system in our yard...saving us TONS of money! woohoo! now that's my idea of a good time :) now if we just had some grass to water.....

embarassed to admit...

2010-05-14T14:42:00.003-04:00

but i ate a whole recipe of homemade cookie dough in a week! ahhh! what's wrong with me? if p90x wasn't enough to help me give up my love for chocolate, what is?? i mean...i only had a couple of cookies a day...how did this happen?? i blame the breastfeeding....my lack of estrogen is causing me to crave endorphin releasing substances...such as chocolate. that makes sense...

RIGHT????

big sigh of relief

2010-05-13T10:05:00.002-04:00

"For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29, NIV)

Ahhhhh....I fell in love with this verse this morning. isn't it amazing, that not only does God call/choose/appoint us as His own, but that this call is irrevocable?? i feel so humbled that He would choose me. choose my husband. choose my son. why us??? i can't even begin to understand His ways. and the Prince of Peace gives me such rest in knowing that this call can't be taken away from us. so take that satan {{{slap in the face}}}

SWAGGER WAGON

2010-05-12T09:44:00.000-04:00

Grilled Maple-Dijon Salmon Salad

2010-05-11T13:15:00.002-04:00

Dressing
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbls dijon mustard
2 tbls olive oil
*mix together and set aside

Meanwhile, grill or bake salmon. while salmon is cooking, make a big yummy salad! We used spinach and iceburg lettuce, carrots, celery, cucumber, onion, some fresh cilantro, and some "salad toppers." When salmon is done cooking, we put the salmon on the bed of lettuce, topped with the dressing, and put some fresh pepper on top! Yummy! And super easy :) and extremely healthy!

enjoy!

From Our Kitchen

2010-05-10T14:17:00.003-04:00

I have been trying some NEW recipes lately. for a while i got in such a rut with my cooking! after having Levi it was just easier to throw some chicken on the grill, or bake some fish.
but
that
got
old!!
Dean's not very adventurous with his foods...or should i say...he doesn't like when I get adventurous?? either way, i have some great cookbooks and i've been putting them to use lately!
tuna with an orange-dill sauce
bbq chicken supper
chicken alfredo over biscuits
chilli-rubbed pork chops
salmon with a maple-balsamic glaze
chicken with a basil-brown mustard sauce over orzo
wilted spinach and cauliflower
green beans with almonds
orange banana nut bread
i feel like i'm having fun in my kitchen again! plus most of these meals take less than 30 minutes...from START to FINISH!
did you catch that???

less than 30 minutes!!!!!

saweeeeeeeet!!

now that's my idea of a good time.

so i'm starting an entire section on my blog dedicated to some of these easy-breezy meals! look for it under the tab on the right-hand side titled "From Our Kitchen."

First one = coming soon!!

xoxo

tori

dear blog,

2010-05-07T14:18:00.005-04:00

i'm sorry i have neglected you. somehow i have managed to quite my job and become BUSIER than i was before.

siiiiighhhhh

such is life.

so since i last posted, a lot has happened at the king house. levi has been working on his front 2 teeth (which equals a total of 8 teeth for this 7.5 month old!! sheesh!). he has actually been handling these last 2 pretty well

PRAISE THE LORD

he's crawling all over the place now, including in his crib. when he wakes up, i often find him trying to climb up his bumper. in fact, this picture here shows his new favorite way to welcome mommy into the room when he awakens :)

how precious is this!!?? he pulls the bumper down and peeps out, just waiting for me to come scoop him up.

have i mentioned how much i love this kid????

'look at me mommy! i'm a big boy!'

ok ok, he didn't actually stand up in his crib. i positioned him like this. we're working on getting his legs big and strong :)

excited about my first mother's day! levi is getting dedicated at our church on sunday! {{{yippy!}}} my parents are coming to town, and i believe the in-laws are coming also. should be a fun day! my real mothers day present won't come until early june...when we head to the beach for a long weekend! hoping and praying our little guy does ok away from home! we've worked so hard to get him to be a good sleeper (something that NEVER came naturally to him) and i'm terrified of ruining that. i think we'll make it through it... :)

on a side note, i made some chicken/brown rice/carrots baby food just today. YUCK! i mean, it tastes ok (pretty good actually) but the thought of blended up chicken just really grosses me out. barf. but...1 chicken breast, 1/2 cup brown rice, and 1/2 bag of frozen carrots made over 40 ounces of baby food! woohoo! now that's my idea of a good time.

later taters

tori

A Proverbs 31 Devo for Today...

2010-05-03T13:08:00.001-04:00

I love my daily devos from Proverbs 31 Ministries. But sometimes I get one that really stands out to me. And this is one of those. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Undignified Worship
29 Apr 2010
Glynnis Whitwer

"...It was before the LORD who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel – I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this... ." 2 Samuel 6:21-22a (NIV)

I grew up in a traditional church, singing traditional hymns. Being a Christian was very matter-of-fact for me. I was a Christian in the same way I would have told you I was a student.Nothing much changed in our little church. Every Sunday, faithful men and woman of God taught Sunday school, served on committees and made lemonade, coffee and cookies for after-church fellowship. It was a wonderful experience and I grew up loving God's Word, His church and its people.

When I was a high schooler in the late 70s, I was introduced to Christian "rock and roll." Being in Arizona, we got overflow from the California Jesus movement, and were familiar with many of the bands coming on the scene. I heard songs by Keith Green, Second Chapter of Acts and Phil Keaggy. These songs depicted a faith in God that was passionate and alive. Something stirred within me as I listened to their music over and over.

I can still vividly picture myself in a sold-out symphony hall before a live concert as one half of the room yelled, "We love Jesus, yes we do. We love Jesus how 'bout you?" I was on the other side, and we answered as loudly as we could, repeating the challenge. Joy and celebration vibrated through the hall as we shouted, jumped up and down and waved our arms in the air for love of Jesus.It was completely undignified and I was completely undone ... never to be the same. I knew I wanted a faith like that. I wanted to be so excited about Jesus that it overflowed, and I didn't care what my worship of Him looked like.

A few years ago, I read the story of King David dancing before the Lord. Now there was someone who didn't worry what others thought. David had overseen the return of the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem, and as it neared, he couldn't contain his joy. He replaced his kingly attire with a simple outfit and danced with all his might.His wife, Michal, watched from the window and didn't approve of David's behavior. She was disgusted with him, and told him so. David wasn't fazed, and responded with words that encourage me today, "It was before the LORD who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel – I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this ..." (2 Samuel 6:21-22a).

David was so in tune with God's heart, that he was unconcerned with the judgmental comments of others. David's only focus was on worshipping his God with sincerity an d abandon.That is my hope and prayer for myself. I want to let go completely of the fear of man, and worship with uncontained joy. When I am older, too old to dance in some people's opinion, I hope you'll find my gnarled hands raised, my gray head bobbing and my body swaying in worship. My kids and grandkids might be embarrassed. But, yes, I will be even more undignified than that for my King.

Dear Lord, King David got it right, and I want to as well. You are worthy of all my worship and adoration. Forgive me for letting the opinions of others influence my worship of You. Help me to focus more on Your majesty, and less on myself. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Francesca Battistelli - Beautiful, Beautiful (Video)

2010-04-27T08:53:00.000-04:00

mi familia

2010-04-21T08:42:00.002-04:00

i just love this pic of my family! there's just all sorts of randomness going on here. from left to right:
my grandma habeck, my bro (chuck), his sweet little guy (grant), my sis-in-law (amy - who is prego with baby #2!), my (step) grandma (jeannie), grandpa bill, me/dean/levi, and my mom is sitting down. and my dad is snapping this shot :)

we had a blast seeing everyone at easter! love you guys!

xoxo

tori

it still doesn't feel real....

2010-04-19T21:39:00.003-04:00

retirement, that is. it hasn't quite hit home that i won't go to work tomorrow. or that i'm no longer working in insurance. or that my home "office" is now a play room. i'm sure it will feel real come next pay day :)

God has already amazed me and I've only been "free" for 2 days! Dean has gotten 2 extra side jobs where he made some extra cash! woohoo! thanks Jesus :)

and as for levi...his 6th tooth is now officially through. he has slept 12 hours straight for the last 2 nights (happy dance!!). here's hoping he keeps that up....and maybe we'll get a break with these teeth for a while??

I can't believe my little turkey is 7 months old already!! he's still army-crawling all over the place! he's starting to pull himself up on his toy basket and get up on his knees. he has this new little cheesy grin he does along with his snorting. I gave him his first taste of lime today! he made the funniest faces! but he kepts grabbing my hand and wanting more. too cute. and his new favorite toy???? the metal measuring cup! 1/3 cup to be exact. it entertained him for about an hour today while i made no-bake cookies (side note: esther...please come get some of these off my hands!!) and homemade pizz dough! more on that pizza dough later...

not much else going on here these days! still doing the p90x...i'm starting to see some definition (something i've never had before!). The baby weight is about gone...now if I could just stop making COOKIES i might be able to keep it off. sigh. Also reading a new book...Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Ted Tripp. I'll be sure to do some book reviews on it for those interested. So far, it's been very good. lot's of eye openers.

my to-do list for my first week off:
*clean floors
*laundry
*clean base-boards
*run errands
*grocery shop
*clean toilets (yuck!! i hate doing this so it doesn't happen very often around here...)
*host our good friends Steve and Marissa and their son Jackson from Weds-Sun! Yay! lookoing forward to that.

Welp, that's last week and this week in a nut-shell! Hope you all have been to Harris Teeter for some of their AMAZING deals this past week! buy 1 bag of chicken, get TWO free! buy 2 bags of HT coffee, get THREE free! and ice cream for $1.99. And did I also mention that poultry is now government regulated?? No more hormones in your poultry! woohoo! good news!

ok...enough randomness for one post :) check you peeps later.

xoxo

tori

manfriend!!

2010-04-12T09:31:00.002-04:00

Here's a sample from our latest shoot with Along the Way Photography! I'm so in love with this kid....and this photographer!! She never ceases to amaze me. This was just a little 6-month mini shoot we did to fill in my last 20x20 frame in my wall art. this is the first picture I've seen and I'm already in love with them! oh boy....I hope I don't order too many print. you should see my house already....it looks like the Along the Way Photography idea house!! seriously! i'm obsessed!!

our little manfriend is now working on his 6th tooth! I just can't believe it. we finally get him sleeping 12 straight hours at night, and then he starts getting another tooth! arrrggg. such is parenthood though. i hope the little guy gets this tooth through and feels better soon.

we set up a (very cheesy) little plastic pool in our backyard this weekend! haha! our neighbors have a beautiful inground pool9which they drained into our backyard causing Lake King this weekend...that's another story) and here we are with our cheapo $15 pool. i LOVE it though! can't wait for the sun to warm the water and get in there with levi. he LOVES water!! he goes crazy every time i turn on the sink. it's hilarious.

we filed our taxes today...finally (happy dance!!). can't wait to get some $$$ back!

hope you all have a good week!

xoxo

tori

thankful

2010-04-07T10:30:00.002-04:00

man, i just realized i have sooo many things to be thankful for! so i wanted to give some glory to God for all he does for us on a daily basis:

*levi has been sleeping for 12 straight hours lately!! hallelujah. i don't want to get too excited or get my hopes up....but i hope this continues.
*we've all made it through cold and flu season without getting sick! woohoo! dean's come down with a little bit of a stuff nose lately, and levi has a snotty nose today, but i'm pretty sure it's the HORRIBLE pollen agrivating him. he's still sleeping well and acting ok. thank you Jesus!
*i'm sooo thankful for our awesome, rich, soil. that's right...i said SOIL! ha! we planted a garden this past weekend and i have high hopes of growing some yummy crops. squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatos, butternut squash, watermelon, peppers, jalepenos, and more! plus an herb garden. i'm so excited to see things sprout that i can hardly stand it.
*good, God-loving, friends! we have sooo many amazing friends that i don't even know where to start. thank you all for being an integral part of our lives! levi is going to be so blessed to grow up with so many children his age that have parents who will raise them in Jesus-following homes. he has no idea how lucky he is
*i realized lately how blessed i am just to have been born in america. man how i take that for granted every day. i was born to a christian family who was free to raise me in the faith. i've always had everything i needed and wanted. we have cars, a house, clothes, toys, etc. we live in the top 1% of the world and i often find myself forgetting how fortunate i am. thank you Lord that i was born in this amazing country, even if i'm not too excited about some of the changes going on, You are still sovereign.
*my hubby's job. he has the flexibility to hang out and have coffee with me in the morning, come home for lunch (most days), and be home nights and weekends. his job is able to provide for us so that I can stay home with the little manfriend! thank you pinnacle!
*sooo thankful for my family! this includes my in-laws. everyone is so supportive of us, very generous and giving, and always spoiling Levi (which we love :)). we have so much love surrounding us every day!

ok...there's so much more i could type, but the turkey burger just woke up. so peace out peeps.

xoxo

tori

retired

2010-04-06T09:52:00.002-04:00

i'm proud to officially announce my retirement from the workforce! woohoo! it's been a long time coming and i finally stepped out of the boat and onto the water. it took a while for me to be obedient to God with this (as it usually does with me....). we just buildt a house, had a baby....all kinds of expensive things going on here!! but, when God asks you to do something, it's best to do it. or so I'm learning anyway :) funny how being a stay-at-home mom has always been the desire of my heart, God wanted to give it to me, but i was still hesitant to accept this gift. oh well! i'm stoked to focus more on my family, being a better wife and mommy, taking better care of the house (gulp!!) and so on. no more distractions!!

AmTrust family, I will miss you greatly. what an awesome opportunity it was to work with everyone there. a truly amazing company.

Rat-race, I will not miss you at all. hasta luego. peace. goodbye! for the first time in my life i will be relying fully on God and my hubby to support us each month, instead of relying on myself. it feels good.....it feels really good.

my favorite part....

2010-03-28T15:51:00.003-04:00

this might be my favorite part of "Forgotten God" so far, just because it speaks to me so personally:

"Nowhere in Scripture do I see a "balanced life with a little bit of God added in" as an ideal for us to emulate. Yes when I look at churchs, this is exactly what I see: a lot of people who have added Jesus to their lives. People who have, in a sense, asked Him to join them on their life journey, to follow them where they feel they should go, rather than following Him as we are commanded. The God of the universe is not something we can just add to our lives and keep on as we did before. The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives. jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us. He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life."

dear aunt flow...

2010-03-26T09:14:00.002-04:00

please don't return to me. i have not missed you at all. but these old familiar cramps are starting to bring back horrible memories of your monthly visits. please stay far far away from me....at least for another 6 months.

yours truly,

tori

6 month update!!

2010-03-17T10:47:00.004-04:00

i first want to say...

thank you levi for discovering that you can sleep unswaddled and on your tummy!

woohoo! this baby sleeps soooo much better on his tummy. I have been waiting for this day for a long time. naps are better...night sleep is better. sheesh.

now....for the 6 month update! dromroll please......

You're a big boy now! you're rolling all over the place! i put you down and next thing i know you've rolled away! i no longer put you on the bed or couch unless i'm right there to watch you. you looooove rolling onto your tummy and playing! you've started rolling over in your sleep and now your favorite way to sleep is on your tummy! mommy and daddy love it because you now sleep soooo much better. you're no longer in your swaddle either! you're down to 2 long naps a day, another plus for mommy! ever since the time change you've pushed your bedtime back to 7:30/8 and you're sleeping until 7:30-8:30!
you're starting to pull your legs (mostly your right leg) up under you, trying to scoot around! you also LOVE eating big boy food! your favorites right now include avocado, pears, butternut squash, sweet potato and bananas. you scream inbetween bites of food!
your favorite toys right now are your tassie(still!), your dangley carseat toys, your snoodle dog, your little stuffed aligator, your cell phones, and your vtec whirly thingy.
you giggle sooo hard in your swing on the back porch! you laugh when mommy tickles you. you love grabbing and snuggling in mommy's hair. you scrunch your nose up and snort when you laugh. you suck your thumb. you eat your toes. daddy makes you do the sprinkler and lawnmower. you stand up while holding onto the couch or ottaman. you're doing SO many fun things! and i know it will only get more fun!

we love you so much son! we're so glad God gave YOU to US!

Vintage Jesus

2010-03-16T12:06:00.002-04:00

I've been listening to Mark Driscoll's Vintage Jesus series while working lately. I really love this refreshing teaching on Jesus. I grew up knowing about Jesus and what He did on the cross, and sometimes it becomes so "normal" that I don't ever just "stand still and see the salvation of the cross." this series has been such an awesome reminder of just how awesome a gift we have in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, our "scape goat." It's a long video, 1 hour, but toally worth watching if you have the time. The rest of the Vintage Jesus series has also been quite amazing.

enjoy!

is it bad....

2010-03-14T16:44:00.003-04:00

that i eat levi's baby food while i'm making it?? i can't help it! the avocados are just so darn creamy and tempting. so a couple of you have asked about some baby food recipes. i am certainly no expert, but i'll give you a couple that i have found to be very easy! for more info, go to www.wholesomebabyfood.com

avocado and banana

* both of these are super easy because they require NO cooking (now that's my idea of a good time)

*just put chunks into a blender, add some water to liquify, and puree! you can also add breastmilk or formula and even oatmeal (or rice cereal, depending on what you use)

butternut squash

*cute lengthwise and scoop out seeds

*place facedown on a baking sheet and roast for about 40-45 mins

*scoop out cooked squash, add water until you get your desired consistency, and voila! one squash made 40, one-ounce servings of food!

my tools

i bought a silicone mini-brownie pan from michaels for freezing the food. it was $5 with a %40 off coupon. you can also use ice cube trays, although the silicone makes it MUCH easier to remove frozen cubes. either way, each cube is almost exactly 1 ounce! so it's easy to know how much you're giving your little one. i only leave the frozen cubes in the tray until they are frozen, then i remove them promptly and transfer to freezer bags. so far i've made butternut squash, sweet potato, peas, pears, peach/mango, avocado, and banana.

happy babyfood making!!

one of those days

2010-03-12T15:15:00.002-05:00

let me tell you how today started off:

i burnt myself with grease....while making breakfast burritos.
i almost set my hair on fire....while making breakfast burritos.
i set off the smoke alarms....making these darn burritos!

seriously rediculous! fortunately, the smoke cleared, levi continued to sleep, and the burritos were still delicious. hopefully dinner goes a little better tonight...

yoga x

2010-03-12T15:02:00.004-05:00

90 minutes of yoga X is kicking my butt! i had no idea how unflexible i was until i tried to do this rediculous yoga routine. sad thing is, i've done yoga for years! having this baby has really gotten me out of shape. not that i was ever "in shape," but we can pretend, right?? seriously though, it's hilarious watching me and dean try to do this. maybe i'll get some video footage so you all can laugh at us too :)

forgotten God

2010-03-07T20:53:00.003-05:00

i have NOT forgotten about updating you all on this amazing book....i just have not had time to sit down and type something out lately! sheesh! who knew that adding an hour work-out to each day would take up so much time! {{not to mention COMPLETELY wipe me out - physically and mentally}}

anyway, i just want to give you some little tidbits from the first few chapters that i've read. so here they are!

{{drumroll please.......}}

* the benchmark of attendance in church services has become more about attendance than about the movement of the Holy Spirit {{and dare I add, more about us?? and what we are or are not getting from the service}}
* We are not all we are made to be when things in our lives can be explained apart from the Spirit of God
* much of what we belive is based more on our comfort, or our culture's tradition, rather than on the Bible
* people are more likely to describe the appeal of the music or the quality of the sermon rather than the One who is the reason for gathering for "church" in the first place (i am soooo guilty of this!)
* take a moment and ask yourself this "when was the last time i undeniably saw the Spirit at work in or around me?
* we ask for less, expect less, and are satisified with less because we are afraid to ask or expect more from God. We are afraid of Him "failing" us
* when dealing with the "weird" gifts of the spirit, we are more afraid of what people will think of us, than what the Holy Spirit of God will think
* instead of arguing, questioning, and researching, when will we simply just respond to the truth we have heard, and work through our questions from there?

so these are just a few of the points that really stood out and convicted me. i'm quite certain anyone who reads this book will find convictions of their own and probably won't be the same as mine! I hope some of these points get ya thinking though! they sure got me thinking.

now if i could just take all this thinking and turn it into doing/believing/trusting/walking/living/breathing.....

P90X - 3, ME - 0

2010-03-04T10:21:00.002-05:00

This work out is kicking my hiney!! I'm not even giving it all I've got yet, because I'm afraid to over-do it and not be able to keep going. I feel great after the workout! I make it to the end(most times :)), not sweating too bad, feeling pretty proud of myself....then I wake up the next morning.

OUCH!!

Sooooo stiff and sore. I can't wait to see results from this sucker. It was awesome doing the Yoga X last night. Watching Dean try to do yoga was great :) Of course, he probably thinks the same thing when he's watching me lift weights and do push-ups! ha! Seriously though, it was an hour and a half of yoga! I felt like jell-o afterwards.

I wonder if this rice crispy treat I'm eating right now is in the p90x diet....

we love this face

2010-03-04T08:03:00.001-05:00

that's all. no fancy posts. just this cute little face. Levi wants to type something too....

om33 bg o .,

xoxo

tori and levi :)

me vs. P90X - Day 1

2010-03-01T10:02:00.003-05:00

P90X wins

So Dean and I borrowed the complete P90X system from some good friends of ours to get our hineys in shape. Dean is a very all-or-nothing type personality, whereas my philosphy is "if I work out then I can eat even MORE junk....right??" I know, bad tori. Anyway, we have been trying to eat better even before this. now we are motivated to get in shape AND start eating healthier. I'm a firm believer that God gave us soooo many yummy things to eat on this earth. Instead we fill ourselves with a bunch of man-made crap and wonder why cancer and diabetes are at an all time high?? And I am very very guilty of this. Either way...

is it sad that I made dean pause the p90x video so I could go get a brownie??? I wish I was kidding about this.....

SOOOOO, I have a long ways to go. But I'm pretty motivated! yesterday we got started with arms and shoulders. I have ZERO upper body strength, so it pretty much kicked my butt. Today is legs....i think. I'll keep you all posted on my (our) progress!

Our Litte Leprechaun

2010-02-27T09:31:00.002-05:00

Is it sad that I had to look up "leprechaun" to see how to spell it?? Then as I was typing it in, it's even sadder that Google automatically thought I was searching "leprechaun trap." Seriously people??? How many of you are out there trying to catch a leprechaun??
Anyway.......
Levi's pictures are officially up on the Funky Foto Kontest website (www.funkyfotokontest.blogspot.com)
You can vote once every 24 hours form now until Friday...and I fully expect you all to do just that :) And if you have multiple computers, smart phones, iphones, whatever....I expect you to vote from each device, every day :)

Thanks a bunch!

xoxo

tori

Forgotten God

2010-02-26T09:19:00.006-05:00

I have been

DYING

to read this book. EVERYONE I know is reading it....so of course I have to read it too, right??? :) So our good friends Heath and Jodi let me borrow their copy recently. Now I don't have a TON of extra time to read these days {{as you can imagine, I'm sure!}} but I opened the book and read just a few paragraphs

WOW!! TALK ABOUT CONVICTION!!

I can hardly put it down. It's something every believer should read. I'm going to do some posts about what I'm learning over the next week or so, so if you're interested at all...follow up on my blog! Here's just a small excerpt from the back of the book:

"POWERFUL.

When is the last time someone used that word to describe you?

It doesn't make sense that Almighty God would have children characterized by fear and insecurty. He put His Spirit in us so we could be known for our power (Acts 1:8, 2 Tim 1:7). Sadly, most believers and churches are known for talent or intellect rather than supernatural power. What's worse is that we're okay with it."

Francis Chan
Forgotten God - reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit

Want more?? ME TOO!! I can't wait to dive in

Things every new mom should know....

2010-02-22T10:38:00.006-05:00

I sure wish someone would have told me:

*my love for this child would grow more and more with each passing day
*my marriage would be put through the fire, only to come out like a pure refined gold
*i'd develop a potty mouth in the middle of the night. hey...i'm not proud of it, but it's true. who knew sleep deprivation and raging hormones would bring that out in a person??
*my child smiling at me from across a crowded room would melt my heart
*barf would be my new scent of perfume
*i'd become more concererd with my child looking like a fashion icon than myself :)
*not all babies are great sleepers. mine is king of the 45 minute nap. thank you Jesus that he sleeps well at night!!
*i'd understand God's love for me even more after experienceing the love i have for my child. even if it is just a tiny glimpse of His love....
*that every new thing this kid does would be the BEST thing in the world!
*that i'd love my hubby in a whole new way after seeing how awesome he is as a dad
*that my faith would also be put through the fire, only to come out like a pure refined gold! thank you Lord for being patient with my learning curve...and for speaking to me in new ways
*that never again would i be able to up-n-go to the store, gas station, bank, or anywhere else for a "quick trip." Ha!
*that i would love being able to stay home with levi soooo much!! BUT...i also need a break sometimes. a trip to walmart is sometimes my getaway once daddy gets home. sad...i know.
*that whatever it is you are going through as a new parent...you are not alone. find someone who isn't afraid to be real about the ups and downs of parenting, and talk to them.

have one of your own to add??? post it in the comment section which can be found here
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My favorite way to start the day

2010-02-19T07:17:00.001-05:00

5 months!! ahhhh!

2010-02-17T16:15:00.009-05:00

well little man friend, you are officially 5 months old today. happy birthday!! you are doing all sorts of fun things right now! you are such a happy baby, always smiling and giggling at us. you like to play bashful with us! you bury your face into a blanket or shoulder whenever I get excited and say "hi levi!!" you love grabbing your feet (which makes diaper changing hard!), putting your entire fist into your mouth, eatting baby food, sucking on ice cubes in your infant feeder, and looking super cool in your patented mohawk.
you still aren't eatting much food, but you LOVED the homemade butternut squash! you also like your avocado. you weren't too sure about the little bit of prunes and apples. the apples were sour and made you make a silly face!! you grab the spoon and soon...you'll be feeding yourself!
you have a high pitched squeal that we adore! you are constantly moving....kicking your legs (go little legs, go little legs, go!) moving your arms around, grabbing things, reaching for things, grabbing mommy's hair and face, and pushing things around. you are starting to pull your legs up under you! it won't be long until you take off across the hardwoods! or at least scoot around on them :)

I can't believe that 5 months ago today this was you!! your first night in the big world :)

we loved how you threw gang signs at us when we first brought you home! we'll be reliving those gang signs this weekend at your photoshoot...hehe...

Now you're a big boy!! I love singing songs that i make up for you! one of them is all about how you're a baby and not a big boy yet :) Here you are doing your favorite thing...grabbing your feet and putting them in your mouth!

And you have 2 teeth!! they broke through right after you turned 4 months and now they're about 1/3 of the way in! you can barely see them here, but they're there!

your favorite toy right now....the jumperoo!! thanks aunt jaime for letting us borrow this awesome, and very funny, toy!

you are sweet, snuggly, loving, funny, cuddly, calm, mellow, happy-go-lucky, content, quiet, squealy, hilarious, laid-back, and freaking adorable. everywhere we go we get compliments about how content and happy you are. praise be to God, for sending us the best thing in the whole world! We love you soooo much son, and it's just a glimpse of how much Jesus loves you.

hugging trees and loving it!

2010-02-15T14:52:00.002-05:00

i am officially a self proclaimed "tree hugger" :) and proud of it.

i'm a sometimes cloth diapering,
sometimes organic eatting,
babyfood making,
grassfed local beef buying,
produce co-oping,
reusable nursing pad wearing,
recycling kind of mom!

i think God commissioned us to take care of the earth and i hope i'm making him proud!

now i feel the need to go hug a tree or something :)

Sleeeeep

2010-02-15T14:28:00.003-05:00

we had forgotten what that was like around here recently. Levi had some bad nights for a while and I was starting to feel like I had a newborn all over again! i guess it was some kind of developmental thing he went through??? who knows. all I know is, he got tired last night around 6pm, so i put him down at 6:30.....and he didn't make a peep until almost 5! I got 6 straight hours of sleep for the first time in a long time. now i'm spoiled :) I might have to put him down between 6:30-7 every night if he's going to keep that up! :)

some other random things going on right now:
* Levi's 2 teeth are about halfway in! so stinkin cute!
* My hubby's about to turn 33
* Planning a trip to DC and Savannah in the near future!
* feeling very blessed for having a job that allows me to stay with Levi. Can't imaging it any other way
* we are finally getting our driveway in! haha! yup...we've been in the new house without a driveway for 3 months now :)
* I'm super excited to have another niece/nephew on the way, due sept 29th!! congrats chuck and amy!
* LOVE the new thing Levi is doing these days. when he wakes up, after he eats, or right before he goes down for a nap, he loves to bury his face into my neck and rub it around in there. LOVE IT! He is such a little snuggle bunny.
* levi's got his photo contest coming up this saturday! can't wait to get him all 'pimped' out :) pictures to come!
* Dean is working on sanding down and staining his dad's old chopping block for our kitchen! it's looking pretty cool and I can't wait to put it in the house!
* have i mentioned how much i love living in our new house?? I need to take some pics and post....i'm such a slacker....

Our big boy!

2010-02-08T13:33:00.003-05:00

Little man friend has gotten to be a hungry little guy! For a while now he's been sleeping pretty long at night before waking to eat at roughly 4-5am. But the last week or so he started waking up multiple times a night to eat! ahhh! felt like the newborn stage all over again. so, we decided he must be needing to eat more during the day. A month ago I made some butternut squash baby food, so we busted it out and let him try it. and he LOVED it! Oh my, I couldn't feed him fast enough. he grabbed the spoon and about gagged himself trying to eat his squash. he stared at the bowl and cried when we took the spoon out of his mouth! and he actually didn't spit it all up! so since then we've given him butternut squash a couple of times and a little mashed banana once. he's not eating a lot yet, but his little system is starting to get used to it.

And by the way, I am LOVING making his baby food! One butternut squash made 40 one-ounce cubes of food! holy smokes!! I also made 8 cubes with one avocade, 12 cubes with one banana, and 12 cubes with one sweet potato. It's so fun and cheap! Plus, it tastes good! I keep eating Levi's squash when I give it to him :) It makes me glad knowing that I'm feeding him something that I would actually eat myself. It lasts in the fridge for up to 3 months, so I've got a nice little stash going that should last a while!

Levi went to his first superbowl party last night at our church's youth group! all the girls loved our little man pants! next year he'll probably be able to play in the church's indoor playground...this year, mommy and daddy got to play in it :)

Next Wednesday our little guy will be 5 months! I can't even believe it. Stay tuned for his 5 month update!

Snow Day!

2010-01-30T11:52:00.009-05:00

We were so excited it snowed....but only because we've been dying to dress levi in this very cute snowsuit that his friend Cole gave him!! I didn't ever want to take him out of it because he was so smushy and cuddly!!

He liked it too...can't ya tell!??

We didn't stay outside very long though...his little cheeks got so pink! He had a blast though!

And this is what happens when you try to sled ride on a cardboard box in your backyard....you land crotch first into a bush. hehehe.....nice one babe.

Our first snow in our new house! Isn't my husband the most talented man in the world to design and build us this house??

Well....I've been trying to upload a video of dean taking levi down a little slope in our yard on the "sled"....it's not working. I'll try again later.

Dean likes to call it "inside day" when we have days where we just hang around the house. Now because of this snow/sleet we've got, we're having inside weekend! and i looooove it!!

tori

Where are you??

2010-01-19T08:25:00.003-05:00

so this 6am thing is finally getting going. God has been asking me to wake up early with him for quite sometime now, and I'm just starting to be obedient. what a learning curve I have. and of course, just as soon as I decided to get my rear in gear, satan comes along with his attacks. first i got sick. then levi had some bad nights, waking up a lot. then i got sick again. then a trip to atlanta....all this kept me from waking up early. but no more excuses! i have a great friend holding me accountable (thanks rebekah!) and I have the reward of time spent in the presence of God to look forward to. and in his presence i'm completely satisfied.

why do i get lazy and miss the awesome priveledge of spending time with God?? seriously. I'm so overly blessed, and yet i don't always make time for the One who has opened the floodgates and poured out his blessings on me.

I took a bible study once that briefly talked about adam and eve in the garden of eden. every day God would come to walk and talk with them. all He wanted was a relationship with them. on the day they sinned, God still came, but they were no where to be found. and God asked, "Where are you?" Sometimes I think He's asking me the same thing. He comes to meet with me every morning...and on the mornings when I don't show up I gently hear Him asking "Where are you?" And it breaks my heart. Sorry Lord, I'm sleeping in.

Where were you this morning, while God was sitting at your table waiting for you to show up?

Little ManFriend

2010-01-17T16:58:00.005-05:00

Levi turns 4 months old today! I just can't even believe it. Our little turkey burger is now a big boy :)

Here's what he's been up to lately:

Yup, we gave him some rice cereal. He LOVED it!! he knew just what to do with the spoon and was so eager for more.

In fact, he stared at the bowl of food!!

He is loving all his toys! This is actually his cousin's toy, but he has one pretty similar that aunt Jaime let him borrow. He loves kicking his feet and getting his legs big and strong!

And he especially loves flying like an airplane with his daddy!

We love our little manfriend!! He's the best little manfriend in the world. We even have a "manfriend" song, just for him. Maybe I'll post the lyrics someday :) If you're lucky....

Levi loooooooves.......

2009-12-31T10:50:00.002-05:00

getting his diaper changed!! how funny! he just LOVES his changing pad...he thinks it means play time :) here he is just chatting and giggling away! he's not quite sure if he likes me blowing raspberries on his tummy yet...

levi grabbing for stuff!

2009-12-23T11:16:00.002-05:00

Levi's new "trick" :) we love this little turkey.

one more thing....

2009-12-17T14:11:00.002-05:00

yesterday Levi started reaching for things! ahhhh! so fun :) I had his little baby paper in front oh him and slowly, but deliberately, his little hands reached right up, got it, and put it in his mouth :) He so entertaining every day. I couldn't wait for dean to get home so I could show him Levi's new "trick."

And his current nicknames:

lilttle man friend (this on is sticking around)
man pants
mr. farty butt
sweet cheeks
big boy (cuz he tries to walk and talk like a big boy :))

if he wasn't sleeping right now i would just have to squeeze him!! but i'll wait for another hour or so and let him sleep :)

3 months!!

2009-12-16T10:24:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's already been 3 months! everyone said time would fly by, and it certainly has. but each new phase of levi's life has been so much fun!

He is now giggling all the time! it's so funny to hear him giggle too! he's rolling over from his tummy to his back. he loves to talk to us while he's on his tummy...and he is SUCH a talker! his favorite toys right now seem to be his orange monkey (orange is his favorite color) and his "baby paper." He loves holding onto things and of course EVERYTHING goes into his mouth already :)
daddy has him doing "pull ups" to get his arms strong, hehe. he is sitting up sooooo well! he loves sitting in his bumbo already and he even sits in his high chair while we eat dinner....just like a big boy!! he's going anywhere from 8-11 hours at night, which is great!! now if he would just be a quiet sleeper maybe mommy and daddy could get that much sleep! he's such a grunter!! and for some reason about once a week he gets bad gas that keeps us all up all night long because of his grunting.

i tell him all the time that he's the strongest, smartest, cutest baby in the world :) i'm sure all mommies say the same things to their babies. I'm sure he thinks his mommy is a wierdo because, as most of you know, i am the WORST baby talker ever!! and i get all giddy and excited every time he does even the smallest thing.

we LOOOOVE when he first wakes up. when we hear him stirring in the morning or after a nap, we both get sooo excited and go running into his room! haha! like two little kids at christmas, i tell ya. but he wakes up so stinking happy and cooing and smiling....it just melts our hearts! plus, we love when we unswaddle him to see his little arms fly up....he loves to stretch out after a nap!!

we're guessing he's about 13lbs now?? he's still wearing some of his 0-3 months clothes, but he's also started wearing a lot of his 3-6 months stuff. he has the cutest clothes!! everyone who bought or handed us down items gave us the best stuff! we love dressing him up in his "man pants" :) He has little man jeans, camo pants, and cute little sweat pants! haha! who new little boys clothes could be so much fun!??! we spike his hair up like his daddy's too. what a stud. his grammy made him the BEST little hat and shoe set! I can't wait to post some pictures of him in them.

anyway, that's our little man friend! we love having him around!! stay tuned for updated pics and videos and thanks for sharing in this fun adventure with us!!

tori

all. your. heart.

2009-12-14T07:04:00.002-05:00

6am?? seriously God?? I've felt God asking me for quite some time now to get up early to spend time with him. and now recently he's specifically called me to get up at 6am. for those of you who know me....you know i am NOT an early morning person. and really, God, don't you know I have a baby now?? I mean seriously! 6am??? so i've fought it and fought it, like i usually do, and am just now starting to get diligent about getting up. ok, ok, you can't call getting up a couple of days a week DILIGENT! praise God for having mercy on my learning curve. i'm such a work in progress.

but as i was praying last night i kind of had this vision. God was asking me to seek him no matter what. he wants me to show him that i will run after him even in my hardest of times. he wants me to prove that i will chase after him, even when i dont have the will-power to do so. when i'm tired. beat down. exhausted. frustrated. did i mention tired??? so my vision was of me running after God. my hair's a mess from not having showered (pretty typical these days). i've got work papers in my hand, baby on my mind, cell phone on my ear, and coffee in my other hand. i'm tired and frazzled...but i'm running after Him. and as i approach his throne of grace with confidence...i drop it all. with open hands, i let it all go. and i simply come. and he cleanses me. renews me. refreshes me. in his presence i'm completely satisfied. and as i fall to my knees, with hands still raised, you know what i find there? i find Jesus. waiting for me. what a great reason to wake up early. no wonder God gives me the awesome opportunity to start my day with Him. just like God wants the first-fruits of my money, he wants the first-fruits of my day. and i sooooo want to give it to Him.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

all.
your.
heart.

let that be my cry today, Lord.

strongest man in the world!

2009-12-08T10:05:00.003-05:00

ok, so i may be the worst baby talker ever!! i just can't help myself. before levi came along i talked to my cats like this, so it was bound to be bad with a baby...right!??

anyway, our strong little man is rolling over these days! only from his belly to his back, not the other way around. he's been doing it since around 10 1/2 weeks. we are sooo proud of him! we have multiple videos of him rolling over, but this is just a little quick one. i love his stunned expression afterwards! ha!

i tell him all the time, in my best baby voice, that he's the strongest man in the world :) sometimes i even call him sampson....although i hope God doesn't require him to have long hair.....hehehe

loving every second with our strong little man-friend,

tori

Levi 11 weeks

2009-12-04T15:10:00.011-05:00

Pimp my baby: Levi edition :) This is what happens when Savannah gets ahold of him....sideways hat, baggy pants, and one pant leg rolled up. hehehe

Our big boy likes to sit at the table with us when we eat dinner!! He even gets his own plate of food :) and apparently a knife?? yikes

All smiles!! this is one happy little guy, let me tell ya!

Holding his own bottle!! what a strong man

I enjoy smooshing his little cheeks together...so cute!

Dean looks pretty hot in this get-up

speaking of a strong man....check out this neck strength!

He loves sitting up in his bobby watching tv with daddy :)

Updates schmupdates

2009-12-04T09:19:00.003-05:00

ok....i am such a slacker!! things have been hectic around here though. as if having an infant isn't hectic enough???

we have MOVED into our house!! yay! it's going to take a while to get settled in, but we are so thrilled to be living here...close to town! thank you Jesus!!

Levi is growing soooo much! he LOVES tummy time! he gets his head up, looks around, and tries to find me to make eye contact. and when he finds me, I get sooo excited...then he gets excited....and it's just the best thing EVER!! we both laugh and i usually cry because i'm so proud...and i'm kinda a mush when it comes to this kid. and he has already ROLLED OVER! ahhhh! i have no idea at what age babies start doing this, but he gets himself propped up so high when he's on his tummy, and his arms are so strong, that he rolls himself right over! we made him do it over and over the other night when he first did it. poor kid :)

anyway, i'm going to work on getting some video of tummy time! so stay tuned. and YES, i will try to get some pics up of the house too. i've been awful about keeping up with pictures these days! too much going on :)

later gators

tori

laughing levi

2009-11-11T10:52:00.003-05:00

Levi has been smiling for weeks now, but we've had the hardest time catching it on camera or video!! so here we are trying, once again, to get him to smile and giggle! oh, and that's dean crunching on some chips in the very begining of the video :)

hope you enjoy our cute little munchkin!

tori

Craft time!

2009-11-01T14:41:00.006-05:00

I finally got some time recently to get back into my "crafting!" Yay for nap time! I whipped up a couple of these fun flowers that can be worn on hats, scarves, shirts, headbands, and more!

Can't wait for more nap-time crafting opportunities!

You know you're a new mom when...

2009-10-28T09:51:00.003-04:00

* during a mid night diaper change the baby gets pee and spit-up all over your sheets, and you're too tired and lazy to clean it up. soooooo....you go back to bed....in the mess.

* your baby makes noises in the middle of the night and you furiously try burping him, rubbing his belly, and moving his legs to get gas out....just to realize that he's a baby and it's normal for him to make noises in his sleep.

* you're feeding the baby in the morning in the bedroom, and you call your husband to ask if he'll come home from work early. his reply: "it's saturday. i'm in the living room watching tv."

* you wake up in the morning struggling to remember how many days it's been since you've had a shower....1? 2? 3???

* your husband makes a comment about your "mom butt." watch it buddy.

* you get really excited about a doctor's appointment, because now you have an excuse to get all dressed up and get out of the house!

* you realize that your nursing pads also make great bottle openers, coasters, wee wee covers, spit-up cleaners, and much much more.

have more??? feel free to add them to my comment section!!

Nov 20th!

2009-10-25T20:06:00.002-04:00

We have a closing date! A couple of weeks ago we locked in our interest rate with the bank, which means we HAVE to finish our house by the 20th of Nov. I'm soooo excited that there is an end in sight! I can't wait to move in! I keep meaning to take more pictures, but with this little munchkin it's been hard. I promise to get some up soon! Dean has done a F*A*B*U*L*O*U*S job with the house! I'm amazed every time I go over there.

This is all I've got for now. More to come soon!

tori

Levi's photo shoot

2009-10-25T19:43:00.007-04:00

my fave photographer, and great friend, captured some amaaaaaazing shots of our little family recently! i love love LOVE these pictures! can't wait to do something cool with them in our new house! have i mentioned that i love them!?? she captured levi beautifully!

thanks jaime!

www.alongthewayphotography.com

The faces of Levi

2009-10-21T11:05:00.009-04:00

we LOVE all this little guys faces. Here are just a few:

bath face

this is the "uh oh - what's goin on with my wee wee?" face

"oops, i spit up" face

deans favorite - burp face

sleepy car seat face

more burp face (just for dean)

hungry face

fart face (isn't he so cute when he has gas??) :)

these are just a few! we also have milk face, tummy time face, waking up in the morning face, and more!

and we also have a couple of other nicknames i left out of the last post! how could i forget:

mr. wiggles!! I love my mr. wiggles.

Levi's Nicknames

2009-10-19T13:21:00.005-04:00

so if you know me, you know i have nicknames for everyone. sometimes weird, sometimes random. i don't know where half of them come from. dean is just as bad. so we have a TON of nicknames for this little guy.

here's a sample:

levy

monkey

milk man

little man

little man friend

turkey

bubba

bubba-roo

buddy

and i'm sure there are more. we also have lots of names for the different faces levi makes :) that post, with pictures, will be coming soon :)

we have been out-n-about a lot lately! levi went to panera bread with us the other day to meet some of the girls that work there. i know, how sad that i know most of the girls that work there. i spend a lot of time at panera, can ya tell??? anyway, they were excited to meet him!

we also had our first trip to church yesterday! levi did great during the worship! of course, once all was quiet and pastor pratt began talking, levi started grunting and groaning. i was afraid he was about to have a massive blowout, so we spent the rest of the service watching it on tv from the coffee bar area.

have i mentioned that this little guy is extremely alert and awake most of the day?? I thought babies were supposed to sleep!!? what the heck?? fortunately he sleeps great at night...often times having 5 hour stretches (hallelujah). but during the day he wants to hang out and party with mommy :) he's very into what's going on around him. he's following things with his eyes soooo well! he stares at his mobiles and take interest in some of his toys. it's so fun watching him grow and develop into a little man friend!! he's now 4 weeks and 4 days as of today.

we love you little turkey!!

tori

Levi's Latest News

2009-10-11T12:05:00.002-04:00

This little guy is so much fun! He makes the funniest faces and noises. We are really getting to know what all his noises and sounds mean. He grunts and groans while he sleeps, makes noises that sound like laughing while getting his diaper changed, and makes fake burp sounds to trick me while burping him. His belly button thingy fell off a few days ago so we got to give him his first bath in the sink! AND.....he pooped in the tub! Gross! We had just finished cleaning him up when he suddenly had an explosive poopy. Soooooo we had to start all over.

He also had his very first photo shoot recently with Jaime Cox of Along The Way Photography! Here's a sneak peek of the session!

More pics to come as soon as I get them back! You can also check out more at www.alongthewayphotography.com

Jaime is featuring this picture in her ad in Pinehurst Magazine in the Nov/Dec issue! Be sure to grab a magazine if you live in the Pinehurst area! Levi will be famous!! Well....sort of :)

A glimpse of our Father's love

2009-10-05T17:21:00.004-04:00

I was staring at Levi today while he slept, which is why I don't get much done these days, and realized I was getting just a little glimpse at how much God loves us. I mean, I love this little guy sooo much! His eyes, his nose, the creases in his skin, his "victim" face when he gets upset, his tiny fingers and toes....everything is so precious! I love his personality and all the funny faces he makes. so much I love about him. And that's just a teeny tiny little glimpse of how much God loves us. Wow. How overwhelming! This new amazing love I feel for this little person is just a glimpse at how much God loves me???

And I don't want to get through this blog post without bragging on my hubby. He's the best daddy and husband ever! He gets to sleep through most of the night these days, so in the morning, when Levi wakes up (usually around 7ish), he's been taking him out of the bedroom so I can get some rest! He takes one of his blankies, warms it up in the dryer, wraps him up in it and rocks him back to sleep. then once he's good and sleepy, he brings him back in the room, gets ready for work, and leaves us to sleep the morning away. ahhhhhh.....so refreshing. I can't even remember the last time I slept until 10am, but I must say it feels amazing!

We've been getting out of the house some lately, which also feels great! The weather has been perfect for little walks! And once a week we meet Dean in town for lunch and a walk. We even had our first big outting to Walmart! Scarey, I know. I kept him bundled up in his sling so he wouldn't be exposed to too much.

The man in the background thought we were crazy for taking pictures at Walmart and giggling like little kids. We sent this picture to my cousin who absolutely hates Walmart.

I need to get some pictures of our other fun outtings! Pinnacle bought me an awesome jogging stroller last week that I can't wait to use! It was so many cool features! Thanks for that guys! it will get tooooooons of use!

Stay tuned for more updated pics and some of the ups and downs we've been experiencing as new parents! So many fun experiences to look forward too, but also some challenges! I hope to be as real and as transparent as possible when sharing our stories with you. Parenthood has been a fun, amazing experience. But it's not without some struggles too! I'm so grateful to have so many supportive friends and family members who have been through this that I can seek wise counsel from. I'm thankful for the Lord's strength in my weaknesses. And I'm so grateful to be going through this with my best friend in the whole world! Love you Babe! We have an amazing little boy and I love our little family!~

xoxo

tori

14 things Jesus did NOT say

2009-10-02T10:33:00.001-04:00

#1 – “They will know you are my disciples by your theology, and the arrogance that accompanies it.” (John 13:35)
#2 – “Dream really small dreams and make sure you never ask for anything big!” (John 14:12-14, Psalm 2:8)
#3 – “If someone doesn’t believe just like you believe…make sure to do all you can to attack, criticize and beat them down as much as possible.” (Mark 9:38-41)
#4 – “Be tolerant of everyone…I am one of the many ways to God.” (John 14:6)
#5 – “Make sure you make the church about you…that you are served well…please, don’t do anything that might cause you any type of inconvenience. My goal is for you to be happy!” (Matthew 20:28, Luke 9:23-24)
#6 – “Please, whatever you do, DO NOT tell people the good news…keep it to yourself! The reason I died on the cross is so that you could get into really small groups of people and talk about ‘deep things’ that aren’t going to help anyone when it comes to eternity.” (Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:17)
#7 – “Don’t EVER try anything new…don’t ever take a risk…don’t ever take a step of faith. Be AVERAGE!” (Isaiah 43:18-19, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6)
#8 – “You can follow me and it will not impact your money at all!” (Matthew 6:19-24)
#9 – “Pray a prayer to get out of hell…and then live however you want.” (John 14:15, John 14:21)
#10 – “You can do it without me!” (John 15:5)
#11 – “I don’t expect you OR your church to be fruitful in any way.” (John 15:4)
#12 – “Isolate yourself from the world!” (John 17:15)
#13 – “Make sure there is a time when you question my word because it will one day be no longer relevant.” (Luke 21:33)
#14 – “Stop crying out to me in desperation…can’t you see I’m busy.” (Mark 10:46-52)

Levi is here!!

2009-09-24T16:00:00.008-04:00

Weighing in at 8lbs 7oz, 21 inches long, is Levi Dean King! He came into the world on September 17th after a long labor (but short delivery!).

Here are some of our favorite shots of him so far!

His sweet little sleepy face....

He loves throwing up gang signs! Woot Woot!

So these aren't really in order and I'm too tired to try to rearrange them. Here's his first pic right after delivery!

He loves sleepying on his daddy's chest. This is my favorite picture!

Our little bundle of Levi.

Our happy little family!

I had so much prayer and support during my pregnancy and labor and delivery and for that I am so grateful. As we settle in at home, I'm going to try to update this blog as often as possible! So stay tuned for more pictures and updates!

xoxo

tori, dean and levi

Soooo thankful!

2009-09-15T08:44:00.004-04:00

So I've been pretty grumpy lately. I know it has to do with all the hormones, now that I'm 39 weeks pregnant, and the fact that I've been having early labor contractions for over a week now hasn't helped either. But I DO NOT want to be one of those people who complains about their pregnancy. I know how fortunate I am to be part of this blessing God has bestowed upon us and I don't dare take that for granted. So today I want to make a list of some of the things I'm thankful for, giving God all the glory! May this lift my spirits and remind me just how blessed I am!

*Baby Levi in my belly!
*An amazing husband who I admire and respect and have truly become one with
*A loving family - both blood and extended.
*An amazing church family that doesn't just "teach" us, but equips us to go out and be Salt and Light to the earth. Because it doesn't matter what you know if you aren't using it. Even satan knows the bible.
*The best friends in the world! Such a wide group of different backgrounds and personalities and I love them all
*Prayer warriors - I've never had sooo many people who were willing to stop in their tracks and pray for me or over me if I need it
*Our Jobs! Whew...in this economy we know we are blessed that Dean's job is still going strong. Thank you Lord for your promise that you will bless the work of the diligent and reward the righteous. And we all know how much I LOVE my job :)
*The Earth - from which God provides delicioso food! (I'm thankful for a lot of the manmade crap I eat too :))
*Our new house! I fought and fought God on building this amazing house, but He won out in the end....and I'm glad He did :) Dean's doing an amazing job with it and we are so blessed!
*My cats - well....at least my sweet little Gracie. She's just about the cutest little cat ever!
*Target - I know that's silly...but I really am thankful for Target! How can i get one to be built in this area!!?? Who must I beg!!??

Of course this list could go on. But it's a good start.

If there's something you're thankful for and you're just bursting at the seams to share, leave a comment!

xoxo

tori

Dear Uterus....

2009-09-15T08:43:00.004-04:00

Why are you holding my baby hostage? Please release him so we can hold, smell, and kiss his sweet little face! What do I have to do to get you to comply???

37 1/2 weeks....

2009-09-02T15:43:00.002-04:00

what?! i'm not pregnant! i just shoplift basketballs in my spare time :)

well, i'm big, i'm sassy, i'm swollen....and i'm loving every minute of it :)

i mean, check out those red hot puffy feet!!

sooooo...now that i'm full term, i'm kinda hoping this little guy comes soon. not because i'm tired of being pregnant or anything like that, i'm just soooooo ready to hold him! i want to smell him, and kiss him, and see his precious little face! i just can't wait to get my hands on him! i know you mommies out there know exactly what i'm talking about! no wonder they say the last few weeks go. by. so. slow.

so maybe this will be my last week of posting prego pics! and the next pic you see will be levi! i hope i hope i hope!!!

You know what I really hate.....??

2009-08-24T17:10:00.004-04:00

GUM!

Disgusting! I can't stand to see it slapping around in people's mouths, or jaws moving at 100mph as gum gets chomped on. I hate hearing it smacked, popped, and swished around in mouths full of saliva....I'm making myself sick just thinking about it.

So what has brought on this sudden rampage against something that so many people enjoy daily? My cousin loves to torture me with her gum stories. I made the mistake of telling her once that I hated gum. I told her all the reasons why I hate gum, then I also told her that it grosses me out when people will eat food (any kind of food) and then chew a piece of gum to freshen their breath.

This is gross for one main reason:

Say you eat a porkchop, then chew gum. All you're doing is getting all the little pieces of pork pulled out of your teeth, and stuck in your gum. Then you chew this pork gum for who knows how long. Seriously??

Anyway, so I get random text messages from my cousin, like this one I got today, that say something like this:

"Mmmmm....thank goodness for gum, it got all the cashews out of teeth!"

Grrrrreat.

But hey, if you enjoy a nice piece of shrimp gum, or spaghetti gum, or cashew gum every now and again, then more power to you.

OK...I'm done with my rage against gum :)

But to get her back, I'm posting this adorable picture of my precious Gracie. This cousin of mine hates pets. How can you hate pets?? Especially something so adorable!

I hope you enjoy this picture - just for you Audrey!

God in a box

2009-08-19T09:41:00.002-04:00

Why do we limit God's potential in our lives by putting Him in a box? I find that I'll do this sometimes by thinking my needs or wants aren't big enough for God to waste His time on. But in reality, He loves showing off to His children! Even in the little things. Especially in the little things. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He did miracles for His children back in the day and He's still doing them today. In fact He WANTS us to ask him to show Himself in our lives. Nothing is too small for God. In fact people often laugh at me when I tell them I pray for a sale on steaks when I go grocery shopping, or for a sale when I go to Target...but I'll tell ya what...God's not scared of those prayers. And EVERY time I go grocery shopping wanting steaks, they're on sale. And I can't tell you how many $2.50 items I've gotten at Target on sale. And when a friend of mine prayed over me that I'd have a "perfect" pregnancy and labor and delivery, I wasn't surprised to hear my doctor say at each of my appointments that I'm having a "perfect pregnancy." So I suppose I'll have a perfect labor and delivery too. And I won't be the least bit surprised when I do.
So join me today in asking God for something crazy! Something small. Something BIG! Whatever it is, don't doubt that He can do it. Unwrap the packaging, tear off the tape, and let God out of the box you've got Him contained in.

Shower Time

2009-08-04T17:31:00.008-04:00

I feel so spoiled! We have been thrown the best showers for this little baby and we still have one more to go! Everyone is so kind and generous and I pray that God blesses everyone who has been so kind to bless us! This baby could come any day now and we'd be ready to go!

So, this is the shower my mom threw for me! I got to see so many of my girlfriends from Charlotte, my aunt Libby came to town to help my mom with all the (delicious!) food, and my friends Kha and Emily helped my mom with some sidedishes and the games. Everything was perfect!

I mean, how cute is this cake!!?? It matched the plates perfectly! It was so cute we didn't even want to eat it....but trust me....we did :) Especially ole preggo.

A close-up of the cuteness!

So, before the shower even started I saw a box that had been shipped from my friend Susan in Dallas, TX. Of course, like a kid in a candy shop, Dean and I couldn't wait to rip it open. It was full of the cutest stuff! I LOVED this doggy toy!

See....I told you I loved this doggy toy! And that playmat that's on my lap is so adorable! Plus there was a blanky and some books. Thanks Susan!

My mom and aunt Libby did a great job decorating and preparing the food! Everything was sooo good. And it's a good thing....there was so much of it that my parents will be eating it for days!!

Some of the girls! I miss them!

Woohoo! Gifts galore! I had a hard time bending over to pick them up...we have a picture of it but I don't dare post it and embarrass myself :)

But I obviously don't mind embarrassing myself here! I can really stick that sucker out there!

Thanks again to all who helped make this a very special day for us!!

tori

3 Years and Counting!

2009-08-01T08:57:00.001-04:00

Dean and I had our 3 year anniversary on the 29th and this is the adorable card he made me!! :) I love his cards. Every year he makes me a card for our anniversary and valentine's day.

My Hubby the Superhero

2009-07-31T17:02:00.002-04:00

My husband can do anything. He never ceases to amaze me. If something breaks, he fixes it. If something goes wrong, he corrects it. Anything he sets his mind to do....he can do it! For instance....a couple of weeks ago, this oh-so-lovely house we're living in sprang a leak in a pipe UNDER the house. Great. Next thing I know, Dean is out back taking the siding off the house, cutting a hole in the wood, and making his way to the leaky pipe to fix it. I mean, who needs a plumber with a husband like that??!
Another example: EVERY single light/fan fixture in this place was at one point broken or not working right. Not only did he fix every single one, but he made it so the fans don't make noise! Who needs an electrician with a husband like that?
Once, when we lived in Charlotte, he decided he wanted to replace the pink tile in his shower. He had never done a project like this before, but that didn't stop him! He went to Home Depot, got the supplies, and next thing I know he's drilling off old tile and making way for the new stuff. And it turned out great! Who needs a tile man with a husband like that??
Trees scratching the roof....he climbs the roof and cuts them back.
Leaves filling the gutters....he's on a ladder cleaning them out.
Want hardwoods to replace your carpet? He can do it!
Need to update your kitchen cabinets? He can install new ones.
Want to build a deck on your house? No need for a handyman, Dean can do it!

I love having a multi-talented husband :) It sure cuts back on repair expenses!

Levi in 4D

2009-07-20T20:33:00.002-04:00

We had our 4D ultrasound today! It was so fun seeing this little guy. Unfortunately he was being a stinker and would not move his hand from over his face! So we only got one, not so great, little bit blurry, picture. But it's still adorable! I've been staring at this picture all day! I can't take my eyes off his precious little face! Dean swears he looks like me, but I think it's a little hard to tell. We'll see!

We also have some very good pictures of his "man parts" that Dean is extremely proud of....I won't post those though :)

See ya!

Prego Pic with Jessica

2009-07-20T17:31:00.005-04:00

My friend Jessica Braun took some maternity photos for me today and I ALREADY got some back! I love them! Thanks so much Jessica! You totally rock to work with!

Here's a sneak peak :)

More to come soon!

1200 Free Photo Prints!!

2009-07-10T11:37:00.004-04:00

Just go to this link to sign up for 1200 free photo prints. This offer is for new registrants only. AND, if you refer people, you get more free prints AND free photo books! Definitely worth checking out. I love using online systems like this for printing my pictures. You still have to pay for shipping, but it is well worth the free prints.

http://www.artscow.com/?Ref=643341

AND...yes there's more...if you sign up before the end of July, you also get 1500 MORE free prints! Holy cow. I love free stuff :) Just sign up, go to the members section, go to "credits & discounts" and enter the code: 1500prints

They also give you credits for a variety of other FREE things...coasters, calendars, photobooks, mugs, etc. To all my family reading this...get ready to get Christmas items with pictures of Levi alllll over them! :)

Happy Shopping and Printing!

Probably....

2009-07-09T15:19:00.003-04:00

...the cutest thing ever!! Wouldn't you agree?? I mean, seriously! My friend Hannah made this for Levi and I was like a little kid at Christmas opening the package when it came in the mail today! I got all excited, then Levi got excited and started doing flips...so fun!

It's going to match his room perfectly! I can't wait to get it up on the walls! Now....we just need to finish our house so Levi can have a nursery!

Thanks Hannah! You are so creative and you have no idea how much I love it! And I can't wait to fill in his stats once this little guy gets here :)

tori

7 months!!?? Already??

2009-07-05T20:08:00.005-04:00

Well they say your pregnancy flies by and I'm starting to think it's true! I can't believe I'm already into my 7 month! Wow! I'm so excited for this little guy to get here, but it's overwhelming all at the same time.

Since we're in this rental house, I'm having a hard time with my "nesting" instinct. I can't really set up a nursery, or even get settled in! I have stuff to hang on the walls and decorating that I'm dying to do and I just can't!

So I'm officially 29 weeks today! 11 weeks to go! Unless he decides to come just little bit early...which is what I'm praying for :) Altho then that means we'd have LESS than 11 weeks!? Sheesh!!

So, just a couple of fun pics to update my ever growing belly. It took forever for it to pop out, but now that it's here it's growing rapidly!!

My dad says he's beating me in the belly department...but I think I might be winning! And if I wasn't in this pic, at 26 weeks, then I definitely am now!

My first maternity outfit! Well, the shorts are anyway. Dean says they give me "mom butt." Haha! My friend Jaime has let me borrow lots of her stuff, which is awesome, and these shorts are sooo comfy! I guess I'll have to look pass the mom butt part. And we bought a carseat! I was having a hard time finding one to register for that didn't come as part of a travel system. But when we saw this one we loved the green/gray combo and how unisex it could be! Love it! I'm currently using it to do my daily armcurls...to prepare for lifting Levi.

29 weeks! I went thru 3 dresses for church this morning until I found one that still fit. I came out in one and asked Dean to zip it...needless to say...it would NOT zip! So much for still fitting into all my pre-preggo clothes!

We go to the doctor on the 20th for our 4-D ultrasound! Can't wait to see this little booger! Please continue to pray that my placenta will have grown UP my uterus!

More updates to come! More house updates coming soon!

tori

Mark 2:14

2009-07-02T12:29:00.003-04:00

Mark 2:14 "Levi got up and followed Jesus."

Lord, I pray that our little Levi will get up everyday of his life and follow You!

What a great calling on his life. I love this verse and I'm going to claim it over this little guy everyday!

26 weeks!

2009-06-15T22:34:00.001-04:00

I'm 6 1/2 months now and we FINALLY got a preggo pic of the two of us! Yay!

Nice face Dean....do I smell bad or something?? Seriously

House update

2009-06-08T09:28:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how quickly our new house is moving! Dean says not to get excited though...the first few stages go so fast, then it's the interior things that take a while. Still....this is what our house looks like after just a week and a half of work!

And this will be the finished product! Isn't my husband the smartest, most talented person you know!!?? He did this awesome rendering and I LOVE it! Some of the coloring could still change, but I hope not. I really like the greens.

Like my last blog post, we've also been prophecied over about this house. I fought and fought the Lord on building this house! Why?? Because I am not so good at stepping out in faith and this has taken a HUGE leap of faith! Here we are getting ready to have a baby, me possibly going part time with my job, things possibly changing in the future with Dean's job...and we go and build a new house!?? Are we crazy?? I guess so. We closed our eyes and took the plunge, just trusting that God will do some amazing things through our obedience. And He already has! We've gotten some great deals and our dollar has been stretched pretty far! I've come to realize that God is NOT afraid of my prayers, and I know He's going to do some amazing things in the coming days. And I'm not afraid to ask Him to do so.

So...back to the a recent prophecy about this house. We were told by a friend that our home "will be/is like a mighty oak. You are strong and the branches are immense and covering. People will run to you....and God will make sure you have everything you need for this to be done." (there's a bit more, hence the ...). At the time, we hadn't even decided we were going to start building our house, so I was confused about the will be/is like. Now of course, I see the significance to that. So when we first broke ground, Dean and I went over to the lot and Dean prayed for us and our new home. He was praying over this Word we got, when we both looked up...and lo-and-behold....the biggest tree in our yard is in fact a Mighty Oak! And there's an even bigger one in the back yard! If you look at the first picture in my post, you can see the mighty oak front-and-center in our front yard. No way were we letting them cut that one down! God is just so funny sometimes. Literally...He makes me laugh. I love that tree...what a great reminder that when you are obedient to the Lord, He is quick to show Himself to us. Even if what He is asking us to do makes absolutely NO sense to us.

Isaiah 50:10-11 "Let the person who walks in the dark trust in the Lord. Let the one who doesn't have any light to guide him depend on his God. But all of you sinners who light fires should go ahead and walk in THEIR light. You who carry flaming torches should walk in their light. Here's what I will do, I will make you lie down in great pain."

This verse really speaks to me about stepping out in blind faith and not leaning on my own understanding. It's funny how God brings along just the right verse just when we need it the most :)

More house and baby updates to come soon!

Dean and Tori: Inn Love

mr. happy clappy

the incredible shrinking gospel

common couponing questions

Stop the World - by Matthew West

*EXCITING* news coming soon

how to reduce your time couponing!!

crazy coupon lady...part 3...

crazy coupon lady...part 2

crazy coupon lady....part 1

oh Levi, you melt my heart....

wordless wednesday - a photo montage

dear blog...will you please forgive me??

bye bye

thanksgiving thursdays

go me!

Bikes, Boxes, and Baths, OH MY!

Hold That Thought

wordless wednesdays - sorry daddy

beach bums

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tuna heaven

my first blog awards!!

wordless wednesdays

my new favorite babysitter

little fishy

Dirty Dozen

Spaghetti squash spaghetti

bad soy, strawberry jam, potato picking, and trenches

embarassed to admit...

big sigh of relief

SWAGGER WAGON

Grilled Maple-Dijon Salmon Salad

From Our Kitchen

dear blog,

A Proverbs 31 Devo for Today...

Francesca Battistelli - Beautiful, Beautiful (Video)

mi familia

it still doesn't feel real....

manfriend!!

thankful

retired

my favorite part....

dear aunt flow...

6 month update!!

Vintage Jesus

is it bad....

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yoga x

forgotten God

P90X - 3, ME - 0

we love this face

me vs. P90X - Day 1

Our Litte Leprechaun

Forgotten God

Things every new mom should know....

My favorite way to start the day

5 months!! ahhhh!

hugging trees and loving it!

Sleeeeep

Our big boy!

Snow Day!

Where are you??

Little ManFriend

Levi loooooooves.......

levi grabbing for stuff!

one more thing....

3 months!!

all. your. heart.

strongest man in the world!

Levi 11 weeks

Updates schmupdates

laughing levi

Craft time!

You know you're a new mom when...

Nov 20th!

Levi's photo shoot

The faces of Levi

Levi's Nicknames

EXCITING news coming soon