My Beautiful Day

I don't make new years resolutions anymore.  In fact, I practically refuse to make them.  Why would that be?  My reasoning is simply because of the fact that most resolutions are focusing on the negativity that you see in yourself which causes yourself to be bound and determined to change that - only to fail miserably by the third week of January!  Does this mean that there is absolutely nothing about myself that I want to change - that there is nothing that could use some improvement?  Well, of course it does!   I kid, I kid!   Trust me, I am one of the farthest people from perfect that you will ever meet - I just have an ego that makes up for the lack of perfection! What it does mean, however, is that I want to make resolutions that I will be excited  to keep, rather than things that I know I have to keep.  For example, Claire and I got a Wii Fit for Christmas, as we both have "need to work out more frequently" on our list of potential...

In preparation for Christmas, we have enjoyed Colin's preschool Christmas concert (he's the one in the first row on the far left, wearing the green vest): We have enjoyed Claire's band concert: We have enjoyed baking many, many  cookies: Monte and I enjoyed a Christmas party at MckMama's house.  Here, my dear friend, Jolene , and I are enjoying drinking the two  glasses of sparkling juice that Israel served us: I have thoroughly delighted in spending time with my hubby and enjoying the goofiness of our personalities: I have enjoyed the curiosity of my children as they observe our construction: And I most definitely have enjoyed that the construction has finally  began!! Merry Christmas to all of you wonderful readers!  May God's blessing thoroughly abound in your hearts and homes!

There's something that I need to do, I mean I really  need to do, but yet I just don't want to.  See, there are all of these pictures I've taken that I want to put on my blog and share with you, but my problem is that I have yet to dump them from my camera onto my computer.  So what's the problem?  It's the Christmas season and I just don't have the blasted time to do it!! So alas, this wordy update will have to do ... We finally got our building permit!  Provided we can get a footings inspector in on Monday, we will begin digging as soon as tomorrow!  I can't even tell you how thrilled we are that things are finally moving forward - thank You God that this is all working out according to Your timing and that I am learning a LOT about patience through this process! :) My handsome hubby and I went to a Christmas party at MckMama's home on Friday evening - and boy was it a blast!  I saw many friends, old and new, and spent the better part of three...

Yesterday, Colin was walking around with a flashlight that wasn't working.  He looks at me and says: "Kami, this flashlight works on the power of electricity!!  So ...... can you please fix the electricity?!" :)

Dear people who work at the city in which I live, *Insert tone that is dripping with sarcasm here* I am writing to let you know that my husband and I are happy thrilled beyond elated at the fact that you have taken this long to approve our building permit.  It makes me smile to know that our demolition permit was immediately granted, thus the removal of our garage happened in a big hurry - but now, we have waited for the past 12 business days, which translates into about 16 days, for you to approve and distribute our building permit.  No worries about the fact that everything is ready to go, the contractor and all the workers needed have set aside time and are prepared to do this job, the materials have been ordered and are ready to go, and our building permit is the only thing holding us up.  I love that!  I just love that you are the only thing delaying our addition from being built.  It's almost as if you are under the assumption that the people we have...

You know what's great?  When you already have a blog post in your head that you want to write about, and then there's an incentive given to you to write about that very topic!  Aaaahhh yes!  JuiceBoxJungle (you know, that widget on the right side of my blog) wants to know if and when my hubby and I go out to dinner.  Add on top of that the fact that  Restaurant.com  is sponsoring this blogging frenzy and I've got a few reasons to blog about this! Monte and I have been really good about a weekly date night ever since we were married a year ago.  Maybe it's the fact that we're a newlywed couple with four children, maybe it's just the fact that we're a newlywed couple, or maybe it's just that we like each other's company that much!  Whatever the reason, we have found time in our schedule to head out together once a week.  Don't get me wrong, we do miss a week here and there (because sometimes our schedule is just that busy!), but overall we tr...

I've hesitated in writing this post, entirely because I haven't yet processed my emotions of all that's going on.  However, since a week has passed since my most recent OB visit, I figure it's about time that I update!  So, last week Wednesday, December 2nd, Colin and I headed out to yet another doctor's visit.  Colin really enjoys coming along because they have a play area for him in the waiting room and because he knows that, if he's good when we're in the exam room, he will get a treat on the way home!  It's been fun seeing him listen so well during these visits! ANYWAY - back to the original topic.  So at this appointment I had another internal ultrasound and I was expecting to go home, give myself a shot of Ovidrel in the stomach and ovulate 36 hours later.  This is what the doctor explained to me at my last visit, so this was completely my expectation.  What I was not  expecting, however, was that, after my ultrasound, the doctor would com...

Nope, not here on my blog, but if you visit Jennifer's blog here you will see this phenomenal giveaway.  I don't enter many giveaways, but I'd consider myself a fool not to enter this one!

Let the tree decorating begin ... While most of us decorated, Iain spent a majority of the time observing and reading (though he did help once we got the sentimental ornaments out!) ... Colin played with an angel ... I wore the tree skirt ... Ellis wore the candle greens ... It's almost finished ... Who says the star has to be on straight?! I just LOVE decorating the Christmas tree! My studmuffin husband was definitely helping out, too, but he was usually the man BEHIND the camera!

I've been asked several times to share the story of how Monte and I met and eventually married.  I've always been hesitant about sharing this story on my blog, as it really opens me up for judgement.  However, I recently met a new blog friend who asked me about it and I went out on a limb and emailed the story to her.  Her encouraging words that I received in response gave me enough motivation to post the story - so here it is!  Enjoy ... [This is copied directly from my email to Laura] I am slightly hesitant to tell the story of how Monte and I met, just because the timing of it all is something that super opens me up for judgement, which is why the story hasn't been put on my blog quite yet!  I'm happy to share it with you, yet somehow it's still hard to tell!  It's so weird because I am proud of my husband, proud to be his wife and everything worked out perfectly for us regarding our relationship, engagement and marriage -- yet the hurriedness of it...

One year ago today this woman ... was wed to this man ... ... and these children ... ... and she's never had a moment of her life that's been happier than this past year.  Happy Anniversary honey - Happy Anniversary kiddos - I love you all so much!

Congratulations to musingsofagirl - you are the winner of the $25 Target Gift Card!  Send me an email to kami@mybeautifulday.net with your contact information and I will get the card to you ASAP! Thanks to everybody who participated in my first giveaway - it was a lot of fun! :)

1.  Favorite gift you are GIVING this year? Ironically enough, I have yet to do ANY Christmas shopping, so I really can't answer this question!  Monte and I have decided that we are going to scale back on Christmas presents this year and only get a couple of things for each of our kids.  We're going to focus far more on the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus.  We want our kids to first celebrate that - then enjoy giving gifts! 2. How many parties are you attending between now and Christmas? As of right now, only one!  I'm heading to MckMama's Christmas party later this month.  I really wanted to host a party of my own, but alas, with our renovations going on, we no longer can do so.  Things are just too crazy around here to have lots of people over!  Next year, though, next year ... :) 3. What is your favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night.  I love it!  It makes me think how amazing, how truly holy the night of our Savi...

... going .... GONE! Renovations have officially begun - starting with demolition of our garage -more pictures to come as progress is made!  I must admit that I have seen a bit of a negative reaction from some of my readers regarding the renovations on our home.  While I know that this is entirely up to them and they are entitled to feel how they choose, I do want to let you know that, while our addition sounds massive - it's rather compact.  It's sufficient for us to make our house ready for future babies and for current guests.  The additional rooms are small in size, which makes for the possibility of more rooms.  While I know I don't need to offer an explanation of this to you, I wanted to clarify that fact! -- Also, it's not too late to enter my giveaway .  Contest closes at 12:00pm (noon!) Central Standard Time TOMORROW!

*****Contest is now CLOSED.  Thanks for participating!! ***** That's right, you heard me correctly - I am hosting my very first giveaway!  Monte and I were talking about my blog and we decided that we want the chance to bless my readers.  Unfortunately, I don't have the means to bless each and every one of you (though I wish I could!), but I have decided to bless one of you with this: That's right - this beautiful Target Gift Card  (valued at $25) on my refrigerator can be yours!  So, how do you enter?  It's easy!  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post - just one comment and you're entered!  Think that's too easy?  Well it gets better!  Write a tweet (on Twitter, for those who don't know!) about this post, linking back to it, and you are qualified for TWO entries.  Want a better chance to win?!  Write a blog post about this giveaway, once again linking back to this post, and you can be eligible for THREE entr...

I have all of the answers you've been waiting for!  Okay, well maybe not all of the answers, but I at least have answers to the subjects of why we've cleaned out our garage and how my appointments are going.  I'll start with the latter.  Last Wednesday, I had a follow up appointment with my OB.  Okay, it wasn't actually my OB, it was another doctor within the same clinic.  In fact, this is the third doctor I've seen thus far, but I guess as long as we're still moving forward with our progress, I can't complain about it!  So, I had finished taking my prescription and had indeed received a visit from Aunt Flo.  The funny thing about it is that it had been so long since I received a visit from her that I rejoiced when she came.  I savored the cramps.  How weird am I?! :)  I guess the only thing I can say to describe it is the fact that, when you haven't had a period in nine or ten months, it's a great feeling of normalcy when you finally ha...

For TODAY ... Outside my window ...  the sun is shining, the lake is calm and still like a sheet of glass, the squirrels are running wildly, and someone from the city is outside spray painting lines in our lawn (identifying the water/sewer/gas/etc). I am thinking ... about my UPS package that's arriving today and the fact that I'm hoping it arrives later this afternoon when I'm home because the delivery of it requires a signature! I am thankful for ...  my God, my husband, my kids, my family, my faith, my church, my friends, my doctors, my home ..... my LIFE! I am wearing ...  jeans that are too short, a brown T-shirt and my Hilfiger sweatshirt (you know, the one that I bought for Monte for Christmas last year and then shrunk it down so much that it now fits me!). I am remembering ... Monte's late wife and my kids' mama, Kelley.  I never knew her, but she is always in my mind, especially coming into the holiday season.  I'm looking for creative ways t...

In preparation for hosting Thanksgiving this year, my kitchen and dining room started off by looking like this ... ... and like this ... ... and while I will admit that it took a long time to get all of that organized and into my cupboards and refrigerators, it did eventually get cleaned up!  My brother, Tory, and his family joined us at our home for Turkey Day festivities this year and it was completely wonderful to get to spend some time with them!  It really blessed my heart to see Colin playing so well with my nephew, Elijah, as this has not always been the case in the past - but at this particular gathering, they played as if they were old buddies! Lisa and I spent much time cooking and cleaning (though I have to give credit to Monte and Tory, as they did almost all of the post dinner clean up!) ... ... *sorry Lisa, this is the only mid-cooking picture of us that I have!  Once the meal preparation was complete, we sat down and enjoyed an amazing dinn...