Vacation!

Baby K and I recently went to my Grandmother's house for a week long vacation.  She lives in a small town on the lake. It's beautiful there.  Kaelyn loved running around outside and getting absolutely spoiled by my Grandmother (Mother) and her husband.   

We had so much fun just hanging out, cooking dinner together, shopping, exploring and just being outside.

My grandmother actually raised me and I call her and consider her my Mom.  My real mother died in a car accident when I was two.  I have so much more to say on THAT subject, but I am not in the right frame of mind to go there today!  So when I refer to seeing or talking to my Mom, I am talking about my grandmother.

I will say that I spent my most of teenagers year making sure SHE knew that she was just my grandmother and now most of my adult years making sure SHE knows that she is my MOM.  I still wish EVERY.SINGLE.DAY that my Mom was still alive and here to be my friend and to love on Kaelyn.  But at the same time I know how incredibly luckly I am to have the Mom I do.  She did not have to raise me, but chose to.  That means so much to me.  She is my best friend and I honestly do not know where I would be without here.  She has made me into the woman I am today. 

Wordless Wednesday

A Calm Weekend Wrap Up

We didn’t do much this weekend.  Friday when I got off work, we went to my Dad’s.  Then went with me Sisters to dinner at Cheddars.  Kaelyn enjoyed people watching and eating chicken.  She can now drink out of a straw and is super proud of herself.  She will take a drink with a shocked look on her face when the cold hits her mouth and then give me this huge cheesy smile.  Then Holli stayed the night with us and we just watched movies and hung out.  Holli taught Kaelyn to say her name and it sounds like Howi..it’s cute.  Saturday we went to eat and ran some errands.  Then I took Baby K to her dad’s to stay the night and took Holli home.  I enjoyed the rest of my evening reading and watching Lifetime movies.  Now I am doing some laundry and cleaning before Kaelyn gets home this evening.  Fun Times.
I thought I would share a few pics of her supporting her Daddy’s Chicago Bears. Mama is a Cowboys fan!
Here she is walking!



She loves it when she is able to sneak my phone.

She is yelling something here.  The child is a chatter box!

Kaelyn’s Words so far – In Order:
Dada, Mama, No, Hi, Dah (for DooDah, my Dad) Abby (her friend), Holli

Christmas Catch Up

I know I am very LATE in posting this but I wanted to put it on here for me later on to remember Baby K's First Christmas.

We went to a Christmas Party about a week before Christmas and Kaelyn got to meet Santa Claus for the first time.  She was not sure about all of his facial hair!

 

We had a wonderful Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Kaelyn and I went to my Dad's house and celebrated with him and my sisters. Here are a few pictures. We opened presents and just hung out. It was very low-key and nice.

 

Kaelyn is not sure what this is all about...

Here is my 19 year old sister Hannah opening her gifts

And Holli opening her Gerber Yogurt Melts...hahaha...she actually asked for those. 

She eats Kaelyn's all the time.

 

Then the next morning Kaelyn's Daddy came over and we opened more presents.  The three of us celebrated together. 

Here she is going towards her Christmas loot.

Kaelyn still wasn't sure what the boxes and paper were all about. 

 She thought this one was a new chair for her.

 

 

 

Random Randomness

For some reason, right now I have lots on my brain. Almost to the point where I am sure it will explode at some point. The problem is that I have no idea how to form most of it into thoughts, much less sentences. I have been super cranky lately and I have no idea why. There are several things coming up soon that I am very excited about it and nothing really unpleasant going on right now. Usually my crankiness can be easily blamed on something at work, or family issues or even fun times with the soon to be ex husband. But all of that is going fine for now. I am worried and disappointed in my 18 year old sister, but that isn't affecting my daily well being. I just can't quite put a finger on it. I am still not thrilled about my pending divorce, but I have reached a place where I realize this is how it is going to be. I didn't ask for it or want it, but as the serenity prayer says, "courage to accept the things I cannot change." I am learning to accept, or at least trying to learn.

Baby K's birthday is next month...how in the world did this year go so fast. I can not believe that my baby will be 1! She is suppose to stay little!

But now my baby is getting to be such a big girl, she doesn't look so much like a baby anymore.

I love how in this one she has that, "I am caught" look.

Anyway, I am preparing for her party now. I can't believe how much planning I am doing for this. You would think I was trying to get ready for a wedding! She won't even remember it, but I want it to be such a special day for her.

Also, the end of this month I am starting Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. I am VERY excited about this. I wanted to do it last year, but my husband wouldn't go and I didn't think it made sense for me to do it alone when it was our finances. Well now that it's just me, I am doing it! It's being held at the church that I visit. I would actually like for K and I to become members there eventually.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. K and I have a playdate tomorrow with my best friend and her daughter that is 2 days older than Kaelyn!

Mama C

In the Beginning

I have decided to create a new blog to go with the new chapter in my life.  I can honestly say that I am in a very great place right now albeit a place I never expected to be.  Here I am as a single Mom with an 8 month old precious, baby girl going through a divorce.  Divorce was not in my vocabulary and it was not something that *I* would ever do...but here I sit.  I am not longer bitter.  The anger and hurt are almost gone as well.  In this process, I have learned that I am a very strong woman.  I have always known that I am independent and do not need a man to complete me.  But I have learned that I can handle more than I thought.   I do want anyone to know that is reading this, that Baby K's dad, Daddy T, is an amazing father and loves his daughter tremendously.  He is still a VERY active part of her life.  I did not start this blog to bash him in any way.  This is simply a place for me to document mine and K's happenings.  That's not to say that I will not get mad or frustrated at him from time to time, because I can almost guarantee I will.  And I may at times voice that frustration, but intention will never be to bash him or tear him down.   We get along very well and have found a way to be great parents and have a great relationship apart to support our daughter.  I will always be grateful to him for giving me the most precious baby girl.