Sweet Baby Corey

I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. C-Section scheduled 3 months from today. Wow. I go to the doctor every 2 weeks and then ultrasounds every 4 weeks it looks like. Corey is great and healthy. We had another ultrasound today and I cannot tell you how blessed I feel. One of the big concerns with the Antiphospholipid Syndrome and the blood thinner shots is low birth weight for the baby. We are so thankful Corey continues to measure ahead. This time 2 weeks ahead! He is over 2 lbs and moving great. I truly believe God's hand knits him together inside me each day and takes care of him.

This pregnancy really is going well. The shots cause lots of bruising on my tummy, but other than that seem to have no side effects. I am still sick to my stomach some, but that is just part of it. I feel him move each day which his a huge reassurance.

In the ultrasound today it was great to see that he is still a boy and still growing. Also, he looks a lot like Carley (and Cody) to me. You can see that he has their round nose already. Also, both Carley and Cody sleep with their hands above their head. Carley has done this since day 1. (see picture below) Corey had his hands above his head sleeping too. You can see one arm and hand under his head in the picture. Genetics are amazing.

4 Toys that we love

I have to document these 4 new toys in Carley's life that she has been crazy about the last few months. I want to remember what she loved at this stage and also, please give me advice for other great toys for her.

TAG Learning System- This is the Leapfrog system for kids and I HIGHLY recommend it. Carley has books and it is amazing how much it teaches and how easy it is for her to use. The books are all made of sensors of some kind that makes no sense to me. The pen can read entire pages, only paragraphs, only words, or whatever you want. There are no settings to cartridges when switching pages and books. It is magic, I have no idea how it works. It is wonderful for her to have an independent toy that she can use all by herself. They have demo sets up at Targets, Walmarts, and Toys R Us stores. You need to play with it, just so you can be amazed.

Princess Elise Puzzle - The Melissa and Doug magnetic doll puzzles are so great for girls her age. I love the Princess Elise, but Carley really does love them all. It is so neat to see her make believe and play with all sorts of characters with them.

Sidewalk Chalk - no picture or description necessary Just good old fashion sidewalk chalk occupies much of our evenings. Of course, this is a toy she has played with for years, but now she actually writes and draws with it.

Candy Land - We have been playing Candy Land lately and it is so fun with her. It is so nice to have a game that really doesn't require reading. She loves it and really does understand how it works. By the way Candy Land and several other games are on sale for $8 at Target this week.

So give me some more ideas for great games and toys for kids. What do you guys play with at home?

Dance Recital and Preschool Program

Carley had quite a week. On Tuesday she had her end of year dance recital with Talent Plus and Thursday was her end of year program at Sugar N Spice. She is growing up. Seriously, in the dance pictures with make up on, she looked so old.

Both programs she preformed well and had a wonderful time. I am so thankful for these blessings this year. She was a dancing orange koala bear for Talent Plus and sang "Muffin Man" at Sugar N Spice. Next year we will be doing a different childcare situation that is 5 days a week. We will miss many of the sweet people at SNS. Carley will do her same little preschool combo class next year at Talent Plus though. Her dance teacher was Ms. Chelsea and her preschool teacher was Ms. Kristie.

All good things must come to an end

.....and so, alas, my TV shows are over. Man, I love Season Finales because they are so good, but then I am so sad because it takes forever for them to come back. Like I should be a mom of two children before they come back. Nuts.

So here are my thoughts on the main shows I watch and their finales:

Chuck - I wish every show ended with, "I know Kung Fu". Great, sweet, and romantic way to end the season. Hopefully not the show though. Rumors keep saying that it might not be renewed. If you and your husband are looking for a funny show that both of you will like, you need to start watching Chuck. Rent the seasons over the summer. It is worth it.

Brothers and Sisters - This finale was a big let down for me. Kitty is being stupid. Tommy is weird. Kevin is still awesome. (just not his lifestyle choice) I just ended the season wishing for a better finale. I thought previous episodes were much better.

Friday Night Lights - So the Taylors may not be Dylan Pathers anymore. I thought it was a good twist. I like these characters a lot. I am really glad the show is coming back, but I wonder what it will be like without some of those Seniors. Riggins, Lyla, Tyra, Landry, and Matt are really great and I am not sure what the new kids will bring to it.

Private Practice - What a crazy ending! It was scary, scary and freaky. Violet is a weird character for me, but I do not want her on the floor undergoing a crazy C-Section. Sam and Naomi need to get their act together. Addison should not have an affair, even though that doctor is really good looking. :)

Lost - Holy Cow. That blew my mind. Great intro to Jacob and interesting finish with him as well. I am really excited that there is just one season left. I am anxious to see how this all wraps up. I hate that it won't be back till 2010! What is up with that? If you are a Lost fan, you need to do two things.
1) Listen to the free podcast with the creators and writers, Damon and Carlton, on ITunes.
2) Go to www.ew.com and read the recaps.
Both of these are updated each week and really help provide understanding into this crazy show. The theories on Jacob from the website are really cool.

Grey's - I almost hyperventilated at 007. I did not know it was George. Some of you did and that amazes me. It completely blew me away. So sweet and so sad. Izzy too. Alex and Izzy did a great job acting. POWERFUL. I really liked it. I knew it would be great TV, but I had no idea what roller coasters it would be. My emotions were high and low through the entire thing. Once again, if you are a Grey's fan, you need to do two things:
1) Listen to the free podcast with Shonda and Betsy every week on I Tunes.
2) Go to www.ew.com and read the recaps. The just did an interesting interivew with Shonda on the finale that gives a tiny glimpse into the future and processes this past season.
3) Go to www.greyswriters.com
All three of thses are updated each week when the show aires and gives a little of the scoop on what is to come. The big question is who is dead and who is coming back. Maybe neither, maybe both. We'll see.

Now for what I am watching over the summer:
1. The Bachelorette- I know, I know, I swore I was done. There is just nothing else on so I will watch. Plus I always like the Bachelorette better than the Bachelor.
2. Glee - Supposed to be a High School Musical/Miss Guided take on a high school choir. Aires on Tuesday nights. It has high reviews so I will try it and see.

What are you watching this summer?

Mother of the Year Video

Shanta sent me this. She may have sent it to several of you. I thought it was hilarious and awesome!

I hope you enjoy.

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=V1xvpHWPrLSwg.HJco.4zTE3NTE0Ng--&referred_by=16701581-n4oGXIx

Cute Couple

Cody just got named the Medical Compliance Officer for the entire Lubbock Fire Department. I am super proud of him! Carley is trying for the Heisman and wants to marry her Daddy when she grows up.

I love these two and am so proud of both of them! They are a cute little couple of twins.

Carley, Carley

We think Carley is such a funny kid. She is always doing such hilarious things to make us laugh, mostly in her reactions.

This week Carley got bit by one of her friends when she was in childcare. This is her first time to be bit so it was a little traumatic for her. Luckily for us, she didn't do anything to provoke it or bite back so we could just be sad for her and not have to get onto her for anything. What was so cute/sweet/sad/hilarious about it was how traumatized she was. I know it had do hurt. The pictures don't do it justice and now it is a bruise which is really tender, but it really put her out that this happened. See this expression:

That sums up her feelings about getting bit. Finally I got a better shot of it when she could see it in the camera. Crazy girl.

Also, Carley has lots of thoughts, questions, and ideas about the baby. Lately she has been taking a shower or bath with me each day just to save time and this has brought more questions about my belly. Yesterday she was talking to a random stranger and told them I had a baby in my tummy. The stranger asked if I was having a boy or a girl and Carley told them it was a brother. So far, so normal. Then she said, "When my brother comes, I will take showers with him. Then Mommy will shower with Daddy every day. They will splish and splash. They will have so much fun." I was mortified. I said, "I don't shower with Daddy, silly girl, I shower with you." Then she said, "Not anymore you can shower with Daddy every day. We will love it." Seriously, I have no idea where my child comes up with this stuff. The stranger died laughing. I just died.

Update

I ordered my bedding for Baby Corey last night. I am so excited. I hope it is super cute! It was a tough call. I looked at lots of fireman bedding, but ultimately Cody made the final decision. I really like it and can't wait for it to arrive so we can be sure we love it and Cody can start painting whatever cute ideas he has for the nursery!

Also, some of you have emailed about the name Corey Wayne. I forget that lots of my blogging friends didn't know my maiden name (which is funny to me). My maiden name is Core but it is pronounced with a long e. So either way, baby Nelson two was going to be pronounced like my maiden name. If it was a girl, she would have been Corie, but since he is a boy, he is Corey! Cody's middle name is Wayne. There you have it. Cody did not want to add the y at the end, but he didn't get his name mispronounced the first day of school for his entire life, so I trumped him on that.

It is exciting to be over half way through with this pregnancy. I go to Dr. Owen again tomorrow and I am hoping she will let me go ahead and schedule my C-Section so we can plan a little more for maternity leave.
Update: My C-Section was scheduled today for 09/09/09! I am so excited. My Dr. said she is not sure I will make it that long just because of the Antiphospholipid syndrome. But, I am hopeful and I am booked in the OR! Yeah for 09/09/09!!!

As for parenting - man, it is getting more and more interesting each day. I constantly struggle with being patient, modeling good choices, picking my battles, not making threats I won't back, and being consistent. It is so tricky. I can just feel myself getting frustrated with Carley so quickly sometimes. It is tough to know when you are being too easy on your kid and too hard on your kid. Some of the expectations I have for Carley seem too high sometimes and other times, I am covering for her and letting things slide because she is so cute. Goodness. Anyone with me out there?

Quick Carley story: We have been collecting money for mission Sunday for several weeks. She has earned lots of money and has been so proud of herself. She knows the money goes to telling other kids about Jesus and that makes her very happy. Today was mission Sunday and she marched up to the front of the auditorium with all the big kids to put her money on the stage. I was so proud of her. She looked so precious. It made me want to cry. Then she came back to sit with me and started crying because she wanted to keep her money jar. She knew she was giving the money to the kids, but wanted to keep the jar. She started SCREAMING in church, "I want my jar back. I want my jar back!" BAWLING, YELLING, SCREAMING!!! I took her out and she was hysterical. I guess I need to tell her that we are giving the money AND the jar to teach the kids about Jesus, and not just the money.

My Newest Splurge

For those of you who know me well, you know I am pretty cautious about spending. I really don't shop much and I don't spend money on big items when I do. Well, I have a confession, I am a true fan of one big brand name store....Williams Sonoma! Oh wow, has it changed me. People, if you do not get kitchen stuff there, go online and start shopping today. Now granted, many of you have probably been shopping there for years and years, but some of you don't and so I am going to tell you about my favorite purchases and why I love them.

1. Counter Top Spray - They have the best smelling kitchen cleaners. I love their counter top sprays. They make your kitchen smell so clean at the end of the day and do a great job cleaning as well. My current favorite flavor is Olive Oil. I know that sounds random, but it is surprisingly awesome. Cody was the one who picked it out. If you live near a store, you need to swing by and sniff. The counter top spray is only $9.00. My favorite flavor of the year is always the Peppermint spray in the Winter.

2. Goldtouch Muffin Tin - ALL of their Goldtouch nonstick pans are awesome. You will not believe how evenly they cook and how nothing sticks to them. I have found this to be very true with all of the, but especially helpful with the muffin tin. I made my simple Walmart brand packet of blueberry muffin mix muffins the other Saturday and it was crazy at how good they were compared to the other pan. Everything just cooks better. I am also a huge fan of their cookie sheets.

3. Melamine Mixing Bowls - These bowls are the coolest. The have a cool contour design that makes it really easy to mix and pour. Nothing sticks to the side of them. They are heavy so they don't tip or scoot around easily on the counter. I also have the matching measuring cups which are the same way. They also have a rubber ring around the bottom that holds them in place. There is a set of 4. My set has a red, an orange, a yellow, and a green which Carley loves. Also they are dishwasher safe.

4. Flexible Grill Basket - There are lots of different kinds of these, this is just the one I have. I saw they on Oprah's favorites and I had to try. It is so cool because you can cook fish, veggies, bread, anything on the grill and it doesn't stick and it is easy to flip. You don't lose the little pieces and your food doesn't tear because it was on the actual grill top. Also, your veggies aren't mushy because they aren't cooked in foil.

So tell me some of your favorites. I love to hear of everyone's newest splurge. Where do you think the bang is worth the buck?

It's a..........

Perfect, healthy, perfect, healthy baby BOY!!!! Corey Wayne Nelson. We are so thankful and blessed!!

Thoughts for a Tuesday

- Darius Rucker's new song, "It Won't Be Like This For Long" makes me tear up every time I hear it. So sweet, so true....

- The Office featured a John Denver song. You know how happy this makes me!!!

- Oprah had an episode on talking to your kids about sex last Wednesday. Ummmmm, interesting television. I could blog on many thoughts on this episode, but do not want to throw that out on the web for all to read. Let's just say, she and I feel differently about this on some issues.

- I have been losing my voice, hoarse, or had a sore throat for a week. I hate it when that happens. There is nothing I can take strong enough to kick it!

- We find out if baby Nelson is a boy or a girl on Tuesday. This blows my mind. Since this will be our last child, if I have a boy, I will be thrilled because Cody has a son and if I have a girl I will be thrilled because Carley has a sister. I have no gut feeling on what I am going to have. I think I am blocking it in my mind because I always go against the mom's gut instinct.

- Alyssa did a great job teaching Lauren, Carley, and Camryn about the crucifixion this weekend. Every time we see a cross anywhere, Carley yells out "Jesus died on the cross. I found it. I won" We are not sure what game she is playing, but glad her confidence is boosted by this???? Carley does love to talk about the cross and the empty tomb. Even though I know she really doesn't get it completely, it is still a cool step in her faith development.

- I have been eating lots of Easter Candy.

- Cody Nelson gets 5 stars for today. He was off while I was at work and he did ALL the laundry in the house. He washed, dried, hung up, and folded at least 4 loads today. Since we were gone for several days, this was a lot of laundry. I never even asked him to do it. He even did Carley's which is a first for him. If you see him, PLEASE pass on my gratitude. I want him to know how appreciated this is (so maybe it will happen again) Thanks so much, Cody! You are the best!

- Sometimes I feel great and the other times I feel really pregnant.

- We had a picnic at Carley's preschool today. She was so cute and so sweet while we were there. She was mad when we left though.

Aunt Lynda, Siblings, Soulmates,

My aunt Lynda died today. She had fought a long , hard battle with ovarian cancer. Most people do not survive months when diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer, but Lynda did 5 years. She beat it several times. She was strong, faithful, and fearless through it all. She died today with her two daughters, husband, son-in-law, grandson, and two sisters at her side.

The picture above is when she came to see Carley when she was 2 months old. Lynda had already beat cancer twice by that time three years ago.

I know that Aunt Lynda is at the best place possible to celebrate Easter Sunday and the Resurrection. She will be there to see first hand that death really does have to happen to have a resurrection and rebirth.

My sweet mom has lost three of her 4 siblings. My uncle died in a car accident when we was a young 22 year old, newlywed the week before Easter as well. He was my mom's only brother and his service was on Easter Sunday 33 years ago. Now my aunt will me remembered on this same weekend. My mom and her sister, Anella, are the only ones left from their family of 7. Please pray for them.

My sister read an article not too long ago that talked about how your siblings are your life partners and soul mates. They are with you truly for longer than anyone else. Most of us will know our spouse from the time we are in our twenties on. Our children we will know from an even later time. Our parents are there from the beginning, but sadly, are not always there when we are in old age, but our siblings are often there for it all.

Today is my sister's birthday. It is a sad day because of my aunt's passing, but also a really sentimental day to be thankful for siblings and soulmates. It is a blessing to have people to go through life with, to know you for the journey. I am thankful each day that Alyssa is mine!

Please keep my family, specifically my mom, my uncle, and cousins, in your prayers.

Once Upon a Time

Carley loves all things "Princess". She has totally bought into all the Disney propaganda hook, line, and sinker. So for me it is nice because there are lots of cheap little awards and prizes she can earn for doing stuff. We usually watch at least one Princess movie a week. So anytime Carley hears about a princess so she can learn the story of that princess. It all started with Cinderella which was an easy story to understand and then we moved onto Belle and Ariel. Aurora was a little harder to explain, but she bought the love story, so it wasn't bad. Same for Aladdin. Yeah, there is a Genie and an evil guy who turns into a snake, but overall it is pretty self explanatory. Then she wanted to see Snow White. The queen/witch and the dwarfs were a little interesting the first couple of times. Mulan is where it got tough. How do you explain cross dressing princesses? Also there are all the ancestors flying around and that is weird. Not to mention a commentary on women's evolving role in society. Today I recorded Pocahontas. Carley and I have been watching it and it is nuts to explain. I don't want to even point out that they are different ethnicities and skin colors. She is not sure why they are mad at each other and I can't give her a reason. There is also a grandmother that is a tree, which is something our Nana is not. And Carley learned a new word with lots of questions. Who are "savages"? Why are they "savages"? Where are "savages" now? Plus Pocahontas sings about how much she loves nature, which is cool, but hard to understand how the "rock has a spirit". (Nothing against John Denver, best singer/songwriter of all time who also felt like rocks had a spirit, but that is a different story) Also there are lots of guns in this movie. And after all that, I forgot he leaves without her. Sheesh. What princess movie ends up where the girl and the guy don't end up together? Why are Disney movies so tough to explain? There needs to be a Disney rating for parents.

Any of you dealt with this?

In Health News

That is my big girl. She is so grown up in that picture. Carley is PURE Carley. PURE personality, affection, conversation, opinion, preciousness, and sassyness. She also resembles her Daddy more and more each day and acts like me more and more. This is a source of joy for all of my family members.

Carley has had some poop issues for the past few weeks. We went to the dr today, went and got x-rays, and some good answers. Hopefully she will be feeling much better in less than a week. It was tough being pregnant today because I couldn't go back with Carley for X-Rays. She was a brave little girl and her daddy came so that made it all better! But you know as a Mom, you want to always be right there. Anyway, good news for the Nelsons and hopefully her medicine will work!

But, we do ask for prayers for my Aunt Lynda, my mom's sister. She has been battling Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer for 5 1/2 years and her battle is really hard right now. She is in the hospital and hurting. My mom has gone down to be with her. She is at a very low point and we are not sure what will happen. She just had her first grandchild this fall and she has two daughters and a husband who love her and adore her and who have a lot more life they want to live with her. Please keep that family in your prayers.

SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!! Part One

I love, love, love Spring Break! :) We had a wonderful week off. Alyssa's family came for the first weekend. It was SO fun to have them here. The girls are hilarious together and I can't get enough of my sister so it was lots of fun. Monday, Cody and I left for Nashville to celebrate our 5th anniversary while Carley spent some time at my parent's house. Carley had a WONDERFUL time. Nana's house is her favorite spot in the world. She is spoiled rotten and gets to do whatever she wants. She was in heaven!

Nashville was amazing. Neither of us had ever been and it was a PERFECT vacation get away spot for us. The only regret was that due to the fact our tickets were free from a certain airline, we couldn't stay as long as we wanted and we had to travel a million hours both ways. It was a little frustrating, but free is a beautiful thing. Because of the shortened time, we didn't get to see some families I really wanted to see in the Nashville area. We sure did live it up while we were there though. We stayed at the Opryland Hotel which was BEAUTIFUL and completely relaxing. It was a wonderful place to stay. Also, our rental car was a mustang convertible which was SO fun to drive around in. We kept the top down and just cruised around. I felt at least 5 years younger while we were there. We had a fast and furious 24 hours. We did the Parthenon, Centennial Park, Vanderbilt, Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry, OpryMills Mall, Aquarium restaraunt, and the Hermitage.


I must say that the Country Music Hall of Fame was really cool. Much cooler and neater than I ever expected. It was great. And the tour of the Grand Ole Opry was awesome. We got to go back stage, see dressing rooms, sing on the stage, and a bunch of other neat things.

Most of all I just loved being with Cody. He is just the greatest.

We have an exciting part two of Spring Break where we took another trip, but that is a blog for a different day.

What the Nelsons have been up to

I haven't blogged pictures and real stuff in a while. Pregnancy (which I am so thankful for) has left me blissfully exhausted and nauseous most days. It has made blogging and posting pictures seem not so worthwhile. But, in honor of the end of my first trimester, here are some pictures and updates.

We had Valentines Day. It was a really fun one. Cody and I had some great alone time and that was the weekend we told Carley she was going to be a big sister.


I turned 31. It was filled with yummy food and great gifts. I especially loved hearing from so many of you! :)


Cody got a new truck. He LOVES it. Actually, we all do. It is so nice and new. :)
Carley still loves dance and gymnastics. I think the leotards are really cute with her figure. She is so funny and so proud of herself.
We are so excited Spring Break starts tomorrow. It is also our 5 year anniversary! More of those updates and pictures to come before too long

What a Dark Start to the Day

The sun is not up. It is cold. The sky is dark. The Nelsons are loading up for the day.

I hate Daylight Savings Time.

I am 31 and talking about the weather

I know I am getting old when I talk about the weather, but seriously, what is up with these days in the high 80's? I love warm weather, but it just seems like I have some cute Spring clothes that are long sleeve that I didn't get to wear. Plus, if it is going to be warm, I want to be able to lay out and get some sun on my very beige skin. There was a time when I was really tan, like I could have passed for a different ethnicity, but not anymore. That is a whole different story though.

So basically, I wanted to blog, but don't have any pictures to post right now so this was my thought.

Also, I love Lost and Chuck. Brothers and Sisters is really good right now. Looking forward to a new Office tonight and a new Grey's next week. Also, Friday Night Lights is having a good season. That's it.

What are your random thoughts for the day?

Are you having any conversations that make you feel old?

Reality Smreality

So are you done watching the Bachelor? Will you be back next season?

I think ABC made a big mistake. I don't know what was fake and was was real, but there is not doubt in my mind that Molly knew when she came back for the After the Rose that she and Jason were going to be back together. She knew.

I am pretty disenchanted with the whole thing these days, what about you?

Our Big News!

We are so thankful, grateful, humble, and excited to announce baby Nelson! I am 11 weeks and due in September. We have seen the baby three times and everything looks perfect. I was released from my specialist today which was a great milestone and very emotional. Dr. Phy and her office have become family to us. The baby has fingers, toes, a strong heartbeat, and a lot of spunk!

We are so thankful to our Father for hearing our prayers (and yours on our behalf) He was so faithful. Even before we knew we were pregnant, we felt His presence and His peace during these past couple of months. This child is to his glory and humbly recognize Him as the creator of this life. I told a friend this week that I felt like one of the Baxters and could run around singing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" all day long.

Many of you know after my second miscarriage I was diagnosed with Antiphospholipid syndrome. Basically this means when I get pregnant, my blood thickens and forms clots. I have been and will continue to take a blood thinner shot in my stomach every day until two days before my C-Section. I am so thankful that they found this. The amazing thing is that a pregnancy only has a 10% chance of making it to full term and delivery if this is untreated. Over half of the miscarriages occur after 32 weeks. We had a friend recently miscarry at 37 1/2 weeks and she was diagnosed with this after. The amazing this is that I had this with Carley and had no idea. She is a 10% chance! I love that little curly headed miracle running around our home! That being said, we do covet prayers for a healthy pregnancy. Treated with the blood thinner shots, you have like a 90% chance of a healthy pregnancy so we are really thankful to be on them, even though my stomach looks like I have been beaten with a bat! :)

We are all just so excited and thankful for this little blessing already!

I think I am the only one,

but I like Molly. She has been my favorite since the first episode. Most everyone I know likes Melissa. I think that he should pick Molly and Melissa should come back as the next bachelorette.

You Tube predicts Melissa because they say that the video of him proposing shows her pinky ring. I guess we will know in two weeks. I just can't imagine what makes the next couple of weeks so dramatic and the after the rose so private. There is just no telling with nutty reality TV and the smoke and mirrors game they love to play!

Who is your pick?

Also, how good was the Grey's/Private Practice crossover. Some of the best episodes for Grey's all season. I just wish Taye Diggs would come flirt with Baily more often! She deserves some flirting!

Lost has not disappointed me all season. I love what is going on and the connections.

What are your thoughts?

You never know

Last night one of 13 year old students died. He was at a small group bible study for his church youth group. He went to the bathroom, has a seizure, and was gone. He had no history of anything like that. Noone knew he was sick or feeling anything weird, if he was. TJ was a great kid. Smart, funny, charming as could be, cute, hard working, talented, and creative. All the kids liked him. He was just one of those great nice kids. Today was such a sad day at school for our students and faculty. It is so unbelievable to think how life ends in an instant.

I have nothing to say for a wrap up. No life lessons, no adage to sum it up. It is just amazing how life begins and ends out of our hands and often so quickly and without warning. My heart goes out to his parents and little brother who loved him. He had such a bright future. I know that he is in a much better place. (afterall, dying at church is a pretty good place to go) It is still just amazing.

Important Lessons From the Tower of Babel

In bible class yesterday Carley learned about the Tower of Babel. I think she might have missed part of the point of the story.

There is a lot of construction aroud our church building. When Carley was looking out the window and saw construction and said, "building does not make God happy. He does not want us to build". So Cody told her that they were building a really tall tower that God did not want them to build.

Then she looked at our church, which has a tall bell tower and said that our church does not make God happy because God doesn't like towers. We tried (to no avail) to argue with her, but it was ridiculous so we let it go. That afternoon she was watching part of Beauty and the Beast and saw the castle. Well that set her off again. "Belle makes God so said because she lives in a tower. God cries when he sees her tower". So I tried to tackle it again and told her the people were not obeying God and that was why he was sad. They were trying to build a tower all the way to Heaven, where God lives, and he told them not to do it. They disobeyed.

So then Carley said, "God does not want us to go to Heaven. It makes him so sad".

Then began another arguement with a three year old who had no idea what she was saying and I couldn't stop laughing.

The Neti Pot

I have a new obsession that I have to share, have you heard of the Neti Pot? Right before break one of my friends was saying that her three kids has been incredibly healthy in 2008. I asked her why and she told me about the Neti Pot.

Basically it is a small plastic pot that kind of looks like a genie lamp. You place 1 cup of warm water and one of the packets of saline and mix it. Then (are you ready for this) you put the Neti Pot spout next to one nostril, tilt your head to the side and let the water run up one side and out the other. It sounds so gross and painful, but it is awesome! I am addicted. It is a ton better than nose spray and doesn't dry out your nose. Seriously, you have to try it. I think I got the pot and 50 saline packets for about $15.00

I have talked almost all of my family into and they have liked it. Even Oprah and Dr. Oz recommend it!

So I am curious....have you tried it? Any other remedies out there for winter weather?

When all else fails....

......I post about TV. I could and should do big posts about Christmas, Carley's birthday parties, New Years party, back to school, New Years Resolutions and all sorts of other things, but posting about TV takes less brain cells so I think this will be my first post of 2009.

Sundays - Brothers and Sisters - I thought last week's episode with Justin at 2nd grade and Kevin post surgery was great. This show has such funny and charming writing. I love watching the Walker family, yet remain so very thankful I am not a Walker. :)

Mondays - The Bachelor - I have to be honest, I was disappointed in the girl choices for Jason. I could be wrong, but none of them seemed like the right girl for him to me. My favorite was blue dress Molly, but there weren't any that I was totally pumped about. I don't think Deanna is coming back to get Jason. I think she is just going to say, "I made a mistake, I shouldn't have proposed to anyone" or "I made a mistake letting you get down on one knee". I don't think there will be as much drama as they make it seem.
Chuck - I love this show and it's cast. Can't wait for some new episodes. Chuck is so sweet to his sister, Sarah, Morgan, and everyone else. It is nice to see a nice guy on TV again.

Tuesdays - I am giving up 90210 after last week and Eli Stone is ending so I guess it will just be Biggest Loser which I like to watch on the couch eating fattening food. I don't watch it every week from opening to close though.

Wednesdays - LOST IS BACK (well almost, but they are starting the reviews of last year so it will be back in a couple of weeks) I am so excited about this!

Thursdays - Grey's- I was disappointed in last week's episode some. I thought Sloan and Callie's banter was the best part. I really want his chemistry with Lexie to be stronger. I hope they build on that. Also, I like Hunt a lot, but he is a little moody and weird for me right now so I am not quite endeared to him yet. I thought the Chief and Bailey were great last week as well. And McDreamy dancing it out was very McDreamy for me.

Private Practice- It was a little over the top for me last week with Sam and the random health inspector lady and then Violet and Pete. I still cried when that mother lost her child. I could sue Private Practice for emotional manipulation I think. Also Cooper and Charlotte are starting to grow on me.

The Office - I am ready for some fun times in Scranton. Hopefully it is new this week.

Friday - Friday Night Lights is back this week! (at least for those of us that didn't have the channel for it this fall) I am so excited to see the Taylor family and the gang and see what it going on. It is one of my favorite shows.

The bad news for me is that I added a couple of new shows for the Spring line up. Whenever I post about TV, I always get lots of comments that I watch too much TV so I am sure that this will not make those of you who think that happy. I did get rid of Desperate, Heroes, My Own Worst Enemy, The Hills, and 90210 this year so I am making some progress, I think.

What are you watching, not watching, looking forward to, or predicting for our entertainment industry in 2009?