Chaos

Time flies by when there is ALWAYS something going on...As many might already know we are expecting our 2nd child. We are truly excited but I on the other hand are ready for the rest of the six months to hurry by. Since we have found out that I am expecting all I do is stay sick. Sick enough to get hospitalized. On top of this Ryan is Always gone for work. He has switched departments within the company to the Maintenance Away department. He likes it but it is a hard job, lots of labor, and many long days(but hey we are use to this already!!). By the time the baby is due which by the way is May 9th (Mothers day!!) he will be done with the training and it will be time for a move! Ha, we have heard that many times before!! Apparently Ryan says I need to take this seriously since this is going to really happen (I will believe it when I see it, since I have heard this many times before!). Reagan is doing well, adjusting to the fact the World won't revolve around her but of course this week while Ryan is gone she develops Tonsillitis! As Ryan says, I was playing "doctor" and not taking her to the doctors because I did Not want to drag her little bum in the office with ALL these other sick nasty kids when all she had was a cough, but of course after 4 days of NO sleep for either one of us and NO school for her, I had enough. I was proved WRONG. She is the best little thing, but dear lord a daddy's girl if there is ever one...Reagan says Jump and Ryan says "how high honey?". For instance this morning she woke at 5am and wanted a sippy cup that was left in the car, I was not going out in the cold to get it when she had other perfectly good cups. But no, Daddy comes down & runs outside in his boxers to get!! Seriously, if we have another girl, I will shoot myself! By the way, we do not find out the sex till Christmas Eve, I will keep you posted....I better run, I am working and trying to catch up on homework. I promise I will Attempt to post better, but till then there will always be chaos!!

Trust in the Lord.....

I am sitting here at work while there is an actual down time(mind you it is almost 3 in the morning!). I have been working on bills and finishing up some school work. I have just a moment and I wanted to update the blog.

Life has been very stressful lately but nothing new in the Life of the Bailey's. Our house is still for sale and our contract is running out on the house we wanted(Sept. 1st to be exact). Now Ryan and I are debating to keep the house on the market and look for another house OR take the house off the market and finish the basement or do something to give us more room. My plan is to take the house off the market because Ryan has informed me that most likely we will be moving within 15 months(out of the Roanoke area). But we know how that goes!!! Anyways, with that and everyday living life has been stressful. I have to keep telling myself to Trust in the Lord, Trust in the Lord......it is def. easier said than done but honestly when life throws you curve balls I rather cuss and throw a tantrum then Trust in God. I know it is HORRIBLE to feel that way but I am human(and it is easier).

The preacher here at a church we are visiting(Church of the Holy Spirit) had the best message the other week about Trusting in God. It was very uplifting to hear the message and to understand the ability God has whether we understand or not. When finances, life, relationships, etc. get me down I know without a doubt God is in control and with his guidance everything will be O.K.

We are here, I promise!

Where have I been? There just isn't enough time in the day to do all that "I" want to do! With attempting to sale our home and having a contract on another home, going to school year round, being a FULL time mom, working FULL time, and being a devoted wife:O) I will try to be better at keeping everyone posted on our crazy life we call NoRmAl!! Here are a few pictures of our Summer so Far, enjoy!

Six Years of Bliss...

I am trying to update! Sorry this was back in Jan.!! I know this is extremly late but we had so much fun on our 6th anniversary I had to share pictures! I can't believe in 5 months we will be married for 7 years! Where does the time go!

Christmas 2008 and Ringing in the New Year

Reagan singing her heart away!

Final Outcome-not bad!

Christmas Eve Dinner

All excited-working with Daddy!

Making a the Ginger Bread House

Heading to Dickens of a Christmas

Heading to Dickens of a Christmas

In Awful Arthur's(at the bar mind you)


Christmas went by too fast...it seems like every year it goes by a little bit faster. We had a wonderful December doing all the holiday festivities. First we went to our Annual Christmas Play at our church which was extremely nice(if I was able to see it all). We decided to take Reagan with us because we thought she would enjoy seeing all the characters, especially Baby Jesus. Well mid-way through the production she needed to pee and when I told her she was going to get a spanking(since this was the 2nd time and it had only been a minute After we sat down) she decided to kick and scream down the aisle while she was dead weight and me dragging her by her arms. Oh the joys of motherhood!

Reagan had her first school performance....she did Great! Her class of three year olds sang Jingle Bells, Holly Jolly Christmas, and many more! She is a performer like her father. We weren't sure what the play was going to be because she kept talking about her being an angel and her friend Audrey being baby Jesus's mama, Mary. But come to find out they sang but her teacher Mrs. Smith read them a book in class and they picked who they were going to be. With a three year old you are always having to piece together the puzzle!



The following week-end we went to Dickens of a Christmas downtown. It was so much fun! Our friends Stacy, Tim, and their three children went with us and it was def. a memorable night. We started of the evening watching the Roanoke Christmas parade while the guys went and got us a table at Awful Arthur's(seafood restaurant). After the kids were tired of watching the parade(it seemed to Never Stop) we went to find the guys. We could not find the anywhere in the dining room. Come to find out they were waiting for us in the bar area beside the pool tables!!! Apparently that was the only seating available!?! I was a little peeved to say the least, since I really didn't want my three year old in a bar eating dinner. But as my good friend Stacy told me, "If it was any other night it would be a lot different". So I calmed down to apologize to Ryan for being rude. While Ryan and I are talking to Stacy, Tim is asking where Caleb went(this is their oldest son who is 7). We thought he went to the bathroom but as we turned around we ALL noticed he was learning how to play pool with a man tattoos all over him and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth...priceless. We got through dinner and lets say the kids actually had a blast! Reagan and Emmie rode on a arcade game as a bike...they thought they were so cool! We then went outside in the FREEZING cold to go on a carriage ride and get our picture taken with Santa Clause. The picture turned out really well even though Ryan had a lovely Dip in his mouth so All I could see is the lovely bulge on his cheek! Reagan sat down on my lap with Santa beside me and he asked her what she wanted. She simply stated "A pink TV", he looked at me and said, "A TV?" and Reagan looked at him and said, "Yes, pink"! It was hilarious. Finally we got to the carriage ride and it was the icing on the cake! We all pile in(8 of us) and it was very nice and windy! As we are coming around the last turn before our ride is finished this nice looking(to put it nicely) comes right beside our carriage and acts like she is "hot stuff" and gets her picture taken. Well, WE ALL think she isn't all that but our nice carriage ride person hollers out loud with OUR LITTLE Children sitting there, "That skank a$$ Ho isn't all that!!". We all looked at each other in shock and started laughing, we didn't know what else to do...at least the kids didn't ask what that meant!! Even though it was freezing outside we all had a blast with many laughs!



The rest of the month flew by with decorating our ginger bread house(which is a daddy and Reagan project) to baking our famous Butter Cookies. We had a very relaxing Christmas this year with everyone coming over to our house on Christmas day. It was very nice because we were able to stay in our P.J.'s all day long!. Reagan was priceless when she came down the stairs and saw her Pink TV, chenille chair with stool, and all the other famous toys from Santa. She sat and her stool and starting looking through a book before we even started opening gifts. She said,"she wanted to watch her TV, read, and relax". Of course she finally got up and started unwrapping.



New Years was extremely relaxing...we ended up grilling out on my brother-in-laws new Green Egg(if anyone has seen this you would know why it is called a Green Egg!) We had a lot of fun with them and our friends Willie, Robin, and their little boy. We stayed up eating sweets and playing on Ryan's new Wii. How the years have changed with New Years Eve when children are in the picture! Wouldn't change it for the world!



We are truly blessed to have such an awesome God and wonderful family who loves and supports us. We love being home for the holidays near the ones we love. We miss our extended families over seas but know we will see them soon!



Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and blessed New Year!



Here are two lovely recipes I wanted to share. The first one is a tradition my mother started when I was little. I have had these cookies every Christmas since I could remember! After you eat these you will not go back to sugar cookies! The second is a new recipe that will be a tradition from now on. I made it with our breakfast casserole and it was a hit! Enjoy!




Butter Cookies

Ingredients
1cup (2 sticks) butter
1 1/2cups confectioners sugar
2 1/2cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream tarter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Cream butter, add sugar gradually, cream until fluffy. Add unbeaten egg and vanilla. Beat well, sift together dry ingredients. Blend into creamed mixture. Divide dough. Chill dough. Roll on well floured pastry cloth to 1/8 inch thick. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Bake about 6 minutes at 400'; cool on wire racks. Half recipe makes 3 dozen cookies.




French Toast Casserole


INGREDIENTS
12 day-old French bread
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS
Arrange bread in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Ryan is OLD

With all the excitement around I meant to mention Ryan's 30th Surprise party! He was def. Surprised. I had planned for months and months. If it wasn't for my good friend Stacy I wouldn't have been able to pull it off so well. I had roughly 30 people show up at Cornbeef and Company and it was all decorated in a Golf Theme. We had an awesome time with good food and friends. Than the next day Ryan played golf with 6 of his good buddies. Needless to say it took longer than expected but they had a blast in the 30 degree weather! I can not believe I have been with him for over 11yrs! Time flies when you are having fun!!

Decorating like the Griswolds!!!

I starting decorating the week of Thanksgiving since Thanksgiving was late this year. I love to decorate our house with all the pretty garland and lights. It makes it feel so homey around the holidays. I call it tastefully done. Well, my husband on the other hand likes to decorate like Clark Griswold. I finally gave him the thumbs up this year to do Whatever he would like outside. He even likes me to come out and sing "Joy to the World" and then make that god awful sound that Clark's mother-in-law made with her tongue like a cat call. Then magically the lights come on. We have BLUE lights this year, I mean, are we K-Mart? I can not stand tackiness, that is one thing I cringe at but my husband thinks it is wonderful! I am posting a few pictures but this is not done! He wants to get on the roof and put lights(Blue, mind you) done the chimney! Why, Why, Why did I say it was OK? I will post more pictures later when the final lights are hung by the chimney with care, ha....