it does not get much cuter than this!!

We are headed to Orlando tomorrow. Then Colorado in January. More blogs to come.

tis the season

So I am not a good blogger anymore. Sorry. I know everyone reads mostly for Josie updates...this is the latest on my little elf.
*She turned 6 months old last week.
Geez la weez. I remember this time last year thinking I will have a 6 month old. I never imagined how fun it would be, nor how difficult.

*Big girl... long and lean.
She weighs 17 1/2 lbs. And is the 95%tile for her height. Tall and skinny I hope... like her dad.
We are struggling in the "in the middle" stage with her carrier or a carseat. We go back and forth a lot.

*Advanced...
The pediatrician told us... Josie has an advanced.. pincher grip. That would be the thumb and the pointer finger. We continue to laugh about her being advanced...with the pincher. That's my girl.

*Oatmeal and Avacado.
Josie is doing great with her food and opening her mouth. However, I am already annoyed at the extra time it takes. Dang it we can't nurse exclusively forever.... geez...it was so easy.

*Look out..
"the jos" as we like to call her is on the move. She is sorta crawling... it just doesn't look like crawling. But she can move from one side of the room to the other like a champ. We are currently coming up with theories for blocking our heaters (this would be a negative of an old house.)

December has been a busy month for us. Mom's b-day, KC's b-day... he is 24, (I can't believe it.) the many Christmas parties, home renovation (hallway) and my tutoring (finals). But all and all we are doing well. Looking forward to our trip to Orlando after Christmas.

new things/ old things/ cute things

A lot has been going on in the Masterson home...literally. The last two weeks we have not been here much, due to re tiling our bathroom floor and Thanksgiving. Re tiling your bathroom floor when you only have one bathroom = a big deal. So the whole family went to stay at my parents house. Tough when our life functions are in Atlanta. The back and forth was killer. But of course we loved spending time with family.
Before After

The pictures don't do it justice. Let's just say that I will actually be able to clean the floor and it will look clean, whereas before that was not possible.
Yippee! You become so thankful for running water when you don't have it.

Josie is up to all kinds of new things.
* She has been up on all fours for about three week now. Rocking back and forth.
* Not far behind is always....Mr. Thomas. They are holding hands now.
* Big girl chair. She loves it. We started rice cereal. I know... I am a little late but with all my homelessness I could not add one more thing to my thought process or suitcase.
* I should have blogged about this awhile ago.... Josie loves the sling. Grocery store, festival, church, voting, doggie group.....she loves to be in the sling. I love it too.
I will hopefully be better about posting, since we are back home.

pumpkin bars

i have become known for my pumpkin bars...
therefore I am sharing my recipe with world.

(For those of you who have not experienced them they taste a lot like pumpkin pie but are easier to eat and just better...feel free to make for Thanksgiving... I am!)

Use 9x13 glass casserole pan.

Crust:
betty crocker pound cake box mix
1 egg
2 T melted butter
2t pumpkin pie spice

Mix and mush in bottom of pan

Good stuff:
1 can pumpkin (16 oz.)
8oz. cream cheese
14oz. sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1/2 t salt
2t pumpkin pie spice

Mix (hand mixer) cream cheese until fluffy.
Add sweetened condensed milk (still mixing), pumpkin, eggs and salt.
Pour over crust.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Serve with coolwhip.

On another side note....I am not thinking of Christmas at all, unlike the retail world. Just fully devoting myself to the joy in Thanksgiving.

things that humor me....

things that currently humor me.... would have been gross 5 months ago

example... today

i walked around like this for a good hour. that little lip on clarks are apparently purposeful. who knew??

josie video of the day

i can't figure out how to rotate a video...

question game

This is my haircut (Katie McCoy... notice the jaw line...you know the work that took). I felt weird looking at the camera. So this is all ya get. Side note: I threw out my back yesterday morning. So I now walk around with uneven hips. Weird and majorly uncomfortable when you have a 5 month old baby. Picking her up is not quite so enjoyable. I am headed to the chiropractor tomorrow... no worries.


Katie tagged me... I confess I love the question game... so I am always up for it. When I had a classroom full of students I always subjected them to games of questions.

10 years ago I...
1. Was cheering in the cold on Friday nights....loving it.
2. In my senior year of high school... not ready for college.
3. Dating a boy that was not my husband.
4. Driving a teal grand-am.
5. Writing notes A LOT in class. (sad Josie will miss out on this...stupid text messaging)

5 things on my to do list...
1. fold clothes
2. iron Russ' shirts
3. sweep up Thomas hair
4. read my assigned reading for Bible Study tomorrow
5. fix dinner

5 snacks I enjoy...
1. ritz crackers, peanut butter and a coke
2. apple from Ellijay
3. extra sharp cheddar cheese
4. granola bar (dips)
5. baked lays

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire...
1. pay off this house
2. get bigger house (aiming for 2 bathrooms)
3. bless others
4. trip somewhere fun
5. pay for Christmas gifts

5 places I have lived...
1. Lawrenceville, GA
2. Dahlonega, GA
3. Rome, GA
4. Athens, GA
5. Atlanta, GA

5 jobs I have had...
1. lifeguard at Lake Lanie Islands
2. cleaning crew at Cunningham's furniture
3. FTI receptionist
4. Special Education teacher
5. Learning Specialist

josie and thomas... rolling over together

Josie has begun rolling over from back to stomach. She did stomach to back at 6 weeks. So this was awhile coming... she worked very hard on those abs. Of course she first flipped over while Russ was in Israel and my parents were watching her. But she is a rolling over fool now. She LOVES Mr. Thomas these days. Stops what she is doing to watch him and laughs at him all the time. Mr. Thomas loves it too. Here are two videos of them together. If you are not a dog and kid person you might not like this. But Russ and I love it. Knowing Mr. Thomas' personality.... he has been waiting to interact with Josie.

Look what I found?

in Nana's garden...
I think I'll keep her. My personal sweet pea!


Quick family update...
Russ got back from Israel this morning. Hooray!
I cut my hair off... yep.

missing russ... especially on gameday

it is tough to watch a uga game by yourself. i tivoed the game in normal masterson family fashion. started watching it with my dad....who taught me all about football. he fell asleep therefore i was left with no one (not even thomas) to discuss the game with. and it was an awesome game. best game of the season thus far. so after it was over i did a recap for russ via email. hard to do. just not the same.

for those of you who are wondering... russ is doing good. he was visiting the sea of Galilee but is now in Jerusalem (which he is very excited about). he said it is truly a city on a hill.

being a pastor's wife you don't get to visit other churches very often.... ok... not really at all. but tomorrow i get to go to my brother's church. which i am excited about. we call that a "church vacation." yippeee!!

sorry for no pics. i forgot the cord at home.

hiking, pumpkins and apples

On Friday Russ, Josie, Thomas and I went to Amicalola Falls for a fun day of hiking. We stopped at the pumpkin patch to take some pictures....
This is our first attempt at Josie sitting against a pumpkin.
spotter needed...

The hike was great. Thomas had a blast. He is an awesome dog. Large... but awesome.
Half way to the top. The truth is...it looks like I carried Josie....Russ carried her up the 600 steps. He did most of the work. He is awesome and cute!

Josie did great. She fell asleep before the hike was over and went to bed at 7pm once we got home. It was a really fun day. We decided to make it a family tradition.

Russ is leaving for Israel tomorrow for 9 days. I am excited for him to take this trip to the Holy Land. It is a teaching tour with a respected author that has become his friend. Josie and I will be on the go as well.

Another post below.

quirks....tagged

lynlee hudlow tagged me in regards to quirkiness.... here are my top five
Quirk #1 I hate. hate. hate.... wrong spellings that are done on purpose. Such as a gas station that might be called Kaufman's Korner. Can't handle it...Corner is spelled with a C not a K. You are doing an injustice to all children by confusing them and the spelling rules they have learned previously. The English language is hard enough. Geez.

Quirk #2 Wet bread. Let's say you had a roll for dinner and did not eat all of it. What do you do with that left over sliver of bread? In my house... it goes in the trash can. Not in the sink. I hate it when there is wet, soggy bread just chillin in your sink. Someone has to touch it to push it down the disposal. Yuck.
Quirk #3 Everyday upon picking out my outfit I try to figure out how it will coordinate with Chacos. Seriously, this has become almost subconscious. Does the outfit have black or brown?... ok... I am good to go.
Quirk #4 I have a personal problem aka instant bad mood, when the sun comes out after it rains. I know some people like this... this is when rainbows come... etc. etc. I can't stand it. It is musty, smelly, the sun reflects of the puddles and it gives me a headache.
Quirk #5 I do not walk around the house barefoot. No ones house. I don't wear house shoes either... I have tried. Instead... it is my good ol' J. Crew flip flops (to which Lynlee and I share the same addiction). Whether it is winter or summer in my house I shall wear flip flops.
Let the crazy quirkiness continue with... McCall, Kelly Ford and Donna Bennett.

turbokick

i went to turbo kick tonight at the ymca. it was quite fun, lots of dancing and punching. that is what you get at the east lake y. what what!! i didn't feel like a mom. (which is kind of nice sometimes) except when i was doing ab workouts... c-section= no stomach muscles...geez .

then i came home to this sweet girl.
talkin and talkin.
my sweet josephine.

little lizard is four months old...haircut time

Four months old today... here is our week in pictures and one video.

Josie is our little Lizard.
She loves to stick out her tongue.









We visited with our cousins some this week.
Josie and I have been hanging out at my parents house some. Taking care of things that need to be done. Dad is at home now to recoop. He needs lots of rest and so does Josie....therefore they are a perfect pair.

Haircut.... Josie has a mullet. She was born with it. Southern girl genetics... I guess. Well, Russ and I couldn't take it any longer. We trimmed it a little. There is a video below. (It is probably weird that we video taped this... I know.) No more party in the back!

Thankful....

Russ has been doing a series at Apostles about being grateful (itunes podcasts). Little did I know my family would quickly get its own personal lesson.

My dad had to have emergency surgery on Wednesday night. He had had symptoms of food poisoning but it was not getting better. After several back to back trips to the doctor he was rushed to the hospital for a catscan. Then rushed into surgery. He apparently had a kink in his lower intestines. Completely random...there is nothing that really causes it...just a freak thing. The incision is made from his sternum to his navel, therefore making this one of the toughest recoveries. Josie and I are now in Dacula at their house and I spent part of the day with dad yesterday.

It is amazing that after all that and many drugs.... my dad still acted like my dad. Telling me to be careful when I was moving a chair in the tiny room, continuing to say that we almost had to leave him there (inferring he almost died) and of course acting like he is sleeping but then jumping into conversations.

I have always been thankful for my dad. If you know him you know the list is really long of how amazing he is. But then on the other side a lot of times I feel like I have such a treasure in being his daughter because I get to see his tender-hearted side most often. (Dad is a successful businessman and very intimidating upon initially meeting him.) When I left my dad yesterday I told him that it makes me not feel as sad when I leave because I know how tough he is.... (he was a marine, has only had one knee cap for 20 something years... never complains, etc.) he responded... and don't forget "tender-hearted." How could I forget?!

I love you daddy!

ten things i honestly did not know i would gain upon becoming a mom...

disclaimer:
* of course there are more than ten but boredom would come to the audience, therefore, i have condensed.
* these are all real...meaning i honestly had no idea this would happen
* i love miss josie jay a ton.

1. superman ears....dude i can hear her whimper from outside...nuts...it is like in my soul
2. selflessness...granted this is partially forced if you want to have a life that functions...but it has been so good for me.
3. perspective...dang if i don't feel like a grown up with some of my own random thoughts these days.
4. tense shoulders....yep... all the time.
5. ability to straighten my house 5 times in one day and still not have a straight house...i know this only gets worse.
6. appreciation for moms.... i respect my friends so much more who are moms...as well as my mom and russ' mom...tons o' respect
7. ability to think i look cute even though i haven't taken a shower.
8. ability to multitask...i had no idea what multitasking truly was till i was a mom.
9. appreciation for bedtime
10. true joy in having your child smile at you when you go to pick them up out of the crib...i had no idea previously what it felt like to have your heart melt.

Praise the Lord for His gift of motherhood.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17

What have you gained upon being a mom, that you didn't imagine??

Williamsburg

We left for Williamsburg last Thursday. Josie was excited to ride on a plane for the first time. Ok...she really didn't know what was going on but this is still a cute picture. She did awesome on the plane...she did however fill up her diaper twice while on the 1.5 hour flight. My wonderful husband volunteered to change her. He is awesome. Here is Josie and Russ in the plane.
Josie loved rocking in the recliner with her Uncle Steve and loved just looking and laughing at sweet Emma.


While we were there we visited Jamestowne, Williamsburg and William and Mary. We had a blast just hanging out with Sherry and Steve after the girls went to bed. We ate great food and watched some awesome football throughout the weekend. It is such a blessing to have great family! Here we are on our picnic in Jamestowne. (Brother and Sister.... aren't they cute with their daughters!)

three months= less pictures

Josie is officially 3 months old. I have gotten really bad about taking pictures. Due to my life now having a routine things are starting to feel slightly normal.
Here are the quick updates:
1. Our porch is almost done. Yippee! Pictures to come.
2. I joined a Mom to Moms Bible Study at the church and I love it already.
3. I am tutoring again.
4. We are headed to Williamsburg this week to see Russ' sister, husband and daughter. Josie's first plane ride.
5. I went to the fair this past week with my dad.

Dad and I have had a "date" to the fair ever since I can remember. Even when we lived in different states (in college) he would fly home so we could go to the Gwinnett County Fair. It is always fun and quite the people watching spectacle. Basically, we just eat a bunch of junk.... yummy junk, might I add, and talk to old school Lawrenceville people.


This was the cutest little cowboy showing his goat. Gotta love the fair.

And here is sweet Miss Josie ready for church this morning. I think she looks lots like me here.

my husband... God love him... and me too

my husband had 5 oreos with his dinner and is now sitting down with a HUGE bowl of moose tracks (1 hour later).... he says it is his reward for being made fun of in high school for being skinny......i will never understand that type of freedom in eating.

pump pump pump it up (LBK cheer, don't worry)

just pumped 12oz....holy cow...literally
the human body is amazing

sarah...

special needs = a huge part of my heart that the Lord created
sarah's speech = me crying and longing for the camera to remain on her sweet baby boy

visiting our family and friends

For those of you who know Russ and I well, you also know that we have busy lives. But we like it that way. Last Monday Josie and I went to visit my friend Maci and her daughter Allyn Marie at her new house. We were lucky to get a cute picture of the two of them together. (Check out that double chin... what what.)
On Wednesday of last week, Josie, Mom and I headed to Auburn to see KC. We helped him with his room, decor etc. That is what moms and sisters are for. I have done this for the past few years. I love it. And it makes me feel needed as his sister.
Ben(kc's long lost roomate) they have lived together the whole time while at Auburn except this year:(, KC and Tommy.

Me, KC, Josie and Mom

Do you think they look alike?

Last but not least. Christi Wilson has joined our lives for this semester. We are so excited. She is interning with Russ at the church and helping me out a lot. She is in her last semester at Auburn but we are glad she is in Atlanta with us. We love her!!





Another new blog post below.

Porch Progress

We started work on our porch. Yippee! I love fall and really wanted things done so we could enjoy the weather!

This is with the new foundation and wall.





This is the foundation being poured.
















Before pics. They built pillars to hold up the roof while the demolition took place.

More to come later. This is our last big project in our home renovation!

I love being at home, when it is raining!

I realize I will cause some jealousy by this blog. For that I apologize.
I am sitting here in my pjs (about to spend some time with the Lord) with my cup of coffee.
Josie is snoozing in her bed.
Russ was up most of the night sick, so he is snoozing too.
And Thomas and I are enjoying a rainy morning.
I am fully a mother hen... content when everyone is in the hen house.

p.s. In Athens I always hated when it rained. And I felt like it rained a lot.

we are fam- ily (1st video post)

Thomas and Josie have become fast friends. He is still so sweet to her. Here he was just chillin, looking up at us like.... "Are you really going to let her lay on me? You don't even let me lick her?"




We got to see sweet Emma (who just turned 2 yesterday) a lot in the last few days. We are looking forward to our trip to Williamsburg in September to see their new house.

We also visited Nana and Grandaddy. Grandaddy's garden is full of yummy things. Tomatoes, pears, okra and watermelon. He was so proud of his 45 lbs. watermelon and his great grandaughter.

Rough pic of me and the sun in Josie's eyes.... but you get the point.