Thanksgiving.....im thankful for....

So this past week i started school officially. Last week I kind of started because we had a workshop to get comfortable with using the online campus. Its so unbelievably wonderful and I feel so blessed that I get to be a full time college student and a full time stay at home mommy. I know I have said this before but I just feel like the luckiest person in the world that i get to stay home with my little pumpkin. Chris and Camden make me so happy. I love my classes and my teachers are just so supportive and helpful. I am not a computer person by any means and the fact that I feel comfortable on their student campus is a big deal. The workshop literally took you through all of the different parts of the campus, explained every tab, thread, and different tools that I will be using daily. So, pretty much i love my classes and I'm so thankful and excited that I am finally pursuing my degree.I can't wait to move back to Texas and be a teacher. I'm just so happy about it all.

So I feel that in the spirit of the season that I just express some of the things that I am thankful for.

1. I'm pretty sure that I have the most loving, caring, patient, humble, amazing, adoring, hard working husband in the world. Hes the sweetest person that I know and I am so thankful that I can call him mine.

2. My Camden, wow. I could say so many things but i feel like one word that can sum him up is simply perfect. I cant believe that he is MY child. Sometimes I will just go in and look at him sleeping, so peacefully. He has the sweetest physique. Its like in his head," i have my mommy and my daddy...I'm good" I am just so in love with him.

3. I am thankful for my beautiful house. We used to live in an apartment and it was just very hard on us sometimes.....we lived upstairs and we had dogs and i had broken my back and it was just all difficult. I also hated not having a garage. Every time it rained in Lubbock it was like my car had just been driven through a mud pit. I am so thankful for my house, beautiful kitchen that I love cooking in daily, garage, backyard for my dogs, and just the comfort of a warm roof over our heads.

4. I am so thankful for my church. Chris, Camden, and I have been so blessed in finding such a wonderful church family. I felt so welcomed immediately, which was so important to us considering we were 1800 miles away from familiarity. We have an amazing pastor whom I love to listen preach. I don't know if its just because I am older or what but i get in to ALL of his sermons. We are also very fortunate to have an amazing Sunday school class. Our class is called C.O.R.E. ( Couples on the Road to Excellence ) and we love it. It has really made our marriage grow and we are just so thankful.

5. I am thankful for my wonderful extended family.

6. I am thankful for my BF. Before i moved here, I was a little worried that we would fall apart but that's not the case at all. We are still as close as ever and i just love her so much.

7. I am so thankful for my Jack. We are cousins but we act like best friends. We are so close and we have seriously just been through so much together i couldn't live without him. We talk to each other SEVERAL times a day its crazy. I love him so much, no matter what.

8. I am so thankful for wonderful new friends that we have made here in Dover. I just love them all.

9. I am thankful for my sweet pups. They are just the greatest.

10 And lastly, I am sooooo thankful for my faith. I love my savior Jesus Christ. Hes my rock.

Can't wait for thanksgiving with my wonderful family and awesome friends.

Much love and God bless,

Sarah

here we go!

well, its time! i start college again today. I am so excited! The program that i am doing is going to allow me to finish my degree in about 2 1/2 years. I can't wait to have my degree and be a teacher. its going to be so wonderful to have the same schedule as my kids....and holidays and summers off will be so great too! So pretty much for the next 3 years my priorities will be....well lets start with the AM

^

6 am wake up make chris breakfast and help him get ready for work and out the door by 6 45.

go back to sleep when chris leaves and wait for Camden to wake up.....( i normally dont let him sleep past 9 but it vaires lol)

9 am give camden a bottle and feed him baby cereal. Get him dressed.

head to the gym by 9 45.....work out/ tan

be home by 11 30 to make Chris lunch and spend some time with him.

After he leaves ill feed Camden again and put him down for a nap ( he normally sleeps for atleast an hour sometimes 2

clean up the house ( laundry, dishes, vacuum.....whatever needs to be done)

feed Camden again and spend some time with him on the floor..tummy time!

wait for daddy to come home....then relax with him until dinner time....

cook dinner for the two of us...feed camden

give camden a bath and have him in bed by 8

Sit down at the computer and complete assignments for the day....

spend the rest of the evening with Chris...and go to sleep.....

yup thats about it!

please pray for me that i keep it all in order!

Much love and God bless,

Sarah

i love my little family

I start my classes on the 16th of this month. I am so excited! All i have to say is FINALLY!.....Anyways, im doing a program to where i am doing 9 weeks on 2 weeks off so that i can finish quicker. I am going to be taking 2 classes at a time so that i am not overwhelmed and can still have time to have fun with my Camden. My first classes are english and gen.

Camden is getting so big. He is growing so quickly. My 5 month old is wearing 12 month clothing...how does that happen??? Hes going to be a big boy......definitely the Leonard side of him.

We finally got our family pictures made and they are so adorable. We had them taken by Paul Fazzini and he did such a great job. We took them at Brecknock park and the colors in the background are absolutely stunning. I must say, the trees back home in Texas arent quite this beautiful........i still miss my texas though.... We also got some pictures made of just Camden in his Halloween costum. They are absolutely adorable i love them! Camden made the best faces in the pictures. Hes just a happy baby. We could not be more blessed.

My mom went home on wednesday and i miss her so much. We had such a good time together. I got to go on a huge shopping spree! I got tons of really cute clothes. Its my christmas present since i wont see her until after the holidays.....

So Zales has my wedding ring until the 18th and i feel naked without it. One of the prongs was really messed up and i was scared of would lose my center diamond if i didnt so ......ya its there...and not on my finger......Im just going to wear the pink saphire promise ring that he gave me when i was 15 until then......I remember when he gave me that ring.....it was so special. He promised to love me forever and marry me one day...He totally kept his promise. I love that man with all of my heart.

Anyways we have to go to church early in the morning for praise team practice so i better go to bed.

Much love and God bless,

Sarah

i feel so accomplished!

I took a year off from school when i got married and then i found out that i was pregnant so school was put on hold for even longer. Well, that is all over now! I just got finished signing up for classes and i start in 2 weeks. It is such a good feeling to get back in school. I will finally be pursuing my dreams of becoming an elementry school teacher. Every time i get on facebook or i talk to an old friend they are always talking about school and i just have been feeling so behind. But thank goodness those feelings can go away for good. I am not going to stop again until i am finished. I can completely finish my degree online which is such a blessing because i love being a stay at home mommy with my sweet Camden.

Another thing i am really excited about is my new gym/tanning membership. 3 years ago i was in the best shape of my life. i was doing pageants and standing up in front of people judging me with a swimsuit on. Since then, my parents got divorced...that made me gain weight......i broke my back......that really made me gain weight because i couldnt work out at all for the longest time....and then of course i had a baby...which really really made me gain weight. Needless to say i have gained some weight in the past 3 years and its time to get it off. I am really excited about it because my mom and i went to Golds Gym today to check out their facilities and i was very impressed. My main focus was the child care while i am working out. I needed to make sure it was clean and well kept and it certainly is. I want to go while chris is at work so that we can spend out evenings as a family. I also cant wait to start tanning again! it really helps my skin clear up. I am just so excited.

My mom has been here since friday and we have just had a total blast. We went on a shopping spree and it was so amazing. I got tons of clothes and so did chris and camden.......it is our christmas present from my mom because we wont see her until after new years. We have been cooking and baking non stop its been so fun. So far we have made homemade chili, jalapeno corbread, chicken and dumplings, chicken spaghetti, and oatmeal cookies. its been a blast. I am really going to miss her when she leaves.......

Camden has started eating babyfood and hes such a mess lol. So far we have tried carrots, sweet potatos, and sweet peas.......he LOVES sweet potatos.....just like his mama.

Well, Thanksgiving is this month and im so excited. LOTS MORE TO COOK!

Much love and God bless,

Sarah

Halloween is almost here!

I love halloween haha. I can't wait to see Camden in his little froggy outfit...hes just going to be too cute. We are getting family pictures taken this week and we are going to also get some pics of Cam in his costume. My mom will be here on Friday and I am soooo excited to see her. I think on Halloween we are going to Fifer Orchards and pick some apples and more pumpkins and gords.....and we are going to take Camden on his very first HAY RIDE! im sure he will love it. This time of year is so fun. There seems like there is just so much more to do. Well i am all stocked up on my candy and ready for all of those tricker treaters to come our way! I bought about 20 dollars worth of candy haha. When i was a kid, I always hated those people that just gave you one piece of candy, come on its HALLOWEEN!.....well needless to say i give out handfulls haha.
I am feeling alot better. My nose is still a little stuffy but thats a whole lot better than how i was feeling earlier this week. Camden's cough is completely gone thank goodness.
Well, this is a short entry but i just wanted to update. I have a pot roast in my slow cooker and its almost ready so i need to go feed my family.
Much love and God bless,
Sarah Elise

Wellness

For the first time since Camden has been born i am sick. I am one of those people that HATES more than anything to be sick. I do alot during the day and when i am run down the only thing that makes me well again is to get in bed and stay there. So for the past few days i have done so. Its very hard with a little baby and a household to run to do this but with the help of my amazing husband, I have been able to do so. I must say, i have an exeptional husband. He has really just taken all of the stress off of me and allowed me to start to feel better. He has done all of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and baby needs. Camden started to get a little sniffle so we didnt waste any time in taking him in to his pediatrition. He just gave us some salene nazle spray and Camden is completely cleared up. I have had fever, cough, chills, runny nose, sneezing until i feel like my nose will fall off my face, and cold sweat. Its been terrible but Chris has really been awesome. Last night my throat was so sore so without even telling me he went and got me my favorite ice cream. Hes so sweet. I am such a lucky girl.
Today we had to take Camden in to get his 4 month shots. He was supposed to get them 2 weeks ago but they have had a mandatory flu shot demand on the base and all of the military guys had to go get it. So, needless to say, the base hospital immunization has been jam packed. He had to get three shots and he was so upset. I hated seeing him cry, but im just taking care of my baby. Thankfully he wont have to get anymore for 2 more months. I got the flu shot today and can i just say, OUCH. my arm is still sore. Im sure i will live though.
Although i dont have much a voice and probably wont sound that good tonight, Chris and I are going to praise team practice. I love singing. I miss being in Choir, but this is a good substitute.
Anyways, off the practice!
Much love and God bless,
~Sarah Elise~

pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins!

This week has been so much fun. We have done so much as a family and its been so wonderful. We went pumpkin pickin' and had a total blast carving it. We decided to make a happy pumpkin this year and go with a different design instead of the normal scary design haha. (for Camden of course) And i have been cooking and baking so much. I made green chili chicken enchiladas from scratch, chicken tortillini, chocolate chip cookies, and pumpkin seeds. Tomorrow im going to make chili and corn bread. (one of hubby's favs) later this week i think im going to take a stab at ginger bread mmmmm. Cant wait. I love trying to cook new things. So my house is full of pirate hallween stuff. Its fun but the dogs keep messing with all of the decor haha. I love halloween. I cant wait for Camden to wear his little costume. Im going to be a witch! I dont know if daddy is going to dress up or not hes not as in to it haha. My mom will be here in 2 weeks and i can't wait! We are going to have so much fun shopping and cooking and talking ahhh im so excited. So Camden just got a new jumperoo. Right when we put him in there he started jumping around it was too cute. He loves it. His smile melts my heart. Being his mommy is the most fulfilling expirience i have ever had in my life. It is just so unbelievable i can barely put it into words. I just adore him. We are giong to be getting our pictures taken in the next two weeks and i cant wait. I try to capture Camden's growth through as many pictures as i can. He is just growing so fast. I love it because his personality is really starting so show. Its so fun. Hes just such a happy little boy. We are so incredibly blessed.

Much love and God bless.

Sarah