Throwback Thursday!

At Christmas this past year, my mom had out a big box full of old photos of all of us.  It is amazing to see how much me and my siblings have changed.  There were a few not so nice comments made about a horrible haircut that someone gave me when I was in the 3rd grade....poor little Tabatha.

I stole a few old pictures from the box b/c I don't have a single picture of myself as a small child.  So here is your throwback Thursday of one of the cutest little girls you will ever see:)

Bad quality but we all know they didn't have these awesome digital cameras way back in the olden days!

You can thank me later for giving you an overwhelming dose of cuteness for the day!

It's almost Friday!!!

I Kicked The Caffeine and Aspartame

For my entire life I have been addicted to caffeine.  I kid you not, I use to drink Coke out of a bottle when I was just a little one.  I have also suffered from headaches for as long as I can remember.  I had headaches as young as in the 2nd grade.  I don't just mean your little nagging headache, I am talking about the kind that put me in the bed and no amount of medicine would help.  I just had to sleep it off.  

As I got older, I became addicted to Diet Cokes.  Up until about 5 months ago, I was having headaches at least 4 to 7 days a week.  Yes, you read that right!  I once had a headache non stop for 3 straight weeks!  No matter what I did, I couldn't kick them.

So one day about 5 months ago I just decided to stop drinking caffeine drinks and see if that helps.  Now, I didn't get all crazy at the time and quit Coke products all together b/c I am so addicted that a meal doesn't taste the same when I can't have a Diet or regular Coke with it.  So I started drinking caffeine free Diet Coke.  I waited about three weeks to make sure I had detoxed from the caffeine and yet I was still having the headaches!  So I decided that maybe it had something to do with the Aspartame in the diet drinks.  I immediately stopped drinking anything with Aspartame in it and started drinking regular caffeine free Coke.  Now I know that people think it doesn't taste the same but to me, it does.  I am sure there is a little difference but it didn't take me long to get use to the taste and now I don't want anything else.

I have got to tell you that dropping the caffeine and the aspartame has changed my life.  I know that sounds silly but I am serious.  I have went from daily headaches to maybe one headache every two weeks and it can be controlled with a little bit of Advil.....which wasn't the case before!  Do you know what it is like being miserable with headaches on a daily basis and now not having them???  It is amazing!  I have also noticed that even though I still drink the caffeine free regular coke, I am not as sluggish as I was before.

My only issue is that when I go out to eat, no one has caffeine free regular coke so I have to resort to Sprite.  I'm not crazy about Sprite but I can handle it every now and then to keep those ugly headaches away.

I have been reading so much lately about how bad aspartame is for our bodies and I am so glad that I don't drink it anymore.  It has been so worth it.  I know you are thinking that you can't let go of your precious caffeine or diet drinks but you won't regret it!!!!  Trust me, it is life changing!

A little ice and the one who snores

When you live in Georgia, you never know what the weather will bring.  Just two weeks ago it was warm enough to wear flip flops and shorts but now it is freezing with the threat of an ice/sleet/rain mix.

We panic when we hear the words wintery mix in Georgia.  I'm sure all you northerners find us very amusing.  There were even some schools that called off school just because there was a threat of rain.  

While Ry was in her first dance class yesterday, I went to the grocery store next door to grab a few things.  People were in there buying the essential milk and bread when there is a threat of bad weather but not me, I was in there making sure I had lots of Little Debbie cakes and chips to snack on.  If I am going to be stuck in the house, I'm not going to be eating milk and bread.  Ha! 

If you have ever ate at P.F. Chang's, you know how amazing their food is.  I have been craving their Chinese food but since the closest one is about 45 minutes away, I settled for our local little hole in the wall Chinese place for dinner last night.  Note to self....never settle again!  The best part of the meal was the fortune cookie and I don't mean eating it, I mean the excitement of reading the fortune.

Unfortunately for me, this was what was in mine.....

They aren't telling me something that I don't already know!  In fact, when I use to wake Paul up to tell him he was snoring, he would get so mad at me and swear he wasn't and wonder why I was waking him up.  So I found a new method:)  Now when he starts snoring (which isn't bad) I will act like I am moving in my sleep and knock the fool out of him.  Ha....it is so much fun.  Not only do I get to practically push him off the bed but it works!  He will stir just enough to roll over and stop snoring but yet he doesn't get mad at me b/c he doesn't realize I am doing it to him.

I find that the longer we are married and the older we get, the more creative I 

become at getting what I want!  

Happy Friday everyone!  Have a great, safe and blessed weekend!!!!

Lately....

First of all, y'all are not going to believe how busy my little online business, Cohen Lane, has been.  Wow!!!!  If you are joining in on my family blog b/c you got the link from my about me page in my etsy shop, WELCOME! 

We've been dealing with a tiny situation in my household that I may or may not blog about at some point.  I think others could benefit from it but I can see the judgements sliding my way.  

Over the weekend my sweet T promised that he will always be my baby.  He said "eben when I am firty two and dats old mommy".  Thanks son for reminding me that I am 32 and officially old!

 

We celebrated Ry's 10th birthday last weekend.  Yes I know I create party invitations and decorations but we skipped the big party this year.  She wanted Mexican food on her actual birthday and the next day she wanted a day full of shopping, food, fro yo and her best friend.  I was only there to drive them around and fund the trip.  These girls shopped me until I dropped.  They had fun at Claire's, Bath & Body works, Learning Express, Barnes & Noble and a few other places that I can't remember b/c I am pretty sure I was consoling my wallet while it was crying from feeling so empty inside.

We then had a great lunch at one of her fav's, Chili's!  Yummo!

But I think the very best part of the day was Menchie's.  We love that place.  Who knew that self serve frozen yogurt could make my heart so happy!

 

My wallet has continued to make loud sobbing noises as we have gotten the kiddos signed up for their spring activities.  Teg is so excited to play t-ball again and continues to make me promise to "neber eber sign him up for soccer again".  I lost some major cool points for that one.

As much as we tried to talk Ry in to trying softball, it isn't meant to be.  For a couple of days we had her but then she backtracked.  I kind of wish she would try it but at the same time, she is her mother's child so it is probably best.  The thing is, I wanted her to do something active so I was very excited when something at least a little active just fell in my lap.  She signed up for a great Jazz/tap class.  I hope she loves it and even if she doesn't, after all the money I have put in to it, I will make her love it:)

The best part is that she is in an early class so that means I don't have to miss out on any of Tegan's t-ball.  Win Win for me!

 

It feels like a Monday here but I keep being pleasantly surprised when it hits me that it is already Tuesday:)

 

Have a great week everyone!!!!

Throwback Thursday....

This was just two short summers ago.  Both kids have grown so much and Teg's little round face isn't chubby and round anymore:(

4wheeler Fun!

 

He LOVES her gift from Santa.  As you can see, he has been playing in the mud on this thing and having the best time.

He has gotten a little brave a couple of times and tried to turn quick but so far, no accidents.  I pray it stays that way b/c I told him the first time he gets crazy on that thing and gets hurt, it is going back to the North Pole:)

Double Digits

I can not believe that my daughter hits double digits today!

Sweet Rylee is 10 today!!!

 The other night we were playing around with her about something and she just burst in to tears.  I asked her why was she so emotional and she said she didn't know but "am I going to be this way from now on".  Ha!  I laughed and told her yes, she will probably be emotional from now on but hopefully it will get better in about 8 years:)  She didn't like my answer.

 She has started staying in her room a lot these days and just wants to be left alone.  In some ways I don't blame her b/c every time she does try to come out of her room, Tegan aggravates her to death until she gives up and goes back in her room.  But the mommy in me would like to see her face more often.

 She has really become her own person lately and is really growing up on me.  It seems like overnight she grew from snuggling with my kid to snuggling with what feels like another grown person:(   She is excited about growing up but I'm not excited.  I am sad and happy at the same time b/c I know what a blessing it is to have had her for the last 10 years and to get to watch her grow and change every day but I miss those itty bitty hands and feet.

 She really is the perfect child.  I don't know what it is about her but I see greatness in her and her future!  She wants to be famous and she will probably do just that.  

Oh how my heart just loves her so much!

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!!!  I hope it is a wonderful day!!!

Slow To Speak....

I looked back on my 2012 goals this morning and am happy to say that I think I achieved all of them.  Especially the one about simplifying my life.  When we moved this past summer, I probably sold, threw out or gave away over half of our house and so far, I haven't regretted it at all!  Life got very simple when my husband and I made the decision for me to come home and work out of the house so that we didn't have to hire anyone to take care of the kids during the summer.  Again, not regretting that decision at all and has been one of the best things I have ever done.  

This years "Goal" will sound very basic but will probably be the hardest thing ever.  I want to shut up.  Now don't get excited (my husband was disappointed too), I don't mean my gift for gab but I want to think before I speak. The Bible says "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," (James 1:19NIV) but I can tell you that I am so far from that.  I am a knee jerk reaction type girl.  I 100% wear my emotions on my sleeve and there is no hiding it and most of the time, there is no telling what will pop out of my mouth before I even realize it.  I sweat the small stuff and I let it aggravate me to the point of usually saying something I should have just kept to myself.  I always feel the need to try to fix something, change someones mind, explain myself, try to make them understand etc...  Well not anymore!  Or at least I am going to try to not speak before really thinking something through.  In these first 9 days of 2013, I have already had to just turn and walk away on several different occasions to prevent from saying something I shouldn't.  Bad thing is, I think you can still tell that I am aggravated because apparently I can't hide that yet. I let things anger me that really are no big deal in the long run.  I want to stop that.

Another verse I love is Proverbs 17:28... Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. 

I don't know if I will ever be deemed intelligent but I don't want to be labeled as a miserable person who angers others and lets little things eat at me.  

That is really the only goal I have for 2013.  That goal all by its self is already exhausting me:)

Of course Rylee set a goal to exercise to get healthy, not skinny and somehow she can't do it without me so I guess she set that goal for me and her.  That's OK though because I have two bikinis that I bought on clearance at the end of the summer and I have to be able to wear them by vacation time!!!! 

Happy 2013 everyone!!!  May my goal inspire you to keep your mouth shut and keep you out of trouble:)

Happy New Year!!!!!

Happy 2013 everyone!!!!

Of course I am later than ever posting but hopefully I can get back on track now that the kiddos are back at school.  I loved having them home but I totally lost any sense of routine that I once had.  I may of cried a little when my alarm went off at 6:30 AM on Monday morning to get them up for school.  Tegan did cry!  I went in his room and told him it was time to head back to school and he threw the covers over his head and proceed to say "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER"!  Obviously he isn't a fan.  Rylee also dreaded going back which is really strange because she is always ready for school.  

We brought the New Year in with just Rylee and myself doing the countdown.  Both my husband and little man can't hang with us:)  The night before New Year's Eve we had friends over and had the largest pizza ever.....

Yes, that pizza is literally hanging off the oven.  It was huge.  We also had a little firework action that may of included a bottle rocket attacking one of our guest.  While a little scary, it was also the funniest thing I have saw in a long time when everybody ran for their lives, the men were all laughing so hard that they couldn't stand up and the girls couldn't move for fear of peeing their pants.  Yes, we are boring....it doesn't take much to entertain us and I am totally OK with that. I am always so glad to just be home, safe and sound on New Years!!!