Which Easter Picture Do You Like Best?

Let me know what your favorite pictures are (Pictures taken by Portrait Innovations).


It has been a crazy week. I came to Columbia Tuesday for Tot trade and for Abigail's frenulum appointment...by myself Tuesday and Wednesday night.

We had a long ordeal with the insurance company and were not able to see the ENT.

Abigail did see her regular doctor and has another ear infection. This is her 3rd ear infection since Feb. 3rd, so looks like she is on the fast track to tubes. So, I think we are going to wait to go back to the ENT for another month because then she might be able to do tubes and clip her frenulum all at the same time.

Huge Praise!

We found a house to rent from church members! It is next door to another church member who are really active and they help run the children's ministry. It has a huge back yard and back porch and deck. It is the perfect house for us. As of now, we are moving into this house April 2nd. God is so good to provide for our needs and more!

Pray that

1. My babies stop getting ear infections.

2. That our house sells (We are so thankful that our wonderful church is giving us 6 months rental allowance).

Thank you for your prayers during this time of transition. We are excited to see what all God has in store, and what all He is going to do through us at our new church.

My Sweet Pretty Baby Girl

Had Easter Pictures taken yesterday at Portrait Innovations with Mimi. More pictures to come hopefully tomorrow!

Thursday's Tip: Special One Day Event!

at Babies R Us (and I saw on facebook Toys R US as well)

On Saturday, March 20, receive a FREE $20 gift card with your purchase of TWO value boxes of Pampers Diapers with Dry Max (92-252 ct.).

Click here to purchase online: http://toysr.us/PampersDryMax

(This offer valid in-store and online on March 20 only! While supplies last.)

PLUS, don't miss out on live Dry Max demos and FREE giveaways at your local Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us store! Call your local store for details.

These are new diapers and there was a coupon is last Sunday's paper for them as well.

My flyer says from 12-4 pm, but I would call the store because it might be all day.


Food tip:

If you want something to eat and are not hungry wait 15 minutes. If 15 minutes pass by, and you still want it then it is usually good to go ahead and eat it then because that means you really do want to eat it.

I Heart Publix!

They have fun carts with wheels them for my kids. They have some pretty amazing deals most weeks (check out southernsaver). ..along with coupons in their stores. They give my kids balloons, and it is all around a really fun peaceful experience. Anytime we are in Spartanburg, we will be shopping at Publix.

Looks like God has provided the perfect house for us to rent. More details on that soon...stay tuned...

Abigail: Daddy's Girl

Tuesday's Tip: Kids Eat Free in

Spartanburg Here:

Denny's Restaurants 2306 Reidville Road Spartanburg, SC 864-587-6466 Kids Eat Free* Tuesday And Saturday Nights From 4pm - 10pm And Other Nights Too In Some Locations! Kids 10 And Under. Up To Two Free Kids' Entrees From Kids' Menu Per One Regularly Priced Adult Entrêe Purchase. Selection & Prices May Vary. Nights: Tues | Sat |

Firehouse Subs 127 Blackstock Rd. Ste 700 Spartanburg, SC 864-486-9890 Wed. & Sun. Nights: Wed | Sun |

Moe's Southwest Grill 101 Dorman Centre Dr. Spartanburg, SC 864-574-8686 Kids 12 & Under One Free With Each Adult Entree Purchase All Day Tuesdays And 4-close Saturdays Nights: Tues | Sat |

Piccadilly Restaurants 151 Peachwood Center Dr. Spartanburg, SC 864-574-2044 .99 Kid's Meals All Day Thursday And From 11am - 4 Pm On Saturdays (dine In Only) Nights: Thurs | Sat |

The Smokin Pig Bbq 1926 Boiling Spings Road Boiling Springs, SC 864-599-5770 Kids Eat Free On Thursdays Nights: Thurs | From http://www.mykidseatfree.com/welcome.asp Also, we are doing our best this year to keep track of our budget for the entire year. I really want to know how much we spend on groceries, out to eat, and misc. per month. Then, hopefully we will be able to divide it by twelve to see what our yearly average is for groceries, clothes, out to eat, etc. We also have been to Carter Outlet at the Gaffney Outlet mall because we had a 20% off coupon. Then, they gave us another $10 off when we spend $35 or more during certain days in March. Also, Stride Rite (and Goody Toe Shoes) are having buy one get one half off sale right now. Yay, for new shoes (unfortunately. Jackson has my bad pronation problem and has to have really good shoes). What is your money saving tip for this week?

Pictures of Jackson's Golf Swing

Charlie loves the sports option on the our new camera. I just like taking pictures that do not turn out blurry. Jackson is having the best time being here with my parents, and as you can see he is way obsessed with golf right now. My dad will sit outside with him for like an hour while he hits the ball over and over again. Dad does not give him much instruction at all because he said he does better without any. I am so thankful for this time and for my parents! It looks like Jackson has some natural ability. My dad recently bought him a real driver that is coming in the Golf Shop soon, and my dad had already bought him a real kids putter that we caught Jackson petting last night....crazy! He has always loved golf...even when he was Abigail's age, he would watch it on tv for long periods of time.

Movie Monday: Our "Serious" Little Golfer

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

More February Pictures taken with My New Camera

Still learning how to take pictures with my new camera. Loved all the advice I got from the last post on my first round of pictures with this wonderful camera. Keep the advice coming!

Matching Easter Outfits For My Babies at

Children's Place! I did fun online shopping yesterday, and thought this would be the cutest matching outfits for them. Click here to check out all the selection.

The dress was $15 and the sweater vest I think was $10. I also got a white sweater to go with the dress for Abigail. I got 15% off the purchase with a coupon they had. I also can fill out an online survey and get another 15% off my next purchase. Jackson will wear blue polo pants he has and a long selves button down white shirt under this cute sweater vest. I heart Children's Place along with dressing my babies alike. Hopefully, we will have time to take them to get some Easter pictures taken at some point as well.

In 7 Weeks, I have Lost ...

8.8 pounds at Weight Watchers! I have now met my first weight target of 8 pounds (5% of my weight).

Last week, I lost, 2.8 pounds, which was very exciting! My parents started trying it out on Monday so that helped out tremendously (I have not been to my work out classes at all this week either).

I highly recommend Weight Watchers (I have heard online is good as well). The 3 month journal is the most helpful tool, along with the points calculator. When I started Weight Watchers I was 8 pounds overweight (which makes a big difference for shorter people), and right now I am still 10 pound away from my ultimate weight. When I joined Weight Watchers, I was just sick of eating terribly. Weight Watchers is really the only weight loss plan I know of that you can actually go out to eat and not feel bad about your eating choices. As of now, I pay $11 a week since we are in transition, but they have good 3 months passes that are better deals for the long haul.

Just to motivate you even more, here is how you figure out how many points you can have in a day:

1. What do you weight? Enter the first two digits of your weight in pounds for example, if you weigh 175 (WW book says), enter 17.

2. Are you: female?.....2. males you get 8 points here

3. How old are you:

17-26-you get 4 points
27-37- you get 3 points
38-47 you get 2 points
48-58 you get 1 points
over 58-you get 0 points

4. How tall are you

Under 5"1..................0 points
5"1-5"10......................1 points
Over 5 "10....................2 points

5. Do you spend most of the day

Sitting down.................0 points
Occasionally sitting, but mainly standing................2 points (MOMS)

6. Nursing Moms?

solely breastfeeding.......10 points
Supplementing breastfeeding with some solid foods are formula..............5 Points

(I have also talked to a leader that said if you are pregnant you can still write your points down and act like you are solely breastfeeding as far as points go).

What I ate on Friday and had a perfect points day (going to Fuddruckers and all!)

Breakfast
Fiber One Chocolate Bar....2 points

Fiber One yogurt....0 points

Red velvet cake Weight Watchers bar *you can only get at Weight Watchers meeting 1 point

Lunch:
Chicken salad sandwhich.....Light Bread 1 point, chicken salad from Garners 2 points
Bag of chips......3 points

Grapes not a half cup so....0 points

Dinner:
Fuddruckers 1/3 Cheeseburger with no mayo......9 points (looked up online and everything!)

Weight Watchers Brownie (find in the store) 2 points

Total 20 points

I also discovered this week with my parents that Ruby Tuesday Crab Cakes are only 6 points. Also, Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookies are great and they are only 1 point in the bread section (Thanks Sandi!). The key, I believe, is planning out what you are going to eat.

Have any other advice on good low point food choices, I would love to hear from you!

Picture of Our First Day at David Baptist Church!

Thursday's Tip: Recommendations for Three Year Olds

For School:

The Book for March that they are doing every week at his school is, Big Red Barn (Brown).

A game they work on is Hi Ho Cherry-O. We got to this game recently to work on at home.

Also got worksheets entitled Preschool Scholar at Walmart. He is doing so great circling object, but is still have a hard time writing letters. He wants to write out his name so badly, and he gets easily frustrated that he cannot do it, so I did also get him Scribble and Write by Leap Frog. I really would not be pushing him to do this at all, but he loves to go through worksheets and really has a strong desire to write at least the letter J.

I would love to hear any advice on how I can help him draw letters!

He is doing great though on knowing what letter most words start with. He got 10 in a row the other day in a workbook, and I got all emotional thinking about how far he is has come. God gets all the glory!

For Spiritual Life:

Ordered Day By Day: One Year Devotional For Young Children by Betty Free (Ashley J recommended).

Update on Us:

• We are doing great, just extremely busy! I am in Columbia for Jackson's speech that he has on Thursday morning for just one night (Wednesday night). I think someone is going to look at the house on Saturday, so keep praying!
• Our first day at David Baptist was great. Everyone was so welcoming. I think it was surreal for Charlie and I that he is the pastor of this wonderful church!
• Jackson loved his class and his teacher. He learning a Bible Verse (Do not be afraid Acts 27), and then she made an phenomenal craft with a toilet paper role and had the Bible verse taped on it and they made it into a door handle. Anytime I see a great craft for little ones, I am blown away because I have a hard time with arts & crafts. He is doing really well with all the changes which is a huge answer to prayer, but he is not sleeping a whole lot. It seems like every night we have been in Spartanburg he has not really gotten down till 11:00 at night. This of course is making us more tired, so please pray that he starts sleeping more!
  

Thanks again for all your prayers!

Movie Monday: Jackson , Our Little Golfer

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Jackson loves golf even though we have not really exposed him to it that much. He will watch golf for long periods of time with my dad. He wanted golf clubs for Christmas, and he has really enjoyed playing with them. Recently, he put his ball up on a rocket blaster and made it his tee so he could hit line drives. He also uses rackets that we have to act as a golf club, and my dad says he has perfect form. Crazy! Lastly, he likes to sleep with his golf club. Have I mentioned that there is absolutely no difference in him and my dad?

Hopefully tomorrow I will have a post up about how things are going with us (things are going really great). Jackson is very excited that it is going to snow tomorrow. We are even under a winter storm warning here in Spartanburg.

Pray for My Babies and Their Ears!

February has been ear infection month at the Wallace household.

Let me break it down quickly:

• On February 3rd Abigail was diagnosed with an ear infection and given antibiotics (amoxicillin)
• 12 days later, Jackson is diagnosed with an ear infection and given antibiotics (amoxicillin)
  
• The day before Jackson got on medicine, Abigail climbed herself up on Jackson's bed and started sucking one of his pacifiers.
  
• Last Friday, I took Abigail to the Ped. After Hour clinic here in Spartanburg (we moved up Firday...spent the week boxing up closets) and she was diagnosed with yet another ear infection (last Saturday she was checked for her last ear infection and she was all clear).
  

Right now, please pray that Jackson does not get back Abigail's ear infection! I know if I do not pray right when I hear a request, I forget to pray. This month there has only been four days where I have not had to give one of my babies antibiotics.

She coughed a lot the last few days and has been really congested. She is on Omnicef now, and will not be contagious by Sunday. Praise God she has stopped coughing! Thank you for your prayers... they just keep on giving it back to each other!

Fun Friday: Some Really Amazing Pictures

As you can see, not just any ordinary camera took these pictures. I got a professional camera! I have been drooling for one for years and if anyone knows me or reads this blog at all you know how crazy I am about pictures. I just got the basic professional camera from Canon (Rebel XS 1000). The Best Buy guy said since I was a little overwhelmed with the lens to just get the basic one (it was on sale of course), and then in a a couple of years you can get a better lens for my Canon (many different ones will fit...although they are pretty expensive). This is my 30th birthday present from Charlie and my Christmas present (my 30th birthday is this September)...God is so good to always provide us with what we need and more! I have such a huge passion for taking pictures.

I am still learning about all the different settings and so if you have any advice on how to take the best pictures possible for this camera or professional pictures in general please let me know (Charlie took the last picture).

Thursday's Tip: Piggly Wiggly Deal Tomorrow

Use 10 greenbax this weekend starting tomorrow, Feb 26th and get $15 worth of free groceries!

We will be stopping by tomorrow for sure.

Also, FYI: Thursday nights kids eat free at Fudruckers with the purchase of an adult meal.

Wednesday's Word: Better Than Life

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than Life, My lips will praise You." Psalm 63:3


A challenge from the book I am now reading (15 pages a day M-Friday), Idols of the Heart, Fitzpatrick challenges us to live a life where His lovingkindness is better than anything in our life.

Is His Lovingkindness better than

• Our children being obedient?
• A new camera?
• A new computer?
  
• Having an easy day?
  

Is His lovingkindness better than life to us?

"The good news is that the Holy Spirit can illumine your heart and cause you to grow in your esteem of Christ and disdain for the charms of the world."

Pray to the Holy Spirit for help. He will help you! His power is made perfect in your weakness.

"Our heart consists of our mind (thoughts, judgments, etc), affections (longings, desires, feelings), and our will (chooses and determines actions)."

"We can't accomplish this heart change on our own. We need His power to teach incline, and direct our hearts to Him."

Click here to see what Charlie is talking about this Sunday!