One beginning...another ending!

Wow, 2010 is coming to a close. It is funny to read back through post from when I started this blog and see what was happening in our lives. Not much has changed, yet so much has changed. The news that we were expecting, three more semesters of school out of the way, birthdays, and the arrival of baby Lexi. And now I get to look back on the year and remember how truly lucky I am. Ok, so I didn't finish the Love Dare and I didn't do very well blogging. (Hey I took like 17 hours a semester)! But, I had a great year. And there are no signs that next year should be any different. I am scheduled to graduate in May, finish up classes in the Summer and student teach in the Fall. Clark started preschool this year and over the last few weeks we have seen tremendous changes in him. He still likes to be naked for the majority of the day, but he learned that isn't allowed in public. He shares a fondness for my pizza fascination and buys me the most amazingly thoughtful gifts at his weekly excursion to the restaurant supply store with Gram. And last but not least, he discovered Super Heroes and Star Wars. Our house will never be the same.

Skylar started the 7th grade and for the most part has had good year. She randomly changes boyfriends for no reason and has a pretty good group of friends. She is getting prettier and prettier and I think we are about 2 years away from locking her in the closet. She is just as smart as ever, but has started using her smartness for evil...I fear she is turning to the darkside.

Note the shifty look in her eyes....

The hubs and I are good, he honestly never noticed (or atleast never said he noticed) that I completely abandoned the Love Dare. I still want to do it and hope that I can when things aren't so crazy. And of course, the baby came....the wonderful blessing that we didn't know we wanted. Well, I knew I wanted more and would still have more...if I had an endless supply of money! But, I think she even has Daddy wrapped around her finger now.

So that is kind of our year in a nutshell. Oh there is so much more I could say...but I can't remember it all. So that will be my lesson to myself. If I had taken just a few short minutes a day to blog...I really would have given you the full story!

This is the post to introduce our beautiful new family member! She is six weeks old now and it is funny to read back through when I started this blog, shortly before she was conceived. She was a suprise -thanks to the Love Dare that I was doing at the time. We adore her and we are thankful that God always knows his plan for us and he will see us through all things! So welcome to the world Alexandra...we are so glad that you are here!


Lyrics | Loudon Wainwright III - Daughter lyrics

Split Personality

My name is Lea Nance and I have split personalities. Not medically speaking, of course but figuratively. Why do I say this? Well, I have a confession to make. I love to read. Actually I am quite addicted to reading. I fall asleep almost every night with a book on my chest. I take books with me in the car and if they are really good, I read them at stop lights. Some people have recently signed a petition to not text and drive but I should probably sign a “no reading while driving” petition. I think reading is fundamentally important to my life and I think it actually helps define who I am as a person. Great, you say...but where is the other personality? Well, that would be in the fact that now, as a college student, I have to read copious amounts of informational text. Don’t get me wrong, I like to learn and many of the books are very useful to me. But oh how I struggle to put down my latest find to pick up a book for a class. In each short, sweet break from one semester to the next, I cram reading into every corner of my life. I go to the bookstore and buy discount books just to try them out. And I fall in love over and over and over again. With strong women, and romantic (sometimes sparkly) men.
I love kids books and teen books and I can't get enough of my favorite authors. So, yes in the middle of yet another crazy, hectic and mind-numbing semester I am reminded again of missing my true love. Having an affair on my true love with the ten plus books I have to read for school. Don't worry, my love, I promise to return to you as soon as possible......

Pre-Valentine's Day...

I would like to start by saying that I am not one of those people that thinks Valentine's Day is a really important holiday. I like getting presents for any reason or no reason at all, but the hubs and I don't wait for days like this to say how we feel.

In preparation for Valentine's Day though....

we had steak, the hubs choice...and it was a good choice...


and sauteed mushrooms...yummo!

We have planned a lunch date and a movie together for our actual Valentine's Day...but this is really only because we didn't do anything for our Anniversary a few weeks ago.

It is true love. True, True, amazing love! I hope you have it, and if you don't, I hope you find it someday!

Hmmm....

I don't know whether I have too much to say or nothing to say! My mind is racing with so much. Between school, which is just busy, busy, busy. Work, really busy and crazy! And home, which is just home sweet home with one crazy two year old, one aloof 12 year old, and the hubs....they all keep me hopping. I have just spent three straight days home with Clark thanks to the RSV bug he had. Then my babysitter, the only non-family person that I have ever entrusted with my child tells me she is moving at the end of the school year.

A moment of silence please...

We will miss her and her wonderful family. And we will now have a good excuse to go the Lake and play this summer. So that is the way I will think of it, only the positive. But dang, I am sad.

I have learned through many friends that my prayers are just what they should be, which makes me feel good.

And I am looking forward to a Valentines Day with the hubs. My parents are taking my kiddos to a Disney show on stage so that the hubs and I can do something special. His first idea was to take me to the deer hunting lease to fill up the deer feeders. I promptly suggested that he do that the next day with his buddy! So now I am not sure what we will do. It would be nice to do something different that we have never done before, but that would probably require more time, money, and energy than we have. So a movie and a meal sounds real nice to me! I hope you all have a great Valentines Day!

And I would like to say a quick thank you to Survivor for not only coming back on the air...but also for bringing back Boston Rob! He is the best player ever in the history of the game...and I am addicted!

i ♥ faces Photo Challenge

This week's challenge is in preparation for Valentine's Day. It has to have a KISS in it. I wish I had a picture of KISS, that would be cool! I will tell you that they (KISS) were in my town a few weeks ago and they were at a school in the school system that I work for...I didn't get to meet them :( so sad!

Anyway, here is my Photo for the Challenge. Clark was getting mighty bored at his sisters birthday party, until he discovered this friendly dog (statue) on the front porch of Nana's house. Even now, almost two years later he still kisses that dog goodbye every time we leave her house.

Love it!

I am submitting this [these] photo[s] into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.

I...

Where do I start? My Love Dare Journey is harder than I thought it would be. Why? You say. Well, a lot of the days involve praying for my husband. For his peace, for his soul, for his part in our marriage, for our marriage as a whole, for everything! I will admit right here and now that I am a believer. I pray here and there.

So here it is.

I have prayed for help with this and now I am asking for your help. Any tips on how you get used to setting a time during your day to vigilantly pray. Any books or videos that have helped you on your way. Any thing. Throw me a bone here people! I have been halted by this process. The process of making me stop in the middle, or the beginning or end, for that matter of my day and pray. I know it is important and I have the desire. So why am I finding it so hard to do?

So, can you help me?