Too Good to be True???

This post is mostly geared towards my military wife friends...though if you like cute military accessories too, I guess it's for you as well :)

I just love blog-browsing!! The other day I was looking at my friend Maureen's blog, and found a link that I thought was interesting called Lovely Yellow Ribbons. I clicked out of curiosity, and stumbled upon perhaps the cutest military decor I've ever seen!! She has super fun & whimsical pictures, bags, signs, etc., all customized for your particular branch. I LOVE this cute picture...

If you go to her Etsy site, you'll see all the fun things that she has to offer. She even has some cute "Home is where the Air Force (Navy/Army/Coast Guard) sends us" stuff that is really cool. If you're like me, you have probably looked for stuff like this before, but kinda got discouraged w/ all the corny stuff that you usually find. This girls stuff is totally fresh & different...not corn-ball at ALL! She also has some cool non-military stuff too, if you want to check that out as well.

SOOO glad I found her!! And I just couldn't keep a good thing to myself :)

A Typical Duncan Day

Long story short, I was confused about the "Show Us Your Life" topic for today, and it turns out this is a week early :) Oops!! But, I thought I'd post it anyway...hope you enjoy!!

My day usually starts out with a smile from my sweet girl.

We then eat some breakfast,

and play for awhile.

Soon, it's nap-time.

Sometimes we make it to the crib, other times...

Most days, we'll eat lunch and then go for a little walk.

Then it's time for some Jump-A-Roo action!

I usually tackle some chores, too. Elli loves to help w/ the laundry!

Playing usually leads to another nap...

Of course we'll eat again, but then it's on to bathtime,

story time,

snuggle & prayer time, and then bedtime.

Elli is usually down by 7:30, so Chris & I get to enjoy a couple hours of time to ourselves in the evenings...that is, of course, when he's not studying :) And, Elli & I are pretty good about filling up our week w/ outings & friend visits too. We have Taco Tuesdays at the squadron each week, Bible Study on Thursdays, lunch w/ the ladies on Fridays, and I've been known to throw in a day of shopping here and there!! Elli is such a good little girl, and just sits back and enjoys wherever it is that I take her each day. I know I've said it a million times, but she truly brings so much joy to my life :)

And that's a day in the life of a Duncan!! Might not seem like much, but it's an absolute dream for me... & I wouldn't trade it for the world!

I Miss Reading Rainbow!

Butterfly in the sky,

I can go twice as high,

Take a look,

It's in a book,

Reading Rainbow.

Does that bring back memories? It definitely does for me! I loved that show, and I remember watching it every day. I'd sometimes watch it and make a list of the books that I liked so that the next time my Nana took me to the library, we'd be sure to get the right ones. Going to the library with my Nana is one of my most favorite childhood memories...I think that's one of the reasons I love books so much to this day.

For one of my baby showers, my mom sent about 4 big bags of children's books to me (she couldn't be there since I was still in England!). I remember pulling out each book, and remembering the first time that I had read it; perhaps with her, or maybe with my Nana. All of my favorites were in there, ones that I couldn't wait to share with Elli. And now, even though she's not quite 6 months old yet, she loves to help turn the pages & to press her hands on the ones that are especially colorful. We read at least twice a day and I hope that I'm instilling in her the importance and pleasure of reading just like my mom & Nana did for me.

I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite children's books. Of course, there are WAY too many to put in one post, but perhaps one or two of these few might stand out to you. They are all special in their own unique way...I hope you enjoy them. Oh, and a friend of mine may or may not be getting them all in her own little baby basket :) Gotta spread the love!!

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle

My Daddy & I by PK Hallinan

Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton

Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie dePaola

**About a grandfather who teaches his grandson to walk, and then has to re-learn to walk himself after a stroke/illness. It's a great book about the bond between grandparents and their grandbabies, and it also teaches children about compassion for the elderly...especially when they are dealing w/ a physical problem.**

Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola

**Can you tell I love this author?! This one is about a great-grandmother who lives upstairs, and the grandmother who lives downstairs and the relationship both of them have with their grandson. Again, it's a teaching book (in my opinion), and it lends itself to the delicate subject of death and; perhaps more importantly, remembrance. It's such a sweet story, you're sure to love it!**

Wordless Wednesday

Flip Flops & Sun Hats!

Chris had to work on Saturday (Boo!!), so we filled Sunday up with as much family time as possible! Elli had kind of a rough night, so we forfeited church, and decided to get do-nuts and snuggle instead. Sadly, the Columbus Shipley's didn't get the memo that they need to make enough do-nuts to last them at least until 10AM! Umm, hello?! Actually having do-nuts might be key when trying to run a do-nut business! But, what do I know right?! Anyway, after our very disappointing do-nut trip, we went to The Ranch House for their breakfast buffet. You'll never guess what happened...yeah, breakfast was over! So, we waited around for 15 min., and had the lunch buffet instead. It was no Shipley's Do-Nuts, but it was okay :)

After breakfast, we came home and took a VERY long nap. Elli's longest ever, actually! 2 hours! It was glorious! Afterwards, since it was so gorgeous outside, we decided to head down to the riverwalk to try out our new BOB stroller. That thing ROCKS!! I am SOOO pro-BOB! Much better than my car-seat travel-system stroller. I like it so much that I'm thinking I might actually be motivated to run b/c it is just THAT cool! And if I can say that, this thing must be pretty awesome :) The weather stayed wonderful, and we were able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon outside. Elli was sporting her cute little sun hat, and I actually wore flip-flops! It's supposed to get cold again this week, so I'm glad we were able to soak it all in while it lasted :)

Mama & Elli
Daddy & Elli

Elli loves the BOB!!!

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to.....

the guy I can stop on the side of the road w/ in Belgium to take a goofy picture,

the man I want to travel the world with,

the best pilot I've ever seen,

my hero,

the BEST snow-ball fighter EVER,

the only guy I know who would put up w/ my Bingo addiction :),

the one who doesn't mind looking like a cheese-ball w/ me,

the most loving father in the world,

the man who has made all of my dreams come true.

I love you, Chris. Thank you for making these past 4 years absolutely incredible.

Wordless Wednesday

A Wonderful Way To Give!

As a new mom, I'm constantly taking pictures of Elli...I know, it's hard to tell :) And though I really enjoy taking them, and I love how they turn out most of the time, there is really nothing like having a professional photographer capture some great images of significant milestones. It's the same way with wedding pictures, family sessions, & engagement portraits...I love having professional looking pictures of the ones I care about most, to display around my home.

That's where Pictures of Grace comes in. Bree Adams is a photographer in the DFW area who is serving others and "glorifying Christ" by using her talent & time to benefit those in need. She has been passionate about photography for the past 20 years, and recently felt called by the Lord to use that passion as a way to serve. It's so inspiring, I wanted to tell you all about it!!

For a low $85 session fee, you and up to 5 other family members can get a 2 hr photo session anywhere in the DFW area. **Each additional person is $10** That fee will also get you basic digital retouching on all photos, and enhanced retouching on up to 10 photos. You will also receive a high resolution DVD with all of the pictures from your session, as well as the rights to all photos.

Now all of that is great by itself, right? But you want to know the best part?? That $85 session fee, in it's entirety, goes to Bree's current mission. That's right, I said the WHOLE fee! In the latter part of last year, Bree's mission was to support a church-sponsored mission trip to Kenya. This year, she is contributing the money to the sponsorship of three Haitian children, as well as to two Compassion trips to Africa this summer.

What servanthood! Her desire to help others touches my heart, and I wanted to share her mission, and the mission of Pictures of Grace, with you. Not only is she a GREAT photographer who has unbelievable prices, she is also making a difference in the lives of so many others...bringing them to Christ, sharing the Good News, and delivering hope to those in need. I encourage you to at least check out her site...I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Oh, and just FYI, I don't know Bree personally. I heard about her site from a family member, and quickly checked it out when I found out what she was trying to do. She doesn't even know that I am writing about her! It just goes to show you how much of an impact she has already made on me :)

Trip to Oxford

For Valentine's Day, Chris and I decided that it would be fun to get out of Columbus and head somewhere a little bit more romantic. Now don't get me wrong, Applebee's & Chili's can be romantic, we just wanted to spice it up a little bit :) So, we chose to make the quick 2 hr. drive up to Oxford, MS to stay at a friend's condo for the weekend. The drive was really nice. Since Chris works so much, I feel like it was the first time in a REALLY long time that we just got to enjoy each other's company w/o worrying about early "go times", check rides or instrument tests. We made it into town at around 10, put Elli to bed, and hit the sack so that we could start exploring the area early the next morning. We hit just one small snag in our perfect plan...our sweet girl doesn't really like to go to sleep after taking a 2 hr nap in the car on the way to our destination. She has also adopted the really funny habit of "talking" to herself when we put her down for bed. Well, it's funny for the first 30 min or so!! After about an hour of that sweet voice, it becomes a little less sweet and a little more...uhhh, not sweet :) After about the millionth time of hitting the song button on her Pack 'n Play, she finally decided to drift off to dreamland...until about 4 when she decided that making razzing noises was really a lot more fun than sleeping!! Needless to say, Mommy didn't have a very restful night on Friday, and therefore was not very bushy-tailed for our exploring on Saturday!

But, we finally made it out of the house by about 11 and decided to go to a local hot spot for breakfast. After a super yummy breakfast of french toast (really, is there anything better?!), we decided to check out the Ole Miss campus. It was gorgeous! We had a great time just walking around looking at all of the different colleges. Wait, is that what they call them here or am I confusing it w/ how it is in England? Well anyway, we were looking at all the buildings and reminiscing about our own college experiences. It was a lot of fun!

We then headed over to "The Square", and did a little window shopping. Sadly, Elli hasn't been feeling very well lately and Saturday was no exception. Honestly, I wasn't feeling too hot either...maybe that French Toast wasn't such a great idea after all! So, instead of eating at the super romantic restaurant in the heart of Oxford that we had all picked out, we packed up all of our stuff and headed back to good 'ole Columbus. We thought we'd stop in Tupelo and get some Logan's, but when we got there (at 5, mind you!) there was an hour and a half wait! What?! How is that even possible?! So, we found a hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant instead. We then got back on the road and ended up making it home by 7:30.

Though it wasn't exactly the trip we had planned, I still think it was a wonderful way to spend the weekend. We talked, we laughed, we watched a movie and snuggled, and we just really enjoyed being together. And that's what Valentine's Day is really all about, isn't it? Not the flowers, or the chocolates, the presents or the cards (though I do love me some chocolate!!). It's about spending time w/ your best friend, your family, the ones you love. And I certainly got to do that this year...and it was perfect :)

**Update: Pictures :)**

Elli & Daddy deep in conversation!
The Ole Miss Seal
Getting some sugar :)
The gorgeous campus!

Me & my girl...she's not in a smiley mood at the moment!

Show Us Your Life...Valentine's Edition!!

Well, it's Friday and everyone knows what that means!! Or, maybe you don't...hmmm, probably should have thought of a different opener! Anyway, it's "Show Us Your Life" day at Kelly's Korner, and today is all about your favorite Valentine's Day date or gift!!

Many of you may know this, but Valentine's Day marks the 14th Anniversary of my first date w/ my husband. Now I'd be lying if I said that the past 14 years have been smooth sailing! Wait, that sounded bad...let me start over. Fourteen years ago I was a freshman in High School and my hubs was a sophomore (he was the studly older guy!). Like *most* high-school relationships, we broke up & got back together about a bazillion times. We FINALLY got it together after college, and realized how much we truly loved each other, and decided to get married in 2006. But let's rewind back to that first date...let me set the scene...

I spent what seemed like forever getting "primped" for my very first date...ever! Oh the amount of hairspray I used was a sin! I remember meticulously looking through my closet for the perfect outfit, and you know what I chose? Jeans, a Nautica polo shirt, a braided brown leather belt, and loafers! Eek!! I cringe just thinking about it! Chris picked me up at my moms house donning flowers and a HUGE card. He was wearing pleated khaki pants, a button-up shirt, and lots 'o hair gel...I thought he was simply dreamy! We went to eat at On The Border & to see Mr. Holland's Opus...ummm, hello 90's!!

That date 14 years ago, with that super cute sophomore, is (and always will be) my favorite Valentine's Day ever. I still have the cheesy card, and the dried flowers from the bouquet that he brought me. Why? Because the moment I opened my front door, I knew that I loved that khaki pant wearing guy standing on my porch. Something in me changed, something ignited...as corny as that may sound. We were a FAR cry from the perfect couple back then, believe me! But still, through the many years of ups and downs, the way I felt about him never changed. He captured my heart that night, and he's held it ever since. I'm so happy to call him my husband, and my forever Valentine.

I thought I'd give you all a little blast from the past...hope you enjoy the pictures :)

Valentine's Day 2005

4 Days after Valentine's Day 2006

Valentine's Day 2008...in Vegas!!

Wordless Wednesday

Cha-Cha-Cha Changes!!

Instead of doing housework, taking a shower, finishing up some data entry, or doing anything relatively productive while Elli took her nap this morning...I changed my blog!! Not feeling super great about all the work that has now been moved to this afternoon, but it sure was fun at the time!! Hope you like the changes :) I'm still working on what I want to do w/ the header...maybe I'll work on that during her next nap!

SUPER Easy Enchiladas!!

I love to play around with recipes, and this is my latest creation. I've made it for most of my family members and they all seem to really like it. It started from the back of the enchilada sauce can, and I tweaked it to fit our family. The great thing is that you can totally make it your own w/ a few minor adjustments. See the end of the post for some suggestions :)

Ingredients:

8 tortillas

1 lb ground beef

Taco Seasoning

1 can of Rotel (I use mild)

1 can of Enchilada Sauce (I use medium)

1/2 onion chopped (you can omit if you don't like onion)

3/4 cup shredded cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9x13 dish w/ cooking spray.

Brown the meat w/ the onions, and drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning according to directions. Pour in the can of Rotel, about 1/2 the can of enchilada sauce, and about 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir, and bring to a simmer. Scoop about 3 heaping Tbsp. of the meat mixture into a tortilla, roll it up and place it seam-side down in the dish (I use a ladle & it makes it pretty easy). Continue scooping & rolling until you fill all 8 tortillas...make sure you have a little bit of the meat mixture left in pan at the end. Pour that remaining mixture over the rolled tortillas and spread it around. Then pour the *remaining* enchilada sauce down over that and spread it around as well. Top w/ the rest of the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes.

**I don't like my enchiladas very saucy, so I usually end up w/ about 1/4 of the can of sauce left; however, you can use all of it and make it super saucy...it's up to you.**

You can make these enchiladas a lot healthier by using whole wheat tortillas & low-fat cheese (or cutting down on the cheese). And you can make it as hot/mild as you like by experimenting w/ different flavors of Rotel & enchilada sauce. Add japs if you like it super hot, or add black beans for a different texture. The above recipe is how we do it at our house, but it's so easy to change it up!! I hope you try them, and I'd love to hear what y'all add/omit when you do!

A Song for Thursday

Have you heard the song "What Faith Can Do" by Kutlass? Oh my gosh, go to Youtube right now and look for it. It is so uplifting and powerful. In the midst of all the chaos and confusion of this world, God is still here working His miracles in and through us. I love this song b/c it speaks to my heart, and reminds me of what I know deep down in my soul to be true. Faith can move mountains, restore hope to the hopeless, and lift up even the most downtrodden. I know I've seen it in my life, and I'm willing to bet that, at least once, you've seen it in yours as well.

Here are the lyrics to my favorite song of the moment...enjoy :)

**And don't forget to listen on Youtube or iTunes, I promise it's worth it!**

"What Faith Can Do"

Kutlass

Everybody falls sometimes,
Gotta find the strength to rise,
From the ashes, and make a new beginning.
Anyone can feel the ache,
You think it’s more than you can take,
But you are stronger, stronger than you know.
Don’t you give up now,
The sun will soon be shining.
You gotta face the clouds,
To find the silver lining.

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains,
Hope that doesn’t ever end,
Even when the sky is falling.
And I’ve seen miracles just happen,
Silent prayers get answered,
Broken hearts become brand new...
That’s what faith can do.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard,
Impossible is not a word,
It’s just a reason for someone not to try.
Everybody’s scared to death,
When they decide to take that step,
Out on the water,
It’ll be alright.
Life is so much more,
Than what your eyes are seeing,
You will find your way,
If you keep believing.

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains,
Hope that doesn’t ever end,
Even when the sky is falling.
And I’ve seen miracles just happen,
Silent prayers get answered,
Broken hearts become brand new...
That’s what faith can do.

Overcome the odds,
You don't have a chance,
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t,
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains,
Hope that doesn’t ever end,
Even when the sky is falling.
And I’ve seen miracles just happen,
Silent prayers get answered,
Broken hearts become brand new...
That’s what faith can do.
That's what faith can do!

Even if you fall sometimes,
You will have the strength to rise.

Happy 5 Month Birthday, Elli!!

I know I say this every month, but Holy Cow where is the time going?! Can it have really been 5 months since that sweet baby girl came into our lives? That's almost half of a year...what?! I mean, of course I want her to continue to thrive & grow, but can we do it a little bit slower please?! Next thing I know she'll be crawling around telling me that she needs chocolate (I assume this will be what she says since she is my daughter, after all!). I'm not sure I'm ready for that!

What has she been up to these days? Well, let's see...she hams it up for the camera on a pretty regular basis (as shown in these pics!), continues to roll over both ways, is sitting up on her own, LOVES her new bouncer, squeals with laughter when she's happy, jabbers away with me while I'm cooking dinner, and has an affinity for things that go on her head. Oh wait, that last one might have been mine :) We're continuing to hold off on Rice Cereal b/c, well...girlfriend is definitely not hurting in the weight department and I still just don't think she's ready. And we are looking for a new way to give her baths. She's outgrown her small tub, but she can't really sit up well enough (for a long enough period of time) for us to move to the big tub. If you saw our bathroom, you'd understand...it's a parent's bath-giving nightmare!! Our kitchen sink is divided, and both sections are pretty small so that's out. I did see a pretty cool thing that fits in the kitchen sink the other day, but I'm not sure I want to spend over $50 for it. Any of your mommies out there have any other ideas?

Let's see, what else? She wears size 3-6 mo. clothes, but 6-9mo. sleepers (her poor little feet get all squished in the smaller ones!). Her hair is really starting to grow in, and I think it gets more and more strawberry blonde each day. She reaches for me to pick her up when I'm done changing her diaper, and she still sports a smile every morning when I go in to wake her up. She's doing great with sleeping as well. Most nights she'll sleep from 10 (when I give her a "dream-feed") to 7:30/8ish, but if she does wake up, it's only once at around 4AM. If that happens, she just takes a bottle and goes right back to sleep. She takes 3 naps a day, and they last about 1-1.5 hours. She still isn't really a cryer...now she has more of a shriek to get our attention and then she's done. She loves books just like her mommy, and she loves doing "Super Elli" with her daddy as he flies her around the room. Every time she laughs she gives herself the hiccups, and she is just about the most endearing thing I have ever seen. I don't know how it's possible, but I love her more every single day.

Elli wearing a sweet little jumper that my friend, Sam, knitted for her. Yes, I said knitted! This super cute outfit is totally handmade...oh, and it has bloomers too!! You should see the whole thing in person...it's simply too precious for words!

Me? Oh, you think I'm cute? Why, thank you. Thank you very much! :)

This cute-ums hat was a Valentines gift from GG & Grandaddy. Isn't it just devine?! Oh, how I love it...and Elli does too :)