This is when I got a new AWESOME camera

So there are about a billion more pictures than ever before!  I love it, love it, love it, and can't thank mom and dad for the most amazing Christmas present ever!

Can you tell I couldn't wait to even get to Grandmomma's to start taking pictures!  

Grandmomma reading the Christmas story from the Bible!  A favorite tradition, including Jesus Birthday Cake! 

We love Uncle Christian and Auntie Kristin! 

And I couldn't wait to hug that sweet Bella after five long months!

Claire playing Grandmomma's ukelele from her childhood.  So sad I didn't get any shots of Bella, because she has been taking ukelele lessons in Hawaii.

These are pics from one of our BEST family vacations EVER... Wildnerness at the Smokies... It's an indoor waterpark, perfect for Christmas time and for a momma with a new camera!

 

Sisters reading books in their matching pjs!

 

Tea party with Grandmomma on the trampoline.

 

Oh how I love family game night!

 This officially puts me in 2012!  Sorry for the lack of actual blogging in this post, but there were so many cute pictures!

Until next time...

My last post was about Spring Break 2011

And it is now Spring Break 2012.  Wow.  I'm consistently drawn back to the blog, the desire to document life and share it with others.  And then I get busy living life.  I feel silly even posting a picture montage of the past year because our girls have grown so much, but just to reflect...

Father's Day 2011... Bella is just the spitting image of her father, is she not?

Taylor Swift's Speak Now Concert (I had more fun then Bella did :)

July 4th in the Smokies, as usual.

Lots of "beach" trips (aka: the sand and lake at the state park near our house)

Bella got baptized!!!  (She gave her heart to the Lord the summer before when Grammie died)

Tackling the Birmingham Zoo in 104 degree heat.

 

 We welcomed a new niece/ cousin, Lily Marie Wyatt

Claire's first day of school after Jessica left us as our nanny to stay home with baby Lily

And that pretty much sums last Summer.  Next I'll move into Fall, hopefully before next Fall...

This is for you Ragdolls!

So I went to my 10 year high school reunion last weekend (which was a blast), and so many old friends came up to me saying how they had loved reading my blog and keeping up to date with our family.  Only I hadn't updated it in, oh just about eight months.

So here I am...  Making an effort to blog again!  I probably won't be back to every day posting any time soon (the reasons I quit blogging- crazy busy job, toddler, life, etc- are still there), but I hope to get back to the place where I love writing and taking pictures and reconnecting with old friends.

And here is a pic of my favorite girls, the Fat Kids, still friends after 14 years! 

After these messages... we'll be right back

That is what I remember most about Saturday mornings.  Cartoons and singing that silly jingle with my brother.  So I hope it makes you smile, considering I haven't posted since last week's Thankful on a Thursday. 

But we are good.  Great, actually.  Really enjoying each other and the time we have together as a family.  So much that I have stopped going to the gym so I can spend two more evenings a week with my baby.  Or maybe I'm just telling myself that because I'm too lazy to get back into my gym routine.  Whatever the case may be, we are still here, just not here.

I have just downloaded a boat load of pictures to my computer and will hopefully get them up soon.  Just don't expect a lot of words, okay?

Sing it again!  After these messages... we'll be right back!

ATL or Bust!

So if you've been missing us lately, I've been missing you too!  We have been in crazy wedding planning mode for my brother and Grace for a few weeks now, but it has only recently hit fifth gear.  Place cards and custom candles are done, programs were completed last night, working on the rehearsal dinner menus at lunch today, ironing and packing tonight, Mom and Dad come tomorrow night, we leave for Atlanta Friday, rehearsal and dinner on Saturday, wedding on Sunday, drive home Monday, back to work Tuesday. 

Whew!  I am exhausted just typing this. And when you feel as exhausted as I am, you have to just let some things go.  So I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to justify spending an ounce of my free time on here over playing with my baby- who by the way MAY have taken a step last Saturday.  I was standing there but did not witness this, so I'm not completely sure, but I am saying it is not official until I see it.

It will probably be next week until I have recovered enough to post again, but then it will be a smorgasbord of pictures and all kind of fun.  Until then- Happy Wednesday, Happy Weekend, Happy Labor Day and all that jazz!

We're Still Alive... Barely

Again another week has come and gone with me neglecting the blog.  And while I love and treasure those who read this blog, I'm really kicking myself because there are so many things going on in my head that I want to remember and without tapping them out here, they'll escape my mind in no time.

To update you on what we've been doing... Bella went back to her mom on Wednesday.  It was hard saying goodbye for five whole months.  But we have faith in the Lord and His perfect plan, so we will trust in that.  The fact that she gave her life to Christ while she was here this summer gives us hope for her relationship with God while she is away.  We are so thankful for Claire, more than ever before and holding her especially close.

Work for both Luke and I is back in high gear and we are throwing ourselves in it while Bella is gone, so that we can enjoy the time with her again at Christmas.  We also are getting back into the gym.  I have ten more baby pounds to go and Luke is wanting to shed a few as well.  Gold's Gym is just a few miles from our house and they have a great childcare facility, so we are trying to go four times week... starting next week of course.

I can't promise when I'll be abck to regular posting, but when I do I promise it will be full of amamzing pictures of those sweet angels!  God is so good.  Tell Him you love Him today!

My First Blog Award!

I have seen these "blog awards" here and there while making the rounds of mommy blogs I read.  But this one is extra special for three reasons:

1. Well, first of all- it's my first bloggy award!
2. It's from my new friend over at Walkin' in High Cotton.  She's a Christian mom rearing kids and shearing sheep, telling her tales of life on the farm.  And I love reading her inspirational words followed always by scripture.  What more can you ask for?
3.  It's the Blog With Substance award.  And that's awesome.  I'm so glad someone has found substance to what I write.  I think we have a good story to share, and it's encouraging that someone else thinks so too.

The rules for A Blog with Substance award are as follows:

1.  I’ve gotta sum up my blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience in 5 words: Laughing, Living and Loving the Lord (ok it's six word if you want to get technical, so sue me)
2.  I’ve gotta pass this award on to 10 other bloggers who I feel have A Blog with Substance.

Well…since we are basically on the same brain wave length, many of the mommy bloggers I would have awarded this to were included in last week's awards from Walkin' in High Cotton (Theta Mom, The Tarr Pit and The Outdoor Wife, to name a few.)

This could also be titled the "the post of a million links" so bear with me... Here goes...

1. Enjoying the Small Things.  If you have never read Kelle Hampton's blog, you are missing a real treat.  Her love of life and her girls are overwhelming, and she has really inspired me to take more time and remember what's important.  (Bella has the same nightgown as Lainey!)  And she is proof that you can have it all.  She doubles as a photographer, so the pictures on her blog are a-maz-ing.  Her little angel Nella has Downs Syndrome (not the mention the most beautiful birth story ever told), and Kelle has recently become a strong advocate for special needs families.  I wish I could join her family on one of their outings just to soak in life- because she sure is doing it right!

2. The Heir to Blair.  I know Blair can be "contraversial" in the world of mommy bloggers (if such a thing can exist), either you love her or you hate her.  But me?  I love her.  I mean really love her.  I even proposed an arranged marriage between her adorable Harrison and my sweet Claire.  And we've neer met.  (Although the pairing would produce the blondest grandchildren on the planet!)  She is so honest about her life, her struggle with PPD/ PPA, her balancing act as a working wife and mother, her weight-loss battle, her rolls in the sac with her HOT husband,  and she is Southern to the core- pearls and all. 

3. Spilled Milk (and other attrocities). Law-Momma is awesome.  That's all I can say- awesome.  She balances work and home with grace.  She suffers from severe sleep deprivation just like yours truly, only she has a way more important day job.  You know, practicing law.  Her stories on snot and poop are histerical.  While she may appear to have it all together, she is not afraid to admit when it's all falling to sh!t.  So authentic and true to the core is why I enjoy reading her tales day in and day out.

4. O My Family.  Allison O is so cute, and I love how everything on her blog starts with O.  And how O Baby is so cute.  Cute.cute.cute.  And I love cute.  But this is about substance, and Allison has that too.    And honesty.  She loves being a mother, while acknowledging that parenthood is something so hard to prepare for.  Allison O is proof that cute, funny, witty, honest and substantive can all be found in a single blog.  And a blog I am so glad that I have found.

5. Breaking New Ground.  I have only recently been blessed to find Shandell.  She is a fellow daughter of Christ, stay-at-home mom and daycare provider, documenting the ups and downs of life through her blog.  Shandell also loves Thankful on a Thursday to reflect on God's blessings.  She and her husband just bought a house, making it a home, keeping it clean.  And she was brave enough to go camping with her baby.  Superwoman in my book.

6. Raising Madison. I don't even know where to begin with Joanna.  She rocks my world.  Just like she rocked cancer and her daughter's hip dysplasia.  And if that weren't enough, the girl had been a newlywed for a whopping two months when she found herself growing a human.  I've "known" Joanna (and those who aren't a part of this wonderful mommy blogging world are saying, how well can you really know someone you met on teh internet, but take my word for it, you can) since her days on The Bump as Pennylane, but it wasn't until recently that I really began to know her.  This girl joined forces with other e-friends and strangers alike to raise nearly $2,000 for Keagan.  And she's not afraid to learn life's lessons from a baby.

7. Mom-Nom.  There are so many fan-damn-tastic things about Tiffany, I don't know where to start.  (And that cussing without special characters babe- that's just for you!)  She go knocked up young, but kept the Bubs.  Then she had Bubette, although her pregnancy tests said otherwise.  Then, she almost lost Bubs in an accident, but pulled it together only to get knocked down by another mommy blogger.  But the result is Mom-Nom.com and I couldn't be happier for Tiffany and her adorable little family.  Oh, and we share the same nemisis.

Due to the fact that I have no more time to link one more thing in this post, I'm only giving seven awards.  My apologies to those whom this offends.  Or you can say that my other three would have gone to Theta Mom, The Tarr Pit and The Outdoor Wife.


Thanks to my new friend at Walkin' in High Cotton for this great award.  But please go check these ladies out and leave them some comment love!

I'm a Featured Blogger!

Well, when I started this whole blogging thing, it was nothing exciting.  Just pictures to share with my family and friends who live far away.  Now I've found this great community of bloggers out there that are simply amazing.  Alissa is one of them, and she created the D-List.

And today, I am one of their featured bloggers!  I had no idea!  I went over to the D-List this morning to find some new blogs to read and saw my badge there under "Featured Blogger."  I wish I was more prepared, but so is life, huh?

So if you found me on the D-List, welcome!  We're so glad you're here.  Hope you'll pull up a chair and stay a while.  Not sure what being a featured blogger is supposed to entail, but here goes.

Here is my post from the D-List Blog Party that pretty much sums up my life and my blog (a snipet- ok, alot of it- is below).  And this one is about my girls.  I do Thankful on a Thursday every week, so you should come back to check that out.  I am a couponing-diva, and you can read more about my Strategic Shopping.

This is just a bit about me and my family...

I'm Gini (aka: editor-in-chief of this here blog), and I'm the wife to Luke, mommy to Claire and step-momma to Bella. Our faith and our church is very important to our family. We're in Alabama so if I get real Southern on y'all, please excuse me. They're not a fan of proper grammar here, and try as I might, it's starting to rub off.

I am a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) kinda girl. I have a weakness for Coach purses and anything peanut butter. I love to cook but rarely make the time. And while being a wife and mommy will always rank number one in my book, I also work for a medical software company training physicians (smart, but not always the best students) on electronic medical records. And while I'm not pregnant right now, this was one of those "glowing pg" pictures of me that I thought was good.

This blog is just my life. (I know it says this is our "family" blog, but get real- my husband wouldn't be caught dead blogging- so it's really just me talking about my family.) Most of it is about my girls. They are our life.

Bella is almost 7 years old and lives in Hawaii with her mom and step-dad. We treasure every moment we have with her- which is about eight weeks a year (as a result of her step-dad's request to be transferred to a Navy base 5,000 miles away). It's a long story, but to sum it up, we have a very stressful relationship with Bella's mother.  And she is coming to spend the Summer with use next week!

But she is amazing. And beautiful, no? Even with chocolate on her face!

And Claire (known in our house as "Claire Bear") is our baby girl who was born last October. She and her big sister (affectionately referred to as "be-be" by the barely speaking younger sister) are two weeks shy of six years apart.

Claire is crawling backwards (or she was when I posted this for the party), though we are certain she'll go straight to walking and skip the whole forward crawl thing all together. Guess that's just her style. She now has four teeth, can muster up a few words, has blue eyes from Heaven (really from her daddy) and her belly laugh can make even the worst day seem brighter.

But every now and then, I'll post about the devilishly handsome man that made these girls. Luke is an amazing father and husband. He is truly my best friend and an answer to many sleepless and prayerful nights. Luke is a good and strong Christian man and always stands up for what he believes. He's a hard-cor conservative and watches way to much cable news.

He works in advertising, has an obsession with movies- especially oldies but goodies, loves jelly beans not just at Easter and hates smiling with his teeth. But here's a rare shot of those pearly whites...

So that's me.  I hope I have done some justice to the D-List Featured Bloggers, and I love new followers so if you like what you see, come back and see some more! 

I'm going on a another business trip the week of June 21st to 25th when Bella spends the week with her mom (yes, it worked out perfectly because I would have hated to be gone while she was here), so I'm looking for a few guest bloggers!  Email me if you are interested (ginimcglothin@hotmail.com) And Happy Friday!

Change is a Good Thing

So I thought I might should acknowledge all of the changes taking place here at The McGlothin Family Nest.  (If you're stopping by from the D-List party or visiting the Nest, hi!  I guess it's all new to you :)  Obviously, we have a new design courtesy of Blogs by Jocelyn (thanks, babe- you're the best!).  The McGlothin Family Nest now has a badge right there to the left, so grab it!  And slowly but surely I've been adding some more pages to the blog as well. 

I have a page for Luke and I & one for Bella and Claire.  I'm still working on pictures and tickers for these but they're coming along.  I also made a page with all of the "Belly Bumps" pictures when I was pregnant with Claire.  This almost made me miss being pregnant, but not enough to try again (yet). 

Then there's one with all of my Strategic Shopping tricks.  If you live on a budget, you should really stop by.  During last night's grocery trip, I spent $14 and saved more than $30.  Really- it works people.  Give it a try.  And if you don't know anything about strategic shopping, just visit the page and give it a chance.  And this will always be a work in progress- I'll continue to add new things as I have time and as I learn new tricks.

I made a page with my pumping story, but it didn't fit across the top, so I put it on the side instead.  I did a guest blog over at The Happy Spitter and The Leaky Boob of my experience exclusively pumping.  It's personal, honest and a little funny.

And now, you can search the blog, I've made a place where one day I'll put links to my favorite posts and showed some linky love to some awesome mom-owned businesses.

So I guess this makes me a "mommy blogger."  I'm not sure what that actually means.  I am a mommy.  I have a blog.  I don't do product reviews, don't host giveaways.  Not knocking those that do, it's just not my style.  And I find it most important to remain true to who you are, and that's just who I am.  I like posting about my girls.  My balancing act as a working wife and mother.  My journey of faith. 

But I'll face it- I'm going to be labeled as a mommy blogger.  If you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em, right?  So while I'll keep doing what I'm doing, I joined 'em.  The McGlothin Family Nest is now a part of a few wonderful blogging communities. 

* The D-List.  Alissa is an awesome WAHM (work-at-home-mom) who has started The D-List as a place for smaller mommy blogs to find and support other mommies.  I've found a number of great new blogs to read and new e-friends as well (:::waves hello to fellow D-Listers:::).  I am so happy for her- and her adorable little girl Molly- and the success that she's had.

* Theta Mom Community.  I have been following Theta Mom for quite some time now.  From what I read in those first few posts, I knew we'd probably be friends IRL (in real life).  She's created the Theta Mom Community, a place for people to connect, and it's pretty darn cool.  She is full of integrity, always strives to do things better than before and gives encouragement time and time again.

* Picket Fences.  I was weary about this one because people "vote" for you, and I don't put much stock in other people's opinion of me, my family or my blog.  But they say... "Here we strive not only to show you the most popular blogs, but also the blogs of the most talented writers." 

But if it brings one person to this blog, if I make one person smile, tell one person about the love of Christ, make one mom feel like she's not alone- then I'm ok with being a "mommy blogger." 

So -overall- change is a good thing!  I hope you'll agree.

And with that I say Happy Friday, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend with people you love!

Party Like It's 1999!

Because that's when I was 16 years old!  Sixteen!  And while my Sweet Sixteen party was totally rad, this party is pretty cool too.

Alissa over at Mommy and Molly and D-Listed Blogs is throwing a shin dig, and let's just say I was glad to be invited.  She and I chat it up on The Bump boards, but she's all cool and important now & I can say I knew her "back when."  And if you haven't seen her adorable girl Molly, bounce over and check her out.  She is seriously giving Claire a run for her money!

So if you are new or visiting, here is where I introduce you to my Nest.  I'm Gini (aka: editor-in-chief of this here blog), and I'm the wife to Luke, mommy to Claire and step-momma to Bella.  Our faith and our church is very important to our family.  We're in Alabama so if I get real Southern on y'all, please excuse me. They're not a fan of proper grammar here, and try as I might, it's starting to rub off.

I am a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) kinda girl.  I have a weakness for Coach purses and anything peanut butter.  I love to cook but rarely make the time.  And while being a wife and mommy will always rank number one in my book, I also work for a medical software company training physicians (smart, but not always the best students) on electronic medical records.   And while I'm not pregnant right now, this was one of those "glowing pg" pictures of me that I thought was good.

This blog is just my life. (I know it says this is our "family" blog, but get real- my husband wouldn't be caught dead blogging- so it's really just me talking about my family.)  Most of it is about my girls.  They are our life.

And if you stick around, you'll notice that I talk about the girls the same.  (You can read more about that here.)  Bella is almost 7 years old and lives in Hawaii with her mom and step-dad.  We treasure every moment we have with her- which is about eight weeks a year (as a result of her step-dad's request to be transferred to a Navy base 5,000 miles away).  It's a long story, but to sum it up, we have a very stressful relationship with Bella's mother.

You can read more about my sweet step-daughter here or here.  Or come back to see us, because I'll be posting lots about her very soon as she comes for the summer in a few weeks.

But she is amazing.  And beautiful, no?  Even with chocolate on her face!

And Claire is our baby girl who was born last October.  She and her big sister (affectionately referred to as "be-be" by the barely speaking younger sister) are two weeks shy of six years apart.  Tiffany over at Mom-Nom.Com can relate.  Her Bubs and Bubbette are about the same.  It can present challenges, but for now we are managing. 

Claire is crawling backwards, though we are certain she'll go straight to walking and skip the whole forward crawl thing all together.  Guess that's just her style.  She now has four teeth, can muster up a few words, has blue eyes from Heaven (really from her daddy) and her belly laugh can make even the worst day seem brighter.

But every now and then, I'll post about the devilishly handsome man that made these girls.  Luke is an amazing father and husband.  He is truly my best friend and an answer to many sleepless and prayerful nights.  Luke is a good and strong Christian man and always stands up for what he believes.  He's a hard-cor conservative and watches way to much cable news.

He works in advertising, has an obsession with movies- especially oldies but goodies, loves jelly beans not just at Easter and hates smiling with his teeth.  But here's a rare shot of those pearly whites...

When someone asked me to sum up my blog, these are the few sentences I could muster:

This is our Nest. Our love and laughter as we navigate through life. I’m a working wife and mom trying to balance it all. Lots of pictures of two beautiful girls and the daddy that fears the day they discover boys. Fly over to the Nest to say hello!

I know it's really generic and probably could describe most "mommy blogs" out there (sans the beautiful girls- mine really take the cake- if I do say so myself).  But sorry, that's all I got.

If you're here from the D-List par-tay, I'm so glad you dropped by.  If you've made it this far and like what you read, go ahead and follow me.  And make sure to leave a comment so I can find you too!

Here are a few favorite posts.  I guess they're all really my favorite because I don't post anything I don't love.  I figure if I'm going to share it with all of the interwebz, I might as well love it.
Making Homemade Baby Food
Claire turning Six Months
Memories and Milestones

And I will conclude with my apologies for being tardy to the party (it started Sunday and goes all week- my kind of party!) but I have no real excuses.  Just life got in the way.  Went out of town, tried to recuperate from vacation, getting over a cold, giving Luke the cold, catching up on work- you know the drill. 

But again, this is my life.  Not always as clean and organized as I would prefer, but here it is.

Check Out Some New Additions

No we do not have another bun in the oven (man that would be scary)...  But I am adding some things to the blog.  We now have pages for Pictures and About Us.  I am still working on this stuff, but it is coming when I have time.  Hope you all are loving the new layout! 

She Works Hard for the Money

So I am back at work! I have just started with EHS, Inc., a medical software company here in Birmingham, working in their Training Department. I will be training new clients that purchase the software how to use the various components.

I have been in "new employee boot camp" for the past two weeks with one more to go. It is very tedious, but I am really loving the company. Jessica, my sister-in-law, is keeping Claire at our house, and she is adjusting just fine. It was much easier to go back to work knowing that she is in good hands.

A little update on us...
The three of us took a trip down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day to visit Honey and Pop, Jay and Grace, and some old friends. We had a great time and ate some great food!

Last weekend we ventured to Memphis to see Momma E, Daddy D, and the King family. Please pray for Momma E as she is very weak and does not have much longer here with us. We enjoying seeing all the cousins, and it was especially fun with all the babies running around. We did bring home a terrible stomach bug and spent all of Sunday/ Monday in bed. Luke's wonderful family took Claire for four days so that she would not catch the virus! We are so grateful for all they do!

This weekend we are attending our niece Camille's Second Birthday, hosting a shower for our good friends Heather and Steve, and next weekend Luke is off with the boys on a cruise bachelor party. We are staying very busy, adjusting to my new work schedule and looking forward to Bella's Spring Break visit coming up in March. She is reading very well now and could even read the Valentine's Day card we sent her. She can't wait to see Claire and Cooper in a few weeks.

Whew, that was a lot! We love you all and hopefully will be able to update you more frequently and with more pictures!

Still Stink at Blogging

So Luke and our good friend Jason are gone to get some Arby's subs and getting ready for the Colts game (Saints already have it in the bag), Claire is dressed as the cutest cheerleader in the WORLD with her Colts shirt courtesy of my Uncle Les, and I just remembered that Luke's work computer is free and I should blog about something.

And, yes, there is something actually IMPORTANT to blog about.... Claire's kidneys! We went last week (or maybe the week before, I can't remember) and they are looking good! So good that we don't have to return to urologist or the mean ultrasound lady (Claire hates that cold jelly as much as I looked forward to it when I was pregnant with her because it meant I got to see that beautiful baby in my belly) for THREE WHOLE MONTHS! That is right, we are going from every month to every three months, a HUGE step in the pediatric urology world. Doc says she'll have an ultrasound at elast every six months until she is a teenager, so reaching the every three months is a big stride towards what will be our "normal."

And what else... we got our Christmas pictures back from JCPenny, and man do we have some cute girls. They are copyright protected so I can't post but you are in luck because I emailed Luke this beautiful pic to make his facebook profile pic, and since I am on his computer, this is all you get.

Now, the Colts game is underway, and since Luke is watching it with the boys, I am taking baby duty. Sorry if anything is mispelled, but I am blogging in a hurry. We love you all and are so grateful for all of your prayers for Claire's kidneys. We love such an awesome God that has the power to heal all, and we know that HE answers prayers. Hopefully more to come soon!