Successful Saturday!

I have had a pretty successful day today :) The kids woke up at the crack of dawn so I decided I would go ahead and get started with my day. While I started the laundry, I got the idea to make banana bread. I looked up some recipes on the Internet and settled on one that seemed pretty basic. I am very happy with how it came out. Then I made homemade dog cookies, I have been wanting to do this for a while. They were so easy! I will be doing that for now on because the ingredients are something that I always have on hand so it keeps the cost down. Click here for the link to the recipe I used...dog treat recipe.



Homemade dog biscuits

I also decided to work with Hayden on potty training. We have been trying FOR months, but it just seems like it doesn't click. Well I think we have had a breakthrough because he is doing really well today. My mom reminded me that he will have accidents and it will take time, so I am just going with it. I am really nervous to send him to daycare on Monday in fear that he will regress totally. I really hope they will work with him to so we can get out of diapers!!!

While the kids were napping, I made Kelsey a headband holder. I found it on Pintrest a few months ago and now that I have a sewing machine I was finally able to complete it. Here is the originally pin I found and below that is my finished product.



This is my creation :)



 

 

Source: lookiewhatidid.blogspot.com via Brittany on Pinterest

This is gonna be my next sewing project! I am starting off with one for Kelsey and then will make myself one.

Source: asmallsnippet.blogspot.com via Brittany on Pinterest

Well I think that is about it for now. Now I need to work on dinner...Spaghetti baked inside garlic bread :)

Have a great rest of your weeked!!

-Brittany

1 year already?

Today marks the 1 year mark of losing Rocko. Last year at this time I was crying, screaming, and questioning why someone would hit my dog? I still question why sometimes, but I have learned during 2012 that you can't live asking why and replaying the what ifs all the time. I feel like we as a family have had our good times in 2012 and we have all had our bad times. I want to think that I have grown as a person, wife and a mother during this year and I have been shown to embrace every minute.

At the beginning of 2012...after we lost Rocko, I started using the quote "everything happens for a reason". It has stuck with me all year and I truly believe and have been shown that everything does in fact happen for a reason.
- We lost Rocko...why? wont ever really know, but we wouldn't have Tonka today if it wouldn't have happened.
-Travis was laid off...why? hard to understand...but he has a amazing job now and it wouldn't have happened otherwise.
-My wreck...why? I didn't want to buy a new car bc of that but I had to...that experience opened my eyes and has made me a stronger person
- Our daycare shuts down...this one was hard for all of us and esp Hayden...I have to believe that it happened for a reason and better things are to come.

I also feel like we have been so blessed this year. Kelsey is attending a school that I wouldn't have ever in my wildest dream thought she would. She is turning into a little women and I love the fact that she is learning to love the Lord and finding her true self. Hayden is at the age where is asks questions about everything and sometimes I get tired of answering the same one 20 times I have to stop and remind myself that he doesn't know he is still learning. Travis had a rough year with his licensing tests and his work situations, but I think he has come out stronger and is learning to trust and give in to a higher power. I feel like I have grown this year in my faith and have started trusting in God more. We are blessed with good health and we have been able to provide for our family.

We aren't rich, we don't have fancy things, drive fancy cars or live in a fancy house..we have each other and in the end the other stuff doesn't matter.

For 2013 I want to keep focusing on living within/below our means, keep teaching the kids that material things don't keep you happy and money doesn't buy happiness. I want to really focus on our family and by next January be able to say that we all grew over the year.

So this post is all over the place, but I needed to get my thoughts out of my head :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I am totally slacking at this blogging thing.

I just wanted to pop in and say Merry (belated) Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!!

I am excited to see what 2013 has in store for the Carrigs.

 

Out of our hands

A lot of people woke up this morning very angry and upset...me included. I didn't and still don't understand why America voted the way they did. I went in to work and everyone had the same attitude. We all know the President isn't in control, God is but that is hard to remember sometimes. God knows why this happened and he has a reason for it. Like always we don't know why but one day we will.

It all goes back to my motto of the year..everything happens for a reason. Over the past few weeks a lot has happened in our lives.

 -We found out our daycare that Kelsey started at when she was 1 an Hayden has always been at is closing. After getting over the initial shock I am heartbroken. Me and everyone who went there. Today was Hayden's last day there and it kills me to think he doesn't understand what is happening. Tomorrow his little world is going to turn upside down. I know it is happening for a reason, but why?
- Travis got laid off the day after I found out about the daycare. This is the 2nd time from this company..we are done. We kinda knew to expect it but at the same time it is always hard to accept. He is working a part time job when the guy needs him and collecting unemployment when he can. Another thing that we don't understand why it happened, but in the back of my mind I know there is a reason.
-I found out I have to go to court for the ticket I got from my accident in August. I am terrified. So totally scared. I am praying it all works out and I will just pay my fine and be on my way, but the thought of standing in a court room with the man I hit gives me nightmares...again it is happening for a reason.

 I guess the whole theme of this post is most things is our lives are out of our control. I think that is one of the hardest things about trusting in God completely is letting him be in control. He wants us to trust in him and know that everything will work out and be ok, but we (i) want to keep fighting for control. I hate not knowing what is going to happen or why something is happening. Sometimes it might be better not to know, and I believe if we are meant to know we will find out when the time is right.
I just keep telling myself over and over...everything happens for a reason. God has a plan and I think a big part of that plan is to get us to give control to him and trust in him completely.

I hope everyone has a good night.

I will be back with a update on how Hayden did at his new school and a update on Kelsey soon!

Go Vote!!!

Picture Catch up!



I have been MIA for a good long time. Life has gotten in the way and I have taken a step back from most everything except my family. We needed some time to re group and focus on the 4 of us. I think some times we get so caught up in the hustle of everyday life we forget to actually enjoy the life we are living. We had some stressful weeks after my wreck and with school starting and I felt like my world was falling apart. I spent a lot of time thinking and praying in those weeks that made me decide nothing..even house work needs to be put in front of my husband or kids. My kids won't remember the toys on the ground or the crumbs on the kitchen floor...what they will remember is that I was always stressed about cleaning I never had fun with them..

So we have been playing outside ALOT enjoying the beautiful fall weather GA has decided to give us this year. I am not complaining one bit I love it outside right now! We have our AC off and all the windows open. One morning the thermostat read 53....wow that's chilly! Don't worry the kids sleep in winter pjs and have plenty of blankets!

I guess the easiest way to update what we have been doing is through pictures. This way I can remember what we did and share the pictures at the same time...knocking 2 birds out with 1 stone!!!

I went to Special Olympics horse show with the barn I volunteer at in August.



We went to the rodeo and got to enjoy a wonderful sunset while waiting.



 

Celebrating Kelsey's 6th Birthday!

Family at my cousins wedding

Silly boys

Family hike day



Again taking a minute to enjoy and be thankful for what we have



My boys the hikers

Rock climbing kids



We went to the local fair, the kids rode their first fair ride



Hayden loves the dryer- I walked by one morning and heard him say boo..well he got in all by himself

We no longer have a puppy! Tonka is now a 70lb beast!

I celebrated my 26th birthday with some great friends!



This girl in the picture on the right is the reason Travis and I met! I hadn't seen her in way to long!





I think that is about it for now. I probably forgot some and I hope to come back and blog about some others also.  I hope you enjoyed! 

Fall Pictures

A few weeks ago we had some family pictures taken. I guess I jus figured you say smile and everyone will smile..ummm not so much. It takes Hayden some convincing to smile and this day was no different, then we have Kelsey who poses and poses and poses some more. It is really funny looking through all the pictures, normally when we finally got Hayden to smile Kelsey was looking away or has a very fake smile on. We got a bunch of good ones also! I am so excited to finally have pictures of all of us :) We are planning on do more in a few weeks in another place also!



I will be back with a longer post hopefully this weekend...I have a couple post to get ready :)