We're Back!!!

We're just getting settled back in from our cruise to the Bahamas! As soon as we catch our breath and give Jackson lots and lots of hugs and kisses, I'll check back in with y'all!

Have a great day!!

Random Dozen

1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?
I love, love, love the cheese dip at Mexican restaurants, but my favorite dish would have to be chicken fajitas, with the onions really done!

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate?
I was definitely a procrastinator. Ask my Mom.

3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?
I love Hobby Lobby for knick knacks and picture frames. Does that count? As far as furniture is concerned, I've only really shopped at the store of Mom and Dad!

4. When you were young, did you like school lunches?
Sad to say, but yes! Especially school pizza!

5. Is religion a crutch?
I'm a little confused by this question. I would like to think that my Christian faith is more important to me "religious" semantics.

6. In your region, what is the "big" (most popular in the community or state) high school sport?
Hands down, high school football dominates around here. My high school Alma mater is really good too, winning several state championships over the last few years. Go Lions!

7. Do you consider yourself rich?
Compared to the rest of the world, there is no question that we've been richly blessed. I can't complain!

8. Which of these would you have the best chance for success in administering:
A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire
My Dad is probably laughing at the mere thought of me changing a tire, so I'm going to have to go with CPR or Heimlich since I'm certified in both.

9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:
A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing
When I went to Puerto Rico for missions trips some of the girls taught us some salsa moves that I've long since forgotten. I would love to know more because it was really fun, not to mention a great workout!

10. What's the worst news you've ever delivered to someone?
I can't think of anything off the top of my head.

11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.
I learned that I loved Auburn. When I first moved to campus I was 17, almost 18, and it was for band camp two weeks before school started. As my parents were moving me into my apartment, I had to go to my first day of college band practice, and y'all, I was a little fish in a big pond of flag twirling college girls. I was so used to being one of the best twirlers at my high schoool, and at the college level, I was just another flag. Everyone was so nice, but I was so overwhelmed at the difficulty of the twirling that I didn't think I could ever learn what they were doing. At one point our flag captain said, "Now tomorrow when you come back you're going to learn this" and then proceeded to twirl a flag like I had never seen done. My first thought was, "Tomorrow they may be learning that, but I'm not coming back!" I then went back to my apartment, pulled my parents into my room, and told them that I wanted to go back home.

To my parents credit, they told me that I had made a commitment and that I had to stick it out, but that if I wanted to come home after the semester was over then we would discuss that later. I cried and begged and pleaded, but it was no good. My parents left me in Auburn and I was outraged! How dare they not care enough to take me home! Well, as I'm sure you know, I ended up living in Auburn for 4 years, and was a part of the Auburn band for 2 years, and I loved it! Parents really do know best, even when they have to teach a lesson by showing tough love!

12. New variation on an old question: If there's a song in your head that just won't get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?
Zac Brown Band, Toes: I got my toes in the water, toes in the sand / Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand / Life is good today, life is good today ...

Have a great day!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

I love my boys....

Exciting Knight Family News!

I've been holding out on y'all, but I finally got word today that I was free to share the good news.

Jackson is going to have another little cousin! Jeremy's sister Amy and her husband Adam are expecting their first child in March! We are just thrilled for them, and Jackson is so excited about having another cousin. Please pray that Amy has an healthy pregnancy and that baby Knight will go easy on his/her Mama! Amy and Adam are going to be great parents, and we look forward to meeting baby Knight in March!

Headache World Is Not Nearly As Fun As Wade's World

I've been dealing with near constant headaches for the past few days, so I feel as though I'm fresh out of fun things to blog about, unless you want to hear about throbbing pain, but I doubt many of you would be interested in that.

• I could tell you about how much fun Jeremy and I have been having playing Family Feud on facebook. That game is so much fun, even if someone of the answers people give are ridiculous!
  
  
• Or I could tell you about the joy it was having our internet and phones out for 5 hours today. Bundling internet, phone and cable sounded like a great idea until we realized that if your provider goes down, your phone won't work for you to call them and say you are having a problem with your service!
  
  
• Or I could tell you about how I saw someone smoking today while filling up their gas tank. Doesn't everyone realize that is not a good idea, unless your idea of fun is blowing up?
  
  
• Or I could tell you about how much fun Jackson is having playing with his Mr. Potato heads right now. Even a headache can't stop me from enjoying watching him play, especially when he's playing the part of Mrs. Potato head!!

Y'all have a great day!

A Blissfully Boring Weekend

We had a perfectly boring weekend here at Wade's World. Friday was not much fun dealing with the pinched nerve in my arm, but I'm glad y'all enjoyed Jeremy's guest post! I'll have to get Jeremy to post more often for me, especially since all I had to do was hit the publish button. That's my kind of blogging!

As for the pinched nerve, I got it Wednesday night at church when I picked up Jackson the wrong way with my left arm. I didn't feel it right away, but by late Wednesday night it felt like someone had frogged me really badly in the back of my left arm, to the point that I could barely move my arm. It bothered me really badly Thursday, and by Friday I was feeling miserable. I ended up leaving work sick on Friday after I learned an important lesson about taking prescription strength anti-inflammatory medicine on an empty stomach, and then spent Friday night recovering from my pinched nerve and had a migraine to top it all off. It was terrible! Jeremy took great care of me, and by Saturday morning my arm was feeling much better, with the headache mostly gone. Other than my headache, there really wasn't much that went on this weekend, which is fine with me. After last weekend's busy birthday weekend, we welcomed the downtime.

Here's our weekend in a nutshell...

We started off Saturday morning with a trip to...

And we enjoyed their ham and cheese omelets with sour cream. It was so delicious!

Then we headed over to Nana and Tata's house to enjoy the pool...

Then we went to Walmart to buy stuff for our trip...

And we got to enjoy a new "Jackson Original" from Sunday School!

This one is a dinosaur, and Jackson drew it all by himself!

All in all, it was a perfect weekend, and I loved spending it with my two favorite boys!

This Post Brought To You By Jeremy

Due to Amy being unable to write her blog today, I feel it is my responsibility as her husband to at least attempt to write something that hopefully she will approve of. Where do I start? Well, if you’re wondering what’s wrong with the bloggy queen, she possibly has a pinched nerve in the tricep area of her left arm from toting Jackson around, and needless to say, is not in the mood to type right now.

Being the trained husband I am, I have been doing what I can to help out with cooking and cleaning. Just call me Mr. Belvadere. Amy is the most amazing wife and mother that anybody could ask for. She’s also a great writer and loves telling of the many escapades of our family, especially Jackson. Amy has told me on numerous times how much she loves reading all the blogs she follows, and feels like she knows each family personally, to the point that she would travel far and wide to meet some of you that she keeps in close contact with. I’m fine with her traveling to meet her bloggy buddies as long as they are footing the bill!

I know this post isn’t as funny as what you are used to reading from Amy, but at least I kept true to her form today by doing a post each day of the week. Heaven forbid she miss a day. *sarcasm* With that, I’ll shut up and wish everyone a wonderful day and weekend.

P.S. This is the first time I have ever written anything on a blog and reading what I just wrote, I hope she has not lost any readers from this post. Hopefully Amy will be back soon!

4 Years Old, But Going On 21

Jackson has been 4 years old for a grand total of 6 days, and already we've heard the following things around our house:

• When I get 21, I want a Batman-Monster Truck birthday party.
  
  
• When I get 21, I'll be older than you, and then I'm going to tell you what to do!
  
  
• When I get 21, can I watch Daddy's Robot movie? (Transformers)
  
  
• When I get 21, I want to be the Incredible Hulk for Halloween!
  

And finally my favorite....

• When I get 21, then I will wipe my own hiney after I poo-poo!

One day he's going to hate me for this post!

And let the record show, the kid knows how to wipe his hiney, he's just being lazy! Have a great day!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

We had a great birthday weekend with Jackson. It's crazy to think that we have a 4 year old! Enjoy the pics!

Jackson loved his birthday balloons!

Mimi and Adam with the birthday boy!

Papa, Gigi, Mimi, Adam and Jackson

Jackson wearing his new "4" shirt from Nicki! We loved it!

Jackson's pirate ship cake

Pirate decorations

Party table

Singing, "Happy Birthday" to Jackson. Check out that shy little expression! Love it!!!

Jackson's friends! It was crazy fun with all those kids running around!

He loved opening his birthday presents (and now our house looks like a tornado has gone through it!)

Nana, Tata and Jackson

Papa, Gigi and Jackson

KK, Jason, Luke and Jackson

Mommy, Daddy and Jackson (I love this shot!)

The Moore, Gibson and Wade families, with the birthday boy!

Happy Birthday, Jackson! We love you!!!

My Little Picasso

When I picked Jackson up from Sunday School the other day he had a surprise for me! He drew me a picture of a turtle! I know I'm slightly biased, but I think it's the best black and purple turtle that ever was! Jackson told me that his teacher Mrs. Gini helped him with the flowers and the sky, but he said "I drew the turtle and the water all by myself!"

He really is growing up way too fast...

We're Now The Proud Owners of a 4 Year Old!!

Our little man is growing up! We had such a great birthday weekend with him! This is how Jackson woke up Saturday morning on his birthday:

That's 36 balloons for the birthday boy! Jackson came sneaking into our bedroom Saturday morning and said, "Mommy, you have got to come see what's in my room!" I went in there with him, acting shocked and surprised the whole time, and then Jackson said, "Mommy, I have no idea who made this mess, but I love it!" Jackson thinks Santa Claus brought him all the balloons, and I didn't even try to correct him. The balloons really made for a fun way to start the day, and it's something I'll probably do for many years to come.

We had Jackson's birthday party at the YMCA Saturday afternoon, and Jackson had 40 people there to celebrate his big day! We had such a good time enjoying Jackson's special day, and to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family really just made it the perfect day.

I'll post pictures soon, but for now I'm going to call it a day and keep spending time with our special little man. Have a great day!

Dear Jackson,

In December 2005, after 9 months of trying to get pregnant, your Daddy and I were thrilled beyond measure to find out that we were blessed to be expecting. We spent the next 8 months joyfully preparing for you to join our family, and we couldn't wait to find out what kind of person you would be, and who you would look like. Well, as it turns out, you look exactly like your Daddy, and more often than not, you are shy just like your Daddy.

But Jackson, there's so much more to you than what meets the eye. You are such a fun and spunky kiddo! You, now at 4 years old, are so incredibly smart and perceptive; your Daddy and I can't trick you at all! You are sweet and loving 99.9% of the time, but when you give us that 0.01%, you really let us have it! You love to cuddle with us, especially when it can delay bedtime even for a few minutes! You are loving, kind, generous, and above all else, you are such a lovable stinker, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

I always tell you that I love you from the top of your head, all the way down to the bottom of your feet, and while that covers just about everything, it doesn't come close to describing the depth of my love for you. I really do love you through and through.

Happy 4th Birthday Jackson! I love you!

Love,
Mommy
-

24 Hours And Counting....

In 24 hours my little man will turn 4 years old! He's enjoying the countdown by asking me 8559 times a day, "Am I 4 yet?" and Jeremy and I are enjoying the countdown by packing 24 goodie bags, getting cupcakes for school, buying birthday presents, stocking up on food and drinks for the party, cleaning the house for company, washing laundry, cooking supper and making sure everything is done before the fun starts!

Come to think of it, we were probably doing the same thing 4 years ago, minus the cupcakes and birthday presents!

So I'm going to take a bloggy break today and go sit in a corner and cry over the fact that my baby is growing up. Y'all have a great day!

Really?!?

The other night I had a killer headache and was lounging on the couch trying to relax. Jeremy came into the room, and in a moment of weakness that I can only blame on the tremendous pain radiating from my head, I relinquished the remote control. For as long as I've known Jeremy he's always wanted to share his movies with me. The problem lies in the fact that our movie interests are very different, and I generally view his movie choices as torture and vice versa. So on this night as I lay there with my eyes closed trying to ease the throbbing in my head, Jeremy began to channel surf. After a few seconds I heard him say, "This is such a great movie. You'll love it!" Imagine my delight when I open my eyes and see this:

Clearly he's learned me inside and out during our almost 9 years of marriage...

Me: "I'm not watching Rambo."
Jeremy: "But this is such a good movie. It's the last in the series, don't you want to know how Rambo ends?"
Me: (Dumbfounded Silence)
Jeremy: "See, Rambo is just back home in the United States and----"
Me: "Stop. I'm not interested because believe it or not, I don't care what happens to Rambo."
Jeremy: "But he--"
Me: "Doesn't matter....I don't feel good, my head is killing me, and I really don't need to know anything about Rambo. Please find something else."

So Jeremy begins to surf and once again I hear, "This is such a good movie. You'll love it!"
I open my eyes this time and see this:

Obviously he's not getting any warmer...

Me: "Jeremy, you have got to be kidding me."
Jeremy: "But this is the one where---"
Me: "Let me guess...Rocky fights someone? It doesn't matter to me. I'm begging you to find a movie we both like."
Jeremy: "Fine. But when Rocky goes to fight--"
Me: "You're killing me."

So Jeremy begins to surf again and then I hear, "This is such a good movie. You'll love it!" I open my eyes this time and see this:

I give up.

I promptly got up and went to bed with instructions to wake me when he found Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman or Dirty Dancing because clearly he's sadly mistaken if he thinks that Rambo, Rocky or Maverick star in any of the movies I love!

Dear Sperry,

LL Bean circa 1994 called and wants their duck shoes back.

There are some things just better left in the past...

Please Be In Prayer....

Jeremy and I got a phone call during lunch today to tell us that our new sister-in-law, Lacey, lost her mother tragically to a sudden heart attack this morning. I can't begin to imagine what Lacey is going through, but my heart is broken for her. I ask you to pray for comfort and peace for Lacey, her younger brother Jake, and her new husband Ben as they walk through this tragic turn of events. Ben and Lacey will celebrate one month of marriage tomorrow, and I know they would appreciate your prayers.

Putting The Girls In Their Place

I went bra shopping Sunday afternoon and as usual left feeling frustrated and ill at the people that make and design bras. I'm rather blessed on top, to the point that my cups runneth over, and for as long as I can remember bra shopping has been a stressful, and occasionally tear-inducing event. It seems that I'm always stuck in "Old Lady Braland" where the only bras are white, black and beige, but I'm going past rack after rack (pun totally intended) in "I'm a Perky Size B Cupville" where bras are found in a rainbow of colors, fabrics and cuteness, and I hate that. It drives me crazy to see how many bra designers don't make sizes larger than a C cup, despite the fact that there is a huge (no pun intended) market for cute bras for blessed girls. I'm tired of getting stuck trying on medieval inspired bras with itchy fabric, 2 inch wide straps, and 5 hooks in a "minimizer" design, just so I can keep the girls in place. So, speaking for busty girls everywhere, here's the deal...

I don't want to wear a neon colored bra that is going to show designs through my clothes, although a few color choices would be nice...

I don't want a bra that has enough padding to stand up on it's own. If I'm shopping for a DD bra, I'm pretty sure I don't need any extra padding up top. True story; I tried a bra on once that was so padded that when I looked down my chin disappeared into my cleavage. I'm all for support, but you can have too much of a good thing.

Ironically enough, having too much of a good thing is what has gotten me into this dilemma...

I don't want a bra that's sold in a box, even if it can provide 18 hours of comfort...

And I especially don't want a bra that makes me look like I'm smuggling torpedoes.

And what's up with the lines that come across the front of the bra. There is no way to hide that under a shirt. Can you say, seamless?

Basically, I want a beige, seamless, underwire bra with less than 3 hooks, that makes me look like Heidi Klum, minus the wings and rhinestones, for less than $30.

Is that too much to ask?

Weekly Confessions

• My sleep habits have been disturbed by Shark Week. Every night I'm having dreams that I'm being attacked. You might think that I would quit watching, but you would be wrong.
  
  
• I was eating lunch at Cracker Barrel the other day and a lady walked up to me to give me her business card. I looked at it and saw that she was a psychic. If she was worth her salt in the psychic world she would have known not to waste a business card on me.
  
  
• I accidentally hit a squirrel the other day with my car. It was so traumatic, both to me and the squirrel I'm sure. It was pouring rain, and the cute little fellow ran out in front of me. My front tires missed him, but unfortunately he was no match for my back tires. Sadly, my 13 years, 10 months, and 11 day record of never hitting an animal was gone in the blink of an eye.
  
  
• I went on my first solo speaking engagement yesterday with my new job. It went great! I was really nervous beforehand, but it couldn't have gone better. It's amazing at how relaxed I got once I realized that I could in fact hook the projector and laptop up correctly. After that it was a breeze!
  
  
• We went out for hibachi last night. When I told Jackson where we were going for dinner he said, "Mama, you have no idea how happy that makes me! The place that makes the fire is my favorite in the whole world!" He may not look much like me, but that is my child through and through.
  

Anything you need to confess?

Jackson and Daddy

Jeremy was off from work Tuesday and he and Jackson spent the day together. I cracked up when I heard some of the things Jackson told Jeremy during the course of the day. The morning began when Jeremy and Jackson headed to the park. They stopped to get some drinks and when they got to the park Jeremy only got one of the drinks out of the car.

Jackson: "Daddy, where's my drink?"
Jeremy: "You're going to share with me."
Jackson: "That's awfully nice of you Daddy, but no thanks. I would rather have my own drink."
Jeremy: "...."

After feeding the mean ducks at the park from Jeremy's shoulders...

Jackson: "I told Mommy those ducks weren't going to bite me!"

Jeremy: "That's because you were on my shoulders. The ducks were trying to bite me!"

Jackson: "Well....they didn't bite me!"

Later that day...
Jackson: "Daddy, why are you wearing a pink girl shirt?
Jeremy: "I'm not."
Jackson: "Uh-huh. That's a pink girl shirt and I don't like it."
Jeremy: "Your Mommy picked this shirt out for me, and it's not a girl shirt. It's just a light pink polo shirt."
Jackson: "Well...it looks like it came from the Sassy Cricket."

Even later...

Jackson: "Daddy, when I get to be 29 I'm going to be older than you!"

Jeremy: "I'm always going to be older than you."

Jackson: "Well, I'm still going to be older than you, because I'll be 29 and that's old!"

And finally...
Jackson: "Look Daddy! I can brush my teeth and scratch my head at the same time!"

They really do make life so much fun!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Jackson has become a little fish at Nana's pool, and he loves every second in the water! Enjoy the video!

So I'm A Little Busy Right Now

Between addressing birthday invitations and shopping for Jackson's party to purchasing a new camera battery and deciding which trip insurance to get for our cruise, while attempting to get Jackson to play in his room without making a mess, this picture of our little guy taken at Ben and Lacey's wedding pretty much sums up how I'm feeling right now...

So if y'all don't mind, I'm just gonna catch up with y'all later! Mmkay?

Weekend Wrap-Up

• I had a end of the year pool party for my 5th and 6th grade missions class on Friday night. Jackson came to hang out with me and he was the hit of the party. He was showing off in front of my girls every chance he got! Now, thanks to the girls, Jackson is a master at doing jumping spins off the diving board. I'll post videos soon!
  
  
• Our church did "My Jerusalem" mission projects on Saturday. There were tons of options to pick from like painting, cleaning schools and yard work. I chose to go to a local assisted living home and play bingo with the residents. I had such a good time. I met tons of fun and spunky senior ladies, many of whom were well into their 90's, who were just a mess! We took lots of bingo prizes, and the residents were so appreciative of us coming and spending a few hours with them. But you know what? I had just as good of a time as the residents did. In fact, I loved it so much that I'm planning on going back in a few weeks with my missions class.
  
  
• Taking a three hour nap on Saturday afternoon is just about the best feeling ever. That is until it's midnight Saturday night and you're still wide awake from sleeping so much in the afternoon.
  
  
• Speaking of midnight; As of midnight on July 31st, my service on nominating committee at church officially came to an end. I served a three year term a few years ago, and a year or so into my break I was asked to come back onto the committee as chair to fill a vacancy. That means that I served almost 5 out of 6 years on the committe, the last two of which I was chairman. I have never been so happy to see the clock strike midnight, and I'm sure if you were listening closely you heard my shouts of praise being lifted up!
  
  
• I found out that stepping on a McDonalds Optimus Prime transformer will hurt like a son-of-a-gun, and will leave a very unique impression on the bottom of your foot.
  
  
• And I'm sick of the heat. It's been hot as Hades here in the South, and I'm beyond ready for cooler weather, because frankly, I'm tired of sweat running down into places that it has no business being. Nuff said!
  
  
• And Jackson is sleeping in big boy underwear tonight! He's been dry for the past week or so, and we're ready to give it a shot. Keep your fingers crossed for us that we've bought our last pack of night-time pull-ups!
  
  
• And apparently God told Jackson the other day that there's going to be a baby in my tummy and it's going to be a little boy. There was no timetable given on his prophecy, but you better believe that my curiosity has been peaked! I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
  

Did you do anything fun this weekend?