(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

It’s that time of year again!!!

Easter Weekend Recap

We had a great Easter weekend! We enjoyed a wonderful Easter egg hunt at our church on Saturday morning and then saw our church’s Easter program, The Sacrifice, on Saturday night which was wonderful.

Sunday was a great day at church and then a super lunch at my Mom and Dad’s house. Jackson hunted for Easter eggs and we all ate way too much candy. Enjoy the pics!

          

Ask Jackson Anything Answers

A few days ago I opened up the first ever round of “Ask Jackson Anything.” Jackson is super excited about answering his questions. Here goes!

Kay asked: What's your favorite thing to do with your little brother? Play with him.

What would be the "funnest day ever"? I would get up before my parents and watch tv. Then I would have a pop tart for breakfast. And then I would play with a four wheeler. I would also be in charge.

How old do you think your mom is? 31. (And he’s right!)

How old do you need to be to drive? 90 years old.

What sounds like a super fun job for a grown up? Be a fireman or a super hero.

Do you like pickles? Yes, but only the circle ones.

Nana asked: What's your favorite color? Red.

Favorite football team? Auburn.

Favorite place to eat?  Jose’s Cantina and McDonald’s.

Favorite place to go to play? The park with the pond.

Favorite food? Chicken nuggets.

Are you excited about going to 1st grade? Yes! I can’t wait!

Do you have fun making your brother laugh? Yes!

Can you ride a bicycle? Yes, but I have to have training wheels.

Can you kick a football? Uh-huh.

Can you read? I’m the goodest reader in my class!

Favorite book? Transformer books.

Esther asked: If you could be a super hero, who would you be? The Incredible Hulk because he’s super strong!

That’s it for today! Y’all have a great weekend!

Ask Jackson Anything

You asked for it…Because I’m still taking a couple of days off, my favorite 5 year old has agreed to answer any questions y’all come up with for him. Make ‘em good! He’s a smart kiddo, and he has an answer for just about everything!

Can A Girl Catch A Break?

In the past few months we’ve dealt with so much illness around here:

Ear infections…

Thrush…

Tubes…

Dehydration…

Colds…

Sinus Infections…

RSV…

And Hand, foot and mouth disease…

As if all that, coupled with Anderson’s 2 hospitalizations wasn’t enough, Jeremy was diagnosed with shingles on Friday and Anderson was diagnosed with strep and pink eye on Sunday.

Let me just say that a strep diagnosis on April Fools Day is just cruel.

Y’all, I’m not going to lie when I say that I’m struggling. I’m tired and just emotionally drained. I feel like our family can’t catch a break, and as a Mom I’m just worn out. It seems as though it is just one thing after another right now now with no end in sight. And yes, I’m completely aware that it could always be worse. I’ve been reminded of that plenty of times lately, but frankly, having yet another person point that out in the midst of yet another illness doesn’t much help me.

So I’m going to take a couple of day off. I’ll catch up with y’all soon, and I would greatly appreciate your prayers. Much love….

An Interview With Jackson

Because he’s only going to be 5 once, and according to him, he has an answer for everything, I present to you an interview with Jackson:

Where do clouds come from? “Clouds come from snow and they  are made out of water.”

What is your favorite thing about school? Recess.

What is the yuckiest food in the world? “Corn on the cob.”

What is the best thing about being a brother?" “I like to be a good brother.”

What is your favorite color? “Red.”

What is your favorite toy? “My racecars.”

Now for the tough questions….

Who would win in a fight, Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk? “The Hulk because he has bigger muscles than everybody.”

Who is the best Super hero? “Incredible Hulk.”

What do you think about global warming? “I don’t know what you are talking about. “

Who is going the Republican primary, Romney, Santorum or Gingrich. “Gingrich.”

What do you think of Obama? “He’s a bad one.”

What do you think of Obamacare? “I don’t like it.”

Are you a Republican or a Democrat? Republican because God just made me that way.

Clearly he’s following in his Mama’s footsteps!

That’s all for today! Y’all have a great day!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

I love the Duggar family. The end.

Wise Beyond His Years

Jackson: “I was talking with my friend at school and I told him that I’m rich. I am rich, right?”

Me: “Well, you do have some money.”

Jackson: “But even if I didn’t have any money I would still be rich.”

Me: “What do you mean?”

Jackson: “Even if all my money was gone I would still be rich because I have a great Mommy and Daddy and the best little brother ever, and I love my entire family. I’m pretty lucky!”

Me: “I’m the lucky one, ending up with a great little boy like you…”

Happy Birthday, Cameron!!!

Today is Jeremy and my sweet nephew Cameron’s 1st birthday! It’s hard to believe that he came into this world under 5 lbs! We are super excited about heading to MS next weekend for Cameron’s birthday party, and we hope that he has an amazing day with Amy and Adam! We love you little man!

Happy Birthday Cameron!!!

Our Little Leprachaun

Anderson was hospitalized again yesterday due to his RSV and hand, foot and mouth disease. Both of these viruses are enough to put a kid into the hospital, but combined it has given Anderson’s immune system a run for its money. Both pediatricians we have seen said that they have never seen these viruses at the same time in a child, and right now Anderson is a pretty sick kiddo. He is in isolation right now, not so much for visitors, but for the germs a visitor might bring into the room. He doesn’t need to be exposed to anything else in his weakened state.

Our biggest concern right now is his oxygen level; it keeps dropping below 90 and we can’t go home until  he is of oxygen for 24 hours. Right now we have a long way to go….

Forget a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow; right now I just want a healthy baby boy. Please keep him in your prayers.

Beware The Ides Of March

I learned today that the Ides of March should come with a stronger warning than just, “Beware!”

This Ides of March should have a warning that says, “Beware!! Proceed with caution!! Or better yet, just stay in bed!”

Our Ides of March started at 1:00 in the morning when, for the second night in a row, my sweet Anderson decided that he wanted to get up and play for a couple of hours. Loudly. Even better, Anderson was pretty dead set that he wanted company.

When we finally got him back to bed it felt like 5 minutes later it was time to get up for the day.

That was when we found lots of new spots on Anderson’s face, from the hand, foot and mouth. After further inspection we found that his entire little body is covered in pinprick size red dots.

Needless to say, life is not super fun around our house. Between a super snotty nose from the RSV and a bad cough, to these horrible little bumps, we are beyond ready for Anderson to feel better. He’s been a trooper, but we need a healthy house again.

Please say a prayer for us that life gets back to normal soon! Y’all have a great night!

5 Year Blogaversary Giveaway!!!

5 years ago today I started this teeny tiny little blog with this post. It was a goal of mine to keep track of things that were going on in our lives (because I don’t scrapbook), and for family that didn’t live near by to still have a chance to see Jackson on a regular basis.

When Wade’s World began we had a 7 month old and here we are, already 5 years later, with a 5 1/2 year old and a 9 month old. What a change! Life was good then, but we had no idea how sweet life would be 5 years later! I have had such a good time blogging my way through life, and I’m so thankful for the friendships that I have formed through the blogging community, some of which will last a lifetime!

To celebrate my 5 year blogaversary, and thank each and every one of y’all, I’ve got a surprise giveaway for one lucky blog reader! I can’t tell you exactly what it is, but it’s good! If you are dying to know what you what the giveaway is, an email me at auflag (at) yahoo (dot) com and I’ll let you into my little secret!

So here’s the deal on the giveaway; It’s open today, March 14th through Sunday, March 18th at midnight. It’s open to US residents only, and you don't have to have a blog to enter. Just make sure that I have a valid email address to contact you if you win (you can leave this with your comments). The winner will be selected by random, and you have 3 business days to get back in touch with me. Everyone can have up to 5 chances to win (make sure they are separate comments), and I’ve made it super easy for y’all! Here’s how you enter:

1. Leave me a comment telling me something random about yourself.

2. Leave me another comment telling me how long you have been reading Wade’s World.

3. Leave me yet another comment telling me what the weather is like right now where you live. (I told you I’m making this easy!)

4. “Follow” Wade’s World over there on the left side of your screen and then leave me a comment. If you are already following then leave me a comment telling me that.

5. Leave me a surprise comment. It can be anything!

That’s it y’all! I hope you enter my giveaway, and I thank you so much for sticking around with me for 5 years now. I’m super appreciative!!

Earning 49th Place In Education

I spotted this window in a restaurant in east Alabama. I’m not naming the restaurant because:

1. I don’t want to embarrass anyone.

2.  (More important than 1) There aren’t many restaurants in this city and I don’t want them to spit in my food when I go back.

I just had to share. Gotta love education in Alabama!

Wild And Wooly

Check out that hair! Does it get any cuter than that? I think not! This was Anderson after he woke up from a nap a few days ago. Crazy stuff, huh? Anderson is now 9 months old and I went and found a picture of Jackson at 9 months old to compare.

You can definitely tell that they are brothers, but there is no denying that Jackson looks just like Jeremy and Anderson looks just like me!

I’m been so blessed by two amazing boys, and I am so proud that I get to be their mama!

Sleeping Like A Baby…Or not

I have been having major sleep issues lately. It started when I was pregnant with Anderson and I thought that my troubles were just because I was pregnant, felt like a beached whale and overall just miserable. Now I have a 9 month old and the sleep issues aren’t any better. I wish I could say that Anderson was sleeping through the night but he, much like me, can’t seem to make it through a complete night of sleep.

My trouble isn’t falling asleep; I can do that anytime. My issue is staying asleep. Lately I’m afraid that I have retrained myself to wake up at 3:00 (usually to go to the bathroom) and after that I’m done. I toss and turn until I finally give up and get out of bed. When my day starts around 3-4 in the morning it’s hard to not feel completely exhausted by 9.

I’ve tried a sleep mask, taking a warm bath before bed and going to bed earlier, with not much benefit.

I’ve also tried Benadryl and while I do sleep better, I don’t want to come to rely on it for sleep every night. I don’t want for Benadryl to become a crutch because of days like today; here it is at 5 and Anderson and Jackson are both up already (who knows why) and I feel like I’m in a fog that I can’t get out from under because I haven’t slept the Benadryl off.

I’m at a point where I’m just exhausted and grumpy and I don’t know what to do. I’ll take any advice you have. Consider me a desperate woman!

Vegas Bound!

It turns out that 2012 has some big travel planes in store for us; Jeremy is going on a company trip to Vegas and I get to go with him! We are super excited. It’s our first trip flying anywhere together, and neither of us have been to Vegas before. The trip is scheduled over a long weekend in May and we can’t wait. Other than a couple of company sponsored luncheons we are free to explore. We are staying at the Paris hotel (pictured below) and I can’t wait to see all the touristy things in Vegas. I’m looking up tour info to go to the Hoover dam because I just want to go on that dam tour so bad! I’m not a gambler by any stretch but I think visiting Las Vegas is going to be so much fun. Jackson is mad that he can’t go on an airplane, but Jeremy and I are thrilled that we get to go on a real vacation alone for a change!

After our Vegas adventure we are taking Jackson out of school for a day and heading down to the Alabama gulf coast to spend the weekend at the beach. Jackson is dying to go to the beach and we will be able to visit before the summer season rates go through the roof. I’m a little nervous about taking Anderson to the beach but I think he’ll be fine. Our condo has 6 pools and 1 is indoors so we can stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. Hopefully Anderson won’t eat too much sand while we’re there!

And after our beach trip is our trip to Disney World for Jackson’s 6th birthday! I’m booking the trip today and we will be traveling in September. We did decide to leave Anderson at home with his grandparents. I’m going to miss him terribly, but this will give us the chance to have a wonderful trip with Jackson and enjoy Disney to the fullest. We will only have 3 days in the parks, and we’re going to be exhausted when we get home, but I am so excited about seeing Jackson experience Disney. It’s going to be such a fun trip!

If you have any travel tips for Vegas or Disney I’m all mouse ears! I’ll take any advice you have! Y’all have a great day!

Happy Birthday Luke!!

I want to wish my sweet nephew Luke a very Happy 2nd Birthday today. Luke is one of the most fun, engaging and smart kiddos that I’ve ever met, and I’m so glad that he’s part of my family. I love that little stinker more than words can describe!!!

Happy Birthday Luke!!!!

Tubes, Tubes, Tubes

Today is the day Anderson gets his tubes put in. We have to be at the surgical center at 6:00, but we have no idea what time the procedure will start. Anderson hasn’t been able to eat or drink anything after midnight, and we’re more than a little concerned about that. A is just like me; when his eyes open he is ready for food! Jeremy gave him an extra bottle last night around 11:30, but I don’t expect that it is going to fool our little man.

Please pray for Anderson during his procedure. We’ve been through this 3 times with Jackson, so we know what to expect, we just pray everything goes perfectly. I’ll update later!

Updated: Anderson did amazing with his surgery. Dr. Knox said that his ears weren't bad at all and that the surgery will relieve the pressure he has been feeling in his ears. We've already seen today that he is being much more vocal, and other than being a little fussy and tired this morning, he's done super. Thanks for your prayers!

Happy Birthday Gigi!!!

Jeremy, Jackson, Anderson and I want to wish his Mom a very Happy Birthday today! You mean so much to us and we hope you have a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Gigi!!!

 

What I Learned This Weekend

• Unpacking from the beach isn’t nearly as fun as packing for the beach.
• Murphy’s Law of Mail Delivery: When you are super excited about a pending delivery (like, perhaps, one’s first Scentsy order delivery) the mail will always be delayed. Always.
• A baby cutting a tooth is similar to a puppy cutting a tooth. They both chew on everything and new teeth are razor sharp.
• Jackson has decided that he wants an Angry Birds pool party for his birthday this year. Good thing I have until August to figure out how to pull this off.
• Murphy’s Law of Family Pictures: We had family pictures this weekend and Anderson smiled exactly 1 time during the hour long session. He then proceeded to laugh and cut up the entire way home. Such a stinker! The pictures turned out good anyway!

Waking Up In Paradise

I just got back from a sunrise walk on the beach where I found some of the biggest seashells, completely intact. It's hard to imagine being up to my thighs in the ocean in February, but the shells were completely worth it. The water is cool but very calm and watching the sunrise over the ocean is one of the most peaceful ways to wake up. I should do this more often! Y'all take care and I'll check in later.

Beach Bound

Today I'm heading to the beautiful Alabama gulf coast for a work conference. I'm really going to miss my boys but somehow I think that powdery white sand, glistening beaches and temperatures in the low 70's might make me feel a little better about how much I miss everyone!

Yeah, I still have to work, but it's work at the beach!

A Scentsational Start

Friday night, after a super long day traveling for work, I had my Scentsy consultant launch party. It was a huge success! I had some great friends and family come out and browse the amazing Scentsy products, and they were so generous with helping me get started as a Scentsy consultant. We had 7 ladies drop by and 7 kids come with their Mama’s, so it was wild and fun, but we managed just fine. I’ve been so excited entering the orders into the website and browsing all the fun stuff and I can’t wait for my next party.

If you are interested in what Scentsy has to offer, most everything is 10% off for the month of February and there are some great deals to be had. Check out this link to my party page and let me know if you have any questions!!

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!!!

I want to wish Jeremy a very 33rd Happy Birthday today.  You are a great husband and father, and I’m so blessed that you are in my life. I hope you have an amazing day! I love you Jeremy!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

 

My Sweet (And Funny) Boys!

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Average Or Exceptional?

Sunday morning I got to experience a sermon that really spoke to me. Our pastor preached a sermon that encouraged us to be part of the “Courageous” movement and to be willing to stand up for what we believe it, even when it isn’t the popular thing to do. One of the bullet points included a phrase that has stuck with me for days now, “Average or exceptional?”

I have been thinking about that phrase constantly since then. Bro. Bruce was wanting us to think about what kind of person we want to be, and whether or not we want to be an average or exceptional person. For me I immediately got to thinking about every part of life that “average or exceptional” can apply to:

Do I want to be an average or exceptional wife?

Do I want to be an average or exceptional mother?

Do I want to be an average or exceptional daughter?

Do I want to be an average or exceptional sister?

Do I want to be an average or exceptional friend?

Do I want to be an average or exceptional employee?

Do I want to be an average or exceptional Christian?

I  guess I’m a point in my life where I’m tired of settling for being average in regards to anything.  If I’m only shooting for average, then I’m selling myself short in so many ways. Average is only 50%, which is failing miserably. I should want to seek out perfection in regards to what kind of person I am to the people around me. I don’t want to be just an average wife/mother/sister daughter/friend or employee, and I certainly shouldn’t want to be just an average Christian. Every single person I encounter deserves better than average, and my Heavenly Father deserves far more than that. I wrote the words “Average or Exceptional?” on my bathroom mirror as a constant reminder to strive to be an exceptional person in every aspect of my life, and I feel like “average or exceptional” is going to be my mantra for this season in my life.

"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message):

A Scentsational Giveaway!

If you are the observant type you might have noticed a new icon on my blog, right over there on the left column. After much prayer I have decided to become a Scentsy Consultant!

Scentsy is known for “wickless” candles, in more than 80 different scents. Their warmers use a light bulb to warm the wax so you never have to worry about an open flame or soot, so they are so much safer around kids and pets. Scentsy has full and mid size warmers with amazing scents to choose from; wall plug ins, room sprays, travel tins with fragrance, perfect for places like lockers, Scentsy buddies, small stuffed animals that have openings for scent packs, fragrance foam hand sanitizer, and Scent circles that are perfect for hanging in your car and so much more. As I type this my house smells like “Welcome Home,” a perfect mix of cinnamon and spice and let me just say that it is Heaven on earth!

I’m hosting my Launch Party next Friday night and because everyone loves a giveaway, I’m going to give one lucky reader a surprise little gift featuring one of Scentsy’s amazing scents. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Head over to my Scentsy webpage and browse around to find the perfect scent for you. Make sure to pick carefully because your surprise will probably be in your favorite scent!

2. Come back over here and leave me a comment telling me your favorite. It’s that easy!

You can get a 2nd entry by signing up to receive my newsletter, just leave that in a separate comment.

You don’t have to have a blog to enter, just make sure I have a valid email address to reach you if you win. The only catch is that you must live in the US. I will leave the contest open until midnight on Feb 17th and a winner will be chosen at random. 

Good luck and get busy checking out Scentsy!

FTC Disclosure: The giveaway product will be an item I purchase for the winner of this contest based on their fragrance selection with my own hard earned money. I was given no special consideration or compensation for writing about or using this product.