Weekly Confessions

• You know you visit your favorite hibachi restaurant a little too frequently when the Japanese waitresses greet your children by name, order your "usual" food for you without you having to tell them what you want, and your youngest child runs up to hug our favorite waitress, Tinky.
• The biggest intersection near my office is sucking the life out of me. It doesn't matter which direction I'm coming from, but I get stuck at a red light every single time I drive through it. And it's a long light cycle, like 5 minutes coming from one direction. The worst part, the light is cycled so shortly coming from my direction that only 5 cars can make it through  before it turns red again. It.Kills.Me.
• I pay the bills in our house, and somehow the water bill completely slipped by me this month. When I realized that it had gotten lost in the shuffle, the bill was 10 days late. It's a wonder our water was still turned on.
• My cellphone battery bit the dust. Or my phone has bit the dust. The phone won't charge, even though the battery is showing that it is charging. Is that completely confusing? I've bought a replacement battery for $7 before shelling out $100 on a new phone, but apparently I opted for horse and buggy delivery method because the battery isn't scheduled to arrive until September 10th. It's a smart phone intervention, completely against my will. I don't know how I will handle it.
• I'm beyond stuck on level 125 of Candy Crush. I'm almost willing to pay someone to pass the level for me. Either that, or I need to quit because I never knew candy could hurt this bad.

Prayers for Katie

 

Please be in urgent prayer for this beautiful baby, Katie. She's the 4 month old granddaughter of my neighbor, and the daughter of one of my high school band friends, Joe. She was found at daycare yesterday not breathing and airlifted from our local ER to Children's Hospital in Birmingham. As of now they are saying near SIDS. She looks good and is holding her blood pressure and temp on her own. She is taking some breaths on her own also. She is still on a ventilator and unconscious, but she has very little brain activity right now.

 

Please pray for God's healing hands to cover this precious child, and to give comfort to his Mom and Dad (Tara and Joe), her big sister, Anniston, her grandparents and extended family. 

Update: Baby Katie passed away today, 8/28/13. Please pray that God blesses her family with a peace that passes all understanding in the midst of a heartbreaking situation.

 

The Weekend In Review

• I took Jackson to a water park in Birmingham on Saturday. We had a great time, just the two of us, and ran into some friends that made the day even nicer once we got there. Our boys had so much fun playing together, and my friend and I were able to talk while the kids played. Super fun day!
• We have a pile of laundry that could rival Mt. Everest that needs to be folded. How four people can make that much dirty laundry is beyond me!
• Jackson and Anderson have bunk beds now! We've moved the beds into Anderson's room, and sadly, his toddler bed has been unassembled. He did great sleeping on the bottom bunk last night, and Jackson loved sleeping on the top bunk. We are planning on turning Jackson's room into a play room, and having the boys share a room. It's a work in progress for sure!

Random Friday

• 19 days until Disney, not that I'm counting or anything ! ;) I'm not great at keeping secrets, but I'm so proud of myself for not spilling the beans to Jackson. He has no clue about the Disney trip, and it's going to be such an amazing surprise!
• I'm taking Jackson to a water park tomorrow to celebrate his first week of second grade. So excited!
• Heading to the lake next weekend for Labor Day, and I'm also super excited about that. I love being on the lake with my family, and the boys will have a blast on our friends new pontoon boat.
• I just realized that we only have 1 free weekend between now and Disney. Remember the "I'm too excited to sleep" Disney commercial from a few years ago? Yup. That's me, and we have 19 days to go!

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Second Grade Success!

Three days in, and second grade has been a success so far. Jackson has loved his teacher, the reading dugout, making new friends, and his classroom. The only thing he hasn't liked? The fact that I made him wear a polo shirt for the first two days! Here are a few pictures of his classroom and our second grader. Enjoy!

 

 

It's gonna be a great year!

First Day of Second Grade!

Jackson starts second grade today, and we are so excited. He’s going to do amazing, and we absolutely love his teacher. She was our first choice for this year, so that makes this mama happy, happy, happy.  I asked Jackson the same interview questions that I did for first grade, and at the end of the year I'll ask him the same questions and see how he changes over the year.

What is your favorite subject in school? PE.

What is your favorite thing to eat for school lunch? Macaroni and cheese.

What did you like about Mrs. Hurst's classroom? I like it a lot because it has a dugout where we read with all the major league baseball team stuff. We also have a gecko that we get to name.

What is going to be the best thing about second grade? Cause I'm in 2nd grade we are the oldest kids in the school. And I'll be the only 2nd grader at daycare.

What do you think about having homework? I don't like it.

What is your favorite color? Blue and orange.

Are you nervous about school? Yes.

What are you nervous about? I don't want there to be any bully's.

How many friends do you think you will have? Everybody in my class.

How many girlfriends? (Insert blank stare.) NONE.

I can’t wait to hear about his first day!!! I’m so nervous for him, but he will do wonderful. Wish him luck!

Dear Jackson,

 

Dear Jackson,

 

Happy 7th Birthday to my favorite big boy! It's been a whirlwind it seems that has somehow fast-forwarded time seven years already. How is that even possible? One minute you were a 8lb. 4oz. teeny little baby with a head full of black hair, and here you are now, weighing in at 51.5 pounds, missing 2 bottom teeth and have gotten so tall that you seem like you are nothing but legs, growing gangly and tall.

 

Jackson, I can't even put into words how proud I am of you. You are an amazing son and brother, and you lighten my life in ways I didn't know were going to be possible seven years ago. You are kind, compassionate, sensitive and so loving. You have the funniest sense of humor and you are able to reason in ways that sometimes I wish weren't possible, like when you try to talk me into letting you stay up past your bedtime! You, my sweet child, love your Lord with such a sweet, childlike faith, and I have been thrilled to watch you grow in your relationship with your Heavenly Father.

 

We have something that we tell each other all the time: One of us will say, "love you" and the response is always, "love you more" and the response to that is, "love you most" and the response to that is, "not possible."

 

Jackson, it's not possible for me to love you more than I already do. You and your brother have my heart in the way that only a mother can love her children. There is nothing in the world that I wouldn't do for you, from swimming the deepest oceans, to crossing the hottest desert. I will always love you to the moon and back a million times through.

 

Love always,

Mom

 

 

Snuggle Time...Or Not.

Sunday afternoon I laid down in the bed with Anderson to take a nap. He had fallen asleep for a few minutes in the car on the way home from church and woke up as soon as I got him out of his car seat. I had hoped that he would doze back off, so we laid down together in my bed.

Anderson cuddled up to me, and I thought he was about to fall asleep when he flipped over and snuggled right up to me, so close that our noses were touching. We sat there like that for a minute when he reached his precious, chubby little hand up and started softly rubbing my check. He kissed me on the tip of my nose and said, "lu lou" which is Andersonese for "love you." It was such a sweet moment, and I was filled with sheer wonder about how much I love my boys. I was sitting there thinking about how quickly they grow up, getting all sentimental and sappy on the inside, and y'all, I swear that my ovaries were twitching with the thought of possibly having another baby just so I could experience this moment again.

And just like that, sweet moment over, Anderson flipped back over, sat up and shook his hands at me (baby sign for "all done", indicating that in his opinion, nap time was over. I wrestled with him for the next hour trying to make him understand that nap time was not over, but eventually I lost the battle.

I got up out of the bed, beyond sad that my chance to take a Sunday nap was long gone. Before I made it to the kitchen to get Anderson a snack the tick-tick-tick sound of my biological clock was long gone, and I was left with the sound of two rambunctious boys squealing with excitement that nap time was once again over.

It's a crazy life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Even a long Sunday nap.

Live From Jacksonville

Jackson has gotten to the age where he seems to be like a real person, instead of a little kid, and he has said some of the funniest stuff lately. Here are a few of my favorites:

After getting behind a chicken truck...

Jackson: "Daddy, where are they going with those chickens?"
Jeremy: "The farmer is sending them to the chicken factory where they make them into chicken that you eat."
Jackson: (In horror) "Why in the world would any farmer do that to their pets?"

On his future career of choice...

Jackson: "I've pretty much decided that I'm going to be a Prattville Police Officer when I grow up. I think I can handle it."

On Shark Week...

Jackson: "Shark Week is definitely not a good time to be at the beach!"

On Anderson's lack of potty training...

Jackson: "I have no idea what y'all are going to do to ever get Anderson to quit using diapers."

On his upcoming birthday....

Jackson: "Wellllllll, aren't you going to wish me a Happy Birthday?"
Me: "It's not your birthday."
Jackson: "How about we just make today my birthday and let me be 7 already!"

That big boy of mine is an absolute mess, and I treasure him more than words could ever describe!

I've Never (Round 2)

• I've never gone sky diving, bungee jumping or parasailing. (Not sure that I ever will do these. Too many horror stories recently to put it on my bucket list.)
• I've never made an official bucket list. (Probably something I need to do.)
• I've never eaten sushi. (Have no desire to try it.)
• I've never swam in the Alabama river. (Lived here my whole life and to my knowledge I've never put a toe in the Alabama river.)
• I've never had anything other than my ears pierced. (Well, I had my upper ear cartilage pierced in high school, but that's still ear related.)
• I've never purchased a purse that was over $30. (And I never will.)
• I've never owned a pair of shoes that was over $100. (They were my Timberlands that I got when I was in 7th grade. I still have them, and they still fit. So my parents have almost 21 years into that investment.)
• I've never eaten rhubarb, Dijon Mustard, or cauliflower. (Don't really know what rhubarb is, hate mustard of all varieties, and I would much rather stick with broccoli than attempt cauliflower.)
• I've never been deep sea fishing. (Definitely something I want to do when the boys get a little bigger.)
• I've never done a back dive into a swimming pool. (I've taught so many people how to do back dives into the pool, but I can't do one myself. I'm deathly afraid of hitting my head on the diving board and drowning. Although logically, I know I can't hit my head doing a back dive, but I still can't/won't do it.)

Anything else you've never done?

I've Never....

Here are 10 things I've never done, and my thoughts behind it in parenthesis.

• I've never been to New York. (Can't wait to go. I would hop on a plane today to the Big Apple. Unfortunately, Jeremy has been and never wants to go back. I'm trying to talk him into letting Jackson and I go on an amazing Mommy-Son trip since we both want to go, but he refuses to allow that. Scrooge.)
• I've never been to Washington D.C.. (Can't wait to go. Hopefully we will take a family trip around the time Jackson is in 4th or 5th grade so he can appreciate the history of the city.)
• I've never smoked. (Never will. )
• I've never been called for jury duty. (Would love to serve on a jury. That alone will probably mean that I will never be selected. Too willing and eager.)
• I've never had anything published. (Hopefully in the future this will be something I can cross off my "I Never" list.)
• I've never had a baby without being induced and having an epidural. (Never will.)
• I've never performed CPR or the Heimlich maneuver. (Although I was a lifeguard back in the day, thank God above that I never had to do a rescue, perform CPR or the Heimlich maneuver, although I'm still certified.)
• I've never donated an organ. (Weird thing to post, I know, but I've been on the kidney and bone marrow donor transplant list for years and despite my O-negative blood status, I've never been called up to be tested for an organ donation. Maybe one day I'll get to give the gift of life to someone if they need it!)
• I've never left North America. (I've been to Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and St. Thomas, but never left North America. One day I want to go to Africa and Australia, and maybe Italy and Germany, but that's about it for international travel for me.)
• I've never eaten a Whopper. (Whopper, Jr., yes, but not a full size Whopper. No desire to.)

What's something you've never done?

Heading To RA Camp!

 

Jackson is heading to Lad and Dad camp today with Jeremy and he is so excited! The camp is about 100 miles from our house, and he's going to be able to hike, swim, do "boy" stuff like archery and cooking a meal on a buddy burner, meet missionaries and tons of other stuff. He and Jeremy are going to have a blast, and I can't wait to hear about the fun he's going to have. Keep them in your prayers for a safe trip and lots of fun!

Best Wednesday Commercial Ever!

Growing Up Wayyyy Too Fast!

 

Jackson lost his second tooth last week.

 

He goes to RA camp for the first time this week with Jeremy.

 

He starts 2nd grade in less than a month.

 

Anderson is almost 2 years and 2 months old.

 

He moves up to the 2 year old Sunday School class in 2 weeks, and he's already moved into the 2 year old class at his school.

 

He's growing like a weed and has personality to boot.

 

Time? I'm gonna need you to slow down, because this Mama can't handle all this change.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

I'll Take My Monday With A Side Of Random

• Jeremy worked this weekend, and I headed on the 4 hour round trip drive to the meeting point for us to get Jackson back from his week in Mississippi. Anderson and I were to leave at 9:30 in the morning on Saturday, and Anderson decided at 9:00 to take a nap. That, my friends, was the start of my day! He cried for an hour of the trip: 30 minutes going, and 30 minutes coming home. Good times! On the plus side, I was glad to have Jackson back. I've missed my big boy!
• Jackson has decided to make up for not seeing us for a week by talking non-stop since he got home. There has been more than a few times the past couple of days that I wished (partly) that I wore hearing aids just so I could turn down the volume. Please don't judge me.
• By 8:00 last night I was done. I had been with the boys virtually all weekend by myself and I holed myself up in my bedroom with the iPad and Netflix and chilled. It was divine!
• I have a big problem eating salads that have fruit on them. I like my salads with cheese, grilled chicken and blue cheese dressing. Fruit has no place with lettuce. I like my fruit plain. Fruit doesn't need dressing up. It is enough all on it's own. Unlike me this past weekend.
• I got a new maxi skirt this week and I'm loving it. I'm contemplating going back and getting a few more in different colors. Long, comfy, and I don't have to worry about my legs being shaved!
• It has rained here everyday for roughly the past 3 weeks. Good news for our water bill, bad news for our jungle thick grass. I'm googling specifics for an ark in case we need to build one soon. Do you know where I can get gopher wood?
• I ordered custom Mickey tie-dye shirts for Anderson and my parents for our Disney trip about a month ago (to match our shirts from a year ago), and they finally came in. You haven't seen cute until you have seen a size 2T Mickey tie-dye shirt. Loving it!
• I've lost a total of 68 pounds from my highest weight, and my goal is to lose 17 more before Disney in September. That would put me back down to my high school weight. I don't know that I can do it, but it's not going to hurt to try. It will, however, hurt my wallet to buy more clothes because, y'all, nothing fits me anymore. It's a good problem to have, but it's a problem. I need to win the lottery because my wardrobe is sparse.

That's it for today. Y'all have a great Monday and I'll catch up with you later!

He's 2 Alright!

So far today Anderson has: 

1. Woken up at 4:30 and refused to go back to sleep unless he was being held.

2. Woken me up by cramming his pointer finger up my left nostril to depths I didn't know could be reached short of having a flu test.

3. Eaten 3 separate breakfasts.

4. Stripped nekkid from the waist down and refused to let Jeremy or I put a diaper and clothes back on him. 

5. Pitched 3 fits for not getting his way. 

Yep....he's 2 alright!

Weekend In 50 Words

Rain, rain and more rain!

Weekend in Hattiesburg, MS with Jeremy’s family.

Had an amazing time!

Left Jackson for a week at Camp Papa and Gigi.

Anderson has only child syndrome right now.

He is rotten!

Clean report from the dentist this morning!

Swimming laps tonight, if it doesn’t storm!

Montgomery Biscuits Bat Kid!

Jackson was the honorary bat kid of the game last night at the Montgomery Biscuits baseball game, and he had such a good time. As bat kid, he got to throw out the first pitch, give the ump water during breaks, yell "play ball" before the game, and play catch on the field. He loved it! He did great throwing out the first pitch, and he loved all the special attention that he got from the Biscuits staff and players. We will definitely have to sign up again next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reunited And It Feels So Good!!!

I've known Allison since I was 6 years old, and she was 4. We practically grew up as sisters, with us being 2 years apart, and each of our younger sisters being 2 years apart, and I view her parents as a second set of parents. So it was me, Allison, Kellyn and Crystal. We lived next door to each other through most of high school, and then her parents moved to the other side of town, and eventually to Denver and now live in Arkansas. Allison's younger sister, Crystal, still lives 5 minutes away from us, and we are still super close.

 

Allison married Jason, and the two of them begin the journey of an Air Force military family, being stationed in Salt Lake City, Italy, and now Alaska.  Through the years they have added 3 precious boys to their family, Chase, Zachary and Eli. Allison is a great mom, and has done amazing with the solo parenting that comes with being a military spouse, including spending her first winter in Alaska alone with the boys while Jason was on TDY. This past weekend Allison and her crew came back to town to stay with her sister and we got to spend some precious time reconnecting with each other. I haven't seen Allison since Crystal's wedding 2 years ago, but like always, it was like time had stood still. We met up at my parents house Saturday night for hamburgers, hotdogs and swimming, and then went to a Biscuits game last night and enjoyed hanging out with all of our kids. Between us 4 girls, we have 5 sons and 1 daughter, so it was a funny and wild weekend!

 

We have a friendship that has withstood the test of being miles apart and not seeing each other for years, but nothing will come between the two of us. She has, and always will be, a sister to me, and I will love her always!