The Bayham Family

Alive and Kicking

2012-02-07T20:50:00.007-06:00

It's been awhile. A long while. But I'm still alive. And this baby is kicking now! I began feeling the faintest of movements last Monday night. I was laying on the sofa, the lights were out, it was totally quiet except for the crickets and frogs singing their songs in the night. I was talking to Seth on the phone. And that little baby was just a moving.

At 16 weeks I'm still braving waves of nausea and waiting on that burst of energy that accompanies the second trimester. Still braving. Still waiting. But, as my doctor reminded me today, I'm almost halfway there! I'm not sure if that made me want to laugh or cry. I just know I'm ready for July to be here. But I'm sure I've already mentioned that more than once. At least I didn't lose anymore weight since my last appointment. I gained a little back, but I still technically haven't gained any weight during this pregnancy. And, considering that I'm starting to "show" now, that seems nearly unreal to me. The heart rate was 152 today. And the sonogram is scheduled for February 28. No, we haven't changed our minds. You'll still have to wait until July!

I've had much on my mind lately and began several blog posts but never posted them. I started this blog shortly after Mason was born as a way to easily post pictures and stories of Mason for my parents to read. It then evolved into my own personal digital scrapbook of saving memories of my children and our family. And, at times, it has been an outlet for just mothering. I do not intend to stray from the original purpose of my blog, but I find lately the Lord really burdening my heart to put words to some of the things He has placed in my heart. And this is one of those times.

Last week someone commented that there's no way she could be a stay-at-home mom. She further clarified her statement by saying, "This is the most unproductive I've ever felt in my life. Everything's done, and I'm just sitting here watching talk shows." This comment was made by a working mom who was taking the day off to care for her sick toddler. Now. I'll be honest. I was so grieved when I heard this. No. I'll be even more honest. My feathers were ruffled! And then I felt grieved. I also have to say that I know this mom. I know she's a great mother, and I know she loves her children with all that's in her! I also have a feeling that she probably didn't mean this comment in the way it came across. But I just can't help but give a shout-out to moms everywhere, stay-at-home moms in particular.

I've had the privilege of being a stay-home-mom for nearly seven years now. And there's nothing in the world I'd trade for it! There's nothing I'd change. There's no where else I'd rather be right now. Has it always been easy? No. Is it glamorous? Well, depending on your definition of glamour, probably not! Are there days when I just want to pull my hair out (and maybe a little of theirs, too)? Absolutely! Have I ever complained about being a stay-at-home mom or wished I was a working mom instead? Unfortunately, yes. And that's when the Lord has ever so gentle changed my heart.

I have a college degree and completed several graduate level courses before Mason was born. I worked a full-time job in corporate America before Mason was born. Life at home is a lot different than life at work. But here's what I will tell you.

My life as a stay-at-home mom is ANYTHING but unproductive. Sure, I'm not writing any strategic management plans or inventing a cure for horrible diseases. I'm not solving any of the world's harshest problems or performing life saving surgery. Instead, here are just a few of the things I've done this week (and I emphasize FEW):

I sat on the sofa with Hannah Kate and rubbed her head. She'd thrown up three times already between the hours of midnight and 3am. She was exhausted. We were not saying anything, not watching anything. But I was praying over that girl, asking the Lord to bring healing to her body. Unproductive? Petitioning the heavenly Father on behalf of my children (as I do at many spontaneous times during the day) is perhaps the most productive thing I can do for them!

I watched Mason's "tricks" on the trampoline. Unproductive? Giving that sweet boy my undivided attention and affirmation made him feel like the most important thing in the world. More children need to feel that important. Because they are.

I played tea party with Hannah Kate. Unproductive? Those tea parties are a wonderful opportunity to teach manners, poise and etiquette, something that we could use a lot more of in our society today.

I helped Mason with his homework and have listened to him read numerous stories and books. Unproductive? That boy wants to be a dentist when he grows up. And one day he'll thank me for helping him get there.

This afternoon Hannah Kate wanted to listen to one of her CDs so I popped it in for her while I was cooking supper. Unproductive? It was a kids' praise music CD, and there is nothing like hearing your 4-year old singing, We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus . . . And then she just belts out the chorus . . . We cry holy, holy, holy . . . Now that's pure, genuine, untainted, authentic WORSHIP. My heart swelled straight to the throne room of the heavenly Father. I can't wait to go back there tomorrow! Some folks say you can't worship anywhere else like you can worship at church. But I beg to differ. They haven't been to my house!

I could go on and on . . . waiting at the end of the driveway each day for Mason to get off the bus, playing board games, painting fingernails and toenails, pinning coloring pages and works of art onto the refrigerator, grabbing the goldfish off the top shelf in the pantry, throwing the ball so Mason can get in some batting practice . . . it may not seem like much to anyone else, but there are at least two children (and really three because I think Connor thinks I'm pretty cool, too!) who think I'm a rock star. And that's what it's all about.

As for watching talk shows and TV . . . I honestly didn't know talk shows even still exist! I have no time during the day to watch TV, and I couldn't even tell you what's on TV at any given time (except for Dora, which comes on at 9:00 and happens to be Hannah Kate's favorite cartoon and Olivia, which comes on at 2:00 and happens to be what Hannah Kate will watch if Connor is napping so I can have a few minutes to work on my Sunday School lesson or monogramming orders). Besides, I am not here to watch TV. I am here for my children, my family. For me, and for me alone, if "everything is done," and I'm just "watching TV," I have not done my job!

Believe me, my days are full of activity, and I really cannot remember the last time I went to bed with everything on my to-do list accomplished. I can tell you right now that my floors need mopping, and the kids' bathroom needs cleaning. I just haven't had time to get to that this week. I won't finish laundry before going to bed tonight either. Again, today was anything but unproductive, even with all the things that went unfinished. And I haven't even listed the major projects on my list that I just haven't had time to get to . . . like the brand new serger that I got for Christmas that's still in the box, the craft closet that needs to be organized, the mudroom cabinets that need to be purged . . .

So many times people are shocked to hear me, someone who is at home all day, list so many "undones." But, again, I'm not here for me. I'm here for these children. That's the ministry the Lord has given to me during this season in my life. And I love it!

So if you are the stay-at-home that feels unproductive, that feels like you aren't doing anything, aren't making a difference . . . the stay-at-home mom that just hates it . . . the very first thing I would encourage you to do is talk to Jesus. Tell Him all about it. And I know He'll do for you what He's done for me.

You are not alone! There have been many times that I've felt like I must be the only mom dealing with a particular problem or challenge. And then I'll talk to another mom who just so happens to share the same thing or be experiencing the same thing. It's so refreshing to know I'm not alone. And neither are you! There are other moms who are going through the same thing, who feel the same way! Reach out to other moms. We're all in this together, whether we're a stay-at-home mom or a working mom. There are also so many fantastic "mom groups." I would recommend Mothers Of PreschoolerS if you're looking for fellowship and fun. You can go to their website and find a chapter near you. Many of the larger churches have mom groups and mom Bible studies. These are often detailed on their websites, or you can just give them a call. If you're looking for an in-depth Bible study, I have to give a shout out to Bible Study Fellowship. One of the best things about these organizations is that they provide childcare, too, a lot of which doesn't cost anything. There are so many opportunities out there for you, so many things you actually couldn't do if you were not a stay-at-home mom.

It's also my opinion that all moms are pretty amazing and talented. I have many stay-at-home mom friends who have "opened up shop," so to speak, from the very comforts of home . . . photography sessions, music lessons (piano, guitar, voice), sewing cute kids' clothes, making wreaths, interior decorating, fashioning jewelry . . . and the list goes on! There are so many fun things you can do if you need to put your "mom hat" aside for a few minutes. And I would encourage you to do just that!

Mothering - whether stay-at-home or work - is important. It is imperative. It is necessary. It is priceless. Last week a mom friend called me and was just heartbroken over some decisions her teenager had recently made. Just today another mom friend called me and was torn over the decision as to whether to continue working or quit her job to be a stay-at-home mom for her three children in elementary and middle school. And there was the mom a couple of weeks ago who just poured her heart out regarding the discipline and behavior of her preschooler. So, if that's you, be encouraged! If you're struggling, if you don't know what to do, just cry out to Jesus. He loves you, dear mother, and He sees you. He knows just how important the task of raising these children is; it's near to His heart, too.

Having said all of that, how about a picture of two of the blessings I have the joy of mothering:

Judd Davis

2012-01-23T20:19:00.002-06:00

Guess who became a BIG BROTHER today?!

Rob and Kristi welcomed Judd Davis this morning shortly after 8:00EST. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. I just love this picture of Jones reaching for his new best buddy.
That's one proud Daddy!
And one proud Mimi!
Judd Davis is all bundled up . . . but Rob said he has red fuzz on top of his head and favors Jones. As for me . . . well, I can hardly wait to get my hands on the little guy.

Gone Fishin'

2012-01-22T15:28:00.005-06:00

Remember that new fishing rod that Mason got for Christmas from Pop and Mimi? Well, he's already put it to good use! The week after Christmas, Mason, Seth, PawPaw, Barry and Abbie spent several days fishing in Cocodrie. They stayed at Barry's camp. This was Mason's first experience salt water fishing. The fish have moved up into the bayous so they didn't actually have to go out into the open water. Mason has been fishing many times on the bank of the pond but never this. I so wish I could've been there! It's absolutely hilarious to hear the stories, especially from Abbie, about his reaction to the whole experience. She said there was never a dull moment with Mason.

So here he is on the first day. I know it was the first day because he was wearing a life jacket. I'm not sure what happened to the life jacket after that. I just know it seems to be missing in many of the pictures.

The first day they were out, Seth would cast the reel, "catch" the fish and then let Mason reel him in. Seth said that the first time they caught a fish and pulled it into the boat, Mason could hardly stand it. He was running up and down the length of the boat (because obviously there's nowhere else to go) yelling, "Gooolllllllllleeeeeeeyyyyyyyy! Look at that big ol' fish!" I can just hear him now. Unlike his daddy, there's no doubt when he's excited . . . you can see it on his face and hear it, too! And here he is with one of the first fish they reeled in.They caught mostly speckled trout and a few redfish. Here's Mason with one of the bigger redfish they caught.

And here he is with a speckled trout.

He's so proud of himself! By this time, he's casting his own reel, "catching" the fish and pulling them in all by himself.

And here's Abbie. I think this was a redfish.

I don't remember how many fish they came home with, but they did good. Here's Mason and Abbie with the fish they caught on their last day out.

10 Points

2012-01-21T19:14:00.006-06:00

Well. Seth has always said he wouldn't kill anything unless it was big enough to mount. So when he called this afternoon to tell me he shot a deer, I didn't believe him. I really thought he was calling to mess with Mason because it was the first hunt of the season that Mason decided he just didn't want to go. But he wasn't kidding. It wasn't until after the phone call that the breadth and depth of his statement sunk in. If a deer was indeed killed at his hand, it was big enough to mount. So now I guess we have some new decor. I don't mind. Really, I don't. But I've been telling him for years that if we mount a deer, we also need a fish, wood duck and squirrel to go with it. I'm not kidding. Really, I'm not.

It's been a long time since Seth has been this excited. Yes. I know. He is obviously oozing with excitement . . . it's written all over his face . . . Oh. You can't tell? Well, just take my word for it. He is. If you know him, you know this is about as much excitement as you're going to get!

Memories: Christmas 2011

2012-01-15T18:58:00.000-06:00

Christmas. It seems like so long ago! But here we are. Or, rather, were.

Mason and Hannah Kate woke up to Christmas stockings and a few gifts to open.

Hannah Kate was really excited about her new pajamas and bedroom slippers. She's really into slippers these days.And Mason just throws everything into a pile on the floor and then looks through his loot.
They didn't even notice their "big" gift sitting in the back yard . . . a trampoline! They absolutely love it. I never have to "send" them outside. They always beg to go out, even in the chilly weather.

After they quickly opened their gifts and went through their stockings, we went to church. After church we went to Connor's house to exchange gifts with him. He gave Mason a Razor Powerwing Scooter. Just google it. It's a lot of fun. And he gave Hannah Kate an Easy Bake Oven! Oh my, she loves it! We've made red velvet cupcakes and pretzels. The cupcakes were actually surprisingly good. And I really liked the pretzels.

And this was the best we could do at getting a picture of all three of them.Then we went to MawMaw's house for lunch and more gifts. Abbie, Mason and Hannah Kate couldn't wait to open their gifts. And isn't that the cutest hat (I guess that's what it's called . . . ?) that Abbie is rockin?Mason got some LSU wear.And . . . the only thing he asked for this year . . . a skateboard. I have no idea why in the world he asked for that. To my knowledge, he hadn't really seen one, hadn't tried to ride one. I really tried to discourage him. He finally said, "Well, I really want a skateboard. But I know you won't let me have one." So that melted my heart. And, by the way, a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards accompanied the skate board.Hannah Kate really wanted a purple dress for Emily, her American Girl doll. So that's what she got. And Abbie really wanted the double jogging stroller for her American Girl doll, Kit. I've already asked to borrow it once the baby arrives. I mean, check it out . . .

Hannah Kate also got a plasma car. So cute. And so fun. All the kids love it, even Connor.

And then . . . Abbie and Hannah Kate were given doll trunks for their American Girl dolls.PawPaw made these trunks for them. On the left side at the top is a rod for hanging all of their clothes. There are two drawers for bows, shoes and other accessories. MawMaw even got them a little plastic divided case for earrings and such. The doll fits into the right side. And then the trunk closes.

When we got home later that afternoon, we had to open all of the Georgia gifts. The original plan was to do that on Christmas Eve night, but Seth took us to see the bonfires on the levee, and we didn't get home in time to open gifts. At this point, I was very sick. So there are only a few pictures, most of which aren't the greatest.

Mason couldn't wait to open his gift from Pop and Mimi. I thought for sure he'd be able to guess what it was by the shape of the package, but he never did.It was a new fishing rod. He didn't have a strong enough rod for catching speckled trout and redfish. The next few days he put that rod to good use, as he, Seth, PawPaw, Barry and Abbie went fishing in Cocodrie.Pop and Mimi gave Hannah Kate a jewelry box with her name on it.She was absolutely thrilled, especially with the ballerina that twirls when you open the box and the little tune it plays. She would open it, close it, open it, close it. She also told me that the music was so pretty that it would help her sleep at night!And, if you have a jewelry box, you need jewelry to go in it! So they also gave her a necklace with several charms on it, including a ballerina and charm with her initial on it.There were so many more gifts, but I didn't get pictures of everything. But just wait until you see the loot that Emily (Hannah Kate's American Girl doll) pulled in! Let's just say that her trunk is absolutely full of clothes. She has more clothes and shoes than I do!

Troy, April, Avery and Beau were not here for Christmas, but they came the following weekend. We took the older kids ice skating. Here they are in front of the "old" State Capitol building.Ice skating was a little harder this time around. The ice was a lot slicker, and there were a lot of people. Avery was so sweet to help Mason nearly the entire time.Mason and Hannah Kate had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed their gifts and time with family and friends. For me, those days were a struggle. That was definitely the sickest I've ever been. It was even more difficult because it was to the point that I couldn't really play with Mason and Hannah Kate, couldn't assemble any new toys or read directions. I couldn't be there with them like I really wanted to. But they were so sweet and so understanding.

I can hardly wait to add Baby to the picture next Christmas!

The original title was thirteen . . .

2012-01-13T22:38:00.006-06:00

. . . because today is January 13, and I'm now 13 weeks pregnant, and Mason will celebrate another birthday in exactly six months on July 13, which means the baby will either be a day old or arriving three days later . . . and the highlight of my day was another prenatal check-up and hearing the baby's heartbeat. But then there was an unexpected surprise ending that really merits a better title than thirteen. But I'm just so tired right now that I can't even think what that title would be. So here's what happened today.

Mason didn't have to go to school today because it was a Staff Development day. I woke up and washed my hair. I decided to get started on breakfast before drying it. After my biscuits were in the oven, I wanted to dry my hair while they were baking. Now several months ago, I decided to let my hair grow long again. I have a love-hate relationship with my hair, and I'm usually trying to make it do something that it just won't do. So I decided that, at this point in my life, I just need to embrace it as it is and stop wasting 30-45 minutes every time I wash it, dry it and attempt to straighten it, which really doesn't work out the way I want it to. Besides, when the new baby arrives, I won't have that kind of time on my hands anymore for awhile.

So if I let it grow long, I can wear it "wavy." It's not really naturally curly. It's wavy. But it really needs to be a certain length before I can pull it off. And, honestly, it's not quite there yet. It needs to be a bit below my shoulders. Right now it's barely below my shoulders. I was running late this morning so there was no time for the dry/straighten routine. I whipped my diffuser out and blew the waves dry. Before pulling it back out of my face, I ran to the kitchen to take the biscuits out of the oven. When I passed through the family room, Mason said (or rather snickered), "Mom, what happened to your hair?" I turned around, looked at him and explained that I was wearing it "curly" today. He said, "Well, it looks silly."

Yeah, that isn't exactly what one wants to hear. And it gets better . . . after breakfast, we were brushing our teeth. Since I had somewhere to go, I actually put together an outfit instead of wearing the lounge clothes that I always wear when I'm home. Mason looked at me and said, "Golly, your stomach is HUGE." Really?!? Mason!!! I mean . . . it's only going to get a lot bigger.

So I went to the doctor. The nausea and sickness has subsided a lot during the past week so I've been able to eat a little more. I really expected to gain at least a pound or two this time. But I didn't. At least this time I lost only one pound. The baby's heartrate was a steady 160 BPM. Dr. K listened for a couple of minutes, and the heartbeat never once wavered or skipped. It was 160 strong. My next appointment is February 7, and we have a sonogram scheduled for February 28. And, no, we haven't changed our minds. You'll have to wait until July to find out what we're having! Is this not so much fun?!

It was a good day. Then Seth took me out to eat supper. After we ate, he asked me if I wanted to go to the mall. I told him I really didn't want to because there wasn't anything I needed, and I was really tired and didn't feel like walking around. He said he thought there was an Apple store in the mall, and I told him there is. So he took me, even though I explained to him that I wasn't really prepared to go to the Apple store. He gave me "the look."

And guess what?! I said goodbye to ole Betsy . . . . . . and hello iPhone 4S!And you should've seen the look on Apple Boy's face when I pulled out my antique to trade up. That whipper snapper was a mere 19 years old and a student at LSU. He'd obviously never seen a phone the likes of mine and couldn't understand why in the world I'd hang on to the same phone for five years. Well, nothing was wrong with it! But, alas, I'm sure I was his entertainment for the day.

And you know I had to pick out a cover for my new phone. I really didn't want to get the same really cute Kate Spade black and white polka dot cover that I picked out for my friend. And this time there were a lot more choices. I knew exactly which one I wanted so I grabbed it. And then Seth nearly fell out. He told me it was the ugliest one they had, and he couldn't believe I would pick that one. He said, "Paisley is so out."

Oh really, Mr. iPhone Snob? I think you're just jealous because you have only the 4, and I have Siri now!

Well, judge for yourself. I think it's absolutely darling and fits my personality perfectly.

Besides . . . wanna know my first thought when I saw it? I wish I could find a fabric patterned like this because I think it would make the most precious pillowcase dress or ruffle pants!

In the meantime, I have a lot to learn. My bestie spent her night last night texting me her favorite apps. And I've caught my phone (and it's ugly case) in my husband's hand more than once when he didn't know I was looking. I think I'm gonna like it. I really think I'm really gonna like it.

Hannah Kate's Bake Shoppe

2012-01-11T21:07:00.009-06:00

On December 3, we celebrated Hannah Kate's 4th birthday with a baking-themed party. I can honestly say this was one of my favorite parties. It was a lot of fun planning everything, and Hannah Kate absolutely LOVED it. It's going to be super hard to top it next year.
We had sandwiches cut in the shapes of H and cupcakes . . . chips and dip . . . cupcake bites . . . chocolate dipped pink marshmallows . . . and, of course, birthday cake. My sweet friend made the cake. It was in the shape of a huge cupcake. And the top half was nothing but icing . . . a child's dream and a parent's worst nightmare! And, for thank you goodies, each child was sent home with M&M cookies in a jar and instructions for baking.

When everyone arrived, we first got ready to bake. All chefs need a chef's hat! I had printed each child's name on iron-on transfer paper and ironed it to the brims of the hats. So their first task was to make a flower for their hat using cupcake wrappers.And here are all the little chefs!After the hats were finished, we set to "baking." I gave each child half of an English muffin. They then made their own mini pizzas using Hannah Kate's favorite pizza toppings - cheese, pepperoni and black olives.Once the pizzas were finished, I popped them in the oven. Then each little chef was given a cupcake and various sprinkles and colored sugars so they could decorate their cupcakes.After everyone enjoyed eating their creations, Hannah Kate opened her gifts.There were so many wonderful gifts from family and friends . . .

And then, of course, the BIG moment came. I had set aside Hannah Kate's big sis shirt as the last gift she opened.I really don't think that in that moment she realized what was going on, what was going to happen. And I'm also pretty certain it was a shock to everyone at the party. The first reaction was, "How cute . . . Julie made her a shirt." And then the message on the shirt began to set in. There were squeals and cheers all around. And I think Hannah Kate was still a little confused at that point.

I just love surprises so it was a lot of fun to pull this one off. It was a great time of celebration for so many reasons. I feel like that, even now, the party continues!

May the best team win.

2012-01-09T18:58:00.006-06:00

Well, there's a game today . . . how can I forget? So, in the spirit of things, we donned some LSU regalia. I include myself in the "we." And Emily Bennett, too. You haven't met her yet, but you soon will. For those of you "not in the know," she is an Americal Doll.

So here "we" all are. It was the end of the day, and I know we're looking rough. But it was the best I could do with the children and the automatic timer on my camera.

My shirt came compliments of Connor. It was one of the many goodies in my Christmas gift basket. I call it my bling bling shirt. Tiny rhinestones are in the shape of a fleur de lis with a tiger paw at the top and Tigers written across the middle. I wore it all day. In public. I felt like everyone was staring at me. I know they weren't. I guess it was just an out-of-body experience.

There are some things I do not blog about. Football is one of them. I've found it's just better to leave some things unsaid. That would be why there wasn't a post about the SEC Championship game between Georgia and LSU. That's also why I'll keep my predictions about tonight's game to myself. The only thing I can honestly say is that I hope this game isn't as boring as the last one between LSU and Bama. I appreciate a good defense, but sometimes I think it can just be too much of a good thing.

May the best team win.

Twelve

2012-01-06T22:04:00.002-06:00

20TWELVE.

Happy New Year!

When I look ahead to 2012, there's really only one thing that I think will define this year for us. The new baby. There will be a Presidential election, the summer Olympics. It's a leap year. And there might be a football game coming up on Monday night that will define the year for some, my husband included. But, as for me, I'm looking forward to July!

I didn't really make any new year's resolutions this year. I never do. Well, I used to. And they never lasted beyond January 23 or so. And then I'd start over the following year with the same ones. But, really, as a child of God, I don't need January 1 for a fresh start. God tells us in His Word that we have that daily.

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are NEW every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-23

Now I won't say that I didn't reflect a little on 2011 and think about something I might want to do differently in 2012. And I did make a very short "bucket list" of things I would like to do this year. But I told MawMaw Mac (Seth's grandma) that I think I should just keep on keeping on doing what I'm doing. If I had to really pinpoint something, I'd say it would be in the area of our finances. After Mason was born and I was no longer working, I really kept us on a tight budget. I was very conscious about my spending habits and did everything I could to save a few pennies here and there. I don't do extreme couponing, mainly because we do not have any coupon-friendly grocery stores here, but I did clip and print coupons and tried not to pay full price for other items unless it was absolutely necessary. I also did a lot of comparison shopping for the best deal. Well, this past year, all of that somehow flew out the window. So this year I would like to be more conscientious about our spending habits.

I'm just glad I don't have to think about anything to do with exercising or physical fitness this time! I mean, I'm about to pack on the pounds (maybe), and there's really nothing I can do about that. Besides, I'll also have the luxury of losing nearly 20 or so of those pounds in one day! So I'd say that's a pretty good weight loss plan.

I am now TWELVE weeks pregnant. Next week will mark the beginning of the second trimester. I'm just hoping that one will go a little better than the first one has. I have had some better days this week, but today was especially difficult. I was curled up on the sofa near tears earlier this evening, but then I started thinking about this baby . . . and the way a newborn baby smells . . . and how soft newborn baby skin is to the touch . . . and the sounds of a baby suckling . . . and I just couldn't help but fill with joy. I almost even enjoyed the nausea. Almost. But, at this point, July can't get here fast enough!

It is absolutely fascinating to hear Mason and Hannah Kate talking about the baby, especially when they don't know I'm listening. It's also a lot of fun experiencing this pregnancy from their points of view. Earlier this week, Hannah Kate asked me if the "baby in my tummy is wearing clothes." I knew it was not going to be good as soon as she asked the question. So I told her no, that the baby will be naked until (s)he is born. She was horrified! She stated that we needed to get some clothes for the baby "right now." I told her that I've saved all of hers and Mason's baby clothes so the baby will have plenty of clothes to wear when (s)he is born, and she can help me dress the baby. She was satisfied with that answer, I think.

And, speaking of being curled up on the sofa . . . Hannah Kate told me earlier today that the sofa "smells like me" because that's where I am so much. I wasn't quite sure what to think about that, but I did ask her what I smell like. She, of course, didn't know. But she did at least say it's a good smell!

Next week I plan to share some of Hannah Kate's birthday party pictures, Christmas memories and a story about Mason's latest adventure.

How Great Our Joy!

2011-12-25T00:49:00.005-06:00

While by the sheep we watched at night,

glad tidings brought an angel bright.

There shall be born, so he did say,

in Bethlehem a Child today.

There shall the Child lie in a stall,

this Child who shall redeem us all.

This gift of God we'll cherish well,

that ever joy our hearts shall fill.

Merry Christmas!

I just want to feel better.

2011-12-23T16:34:00.002-06:00

And that pretty much sums up the last two weeks!

I haven't been able to blog because my computer died. Yes. Died. Thank goodness I had just barely completed our family Christmas card. I was a lot later than usual getting them out this year because I wanted to include the baby's sonogram picture on our card. But, unfortunately, I hadn't finished my monogram orders. My software is on my computer, and there was nothing I could do. So I had to return several Christmas orders with huge apologies. Not to mention I hadn't done any of my OWN monogramming! But all is well now, and I have time to at least finish my stuff.

Having said that, you haven't missed much. I vividly remember why I said when I was pregnant with Hannah Kate that I could not go through that again. It. is. MISERABLE. It will be worth it in the end. I know that. But right now I'm just ready to feel better! If I were not convinced that this baby is a gift, a blessing from our Lord, I think I would just sit down and cry.

I have so many unfinished Christmas projects, so many things I wanted to do that I just haven't been able to do. I wanted to spend a day baking goodies for our neighbors and friends. I've hardly been able to look at my kitchen during the past five weeks. The garland I bought to decorate the stair rail with is still laying in my foyer. The toppers for the Christmas trees never got done. There are decorations still in the attic that never came down. And some that did are still sitting in the garage where they were put when they were brought down. I wanted to take a trip to New Orleans one evening to see the fabulous lights display in City Park. I wanted to go for a ride on Christmas Eve night to see the bonfires burning along the levee to light the way for Papa Noel. There were several crafts I wanted to do with Mason and Hannah Kate. I never found Christmas pj's for them. Oh well. I guess the good news is that I can just save all those ideas for next year.

We have our girl name picked out but not the boy name. Seth had the bright idea that we should let Mason choose the boy name (with a little guidance, of course). So Seth and I made a list of three or four names that we really like, and we asked Mason about them. He didn't like any of them! And when we asked for his ideas, he didn't have any. The next day he told me that he wants to name the baby Mason. So I explained that we can not have two Masons. He said, "That's okay. We can call him Little Mason and me Big Mason." He was serious.

And Hannah Kate has decided that she wants a BROTHER. I really think she has very seriously thought this through. She has realized that there just might be something in it for her if she is the only girl. She's a smart one.

But now we are celebrating the birth of another baby. But this wasn't just any ordinary baby.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for EVERYBODY, worldwide: A SAVIOR has been born in David's town, a Savior who is MESSIAH and MASTER. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger. At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, peace to all men and women on earth who please him. ~Luke 2:8-14, The Message

Baby's First Picture

2011-12-13T21:00:00.002-06:00

Here (s)he is! Cute, huh?!?

(S)he is sort of upside down in this picture. The head is at the bottom right. The dark spot in the middle of the head is the baby's brain. And, moving diagonally up to the left, you can see the little arms sticking out and then the feet, which are on the top left. At 8 weeks, we have a perfect little "teddy graham."

The heart rate was 174 BPM. And the little thing was squirming all around. (S)he is about the size of a kidney bean right now.

I actually lost four pounds since my appointment just two weeks ago. I was a little surprised. I didn't really expect to have gained anything, especially since I've been sick, but I didn't expect to lose that much. But it's okay. I'm certain I'll gain that back and a whole lot more without any problem!

Negative

2011-12-12T20:15:00.002-06:00

Well. I've felt better today than I have in three weeks! I have to say that Mason, Hannah Kate and Seth have been so patient with me and this new baby. They've not had a home-cooked meal in a couple of weeks now, and Seth comes home from work to find a kitchen that needs to be cleaned and two little ones who need baths and bedtime stories. But no one has complained, and everyone is excited.

At eight weeks pregnant, this baby already has lots of stories to tell. There were three times during the first year after we moved into our new house that I thought I was pregnant. But I was not. The fourth time came in September. I was 11 days "late." But I was not excited. I was nervous.

First of all, even though I hadn't yet taken a test, I knew I wasn't pregnant. I just knew. And I was concerned because I've never been that "late" before. And second of all, even though I knew we both wanted another baby, we hadn't really talked about it in awhile, and I was (for some strange reason) nervous about telling Seth. Crazy, I know.

It was a Tuesday. Seth was working in Texas that week. So I'd decided I was going to tell him that night. I'd also purchased a pregnancy test that morning but hadn't taken it. I was surprised that evening when he called me earlier than usual. I knew something must be wrong. I could tell when I answered the phone. He'd been in an accident. It really wasn't a big deal at all . . . except he was in his company truck so that made it a big deal. He was yielding at an intersection, and the car behind him rear-ended him. The damage (he thought) was minor, and the lady who ran into him begged him not to call the police. She called her husband, and he talked to Seth, requesting the same thing. But . . . company policy . . . he had no choice. And . . . company policy . . . he'd have to go the next day for a drug test. So he was really bummed about the whole thing.

After we talked through the situation, I shared my secret with him. His reaction wasn't quite what I was expecting. He was so excited and wanted me to take the pregnancy test right then. Even though I explained that I just really didn't think I was pregnant, he was convinced there was no other explanation. So we spent the next hour talking about "the new baby," and I promised him I'd take the test the next morning.

Wednesday morning came, and I was nervous! I managed to get Mason off to school. It was also the first day of my new Bible study so I was trying to get Hannah Kate and myself ready to go. The first time I tried to take the test, of course she walked in on me. So I had to find an excuse to keep her occupied for five minutes. I took the test. It took a couple of minutes before I thought I saw a negative sign in the window. But I wasn't sure. So I waited as long as I could before going to Bible study, and it still looked negative. I was sad and also a little concerned.

When I got to the church, I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes before going inside. I decided to text Seth to let him know the test result. Now, yall know how difficult it is for me to get a text out on my antique phone. But Seth likes text, and it seemed like the easiest thing to do. Besides, I wasn't ready to talk about it yet.

Now. Another thing you need to know about me is that I love grammar. I like punctuation marks. I like capital letters and complete sentences. And commas HAVE to be in the right spot (thank you, Mrs. Mangham!). So when it comes to this texting language . . . well, let's just say I don't always get it. Seth sent me a text on our anniversary, and I had absolutely no idea what in the world it said! I had to ask him about it later. So I was trying to decide what to text him . . . since negative is such a long word, I figured I'd just do short-hand as best I could instead of texting a complete sentence. And do you know how uncomfortable that was?! So my text to him said Test Negative (meaning, of course, that my pregnancy test was negative).

I waited a minute for a response. He always responds quickly. But I got nothing. I couldn't wait any longer so I went to Bible study. Two hours later, I still hadn't gotten a response from him. And then as I was pulling out of the parking lot, it came. And can I just tell you what his response was? He said still waiting.

Still waiting?!? Now what in the world did that have to do with anything?! And then I realized . . . he thought I was sending him a text telling him to "test negative" on his drug test! And he was telling me he hadn't taken it yet. REALLY?!? Had he totally forgetten about our conversation the night before? I wasn't sure yet what I was going to do. But I finally decided to text him back. I said Waiting on what? MY text was negative.

But before he got that text, my phone rang. When I answered, the first thing he told me was that he was still driving around trying to find the place and that they wouldn't tell him anyway that the test was negative. So when he finally finished that dialogue, I calmly told him that MY test was negative. And then there was silence.

When I got home, I checked the test again, and it still looked negative. So I called my friend, a nurse at Woman's Hospital. I'm not sure what I was expecting her to tell me. But she was honest. She said the test was most likely very accurate, especially since I was so late. I wanted another explanation, but, of course, there was none.

Two months later . . . the test was POSITIVE! This time I didn't bother with a text. I put the test beside Seth's sink so he could see it when he brushed his teeth!

Baby Talk

2011-12-09T19:36:00.002-06:00

So if you haven't already figured it out, we're EXPECTING! It goes a little something like this.

Baby Bayham 3 is due July 20. But I will have another scheduled c-section. My doctor, Dr. W, initially targeted July 13 as the date; however, I told her that doesn't work for me. You can imagine her surprise. And then I explained that July 13 is Mason's birthday, and I do not want to schedule the 13th. So I suggested the 16th. But she's not crazy about waiting that long so it might be the 12th. I have my first ultrasound scheduled this Tuesday, and Dr. W said she would know more then.

Most were surprised by our announcement, and that's the way we like it! We've been trying to get this baby here for many months now, which was a much different experience for us. I mean, we just looked at each other, and Hannah Kate came along! I'm just 8 weeks along. Usually we would've waited a few more weeks before sharing our news, but the timing was just right since it was Hannah Kate's birthday, and my parents were in town from Georgia. So this is the first time we've been able to tell both sets of parents together. Besides, imagine the shock in the room when Hannah Kate pulled out her shirt saying, "big sis!" I'll have to see if I can figure out how to upload the video.

We will not be finding out the gender of this baby until he/she is born. But, if you really must know, the Chinese pregnancy calendar says we're having a boy.

Having said all of that . . . I've looked forward for many months to being pregnant again, but I was also hoping to escape the extreme nausea and sickness that accompanied my pregnancy with Hannah Kate. Let's just say that Zofran is my best friend right now, and even he is not doing the trick. I feel absolutely horrid, and it gets increasingly difficult as each day goes on to take care of Mason and Hannah Kate. But the good news is that the nausea doesn't set in until lunch time so I'm at least able to get Mason off to school without any problems. Besides, next week is his last week of school before Christmas break so we're all looking forward to that. But right now I'd just like to lay in my bed and fall asleep until the second trimester! The sickness subsided around 16 weeks with Hannah Kate and then at 20 weeks I repainted our entire house (except the bedrooms and bathrooms) so I'm hoping I'll pick up that same burst of energy this time around, too.

In the meantime, no matter how bad I feel . . . it's such a blessing to be carrying this child, especially when I thought I might never again be with child. July seems like such a long time away, and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little one with more anticipation as each day goes by.

Happy 4th Birthday, Hannah Kate!

2011-12-04T21:14:00.004-06:00

Dear Hannah Kate,

I can not believe you are FOUR years old today! It seems like just yesterday we brought you home, and you changed our world. You have been such a blessing, such a joy. And you have always been my girl ever since!
I have enjoyed everyday we've spent together! You add so much spunk and laughter to each new day. You've always had such a playful spirit, such a sweet spirit, too.

You are such a good sister, and Mason adores you. You are so smart! Your favorite cartoon is Dora the Explorer. I don't mind that too much because you can count to 10 in Spanish. Your favorite color has always been pink, but now you really like purple, too. You love to read. And you love to take care of your baby dolls, especially changing their clothes and brushing their hair. Your favorite food is spaghetti and meatballs. You love to help me in the kitchen and often ask to bake lemon maringue pie. You know all of your letters and letter sounds; you can count to 30; and you love rhyming words. You can write your name (even though the N's are still backwards). And you color the most beautiful pictures, always staying in between the lines. I love watching you color because you always make sure the girls have on some color eyeshadow and lipstick! I've watched you grow into a sweet little lady. You have such a soft and tender heart. You love Jesus, and I love listening to your prayers each night. He has big plans for you!And now you're going to be a big sister! Happy Birthday, baby girl. You've been asking for a baby to come live with us for a long time. It won't be much longer now. I look forward to sharing that journey with you, too. Our new baby is so blessed to have such a wonderful big brother in Mason and a wonderful big sister in you!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." ~Jeremiah 29:11-13

A picture is worth a thousand words.

2011-12-03T21:45:00.003-06:00

Slow and Steady

2011-11-29T21:13:00.002-06:00

Didn't someone once say something like, "Slow and steady wins the race?" I have to admit . . . I'm not a fan of slow. At all. So when we left to go to Georgia for Thanksgiving, here's where we were:
When we returned home a week later, there was definitely some progress. At least we now had scaffolding in the living room. But other than that, all I can say is that it's been slow. Real slow.

But I had a moment yesterday when I realized it's just alright. The job is getting done. And, one day, it will be done. Finished. In the meantime, I'd already told my guy I'd really like him to be done by this weekend since Hannah Kate's birthday party is on Saturday. He told me yesterday that he planned to be finished on Thursday so I'd have Friday to clean everything up and get it all back in its place. Now . . . I'm generally an optomist. And that should've been a sweet sound to my ears. But, more than that, I'm a REALIST. And the reality of the situation is that I didn't really believe him. And . . . honestly . . . after today, I still don't. He didn't get quite as far as he needed to so now he's "behind." But that's okay.

Here we are today:

Praise and Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T20:15:00.002-06:00

O MY GOD,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
then thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-man,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language to express,
for what thou art to they creatures.
Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.
~The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan prayers and devotions

This past week we celebrated Thanksgiving. Giving thanks. Our holiday was spent in Georgia with my family this year. We played, we laughed, we spent time with family, we fellowshiped with friends, we ate. And ate. But I had to ask myself this question: Am I really thankful? If so, am I living a life of thankfulness? Is thanksgiving just a holiday? Or a lifestyle?

Last Tuesday night we enjoyed the annual Thanksgiving meal at my parents' small, country church. During the past couple of years, they have begun a ministry to the homeless. They go often to Atlanta, an hour's drive. And they are involved in a homeless community ministry in a nearby, local town. One of the church members drove to Atlanta and picked up four of their homeless friends to come to church for the Thanksgiving meal. Afterwards, there was a time of singing, praise and testimony in the sanctuary. When the pastor asked for someone to share what they're thankful for, no one volunteered. But one of the homeless men did. And do you know what he said?

Through tears, he gave praise to God and talked about how blessed he is. BLESSED. Yall. He and his wife are HOMELESS. Without a home. He has no home, no roof over his head, no protection from the storm or the sweltering summertime heat, no warmth from the chill, no promise of a next meal. He said he has so much that people in other parts of the world, third world countries, don't even have. And he is blessed. He has "so much."

And then I started thinking about the MUCH I have been given . . . a new house (a nice, big house honestly), food in the pantry and in the refrigerator, health insurance for my family and I, a nice vehicle, toys that overflow my children's rooms, my husband's job that allows me the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom, family, friends . . . and so much more that I haven't even named. And yet I thought of all the times I complain, all the times I'm ungrateful, all the times I've taken so much for granted. I even felt like nothing I could say, nothing I could give thanks for could compare to what my homeless friend had given thanks for . . . after all, do I really know what GIVING THANKS is?! So many times I don't act like it.

I even found myself on the way home that evening complaining yet again about how quickly the fireplace stone job was coming along, how frustrated I'd been the week before, how aggravated I was because I thought it should've already been finished. REALLY?!? I should've been giving thanks that I even have a house and a fireplace. I should've been giving thanks that we have been blessed with the financial means to lay stone. I should've been giving thanks.

Never again do I want to say . . . I should've been giving thanks. I should've been praising my God.

"And as He [Jesus] went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: Blessed be the King wo comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." ~Luke 19:36-40

God created me. God loves me. God sent His only Son to die for me. God desires fellowship with me. God has blessed me. May the stones never have to cry out in my place!

Friday Favorites

2011-11-18T23:21:00.005-06:00

Favorite Pin - There was no time this week for pins of interest.

Favorite Activity - watching Hannah Kate's tap/ballet class

Favorite Meal - This week's meals were easy . . . either a bit pot of something or another or something pulled out of the freezer. I made red beans and rice one night, which really weren't all that great. But Pioneer Woman's Skillet Cornbread sure did hit the spot!

Favorite Quote - When Mason got off the bus this afternoon, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Now we're going to Pop and Mimi's." And then he proceeded with the following monologue: "Mama, we should just move to Georgia. I wish we lived in Georgia. MawMaw and us . . . we should move to Georgia. Then we would all be together. Then it would just be so easy. That's what we need to do, Mom. Move to Georgia."

Favorite Verse - The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ~Hebrews 1:3

And so this was another week that I just want to forget about. We are four days into the fireplace project. We've made progress. Just not very much. It just doesn't seem like four days worth. Here's where we were on Tuesday afternoon. And here's where we are this evening.Just keep in mind we have to go 20-feet high. As for me, I'm trying to forget.

Our Little Ballerina

2011-11-17T23:12:00.005-06:00

This week was Observation Week at Miss Machita's. That means we finally got to sit in on one of Hannah Kate's ballet/tap lessons. It was the cutest thing ever! I can't wait for the recital.

The warm-ups were so much fun to watch.
And then Miss Machita reviewed with them several different movements and ballet technique.Hannah Kate always talks about dancing with the scarfs . . . they flit around like butterflies, pretend it's a baby, wear it as a veil.There are 10 little girls in Hannah Kate's class. Here are a few of them waiting their turn to dance across the floor.Miss Machita is reminding Hannah Kate to keep her arms straight.And then it was time for the tap lesson, which means we had to change shoes. MawMaw and Abbie came to watch, too, and Abbie helped Hannah Kate don her tap shoes.
I videoed the dances and routines, too, but I haven't had time yet to figure out how to upload them. So stay tuned.

86 million shoeboxes

2011-11-16T21:25:00.004-06:00

We packed our shoeboxes . . . have you?

Operation Christmas Child is one of my most favorite holiday missions project. I believe so strongly in the Samaritan's Purse organization and the ministry they do here in our own country, as well as around the world. I wish I could remember the first year I packed a shoebox . . . 18 years and 86 million shoeboxes later, children in 130 nations around the world continue to receive a simple shoebox packed with gifts the likes of which they've never seen before. But the best part is that each box is delivered with love and the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.

Mason and Hannah Kate love shopping for their shoeboxes. It's something that they remember and talk about throughout the year. Last year our boxes went to Madagascar and Benin. I can't wait to find out where they go to this year!

My dream is to one day hand-deliver our boxes myself.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." ~1 Peter 1:3

Fireplace: Day 2

2011-11-15T20:42:00.003-06:00

Yall. Oh. My. Goodness. It's day two of the great fireplace stonework, and I can honestly say I am about to pull my hair out. Let's just say it's a slow process. Very slow. S. L. O. W. It wouldn't bother me so much if I could just go away and not come back until it's finished. It's just . . . inconvenient . . . having "workers" in your house. Or at least it is to me. But I just have to remember that it will be worth it when it's finished. And it will be finished. One day. Far away.

So after two (yes, TWO) days, here's our progress thus far:

Oh, and did I mention it's been only two days? Well, it seems like an eternity. The good news . . . or maybe the bad news . . . is that my guy isn't working tomorrow. He'll be back on Thursday. Will yall pray with me that maybe, just maybe, he can speed up the process a bit? I know it might seem trivial or insignificant or unimportant. But I know that the things that concern His children concern the Heavenly Father. And He wants us to come to Him with ALL things, even fireplaces.

Friday Favorites

2011-11-11T20:35:00.001-06:00

I have to be honest. There were very few favorites this week. It was just . . . rough. I don't even want a do-over. I'm just glad it's over!

Favorite Pin - The only thing I pinned this week was a printable pack from etsy for Hannah Kate's birthday party.

Favorite Activity - Decorating our Christmas trees was a lot of fun this week! Yes, I know it's early. But when we come back home after our trip to Georgia for Thanksgiving, everything is already done! Besides, I'll have my hands full planning for Hannah Kate's birthday party. And shopping with Mason and Hannah Kate for our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes was a lot of fun, too!

Favorite Meal - We had breakfast for supper one night. I made a Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole and Gouda Cheese Grits. Yum!

Favorite Quote - There isn't one particular thing that stands out this week. Instead, there are conversations. And sometimes even silence.

When we were shopping for our shoeboxes, Mason asked if we could put the Cars 2 DVD in his box. I explained to him that the boy who was going to get his box wouldn't have a DVD player or even a television so he wouldn't be able to watch a DVD. Several minutes passed before Mason said anything else. I know he was thinking about what I said, trying to understand it, trying to comprehend it. We have SO MUCH . . . it's just unfathomable that there are so many with SO LITTLE, even NOTHING.

Since this is the month of Thanksgiving, I ask Mason and Hannah Kate to each tell me one thing they are thankful for every night after we read our Bible story. The first night, Mason said he was thankful for God, and Hannah Kate said she was thankful for Jesus. Now aren't those just the perfect, "churchy" answers you'd love to hear from your 6-year-old and 3-year-old?!? It reminded me of when I was a girl . . . every year Grandmother would have a birthday cake for Jesus at our family gathering on Christmas Eve. And every year we'd light three candles on that cake. And every year she would ask each grandchild, all eight of us, what we were going to give Jesus for His birthday. I don't really remember what the answers were. But I do remember the year I said, "My heart." Well. Didn't that just thrill their hearts? And the adults oohed and aahed and smiled. And then every year after that, I think all eight of us responded with "my heart" when asked the question. I can remember one in particular, maybe two (not naming any names . . . Jennifer and Denise) who would just roll their eyes at me everytime it came my turn. The next night when I asked Mason and Hannah Kate what they were thankful for, they responded with the same thing. But I told them that they had to say something different each night and that they couldn't say what had already been said. So the past few nights have been a lot of fun.

With all of the talk about Christmas and the decorations coming down from the attic, Mason and Hannah Kate are all about it now. As a matter of fact, the other night Mason said he was thankful for Christmas. I asked him why he was thankful for Christmas, and unfortunately I got a little too puffed up, if you know what I mean. I was expecting him to respond with, "because it's Jesus' birthday." But he didn't. Instead, he was honest. He said, "cause I get presents." So I gently reminded him that even though we do get presents at Christmas, and getting presents is fun, Christmas is really about Jesus' birthday. And that's why we should be thankful for Christmas. So he thought for a minute. And do you know what he then asked me? "Well, Mama, why do you have the Christmas tree then?" Ah yes, the honesty of a child. We've had lots of teachable moments this week . . . not only for children but for mother, too.

Favorite Verse - So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taght, and overflowing with thankfulness. ~Colossians 2:6-7

So as much as I'm really glad to have this week behind me, I'm just not looking forward to next week. We have one major project left in the house that we never finished . . . laying the stone on the fireplace. I have a stone layer coming on Monday morning to start the job. It'll probably take three weeks or so. And I'm just not looking forward to it. Well, let me put it another way. I'm not looking forward to the process. But I can not wait until it's DONE.

It's beginning to look a lot like . . .

2011-11-08T19:48:00.002-06:00

Oh, yes I did!When a friend called last week and asked what I was doing, I'm fairly certain she didn't expect me to tell her I was putting my Christmas tree up! It isn't decorated yet, but it will be soon. Since we're going to Georgia for Thanksgiving this year and then celebrating Hannah Kate's birthday the following weekend when we get back, I decided to get a head start on putting my Christmas decorations out.

Hannah Kate decorated her pink tree today.Mason's tree is up, but it isn't decorated yet.

I even baked tonight's supper in one of my Christmas bakers!The wreaths will go up this weekend. And I'm attempting to fashion a pretty garland for the stair rail. But we'll see how that turns out. One of the things I'm most excited about though is the tree in the music room.

Don't worry. I have a lot of work to do. But it just might be my favorite when it's done. It's inspired by something I saw last year when we went to San Antonio and took a day trip to the quaint German town of Fredericksburg.

Even though we were living in our house during Christmas time last year, we spent the holiday in Georgia. So this year it seems like it's really our first Christmas in our "new" house. And we are so excited!

Friday Favorites

2011-11-04T18:44:00.004-06:00

Today is my FAVORITE NEICE's birthday! Happy 9th birthday, Abbie!
We celebrated with Abbie last Sunday afternoon at the ice skating rink in Baton Rouge. I had no idea there was even such a place until Abbie's party.

I was so proud of Mason! He did such a great job! He took a lot of spills and had several bruises on his booty and a blister the size of a quarter on the inside of his foot, but he's already asking to go back again. When he fell, he popped right back up and kept on going. After an hour or so, he was actually skating around quite well and didn't have to hold on anymore.
And Hannah Kate put skates on about five minutes before we left.
Favorite Pin - My absolute favorite pin this week is a genious idea for all of those precious photo Christmas cards we receive. I save all of them year-after-year, but they are all stored away in a box or albums. You can believe I'll be doing this:

Punch a few holes in the cards and bind them together with some rings or perhaps ribbon. Then display them throughout the holiday season on your coffee table.

Favorite Activity - This week was full of really fun stuff, like Abbie's birthday party and the hayride. Today I went with Mason's class on a field trip to a pumpkin patch. It wasn't just a pumpkin patch though . . . petting farm, face painting, huge trampoline, zipline, big slide, nature trail and tons of other activities.

Favorite Meal - Smokey Blue Cheese Chicken Salad Pitas with homemade sweet potato chips. Super simple but really good. Even Seth liked it! He said, "This sure is some fancy food." Really? Pita sandwiches? Fancy?

Favorite Quote - God is AWESOME! This week we talked a lot about God's creation and how strong He is. Finally, at a loss for words and wanting to say something, this is how Mason described our God.

Favorite Verse - I have to admit . . . this is hard. There were SO MANY verses this week that the Lord spoke into my soul that brought encouragement and peace and even conviction. But this is where it all started: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ~Galatians 2:20

We dressed up today.

2011-10-31T20:07:00.005-06:00

Well. Mason got off the bus this afternoon and said, "I'm going to be Spiderman today." Okay. Are you sure you don't want to wear the really cool Indian costume? He was sure. And that was that.

Hannah Kate wanted to be Tinkerbell. But there isn't a Tinkerbell outfit in her dress-up trunk so she decided to be Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) instead.

Our sweet friends invited us over for hotdogs and chili, hot chocolate and a hayride. My least favorite day of the year sure was a lot of fun!

This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
~Psalm 118:24

Friday Favorites (on Saturday)

2011-10-29T21:06:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was busy! But it was a great day! Hannah Kate and I enjoyed a Girls' Day Out while Mason was at school, and we ended the night with a lil bit of worship in the music room. But since it was after midnight before I had a chance to sit down at the computer, I figured we'd just talk about Friday Favorites today instead!

Favorite Memory - I will never forget seeing Mason dressed up in his daddy's old Indian costume. This is what he looked like on the way to school yesterday morning:
And the dozen red roses in his hands . . . those were for his teacher. He'd been telling me for a week or so that he wanted to take flowers to Mrs. E so we picked up a bouquet of flowers while Hannah Kate was at dance. All his idea!

Favorite Pin - My favorite pin this week is this DIY Christmas ball decoration. I absolutely love it because it reminds me of the special Connell Christmas ornaments. Grandmother Scott, (my great-grandmother) started making Christmas balls many years ago using those old satin balls. She would take all kinds of beads and pearls and ribbons and lace and pin decorations to the ball until it was absolutely beautiful. Grandmother continued the tradition. Grandmother's attic is full of these beloved treasures, and they decorate her tree every year. Those are the only decorations on her tree. I always thought growing up that Grandmother's tree was the most beautiful, most special of them all! Mama has a good collection of them now, including ten or so that Rob and I made one year. And Grandmother gave me several after Seth and I were married. If I had enough, these would be the only decorations on my tree!Favorite Activity - I REALLY enjoyed Bible study this week! I'm so thankful for God's Word and new friends.

Favorite Meal - It's beginning to feel a little "fallish" around here so last night I made a big pot of baked potato soup. It was perfect. But my favorite part of the meal was turkey and provolone paninies with basil pesto mayo. So good!

Favorite Quote - As usual, there are a couple of these. On Tuesday night I was trying to settle the kids down for Bible and bedtime. I was going through the usual be-quiet-pay-attention-settle-down routine. It took a little corraling, but we were finally there. Just as I opened the Bible to read, Hannah Kate piped up, "Yeah and no burping." Any and all seriousness was lost at that moment as we all busted out laughing. That's a rather fair indication of where we are with our 6-year-old son these days.

One of Mason's spelling words this week was mused. Yes, 1st grade. So I always make up sentences and try to think of funny stories to help Mason remember the meaning of his words. I explained to him that muse means to think about something. So every night at the supper table, Seth and I would ask Mason was he was musing about. Of course, Hannah Kate had to participate, too. When we were on the way to Bible study Wednesday morning, she spoke up from the back seat, "Mama, I'm thinking about going to Pop and Mimi's house. When Connor doesn't come and Daddy doesn't have to go to to work and Mason doesn't have school, then we can go to Pop and Mimi's house. Riiiiggghhhhhtttttt?"

Favorite Verse - I've been studying the book of Acts. This week we were on chapter 13. Paul was speaking in the synagogue in Antioch and quoted one of my favorite verses, Habbakuk 1:5. Look among the nations and watch- be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days whilch you would not believe, though it were told you. I am excited about what God is doing in my life, in the life of my family. I am excited about what God is doing in my community and in my church. Each of the last three Sundays, there has been a profession of faith. SEVEN people have accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior at our church during the last three Sundays. If you would've told me this last month, I wouldn't have believed it. God is at work, and He is calling people to Him. There's nothing more exciting than that!

And today is also a very special day . . . we have a sweet nephew who is celebrating his 9th birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEAU!

Like Father

2011-10-25T20:28:00.003-06:00

My least favorite day of the year is quickly approaching. Halloween. I know. I'm the only person who would just rather wake up on November 1 instead. When the children were little, it was easy to ignore Halloween. But as they've gotten older, it's become nearly impossible to ignore Halloween. Especially when my 1st grader is invited to wear a costume to school. Last year was easy. We pulled Spiderman out of the toy box, and he still thought Spiderman was cool. But I had no idea what we were going to do this year.

Sure enough Mason started talking three weeks ago about what he was going to "be" for Halloween. My original plan was to somehow invent a costume out of something we already had or perhaps a piece or two of fabric from Hobby Lobby. Have I mentioned that the window treatments I began sewing for Hannah Kate's room are still laying on my dining room floor unfinished even after the first stitch was sewn what has now been a month ago? So it's not very likely that I'm going to sew anything of a costume. Besides, that isn't going to score me any points with my 1st grader or any of the kids in his class anyway.

Last week was when Mason informed me he wanted to be Captain America. Okay. The good news is that it could be worse. It really could. Besides painting his little body a deep shade of blue, I didn't really know where to start on this do-it-yourself costume. I'm just not that creative or inventive. So when I made my weekly jaunt to Wal-Mart and the grocery store yesterday, I took a stroll through the Halloween costume aisle. They had Superman, IronMan and Batman. But no Captain America. I nearly grabbed the IronMan costume, but I knew it wouldn't suffice. So I walked around to the girls' costumes and found one Captain America costume in the wrong place. It also "just so happened to be" the right size.

So I'm checking it out to be sure everything is there. I notice the big Captain America shield front-and-center on the front of the package. Just between us, I'm pretty sure that's why Mason wanted to be Captain America in the first place. He wanted that shield. But I wasn't born yesterday. I had a sneaky suspicion, and, sure enough, in microscopic letters on the back of the package was written shield not included. Great. The costume itself was $19. And I can't even begin to tell you how that $19 was rubbing me the wrong way. Don't get me wrong. I'm not an extreme couponer by any stretch of the imagination, but I do the best I can. In spite of all that was within me, I threw the costume into my buggy. But I knew it still wouldn't suffice.

I meandered to the toy aisle to look for a birthday present and "just so happened" to find a Captain America shield. It was "on sale" for $15. I just closed my eyes and threw it in the buggy. While I made my way through the store, that extra $35 plus tax was weighing heavily on my mind. I was trying to justify it . . . Mason had such a great report card! He brought his reading score up over 4 points and had all As and Bs on his report card! And he needed to be "rewarded" for his diligence and hard work. Yeah, I'm not buying it either.

So I make my way to one of the registers and get behind another mom who had also purchased Halloween costumes for her children, one of which was a pair of camouflage army fatigues. Now I'm really trying not to be judgmental, but I was thinking, Gosh, it's a shame he doesn't have a pair of camo in his closet that he can wear instead of her having to buy that. And then I had an "aha moment." Mason has all brand new camouflage in his closet waiting on hunting season. And he's been dying to wear it, orange vest and all. So when I got to the cashier, I apologized profusely and left the Captain America costume and shield with her, explaining that I'd changed my mind.

I couldn't wait to tell Mason about my idea. I was sure he would love it! So he gets off the bus, and guess what little 4-year-old blurts out, "Mason, we got you a Captain America costume." She missed the memo. Big time. And, unfortunately, he'd already heard her. So I'm trying to shush her up, but she keeps arguing with me, insisting that we purchased the costume. It goes down something like this:

Me: No, we didn't.
Hannah Kate: Yes, we did.
Me: No, we didn't!
Hannah Kate: Yes, we did!

All of this takes place at the end of our driveway. Finally, Mason looks at me and asks, "Mama, did you really?" No, son, I did not. He hung his head and started walking.

But I wasn't finished with him yet. So I began in my most excited voice ever to tell him my idea about him going to school as a deer hunter and wearing his camouflage, even his orange vest and face mask. Let's just say he wasn't as excited as I was. He reluctantly . . . VERY reluctantly, I might add . . . agreed. And then asked a minute and a half later what he was going to be for Halloween and asked if he could be Captain America. Sigh.

So when Seth got home, I told him my idea. I was sure he would be excited. Well, as excited as Seth Bayham can get. Which isn't very excited. And, of course, he was not excited. NOT excited. Needless to say, I'm not excited anymore either. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to go back to Wal-Mart and just hope that the one remaining Captain America costume is still there. My chances are probably very slim to none.

But then Seth has an idea . . . Mason can wear the costume that he (SETH) wore to school when he was in 1st grade. I thought he was kidding. He wasn't. In fact, he left right then and went to his mom's house to find the costume. He comes back grinning ear-to-ear. Literally. There's very little that excites him, but obviously an Indian costume that was fashioned by his really cool aunt who lived in Chicago is exciting to Seth Bayham.
I'm wasn't quite sure how Mason felt about this, but he loves his daddy so much, and he wants to be like his daddy. And, of course, we had to listen to the story about how he got to wear it to school, and it was the best costume of anyone in the class. So Mason asked if he "won." And that's when it got ugly. No, he said, he got second place. Mason asked about the first place winner. Through gritted teeth, Seth tells us about the little girl in his class who came dressed as a pumpkin and won the 1st place prize for best costume. Pumpkins are cute. Really, they are precious. But the pumpkin costume was actually one of those plastic numbers from whatever store they had back then because Seth said he didn't remember there being a Wal-Mart. It's also quite obvious that this plastic pumpkin costume has scarred him for life and caused a seed of bitterness to spring up in his heart where pumpkins are concerned.

I asked him to go back to his mom's and find a picture of him dressed in the Indian costume. And when he did, he also found a picture of said pumpkin costume. He's right. He was robbed.

Like a good sport, Mason donned the Indian costume. I'm just going to be real honest here. I'm not sure that Mason even really knows what an Indian is! But he has agreed to go to school on Friday as an Indian. Here's my little satchmo in his daddy's 1st grade Indian costume.

Like father like son.

Friday Favorites

2011-10-21T12:40:00.008-06:00

Favorite Pin - Again, no time for pinning this week. But my one and only pin . . . definitely my fav!Favorite Activity - I don't necessarily have a favorite activity this week. There were so many fun, spontaneous moments. Everyday moments. I can tell you that sitting in the Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday morning to renew the registration on my Tahoe that EXPIRED in AUGUST (Are you kidding me?!? Something else to keep up with?!? I had no idea until I went to get an inspection sticker - mine expired last month - that my registration had expired because I never received a notice from the OMV and didn't realize it was my responsibility to be "in the know" about that.) for 45 minutes with two screaming toddlers that did not belong to me was not a favorite. PawPaw got us some strawberry plants this week so Mason and Hannah Kate helped him plant those in our strawberry pots. On Tuesday afternoon the temperature dropped from the mid-80s to the mid-40s so I threw open the windows so the crisp, cool air could blow through the house. I can't even begin to tell you how exciting that was! We had a really awesome time of Bible reading and devotion with Mason and Hannah Kate each night this week. I enjoyed going back to BSF on Wednesday. And, if you missed her, Dolly Dingkle came for a visit.

Favorite Delivery - My Christmas tree arrived this week! Woot woot! After last year's Christmas tree disaster, I can not wait! I asked Seth if we can go ahead and put it up. I got the look. But think about it. We'll be in Georgia for Thanksgiving this year. And the following weekend we're back in Louisiana will be Hannah Kate's birthday party. So that means I have to get all of my Christmas decorations up BEFORE we leave to go to Georgia. And October is really nearly over. November is just around the corner. So why not?!

Favorite Meal - Hands down . . . homemade lasagna! I decided this week to go back to the basics, back to our favorites, back to my roots. And this lasagna was one of the best I've ever made. But I did sneak in a new salad recipe - Roasted Red Onion Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette - that's definitely on my list of favorites for fall salads. And I also have to mention the Toffee Apple Dip. Oh. My. Goodness. We had our Women's Fellowship Meeting at church last night, and this was one of the appetizers I took; however, I think it might also fall in the dessert category, too. Cream cheese (8-oz.) brown sugar (3/4 cup), granulated sugar (1/4 cup), vanilla (1 teaspoon) and toffee bits (8-oz package). Enough said. Just mix it all together and dive into it with your favorite apple . . . my personal favorite is Granny Smith . . . or a spoon. You'll thank me later.

Favorite Quote - Mama, sometimes I'm bad to you. I have to admit . . . I had no idea what Mason was talking about when he told me this. It was Tuesday night, and we'd just finished reading Hannah Kate's choice of Bible story and were about to read Mason's. I thought maybe he'd said he was mad at me so I asked him to repeat what he said. And then I still wasn't sure so I asked him to give me an example. That's when he told me that sometimes he does bad things, things he isn't supposed to do or say. So I told him that it's okay. We all do bad things. I do bad things. And that means that sometimes I need to say I'm sorry and ask forgiveness, even from him. Then I had the opportunity to share with him about Jesus' sacrifice for us, for him . . . that's why Jesus died on the cross. Because He knew we'd do bad things, things that would keep us away from God. But now we can ask forgiveness, and it is ours. I've had several opportunities during the past few months to witness to my son about a saving relationship and belief in Jesus Christ. He's getting close; I just know it! And I continue to pray over him, to pray that he will come to a saving knowledge of Christ at a young age, that he will desire nothing else than God's best and God's plan for his life, that he will remain obedient even in the midst of temptation, that he will love God with his all.

There's another one, too.

Since it's cold out here now . . . does that mean it's deer hunting season? Mason asked me this question on Wednesday morning while we were waiting for the bus. He was disappointed when I told him it still wasn't that time yet.

And here's something Hannah Kate told me earlier today as she was browsing the latest American Girl catalog that arrived in the mail yesterday.

Mama, let's get me a computer for my birthday and then we can get on-line and pick out my doll for Christmas. Oh really? And just what exactly does my 3-year-old know about "getting on-line?"

Favorite Bible Verse - Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shown in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. ~Acts 12:7 You do not have the situation that God can not change. You do not have the problem that God can not fix. Peter's chains FELL OFF. Not to mention he was also being guarded by no less than SIXTEEN soldiers at the time. What chains do you need the Lord to free you from?

Dolly Dingkle

2011-10-20T22:39:00.003-06:00

This week was Dolly Dingkle Week at Miss Machita's. It seems that every year about this time, Dolly Dingkle wants to dance. But she prefers to do things her way. This is really just Miss Machita's politically correct way of not celebrating Halloween but still encouraging the ballerinas to "dress up" but not in coustume. So here's my Dolly Dingkle:And here's my Dolly Dingkle with the Dolly Dingklest of them all, Miss Machita:Today was also the day that Miss Machita unveiled the theme, dances and costumes for the recital.I've actually known about this for several weeks, but I kept the information to myself until Miss Machita made the official announcement. There are two recital times each year, and one class of ballerinas from each recital time is chosen to dance with their daddies. Have you figured out yet where this is going?

Yes. It is our year. Hannah Kate will dance her tap routine with her Daddy. On stage. Big lights. In a theater that seats 1,900. If you know my husband, you understand the sheer magnitude of this situation.

Last year Abbie's class was picked for the Daddy Dance so Barry was on stage. My husband proudly proclaimed that they will never get him on that stage. It would've been nice to have a year or two to break him in. But no. It's Hannah Kate's first year. And . . . it just might be her last if her Daddy has anything to do with it.

I finally broke the news to Seth last night. I knew I had to or else he would hear it from someone else. When I first told him, he shook his head no and walked away. Maybe it wasn't necessarily a good idea to bring this up on the same day he received a jury summons in the mail. So later I brought the subject up again to be sure he heard me (which I already knew he did). His response was short and sweet. No. That's what he said. No. This also comes as he's shaking his head violently back and forth. It could've just rolled right off!

So now there's nothing else for me to do . . . what can I do? . . . rent-a-dad, anyone?!? He'll be dancing with the most precious little strawberry blonde ever!To be continued at a later date. Saturday, May 5. 1:00. Mark your calendars. This is sure to be epic!

How 'bout them apples?

2011-10-19T19:11:00.005-06:00

Recently I've called my husband an iphone snob. Yes. Iphone snob.

Company policy requires that he have an iphone so they provide and pay for it while he enjoys the benefits. A couple of months ago, he came home and told me that he was getting a new phone. His phone was a 3. So I asked if he was getting the NEW phone or just a new phone. He got just a new phone, the 4, less than a month before the NEW phone, the 4s, was released. I'm not really sure what the difference is between the 3 and the 4, but let's just say we have now experienced the depth and breadth of the smartphone experience at our house. He comes home nearly everyday with a new "app." I mean, there's even an app that calls deer in the woods, for goodness sakes. He was complaining about something the other day. I don't even remember what it was. But obviously there wasn't an "app for that." There sure is an app for everything else.

Even my 6-year-old is fascinated with the "ipod phone," as he calls it. Between his cousins' ipods and his daddy's iphone, he isn't quite sure what to think. Or what to call it.

As for me . . . I do not have an iphone. So I know what you're thinking. It's nothing more than a case of old fashioned jealousy. Perhaps. But let me just show you my phone. Yes. This is my phone.For me, it is really nothing more than an alarm clock (mine got lost in our last move, and I never bought a new one so I just use my phone). The battery is, more likely than not, usually dead. I encourage people to call me on my home phone and not my cell phone because I, more often than not, don't even answer my cell phone because I don't have it with me or can't hear it. And texting . . . well, don't even go there. Most of the time, I'll just respond with an email instead. Or, better yet, a phone call asking them not to text me anymore because it's just too labor intensive and time consuming to text back! I mean, I have only a numbers pad, and it's just ridiculous trying to type out a text on the thing. Besides, I was due for an "upgrade" two years ago. I've just never done it because I really do not have time for all of that.

One friend in particular thinks this whole thing . . . the saga of me and my cell . . . hilarious. So hilarious, in fact, that she called me last Friday night and asked me to go to the apple store with her so she could get the 4s. The kids were already bathed and ready for bed so I went to the apple store. We had to wait in line only 15 minutes or so before one of the apple team members came to assist us. So my sweet friend is in the process of getting her phone, getting everything transferred from her old phone to her new phone, picking out a case (which, by the way, I picked out for her . . . the cutest ever kate spade black with big white polka dots and hot pink around the edge) . . . and she's also trying to hook me up with a new phone, too.

And, of course, the gal helping us out was a freshman in college . . . and it was obvious that she just eats and breathes apples. And not the Granny Smiths either. I'm quite certain she's never met anyone like me. Well, maybe she has, but they're probably 20 or so years older than I am. I wish you could've seen the look on her face when I whipped out my phone (it's a miracle I even had it with me!) and showed it to her. I think she was . . . embarrassed! Really, I think she was. It was almost like . . . blasphemy . . . for me to be sporting such a phone in the apple store. This came after our conversation about the ipod, which went a little something like this:

Apple Girl: Are you interested in an ipod?
Me: I already have one.
Apple Girl: Which one do you have?
Me:I don't know.
Apple Girl: What you do mean you don't know?
Me: I don't know. I have no idea. My husband got it for me last Mother's Day . . . 2010 . . . and I took it out of the case to charge it and read the book, but I never did anything else with it. It doesn't even have any music on it.

Apple Girl's jaw drops to the floor. She is speechless. I have to somehow redeem myself. So I say, "But I did create an itunes account and download it to my computer. It just doesn't have any music or anything in it."

After I whipped out my flip phone though, all redeeming qualities were gone. And now that I'm certain I've lost any and all cool points, which weren't very many to begin with, I decided to just let it all hang out. Here's what happened shortly after I blew everyone away with my ancient cell phone.

The Apple Girl begins telling my friend all about Siri. And then it dawned on me . . . it was an "aha moment" for sure. Earlier that day, one of my friends' Facebook status read, "If anyone is able to activate their iphone 4s, could you please ask Siri to activate mine?" I had no clue what he was talking about. As a matter of fact, I thought his auto-correct wasn't working and that he really mean Suri instead of Siri . . . meaning that he was cracking some kind of joke about Suri (you know, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter) getting a new iphone, and maybe it was an article on people.com . . . not that I read people.com or anything. I know. This is sad. So sad.

So an hour later, we finally make our way out of the apple store. And my friend . . . well, she's giddy. Too giddy. Even the security guard at the front of the store makes a comment to me about my "rotary dial" phone. It's obvious I made quite the impression. I couldn't wait to get home though. The first thing I did was ask my husband if he'd met Siri yet. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. So I told him who Siri is (for those of you not in the know . . . which I'm sure is probably little to no one . . . Siri is a new feature on the iphone 4s that lets you pretty much ask your phone to send a message, schedule a meeting, make a phone call, set reminders . . . and it'll actually do what you say and more. Apple Girl used my friends phone and said, "Siri, will you marry me?" Siri responded, "Marry you? I don't know you."), and he wasn't impressed. As a matter of fact, he thought I was crazier than even Apple Girl did.

So here's my plan. I'm going to wait until the iphone 5 comes out. Because I heard it's coming out really soon, even though Apple Girl couldn't confirm or deny the rumor. And then who's going to be jealous?!

Friday Favorites

2011-10-14T22:47:00.006-06:00

To be honest, I really don't have a lot of favorites this week. As a matter of fact, it might be a week I'd rather forget. Or at least move as far away from as possible.

Favorite Pin - I didn't have time to do very much pinning this week. As a matter of fact, I hardly pinned at all. But earlier in the week I was searching for some new recipes to try, and I pinned this one for Spinach and Proscuitto Lasagna:And I absolutely adore this precious fabric rosette headband! Is Hannah Kate too "old" for such cuteness?!Favorite Activity - going to the pumpkin patch with Mason, Hannah Kate and Connor

Favorite Meal - I didn't have a favorite meal this week. I didn't really care for anything I cooked, as a matter of fact. It just wasn't a good culinary week. And, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't know that the spinach and proscuitto lasagna is sounding very yummy right now either.

Favorite Quote - "In the mail," answered Hannah Kate when her Daddy asked her where the dress she was wearing came from. Because every once in a while, Hannah Kate gets a package in the mail with some dresses in it. And this time Cindy sent a cute witch boots appliqued jumper that was perfect for the pumpkin patch. Hannah Kate still has a hard time remembering who Cindy is; but she knows who the mail lady is that sends dresses "in the mail."

Favorite Bible Verse - Galatians 1:13-16a - "For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him . . ." These verses just encouraged my socks off this week. I was reminded to continue praying for those I love who do not have a personal relationship with Christ. No one is too far out of God's reach. God can redeem even what seems to us as the vilest soul, the one who is farthest away from Him. No one is "too hard" for God to save!

Wonderful Wednesday Interrupted

2011-10-12T12:59:00.005-06:00

A friend of mine started a blog a few months back. She calls it Wonderful Wednesdays. Wednesday just happens to be the day of the week that she doesn't work, which means she spends all day with her precious toddler exploring the world through his eyes and catching up on various projects around the house. She'll also tell you that pretty much any day of the week can be wonderful with her little one. But most weeks, I think Wednesday is probably one of her favorite days, if not THE favorite.

I like Wednesdays, too. As a matter of fact, I look forward to Wednesdays. I could even go so far as to say I crave Wednesdays. One of the things I knew I had to do after we moved back to Louisiana was get involved in some kind of mom's fellowship group or Bible study or something. So once we finished building the house, got used to the daily school routine and Connor got a little older, I knew it was time. It was beyond time. So about mid-summer, I began praying about what to do, where to go. I wasn't sure if I wanted more of a fellowship-type group or more Bible study. I wasn't sure if I was looking more for encouragement and support from other moms or . . . Bible study. For some reason, I didn't think it possible or probable to find both. I'd nearly decided to join back up with a mom's organization that I was active in after Mason was born, but when I talked to a friend about it, I knew it wasn't what I was looking for right now. After much prayer, I knew I needed the Word. That was the over-riding longing in my heart. So I joined a Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF) group at a local church in Baton Rouge.

I knew a little about BSF but not much. I knew that if I was looking to be emersed in the Word, BSF would meet that need. And then I found out about their children's program. While mom or grandma is in Bible study, baby, toddler and preschooler are in graded Bible study classes, too. They study the same Bible stories we do so we can later talk with our children about what we are, in actuality, studying together. They also sing Jesus songs and eat snacks and play and have a short quiet time in which they are instructed to sit on their towel and talk to Jesus in their hearts for a few minutes. So while I'm feasting on the Word, Hannah Kate and Connor are, too. And little did I know that I would also make some new friends who have encouraged my socks off in the short time we've been together. Our BSF class meets every Wednesday morning so we are up and out early.

There are two regular teachers in each children's class, and the other BSF members are encouraged to volunteer as a helper every so often. Today was my day. And I was looking forward to it. I wasn't going to be in either Hannah Kate's or Connor's class, but I couldn't wait to see just how they do it with these children. So that was the plan for today.

Last night shortly before supper, Mason was complaining with a stomach ache. I didn't think too much about it. I just thought he was hungry. He ate most of his supper before doubling over and saying he couldn't eat anymore. So he laid on the sofa until bath time. He cried his way through that, but he didn't really have any problem playing the Wii afterwards so I didn't think too much of it. And then it was time for bed. And then the moaning and groaning and curling up in the fetal position ensued. I knew his stomach hurt, but I really didn't know why. And I certainly didn't know what to do for him. So I laid on the floor beside his bed and held his hand until he fell asleep. It didn't take long. And he slept just fine through the night so I figured the stomach ache was a distant memory.

When I woke him up this morning, he immediately began complaining about his stomach again. So now there are two thoughts going through my mind. I'm wondering if there really is something to this (APPENDICITIS, anyone?!?) or if it's another case of boy crying wolf. But the whole appendix thing was really weighing heavily on my mind. I fixed him a bowl of oatmeal and brought him to the table. At that point, we had a little heart-to-heart. I have to be honest and say it wasn't one of my more stellar mothering moments. I pretty much told him that if he didn't go to school, he would be going to the doctor and that something really better be wrong with his stomach. So then he says he wants to go to school. I fix his lunch, and he eats his oatmeal. But yall . . . he is the most pitiful looking thing ever. So we have another heart-to-heart.

I explain to him that it's really okay if he's sick. And it's really okay for him to miss school (even though he has a science test today). And I will certainly take him to the doctor if his stomach is bothering him that badly. At that point, I realize he has a fever. Something is definitely wrong. Now I'm really worrying about the appendix. I call the pediatrician as soon as the office opens, and we are on our way. I even grabbed his social security card and other documents. You know . . . just in case.

I have to be really honest again. I felt so bad (guilty?!) about not being able to fulfill my commitment to volunteer in the children's ministry at BSF this morning. I called the children's volunteer coordinator as early as I felt comfortable to, apologizing profusely. She was so sweet and reminded me how faithful God is in every situation. And here I was just yesterday praying that the Lord would fill me with joy in mothering, in parenting, in this season of my life . . . because sometimes it feels like my children are an interruption to my day, to all of the projects and to-do lists I have. And I needed forgiveness for that. Yet . . . the very next day, I struggled with the interruption that this caused in my Wednesday, the commitment that I was not able to keep. I was more concerned about the obligation I "backed out on" at the last minute than I was the blessing that is my son. Yes, that warranted more time in prayer with my Savior as I drove us to the doctor's office.

So once we are there and checked in and in an exam room, the nurse comes in. She's asking a lot of questions, and I'm recalling the events of the last 16 hours or so. Imagine my surprise when she asks Mason to open his mouth so she can swab his throat for a strep culture. Yes. His THROAT. I mean . . . we were there because of a STOMACH ache. She then explains that strep can manifest itself as a stomach ache in some children. Really?!? I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but really?!?

So several minutes later, Dr. K comes in the exam room and exclaims, "Mason, you have strep throat!" At that point, I look at him and ask him if his throat hurts. He looked at me with those big eyes . . . and didn't know what to say! I mean, I'd already chastised him earlier, telling him that he better be sick if we end up at the doctor's office. And he's sick. But it's not the body part that actually hurts that's the problem! A body part that isn't hurting is the problem! He was so confused. Dr. K also said he should not go to school tomorrow. And since Friday is a staff development day for teacher's, he won't have school on Friday either. Now I'll be honest. Besides the fact that my son has strep throat (this is our first experience with strep . . . and you'll be relieved to know that WebMD also confirmed the diagnosis and stomach ache as a symptom of strep), I'm doing a happy dance because we can all use a little break from school (except for the fact that he missed a test today and will miss three tests tomorrow). Because 1st grade in intense.

And then came the shot. He howled like I've never heard him howl before . . . I don't think he realized what was going on, what was about to happen and I didn't really want to tell him. And then Hannah Kate gets upset and starts crying, too! Poor Connor is just looking at all of us like he's stuck in the nut house. We have to stick around for 15 more minutes for observation. And then we go to Target to purchase new toothbrushes and an arsenal of Clorox products to hopefully contain and kill the germs and prevent the rest of us from getting sick.

As we were walking through the parking lot, Mason looked at me and said, "Mama, I promise I was telling the truth about my stomach. I promise." That sweet boy.

Later this afternoon as I was preparing supper, I was thinking. The moment we arrived at the doctor's office, I forgot all about the interruption to my Wednesday and what plans I originally had. None of that mattered in comparison to taking care of my boy. I also felt immediate gratitude towards my Savior . . . who didn't see me as an interruption to His life . . . but welcomed the interruption I was to His life . . . and gave up everything . . . life itself . . . for me. And you.

" . . . Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross . . . " ~Hebrews 12:2a

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." ~Philippians 2:5-8

Waiting on Fall

2011-10-11T12:21:00.002-06:00

Happy Fall, Yall!

Now if only he would hurry up and bring us some cooler weather!

Impostor

2011-10-10T19:11:00.006-06:00

Look what we did last Saturday . . .

We hadn't been to a game in Tiger Stadium since Georgia came to town in 2003. My friends from Georgia drove over and went to the game with us. Let's just say it didn't end well . . . and not because Georgia lost. I promised I'd never go to another LSU game again. Seth promised I'd never wear anything but purple and gold to another LSU game. And we'll leave it at that. But I have to say . . . even though there were very few Florida fans in town (we really didn't see any tailgating, and I'd guess there were less than 1,000 in that stadium of over 93,000) . . . we heard not the first "tiger bait" tongue lashing from raucous, inebriated LSU fans (I was imagining the worst . . . a war of the words between tiger bait and gator bait) . . . and LSU seemed almost . . . respectable. Or maybe that's just because I was wearing the right color shirt this time.

I felt like an impostor though . . . like my body really didn't belong in this shirt. I had originally planned to wear black (because let's just say purple and gold are not common colors in my wardrobe . . . except for the bordeaux-colored (that's close enough to purple, don't you think?) shirt I bought a few weeks ago that's still hanging in my closet because it's too hot to wear a 3/4 sleeve shirt . . . longing for sweater weather!), but Seth bought this shirt for me Friday night.

It was super fun (even though the game really was boring . . . LSU was up 14 points after five minutes and eventually sent the Gators back to the swamp after a 41-11 beating . . . I just prefer games to be a little closer . . . it's way more exciting . . . yes, I realize I am the only person who feels that way!).

I had a near catastrophe Saturday morning though. I didn't sleep good, and it felt like the skin just below my right eye was on fire during the night. When I woke up and looked in the mirror, my upper right cheek was incredibly swollen all the way up to my bottom eyelid. No, Seth did not hit me. But I really had no idea what was going on. And my husband, being the kind, sympathetic, gentle man that he is said, "Don't worry about it. You'll be wearing your sunglasses all day anyway, and no one will see it." So I did until I couldn't take it anymore. By the time we took this picture, the swelling had gone down for the most part. I probably should have left the glasses on!

Oh, and I forgot to mention . . . we were AT THE GAME. So guess what game my husband DVR'd for us to watch later . . . oh, no, not the Georgia game that I missed the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters of . . . the LSU game . . . and what did we do later after Mason and Hannah Kate were in bed? We watched the LSU game. Again. Enough said.

GO DAWGS!

Friday Favorites

2011-10-07T19:13:00.007-06:00

So I've decided that I'm going to celebrate some of my favorites of the week on Fridays, hence Friday Favorites. These are mostly memories that I need to write down so they won't be forgotten.

Favorite Pin (Speaking of pinning, do yall pin? Ya know, Pinterest? 'Cause if you don't, you need to! Unless you have an addictive personality. And then it becomes an obsession. I'm not quite there. Yet. But only because my internet connection is about as fast as dial-up.) Actually, I have more than one favorite pin this week.This is a table tutu! How cute for Hannah Kate's room!

And this is my inspiration for the family room . . . a finished fireplace! Because ours still isn't. And I just don't like "unfinished." Kind of like the fabric on my sewing machine table that's been there since February that will eventually be the roman shades for the French doors in Hannah Kate's room. Anyway, except for the decor on the mantle . . . this will be my fireplace.

Favorite Activity - Planting pansies and the fall vegetable garden with Hannah Kate and Connor.

Favorite Meal - Well, that would have to be date night tonight at P.F. Chang's! This was the first week that Seth has been home in its entirety (definitely the best part of my week!) since July. So all of the suppers I prepared were more for him than they were for me. The spaghetti would normally be one of my favorites, but I just don't care for the whole wheat pasta noodles. But we do the low carb, whole grain thing around here. I did make white beans one day. Yes. I realize the irony of that. Low carb thing. They were the perfect consistency (according to my husband), but they were lacking in flavor. I know what I'm going to do differently next time.

Favorite Quote - "So what does my swing say, Mama? BIG Tike?" spoken by Hannah Kate after she informed me that Connor's swing had Little Tikes written on it.

Favorite Bible Verse - Acts 4:13, 19-20 - Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus . . . But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Jules: from our journey

2011-10-06T20:48:00.002-06:00

I don't know about yall, but I think Franchesca did a fabulous job on my blog makeover! She was so sweet to work with.

Now if only I could have a makeover! I did finally get my hair trimmed last week. But it's at that VERY awkward stage of growing out so I'm afraid it didn't do very much for me. Besides, I think 1st grade is getting the best of me; I probably won't even have any hair left to worry about come next May because I'm ready to PULL IT ALL OUT.

Right now I am less than enthusiastic (that would be one of our vocabulary words this week. yes. enthusiastic. did I mention we're in 1st grade?!?) about anything to do with school, especially concessions and the sticker machine. I mean . . . who has a sticker machine at school?!? Because, let me tell you . . . my son thinks that's the greatest thing ever since McDonald's chicken nuggets. And yall know how I feel about Mc(nasty)Donalds. I heard tale of this machine a few weeks ago, but I thought I'd finally ignored it enough that it went away. But no. It was only broken. And now it's fixed. Lovely. That was the best part of Mason's day yesterday. He wanted "five" so he could get a sticker. Five what? Five monies. Five WHAT? Cents? Dollars? 'Cause I sure ain't gonna pay five dollars or even one dollar for a sticker. Five cents is a nickel. So all of a sudden when he woke up this morning, he had an epiphany. "A nickel, Mama. That's it. That's how much the stickers are." So I gave him a nickel, and he stuck it in his pocket. I was pretty sure a nickel wasn't going to get him a sticker, but who am I to argue?

The first thing I hear when he gets off the bus this afternoon (not I missed you or I love you or how are you) was, "I was wrong, Mama. It's two quarters. I need two quarters for the sticker machine. I was wrong. I made a mistake." That sweet boy. There's no way I'm not going to give him two quarters for that sticker machine tomorrow.

And don't even get me started on concessions. I really think concessions should be for sporting events and not for 1st graders who sit beside the kid that brings $4.00 to school and gets a pickel, two drinks AND a Milky Way. Because my child get $1.00 every Monday that is specifically to be used as popcorn money, and he chose to get beef jerky instead. He didn't even like the beef jerky! And the following week his "popcorn money" purchased a giant Milky Way. Yall know the only thing I saw of that was the wrapper. And then this week two jugs of some sort of calorie-laden, red number 5, sugar-and-all-the-other-stuff-I-can't-even-pronounce fruit punch. So I do NOT want to talk about concessions.

So there's really no purpose to this post other than to give a big "thank you" to Franchesca! And just one more thing . . .

I spent several days jotting down catchy phrases to title my blog. But I changed my mind about that and just added a subtitle. Jules. That would be what my closest peeps call me. So my blog is all about sharing life and love from my journey as a mother, a wife, a friend, a child of God. It's really a tribute to my family, my children . . . and a way for me to journal the things I later want to remember to tell Mason and Hannah Kate. And Jules is jewels, too . . . funny stories, anecdotes, maybe a small bit of wisdom here and there somewhere, something that might one day encourage someone else on their journey . . . so jewels from our journey.

Yes, this post is obviously full of such jewels. But don't give up on me just yet. I'm just getting started!

Toes in the Sand

2011-09-26T12:56:00.007-06:00

We did go to the beach. Two months ago. And I have the pictures to prove it. I got quite overwhelmed with the nearly 500 pics I snapped this year, and it took me forever to edit them and then decide which ones to post. I guess you can never have too many beach pictures!

We went to Destin, Florida, again this year. I'll be honest. It's my favorite beach! This year was a tad disappointing though because there was a lot of green yucky floating in the water. I love the beach, but I just don't do green yucky. It didn't seem to bother Mason and Hannah Kate. But Destin is still my favorite beach!

I remember going there when I was growing up. One of my favorite memories as a child is the annual vacation my parents always took us on. Year after year, summer after summer, they always made a way for us to go on vacation. One year . . . I don't think I was in school yet . . . we went to the Smokey Mountains. I have to be honest. I've always loved the beach more! I remember going to Panama City and staying at the Fiesta Inn. I think that's what it was called. I loved going to Shipwreck Island. I remember the "haunted house." And then sometime around 4th grade or so, they discovered Destin. So that's where we went. We'd always stay at the Jetty East condo. And then when we were older . . . teenagers . . . we'd take the boat and spend a week in a cabin on Lake Burton in the north Georgia mountains.

Did I mention how much I love the beach?! So just like my parents used to do for us, Seth and I are making it a priority to take the kids on vacation each summer. And it just so happens that Mason and Hannah Kate love the beach as much as I do! Now Seth . . . well, he's probably more of a mountain kind-of-guy. But there aren't any mountains within a decent driving distance of south Louisiana. So the beach it is for us. For now.

My favorite thing? Besides spending time together, just the four of us . . . away from everything that defines our daily routine . . . is the smile plastered on Mason's and Hannah Kate's faces the entire time we are there! It's like they're discovering the beach all over again for the first time. This has been a difficult year for us. Seth's job has required him to travel a lot more than usual this year. Since January 1, he has been home only eight weeks. So we really needed this time together. I hope, one day, that Mason and Hannah Kate will look back on our time together at the beach as fondly as I do of the days I remember with Daddy, Mama and Rob.We spent a day at the water park . . . strolled along the pier . . . ate seafood while listening to the sounds of the waves splashing against the sand and watching seagulls soar through the air. But we mostly just played on the beach. Everyday.We also played putt putt one night. I thought I'd never seen anything cuter than a bunch of 5-year-olds playing t-ball. But maybe I was wrong. That's because I hadn't yet seen a 3-year-old playing putt putt! Let's just say Tiger Woods might be jealous. Or not!And then, of course . . . the white-and-khaki-sunset-beach pictures that everyone takes when they go to the beach because that's what you're supposed to do . . . that I'm trying to take myself. And I am no photographer. And then a nice man notices that I'm taking the pictures and am not in any of them so he asks if he can take a picture of the four of us. It won't make the Christmas card, but it's a nice memory anyway!Last year I was supposed to do white-and-khaki beach pictures. But I forgot. Until the day we left. So I dressed Mason and Hannah Kate accordingly, and we went to take pictures the morning we left. Only we got out there and then the batteries in my camera were dead, and we didn't feel like exerting the effort to go buy new batteries . . . so we never got any white-and-khaki beach pictures. The dress that Hannah Kate is wearing in these pictures . . . is the dress I had bought for her to wear in last year's pictures that never happened.Until next year . . .

Routine

2011-09-23T13:04:00.004-06:00

There aren't any funny stories or notable anecdotes to share today. During the past month, the days just continue to pass on by as we settle into our routine for 1st grade. It really did take us about a month to get back into the swing of things, to get used to getting up early and spending a lot of time on homework and studying. I never really knew there was a such thing as studying for 1st grade, but now I know!.

I guess I need to take that back. Actually, there is a really funny story. Sort of. I guess it would be memorable more than it would be funny. And I do plan to share. But not today.

I have to say I sure am proud of my boy! We got mid-term grades last week, and he had all A's and a C in reading! I also have to say that when I was in school, that C was a B! It seems than an 82 is now a C. Since when did that happen? Besides, he's only two points away from that grade being a B so I bet it'll definitely be a B when report card time rolls around. His favorite subject continues to be math. And his least favorite subject is handwriting. So you can imagine what it's like each afternoon when we have to write spelling words three times each. I think he's a little bummed that 1st grade isn't quite as fun as kindergarten was, but we've have a really good two weeks now so hopefully it'll be smooth sailing the rest of the year.And my girl continues to enjoy her dance class. She's finally been showing us a few of her new moves. They consist of the bunny hop and toe taps. But it's a start. A couple of days ago, I walked in on her dancing. She was embarrassed and immediately stopped when she saw me, but I did manage to get a picture . . . To say that it's been "life as usual" probably isn't a very fair statement. I'm probably on the upside of a valley of discontent, perhaps even a valley of discouragement. But it's in those times, I think, when the Lord does His sweetest work. It's in those times that I feel like I truly catch a glimpse of His vision for my life.

Sometimes, in the pride and selfishness of my heart, I just want to be a rock star. I just want to "do" something "great" for the Lord. I want to be . . . famous for something. My life is anything but glamarous. And as many times I think . . . I sure would like to do *fill in the blank* . . . or I sure would like to be *fill in the blank* . . . I am reminded that I am right where God wants me to be. And that's when the dissatisfaction creeps in, the discouragement. But, really, God? HERE? Isn't there something MORE? Can't I do something else? Just use me for something great . . . pretty please?!?

And then I was reminded . . . there's a six-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl who think I am a rock star. And there's another 17-month-old who (I think) thinks I'm pretty cool, too. And, for me, that's what it's all about right now. How can I truly have a burden to "reach the world for Christ" if I do not have a burden to reach my children for Him? So. Besides Christ, may that be my passion.

O God of the highest heaven,

occupy the throne of my heart,

take full possession and reign supreme,

lay low every rebel lust,

let no vile passion resist thy holy war;

manifest thy mighty power,

and make me thine forever.

Thou art worthy to be praised with my every breath,

loved with my every faculty of soul,

served with my every act of life.

~Puritan Prayer

I Remember

2011-09-11T14:55:00.003-06:00

For the word of the LORD is right,

and all His work is done in truth.

He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

the plans of His heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people He has chosen as His inheritance.

Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

because we have trusted in His holy name.

I need a makeover.

2011-09-06T20:52:00.003-06:00

Well, just like everything else in my life these days, my blog needs a makeover. In my feeble efforts to correct a problem I was having with the background, I just obviously messed the whole entire thing up, and nothing is where it is supposed to be, and I can't get anything to where I want it to be. Sounds like the story of my hair!

I'm growing it out again so I can wear it curly / wavy since that's all it wants to do anyway, and it takes much less time, but it's in the "in between" stage right now, and it's driving me crazy. I would love some highlights again, but I despise roots, and I don't have time to go for a touch-up as often as I need to.

Today's high was 80 degrees! Now, don't get me wrong. I worked up a nice little sweat this afternoon working in the yard, but compared to what we've been having since the end of May, this is a dream! Even though we were still in shorts and t-shirts today, I raided closets to see what the options are for fall wear. Mason and Hannah Kate have none, as they've outgrown everything from last year. I'm quite disappointed in myself. Usually I "stock up" on cutesy smocked and boutique outfits at the end of the season when they're on sale, but I have only one smocked outfit for Hannah Kate to wear this fall that I got on sale sometime last year. And I walked in my closet and then turned around and walked right back out. Let's just say this stay-at-home mom doesn't exactly stay on top of the latest fashion trends. You certainly won't find them in my closet!

And so this post is just full of wisdom and wit today. The whole point is . . . I think I'm about to get a blog makeover! Maybe my hair will follow. But I doubt it.

***UPDATED 10 SECONDS LATER*** So when I published this post, all of a sudden everything was back where it belonged. Let's see how long that will last.

A Week in the Life

2011-09-02T19:30:00.003-06:00

Originally this was going to be a post about a day in the life of a stay-at-home mom. But the next two days following the day in question (Wednesday at the doctor's office) were just priceless. It won't seem that way to you. But it is to me. This is the kind of week I want to remember because something tells me it's one I might want to go back to over and over again years down the road when my children are not so little anymore, not so much under-foot and the house is quiet.

Earlier this summer, Mason asked me one day, "Mom, what are you going to do when Hannah and Connor go to school? I guess that means you'll have to get a job."

A JOB?!? Well, excuse me, but what do you think I've been doing your entire life?

Hannah Kate will begin kindergarten in 2013 so I still have two more years. I honestly haven't thought about "what I'm going to do." There are several reasons for this. First of all, it's two years away. Second of all, I can't even imagine the day when Hannah Kate will go to kindergarten. And last, but certainly not least of all, I have no idea. It just stresses me out. I mean, I have been out of the workforce for over six years now so it isn't like I'm very marketable to Corporate America anymore. Besides, I can't exaclty say I was on a particularly lucrative or desirable career track anyway. So, just like Scarlett, I will think about all of that "tomorrow."

In the meantime, here is a typical, or maybe not-so-typical, week in my life.

Monday - Mondays are always errand days, meaning grocery shopping. Since we live nearly 30 minutes out in the middle of nowhere away from everywhere, and I drive the most fuel efficient Tahoe in the days of the most reasonable gas prices ever (sarcasm), I do my best to limit my trips to town to one a week or two if absolutely necessary. Yes, that means I plan all meals a week in advance and get everything I need in one trip. Besides, this week would find us on the road a lot due to meetings and doctor's appointments and such so I needed to get everything done on Monday anyway. Connor was really tired so I let him take a morning nap before we headed out. That means we were on the road a little later than usual. But I had only a very few errands to run so it really didn't matter. During Connor's nap, I started laundry and finished sewing a pair of ruffle pants I was working on for a customer. We finally loaded up and left. I picked up a birthday present, and we had to go to two different grocery stores to get everything I needed for the week's meals. Yes, it's true. There is not one grocery store in Baton Rouge that I can go to that has everything I need. Since we were running behind, we ran through the Chicken Flay (Chic-Fil-A) drive thru. When we got home, I had 45 minutes to put the groceries away and also feed Connor before the bus arrived. When Mason got home, we began the homework routine. A quick review of his weekly sheet held the encouragement that perhaps this week's homework could be done in 30-45 minutes instead of the hour we spent each day last week. And then there were mouths to feed and bodies to bathe. The rest of the day is usually a blur once Mason gets home.

Tuesday - Tuesdays are my cleaning and heavy laundry days. So all of the bed sheets and towels were washed, dried, folded and put away, all the bathrooms were cleaned, the furniture was dusted and the floors were swept. I didn't have time to get to the mopping or vacuuming today. I began cooking supper right after lunch - homemade turkey meatballs with homemade tomato sauce and spaghetti. This was nearly finished by the time Mason got off the bus. We started the daily homework routine and finished that and supper just in time for me to go to the first PTSA meeting of the year. It was a really long meeting so I didn't make it back home until after Mason and Hannah Kate were in bed.

Wednesday - I needed to pay a few bills and balance the checkbook so I did that first thing this morning. I also had to finish an applique/monogram for a customer so her order would be complete. It took a little longer than necessary to take care of a few loose ends because I was having problems with my computer and internet connection. This is an everyday ordeal. Once that was done, I decided I couldn't stand it any longer. Hannah Kate's closet was begging for attention. Somehow during the past three months, every single thing she owns found its way into the bottom of her closet, in the depths of purses and backpacks. In her closet. There were no more toys in her toybox. Many of the books were "missing" from the bookshelf. Our crayon stash was depleted. And it was all in the bottom of her closet. So, with her help, I decided the task must be done. We also had a good lesson in putting things back in their special place. After all, everything has its own special place. So that task took way longer than I anticipated, and it was already past lunch time when I looked at the clock. It wouldn't have been a big deal except that we had to leave to pick up Mason from school for a doctor's appointment (just his 6-year check-up). So I hurridly prepared lunch and got everyone cleaned up and ready to head out the door.

Of course, they are still doing road construction between here and school so I would get stopped and have to wait for the pilot vehicle. But at least we didn't have to stop at the draw bridge over Bayou Grosse Tete. By the time I got to school, the buses had already lined up so I had to basically create my own parking space and run inside to get Mason before we got stuck in the crowds of dismissal. When we get back to the Tahoe, Mason tells me he forgot his reading book. So he has to run back inside and get that. We manage to beat the buses. And then, of course, traffic is stopped on the bridge going into Baton Rouge. Even with all of that, we make it to the doctor's office just in time. Here's the fun part. Mason's appointment was at 3:00. But Connor also had an appointment at 3:50 for a weight check with a different pediatrician in the same group. I told his Mommy to just let me take care of it since I would already be there with Mason anyway. I checked Mason in and explained to the front desk that I had Connor also. They told me to come back when I was done with Mason. Mason's check-up was fine except that Dr. K decided to order a vision and hearing screening. She wanted us to go down to the lab for testing. I knew we couldn't do that until after Connor's appointment. So I checked Mason out and checked Connor in.

This would be the time that they tell me Connor's insurance coverage has been dropped. I knew that wasn't true and had his insurance card with me. They confirm again that he has no insurance coverage. So now I'm calling Kayla at work to let her know there's a problem with the insurance. I didn't want to leave without Connor seeing the doctor so I told them I would private pay until the issue could be resolved. We take another seat in the waiting room. Kayla calls me back and says the issued is taken care of with the insurance company - their "mistake, " of course - so I got back to the front desk to ask them to process Connor's insurance coverage again. They were hesitant to do that and then the nurse called for Connor. So I told them I would be back.

Connor's weight check took about 10 minutes and then I headed back to take care of the insurance ordeal. They saw me coming and met me halfway. They, too, had taken care of the matter and assured me everything was fine. So we checked Connor out and headed downstairs to the lab. By this time it's 4:30, and I have three children who are really tired of sitting in the doctor's office. We're finally called back and squeeze into the testing room. Mason passes both tests with flying colors, and we head out the door. I call Kayla back yet again to let her know that everything went just fine and was taken care of. I call Bonnie (Connor's mawmaw) to let her know that we're running late and not to come to my house to pick up Connor because I'll bring him to her.

After all of that, I decide that we all need a treat. So we go to Sonic. And, of course, traffic on Perkins was bumper-to-bumper. We finally make it to Sonic. Mason and Hannah Kate both want a chocolate milkshake. That sounds really good to me, too, so I order three of them. And, guess what?! The ice cream machine is broken. Figures. So we settle for slushes and a Dr. Pepper. I drop Connor off, as well as a sewing order for a customer, and we get home at 5:45. My goal was to finish homework and supper in time to be at church at 6:30. A la Rachael Ray, I decided supper needed to be really quick, yet really good. What can be quicker than a pizza? But not the frozen ones, of course. I decided on a caramelized onion, sundried tomato, black olive, spinach and feta pizza with our favorite salad. No, I didn't make my own crust. There wasn't time for that. The reality of the situation was that homework wasn't finished until 6:30, and supper wasn't on the table until 6:45. I missed church.

Thursday - Well, this was almost the last day of the week, and the last busy day of the week. Besides tidying up, laundry and preparing my Sunday School lesson, it was smooth sailing. Mid-morning I began resolving some issues I had with a video we were trying to show during the worship service at church. Hannah Kate and Connor were playing. At first they were upstairs but then they came downstairs. I knew they were in the music room. It wasn't long before I heard my metronome. Hannah Kate knows she isn't supposed to play with it so I immediately got up from my spot at the computer to remind her of such. And this is what I found:
So after I took a picture, I ushered him off my baby grand and moved the piano bench across the room. I finished what I was doing, and we all went upstairs to play. Can I just say that I'm so tired of playing The Tea Party Game, Fancy Nancy Dress Up Game and Candy Land?! Oh my, this is an everyday occurance at our house, and I just don't like telling the little princess no, but I'll be just fine if I never have to play these games again. It was time for lunch so I came downstairs to make sandwiches. The phone rang. While I was talking, I noticed Connor head down the hall to either the bathroom or mudroom, which is never a good thing. But I was too late. He was in the bathroom. And he'd taken everything out of the trash can and put it in the toilet.

So I cleaned that up and finally got lunch on the table. I went to the bathroom and came back to find Connor sticking a piece of his PB&J up his nose. I didn't get a picture of that one because I just honestly didn't think I had time to get my camera. After lunch I began supper preparations. As soon as Mason got off the bus, we loaded up to go to Hannah Kate's dance lesson. We came back home, finished homework, ate supper, got baths and fell into bed. I fell asleep thinking how wonderful Friday was going to be, not to mention a four day weekend for me. Sort of.

Friday - After I put Mason on the bus, I'll be honest. I crawled back into bed. Connor wasn't coming today so there was no need for me to stay up if I didn't have to. I layed down until Hannah Kate woke up. I wasn't sure what to do with ourselves, as there was a lot of uncertainty about Tropical Storm Lee. It had already started raining, and I didn't particularly want to go out in the rain. So the day started off kind of lazy. And then school called at 9:30. I'll not give you the details. But they called again at 11:30, and I had to go pick Mason up. Let's just say this weekend we're learning a big fat lesson about the "boy who cried wolf" at our house. I was not happy. In fact, I was mad. Real mad. The only thing I knew to do was clean. So that's what I did for the remainder of the afternoon.

Summertime

2011-09-01T20:35:00.005-06:00

Oh summertime . . . it's been fun . . . real fun. No school, no alarm clocks, Vacation Bible School, a trip to Georgia, Mason's 6th birthday, the beach, our anniversary, the swimming pool. But I have to be honest. It's time for you to go now. It's hot. Real hot. And we're ready to play outside again. We're ready for some cooler days and nippy nights. We're ready for some football. We're ready for soups and stews and gumbos.

I have a confession to make. I started burning my fall candle two weeks ago. I couldn't help myself. And since today is the first of September, I can see a glimmer of hope. Of course, our local weather personality says we will not come out of the 90s until September 27. But when we do, I am ready!

In the meantime, here is a bit of what we enjoyed of summer. After all, I can't think of anything better than summertime in the south. Except maybe football.

I planted a garden this year. It was more of a test run for me. I wanted to see what worked and what didn't, what I'd like and what I wouldn't. I learned a lot. Four cucumber plants are WAY TOO MANY. For days on end we picked nearly 30 cukes a day. Let's just say I ran out of things to do with them. The cherry tomatoes were wonderful for salads. That's nearly a daily staple at our house. Even Hannah Kate loves them. The only thing that didn't do was the eggplant. I was disappointed, as I dearly love those purple globes. The squash were bountiful, too, until a hail storm in late June damaged four of my plants. The bell peppers and jalapenoes were fair. Poor planning placed them in the wrong spot in the garden so they didn't get the benefit of full sun. The okra fared much better than I thought it would. And the sunflowers that I planted on a whim made me smile. Here's my garden. By this time, it was on its last leg, but it was still looking pretty good.

And here's a couple of days worth of my garden. There are dozens of cucumbers underneath the veggies you see here. I made a really yummy gazpacho one day. I also made a salsa with some of the tomatoes from my father-in-law's garden.Can I just tell you . . . those were the best tomatoes I ever put in my mouth. I also have a confession to make. Very few tomatoes have ever gone in this mouth because I've never like them. Until now. I know. It just doesn't seem southern. But now I'm hooked. I'm going to plant me a long row of Pink Girls next summer. And then I'm going to can those babies so we can enjoy them all year long. I ate a BLT everyday for several weeks. That was the highlight of my day. I also made a homemade tomato sauce. I'll never use canned tomato sauce again. And then there was the gazpacho and salsa.

Besides tomatoes (and sweet tea, which is just a given . . . and vidalia onions), nothing else says south in my summertime like peaches. GEORGIA peaches. My mama brought me a sack full when they came for Mason's birthday. Man. Maybe it's because I don't get them straight off the vine anymore from the peach farm a mile from my house . . . but these peaches were the best ones I've ever had! They were a bit small this year. But the flavor . . . oh my, it was just delish! We grill some. I made a cobbler.

And then I decided I was going to make a peach pie, crust and all. I've never done that before. I've always used a store-bought crust. But this baby took two days. I made the dough one day and the pie the next day. I used my bestie's recipe. She puts blueberries in with the peaches, but I didn't have any fresh blueberries. She also uses lots of cinnamon. It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world, but I popped it in the oven. I just didn't account for the fact that my oven cooks faster than nearly all of my recipes call for so I didn't adjust the temperature or the time. And I should have because it cooked so quickly that I didn't realize the top had browned (blackened?) too much and became a little too crunchy. The insides were yummy. But I have to admit I picked all the crust off. So next time . . . and there WILL be a next time . . . I'll turn the oven temp down and watch her a lil closer.

And since we're talking about food and all . . . here's our anniversary meal. Since we couldn't go out, I wanted to do something really special, something that we don't usually have. So I fixed our favorite salad with the oranges, strawberries, sugared pecans and blue cheese. I also made a French onion soup. I had to take a few shortcuts since I had to attend a wedding rehearsal smack dab in the middle of the evening, but it still turned out really good. And we had filet mignon. My husband is a ribeye-kind-of-guy, and I'm a no-meat-kind-of-gal . . . so usually when we have steak, Seth eats a ribeye, and I eat a baked potato and salad. But I splurged a little on this filet mignon. I ate a few bites of mine. It was . . . very . . . meaty tasting. I put a little parmesan parsley butter on top so it would melt down the sides. And we had parsleyed smashed potatoes.

We also began landscaping the front yard this summer. I planted a lantana that just exploded and took up way too much room, but it's so beautiful that I've just let it run wild. I really had no idea it would thrive like it has. And we have a host of beautiful butterflies to enjoy, too. The other morning I counted 14 after Mason got on the bus.

Then followed that beautiful season.
Summer.
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape lay as if new
created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

No More Tears

2011-08-31T20:45:00.002-06:00

So last Thursday I took my precious ballerina-in-training to dance again. And do you see this smile?!?
It lasted the whole time! No more tears! Hannah Kate was genuinely excited to go to dance and has been anticipating her next class ever since. She wishes every day was Thursday. The only thing is . . . we have not been able to get her to show us the new moves she learned in class. Nothing! So I guess we'll just have to wait until recital time.

I took a quick picture of Hannah Kate and her friend Addison as Miss Machita was giving beginning instructions before heading into the studio. Aren't they just the cutest?!?

Tutus, tights . . . and tears

2011-08-20T13:32:00.008-06:00

This past Thursday was Hannah Kate's first "dance" class. We registered her for a tap and ballet class at Machita & Co., the same studio where Abbie takes lessons. Hannah Kate just loved Abbie's last recital, and she loves to "dance," so . . . why not? I took ballet and tap lessons for all of two years before I begged my Mama to let me take piano lessons. She told me that I couldn't do both, which really was music to my ears because I just really did not like those dance lessons. I traded in my slippers and taps for a piano and never looked back!

We spent Wednesday shopping for ballet shoes, tights and a leotard. She was so excited and such the cutest thing modeling the leotards we had narrowed down her choices to. I told her she could only take one home. And I told her which one was my favorite. But, of course, it wasn't her favorite. I was so very tempted to get both of them, but I didn't. I mean, the one she picked out is cute enough. It's very simple. It actually reminds me of one of her swimsuits, and I really think that's why she picked it. But the one I really liked . . . it was so dainty and elegant. But anyway. She's three years old, for goodness sakes! So we got her shoes, her tights, her dancing outfit and a bag . . . oh, and not to mention a big, fat pink bow! So she was ready.

Just for kicks . . . here's a picture of the leotard I picked out. Except it was pictured in blue and not pink on the website, which really doesn't do it any justice AT ALL. It's so much cuter than this, especially on strawberry blondes named Hannah Kate! I just love the cap sleeves and the detail at the neck. There is a small "diamond starburst" on the left side of the skirt up near the waist.

All day Thursday she kept asking me . . . how long? . . . when is Mason going to be home? . . . when can I get dressed? We even watched her Olivia Takes Ballet DVD after lunch. I explained to her that she would be in a class with other little girls her age and that Miss Machita would be her teacher. I also told her that I would not be in the room with her but that I would wait on her. She seemed fine with all of that so I thought we were ready.

So Mason got off the bus, we ate a quick snack and we got dressed. Hannah Kate was SO excited. This was going SO well. We loaded up and left. I had allowed time for us to get there five minutes early. After all, if you aren't on time, you're late. And the earlier, the better. What I didn't take into account was the possibility that we would get stuck in traffic on the interstate. And we did. I still had to drop Connor off, but Kayla knew I was then running late and called and told me she would meet us at the dance studio. So we pulled into the parking lot and ran inside at 4:03. Miss Machita had already taken the class into their practice room. I quickly changed Hannah Kate into her ballet slippers and pretty much shoved her into the room with the other girls. I waited a brief second, and she seemed fine. I wasn't worried anyway because one of her friends from church is also in her dance class. So I headed back out the door to grab Connor's diaper bag and hand him over to Kayla. I got Mason's homework out of the truck, and we went back inside.

I was already flustered from being late . . . I HATE being late . . . so I really wasn't paying any attention to anything around me. And then Mason said, "Yeah, that's Hannah Kate." As I came back to reality, I realized that the little girl screaming hysterically, "MOMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!" was Hannah Kate. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, and the screaming persisted. So I went to the door to see if I could peek inside. That's when I realized they had moved to yet another room. So she was actually two rooms over from where I was, and everyone could still hear her! I peeked in the door and saw her standing on the end on the front row. She was bawling her eyes out. One of the assistants saw me and shooed me away. I told her to just let me know if they needed me to take Hannah Kate out of class.

Her lesson is a one-hour class, but Miss Machita dismissed them after 45 minutes. That was one of the longest 45 minutes of my life! And, of course, "Hannah Kate's mom" was called in to have a discussion with Miss Machita. By this time, Hannah Kate wasn't crying anymore, but her eyelids were beet red and very swollen. The blue marker ink on her name tag had run and bled down the front of her new pink leotard. It was a pitiful sight. Miss Machita just gave Hannah Kate a hug and told me that if I had my camera, it would be a great scrapbook moment. Well, of course I had my camera!

Now . . . just between you and me . . . I was sort of secretly hoping that the blue marker was a permanent stain . . . because then I'd be totally justified in going back and purchasing the OTHER leotard! But let's just say that Oxi Clean and a little cold water worked some magic, and Hannah Kate's favorite leotard is as good as new now!

We decided that we're going to go back next week and try again. Miss Machita moved several of the other girls into a different class so Hannah Kate's class will be smaller next time. Maybe that will help. For the longest time, Hannah Kate would not talk about dance. at. all. But when I was giving her a bath later that evening, I broached the subject again and asked her if she would like to go back. She told me yes. And then she said, "Mama, I not cry no more."

Bed Bugs

2011-08-16T21:34:00.002-06:00

Last night . . . or actually this morning . . . at 3:39am . . . I was awakened from deep slumber by a little girl yelling, "Mommmmyyyyyy," at the top of her lungs. By the time I stumbled upstairs, which was rather quickly given the urgency in her voice, the yelling had escalated to shrieking. I ran into her room to find her standing on the edge of her bed. I didn't turn the light on, but I could see the terror in her eyes by the glow of the moon. I wrapped her up in my arms and asked her what was wrong. She told me there were bugs in her bed.

Yes, I'll give you a moment. Because after I gave myself a moment to wrap my groggy mind around what she said, I was really glad it was dark so she couldn't see the big smile across my face. I also have to mention that it was in the midst of the shrieking that Mason woke up and started yelling, "Mom, you forgot to put drops in my ears!" I promise I am not making this stuff up!

Anyway, I held her for several minutes and then explained to her that it was time to go back to sleep. She asked if she could sleep with me, but I told her she needed to sleep in her bed. As I laid her back down, I noticed her Strawberry Shortcake and Plum Pudding figures. I grabbed them and put them by her pillow. I told her they were in her bed, thinking maybe she had rolled over on them and then thought they were "bugs." She carefully inspected them to be sure I was telling the truth and put her head on the pillow.

When I crawled back into my own bed, I started wondering if perhaps there REALLY were bugs in her bed! I really didn't sleep the rest of the night. Because I don't do bugs! I was glad today was Tuesday because Tuesdays are the days that I wash sheets and blankets every week. So after breakfast I took the sheets off the beds and carefully inspected each one. No bugs. I didn't mention anything to Hannah Kate because I wasn't sure if maybe she had a bad dream or perhaps didn't even remember anything about the night before.

After lunch I began the task of putting the sheets back on the bed. Hannah Kate was playing with her doll house while I was making her bed. I heard her say something about "bugs in her bed." The conversation then went a little something like this:

Me: Really, Hannah Kate?
Hannah Kate: Yup.
Me: Well how do you know you had bugs in your bed?
Hannah Kate: I saw them.
Me: You did? What did they look like?
Hannah Kate: One was purple and one was blue.
Me: Do you remember that you slept with Strawberry Shortcake and Plum Pudding last night? Plum Pudding is purple. Maybe that's what you saw?
Hannah Kate: I told you I have bugs in my bed.
Me: Well. What were they doing?
Hannah Kate: They were playing in my bed.

At this point, I didn't say anything, and I was really glad my back was to her because it was all I could do to keep from laughing. And that's when . . .

Hannah Kate (matter-of-fact): Those bugs like my bed because my bed is fun.

At this point, there was nothing else I could do. I was laughing uncontrollably, so much so that I was rolling around on the floor in one of those laughs that only happens every once in awhile. When I finally got control of myself, I took a peek at Hannah Kate. Let's just say she didn't find herself as amusing as I did! I'm quite sure she was mad at me. I desperately wanted to keep the conversation going . . .

Me: Did the bugs talk to you?
Hannah Kate (absolutely outdone and exasperated): Well no, Mama. They are BUGS. Bugs don't talk.
Me (as if it's completely logical for bugs to be having a picnic in Hannah Kate's bed but illogical to think they would be talking): Oh.

So tonight when I tucked her in bed, I DID NOT say, "Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

A Couple of Firsts

2011-08-13T18:58:00.003-06:00

Well, yesterday was Mason's FIRST day of FIRST grade!Since we are supposedly an old pro at this, I figured we'd make it just fine. I didn't realize that it's still dark at 5:45am! But that's okay. By about 2:00 though, I really wanted to lay down and take a nap! Hannah Kate and Connor, on the other hand, weren't down with that. I think it's going to take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things.

And then I got a phone call from the school just as I was getting ready to go outside and wait on the bus. They were inquiring if Mason was supposed to ride the bus or be in the carpool line. As it turns out, he somehow ended up in the wrong line. I wasn't there, and the buses had already left! But the Lord always watches out for us. It just so happened that a friend of mine was there and saw the whole thing go down as she was picking up her children, and she was kind enough to offer to let him ride home with them. Let's just say it took me a few hours to calm down after this one, but Mason assured me that he had a great day and was ready to go back. He flashed that big grin at me, and I was reminded even moreso just how proud I am of my big boy.

Having said all of that, I'm so glad the first day of school was on a Friday! There's no way I could've gotten up this morning to do all of that all over again. I think that's best saved for Monday morning!

The Party for Being Six

2011-08-09T16:27:00.006-06:00

Since Mason's birthday was in the middle of two weeks of VBS followed by a trip to the beach, we decided to celebrate a little early this year. So his birthday party was the last Saturday in June. And since there's really nothing you can do during south Louisiana summers besides something that involves water . . . and since his last two birthday parties were pool parties . . . we decided to rent a big waterslide this year.

During the days leading up to his party, Mason was constantly asking how many more days and who's coming. Although we explained it several times . . . and he knows his birthday is July 13 . . . he kept thinking he was actually going to be six on the day of his party.

So on the day of his party, several conversations went as follows:

Mason: So I'm six now?
Me: No. Today is June 25. You'll be six on July 13. That's 18 days from now.
Mason: But my party is today?
Me: Yes, your party is today. And you'll get presents today. But you aren't six yet.

After that, we counted down the days until July 13. And then the conversation went something like this:

Mason: Today is my birthday?
Me: Yes, today is your birthday.
Mason: So I'm six now?
Me: Yes, you're six now.
Mason: What kind of party am I going to have?
Me: We already had your party. It was a waterslide party. Remember?
Mason: But that's when I was still five. I'm six now so when is my party for being six?
Me: That WAS your party for being six. We had your party early since your birthday is during Vacation Bible School.
Mason (very matter-of-fact): So I'm not going to have a party for being six?
Me: You ALREADY had a party for being six!
Mason: Well, I wasn't six. I don't understand why you aren't having me a party for being six.

Although I think he's still convinced that he didn't have a birthday party for being six, he finally let it rest. Note to self: No more birthday parties in June!

When I look at Mason now, I'm just amazed at how much he has grown this summer. It's been nearly two and a half months since the last day of kindergarten. It's been nearly a year since that first day of kindergarten. And now this Friday will be his first day of 1st grade (yeah, why they want to do that to a Friday is beyond me). I'll be honest. I'm nervous about 1st grade!

A couple of weeks ago, Mason asked when he was going to go back to school. We hadn't even brought the subject up because I figured he would say he wasn't ready to go back. So I was a bit surprised when it came up out of the blue. I told him he had just over two weeks to go. He asked if that was a long time, and I told him it wasn't. So then he said, "Good. 'Cause I'm ready to go back to school." That wasn't exactly the answer I was expecting.

We went to orientation last week and met his teacher. This is her 20th year of teaching! He was a little disappointed that he couldn't go back the next day. And he's really looking forward to Friday . . . the first day of 1st grade. I don't think I'll need as many kleenex this year. But I'm more aware than ever that my baby, my little boy is growing up. He's no longer a little boy. He's a big boy and into big boy things now. With each and every passing day, he's letting go of me more and more. While that used to make me sad, I can now look at him and smile because I just can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for him. I often think of Hannah (the Biblical one) and how she gave young Samuel back to the Lord at such a young age. Of course, Mason is still here with me. But I can finally say with certainty that sometime during the past couple of months, I "gave him back to the Lord." I am trusting and resting in such peace and confidence because I already see the Lord doing a mighty work in his young life. And, I don't know about you, but absolutely nothing excites me more than being a part of His work!

My Someone

2011-07-29T11:00:00.004-06:00

When you love someone

you'll do anything

you'll do all the crazy things that you can't explain

you'll shoot the moon

put out the sun

when you love someone

you'll deny the truth

believe a lie

they'll be times that you'll believe you can really fly

when you love someone

you feel it deep inside

and nothing else could ever change your mind

when you want someone

when you need someone

when you love someone

you'll sacrifice

you'd give it everything you got

and you won't think twice

you'd risk it all

no matter what may come

when you love someone

you'll shoot the moon

put out the sun

when you love someone

July 29, 2000
Eleven years ago, I married MY SOMEONE.

Big Red(neck)

2011-07-28T17:17:00.012-06:00

So a few posts back, I mentioned that we bought a new truck. Well, new to us. Seth has been wanting a truck for some time now . . . his OWN truck, not one provided for him by Denbury . . . so he can ride the levee, go to the camp during hunting season, pull a boat. Oh. You didn't realize we have a boat?!? We don't!

It only took him two years (I'm so not lying!) to find a truck that met both his (4-wheel drive, low miles, extended cab) and my criteria (paid for!). I have to say that I am so proud of him for being so patient and honoring our family.

He came home one day in May and announced that he'd found a truck he wanted to buy. Very nonchalantly, I asked him where and what. Beaumont. As in Texas? Really? Really. What's up with that anyway? Why can't we purchase a vehicle in the state in which we live? We bought the Tahoe in Baton Rouge, but we were living in Mississippi at the time! Anyway. Okay. Beaumont. Go ahead. So he tells me that it's a 4-wheel drive, low miles, extended cab, older model. Can we pay for it? Yes, we can. So my next question was, "What's wrong with it?" Nothing.

And then I asked him what color it was. Red. Red?!? At that point, I just dismissed the whole idea. Red. That's what's wrong with it. You see, that's a deal breaker. My husband is very much into color. And a red vehicle is just something he's not in to! When we bought our first car, the Honda, it had to be a certain color. The Tahoe had to be a certain color. So I gave him my condolences, thinking he wouldn't pursue this particular truck any further based on the minor technicality of COLOR.

I was wrong. We sort of haggled over it, mostly with me teasing him about driving around in a red truck. And then he proceeds to tell me that I need to "get ready" because this truck is going to take me back to my roots. He asked me if I was ready to be a redneck again. Now. First of all. I have NEVER been a redneck. I might KNOW a few. I might even be RELATED to some. And I could probably even ACT like one. But a redneck I am not! Besides, he doesn't know a thing about a redneck. You see, we don't have rednecks down here in south Louisiana. We have . . . well, I can't say what they're called. But if you really want to know, message me.

Several minutes later, he produced some pictures of said truck that a friend sent him. It was definitely red. Not redneck though. I'm actually not sure how to describe it . . . there are these really . . . TACKY . . . decals on the back windshield. I wasn't too concerned about those because I figured the first thing he would do is remove them. So I agreed, and we bought the truck. That was Mother's Day weekend. And, for the record, the stickers are still there.
I affectionately call him Big Red. I was going to originally call him Fred, but Big Red just seems more appropriate. Big Red has ridden the levee from Ramah to Sorrel (only if you're from these parts do you really understand the magnitude of that statement!). Big Red has taken us to church. Big Red took us for a ride to Morganza to see the "big water" during all the flooding. And since we sold the Honda, Big Red now resides in the garage.

Yeah, there's nothing more redneck than driving over the Atchafalaya Basin listening to Lafayette's Bayou Boys singing Nuttin But a Couillon (pronounced coo-yohn but not really pronouncing the "n" . . . for all you Georgia peaches) . . .

You ain't nuttin but a couillon.
You ain't never got no shoes on.

Take a listen for yourself! Just don't ask me what half those words are because I have no idea! I'm a redneck, not a couillon! I'm sure all ya'll are just dying to come on down to Louisiana after that little ditty!

Oh, and please don't ask me what a couillon is. The nicest, cleanest way I know to put it is . . . idiot . . . cause with this being a family-friendly blog and all . . . maybe you should just Google it.

Now it was somewhere along in here (after Big Red came home and we had that original conversation) when redneck came up again . . . someone posted a comment on a friend's Facebook wall about the Redneck Gourmet. I thought they were either joking or had coined that phrase for a run-down dump in the middle of nowhere and made my own snippy little comment likewise.

And then Memorial Day weekend arrived. I decided very last minute to take the kids to Georgia for the week. After looking at our summer calendar, I knew that week would probably be the only time we could go before school started again. So we went. But not in Big Red.

That week was the perfect beginning to our summer! I didn't even realize at the time that we were in the midst of record-breaking heat all across the southeast. The thermometer registered over 100 degrees, but I thought it was a mistake. Mason and Hannah Kate spent hours, yes HOURS, everyday on Mimi's waterslide. I'm telling you . . . after this trip, I was so tempted to buy one myself because it's endless fun for the children, and all I had to do was sit under the car port and watch.Rob, Kristi and Jones came over for a Memorial Day cook-out. There's nothing like firing up the grill during summertime.The rest of the week was just as fun. No matter how long we go and stay, there is never enough time to spend with everyone, and we don't always get to visit with everyone we want to visit with. So we usually have to take a trip spending time with folks north of Atlanta and then take the next trip to spend time with folks south of Atlanta. We stayed south this time. I was so very excited to meet up with a dear friend from my college days and her three boys. The oldest is a year older than Mason, and the middle is a year younger than Mason. The youngest is just a few months younger than Hannah Kate. I knew they would enjoy playing together, and I would enjoy adult conversation with my friend.

They live in Fayetteville so I was a little shocked when she asked us to meet them at the park in Senoia.She also mentioned that we'd eat lunch in Senoia afterwards. Again, really? Senoia is maybe 10 minutes from my house, and I passed through there everytime I made the drive back and forth from West Georgia when I was going to college. It's a poke 'n' plum town. You know . . . you poke your head out the window, blink and you'll plum miss it! Besides, I couldn't imagine what in the world there would be to eat in Senoia. I remembered Crooks Grocery, but that was about it.

So we went to Senoia. The children finally warmed up to one another and enjoyed playing together. And then I followed Elaine into "downtown" Senoia. Little did I know that it had been transformed into a quaint little town with lots of charming little shops and antique finds along Main Street. There are even offices and restaurants.A lot of the town has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 2006, the Historic Senoia Project has been responsible for the renovation and rejuvenation of downtown Senoia. The goal is to maintain the city's early 1900s architectural style. The 2010 Southern Living Idea House was even located in Senoia, and several movies have been filmed in the town, thanks to Riverwood Studios located just outside city limits. And . . . the old Crooks Grocery even got a make-over, too! I just fell in love with the Queen Anne-style United Methodist Church. I would love to see the inside of it one day.

I mentioned that there are several restaurants along Main Street, one of which is . . . you guessed it . . . The Redneck Gourmet! And this is where my sweet friend took us for lunch. You know I had to get some pictures.I even bought a t-shirt, too! Actually, I bought two of them . . . one for Seth! I enjoyed my avocado BLT so much that I even took my Mama back two days later. After all, she'd never experienced the new Senoia either, and did I mention it's only, like, 10 minutes from my house?!? We had time to visit only one of the cute little shops (I came out with a garden bench for my friends' entry porch and a black toile tea set for my music room!), but I'm going to make time during my next trip to Georgia to visit more of the little shops.So if you haven't been to Senoia, you should go!

We invited the Connell cousins over one day for more waterslide fun and a cook-out. There are 16 grands now with another on the way. Here are most of them.We enjoyed visiting with Grandmother . . . . . . and MeMama. MeMama celebrated her 94th birthday in March! I always tell her that she's going to live to be 100. And she always tells me back that she hopes not. And then I tell her that I hope I live as long as she does. And she'll tell me back that she hopes I don't! So that was the beginning of our not-so-redneck summer.

Then again. You might be a redneck if you wear rubber boots with your swimsuit while you're playing in the kiddie pool underneath the back porch. 'Cause around here . . . that's how we roll some days!

Lately

2011-07-25T21:33:00.004-06:00

I can not believe it has been two months. Two months since Mason graduated Kindergarten. Two months since we stood on the brink of summertime looking forward to the weeks and months ahead. And now here we are . . . a trip to Georgia later, two weeks of VBS later (yes, you read that correctly . . . no, I didn't mean one week . . . TWO weeks of VBS), Mason's birthday later, a week at the beach later . . . and first grade is now less than three weeks away. Summertime is almost over. Well, I guess I now define "summertime" as the time during the summer when Mason doesn't have to go to school. The calendar says summer won't be over until the end of September. And, of course, the sultry summer days in south Louisiana really won't come to an end until October or so. But for me, summertime is almost over.

We went shopping for school supplies and uniforms today. I only pretended to be happy. The truth is I am not. I am not looking forward to first grade. But Mason is. He's just glad he doesn't have to take a nap in first grade!

This week I'll catch you up on our not-so-lazy-days of summertime. I have to be honest. Last year at this time, I over-committed myself, and I was staring up the side of a mountain with what felt like the weight of the world on my shoulders. I knew it. I knew I was responding within God's PERMISSIVE will and not necessarily His perfect will. But instead of acting in obedience, I trudged forward. And only by His grace and His mercy and His forgiveness did I make it through this past year, especially the past three months or so.

About a month ago, I wrote three verses on the memo board in my kitchen.

I've spent so many days feeling like the task is too big . . . feeling like I can't do it . . . feeling like I don't have anymore strength and energy left in my body. And that's when I'm constantly reminded that IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. It's about the ONE WHO IS IN ME. So day by day as I was washing dishes, coming in the door from another day of errands, preparing a meal, carrying a load of laundry to be washed and dried and folded, I would stop and read these verses. It's when I am oh so weak that HE is strong.

So now I'm on the other side of it all. I released the things that were weighing me down, the commitments that God never intended for me to do. I don't necessarily like giving things up, but I've never been more excited about giving some things in particular up that were never meant for me to begin with. After two awfully busy weeks of VBS, Seth, Mason, Hannah Kate and I spent a week at the beach. To be honest, I didn't really want to come back. I wanted to stay. But we're back now, and life has resumed as usual. Seth left this morning and won't be back until Friday. I'm caught up on laundry, and everything is unpacked and in its place, but I still have some major cleaning to do tomorrow. The kids have dentist appointments on Wednesday. Our anniversary is Friday (ELEVEN YEARS!), but Seth will come home and spend the evening with Mason and Hannah Kate while I attend a rehearsal for a wedding I'm playing in on Saturday. Life. As usual.

Last night I was sitting in church as the sermon began. I picked up my Bible and it fell open to a place marked with one of Hannah Kate's ponytail holders. I had obviously put it there for some reason and forgot about it. But I noticed that particular page was marked up quite a bit so I started reading the words I'd underlined no telling how long ago. Nothing with the Lord is ever a coincidence or a mistake. Can I just tell you how these verses were water to my sun-parched, thirsty soul . . .

"Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. And may thse words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day." ~1 Kings 8:56-61

I am so thankful for God's gift of REST.

Happy Birthday, Mason!

2011-07-13T14:54:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my most favorite boy in the whole wide world! Mason, you are SIX years old today! Ever since I woke up this morning, I've been thinking about the day you were born. It took 14 hours to get you here, and then my whole life changed.

If I could go back to any time in my life, I would most definitely choose your first year with us. The very idea that we had a son, a baby born from my womb . . . was really beyond my comprehension. I must've been in a daze that first year. The older you get, the farther away we get from the first year of your life, I feel like I remember less and less. Everyday we wake up is another wonderful day with you, and I'm so thankful for the privilege of being your Mommy. While I cherish everyday, sometimes I just want to go back to the days when you fit snugly in my arms, slept in your crib and needed your diaper changed! You are growing up too fast, and it isn't always easy to "let go." I'm very proud of the big boy you have become, and I absolutely can not wait to see what the Lord has planned for your life.

Your favorite subjects in school are science and math. As of right now, you want to be a dentist when you grow up. You've told us that several times during the past year. Your favorite color is blue. You love to play video games, especially the Wii and the DSi you got for your birthday. You are still such a picky eater, but some of your favorite foods are chicken nuggets, oatmeal, quesadillas, hamburgers and turkey and cheese wraps. You just recently started eating pizza, but only cheese pizza without sauce. You still love superheroes. Your favorite place must be at the beach because you ask all the time to go there. You are a home-body, too, and don't care much for shopping and errands and such. You haven't lost any teeth yet, and you are getting quite impatient and keep asking me when you're going to lose a tooth. You love rhyming words and often make up words so they will rhyme.

You are such a good big brother. You call your sister Hannah . . . her name is Hannah KATE. But that's okay. She loves you, and she looks up to you a lot. I'm so proud of the way you take care of her and the way you play so sweetly together. Most of the time. Always remember that she is your best friend!

I love you!
Mama

Daddy's Day

2011-06-19T19:28:00.002-06:00

"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?" ~1 Thessalonians 3:9

Avery and Beau were here.

2011-06-18T21:36:00.003-06:00

And then there were 4!

2011-06-14T20:32:00.003-06:00

Come January we will add another face to this picture! Rob and Kristi are expecting! Woot woot!

He got his trophy.

2011-06-06T15:59:00.003-06:00

So. Picking right back up where we left off. Three weeks ago . . . because I'm sure you're just on the edge of your seat wondering what happened next. Either that or you've totally given up on me, and you aren't even reading this to begin with!

It was graduation. Mason's kindergarten graduation. At the end of the ceremony, they were going to present "kindergarten awards." I really didn't know what kind of awards or who was receiving an award. So imagine my surprise . . . when Mason's name was called! I remember seeing him jump up out of his seat and nearly break out into a run over to Mr. Cavalier to receive his award . . . a TROPHY (yall know how that boy has longed for a trophy!) no less . . . but I do not remember if I even clapped for him or not! I also wasn't camera ready so I do not have any pictures of him actually receiving the award. But he wouldn't let the thing go once it was in his hands.

Four students, one from each kindergarten class, were chosen to receive an award for Most Improved, and Mason was chosen from his class! I just can not tell you how proud I am of him! We had no idea what to expect from kindergarten. But I can tell you what I DID NOT expect . . . I did not expect him to leave kindergarten knowing how to read simple words and even short books! I did not expect him to learn how to add or subtract in kindergarten. Two days ago I listened to him count to 500. These may not seem like a big deal to you, but they are to me!

When Mason started kindergarten in August, he could barely write his name. He didn't even WANT to write his name. At that point, I was just glad he could at least spell his name. And I think the whole concept of "school" in and of itself was just a shock to him. He wanted to go to school because that's what Avery, Beau and Abbie did, but he didn't know what school was. He'd never been to pre-k. He'd never been to Mother's Day Out. He'd never been to daycare. He's just been with me since the day he was born into this world. So to say that we had some "catching up" to do is an understatement. And because we spent the 18 months prior to Mason starting kindergarten dealing with a relocation from another state and then building a house, I didn't have time to really work with him at home a whole lot. Besides, he'd spend the next 13 years of his life, maybe (hopefully) more, in school anyway.

But Mason just embraced learning. He never complained. He loved doing his homework each day. We spent a lot of time doing extra activities to supplement what Ms. Alexander was already doing. We practiced letters and numbers and writing and rhyming words and everything I could think of to reinforce his classroom learning. And slowly but surely, his test scores started going up, and his report cards improved dramatically.

I am still amazed at the ways he has grown not only in knowledge, but emotionally, mentally, socially and even spiritually. I can not wait to see how the Lord's plan for his life unfolds. I'm so very thankful that I'm allowed the privilege of being Mason's mom. And, to be honest with you, if I had to go back and do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing! I'm also very thankful that the Lord has blessed our family in ways that have allowed me to stay at home with our children during their early years. From the time they are born until the time they go to kindergarten . . . it's only five years . . . that's it. And I can honestly say that those years with Mason were worth every sacrifice. Now I'm realizing just how small that sacrifice really was. It's nothing compared to the TIME I've had with him. There is no pre-k program or Mother's Day Out that could even come close, even on the days when I just wanted to pull my hair out (or his) and especially on the days when I just thought I "needed a break!"

Graduation Day

2011-05-23T18:31:00.008-06:00

Well, I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat . . . wondering whether or not my waterproof mascera held out today! Why, yes it did!

So we were on our way to school this morning for the graduation ceremony . . . waiting for the crossing guard to allow us to turn into the school . . . and you'll never believe what song came on the radio at that very moment. Blink. And, no, I didn't cry. I smiled. Because, you know, isn't that just like God . . . to meet us right where we are? To give us a Word at just the right time when we need it the most?

Here's Mason . . . in his cap and gown . . . with his beloved Ms. Alexander. Or, should I say, OUR beloved Ms. Alexander!
All of the kindergarteners marched in from the back of the gym. At this point, Mason is all bobble head. He just couldn't leave that tassle alone and kept swinging it back and forth in front of his face. That's my boy!

Proud moment . . . So after various and sundry announcements and welcomes and presentations, 80 of the cutest kids you've ever seen are awarded their kindergarten medals and diplomas.

At this point, I was doing really good! My mascera is still intact, and I hadn't even pulled the kleenex out!

But then . . . something happened that I had no idea was going to happen. I actually don't even have any pictures of it because it was just so unexpected, so shocking. I'm sure you're just dying to know . . . on the edge of your seat . . . but I'm going to save it for later. If you look closely in the picture below, you might can figure out what I'm talking about. But I promise to fill you in on the details in a later post. And here's me and my boy . . . my pride and joy . . . he made this Mama proud today! And everyday, actually . . .

BLINK. Mason graduated from kindergarten today.

Last Day

2011-05-20T21:34:00.007-06:00

Today was the last day of kindergarten. I totally wasn't expecting it . . .

We spent all week . . . well, really the last several weeks . . . looking forward to the last day of school. It meant sleeping "late" and "lazy" days. So that's what was on my mind all week. Until last night. It hit me like a load of bricks. It's the LAST DAY of kindergarten. I didn't even bother going to bed at a decent hour because I knew what was going to happen. I tossed and turned all through the wee hours of the morning. It was worse than the night before the first day of school!

Mason and I woke up, ate breakfast, got dressed and walked down the driveway for the last time this school year. Of course, I just happened to have my camera with me! Mason wasn't digging it at 6:40am, but who can blame him?When Mason got on the bus, he turned around and looked at me.That's when it started . . . you know, that lump you get in your throat that starts burning. I knew I was in trouble. I just didn't know yet how much trouble. He got on the bus, I made my way back to the house and then it happened. I turned around and looked back. All I could see were the tail lights on the bus, and I lost it. In the middle of the driveway. It was rather . . . unexpected. I managed to pull it together, and the morning was underway. Connor arrived and the littlest ones ate breakfast. I cleaned the kitchen, dressed the babies and then we loaded up to go to school to spend the morning with Mason and his class.

We were listening to the radio, and the "morning crew" was talking about a marriage proposal on youtube that had generated millions of hits (I'm thinking to myself that this must be the video Mama emailed me the day before that I hadn't had time to look at yet and that I must do so when I get home) . . . how the guy created a movie trailer that his unsuspecting bride saw when she went to see a movie with friends. And then they played part of the audio portion of the video. That would be the second time I lost it. I also realized that I had neglected to apply waterproof mascera this morning . . .

Just really quick about the proposal . . . if you haven't already seen it (and I'm sure you probably have), you can check it out here. And I also have to say that this took place in Georgia not too far from where I grew up. AND one of my friends knows this guy who put the proposal together! When I looked at it on Friday, it had over 6 million hits. Now the number is over 11 million! But . . . whatever you do . . . just don't compare it to your own! :)

Back to school. When we entered the parking lot, I noticed Mason's class playing outside. So we joined them. And you can see who's the big dawg on the playground!By the time it was over with, there were at least 20 children crowded around Connor's stroller. One of the teachers finally shooed them away.

Hannah Kate thought she was hot stuff, too. She insisted on bringing her backpack and had even filled it with several of her favorite books. I ended up reading Silverlicious to a crowd of kindergarteners before it was over with.
And then it was time to go inside. Hannah Kate was such a big girl and insisted on doing everything that Mason's class did, even walking in line.When we got back to class, Ms. Alexander read Ms. Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten to everyone.And then Ms. Alexander gave awards to her class. She really wanted every child in her class to receive an award so she spent a lot of time creating a unique award for each child. She gave a little speech about each one and explained how each was special. So about three children into the "awards ceremony," I couldn't help myself. I totally lost it. Again. And it wasn't even Mason's turn yet! I knew I had to pull myself together before Mason's award because I didn't want to miss a thing. Unfortunately, my kleenex were back home . . . next to my waterproof mascera . . . so I grabbed some from the table behind me.

It was finally Mason's turn. And yall. I have never been a more proud Mama than at that moment. Mason received the Learning Words Award.Ms. Alexander explained that Mason was the best in the class at learning new words . . . he was the first to learn all of the sight words . . . and he was excited about learning new words and reading. This was such a huge accomplishment for him. Because it hasn't always been that way. It took awhile . . . a lot of creativity on Ms. Alexander's part . . . a lot of work at home. But he did it! If you would've told me at the beginning of the school year that Mason would graduate kindergarten knowing how to read simple words and simple books, I never would've believed you. But he can. And he does!You'll never believe it. But I didn't cry when Mason received his award!

However. The story doesn't end there.

After the awards were given, Ms. Alexander told her class that she had something very special to show them . . . something she was going to present to each parent. She then showed a DVD that she created with pictures from all of the activities and field trips and just day-to-day stuff in the classroom. She played some of their favorite songs in the background, songs like You Are the Sunshine of My Life. Yep. You guessed it. I lost it. Again. Only this time it was worse. Much worse. It wasn't even a pretty cry! It was one of those awful I'm-trying-really-hard-not-to-cry-and-not-to-let-you-know-that-I'm-really-crying-so-I'm-trying-to-preten-I'm-not-really-crying kinds of cries that just erupts with snorts and sobs and the whole shabang. I was a mess. And I was beginning to attract the attention of 20 graduating kindergarteners. And then Ms. Alexander came over, patted me on the back and asked if I needed anything. I couldn't even answer her! I did later apologize, by the way.

At that point, Hannah Kate kept trying to sit in my lap . . . but honestly, I just really wasn't paying much attention to her because I was trying to watch the video, and I was trying to stop crying. (Did I mention I'm blubbering even right now as I type this . . . at just the thought of that video?!? I mean . . . best gift EVER to this Mama!) It was then I realized that I wasn't the only one crying. Hannah Kate had huge tears in her eyes and on those rosy cheeks, and I could tell she was about to go bezerk. So I scooped her up and tried to explain that Mama was crying because she was happy for Mason, not sad. Yeah, that didn't go over too well with a three-year-old.

The both of us finally pulled it together in time to enjoy cupcakes. One of the other moms made cupcakes for everyone with their names on them.
And then the last day of school . . . was over. It was only a half day anyway. So we packed up, loaded up and headed out. Mason requested McDonald's for lunch. Let it be said right here and now that I do not do McDonald's. Just the mere thought of it makes me feel the need to begin a 30-day cleanse. But it was the last day of kindergarten. And my boy just received the Learning Words Award. So what's a Mama to do except go to McDonald's?

We're headed down the highway. And you'll never guess what happened next. Really, you won't. I saw blue flashing lights up ahead. And I knew immediately what it was. A funeral procession. So. I'll bet you CAN guess what transpired next. Did I mention my kleenex and waterproof mascera were AT HOME?!?

We made it to McDonald's. And everyone enjoyed their chicken nuggets.I have to confess. I ate a Big Mac. And I sort of enjoyed it. Until I started feeling like I needed a 30-day cleanse! Somehow, I managed not to cry through the sloppy greasiness of the whole thing. Maybe I should have though!

And Monday . . . well, Monday is kindergarten graduation. I've learned my lesson. I'll not forget the waterproof mascera. Or the kleenex.

Wordless Wednesday: Crawfish Boil

2011-05-18T18:01:00.004-06:00

First Swim

2011-05-17T19:30:00.003-06:00

It Was Easter

2011-05-15T15:08:00.004-06:00

It was Easter. Three weeks ago. So I guess that means I'm about three weeks behind. But anyway. Here we are (or were).
We don't "do" the Easter bunny, but Seth and I always give Mason and Hannah Kate a basket of goodies.My favorite hymn (right now) is Stuart Townend's How Deep the Father's Love for Us. I found myself singing the words . . . over and over . . . during the days leading up to resurrection Sunday. In the midst of the Easter dress, new church shoes and baskets, I sometimes lose sight of the wounds and bruises and chastisement borne by my Savior for me (and you, too!) so we might live forever with HIM. So really, every Sunday, EVERY DAY is resurrection Sunday for those who are in Christ. Here are the words to Townend's hymn. Soak them in, and let them sit awhile.

How deep the Father's love for us,

how vast beyond all measure;

That He should give His only Son

to make a wretch (that would be me) His treasure (that's me!).

How great the pain of searing loss;

the Father turns His face away

as wounds which mar the Chosen One

bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,

my sin upon His shoulders;

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there (tears . . .)

until it was accomplished.

His dying breath has brought me life;

I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything:

no gifts, no power, no wisdom;

But I will boast in Jesus Christ;

His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?

I can not give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart:

His wounds have paid my ransom.

Wow.

So after church and after lunch, we came back home. It was a beautiful day . . . and Seth and I planted two pecan trees in our backyard. These were actually Christmas presents to us from Barry and Ashley. Um, yea, one of the best Christmas presents ever! Mason and Hannah Kate were outside, too. Playing in the dirt. Because that's all we have around here lately. I honestly wasn't paying too much attention to them until this little face came to the door . . . and I had to take a picture. Of course, she wouldn't get off of her Dora phone, but that's okay.This little princess knows how to get down and dirty! And she loves every minute of it.

I have to share one more Easter memory. This one is for Mimi.

Someone (Mimi) included a set of press-on nails in Hannah Kate's Easter goodie. Can I just tell you how much I LOVED press-on nails when I was little?!? And how I always begged Mama to buy them for me. But never did I have PRINCESS press-on nails. Are these not some of the . . . gaudiest . . . things you've ever seen?!? But you know my girl loves them! So thank you, Mimi.

Mothering

2011-05-08T16:38:00.004-06:00

I've spent this Mother's Day just like all other 364 days in the year . . . mothering! Let's just say my family isn't exactly the breakfast-in-bed-for-Mom kind of family! Today has been a regular, ordinary Sunday. We woke up. We ate breakfast. We got dressed. We brushed our teeth. And we went to church.

I actually began the weekend partying. Not that kind though. I had one of those feeling-sorry-for-myself parties . . . a big fat PITY party. I spent a few hours wallowing in the grief of my-husband-has-to-leave-after-church-on-Sunday-to-go-to-work-and-it's-Mother's-Day-for-goodness-sakes kind of parties. It was just plain ugly. I know. It's just ridiculous. I mean . . . my children are beautiful, healthy, smart (at least in my opinion) . . . my husband has a great job that provides abundantly for our family (realizing that we know WHO provides for us through Seth's job) . . . we are safe . . . we have been blessed with a nice house . . . the kids' rooms are brimming over with toys . . . we have a huge supply of food in the pantry and refrigerator . . . I could go on and on and on. But I won't. You get the idea.

So yesterday I was driving back from Beaumont (I'll spare you the details of that story, but let's just say we left on Friday and came back yesterday with a new-to-us truck for Seth), and I decided that I would spend the majority of that time in prayer instead of flipping through the radio stations and whatever CDs I had on hand. The first thing I asked the Lord was that he would lift my burden and instead give me joy in this Mother's Day weekend, specifically joy in mothering.

Because I'll be really honest with you . . . mothering is hard! Or at least it is for me! I mean, I love it, and I love my children with my all. But mothering is hard work! And I'm just plain tired! I read other blogs, and I see the Facebook status of my girlfriends . . . you know, they all talk about how wonderful being a mother is and how they love it and all that. It just seems like they all have it together on this journey of motherhood while I'm sitting on the side of the road with a flat tire or something! I'm right there with them on the part about it being "the most wonderful thing ever," but it certainly isn't the easiest thing ever, and most nights I go to bed wishing I could have a "do over!" I've made so many mistakes. I know I have many more to make. I've had so many less than stellar moments. Someone once made the comment that it takes a village to raise a child. But, as of yet, no one has told me where this village is! But my children have loved me unconditionally through it all. That's what's so amazing!

So we pulled up in Seth's parents' driveway yesterday to get Mason and Hannah Kate. They were playing outside. I didn't see Mason at first, but I saw Hannah Kate. She stopped what she was doing, gave me the heartiest wave and the biggest grin and came running to me when I got out of the Tahoe. I got one of those really good around-the-neck hugs. Then I saw Mason come around the corner of the house. When he spotted me, he took off running, and I got another hug! That's not his typical response these days . . . remember the kid who gets off the bus and whizzes past while I'm standing there with arms wide open that never get a hug? And then they had to tell me all about their day. Now that is MOTHER JOY!

When we got home, I spent some time practicing the music we were going to sing at church this morning. I'd already decided one of the pieces I was going to play, but I hadn't decided on the other one. I was thinking about it as I was driving home, thinking about the songs I knew we were going to sing . . . and then I decided I was going to play a simple arrangement of Be the Centre. It would go well with the other music, and I felt like it really expressed my heart when it comes to mothering. So I grabbed my song book and turned to the arrangement. That's when I saw this:If you look closely, you'll notice that someone (a cute little 2-year-old at the time) took a pencil and added some of her own notations to my music. I never erased them. And I'm so glad I didn't! I had forgotten that this was the piece of music in question, and when I turned to the page and saw all of the pencil markings, my heart just melted. Now that is MOTHER JOY!

I guess I just needed a little encouragement this Mother's Day. In the midst of the skinned knees, spilled glasses of milk, bedtime stories, chicken nuggets, mounds of laundry, constant discipline and reminders . . . the day in day out mundane tasks of home-making and mothering . . . I often times forget that MOTHERING MATTERS. My children aren't exactly going to rise up right now and call me blessed (Proverbs 31:28) . . . they're ages 5 and 3 . . . but what I'm doing, what we're doing, MATTERS to the Lord. And I believe He knew that young mothers would need such encouragement.

" . . . admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers . . . " ~Titus 2:4-5

My absolutely favorite parenting / mothering book is Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman (a must-read if you haven't already). In it she writes:

"Sometimes I feel like just getting dressed and making it through the day is all I ever accomplish. (Can I hear an AMEN?) 'Isn't there something more that You wanted me to do today, Lord?' . . . Yes, my greatest accomplishment today was nurturing the two precious children that God has entrusted to my care. Now let's talk about my greatest challenge today . . . and everyday. It is raising these two precious children in the ways of the Lord. God does have an important job for me, and it does require much skill. It is my calling, my priority, my struggle and my goal. I will rise to the occasion and accept the task at hand. I will love, nurture and train my children the way God has called me to do. Moms, we need to be reminded of the awesome responsibility that God has given us. When we respond to the high calling of motherhood with passion, the rewards are far greater than any we could ever gain outside of that calling. The joys of motherhood are rare and beautiful treasures that can be easily missed if we don't seize the opportunity to grab them. Being a mom is more than being a cook, chauffeur, maid, counselor, doctor, referee, disciplinarian, etc. (just to name a few). It's about molding character, building confidence, nurturing, training and guiding. There is nothing like the influence that a mother has on her child. A mother's influence has enormous potential to shape the person a child becomes, for good or ill."

I don't know about you, but I needed to hear that today. And listen to what Thomas Edison said about his mom:

"My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt that I had someone to live for, someone I must not disappoint."

This is my favorite Mother's Day picture with Mason and Hannah Kate . . . Mother's Day 2009.

I'll leave you with the words of a Puritan prayer:

"Let those that are united to me in tender ties
be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory.
Sanctify and prosper my domestic devotion,
instruction, discipline, example,
that my house may be a nursery for heaven,
my church the garden of the Lord,
enriched with trees of righteousness of thy planting,
for thy glory."

Royal Reflections (and Relations?)

2011-05-05T18:22:00.002-06:00

My earliest childhood memory . . . and I kid you not . . . is watching Princess Diana walk down the red carpet to marry her prince. I was barely three years old. But I remember. That dress just captivated me. And so did Princess Di. So much so . . . that when I was in Mrs. Jones' 4th grade class and given the assignment of reading a biography or autobiography and then reporting on it to the class while dressing the part, I, of course, chose Princess Di. I mean, what little girl doesn't want to be a princess?!?

I also remember the day of the book report presentation. I wore a pastel blue or green (I can't remember which, and that's really aggravating!) gown that Mrs. Jones let me borrow. And that morning when I woke up to go to school, I asked Mama to French braid my hair. I still remember her response: "Princess Diana doesn't wear her hair in a French braid." Well, her hair was too short for a braid. And my hair (at half-way down my back) was too long to do anything with that remotely resembled Princess Di. So why a French braid? Because when I was in 4th grade, that was the most elegant hairstyle my mind could fathom for my long locks. And, of course, my Mama obliged, and I went to school with a French braid that day.

I was always fascinated with Princess Di . . . I sure wish I had People Magazine's special wedding issue of her! I was so sad when her marriage to the Prince fell apart. And I remember very vividly exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news of her death. Since then, my infatuation with the royal family waned.

Until last Thursday night . . . I found myself greatly anticipating William and Kate's wedding, so much so that I even entertained the thought of waking up early (really early) to watch the wedding. But then I realized how silly that was, especially since I could just DVR the thing. So that's what I did. And then I found out that there's actually a Lifetime movie devoted to the couple. I've never seen it, but I understand it was aired multiple times leading up to the day of the wedding. I'm secretly hoping for another repeat! I'm also debating on whether or not to purchase People Magazine's special issue of the wedding!

I have very little time to devote to television viewing, but I wanted to see that wedding. I couldn't wait to see THE DRESS! I made absolutely sure throughout the day that I didn't catch a glimpse of Kate's dress on the news or the internet. I didn't want to spoil the royal viewing. So Friday afternoon, I sat down to watch the wedding. I'll admit . . . I had to skip through most of it . . . and after 45 minutes, I'd already seen what I wanted to see (or had time to see).

The first thing I wanted to do was go out and buy me a hat! I still haven't decided which one was my favorite, although I know which ones are not! And then Kate herself . . . I thought she was absolutely gorgeous. And I absolutely LOVE THE DRESS!

I've often thought . . . if I had it to do all over again (which I will not!) . . . what my dress would look like. Let's face it . . . I wouldn't choose the same dress today that I chose 11 years ago . . . although that was the perfect dress for me at the time. But. I'm certain I wouldn't choose Kate's dress either. It was perfectly lovely, and I really do love it . . . but did you see PIPPA'S DRESS?!? Oh my . . . absolutely stunning! Love love LOVE it!

So. Beyond the clothes and the hats (and the music), do you know what else really captured my attention? Prince Harry! And do you know why? I felt like I was looking at someone I know. I mean, really know. Here. Let me show you. Here he is (and you know I chose this picture so you could also see Pippa's dress! . . . although it really doesn't do it justice since you can't see the entire length of it).
But doesn't he look just like HIM?!?

In case you're wondering, that's MY BROTHER!

And, by the way, I don't have to dream of being a princess or even being related to royalty. I ALREADY AM. You see, I am a child of the King. So that makes me a princess!

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." ~John 1:12

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" ~1 John 3:1

And can I just tell you . . . I CAN NOT wait to see my King one day! I'll bet all the castles in England can't even compare to the mansion He's prepared for me!

Spring Break: Day 5

2011-04-29T21:08:00.007-06:00

The first surprise came last night. Seth actually came home a day early! The second surprise came today. Seth took the day off! Now, in general, I like surprises. But I had mixed feelings about today's surprise. I mean . . . if I would've known that he was going to be home today, I'd have planned something. Something BIG. Something FUN. But it didn't work out the way I would've planned. And that's okay, too.

After breakfast, Seth asked me if I wanted to go with him to take care of a few errands. I went, along with the three children, Connor included. Basically I sat in the truck with the kids while Seth ran around town taking care of some "man" things. I didn't ask questions. I was honestly enjoying the time to sit and do nothing, chase no one. One of the errands was Home Depot. I usually don't let Seth go in that store without me. He generally doesn't stick to "the list." But today I just didn't care. As a matter of fact, I had no idea what he even went there for.

Fast forward. When we get home, I send Mason and Hannah Kate outside to play. I knew Seth was going to change the oil and filter in the tractor so I just assumed that's what he was doing. I sat myself and Connor down to watch the Royal Wedding, which I had DVR'd.

Side note. Can I just tell you how much I love DVR?!? I mean, I don't watch that much television. I don't have time! Besides, we try to limit our viewing time anyway. But now we spend even LESS time in front of the TV. I usually DVR my three or four favorite shows and watch them later after everyone is in bed. I can fast forward through the commercials, making a 1-hour program around 40 minutes or so. And not only that . . . I set my DVR for the Roay Wedding, not my alarm clock for 3:30AM!

So I'm watching the wedding (and it's great because I can just breeze on through those long, drawn out royal arrivals), and Seth comes to the door and summons me outside. I really didn't want to go. But I did. And I discovered what the errand to Home Depot yielded today. It had nothing to do with the tractor!
Let's just say that Mason absolutely LOVES his new swing. And that would be an understatement!Now. Hannah Kate, on the other hand, would only sit on the swing long enough for me to get a picture. At this point, she wants nothing to do with it.So she asked me to take a picture of her climbing the spider web instead. That girl loves to climb!

It wasn't SeaWorld . . . or that fabulous San Antonio Tex-Mex food . . . but it was a great week! I'm not bitter. Really. I'm not.

Have I mentioned that spring break is officially over? (Insert long, wistful sigh.) But there are only three weeks of school left. And counting . . . but who's counting?!? I AM!

Spring Break: Day 4

2011-04-28T21:06:00.006-06:00

Today we went to the park . . . a really awesome park in Baton Rouge. It was recently renovated and updated with the latest and greatest in playground equipment. We'll definitely be spending a lot of time here!

Mason and Hannah Kate (and Ray-Ray and Connor) had a great time. Even better than the playground equipment was this, for lack of a better word, spider web. Mason spent a lot of time on this thing, and Hannah Kate even climbed up nearly to the top, too.
I just love this beautiful face!And, I promise . . . Connor had fun . . . even though he wore his "serious face" most all day. But he loves to swing so that's where he spent a lot of time.But . . . even better than the spider web . . . if it can get any better . . . is the splash pad!

I have to mention, first of all, that it was an unseasonably cooler day in south Louisiana today. The high was only in the upper 70s, and it was very windy. This is actually a dream, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but I was concerned that it would be too chilly for the kids to play in the water. I took their swimsuits so they would at least have the option, but I didn't expect them to use them, especially Hannah Kate.

I was wrong. I love it when I'm wrong!

We spent three hours at the park before going to eat lunch at Chic-fil-A (or Chicken Flay as my kids call it!) with some friends. And since Chic-fil-A is in the Target parking lot, you know I had to stop in there as well.

It was a delightful day in every way . . . I even washed the windows (inside and out!) when we got home (I know Ray-Ray thinks I'm weird. But clean windows are a must, especially when you have as many as we do. And I stick to a tight cleaning schedule so they are washed once a quarter and then in between as needed. That was too much information.) . . . so clean windows make me a happy girl . . .

But I also have to say that my heart has been very heavy today for friends in Alabama and Georgia. I must admit . . . I got so aggravated last night . . . I was up late flipping through the national news channels trying to find coverage of the devastation in Alabama and what was currently going on in Georgia, but all they wanted to talk about was the royal wedding and a certain someone's birth certificate. I had to settle for the Weather Channel. The devastation is . . . incomprehensible, really. And right in my back yard, too. There is massive damage where I grew up, and my parents said a tornado passed about two or so miles from their house. I am so very thankful that all of my friends and family are safe. But I do grieve for those who have lost so much. My prayers for you are constant!

Spring Break: Day 3

2011-04-27T15:40:00.006-06:00

Today we went to the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. Of course, the little ones cared nothing for the art exhibits, but we spent a lot of time in the Discovery Depot and Science Station. Hannah Kate's favorite was the Discovery Depot . . . lots of toys and things to play "pretend" with. Mason's favorite was the Science Station . . . hands-on really cool stuff.

Even Connor had fun!Afterwards we took a stroll along the river. My original plan was to eat our picnic lunch overlooking the mighty Mississippi, but it was too windy to eat atop the levee.So we headed back towards the Shaw Center and found a park bench under the oak trees.

I'm excited about our plans for tomorrow . . .

Spring Break: Day 2

2011-04-26T19:15:00.007-06:00

Very early this morning when the boom of thunder and the flash of lightening woke me up, I knew we wouldn't be going anywhere! So we stayed at home and had a great day!

Playing games . . .
Making milkshakes . . .

Working puzzles . . . Reading books . . . lots of books . . .

I have to admit . . . I love home!

Spring Break: Day 1

2011-04-25T19:55:00.013-06:00

Spring Break. So the original plan was to take Mason and Hannah Kate to SeaWorld in San Antonio. I'll just go ahead and tell you that we are NOT at SeaWorld. It's times like these that I have to remember to be so very thankful for Seth's job . . . even though we aren't at SeaWorld, and Seth is gone. AGAIN. I've lost count now. This must be the 8th week in a row. I'm reminding myself not to complain . . .

I decided instead to take Mason and Hannah Kate SOMEWHERE each day to have a little fun. So today we went to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Seth and I went years ago (before Mason was born and before Katrina), but we've never taken the kids. And since they've been begging to go back to the zoo, meaning the Baton Rouge zoo, I decided that a change of scenery might be nice. Connor didn't come along with us today, but Ray-Ray did. And I'm SO GLAD he did. He was such a big help with Mason and Hannah Kate, and they just love him.
Mr. Lion was one of my favorites today; I mean, I empathize perfectly!

The petting zoo . . . well, let's just say petting zoos are not my favorite. But I had to just grin and bear it.Hannah Kate with her favorite . . . PINK flamingoes in the background!And just another fun photo op:I am absolutely amazed by my Creator's obvious sense of humor and . . . CREATIVITY . . .

This was going to be my favorite pic . . . until I got home and saw how blurry it is! ARGH!They really did have a fun time!And I absolutely LOVE these beautiful, colorful birds!When Mason spotted this fellow, he was so proud of himself for recognizing the guy as Louisiana's state animal . . . the Louisiana Black Bear.I think my favorite exhibit is the Louisiana Swamp . . .I don't know about you . . . but this just screams SUMMER TIME in the south. Love it!And more of Louisiana . . .

It really was a great day . . . an exhausting day though. My original plan . . . to go somewhere different each day . . . let's just say I'm re-thinking that one! Tomorrow sounds like a great day to STAY HOME!

Last (two) Weekend(s)

2011-04-21T12:33:00.009-06:00

The last two weekends, Saturdays especially, were crazy busy. Too busy. But we had a lot of fun and a lot of memories.

Two Saturdays ago started out once again at the ball park.

Mason was particularly excited because he got to play first base today. If you aren't familiar with t-ball . . . the kids hit the ball (no matter how many swings it takes!),and they run to first base. They make their way around the bases as the other batters hit. There are no strikes or outs. When the ball is fielded, the kids are taught to throw the ball to first base (even if the runner has already made it there!). So Mason knew he would get a lot of action. The only thing is . . . he's still a little shy about the ball headed his way. He stood his ground, but he mostly threw his glove up in the air (while attempting to protect his head with his other hand) just hoping the ball would land there and not on top of his head or his nose! I can't say I blame him too much. Four and five-year-olds don't exactly have the accuracy required for the ball to make it safely into the glove of the first baseman. And then once the first baseman has the ball, he has to throw it to home plate. After the game, we went to Connor's birthday party.

And then we went back home, got baths and dressed to attend Abbie's first Communion.We went to Barry and Ashley's afterwards for a crawfish boil, but I didn't take any pictures of that. If you've seen one pot of mudbugs, you've seen them all.

And then last Saturday was just as busy.

As usual, we were at the ballpark bright and early (well, maybe not that early, but it sure did seem early) for Mason's last t-ball game. One of the many reasons that t-ball is so much fun to watch is what I lovingly call the dogpile. When the ball is hit, nearly all 10 kids on the team go for it and end up piling up all over each other to see who is the first one to come up with it. Mason got it this time around. Notice number 3 still rolling around in the grass! And, of course, who can resist this doll face?After the game was the "awards ceremony," which really consisted of the Director of the program donning each play with a medal. I think Mason was disappointed again . . . he really wants a trophy!

We left the ballpark and hurried to church for our Easter Eggstravganza . . . AKA Easter egg hunt and other activities.I don't know . . . I guess she got her basket confused with her bonnet . . . ?

And then . . . AFTER THAT . . . we still weren't finished . . . Hannah Kate and I had the pleasure of attending Abbie's dance recital. But this wasn't just any dance recital. This was her FIVE YEAR dance recital. That means that she had the privilege of dancing on stage by herself while Barry and Ashley waited "in the wings" to lavish her with flowers and other gifts. She takes tap and ballet, and she did a fabulous job with all of her dances, especially her solo. My favorite was her ballet . . . she and the other girls in her class danced WITH THEIR DADDIES to You Are the Sunshine of My Life. It was more than precious! Her tap routine was really cute, and she said it was her favorite. I had my new camera with me, hoping to get some good shots of her on stage (especially with her daddy!), but I was sitting in the back of the auditorium and had a lap full of a certain 3-year-old who really was mesmerized by the whole thing . . . and the lighting was not good either, which meant I didn't have my camera on the right settings because I'm still trying to learn how to use the thing! This is probably the best picture I got . . .

Can I just tell you that this Saturday . . . we have NO PLANS! And I can't wait! Not to mention . . . spring break has just begun . . . and I am SUPER EXCITED!

REAL Lemon Meringue Pie

2011-04-18T12:30:00.007-06:00

I love books.

I. LOVE. BOOKS.

I love to read books.

I also love the smell of books.

And the sound of books as you turn the pages, especially those in the Bible.

That would be why I will never have a Kindle. I have no desire for one or anything else like it for that matter. I want a book in my hand that I can smell and touch.

I have no idea when my fascination with books began. I just know it was a very long time ago. I always had my nose in a book. That's how I would spend my weekends . . . during middle school, high school, even college. Up until I had children, that's still how I would spend my weekends. I have a stack of books right now just waiting to be read, but I don't have very much uninterrupted time in which to read these days (unless I'm making that 9-hour trip to Georgia and my husband is driving!). And . . . just in case you're wondering . . . my current read is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp.

I really couldn't tell you my favorite book as a child . . . but I remember really enjoying Judy Blume's books, and I would always look for them in the school library. When Hannah Kate was born, my mom reminded me of another favorite. Amelia Bedelia! She included an Amelia Bedelia book in Hannah Kate's first Easter basket. Of course, that was probably more for me than it was for Hannah Kate.

And it seems like Hannah Kate is following close behind in my footsteps. She loves to read. Or, rather, she loves to be read to! We read a lot. I mean A LOT. But I don't mind. I love it! Her current favorites are Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious and . . . Amelia Bedelia! She has two Amelia Bedelia books now. In the original book, Amelia Bedelia makes a lemon meringue pie for Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. That's about the only thing she does well.

I noticed several weeks ago that Hannah Kate was constantly making lemon meringue pie in her "kitchen." That sparked another childhood memory . . .

I remember my mom spent a lot of Saturdays in the kitchen. I have a sweet tooth, and there were two favorites that she made often: three layer cake with chocolate icing and LEMON MERINGUE PIE! She also makes my favorite chocolate chip cookies. But back to the lemon meringue pie. That's my favorite pie. Hands down. But. Not all lemon meringue pies are the real deal. As a matter of fact, it's my humble opinion that my mama's lemon meringue pie is the ONLY lemon meringue pie.

Let me elaborate. The way I see it, there are three criteria for lemon meringue pie:
1. REAL lemons / lemon juice
2. creamy, pale yellow in color
3. refrigerated!

The lemon meringue pie at Piccadilly . . . is NOT lemon meringue pie. And not that I frequent Piccadilly . . . because I don't . . . I can cook like that (or better - in my humble opinion) at home! . . . and I'm not a big fan of buffets or the like either. So anyway. I finally came up with a brillant idea. Sometimes it takes me awhile to be brillant. I asked my mom to send me a copy of her lemon meringue pie recipe so I could make it with Hannah Kate. And that's just what we did.

So . . . a la Pioneer Woman . . . here goes.

As I mentioned earlier . . . REAL lemons! You need 1/2 cup lemon juice so either 2 large lemons or 3-4 small lemons should do the trick. In a medium bowl, beat 3 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue). Stir in 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk (seriously . . . you KNOW this is going to be good!) and 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from the lemons, not the bottle!).

Stir in 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind.

Stir ingredients well and pour into a 6-oz graham cracker pie crust.Now for the meringue. In a small bowl, beat 3 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.Spread the meringue on top of the pie.And . . . now for the best part . . . lick the bowl and the spoon!While you're at it, be sure to share with your friends!I promise they'll just love it!Then the pie goes into a 350 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. My oven bakes fast so our pie was done in 12 minutes. I bake my pies on a cookie sheet. It's just much easier that way.After the pie comes out of the oven, allow it to cool and then chill before serving. Leftovers, if you have any, should be refrigerated. Eat and enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Connor!

2011-04-11T17:58:00.011-06:00

I can't believe it's been a year . . .

Last June, Mason, Hannah Kate and I welcomed a new little guy into our home everyday while his Mommy and Daddy work. Connor was almost 10 weeks old when he came to stay with us the first time. I remember that day so very well . . . I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I wasn't sure how Mason and Hannah Kate would react. I just really didn't know. But that first day, Mason and Hannah Kate were so excited! They wanted to hold him, feed him, even change his diaper. They were, and still are, very protective of him. Connor slept a lot during those first few months, and Hannah Kate would just sit on the floor and stare at him, waiting on him to wake up. Connor seemed so little . . . And I finally had to give in and let them hold Connor because they would not leave me alone!

And now our little guy is ONE! He has grown so much, and he's a joy to have everyday. Mason and Hannah Kate still adore him, and the feeling is mutual. Every morning when Connor arrives, the first thing he does is look for Hannah Kate. Sometimes she's still asleep. And he just loves when Mason gets home from school each afternoon. It's much harder now to get a picture of the three of them together, but here they are. This past Saturday, in between Mason's t-ball game and Abbie's 1st Communion, we attended Connor's birthday party. Here I am with the birthday boy.And let me tell you . . . Connor knew this day was all about him! He was really into opening his presents, and he actually opened each one. I've never seen a 1-year old this into opening presents! He got really aggravated when Mommy took one away to give him another.When Connor unwrapped his 4-wheeler, he couldn't wait to get on it. He was bouncing up and down and giving us all a good laugh.

When we sang Happy Birthday, Connor knew it was for him. He clapped and smiled and wanted us to keep on singing.

Before it came time to cut the cake, we tried to get a picture of Connor with his cake. But he couldn't keep his hands out of it! And who wouldn't . . . I mean, look at this cake! Kayla's Aunt Rita Lynn made it . . . she said it was a work in progress over several days. Well, that cake would've taken me several YEARS! So when Mommy wouldn't let Connor put his hand in the cake . . .. . . he decided he'd go for his feet in the cake instead! He's a little rascal!And here he is with his smash cake . . .This is my favorite picture of the day . . . HOORAY FOR CAKE! This sums up Connor's spunky personality perfectly! He's a mess!

Look Who's ONE!

2011-04-02T18:19:00.006-06:00

Dear Jones,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, sweet boy! We thought about you all day today . . . wishing we were in Georgia celebrating with you at your John Deere-themed birthday party and enjoying your Daddy's fish fry!

I can not believe you are ONE! It seems like you were born just yesterday. The hardest part about living in Louisiana is being so far away from friends and family. I sure wish we could spend more time with you! I just loved my time with you a couple of weeks ago. You are such an easy baby with such a sweet, easy-going personality. I don't think you were too sure about me at first, but I won you over! Mason and Hannah Kate were especially jealous. They ask about you everyday, ask when we're going back to Georgia. I promise we'll come see you soon.

Tell your mommy to upload some pictures of your party on Facebook (as if she doesn't have anything else to do! but maybe just a picture or two!). I hope you enjoy your birthday present we sent. Mason and Hannah Kate love to swing, and I'll bet you will too. I was thinking that the back deck at your house would be a great spot for your new swing. And you be sure to tell Mommy and Daddy to take you to the beach this summer so you can sport your new trunks, sun hat and towel! Of course, I'll bet you'll use those at your Aunt Jenny's pool a lot, too.

We can't wait to see you again! We love you!
Uncle Seth, Aunt Julie, Mason and Hannah Kate