The Boy Makers

So I'm REALLY Busy

2010-09-08T21:35:00.003-06:00

I've been really busy recently so I'm going to share some fun/funny pics of the boys from this summer. I'll have a real post soon. Hopefully I won't let anyone down. :)

Do You Miss Me?

2010-09-03T20:51:00.000-06:00

Just wondering if anyone would read if I blogged again!!!!???

Wade's Room

2010-02-08T10:27:00.004-06:00

If you'll remember, Wade's room was a top priority for painting when we moved. Well, we finally got that taken care of over the Christmas break. It's not exactly complete. We have some fun ideas for pictures and posters for the walls. Our theme is: Big Surprise...... Sports!

Before

In addition to the cactus and the cowboy, there was also a lasso and sherriff's badge!!!

After

We still need to put the headboard on his bed. And, since these pics were taken, we've added the mirror to his dresser. He loves his room so much that he said "My room rocks!! This is so awesome that I'm just going to live here after I get married." Uh, no!!! David and I quickly told him that he would not be able to afford rent here. :)

He picked out the blue/gray color. It looks really cool. The bookshelves were already red, and he thought that looked cool. So, we left those as they were. Oh, and his blinds are back up too. Maybe I need to go take some more pictures now that the room is a little more complete. Oh well, you get the idea.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T22:00:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!!!!!!! Not much to say, just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

6 Year Old Grief

2009-12-21T23:09:00.002-06:00

Just wanted you all to know that we are getting into the yucky part of Lafe's grief process. We are consulting one of our ministers who has a lot of experience and education on grief. He tells us that the things Lafe is doing and saying are healthy. However, they are not fun to be experiencing!!!

Just for example, not wanting to go to sleep last night because he was scared. Waking up in the middle of the night because he had a scary dream. And, today I found him curled up on the floor singing to himself. When I stopped and listened to him he was singing "Don't talk about it. Don't talk about it. Don't talk about Jodi."

My heart breaks over and over again everyday. I know these last few posts have been sad and depressing, but we need your prayers.

Sad

2009-12-19T14:53:00.001-06:00

One of the little girls in Lafe's class died early Friday morning in a house fire along with her mother (who was pregnant) and her grandfather. She sat next to Lafe in class. We have talked to him and are so thankful for the peace and the innocence of a child. He wanted to know if Jodi would still have birthday parties in Heaven. He also said "I want to die when I'm a kid!" When David asked him why, he said "So Jodi will recognize me!!!!" So sweet. He is sad, but I am amazed at the peace God is giving him. Or maybe he is accepting the peace God gives much easier than David and I are. I am the room mom in his class and have had a few opportunities to be with his class. Jodi was such a sweet, loving little girl. In fact, at the Christmas party on Thursday, she couldn't stop hugging me.

Please be praying for Lafe's teacher. She goes to our church and we are so brokenhearted for her. I can't imagine what the next few weeks will entail for Audria. I am thanking God that she and the kids have the next two weeks to be home surrounded by people who love them so much!!! So thankful that they are not having to go back into that situation right away without Jodi. Please pray that God will give Audria peace and the words she will need to answer the comments and questions when they do return to school. WE LOVE YOU, AUDRIA!!!!!! More than words can express.

Sneaky and Funny

2009-11-30T21:19:00.002-06:00

SNEAKY: Today Joseph was supposed to be taking a nap. David and I thought we heard him moving around upstairs. So, I went to his room to check. When I went in his room he was up cleaning. He had already cleaned his whole room. He put all of his books back in his bookshelf, stuffed animals in his rocking chair, and the dirty clothes that had been on his floor in his laundry basket. It was so funny!!! He wanted to be out of his bed, but he knew he would get in trouble. I guess he figured out it's awfully hard for Mommy and Daddy to be mad at you when you've just cleaned your room without being asked. Little toot!!!!! No, he didn't get in trouble, but he did get tucked back into bed and told there would be a consequence if he got out of bed again.

FUNNY: For my friends and family who know Ashley (Lambert) Hall, this will make you wet your pants. We were at Wal-Mart last night picking out our Christmas tree. As we were walking in I heard someone call my name. We looked over and it was Ashley. So fun!!! I love that girl so much. We are in the process of getting licensed to be foster parents through the same agency that Ashley and Lance adopted their five children from. So, we were talking about all of that and she was telling me about a lady she knows who has a job she thought I would be perfect for. Needless to say, we said a lot in a very short amount of time. When Ashley left to go to her car, we began walking into the store and Lafe said "Wow! That was nonstop talking!!!!!" If you know Ashley, you know that was a VERY accurate assessment. I stopped Ashley as she was driving by to tell her and she died laughing. He cracks me up!!!!

Praise God!!!

2009-11-12T09:58:00.005-06:00

We are so excited to be able to tell you that God is already healing Lafe's eye!!!!!!!!! God is so good!

We got a good report yesterday at the opthamologist appointment. There is some function in that eye already without any treatment. Hum! Wonder how that happened???!

He will have to have his right eye patched for ONLY 2 hours everyday. We will be able to do it in the afternoons after school.

And..... we got GLASSES!!! Remember, we were told glasses wouldn't work. And, they wouldn't have with the other prognosis, but because God is already healing that eye, glasses will work!!!!

Our follow up appointment will be in March and we will be having Joseph evaluated at that same time.

I can't tell you how incredibly blessed we are for having friends and family who have been on their knees right along side of us lifting our precious son's name to our Father. We thank you for loving us and comforting us through all of this.

The best part of the entire appointment was the moment that David and I looked up to find this sign:
It says: "As Christian physicians, we welcome the opportunity to pray with our patients and their families. Please let us know if you would like us to pray with you."

I have worked with these physicians in the hospital when they come to see our premature babies. However, I have never been in their office. I knew that I loved them, but I didn't know this about them.

We did ask Dr. Packwood to pray with us and guess what he prayed for..... Complete Healing!! He also asked God to help him see God's work through the process of Lafe's healing.

I told David there's nothing like getting a big, fat, tangible sign saying "I'm Here!!!!" We know that God is walking through this with us, and we are so excited to have so many witnessing his healing power with us.

Funny

2009-11-03T16:20:00.002-06:00

I've had a lot of people asking me lately how Lafe is handling the news about his eye. He really doesn't say much about it. There is an occassional comment here and there, but mostly just little questions about going to see the new doctor.

I've been wondering myself how he's feeling about it or if it's really something he thinks about on his own without us mentioning it.

Well, yesterday David and I both found ourselves laughing so hard when we heard him saying

"Oh no!!! Not my good eye!!! I just poked my good eye with my pencil." He was very upset that he had hurt his "GOOD" eye.

For some reason we found that really funny!!! I guess you have to find something to laugh at in times like this. I think he's possibly THE FUNNIEST kid ever!

Lafe's Halloween Party

2009-10-30T15:00:00.011-06:00

I'm the room parent for Lafe's class. First time thing for me!!! I had a blast planning his party and I believe we all had a blast during the party.My Helpers (minus my sweet husband and the man taking the pictures)

We ate cupcakes and fruit

Decorating our bags as pumpkins Final Product Mummy Wrap Game They loved wrapping Mrs. Hastings!!!It was so fun and I can't wait to do our Christmas party. In between snacks and crafts and at the end of the party we read a couple of Halloween books. They loved it!!!!

Lafe's Eye

2009-10-27T20:59:00.002-06:00

Real original title for my post. I know! But, I'm not feeling it lately.

I wanted to post this to ask everyone to be lifting Lafe's name up in prayer for us. We were notified by the school nurse a couple of weeks ago that Lafe had failed his vision screening twice in his left eye. No problem! I made an appointment with our optometrist for the following week. That was last Thursday.

We did NOT get a good report. The optometrist told me that his diagnosis is not good. He wrote down a prescription of 20/200 in that eye. However, he is not really using the eye at all. It is essentially non-functional at this time. The doctor said he has had this lazy eye since birth. The problem is that it never crossed which is not good. Had his eye crossed, that would have meant that his brain was at least trying to get him to use that eye. Plus, we would have seen a problem much earlier than 6 years of age.

So, we will be taking him to a pediatric opthamologist on November 11th. I am anxious to hear what our treatment options are. According to our optometrist the difference in the eyes is so much that glasses will not work. There is not surgery to be done because the muscle is not involved at all. Therefore, he believes we will be patching the right eye in order to try and force the brain to receive and process signals from the left eye again. If we regain some function in that eye, they will probably correct vision with a contact lens. That sounds really fun with a 6 year old.

I know we serve a MIGHTY GOD!!! And, I know that he is fully capable of restoring function in that eye before we do anything treatment wise. That is my first prayer. If that is not His plan, I am simply asking you to ask for some function in that eye! Also, please pray that God can decrease Lafe's anxiety. When he realized we were possibly going to need to patch the good eye he panicked and begged us not to cover it because he wouldn't be able to see at school. Yuck! I explained that the doctor and Mrs. Hastings (his teacher) would work on this with us and we will do whatever he needs to keep learning. That seemed to put his mind at ease a little.

I go through moments of complete peace and then there are moments of absolute guilt. I know that Lafe didn't say anything to us because he never saw the right way. Had it been a change in vision he would have told us. However, he didn't know that he was seeing differently than you and I. I know all of this, yet, I still have Satan telling me I should've known and done better, faster. Please pray that I can fight off these horrible messages from him and feel the peace and comfort that I know is from God.

And, don't leave me a message saying what one lady said to me at Ladies' Bible Class today. I know I have to consider the source, but her words hurt and have been in the back of my mind all day. She said "I can't believe that there are 2 nurses and 1 doctor (my dad, a DENTIST) in your family and y'all couldn't figure out this was wrong until now???!!!!" She tried to joke and laugh it off, but it HURT!!!! If you are thinking those things, just don't say anything to me at all.

I will keep you posted.

My Mommy Said Not to Put SNAILS in my NOSE!!!

2009-10-16T11:07:00.002-06:00

Growing up we always sang a silly song that goes:
My Mommy said not to put beans in my ears, beans in my ears, beans in my ears.
My Mommy said not to put beans in my ears. Beans in my ears.

(it goes on to other parts of the body and such)

Well, today we had our first incident with someone putting something up their nose! I can't believe I've been a mother for 10 years and this has never happened!!!!!! However, I'm very thankful.

All three of the boys were playing outside yesterday. They found a frog, crickets, and snails. I'm telling you this living with a creek in our backyard has brought the critters!!! My boys are LOVING it. (we won't talk about the snake from a couple of days ago)

Anyway, so this morning they were outside before we left for school. They once again found snails. Joseph had a little one that he has carried around with him all morning long.

I noticed him about an hour and a half ago picking at his nose. That might sound normal for a 2 year old, but he NEVER picks his nose.

So, I said "Joseph. We don't pick our noses. Do you need a tissue."

He looked at me with his big, beautiful blue eyes and said "YES! Get it out!!!!"

I thought that must be some mighty big booger for him to be so upset. Then, it clicked!!! OH. MY. GOODNESS! He had that dumb snail in his hand!!!!!

I said "Did you put that snail in your nose??"

He said yes and then began crying. I was afraid he would suck it even further up in there. I finally got him calmed down enough to cover the opposite nostril and have him blow it out! GROSS!!!!! Other than a little blood that followed, he is fine.

When I asked him why he did it, he said "Because I wanted to." Great logic!!!

Family Retreat

2009-10-01T12:53:00.006-06:00

Our Family Enrichment Committee (that David and I both serve on) just planned and carried out a Family Retreat for our church family. It was so much fun!!! I wish everyone could have been there. Those that couldn't, truly missed out! Here are some pictures of our weekend. It was full of free time where we played together, laughed, and bonded in ways we are unable here at home. Our weekend was blessed with a fun Hootenanny. That was fun to see all of the incredible "TALENT" we possess at Pleasant Ridge!!! I can't wait for the next one, and I hope that more people will come. We, as a committee, were pleasantly surprised by the turn out we had for our very first retreat. Our expectations were met and then some!!!

Yes, that is my dear husband and Rob Fisher riding a tandem bike!!!

New House!

2009-09-28T21:20:00.006-06:00

I am posting some pictures of our new house now so my Grandmother won't shoot me. I love you, Grandma. She's asked me several times now to get these on here. I honestly don't think I've looked at a computer in over a week!!! These are pictures of the house before we moved in and before it was cleaned. I'll post more pics when all of the decorating is complete and boxes are out of the way. Maybe next week some time!!!! These are not in any order. Blogger is being stubborn!!!

Breakfast Nook (love the window seat!)

Playroom/TV room

Master Bedroom

Lafe's Room

Joseph's Room

Wade's Room (will be painting soon! there is also a sheriff's badge and a lasso painted. he said it is humiliating!)

Wade's Room (love the bookshelves and window seat)

Guest Bedroom

Living Room/View from Stairs

Formal Living/Study/Craft Room

Formal Dining

The Kitchen

Front of House

Moving

2009-09-10T18:51:00.001-06:00

We are one week away from closing on our house now. We will close next Friday and move in on Saturday and Sunday. Yikes!!! I'm really excited. I have pictures to post of the house. Things are a little disorganized around here while we're packing everything and getting ready to go. So, bear with me. If I don't get them posted until after we move, don't hate me!!!!

Here's the Commercial (See post below)

2009-08-31T21:57:00.002-06:00

WARNING: Viewer Discretion is advised.

Is anyone else bothered by this????

2009-08-31T21:52:00.003-06:00

Have any of you seen the new Jack-in-the-Box commercials? It's advertising a game they are playing with the peel away stickers on their cups. It is called Jack's Big Ripoff.

In the commercials Jack is walking down the sidewalk and random people rip their clothes off of their bodies and throw them at Jack. It leaves grown adults standing there stripped down to their underwear. Women in bras and panties and men in boxer shorts. Is anyone else APPALLED that this is on TV when our children might be watching?????????? I am seriously considering boycotting eating at their establishment. How about you?

Or what about this?

2009-08-05T22:01:00.002-06:00

This would look nice on any back porch! Don't forget to see the post below!!!

Free, Free, Free!!!!

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Date: 2009-05-21, 8:44PM MDT

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Ever want a good quality stump you can rest your feet on, relax on, or even eat on? Then we have the best item FOR FREE just for you. Today only come and get your free, newly removed stump. You even get the dirt attached for NO CHARGE. Just cant get any better than this. Please let everyone have a chance for this, serious inquries only. Have a great day, have fun and keep shopping on Craigslist!

Craigslist...ain't it great?

2009-08-05T21:55:00.002-06:00

Found this ad on craigslist...seriously considering for the new house? What do you guys think? Please give us your opinions- good or bad!!! Be honest!

Yard Swing
Date: 2009-06-08, 10:47AM CDT
Real nice yard swing for sell. Real comfrotable. Might have a few dog hairs on it but they will brush right off. Green all-wheather cover beside fence is included
Tikee torch not included but will sale for 25.00.

New Blog

2009-08-03T21:43:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to encourage all of the women from Pleasant Ridge who read my blog to visit our new blog. It is specifically for info about events for women, encouraging and lifting each other up, sharing fun things like recipes, etc. There is a link to the right in my list: PR Women's Blog. Please go visit and leave a comment.

I am on the Women's Ministry Committee. We came up with this idea awhile back. After advertising in the announcements that we needed someone to get it started, Vicki Thompson jumped at the chance. So, please let her know what a wonderful job she has done and get the word out to all the women you know that it is there!!! Thanks!

World Turned Upside Down!!!

2009-07-21T21:03:00.002-06:00

Sorry for being such a boring blogger. We are having a GREAT summer! I love having my kids home with me. I am dreading school starting. I like to be on our own schedule and be able to do WHATEVER we want to do WHENEVER we want to do it!!!

We are currently in the process of selling our house and buying a new one. Our house went under contract last Thursday and we have found a house now that we are about to put an offer on. Please be praying about this for us. We will be closing and moving the first week of school!!!!!!!!!! Yikes! Not great timing, but God's timing.

It's funny because over the last 5 months while our house has been on the market I've seen a lot of homes come and go that I really liked. I was beginning to feel like there wouldn't be anything available for us when it came time. I prayed HARD that God would take care of us and have the perfect house ready for us when our house sold. The house we are putting an offer on has only been on the market 11 days!!! He saved it just for us!!! Prasie God!

We are very excited, but this whole process has been so daunting and my emotions are whacked out and my body is exhausted. I'm ready to get everything going so that David and I can enjoy our vacation next week for our 10th wedding anniversary.

Oh, yeah! We've been married 10 years as of July 3rd. Is that not crazy? And, we are going to New York City for a few days to celebrate! I don't want to be completely consumed with the whole house situation while we are there. So, that's something else you can pray about for us.

Wade

2009-06-28T21:36:00.001-06:00

Wade has found a love for a ministry we have at our church. We take communion to shut-ins who are unable to come to the church building for worship. We are always looking for more people to serve in this ministry. The woman at church who is heading this up sent out an e-mail last week to some members at our church. This next paragraph is an exerpt from that e-mail. Again, David and I are so proud of him!!!

I would like to tell you about a very special little nine year old boy at Pleasant Ridge that has been tremendously moved and is seriously dedicated to the Lord's Supper Ministry. Wade Ledbetter is fired up about going to our members to take them Communion. He reads scripture and discusses the Lords word at each visit. He loves talking to these members about the word of our Lord along with his parents or his grandparents. He has even gone along with one of the college students (Katie Kitson) on her volunteering visits. Isn't that GREAT! He came to me last night wanting to know if there were any open visitation needs. Again, if we will get out of the way and let Him, God will take over and help us with our serving.

Business Fair

2009-06-02T14:02:00.005-06:00

The third grade at Wade's school has a business fair every year. Each student has to choose a product to make. They have to make at least 6 items. They then take it to school and work with the teacher to price them. Each year they have had a special Preview day in which other students, teachers, and parents are able to come see what they have produced and plan for how much money they need to bring for the actual fair the next day. Then, the following day the actual business fair happens where people are able to come and buy the products.

It's a really great lesson in profit and loss. The students have to be thoughtful in the whole process about whether or not they are producing something that can be sold and whether or not they will be able to make a profit.

Wade came up with this idea all on his own.

He bought clay flower pots, paint, soil, and individual packages of different kinds of seeds. He then painted each pot, filled it with soil, and placed a package of seeds in it. They turned out really cute.

The poor third graders this year got kind of gyped on the whole process. The week of the scheduled preview day and Business Fair day was the week that school was closed for the silly Swine Flu! Therefore, the Business Fair was moved to the last week of school before our flex days. So, they ended up not having a preview day which meant they sold fewer things because fewer students were prepared to buy on the actual day. Yuck!!! Kind of disappointing.

He had 10 pots and only came home with 4. He has sold one to one of his grandmothers and one aunt. We just have two more to go. His Oma just got home from Germany late last night so I'm sure we'll be able to sell one to her. We'll get it done.

It was a fun process though and I was really proud of him for coming up with this idea all on his own and carrying it out!!!

TAKS Scores

2009-06-02T13:56:00.002-06:00

I just got word from Wade's teacher that he scored a PERFECT score on his Math TAKS as well as his Reading TAKS!

WE ARE SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smart Boys

2009-06-01T16:55:00.002-06:00

Lafe never ceases to amaze us with his vocabulary. He is always using big words for things that don't seem typical for 5 year olds to say.

This is the conversation I just heard from the living room:

(I think I came in on the middle of it.)

Wade: "Lafe, do you know what delicate means?"

Lafe: "Yes, it means fragile. And, fragile means it will break easily."

This cracked me up! He answered with another word that could have easily stumped a 5 year old. This may not mean anything to all of you, but ask anyone in my family and they'll tell you his vocabulary is pretty spectacular. This is just a very simple example.

Google Reader

2009-05-30T20:37:00.000-06:00

It's funny that Becky left me a comment explaining why she doesn't comment often on my blog due to reading on google reader. I was just about to do a post about how I DON'T like google reader. I think a lot of my readers read on there and that's why none of you comment!!! Therefore, I DO NOT like google reader! There, now I can get off of my soapbox. Have a great day and feel free to actually visit my blog and leave a comment :)

Bed Making Machine

2009-05-29T20:46:00.003-06:00

I neglected to mention on here that 4 weeks ago Joseph was moved to a big boy bed. It was NOT by my choice. He was perfectly fine sleeping in his crib. He never climbed out and never attempted to. However, one day at nap time David leaned over the rail to kiss Joseph goodnight and the rail broke. The crib was given to us when we were pregnant with Wade and it had already been through at least 3 kids. So, we're not talking about a brand new crib, but I was still so sad. I wanted to keep that crib and give it to someone in need or have it for my grandkids to use. I'm over it now, but that was not a happy day for me.

Now to the real story: Joseph discovered last week that he can make his new Lightning McQueen and Mater bed very easily. He was so excited when he did it the first time. (I will post a picture later of the bed.) He makes it most days. We have never told him to, he just started on his own. Let me remind you that this is my TWO year old.

He made his bed this morning, but I had to wake him up from his nap at the last minute today to pick Lafe up from school. So, we didn't have time for that. When we got home I just simply said "Oh, Joseph we didn't make your bed after your nap." He didn't really respond. He just kept playing with Wade and Lafe. I was picking some things up in his room so I went ahead and made his bed.

The boys are spending the night with David's parents tonight due to our work schedules. On our way to Burleson Joseph said (in the sweetest yet desperate voice) "Oh NO! Go back! I didn't make my bed!" It was so sweet. I told him that I made it for him. He said "You made it? Thank you!" *big sigh*

He's so sweet! He also LOVES to clean and pick up. I hope this lasts for a long time. I think as long as we make it fun and encourage it, it just might become a habit!

Funny!

2009-05-29T11:45:00.002-06:00

You probably all know about the hoopla that is Britain's Got Talent!?

Several days ago Lafe said "Why do they call it Britain's Got Talent? Why don't they just call it Susan's Got Talent?"

He was dead serious! Again, I busted out laughing. Funny thing is, he's only seen her very first audition on You Tube right after it happened. That was a long time ago and we haven't really discussed it since. That kid cracks me up. There is no telling how long he's been thinking about that!!!

Mary and Joseph

2009-05-28T20:49:00.002-06:00

So, Joseph thinks everytime we talk about Joseph and Mary (Jesus' parents) we are talking about him and my Grandma Mary!!! It is so funny.

The other night he had a blanket on his head and shoulders. It was kind of like you see in the pictures from stories in the Bible. Wade made a comment about how he looked like Mary. Joseph turned around with a really funny look on his face and said "I'm not Grandma!!!" We busted out laughing. After that Wade told him he looked more like Joseph and that made a lot more sense to him.

After church last night we were driving home and we were asking each of the kids about their class and what they had learned about. Joseph always says he learned "Jesus loves me." Great lesson, but David knew they had talked about Joseph and Mary. So, he asked who the people were on the board they were talking about. David said "Wasn't one of them Joseph?" Joseph said "And Grandma!" We all laughed so hard. I thought I was going to wet my pants.

Grandma, sorry I couldn't remember the story from in the car very well today when we talked. I had to wait for David to get home from work to remind me how it really played out. Can't wait to see you soon! I love you!!!

2009-05-24T12:24:00.001-06:00

So Proud!

2009-05-23T22:17:00.003-06:00

Wade's last day of school was yesterday. I went to his awards ceremony and was again overwhelmed. The kids love him, the teachers love him, and other parents love him. What more could I ask for?

I'll post all of the different awards he got later. They are in his room and he's asleep.

I wanted to share this with you though, Wade was 1 of 8 3rd graders to make the A Honor Roll ALL YEAR LONG.

He's never made a B. A funny story about that: A couple weeks ago he made a grid that had his aunt's initials at the top and on the side it said ES (Elem school), MS (Middle School), HS (High School), and C (college). When David asked him what it was, he said he was going to call all of his aunt's and ask them when they got their first B. He was going to mark it in the grid. Not sure what brought that on, but he's really excited that he hasn't made a B yet. Keep in mind that he is in advanced Math and next year will be in a special upper-level 4th grade classroom. We couldn't be prouder! We love him so much.

Above all of this academic stuff, we love Wade for his tender heart and his desire to please God. Just tonight he was telling us about his prayers to God that He will take care of the sale of our house and that we will make the wisest choice in buying a new home. He also has started a private Bible study with one of our elders on Wednesday nights because he wanted to go deeper into the Bible than he was able to do in our new Wednesday night thing we're doing. I love that boy so much!!!!!!!

Thanks!

2009-05-18T13:39:00.002-06:00

Thanks for your votes! I'm going with #5 since that got the most votes. I thought about putting the one with Joseph picking his nose and the other boys laughing, but I'll go with the less disgusting choice.

I Need HELP!

2009-05-17T20:29:00.006-06:00

I am wanting to change my picture for my blog. The one up there is from Halloween this past year. So, I'm giving you some choices and I need your votes. Yes, I know that in some of the pictures Lafe is not looking at the camera and they are making silly faces in some, but these are my boys at their cutest and best!!! So, please help me pick the cutest.

#10

It's Official

2009-05-15T13:06:00.001-06:00

David has been accepted to UTA Graduate School. He will be starting this Fall in the nurse practitioner program!!! I am so proud of him and we are excited to be starting on this journey again. Keep us in your prayers!

Wade

2009-05-03T15:46:00.002-06:00

Wade wanted in on the fun so here's a video with him in it!!!

I've actually posted some real posts on here so please be sure to scroll down the page and make sure you're caught up so far. I'm getting lots of comments on the videos (understandable), but not on the others. Just want to make sure you're not missing them.

2009-05-03T15:45:00.001-06:00

Forgot To Post This

2009-05-02T19:56:00.004-06:00

Several months ago Joseph thought it would be really funny to do this.....

Oh, hey! Look!!! My Baby got a bath, too! Crazy kid!!!!!!!!!

For You....

2009-05-02T19:01:00.005-06:00

Grandma Mary! Joseph just randomly started singing about Grandma Mary. Then, Lafe wanted to burp his ABCs for her. Crazy kids!!!

Grandma told me how much she enjoyed the videos so I posted this one even though the picture is all fuzzy.

Please excuse the squeal at the beginning. We have this new computer and Lafe decided to push a button on the side of it. It started popping up weird screens so I squealed. Lafe thinks it's the funniest part of the video!

2009-05-02T19:01:00.001-06:00

We're Playing Again!

2009-05-02T18:32:00.001-06:00

This Webcam thing is pretty fun!!! We're playing before bedtime tonight. Hope you enjoy!

2009-05-02T18:30:00.001-06:00

2009-04-27T09:38:00.001-06:00

2009-04-27T08:38:00.001-06:00

New Computer

2009-04-27T08:21:00.004-06:00

Joseph and I are playing with the new computer webcam! So fun!!! Please excuse the hair and no make-up. I decided not to do my hair too nice this morning seeing as how it's raining! And, I just haven't made it back to the bathroom to do make-up since I got back from taking the boys to school.

I love singing the Barney song because I always get sweet hugs and kisses!!! I know, I'm sneaky. He's a pretty good kisser and hugger anyway. I don't have to ask too much for them, he usually gives them out pretty freely!!!

Enjoy!

Finally!

2009-04-27T07:53:00.002-06:00

We have been having MAJOR computer issues lately. We just finally got a new computer yesterday. So, I will be putting pictures on here as soon as I figure everything out. I have a few busy days coming up so don't expect it right away.

I do want to tell you all thank you for your prayers and your money donations for Wade's Walk for Diabetes. It went really well. Wade raised a total of $645.00!!!!!!!!! I think he may have been the top earner!!! We'll know for sure probably later this week. Is that not incredible???

Wade, David, and I have been completely overwhelmed by everyones support and generosity!!!! I sent some of you an e-mail, but for those of you who did not get it, I want you to know that Wade was sincerely passionate about this walk. It was not just any other fundraiser!!! To him, this meant a possible cure for Diabetes.

Again, thank you for teaching my son that he can attain his goals and much more with the love and support of his "family!" We love you all.

Walk For Diabetes

2009-04-06T08:22:00.003-06:00

***** Wanted to let you all know that if you leave me a comment with your e-mail address in it, I will just not publish your comment. I've already rejected the ones that have left their addresses. Thank you for supporting us with this cause!!!!!!!!!*****

Wade is going to be walking with his school on April 21st in support of the American Diabetes Association. Wade is VERY excited about being able to support this cause since his cousin, Bailey, was diagnosed last June.

When he got in the car after school on Friday he couldn't wait to call some of his aunts to ask for donations. After making some calls we realized we could set up online to receive donations which is much easier for us and those who want to donate. We have made him a personal site on American Diabetes Association's site.

If you would be interested in helping Wade reach his goal, please let me know and we'll add you to his e-mail list. We have currently set his goal at $300. Originally, he wanted to set it at $500, but I talked him down so that it would be a goal he would definitely reach. If we exceed that, AWESOME! We can always go in and adjust his goal. So, let us know if you can contribute!!!!!

As Wade put it, we just want to do anything to help Bailey get better.

Thank You!

2009-03-27T19:33:00.002-06:00

Thank you for the suggestions of books! We do have Hatchet and one other by that author. I will definitely look into the others.

Another TAKS story. Wade's 4th grade math teacher had him take one of their math benchmark tests. After she graded them, she told us that he made the highest grade in the class..... 100. Again, we are so proud.

Wade is not perfect....

2009-03-26T21:57:00.002-06:00

BUT... his TAKS scores were!!! My precious 3rd grader did NOT miss one question on that crazy test. We are so proud of him. It's not a huge surprise for us because he is so stinkin' smart. I try not to discuss grades and such with other parents because we all think our kids are smart and I don't want to cause any ill feelings, but I couldn't let this one pass. I am too stinking proud!!!!!!!

By the way, I've been wanting to share this little tidbit of info, but like I said, I try not to brag too much.

So, while I'm at it..... we found out this year that Wade is reading AND comprehending on a 7th grade level. This is of course as high as they could test him. Who knows how much further he would've gone. While we are excited about this, we are leary of the CONTENT. I don't think emotionally or spiritually Wade is necessarily ready for the content that some of those books provide. So, if you have any suggestions for books at that level that would be appropriate, we would GREATLY appreciate it. Wade's 4th grade teacher suggested a series that we bought him, but it won't be long before he is finished with all of those.

Really???

2009-03-11T20:13:00.002-06:00

We've had two showings of the house so far and several appointments made. We were scheduled to have one today from 1pm-3pm. They called this morning around 8:45am to cancel that appointment. It really wasn't a big deal because we are just keeping the house show ready!!!

I was actually REALLY relieved that it was cancelled when I went to the living room to discover that Joseph had used my living room as his canvas with a permanent marker. YIKES! There were circles drawn all over our laminate floor, the couch, and the wall.

I was able to clean the floor without a problem.

The couch. Well, that's why we bought microfiber suede couches. A little warm water and soap on a washrag did a pretty good job. You can still see a few lines. Unless you are searching for it, you can't see them.

And, the wall. Um! That's why you keep extra paint in your garage.

In the meantime, they called to schedule another showing for 12:30pm. When David got home from the gym I said "Get in here. They are coming in 2 hours and we need to get to work!" By that time I had done the floor and the couch and had done a little touch up paint, but he got to work with the paint and erased all evidence of my son's craziness!!!!!

Boy do I love that little boy! It's a good thing too.

On a sidenote: The young lady who looked at the house (our first showing) on Sunday said it is one of her top choices. The realtor said they are hoping to see it again sometime this week. She said maybe tomorrow, weather permitting! We'll see. It's exciting, but a little nerve wracking. And, no we have not started looking at houses yet. Mom and Dad have agreed to house us until we find the right house if need be. I hope we don't have to do that for long though. I don't really want to move twice. Please just be praying that the timing is perfect and that we can see God's hand in every moment of this journey!!!

Not Feeling It!!!

2009-03-02T20:50:00.002-06:00

Sorry about the no blogging lately. I'm just not feeling it. I think of a lot of things I could blog about, but I never really want to take the time to sit down and do it.

So, the latest news for us is that our house is now on the market. We are hoping to upsize. If you know of anyone who needs a SUPER cute starter home in Arlington, send them our way!!! I LOVE this house, but we have simply outgrown it. Yes, we could stay here, but I feel a little hindered when it comes to ways in which I want to use my house for God. That probably makes no sense to some of you because you don't know what we are hoping to do in the future. Just trust me when I say we need more space. Our house is only 1300 sq ft. That's little in case you were wondering. I think it is, however, one of the cutest houses ever. I would love to see it go to someone who is going to love it as much as I have. I'm excited to move, but I'm also a true sap when it comes to thinking about the gagillion memories we have made here. Including bringing two of my precious babies home from the hospital to this house!!! I'm ready to make new memories in a new house.

To My Cousin Jill!!!

2009-02-21T20:33:00.001-06:00

If you are reading my blog, I would LOVE to be invited to read your blog. I didn't even know you had one!!!!! I just noticed you posted a comment on Dana's.

Funny Lafe

2009-02-10T21:30:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we were sitting in the car waiting for Wade to get out of school. I was busy looking through a coupon book when Lafe started asking/begging me to help him build a little helicopter that came in his lunchable. I told him he would have to wait a few minutes. This is the conversation that followed:

Lafe: I wish you were an octupus!!!
Me: What?
Lafe: I wish you were an octupus!
Me: Why do you wish I were an octupus?
Lafe: So you could do eight things at the same time!!!

That boy cracks me up!

My New Prayer

2009-01-29T21:24:00.004-06:00

Every year at the hospital we have a "Blessing of the hands." Our chaplains go around to all of the units and also have tables set up outside of the chapel where the nurses, techs, secretaries, Nurse Practitioners, and doctors can have their hands blessed. It's really nice!!! They pour warm water over your hands and then the chaplain rubs oil on your hands while blessing them. This year they gave us a card with the most beautiful prayer on it. I am going to put this to memory. It is a prayer that you can pray no matter what your career is. Whether you are a stay at home mom, a nurse, a doctor, a teacher, a minister, a photographer, a chemist, etc. You get the point! I hope it blesses you as much as it does me!

Holy One,

I come to work today

and this is what I offer;

Me. Here. In this place.

Use this life of mine for a higher cause, a greater good.

May this be a place of transformation.

May I learn the lessons here that I am to learn.

May I convey hope and healing to those I encounter

in person, on the phone, or email.

If there is chaos or a problem here today,

may I listen beyond the din of that noise.

If there are politics played out,

please help me to act wisely.

May I keep my ego in check.

May I be generous and compassionate.

Amen.

(by Susan Baller-Shepard)

Cool Video

2009-01-09T10:18:00.003-06:00

My Mom sent this video to us the other day and I thought I'd share with you guys. Apparently the creator/poster of this video goes to Southern hills church of christ in Abilene. Enjoy!!!

So Sweet!!!

2008-12-23T22:19:00.003-06:00

Disclaimer: Our computer is missing a button. One point to t_e person w_o can tell me w_at it is.

Tis past Sunday morning tere were 4 of us 5 girls at curc wit our families. Tis was a very sweet e-mail my parents received from an older couple at curc. I wanted to sare for tose of us wo ave small cildren and sometimes feel frustrated during worsip.

Good Morning,

What a delight it was, to sit behind you and your wonderful family, at yesterday's worship!

The exuberance of you, your daughters, son-in-laws and grandchildren, in worshipping God was so great!!

We cannot express with words, how it made us feel, but we will say, that it brought smiles to us and a few tears.

To say it more effectively, we would say, that we are sure God smiled and may have had a few tears, also.

After studying about worship, for a few weeks now and listening to comments about love, yesterday, you could see the love for God, that you and your family have!!!

Our love and blessings to you and your family,

David and Iva Nell

Christmas Tree & First Gifts

2008-12-16T14:39:00.007-06:00

We put our Christmas tree up the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We always get a real tree. I'm a big believer in real trees, but that's just because we always had one growing up. We went to Wal-Mart (we have gotten some of our best trees there) and it didn't take us long to find the perfect tree. We had so much fun all decorating it together. Joseph actually participated and did a pretty good job! We started a new tradition this year. We have given the boys a new ornament every year, but this year we decided that we would give them to them when we put the tree up as their first gift. We wrapped them up and also wrapped each boy a book. They thought it was so special to get to open a gift so early! It was so fun.

The boys were so excited because Joseph actually put his on all by himself!

Wade and Lafe noticed that their ornaments were on the tree just right. Wade on top, Lafe a little lower in the middle, and Joseph's at the bottom. We worked really hard to keep it that way as we added more ornaments.

I love decorating for Christmas. I am not putting everything up this year. I'm kind of keeping it simple. The more we outgrow this house, the less I want to put up. It just starts to feel more crowded and cluttered with extra stuff around. But, my holiday spirit is still in full swing! I did manage to buy these stocking holders. I've never had them because our stockings do not have loops, but I'm making these work. Our stockings have always just been pinned into the mantle. I really like the look of these!!!

Joseph's Birthday

2008-12-16T13:41:00.007-06:00

Joseph turned two last Thursday, December 11th. It's still hard for me to believe that he's two! He is so sweet. It looks like he just might be a class clown some day. He'll do anything to get people to laugh at him.

We went to the doctor Friday and he weighed 33 lbs (went down to the 93%) and was 37 1/4 in (jumped off the chart). I can't write all of the words he's saying now because there are too many and he's finally making 2-3 word sentences.

For his birthday we planned for David's parents, his sister's family, his grandmother, and my parents all to eat out with us and then go back to our house for presents and birthday cookies. Dinner didn't work out so great. David's family all were running late so it ended up just being us and my parents, but it was fun! We went to a place called Ton's Mongolian Grill. It is one of our favorite places to eat and Joseph LOVES the food!!! We've been trying to find a time to take David's family there so I was kind of disappointed, but maybe we'll be able to do it again soon. We don't go there very often, but the people remember us!!! They all love the kids so much. There's one waitress in particular who caters to our kids! It is such a family friendly place!!!

We were all able to meet up at our house and watch Joseph open his presents. It was so fun this year. He really got into it and all of his gifts were just perfect for him. If you can't tell by what he got, some of his most favorite things now are trains and Elmo! Oh, he also loves tools. He's just getting into Barney. I'll quit writing now and let you enjoy some pictures!!!I got rave reviews on the cookie idea. I had worked the night before so there was no way I was going to be able to wake up in time to bake and decorate a whole cake. The cookie dough was a little too soft so the cookies didn't end up looking like trains and stars, but they sure tasted good! I think we'll have to talk about doing cookies for all of the birthday parties. I've never had as much cake eaten as I did cookies!!! And, everyone said they liked this better. We put the candles in and sang to him. He LOVES to sing so he sang along with us. After he blew out the candles he started saying "Gin, gin!" (Again, again). So we lit the candles one more time and sang one more time. He would've done that all night if we had let him.

Moving On!

2008-12-15T20:49:00.002-06:00

Okay, several of you have mentioned wanting an update about Medhi and Wade's pact. Well, sad to say, there's not really much of an update. Wade is realizing that even though Medhi wants to, it's not always in his control as to whether or not he gets a bath. Wade understands that Medhi's parents probably don't wash his clothes very often. This has not affected Wade's relationship with Medhi. They are still friends, but Wade is not asking him about bathing as often. I think Wade doesn't want to make Medhi feel bad when he has to say that he has not bathed. Thank you for your interest and prayers in this situation. If anything changes, I'll let you know!!!!!!

I think it's been on there long enough. I'm removing the posts about the video and we are ALL moving on!!! I love you and feel incredibly loved and encouraged. Therefore, my plan is to continue with this blog because I understand now that it means something to more people than just myself!!!

To Come.....

2008-12-12T00:36:00.003-06:00

I am going to put this here in writing so I am committed to getting them done. Posts to come:

* Lafe's Birthday (Sept. 30th- this was during the parasite saga! Sorry so late.)
* Christmas tree
* First Gifts
* Burning Santa Letters
* KFC Party
* Polar Express
* Wade's Xmas Program
* Joseph's Birthday

Not necessarily in that order! Just wanted to make sure I get it done!!! Be sure to look below. I actually posted 3 posts today!!!!!!

THE Best Part of Thanksgiving

2008-12-12T00:08:00.003-06:00

My mother decided to give my Dad his Christmas present early at Thanksgiving while we were all together. She couldn't stand it any longer!!! She gave him flying lessons with a man from church!!! She wrote it out in a poem. I'll have to get a copy of it because I didn't get a picture of it. I did, however, get some awesome pictures of him while he was opening it and reading it. These pictures are his initial reaction. He read the poem outloud to everyone and had to contain the tears while he was reading it. This is something he has always wanted to do!!!

Please notice that Lafe was the one sitting next to him and now Lafe talks about flying and getting a license to fly ALL of the time!!! He also wants to be a dentist when he grows up. Do you think he loves his Opa? Maybe just a little bit!!!

Thanksgiving (I know... I'm a little late!)

2008-12-11T23:09:00.008-06:00

We had a really fun Thanksgiving. This was Mom's Thanksgiving year so we spent the day with the Bridgwater Family! My Grandma Mary was there (which I absolutely loved!!!) and my Uncle Danny and Aunt Norma came in for the day. Wednesday night we hung out at Mom and Dad's house for a little while and ate some of the hog my dad killed a few weeks ago. It was really good! I'll let the pictures do most of the talking from here on out! Needless to say, it's always a little crazy when we're all together because there are 16 grandkids ages ranging from 13 years to 5 months. It is getting more fun and a little less chaotic the older they get!!!

Everyone waiting to eat dinner Friday night. (Actually, that's not everyone!)
Baby Jayden (So Sweet!)

The boys! David had to work Wednesday and Thursday so he was only there briefly in the evenings.

Patrick

Slade

Marshall

We did a devotional on Wednesday night. The kids acted out the story of the "Thankful" Leper and told what they were thankful for. We also said a special prayer before our lunch Thursday. We each recited a verse from Psalm 136. After each person said their verse, the group said "His love endures forever." It was really neat. Thanks, Dava Lynn for these ideas.

Grandma Mary enjoying the kiddos during the devo.

The chaos: Boys playing air guitar and dancing!!!

Sitting around after lunch. That's Aunt Norma holding Jayden.

Would it really be a Thanksgiving without a picture of men sleeping???

Okay, is she not sooooooooo beautiful??? This is MY sweet Bailey. I cannot believe she is 13. By the way, she is doing FABULOUS with her diabetes. She is so mature and responsible. I'm incredibly proud of her!!!

I would love to post an individual pic of all of the kids here, but I didn't get one. I did want to point out that these pictures were all taken with my new camera I got for my birthday!!! It is a Canon Rebel XSi. LOVE IT!!!!!

To Tide You Over!

2008-12-11T13:48:00.002-06:00

I have several holiday posts I want to do. I'm going to work on that tonight. To tide you over until then, please read this poem my mother-in-law sent to us. It's really neat and I hope that we all will be mindful of our troops this holiday season!!!

New Christmas Poem

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND. FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, 'SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.' THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.' ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. 'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,! AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'

This poem was written by a Marine.

Report

2008-11-13T15:45:00.001-06:00

David just picked Wade up from school. When they got home Wade jumped out of the car and said "I did it, Mom!" He said they made the pact. We'll see how it goes.

This Boy Is SPECIAL!!!

2008-11-13T13:53:00.003-06:00

I want to brag a little on this absolutely precious boy of mine!!! I've always known that Wade has an especially tender, compassionate, and loving spirit about him, but it has been really rewarding to watch him use that special spirit to witness even at the mere age of 8 years (almost 9).

Yesterday we ran an errand to Lowe's after school. Wade and I went in alone while David stayed in the van with Lafe and Joseph. As we were leaving he told me something that made me stop in my tracks.

PREFACE: There is a little boy in his class named Medhi. He is from Assyria. In the beginning of the year Medhi's mother was coming to class with him to learn some English. So, we heard a lot about Medhi and his mom. His mother has not been coming for awhile now, but we still see Medhi everyday as he rides by on his scooter while Wade is getting into the van. Even Lafe and Joseph have started waving goodbye and shouting "Bye, Medhi." He is a very sweet boy, but from an entirely different culture. Medhi obviously does not bathe regularly and he often wears the same clothes several days in a row. He, of course, smells bad. We have always taught Wade that God made us each uniquely and that we are excited about our differences. We love people for who they are. Wade has truly taken that lesson to heart this year. (This is going to be long, but hang with me. You might even cry!)

STORY: So, when we were leaving Lowe's yesterday Wade said "I asked Medhi today if people from Assyria bathe regularly."

YIKES! I said "What? You asked him that?" He said, "Yes, but after he said to me 'Wade, other people tell me I smell bad, but you never do.'" Okay.

Wade said "So, I just told him that people here in America bathe a few times a week (he didn't want to push it) and then I asked him if he bathes regularly. He said he doesn't."

So, Wade and I discussed it more later and decided that he could maybe make a pact with Medhi that they would both bathe and brush their teeth everyday and see if it makes a difference for him. Wade liked that idea, but was a little hesitant. I told him that a couple of weeks ago I challenged the Junior High girls to do something out of their comfort zone FOR GOD. He agreed that he wanted to do that. So, he is supposed to be making the pact with Medhi today or tomorrow. We'll see.

I told Wade that I am EXTREMELY proud of him because it hasn't mattered to him that everyone else in the class doesn't even speak to Medhi. Wade plays with him and yet is still the "cool" kid in class. I am so overwhelmed with emotions because I can't even describe to you in words how passionate Wade is about "being Christ" to other people. He's only 8 years old. And to think, this is my product of premarital sex. GOD IS SOOOOOOO GOOD!!! (No, I'm not condoning premarital sex. I'm just saying that God can make something so wrong, so right when you give it to Him.)

Anyway, today I took him to his orthodontist appointment and then stayed at school with him for a little bit for Parent Day after the appointment. Before we got out of the van to go into the school Wade and I were talking about this situation and I told him that he is not only showing Christ to Medhi, and I didn't even get to finish my sentence before he said "I'm showing Christ to EVERYONE! AWESOME!!!" On our way into the building he told me that everyone in his class has made up this game where if you touch anything of Medhi's, you're poisoned. I was shocked!!! I can't believe how cruel kids can be. Thank you God for Wade!!!

(I know that I am not a good writer. And, it really does make me sad that I can't write beautifully enough for you to truly get the full picture and emotions that surround this whole situation. I just hope that you can appreciate it and rejoice with me that we have a precious son who is so willing to be BOLD for Christ!)

My Faith Journey

2008-11-11T15:31:00.001-06:00

This is a link to a sermon that was preached at Pleasant Ridge a few weeks ago. Ronnie Wiggins has been one of our interim preachers during our search for a new pulpit minister. His sermons are always touching, but this one was INCREDIBLY spirit-filled. I think that everyone needs to hear this message. If you have about 30-40 minutes to listen, I promise you it will make you think and possibly challenge you spiritually. I hope that some of you will listen and be blessed. If you go to Pleasant Ridge and you don't regularly attend Sunday nights, you may have missed this one. He's not the easiest person to listen to and it's not really entertaining, but he ALWAYS has an important message. May you be blessed!!!

http://pleasantridgechurch.com/files/Sermons/10-26-08-pm-Ronnie%20Wiggins-My%20Faith%20Journey.mp3

Tagged!

2008-11-01T21:13:00.003-06:00

Sorry it takes me being tagged to post something. By the way, I am feeling better. Thank you for the sweet thoughts. Here is the 6th picture in my 6th folder.

I believe this was the 05-06 Fort Worth Cat's Baseball season. We usually try to go to at least one Cat's game each season, usually with my parents. We went to two that year. I think this one was for my Dad's birthday. This is sweet Lafe sitting on his Opa's lap eating his nachos and drinking Sprite. I know Opa doesn't look very excited, but I don't think he knew I was taking his picture. He really does enjoy going out there with the boys.

I recommend going for all of you moms and dads. It's a really fun, family friendly, and inexpensive (unless you go crazy on food) adventure. The players are really close to you and they come right up to the fence to sign whatever you want. They are so friendly to the kids. (Well, most of them.) And, if you last until the end of the game, the kids get to go down on the field and run the bases. The boys absolutely love it!!! If any of you want to do this WITH our family, let me know. We would love to have a shared outing with any of you!!!

I tag Megan (you may have already done this?), Jana Kay, Ashley, Jenny, and Jenny M.

No More Waiting!

2008-10-21T17:06:00.002-06:00

The final word is.... PARASITE. That's right I have a parasite. Apparently I have been infected with Giardia. The only thing we can conclude is that I got it the last day we were at a water park that we had season passes to. That was SEPTEMBER 1st. Yes, I have probably been dealing with this that long.

I am having a really hard time waking up completely from the drugs. So, this is brief. I will start taking Flagyl in the morning. The Gastroenterologist wants me to rest tonight and eat light and then start taking the medicine in the morning with a big breakfast. I can't wait to have an appetite and be able to keep things down. It makes me cry just feeling the relief of knowing what it is and that we can control it and it should be over soon!

Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts. I can't tell you how comforted I felt this morning!!! I love you all.

Almost out of the woods!

2008-10-21T12:58:00.002-06:00

Well this morning was the big day for JB.

I'll skip some of the details (I wanted a video to post on youtube or something but apparently they don't let you do that, I have also thought about scanning and posting the pics Dr Gutta gave us but figure that's a quick way to lose a lot of readers and JB would not appreciate that!)

Anyways- we got home from everything at 11:30 and JB has been sleeping hard since then. If you have never had the combination of Versed and Fentanyl under the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider- I will attest that it is one of the best sleeps you can get. Better living through chemistry I always say!!

There is some good news and some bad news. Good news first- no cancer, crohn's, ulcerative colitis or anything like that! Proof that the drugs are good- JB keeps waking up long enough to ask- did Dr Gutta talk to you? Is there cancer? She's probably asked those two questions 20 or 30 times.

The bad news is we still don't know for sure what is causing this mess. Dr Gutta does think it is probably some kind of infection that has gotten in her colon and causing all of this. So after the biopsy results come back in a few days hopefully we can begin some antibiotics and get rid of this.

Thank you all so much for your well wishes and prayers! Please keep praying that we will get to the bottom (no pun intended) of this and get JB feeling better!

Yuck!

2008-10-20T17:41:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I didn't get any better at posting. I'm still not feeling well. As of today, I have lost 14 lbs in 3 weeks. For those of you wanting to lose weight, do NOT be envious. This is not fun and so not healthy!!!

I worked all night last night and then had an appointment at the Gastroenterologist's at 10:15am. So, I just put my pillow and blanket in my van. When I got off work, I went to the doctor's office and slept in my van until time to go in. After hearing what has been going on and doing his evaluation, he set up for me to have a colonoscopy tomorrow morning. I am almost finished with my prep and it is NOT fun! I'm sure most of my readers have never had colonoscopies before. I am so ready to know what is going on with my body and fix it, but this part is hard.

Please hang with me a little longer. I promise to post some pics and more interesting things than my health soon. Please pray for good reports tomorrow.

Not Well!!!

2008-10-12T14:33:00.003-06:00

I know I've been a really boring blogger lately. Believe me, I have lots of cute pictures and fun things to blog about, but I have not been feeling well for 2 weeks now. I am having gastric issues. I don't want to give details and you don't want them. But, sickness like this is not normal for two straight weeks. My body is weak and very tired!!!

I finally went to the doctor on Friday. They have done some blood work and I had to do some samples at home (if you can't figure out what that is, just forget it). Not fun!!! They said some of the results will take about a week to come back. I'll let you know as soon as we find out what's going on. Of course, the worst possibilities are going through my head. This is where I hear people saying "You know too much!" I know I do, but I also know reality!!!

I thought people usually said your body goes downhill after 30. I still have a year to go!!! What's this all about???

I'm going to try and be better this week about getting some different posts up here. I'm pretty sure I don't have very many readers left or I have a lot of readers who don't COMMENT!! :):)

I do have a HUGE praise!!! David had an EGD done last Friday to follow up and see how his reflux was responding to the Nexium he started 3 or 4 years ago. The gastritis and esophagitis were much better, the ulcers were gone, but there were some spots on his esophagus that looked like possible barrett's esophagus (could be precancerous). We got the pathology results back and it was negative. PRAISE GOD! Now he just has to have another EGD in 3 years.

Politics

2008-10-01T11:31:00.004-06:00

I do not particularly like to talk politics. I will admit that I am usually way too underinformed when it comes to our government. However, I am trying through this election to keep myself more informed because I believe that it is my responsibility not only as an American, but mostly my responsibility as a CHRISTIAN!!! Please watch these videos. They were sent to me by a dear friend at church. Let's all try to keep ourselves informed and make the best decisions we can with the most information we can get.

Weebles Wobble, But They Don't Fall Down!

2008-09-18T20:23:00.008-06:00

Another funny thing from the baseball game last night! The kids of course take turns playing all positions because they are just learning how to play the game. One little boy was playing catcher for the first time. The first pitch bounced off of his helmet. He was stunned and scared at that point. The next pitch that came he jumped up and screamed while dodging the ball. Then, the third pitch bounced off the ground and hit him in his private parts. Okay, the funny thing about that is, he sat back and didn't move. When the coach went to him and asked "Where did you get hit?" He said "In the weebles!"

Okay, I know that David and I are both nurses, but REALLY??? Do people really teach their kids to call their body parts weebles? Believe me, I know they do because last year at school I heard all different things from kids!!! Come on, let's at least teach them to say "my private parts." I hope I'm not offending anyone here, and I hope it doesn't offend anyone when my boys say in front of you that they've hurt their penis, scrotum, or testicles!!!! I seriously laugh everytime I think about him saying "weebles."

Oh yeah!

2008-09-18T20:23:00.006-06:00

I forgot to mention in my previous post that we began the process of getting braces today. Wade had his first appointment this afternoon and got his spacers put in. We go back next week for the brackets and then the next week to get the palate expander and braces. So exciting!!!

::::: We've been slowly but surely packing our house up. We are putting a lot of stuff in storage while we try to sell it. If any of you have moving boxes that you wouldn't mind giving us or selling to us at a good price, we would greatly appreciate it.::::::

"Way To Hustle"

2008-09-18T20:23:00.003-06:00

DISCLAIMER: There WILL be a word here that might be offensive to some of you, but if you stick with me, I can almost guarantee a laugh!!!

Tonight was Wade's first baseball game. It was fun, but I definitely love basketball more. He is playing coach pitch so it was a little slow, but fun! They ended up losing 18-5. The last inning was really exciting because they scored 4 of those runs!

The funny story here:

There was a lady for the other team that kept yelling "Way to hustle."

However, she said it really weird and it sounded like "Wade, you asshole." I died laughing when I heard it. David was down the hill from us so I had to text him to tell him about it. I felt silly because I was sitting there all by myself and I couldn't keep from giggling.

So Proud

2008-09-17T09:36:00.005-06:00

Several weeks ago we let Wade mow the yard. Of course, we still supervise when he does it! He has been asking for a long time if he could learn how. He did a really good job. I think David still had to go behind him and get a few spots, but he did really well for an 8 year old!!! I was so proud and so was he.

Both of the boys are playing sports this fall. Needless to say our calendar is booked. Wade is playing baseball and Lafe is playing soccer. I'm sure we'll have some pictures or videos soon. Wade's first game is Thursday (was supposed to be Saturday, but it was cancelled due to rain) and Lafe's first game is this Saturday. I'm really excited. I love watching them play especially when it's something they really want to try! These are new sports for both of them. It's kind of a trial thing to see if we want to keep playing!

Another Cool Video

2008-09-10T21:01:00.008-06:00

I don't know if anyone else likes these videos, but my sister-in-law shared this with us. I think it's really powerful. Does anyone agree??? It's less than two minutes long.

Suzanne is the Greatest!

2008-09-05T19:52:00.002-06:00

Okay, Suzanne has been working on a new blog look for me for a while now. Bless her heart, she still doesn't have access to HER computer. This has been kind of an ordeal for her. Playing with pictures and such. She has been so sweet to put this temporary look up until she can work on it on her computer! I love you, Suzanne and I appreciate your time and thoughtfulness so much!!!

Do You Believe???

2008-09-04T19:40:00.007-06:00

Please watch this video. This is AWESOME. Let me know what you think!

UUUGGGHHH!!!

2008-09-04T16:58:00.002-06:00

I'm sure that most of us have gone through this, but we have been without internet for the last two days. The funny thing is that I was in the middle of the last post when it went out!!! So, Jana Kay, I was TRYING to post!!! More to come later. I'm just excited to have internet. I didn't realize how much I depended on it until it was gone. I even had to use the phonebook today! Imagine that!!!

Dental Work!

2008-09-02T13:03:00.007-06:00

A couple of week's ago Wade had to have his first cavity filled. I was a little nervous about how Wade would act during this procedure. Of course his Opa (My Dad) was doing it for him. He was so incredibly brave!!! Oma (My Mom) assisted Dad while he worked on Wade's teeth. I told him he had to be one of the luckiest kids in the world because not many kids get to have both of their Grandparents working on their teeth. He always thinks it's cool that his Opa is his Dentist. We got the cavity filled without any big deal. In fact, Wade stood up from the chair and said "That was fun!" He said he didn't even feel the numbing injection at all. I reminded him that it was because his Opa is the BEST!!! He agreed. We did, however, decide that it is time for him to see an orthodontist. Wade and I went to Dr. Ellis (the orthodontist that has taken care of me since I was 4 1/2 years old). My poor Wade has inherited my horrible teeth, but not really to the degree that mine were. We will begin the orthodontics process on September 18th. He will have a palate expander (which I'm most concerned about). I had one, and did not like it. He will also get his first set of braces. This is going to be a two phase process, but he's excited to get it started. I'll have to take a close up pic of his teeth so you can see just how messed up they are. Sorry for the fuzzy pics. Something is wrong with my camera, AGAIN!!!

After Opa and Oma worked on his teeth, we went with Oma to the park. We had so much fun!!!

Wade and Oma thought it would be funny to act like she was hitting him in the mouth since it was numb. He said he wouldn't feel anything. Goofballs!!!

Isn't she the COOLEST Oma ever???

First Day of School

2008-08-25T11:41:00.005-06:00

We were all so excited last night as we went to bed! Wade told me he didn't think he'd be able to sleep because he was so excited. This is a change. He's usually the one that's nervous and saying he doesn't want to go. I think the difference this year is that his teacher was his teacher for 3rd grade math last year. He LOVES her. She is fabulous! I can't believe he's already in 3rd grade. He just seems so big to me. He's going to be as tall or taller than me within the next couple of years, I'm afraid!
Lafe is going to Pre-K at Children's University this year. He will be going Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He has been talking about it all summer long!!! This morning he was so excited. While we were walking into the school I was carrying Joseph and holding Lafe's hand. I am SO glad I heard it when Lafe WHISPERED "It's my first day of school!" I looked down and he had the biggest grin on his face. It was so sweet. He walked right into the classroom and didn't look back. I asked for a kiss and his teacher Mrs. Patton said "Say goodbye to Mommy." But, he just walked right in and started playing. No goodbyes, no tears, nothing!!! He is so sweet. The most exciting thing for him was his new Lightning McQueen backpack with a lunchbox that attaches to it! How cool is that??!!

My favorite part of the first day of school is picking them up and hearing all of the fun stories!!! I CAN'T WAIT! Just 2 more hours.

So Proud!

2008-08-11T13:03:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Lafe's Wednesday night class learned about helping other people. They were given a necklace with a helping hand on it and a sack of foamy beads. They were supposed to earn the beads throughout the week by being helpful at home and then wear their necklace to class the following Wednesday. It was such a fun idea because he really wanted to help and it was exciting for all of them to get to wear the necklace and show off how many beads they had earned. I told him I was so proud of him that I was going to take some pictures and blog about it. So here it is!!! Lafe earned twelve beads (that was all there was in the bag :) )

Trains!

2008-08-11T12:53:00.002-06:00

Joseph has had a lot of fun playing with trains lately. We have Thomas the Train sets and we have GeoTrax sets. He loves to try and put them together, for the most part he still needs help, but it is so fun to watch him pulling the trains around on the tracks. Here are some fun pictures of him with a little set we put together in his room last week.

Sorry To Keep You Waiting!

2008-08-11T12:38:00.003-06:00

Okay, so the really exciting thing may not be so exciting to all of you. And, if you haven't guessed yet what it is, it has to do with some of my previous posts.

Yep...... I cut Joseph's hair! It looks really cute and the curls are still there for the most part. He was so good while I was doing it. I'm pleased, and I haven't heard anything horrible about it yet. I know that the majority of you said don't do it, but it was getting hard to manage. I couldn't figure out a way to do it that looked cute, and frankly, I'm not really into doing hair all that much. God knows me well, giving me three boys.

Toodley Doo! See Ya Later!!!

2008-08-01T21:23:00.003-06:00

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for another week of camp!!! Wade, Lafe, and I will be gone for a week. Please pray that this week will bless a lot of little hearts and souls.

When I come back be prepared for a REALLY fun post. Something big happened at our house this past week, but I've been WAY too busy getting ready for camp to post about it. You are going to LOVE it!!!!!!!!

*** Hannah, I'm sorry I didn't get around to doing your post. I will do that as soon as I get back!!! Hannah has asked for a demonstration on how to swaddle her baby. I feel like an expert because when I work in the NICU, I swaddle babies ALL DAY!!! And, you really have to know how to do it because you want them to stay swaddled and asleep when you have 4 of them to take care of! For all you moms with babies, I will do this ASAP!***

D- Our little Lafe!

2008-07-26T10:21:00.003-06:00

Lafe and I just had a great little conversation that really got me tickled. It really shows not just how he thinks, but how little boys work. I imagine we had many talks like this with Wade but that was before blogging was all the rage (sorry Wade). Anyways, here's how it went:

L: Daddy, um, why did you put the cocoon in this bag? (see previous posts about the caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly)
D: I don't know Lafe, I thought it got thrown away.
L: So why is it in the bag?
D: Lafe, I don't know. Maybe mommy did it so you guys could take it to the Nature Exchange.
L: Daddy, what's the Nature Exchange?
D: It's the place at the Dallas Zoo where you can take things you find in nature- like snake skins, pretty shells, cocoons- and trade them for other things from nature like snake skins, pretty shells, stuff like that you know.
L: Or we could trade it for a (dramatic pause) skunk?
D: What?
L: Yeah, I want a skunk.
D: That wouldn't be a good pet.
L: Yeah, I want a skunk because I want to be stinky!

I think there are other ways for little boys to be stinky- our three do a pretty good job on their own.

(And for all of you aunts, cousins, grandparents, etc who are reading this and think to yourself, Lafe's birthday is coming up, I wonder if I can get a good deal on a skunk on eBay...well, I have one word for you- paybacks!!)

I know! I'm mean!!!

2008-07-21T19:48:00.006-06:00

Okay, on the subject of Joseph's hair. The other day when he woke up from his nap his hair was absolutely crazy. So, we went to the bathroom and started playing with it. The funny thing is that he looks JUST like my neice, Dani Mae in these pictures. When I took him outside to show the boys and David, the boys both said "He looks like Dani Mae!!!" At this point, David was about ready to say "Cut it!!" Then, I did it the right way and he can't bear to have the curls cut off. Anyway, here are some funny pics of my sweet baby BOY!!! (By the way, the whole time his hair has been long, he has not once been mistaken for a girl!)

Okay, I know I'm partial, but it doesn't really matter what his hair looks like. Isn't that the sweetest face EVER!!! I love this boy!

To Cut or Not To Cut?

2008-07-21T19:38:00.004-06:00

That is the question around our house. I have cut Joseph's hair several times, but have never been really satisfied with my work. We LOVE his curls so much. David really doesn't want to cut them off, but I'm wondering if we should give him his first short cut. If not, we'll just get it cut to where it's a little more manageable. Who would have ever thought that I would be worrying about what to do with one of my kid's hair??? After all, I have 3 boys. I know that it is popular for boys to have long hair, but on older boys and men I think it's gross and looks dirty. This will not last forever, but I don't know that we're ready to cut off the curls completely. In fact, when I mentioned it to the boys they both started whining and saying they liked his curls and did NOT want us to cut his hair. And, when Joseph is crying or upset, all you have to say is "Do you want to go do your hair?" He cheers up and runs to the bathroom. I've even noticed him playing with it some when he is sleepy. HELP!!! Tell me what you think???

These are not great pictures. It usually looks a lot cuter than this, but this is all I have for you right now.

Mamma Mia!!!

2008-07-20T13:14:00.005-06:00

I love Meryl Streep!

Okay, I have to brag on my husband for a little. He took me to see Mamma Mia last night!!! I know there are a lot of husbands out there that would NOT have done this. But, my husband knows my absolute LOVE for musicals and he went willingly. He even enjoyed it! No, he does not need to turn in his "man card." He did it because he loves me and wanted to. Besides, he knew I'd be talking about it and a little obsessed for a few weeks or so. He wanted to know what I was talking about. David really is so sweet and I am so thankful that we love some of the same things. I'm also so proud of him that he is secure enough with himself to do something that will make me happy without worrying what other men might think. THANK YOU, DAVID!!! I love you!

Now, onto the movie. I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! In fact, if everything works out, two of my sisters will be going to see it with me next weekend. Halfway through the movie I looked at David and said "I will own this movie." Then, when we got home, I downloaded the music to my iPod. I'm loving it. I do sometimes feel like I'm the only cheesy, hopeless romantic left out there. I love all of the feel good movies. And, I will never pass up a musical. It helps that I was raised watching and appreciating musicals of all kinds. Thanks, Mom & Dad!!! At one point in the movie, I was crying and I was trying to be discreet, but I was unsuccessful. I asked David if I was the only one in the whole theater crying. He didn't think so, but I was unable to find anyone else who looked as if they were crying. I felt a little silly, but then I started thinking about how thankful I am that God made me such an emotional being. I get made fun of for it A LOT!!! Mostly by people I love dearly, so it doesn't hurt too bad. But, this IS one thing about myself that I really do love, and I'm just now growing up enough to realize that I don't need to listen to those people. I like ME!!! Anyway, all that to say, I LOVED THE MOVIE AND I'M PROUD OF IT!!!

If you are planning to see it or have seen it, let me know what you think. If not, and you think I'm crazy, please don't comment.

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2008-07-16T20:41:00.002-06:00

Okay, I stole this from Shauna's blog. It's fun!!! The funniest one was when David's picture showed that he looked like Wilt Chamberlain (old, black NBA player).

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Family web sites - Family tree software

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2008-07-16T20:31:00.001-06:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

They're In Africa

2008-07-14T21:36:00.003-06:00

Okay! I know I'm a little late on posting this. Mom and Dad left for Zambia again last Thursday. You can read updates on the Zambia Medical Mission blog that I have a link to. Please be praying for this mission and all of the people for safety and for the souls that they will be reaching.

Oops!!!

2008-07-11T14:22:00.001-06:00

Okay, I wrote a post last night, but didn't actually put it on there. When I went to put it on it posted after my Exciting Day post. Check it out. It's just some sweet pics of the boys.

Exciting Day

2008-07-10T20:41:00.007-06:00

This past Tuesday was a really fun and exciting day for us. It started out with Cloe and Cole Nations (my best friend's kids) coming over to play. Jenny had to go to her school (she's a PE teacher) and paint their gym floor. So, I had agreed to watch her precious kiddos. We were all excited to have them over. In the morning I just let the kids play wild and crazy so that we could have a quiet and calm afternoon in order for Joseph to get a good nap.

Before the Nations' could even get to my house this is what I found in my bathroom when I got out of the shower. All of the boys were sitting so nicely waiting for me to get out. For some reason, I found this hilarious.

At lunch time I gathered all of the kiddos around our BRAND NEW table. This is the first new dining table I've had. We just got it a couple weeks ago. Can I just say "I LOVE IT!!!" Funny thing, it turns out it's the same one Jana Kay has. Crazy!!! Anyway, we had chicken nuggets, green beans, and some cookies for lunch. I just kind of made these cookies up. I put some oats, peanut butter, honey, and milk together. I made little balls and put them in the refrigerator to cool. Apparently, I'm not as original as I thought because David told me they were essentially like a cookie called No Bake Cookie, just without the chocolate. Oh well, the kids liked them and they were healthy!!!

After lunch I put Joseph to sleep for his nap. Then, the other kids rested in the living room and watched a movie.

Everything was going well and the kids were being very quiet until this showed up at our front door.

When I discovered her at our front door I picked her up and her little body was burning up. I brought her in and gave her water. I put her in our dog's kennel in the house so that she could rest and cool off. I was going to wait until someone posted signs for her because I don't trust people. I thought about taking her door to door to see if she would be claimed, but I was afraid the wrong person would claim her. When we were out later that evening we saw a sign describing her so I called the number and we returned her to her owner. Funny thing is, he said he just paid a whole lot of money for her, but she had a collar without any tags. Lesson: If you pay a lot of money for a dog, make sure it has tags on it!!! You better believe my kids and the Nations kids had named that sweet puppy. They were all hoping we wouldn't find the owner.

I don't have pictures, but after nap time Jenny and I took the kids to the Water Park. We played all afternoon. David and Tim later met us there with a yummy dinner from McDonald's. We had a blast!!!

To end our really exciting day, David went down the waterslide at the water park. The little boy who had just gone down the slide did not move out of the way so he and David collided. David's foot hit his leg. I'm pretty sure it's broken. See the pictures below. Then, Cloe took a drink from her McDonald's cup which had a little honey bee hiding in the straw. She sucked that little honey bee up into her mouth and then spit him out. She ran over to Jenny and me and said "I just ate a bee. I just ate a bee!!!" The stinger was still in the roof of her mouth. They took her to the First Aid station, but it was a bunch of teenagers who said they weren't sure what to do when it was in the mouth. They tried scraping it out with a straw (you are supposed to scrape them out of the skin rather than pulling it out because it releases less poison that way). They were unable to remove it, so Jenny said "I'm with a nurse. Let me go get her and see if she can get it." She came and got me. I went in there and told Cloe that the longer it stayed, the worse it would feel. She let me try and I was able to pull it out. Crazy stuff!!!

Sweet Boys

2008-07-10T20:34:00.001-06:00

These are just some random, sweet pictures of my boys. They are always loving on each other. This time Wade was laying on the floor when Lafe and Joseph decided to cuddle up to him. They were having so much fun!!!

YIKES!!!

2008-07-10T20:22:00.003-06:00

I made some salsa a few weeks ago. I put everything into the blender. When it was finished blending I tasted it. It was really good!!! I was so excited because I'd been craving salsa for several days. I twisted the pitcher from the base of the blender, but when I pulled up, the bottom of the pitcher stayed connected to the base. Which means I had this:

Actually, it was a lot messier than that because I had already cleaned quite a bit when I decided to take these pictures. It was so frustrating. I ended up throwing away my blender because the salsa was all down in the base!!! Oh well, I got a new blender out of it all!

He DOES Get It!!!

2008-07-10T20:04:00.006-06:00

Do you ever have moments where your children do something or say something and you say to yourself "They do get it?" Like when you are mirroring and teaching them a Christ-filled life. There are times when my kids act like crazy people and do things that I am amazed they even have the nerve to do. It is at these times when I feel like all of our work is in vain. However, there are moments when they show us that our teaching is actually sinking in to some degree. They are getting it!!!

Wade loves to do crafty things. He made a paper person the other day. He came in and showed it to me. I was doing laundry so I said "Oh that's cool." Not really paying much attention (I know, bad mother). Later, I noticed it was on the refrigerator and when I looked closely, I saw there was writing on it. Let me show you with some pictures:

I know you can't read this, but this is the whole thing.

The top says: Praying Person Ledbetter Family

(There is a prayer for us to pray everyday. He only did 6 days because he wasn't sure what to do for the 7th day.)

Day 1: Keep us healthy.

Day 2: Being kind to one another.

Day 3: Helping us focus on you.

Day 4: Let us be happy in you.

Day 5: Giving us the strength to work for you.

Day 6: Letting us put on our armor.

(We talked about the armor of Christ at camp this year.)

This is pretty deep for an 8 year old. Or, at least, I think so. I love this boy!

McHam Look-alike Meter

2008-07-10T13:01:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone...this is Jana Kay. I have taken over Juli Beth's blog for today to post this depressing piece of information. My kid looks more like my sister than me!!! What in the world! Oh well... I actually had a moment in the hospital when I looked over at Jayden and was taken aback because she looked just like Juli Beth's baby picture. There is no denying this kid is half Bridgwater! I had done a look-alike meter earlier and the results were only in JB's favor by 4%. I'm not doing this again...and risking an even more depressing number! :) Love you sis!

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family history

New Neice!!!

2008-07-03T21:53:00.002-06:00

I HAVE A NEW NEICE!!! Jayden Bridgwater McHam was born at 9:10pm tonight. Check out their blog for a play by play of the day. I am so proud of my baby sister and her hard work. We love you JK, Travis, and Jayden!!! Jayden was 8lb 3oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. They say that she has a head full of long, black hair. Jayden is the 16th grandchild on my side of the family. She brings the girls up a little, but the boys still out number them. There are 10 boys and 6 girls. So exciting!!!

Out of Commission

2008-06-27T20:46:00.006-06:00

I've been taking pictures of things thinking that I will blog about them, and I haven't been blogging. I was looking through my camera tonight and realized just how many different posts I need to do to catch up. So, I'm going to do as many as I can as soon as I find the cord to download all of my pictures to the computer. Ugghh!!! Get ready for some blog post overload!

First of all, I will tell you that this past week has been HARD for me. It deals with a lot of personal stuff that I don't want to post here. I will tell you that it involved a lot of PAIN resulting in a trip to the emergency room, prescriptions for vicodin and phenergan and lots of sleeping!!! Needless to say I have been a little out of commission this week. I went to my OB/GYN this afternoon and was diagnosed with endometriosis or adenomyosis. We will be trying a progesterone therapy for a few months. If this works, we will continue until it stops working or until I go through menopause (this should be a long time). If this does not work, we will be doing a hysterectomy. This is something else you guys can be praying about.