I Always Need My Family

Since we are trying to fix up our house a bit (without spending too much money), Nana took the girls with her when she went back home. That means H is an only child until Friday! We've gotten a lot done since the girls left yesterday morning, including preparing our room for a fresh coat of paint. Gran has agreed to keep H tomorrow so I can paint and S can get other work done without worrying about what H is getting into.

So here's where the family comes into play. Since L is with K at Nana's house (they're also spending time with Papa and PJ), they aren't in their normal routine. The girls got to have their own rooms last night at Nana's house. At breakfast, L told Nana that she missed her family. She said, "I always need my family." Sometimes that little girl really surprises me with her sayings. Usually they are funny (like last week at church when she was sitting in my lap and tooted just as the pastor said that Jesus' love had a very distinct sweet aroma. It's really hard to stifle laughter in the middle of a sermon) but this one truly touched me. My daughter, who is usually the independent one, absolutely wants and needs to be with her Mama, Daddy, sister and brother.

And that's the way I always want it to be.

Crime and Punishment

Sunday afternoon was perfect nap weather: cool, rainy, dreary, gray. Since I got up with H at 6:20, I got to take a wonderful, long nap. I think I woke up around 4pm and then S came in our room at 4:30 just to make sure I was awake. I was but barely.

He came in to inform me of a situation involving the girls. It seems as though K got the idea that she would do some "cleaning" in her room. She has done this before with bathroom cleaner (complete with bleach), attempting to "clean" her bear. The bear got thrown in the trash and the child was put in time out while Mama took a time out herself. The bleach incident happened when she was three so we didn't do much else to punish her.

Fast forward to Sunday and she's a whole three years older and wiser. Or so I thought. She used detangling spray as a cleaning solution to clean her and L's beds (just the wood part, not the quilts she assured me) and L used it to wash the walls, with toilet paper as a cleaning rag. This is something that they know better than to do. S was annoyed and made them clean up the mess while he came to me to discuss punishment.

When they finished cleaning, K and L asked what their punishment was going to be. S and I got the bright idea to let the girls pick their own punishment. They came up with no snacks, no sweets and no TV for two days. That started at 5pm Sunday and will end today at 5pm. Believe me, they are counting down the minutes.

The thing I've already noticed, though, is that they are finding ways to entertain themselves without bugging me. They have played well together and have gotten along without much fighting. They haven't once asked to watch TV and keep reminding me that they can have dessert tonight. I really thought this punishment was going to drive me bonkers but they've been quite good. And their imaginations have been running wild.

There have been plenty of tempting situations for them and I know there will be at least one more today. But I must say that I am so proud of them!

And Now the Madness Really Begins

So. How was your weekend? Ours went by way too fast but we got lots done and I finally got to take a nap. Mod Girl commented that I made her sleepy just reading my last post. Well, I was definitely feeling the sleepy, too!

The class parties went well on Friday and I ate way too much (how can you resist a nugget tray from Chick-fil-A?). At least I didn't eat the cakes, cupcakes and chips that were also available. The girls both got really cute books and we've been reading through K's since she got a Max Lucado children's treasury book that has 4 of his books in it. L got a puzzle book and H has had fun trying to figure out how the pieces fit.

I ran between both parties Friday morning seeing just enough of each one to please both L and K. I came home with feet aching, arms loaded with gifts and goodies from various friends, and two wound-up little girls. I told them to run around outside for a bit to calm down. It sort of helped.

Saturday went by faster than any Saturday has in recent memory. That morning I realized that I had never taken a shower on Friday. Now not getting a shower is something to which I've become accustomed since becoming a mother. But this was the first time I actually forgot to take one. Needless to say, that was priority one on my agenda for Saturday morning.

We were busy cleaning out closets, doing laundry, cleaning the house, and running errands. S's parents made it into town that afternoon and we spent time with them playing dominoes and eating dinner. Again, I was exhausted by the end of the day.

I thought I was all done with shopping and wrapping but remembered that I didn't have anything for stockings and must get that done, including wrapping all of those gifts. That's a tradition in S's family that I still don't understand but I'll wrap all the items, even if it's a little pack of gum.

So that's what's been happening around here. I'm hoping to post more this week and will upload some pictures of the kids. I wish I knew how to get pictures off my phone and onto the computer so you could see H's face last night when he ate an Oreo. Just use your imagination.

Catching Up

I have approximately 3 minutes to give you a quick update on all our business here over the last week or so. Sorry for not posting but I honestly don't have time!

We're trying to fix up the house and I've been busy cleaning out closets, painting my bathroom, painting in the girls' room from the "raining in my room" episode, and getting rid of unwanted furniture. It hasn't been easy and it's moving along slowly but it's getting done.

We have two class Christmas parties tomorrow and I forgot that both girls have to bring a book for the gift exchange. I guess I'll do that on the way to get K from school. I also have to bring two different food items to their respective parties and help with both of them. At least I'm not in charge.

The house is decorated but not all presents are wrapped. I'm lucky that my head is attached at this point! I promise to write more in the coming days as we'll be done with school and I'll be looking for stuff to get me away from children who keep telling me they are bored.

It's Been Awhile...

Sorry for not posting more but it's just been busy and I don't have time! Oh, how I wish I did. For now, here's a picture of our family taken at K's Thanksgiving Feast. Hope y'all are well!

I Told You it was Getting Busy

It's been almost a week since I posted and I'm not sure where time went.

L had her Thanksgiving program and subsequent "feast" on Wednesday and was so very cute. She was dressed as a pilgrim girl and was just adorable. Will post pictures eventually. I use the term "feast" very loosely as the lunch consisted of chicken nuggets, corn, lady peas, and rolls. L ate about 10 nuggets and I lost count as to how many nuggets H ate. He kept grabbing them off the tray and stuffing them in his mouth. I know he started out with four. My guess is that he finished with about as many as L.

My birthday was Saturday and it was wonderful. I got to do whatever I wanted and ate whatever I wanted, including a nice dinner out with S and my mom. It was lovely and we had a very good time. I think the last time Nana got to go out with us without children was before K was born. Auburn didn't play Saturday so that meant I couldn't get upset about yet another loss. I'm just ready for the season to be over and to move on. We've learned a lot from this season but it's time for it to be over.

K's Thanksgiving feast was today and I forgot my camera. The whole class stood in front of the parents and, individually, gave their name and what they were thankful for. This is not K's forte but she did what she was supposed to do and did quite well. She was very clear and concise and not one bit scared. This Mama was very proud and I told her just that. This feast truly was a feast. We had turkey, ham, the aforementioned chicken nuggets, corn casserole, beans, rolls, cornbread, mac & cheese, and potatoes. I was in charge of dressing and made more than enough so now I don't have to make that for our Thanksgiving. It's already taken care of! K is also about to lose her second tooth and can't wait for it to come out. I guess losing teeth never really gets old. The tooth fairy was very generous with the first tooth ($2!) but much stingier with each additional tooth (more like 25 cents).

We have one more day of school this week and then we're off. I'm thankful for that. So that's what's going on here. I hope your week is full of fun, good food, and family.

It's Getting Busy

It's that time of year, time when all sorts of things are happening: parties, programs, birthdays, holidays. I love it and hate it all at once. I believe most of you know what I mean.

L has a Thanksgiving program tomorrow followed by lunch in her classroom, to include parents and siblings. I'm pretty sure H will be more interested in all the toys rather than the food. I realize that's not the norm but call it mother's intuition.

Nana is coming for the weekend (unbeknownst to the children) to celebrate a birthday. This means I have to clean up the guest room as I've let the kids play up there a little too much in recent weeks. At least there aren't too many toys and the sheets for the bed are clean.

K's class has a Thanksgiving lunch on Monday, to include parents and siblings, for which I have to make dressing. I volunteered to do this because I didn't want someone bringing Stove Top and calling it "homemade." That is just wrong on so many levels.

Papa and PJ are coming for Thanksgiving and we're all looking forward to that as the kids haven't seen them since April. Papa's been very busy with work and a long drive just hasn't been in the cards for them. Should be lots of fun with lots of good food.

We saw a really cute movie a few weeks ago called Chaos Theory. Very good, minimal language, and clean. Totally worth the money spent to rent.

So that's about it. I have a video of H walking that I still need to download from the camera and will post when that's done. Hope all of you are having a good week!

Big News

No, I'm not pregnant (would take a miracle).

Now that that's out of the way, I thought I'd share this because I need to. Last night, we went to a friend's house to celebrate Veteran's Day. All of the men/Daddies are military of some sort, either veterans of a war, prior active duty or reserves. We had a fantastic time, ate way too much, and stayed way too late. We even got to roast marshmallows and have s'mores. Yummy!

But the big news of the night is that H walked. Yes he walked! And not just two steps but at least 10 to go from S to me. And back again. He went back and forth, back and forth, so very proud of himself, smiling the whole time. Then he got tired and was ready to go home.

Y'all this is such an answer to prayer, such a reminder that God does miracles as H's life is, in and of itself, a miracle. I wanted to cry tears of joy last night but they didn't fall until this morning. At our last appointment, H's doctor suggested we have him evaluated at our convenience but I don't think that's necessary now. We know he can do it, he knows he can do it and that's what matters.

He's yet to do much at home but I believe that's due to him being exhausted from having stayed up too late and getting up too early. I think with a good nap he'll be running laps around us!

Thanks to all of you, my dear friends, for your prayers on behalf of H and myself. This Mama's heart was burdened for him, praying that he would walk, that there wouldn't be anything truly wrong with him. He is, apparently, doing just fine!

Blog Extravaganza, Part Three

I completely forgot to post these pictures yesterday. So many pictures, so little time

We were at a birthday party for one of L's friends on Saturday, complete with petting zoo and pony rides. L is not a fan of animals and runs from any type of dog imaginable. She's not quite as bad with the little ones but it's just not pretty. It's a good thing we don't have one. She's not fond of cats, either, so it may be awhile before we get any pet other than a fish.

So I didn't have high expectations for Saturday and figured she'd just play in the back yard while the other kids played with the animals. She did play in the back yard only after she played with the animals, including a silky chicken (looks like a chicken covered in rabbit fur), rabbits, ducks, goats, and a miniature horse named Shorty. And when it came time for the pony ride? She jumped right in line and wasn't afraid. Of course, I had the camera on hand to get evidence of this phenomenon.

Blog Extravaganza, Part Two

Here's the rest of the new pictures. I probably should call this The Post About L but it doesn't go with the "Blog Extravaganza" theme.

Yesterday at church we celebrated communion. K and L are too young to take part but still ask why they can't have the bread and juice (won't get into that here). Anyway, L was sitting on my lap and after I ate my bread, we had a conversation that went something like this:

L: What was in that bread?

Me: What do you mean?

L: Were there nuts in it?

Me: Um, no.

L: Did it have peanut butter in it? (she asked this with a chuckle)

I realized that she was asking these questions because she knows she's not allowed to have nuts or peanuts (allergies) and was trying to figure out why she couldn't have the bread. Ah, young inquiring minds.

We had a Veteran's day program today at school at it was wonderful. The entire preschool sang two songs, including God Bless America. It was so sweet to hear their precious voices. My favorite part was the flag the preschoolers made. Each class helped by using their hands as stars and their feet as the stripes in the flag. Very, very cute.

Here's a picture of the preschoolers singing. Do you see L? She's behind the little girl in the black and white striped top. I was at the wrong angle so I didn't get any good shots of her. I did get to see her little hands go up when they were doing the motions during the songs but that's about it.

See the stars and stripes? Too cute!

Blog Extravaganza, Part One

I'm back! Get ready for some pictures of the kiddos. I've got Halloween and Veteran's Day pictures to share with you so let's start with Halloween.

K was an Auburn cheerleader even though we aren't having the best of seasons. I'm still a proud supporter of my Tigers but it's just not the season we hoped it would be. There's always next year!

L wanted to be a princess so I let her pick from the many princess outfits we already own and she chose wisely. They had face painting at school that day and I thought it looked really cute.

Poor H. This a picture of him on Halloween but not in costume. He was Eeyore for all of about 45 minutes and I didn't have the camera in my hand. I was too busy manning L's class booth and chasing around an 18-month-old who really wanted to go up the stairs to the Treat Walk. It was interesting to say the least.

There's more but I'll put that in a separate post...

I Know, I Know

I know I haven't posted the much-anticipated (HA!) pictures of the kids in their costumes but I still haven't gotten them off the camera. It's a combo of busyness and laziness; take your pick.

This week has been busy and it's only Wednesday. I feel like time is flying by and slowly moving along all at the same time. Ever feel that way?

We went to the pediatrician on Monday for H's 18-month checkup. He's doing just fine except for the walking thing. The doctor said that we should have him evaluated at our convenience since he believes that H is just lazy and needs a little confidence. He can do all the walking he wants as long as he's holding on to something. Maybe I'm just too quick to pick him up and don't want to push him. However, I'm ready for him to walk. Ah, the irony.

K had to go with us as she was due for a booster shot and let me tell you, that was an experience. You see, when I was little, I hated shots (actually I still do but it's manageable) and even cowered in the corner once to avoid the shot. The corner is not the place to hide as I was trapped and got the shot anyway.

To make a long story short, it took 3 of us (me, S, and the nurse) to hold her down long enough to get the one shot, never mind that I was also holding H at the time. Thank goodness S was with me because I wouldn't have been able to do it myself. K is awfully strong!

So that's been our week. I'll post pictures when I can. In the meantime, here's a picture of my friend's twin girls. They are a year older than H and just adorable. Handfuls but adorable.

Halloween Pictures Coming!

I promise to post Halloween pictures ASAP as they really are cute. I still have to get a picture of H in his costume as he wouldn't stay in it very long. They all had a great time and L even went trick-or-treating which she said she didn't want to do until the very last minute. It was lots of fun!

Now I'm off to watch Auburn football...

Laugh Out Loud Funny

I found this link to an SNL skit on BooMama's blog and I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Then I made S watch it and he laughed really hard, too. Your sense of humor needs to be slightly twisted but I promise you'll laugh!

Souptacular 2008

Since I did this last year, I thought I'd do it again!


Turkey Chili

1T olive oil
1lb. ground turkey
1T garlic, minced
2½ t ground cumin
½ t salt
½ t pepper
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn
½ C uncooked rice
½ C green salsa
1C onion, chopped
½ T cilantro

Heat olive oil in large skillet or pot. Add turkey, garlic, and onion and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add cumin, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add chicken broth, black beans, corn, rice, and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add cilantro. (If you don't like the flavor of cilantro, substitute flat leaf parsley.)

Serve over chopped lettuce and top with sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips and grated cheese.

Like Father, Like Son

Many years ago, a tall skinny boy was heading out to a concert. He was going to see one of his favorite groups, Kid 'N Play, knowing every one of their songs even though his parents didn't really like them. At least they were mostly clean. (S and I share many things; our taste in music isn't one of them.)

In order to feel like a part of the crowd, S decided that he must do his best to make his hair look like this:

He tried all sorts of things: hair gel, hair spray, even mousse. But nothing was working. The texture of his hair just wasn't made for this particular style, never mind that it was only two inches long. So he tried one more product - Vaseline. This didn't really work very well, either, and just made his hair greasy; very greasy. In fact, it made it greasy for several days, through countless washings with various shampoos.

Fast forward twenty something years later and this is what I came home to after picking the girls up at school:

No, that's not water on his face or bananas in his hair. That is Vaseline. Apparently there was some in his room that I had yet to take out and he, being the curious boy he is, found it, took the top off, and rubbed it all over his body, including his outfit, hence the hair standing up on his head. He's had one bath already but he's still greasy and now my hands feel greasy as well. At least his skin is baby soft and will be for the next few weeks.

If this is Monday, what's that mean for the rest of my week?

First Tooth Picture

Yet Another Sign She's Growing Up

As if loosing her first tooth this week wasn't enough, K had her very first sleepover party Saturday night. Now I remember these fondly as I look back on my childhood. Playing with other people's toys and getting to sleep in a sleeping bag was just so much fun. We stayed up late, ate junk food, and came home in a foul temper, pumped up on sugar and with no rest. Oh, but it was fun.

When K got the invitation, I was very hesitant to let her go. But she begged and pleaded and said she really wanted to, day after day after day. I took this as a sign that she wasn't afraid to do it. So many questions came to my mind as I pondered what to do: what if she had an accident at night? What if she ate something she wasn't supposed to? What if she got scared and wanted to come home? I talked to S about it. I talked to the birthday girl's Mama about it. I talked to several other Mamas about it. And then I talked to God about it. After much consideration, I let her go.

Oh, friends, it was hard. I drove her to the party, took a tour of the house, got all the info I could possibly need and knew that she would be in good hands (not my hands but good enough ones). I had to leave a list with all the things K is allergic to and what to do should she have a reaction to anything, including medications and their proper dosages. I hugged her good-bye five or twenty times before we left. I'm glad S was there or I would have been a puddle. I had a knot in my stomach until about 10:00 PM, when I was pretty sure there wasn't going to be a phone call that she was scared and wanted to come home.

When I picked her up yesterday, I was so happy to wrap my arms around her. Oh, how I'd missed her! She had a fantastic time. Birthday Girl's Mama said K was a huge helper and was very well-behaved as were all the girls (nine 6- and 7-year-olds).

K's first question for me? "When can I have a sleepover at our house?"

I don't think this Mama is ready for that just yet.

Growing Up

On Tuesday afternoon, as the sun was beginning to wane, I forced the kids outside to get some fresh air. They had been inside most of the day and were going stir crazy (and about to drive me crazy) so they went outside to play, even H. He loves being out there but with a crawler, it's hard to want him to be out there. He either gets his legs dirty or his pants come back caked with dirt. Ah, the joy of having a boy. He also likes to climb the stairs of the play house which scares me to death. But the antics of H outside is another post entirely.

K has been nursing a loose tooth for some time now. I think it was back in the spring when we first noticed it was slightly loose. Finally it was loose enough to come out but hung in there for over a week. She pulled it out on the back porch and you would have thought she had won the lottery. She was so proud! She is the last person in her class to lose a tooth so this was really exciting.

I'll post a couple of pictures if I remember to download them. I just had to tell you that my baby is growing up!

SWAT Team at School

The SWAT team was at K's and L's school on Friday. The reason? It was a demonstration by the Sheriff's office. It was truly wonderful. One of our dear friends flies the helicopter for the Sheriff's office and he organized this field day for the preschool and elementary school (ah, the benefits of a small school!). There were squad cars, a SWAT team truck, the helicopter, and the K-9 unit was on hand. The kids got to see everything up close and learn about the various jobs held by the men and women in green.

We got to watch the helicopter land and take off (from a safe distance) and we all got a turn petting one of the K-9 dogs. She was the biggest baby but she took her job very seriously. The SWAT team showed us how they approach a building when there could be suspects inside (and yes, they used real guns).

The highlight for me was the K-9 demonstration. We got to see how a dog tracks down a bad guy and what happens when said bad guy attacks his handler. The dogs have exactly one job: to please their master. So whatever the master says, the dog does. And when the master is in danger, no words are needed; the dog attacks without being commanded to do so. It really was cool. What I didn't know was that the dogs go home with their handlers every day and live with them even after they are retired. I thought that was really neat. I think the whole day was just as much fun for the adults as it was for the kids!

One More for the Road

Pumpkin Patch 2008

Each year our little preschool takes a field trip to the pumpkin patch. This year was no exception and I went with L. It was so much fun. Their little class did such fun things including pumpkin painting, games, hide & seek, and a hay ride. L's class is a wonderful group of 4-year-olds, probably the best behaved group I've seen in a long time. They got to ride the bus, have a picnic lunch at the pumpkin patch, and ride the bus back to school. Riding the bus is a BIG deal when you're four. Here are some pictures of our day.

Nothing says "pumpkins" like jeans and your pink cowgirl boots. This picture is, to me, quintessential L.

L-ism of the Day

When we got home from ballet yesterday, I told L she had to change out of her ballet attire and put it in the laundry room. She protested at first as she loves her ballet attire, or any other special attire for that matter.

A few minutes later, she came out of her room and, wearing only her underwear, said, "Mama? I just want to put on my normally clothes."

Bragging on L

Yesterday when we got home from school, I went through both girl's folders as is the norm. I went through K's first, digging through all the work sheets and tests (100 on her spelling test!) and moved on to L's.

The very first thing I saw was a gift certificate with a little green post-it. It said that L had been "caught" being extremely patient, waiting for her teacher to lead the way rather than running ahead like the other 4-year-olds in her class. As a reward, she got a free kid's meal at a local restaurant, one we frequent.

While my kids are (mostly) well-behaved at school, they usually aren't singled out for being especially good. So I was very proud of L and her patience. I'm not sure where she got it!

When Did it Get so Complicated?

I've been pondering this subject for a while now and I thought I'd get the opinion of the two of you who actually comment. I'd love for others to chime in, too.

Last night I went to a birthday party for one of L's friends. Technically, our families are friends so we were all invited even though he's L's age and they have gymnastics together. And we all went, all five of us. I noticed that many of the kids there were not this boy's age but all ages and the parents stayed, too. Some of the older kids were neighbors who play with the birthday boy on a daily basis but there were others who were siblings of his friends as well. In fact it was mostly families who attended the birthday party for a 4-year-old.

I don't remember inviting whole families to my birthday parties. I remember my friends being there but not the whole family. Granted, I was an only child so I didn't have siblings who might want friends there, too, but I don't remember being invited to my friend's sibling's birthday parties either. When we had K's birthday party last year we invited her friends. Not all the siblings; just her friends as it was her party.

So when did it come to this? When did children's parties become parties for the whole family? Does this go along with our society's need to include everyone? That everyone must win, everybody gets the prize? Is it that we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings? Or is it that we now feel obligated to include everyone? I just don't get it.

I'm not saying that it's a bad idea. In some ways, it's a wonderful way to celebrate with family and friends, all of our friends. K and H had a fantastic time and I even jumped in there with them, having races with several kids. It was fun and we all had a blast. Everyone was exhausted when we got home and went to bed right away. (Kudos to my friend who had the party from 5-7 on a weeknight rather than a Saturday. I will keep this in mind for L's party next year.)

What are your thoughts?

Words, They Do Escape Me

A few months ago I found a fantastic deal on shampoo while at our neighborhood pharmacy. They had a name-brand shampoo that had a free, full-size detangling spray attached. Plus, they were marked buy one get one free so I got 4, full-size products for the price of one. Can't beat that deal. The detangling spray is perfect for the girls after hours in the pool or post-bath. I honestly don't know what they do after their hair has been washed but it looks like it has been teased with a fine tooth comb.

I put the shampoo away until I needed it. When I got out the detangling spray for the girls, I noticed this printed on the back of the bottle. Keep in mind this is a direct quote.

"Hair knottier than your stomach after a questionable hookup? Smooth things out with [insert product name here]. The heat-activated silk protein formula gives you intoxicating shine...for better luck next time."

I'll give you a moment to pull your lower jaw off the floor.

Of Deodorant, Football, Pizza and Coffee

Ready for some random thoughts by Mama? Here they come.

1. I had to buy deodorant the other day. Since I had to go to the grocery store anyway, I thought I'd just get it there. The kind I had been using was $4.93. I'll give you a minute to recoup from that. Yes, it was almost $5 for a small stick of deodorant. I can assure you I didn't pay that much for it when I first bought it. And I didn't pay that much for it this time, either. I went for the old standby, the one I've used on and off for years. It was much cheaper. When did deodorant become so expensive?

2. Auburn football (yes, Sporty Mama, I'm going there). It's a pitiful sight when you lose to Vandy. I don't care how good Vandy is and how bad Auburn is playing, you don't lose to Vandy. I'm going to stand behind my Auburn Tigers through thick and thin and this is definitely thin. We've got to do something about this offense if we're going to make it through the rest of the season. Let's just say it was bad enough that my fellow Auburn friend here in town called not once but twice during the game. We only talk if Auburn isn't doing well.

3. I finally found a pizza crust recipe that I really like. It's crispy, has great flavor and this method of cooking it makes it even better. This is the reward I get for getting up with H on Saturday morning and watching TV.

4. We lived in this small town for two years before we got one of these stores. That would mean it didn't arrive here until 2005. We are now getting a second one closer to my house, complete with drive-thru. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing given my new love of coffee. And going up just down from that one is one of these. I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be good for my waistline. (We currently don't have one of those particular fast food places even though we have every other one known to man. Well, except for this and we can't seem to get them east of the Mississippi.)

Have a happy Monday!

Random Things I Love About My Children

1. K crosses her legs while riding in the car.
2. L calls K "Sissy" and gets mad when anyone else does. It's her term of affection for K.
3. The way H says "seese" for "please."
4. The way both K and L said "upplease" when they wanted to be picked up.
5. K's dimples.
6. H's dimple under his right eye that can only be seen when he laughs really hard.
7. L's nose.
8. L's crazy hair. It's always in her face but she just wouldn't be the same without it.
9. H's juicy lips. He gets lots of complements on them.
10. The sound of laughter from all of them.
11. K's ever-increasing zeal to know and love the Lord.
12. L's attempt at reading. She tries so hard.
13. L's tomboy behavior. She'll be outside digging in the dirt and chasing boys but she'll be doing it in her princess dress.
14. K reading to L.
15. The way H puts his head on my shoulder and gently pats my back.
16. The way their little voices sound on the phone. It was sweet music when I called on the way home from the cruise.
17. The way they all love their Daddy.
18. H's fat little legs.
19. Being called Mama.
20. Hugs and kisses at the end of the day.

The Vacation Story with Pictures

I got a call from my friend, Stef, on Wednesday morning at 7:15. People don't usually call at that hour so I was really wondering who it could be. She was calling to ask if I wanted to go with her and 2 other friends on a trip for 5 days. They had been planning this for months and someone dropped out at the last minute, leaving a space for me. They were leaving at 7:30 Thursday morning and we'd get back Monday afternoon. And I could do this all for $50. That's right, I said $50 (the cost of changing the name on the ticket).

S was already at the gym so I called him and we talked about it. He said yes and I didn't hesitate to say "Okay!" in response. I rushed around like a mad woman getting all my things together: clothes, toiletries, swimsuits, cover ups, cash and my passport.

Where did we go, you may ask? Here's a picture of my home for 5 days:

Yes, I went on a cruise to the Bahamas for 5 days with no husband and no children. Just 4 friends enjoying peace and quiet, getting to do whatever we wanted to do. We stayed up late at night, we slept late in the morning, we got massages and facials. We talked, laughed and just generally had fun. Oh, and we ate whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. I even got to watch my beloved Auburn Tigers play Tennessee with some fellow Auburn fans (which was just about the sloppiest game I've seen them play since Mississippi State. But let's not get into football just yet).

This really was a blessing to be able to drop everything and go away to relax. Kudos go to S for saying yes in the first place. Yes, he does travel a lot and I'm home with the kids by myself but he doesn't do that very much. He even managed to do all the laundry while I was gone.

This was the view I had all day Friday. The sun was out most of the day and the clouds gave us some much-needed relief from the warmth the sun provided.

A small island off the coast of Nassau, Bahamas. Those gray stripes are the sheets of rain pouring on Nassau. We were, thankfully, spared the rain while on the beach. However, we did get wet as we made our way back to the cruise ship.

These little friends greeted us each night when the steward would turn down the bed for us. My favorite one was the dog which, of course, I didn't get a picture of.

I'm Back!

I got home yesterday around lunch time and I'm exhausted. I need a vacation from the vacation to recover from the vacation that was supposed to be a time to recover from everyday life. (It really was but we played pretty hard while we were gone!)

I need to download pictures and promise to post about the whole thing after I get done with the laundry.

Unexpected Vacation

A friend called me this morning and I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a girls' weekend. Yes, I'm giving up a whole Saturday filled with college football but this is a fantastic opportunity to get away with friends. I'll fill you in when I get back!

Spending Time with K

S has, blessedly, been in town for the last few weeks, giving me freedom to do many things without all of the children in tow. While that hasn't included pedicures or haircuts or frilly things, that has included going to the grocery store by myself. That is a huge blessing in and of itself.

Last Thursday, I got to spend the afternoon with K. She was in desperate need of tennis shoes, something she could run in during PE. Her Keds from last year were just fine but it's really hard to run in those on the gym floor. I took her to a local shoe store, had her measured (she wears a 13.5, for those interested), and looked in the sale room. Alas, there was nothing in her size so we headed across the street to the discount shoe place. There, they had some cute and not-so-cute shoes and, after steering her away from ones that had glitter and hearts and all sorts of horribleness, we found the perfect pair.

When we got to the car, she asked if we could get ice cream. So we did. We sat inside, enjoyed our cool treats, and just talked. I took pictures of her blue tongue (blue from the cotton candy ice cream) with my cell phone and even let her call Nana using our OnStar in the car (a very handy feature).

The bottom line for me is that I got to spend time with her, just her, without any distractions. I sometimes forget that she's as much fun as she is, that she's learning at an alarmingly fast rate, and moving into the young lady phase. I know that she's growing up, that these times will be fewer and further between. That makes me treasure them even more.

A Forgotten L Story

L is, at least for the time being, my most humorous child. There are very few days that go by where she doesn't say or do something that really makes me chuckle. Not that K and H don't make me laugh but L just has a way with words.

Case in point: S and I were invited to our pastor's house to have dessert and fellowship with a few other people in the congregation. Since it was just dessert, we got a babysitter and went for an early dinner before heading over to the dessert fellowship thingy.

Our babysitter is wonderful and has been babysitting for our kids for several years. I think she actually started before L was born. Anyway, when we got home she told us that she had a really funny story to tell us.

Apparently C, the aforementioned wonderful babysitter, usually lets L and K take pictures with her cell phone. (This is not a bad thing.) At some point in the evening, she realized that the girls had taken her phone to their room. When she went back to check on them, L said something into the receiver and then handed the phone to C. C said, "Hello?" It was her good friend, M. L, in her clever little way, had called M and had been talking to him (yes, him) for about 10 minutes. She told him all about her school, her ballet, and her friend's birthday party coming up. It was hilarious and a little bit scary all at the same time.

She's four and already calling boys. I think we have a problem...

Served with a Side of Mediocre

I have not one but two fabulously mediocre things to tell you today.

The first fabulously mediocre item is about my new love. Coffee. I know some of you are in complete shock right now as I have been staunchly anti-coffee for many, many years. But a few weeks ago, when I got together with some friends for brunch (a rarity for us), I had a sore throat and wanted something hot to soothe it. I'm really not a fan of hot drinks but it sounded so good. In the past, I've had coffee with a little cream and sugar so I decided to go with that, just enough to take away the bitter taste but not too sweet.

Y'all, that cup of coffee tasted so good that I went back for a second cup. That got me hooked. So two days ago, I bought a coffee grinder and some whole bean coffee and ground my own at home. Oh, the smell was so inviting! My father-in-law, a coffee fanatic, gave us a coffee maker years ago so that he could have some java when he was visiting. I had to figure out the auto feature so I could wake up to a freshly brewed pot in the morning. Oh, it was heaven waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

This hasn't gone over very well with S, who is still staunchly anti-coffee. But he's learning to love the new me.

The second fabulously mediocre item involves pimiento cheese. It's a completely Southern dish that I love, love, love. A few months ago, Nana brought me some pepper jack pimiento cheese from a little deli near her house. Since said little deli isn't here, I figured I would have to learn to make my own. I got a recipe (thanks, Bunny!) and tried it, substituting the sharp cheddar cheese for pepper jack cheese. It was fantastic. If you like spicy stuff, this will hit the spot. I even added some chopped jalapenos to add a little more heat. It is totally and completely addictive.

And I can't resist this picture of my friend's new puppy. Too cute!

As Seen in the Backyard

Yesterday, S pointed out this eight-legged friend located between two trees in our backyard. I've not seen one this big in our yard before. (You might have to click on the picture to see Charlotte more clearly.)

On Saturday, while H was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, S was assisting the girls on the swings. K's feet kept dragging the ground so S helped her out.

That's right: he dug two holes in the ground under the swings. I guess raising them up a few notches was out of the question.

Pictures

To tide you over until my next fascinating post, enjoy the pictures!

S and I were able to take a quick trip away this past weekend. Here is a picture of the gulf taken from our hotel balcony. When you're used to calm, pristine water, this is quite a sight. And we were nowhere near Ike.
These were taken before school this morning. Lest you think H has a case of chickenpox, those are mosquito bites. I stopped counting at 20.

L's Prayer

Each night at bedtime, S prays with the girls and then I sing with them or read, they get to choose. Usually, S prays with them by himself. I think it's great for them to have something special with Daddy. Tuesday night, I just happened to be in there while they were praying and I'm so glad I was because I got to hear L's prayer. It went something like this...

"Our Father, who art in heaven. Dear Jesus, thank you for the food you gave us today. Thank you that when we were at Granny's house today, I got to have two gummy worms and my sister only got one gummy worm. And thank you for the banana cream soup pie that my sister ate and that Daddy got my piece so I didn't have to eat it. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Well, at least she has a thankful heart and those priorities in line.

Laughing Again

This post made me laugh, too. Make sure you click on the picture so you can read what's written on the paper. Thanks, Nana, for the heads up on this one!

Laugh Out Loud

This video made me laugh out loud. (I don't yet know how to embed it on this site so you'll just have to click on over to watch it.)

What is the World Coming To?

Does anyone else find it disturbing that we now need directions on how to pour milk?

Proof That He's a Climber

A Confession of Worry

I'm usually not one to post about serious matters but something has been on my mind lately that I must confess. I am a worrier. Not an anxious worrier, maybe more like overly concerned.

My latest "concern" is H and his lack of walking. He's 16 months now (14 if you take into account his prematurity) and he's not even close to walking. He pulls up on furniture, even climbs up stairs, ladders and coffee tables. He'll even let go and stand freely but sits as soon as he comes close to taking a step.

(I don't think I mentioned the climbing because I haven't really blogged. K informed me the other day that I needed to come quickly to her room because H was at the top of the ladder to the girls' bunk beds. And then last weekend he learned how to climb up on top of our coffee table. These are not good things.)

Since he can do these things, I know he has the capability to walk. But he won't. Even if I try to hold his fingers, he falls limp and just hangs there with his feet in the air. He just plain doesn't want to walk. I don't know if it's because he doesn't have to (he crawls really fast) or doesn't want to or he's lazy. Either way, it's frustrating.

The worrying comes in when I think that something might be wrong with him. What if he's got something seriously wrong with him that he will have to overcome? What does this late walking mean? Why are there so many other children who are younger than he is who are walking already? Many friends have commented that it's a whole different world when they start walking because they get into so much more. Well, there's not much more he can get into when he does walk than he does now crawling. As we know, he can climb so why won't he walk?

I do realize that God speaks to this very thing, that we aren't to worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself. We aren't to be anxious about anything but bring all of our concerns to Him. He is the ultimate comforter.

So why am I still worried?

Waaaaar Eagle, Hey!

This is my favorite time of the year: football season. College football, that is. And Labor Day weekend is always great because there are five, yes FIVE, days of college football. My beloved Auburn Tigers began their season in style, winning 34-0. They weren't on TV (at least any station I get and I wasn't paying for this game) but will be this Saturday. I'm pumped! We even have plans to watch this game with some fellow Tiger fans. I've watched football all weekend, enjoying every last minute of it, even if it's a game I have no interest in.

So if you're down my way any time soon, drop on in. But if it's a Saturday, be prepared to watch football. Besides, there's always good food to go with a good game.

Crowd Pleaser

Last night I hosted Bunco at my house. For those who don't know, it's a game played with 12 people and involves rolling dice. Honestly, if you can roll dice, you can play this. Everyone in the group takes a turn hosting, providing dinner and drinks for the entire group. Since you only do it once a year, it works out pretty well. This is my one night a month I can forget about everything going on in my life and just have fun.

(This would be, by the way, the reason I've not been blogging much this week. I had to get my house ready and make all the food for these ladies. Plus, it was my first time hosting so I had to put my best face forward.)

On the menu:

• Vegetables with hummus
• Whole grain chips with spinach dip
• Ham and cheese rolls
• Chicken satay with a spicy peanut dip and BBQ sauce
• Spinach salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette and spicy pecans
• Crostata with mushrooms, bacon, and fontina
• Whiskey Sours

The theme was a cocktail party so I tried to do lots of little things that you might find at a party, only punched up a bit. Almost everything got eaten and we all had such a fun time. I wish I had taken pictures of all the food but it got eaten too fast!

The biggest hit was the crostata. I've never made one before and now I'm hooked on them. It was so, so easy and extremely yummy. You really can't go wrong when mushrooms, bacon, and cheese are involved. And I'm not a homemade crust maker but this was so easy and turned out great. You will not be disappointed should you decide to try it!

Holding Her Own

One preschooler + one baby + one stroller - one umbrella = waiting with other moms (and a dad), to allow the rain/torrential down pour to let up. The rain started just as I got L into her class room.

This was actually a good thing because I was able to talk to some of the other mamas in the class. I don't often get to do this with them because I drop off L as early as possible due to scheduling. However, these other mamas are usually late to arrive so I don't get to see them.

As is common (actually it's more like a law), the conversation turned to our children. The lone dad in the group was saying that his son, J, is a middle child and shy, taking his time getting to know everyone. J is new to the school this year. Another mom said that her child, also a middle, was the same way: very quiet, very deliberate, and takes awhile to warm up to new situations.

And then there's L. Again a middle child but nothing like the ones described above. I made the comment that L is the complete opposite and the dad said, "That's L? She's your daughter? I've heard about L. We know all about her." This from the father of a child who has known L for all of 3 days. I think she's doing just fine as one of 4 girls in a class of 13.

Down Came the Rain

As is common this time of year, we have pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon. Although they do happen at other times of the day, they are most common in the afternoon. A friend of mine was over with her kids and commented that it was raining in the back yard but still sunny. When we looked out the front, however, there was no rain.

I looked in my neighbor's back yard, no rain. In the side yard, no rain. It was, literally, just raining in our back yard. For about 10 minutes. It was the one of the oddest things I've ever seen!

Mrs. Whiting

With K starting first grade, I've been thinking a lot about my own experience in first grade. I was talking with a friend recently who said that you may not remember all of your teachers but you do remember your first grade teacher. Now while I might remember all of their names, I don't necessarily remember lots of details of my elementary life. But I remember Mrs. Whiting.

Mrs. Whiting was Cinderella in the flesh. She was just out of college, newly married, and beautiful. She had long blond hair, blue eyes, and gorgeous tan skin. Every girl in that class wanted to be her and the boys, though young, loved her. Plus she was an excellent teacher.

I recall being made to stay inside from recess because I rushed to finish my work and did a very poor job of it. My goal was to beat my friend Natalie because she always seemed to finish first. Competition started early for me. (I did beat her, by the way.)

Mrs. Whiting read Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and other classics to us at the end of each day. It instilled in me a love of reading that I still have today. (Alas, this did not carry over into middle and high school as I didn't really read every book that was assigned to me. While I love reading for pleasure, required reading isn't my forte.)

So here's to Mrs. Whiting, my fabulous first grade teacher!

Lest We Forget

It was L's first day, too!

First Grade

Early to rise

Hearty breakfast

Choosing the perfect outfit

Fixing hair

Traffic

Lots of pictures

Nerves

Finding the proper seat

First day of first grade

Inquiring Minds

Last night we did something we've never done as a family: we went bowling. I should tell you that I really detest bowling. I have never liked it and the last time I actually bowled a frame was in junior high. I scored an 83. And that was the end of my bowling career.

A friend informed us that they and several other families were going to dinner and bowling as one last hurrah before school starts. And it was so much fun. Dinner was great and the bowling even more fun. I didn't bowl (neither did H) but S and the girls did. My excuse was that someone had to help K and L.

So what does this have to do with an inquiring mind? Well that incident happened on the way to dinner. S and I were talking when K piped up and asked, "Daddy? When you're away do you tell people about God?" Both S and I were taken aback, not able to speak as if the wind had been knocked out of us.

We have prayed, from the time I was pregnant with K, that she, and all of our children, would have hearts for God, that they wouldn't know a time they didn't know the Lord. I looked at S, wanting to hear his answer. There aren't a lot of opportunities for witness with coworkers in today's society but I know that he has shown his faith as best he can. He did his best to explain this to K and it seemed to satisfy her.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16

A Little Nostalgia

I found this picture of K taken a couple of months before she turned two. She was helping Daddy do some yard work. I see a lot of H in her!

Treasured Moments

Yesterday was a rough day for L. K had a friend over to play and poor L kept getting left out. I'm pretty sure she spent 80% of her time crying about one thing or another. It just wasn't her day. I did tell the older girls to allow her to play with them and to their credit, they did. However, when L would suggest something to do, the other girls didn't want to play along. It just generally wasn't her day.

I had a school board meeting last night (did I mention I'm on the board of our little Christian school?) and when I got home the house was dark, the kids were asleep (or so I thought), and S was catching up on some work. As I was closing the back door I heard a tiny voice say, "Mama?" followed by little feet slapping the hard wood floor in the hall. A pitiful face peered out from around the corner.

She didn't have to say anything because I knew exactly how she felt. She proceeded to tell me that I needed to come to her room to sing with her, something I do with the girls every night. However, K was already asleep and I didn't want to wake her. I scooped L up and sat on the sofa with her for just a few minutes. I asked her, "You had a rough day, didn't you?"

"Yeah, K and K2 wouldn't play with me because K2 didn't want to get on my bed and play with me."

"Sometimes we get left out, don't we?"

"Yeah."

It was probably the most pitiful conversation I've ever had with her. So we just sat there, in silence, L sitting on my lap, resting her head on my shoulder. I carried her back to bed a few moments later, gently placing her in the comfort of her sheets and stuffed animal friends.

When it seems like the kids have been going crazy and are driving me nuts, these are the moments I treasure.

Time for School! Time for School!

So school starts a week from today. I can't believe summer is drawing to a close so fast! I'm preparing myself for a whirlwind of activity and the everyday commute to get both K and L to school. I'm also looking forward to some time alone with H. He gets bigger everyday and it's not going to be long before he's going to school, too.

I've resigned myself to the fact that I have a first grader. I don't feel old enough to have a first grader! The supplies have been purchased, the clothes washed and hung up, uniforms ready to go for the first day.

K and L are more than ready for school to start. When I told L that we had to go to church twice before school started, she asked, on the way home from church yesterday, if we were going to church the next day (that's her way of saying tomorrow). She's definitely ready. A woman at the gym today commented that L is an independent spirit. I would concur.

H is still crawling and saying "no" a lot but he's added "no way" to his repertoire. He also knows the word mouth and will open his when you ask, "Where's your mouth?" My child, he is gifted. But you already knew that.

Quinoa

Have any of you ever tried quinoa? I first heard of it right after S and I got married. A friend's mother found she was allergic to gluten and had to go on a gluten-free diet. She (the friend) brought leftover quinoa to work one day. It's a grain very high in protein and perfect for those who have wheat or gluten allergies. I bought some a while back and decided to try it at home.

It's easy to prepare, pretty much like cooking rice. You can do a lot with it, too, even substituting it for rice in some cases. It has a much nuttier flavor than rice, almost an earthy feel with its golden wheat color. I fixed it last night with some cheese to appease the children, praying they would be open to trying something new.

Believe it or not, they loved it. Even H wanted seconds. I slightly overcooked it and it had just a slightly rougher texture than grits. Since H loves grits with cheese, he loved it and fussed until I got more in his mouth. The girls ate it, too, although not as willingly. L was the most timid and usually is about trying new things. In the end, she ate all that was put on her plate and not a grain more.

You really can do a lot with it and there are even some recipes in the box just waiting to be tried. I encourage you to try something new, some new food that you've never had before. You may end up really liking it!

Artichokes

As a little girl, one of my favorite snacks was a mayonnaise sandwich. And it couldn't be anything other than Hellmann's. It's the only one that tastes right. I even ate the sandwich on white bread. That is, of course, until my grandfather told me that was gross and made me put a piece of lettuce on it. Right. Like that's going to make it healthier.

Since my mom and I didn't have a whole lot of money, we would sometimes have odd things for dinner. One of our favorites was steamed artichokes. Sometimes we'd share, sometimes we'd get our own. And these are just plain old steamed artichokes. I loved the silky feel on my tongue as I scraped the meat on the leaf of the choke off with my teeth. Of course, you must have something in which to dip said artichoke. Our dip of choice? Mayonnaise. Oh it was so good.

The other day I found artichokes on sale and bought two of them. I had one for lunch today and it brought back a flood of memories. I had to settle for low-fat, low-cholesterol mayo which isn't my favorite. But as I pulled each leaf off and dove into the tiny piece of meat at the bottom, I felt like I was sitting at my mom's table, sharing a wonderful treat with her.

One More L-ism

Nana recently told L that there are no flies on her, being that L isn't one miss anything going on around her. L said, "I don't have any mosquitoes on me either!"

Pushing Buttons

The other day Gran (S's mom) and I had to take a day trip to a nearby town to pick up pants S had altered in a nearby town. Since our small town doesn't exactly have this particular store we were forced to another town. It's really not that big a deal and Gran and I set off with 3 kids in tow.

Ever since we got our new car, L and K have been sitting in the third row and usually get along quite nicely. Well, Wednesday was an extreme exception. I don't know if it's too much time together and they need a break from being together or if it's their ages but something's got to give. I spent the first half of the trip attempting to break up fights, threatening to pull the car over, telling both of them that they were pushing each other's buttons. I was forced to stop half way there, partially to break them up and partially to stop at a really cute shop. K got moved to the middle row next to H but was, tragically, in front of L.

Better but not perfect, we trudged on to our destination. As the girls were both in a mood, L just couldn't let things go and kept putting her hands on K's chair. I was forced to break it up and threaten L within an inch of her life. K wasn't exactly making life easy, either. L's response to the whole thing?

"I'm just pushing buttons."

It's Really the Small Blessings

I often tell people that I'm so blessed. I have a wonderful husband, three precious children, a roof over my head and a car that works. While we don't have a ton of money, we are comfortable in our lifestyle. There's plenty of food on the table and we have many other things for which to be thankful.

But sometimes I forget about the small blessings in life. Yesterday morning, H slept until 8:20 am. That's not normal for him. Normal is 6:30 at the latest. That meant I got to sleep in, too. Mama always needs extra rest. That was a small blessing.

Then K came in my room around 7:45 (late for her as well) carrying her devotional that she got around Christmastime. She said, "Mama, you really need to read this. You will be so blessed by it." Those are her words, not mine. What was it? The Doxology. It tied into the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with just a few fish and loaves of bread.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Amen

A hearty amen to that...

Birthday Pictures

A few for your enjoyment...

I'm Back!

As promised, I'm back to give you all the wonderful, mundane details of our lives here at Maison de Mama. And they are so wonderful and mundane all at the same time.

Let's recap what's happened over the last (almost) two months

• S went out of town for the first time with the kids out of school
• His parents arrived with B, his sister, and her four kids, P, M, A, & W
• We spent almost every day with them doing tons of fun things
• K and L both celebrated their birthdays (K is now 6, L is now 4)
• H learned a new word: "No!"
• VBS (one word of advice to all you mamas out there who will be sending their kids to VBS next year: pre-register)
• One last hurrah with B and her kids
• Somewhere in here H got 2 new teeth with a third about to pop through at any moment. I'm not sure how I missed the 2 new ones but I did as I only discovered it today.

I think the gist of the list (ha!) is that we've been really busy doing really fun things. And even though there's a certain stress related to having 5 extra people around for over a month, we had a blast with them. H really took up with P and was definitely missing him the first few days they were gone. I've finally downloaded all the pictures and will post them very soon.

It's good to be back!

I'll Tide You Over with an L-ism

I still need to get pictures downloaded from my camera and I just haven't had that much time so I'll give you this little gem from L.

One day last week after going to the gym (still doing that wretched thing in the attempt to be healthy, blah, blah, blah) S was sitting on the sofa writing a quick email before hopping in the shower. He had removed his shirt because it was soaked from the gym and our house was cool thus making him cold. L, who was in the kitchen, looked over at him and said, "Daddy, why are you showing your boobs?" My sister-in-law and I busted out laughing at that one.

L's really not afraid to say what she's thinking.

Delinquent Blogger

I've been such a bad blogger lately and I have lots of pictures to share from the birthday celebrations we've been having lately. We've got VBS going on this week (I'm in charge of registration) so I'm somewhat busy. Hope y'all are well and I promise to get pictures up soon!

(I did manage to change the ages on the sidebar, noting that I now have a six-year-old and a four-year-old. Where did the time go?)

Random Pictures

As I was downloading the pictures from the previous post, I found a "random pictures" file that has some really interesting photos in it. I thought I'd share a few.

This is a picture of H from VBS last year. It was about this time last year that our church had VBS and a friend took a picture of him as we were waiting to pick K and L up at the end of the day. He's changed a lot since then...

This is a picture of my grandfather reading to me and my friend Josh, who is a month younger than me.

And here's a picture of K and her friend, Katelyn, playing princess.

Emma, our friend's dog. I just love the angle of the photo.

One more, this one of K meeting L for the very first time.

What pictures are you hiding on your computer?

P and H

Here are a couple of pictures of my nephew P with H. P was the ring bearer in my wedding and he has grown A LOT since then. We're having fun with them!