My Roll Tide Babies

When my BIL dropped the twins off last week they had a surprise... they were dressed in Alabama t-shirts. You knew I was going to take pics, didn't you?!? My sweeties dressed in my favorite football team apparel? Oh, yes!

I was trying to get LK to say "Roll Tide". She is such a little mockingbird and will say just about anything, but you can imagine how it sounded with this star crammed in her mouth. She had the boys in stitches!

Of course, not to be outdone, MM started imitating Little Guy waving his arm around while saying Roll Tide. After that anytime he said "Roll Tide" she would wave her hand around. I'm telling you these babies know a good team when they hear or see it!

MM has been trying to teach Little Guy where his nose is for weeks now but he keeps forgetting. He must because he keeps asking, "Where is my nose?" and she keeps having to show him. Silly cousin!

LK has lost patience trying to teach the boys about such stuff and decided that she will move on to bigger and better things like refining her skills as a GRITS (girl raised in the south). What better way to do that than reading the latest issue of the "Mississippi" magazine?

Punt, Pass & Kick

The City of Ridgeland hosted the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition this past weekend.   Big Guy had participated in this through his school when in grades 3-5 so Little Guy wanted the opportunity to do this as well.

I had big expectations for this event since the PP&K competitions at Big Guy's schools were always so well organized and planned.     However, I was a little disappointed.     I have to say I was also a little surprised because this is not the norm for the City of Ridgeland and especially not for our Parks and Rec.   However, using a really bad pun, they really dropped the ball on this event.

Little Guy before the PP&K competition.     All the advertisement said that the event started at 9:00.   That meant Little Guy wanted to be there at 8:45.    When we got there no one else was there.     When they did show up they said that the event didn't start until 10:00.   Registration started at 9:00.      Hmmmm....

A friend showed up to be in the competition as well.     I was glad to see a familiar face for both myself and for Little Guy.    There were a group of kids who walked up to the park who were from out of town.   They had no adults with them and they asked if they could be a part of the competition.      Obviously that was the director's call.    I didn't have a problem with it.   What I did have a problem with was when that group of kids started "practicing".    They weren't practicing.   They were bullying all the other kids who were actually trying to practice.     Intead of the event staff watching over and managing the event they were absent.     Some of those kids stole items that weren't there.    They event went so far as to try to steal my son's football and football tee from me at my feet.   They literally walked up to my chair, picked it up and tried to walk off.    They said, "This is ours."     I told them it wasn't and the other adult standing beside me said it was my son's.     They went crazy and accused us of stealing their ball.      Again, where was the event staff?   Nowhere.

 

 

 

My friend's son won first place in his age division, but as my friend kept telling the event staff, they had put him in the wrong age division.   Ultimately what that meant was that he was disqualified from competing in the next level.

The NFL PP&K is a great event.     I especially loved when I watched Big Guy's coaches use it as part of the P.E. curriculum at school.     However, I hope that the City of Ridgeland will take this one small event and improve their implementation next year.      Some small changes could make a BIG difference!

 

Movie Review

The boys found "The Swiss Family Robinson" at the library this week.      Since it has been rainy this afternoon they settled in with some popcorn and decided to watch it.    It is quite a long movie so settling in was a good idea.

The fact they both loved the movie was obvious as they barely moved the entire three hours.   

Little Guy came out to the living room and I asked him what he thought about the movie and he said...

"Well, I thought it was perfectly great until the end 

when two people had to mess it up by kissing!"

Happy Birthday, Shane!

Shane receiving a birthday kiss from her husband

Last Saturday night we threw a little party for my BFF, Shane. Her husband and I coordinated it and fortunately we were able to pull it off without blowing it. She was truly surprised. Whew!
I think the only reason we pulled it off is because we planned it a week early.

We hosted the party at Olga's Restaurant. If you have never had dinner there.... go! The food was absolutely delicious. Olga and Yuriy, the Russian restaurant owners, have created a menu that is a beautiful marriage of Russian and southern cuisine.

Stuffed mushrooms, quesadillas, ribeye with crawfish cream sauce, tiramisu.... oh heavens!

Olga's is even open for lunch from 11am - 2pm which means you don't have to settle for a cold sandwich.

It also means that the next date day for Hubs and I..... I know where we are going!!

100 Days to Christmas.... YIKES!

Can you believe it? Today is 100 days to Christmas! That could freak you out, but DON'T let it. Seriously.

I LOVE Christmas. However, I don't love it when things get all hectic and crazy. Generally I try to get all of my Christmas shopping and Christmas cards done before Thanksgiving arrives. That helps, but it doesn't take away all the stress.

I stumbled across a wonderful website last year that I fell in love it and this year I wanted to share it with you!

It is appropriately named after today - "100 Days To Christmas"


Every day the website gives you all types of ways to plan and prepare for Christmas: party planning, meal planning, gift giving ideas, and even little words of inspiration and encouragement!


It may be a little too early for you to think about planning for Christmas, but whenever you decide to start I pray that you will always keep Christ the center of your celebration.

"Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart,
you won't find it under a tree."

I Need Your Vote!!

I can't believe it!    I was chosen as a finalist in Kenn Kington's "ISM" contest.     You would have to know what HUGE fans of Kenn Kington we are to know what a big deal this is to us.    

I need all your help by going to this website and clicking the "star" beside my name to vote for my "ISM"!

If you are friends with hubs and I you know that we refer to our responsibilities as you/we, me/we, and we/we responsibilities.    We first heard of this concept from Kenn Kington.    The way he explained this cracked us up and was so on target that it just stuck and instantly became part of our marriage.

(Have I mentioned that I need you to go to this website and click the "star" next to my "ISM"?)

If you have never heard an "ISM", I have included a YouTube video of Kenn talking about how ISMS originated.

After you finish watching, would you mind going to this website and voting for my ISM?     I really appreciate it!!

THANK YOU!!!

Little Girls Under Construction

Have I mentioned to you that I have two beautiful and incredibly smart sisters.    I have?   OK.    I just wanted to make sure I made that clear because I am just so proud of them.       My baby sister's career is in national security and I will leave it at that because I don't want her to shut down my internet connection.      Yes.   She can do that.

Because of how smart she is, she was asked to teach a class at a local college which means we scored some babysitting time with her twins.... MY NIECES!!    

It has been so fun!    It has also been a great experience for the boys.    They are amazed at what sponges the girls are.     They have already learned so much about what 9 months old are capable of doing and learning.    

The girls love to be outside.     My BIL brings the girl's strollers so we take them for a walk around the neighborhood every time they are here.      The boys wanted to take a different path every time but I pointed out the importance of taking the same path.      I gave them assignments of naming things as we walked around the streets:   cars, mailbox, flags, etc...   The girls are such mockingbirds that I know at some point they will begin to mock these things back to the boys.

They also love when we take them into the backyard to play.      They don't love, however, the neighbor's loud barking puppy.    

Our outdoor quilt has lots of squares so the girls can spend a lot of time pointing as we name colors.

These girls won't let the quilt give them borders.   They crawl off exploring the backyard.     We keep a close eye on them.   You never know what they will find.     MM sat up last week with an earthworm in her hand!

LK is very fascinated with Big Guy's glasses.    She is constantly saying "Oooooh!" and getting up in his face to look at them.

Our precious LK

 

 Our sweet MM

 

Nieces are just special packages sent from heaven, aren't they!!!    And I am lucky enough to have THREE!!

Swine Flu.... No Laughing Matter

Well, maybe a little!

My Summary

In case you missed it, here is a summary of the President's speech last night...

The Democrats were ecstatic (as evident in the 22 standing ovations).

The Republicans were not impressed

and

A great deal of our Country watched something else entirely because we are tired of hearing speeches.

P.S.   I think when Nancy Pelosi career is over in politics she could get a second life 

coaching beauty pageant contestants on how to fake smile endlessly for hours.

We've Created A Monster

We gave Little Guy this cookbook for his birthday. He loves Food Network and loves Paula Deen. He also LOVES to cook.

Since he received the cookbook he has been cooking like crazy. He makes grocery lists and begs us to let him try new things that he has thought up.

Last night I had to work and he asked if he could cook supper. I told him that there was a banana nut muffin mix in the cabinet that I hoped he would make so we would have those for breakfast.

Do you know what his response was?

"Mom, real chefs do not make food from a mix. They cook from scratch."

He acted insulted that I had asked him to open a box to make those muffins.

Yes, my blogger buddies, we've created a food cooking monster!!

Fearless

Book Description:

Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.

They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn't it be great to walk out?

Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.

Can you imagine your life without fear?

Book Review:

Fear is such a weird emotion. I know that God put it in our lives to help us cope with certain situations. I mean we need fear to help us know to run when we see a snake. Fear is handy when in the path of a dangerous situation. However, how many times do we find ourselves in those situations? Fear is one of those emotions that we pull out and use when we don't even need it.

I had an relationship with fear from an early age. I was afraid of the dark. I developed what could be considered an Olympic sport in jumping from my bed to the wall to turn on the light without my feet touching the floor. As I grew, so did my fears.

I love Lucado's analogy of running a magnet over your heart and extracting those fears out. However, more than that, I love how Max has written a book that shows how God gave us the ability to live fearless in His presence and filled with faith.

“Schultüte”

Germany has a great tradition for the first day of school. It is called a “Schultüte”or a school cone. It is same concept as a Christmas stocking except it is stuffed with back to school supplies and small candies. When we left our friends in Atlanta, she gave the boys a “Schultüte” box to open on their first day of homeschooling. Taped to the outside was the note you see below telling the boys to open it on their first day of school.




The boys were so excited about it and it definitely gave them something fun to look forward to on that first morning. Can you believe all the special stuff she packed into that box? Thanks, Sheri, for always doing something special for your boys! I love this tradition so much that I hope to do it again next year.

The corners of our dining room have now been transformed into learning spots for the boys. They both have their own desks and all the supplies they need to study. We have thoughts and plans to turn our hobby shop into a classroom, but for right now we are doing well in the dining room.


Here is Little Guy on his first day of school. His first day's assignments are on his Expo board behind him. Since then I have gotten more organized and print out their assignments a week at a time, but when we first started I was writing it out every night.

Long Weekend

(Love Marshall's take on Labor Day!)

Praise the Lord for long weekends. We are doing a lot of vegging which has worked out fine since I have been knocked flat with a major fibro flare. Thank the Lord these major flares don't come along very often.

We didn't necessarily plan to spend the entire weekend at home, but I am lucky to have guys who can make the best of any situation. They did what they always do and spoiled me rotten by cooking all the meals. We also had a just piling on the couches and enjoying the the opening weekend of SEC football. MSU won. Alabama won. Not a bad way to start the weekend!

I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day!

Isn't She Lovely?

I am so lucky to be the aunt of the three most beautiful nieces in the world. Below are photos of my niece, J. She is a senior in high school. She asked me to take photos of her to submit for a "Most Photogenic" contest they are having at her high school. Being photogenic is definitely not an issue for her is it?

Ugliest Birthday Cake for the Cutest Kid

I have been a total slacker with my blogging lately.     Homeschooling has set an entire new set of priorities and blogging has been pushed down the ladder.    However, the whole reason I started blogging was so I would have a "journal" of our lives and things that are going on and I still want that to be the case.

Little Guy turned 8 and, because of the fact that he still had a cast on his arm, we didn't make big plans for a party.     We weren't sure what the surgeon would say -- cast off or on, any restrictions, or whatever.   So he asked if we could just invite his best friend over to spend the night.     I asked if he would be interested in inviting his family for supper along with cake and ice cream.    We decided that we would make it a simple celebration.

I am so lucky that neither of my boys are very much into "themes".     When I asked Little Guy how he wanted to decorate he said he really didn't care.      He just said "fun".      So I told him that I thought I could accomplish that.

Here is out on the front porch with the big sign that we have had for about five years.   We hang it for every birthday the boys have.    It is worth the entire $3 I spent on it.   Ha!

For supper, we just grilled lots of yummy vegetables....

and sweet Hubs honored Little Guy's request and made his "famous" BBQ chicken.    The grill was Hubs' birthday present which Big Guy put together for him.     Didn't he do a GREAT job?  

 

I made a huge container of homemade lemonade which seemed to be the hit because to the soft drinks were never touched!

And used simple items we had around the house to decorate the table...

However, the big item was the cake.      The birthday cake is supposed to be the big centerpiece right?    Well, Little Guy wanted a chocolate cake with my homemade fudge icing.      I made two layers and put them out to cool.    When I came back I flipped the first layer on the cake plate and iced it.    When I flipped the second layer on top it literally broke into chunks.      I don't know if it was still warm or what, but it was a disaster.       Big Guy looked at me and said,  "What are you going to do?"  

I had my hands full of cake trying to think fast.    I told him to grab my trifle bowl and a knife.    We cut that cake up into chunks and layered into the trifle bowl and drizzled it with the fudge icing.       Then we put candles on top.      We named it....

The Ugliest Birthday Cake for the Cutest Kid!

 

Oh, isn't it hideous?

But once you put some of that in a bowl and cover it with homemade vanilla ice cream... 

it was YUMMY!

SkipBo

One of the great opportunities the boys have now that they are being schooled at home is doing community service projects with our homeschool co-op.      We have signed up to be a part of a group that goes to the Waterford Retirement Home at least once a month.      For our first trip the residents invited us to play card games with them.     Their two favorites games are "SkipBo" and "Phase 10".      We had never played "SkipBo" before, but we love "Phase 10".    When we arrived, the residents chose to play "SkipBo" so they taught them how to play.     It was such a fun game that the boys asked to buy it so we could play here at home!

Here are a few pics that our project director took of our first trip:

 

I have to tell you the funniest part about our visit.    We had initially planned to stay for about an hour, but the residents invited the kids to stay longer.    At one point the director came out and told us that she was about to tell the kids it was time to end this session.      She said that Friday at 3:00 was BINGO day and that some of the older gentlemen were getting flustered thinking that our kids were going to stay and play BINGO and possibly win their prizes.    That really cracked us up, but we didn't want to frustrate them so we gathered up the kids and told them we would be back soon.   

The kids had so much fun and can't wait to go back.    Me too!

You will always be my "Little Guy"

Walking into Women's Hospital eight years ago today I was barely able to stand walking down the hallway.    My contractions were constant and felt like I was being hit with a bowling ball.   

The nurse came to me as I was making my way down the hall and said, "Um, we are out of labor rooms.    We may have to send you to another hospital."  

I looked at her and said, "I will sit here and give birth.     I have already been to the Suites and they were full.    I don't think I can walk back out to the car."    

Her response,  "I will be right back."

"Good.  I will try to keep walking."

When she came back she explained that they had a room that was used as their supply room for the other labor and delivery rooms.    She said they were cleaning out and were going to put a bed in it so that I could use it.    

When we arrived, it was just that.    I knew if we needed anything it was literally within arm's reach.    Ha!

I labored and labored and labored.     They gave me an epidural, but just like with Big Guy, it wouldn't take because of the seizure medicine I have to take.      Also like Big Guy, he was stuck on my pelvis.    No circus trick we tried worked.    Isn't it amazing the things they will ask you to attempt when you are in the middle of labor and have a giant globe on the front of your body?

My doctor said that he thought I should have a c-section, but that the ladies were lined in the hallway waiting for surgery.   (I told you it was packed in the hospitals that night!)    Also, Trent Lott's daughter was giving birth across the hallway and she was ahead of me in line.   

I knew that they were going to knock me out since my epidural wasn't working so I told my doctor.   Give me more time... I am going to try again.    I tried.  I cried.  I prayed.     Nothing worked.

Finally my doctor came back and said that he would try the "tea cups" as Donald and I refer to them.    After 23 hours....

a 7 pounds 4 ounces beautiful baby boy arrived. 

Completely covered with God's fingerprints in every way!

I still can't believe that was eight years ago today.     Last night before bed, I must have gotten a million hugs and kisses from him.     I told him I needed lots of extra because those were the last 7 year old kisses I would ever get.    

Yes... I am the sappiest Mom ever.   I don't deny it.

Despite The Fact

Despite the fact these jeans say the fatter you get the better they look, I will never buy these.   AND if I see you wearing them I will laugh at you!!!    *wink*  *wink*

The "Hannah Box"

We don't typically celebrate birthdays for an entire week, but with hubs having a birthday tomorrow and Little Guy having a birthday Saturday it is kind of going to turn out that way.

The weekend was spent shopping for birthday presents.     Hubs has really wanted a new grill.     The boys and I really wanted him to have a new grill because he makes the best bbq chicken EVER!    SMILE.       We thought we had found the lowest price for the grill he wanted until we made a random walk through Hudsons and found the exact one for $70 less!   SCORE!   

During the weekend it occurred to me that the grandparent's had sent emails asking what Little Guy had wanted for his birthday.    I had forwarded those emails to his email address and asked him to respond to them.      So, I called him into the living room and this is the conversation we had:

Mom:  "Hey, sweetie.   Not to long ago I sent you some emails from the Grandparents asking what you wanted for your birthday.   Did you rememember to email or call them back?"

Little Guy:  "Sure, Mom.   I did that a long time ago."

Mom:  "Great.    What kinds of things did you ask for?"

Little Guy:  "Oh, I didn't ask for things, Mom.    I asked for money."

Mom:  "Money?"

Little Guy:   "Yes.   Money.    I am raising money for Hannah and her orphanage in Africa.     If all of my family and friends give me money then maybe I can help her buy something good for the orphans."

For those of you who don't remember, our cousin, Hannah, spends her summers working in orphanages in Africa.      She is a college student so she goes to school and works jobs during the school year to raise money to buy items that these precious children need:   formula, diapers, clothing, etc...    Last year she even bought fire extinguishers and tarps to keep out rain.       We read her blog while she was gone and prayed for her daily.    

I started what I call the "Hannah Box".    It allows us to collect money that we find for Hannah.     Finding money or even being given money from unexpected places is a great lesson to my boys about God's provision.      They also feel like they are going to be a part of Hannah's mission trip through their contribution.

I am so proud of you, Little Guy.     Proud of you for following God's leading on your heart.    Proud of you for being so selfless to give up your birthday presents to see that children in Africa can have more.       God is molding you every day to be an incredible man and I am so honored that He chose me to be your Mom.

Update on Little Guy's Arm

I took Little Guy to the orthopedic surgeon yesterday morning.   He had been hurting more and more in his arm instead of less and less. The surgeon took more xrays and said that the bones seemed to be fine.   However, he obviously had muscle and tendon problems causing his pain which needed to be taken care of. His advice was to put Little Guy in a shoulder to hand cast to let his arm rest. We did that and went home.


About mid afternoon Little Guy was miserable and begging that we take it off.   Poor Big Guy was doing anything to help relieve his little brothers suffering. He grabbed a fan and tried to aim cool air down the cast, he grabbed Benadryl to give him, gave him cool drinks... you name it.  He knows his little brother. He is "Mr. Tough".  If he is complaining something is wrong.

I called the doctor and asked if this was normal. They told us to come straight back in. Little Guy had an allergic reaction to the cast materials. They took off the cast, relined it with a different lining and then put it back on. He is to keep the cast on until next Friday when we go in for an evaluation. If the pain is better great, if not, the doctor is going to order some further testing.

Little Guy and the orthopedic surgeon hit it off. They both love science and they spent 30 minutes discussing gravity, Copernicus and Isaac Newton. He even gave Little Guy a homework assignment to complete before he go back next Friday. Ha!

This morning, we are thinking that we are living with Oscar the Grouch. Between the arm pain, lack of sleep and uncomfortable cast, he is not his normal self. I can't help it, but somehow this winds up being funny to me more than anything else.

Have you ever tried to do school with Oscar the Grouch? Fun times! Ha!

Prayers for Little Guy

When we were in Atlanta, Little Guy fell and hurt his arm. We took him to the ER after we arrived home and had it looked at and xrayed. They put him in a splint to keep it immobile, but instead of it getting better it has gotten worse.

Last week we were reading and he was stretched across my lap. When he tried to get up he yelled out in pain. It hurt for the rest of the night, but seemed better the next day. We thought maybe he had just gotten a cramp. However, on Monday it started hurting again. It hasn't quit. He hasn't slept and he hasn't eaten. We took him back to the doctor yesterday and after his exam he agreed that he needed to see a pediatric orthopedist again.

Our appointment is for 8:00 this morning. Pray that they will tell us exactly what is wrong and give us a solution. Little Guy is not a complainer. He has to be really hurting to say anything. Seeing him sit completely still and his face so pale makes us know how much he is hurting. It also makes us feel so helpless.

Catching Up

I feel like I have abandoned my blog lately.     Our lives have taken some very different turns and we are establishing some new routines.     Just a few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about our plan for the school year.     Our plan was to put Big Guy in a private school and Little Guy in the next level of our local public school.    However, while we were at a parent's interview at Big Guy's private school I very plainly heard God speak to me.       His words were, "This is a lovely school, but don't get comfortable.    I have other plans for your school year."  

I did not hear another word of that interview.    I was so stunned.   We had prayed so much about that private school decision.     God was changing the plan?     However, I knew that His ways were perfect.    I began praying that night.      I did not say anything to my hubs about it.    I don't know why, but I just didn't feel like it was time.      I prayed literally day and night for two weeks.    At the end of those two weeks I have some very clear directions from God.    So I followed those directions and sat back and waited.

A lot of things transpired during the summer.   It was amazing watching God work.   Pieces of the puzzle were falling in place.       

So... last Monday the boys started school right here at home.    They have officially been registered with the Mississippi Department of Education as homeschoolers.    

We are now eight days into our school year and I am astounded.    One of the boy's biggest complaints about school has been that it is "boring".    After trying to assess where they are in their academics I can understand why.   

Big Guy is supposed to be taking pre-algebra, but he is already way into the second semester of the material according to the assessment tests.       Little Guy has tested out of good parts of his "grade" curriculum too.    No wonder they were so bored in the classroom.

I picked a challenging history curriculum.      I have worried about how they were going to handle it.     Today was the first test.     These test are no joke.     There is no matching.     No multiple choice.     It is all fill in the blank, essay questions and sequencing of historical events.     Both boys passed it with flying colors!

While they are enjoying the challenge, they have also realized that I am going to expect more out of them.    Those first day of the Greek and Latin lessons were met with a few moans.   Ha!  

I never thought I would say I was a homeschool Mom, but God has a sense of humor and bigger plans than my little brain could dream!

Construction Is Part of the Fun

Most parents stay up hours before Christmas putting toys together so their children can have their toys ready to go on Christmas morning.     Not hubs and I.   If we did that our boys would be so disappointed.     They think that putting things together is as much a part of the fun as playing with the toy.

That is why when I bought an "office in a box" from WalMart last night I wasn't worried about how it was going to get put together.      As soon as those boxes were brought in they were asking if they could get started putting it all together.    

As you can see from the picture (borrowed from the Walmart website), there are three pieces:  a desk, a file cabinet, and a bookshelf.       I have to say that I am not good at putting things together; however, if you give my boys a set of instructions they can put anything together.     This morning my office in a box looks exactly like that picture.

So if you have boys consider letting them put their toys together.      It is entertainment and it is a great teachable moment!

New Kittens

In an effort to jump start our week I got up and made the boy's favorite muffins this morning.     The house still smells yummy as I enjoy my second cup of coffee.     I started last week getting the boys up at "school" time so they are both up and dressed, beds made, had breakfast and have their morning chores done.      Now I just need to do the same thing.   *smile*

Hubs and the boys went home to the country this weekend to see Grandma and Grandpa's new kittens.    They were born while we were in Atlanta.     We briefly considered stopping on our way home, but we were all so tired when we got to that point we just wanted to keep driving.

No surprise.... the boys fell in love with those sweet little kittens.   So tiny.  

Grandma and Little Guy tried to convince the kittens to eat real food for the first time.

The kittens were crawling all over Big Guy...

This kitten fell in love with Little Guy and he feel in love with the kitten.

Both boys fell asleep with kittens curled up with them.      Is that not CUTE???

Is it any wonder that when the boys came home without the kittens Little Guy cried all the way home?    It didn't matter that the kittens were too tiny to leave their mother.    He was just heartbroken that he had to leave those kittens.     Oh my goodness.   

I have a feeling the kitten discussion is one we will be having again.  

FACEinHOLE

Create your own FACEinHOLE

FACEinHOLE

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Foto Friday: My Nieces

I love being an aunt.    I am lucky to have three beautiful nieces.     You all know about my precious twin nieces who were born last December.      They are growing so quickly which made me realize I hadn't posted pics of them in a while.

Here is LK...

And here is MM...

 

Aren't they beautiful?

Speaking of growing quickly?    My beautiful, talented, gorgeous niece, J, is a senior in high school this year.   Her Mom (my sister) and I started crying about it last year.    J was the first grandchild in our family.      She is special to all of us and we are so proud of her and all of her accomplishments.     I still love her even though she has chosen to go to Mississippi State.    (She can't be perfect!)

This picture was taken of her in the last couple of days.    It represents a couple of things.   First, her braces are gone!    Second, she got a new haircut for her senior year.

I am one lucky aunt.    Three beautiful nieces.   Three precious nephews.     God's blessings know no end!

Offworld

"Every Person on This Planet Has Disappeared."

Commander Christopher Burke and his crew are humanity's greatest explorers. They've finished their mission on the red dirt of Mars and now they just want to get back to Earth. To see friends, family, and loved ones. To be home. But even with communication to ground control cut and a perilous landing, nothing could prepare the crew for what they discover when they step foot back on planet Earth.

Everyone...everywhere...is gone.

It's not a dream. It's not a trick. Now Burke and his team have one mission:find out who or what is behind the disappearance of all mankind.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Offworld, go HERE

Book Review: This book fits more into the sci-fi category than the Christian fiction category in my opinion. When I first read the book description I automatically thought this book might fall into the vein as that of "Left Behind" or others like that. Thankfully, it did not, as I am not a fan of that series.

Action packed sequences kept me turning pages until I got to the end of the book. Although they might not quite enjoy the well developed characters like I did, I could imagine both my husband and son enjoying this book.

As I read this book, I wondered just how much Parrish had watched the television show "Lost" while writing this book and it had simple aspects of that show.

If you are a sci-fi junkie or know a sci-fi junkie then this book will definitely appeal to you!

Rock Star Treatment

Home again.      After a wonderful week in Atlanta we have unpacked everything and almost washed all of the dirty laundry.   

We have even made trips to the ER as we discovered that Little Guy broke his elbow while we were at the skating rink on Saturday.      In a weird twist of events, he didn't break it while skating but while we were taking off skates.     He had lifted up a foot to get help getting a knot out of his skate and his other foot flew out from under him.    He landed flat on his back with his right arm pinned under him.    As expected he said it hurt when it happened, but he seemed fine for the rest of the night.   He played and only said that it was sore.    The next morning he said that it was really sore and the ride home was really uncomfortable.    A trip to the ER revealed the broken elbow.    *sigh*

When we were driving home we receiving an email from hubs.      It said this:  

You guys rock so I'm treating you like rock stars.... 

So that being said I need your lists of things you want when in your rooms when you arrive.

Is that not the sweetest thing you have ever read?     The boys emailed him back with their requests.     Little Guy wanted colored pencils and a Nestle Crunch bar.   Big Guy wanted a game that he had played at his friends house.     Me?   I just wanted a glass of my husband's sweet tea and a good hot shower.     Forget McAlister's.... my hubs makes the best sweet tea in the world!       

When we got home he had the sweetest gifts for us.     The best gift I received was seeing his sweet face and walking into a clean house, a bed with clean sheets and his strong arms to hug me tight!