Williams, Party of Six

Perspective

2011-11-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

It is a sad, sad thing that I have not blogged since June. Oh well.

The past 24 hours have been really stressful for me. Waah,Waah, here is my sob story. A week ago, Caleb tells me that our desktop computer won't boot up. What does he know? I always get it to boot up. So, downstairs I go, and it says it needs to do some type of fix it thingy before it can boot up. I follow the directions and let it work it's magic to get all booted up again. After an hour it says it needs to try it's magic again because it didn't work the first time. "Oh crap," I start to think, "what if, just what if something is wrong." Because it was just the day before I was wondering, "when was the last back up?" It had been a loooonnngg time ago.

The next day Mike took it in to the Computer place and assured me it would be ok. The thing is less than two years old. All I really want at this point is my pictures. That is all, everything else means nothing to me. I must mention that last month I took yearbook pictures for our homeschool group. 125 individual pictures. This is on my mind, as well as most of Micah's life in pictures.

Monday, Mike gets a call that they are pretty sure there is nothing they can do. This was the 10% chance of things, by the way, that they said could happen. They were going to try one more thing. This is where I lost it and began to cry.

How could I have let this happen? I don't know how to back them up on the external hard drive, but I could have asked Mike at any given time. If I am going to be a photographer, I should be more responsible. Just how much of Micah's life wasn't backed up. Christmas', birthday's, Easter?

And then yesterday, I read our devotion with the kids from Jesus Calling. It was about being thankful. "When you come to Me with a thankful heart, it opens up windows of heaven. Spiritual blessing fall freely through those widows and down into your life. A thankful heart opens you up to these blessing, and then you have even more reasons to be grateful."

The scripture to this was Habakkuk 3:17-18

"Though the fig tree should now blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer's;

he makes me tread on my high places."

For me I thought "though my computer may fail, and my pictures are gone, I will rejoice in the Lord." While I have lost what are so many of my memories through pictures, the ones I take pictures of are right here with me. God has taught me a lot of lessons these past months with a to of heart break going on around me. I will rejoice in Him.

Today, I got a text from Mike that said, "it is all gone, they don't see anything." Right after that I looked outside to see two of my neighbors walking. One is a physical therapist who is now helping out the other neighbor who just went through brain surgery at the age of 46 because she has brain cancer.

Perspective.

Mike's step mom is battling breast cancer, another family member ovarian cancer. One of my high school classmates lost her battle with leukemia this summer leaving behind four children. I am going to be ok.

I have many phone calls to make to have pictures retaken, and most of my pictures will never make it into a scrapbook. But, I will choose to be thankful for my wonderful life, and to have made so many memories with those I love around me.

What Micah is up to....

2011-06-20T08:05:00.001-07:00

This little guy of mine, oh how I do love him!! He is funny and silly, and busy and loves cars!!! He is talking a lot and I wanted to remember some of the things he is saying at this point...so here it is, another Micah post.

His favorite thing in the world is cars. And trucks. And choo choos. When we dirve down the road, he has to point them all out. "Mommy, a car, Mommy a truck, a big truck! Mommy, a bus! Oh, a choo choo, a plane!" When we find a punch bug and call it out, "Silver Punch Bug!" He says, "Moooom", or "Daaadd." Before he could say cars, he said, "hars."

He also says yes and no now. I miss his gesture of tapping his cheek when he said no. And he also says "uh huh" for yes. He calls us "Mommy, Daddy, Bubby, BB, and EE." Grandma and Grandpa are both "Papa." He also says "Jesus" He loves our VBS music and videos and asked to listen to Jesus. He also goes to the statue of Jesus at my Mom's house and kisses it and says, "Jesus."

This weekend he pointed to a spot on his knee where he hard hurt it and said ,"boo boo" and then leaned over and kissed it. If you ask him who is my big boy, or who is cute he says "Me!" He also tells me when he pee pee and poo poos, but hasn't on the potty yet. He does like to flush the potty when I am done and say, "bye bye pee pee!"

Oh, and "mine" is a big word around here. I am working on that. Inside and outside are big words around here too. So is shoes. And he loves his shoes. But only one pair. His blue sandals. Dogs are popular around here too. He calls them "Ruff Ruff's." Cats are "Meow", but you have to stick your tongue out. . Horses are "Nee Nee"

He is growing so fast, as they all have. In about 6 weeks, we will be celebrating two with this precious little miracle.

Hail of a night...

2011-05-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

This spring has brought pretty crazy weather around here. When Danielle was here, I told her I had not seen storms like those here and around us since we moved here. Our family was getting ready to head out to Atlanta last Wednesday so we could catch a flight to California on Thursday. We were under tornado warnings all day, so I called mike and told him I didn't want to drive down that night, but get up really early and drive after the warnings were gone. His response was, "I am getting off early, let's go ahead and drive before the worst of it hits."

So, off we went. I think I prayed every minute of the four hour drive (which normally would take three) There was debris flying everywhere. We were surrounded by trees on either side of I 75, and I kept waiting for a tornado to come up over the trees.

At one point, after we had driven into Georgia we heard the emergency alert system on the radio say, "Take cover if you are in Rome, GA. A tornado has just touched down." About a minute later, we passed the turn off to Rome! Mike kept saying, "I am so glad we did this tonight." My thought was, "you get me safely to our hotel and I will agree with you."

When we were a half hour outside of Atlanta, I got a phone call from our neighbor asking if we were safe. After I told her, "yes," she said, "ok. The good news here is your ouse is still standing. The bad news is we had a terrible hail storm and your house is damaged and your car is probably totaled." That is what they knew at night.

The next morning, my neighbors were out boarding up our windows that were blown all the way through. Friends came over and vacuumed water out of our car, rescued music sheets, cleaned up glass, and cleaned up the house. We flew to California!

Once we got to CA, we received pictures of the damage awaiting us when we got back. After reading about Tuscaloosa, AL. I felt thankful for the minimal damage done to my house, and for the amazing people in my life who jumped in to help us out.

Danielle

2011-04-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

This is Danielle. She is my best friend. We met 13 years ago at Bible Study Fellowship in Silverdale, WA. We sat together at the lecture, which was on marriage and she leaned over to me and said, "Mawwiage is what bwings us together today." We have been friends since. I say she is my best friend, when really, I have so many "best friends", but she was my first real friend to keep friendship real. To tell me the truth in love and to tell me when my butt looked big in a pair of pants and me not be offended by it :)

And....she and her family came to visit me for 9 days while on their adventure across the country. It was close to the perfect week for me. Every day Danielle and her girls came over, some days Kyle came too. We went to the mountains, a civil war re-enactment, shopped, took the kids horse back riding, and spent lots and lots of time sitting around and talking. (Oh yeah, and we went to the Melting Pot. Just me and Danielle)

Our kids got along great. They had not seen each other in three years, and don't really know each other. Kadie and April made me laugh almost as much as Danielle did!

It was realllly hard to say good bye at the end. They had to move on with their trip, and eventually get back to Washington. I cried and cried as they pulled away and my sweet Elisa said, "Group hug!"

Ice Cream!

2011-03-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the second full day of Spring, and it is really warm! So tonight we went over to my neighbors for some ice cream cones. This was Micah's first one, and I told Jan and Herb that he would be over more often! and his little sweetie, Brylee, was there too!

March 20, 2000

2011-03-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago today I became a Mommy.

I didn't know if I was having a girl or a boy, but I could not wait. I had been on bed rest for 5 weeks due to high blood pressure. Then I was induced at 38 weeks. Then I was released from the hospital because my baby didn't seem to want to come out. I didn't know pitocin didn't always work.

The next week I was admitted on a Sunday night. I remember watching "That 70's Show." And after being in labor all day on Monday, at 11:21 p.m. I became a mom. And I heard my mom say, "You have a Caleb." It was one of the best days of my life.
Happy Birthday to my sweet first born. You are growing up too fast, but I am so proud of the young man you are becoming. I love you, I love your heart, I love how you love all of us. You are a sweet, sweet blessing in my life.

Caleb, 5 months

5 years

(almost 11)

Another Micah picture post...

2010-12-10T16:57:00.000-08:00

So it was 20 degrees out. I got a new lens and I wanted to use it. And, Micah likes to be outside no matter how cold it is...

Capturing him sitting down long enough was interesting, and you will see how he truly feels about hats.

neglectful...

2010-12-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

I have been neglectful (surprise) of my Party of Five..or Six blog...
But for good reason! I have started a Photography Blog, DonnaWilliamsPhotography and have been trying to keep up with it.
So, if you feel so inclined, visit me here too!! And I will try to keep up with our Party more often.

New Christmas Cards!

2010-12-07T19:17:00.001-08:00

When I first checked out Shutterfly's cards this year, there was one I fell in love with. It said "every good gift" on the front, which has been the scripture I have used this year with a picture I had taken of my kids. I really wanted it. But, it was just a bit out of price reach for me for as many as I wanted. So I found one I loved in their small size.

And then the email came with the promotional offer for 50 free 5x7 cards. And that was just the size of the one I had loved. So I designed it and then, just because, I found another one. And I designed that one too. I took a family poll with each member in private so the older children (Caleb) would not influence the younger (Elisa) And it was unanimous! They all loved my first and favorite card best. So...here is my (favorite) Christmas card of 2010.

An orange envelope...

2010-12-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Since I have been taking pictures of friends and their beautiful children, I have had many orange envelopes arriving on my doorstep each week. I love pictures. I love looking and them and receiving packages of them. I use Shutterfly. A lot.

Tis the season for many Christmas envelopes coming. I recently got my 2011 calendar finished, ordered, and received. I needed November and December of 2010, so I like that I can start the calendar at any time. And I have all my favorite "peeps" birthday's already printed on the calendar. I always choose a favorite picture for each month from the year before. My kids always get their pictures on their birthday month, and my favorite Christmas picture goes in December.

Today I got my newest Shutterfly album of our family pictures. Earlier this week it was some of my Christmas cards. Designing my cards is always something I love. There are so many designs and templates to choose from, and I enjoy "playing" with which picture may work here...deciding whether I should use induvidual pictures or a group picture. Here is a sneak peak of one of my designs this year:

This isn't the first year I have used Shutterfly, I think I am on my fifth year of their Christmas cards. I loved last years because we had another person on it!

One thing I have not tried on Shutterfly is their canvas prints. I recently took my sisters family pictures and she ordered a large canvas print. It is beautiful, and now I am jealous I didn't think of it first after ordering my own family pictures.

Tonight I finished one of my son's Christmas presents. He and Mike got to spend a weekend on the USS Yorktown with the Boy Scouts while we were in Charleston, and he took many pictures. So, tonight I finished his photo book and can't wait to give it to him!

This week, thanks to Sarah, I found out that bloggers can get 50 free Christmas cards from Shutterfly! I have some, but not enough, so yay, another orange envelope to look forward to!

Family pictures...

2010-11-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Sam took our family pictures today. He is very talented and I love them! (and our friend, Larry, stood behind him to make Micah laugh!)

Asheville...and Mike...

2010-11-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Mike and I left for Asheville on Saturday. We had planned to go hiking somewhere...but, well, it snowed.

So, we explored downtown Asheville on Saturday, walking around, holding hands, and laughing. It was good to be alone. We went in a lot of different shops. Some that interested us, some that didn't. We even went into an antique shop (which we never do) and found the most hilarious book. It is called "Where Did I Come From." And is a funny approach to teaching your kids about sex. Oh my, was it funny. We laughed so hard we thought we would get kicked out. And we may have, but the owner was more intersted in grooming his dog the whole time we were there. The pictures were cartoon-y and our favorite was of a baby boy looking at his penis and the caption said "don't worry, as you grow, it will grow." It was $18 and we both said, "if only it were $5." So, we left it there, but not before Mike took some pictures of our favorite pages and texted them to Sam.
Sam later texted (is that the correct way to say that?) back "where are you guys?" And then said he would be happy to chip in $9 for usto go get it. So we went back after dinner, and they were closed, and wouldn't reopen until Monday. But, becuase i am a bargain shopper and then had it in my head I had to have this book, when we got back to our room I got on Amazon. And found it for $5. :)

On Sunday we went to the Biltmore for the first time and it was amazing. I was of the thought that I didn't want to pay that much money to tour someone's house, but it was beautiful and I am really glad we went. My favorite part was touring the grounds. I would love to see them in the spring.

We could have spent more time there, including going to the wine tasting, but home beckoned, as did our children. And probably Sam and Gina too!

It was a perfect anniversary weekend.

15 years...

2010-11-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today is Mike's and my 15th Wedding Anniversary! We were married on November 4, 1995 in Evansville, IN, on what was the coldest day of the season. And it was cold! I wanted to get married in the fall since it is my favorite time of year, and growing up in Florida, you don't get a lot of fall.

I am sure I thought when we got married, "so and so has been married for 15 years?!" thinking it was such a long time. But for me it has flown by. I am not poetic, nor great with sweet words, but it has been a wonderful 15 years. I married my best friend. I have moved with him four times. I have laughed with him and cried with him. I have rejoiced with him and fought with him. I have four children with him, and one in heaven. And I love him more than anything.

Tonight we will celebrate at our favorite restaurant, the Melting Pot. And this weekend we will get away by ourselves to Asheville, NC.

Happy Anniversary, Mikey. I love you so much!

My weekend..

2010-10-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be in Florida, I'm supposed to be in Florida, I'm supposed to be in Florida....but I am not. Mike is in Florida, I am here. He has his second to last Love Worth Fighting For Marriage Event of the year in Lakeland today. We were all going to travel down there together, have dinner with my best friend from high school, see my brother, reminisce about when we were dating down there, and of course, have lunch with Kirk Cameron when it was all done on Sunday afternoon (and see if he remembered my name this time so he doesn't call me Mrs. Williams ever again)

but...Micah started feeling puny on Tuesday and we both got a little (a lot) worried that 11 hours in the car with a possibly sick baby and three other kids wondering "are we almost there?" would be a bit much for a four day trip. So Mike flew there instead, and I stayed here.

which meant...I got to take the kids to Chic Fil A last night for dinner and then get ice cream...take Caleb to his best friends house for a sleepover, and then cuddle with my girls in their bed while looking through the American Girl catalog, wishing which dolls we could get. (yes, we. I want a Julie doll, she is from 1974, the year I was born)
It meant that Micah got a full nights sleep in his own bed, and I got to watch Elisa score two goals in a soccer game I thought we would miss.
I also got ahead (by 3 weeks!) on my planning for the 50 states class I teach, impressing my co-leader who is much more organized than I.
And, I sat and watched my Thursday evening programs on hulu.com that I missed the night before since we no longer have cable.

I do...miss Mike. I miss that I am not there with him trying to help bring his stress level down. I miss that I am not the "ticket" lady today and I won't be there first hand to see how excited all the couples are going in, and coming out of the conference. I miss the funny stories Warren Barfield will tell and that I can't text my friend Eileen tomorrow bragging that I had lunch with Kirk (who does recognize me now)...

but...today I will enjoy my little people, curl up with a book when I get the chance, and enjoy that I will get to spend Sunday morning at my favorite church, leading the worship team, and learning from our pastor. And I will get the chance to say goodbye to my oldest nephew, Travis, who is leaving for basic training on Monday.

and...I will look forward to coming home from Monday Fun on Monday and having my Mike(y) home for a few days, and we will share how great our weekends were.

NASA...Space Museum

2010-10-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

When I was but a little girl, one of my dreams was to be an astronaut. I grew up in Orlando and loved watching the Space Shuttle launches from my back yard. I remember the devastaion of the morning of the Challenger explosion...how the sky looked, how cold it was that day, how devastated my sixth grade teacher was. I have always loved the idea of going into space. So, I was so excited when we were able to take a trip to the NASA Space Museum in Huntsville, AL when we were in town for one of Mike's Feed Your Faith Marriage Events...

There was not a lot on the Space Shuttle program, ( I didn't get to see the IMAX movie on the Hubble telescope, Caleb tells me I would say otherwise if I had) but all they had on the Apollo program was so amazing, and fun, and interesting...here are some of our pictures...Here we are!

This is my favorite picture from the day..my husband is so talented and creative!

This showed a launch and how loud it would be as well as the vibration if you were there.

They have a fun play area where Micah and I spent a lot of time, this cracked me up...he doesn't look so good! Ok, this was my favorite Micah picture of the day. He is on the go so much so it is hard to get a good picture...but this one was so great! We hung out together while the "big kids" and Mike went to the IMAX movie.

Fighting in the Civil War...in our backyard...

2010-09-20T13:51:00.001-07:00

I am not sure if we will ever make it through this war or not, it has taken forever. So, we took the fighting outside and "reenacted" many battles in our backyard.

For the Union: Mike, Rebekah, and Elisa

For the Confederacy: Donna, Caleb, and Micah (our little spy...he even took Mikes weapon using his sweet little smile) (oh, and he was captured too)

Caleb getting in some target practice..

Micah was captured early...they got him by coaxing him with a wagon...the Union meant business with their lineup

It was fun watching my girls playing with "guns"

Here they are on the Monitor

And the Confederates on the Merrimack...we got Micah back, but he got gun powder in his eyes here!

Micah on the lookout

Micah doing what he does best...acting sweet, then swiping Mike's sword

Another victory for the Union

The kids had a really great time, and hopefully this will be something that will help them remember some of the battles and victories of the Civil War...next up, who shall be Abe Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address...

Homeschool...take 6...

2010-08-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today we began our sixth year of homeschooling. I really wasn't planning on it, especially since I just ordered from Rainbow Resource last Thursday. But yesterday, I started getting excited about a new year, without a newborn and with a little more sleep. (though I am now seeing that a one year old will be more challenging than a newborn) Anyway, I decided to start today. It is so stinkin' hot here, and the kids hang out inside anyway....so off we go!

I called last year the "year of the workbook" That is pretty much all we did...I did not do so well on such little sleep and would grow even more tired at the thought of reading a novel to my kids...sad, I know...but, that is how it went. So this year I have decided must be fun, and hands on, and exciting...well, hopefully.

We ended last year at the start of the Civil War, and I had bought a Civil War lapbook from Hands of a Child. Let me say I love lapbooks, at least the idea of them. If I finish one, I will let you know...anyway...I didn't even print it out. I found our this summer that HOAC have online co-ops, so I decided to check that out. The first lapbook they chose to do this year is Civil War. I decided to join, hoping it will keep me on task. It is really cool. Everyone has a "job" to do, and posts it to the group. (math, scripture, geography, games, crafts...) It goes on for two school weeks. Today was day one, which was also why I decided to get going on school, to stay with what the group was doing...

We had fun math problems about how many states there were, and subtracting out how many were free, we made a Nettie doll, looked up the Atlantic triangle slave trade on a map, and had a fun story starter with a writing assignment for Caleb. Ok, so I know it is day one and I have 13 days to go, but I think we all had fun, and the kids were so happy to have something hands on to do.

Like I said, I recently placed my Rainbow order, which contains a lot of our books...but we had math already and a few things here and there. So, we are gently easing in to the year. I really hope to spend a little more time with the girls reading fun "girly" books that I had overlooked before, play a few more games, and, well, just enjoy my kids.

Happy Birthday, sweet Micah boy

2010-07-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

My sweet boy, Micah turned one today! It is a bittersweet feeling. My baby is growing up fast, but he is growing, and healthy, and wonderful. And I couldn't love him more!!

Happy Birthday, Micah James, you are a blessing to me, and I love you more than I could ever say...

Back yard transformation...

2010-06-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last year for Mother's Day I asked for a patio in our back yard so we could set up our pool, and then have it for furniture when the pool wasn't in use. I didn't get it. I did however, get my "luxurious" get away...to the hospital that is...Mike lovingly gave a detailed description here.

This year, I didn't want the patio, or the pool, but a new deck since ours fit only the grill and a table, but we couldn't fit our chairs around it...and here is what I got...

The "old deck" on top was a little more than half the length it is now...we brought it past our bedroom window, and hope one day to make our window french doors. Then we added the second level, which is the length of the old deck and 1 1/2 times the width...oh, and by we, I mean Mike's friend Josh and his crew.

So, since we got a new deck, I wanted new furniture...but, well, we spent our money on the deck...and so my HGTV knowledge kicked in... I went to JoAnn Fabrics, got some outdoor canvas, some spray paint at Lowe's, hopped on my sewing machine, and went from this...

to this...

...now I just have to finish it :)

Just because I love him so much...

2010-06-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

Here is how cute my 10 month old is...

What we've been up to...

2010-04-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Same excuse...different month...I always intend to blog but..don't...there you go...here is a bit of what we have been up to...

Since it has been...oh a long time, I have to back up quite a bit...

We celebrated Rebekah's 8th birthday in the beginning of March with an American Girl party. She got her first doll, Rebecca, from my parents, Mike's mom and step dad, and us...

Caleb's birthday is soon after and we had an amazing Amazing Race party! This was probably my favorite party I have ever thrown for one of my kids, and I hope the girls want to do it one day...lots of clues and running around the neighborhood...even a roadblock and detour...and now my oldest is 10...sigh...

Caleb and Ezra came out the winners!!...and they each got a $5 gift card to Walmart...I didn't have one million on hand...

...We went for our first family hike to Look Rock on Good Friday. It was a beautiful day and we talked about the death and resurrection of Jesus while looking out at the beautiful creation God made...

...and we celebrated Easter!...

..and we celebrated Little Joe's 10th birthday...he is the best stuffed rabbit a boy could ask for!..Caleb threw him a party, and made him gifts!

...we planted our first vegetable garden at our "new house", thanks to our neighbor who rota-tilled for us....

and I have been working on discovering the lost flower beds in my yard that have been overgrown for years...Mike says my next door neighbors may no longer like me since they will be able to see our back yard now...oh well, it is looking fabulous!

....we have been taking lots of pictures of my sweeties and all the beauty the spring brings...

...my baby boy keeps growing and growing...no idea how big he is...but he is so awesome! He loves to talk...dada, nigh nigh, yeah!, and what sounds like hiiiiii....he loves me to read to him...I generally read Good Night Moon (while he holds another book so we don't fight over who gets to hold the book I am reading)...he gets really excited when I say "good night, moon." he makes a fist and says "ah!"..then I read Oh My, Oh My, Oh Dinosaurs....I love Sandra Boynton...he loves when I say, "Dinosaurs plump, and dinosaurs lean" I get a "ah!" again...

Micah is growing too fast...almost 9 months, and I am going to have to start thinking about his birthday...I thought for sure that it wouldn't go this fast...but it did...he is not interested in crawling, still hates being on his belly...but scoots around (backward) while sitting...and is still toothless...

...this past Saturday my Aunt Vernette, cousin Joe and his wife, Rhonda, Aunt Barb, cousin Julie, and her little boy,Linc, came to visit at my parents...it was so good to see them all...and I didn't have my camera. Julie's husband is soon graduating from, something that I can't remember enough to put into words...BUT they are possibly looking at Knoxville for job opportunities...I would be thrilled!!

I have fallen in love with sewing...it is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and really have enjoyed learning, playing, and making hand bags...

...and we are trying to finish up what has been an interesting "skeleton" school year....one child at a time, one book at a time...and we are getting closer...

Me and The Mouse...

2010-02-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

Not just any mouse, THE Mouse...you know M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Growing up in Orlando, we (my family) called Disney, The Mouse...

If you remember, this is what we gave our kids for Christmas. We left on January 28, got to Orlando on the 29th, and had a week of much family fun...

There really was something special about bringing my kids back to a place I got to visit as a little girl. I was quite giddy on the trip going down! I took pictures as we entered Georgia and Florida...and I even took a picture of the sign to Gainesville (boo) for my nephew...(it was where Micah decided he needed to stop for lunch, and Caleb wondered aloud, "Why don't they sell Tennessee stuff here?" We are happy to have made it out alive.....I have signs for welcome centers, Disney, Magic Kingdom and our resort. Those were just a few of the 1,400 pictures I uploaded to my computer.

The afternoon we got there, it was 75 degrees! In January! It was then I understood why people spend the winter in Florida. While I would not choose Orlando, I told Mike I want a winter home by the beach...

We changed into shorts (yippee!)and began to explore the resort and Downtown Disney...where we saw the Lego Store and the most amazing Lego creations I have ever seen...not to mention the world's largest Disney Store...

We got to take a boat ride to Downtown Disney from our resort...

...and then back to the resort for dinner with my brother, who met Micah for the first time and who my kids love to be around (enter one single uncle with no kids who likes to get them riled up...)

The kicker here is, I forgot to take pictures of Casey with my kids...

At our restaurant, we had a sweet lady server who was from Taiwan. Every time we would thank her for something, she would say "Thank you." This became a game for my brother who was determined to get her to say "Your Welcome." He would say "Thank you very much." And she would say, "Thank you." And he would say, "Your Welcome." At the end of the meal she said "Thank you." and bowed to him...We are still texting each other many times a week just to say, Thank you.

End. Day one. In Orlando...tomorrow...Animal Kingdom...

And I would have blogged from Disney, even shared pictures along the way...but The Mouse...well, he charges $10 a day for internet...

Blessed...

2010-01-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

What a life I have. Really. I have been blessed beyond measure.
January is my "birthday month" I really do like to celebrate. All. month. long.
I am a birthday person. I don't care if people know my age. I am still young. Right? I do like to be celebrated. I am sanguine in personality. I like to have fun. I like to be noticed. They say sanguines are like otters...they just want to play all day...that is me. And so, I like to be celebrated.
I am very fortunate that the people in my life know this about me!

And so, my birthday month started with my sister inviting us over the Sunday before my birthday to celebrate the "January" birthday's (there are 4 in our family)
The morning of my birthday, my little sweeties made me breakfast in bed...Caleb "cooked" (turkey bacon and toast), Rebekah made the card, and Elisa made me flowers out of tissue paper, pipe cleaners, and straws, and put them in a glass for my vase.

I had invited my parents to come cook for me (yes, I really asked them to do this) the night of my birthday. Mike had to work a night shift, and I was sad not to have him here, so Mom and Dad came over with chicken to fry for the kids and I. Or so I thought.
After they arrived, Mike woke up, (he had worked the night before) and gave me purple tulips and a card. Inside the card it said "get dressed and let's go get some sushi." (I wasn't sitting there naked, just had not done much with myself that day)
I looked at him and said, "but you have to leave for work in an hour." He said, "not tonight, I took the first 4 hours off so I could take you to dinner."
You see, after he heard that I had called my parents to come cook for me on my birthday, he called them and told them of his plans and asked if they would cook for the kids and babysit...
Oh, how I love this man. I am surprised very little, and he surprised me. I felt so loved...and the sushi was so awesome :)

Saturday after my birthday, Mike had a Feed You Faith men's conference. I got to spend part of the day with Sarah, Joy, Leigh, and Amy helping out. Sarah surprised me with an amazing gift. She had started a quilt for Micah before he was born and had finished it. She brought it into the church and I started to cry. The quilt is so beautiful and so special because she and Laurel worked, and worked, and worked on it together for my little boy. And I love it.

It is "tradition" among a group of my friends (4 of us to be exact) to take each other out on our birthday's. We started this the year we turned 31, I believe...Joy, Tamara and I are all the same age, though I get to be the one to turn 36 first...and Lydia, Joy's sister...is a few years older than us...
Anyway, they took me out last Friday. Tamara wanted to start a new tradition of writing down, and then telling the "birthday girl" three affirming things about her. I do have to say "Words of Affirmation" is my love language. So, to have three of my closest friends go around the table three times to tell me something affirming about me was the most amazing thing...my heart was full...I even forgot there were birthday gifts waiting for me!

This week will finish out my birthday month with a trip to Disney, and my baby turning 6 months....does it get any better than this?

New Year....

2010-01-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2009, you will be missed...

What a year it was! Last year was an amaing year for me....I saw my marriage strengthened, many prayers answered, my kids growing and healthy, a baby boy on an ultrasound, Caleb's baptism, another great school year together, and the birth of Micah, causing us to go from a party of five to a party of six!

I also saw Mike having to have surgery for a kidney stone that was no longer there, a kidney infection and pneumonia, Bekah lose 6 teeth (not that that was a bad thing..I am just waiting for them to come back in!) , our old van "die", a potential fire, a water leak,and Mike's Grandmother pass away.

Through the good and bad, I have seen God be faithful to our family. We are blessed beyond measure.

So...I have gone through last years blogs (not that there were too many...) and thought I would post the first sentence of the last blog of each month...(sometimes the last was the first!)

January: (I had to post the last sentence from this one, it was too funny)

Elisa says, " Yes, Daddy, Mommy is the queen, Bekah and I are the princesses, and Caleb is the servant!."

February:

Yippee! tomorrow is the last day of February. It has become my least favorite month of the year.

March:

Today I became an Aunt for the 9th time...and my sister became a mommy for the 6th, giving birth to her second daughter, Cecelia Grace....

April:

Last year when we moved in to our new house, my mom took me around the yard to tell me which plants were which, and which flowers were which...I am not good at that.

May:

A week ago I had a list made for Mike and I of things I wanted to accomplish by this weekend so we could have my (favorite) Aunt and Uncle stay with us, while other company was in staying at my parents.

June:

So, I have never had "maternity" pictures taken before...I always thought I don't want to remember how big I actually get when I am pregnant!!

July:

For the past five and a half years, we have been a party of five...I thought I was so clever to name my blog and email address by the same name...I love my little party of five...One amazing husband and three kids who I think the world of.

August:

Our precious boy, Micah James, entered the world on Thursday, July 30 at 2:47 p.m.

September:

Thank you, Sarah...for reminding me to not only think of three beautiful things today, but to post them...

October:

Yesterday afternoon I started going through the seven totes of clothes I have of winter clothes for the girls. (we are very blessed to have people hand down clothes to us and we have an abundance.)

November:

I blog...I do...it is just blogging in my head lately.

December:

This past weekend I was able to get out all my Christmas totes and start decorating for Christmas.

5 months...

2009-12-31T15:23:00.000-08:00

Why is it when you have 5 months left in your pregnancy it seems to take forever, but get those little people here, and it flies by.

My little Micah is now 5 months old! He has given me 5 months of joy, smiles, giggles, love, hugs, and kisses...but you already know that, since I don't seem to hide my feelings for him.

So, I wanted to do a brother comparison, since I found the outfit Caleb was wearing just after he turned 5 months. I do have to say, the following picture is my favorite of him, and well, just about the cutest thing ever. I can't believe he was sitting up (very well) on his own and that I just snapped this at the right time...so perfectly. I say that because trying to recreate this with Micah led to Pooh Bear in his mouth most of the time!

My 2000 baby boy...

My 2009 baby boy...

Christmas Scavenger hunt....

2009-12-30T06:26:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, Mike and I decided to do something different. My kids have toys upon toys and clothes upon clothes...and truth be told, they were stripped of all of their toys earlier in the Fall because of poor attitudes...

So, with Christmas coming up we decided we didn't want to just give them a whole new batch of "things." A friend of mine, who had a baby a month after me, told me how they were going to Disney in February. After my initial "are you nuts? with a baby?" reaction, I realized taking them now would be a pretty good idea becuase once Micah starts walking, and wanting out of a stroller, it might be more challenging...that and Caleb is an "adult" by Disney standards after March.

And so, the idea was born for a Christmas morning scavenger hunt. (thanks to Lydia) And I will say that yes, they did get gifts under the tree, mostly from the Disney Store...but not quite like they are used to....and Elisa pointed that out when she came to get me Christmas morning...

"Good morning, Mommy, Merry Christmas. Our tree isn't very full this year, but at least my stocking is."

Mike is the one who came up with the scavenger hunt since I wasn't feeling so great Christmas Eve...and I am so glad he did because it was so much better than what I had in my mind...and the kids loved it...

Clue#1 :
(picture of Cinderella's castle)
A beautiful princess has a wonderful home.
Bekah, take your family to this castle in our house.

#2:
(pic. of map of Florida)

Way down south there is a state where Mommy grew up.
Elisa, take your family to a place in the house that has a map of this location

#3:
(pic of monorail)

You may get tired walking all day. It might help if you ride on a train.
Caleb, take your family to a place in the house that used to have a lot of trains.

#4:
(pic of glass slipper)

I sure wouldn't want to lose this shoe if I wanted to marry my prince.
Bekah, take your family to a place that would be a good place to keep shoes.

#5:
(pic of Pirates of Carribean)

We love to "ride" with Pirates of the Carribean.
Caleb, take your family to a film that was inspired by this idea.

#6:
(pic of Snow White)

I sure would like to eat breakfast with you, but you must be dressed right.
Elisa, take your family to a dress that would be suitable to wear to breakfast with Snow White.

#7:
(photo montage of Disney movies)
Lots of wonderful movies put out on the "big screen" over the years!
To figure out the reason for this hunt, politely find a seat in front of our "big screen"

At this point, Mike turned on our Disney planning dvd and we watched their faces. I am crying because I am so excited and they just watch the show...so we finally said, "Does anyone know what your gift is?" And they looked at one another and then us and finally Elisa said, "Are we going to Disney?!" (yes, they can be taught!) And then shreiking and screaming commenced!

I really think they were scared to ask for fear that was NOT what the gift was!
It made for a great morning for us and we actually ended up watching the whole dvd and got excited as a family for this trip, one month from today!

I love...

2009-12-16T12:05:00.001-08:00

I love this...

Precious

Chubby cheeked

Happy

Upside down

Curious

Giggling

Thumbsucking

Baby boy

Snow!!

2009-12-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday the girls ran into my room to wake me up announcing "We have snow!" We haven't had much snow in the last three or four years, and certainly not this early, so this was a fun surprise...

And so before heading out to our church's Happy Birthday Jesus party, the kids ran out to play for a little bit...

and then back out for sledding after the party...

Why Rebekah decided it was ok to go out without a coat, I don't know...

Micah enjoyed watching the snow fall...but as far as actually being out in it...

...not so much...

Christmas craft project...

2009-12-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Sarah for the idea from this blog...and my mom who gave me her old sewing machine
(and taught me how to use it) I have had a great time making these for Christmas presents this week...

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

2009-12-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I was able to get out all my Christmas totes and start decorating for Christmas. No small feat for me with Micah...but he has started napping for little bits at a time on his own. Anyway, I love this time of year, as most do I am sure...I don't decorate for any other season, and I really like to do it at Christmas.

Mike had to work night shift until Monday morning, so we didn't get the tree out until Tuesday (since he is a bit comatose the whole day when coming off night shift.)

The kids were thrilled...Mike was "thrilled" and Micah loved looking at the ornaments on the tree...we can forgo the gym this month, we just put him under the tree with some "safe" ornaments for him to reach for and grab.

I love watching the kids put up the ornaments and asking how old they were with this one, who gave them that one, and then asking if they can put mine up as well.

They are getting bigger and better at this, and my compulsion to go behind them and move them is getting smaller...though I did have to have a talk about a few being too close together!

We have an angel at the top of our tree this year. We rotate between an angel and a star...I love this angel. I bought her at a local drug store in WA the first year Mike and I were married...she makes my tree look so cozy with her raffia body. I love our tree. We don't have a "theme"...we put up what is given and collected over the years. The generic bulbs Mike and I bought our first Christmas have now been replaced with many "baby's first Christmas", souvenirs from the beach, St. Nicholas day gifts, and special ones the kids have made. I like to think our tree tells a story...it is all about us and how we went from a party of two to a party of six...I can't wait to open St. Nick's gift to Micah tomorrow and put up his first ornament.

I miss blogging...

2009-11-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

I blog...I do...it is just blogging in my head lately. See, I have this precious baby boy, who I think the world of...I still look at him and can burst into tears because I can't believe he is here and he is mine....

And for almost four months I have held him at just about every nap time. See, he loves me very much and would just like to have me hold him. All the time.

And, so, I blog in my head, which doesn't do much for my poor memory which seems to get worse every day. But I sure do love the snuggle time with my little Micah.

Today I am going to try to get this little guy to sleep on his own without me. It is not going so well as he is crying in his crib at this moment...and my other three keep reminding me "Uh, Mom, Micah is crying"....yes my dears I realize this....and it is hard....

So, I am going to blog for a moment to try to block out the fact my little miracle is in his own crib. crying....

Here is a glimpse of what our party of six has been up to:

Caleb received the White Star Award for Upward Soccer this season, which is the most Christlike award...we are so proud of him!..one of the cool part about this was he was nominated by someone who wan't his coach...

My little Elisa turned six...complete with a princess tea party the day before...
...and Rebekah keeps losing teeth, while waiting for many to come in...

and this little cutie...is almost 4 months old, laughs so hard, smiles so much and loves his hands and thumb...

We went to Nemo on Ice...

Micah got to meet Grandma (and Papa) Lacy

...and we celebrated Thanksgiving...and we are so thankful for this newest addition to our family...

From the mouth of a little boy....and God's providence...

2009-10-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I started going through the seven totes of clothes I have of winter clothes for the girls. (we are very blessed to have people hand down clothes to us and we have an abundance.) I was having the girls try on pants to see which ones would fit for this winter. One pair Rebekah tried on were way too short.
I said "Bekah, those won't work, you can see the top of your socks." To which Caleb said, "then just buy her longer socks!" Mike was so proud!

Last night around midnight I woke up having a chill down my back. I sat up, looked out my window and laid back down. A few minutes later I was woken (soory if that is the wrong word) up again and saw Mike looking down in Micah's cradle. Mike sleeps downstairs on the nights he has to work so the little guy doesn't keep him up and he can be coherent the next day. Anyway, after I screamed, since I wasn't expecting anyone in the room, he told me he was asleep but woken up because he felt something wasn't right. He looked over at one of the wall in the basement and there was smoke coming out of the socket.

He took it out and it was melted. We don't know why this happened, we don't even use that socket, but for some reason it began to smoke...and for some "reason" Mike was woken up to see it, and he was asleep in the basement the night it happened.

Caleb was brought upstairs and the ciruits were turned off downstairs...There wasn't a lot of sleep around our house between the two of us, but a lot of thanksgiving to God that we are safe.

Three beautiful things...

2009-09-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Sarah...for reminding me to not only think of three beautiful things today, but to post them...

Sunshine...on my shoulders makes me happy...especially in the fall, and especially after a week of rain and wondering if we would have to purchase a boat on Saturday with the flooding...

Smiles...Micah is smiling so much now...especially when he first wakes up...so precious

Silence...Micah and I have had a few car trips to ourselves lately, and when is is asleep, I have found I don't even turn onthe radio...silence is golden to me right now....

I do have to add one more...
Roadside assistance...I got my first flat tire on Saturday exiting I 40...so thankful my husband got roadside assistance with our new van...rain plus flat tire and newborn baby...not a good mix...

So, what are three beautiful things in your life this week?

Singin' in the Rain...

2009-09-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Dark clouds started rolling in yesterday late yesterday afternoon, after we had had a beautiful sunny day. My kids were outside playing when the skies opened very quickly and it started to pour. Mike asked where they were and I thought maybe they had come back inside and I just hadn't heard them...then I look out my front door and see Bekah walking on our rock wall...in the rain...soaking wet.

I remember doing this as a child and loving it...yet it is nothing I had let my kids do. Why? I don't know...I get uptight about things I shouldn't and I guess that was one of those things...but I looked and they were having so much fun...so I grabbed my camera and wached them run, jump, twirl and leap in the rain...it was really fun!!

Once the thunder started, and they came inside, I asked them what would be a good rainy evening movie to watch together and Bekah said "Singin' in the Rain." She had learned a dance to one of the songs this summer and never seen the movie. I wasn't even sure I had it. But, I went through all my VHS tapes and sure enough, it was there! And the front cover said "Helen" on it. I had my Grandma's copy. As the movie started, I teared up remembering watching this with my Mom and Grandma as a little girl. We watched it, and many musicals together growing up. My tears soon turned to laughter as my kids watched Donald O'Connor sing "Make 'em Laugh" The same song that gets my dad rolling on the floor laughing every time and is all our favorite scene.

And now when I tell my kids "Moses supposes his toeses are roses..." they know what that means...I love remaking old memories into new ones with my kids.

Week in review...squeezing in a little blog time...

2009-09-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

For the past month, I have not been able to access blogger at all...

That is a month being out of touch with my blog people, and a month that I didn't get to share pictures of my sweet new little boy...

So, hopefully I am back now and will try to get all caught up.

6 weeks...that is how old my precious little boy is now....here are some pictures to catch up...

We started back to school very "loosely" 2 weeks ago, thanks to my husband getting it all started for me. Not only am I a bit bleary eyed in the morning, I have a little boy who loves to be held. All day. And I really love to...it just makes getting all school done a bit hard...but I know how quickly it will go...

Our first two weeks were so nice and slow paced. We just stayed at home and got done what we could. Slowly, our school year activities are creeping back in...and I realize even though I thought I had backed off some things, we are still in for a busy year.

We are back to piano...our first trip back there was quite adventurous with my transmission going out in my van...which led to us getting a new one since the other was on its last leg anyway...

Caleb and Bekah have started a geography and map making class at our local Montessori school on Tuesdays. That is Elisa's all kindergarten day with me.

Thursday we started back to scouts. This year is Caleb's first year as a Webelo,Bekah is a Tenderfoot 2, and Elisa is starting AHG as a Pathfinder. She said to me on Thursday, " Does this mean I really don't have to go in the nursery anymore during scouts?" She is very excited. She calls her group her class..."who is teaching my class?...which of my friends will be in my class?"

This is the first year I won't be a leader in AHG...and she is a bit put out by that, so I had to promise one year I would be her leader. This year, I will just enjoy Micah...and do whatever Sarah may call on me to do...

We also have started back to soccer...our first game is today. Elisa is playing for the first time, Caleb is on his fourth or fifth year, and Bekah...well....that is just too much running for her....

And during that game, I will be shooting pictures with my new camera that came yesterday...a Nikon D90 that I have wanted for a long time...

Soon the kids will be starting science classes at the Discovery Center, Caleb will be taking AMSE classes, and we will have swim lessons once a week...yup...I did a good job backing off on our activities this year...

Micah James...

2009-08-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Our precious boy, Micah James, entered the world on Thursday, July 30 at 2:47 p.m.

And, despite wherever I went having people tell me, "oh you are so big you are going to have a big baby..." He weighed in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces...my tiniest baby, and was 19 1/2 inches.

It was a wonderful day, a great labor and delivery, and he is a wonderful blessing in out lives...

Party of five....

2009-07-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

For the past five and a half years, we have been a party of five...I thought I was so clever to name my blog and email address by the same name...I love my little party of five...One amazing husband and three kids who I think the world of.
Tomorrow I say good bye to party of five and Hello party of six...
It doesn't sound the same (thanks to the tv show I loved so much) and I won't be changing anything on my blog or email (too much work to notify everyone)

I feel like I have been waiting for this moment to meet this little guy, not for the past nine months, but for the past 18...when I lost our baby last year I wondered if I would get the chance again to be a new mommy....and when we found out we were having a boy, it all seemed complete.

So, tomorrow, I will be a mommy to for children I think the world of (I can't wait to see who this little guy looks like) and wife to an amazing husband. I have had my last full nights sleep for awhile...am prepared for the physical pain of labor, delivery, and nursing...and can't wait to hold this precious baby boy in my arms...

Please pray for us as we start this new journey with another child...we are ready!!

Belly photo shoot...

2009-06-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

So, I have never had "maternity" pictures taken before...I always thought I don't want to remember how big I actually get when I am pregnant!! But, this time around, I decided that I kind of do want to remember how amazing it is to have your stomach stretch out so far because there is a new little life in there...So my friend Sam came over on Saturday and offered to take some....

Now, here is my disclaimer:

This post contains pictures of my stretch-marked, many veined, and very hot stomach that started to develop red splotches in the 90+ degree heat....though I did make some black and white to try and mask that :)

Monday Memory: Helen Williams 1921-2000

2009-06-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago, I was sitting on my sister's couch feeding my baby Caleb, then 3 months old. I remember looking up at the clock and it was around 11:30 a.m., 1:30 Evansville time, and wondering what was happening back there. My Grandma was terminal with cancer and we had already said our goodbyes to her on the phone.
Not much later, Mom called, telling us she had died...right around 11:30 our time...

It is hard to believe I haven't had this woman in my life for the last nine years. I have had two more children since then, and another on the way. I think about how she would love watching my kids play and teaching them card games or yahtzee. She would probably make chocolate chips with them. It really makes me sad to think they will never know her.

She was widowed at the age of 54 when my Grandpa died of cancer. She found a job,bought her own house and car (a '77 Chevy Nova that didn't even have 100,000 miles on it when she died) When my mom and her siblings were growing up, she ironed for other people so she could send the kids to Catholic school. She had to bury her third child, Jim, after he drowned at the age of 16. And she was a woman who loved the Lord. She was up early every morning reading her bible, and then on to church.

My Grandma was my favorite person growing up. When we lived near her in Indiana, I loved it when it was my turn to spend the night with her and then go to work with her. She was a cook at the rectory for the priests of her church. They all loved her, and her cooking. (somehow that gene missed me)

Grandma taught me how to play cards, and loved Yahtzee. We would go over to her friends' houses and play games. She loved to dance and would take me with her...and she loved to bowl. She was a fun person to be around.

After we moved to Florida, I would spend my summers with her, and when I went away to college, I chose to go back to Evansville so I could live with her. She was the first person I told when Mike proposed to me. (I was living with her) She told us "you remind me of me and Grandpa."

She would giggle when I would get something in the mail from Mike after missing him so much. She would get aggravated at me when I wouldn't keep up my end of the deal of living with her, and my room would be messy. She couldn't tell a joke without giggling at herself half way through, and always made me laugh.

I often wonder what she would think about me now, nine years older, soon to be a mom of four, just like she was. I hope she would be proud of me. I would love to have her over for coffee and a game of Kings Corners, I think I will teach it to my kids today...

I love you, Gram and I miss you...

Week in Review...A week of firsts...

2009-06-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

It has been really busy around here, and most of it has gone on while Mike has been on what his work calls "hell week." That would be three 12 hour day shifts into three 12 hour night shifts...we don't see much of him during this week. That, and he was putting the finishing touches on hosting a big concert Thursday night.

Sunday started with the Flag Day parade. It was Elisa's first time in a parade. She is now old enough to be in American Heritage Girls with Rebekah, so they both marched representing AHG. Caleb was with the Cub Scouts. It was hot, to say the least. And they had to line up an hour early, and then wait a half an hour to start walking. By the time they got to me at the end of the parade, Elisa was holding Bess and Laurel's hands and smiling, Bekah looked at me like she may kill me for ever putting her in a parade...

Afterwards, we went to my sister, Beth's house and celebrated my niece, Maggie's birthday...

Monday started way too early for Caleb and I. He was going to day camp at Wesley Woods for the first time. We had to get up a little after 7 (very early for us), finish his paperwork, make sure he had everything in his backpack and head over to Sarah's, who, thankfully, took Caleb with her kids over to the camp.

I spent the day with the girls trying to find my way back through my living room. We had had new carpeting put in the kids rooms the Friday before, and were preparing to put the girls in the same room for the first time. So, I organized, threw away, and sorted through all things girl trying to figure out how to make this work. (still working on that)

When Caleb came home he said he had a great day but wanted to go to bed on time that night. Not five minutes later, Bekah came up to me and said, "C is for Caleb, and Caleb is asleep in my closet." Sure enough, he was passed out on the floor...

Tuesday, Elisabeth came over to help me clean. When she walked in the front door and saw the living room she said, "I'm leaving." We ended up sitting in the very clean, now little boy room folding clothes, while the girls were at a play date. Tuesday was also the first night the girls slept in the same room. Elisa had declared it "not fair" that her daybed was in Bekah's room, and she was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of her "old room" Surprisingly, they did a great job....

Wednesday, Bekah had her seven year check up...sigh...she is very healthy, for which I am thankful...and very tall for her age. She also decided to pull her first loose tooth on the top...her smile is forever changed.

Thursday, we had piano in the morning, and then the girls had another play date...I spent the time alone going to Walmart and and getting a cheescake ready for my friend Adele's baby shower, which I could not attend. Why could I not attend it? Because it was Feed Your Faith's first concert of the year! And it was so awesome! Decyfer Down, DecembeRadio, and Sanctus Real all played. It was a stressful week for Mike, but he did such a great job, it all came together, and they are estimating over 750 people were there! I got to help at the product tables, and watch via the tv screes in the lobby since I couldn't be in the sanctuary with little boy on board right now. Oh, and a very worn out Caleb came with me...he is the cutest at concerts...he just loves it!

Friday, we all tried to recoop from Thursday. Mike slept in, after having been awake for 36 hours the day before, going from a night shift to the church to get everything set up for the concert...

Which leads me to today...we (and by we I mean Mike) put up the new closet system in the girls' closet...and I must say he did a phenomenal job! Armed with level and drills and screwdrivers, he helped get the girls a little more organized...now hopefully I will find my living room floor again...

Tonight we went to the kids awards ceremony for baseball where Caleb was given MVP of his team, and had been nominated for most Christ-like for the season....Elisa got her first trophyand Bekah broke hers minutes after receiving it....

Next week...VBS and all the fun that comes with that!!

Guest Post---Mother's Day from Mike's point of view...

2009-06-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

...ok, so I have been thinking alot about the "miserable, hospital post" and I wanted to take the time to write "what REALLY happened"!!!

It all started with my plans for a wonderful Mother's Day. I had to work on The Day, so I did some serious planning for a VERY memorable post Mother's Day week. Here are all the things I did for Donna. After reading this, I'm sure you will agree that I went above and beyond!

I took Donna out to dinner with the family at a fabulous restaurant!
I arranged for her parents to come over to the house and watch the kids after dinner.
I reserved her a WONDERFUL room with a view of the Smokey Mountains for a 5 day retreat.
She was served EVERY meal in bed for the entire duration of her stay.
She had a bed all to herself...adjustable to sit up and lie down I might add.
No one ever complained about the 120 straight hours of HGTV.
I arranged to have a personal servant respond immediately every time she pressed the red button next to her bed.
Personal leg massagers were provided to lovingly rub her calves.
I got her lingerie, including fancy robe and panties.
I arranged, via e-mail, for flowers to be delivered to her bedside.
I took care of getting the kids transported to baseball games, classes, etc as well as having child care provided for her entire stay at her "sanctuary".
Because of all the "planning" I did, she had dinner's delivered to her home for 2 weeks after returning home from her Mother's Day retreat.

Now...who wouldn't want a Mother's Day like that? I think I did a fantastic job!

And that, my friends, is the rest of the story.

Mike

Well...I wasn't expecting that...

2009-05-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

A week ago I had a list made for Mike and I of things I wanted to accomplish by this weekend so we could have my (favorite) Aunt and Uncle stay with us, while other company was in staying at my parents. A week ago, I was getting caught up on my laundry...done and folded. A week ago I was cheering on my girls in a baseball game waiting to go out to dinner with our family to celebrate a belated birthday for Mike and Mother's Day for me....

What I wasn't expecting, was, at dinner falling over in pain and begging my family to finish. I had this pain that started as a low back pain and ended up a stabbing pain in the right side of my back. Mike was sure I had a kidney stone ( I think he was wishing it so I could feel how he did last month) By the time we got home I was curled up in bed with chills and on the phone with my doctor. When they didn't return the call in 30 minutes, Mike took me over to the hospital and the labor and deliver unit.

After observing me in triage (and getting me some demerol), they admitted me for observation and sent Mike home to get some rest. That started a big snowball effect over the next few days. First, they discovered that the bladder infection I have had since I have been pregnant moved to my right kidney. Second, that infection had become so bad that the cough I have had for over a month had turned into pneumonia, and I was only breathing at about 85% of room air, so they put me on oxygen. My OB at that hospital became nervous with these two combined and me being pregnant, so I was sent by ambulance over to UT where they deal with high risk pregnancies, as well as premies, if they would have to deliver me.

At UT, they found that my hemoglobin and platelets were low...my platelets were 80,000...normal is 200,000-300,000....and so I needed a blood transfusion. The transfusion actually helped me to feel better, and for the first time in days, I was able to move my legs in and out of bed instead of asking Mike to do it for me...that is to go to the bathroom, the only thing I was allowed to get up to do. (at this point it is Saturday, and I am begging for a shower but they said no) Oh, did I mention my blood pressure hovered aound 80/40?

Oh, here is one of my favorite parts...I tried to explain to one of the doctors how my body was achy from being in bed all day, and because I wasn't breathing well, my neck hurt from sleeping (if you want to call it that) sitting up. Next thing I know, I am on respiratory isolation because I may have swine flu. So, they tested me for influenza A and B and told me it would take 3 days for my swine flu test to come back. Later, they told me I was negative for both, and that you have to test positive for A in order to have swine flu.

By Sunday, they weaned me off oxygen to give me a chance at getting a shower...and I passed! I sat in the shower for over 30 minutes...it never felt so good. By Monday, my first morning by myself because Mike had to go back to work, I was starting to feel a bit more human...but the doctor who wanted me tested for the swine flu came to check on me. He told me my chest x rays were "unimpressive" to him. I asked him what that meant, and he said "well yout pneumonia wasn't as bad as I thought" I said that was a good thing...He also said "and I can't believe you don't have the flu, we are just WAITING for our first case of swine flu here"...sorry to disappoint you, dr....and then I made the mistake of trying to explain to him how my body is still tired and achy from being in a bed and sleeping sitting up....next thing I know...I am back on repriatory isolation, and infection control says it will take 2 weeks for my swine flu test to be conclusive....

Tuesday, I learned to keep my mouth shut, and when asked by both my doctors if I wanted to go home I said "YES!" I have been on about 5 different antibiotics, and who knows what other kind of medicine...but I am home, with 3 different antibiotics....so good to be home...

And the baby? We had an ultrasound and biophysical profile done on Friday and he scored 8 out of 8...and 2 other ultrasounds since then. He is looking great. I don't know how all this medication will affect him, I pray it won't. I thanked God every day I was in the hospital that I was pregnant for another day.

So, hopefully, he will hang out in me about 10 more weeks, and will be a healthy boy when I get to meet him...and my kidney's will behave....

Monday Memory...

2009-05-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Oh, this would have been such perfect timing last Monday if I had remembered to blog this...but I didn't so...a week late here is my first Monday Memory, thanks to Smallworld.

20 years ago this month I was finishing up my freshman year of high school. I was 15 years old. My sister Beth, and I were good friends, and I was in love with New Kids on the Block. So, when I found out they were coming in concert on, gasp, a school night, I begged Beth to take me and my parents to let me go.

This was also a time when I was a good scapegoat for Beth. She was grounded a lot but was allowed to "go out" if it involved taking me somewhere. So, I got to spend a lot of time with her Senior friends that year because she was taking "me out" and then we would go out with them. And so, she agreed to take me and also brought along her friend Nichole.

I remember it was May 4, 1989, a Thursday night. I had gone to Ross to find the perfect outfit for the concert...a Debbie Gibson style skirt with leggings and hat and some green shirt to go along with it. I remember the arena, the Bob Carr, which was small compared to the arenas they would sing at even a year later. I remember Joe singing "Please Don't Go Girl" and thinking he was oh so dreamy. It was a really fun night (though Nichole really hated it) and the start of a three year long obsession for me.

What sticks out in my mind the most about this night was coming home and Beth, Nichole, and I trying to figure out the "Right Stuff" dance. They both had some final to study for, but we stayed up trying to figure out those "fancy dance moves" If you know the dance, you know....it really isn't that hard or that fancy....

I went on to see them about five more times in concert....skipping school to meet them, and not...meeting three of them at the airport, and getting after show passes to party with them, only to be denied access because my friend and I weren't 18...hmmmm...

Elisa...

2009-05-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

My little 5 year old....she lights up a room...and my life...

I love when she comes to say good morning to me and then kisses me and my belly before asking "can I watch my movie shows now?"
I love conversations with her...she knows so much being the youngest and learning from the older two. Usually when I am frustrated with Caleb and Bekah for not listening to what I have just read them she will chime in, "I know what a bayonet is mommy."

So, here are three awesome Elisa conversations that I had to blog about from the past week...I don't want to forget them...she is too precious...

I was fixing her hair one morning and she says, "Mommy, did you know that God knows how many hairs are on my head?" I said," yes" She said, "how many do you think a hundred million trillion? I bet if I am real quiet God will whisper it in my ear."
I said "God does talk to us....I don't know if we will know how many hairs are on our head or not, but He does talk to us in our hearts and through his word..."
She said, "I talk to him too. Like the time I got in trouble with you and had to go to my room. I set the timer to brush my teeth and then I didn't. I lied to you mommy, so I went to my room and talked to God and asked Him to forgive me."

The other day Caleb and Elisa were talking about clouds, Elisa said "Caleb told me clouds were made out of water droplets, is that true? Because I thought they were made out of fluff."

And last night:
I should preface this by saying she is pumped about the baby, and my ever growing belly....she loves to hug it, kiss it, and talk to the baby.
So, last night before se went to bed, she lifts up my shirt for her to do all of that and she giggled that my belly button is starting to be an "outsie" and she said, "wow Mommy, how big is he now? Have you been reading your books?" I said, "the books say he is about 15 inches." And showed her how big that was.
She said "wow, so he goes from the top to the bottom...oh, and all the way over here too." (and she pointed to my ever growing "love handles"
I said, "nope, that is just all the extra cushion he needs."

My friend Leigh recently told me her daughter Beccah wants to have a little girl like Elisa when she grows up...I think we all need a little Elisa in our lives...

The Snowball bush...

2009-04-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last year when we moved in to our new house, my mom took me around the yard to tell me which plants were which, and which flowers were which...I am not good at that. There was one tree next to my deck that she couldn't figure out...neither could Sarah when I asked her. I was ready to cut it down because we want to expand our deck and, well this tree didn't look like it had a lot of life to it. But, both she and Sarah told me not do do anything until this spring when it would bloom

Yesterday I was out on the back deck and looked down and saw this flower coming off of the tree and sitting on the deck...I looked over and thought "this must be a snowball tree." We had one when I was growing up, and so did my grandma...I have always loved them. So I had to call my mom and tell her. She asked me if I remember the story of the snowball bush from when she was a baby...since I didn't, she told it to me again.

When my mom was born, my Grandpa Williams, Cleve was over in Germany fighting in WWII. He ended up being captured and was a prisoner of war. My Grandma was very optimistic he would return home and would say, "hopefully by the this holiday, or that special occasion, Cleve will be home." Her dad, my Grandpa Becker told her, "When the snowball bush is in bloom, Cleve will be home." My Grandpa ended up making friends with a German guard who helped him escape. And that year, just after my mom turned one (he had never seen her), and when the snowball bush was in bloom, my Grandpa made it home. And when he did, he wanted his picture for the newspaper taken in front of the snowball bush.

Here is a letter he wrote to my mom on her first birthday....

He died when I was not quite two years old. I don't remember him, but he will always be one of my biggest heroes....

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:43:00.001-07:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

My three little people with our Easter lilies in memory of my Grandma, and our baby we lost last year, Gabriel

Cecelia Grace...

2009-03-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Today I became an Aunt for the 9th time...and my sister became a mommy for the 6th, giving birth to her second daughter, Cecelia Grace....

Happy Birthday, Caleb!!

2009-03-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

9 years ago, Mike and I became parents to our Caleb boy...what a blessing he is in our lives!

Caleb also wanted his party at Tumblebears ,and got the added benefit of having his best buddy, Duncan spend the weekend with us since his parents were out of town celelbrating their 20th anniversary....little did I know, I would accumulate 2 more little boys who wanted to spend the night too!! It was a fun weekend...and the first time we have had a big sleepover...the boys were so awesome...

On the trampoline...this party was a bit more wild than Bekah's with all these boys..but we had a great time!

Caleb and Logan...best cousins and best friends...

Caleb and his newest stuffed animal...Jake the snake...

My crew for the night....6 kids...can't believe we did that...and that they were all so good!

Bekah's birthday weekend...

2009-03-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

Happy 7th Birthday, Rebekah girl!!

We started celebrating Bekah on her birthday, and followed it with two more days of celebration with family who couldn't join us on Saturday...

Happy birthday, sweet girl...how time goes by...

Bekah had her party at Tumblebears with lots of friends...we are wrapping her up in the parachute to spin her around...

Some of her good friends, Anne and Emma

Jumping rope...

Daddy and Caleb getting in on the jump roping!

We celebrated at Aunt Beth's the next day since she couldn't be at her party...They hadn't celebrated Elisa's birthday either, so we had a party for all three kids....(since Caleb is coming up on a birthday)

And finally at Grandma and Papa's the next night...They were out of town on her birthday...Bekah made the cake and decorated it as part of her Baking badge for AHG

Grandma made new clothes for Bekah's doll..the nightgown matches the one Grandma made her hits winter....

It's a.....

2009-03-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

What a blessing today has been for me. A year ago I was heartbroken, having lost a baby we named Gabriel the month before...I had wanted another boy so bad for our family...

This year when I found out that I was pregnant, I wasn't even concerned about the sex of this baby...girl or boy...didn't matter...I just wanted to get through each day and still be pregnant.

Then there is my son. When I was pregnant with Elisa and he was 3, he told me, "Mommy I prayed that God would give me a brother, but I know he is going to give me another sister." (we didn't find out the sex until she was born) And I think he has been praying for a brother since. Even when I didn't think I wanted anohter child, he would pray for a brother. So, my heart wanted so bad for him to get a brother and hear the words "It's a boy" today at my ultrasound.

What we heard was...."well, there are some boy parts right there!!!" Caleb was behind me in the room so I didn't get to see his face, but Mike did...he said he lit up...! And I, of course, cried! How blessed I am to have been given two boys and two girls...what I wanted even when I was a little girl...and the chance to be a new mommy again...And I thought how awesome God is that he heard the prayers of a precious little boy who has been praying for years for a brother...

So, here are my four!! children...though one is still in a picture...we will meet HIM!! in about 21 weeks!! God is good...and our baby boy is healthy!

(the girls really are excited...but look who has the biggest smile!)

February....

2009-02-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

Yippee! tomorrow is the last day of February. It has become my least favorite month of the year. And, I never seem to blog much during the month because, well there isn't much going on around here during February.

Well, except for this....

My Aunt, Uncle, cousin Julie and her husband David came over from N. Carolina to visit with their litlle boy, Lincoln. This was fun for me because my cousin is 10 years younger than me and we have never had a lot in common...now she is a mommy and we had a great time talking and getting to know each other better...

and this....

Our American Heritage Girls had a Father Daughter dinner dance the day before Valentines Day...Here are Mike and Rebekah getting ready to leave. They had so much fun..he brought her back in asleep on his shoulder...a very sweet night for the two of them...

oh yeah...and this...

We got last minute tickets to Riverdance thanks to Smallworld...It is my favorite broadway production...and my kids loved it too!

Last year February meant the loss of a life in me and I could barely function through the rest of the month....then just when I finally thought it was over....I wake up and low and behold it was leap year, and on February 29, Mike came in the house before going to work because he couldn't find our car. The one I parked at the top of the hill the night before. And apparently forgot to put onthe emegency break. And was now parked in our neighbors deck a bit down the hill....but enough on the hill so that we had to have it towed back and then driven down the hill....

Tomorrow ends the month! Yeah, which means March is almost here, and is birthday month around here...and one of those birthday's just happens to land on the first day of spring....hopefully I will be more inspired to blog...

Snow, take two...

2009-02-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday started with a trip to the doctor in the rain. Elisa was up the night before with a bad, dry cough and sore throat and fever. We had to skip our Monday classes and head over there instead to make sure she was ok and wouldn't get someone else sick! Seems she just has a bad cold... Our pediatrician has also become a friend over the years and I coach his daughter on the same cheer squad as my girls. I asked him if Elisa should go that night and he said, "I don't think we will practice. It is really snowing out there." What? Snow? Again? Here? We left the room and went to pay...it was amazing what an hour of snow can do! Oh my! The cars were covered..trees beautiful...and it wasn't letting up!

Both kids said " Can we play in the snow?", while we were checking out. (side note, Caleb also had a cough...Bekah got to go on with a friend to Monday Fun) I said, "no, we are here because you aren't feeling good...and as your mom, I don't think it is a good idea." The nurse said, "and as your nurse I don't think it is either!" Thank you, Ginger...

So they didn't get to play...yesterday...but today we bundled up and had a great time...

An Elisa-ism

2009-01-30T05:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I went downstairs to wake Mike up about 11...a.m., not p.m. He had come home from work around 7:30 that morning and wanted me to get him up so we could go to lunch together. He sleeps in Caleb's room when he works at night, since Caleb sleeps in the basement and has no windows.

Elisa heard me come downstairs and ran into the room when she saw Mike was awake. First, I have to say that Elisa knows how to light up a room and make you feel loved. It could be five minutes, five hours, five days since she has last seen you and she lights up with a big smile and big dimples. She just makes you feel so loved. So, she runs in to see Mike and I, and soon after in comes Bekah.

Mike says, "I have my three princesses here with me. No, make that one queen and one princess."

Elisa says, " Yes, Daddy, Mommy is the queen, Bekah and I are the princesses, and Caleb is the servant!."

Of all the stupid things....

2009-01-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

The day started out good enough...I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to pee, that is a plus for me right now, and I got to sleep until 8:30. Today was the first day of a new class Caleb gets to take over five days at a local Montessori School. I got up and did all that I do and decided since I am less than 10 minutes away, and am really lazy in the mornings, I would just put a jacket on over my jammies, which are sweats, and run Caleb to the school and get back home to the girls (Mike had just gotten home from work) No bra, no makeup...just in and out.

Did I say it was pouring rain? Oh, well, it was POURING. I took the van because his seat is already in there, and off we went. When I got there I decided to park close to the building and run in. I chatted with some friends and got back in my car. My friend, Tammy was parked next to me, and waved me to go...and I tried, but my wheels just started spinning. Tammy's too. See...with all the gravel around us, Tammy and I were "smart enough" to pull forward just enough to get stuck in the mud. Zach ,the teacher at the school was so nice about it...the lady helping him...she wasn't so thrilled with us...

So, for the next hour, the kids, and teachers at the school shoveled, wheelbarrowed,and pitch forked mulch under out tires and cars to help push us out. It worked for Tammy's little civic...not so much for my big ol' van. And so, Tammy took me home so I could call a tow truck...we are wet, cold...and did I mention I didn't put on a bra this morning...and we headed back.

Five minutes and $50 later, the tow truck got me out...and two hours after I dropped Caleb off, I went home.

This was supposed to be my snuggle and read to the girls days. It ended up with me reading one chapter out of a book, get them lunch and grab a nap before I needed to shower, get back to Caleb,and head to work.

Just another Donna trick for our car. I am pretty good at them by now...and luckily I have a great, understanding husband who laughs at me and says "these things happen."

Why oh why?...

2009-01-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Why must my sense of smell be so affected by this little person growing inside of me?

When I was pregnant with Bekah, we had just moved to TN, and had bought our first house. A friend of mine back in WA had these Glade plug ins that I loved, so I bought them after we moved and put them everywhere in our new house....that is until the smell made me sick really quick. I still can't have those, or really any kind of plug in in my house.

A few weeks back, I bought some eucalyptus for my dining room. I have always loved this smell, and it looks so pretty on my dining room table. Now, every night...the smell comes into my living room as I lay on the couch and ugh...will I ever lie this again? And what about noodle with Parmesan cheese? This is a staple in my family. It is what I lived on when I was pregnant with Caleb....but even to smell noodles cooking...and don't even think about leaving the Parmesan cheese out....makes me run to the bathroom.

I can't open my refrigerator without holding my breath...I never know which smell, and I'm not talking rotten food, will come out at me...and poor Mike, he has become the sole dishwasher around here...please don't let anything lay around the sink...and don't put water in it to soak it...

It amazes me the changes you can go through in such a short time...from foods I used to love...I won't get started on this...but will say it will be a long time before salad ever enters my mouth again... to smells that make me sick....and I wonder what parts of me will be the same when I finally meet this little baby?

Snow in East Tennessee...

2009-01-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

It doesn't happen often...it doesn't stay around long...but, once in a while...we get snow!

Our first winter here, in 2001 we had a grand snow over the weekend. We lived on a big hill and I remember parking at the top of the hill the night before because we would never get out of our driveway. And I remember Caleb, then our only child, loving being out in the snow, but hate the snow on his shoes, so he would continually brush them off.

The next winter we had Bekah. And we had our friends the Waters over for sledding...and the next year Elisa and more sledding...and I couldn't wait for the next year because my kids could really get to sled....

And it never really came...we never got a lot again after that...but living on a big hill we didn't need a lot of snow to go sledding...just a sled...

January 2004

Caleb is 3, Bekah is 1...Elisa was asleep inside and I had the baby monitor in my pocket!

January 2005

Bekah was 3, Elisa was 1..Caleb must have been at preschool...not a big snow, but it was Elisa's first time out in it...

This summer when we moved to our new house...on a lovely flat lot I told Mike, "you know we will get snow this year." And we did....but the kids still figured out how to sled and ha a great time...here's a glimpse of our fun...

This is when the snow first started...we never know how long it will snow, so at the first sign we are out ready to play!

Here's Bekah...catching snowflakes on her tongue!

Duncan got to come over and play after our Monday Fun class...he and Caleb played outside the whole time and made this wonderful snowman...complete with walking stick!

Mike came out to have a snowball fight with Elisa...Bekah was over at a friends house playing...

Elisa and I made a snowman together...my cold blooded body doesn't let me stay outside too long...but this was really fun!

Elisa and Mike with his and her snowmen!

Like I said, we don't have much of a hill...but they make it work anyway! All the way into the road!

The only thing missing was some good snow cones from the other Party of Five ;)

Why I should never go to bed early....

2009-01-17T01:56:00.000-08:00

After not sleeping the night before, and then tackling Pigeon Forge shopping on the coldest day of the year with my mom, I crashed on the couch at 9:30. By the way, I always crash on the couch when Mike is working nights...I just can't fall asleep in bed with out him...

So, now it is almost 5 a.m., and after email and facebook, I figured, why not catch up on some blogging I have been avoiding? So here goes....

Here is a week at the Williams:
I posted that I had a surprise on my birthday, which isn't a surprise to most of you but....
As of right now...I am 11...nearing 12 weeks of pregnancy! I was excited to write this a little earlier,but then had some spotting, and after miscarrying last year, I decided to wait until my appointment this week to know my little bit was ok.
The doctor wasn't able to find a heartbeat, so we went in for an ultrasound...and there the little person was, doing a dance or something...with a strong heartbeat. I don't know if I will ever be able to explain my emotions over this little person and my excitement....but I am thrilled to get to be a new momma one more time. (Mike has let me know, yes...this is the last time...)
And I will say, since I am about 6 years older than I was with my last pregnancy, I am happy to say, ok!

While I am thankful for every part of this pregnancy, it has been my hardest, and I am reminded at the doctor of my "old age" for pregnancy...and really, I would love to be able to brush my teeth in the morning without having to head straight to the toilet afterwards...

So, my birthday, as I so discreetly pointed out, was last Tuesday. And, it was a great day of doing nothing...which is pretty much all I do lately anyway. Mike cleaned the kitchen for me (which he does all the time now anyway since I am a bit queasy) and bought me lunch at Chick Fil A...my appetite is starting to return, and I am happy to be able to eat a little more now...
We also went out to dinner with my parents and had a nice evening with them...though my mom did get a little loud about some things and I had a bit of a teenage moment...

On Wednesday night, three of my dear friends took me out after church. These three have been a big part of my life since I have moved here, but more so since I had Elisa, and they were pregnant too. Lydia had Garner in Feb. after I had E, then Joy had Halle in June, and Tamara had Eli in Aug. We have been a good support for each other over the last five years...and though our lives have taken some different directions, we still get together to celebrate each other's birthday's.

We started out at Target. While this may not seem exciting, know that I (who loves to shop) had not been out shopping since before Christmas. This is because 1. I have felt that yucky, and 2. we did have rain after rain after rain....
So, my choice was to re-introduce myself to the lovely red store, and then eat, of course!
We hit the dollar spot, and then ran into another great friend, Elisabeth, and talked with her until they closed and booted us out...
On to Ruby Tuesdays for some coffee and a blondie...dessert...
It was good to reconnect with these ladies...we each catch up one on one, but being together is really special...and I got some pretty awesome gifts out of the night as well!

Today mom and I went to Pigeon Forge for a little shopping...umm, not little, you can't go there for little shopping. Anyway, she had mentioned yesterday that she wanted to hit a certain store, and I love getting over there for good children's clearance..so off we went, on the coldest day of the year...we started the day at 5 degrees here...
Oh, I have to mention that I picked her up at a funeral and am still wondering if that is weird? She told me to get there around 11:45...the funeral ended at 12:30 (thank you chick fil a for being close by) and I watched this sweet little 94 year old widow get into her children's car to go to the burial...while I was waiting for my mom so I could go shopping...
So, off we went, and hit many lovely sales, and was given some extra coupons at my first stop, which saved me $20 more dollars....which I spent most of on pretzels so we could all have a bit more energy for the last few stores...and to keep the kids quiet for a little longer....and now my kids have many new clothes for next year...

So, that is it...I think...my update on this week...tomorrow brings another week of basketball and cheerleading....and two more nights of Mike working nights...and hopefully, sleep for me....

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

I may have been reluctant to want to celebrate my birthday this year...what with me turning 35 and all...but here it is today! And I am thrilled because I love birthday's!!

I have no idea what is planned, though I am sure it will be low key after having a little scare yesterday with a little surprise I have yet to blog about...more on that Thursday after the doctor...

But, today is my birthday!! Happy Birthday to me!!
And to celebrate, my friend Kim, from high school so lovingly gave birth to her second son!!!

December wrap up....

2008-12-30T10:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I let December pass without a single post until yesterday....so here are all the thoughts I had for posting this month...just never took the time to post them...

Tree Decorating!

We normally do this the weekend after Thanksgiving...but instead took a school day to decorate this year...

A Day off from Winter...

We were invited to the Grand Opening of a new indoor water park at the Wilderness Lodge in Sevierville. They needed kids for the photo op, and well, everyone else was in school....so who got invited? Our homeschooling group! It was a fun morning for the kids, and for Mike who went down some really fun slides....

That same night....

I was crazy enough to host our Homeschool Mom's Night out, which is our annual Cookie Exchange...This was planned before the water park and was really a lot of fun. About 13 of us were there...Smaller than usual, but fun and intimate. We also exchange ornaments, and I got two black carolers, which I really love. My friend Sheila told me to name the girl Takina (is that right, Sheila?) because she (or Sarah...my memory is failing...) had a dream that she wanted to be called that name...and the boy she wanted me to name Caleb, after my Caleb because she had bought the girls ornaments last year, and wanted him to have one this year.

This....

is just a picture I love...Bekah is a Daddy's girl in very way....

Jesus celebrated Hanukkah...

Our church had a Hanukkah celebration on the 21st, the first night of Hanukkah. We learned about the celebration, and that Jesus celebrated it too. The girls and I got to take part by Hebrew Dancing. The little girls did the first dance with us, and I got to do two other dances...both of which are my favorite! It was a special night. Smallworld
made latkes and applesauce...very yummy!
My girls...

Halle and Elisa in their dancing dresses

Here we all are...very colorful and ready to dance...

Finally...

some pictures under the tree...

and getting our annual "kiss Caleb under the tree" pose

Our First Gingerbread House...

A little Christmas tour ....

I love decorating for Christmas, and this was our first one in our new home...here are a few of my favorite things...

Our tree...I love that the ornaments each have a story...one that someone made...someone gave us...our first Christmas ornaments...I love our tree! and my mom made the awesome tree skirt...which you can't really see...but it is really cute...

Our stockings...not traditional red and green, I know...another gift from my mom who is amazing at sewing. About four years ago, I wanted us all to have matching stockings, so I gave her our biggest one (we love stuffing them), and we went shopping. I decided to have the tops of the stockings be each of our favorite colors...Elisa was only one..so I took the liberty to choose hers...I was wrong! Mom also embroiders, so she put our names on them...not traditional, like I said...but very special to me...oh! and I like the greenery on the mantle...

Our nativity...again...a gift from my mom. It is called Fontanini, and I love the figures and the fact you can buy more than a village full of people and animals to go along with it. On the left side of the stable we have four "village people" who we picked out because their names are: Caleb, Rebekah, and Elisabeth...the other one's name is Gabriel. We actually bought him before we had kids, and it held a special meaning to me as I brought him out this year. Ironically, that was what we had named our baby who I miscarried earlier this year. Each person comes with a story of how they might have lived in Bethlehem....and they are beautiful....

I have this big picture in my entryway, which doesn't scream Christmas, and I knew I wanted this little tree on the table, so I wrapped it...the little tree has ornaments that are part of an advent calendar I did with the kids this year...each day of Advent had a little book that was an ornament and told a little bit of the Christmas story...we also put our Adorenament ornaments on it, which each have a different name for Jesus

And Christmas Eve...

We, and by that I mean, me, like to dress up for Christmas Eve service...I mean where else are my girls going to where their Christmas dresses..? Here are our Christmas Eve pictures....

Year End Review First Sentence Meme...

2008-12-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

I was going, really going to catch up on December before wrapping up the year, but Smallworld posted this and it was too fun not to do right now...

As the year winds down, it's always fun to go back and scan the year in blog posts. Today I'll be playing the "First Sentence" meme. Tomorrow, I'll be doing the "Favorite Posts" post. Join me if you want! Here's how…How to Play. 1) Look back to your archives for 2008.2) Collect the first sentence you wrote every month for the whole year. (This doesn't have to be the literal first day of the month--just the first post.)3) Entertain us on your blog, link back here, and post a comment here with the link to your blog. (And if you're blogless, just remember the first sentence you spoke every month for the whole year and post it here.)

And so...here are mine....

January: Last night I was supposed to be online searching for "activities for the letter N" to get ready for my Monday fun class, when my fingers made it over to another web site that led me to the exciting news of my NKOTB.

February (not my finest month of the year) : Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…

March: .....wasn't posting.....

April: Home again, home again, jiggety jig...that is what my mom always says after coming home from vacation.

May: After seven months of wondering if we would ever sell our house....We did!

June: Tonight is the last night we will spend together at our first house. We don't move until Tuesday, but the kids are all spending the night at friends tomorrow so we can do both closings and moving on Tuesday, and they can play.

July: I found this tag on Suzanne's blog, who got it from Tina's blog...so, anyway, thought I would play along...

August: I'm thinking if I never see a can of pink paint again, it will be to soon. (ok, I just made that up...obviously I was a little too lazy to blog in August...)

September: Summer is officially over around here,well, except for all this heat....we started school four weeks ago, which I can't believe.

October: I have been so busy trying to move my blog over from homeschool blogger, that I haven't had time..or at least taken the time to write anything new....here are some of my rambles...

November: Happy election day! I just got back from voting with Mike, the first time we got to go together. And it's our anniversary..how romantic.

December: Please pray for Stellan, this precious little two month old boy who is already a miracle to his parents. (I can't believe this is my only December post....better get crackin...or posting...)

OK...so that was my stroll down memory lane....what about you? It's your turn!!

Prayers for Stellan

2008-12-29T19:21:00.001-08:00

Please pray for Stellan, this precious little two month old boy who is already a miracle to his parents. He has a severe case of RSV and is very, very sick. After having been through this myself, my heart is heavy for this family.
This little guy has already proven the doctors that miracles can happen by being born healthy after having heart failure in the womb. You can read more about him and his family here....

Christmas Music...

2008-11-29T14:05:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I love Christmas music. When I was little we would listen to The Osmonds Christmas (no laughing) It was all the kids favorite in my house. We changed "It Never Snows in LA" to "It Never Snows in FLA" after we moved to Florida. We would have parts for "Pinecones and Hollyberries/ It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas."

Other albums we would listen to were : Nat King Cole Christmas, Johnny Mathis, and I think Ray Coniff, though I know need to call mom on that one...

As I got older, Amy Grant's" Tennesee Christmas" became a Christmas must, as all her Christmas albums are for me. As are Michael W. Smith's and Steven Curtis Chapman's. In the late 90's my favorite was "Emmanuel", a compilation album with many Christian artists, and then "Child of the Promise," my very favorite the last seven years. It is also a compilation album that tells the story of Christ from the prophets to the birth of Christ, including Herod and the wise men.

And then this year, my friend, Sam, gave me Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb." It is another compilation cd, but it begins with Moses and the passover, and endswith the birth of Christ. Normally, I don't break out my Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving, but Sam had asked me to learn and sing a song from the cd (Labor of Love) with him at church.

And so, for a few weeks now, the kids and I have been listening to this cd, which really could be a for anytime of the year. My kids favorite is called "Matthew Begats," where he sings of Christ's lineage from Abraham....it is quite catchy, though I don't know if I will ever memorize it. One of my favorites is the song about Moses where he sings "Lord let your judgement passover us, Lord let your love hover near, don't let your sweet mercy pass over us let your blood cover over us here."

This has become my "new" favorite Christmas cd, that is really not a Christmas cd...so, what about you? Do you love or hate Christmas music? And if you love it, what is your favorite?

The Sound of Music

2008-11-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, every year around Thanksgiving or Christmas, The Sound of Music would be on t.v. This year The Incredibles, and The Polar Express were on, and while I like both of those movies, I really wanted to sit and watch The Sound of Music with my kids...

The ridiculous thing was, the moment Julie Andrews was shown on the mountain top singing, I burst into tears...and did so with every song...

I have such fond memories of singing these songs with my mom and my sisters. Mom would get out her records that were soundtracks to musicals all the time , and we would dance and sing. This is the music I was brought up on.

It was really neat to share that with my girls. Caleb was downstairs playing the Wii with his cousin...Elisa told him, "you have to see it, it has such good songs."

We only made it to the intermission last night, so tonight as we turned it on Caleb asked, "Can we start it at the beginning?" Yeah for me! And for Mike, since he is at the Tennessee-Kentucky football game.

Homeschool Memoirs #15: A Thankful Heart

2008-11-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

This week's Homeschool Memoirs calls for 27 things we're thankful (U.S. Thanksgiving being on the 27th this year).
So, here is my list...

My husband of 13 years, Mike, who makes me laugh and who loves me...
Caleb, who teaches me more than I teach him
Bekah, who always makes me giggle
Elisa, who always is there to cuddle or give me a hug
Jesus, who loves me no matter how much I mess up
Forgiveness....
My new house. What an answer to prayer that we had to wait, and wait to sell, but ended up in this house...
My parents, sisters, and brothers, even though we don't always see eye to eye...
My friends...I have an abundance of friends, in many different aspects of my life....they are my family, sisters when I feel abandoned by my "real" ones.
Danielle, who has been my friend for 10 years...and closest to me at heart, though we live thousands of miles apart...
My in-laws, who are very good to us.
Singing....it always makes me happy
Dancing...I don't know which I love better, singing or dancing, and I am so thankful I have been given the gift to do both....
Mike's job...we were very blessed last year when he got this job. Not only does he enjoy it more, the doors closed this summer at his old job.
Living in Tennessee...I can't believe it has been 7 1/2 years, but I can't imagine living any place else....
Staying home with my kids....I can't imagine a day without them...
Laughter...though mine may be very loud, I do love to laugh...at people and with them!
Our health...it has been a rough year for us...but we are all healthy...
Games...
Living on a cul-de-sac and watching my kids ride their bikes in the road...
My church, and our ministers...
Those two people, who come and spend every Sunday with us...and who better not leave us....
My job...though I may not always want to leave to get there...it is too much fun coaching gymnastics...
Coffee, which I never enjoyed until I started homeschooling, but now is so comforting in the morning.
Whipped cream...because it helps my sugar cravings...
My computer...oh, I do love checking my email and reading blogs...
My life...here I am with a husband, 3 kids...living in Tn...life is good...

The Birthday Party....

2008-11-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

A week after my little girl turned 5, we got to have her birthday party. There were two reasons for this : 1. Her daddy had to work on her birthday, so we couldn't have it then, and 2. whew! glad it worked out that way since she had critters in her hair on her birthday, and we would have had to cancel it.

I did move it over to my church, in case people were a little weird about being in our clean, but recently bugged house. She chose a garden party, and it was one of our most successful parties to date....very fun....here are some pictures....

The birthday girl...

Elisa and her best friend, Halle

Elisa's cupcake cake....I was really excited about doing this....my friend Cyndi let me use some of her decorating "supplies" and cupcake stand....

Two sisters and their flower pots and tissue paper flowers....

Homeschool Memoirs #14

2008-11-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

This week's Homeschool Memoirs is "to post the category that best describes each of your family members and write something about why you nominated them in that category." So here goes…

Hardest Worker

Mike has a crazy schedule. He works for Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a Nuclear Reactor Operator. Some days he works 7 a.m.-7 p.m., some days it is 7 p.m.-7 a.m....some weeks it is three days right into three nights...They call that "hell week," which is what he is finishing up this week. I don't know how he is able to switch his body's clock around so much. He works hard for our family so I get to be at home and enjoy our kids....even on hell week.

Most Imaginative

Caleb has the biggest imagination. He has many imaginary friends who not only have names, but some have football stats. He came up with a club called the "Imagines," with different levels for different ages. He thinks up new games, makes some awesome lego creations, and is always creating something out of paper, string, glue, boxes...etc....I always learn something new from him...

Best Giggler

Bekah can't keep a straight face. Even when being punished, she looks at you with a grin. She giggles through everything. And has the best laugh. We all have to laugh when she does because it is so honest. Bekah can (almost) always put a smile on my face.

Best I can get away with much because I am so cute

Oh, yes. This little girl...She is about the cutest little bit in the world. With those big eyes (we have no idea where they came from) and big dimples, she melts your heart. And tries to get away with much because of it. While I am not always fooled by such antics (!) Mike and I do have to turn around and laugh when she has done something wrong because even when she is crying...well, she is too darn cute.

Best Bunny

I can't include family awards without including Little Joe. He is Caleb's faithful friend, having been in his life since he was a month old. Little Joe goes just about everywhere with Caleb. And I have come to love him so much too.

Quietest

Ahhhh, I love the goldfish! They never yell at me...they are so polite when I feed them, they never complain. And, they never fight. What good little pets.

Three beautiful things...

2008-11-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

OK, I wasn't going to post another blog today, because I wanted to make sure everyone saw my precious girl on her birthday...so if you missed that one go to it next :)

But, Smallworld had to go and post her three beautiful things, causing me to think, and then want to post my own....here they are...

1. My Elisa's birthday and the look on her face with each gift...she got an extra gift because one of her gifts was this sweet bunny we got at Build A Bear...but with the whole lice thing, she can't have any animals, and I didn't want to give her that from C and B and then say, "sorry, that's all you got, now she goes away for a few weeks." So, she got a little extra!

2. Caleb making a banner and taping it to one of his chairs so she would have a special "birthday seat" where she could open her presents...he is very creative and wrote "yah! you're 5! Happy Birthday!"

3.Hearing Bekah in the bathroom say,"I Love you, E" and Elisa saying it back....they are dear, dear sisters....especially since Elisa got the Pet Shop Bekah has "always wanted"...Bekah said "oh, you will share with big sister, right?"

Baby girl....

2008-11-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Look who I was blessed with five years ago today!!!

Elisa was our surprise baby. Not because we didn't want three, we just wanted a third a year or two later...Caleb was 3 1/2 and Bekah was 1 1/2 when she was born.

To say that first year was hectic, stressful, sleep deprived, would be an understatement. But, look what I got in return!! This little girl brightens my life, and all those she meets. She is precious.

I have actually dreaded today for awhile because she is, well 5 now...and my youngest...but this morning I heard her little feet running to my room and I couldn't wait to see her and wish her a happy birthday. I said "is that my 5 year old?" And her face lit up. She melts my heart.

The first thing she wanted to do was work on....school. It's Saturday, but she says it is her birthday and she pulled out he Explode the Code 1 book, and went to work...she is also very funny..and loves to learn....

Festivities won't be too grand today, what with the lice and all...but we will enjoy her as a family...play games, read books, watch movies...whatever she wants to do...we did pick out funfetti brownies for dessert....

I love this little girl, and I am so happy to have had these 5 years with her,even if they flew by....and I can't wait for the next 5, and the next....

Happy Birthday, Baby girl!!! (She did tell me I could still call her that...)

Ewwww....

2008-11-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

*update*

just found first bug in Bekah's hair...now going real crazy here.....

So, a few weeks ago, my kids took part in a play for church called "Kids Under Construction." It was so sweet, and so special, and all were very touched at our church. The kids all wore overalls, or overall dresses, in my girls case, and I braided the girls hair in Laura Ingalls braids. Elisa complained from the beginning that her hair was too tight and that it itched.

And itch she did. Through the whole play. She would do her hand motions with one hand, and itch with the other. Everyone said how cute she was, but it bothered me that, after all the practices she was up there scratching...she was cute, though, scratches and all...anyway, I turned to my friend , Tamara, who was sitting next to me and I said "you probably think she has lice....she doesn't"

Guess where this is going?
The scratching continued, and I asked my mom about it. Her advice was that Elisa probably has a dry scalp....

What are we in denial here?
So, tonight Mike helped her wash her hair, making sure it was clean. But, when I brushed it out, it was still dirty...and then when it was dry, I saw it...a bug...a brown bug (lice is white, right?) Nope, not if they have been there LONG ENOUGH...

So tonight I spent 3 hours pulling what had to have been over 70 (ugh) eggs out of my precious girls hair until 12:30 a.m.....tomorrow, more laundry and the bagging up of pillows and stuffed animals....

Ewwww...my head itches....

Glimpses of Fall in Tennessee...

2008-11-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

Yah! My computer is working downstairs again...so now I get to post pictures of what has been going on around here this fall.... September is the beginning of our Scout "year"...Here is my Bear and my Tenderfoot...

Here are the Tenderfoot girls helping to decorate our church...

We went to the Oak Ridge Playhouse to see The Velveteen Rabbit...Caleb had to bring Little Joe, of course!

Bekah learned how to ride a bike without her training wheels...

We finally have a house with trees, so lots of leaves for great pictures in the fall...and for Caleb to have to rake...

Need I say anything? Fun night...great movie...

And, of course Halloween where I had a knight, Pocahontas (historical figure, not Disney Princess, and Cinderella....you know, Disney Princess)

The kids with the awesome trick or treat bags I made that day out of tank tops...very cute...

And...Mike and I as a Catholic School couple....I found my 8th grade uniform that afternoon..and well...instant costume!! Unfortunately, it didn't fit as well as it had 20 years ago....

Homeschool Memoirs #12: Let's Play a Game!

2008-11-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

This week at Homeschool Memoirs:

Homeschool Memoirs #12: Let’s Play A Game!Homeschoolers are very resourceful people. They use what they have and use them to their best ability. I know in our home many times people ask us how we use this or that for learning, and we are happy to explain it’s value. I think the main thing that a lot of people miss is that life is learning, and you must use everything in your home for learning otherwise you won’t fully be prepared.

I love to play games. We played games growing up, and I have very fond memories of playing cards and Yahtzee with my Grandma. While we don't play as much as I would like...we do love games in the Williams house....Here are some of our favorites...

Go fish...we play the traditional game, we play with states and their capitals, with colors, shapes, and with Dora the Explorer...

Memory...same thing....we do this with whatever kind of card we have to match...

Great States, Jr....This one is a great way to explore and learn about the country...

Battleship...Caleb and I love this game. I love strategy games, and he does too...and has smoked me a few times at it...but the girls enjoy this too...

We also have pizza games for fractions, games with making shapes into a picture....and, of course, the High School Musical games, which you know, teach, ummm memory skills when learning songs and dance moves....

Yahtzee is a favorite around here too, though we haven't moved past the Disney game...I will have to get out five dice and teach them the real way to play....

And, of course, we love Candyland, and Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, and Disney princess...

Thirteen years...

2008-11-04T18:14:00.001-08:00

Thirteen years ago today, I married my best friend. Today we celebrated by going to vote together, and then a trip to Cades Cove with Mike's mom and her husband, who have been visiting all week, and finally our annual trip to the Melting Pot (alone) for dinner....

I am stuffed, and ate a lot of that sugar I said I gave up a year ago, and now await the election results.

But, all that aside, I have to say, I love you, my Mikie. I am so thankful to have you in my life. You make me laugh, you are a great dad and a wonderful husband, and I enjoy being with you and being married to you....

Happy Anniversary!!!

Aren't we cute?!!

Election Day....

2008-11-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

Happy election day! I just got back from voting with Mike, the first time we got to go together. And it's our anniversary..how romantic.

Now, I am not real political, but I do believe people should exercise their right to vote...even if they don't agree with how the votes are counted. I was in line behind my friend, Alina, who became a citizen last year. This was her first time to vote. What a privilege we have in this country.

So...If you haven't already...get out and VOTE!!!

Something beautiful this morning

2008-10-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

Not that I didn't have enough guilt that the other morning one of my three beautiful things wasn't about Caleb...
That morning we had butted heads over a missing vocabulary book and a messy room. So, that was not one of my beautiful things that day....

And then Sam has to come along and make a comment that I left Caleb out....one day you will understand Sammy... anyway....

This morning...my beautiful thing...
Sitting up at the bar eating breakfast with my little man, who asked, "Can I sit next to you today, Mommy?"

Three beautiful things...

2008-10-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

Smallworld asked...so I will answer...
What is beautiful in my life?

-My little Bekah girl reading anything and everything now. She reads my emails as I type them, signs, books...I am so proud of her.

-My Elisa, who is four, but will be five in three short weeks. She is my baby....but today came out in a dress that I have had for two years (it's a size 3 and had yet to fit her) Not only did it fit, with a matching hat...we had a fun time outside taking pictures for her birthday invitations...that is, until she got a little cold without tights on...

-My afghan from my mom. She made this a few years ago when she and my dad were out of town for almost six months so they could take care of his aunt. She picked out colors to match my living room, but I love it on top of my comforter on a cold night to help keep me warm.

What is beautiful in your life today?

Homeschool Memoirs #10: 10 timely facts...

2008-10-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am very late in doing this this week, mainly because.... I have had a cold and I haven't felt like blogging, and because all I have done lately is blow my nose and couldn't find anything interesting about myself. But, as I sit here on this rainy day and have nothing to do...well don't feel like it anyway...I have made list of some interesting things...here goes..

I love to dance...I dance anywhere and everywhere I can and one day hope to learn how to "Riverdance"
I love Sushi, and could probably eat it every day.
I also love gymnastics, and when I was 13, I got to do an exhibition with Peter Vidmar, who was a member of the 1984 Olympic gold medal men's gymnastics team.
I wanted to be a nurse all my life... Until my senior year of high school, when my mom talked me out of it saying the profession wasn't what it used to be. (she was a nurse) Instead, surprisingly enough, I studied communications, and wanted to be a sports broadcaster.
I really want to deliver a baby some day, and can't get enough of baby shows.
I am very loud...Mike makes fun of my laugh and says the neighbors at the end of the street can hear me...
I have a crush on Zac Efron from High School Musical. Mike knows this and makes fun of me. Bekah once put one of her baseball cards of him on my night stand...I'm thinking this has gone too far...
I love crafty things. In the past, I have loved scrapbooking and stamping. Right now, it is vinyl lettering, which you rub onto your walls and makes such a great way to decorate.
I love to sleep in...and I turn on the Disney channel before I go to be, so when my kids wake up, they have their electronic babysitter until I am ready to roll out of bed...you don't have to tell me what a great mom I am...I already know!
I gave up sugar a year ago after I kept seeing it grow and grow in my stomach...I am a little too obsessed with how my jeans fit...

So..there you have it...a little bit more about me...

The big night...

2008-10-24T08:18:00.001-07:00

The kids and I have been waiting for this since last August...since we saw High School Musical 2....

Today it has arrived, High School Musical 3 in the theater!

Now, I feel like, well, crap, and I have done very little this week with school, no energy for finding out 10 interesting things to blog about me, and we skipped a field trip today, but we will head out tonight for our family date to see High School Musical...

Two flower girls and a ring bearer...

2008-10-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last January my friend, Jenny and I got together for our not so annual birthday dinner. We were both born on January 13, just 11 years apart. I don't remember when we became friends, we just did, and we like to celebrate our birthdays, at some point, together.

She had just gotten engaged, and we had fun talking about weddings and her dress. I joked with her and asked if I could be her flower girl. She laughed and said, "well ever since I met you, and Caleb was little, I told my mom I wanted him to be my ring bearer when I got married, and then you had two little girls, and want them to be my flower girls." I was so excited, because I had always wanted to be a flower girl, but never was.

This past Friday was the wedding. We rehearsed on Thursday night. The wedding was at the Bleak house, a historic house in Knoxville. It was so beautiful there, and a beautiful evening. The next day was overcast all day, but about 30 minutes before the wedding was to begin, the sun came out and it was amazing. My eyes teared up as...ok, well as my kids came down the aisle so sweetly. And again as I saw Jenny and Larry.

It was exhausting, to say the least. And the incredibly cute shoes I chose to wear ended up putting the biggest blister on the side of my foot, and I still can't walk very well. But it was so special to be a part of all this...so here are a few of my pictures, much to the photographers dismay who told me "you can go to my web site and look at the ones I took, then you can buy them..." Oh well, mine aren't too shabby. Mike told me I should have told her, "and you can go to my blog and view mine, for free."

Here are my little sweeties, getting ready to leave for the wedding, and looking so beautiful!

This is the top of the aisle, which was at the top of a hill...

Here is the beautiful bride, now Jenny Ray.

All the girls...one of my favorite things about this wedding is they all wore flip flops...why wasn't I that smart?

Ok, this one loaded sideways, and since the computer it is loaded on isn't doing so hot...this is as good as it gets right now...so...my girlies and their baskets...

And the most handsome ring bearer...I had to back off on pictures when the photographer got snippy with me, so I didn't get too much of the guys....but I am free to take as many of this guy as I want!

Talk at the house...

2008-10-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

A few things Bekah is saying to Elisa at this moment.
"Come on, Elisa, let's read the Bible to our suffed animals. Let's read Genesis, Genesis is the best." Elisa says, "Genesis?" and Bekah says, "Yeah, you know the first book of the Bible. In the beginning...."and she goes on the read the first chapter of the Bible to Elisa...
"Now do you want me to read out of Luke?" "No," says Elisa...."Just a little bit?" asks Bekah... "OK."
This is a milestone, let me tell you...not that she is reading the Bible, but that she is willingly reading. On her own. And not complaining...

Earlier today, Bekah said, "Mommy, what was the other state we learned about yesterday? New Hamster?"

Fall Festival....

2008-10-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

Last year I posted how I love our annual Foothills Fall Festival. How it is something the kids and I look forward to every year. How I love that they perform their gymnastics and dance skills with Tumblebears.....and then Mike had to work. Again. For the third year in a row. I am thinking he has caught on to the craziness earlier than I have, and is starting to plan his schedule to include working this weekend....

I started out Friday with my friend Joy, and her three kids, who are all friends with mine. Now, I have to say that while this is the FALL Festival, it never fails to be the hottest weekend in the fall. While we did have a good time, you take six kids who want to go in at least three different directions with two moms and no dads...and it makes for a long time waiting in lines, keeping those waiting happy, and trying to keep them cool while paying $2.00 for water.

Caleb found a jousting game he wanted to play, but when he asked Ezra if he would play him, Ez said no. So with tears in his eyes, he looks at me and says , "guess I wont get to do this until next year." So, with tears in mine, (for not wanting to do this) I say, "I will do it with you." So I put on this huge outfit, and to top it off, they add an extra weight to the top of my head. I will say it was fun to do this with Caleb, and I thought "He better remember this the next time he says I don't do anything for him." I did smoke him in the game...and looked fondly on it until I read Sarah's facebook where Leigh had left a message saying "Ewww, hope you didn't let your kids put any helmets on." That's when my head started itching. I keep telling myself we were the first ones to use those outfits.

The rest of the day was fun, but so exhausting, and much grumbling and fighting on the way home. That was before I even HAD to be there because of my job teaching gymnastics and any of the kids performances.

I didn't think it could be hotter than last year, where everyone had burn marks on their bodies from the sun melting the mats they were tumbling on. This year, it was feet that were burned. I no sooner showed up when my co-workers showed me their bright red knees and feet. Let me just say, hours in the sun watching, spotting, and leading gymnastics, equals tired and grumpy instructors, and more whiny children who would rather be going on "the rides."

The highlight...and there is one...my girls started a new class this year called cheer gym. (they both thought they were too big for my tippy toe and tumble class) Anyway, they were so cute doing their cheers for the Vols, and dancing to High School Musical, Elisa being the one they lifted up for the stunt. My other highlight...I led the little girls I teach to the song Dancing Queen (one of my favorites ever) (and my girls said they wished they knew we were dancing to this song...they would have joined us...)

(Side note....when my desktop is feeling better, I have great pictures to add....until then, I need to add a photo program to the lap top, or you will just have to visualize my jousting, lice infested outfit!)

Homeschool Memoirs #1...Study Spot

2008-10-08T06:39:00.001-07:00

For the past three years, I have homeschooled in : the dining room, Caleb's room, the kitchen table, the living room, and anywhere else where we could squeeze. It was maddening trying to find pencils and math books every morning, not to mention where I last left the history book.

But not this year! We have been very blessed to moved into a wonderful house with a lot of room and an extra room in our basement that "could be used as a second kitchen" (so our realtor told us) She must not have realized the need for a school room.

This room is where so much of our schooling gets done. (Caleb does like to sneak off to his room since the girls occasionally "distract him") I did have bigger plans for it this summer, putting in new lights, a fun wall color, some art....none of which got done, but I did ,after all, just move. None of that really bothers me right now, because when I grab my coffee in the morning, sometimes dressed, sometimes still in my p.j.'s, I walk down to that room and know exactly where my books are. I know where their pencils are, and all their workbooks are put in their baskets on a shelf....and did I mention the built in shelves that were already in place?

This may not look organized....but everything is according to subject. These were built in by the original owners who grew grapes and made their own wine, so they were wine racks, but must have been thinking about a homeschool family who desperately needed shelving for all these books.

I had never heard of Strawberry Rhubarb wine before...

Mike about fell over when I had it all up. "Where did you have all that at the old house?" he said. "Oh, a little bit here, a little bit there." I have been banned for awhile from curriculum fairs...

I love this room...it may have no windows, but really has kept my temper in check in the morning and has helped with my sanity...This has been my favorite year of homeschooling.

Who is running this household?

2008-10-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

Mike is off for most of this week, so that means he gets to run errands for me while I am lovingly teaching our children here :) Today I needed him to go to the post office and walmart for just a few, and I mean few things on my list. The thing about sending Mike on these ventures is, he comes home with many things that aren't on my list, like a new movie or two, or a new Wii game...

Elisa axed, I mean asked if she could go with him today. So, the two left, after Mike told me there would be no extra movies. Now, when I get the grand opportunity to take my kids to Walmart, I do try to avoid aisles with things I don't want in my house, or things I don't want them to eat. I need to train my Mike(y) better....he was on the aisle with the fruit snacks. These in themselves are not so bad, in fact, since they say "fruit" on them, I get pumped because Bekah won't eat fruit, but will eat fruit snacks. OK , not the same thing...

Anyway, I have kept these out of the house since Elisa has had problems with her teeth, and her dentist had said not to have chewy things because of the caps in the back. Oh, and they are filled with sugar. So, Mike is with Elisa and she asks for some and he says, "NO." She really wanted the princess ones and Mike said, "but Caleb won't like to have princess ones." She picks them up anyway, along with some hotwheel fruit snacks for Caleb. And Mike says, "what makes you think we are getting those?" To which she says, "because I have decided we are."

My kids are happily eating Princess and Hotwheel fruit snacks after lunch today...

A Brave weekend...

2008-10-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got the chance to get away with my friend, Gina, and go to a women's retreat in Lexington, KY. The theme was Brave Women. The reason I wanted to go is because I had been reading this amazing blog , Bring the Rain,since the summer. My friend Joy told me about it, and said to read it with a lot of kleenex. Angie Smith, the writer/ blogger/woman who writes it started the blog when she found out last January the baby she was carrying was terminal. This blog is a testimony of her faith, and a huge encouragement to me this summer, as I was longing for my own baby that I had miscarried earlier this year. All I can say is, read it, you will love it and her...
Anyway, she was speaking at this retreat and I just really wanted to go. So I did.

Pretty much there were the women of Southland Christian Church there, and me and Gina. (who were feeling a bit stalker-ish by going...and we did end up meeting a few more stalkers there) I did get to meet and talk with Angie, and let her know while I did feel like a stalker, I was so glad to meet her. Turns out she likes that people stalk her blog...so no harm done.

What I didn't expect from this weekend was everything else I got from it. I can't write down all I learned and loved about this weekend, but I can say it was comforting to my soul. Comforting that so many women are going through storms, and I am not the only one. Comforting to know I am not alone in the storm I am in...and learning that there really is joy in every circumstance, and if I could just choose to be joyful....well, then I can make it through this and any other storm...

And I had a great weekend with Gina. I got to learn more about her, and really hear her heart about the storms in her life. It was real refreshing to get away, and to drink a lot of Starbucks (it's really nice when your friend gets her discount there)

Of course, I had to come home to girls who were filthy (thank you Diane!) and exhausted, and weepy, and hungry, and whiny.....and a little boy who had spent his day looking for pot, I mean pottery....sometimes I wonder if it pays off to get away when you come home to everyone grumpy and tired....but it was worth it, especially since I did get to meet Angie and ask her about her pirate panties...

A few words from Caleb...

2008-10-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

I don't get many "Caleb-isms," as I call them, any more. Caleb reads anything and everything he can, so, he doesn't give me many "cute" words or stories like he used to...basically because I think he knows more than I do about many things....anyway, this week I got two good ones from him...

We were on our way to Monday Fun last week and he wanted to get his family tree filled in for Cub scouts, which meets this week...I have no idea where this child got this because Mike and I fully believe in waiting until the last minute to do anything....anyway, so, eight days early he is asking me how to spell Grandma Lacy's name and Papa Lacy's name, and then his great grand parents names...and I said, "What about my mom and dad? Do you know their names?" "Yes,"he said." Ok, well did you write them down?" "Yes," he said. "How did you spell them?" Now, I asked this because many people don't put the e in the middle of my mom's name, and I just want to know. He said, ..D-o-n...and ...R-o-s-e(I am so proud) a-n-t..Roseant.

I was away this weekend, so my kids were scattered at friends houses. Caleb went to Duncan's and had a wonderful time...Duncan being one of his very best friends. You never know what these two will get into, but I wasn't expecting this....
On the way home I asked what he did, and as he is telling me of his adventures he says, "and Miss Sarah took us on a long walk so we could look for more pot."
Now, I am really tired after driving that afternoon, but I am pretty sure this is what I heard and I am laughing...and Gina is in the back with the girls trying not to laugh. I said, "pot?" He said, "yeah mom, you know, as in pottery." Oh, "Well, Caleb, pot and pottery are actually two very different things." To which he says, "so, what is pot?" Well..."that is for for another time....glad you had a lot of fun...."

It is done...

2008-10-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have never been more thankful that I don't post as much as Smallworld, than I am at this moment...after one week....my blog is transferred, and I am officially a blogspot blogger...Whoo hoo!!
It has been really fun looking over my posts from the last year and a half and having a place to remember what it is I have forgotten. Some made me laugh...others made me cry...but this is my life and my journey...and each memory is a gift...

Ramblings...

2008-10-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy trying to move my blog over from homeschool blogger, that I haven't had time..or at least taken the time to write anything new....here are some of my rambles...

~Bekah came up to me this morning, after having lost a tooth yesterday and said "Mommy the tooth fairy forgot to come." Whoops...I forgot after being out last night and then meeting my parents at the airport. I told her "that happened to me once too....I think I got two extra quarters." That was good enough for her.

~Today after bootcamp I was on my way home and had Duncan with me. It was just Elisa and I at bootcamp since the other two had dentist appointments. Now, Duncan is really Caleb's friend, and his age, but Duncan has a soft spot for Elisa. It started, I think, when Sarah would watch Elisa for me once a week so I could take Bekah to mommy and me gymnastics classes...about 4 years ago. Anyway, Sarah and I have decided Duncan and Elisa will get married. He winks at her in church, and even today at walmart, they walked around like the best of friends. He even carried her new swimsuit for her to the cashier...and then leaned on her shoulder while waiting to check out. I thought "I never want to forget this...what if they really do end up married...?"

~I saw my parents last night for the first time in over two months...which is really strange since they live here....but, when they were on vacation in WA state, my dad had a heart attack, and a quadruple bypass...so they have been staying with Amy since August. It was so go to see them last night, if only for a few minutes, but the best thing of all was....my dad had to give up smoking, which he has done for the last 50 years...and for the first time, my dad didn't stink, he looked great and healthy, even after open heart surgery. Weird, I know, but I didn't have to hold my breath when going to give him a hug.

I must now attempt a nap...and then on to transferring over my blog more, and reloading all the pictures I previously moved over...don't ask...it will just further prove how computer illiterate I am...

Good news..and bad news...

2008-09-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

So, the good news is....last night I spent the evening with my friend Tamara, whose husband is in Uganda on a mission trip...and she is here with her two young kids....
Anyway, after much talking, I was out past midnight, so when I went to wash my face last night it was about 12:15...and what happens then....the stupid alarm. So, I am washing my face and hear the stinking thing right next to me. So, I look through soapy eyes and see my ipod (not the original ipod culprit, the other one) is lit up. And that was it....I hit menu and see someone has set an alarm to go off at 12:22 am (ipod time, not mine :) ) Mike claims his innocence, but I think he is waiting to see if I do indeed, go crazy...just kidding honey...but sounds like a controversy to me...
So, for the bad news...Bekah started coughing last week and wheezing on Sunday. I keep waiting for the day they tell me she has asthma because of the RSV she had as a newborn. So, I take her in today, and she has walking pneumonia...again....and she hasn't slowed down this time either...and has worn me out today.
But at least I will sleep all the way through 12:15 tonight...

What is that?

2008-09-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago, I woke up to a sound of six dings, for lack of a better word. I thought it was coming from my bathroom, so I got up to check it out and saw the ipod, so I figured it had an alarm on it. I went back to bed.
For the last week, it has happened every night. No ipod in my bathroom, and I don't even know where it is coming from. The first night I heard it again I woke up Mike, who was sick and really not happy that I asked him to check out the house. Our house is like Fort Knox, thanks to the previous owners. It has an alarm that sounds when all windows, doors, and garages are opened. It has stoppers on the back of all doors, so that even if someone picked a lock, they couldn't open the door. (my imagination runs a little wild with possible intruders) Anyway, Mike, in his not feeling so good state, walks around the house and finds nothing.
The next night, I am on the couch because Mike is hacking up a lung in our room, and again...this stupid alarm. So, I check out the house...nothing...and the next night and the next...and I realized the last two nights it goes off at 12:15 a.m. What is this sound? I have had both our cell phones next to me, to see if it the have an alarm...nope...I don't think it is the ipod, though it will stay close to me tonight...
Ahhhh....have you seen the Friends episode with the smoke alarm? Just call me Phoebe....at this point, I just want to go to sleep without being jolted awake by this annoying, irritating, bothersome alarm...make it stop.....
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Comments
Sep. 20, 2008 - hmmm
Posted by TheMonkeyParade
Do you have timers in other places? Like your stove or microwave? Maybe they are set for a 24 hour cycle....
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Sep. 20, 2008 - ding
Posted by Anonymous
could it be the fridge not being all the shut, or the dishwasher? maybe you are just crazy and have rabies. who knows? it's probly the second choice.
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Sep. 20, 2008 - ding
Posted by sam
i forgot to write my name on that last comment. it was not some random person insulting you. just sam. have a good one.
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Sep. 22, 2008 - ding too
Posted by Barbara
I actually had this same thing. We had moved into our new 4 level split and all the childrens' bedrooms were upstairs while my husband and I slept in a room underneath them. One night when I went up to nurse a baby I heard what was definitely a digital watch beeping its ubiquitous "beep-beep, beep-beep" 32 times before turning off. So I knew what it was, but why was my husband's watch alarm set for 12:30am? didn't make sense. In the morning I asked him, and after checking we realized it was not his watch. I don't have one, the kids don't have one. And we forgot all about it. Until the next time I had to feed a baby or check on a sick kid. The kids all slept through it, but it drove me crazy! Eventually it stopped (I assume the batteries died) and we never found it. Until,..... We were doing some renovations and hiding inside the hollow core door of my nursing son's bedroom (which had a hole in the bottom from a door stopper incident) was just the face of a digital watch, left here lovingly by the teen aged boy who slept in that room before we bought his house. A cruel prank, but very clever if you think about it! Barbara (formerly bestsister) http://www.fuelbybarbara.blogspot.com

During prayer time tonight...

2008-09-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Elisa: "Dear God, please help the terrorists know better than that...."
Bekah:"Lord, please help the terrorists to be Christians."
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Sep. 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Gina
Your children have the biggest hearts and understand so easily what it means to love as Christ loves us! Your family is amazing!

Storms...

2008-09-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

We haven't had rain here in quite a while, and when we we leaving soccer practice last night Caleb said, "Look mom, there is lightning" After we got home and got showers and the kids got to bed ,it started. And it rained and rained. Bekah came out and said, "is it going to thunder?" It did. And each time she came out. My girls hate thunder.
When we lived at the "old" house, The kids were on the top floor, and Mike and I were on the main floor. So, for seven years, they had the rain pounding over their heads, not me. Now,I am on the main floor with the girls and when it rains, I think it is going to come through the roof....it has been awhile since I have heard it...
Mike is working nights right now, and it is always hard for me to fall asleep the first night he is on shift. So, I enjoyed the rain and my computer. When I finally got to bed, I stretched out across my bed, something I do when he is gone, and fell asleep. Until 3:30. That was when the loudest thunder I have ever heard boomed. And, of course the girls heard it too...and were quickly in my room asking to sleep with me. (Caleb is the lucky one in the basement,who doesn't hear any of this) Now, I am not a good mom who loves to have her children come into bed and sleep with her. I like to snuggle for a moment, and then send them off to their bed. The storm didn't allow that. I said, "Ok,you can come in bed with me...but we are going right to sleep." Bekah liked that idea, Elisa didn't.
At first I thought, "this is so great. I have these two little girls in bed with me, loving on me and trusting me to keep them safe..." Elisa was next to me with her little toes up against my leg, her arm on my arm. "Why don't I do this more often?" I thought...And then a half hour past, and Bekah is passed out, and Elisa is saying, "Bekah get your feet off me...." And I say, "enough, go back to your room. Storms over." And then pray, God please don't let there be anymore thunder.
Lately, I have been in the midst of a personal storm. I have watched my due date come and go with the baby I lost. And in the midst of that I, have had my oldest sister call to tell me she is pregnant with her fourth. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy for her. She prayed for many years for her husband to change his heart toward wanting another child. The timing was just hard on my heart....I want to be pregnant too, with my fourth. That was a few weeks before my due date. And I cried.
And this weekend, while talking to my other sister about her son's birthday, she says to me, "I have news for you." "Don't say it," I think...and she does....she is pregnant with her sixth...and the rain pours down....there is so much history that I can't even right write between Beth and I and her bad feelings toward me for havig a baby when she wanted another one....so this...this news just put a bigger hole in my heart. And led me to many questions of "Is this some kind of joke? Shouldn't I be holding my baby right now, and rejoicing with them? What is wrong with me?" And I don't know the answers...but it feels like a big joke, a bad one...
So right now I am trying to see through this storm, and I am not so patiently waiting for it to pass...I wish it were as easy as curling up in bed with my girls...I recently read a "saying" that said "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass....it's about learning to dance in the rain." I want to learn that dance.
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Sep. 9, 2008 - praying for you
Posted by arajbrown
for a dance that's to come ... for joy that's complete ... for answers you don't yet see. But mostly just for your heart to heal! Love you- a
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Sep. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Sam
Donna, you are an excellent writer. Gina and I love you guys and we pray for you often. Those days will come. Until then you can just keep leaving me with your kids when your husbands at work and taking my wife shopping.
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Sep. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by smallworldathome.blogspot.com
Beautiful, beautiful post. I'm so glad you are blogging again.

Back in the swing...

2008-09-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially over around here,well, except for all this heat....we started school four weeks ago, which I can't believe. And today we started our Monday Fun classes. This is the first year we are staying for four hours, and the first year I won't have Elisa at my side in my preschool class. She isn't quite in kindergarten, but doesn't need to be in preschool classes either...And so it was a little chaotic trying to figure out where the four of us needed to be each hour. But it was a great day, and even though I am teaching three classes, I have taught two of them many times, and the third I am team teaching with my friend Julie who is on top of things, and made sure we had our semester already planned before we started today.
I am already looking forward to this school year. After last year, things can only get better! Last year, right about this time, Mike and I had the crazy notion to put our house on the market, and it took a LONG time to get it ready for sale. And then we waited, and waited. And also saw how awesome God is in the process, by us finding and affording a house above and beyond anything we ever imagined. And so now in my new house, I don't have school stuff scattered everywhere, but in my new school room in the basement.
The room is cluttered and packed with every book and school supply imaginable, but, I know where everything is...and every day we do school, it is still there. I discovered after we moved here that there was more than one pencil in our house. In fact, there were about 100. It's amazing how much you have when it is all in one place, I don't even know how man pair of scissors I found. My school books are on my desk when we sit down to school and the kids workbooks are in their baskets. It makes the day so much smoother when I am not breathing fire wondering where the math book went....again....
And so, here we are, our fourth year of homeschooling...and so far we are all ready an excited for a new year. Gymnastics is back in session...AHG and Cub Scouts starts on Thursday...and we have four weeks down...and something like 32 to go....

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Comments
Sep. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by smallworldathome.blogspot.com
Yay! You blogged! I'm so proud of you!
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Sep. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Sam
Aren't you glad me and gina helped you pick out that fine home? you're welcome.

Goodbye, Fox Trace...

2008-07-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the last night we will spend together at our first house. We don't move until Tuesday, but the kids are all spending the night at friends tomorrow so we can do both closings and moving on Tuesday, and they can play. So, I wanted to make our bed time special tonight, making sure we read together and all prayed together. As I prayed, I thought of so many great memories of our family in this house....and a few not so good ones too.
I remember looking at this house, almost exactly seven years ago, with a little 14 month old boy, and thinking, wow, this house is so big for us! And then, two weeks after moving in, finding out we were expecting another baby. And bringing that little girl home, only two have to take her back to the hospital not even two weeks later because she wasn't breathing. This was the house my son became a big brother in, and we became a family of five.
I remember Bekah's first step and Caleb calling her Gekah. I remember birthday parties, play dates, and telling Mike we had a third on the way. (way before we were ready) I remember getting the news of Mike's grand dad's death, and Mike's grief. I remember bringin another little girl home, and recovering from sugery. I remember many long winter months with three very young children, cooped up because I didn't want another baby with RSV. And I remember Elisa's first steps, and that she could climb on our dining room table before she could walk.
This is the house my kids learned to run in, skip in, jump. This is also the house I started my homeschool journey in, three years ago. This is the house I taught my children to read , add and subtract, and much of the bible.
This house has trees out front, on the side, and in the back that bear my children's names. It's the house my mom taught me how to plant tulips and iris'.
Here, Mike and I have laughed and cried. We have watched many a tv show and movie, had so many conversations, invited friends over, and grieved over the loss of a baby.
And so, my prayer was one of thankfulness. These are memories that I cherish, and will always hold in my heart. So, as we move on to a new house, and new memories, I just say, "Thank you, Lord. How could I ask for more?"
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Jun. 22, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
Such a beautiful post. I am all choked up! But I am looking forward to the HOUSEWARMING party that you are going to have.
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Jun. 26, 2008 - I can't wait...
Posted by QueenoftheHill
...to read about the memories you make in your new house. I moved to this house 4 years ago and still get choked up if I go anywhere near the old one!
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Jul. 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Suzanne
Just hopping over to see what you've been up to... I don't know if you remember me or not, but I met you over a year ago when I drove from the Chattanooga area to the picnic in Maryville. Are you still going to live in Maryville? Just changing houses? I really enjoyed reading this nostalgic post. Thank you for sharing so many special memories of your first "family" home. (*Sorta* reminds me of our time in our current home.)
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Entry 7 of 83

Scattergories tag...

2008-07-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

I found this tag on Suzanne's blog, who got it from Tina's blog...so, anyway, thought I would play along...
Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the questions....they have to be real places, names, and things...and you can't use your own name for the boy/girl questions....so, here I go:
What is your name? Donna
4 letter word: done
Vehicle: Dodge
City: Denver
Boy name: Dillan
Girl name: Denise
Movie: Dances with Wolves
Occupation: Doctor
Something you wear: dress
Celebrity: Doris Day
Food: Dip
Something found in a kitchen: dishwasher
Something found in a bathroom: door knob
Reason for being late: driving too slow
Cartoon character: Dagwood
Something you shout: Drats!
Animal: dog
body part: dislocated shoulder

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Comments
Jul. 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Suzanne
Dislocated shoulder?! *I* don't have that body part, and I don't know very many people who do. :) But, I s'pose it works. ;)
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Jul. 11, 2008 - I don't think...
Posted by fyftn
... you will ever be late from "Driving too SLOW" I may aquire a dislocated sholder by making this comment. =)
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Jul. 14, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Suzanne
LOL!!! -- at the previous comment about possibly receiving a dislocated shoulder for what was mentioned!
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Jul. 16, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Suzanne
Hi again! I'm tagging you! Come look here: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Suzanne/561985/ (you can copy it from Robyn's tag... see link on my page.)

We sold our house!

2008-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

After seven months of wondering if we would ever sell our house....
We did! We got an offer on Wednesday, not long after Mike and I had discussed going ahead with the ceiling and floors in the basement, and hours before I was going to stain the stairs to the basement to make them look better. Now, I only have to paint at our new house!
We signed the contract yesterday on ours, and made an offer on another one, which was accepted...
So now, packing up seven years of memories...oh, and waiting for the home inspections....
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Comments
May. 12, 2008 - Yipee!
Posted by Mom
I'm so glad this hurdle has at last been jumped. It's been hard to see you want something so much and have it not be happening! Keep me posted!!!

Spring in Seattle...

2008-04-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Home again, home again, jiggety jig...that is what my mom always says after coming home from vacation. We got to spend five days in Mt. Vernon, WA last week with my sister, Amy. We landed in Seattle around 3 p.m., to sunshine and 46 degrees. Sunshine is pretty rare in the spring so we felt real lucky...
until we traveled about 10 miles north...then we hit a winter wonderland.
I called up to my sister's and she thought I was joking because it was beautiful where she lived. And, once we got there (after traveling 40 miles in 2 hours) she was right. It was beautiful. Caleb, however had a hard time waking up and it didn't even faze him that a suitcase fell on him while asleep...
The reason I wanted to go to Seattle in the spring was because of their annual Tulip Festival up where my sister lives. It is absolutely amazing, the acres of tulips in all colors. So, Saturday, we headed out for the street fair. And it was cold. It had spit snow that morning, but cleared up, and as we were finishing up at the fair, Amy looks ahead and says " Hail in three seconds." It was hysterical. It hailed for 25 minutes, and once again, it looked like a winter wonderland. But that was nothing compared to waking up Sunday morning and hearing my nephew, Zachary, say "There is at least 2 inches on the ground."
It snowed all night and was still snowing Sunday morning. And I am talking big snowflakes. So, my kids, who haven't seen a good snow in a long time, got dressed and played in the snow. They said it was the first time they had snow like this in April. (Did I mention we were in Nashville during an earthquake before we flew out?)
Two hours later, the snow was gone, the sun came out, Danielle drove up, and we went to the tulip fields.
I don't know how to even describe the tulips. I am sure Smallworld would have a poem, but all I have is pictures....

Aside from the highlight of the tulips, we had a great time as a family, especially just spending time with my sister and her family. this was one of the best times I have had with Amy in a long time.
Tuesday, Mike, Caleb, Scott, and Zachary got to go back down to Seattle for a Mariners game. It was a fun night for the boys, and the girls got to stay up and watch Enchanted.
Wednesday came too soon, with tears and goodbyes, but what memories I have of this time together!
Our trip home was LONG to say the least. We got caught in a storm in Dallas, and couldn't take off because of a tornado warning. (note the weather theme of this trip) We sat on the plane for 3 1/2 hours before taking off. We landed in Nashville at 4 a.m. Knoxville time, and drove up to our house at 6:45 a.m. But, hey, we saw the sunrise! And now, time to catch up on our sleep...
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Apr. 26, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
Those tulips are AMAZING!!!
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Apr. 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sadie423
The tulips are beautiful! We went to a wildflower farm in TX once, but it wasn't nearly as nice as those flowers
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Apr. 29, 2008 - Hi from Kathy P - your husband's co-worker's wife
Posted by Anonymous
Hi: My husband (Mark P.) works with your husband. He told me about your blog tonight so I was checking it out. I have one too. but have no time to keep up with it. We have 8 children with one married - we have adopted several times - now your husband will remember who we are . . . . Loved those pics to Seattle - I am from Oregon and Mark is from Idaho Kathy P.
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Apr. 29, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
I forgot to leave my email address: chatkat@bellsouth.net Kathy P
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Apr. 30, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Suzanne
What gorgeous snow and tulips! I can't believe that my 8 yo dd recognized your kiddos after nearly a year since seeing them for ONE time. :) Thanks for sharing all of your weather-related adventures and photos to go with them. The tulips remind me of the ones I saw in Holland as a seven or eight yo. (My dad was stationed in Germany at the time.)
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Jun. 26, 2008 - You didn't need a poem!
Posted by QueenoftheHill
Those photos say it all. I can't believe how beautiful it is there. Why have I never been to the tulip festival -- or even heard of it? The King is from Washington, after all. Men!

Surprise, surprise...

2008-04-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, I stopped even reading everyone else's blogs because I got sick of seeing mine with nothing new on it. So, after much procrastination, and laziness, I am back :) So here's a bit of me the last two months...
This little girl was one of my lights in a very dark time...and she still prays for the baby every night.

My Bekah turned six, and had a fun High School Musical Birthday party...
Caleb turned eight, and Duncan joined us for the second annual Chic- fil -a birthday lunch
Danielle came for a fun girls weekend, and trip to IKEA!
My four favorite people on Easter...
And, Caleb, earning his Wolf badge and giving me my mother's pin....

What I wished I had a picture of, is the day I forgot to put the emergency break on in our stick shift car. Mike thought it had been stolen, but no, it was stopped by our neighbor's deck....yikes...that was February 29th, leap day, and I am so glad it is now spring...
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Apr. 25, 2008 - welcome back!
Posted by DrHibiscus
nice to have you back in the blogosphere. great pictures! I would be happy that spring is here too, if it wasn't for my darned allergies...
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Apr. 25, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
Welcome back! Look like you got the flickr thing figured out--sorry, I was out buying garden stuff!

Glory Baby...

2008-02-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

Glory Baby
by: Watermark
Glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..You were growing, what happened dear?You disappeared on us baby…baby..Heaven will hold you before we doHeaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…Until we’re home with you…
Miss you everydayMiss you in every wayBut we know there’s aday when we will hold youWe will hold youYou’ll kiss our tears awayWhen we’re home to stayCan’t wait for the day when we will see youWe will see youBut baby let sweet Jesus hold you‘till mom and dad can hold you…You’ll just have heaven before we doYou’ll just have heaven before we do
Sweet little babies, it’s hard tounderstand it ‘cause we’re hurtingWe are hurtingBut there is healingAnd we know we’re stronger people through the growingAnd in knowing-That all things work together for our goodAnd God works His purposes just like He said He would…Just like He said He would…
BRIDGE:I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabiesand what they must sound likeBut I will rest in knowing, heaven is your homeAnd it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…
Thank you, Smallworld for blogging words that I can't put into words right now and for understanding how I feel. One day I hope to get my thoughts written down.
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Feb. 10, 2008 - Praying for you ...
Posted by arajbrown
as you try to put it all together. Love you- amy
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Feb. 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
I love you!!
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Feb. 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by bestsister
Praying for you too. Barbara
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Feb. 12, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by LaDonna C.
You are on my mind and in my prayers...I'm so sorry.
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Feb. 13, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by jennfromtenn
You are in my prayers. Jenn
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Feb. 13, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Mom
You are in lots of Arizona prayers too. We love you.

Bringing back memories...

2008-01-27T14:07:00.000-08:00

Last night I was supposed to be online searching for "activities for the letter N" to get ready for my Monday fun class, when my fingers made it over to another web site that led me to the exciting news of my NKOTB. When asking my parents this morning what they thought my earth shattering, life changing news may be, my mom said, "the bad boys in the hood or something like that must be coming." I'm so proud, they know me so well, just not the name of the group.
So this has led me to ponder all day long about my journey with NKOTB and my best friend from high school, Bernadette. Upon reading the news, I had to email her and let her know that I would fly to Orlando to see them in concert with her one more time, granted I am not about to go into labor. Bern and I met in the 7th grade through her cousin, Eileen, but it wasn't until sophmore year of HS that we formed a life long bond and sickness over the New Kids. Her favorite was Donnie, mine was Joe.
We lived, breathed, and dreamed NKOTB. As soon as the new Tiger Beat was out, we got it. New album, it was ours. Baseball cards, shirts, pillow cases, posters, dolls, key chains....they belonged to us. We skipped school to stand outside the Orlando Arena and hope for a glimpse of them. We had front row seats (on the side) and, thanks to Bern's beauty, we got "after show passes" Of course, we soon learned that you had to be 18 to go to the after show party, at their hotel, but I won't get into all that...we were only 17 and denied.
We did get to meet Joe, Jon, and Jordan when we were 16 at the Orlando Airport. My dad found out they were leaving on Delta (good ol' dad worked for the company) and so, we got to talk to them for a few brief minutes. We also stalked them waited around for them at the Dolphin hotel when they were staying there after a cruise. I got to meet Joe's dad, and have my picture made with him. I was sure to let him know I was Catholic, since Joe's family was, and was sure I would be whisked away to marry Joe. Did I mention we went to Boston after graduation and lied to misled our parents about who we were staying with?
Sadly, our freshman year of college, they broke up. No more concerts, shirts, dolls, posters....sadly, Bern's and my friendship started to drift apart as well. We lost contact after I got married, but she found me again about five years ago when she heard I was pregnant with Elisa. Now she is the only friend from high school I really get a chance to talk to. It's not often, but we fall back into a good rhythm. Excpet we don't talk about NKOTB. We talk about our kids, our houses, how sloppy we are, how we both wished she lived here. I haven't seen her since 1995, maybe NKOTB will be the bridge that brings me back to Orlando, and we can have a Hangin' Tough reunion (sorry, that was cheesy...)
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Jan. 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
You are CRACKING me up! (And I am totally feeling our age difference....)
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Jan. 28, 2008 - ahhh yes...
Posted by bestsister
I clearly remember having youth events at my house where all of us girls would watch the videos and try to learn the dance moves. reaaaaaally cool like. And then I moved to a new city for my grade 10 year and the first girl I met said to me "We could be friends....as long as you don't like New Kids" . I was an island I'm afraid. And every time our worship team picks "Step by Step" by Rich Mullins, my dear husband breaks into his best NKOTB imitation just to make me smile "Step by Step, oooh Baby" those were the good old days!

Hangin' Tough...

2008-01-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, dreams really do come true....and I got rid of all my NKOTB stuff.....
New Kids On The Block Stage Comeback
After months of speculation and rumor, the Kids are coming back. A well-placed source tells PEOPLE exclusively that New Kids On The Block are indeed getting back together. The band's Web site, http://www.nkotb.com/, which had been dormant, is now back up and running in anticipation of the official announcement, which the source says will be made in the next few weeks. The site currently features a television graphic with a fuzzy, flickering photos of NKOTB in their heyday, and a link inviting fans to sign up for info.The boy band, which made legions of tweens swoon in the early '90s, selling more than 50 million albums, became a worldwide phenomenon before calling it quits in 1994. Eighteen years later, they're still "Hangin' Tough." The oldest "Kid," Jonathan Knight, now a real estate developer, will turn 40 later this year. Since the band's demise, former members Donnie Wahlberg, 38, and Joey McIntyre, 35, have seen acting success, while Danny Wood, 38, has worked as a music producer and Knight's brother, Jordan, 37, has continued to record.
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Jan. 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SmallWorld
Wow! Could your year get any better? A baby AND NKOTB?

Catching up...

2008-01-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

I know I should have taken my break from school to blog every day. Oh well, there's a lot of things I should do. So, I am going to do a little catching up with pictures...
Christmas eve, right before church. We always dress up, although most of the church is real casual. My kids recited the Christmas story from Luke and the girls sang Away in a Manger while Caleb played it on the piano. The Sunday before Christmas, Elisa did the recitation herself at church which was so special.
Putting out our stockings...
Need I say more?
I was so excited to get the Hairspray Soundtrack because I loved the movie so much....then we cranked it up and I read the lyrics...Elisa went around the house singing " I'm the ladies choice"
My Tennessee boys....I had to sneak this hat past Caleb to surprise him....he kept begging for it and it hasn't left his head to much since he got it....although Mike is still wearing my TN sweatshirt...
Ok, since this has taken way too long, I shall just end with this, so I can get on to my next post....
Happy (belated) New Year!