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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

One Small Step

Tonight as we were waiting for my wonderful husband to finish dinner, my Mama and I were playing with the babies. My baby girl has started standing up for several seconds by herself. I wanted to show my Mama how good she could do. So I got her to stand by herself. As she stood there she took one step toward me. We were so excited. We went to show her daddy and she took another small step again. We will be trying it again tomorrow night and hopefully have film.

And my baby boy is pulling up everywhere. He isn't taking any steps like his sister, but is no longer doing the army crawl. He sometimes get stuck standing up because he is a little afraid to or can't figure out how to sit back down. I am sure that he won't be far behind her though.

They are growing up so fast. I wish time would slow down some.

A Special Anniversary

Today 49 years ago, my parents were married. This is a special anniversary because it is the first one my Mama is celebrating without Daddy. Tonight we had her over for dinner and it was nice visiting and enjoying the night with her.

They met in November of 1960. After dating for only a few months got engaged and were married June 30, 1961. It was love at first sight. A few weeks after celebrating their first anniversary they welcomed my sister to the world. It was 9 years later before I came along.

Through out their 49 years of marriage, there was never any doubt that they loved each other. They always showed me what unconditional love and true commitment was. Sadly these days, that type of marriage is hard to find sometimes. They had their ups and downs in life - cancer, heart surgery, near fatal car accident, raising two daughters, and welcoming 6 grandkids to the family. But even through the rough times, their commitment to each other never wavered. I believe that it only made that commitment stronger. Divorce was never an option.

As my daddy was leaving this world for his Heavenly home, I saw that love carry my Mama through that valley. I never knew how much he did for all of us until he was gone. He spoiled Mama, my sister, and me with not only the things he did but with his love.

So happy anniversary to the best parents in the world. I am so blessed to have had such a great model of what a marriage is supposed to be.

A Weekend Away

IMG_1650Last weekend, we went about 20 minutes from our house to our friends' hunting camp to spend a relaxing weekend.  It was perfect timing for me since it was my first Father's Day without my daddy it kept me busy.  The kids had a blast fishing out on the pond and having a weekend with nothing big planned was nice for a change. We sat by the fire Saturday night and slept in and just hung out in the mornings. No rushing around - no set plans which is my favorite kind of get away.

What was a real experience was getting away with all four kids for the first time over night.  I think we did pretty good.  It was a good dry run before heading to the beach next month.  I am really not sure though how in the world we are going to get everything down there even in my Suburban.  

I had to include this picture of my girl. I snapped this as she was on her way to meet the boys to try to catch a fish.

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The Gates

Now that the babies are mobile and all over the place, we decide it was time to put up gates.  It has made our life a little easier but the two littles ones, not so much.

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They are not thrilled with the fact that we can go over the gate and they can no longer follow us wherever we go.  They stand at the gate crying - well screaming is more like it. And of course I had to take some pictures of them on the other side of the gate.

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Yes I am on of those moms.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Dedication Sunday

This past Sunday, our church dedicated the new gym and other facilities.  It is an exciting time for our church. The pastor spoke about the investment made by others so that the next generation would know about Jesus.  At the end of the service, the pastor thanked everyone who had played  a part in the planning and building of the facilities.  And then he called my Mama and family up to the front.

See many of you don't know but my daddy was over the building and grounds for years.  He never asked for a dime or any pat on the back for he considered it his service to the Lord.  He worked countless hours doing things from changing out light bulbs to making sure that big projects were done and done right.  No telling how many times I have called him only for him to tell me that he would have to call me back because he was down at the church working. My daddy made an investment.  He wanted to be sure that there would be a nice building and area for people to come and worship - a place his family would come to praise God. As the sermon said "God doesn't want a bunch of talent people, He wants available people" and that was my daddy.  He was jack of all trades who could fix about anything.  Talented yes (at least in the area of handyman, singing now that is a story for another time) - available, absolutely. Without a doubt, my daddy was always available when they needed him.

As we made our way down to the front of the church, the tears that I had been holding back could not longer be contained. I missed sharing this special day with him.  Our pastor spoke about the things that my daddy did and how he worked diligently. He ended by presenting my Mama with a keepsake to show the church's appreciation for all that my daddy had done.



My heart filled with pride as I was so proud and honor to be the daughter of such a great man. It was a testament of the life that my daddy lived. A life lived for His Lord and dedicated to his family. The writing said



The verse was so fitting for him.  He was steadfast, immovable, and always working for the Lord. He was so excited about the new gym and the ministry opportunities that were ahead for our church.  But the Lord decided to take him home before he could see it.  But in my heart I know he can see it.  And unlike us, he sees what great and wonderful things God is going to do through our church thanks to people like my daddy.

Anyone can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a daddy. And my sister and I were blessed to have that special man in our lives. I love you Diddy.

A Stroller and Car Seats

We are looking for a good double stroller but one that will fold up smaller than most so it won't take up the entire storage area in my car. I found this one the other day but still not sure about it.



I ran over to BuyBuyBaby which is a store I don't need to visit very often to save my wallet from being abused. I was a little overwhelmed by the different types of strollers but what really blew my mind were that car seats. OMG!!! That purchase will require some research and money saving. I know it's been a while since I had to buy a car seat but I had no idea of how things have changed. Wish me luck finding the right car seats since we will be needing two in the next couple of months.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Yesterday's Time Machine

Yesterday I went to visit a very precious friend of mine. She is battling pneumonia and an infection. It's some pretty scary stuff.  She was transfered to the hospital that my daddy was at for 5 weeks this year. It's been since February 16th that I had been in that hospital.

As I was driving over, it felt so familiar.  It was a drive I made for weeks every afternoon when I left work a little early to visit and check on my Daddy. As I parked the car that very familiar feeling came over me. It was like I had stepped back in time and it was that week in February all over again.  My mind went back to that day I got the call that were losing Daddy.  As I made my way up the stairs to the walkway headed to the front of the hospital, I remember the last time I was there - I was running, praying that what was about to happen wasn't happening. I saw some of the same faces of workers in the lobby that I was so used to seeing back a few months ago.

The emotions I felt yesterday were unreal. I got into the elevator and even though I knew I was going to the 3rd floor, I was about to push the button to go to the 4th floor.  It was all I could do to fight back the tears. When I got off the elevator on the 3rd floor my heart sank as it looked just like the 4th to me.  It was then and there I lost it. The helpless feeling knowing that the last time I was in that place I was saying goodbye to someone who was the world to me, my daddy.

I know that I will be going back to see my friend and I pray that each time will get easier.  They say time heals and I hope that it does.  But I know that I will never forget him or how much he loved me.  I miss him just as much today as I did then when I said "see you later".  For I have the hope that I will see him again.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Praying for a Cure

It seems like it's everyday I hear on the news, from others or on Twitter of another child fighting for their life against cancer.  Someone posted about praying for little Ellie - a eight year old fighting stage 4 cancer who was losing the fight. My heart broke as I saw the pictures of this beautiful little girl.  You can see pictures and read her story here http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elliepotvin.

It's so hard to understand why some children have to go through this battle.  As a parent, I can't imagine the pain that these parents go through who have to sit back and watch their child fight this horrible thing.  My heart breaks for them.  They have to sit by helplessly as their child suffers.  Parents have hopes and dreams for their children - their first step, the first date, driving, prom, graduation, etc. My heart is heavy tonight for Ellie's family and all of those who have children righting for their life tonight.

While I pray for this family I thank God for my own children - for protection from this terrible disease. I hug my kids even harder tonight. I pray for a cure, but I know that God has a plan for something great. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. It's easy to sit back and tell others that God has a plan and purpose for everything but a hard thing to understand when you are right in the middle of it.  But if we are His, then we and these families have hope.  And in times like these, hope is what we need.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

A First Father's Day

Today was a first Father's Day. A first for my husband with his own kids. Yes he has been a daddy since we've been married to the older ones, but we have always done JC Day with them since they are always with their daddy. This year they were with us all day which was a first. A first for him to hear our baby boy say "DaDa" for the first time, to see and spend time with all four. Yes a day of firsts.

But it was also a day of first for me. The first Father's Day without my Diddy. The first one that I didn't join my family on the long pew at church and see him so proud that we could fill up a whole row. The first one that I didn't get to meet him with my family at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. A day I didn't get to tell him I loved him or feel his big hug. Yes a day of firsts.

Today was hard for me as are many days. I miss my hero, my Diddy so much it hurts. It was bittersweet to spend the day with my husband as he experienced his first one while I hurt deep inside. It's been over four months since he passed away and I miss him just as much now as I did then.

As I visited his grave today it was still hard to believe that he was gone. I have days where I see or hear something and think "I need to call Diddy" only to remember I can't. Or some little thing will happen and remember he isn't here to take care of me.

As hard as today was, I felt so blessed to have had a daddy who loved his Lord and his family like he did. There are many in this world who never have that. Happy Father's Day to my husband. And happy Father's Day to you Diddy; you are truly missed everyday.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Peek-A-Boo (Where's the baby?)

Playing peek-a-boo with the babies is becoming an almost daily thing.  Here is the latest clip of one such game.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Ice Cold Milk and an Oreo Cookie


Everyone remembers the song...

Oh, Oh, Oh, ice cold milk and an Oreo Cookie
They forever go together,
What a classic combination
When a dark, delicious cookie meets an icy cold sensation
Like the one and only creamy, crunchy, chocolate, O-R-E-O.

As a kid we loved to get a glass of cold milk and dunk our Oreo cookies into it until they were soft and then eat them.  It would bring a smile to our face.  I admit it, I was just like that tonight.  But I digress.

The hubby got a pack of Oreos and I thought the babies needed to try some Oreos dunks in milk. Needless to say they loved them as you can tell.

First Oreos

First Oreos

They had it all over them. My boy even had it in his hair.

First Oreos

Really not sure how it got there. I think we will be having these yummy cookies again really soon.

Goodbye to a Old Friend

Last Friday I had to say goodbye to someone I loved dearly. Shadow, our sweet dog for over 13 years had to be put to sleep. He has started not eating or drinking on Wednesday and come Friday morning he could barely walk. The vet examined him and thought he felt something but in order to confirm anything it would involve alot of tests. I wasn't about to let him go through all of that so I had to make the decision to have him put to sleep.

It was very hard to say goodbye to my buddy who was always there to greet me when I got home and was always by my side when I was upset. When I went thru my divorce and the times after that, he would sit next to me when I cried. He actually didn't like it when I cried and would lick my tears to let me know it was okay. As big as he was, he would never hurt anyone unless he thought you were trying to harm the kids or me.

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He was the best friend and protector to the kids.

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My redhead and him had the same color of hair and before he got so gray, it was too cute to see the two of them next to each other. In just the short time that the babies have been here, they loved him and would get excited when they saw him out the backdoor.

As hard as it was to say goodbye, I wouldn't trade all the good times we had with him over the years to escape the loss that we have today. This year seems to have been filled with a lot of goodbyes and hurt, but the memories will last a lifetime.

The backyard is empty and seems rather strange for him not to be there.Old friend, you are still loved and will be missed.

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Ten Months Old

Just unbelievable that they will be 1 in two months.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Painting

My girl and I had a great time the other weekend painting. Our church sponsored a Mother/Daughter painting class one Saturday afternoon. It was similar to what everyone does at Sip n Strokes. I had to go and get her from her dad's and so enjoyed the time in the car with her talking about life and things in general. Moments like that these days are precious.

We started out with a blank canvas with only the outline drawn in pencil for us. I must admit I was a little nervous about this and how it was going to really turn out. She was ready to go and got into the painting.

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After painting and following along, we went to this....

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It took a few hours to complete and I must say I was impressed at the great job my girl did. She was so excited and wanted to do another one. She had a tendency to compare hers to mine but i told her it was about it being her design, not trying to look at mom's.

We had a wonderful time together without all the other kids around which is rare. I look forward to the one on one times I can grab here and there with the kids.

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Hot Dog Dance

As I have posted before, the babes are wild about Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. They notice things that come on tv but really don't pay attention and continue playing. But as soon as they hear Mickey start talking, they stop what they are doing and watch.

The other day, I noticed my girl doing some motions during the hot dog dance. It was the cutest thing. Enjoy her version of the hot dog dance...

A Little Pool Time

This past Sunday I along with my nephew's girlfriend took the babies swimming. I got them new floats and needless to say they had a ball.

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Jesse kept trying to climb out of the float and would end up face down for a second in the water. He would come up laugh. I eventually had to just hold him and if he could have, he would have been swimming by himself.

SEC Baseball

Every year since the hubby and I started dating, we have been going to see the SEC baseball tournament. The older two don't alwys gets to go since they have to go to their dad's, so we really enjoy taking them when we can. My nephews always go to and that's what we give them as a birthday present every year which makes birthday time so easy.

The first game we saw was Auburn vs Alabama.

SEC Tourney 2010

SEC Tourney 2010

We all had on our colors and enjoyed the game, but the outcome favored the Bama boys.


SEC Tourney 2010


Other than a cool fall afternoon on the plains or in Ttown for a football game, nothing else beats a day filled with good SEC college baseball. Well maybe attending the College World Series in Omaha would be just as good.

All the pictures from this year's tournament that I took are on my Flickr site.  Enjoy!

First Haircut

The babies had their first haircut and they were so good. Our good friend who cut their hair loves them to death which helped the babies relax. All of us came so you can imagine how crowded the room was.

My baby girl was first. Here's the before picture.

First Haircut

We had to keep them occupied so my red-head was tasked with that job. He kept them quite entertained as he always does. Even his brother was all about the story that he was reading.

First Haircut
And during her haircut, we had a little fun giving her a mohawk for a moment.

First Haircut

My big girl was tasked with holding the one not getting a haircut. She is a great big sister. I can always depend on her to be there to lend a hand.

First Haircut

Next came my baby boy. Here is his before.

First Haircut
Both the babies did good. I was very impressed. Neither one of them cried and really fussed. Every now and then, they would look at what she was going and try to figure out what was going on. But after it was all said and done, they look so cute. We got a little picture happy and it was hard to just pick a few. So here are the pictures that we (or should I say the hubby) took.


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Very Smart Girl

Today as my oldest was running errands with our neighbor and her kids, she saw the picture hanging up in the high school gym of the state championship team I was on. When she saw it she made the comment that I looked young - and she was referring to how I look today. Concerning that I am less than a year away from the big 40, this made my approach a little easier.

She is one smart girl!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

3 years ago today

Today 3 years ago I married my best friend. We dated for 3 years before getting married almost to the weekend that we met. Our best friends were getting married and tried for a while to set us up. They had functions for the wedding and we would miss each other at all of them.

We finally met at the rehearsal. He was the best man and i was the matron of honor. He had already met my kids through our friends and they loved him, especially my red head.

One thing led to another and we started dating and got married 3 years later.

Now here we are 3 years later with 4 kids and a life I could have never imagined. I now know what it's like to be with someone who loves me for who I am - warts and all and trust me I have some warts. Someone that i can trust at all times and through no matter what. We have been through a lot in our short 3 years with both of us losing our dads. But God knew that we would need each other and JC made the long road I had this year so much easier. We can both understand how each other feels and that makes things easier to deal with.

Happy anniversay to my best friend. God blessed the older two and me when He brought you into our lives. I love you and look forward to growing old and gray with you.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Summer

Summer is here. Time for spending time playing outside only to realize at dark just how late it is and that no one has eaten supper. It's the time of year for catching fireflies (or lightening bugs as I said as a child and still do) at night and just spending time relaxing with your family. To some, it's their favorite time of year.

For me, it's the time of the year that I dreaded. My older two have to go o their dad's more over the summer which means numerous days without seeing them. This is not what I wanted when I had them. I wanted to wake every possible day to see their smiling face, hear their laughter, feel their hugs and kisses - just experience all that life has to offer. I never intended for it to be a time when their rooms are empty, no dirty clothes, just quiet from their rooms. That day will come on it's own. But this is different. This is something I didn't choose - it was choosen for my family.

Yes I am being selfish in a way wanting them all the time, but what mom wouldnt feel this way that truly lived her kids. Yes I know they need to go see their daddy. But what I know is all this time I miss with them I wil never get back. It's not like a dentist appointment that you miss, you can always reschedule and do it again. This is life - we get no do overs, no second chances. So if you are one of the few it seems these days that has your kids all the time, stop for a minute and thank God that you do.

I praise God for all four of my kids. I treasure each and every moment I have with them. Even though I miss out on days with the older two, I am humbled at how much He has blessed me with.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone