Newsome Notes

In this home.....

2011-07-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

I saw this today as a listing in a vinyl decal shop, and just had to steal it....

In this home...
we do second chances.
we do grace.
we do real.
we do mistakes.
we do I'm sorrys.
we do loud really well.
we do hugs.
we do family.
we do love.

LOVE IT.

Here's the listing if you want to check it out for yourself, and the shop is even located close to my hometown!

Yard Sale Find!

2011-04-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today I went around to a few yard sales with a friend, and I found the best toy! James loves building things, and running his cars down ramps. He's also been seriously talking to me about building a ramp with tubes for a golf ball to run down since he saw it done on PBS a few weeks ago. So, I knew when I found this marble maze set at a yard sale that if the price was right, then it was coming home with me. I was so pleased when the lady told me it was only $1.00!! So, two big bags of blocks and tracks, and 6 marbles came home with me! And two little kiddos were extremely thrilled and spent over 2 hours playing with it. Even Andy and I got in on the action!

We had so much fun!

It was the best dollar I've ever spent!

P.s. The letter blocks were ours that we added in to get some more height, but everything else came with the set!

Baby Girl's First Haircut

2011-03-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

I guess maybe one day "Manfa" won't be "baby girl" anymore....For that matter I guess one day Samantha might not like being called "Manfa" anymore....but at least for now to us she is "baby girl" and sometimes "Manfa" (the nickname given to her by James at birth b/c he couldn't say "Samantha").

And today baby girl got her FIRST EVER haircut.....at 3 1/2 years old!

Now really it wasn't that we were attached to her hair or against cutting it....really it was just that the length snuck up on us, and then (once it was obvious she needed a haircut) getting her an appointment just kept getting pushed to the back burner.

Well TODAY was THE day!!! Here are the pictures everyone has been asking about....

BEFORE...

During.....

Love this shot....she loved getting her hair washed! I was so surprised b/c she hates us washing it at home!!

Looking into the mirror...

Love this face too....

And finally AFTER!

My favorite shot...

I love it!!

Sick of being Sick

2011-02-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

Our family started in with "sickness" shortly after the beginning of the year. It seems like since then at least one or two of us have been sick every week. It all started with the kids who seemed to have a 24 hour virus. A couple of days after they were better, I came down with a bad cold/flu type thing. I was in bed for almost a full day and felt terrible for 2 days after that. Then as soon as I got better, James started saying his ears hurt and Andy started saying his throat hurt. I took James to the doctor and discovered he had a double ear infection, and on antibiotics he went. A few days later Andy also went to doctor and found out he had strep throat....on antibiotics he went! Then I got sick again with a bad sinus cold. Shortly after I got well, Samantha started getting sick with a stomach virus. And now I'm sick with a stomach virus too!! (I currently feel awful, but I thought maybe doing something would get my mind off of feeling bad)

I say all of that to say: I'm sick of being sick.

I have tried my best to disinfect the house in between my episodes of being sick....I'm about ready to bring a pressure washer full of Lysol in here, but that's probably not as good of an idea as it sounds.

The kids and Andy have been troupers. We've all been taking care of each other as each one gets sick.

I'm just really ready for all of us to be well..... for an extended period of time!!

Citrus Chicken Salad

2011-02-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

Picture from Publix.com

I love Publix. The store is always clean; the people who work there are friendly; there are free cookies for my kids at the bakery; and they offer their recipes for you to try in the store. What could be better?

The recipe for the citrus chicken salad was the one being featured the other night when I went with the kids, and it was delicious! The chicken was so tender....I really thought, "ok, this is just because someone else cooked it in some special pan that I do not have." So, I asked the girl how she cooked the chicken and it was just a regular pan, and she told me to follow the recipe and my chicken would turn out the same. I followed the recipe and SUCCESS!! It was sooooooo good, and filling too!

Here's the recipe.... Go to Publix.com or to the store for more!

Citrus Chicken Salad

(click on the name to go to the recipe at Publix.com)

Ingredients
2–3 grapefruit
1/2 cup lemon curd
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 3/4 lb)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons water
1/2 of a (4–5-oz) bag spring mix salad blend

Prep

Cut grapefruit in half; remove grapefruit sections.

Squeeze the grapefruit membranes for juice (about 1 1/3 cups).

Steps

Whisk lemon curd into grapefruit juice until smooth; whisk in sesame seeds and garlic.
Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place oil in pan then add chicken (wash hands); cook 3–4 minutes on each side or until browned.
Reduce heat on chicken to medium. Add 2 tablespoons water; cover and cook 4–5 minutes or until 165°F.
Arrange spring mix on serving platter. Slice chicken; arrange grapefruit and chicken over spring mix. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 430kcal; FAT 11g; CHOL 140mg; SODIUM 200mg; CARB 37g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 41g; VIT A 50%; VIT C 110%; CALC 6%; IRON 10%

This is the original recipe, but I did make a couple of tweaks.....I used oranges instead of grapefruit b/c Andy and I are not really grapefruit fans. I added pepper to the dressing mixture and did not use the sesame seeds because I didn't have those in my pantry. I had to cook my chicken longer than they suggested, but the chicken was really thick...I probably should have cut it into smaller pieces, but it was still tender even though I had to cook it a bit longer. And I cooked my chicken in extra virgin olive oil instead of canola oil. I sprinkled just a little Parmesan cheese on top too. I also made the "cheese crisps" to go with it (which is actually cheese toast ;o)).

We both loved it! Definitely a recipe we'll use again!

Organizing our home - The Storage Room

2011-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me how this area got so unorganized.... All I can tell you is from the moment we moved in, the storage room became a dumping ground. And the more stuff that was added...the more out of control it became. So, as a part of one of my resolutions, I have set out to make our home more organized. I started with the storage room because I plan on using it for storing other things that are located throughout the house.....and adding more to an already chaotic room would just make it more chaotic!

And with Andy's help, I even completed this first organization project on time! (I also wanted to get the laundry room done, but it didn't work out with all the sickness floating around our house this week).

Just so you know.... this was THE MESSIEST room in the house. The rest of our house is not this messy!!

Here are the "Before and After" pictures!!

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Before....

(The door isn't as blocked as it looks....but there was only a small pathway before)

After...

Before...

After...

(the trash bags are clothes to donate...going to Goodwill tomorrow!)

Well that's it!! Better by leaps and bounds!!

I have now officially checked this room off my list!!

New Years Resolutions

2011-01-17T18:17:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about resolutions or basically things I want to do differently starting this year, and I think I have finally buckled down a list of what I want to focus on the most....

1. Get Organized.

- Going room by room I'm going to organize each space. I'm going to be posting pictures here of "before" and "after". I've already started in the storage room, and plan to move through the house starting from there. I figured I better do the storage area first...that away if I have more to add to that space, I'm not continuing to junk it up. (That would make it even MORE of a headache!) Dates for completion will be posted here. Starting with the completion date for the storage room and laundry room is this Friday 1-21-11.

2. Work on getting in shape. (This one's for Andy and me)

-Starting today Andy and I are starting up Tony Horton's P90 again. I've told Andy I'm going to be posting our stats here. I'm also going to be focusing on preparing healthier meals for our family. I'll be posting any successful new recipes here too!

3. Read my Bible everyday.

-We're doing this with our church. Andy and I are both using YouVersion to keep up with our daily readings. YouVersion is really a great resource, and it has multiple reading plans...so you can find the one that's perfect for you!

4. Get back to reading.

-And more than just children's books! :o) I'd like to read at least 6 new books this year. That may not sound like much to some, but I think I read three books total last year. I love reading....I always have....and I'd really love to start reading regularly again.

5. Sew something new each week.

-I might be biting off more than I can chew here, but I really want to try this. It's not that I'm looking for new things to sell....(although if I really like something it might end up on SweetSamantha)....it's more that I just want to try new things. These projects will be posted here and over at my Simply Sweet Samantha blog.

Well, that's about it for now!! Time to get started! :o)

Snow day

2011-01-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

Slightly more snow than last time...

Ice on top of the snow

Gizmo was so cold! I think he would have enjoyed his own mittens and little sweater.

Building a snow man

Like mother, like daughter....notice her tongue sticking out and mine was sticking out in the pic before!

Gathering up snow

Finishing touches

With our snow man

Love them!

Picking up ice

This is his mommy-you-have-taken-too-many-pictures face

A little snow ball fight

Today was the best snow day ever!

Christmas (part 3) and our new Art Easel

2011-01-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we traveled to visit with our parents and share a few days with them. It had snowed on Christmas day and we were worried about the roads being messy and being able to travel, but thankfully the roads were completely clear when it was time for us to leave. We had a great time visiting with family and they blessed us with a lot of gifts!

Over at Mama and Papa's house:

Cousins (Samantha, Brianna, James, and Blake)

Samantha opening her puppy dog from Mama and Papa

Then we went to Gigi and Grandpa's house:

Me and My Nana

4 generations (My mom, Me, Samantha, and my Nana)

Gigi and Grandpa got the kiddos an art easel for Christmas. We put it together as soon as we got home, and even though it was time for bed they just had to draw on it a little. They were so cute playing on it. They absolutely love it!

They each can have a side!

James took to the chalk side first

A rainbow!

Samantha took to the white board/ paper side. Here she is "concentrating".

She is very precise....it only looks like she's scribbling back and forth, but really she carefully considers each mark!

The artists in action...

Thank you to all of our family who made this Christmas great!! We had such a good time being with our family, and we've really been enjoying all our gifts ....we could not have asked for a better Christmas!

What we woke up to this morning....

2011-01-10T06:23:00.000-08:00

4 1/2 inches of white stuff :o)

Last night before we went to bed...

This morning...

Our bird feeder

Gizmo trying to navigate the snow without using all his paws

Paw prints

Down our street

Staying warm inside!

We'll get out and play in it after breakfast!

Christmas 2010 (part two - SNOW)

2011-01-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

On Christmas day we got an extra special treat this year.... a snowy, white Christmas! I can't remember exactly what the news said about how many years it had been since Georgia had seen a white Christmas, but I can tell you it was definitely a first for me! Here are some pictures from playing in the snow...

James being cute

Trying to catch snow flakes

Samantha is not so sure she likes the cold

Running in the yard

Samantha already cold and asking to go inside (she actually went inside with Andy for a few minutes, but when James didn't come in she wanted to come back out)

Giz isn't sure if he likes the snow either

But James is definitely loving it!

My handsome little man

I love this picture

The best part was catching on video how excited James was about the snow, and how NOT excited Samantha was...

When we came back inside, Samantha fell asleep in my lap. Absolutely a priceless moment, and a wonderful end to a wonderful day!

Christmas 2010 (part one)

2011-01-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

I gotta be honest... a couple of months ago when I looked ahead to Christmas I wasn't expecting much. Things have been tight financially, and while we're making it work I knew that our tight budget would not allow much for Christmas. While I knew our family would bless us with gifts as always, I also knew that our kiddos would be waking up for the first time at home on Christmas. See we are usually with family at Christmas, but because of Christmas falling so close to Sunday we decided it would be easier to stay home and wait till the day after Christmas to travel. That also meant there might not be much under the tree. Now don't get me wrong....Christmas is not about gifts, it is about celebrating the birth our loving Savior. However, we can't deny that gifts are apart of the celebration, and to think of two very excited kiddos waking up to not much (and by "not much" I mean one little gift each) was a sad thought (at least for me). Then different family members generously sent the kids money for Christmas. With that we were able to get Christmas PJ's for the kids (actually I got Samantha's on a great clearance last year but we got a cute set for James). Getting Christmas PJ's (a gift they open Christmas Eve and a little tradition we have) was so much fun for them, and I'm thankful it's something we still got to do this year.

With the money from family the kids were also able to get gifts for each other (something they had wanted to do). It was so sweet to see them to open their gifts from each other, and exchange thank you's and hugs with each other. I pooled the rest of the money they received with a gift card to wal-mart (given to us by a sweet friend) and got them a few gifts each.... new play doh tools (they LOVE their play doh stuff!), a strawberry short cake car for Samantha, a couple of puzzles, a new game for James leapster, and a couple of stocking stuffers.

But then we were also tremendously blessed by a few individuals....and one in particular..... a secret Santa. We have no idea who they are, but they blessed our family with 5 gifts each for the kids and a gift certificate to Kroger for us. Because of the generosity of others we had what probably amounted to our best Christmas yet......and not due to the gifts, but due to the love shown to us by others.

(This doesn't include all the presents we were blessed with when we traveled to Easley! More on that in the next post!)

Our family - Christmas 2010

To be blessed at Christmas by so many different people....family and friends....was overwhelming and wonderful.

Not to mention IT SNOWED ON CHRISTMAS!! A truly rare thing in GA (however, I think I've seen more snow since we've lived here than ever before...another post that's soon to follow).

God has tremendously blessed our family over the last year. He has sustained us and provided for us. He even provided over and above for me to be able to travel half way around the world to Ethiopia in September! The gifts at Christmas really were wonderful, but we are also thankful to Him for the gifts we all too often take for granted.... a roof over our heads; food in our fridge; a healthy, loving family; friends who are like family; and a loving church. We head into 2011 excited about what will happen next, and thankful for all the gifts He gave us in 2010.

Home School

2010-12-07T22:07:00.001-08:00

So, I guess I've been hesitant to post anything about homeschooling. I am one to avoid writing about things I feel are controversial and I find that when you bring up homeschooling in a conversation that people either love it or hate it. I've gotten everything from, "That's just wonderful!" to "Why would ever want to do something like that?"

Last summer Andy and I wrestled with whether or not we should home school James. It was a very tough decision for us and one that we did not take lightly. Ultimately we decided that for this year...at this time....homeschooling was right for us and right for James. Why? Well, there are a ton of reasons why, but the major one is that we felt he was not ready to be in a class full of little people. You see James is a social butterfly. Anyone who knows him knows that he makes friends at the drop of a hat....I'm not sure where he gets that from....but I digress....

Our decision came based not only on our own personal observations, but also the observations of his pre-school teacher. The problem was that James would become so wrapped up in what everyone else was doing that he had no idea what he was doing. It's not at all that he can't handle public school....it's that he needed a little more time to mature (to be able to focus). And our worry was more that he would get lost in a class full of little people, and be struggling. The suggestion from his pre-school teacher (and a lot of this stems from him being a younger 5) was either to home school him for Kindergarten, find a private school with a small class size (the fewer the kids....the less distraction), or simply wait another year and put him in Kindergarten next year after he's had time to mature.

Andy and I agreed that he needed time to mature, but we were not simply going to keep him home and not do anything with him. So, we decided on a home school curriculum, and have been working on it since the end of August.

Well, now we're in December.... I am constantly faced with "Did we make the right decision?" And even more so now that we're almost halfway in. And I believe that we did. I believe that James has thrived in a one on one learning environment. And I can see him maturing and being able to focus more and more before my very eyes.

I can definitely say that math is his strongest subject and I've had to increase his math work because he was flying through the full days lesson in 10 minutes and saying "that's it?" He enjoys learning his letters and the sounds they make. He's good at remembering the sounds, and he enjoys saying word like, "B-B-Butterfly" and then will exclaim, "Butterfly starts with B". The best part for me is that he enjoys being home schooled. When people ask, "oh where does he go to school?" He proudly announces "I go to home school. Mommy is my teacher." (And I love how he says "I go"....like he's actually going somewhere and not just staying home. :o))

Here are some pictures of our home school experience:

Writing/ practicing the letter "S"

James working on letter "M", Samantha working on the color gray

Using Cuisenaire Rods to make the Letter "I"

Staring to write sentences and working on sight words.

(I especially love his little picture of himself! And after I took this he said "oh yeah! The arms!" but then he erased it before I could take another picture)

Time passes too fast

2010-12-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving is already behind us, that 2011 is quickly approaching (which means my sweet little ones will soon be 6 and 4), and that dear husband and I will be entering into 8 years of marriage.

I am so thankful to God for the many ways He has blessed our family in 2010.

Here's some pictures of the kiddos from Thanksgiving....

Climbing a tree

My little sweeties

I have to find a way to make time slow down....

Ethiopia ~ Part 2 : The letter

2010-10-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

This morning I read the following letter to my church. I have changed just a couple of things for the blog just so that others can understand certain things....and I removed the full names of individuals....you know to protect the innocent or something like that...The things I've added extra for the blog are in parenthesis.......

I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I would say about Ethiopia. And I am blank. I’m not sure what to say or even how to say it. Do I tell you about the amazing amount of people we saw there? How they walked the streets at any time of the day or night? Do I tell you about how when we would start to speak people would crowd around to listen….how there would sometimes be groups as large as 40 or more surrounding just one or two of us? How I felt incredibly small in that group and inadequate, but somehow extremely comfortable, calm, unafraid and unashamed ….that I knew God was with me in that crowd. Do I tell you about the little girl with no shoes who stole my heart? Who’s face I still see everyday….

Let me back up just a bit….

The first Sunday we came to Ewing Road the Ethiopia trip was announced. I felt God tug at my heart that very moment, but my mind said that going would be impossible. At that time, Andy was only “subbing in” and we were just visitors at your church. When we got in the car that day I said “If we were members of that church, I would want to go on the Ethiopia trip.” If I hadn’t said it out loud, I wouldn’t have believed I actually thought it. And God answered that prayer….almost a month later we came and joined at Ewing Road. And my heart screamed that I was supposed to go even though I had no clue where the funding would come from….even though I knew my husband would not be able to join me…..even though my mind told me I was crazy…..I heard God louder than all of that! He said “don’t worry about the details….just GO”. And while I could not wrap my human mind around the details….I committed to go.

Then I was confronted with the fund raising part of the trip. Now I do not like asking people for money….I do not like the idea of fund raising. It’s a pride issue and I know it. (I don't mind others asking me for help but I hate to ask for help...see my blog post here for more about that) At the time I committed to go, Andy and I had enough money in savings to pay for the trip….but then things started happening to deplete that funding…..We needed new tires on the RAV4, our tenant in our house in Grayson was late with her payments, and we encountered furlough days ….the money I had counted on to pay for the trip dwindled. And I was put in a place where I had to ask for help or I couldn’t go. So, I sent out support letters, and I was blessed beyond belief. God supplied all the money I needed except for about $400. This even included the money I spent on shots.

When we got to Ethiopia, I felt prepared for what I would see there….for the most part it is like what you see on the discovery channel or the “help the children” commercials you see on TV. But this was real. I looked into their eyes….I saw, walked, and smelled the areas where they live….I worshiped with them. And oh how we worshiped! I saw a little boy who appeared to be around 7 or 8 worship with more passion than I have ever worshiped with in my life. It never failed that during every night worship service that the lights would go out….but the people did not even hesitate in their worship. In the complete darkness, they continued to worship He who is the light. Why? Because it’s how they live every day…..surrounded by “the darkness”….facing sickness, hunger, lack of work, homelessness, and persecution...the main area we served is 90% Muslim. They rely fully on God and the hope He brings. (I know there is a lot of recent controversy over Muslims... controversy aside, the people there are persecuted by them. One church even had a security guard that slept at the church b/c the Muslims had been coming at night to tear down the church).

And when we were out and we spoke of His hope, people listened. Every once in a while there would be a “heckler”….mostly a person who was talking loudly and while you didn’t know what they were saying, you could imagine what they were saying….even then others in the crowd, not even people with our team, would start quieting them down. They wanted to hear the message of God’s love.

I can tell you that before the trip when people would ask, “So what will you be doing in Ethiopia?” And I said “sports evangelism and teaching kids English” I would normally be met with a “that’s nice”…..it was almost a sort of half-hearted “glad you’re going to Ethiopia to 'have fun'”. Not that everyone was like that, and that may have even been the Devil trying to make me feel like what we were going to do was not going to make a difference….but still that is how I heard it.

God WOWED me with the way He used sports evangelism to speak to people and share the message of His gospel and love. God took a simple baseball game and made it so much more. People flocked to the baseball games by the hundreds. I cannot say enough about Taylor (the youngest member of our team at 20 yrs old. He prepared all the baseball materials and taught the game with the help of a translator) and how God used him to patiently explain the game of baseball…….somehow even though there were language barriers, even though there were people crowding around from all angles, even though they were learning a sport they had never seen, and playing a game with people they had never met…..the game of baseball was not only learned, but the people accepted it and enjoyed it. While some were playing, members of our team would be sharing with large groups of people all around the field. One day it even started raining and while everyone bolted for the bus or the locals bolted for shelter, Cheryl (Taylor's mom) braved the rain with a small group and continued to share the gospel. After seeing her passion, the rest of us slowly came back off the bus to share as well. The sun came out and people gathered around to watch Carrie share a large evangi-cube (Think a cube that shows the gospel in pictures....an excellent tool in a language barrier situation...ours was much larger than a normal cube). AND THROUGH A SIMPLE GAME THE GOSPEL WAS SHARED.

God WOWED me again with the way He used teaching children simple words and phrases….with the way He used a simple VBS….to share His love with children. Carrie and Sandy beautifully shared the daily lesson, Cheryl wonderfully demonstrated the crafts, I played the best game of Simon Says ever (which is hence forth known as “Michelle says”), and the guys joined in to help wherever we needed them to. We were able to send the children home every day with a little craft or candy, but most of all we sent them home with hope and the message of God’s love. THROUGH A SIMPLE VBS AND TEACHING A FEW ENGLISH WORDS THE GOSPEL WAS SHARED.

Why did these “little things” matter? Because through the small act of playing a game we were also saying “we care enough to spend time with you.” Through the simplicity of a VBS and teaching a little English we were saying, “We care enough to come half way around the world to teach you.” And then we also got to share why we care…..because the God we know and love cared enough about us to send His precious one and only son to die for us.

We have no idea really how many accepted Christ into their hearts during our trip, but we do know that through members of our team sharing with them hundreds of seeds were planted. We know that several local Christians were encouraged and strengthened through the messages Jack delivered in the church every night (and that several of them surrendered their lives to Christ). The most beautiful thing is that we really didn’t do anything at all…..God did it. He paved the way for our every action. He provided the money for our trip. He provided us safety throughout the trip. He gave us the words to say, and He provided us with the people who needed to hear it. GOD DID IT ALL. And while I had hoped God would use me to minister to His people…..they ministered to me. The words “Break my heart for what breaks yours” have never been so true…..and I have never felt God’s love for me so strong as I do now. And every day I don’t know what adventure He’s calling me to next, but I look forward to any opportunity He gives me to serve Him or to share His love.

Forever I will be grateful to Ewing Road for being mission minded enough to send a team all the way to Ethiopia. Truly this trip blessed me more than I can ever express.

Ethiopia ~ Part 1

2010-10-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a while to write about Ethiopia, and I know it. When I returned home, my heart was extremely full from the things that God allowed me to see, experience, and feel. It's taken me this long to try and process through my emotions and the things I learned.

By far, the mission trip was one of the best trips I've ever taken. Ethiopia is a beautiful country. Everywhere there are people and animals (cows, donkeys and sheep mostly). Addis Ababa (the city where we landed) is bustling with people, and cars moving so fast you often wonder how there aren't accidents every few minutes. The city not only has people walking everywhere, but also people laying on the side of the road in the grass. Some people live in tents made from tarps on the sidewalk, while some seem to have no home at all. From Addis we take a bus for 5 hours to Shashamene (pronounced Sha-sha-may-nay). As we depart Addis the countryside quickly turns from buildings and concrete to fields of crops and little huts. Looming in the distance are mountains that are almost too beautiful to take in.

Once we arrive in Shashamene, we find our hotel and get settled in. Our room is furnished with two full-size beds, a small wooden love seat, a mirror, and a stand with a small TV. The room has wood looking tile floors, cement white walls, and the best part is the "wood floor" ceilings. I say "wood floor" because the ceilings look more like what I would want on my floor at home. There's a little balcony off our room, and from it you can see the street. At all times of the day and night are people walking that street.

On Sunday, we get up and head to church. The church is a building made of wood boards and tarps. It has dirt floors and hand made wooden benches. The church has a keyboard, a large speaker, and microphones that they use for worship. While our surroundings are modest, the worship is passionate and full of life. There were many times during worship that I just closed my eyes..... I didn't know what they were saying, but I knew who they were singing too and that's all that mattered. After about an hour of prayer and an hour of worship, the pastor gets up and introduces Jack to the congregation. Jack is warmly welcomed. Jack can preach only a sentence at a time because he has to be translated after every phrase, but the pauses really allow for the message to sink in sentence by sentence.

the church

At the close of the service two people ask Jesus into their lives for the first time. They come down front and raise both hands in surrender while Jack prays with them through the translator.

We have only been in Ethiopia a day and a half. but already the trip is more than I could have imagined........

Monday will hold even more joy and surprises....

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T09:35:00.001-07:00

Samantha is 3

2010-08-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

When did this baby....

Become this little girl??

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Happy Birthday baby girl.....mommy and daddy love you more than you will ever know!

He made a way....

2010-08-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

"He" being God, and the "way" He provided was the one to Ethiopia.

I officially leave for Ethiopia on Sept 17....making my mission trip to Ethiopia officially one month and 1 day away.

Since my last post, God provided all that I needed for the trip. We only had to provide about $500 of our own money for the trip. I plan on using birthday, Christmas, and any money made from SweetSamantha (my etsy shop) to replenish the $500 we're spending. God has truly provided for this trip, and I am ever so thankful for my friends and family that helped to pave the way. You have truly been a blessing and I don't think I can ever thank you enough!!!

I am excited beyond words about the adventure before me, and at the same time I am nervous too. Please continue with me in prayer. My number one fear is getting sick. Many of you (especially my fam) know how incredibly sensitive my body can be, and I am praying that I do not even feel nausea while I'm on the trip! I am planning on taking snacks with me such as peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, etc. I am also planning on taking some over the counter meds. So, hopefully that will help in the event that something disagrees with me. Thank you in advance for praying for me, our team, and the people we come in contact with (even those we meet in the airport along the way!!).

I cannot wait to return and share with you exactly how God worked. He's already provided and we know He has great things in store....we just can't wait to see what those things are!!

Next up I'm getting my shots next week, and then just counting the days till the trip!!

The hardest post I've ever had to write

2010-07-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

I have a confession....

I have times when I am prideful.

I struggle with pride, and not in a good way. Not in the "I'm proud of my kids" way (although I feel that), but in a "I'm too proud to ask for help" way. Typing that stings....almost literally.

It's not that I hate help. And it's not that I have anything against people helping me.

It's just that.....it's hard for me to say.... I need help.

And especially anything that has to do with asking for monetary help.

Why? I don't know. I just like being able to say "no, it's ok. We can do it ourselves." And in most cases we can. Andy and I are fine financially. We have been working the Dave Ramsey plan, and our finances look better now than they ever have in our marriage. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for that.

But now I am swallowing my pride and asking for your help.

In March of this past year, Andy and I became members at Ewing Road Baptist Church. The first day we were there, an announcement was made about a mission trip the church is taking to Ethiopia. Immediately I felt a tug on my heart, and I knew I was meant to go. I prayed about it, talked to Andy about it, and discussed it with a couple of close friends. I already knew the answer was "go", but my friends and prayers further reiterated "go."

I sent out some support letters, and also noted on my Etsy site that all sales would be going towards the mission trip. So far from donations, Etsy sales, and a little budget tweaking I have raised $965.00. That is a huge accomplishment in such a short time, and I am sooooo thankful for those who have given in support. However, I need more help. The total for the trip is $2300.00 and also I have shots that total $230 (or $330...depending on if I take the malaria medication). To be able to go on the trip I need $1335.00 (does not include my shots) by August 15.

Now there are TWO ways you can help. If you are feeling led to give, then you can make a tax deductible donation to Ewing Road Baptist Church (You can click on the church name and go to contact for the address). It's important that in order for your gift to be tax deductible that you not write my name on the check...instead simply enclose a sticky note or a piece of paper with my name on it and "Ethiopia mission trip", and it will get to where it needs to go. It's also fine if you want to send it to me, and I will turn it in. That is completely up to you.

Well, that's one way you can help, but what is way number two??

Pray.

I totally and completely understand if you're saying "Michelle, I love you, but I can't give right now!" And I'm ok with that!! I love you too! But something that doesn't cost money that I need even more is prayer. Prayer that I and the other individuals on our team would receive the required funding. Prayer that God would make His will clear. Prayer that we would have a safe trip. Prayer that God's love....His gospel....would be shared, heard, and received. Prayer that people's lives would be changed....ours included. Prayer that God would be glorified by our work.

So whether or not you can give does not matter.....what I need most from you is prayer.

I thank you all so much for your donations and especially for your prayers. I would not be where I am today without the love of Jesus and the support of my friends and family.

One last thing! If you've ever been on a mission trip and there's a specific passage of scripture that you leaned on during that time, please pass it along! Thanks!!!

My Tomato plant is a diva

2010-07-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, technically only one of my plants is a diva. I have two plants and one is always acting up and the other is perfect! Two plants in the same pots, same soil, same location, but one has experienced blossom end rot and scorched leaves and who knows what next! I have come to terms that while the plant is still fighting to live right now that in the end it may not make it. After talking to my Pop (the tomato plant master), I realized that planting tomatoes does take some trial and error. He said, "Oh yeah, I had that happen years ago."

So, I'm not going to let myself be discouraged....even my Pop has experienced difficulty with his plants and had to learn what to do differently. I'm glad my plants have come this far, and I still have one that's in good condition. After all, I can't expect to be a growing expert right off the bat! Next year I'll know even better what to do! And if next year's plants go awry? Well, there has to be at least one diva in the group, right? :o)

Night Owl

2010-07-17T21:43:00.001-07:00

Samantha has become a night owl.

I really. honestly don't know how it happened.

She goes to bed normally at around 8:30 - 9:00 with absolutely no problems.

Lays her sweet little head down, goes to sleep, and stays asleep all night. (Aren't they so sweet when they sleep?)

NOT anymore! Suddenly my little sweet sleeper has started a new routine..... Oh, she still goes to bed at her normal time, BUT now she wakes up at around 2 AM (give or take an hour). Not only does she wake up at 2 AM.....she wakes up and declares, "I don't want to sleep! I not tired!"

And then she throws a fit!!! Finally, after the average 2-3 hours of convincing her she is tired, she falls back to sleep. (And YES I said 2-3 HOURS).

What happened to my sweet little sleeper? Where did she go and when will she come back??

Currently it's 12:50 AM. And my little sweetie is sitting at my feet working on a sticker book. I KNOW she should be in bed, but trust me....allowing her to do a sticker book is better than listening to her scream. Yes, I could let her scream (and she will probably be doing just that in another minute) but screaming wakes everyone in the house.....even the dog....who stares at me like "when will this end??" Trust me, Giz.....I'm ready for it to quit too!

New things

2010-07-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

You have to go check out my blog at Simply Sweet Samantha!

I'm trying a new sort of post and I need your input! Thanks so much!

4th of July

2010-07-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July we went to downtown Powder Springs. We enjoyed local pizza, people watching, walking downtown, eating elephant ears (or funnel cakes), watching fireworks, and just simply being a family.

Here's Samantha coloring with free crayons.

The kids "sharing" the funnel cake.

Me and my boy

Hanging out

Trying a boiled peanut

Watching fireworks

It was a fun time! I'm glad we decided to head out and enjoy....even if it was a late night, it was worth it!

Summer Fun

2010-07-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

What have we been up to so far this summer? Well....

We visited Fernbank...one of our local museums. We got a family membership for the year through a deal on Groupon.com. The deal we got on groupon was awesome, and with one family visit we got the value of the membership! Woo-hoo!

The kids looking at fossils in the flooring
The Gecko exhibit was awesome!

We've taken trips to library.

Some of the thing we enjoy are story time....

Dancing

Craft Time

Felt boards

Exploring Sea Shells

and Computer time. The library has all sorts of fun things to do!

We've gone to the park. These pictures are from when we went with church for a family picnic time.

This boy has the look of a professional frisbee player...

We've been able to visit with friends, and we had our first experience with a slip-n-slide!

Lastly, we've celebrated birthday's with sweet friends!

I love these kiddos.

7 years later

2010-06-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago on June 14, 2003 I said "I do" to my best friend in the whole world. Since then life has been nothing less than an adventure, and everyday I have grown more and more thankful that he is by my side. He makes me laugh like no other person, and it's always my goal to make him laugh everyday. He is kind, caring, passionate, loving, and best of all he loves the Lord. Day after day I grow more in love with him. He is always my rock and my support. Whenever I am stressed, he is calm. Whenever I cry, he holds me close and comforts me. Whenever I am in a bad mood, he loves me anyway. Whenever I bring up a new idea....like refinishing furniture, learning how to paint, working on a new project....he is nothing less than my #1 fan....he never ever says, "I don't think so" or "you can't do that".

I praise God everyday for bringing us together. There are no perfect people (except Jesus), but he is certainly perfect for me. Andy, I am proud to be your wife and I look forward to all the years ahead! I LOVE YOU!

The Adventure of Gardening - Watching a tomato plant grow

2010-06-13T21:57:00.001-07:00

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 6 (week 6 1/2 technically)

So surprised at the amount of growth in 2 weeks!!

The bad news? My squash plant didn't make it. The good news? A new little tomato plant popped up and I was able to transplant it into the "squash" pot. :o)

And the best news?!? It's blooming!!

Hopefully pictures of tomatoes will be here soon!

James Turns 5

2010-05-31T18:34:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that this past week my baby turned 5 years old! It seems like only yesterday that this picture was taken....

Here are pictures of James and Samantha on his actual birthday.

A couple days later we had his party at a bounce place called KangaZoom. I cannot say enough positive things about this establishment! First of all, the staff was friendly and helpful. Second, the kids had a BLAST! I could hardly get pictures because everyone was zooming aroun so fast! All together James had 14 friends there, and I think they all had fun....and that's all that really matters!

Here's James scurrying up the bouncy slide (he's in the black shirt and blue jean shorts).

The "friends" all in a line!

Samantha and Jael - How do we climb up this thing?

Pausing so mommy can get a picture!

Carrie and Josiah

Jael.....she loved this bouncy ball!

Laurie and Heather - both with their girls! (Heather is due in one more week!)

Yummy food time!

Jack and Carrie and Josiah

Moriah and James

Vivian

Opening presents

Family picture

With his number 5

It really was a wonderful day! James even told us he wants his birthday there next year too!

Happy Birthday sweet boy!! Mommy and Daddy love you VERY much!

My 2nd grocery trip using my new coupon system...

2010-05-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

Recently I started using SouthernSavers.com. I didn't write about the first trip b/c it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. The first trip didn't go very well because I went without educating myself beforehand. Also, the was my first experience shopping at Publix. I have been a committed "Kroger-only" shopper for quite a while, and now thanks to SouthernSavers.com I am broadening my shopping horizons in the name of saving. :o) So, the first trip I ended up with a couple of things, but nothing to write home about.

My second trip ended up a lot better! First of all, I watched the tutorials on the website.....VERY helpful. Second, I recruited help! My friend Carrie (you can go see her blog here) let me know when she was going to Publix, and I was able to meet her there and SEE her list in action. This was also very helpful, and also built my confidence so I know next time (when I go it alone) that I am doing things right!

So, now the fun part!! THE TOTALS!

What did I get?

10 boxes of cereal

2 jars of Ragu

1 box of Pasta

1 coffee creamer

2 Dove deodorants

1 jar of Hellman's mayo

14 Yoplait yogurts

4 boxes of Pop Tarts

Large sized distilled vinegar

Total (without coupons or savings): $77.36

Coupons and Savings: $45.82

MY TOTAL: $32.04!

I was pleased with the results and I'm excited about my next trip! Carrie said it just gets better as you go!! Thanks again Carrie!!

The Adventure of Gardening - Planting and Week 1

2010-05-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

My Pop (my mom's dad) can grow anything. Every year he has a beautiful garden that is planted in my mom's backyard. When I come home during the summer, I am absolutely delighted to partake in his home-grown goodies. He also richly blesses others with his crop. Friends and family alike are routinely blessed by large bags of veggies. Most of the time the bags contain his favorite crop - tomatoes. His plants are grown with love, and he enjoys...more than anything... sharing that with others. You may or may not remember this picture from 2007...

Pop and James "gardening"

Oh my baby was so small!

Well, because of that....and the belief that somewhere in my blood lies this "planting" gene....I decided to embark on a journey to grow my own "garden". Now my Pop obviously has gardening space. However, we are currently live in a rental home, and that does not allow us to till up earth and plant like crazy. So, I consulted a lady at church who grows her garden 100% in containers. She was nice enough a couple of Sunday's ago to hand me a list detailing how to get started "container gardening" style....

So sweet!

I also got some help from this handy dandy planting guide.

I decided to start small....I guess if this year goes well, then next year can be bigger....and I purchased two seed packets for tomatoes and summer squash, two large pots, draining rocks, and soil. Then I drilled draining holes into the bottom of the pots, and filled the bottom with about 2 inches worth of rocks.

Then I filled the pots with soil. I read somewhere that soil labeled "professional" was important (I wish I would have bookmarked the site....I would have shared it with you). Also the "mystery" site said the soil should be light like cake mix. Surprisingly the "professional" soil was not expensive, and was light just like cake mix! Almost good enough to eat....almost....

What were the kids doing while I was planting? They helped for a little bit. I tried to get photos but soil was going everywhere and it didn't work out. They also spotted a lizard, and observed it....from a distance of course....

Lizard Friend

Here is one of my pots....fully planted and placed in a nice sunny spot!

Now here's the exciting part!

WEEK 1 Results!

Can you see it?

There is the sprout of my very tiny tomato plant!

The next one is a bit easier to spot...

There's my sweet little squash sprout!

I mean I know I planted the seedsm but I was still surprised that they actually sprouted! Seeing the sprouts was very awesome. The kids were excited too! It's an even more exciting experience seeing their minds take in the miracle of life through growing plants.

Now I just hope that I actually get veggies from them!

Come back next week and see how we've grown! Also, feel free to share your growing stories in the comments section, or share links to your garden journey. Happy Growing!

Best Friends

2010-04-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Goin' Egg Huntin'

2010-04-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

This year we attended two egg hunts! We were so fortunate that the weather was PERFECT for both days of egg hunting! The first was on Friday and was held at a community center. The center is really nice, and they have a lot of helpful, fun, and free things that people and families can participate in. Both of the kids were excited about egg hunting, but James was especially because he fully understands that eggs=candy.

Getting ready to hunt for eggs.

The loot
What's in this egg?

Best friends

Our second egg hunt was at our church. The kids had a wonderful time and didn't even mind waking up early to go! Here they are hugging in front of the church:

Waiting for the egg hunting to begin

Samantha helped this little boy by adding an egg to his basket.

Samantha gathered 55 eggs all by herself!!

They had a great time playing with friends, collecting eggs, and showing off their finds!

Overall it was a very excellent and fun couple of days. The kids really had fun and truthfully Andy and I did too! :o)

Need a recipe anyone?

2010-03-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Do you ever need help on finding a recipe? Do you ever look at your pantry FULL of food and think, "There is nothing to eat in here"? Do you ever want to make something new but don't have time to go to the store and pick up the ONE thing you need? ME TOO!

Those things happen to me all the time! I want to make something new, but every recipe I find requires a trip to the store. My pantry has a slew of what I consider "mix-matched stuff", and I can't seem to think of anything to make from the things I already have. I am not a creative cook, and yes....I am a card-carrying member of "not creative cooks anonymous". (I would be if it actually existed....and I guess posting it on here makes me no longer "anonymous" :o). oh, well!)

Well, while reading another blog I stumbled upon this fabulous website:

Here's what you do.....go to the website and enter in the things in your pantry and fridge, and it will automatically pull recipes containing those items. When the recipes come up, it will tell you if you have all the ingredients required to make it! It will also suggest items by saying, "Do you have....pepper? Milk? Cream cheese?" I typed in just 12 items I know I have and it pulled up 42 recipes for me to try!

It will also exclude items you don't want in the recipe! Got a gluten or peanut allergy? No problem! Just exclude it! It will take the recipes out of the list that contain those items.

Definitely a fun new toy for me!! No more looking in the pantry and thinking, "I have nothing to eat!"

If you try it too, let me know what you think! I'd love to see how many ingredients you put in and how many recipes it pulled up!

Jokes by James

2010-03-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

James: Knock, Knock

Me: Who's there?

James: Banana

Me: Banana who?

James: Banana, I didn't say orange.

---------------

James: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Me: Why?

James: Because he had pants on!

(Pause)

James: Mommy, I am so funny.

Me: Yes, you are.

-----------------

And lastly...while this is not a joke, I did find it funny.....

James has been praying a lot more lately, and being very specific in what he's praying about. For example, tonight he prayed, "Dear Jesus, please do not make us get scared by the storm outside, and please do not let us get snowed in." I have no idea where that came from and I didn't laugh while he was praying, but I did smile to myself! He's such a funny little boy!

:o)

Valentine Snow Storm

2010-02-12T15:09:00.001-08:00

It snowed today in Georgia!! It started snowing at about 1:15 pm, and it hasn't let up since! They are predicting we'll get 3-4 inches, but when we went outside at around 5:00 pm there was already about 2-3 inches on the ground and the snow was still falling rapidly. It was more snow than my kids have ever seen!!

Samantha wasn't real sure how she felt about it, but....

James loved it! His joy is contagious!

Her feet were covered in snow...

And she didn't know what to do.

She just stood there till Daddy came and rescued her.

Then she wouldn't walk without holding his hand. She so loves her daddy.

Probably my favorite picture right here.

My sweet babies

Mommy and kids

Daddy and kids

Making a snowball 101

After playing in the snow, we came inside and bundled up.

Now time to go eat some grilled cheese and tomato soup.... :o)

My husband has an obsession...

2010-01-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

Almost everyone who "knows" my husband knows he has this thing with stirring.....I don't know why he does it....he just does. When he makes his coffee, when he makes chocolate milk, even when he's making grits, it's like he has to over-stir it to get it "perfect". I (and others) have picked on him for years about it...there have even been times when I've had to give him "a look" or "ahem" to let him know "that's enough! It's stirred!!"

Well, the other day I was video taping Samantha. She used to say "mil" for "milk", and now suddenly she says, "guck" instead. I don't know why she started saying it that way, but it's pretty cute and I knew I better "catch it" before she starts saying it the right way again. So, while video taping her, James asked Andy for chocolate milk. And I caught the "stirring" on tape!!! I played the video back for Andy and he honestly had NO IDEA it was THAT bad!! We laughed so hard I was literally crying. Maybe this will cure his obsessive stirring habit....probably not....but a girl can hope! :o)

(P.s. I got my husband's permission to release this tape to the public BEFORE putting it on the blog!)

Busting a Move

2010-01-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

Really, I'm not sure who he gets his moves from, but he definitely has some moves!! :o)

Love is in the air

2010-01-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I know for sure about our family, it's that love is a major part of it. Love isn't just something that's spoken here. Love is lived. Our children know that we love them and not a day goes by that we don't say several times to each other, "I love you." Maybe to some they would say, "When you over say it, it loses it's meaning." That is a myth.

It's true that love is about more than just words..... It's actions too. But to say it out loud leaves a person knowing that the actions are for sure love. That the actions aren't just duty or guilt or a "have to".

The sweetest thing is that both of our children can now clearly express, "I love you." Samantha for quite a while would simply say "oo too". You would say, "Samantha, I love you." And she'd say "oo too". Then suddenly the other day she walked straight up to me, looked at me with her sweet baby cheeks, her gorgeous blue eyes, and said, "Mommy, I la you." My heart melted and I seriously almost cried. I grabbed her up and said, "Mommy loves you too very, VERY much."

James has also taken to regularly saying, "I love my family. I love you and daddy and manfa." (Yes, he STILL calls her "manfa"....she might hurt him later when it sticks). Normally he says it while we're all together for bed time after reading a story or saying our prayers.

Love is spoken and lived here.

Today was a "snow day" here in Georgia. It was recommended for people "not to travel" and James school was canceled. So, this morning we turned on one of James current favorite shows....Tom and Jerry. I find it absolutely hysterical that he loves Tom & Jerry, and even more hysterical that he asked Andy, "Daddy, when do the new episodes of Tom & Jerry come on?" :o)

While watching Tom & Jerry, Andy laid down in the floor to stretch out. As soon as he laid down, Samantha was scooting herself off the couch and into the floor. Without any prompting from us, she climbed onto Andy's back and watched the rest of Tom & Jerry like this:

Then later on, I caught this pic. While it's a little blurry, I think you can see on her face how she feels about him.

I also couldn't resist catching this shot:

I had been stirring something, and as soon as James saw me he wanted to stir. (He loves to help me "cook"). Well of course as soon as Samantha knew James was stirring she HAD to be too. So there they were.... the two of them, chairs pushed over, helping each other stir. To top it all off as soon as I grabbed my camera I heard James smack his lips and say, "Hmm, this is pretty good." (He thinks stirring is all you have to do to cook something....I love it!)

So, there you have it.....can you feel the love?

I have another Blog....

2010-01-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

No, I am not cheating on this blog....the two blogs know each other and have met. And I'm not giving up on this blog (although considering my huge amount of recent posts...). My new blog is at SimplySweetSamantha.blogspot.com. I created it to try and seperate my sewing projects from the family stories....because some would rather see just pics of the kids here ;o). So, feel free to check out the new blog if you wish. Again, it's mainly about my projects and my Etsy store stuff. Hope you enjoy both!! :o)

Christmas time is here....

2009-12-08T20:24:00.001-08:00

Well, it's official!! The Christmas tree is up, we've watched the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, and I went to see the Rockette's in the Radio City Christmas Special!!

Amy and Moriah in front of the display window

Christmas Time is HERE!

Santa even came to visit us a little early. I think he probably had to lighten his load a little bit before the big night... ;o)

Thanks Dad and Denise for telling Santa (wink wink) to deliver our gifts a little early! We LOVE them!

What's going on?

2009-10-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

The answer to that would be a lot!! I have been sewing, caring for the kiddos, gearing up for the upcoming holidays, lovin on my husband and just stayin busy in general!!

I've been having fun doing it too!!

I also realized I didn't post pics of James first day of school, so here they are!

James on his first day of school

I'm not sure what Samantha's doing here, but she was just as excited as he was!

I like this one!
After dropping off James, Samantha and I went to Chick-Fil-A for a special mommy/daughter breakfast. P.s. Neither James nor I cried at first day drop off!!

Button for my store

2009-10-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

All things Etsy ~ Grand Opening of my Store!

2009-10-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I just wanted to let you all know that I have opened an Etsy store! Etsy.com is a place where you can find all things handmade. It allows crafters to come together and sell their items all from the same place! Do you remember those cute crochet clips I got for Samantha? They were from an Etsy store called Briar.Claire.

Well, as I said I have now opened my own Etsy store! Here it is!

SweetSamantha.etsy.com

I only have a couple of items on there right now, and I'm slowly adding things day by day. I also have a custom request listing on the site in case you are looking for something specific! Below are a couple of pictures of what you'll find there!

Samantha's 2nd Birthday

2009-10-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

I know this is a little late, but I figured better late than never, right? Hope you enjoy!

James Bowling

2009-09-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Just a side note...I didn't teach him any of this...he just picked up the ball and started bowling!

Ps....I have no idea why the video won't fill the whole screen!

Fun in the Sprinkler

2009-09-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take much to make kids happy...just a warm day and a sprinkler!

Looking at the next few pictures, you can really see a story unfolding....

Samantha: How do I get water into this thing?

Samantha: Hmmmm, maybe James will help me...

James: I can't get it....here you hold it and I'll put the water in it.

(You can guess how this ended!)

More Sewing Projects!

2009-08-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of my sewing projects!

4th of July dress for Samantha

A bag for me!

Inside of the bag...check out the pocket!

A little dress for Samantha

Learning to sew

2009-07-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

Within the last several months I have learned how to sew. I learned from a friend who was from the Czech Republic. She and her husband ended up having to move back and she offered her machine for me to buy (for a great deal! It's cheaper for her to buy a new machine there than it would be for her to buy power adapters for the one she sold me). I accepted her offer, she taught me some basics, and I was on my way! I started out making small pillows for both of the kids, and then I started buying patterns. I bought a very simple pattern for a dress for Samantha. I think it turned out well....

The dress

It's a little big so she'll probably get to wear it next year! (And she's not fussing, she's squinting!)

See? Squinting.
Jael and Samantha. Heather made Jael's dress in the opposite colors that I made Samantha's. Yeah, they were pretty cute...and they knew it!

I've made lots more stuff since this dress, but I'm going to keep you in suspense!! :o)

Vacation, part 3

2009-07-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

After leaving Maryland, our final destination before heading home was visiting our friends, The Bible's in Raleigh, NC. Between Andy, myself, our 2 kids, John, Tara, and their 4 kids, it was a full house to say the least! However, the kids got along great, and we had a lot of fun! While we were there, Thomas put the smooth moves on Samantha. One day they were both on the couch together. Thomas stood up on the couch, stuck his arm out, and then slid down and put his arm right behind Samantha. It was absolutely priceless, and a moment I so wish we would've caught on film!! We did go swimming while we were there, and we went out and visited our old stomping ground - Southeastern Seminary. We had a great time together! Thanks John and Tara for putting us up in your house, feeding us yummy meals, and being all around great company!

This was all she wanted to do! Just walk around!

Me and my baby

Samantha and Thomas

Tara and Thomas (she's gonna kill me for putting up her picture, but this one was just too sweet!)

James "swimming" with his floaties

Thomas...he's such a sweety!

The Newsome's and The Bible's back at the place where we met

The Bible family

Our family

The twins...these girls were just babies when we met them!

All of our kids (my two are in the middle)

John & Tara

Andy & I

James and mommy...I'll take those kisses as long as he's willing to give them!

Thanks again Bible's for hosting us! We had a great trip!! Thanks also to my mom and dad that kept our "3rd child", our doggie baby, Gizmo. Giz can't stop talking about all the fun he had with Mater! Thanks to everyone...you all made our vacation great!!!

Vacation, part 2

2009-07-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

As you can see from vacation, part 1, we had an awesome time at the Baltimore Aquarium. On Sunday we were supposed to go into DC, but by then James and Samantha had a fever and we decided it best just to stay in and rest. I really really wish we would've gone into DC, but I know the rest did the kids well and I would've felt awful had they gotten sick in DC. Next time, DC is definitely a must!! So instead, Denise and I took a trip to Joann's and I picked up some "learning to crochet" stuff. (I'm currently working on a blanket, and I got another book to learn how to make those adorable hair clips I bought for Samantha...but that's another post!)

On Monday, Andy went golfing with my Dad and brother, Daniel. They had a great time! They also all 3 played Tiger Woods on the Wii (which is as entertaining to watch as it is to play). Denise and I took the kids (who were feeling much better) out to the pool. They had a blast, and I sooooo wish I would've taken my camera down to the pool! Their pool has a very large kids area where the water is only about a foot and a half deep. At one point James and Samantha had the whole thing to themselves! James was playfully following Samantha and she fell in the water, face down of course! Denise said she had never seen a person move as fast as I moved to lift her out of the water! Ha! I was impressed that when I picked her up that she had actually held her breath and did not cough at all! However, after that she did decide she'd had enough of the water...LOL.

We also took the kids out to the playground in their neighborhood. They had the place to themselves and had a great time climbing and sliding!

Being a cutie

Two peas in a pod...

Being a brave climber

"cooking"
This one's my favorite

I love playgrounds!

I hated that James arm turned out blurry in this shot...they're expressions totally speak to their relationship! So sweet!
Where you go, I go.

Thank you Dad and Denise for taking care of us! We all had so much fun!

Vacation, part 1

2009-07-30T19:41:00.001-07:00

For vacation this year we trekked up to Maryland to visit my dad, Jim, and his wife, Denise. We broke-up the trip for the sake of the kids and I was so glad we did! On our way up we stopped for a night with the Barndt's in Wake Forest, NC. Samantha got sick in the car 5 min before their house! Upon pulling over immediately and jumping out of the car, we found that she also had a fever. (This led into her having a virus for about 4 days....of course she'd have a virus on vacation...why not??) Thank you Barndt family for hosting us!! The visit was much too short, but we very much appreciated a place to rest and of course the awesome company. (I CANNOT believe I didn't take any pictures!!!)

The next day we headed the rest of the way to Maryland. We learned that Samantha does not enjoy long car rides, and 4 to 4 1/2 hours is when she's just about had enough! On Saturday we headed out to the aquarium. Thanks so much Denise for getting the tickets to the aquarium and the dolphin show...the kids were amazed!

Samantha playing with Denise's phone at Panera

While we didn't go in ESPN zone, Andy wanted a picture that we walked by it. Sigh...you can take the boy away from his TV, but you can't get the ESPN out of his system!

The aquarium

Samantha playing with Pop-pop

Waiting to get in the aquarium

Thumbs up...ready to go!

Me and my sweety

Here fishy fishy fishy!

James with a whale bone
Samantha and Pop-pop in the tropical area
James and I waiting for the dolphin show to start

Samantha watching the show

Hello sweet dolphin!

James and Pop pop watching the show

A really high jump!

Andy and James in the Inner Harbor

Sweet kisses in the Inner Harbor

To be continued....

Where have I been?

2009-07-30T19:33:00.001-07:00

It has been over a month since I have blogged. Exactly where have I been?!?! The answer is I've been around. Mostly home, but around. We did go on vacation in June to Maryland to visit my dad, Jim, and his wife, Denise. Last week we went and visited my mom and dad, Don, while Andy was away in Daytona, FL..."suffering" for Jesus at Big Stuf camp with the youth from our church. I've been twitterin' and facebookin' and doing my newest hobby, sewing.

James is gearing up for Pre-school and starts Sept 8. We go Aug 13 to a parent's meeting to meet his teacher and get the 411 about what this Pre-school stuff is all about. Samantha turns the big 2 very soon! She's doing all sorts of cute things now, but my favorite by far is when you say "I love you" she says "u too"....oh, it melts my heart everytime!!

Well, enough of me talking!! On to the posts with pictures!!!

"Up" family picture

2009-06-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

We recently went as a family along with my mom to see "Up". It really was a great movie. Even my mom said, "I think that's the best children's movie I've ever seen!" We were REALLY excited that we got to see it in 3D. I just happen to have my camera with me so of course I HAD to get some family shots with our 3D glasses!!

Happy Anniversary Baby!!

2009-06-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

To my loving and wonderful husband: (for the world to see)

Six years ago today, you and I stood in front of family and friends and said, "I do". It was truly the most wonderful day of my life. I love you more than words can say, and since our wedding day 6 years ago my love for you has continued to grow and grow.

You are an amazing father and a wonderful husband. I completely adore you, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us!

Love you ALWAYS,

Happy 4th Birthday James!!

2009-05-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday James!! We love you so much!!

Think Orange

2009-05-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

I know many of you have been driven crazy with my new "orange" obsession. I've received e-mails, tweets, and facebook replies asking me, "what the heck is 'orange' and why do you keep talking about it? You're driving us all crazy!!" (OK....so the last part was my own addition...I've only gotten very polite questions asking "what is it?") Well, for all of you who are still wondering, spending endless hours pondering this thing called "Orange" (probably not...indulge me)....here is the post you've been waiting for!

But first let's back up to a little over a year ago. Our children's director, Amy, went to the Orange Conference last year, and before any of us knew any better she caught the bug that is orange. (She invited me to go at that time, but for some reason I wasn't available) Around that time we started the "First Look" ministry for pre-schoolers, and the "252 Basics" ministry for Elementary School aged children at church. At the time, Amy was doing the "main event" worship service for both of these ministries (along with all the other aspects of her job), and she was stretched to say the least. It occurred to me that she needed help, but I didn't know how to help her. I decided to pray about what I could do to help out, and get back to her. Shortly after that our Education Pastor, Tensley, gave me a call and asked me if I would be interested in doing the worship time for our pre-schoolers. Talk about God answering a prayer request specifically! I'm not even sure I got the job description before saying "yes"!

Fast forward to now.... I've been doing the pre-school worship time for about a year, and I love it! In case your interested, "First Look" worship time consists of reviewing the story (in a fun way), learning our monthly bible verse (using fun hand signs), singing songs (complete with dance moves), and either playing a game or doing a craft. And during that time we use all of those things to focus on three truths....God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever. (In case you're not interested, just forget you read it!)

Well, since I'm involved in the pre-school ministry, I got an invitation to join Amy this year at the Orange Conference. If Orange was a virus, then I caught it! And just like that, I was hooked on all things Orange (just to be clear....I am still very much a Univ of South Carolina fan, and I'm NOT changing to Clemson just because of my new love for orange). Now, what IS Orange??

Orange is what happens when you mix red and yellow. LOL.

No, really.....it is.

Yellow represents the church. And because I can't say it better than the author, Reggie Joiner, here is a quote from the book:

" The church exists to shine a light in the darkness, a light that highlights God's goodness and reveals God's son, in order that the world can understand and know Him." (p.30, Think Orange)

Now ALL of this post is VERY simplified to make this explanation shorter, but the book Think Orange is FULL of amazing tidbits, and the section on the church and how it is the lamp stand (where the yellow comes from) that should show others Christ is absolutely no exception. Just to be clear, my very simple explanation here cannot possibly cover everything the book does. My advice? Read the book! It will answer your questions way better than I can!! But for the sake of my simple explanation the church is the lamp stand and therefor represented by the color yellow.

Red represents the family. Why? Because when we talk about love and caring, we normally think red (for the heart). Now, families by design are not perfect. Writing that makes me feel like I've just dropped a bomb....like you're looking at those words saying...what do you mean families aren't perfect? Isn't your family perfect? You're saying YOUR family has problems? And truthfully, openly...I am saying just that. That we are not perfect. That we do things wrong. That we get frustrated with each other. BUT regardless of not being perfect (because...news flash...no one is) we love each other and we are a family. And because we're not perfect God uses us to display His love and grace. Another quote from Reggie:

"God is at work telling a story of restoration and redemption through your family. Never buy into the myth that you need to become the 'right' kind of parent before God can use you in your children's lives. Instead, learn to cooperate with whatever God desires to do in your heart today so your children will have a front-row seat to the grace and goodness of God." (p. 48, Think Orange)

Let me ask you a question.... How would God display His goodness and grace through a perfect person? He can't. (Except of course for Jesus). God uses imperfect people to show you and others that it's really Him working and it's not of ourselves. (Look up Ephesians 2:8-9). I am not perfect, and if anyone knows it.....for sure my kids and my husband do. But God (because He's totally amazing like this) takes what's imperfect about me (loves me regardless) and uses my imperfections to show His love and grace. I wish I could supply you with a great example here, and maybe after I think about it a couple days I'll come up with something :oP HE is using us! Imperfect people to tell His story of love and redemption! Isn't that just amazing?!?

Think Orange....I dare you....think it....

Adorable

2009-05-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today in the mail I received three clips that I ordered for Samantha from an Etsy company called briar.claire. Briar.claire boasts of clips that are fun, fresh, and fabulous. Well, as I said, I received Samantha's clips today and I can attest to the fact that they are fun, fresh, and fabulous!! And I think she looks quite adorable in this clip called "The Hazel"...don't you?

A totally awesome Stellan story...

2009-05-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Fox Channel in MckMama's area did a great piece tonight on Stellan's story. I'm amazed that main stream media introduced her faith like they did....because normally such things are shied away from. I thought the entire piece was beautiful and I'd be lying if I told you I didn't cry through the whole thing. Here's the link: A totally awesome Stellan Story. (And that's my title for the story...not theirs...LOL).

I still find myself amazed that I am captivated by a family and a baby that I know only through a blog. That I pray for and ask others I know to pray for this baby who I know through only pictures and posts. That I talk about MckMama like I know her....so much so that people ask me how I know her and I have to confess that, "it's just a blog I read, I don't actually know her." Now I gotta say that I am not totally obsessed (at least I don't think so), but I am awed by the story God is writing using her life and the life of her little boy.

Actually I think I feel a "God story" post coming soon.....

But he's my baby!

2009-05-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

My baby can't be turning 4!! He just can't!! I'm making a little "turning 4" video for him....stay tuned!!

Really?

2009-05-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Has it really been two weeks since I've posted anything?? I swear sometimes I feel like we are so busy, and other times I feel like we're always doing the same old thing. There's honestly just not much to report!

James is about to be turning 4 on May 26. We're talking about birthday party plans, and the birthday "theme" seems to change everyday! One day he wants a Madagascar (jungle) party, the next day he wants another Cars party, and then he'll want something else all together! There are a lot of people we know with birthdays in May, and he keeps asking when it's his turn. I keep giving him the same answer, "soon". He has also become obsessed with when our community pool is opening. He asks every time we leave the neighborhood if it's open and can we swim now? I keep telling him the same answer as above, "soon". :o)

Samantha is 20 months old now. She has such an opinion of her own! James is coming out of "terrible threes" and I think she's entering "terrible twos".....well, as long as one is off while the others on, I guess we'll be ok! She is saying quite a bit and I think more than James did at this age. She tries attempting lots of words, and sometimes it really sounds like she's trying to communicate whole stories and just can't get out the words right! She is a total Daddy's girl through and through. She wants to be the first one to hug him when he comes through the door, and she tries her best to get his attention throughout the day. Of course he loves it! He's so wrapped around her little chubby finger! I feel that disciplining her is going to be hard for him.

Both of our kids amaze us with their personality differences, and especially how their personalities are so evident from birth! James has always been a people person. As a baby he went to anyone that would hold him, as a toddler he would smile and wave at anyone, and as a growing little boy he can make friends with ANYONE in seconds flat. He's not at all shy to just walk up to a kid and say, "You want to play with me?" He does not at all discriminate (don't we wish adults were this way?) when finding a friend to play with, and I kid you not EVERY TIME we leave anywhere he'll say, "I made a new friend today"...and he really did. However, Samantha is slightly reserved. She wants to check you out before she befriends you, and she's extremely loyal once she falls for you. She knows exactly what she wants and she's not going to give up until she gets it. Of course she can't always have everything she wants, so sometimes we get a good fit every now and then. She pretty much has a good fuss until she notices your not paying attention or giving in, and then she'll run off to find James and see what he's doing. She loves her brother too, and she follows him everywhere. I often joke that if you're looking for Samantha, just go find James....she won't be far behind.

Andy just recently had his 29th birthday. We didn't do anything special (He didn't really want to celebrate...I guess we're saving up for the big 3-0!!). But we were able to get him a grill with the birthday money we got. He made steaks tonight (a birthday gift from a choir member), and I made baked potatoes. It was so nice to split up the cooking and only have half the responsibility. He's excited about cooking, and I'm excited he wants to cook! Ha!

Me? I'm just preparing myself for James going to pre-school this fall (yes, I think it will take this much preparation), and trying to learn new hobbies. I started sewing and I'm about to finish my first little dress for Samantha. I'd also like to some how do something with photography or perhaps something artsy...I really want to do something creative like that. I love looking at other's photographs and I'd really like to be able to do that myself! I'm also pretty excited about just Samantha and I spending time together when James goes to school. I rarely (if ever) have her all by herself, and I think it will be fun for it just to be mother and daughter 4 days a week. Also, while I am nervous about pre-school, I know it's going to be good for James and I know he's ready. It will be very different (more for me) since he's spent the last 4 years of his days home with me, but he's excited and now when we drive past where he's going to be going to school he says, "Is it time for me to go to school yet?" (Poor kid....you know my answer....he's always waiting on something!)

And one last thing....

Does anyone else get anything but silly pictures from their almost-4-year-old?

This is the bulk of what I'm getting from James right now...

Wow....that's quite a bit considering there was "not much to report"! Ha!! :o)

Easter '09

2009-04-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

Easter seemed to really fly by this year! I'm pretty sure when you see the pictures, you'll understand when I say "we're going to have to have a re-do day!" Hope everyone had a great Easter!!

Trying to get Samantha to smile...

Take 1...at least no one is crying

Take 2...I'm catching flies trying to get Samantha to smile, and James looks unhappy

TAKE 3....This is my, "Let's just get this over with" face, and obviously Samantha's NOT happy (and I don't mean to be vulgar, but it looks like she's trying to flip off the camera...doesn't it?)
So Sleepy
So very sleepy
Much happier after nap time

Me and my boy

Wearing Orange for Stellan Day

2009-04-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Right now Stellan is in surgery for his heart. Some of MckMama's readers decided to wear orange (her favorite color) in a show of support for Stellan today! Here's our orange!!!

We are praying for you Stellan!

Funny Stories

2009-04-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

I know that *some* of you are going crazy that I haven't posted pics of the kids in a while. I will soon...we just haven't had much luck capturing photos of the kids lately (i.e. someone is crying EVERY TIME the camera comes out). But until then I thought I would post a couple of cute stories....

Story #1:
The other night a may fly (a huge, ugly mosquito looking thing that is harmless, but really scary looking) got into James room right before he was about to fall asleep. Suddenly Andy and I heard James screaming, and ran back to his room to find him "trapped" by this bug. I scooped him up and took him out of the room, and assured him that daddy (our hero) would kill the bug. When we got out of his room he said, "Get Larrboy! He's scared too!" Oh my heart just melted! He can really be so sweet....

Story #2:
We went to Zaxbys on Tues night because our Zaxbys has free kids meals (with the purchase of a regular meal) on Tues. We had almost finished eating when James proclaimed that he had to go potty. I said, "ok" and started to move to take him, when I was informed by James that Daddy needed to take him (he's becoming very aware of the boys room/girls room thing). However, then he also informed me that boys play games and have fun in the boys room. Really? So, I asked him, "Well, what do girls do in the restroom?"

He said, "They just go potty."

LOL.

Story #3:
We went to Chick-Fil-A (we're starting to sound like fast food junkies....probably because we are) and after eating the kids and I went into the play area (which I absolutely LOVE at our Chick-Fil-A) while Andy cleaned up and then joined us. Right after Samantha eats, she has the roundest little tummy. It really is so cute and I'm trying to get a picture of it...if only she would stand still! Anyways, this little girl (she looked to be about 3 or 4) came into the play area and walked over to Samantha. She put her hand on Samantha's tummy, looked up at me and said, "Does she have a baby in her tummy?" I almost fell over!! It was so cute!! Of course I told her "No, there's not a baby in her tummy."

Oh kids, and the things they say!!

When I don't know what to do...

2009-04-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

When I don't know what to do, I'll lift my hands

When I don't know what to say, I'll speak your praise

When I don't know where to go, I'll run to your throne

When I don't know what to think, I'll stand on your truth

As I bow my knee, send your perfect peace, Lord

As I lift my hands, let your healing come...

I QUIT!!!

2009-04-09T20:12:00.001-07:00

I quit biting my nails!!! If you know me, you know that I used to bite my nails very badly....I hated it, it was disgusting, and I just could not stop....and then, I just finally got so sick of it and I just stopped. That's it...I didn't do anything special to quit....I just did. It has now been over a month, and I treated myself to a manicure today. I even took pictures, because I'm so proud of my new nails!

What's "wrong"

2009-04-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

After my last post titled "NO TV Monday", I thought some people might think it wrong of me to "deny"my family TV for a day. So, that got me thinking about things that are REALLY "wrong" so that I can shift your mind away from the former:

(Think sarcastic "oh that's so wrong!")

What's "wrong" is that our kitchen center light has been out for months.

What's "wrong" is that we have not replaced it because it is too high up and would require us buying a ladder to fix it, and we're too cheap to buy a ladder just to fix a bulb.

What's "wrong" (and my mom will really appreciate this in a "that's my girl" sort of way) is that I got out of bed at 1:30 AM just because I could not get my mind off of that really stinky diaper Samantha had earlier, and I could not stand it being in the house even one second longer.

What's "wrong" is that then, since I was already getting the diapers, I decided, "I might as well get the rest of the trash"

What's "wrong" is that while getting the rest of the trash I accidentally spilled paper pieces onto the floor while emptying the shredder. Then I had to go get a broom to sweep up said pieces at 1:45 AM!

(I can see my mom smiling now)

So, there you go....some things that are "wrong" just in case you needed it to shift your mind away from "No TV Monday.... :0)

2009-04-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

This was just a test to see if my new sig would work! It did!!

It is amazing

2009-03-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

As previously posted, I have been following MckMama's blog pretty closely all this week with her sweet baby Stellan being in the PICU with heart problems. It has been a total roller coaster ride of emotions, and I can't even imagine what his family must be feeling. Tonight MckMama (Jennifer) was featured on a local news story in her area. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry while watching it.

Jennifer said she gets over 200,000 hits a day on her blog. (and I'm probably only 10 of those...hee hee). She is going through (for most of us) an unfathomable time right now, and all she wants people to know is who Stellan is and that God is taking care of him - NO MATTER THE OUTCOME. Watching her faith is amazing....I can only hope it is something people would say of me.

Well, we did it...

2009-03-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

We made it through "No TV Monday"! It is 11 PM, and the armoire has stayed closed all day long. So, what did we do all day with absolutely no TV? This morning we got up and ate our breakfast. The kids were more chatty than normal, so we talked for a little while. Then we played with our ABC flash cards. We sorted them, talked about the pictures and letters, sang the ABC song. After that, I called the pediatrician b/c both kids are exhibiting symptoms again of the virus we had last week. The peds nurse told me to watch them today and if they got worse, developed a fever, or still had it into Tues to call back (which I will have to do tomorrow, b/c 5 min ago James got sick again).

Where was I? Oh, yes...no TV day.....after the call to the peds, we ran to the bank and then to Kroger to pick up some more Gatorade/pedialite. Then we came home and ate lunch, and everyone took a nap (yes, I did too :o)). When I got up, I showered, checked a couple of blogs, e-mailed a couple of people, and then the kids woke-up. Once the kids were up, we worked on cleaning their rooms and the living room. I vacuumed and they ran around in circles like the vacuum was chasing them (they love playing that...of course I don't actually "chase" them, I just run the vacuum and they run in circles :o)). Andy got home and we ate dinner. I asked Andy if he missed the TV, and he said "actually I thought we were having great conversation...so, no I don't miss it." After dinner, I worked on some laundry, Andy wrestled a little with the kids in the floor, and then they got out their blocks and we started building. We invented our own game of bowling....we stacked the blocks into a pyramid and then bowled them over with James' Lightning McQueen ball. We had so much fun! Samantha cheered, "go, go, go" and James would bowl and help me stack the blocks. Andy taught James how to roll the ball using both hands. Then suddenly I said "what time is it?" (I seriously thought we had been playing for 20 minutes, and was kinda wondering what we were going to do next) and Andy said, "It's 8:00!" We had played for an hour and a half with just blocks! So then it was bath time, story time, and bed time! The kids went all day without TV and literally James only asked once to watch it (I was so surprised he didn't cry when I said "no").

I really thought Andy and I would turn on the TV after the kids went to bed, but we didn't (go us!). At first Andy and I just sat and talked. I folded some more laundry, and then got on my computer. Andy got out a book and started reading, pausing every once and a while to share "good" parts of the book with me. Just before I wrote this at 10:45, I remembered that a new episode of House came on tonight and I asked Andy if he wanted to watch it. He looked at me surprised and said, "Are you testing me?" LOL. I told him no, I was just curious. I thought he would turn on the TV, but instead he just finished his reading. I think we might actually go to bed early!

"No TV day" was sooooo much easier than I thought it would be (and this is from a true TV junkie). I think it's definitely something we could do more of. Although Andy did say he's not ready for us to get rid of TV completely....good thing I didn't make that call to DirecTv earlier today and tell them to come haul this stuff away ;o).

NO TV Monday

2009-03-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Being sick last week (all of us) caused us to watch lots of TV last week. I must say that I do think there are some really good kids programs out there, and that I believe watching them with your kids and talking to them about it does help teach them things (I'm so sure James learned shapes from us watching Sesame Street, b/c he would not sit for two seconds with the shapes book. Then we went to the peds and he could name them all! What?!?). However, there comes a point when too much is too much (If you know what I mean)! And because we were sick, we came to this point. So, I have challenged our family to a "NO TV Monday". That's it....there it is....the child cabinet locks are on the armoire....we'll see how this goes!!

I'm learning how to sew!

2009-03-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

I recently started learning how to sew. For my first "project" I made a pillow for James. I stitched the inside pillow, stuffed it, and then made the cover. I am so proud of it! I actually made something!! And (even better) James loves his pillow!

The pillow

A peek at the inside pillow

Loving the pillow!

One Week Later

2009-03-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken one week exactly after the "snow storm" post. What a difference a week makes!! It went from snowing and 32 degrees (and colder) to sunny and 70 degrees. That's life in Georgia for you!

Before

After

The kids with "twiggy"....he's going to be a big tree someday!

"Look! a leaf!"

Ms. Blue Eyes

Prayers for Stellan

2009-03-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

There is a blog that I follow on and off called mycharmingkids.net....also known as MckMama's blog. I was drawn into this blog about 4 months ago. My friend Jackie had posted on her blog about MckMama's 4th pregnancy, and about how the doctors had given her a very grim prognosis for her sweet baby Stellan. You can go to MckMama's blog at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ to see the full story, but essentially Stellan was diagnosed with many heart problems before birth. The doctors were doubtful that he would live to be full-term, and that if he did that he would probably die during birth or shortly after. MckMama and her husband decided that they would continue the pregnancy and enjoy his little life for as long as they could, and they would trust God with all the rest. Well, by a miracle Stellan was born a healthy baby boy about 3 months ago. A sweet little boy with a dimpled smile.

Unfortunately Stellan got sick a couple of days ago, and his heart began to race. He is now in the hospital and the doctors are having a difficult time slowing his heart to a normal rhythm. In short, Stellan's heart is sick, and he can only live so long with it in it's current state.

Now, I believe in a mighty and powerful God. A God that has in the past and continues today to work miracles. I believe that God fully has His hand on this situation, and He already knows the outcome. I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that God answers prayer according to His will. So, please join with me in praying for little Stellan and his family. Again you can go to MckMama's blog to check for any updates. Thank you so much for your prayers.

(You can click on the My Charming Kids link or the MckMiracle button on the right side of my blog and it will take you directly to her site)

Updates to the blog

2009-03-24T19:12:00.001-07:00

I am not sure why I do not update my blog as often as I'd like. I mean honestly, it's my homepage!! I see it every time I open the Internet! I get tired of looking at the same thing too! So, I'm really going to try to update regularly, but you know how that goes so no promises!

(Has anyone else ever noticed that I really love exclamation points? ;o))

Snow Day!

2009-03-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday started out like any other Sunday. We got up early, got ready, and headed out to church. Then just before church was over it began to snow. For us here in Georgia it was more than snow...it was a Georgia blizzard! Right when we got home from church (after stopping in Kroger for bread and milk...he he) we let the kids stand outside in it a bit. They were truly amazed and excited by the falling snow. It brought smiles to our faces just to see them so excited! Enjoy the pictures!

Samantha's chair

2009-03-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Samantha was so in love with James' chair that he got for Christmas, that Dad and Denise got her one of her own! Thanks so much Dad and Denise...she loves it!

Playing with Daddy

2009-02-05T15:41:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I look at all of the pictures in my files and reminisce about my kids... their growth, things we've done, holidays....and then it hits me....there are almost no pictures of me with my children! Why? Because I guess like many moms, we're often behind the lens catching the moments. I am, however, fortunate enough to catch moments of my husband with our children. I love to watch him playing with them, and I totally understand how "daddy" play is different from "mommy" play. "Daddy" play almost always involves rolling in the floor, tackling, flying in the air, playing air guitar, and making funny noises. "Mommy" play usually involves reading with special voices, counting things, discovering play dough, and silly dancing. Well, when you have a girl, some things about normal "daddy" play with a boy have to alter slightly. For example, Samantha recently thought it would be fun to play purses with daddy. I almost could not contain myself when she handed him her little purse and keys as if to say, "here daddy, you have a try. It's fun!" And of course my husband being the wonderful MAN he is joined right in and helped our princess with her purse.

Going Bananas? Or Eating Bananas?

2009-02-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

If I were to have a parent phobia, it would be choking. I am scared silly of my kids choking. I know that I often cut up their food too small, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I cannot stand it when they choke and get that look in their eyes signaling their trouble to breathe. Mind you this has only happened to me a couple of times, but those 2 times were enough to let me know that I never wanted to see that look again! So, it was a big step for us (me) when I gave up cutting up bananas for Samantha and just let her have at it. She was absolutely tickled and I wish my camera would have been close enough to catch her delight and wonder when she held the whole thing in her hands. However, I did manage to catch some shots of her finishing it off.

Christmas Eve/ Christmas morning

2009-01-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

I know, I know!! What in the world took her so long to post her Christmas pictures? I have no idea. But here they are now!

Andy and I

Our Family ~ Christmas Eve 2008

Seeing the presents for the first time

So excited about her horse and carriage!
James and all his gifts

Ooh, A box...

Samantha's popper

The Piggy Bank and The Box

2009-01-27T19:47:00.000-08:00

What kinds of toys do kids need? Simple ones. My kids find the greatest joy in the simplest of toys. Just recently we had some wonderful toys handed down to us from another family. One of the toys that was handed down was a piggy bank. It has large plastic coins, and it counts them as you put them in the slot. Then you can open the piggy, retrieve the coins, and start again! Sounds simple, right? Samantha loves it! It has quickly become a favorite toy, and I could swear she's beginning to count with it. She's at least trying to sound out the numbers...even if they do sound like, "uh, oo, ee."

James, however, is my box boy. It's not that he doesn't love his toys....he does....but add a box into the mix and suddenly all of his toys are better if they're IN the box. We got this box with our new printer for Christmas. So, we let James play with it for a couple days. No need to hurry throwing such things away....I let him draw on it, watch movies in it, hide in it....hours of fun disguised as a cardboard box.

Daddy helps me put in the coins.

"Hey look, it actually went in"

"I'm going to get this"

Hiding in the box

Watching movies in the box

(and if you're wondering what he's watching...it's the behind the scenes recording of the voices for one of his cartoon movies...what can I say? He is his father's child.)

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2009-01-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

I'm trying out some new backgrounds for my blogger, and then I'll have up some new posts! Come back soon!!

Christmas Dress

2008-12-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

I took these of Samantha today. This is her Christmas dress that my mom and I found at a killer after Christmas sale. I think she looks adorable in it!

O Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T20:07:00.001-08:00

My cousin Brett requested to see pictures of my Christmas tree and here it is! I took this shot without the flash b/c it was the only way to capture the pretty sparkly lights.

Also, a picture of my mantle b/c I thought it turned out well this year. I did add bows around the hurricanes with ornaments after this picture, so use your imagination ;0).

And this is one of just a few Christmas shots I was able to get of Samantha. (James did not want his picture taken). We're going through a phase where she will not look at the camera! But I thought this shot was cute none-the-less.

Thanks to our troops!!

2008-12-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Be warned...this will make you cry!

Thanks to all of our troops! Thanks for serving and protecting our country! We are praying for you! Merry Christmas!

Having fun outside

2008-12-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

We decided to go out this week and have some fun in the yard. James doesn't need much to keep him entertained outside....we have a nice hill out back, so he grabbed his baseball and was ready to go toss it and then chase it down the hill. (Who says we need big expensive toys, right? The cheap little ones seem to remain the favorites!) We had a really great time, and got some nice pictures too!

"James, who made this mess?"

2008-12-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know!

**Made moments after waking up, while I was changing Samantha. We still have not found the perpetrator that created the mess.

"Samantha, the phone's for you!"

2008-12-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

This is my phone...

Dialing. Samantha, who are you calling?

"Hello"

Halloween

2008-12-04T20:57:00.001-08:00

Yes this is so stinkin late, and yes, I'm posting it in DECEMBER! Just one little pic so everyone can see what the kiddos looked like for our fall festival. James was a Lightning McQueen pit crew member and Samantha was a SC Gamecock cheerleader....

Watch out! It's a faux hawk!!

2008-12-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

James and I were sitting eating a snack, and he got some water on his hand and then accidentally touched his hair. So, we started playing with his hair, and gave him a faux hawk! He loved it and thought it was sooooo funny. Then he started with some funny faces to go with it. Here's my funny and totally cool little boy!

Not me

2008-11-10T18:05:00.001-08:00

Here it is again! My Not Me Monday post! Check out the home of the original "Not Me" at www.mycharmingkids.net!

~We did not drive 6 hours down to Florida this past weekend just to visit our great friends Kyle and Leah.

~The other day at lunch Samantha did not start eating before everyone else and stop eating after everyone did. She does not eat more food than I have ever seen a toddler eat before.

~ James is not a picky eater who eats way less than his 2-year-younger sister. He would never pass up eating for playing.

~ I did not get cranky with my husband the other day. I would never ever have a sour attitude. Nope, not me.

~ Kyle and Andy did not beat Leah and I at Cranium. We did not laugh our heads off.

~ I did not NOT take a single picture while we were in Florida. I would not let the cuteness of how attached my kids got to Kyle and Leah slip by without taking a single photograph.

~ I do not want to go shopping in the worst way but I'm trying to be really good and not stray from our budget. I do not want to throw every single one of my clothes away and start over.

~I do not feel like my kids are dressed better than I am. I am not jealous of my daughter's really cute little blue jeans, and I do not wish they came in my size.

~I did not go to my local Kroger today and find out that they are REARRANGING the entire store. I did not experience a total feeling of anxiety at having to learn the entire store all over again. No, not me....I would never get nervous about something so silly!

That's it!! That's my NOT ME!! Thanks to our friends Kyle and Leah for having us in their home this past week. We love you guys and miss you already! We'll see you soon!!!

Not Me...Nope, not me!

2008-11-03T20:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my VERY first NOT ME post! I found this little bit of "therapy" thanks to my friend Jackie. The home of the original Not Me is at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ It's a great site and one I have fallen in love with.

All you have to remember is that this post is heavily laden with sarcasm...hope you enjoy!

~I have not been staying up later because of daylight savings time, convincing myself that I somehow have more time to sleep (even though I don't).

~I did not clean up the house to just have the kids destroy it five minutes later.

~I did not allow my kids to eat cereal for dinner b/c neither one of them would touch the chili I made.

~I have not become obsessed with Daveramsey.com and I am not checking my budget everyday to make sure we're on track.

~I did not video my daughter crying today because I wouldn't let her play in the bathroom. I would not record a tantrum because that might be encouraging it.

~I did not go to the pediatrician today without a shower, and then just decide not to shower all day long.

~I am not sitting at my computer right now at midnight thinking maybe I should take a shower because I am not getting up at 6:30 to go vote! *edit* Just so you know I actually didn't get up at 6:30 to go vote...instead I went at 11:30 when Andy got home from voting. Because I simply would not rather sleep in than get up at 6:30!

Join in on Not Me Mondays!! It's fun free therapy!

Ms. Piggy-tails

2008-10-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

My baby girl finally has enough hair for pig-tails....enjoy the cuteness!!

Daddy's girl

2008-10-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

Both of our children love their daddy very much, however, I'll admit that Samantha has a certain sparkle in her eyes whenever she sees Andy. I've watched her look at him until he looks back at her, then she smiles and pretends to be shy. When he comes home from work, she rushes to the door and insists on being the first one to kiss him. She loves to sing with him....I'm sure she's shaping up to be a Daddy's girl.

I love Larryboy!

2008-10-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know Larryboy, he is from Veggietales. His "secret identity" is Larry the Cucumber. He reminds me of a superman/batman combo. Of course no one recognizes him as Larry the Cucumber just as no one recognized the Clark Kent as Superman with glasses on. Larryboy has become James constant nighttime companion. Our night time routine consists of a story of his choice, a bible story (from his bible), prayers, tucking in, and then the question, "Where is Larryboy?" Then we have to hug and kiss James, and also hug and kiss Larryboy (and James finds it funny when we tell Larryboy it's time to go to sleep, and James says, "No making noise" to him) Here are some pictures with Larryboy....I think it's adorable that he's become so loved...

Psalm 86:12

2008-10-20T21:49:00.001-07:00

"I will praise you oh Lord my God with all of my heart." Psalm 86:12

(Fun with sidewalk chalk)

Samantha's little phone

2008-10-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Samantha got a little phone for her birthday from my mom's friend, Christy. She has fallen in love with this phone! The best part is that it lets you record your own message and then the biggest button on the phone plays the message. So, I recorded a little song I made up for her that goes, "Mantha, mantha, mantha, sweet little mantha, Mantha!" (to the tune of Dora, dora, dora the explorer, and "Mantha" becuase that's what James calls her). She absolutely loves it! She plays it, dances with it, and hugs it! So sweet!! Thanks Christy!

Is that butter?

2008-10-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

Recently I made waffles for breakfast. I love butter on my waffles, and by that I mean that I possibly like more butter than syrup on my waffles. I know, I know....not healthy...but I don't eat them all the time so I consider it a treat when I do. Anyways, I was making waffles, and I stuck the butter in the microwave for a couple seconds just to soften it slightly. After making waffles, my son (who's every bit of 3, and yes I believe 3 is harder than 2) decided that he didn't want anymore waffle, he wanted cheerios. So, I poured him a very small bowl of cheerios, and then I had to go change Samantha. Well, when I came back after the seconds it took me to change he I noticed something in the corners of James' mouth. At first I thought he'd gotten into icing somewhere, and then I thought, "I don't have any icing." Well, it turned out that my son was dipping his cheerios into the soft butter! I said, "James, I know you didn't" Then, I had to take pictures of the evidence because this story is one for the memory books.

The Evidence...and just for the record he didn't get THAT much butter! The butter was already to the end so I think he must have "dipped" about 3-4 cheerios.

She thinks he's the coolest...

2008-10-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Samantha loves to follow James. She thinks he's the coolest guy out there, and why shouldn't she? He's her big brother! And I must say I think he's a great big brother. He's mostly willing to help her with things, and I think he's just as crazy about her as she is about him. Here's some cute pictures I caught of them together....

catching up...

2008-10-20T20:36:00.001-07:00

I didn't realize how much I'd gotten behind on posting pics and telling stories until I started looking through my pictures. So, it's time to catch up! Here we go!!!

Samantha Walks!

2008-10-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody! Guess What??? I finally learned how to make a video ~ YEAH ME! (Thank you Andy) and Samantha learned how to walk ~ GO GIRL! Here she is...

Hope you all enjoyed our first video!