I Missed This Guy!!

I've been at the beach for a social work conference for three days and I couldn't wait to get HOME! This is very unusual as I love the beach and enjoy the conference very much. However, while I didn't even know it, I have become one of "those" moms. The ones that can't stand to be away from their babies. I never thought it would happen. Then Jack came and it still didn't happen. It never bothered me to leave him when he was a baby. (I think now that may have had a lot to do with my exhaustion - remember, he NEVER slept!) But lately, I can't stand to be without him!! Needless to say, I was one happy mommy this afternoon. He, on the other hand, didn't mind me not being here at all:)

Here's the kid I've been wanting to see...

This next picture is so funny b/c Ben and I were talking about starting a college fund and all that one day and after a few minutes, I said, "Who are we kidding? This kid's not going to college. We should just save for a bulldozer." Not that he's not smart enough - he just loves being outside and machines and things that make noise. But, in this picture, he looks like a little business man... Just checking his Blackberry:)

I missed this guy pretty bad too...

Still missing him actually!!

Basketball Goal Game

Our child has fallen in love with basketball. We love football and like any other sport better than basketball really, but he says "no" when we ask him if he's gonna play football, baseball, or golf. He says he's going to play "basketball goal." Well, we decided to take him to Troy to see Andalusia in the playoffs. Ben took him to the game Thursday with our friend, Dexter and his son. Then, we all went to the game on Saturday with Aunt Dee Dee and Uncle John. Jack enjoyed it soooo much. His cheer was "Let's Go Nico" and "Come On Derek." Those were the only two players that we knew:) We know of Nico b/c he's going to best school ever next year and who doesn't know Nico and Derek is the nephew of my office mate. Well, they won both games and Jack enjoyed his "basketball goal game" experience.

After the game, we went to Sikes and Kohn for Ben to get some boots and Jack decided to try on some hats. I took some pictures of him with Ben's cell phone....

He's cute stuff styling for the camera, but I think the store employees were thrilled when we left:)

Feel free to send up a little prayer that this kid ends up loving either football or golf!! His daddy is gonna be heartbroken if he doesn't (and his momma too)!! :-)

Happy Birthday Karen!!

My friend Karen had a birthday yesterday. Unfortunately, I can be a very "average" friend at times and this was one of them. I didn't call her or send a birthday card. So, I decided since she's a blogger like me, I would dedicate a post just to her! Karen is one of my oldest and dearest friends. She is also the one friend that I can honestly say has always been a strong Godly influence in my life. I'm constantly amazed at her quiet but strong; grounded but open-minded; and disciplined but loving relationship with the Lord!!

I have had many experinces with Karen, but the best one by far was our trip to Greece several years ago. Karen's school was taking a trip to visit biblical sites in the country and she asked if I wanted to go. This was my first trip out of the country, first plane ride (I would recommend taking a shorter flight for a first), and she was the only person I knew. It was FABULOUS!! Easily, one of the most exciting two weeks of my life.

I have decided to post a small picture library from that trip to give Karen a trip of her own down memory lane. This may bore the rest of you, but I really think Karen will like it:) [An aside here: I already had the pictures in a scrapbook and coudn't scan them so the quality is poor on many of them]

Castle at Kavala - Can you find the golden hand in these, Karen? You'll probably have to click on the picture to make it larger to see it in most of them. There is a sticker of the hand in each of the pictures that has a hidden hand. (This was a little game we played. In all the group pics, there is a golden hand strategically hidden somewhere. You probably had to be there for that to be funny, but if you would like to play, by all means...:)

Orchomenos - my favorite day!! Karen, can you believe you did this?! We were WAY UP:) (Karen has a small fear of heights that she actually developed on this trip - it's a miracle we all didn't get one!)

Edessa

Holy Meteora Monastery - we were so fashion forward; it's very cool now to wear skirts over pants and jeans:)

Festos - We had the best group of people on our trip; From left to right: me, Benji (not my Benji HA), Karen, Mark, Emily, and Dr. Browning (coolest nerdy guy ever:)

Agracorinth - home of the viper that crawled across my foot and the place where Karen said what was maybe her first ugly word ever:) Dr. Browning was very upset that we scared the snake away with our screaming - it was the kind of snake that bit the apostle Paul and apparantly would have been very educational to see! He's kind of crazy too:)

Knossos (we were trying to recreate a Grateful Dead album cover)

Just us girls

The joys of travel - washing clothes by hand and "squatty potties" - AWFUL

Food wasn't the best either, but McDonalds - so great that its universal!!

One of my favorite things in Greece - Diet Coke:)

Karen, Emily, and I made some top ten lists our last night in Greece. I wanted to post our entire lists from the trip on here, but that would have taken forever... so I'll leave you with just a short recap. Our top two most heard quotes:

"The cutomer is responsible for all under body damage to this vehicle."

and

"You don't get that on the bus tour!"

Thank you so much for being my friend. Thank you also for being farther along in your walk with Christ so I can look to you and imitate what you do. You have the testimony that I want and pray for for my son! I love you and am so thankful that God put you in my life!

Happy Birthday!!

P.S. You can check out Karen's blog under my friends list. It's a great encouragement for believers!!

Please, Never Again!!

A couple of weeks ago while Ben was at work, my parents and I decided to go to Birmingham for the night. There were a few stores that were holding some items for me for the house and I thought we could make a short trip of it. We were planning to go to some children's stores that I knew Jack would enjoy and it was just going to be a very relaxed and fun weekend.

WRONG!! I'm not going to go into tons of detail b/c I don't want to relive it all again, but Jack got an ear infection right after we got there. I wasn't worried, but it seemed to really be bothering him. Someone told us there was a family clinic right up the road so we thought we would go there for some antibiotics and be on our way.

WRONG AGAIN!! The doctor there thought we needed an ambulance and that Jack had something terribly wrong with his stomach. Anyway, long story short.... we did NOT get an ambulance but we did go to the ER at Children's Hospital. Only five or six hours later, we left with antibiotics for an ear infection. Children's Hospital ER - not what you would think it would be. Several times we wished we were in our little small town hospital if you can believe that.

Doesn't he look so sick here?

Thankfully they had this car for entertainment. Grandaddy rode Jack around several times and many, many other children throughout the night. We knew everyone very well by the time we left. (Hi! to our friend Tag if you're reading)

The story gets much worse, but I'll leave all that out. Jack did start feeling much better and we were able to shop some the next day. However, this little boy let us know very clearly that he was ready to come back HOME!!

Even sick, he's pretty darn cute!

The final verdict: If you get sick in Birmingham on the weekend, drive somewhere else!! A thought while I was in that ER waiting room: This is why I'm soooo again socialized medicine!!!!!! It's available to everybody, but nobody can actually get it!

Happy Valentine's Day

Don't you just love it when people give you neat ideas? Last week, I saw some Valentines that Mindy Barton's sons Garrett and Grant made for all their friends. They were great and I was VERY impressed. They had put some candy in a clear bag and then using scrapbook supplies Mindy had they had made a label for each individual child. They were very cute and I thought it would be a neat idea to do for Jack's classmates at school.

Mine are not nearly as impressive largely due to fact that the boys are 10 and 7 and I'm almost 30, but I thought I would show them to you anyway:) I made some changes to mine. I started with these neat little books w/ CD that I found at the dollar store... (Michelle, you will be proud. I had a $5 coupon there:) ... for just a $1 each.

Then I got these sweethearts and taped them to the book.

Then I made each child their own label and viola - a Valentine. Here are a few of Jack's favorites.

The girls had to make do with mainly heart stickers. I didn't have a lot of girl scrapbook stuff!

Hudson had to get the "Roll Tide" one of course!!

Here are all the rest...

And some I haven't quite finished yet...

I know nobody will believe this, but we have looked at these so many times that Jack knows which child is getting each one. I'm starting to wonder how I'm going to get him to actually give the Valentines away. He likes to talk about who they belong to in theory, but I'm pretty sure he thinks they are all really his:) We still have to make Ms. Rita and Ms. Jessica some Valentines but we're pretty much ready. Can you tell we miss the holidays?! Thanks Garrett and Grant for a great idea!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone just a little bit early!

Potty Time

We've probably started a little too early, but we are at least talking about it now. I am sooo ready to stop buying diapers, but not at all excited about the whole process of potty training. I will say, it's been pretty funny so far!


My friend Phyllis said that I had to start him off right...

...in boxer briefs.

We have actually started the process. He sits on the little potty...

.... with his pants ON!! And then....

...he flushes the big toilet! Really funny!