Still Here...

What an absolutely crappy 24 hours. After spending all day yesterday packing for our trip, we ended up on the side of the interstate for over 3 hours last night. After waiting out a tornado and finally heading out of town around 5:00 our RV broke down about 2 hours into our trip. It was very scary...some weird noises followed by losing all power. Trust me, it's quite difficult to steer something that weighs 60,000 pounds without power steering or power brakes, especially when you are going 70 mph. For a minute, it looked like we were going into the trees, but Randy was able to coast it onto the shoulder. We waited forever for the state troopers and finally a tow truck big enough and then we had to wait for them to load it. All this time 18 wheelers were flying past us going 80 mph and each time it rocked the RV so badly I was afraid we would roll into the ditch. Anyway, we had to unload our stuff out of the RV and into the Saturn and drive back home. We walked back in the door at 1:00 this morning. Of course the kids were beside themselves by this time and frankly so were we. We went to bed immediately but were awakened 4 hours later by a thunderstorm complete with hail, severe lightning and four little feet running to our bed. I think we all dozed off a little after that but not much. Right now I am exhausted and sad. I was really looking forward to seeing Sally and her family. So much for our mini vacation.

I know, I know...it could've been a lot worse and I am thankful that we are safe. We really did end up making the best of it and having a decent day. I wouldn't trade time with my sweetheart of a husband or kids for anything. I just miss my friend.

Well, right now I am going to spend some quality time with Randy who will always be my best friend...with benefits.

I Forgot...

This is Hallie after her first game. She did great! I know I am a little biased, but I really think she is the best player on the team. They have her at first base and pitcher most of the time. Anyway, I am just so proud of her that I had to share a picture!

Catch Up..

I hope everyone had a good Easter. Mine was as close to perfect as possible. This is the first year in 3 that Randy has actually been there in the morning. As the keyboard player and oftentimes vocalist at our church of about 1000 people, he has to leave the house on Sunday mornings by 7:00 and doesn't return until 12:30, not to mention that on Easter there is always 3 services. Don't get me wrong...I love that he has found a ministry that he loves so much, but it's nice to have him there when the kids see their baskets and to help me get them dressed and out the door! We also had Marshall here this year so it really worked out nicely to have him home. We all went to church together where I was moved to tears by the music and message and then we had a nice dinner afterwards at our house. ALL my parents came, so it could've been explosive (I am always on edge for that possibility) but they were, for the most part, rather civil. Don't we look nice?

Of course we also did the Easter activities that don't really have much to do with Jesus, but that I find harmless...egg dyeing, hunting and baskets of treats. Personally, I don't find it particularly bothersome that parts of Easter have pagan roots, although I can understand those who do. I personally believe that God is interested in our motivations and our hearts, and I think that any day we choose to celebrate what He did for us is fine with Him.

Well, we are getting ready to go visit my very best friend this weekend in Florida, so I have lots of laundry to do. It'll be nice for us to get away for a few days. The kids love any reason to go some where in the RV, but they especially love the beach!

Resurrection Day

This is why I am celebrating today...

My Jesus, my Savior...
Lord, there is none like You.
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My Comfort, my Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength.
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, All the earth, let us sing!
Power and majesty, Praise to the King!
Mountains bow down And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands.
Forever I’ll love You,
Forever I’ll stand.
Nothing compares to the promiseI have in You.

I hope you all experience the grace and love of our Savior today.

Darlene Zschech (Darlene Zschech / Hillsong Publishing [ASCAP], admin. in US & Canada by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music)

Kid Stuff

What a great day I have had! Marshall is spending the week with us and he, Ethan and I have had so much fun. They took a bubble bath this morning and as soon as I could get them bathed and dressed, we headed out for pancakes. After a brief shopping session at Target (hey, he needed a toothbrush, okay? Any excuse will do...) we headed out for the playground. Of course, they got all sandy which basically nullified the bath this morning, but oh well. It was a so nice outside, although my Chicagoian (is that a word?) stepson exclaimed "It's hot out here!". Apparently his memory is not long enough yet to recall the 105 degree days of July from last year. Anyway, we came home and had grilled cheese and grapes for lunch and alas, they fell asleep, but not before blasting off to outer space in the Buzz rocketship.

I love having these kids together. They are like a PBJ sandwhich....Mars is the smooth, easy to spread peanut butter, Ethan is the sweet, jiggily jelly and Hallie is the bread that keeps them in their place. There's no escaping that bread, boys. You're surrounded. Of course, they have moments that call for mediation. There can only be two Buzzes and nobody wants to be Zurg. With Hallie in the game Buzz has a wife, baby and toy car seat in his rocket. Zurg is a grumpy bachelor who always loses and only has a laundry basket for a vehicle. Who can blame them?

Well, I better go wait for the school bus. Hallie's first softball game is tonight, so she needs a hefty snack. Later, folks!

Target Therapy

No, it's not a new breakthrough in treating mental illness. It's not some kind of psycho-babble for a form of cognitive or behavior therapy. It's exactly what it says. Therapy...at Target. You know, the store known all over the world for it's red circle logo and vast selection of items you really, really need and items you really, really don't need but that would look great in the guest bath? Need a laundry basket? Got 'em. Need organic strawberries? Got 'em. Need a digital camera? Got that, too. Need to feel better about yourself without spending tons o'cash? Well, . I don't know what it is about that store, but when I go through those automatic doors and reach for that red buggy, something happens. It's kind of like "Breakfast at Tiffany's" except there's no expensive jewelry or fine china and I am not Audrey Hepburn, no matter what my husband says. However, I do feel safe there. How could I not in the presence of every form of candy imaginable and clothes I can buy and not feel guilty about it later? I can wake up in the morning feeling like an ugly, horrible person and then somehow after an hour in the aisles of bliss walk out with a new pair of capris, a gallon of milk and a new point of view. How much does it cost? Maybe 50 dollars...and let me tell you, that's about 1/3 the cost of psycotherapy in the office where, I must point out, you cannot buy an icee that will turn your mouth blue and slurp it through a big red straw. There's just no contest. Target therapy is the only way to go.

I'm Here...

Sorry it's been so long, folks, but I've had a very sick daughter. She is improving, but had a fever of 104 and nausea yesterday. She had to miss softball and a birthday party and I am waiting to see when Ethan is going to take it. All of this plus the fact that a tornado passed over our house Friday night at 11:00 and golfball sized hail battered two of our cars. We are all okay, but squeezing into the storm cellar with our neighbors, my mother in law and a very sick little girl in the middle of the night was not the highlight of my weekend. However, my daughter's face when I brought her flowers from the grocery store yesterday is. Okay, I also got her the pair of "Krocs" (sp?) she has been asking for. I tend to indulge my kids when they're sick. So sue me.

Anyway, I hope all of you had a better weekend than I did. I'll write something more coherent later...after my nap.

Buzz Lightyear, some magic marker and some very sad news

Whew! Sometimes when I finally get my kids in bed at night I feel like a hallelujah chorus is in order. The hubby has band practice on Tuesday nights and somehow they are always the most challenging. Ethan threw his Buzz Lightyear (i.e. his passion for living) at the wall tonight and thus received a spanking and Buzz was shelved until morning. Between his dramatic crying and longing stares at the top shelf, I attempted to scrub a big smiley face off of Hallie's stomach for the second night in a row. Her friend was over yesterday afternoon and they came up with some "creative" ways to use her markers. Yes, she even drew long eyelashes, teeth and her belly button is the nose. Endearing, huh? I can't help but wonder how many baths it's going to take to remove this piece of art. Let's hope it wears off before her next doctor's visit. I am so proud of her, though, for how great she is doing in softball. Her coach told her tonight that she has a "vacuum on her hand" because she catches every ball. Ethan, however, thought that was an insult so he yelled back "My sister is not a vacuum!!" and gave him a dirty look. Thankfully, he didn't hear or see this display. On top of that, Ethan was walking around tilting his head back and saying "Hey, I'm a Pez Suspenster" to the other parents. He wouldn't move until they took some "candy" from his neck. Oh Boy.

On a more serious note, my brother-in-law's mom passed away last night from neuro-endocrine cancer which is rare, but very aggressive. She was only diagnosed 8 months ago and it has really been a roller coaster for the family. Sadly, my brother-in-law lost his younger brother to suicide a few years ago and now this. I feel so badly for him and especially his dad. Jackie was one of the kindest people I have ever met. She always met me with a big hug and called me "hon" and "darlin' ". She was an amazing photographer and she really taught me a lot about freelancing. She had a very difficult life and was enjoying her only grandchild (David Scott) so much. She loved him dearly and it just devastates me that he won't even remember her. She was a strong lady and I do take comfort in the knowledge that she is with her Savior and her son. I have fond memories, especially of last mother's day when we had a dinner party at our house. That was only 2 months before she got sick and we all had such a wonderful time together. I am so glad that I have that.

Please pray for my brother-in-law (Scott) and his dad (Mike). Scott is a precious human being and has supported my sister through some very tough times. He, my sister and my nephew are all Mike has left. No parents, no siblings and some horrible memories of finding his youngest son dead by a shotgun blast. I am praying that the Lord will make it possible for him to move closer to my sister and her family soon. He and Scott will really be needing each other.

A Survey I Stole From Jana

1. FIRST NAME? Jana

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not really, though my mom got the name from her cousin Jana. I also have a younger cousin named Jana whose parents stole my name.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Yesterday afternoon after having dealt with 14 toddlers in Sunday school on no sleep and then being ignored all afternoon. Yep, it was basically a self-pity fest. PMS anyone?

4. WHAT IS ON YOUR DESKTOP BACKGROUND? I change it monthly. Right now it is a fave picture of my hubby.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Honey roasted turkey breast

6. KIDS? Yep, I have two of my own and 3 step kids and another step adult who I’ll claim occasionally ;)

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, I make a great friend.

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL ? Are you kidding? Yeah..

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Who me?

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Oh yeah.

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Nope. I like my feet on the ground, thank you.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Honey Bunches of Oats or Raisin Bran

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES ? Not usually. Especially since I usually wear slip ons that come off at the door.

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically? Well, yeah, stronger than I look.

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Bruster’s Birthday Cake. Yum.

16. What happened to # 16??

17. RED OR PINK? Pink.

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Physically I hate my cleft chin. Otherwise, I hate how shy I can be.

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Hmmm. I guess my best friend Sally who lives 8 hours away.

20. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black yoga pants with a white stripe and no shoes!

21. LAST THING YOU ATE? A whole wheat bagel with country crock light and strawberry jelly.

22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My son singing the Buzz Lightyear song while he is on the potty. He tends to take his time in there.

23 IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Dark green

24. FAVORITE SMELL? Spring rainstorm.

25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My next door neighbor and best friend other than Sally, Kathryn.

26. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their warmth and intelligence.

27. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it from Jana’s blog, but of course I like her. She’s hilarious!

28. FAVORITE DRINK? Sweet tea and Porch Punch

Where's # 29??

30. HAIR COLOR? Dark brown

31. EYE COLOR? Very dark brown

32. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Not any more! Aha, I had Lasik.

33. FAVORITE FOOD? Turkey and dressing

34. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Either, but I prefer dramas.

35. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Elizabethtown

36. COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? white

37. SUMMER OR WINTER? Ugh, anything but winter.

38. HUGS OR KISSES? Do I have to choose?.

39. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate cake with chocolate licing

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Sweet Caroline, Bringing Up Boys, Cold Mountain.

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? My husband’s companny logo.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? “The First 48” on A & E.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Kids laughing, wind, rain, cicadas, ocean

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Neither!

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Northern California.

46. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I write well and I read incredibly fast.

47. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? November 5, 1976 in Gadsden, Alabama.

48.Why did you answer this survey of your self? Because I had to pass the time while my son was indisposed.

After a 6 year old birthday party at "Libby Lu"

Has anyone noticed that there is something going on with girls these days? I mean, I played with dolls and Barbies until I was in middle school. Now days, my daughter's kindergarten class is full of "little" girls who breeze right by the toy aisle to pick out some tight, lowriders with a lacy stretch top complete with some saying like "It's all about me" or "Boys stink" or better yet, "I'm a brat" emblazoned across the chest. Exactly what are we trying to teach our children here? That being an egotistical, spoiled brat is something to advertise? That boys are really inferior and its okay to say mean things about them? Frankly, it scares me. Hallie is one of the 2 or 3 girls in her class who couldn't care less about her clothing and has two pairs of shoes...Sunday shoes and tennis shoes, and neither of them have a 3 inch heel. She wears cute "girly" clothes that I pick out (for the most part), and as long as they are comfortable and include some form of pink, doesn't care. She is more interested in taking care of her baby dolls, riding her scooter or bike or painting another masterpiece for our rapidly decreasing wall space. Maybe it's because I have limited her TV watching to educational shows only, or maybe it's because I am not really into fashion. I don't know, I only know that I want my little girl to stay a little girl until she's not one any more. That's another thing that bothers me. So many of the parents encourage these interests. They actually want their daughters to dress and act like a rock star. They are constantly asking me "How do you get her to dress in such cute little outfits?" I just respond by saying, "because that's all I buy." I just don't get it. Does anyone else out there see this trend or is it just me?

For those of you who don't know, Libby Lu is a store for girls where they do makeovers, sell teeny little outfits, fake hair and various body jewelry. It is mostly for preteen girls, but several 5 year olds are having their birthday parties there.

Here is Hallie after her makeover. Yes, that is blue lip gloss and eye shadow. Thankfully, she refused the fake gem stickers on her face, however we couldn't get around the fake ponytail thing on the back of her head.


Here is the entire group after the "fashion" show. Notice Hallie at the top with a "I'm not really with them" look on their face. I am not including pictures of the fashion show as they include many of the girls performing some very grown up moves in their mid-drift baring outfits. Hallie and her close friends tried to hide behind them.

Okay, I am not trying to throw out a "better than thou" tone here. I don't think these girls are bad, nor are their moms. Many of them are good friends of mine. Maybe I am the one doing something wrong. Who knows? It just seems like they grow up fast enough, why should we rush it? Trust me, I know from experience that rearing teenagers is difficult enough. I am certainly not ready to start it now with my 6 year old.

Thanks Times Two

Thank you for all of your encouraging words regarding Hallie. She has been sleeping much better since Sunday night. Now we need to work on the root of these fears and reducing her rituals and compulsions. Her first therapy appt. isn't until April 25th, so we have a while. I just hope this doctor is able to help her. I haven't totally ruled out medication, but I am going to wait and get the psy. opinion. It seems like whenever we nip one thing in the bud, it is replaced with something else. She now insists on sleeping with a bowl in her bed in case she throws up during the night. She hasn't been sick for months, so I am not sure where this came from, but she panics if it's not there. That's just one example, however I do want to share an experience I had last night. I was watching TLC in bed and all these shows with heartwrenching stories kept coming on and I really had a moment of knowing exactly how small my problems are. I don't have to scrub and cream my children's skin 4 times a day so they won't die from Harlequin-Icthyosis or any other genetic disease. No one in my family weighs 750 pounds and I don't have to watch them die slowly from the effects. I haven't lost a child or had one with a serious illness. I have a loving husband, a beautiful home, 2 precious and healthy children and no need goes unmet. I really don't have anything to complain about. All I can do is just thank God and pray for those who do experience the things above.

Well, this week has been beautiful. We are now officially in shorts/T-shirt weather (my favorite). It is that awesome time of year where the days are warm but not hot and the nights are cool but not cold. We are loving it! Hallie began softball this week so we have really been taking advantage of the weather and practicing a lot. Even Ethan who is only 3 years and 4 months can hit a ball pitched to him. I am impressed, and so is his daddy!

Back to the Land of Reality

Let me first inform you that I am writing this after a night of absolutely NO sleep. Not 3 hours, not one hour, not 30 minutes....NONE. So, if this makes no sense, cut me a break.

We arrived home last night at 10 p.m. and quickly shuffled the kids to bed. We were totally exhausted after 10 hours in a moving motor home and Randy and I went to bed as soon as we could. Unfortunately, Hallie could not sleep and I was up with her until 3:30 a.m. wondering why I had decided against medication again (?). Finally, she calmed down and went to sleep, but I was so worried about her that I could not. I finally just got up and started the day. Needless to say, she did not go to school today. She seems fine now, but I am stressed about bedtime tonight. It is tough knowing that I have genetically passed OCD on to my daughter. It is ten times harder to go through this with my child than myself. I have shed many a tear over this and although I know it could be much worse, I wonder if I am doing the right thing by not medicating her. A six year old on Paxil? I was a teenager before I entered the land of SSRI's. Admittedly, I waited too late, but it just seems wrong to start her on something that may be a lifetime regimen at such an early age. I don't want her to go through her childhood afraid like I did, though. Lord, help me. I need some guidance here.

Well, our trip was wonderful, despite our problems last night and my zombie-like state today. I will recover, though. I have lots of experience in coping with no sleep. Lots.


Family carriage ride through historic Charleston.


















Living here wouldn't suck, would it?

My Scholastic Strength...

I got this quiz from Mel...

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History wForeign language

What Should You Major In?

Well, I guess English is a foreign language to some people...

Charleston, Day 3!!

Today we visited the South Carolina Aquarium and rubbed elbows with otters, sea turtles and a piranha or two.





But first, we had to have a healthy breakfast.



Of course, we also indulged in pralines, fudge and other various health foods. Needless to say, we are enjoying ourselves!!

Spring Break, Yea!

We have been in Charleston, SC for the last two days. We are all having a blast and a much needed break. We have been to an aircraft carrier (USS Yorktown) and today visited a plantation called Middleton Place. Since we visit this town a few times a year, we have been these places before, but it's fun to see the kids getting into it. Here are a few pictures! I will try to post some each day.

Yikes!

School is out this week and Randy is going to Florida to film a piece on his company for a national news network (cool, huh?) so the kiddos and I are heading down to my mama's house. As many of you know, this could be an emotionally traumatic experience, so wish me luck!! I don't do this very often. I will be sleeping in my old room and old bed with some old, not-so-good memories. Please keep us all in your prayers. This filming is a very important event for my husband.

We are all heading to Charleston on Tuesday, so I am just going to focus on that! Since my mom has a crappy dial-up connetion, you won't be hearing from me for a few days. Have good ones!

A Leisurely Day

What a nice, peaceful little Saturday we are having! It's a little cool compared to last week, but still in the 60's and the hubby is trimming shrubs and pressure washing the porches as I write. Today we leisurely laid in bed until 8:00, with Ethan pitter-patting his way in about an hour before. Hallie is at her dad's house, so it wasn't as crowded in our queen size bed as usual. Randy and Ethan played the "mountain" game (a.k.a. Daddy's legs) until hunger drove us all into the kitchen. I am still on my sweet tea strike (the horrors!) so all I had to drink was black coffee and O.J. I went without caffeine at all a couple of days ago and ended up downing Motrin by noon, so I learned my lesson there. It's hard, though, to leave off a drink that I am used to having 3 times a day, but it's worth it, I guess, to lessen my high sugar intake. I'm not really trying to lose weight, but just eat healthier. I am used to eating whatever I want and still weighing 115 pounds, but I don't make very good choices. I suppose the yoga has inspired me.

Anyway, I got this meme the other day, so here it goes!

sat-8 :: spring fever
1. have you gone on spring break before? if so, where, and if not, why?
Well, I don't exactly understand this question. I have experienced spring break every year of my life. My mom taught elementary school and I am used to having a week in spring to just relax and enjoy the weather. I never went any where with friends in high school or college during this time because I was a social loser in high school and married through most of college.

2. do you take a spring vacation?
I do now! Since I married someone who loves travel, especially to historic places, we often go somewhere in the spring. It is usually Charleston, SC (where we were married) or the gulf coast.

3. if you had (or have) a spring vacation, what would be your first choice to do? skiing in vermont? a week in the keys?
Neither one. I would love to go up the East coast and visit all the historical places along the way, i.e. Williamsburg, Jamestown, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, etc. or visit the U.K. for the first time.

4. in your home/apartment, do you do spring cleaning?
Absolutely. Of course, I do summer, fall and winter cleaning, too.

5. in your area, what is your weather generally like in mid-march?
It's usually very finicky. We will have days of temps in the high 70's and awesome breezes and then we might have days where it goes back down into the 40's. However, the trees start blooming at this time and it's usually very beautiful outside.

6. spring is my favourite season ... do you share my sentiment, prefer another season?
I love all the seasons, except I am sick of winter after Christmas (10 days of cold weather is enough for me). I think spring and fall are my favorites with fall having a slight edge since my hubby and I met and courted during that time of year.

7. do you do anything differently in spring than you do any other time of the year? (plant flowers/garden, take off the snow tires, etc.)
I plant flowers and vegetables with my kids and I start leaving the doors open (we have screen doors) to let the smells and air inside the house.

8. what are your plans for this weekend?
To clean my porches, do a little yardwork and ride bikes with the family this afternoon.

My Day and Other Things of Interest (or not)

Today was very tiring. I spent the entire first half of it in the hospital endoscopy department. My MIL has had several colonoscopies lately due to some suspicious findings and today was one of them. Bless her heart, the preparation for those things is horrible. If you don't know, just imagine taking 24 laxatives in 2 hours and then not eating for 24 hours. Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Ethan, who is her absolute favorite person in the entire world, has done a lot to get her up and moving. I swear, she just adores that child. They have such an awesome relationship and I am so happy about that. She really is an incredible person and she is not only my mother in law, but one of my best friends as well. How many people can say that! Not many that I know. Well, anyway, we were there for four hours for a procedure that takes about 30 minutes. Yeah, I don't get it either.

After getting my MIL home and in bed, I went to put Ethan down for his nap and put out my Easter decor and framed several pictures. Have I ever mentioned that I have taken over 10,000 pictures in the last five years? It's a good thing I have lots of wall space. I then had to take Ethan to get a very badly needed haircut. His hair has never been in such bad shape. It was so embarrassing that I put a hat on him so I could blame it on hathead. I just hate having it so short, but I have come to realize that I have no choice. My son inherited 3 traits from me and one of them is my curly hair. The other two are my ears and my dimples. In case you've never noticed, Ethan is my husband's clone... a fact that I (and he, of course) love.

Well, I just returned from MIL's house where I took her food and visited a while. I am exhausted so an insightful post will have to wait yet another day, and if you read this far, bless your little heart.

I am 96% Dixie!!!

You have to take this quiz. My score was as follows...

"96% Dixie...Is General Lee your father?"

Well, my dad is no general, but you don't get any more southern than he is. Of course, making everything into a multi-syllabic word doesn't help, I suppose. I love when my stepkids come to visit and I send them home saying "ya'll" and "fixin' to". I am sure that goes over really well at home ;)

A Good Day...

Today was a good day. It's nice to have one of those here and there, isn't it? I mean, a day where you can't think of anything that went wrong. On the average, a vast majority of my days are good, but with their moments of crazy glue incidents, flushed legos and chewing gum/hair affairs. Today had none of those. One thing that made it so great is that I had my Hallie with me. Yes, she played hooky today (shhh!) because we had an appointment at the private school she may attend next year, but we started our day with a mommy daughter breakfast of bagels, OJ and one large glass of sweet tea (that was mine, of course). It was just too warm for my usual coffee this morning. W e have been having temps in the 70's and lots of new blooms. Man, I love this state, but...I digress. Anyway, we then went to the salon where I got the best haircut I have ever had and Hallie was just her sweet and patient self. After a fast lunch at McD's we picked up Ethan and headed over to the Academy. I don't know why, but I was a little nervous. Mostly I was just worried about Hallie's receptiveness to this school since I really feel God is leading us there. Fortunately, she really liked it, especially the beautiful Biblical mosaics on the walls and the small classes. It also helped that after her interview and testing, she got a Tootsie-Pop which she consumed intermittently all afternoon. How many licks does it take to get to the center, anyway? Did that owl ever figure it out? Well, I'll tell you, it's more than she could muster in an afternoon. After we all took a nice little nap, we played games and colored until suppertime which coincided with a brief, but strong thunderstorm. You know, the kind that you can smell all day and that begins with sullen drops of heavy rain, a wind that rattles the windows and an airiness that makes you long for summer and the days of screened doors and long shadows.

Okay, maybe it's just me ;)