Help from Chrissy

Our sweet friend, Chrissy, helps Luke fill up the water balloons. Chrissy might be Andrew's teacher next year....let's pray she is!

Memorial Day 2007

How did you spend Memorial Day? We spent it relaxing at home with one another and then headed over to Chad and Chrissy's house to grill steaks and have a water ballon fight. The boys were being naughty!

Practicing

Andrew is potty trained, for the most part. Doing #1 is no problem....he rushes to lift the lid, flush, close the lid and wash his hands. However, performing #2 on the potty is still a struggle. Pediatricians, midwives, mothers, advice-givers all say pretty much the same thing - that it's scary to see a "part of themselves" go down through the hole in the toilet. Oh well......we'll keep trying. We've done all we can to intice him -candy, choo choo trains, stickers, trips to ChuckeCheese, etc. Nothing is working. Prayer is more powerful so I'll stick to that.

Luke has been curiously watching his older brother use the potty so he has become quite interested in doing #1 by himself. Tonight, he let us know that it was his turn. I caught it on camera. He wasn't successful but it was cute and we're gonna encourage him to keep trying, even though he's only 18 months old. Don't you appreciate the vibrant color I caught on film???....sorry!

Callaway Gardens

Mom, Aunt Norma, the boys, and I, visited Callaway Gardens for a few short hours this afternoon. The butterfly house was Andrew's favorite but Luke liked playing with the dirt in the vegetable garden. We stopped to pose for a picture at the butterfly center exit.

Mom & Norma visit

My mother and her sister, my Aunt Norma, are here for a two day visit. Mom lives a little over two hours away so I love getting the chance to see her and have her spend time with her grandsons. Aunt Norma lives in Los Angeles, CA, so I don't get to see her as often as I'd like....this is a treat! Here, they are enjoying looking through Andrew's "first year" scrapbook together.

Baby shower

The ladies of our church gave me a baby shower Thursday night. It was great to gather and have fun eating and chatting together. We played a few games and had encouraging conversation. My mother-in-law, Cheryl, and sister-in-law, Valerie (and neice, Ella), joined me in the fun of opening gifts and seeing all that God gave to Abigail to start her "life" journey.

*Yawn*

T - totally tired
I - in need of rest
R - relaxation is a must
E - empty of energy
D - dozing as I type

Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

Bus

It's time to get on the bus!

Pictures to Post

Just took a few pictures over the past few days and wanted to share...

I know what you're thinking...she's about to pop! Believe me, I've heard it enough already- from friends and strangers alike. Yesterday, after a stranger made mention of how large I was, I said, "Oh, I'm not pregnant." You should have seen the look of shock on her face. Priceless! I just couldn't resist. Yes, of course I told her that I was indeed with child (but I still wanted to slap her).

Like loves eating the blue bubble gum flavored ice pops. I wish he understood that it falls off the stick if you only bite it on one side. He's learning.

Andrew is a ham for the camera. Just after sitting next to his brother, he said, "Mom, take a picture of how cute we are, please."

Is this picture appropriate for the Internet? Luke likes to lay on his tummy and pretend to swim when taking a bath.

No comment.

Sing: "For the seafood lover in you"

We went out to eat at Red Lobster tonight in celebration of a family birthday (Mitch's mom). Andrew has always been fascinated with lobsters and tonight he got the opportunity to touch one. This also makes the grocery trip to Super Wal-Mart or Publix a little easier since he knows he can get a peek at the live seafood!

Nightlight & more

Andrew is STILL crying at his bedroom door when we walk out and close it at bedtime. He often cries that he's scared. There are two nightlights in his room but we figured they might not be bright enough....so, we took him to Lowe's tonight to buy him a brighter nightlight. I think it's way too bright for his room, shining right into Luke's crib but we're gonna try it for a while. Oh, and Andrew still cried at the door upon closing.....*sigh*.

So, after both of the boys fell asleep (around 8:45 p.m.), we were settling on the couch to get ready to watch a rented movie. We heard some loud talking outside our front door and opened it to find "those neighbor's kids". You know....those kids whose parents let them run loose in the neighborhood with no supervision. Here it was 9:00 at night and these kids were in our front yard, talking loudly outside of the boys' room. Mitch beat them to the doorbell and, upon opening, a little boy reached into his nasty backpack and then put out his hand,

Boy: "One cookie for you."
Mitch: "Thanks"
Boy: "That will be five dollars"
Mitch: "Nah, I ain't givin' you money for one cookie" (Mitch hands it back)

The boy takes the cookie back and starts to holler at his sister across our yard, but Mitch quickly intervened and firmly said, "Shhhhh! Be quiet! My kids are sleeping behind that window!"

I wonder how many other people were presented with the same cookie, accepted it, and then handed it back.

Who's the redneck now? Oh, I love my neighborhood.

Routine visit

I sat in the waiting room today for only about 15 minutes before my midwife called me back to her office for a routine visit. I think I fell asleep during that 15 minutes.....just like I feel I could do now as I type. Everything checked out fine: weight, heartbeat, belly measurement, urine, etc. Just a boring pregnancy - the kind every woman prays for. My midwife figured that Abigail is laying across my belly with her head at my left thigh. I won't get a second ultrasound unless a problem is detected. I am feeling very uncomfortable....can't catch my breath, my lower back is in constant pain, and I feel dizzy most of the time. At least I'm not throwing up. Only eight more weeks.

New blog to love

I love this blog. I found it through my friend, Kirstin, who is also a mother to triplets like the author of the blog. Check it out, moms!

Turkey Grass

Funny....Mitch is mowing the lawn right now and our "neighbor" just knocked on our door to bring us a large frozen turkey. Hmmmmm.......

Our kids playing together

My friend, Christy, has recently moved just 30 minutes away from me. We got together this past Friday for play and lunch. Our four children played so well together and the food was delicious, thanks to Christy's husband, Allan. She and I met when entering the seventh grade and have been close friends ever since. We both married pastors so we have common stories and lives. Love you, Christy!

Presbytery

The quarterly regional meeting of presbytery was held today, hosted by our church. Our women's ministry was in charge of the food for breakfast and for lunch. What a treat to serve the elders. It was touching to see all the men in our presbytery come together to worship, preach, and handle business in such a orderly and God glorifying fashion. Four men went through examination for either ordination, licensure, or both. Having gone through this with Mitch's four years ago during his examination to become a pastor, I was familiar with the details of the tough questions and challenging charges. However, it was neat to relax and sit in to listen to other men be examined and asked about theology and other positions facing Christians (particulary PCA members) today. It made me thankful that we hold our pastors to such a high standard of accountability. Most of all, I enjoyed singing the great hymns of the Faith together. There's nothing like being in a large room singing along with a crowd of people who are excited about the Gospel. Praise God.

Having more fun

Andrew "hamming it up" for the camera.

Luke likes to push the stroller in the driveway. Peek-a-Boo!

"I'll have what he's having...I think"

Random thoughts

Just read in the newspaper yesterday that there is finally an end in sight, hopefully with all the answers. The producers of LOST (on ABC) have said that only three seasons remain. The show will air its final episode in 2010. I've never been so addicted.

I've gotten eight pages done in my scrapbook over the past two days. I'm quite proud. I'm not completely caught up yet, though. The most current date in my latest album is October 2006. I think I need to plan another scrap party with the gals from church.

Only two weeks remain before school is out for the summer. I think we're going to be visiting the pool quite frequently. Maybe it's time for swimming lessons for Andrew. I'll keep you posted. I might decide to wait one more year since I'll have a one year old next summer rather than a newborn.

Found some friends from college tonight. You know those mass emails that one person sends to you with the listing of all their other friends in the TO box? What fun to catch up and chat online.

The weather has been amazing here. It's been warm and windy. I love it! I hope it stays like this for a while 'cause it sure feels good to a fat pregnant woman.

Luke is starting to talk. He's able to say, "please, juice, out, stop, and bye-bye". He's been using a fork and spoon since turning one four months ago. He likes to eat the top of cheese off of his pizza slices and peel apart the bread on his PB&J sandwiches, making a huge jelly mess. I think it helps that he hears and sees his older brother doing and saying these things.

Andrew is starting to really rebel against naptime and bedtime. I am SO consistent yet he still cries and puts up a fight at his bedroom door when I close it. He shares a room with Luke and I guess Luke has gotten used to falling asleep with Andrew crying. Eventually, Andrew makes his way to his bed, pouting, but I wonder when it will ever change. He's three.....I still think he needs a nap or else he falls apart by 6:30 at night. If not a nap, he needs quiet time....away from me.

It's late....bed is calling.

Amy, my crazy friend

I've known my sweet and crazy friend, Amy, for six years. She and I have a fun friendship. When we see a cheesy church sign, we call to record it on each other's voicemail. We always laugh histerically when together or when we're chatting on the phone. She teases me about how I joke with telemarketers (sp?) and I like reminding her of her happy love for her husband, considering they have five children, all before she reached the age of 28. She now lives a little over an hour from me in Atlanta but we still take the time to see each other when we can. Her second born, Samuel, wrote the journal entry below. I thought it was so cute that I just had to take a picture of it. Maybe Amy will put it in the scrapbook to embarass him one day.

Having some pain

I've been having some pre-labor contractions this morning. They have been with me off and on for about two hours now. Makes it hard to walk and talk and keep up with two little ones. I've still got 9.5 weeks left so I'm not worried about anything.....these contractions just hurt!

Blogging

After reading Amber's and Crissy's blog, I sometimes feel that I need to write more spiritual postings. I tend to lean toward posting pictures of the family and simply typing about "the things we did today." However, I am thankful God has blessed me with such a wonderful family and that I am able to stay at home with the boys. That's my life and it is good. Glorifying God is the purpose of life and I pray that I am living and speaking truth to my children and husband as well as enjoying Him through the blessings he's bestowed. So, here are a few pictures of my boys enjoying life while doing "their thing".

Blooming

Here's what's blooming beside our house.

Who are the "people" in your neighborhood?

We had a nest with four baby birds in it over the past month. They have all moved on and left for college, I guess. They left behind a nasty nest and a lot of poop on our front door and stoop. Mitch had the delight of cleaning it up a few weeks ago. However, as Andrew and I were watering the plants on the front porch this afternoon, I discovered ANOTHER nest - this time in the hanging fern. It contained four eggs. Andrew is super excited about it, although he's upset he can't touch the eggs. We can't wait for them to be born and now we know why we keep seeing the same bird fly back and forth from the porch to a small tree in our yard. I'll keep you updated.....