Aviators

Luke and Andrew with their friend, Lee (I'm sure Mikey loves this picture), at the airshow a few weekends ago.

Easter 2008

This is the best I could do, holding an infant in my hands while shooting the picture of the kids. The sun and shadows are horrible but sometimes you just have to take the picture whereever the kids decide to plop down (to avoid a meltdown).

Talented Tasha

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I got to spend some time on Wednesday with my sweet friend, Tasha. We always take pictures of our kids when we're together and this visit was no exception. Here are her three girls with my three kiddos.



Also, as a baby gift, Tasha MADE Abigail this easter basket....looks a lot like Pottery Barn, eh? Yeah, she's pretty talented, that Tasha. It will work great as a diaper bag throughout the spring season. She's always taking orders if you're interested!

Recycle your old cell phone(s)

Mitch and I get an upgrade on our cell phones every two years (it's in our contract). We've had our old phones in a box under our bed for quite some time, meaning to take them to Staples and drop them in the recycling box. Yesterday, I heard that there's a need for old cell phones in Iraq for soldiers to use to call home and speak to their family. I'm mailing ours off today in a postage paid envelope. If you'd like to learn more about this service, click here.

My kids

For the grandparents....and for me to take a peek at to remind me of His wondrous gift of these three children.

My mind is racing....

My feet hurt. I am certainly getting older. My body whispers that to me many times a day.

Gosh, will someone please come over to my house and help me pick up all these toys that seem to live on the floor rather than in their proper container!?!?!?

I think I've watched the movie, Flight of the Navigator, a total of eleven times this week, never in its entirety at one sitting. Just bits and pieces here and there, in between other tasks. Andrew and Luke are now masters at working the pause button.

Oh, how I love, love, love it when the kids are all in the bed early and at the same time! YIPPEE! I got a lot done tonight, including two pages in Abigail's album. I'm actually going to bed early tonight. Right after I finish this post...no kidding! Wait, did I remember to put the clothes in the dryer? Oh, man!

Andrew caught a frog this afternoon. The frog's new home is currently in the small sandbox out back, except it's full of water. I made sure Andrew left a branch in the middle so the frog wouldn't die overnight from treading water.

Just found out that a new close friend of mine is moving this summer....to a galaxy far, far away. Some people call it Washington, D.C. Well, Virginia, if you want to get technical. It's all the same up there. Needless to say, I am not happy about it. Melissa, we can clear out a room and let you and the kids stay while Sean does his army thing up there. Yeah? Oh well....free lodging and food when we want to tour the Smithsonian!

Tee-hee! Tasha came to see me today. I love visits with her. She is so simple, sweet, laid back, authentic, and funny. If it weren't for her, I'd still be frustrated with The Grocery Game. Come to find out, I was making it harder than it actually was. Thanks, Tash. You're 'da bomb. Our kids played well together, too!

Thanks to my friend Becky, I have now signed up for every free sample ever offered to man. My mailbox will be full in about 6-8 weeks. The mailman will have to leave packages on my door due to box spillage. I love it! Of course, I spent about two hours online the other night researching blogs, reading fine lines, and completing registrations....but it was worth it. I should be all caught up now. I'm cheap and I like it that way.

Andrew will be four years old in a few weeks. He is obsessed with hockey and has been begging for some inline skates so he can play street hockey in our cul-de-sac. We sized him and just purchased a pair. Now, where can I hide them? Maybe under all these toys on the floor. Also, we took him to his first big screen movie a few weeks ago to see The Waterhorse. It was fun watching him watch the movie. He would cover his ears when it was really loud but he was memorized at how large everything was. The DVD is being released on his birthday. Not a day too late!

Eye kneed two go too bed, now. (That won was four you, Amy M.) *inside joke*

Flying high with Luke Duke

This picture speaks of Luke's personality:

• - "free to be me"

• - enjoys playing alone

• - singing to himself

• - shaking his bum to the beat

• - in his own little world

• - always smiling (usually)

• - loves life

Air Show

Mitch took the boys to the air show that's here in town. For the first time, Andrew and Luke sat in the cockpit of many airplanes and helicopters. The helmet was too heavy for Luke but Andrew managed to balance it on his head.

Hoodies

My boys in their hoodies.

Free card at USPS.com

HBO is scheduled to show a mini-series called POWER OF THE LETTER, highlighting the 1,000+ letters John Adams and his wife Abigail wrote to one another. The United States Postal Service is trying to give the written letter the love it deserves since email is quickly taking over the method of correspondence. So, if you'd like to create a free postage paid card (no charge at all, not even S&H!), click here. You can personalize it and even upload a picture to make it special. It will be mailed to your address so you can then sign it and send it on its way.

A Rainy Day

What does one with small children do on a rainy day? Take them outside and let them dance in the rain and stomp in the puddles!

March scrap challenge entry

I didn't win the February scrap challenge but I had so much fun doing it! In fact, I sat down last night and completed my entry for this month's sketch at the local shop (see below). This challenge motivates me to get a page or two done and also gives me ideas of how to place my pictures, getting me out of my "layout-box". I'll let you know the results at the end of the month.

What a weird story

My friend, Burt, brought this story to my attention. I just don't know what to say about it. Weird....yeah, that's the word.

Got it all for $5

I am pleased to say that I accomplished my goal of finding cute, nice, quality spring dresses for Abigail without paying over-the-top prices...especially for the Easter holiday that is right around the corner. Our city has a city-wide consignment sale twice a year (spring/fall) so I always make sure to gather all the junk clutter outgrown children's clothes (and other random items) to sell of my own and then get in there to dig through the racks to find that one, two, or three really special outfits. I found these sweet outfits in the first fifteen minutes I was there and only paid $5 total. I would have continued shopping but I felt that the dresses were all I really needed. So, happily, I walked out with only these three items...I done good!

Extreme Funny

Another fun video to watch. It's five minutes long but please stick with it. It's gets extremely funny at count 2:40.

Pictures from small group time

Another picture of our "small group"...it's not so small anymore.

Plus, there were three couples not present!

Luke on the run

Andrew swinging.

Abigail playing peek-a-boo!

My cup runneth over....

Sacred

One of my favorite bands is Caedmon's Call. I've loved them from the day my ears heard their first note. Not only do they sound good but their songs are hard, true, and deep. Their newest album, Overdressed, doesn't disappoint. My favorite on this project is track three - Sacred (lyrics below). If you're a mom, you'll find this song comforting. It exposes my sin, shouts the truth about my role, and, most importantly, points me to Christ. Enjoy.

Sacred

this house is a good mess
it’s the proof of life
no way would I trade jobs
but it don’t pay overtime

I’ll get to the laundry
I don’t know when
I’m saying a prayer tonight
cause tomorrow it starts again

could it be that everything is sacred?
and all this time
everything I’ve dreamed of
has been right before my eyes

the children are sleeping
but they’re running through my mind
the sun makes them happy
and the music makes them unwind

my cup runneth over
and I worry about the stain
teach me to run to You
like they run to me for every little thing

when I forget to drink from you
I can feel the banks harden
Lord, make me like a stream
to feed the garden

wake up, little sleeper
the Lord, God Almighty
made your Mama keeper
so rise and shine

Photos of our day

The weather was amazing today! I'm not sure what the exact temperature was but I'm sure it was in the mid 70s. I took my camera outside and caught the boys at play.

Paint Jam

This clip lasts five minutes so make sure you have the time to watch it because it's definitely worth the wait! What an artist!

Ewwww....

I love him....nasty teeth, dirty face, and ALL! (No, those are NOT his real teeth!)

Today during Playgroup

Some monsters visited us during playgroup this morning. They were so cute that we decided to keep them around for a while. After much roaring, fire breathing, and mischief, I decided upon the lion to keep as my own (hee hee)....he was just too adorable to let back into the wild.

We all scream for ice-cream!

After dinner Saturday night, we dressed the boys in their PJs and took off to Bruster's as a family to enjoy the free ice-cream. Here are a few pictures of our time getting sticky!

"My name is Jawan & I'm a Scrapaholic"

I went to a scrapbooking crop tonight and got eight pages completed! WOW! The crop started at 4pm and lasted until midnight. There were about 25 ladies there and lots of conversation could be heard. It was enjoyable to make new friends and borrow stuff from others for free. TEE HEE! Mitch said I could make it a monthly event so I'm already getting excited about my crop date in March. Now, the question is "will I scrap at home before then?". Hmmmm.....

Growing up

She's growing up. She'll be eight months old in a little more than a week. Time has flown. Abigail is turning into a little girl! Ahhhhhh!

Bargain Hunters for free food

I sometimes think that my friend Becky and I are always on a hunt for the biggest bargain we can get anywhere money is to be spent. Some of you may not read her blog so I'm going to copy the deals she found this week by posting them here. Some of these deals you might already be aware of but it doesn't hurt to be reminded.


Bruster's Ice Cream:

THIS SATURDAY, March 1, Just roll out of bed and wear your pajamas to your local Bruster's, and they'll reward your sense of adventure with a FREE single scoop waffle cone! PJ weekend only comes once a year, so don't miss your chance to get in on the fun!

Every Thursday is Banana Thursday! Bring your own banana and get 1/2 off a banana split.

Free baby cones to children under 40" and free 'doggie sundaes' to your furry friend, so bring the entire family for some Bruster's fun!


Click here to print a coupon for a free parfait when you bring three people with you.


McDonald's:
Click here to read more information about the free burrito wrap offered at McDonald's on Thursday, Feb 28, and Friday, Feb 29.

FOR MOM

This post if for my mother. She says she is disappointed when she visits my blog to find that I haven't blogged a new post for that day. So, here is your new post for today. I hope you are laughing, 'cause I am!

This is just a joke, Mom....I'll update with a new REAL post....tomorrow!

Looking for a Wii?

My friend, Erick, has just posted a cool way to track that Wii system you've been looking everywhere for! We don't own one and I can't say we never will, but they look incredibly cool. Visit Erick's blog here to read his story of how he tracked one down...it's neat.

$.99 Latte & Capp. at Dunkin' Donuts on Tuesday, Feb 26

Here's an el-cheapo for you .....Dunkin' Donuts is selling small lattes and cappuccinos for only $.99 from 1 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26. I'll see you in the drive-thru!

Ebay

Ebay....I took a year off but now I'm back in full swing. It's a fun place to visit look around, sell, and shop. I enjoy selling more than purchasing. It's neat to see how high your auction will go and to watch people fight over an item you really don't care about. I've got only two items listed this week and they are both already higher than I expected (still four days left on each auction). It pays to purge those piles of clutter!

Night time conversation

Tonight's conversation with Andrew as I tucked him into bed:

Andrew: "Mom, God never sleeps, right?"

me: "That's right. The Bible says that God never slumbers."

Andrew: "I know why he doesn't sleep."

me: "Really? Why?"

Andrew: "...'Cause he doesn't have a bed."

Kacie Time

I had lunch with my sweet friend, Kacie, yesterday. She made me a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich...it was so good that she made a third so we could split it! What a true friend...no fancy fixings...just bread and the good stuff (I'll bring you an extra loaf next time I come over since we probably ate all that you had!). How sweet it is to fellowship with the body of believers. Kacie has been at our church for a year and I love seeing her and spending time together as much as possible. We've actually made a close bond with her parents who have driven down from St. Louis twice to visit with her and her husband. Kacie, you are such a kind and encouraging friend. Thank you for loving me. I look foward to eating many more PB&J sandwiches together (and grilled cheese, too!). Love ya!

Andrew

Just a few pictures of my first-born so my mom can show them off to her friends and co-workers.

Scrapbook Challenge

I've always wanted to enter a scrapbook challenge. Today, I finally did and this is the page I'm entering. The only requirement was that I had to mimic the designed sketch provided by the creative team at my local scrapbooking shoppe. Color scheme, embellishments, theme, and numbers and size of pictures were all left up to my choosing. It's not one of my favorite pages I've ever done but it's definitely one that I've spent the most time thinking about. I liked doing this challenge because it was just that....a challenge. It gave me some motivation to work but, winner or not, I accomplished one more page for the boys' album. At least these pictures are out of the shoebox! HA! The winner will be announced on March 1 so I'll let you know the result then.

That's me just rambling...

Wow, my kids are watching us as we parent. As I sit here and type, the boys are sitting to my right on the floor reading some books. As they are flipping through pages, Andrew is asking, "Luke, where is the picture of the flower? Where's the pencil? Where's the puppy? Good! Where's the drum?". Luke is playing along and pointing. Now they are reading their own books to each other, trying their best to remember how Mitch and I read the story (since they can't read). What's even funnier is that Andrew is putting all the cute inflections in his tone of voice as he reads, attempting to sound like me. Just precious......

Abigail is cooing in her crib. She's starting to narrow her naps from three to two a day. Wow, I can't believe she's already 7.5 months old.

What am I going to cook for dinner....hmmmmm......wish I had some cauliflower like Becky so I could make some mashed taters. Kind of sounds weird but she and Jeremy said they thought it was a yummy recipe. Wonder how much cauliflower costs....never bought it before.

I went to the gym yesterday. I made it in time for the 5:30 step class but there wasn't a single spot available for me to stand! Ever since Gold's Gym bought out the local gym I belonged to, the classes are more packed, the treadmills are never empty, and the ellipticals are always in motion by others but me. So, I actually did my weight resistance routine yesterday b/c I had no other option. Gosh, I hate lifting weights. I'd much rather sweat by doing cardio. Oh well.....at least my arms will may look good....one day.

Now the boys are playing "dentist". Ok, enough rambling. I need to sit on the floor with the kids before someone accidentally extracts a tooth!

Daddy Time

The boys love to cut and paste. Strangely they've also taken a liking to hippos. Can't figure that one out. So I went to Google Images and found a hippo for them to cut out and paste next to a funny hippo poem. While I prepared Abigail for bed last night, Daddy sat with the boys and finalized their hippo craft. I don't have a picture of the final result but they had lots of fun together. Luke loves to sing, "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippopotamus will do...."!

1989 Steel

I'm not a Shirley McClain fan but I absolutely love her character, Quiser, in the movie Steel Magnolias. I watched it AGAIN last night on some random TV station. Cried over and over. I love it when M'Lynn is pouring her heart out after Shelby's death and screams that she just wants to hit something to make herself feel better. Such a funny move when Clairee pushes Quiser out and declares M'Lynn to just "hit her!".

Anyway, here are a few other of my favorite Quiser quotes:

I'm not crazy, I've just been in a very bad mood for the past 40 years!

The only reason people are nice to me is because I have more money than God.

And my all time favorite Quiser quote from the movie:

Ouiser: Yes, Annelle, I pray! Well, I do! There, I said it, I hope you're satisfied.

Annelle: I suspected this all along!

Ouiser: Oh! Well don't you expect me to come to one of your churches or one of those tent-revivals with all those Bible-beaters doin' God-only-knows-what! They'd probably make me eat a live chicken!

Annelle: Not on your first visit!

Clairee: Very good, Annelle! You've spoken like a true smart-&%@!

Valentines Day 2008

Thank you, Gami!

Dear Gami,
We love our Valentine cards you sent in the mail to us today. Thank you for thinking of us individually and giving us our own special card each to keep forever. We sure do wish we could see you everyday but we hope we can see you soon so we can give you a big squeezy hug that we're so good at giving (not to mention slobbery kisses). We love you bunches, Gami!
Your littliest grandbabies,
Andrew, Luke, and Abigail

Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch....You know that I love you!

Howdie, Babe! Do you know how much I love you? So much, so much, so much, so much, so much! Every year of our marriage gets sweeter and sweeter. Although I am not always very lovable when you come home from work as I perform my motherly duties in "task mode" (peeling potatoes, browning beef, filling sippy cups, nursing a baby), I thank you for always wrapping your arms around me and planting a kiss on my lips. It may seem as if my mind is in another place (and it really is), but I remember your touch. For all those times when you've called me on the phone just to say hello and ask what I'm doing, I thank you. You are always eager to spend time with me and yet you always let me have the space I need to myself because you know I don't get very much of it during the day. If I had to buy the perfect gift to express my love to you, it would be stock in McDonald's sweet tea.....since I can't give that to you through this blog, do you wanna go there for dinner tonight (without the kids and no playground!)? Mitch, you are my best friend and I am so thankful the Lord put us together. I'm so happy to be your wife. Gosh, I love the snot out of you.

Today's pictures

I know that some people couldn't care less about seeing MORE pictures of my children but I'm posting them anyway....it's my blog after all. I would like to be able to sit and write more posts than I do. Writing is a favorite thing of mine but sometimes it's just quicker to post a picture or two. The grandparents would rather see their grandbabies anyway. Tee hee!

Andrew made his first visit to the dentist today. He got an excellent report....no cavitites! The dentist did say, however, that Andrew will one day wear braces since there's no space between his teeth for larger teeth to emerge. Better start saving for that now, I guess.




Abigail loves putting things in her mouth. I think this picture turned out pretty nice, despite the bib and slimy biscuit around her mouth.

Pictures with Pop

Pop and MeMe came over for a visit last night. I love taking pictures of my children with their grandparents. What memories are being captured!

Splish, Splash....all three are in the bath!

I couldn't help it....

Ok, I visited the Hickman's blog and just had to do this video on my own kids. In order to hear the music on this video, you may need to mute the music on my previous slideshow below by clicking (possibly clicking twice might help) on the megaphone on the white section where Michael Buble is singing.

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