CHRISTmas

Christmas has always been a much-anticipated time of the year for me. I love the lights, the trees, the decorations, the gifts. I love spending time with my family, lounging around in my housepants and taking time off from the usual busyness of life to reflect on what really matters.

But Christmas isn't about lights, gifts or housepants. It's about a little baby. A precious, pure, and perfect little Child sent from Heaven above to redeem all of mankind from it's own sinfulness. It's about the Child, who would grow up to be a Man.....a Man who would willingly lay down on the cross and allow Himself to be crucified to pay for our sin. Because He knew we couldn't pay for it ourselves.

In a word...Amazing. Thank you Jesus for loving me so much that You would die for me. Thank you, Father, for sending Your Son to earth to redeem me....to offer me the gift of grace. Without Your love, without Your grace, without Your Gift, life is meaningless.

Praise the Name of Jesus. Praise the Name of Jesus. He's my Rock. He's my Fortress. He's my Deliverer, in Him will I trust. Praise the Name of Jesus.

And thank you Father, for bringing Joseph home to us safely. What a great Christmas this has been!!

Not a day of rest.....that's for sure

Whoever said that Sunday is designed as a day of rest, hasn't been in our house too much. I love my Sundays. I love worshipping with my friends and family in church and I love coming home and spending a good part of the afternoon chilling out with my children. Today was a very different, but just as wonderful a Sunday as I've ever spent.

This morning, my Ensemble had the chance to lead in worship. After church, we headed to McAlister's for lunch, then home to change clothes. We were at the house for all of an hour before heading south to attend the Karate Extravaganza. All of the karate students, if they have attended the classes and know their material, graduate to their next belt every three months. And once a year, in December, the graduation is the big extravaganza at a local high school. Everyone looks forward to it because all of the students from all three schools are together, the instructors get to show off their moves, and the students that earned their black belts and are continuing on in advanced training get their swords. My boys all earned their black belts this year and are continuing in the Masters program.....so they got their swords today and they were so excited.

They also got to perform their demos for the entire crowd, which is always a thrill.

I figured I'd get in a picture to since I'm the one that has carted them to karate hundreds of times....I'm the one who has washed these uniforms hundreds of times.....I'm the one who always seems to know where the belts are that the kids have misplaced. Jiminy Christmas...I should get a black belt for all the work I've done these last 4 1/2 years.




After graduation, we raced back home (I forgot Daniel's pants), then headed to church. It was the Middle School and High School Choirs turn to lead in Worship and it was fantastic.

I'm so proud of my kids. They have worked hard these last 4+ years and now they have their sword and their black belt to show for it.

Tuition---payable over 6 years: $13,000.
Three different uniforms for four kids: $500.
Nunchakus, Bo staffs, kamas, and escrima sticks for four kids: $325.

Being the mom of three black belts and one first brown belt: PRICELESS!!!!

Happy Birthday times three!!

The last 24 hours have been an incredibly busy time. Having three children born between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a dynamic all its own. Throw in Christmas programs, parties, end of year concerts, graduations, and recitals from various extracurriculars......and you have a completely different kind of animal.

As a result, celebrating birthdays ends up being almost an afterthought....a time shoehorned in amongst all of the other things we do. This weekend has been deemed Birthday Celebration Weekend. Last night, Daniel and Trey each had some friends over for a sleepover....which ended up being a big lie, because no sleeping was actually done. Trey's birthday was two weeks ago.....Daniel's is next week. Today is Julia's birthday and she wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese's for her family dinner. Ugh!

Double Ugh!!

But we survived it. We are all exhausted and so looking forward to bedtime, which will be very shortly.

Tomorrow is another crazily busy Sunday......but more on that later.

Here are a couple of funny pictures of the party animals.

Trey, Joshua, Jordan and Cory---at 6 am.

This is Justin----I guess that XBOX game wasn't quite exciting enough to keep him awake.

And tonight, after dinner with Chuck E, Daniel came home and literally passed out on his bed. I just left him there. Hopefully, he'll get a good night's sleep. He's going to need it for tomorrow.

The Family Notebook

For the last several weeks....months almost....Trey has been working on this project. He asked me for information on my and Joe's parents; he asked for our three favorite family recipes; he began writing sentences about Joe and me and about Daniel. I knew he was putting these things together for something for school, but I didn't know what the end result would be. Today, he came home with the finished product and it is beautiful.

What struck me more than anything else was his creation of a Family Crest. This is how he described it:

My family crest has a lot of symbols that mean a lot of things. I put a cross on the crest because of our Christianity and the church. There are music notes on there because I've taken piano lessons for four straight years. Everyone in my family is in the choir except for my dad. I put a little bit of white on the crest because of our very pure family. The yellow on the cross stands for intellect. We have a very smart and united family. The family crest tells over 1,000 things about our family.

I could only smile as I read this. As a mom of four very opinionated, stubborn, willful, bright, amazing children, I see a lot of things. I see Daniel---our quiet, easygoing, nonplussed eldest child. Very little rattles him. I see Trey---our instigating, talented wonder of a second son. He believes he can accomplish just about anything. I see Joshua---our often misunderstood, most sentimental and physically loving child. He is our most strong-willed and the most difficult to parent. He is the one who could do just about anything if he only believed he could. I see Julia---our princess. Our sassy diva of an only daughter, who has the world by the tail and most everyone wrapped around her little finger. I see my two middle children arguing with each other more than with anyone else. I see my oldest block the world out as he reads his extra time away. I see my little girl wishing she had more little girls to play with her.

I think---How I wish I could do a better job. I say to myself---If only I'd done that differently. But as I read Trey's description of our family crest, I can only thank the Lord for four children who bring me more joy than I could have ever imagined. Where I feel frustration about the children arguing, Trey sees a family united. Where I see the mistakes I've made, Trey sees purity. When I think I'm forcing Trey to play piano, he includes music notes. When I wonder if my kids will have the same kind of love for my Lord that I do, Trey includes a cross.

Thank you, Father for this reminder to view life through the eyes of my children.

"I got hit in the head with a tooth."

Today has been a day!!! It began at the orthodontist where Trey got his braces off. He looks great and now he gets to wear a retainer for awhile. (Here's to hoping we don't have to dig through trash cans like we did with Daniel and his retainer.....twice)

After I dropped Trey off at school, I headed to Michaels to try and use the 40% coupon that came in the mail. As I'm trying to find a metallic gold three-wick candle (to no avail, by the way), my phone rings. It's the nurse from the school and she has Josh with her. All I heard were the words tooth, blood, suture and that he was in good humor. By the end of the conversation, I understood what had happened. Josh was in P.E. and they were playing a game of flag tag, where each child wears a flag and everyone else tries to take it from them. As Josh was reaching for Rachel's flag, she turned.....and her front tooth embedded into Josh's forehead. Thankfully, the tooth stayed attached to Rachel, but Josh ended up with a pretty decent gap in his face.

Of course the nurse and I had a chuckle at Josh's expense.....I mean, if he was going to be felled by a girl, hopefully she was cute!!! She's a redhead...I've seen her and she is cute.

I finished up at Michael's and went to pick up Josh. The nurse was right....he was in good humor, he looked like he was fine and I questioned, silently, why I was checking him out of school. I called the doctor but they couldn't see him until 2:00, so since I was already out running errands, I told Josh he could tag along. We ate at Moe's, then continued to try and find that elusive metallic gold three-wick candle. No such luck and by the fourth store, he had had enough, so I took him home for a bit of Game Cube time.

He didn't have a headache and his head only hurt when he scrunched his forehead up, so again, I didn't think the doc would do anything. He would probably have a decent scar, but otherwise would be fine. When the doctor came in and starting asking questions, we both learned from Josh that the nurse hadn't put anything on his gash.....no peroxide, no alcohol. According to Josh she told him to get a dry paper towel and hold it against his head to stop the bleeding.

Alrighty then.......maybe school nurses aren't allowed to put antiseptic on wounds. I don't know, but that seemed a little odd to me. So, because the human mouth is so very nasty inside, the doctor had to commence with cleaning out Josh's wound. And Josh did not appreciate this at all. He didn't cry but he was clearly uncomfortable. After several minutes, the doctor decided that in order to minimize the scarring, Josh would need some stitches.

Let me put it this way.....I only thought the yelps coming from this strapping black belt during his wound cleaning were bad. The mini-screams when the doctor injected the lidocaine were quite impressive, but once the good stuff kicked in, he was good to go. He took his stitches like a champ and is now quite proud of them. He told me he couldn't wait to get to school to show them off.

The afternoon ended with Josh's teacher calling the house to see how he was doing, which I thought was a very nice thing to do.

December 7.....this day will live in infamy for a lot of reasons.

And I wonder why I'm tired all the time..........

P.S. Happy Birthday, Jill

P.P.S. Please forgive the continuous wordage of this blog entry. I've tried several times to separate the paragraphs, but the blogger won't allow it.

Full Metal Mouth

Phase 2 of my relationship with the Orthodontist began today at 9:30 this morning. Our eldest son, Daniel, had braces put on...installed....cemented into his mouth today. And it wasn't just the top four teeth, as it is with Trey, it's the whole shebang...the whole kit and kaboodle. He's big-time. Glinting brightly in the sunshine.

And he better take care of his mouth for the next 24 months as I make payments on this newly installed hardware. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Million Dollar Smile.'

This picture isn't the best one he's ever taken, but it shows off his new bling. Kinda nice, wouldn't you say?

I love my Dan-man. He's such a great kid.

Happy Birthday Trey!!

I now have two 11 year olds. Yesterday, our second son, Trey, turned 11. In three weeks, our first son, Daniel, will turn 12, but for now I can say that I have two 11 year olds.

Trey is fun-loving, talented, bright and wrote the book on instigating. (He only looks innocent). Most of the time, he eats standing up (I have no idea why) and loves to play baseball. He earned his black belt in karate in May, is gifted in piano and has just taken up the saxophone. Look out, Kenny G!! Happy Birthday, kiddo.

On another note, due to some pressure put upon me by the grandparents, I have taken the children to have their hair cut. Personally, I didn't think the mop-head look was that bad, but apparently it was to the generation above me. So, Fantastic Sam's got our business on Sunday afternoon. Here is the result.

As for Julia.....this is how she went to school today.......In my "Random Pictures" folder, this shot is entitled 'Julia Gorgeous,' because she is.

Wow!

BLACK BELT!!!

Four and a half years.....225 weeks.....close to 500 classes and now, Joshua can call himself a black belt and this mama couldn't be more proud!!

Four and a half years ago, this day seemed a lifetime away. As I look back, I realize how quickly it has come. A lot has happened since that first karate class back in August of 2002. Joe was on active duty at the time and I wanted the kids to have a positive male role model in their lives. What I got was more than I had bargained for. Josh has made some of his closest friends in karate. His instructors have become like family to us and he has learned some of the most valuable lessons a kid can learn........perseverance, respect, self-discipline, teamwork. Josh has learned that when you work hard, it pays off. When you don't, there are consequences. He has learned that he can accomplish his goals when he sets his mind to it. He has learned what Excellence really means. He has learned what it means to be a friend....to pick each other up and cheer each other on. He has learned how to take care of himself as well as those around him.

And, at the same time, he has learned how to defend himself if he ever needed to.

He has worked very hard these last 4+ years, but his training isn't done. Now he gets to be part of the Masters Club and the Demo Team where he will learn advanced training in martial arts, weapons and self-defense.

Congratuations, Josh!!! I love you, son.

(This is Adam--the Head Instructor of our studio)

This is Matthew, Joshua's sparring and self-defense partner.

Fright Night

I'm not much into Halloween.....I mean, it's a great night to get candy, but beyond that, not so much. I don't like the witches, ghouls and goblins. The 'Scream' masks and Leatherhead faces aren't my kind of thing. And spending a ton of money on four costumes plus accessories doesn't do anything for me, either.

As a result, we haven't trick-or-treated too many times in my 12 years of being a mom. This year, though, we decided to go for it and I actually got out of Party City with only $30 being spent. I found Julia a Hannah Montana wig, (it was actually a Barbie wig, but it passed for Hannah nicely....) and some face paint for the boys.

We targeted certain houses.....and the kids made out like bandits. One man, who's porch lights were on, told the kids he didn't do Halloween, but told them to 'hang on...' After a few seconds, he came back to the door with four $1 bills for the kids. It's amazing what a dollar and some candy can do to a kid's demeanor. All I heard all night was...."Mom, this was the best Halloween EVER!"

Kids are so easy to please.

(I pray no one thinks less of me because of the weird face paint on the boys.....Josh was into this zombie old man thing and Trey....well, I'm not sure what Trey was. Dan's picture wouldn't upload, but he wore a camouflage face)

Hannah Montana.....

Ok.....could she be any cuter???

We watch a lot of TV in our house. I like watching TV. My kids like watching TV. I grew in a TV-watching house. Sports, news, soaps, comedies, dramas. You name it.....we watch it. Well, except the History Channel, that is. That's for Joe. I've even been known to watch the Golf Channel.

Don't get me wrong.....we do not sit 24/7 in front of the TV, but FoxNews stays on my TV as long as I'm awake.....I'll watch Fox and Friends in the morning while I'm piddling around my bedroom getting ready for my day. I get my daily Hemmer fix at noon, then Jane Skinner and Shepard in the afternoon, all the while doing housework and helping kids with homework. I'll throw a load of laundry in, empty the dishwasher and clean the kitchen, then walk back here and check my email and the news headlines, then I'll go straighten up the living room and clean a bathroom or two, then walk back here and check the news again.

The kids like typical kid-shows, but a couple of months ago, I decided I was going to put a block on Cartoon Network. They were watching it too much to begin with, but what they were watching wasn't all the great anyway. So, I told them they could watch Disney Channel...maybe Nickelodeon, but that was it. The fallout was enough to make a grown man cry......."Disney Channel!!!! That's a dumb channel. There's nothing good to watch on Disney! That's for babies!!" I begged to differ and told them that's the way it was.

Before I knew it, 'Hannah Montana' and 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody' were taking over my TiVo. They can't seem to get enough of either show. A couple of weeks ago, when Disney had a Hannah Montana Marathon, Trey TiVo'd 7 or 8 episodes.....and they watch them every day. Same episodes. Same jokes. Same giggles coming from my kids. And to top it all off.....last Saturday, as I was laying in bed trying to pretend morning hadn't arrived, all four kids were on my couch watching Hannah again.....and suddenly out of the mouth of my 11 year old comes...."Who thinks Hannah's hot?"

Oy!

And Christmas came early for my bunch.....for today in the mail, via Amazon.com, came the just-released DVD and CD by Hannah Montana. It's been played so much, I've almost got the lyrics down.

I'll say it again.....could Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana be any cuter?

He did it!!!!!

Our fall ball season is coming to a close. Joshua's team, the Braves, ended their season this evening. Daniel and Trey's final game is Saturday. The team Josh played against tonight is a team that many of Josh's friends are on and apparently Josh and Jake, one of the member of the opposing team, made a bet in class today. Jake would pay Josh $1 if Josh's team won. Josh, on the other hand, wouldn't have to pay Jake anything if his team won. I guess it goes to show you which of the two is more confident in his team.........

It was a fun night. I got to catch up with Tanya V. and Tom and see Stafford, Drew, Jake and Quinton play. The game consisted of sparkling pitching by both clubs as well as several spectacular defensive gems. And finally, after 9 games played this fall ball season, my third son.....my angel-boy Joshua got his first hit! Actually, he made contact both times up to bat, but his first AB resulted in a pop out to the shortstop. His second AB resulted in a single to left field. And this was no sissy single.....this ball was hit into the air.....landing in left field. It was awesome! Josh told me later he could hear me yelling over everyone else. Well duh! That's my boy!!!

What's even funnier is that his best friend Drew was playing first base when Josh got his hit. When Josh arrived at first, Drew looked at Josh and said...."Don't say it!" HA!

I love it! These boys will probably be friends forever....they are that close, so it's interesting to see the dynamics of them being on opposing teams. I'm sure tonight's game will be the topic of a lot of conversations in the classroom tomorrow. In the end, Josh's team won 4-2 and ended the season with a winning record. I think it was a great experience for Joshua.

On a more yucky note.....our dog, Bumper has gotten himself into something. And I don't know what that 'something' is. What I do know is that he was not around for awhile earlier today and tonight, while we were leaving for the ball game, he showed up on the front porch.....wet and smelling like something so disgusting, I can't even identify it. Kinda like a combination poop, puke, murk and just general nastiness. We do have some workmen on our property shoring up the earthen dam that is behind our house and they had to drain the lake in order to do the work, but Bump would have had to have gotten outside of his Invisible Fence line to get wet via the creek. Shooooo-weeeeee. Whatever it is....it's gonna get scrubbed off of him tomorrow.

I have to have Joshua to school tomorrow morning at 6:30 as his Gifted class is heading to Wahsega for an all-day field trip. (Who thought of that brilliant idea----6:30...good heavens!) I'm sure he is going to have a blast.

Humbled.......and thrilled

This has been quite a weekend already and it's not even over yet! It started last night with Joshua having a SuperWorkout in preparation for his Black Belt Testing, then continued with Daniel having his first Science Club meeting (thank you Allyson for playing taxi for me last night) and ending with a rehearsal to a wedding I was privileged to sing for.

This morning all three boys had baseball games and the wedding was this evening. And Julia....well she had to skip ballet last night as there was just no way to get her to her class. So, she got to tag along with me wherever I went and she was a trooper for it, too.

Singing is something I've been doing since I was a little girl and it's something I love to do. But I've never considered my singing as anything other than a personal worship service with my Lord. Just me.....and Him. So, when I'm asked to sing a solo in church or for a funeral or wedding, I'm always surprised. This time was no different. Two months ago, I was asked to sing for the wedding of the daughter of a lady in our choir. I know Glenda, but had never met her daughter Amanda and before Celebrate America....Amanda didn't know who I was and had never heard me sing. So, imagine my surprise at the message left on my voicemail!!!

I was humbled to sing tonight, but thrilled just the same. Was I nervous? Of course. I get crazy nervous when I sing, but that's OK. Because it's then that I know that I am not singing in my own power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit and tonight, I believe He was glorified. Amanda chose 'How Beautiful' to be sung after her father gave her away and 'Ancient Words' while they lit the Unity Candle. It was beautiful.

But the weekend is not yet done. Tomorrow evening my children's choir, the Young Musicians, will be singing one of the specials in the evening worship service. I am so excited to be able to lead such a spectacular group of kids in corporate worship. Directing 'my kids' has become something I look forward to more than anything else in ministry. I love it! Thank you, Lord for giving me such amazing opportunities to glorify You.

The love of a son for his mother

Joshua. Our third son. Our sensitive child. Our most emotional as well as sentimental son. Has a beautiful smile. Is a giver of great hugs. Is the one that will keep me on my knees more than the others.

Tonight, as we were driving home, Joshua, after I told the children that it was 'straight to bed' when we got home, told me he still had homework he needed to finish. That figures.

Ok. No biggie. He has two pages in his English workbook to do and in my opinion, it shouldn't have taken that long. Finally, at 10:00 tonight, he finishes. I send him upstairs to get into bed while I finish watching the half-inning of baseball I was intrigued by. I walk into his room to find him in bed, his light off and Josh asleep. I lean over him, give him two kisses on the cheek, whisper 'I love you' into his ear and give him one more kiss.

As I'm walking out of his room I hear a 'Mmmmm.' I turn around and see his arm sticking out from his covers, reaching for me. Smiling, I walk to his bedside and lean down to love on him. Then he says one of the sweetest things I've heard as a mom.....He says, "I almost fell asleep without giving you a hug goodnight."

Wow. What a statement. He let me know in 10 short words that his day wouldn't be complete unless he ended it by hugging his mom. I leaned down again, gave him another kiss and said, "I love you, Josh."

"I love you too, mom."

12 years

Today is our Anniversary. 12 years of putting up with each other's quirks, idiosyncrasies and plain craziness. We've come a long way in 12 years. 4 kids. 4 states. 7 moves. 4 different churches. 2 stints on Active Duty......and on and on it goes.

We decided to spend our anniversary away from the children in Destin. Neither of us have ever been but have been told it's a wonderful place to vacation. Julie and Michelle..........you were right.

Destin is simply beautiful. Touristy, but beautiful. The beaches....powdery white. The water.....warm. The sun....shining brightly. The condo we are blessed to be staying in......simply amazing. The food...........indescribable.

We've eaten at Ruth's Chris Steak House, Dewey Destin (fantastic seafood) and tonight, for our Anniversary we're going to Zampieri's. I cannot wait. Tomorrow will be spent at Johnny O'Quigley's watching some baseball then heading to AJ's to board the Sea Blaster for a Dolphin Cruise, then to Lousianna Lagniappe for a casual, Cajun dinner.

It's been a wonderful weekend away. A weekend I hope to repeat in the near future......either with just Joe, with two other couples......or just the girls.

Special thanks goes to my father who dropped everything to come to Georgia to watch the children when our inital child-watcher was unable to come. Big-time Kudos to Grandpa Bob for carting the kids to karate, ballet and baseball; getting them up and out of bed and to the busstop, and putting up with countless phone calls by this mama wanting to know how the kiddoes are faring without her.

Thanks, Dad. You're the best!!

And here's to my husband, Joseph......the man God placed in my life for such a time as this. Thank you for putting up with me and my consummate 'girlness.' For loving me through it all. For giving me 4 fantastic children. And for showing me the same love that God the Father has for His church. I'm looking forward to the next 12 years....and many more beyond that.

Happy Anniversary, Darling!

He's HOME!!!

Today was the day. The day my man came home.

At exactly 9:21 this morning, my cell phone rang with a ringtone that I hadn't heard in 5 months. "When I call on Jesus....all things are possible. I can mount on wings like eagles and soar. When I call on Jesus....mountains are gonna fall, 'cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me when I call."

That's Joe's ring.

I was surprised that he called as I wasn't expecting the plane to land until 10, but he was early and he wanted his wife. So, I gathered my purse, put on the rest of my jewelry, grabbed my phone and headed out the door. By 9:55 this morning I was looking at my man, dressed in his fatigues waiting for me.

He's home.

For the next 15 days we will be going to Braves baseball games, watching our children play their baseball games, hanging out with friends, going to the Newsong concert up in Rome, completing a 'honey-do' list, going out to dinner, going to church and heading out of town for a 4 day weekend.....just the two of us. On the 26th, Joe will head back to Baghdad to finish up his work with the Civil Affairs Brigade and to plan on coming home for good in December. Chances are he will be in his home on Christmas Day.

I praise the Lord for keeping Joe safe and bringing him home to us for this short-but-surely-to-be-sweet R & R time.

God is good.

Opening Day

The Fall baseball season has begun......Ya gotta love it!!! Daniel and Trey are on the 11/12 Indians. Josh is on the 9/10 Braves.

Needless to say, I got my exercise in today, as both games were at noon and the fields were nowhere near each other. I did make sure I watched all of my boys bat---Trey and Dan each struck out once and walked once. Josh walked once and was hit by a pitch. And I saw some of Dan and Trey on defense.

I didn't get to see Josh play much defense as his team was up to bat far more than they were in the field. Josh's team played against another team that had just moved up into their age bracket, so they were younger and a lot of the kids had never played before. Because of this, Josh's team run-ruled them every inning they played.

Josh said the score was 9-1, but I think it was more like 15-1. Maybe the mercy rule was in effect. Joshua started in the outfield and played the whole game, with his highlight being his head-first slide into homeplate to score on a wild pitch. He just had to get that uniform dirty!

Daniel and Trey's team lost 10-6 and it was a tough one. They were ahead for the majority of the game, but lost it toward the end. Trey was the starting third baseman and played the whole game, even making a great defensive play---throwing the runner out at first. Daniel started in the outfield and played all but the last inning.

Game 1 of 10. Indians 0-1. Braves 1-0. It's going to be a fun season.

Home Sweet Home

This last weekend I had the chance to head back 'home' to New Jersey for my cousin's wedding. It was a wonderful time....the wedding was beautiful....and I had a blast catching up with aunts and uncles and cousins that I don't get to see or talk to very often. My mom was there too, so of course that was wonderful.

If you ask my kids what their favorite part of the weekend was they will tell you that going to the Boardwalk at Ocean City and riding the rides at the amusement park takes the cake for them. Of course, they weren't having to pay for the tickets to ride each ride.....Yikes! For me, the weekend as a whole, was wonderful, but Sunday from 1:35 until 4:20 had to be my most favorite part, as I had the privilege of going to Citizen's Bank Park and watch my Phillies, my first team, take on the Braves, my second team. Baseball-----America's past-time and a sport that I follow closely.

There's probably few of you out there who really care, but 'Sophomore' Sensation Ryan Howard hit three home run's against one of the game's best pitchers, Tim Hudson. It was an unbelievable time.

But times that that.....when people are cheering and chanting for their hometown hero.....makes me wonder one thing. Why is it that we don't cheer for our Father, who has blessed us exceedingly abundantly? Why don't we talk about His great works like we do our favorite sports figures? Why are we so willing to spend freely at the ballpark for tickets, food and souvenirs, but recoil when the Pastor talks about the budget or Missions?

Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven..........

I fall short in my relationship with my Father far more than I would like, but thankfully, my Father is unwavering in His love for me.....He is unmoving in that, when I realize my sin....I know exactly where to find Him to seek His forgiveness.

This has been a year. A lot of ups. A lot of downs. But one thing has stayed the same. My Father in Heaven has been watching over me.....Loving me. Protecting me. Guiding me. Pruning me. Making me the woman He designed me to be. He alone is worthy to be praised.

Home Sweet Home......a place of love, joy, safety, comfort, laughter and peace.......both here with my earthly family......and my Heavenly Father.

You say it's your birthday.......

Today is a special day for a special lady. How do I know she's special? Two reasons. One, because her friends that are also my friends told me so. But second, because she and I have spent some time together posting our thoughts and wishes and comments with each other for the past few months.

She has shared her family. She has shared her fears. She has shared her home. She has shared her love for the Father. So, how do I know she's special? Because she's shared a piece of her heart with me.....that's how I know.

Today is her birthday......making today a 'most' special day!

Happy Birthday, Tracey!!! I hope it's your best one yet!

Friends are friends forever

"My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory." Philippians 4:19. When I am tired, I find rest in my Father. When I am hungry or thirsty, I can eat from the Bread of Life and drink from the streams of Living Water. When I am overwhelmed with life, I am calmed by the Spirit.

God shows Himself to me in so many different ways. Through the stillness of His voice on my heart, He speaks. Through His written Word, He speaks. But sometimes He shows Himself to me in more tangible ways......through my friends. God has blessed me with some amazing friends.....Indescribable friends. Friends that have walked through the fire with me. Friends that have loved me even when I wasn't very lovable. "A friend loves you all the time....."Proverbs 17:17) Friends that have showed themselves true more times than I can count. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

There is a wonderful verse that has been playing over and over again in my mind: "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you....." Colossians 1:3. I think of my friends when I read this passage in Colossians. It goes on to say....."In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus....."

I know God is not done with me yet. And I know that whatever path He chooses to take me down, I will have the best friends I could ever imagine walking that path with me.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Wow!!

If you haven't seen High School Musical yet..........I highly recommend it. Do not delay. Head to your nearest Blockbuster and rent it.

Tonight.

My daughter has been wanting to see this movie for two months now, but every time we go to Blockbuster, there are no more copies left to rent. Many times she has left disappointed. Not tonight, however. Just after dinner, I asked the kids to go get in the shower and then I would be up in a minute to kiss them goodnight. Suddenly, out of my bedroom comes a voice......."Guys!! GUYS!!!! High School Musical is on Disney Channel!!!" The next thing I knew all five of us were in my bedroom on the couch and on the floor watching this movie. And what a great movie/musical this is. The block time on TV was two hours.....8:00-10:00. This presented a problem as the kids are normally in bed by 8:30. But because I am the nice mom that I am....I allowed them to watch the first hour, then head to the showers and bed. What was so comical was, every time one of the boys needed to use the bathroom.....they paused the TV so they wouldn't miss any of the movie! It was great.

We TiVo'd it, so they'll be able to watch the second hour tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately for the kids....when they came down after having their showers, they caught me watching the movie and they were none too pleased.

Ah well.....they'll get over it.

Sunsations!!

Music has been a big part of my life since I was a little girl. I remember singing with my mom's choir when I was in elementary school. I sang in every choir and ensemble that was available to me all the way through my college years. I love to sing and I love music.

So when Joe and I got married I prayed that that same love would pass on to our children...whether it was through singing or an instrument. God answered my prayer! Our oldest, Daniel, plays the french horn and takes piano lessons. He also sings in the Middle school choir at church. Trey plays the piano and will be starting the saxophone after Christmas. He sings in the Childrens' Choir at church. Julia just began taking piano lessons this fall. She loves to sing and is very expressive when she does, prompting many people to tell me she is a chip off the old block, so to speak.

Which leaves Josh. Josh didn't seem to have the same love for music the other kids did. He didn't enjoy the few months of piano that he took and singing hasn't been that important to him. I wanted to be a little disappointed when I realized that Joshua didn't seem to be as gifted as the others in music, but then I'm reminded at how special each of my children is. Each of them has their own unique style.....their own unique gift......their own unique talents. To try and mold them into my vision for them is nothing short of shallow and just plain selfish on my part.

So when Josh busted through the door after school today and made the announcement he made, I was surprised. "I made Chorus!" Chorus. Wow. The 4th and 5th grade Sunsations, as they are known, is a 'by audition only' singing team. Joshua had to try out and had to have a perfect score in order to be on the Chorus. He did it and he made it.

He seemed very proud of himself and very excited that he made it. I am thrilled, obviously. This is our third year with at least one boy as a member of the Sunsations. Daniel and Trey both were last year, Daniel the year before and now Joshua this year. Trey decided he didn't want to try out this year. He wanted to focus on band. Julia's time will come when she hits 4th grade and rest assured....she will try out.

Playing catch.....

.....with my kitten is something I never thought I'd do. But yet, here is Limerick, my orange and white tabby bringing me a green puff ball, dropping it in front of me, waiting for me to throw it and once I do........chases it down and begins the cycle all over again. A puppy in a kittens body............What a goofball.

On another note, tonight I went to a meeting at my son's middle school regarding the new math curriculum the state has adopted. When I first heard about the program last spring, I was skeptical if only because some math concepts are very difficult for me to grasp. Algebra....Ok. Geometry........forget about it. There is no way. And this new curriculum is so good, my son, by the time he finishes 8th grade will have mastered things I didn't learn until I was a Junior.....and what I did learn stayed back there in 11th grade...it didn't come with me to 2006. So, this was a concern to me. Then we found out toward the end of his 5th grade year, that Daniel qualified for Accelerated Math. So now, not only is he learning in middle school what I learned in High school, but he is learning it faster than other 6th graders.

This current school year is the second year the 6th grade teachers across Georgia are teaching the new curriculum. In the Spring, the entire state took the CRCT standarized tests. All grade levels....every subject. We were told at the meeting tonight, that our County ranked tops in the state in scoring in 6th grade math, making this mom very happy God placed us where He did.

Daniel is really enjoying middle school. He does his homework and practices his french horn and reads like crazy. After 11 days.........so far, so good.

Only 169 more to go.

Young Musicians

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be one of the directors in the children's music ministry, I would have thought you were crazy. No way would I ever teach anything.....let alone music.

But it's amazing what God can do when all He has is a willing participant. I started my 'career' in children's music as a sub 7 years ago. If a teacher were out for any reason, I would go and take their place. This meant I had to know how to 'teach' all of the small group activities that came in the quarterly pack as I never knew from one week to the next who's place I would be taking. It wasn't a whole lot of fun, to be honest, but it did start me down a road that, frankly, I couldn't imagine not being on right now. Afte subbing in 3rd grade, I became a permanent teacher....just helping out the director and helping the kids learn the words to the songs they would be singing for the church. The next year, the 2nd grade director ended up going back to school to get her Master's Degree, leaving that age group without a leader. I was approached about being the director.....I was excited about the opportunity, but scared to death. I really didn't know what I was doing and I did not have a particularly fun time.

The next year, the 3rd grade director moved on to other opportunities, leaving that ministry role open. After some prayer, I realized that part of my difficulty was the age group.....I do much better with older kids, so I decided I would 'graduate' with my second graders and move on to directing the 3rd grade Choir. We had a great year! The next year, the 4th and 5th grade director stopping directing.....Are you seeing a trend here? Yep....I did it again, I moved up as Director of the 4th and 5th grade Choir. By the time the kids I began with in 2nd grade moved to middle school, I'd been their director for four straight years and they were the most precious years for me. I was able to get really close to every child and still today...2 years later...have special relationships with a lot of them.

Tonight was the first night of the new year of Young Musicians and this year began like every other.....How many kids will we have? Will they behave? Will they think I'm a goofball? Will they like to sing? Will they want to come back next week? Will I run my teachers off?

We had 32 children tonight....what a great group of kids. Most I already knew. Only a couple I had never met and we had a great night. This year's theme is Created by God, the Master Designer. We had a chance to talk about what a designer does and what God's purpose was for designing each of us.

We read Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them." It was a good time to remind them, that even though they may get in trouble....even though there are times when it seems like we can't do anything right....we were created to do good works!!! I was also able to share with them the fact that God created us so He could have fellowship with us. He doesn't need us. But He wants us. He wants to spend time with us each and every day! It was a precious time.

We sang one of my favorite songs..."How Great is Our God." And we ended our night watching a DVD about praying all of the time. In the morning. At noontime. In the evening. When we're down. When we're worried. Pray. Without ceasing.

I love teaching children music......but it's not just teaching them the words and notes and helping them understand time signatures and dynamic markings. It's about believing every word they are singing. It's about understanding why we sing praises to our Lord. It's about living every word we sing. It's about worshipping a Living God....the Maker of Heaven and Earth, a God so powerful He was able to create every living thing on this earth, but yet is so loving and so tender we can go to Him, lay our burdens at His feet, fall into His arms and know we are loved.

Thank you, Father, for Your gift of music and Thank You for using me to share Your gift with these precious children.

Question.....

How do you know when your kids have been jumping on the oldest child's bed a few too many times?

Answer: When the slats inside the box spring have broken enough to pierce through the batting that surrounds the boxspring, enough so that Tymin, one of the new babies, can climb inside and hide.

Last night, I said Goodnight to Daniel, bent down and kissed him....scratched his back while I prayed for him, turned the light off and closed his bedroom door. As I was kissing Trey goodnight, Daniel came out of his room and asked me if I knew he had kittens under his bed. Hmmmm, I think I remember a comment about that, but it went right on past me. I finished saying goodnight to Trey and headed back into Dan's room to retrieve said kittens. Limerick was under Dan's bed and wouldn't come out. Tymin was inside the Box spring....and, you guessed it.....wouldn't come out.

Understanding the only solution, I pushed Dan's mattress off his bed and lifted the boxspring up off the slats hoping this would inspire Tymin to come out, come out wherever he was. Realizing this was a job bigger than just Dan and I, I hollered for Trey to come join the fun. I asked him to grab Limerick and then asked him to coax Tymin out. No such luck. He was staying put. And the more I pushed up on the boxspring, the further he moved away from the opening. And the slats inside the Boxspring were jagged enough that no kid needed to be fishing a cat out of it anyway. I peeked in and sure enough...there he was way back in the opposite corner from where I was.

Seeing as how I had the box spring almost completely vertical, I got a good look at it and WOW, was I surprised. The thing was completely trashed. Several of the boards inside were broken and there were a couple of holes in the batting where the boards had cut through. Craziness. Seeing as how it was a disaster anyway, I grabbed the batting and yanked it right out of the frame. Wah-lah....Instant cat access. I grabbed Tymin by the nape of the neck and handed him to Trey.

We will probably need to 'deep six' the box spring as it is now leaning against Daniel's bedroom wall. The cats......well, they're not allowed upstairs anymore. Too many hiding places. Not enough people around during the day to keep them out of trouble. But I'm sure they'll find enough trouble to get into downstairs anyway.

In our house.....with four human babies, three feline babies and one canine baby.......There's always something going on.

A tale of two tires

So you got the story on my Krystal expedition in the midst of a right-rear tire blowout.......

Well, that was 4 days ago and, No....I hadn't yet gotten my tire replaced. In all the research I've been doing, I've learned that tires for a gas-guzzling SUV are not cheap. $180 each. Craziness. One of the places I searched on the web did not have prices listed on their site, so I decided I would run by there and see them in person and get an estimate. Hoffman, with an H, Tires. Very nice people. I walked in and told him that I had a blowout, that I was driving on my spare and that I needed an estimate on four new tires.

He walked out with me to take a look at my car and told me that I didn't need four tires. I only needed three. My spare is a full-size spare....that is identical to the other tires. He said they can put my spare onto one of the front wheels and then take the best of the other three and make that my new spare. Ok....I like the guy already.

Done. We make an appointment for Thursday morning 8 am....Then he makes a ridiculous comment. "Don't run over anything while you're driving. Remember, you're driving on your spare." Yes Sir!!!

And off I go. Onto Jonesboro to meet a couple of gals for lunch. I'm listening to my music....lost in my thoughts. I turn onto Tara Blvd from 54. And BAM!!!!!

What was that? You must be kidding me. I didn't, did I?

I did. I ran over something and there was this crazy knocking sound coming from the left-rear of my truck. And this was not 15 minutes after Mr. Hoffman himself advised that I not run over anything. This must just be my day. I'm looking in my side-view mirror trying to see if there is any tread flying up, but I can't see anything, but this awful noise is still coming from the back of the car. I pull into the children's building parking lot and assess the damage. Ok....no tread flying off. Good. But there is a piece of metal stuck in my tire. Not good.

I know what all of you are thinking. I can hear you yelling at your computer now........'Don't pull it out!!!!' Ok....I thought about that myself, but decided not to listen to the little voice in my head. I pulled it out. This wonderful SSSHHHHHHHHHH sound comes from the tire. Fabulous. Idiot, jpv.

Well, since I'm at the church to meet friends for lunch, I head over to the office. I found Chip and asked him to take a look at it, but he couldn't find anything wrong with the tire. And honestly, it wasn't too terribly flat. Just low. Knowing that Mr. Hoffman was going to the Warehouse during his lunch break to pick up my new tires, I made my way back to his shop. He stood up when he saw me, looked out at my truck and said......"You have a flat tire." Uh.....yep!

I told him he never should have admonished me to not run over anything. I pulled out of the shop 45 minutes later with my spare back under the truck and with two new tires replacing my two rear blown-out ones. I will return in the morning to get the third new tire put on and the spare put back on. They are going to see if they can patch the one I biffed up today before they decide which tire actually becomes my spare.

So, there you have it. A tale of two tires. One.....went flat. Then shredded on Hwy 85. The other......seemingly met its Maker in the form of a road hazard on Hwy 19/41. Then may get new life at the hands of the techs at Hoffman Tire.

Take me out to the ballgame.....

Baseball.....America's pasttime. Like apple pie and Chevrolet. Could there be anything better?

I've been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember......and a Phillies fan for even longer and last night I got to hang out with a couple of friends at Turner Field (AKA The Ted) and watch my Phightin' Phillies take on the Braves. The Phillies won........of course. There was some great defense....and some sloppy defense. Some 'small ball' and some long ball. There was something for everyone and we had a great time.
This is Ryan Howard....The Phillies homerun machine.
I took this picture during his at-bat in the second inning. Eye-level, you say? Yep, I have access to second row seats. Yes, I said second row. Right on the field. Awesome!

I went with Cantini and Jatha, two gals I had the privilege of being on staff with at the church and have become good friends with as a result.


We had a blast. So much so, that I'm sure we'll be doing this again.

First day of school

The first day of school is always a highly anticipated time. It's when the kids get to see their friends again. It's when they get to be in new classrooms. It's when they get to meet new people and do new things. But the best part of the first day of school for my kids is getting to wear their new clothes. Yes, my kids think this is a big deal.

Last night before they went to bed, they all had their clothes laid out neatly in their rooms. They knew exactly what they were going to wear today and they were pretty excited about it. Check out their new threads!!!

Getting out the door today was the easiest it's ever been and probably the easiest it will ever be. Trey was insistent when we went to bed last night, that I get him up at 5:30....maybe as late as 5:45. He wanted to be up and ready this morning. I got him up at 6:00 and he let me know of his dissatisfaction with me that I'd gotten him up 'late.' Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins,' just you wait.....when it's impossible to get you out of bed here in a couple of days.

It's been a tradition for our family for me to take the kids to school on the first day and take their picture at their new desk. Julia, since her room was the first we came across, had hers taken first. I am reserving judgment about the teacher she was given. I have not been given the most positive feedback by those who've had this teacher before, so we're praying she has a good experience.

Josh was next. He is never too sure about school. Josh had a rough 3rd grade year and wasn't looking forward to today at all, but we believe that God gave him the perfect teacher and are praying that he has a good year.....at least enough of one to erase the bad memories from last year.

Trey's room is literally the furthest classroom from the front door and by the time we'd gotten there, he decided he did not want me taking his picture. He is now way too cool for that. So, you get a picture of him with Tymin.

And lastly....I am now officially a Middle School mom. Daniel was pretty pumped about today. He'll get his schedule this morning for the first time and hopefully he'll remember to bring it home so I can see it!! I'm dying to know what he's doing right now. God is good. He has given us two fantastic schools to send our kids to and teachers that love to teach. I'm looking forward to a great school year.

Adventures at Krystal

I am a priss and a snob. I know it. I claim it. I am a priss and a snob. I believe that the county I live in is better than anyone else's. I believe my kids schools are the best. I don't like getting my fingers messy when I eat. I don't like my hair messed up and I don't like my face being touched. It's just me.

Because of this, I have never eaten at Krystal. I have also never even had the desire to eat at Krystal. Krystal just seems so.............trashy. So............cheap. So..............I don't know......So........not me. Am I judging a book by its cover? You bet I am. But that's just me. Love me or hate me for it? Ok.....I am what I am. Saturday night, the Lord decided He would show me a thing or two about myself and being the willing participant that I am, I went along for the ride.

On the way home from White Water on Friday, we noticed that my right rear tire was beginning to go flat. No worries. I would just take the car to NTB on Saturday and get it taken care of. So, on Saturday as we were leaving the house, I noticed something very strange about the way the car drove. It was rocking so violently from side to side, it was as if I was running over something. And it kinda freaked me out. I got out of the car and sure enough.....the tire was completely flat now and it was just beginning to storm. So, we continued on our way to the NTB. It didn't take me long to learn that I wasn't able to drive more than 20 miles per hour without the car shimmying and shaking in an almost scary manner. And the fact that it was raining so hard it was almost a monsoon didn't help either. With hazard blinkers on, I prayed our way through the downpour to the NTB......probably a 7 + mile trip. We got 3/4 of the way there when I heard some strange goings-on from the tire area. I called back to Trey....."Look behind you and see if there are pieces of tire flying up from the car." Trey's response....."Yes, mommy. There is."

Fabulous. Had the tire not begun to shred I would have kept driving, but since I knew I was in danger of some serious rim damage, I pulled off Hwy. 85 into the nearest parking lot.

The Krystal parking lot.

We sat while the rain came down.....And the thunder pounded and the lightning struck. The lightning struck so closely there was no...and I mean NO wait for the thunder. There were more simultaneous flash/bams than I cared to count. And the Bradford Pear right next to where we were parked just decided it wanted to lay down right where it stood. The kids were scared. I was awed. God's glory and power were in full display at 4:00 yesterday afternoon. I got out of the car to assess the damage......if the tire wasn't too bad, I would consider making our way to the shop. We were so close I could almost see the building. But sure enough. It was bad. And the rain was coming down so hard and the wind was whipping so strongly, the umbrella was flipped inside out and I looked like I'd gone out without one to begin with. I went through my cell phone to see who I could call to come help. Mark was at a wedding. Tommy was in Macon. Joe B. didn't answer his phone.......Now what? Then it dawned on me.............

The little blue button. "Thank you for calling Onstar, Mrs. PV....How can I help you?" It was like a voice from Heaven. It was a beautiful thing. I told them my plight and they assured me they would send Roadside Assistance out to help us as soon as they could. A great sigh of relief washed over me and the kids. The storm continued, but the anxiety began to dwindle. Suddenly from the back of the car came a voice....."I'm hungry." "Well, guys we really can't go anywhere. We need to wait here until the tire gets changed and then we'll grab dinner." "But mom.....we can eat at Krystal."

Huh? Krystal? I don't think so. "C'mon, Mom....we're hungry." Feeling like I was in the twilight zone, I sent Daniel in to get some Krystals. Out he came with 5. And he only spent $4. I'm not sure what it is.....but something about spending $4 for 5 little burgers seems disturbing to me. The kids each took one. I did not. And the response was unanimous......."Mom, these are best burgers EVER." "Mom, I can't believe you've never taken us to Krystal before. These are awesome." "Mom, we need to add this to the 'Great Restaurant' list." Ok, now I draw the line.....Krystal? A restaurant? Puhleeaze!!! I went ahead and ate my little burger, too and I will admit it was better than I expected it to be. Next, the kids decided they were thirsty too and since we couldn't go anywhere we might as well go inside and eat for real. Now, I know I've gone off the deep end. We head inside. Everyone orders and we sit down with our food. On one wall is a sign that says, "Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame." Trey looks at me and says, "They need to add me to that list." What a goober. We finish eating and head back to the car. The call came in telling me that it would be at least another 30 minutes before Roadside Assistance would get to us. At the same time, a very large black pickup truck pulls up beside me. And out walks our angel. Brad. The man that built our house was driving by, saw the kids near the car and then realized what had happened. He got out and asked one question...."You want me to do it?" YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

It was wonderful. I called OnStar back and cancelled our request for assistance. And within a few minutes Brad and his boys had our tire changed.

God showed His awesomeness once again....not only in the power of the storm, but in sending just the right person to help us as well as providing us with a good meal. It was a good couple of hours.

Now the kids are asking for Krystal for every meal.

Hmmmmm, let me think about that one...................No.

White Water

White Water is such a fun place to be. We've only been twice in the 8+ years we've lived here, but both times I've asked myself...."Why don't we come here more often?"

Oh yeah, cause it's expensive. But no mind....we went yesterday and a good time was had by all. It was sunny. It was hot. But the water was wonderful and the rides......pretty great. I must say, though, that the highlight was the Tornado. The line looked menacing, but in reality it wasn't. In fact, the park as whole was not as crowded as I was expecting, for the last 'official' day of summer. We had no trouble finding multiple chairs in a row to lay our towels and we waited no longer than 30 minutes start to finish for a ride.

We decided on a couple of rides that we would go boys on one and girls on another. The Tornado was one of these rides. The boys went first and we girls had a good laugh watching them try and get that huge 4-man tube up the stairs. They did well once they figured out how to work together. We girls were two groups behind the boys. This was our first time riding the Tornado and wow.....we'll be riding that again someday. It was great. I must say, when we went up into the funnel part of the ride, I was convinced we were going to flip, we went so high. But we didn't. We came down laughing and ready to head to the next thrill.

My boys had a couple of moments where they didn't want to wait in line......they wanted to head straight for the Atlanta Ocean. Why, I'm not sure. It's just a wave pool, but the adults and Julia won out and we waited in the lines we were in and then headed to the wave pool.

The one downside was the end......No, not because we had to leave. But because we couldn't. At 4:20, Chelsie began to round up the kiddoes from Little Squirt's Island. One by one they came out for a sip of Diet Coke and to hear that we were leaving. One by one....each boy was on board with what was going on. The girl.........not so much. For those of you who know Julia, you know she can be 'all that' and has a ton of personality, to say the least. For those that don't know her....well, there's no way I can describe her and give her any justice. She is a joy. A doll. A pain in the neck. Our sunshine. Our hormonal mess. A flake. A flirt. A tease. A perfect mix of her three brothers. A chip off the old block in her mother. The apple of her daddy's eye. The Queen Mother, as my father calls her. A diva. The only granddaughter for my parents. She loves to learn new things, but thinks she knows everything. A brat. And just plain wonderful.

When Julia was told it was time to go, she decided we would 'wait right out here' for us while we finished gathering up the boys. By the time, we made our way out of the Island, not 10 seconds later, she had taken off in the direction of Captain Kid's Cove. Daniel, being the oldest and because he can run faster than I can, was sent after her. We waited for a bit but they never showed. Chelsie and I decided I would head back to the chairs to gather the stuff and she would head over to gather Daniel and Julia. As I was finishing up folding the towels and gathering shirts and flipflops, up walks Chelsie......alone. Shaking her head, she tells me she couldn't find them. Most parents would probably flip their lids in fear. For some reason, with my kids, I'm not like that. They have shown themselves in so many situations to be able to handle different things and handle them well. They have been approached by kids at school to do the wrong thing and haven't. They don't talk to strangers. I've watched them ignore people who say HI to them because they don't know them. They have been trained in self-defense.

Does that mean I don't worry about them? Absolutely not. I am very careful with my kids. I just don't hover over them and watch their every move. So, when Chelsie said she couldn't find them.....I knew where Julia was. She wasn't lost or stolen. She was playing somewhere. We decided to go two different directions to the exit in hopes of coming across the two kids. We didn't find them right away. Neither of the adults found Julia........Josh did. And sure enough, I was right. She was in the Wave Pool.......living it up. Having a great time. Daniel was nowhere to be found. I made my way toward her and she saw me. We mothers have 'the look'.....you know the one. And she got it. And she hung her head knowing she was dead meat. She got a good scolding and I seriously considered spanking her right there, but figured there were way too many people who would take what was once considered good parenting, and twist it into abuse. She knew she was in trouble. She got the message. Now off to find Daniel.

Within 30 seconds he walked up. He told me he chased Julia toward Captain Kid's Cove but she got away via the Suwanee river. He had gone around again trying to find her, but couldn't. He's such a great big brother. He was as frustrated as I was as he knows his role as the oldest.

This took 30 minutes. 30 minutes. I had promised Chelsie we would have her back to my house between 5 and 5:30, so she could head to a commitment she had and so Noah could go to his Open House with his teacher. Now, none of this would happen, which did not make me happy. Chelsie and Noah were OK with it. I was not.

But all in all, it was a good day. We ate dinner on the way home, so no cooking for me last night, which is always a blessing. Today, we're cleaning and cleaning and cleaning and doing some laundry and going and finishing up getting what the kids need for school. It'll be a long and busy day. But I ain't complaining. I've got my human babies.....and my feline babies. Just missin' the husband, but he'll be home in 5 weeks.

What a Thursday

This has been a day!! First, we had guests last night. Yep, that's right. Four active children just wasn't enough for me. I thought I'd add a couple more. And it was great!

Aubrey and Parker spent the night last night just to make things a bit easier on Cantini and Red Ranger. Hopefully they used their time wisely last night........

Anyway, I digress. The kids had a blast watching Parent Trap again and playing with the Star Wars toys that Aubrey brought over.

When we designed the house, we put the Master Bedroom on the Main level on one end and the main living area of the basement at the opposite end. Genius, I know. So, the children were in the basement, and I was in my blissfully, silent bedroom.....not hearing a thing. I did have to re-accompany a couple of kids back downstairs, but other than that....once they fell asleep, they stayed asleep.

Today was Meet the Teacher Day at the schools. Allycat's younger daughter came over to sit with the kids for the hour that Daniel and I headed to his new Middle School. And much to my surprise...it was exactly as they said it would be. Meeting the Teachers. No schedules. No locker assignments. No nothing. It was as simple as finding Daniel's name on the big board, paying the $35 in fees they need and walking to his homeroom to meet his teacher. That was it.

I found myself a little disappointed as I was hoping to 'show him the ropes' so to speak about middle school life. You know...checking his schedule against all his friends so they can see if they have any of the same classes, changing classes for each subject, finding his locker and learning how to open the combination, how to stack the textbooks in the locker in the same order as the classes so they're easier to transfer to the bookbag......That kind of stuff. But no. All we did was meet teachers. Funny how it's called Meet the Teacher Day. Craziness.

We came home for lunch and got ready to take Aubrey and Parker back to their mommy and head to the younger kids Meet the Teacher time at their school. We've done that for the last four years, so nothing was a surprise there. They all seem excited about their teachers and are looking forward to Monday.

Joshua had the first football practice he could actually attend tonight and it went really well. It appears they are going to put him on defense as he spent the whole time blocking and tackling. He is loving it, thankfully.

And finally, to close this most exciting and news-worthy post.....I present you Limerick.
First, who could not love this face. (I think he is posing in honor of 'di-dan's' Sweet Kitty)

But second....this picture was taken just after he decided he wanted to rub his face against my toothbrush, and then chew on it.

Goofy kitty.....

And if I wasn't enough of a psycho....I'm taking my kids to White Water tomorrow. But I'm not going alone....One of my most favorite teenagers is coming along and probably bringing her younger brother. It'll be good.

But even if the whole day turns out not so great tomorrow....one good thing will come out of it. Compared to some of the 'physiques' stuffed inside bathing suits and bikini's at that place.....I'm Bo Derek. I know I can hold my head high and stick my 4-kid poochie out there for all to see, because there are thousands of other women who look far worse than I........

At White Water.....I'm a '10'

No doubt about it.