My Josh

So -- this is my Josh. Hard to believe he is 8 1/2 now. Seems like only yesterday he looked like this.....

I don't know about you, but I see a whole lot of Ava in that picture! He was 4..playing soccer for the first time. Everyone else would be running down the field after the ball, and he was in his own little world...just jogging behind...waving as he went by! He really is so cute - even if he is mine!

Sometimes I think Josh gets the short end of the stick...he isn't the oldest....isn't the youngest...isn't the first girl...you get the idea. He's a special little guy. (I forgot - he isn't so little anymore!) Of course, all my kids are - but each in their own way. Josh loves video games...and candy...and video games...and candy...and video games...and candy. Well, he does like other stuff too - like reading, playing baseball and basketball (a newfound interest), drawing cartoons, watching movies, and aggravating his siblings. He makes me laugh, and on occasion, he makes me want to pull my hair out. He is a blue belt in karate. His drawing won as the poster for the play he and Zachary are going to be in in a couple of weeks. (The play is "Dear Edwina" at Harrell Theatre March 12-15....shameless plug!) He is a scatterbrain (how many times has he lost his wallet?) He can go to sleep at night with the blanket and sheet covering him, and by the next morning the sheet is shoved all the way down to the foot of the bed and he is wrapped up in the comforter like a sausage. He loves jokes, has an INTENSE fear of storms (no exaggerating there!), and an equally intense imagination. He has a fierce temper, and an amazing ability to feel deeply. He has a sensitive little spirit that makes him cry if you look at him wrong. He most definitely wears his heart on his sleeve. His glass is always half-full. We learned quickly that grounding him or taking things away from him does not work as an effective form of punishment because he would just say, "Oh well, that's okay. I'll just (insert new interest of choice here) instead." He is such a joy to hang out with one-on-one.....not that that happens very much, but I treasure it when it does. I sure do love him...he's my favorite Josh!

Get Out Your Hard Hats!

Yeah - just a quick blurb to let you know I have been playing around with the layout and background of my blog and after over a YEAR I have FINALLY figured out what I have been doing wrong. It was simply a matter of changing my original template. I know that info just made your day, but in the meantime I want to apololgize to my friend Jen because we now have the same background, but I promise to change mine ASAP. I was doodling around with this at work, then got busy, and now it is time to go home -- which takes priority over blog changes. I'm excited about what I can now do...woo hoo! This site is now under construction! :-)

New Stuff

I can't believe I have gone this long without posting. I just don't know where the time goes! Everyone is doing great -- the boys are worn out between karate, play practice, and - oh yeah - school! Josh is having video game withdrawls. Their schedule is wearing us out too...I think I will be glad when this play is over. They are having lots of fun and are enjoying making new friends, but I think they will be glad for a break! The girls are their normal silly selves. They have started this new thing at home where they play "grocery store". Sarah is in the kitchen and Ava comes through with their little grocery cart and Sarah says, "Well hello! Come on in! How are you today?" They are so funny...so dramatic...I am in trouble when the teenage years hit! (How many times have I said that??)

So what did you do for Valentine's Day? Yeah - I know - it has been almost a week, so you might have already forgotten! Personally, I had a great one. Charles and I had a late dinner Friday night at Houston's. Saturday we slept in since the kiddos were gone (that was SOOOOO NIIIIICE!! Seriously! If you are able to sleep past 7:00 on Saturday mornings, consider yourself very fortunate!!), took the boys to play practice, ate lunch at El Porton (what??? 2 meals just the 2 of us? how did THAT happen?), ran errands, picked up all of said children and then headed to our friend's house for a fondu dinner. That was wonderful! She had a chocolate fountain for dessert and Josh discovered carrots weren't so bad when covered in chocolate. I think I will take his word on that one. On Sunday, the kiddos and hubby gave me a wonderful present - 2 heart charms for the Chamilia bracelet they bought me for Christmas. Now I have 3!

We went to church Sunday morning and Pastor spoke about marriage (duh!), but he did bring up one point that I thought was very interesting - and very true. Courtship. He said less marriages would end up in court if there was more courtship in marriage. He said we should have at least 2 ideas of ways we can "court" our spouse over the next 40 days. That is a very good point - especially for those marriages like ours that get so caught up in the logistics of just getting thru the day that you forget to take time to show your spouse why you treasure him/her. Women love the "little things" and the guys like to know they are thought of too (but are less likely to admit it!) There is a marriage blog I follow (you can find it to the left on my side bar), and she also has had some very good points to make (to the wives) about respecting your husband - and lots of other good nuggets! I'm not going to go into it here, but I encourage you to check it out. I've been "gently reminded" of some things that I have forgotten in regards to my relationship with my husband. Yes, our lives are crazy (have I said that already?) After all, we have been married for 13+ years you know! Romance/courtship is so easy when you are dating. That is all you think about, "What can I do to show him how much I love him? To let him know how important he is to me? That I think about him constantly?" Remember those days? You get married, have kids, and then the best you can do is make sure the cap is on the toothpaste. Sometimes I need to just take a step back and look at things (him) from a fresh perspective. I have ordered a book (and for the life of me I can't remember the name...so I will have to get back to you on that!) at the suggestion of my friend Jen's blog, which I am anxious to start reading. It is about nurturing your husband. I will have to keep you updated as to how it goes. It might take me while to get thru it, but I am going to do it!

Anyway -- that is all that is happening in these parts! I am so ready for spring and warm (even hot!) weather, swimming pools, flip flops, capris, t-shirts and shorts (from a laundry perspective!), long days, riding in the car with the windows down, and lots and lots of sunshine. Please feel free to remind me of this in August when it is 150 degress outside and we are sweating in the shower. For now however, I do believe I am starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday's 60 degree weather was enough to give me a taste!! C'mon spring!

There's Nothing Like.......

.....an innocent face!

We Had A Great Day...It Was A Super Way....

....to spend....some time together. (FYI....for those of you without little ones, those lines are from a song they play at the end of "Fresh Beat Band" - a show watched numerous times daily at my house!) It WAS a great day....kids out of school....beautiful sunshine and warm air....aaaahhhh! Just a taste of spring, which unfortunately is still a couple of months away (sigh!) That's okay...it will be here before we know it. We hung out at home in the morning, then after lunch I took the brood to Sonic for ice-cream (gotta love the Butterfinger blast - YUM!), came back home and put the girls down for a nap - which I hated to do because the weather was awesome, but considering they did not have naps yesterday, I thought it to be in EVERYONE'S best interest that they sleep (and they did - for almost 3 hours, so I think I chose wisely!) That's okay - while they snoozed, they boys and I cleaned up some limbs from the backyard and then played some baseball. Good thing we were playing with a rubber ball or Zachary would have taken out a window from the house next door - the kid can hit! Charles came home and it was Chick-fil-A for dinner (I made bbq chicken tenders and corn for lunch and spent my afternoon outside so there was no time to cook dinner too) and off to karate. The boys are now BLUE BELTS - woo hoo! They passed their belt test last Saturday. They have only 3 more colors until they reach their black belts. I am so proud of them! I'm guessing maybe this time next year or maybe even next summer they will reach black belt....hard to say though. It has taken 2 years just to get to this point. That's okay though - the process has been well worth it.

So anyway - we are in the midst of normal chaos, which is a good thing. I just can't wait for summer now....pool days...just being able to be outside more. The natives are getting restless over here! The boys also auditioned for play here in Collierville called "Dear Edwina" - and both got parts, so they will have rehearsals for that too. I've wondered "What was I thinking?" several times since they got the parts because that means 2 nights a week is karate, 1 or 2 nights a week will be play practice (til the show in March), then church on Wednesday. Have you done the math yet? Yeah - I thought the same. Yes - it will be chaotic again...but they will enjoy it - and they will still have reasonable bed times (unlike Christmas!) It's all good. All I care about is that they are doing something they want to do. I've grilled them several times and they assure me they are - soooooo......here we go again!

What Do You See????

What do you see in the above picture of our mantle that could possibly stress out a 3 year-old? Once the decorations were all put together, Sarah was very concerned.....about her stocking! How was Santa going to reach her stocking? I was asked this question over, and over, and over, and over soooo many times. I tried to reassure her that Santa had his own way of getting down stockings, that he would be sure to fill it and leave it where she could reach it Christmas morning. She still needed that reassurance though - constantly - one answer was not sufficient. Thankfully, come Christmas morning, she saw that I was right and all was well. She is most definitely a child who only believes by seeing...maybe it is an age thing!

Our Christmas was exhausting and exciting....and as I have said on my Facebook page, I am ready to trade all the "Christmas Chaos" for our "Normal Chaos"! However, I am not looking forward to the boys going back to school and having to deal with homework and backpacks and lunches...yuck! There is something to be said for those who homeschool! How much longer til summer break? Spring break is only a couple of months away...then there is Easter....then school will be out for summer...woo hoo!

I am looking at the sea of toys in my house and am thinking that there has to be some serious changes in how we do Christmas next year. For once we actually bought early, but I'm thinking that wasn't such a good idea. We kept thinking of just "one more thing" the closer Christmas got! I'm just thinking that our Christmas is going to change next year. I already have some ideas...hmmmm......

So anyway -- hope you had a fabulous New Year and that 2010 brings you an abundance of God's love and peace and most importantly His many blessings! I pray especially that He will reveal Himself to you in so many ways...big and small...so that you will always be reminded that He is forever by your side. Don't be like Sarah.....you don't HAVE to see in order to believe!

Happy Birthday Zachary!!!!

Wow! It's hard to believe the guy in that picture will be "officially" 11 years old in about 20 minutes! Exactly 11 years ago tonight, I was in a hospital room at Methodist Germantown, waiting to be induced. I remember it very well...it was a Wednesday night...Charles and I went to Buntyn for dinner, then checked into the hospital by 9 p.m. I remember putting on the hospital gown and feeling scared out of my mind! I felt like I was on a runaway train....all I could do was close my eyes and brace myself for what was about to happen. The next day went on forever (at least for me it did!). He wasn't born until 9:15 the next night. Our family still jokes that everyone else in the waiting room came and went and our family was the last to leave! I was so tired....they had just come in and "boosted" my epidural. I was feeling so nice and warm and numb....and then I had to push! Thirty minutes later I had my first little Christmas angel! I had spiked a fever just before he was born, which meant he had a fever too -- so he had to be whisked away for a bit to be seen about, but he was okay. In the midst of all that, my sweet nurse brought me a "lunchable" sandwich and a Diet coke. That was the best food EVER! I was famished! To this day, a Lunchable has never tasted so good!

We became a family of three that day, and the dynamics of our marriage changed forever -- for the good of course! We immediately were at the mercy of this tiny little person, who let us know when we could sleep, when we could eat, where we could go, and when we could go! At the same time, we learned that it really was possible to love someone else with all your heart...to be in awe of another human being was an incredible feeling! This was our tiny little miracle...yes...a miracle. I had a smooth pregnancy, but in my eyes, EVERY baby is a miracle of God and His handiwork...all the little fingers and toes and sighs and coos are amazing every day!

In eleven years, Zachary has grown into an incredible young man. I love his sense of humor, his gentle heart, his compassion, his love for the Lord and willingness to serve Him. He is a really cool kid...and I love spending time with him. I am so proud to call him my son.....I love you Zachary - and I pray you will continue to follow the Lord and grow stronger in your walk with Him. Happy Birthday Bud!