You Have GOT To Be Kidding Me.

My sweet, wonderful parents decided to move the week of Christmas. Relocate. Sell and buy a new house. Take stuff from one house to the other via moving truck. 2 towns an hour away from each other.

You know, because the week of Christmas isn't busy or anything.

It has been a hectic week and I'm not even the one moving. I know my parents are tired and ready for things to be back to normal.

Not to mention that the house that they left was their dream home. 10 acres, a pond, privacy, huge front porch, 4 wheeler heaven. So their emotions were a little raw about leaving the house.

However, my dad is a pastor and is at a new church which he LOVES. The new town is about an hour closer to us and their new house is new construction. My mom got to pick out everything in the house. They are really excited about the new ministry, house, locations, etc. Just sad about leaving the old house.

They spent their first night in the house Tuesday. Wednesday was Christmas Eve, and they came to my house after their Candlelight Service. They spent Wednesday night and Thursday night with us and went home Friday. They spent most of the day Friday unpacking, mostly in their bedroom and the upstairs bedrooms, and crashed in bed Friday night, exhausted and sore.

At 4:45 Saturday morning, my mom woke to the sound of rain. Their new neighbors had been telling them about a roof leak in their house, so my mom got up to check for leaks. She opened her bedroom door and realized that water was POURING through her ceiling in the den, foyer, kitchen, dining room, and my dad's study. She screamed for my dad who went running upstairs and found a water line broken and water pouring out of the bathroom. There was now 2 inches of water in the downstairs of their house. Dad got the water turned off (can you imagine taking a freezing cold shower at 5:00 am? - Dad said it wasn't pleasant - imagine that) and began grabbing towels, tablecloths, blankets, trash cans, buckets, ANYTHING to stop the water. At 7:00 he called his insurance agent and the builder, who called the plumber. The insurance agent sent a Restoration company to their house to begin the cleanup process. They called me at 8:00 Saturday morning. Talk about feeling helpless. I got on the car and took coffee (mom) and Diet Pepsi (dad). It's all I knew to do.

So to simplify, they will need new carpet/pad/baseboards/possibly sheetrock upstairs. They will need new ceilings, crown moulding, wood floors, paint, light fixtures (water pouring out of the ceiling fans don't bode well for said ceiling fans), baseboards, and sheetrock downstairs.

And their house is less than a week old.

So, if you feel led, I know they'd appreciate your prayers. They are trying HARD to keep their spirits up. It's definitely hard.

Here are specific prayer requests:
1. That the re-build process will be QUICK.
2. That the insurance companies (the plumber's insurance company, the builder's insurance company, and my parents' insurance company) will all get along and at like adults. We all know this is often not the case.
3. That my parents will have a peace about the whole thing. My mom is a "worrier" and doesn't usually go with the flow. My dad is the exact opposite of a worrier and is really laid back - these personalities can clash in stressful situations.
4. That my parents won't be financially accountable for ANY PART of this. No co-pays, deductibles, etc. This was entirely not their responsibility.

Here are some praises already:
1. If this had happened a day earlier when my parents were at my house, the results would've been disastrous. It's a good thing they were home and my mom's a light sleeper.
2. Most of their stuff was still in boxes. The Restoration people moved dry stuff out of wet boxes and repacked them into dry boxes. As far as the unpacking goes, they aren't any further behind than they were before. They just have to wait a while to unpack.
3. My parents bought a new TV on Tuesday. BRAND NEW TV. The last time my parents bought a new TV was probably 1990. This new TV was in the ONE area of the den that stayed dry and is perfectly fine.
4. They have an amazing church family who really cares for their pastor - even though he's the "new guy." They are being wonderful.

I'll keep you updated. It's gonna be a process and will most likely take a while.

I heart you all.

Merry Christmas, Bloggy Peeps!

From my family to yours, have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year.

Let Me Introduce You To Cindy Lou Who

Mary Emma's school Christmas party was Friday. The entire 2nd Grade has a tradition of transforming the hall into Whoville - in true Grinch fashion. It's like a right of passage for 2nd Graders. Every kid in the school has been through the wonderful world of Whoville, except for the current 5th graders. The year they were in 2nd grade, the teachers decided to scrap Whoville and hold a "Christmas Around the World" themed party. It was a dud and they went back to Grinch the following year. However, the 5th graders feel a little jipped that they didn't experience Whoville in all of its glory.

Anyhoo, the 2nd graders were to dress up in Whoville clothes for the party. Citizens of Whoville characteristically dress very colorfully, with mismatched patterns and prints. It's like "crazy day" during Homecoming Week on steroids.

Mary Emma, in her never ending quest NOT to be outdone, decided to be Cindy Lou Who for the party. Here's when we came up with.







The hair was by far her favorite part of the costume. I told one mom that all possible caution needs to be taken before telling Mary Emma that she gets to dress up as something because the kid will take it to ANOTHER LEVEL. The kid loves the attention and loves to entertain people.

So I guess she's conquered this milestone. She's been to Whoville and back. She achieved Cindy Lou Who hair.

Now we focus on the 2nd Grade Play. An actual play for an actual drama queen. The practicing will begin after the new year and will continue to the performance at the end of the year.

She will get her time on stage. She will shine like the star that she thinks she is. She will practice and talk about it and make up new ways of performing the play that (in her mind) give her the lead role and every speaking part and a microphone and makeup and a fantastic costume and roses and people asking her for her autograph equally and fairly distribute the parts amongst all of the 2nd Graders. And this will go on for the next 5 months.

Have mercy on us all.

Yes, I Gave In And Elfed My Children.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

My Bloggy MoJo Is Seriously In Need Of Help

Ok, it's been 6 whole days since I've posted anything. I'm sorry. I know there's some things I need to post about (BooMama's Tour of Homes, Siesta Ornament Exchange) but I just can't get into it. And my camera batteries are dead, which makes a photo blog tour rather difficult. I don't think you all want to read me describe my Christmas decorations or the FABULOUSLY WONDERFUL SMELLING pine cone ornament that Kerry sent me, so I'll wait until my camera is alive and running again until I post about those things.

In the meantime, I'll let you know a few of the zillion things we've been up to. I apologize for the boring day to day stuff, but hopefully we'll all look back and laugh at these busy days.....

1. The Great Christmas Tree Crash of 2008.
A few nights ago, I was in the kitchen when I heard a crash then a muffled yell from the den. I looked to find Spencer, who was sitting in the chair, which was now completely covered by a fallen Christmas Tree. He was frantically trying to keep from being buried alive while, at the same time, desperately taking off the nice fragile ornaments and laying them down carefully. And some people say men can't multitask. I beg to differ. I grabbed the tree, which weighs about 736 pounds and tried to lift it off of him. I managed to lift it about 2 inches - just enough for him to slide out and pick it back up. All of this being done while trying to keep 3 barefoot curious girls from coming over to investigate. Because nothing would've made the night better that a trip to the ER for glass removal and stitches in 6 little feet. Oh, the memories. I have no idea why it crashed, which is exactly why I predict that it will happen again. I'll keep you posted.

2. Ny Nephew, Jay's, 3rd Birthday Party
I know a lot of you have cute, adorable members of your family, but I'm gonna go ahead and say that my nephew is the cutest kid on the planet. Here's proof.


See. Told ya. My silly brother-in-law and sister-in-law insist on raising him as an Alabama fan, which immediately causes him to lose 5 cool points, but he's still way over a million. And to top it off, the kid is obsessed with old school Superman, Batman, and Spiderman. Not the new stuff - the old cartoons and comic books. I totally love him to pieces. And his baby brother, Jack, will make his grand entrance into the world sometime in April, which means there will be another perfect nephew added to my family. I. Can't. Wait.

3. Mary Emma's 2nd Grade Christmas Party
The 2nd graders at Mary Emma's school have a HUGE themed Christmas Party . The theme is the Grinch and the entire 2nd Grade hall is decorated like Who-ville. They are supposed to dress like people from Who-ville, which, of course, means Mary Emma will be dressing like Cindy Lou Who. Google her. The hairstyle alone means that we'll be up before the sun Friday morning getting the hair ready. I will definitely be posting pictures of this blessed event. Stay tuned.

4. The Trips
Spencer travels quite often with his company. I travel about once a year (not including short trips to parents' houses, beach vacay in the summer..) and love it. LOVE. IT. Traveling makes me happy. But being a SAHM of 3 kids, it's a logistical nightmare to make it happen. However, in the next 3-4 weeks, I will be traveling 3 times.
This weekend, Spencer and I are traveling to Jackson, MS, for Spencer's best friend's wedding. He's the best man and is really honored to be such a special part of it. It's our 11th wedding anniversary, also, so a weekend away from the kids will be really nice.
The following weekend, we are heading to Atlanta for my father-in-law's 60th birthday. My inlaws, Spencer's brother & his wife (Jay's mom & dad), and Spencer & I are going to spend a few days over there to celebrate.
Then, on Jan 5-16, Spencer is traveling to San Diego for business. Yes, you read that right - 11 days with 3 kids and no break. Mercy. However, he surprised me a couple of weeks ago with plane tickets out there - I will be going the 8-12 to hang out in San Diego - I've never been there and cannot wait. Also, rock on, Sky Miles account, for free first class tickets. What? What? Holler. I think I'll sit criss-cross-applesauce the entire flight just because the seats are big enough to do so.

So let the insane holiday craziness continue. Let my camera batteries charge so I can take pictures of my house and my ornaments.

But most importantly, let me remember Who this season is about. Let me focus my mind and heart and direct my children's hearts toward the Baby Boy. Let it be about Him. Not places, things, parties, and decorations. Let us remember that it's not all about us. Let us remember the proclamation of the Angels - "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14

We Have A Chance Of "Hydrangeas" Tomorrow.

Once again, snow is predicted for my area tomorrow and tomorrow night.

You know how I feel about that.

The meteorologists are treading on thin ice, my friends.

We'll see.....

I Think She Should Become a Lawyer.

Last night Mary Emma didn't do something that I had asked her twice to do. Nothing big, but definitely one of those "nip it in the bud now or it's going to get worse later" kind of moments. Anyway, I told her that because of it, she was grounded from TV today. When she then pitched a fit about being grounded, she was grounded from TV for another day. Needless to say, the fit stopped.

So this morning, TV restriction commenced. When she fussed (but not too hard because she didn't want the punishment to continue into Tuesday) and didn't get anywhere with it, she changed her strategy.

Welcome to "Mary Emma's Attempt To Get The TV Turned Back On."

Argument #1
"Mommy, Zooboomafoo is on. We are learning about animal habitats in school, so I think Mrs. Story (her teacher) would want me to watch it. I can learn about giraffes, zebras, and monkeys and talk about them in school tomorrow."
Status: Fail.

Argument #2
"Mommy, I don't think I want to be a vet anymore (she has wanted to be a vet for several years now, but today, the desire completely left her). I want to be a Movie Maker, now. So I think I should watch TV so I can get ideas on what movies I'd like to make. I can also watch really closely and see if I can understand how the show was made. Watching TV today will help me become a movie maker."
Status: Fail.

However, I'd like to publicly give her props for trying. I think law school might be something she should think about.

You know, after she finishes the 2nd Grade.

Let It Snow...Please?!

Earlier this week, the weather people predicted that we were going to get some snow. I mistakenly had on the evening news when my 7 year old was in the room and she heard the word "snow". She went absolutely crazy - which in turn made the little 2 girls equally crazy. They were all running around the house cheering for the "snow" that we were "supposed to get during the night."

Guess what?

We got nothing. Nada. Not a flurry. Not a piece of ice. Just wet, cold rain.

Now, let's be honest. It's cruel to tease a child in ALABAMA with snow. I've only seen snow about 10 times in my life (excluding ski trips, etc. to places like Colorado where it's supposed to snow), so it even makes me excited. I have an ongoing promise with Mary Emma - if it snows during the night, even on a school night, and I see it, I will wake her up and we'll go outside and play.

So far, we haven't been through the torture of had the privilege of playing in the snow at 2 AM.

I think that in places like Alabama (and any other of the tropical states), the weather people should be required to refrain from mentioning snow until they see a flurry with their very own eyes. The possibility of snow should have its own code word that you don't get to know until you are an adult. If the weather people here had mentioned a possibility of...say..."hydrangeas," my kids would've never run around like they were jacked up on caffeine, and my 7 year old would've slept with her blinds closed so she didn't wake up every 3 1/2 minutes to check for snow.

So take note, weather people, snow prediction is a serious, serious business. Especially down here in Alabama. Shape up, please.

Christmas With Kids

I can't even believe that Christmas is around the corner. Literally. Wow.

2008, you have been a fast little buggar!

And we are yet at another speed bump in the road called "How Much Is Santa Allowed To Bring For Christmas?"

Because the economy was better in the past, and because we were a lot more stupid in the past (can I get a raise of hands of those who were stupid about gift buying for their kids? Anyone?) we Santa has brought entirely too much. On several occasions, the sheer amount of new toys has brought about some twitching and abandoning new toys to play with comfortable old ones, and we have (on more that one occasion) given away toys that have only been played with once or never.

We were so stupid.

Thanks to Ye Olde Economy (which was "officially" reported to be in a recession yesterday....um, yeah, thanks for the update genius economists...I kinda got that on my own), and due in part to us being a little less stupid this year, we have set pretty defined limits on Santa.

I mean, he's a jolly old soul and a merry old man, but he needs BOUNDARIES, people.

This year, the kids are allowed to make their lists for Santa. Mary Emma literally sits in front of the TV and writes down every single thing that comes on every single commercial. Her list is pages long. Tait and Camille are too little to make lists, but Tait is understanding "Santa" for the first time this year. She's 3. Anyway, their lists can have 246 items on them, but Santa chooses the 5 gifts that HE thinks they would love and play with the most. Only 5. They still get to ask for stuff, but they are also still surprised on Christmas morning. They also get one gift from Spencer and I, and one gift from the other 2 sisters. That will make 7 total on Christmas morning. We can also control the budget on these gifts. Mary Emma's list contains some EXPENSIVE stuff that Santa is choosing not to bring this year.

I have to tell you about Tait's "list". She technically doesn't have a list, but she has asked for 2 things. 1. a vacuum 2. a brown baby. A "brown baby" is an African-American baby doll. Now, before any of you get all riled up, this is as innocent and non-racial as can be. A couple of months ago, the girls went to "Family Fun Day" at my dad's church (he's the pastor). They had a bunch of games and you won prizes with each game. At the end of the day, and because the girls were the pastor's grandkids, church members gave them a bunch of leftover prizes. AKA, jackpot for the kids. Most of them were little prizes like temporary tattos, pencils, but one lady gave them the last 3 baby dolls. 2 were Caucasian, 1 was African-American. Tait and Camille got the Caucasian dolls and Mary Emma got the African-American one. Tait absolutely LOVES that doll. She confiscated it from Mary Emma. You can generally find it hidden under the covers in her bed. She calls it "Mary Emma's Brown Baby". Now, remember, she's 3, knows NOTHING about race, and is learning her colors. To her, it's a brown baby and she adores it. So she has asked Santa for her own Brown Baby. The vacuum? No idea where that came from. But every store around here is sold out of play vacuums. Wonderful.

As for grandparents. Lord have mercy. Their only "requirement" is to not overshadow Santa. And for my mom, no toys that require additional rooms to be built onto the house. And I'm not even kidding. Love ya, mom.

I'm curious as to how you handle Christmas. Do you limit Santa or is it a free-for-all? Do you spend equal amounts on each kid? I have a hard time with that because older kids obviously have more expensive toys. I'm sure they'll get to an age where I can spend equal amounts on each of them, but I'm not there yet.

Let me know what you do - I'm interested.

And much less stupid. :)

I Need Africa: Part 2

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

I talked a little last week about Mocha Club's campaign. Well, today is Dec 1 and you can find out how you can help.....

Keep reading.....

Barrett, the brain/super amazing guy behind Mocha Club wrote this....

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]

Watch this "I Need Africa" video....

Check it out. Think about it. Pray about it. Is it something you want to be onboard with?

I do.

AWOL

Hey, Peeps.

I'm not lost. I haven't disappeared.

I'm just BUSY.

We travel to both families' homes for Thanksgiving, and then host the same families on Friday and Saturday at our house. Not much time leftover to blog.

However, I wanted to jump on here and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

You know, since I'm a whole day late.

Punctuality isn't my forte, obviously.

It's also 12:17 am and I'm exhausted. Gotta get some good sleep so I can watch my Tigers play (and hopefully beat) the Tide tomorrow!! It's the biggest day of college football around here. Also, my hubs is an Alabama fan. I am the Auburn fan who is smarter, better educated, and has impeccable taste in universities.

I'm only speaking the truth, people. It needs to be said.

War Eagle.

I Need Africa

I need Africa.

What a weird title to an normally humorous blog, right?

Stick with me and you'll see what it means.

I was asked my Mocha Club to write about the concept of "I need Africa more than Africa needs me". Mocha Club is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite people to join them in giving $7 a month (the cost of 2 mochas - hence the name "Mocha Club") to support special projects in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to use ordinary people, who don't have thousands of extra dollars, to make a difference in Africa.

That's a good thing, because I'm a regular joe-schmo, who doesn't have tons of extra cash lying around. I do, however, purchase several mochas per month. And the cost of 2 of them would help fund a seriously important project in Africa.

Seriously, how easy could that be?

Mocha Club's new campaign is called "I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me."

I have been thinking about this concept for a while, as I got ready to write this post. And I realized that I really didn't get it. Which could be a problem if you're supposed to sound purty smart about something.

Then it hit me. I don't get it. That's precisely why I need Africa more than Africa needs me. I have read about the poverty in Africa. I have seen news stories and even a few pictures from friends who have been there. But understanding it first hand? Nope. I don't get it.

But I need to get it. I need to realize that this world isn't made up of pretty neighborhoods, minivans with DVD players, playdates, and a Starbucks on every corner. I need to be able to look beyond my little suburbian world and see the big picture. There is poverty. There is opression. There is suffering.

Why do I need to get it? Because I am commanded to. Jesus doesn't command us to think about the poor. He doesn't command us to feel sympathy for the poor. He commands us to help the poor.

1 John 3:17 "But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help--how can God's love be in that person?"

Do you need Africa? Think about it. Pray about it. Write about it on your blog. Share your thoughts in the comments. On Dec 1, come back here and I'll be telling you more about what Mocha Club is doing to help Africa.

And watch out. Because we won't be just talking about it. We'll actually be doing something about it. It's gonna be cool and you will definitely want to be a part of it.

More Random Stuff I Think About

I know y'all are just DYING to read some more random thoughts that come out of my head. But as I've explained several times in the past, I'm pretty random.

So here goes.

1. Velveeta. Cheese that doesn't need to be refrigerated just kinda freaks me out. Same goes for Cheese Wiz and those little snack packs of breadsticks and cheese. However, on any given football Saturday, Spencer and I can make some mean queso out of Velveeta, Rotel, and chili. But then, we put the leftovers in the refrigerator. Is that necessary?

2. Target has SHORTS on sale right now. New ones. What's up with that? I'll be sure to skip those tomorrow when the high will be 41 degrees.

3. Thong underwear. My philosophy is "if you have to buy an XL thong, you shouldn't be wearing one." I'm just sayin. Plus, I can't imagine the chaffing.

4. When I get to heaven, there's a few things I'm gonna ask God about. Mosquitoes are one of them. Seriously, what's the purpose of a mosquito?

5. When my family sits down to dinner, it's a GUARANTEE that the phone will ring. You can put money on it.

6. When Reba and I become BFF's, I'm inviting you all over for a party. I will definitely serve queso at that party, but I will not put it in the refrigerator. You know, because of the whole "don't refrigerate it" thing.

7. I am a very good speller. However, the word "restaurant" gets me every time. I cannot spell that stupid word correctly the first time EVER. Annoying. My neighbor/BFF, Michelle, is nodding her head right now, because she already knows about this randomness. And she loves me anyway.

8. Laundry is my kryptonite. I can't seem to get it all done. I really would like to have a few more washing machines and someone on staff at my house to wash, dry, fold, and put away all of my laundry. Anyone know of someone who will do that and not get paid for it? Oh, that's right. I will. Ugh.

9. I want to go horseback riding soon. The last time I rode a horse was in high school and I'm not sure what makes me want to ride, but I'd like to. Anyone have a horse and good liability insurance? Ooo. I bet Reba does.

10. I don't have anything for #10, but as I've said before, I prefer things in even numbers. So I can't end on a 9. The world will stop spinning.

Thankyouverymuch. Have a good Friday.

Man, It's Hot in Here!

For those of you who have been to my house, you know that Spencer and I keep the house a tad warmer than a meat freezer. We like a cold house. We sleep better. My thermostat is set around 68 degrees 365 days a year. If I get cold, I put on socks and a long-sleeved shirt. I hardly ever EVER adjust the thermostat.

One main reason I like the house so cold is that I grew up with my dad who also likes a cold house. I woke up one winter morning and there was ice forming on the INSIDE of my bedroom window. I would have about 6 blankets on my bed and a cold room and was in pure heaven.

A few Saturdays ago, Spencer and I were sitting in the den and noticed that we were both getting a little warm. So, while we never looked at the thermostat - because we never touch it, we changed clothes into cooler stuff, took off socks, etc. But were still warm and getting hot.

We had both forgotten that Mary Emma got up before us that morning. She is at that heavenly age where she can get herself up, fix herself a bowl of cereal, turn on the TV, and chill out before the little girls get up and we all have to get up. Apparently, she got cold, because this is what we discovered.



Yes, that's the thermostat set a little higher than 95.Degrees.Farenheit.

Um, yeah. No wonder she wasn't cold anymore.

I'm thinking about putting one of those clear lockable boxes on the thermostat like they have in gyms. Maybe that'll keep "Miss Too Smart For My Own Good" from setting the place ablaze again.

Silly kid.

I'd Like To Introduce You to Reba & Kelly, My BFFs.

I cannot even tell you how forward I have been looking to this past weekend.

Because, as I have unashamedly proclaimed one or eleven times in the past, I am a huge Reba fan. Like whoa. I heart her. One day soon, she's going to realize that she and I would be really good friends and she'll call me to sing backup for her.

I may or may not have a vivid imagination.

I am also a huge Kelly Clarkson fan - and have met her in real life - and she is a PRECIOUS person.

Well, this past Friday, the 2 of them came to my hometown for the 2nd leg of the 2 Worlds 2 Voices tour. I saw the show back in February in Tupelo, MS. It was even better this time. I think they were really comfortable with each other during this leg. It was a 2 hour, intermission free, both artists stayed on stage the whole time, concert. They sang together on most songs, but on the single songs, the other sang backup. I have a feeling that Kelly pretty much looks in the mirror each day and says, "Reba McEntire is singing backup for me. Wow."

That, my friend, is what peeps in the biz-niss would call "making it big."

They also re-worked "Up to the Mountain" and it was even better than before...and I never thought that was possible. But it was church, y'all. It was originally recorded by Patty Griffin and it is a great song. Kelly rocks the house when she sings it.

Opening for Reba/Kelly was Melissa Peterman - AKA Barbra Jean from the REBA show. The mere mention of her name brought about my favorite part of the night when my friend, Annie realized that Melissa Peterman and Barbra Jean were the same person and she got so excited about seeing her FOR REAL that she almost started crying. And this was 5 minutes before curtain, people. She wasn't at her brightest moment. But I laughed until I almost peed.

Then the show. And the songs. And the lights. And REBA!!!! And KELLY! I was catching a glimpse of heaven and I was happppppyyyyyyy.

Here are a few pics from the show - If only you knew the restraint that I showed to keep from posting all of the pictures and crashing your system. You are totally welcome.






How did I get fantastic pics like this? No, I do not have a bang up camera. I had 8th row/center seats. Because I have mad good-seat-getting skillz. Don't believe me? Ask Gayle about our seats in San Antonio. Holler.

In case you were wondering/hadn't figured it out by now, this concert was fantastic and I highly recommend (repeat: HIGHLY RECOMMEND) that you go if they are coming anywhere around you. You will not be disappointed - actually, you will be so surprised that you will like it as much as you did. It's a unique concept and a fabulous night of music.

Then on Saturday, I met up with some fellow bloggers for brunch. I am still not only amazed that I have met people online and am willing to meet them places, but I am mostly astonished that they have become good friends. Like good friends.



This picture was taken by Gayle, which is why she isn't in the picture. The peeps you see are Annie (left), Sophie (left/back), Lora Lynn, and myself. We laughed our heads off and ate some fantastic homemade chips with ranch and fellowshipped like busy women rarely get the chance to do. It was awesome.

Then, Sophie casually mentioned that her sister (who works in "the industry" in Nashville) chatted with Reba a few days ago about coming to Birmingham.

SCREEEEEEEEECH!!!!

Anyone else catch that?

I got a little light headed and saw a few stars and then asked her to repeat herself a few more times. Her. Sister. Had. A. Conversation. With. My. Reba.

icanteventalkaboutitbecauseimightcry.

So, all in all I had the best weekend I've had in a while. Friends, Reba/Kelly, & homemade chips with ranch. Sounds like a fist pump is in order, huh?

Oh, and to top it all off, Camille totally hit it off with Annie. As a matter of fact, I think Annie's new name should be "Annie: Baby Whisperer". It was amazing.



Come back soon, Annie. We all miss you already.

Or I'll come to Nashvegas and we can stalk Reba shop.

More Tomorrow, but Here's a Teaser....

Here's where I was last night.



I have no words for how awesome it was.

So I'll be working on that and will get back atcha tomorrow.

"...Here's you one chance Fancy don't let me down....."

More Random

This post isn't going to be very cohesive. It's pretty random. But hey, welcome to me.

1. These are Mary Emma's spelling words for this week....
hoping, pulp, goodbye, abbreviation, revolution, pronounce, abandon, progress, medicine, aardvark
Um, she's 7.
We'll be spending a significant amount of time on those puppies this week. Prayers are appreciated.

2. The Halloween Candy bowl is ridiculously so tempting that I think I'm gonna dump it out in the trash can today. The will power and discipline flies right out the window when it's faced with mini Snickers and pumpkin-shaped Reeses Cups. I'm not supergirl.

3. I get to go see Reba and Kelly Clarkson in concert Friday night. It'll be the 2nd time I've seen this show (first time was in Feb in Tupelo). I am so excited and have been waiting for Friday night for a LOOOONG time. I have 8th row tickets (Holla!) and my friend Annie is going with me. It's gonna be a fun evening.

4. I have not posted at all on the Presidential election candidates or results. I'm not well-versed in politics (actually, I hate them). However, after the election results were finalized and out new President-elect was named, I was sad, worried, frustrated, and nervous about the path that our country was about to follow. Still am. Then I read this. I'm still worried about the future of our country, but I realize that I have a job to do. The leader that I wanted to win didn't. So I will pray. I will pray like I have never prayed before. I am praying for the country that my children will inherit. I am praying for policies, security decisions, and ethical mandates that will affect their future. I will also pray for the safety of President-elect Obama, his wife, and his precious girls (the youngest is the same age as my oldest). While I think that racially he is the most American president we have ever had (seriously, his gene pool is a melting pot, just like our country), I realize that there are some radicals who are threatened by an African-American President. So I pray for his safety, his family's safety, and the safety of the Agents who protect them.

5. Is it just my kids who want every single solitary toy that is shown on every single solitary commercial this time of year? Dear goodness. The TV networks are doing a great job of advertising toys! Spencer and I talked to Santa Claus the other day and agreed that Santa is bringing 5 toys per child this Christmas. So the girls are learning whet it means to prioritize their lists. It's hard to narrow down 473 toys on the list to 5.

6. Tait's potty training is going pretty well. She has the tee-tee part in the bag. The other? Not so much. I'm about to lose my mind and pull my hair out. I know I'll get through it, but o.my.gosh this is hard.

7. Did I mention that I'm going to see Reba Friday night? And Kelly Clarkson? 8th Row? With Annie? Oh, I did? Sorry. A little excited, here.

It's a Must Read

I read this this morning.

And I knew I needed to write a post about it. Because it's profound. And smart. And gut-wrenching. And compassionate. And will tap you on your shoulder and make you ask yourself " What am I doing to help?"

So rather than me talking about it, I'll just send you to her. Because she says it pretty well.

Seems like BooMama had the idea first - I don't think she'll mind if I follow suit.

Breathe...Breathe...Breathe...

I walked into my kitchen this morning. In my safe house. In my safe neighborhood. With my happy little family. Living the suburbia dream.

And then I saw this.



A huge, man-eating spider. It was staring at me. Mocking me. Planning on taking over my house.

I was about to call the realtor and put it on the market.

The spider would win.

Then I looked closer.



...
...
...
...

Stupid Halloween.

It's Hard to be 2.

If Camille could blog, here's what she'd have to say about the past weekend.

"Yo Peeps. Mil here.

I've had quite a weekend.

First, my mommy and daddy made me sleep in a big girl bed. I guess they got tired of me climbing out of my baby bed and landing flat on my back on the floor. I heard them say something about a broken neck and the possibility of getting really hurt, so they took away my jungle gym baby bed and made me sleep in a bed that's no fun to climb out of. Then they put me in it at night and told me that I was not allowed to get out of it! The NERVE of them! Well I showed them.



I'm technically not out of the bed. So nah.

Then, I turned 2 on Saturday. Lots of my family came in town and I had a good time with them. They gave me lots of presents, including a baby doll and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse from Playhouse Disney, but then they sat me in my chair and sang the strangest song to me! Something about "Happy Birthday to You". I was a little freaked out. So I just looked at them like they had 3 heads.



But then I got an ice cream cone, so all was forgiven.



My mommy is a little sad right now because she says that I'm her baby and I'm growing up. She says that all of her girls are "big girls" now and she doesn't have any more babies. So if y'all want to give her a shout in the comments section, I know she'd smile and be happy.

I saved the best part of the weekend for last. If you remember correctly, the night before my birthday was Halloween. This was my first time to get to trick-or-treat. Y'all. I got to play outside, ride the Gem Car, ring doorbells, get lots and lots of candy (so much that mommy had to carry my pumpkin bag) and go to bed late. It was awesome.

And y'all. I totally rocked Halloween.



Peace out, Y'all."

Man, I love that kid. I have NO IDEA where she gets her stubbornness from. No. Idea.

Hush, Mom.

Ok, Bloggy Peeps, This Is A Call To Action

I'm issuing a SOS, warning bell, mayday, get on my knees and beg, distress signal to all of my bloggy peeps.

I have a friend, who is a SAINT, who needs your help. Many of you may know her - many more of you may know of her, many more of you may know of her ministry.

Her name is Amy Beth and she is the founder, director, head chick in charge, of Starlite Ministries, an amazing program that takes the Word of God into public schools (wow, right?) by means of after school programs for girls. They have weekday programs, lock-ins, & spa days (where the Starlite volunteers paint nails, fix hair, etc.) all through the local schools. The whole time they have the girls, they are teaching about the love of Jesus to kids who might not hear it any other place. The cost to the girls? Free. Nada. Zip.

Here's where she needs your help. Aka, the SOS.

Microsoft has offered to help Starlite Ministries earn some major fundage. They have created a downloadable task bar called Microsoft Live Search. They have told AB that the more people who download Microsoft Live Search, the more money Starlite can earn.

In other words, free cash for an amazing cause. All you gotta do is download the task bar (if you don't like it, you can delete it). Here's the link with all the instructions.

I'm gonna be honest. I don't know anything about Microsoft Live Search. The program only runs on Internet Explorer, and I have Safari. But I DO know that this ministry is worth anything and everything we can possibly do to keep it running. Due to the squeeze on the economy, several of her regular donators have had to suspend donations. This is getting pretty critical for her. They have made a promise never to charge the girls money for coming, and (Praise Him) girls are coming out of the woodwork to experience her programs. More girls + less money = problem.

Please consider downloading the task bar. If you do, leave a comment on AB's blog and you will be entered in a contest to win a $25 Starbucks gift card. Holla!

Oh, and I failed to mention that Amy Beth is 24 years old. She started Starlite at the ripe ole age of 18 and didn't draw her first paycheck until 4 years later. She's amazing and God is working wonders through her ministry.

Let's help a sista out, how bout it?

Souptacular!

I wish you all knew my dad. He's a cool guy, Baptist Preacher, Alabama fan (I don't hold that against him...), wonderful PawPaw, and a really good cook. He and I share a deep, deep love for The Food Network. And I'll venture out to say that he is the best, THE BEST soup maker in the history of the world. Clearly I'm a little biased, but his soup is GOOD. And it's never, ever, the same recipe twice.

So, in honor of BooMama's Souptacular Crockpotalooza, I'll share the recipe to my dad's famous soup. Actually, I'll share the recipe that he made last weekend. Because if he makes it again next weekend, it won't be the same.

I'll also go ahead and tell you that my dad doesn't know how to cook in small quantities. He cooks for 20 people, even if the meal is just for he and my mom. So this recipe will make enough to feed you, your family, your neighbors, your kids' teachers, have leftovers for days, and freeze some. Don't judge. He grew up in a large family.

Reminds me of the time that he smoked chicken during one of our visits to their house. There were 4 adults, 1 child, and 2 babies. He cooked 36 pieces of chicken. Mercy.

Ok. Here's the recipe.

Empty The Cabinet Soup
Ingredients:
1 ham bone (we had smoked a ham earlier in the week and had a ham bone. Not necessary, but really, really good. Our ham bone had lots of ham still on it.)
If you don't have a ham bone, you will need 4 cups of any kind of meat. I've had this soup with ham and chicken. Yum. We added more ham to our soup in addition to the ham bone.
1 jar of pearl onions (with the juice - very important ingredient. Don't pour out the juice)
2 cans whole tomatoes
1 large can tomato sauce
2 small cans tomato paste
Veggies - we used fresh-frozen corn, field peas, lima beans, "soup mix" - which had green beans, carrots, & english peas - these veggies come in bags in the freezer section - we used a little over 1/2 a bag of each of the veggies. You can add okra and potatoes and the soup will be a little thicker.
2 cans Low Sodium chicken stock
2 cans Low Sodium beef stock
4 cups water
Garlic Powder (my dad has a really scientific way of measuring the garlic powder. He starts pouring and "circles the pot" 4 times. I think that would roughly measure out to about 4 tablespoons.)
1 T ham base
Black pepper to taste.
**Notice we didn't add any salt to this recipe. There is a lot of salt in the chicken stock, beef stock (even though they are low sodium), tomato sauces, & the ham base. You can always add salt later, but you can never take it out.

Combine all ingredients - in no particular order.
Simmer on med/low with the lid on.
The longer you cook it, the better it tastes.
It's great with crackers, but even better with cornbread. It's also good with a splash of Tabasco, too.

And, like I said before, invite the neighbors. You'll have plenty.

Head back over to BooMama's post and you can also find lots of other soup recipes, too.

Have a great, fantastically wonderful day!

***UPDATE***
Apparently, the mention of ham base has raised several questions amongst the bloggy community. Apparently, a lot of you peeps don't know what ham base is. So here's an explanation....
Ham base is a concentrated ham flavor - like bullion, but in a paste form. It intensifies the flavor of soups. You can get ham base, beef base, chicken base, and vegetable base. It comes in a little jar and can be found near the soup/stock/bullion in most grocery stores.
Except I haven't checked "most grocery stores." It just sounded good. I know for sure that it can be found on isle 3 in my Publix right down the street from my house. As for your grocery store? You're on your own with that one. However, I DO know that if you are making soup, a base of some kind will make it yummier.

Peace out.

Works For Me Wednesdays - Hotel Curtains

It's been a while since I have participated in WFMW. Not for any particular reason. I just don't feel like I have any ground breaking - linky worthy knowledge to share.

However, I've got one now. And I feel like it would be a travesty to keep this little piece-o-knowledge to myself. And since I'm all about the sharing, and since my dad thinks I'm a genius, pure genius, for figuring this out, I'm going to share my knowledge with you.

Ready?

Have you ever been in a hotel when the curtains don't close all the way? You can pull and tug and beg and plead with the curtains to close. But they will always have a gap. And you don't realize how annoying the gap is until about 5:30 in the morning when the blinding sun comes through the tiny gap like a drill sergeant holding a flashlight in your face and you can't sleep in on your vacation because of all the sun. And then you wake up cranky and the whole day is ruined.

So, I have the solution for you.

Use this.



They're in your closet in your hotel room. Just grab em and clip those curtains together.



See?

However, by using this idea, I no longer get to see my dad build a tower of suitcases, chairs, and luggage valets to keep the curtains closed.

I guess I'll have to sacrifice that bit o' joy for my dad's sleep sanity.

You're welcome.

If you want to see more "Works For Me Wednesday" ideas, head over to Shannon's blog for some really cool ideas.

And have a fantastic Wednesday.

Nashville

I'm here.

Hubs has a meeting here tomorrow, so I tagged along.

I plan on doing productive stuff like shopping and sleeping late.

I'm pretty excited about the sleeping late part.

And the shopping without the kids part.

Because they're at home with my mother-in-law. Bless her wonderful heart.

And, you wanna know what the most exciting part of the whole trip is?
I get to hang out with this chick tomorrow. Because she's cool. And she lives here. Which makes me insanely jealous of her. Because people in Nashville are rock stars. Well, at least Annie is.

And Reba. Holla.

I'll be back tomorrow - have a great Tuesday.

I Really Did Have Big Plans...

I have been anticipating my 100th post for a while now. I've been keeping up with it and felt like I was stuck on 97 posts forever. Then I noticed yesterday that my 100th post, my blessed 100th post, was the last one. You know, the one about comment posting problems. Can you say LAME!?!? I am ashamed.

I had big plans for my 100th post. Beachy Mimi had her 100th post about a month ago and I was totally inspired to do something cool for my 100th post. The bloggy milestone. The proverbial step from baby blog to bona fide blog. And I blew it. I wrote about Blogger troubles and my inability to get comments on my blog. Sad.

However, not all is lost.

Why?

Because TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!



I'm 29 (for the 6th time). I know, shocking.

So, in honor of my birthday, and since I totally blew the cool 100th post, let's see if I can break a 3GirlsMom blog comment record. That can be your gift to me. Unless you want to send me something tangible, like chocolate or fabulous shoes, in which case I'll be totally and completely accepting of your generosity. No? No prob. Just leave me a comment and let's see how many of those puppies I can get.

I hope you have a fantastic October 24th. Enjoy the fall weather and hope you are getting geared up for Halloween, which is one week from today if you haven't been paying attention.

Love ya, peeps.

Bloggy weirdness?

Apparently, several people have been trying to post a comment on the previous entry but haven't been able to. So here's a new post - let's try it here. Maybe it's something weird going on at Blogger.

Since I'm so techy (ha), I'll leave it to those who know what they're doing to figure it out. Any help?

Excellence in Bloggyville

Last night, I had the privilege of spending an evening o' music with some of my favorite bloggy peeps. Because BooMama is cool like that, this fun event was held in her living room. The artist who came was Trent Monk, of Monk and Neagle fame.

Ok, let me stop right there and let you know something. Not only have I NEVER had a concert in my living room (unless you count the ever frequent Hannah Montana tuneage that comes from my 7 year old/obsessed fan), I don't know anyone who has had a concert in their living room, either. And I mean a for real concert. Guitar, amp, t-shirt/CD table, the whole works. It was quite possibly the coolest in-house event I've ever attended.

That, and the time that Santa Claus came in my front door (apartment, no chimney) on Christmas Eve when I was 2 and I saw him and because I wasn't asleep he turned around and left....trauma, I tell you. But then I went to sleep pronto and woke up to find that he came back and brought my talking baby doll. Whew.

Ok, back to the story. Can you tell I'm distracted easily?

Trent is quite possibly the best guitar player I've ever heard. At one point he played so fast that I think there was smoke coming out of his fingers. It was insane. He even played with his TEETH! (Little inside joke for those of us who were there) His songs were fun, inspiring, romantic (he loves to write love songs, I love to listen to love songs...good match), and thought provoking. His voice is amazing and he is a really funny guy, to boot. He is really humble and definitely doesn't see himself as the cool music star that we see him as. Also, his music has a great "jam quality" to it, which would make it really good workout music. Check out his MySpace and listen to several songs there.

Here's a pic of him in action. It was taken from my phone camera, so it's not great quality, but you can see him jammin.



The next picture is just for Erin. Although you are all welcome to look at it. :)



And, in case you can't see what the nametag says, here it is a little closer.



All because I love ya, girll. All because I love ya.

What Up, Peeps.

So.

Yeah.

I've been a little busy as of late.

Ye Olde Blog has had to sit on the sidelines and be quiet for a little while. She has not enjoyed it.

So in order to appease the blog, I'll let you know what we've been up to.

You know, because I'm sure you've all been waiting with baited breath to find out this information.

Anyhoo, without further ado, I'll present to you "What I've Been Doing, Yo."

I added the Yo just for you. Because I'm gangsta like that.

Ahem.

Mary Emma plays on a travel softball team and we had a tournament last weekend. While playing in the first game (she played 4 in one day), she was running onto the field and ran directly in the path of the girl who was on deck and practicing her swing. Whammo. Mary Emma was hit with a bat right across the chest and went down like a tree. Scared us to freaking death. Turned out it hit her across the front of her right arm and across her chest right below her collar bone. A little higher and her collar bone would've been a goner. A little lower and it would've hit right across her sternum and I don't want to think about what could've happened. It was a scary moment. She has an ugly bat-shaped bruise, but played in the remaining 3 games that day. She's a tough cookie. And before anyone fusses at us, we made totally and completely sure she was ok before we gave her the green light to play again. We talked with a couple of nurses (actual RNs who were also softball moms watching their kids) who checked her out and we made her sit out the rest of the game in which she was hurt. We would've been at the hospital lickety split if we had any question that she wasn't ok. We're not overly competitive sports parents who make their kids play injured. We see the big picture.

Homecoming went very well. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of it, because I was a mom in charge of wrangling dads who were escorting daughters, and a girl can only multitask in so many directions before her head explodes. But my father-in-law got some pictures and as soon as I get them from him, I'll show them to you. I know you can't wait and will mark the date on your calendar.

Tait is almost completely potty trained. Can I get an Amen? Hallelujah? Holla? Woop Woop? As soon as she masters the whole "pooping in the potty isn't the scariest thing on the entire earth" mindset, we'll be there. That deserves a blog post in itself.

Camille is still hard headed, stubborn, hilarious, and fearless. I'm pretty sure that'll ring true for a long time.

Mary Emma had a field trip to the Symphony this past week. I think she enjoyed it, because HELLO, it's a day out of school. But let's face it. Most 2nd graders are bored silly with the symphony. I, however, was a nervous wreck that day. I hate school buses. I am terrified of them. The thought of a bus wreck with my baby on board scares me a lot. So, as much as I know she loves field trips, I sure wish she could be seat belted in an airbag filled car (or mini-van, in my case) rather than a non-seat belted, no airbag, metal box.

I volunteered last night at the Steven Curtis Chapman/Michael W. Smith concert. I was working at the Compassion booth. There were a LOT of upsides to the evening. Most importantly, over 100 kids were taken out of poverty through sponsorship. Praise Him for that! I also got in the concert FREE. I also got to see a lot of the concert and it was gooood. I also got to hang out with BooMama (she was working, too) and got to meet Greek Grits when she stopped by the booth to say hey! That was cool. What up, Greek Grits, yo?

After I got home from the concert (at 11:15 pm), Mary Emma, who has been really croupy over the last couple of days, was sleeping in my bed and struggling to breathe. So I packed her up and went to the ER. She has croup and was given a steroid to help her breathe (of course, by the time we got all the way downtown to Children's Hospital, she wasn't wheezing anymore, but was still barking/coughing). We left the hospital at 4:00am and came home. Spencer stayed home this morning so she and I could sleep a little. I got in bed about 4:45 and slept till 10:30. It's nice to say I slept till 10:30, even though it really doesn't count since I went to bed at dawn. However, I'm a wee bit rested.

Lastly, I was leaving the house the other day and was telling Mary Emma goodbye (the little girls were taking naps) and she said to me, "Yo, yizzle, Bye Mommy, Yo." And then made the sideways "peace" signs with both hands.

The gangsta acorn doesn't fall far from the tree, huh?

Update on the Torture....

Well, I'm home from my assessment. I had to sit in a "Bod Pod" in a bathing suit and a swim cap (hott, I tell ya) and have my body fat electronically measured. Then I had to do the old school "V-Sit" and test my flexibility. Then I had to walk a mile. Then I had to use several weight machines and test my strength.

You know what they concluded?

I'm overweight and out of shape.

Duh.

But I am very strong - my strength test landed in the "way above average" column.

Um, yay?

Now let's see if we can get the other columns looking better, shall we?

Except I'm not so sure my legs are gonna work tomorrow.

Because I'm All About the Torture.

Hubs and I joined a gym yesterday. We have been contemplating joining said gym for a little over 2 years. We think about what we want for dinner for about 0.2 seconds, but joining a gym takes over 2 years.

See a problem?

Enter: gym. Time to correct the problem.

We're committed for a year. We signed the contract. We paid the "Assessment Fee." We're in.

Then they asked up to sign up for our 1st Assessment time. Did you catch that? First one. There will be more.

Anyway, mine is today. I'm contemplating skipping it to go get a root canal or visit the OBGYN, because I'm sure either of them will be more fun.

Here's what "The First Assessment" includes...

1. Body Fat Assessment. I get to wear a one piece bathing suit (oh good. Glad they clarified that. I might've showed up in my thong. How embarrassing that would be.) and have a really skinny, rock hard person not only look at my fat, but pinch it, measure it, and write notes about it. Can't. Wait.
2. Flexibility Assessment. I have no idea how they're gonna do this, but I can't imagine that it's comfortable. Can't. Wait.
3. Strength Assessment. I should ace this one. I carry around toddlers all the time. I ain't scared of this one.
4. Cardio Assessment. This is where I get to walk/run on a treadmill while the same skinny, rock hard person stares at me. Since my cardio for the last oh 7 years has included the occasional walk in the neighborhood, climbing the 2 flights of stairs in my house numerous times, and catching kids as they come down a slide, I'm sure there will be sweating, breathing hard, not breathing at all, a red face, and potential death. All while being watched, monitored, and written about on the clip board. Can't. Wait.

Then I get to sit, sweaty and out of breath, while she tells me that I'm fat and outta shape. Clearly she spends her free time as a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon. Genius.

However, in the spirit of getting healthy so I can be around for my great-grandkids' weddings, I'll endure it. The torture is welcomed.

Now, let me go put on my gym clothes. Oh wait. I don't own any. Gotta put that on my list of stuff to get, because even though I might pass out on the treadmill, but I'm gonna look good doing it.

A girl's got her priorities.

Thank You, Interpeeps.

I think I might've mentioned once or 20 times before that I am not very internet savvy.

Let's clarify.

I can google and find anything on the internet. I can shop like a skilled professional on the internet. I can look up directions on how to replace tile or how to bake a ham or how to eat a guava fruit on the internet.

Except not the replacing tile part. I mean I can look it up, but let's be honest, I'm not gonna replace any tile. That's why God invented my Dad.

But stuff like replacing the header on my blog, or, for that matter, anything that requires html code isn't optional for me.

I just don't get it.

I have a dream to learn how to create a button. The other day, BooMama was saying that Shannon created a button for her. While Shannon's button is perfectly lovely, I am a little jealous of her button-making abilities.

Because y'all, I don't got em.

However, I just YESTERDAY learned about something that has changed my life. It's a phenomenon called "Google Reader." You, interpeeps, taught me about it. Apparently, something was going horribly wrong with Bloglines, which caused many of you to blog about switching to Google Reader, and me, being ever curious, had to check it out. (And just so you know, I have no idea what I just typed - I'm doing the ole "act like you know what you're talking about and people will think that you actually KNOW what you're talking about" bit). Oh my. It's awesome. Yes, I was a click click click kinda gal until last night when I sat and smiled at my Google Reader page. I didn't know what else to do but smile at it. If Google Reader were a person, I'd hug it and kiss its face.

I'm also amused by small things, in case you didn't catch that before.

So now that my internet savvy abilities have been taken to a whole new level, I have the confidence I need to learn how to create a button.

Or I'll just smile at Google Reader for a while.

I'm Stubborn. I Admit It.

I HATE going to the doctor. It's a lot of trouble to get people to watch the kids, I abhor needles, I don't like germ-infested waiting rooms, I have an issue with that old school scale that that they make you stand on in plain sight of everyone...oh, I could go on and on.

But there comes a point when breathing trumps my dislike of the doctor, so I cave and go.

Actually, that's not the whole truth. I'd still be putting it off if hubby didn't make the appointment, let me sleep in (lawsie, that was nice - especially when every breath was a struggle last night), and wake me up in time to get to the appointment in time, and insist that I go.

I even blew my nose today. 3 times. Y'all. That's sayin' a lot.

So I went to the doctor.

And I have the crud. Officially, I have bronchitis and a sinus infection. But let's face it. I have the crud.

So now I have antibiotics and prescription cough medicine (which I'm excited about, because I think it'll make me sleep like I'm in a coma). And my mom came up to watch the kids while hubby works, so I think I'm gonna get to sleep in again tomorrow. 2 days in a row. I may throw a party in celebration of that.

When I was at the doc today (listening to Trav's Ring The Bells on my iPhone, yes I was), the doc told me that the last time I was in his office was almost a year ago to the date, and I was there for the same crud then, too. So I've about decided that this crud has something to do with Fall allergies, but I don't want to go get tested, because, as I've mentioned before, I abhor needles. So I took my prescriptions, shook the doc's hand, and told him that I'd see him in a year.

But as for now, my main priority is to breathe. And not cough because it hurts.

So now I'll go take my cough medicine. See y'all at noon tomorrow.

Merry Christmas!

My friend, Travis, just released a new CD today called Ring the Bells.

Before I continue, let me clarify the word "friend." Travis is my friend. I'm not sure he really knows who I am. But he should, because I'm a nice person and I know BooMama and I love Jesus and I bought his new CD on iTunes. I'm his Facebook friend. Ok, so he has over 1800 Facebook friends. But I'm one of them. I even met him. Once. In a crowd of about 10,000, but I bet I made an impression. Wonder if he remembers me.... So I think we are friends. I'm star struck easily.

Ahem.

Anyhoo, my FRIEND, Travis, released his new Christmas CD today. And it is goooo-ooood.

I consider myself to be a Christmas music mega fan. I got married at Christmas. I listen to Christmas music in my car at the very first hint of cool in the air. I may or may not have played Christmas music in my car/house during months like April. Or June. If I could have a Christmas tree in my house YEAR ROUND I totally would. Love. It.

For the past several years, Point of Grace's "A Christmas Story" album has been my favorite. I have played it so many times that I wore out the CD and had to buy another one.

Trav's, (see, we are on a nickname basis here) CD trumps that one. I've listened to it TWICE today. Of course, I love the old school songs on the CD, but lawsie, "Jesus Saves" made me stand in my den with my hands up this morning. O. My.

Y'all. Go buy this CD today. You can get it in stores or download it on iTunes (my personal fave - you know, instant gratification). Buy one for friends and family. Stick some in stockings. It's that good. And it's Christmas music. And it's my friend Trav.

What more could you ask for?

This Just In....

Tait was dry ALL DAY today. We are in the big battles of potty training (Lord, help us) and today was a break through day. She actually wore big girl panties all day and never had an accident.

Can I get a WOOP WOOP?

Tomorrow, I might tackle actually leaving the house.

Nah.

It's A Boy!

No, I'm not pregnant.

Here's the story.

Almost a year ago, I was feeling a "nudge" towards sponsoring a child somewhere so I started praying and researching. Then I started hearing about the group Compassion International and my interest was peaked. I felt the "nudge" leading me in their direction, but have always been a little skeptical about bogus organizations who pad their wallets while children are still starving. Then I went to Compassion's website and read about them (and about their integrity and their commitment to not only help children physically, but most importantly to tell them about the love of Jesus), and started going through the beginning stages of sponsoring a child thinking I would probably not go through with the whole process - you know, the whole "I'll do it later" mentality.

Then I saw his face. I knew the "I'll do it later" mentality flew right out the window. I had to sponsor him. Right then.



This is my Compassion child. His name is Nevine, he's 14 years old, and lives in Eastern Nairobi, Kenya. Both of his parents have died, and he lives with his stepfather. He lives in a grass hut with a brick floor. He loves school, football (soccer), and swimming.

I knew that God had put us together for a reason. I completed the process and have been his sponsor ever since. I have received 3 letters from him and he is a pretty good writer. He asked us to pray for his school exams coming up. He also told me how much he weighed and asked for the weights of everyone in my family - which made me chuckle, because he definitely doesn't know the American rule - "never ask a woman how much she weighs". He sent me a picture of himself swimming in a nearby river, which is on the refrigerator next to my daughters' pictures.

I knew going into this that the money would help Nevine and his family. I knew I would enjoy reading his letters and learning about Kenya. But I had no idea how blessed I would be through this process. I would love to meet him one day and squeeze his face in person. I don't see a trip to Kenya in my future, but then again, I never saw myself sponsoring a child, either. I've definitely learned that God doesn't make His plans according to my calendar. And because his plan for me and my family include Nevine, I won't ever count out a trip to Africa.

Coming up soon, I'll be volunteering at the Compassion booth at the Michael W. Smith concert in Birmingham on Oct 19. I hope that many many people will hear about Compassion through his concert and that children all over the world will be sponsored because of it.

If you are going to the concert, stop by the booth and say hey! And while you're at it, think and pray about sponsoring a child.

Why, Yes, I'm a Little Quirky. Ok, A Lot Quirky.

My bloggy friend and real life friend Annie wrote a post describing 6 quirky things about herself. Then she challenged her peeps to do the same. Since I'm TOTALLY quirky (not always a good thing) I'm definitely following along.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my quirky list.

Ahem.

1. I count stairs. If I'm walking on a flight of stairs (up or down), I'm counting them. I have 2 flights of stairs in my house - one has 16 stairs and the other has 14 stairs, a landing, then 2 more stairs. If you watch The Amazing Race, one detour last week was to crawl up a huge flight of stairs and then answer a question at the top in order to receive your next clue. The question was, "How many stairs did you just climb?" The guys, of course, hadn't counted and had to start over. I woulda cleaned up on that one.

2. I refuse to blow my nose. Ever. I hate it. I actually think it doesn't help, because on the rare occasion that I have blown my nose, it feels stuffier than before I blew it. My husband knows I'm REALLY sick if I'm resorting to blowing my nose.

3. I hate ketchup and mustard. Actually, I can tolerate mustard, but ketchup grosses me out. I don't like marinara sauce, spaghetti sauce, or tomatoes in stuff (sandwiches, salads, etc.). I, however, love tomatoes plain.

4. I eat M&Ms in even numbers. If I grab a handful of M&Ms out of a dish I will put one back if I have an odd number. But only if the dish is mine at my house. Ok, that's not a true statement. I will put one back anywhere, anytime. I ain't scared.

5. I'm a sucker for all things school supply/office supply related. I have a babysitter who keeps my girls one day a week while I run errands/get haircut/grocery shop/go to doc/sit in my car and listen to something that's not "Dora the Explorer" and I have to make myself avoid an office supply store. When my discipline fails, I spend way too much money in Office Depot and then I kinda feel guilty while I draw pictures with my new 24 pack of multi-colored sharpies. Ok, so maybe I don't feel that guilty because HELLO, it's a 24 pack of multi-colored sharpies.

6. The other day, I bought the most fantastic pair of trouser jeans EVER at Talbots. And they didn't even have to be hemmed, which is saying a lot, because EVERYTHING I own has to be hemmed. Thanks for the short genes, mom & dad. I know that's not a particularly quirky thing, but I thought I'd share the knowledge with all my peeps. You're welcome.

Now, list your quirkiness on your blog and leave me a comment so I can go read them. It's fun to take a breather and laugh at yourself. I know I have chuckled at me today.

Have a fab day.