To share with you...

Sometimes there are things that are just too good not to share. I am posting some things that have inspired, encouraged or otherwise made my day in some way.

10 Points of Joyful Parenting sits on my fridge door. I look at it as often as I need to (to re-adjust my attitude) or want to find a way to focus back in on what this parenting thing is all about. While you are there, take the time to savor the writing of Ann Voskamp. You will be blessed indeed.

A friend and I recently had a conversation about hearing from God. What's it like? How do I know? Is it a voice? A feeling? This I ran across this wonderful gift on Lysa TerKeurst's website.

I was reading Karen Ehman's blog (so wonderfully titled Live Your Priorities, Love Your Life) today and she shared what has become my number one favorite song. Chris Tomlin's All My Fountains. I have listened to it about 20 times today. LOVE. IT.

My ladies ministry at church has started Priscilla Shirer's Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted Bible study. I'm already hooked. Get it? Hooked.

LeAnn Rice over at She Cooks has a recipe that makes all the other recipes jealous. Try this Marble Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Ganache.

I will be creating these cute little pumpkin people for my front porch this weekend.

And finally...

Football season is winding down, and that makes my heart sad, but my very handsome guard made my Momma Heart very very proud!

And how could we leave out one very cute Jr. Cheerleader sister?

My babies.

Chasing Connection

I twitter. Or Tweet. Or whatever.

I post to my wall.

I update my blog.

I text.

I email.

That is about all I am willing to do. Sometimes that seems to be way too much.

How much time should we spend chasing connection via digital communication? What is it about a little flag, or envelope, or whatever, that has a number next to it to indicate we have a message that gives us a thrill that genuine face-to-face, flesh-to-flesh connection doesn't seem to have anymore?

I have a friend whom I used to send little hand-noted cards and letters written in long-hand. Now we blip away via digital communication. We used to say the highlight of our week was getting some non-bill mail. You know, the kind of mail that isn't asking for money?

I can't remember the last time I sent her something personal.

Could our need to chase connection through digital means also be a reflection of our general lack of manners and consideration nowadays?

We don't have to have to be polite anymore. Most texts don't start:

Dear Barbara,

How are you? It's been too long since I heard from you! How are the girls?

No, now when we need to talk to someone, we can text them:

u get ur copy of meeting notes? Txt me outline pt #2? missed it. THX!

What?? What is that?

And we don't call people anymore. No time for that. We shoot them an email that looks like this:

Hey!Gonna have a get-together at my house on the 22^nd. Prolly around 5:30 or so. You in? Bring the kiddos and your YUM brownies!

Yeah, that feels really personal and warm.

And yet, with all the lightening fast connection why do we tend to feel more alone than ever?

I actually saw a post on Facebook that said they wished real life were more like Facebook. It was so much friendlier there.

That is just sad my friends.

Now, before you point out the obvious, yes I am posting this in a blog.

Ah hum.

I realize the irony. But I also have always committed to writing about things that I see, things that influence me and things that make me think. Do I get my booty kicked right alongside those of you who read my little bloggy thoughts and agree? Sure I do. I can't write about what I haven't experienced!

So, how do we quit chasing connection and actually connect?

Go to the store. Buy a datebook and some really cute cards or stationary. Disconnect from all the electronics and start connecting again. Call a friend and schedule an actual date. Meet for coffee. Get ice cream and sit at the park watching the kids play while you catch up. Go on a double date with another couple you haven't seen in awhile. Send a card of encouragement and a long handwritten letter to your friend who lives a state away but knows you like no other.

Connect.

Loneliness is a plague these days. In a digital age that makes us think we are connected, It sits inside our computers and phones and masquerades as relationships, but as soon as we click the log-off button, we are as lonely as ever. Take some steps today to get back to real relationships.

And if you are like me, then you can blog about your experience. Or post. Or tweet. Or whatever.  

SNOW!

I am kicking off December with a scene from my favorite Christmas movie: White Christmas. This is one of my favorite songs from the movie and it seems fitting since we have had teeny tiny flurries over the past couple of days. I am praying that we get a good layering of snow in the next few weeks. It is my favorite thing to do to go Christmas shopping when the snow is falling.

Enjoy! (Then go visit AMY for more songs!)

Linky-Linky Loo-Pa-Looza!

These are some of my web-surfing stops. Hope you enjoy!!!!
Interactive for Toddlers:

Game Goo

Primary Games

Preschool Academy

StoryPlace

KneeBouncers

HomeManagement:

Working Moms

FOTF Chore Articles

Gift Guide

Pet Guide

Recipes and Menu Planning:

Healthy Recipes and Menu Planning (This is my friend April's blog!)

A Taste of Home

Kraft Foods

Personal and Spiritual Refreshing for YOU:

Hearts at Home

Lysa Terkeurst

(In)Courage

Proverbs 31

Brain Dump

Sometimes I need to just have a little clutter clearing in the thought process.

Here goes...

It's sad when the only expectations you have are negative. It's even sadder when those expectations are met. It's easy to be disappointed in people if you have expectations of them. It's better to just not expect anything.

Times of change and uncertainty just don't bother me. I am in a season of uncertainty and I am not bothered. I know that I am exactly where God wants me, doing what he desires for me. God has made himself apparent in many ways, and I have been affirmed that I am on the right path. It isn't necessarily the path I would have chosen, or maybe the scenery is unexpected is a better way of putting it, but I am excited to see where it will lead.

I have discovered some new friendships. It is nice to have people around you that love God and like to just hang out. They don't have agendas or ulterior motives, they just want to serve God and study his word, and do it with his people. I like that.

I have been having really great times of worship. Not in church, but in my heart.

The seasons changing makes me love God all over again. His creativity, artistry and generosity are abounding.

Autumn is my favorite season.

I watched Abby play daycare yesterday. She fed all of her babies before putting them down for naps on their own pallets. She shushed me and her dad. All I could think of was how much my heart hurt from just pure happiness with my life.

Today, she danced around her room and sang along with her CD. Oh to have that abandon and joy for whatever task I am doing.

Kevin needs more physical outlets. I saw this tonight as he was wrestling with my brother, I realized that he has so much energy contained, that it's no wonder he can't concentrate on anything. I am thinking of Te kwon do. Exercise, discipline and respect for authority. Can't go wrong with that combo.

Bob and I are planning our first true vacation. We are looking at taking a cruise. WE are planning to drive down to Florida as part of the trip. I have never been to Florida, I have never seen the ocean, which naturally leads to the fact I have never been on a cruise. I am so excited that I will be getting rid of so many "nevers" in just a few months!

I just ordered a new Bible study on overcoming fear. Oh, did I mention I am terrified of new places and going where I have never been? I guess this will be a never I can get past too!

We have already started Christmas shopping! Never have we gotten this big a start!

We are making great strides on becoming debt free! God has been so good with us and to us! (We love Dave Ramsey!)

My new favorite verse is Luke 1:45:

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

How amazing!

I just had the best cup of hot cocoa. Half dark chocolate, half milk chocolate.

Thank you for joining me for my brain dump.

State Fair Day

Today we spent the day at the state fair.

I have to admit, It was fun. We looked at exhibits, saw some live stock, people watched, had fun at conservation world, and the big hit of the day...DOGS!

As soon as we walked in the gates there was a dock dog competition going on. There was a stage that was the "dock", and the dogs would run down it and jump into a huge splash pool chasing a toy. We all watched for quite a while.

Later in the day, in Conservation World, we stumbled upon a Jump! dog show. Of course I forgot my camera today, so I didn't get to get many pictures, and none of the dogs, although they were the hands down favorite thing of the day for both kids.

We were going to take Kevin to the midway and let him ride some rides, but it will be cheaper to take all four of us to Six Flags! He was OK with not riding anything. It was the end of the day and we were all tired of being on our feet and ready to head home.

Although I did forget my camera, I caught a couple fair images on my phone that I wanted to share.

Ahhhh, sweet home-made fudge! I managed to get past with only a picture to sustain me.

No trip to the state fair is complete without checking out the butter cow. This year the artist (s?) really out-did themselves by including Abraham Lincoln reading a book while leaning against a log, a couple woodland animals, a couple of butterflies (I didn't get them in the picture!) and of course, the cow.

Waiting for the JUMP! dog show to start

People watching

All wore out and heading home.

I am so bummed! I was waiting to get a couple pics of Kevin on the rides, then we didn't end up doing rides! He really was there and we had a great day!

Denial and crying for a little while

My baby just turned 10. At 12:46am he became a kid with a double digit age.

He has friends staying the night, so I was nice. I called him in the other room to do my fun little "at exactly this time 10 years ago..." story.

He is not supposed to be in the pre-teen double digits.

He is supposed to still be playing with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and taking a nap in the middle of the day.

He is supposed to still be a cute little thing that wants to do nothing more than take care of Mommy.

He is not supposed to be playing baseball (and impressing the stink outta me as catcher) and getting ready to head into the 4th grade.

He is not supposed to be doing fearless dives off the high dive at the pool. Running the board, stomping the jump, soaring away....tuck in the head, arms and legs straight, cutting the surface with hardly a splash. I am amazed by his fearlessness and natural ability.

He's not supposed to be giving his dad as good as he gets in a paintball war.

He is not supposed to take off on his own and go to his friends house without me holding his hand to go across the road.

He is not supposed to be only 8 inches shorter than I am.
I keep trying to deny that time is passing, but it is just not playing along. It just keeps marching.

Tick. Tock.

Flip the calendar page and on it goes.

Tick. Tock.

My kiddo isn't a little kid anymore. My Little Man is almost as tall as I am, and we only have a few short years left where I am the only woman that he wants to hug him.

If you will excuse me now, I am going to go cry for a little while.

Front Porch Sittin'

My new bloggy friend Lynette has started a fun little party over at her blog. It is just a good way to meet people and find new blogs to visit.

She talks about knowing your Friends and how women used to sit on the front porch just sharing life together. You know, there is so much truth in that. Growing up, I can remember my mom sitting over at our neighbors house. We used to stop next door on our way home (if Mom was there visiting) and be put to work, usually shelling beans or sweeping the front porch. Front porches were just as much a part of our friendship culture growing up as the kitchen table.

So, when I saw this invitation, I just had to join in. the whole purpose is just to tell "10 charming, interesting, fun things about you", just to get to know each other. Sounds fun!

(No, not my porch, but a girl can dream can't she?)

Here are my 10 things you wanted (or didn't but will anyway) to know about me.

• I grew up in Southwest Arkansas. I still consider myself a southern girl, with all the genteel-ness that is implied. Sipping sweet tea, owning a crystal deviled egg serving dish, saying Ma'am and Sir and having doors opened for me are a natural and expected part of a southern girls life. Every time I have the chance to head south, I get so excited. There is a different atmosphere and pace to life in The South, and I truly miss it.
• I devour books like chocolate. I never have less than two or three that I am working my way through at any given time. I keep a fun fiction book for my bath-time. I keep something that challenges me to place God deeper in my life in some way (marriage, parenting, personal growth, finances), a Bible study. Sometimes I overlap, sometimes I speed through one and neglect the others. I am pretty sure I would wither away without reading.
• Decorating my life is a passionate hobby. My home, my yard, scrap booking, cooking, crafting; the list goes on and on. I love to find ways to let my creative side out, although rarely does the finished product look anywhere near as beautiful as it does in my head.
• I love my son and I enjoy him and watching him grow up as been a pleasure and an honor (remind me I said that when he hits the teen years!!) but there is something about my daughter that connects with me and keeps me a gooey, in-love mess. (remind me I said that when she hits the teen years!!). I always thought that it was just Daddys that were wrapped around little girls fingers, but no, Mommys fit just fine too.
• I watch waaaay too much TV. I adore quirky shows. My favorite TV show is Chuck. Or is it Fringe? Wait, no, it is definitely Dancing with the Stars. And the Bachelor. And Bachelorette. And Bones. And House. I can't forget Biggest Loser or NCIS. Thank goodness I am a confirmed Night Owl and there are tons of shows on line. It is actually the middle of the night when I watch the majority of shows.
• I love meeting new people and experiencing new things, but I am absolutely terrified of having to go to a place I have never been. I don't know if it is the fear of getting lost, of looking like I don't have it all together, or the uncertainty of going a new path, or even a combination of all of those. I have tried over and over to get past it and still struggle with it.
• I can listen to music 24/7/365. It is the ultimate way for me to connect with God and praise him. I am listening to music right now. (You Belong to Me by Grey Holiday if you want to find them and check them out!)
• I am a sympathy crier. If I see tears in someones eyes, hear that little quiver in their voice or even if I imagine that they are close to crying, my waterworks kick into high gear. I also cry at any and every Hallmark commercial, The old Christmas commercial for Folgers where the little girl comes down the stairs and finds her brother home for Christmas ("Peter!") , great songs, movies, books (The Last Valentine took me three hours to read the last three chapters. I had to keep stopping to let my vision clear from the torrent of tears), and finally, I have seen this movie about 20 times and still sob like I am unbalanced when Shadow appears)
• I don't know how to sleep without my cat. I have had one since I was 7.
• When I go to the zoo (and I mean every.time.we.go) I pretend to be the Crocodile Hunter when we get next to the croc display. I do the voice, I crouch down and "sneak up" on my prey, I make up completely ridiculous facts and generally run my family off. It is so much fun!!

Now, Go see Lynette and post your own list!

Want to connect? Play!

When things start to feel stressful and you need somewhere safe to go, if you are married, it is your spouse. Well, what if the arguing and frustration is coming from that relationship?

You need to play.

It's really hard to get things started because you have argued about money, or priorities or what needs done around the house. If you are like me you hang on to things for awhile too. He walks out of the room and 15 minutes later it is as if you had never had a disagreement while you are still stewing in your firm belief that he has no clue about the person he married and WHAT are you going to have to do to get through to him, right?

Well, the best thing I have found to do is go do something fun. It is a conscience choice to put aside the things that annoy you and focus on the fun and silly guy you dated. Fun and games is a time where any disagreements or differences should either be utilized in the game, or put aside for the time being.

We have started riding bikes together. It is great family time, and we like to play jokes on each other and our son. It is just a chance to get outside and have some fun while being healthy. I have loved it.

We also have started trying to work together in the kitchen. I am learning how to share the space. I tend to have my way of doing things and my own rhythm, so this is a "fun" activity...in the making.

We also like to work in the yard together. Planning, planting, then sitting back and just enjoying the atmosphere.

We even like to play hidden treasure computer games together. We lay on the bed, have popcorn and look for objects together. Sounds silly but it is relaxing and fun.

What do you like to do to find the fun and silly guy you married? Bowl? Roller skating? Dancing? Cooking?

Make fun time a priority and you will find, as I have, that you are more willing to let the little things that used to annoy you go. Playing and dating like teens reminds you why you found him to be the hottie he is in the first place and reconnects you to each other on a more relaxed level.

For more ideas and inspiration on marriage, plase head over to Marriage Monday. Just click the button to follow the link!


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Update on the room makeover

Ok, so I didn't get the "before" pictures of Kevin's room before Bob had gutted it and started some work on the walls. We will not be able to do a late night work session tonight because A: I was up most of the night with the toddler cutting two molars so I am exhausted and 2: we are scheduled for a power outage between the hours of 11pm and 4am. I will get some pictures tomorrow before we get any of the major work going.

We did get the bedding and bath linens today, as well as a mirror with the exact blue of the bedding for the trim. I was so excited!

I might miss him a little bit. Ya, just a little.

Day of departure...

Is it totally awful that I am not really sad that my kiddo is heading out for a week at camp? I am actually looking forward to a half-rest week (only half because we DO still have that other little punkin runnin' around).

Stay tuned for the soon-to-follow post about me missing my baby and how I can't stand him being gone. (but it won't be coming today! :)

My secret desire revealed

If I could play any instrument, it would be the cello. I absolutely love it's sound. I love the way it can sound joyful or so sorrowful it will bring tears to your eyes.

Closely following that is the piano. both are beautiful and I love the sound they have when they blend together.

I have had times in my life when I have regretted not learning to play an instrument. I love music more than anything and just know that heaven will be a place where I am a master at every form of musical praise God can imagine. I can't wait!

My secret desire is to learn to play one or the other. Cello would of course be my first choice.

Maybe someday.Until then...

I found this video over at Dustbunnies and Divas and it made my heart so very happy. I told her I was totally stealing it so I could bring it to you, but I am linking you up with her here so that you can get to meet a new bloggy friend as well!

Summer Camp!

Well, tomorrow morning at 7:15 we will load our kiddo up to leave us for his first year at camp. It is 6 hours away and I am a little nervous about him going so far away, but I am being a good mom and not freaking out (too much!)



He is all packed, his lunch is ready, I am baking cookies for them to have the first night at camp, and I am going to pray for God to just blow Kevin away this week! He will be super busy with learning new things, great music, Bible knowledge and just plain 'ol kid fun. I am so excited for him!



While the cat's away, the cat's parents will play. We will be undergoing a week-long surprise makeover of his room. He will have a skater themed room upon his return, complete with a chain-link wall and some authentic road signs and even a working stop light. He will have a "gaming " area, as well as new bedding, paint and miscellaneous. We found some Tony Hawk bedding at Wal-Mart that sparked the idea. (He LOVES Tony Hawk)



If I can get my stuff together and be somewhat organized, I will take pictures to post here later. :)

Sounds like...

I had never really thought about blogging about things that happened a long time ago...the pre-blog years as it were. But, you don't know about it, so why shouldn't I?

Thanks to DeeDee for giving me this great idea, as well as the most hysterical example! You have to read it here.

The following took place when Kevin was about 5 years old...

Kevin has cousins that are how-ever-many-times removed. They are twin boys named Sonny and Butch. He didn't see them very often so he never learned to tell them apart. To get around this, when he wanted to get one of the boys attention, he would say "SonnyButch", combining the names into one.

One weekend we were at their house and they were all playing together when Kevin fell and hit one of the boys with his mouth... shoving his two top front teeth up into his gums and turning the tissue around them black.

That week we got him in to see a new dentist that specializes in children. When she asked what happened he told her he fell on SonnyButch. Well, when you have the diction and pronunciation of a five year old boy, as well as using a name that you made up, it doesn't really sound like SonnyButch. It sounds more like "Son of a b***h".

Ya. It sounded pretty clear too.

The dentist's head whipped around and she looked at us...then she looked at him again and said "You fell into who?" "SonnyButch" was the reply from my cute little blond-headed child (once again, sounding exactly like Son of a b***h).

It took a few moments for it to sink in...I heard "SonnyButch" because I knew that was what he called them...but if you didn't KNOW the phonetic quirks of the child in question...well, can you blame her? I was immediately mortified and could feel my face turn red. A sure sign of innocence, right?

I than began The Parent Back Peddle.

"He actually IS saying Sonny-Butch", I told her with a forced little laugh. Then I launched into a long and rambly explaination of the story, and then focused on the "can't you see the hilarity" disclaimers. Of course, the situation was funny, but you could tell she was trying to decide if she wanted to believe me or not.

Then, (I do think this is my favorite part), she looked at Kevin and said...

"Is that really what you said?"

That is code for "Is your mommy telling me the truth, or is she really teaching you to speak in profanity with abandon? I'm not sure if I can trust her yet, but you, cute little kid...well, you'll spill it because you are too young to know to lie about something like this."

After my five year old son came to my defense and cleared my name, amazingly enough with a simple head-nod and "uh-huh", she determined the damage and we have been patients of hers ever since.

We also worked with Kevin on using the word "or".

We interrupt this blogger block...

I know I haven't been around much the past couple of weeks. I am experiencing some pretty annoying bloggity blockage. I have things I want to write about...just no motivation to sit down and apply.

To interrupt this blogger block I am now going to post some random pictures that I love.

When she was born, Abby was compared to Gene Simmons because of her tongue sticking out skills...She still has them.

I really love this guy. He's so darned cute, too.

This is my too-cute kiddo at one of his ball games. He had a great time catching and his team ended their season with an 11-2 record.

What were we going to do again?

If you are like me, you are constantly thinking of things that need done, but will be time/labor/money intensive. I have come up with a way of remembering what all those projects are, and also tracking where we are with money and materials for the project.

I bought a cheap spiral bound index card notebook. It is 3X5 so it is not too large. It has lines so it can be somewhat neat.

Each index card contains the idea for one project. I have ones that say: "Redecorate back entry stairs", "clean out garage", "make sitting area in back yard", "organize scrapbook items", "redecorate kitchen", etc...

They can be big projects or little. They all get put into the spiral. Then as time and funds permits, we flip through the spiral, find one we want to work on and have the funds and materials for, and go to work! When the project is completed we just rip the card out and toss it!

My husband gave the project spiral to our toddler the other day to play with. I told him that he couldn't get rid of it that easily, I would just buy another and re-write all of it.

He just laughed.

So Excited! New layout and banner!

I have changed my layout before, but this is the first time I have ever made my own banner! I struggle with all the technical stuff and generally just search around until I find something pre-made. (or I get my friend April to make it, like the seesaw picture!) I will even confess until just a few months ago, I thought HTML was short for "hotmail". It's OK. You can go ahead and laugh.

Anyway, I decided to figure this thing out. After about 4 hours and a lot of frustration, I finally figured out how to make the banner! It isn't super fancy, but for my first one, I think I did darned good.

The pictures are from 4th of July last year. That's the bad thing about me. I don't "pre-photo" pictures for holidays. I actually take them on the day of the holiday, then can't use them again until the next year. But, my kids are so darned cute that I am sure you won't mind!

Ya, that's all that this post is about. I was just really excited!

Thank you.

Never Give Up

A three-word phrase divided into thirds and then

expounded upon...

NEVER GIVE UP

(Yes, this is supposed to be posted on Thursday, but I am horrible about remembering to do even the most daily activity, so this is really pushing it, but at least I got it done before I have to do the next one! :)

Never:

Most notably, I SWORE I would NEVER get pregnant again after I had my son. After being horribly uncomfortable the entire last trimester, massive swelling (men's size 13 sandals anyone? UGH!) post-partum depression, and just generally struggling with being a mom for the year that followed, I knew I would never want to go through that again. Enter God. Yep, you get your life right, your walk right and your marriage healing, and lookey lookey what God can do. Abby is a true blessing for a woman who was to NEVER be pregnant again.

Give:

I love to give. Might not be much, but I am definitely a giver. Everyone thinks that my love language is gifts but it sure isn't! I love finding out things about people, little things like favorite color, beverage, hobby etc. and then give them little gifts of encouragement when I think they need a little pick-me-up. I like sending cards for no reason. I like giving my friends treats. I love to leave milkshakes in the freezer at my friend's office for her to find. It sounds like I am really generous, but the truth is, I LOVE making people happy. It is totally selfish. I like to see the reactions, those are my favorite part. I wish I could say that I didn't need the gratification of knowing that they were so happy/surprised/pleased/encouraged. But I do. ah well.

Up:

I am always up way too late. I stay up because I love the alone time. I should be a good homemaker and clean or organize, but usually I just blog, watch videos or TV-online, take long baths, read or otherwise be very self indulgent. I hate that I stay up until the wee hours to get my alone time, but at this stage of my life, with my hubby, my kids, working and working in my ministries, it is what I have so I work with it. I generally write all of my blogs between 11pm and 2am. :) I have been more faithful to get to bed early the majority of the time, but sometimes I just need a little "stay-up" time.

Thursday 3somes are so much fun! Head on over to Wild Olive Shoot and meet my friend Leslie to join in!

What Nots

So, I haven't really updated you on the whole "just life" moments going on around the SeeSaw home. Here are some of the what nots that have transpired over the last few weeks.

• I turned 33. My Dear Hubby likes to rub it in that I am older than him, but I take comfort that he is only a few months behind me.
• Bob was able to get a new garage door at a super cheap price. We now have a functioning garage again! It is so nice to be able to put Abby in her car seat when it is storming without being drenched in the process. Plus, the old garage door had bowed out so that it looked like we had so much junk in there that it was about to bust the door off. Kinda embarrassing. Now there is no indication of how much junk we have. ;)
• I am getting close to finishing the redecoration of our living room. We have a large red sectional and dark woodwork and hardwood floors. To keep the room from being too dark I painted the walls a very soft yellow and then used bright colors of marine blue and Illini orange to brighten it up. I only have a few things for the wall and a new rug and this room will be done!
• Kevin was Paul Revere in a living wax museum at school. He had to memorize a one minute speech (which with his learning difficulties was done with very hard work!) All the kids in his class lined the hall and had an "on" button next to them. Their classmates, parents and teachers could then press the button and they would give their speech. I thought this was very creative and wish I could have seen it (I had to work but the Hubby got to go. He said Kevin did a great job!)
• Kevin has also started baseball. This is his first year of kid pitch. He is doing well. He is one of the few kids on his team that has a pretty powerful arm, so he is in outfield. Not a lot of action, but he does a good job. His batting is consistently improving. It has been hard to switch from machine pitch to kid pitch, but he is getting better at calling the ball as it is coming.
• Abby is growing waaay to fast! She is really smart. One of her favorite things to do is sit on the couch and play with her flash cards. She is also in love with the "pick up, pick up" game. Singing the words in a cute little voice.
• OK, I KNOW that everyone says their kid is super-smart, but Abby really is!
• she is also in the middle of an allergy/sinus infection. After three days of gooey eyes and runny nose she managed to vomit mucus all over me. That's when I said enough is enough and took her to the Dr. for meds. Praying she is back to full health soon!
• I am still at Loving Arms. I have been struggling with working as many hours as I do. I would really like to cut them down but haven't seen how that will work yet. I just know that God did not give us the gift of our kids so that someone else can raise them.
• I just had my colonoscopy and it came back clean. I don't have to reschedule again for 5 years. YIPEE!
• I am still struggling with the high blood pressure when I work out. As long as I don't do anything that requires bending too far or face-down work like push-ups I don't do too bad. It is just another frustrating thing about my body that really gets to me.
• I went to the medical supply store and got my order turned in for my compression socks. Yes, I have to wear them because of the swelling in my legs.
• I would like to have a full body transplant please!
• I am working on a batch of Amish friendship bread. Tara, does that count as homemade bread?
• Bob and I decided to go on a second honeymoon next year since we didn't really have a first one. Just a few days in St. Louis. I really want to go to a lot of places so am struggling to figure out where to go. Plus, I have an almost-phobia of new places. I LOVE doing new things and meeting new people, but going somewhere that I have never been and not knowing how to get around absolutely terrifies me. I think I am going to have to try to trust him to do the planning. Everything I plan to do scares the living daylights out of me so I have to quit!
• I think I am very close to getting my hubby to take dance lessons with me!

Well, I think that is about it for now. School will be out in a few days and we are planning a few fun things over the summer. Kevin will be on a rotating schedule of Nana and Papa's house, day camp and time with Mom (Tuesdays, my day off!:). Bob and I will be going to camp with the youth group next month, Kevin will be going to camp for the first time in July (gasp!), we are planning a trip to Indianapolis to go to the zoo and children's museum and possibly a weekend away for just me and the hubby (oh to dream big dreams!). I will have lots to update over the summer. Just pray that this summer DOESN'T involve any more trips to the ER for Kevin!

Happy Birthday to Me!