The Collins Family

Mother's Day

2010-05-12T21:24:00.003-05:00

Here is my sweet angel at her preschool "muffins for moms." The kids had painted flower pots and grown grass with flowers! They decorated their room and served us muffins and juice as we squeezed our legs into their pre-school sized chairs. It was a sweet time and I will treasure her excitement!
My sweet family allowed me to choose our dinner spot for Mother's Day.....Olive Garden it is!
Jacob patiently waiting...he he he.
Oh, how her eyes sparkle!
My beautiful roses plus the wildflowers from Sunday morning. I am blessed beyond words to have two happy, healthy children! They entertain and amaze me on a daily basis. Even though being a mom is at times a lot harder than I ever thought possible, it's also a lot better than I ever dreamed possible and I wouldn't change it for a moment!

Why we chose to become a Safe Family

2010-04-07T20:13:00.001-05:00

Well, this post has no pictures, but for good reason. Several months ago we were challenged to open our hearts and home to love on children in our community through a program with Bethany Christian Services called "Safe Families." The purpose is to connect volunteer "safe families" with a family in the community going through some type of crisis. For a period of up to 6 months a family in crisis might place their children with a safe family while they focus on their current situation. Say a single mom needs to have surgery and has no family nearby to take care of her children; she could place them with a safe family who will love and care for them while she undergoes medical treatment and recovery. One of the major goals of this program is to keep children out of the foster care system.

Our hearts were burdened when we heard of the need right here in our community. So in mid-February we accepted our first placement and had a sweet child with us for about 6 weeks. For privacy reasons, we can't share many of the details of our specific situation, but would welcome any opportunity to share more about our experience. We welcomed this child into our home, rearranged a little furniture and entered a new world of life with 3 kids in tow, car rider lines and school fund raisers. It was interesting to see a different dynamic as our children shared and loved and squabbled as if they had always known each other.

Our family, friends and church family rallied with us and supported us and this sweet child. We were showered with love, food, clothes, babysitting and prayers! As soon as our time began it seemed that the sick bug moved in, which is strange to us because we are a relatively healthy bunch. Trying to keep your focus on giving of yourself, keeping up a killer daily commute to school, helping with homework, an extended bedtime routine....it was at times very tough I'll admit. But God was bigger and knew what we needed and we feel God blessed the time we had with this sweet child. We felt confident about the changes that were happening in their family life and pray that God will continue to bless them as they've been reunited. We also very much look forward to continuing our relationship with them.

So, this too has been a big part of why I'm behind on pictures, blogging, and keeping up with some things. Sometimes you just need to push all the extra "stuff" away and focus on what's important.

Birthday World!

2010-04-07T15:38:00.007-05:00

Some friends of ours told us about a place nearby called Birthday World! We decided since it was Megan's actual birthday to go check it out. It was pretty affordable and the kids had a BLAST! Think kiddie carnival rides, bounce houses, arcade fun and glow in the dark putt putt.

Here's Megan heading into the birthday cake shaped bounce house.
Taking a ride on the dragon.

Heading into the toddler bounce area.

Jacob gives the carousel a thumbs up!
Going for a spin on the flying bananas! This was their favorite!
Megan's first attempt at whac-a-mole.
Jim helps Jacob make some baskets!
Skeet ball!
Jacob enjoying a cool treat. If you check out this place they do have a food court that was fairly reasonably priced.
All in all, it was a very fun day! Happy 5th Birthday sweet Megan!

Meg's first spring break

2010-04-07T15:22:00.003-05:00

So Spring Break sort of snuck up on us. First of all it's Megan's first year in school plus we thought we would be packing to move in two weeks (long story for another day). Alas, we are not packing and Jim has taken a few days off so we were off in search of adventure for a staycation if you will.

After our day at Disney we met the family of our sweet friend to reunite them. It was still a bit rainy so we were searching for indoor activities and decided on a bounce house. Well, being the frugal folks we are I had a coupon and we set out to a place that is no longer there. So, we headed for ice cream at a new place (to us). Not sure how we've lived here this long and never eaten Bruster's, but now we can say we've had it. After our mid-afternoon snack we headed over to a favorite park and let the kids loose since the weather was perfect. Here are pics from our first day of spring break......
Jacob was king of the bridge and let everyone know who dared try to cross using his "pirate" voice! He's so funny! Love to see his imagination taking flight.

We found a ladybug that kept the kids entertained for quite a while. Finally I convinced them to set it free so they could continue to play!

A trip to Disney

2010-04-07T00:12:00.005-05:00

We love Disney! From our house you can see and hear the fireworks each night! Okay, so you have to be upstairs standing on the bed looking out the small window, but alas we're that close. However, we don't get there terribly often and so going is a fun treat. While our sweet friend was staying with us it was mentioned that they had never been before and so with the help of two of our sweet friends we were able to go spend the day at Disney before our sweet friend went back home. Since it's also Megan's birthday week and the beginning of spring break it was a very special treat to get to go! We arrived at the park and our friend Rebecca secured a 1st visit button and Birthday button for the kiddos! They showed those buttons to everyone in the park who would notice : )

Here's Megan in the interactive space at Epcot after the Figment ride. When the light shines on a square you jump on it and it plays music. The kids got quite a workout! Forgive our appearance. It was pouring rain at this point so we were running from building to building finding all the things you could do inside! Thank you Disney!

Here's Jacob having a little fun on the light up squares too.
Jim and Jacob are settled into their clam for the Nemo ride. We rode twice and enjoyed all the fish at the end of the ride and Bruce's play area too.
Here's Megan having some dance fun while we wait for the monorail.
What a magical way to spend our last day together with our sweet friend.

Tinker Bell Party!

2010-04-06T23:53:00.004-05:00

In no particular order (because for some reason I can't rearrange the pictures on my computer today) here are a few pics from Megan's 5th birthday party!

Katey, Megan and Abby in their matching Tink outfits!
Victoria, Matti and Megan
Ansley and Megan
Avery and Megan
Megan and Abbey
the birthday girl blowing out her candles
yummy tinker bell cake.
loving the new costume that arrived from nana the day before her party : )
We love you sweet Megan and are so blessed to call you our daughter. We can't wait to see you as you grow. We love sharing the precious moments with you. You are about all things girly and we love that about you. God has truly blessed our lives! We prayed and waited for you and were so excited to meet you when you finally joined our family! (You were rather comfy in mommy's tummy) We love you precious girl!

Megan's school celebration!

2010-04-06T23:41:00.003-05:00

Here's Meg as everyone gets ready to do the freeze dance for her birthday celebration.
Meg with two of her best friends at school. She chose her favorite snacks to share that day...popcorn and chocolate covered strawberries. I was really looking forward to baking and decorating cupcakes, but they ask for no sugar, so I lightly covered some strawberries and had some plain ones too : ) How can I deny the birthday girl's request?

March 2010

2010-04-06T23:26:00.002-05:00

So, this post is brief with just a few of my favorite shots from the month. I will admit a lot of my pictures have an extra kid in them and we can't post those pictures, but I promise to share them with you family off-line!

Happy St. Patrick's Day....here's Megan decked out in her green after school.

The kiddos cooking up in the play kitchen while Mommy cooks up dinner! Is he a chef in training or what? If you notice he's wearing a Publix apron. The pre-school pals program they have is so fun and sends free toys! If you're not a member you can sign up on their website.
I noticed a friend's new dance bag at class one day and made a comment about it. Shortly after that we received a package and her mother-in-law had made a "shoe" bag for Megan. It's in the shape of a shoe (obviously) and has cute ballerina fabric and buttons for the lace on the front! Super cute and a treasure for sure.
Megan has a new fascination with braids. Her sweet teacher at school takes time to braid her hair many mornings after she arrives. Here she is keeping our sweet friend company while she works on "homework"....that is drawing me a picture : )

Birthday pics to follow in the next post.....

February happenings

2010-04-06T22:25:00.004-05:00

So, it's been a busy time for us. Not gonna make excuses, just gonna try to get back into the blogging groove. Here's some of what's been going on the past couple of months for us. I'm having trouble moving pics around, so forgive me if my time line isn't exact.

Jim celebrated his 35th birthday this year. So, on his special day, we picked up Megan from school and headed out for a family lunch at one of our favorite spots....Tijuana Flats! We got to head out that night for a date night. By the time we left we still weren't even hungry so we opted for appetizers at Olive Garden and dessert across the street at his favorite Cheesecake Factory. Yumm-O
Here's a picture of Megan with her braids. She was so fascinated by the braiding I did while we had a sweet little girl with us that she wanted braids of her own. Let me tell you, when she woke up the next morning it looked like a crimper had gone horribly wrong! That was an 80's do if I ever saw one : )
We are all about dress up these days. I think she changes dress up about 5 times a day. Here we are making no bake cookies for a dinner get together. I love that she enjoys cooking. I am truly looking forward to many memories made together in the kitchen with my sweet girl!
I love my silly little boy. Here he is playing on the back porch while I'm cooking. I looked out and saw him with a bucket on his head. He and Meg were walking around chanting "bucket head, bucket head." These little people make me smile!
Here's a picture of Meg's loot after her Valentine party at school.

Megan had a combo party at school to celebrate Valentine's Day and pajama day. She slept on sponge rollers the night before and had cute curly hair! I love when she asks me to curl her hair; I think it's so cute and reminds me of my childhood trying to find a comfortable position to sleep on those rollers....who's with me?

First trip to Gator Land

2010-02-08T08:35:00.006-06:00

I know, I know....how many vacations as a child did we take to Florida? and how long have Jim and I lived here? but we made our first visit to Gator Land when invited by some friends spur of the moment. (the discounted offer to Florida residents was what reeled us in).

We were afraid the weather wouldn't hold out for us, but it did and we got to see everything we wanted! The kids were so excited to see all the alligators as we walked in!

I always think of my brother when I see alligators. His childhood dream was to own an alligator farm when he grew up......

Our first stop was the jumparoo show where they feed the alligators and get them to jump into the air. Here's a picture of Jacob watching the alligators below the deck. I decided not to include the others from the show because they feed the gators fresh chickens and personally I think it's a little gross! The second is a piture of 3 of the kids at the photo op gator!

We then went to see the white alligators, birds, petting zoo and snakes. Oh, by the way, if you do decide to tour this place....DO NOT LEAN AGAINST THE RAILS!!!! Bird poop is everywhere and doesn't wash out of your shirt! Just sayin'. And thank you Erin for letting me wear your jacket for the rest of the day! I'll spare you that picture too. Here are Megan and Kate checking out the snakes.
The next show of the day was entitled "Upclose Encounters." Oh, yes, you know I'm already praying to not be chosen from the crowd to participate in the touching of ANYTHING in this park. Remember how you always avert your gaze from your teacher when you didn't know the answer so as not to be picked???? That was my strategy--well, that and wrangling a 2 year old....surely they wouldn't pick me! Well, Jim was not so lucky and was chosen along with 3 other audience members to hold this:
He was truly a good sport! Better him than me! (That's him with the white hat on)

We took a stroll through a conservation area and then stopped for lunch. (they will let you out to eat a picnic lunch in your car, but don't allow food into the park, although their prices aren't too terrible.) Our final show was to see the alligator wrestling. Here's a picture of Megan and Jim waiting for the show to start. There was a film crew there from "Freakiest Vacations" doing a taping for the Fine Living Network. The episode is set to air later in the spring! It was fun to watch the show and see our friend's little girl participate in the taping of the show. She was picked from the crowd and got to choose the alligator that he wrestled for the show. Because of her bravery, she also got to have her picture taken while sitting on the alligator's back! Way to go Kate!!!!
Because the little boys were ready for naps we chose to call it a day. We'll have to try the train, play area and kid's water park on our next trip! Definitely glad we went and that we waited until the kids were old enough to enjoy it!

Long time, No post

2010-02-06T22:14:00.004-06:00

Hello friends and family! I promise we're still here. It's been way too long since my last post and I promise to try harder to keep you up to date on what's going on in our lives!

Since I last posted we have done the following:
celebrated Halloween
hosted Jim's parents for Thanksgiving
drove to TN to celebrate Christmas with all sides of the family
Megan rode her first roller coaster (kiddie size)
visited Gator Land for the first time

I promise posts to update you on the highlights of these in the coming days.

Currently we are living life. Megan is back in school and preparing for her dance recital. We are getting excited about Valentine's Day and preparing to celebrate Jim's 35th birthday (on the 19th). We are also awaiting word on an offer we have made on a house here in the area, and yes, we hope this is the last move for a long time. Things with our church family are exciting and going well.

Here's a recent fun picture of the kids dressed as Buzz to tide you over until I can get some updated posts and pictures on the blog! Thanks for loving me enough to let me take a blogging break!

Halloween Spooktacular

2009-10-04T21:13:00.004-05:00

October begins Halloween Spooktacular at Sea World, so we headed out with our sweet friend Cinnia to do some trick-or-treating! The kids wanted to dress up despite the 90 degree temps. Here they are...Megan in her dance costume from her recital earlier this year and Jacob as a monkey! He was so cute, but we only kept him in that costume for a while since it was SOOOO hot!We headed off to see Sesame Street's Count show. Here are Meg and Cinnia heading in to find a seat.As you walk into the treat area you walk through many bubble machines....the girls just twirled and chased bubbles!

Here's Megan with a Sea princess.

And Jacob and Cinnia checking out their treats.

Cinnia and Megan pose by the pumpkins.
and meet the butterfly princess

Megan was all about posing for some pics this night.....so here she is....
on the rocks.
with the pumpkin.
with the polar bear.
and a final run through the bubbles.
Anyone notice anything about this picture? like the blue color of Megan's mouth? Air Heads are her new favorite candy. We have plans to go back at least one more time with friends, so keep your eyes open for more pictures!

A crazy trip to Sea World

2009-10-01T21:48:00.003-05:00

I know I have a lot of posts about Sea World, but for now it's been the economical entertainment option for us to have annual passes there. Maybe one day I'll be posting about weekly trips to Disney, but I'd probably have to go back to work for that which would leave no time to play at Disney......so alas more pics of Sea World!

I got to enjoy a girl's day with Megan and met her sweet friend Matti whose mom is my sweet friend Kari. We had a great time and enjoyed letting the girls have a fun day together. Our first stop was to see Allure. It's a show filled with drama and acrobatics and dance and gymnastics and we knew the girls would love to see all the dancing! Here they are getting ready for the show.

About half way through the show (here's the crazy part of the trip) the power went out! Just as the performers were spinning and climbing and swinging through the air. We tried to wait it out, but noone came to tell us how long it would be or give any further directions, so we headed over to ride the kiddie rides. Well, evidently it was a sporadic power outage, so no carousel, no rides....what to do? Thank goodness for a giant sandbox!
The polar bears had power, so we got to see them and walrus and beluga whales!
We then went to check out Shamu.....because you can't go to Sea World without seeing Shamu at least once right? Well, the ropes were up and it was almost show time! What? No Shamu? And then they opened the ropes.....A nice cool treat of Shamu bars for the girls and frozen lemonade for Kari and baby Michael!
It really was fun to see the trainers interact with all the whales without all the music and lights to drown everything out. I never realized just how loud it was in there! We could hear them calling out commands and talking with each other and hear the splashes so clearly. So even though it wasn't what we expected it was a fantastic trip to Sea World!

New Season of dance

2009-10-01T21:47:00.002-05:00

Megan had so much fun last year taking dance that she asked to do it again this year! I loved seeing her confidence and excitement. I remember all too well the sacrifices my parents made for me to take piano lessons and the encouragement they gave to me over the years as I practiced and I want to foster those desires in Megan too. Here's a picture from the beginning of the year.

While Megan is busy with school and dance Jacob is still pretty much along for the ride.....Here's a picture of him in his most used seat....yep, the car seat! I feel like I'm always in the car dropping off or picking up or taking here or running there.....but you know, there's no place I'd rather be. I think of working and then I think of all that I'd be missing! So for now, we'll tote along toys to keep us entertained in the car rider line and dance studio waiting room!
Here's a picture of a rare breakfast out while Megan was at school. It's fun to see his little personality come out and to spend that time with just Jacob around. He's a fun little boy!
Yummy biscuit!

West TN portion of our trip

2009-10-01T21:46:00.007-05:00

So after some R&R on my part at my mom's we headed to see Jim's folks in West Tennessee. The kids had fun chasing Chloe and playing hide and seek outside.yep, he's hiding in plain sight behind that tree!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we headed to the park. I think the kids seriously ran a circle up the stairs and down the slide for about 30 minutes straight!
It was then off to the mall for Jacob's first Build a Bear! He chose a black lab and we named him Tiger. Jacob gave him a bath and we picked a football outfit for him to wear. Thanks Mimi!
We also got to meet our sweet friends who moved to Memphis and have lunch with them. Here's Megan with Stacey and their foster baby.
And one of Jacob being silly on the car ride home.....both the kids pulled out these seat covers in Mimi's car and used them as toys.That night we headed out for ice cream.....check out poppy's chin...silly man!
Jacob peeking through the window--Jim took him outside to run around.
The next day we headed back to the West Tennessee drive through safari. Jacob wasn't quite sure what to think about all those animals coming right up to the car.
Jim decided to feed Jerry the Giraffe again this year.
Then Mimi took a turn.
While Mimi was feeding Jerry, Jacob turned around, grabbed a carrot and walked right up to feed Jerry. He fed him the rest of the carrots!
He then bottle fed the sheep....
and gave the goats their food too!
Here's a rare shot of Meg on this day...she was not digging the animals like she did last year and hung back for most of our time there.
We headed out on our last night for another dinner out....yummy Red Robin then over to the Old Country Store (a local Jackson place) for hand scooped ice cream (yep, that's twice in one week, but hey, we're on vacation right?). Jacob poses with his silly face.
Megan and Jacob try a game of checkers with Poppy.
We had a blast and as you can see we ate a lot! We love visiting family, but then it was time to head back to Florida! Jim had a meeting late that night and Megan had to get back to school. We hope for another visit soon!

Summer trip to TN

2009-10-01T21:45:00.005-05:00

We set out for a trip back to Tennessee to visit family back in August. We picked Megan up early from school with the goal of driving all the way in one day. As I ran in to get her Jim and Jacob waited in the Jeep which promptly overheated. So here are pictures of us visiting our friendly neighborhood mechanic Henri! We enjoyed our picnic lunch while his guys reconnected wires to the fan on the motor which weren't connected when the fan was replaced a few months ago. Fortunately they found it and fixed it quickly (and for free) and we were on our way!

As we got close to Nashville I really started feeling bad. I was trying to wave it off as being tired or changing climates. However the next day was pretty bad. Jim headed to the drug store and I headed to bed. We enjoyed dinner with the family that night and I felt like my fever had broken, but the next morning proved otherwise. So, Jim took the kids and my mom took me to the walk-in clinic. They promptly diagnosed me with strep, gave me a shot and samples of an antibiotic and off we went! The next day since I'd been on my meds for 24 hours and was no longer contagious we headed off to see the Wiggles! Our kids had been so excited to see them and I truly didn't want to miss the experience with them. My brother, his wife and their daughter went with us. Here are the girls heading in with Nana.

Megan and Jim waiting for the show.

Jacob and Uncle John.
Here's one of Megan dancing along!
Sweet girls were all smiles for the whole show!

Here's the McGregor clan after the show. (Sorry it's not a good shot, but the attendant is the only one we could find to take a picture)
As soon as we got to the car Megan was sacked out. She took a nap as we drove out to see my brother's new house that their family is building!

Our visit there seems short to me since I was sick for most of the time there. Jim, my sister in law and mom took all the kids to the mall one day to shop and play. I hear they had fun, but really can't elaborate much. I'm so grateful for my health....and grateful to not have been that sick in a very long time!

Megan's first day of school.

2009-10-01T20:53:00.009-05:00

I can't believe this day has arrived. Our hearts were so anxious to have kiddos when we married and God has amazed and blessed us with two fantastic kids. I've been home with them since Megan was born and they haven't been away from me at all. So, to be honest I wasn't sure how I would react to Megan being gone EVERY day for pre-K. We found a great school that has been approved by the state to teach a Christian curriculum that allows the kids to learn character traits of Jesus, stories of His love, songs of who He is, has chapel each week and also covers the fundamentals in preparing them for school. We've been pleased thus far, plus it gives me some one on one time with my little man!

So here we are at Megan's first "Meet the Teacher" Day! We stopped for a family breakfast and Megan chose Mimi-cakes. (pancakes shaped like Mickey)
We then headed over to her new school and met her new teachers. She loves them both and is really enjoying school.
After getting the list of suggested supplies we headed to Target for our first school shopping trip.
She started school on Monday and was so excited. She chose her Elmo shirt to wear and was super cute with her Ni Hao, Kai-Lan backpack!
Here we are walking her in.....

She had been so brave and excited to go until she realized that Mommy and Daddy weren't staying with her this day. She totally lost it! So of course, I lost it too.

Of course when I went to pick her up she was all smiles!
Plus, she got to pick the celebration lunch spot......which of course was Chick fil A!
It all seems wild! To think that our little Meg is starting her journey outside of our home....She's an amazing blessing and incredibly bright! We are so excited to see how she grows and learns. What a blessing she is to us!

To top off the day Daddy surprised Megan with beautiful pink roses!
Yep, I'd say she's tickled pink!

Our Princess

2009-08-15T19:55:00.004-05:00

Oh yes, she's four and she's all about the princesses! We were invited Friday to Disney with a sweet friend and enjoyed meeting 3 of the princesses and riding a few rides.

Jacob is checking out Mickey's house!

We got to see the parade on our way out too!

Unfortunately our trip was cut short with what ended in a trip to first aid for me! Not exactly how you want to spend a day at Disney, but Nurse Debbie was super sweet and I'm very grateful that they were there to help. We've been promised a return trip to enjoy a few more of the sites so we'll post more pictures on our return visit.

Sweet Talk

2009-08-15T19:17:00.004-05:00

Okay, so with an older sister, Jacob is always trying to keep up! Their most recent fascination is knock-knock jokes (did I mention, she never remembers punchlines and therefore they never make sense?)

Jacob is now counting to 10! I can't get on video (go figure....remember the silly face?) the entire count, but here's a preview and a promise to keep trying! Our favorite is "semmin" instead of seven!

Fun times with the Collins Bunch!

2009-08-15T19:00:00.003-05:00

We're trying to fit in trips with friends before Megan is in school everyday....so here are some random shots from recent trips and happenings......

Jacob holding Megan's butterfly balloon and Megan with Jacob's monkey balloon that wrapped around your arm just before the butterfly touched the grass. Oh yeah, and popped, in front of the neighbors full of all the four-year old "why'd Jacob do that?" drama you can imagine!!!

Megan waiting for Elmo's arrival at Sea World!

Jacob and Megan at Allure (think Cirque de Solei--Sea World style)

Here's Jacob in the bounce house at the fundraiser for the Dukes family. He had so much fun we had to drag him out every time his turn was over!

Jacob practicing his surfing skills on mommy's computer!

Fort Wilderness

2009-08-02T21:54:00.004-05:00

So tonight we enjoyed another first as a family! We headed down to Fort Wilderness at Disney with some friends to enjoy the campfire singalong and some smores.

the kids getting ready to roast some marshmallows!

Sweet friends!

We arrived as the fires were being lit so we enjoyed smores. It was the first time for Megan and Jacob. Megan loved hers. I'm not sure Jacob knew what to do with it!

Megan and Daddy

Yummy!

Too Messy!

We then sang along to some campfire songs and saw Chip and Dale! The kids were great and had a blast! Who knows the difference between Chip and Dale? We learned this earlier this year -- Chip has the brown nose like a chocolate chip and Dale's nose is pink!

Singing Along

Watching the show!

Here come Chip and Dale!

I love Dale!

We look forward to doing this again once the weather is cooler!

Potty Training--Jacob style

2009-08-02T21:44:00.002-05:00

So, it's about that time. Jacob has turned 2 and is showing a lot of interest in all things potty, so we've decided to give it a try and see if he's ready.

Megan loves to read books to him and entertain him while he's hanging out! She's been quite the role model, supporter and encourager!

I'm sure they'll kill me later, but I love seeing them in these sweet moments, so oh yeah, here are the potty pictures!

Family Movie Night

2009-08-02T21:22:00.003-05:00

Recently we've been talking about fun activities to do as a family. We've made a list of things we'd like to do and things we'd like to experience with the kids. So, we thought family movie night would be a great idea! Right? Fun together time, an animated film, snacks, snuggly blankets....Right? Who's with me?

Well, after tucking Jacob into his covers about 50 times we finally decided to let him head to bed since it was already past his bedtime. Megan really didn't seem too interested either. The chocolate chip cookies did seem to help at intermission, but she still fidgeted with the pillows, covers and snugglies. We had a great time and had some laughs and made some wonderful memories!

Who wouldn't want to snuggle in on a Friday night with these two cuties?

battle of the wii

2009-08-02T21:14:00.003-05:00

So Megan and Jim especially have enjoyed time together on the wii! Check out Megan (aka Lemon) and Jim (aka Big Daddy) and their bowling moves.

How does he do that?

2009-07-09T10:04:00.002-05:00

I'm sure by now you've realized how much we love family night at Chick fil A! Well, check out the balloons from last night. Megan's Tinker Bell came complete with a trail of pixie dust.

Here's Jacob's favorite "gicky" (aka Mickey)

Rainy day in FL

2009-07-09T09:53:00.004-05:00

Okay, so it's Florida and it's summer time which means basically rain every day! Megan has been going to swimming lessons every day, but today I got a call from her teacher saying that class is cancelled due to rain.......what to do?

Well, we filled up the gas tank for the week and headed home for a movie day. The kids are loving their fort on their ladybug and nemo blankets while they watch Mary Poppins. I love lazy rainy days! Hope you enjoy yours too.

Sweet snuggles

2009-07-07T13:31:00.003-05:00

Don't you love catching your kids in those sweet moments where they're playing sweetly together? I looked over and saw Jacob sitting in Megan's lap snuggled up to watch a show while I was busy cooking dinner!

Here's another picture of them huddled up in diaper boxes watching a movie. I had thrown all the boxes down to take out from Jacob's closet and they lined them up and played with them for hours!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-07T13:21:00.005-05:00

What is your 4th of July tradition? Growing up I always spent the day with my grandparent's family in Walnut, MS. Now that everyone is grown, married, moving away we don't get back often at all. The past several years we've spent time with friends, but this year was low key. I've been stressed lately and just didn't feel up to entertaining a large group, so we had fun with our family of four.

Friday we went to the pool at the Y, then came home for lunch and a nap before we headed to Sea World. The kids loved the After Dark shows and we all got to ride the carousel.

On Saturday we ran a few errands and went to grab dinner at Five Guys and dessert from TCBY! Yep, Jim and I took a night off from our summer of fitness challenge and boy was it good! Here's a picture of Jacob after his haircut that day. It's the shortest he's ever had it cut and he looks like such a big boy now!

So, whether you had a big celebration or low key family time, I hope you had a Happy 4th of July!

Swimming Lessons

2009-07-07T13:11:00.003-05:00

Do you ever have those days where no matter what you do the kids just act like little crazy people? I had one of those days yesterday......

Megan loves the pool! She jumps in, she blows bubbles, she loves the pool, the beach, the tub....she is pretty fearless when it comes to water. We enrolled her in swimming lessons and she was so excited! And then the first day of swimming lessons came.

As all the kids gathered to be divided among the instructors Megan decided she didn't want to be in one group, well, she was called to go in that group and the tears began. (oh, and if you didn't know we're all about our 4-year old little girl drama right now!) Well, Ms. Ellen is the program coordinator and saw how upset Megan was so she took her in her group. She was so patient and didn't make her get her face wet on her first jump and tried everything to comfort her. Nothing worked. She cried for 30 minutes straight!

Well, after much talking and discussing we tried again. Day 2 was such a miraculous change of attitude that one mom asked me what I said to her! She jumped in, hummed to keep the water out of her mouth and nose, kicked and had a blast! We love swimming lessons! And Ms. Ellen!

My sweet little Jacob

2009-07-01T14:46:00.003-05:00

I love that Jacob is finally finding his voice and I love to hear him talk and say new things. This is a short video of some of his current vocabulary. I'll try to get the animal sounds and a few other things soon. Just wanted to share his sweet voice with you all.

The best dad in the world!

2009-07-01T14:32:00.004-05:00

I love my husband for many reasons. He is my best friend, makes me laugh harder than anyone else can, is my helper and encourager and also is the best dad to our two kiddos! We decided to take him out to eat for Father's Day on Saturday night since Sundays seem to be rushed and hectic at times.....plus I wanted him to have time to play with his new toy!

I had already bought his gift, but then started asking him what he wanted for Father's Day. He asked for the normal itunes cards and things of that nature. What he didn't know is that this was a double duty gift and an early celebration for the sale of our house in TN........

We love you Daddy!

The last few weeks and random stories

2009-07-01T14:11:00.004-05:00

Well, I haven't posted in a while and I do apologize. Jacob evidently picked up a stomach bug two weeks ago, so after dropping coffee and breakfast at the worship gathering, he and I came home. He was really only sick for the one day and ate like a champ that night. This is also the day that Megan got scratched by a puppy. She had a pretty decent scratch on her backside which of course led to "Megan drama" and bandaids for a week. Fortunately it hasn't seemed to deter her love of puppies!

Well, two days later Megan comes down with a fever.....and by fever we're talking the 103, call the doctor at 10 pm variety. After alternating motrin and tylenol all night I took her in and she seemed fine! Fortunately the doctor gave me prescriptions for "just in case." Thank goodness we had those because that night the virus truly hit! After 2 more days nursing her back to her normal self I thought we were through the woods......until today. And yes, now Jacob is throwing up again! Hopefully it won't last long. Here's Megan chilling watching a little TV while she was sick.
After being cooped up we decided to head to the beach for the day. Here's Jacob after a day of sand and surf....tuckered out or as my friend Mary would say worn slap out!
We've also had a lot of fun with the kid's night at chick-fil-a here in Ocoee! (the kids get a free meal when Jim and I eat there and they always have a fun treat for the kids) Megan got an Ariel balloon friend and the guy made a great Pluto for Jacob! The next week Megan chose a face painting of Hello Kitty and Jacob's alligator balloon popped before we could get a picture!
The final picture is one of Megan after finding her in her room taking what I assumed was a nap! Little did I know she found her princess drawer and had decided to color herself with bright pink marker that took a week to wear off! She painted her eyes black with mascara and her earlobes red for earrings. Her hands, arms and feet were completely colored. Sorry I didn't get a fresh picture, I immediately plopped her in the tub to get the marker off--the mommy in me prevailed. I'll try to laugh more in the moment next time! This picture is after the bath and numerous hand scrubbings.

Just a little bit of what's been going on here. Funny stories from our life in FL!

Megan's first dance recital!

2009-06-13T21:12:00.005-05:00

She slept in her pink foam rollers to have pretty curls for her recital today. We all got up, had breakfast and started the beauty treatments. After blush, eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss we tackled the hair. I mentioned that she had a rat's nest from the curls and she came UNGLUED! I think she really thought it was a rat's nest and not just tangles in her hair. After much calming we finally got her hair up and were ready to go. The girls went ahead to get Megan there and to wait in line to save seats while Jim and my dad got flowers and dropped Jacob off for a play date.

Here's the video from my camera vantage point of her song "Boogie Shoes!" She's on the back row far right.

Here are pictures of a few of the girls in her dance class. The girls played backstage with stage moms who brought loads of snacks, coloring books, movies and stickers! She had a blast!

Papa and Gan Gan bought Megan beautiful tulips! And then they treated us to lunch at Megan's choice of restaurant--Tijuana Flats! (Just happens to be my favorite.)

Mommy and Daddy found Minnie dressed in a tutu to remember today.

She did a wonderful job and truly enjoyed her special day. We're already looking forward to the fall when classes start again!

Sweet memories

2009-06-12T21:47:00.003-05:00

I love my family! They make me laugh! And they touch my heart.

Jacob has started making a funny face (not yet captured on camera......still trying), but here's Megan making the face! Love the eyes rolling up into the head!
Yesterday we headed over to Downtown Disney to cool off in the water pad sprinklers and ran into our sweet friends. Megan was posing for a picture with buzz, so Matti joined in!When I was cleaning floors the other day I looked over and noticed the kids sitting together watching Pinnochio. No fighting or arguing, just a sweet sibling moment!
I love to see my little man looking up to his Daddy! Jim is truly the greatest dad ever. In this picture Jacob has joined him on the floor to throw the ball up in the air just like Daddy!
Here's one of Jacob enjoying a sweet treat from a birthday party. What's better than a cookie on a stick?

Dance class awards!

2009-06-12T21:38:00.003-05:00

Well, Megan has loved her dance class this year. Last week each of the girls received an attendance pin on a lanyard plus a pin if they are participating in the recital. Their teachers designed a runway and let each girl take a spin with a red rose! Oh such sweet times we've had this year. Megan is truly excited about the recital tomorrow. Here are pictures from awards and her rehearsal earlier today.

Taking her bow at the end of dance season.

Waiting in the hall before final rehearsal!

The girls wanted to stay and check out a few more dance routines. These three sure are sweet friends!

We've already signed up for a new class next fall and have a new teacher. Megan is excited to continue so check back for pictures from the recital and for the upcoming season!

The end of the soccer season

2009-06-12T21:24:00.003-05:00

Well, the season is over. The final game the coaches allowed all the kids who hadn't yet scored a goal the opportunity to do so! So yeah, Megan scored a goal!!!!

Here are a few pics of her last game and celebration cupcakes!

Here's a silly face from our celebration lunch at Chick fil a!

Trips to Sea World

2009-06-12T20:58:00.003-05:00

Megan has been up to trying new things at Sea World on our past couple of visits. Here are pictures of her trying out the boat ride and a picture with the cast of the Allure show. She loves watching this show.

Jacob and Jim heading in to see the sharks!
And finally Megan watching the oyster diver! One of the divers on team there can hold his breath for over 5 minutes!!!

Because of our love of shamu (or ashu as Jacob calls him) Megan has now added shamu trainer to her list of things she wants to be when she grows up! We'll see!

A beautiful vacation

2009-05-23T22:30:00.006-05:00

If you read the last blog you know that Jim and I were able to get away for a few days for a bit of a vacation. It's the first time we've left Jacob and only the third time we've left Megan for more than a night.

We headed down to Pine Island. It's so peaceful, quiet and slow there! It was wonderful. We ate at out of the way places like Pork Bellies BBQ, Cheeburger/Cheeburger, Red Robin (Jim misses it from TN), Lilly's Deli and my personal favorite Iguana Mia!

I was able to cash in my mother's day gift certificate for a massage and haircut! Wow what a difference. I haven't had my hair cut since I cut off my ponytail last summer.

We drove over to Sanibel Island--fantastic shell hunting! We started our day with a picnic lunch here......

We wrote messages with shells in the sand for the kids.....
and then we walked by the old lighthouse and checked out the local wildlife.....
(the sign reads gopher tortoise crossing)

The next day we headed over to Ft. Myers Beach where Jim enjoyed the waves on his boogie board and I read a book relaxing on the beach! It was an extremely restful and relaxing getaway.

Visit from Nana

2009-05-23T22:18:00.005-05:00

My mom got to come for a visit. Her main objective was to keep the kids while Jim and I got away for a bit of a vacation. We had some sweet friends offer to let us stay at their place on the gulf and so we got away for 4 days! I'll post pictures from our trips to the beach in another post.

While Nana was here we all got to see Megan's soccer game last weekend. Here she and Jacob are cheering on team blue!
Megan's little girlfriend was out for this game and as you can see, Megan had more fun chasing ants than playing soccer! Too funny! I'm thinking we're sticking with dance next year......

We took Nana out to eat one night for Mother's Day. Megan poses for a silly face and Jacob is wearing a new birthday outfit of course with a truck on the front!
On her last day here we headed over to Cocoa Beach where Megan dove right in.

Jacob was a little more reluctant....

We love our visits with Nana. She left this morning to fly back to TN. My Megan loves her Nana and is already planning our next visit to see her. Thanks Nana for loving on the kids while Jim and I enjoyed a much needed break! We love you.

Thank you Nana and Lynne for the Nemo quilt! The kids love it! And it's big enough to share!!!!

Megan's dance pictures

2009-05-23T22:09:00.005-05:00

Megan's dance year is winding down so we're gearing up for the end of the year recital. We went on Friday to have individual and class pictures taken. We rolled her hair on sponge rollers for the first time. She seemed to love it and kept them all in for the entire night!
After the girls had their pictures taken, they did a dress rehearsal. Her costume is super cute and she has bright blue shoes that will be highlighted during their dance to "Boogie Shoes" during the recital.
Check back after the recital for day of pictures. I'll also try my best to post footage from her dance!

Jacob turns 2!

2009-05-23T21:49:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe my baby has turned 2! Seems like just yesterday I was waiting to hear his sweet cry as he joined our family.

Jacob is into trucks right now. Okay, obsessed is more like it! We decided on a hot wheels party and let the kids play with the train table, hot wheels and a little car game. (It's really hard to structure anything for 2 year olds!) So, we had an enjoyable playdate/birthday party with his little friends.

Here's the birthday boy ready to pitch.
My mom was able to come down again this year for a visit....you know what that means....cake by nana! Here's a picture of the truck she and Megan decorated for Jacob.
I'd love to post more pictures, but we had several guests (or customers as Megan called them.) who are currently in the foster system and out of privacy for them I didn't want to include them without their foster parent's permission.

Us recently.....

2009-05-10T20:06:00.007-05:00

I've been lax in my blogging lately. Life has been busy and blogging was something I could put off without detriment to the family. But, I did want to share a few pictures from our recent adventures.

Megan's team got their soccer jerseys. Doesn't she have a hunky coach?

Megan also had her four year check up at the doctor. All is well and after two shots (which the doctor told me she wouldn't have at her last appointment) we had a celebratory lunch at chick-fil-a. We were also celebrating keeping her pull up dry all night. She's been dry for about a week now. Good-bye pull ups--college savings here we come!

Here are a couple of other recent cute pictures of the kids....we found a caterpillar in the kitchen one morning. Meg loved letting it climb up her arm. We freed him outside! Aren't you proud of me for releasing a critter?
We celebrated cinco de mayo a night early with taco dinner! I love how Jacob ends up with as many black beans on his face as he does in his belly! Yummy Yummy!
We are preparing for Megan's dance recital and recently picked up her costume. Here's a sneak peek of what's to come with the "Boogie Shoes" production. Papa and Gan Gan are planning a trip down during that time so they'll get to attend her first dance recital! She's so excited they get to be here.

During play time this afternoon Megan decided to take on the dining room table! Guess who didn't win?
She calls it her fluffy lip! Poor thing.

Check back soon for pictures of Nana's visit (Beth's mom). Jacob's 2nd birthday party is coming up and I'm sure will bring entertaining shots for our enjoyment.

Thank you all for praying for our pastor Jason and his family as his parents continue to heal in New Orleans after their accident. They've both been transferred to treatment facilities that specialize in their needs. Jason continues to spend the week with them and travel home to his family here in Orlando on the weekends. Continue to pray for Jen as she loves on and cares for their 4 kids here.

Megan's First Soccer Game!

2009-04-21T22:41:00.003-05:00

Well, Megan's first soccer game was this past Saturday and she had a lot of fun. Her little buddy Matti was out of town and I wondered how she would do. The first picture shows Megan holding Daddy's hand. Jim kept having to encourage her to let go and run after the ball. She got a good kick in and ran over promptly to let me know "Mommy, I kicked the ball!" She was thrilled. It's more than soccer to us. We both desire for our kids to be healthy and active and are trying to foster that in them early. And in doing so, striving to become more active myself. Jim has always been active and is running in his first 5K this weekend. He's also serving as the assistant coach of her team this year. We're so excited for her and look forward to a fun season.

Family Night at Chick Fil A

2009-04-21T22:33:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures from family night at a local chick fil a. We decided to head over after Megan's first soccer practice. Bon Bon the clown was there to paint faces and make balloon shapes! The kids had a blast.

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-13T14:02:00.002-05:00

We love Easter and the celebration of Jesus! Because our Sunday mornings are so full we celebrate with our baskets in the afternoon. The kids had an egg hunt in the back yard and then checked out their Easter baskets. We soon went back out to play with bubbles and chalk after opening the so cute character eggs they received from Nana. Thanks Nana!

Our worship gathering was a fun time of celebration and a time full of prayer for our pastor's family. Please continue to pray for Jason as he is in New Orleans with his parents who continue to heal from the accident. Pray too for Jen as she loves on the kids here in Orlando. Our hearts are hurting with them and yet celebrating the peace and strength that only comes from our hope in Christ!

Megan starts soccer

2009-04-13T13:54:00.003-05:00

Megan had her first meet and greet with her soccer team on Saturday. As you can tell she and her buddy Matti were having a blast together. We are hoping the girls can concentrate enough on the ball to actually play some soccer this season! Matti's dad and our good friend Jamie is serving as the coach and Jim is assisting this season. More pictures to come as the season continues!

Visiting Mimi, Poppy and Uncle Jason

2009-04-09T22:20:00.004-05:00

Jackson was the next stop on our trip. Jim's parents are there and his brother is currently working there. We spent our mornings at the park just up the street, played a lot with Chloe (their fun loving little dauchsund. We of course had more cake and presents and generally a relaxing visit! Thank you guys for a fantastic visit! The last picture is my favorite of Bob (Poppy) in the middle of the kids in the back seat on the way to dinner. Love you all!

We then had a quick stop to finish up last things on the house before heading back to Florida. The kids and I drove 2,000 miles exactly! They were so wonderful and God blessed us with a safe trip. We're grateful to be home and getting back into our routine. Here was the last picture from our trip. It was our first stop on the way home. We got out just in time to miss the snow that started falling later that day! BRRRR! Much nicer going up 10 degrees with each stop rather than dropping cooler with each stop.

Special people

2009-04-09T22:01:00.004-05:00

You know how rare it is to find a special friend? I was so excited to get to stop and see our good friends the Huddlestons on our trip! I really didn't even mind that their neighbor backed into my car while I was there (felt much worse for her van). Our girls are about 9 months apart and love to play together. Trevor and Stacey always "steal" Megan when they come back for a visit. Stacey and I also share the exact same birthday and we both have curly blonde hair! How crazy is that? Needless to say, they are sweet friends and I had a great time visiting. The girls decorated Easter egg cookies together, played in the fort that covered the living room until Jacob knocked it down (by the way, really cool Trevor), enjoyed a Mickey Mouse bath bomb bath, colored and played with every toy in the house!

We spent the night with them and then went to visit my grandparents for the day. My grandmother has been recovering from pneumonia and I really didn't want to unleash Jacob's enthusiasm on her for much longer than a day! We had a great lunch together and then spent time playing together. Megan got to show off her new doll and how well all the clothes fit that grandmother had helped to make! I don't get to visit them nearly as often as I'd like. I used to spend all my school breaks and weeks during the summer with them. I'm very fortunate to still have them both and truly enjoyed our day together.

Visit with Papa and GanGan

2009-04-09T21:45:00.005-05:00

We also got to see my dad and step-mom who live near our TN house. Thank you guys again for all you've done to help me get the house ready to list! My mom scrubbed the kitchen and watched the kids while I went back and cleaned the rest of the house. My dad hung blinds, touched up paint, changed bulbs, scrubbed oil from the driveway and garage, changed filters, hauled trash and I'm sure more.....My brother handily runs a landscaping biz on the side so he worked tirelessly on the overgrown yard! You are all priceless and I love you all!

My nephew's birthday is the day after Megan's so we all got to get together to celebrate Calen's birthday! Jacob was beyond tired and bless his heart my brother tried so hard to keep him entertained!
Papa, Megan and Gan Gan

Gan Gan and Megan coloring

the birthday boy!

Uncle John flying Jacob!

Birthday at Nana's

2009-04-09T21:26:00.004-05:00

So the day after Megan's party I took off to Nashville with both kids to get our house back on the market. Since it was Megan's birthday you can imagine the gifts and cakes that were waiting at each grandparent's house! Our first stop was to stay at my mom's....aka Nana and what a birthday it was. My brother and his sweet wife and daughter were able to join us for dinner and doll cake before the girls received their gifts!

nana still has her talent!

sweet cousins!

the girls thanking nana for their American Girl dolls!

Yep, American Girl dolls complete with a case of clothes made by my mom and grandmother for each of the girls. Janna (my sis-in-law) and I had a lot of fun helping the girls change their doll's outfits. They even have a box of earrings or accessories as Fancy Nancy would say!

The Hello Kitty Party

2009-04-09T21:12:00.003-05:00

Well, Megan's girlie party was a blast! She had so much fun and I think everyone else did too!! Thank you moms who pitched in so much to help me. I can't believe my baby is 4! I remember her keeping us up nights and blowing the hair dryer to soothe her to sleep.....now we're in dance, starting soccer, and enrolling her in VPK. Where has the time gone?

the birthday girl herself.

We had 10 giggly girls and painted toenails and fingernails. We then decorated our goodie bags and played dress up. The pin the flower on Hello Kitty was next before we dug into yummy cupcakes, strawberries and strawberry lemonade. Megan loved all of her gifts--we packed many of them to take with us the next day on our trip to TN!

Here are a few pics of the day.

all the girls!

decorating goodie bags!

Happy 4th Birthday Megan! We love you!

Family Birthday Celebration

2009-03-27T08:31:00.004-05:00

This year Megan's birthday party is for girls only! And for that reason Daddy is taking Jacob out for the afternoon of her party. So, last night we let Megan choose where she wanted to eat and off to American Pie Pizza we went. (Not so much for the food, but they have wii set up above the table to play while you wait for your food.) She loves bowling and tennis best on the wii and had a great time! We let her go ahead and open her presents from us. The Cinderella doll from mommy and daddy and the small Cinderella doll with 4 pairs of tiny shoes and other small pieces from Jacob.

After dinner we went to our favorite dessert place.....twistee treat! This place is so cheap! We all eat ice cream for about $6!!! It doesn't get any better than that.

I'll post more pictures from her Hello Kitty party on Saturday. Then we're off to TN and I think will celebrate her birthday twice more with family, so stay posted for new pics of the princess herself!

A covert operation

2009-03-26T12:29:00.003-05:00

I needed to go to the Disney store to pick up Megan's birthday present--she's all about Cinderella ya know? Well, Jim kept the kids occupied while I ran in to pick out her doll. Here are a couple of pictures of her dodging the water Stitch spits from atop the store and the cool fountain at the entrance!

A milestone

2009-03-26T12:25:00.004-05:00

So many of you know that I always dreamed of having a Jeep Cherokee. They were new and so cool when I was in high school, but couldn't be had since I got the hand-me-down silver bullet of the family. (tribute for you Janna)

When we were pregnant with Meg we got a call from Jim's mom that she wanted to sell her Cherokee. We jumped at the chance and have been driving it ever since. Well, yesterday we hit a milestone. Yep, that odometer reads 99999! We're all about driving paid for cars until they just about don't drive anymore. Here's to the next 100000!

An afternoon at Sea World

2009-03-15T21:49:00.009-05:00

We are trying to soak in some time at Sea World before it gets way hot and crowded. This weekend we got to try some new things. Jim decided to feed the sting rays--Megan decided to pass. You have to hold the fish down on the bottom of the pool and it evidently feels funny when they glide over your arm.....

Megan decided to climb the tree house. It's a rope suspension course that gets really high. She went all the way to the top and swung in a tire swing! We're so proud of her for trying something new! I took Jacob over to play the steel drums while Meg climbed up high! He may be our drummer. Beware--drum sticks in the hands of a near 2 year old are dangerous objects!

We all took a spin on the swishy fishies. Think tea cups that lift into the air! A little dizzying, but smiles and fun all around.

Jacob's new "thumb's up!" How cute is he?

Our weekend ended with the launch of the shuttle. We were watching it on TV with Megan and decided to check to see if we could see it outside. So this was the view from our front porch! It was so exciting to watch with her. We hope to travel closer to the beach for a launch soon since there are only 9 more launches approved for NASA.

Play date with friends

2009-03-15T21:42:00.002-05:00

We love having friends come to play! Here are a couple of pictures from a recent visit from the two youngest Kelly boys while their mom got to attend a school function with their older brother. The kids are close in age and love playing together--plus they actually all get along which is wonderful when you go from 2 to 4!

Life these days

2009-03-15T21:29:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of us settling into our new home. God has been so good to provide a place for us to stay while our house in TN goes on the market! Megan helped me plant a few flowers to brighten up the front porch. She loves helping me water them every night. The kids have really enjoyed having the screened in porch out back. We filled the sand box up with the balls from the old ball pit and Megan can ride her tricycle! It's a great play place while I'm starting dinner.

Settling in

2009-03-05T19:15:00.002-06:00

Well, we are unpacked and settled in! Yes, we are moving masters it feels. Since we are staying in the home of friends we were able to move over things throughout the week making life easier for us and hopefully a little easier to our fantastic friends who moved all the heavy stuff! Megan loves the new house. We discovered last night that the Disney fireworks can be seen from our window upstairs. Megan was so excited to be able to watch the fireworks before bedtime! I imagine that will be our routine for the next few months while we're here.

A few of you have asked about the new place and wanted to see pictures. We're loving all the space and have plenty of room to spread out. We also have discovered that there are armadillos living in the yard! How crazy is that? We lived in Texas for 3 years and never saw one and then move to Florida and have two burroughs in the yard! We haven't yet seen them, only their holes. So, here are a couple of pictures since many of you won't get to visit during our short stay here. I love the quaint porch and the screened in porch covers the length of the back of the house! The kids have a playroom upstairs and we have room for the office! Yeah, a place for the library full of books!!! Well, it's the first night not packing, unpacking or filled with meetings so I'm off to relax.

Life is full of boxes!

2009-02-23T22:46:00.003-06:00

Well, we are in full swing move mode right now, so before I can't find the computer or time to sit down I just wanted to add a quick update.......

Megan is loving dance class and is gearing up for her recital in June! We've just registered her for VPK next fall. I'm excited for her, but can't imagine taking her to school every day when she's been with me nearly every day since she was born. We've chosen a Christian preschool that offers VPK. They are the only school near us that teach from a Christian curriculum. A lot of our friends have sent their kids to this school and we've met several other kids who will be going there in the fall. We'll let you know how it goes!

Jacob is loving life and going full throttle! He's ever the active one. We're so excited to hear more clearly enunciated words recently and are looking forward to conversations with our little man.

We are reminded of God's hand and provision every day--my dad spent much of last week in the hospital with pneumonia. He has been released and is recovering at home now. Karen has been dealing with sickness too, making it that much harder for them to take care of each other. My mom continues to receive good reports at each doctor's visit.

God has also blessed us abundantly with fantastic friends! We are moving into the home of sweet friends who are currently out of state working plus we have friends who have actually agreed to help us move AGAIN. We plan to stay about 3-4 months while we sell our house in TN and purchase a home here. Please be in prayer with us about this. We truly feel this is where we are meant to be and really want to "settle." It would be fantastic to find a home near great schools and begin life knowing that we don't have a move anywhere in the foreseeable future. We miss the connections with neighbors and are praying that God will bless us as He has before with great neighbors. I'll post a picture soon of the place we will call home for the next few months.

Well, I'm off to get rest for another full day tomorrow!

The pictures are of Jacob being silly and Megan with her ladybug blanket she got for Valentine's Day from her Nana!!!

A fantastic weekend!

2009-02-04T08:24:00.007-06:00

We have had a full and fun weekend. First of all we went to meet our good friends the Huddlestons at a character breakfast! It was a first for all of us and it was fun. Jacob's first word was Mickey or "gicky" as it comes from him....his first birthday was Mickey themed....so needless to say he was excited to see Mickey. He didn't quite know what to do when he got close though. After a yummy breakfast we headed over and spent the day at Magic Kingdom riding tea cups, small world, pooh, peter pan, buzz lightyear, pirates and playing in minnie's house. Megan loved playing with her buddy Avery and we truly had a great time hanging out with our friends. Stacey and I share the exact same birthday and crazy curly hair!

We got home for dinner and let the kids run around a bit before getting them to bed because Sunday was sure to be full! After the gathering we joined the Huddlestons for lunch and then napped before heading over to watch the Super Bowl with our church family. We held the first compassKIDS bowl and all the kids played a game of tag football. The dads then had their turn. We all headed back to the McGinns for our Mexican Fiesta while getting ready for kickoff. Now anyone who knows us knows that we cheer for the Steelers in our house. We were very happy for the win! It's been a good football year for Jim with the Gators and Steelers going all the way!

Well, here are a few pictures from our day at Disney and the Super Bowl.

Matti and Megan watching the game

Megan working on her football skills

Avery and Megan at Minnie Mouse's house

Jacob and the infamous paci--note how he pushes the ring up under his nose!

Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride

Megan and Avery ready to go!

waiting for the monorail

Megan, Avery, Jacob and Jim with Mickey

Meeting Pluto

Jacob starts the day with coffee (just kidding--it's empty!)

An average day.....

2009-01-26T22:13:00.002-06:00

Well, nothing spectacular happened today and yet it feels like a lot happened today. Megan was up from 2-4 this morning and then awake by 7:15! Oh yeah, I'm already scared of today before I even get to my cheerios! Well, I'm still coughing up a lung, Jacob woke with snot dried all over his face and Megan was up because she can't breath--combined we have a cold!

So, staying in the house just becomes miserable sometimes ya know? So, off to make a return and do a little toy shopping in exchange for Christmas shoes that didn't fit. We arrived home to find a sack of hand me downs so after Jacob went to bed I took Megan donning her purple pajamas, new pink tutu and blue flip flops to Target! Oh yeah, I was that mom who took her kid in what she was wearing in search of kleenex with lotion for my poor little girl's red nose! I should have taken a picture, but we were just enjoying our time today. (blessing each other after sneezes and reminding each other to cover our mouths when we cough).

Before we reached home for lunch Megan informed me that I was making her rude. What a teachable moment sharing how we choose our attitude and how God wants our hearts to be happy and to show Him rather than choosing to have a bad or "rude" attitude. And yes, I laughed at that scowl on her face proclaiming it mommy's fault that she was being rude.

We are planning this weekend for a visit from our great friends who moved to TN shortly after we did last year. They'll be here for a week and we'll get to hang out and let our little girls giggle and love on each other--I promise cute pictures will be posted. The girls are so sweet together!

Today we also had sweet friends worried about their little boy--they had to have tests done at the hospital and fortunately he's home now and all is good, but what a reminder of how fragile our little ones are!

So, I'll keep our snot, cough and stuffy nose! I'm blessed to get to snuggle and sit up all night to help her breath and make special trips to Target for Kleenex with lotion so my princess's nose doesn't hurt. I love an average day.....

Megan's new hobby

2009-01-23T07:35:00.004-06:00

One of Megan's favorite gifts for Christmas was a camera of her very own! I thought I'd add a couple pictures she's captured. I went to download them to the computer thinking she'd taken maybe 50 and there were almost 300! Most were of her red toenails, the carpet and furniture......there are options on the camera too that add backgrounds or accessories (hats/ears) to faces! Hope you enjoy! Thanks Mimi and Poppy!

Your address is written in pencil

2009-01-21T21:19:00.004-06:00

When I changed dorm rooms in college my aunt informed me that she had written my phone number in pencil because I moved around too much. I lived with one roommate for all 4 years, but I think we lived in 4 or 5 different rooms. Jim and I have moved often over our nearly 12 years together--sometimes close; sometimes far. A very close move is upon us again.

We recently were told that the house we are currently renting is being placed on the market and that our lease wouldn't be renewed. Within days we discovered that the family renting our house in TN is not going to stay beyond their lease either. So now, we need a home here and have an empty home there......

Tonight I'm happy to report we're on our way to a resolution! We have secured a short-term rental here in FL only minutes from where we are now (friends who currently are working out of town). We have also decided to put the TN house back on the market the first of April. Please pray with us that the house will sell quickly and that we will be able to settle a little more permanently by this summer. We're loving it here and Megan will be starting preschool next year so we're really hoping to stay very close by.

So, I hope you have your pencils handy to erase and rewrite and then erase again.......

Sweet friends!

2009-01-21T21:11:00.002-06:00

Megan and I both have been blessed with sweet friends! Our family joined the Y late in the fall in order for me to work out and have a place for the kids to stay while I do so. I've been blessed with a dedicated work-out buddy who has a daughter just about Megan's age. So while we work out the kids get to play. This has been a huge blessing because Meg is a bit clingy lately and doesn't like to "go at the Y" if her friend isn't going to be there. So let your friend know you appreciate them--we all need friends whether we're young or old(er).

(This picture is the girls sharing ice cream at Chick fil A after playgroup)

A stop at the playground

2009-01-21T21:07:00.002-06:00

Here are just a couple cute pictures from a recent afternoon at the playground!

It's a little cold here too!

2009-01-21T20:57:00.003-06:00

Sunday morning I got to work with Megan's compassKIDS class! The room where they meet has coffee filter snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and Meg was so excited to see the snow! Granted, that's probably as close as we'll get--other than looking at pictures on other's blogs....but just so you know it is a little cool here.

On Friday we bundled up and took the kids back to Sea World for the afternoon. Megan's been missing Shamu she told us! I'm not sure if you can see their little red noses, but under the covering of the shows the wind was nippy.....enjoy the cool. I just heard the weather man say "the 70's are back!" So who's coming to visit the warmth first?

Hopkins family Christmas

2009-01-05T20:54:00.004-06:00

This year we were able to stop by for the Hopkins family Christmas too. My mom and her sisters along with my grandparents all gather when we can. I truly love my family and was grateful for the time to see them and catch up a bit! Each year my Granddaddy reads Luke's account of the birth of Christ. It was neat to see Megan truly hearing him for the first time this year.

Christmas with Mimi and Poppy

2009-01-05T16:17:00.007-06:00

Megan and Chloe

Uncle Jason and the kids!

Jim and big brother Chuck

Jacob snuggling with Mimi

Megan helps make candy cane cookies!

Our trip ended over in Jackson with Jim's folks. Megan loves to visit their Chloe (long hair daschund). Jim's brother and one step brother were able to come as well. Megan got to help Mimi with the batch of candy cane cookies this year! What a big helper! Jim is excited--this is one of his favorite traditional goodies each year.

You know when you're just going to have a rough day? Many of you know I have a very messed up stomach so when I woke up sick the day we were driving home I knew it would be a very long day! Little did I know I was in for a rough 24 hour stomach bug. I'll try not to be graphic, but as we were stuck in Georgia traffic Jacob starts laughing at my unfortunate sickness. How silly that my being sick made him laugh, but hey....a little comic relief did us all some good. I think it took us about 14 hours to get home (plus we lost an hour....). We were ever grateful for our beds that night and a restful Sunday afternoon : ) We're all rested and fortunately noone else caught the stomach bug!

Christmas with Nana

2009-01-05T16:03:00.004-06:00

Alana and Meg in their cow pjs

Jacob's new hat and football

John, Janna and Jim

Alana and Meg fishing

the annual picture in nana's chair

This was a special Christmas with my mom (Nana). After the year she's had I think we all were more appreciative of each other and the time together. We began our day at Opryland having pictures taken of the kids (so we thought). Jim and I didn't really dress for a photo shoot, but needless to say we all jumped in to help wrangle the kids. I'll add some of these pictures once I get them (hint hint nana.....)

Here are some fun pictures with my brother, his wife Janna and their daughter Alana.

Our first stop

2009-01-05T15:34:00.005-06:00

Janna and Katie

Papa and Gan Gan

Calen and Eli

Jacob the reindeer

Megan with her antlers

Alana and Megan

So, when you're preparing for a 10+ hour trip what's the last thing you want to break? Oh yeah, the DVD player in the car!!!!! We had wonderfully gracious friends who allowed us to take their portable player with us to help entertain the kids on the long trip. Thank you so much Maria!!!! The kids were fantastic and we drove all day to reach my dad's that evening. The kids were so excited to see Papa and Gan Gan. We got to see my step sister and her family, my step brother and my brother and his family. Since arriving home we've learned that my step sister Katie and her hubby Randall are expecting their first child together! Congratulations again you guys. We're so excited to meet this new little one. We have 5 grandkids on this side so excitement was in the air. Here are a few pics from our time there.

Collins family Christmas

2009-01-03T16:26:00.005-06:00

Since we were traveling to Tennessee this year for Christmas we decided to have our family Christmas before we left. We wanted the kids to open their presents and be able to play a while before we loaded up for the long trip since their presents weren't easily transported this year. Jacob got his first train table and Megan got a new stroller. She also got a ClickStart First Computer which she is quickly learning to master. I'm amazed at how she's figured out so much on her own so quickly. We let them play with the big things that weren't wrapped then we stopped for a yummy homemade breakfast complete with the reading of the Christmas story from Meg's Bible. We then let them open the rest of their gifts and play for the day while we packed and got ready for our journey..... Here are pics from The Collins family Christmas.

December Fun

2009-01-03T14:24:00.002-06:00

So, it's taken me some time to get caught up with all the technological stuff I got for Christmas, but I figured it all out today, so here comes some catch up on the blogging!!!!! Woo hoo! Thank you mama and Kelly for my new computer and Jim for my new camera! I'm in hog heaven with all these gadgets that work and are fun to use!

I'll start this blog with a couple pictures from early in the month. Megan got a bag of hand-me-downs that included a peter pan costume. Then my mom aka nana came to visit with new toothbrushes.....they light up and blink for a minute so you know how long they've been brushing. The kids LOVE their new toothbrushes. The last pics are of gingerbread houses we made at the Y with our sweet friend Bo before the Couchs moved to GA. Megan and Bo were born about a month apart and have been the sweetest of friends their whole young lives. (Meg wasn't really in a picture mood, but they did have fun making and eating their houses.)

December happenings

2008-12-13T07:30:00.004-06:00

So, I've been bad about keeping up with the blog lately and I do apologize. Some of you may know that the week of Thanksgiving I spent the week almost entirely in bed. I've never experienced a back injury like this and was so grateful to my fantabulous hubby for keeping the house running, the kids fed, clothed and clean. My fantastic friends brought food, kept my kids so my hubby could actually get some work done and prayed for my healing. I'm always so prompt getting into the Christmas season and this year......well, it just didn't happen. I couldn't pull out the decorations. I didn't get the Christmas card picture taken as early as I wanted and I sure didn't stand in my kitchen making goodies. So, Jim helped with decorating (and we too Janna went very simple this year). I just received the Christmas cards in the mail and have gotten them ready to go out early next week. Megan helped me last night to make simple treats--I still can't stand in the kitchen all day.

This Christmas is meaning more to me this year. As I look at my kids and where God has taken us this year I'm grateful to be together as a family. We have sweet friends who are moving, some about to have a baby anyday, others truly hurting over lost jobs, health issues and family brokenness. It makes you think. What is truly important this season? Our church family has really adopted the Advent Conspiracy this season and is working to support Living Water International. Jim is helping lead a toy drive at the school where we worship. Megan is hearing about these things and truly getting it. Last night she decided her footie pajamas are too hot for her in Florida and then informed me she'd like to give them to a kid that doesn't have any pajamas!

We've really only been doing normal life things. We haven't been able to do many really festive things/programs. We were able to go to light up Winter Garden, have visited Downtown Disney (for 1 of the Christmas card attempts) and driven around to look at lights some. We're trying to plan a trip to Sea World.....Miss Pattycake was in town, but that was the first day I was down with my back, so Meg had to miss that. We're trying not to overdo it this year. You know how sometimes you get so busy and just don't have time to stop and enjoy who Christ is and what God did for us by sending His Son? Maybe my back is God's way of slowing me down, maybe the fact that Jacob still goes to bed at 6:30 is helping us remain calm....whatever it is, we're grateful!

Just wanted to share a funny story with you. Some of you are seeing the depth of Megan's 3 year old dramatic side........a couple of days ago she seemed to be having a pretty bad day and was sent to her room to cool off on several occasions. On I think her final trip Jim and I were in the kitchen and hear her proclaim "I've been in here for years and years!" We both just crack up! Oh that the 2 minute timer would go off faster for her!

We pray that you are able to take time to enjoy this Christmas! We're loving doing small things this season as a family. May God bless you and your family!

Christmas card rejects

2008-12-11T20:08:00.002-06:00

We think our kids are cute .... and much more photogenic than we are which is why we choose to make them the object of our Christmas cards each year. When it was just Megan it wasn't so hard, but getting two kids to look at the camera and both have an un-goofy look, dare say a smile, is getting really hard to do. So I had to share a few of the funniest "reject" pictures. Hope you get some laughs.....I know Jim and I did!

Thanks

2008-11-18T22:21:00.003-06:00

Thank you Alana, Aunt Janna and Uncle John! We got our package and are having fun with all our goodies. I love making everybody laugh with my funny teeth! See you guys at Christmas!

Halloween pictures...better late than never?

2008-11-18T22:13:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I'm so late getting these pictures posted. Here are pictures from our Halloween night out. Megan had so much fun this year! She loved saying "trick or treat" and is still enjoying rations of her candy. Jacob was too funny this year--I guess we need to do a trial run of the costume several times next year. He absolutely hated his costume and screamed until we took it off, so you'll notice him trick or treating as a toddler. I just had to include the one where we tried for the cute Halloween picture.

Santa and 87 degrees

2008-11-18T21:49:00.004-06:00

Now I know we're not from way cold country, but as we were waiting for Santa's arrival at the mall last weekend it was SOOOOO hot! We met with friends from our church family, ate dinner and all went outside to dance until Santa arrived on top of the Cheesecake Factory! The mall tree was lit and the fans blowing that fake snow felt so good. Megan seemed a bit overwhelmed by the crowd, but they both truly loved that snow.

After welcoming Santa we then went with friends to watch the nighttime shuttle launch. You might notice the blur of orange in the sky! How cool to watch from Central Florida as the shuttle made it's way into space. This was Megan's first look at a launch--she loved the fire in the sky. Amazing. Jim's decided he's glad he's not on this mission as they test turning urine to drinkable water at the space station!

Just some laughs

2008-11-18T21:46:00.004-06:00

I think everyone has figured out by now that our home like everyone else's is full of fun with two little ones running around. Here are some pictures of that literally....I heard Jacob yesterday run into the kitchen and saw something behind him. Oh yes, he's trailing a long string of toilet paper--giggling his little head off. Meg thinks this is great fun and joins in the chase! Pretty soon guests won't only be locked out of our toilets but you'll have to search for toilet paper too--nothing is out of his reach! He keeps us on our toes and in constant laughter for sure.

Crazy candy week

2008-11-04T13:11:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure why, but we always end up with more candy than we buy to hand out. Somehow my math is off--I need there to be more gone than in my house. I'm weak and can't walk by and sniff that chocolate without reaching my hand in. Thank goodness for bite size huh?

We took the kids last weekend to my favorite little produce place to pick out the perfect pumpkin. I guess we let it sneak up on us but we just couldn't find time to do the whole pumpkin patch experience. But hey, for $25 we had one big pumpkin, two little ones and three bags of fresh fruits and veggies! Oh how I miss maters and taters! On Sunday we went to trick or treat at Sea World for a bit with some sweet friends who have a little girl close to Jacob's age. We let Jacob have his first lollipop.

On Friday we stayed in the neighborhood, but were only getting exercise and a frustrated preschooler not understanding why no one was home to give her candy when she knocked on the door. She had perfected her "trick or treat" too! Megan was Dora this year and Jacob was a giraffe for about 30 seconds. You'll notice him screaming in the picture--it's the only one we got with his face showing before we quit that fight and let him go dressed as himself! So, we left a full bowl on the porch, loaded up and went to downtown Winter Garden and ran into some friends, walked around a bit and got a little more candy. All in all a great and fun week. Hope yours was fun and full of memories too.

I'll add pictures when Jim gets home with the computer tonight!

I voted-did you?

2008-11-04T13:08:00.002-06:00

I hope that you were all able to get out and vote. I opted for the absentee ballot after hearing how long they were expecting the lines to be. I couldn't imagine trying to do that with two kids in tow.....I promise to utilize the next election as a teaching moment : o ) Jim and I both want the kids to understand the process and how important it is to vote! What a sacrifice so many have made to allow us the opportunity to vote our conscience. Now we're just praying that Florida isn't the center of a recount again! I got too anxious waiting to hear who won!

Tag--You're It!

2008-10-21T16:15:00.003-05:00

Well, a friend tagged me on her blog with a challenge to share 7 quirky things and to tag 7 friends to respond.....so here comes probably a little more than you ever knew about me!

1. I've never learned to ride a bike.

2. I don't blow my nose in front of just anyone....it goes beyond even close friends too. I just can't blow my nose in front of people.

3. I can't sleep with socks on my feet. My little toes have to breathe.

4. I put sugar on my rice and strawberries.

5. I have a freckle on the bottom of my right foot.

6. I don't/can't dance....I think it's a rhythm thing. Even though I sing and play the piano I can't really keep a beat. Maybe that's why all my teachers harped on me to use my metronome.

7. I can't take a nap or sleep without being covered up. Even if I'm hot, I have to have covers on me!

So there's 7 quirky things about me and now I tag:
Janna M.
Amy P.
Mary G.
Laura C.
Cindy G.
Amber M.
Cristina H.

So even if you don't blog--just respond and we'll be able to see a little more quirky about you too.

Megan's first fish

2008-10-20T15:58:00.005-05:00

Saturday was a milepost for our little girl. It was her first fishing experience! And yep--she caught one (with a little help from Daddy). We got to celebrate our sweet friend Max's first birthday and played at the playground and pond. Each of the kids took turns and Meg was most excited to catch this little guy! Her catch wasn't quite as big as Jackson's though--he caught Austin! (luckily just his shirt) Happy Birthday Max!

On the mend

2008-10-16T10:23:00.004-05:00

Well, chemo is over for my mom! She had her final treatment last Wednesday and made it through the weekend. Her sickness wasn't as bad as it has been and for that we're grateful. The only side effect that seems to remain is neuropathy (numbness in her hands and feet). She's treating the numbness with medication and has a slew of follow up doctor appointments, but is very grateful to be on this side of treatment! We are all so grateful for the friends, friends of family and family who have prayed, prepared a meal, sent a card, made a call to check on her, kept her company, taken her to an appointment, brought a gift, etc.....God has used you in such a special way during this time and we thank you.

Cutest kids in the universe!

2008-10-10T22:44:00.003-05:00

I have had a lot of time with my kids this week since Jim's been gone and it's been tough at times, but more than that it's been fun. As Megan and I made a treat for Daddy's return tomorrow I couldn't help but think about how much fun I have just hanging out with these two wonderful children God has blessed me with. We've been intentionally busy this week but we've had fun! I'm grateful for focused alone time with my kiddos! I'm also grateful to have Jim home - our family isn't complete without him. We've missed you babe!

These pics are Meg eating all the strawberries out of my fruit, Jacob with a snack and in bunny slippers and Meg all dolled up in her new dance outfit!

Not for the faint of stomach!

2008-10-10T22:39:00.002-05:00

So, here's one more that I couldn't resist......if you've been reading this blog for any length of time you know my fear of slithery creatures in my house. I consider myself a pretty neat person--every night all the toys are put away, things in their place, etc.....so imagine my surprise when I'm putting the balls back into the ball pit last night and see this sticking out from under the edge! Oh yeah, it's a petrified frog! I guess it fell from the window? EEEEWWWW!

New pictures......

2008-10-10T22:30:00.004-05:00

So, I've had many sleepless nights and yet I haven't gotten pictures uploaded to the blog until now! I was able to upload and order from shutterfly so now I'm ready for a scrapbooking marathon....anyone interested?

Here are a couple of recent pictures from the last few weeks....(Jacob snuggled in, Meg in her sheep ears, making a pizza, chef Jacob and Gran with Jim and the kids)

Catching up

2008-10-07T15:31:00.003-05:00

**Update** The kids and I were able to run a little something over to Elini and Diego tonight and my heart is hurting for her. When I asked if they needed anything she only asked for prayer and then teared up as she shared that it hurt so much to leave the hospital without her baby--that's not the way we dream it will be! She is precious in her pictures, barely larger than Elini's palm.....she weighs 2 pounds and 10 ounces. Estella seems to be fighting and doing well.

Well, Jim made it back from his reunion with most of his college roommates and they had a blast! The guys hadn't seen each other all together in 11 years so they had a lot of catching up to do. We've seen many of them over the years with each of their families, but distance and life has prevented such a reunion of everyone all at once. I'm blessed because these men are a part of my husband's life. They have encouraged, grown and laughed together over the years and I'm grateful for what they mean to Jim.

With Jim gone I tried hard to keep the kids busy! We went for walks (Meg walked all the way around to the lake and back), fed the ducks, visited the library, got the car fixed AGAIN and even fit in a trip to Sea World. They've started the trick-or-treating so we checked out the new Count (Sesame Street) show and loaded up on some sugar and mini bananas. Jacob loved those! We were very excited to see Daddy yesterday and had some good time before he left this morning for a conference. We ran errands today and have things planned every day until he comes home!

So much is going on all around us and we're loving being able to love on our friends around us right now. Mama is set for her final chemo treatment tomorrow as long as the doctor gives her the okay in the morning. We are so excited for this graduation! As you are praying we would appreciate prayers for our next door neighbors. They are Christ followers and are from Brazil. Elini was hospitalized two weeks ago and delivered her baby Estella on Saturday at 28 weeks. Mommy was able to come home yesterday and Estella will be in the hospital until her due date in December! Please pray for this sweet family as they are separated and begin this new chapter in their lives.

I pray that you are having a great week! Jim left his computer behind, so I promise on one of my sleepless nights this week to add some new pictures of the kids : )

Going home today

2008-10-02T08:28:00.003-05:00

Well, my mom just met with her oncologist and they are ordering the pic line and she should be able to go home from the hospital this afternoon. We are super excited that she'll be able to continue the antibiotics at home and is on schedule to have her final chemo treatment next Wednesday. Thank you all so much for praying for my mom through this. We are grateful that everything that has come up has been addressed quickly to allow her treatment to continue. We are hopeful for the day when chemo is done and the healing can begin. God is good -- God is enough. I'm so grateful He loves us especially in the small things!!

Fun little facts.....

2008-10-01T14:06:00.003-05:00

Okay, so several of my buddies have done this on their blogs so I thought I'd join in the fun....feel free to copy and change the answers on your own blog......

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? not sure--never tried--afraid the dairy might get me!
2. Do you own a gun? not now, we have in the past although I never shot them
3. What's a favorite drink at Starbucks or other specialty coffee house? caramel macchiato (made with soy milk--again with the dairy)
4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning ? orange/strawberry/banana juice
5. Do you do push-ups? girls can do those too?
6. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? engagement ring and my mother's bracelet
7. Favorite hobby? scrapbooking and I'm just starting to make cards
8. Do you have A.D.D.? only when trying to major multi-task
9. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? speak before I think
10. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I hope my mom goes home from the hospital tomorrow, I'm hot (Ali flash), and I gotta pee.
11. Name 4 drinks you regularly drink. coke, sweet iced tea, Mt. Dew and OJ
12. Current worry right now? my mom in the hospital
13. Current hate right now? that Jim is about to be gone for a week and a half!
14. Favorite place to be? in the pool or at the beach (on the sand, not in the water)
15. Do you like to travel? I like the destination and the actual travel is better now that the kids are a little older
16. What color shirt are you wearing? green
17. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? sounds hot
18. Can you whistle? nope although not for not trying!
19. Favorite color? green
20. If you could would you be a pirate? no
21. What song do you sing in the shower? usually what we sang last Sunday or what Megan got stuck in my head : )
22. Favorite girl's name? Megan/Lauren
23. Favorite boy's name? Jacob/can't think of others right now
24. What's in your pocket right now? lint
25. Favorite bedsheets as a child? had a white comforter with red roses (still have it) and a silky purple pillowcase my great-grandmother made me
26. Worst injury? 2 c-sections or split chin when I passed out in 7th grade
27. Do you love where you live? love the city/area-not so much the house
28. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2
29. Who is your loudest friend? Janna--my sis-in-law (love ya : ))
30. How many pets do you have? only the stray lizards
31. Does someone have a crush on you? none that I know of
32. What is your Favorite Book? light fiction----get lost in a story
33. What's your favorite candy? Runts and anything chocolate
34. Favorite Sports Team? Steelers and Gators (honestly don't personally care, but these are our family teams-yes I root along to get to live here)
35. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? This is way to early to be up!

A busy few days

2008-10-01T07:07:00.005-05:00

Well, the past few days have been busy and I've been a little too preoccupied to post, so here's a snapshot to catch you up on what we're up to.

I was able to drop the kids at MDO last Thursday and had nothing planned so I went grocery shopping to stock up for a visit from Jim's Gran who came for a few days. Then I got almost all of my house cleaned--all at the same time! Then the kids got up from their naps and it was time to start over, but I'm really getting better at the kid clutter--trying to remember that I'll only have ball poppers and Polly Pockets in my house for a season!

Jim's Gran arrived late Saturday night and joined us for all of our Sunday festivities--worship gathering, family lunch, small group, etc. Monday was Meg's dance class and a couple of errands. Since we don't have a guest room we let Gran have Meg's room and moved Meg onto a mattress in Jacob's room. He's already asleep and she can just slip in right? Well, no! Every time he rolled over Meg thought he was awake and would pop up to entertain him. I would hear voices on the monitor and then laughter......Needless to say sleep has been a bit interrupted the past couple of days and a TOTAL meltdown occurred in Target. Not only is my kid beyond reason in front of Gran, but a good friend is there too, and oh yeah, plus the whole store full of shoppers and employees. Anyway a good nap was in store for all and calm was restored.

Monday night I was able to go out to eat to celebrate with my sweet friend who is awaiting the arrival of baby #3. 9 of us gals gathered around the table to celebrate Kari, her family and this sweet little one only weeks from entering our lives. What a precious time.

In the meantime, my mom has been battling an infection and upon her visit to the doctor on Monday was admitted to the hospital for some heavy duty IV antibiotics. They had to drain infection from her surgery site which was evidently very unpleasant, but after 2 pounds was drained she felt near immediate relief. She's still in the hospital and my brother and friends are watching her closely! (meaning that right now plans for me and the kids to head up to TN are pending the outcome of her hospital stay) This does postpone her final chemo until next week which also means that her "graduation party" was rescheduled. (Her coworkers planned a party and all of them are wearing hats!) How fun is that? Can't wait to see those pictures. Mama just called as I was typing and says that she'll be in the hospital a bit longer. The infection is building back up and they may have to drain it again or possibly insert a drain. Please be in prayer with us for this infection to clear, chemo to be completed and healing to begin in her body.

Tuesday was a shopping day for me, Jacob and Gran while Meg enjoyed a playdate with her little friend. We enjoyed dinner out last night (thanks for dinner Gran) and Megan got all dolled up by the clown at family night! Jim then had a meeting, but it was early to bed since he took Gran to the airport at 4:30 am!

Gran is off to NC this morning and we're settling in for a restful morning to get back into some semblance of a routine. Jim is heading out this weekend to TN for a fun-filled reunion with his college roommates! We tried to arrange for all of the spouses and kids to come, but with newborns and school it was too large a task for this trip. We girls are glad to settle for some snuggle time at home with sweet smelling babies!!!

I'll try to post pictures tonight from Jim's computer from Gran's visit and other recent doings.....

Preserving contentment

2008-09-23T09:32:00.004-05:00

You know that feeling when God is trying to get something through your head? He has been working in my heart for a long time, but a lot lately on being content. I don't know why I'm so selfish--always looking forward to bigger and better. (buying a house here, a car that isn't in the shop all the time, new clothes.....) How do I so easily forget His provision when stepping out in faith? How do I forget a healthy family? How do I forget His love when walking through a storm? He has been SO FAITHFUL to me.

Our pastor a few weeks ago really touched a nerve in me when he challenged us with this very thing--that Christ in our lives is enough. Our ladies Bible study is currently going through a study entitled "Resting in Him"--the thought to be content and rest in who Christ is and where we are in each season of life. I love when He overlaps in our lives to really teach us what we need to learn.

Recently several of my friends have been through so much and yet their attitudes are such an encouragement to me. I've not just learned I've miscarried, I'm not going through chemo, my second story isn't about to be ripped off my house while I'm 6 months pregnant, my kitchen isn't covered in a garbage bag while mold is removed and I'm 8 months pregnant, I'm not out of state caring for a parent after major surgery, I'm not in the hospital at 26 weeks waiting until my baby comes, I'm not dealing with chronic pain........and yet why at times am I so discontent? God has truly brought this to my attention. I am facing each day ever knowing that Christ in my life is sufficient! So, if you catch me in an overwhelmed moment please know that I'm working on it...I give you permission to speak into my life and remind me that He is sufficient!

My prayer is that I become so content in Who He is that everything else just melts away. I have seasons and yet I pray that this is a constant in my heart......So I'm grateful for a car that can be fixed and a quiet morning at home to play with my kids and love listening to their laughs and raspberries! I'm thrilled to hear Megan singing praise songs as she runs around playing. Lord keep my focus shifted to YOU! I'm off to play with my two little blessings.

Lizards are falling on my head!

2008-09-22T14:52:00.002-05:00

You read right--lizards (not raindrops) are falling on my head! It's about to rain and I was trying to cover our new grill back up since the grill cover was askew from our latest winds. I opened the door after checking the screen and the track for those pesky little things. Wouldn't you know a lizard fell from above hit my arm and scurried outside--at least he had that sense about him. I don't know how to contain my screams--I sure hope my children aren't scarred by my total fear of these harmless creatures!

I recently watched a friend's two youngest boys and a lizard got in while their parents were dropping them off. Poor dad had to catch that little guy to get him out before leaving for his meeting. I tell ya, if they don't get out on their own or with someone else helping them I grab for the fly swatter--gotta use it for something here right?

Dueling raspberries!

2008-09-22T14:38:00.002-05:00

My husband came up with that title.....isn't he smart? Wonder what it means?

Today after taking the car back to the shop for the 3rd time Jim dropped us off and had lunch before going back to work. After we got the kids settled and food in front of them he looked at me and asked "hear that?" Silence hung in the air for a few moments while their initial bites took the edge off their hunger. Not a minute later we hear one raspberry then the other one raspberries back. "Now that's more like what I'm used to hearing." So we enjoyed our lunch over a raspberry duel! Bon apetite!

***With that said--my car is now in pieces/broken/at the garage until tomorrow. They really think they have it this time--it's the electrical fan motor, shroud and relay. I'm hopeful they know what all that is because I haven't a clue! Sounds reasonable that a broken fan would cause the AC to blow hot air and cause the car to overheat making all the pretty lights come on. Right?***

because I know you're wondering.....

2008-09-11T21:58:00.004-05:00

Driving around doing errands today we decided to meet Jim for lunch. As I pulled into his parking lot the car starts blowing hot air in my face. Now maybe fall is starting to cool things off for some people, but here it's still like 95 degrees and HUMID!!! Then that dreaded red light came on and the temp. gauge went all the way up. My wonderful hubby ran to get us lunch and meet us at the car place. Can't you see us eating our Chick-fil-A in the waiting room? I called the mechanic on our way and they had a spot ready for us! Needless to say, by the end of the afternoon we had a new thermostat--my brother guessed right--too bad he wasn't close to fix it : ) Apparently when you put it in hot water it's supposed to open and mine didn't so they hope that's got her fixed. Guess we'll find out when I drive the kids all gussied up tomorrow to go have pictures taken huh?

Dance class take 2

2008-09-10T09:57:00.003-05:00

Well, after a week off for labor day it was time to go back to dance class on Monday. Jim and I both gave her the you're a big girl...don't you want to dance with your friends...you know the talk speech. We got there and I had told her I'd be at the window watching and if she got sad she could give me a kiss and go right back to dancing. She did just that and flitted around like a princess. She was most impressed with the princess sparkles she got as a reward for participating in class. (glitter sprinkled on her arm) Here's hoping to many more exciting classes!

Of course it runs like a dream....

2008-09-10T09:13:00.004-05:00

Ever have one of those cars? You know what I'm talking about. You drive it, lights come on, it shakes, the ac blows hot in your face, sometimes it doesn't start......You take it in to the garage and they tell you that it drives like a dream. There are no codes showing up. The air was so cold he had to turn it off. What? Are you sure you drove my car? Well, no lights are on although the air still gets hot....what do you do? I plan to drive until more lights come on or I have to call the tow truck.

My best car not fixed story is my Oldsmobile Cutlass that wouldn't let me put gas in! Yep, you heard right. I'd put that nozzle in and gas would spew out all over the ground (and my legs and feet) Try explaining that one. The guy had the nerve to ask if I was putting the nozzle in right. My sarcastic side was working overtime, but I restrained myself from responding that after 15 years of filling up my own car I had magically forgotten how to put gas in a car...... After being stranded at the dealership in the fun-filled city of Chattanooga just short of our bed and breakfast destination we got to the root of that issue.

As a side note my hand me down phone is one of those fancy monsters with the keyboard--the y doesn't work unless you mash hard! I received a hand me down computer after mine bit the dust and wouldn't you know, not the y but the n is the sticker button here! How funny......

Anybody have a great crazy car story? I know my brother could share several--talk about crazy cars.........

Wednesday--chemo #3

2008-09-10T09:07:00.003-05:00

***UPDATE***Mama just called and is still getting the last of her saline. They actually decided to change the chemo drug today since she's had such reactions the first two times. It comes from the same tree, just a different part. There's not much research to show how effective or dangerous it is to change mid-treatment, but she even commented that hopefully it will help someone else who might be having trouble with the other type! I'm amazed at people who are willing to take those risks. She and her friend Sheila were already planning a stop for dinner on the way home (since she usually has a couple of days before she feels really bad). ***

As you can see from the title today is chemo #3 for my mom. I know she would appreciate your prayers through the next several days. Her friend Sheila is going with her to keep her company today : ) I'm so grateful God gives us the "family" we need around us to support and love us through our journey.

Going into this treatment mama is feeling stronger. Her blood cells were low and so they gave her a shot to boost her through. The goal is to keep her strong enough to complete treatment without having to delay her chemo. She also has new nausea medicine that she can take twice a day regardless if she's sick or not that has really helped! (rather than the kind you take when you need it....well after you need it)

I'll keep you posted on how she's doing. Thank you to all of you for loving me while I'm away from my mom during this time and thank you especially to her friends who are with her every step of the way. She's blessed to have you all in her life!

Megan's first dance class

2008-08-27T00:06:00.003-05:00

Monday was Megan's first dance class! She attended a class one day a few months back with a friend and loved it. We've talked about it and she was so excited to go. Two of her friends are in the class I've signed her up for and yet she spent the whole class sitting in my lap at the back of the room......By the time class was over she didn't want to leave, so I'm hoping that now that she has seen what they do that she will jump in next time and dance in her new clap shoes! (That's what she calls her tap shoes) We've practiced heel drops and toe drops along with plies and first positions. So, here's to hoping that next class is a load of fun!!! I did at least get a picture of the new pink leotard before the meltdown......

Fun at Nana's

2008-08-26T23:58:00.005-05:00

First I want to thank all of you who prayed for our trip and specifically for my mom. We planned the trip to stay and see my mom through her second chemo treatment. She made it through but is having a rough time these days following the treatment. She decided once her hair started coming out to go ahead and let it go. Being prepared she has 4 wigs and a variety of hats to don her head. This is where the fun comes in......Megan and my neice Alana decided to have a fashion show with the wigs. Megan decided she looks like grandmother with the short gray wig on. I'll try to add a little video with the girls dancing and singing in the mirror.

Happy 60th Anniversary!

2008-08-26T23:49:00.004-05:00

Our trip to Tennessee was ultimately scheduled to celebrate my grandparents' 60th anniversary. All of us were able to gather at a restaurant to celebrate and had a wonderful time. My grandfather is a man of few words, so when I asked how they got engaged his response was "well, we decided to get married so I went to Memphis and bought a ring." I love that they still love each other and honestly still like each other. I pray that God blesses Jim and me with enough years to celebrate our 60th anniversary. Jim has already instructed Megan that she will throw us a huge party when that day comes--hope you'll all plan to be there. So, save the date--June 1st of 2057.....