Happy New Year

For New Year's we are going to be at home with the kids. We are even going to keep Maggie and Carter so John and Alaina can go to Jerry's for game night. We expect a little rowdiness, but we also expect to bring in the New Year with lots of hugs and kisses. I'm not very big on resolutions for the New Year since really you can resolve to anything you want at any time during the year. However, I like to list my hopes for the new year:
I hope to decrease some debt.
I hope to shed some pounds.
I hope Cinco becomes more obedient.
I hope the boys do well in sports.
I hope Lily enjoys starting school.
I hope I can catch up on my scrapbooking.
I hope we all get to go camping.
I hope Alabama has a good football season.
I hope our jobs are fun, exciting, rewarding, and stressless.
I hope Alaina has another baby.
I hope Mom and Dad stay healthy.
I hope gas prices stay down.
I hope it's not too hot this summer.

What do you hope for?

More Pics

New Pics

Here are some pics from Christmas. Tyler got a guitar, Jackson got a bike, and Lily got a bunch of little stuff. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

I'm planning on uploading pictures this weekend while I'm off work.

Hope everyone has a great Christmas!!!!

Holiday Rush

I noticed (with a little hint from Aunt Bonnie) that I have neglected this blog for about a month now!!!!! Man, time flies when you're busy.

Since Thanksgiving, we have been relishing in Bama's win over Auburn, but mourning the loss to Florida. Stay tuned for the outcome to the Jan 2 Sugar Bowl game against Utah.
We've been busy getting prepared for Christmas as well. We got another live tree this year, but went with the tall, slender fir instead of the one we got last year. Not sure exactly which species because that stuff just isn't important to me. What's important is that the tree is gorgeous. It took me 3 hours to put it all up. I even handmade some of the ornaments (birds) on the tree this years and added lots of ribbon to the ball ornaments. I'll post pics from the home computer later.
We even decorated the outside of the house this year and it looks quite nice when the wind doesn't blow down the trees on the porch! The weather has been terrible here. Freezing and rainy one day, ultra mild temps and rain the next day.....the one constant is the rain......over 9 inches in the last 2 weeks! No longer considered drought area here!

The weather was to blame for the bronchitis and laryngitis I had, but I'm talking again!!! Lily is feeling fine as well and that makes Christmas merry in and of itself. She went with me and mom and Alaina and Maggie to see Ivy dance in the Nutcracker ballet performance in Atlanta last week. She thought the dresses and make up were pretty, but she would rather have heard a concert, I think. Maggie seemed to really enjoy the ballet and even wants to start dance lessons. Grandma Mary gave both of the girls a porcelain sugar plum fairy after the ballet and encouraged the girls to dance and have fun. I thought that was really neat and Lily loves how beautiful her fairy is.

Most of you will be receiving our family Christmas Card in the mail soon. Thank you to those who have sent ones to us! The picture I chose was my favorite from a session we had last month with a local photographer and friend of mine. I think the kids look great and the photo really details how different each child is in looks and personality, but also shows how alike they are because they are family.

We are busy finishing up Christmas parties and Christmas shopping. Will probably put the Well St house up for sale after the holidays and perhaps move back into Shepard Dr if Well St sells first. Shepard has more room anyway. Besides, it may be possible that Brandon will need to look for another job in the next 2-3 weeks. His company may be on the chopping block and there is the possibility that his job will be cut. We're both kind of stressed to the max right now, but for some weird reason I'm in a hopeful and pleasant mood today. Maybe it was the elf I ran over in the Target parking lot or the 8 pounds of chocolate fudge I had for breakfast. Who knows.

I've got some great pictures to post, but I never seem to want to get on the computer when I'm at home. I'll make an effort this weekend, so you guys have something new to look at as well.

Happy Thanksgiving

We are going to the Vassar's for lunch and Mom's for dinner. I fully expect to gorge myself into a food-induced coma! Even though sleeping off the coming months would be nice given the current financial situation, the slowing economy and slowing banking business, the upcoming flu season, the inevitable 10 pound weight gain, the added strain on our personal finances, and the stir crazy kids during the winter months, I DO have A LOT to be thankful for:

my health and the health of my hubby and kids
my puppy's love
my hubby's tenderness
the sweet moments I have with the kids
Jackson's helping hands
Lily's laughter
Tyler's kisses
our jobs
our home and cars
our families and friends
Caffeine free Diet Mtn Dew
Christmas music
hamburger meat
sleeping in on weekends without the kids
cute hair
cozy quilts
Alabama football
nice co-workers
the leaf blower
sunny days

I could go on and on.......

Shepard Dr

Well, the downfalls in the economy have finally hit home....my other home, that is. The renters are moving out in December and my business partner and I do not have renters lined up. We are looking, though. In the meantime, we are going to replace the flooring in the living and dining rooms and put the house up for sale by owner. At a reduced cost compared to the other houses that have sold in the area, we are hoping that it won't take too long to get a buyer. Until then, I will have to come up with half of the house payment for the next few months. Man, oh man, times are tough enough as it is. If anyone out there knows a qualified buyer for a house in Decatur, let me know. The house is at 1923 Shepard Dr SW behind Julian Harris Elementary. 2000 sq ft, 3bdr, 2ba, 12 ft ceilings in living room, privacy fence, split floor plan, covered back porch, CU replaced in 2004, whirlpool tub in master bath, HUGE kitchen with breakfast nook / bay window. Asking 160K...negotiable.

We will be listing our house on Well St in March after we get the porches painted and new flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms. 3 bdr, 2ba, dining, sitting, sun room, new roof 2006, new CU 2005, all new appliances. 1700 sq ft, mature landscaping, historic district, 120 year old bungalow with covered front porch, 12 foot ceilings, crown molding and original hardwood throughout. Will be asking 125K.

Lily Grace

Lily had her surgery yesterday, and it went well. She feels fine today. She freaked out in recovery, but we finally got her calmed down. She will be on antibiotics for the next three months and then in Feb we go for another VCUG. We will go to Huntsville this time since they put children needing this test to sleep instead of all the trauma we had in Decatur last time.

I have multiple fibroid cysts in my breasts and back again. Dr McCain has put me on Vitamin E and drastically reduced my caffeine intake. I go for a mammogram tomorrow to compare the changes of the cysts from last year.

Rock the Vote!

Happy voting day to everyone! Exercise your patriotism by voting today! No matter who wins the election, this is an historic election year for Americans. Be part of it!

Scrapbook Lane

I am so geeked about the message board Alaina has started for elite scrapbook swappers. Two Peas in a Bucket was ok, but so many of the "swappers" did bad work or flaked out of swaps in the end. This message board is not published and will be by invitation only. She is handling all the invites and I'm sure she'll be posting links to pictures of her work. I'll try to link some of my work this week as well as she has had me very busy with all her new swap ideas.

Speaking of scrapbooking, Alaina and Mom took me to the scrapbook store in Madison for some shopping on my birthday. Thanks, Mom, for the scrapbook money! We had a good time getting stuff for our swaps and Mom got a really cool new die cutting machine and die that I can't wait to try out. Thanks, Alaina, for the scrapbook journal. I LOVE it!

Medic Alert

Lily's surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5, first thing in the AM at Decatur General Hospital. I think Kathy, Brandon's Mom, is going to try to be in the recovery room with her so she doesn't freak out when she wakes up.

I have an appointment on Tuesday, November4 with my OB/GYN about two lumps I found. One under my arm and one on my back. I'm sure they are nothing, but they are big and they are painful so I'm having them checked out.

Cinco will be going to the Vet soon to be fixed. Shhh....we haven't told her yet.

New Pics!

Here are some new pics of the fam doing what the fam does: Lily's B Day, her first day of pre-school, Brandon playing Softball, Sipsey River with Cinco, Tyler on his DS, etc. Just throwing some new ones out there.

BRANDON, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Surgery, Brandon, Pups, and Teeth

After another visit to the Urologist today, Lily has been scheduled for endoscopic surgery the last week of October. They will put her to sleep and perform a Deflux procedure where they inject a medicine into her bladder that will help seal the areas where her ureters enter the bladder. This will fix the reflux problem. It is an outpatient surgery that will only last about 30 minutes and she will be given gas before they even put the IV in. That way she won't be traumatized by needles and catheters. She is scared, but we are trying to convince her that everything will be alright. She has been prescribed another antibiotic to take each day until the surgery.

Brandon is in Jackson, TN for the next few days. I miss him when he is gone! Even though I get some alone time (the kids are all gone, too), I miss having him around. He is working so hard these days to reach his sales quota by the end of the year, and I am so proud of the progress he's made so far. He is on a softball team for a local bar called The Brick and they have placed first place for regular season this fall! They are now in tournaments and they could win another trophy!

Brandon and I took Cinco to Walk Your Paws this weekend. It's an event for dogs here in Decatur. She got to mingle with other pups and enjoyed letting everyone ooh and aah at how pretty she is. She was a good pup. We came away with lots of treats for her.

Tyler lost another baby tooth today when he bit into a chicken nugget from Wendy's. He only has two more baby teeth to go before we get him fitted for braces. Jackson, on the other hand, needs to see the orthodontist right away. His mouth is not big enough for all his permanent teeth and his palate will need to be stretched before he can get braces. Looks like we're about to spend some serious cash on these boys.

Lily News

I got a call from the urologist's office today and they want to see Lily on Monday to discuss a new non-evasive surgery to fix her bladder reflux. It's either that or antibiotics until she grows out of the reflux. The side effects that come with long term antibiotic use are terrible. So after our appointment on Monday, I should know more about the procedure and what all is involved.

Yesterday I blogged that my husband was a snob and I think it hurt his feelings. Brandon, you are not a snob.....well, maybe when it comes to clothes, but not with people. I only meant that you don't quite fit the mold of the typical Talladega attendee. Of this I am gald, but if my description hurt your feelings, I'm sorry. You know I LOVE the fact that you aren't the NASCAR fan I'm used to!!!!

Holy Cow!

Has it really been a whole month since I updated the blog???? I'm terrible at keeping up these days. Here's the scoop:

Lily turned 5 years old yesterday!!!!! Happy Birthday, baby girl! I took my little princess to the salon and spa to have a manicure, pedicure, hair updo, and make up application. She looked gorgeous. Of course, everyone there was totally in love with her by the time we left. I had taken a princess costume with us for her to wear after she got all glamorized because she was scheduled to have portraits taken later. Next, we went to Mom's to eat spaghetti and chocolate cake and then we went to have her pictures made. I can't wait to get them back. Later that evening, Lily and the boys and I met Mom and Alaina at O'Charley's for her birthday dinner. All in all, she had a glorious birthday.

She has been sick lately, though. She has had a series of painful urinary tract infections that have been difficult to treat. Her pediatrician referred her to a urologist who ordered some tests to be performed at the hospital. I had tried to warn Lily about the VCUG which meant catheterization. Unfortunately, my warnings didn't do much good. She screamed and cried and thrashed to the point where the doctors and nurses in the room with her were crying. I had to lay on top of her to keep her still and keep her hands pinned so she wouldn't pull out the catheter. The tests revealed that she does have some bladder reflux, but we will know more this Friday when she goes for a follow-up visit with the urologist. Right now, she feels fine.

Tyler was elected class representative for Student Council. He helped to organize the Red Ribbon March that Decatur City Schools participated in last weekend. He and Jackson marched for their school. Their school won first place for their cheer and Tyler got to help accept the award.

Jackson and I will be going to have lunch with Nick Saban, the head coach of the University of Alabama football team, on Friday, Oct 31 in Tuscaloosa. This is something that I won tickets for at work and I have decided to take Jackson with me. He is going to be tickled to death.

Brandon worked as an EMT at Talladega last weekend. He enjoyed seeing the race and getting to meet Carl Edwards, but he felt completely out of place there. He's too much of a snob, I guess, for Talladega anyway. We took Cinco to Sipsey River last weekend to swim and hike. She LOVED it. We might take her again this weekend and maybe camp one night.

I have been busy lately as well. I was sick two weeks ago with bronchitis. I feel better now. Alaina has inspired me to start swapping on Two Peas with her. I have had fun making stuff for the swaps and it's inspired me to start scrapbooking again. I was also given more responsibility at work that should most definitely lead to a promotion within the next six months.

That pretty much sums up the last four weeks. Stay tuned for more. I promise to be more diligent in keeping you up to date with the party of 5.

One year, one WONDERFUL year

Today Brandon and I are truly celebrating! We aren't celebrating that fact that we made it through the first year of marriage; that was never an issue. What we are celebrating is each other, our accomplishments together, our triumphs this past year, and the many plans we have made together that are still underway. We are celebrating the fact that through all of our real estate nightmares, we still have a beautiful home completely filled with love and peace. We are celebrating our good jobs, our adorable children, our sweet animals, and the fact that the combination of these things has made us truly happy and blessed. We are thankful to our friends and family for being a part of our memories this past year and for supporting us in our endeavors.

Since the first anniversary is the paper anniversary, I had my pictures made in my wedding dress during a creative session in downtown Decatur. Jamie Waldrep with Your Story Captured did a wonderful job! You can see one of the photos on her blog at http://yourstorycaptured.blogspot.com. Brandon loved the pictures, and I have to say, I look pretty dang good. Brandon wrote me a love letter and sent the letter with a bouquet of flowers to my work. After we had lunch together today, I cam back to see the beautiful flowers on my desk. Of course, I teared up when I read the letter. I have it VERY good, ladies and gentlemen, and it does not go unnoticed. He feels for me what I feel for him and that's a very good thing. There is no room for guessing or games......just love. Sounds hokey, but it's true.

Thank you, Brandon. You mean the world to me, and I am yours forever. Happy Anniversary.

Not so much

Moving? Not so much!!!!!

The buyers for out current house coud not come through with financing, so we couldn't move forward with the purchase of our dream home. Stinks, but we're making the most of it. We took alot of the already packed boxes to storage and now we have begun staging the house before we put it back on the market. I have been doing a lot of rearranging of things to make all the rooms seem bigger. If you'll reserach staging your home on the internet, you'll find out what I mean. Living in a staged house is not so bad.....not so much. Things are easier to find, more organized, less cluttered, and cleaner. Everyone should take some time to stage your house....it will make you appreciate it more and it feels good to disengage yourself from your stuff and just live.

Brandon and I both are off this week to do some minor repairs: new gutters, a little paint, some cleaning, new light fixtures, etc. We plan to put the house back on the market after Christmas and hopefully have it sold sometime in the Spring.

The boys are happy to still be at the same school, and all three kids are grateful for the changes at home. I rearranged their rooms for better functionality and more space and they love it. I even put all the new bedding on the beds to make their rooms feel new. They couldn't be happier.

Lily started her first day of pre-school today! My BABY is growing up. She was so excited. She got up this morning and ate her breakfast with the boys, got herself dressed, and slung on her new backpack like a big kid! I was lucky enough to be off so I could take her in this morning. She is in the same preschool and same class with the same teacher as Jackson had......she's with her two boy cousins, too: Hayden and Austin. They all looked a little shell-shocked this morning, but I'm sure she'll be fine.

I am on Brandon's lap top since I don't have connection to my PC right now so I can't post pictures until later this week when the phone co gets out here to fix the jack in the boys' room. I've moved my PC in there for them.

It's not so bad to still be here.....not so much.

Moving Along

The past few days have been filled with boxes for the Vassars. We have just about everything packed. While cleaning out the attic last week, I fell about 8 feet off the ladder and bruised myself up pretty badly. Nothing broken though. I went to the new house last week and took measurements of the windows, some walls, etc. I pretty much have a floor plan mapped out for furniture so maybe moving will be easy. At least we have the pool we can jump in and take a break if we need to.

Jackson will start back at Julian Harris after Labor Day and Lily will start pre-school at the same time. They both are very excited. Tyler has been practicing for Fall baseball and he seems pretty good at pitching.....although the consistency is not there yet. Brandon closed another big deal this week! Yea! I got word from my manager that I am on a short list for a Private Banking position in Decatur.....not sure when I'll hear more about it though. Jackson was bitten by a spider at the lake last weekend while with his dad. I had to take him to the ER Sunday night for the infection, but he's fine now. Whew. Cinco is getting HUGE! We have been taking her to the river to fetch a tennis ball in the water.....she loves it!

We will start moving next Friday and hopefully be done by Sat night. That way we can have some friends over for Labor Day to swim. We had the buyers of our house over Saturday night and they could not stop talking about how much they love the house! We were so pleased that they are excited about moving in. They seem very nice and their little boy, Peyton, is precious. Brandon is starting to feel sad about leaving his home of 10 years, but he likes the fact we sold it to a couple who will care for it and enjoy it as much as he did....as much as we all did.

THANKS JOHN AND KATHY FOR THE BOXES AND FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!

New House - For real this time!

We have purchased 2319 Anderson Dr and we move in at the end of August! It's a beautiful four bedroom home with a pool just like we wanted....only better. Great location, beautiful house with an immaculate yard, and it is move-in ready. No maintenance required! We plan to paint Tyler's room and our room, and that's it! Dad and Mom are probably going to see it on Thursday night when I go over there to get some measurements. I really don't think they'll find anything wrong with it. Brandon and I are so excited......this is the perfect house for us.

Jackson will be changing schools again and going back to Julian Harris where we has been the last two years. He's excited that he'll get to be with his old friends from kindergarten and 1st grade, but he and Tyler are sad that they won't be at the same school anymore. We've tried to talk to them about the changes we are going to face, but how things will finally settle down now for all of us.

Tyler has started practicing for fall baseball. He is part of an all star team this fall and Brandon is the pitching coach. Should be some good times!!!!!

Jackson is loving life and Lily is counting down the days until she starts school. They are excited about unpacking all of their toys again when we get to the new house.

Cinco is growing bigger each day. She spent time in the river over the weekend and is truly becoming the water dog!

Retract

I need to retract the previous post about "our new house". It did not pass inspection due to several unfixable foundation issues. Thank you, Daddy for being the expert and for being honest and protective. I love you and appreciate you looking after us.

Now we are on the hunt again for another house with four bedrooms. Even though we are thankful that we didn't purchase a lemon, we are disheartened that we may not find another house we love so much. Keep your fingers crossed. We are still packing since we have to be out of our house at the end of September. If we haven't found anything by then.....we may have to move in with family. Anyone up for company????

School starts for the boys on Thursday and we finally have all the school supplies purchased. We meet their teachers on Tuesday night and then the 8:30pm bedtime routine starts back up again. I'm personally looking forward to the late night TV time in a quiet house with my husband and dog by my side on the couch again. Ahhh....it's like I can almost smell the popcorn, feel the quilt around my feet, and hear the sound of children sleeping.

OUR NEW HOUSE!!!!

www.valleymls.com
Property # 259946

It's official. We're moving! We close on our current house at the end of September and we will be moving into our new house (above). The kids are excited that they each have their own space, a pool, and lots of play room. Lily is excited about having a pink Hannah Montana room. Jackson wants a babseball room and Tyler wants a rock-n-roll room. I'll have a scrapbook room again plus a dining room. Of course, we have some serious painting to do, but that's ok. This house will be a work in progress, but we plan to stay until the kids graduate highschool. We will be spending the next few weeks cleaning out closets, giving away old toys, and packing up. I am asking that if anyone local has any boxes they could collect for us, we would gladly appreciate the help.

Just Chill-lax, Man!

Over the weekend, I got my nature on! On Friday night, after work, Brandon, John and I headed out to the campground at the Ocoee in Tenn. We found a good spot and set up camp. Saturday, we met with Mom and Dad and went to the outfitters to get ready for our whitewater rafting trip. What a trip it was!!!! Our guide, Lance, was way cool and he just kept telling everyone to Chill-lax. Mom helped knock Dad out of the raft twice; Brandon went overboard twice, and I went out once. Mom and John somehow stayed in the raft the whole time. Of course, Mom pretty much planted herself in the bottom of the raft with her eyes closed....maybe that helped. The 2 and half hour trip was too much fun!!!!! We were so exhausted and had major sea legs by the time we got back to the outfitters. We all went out to eat and then Brandon, John and I went back to the campsite and went to bed. We got up Sunday morning, took down the tents, loaded up the gear, and went to the Hiwassee outfitters. There, I rented a sit-on-top kayak while John and Brandon brought there own kayaks. We took a2 and a half hour trip down that river unguided. We each took a dive only once. The water was cold and still in some spots so I ended up using muscles I didn't even know I had. I am still sore.......2 days later. I have a big bump on my forehead and a bruise on my arm. Other than that, my butt and legs and back feel like I've been beaten. Mother Nature can really stink sometimes, but I endured it and I am proud of myself. In fact, I never had the urge to be shopping or in my air-conditioned house the whole time I was camping. That's huge for me! I told Brandon that I'd love to do it again!

Brandon got a call last week from his friend in Georgia who plans to buy our house and we are all set to go. Closing will be on or before September 30, so Brandon and I are now house hunting. Since 4 bedrooms are hard to come by in our price range where we currently live, we are having to look in other places across the city. We have found a neighborhood that has privacy, plenty of trees, and very little traffic so it looks promising. Plus, there is a great school within walking distance to the 4 bedroom houses that are currently listed in this neighborhood. We have already changed schools for Jackson and he starts there in 2 weeks so we will leave him there for now and see how everything works out. We might eventually move him and Lily to a school closer to where we buy, but for now, we just plan to chill-lax.

We will be boxing, cleaning, painting, and moving soon, but we are totally excited about having the opportunity to have "our" house together. Wish us luck!

Jackson and Lily have decided not to play any sports this Fall, but Tyler will be playing Fall Baseball. Basketball will start up in October and both boys plan to play. I think Lily may end up taking gymnastics again and then playing Tball this Spring. School starts August 7 for the boys and right after Labor Day for Lily. They are all excited....kind of. We still have some school supplies left to buy but we are waiting on the tax-free weekend coming up to finish all the shopping. All three kids still need new tennis shoes, too. I know, I know.....just chill-lax.

The Rabbit turns 7

My Jack Rabbit is now 7 years old! Happy Birthday, Jackson! When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday this year, his request was simple: for Mommy to take a day off work and spend the entire day with him. So that is just what we did. We went to the Waffle House for breakfast. Jackson likes to watch the cooks make his eggs and waffles in front of him. Then he got on his scooter and I walked to the library where we got him his first library card. He checked out 3 books and I got 1. He was amazed at the number of books there, and it was fun to see him in the same small places that I once visited as a child. We even bought some more chapter books for the boys at the library book sale. I think I'll donate some of my own books next week. Next we took Cinco for a ride in the car to Brandon's office. Then we got the scooter again and I walked to The Brick, a deli near the house, and met Grandma for lunch. Jackson enjoyed sitting at the bar like a big boy. He liked the brick walls and brick floor and really enjoyed the hot dog and banana pudding. After lunch we went to the theater and saw Kung Fu Panda. The movie was so cute and a great retreat for my aching hot feet. That ended the day of fun since we had to go pick up Lily after the movie. Jackson and I really enjoyed ourselves. He is the sweetest, most gentle soul I have ever met and it does me good to be around someone so pure, innocent, and unselfish. Sometimes, I get cynical or distrustful of people I am around all the time, but I can always count on Jackson to be so uniquely and spiritually real. My 7 year-old little boy is growing up so fast and I am very proud of the person he is growing up to be. I love you, Jack Rabbit!

Brandon and I surprised Jackson and Tyler with a trip to the Braves games against the Astros in Atlanta on Jackson's birthday weekend. It was a sort of double celebration for Brandon's birthday, too. He turned exactly 5 times older than Jackson on July 9, but had just as much fun as the boys did at teh ballgame. With a 2 hour rain delay to the start of the game, we had lots of time to eat, shop, and talk with each other. Then the game set a record at Turner Field going into 17 innings before the Braves won the game. We left at the 9th inning when it was still tied up so we could get back home at a decent hour. Good thing we did, because we had to be re-routed almost an hour out of our way due to some kind of accident on the interstate that had traffic stopped dead for miles. We had a blast though and the kids can't wait to go again.

Lulu gave Lily a dance costume that Grandma Mary had purchased somewhere (it didn't fit Maggie yet). Lily tried it on and had to shake a tail feather for the camera. What a drama queen!

Cinco is geting so big! We got her a little over 3 weeks ago and she has already doubled in size! She's doing well on her house training, but the chewing on kid fingers is out of control. We have to make sure to keep LOTS of toys lying around for her to chew on.

Growing Up Fast

Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a while. We've been busy growing up! Cinco and Jackson that is. Cinco has settled in to her new home and has become quite playful. She LOVES it when we get in the floor with her and pull on her rope or toss a tennis ball. She enjoys being carried around the house by Lily and chewing on Tyler's hands. Jackson has really taken up with taking care of her. He makes sure she gets fed and watered and he even takes the responsibility of taking her outside to go potty. She has the cutest bark and has learned to run up the sun room stairs. When she gets tired of playing, she falls asleep fast! She likes to bury her head in the pillows or under someone's arm or leg when she's ready to sleep.

Jackson turns 7 on Saturday. He doesn't know it yet, but Brandon and I are taking him and Tyler to the Atlanta Braves baseball game on Sunday for his birthday. Grandma and Grandaddy got him a basketball goal for our backyard and because he's been sick or at his Dad's house, he hasn't been able to enjoy it yet. Brandon and I have though. It's hard for me to believe he's already 7 years old. My little Rabbit was born only 4 pounds and now he's going into second grade at a whopping 46 pounds! Yes, he's still skin and bones, but he has the biggest heart of anyone I know. Happy Birthday, baby boy!

Good Dog

Cinco has been a wonderful puppy these past 3 days! She is sleeping for about 4-5 hours at a time during the night (though last night, she slept through the night only to wake up with an achingly full bladder this morning). She has been an excellent student in the potty training area, and is just so adorable when she plays. Brandon and I have fallen completely in love with her, and the kids fight over who gets to hold her next. Of course, she loves the attention! Here she is getting some Zzzzz's with her Daddy in the recliner.

IT"S A GIRL!!!!

We've got something to bark about!

Introducing our new puppy,

CINCO

born: May 13, 2008

adopted: June 20, 2008

Good Memories

We made some GOOD memories this week.....no, GREAT ones!

Tyler got to meet the All-Star quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, Phillip Rivers, when we attended the Morgan County Sports-Hall-of-Fame dinner. Rivers was the keynote speaker since his father was being inducted for coaching football at Decatur High for 15 years. Tyler was in awe from the moment he laid eyes on Rivers. He had his picture made with Rivers and brought along a football to be signed.

Jackson hit a milestone....he learned to tie his own shoes! This may seem like it's coming a little late since he is about to start 2nd grade, but don't forget that he's left-handed and everyone in our family and in his father's family is right-handed. Last night he and I got down in the floor determined to learn the art of shoe-tying. This came about because earlier in the evening during his T-Ball End-of-Year party at the park, he stepped in a gigantic pile of steaming fresh dog poo.....ruined his shoes, which were slip-on tennis shoes. Having no other slip-on play tennis shoes, we HAD to resort to the ones that lace. Well, I showed him once while he watched intently. Then with sweat on his brow and sheer stubbornness in his eyes, he mastered the art of tying his shoes.









Lily Grace got a manicure of EPIC proportions. Last week, I painted her nails blue. When she got to her dad's house, her step-mother hated the color. So she painted Lily's nails pink. This week, I added a little flair to the up-and-coming diva........press-on nails for little girls with white tips and silver stars......from Grandma as a Christmas present of course! Thanks, Grandma! This little beauty trick was WAY too much fun for me AND for Lily!!

Glory Days

With Jackson enjoying basketball camp this week, I am reminded of the "glory days" when I played basketball. He is soaking up all the instruction his coaches and his granddaddy are giving him and it reminds me of when I fell in love with the sport myself. He has fallen in love with the game and plans to play this fall. When he visited Mom and Dad on Monday, he and Dad got out in the driveway and worked on passing, dribbling, and shooting. Mom had convinced Dad to tear down the old goal, now Dad plans to add a new net for it and keep it up. I think dad enjoyed playing basketball that evening as much as Jackson did! If Jack plans to play basketball this fall and Tyler plays baseball and Lily takes gymnastics or plays soccer, we could all be at different sporting events at once! I guess the price of gas will go up again this fall when my family creates a shortage from having to travel all across the city for ballgames!

Brandon is enjoying some down-time during a business trip in Ohio. He went to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame yesterday and enjoyed some relics from his glory days in college. He also went to an Indians game, his favorite team since childhood. I can't wait to see all the pictures and souveniers, and I know the kids are excited to hear about everything as well. In fact, Brandon says that Cleveland would be an ideal place for a family vacation one day......

Photos

On my way to get an emergency root canal.......sometimes life stinks! Here are family portraits from Georgia trip.

Vacation, Ballgames, etc.

We made it back from a great vacation in the mountains of Blue Ridge, GA. What a great time we had! We biked, played video games, swam in the lake, commandeered a paddle boat, went shopping and ate pizza and ice cream in downtown Dahlonega, cooked and ate as a family every night, spent quality time in the hot tub, and took some good family portraits (thanks, Alaina). I'll post the portraits tonight. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for an awesome vacation!

Ball season is over. Kinda sad. Kinda happy. Sad because the boys were having so much fun at it, and we were, too. Jackson missed the last two ballgames when we were on vacation, and his team did not make it to the City Tournaments. Tyler's team made it to the tournaments but got put out in the first game against the Indians last night. Tyler is upset that he did not make the All Star team this year, but both of my boys are all stars to me! Gymnastics is over until the fall, so now we can just focus on having fun this summer and enjoying the outdoors when it's not too hot.

Baseball will start again this fall so the boys will be given a choice between baseball and soccer. Lily will be given a choice between gymnastics and soccer. Both boys will be going to school at Walter Jackson Elementary, and Lily will be attending Danville Baptist Pre-School half-days beginning this fall. Gosh, they are growing up so fast!

Brandon and I have decided not to go to Cabo in September since we are saving for a house. We are going to Orange Beach for 5 days instead. Much cheaper, still a beach! We plan to just chill out, eat out, shop for school clothes at the outlets, and enjoy each other's company without children. Totally looking forward to it!

LOVE YOU BRANDON!!!!!!!
MUY MUCHO!!!!!!!

An AWESOME 3rd baseman
Congrats on your big hit, Tyler! We knew you could do it!

Lily stretching in gymnastics class
(her back-bend)
She had a little trouble with the parallel bar concept.

Jackson and his friends Ryan and Kade and his girlfriend, Maddie, at school
Jackson receives the Presidential Physical Fitness Award