Not Much, Just Some More Great Compliments from My Son

So yesterday I was sitting in my room, and Tristan came and sat down in my lap. While sitting there, he asked me if I still had a tiny baby in my belly. I told him I didn't. Do you know what his response was? "Well, your tummy is still big, Mommy." Grrrreaaat. Thanks, Tristan! Of course he would say that right when I'm feeling pretty good about my weight loss!
Then today while at Target, I told him a couple of times to leave Asher alone and to be quiet for a minute so I could think (I, unwisely, went to Target without a list and was trying to remember what I needed to get). After the second or third time of me telling him to be quiet for a minute, he said this to Asher, "Asher, Mommy's crabby." What?! Are you kidding me? I asked him where he heard such a thing. He told me Little Bill, but I'm not sure if he heard it there or not. It was funny, but I couldn't let him know I thought so.
I guess kids just say what everyone else is thinking. You gotta admire their frankness and honesty, even if it hurts.

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Monday night was a night was a much anticipated night in our household. Monday was the night scheduled to celebrate our good friend, Ashley's, birthday. We looked forward to celebrating her birthday for like two weeks. We were so excited, for one, because we LOVE Ashley. We were also excited because the fast ended on Monday, and she picked Tomatapie (one of our absolute faves) to celebrate the occasion. Let me tell you, the night did not disappoint!
Let me catch you up on this bunch. Channing and I are so blessed to have such an incredible group of friends. God brought us together a year and a half ago in a church small group. We just kind of clicked, and ever since then, we have decided to do life together. We try to get together at least once a month to hang out, grab a bite to eat, play games, celebrate birthdays, or whatever. We always have lots to laugh at together, a lot of times at the expense of each other.
I love so much about each and every person in this group, but one exceptional thing about this group is how much each person loves kids. When we started the group, only Ashley and David and Channing and I had kids. Now Brandi is expecting (as are The Greenfields who we miss terribly!), so we're able to enjoy this exciting time with her and Shane. The exceptional thing, though, is that even when we were the only ones with kids, the others always treated our kids as if they were their own. I mean, the men and women of the group hold the kids and love on them. Seriously...the guys ask to hold the boys. Those of you mothers out there know how much that means. This group is so so special to Channing and me. We LOVE these guys! Anyway, on with Monday night...
Asher started the night with Jon and Karen. Here he is sitting with Jon, who gave him his first taste of lemon. Much to our surprise he LOVED it! He didn't even make the sour face.Here are the boys having some fun crawling around. The adorable boy in blue is Ashley's little boy, Nate (that's what we call him, anyway. Oh, and her other little boy was out of town. He is adorable too!).
An amazing thing about Baby Nate is that he is 10 months old and can WALK!!! That BLOWS my mind! Of course, I made him walk all over the place so I could take lots of pictures. He is such a doll!
After all his walking, Jon and Karen wanted to take a turn holding the precious little man. Look at his reaction to Jon...PRICELESS! Every time he looked at Jon, he would cry! It was so funny!Here is a picture of us girls: Brandi, Karen, Me, and Ashley (Check out Tristan's face). Sadly, I don't have a picture of all the guys. Channing left early, so I missed that photo op.
All in all, Ashley's birthday celebration was lots of fun. I wish we could have nights like that every week! Unfortunately, every one stays so busy. I guess that just allows us to anticipate our monthly get togethers more.

Just Another Day at the Office

As you may know, I've had to go back to the office since we lost our front desk worker. It has been interesting, to say the least. I thought I would post some pictures from Monday...just a typical day in the office. The above picture is of Asher watching a lady on the sidewalk...right before he pulled the plant over on his head (I didn't get a picture of that). The picture below is of him pulling out my colored paper, for probably the 10th time of the day!
As per his usual, he pulls out the paper and then crawls away. This time, I got away easy. Normally, the floor is covered!!!

A Day at the Circus

Last Saturday, the circus was in town, and we went. Tristan had anticipated this trip for months. The time was finally here, and for him, it was a blast!
Of course, right when we got there, he fell in love with the $15 snow cones and $20 light spinners. RIDICULOUS!We took the following picture for our friend, Robert. We saw him at Eli's birthday party that morning, and he asked us if there would be motorcycles there. Well Robert, there were, and they were cool!However, with the cool motorcycles came the sexified biker girl dancers. Why does the circus need to be sexy?! I mean, look at these girls! They were gyrating and dancing nasty. My three year old doesn't need to see that. Look at the outfits!Here is Tristan with his cousin, MRK, and friend, FH. They had lots of fun!For the adults, we thought this circus was pretty lame compared to the past two years. We got the boring one. However, we did enjoy seeing the tigers...
And the elephants...And I enjoyed the acrobats.The boys LOVED the circus. Asher was so attentive to the whole thing. I thought that was a huge deal because he's only 9 months old. I figured he would be tired of it after 15 minutes. Boy was I wrong!
After the circus, we headed to The Loop for dinner. As you can see, Tristan didn't make it.Here are the kiddos, minus Tristan (he was still asleep!).Once we got home, the boys wanted to play with the clown faces MiMi bought. Check 'em out!

The circus was disappointing for those of us who knew better, but the kids had a blast. That's what mattered most. In Tristan and Asher's eyes, it was a Saturday well spent.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

It's that time again...time to choose a small group or two for the winter/spring semester at our church. Before the list of small groups came out, I was sure of what I was going to take...Strategic Shopping. It's a small group led by a woman with seven children who feeds her whole family on an amazingly slim food budget. I don't have a clue how she does it, but word has it, she can feed her whole family a good meal for $5! Can you imagine...feeding nine people on $5?! It just doesn't seem possible. I mean, this is a cooked, prepared meal at home! $5!!!
She uses Godly principles, coupons, and weekly ads to strategically shop for her family, and she so graciously shares her wisdom with those of us who haven't a clue. Ok, so that's option #1.
My next option was laid out before me when I was searching through the small group book: Love and Respect. It's a small group that helps husbands and wives crack the communication code between each other, the way God intended. It is a small group I really wanted to take last semester, but it just wasn't possible for us at the time. Now it's available again, and I really want to take it.
You may wonder why I don't just do both groups. Well...they both meet on Thursday nights. :( BLAH!
I feel like I need both groups but can't decide which I need more.
The pluses for Strategic Shopping are that I can greatly reduce our food budget, learn money-saving ways to shop, and I can learn from someone who has this stuff down to a science, all while spending time with some of my great friends. The main negative to SS is that it starts at 6:30 (I have to work until 6) and is at least a 30 minute drive, so I would be pushing it to get there even close to on time every week
The benefits to Love and Respect are that Channing and I could do it together; we could learn principles to improve our marriage; it's close by (literally in the neighborhood right behind ours); it starts later; and we could spend time with some of our other great friends who are taking it.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. What's a girl to do? I guess I'll spend some heavy time in prayer and ask God to lead me to the group I need most. He has a much better idea than I do anyway. Whichever one I don't choose, I guess I'll have to do my best to research and educate myself on my own. Goodness knows I need all the help I can get in both areas! I want to budget effectively and save our family money, and I want to have the strongest marriage possible.
I'll let you know how it turns out.

A Father's Heart

I am in awe of the Burgess family and all that God is doing through them. I have asked myself...if I lost one of my boys, could I be this strong? I hope I don't ever have to find out.

My Baby is Growing Up!

Saturday was fun because it was a snow day, but it was also a big day for Asher. He turned 9 months old! I just absolutely cannot believe it's been 9 months! This little boy has been such a blessing to our family. I don't know what we did without him.Enjoying a tub toy in his room.
We definitely gave him the right name. Asher means "happy" and "blessed". The boy is defiinitely both!
My sweet, sweet Asher!

Saturday was Snow Fun!

It actually happened. The forecasters called for snow, and it actually snowed!
I was up all night Friday night in anticipation, and on Saturday, there was nothing. I was disappointed, to say the least. Then, the forecasters said Birmingham may be skipped. I was so upset! However, 30 minutes later...snow!
Of course, the first thing I wanted to do once we got outside was start taking pictures. Tristan had other plans.As you can see, he wasted no time in getting the snowballs going!Here is a quick shot of Tristan and me. If you look in Tristan's hand, you'll see the beginnings of a snowball.
This picture is blurry, but I love it. You can see the excitement in Tristan's face.Then we moved on to the backyard where I built a (pitiful looking) little snowman family. Hey, I'm from Alabama. The thought of building a large snowman didn't even cross my mind until an hour later when I saw neighbors building big ones. My poor tiny snow family didn't even have arms or facial features!This is something Tristan has been dying to do...make snow angels. He was so excited that he finally had the chance. It was messy and wet, but we couldn't let the opportunity pass.

Tristan getting ready to pound us with snowballs.Flipper in the snow (wish I knew how to rotate the picture).
I love love love this shot. What a great fun day!!!
After we had all the snow fun we could have (and our poor fingers could take), we headed inside to make a breakfast lunch (you know, pancakes, grits, and eggs for lunch). Tristan helped. He was my egg cracker.That was our snow fun day! Hopefully we'll get another soon.

Come Again?

This is too funny not to share! Ok, so those of you who know me well know that I get all sorts of strange comments from patients at our chiropractic office (for instance...I once had a patient tell my 18 month old that he was "short and fat just like his momma". No, I'm not kidding. I also had a patient ask me (right after I'd had my hair cut) if I'd gotten a haircut, and I said yes. She said, "Oh, well it will grow back." Seriously...not kidding). Well today while leaving church, Channing and I were walking out with the boys, and a lady looked at our boys, smiled, and said to us, "Aren't you glad they're not ugly?" Then she followed with, "Your kids are really cute." Then she smiled some more and walked off.
Um...how do you answer that? "Uh...yeah. Sure am glad." Hmmmmmm.... What does that mean exactly? Who asks someone if they're glad their kids aren't ugly? Especially when the person you're talking to is a complete stranger? I mean, did she take a look at Channing and me and think..."Boy, those kids really dodged a bullet!" ?
Is it just me, or is that a strange question to ask anyone, especially since we don't even know each other?
We did once have a patient who said to Tristan (right in front of Channing) that he was too cute to belong to his parents. Hilarious, right?!
People seriously say the strangest things! I guess some people say what everyone else is thinking.

My Heart Aches

As many of you may know, Ricky Burgess' two year old son, Bronner, died yesterday as a result of drowning. His death was a tragic accident. I read he drown in the family pool. My heart aches for the Burgess family. Please keep them in your prayers.
Here is a statement posted on the Rick and Bubba website. What amazing strength they have:

We ask that you bathe Rick, Sherri, and the entire Burgess family in prayer as they deal with the loss of their youngest son, Bronner Burgess. We all are grieving together in this terrible loss. The Burgess's want to give all Honor and Glory to GOD for the many blessings He has given us, especially the life of Bronner Burgess. And while we do not understand, we know who is in charge and His will be done in life and in death.

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
1 Thessalonians 5:10

What Does it Take to Look Good?

Last weekend while in Atlanta, I was paid a huge compliment. I was at a seminar and ran in the hotel gift shop for a quick snack during one of the breaks. The cashier there told me that I didn't look a day over 16. "Who, me?! Wow! Thanks!" I was thrilled! Since I am now called "Ma'am" constantly by every polite and well-meaning teenager I come in contact with, it was nice to hear that someone out there doesn't think I look 60. Thank you, wonderful Atlanta lady!
These days, a common "compliment" I hear is, "You look good...for someone with two kids." In my head, this is what I hear...

for someone with two kids
for someone with two kids
for someone with two kids

What does that mean exactly?
Does that mean if I didn't have two kids I would look rough? What should someone with two kids look like exactly? And most importantly...what does it take to look good? Yep, that's right. I want to just look good. Has that point passed? Is it possible to achieve?
Those of you moms out there know what I'm talking about. I'm sure you've heard the same thing. "For a mom, you look great." Are we supposed to stop expecting to be women to be attractive once they've had kids? Is the whole idea forbidden. Or truly...do we just look good...for moms with two kids? I don't know. I'm sure I'll never know. In the meantime, I guess I'll cherish my compliment because I'm sure there are some people out there who don't look good for someone with two kids (whatever that may mean).

Snow?! Really?! Again?!

According to my good friend, Rachael, and weather.com we are expecting 1-3 inches of snow tomorrow!!! Woo hoo! I am THRILLED! Tristan will love that! Of course, I'm going to wait to tell him until the snow is actually falling. Otherwise, the weather could change, and I could have a very upset three year old on my hands.
Until then, I will be eagerly anticipating our winter wonderland!!! Too bad I'm fasting sweets right now. A mug of hot chocolate sounds really good right about now!

Things Not to Do When Applying for a Job

As you may know, we recently lost our front desk worker and are in the beginning stages of finding a replacement. And although I really want to find a replacement, I do not want to hire the first seemingly intelligent person we find. I want to find someone who can do the job without constant reminders on every little thing; someone who is eager to help others achieve a greater level of health; someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty. Does anyone know...do these people even exist anymore?
While going through this process (and our previous hiring processes), we have encountered many unusual actions by those hoping to be hired.
I have compiled a list of Top 10 Don'ts When Applying for a Job.

10. Don't tell the potential employer that you've never done a resume (This is 2008, people. Figure out how to do a resume!).
9. Don't forget to check your spelling before you send in your resume and cover letter.
8. Don't forget to answer your phone with a smile or at the very least a pleasant greeting (A gruff, "Huh?" will not work).
7. Don't be late (Seriously...do I need to say more? If you're late, we throw your application away).
6. Don't arrive late and then blame the directions (Figure out how to get here before the day of your interview if you're unclear on directions).
5. Don't ask if you can bring your baby to the interview (I'm not kidding. This happened).
4. If you do ask to bring your baby, don't argue when you're told that it would be too much of a distraction (Telling me you don't have a babysitter and asking me what you're supposed to do won't get you your way either. If you can't make it to one job interview without your baby, how can I expect you to work without her.~ Seriously...this happened!).
3. Don't come in to an office that promotes health while smelling like you just chain-smoked a carton full of cigarettes.
2. Don't tell me you don't like your current job because your boss expects you to do too much work (Do I even have to offer an explanation here?).
1. Don't be rude to the person at the front desk (You never know if she may be sleeping with the boss). ;)

Every one of those things has happened. I couldn't make these things up. It's a wonder some of these people have ever gotten a job. Crazy! They have definitely kept the humor in the process.

It Was Good While It Lasted

Well...snow's over. The 10 minutes it lasted were FABULOUS! I'm used to the tiny flurries, but these were big flakes; big beautiful flakes! They may not have lasted long, but we enjoyed every minute!

Snow?! Here?!

IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are SO excited!!! Who would have thought it would snow in Alabama?! I only wish I had my camera!
Tristan is begging to catch a snowflake on his tongue, so we're headed out to do that right now.
Praise God for this glorious day!

The Town of Allopath

This is Some Kind of Record

One of Channing's favorite things to do is go to the movies. He loves it. On any given date night, he would pick going to the movies over just about anything else. It's something he enjoys, but also something we enjoy doing together. The $25 popcorn, the $30 Coke, the $50 movie tickets. You just can't beat it. Who could pass that up? ;)
Well in the past month, we have had the good fortune to be able to go to four movies. Four movies in one month is a record for us. Forget the fact that it's hard for a DINK couple to make it to four movies in a month, we have two kids! Four movies is HUGE!
Over the past month, we've spent a lot of time with Channing's parents, and they have encouraged us to go. Two of the movies were movies we took Tristan to, and two were just for Channing and me. On all four occasions, we had free childcare. Thanks MiMi and PaPa!!!
The first movie we saw was Alvin and the Chipmunks because Tristan is such a huge fan (I can't tell you how many times we watched the 25th Anniversary video of Alvin and the Chipmunks in the month of December. I think our whole family knows every line of the movie!).

It was a super cute movie! I think I enjoyed it more than Tristan did. And although Tristan had been to the movies before, this was the first one Channing and I have taken him to.
The next movie we saw was

Of course, this was one Channing and I went to sans Tristan. Although it was really unusual and kind of scary, Channing and I really enjoyed it...especially after it was over and we had time to think about it. Overall, good movie. :)
Movie #3 was

I will admit, this is one I wasn't thrilled about seeing. I read online reviews that said it wasn't as great as it should have been considering it was produced by Oprah and was directed by and starred Denzel Washington. I also read that it wasn't historically accurate, so that kind of made me want to see it less too. Channing, however, really wanted to see it. Our neighbors saw it and said it was wonderful, and Channing's parents said the same thing. They said it was definitely a must see. After seeing it, I must say I whole-heartedly agree. The movie was FANTASTIC! As usual, Denzel had a stellar performance, as did the rest of the cast. If you're thinking about seeing it, I say GO! You'll be glad you did.
The final movie we saw was

That was a surprise for Tristan yesterday. He was thrilled to find out he was going to the movies again. PaPa went with us, so Tristan got extra spoiled. He got the $100 kids pack with his own popcorn, drink, candy, and 3D glasses. He was in paradise! As for the movie, he was 100% attentive. I think he enjoyed it much more than the Chipmunks movie (although I preferred the other). It was a cute movie, though. It never mentioned God, however, the symbolism was definitely there. If you have kids, take them. It was very entertaining. Tristan has been a "cabin boy" ever since!
I don't know when we'll make it back to a movie, but I'm glad we were able to see four that we really enjoyed.
Ok, so that was our record.

Special Special Day

Today is a very special day. It's LEISHA'S BIRTHDAY!!!

Flash Comments at WishAFriend.com">

Leisha, I hope your day is TERRIFIC!!! You deserve a great birthday, and I hope this is your best one yet!
Love you!

Woe is Me

I'm going to pull a David, so bear with me.
Last week, I officially came back to work with Channing. I've been off for about 8 1/2 months, so it's been an adjustment. Before taking off to have our second son, Asher, and to finally become a SAHM, I worked with Channing for about 3 years (give or take a few months). I was able to be off for about 4 months during that time to be with Tristan after he was born. When Tristan was 4 months old, we lost our front desk worker, so that meant me coming back. It was supposed to be temporary, but I was here for almost three years...with a baby! It was extremely stressful, so when we found out we were having baby #2, I knew I couldn't continue to work the office and take care of both boys at the same time. At that point, we began a job search. After a couple of failed attempts, we hired Gina. She was with us for about 9 months, and now she's gone on to work at our church. We're super excited for her because we feel it's more here calling, and we know that God has someone for us. However, with her loss I'm back...with 2 kids. Last week, Channing's mom kept the boys so I wouldn't have to bring them up here (she's so great!). It was a HUGE help, especially since Asher wasn't feeling well. She also came yesterday and kept them. Today, I'm on my own.
I was supposed to be here at 7:30, but getting both boys here and ready was more trouble than I had previously anticipated. Tristan slept later than usual, and Asher did not forget that he likes to eat as soon as he wakes up. I was frantically rushing around the house gathering clothes, diapers, snacks, etc. I poked my head in Asher's room, and my little sunshine was awake. Let me tell you, he didn't stay sunny for long! As soon as he realized he wasn't getting his morning latte, he freaked out. That was the start of chaos.
I grabbed him, sat him in the living room, turned on his Georgia fan video (we start 'em young), and listened to him cry as I ironed Tristan's clothes. Then Tristan woke up, I got him dressed, teeth brushed, hair fixed, breakfast ready, and we ran out the door. We made it to work at 8:30 (just a little late). We ran in to work for 15 minutes, then I had to load both boys back up to take Tristan to school. I dropped him off, got back to work, and finally fed Asher. I then put him in his pack n play for his nap (very late), but he didn't want to sleep because he wanted to check out all his new surroundings (ok moms who think schedules are important...I know you're freaking out with me). He did finally fall asleep (after about 30 minutes). His schedule is WAY off, and we're only through half the day.
This afternoon, I'll have both boys. I'll check patients in, do computer work, and answer phones all while chasing Asher around the office and removing whatever strange things he's found on the floor to put in his mouth and while fixing Tristan's DVDs, taking him to the bathroom, and fixing him snacks. Sound like fun? Well at some point, Asher will have a couple of meltdowns because he'll realize he's not being held, Tristan will freak out because it's a church night, and I'll lose my sanity...even if just for a moment. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
This is so stressful for me. However, like David who would begin a psalm with complaining, I'll end with praises to God. I have it so much better than so many. I am blessed with a happy healthy family. I have a wonderful husband, beautiful boys, and wonderful friends. I have a God who has nothing but the best planned for me. His Word says, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do and you plans will succeed." Prov. 16:3. I am standing, jumping, clinging to that verse. I am committing our office, our job search, my job as a mother and wife...everything..to God. Thank you, God, that you are my eye in the sky. Thank you that you have a plan for me, even if I'm a little (ok, a lot) confused about it. I miss my life at home with my boys. I miss seeing and talking to my friends, but I can't wait to see what you have planned for me. I know it's better than I could have planned.

Random Post

I just have to say...this weather has been BEAUTIFUL! It feels like a spring day outside!!! Currently, the thunder is rolling in, and it's brought lightning with it. Bye bye spring weather. However, I am a huge fan of thunderstorms, so I'm thrilled about that part. Sadly, the week will get colder, but I've enjoyed this spring weather while we've had it.
Congratulations, LSU. I must admit, I couldn't pull for you, but I didn't pull against you either. I'm glad the SEC was represented well.
Ok, goodnight all!

The Start of 21 Days

Today begins 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting within our church. The reason we commit to 21 days is because it is thought that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Therefore, if we are able to commit 21 days to prayer, the hope is that it will become a habit and will become something we all do every day.
We fast so that attention can be redirected from things that take our focus off of God and put it back where it belongs...on God. Everyone will choose a fast that works for them or where they feel God is calling them. Some will fast certain kinds of food; some will fast all food; some will fast t.v.; others will fast the computer. So many of us put so many things before God, and the hope is that by giving some of these things up, we will put our focus back where it belongs...on loving God (Ok, very repetitive...sorry!).
I wanted to kick start my 21 days with some verses that God has used to speak to me.
James 1:3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. The Message.
I love the way this verse was worded in The Message. How true it is. It's always said you can see a person's true colors when things don't go their way or when things get tough. The same goes for faith. Are you full of faith only when things are going well? When things get tough, does your faith go out the window? This year, my faith has really grown. I used to completely lose my faith when things got rough. I expected the worst. I am proud to say my faith is growing day by day. I'm definitely not where I want to be, but thank God I'm not where I was a year ago!
This is a verse I taught Tristan last week because it spoke SO strongly to me.
Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. NIV
How powerful is that?! Awesome! If we commit our plans to the Lord, they WILL succeed. Period. End of story. I claim that verse and am expecting BIG things in 2008! Thank you, God!
I used Proverbs 16:3 to create a song that would make it easier for Tristan to learn. Now we sing it all the time. He loves it. It melts my heart to hear him sing it. And something really cute is that when I was teaching him what the verse means and we were talking about it, I asked him what kind of plans he has for this year. He told me he wants to be a strong soccer player. So we prayed, committed his soccer playing to the Lord for His glory, and now we're expecting Tristan to succeed. We believe he will be a strong soccer player. :D
The following verse has been speaking to me for the past week as well:
Proverbs 13:4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. NIV
Oh how important to remain diligent in all that we do...especially if we expect success. We won't become successful by merely sitting on our rears and waiting for things to get done. We must strive to become dedicated workers in all areas of our lives.
While doing a Bible study in Ephesians, I read Paul's words and this has become my prayer, and I ask that you will pray this for me as well.
Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should.
This is one of many areas that I need major growth in. I let so many opportunities pass without sharing my faith or the hope that Christ holds for all. This is an area I hope will strengthen throughout the year and the rest of my life. I'm not content to watch those I love spend an eternity in hell simply because I didn't do my part.
This post isn't the most eloquent, but it is my heart. I wish I had more time to devote to making the words flow, but I don't. Please forgive my haste.

He is Definitely My Spawn

As those who know me well know, I cannot handle people falling down. If you fall down and I see you, chances are I'm going to laugh. I don't want to. Everything inside of me tells me it's not funny, but it's just an impulse. It comes out like vomit (sorry, gross I know). Someone falls, and instinctively I laugh. I've laughed at horrible falls and accidental trips. I so wish I could control it. Anyway, today I had just given both my boys a bath and was heading downstairs. I was holding Asher, and Tristan was walking beside us. All of a sudden, my foot slipped on one of the steps, and I came crashing down. In my mind, I knew it was happening, and all I could think was don't drop the baby. I fell hard on my rear and elbow and slid down a few steps (for those of you wondering...I didn't drop the baby. He made it through without a scratch. Praise God!). So I'm in major pain, my elbow is bleeding, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a sizable bruise on my bottom. Guess what my oldest son does? Do you think he asks how I am? What happened? Anything? No...he LAUGHS! Can you believe that?! Immediately, because I was in so much pain and still worried that I could have really hurt the baby, I reprimand him. "Tristan, this is not funny! Mommy is really hurt. Look at my elbow. It's bleeding!" Then I started to cry.
Poor little guy. Can you believe I reprimanded him for that?! Terrible parenting at its finest.
Seeing me cry, he wanted to do whatever he could do to fix the problem (my sweet boy). So he said, "I got an idea, Momma." Then he kissed me. I continued to cry (I really think because he laughed at me when I was hurting. I know, I know...). He said, "Mommy, I kissed you. You're o.k. now." That's when I gave him "the lesson" on not laughing when people are hurt. I think it was a lesson I needed to hear. However, I really think that his laugh was just as instinctive as mine. He wasn't laughing that I was hurt. He was laughing because it probably looked pretty hilarious.
So now you all have two of us to worry about. It's not just me that you have to be careful around. If you trip in front of my son, he'll laugh too. He may not look a thing like me, but he is definitely my spawn.

Please Do Your Research First

Is this what you want for your life? The life of your children? Please watch this video. As a mother, the thought of sending my children to school with kids who are taking these dangerous anti-depressant medications scares me...terrifies me. God has a better way. Please trust Him. He never intended for us to hate our lives, to live in depression. Jesus came so that we would have life and have it to the full. Please go to God FIRST, not straight to depression medication. Trust Him first, don't make Him your last and only option after trying everything else. I feel so strongly about this. I know that God has called me to minister to those who are depressed. I don't know exactly how He wants me to do it, but I do feel a strong call in this area. I hope this video helps someone.

My Little Pumpkin

This is my poor little pumpkin, Asher. Bless his heart, he was sick during Christmas, but the day after, he started to recover. It took him a good few days to get better, but during our time in the Highlands, he seemed to be coming around. Then we came home. Since we got home Monday night, he's been coughing like crazy and has had a fever. It's so sad (on a selfish note, it's been nice because he's been so cuddly. I even got to take a 2 hour nap with him. That never happens! That's terrible of me to like that part of him being sick, isn't it?)! Anyway, last night he was miserable. He just kept coughing and had a fever (101.5 so not super high, but still). SAD! See how cuddly he was? Look at those rosey cheeks and pouty lips. Heartbreaking!
Here he is coughing. :(
Tristan, Channing, and I layed hands on him last night before he went to bed and prayed for his speedy recovery. Thank God, he woke up today feeling, looking, and sounding much better. His temp has gone down to 99.5, which is still high for him but not high as far as fevers go. He is smiling again and seems to be coughing less.
While in Highlands, he didn't sleep well because he was in a pack n play rather than his bed, which he loves. He woke up every two hours while we were there. I was exhausted, so I know he must have been too. I think that's what made it more difficult for him to gain a full recovery like Tristan did.
I am confident, though, that he is going to get over this hump quickly. His daddy is keeping him adjusted, I'm keeping him hydrated, we're making sure he gets lots of rest, and we're praying continually. Today was better than yesterday, and I'm confident that tomorrow will be even better! Please say a little pray for my sweet Baby Ash if you get a chance.
We are fortunate that he and Tristan were able to stay home today. Today was my first day back at the office (until we find a replacement for Gina), and Channing's mom offered to come and watch the boys for us. BLESSING! It is FREEZING outside, and I would not have wanted to get Asher out in this weather. Thanks, Leenore!!! Thanks to her, he has been able to take his naps in his bed without any interruptions. He's been able to stay warm and snuggy in his pajamas. What a relief!!! I know this will aid in his recovery.

Our Time in Highlands

After Christmas, we had the great pleasure of heading to Highlands, NC for some much needed R&R. If you have never been to the mountains in NC, you should definitely go at some point. The air is fresh, and the area is so beautiful. God has created such unbelievable beauty in the world around us, and NC is one place where you can bask in that beauty. That being said, I thought I would share some of our trip.
In this first picture, you see Asher at my most favorite restaurant...The Log Cabin. I ate there for the first time last year with Channing and his family. I stepped out on a limb, which is really really rare for me, and ordered Wild Boar. By far, that was the best meal I have EVER had. I still talk about it. So this year, I thought I would order it again. Sadly, it wasn't on the menu. Instead, I ordered antelope. Guess what? It was delicious! I loved every bite! Anyway, here is Asher with his absolute most favorite toy. I found it at Learning Express. It's called the Wiggly Giggler or something like that, but it makes a funny noise when he shakes it. Whenever he can get it to make that noise, he smiles so big.Here are Tristan and Asher hanging out at the mountain house, aka Highlands Hideaway.Here is a picture I love of my sweet Tristan. He's hanging out on the deck at Highlands Hideaway. The cool thing is that a couple of years ago, some of the other people who are partial owners of this home captured pictures of a black bear on this deck trying to get to the food out of one of the bird feeders. For that reason, the bird feeders were taken down and remained down for at least a year. As a matter of fact, Channing's mom was not happy to see them back up. I tried to convince her that the bears are all hibernating, but I don't think she was too sure.
More deck pictures. Check out the view behind us. In the summer, when all the leaves are green, it is breathtaking!
These are Channing's parents...aka MiMi and PaPa.Here is a picture of Asher on the way to the shops in Highlands. Btw, Highlands has a fabulous shopping area. They have lots of little shops...no chains. I love it!Due to all the excitement of being at the "mount tens", Tristan missed his nap and thus passed out on the way to dinner at The Orchard. Oh, and he has chapstick all under his nose because it was raw from all the blowing he was doing.After his brief 10 minute power nap, we woke Tristan up and headed into The Orchard. The food and atmosphere was terrific. I had shrimp and grits...yummy! Our appetizers were crab cakes...delish...and mussels, which I thought would taste awful but were WONDERFUL! When we got there, Tristan got to use one of those old timey phones. I'm including the picture, even though it's sideways. I don't know how to rotate it from my usb cable.
Here are Channing and Tristan waiting for the doors to be unlocked at the restaurant.My sideways picture of Tristan enjoying the antique phone... which really worked, btw!The yummy mussels after our family attacked them!Tristan giving me an actual smile for a picture...a truely rare occurence. I LOVE this picture!Here is Asher the last night we were there. Channing, his dad, and I took Tristan to see the new Chipmunks movie. We had to drive 45 minutes into Franklin, but it was worth the drive. The movie was precious, and Tristan really enjoyed it. After the movie, and two buckets of popcorn, we met Channing's mom at Zaxby's for a quick dinner. Here are a couple of shots of Asher there.
Here he is waiting for a snack.Here he is about to pass out. My sweet sweet boy!And here is a final picture from that night. Asher is back at the house playing and having fun with PaPa.
What a great time we had! I only wish I had taken a picture of the black bear rug hung on the wall downstairs at the mountain house. It is Tristan's favorite thing about the house. He forgot seeing Santa last year on the square, but he remembered that bear rug. I wish I had remembered to take a picture of it. Oh well. There's always next year.