Jesus is Bigger Than a Pig

Tristan is in kindergarten this year, and his class has been studying fairy tales. One of the fairy tales they've studied is "The Three Little Pigs". They have done a lot of activities with that story, and one of the activities came home with him today. It was a book authored by the students in his class. The book is titled: "__________ is Bigger Than a Pig".

As I flipped through the pictures, I saw lots of cute and colorful pictures with a myriad of different answers.

My house is bigger than a pig.

A boat is bigger than a pig.

A limo is bigger than a pig.

A shark is bigger than a pig.

Then I saw Tristan's page, and my heart melted:
My photo of his picture isn't great, but it says at the bottom,
"Jesus is bigger than a pig."
That is Jesus in the sky.

I'm so proud of my little boy! He always remembers that Jesus is bigger than us all; that He loves us even more than we love each other, more than we can imagine. I pray that Tristan will continue to share Jesus with those around him, and that his faith in Jesus will grow with each passing year, day, and hour.

My Baby Girl is Five Months Old!

Seriously, how did time fly by so quickly? Not only is it almost Thanksgiving and Christmas, but my baby girl, my little princess, is already five months old! Seems like she was just born, and now she's smiling, laughing, rolling over, and sprouting curls! What in the world?!? Does anyone know how I can freeze time? Though I love this stage, as I do every stage, I just wish each stage would last a little longer. Rhiannon is such a good cuddler, and I know that once she can get mobile, she'll be over it. SAD!

Here are this months' pictures of my sweet Rhi Rhi Girl:Speaking of curls, how common is it to have THREE curly headed children? It can't happen often, right? What are the chances??? Not only do we have two boys with curly blonde hair, now Rhiannon has it and may end up with hair that is curlier than the boys. Their hair was not nearly as curly as hers is when they were her age. Amazing! I know you can't tell it from this picture, but if her hair gets the least bit wet, it curls up.

I sure do love this little girl! The boys do too. God has blessed us with such wonderful kids. :)

Happy five months, Rhiannon Marie!

Thursday's Random Thoughts

If you've stopped by my blog much, you know I'm very inconsistent in my postings. I just can't seem to find the time. Trying to figure out completely different schedules for three kids has been a bit of a challenge for me. I'll get there one day, though! Tonight, I found a quiet minute (when I should be cleaning) and thought I would post my most recent random thoughts. So, here goes:
Road rage. What happened to it? Remember when road rage was all the rage? It seemed like you couldn't watch the news without seeing a story about some driver who went ballistic because he was cut off on the interstate. Daily, we heard crazy stories about drivers who went completely ballistic. What happened to those drivers? Did they disappear? Or did the news stop covering it? Hmmm...

Has anyone seen the commercial for the Temper Pedic bed? It's the one where the bed is on the hillside. Some couple wakes up all refreshed. But seriously, what's up with the hillside? Is it common for people to take their queen size beds out to the hillside to sleep? Just wondering.

If you've ever watched anything with Tyra Banks, whether it be America's Top Model or The Tyra Show (is that what it's called~her talk show?), you will notice TONS of pictures of Miss Tyra Banks. I mean, I know she was a famous super model, but does she really have to be in every single picture? It cracks me up. Maybe she's afraid we'll forget she was a famous super model? Maybe she's afraid she'll lose her "fierceness"?

I remember seeing her pregnant. I've even seen the pictures of her new baby, but I have to ask...did Elisabeth Hasselbeck actually have a baby?!? I mean, the woman, after giving birth two months ago, looks tinier than ever. How is that possible?! I mean, I've had friends get small pretty quickly, but they had almost non-existent pregnant bellies. Elisabeth wasn't huge by any means, but she had a baby belly. How did she lose it so quickly? Man!

Does anyone else have a hard time deleting pictures of their kids? I have the hardest time. Whatever I use to take their pictures, whether it be my phone or camera, I upload them to the computer, and I still don't want to delete them off my camera or phone. It's so hard! I start to, then I see the picture and think, "I may need this. That's my baby. How can I delete him/her?" Even with not-so-flattering pictures. It's something I really have to work on.

Do you Twitter? Tweet? Whatever? Ok, so I've spent lots of time making fun of it on my random thoughts (tongue in cheek, of course). Then, I got this new phone that I love and thought I would give it a shot; not to update everyone about my every move, rather, to find out when stores are having sales and to check in on funny people and people that have interesting things to say...or, so I thought. So I started getting tweets on my phone and HATE it! It's just as bad as I thought it would be. As I'm typing this, I am getting a tweet. AGH! SHUT IT OFF! ;) I know a lot of people out there like it. I'm just not one of them. I thought I cared what people are doing, but I don't. I really don't. It is so time consuming. My phone is constantly beeping (and I'm only following a few people on my phone), and I never know if it's a text that I need to check right away or if it's some tweet announcing that so and so is heading to the gym (yes, I follow some pastors for inspirational thoughts, and that's what I get). I would go ahead and delete people from my phone, but I have to look up how to do that again. I keep forgetting! I plan to leave a couple (like children's stores that I want updates from), other than that, Twitter's gotta go. It's not that I don't love my friends. I just barely have enough time to keep up with my own family, much less everyone's else's dinner schedules. :)

I know my boys have been in school for more than two months, but I am still having a hard time getting their schedules and Rhiannon's schedules down pat every day. There just isn't enough time between trips, it seems. And what I've noticed is that the more I try to prepare the night before, the later I am the next day. I can get all the clothes ironed and ready, lunches and snacks made, get up early, and the next day, something will happen to make us late. On the flip side, I can stay up late, do nothing the night before, get up and rush around to get ready, and we're right on time. What's up with that? It happens ALL THE TIME!

Ok, I'm just going to say it...Lane Kiffin is a big fat crybaby. He is. I understand. He's 34. He's young, but still..come on! Grow up! Lane Kiffin, quit running your mouth about how you're going to beat this team and that team, how this coach is cheating, and that official is unfair. Grow up. Some people say he's just ballsy and/or he's just overly confident. I don't think it's either of those things. I think he's incredibly immature, and one day, I think he'll be embarrassed by how he's behaved over the past few months. Just my thoughts. For now, though, he's got a mess on his hands with his jailbird football players. Good luck with that, Coach Kiffin.

Speaking of the jailbirds, check this out! The three UT players that committed an armed robbery of a couple at a Pilot gas station, were arrested; however, one of the victims of the crime said that he believes the guys should still be able to play football...that they shouldn't be suspended. Ok, are you KIDDING ME?!? I mean, is this guy that big of a UT fan that he is willing to overlook having a gun pointed at him? Really? Does he have a bet on this weekend's game or what?!? Ok, I love me some Alabama Crimson Tide, but if Greg McElroy comes at me with a gun while demanding my purse, no way I'm going to beg Coach Saban to let him play. That's NUTS!

In the past month, at completely separate times, both my mother and husband have mentioned a possible part-time job for me (and they were totally serious). Wanna know what the job is? Driving a school bus. That's right. Me, the girl who failed her first drivers' test at the age of 17, they want to commandeer a large moving vehicle full of screaming kids through a busy and crowded little town. They BOTH brought this idea up to me, not knowing the other had mentioned it to me as well. Can you believe that?!? They must both really want me to have a job! Ok, I would flatten cars if I ever drove a school bus!

I want to close with this question...is it possible to hear "Bohemian Rhapsody" without immediately thinking about Wayne's World? It's not for me, is it for you?

That's it, people. I have more, but I'll spare you. And you're welcome! Now, if you want to make my day, you'll leave me some of your random thoughts. :) So, please make my day!
ROLL TIDE & GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Word from the Wise

I came across this quote from C.S. Lewis this morning as I was reading through a book. It really stood out to me.

There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians ever imagine that they are guilty themselves... The essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleebites in comparison: it was through pride that the devil became the devil; pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind... As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.

~C.S. Lewis

My Favorite Costume of 2009

Is this costume super creative or what?! My sweet friend, Carrie Anne, came up with this all on her own. She's one of those...one of those creative types. I can only imagine. :)LOVE this costume! Her costume is so amazing, you almost miss how great her husband's is. Gotta love overweight Elvis! AND...have you ever seen a cuter little fish??? I think not.

Thanks for letting me share, CA!

Who Knew?

I certainly didn't. I never could have imagined just how much I could love a little girl. Now I know, and I can't get enough of my little princess (which, btw, is something I said I would never call her. Go figure).

Tuesday Morning on a Thursday Afternoon

Does your town have a Tuesday Morning? Mine does, but I often forget about it. Lately, though, it's been catching my eye. Until today, it had been about two years or so since I had been in. Since I only had one of the kids with me today, I thought it would be the perfect time to stop in and check out the merchandise.
I found some good loot and, well, some strange things. I kept finding so many unique things, I had to take out my cell phone and start taking pictures (have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy my phone? It's GREAT!). I'm pretty sure my fellow shoppers (and the workers in the store) thought I was pretty weird, but I didn't care.
Check out my finds:

First, I'll show you a couple of things I liked. For instance, this dress was super cute! The picture doesn't do it justice. For those Bama fans out there, this houndstooth coat has a super cute a-line button dress beneath it and a hat (I don't really dig the hat, but I know it's in style right now. I've seen it everywhere). I would have gotten it for my Rhi, but the smallest they had was like a 3T or something. Another good find were these acrylic pitchers and cups. They had a few teams represented but none that I cared about it. I was able to lead a friend to a Tennessee pitcher, so that was good....I think. She was pleased, anyway. This is an Ole Miss set. Now on to the strange. Let's start with the dolls. First off, these Juicy Couture dolls. This pack of dolls costs $50! Seriously, $50. I'm sorry, but $50 for a couple of Barbies seems crazy! They are very pretty, though. :)Then I found this Boho Barbie. She and her packaging just looked strange to me.This Barbie really disturbed me. It is Little Red Riding Hood Barbie (an official Barbie). Ok, um, is it just me or is she way too sexy to be a Barbie for LITTLE GIRLS?!? Check her out. Her outfit is incredibly revealing. Her pose is too much, and the wolf....oh my! She should be called Little Red Riding Hooker, not Hood.A recurring theme for the dolls in Tuesday Morning, as I noticed today...hair nets. I saw so many dolls, like this one, with hair nets on. Is it just me, or is this strange? I've never bought (or seen before today) a doll with a hair net. Maybe they all work in restaurants?Here's another one with a hair net. Actually it's a whole head net.Then I found these shoes. The picture says it all, doesn't it? I mean, bright yellow fuzzy croc-ish shoes. Does it get any cooler than that?
Finally, my favorite find. The ENORMOUS remote control. I'm not kidding, people. This thing was H-U-G-E! The picture does not do it justice. I wish I had measured it next to my arm or something. I don't know if you can tell from the couple pictured at the bottom of the box, but there is no way this remote is getting lost. It's almost as big as an actual t.v.! Who wants a remote that big?!? I guess someone elderly who can't see the buttons, but check out the couple on the box. They're not old. What gives?So that's what I found today. It was quite entertaining. I'm so glad I stopped in! :)
Stay tuned for Thursday's Random Thoughts. I have them ready and am hoping to find a minute to type them out. Will I find the time? Only time will tell, I guess!

This Shirt Must Make My Girl Happy

Look how she beams every time she wears it!
My sweet Rhi Rhi girl. I love this girl beyond measure! What did the boys and I ever do without her???

Lately, she's become a big fan of sucking her toes and blowing bubbles. She also enjoys sucking her bottom lip. She's not really into the paci anymore, but that shouldn't surprise me. My boys never liked pacifiers either. Oh well. That will probably make it easier on me, I guess.
Her hair is already showing signs of future curls in the waves it produces when wet or in humid weather. Shocker, right?! She looks just like her daddy. I just can't get over the fact that I may have three curly headed kids. Who has three kids with curly hair?!? How often does that happen??? I LOVE it!!!
She is showing signs of teething, which hasn't made for a fun week. I give her Hyland's natural teething tablets, but she still wakes up in the middle of the night (she loves the 1:30/2:00 am hour).
She's a momma's girl but always saves big smiles for her daddy and brothers.
Speaking of big smiles, the best way to get this girl to smile at you is to give her a compliment. She can't get enough of those and always returns a compliment with a grin.
She still loves her tummy tub; always happy to take a bath.
She's very ticklish.
She reached for someone for the very first time this past weekend. While in Ozark visiting my family, she reached for Aunt Vicki. It was the first time ever. Later, she reached for me. SO sweet!
Her eyes are turning brown. At two months old, I was sure she would be a blue eyed girl like her brother, Tristan. Her eyes were getting so light. Now, the centers are brown and the outsides are blue. They are definitely changing. She's going to have her daddy's beautiful browns. Yet more proof that my kids are destined to look like their daddy's side of the family.
She loves her bouncy seat and can really get it moving. She moves her left leg up and down super fast and keeps it in constant motion. That is something my boys never did. They were content to sit in the seat while it vibrated.
She hates to have her nails cut, so they're almost always too long.
She's constantly talking and making sweet noise.
Rhiannon hardly ever cries. She usually reserves her crying for times when she's hungry or sleepy.

These are just a few of the things going on with my sweet Rhi Rhi girl these days. She is such an incredibly blessing and proof that God sure does love us!

What to Do to Fill the Time...

...on a three hour car ride:

Take crazy pictures with your cell phone, of course! Your family does this, right???Asher's "scary face". LOVE it!Crazy couple shot (and yes, he was driving):Tristan doing his best to tune us out:Our often un-talked about son, Felipe (aka: Flipper, Bubsy, Bubbits, Bibbs, Fleepster...the list goes on):My absolute favorite picture on this post!!! It's my favorite because of the name Asher gave it. This is his "honkin' shhhh" face. Can anyone guess what honkin' shhhh means???? Tune in for another post about this to see if you got it right. CRACKS ME UP!One of Channing's favorite crazy faces to make:As it was getting darker, we managed to fit in one more shot:Three hours can sometimes be a long ride, but my kiddos are riding champs. We hardly ever have any trouble out of them in the car. What a blessing, right?!? Rhiannon was in the car with us, but she was turned around backwards, so it was impossible for me to get any shots of her. That's ok, though, because she just slept the whole time. She chipped in to make sure the ride was an ease. :)