An Awakening

Yesterday, a little while after Emma Claire got home from school, I was in Henderson's room changing his diaper when Emma Claire RAN back there to me as fast as she could. In her exasperated, silly voice she said "Mommy, why did you kiss me at school in front of my friends this morning?"

Let me back up....yesterday, Emma Claire had an eye appointment at 8:00, so I took her to that (which her eye is improving greatly with the patching each day, praise God - it will never be perfect, but improvement is GOOD!!!) and then I took her on to school around 8:45. Of course all her friends were already sitting at their tables working on their assignments, so we were kind of "center stage". I helped her get her back unpacked and then bent down for a quick goodbye kiss. She kissed me back and I left.

Back to the afternoon. I asked her repeatedly why she didn't want me to kiss her at school and she kept saying "I don't know, just because". Then I asked her if anyone laughed at her and she said "No". I still couldn't get much out of her and then she finally said she didn't know WHO laughed at her, but she heard SOMEONE. I was holding Henderson at the time, so I started kissing him all over and he was laughing hysterically and I told her "I kiss those I love." I told her I will always kiss her and SHE BETTER Kiss me back!!!! I jokingly told her she better go back to school tomorrow and tell whomever laughed at her "that she has the coolest, most beautiful, best mom in the world and she's gonna kiss her no matter what!" This made Emma Claire start laughing and she ran up to me and started kissing me all over my face!!! We laughed and laughed and rolled around in the floor together.

A sad moment was turned into fun, but I know there was some truth there and that too soon, peer pressure will start seeping into my little girls life and she will face struggles and decisions that she is far too young to deal with. I pray God will give her the srength and grace to always do the RIGHT, BEST thing.

On another note, I sent Emma Claire out the door today with a challenge. Her challenge of the day was to "Help Someone". It may be her teacher, her friend, or someone she doesn't even know their name, but she is to help them without being asked. Hopefully she'll remember throughout the day and I can't wait to hear what she's done! I hope to have a new challenge each day!!!

You're NOT going to believe it!!!!

Look what fell in my dear friend, Ashley's backyard this weekend. And she lives in Tuscaloosa!!!! We waited and waited on Thursday for the snow to fall and it never happened!!!

****after posting this, I read a post by the other mama and realized that it did indeed snow AND STICK in North Alabama, but IT.DID.NOT.HERE in central Alabama - we got some flurries and schools shut down for a day, but NOTHING stuck, believe me!!!!!

Wanna know how??? Well, this man, William is the man with the magic!!!! He made, did you hear me, MADE a snow machine - real LIVE snow!!!! This is why he is a dentist with his own lab - he LOVES to tinker with things and create things- what a guy!!!!

Don't ask me the details, all I know is that he was putting it together while we were over there watching the National Championship Thursday night and Ashley and I were very "weary" about whether or not it would work.

It is comprised of a bunch of metal tubes and a pressure washer and air compressor and then a bunch of other temperature and humidity factors - yada yada yada.

They ran it about 5 hours the first night it produced about 6-8 inches of wonderful powdery snow in some places. The next night he ran it 3-4 more hours and it made for an absolute winter wonderland!!!!!

This was our attempt at a group picture, but little to our "Alabama" knowledge, snow and ice are slippery and some of the children slipped away!!!!

There's a lt of pictures here, but remember people, this is SNOW.

IN ALABAMA!!!!!

Henderson enjoyed it, but refused mittens, so his hands were purple and numb

Oh the little joys of snow on a 6 foot hill - it doesn't take much to amuse us down south!!!!!

One thing I made a note of - we are VERY ILL EQUIPPED for SNOW

Things to buy: waterproof MITTENS!!!!

SNOW BOOTS!!!!!!

SKI BIBS!!!!!

Diapers in the Laundry

Last night I did a load of colored clothes (b/c I can do that EVERYDAY - it's amazing how much "space" colored winter clothes take up!!!) Anyhow, when I went to take the clothes out of the dryer I noticed white stuff ALL.OVER.THE.CLOTHES. Great - I probably left a tissue in my pocket or something. NOPE - there, laying on top of all the clothes was a HUGE Diaper!!!! Now how in the world did THAT get in my laundry?

One Guess....

So, I took the diaper out and ran the laundry again in hopes of getting SOME of the white jelly-like and lint-like pieces off my colored clothes. So this morning, I went to take the clothes out AGAIN and put them in the dryer - and it seemed like even MORE was on there!!!! So I began taking clothes out and shaking them off and low and behold there was ANOTHER DIAPER!!!! What in the world!!!???? I usually check the clothes pretty good, but this was mostly a load of pajamas and sweat shirts and jeans (my WONDERFUL, DARK, SKINNY jeans that I wear every other day!!!!!!) so I pretty much just threw them all in, not going over each piece for stains. Well, I've learned my lesson!!!!

As I type this, the majority of the clothes are in the dryer, in hopes that the lint filter will get most of it out and my jeans and a pair of plack yoga pants went through the wash AGAIN. This time WITHOUT any diapers!!!!

***on a totally separate note, have you seen the comment on my last post? It's from somewhere in Asia - not a single letter from our alphabet in sight. TOTALLY.FREAKED.ME.OUT when that showed up in my inbox. Have you ever gotten a comment like that????

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!

From Our Family To Yours!!!!

Roll Tide!!!!!

New Projects

Once all the Christmas decorations come down, I always feel the need to clean, organize and tackle a few projects!!! The first project of the new year was painting our front door. I'm not a fan of white front doors, they tend to just "blend" with the rest of the house. I chose a rich color called "urbane bronze" by Sherwin Williams. I love it, but now I think the shutters need to be painted the same color. Actually, I would love to paint the ENTIRE house, brick and all, but that will come with time!

(edited with a picture I took this evening, you can see the color better)

Sorry for the long shadows, it was nap time and the only time I could get outside without a "posse" following me into the sub-freezing temperatures. The door still needs a little touching up, but that will have to wait until the temperatures get over 30 degrees!!!!

Here's a picture of "before" - this picture was taken on January 6, 2009 - exactly a year ago - do you see that daffodil??? - apparently it was a very MILD winter last year- not the case this year - we've had record lows, as has much of the country!!!!




My next project is this coffee table. I bought it from my SIL at a garage sale. She had it on her porch and it is weathered and needs lots of TLC. The problem is, I really don't know where to start. Any ideas????

I'm guessing I need to sand it, then paint it and maybe distress it or faux it. Please give me your suggestions and tips!!!!

New Year's eve was a BLAST - we went to a campaign party for Thad Turnipseed who is running for State Senate District 5, then headed to Will's sisters house with friends for a casual get together!!!! Emma Claire stripped out of her turtleneck to be a "princess"

We ate lots of junk food and the children did fireworks with the daddies!!! I have no pictures, b/c I opted to stay in the warm house and chat with the ladies. We did hear a loud stampede of children at one point and they all came running in laughing saying they threw a bottle rocket into the sewer and had fun watching it explode and light up!!!!! The other moms and I looked at each other and told them that was probably not a good idea. Later that night I learned that my husband was right there guiding their actions!!!! I guess when boys get around fireworks, they are all the same (12 years old), no matter how old they really are!!!!

At the campaign fundraiser, all my children enjoyed riding the ponies and the petting farm

Emma Claire especially enjoyed the petting farm - she stayed there for an hour and a half - that child LOVES her some animals!!!!

So how about you? What are you up to in the New Year?

Happy New Year

The decorations are gone

All the twinkly lights are down
and now we begin a new year!

3 verses that I hope will guide me throughout the year...

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
1 Thessalonians 2: 6-8

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Acts 20:24

Happy New Year!!!!!

Highlights

Merry CHRISTmas! I hope you and your family had a magical, memorable, and meaningful Christmas - I know we did.

SO much has gone on since I last posted, so I'll just hit the highlights...

Henderson looks something like a railroad engineer in that hat!

Emma Claire is a goofball!!!!

We went Christmas caroling on a trailer around the neighborhood. I only took pictures while we were still in the driveway, b/c I was too busy holding on to Henderson to make sure he didn't fall out of the trailer!

Her mommy is a goofball too!

We made red velvet cakeballs

I had a little help!

Katie and I had a bit of fun dressing up the cakeball snowman!



Emma Claire helped make the dressing

This was Wilson's "hit" toy!

Will's underwear was a "hit" too - so many laughs!!!!

Emma Claire got a Nintendo DSi and this is all we have seen for the last 3 days!!!!

She wasn't the only one - all 5 of the oldest cousins on both sides got them and they played and played and played!!!!

Christmas is quickly coming down, the children are still in Birmingham with my parents until Wednesday while I go back to work. Will and I enjoyed a nice dinner out tonight (with free babysitting) and I plan to get the last tree down tomorrow and clean and organize on Tuesday before they all get back on Wednesday. I miss them already, but I'm trying to make the most of my time! We've had a lot of great family time the last few days!!!

I hope you and yours did too!