Life With Lauri

Changing Sites

2007-07-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

Hi. Please join me at http://www.laurilynn.wordpress.com/. This blog site is giving me fits!! Thanks for your patience as I set up a new blog. Hope to see you there!

Houston...We Have a Problem

2007-06-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

Not the rocket science kind, not the computer virus kind, but the kind that wreaks havic on your stomach with nary a warning.

We went to Houston last weekend for Andrew's 3rd birthday party. While the party went well on Saturday, and church went well on Sunday, lunch afterwards did not start out so well. After church on Sunday, we went back to the hotel to change clothes and pack up. When we met everyone at the restaurant, Nicholas got SICK. Very sick. All over himself and all over me before we had a chance to sit down. Ms. Glenna helped us to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Fortunately, there were plenty of sinks and paper towels in that restroom. Ms. Glenna went out to ask Ernie to bring in our suitcase. Nick and I had to change clothes from head to toe. We made it through lunch while he napped on me. He woke up about 30 minutes later, and guess what...I had to ask Ernie to go back out to the truck for another shirt for me. We tried to go home after lunch. About 5 minutes into our ride...guess what...

We went back to Chris and Heather's to decide what to do. Ms. Glenna wasn't leaving till Monday, so the offer was made for me and the kids to stay while Ernie headed home. Nicholas played and chattered the whole time we were there. So, we decided to make another go of it. 10 minutes into this trip...guess what...

I decided the poor baby had to be empty by now and we should try to get home. The only other trouble we had was about and hour and 30 minutes away from home, we tried to give him a little bit of Gatorade...20 minutes later...guess what.. I ended up taking him to the doctor on Monday and they gave him a shot for nausea. Not really much else could be done because it was just a virus.

Fast forward to Tuesday night around 9:30 - we hear Allison crying in her room - guess what...Then later that night, it was my turn. I spent Wednesday in bed while Ernie worked from home and took care of the little ones. While I think the three of us are still slightly feverish, and need to work our appetites back up, we are on the mend. Allison has coined a new term in all of this - getting sick, tossing cookies, whatever you call it, we now call it "spilling." As in what Allison told me when Nick got sick on Monday morning - "Nick spilled his juice momma." Ahhh, life through the eyes of a three year old....

Happy Birthday Allison!

2007-06-18T06:29:00.001-05:00

Today is our sweet girl's 3rd birthday. Three short years ago, I went to the doctor for a check-up and an ultrasound. I went in for an 11:00 am appointment and we had our first baby, a beautiful, 8 pound, 11 ounce girl at 3:50 pm. I will always remember what it was like to hear Ernie announce that we had a little girl. I will always remember the smile on my sister's face as she watched them get Allison's footprints and bundle her up. Chelsea came to see her the next morning and gently held her. So many precious memories have been made in just three short years.

We had her Cinderella birthday party on Saturday. She had a good time opening her presents and playing with the kids that came to her party. She didn't like being sung to, and she didn't want to blow out her #3 candle, but she did let "Sa" put her down long enough to eat her ice cream. All in all, it was a good day. I'm glad that we live close enough to a lot of family and that we have good friends to share these days with.

Happy Birthday Allison! Momma and Daddy love you very much!

A Month Passes

2007-06-07T18:48:00.000-05:00

OK - so it seems if I don't post everyday, or at least every other day, a month passes before I know it. Here's a brief run-down of our life in May.

We attended Olivia's 3rd birthday party at the Johnson home along with 3 other families from church. We had hot dogs, yummy taco soup, and chips & salsa. And of course there was cake and ice cream.
Dad was here for a week-long visit.
We had company for a cook-out and swimming on Saturday, the 29th. We had a good time in the pool on the first day of the "season" and Ernie grilled some yummy burgers.
We had our annual Indy Race Day party on Sunday, the 30th. This includes way more food than the Lee's and the Gammon's can ever eat in one day, but we make it anyway, graze all day, and watch the race.
Nick had Group B strep, which they apparently don't normally treat. But since they called to check on him after the weekend was over and he was hoarse, had a runny nose, and was coughing, the dr. decided this warranted a 10 day antibiotic. This in turn warranted a prescription diaper cream. But we made it through and he is better.

Dad left on Memorial Day and Mom came in on Thursday for a long weekend. I had a garage sale on Saturday which didn't quite yield what I thought it might, but it was OK. I made some donations, set aside some items for eBay and my Mom was kind enough to take some things to put on consignment for me in MS.

Ernie has just ended a five day stint on an antibiotic due to an approaching ear infection.

I started an antibiotic and got a cortizone shot today due to a sinus infection.

I have made and mailed Allison's birthday invitations and we ordered her Cinderella cake yesterday. The party will be next Saturday. Hard to believe my sweet girl will be 3!!

Nicholas continues to run and climb and is communicating in his own way. My mom seems to think that he will actually start talking once Allison starts pre-school in the fall and won't be here to talk for him as much.

I am attending a "stamp camp" held by an up-line demonstrator each Wednesday in June. My mother-in-law has graciously agreed to keep the kids so that I could participate in each class.

So , that's it for now. I will try, yet again, to do a better job of keeping up on myblog.

OUCH!!

2007-04-30T19:30:00.000-05:00

Well, today started bright and early at 6:00 am. Nicholas was my early bird this morning. Allison woke up around 6:30 or so and requested lemonade. I stirred up a pitcher of pink lemonade, but not before Allison made another request - for little muffins. So, I filled two sippee cups with lemonade and sent them on their way while I stirred up a batch of muffins. Things were running alond pretty smoothly. Both Allison and Nicholas had their fill of muffins and began to play and Lisa called at her usual time for our morning chat. While we were discussing stamping projects, I tried to chase Nicholas out of the buffet cabinet where I keep my lead crystal vases. Guess where this is going...

He mananged to break one of them. A piece fell out onto the floor, but grazed the top if his foot on the way down. I hung up with Lisa and began to assess his injury and the mess. It took a while to stop the bleeding and Lisa came by to see if it needed stitches. It finally stopped bleeding and I was able to get some Neosporin and a band-aid on it. By the time I changed his dirty diaper, got the floor and inside of the buffet vacuumed, it was 8:30 am. And I had "migraine spots." All of this in 2 1/2 hours.

I managed to get a good nap while the kids were napping and that helped my head a little bit. Ernie made supper and has been a big help with the kids tonight. I'm sure all will be well in the morning after we get a good night's sleep.

All In A Day's Work

2007-04-29T14:12:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, another day's work came for Ernie on a Sunday. Two guys didn't show up this morning for work. This meant that the person that Ernie was going to have work for him had to work with someone else. He did bring me an apple fritter and chocolate milk for breakfast when he came home to tell me the news. So, off he went towards New Orleans to set up a GPS unit and off I went to church with our two toddlers.

While I was there, I popped two buttons off of my top during Sunday School. Since I teach the babies, this was not an immediate problem. While I was putting class supplies away, I tripped on the bucket seat table.

When class was over I found someone who had two safety pins in her purse to close myself up with. Nicholas was screaming in the nursery the whole time I was in search of safety pins. I calmed him down and snuck off to get Allison from Sunday School. When I got back, I could hear him screaming again. I gathered them up along with our multiple bags required for Sunday mornings and headed home. I had been through enough without spending the rest of church in the family nursery with our two precious toddlers, only two safety pins, and a precariously threaded third button holding my top on.

Ernie was here by the time we got home. We got everyone settled and ordered carry out from Sammy's. Ernie is on the road again to retrieve the aforementioned GPS unit and then he'll go to the office to get started on the data.

I'm pretty sure we'll see each other at Bible Study this evening. It's Ladies' prayer time this evening, and I must say I'm looking forward to it!

Which Oe Is Missig?

2007-04-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

Ca* you figure out which letter *icholas took off of my keyboard?? If you guessed "n", you are correct!! I'm typing an "n" these days with a little rubber push button. I'm also down a "Ctrl" key and an "Alt" key. Something happened to them while I was at the salon two nights ago. But, I have a new haircut and new hightlights that I'm very pleased with. Besides, there are extra "Ctrl" and "Alt" keys and at least I still have the little rubber button for an "n" to get by with. So, on with my post...

We went to Bouncing Tigers on Thursday with Heather, Andrew and Abby. The kids had a great time and mine were even ready to go with 15 minutes of play time still on the clock.

Then on Friday, we took an impromtu trip to Grammy's (my mom's) house in Mississippi. We played with cars, water paint, soccer balls, bubbles, and t-ball. Grammy had traffic cone (I'm not sure why and sometimes, it's better not to ask questions) that we used for a tee. Then it was back to Baton Rouge for dinner at Mimi and Grandpa's with the rest of the Gammon family. Next came much needed baths and a good night's rest.

Today, we have been to the mailing center and Michael's. I may brave a trip to Toys R Us after naps. Speaking of naps, my two little angels are down for one, so I better get a few things done around the house.

More later (or tomorrow when it's nap time again.)

Overflowing

2007-04-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

The title of this post is "Overflowing" for several reasons. Since my Dad has been here (and while he was here), we have been overflowing with activities. Not to mention the toilet overflowed at 6:00 am this morning...

We had a nice Easter weekend - including a rather chilly egg hunt on the church property on Saturday. Nicholas was happy to have an egg in each hand and to just be outside. Allison doesn't quite have the "urgency" that some of the others have while hunting for eggs. But she found 9 or so and had a good time.

We hosted Mommy & Me at our house on Friday, the 13th. We had 14 children, including two babies, in attendance. I would occasionally stop chatting for a few seconds just to listen to the squeals and the laughter.

Lisa's birthday was Friday, the 20th. We were able to go to dinner with her and Chelsea and have some playtime at our house afterwards. Heather (my sister-in-law) is staying with my in-laws while they make the transition from Starkville, MS. back to Houston. This has allowed us to spend a lot of time with our niece and nephew. We have been to McDonald's playland, the park, to lunch a couple of times and tomorrow we may go to Bouncing Tigers.

We've been to get the kids' haircut this week, and it's my turn tomorrow. We also went to the bookstore to get a "potty" book for Allison. I'm slowly but surely beginning to introduce "potty talk." Allison seems to have to ease into certain situations and it seems potty training is going to be one of them.

We went to AgMagic with the Mommy & Me group this past Monday. The kids enjoyed walking around "learning" about Louisiana agriculture and how we use it in our everyday lives. I think the favorite part of the tour was the live animals at the end. Allison seemed to particularly like the sleeping baby pigs. She didn't want to touch the baby chick, but she gave it a lot of thought. Nicholas gave the dairy cow a good "moooo" - head tilted back and everything. Then it was on to lunch at Tanya's house before it was time to head home for a good nap.

Ernie is still putting in a lot of hours at work. He is ready for things to slow down, but as long as he sees himself working at least 6 days a week, we're not sure when that is going to happen.
I'm hoping he can catch a little break soon so that we can head to Gulf Shores, stick our toes in the sand, and regroup a little bit.

2007-04-05T18:24:00.000-05:00

God Made....

On a short outing today, Allison commented on the sunny day we were blessed with today. She said, "It's sunshining outside Momma." I replied, "Yes, it is. God gave us a beautiful sunny day today." She followed with, "Yes, and pretty grass and clouds." How simple and how sweet His blessings are through the eyes of a child. Thank you God for my sweet, sweet girl.

2007-04-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is Dad's 60th birthday and we have the rare opportunity to spend it with him. He has been here for almost 2 weeks helping out and playing golf. The kids have really enjoyed having him here. I know it will be a big adjustment for all of us when he leaves. But right now, we are looking forward to his birthday party and Easter weekend.

On another note..."The Maids" are back!! I called a maid service that we used a couple of years ago, and got them to come back. They will come over every two weeks. I am grateful to have them. It is a lot of worry about housework off of my back. It's nice to not have to worry about dusting, cleaning blinds, etc. I am thankful for this and many other blessings that we have.

We are looking at another busy weekend filled with family and activities. I think we will try to go to a park tomorrow and Saturday is the Easter egg hunt on the church property. My mom will be in for the weekend, as well as Ernie's brother and his wife and children. It will probably all go by too quickly. I'm going to try to take a lot of pictures and savor the moments.

2007-03-21T15:13:00.000-06:00

Catching Up

Scotty got hurt while cutting grass two weeks ago. He ended up with 25 stiches in his left pinkie. Chris and Heather have been in every two weeks since the beginning of February and this weekend will be no different. Ernie's most recent pay check consisted of 132 hours in a two week time period. To say we have been busy might be an understatement.

Today, I ran errands with the kids for three hours and they hung in there amazingly well. Tonight is church and tomorrow we are going to see my mom in Mississippi.

Now on to our weekend:

We have Mommy & Me on Friday morning and the company crawfish boil on Friday evening

I have a hair cut appointment on Saturday morning, Chelsea's birthday party on Saturday afternoon, and the Teacher's Appreciation Banquet that evening at church. Oh, and I'm making Chelsea's birthday cake for her party.

Sunday will be church, lunch and a birthday party for our niece, Abigail. She is turning one on the 29th. Then, we will have a fellowship meal with our Life Group on Sunday evening.

My dad will be arriving sometime Sunday to stay with us for 2 weeks. He hopes to help Scotty get caught up on some yards since he has been out of commission with his hand injury. Plus, dad hopes to play golf with Ernie and will travel to Jackson, MS with Lisa and Chelsea for Chelsea's soccer tournament.

Oh! Nicholas got his first hair cut yesterday. I put it off as long as I could, but I knew it was finally time. He looks so different with just that little trim! Allison also got her hair cut, and for the first time in a long time, the two of us didn't leave with her hair all over us. Usually, I have to let her sit in my lap and she won't wear the cape. But she sat in the big girl chair all by herself and wore a purple cape yesterday. When we got home, she touched her hair and said, "My haircut is very pretty." And of course, I couldn't agree more!

2007-03-03T05:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday My Sunshine!!

My precious niece, Chelsea, is 12 today! I can't believe it! I clearly remember the first time I met her. She was 3 months old and the sweetest baby I had ever seen. Lisa says I didn't put her down throughout the duration of my visit.

Just before she turned 4, I moved back to Louisiana and have had countless opportunities to spend time with her. She is a beautiful, sensitive, and very funny girl. It has been a blessing to spend the past 8 years watching her grow.

I love you my sunshine! Happy Birthday!

2007-02-27T06:31:00.000-06:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

19 years and counting!! Happy Anniversary to Lisa and Scotty! Thank you for your example of commitment and unconditional love. Wishing you many more years of happiness!

Love,
Lauri

2007-02-20T08:29:00.000-06:00

Catching Up

I've been catching up on everyone's blogs today, so I thought I better update my own.

We have had a pretty run of the mill time since my last post. Grocery shopping and other errands, trying to keep Nicholas from standing on top of the Little Tykes picnic table, checking out a preschool for Allison (sniff, sniff), Ernie's busy days at work and mine at home.

About preschool for Allison - I was all for it! I felt like I was trying to convince most everyone else that it was the right thing to do. Then we had the meeting with the registrar of the school and looked at the classrooms. That's when it happened - I got choked up. It was all I could do to finish the meeting and not start crying. I still feel it's the right thing to do, but boy is that first day going to be tough!!

Nicholas is going to be climbing on more than the picnic table very soon. He's starting to get that one leg "hiked up" and will figure the rest out shortly, I'm afraid. He knows no fear and thinks it's funny when I use my serious tone with him. (Please keep us in your prayers.) :)

Lisa, Scotty, and Chelsea went to Pensacola this past weekend for a soccer tournament. Even though I got to talk to Lisa, it's just not the same when she's not in town. We sort of have a morning routine of instant messaging while she gets ready for work and I get the kids going with their breakfast. Then she calls me on her way in to work and we chat some more. If we're lucky, we talk a couple of more times during the day and then on her way home. We also instant message on the weekends while everyone is still sleeping. When she's out of town, this gets thrown out of whack and it's just not the same. I feel like something is missing. I'm always glad when they make it back safe and sound and they are just 4 miles away again.

As for the tournament, Chelsea got some good playing time in the first game, then hardly any in the second, then she scored the winning (and only) goal in the game on Sunday. I was very excited when she called me to tell me about it. She is one dedicated little soccer player and her Aunt Lauri is so proud!! But again, I'm glad they're home.

2007-02-06T13:58:00.000-06:00

All In a Day's Work

OK...it's 2:00 pm and so far today, I have taken our two little ones to the doctor, occupied them while Ernie received our new washer and dryer and had furniture picked up for refinishing and repair. Oh, and I've made a couple of phone calls, fed and changed the children, and dropped a prescription off at the pharmacy to be picked up later.

So, Nicholas' 15 month check up went well. He weighs 27 pounds, 15 ounces and is 33 1/2" tall. We are supposed to take him off of the bottle "cold turkey" and get him to use a sippy cup. He has a little cold, but was still able to receive his scheduled vaccinations.

Allison has a cold as well (thus the prescription run). She is resting at the moment. She should have a good nap today due to all of the energy she expended over being weighed and examined at the doctor's office.

The stamp a stack that I had on Friday night went well and I've received some nice feedback. I have also found out that Saturday mornings are not out of the question to hold a class and in some cases, even preferred.

We had a lazy Saturday morning and Chelsea spent a couple of hours with us on Saturday night while Lisa and Scotty attended a party.

On Sunday, Allison and I went to Sunday School and the boys stayed home. I didn't have any babies to teach or 1 year olds to cover for Tanya, so I got some things cut and prepared for my February bulletin boards at church.

The Colts won the Super Bowl (in case you've been in a cave or out of the country - or if you're a little behind on my blog or my sister's.) This fact alone still has this Hoosier smiling at the thought.

That's it for my weekend and my week so far. There's still a grocery store run to make which will hopefully bring inspiration for something to cook for supper. Wish me luck...

2007-02-04T21:20:00.000-06:00

Blue Monday

But for all the right reasons!

COLTS WIN!! COLTS WIN!!

The Indianapolis Colts are Super Bowl champions!

After the opening kick-off return by the Bears things didn't look promising, but the Colts came through. It wasn't pretty at times, especially the weather. But they did it. Slow and steady wins the race.

2007-01-31T08:38:00.000-06:00

The First Page

In order to stay on the front page of my sister's blog, I decided I better update. If you don't update frequently enough, you get moved to the "other blogs I read catagory" on her blog.

I have recently become a Stampin' Up demonstrator. I am hosting my first "stamp a stack" on Friday night, February 2. Worry is starting to give way to a some excitement and I'm happy about that. I have almost finished preparing the cardstock for the cards that my guests will stamp. The house is even coming together. I've been able to manage this on top of taking care of the kids and Ernie. I will let you know how it turns out.

Ernie is having knee trouble. He went to the dr. on Monday afternoon, but did not receive a satisfactory diagnosis (as far as we're concerned). Someone whose knee locks up at any given moment and is almost in tears to get it straightened out again, surely has more than "severe tendonitis." I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, but my guess is there is something more going on there.

Despite the cold and the periodic rain (or threat of rain), I'm trying to get the kids out at least once a day. They like to go for car rides and can handle at least one errand a day. Yesterday was Target, today will be Hobby Lobby, I'm not sure about tomorrow, but Friday will be Mommy & me.

With the stamp a stack and the SuperBowl this weekend, it's shaping up to be a busy one. But I am looking forward to it with great anticipation. I will close with the following thought:
COLTS, COLTS! GO COLTS!!

2007-01-22T09:49:00.000-06:00

COLTS WIN! COLTS WIN!

I must admit, I gave up on the Saints at the end of the first half. I hear they fell apart in the second. With a final score of 39-14, Bears, this is an understatement.

I was feeling a little down about the Colts with the Pats leading 21-3, but they hung in there and so did I. Fortunately, I had just laid Nicholas down right before Joe Addai's touchdown run late in the 4th. I had to hold him for a long time last night to get him to go to sleep. When I was sure he was fast asleep, I laid him down...just in time for the touchdown run. I lept off of the couch and cheered. My husband laughed at me a little. But it's OK because the Colts are going to the Super Bowl!!

2007-01-20T08:58:00.000-06:00

It's Been Awhile...Again

OK - So I haven't posted for almost a month. Where does the time go? I ask this question every time I get behind on my posts. Not much has happened, really. I have been a football watching fool because of the success of the Colts and the Saints. I will be rooting for both teams tomorrow in their respective games and for the Colts in the SuperBowl.

But for now, I've been tagged to list 5 things about myself (thanks Jan! - really, I mean it - you've "forced" me to update).

Here we go...
1. I was Drum Major of my high school band - I was not very good at it.
2. My favorite TV show is 'Friends' - even though it's not on the air any more.
3. We started attending services at South when I was in the 4th grade. I am still friends with someone that I met at that time.
4. I love to sing! I sing just like Faith Hill, Martina McBride, and Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland when I am in my truck by myself.
5. My sister, Lisa, is my best friend. (Of course, if you know even a little about me, you knew this already.)

2006-12-29T22:22:00.000-06:00

Hope your Christmas was Merry and that your New Year is Happy!

I did not have a chance to post before Christmas so I wanted to pop in and say that I hope you had a good one. Ours was great! Allison loved opening her presents - and helping everyone else open theirs. We had Christmas morning together (Ernie, Allison, Nicholas, and me) and Christmas afternoon with Lisa, Scotty, and Chelsea. Then we went to Ernie's parents' for dinner and Christmas with his brother, his wife, and their two little ones. Now when it's time to go to his parents' house, Allison thinks we are going to open more presents. :)

Ernie and I had a nice gift exchange. He is very a thoughtful person. He gave me a scrapbooking calendar, snowman coasters, a new winter (snowman) sweater and an LSU quilted throw. The LSU throw was a big surprise because he and his family are Mississippi State Alumni. I don't know how long it will take him to tell his family that he bought something purple and gold! BUT, the bigger surprise was the pair of diamond solitaire earrings that were in my stocking. They are beautiful!

He received a new basketball goal (and ball, of course), some new shirts and a bucket from the Tabasco store with different Tabasco flavored snacks.

The kids' big gifts were a new kitchen for Allison (which she plays with constantly) and a new basketball goal for Nick. There were new books, new clothes, and new toys that were bestowed upon them by everyone. They have tried them all out and are enjoying their new treasures.

Lisa and I are excited that our Dad is coming in tomorrow for a visit. I haven't seen him since late July and Lisa hasn't seen him since Feb. or March. We are looking forward to spending some time with him.

One more thing - Happy 60th birthday Mom!! What joy you bring to us!

2006-12-12T12:17:00.000-06:00

Hidden Treasure

Today I have been picking up around the house. And I mean really picking up. I've cleaned off the pool table (it is centrally located in our house and is a huge "I'll put this away later" magnet), sorted the magazines and catalogs in my magazine basket and various other tasks. The thing about doing this is what hidden treasures I find that the kids have left behind. I found "bouncy balls" trapped between table legs and the wall, the powdered sugar shaker under my scrapbooking table and a few odds and ends in the pockets of the pool table. I have learned to occassionally check the latter. Allison has taken to putting things in the pool table pockets. I have found rubber stamps, a small cement mixer truck, a sippee cup (thankfully it was one from that day!), and Nick's pacifiers to name a few things. (More on the various locations of Nick's pacifiers in another post). My slippers have their mate again at the foot of my bed and later today, I will put the pieces of various toys back with their friends in each of the kids' rooms. Right now it's on to the laundry that was covering our bedroom floor (and I do mean covering - almost serving as another layer of flooring)...more later...

2006-12-08T16:44:00.000-06:00

A Day In The Life...

Today was a little busy, though a little backwards than what I had planned. Why I still try to "plan" my days with two toddlers is beyond me.

Nicholas slept till 10:30 am this morning. (He went to sleep around 8:30 last night.) My plan was to get everyone dressed and get bulletin boards at church done this morning. Well, instead of being able to leave around 8:00 or 9:00 am, I left at 12:30 pm. The boards are complete and the church bulletins are "stuffed." This frees up my Saturday morning and I am pleased about that. This left me with lots of time to get a few things done around the house this morning. Why I bother picking up after two toddlers...again...beyond me. I try to take the advice of my good friend Kim who told me not to bother trying to clean unless company's coming. But I just can't function unless the kitchen is clean. If the kitchen is clean, all is well in my world and I can go on about my day.

Allison is providing a running commentary on the world around her. She tells me that the inflatable Santa in someone's front yard has a "Party hat" on. She lets me know when we pass a "big truck" or a "big yellow bus." She lets me know when Nick is crying, when he falls, and even when she pushes him over ("Alli push Nick, Momma.") She asks for her "Sa, Chelsea, Scotty" quite often during the day. When I say, "They are not here", she lets me know where they all are. "Sa is at work, Chelsea soccer, Scotty working." ("Sa" is her aunt Lisa, by the way, and her favorite person EVER.) She even tells me her daddy is at the office and that she wants to go to see him there. (I want to go see him there, too - he's at the office quite a bit these days.) He works hard and we appreciate him. And she is a sweet and funny little girl and I thank God for her daily.

I'm not sure why I called this "A Day In The Life" because tomorrow will surely be different! But I pray to wake up in the morning and do it all again (though probably not in this order!)

2006-12-01T06:22:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary Ernie!

Today is our 5th wedding anniversary. Where does the time go?! It has been a blessing to be with Ernie during the last 6 years (one year of dating and 5 years of marriage). He is sweet, patient, funny!, and so loving. He made reservations at Kiva's for tonight as a surprise for me. We went to Kiva's the night we got engaged. We were going to eat there after our wedding (read: we didn't get to eat at the reception) :), but it wasn't open for the evening yet, so we ate at J. Alexander's. We still had a nice meal and quiet time together after the wedding and we made the server cry when she found out we had just been married. :)

Thank you, Ernie, for 5 great years of marriage! I am looking forward to so many more!

On another note, our beautiful niece Chelsea was baptized by her daddy last night! We are so thrilled and happy for her. I know that she has been in thought and prayer for a while now, so I feel confident that she was ready. We are so proud!! We love you Sunshine!

2006-11-08T09:45:00.000-06:00

Nicholas is 1!

Our sweet Nicholas had his 1st birthday last week. He turned one on November 2. We had his party on Saturday, November 4. It was a "construction" theme, complete with yellow caution tape, a Tonka truck table cloth and birthday cake. He made a total mess with his "smash" cake. He was covered in icing and he loved every minute of it! He received lots of "boy" themed toys - a fire truck, a dump truck, a robot, a Leapster learning drum, and much more. We are truly blessed to have him and a family that loves him as much as we do.

2006-10-09T08:48:00.000-05:00

Early October

Well, it's early October and it is finally beginning to feel like fall. I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. We have been busy, but things have also been pretty normal. I had a brief sinus infection. I didn't wait around for it to get worse. I recognized the symptoms and went to the doctor. I have two very busy little ones and not a lot of time to be sick.

The kids are doing really well. Allison is really talking these days. She is very interested in all of the Halloween decorations that are everywhere when we go shopping. I've never really been much of a Halloween person, just a few candy dishes here and there. But with Allison being interested, I have picked up a few things. We now have Pumpkin hand towels and a cute set with a spider that has "googly" eyes on it. I have also ordered their costumes. Allison is going to be Minnie Mouse (her choice) and Nicholas will be Mickey Mouse. We are actually going to have a few opportunities to dress them up and take them out. It will be interesting to see Allison's reaction to it all. If she catches on to Halloween like she did at the Easter egg hunt, we are in for some smiles!

Nicholas is cruising the furniture. The popular opinion seems to be that he will be walking by his first birthday, which happens to be approaching very quickly. We are going to have a construction themed party. We are looking forward to celebrating his first birthday. I can't believe that it has been almost a year since he was born. So much has happened in such a short time. We thank God everyday that we have him. He is a sweet and HAPPY little boy.

I have started teaching again on Wednesday nights at church. Actually, I am a teacher's helper in the 4 & 5 year old class. Allison has a Bible class on Wednesday nights, so I wanted to get back into the swing of things on Wednesday nights at church.

I am happy to have found a few "behind the scenes" things I can volunteer for at church. In volunteering for a few different things at different times, I have found that my gift is to be in the background. And that is OK with me. I'm not comfortable in front of a lot of people, nor do I feel the need to be recognized. I just enjoy doing the little things.

Lisa and Scotty are busy with work and Chelsea's soccer schedule. My Gran-mom (mom's mother) is recuperating from back surgery, and Meg's dad has had his share of health problems. A new doctor is on the scene though, so things might be looking up for him very soon. Mom is in Illinois to be with Gran-mom. She will pass back through here on her way home. Dad has started a new job in photography. I know he's glad to be back behind the camera. Our sister-on-law will be in for a week at the end of the month. That means lots of playing time for Allison and Nicholas with their cousins. It is shaping up to be a busy month. I will try to be more diligent about posting and keeping up with it all.

2006-09-09T06:43:00.000-05:00

Where Do I Begin?

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted. Both kids have been sick (at the same time). Allison is on the mend from a sinus infection and Nicholas is on the mend from a pretty bad cold. He did not sleep for more than two hours at a time for about 5 days. He was so congested, he couldn't get comfortable. He slept on us in a sitting position quite a few times during that week.

Other than that, Lisa, my friend Kim, and I had a scrapbooking night last Saturday. I got a few more pages completed in Allison's baby book. Ernie is busy with work. He seems to get caught up and the phone rings again. But he is hanging in there.

I have been working with Kim and Tanya to prepare for the upcoming Ministry Expo at church. We will have a table set up with information about the nursery ministry. We also have a little treat to hand out to the nursery volunteers. I am looking forward to it.

I went to a Stampin' Up stamp-a-stack last night and made some very cute cards. It is so handy to have the cards when you need them, and I really enjoy the creative process of stamping. I do miss Hallmark though, and I'm sure their corporate accounting department is wondering where I am. :)

2006-08-28T06:35:00.000-05:00

Rocking Chairs

I love rocking my babies. It is a quiet, relaxing time for us. Allison was out of the rocking mode for a while. Actually, Ernie suggested that we stop rocking her when she was about 7 months old. "Stop rocking her?", I asked. "But she's my baby!" "We may not get to have another one!" But in the end, he was right. She fell asleep much sooner in her comfortable bed than she did fighting me to the finish. (And God did give us another baby). Now she knows when we tell her it's close to bed time, that it is time to "rax" (relax). We get her favorite clutch blanket (her "duck") and her favorite blanket (her "bears") and we sit together for a few minutes. She either sits with me or Ernie on the couch or in the recliner (her choice, of course) and we snuggle for a little while.

Then, there's Nicholas. Our sweet boy was born 7 weeks early and I didn't get to hold him until he was four days old. It just so happened to be the day that I left the hospital, but he would be in for another 2 1/2 weeks. We got to hold him more and more while he was in the hospital and getting stronger. Then came the night before he came home and I got to spend the night with him in the hospital. I was the one who cared for him overnight. It was a feeling I will never forget. He wanted to rock and snuggle a little longer than Allison did. However, now you have to sit with him in just the right position or he knows that you are trying to get him to sleep. Sometimes it's too much of a fight and we just have to put him in his bed. We often end up going back in to get him (because he's crying) and we try sitting with him again. This time though, it works. We get his favorite blanket, he wraps his arm around it and lets himself relax. We rock, his little head falls to one side, his big blue eyes flutter and he goes to sleep.

Is there anything more peaceful than watching your babies sleep? Even though we've put them to bed and I know they are OK, I cannot go to sleep without checking on them one more time. Are they covered up? Are they comfortable? I say a prayer for God to keep them safe through another night.

I know they won't remember these times, but I hope it gives them a sense of peace and security. I hope they know that we love them beyond measure. And one day I will tell them about our special, quiet times in the rocking chair.

2006-08-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

Quiet Time

I have some rare quiet time in the house at the moment, so I thought I would put up a quick post. Both babies went to bed willingly (!) (of course, Nick was taking one last bottle when he fell asleep) and Ernie had to run back to the office. The power went out this evening and he forgot he had one more thing to do.

It has been a busy couple of days. Allison is feeling better as far as the whole virus issue we were having, but now she has a little summer cold. It's not bad enough to slow her down though! She is such a sweet girl. She continually amazes me with new words and her understanding of things. She is a joy and a light in our lives. Nicholas is getting better and quicker at what someone dubbed his "bear crawl." He is also pulling up every chance he gets.

On a sadder note, Scotty's uncle passed away last Thursday. It was a tremendous loss to their family. I only had a few opportunities to spend time with Lee Bangs. But the times I did see him were times of laughter and smiles. I know that he will be greatly missed, but fondly remembered.

Today we spent some time with the Mommy & Me crowd. We've been getting together on Mondays this summer. We went to Chic-Fil-A for playtime and lunch. I think Chic-Fil-A was the choice because they have a nice indoor play center. How old am I?! I am choosing places to eat and play based on how nice the indoor play center is! I don't feel as old when we do things like go to the zoo, let the kids play in the gym at the Christian Student Center, or meet at someone's house. Those things seem to make sense for Mommy & me outings. But I have to tell you, when I was sitting in Chic-Fil-A today, I felt old! But I digress...

It is 9:30 now and time to start getting ready for bed. (See I told you that I am getting old!)

2006-08-14T10:04:00.000-05:00

Date Night

Well, Ernie and I were able to go on a date Saturday night. We went to see a movie (Talladaga Nights - surprisingly funny) and then we had a nice dinner together. Of course, we went to Sunday School and church on Sunday. Lisa, Scotty, and Chelsea came over for lunch afterwards. It's always fun to have them over. The hard part is when they leave. (Allison isn't much on letting Chelsea go). Then later that evening, it happened...Allison had another yucky diaper. We got her all cleaned up and ready for bed (which didn't happen till 11:45 pm). Ernie is such a big help with our children. We literally took turns trying to get Allison to sleep. I think it was a combination of her being over-tired and not feeling well. We are staying home from Mommy & me this morning, and I am wiping down everything I can think of with Clorox wipes. Hopefully, some "down time", a bland diet, and some Gatorade for a couple of days will have things back in order.

I am looking forward to meeting my friends, Tanya and Kim, for some fellowship time at CC's Coffee House tonight. They have asked me to join them in helping with the church nursery. We are going to brainstorm over hot chocolate, coffee, and really big, yummy cookies.

2006-08-10T21:18:00.000-05:00

Sort of a Bummer...
Well, this really won't be a great first blog. Allison seems to have a portion of the dreaded virus that is going around. It started with a day and a half of fever and was topped off by a dreadful diaper this afternoon. There has only been one of those so far...knock on wood. Looking back on this week, she probably started feeling bad Tuesday afternoon. She sort of acts out when she is sick. But she is also two, so it's hard to tell some days whether she is sick or whether she is just two. She's a sweetie anyway.
Nicholas is getting the hang of crawling. He's pretty quick! And what's really funny is he crawls on his hands and the bottoms of his feet. It's almost like he needs to figure out to use his hands to push himself up and he would be standing. It is quite a sight. He has started to pull up to the standing position on furniture in the last two days or so. He is going to be off to the races before I know it! Oh, and the other thing he is doing is dancing. I need to get that on video soon. He knows how to make certain toys play music and he will do so repeatedly and just bounce up and down. He is such a joy and I thank God daily for the miracle that he is.
That's about it for now. We are looking forward to the weekend. Pending Allison's health, Ernie and I have a date on Saturday night. Woo Hoo! :)

2006-08-09T19:49:00.001-05:00

I've done it! I've jumped on the blogging band wagon. I have been reading other people's posts for months now, maybe even a year. I have been thinking recently of starting my own, so here it is. I will do my best to update often (hopefully, not "too often").

I've always enjoyed writing, but haven't done it for quite some time. I think this will be a little weird at first - sort of like someone reading your journal, but I also think I will enjoy it. It will be yet another creative outlet for me. (Some of my other outlets include stamping and scrap booking.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading as much as I will enjoy posting.