Last Minute Romantic Get-Away

No, I am not advertising a mountain cabin somewhere. The title actually describes my weekend! Well, sort of. I am working this weekend but when I got off work yesterday afternoon Steven and I drove to Raleigh. He was speaking at a church in Apex this morning so we decided to send the kids to Charlotte via his Mom and go by ourselves, since I had to work and drive back seperately today. It was a great decision. The kids are having a blast with cousins and grandparents (we are so thankful for parents who are willing and able to take care of our kids!). My sweet husband, who is by nature pretty tight, spoiled me last night. We got a cozy hotel room and went to the Melting Pot for dinner, which is probably my favorite restaurant. We don't go much since it is pretty pricey, but it's where we went the night we got engaged so it holds a special place....plus it's just incredible food. I love the atmosphere too, the booths are very private and the atmosphere is relaxed, something about cooking your own food, slowly, makes you enjoy it more. We had a great complimentary breakfast at the hotel this morning then headed off to church, getting out the door is a breeze when we are by ourselves. We enjoyed a nice lunch then I headed back to Pleasant Garden for a quick nap before work tonight. It was a sweet 24 hours and I am thankful for my husband. As he said from the pulpit this morning, we can't really conceive of God's ways, they are higher than ours. His main point was not about how the Lord sovereignly brought us together, which He did, but how He designed the plan of salvation, beginning with the birth a little baby in a manger. Nothing we could have ever come up with, but what an awesome thing it is. Thank you baby for a great date night! And everyone else....Merry Christmas!

Pregnant, painting, and shopping.

Well it's that time of year again. I'm pregnant! I'm pretty sure I have told most people in my life but since it is pretty monumental I think I should blog about it, too. It has been a pretty smooth pregnancy so far, I am one of the lucky ones that does NOT get morning sickness, and other than living for naptime (aka - snoozing on the couch during Dora) and bedtime, the first trimester goes pretty well for me. I am 15 weeks tomorrow so the energy is actually starting to pick up a little, which is good since I took on a new project after Thanksgiving....painting my dining room. I am obviously not an experienced painter since after I had primed the walls I realized I was using oil based paint, and I also didn't put down drop cloths. NOT SMART! Needless to say my floors have a little color in them now. After that the job went very well and I am pleased with the results (from the base molding up). Especially pleased to have it done. The house also got decorated in there sometime for Christmas, which I love. We have a new addition of a lighted deer in the front yard thanks to my mother-in-law (we can't pass the thing without Eli saying "Dee! Mawmaw!")  I love it.
Backtracking a little, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We drove to SC on Wednesday and spent Thanksgiving at my Grandma DuBose's house with my parents, my brother and his family, and one of my uncles and his family. My mom and I were so organized that we even had time for a brisk walk before lunch was served! The next day we saw most of the Nash side at a post-thanksgiving barbeque lunch. I have to say I cried many a tear as we drove away from the home that used to be my grandparent's, losing both Grandmas in one year makes me sad but also thankful for the years and years of memories I do have with them. It is fun to see my parents and in-laws making those same memories for my kids to cherish when they are grown.
Speaking of kids, mine are keeping me busy as usual. Sadie is very excited about the baby. I took her with me to an appointment the day before Thanksgiving and she was thrilled to get to hear the "new baby's heartbeep". Her vote is definitely for a girl and she informed us today that Eli wants a boy (not sure how she knows this, his vocabulary hasn't picked up that much in the past month). Even though he only has a few new words he has taken to singing quite a bit. No real words, but there is usually a tune and it is very loud. He gets that from his Daddy. I took them shopping with me today at Kohls, by myself, to knock out some Christmas shopping. I actually got quite a few things and was feeling a little smug about my accomplishments, with my kids in tow, when I went to crank up the car and realized I didn't have my cell phone. Thankfully, an honest person found it and left it for me at customer service, but I was nonetheless humbled by the experience and again reminded that shopping without kids is much preferable. On our way out of Sams today with my Mom we gave Sadie and Eli some change to put in the Salvation Army jar. I, again, was becoming slightly prideful at this wonderful teaching moment when a lady passed by and handed Sadie a bill to put in the jar. I was quickly reminded of my child's depravity when she looked at it and said "I think I'll keep this." Lesson learned.
It is a sweet time of year. Despite the commercialism and craziness I do love the decorations, the food and fellowship, and of course, and most importantly, the many reminders of the truth behind Christmas, the salvation that was started with the birth of Christ. I hope you are enjoying this time as well. It wont be another month before the next post....I promise. Goodnight!

October update....in November.

I counted the nights the other day and figured out I spent more nights away from home in October than I did sleeping in my own bed (that counts working once a week, too). Lots of trips, some planned, some not. I will tell about it mostly with pictures. We started out the month by going to Hilton Head for a few days with my parents. It was a great time, Eli enjoyed his donuts in the morning with Daddy, as you can see, as well as a park trip and lots of Papa Nana time.

 On the last day of our trip my Grandma Nash got sick and had to go to the hospital. Daddy left early that day and we packed up and came a few hours behind him. I'm glad I got to see her that night and the next morning, because that was the last time, this side of heaven. The next week was a sad one and ended in another trip to SC for the funeral. A sad time but yet it was sweet to be with the family and honor her with our memories. Sadie even made a new one and got to fly in Uncle Mike's plane. I couldn't wait to hear how much she liked it, only to find out she fell asleep a few minutes into the flight.

 Our next trip was to the mountains, a beautiful rental cabin about 30 miles north of Boone that we shared with Leslie and her family as well as a few friends. The Harrell cousins had a great time together, Sadie and Bennett played very well together and would spend hours in the basement jumping on the couches and whatnot. The big boys did some 4-wheeling but it was quite steep so Steven didn't do a whole lot of riding. We got a couple good walks in that really kicked our butts on the way back up. It was a great couple of days, a nice getaway. This is the house. 

 

 Here are Laine and Sadie trying on the fake mustaches.

The very next week Sadie was out of preschool on Thursday so my Mom and I went to Greenville and Atlanta to see a friend and some family for a couple days. It was a whirlwind trip but quite fun. Our first stop was in Greenville to see my dear friend Julie, and her family. Sadie and Mary Addison had a great time together, minus a few normal 3 year old behavior issues. Eli and Raylie didn't have a whole lot of interaction but they were really cute.

 The Harrells and Edwards kiddos.

 Julie and I have been friends since 1997 when we met our first week of college at Appalachian State. She's a keeper!

 We spent the night that night in Greenville with my cousin, Ryian, and her husband Keelan. We didn't take any pictures but Sadie was in hog heaven with their 2 little dogs to play with. Eli was scared of the 2 pound dogs so he just watched them from my lap, for the most part. The next morning we got up and drove to Atlanta to another cousin's house. Alison and Jesse spent the week at Hilton Head with us and their kids, Lucy and Benjamin, are great little buddies for my two. Here are Eli and Benjamin hammin' it up.

 Lucy is a year older than Sadie but they have a great time together.

 I got home just in time for Halloween but since it fell on a Sunday this year the kids didn't actually get to trick or treat. In case you're tempted to feel sorry for them.....don't. They get plenty of attention and plenty of sweets. And I made them dress up the next day in their costumes because they were just so darn cute.

 We should be home for most of November, which will be good, even though our travels were quite fun. I can't believe it's November! More blog posts will be coming soon...I've been putting off this big one for a while but actually have lots of little things to blog about. With my record lately, don't hold your breath! Until next time......

Too blessed to be depressed

I am way overdue on a post, I know, but things have been a little busy. My beloved Grandma Nash passed away about a week and a half ago. Below are a few pictures from last summer, and a tribute I wrote about her the day after she died. I will post again soon about the other happenings in our lives.

I was blessed to be the 2nd grandchild born to Thelma and Homer Nash. I was a bit of a surprise, being a girl, since Thelma had birthed 4 boys and then my brother came along. Being around so many boys, however, Grandma did not lose her femininity. She loved cooking, jewelry, flowers, and clothes. It was like heaven itself to visit Grandma and Granddaddy’s house as a kid. We were greeted with fresh sweet tea, and often a spaghetti dinner followed by chocolate cake. One of my favorite memories was waking up to the smell of breakfast, and not just any breakfast. Grandma’s famous grits, which she could keep in perfect consistency for hours on the stove, awaited us as we straggled in one by one. There were also eggs, bacon, and toast. Grandma was the picture of southern hospitality, but it was truly genuine. I never once heard her gossip or talk badly about anyone. She loved people unconditionally and had great relationships with her daughters-in-law. She taught me those unspoken but valuable lessons of what a family should look like, by her love. She lost her beloved after 50 years of marriage, and it was a privilege for me to watch them together. As a child I used to tell my parents to “kiss like Grandma and Granddaddy.” Any time one of them left they would kiss three quick times, which meant “I love you.” To honor her, on our wedding day, Steven and I gave each other three quick kisses after our vows.

I am sitting in the room that my grandparents shared for most of their married life, just one day after Grandma went to be with the Lord. Earlier today I saw the dry-erase board in the kitchen, which Grandma wrote on several years ago. Thankfully no one has erased it, as I believe it was a theme in her life. Several years ago Grandma was struck with a disease that severely weakened her, and she has been unable to get out of bed without assistance, living in a hospital or nursing home for years. Despite all this, she has maintained her sweet smile, enjoying life as much as she could. I never heard her complain. Looking back on it, I hope I would be that brave. She truly had a humble, grateful spirit, and honestly believed she was “too blessed to be depressed.” What a legacy.

This 31 year chapter in my life is ending, the one with my grandparents. From the blessed childhood of growing up on their knees, to learning valuable lessons from them as a teenager, to watching my own children bring them joy, it has been a gift. Hopefully I can pay it forward one day if the Lord sees fit to give me grandchildren.

Too much cuteness.

I feel like I need to "write these things down" that my kids have been doing/saying or I'm going to forget them. Who should I start with? Eli, I guess, since I don't have as many things on him...yet. I have the feeling he's going to be a ham. The other day I heard him call for me and, lo and behold, I turned the corner in my room and he was laying down on the floor with a diaper in one hand and the Desitin in the other. He did need both, smart little fella. My best friend Julie visited today and has a little boy that is 8 months old. Eli waved at him and immediately brought him a ball. It's like an unspoken code, I think. He is getting more interested in books lately, too, which is exciting to me. One of his favorites is a very cute little Sandra Boynton book called "Moo, Baa, La La La" in which the "cow says moo, the sheep says baa, three singing pigs say la la la." I was reading a different book to him today and pointed to a pig, asking him what a pig says. He answered immediately "la la la". And finally, his most (in?)famous moment these last couple weeks, is the following....A picture is worth a thousand words.

 Now for Sadie. As I'm sure I have mentioned in the past, Sadie is our little night owl. If she takes a nap, or even sometimes if she doesn't, that girl can easily see 10, 11pm at night. The other night she was really wired but was obediently staying in her room. I went up around 10:30 and she had cleaned her entire room (it had been quite messy). I was very impressed, and will no longer take the excuse that she can't pick up. I gave her 30 more minutes to wind down then was ready for bed myself. I went in and laid down with her, thinking surely that would get her to go to sleep. She kept wiggling and I told her she needed to stay quiet if she wanted me to stay in there. Her reply "I just can't keep my eyes and my mouth shut." The story of her life! She was in the nursery at another church just last night and there was a little bitty baby there. The nursery worker was asking her very kindly to not get too close to the baby. Sadie was a little confused so she said "is she allergic to people?". I apoligize if these are not new stories (they usually make it briefly to facebook before I get around to blogging). As I mentioned earlier we had some great company today. Sadie loves Anna and Abbey Hylton but at times the two 3 year olds are a little too strong-willed and forget how much they like each other. We worked through it though and I think in time these 3 little girls will be best buddies - if they're not already. Here is a picture of a good moment.

Until next time.....Goodnight!

The difference between boys and girls...

My cousin told me this summer about a book she read, talking about gender differences. The author of the book had a little girl and determined to raise her gender neutral (she didn't buy her "girl toys"). She thought she had proved her point that culture creates the feminism of little girl's interest, until she came into the room finding her daughter putting the fire truck to bed. It was tucked under a blanket and the little girl was telling it goodnight in a completely motherly way. If I had any doubts that we are born girls or born boys, from the inside out, they have been erased since having Sadie and Eli. She is so maternal, almost always carrying some sort of "baby" around with her. I have realized this week that the only toy necessary for Eli is a ball. He was throwing apples around today in the kitchen. That and beating things with his golf clubs (usually Sadie). Here are some pictures to prove my point:



You can see the buggy behind Eli, filled with balls (lemons and oranges, actually)


Meanwhile, Sadie's buggy is filled with a good assortment of grains, veggies, and fruit.


 Eli's choice of profession, I guess, includes wearing a hat and yelling.


 Sadie's profession, as suspected, involves babies.


 They did work quite well together at the pizza shop (part time job in a few years??)



And putting on a wild animal show.


 Just a hunch, but I'm pretty sure Papa is the favorite in Charlotte.


 And clearly the admiraion is quite mutual with these two.

I am thankful for my girl and my boy, and that the Lord made them just as they should be!
p.s. Isn't Sadie's new haircut cute? :)

Preschool!!

I can't believe it, but Sadie started preschool today! She usually embraces life, anything new, so she surprised me this morning by saying she didn't want to go. I woke her up a little after 8 and she tried to go back to bed. So Steven started talking to her and said that she at least needed to go to get his money back, since he'd already paid for a month of preschool. She thought about that a little, then told me that she'd get some other money for Daddy. I was making pancakes, not making a big deal about it, when Sadie spotted her new lunchbox. I told her she wouldn't need that if she didn't want to go to school....so she said "maybe I'll go for just a little while". Carrying her backpack and lunchbox was very exciting, and she did great with the drop off. Eli, on the other hand, had a very concerned look on his face the whole time, and when we got back into the car he looked at her car seat with a sad face and said "dadie" Again at home he seemed to be looking for her, so I think he took it the hardest. He was very happy to have her home this afternoon. She bounded into the car, very excited, and seemed a little more grown up. She was very proud of her sticker, and told me she got it because "I beed good and sat still". I'm hoping this extra authority and structure will be good for her because her behavior has been unusually good today. Even in the bed tonight she told me, when I tucked her in, that she was being still (all except for her feet).
I am guilty of living a little in the future, always looking forward to the next thing. Too much so, and I am doing better lately of enjoying the present. Especially when it seems like just yesterday that we found out we were pregnant with Sadie (but it's been almost 4 years!) and today I packed her up and sent her to preschool. I (finally) weaned Eli just last week. My babies are growing up right before my eyes! And I'm loving every minute of it.

Blackie Romeo

I'm pretty sure I've already blogged about Sadie's maternal instincts. Most every day hours are spent carrying babies around (be it actual baby dolls or stuffed animals, the preference changes daily), tucking them in with blankets, packing a pocketbook with their things, and telling everyone to be quiet because they are sleeping. For quite some time she has been attached to a little black dog (stuffed animal) appropriately named Blackie. For some reason Blackie didn't like my parents for awhile, but they've since made up. Blackie accompanied us to Virginia this weekend where we went to visit Steven's grandma. On the way up we were talking about who all we were going to see, which included a (real) dog that Sadie is also very fond of named Romeo. Suddenly Blackie's name was changed to Romeo, which often happens in Sadie's world. What made me laugh was that when we got to Roanoke and Sadie was talking to Robin (owner of the real Romeo), I prompted Sadie to tell Robin what her dog's name was. She slipped up and answered "Blackie" so I said "Oh, I thought you changed her name to Romeo?" She hesitated for just a moment before saying "That's her last name. She's Blackie Romeo." I worry about the stories she might come up as a teenager....
Meanwhile Eli's vocabulary is growing.....louder. Does that count if the words aren't new but he yells them now? Actually, he does have a couple of new words. He can officially say Mama (or Mimi), Dada, Nana, Papa, Sadie (Dadie), uh-oh, hot (ot ot), ball, Jude (dude), and supposedly has said "yogurt" and "all gone" but I can't get him to repeat those. He is a mess, but a cute one.
We had a great weekend in Virginia. Steven's grandma has some lake property at Smith Mountain Lake so after staying at her house in Roanoke we spent Saturday at the lake. We took the kids on the Sea-doo and the paddle boat (Sadie wasn't impressed with the paddle boat after riding the sea-doo), and Eli got a kick out of Steven wakeboarding (I think the falls were the real entertainment). Sadie kept saying, "let's get him back in the boat," I think she might have been worried about him. It was a fun day and we are thankful to have his Grandma as well as the rest of the family in our lives.
It is officially tomorrow so I need to get to bed. Until next time!

Back to one...

Sadie is staying with my parents for a few days in Charlotte, so we have just Eli for a couple of days. You wouldn't think it would be so strange to go back to having 1 kid, I had just 1 kid for 22 months before little man came along. But it just doesn't feel quite right around here without her. I know she's having fun though, so it's worth it. We have had a fun couple of weeks, lots of pool days, a family reunion, dinner with friends. I took both of the kids to a well check up and it's official, they're scrawny. Approximately 97 percent of 3 year olds weigh more than Sadie. Eli is a whopping 22 pounds, which puts him in the 10th percentile. Oh well, they sure are easier to carry around this way!  And thankfully they checked out ok. I do thank the Lord for healthy chidlren. In other news, Eli (sort of) said his first sentence. Which is amazing because he only says like 6 words (mama, dada, dadie (sadie), nana, papa, and ball) but the other morning we were trying to get Sadie up to go to SC and Eli went up to her face and said "hey dadie". Very cute, and fitting, since he's pretty enamored with her. He isn't such an easy playmate these days, though, his newest joy is taking whatever Sadie is playing with and either taking off with it or throwing it across the room, much to her dismay. He's getting her back, I think. Gone is the little boy that cries from a cross look, he is showing his true colors now and being a bit defiant at times. The sinner in us comes out way too soon, if you ask me :). Speaking of sinners, Sadie has been trying my patience these last couple of weeks as well. It is something most people refer to as "temper tantrums". I like to call them "demonic episodes". Thankfully she usually just does them for me, although my mom and a couple of good friends have also witnessed them. Hopefully this too shall soon pass, as we are trying hard to nip it in the bud as ole Barney would say. I thought it was cute this week when she was pretending to be a puppy. I was going along, nurturing her imagination, when suddenly the puppy wanted a fudge ram (a fudge round, a little debbie chocolate cookie) and to watch Max and Ruby. Pretty clever little manipulator.
We went to a family reunion this week, as I already mentioned, and it is definitely worth a quick paragraph. My Grandma Nash was the youngest of 8 kids, her parents were Sadie (hence our Sadie) and T. Eddie Lee. There are 23 first cousins (my Dad being one of them) and 21 of them came on Saturday for the reunion, as well as many 2nd and 3rd cousins. My Grandma is the only one of her silblings still living. All told there were about 125 people. It's a little strange to be in a room with so many people that you're related to but don't know. They had a lot of neat stuff for the kids, delicious food (about 4 trays of fried chicken), and sweet fellowship. I am thankful to be a part of the Lee family.
I guess I better wrap this up. I am thankful that we have a few more weeks of summer, lazy days to take the kids swimming and enjoy no schedule. In just 2 short years we will be getting Sadie ready for Kindergarten (yikes!) so I am enjoying this time now. I hope you are too.
Goodnight!

2nd post in July

2 more hours left in July and I am determined to have a 2nd post for this month...pretty pitiful blogging these days! We have had a busy month - a trip to Hilton Head, Steven went to camp for a week, then we went to Orlando last week for a few days. Hilton Head was fun but bittersweet since it was our DuBose vacation and the first one without Grandma in 30 years. Almost all of the cousins were there and we had 5 of her great-grandkids (4 and under) running around so it was pretty cute. Sadie and Eli had a blast and Sadie learned how to swim quite far (8 feet?) with no assistance. As her Daddy put it, it was "50% swimming, 50% drowning". My cousin is a pediatrician and married to an ER pediatrician, but despite the monkeys that I call my children, we did not need their services (thankfully). Grandma was dearly missed this year. One night my cousins and uncle cooked several of her recipes in her honor and my Mom gave out 5 or her pearl necklaces to her 5 granddaughters. I don't really think that once we get to heaven we have any interest in turning our gaze away from our Lord, however, she would have loved to get a peek at her ever-growing family and I know she would be honored in the fact that we all still love to be together. On a lighter note, Steven's parents decided to come to Hilton Head for the last couple days of our trip (they were first-timers) to see what the fuss is all about. It was great to have them there and I think they enjoyed seeing a little bit of this vacation they've heard about for years.
The day after we returned from Hilton Head Steven left for Jr. Boys Week at MTYC (Mountain Top Youth Camp). Sadly, I passed the baton this year on the job as a camp nurse (I have done it the past 3 years). Even though Steven thinks I am capable of way more than I can really do, it was the right decision I believe to pass on the job for now. My 2 kids would have been way to much to keep up with on that mountain for me to be able to do anything for the campers. My Mom spent the week with us, a little in Charlotte and a little at home, and it spoiled me to have her around for that long. It doesn't really count as a week of single parenting since I wasn't really alone with them, at all. We did go visit Steven at camp but kept a slight distance from him since he showers less than the 8 year olds while he's up there. Even though he reverts back to boyhood, it is nice to see him so relaxed and stress-free, away from the pressures of work.
As if we haven't taken enough vacation, we took yet one more last weekend to Orlando, through Steven's work. The trip was great, we got to take the kids to Disney and despite the almost 100 degree weather we had a blast. Sadie told Cinderella that "my daddy wanted to spin fast on the tea cup but he couldn't because he would fro up," the photographer actually laughed out loud at that one. I never thought I would wait in line for 30 minutes with 2 tired children to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse, but hey, your priorities really do change when you have kids. And her excitement at meeting these Disney employees dressed up in hot costumes was worth it all. Eli didn't think it was so great, however, the closer we got the more terrified he was. He was a trooper, though.
We are now home for a while, thankfully. I peeked out of the shower this morning to check on Eli to find him standing on the toilet, toothbrush in hand. He can climb onto the kitchen table and his new favorite thing to do is jump off the ottoman in the den landing squarely on his bottom. He is an ER visit waiting to happen, I hate to say it, but it's true. Sadie is hard at work taking care of her babies, animals, or anything she can feed and put to bed. She told Steven's boss on our trip that soon she's going to be 4 and a Mama. It is fun at our house, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Goodnight!

Happy Birthday to Me!

As the title suggests, I just had a birthday. Yesterday, in fact. Birthdays have changed a lot over my lifetime...I no longer count down the days with anticipated joy, wondering what great presents I will receive and who all will come to my party. It's a much smaller blip on my radar now as I've become an adult. That being said, I truly did have a wonderful birthday. We recently returned from a vacation in Dayton, Tennessee, with the Harrell family. We attended Skyland Bible Conference, a great family conference that Steven and his family have been to all of his life, and more than a decade now of mine. We had great speakers, the kids had a blast despite very little sleep, it was soooo exciting for them to wake up and be across the hall from not only Grandma and Grandpa, but also their cousins. 

While I was gone I was thrilled to hear that my new niece was born. Byron and Mandy had their 4th child, a little girl, last Monday night. Since we were out of town and I worked the weekend we got back, Monday was the first chance I had to go see her. She is absolutely beautiful and we had a sweet visit with the fam in Tega Cay. I then stopped by Julie's house on my way home (she had made me some fudge...yummy) and the kids enjoyed playing with hers while my Mom and I enjoyed visiting with Julie. I dropped Mom off and headed back to Pleasant Garden where my dear mother-in-law was making me a birthday dinner. A very elaborate one complete with balloons to decorate! Two of my friends came as well last night for a "TMI reunion" (we all met the summer of 1998 while working at a camp in Virginia called The Master's Inn...aka TMI). Joni and Kristen are dear to my heart and even though our lives keep us busy it is great to spend time with them every so often. We were way overdue. We put the kids to bed (except Sadie, of course) and watched "The Bachelorette" together, which was quite entertaining. It was great spending my birthday with friends!

Steven is a wondeful husband in so many ways but flowers and gifts are not necessarily his love language. So on my birthday yesterday I got 3 of the sweetest gifts. My first bouquet of flowers was from my Daddy at lunch, he picked them from his yard and they are so sweet. I got home and Steven, too, had gotten me a dozen roses, pink and white. Then a few minutes later Joni arrives and is also carrying a beautiful bouquet of brightly colored flowers. I felt hugely blessed and will never forget this birthday and the love that was shown to me, mostly in the little things. The Lord is good and I am so thankful for the family and friends that he has placed in my life.

Goodnight!

Day is never finished....(master got me workin')

I am trying hard to prove to Steven that I work hard around here... so today I went above and beyond the call of duty. My mother-in-law retired on Monday and has been working in our yard some this week. I helped her weed this morning and we did some other things, then decided to push mow our 1 acre yard. Now, I accepted a long time ago that I can never outwork my mother-in-law, or her mother, for that matter. But today I tried. Mowing the grass is pretty gratifying, I like doing work when the results are immediate. However, after about 30 to 45 minutes I was kinda over that. But, we got the job done. I came in, took a shower, and then proceeded to fix supper. After church I came home and was finishing cleaning the kitchen only to discover my dishwasher is not working. I mean, really. Didn't I work hard enough today? I guess not. But as you can see, I did not unload all of the dirty dishes and wash them. I left them there in the hopes that it will magically start working tomorrow. I finally understand now how my Grandma used to leave a sink full of dirty dishes until the next morning after a day of teaching and then fixing supper. My daily quota of work is met and I can not wash another dish. Literally. Wimpy? Maybe. But it's the best I can do.


Plus, I have to leave some time to enjoy these cute young'uns of mine.

Here's Sadie and Steven at a Greensboro Grasshopper's Game that we didn't even get to go to (don't ask, it's another long, boring, story).

I thought it was a good idea to give the kids an oreo on the way back from Walmart. I was wrong.

My little girl is growing up and riding a big girl bike! This was her birthday present from my parents and she loves it. Being 3 suits her. She is more and more fun every day.

Goodnight!

A thankful heart is a happy heart.

I have received my first (and maybe only) piece of Grandma's estate this week..... her barely used VCR. I have tons of old videos and the VCR part of my DVD/VCR player quit working this year. I have been meaning to buy a new one but now I don't have to. Mama came for a visit this week and we pulled out an old Veggie Tales video for Sadie to watch while we cleaned and organized the bonus room. We picked Madame Blueberry, which is one my favorites as well as Sadie's. The video is about a spoiled blueberry who thinks happiness is equal to accumulating more stuff. Of course, throughout the movie she learns that the stuff wont make her any less "blue". The theme of the video is the title of this post "a thankful heart is a happy heart." I have been singing it the rest of the day and I have to say it is so true. I am very content and happy right now. Even though I am sad when I think of the passing of my beloved Grandma, I cannot help but count the many blessings around me, especially in the form of people. I am extremely thankful and proud of my parents and extended family of whom I'm from. And my sweet husband, who let me cry on his shoulder this weekend and has spent hours and hours letting me talk about Grandma and all the memories I have. Sadie too, has shown compassion. The night that Grandma died we tucked Sadie into bed and Steven explained death, as well as you can to a 3 year old. I told her through my tears that I was sad because I would miss Grandma 'Bose, Sadie sat up in bed and put her little arms around me, to comfort me. She then wanted to read "Love you forever," which of course I cried through, but all the while she was patting my hand. Eli has his own form of comfort, too, as he has started holding my face in his hands and giving me kisses right on the mouth, over and over, with lips open wide. A little messy, but very sweet. And last and most important, my biggest blessing, is the comfort of our Lord, who Grandma herself is in the presence of at this very moment! How sweet that has been to ponder. I hope I continue to... "count my blessings, name the one by one, count my blessings, see what God has done!"
Goodnight!

A tribute to Grandma

My grandma, Fannie Louise DuBose,went to be with the Lord last Tuesday night after almost 93 years on this earth. She was a wonderful lady, she lived a long time, and got to see so much. She had 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 8 (almost 9 - Mandy is due any day now!) great-grandchildren. She was an educator, a homemaker, an avid reader, and she could do a cross-word puzzle in 10 minutes flat. I always loved getting cards from her because she always took time to write the sweetest things, literally filling up the inside of the card. She was from a little town called Blythewood but spent most of her life in Gable, SC, in the house my Granddaddy was born in over 100 years ago. She lived there independently until last November.



I have so many sweet memories and am thankful to have had her in my life for over 30 years. We spent this past weekend in SC at her home, and it was strange being there without her. When someone lives in a home for nearly 70 years the house just emanates the the essence of that person. Every time I turned the corner or looked over at her chair I could almost see her sitting and reading or bustling in the kitchen preparing a meal. The funeral was beautiful, just like her. The little country church was packed, the music was perfect, and the words spoken by the pastor and the family truly highlighted her rich life and heritage she has left behind. I am more thankful than ever to be her granddaughter, and I hope to pass on the things that she lived and taught to her children and grandchildren in word and deed. As you can see with these pictures she was able to spend a lot of time with my children and she loved every minute. Steven is also thankful that he had gotten to know her these past 11 years. It feels like the end of an era with her gone, and it will be sad for quite a while, but we know that she is now with her Lord and in complete peace. I pray my life will be half the testimony hers and that whenever the Lord calls me home that my funeral will give him honor and glory, just like hers did.

My 8 on 8

Ok, I've read this kind of thing but never done it, so here goes nothin' (inspired by my friend from work, Katie)

8 TV shows I like to watch:
1. The Biggest Loser
2. American Idol
3. The Office
4. The Bachelor/Bachelorette
5. The Duggars
6. What I Like About You
I can't think of anymore other than kid shows.

8 Favorite Places to Eat:
1. La Fiesta
2. Roly Poly
3. Main Street South
4. Kabutos
5. Jason's Deli
6. Cold Stone
7. Cracker Barrell
8. Elizabeth's Pizza
(I tried to have 9...I obviously have lots of places I like to eat out:]).

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. The beach
2. Watching my kids swim this summer
3. Disney World in July
4. Riding the 4-wheeler
5. Sadie's birthday party
6. The Lord's return!
7. naps
8. eating out

8 Things that happened to me yesterday:
1. Changed a record number of poopy diapers.
2. Went to a baseball game and didn't get to go in.
3. I somehow didn't have to pay my copay at the dr.
4. Had yummy Mexican for dinner.
5. Played at the park.
6. Steven and I watched The Office.
7. Had exactly 1/2 cup of ice cream.
8. Went to bed before midnight!

8 Words or phrases I use often:
1. Seriously?
2. I love you.
3. No sir.
4. No maam.
5. Hands to yourself!
6. You're driving me crazy!
7. Hey stinker.
8. I was just resting my eyes.

8 Things I have learned from the past:
1. Enjoy your life today.
2. Be the friend that you would like to have.
3. Don't smell underwear to see if it needs washing.
4. Silent children = mischief.
5. Parents have so much more wisdom than they used to.
6. Do not be anxious for ANYTHING (Phil. 4)
7. Husbands need TLC as much as your babies do.
8. God is good, always.

8 Places I would like to visit/see:
1. Hawaii.
2. Scotland with Steven.
3. Sadie's face at Disney World.
4. Mission field.
5. Colorado ski trip.
6. Jamaica (honeymoon spot!).
??

8 Things I currently want/need:
1. Sleep.
2. Bar stools.
3. A flat belly.
4. Organizing bins for the playroom.
5. New shoes.
6. To play tennis.
7. A vegetable garden.
8. Date night.

Hope this wasn't TMI. It was fun. (most of the phrases I use are directed to my children, if you couldn't guess). Goodnight!

Sadie's Logic

I love to hear what will come out of my daughter's mouth from day to day. Sometimes it doesn't make sense, she has started rambling now and making up stories with no truth to it (like the deer that bites her foot in the middle of the night, or that Papa cried at Chick-Fil-A because he was scared of the cow). But her little wheels are turning sometimes and it is funny to see it. Before I tell her two funnies I will have to share one that my Mom told me today. When I was about 3 I was riding in the car with her and we passed a very big yard sale. I asked her what it was and she told me, "that's a yard sale, honey". She said I replied "somebody is selling their yard?".
Sadie asks repeatedly why people park their cars in the grass, we see the same ones on the way to church. I have tried to explain several times that they are for sale, and the other night I thought I put it well when I said "They don't want their cars anymore, so they're trying to sell them to someone else." Her reply "They want to walk?"
Today I was getting ready for work and was drying my hair and then using the flat iron, layer by layer (my hair is ridiculously thick). She wanted to climb up on the counter and I kept telling her that the flat iron was hot and I didn't want her to get burned, or me. She calmly states "You just want to burn your hair". That was true and a little disturbing!
We had a busy, fun weekend. My cousin came with her 2 kids Friday for a quick lunch (and dress up in princess clothes, of course). That night we drove to Roanoke for dinner with some family. Saturday we had a dear friend take pictures, you can see them on my Facebook. Every other year I have to twist Steven's arm to take family photos, and I love the way these turned out! He even smiled with his teeth on a few, which is very hard for him, apparently. That afternoon we drove to Raleigh for a birthday party and had a great time with friends. By Sunday I was semi-sick with Mastitis, but a couple of quiet days later and I'm feeling better. I guess I have my limits on how much I can go go go. Speaking of going, I need to run and check on a baby (yes, I am at work, as usual). Goodnight!

Cruisin' it up!

Let me say, I love my life. Steven and I are richly blessed to have each other, our kids, and a home that we enjoy immensely. It was wonderful, however, to get away for a few days with my beloved on a beautiful cruise to the Bahamas....with no kids! We adapted quickly to not having them with us and it felt like another honeymoon. We slept until we woke up, ate whatever we wanted, laid out, read, dressed up for dinner, and had a blast. We even made some new friends. Here we are the first night at dinner...

After a day at sea we stopped at our first port called Half Moon Cay, a deserted island owned by Carnival. Here we are on the little ferry, taking us to the island.

Half Moon Cay, the beautiful blue water!

Relaxing on the beach!

We are working on getting Steven to smile with his teeth.

Eating outside with a view of Atlantis

"Cruise elegant" attire.

the perfect way to end the post, the same way I ended every dinner....warm chocolate melting cake.....yummmmm!!! (with an extra scoop of ice cream). Steven had orange sherbert, although he alternated with lime a couple nights. He didn't know what he was missing!

So much for working so hard to lose weight before the cruise. Oh well. That cake right there (x5) was worth every bite:). Thanks baby for a great trip!

Sallie

Self-checkout

We just returned from a wonderful trip, just Steven and I, that I will dedicate a post too as soon as I have my new power cord for my laptop and can download pictures. Until then, I have a subject to complain about...very quickly since I'm sharing Steven's computer and he is waiting for me to finish :).
There is something about the Self Checkout at the grocery store that is so appealing to me, and against my better judgement I have been drawn to it several times. Yesterday was one of those times. I was getting some things at Walmart with both of the kids and they were actually being very good. I'm not sure why I like the self check out, I think it's partly because I love scanning groceries (I'm just a big 3 year old) and also because I like to bag my things a certain way. Two items into this I knew I'd made a mistake, every other thing I scanned had an error message about weight that the employee had to come put her number in over, and over. I'm sure she was getting frustrated, too, but she actually had the audicity to tell me that "FYI, these lanes are for people with less than 20 items...". I wanted to punch the stupid computer if it told me one more time "unexpected item in bagging area, please remove...". So, hours (not really) later, we finally leave Walmart, and I promised myself I would NEVER again do self check out....no matter how tempting. I'm a slow learner, what can I say.
Goodnight!

A busted lip x 2

I am at work tonight, as I often am when I blog. When it's quiet in the unit I have the time it takes to sit down and generate thoughts with clarity enough to write. We have been enjoying the spring time weather, playing outside, and today took the kids to the local Children's Museum. I highly recommend this to anyone locally who has not taken their kids. Eli liked it but Sadie absolutely LOVED it. It was basically real life condensed down to little people level where pretend play was at a maximum...perfect for an almost 3 year old. We walked in to the "medical" section and saw 2 little girls, 4 or younger, very solemnly rocking their babies. Sadie quickly joined them and Steven had a little moment when he realized that it truly is built into us, the mothering nature. Meanwhile, Eli is climbing onto the rocker to see how fast he can make it go, with no regard for the babies. Which is why he currently has a busted lip. He received the first injury last night while playing outside and trying to climb the steps. Tonight Steven said he came in the bathroom to find Sadie playing with water (her favorite act of disbodience) and Eli crying, with a busted lip on the other side of his mouth. Apparently it quickly became bedtime.

Eli is truly all boy, he shrieks if he hears the door chiming open, even if it's 10:00 at night and pitch black outside. He can't stand the thought of someone going out without taking him outside to play. And if anyone goes near the shed with the 4-wheeler in it he really goes crazy. He could ride that thing for hours, without making a peep. It is quickly becoming a family tradition to take a 4 wheeler ride around the neighborhood and through the field.

Steven was putting Sadie to bed the other night after a meltdown over her pink paci (it was MIA, and the blue one was just not cutting it that night). After she calmed down he asked her to tell him a story, maybe one about Noah. She replies "There was a man named Noah, he had a beard like Byron (my brother, who almost always has facial hair), and he threw his pink paci over the boat." We tell her the right stories, I promise, she just has an active imagination. This is getting long enough and even thought Sadie makes me laugh every day I can't seem to think of anything else funny. Goodnight!

My favorite man

The other night I was getting ready to put Sadie to bed and she was telling her Daddy goodnight. Their conversation went something like this....
Steven- "Goodnight baby, I love you. You know you're my favorite little girl, right?"
Sadie- "Yes, Daddy. And you're my favorite man."
It was a sweet moment to witness and it made me reflect on their relationship and how it has progressed over the past 3 years. Steven wasn't really sure what to think of Sadie as a newborn, and to be honest the bond probably wasn't instant. But right after we brought her home from the hospital they laid on the floor and had a serious heart to heart.


That first year of her life she was all about Mommy. Steven thought she was cute but wasn't sure if she really cared if he was around or not. But she was watching him, realizing that this man that came home every night was pretty special. Here they are when she was just 1 and she's starting to get the idea that Daddy is fun!

It only took another year and me being pregnant with #2 for their bond to grow even stronger. He started putting her to bed and telling her Bible stories, having tickling/wrestling matches, and playing "something's on my back" (she rides on his back, he pretends to be a deer and says "something's on my back!".

One of my favorite things to see is my sweetheart with our babies. They both get so excited when he comes home. Sadie now gives Steven "a hug, a kiss, and a backscratch" (which consists of a very brief scratch and 2 pats). He takes her to the bank and post office in the truck. And of course the 4 wheeler rides take his popularity up a hugh notch. She is definitely on her way, or quite possibly already there, to being a big time Daddy's girl.

I am thankful for my husband, now turned Daddy, and our sweet little life here. Soon coming will be some pics and tales from Eli's first birthday party last weekend.

Goodnight!