Joyful Expressions

The End is Near

2011-12-31T21:54:00.002-05:00

Yep, yep it's been a while. This year has come & gone without my sharing all the wonderful stories that have filled my life this year. Part of that is because I have been miserable for a majority of this year. My battles have faced my family, friends and life in general has been tough. And thats OK because its part of life's cycle, part of our NEED for a Saviour. A need for understanding that this world is not our home so we shouldn't get too comfortable in it!!!

I plan to hop on here every now and again to share some of the blessings that God throws my way so I can look back on them in the future and rejoice that He does truly have a plan for my life!!!!!! And to understand that my here & now troubles are only temporary but neccessary in the long lifetime plan He has for me!

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR to each of you!!

Out with it

2011-09-12T17:53:00.004-04:00

Well, I finally got to the point where I needed to take a minute or two and journal. These past few months, weeks, and maybe even years have been difficult for our family. Most recently the death of my grandmother just sent me over the edge a bit. Sam came into the room to see me on the couch with tears streaming down my face. "What's wrong hun?". I honestly couldn't put a finger on any one thing. I guess I just needed to get it out.

Yesterday we buried her ashes at the cemetery not to far from home. I couldn't help but think of all the people every where who may be in pain. The families from 9/11. Dear friends who lost a daughter recently; whom I think of daily. And so on. And though I hate to question God the mind still asks--WHY. Why was this necessary? Is it for God's glory?? Who can compare to God anyway that he needs the glory.

And then all the guilty feelings for questioning a God who provides for my every need. It was nice to be held by my husband. Loved on by my BFF through text and cared for by my two year old...who must have known I needed a little TLC. Malachi came and sat with me on the couch and brushed my hair, it was the sweetest thing ever.

My mind is on overload on the list of things that I need to change in my life. And I came to a halt and now here I sit writing a bunch of mumbo jumbo but I don't care; it feels good to get it out. And since it would take a year to actually write it on paper you all get the benefit of reading my goofy thoughts.

2011-02-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

Is there a way to send pictures from your cell phone to here like we do on Facebook?

Silly Me

2011-02-01T10:07:00.001-05:00

So we have on Nick...and they just announced that the grumpy old troll is getting married. I actually got excited. How silly is that?? You know you've invested time in cartoons when you're excited that someone is getting married. Good gracious!

It's still January??

2011-01-21T20:50:00.002-05:00

Seriously, this month seems like its lasting forever. Not sure why I am so eager to see it go. Maybe it's the hardships that this month has brought to our family. Sicknessessssssss(many) & deaths...and now TAX time.

I know taxes really aren't/shouldn't be a hardship. But this is my first year filing taxes for both Mary Kay & 31. I will also be filing for taxes from working at Nazareth this past year. It's usually just one income & now we'll have the paperwork of four. Probably easier than it sounds to me!

So many changes over this past year & I still feel like my head is spinning. Tell me ladies; does it get better?? I don't think I had this hard of a time when we had each of our babies...even then I had a better grip. What the heck?? Anyone else feel like it's just too much?

I have so many things to be THANKFUL for and that is what I want to focus on rather than the nagging feeling that things will never change. I did order a new bible in hopes to get back on track with reading GOD'S word. It's one of those that are in chronological order & it's written so that you can read it in one year. Each day it shows what/how many pages to be read...so far so good. I forgot how intriguing the Old Testament can be.

Welcome 2011!!!

2011-01-03T20:28:00.002-05:00

Whoa it's been a while. Thought that maybe today I'd take a moment to say Happy New Year to everyone. 2010 wasn't the best year of my life so I am greatful to have another day & looking forward to what the Lord has in store.

Many times over the past year I have felt like an Isrealite wondering in the desert...with no end in sight. At first the idea of it freaked me out. As I came to accept it I realized that not all desert experiences are bad & no know that I haven't been as alone as I've felt.

Maybe you're thinking-blah, blah, blaH who cares? If so that's understandable. But for now I am using this online blog as a journal. So sit back and enjoy my random thoughts & very random posts.

Hi ho hi ho; its off to work we go!

2010-11-13T11:27:00.001-05:00

Our off time is slowly coming to an end & I'm not looking forward to a 14 day shift! It wouldn't be so bad but with a full house plus our three the entire day is one happening after another.

2010-11-09T11:51:00.004-05:00

Just one more week & we're headed back for a two week stay at the cottage. Woo-hoo. It should be a LONG and interesting shift. Sam usually does all the cooking but I am thinking about what we should do for Thanksgiving dinner. They have already had one where they invited family on campus. What do you think?? Still do it or just relax all week?

Hey Mommas~

2010-11-01T17:40:00.001-04:00

We're home for the next two weeks so CALLLLLLL ME!!! If we were rolling in the dough I'd do a road trip! I'll put up some pictures from our mountain trip soon. LOVE YOU LADIES!

Its been a while!!

2010-10-12T08:08:00.002-04:00

Well ladies, I don't really expect much feedback since its been FOREVER since my last post. My head has been spinning ever since I started working. So far things are going well. The cottage I work in is up in numbers so that is good job security. We only need on more in order to be filled to then brim! I still haven't completed training so there are LOTS of things that I don't know. But I am getting a little more used to interacting with the guys and that is making it much easier. Malachi hates it because sometimes he has to stay in his room. He will stand there screaming at the top of his lungs...MOMMA! MOMMA! MMMMMOOOOOMMMAA.

Since we are off most of this week we spent the day rearranging rooms. We decided to swap with the boys so they can have the bigger room. With in the next 6months Malachi will be climbing out of the crib so we are working toward putting him in a big boy bed. Step one: carpet it their room. Originally they were in the room with carpet so yesterday we(dad & Sam) put down carpet in our old room. It is AMAZING how much new carpet can change the feel & look. The "dungeon" looks more like a home every day. Today we will do more arranging because everything is still in disarray.

If a few weeks we will be headed to the mountains for a weekend trip. Oh I can't wait!!! We are hoping to be there at the right time to see the leaves at their peak. The weather is so wishy washy though you never really know what you're going to get. Last week here we had a high in the 90's & some in the 60's. A thirty degree difference!

Really liked this quote~

2010-08-06T19:56:00.002-04:00

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

I am the type of person who tends to give up a moment too early. When I was in Mississippi with Staci her pastor also said another quote that made an impact on me. I can't remember it word for word but the gist was this:

The distance between success & failure are just one step away.

SO, I tell myself- press in. try again. keep it up. don't back down.

And all the while I wait patiently know that everything has it's time; it's season. And every circumstance is allowed by God if not ordained by God.

Woo hoo~

2010-08-03T12:31:00.000-04:00

Finally got my license!!! Yay!

2010-07-30T11:41:00.000-04:00

Hello All, still alive but nothing new to report.

2010-07-21T19:20:00.002-04:00

Changes. That's the name of the game these days. Yesterday & today I had interviews to work at Nazareth with Sam. The first one was a breeze and the second one today was with both Sam and I together. It ended up being more conversation than interview. Things seem to be going smoothly toward getting the job with the exception that I don't have my license. Which is a requirement.

SOOOOOOO. I'm practicing driving. It's nerve racking. And today I drove with my babies in the car. The first time was a success. (not wonderful but I wasn't in tears afterwards either.) But this afternoon we went to get a prescription from CVS. And our lovely windshield wiper switch is on the same side as the blinkers. Take a moment....I'm attempting to turn...and click on the correct blinker...left or right whichever way I needed to go when I miraculously turn of the flipping wind shield wipers. Attempt to pull over out of the way(so I can turn of the dang wipers) but in the process I am not in position to go through the CVS drive thru ....so I need to back up. My current driving nemesis. BIG mistake to do while already flustered. Nothing terrible happened. I did hit the curb. Scary as crap. But the rest of the way home I just was on emotion overload & not driving my best. The end. It wasn't fun. But in the end still somewhat a success....b/c no one got hurt. Or dead.

2010-07-16T18:52:00.001-04:00

I drove some yesterday. Follow by tears to get out all the stress of it. Conquering your fears is harder than it sounds!

2010-07-16T00:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes my ignorance overwhelms me. Today is one of those days. I did drive some today so I give myself a pat on the back. Go me.

2010-07-08T20:47:00.001-04:00

Ready for big brother!!!!

2010-06-28T10:07:00.002-04:00

Hello All! We're back from VACA & I'm swimming up to my ears in messes. We finally have the money to start back up on the bathroom which I can't remember if I've mentioned here or not. Well we're getting a bathroom in our basement apartment!!! The
"dungeon" will eventually be a home.

Vacation was a blast. This year be rented beachfront property. And I hope we will always be able to do it. It's more expensive but SO worth it. Whenever Mal needed a nap I just walked back to the house instead of waiting for everyone to pack up to go. It was quite when we needed it to be. And convenient.

Next week we'll be celebrating Zeke's 4th birthday! And Sam's birthday too! (not his 4th hehe) And Staci will be leaving me. :-( Fortunately we will be having a road trip together so I have something to look forward too.

Considering doing correspondence college. And getting my goals together. As usual getting a license is at the top of the list. Then I will be able to work with Sam or some other job. And lots of other things on my "to do" list of life. Also as usual it's all just dreaming until I "just do it" and DRIVE!

Sam is gone for a eight day shift so I am mentally preparing to be mommy/daddy for a week. We will have a couple of breaks in the week. Gonna go to a 31 party & the boys will stay with Sam for a few hours. And we will all go to see the fireworks for the 4th and see the parade. It's always great to do family activities and break up the monotony when Sam's on a long shift.

Running out of time here. The indians are getting restless. Toys are flying. Gotta go....hope to post a few pictures soon.

2010-06-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

Yuck! Nasty headache & yucka sinus problems. I hate allergy colds!

FYI:

2010-06-04T08:22:00.002-04:00

Letting your kids feed themselves has both advantages and disadvantages. Yes, I'm sure your know this...but in case you forgot here is a mental picture. Imagine me checking your blogs and attempting comments. When out of no where there comes a splat on my neck. Hmmmm, what could that be? Yep-just been given an oatmeal bath from my lovely (and lucky for him- cutie pie) 15 month old. Thanks Mal I needed that! Right- like I need a hole in my head. So long blogger, got things to do. Like clean up one mess after another!

You know you're fat when:

2010-06-04T08:21:00.001-04:00

A lifelong friend you haven't seen in a while doesn't recognize you. True story. I almost cried.

Buzz buzz...

2010-06-04T08:13:00.001-04:00

LOW BATTERY! Crud. Can't find my charger AGAIN.

My Life today~

2010-05-21T20:13:00.002-04:00

Mal has a summer cold and so last night we spent two hours of saline drops, snot sucker and the lovely breathing machine. All in the middle of the night & in the middle of a six day NO daddy shift. After several cups of coffee this AM I woke up and welcomed the day.

During the boys quiet time I made a new list of movies to see. It's for my netflix queue. We have the plan for two out at a time. But what I love best is the instant viewing feature. There's lots choose from. And we don't have to wait for them to come. Most of it is older stuff but I usually can find something to watch when we have the time.

The boys played in mud today. It has rained here everyday for four or five days in a row. Justus LOVED it, Zeke not so much. I will be glad when we have a bathroom of our own so the boys can go straight there instead of washing off to go upstairs to get a bath.

I got an idea for a kids book today. It may never become anything more than a thought but you never know. Silly as it is the thought of the idea of a book made me smile.

The day is winding down and we're watching G-force...on netflix. :-)

Mother's Day~

2010-05-11T16:53:00.003-04:00

For Mother's Day I slept late (9:30ish!) And then got up and did nothing. Sam and my Dad grilled and made lunch. YUMMY grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes, salad. And the boys favorite- Doritos. For dessert our neighbors had brought over Krispy Kreme doughnuts! And my dad bought a cheesecake! And my sister brought a cookie cake. Too many choices.

Then after lunch we rolled out to go and watch Carson's (high school) production of "Footloose". Mom and I are both musical lovers and had a great time watching the kids sing and dance. The "acting" not so much. But overall a very enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.

Sam bought me a Hershey's syrup hand poured candle. And a cute coffee mug. Chocolate colored...it says: Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed. CHOCOLATE makes it worthwhile. Cute huh? That is if you like coffee.

Interesting side note: I didn't drink coffee until having my 3rd child. Still like iced coffee best but usually have a cup or two hot in the AM. Especially if Sam is at work.

The new do~ before & after

2010-05-05T15:08:00.004-04:00

On my mind~

2010-05-05T14:28:00.003-04:00

While watching a episode of "Law and Order", I saw a lady putting on a bra with just one hook. Call me stupid but I was almost jealous. While most people pay to get bigger boobs I'd be happy to have mine smaller.

Shopping today I saw two ladies with cancer. For a split second I started to panic a bit. My grandmother has had breast cancer twice now. So many women deal with this horrible cancer and it seems that there are new kinds of cancer showing up almost daily. I HATE cancer.

It's our tenth year anniversary this year -in September. I'd love to come up with some great surprise.

I finally had Sam cut Malachi's hair. I really miss my curly headed kiddo. His hair is so blond he looks bald. We'll be using lots of sunscreen on that noggin!

In a little more than a month we will be on vacation! Justus will be out of school. Zeke will turn 4. And I will still be wishing I had my license. I don't know why but my mind cannot get over the terror at the thought of driving. It's so dumb but I just haven't been able to get past it.

Moving on....we're getting a bathroom!!!!! OK. In all honesty I'm not holding my breath at the moment BUT we've started moving things around in our basement "apartment" and are making plans on where things will go. And the anticipation may just kill me. Or not.

Last but not least, sir Zeke has decided to attempt potty training. It's totally different from how it happened with Justus. One week and we were done. With Z it's gonna be on his terms and at his pace. Nevertheless...I am thankful!

ps Why is thankful spelt with only one L & not two like all the other llll words. For example fell, full, well, etc. I'm assuming that English 101 would be good for me right about now.

Scary stuff!

2010-05-05T14:18:00.001-04:00

US low score on world motherhood rankings: charity

The United States has scored poorly on a campaign group's list of the best countries in which to be a mother, managing only 28th place, and bettered by many smaller and poorer countries.

"A woman in the Unites States is more than five times as likely as a woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece or Italy to die from pregnancy-related causes in her lifetime and her risk of maternal death is nearly 10-fold that of a woman in Ireland," the report said.

"At this rate, a child in the US is more than twice as likely as a child in Finland, Iceland, Sweden or Singapore to die before his or her fifth birthday," the report noted.

And it added: "The United States has the least generous maternity leave policy -- both in terms of duration and percent of wages paid -- of any wealthy nation."

2010-03-30T07:24:00.001-04:00

Um it really stinks that a xxl doesn't fit anymore. Being a 3x is SO discouraging. Had to get out a little complaint. Think it would help to sew my mouth shut???

Angel~

2010-03-22T20:22:00.003-04:00

Today we visited with Angel at the hospital in Charlotte. Justus was right at home & he and Zeke sat right down and played with Angel for a little while. Myra told me about everything that's been going on since they found the tumor.

As far as they can tell the doctors were able to get most of the tumor. They think that it is/was a slow growing tumor but there may more surgeries and/or needed to get everything. Because of the surgery a lot of Angel's senses were affected. Specifically the coordination & balance part.

She has three different kinds of therapy: recreational, occupational and physical. They keep her pretty busy. Right now she is using a wheel chair to get around most of the time but she is very determined to get out of it soon. While we were there she unbuckled herself twice and started trying to walk on her own. Also affected is her eyesight.

The docs say it will be at least another 2 weeks before she is ready to go home. And be able to stay alone without health care supervision. But they are seeing progress every day & it's really amazing! Please keep Angel in your prayers!

Urgent Prayer Request~

2010-03-09T18:30:00.002-05:00

Please pray for Angel. She is a little girl in Justus' kindergarten class. They found a tumor in her brain and she is scheduled for surgery this week. Angel is a sweet girl who has already overcome many obstacles. And I can't imagine what her parents are going through. I don't know her dad's name but her momma's name is Myra. She and I work together to do the class parties. She is a great mom and I'm sure her heart is breaking right now.

2010-03-08T13:39:00.002-05:00

Mal gave me the sweetest hug just a few minutes ago when he woke up from his nap. I LOVE it! He's can be quite grumpy so I especially enjoy the love when he's in the mood! He's starting to "talk" a little. He says his version of "Hey" and "Hey there". Too cute.

Something new~

2010-03-08T13:21:00.003-05:00

We visited a church on Saturday night. I loved the fact that it was at night. The service was short, sweet and to the point. Loved that too. I hope we will go back again. Since we left our previous church we've only done home church. That has many benefits but I still miss the fact of getting out of the house and into some fellowship in a place specifically dedicated to God. Does that make any sense at all? Our homes should be dedicated to God as well. But many times (for me) it becomes my hide out for complacency. "Going" to church is also a form of accountability for me. At home it's easy to plan on doing it later and then never getting around to it.

I also practiced driving a little yesterday. A big step for me since I'm terrified to do it. When I got home I was shaking like a leaf. But not headed towards a panic attack as usual so it's a small step forward.

Me

2010-03-05T01:22:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I feel so lost. This season of my life is so discouraging. So confusing. To call it a valley would be an understatement. And yet there is so much to be thankful for. My thoughts go back and forth between so many emotions I feel like I could loose my mind at any moment. Let me say I am so grateful for HOPE and a little thing called FAITH. When I get really quiet there is a still small voice reminding me of whom I belong to. Of who I really am. And that is enough to hold onto.

Justus's quote for the week~

2010-02-18T00:28:00.002-05:00

"Uuum. I smell a bubble machine." He comes up with some crazy stuff. I guess he liked the smell & somehow has connected it with the smell of bubbles. Anyways what he was smelling was the "linen" disinfectant spray I was putting on the door handles to attempt to keep us healthy.

A few thoughts~

2010-02-16T10:28:00.002-05:00

Do your newspapers do Valentine's ads??? Ours had TONS this year. I've never seen them before probably because we don't normally get the paper. But my parents ordered pizza and a free paper came with it. I think its a great gesture if your loved one reads every day. If Sam were to ever put one in for me I'd never see it though.

Today I'm watching the Amazing Race that I dvr'd and am so pleasantly surprised that one of the couples is Jeff and Jordan from last seasons Big Brother. I love BB and Jeff and Jordan were one of my FAVS last summer! I hope they do well.

Speaking of DVR's; ours is a pain in the butt these days. We changed our box over to an HD and it's been nothing but trouble. Anyone else have problems with their dvr box?

We celebrated Justus's sixth birthday this weekend. He was hilarious when we sang Happy Birthday he ducked his head and pretended to be shy. He was blushing just a bit. So cute! His actual bday was yesterday so we took cupcakes to school & celebrated with his classmates. Then we checked him out of school and went to play at Chucky Cheese for a few hours. It's really hard being separated from my boy. I'd love to home school if I had the confidence that I'd do him justice.

Mal's birthday is just around the corner. He's growing so super fast!!! We're working on eating more table foods because at the end of the month formula supply dries up. There are 8 teeth in that monster mouth and several more coming through. He's walking quiet well now. And trying to run when he knows I'm after him.

Mr. Zeke-----all boy. Messy and sneaky!!!! He is refusing to potty train! He'll be four in July and it's making me crazy. We all know that every child is different but geez louise! Potty train already!!!!

We're waiting on our tax rebate! THANK YOU JESUS we're getting some back. Our van has the kiss of death so we're gonna drive it till she dies. And be looking for a new one in the meantime. New to us that is.

2010-02-08T12:28:00.001-05:00

I have this stubborn wart on my finger. I've tried the liquid remover and the "freeze therapy". It's not coming off. Any suggestions?

Oh me oh my~

2010-02-04T10:42:00.002-05:00

Justus's goes to a Christian school this year and they have decided to add 6th grade this year. However they don't want to expand their facilities. While I can appreciate them staying with small classes they have created a panic in the way they have worded next years policies.

So by adding one class but not expanding the entire school has to be rearranged. And now there will only be one class of each grade. Parents were all in a panic this morning when the re-enrollment applications were available. Sam said they were fighting over the applications---seriously???

I mean I love him being at a Christian school. They allow us to do "family" trips in the middle of the year. And it's been an awesome experience for Justus so far but I'm not in LOVE with the school. Truthfully if I thought he'd enjoy it I'd much rather him stay here with me and homeschool.

Well anyways, the parents were staying right there to fill out the application. Sam couldn't get to the sign in sheet because the moms were all sitting at the table. It's not the only private Christian school in town. Geez people get a grip! Yes it would be disappointing for Justus to miss out being there next year but not the end of the world!

Handmade by Nana~

2010-01-12T11:06:00.002-05:00

My mom made these beautiful stockings for Justus' teacher and her husband. I've got to learn how to do this. Can't remember if they are crocheted or knit. She tried to teach me when I was younger but I am left handed and was too impatient at the time. Now I do wish I already knew how!

Christmas goodies~

2010-01-12T10:59:00.002-05:00

I made these for the teachers as Justus' school. German Chocolate cake and chocolate covered pretzels. We made the oreo balls the Crystal showed us---thanks bunches Crystal! And some other cookies that I placed on the tray at the bottom. I LOVE baking. Even though I'm not that great at it.

Mr. Mal

2010-01-12T10:47:00.002-05:00

HELP, my ten month old is taking 3-4 steps at a time! And climbing up the steps as demonstrated in the pics. I'm so NOT ready for this!!!! He is still very unsteady and unsure of himself but that doesn't stop him from stopping and attempting. He also discovered how to get through the barrier of plastic tubs that keep him safe from our woodstove. Thankfully he is still pretty slow.

OH Zeke!

2010-01-09T20:25:00.002-05:00

So the past couple days "Sneaky Zeke" has decided he is interested in going potty. I guess it's the first steps to potty training. Including our last trip to Walmart where we had to make an emergency stop at the bathrooms to pee---exactly two drops.

Today he upped the ante so to speak when instead of peeing in the potty he decided to stand on the very top step and pee there. Leaving the pee to drip down onto the freshly mopped floor and onto the baby's Johnny jumper thingy. It was a laugh or beat your child silly moment.

I chose laughter this time but quickly explained that I wouldn't tolerate that kind of nastiness again. Sam had to walk away. Now we will have a clean johnny jumper and again clean floor---however long that lasts!

Grumpy Old Troll

2009-12-04T17:04:00.002-05:00

Mal has been torturing me to I decided that I'd return the favor & pull up his hair in the girly fashion. Justus said-"that's gross mom....a boy girl. Take it out." Yeah got a good laugh from that.

2009-12-03T15:59:00.002-05:00

Ahhhhh. I slept more than 5 hours last night. A miracle in the making. And that was even with Mal & Ezekiel up until 3am. We have had one sickness after another for the past three to four weeks. Respiratory infection, ear infection, stomach bug, and now strep throat. Well thanks to hubby I finally got some rest & am feeling good.

2009-12-01T23:50:00.002-05:00

Sitting around waiting for Mali-woo to decide he is good and ready to go to sleep. The little booger has been getting up two or three times a night. Geez- he's not a newborn anymore. Ahhhhhhh. It's exhausting. Sound familiar Stack? Well, he has been up for 5 hours. Maybe he will sleep through the night tonight. We'll see.

2009-11-22T19:37:00.002-05:00

Not surprisingly I didn't get back here like I had hoped but I've got a few minutes so here we go.

I am thankful for insurance. I am the only one in our family who doesn't have it right now. (So I am thankful for my health too!) This month all three of my kids have been to the doc at least 3 times for one sickness or another. Including the flu shot. so, yeah I'm so happy we have health insurance for them!

We had a WIC appt this week. They're not very fun at all but it provides me with over half of the formula that Malachi drinks. And other beneficial food for the kiddos. Like milk, cheese, fruits and veggies, etc. SO GRATEFUL.

Girls night out is a lifesaver for a home body like me. It was lucky enough to have two this week....one was actually during the day with Staci. She helped me get some Christmas gifts ready!!!! Gracias Stack!

Movies~ LOVE LOVE LOVE going to the movies. Basically because it is time that I am not needed. I can sit and relax uninterrupted. Terrible isn't it?

Music----it brings healing to my soul. Enough said!

And that's the list for today~

I am thankful for.....

2009-11-12T15:37:00.002-05:00

Before I get Christmas crazy I thought it'd be good to spend a little time celebrating Thanksgiving! So I will attempt to come back from now until Thanksgiving.

Here's my list so far:

Well today I am most thankful for Puff's plus! When I sneeze snot is flying across the room. Not really but that's how it feels.

I love being able to stay at home with my children. It gets a little crazy at least once a day but I enjoy this blessing.

My family is amazing. We all pitch in to help on another. As they say, it takes a village to raise children...im grateful for them all (family and children).

Justus started school this year and he has a great teacher. Justus loves her so much. God put him with the right teacher. I pray Gods blessing for her and her family.

Wonderful friends....I have only a handful. But without them I'd be in the nut house! Thanks for the encouragement, love and simply listening!

A patient hubby. The past nine years have had lots of ups and downs. Sam has been very patient. He is a great daddy!

My savior....he gets the least of my attention and yet loves me even still.

Justus' first Panthers Game

2009-10-28T22:41:00.000-04:00

Finally some mountain pics : )

2009-10-13T23:53:00.002-04:00

WOW....we have an awesome creator~

2009-10-13T23:43:00.002-04:00

Goofy me, Mal, and a couple of AMAZING scenery. I heart the mountains!

2009-10-13T23:29:00.003-04:00

Each day got a little colder and even from Friday to Monday there was a big change. The last day was very foggy. It was fun attempting to explain to Justus about how we were in the clouds. The clouds came down to where we were. Just the day before at the grandview overlook you could see the entire mountain ridge of course in the picture there is nothing but us and the clouds.

2009-10-13T23:17:00.002-04:00

Family pic beside the creek. Trying to keep the kids out of the water~

Mal looking goofy and my hair which is getting so long. As usual I don't know what to do with it so it's up in a ponytail.

Trouble walking!

One of the beautiful creeks

Another family snapshot

2009-10-13T23:05:00.003-04:00

SO my pics are pretty scrambled up. The pictures of Zeke are at the apple orchard where we picked our own apples and the kids peeled their apple to eat. LOTS of fun! Plus we bought some delicious fudge that we ate before we could even take a picture. It was the case of the sweet piggy. The ones of Justus are at the caverns beside the creek.

This and that~

2009-10-08T15:38:00.002-04:00

The snake that Zeke picked up. He thought it was a big worm. Thankfully non-poisonous!

Malachi practicing sitting up & entertaining himself.

Making puppy chow to send to a Navy buddy in a care package....they had so much fun!

It's such a joy~

2009-09-29T09:19:00.003-04:00

I love being able to hang with my kiddos. Today Justus went back to school after a long weekend. It was hard for me. And Zeke too. However as usual Justus was ready to leave us behind & go learn. Here are a few pics of my guys.

2009-09-09T10:29:00.001-04:00

Today is our 9th anniversary. I wanted to post some pics but need to try and get our printer hooked back up so I can scan some. Maybe later in the week.

2009-09-05T09:36:00.001-04:00

Thanks everyone!!!!

2009-09-04T15:47:00.002-04:00

Hello blog readers! I'm here for a quick update while our internet is actually working! It's been on an off now for about two weeks. Basically since Justus went back to school our connection has been hit and miss. We think it's the router but maybe the modem until we can figure it out we will be toughing it out.

We're planning a trip to the mountains so we're attempting to save every dime and nickel so we can enjoy our trip. We actually found a place to stay that will house our entire family (all sixteen of us). And it's only $100/nite so we will be able to stay for several nights instead of only a day trip. Each family pays for one night & then we all enjoy a break away from home!

Justus is LOVING school! Which makes it only slightly easier when I send him off to school each day. Sam has been able to pick him up and take him to school. And Justus of course loves every second with his daddy.

Zeke misses Justus something fierce...how the heck do you spell that word?? Anyways he misses him bunches and asks when J will be home almost every half hour. Malachi instead gets all of Zeke's attention which has been both good and stressful since Z doesn't understand that Mal cant' walk or eat "big" people food yet. But zeke is very entertaining and knows exactly how to make Malachi laugh. It's super sweet!

Also Malachi has two new teeth coming in on top and that equals one grouchy baby! He is rolling over both ways now & can scoot a little bit across the floor. However he prefers that someone else do everything for him & my little helpers pretty much take care of him. He's getting a little bit of independence though & can hold the bottle; when he wants to of course...if not he just cries until someone holds it for him. He's a very spoiled,loved, and happy baby.

AS FOR ME I am praying about getting some kind of job. Maybe with Sam maybe something more part time....not really sure. I've got some details to work out first. Like getting my license. It's pretty crazy that I don't drive yet. But I am making some progress. Finally renewed my permit so I can start practicing driving because I honestly don't remember/know how to drive....so sad. Aggh. Ugggh. Grrrrrr.

Well that's the update for now. Oh yeah. Aubrey & I went to see "All about Steve". It of course has some cursing and some inappropriate stuff....but I laughed out loud through out most of the movie!!!! And shed maybe a tear or two because I'm so tender hearted....well sappy.

First day of school

2009-08-25T09:02:00.003-04:00

Snot nosed baby

2009-08-25T08:56:00.002-04:00

Little one is congested but fairly happy!

2009-08-11T11:25:00.002-04:00

Taking a second to update- our AC went out in our house last night in the middle of the night. It's 88 outside and 85 in the house. WHEW- that feels SO hot. I am optimistically hoping the repair guy will get us back on track before tonight. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make it so. Heat makes me cranky. Plus this week I am here with the boys while Sam is working. Luckily they spent the night with daddy last night so they aren't here to hear me complain. They will be back later this evening or afternoon so I am praying it will be nice and comfortable again when they get here.

Check out these cuties~

2009-07-26T00:38:00.003-04:00

We're headed to the beach tomorrow. Can't wait!!! Hoping to come back golden brown & not extra crispy. Have an awesome week!

Highlights~

2009-07-20T18:16:00.004-04:00

Here are a few moments from our weekend. First off we have me boiling eggs for egg salad. And when I go to pour out the hot water burning my arm. I have a lovely new burn on my arm that looks like a circle. Its really odd because the water poured all over my wrist but only one spot got burned.

Then when I run upstairs to go to the bathroom I come back down to see Mal choking on an object that one of the boys put in his mouth. A very scary moment! Thankfully I was able to get it out & my precious baby is happy as can be.

I also babysat my niece and nephew for a few hours. First I have to give props to Nicole for handling her twins so well!!!! Often when we're in public together people think Zeke and Leah are twins so I can 'imagine' what that would be like. In my mind its double the fun, double the trouble! And then throw in the two babies who are only 8 weeks apart, again I can 'imagine' what twin babies would be like----overwhelming & totally worth it.

Do I sound like I'm complaining? Really, I'm just journaling since hardly anyone reads I use this as a place to write memorable to me stuff.

Two teeth in two days~

2009-07-15T18:16:00.001-04:00

OUCH! GOD bless us all, every one. And please make tomorrow better than today. AMEN!

Uggggg~

2009-07-14T18:39:00.003-04:00

It's been one heck of a day! Nothing serious or bad but just one series of messes, boo boo's, energetic children and a super grumpy baby that is in eat, sleep, and complain mode.

Mal's first tooth broke through today. I feel sorry for the little guy & for myself as well- lol. Guess I got the better end of the deal though. At least I can walk away for a minute.

We're headed outside to play, probably until dark so that we can have a peaceful & hopefully quiet evening.

Zeke~

2009-07-10T16:18:00.002-04:00

A few pictures of Ezekiel on his birthday. He made a mess with me, we made his cake together. He wanted to be a helper. Note to self, don't use RED velvet cake mix when you have a helper. It was everywhere! Sam helped me make an interpretation of Lightening McQueen. Zeke loved it!

Think green~

2009-07-03T12:24:00.002-04:00

I took these pictures a few weeks ago. Our cucumbers are huge. We've got tons of squash, zucchini & green beans. These are just a few & there is different stuff ripe now. Most everything is self explanatory except the very bottom picture if you very close there are snow peas hanging from the scrappy vines. We also have pumpkins that grew voluntary. I've got more pictures. The pumpkins are turning orange already so they won't be any good this fall but we can use the seeds to grow more.

Mal~

2009-06-25T12:41:00.003-04:00

We have a 15 pounder. And 26in. long. The doc says he's in the 90th percentile for his height. Which means he has the potential to be tall.

Right now he has a cold & is super clingy. Most of the time I really enjoy it actually. Babies grow too fast so they should be held as often as possible! Mal gives AWESOME hugs! And is so SMILEY these days.

This and that~

2009-06-23T23:30:00.002-04:00

Mal doesn't like tummy time yet.

The boys found this creature outside. I couldn't tell what is was. My guess is that it's a growing tadpole. Or possibly a salamander. Justus HAD to have a picture to share.

And finally a picture of all the cousins. It's not often that we're all together anymore so we shot a quick picture.

I've got about thirty more pictures to share so hopefully I will get around to it soon!

For Father's Day~

2009-06-23T00:00:00.002-04:00

The boys went fishing. My dad, Justus and Sam. J caught his first fish. The pictures say it all. I love the first picture, if you look closely you can see the reflection of the clouds.

2009-06-15T12:32:00.002-04:00

Wll my finger is getting much better. The blister is much smaller now. But I broke my phone and cant talk to anyone. Funny how much I didn't realize just how much I use my phone. Now I realize it.

Bought some Lay's chips. Monterey Pepper Jack--yummy!!!

So I am just rambling & putting off cleaning up the house.

Justus lost his tooth. Need to load the pics.

Zeke says his words funny...so cute. "It's Utiful(beautiful) day momma". Stuff like that makes me laugh and smile. And be thankful I am a stay at home mom.

Malachi is eating some cereal now. It's funny to see the faces he makes!

2009-06-10T23:41:00.002-04:00

I burnt my finger today. 3rd degree burn. Hurts like heck. My index finger has an ugly blister on it. OUCH!!!!!!!! That's what happens when i stop paying attention while talking to the kids.

Twenty bucks~

2009-06-06T15:44:00.002-04:00

That is the average cost to do something "special" with our family. Like getting take out or fast food. Going to the park & enjoying the entertainment there- putt putt, carousel, train , petting zoo, etc. It cost twenty when we went bowling. Going to the movies- if we bring our own snacks. And when we took the kids to Dave & Busters with Chris & Staci. Not a bad price for the entire family. Of course some things are cheaper & others cost more but it's nice to have an idea of something affordable in mind.

2009-06-06T15:30:00.002-04:00

Sam is at work today & my play date cancelled on me. What to do?? We've already been outside and the boys are just as bored as I am.

Thursday we took the boys bowling. It's quarter mania & you pay $5 for shoes & .25 for each game. The boys only made it through one game and then they were ready to play the video games. Justus is an addict to the Dinosaur game. And Zeke likes to "ride" on the snow mobile game. And we of course only got to play one game as well since we had to keep up with our rambunctious boys. I'm not sure that quarter mania is the best deal for our family.

Well anyways time to turn on the thinking cap & get creative!

Our boys~

2009-06-02T23:36:00.002-04:00

Justus has a wiggly tooth. Seriously, he's only 5. Are these things supposed to happen so quickly?? He's just growing up TOO fast. In our state kids don't have to go to school until they turn seven so technically we have one more year. However J is SO ready & excited I guess I'll give him over to school.

Ezekiel has some kind of rash. We think it is poison ivy but more itchy bumps keep showing up. So far we've tried the traditional calamine lotion & another one called calagel that are supposed to stop the itching & dry things up. Next on the to try list is cortisone.

And finally Malachi rolled over for the first time ever! The awesome thing about it is that both sam & I were there together. Mal is also losing his hair something that neither Justus or zeke ever did. And we almost got a laugh out of him...he is getting to where you can tickle hi a little bit.

Brought to you by Justus~

2009-05-19T13:02:00.004-04:00

This year we have a fairly big garden. The things we are attempting to grow are snow peas, spinach, watermelon, cantelope, lettuce, squash, zucccini, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans & corn. The snow peas are the only thing we've never grown. We also planted a couple of blueberry bushes. And I want to try eggplant too.

My dad and brothers are really the ones who do all the work. So when I say 'we' did something it's them I am referring to. Some of the plants haven't really made a lot of progress yet but Justus took a few pictures anyways.

Oh yeah-broccoli too. Heres the broccoli plants.

Snow peas

Cucumbers

Watermelon & cantelope

Tomato

Spinach

Twelve Weeks~

2009-05-19T12:09:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Malachi rolled over for the first time! Sam and i were both there. So special since usually only one parent is there for the firsts. No more walking away from baby! He is oohing and aahing. And watching me when I walk away. Sleeping through the night most of the time in 7 hour stretches. NICE!!! And he is 12 weeks today. It's getting a little easier every day.

Check out a few pics from his photo session with daddy:

Budah belly~

Sports Fan~

My Little Monkey~

2009-05-14T00:42:00.002-04:00

Hi all. I know that SOOOOOOOO many people read this so I thought I'd update. We had lunch today with Josh & Aubrey and Chris and Staci and all of our kids. The kids did pretty good but I made the mistake of giving the boys ice cream and payed for it the entire time at walmart. Zeke was a holy terror!!!!

Baby Malachi as the boys call him is doing well. And starting to sleep through the night. I am getting more nervous about Justus starting school. He of course is more excited all the time!!!!

I bought a new keyboard on ebay that is really cool. It rolls up and can be washed and spilled on and still survive. It's also good for sandstorms. Strange huh?? We've been through several keyboards in the past few months and so for $10 bucks I thought we'd give this a try.

Loading some pictures soon.

2009-05-07T23:07:00.002-04:00

Zeke makes me laugh SOOOOO much. Tonight it saved him from a spanking! He claimed to be hungry so I gave him a banana for a snack. When I walked through the room he was squishing his hands together. Yep, it was the banana all smashed up like baby food. It wasn't only on his hands but on his feet & the bed also. He acted shy which is his way of dodging a bullet. It worked. I tried not to laugh but he got the smirk on his little round face that simply cracks me up! He is a rascal!!! I took pictures but can't get them on the computer still.

May already???

2009-05-05T10:27:00.002-04:00

Geez! Well summer is fast approaching. And it's May already. WOW. Seriously my head is spinning. Zeke turns three this summer. And Justus starts school in the fall. Pausing for a sentimental sigh. OK-enough of that.

Yesterday we went to the zoo. Our original plans were for us to go together with Chris and Staci a few weeks ago. Since that didn't work out we waited a little longer. We had the perfect day. Warm with a cool breeze.

Our computer is still down so I don't have any pictures to share with you. Maybe eventually. The boys had a good time & tried their best to drive us crazy & came very close. Justus wanted to ride in the stroller & zeke wanted to walk. That's just the opposite of how it needed to be.

But like I was saying it was a great day all in all. At the very end we finally go to see the giraffes who were hiding the first time we came by. Five came out at one time. It was like a little parade. They just kept coming. Next time we will start in North America because we only made it through Africa this time.

This month I turn 30----OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The joys of growing up!

Check out this cutie~ Eight weeks old

2009-04-27T12:11:00.001-04:00

2009-04-02T17:51:00.002-04:00

Yuck, I've got a cold. Soar throat & funky nose. Sam will be gone an entire week! And the guy he works with wife just had her baby. So he will be working mainly by himself. Poor guy. IF I had things in order I could be working with him this week. And not sitting here bored without him.

OK, enough complaining. Off to clean up from supper. YIPPEE.

Growing up~

2009-03-31T23:36:00.003-04:00

J boogie is growing up so fast! Sam took him today for the kindergarten physical & vaccines. We also registered him for school. He will be going to one of the christian schools in our area. We debated back & forth....public vs. christian..at least for this year he will be at a christian school.

After the shots we took the boys to Xtreme play. It has tons of inflatables & the boys can run wild and no one minds. Josh & Aubrey met us there and it was basically only us for the first two hours. After school let out other families started to trickle in so we decided to head home around 4:30.

Tonight we got to see a brand new baby who was born yesterday. Her name is so cool- Isabelle Adonai. What do you think? ANyways, she is super tiny. Less than 6lbs & Malachi looks like a giant compared to her! Her parents waited a little to long to head to the doctor so they had to pull over on the side of the road & her daddy got to deliver her! How crazy is that??? I would have been freaked out! They seemed totally cool with it....and maybe a little in awe as well. Mommy & baby are great!

2009-03-25T18:26:00.004-04:00

My little guy is already one month old. He still sleeps 99% of the time. Any time that he is awake he is eating, pooping or letting me know he needs something (crying). My favorite time with him is from midnight-2am, actually this is his favorite time. Although I do believe that God prepared me because that was my bedtime the last trimester of my pregnancy thanks to heartburn.

Tommorrow I get to take the boys to the dreaded WIC office. Hopefully we will come home with some vouchers, every little bit helps! Justus doesn't have to go since he turned five so it will just be the little guys. And J will stay with his daddy at the children's home.

I'm seriously considering applying at Naz. they have something called support staff. If I understand it it's kind of like being a substitute teacher. I would just fill in whenever they need me. Extra money always comes in handy especially these days.... and it may open a door for Sam & I to work together.

Justus had decided that he is not going to school this year, all because he doesn't want to get his shots. Of course he will be getting shots & going to school but I choose not to let him in on that fact for now.

Zeke is "sneaky Zeke" & a cause for tons of laughs....and clean up sessions. And he is completely infatuated with Malachi. It's super sweet & annoying at times.

2009-03-16T19:51:00.001-04:00

Last night was so much better!!! Mal slept two 4 hour stretches!!!! I feel replinished. But secretly hope that tonight goes just as well!!! I"m trying to wake him up now but he doesn't like it, not one bit!!

Eggplant parmesan for supper! Especially yummy since someone made it for me!

Just call me zombie, I mean mommy!

2009-03-15T21:31:00.003-04:00

Day four of being around the clock mom and I'm pretty dang tired! Last night Malachi was unusually fussy. He was awake for most of the night. 12:30am-3am & then up again from 5-7am. And again at 9am which is when Justus & Ezekiel got up. Luckily miracles do still happen & I coerced my children to stay in their room for a few hours....their is directly connected to mine so I never went back to sleep but I was able to rest some. Baby has been awake for a little bit more today so MAYBE he will sleep better tonight. We'll see. Sam comes home on Tuesday morning-----counting down the hours.!!!! OH yeah, my awesome hubby came & got the boys yesterday & took them to the YMCA since the boys in his cottage had some other things going on. Those were preciously quite hours since Malachi slept most of that time. IT's hard to remember to take pictures but here are a few of the baby this week. Mostly on the same day. The two on the bottom are of my nephew Kaden. It's Sam's brothers son. He was born exactly one week before Malachi. He looks HUGE compared to my peanut but he was almost one pound bigger at birth.

2009-03-08T21:54:00.002-04:00

Life with three children is both exhausting & exhilirating! The boys are keeping me on my toes. I still have four more days of daddy support to get myself together & my home organized for sucess. Keep me in your prayers!!! About an hour into anything and I"m pooped!!!! I've never taken so long to recover & this time seems to be taking forever! Guess that's just the way it goes.

On Thursday I called Sam & asked him to pack a bag. We decided to take a quick trip to Alabama. And it did turn out super quick. We left about 6pm and arrived by midnight to stay at a hotel. Slept & then headed to Sam's momma's to surprise her! She only had the day off because she works the night shift as a security guard. So we spent every minute together possible & then headed back to NC. We originally talked about staying longer but it didn't work out. And that turned out fine because like I said, an hour of anything and I"m pooped!

I will get a few pictures up as soon as possible.

One week already~

2009-03-03T22:19:00.004-05:00

My little guy is one week old today. Man time flies!!!! So far he is an excellent baby. He sleeps 95% of the time. With just a few hours of awake time. He is a night owl. His awake time is when the other two are fast asleep. I've got one week to re-program him before Sam goes back to work. We have been rotating shifts to survive. Sam is AWESOME!!! He stayed up until 3am the other night. And today I slept from 5am-11am. Hubby handled everything. I even had breakfast waiting for me when I got up.

Malachi also really likes to sleep in our bed. Or at least he makes the attempt. I wait until he's in a dead sleep & sneak him back to his bed. The good thing is that our "big" boys are sleeping more in their own bed. I'm not sure how that will work when daddy isn't here. Normally I sleep better when someone is in the bed with me. However when there are four people in the bed I don't sleep at all. So somewhere in between will work I guess.

I'm at 80%. After about an hour of being on my feet I start to get weary & short tempered. But if I stay seated & 'direct' traffic I do much better. Sam is just itching for an excuse to get out of the house....poor guy.

Here are a few pictures from last night. The one with Ezekiel is so funny!

Timeline~

2009-02-27T21:51:00.005-05:00

4am Ezekiel wakes up & does not want to go back to sleep. We talk a little and I get him a snack. Back to bed to TRY & get a little sleep.

4:30 Zeke has me cracking up despite the fact that we should be fast asleep. I think I "wet" my pants so I head to the bathroom to clean up. Only when I move the trickle happens again. I realize IT'S TIME!!!!!

So I headed back downstairs & call Sam, who is fast asleep at work. And he asks me---Do I need to come??? LOL. Poor guy was out of it!!! Then I call my mom who calls the hospital for me.

4:45 Sam gets hear and we head to the hospital. The first fifteen minutes of our drive I am OK but then the pain kicked in & I knew we didn't have much time at all!

5:09 They put me in the computer at the hospital, we have offically arrived. The girls wanted to make sure that I was really in labor. They check me & I'm at a 5cm. They 'double team' to get everything ready. But doc isn't there yet.

Ten minutes later I feel the urge to push but the doctor still isn't there. I tell the nurses I'm not going to wait this time so somebody better be ready to catch my baby. I'm ready!!!! And not waiting!!!! I start to push. I'm going to say 5-6 good pushes and there is my little peanut~ Malachi David.

It's 5:33 just a little more than a hour after my water broke. So wierd. My water never broke with Justus or Zeke. The nurse caught the baby cause I just couldn't wait!!!!!

Malachi's poor little face was SO bruised. I only have a few pictures of the delivery room. I guess we were just so amazed that he came so fast we didn't think about taking many pics! My little guy's face is still bruised but looking better every day! Here are a few pics~

Look how purple & red Malachi is.

I love the expression on Nana & Poppa's face! Their first look at grandchild number eight~

Everyone kept calling him 'toe head'. His hair is SUPER blonde & he has plenty of it.

If you look at the color of his hands & then look at his face you can really see the bruising. It has faded quite a bit now.

One last look at my little guy. He looks so much like Justus when he was first born. I'm going to scan in a pick for you to see & compare.

BABY BABY BABY~

2009-02-27T10:14:00.002-05:00

And we have a boy~ Malachi David Adams born on Tuesday Feb 24th at 5:33 am. 7lbs 8oz & 20 in. We came home yesterday & have been busy ever since. Pictures & baby story to come as soon as we get follow up appt. done & our heads screwed on straight!!!!

False Start~

2009-02-23T13:41:00.002-05:00

Friday night I had contractions ten minutes apart for three hours! I was excited & anxious as well because Sam is at work and I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to reach him. Reception over there is touch and go. Well the contractions stopped completely and I haven't felt anymore since then. My stomach has stayed tight but no pains or anything else. So frustrating!!!!

I'm 38 weeks today and will be going in for a checkup on Wednesday. On Thursday Sam goes off shift & has at least one week off. The last his supervisor told him was that once I have the baby he will get his regular scheduled off time plus one extra shift off. Depending on when that happens we would have at least ten but up to 14 days off. We already have an alternate worker scheduled to help Sam's partner out so all the bases are covered.

Things at our house are starting to settle down. I probably haven't written much about the renovations going on here so I"ll give a brief description. Um, after I get some lunch. Later gator~

Monster Jams~

2009-02-20T14:16:00.003-05:00

A birthday surprise~

Lining up to show all the trucks~

Madusa, one of only a handful of women drivers. Sam used to watch her wrestle when he was a kid. Guess truck driving is less dangerous???

Monster Mutt~

All time favorite GRAVE DIGGER!!!

Not a very flattering pic but whatcha gonna do??? We had a blast!

It was very loud but Justus wouldn't keep his earplugs in instead we had the joy of covering his hears most of the time. Notice the flames in the background. Those only came on when Grave Digger was performing. He also had a green neon light that flashed up as well.

"This rocks!!!!!"

ONE if grave diggers many drivers-we got autographs of all the drivers but only one picture was allowed. So dumb.

Low Key Valentine's Day~

2009-02-19T12:53:00.002-05:00

This year we didn't do the typical Val day celebration. Normally I am preparing a big dinner for 100 or so people at church. Aaaaaaaah, sweet relief!!!! Moving on, my grandparents came for a short visit. And then we packed up to go to Lowe's to buy home improvement supplies. You know you MUST keep busy while waiting for baby. So, we got paint for our entire (downstairs) house except the kitchen because the paint that is there is in great condition and we didn't want to go hog wild.

Now we have paint for our bedroom, the boys bedroom, and the livingroom. We're also going to stain the floor in the kitchen which is concrete & right by the back door so LOTS of mud gets tracked in. After it is stained I will be able to put down some throw rugs to make it more homey. We did have linoleium (how in the heck do you spell that?) down but because of where it is located mold was growning under it. GROSS & not good for allergies or anything else either! I love basements but they present some challenges at times!

Also for the past two weeks we have been moving things around. The good thing about living in an unfinished basement is that you can play musical chairs with everything. Sam & I have had our bedroom in every space of this 'house' and I think we've finally found home---for our bedroom. In order to do this we had to move the kitchen. Basically my dad did all the work while we paid for supplies but we now officially have two bedrooms & a kitchen, livingroom. EVENTUALLY, like maybe next year we will put in a bathroom.....oh, that sound so SWEEEEEET!

After our trip to Lowe's be came back & I cooked dinner and dessert. CHicken parmesan with pasta & garlic bread. And chocolate covered strawberries. Sorry no pictures our memory was full & we were pooped from our shopping trip. Sam & I waited till the kids were asleep and watched the Mentalist together and toasted with sparkling peach (sammy's fav) & ate our strawberries--oh the romance that happens with two kids & one on the way. It actually was very nice!!!!!! And one I will remember!

My baby is 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-19T12:46:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was Justus' birthday. In fact I think that Jamie & Justus share- the 15th. Happy Birthday Jamie, hope you had a blast!!! We decided to surprise Justus and take him to see Monster Jams in CHarlotte. MJ's are the big trucks that smash everything & make your ears ring! J's favorites are Grave Digger from right here in NC & Monster Mutt also from NC I believe. He was TOTALLY surprised. He found out exactly what was happening when we were waiting to pay for parking & saw the HUGE screen with the trucks racing. The kid let out this HUGE yelp----MONSTER JAMMMMMMMMMMS. COOOOOOOL! We had a blast. I would like to go to a bigger arena sometime. Charlotte's wasn't big enough but it was definetly a great first time show!!! Afterwards we stood in line for autographs. I still need to get the pics on the computer so you will have to wait for pics like always.

2009-02-19T11:26:00.002-05:00

Cool, it's working at the moment. FIrst of all my friend Traci had her baby and he is SUPER cute. Ezekiel & her first baby were born just weeks apart & it looks like that should happen again!!!! Also my SIL in Bama had her baby boy!!! The poor girl was in labor for quite some time, around 12 hours. I know that that could be considered normal but not in my book. I can't remember his name right now but the kid came out looking a month old!!! He weighs 9lbs & 7oz! HOLY CRAP!!!! He is 21 inches long. She has a small build and had to have eight stitches! I think if I were her I would have at least considered a c-section. But then again, I"m not one for pain!!! Anyways almost all of my preggo "partners" that I was pregnant with have had their baby, only one other remains & she isn't due until April. Needless to say I am getting anxious to get this over & done!!! This is the longest I've ever been pregnant since the boys were born early. I'm pretty wrestless. But there has been plenty going on around here to keep me busy!!!

I went to the doc on Monday & am dilated only to a 1 but at least the process is started. Once things get past a 4 it will be only hours until I have baby in hand. And apparently he's not quite ready to join us. Sam went back to work today for a seven day stretch!!! That's a long stretch! Especially at this point in the game! My goal is for him to work a few of those days & then for the baby to come!!! If he works three more days then he will be able to stay home for a ten day stretch instead of only five days.....SOOOOOO hold on for a few more days baby! (His boss said he needs to work at least 10 of his required 14 days & then he won't lose ANY pay!!! SO, basically he get four free days.....which is pretty nice.)

2009-02-19T11:25:00.000-05:00

I've tried posting several times in the past week but couldn't get things to work right. There's been lots going on here but before I write another LONG post I will see if this works!

Snow~Day~2009

2009-02-11T12:00:00.002-05:00

Party, Party!

2009-02-06T00:09:00.001-05:00

Let's take a moment to celebrate----our tax return is back!!! A week from now (or less) the celebration will be over. SO, for now it's party time at the Adams'!!!!!

Better you than me~

2009-01-31T17:23:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a HORRIBLE time sleeping. I finally fell asleep around 2am and slept for a few hours. But for some reason at 5am Ezekiel woke up and would not go back to sleep. He was up for almost three hours. Eventually sometime around 7:30 he fell back asleep. By then I was wide awake & although tired not sleepy. It took me until 9ish to fall back alseep. Justus woke up at 9:30. The word exhausted doesn't quite cover it...but God had a plan!

Around noon my brother & SIL showed up at the house and we all went to lunch together at Mr. Ghatti's. Yummy. When we got back they decided to take the boys for a few hours....guess what I did? Nothing but plop my big ole' bum on the couch and listen to some praise & worship music. Then I took a shower. Very nice to be able to shower without rushing! And now I'm blogging. Nice, nice, nice!

Now onto the better you than me part. When we got to the pizza place there was this little girl screaming to the top of her lungs!!! Poor grandma had her & was starting to get frazzled. But she stuck it out and eventually the little girl settled down. I felt sorry for her but relieved that it's not always my kid as star of the show.

A little while ago I talked to my brother & checked on the boys. He said Aubrey went to look in on Zeke & Leah and they were painting the walls with chewed up Goldfish crackers! MESS MAKERS!!! Zeke is a handful on his own but everytime he and leah get together they try something new. Again, better you than me!!!! Thankfully the walls were cinder block & not sheet rock which makes cleanup easier. OH, those two!!! You know they know better but that doesn't stop the exploring!

Well, they are back so I'm going to rescue Aubrey from the terrible two's! Later Gator!!

From a forward I got today~

2009-01-30T14:31:00.001-05:00

'May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly
where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite
possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you
use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has
been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this
knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to
sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of
us.'

Amen to all of that.....

Super Bowl~

2009-01-30T13:16:00.002-05:00

What's everyone doing for the super bowl party?? Got anything special planned? Our home church group is coming over to watch & enjoy some fellowship together. If it's cold enough we will do the slide for the kiddos. Between now & Sunday the temperature is supposed to be dropping. So, there is a good possibility that the kids will have a blast as well as the adults!