The Julian Family

A New Era

2011-08-08T08:32:00.002-04:00

It's 8:30 am on this Monday morning. The house is quiet except for the sound of me typing and the dishwasher going. I'm all alone. It's just me. 30 minutes ago I put my kids on the bus bound for their first day of school. For JJ and Zach it was no big deal. They've done this before. But Elijah, this is his first day of Kindergarten. I suppose every parent gets emotional when their kids go to school for the first time, especially if it's their last kid. But Elijah is special.

One year ago the sweet teachers at North Metro CDC were prying Elijah out of the car kicking and screaming! That went on for almost 2 weeks. Then we found out that he has a sensory disorder which just makes things harder for him. He's been a difficult child and this is why. So we started him in occupational therapy in May. Wow! Do I have a different child now! He was up and ready for school at 6:20 this morning. He ate, brushed his teeth and made his bed just like his big brothers. We walked up to the bus stop with him carrying his Spiderman backpack and he got on the bus, just like his big brothers. I am just in shock! He is a new child! Now at school, hopefully doing well. I pray that God protects him and helps him adjust. He has done a complete 180 and I am so proud of him!

But now I sit here alone in this quiet house for the first time in 11 years! I'm almost not sure what to do with myself. I have to do the typical things I do on Monday like go to the grocery store. But it's just me. I don't have to stop in the middle of the day to pick anyone up from PreK. I didn't have to drive anyone to school. I a bit at a loss. It's freeing and sad all at the same time. I've always looked forward to this time on my own...but now I'm not so sure I like it. I guess it will just take some getting used to. I start work soon anyway so that will take up half my days. I guess now it is time to find the real me somewhere past the mom.

And yes, I cried like a baby after the bus left with my boys, including Elijah, on it.

Trying to get back in to it

2011-08-02T04:11:00.002-04:00

Well, it's 4 am and I can't sleep. I remember that I was thinking about starting up my blog again...so I figure now is as good a time as any. I noticed that the last time I blogged was over a year ago. Ooops! So much has been going on that I just really haven't had the time. Admittedly, I also thought that no one really wanted to read what I had to say. Then I discovered that this is really more an outlet for me than something for others to read.

A lot has happened over the past year. There are the typical things like school, work, vacations, amusement park trips, aquarium trips, pool days, etc. and then there are the other things. Elijah being diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, Joshua getting baces, Zach being diagnosed with an occulomotor (eye muscle) problem, therapy, psychological tests, anti depressants, thyroid medication......the list goes on. I won't try to update you on all situations at one time, but I'm sure they will come out at some point.

Right now what fills my mind is the fact that school starts on Monday. To my kids, this is a very BAD thing. For me, I have mixed feelings. Yes, I enjoy having my kids home and being able to do stuff with them and spend time with them. However, there comes a point when there has been enough time, for me and them. They are now getting on each other's nerves and need to be separated. It's tough to get them to do things on their own in the summer. They want me to entertain them. In that respect, I'm glad for school to start. They will be occupied with friends and learning and I get to hear about their adventures. The down side is the realization that all my babies are growing up. JJ will be in 5th grade this year, his last year of elementary school. Next year will be a whole new world..for all of us. Zach will be in 3rd grade, a point in life where learning, at least at Parsons, changes a bit and gets a bit more rigorous. I still remember him getting off the bus his first day of Kindergarten, so excited with a sweet little boy voice. Lastly, Elijah, my baby, will be in Kindergarten. All day. 8am- 3:30 pm with his brothers. I'm excited for him. It will be a great experience....and a challenge with is SPD. But what about me? For the first time in over 10 years I'm not going to have any children at home. Yes, Elijah was in PreK last year, but I still took him and picked him up at 1pm so we still had some of the day together. Now he will be gone all day.

I know they all grow up, but this is my last one. Once they start school I don't ever get them back again. I wonder if I have taken full advantage of the time that I had them home with me. I also wonder what I will do now since so much of my life has centered around taking care of them and now it will be just me most of the day. I'll go to the grocery store by myself and to work by myself....all things I thought that I wanted. But now I'm not so sure. I will miss my babies. I love them all dearly. But I guess it is time for all of to enter a new stage in our lives. I just need to find what that entails for me.

Now it's 4:30am and I'm going back to bed. See you later this afternoon!

The day the music died.

2010-02-19T13:17:00.002-05:00

February 19, 2001 - That is the day that my mother, Sherrie Ann Hall, died. She lost a long and hard-fought battle with ovarian cancer. It was 9 years ago today. For the last 9 years, I have hated the month of February for that very reason. I wear a pin with her picture on it every year to remind me. I am often solemn and depressed. I actually want people to ask me about the pin so that I can share with them about my mother. Maybe so people will feel sorry for me...I don't know. For 9 years I have let what happened at 7:45 pm on Monday, Feb 19, 2001 be a defining part of my life. BUT THAT STOPS NOW! I love my Mama with all my heart. But I realized, just today, that living in the past and dredging up all that hurt and sorrow and anger doesn't honor her memory. It just brings me and my family down. I don't want to live in the past. Not everyone has to know that both of my parents are dead. It has nothing to do with who I am or who God made me to be. I have a family of my own to take care of. It would be much more honoring to my mom if I would take good care of myself and them. She would fuss at me if I didn't. So, just a few minutes ago, I took off the pin that has her and Daddy's picture on it, told them both that I love them, and put it down on my dresser. I am going to tell the story of that sad yet joyful day one more time...then I am going to move on with my life.

It was around 4am. I was in bed in my house in Sugar Hill, GA when my phone rang. Phones ringing at odd hours are never a good sign to begin with. This was twice as bad. I had been holding my breath every time the phone rang for the last several weeks since Dr. Landis told my mom there was nothing more he could do for her. Luckily, each time had been an amiable phone call....until now.
It was my dad. Mom felt like she was going (she was very in tune with her own body) and wanted us there with her. So I left Steven and Joshua, who was only 5 months old at the time, and made the 45 minute drive to our house in Snellville where I grew up. Garalyn was already there when I got there.
We had called in Hospice after Dr. Landis gave us the news. They were helping us keep Mama comfortable until her time came. They had provided a hospital bed which we had in the family room in place of the loveseat. That's where she had been for weeks. She was sitting on the side of it when I got there. We all sat there with her. She gave each one of us a hug and told us how much she loved us. She was weak so it was all in a whisper. It didn't matter. I heard her loud and clear. She started to get weak, so she laid down on the bed. I pulled out a Bible and we read Proverbs 31 out loud and cried together. (It was read at her mother's funeral.) From there, it was just a waiting game.
We all just sat around the house. She was resting, attached to an oxygen tank. I had a chair next to her bed and was doing crossword puzzles, I think. She just laid there. At one point, she sat up a bit, grabbed my arm and tried to speak to me. But I couldn't understand her. I felt so bad. I just kept saying, "What Mama? I don't understand." Then she stopped and laid back in the bed. That was the last thing she ever said. It wasn't until later that I realized she was saying, "Daddy...comatose". That may seem strange, but you have to know the whole story. Her father died of cancer in 1985. He went into a coma like state and was "alive" several hours before he actually stopped breathing. That's the way she stayed for the rest of the day. She was trying to tell me not to worry. She could feel it coming on and just wanted me to know. She laid there, lifeless. Her eyes were open but there was no spark there anymore. She was breathing, but her soul was gone.
By that point her sisters and other family had started coming around. We had called them so everyone could say their final goodbyes. Steven had come by and brought Joshua. Garalyn had Shayne for a bit. But it was started to get later and wanted to take her home. She didn't want Shayne to see her Granna like that. I think, to this day, Garalyn wishes she would have stayed.
It was about 7:45pm. My dad was sitting in the rocking chair just halfway across the room from where mom lay, comatose. I was sitting on the floor with my head in his lap. My Aunt Nell was sitting on the couch next to my mom. Then, it happened.
Aunt Nell said, "Gary....I don't think she is breathing." Daddy and I both rushed to her bed. It was true. He fighting body had finally given up and stopped trying to survive. Even though we knew all day that it was coming, it took us by surprise. We both broke down and cried. I can remember bending over her and screaming, "Who's going to teach me to be a mom?" That was only the 2nd time in my life I had seen my dad cry. We were devastated. Daddy got on the phone and called Garalyn and told her to come back. All the family came back as well. There was lots of crying and hugging. I couldn't believe my mom was gone.
Soon, the funeral home came for her body and took her away. People lingered around to see what they could do and talk about old times. Everyone was finally gone sometime after midnight. Garalyn and I spent the night there with Daddy. I didn't want to leave him. I'm sure he went to bed crying. How do you move on when the person you've spent most of your life with is suddenly gone?
Anyway....that's it. That's how my mom died. Long, yes. Sorry. I figured the more details I give, I would get it out of my system and be able to move on. I think it helped. (Maybe one day I'll have to do this about other things in my life too!) My greatest sorrow is that my mom will never know my kids and my kids will never know my mom. She loved being a grandmother. Even though she was only Granna for a short time. I tell them stories all the time and there are pictures of her in my house.
I can only hope and pray that I will be as good a mom to my kids as she was to me. I LOVE YOU, MAMA! I MISS YOU! I'LL SEE YOU SOON!

Elijah grows up....and snow!

2010-02-15T14:01:00.002-05:00

Well, it finally happened. Elijah, at the age of "still 4, Mom", has dressed himself! For quite some time now I have been coaching him on how to take his clothes off and put clothes on. He caught on just enough to pull his pants up and down to go to the bathroom. But everything else was "Mommy, help me!" (I was really getting frustrated. As most moms know, "can you child manipulate his/her clothing?" is one of those dr. check up question that you are tempted to lie about so the dr doesn't think you are a terrible mother. But it's just been easier for me to dress him and get us on our way.)
But today, while folding his laundry, I got him to pick out his clothes (even though he pulled pants from the dirty clothes basket) and dress himself from shirt to socks. It's about time! He took off his pjs and put on his clothes all by himself. He got frustrated a few times (and so did I) but he did it! Now...if I can just get him to keep doing it!

Also, there was snow over the weekend. After living in Montana for years, not that big of a deal to me, but it is to the kids. They were hoping school would be cancelled on Friday. Nope! But everything was white when they got off the bus at 4pm that afternoon. They enjoyed playing in it that afternoon and the next morning. They all got together with the neighbor kids and went sledding down our yards, our street, and made snowmen. Even Elijah (yes, I have the right kid) went sledding. Well, only once. He got in the sled and I sort of "accidentally" pushed him down the hill. He loved it! "Mom, I went backwards! And so fast. That was awesome!" said the 4-year old. Well, let's do it again! I carried the sled back up the hill for him. As he was getting in it, it slipped out from under him and he fell in the snow. I couldn't get him to sled down the hill again after that. He resorted, instead, to running down the hill over and over again chasing the people who were sledding. What's the difference? I don't know. But I stopped trying to figure out his child logic a while ago.

Zach and Joshua had no fear. Joshua was getting up some great speed down the street. And Zach was the first one to just plop down in the snow and make a snow angel. It was fun to watch. I'm so glad we live where we do. Lots of hills (great for snow) and lots of kids (great for friends)! I (yes I) even sledded down the hill once or twice. And so did Steven. More than I can say my mom and dad ever did with us when we were kids. But again, this is Georgia. Snow doesn't come along that often.

I WANT MY MOMMY!

2010-02-04T12:57:00.002-05:00

February 4, 1947 in Meridian, MS...my mom was born. Thursday, February 19, 2001 at 7:45 pm in Snellville, GA, lying in a hospital bed in the middle of the living room I grew up in....my mom died.

This has been a tough day for me for almost 9 years now. I try to turn it around and make it positive and celebrate the wonderful life that my mom lived. She was a fantastic lady. She was friendly, outspoken, sold out to Jesus, and a fighter. She was also, of course, a great mom! But it makes me sad that she is not here for me to celebrate her birthday. The last birthday I celebrated with her was her 54th. We had a party for her at my house in Sugar Hill. She was so weak and frail at that point. My first son was only 5 months old. If I remember correctly, Garalyn made her famous peanut butter cake, but I don't even think Mama ate any. She seemed distant the entire time. I knew she didn't feel well, but we had battled with that for 4 years and learned how to roll with it. Little did I know that the following week her doctor would tell her there was nothing more he could do for her and we would call in Hospice to help make her comfortable until she went to be with Jesus. I didn't know then that it would be the last birthday I would spend with her. I miss her a lot! She never got to know my kids. They would have loved her! And vice versa!

But thank God that she was born 63 years ago, met and married my dad and had me and my sister. I LOVE YOU MAMA! I'll see you again soon enough.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Zach loses his first tooth!

2010-01-20T18:28:00.002-05:00

Well, it finally happened! Zach has been wondering for quite some time when he would lose his first tooth. It seemed (to him anyway) that everyone was losing their teeth but him. Then, one day, it happened. He came and told me that he had a loose tooth. We were all so very excited for him. I knew how much he wanted this. (That was sometime before Christmas break.) He kept telling me it would probably come out during Christmas break...but it didn't. Then he would say it would come out that weekend...but it didn't. Then I noticed that his permanent tooth was visible BEHIND the tooth that was loose. (Yes, being a mom and a mom of a kid in this situation already, I immediately wondered if he would need braces. Awful, but true!) I told him to just keep wiggling it and that it would happen soon.

He came home from school on Tuesday very happy. He told me of an incident in PE (yes, they still do PE in public schools) that caused him to bite down very hard (somehow, not sure). Anyway, it caused the back part of his tooth to be severed from his mouth, leaving only the front part attached. So, I did the mom thing and offered to help him get it out. Sitting in our kitchen, with a kleenex nearby to catch the blood, I had Zach open his mouth. I very carefully reached into his mouth and wobbled his tooth. It was barely hanging on. I slipped my fingernail under the back of the tooth, got a good grip...and pulled! Nothing. Nothing but a little wimper from my sweet Zach. (He had been reluctant to let me pull it out for fear that would hurt. Of course I assured him that it would not. :) So, I tried again, having to hold Zach's hands down so he didn't stop me. Another good yank, but it didn't come out. What a stubborn sucker!

Zach was ready to stop. I talked him into letting me try ONE more time. If it didn't come out, then I would leave him alone for a while. (Little did he realize that I was determined to pull hard enough to get it out this time.) I grabbed under it with my fingernails again and pulled up and forward. POP! Out came his tooth! I used the kleenex to soak up some of the blood. (There wasn't much, but he could taste it and started saying, "Mommy, blood!") Then I showed him the tooth. He was so excited! We immediately called Steven to let him know...but couldn't get him. So I texted him and sent a picture of Zach - minus one tooth - to his cell phone.

Now comes the part about the tooth fairy. Our tooth fairy doesn't give money. She gives small gifts. So when Joshua found out about Zach's tooth he immediately said, "So Zach, what are you going to ask the tooth fairy for?" I had to stop it right there! I explained to them both that the Tooth Fairy is not like Santa Claus where you ASK for things. She just brings stuff that she knows you will enjoy. Plus you have to keep in mind, she has to work on the fly. She doesn't have much time between the tooth coming out and the night to get ready. (Also, I had already gotten Zach something so I would be ready and I didn't want him thinking he would get one thing and then be disappointed with what I got him.)

So anyway, we put the tooth in a plastic bag and he put it under his pillow to wait for the Tooth Fairy. When Zach got up this morning, he was not surprised to see that his tooth was gone. But he was surprised, and happy, to see that she had left him a self-inflating whoopee cushion! He loves it! He ran around the house showing it to everyone! He even wanted to take it to school. And it was the first thing he grabbed when he got home today. (I did good!)

"What's He Really Thinking?" by Paula Rinehart

2010-01-13T14:25:00.002-05:00

I have finally finished this book and am getting around to reviewing it.'
For a wife who is always trying to figure out her husband and find better ways to communicate with him, I found this book very inciteful. A bit general on some topics (I tend to want more practical steps), it really goes to the heart of what men are thinking and why they do what they do. I believe that it is a great tool for women who are trying to better understand their significant others. I am a woman who lives in a house with 4 boys (1 man, 3 that will be men one day) and I constantly notice how different they are from me and the way I grew up, having had only 1 sibling and she is my sister. Any insider information I can get on the inner workings of the male mind are greatly appreciated.

I especially like the relational guide in the back that gives you some practical and Biblical views to help apply what you have learned in the reading and really bring it out into the real world. I would recommend this book to any woman who has a man close to her in her life.

Elijah's Haircut

2009-09-03T16:36:00.003-04:00

This is Elijah BEFORE his haircut.
He HATES to have his hair cut. I'm serious! Every time so far that I've taken him, he has sat on my lap with my legs wrapped around his and my arms holding down his while the stylist fights his moving head to cut his hair. There is always hair everywhere and a lot of crying...by him AND me. There is also a lot of apologizing to the stylist for his behavior.

So, last time I decided to cut his hair myself. I do the other 2 boys. So I just got out my clippers, sat him in Steven's lap and cut his hair. His was definitely less traumatic for him. He didn't cry nearly as much...but he did have trouble keeping his head still. Needless to say, I didn't do a very good job. But it was cut and I was happy that he looked better than he did before...until it grew out!

The back of his hair was extremely uneven. He wouldn't let me get around his ears so all of that hair was very long. I hated looking at his hair! But I didn't dare take him to get it cut. He protested every time I even mentioned the idea and I didn't want to fight him or put another stylist through that mess.

However, the day came when I decided it just HAD to be done! I couldn't stand it anymore! I bribed him! I told him we would go to Office Depot and play Wheel of Fortune on their computers if he would get his hair cut. He said ok. So I took him to a local kids' haircut place. (Very pricey. But I thought it would help him.) He resisted sitting in the chair at first, but didn't want me to sit with him. So I put him in the chair and he wanted to hug me. Fine, I can do that. And that is how the stylist cut his hair. His head was buried in my chest looking to one side. I hugged him and moved his head to the other side when she was ready. But he didn't cry...not even one little bit! I was so proud of him! He could tell too. Right in the middle he said, "Mommy! I not crying!" And for that, he got 2 lollipops AND a prize from the stylist. This is what he looks like now!

I think we have finally turned a corner as far as haircuts go. Now, if we could just turn a corner with potty training!

DEREK LOWE!!!!

2009-08-22T13:39:00.003-04:00

Well, Steven heard on the radio that Derek Lowe was going to be signing autographs at the new BrandsMart up by the Mall of GA. At first, I hesitated to go thinking that it would be crowded and we would have to wait in line for a really long time and the kids would complain. Well...it was crowded. There was a lot of traffic getting into the store. But, when we got there, no one who worked there could tell us where Derek was signing! Can you believe that? We walked around for about 5-10 minutes and asked a few different people, but no one really knew. Finally, we spotted some baseball fans that were holding balls and cards and stuff. They told us where he was signing. We went in and there was no line! Nothing! We just walked right up to where he was! Everyone got a signed card and he even signed Joshua's baseball! I got to shake his hand. I told him it was nice to see him. He said, "It's nice to be seen." LOL Elijah showed Derek Lowe his own imitation of Derek pitching. It was great!

Then I realized I had brought the camera but didn't get a picture. So we went back a second time. Again, walked right in and up to him. In a heartbeat, he got up and posed for a picture with us. He was super nice! And quite taller than I expected. I am so glad that we decided to go. It was originally for the kids, but I think the person it made the greatest impression on was....me!

Joshua gets braces!

2009-08-22T13:30:00.006-04:00

This is what Joshua's teeth look like. They aren't terrible, but the orthodontist says that, with his teeth angled back, it could cause problems with his bottom jaw developing properly. Also, his teeth are a bit crowded, so they wanted to make more room in his mouth. (Yes, believe it or not, Joshua's mouth is NOT big enough for his teeth!)

So, they put this expander in his mouth. For the first week, I had to "turn" it which made it push harder and harder to expand his top jaw. It was quite uncomfortable...for both of us. One time I just couldn't do it and we had to go to the orthodontist's office and have them do it.

He wore that for a few months, and now has these...braces! They are just on his front 4 teeth to straighten them out. Everything else he has are still baby teeth anyway. This is "Phase 1". He may need braces again, depending on how his other permanent teeth come in. We'll cross that bridge if and when we get there. For now, he will be wearing these for about 8 months.

Not bad. He got to pick a color. He chose red. When I had braces, you didn't get to pick colors. And it wasn't cool to have braces either. NOBODY had them when I was a kid. (I had mine in 3rd grade too, just like Joshua.) But now, everyone has them, including adults. So he won't get made fun of the way I did. Thank goodness! I can't wait to see how much more beautiful his smile will be. I didn't think it could get any better, but at least his teeth will be straighter!

Six Flags

2009-07-15T19:33:00.002-04:00

Last week Steven and I took Joshua and Zach to Six Flags. It was Zach's first time. We had a blast! The kids get free tickets from a reading program at school. So, I bought some tickets for me and Steven, got food vouchers for refillable drinks and popcorn, dropped Elijah off with my sister and headed out to the amusement park.

I must admit, I very much enjoyed roller coasters as a kid. Not once did it ever occur to me that they were not safe or that anything could happen to me. Now, in my old age, I have to admit that it was ALL I was thinking about as I sat next to Zach on the MindBender. (I told my sister where my will was located when I dropped off Elijah.) Here I am, on a ride I've been on many times before, seeing it in a whole new light. Zach, who just turned 6 and is just tall enough to ride these types of rides, sat next to me with giddy excitement. I sat there, holding his hands, and explaining to him that he needed to push his head back against the seat so that he wouldn't flop around and could enjoy the ride more. He said "Okay Mommy" and we were off. The coaster started up the hill very slowly. As we ascended, he was watching the other coasters around the park. We got to the top and virtually stopped (Steven's LEAST favorite part) before heading around the curve to the first loop. We started going faster. All I could do was hold Zach's hand, make sure our lap belt was tight, and pray that God would watch out for us. As we got faster and faster, I was yelling at Zach to hold his head back. Then we started down. Before I knew it we were upside down and whipping around. I was 15 again, but still very aware that my 6 year old was next to me and this was his first ride. We hit the abrupt stop at the end. I was still holding Zach's hand. We pull back under the canopy and get off. I'm thinking that was too much for Zach and that he wouldn't want to do it again. (We had already done the Mine Train and Scream Machine and he liked those. But this one went upside down.) We are walking thru the exit and I asked Zach if he liked it. He looked at me, smiled, and started jumping up and down. "Let's do it again, Mommy! Let's do it again!" We rode it at least 2 more times that day.

What a great day it was! I love Elijah, but it was nice to spend some time with just my 2 older boys without worrying about Elijah's diaper or his whining. I could finally focus on my quickly growing oldest boys with whom I could have an almost adult type conversation. We walked around the park riding rides, drinking Coke, lemonade, Powerade, Sprite and eating bowl after bowl of popcorn. We rode the Mine Train, Scream Machine, Mind Bender, Shake Rattle N Roll, Log Jamboree, Wiley Coyote ride, something like the swings, Monster Mansion, and probably a few more that I can't remember. And, as afraid as I was that Zach would have trouble on the roller coasters, the ride that frightened him the most was....Monster Mansion. Yes, I'm serious. Something about the dark part with scary and unexpected noises. I cracked up laughing when he told me that!

I did, however, discover that I am not as young as I used to be. I still enjoy roller coasters, but I can't take it all day long like I could when I was a kid. I'm just really glad that I was able to enjoy that with my kids. From my memories, my parents didn't ride with us. My mom would ride the Gasp (once I think...and now I'm dating myself) and she rode the Scream Machine once, but never again. We got Daddy on FreeFall (once only!) and the Mind Bender, but that was it. Oh wait! They did ride the log ride. Anyway, I had fun as a kid and I had fun this time. I hope that is a summer tradition that we can continue. I assume Elijah will get a free ticket once he gets to school too. Then the ever dreaded situation of....who's going to ride by themselves?????

Team of the Night - Peachtree Ridge Blue Lions

2009-07-08T12:02:00.007-04:00

Joshua's All Star team party was held at the Gwinnett Braves game on Tuesday, June 30. It was great! They get to watch the game from the "Team of the Night" Deck and are provided food. It's a great place to sit and watch the game. It's down the 3rd base side and in the shade. All the kids on the team got certificates for participating in the All Star tournament.

In addition to the deck, they get to go down to the field before the game and get autographs from the players. Joshua loved that! Steven, Zach and Elijah went and sat in the stands while he did that. Elijah, having memorized the entire Gwinnett Braves line up by number, helped tell the team who each player was. Reid Gorecki was quite impressed with my 3 year old and gave him a high five. (Reid would later hit a pinch hit grand slam to tie the game. I think Elijah brought him good luck!) Here, Joshua is getting an autograph from Jordan Shafer, former centerfielder for Atlanta who was sent down due to an injured wrist. (I've talked to him several times. He's quite a nice person.)

The kids also got to run out on the field with the players during the National Anthem. Joshua, having played catcher some during the tourney, went out to the catcher's spot with Clint Sammons. He and Corey (here with Coach John) got to yell "Play Ball" into the mic before the game. What a great experience! (Thanks Chad for the info!)

Thankfully, my co-worker who works the Team of the Night Deck switched with me so I was working the deck this day and got to see it all! I wouldn't have missed it for anything! It was so cool! Thanks Coach John for making this possible!

I brought Steven and the boys to work with me early that day and game them a quick tour of the stadium. (The rest of the team came by bus.) Nothing much, just places they wouldn't normally see. Then I got to watch the game very near them. What a great game it was too!
The GBraves were down 7-1 in the 7th inning, so the rest of the team decided they were ready to go. We said bye to them and my family stayed to watch the game. And are glad we did! Reid Gorecki came up and hit a pinch hit grand slam to tie the game! Then Jordan Shafer hit a home run (very next batter) to put us ahead. The GBraves ended up winning the game 8-7. It was awesome! Steven called Coach Mike and told them what they had missed. He wasn't very happy. That is why you NEVER leave a game early. You never know what might happen!

A great time was had by all! As the other kids on the team were running up and down the stairs and around the stadium and goofing off on the deck, I'm proud to say that my kids, yes all 3 of them, sat and watched the ENTIRE game. Joshua and Zach even kept score!

Afterwards, they waited at the player's parking lot and got some more autographs. It was a perfect day!

"The I Believe Bunny" by Tish Rabe, Illustrated by Frank Endersby

2009-07-06T14:53:00.003-04:00

"The I Believe Bunny" is a cute story for children ages 2-5 about a bunny who finds himself in a position to help out mouse, but isn't confident that he can do it. Bunny was afraid but knew he had to help. So he prayed to God and asked Him to help give Bunny strength. And He did!

This is a sweet story of prayer and faith. Though I agree with the moral and lesson of this book, I was not taken with the story. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful and the lines all rhyme, but I feel the author was really stretching to make a connection between Bunny and faith. I read it with no real feelings welling up inside. I could, quite frankly, take it or leave it. However, let me stress again, that the lesson of faith is very clear and would come across to any child. Though not the best story around, it could very easily be used as a teaching tool of faith.

Zach's 6th Birthday!

2009-07-02T08:27:00.014-04:00

Zach has turned 6! I just can't believe it! Where has the time gone?

As is custom, I asked Zach what he wanted to do for his birthday. (Remember, last year he wanted to see the White House.) This year, the Red Sox were in town playing our own Atlanta Braves, so he wanted to go to the game. (For those of you who don't know, the Red Sox are our OTHER favorite team, besides the Braves.) So we got tickets to the Yankees AND the Red Sox games...all in one week. (By the time the week was over, Steven and the kids had been to 1 Yankees game, 2 Red Sox games and a Gwinnett Braves game! Whew!

Elijah is showing everyone the big screen in center field. Zach and Joshua are enjoying keeping score in the game. (That is SO cool that my kids like to keep score!) And we got this big tomahawk outside the stadium for free!

We got to the game early enough to see the Red Sox taking some batting practice and warming up. We saw Jonathan Papelbon, Dice K and Kevin Youkilis...

And we saw John Smoltz!

We sat in down the right field line so we could get a good look at David Ortiz, aka Big Papi! We also got to see Dustin Pedroia...

Jeff Francouer and JD Drew!

Amazingly enough, the Red Sox fans were louder than the Braves fans. We enjoyed cheering for both. I think we ended up cheering more for the Red Sox, but it's all good. We had a great time!

St. Simons Island

2009-07-02T06:51:00.008-04:00

Every year, Edward Jones has a Summer Regional meeting at a beach somewhere nearby. This year it was at St. Simons Island at the King and Prince Resort. We don't get to the beach often, so the kids and I decided to tag along with Steven.

It was a very nice resort. This is the view from our 4th floor balcony. Yes, the 4th floor. It wasn't so bad though. There were stairs and an elevator. Joshua and Zach would take the stairs and race us to see if they could beat the elevator. They usually beat us going up, but we would tie on the way down.

This is the view down the beach...when there was beach. It was gorgeous! But, as you can see, there are rocks lining the back side. We realized quickly that those mean high tide comes in very high. This picture was taken at low tide. At high tide, there is NO beach. Nothing! We would sit on the rocks and watch the waves roll in. The stairs down to the beach would be covered in water. It was pretty, but I wouldn't let the kids get in.

This year was MUCH better than last year! Elijah didn't want to have anything to do with water or sand last time. This time, as you can see, he is on the beach! He even let the waves come up over his feet....with his sandals on, of course. He enjoyed playing in the sand too. We made castle shapes and fish and dug big holes. All the boys enjoyed that!

Joshua and Zach had no problem with the water. They particularly enjoyed jumping the waves as they came in. They aren't big ocean swimmers (like Mom) because they can't see the bottom. But they had fun. One time Zach kicked his BRAND NEW Spiderman beach ball into the ocean and the current started taking it out. He got very upset. Mom became an ocean swimmer very fast. It took a while, but I finally got it. It had gone out very far before I could stop it. Needless to say, I deflated the beach ball for the rest of the trip.

There was also a little pool about 1 foot deep. (We played in the pool at high tide.) And Elijah got in! It was great! (Thanks for the picture, Kelly!) He usually screams and cries about it. But this time he WANTED to put on his bathing suit and WANTED to get in the pool. So we did. He had fun throwing balls and running around after his brothers. After a while, the older boys wanted to go to the bigger pool. Elijah did that without fussing too. By the end, he was pretend swimming and even jumping in from the side! (With me holding his hands, of course.) I was so thankful.

Last year's beach vacation was a disaster! This one was VERY pleasant. I just wish it could have lasted longer!

Joshua - The All Star

2009-06-13T15:33:00.007-04:00

Joshua and his team stand at attention for the National Anthem.

It's been a rough week. However, life doesn't stop...for anyone or anything. We started the weekend very early, around 7am, getting everyone ready to head out to Loganville. Yes, Loganville. Joshua's All Star tournament started and his game was first, 10 am. We needed to be there by 9am which meant we had to leave here by 8:15. Wouldn't you know that THIS would be the morning all the kids would want to sleep in!

After a nice LONG drive down Sugarloaf Pkwy, we made it to Bay Creek Park in Grayson. We dropped Joshua off at the batting cages and took the other boys to the playground. They are such troopers to hang around and play while Joshua plays. And they do let us watch the game! Thankfully, at this park, the playground was RIGHT next to the field we were playing on! PTL!

The game started at 10am. I was a bit angry, I admit, to see that Joshua was still on the bench when the game began. He wasn't starting. But I trust his coaches and knew that he would get his time later. It was a pretty easy top of the 1st. Our pitcher, Logan, got everyone out. No baserunners. We scored 1 in the bottom of the 1st. We go to the 2nd up 1-0. I was glad to see Joshua's sweet face out in left field. In baseball ready position, legs apart and knees bent with his glove poised, he was ready for action. Again, an easy inning with no runs scoring. Joshua got up to bat in the bottom of the 2nd with bases loaded and 2 outs. Unfortunately, he struck out. I hurt for him. I know he's nervous. This is a lot of pressure for an 8 year old. But he took it in stride.

He came out in the 3rd inning to catch. He did great! He ended up catching the rest of the game! In the 4th inning, he got to bat again and got an RBI single up the 1st base line. He would later score a run! The Blue Lions would win the game 11-2! Yay! We get a bye tomorrow and play on Monday night at 8pm.

I am so proud of all my kids, of course. But today I was especially proud of Joshua. He didn't complain that he didn't start in the game. He did what he was told, when he was told, where he was told. I am mostly proud of him because, when he wasn't batting, he was in the dugout standing against the fence cheering for his teammates. He was always in the game, paying attention, being supportive. (Not all the other kids were.) What a great child (excuse me, young man) God has blessed us with!

To their credit, Zach and Elijah did great too. They played on the playground the ENTIRE time without complaining so we could watch the game.

Thanks to all 3 of my guys! I'm proud to be your mom!

2009-06-12T07:56:00.002-04:00

After several days of mourning, planning, paying respects, seeing family and friends, explaining death to my kids, comforting my husband and dealing with all the other junk life throws at you, it's time to get back to life as usual. Janet's memorial service was yesterday afternoon. It was quite lovely (Naomi!). Close to 400 people showed up to pay their respects and say one last goodbye to their friend, mentor, teacher, aunt, sister-in-law, mother-in-law. We thank everyone who came and those who have sent flowers and cards. Seeing how many people were touched by Janet Julian has really been a remarkable thing. Now...back to normal life.

Normal? Will life ever be "normal" again? What is normal? I was getting ready this morning, back to the usual grind of what a Friday morning brings (volunteering at church, getting ready for work, etc.) and started thinking. I actually started feeling a little guilty. I'm just no near as upset and I think I should be, or thought I would be. Maybe I'm in "take care" mode and making sure that my husband and kids get through this and I'll grieve later. Maybe I'm in shock still and it just hasn't hit me yet. Or maybe, since I've been through this many times before, I've just turned myself off. My grandparents died when I was younger. Then I lost my mom and dad to cancer. Then my other grandparents. Then Steven and I had severe marital issues. I'm starting to think that, subconciously, I've just turned myself off so that I don't feel anything anymore because it just hurts too much. I just won't allow myself time to really think about it because I just can't stand all the pain that this life has brought. I know God never said it would be easy and there would be trials, but come on! Sometimes it seems more than I can take! Thankfully, God has gotten me through each hardship, as He promised. But I do think that I am a harder, more guarded person because of it. And I fear that my kids and my husband suffer the consequences of that.

But this is not about me. Steven still hasn't grieved the way I think he needs to. Being the good man that he is, he is concerned with getting back to work to provide for his family. He concerned about his dad, as we all are, and wants to take care of him too. I want to make sure they are both ok. I'm not quite sure how to do that except to be here. I will give hugs and listen when need be. That's all I can do. I pray that God gives me the strength and compassion to do that. I pray that Steven and Dave (Mark, Kent and Janna as well) will be comforted by the Holy Spirit and work through their grief. Someone asked me if you ever get over it. I had to tell them no. The pain of losing a parent or spouse never really goes away. You just learn to live with it. Lord, help us learn the best way to live with it.

Losing a Legend

2009-06-08T15:52:00.003-04:00

Janet Marshall Julian, loving wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and friend, passed away suddenly this morning. We are all in shock right now, but dealing well. God is good and comforting always. It helps to know that Janet is now with her Lord Jesus and partying with Him and her parents (and mine). That made my kids smile.

In this age of technology, word of her passing spread very quickly. The outpouring of love from friends and family all over the world via email, Facebook, etc has been tremendous. Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. Having taught for 30 years in this area, it's hard to find someone who DOESN'T know Janet and who HASN'T been touched by her. Just last night, while I was working at Gwinnett Stadium, I met a man whose son just graduated and had Janet as a teacher. I also have friends from my job at Perimeter Church who know her or have married people that were her students. (We always say the Julians are the center of the universe. Just about everyone knows them!) What a blessing to hear how Janet has touched so many lives.

For me, she was a mom. Having lost my mom to cancer 8 years ago, Janet was the only mother figure I had left. I am one of 4 daughters-in-law, but she always made me feel special. Not a visit went by that she didn't tell me that she knew she couldn't replace my mom, but wanted to be a mom to me. I appreciated that. It helped me through a lot of difficult times.

To my kids, she was Grammy. Giver of money for good report cards and player of Sorry Sliders or Mr. Mouth or Dominoes. They loved going to her house. They cried when I told them the news. Zach, my 5 (soon to be 6) year old was the most hurt. After many tears, he turned to me and said, "Now I only have one grandparent left." (Amazing how smart kids are!) Joshua has been concerned about Grandaddy, wanting to make sure he is ok. (He is so compassionate!) And Elijah, noticing my tears, asked me what was wrong. When I told him I was sad, he came over and hugged my leg and said, "I so sorry, Mommy. I so sorry." Their energy and joy have helped today.

Steven is with his dad working out details. There is always so much to do when a loved one dies. It's almost like your body turns on the auto pilot and you go into "get things done" mode. (I've been there twice.) The problem with it is....what happens after all the services are over, everyone has said their goodbyes and friends and family go back to their daily lives? I love my husband dearly and am saddened for him at the loss of his mother. But I hurt more for Dave and the loss of his life companion. They would have celebrated 50 years of marriage in August. After being with someone day in and day out for so long, how do you go on without them? I thought the same thing when my mom died. I just can't imagine. Losing a parent is VERY hard. But losing a spouse has got to be 100 times harder, at least. I tear up and get a knot in my throat just typing this out now. Please keep the entire Julian family in your prayers, but especially Dave.

Janet, we love you. We will miss you. We are glad that we know where you are and who you are with. We look forward to seeing you again someday soon. Thank you for raising 3 great sons and 1 great daughter. Thank you for being a fantastic grammy to my kids (and the 9 others). You will always hold a special place in our hearts!

Pool Day!

2009-05-31T20:46:00.002-04:00

No pictures, sorry. But what a fun day we had at the pool! The boys have been waiting anxiously since school got out. But, with all the rain and stuff, it hasn't been warm enough. Today was the PERFECT day to head out to the pool. Steven played in the water with Joshua and Zach while I played with Elijah on the side. He STILL does NOT like getting in the water. Plus, it was a bit cold for him anyway. His job was to throw back into the water whatever the other boys threw out. He loved it! Before we knew it, we had been there almost 3 hours!

Joshua has started his All-Star practices, 5 days/week. They had a scrimmage game on Saturday. He was the only pitcher on his to that DID NOT give up 5 runs! He gave up one and struck out the others. Way to go! He has to go back to the orthodontist this week to remove his spacers and get an expander. Then, in 2 weeks, braces. But only on his top 4 front teeth. Nothing major, at least not yet. We'll see when this is over.

Zach is still as happy-go-lucky as ever. He's pretty easy going. He likes to play with Joshua and Elijah and will pretty much take whichever one is available. If neither, he'll ask to go to the neighbor's house. That's cool with me. They have 3 little boys too, just the ages of Zach and Elijah. He actually misses school, but is enjoying being home.

Elijah has really become quite the Gwinnett Braves fan. (Hmm...I wonder why? :) He got a pack of their baseball cards and now, after going thru them MANY times, knows just about every one by heart. He COULD be their next announcer. He's quite good at it. This past week Steven and the boys got to come to their first G-Braves game. They loved it! So much so that they didn't want to leave their seats to come see Mommy at work or get a tour of the stadium! I guess I'll have to do that some other time BEFORE the game starts. I'm just glad they enjoyed it. Now they've done something I haven't yet...sat and watched a game! Maybe one day.

School Field Day

2009-05-15T13:35:00.009-04:00

The kids had Field Day at school recently. MUCH different from what I remember Field Day as, but they enjoyed it. Zach helped out a bunch in the tug-of-war.

And he loves to play Castle Ball. He's a pretty good shot too.

Joshua enjoyed playing on the inflatables.

They got to move around to different stations. Tug-of-war, inflatables, relay races, water balloon toss. It was a lot of fun!

And Elijah got to come with me and enjoy it too!

Zach - the next Pele???

2009-05-15T13:27:00.005-04:00

We had Zach try soccer this year because Tball, as much as he enjoys baseball, just wasn't holding his interest. He really seemed to enjoy soccer. He played their last game of the season this past week. He got a hat trick and ended up scoring about 9 goals this season. 4 in one game once. He says he can't wait to play again, this time with goalies! They recently had a party and got trophies. He was so excited! What a cutie!

Zach with some of his teammates at the party.

Look at Zach kicking that ball. He's a natural. Well....maybe not. But he sure had fun!

Joshua Julian - All Star and next pitching great!

2009-05-15T13:11:00.010-04:00

JOSHUA MADE THE ALL STAR TEAM THIS YEAR. WOO HOO!

Joshua plays a lot of 1st and 3rd base. He's not a great runner, but loves getting on base. And, this year, he had a 13 game hitting streak!

But his FAVORITE thing is pitching. He could be the next Jonathan Papelbon! Right now his team is in the middle of a tournament. They won on Wednesday. They play on Sunday for a chance to get into the Championship game.

The Next Greg Maddux???

2009-05-05T09:52:00.003-04:00

I am trying NOT to be the bragging mother, but I'm having a VERY hard time! Joshua (very nonchalantly) entered a Pitch, Hit, Run competition at the park. It was put on by the Athletic Assoc that runs his baseball league and headed up by his coach, Mike. Steven took him on Sunday to the competition. No one really thought anything of it.

He had to pitch 5 times and try to hit a certain target. Then he hit a ball off a tee to see how far he could hit it in the air. Then he was timed as to how fast he could run the bases. I know he can't run very fast. He can hit pretty well. But I know that (at least I think) he is a great pitcher. I didn't make a big deal out of it. When he and Steven came home, he told me that he tied for 1st place in his age group for the pitching part of the competition. I was floored! Wow! But, truthfully, as good as I think he is, I thought for sure someone would come up after him and would do better. NOPE! We were notified yesterday that he stayed tied for 1st place. That means that he gets to move up to the next level! He will compete on May 17 in Gainesville in all 3 categories again. He is so pumped! And so are we! IF (big IF) he wins that, he will go to another competition at Turner Field AND IF he wins that, he will go to St. Louis for the All-Star Game. Wow! I really don't expect him to get that far, but he certainly could! I can't even imagine! Could I have the next Greg Maddux on my hands?

I was listening to Don Sutton on the radio last night doing the Braves game. He said he started playing baseball at the age of 11 (Joshua started at 4 and loved it before then. He was just too young to play.) Don started as a shortstop. He said he couldn't run, hit or field. So the next year, at 12, he became a pitcher. He hasn't played another position since. And he played in the majors. If Joshua is good now, at 8, what will HE be like at 12? Could he REALLY be a major leaguer? Wow! I can't wrap my brain around that one. But wouldn't it be great!

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-04-20T15:20:00.002-04:00

I know this page looks better with pictures on it. But, honestly, I just haven't had the time to take any. Let alone upload them to the computer. So words will have to do for now.

The Julians are all alive and well and ready for summer! I started my new job with the Gwinnett Braves on Friday. It was crazy! And great! Working in baseball is like a dream come true. But I am learning that working and running a household can be quite exhausting. The Braves are on a 10 game homestand right now and I work EVERY game. I haven't seen much of the kids, or Steven, for the last few days. But that will change some in the summer when the kids are out of school and we are together during the day. The biggest challenge so far is finding someone to watch the boys for a few hours between the time I have to be at work and Steven gets home. But it's going well and I am enjoying it!

Joshua finally got to start playing baseball again this week. After all the rain, they are starting to play games and make ups of games. He had one Friday, Sat AND Sunday. They lost the first two, but won on Sunday. (I was able to make it to that one since the Braves had an afternoon game.) Joshua did great! He caught a pop up at first base, got a hit, drove in a run, scored a run. It was like old times! School is going well for him. He is very bright! His grade is doing testing this week, ugh! But only 1 more month of school left. Hard to believe he'll be in 3rd grade next year!

Zach is a delight, as always. He started playing soccer again this week. He gets better and better with every game! He had an assist on Sat and Sun and has started taking the ball away from the other team. (I told him it was ok to take it from them in sports. You are supposed to!) And he seems to be enjoying it. He went to a birthday party on Saturday at a roller skating rink. He's never been skating before. He started off a bit rocky, but ended up doing great. And, better yet, he LOVED it! He was determined to figure it out, and he did! In just 2 hours, he was almost an expert. "Mommy, can I have MY birthday party here?" I always enjoyed skating. Now we can go together. Maybe we can even teach his brothers...and his dad!

Elijah has only 2 weeks of school left. He is finally on letter Z (for Zach). (They have been doing 1 letter each week.) His favorite pasttimes are playing 5 monkeys jumping on the bed and helping me shop for groceries. Oh, and throwing his baseball cards all over whatever room they are in. His speech has improved dramatically. Even Steven can understand him now. And he's even been invited to his first friend birthday party. How sweet! He has stopped carrying around his "stuff" (or at least seems to) and will start potty training on May 1. I am determined to get that kid out of diapers. 9 years of non-stop diapers is long enough!

Steven's business is doing well, in spite of this economy. He keeps plugging away, doing what he knows needs to be done. God has been good to him in business and us as a family. We are very blessed. He has recently taken on the roll of Mr. Mom, at least in the evenings. With me working, he is doing a lot of dinners, baths, and bedtimes. I am grateful for his willingness to help in this way.

How are you? We would love to hear from you! Our email is julianfamily5@gmail.com. Drop us a note and keep in touch!

Misc ramblings

2009-04-01T15:30:00.004-04:00

I woke the boys up this morning all excited, yelling and screaming, that it was snowing and there would be no school today. They were SO happy and couldn't wait to look out the window to see. We ran over and opened up the blinds and....yelled "April Fools"! Yes, Steven and I played a trick on our kids. Shame on us! (But it sure was fun!)

Elijah has started carrying his "stuff" (as he calls it) around the house. It includes his blanket ("Blank"), his monkey, 2 Aflac ducks, a small dog from a McDonald's happy meal and his Spiderman slippers. Yes, he carries them, not wears them. It is very funny. He gathers them all in his arms and comes downstairs when he gets out of bed. He dumps them in the den, on the floor or the couch, and leaves them there until he goes to bed again. Heaven forbid anyone should touch his "stuff"! He will run at you and scream "NO!" Watch out. But it sure is cute to watch him try to carry it all.

I finally have pics of Zach playing soccer.

Spring is HERE!

2009-03-23T13:03:00.002-04:00

How wonderful to live in an area where there IS a spring! The temps are getting higher, the sun is shining more, and spring sports are here! Opening day for Major League Baseball is in 3 weeks and we couldn't be happier! Right now is March Madness and everyone, including Elijah, is watching their brackets to see who will win! I (Stacey) will start my new job with the Gwinnett Braves on April 17 and Zach and Joshua have started their seasons. That means that our weekends are busy and spent at Peachtree Ridge Park most of the time.

Zach had his 2nd soccer game EVER this past Saturday. He is SO funny to watch! He played 3 of the 4 quarters, running around the entire time. Not with or even really near the ball, but he was having a blast. However, he did manage to kick in his first goal ever. He loves the action and has a great time, even though he doesn't really know what he is doing. We enjoy watching him too. All the boys are 5 or 6 and very few have played before, so it's just a bunch of cute kids running around a ball. They don't keep score or anything. What energy!

After being rained out last weekend, Joshua started his 3rd season on baseball this past Friday as well. He started off playing 1st base and did great! He knows how to get runners out and back up the catcher when need be. He also got his first chance at pitching in the first game of the season. He was ready! We knew beforehand so we had been warming him up all week. He had a few walks and they lost the game, but he's getting his groove back. They had another game on Saturday. Unexpectedly, he pitched again! This time he got 2 strikeouts! Then, on Sunday, he played some first and shortstop. He went 1 for 2 with an RBI. He also got 2 big outs in the bottom of the 4th inning that helped them win their first game! For this, he got one of the game balls. He was SO excited! He has loved baseball and wanted to play since he was 2. It's like a dream come true for him.

Sports isn't the only thing that the older boys are excelling at, though. They both brought home their report cards this week and they were great! Zach got almost all E's with 1 or 2 S's and Joshua brought home STRAIGHT A's! He made the honor roll of excellence, or whatever they call it. He's always been an A/B student, but this is his first time with all A's. We are so proud of both of them. They are learning so much!

Elijah is still Elijah. He gets dragged to the park quite a bit for games and practices. He enjoys making friends at the park and playing on the playground. He spends his days with me at work at the church or grocery shopping. We have a great time together. I'm trying to enjoy it before he is off to school as well. He is so cute! He wants to know everyone's name and then introduces himself and me (as Mommy). He is also Zach and Joshua's biggest cheering section. He loves to encourage his brothers!

Steven is still chugging along, doing quite well considering the market and economy. God continues to be good to us and bless us beyond measure. As I said before, I will start working for the Gwinnett Braves on April 17, opening day. I have a few trainings before that. I am so excited to be part of baseball and this team in particular. Just being at the park almost everyday is going to be fun! If you are nearby, grab some tickets and come see me! I'll be there every game!

Zach's FIRST soccer game!

2009-03-10T16:19:00.004-04:00

This is precious! Zach had his FIRST soccer game EVER this past Saturday. He decided, with some prodding from his parents, to give soccer a try instead of Tball this spring. (A bit more action). He had only ONE practice before this game. (The other was snowed out, if you can believe that!) The clip is about 5 minutes long. Zach is the cute blonde, #99. Steven is doing the yelling and commentating. The other sweet, angelic voice you hear is Elijah's. He is mimicking Daddy. I, ashamedly, missed this momentous occasion. I was on a retreat with some friends. Please keep in mind that he has NEVER played soccer before...EVER. But he says he sure had a lot of fun. Isn't that what it's all about?

Elijah Reads to Mommy

2009-02-16T15:22:00.003-05:00

Elijah's favorite story to read at bedtime lately is "Whacky Jack". It is a story about a raccoon boy and his dad playing baseball (of course) outside. Jack can't catch or hit and just keeps getting whacked on the nose by the ball. But the dad encourages him to keep trying and he will become a champ. One day when Jack and his dad go play baseball outside, Jack actually catches the ball! Then he gets a hit! Dad tells Jack that he knew Jack could do it and, for whacking the ball, would call him Whacky Jack from now on.

We have read it so much that Elijah has memorized it. Now he reads it to me and Steven. I managed to catch SOME of it on video. Very cute!

School Parties

2009-02-13T13:48:00.007-05:00

Steven and I were both able to go to the kids' school and attend their parties. It was a lot of fun! I think the kids were glad we came too.

First, we went to Zach's Kindergarten class. It was also pajama day, so everyone had on their pjs. That was fun to see. It was also great to see how Zach interacts with other kids in his class as well as his teachers.

When we got there, they were having story time. They each have a spot on the carpet where they sit. Zach is constantly updating me on who he sits next to.

Then they got to decorate cookies. It was a lot of fun. And yummy too! Zach got to eat some, and so did Elijah.

Then we got to go to Joshua's 2nd grade class. Here, Joshua is sharing his snacks with Elijah. He liked that!

This is Joshua with his best friend, Tobi. According to his teacher, Joshua and Tobi are inseperable. They play together and get in trouble together.

Joshua also had a small part in a little play that they put on at the beginning of the party. He was boy #6, I believe. It was cute!

Elijah's 3rd Birthday

2009-02-13T13:35:00.006-05:00

Elijah celebrates his 3rd birthday with a Transformers cake. His cousins, Shayne and Sherrie, Aunt Garalyn, and Grammy and Grandaddy have come to celebrate with him.

We took him and his brothers to Chuck E. Cheese's. We had some pizza and played his favorite games. He LOVES Mario racing!

He also likes skeeball. However, he can't seem to roll the ball hard enough to get it over the lip. Mommy has to help him.

Lately, he has really gotten in to Deal or No Deal. He doesn't pay attention to what he's doing. He just really likes pusing the number buttons and saying "No Deal".

I can't believe Elijah is 3 years old! He is so smart! He knows his ABCs and colors. He can count too, at least up to 26. However, he can't do 2 or 3 with his fingers yet. He also isn't potty trained and doesn't want to be. I have offered him 2 M&Ms if he will sit on the potty. But he just yells NO! He is going to be a toughie!

Christmas

2009-01-07T10:12:00.002-05:00

Christmas marks that we have been back in Georgia for a year now. Hard to believe that it has been a year already. We are enjoying being near family and the warmer weather.
Unfortunately, this Christmas was tarnished a bit by the death of my grandmother, Erma "Money" Hall. She died just a week or so before. Glad we were here so we could go to the funeral. She was 93 and lived a long, happy life. We miss you, Money!

This year was also a bit strange because, for the first time EVER, Steven's parents were not here on Christmas Day, so we didn't go to their house. They took a trip up to Maryland to be with Steven's sister and her family for Christmas. For the first time in my life, while living in GA, we didn't have anywhere to go on Christmas Day. But Steven's brother had mercy on us and invited us over for dinner. So we got to enjoy a nice, leisurely morning with the kids, opening presents and playing with new toys. It was a blast! I'll post some pictures soon!

The Kindergarten Thanksgiving Play

2008-12-04T14:01:00.003-05:00

Kindergarteners are SO cute! That's the age when they still do sweet things at school for holidays. Zach's class did a Thanksgiving play that Steven and Elijah and I were able to attend. As you will see, Zach is the Town Cryer. His teacher said she gave him that part because she knew he would be loud and would not get stage fright during the performance. He is definitely my child! I just wanted to share the short 4 minute video of the play with you. Hope you enjoy it!

Co Champions!!!!!

2008-11-03T11:51:00.002-05:00

2008 PRYAA Pee Wee Co Champion D'backs!

Well, after not winning too many games during the actual season, Joshua's Pee Wee team came back something fierce in the tournament. It was double elimination. They won the first game, then the next. Before they knew it, they found themselves in the championship game against the 1 loss Yankee team. With Joshua pitching (very proud to say that!) and some good hitting to back him up, our D'backs pummeled the Yankees 17-5! The game went 5 innings and lasted about 2 1/2 hours.

However, because that was only the Yankee's first loss in a double elimination tournament, we were going to have to play them AGAIN, right after the first game! We all agreed that we didn't want to do that. Too long for us and the kids. I know they were exhausted! So the coaches agreed to be called Co-Champs and leave it at that. (Secretly I think the Yankees coach knew that they couldn't beat us, so they made a compromise. But that's ok. Joshua was pumped!)

So everyone got another trophy. Exciting! We took Joshua out to his choice of restaurants...McDonald's. I am so proud of him for sticking with it and being a good sport. It was a great team and a great season. Now we'll just wait until Spring!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T08:56:00.003-05:00

The kids were so ready for Halloween. They have had their costumes for over a month, using them to play in. Now it was finally time to put them on and accomplish their one major goal...GET CANDY!

First, we went to a neighborhood Halloween party. They had pizza and cookies and games. It was a lot of fun. We got to spend time with our neighbors and meet some that we didn't know.

This is the pile afterwards...and this is just Elijah's. Steven took the kids out while I stayed home and handed out the candy. I thought I would be pretty busy considering all the kids in our neighborhood. However, they were either doing other things or came in big groups because I only answered the door about 4 or 5 times. But those kids got lots of candy from me! I don't need to have any left over!

Steven brought Zach and Eljah back early. They were done. Then he and Joshua went out to a few more houses. Of course, when everyone got back, we had a candy feast! Yum!

Steven's New Office

2008-10-27T17:21:00.006-04:00

This is Steven, Financial Advisor, and his new Branch Office Administrator, Mary Ann, in front of Steven's new office on Satellite Blvd in Suwanee. Yea! Steven has been working out of someone else's office (sort of like a mentor) for the last year since he's been here. He finally got to the point where they gave him his own office. It's really nice. And the BEST part is....it's only 2 miles from our house! His commute to work and back consists of a left turn out of our neighborhood and a left turn onto Satellite. That's it!

He moved in on Monday, October 20, 2008 open for business. Here he is working hard his first day in his office. Trying to get everything set up and organized was a bit of a chore, but well worth it. Having his own office is great! And his BOA is very nice!

Steven is hard at work on the phone with clients and home office people trying to get everything smooth and running. Elijah and I went over and helped him set up a few things. Then we took Joshua and Zach over there after school so they could see. After a long day, we all took him out to dinner at Chili's. It was a nice time. (Except that Chili's doesn't serve their Awesome Blossom anymore. What's up with that?)

This is Elijah checking out Daddy's office. He enjoyed running around and making a lot of noise. Since "Daddy's office" is right down the street, it's on our way to the grocery store and many other places that we frequent. So we wave and say "hi" and "bye" to Daddy every time we pass it.

We are so very proud of Steven! He has worked very hard to get to this point. God has truly blessed him and us as a family. Steven loves his job, enjoys being with and helping people, and is pretty much his own boss. He's been looking forward to this for a long time...he just didn't know it until it got here. God is good...ALL the time!

Elijah's First MAJOR Boo Boo

2008-10-26T19:02:00.003-04:00

This is it. You can't see it too well because his hair is covering it up. But, yes, Elijah had to have about 5 stitches in the back of his head. He didn't want me to photograph it, so Steven tried to distract him while I took a picture of it. This is the best I got. Here's the story.

We were at Joshua's baseball game yesterday. Elijah was playing in the scorer's tower with Zach, which he has done MANY times, before the start of the game. (The scorer's tower is made of metal with a jagged floor to help get dirt of people's shoes so it doesn't get too dirty up there.) Elijah was sitting on the bench trying to get out when he fell flat backwards onto the floor of the tower. Obviously, he started crying and I ran over to him as quickly as I could. I just held him and rocked him saying, "You're ok. You're ok." Then I pulled him away from me to look at it and discovered blood. That's when I said, "No you're not!"

We ran to the bathroom where I tried to wipe off his head and see just how bad it was. (It was about a year ago that Zach had cut his head open in Montana. I'm getting good at this!) He was screaming hysterically and didn't want me to touch it. People were offering me paper towels and ice and everything. They were really trying to help. That's when I remembered that one of the dad's was a doctor. So I took Elijah back out and got Rick to come look at him.

After washing some of the blood out of his hair, Rick agreed that he would need stitches. So, since Steven wasn't there yet (he had a meeting in Athens that morning), I left Zach with the other baseball parents and took Elijah to an Urgent Care center down the street. He DID NOT want to go. He started screaming, "Mommy, no doctor. No doctor. Go home!"

We got in to see the doctor and agreed that sedating Elijah would be the best course of action so as to make it easier to stitch up his head. So, they gave him a shot in the buttocks, which he DID NOT like, and we waited for him to be out of it. This was probably the worst part. Watching his eyes cloud over while he is screaming at me. I am trying to smile through all my tears and tell him that it's ok and I love him.

After fighting a bit, he gave in to the sedative. The doctor numbed his head and started stitching. Elijah wasn't completely out and didn't like someone touching his head so he started to fight. Then the nurse had to help hold his head while he screamed. All this while he was laying on my chest. It was AWFUL!

Thankfully, he is ok now. We'll get the stitches out in about 5 days. He was a bit wobbly on his feet all day yesterday from the sedative. I kept thinking he was going to hurt himself again. And he crashed hard when he finally went to bed. I would go in every now and then and poke him and check to see if he was breathing. Especially when he slept in so long this morning. But he spent all day at the ball field again today and was fine. And yes, he wanted to get back in the scorer's tower. I, of course, told him, "No way!"

If you ask him, he'll tell you that he bonked his head and has a boo boo on his head. He's a trooper! Thank God it wasn't any worse!

Proud Mom

2008-10-11T14:26:00.002-04:00

Well, we just got home from a morning of baseball...again. That has been the way it is this Fall with both Joshua and Zach playing. Elijah, sweet thing, has been dragged from one field to the next and doesn't complain...very much.

But today was a special day at the ball field. Zach had a game at 9:30, one of his last games of the season. He loves the game of baseball and has been improving his playing all year. He's been playing outfield because sometimes he has trouble paying attention. But today, and yesterday, he got to play 2nd base. Last night and today he was able to field a ball and throw it in. I was so proud. But more than that, Zach hasn't needed to use a Tee in the last 2 games. (In Tball, the coaches throw 3 pitches. If the batter doesn't hit one, then they hit off the tee.) That means that Zach has hit off pitches his last several times at bat! He got an RBI last night and the game ball! It was awesome to see! He has gotten SO much better!

Today Joshua had his first tournament game, double elimination. For the tournament, it is entirely kid pitched. His coach told us that, to help ensure a win so they could play again, they would put their best pitcher out there first. Well (pride welling up inside), Joshua pitched the first 2 innings! He did great! He got 4 strike outs and had an RBI single. He has improved as well and, I must say, is the best pitcher on the team right now. They won today 3-2 so they get to play in the winner's bracket next week.

I am so proud of both of my baseball boys! But I should also say that I am very proud of Elijah for going to all these games, sometimes back to back, and not fussing about it. His day will come too, I'm sure. Today, I am one very proud mom!

Joshua, the Ace

2008-09-29T09:14:00.002-04:00

On Friday night, September 26, Joshua and his team won their first game 9-5! Not only did they win, but Joshua went 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. He ALSO pitched both innings and struck out 6 batters! (In Pee Wee, the first 2 innings are pitched by a machine, and then kids pitch the last 2 innings.) He was the winning pitcher!

And, to top it all off, we got to meet Andruw Jones! He was there watching his son play Tball, the game before Joshua's. He was just sitting there. I freaked! I'm so glad I recognized him. After his son's game, all the kids went up to him and got his autograph. So I met him and shook his hand and got 2 autographed baseballs. It was a great night!

Zach also had a game that night. He did really well. He's learning to hit and field. His favorite part of the game is talking though. He'll talk to whoever is next to him whether he's in the field or on base. We think he might try soccer in the spring.

Braves Game Sept 21, 2008

2008-09-26T14:39:00.007-04:00

Joshua wanted to go to a Braves game for his 8th birthday. So , we did! You didn't have to twist our arms! We ended up going to the last home game of the season vs. the Mets. We won. Yay! We were very excited to discover that there would be an alumni meet and greet before the game. That is when they have former Braves players signing autographs at the stadium. Well, it just so happened that, on this day, the alumni were Bob Horner and Gene Garber. Maybe that doesn't mean much to some people reading this. But to others, you understand it's a big deal. Bob Horner is Steven's absolute favorite Braves player of all time. And Gene Garber was my absolute favorite pitcher growing up. (My sister's too. And that is saying a lot because she's never really been a big baseball fan.)

We weren't able to meet them face to face because, by the time we got there, they had cut off the autograph line. However, after Steven stated his complaint to Guest Relations, they brought us a few autographed items later. But we did get to participate in a question/answer session with them. Steven got to ask Bob and Gene a question. So Steven was talking to his boyhood hero. And, we met Gene Garber's wife and talked to her for a bit. It was great!

Then we headed to the field to watch the Mets warm up. We didn't get any fly balls, but it wasn't for lack of trying. You'd think they would throw some balls to my adorable children. But it appears as though the sexy girls win out.

The game was great! We won and very much enjoyed watching it. Afterward, for Fan Appreciation Weekend, there was a free Travis Tritt concert. Those of you who know me and my family know that I like country music....Steven does NOT. The kids couldn't really care less. They know who Garth Brooks is, but that's about it. But Steven knew that it would mean a lot to me, so we stayed. Travis Tritt was one of my dad's favorite country artists. "Here's a Quarter" was one of his favorite songs. So we stayed long enough to hear Travis sing that and "Anymore", which was one of my mom's favorites. Then we had to go. By then we had been at the stadium for about 8 hours.

As you can see, Elijah didn't really care for the music. With not having a nap, he zonked out right as the concert began. Zach fell asleep also on Steven's lap. It was a hoot! But some very nice snuggle time. They woke up in time for us to head home. It was a great family day!

Joshua turns 8! Can you believe it?!

2008-09-15T13:52:00.007-04:00

I sure can't. He's still my first born, but no longer my baby. Joshua is now 8 years old and in 2nd grade. On his birthday, we watched some video of him as a baby. (I have several tapes of it, seeing as he is the first and all. Probably have nothing of Elijah. Sorry!) I can't believe how time flies! He was such a precious baby! Who has now turned into a very handsome young man. So much so, that he has girls chasing him at school. Yes, I was somewhat unprepared for that to happen so early. But we can deal with it. He still isn't interested. Thanks goodness!

Next week we are going to the Braves game. That is what Joshua wanted to do for his birthday. But we also wanted him to be able to spend some time with friends. So, we had a small party for him. He invited 3-4 friends who came over and played games and had cake and ice cream. It was a lot of fun.

Even Elijah and Zach got in on the fun.

It's just hard to believe that he is growing up so fast. He is using words that most 2nd graders don't even know. (Don't worry, not curse words!) He is so intelligent and so versed in baseball. After all these years, he is still immersed in baseball cards and want to be a major leaguer when he grows up. We are trying to help him achieve that dream as much as we can. We love him very much and consider ourselves blessed to be his parents!

Fall Baseball - Zach's first game ever!

2008-09-08T13:52:00.012-04:00

Well, it finally happened! After watching Joshua play Tball/Baseball for 4 years, Zach finally got his turn! We signed the boys up for Fall ball this year so Zach could play and Joshua could get some practice. Zach got an actual uniform! He was so excited that he wanted to put it on as soon as he brought it home from practice. It was so cute! He looks great in it!

We got him an equipment bag, glove, bat and helmet...just like Joshua has. He is so pumped! His first game was this past Friday. As you can see, he's very happy to be there. There are quite a few kids on his team, so he only got in one at bat during the game. Here he is waiting in the dugout and then on deck.

In this Tball lleague, the coach throws 3 pitches to give the kids a chance to hit the ball. If they don't hit a pitch, then they get to hit off the T. Zach got his first hit ever in his first game ever off of one of the pitches! He ran to first base! It was precious!

Then it was Joshua's turn. He was very ready to get back out on the field. With fewer kids playing in the fall league, he's hoping to pitch, play first base, and even try catching!

He did great! He did get to pitch, catch, play first and shortstop. And, he got a hit on his first at bat!

It was a VERY busy weekend. Friday night, Zach had a game in Duluth at 6 and Joshua had a game in Suwanee at 7:30. We were at it again on Saturday morning with Zach's game at 9:30. We came home for about an hour and went back out for Joshua's game at 12:30. Poor Elijah! He is just getting dragged from park to park. But he found a way to pass the time. Just give him a ball! After all, he's my son!

And Joshua got to keep score for one of Zach's games. He loved that!

Elijah likes to dance!

2008-08-26T19:36:00.003-04:00

We have recently learned that Elijah likes to dance. He has learned to turn on the stereo in our living room. The first CD in there is Family Force 5, one of Joshua's favorites. Elijah has learned some of the words and asks several times per day if he can go turn it on. This is the result. Enjoy!

Elijah gets a haircut

2008-08-25T16:17:00.004-04:00

Today was very eventful...but not fun. I had to take Elijah for a haircut today. Normally, that wouldn't sound like too big of a deal. It wasn't for my other two boys. However, Elijah is a COMPLETELY different story. He DOES NOT like to get his hair cut. He doesn't just not like it, HE HATES IT! I had been putting it off for about a week because I knew what would be in store for me. But today I decided to weather the storm and take him in. His hair was getting very unruly! Boy, did I get more than I bargained for!

He was fine when we got there. He walked in and started doing puzzles. (We go to one of those special kid haircut places with screens and computer games and stuff. I don't like it, but thought it would help.) He enjoyed the puzzles for several minutes and was having a great time. Then the stylist called his name. It was at this time that Elijah headed to the door saying, "Mommy, time to go!" I had to pick him up and put him in the chair. That is when he started screaming...and he never stopped.

We ended up having to strap him into the chair. Never had to do that before. The stylist tried blowing bubbles at him. (He loves bubbles.) But that just made him scream louder. She turned on the movie for him, but he would have none of it. I tried doing a puzzle with him, but that didn't cut it either. He just continued to scream, cry, and drool himself into a massive sweat. Not to mention that he wouldn't wear the apron, so he's getting hair all over himself...and me!

It ended up being the loudest 15-20 minutes of my life. At one point, one stylist was holding his head, I was holding his hands with mine and had my leg over his legs while the other stylist tried cutting his hair. Him screaming bloody murder the ENTIRE time. It was so unpleasant that I started crying. What kind of mother am I that I would expose my son to such turmoil for a silly haircut? I felt so bad for him...but I knew it needed to be done. He's going to have to get used to having his hair cut. There is no way around it...unless he decides to live as Samson.

Anyway, it was finally over. He got a sucker and a prize, even though he wasn't good, just for good measure. It took me quite some time to get all the hair off of him and me so that we could go to the grocery store. Very difficult task because he had been screaming so hard he was sweating and all the hair was sticking to him. It was all over his clothes, his hands, his face, and in his mouth! Yuck! I did my best. I snuggled him to calm him down, thanked the lady and gave her a tip and we were on our way. The noise level in the shop just went down several decibels! What a nightmare!

The worst part is...I don't really like his haircut. I just don't like the way it looks. Not that I blame the stylist AT ALL! She did what she could with what she had to work with. I commend her for even continuing. I'm sure some stylists would have just said, "Forget it! I'm not doing this!" But at least his hair is cut. He looks kind of like Zach now. Not what I had planned, but better than nothing. Here is the end result:

Ho Hum

2008-08-24T08:03:00.002-04:00

Well, not much going on lately.
We found out this past Thursday that Zach and Joshua would be starting Tball and Baseball on Saturday. So we are now starting the whirlwind of taking 2 kids to 2 different practices and games. What will happen when Elijah gets thrown into the mix????

It was so cute to watch Zach at practice. This will be his first year playing Tball. He's been patiently watching Joshua for 4 years now. It's his turn. He did very well. And talked through the entire practice. Just about whatever. I heard him talking about Pokemon things, 1995 Braves...you name it. He is very animated. He did pretty well too. Zach has very good hand-eye coordination, so he can hit the ball well. But he's never been as focused as Joshua. So he has trouble paying attention and really getting into the game. But I just LOVED watching him out there fielding balls, catching at first base, and running the bases. He had a great time!

Joshua is excited about playing baseball again this fall. The Children's pastor from the church we attend is his coach and his youngest son is on the team. So Joshua already knows someone. He likes that. He's very ready to start up again. But, as I've been told, fall ball is more fun and instructional than it is competitive (like in the spring) so hopefully it will be a bit more laid back.

I didn't take the camera to the practices because the weather was yucky and I had all 3 kids because Steven was working. I'll try to next time and post some pics of them playing. It's really adorable!

School is going well. Both are doing great and enjoying it. Elijah and I are learning how to be at home together with no big brothers to distract or entertain. We takes turns doing things. We'll run errands for me and then play or watch something for him. We just switch off. We'll start working in September, so that will take up 3 mornings per week.

In memory of Gary Wesley Hall aka Daddy

2008-08-14T14:38:00.003-04:00

This is my Daddy. Today would have been his 65th birthday. Unfortunately, he didn't live to see it. My dad died 4 years ago of lung cancer. I miss him terribly. He was a strong, quiet man with conviction. I didn't really get to know him very well until after my mom died and he was forced to be the one talking. We had 3 years together without mama before he died. I wouldn't trade it for anything. (I often wondered why my mom had to die first, if at all. Now I know. I never would have known my dad as well if he had died first.)

Today I am missing him. He was always there for me and my family. And one of the things that I hate most is that my kids don't know him (or my mom). Joshua has a few memories of him . Joshua was 3 1/2 when he died. Zach was almost 1 so he only knows what I tell him about Grandad. Elijah only knows the pictures. And that he just learned recently. I think my dad would have LOVED being around while my boys grew up. And I know they would have LOVED him. He was a big teddy bear. He would do anything and everything for them. I truly feel as though my kids are missing out. But I tell them all that I can about him. He was a very special man...and the best Daddy anyone could ever wish for. I rest now, 4 years after his death, in knowing that he is with Jesus and my mom. He is not missing her. He is not wondering what to do with his life. He is not in anymore pain. He is free. He is happy. He is in heaven.

I love you and miss you Daddy! Happy Birthday!

Elijah says "Naomi"

2008-08-12T19:29:00.005-04:00

First Day of School

2008-08-12T14:28:00.002-04:00

Yes, it finally came. Were we ready?? I think so. Joshua got a little nervous the night before, as he usually does with new things. But he was just fine when I dropped him and Zach off at school yesterday. Zach, excited to be starting, looked a bit lost. Thankfully, Joshua helped him and made sure he got to his classroom. What a great big brother!

And yes, I cried after I dropped them off. There goes my Zach. Never again will I have him at home, all to myself. He's growing up, just like Joshua. Now he has larger chunks of his day that I am not a part of. I will only know what they experience IF they decide to tell me. I'm just used to knowing everything they are involved in. But that is part of parenting and letting your children grow up. I realize that they need me less and less each day, and I am trying to teach them that. But I don't like to think of it that way.

Both boys had a great time their first day. Both said their teachers were nice. Both met some new people in their classes. And both rode the bus home. I took video of them getting off the bus. I'll post it when I get the chance. Elijah and I missed them, but we had fun together, just me and him again. I'll start working next month, so there won't be very many days of that. I am trying to enjoy it now.

So, now I am the mother of 2 elementary school students. It hardly seems possible. Zach and Joshua are getting so big. They are growing so fast and learning so much. And they are such a delight and joy to be with. I only wish my parents could have lived to see this day....and many others......

Family Fun

2008-08-10T07:58:00.002-04:00

Well, I forgot to take my camera, so there are no pictures. But we went to my Aunt's house yesterday for a summer pool party. We've been doing that for years! It started out as a July birthday party because so many people in my family, on my mom's side, have birthdays in July. Now it's more just a time to get together. It's fun! I only see them about once or twice a year. I really enjoy getting caught up. Without my mom to tell me what is going on with everyone, I have to do it.
The kids really enjoyed it as well. Joshua was jumping off the diving board the ENTIRE time! Steven ended up being the quarterback for the day, throwing the football in at the boys who were jumping off, trying to see who could catch it in the air and hang on to it once they hit the water. Zach even jumped off the diving board...with his Spiderman ring, of course. And, yes, I got Elijah in the pool! He pitched a fit about putting on his bathing suit and then screamed bloody murder when we first got in the pool, but then he came around. He even let Steven hold him in the water. That has NEVER happened before! But Elijah soon grew tired of it and wanted to get out and change his clothes. He had worn the only shirt we had into the water. The only other shirt we had was a Cars shirt that he has, thus far, REFUSED to wear. Sure enough, he screamed when I put it on him. He tugged and pulled at it for a good 10 minutes once he had it on stating he wanted it off. But, sure enough, he forgot about it after a while and wore it for the rest of the day. Sometimes you just have to endure a little bit of fuss to get the result you want...and to show the kids who is boss. It's me...not them.

But, anyway, it was great to get caught up with my cousins and their kids and my aunts and uncles. They are such great people! I only wish my parents had lived long enough to enjoy these outings more and see my kids and my sister's kids. They would have loved that!

Another great thing was that Steven and I finally got to go see the new X Files movie on Friday. We were HUGE fans of the show when it was on. (Just ask our church in Virginia!) But we've been having trouble finding a babysitter. So, my sister came over Friday after work with her kids and watch them all while Steven and I went out to the movie. Then she spent the night and went with us to my aunt's for the party. It was great to have that time with Steven. I forgot how important it is. We get so wrapped up in work and kids and just daily life that we don't stop to take time for each other. I'm glad we did. We had appetizers and drinks (yes, drinks) at Outback and then went to the movie. It was great! Nothing spectacular, but perfect for the avid X Files fans that we are. We loved it!

It was also great to spend some time with my sister. She lives in the area, but on the other side. It takes about an hour to get to her house from mine. So we don't see each other all that often. We talk on the phone, but usually while she's working. So it was nice to have some time with her and her kids.

And now, my kids start school tomorrow. I'm very nervous. Not so much for Joshua, he's used to it. But Zach will be starting Kindergarten. He is almost a full year younger than Joshua was when he started. So Zach seems so young! I'm just worried about him. I know he'll be fine. God will take care of him, along with his older brother and all the teachers at the school. But I can't help feeling sad about it. I know I'll cry after I drop them off. And they are riding the bus home. My little 5 year old on the bus! I would NEVER have done that unless he had a big brother on there with him! Please just pray that I make it through tomorrow. I know the kids will have a great time! But it will take some getting used to for me.

Joshua first roller coaster ride

2008-08-04T17:18:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's true. I never thought I would say it about Joshua, my extremely cautious first born, but he LOVES roller coasters! Steven was able to take him to Six Flags this past weekend. (Joshua got a free ticket through a reading program at school.) THEY HAD A BLAST! I truly thought that they would stand in line and then, at the last minute, Joshua would change his mind. That's just the way he is sometimes. Boy was I wrong! (And I'm glad!) He ended up riding the Dahlonega Mine Train, Wile E Coyote, bumper cars, Scream Machine, Georgia Cyclone AND the Mind Bender (it goes upside down). I couldn't believe it! I am so proud of Joshua! Before they left, he told me he didn't want to ride anything that went upside down. So, when they called me from the line of the Mind Bender, I said, "Put your father on the phone." Joshua looked at Steven and said, "I think we're in trouble." Apparently Joshua had been watching and wanted to try it. So they did...and he loved it! I'm so glad. I love roller coasters too. At least I used to. It's been a while and I've gotten older. Not sure how I would do now. Anyway, I am very proud of him for doing that. And I'm glad that he and Steven got some time together.

Meanwhile, Zach, Elijah and I went to the pool and swam. Elijah screamed a bit in the beginning, but not near as much as last time. By the end, he was jumping in to me off the side. It was a lot of fun. Then we just hung out and played GameCube. It was good for us.

Just an update

2008-07-31T15:39:00.002-04:00

Not much is going on these days. The kids will be back in school in just over a week. Though I am not glad to "get rid of them", it is obvious that the summer has started to take its toll on all of us in being together so much. We could all use some space. Joshua is looking forward to seeing his friends at school again and meeting new ones on the bus in our new neighborhood. Zach is looking forward to starting Kindergarten, riding a bus and being in the same school as Joshua. Elijah, I think, is looking forward to time with just he and Mommy. I am looking forward to less refereeing of arguments, less noise and more structure. I enjoy my kids a bunch. But everyone needs time away.

On a sadder note, Steven's grandmother (Bambi) went to be with Jesus last week. It was a long week. We received a call on a Friday that she was in the nursing home and unresponsive. She was taken to the hospital, but her vitals were good so they sent her back to the home. However, she wasn't communicating, moving or eating. Therefore, Hospice was called in to take over. She passed away the following Tuesday or Wednesday night. Steven's mom seems to be handling it well, considering she is still recovering from surgery. At least we know where Grandma is, as Pastor Steve said, with her 2 great loves.

So, we are taking advantage of the "tax free" shopping days by getting the kids some new clothes for school and trying to squeeze in some activities before the big day: Six Flags, Laser Show at Stone Mountain, Falcons scrimmage game. It should be a fun last week!

Our House - A Pictorial Tour

2008-07-26T08:53:00.018-04:00

Some people asked for more pictures of our house. These aren't great quality, but it gives an idea. I hope this helps. Maybe you'll just have to come and visit sometime!

Foyer, as you come in the front door. The dining room is to the right, the living room is to the left, and the family room s straight back. Up stairs to the left is the master and to the right is the hall and kids' rooms.

Living room with french doors (taken from foyer). To the immediate left after coming in the front door.

Dining room (taken from foyer). It's to the immediate right when you come in the front door, right next to the stairs.

Family room (taken from foyer). To the right is the kitchen. That is the sunroom in the back.

Fireplace in familyl room, taken from kitchen. To the right is the sunroom, leads to patio. To the left is the foyer.

Kitchen, taken from dining room. There is an island in the middle and a built in desk to the left.

Kitchen (taken from eating area right next to door to patio.)

Master bedroom with trey ceiling and new furniture (finally!).

Master bath (tub). To the left is the shower and master closet. To the right is the toilet. Behind, on both sides of the door, is the double vanity.

The boys' bathroom at the top of the stairs.

Zach's "super hero" room. The bottom is painted green with a comic book cover border around the middle. The poster hanging there is the whole group of Marvel super heroes. He also has a Spiderman ceiling fan.

Elijah's "airplane" room. Wallies of airplanes all over the wall. Beneath the chair rail on two walls is painted with chalkboard paint so he can draw on the walls.

Joshua's "Baseball" room. The penants of stadiums we've been to create a border around the top of the room. Lots of baseball paraphenalia and a baseball ceiling fan.

Hallway upstairs taken from Joshua's room. To the immediate left is a large linen closet. To the right is the laundry room.

This is the glass patio taken from the kitchen door.

This is the glass patio taken from the backyard. It has a heated tile floor. There is a door on the left going into the kitchen and a door straight ahead going into the sunroom.

This is the back yard as taken from the end of the driveway. To the left there is the glass patio. Our yard extends up to the right into the woods.

Zach's first trip to the dentist

2008-07-23T13:21:00.002-04:00

He did great! No, I didn't get pictures of it. I was really afraid that he would be afraid. But, so far, Zach has been the one who will tackle just about anything. When I told him he was going to the dentist, he didn't even ask about it. He just said ok. They only had 24 hours notice too. I was (am) so proud of him.
Of course, he talked the hygeinist's ear off when she wasn't looking in his mouth. But he did everything she asked when she asked him and didn't cry or complain at all. She was very caring and considerate of this being Zach's first trip. Her attitude helped a lot too. The funniest part was that Zach is too small for the chair, so he had to scoot up really far to get his head on the pillow part. He kept sliding down too. But he was so good that he got a new Power Rangers toothbrush (that he wanted to open AS SOON as we got home), some floss and a little tube of toothpaste. He even got to pick something out of the "Treasure Box". He chose a Hulk tattoo. (We put it on right away, but it's already gone.)

Joshua went to the dentist too. Obviously not his first time, but he was a bit nervous. Joshua is like me in that the anticipation of things about to happen makes him anxious, but he does ok once he gets there. He was a bit tense at first. You could see it when he opened his mouth. All the wrinkles on his forehead, his hand gripping the chair, his legs tightly crossed. I knelt next to him and held his hand. After a few minutes, he loosened up a bit. He did great too. We got to see an Xray of his mouth. We could see his permanent teeth under his gums just waiting to push the baby teeth out. We could even see his 12 year molars just sitting there waiting their turn. It was cool. Joshua also got to pick out of the treasure box. He chose a yo-yo.

From the dentist's office, I got 2 carnations and gave them to my dear friend Tiina who watched Elijah during this almost 3 hour jaunt to the dentist. She very kindly allowed him to intrude on her day with some other friends. At first, Elijah was hesitant to be dropped off without his brothers. But once Tiina pulled out the puzzles, it was "bye mommy!" He did great for her too.

So Mom (me) took all 3 boys to the infamous dollar store and got them each a toy for being so good. Joshua got some more little green army men to add to his brigade, Zach got a grim reaper sort of ax, and Elijah got a ball (big shock!). I am very proud of all 3 of my boys. God has truly blessed me with fabulous children!

Elijah and the Pool!

2008-07-20T08:35:00.002-04:00

WE FINALLY GOT ELIJAH IN THE POOL!!!!!!!

It sounds ridiculous, I know. But we have been trying for over a year to get Elijah in the pool, with no success. He was fine as a baby in Bozeman. We would take him to the Hot Springs and he would sit and be fine. But something happened since then that changed the way he thinks about water. It may have been the cold water indoor pool at Mount Rushmore Memorial Day weekend 2007. I'm not sure. But I haven't been able to successfully get him in a pool since that last time at the hot springs.

We tried at the pool at the apartment complex. After some screaming, he did get in for a bit and enjoyed it. I thought we were making progress. But I couldn't get him in again. Then, he didn't like the beach or the ocean. I couldn't get him in the pool there on our vacation either. He would just throw a ball in from the side and I, or someone else, would retrieve it for him. That was his game. So, we started trying to get him in the pool here at the house. Joshua and Zach have started to love swimming. But Elijah would scream even if we tried to put on his bathing suit. It seemed impossible.

So yesterday we decided to try again. We figured we would just have to suffer through the screaming because this is something he needs to get over. So, we put him in his bathing suit as he cried. Then we walked down to the pool. Again, he played his ball game where he threw the beach ball into the pool and I would get it and throw it back to him. We did this for a while. Then I decided it was time to initiate him into the water. So I got out and picked him up. Him screaming in my ear, we walked down the stairs into the water. He hated it. (Also, there was another family in the pool. We warned them about the screaming beforehand. They also have a 2 1/2 year old, so they understood.) So I started bobbing him up and down and spinning him around. He would laugh for half a second and then start crying again. Then, Steven suggested playing with the beach ball IN the water. Elijah liked that idea. So we started throwing and kicking the ball IN the water. He loved it! The crying stopped and he started having fun. Then, it went from the beach ball to the splash football. He wanted to throw it "all the way to Daddy". What a great time! By the end of the afternoon, he was "jumping" (more like falling ) in from the side of the pool into my arms. Now he says he can't wait to go again! What and answer to prayer!

Also, little side note...yesterday, Steven fixed the lawn mower and the front glass door. He also finxed the cabinet in our bathroom and hung up some pictures for me. What a handyman!!!

Our New House!

2008-07-17T14:25:00.005-04:00

Lots of people have been wanting to see what our new house looks like. I finally got around to taking a few pictures of it today. It's hard to photograph the inside and get the real feel of it. We absolutely love it! It feels very grand to us. God has truly blessed us with this house. If you would like to see more pictures, email me and let me know. I'll send you some. If I get enough requests, I'll post them here.

This is a picture of it from across the street. As you can see, there are plenty of mature trees in the front yard. It is on a hill, so the front is sloped. We live in a 20 year old neighborhood with many people who have lived here since it was built. They remember when there were no trees at all! That is exactly what I wanted. The way they build new neighborhoods is with the houses very close together, all looking the same, with small yards and very few trees. This neighborhood is much more established and I like that.

Here is a closer picture taken from the bottom of the front yard. Isn't it beautiful? Look at what God has done for us! It is stucco and the shutters are vinyl. It does need some work here and there. But what house doesn't. We look forward to being able to work on it and continue to make it our very own.

I'll try to describe it verbally for you to see the inside.

Go in the front door right here into a 2 story foyer. The stairs will be in front of you to the right with a continuation of the foyer to the left that leads to the family room. Immediately to your right is the dining room with new tile floors. That leads to the kitchen. Immediately to your left is the living room, offset with french doors. Right now I have my scrapbook table set up there. Continue through to the family room and the kitchen will be on your right. There is also a closet and a 1/2 bath right there. On the left in the family room is a large marble fireplace with built in bookshelves on both sides. Directly behind the family room is a sunroom that also leads to a glassed-in patio in the back yard.

If you go up the stairs, the boys' bathroom is directly in front of you. To the left is our bedroom with a large master bath. To the right is a long hallway that has the boys' rooms and the laundry room, as well as a large linen closet. Elijah's room is on the left, Zach's room is on the right. Joshua's room is at the end of the hall, right over the garage. The neat thing about Joshua's room is that it has an extra room off of it that we call the Game Room. It has a slanted ceiling. It isn't much, but is perfect for games, toys and the GameCube.

The garage is just off the kitchen. There is a little nook before entering the kitchen similar to a mud room. It is linoleum tiled and has hooks for hats/coats. Also in the garage is a LARGE utility closet. That is where we will put all of the kids' outdoor toys as well as the lawn mower and tools and stuff. There is still enough room for both cars!

Again, God has truly blessed us so very much with this house. Several offers we made on other houses were turned down because He wanted us to have this one. I didn't really want it when I first saw it. But I just love it! It is perfect for us! And God knew it! (Why do I sound shocked?)

If you ever find yourself in the ATL area, drop on by. We would love to see you!

DC Pictures!

2008-07-08T07:12:00.018-04:00

Here are some pictures from DC...as promised!

This is the Freedom Bell outside of Union Station in DC. We had never been in a train station before. We stopped here on our way to the Capitol, Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.

Here we are at Camden Yards for another baseball game! This time it was the Orioles against the Royals.

The boys (and Lily, but not Elijah) went to a driving range one morning. This is Zach's first time!

All the kids enjoyed the Air and Space Museum. This in an infrared picture of Elijah in his stroller. Pretty cool, huh?

There are a lot of fountains in DC. This was is in the Sculpture Gardens right across from the National Archives. We cut through to get to the Air and Space Museum and the kids wanted to check it out. (This is Zach and Joshua.)

We parked at RFK stadium and took a doubel decker bus to Nationals Park. The kids rode on top. They loved it! We rode up there on the way back after the game too. That was after it had rained. We were hitting tree branches and getting very wet.

We got to see the President's race at the Nationals game. It was cool! This is the first time that Teddy beat the Oriole! (The Nats were playing the O's. Big rivalry!)

On our way to the Lincoln Memorial, we stopped by the WWII Memorial and played in the fountain. It was a nice way to cool off. It was over 95 degrees that day and very humid.

Here we are at the Washington Monument. We didn't get to go inside here either. But I think the kids were just happy to see it.

Here is Zach in front of the White House. Remember, this is what he wanted to do for his birthday. We didn't get to go inside, but we saw it and lots of other things.

Beach Pictures

2008-07-08T07:03:00.005-04:00

I had promised pictures from our beach trip. Here ya go!

Here are my 3 beautiful boys on the beach. This was Elijah and Zach's first time ever seeing the ocean. And Joshua hadn't seen it since he was almost 2.

Steven had a great time playing with the older boys in the ocean. They loved it! They couldn't wait to go out each day and play in the waves.

Since Elijah didn't really like the ocean that much, we discovered that he enjoyed digging in the sand. So that's what we did.

But I did get a little bit of time in the ocean with the older boys!

Our last day in DC

2008-07-01T18:16:00.003-04:00

Didn't go quite as planned. We had wanted to go take a tour of the Capitol, but we didn't get there early enough. We got back after midnight from the game last night and the kids (and us) slept in some. So we didn't get going until about noon. But we did get to see the outside of the Capitol and the US Supreme Court. We went in the Library of Congress for a bit. But the kids are a bit toured out, I think. They just want to play with their cousins now. So we had lunch at Union Station and came back to the house. A very uneventful day, but a good family day. We enjoyed being together.

So tonight we will pack up and get ready for the trip home tomorrow. We've had a good time, but I think we are all ready to be back at our own house. Pray for a safe trip and that it won't take quite as long this time.

We've enjoyed sharing our vacation with you!

Another baseball day

2008-07-01T10:18:00.002-04:00

Monday was spent relaxing for the morning. At least for me. The men/boys (and Lily) went to the driving range to hit some balls. Elijah wanted to go, but he REFUSED to get into Uncle Bruce's car. So he stayed here with me. Luckily enough, after a busy few days, he laid down on his bed and fell asleep. That led to a 2 hour nap, much needed. So I took the chance to leisurely shower and get ready for when the guys came back.

After an early dinner/late lunch, we all hopped into Uncle Bruce's car (I had to force Elijah) and we headed off to Baltimore for a game at Camden Yards. That is a beautiful stadium. We went there 8 years ago, but the game got rained out and we had to leave after 4 innings. I was pregnant with Joshua at the time. This game was a bit different. It started out raining and the game was delayed, but it quickly stopped and we were able to sit and enjoy the game. We had great seats down the 3rd base line. However, even though the O's led most of the game, they lost in extra innings, and it started raining again. But we all had a great time!

Joshua is really enjoying getting to know Alex. Elijah has warmed up to Alex as well. Zach has started collecting baseball cards. Today our plan is to see the Capitol...maybe. It's 10:30 am right now and we haven't gotten ready yet. We'll leave for the trip home tomorrow. This really has been an enjoyable vacation. A good time is being had by all!

More relaxing

2008-06-30T12:07:00.002-04:00

Sunday in DC was much more relaxing. We went into town around noon. We were going to check out the Archives, but there was quite a line. Since our main goal was to see the Air and Space Museum, we decided to go there first. We spent ALL day looking at the different planes, shuttles, space craft, missles, movies, etc. that were there. The kids loved it! They were definitely museum-ed out at the end. We tried going back by the Archives, but still a line. And we never would have made it before closing. We might try again tomorrow.

Today (Monday), the boys and men are out at the driving range hitting some golf balls. Elijah was going to go (he LOVES golf), but he wouldn't get into Uncle Bruce's car. He cried and cried that he wanted to play golf, but when it came down to it, he wouldn't get in the car. Then he cried and cried that he wanted to play golf. He is SO 2! Oh well. So now he is here with me, throwing a pillow in the air as I type this.

Tonight we are going to head over to Camden Yards and get there about 5:30 so we can explore the stadium and stuff. Just taking it easy today. Tomorrow we plan on visiting the Capitol and Library of Congress. That will be our last day before we leave on Wendesday. We've had a great time so far. Definitely a needed vacation. And the kids have enjoyed seeing all the things they see in movies. How nice to be able to give them that.

Our first day in DC

2008-06-29T10:47:00.002-04:00

Was crazy!!!!!! First of all, we left early Friday morning. We were actually in the car pulling out of the driveway at 7 am. With our 3 kids, we thought that was pretty good. We were looking for a 10-11 hour drive. Well, we got stuck in traffic outside of Charlotte and Richmond. And, if you know DC, it was a parking lot by the time we got there. So the trip actually took us 13 hours. At 6 pm we were 50 miles outside of DC. After 8 pm, we arrive at Steven's sister's, just north of DC. It was ridiculous!

Then, yesterday, we took everyone to see the White House. Zach thought it was cool. Especially the SS men standing on the top. We also went to see the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII memorial and we stopped by the Jefferson. We spent some time in the White House Visitor Center as well. It was HOT! We were walking around DC in 95 degree weather with more humidity than there is in GA, if you can believe that. Everyone was miserable. Then, we went from there to the Nationals game. That was cool. We parked at the old RFK stadium and rode a double decker bus to Nationals Park. The kids loved riding on the top. It was open. The game was fun. The Nationals lost and we had to suffer through a major rain delay. The only place I could go to keep Elijah dry was the bathroom! It was really pouring! But we stayed and watched more of the game. We left at the 9th inning. (Yes, we left early!) It was 11 pm and the Nationals were down 9-1. The kids were exhausted and so were we and we knew it would take some time to get back to the car and then back to Janna's. We rode on top of the bus back and hit some wet tree limbs. Elijah didn't like it, but everyone else thought it was cool. So we got to bed after midnight. The good news is, I got to sleep in until 10 am! Unheard of!

Today we plan on going to the Air and Space Museum. Something calmer than yesterday and indoors. The kids are excited about seeing the USS Enterprise (Star Trek). And tomorrow we are going to see the Orioles in Baltimore. 2 games, 2 stadiums in 3 days! A baseball fan's dream!
Sorry there are no pictures right now. I didn't bring the right cords to hook up the camera. I'll post some later.

Zach is 5!

2008-06-26T20:50:00.005-04:00

That's right. Today is Zach's birthday. I can't believe he is already 5. He'll be starting Kindergarten in the fall. Where does the time go? Well, we gave him presents this morning so he could enjoy them for the day. He got some baseball cards and a shooting game where you shoot cans off of a log. A friend in Montana had this and he apparently liked it a lot. They've enjoyed working on their aim today. We did most of our celebrating yesterday. I took Zach, his brothers, and 2 friends to Jump Zone, a room full of inflatable toys. They played there for about 2 1/2 hours and loved it!

Here is Zach next to the Spiderman obstacle course. THIS is why we picked this particular jumpy place. (There are a few around town.) He just HAD to go to the Spiderman one. By the time we left, he was calling Spiderman his friend.

Here is Zach going down the slide of the giant firetruck. It's really a cool place. We enjoyed it very much.

Tomorrow we leave for DC for a few days. Steven's sister and her family live there and we haven't been to visit them in years. Also, several months ago when I asked Zach what he wanted to do for his birthday, he told me that he wanted to see the White House. (He really loves the National Treasure movies.) So I told him that could be arranged. I tried to get us a tour, but to no avail. We'll just have to stand on Pennsylvania Ave and gaze from the street and go to the Visitor's Center. They are also excited about seeing all the monuments and memorials. Not to mention we get to see 2 baseball games in 3 days in 2 different stadiums! We get to mark Camden Yards (Baltimore) and Nationals Park off our "to see" list. Very exciting!

Funny side note - the power went out today around 6 pm for a few hours. Poor Zach started crying thinking that his birthday was cancelled. He is so funny!

Well, we're off! I'll post more after we get back!

2008-06-23T14:56:00.004-04:00

This is Zach when he graduated from PreK in May. He will start school with Joshua in August.

Here is Elijah playing at the park down the street from our house. He LOVES slides!

Joshua is enjoying the park too. Ride that dinosaur!

Aren't they sweet!?!?!

Back from vacation

2008-06-23T14:35:00.003-04:00

Well, we just got back yesterday from Hilton Head. Steven's company had a summer meeting there and we all got to go! Great, right? Wrong! It ends up that Elijah (now 2) HATES the beach! He didn't like the sand. He didn't like the waves coming in. He didn't like me (mom) standing in the water, especially holding him. He didn't like the pool. The funny thing is, he would keep asking to go walk on the sand or go to the beach. So we would go. Me, the optimistic mom, thinking, "Maybe this time he will like it." Nope! He was just playing me like a fiddle! We would get out there and he would scream uncontrollably. Needless to say, I got a lot of odd stares from other people. Also, Joshua got sick and threw up in the middle of the night all over his bed. No big deal. We'll clean him up and get laundry service to take care of the sheets. Well, he was sleeping with Elijah. So Elijah had to be cleaned up as well. I had to change his pajamas and clean him up while he was asleep. It must not have been too bad. He never woke up. Zach never knew anything happened. There were several other events that happened that I won't mention here. Just say that it was not the vacation that I had hoped for. However...

Zach and Joshua had a GREAT time! They love the beach, the sand, the waves, the pool...everything! Steven spent his free time taking them out to enjoy the water. This was Zach's first time at the ocean (Elijah's too) and Joshua hasn't been since he was 1 1/2. They enjoyed it very much. That made it all worth it. And, to add to it, Steven got an award at the dinner on the last night! Way to go!

Now we are back doing laundry and getting back into normal life. However, we leave on Friday for DC. Zach's birthday is Thursday. He is turning 5! Can you believe it? The one thing he told me he wanted to do for his birthday was see the White House. (Strange, yes. But they really enjoy the National Treasure movies and want to see all the places in them.) So, I tried to get us a tour of the White House. But it didn't work out. Turns out that is a very popular place. Instead, we are just going to go see it and tour the monuments and memorials. Steven's sister lives just outside of DC so we are taking the opportunity to see her and her family while we are there. We are also planning on catching 2 (yes 2!) baseball games while we are there. Baltimore and Washington play right near there. Get 2 stadiums in one trip. That's awesome!

So this week we are preparing for that. We'll be gone a few days. Then Steven is running the Peachtree Road Race when we get back. Then, back to normal summer life. Parks, pools, movies, friends, camps, etc. It's fun!

Just starting out

2008-06-18T18:53:00.001-04:00

Ok. So we finally decided to start blogging. I discovered it's a good way to keep up with family and friends around the globe. I'm new at this, so be patient with me.
Tomorrow we leave for Hilton Head, SC. Steven's company is holding a meeting there and the whole family gets to go! That's great because, living in MT the last 3 years, my 2 youngest kids have never seen a beach or ocean and Joshua hasn't been since he was 1! (He's now 7 1/2!) I'm not sure what it will be like taking 3 kids to the beach, but we are going to do our best to make it an awesome time.