A New House?

We have been house hunting and we made an offer on a house. I was hesitant to write about it because it might not happen. The offer we made was a short sale and we have to wait to hear back from the bank which could take forever! They may not accept our offer, so we wait to see if we have a new house. I want to post pictures but I am worried I might jinx us. Ha!

It is in Wescott which is the community we live in now. It isn't our dream house but we are SUPER excited about it. I am in LOVE with all the space and closets! Brett is in love with the golf course view, the fact that he can walk right onto the course in the evening with our "Tiger-in-Training" and the extra parking pad just perfect for his boat!

Cannon is in love with the bonus room which he has claimed as "my BIIIIIG room" and huge, concrete frog in the neighbor's yard. Sutton is probably happy too! There is so much space to explore.

I cannot wait to see if this is "our" house.

If not, we will be on the house hunt again.

So Funny! Want to be a Parent? Read this.

Lesson 1



1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.



Lesson 2



Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.



Lesson 3



A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)



Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.



Lesson 4



Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?



Lesson 5



Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.



Time allowed for this - all morning.



Lesson 6



Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.



Lesson 7



Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.



Lesson 8



1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.



You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.



Lesson 9



Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.



Lesson 10



Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.



Lesson 11



Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.



This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent

You're Gonna Miss This

Sometimes being a parent is hard, but I wouldn't give it up for the world. These boys are our everything. Everytime I hear this song I cry. I wish I could have an "easy button" that played it for me on the hard days. If you don't recognize the lyrics...google them and listen to the song.

But here they go...

your gonna miss this
your gonna want this back
your gonna wish these days
hadnt gone by so fast

these are some good times
so take a good look around
you may not know it now
but your gonna miss this

five years later theres a plumber workin on the water heater, dogs barkin, phones ringin, one kids crying
ones screamin and she keeps apoligizin

he says they dont bother me ive got 2 babies of my own
ones 36, ones 23, huh its hard to beleive

but your gonna miss this
your gonna want this back
your gonna wish these days
hadn't gone by so fast

these are some good times
so take a good look around
you may not know it now
but your gonna miss this

your gonna miss this
oh yeah, your gonna miss this

note to self

note to self: do not not wear elastic waist skirts while out with your 2 year old. he may hold onto to skirt, stop walking when someone speaks to him, because he is shy, then your skirt may come down enough to reveal your entire booty to the entire dr's office!!

White as Snow

Jesus paid it all,
all to Him I owe;
sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed me white as snow.
Jesus paid it all,
all to Him I owe;
sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed me white as snow.

Cardboard Testimony

Our Weekend

We had a great weekend. On Saturday, we went to the pool with our Sunday School class. Here is a video of the boys racing in the pool.

On Saturday night, we went to Kelly's BBQ with our class. Cannon LOVED it. He ate so much! Apparently, he LOVES country food.

On Sunday,we joined a church. We have felt God leading us to join and we finally acted on it!

We got our entire bathroom primed and our purchased paint, the hope is to finish this week.

Cannon and I made birdfeeders today. It was fun but cleaning him was not so fun.

Peppers, Oh My!

Poppy a.k.a Papa came on Thursday to deliver my NEW freezer from my Dad. He brought along many goodies from his garden including a TON of peppers. My, Oh My, What will we do with them all!

15 Year Reunion

A small group of us got together for a mini-reunion. It has been 15 years. I did not make it to my 10 year reunion so this was fun.

New Friends

So sad! I loaded this picture last night to show you all our new friends. We have been feeding these geese for a few days every morning on our walk. We call them "ducks" becuase that is easier for Cannon to say.







Anyway, today on our walk we noticed that the gosling was missing...

Seeds

Sorry the picture is a little blurry.

Our seeds are growing...

Sorry, Noggin

I owe the Noggin Network my humblest apologies. I have recently been quoted as saying, "how ridiculous it is that Noggin is actually on ALL NIGHT!" I was thinking it should go off air like those PBS stations. Perhaps if they did not air shows ALL DAY everyday they could afford to bring Jack's Big Music Show back to a reasonable hour!

Well, I have changed my mind! I think that one of the best things EVER about Noggin is that it airs 24/7! Yep, that's right!

Saturday night, Cannon and I sat up at 2am watching Noggin and eating asiago cheese dip with pita chips and grapes! We woke up starving, we ate and watched TV!

Not Poison Ivy

I got a rash that I thought was poision ivy about a week ago. It has not improved and today I was in a lot of pain and went to the doctor. The doctor was concerned that is was not poison ivy because of the location of it on my leg. She said normally, poision ivy appears on hands and arms and not on one leg! She thinks I might have shingles!!!!! She gave me a cortizone shot in the office and prescribed prednisone and an anti-viral medication. She did a culture that we should have results in tomorrow.

What is shingles?? That was my question as well. Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, a type of virus that causes chickenpox After you have had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in your nerve roots and remains inactive until, in some people, it flares up again. When the virus becomes active again, you get shingles instead of chickenpox.
Anyone who has had even a mild case of chickenpox can get shingles. People who haven't had chickenpox also can catch it from someone with shingles, but they cannot catch shingles itself.

So...now I am wondering if the red rash on Cannon's back is REALLY a reaction to an antibotic that he has ALREADY had once before with no complications OR if he has chickenpox. He has been vaccinated but you can still contract it.

So now I am about to call the doctor for the second time today!

Stay tuned...

My Business

Everyone check out this link about my business. Let me know if you know anyone that needs a job or needs some extra income.


http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/video/4932940/

Laying Out

Today, I noticed on a "friend's" facebook that they were "laying out". I could not stop the laughing in my head that my adult, mommy friend was laying out! It really cracked me up.

For starters, I have not heard to term "laying out" in forever, possibly, not since my early college years! Why is it called, "laying out"? Wiktionary defines it as "to arange in a specific way"! That made me crack up even more...

I could not get the picture out of my head of my friends and I in our itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, "boys look at me" bikinis arranging ourselves on the beach! We definitely did our share of "laying out" but we were ole so young and "cute" (as Alisha would say) . The thought of "arranging" myself on the beach nowadays, Bahaaaaaahaaa. Again, hilarious. Today, my idea of laying out would be arranging my umbrella not my body.

Now I am a mom, yes, I go to the beach but not to "lay out", I simply go to the beach to play with my son, watch him eat sand, rescue him from "quicksand", and watch his little eyes in amazement as he watches the waves crash! Yes, I don my bathing suit, which if I was using the fabric from my old bikinis I would need, hum, say FIVE of them!

Laying out in the "traditional" Myrtle Beach term is a thing of the past! Thank God. I will take my Mommy version anyday!

Why?

Moms do not get sick days.

Holland

I have a friend in Savannah that recently found out that her precious little baby in her belly will mostly likely be born with a mental disability. She is struggling with that truth but seems be gaining some amazing peace, as well. Today I was reading her blog and she posted this amazing article. I wanted to share it with you all, it has a profound message that everyone can learn from.
Friends, please remember this sweet family in your prayers.
Thanks for sharing this, Jennifer.


WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley.
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Here in My Arms

Lately, Cannon and I have been slow dancing to this beautiful song by Plumb. Everytime we dance we wraps his arms around me and holds me so tight and kisses me over and over. I sing to him while we dance and he "endures" the entire thing with delight! It is very sweet. I think Brett needs to capture it on film. Until then, enjoy the song I just added to our blog (although this is not the version we are used to dancing to, ours is slower).

Parents, enjoy these moments when you can hold them in your arms and protect them from the storms. Then, once we can no longer hold them and protect them KNOW that your Father is holding them just like He holds you.


Your baby blues, so full of wonder
Your curly cues, your contagious smile
And as I watch, you start to grow up

All I can do is hold you tight
Knowing clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms

Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe in my arms

Storybooks
Are full of fairy tales
Of kings and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You'll someday see
The truth from lies
When the clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms

Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe in my arms

Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come trueY
ou are never all alone
Cause I will alwaysAlways love you

Hey I
Hey I
Will love

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe in my arms
In my arms

It is Official!

Today we closed out chapter of our lives today, Savannah! Our house is sold! Thanks for all your prayers.

Gift from God

I recently met a lady at one of my jewelry shows, Kady. She came to be one of my hostesses and at her show I learned that her 3 year old has an rare inoperable brain tumor, Brainstem Glioma. The tumor was discovered on 4/30/2008 during a MRI for macrocephaly (a fancy, medical way of saying he has a big head :) (Kady's words not mine).

Matthew's name means "Gift from God". In the Introduction of Matthew's webpage Kady closes with, "Giving our 'Gift from God' back to Him".

I wanted to share her story because Kady's faith and trust in God is remarkable and I hope that if I ever face such a trial I can be a beacon for God like her. Please take a moment to visit her site and add precious little Matthew to your prayer list.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/matthewpayne