Vande Camp

beautiful sunset after a summer rain!

2011-06-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

It has been two years!

2010-10-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today, Jim, the kids and I pulled into Flowery Branch Georgia to make it our new home. (even though now we live in Braselton Ga... which is RIGHT next to Flowery Branch)

The last two years has been such an experience for us as a family. We have grown closer. We've had to rely on each other in EVERYTHING. We've all grown up a bit... yes, Jim and I BOTH have!

I get asked a lot if I miss California... I DO! Want to hear a list of things I miss? Hope you said yes, cuz i am going to tell you anyways :) (WARNING... this may be long)

1. I miss my friends.
I miss their children. I miss the history that goes with growing up with the same friends from kindergarten and junior high. I miss having that foundation of living through the bad and ugly along with the beautiful things in our lives that make us who we are! (know what I am saying?)
I miss having that history of friends who came and saw me in the hospital after having Haley (or even sitting in the hospital room while I was waiting for Haley to come).
I miss having those inside stories/ jokes of our pasts... stories that none of my friends here would know.I miss my friends saving their scrapbook sticker tape to give me so I can roll it.
I miss having those friends that my kids grew up with.... were in diapers with.... took baths with....

2. I miss my family that still live out there.... I miss my grandparents who mean the world to me. I miss not being able to celebrate every holiday, birthday... with them. I miss not being able to have my grandpa be able to play santa for my students. (even though he never really did for my 8th graders). I miss my in-laws and my sister and brother in-law... and their daughter (my niece and soon to come nephew) and my favorite grandmother in law, Ruth!

3. I miss the Mountains (aka, MY mountains). I LOVED waking up and just looking at the fresh patch of snow that would blanket the tips of the mountains... (I DO NOT miss the smog that would occasionally cover the mountains where you couldn't see them... that always made me want to vomit).

4. I miss the winter weather there. You know the ONE week where you wore jeans... :)

5. I miss the smaller sized bugs... the bugs here are HUGE and DISGUSTING and make me want to vomit... I pray that my students don't catch on to my huge fear of bugs... Some of my friends here in Georgia are, unfortunately catching on to the severity of my fear of bugs. I fear my uncontrollable outbursts will scare my new friends away.

6, 7, 8..... I miss Vince's Spaghetti and smelling like it for days after eating there... and I miss the VG... I miss the Flipside.... I miss MOPS (which is what momtourage was called when I still was there).... I miss my neighbors... I miss walking my kids to school.... I miss the teenage girls Tping my house and leaving me cinnamon rolls on my porch....

I DO miss a lot and I am sorry for having a little missing/pity party.... truth is... I DO miss all those things....

But I do love it here in Georgia and feel so happy and content here. I know that this is where God wants us. And how can you not have peace about that????

Things I love about Georgia...
1. I love the new friends I am making and the NEW history I will build with them.

2. I feel I live in the mountains... even though Georgia people would say we don't live in the mountains... compared to where I live in Cali... this is like the mountains :).

3. I love our new church, the Vine.

4. I love the new experiences we get to have. I love what this experience (moving here) has done to our family. I feel we are stronger and healthier then ever before.

5. I LOVE SUPER Walmart!

6. I love the changes in seasons... (Even though I think Winter is a tad too long here) and I love it when Georgia people complain about the heat when it is 90 degrees... (similar to SoCal people freaking out about rain).

7. I LOVE Georgia BBQing... YUMMY....

Lets face it... if I was to move back to Cali... there would be things I missed about Georgia...

I have learned that no matter where you live, no place is perfect... you will ALWAYS have something you hate and something you love. You will always have something you miss.... You just have to learn to be content in whatever circumstances you find yourself in. Happiness is found in God and God alone... you can NOT count of things or people or places to make you happy.

Thanks for reading!

The last month and a half...

2010-06-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

So I have kinda been a tad busy since my last post...

We had Easter...

Then Haley got her very own American Girl Doll... Rebecca. She saved up her money and bought her!

My friend, Coleen, came out in April.

Mid April, I started a job with Regions Bank. I work part time as a teller. I REALLY like it! But it does keep me busy! (as if three kids didnt do that already).

April 23, I turned 21 (again).

Then my life long friend from before kindergarten, Mindi, came out to visit me :). Her mom (Jeannie) and friend (Debbie), came out to see my mom, and mindi hitched a ride! We had a BLAST. We went to Savannah, lake lanier, all around Braselton :) and Gainesville... just had fun!!! Oh I missed her!!!
In May, I had mothers day... Muffins with Mom in Hunters class. He made me this lady bug flower pot and decided he wanted to keep it for himself. :)

May 19th my bank had a "scare" but luckily the dude didnt get anything and was caught so it turned ok.

Haley and Hunter graduated first and kindergarten!

Hay got reading glasses. She is opposite of me... she can see far but not close... she does not have to wear them all the time. She is super cute!

June 3rd... Hunter turned 6!!! Cant believe it!!!

We thought we were busy before... man...

What we have coming up...

- The kids start swim lessons next week.

- Our church is having Camp Kidzu (our verison of VBS)

- Work work and work...

Egg Hunting with friends from The Vine

2010-04-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

Joe and I get together with gals and their little preschoolers twice a month for playdates. This month we had an easter egg hunt at Jessica Jone's house. The kids had a blast! Joe totally enjoyed himself!
He will actually leave my side to follow Brayden around! It is cute. Brayden is a year and 1/2 older, and is great with joe. He will come over and seek Joe out and tell him to follow him! It is cute!

Lunch time!

The kids got to decorate cookies. Joe LOVED the decorating part... he, however, took no interest in EATING IT. :) So I stepped up and ate it for him... :)

Jim and I celebrate Ten Years

2010-04-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Jim and I went to Myrtle Beach, NC for our Ten year anniverary! It was awesome.

My parents took all three kiddos while we went for a weekend away! We left mid Friday and came home late Sunday. We road in the car without any whining, or arguing, or asking a thousand questions... We took our time getting there. We stayed up late and slept in... WOW it was a nice break! Of course by Sunday we were ready to see our kiddos and give them cuddles!

This was Our first time going to the East Coast, since moving. The beach was BEAUTIFUL! Driving around Myrtle beach reminded us a LOT of California. I was a little disappointed in that I couldnt watch the sun set over the water. I missed that! I also slept in, so I missed the sunrise over the water... :(

Over all... we had a GREAT time!

Kid updates

2010-03-11T13:39:00.001-08:00

Haley...

Is 7 1/2... man time flies. She is VERY into American Girls. She loves the movies, the books and of course wants a doll. Too bad the dolls are like a hundred bucks! (I am serious too!).

Her favorite activities at school are art and music. Haley's art work is often chosen to be displayed in the main school hall way. She told me the other day that during PE whenever given the option to sit and watch and cheer her friends/classmates on, that she chooses that!

Haley is still very picky about hat she wears. She picks out her outfit EVERY night before bed... and often wears them to bed so that she can sleep longer in the morning. Her style is very.... her.

She is still very quiet and hard to engage. She is a LOT like her daddy! (I say that with LOVE).

She is VERY independent. She wants to do EVERYTHING herself... Lets just say, as a punishment, sending her to her room as a time out would NOT be effective...

Hunter...

Is 5 1/2 and man, is he a smarty pants. He loves reading his books and working on school worksheets at home :). He still LOVES Thomas the train and loves that have deep conversations about which train would be the most USEful for X event..... (ie... X= carrying loads of boulders).

During math one day, the teacher was asking students to make their own addition problems. When it was Hunter's turn to share his math problem... his problem shocked his teachers a bit, (infinity + 0 = infinity) oh and he also drew the appropriate sign for infinity :).

A conversation I had with Hunter the other day in the car:

Hunter: Mom, I miss Kiwi (our dog who died this past summer)

Me: You do huh?

H: Ya, Lucy (our current dog) wont play tag with me.

m: Tag? Did kiwi play tag?

H: Ya

M: How did Kiwi tag you?

H: When I would grabbed her tail, she always tagged me with her teeth

Jonah...

Is 2 1/2 years old. He talks all the time. (Well, not when he is around anyone that isn't around him a lot) I am sure the ladies at church think he is probably the rudest kid around. When he gets to church every Sunday, he refuses to even LOOK at the teacher in the face and gives EVERYONE who looks at him THE dirtiest looks!

Joe LOVES cars, Wow Wow Wubbzy, Mr. Men and Little Misses, and Hunter. :)

Joe still cusses all the time :( everyday! you'd think Jim or I had a foal mouth or something. The words he "messes up" with are: truck :) and Percy. Both things he plays with EVERY DAY. Joe is NOT a good eater :( errrrr.... he frustrates me so much! Every day it is pulling teeth to get him to eat anything!

He is such a cuddle-bug!

He is WAY into balls... throwing them, kicking them... very athletic.

Joe is not interested in academics as Hunter was by this age.

The kids are showing signs of a southern accent... not in every day speech, but more with certain words... Haley and Hunter both have teachers who have southern accents. Haley's teacher has a very thick southern accent.

Haley's "southern" words: Hair = Hay air, There = they air... any of those... stairs... you get it

Hunter: same as Haley's words... he also uses "yes ma'am" in his everyday responses.

It will be interesting to see how Joe develops his speech patterns.

One month later

2010-02-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

I think it is funny that one month from my last blog post about it snowing... it snows :)

Outside our house day after the snow fall.

Gregg, Cyndi, Brennan and Liam came to build a snowman with us. (Pretty much, they did it and we watched ... nice friends we are) :)

This is the most snow in a single storm, that Georgia has experienced in decades (our area and according to the news person who said it).

A Cold January

2010-01-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

January has been very cold for us here in Braselton, Georgia. We have had snow... ice... closed school... So new for us Cali's (Above is our home morning after snow)
It is cold, yes, and yet... Joe feels the need to walk around our home with as little on as possible... :) Above is him sitting in a brand new train table given to us from another family at our church. They were so sweet and caring in giving us this table and all the accessories to go with it.

Joe loved the snow... :) (Above... him when it first started to snow)

This weekend was pretty exciting...

All on Saturday...

My grandma Smith (the one who scott and I flew out to cali to bring here) had another "mini" stroke. She got to a very scary point on Saturday! She didnt know who we were... I asked her what she was watching on tv and she answered, "I dont know their address"

Jenny and Scott had a water pipe thing burst due to freezing temps... Thankfully our good friend, Jamey, was able to come and help. He rocks!!! Their garage and basement were flooded... :(

Haley got her finger slammed in a door (the door was locked) and her finger was crushed!!! We all thought for sure it had to be broken... but it wasnt :).... Thankfully!

Since our busy/crazy Saturday... things have mellowed... Grandma seems to be doing better! Haley's finger is feeling better (still swollen a bit and tender...)

Sorry

2010-01-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

So, I have neglected my blog....

Sorry

Things here have been pretty crazy since my parents moved here in mid November.

Here are some updates for ya

My parents moved here - mid November. They were staying in a nearby RV park until the close of their home in Flowery Branch (The beginning of December). Their RV park didn't offer WiFi or cable accesses... and it was really cold... so we saw a lot of them during their stay at the RV park.

They moved into their home - beginning of December, and in only a few days after they moved in, my grandma Smith came to stay with them.

Scott and I went out to California to get Grandma Smith in the beginning of December. That was a very quick trip... we were only out there for one full day... but the trip was an awesome adventure. I got to see many friends, and my beautiful mountains... :) Both of which I have missed terribly!

The flight back with Grandma was an adventure in and of itself. She has dementia... So Scott and I got asked the same questions A LOT....

"Where are we going?"

"I'm moving? No one told me this."

"What happened to my house?"

"When am I going home?"

It was a trip I will remember always!!! The only time she seemed to get upset, was in the airport in Arizona, during our layover, which I quickly got out the cookies and offered her one... she seemed to forget her upsetness rather quickly :).

For the past 3 or 4 weeks, my grandma smith has been living at my parents house... it has been cool to see her... when we moved here to Georgia, 15 months ago, I never thought I would get to see my grandma again. (morbid... I know)

Mid December, my grandma and pa Lembke (mom's parents) arrived... They came for a visit. They DROVE from Cali to spend Christmas with us!!!! I love them so much! It was awesome to have them here. I can't wait for them to move here too :)

December 24th, my aunt Shellie, Uncle Steve and cousins, Deron, Jasen and Prestin arrived. They, too, moved here from California. (They had been living in Australia for 19 years before they moved back to California). They are staying with my parents until they find a rental home nearby!

Christmas was a very crazy and exciting day! Full of family! It was awesome!!!

So as you can see, we have had family fun for a while here. Things are starting to settle down and get back to the normal routine of life. My grandparents left today to go back home to cali.... My Aussie family (aunt and uncle) are in the process of finding a home.... and soon the kids will be back in school.

I will try and keep up better on my blog... :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Our new home...

2009-11-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

At the end of September we moved to Braselton, Ga. Really, we are still in the Chestnut Mountain area, just a different city. The way they section off cities here in Georgia is very silly :).

Anyways... some family and friends asked for picture of our house... here are a few :) I took after cleaning :)

This is our front door... the curtained off area is suppose to be an office type room that we made into Haley's room. Jenny made the curtains so that on this side of the curtains it is a nice earth tone, solid color... on the other side....

She let Haley pick fun fabric for her side of the curtain :)

Joe's room (I did not take a picture of Hunter's room because it wasnt clean)

Our Living room

Breakfast nook

Haley's room

This bookshelf was found by Jenny... her work was going to throw it away so she grabbed it and gave it to me to sand and paint for Haley's room.

Our second Georgia Halloween

2009-11-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry I havent updated in a while.... it has been a busy month.

Mid October we went to Washington Farms... a pumpkin patch... with the Walters (our pastor and his family). The kids had so much fun. There was a HUGE pumpkin patch, petting zoo, pig races, corn maze, cow train, hay rides.... fun fun fun.

Below are pictures of this trip to Washing farms.There was a sand box filled with un-popped corn... the kids loved

it..... Liz Walters and I liked it because we got to sit and not chase after our little ones.

Jim and David with the kids at the pig races... this was my first pig race experience... very interesting.

The kids and I went on a hay ride around the farm.

Above is the cow train. A tractor tows these cow carts...

HALLOWEEN

We went and had dinner with our friends, the Hamptons, then went trick or treating... until the rain was too much for the kids to be out in.
Joe was being a booger when it came to wearing his costume. JIm decided he would try it on :)

But in the end, Joe ended up wearing it

Hunter was a fire breathing dragon :) and Hay was a friendly witch :)

A full Lake Lanier

2009-10-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Because Georgia has been in a drought the last few years, the water level in the Lake has been down... but due to the recent amount of rain we've had... the level has risen quite a bit and it is beautiful!

A happy Joe - age 2

A cute Hay - age 7

A fun loving Hunt - age 5

Hunterisms

2009-10-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

Sentences I never thought I'd say, let alone... with a straight face..

- Hunter, now, when we get to so-n-so's house you cant take off all your clothes

- Haley, stop stealing Hunter's imaginary ice cream, you know how upset he gets

- Hunter, please stop putting deodorant in your ear

- Hunter, please stop putting your finger in your eye ball (this is when he is trying to wake up his lazy eye)

- Now, Hunter, when you go to the bathroom at so n so's please only use the toilet.

The Vine...

2009-09-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

The Vine is the name of the church we have been going to... this is their website for local missions and how they serve ... http://vineoutreach.wordpress.com/

Right now it is all about the flood victims ... check it out!

Move Update

2009-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

So, yes... we moved!

Sept 19th was our big move in day! We had Scott and Jenny, Gregg, and Pam help us. Cyndi watched Haley and Lucy (our dog) and Crystal watched Joe and Hunt. It was nice to have the kids taken care of during such a stressful event. A HUGE blessing

All last week I spent unpacking and getting our house together. For the most part we are all put together here in our new home. We are really enjoying our new place. We love being a part of a subdivision. Yesterday we met two neighbors... One set came and brought us cookies to welcome us... AND invited us over for dinner! WOW... SOOO nice. They have a boy who is Jonah's age... and a dog that Lucy just loved! They ended up hanging out with us for an hour.... the kids and dogs, played...

At our new house the kids have their own rooms... I LOVE IT... haley's room is really suppose to be an office but Jenny made her a curtain door and we hung twinkly lights and have made it a very cool girlie room for our Hays (what Joe calls Haley). The boys have their own bathroom so quests dont have to share a toilet with Hunter :). That is nice... :) Jimmy has an office above the garage. He works out of the home so it is nice that he can have his own office in a room I can shut and not have to show people :).

We now live in Braselton (for you non georgians it is pronounced -brazzzz lllllll ton) we are only 5 minutes away from Scott and Jenny... (4 miles as apposed to 3 like at the old house).

The kids get to attend the same school!

The church that we have been attending, The Vine, is less then ten minutes away from us.

The last month has been kinda crazy so forgive me for not being so great at getting on here and updating you all...

We are hoping to buy the home we are in... we have to wait a year before we can... but the owner of the home has been more then willing to work with us! YAY.

I did start subbing... the pay isnt the greatest, but it is at my kids school and I get to have lunch with them and get to see what their school life is like and for that reason alone, it is worth it. The staff at their school is awesome. I really love the school they go to! Subbing has made me miss the classroom... I am going to start looking into getting my Georgia teaching certificate. Just in case. ... :) I am not planning on going back as of yet, but you never know... plus, they do offer part time teaching positions without tenure and so I might jump in on that if it works out.

For those of you who dont know, my parents are moving out here in November. They sold their home in Cali so fast... less then a week AND they got above what they were asking! They are coming out in a week to look at homes before they move.

We have joined a "cluster" group at the Vine. It is like a care group. We meet every week and they have babysitting! The kids love it. We are reading a book by Glenn Packiam called, Secondhand Jesus. It is nice to be apart of a care group again.

Well, I think that is good for now :)

Birthday dinner at the McElrea's

2009-09-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

Pam made us dinner for Haley's birthday! Rodger and Pam gave her 8 fish and a tank that lights up and everything.... Haley just loves her fish! And her Aunt Bonnie came and gave her a very cute dress.

The fish are pretty cool.... when Pam asked Hunter how he liked his new room... Hunter responded, in a sad tone, "I like it but it gets a little lonely without fish" Soooo now Hunt wants fish!

Pam made Haley a yummy cake and got her pumpkin pie... Haley's request!

Haley's fish glow in a black light!

Haley's 7th birthday party - Glitter Glam style

2009-09-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

Every year at our home church, back in Cali, there was an event called, Glitter Glam. This is where girls came and got all decked out... hair, make up, nails, and a TON more of just girlie girl fun. Well, Haley wanted a Glitter Glam style birthday party. (Jane I thought of you the entire time).

I had Jenny and my friend Cyndi come and be the hair stylists ... :)

The girls got jewelry - necklaces and bracelets

They got to play games and draw pictures...

Haley didnt want to do nails because she said it would just take too long :)
When the girls drew pictures, they drew them for haley! The above picture is Brennan (Cyndi's 4 year old son) he drew Haley a very special T-Rex... :) I am glad Cyndi told me, because I thought he drew Haley with pigtails and a tail :).... IT was very sweet....

Haley had about 8 or 9 girls here! All from her school!

I made MORE cupcakes...

this was a game haley wanted at the last minute... pin the tail on the pig :).... She drew it up and made it all... It was very cute.

Then we played pass the bear... :)

Over all, i think the party was a hit!

Haley's class party...

2009-09-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

Haley's teacher, Mrs. Berryman, gave Haley 7 birthday spankings... Haley talked about that ALL WEEK LONG... she's so funny...

I made cupcakes :) and Jim, Joe and I brought them to the class... In the above picture, notice Jonah sitting at the desk :) He had fun

Haley is well liked in her class... :) She is very independent and has many friends...

Family time with steve

2009-09-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

My uncle steve came out right before Haley's 7th birthday so we had a little family dinner.
Hunter is very sweet... he KNEW she wanted this polly pocket toy and had wanted to get it for her for her birthday... He wouldnt settle for any other gift... he really wanted to get her THIS gift.... when we bought it... he had to hide it in his room... it was the cutest thing! She LOVED IT
My grandma and pa sent her a big ol box of goodies and in it was this cabbage patch baby, who she named Sarah. She LOVES it!
Both Jim and My parents send packages for the kids for their birthdays... The kids love it when they arrive... They feel so special to get such a big piece of mail :)

Jonah's Birthday dinner

2009-09-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

Aunt Jenny, Aunt Bonnie and Aunt Pam came to celebrate Joe's birthday...

Build A Bear for Joe's Birthday

2009-09-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

For Joe's second birthday we took him to build a bear. He picked out the oo-oo-ah-ah.

Uncle Scott and Aunt Jenny came with us... I think it is funny that the 2 year old calls scott SCOTT and the older kiddos call him scoby.

Cuddles with aunt Jenny

The older two had a blast as well

Hunter did NOT enjoy the "loud" stuffing machine

Jonah picking out his monkeys heart

Close ups

2009-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

First Day of School

2009-08-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

August 10th was the kids first day of school. Haley, first grade, and Hunter, Kindergarten.

Hunter with his teacher, Ms McNeal

It figures

2009-08-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

It figures that once I update you guys that we are staying in our home 6 more months, that it changes... :)

Well, today, Jim got a call from the owner... and basically, they have changed their minds in extending our lease. They would like to stick to the original lease agreement, which stated that our last day would be October 31. This is fine with me because I have been looking forward to moving into a subdivision where the kids have freedom to ride bikes in the front yard.

The only headache is 1... starting Sept 1, the home we are in goes on the market and therefore, people will be coming by to see the house. 2.... we now have to find another place to rent. AND 3... we have to pack up and move... AGAIN. (to another temporary place)

The fast pace of life...

2009-08-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

The kids started school this week... Haley, first grade (again). She was in first grade in California before we moved, but being that her birthday is Sept 26th and Georgia has a different cut off date, she went back to kindergarten when we moved. It turned out to be a HUGE blessing. She is doing so great in school and loves it. She looks forward to school. She loves the learning part so much. She comes home and tells me more about what she learned then who she played with. (maybe she will be a geek like her mom) :)

Hunter on the other hand... He started kindergarten this week and well, as he is VERY INTELLIGENT... he doesnt have the social graces that he should. :) I peaked on him while I left the school the other day and saw him yell at the kid next to him for taking his black crayon. Yesterday he came home and told me that he got in trouble .. this was our conversation:

"Mom, I got in trouble today."

"You did? What for?"

"I talked."

"You talked huh? Were you not suppose to talk?"

"No it was time to be quiet and I just dont like to be quiet, I like to talk. So I talked and got in trouble."

"Are you going to start being quiet during quiet times?"

"I dont like quiet!"

Which is funny because he is mister i-hate-loud-things!

I know he will do just fine in kindergarten this year. His teacher is great and sweet. She emails me and keeps me posted through a log everyday on his behavior. (She does the log with all of her students - as a teacher I would think it would be a pain to do EVERYDAY, but she also has 20 students and a full time aid.)

Jonah and I are home most of the time. I am trying to get connected with a moms group in my area. It will be nice to be out of the house, give Joe something fun to do.

I am planning on subbing soon. I am excited about it... I will only sub at the kids school (my choice) just to get involved with their school without being in their class.... Hunter wouldnt do well with me in there. I have know idea how much they pay... but it is all good... I am ready to get out and be involved.

As far as churches go... we have been visiting this church 5 minutes from us called the The Vine. There is so much to it that reminds me of our church back in Cali - Flipside. I have been moved to tears a few times on a Sunday morning... feeling at home. We love that it is five minutes away and that kids in the kids classes are kids from our kids school. (wow... i never thought I could write a sentence using the word "kids" so much) I know for me, having friends who went to my school and also my church helped me in my walk with the Lord. (Yes even in my elementary school years.... without Mindi... I was such a follower, who knows... Mindi was a great influence and support for me)... What drew us to try the Vine was this youtube video we found... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKN-kwHrkkI If you are praying people :) keep us in prayer as we search for a home church.

I am starting to work out. :) I have always done cardo type stuff in the privacy of my own home... :) but lately I have wanted to get out of my house for some nature/ quiet time. I have started running again and love it... (well, love it my not be the right term yet) I have also started swimming laps and riding a bike. NO I am not doing a tri... I just want to have an activity to do that gives me some alone time and keeps me in shape :). These things do not cost money to do... so it is something easy for me to go and do. I want to run in a 5k in late september... we will see.... I want to, mostly for me to have a goal to workout for.

Our "one year mark" is coming up... In October it will be ONE year since we did our big move. The time has flown by! Our lease was up at the end of October, but our AWESOME landlords are lowering our rent by 200 bucks and there is no additional deposit to pay... for 6 more months... so we will be staying put till April 30, 2010. It is kinda hard not being in a home that is ours and we can take ownership of it...For example... as much as I love the color pink... it wouldnt be my first choice of paint color for my walls.... but the Lord has provided for us and we dont want to go against that!!! :) we have made stupid moves for vain reasons and have paid the price...

I do miss California! I miss the beach so close by and our mountains :) oh how i miss you mountains! I miss our family and friends there... our church family... I miss california size bugs :)... :) But I do like Georgia too... they are both SOOOOO different. Good and bad. Different... It is like comparing beaches to mountains... both are fun and beautiful and you can love both, but they are both sooooo different... one is flat and one is hilly... you get the idea.

Well, this has been a long enough post for you guys... :) Keep us in your prayers.

Update - as of July 30

2009-07-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends and family... who ever reads this blog...

It has been a while since I last updated folks about things going on with us so this will be a boring long, no, picture, post... :) so if you dont wanna read.. no worries :)

Jim is still doing Title Insurance out of our home... He works a LOT. It is nice to have him home even if he is working.

Hunter and Haley start school August 10. Haley will be in first grade and Hunter in Kindergarten. He is a little apprehensive. He has told me many times that he misses Mrs. Jones and wants her to move here and be his kindergarten teacher. (She was his preschool teacher from Cal). He also talks all the time about his friend Nate :). He told my mom when she was out here last that when she comes next time to bring Nate... When my mom told him that his mom would be sad if Nate left her, he said, "Well, she can come too... they can live with us!"

Haley and Hunter are now sharing a room... (Haley and Jonah were last I blogged). Jonah is having sleeping issues... well, more like going to bed issues... once he is asleep he is good to go, he just needs to have a good cry before hand and that tends to get in the way of Haley's needed sleep. With school coming... we made some changes... Joe has his own room. Haley and Hunter sleep in the same room yet have their own rooms down stairs with all their things. Our house is a 5 bed room home, but two of the rooms are in the basement and I dont want my little children that far from me...

We are looking for a new church. We have been attending Corner-Stone Baptist Church in Jefferson and have really been blessed by the church. However, it is kinda far from the community we live in. After a lot of prayer, we feel we need to find a church closer to where we live.

Jonah and Haley's birthdays are coming up... FUN! It will be different (like Hunter's was) not having our family and Flipside family around to celebrate with us...

My parents came out to visit us in July. We celebrated my dad's 60th birthday!!! It was a nice visit! I started to do a post with pictures and all from their visit during a lightening storm and lost internet connection right at the end and it didnt save... so I am a little bitter and will post those pictures later :).

That's it for now... :)

Indy baby!!!

2009-07-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

July 8 - 11 Jim and I packed up the kids and headed north to Indianapolis to visit our good friends the Lassiter's. They were out visiting Carrie's parents who live in Indy. They drove all the way from Cali so the least we could do it drive 9 hours to visit them :). When we pulled up... we were greeted by fireworks... and a small lawn fire :).
The kids hung out like a day hadnt passed. This is Hunter out in the back yard swinging!

Their boys... Wes and Wyatt

We wen to the Zoo! It rained... but it was warm and we made the best of it...

Wes and Hunt

All of us (minus Bill) at the Dolphin show. It was fun hanging out together!

While we were up there... I took a side trip to go visit my friend, Kim, who lives 9 miles from Carrie's parents. Kim and I were teaching partners in California!

JIm and Joe in the back yard

We shared so great laughs... It was hard to say good bye... especially when you arent quite sure the next time you will see them will be. None-the-less I will never pass up a chance to see a good friend!

I love this picture of Haley and Wes... they look SOOOO grown up!

Fourth of July 2009

2009-07-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

For lunch we went to My Uncle Roger and Aunt Pam's house for a BBQ. It was delicious...
Rodger and Pam live like five minutes from us. Above is Rodger with Joe and Hunt. Jonah loves the boat floaty thing Pam got for him to use.

Get your sunglasses out... me, glowy white chick, next to the tan goddesses... Me with Pam and her sister.

After hanging with the McElrea's (Pam and Rodger), went to the Harris' for dinner... and fireworks.

Jonah riding on Lukes Gator... :)

Crystal and Jamey got fireworks and put on a show for us :)

We roasted marshmellows... This is Hunters roasted marshmellow :) HE likes it white :) but claims it is roasted... but cold... :)
The kids, crystal and I (me - well, that is kinda a different story in and of itself) caught Fire flies (AKA Lightening bugs). Crystal got Haley and Hunter to catch these slow moving flying bugs... I tried... I actually caught one opened my hands up to put it in the jar, and I screamed... I REALLY struggle with bugs... :)

After a FULL day, the kids fell asleep in the van on the way home.

RIP Kiwi Smith - Vandegrift

2009-07-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well, we are a one dog family now. Above is a picture of Jonah with Lucy.

A few days ago, our dog Kiwi, went to the Rainbow Bridge. :( She was 12 years old. She just took a turn for the worst her last few days... She couldnt walk more then five feet before laying down and shivering... she would pee and poo as she walked, having no control... she wouldnt eat... she would let Hunter and Jonah poke her in the face (something Kiwi would never let happen before).... It was hard to see her go but even harder to watch her suffer.

Blessing each other...

2009-06-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

When we moved here to Georgia, my Uncle Rodger blessed us with a set of leather couches for our basement. They are very nice... but we never used them. WE never really come in our basement to hangout. Well, a friend of mine really liked the couches and wanted them for her living room. So we did a trade :) She gave us these three things for our couches... Which I feel very happy with. She is now blessed with two very nice couches and we have items that will be used instead of collecting dust in our basement.

Above is a solid wood rocking chair. Something very common here. People have these rocking chairs out on their front porch, or screened in rooms...
Jonah got his cool buggy thing that he loves and I am looking forward to using this when we go fishing or to the park...

And the main thing I am thrilled with is this over sized arm chair and ottoman. YAY! Fun. It fits upstairs next to all our other chairs :).

Thank you Crystal and Jamey! We are very happy with our trade. Hope you enjoy your couches.

A game I recommend...

2009-06-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

I went Yard Saleing yesterday and found a NEVER BEEN USED cranium game for kids called Cadoo... I got it for a whopping 2 bucks :). We played it last night and had a BLAST! Haley is still BEGGING me to play again today... in fact, her first words out of her mouth to me this morning was asking to play Cadoo. For those of you who have played Cranium... this game is similar in that you have the modeling clay, and you act things out, and you doodle... but it more geared down to kids ages 7 and up... (hunter who is five was able to play just fine). Jonah, well, he enjoyed playing with the pieces :)

Living Room Camp Out

2009-06-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

The other night, me and the kids had a camp out in the living room. We watched movies and ate junk :).

The dogs joined in.

Even Haley's groovy girls joined in on the fun.

Hunter started out with us but ended up in his room. He likes his bed :).

Just a side note... the quilt I am using and the quilt Hunter is using I made :)

Moon Sand

2009-06-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hunter got moon sand for his birthday. He loves it!!! LOVES IT!!! In fact all the kids love it. Jonah enjoys throwing it :). I DO NOT enjoy the mess it makes... :)

Lake Hartwell

2009-06-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Jamey and Crystal took us out to a family friends place along Hartwell Lake to go fishing with the kids and for dinner.

the family had an open dock... no guard rail... a little scary for this mom of three.

Jonah was cranky but still super cute.

Haley was a great, patient fisher-woman. She had a ton of fun and caught on great. She could cast her own line out. She amazes me :)

Jimmy had fun too. I think he really enjoyed fishing with his daughter.

This is Hunter's fish, "whopper" who was really the bait... :) He was so proud of his pet fish and wanted a picture with it. No one caught anything on this fishing trip, my guess was that the kids were a little too loud... Hunter loud? No way!

Happy couples...

We grilled up some burgers :) and dogs :).

The lake was beautiful!

This is the house we were at.

Hunter turns FIVE

2009-06-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hunter turned five this past week! WOW... I cant believe it! He starts kinder in August!
For his birthday he wanted a party like his friend Isabel had in California, at the Saw Dust Factory. Well... that would be quite a birthday party to go all the way out there... so I brought the saw dust factory to our house.
He got to pick five friends (being that he is turning five) to come to our house to paint bird houses and eat some cup cakes.
Even Jonah got into the fun! :) Of course I had to help him finish it :)

Kimberly, Corbin and Grady serious at work.

Haley with her little buddy Carina.

Hunter had chocolate cupcakes... with five candles... he blew each candle out separately... it was cute

He really ate the frosting...

Below are the kids with their final bird houses.... Left to right - Grady, Jonah (hard to see), Haley, Hunter, Rainn, Carina, Luke and Corbin

That was in the morning, in the evening we had family over for pulled pork. Yes I made it :) and I think it was YUMMY!!! It was actually a Boston Butt. YES that is the name of the meat. Pork butts are very big here. I felt funny asking the butcher where they were...

Hunter DID NOT eat the pork... he wanted chicken nuggets dipped in apple sauce :).

Aunt Jenny, Uncle Scoby, Aunt Bonnie, Aunt Pam, Uncle Rodger, Dad, Hunter, Haley, me and Joe were all there! Eating in our pink dinning room :)

I kinda bought a HUGE BUTT :). We had enough food for everyone to have seconds and then for us to have meals for days after :)

Jonah and Aunt Pam. In the background you can see Hunter's count down. I made a marker type thing to show what day we were on out of a picture of Hunter. The count down worked awesome... He never ONCE asked me when his birthday was going to be....
I made a BIG cupcake tower and drizzled chocolate frosting all over it... then decorated it with sponge bob figures and Thomas toys that Gramma and Grandbud sent him.
Hunt got moon sand, a bike (thanks nana and papa) and a whole box of goodies from my grandparents... overall he had a great birthday...

There was ONE sad moment for me that brought tears to my eyes... At the kid party Hunter opened a card he got from Nate from california. It was a Cars card... it was sweet... Hunter didnt smile ... he stared at the card forever... even after the kids left... it was the first thing he showed Jim when he got home from work. It was so sweet... Thanks Jane :) It made my day too :).

Scott caught fish and we ate it!

2009-06-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

Scott caught some fish last Sunday and Monday he brought his fish over and we grilled it :). We invited Jamey and Crystal Harris over to help us with this NEW adventure. :) (Grilling caught fish).
We were all to chicken to try the first bite ... So Crystal stepped up and did it!
I love this picture... Looking at their faces make me laugh... this was taken as Crystal was trying the first bite of fish. With all honesty, ALL four of us Californians were trout fish virgins and were a little hesitant in thinking we would like the fish.
This is Jenny's face as she opens up her foil wrapped fish.
Jamey showed us how to take the skin off and the meat off the bone to eat.... it actually wasn't bad. It was cool eating fish that Scott caught :).

The FREAK I am

2009-05-27T03:48:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know I DO NOT LIKE bugs.... in fact, I am a TOTAL and complete FREAK when it comes to a bug. I have embarrassed myself on NUMEROUS occasions because a bug surprised me or something and I screamed.

One quick story...

In 1996 I went on a mission trip to Honduras with my church. On this trip it soon became apparent that I did not like the rather LARGE beetles that were there. A friend of mine... DAN ... found my fear of this beetle quite funny and taught the little Honduran kids to scare me with them. One night at a church service, Dan or one of the kids... but I am SURE Dan was the master mind... was playing with my braided hair. The next thing I felt was this tickle... I reached behind my neck to scratch it and it was a BEETLE. Who ever it was, placed a BEETLE underneath my braid. I SCREAMED and ran like the wind....

I still have nightmares to this day...

Just kidding... but even telling the story makes me squirm.

So This morning, Jim wakes me up asking me to come into the bathroom for a minute... First off I am NOT a morning person and to call me up out of bed means something is up. Jim knows better not to wake this beast earlier then needed... :) I walk into the bathroom to see this beetle like bug in our sink... Jim tells me he found it in his arm pit... ARM PIT... (I also have issues with arm pits but that can be another post) It was this big ol' nastiness... It woke me up!

I took a shower, got dressed and instantly got on here to try and prove to Jim that what he found wasn't a tick. It was too big.

This is what I found (along with a million other pictures). Now looking at the photo, I am THINKING and HOPING that what Jim had in his pit was a beetle and not a tick... but we will see.... the bug he showed me was as big as the dime... (it was big.. and I know I can tend to exaggerate when it comes to a bug and its size... but it was closer to the size of the dime itself HONEST)

How to avoid ticks .

Wear light coloured clothing, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and shoes. Tuck your pants into your socks.
Avoid walking in the long grass.
Use an insect repellent with DEET.
Check yourself each day for ticks (include armpits, groin, scalp and the back of your body).
Protect your pet with a flea/tick collar and check them for ticks.

If you spot a tick ...
- Don’t squeeze the tick or try to burn it off or put anything on it.
- Grasp the tick by the head as close to your skin as possible.
- Pull it straight out, gently but firmly. Use tweezers if possible.
- Disinfect the bite with rubbing alcohol.
- Save the tick in a jar and contact the Health Unit to have it identified and tested.
  
  Lyme Disease and Ticks ...
  - Lyme disease is caused by the bite of a black legged tick infected with the bacteria.
  - A red rash may appear within 3 days to several weeks following the bite, a bulls-eye rash may be present in the area of the bite. You may also have a fever with the rash.
  - Symptoms of the disease may include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain. These may disappear within 10 days. But if left untreated, Lyme disease can progress and affect the nervous system, joints and the heart.
  - Consult your doctor if you have been bitten by a tick. Keep the tick for identification and testing.
  The tick responsible for the spread of Lyme disease is now found in some locations of the 1000 Islands region of Eastern Ontario and in the Eastern seaboard of the USA and New York State as well as Long Point and Point Pelee areas of Ontario.

Mom's appreciation Day

2009-05-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Bet you didnt know today was Mom's appreciation day. Haley decided that today needed to be a day where I got appreciated. :) She made all the boys write cards for me :) It was cute... (Note... it was JUST teacher appreciation week and I am sure that is where the idea came from) She is sweet.

Haley's last day of School

2009-05-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Haley's last day of kindergarten...again :).

Above is Haley's teacher, Mrs. Merritt and below is Haley's parapro Mrs. Sewell. Haley just loved these two women. They did a great job in Haley's adjustment with our move!

I broke Joe's bed

2009-05-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

I had a frustrating day and decided to take my mind off of my day and move Jonah's bed to Haley's room. I have had it with Jonah and Hunter sharing a room (LOOOOOOOOOOng story) and Haley wanted Jonah in her room. It is ONLY a sleeping arrangement... his clothes and toys and stuff are still in Hunt's room.

Anyways, when I went to move the crib I broke it... and in a way that wasnt fixable... so now he is converting to a toddler bed... Joy Joy... the last few nights have been LATE. I hate the transition to big bed. I wanted him to stay in his crib FOREVER.... oh well, I guess this had to happen sometime

This was a class project Haley had... Very sweet!

Duck Derby

2009-05-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

The Lake that we are closest to is Lake Lanier. They had a plastic Duck Derby where you buy a five dollar rubber duck and then it races.... then the winner wins money....

At the Duck Derby there were booths of free advertisement but also activities that the kids could enjoy for free!

It was fun, but Haley got a tad whiny told the end :)

The ducks being released... It wasnt a very fast race :) IT was funny

From the road

2009-05-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

These are pictures I took while driving along a dirt road in Jefferson. I can't imagine the amount of ticks there might be in there.

I love these old buildings that are randomly out there...

Birthday count down

2009-05-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from Jessica and Jane... I made a count down to my kids birthday... 15 days before their birthday... they get little notes and/or goodies to help count down until their day! I made theirs out of pockets.

Moms and Muffins

2009-05-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

For mothers day, haley's class invited all the mom's in for muffins. It was very sweet. At their desk was art that the kids have done and a present for us moms.... It was very nice.

How to catch the Swine Flu

2009-05-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this picture in an email, thanks Pat. It made me laugh... So I guess if you don't want to catch the swine flu you probably should stop licking pigs...

A visit from Christine

2009-04-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

Christine came to visit me. She left her hubby (thank you Jonathan) and Mikah... her little one year old daughter, to come and hang out with an old friend (and when I say old I mean, I am old compared to her) :) Above is her reading the "All about Georgia" book Haley and Hunter made.
Jonah quickly warmed up to Christine... It had been 6 months since he last saw her.
This is Hunter doing a "I miss Jonathan" dance... it was load, but cute.
Friends... Christine and I met the last year I was teaching. It was her first year. She was a huge blessing to my life and we became instant friends... She knows all my lovely flaws and still wants to hang with me :)
She got to meet some of my friends and even got to go to my church.

We took her to the Waffle House (above) and Five Guys (below)

We HAD to go to Mayfield dairy...

We had some LATE nights... It was a BLAST... all my house hold chores were put off til after she left... but it was worth it. :)
Thanks Christine for coming out and visiting us in the sticks... :) We had fun. It was especially fun kicking your butt in card games.... :)

All about Georgia

2009-04-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hunter and Haley made Christine an "All about Georgia" book for her to read. Here are some of my favorite pages.

My 31 birthday

2009-04-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

On April 23rd, I turned 31. In the morning I had playgroup and went to the park with all the other moms and their kiddos. My friend, Kimberly, baked cupcakes and all the kids sang happy birthday to me... it was cute.

Below is Joe and his buddy Corbin.... Kimberly's youngest.

That evening, Jimmy took care of all the arrangements... before people came over, he let me take a nap (lets face it, a day at the park is not relaxing with a 20 month old).... he got Mexican food from a restaurant and Jenny baked a pound cake with NO frosting (my favorite).... Jimmy loaded it up with 31 candles for me to blow out. Nice.... He took great pleasure in that.

The kids helped me blow it out.

Pam, Bonnie, scott and Jenny all came to celebrate my birthday!

The next day, Christine surprised me with a visit. She flew out from California for a three day weekend. (Fri-Mon). It was a great birthday present. We had so much fun. (I will blog more about her trip out here later)
For my birthday, jim arranged for my friends and I to have a girls night. He facebooked three of my friends here in Georgia to find a day that would work out for them....

Above is Christine and Crystal... We went to dinner to the Olive Garden

Jenny, me and Kimberly... Rachael couldnt make it.

After dinner we walked around the Mall of Georgia... Then we went back to my house to play games and eat chocolate covered strawberries.... It was a late night but totally worth it. We had fun!!!

Spring is here...

2009-04-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Flowers are blooming like crazy! In California you get smog reports... or levels... whatever, here, you get pollen levels... You can literally see pollen flowing in the air. Our deck has yellow powder all over it like dust.. instead, its pollen....

Here us a really cute picture of Rainn, Rachael and Chad's daughter.

Haley posing silly.... This is right outside in our front yard

Hunter

Rachael and Chad came over to help Jim out with some computer things and we had pizza and fun. This is just outside out back door to our backyard. I am not sure if you click on the picture if you can see Jonah's head where he fell.... I will take a better one tomorrow and try and post it for you all.

Easter 09

2009-04-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

SO I put these pictures in backwards order.... :) Above is one of many pictures I have of the kids finding eggs around the house. Scott and Jenny started a tradition this year with our kids, which I love... taken from Jenny's family... Scott and Jenny wrote out clues for the kids to use to find their eggs. Haley was able to read her own clues... Hunter had his read to him. Jonah just had his eggs scattered on the floor while he shouted ball! :) The kids really liked the new egg hunt style.

ON easter morning, haley lost her fourth tooth. :)

Uncle Scoby helped Hunter with his egg hunt at church

Jonah even braved the egg hunt. This was two days from his stitches... (right now he looks great... I will have to post a picture)

And Easter baskets...

Good Friday.... or was it?

2009-04-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Wanna hear about my day yesterday? Well, if you dont, then dont read :)

It was a rainy, stormy day and haley was off on spring break, so we decided to have a lazy day. We all were in our PJ's and just chilled... no cleaning... just relaxed. I scrapbooked, the kids played... it was really relaxing...

The kids were dancing to Yo Gabba Gabba... UNTIL...

BOOM... followed by a loud scream... I ran into the living room to see Jonah covered in blood with a hole in his head walking towards me. He had fallen on the edge of the fireplace. I froze in shock. I dont do blood!!! AND there was a TON of it... I quickly grabbed the nearest thing I could (Haley's leggings) and put it on his head. Haley ran to the freezer and brought me a bag of frozen veggies... Jim was at work. I called him... couldnt remember what I said... then I remembered scott was off (which is amazing since he works 60 hours a week) so I called scott. He lives 3 minutes away. I dont remember what I told him but he came right away. Apparently I didnt tell him about the head wound because he was in shock when he saw Jonah.

When Scott arrived I had all the kids in the car loaded and ready... I ran upstairs to grab my shoes (and a few other clothing garments that were missing due to lazy day)... then we were off to the Urgent Care.

When we got to the Urgent care I jumped out to take Jonah in when I realized that the shoes I grabbed for myself were Haley's shoes... so I had NO SHOES (remember, it is RAINING).

Scott was a huge blessing... He was calm and great.

I remembered that my friend, Rachael, was childless for the day and Chad, her husband was off, so I called her to see if she could pick up the kids from the Urgent care so they didnt have to see their mom a wreck. When Rachael and Chad arrived... Rachael saw my bared feet and took off her shoes and gave them to me to wear.... she took off her sweater and gave it to me. The kids were happy to go to their house to play.... THANKS RACHAEL AND CHAD! Scott had offered to take the kids home, but at this point, Jim wasnt there yet and I needed his calm presence to help me out!

The nurses were great... very calming. They reassured me that he was doing great. He had stopped screaming and eventually wanted to get down to play. He didnt loose too much blood and never lost conscienceness

Jimmy arrived and then Jenny all in time for the stitches...

Jimmy was in the room when they stitched him up, the doctor had asked me to leave... :) because I had already been too emotional. Scott sent Jenny and I for a walk around the building so we wouldnt hear Jonah's screaming...

Jonah ended up with 6 internal stitches and 8 external stitches. We go back on Wednesday to get them removed.
When we got home, the storm was getting worse. Then there was TORNADO watch.

On the weather channel it told us that Flowery Branch was minutes away from getting hit by a funnel cloud... there were sirens going to warn us... (it wasnt as scary as it sounds... strangely)... So we headed to the basement.
I brought my lap top and a movie, Bolt, and we watched a movie.... It was kinda fun... The storm really only got as bad as thunder and lightening (which I am use to now). The wind here has never been as bad as the Santa Ana's I am use too... so really... it turned out to be fun family night in the hallway!
I learned a lot yesterday...

1. Always get fully dressed even on Lazy Day... because you never know...

2. Head wounds bleed a LOT... and may look worse then it actually is.

3. Tornado watch isnt as scary as an Earthquake. Because when you are hit with an earthquake (if you are like me) you lay in bed that night wondering if that was a pre-tremor to the BIG ONE... where as when tornado watch is over, you can go to bed and sleep without real worry of a surprise. (At least this is based on my one experience)

4. Keep my laptop charged so that when you have to go downstairs in a rush, you can entertain the kids with a movie...

5. Yo Gabba Gabba is the worst...

6. Protecting your fireplace with a big thick quilt doesnt fully protect from head wounds...

7. It is nice to have family and friends that live close by!

Little of this a little of that

2009-04-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

When ever we have people coming over, the kids like to look out our windows on the side of our house... Hunter will pull up a chair and sit there just watching.... it is cute.
This is a swinging bench we have out in our back yard where we like to sit...

This is Jonah, "riding" Hunter's scooter... In the grass... :)

Every Easter Jim likes to dye eggs with the kids...

Sunday was the Braves first official game... We went to have dinner at Scott and Jenny's house. It was fun... we even had a stripper... Jonah :)

Haley did an easter egg hunt at school and the way the teacher did it was that each kid got assigned a word and they could only collect the eggs they found with their word on it. I thought it was pretty cool.... new idea anyways...

Lately when my kids come home with a balloon from somewhere, they draw a face on them, name them and then play with them as their "friend". I liked this picture of Hunter with "Buddy" ... my kids get quite attached and when the air gets low (or say, mom accidently pops it) they get really sad....

The hunt begins.... How to Catch a Squirrel?

2009-04-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Jamey, came over to help Jim set the trap for the squirrel(s) that live up in our attic. At least we are hoping it is squirrels... if it isnt, then this rat has big ol' poo. Anyways... Our landlord dude came over to drop off the trap for the varmint, and had this big smile on his face explaining that once we catch the critter, we can do with it as we please.... I asked him what this meant and he said, (with a smile) "you can shake the cage til he dies, or you can get a gun and shoot him at point blank... " so in other words, when he said we can do with it how ever we want, he meant we could KILL it anyway we want.... WOO.... JIm and I had no idea what to do so we called our friend, Jamey, to help us out. He went up in the attic with Jim to look around for the best place to set the trap.... While doing this, he found poo.... BIG poo.... He said that it was TOO big to be a rats... so he is PRETTY sure it is squirrels who are coming up there. Squirrels, I dont mind so much..... RATS... I DO MIND.... Anyways.... the trap has been up there for a week now and NO CRITTER... We hear the squirrels.... but they are smart... Hunter hopes we catch it so we can have a pet squirrel.... Hopefully he wont be too crushed when I tell him that squirrels dont really make for good pets.

Fire truck fun

2009-04-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

This morning at play group, Rusty (our churches youth pastor) brought an older model fire truck for the kids to see. I believe he is the fire Chaplin dude there....

He took the kids for a ride... Above is Hunter and Grady

Hunter and Jonah waiting their turns

Me and Kimberly

Haley brought her friend Farrah, she got to come because she is on Spring Break.

Rusty let us use the hose!

Below is Rachael and her daughter Rainn.

Hunter, Haley and Farrah. Hunter loves that Farrah has glasses just like him! Cute. I wish you could hear Farrah talk, she has the cutest southern accent!!! (So does Rainn) I love these kids with their cute little accents...

Rainn, Hunter, Haley, Jonah, Farrah, and Corbin

Me wearing the mask and tank thing.... Jonah thought it was funny seeing me with the mask, he pointed and laughed at me....

Jonah and I in the truck...

It was a fun morning....

Our home phone

2009-03-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

I sent out my new phone number a while ago... Well, I want to just put out a disclaimer out there.... Unfortunately, Jim and I are having issues with receiving messages from it. One person thought we were mad at them because we werent returning their calls... really, it is because our phone provider sucks.

So if you have left us a message EVER on our home phone number, we have NEVER gotten it so please excuse our rudeness for not returning your calls.

If you want to leave a phone message with Jim or I please do so on our cell phones...

Thanks and again, sorry if you felt we were rude.

Art night....

2009-03-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

The above picture is our family picture, according to Hunter... going from left to right, Mom holding baby Hunter, Jonah walking next to him, Haley being held by dad (who has a pot belly?) and uncle Len.
The above picture is Haley's family picture. I think you can tell who is who in this photo.

Tonight I asked the kids to draw what they would like to do as a family.... Haley drew us having a picnic (Above)

Can you guess Hunters photo? It is the park... :)

This is Hunter PROUDLY showing dad his family drawing...

Conversation

2009-03-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

Haley and Hunter were in our down stairs play room when this conversation took place...

Hay: I need a doctor, I have four eggs to hatch

Hunt: I am a train conductor.

Hay: But I need a doctor to help me hatch my eggs

Hunt: Train conductors and doctors are the same.

Hay: Well, ok.

Hunt: ALl we need now is a tunnel

Len, Jenna and Scarlet come out to visit

2009-03-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

On Jim's birthday his brother showed up with his family. The funny thing, that ended up being the joke of their visit, was the moment they pulled up in our drive way, my voice left completely.
Jonah looks so big next to baby scarlet. It is funny how a baby can make your baby look so big. The kids loved their littlest cousin. Scarlet was all smiles.

Haley read to Aunt Jenna

Len with his beautiful daughter...

Jenna brought some goodies for the kids.... this is them watching their pills grow to animals.

Uncle Jimmy stealing cuddles from his niece.

We all played Monopoly Junior... Disney Channel version.... Hunter and Jenna won.

The stayed with us for three nights then left to Savanna, GA. They return to our house today for a night, Len leaves for home tomorrow.

Jimmy turns 31

2009-03-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

this year I let the kids pick out their gift for Dad... :) Haley knew right off that she wanted ot get him the biggest bag of M&M's she could find.... Hunter needed some guidance... He first wanted to get dad a Thomas movie.... we had to have a talk about getting gifts that the person wants... hunter, then told me that dad LOVES Thomas. :)

He settled for the idea of getting him a game he could play with the kids... and JIm loves Monopoly so he got him Monopoly junior.... (Which Hunter won later on)...

The kids decorated their own wrapping paper....

Jonah got dad a high five :)

Len and Jenna arrived at our house on Jimmy's birthday! So they got to meet some of our friends who came over Saturday to celebrate with dessert and some Wii fun!

From left to right... Crystal, and her husband, Jamey, Jonah and Jim, Rachael and her husband Chad. (Rachael was being a booger)

Darrel and Kimberly (Our pastor and family) their two kids... Grady and Corbin.

Jenny and Stef :)

Ok, so when it came down to sing him happy birthday.... I started, and NO ONE followed... and I had NO VOICE and it was SQUEAKY!!! I was soooooooo glad that it wasnt captured on recorder... :) Eventually everyone DID sing...

Scott and Jenny got Jim a Braves t-shirt. Jim and I have gone back and forth with our kids over our baseball teams.... I am an ANGEL fan!!!! And Jim is all about the Red Sox... so our kids are stuck in a huge battle between their parents.... So we decided that our NATIONAL league team is the Braves.... a local team.... Jim still loves the Red Sox and I the Angels.... but since the Braves are ALWAYS on TV and will be at nice East Coast times, we will be watching more of their games.... :)

Little trivia for our newest friends... Haley was born the year the Angels won the World Series... and both boys were born the same years that Boston won the World Series.

We are BIG Baseball fans

And what would be a party without Jonah and Wii....

What is going on with us lately...

2009-03-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

Jonah is currently in a phase where he says... NO to everything"Jonah, is Hunter your brother?"

"Do you want a cookie?"

"Do you want milk?"

"Do you wanna play wii?" (His favorite thing right now)

NO (As he runs to the TV and points up as if he wants it on)

He also likes to say OFF... If you are sitting where he wants to sit... OFF...

Hunter has been GREAT since being pulled out of his pre-school. Him and I work on his writing and reading words... also sign language and art.... We play memory, and he ALWAYS kicks my butt! Seriously.... I dont let him win.... he has a great memory. He has been a big help with Jonah. Hunter is just growing so much and becoming more and more a little man :).

Hunter loves his Llama friends down the street. Whenever we drive by them, he always has a story about what they are doing.... today when we drove by, they were at school. :)

Haley is becoming so grown up. She is reading more and more each day! Her teachers just love having her... at her parent teacher conference, a week or so ago, the teacher told us how Haley coming into their class blessed them so much. That she is just so easy to have in class... and is so smart... Jim and I are both so glad we didnt fight to have her placed in first grade.

Jim just had his 31st birthday... (I will post pictures later... I dont have my camera with me). We had a small little party of a few friends for dessert here. Jenna and Len are out and were here for Jim's birthday. It has been great seeing them and Scarlet, our sweet niece. I will post pictures later.

Jim is officially a small business owner... YIKES... a little scary but we know God will care for our needs... He has so far... :) even when we didn't know what was going on... God's plan always works out. He is the owner of Vandegrift Title. :) He has work everyday... praise God!!! He gets to work out of our home so it is fun to see him more. :)

We sold our home! After 8 months of having it on the market... the bank finally accepted the ONLY offer we had on it. These people who are buying it are a Godsend. They have stuck to this house so faithfully. This is a huge praise for us.

Me, Stef, well, I am good. Today was the last day to my Esther study I have been attending. I have also started a moms play group at the church we are attending. It isnt like mops or anything organized... more of just a weekly play group that get together and let their kids play. There really isnt much to it.

Tomorrow is Jim and My 9th anniversary. I can't believe we have been married for 9 years!!! Do we have any plans? Probably not... :) but that is ok.... :)

Life according to Hunter

2009-03-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

This picture is our family drawn by Hunter... the clever thing is.... he drew it all upside down.

The other day hunter and I were having a conversation in the car

H: Mom, I want Kiwi and lucy to have a baby (they are our dogs... both girls, both spaded.)

M: Thats nice... (I didnt know what to say, Hunter is four)

H: I cant wait for them to have a baby. (Now it is that they ARE going to have a baby)

M: Oh they are? I kept my eyes on the road ahead of me

H: Ya, Lucy has a baby in her tummy... Looking in the mirror I could see Hunter with his hand on his face resting against the window looking out, very peaceful and in deep thought

M: Oh

H: ya, Kiwi has one too.

M: Interesting...

H: Ya, Kiwi is going to be a little sister and Lucy is going to be the big sister...

M; Oh, well, ok....

How that logic makes any sense... I dont know... But Hunter sure has it figured out.

Tooth stuff and other fun

2009-03-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Haley lost her third tooth... We were all so excited because she has been complaining of it hurting...

The kids playing out on our deck.. They made a train of chairs...

Spring is Near...

2009-03-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is a few houses down from us. It is BEAUTIFUL!

On my mom, shellie and jasen's last day here, we visited a covered bridge on Lake Lanier. Hunter and Jasen had fun running up the hill... Hunter just LOVES jasen :). I wish everyone could hear their conversations... mostly about China. :) Hunter could talk for hours with Jasen asking him questions... it is REALLY sweet!

Jasen and I outside the driveway! On Thursday, Jim's brother Len and his wife, Jenna and their daughter,Scarlet are coming out for a visit... I hope these trees are just as beautiful when they get here!!!

My mom, my aunt Shellie and Jasen come to visit

2009-03-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

We went to Athens a few times... Athens, home of UGA... Georgia Bulldogs... Above is Jasen and I at The Grill and below... Shellie and my mom.

Above is Jasen, Shellie and Hunt and Joe walking in downtown Athens.

A truck in Watkinsville.. a city near Athens. I thought it was pretty funny

Jonah

The boys are getting along more and more each day. Since Hunter is no longer in school... they actually play together :) I love it.

Out on our deck

My mom and Shellie threw us all a party... presents... cake... good food... family and fun.... it was fun! My mom had a hard time missing Scott's birthday and soon will miss mine... so this was their way of celebrating with us.

My grandma and pa Lembke got my kids some goodies...

Playing loaded questions with the family...

Playing Wii with Uncle Scoby

Jenny and Shellie

Lego Fun

We hung out... went to the mall, went to the flea market... it was fun to hang out and just be with family...

More snow pictures

2009-03-02T09:14:00.001-08:00

Jenny's car

Me along our street

The view out our dinning room window

The same view this morning

Snow in Flowery Branch

2009-03-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

Our first snow fall...

Jimmy took our picture from the balcony

Aunt Jenny and the kids making a snow man.

I will post more pictures once my battery charges more :) I love it. It is so beautiful out here!!!

Interview with the kids

2009-02-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, Nicole, did this interview with her daughter and I thought it was so cute that I did it with my two oldest... Jonah would answer everything with mom...

Hunter age 4 1/2 and Haley is 6

1. What is something mom always says to you?

Hunter: “I love you”

Haley: “I love you”

2. What makes mom happy?

Hunter: Kisses

Haley: Me and Hunter and Jonah

3. What makes mom sad?

HUnter: no kisses.

Haley: If we do something wrong

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Hunter: I dont know, what makes you laugh?

Haley: Tickling your arm pits...as both kids start to tickle me

5. What was your mom like as a child?

Hunt: you were like me

Hay: You liked penguins and you didnt have glasses

6. How old is your mom?

Hunter: I dont know

Haley: 30

7. How tall is your mom?

Hunter: points to the top of my head and says... that tall

Haley: 30

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Hunter: play on the computer

Haley: Journal and Scrapbook

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Hunter: play with jonah

Haley: That is a hard one... she goes on the computer and scrapbooks

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Hunter: jonah

Haley:jumping jacks

11. What is your mom really good at?

Hunter: art...

Haley: painting flowers

12. What is your mom not very good at?

Hunter: coloring

Haley: what you are not good at...

13. What does your mom do for a job?

Hunter: i dont know

Haley: Take care of jonah

14.What is your mom's favorite food?

Hunter:mac n cheese

Haley: Toast with Peanut butter

15.What makes you proud of your mom?

Hunter: when you draw pictures with me

Haley: when you surprise me

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Hunter: scooby doo

Haley: mickey

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Hunter: draw

Haley: make books

18. How are you and your mom the same?

Hunter: OUR GLASSES!!!!

Haley: both girls

19. How are you and your mom different?

Hunter: I am a boy... you are a girl

Haley: you have glasses and i dont

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Hunter: we cuddle

Haley: cuz you say that

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?

Hunter:cuz he loves you

Haley: you sleep with each other

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

Hunter: costco

Haley: the mall

Signing your cards

2009-02-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ok... Leah, I am totally copying your blog post topic... It really got me thinking so I wanted to throw out your question you put out there...

Leah, Jim's cousin, just wrote a blog post about the way people sign cards, say Christmas cards for example. She had noticed that usually it was the wife who signed the card yet signed it using the husbands name first. And families with kids... they listed the kids names after the parents going from oldest to youngest...

How do you sign a card from the family?

I had a friend tell me in the past that she wrote her husbands name first because it was what he wanted... out of respect.... Thoughts? Does it even matter?

I am thinking of starting to sign my cards in a name pattern... Jim, Haley, Stef, Hunter, Jonah... Or maybe.... JHSHJ.... OR maybe Jonah, Haley, Stef, Hunter, Jim :)

Baking Cupcakes with Aunt Jenny

2009-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Yep... Hunter LICKING the mixer....

Fun aunt jenny... She enjoys baking more then I do, so she got the job to help the kids with this task.... they loved it.

Cool Swings

2009-02-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

Ok... so this first picture isnt a swing... My friend Crystal took us to a park in Dacula... It is designed for handicap kids.

These are the cool swings... Jonah loved his swing

Random kid stuff

2009-02-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

Cute Hunter playing with his animal

When Jonah was sick, Hunter slept in Haley's room on his mat. I liked that for when school was in the morning because then Jonah could sleep longer.... This is not a permanent thing... just something they are doing.... Fun....

Cutie

The kids decorating our front yard...

A Valentine Card

2009-02-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

HUNTER got this card from another student in his class....

Bathtime Boys

2009-02-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

They both love the bath... but not with each other. They both struggle with sharing... Jonah more then Hunter. Hunter just wants to teach Jonah how to splash which equals... crazy mom... So now they bathe separate. :)

My Mom's Group

2009-02-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

My friend Rachael.... and her daughter, Rainn

Kimberly and her two sons, Corbin (2 in May) and Grady (4)

Crystal and Me

Crystal and her son Luke (3)

There are more girls... I just didnt get them all on camera.

Stephanie Needs

2009-02-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

I was reading a note on one of my facebook friends profile where she typed in her first name and the word "needs" and googled it.... she then wrote down the top ten things... according to google, that she needed.... It is one of those tag things.... she didnt tag me, I just tried it and thought they were funny....

1. Stephanie needs.... some help.... (True)

2. Stephanie needs ... to die (That is sad)

3. Stephanie needs... to be in a family where there are no other children or animals. (it sounds like I am scary)

4. Stephanie needs... a strong manly shoulder to lean on (hmmmmmm Jimmy?)

5. Stephanie needs ... a teacher to explain her behavior. (Ha.... Funny)

6. Stephanie needs...Rhinoplasty Surgery (I dont even know what that is)

There were more... but I stopped.... I thought it was funny that googled said that stephanie needed to die.... so if you are bored (cuz, clearly I was) type your name in google followed by needs to see what google says you need.

My first Tornado watch

2009-02-19T04:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, for you west coasters... Tornado watch is a little bit, just a tad, scarier then STORM WATCH. :)

For you east coasters that read this... in california where I am from, when ever it rains, it is STORM WATCH and they make a big deal... :)

Yesterday at 5, Jim was gone working, and I was home ALONE with the kids.... Thunder and Lightening happen like I have never seen before... shook the house... all that. SO I called my friend, Crystal. I wanted to ask her if lightening could hit our house. She assured me that it could but isn't likely... (and as my friend Kimberly reminded me, it is out of my control)

As Crystal and i were talking all of a sudden hail comes down... in sheets.... I couldnt even see my street in front of my house. The kids and I run to the front window to watch it.... Crystal is still on the phone with me... She CALMLY tells me... "Ummmmm stef, you should probably get away from the window and go down stairs to your basement with your kids."

To my amazement... and I know some of you wont believe this, but I was semi-calm. For me at least... Once we were downstairs... the hail pretty much stopped and really it was windy... but NOTHING like California Santa Ana's...

It lasted no longer then ten minutes and then the sun came out and all was fine.

Jim came home afterwards... of course. :) He missed all the fun.

Over all, it was kinda scary, but I think if we had a "plan" for when these things happen, I would feel 10 times better.

Jim and I were talking.... the winds here (In Georgia) have never been more intense then California's Santa Ana's but the thing that gets us is we are USE to California's winds.... We know what to expect of them. Our fence might blow over, maybe a tree.... but not a tornado. Here Jim and I dont know if the wind means Tornado....

How did the kids respond... they were bummed that the "snow" didnt stay and that they couldnt go play in it. That's it...

No I dont do drugs

2009-02-18T17:08:00.000-08:00

HAHAHA...

Ok, so on facebook I wrote 25 facts about myself.... for most people, you all know them already so I wont bore you... But one of the facts was that I roll paper...

Well, one of my new friends and I were talking and she gets quiet and says, "Can I ask you a question... I promise I dont care and I will still be your friend..."

"Of course... I am pretty open."

"Do you smoke pot? I saw on your facts that you roll paper and I just wasnt sure what that meant."

I about peed my pants... she is so cute... I wanted to hug her. I assured her that no I dont smoke pot.... may act high on caffine, but pot... no. :)

MY OTHER drug story... all within TWO DAYS...

ANOTHER new friend of mine and I were at bible study. Every week I take out my breath mints before the Beth Moore video comes on so that I dont make noise during the video... Tuesday I offered my friend if she wanted one.... she told me she thought those were pills of some sort that I pop every week.... HA...

WOW...

SO I am making a GREAT impression here.

I got tagged

2009-02-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

My friend Erin tagged me

here are the rules:

1. Go to where you store your pics.

2. Go to your 4th folder.

3. Go to your 4th pic.

4. Post it and tag three more people. Jane, Carrie and Jenn

This is a picture HUnter took of his stuffed animal Ten.... Yes, he still has the cow named ten.... we are going on almost two years with this doll....

Photo Booth Fun

2009-02-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

Jenny's 24th Birthday

2009-02-09T10:38:00.001-08:00

Here in Georgia... we have been told, that the only seat belt law they have is for the front seat, so Scott climbed in the back trunk area for the ride to the Olive Garden for Jenny's birthday dinner.

The girls outside the Olive Garden... I love Jenny's neckless.... Rachael, I think you made it... I LOVE IT! Great job!

Chris and Curtis were out visiting Scott and they came with us to celebrate Jenny's birthday.

Arent they cute?

The sign I made Jenny... :) (If you are wondering what the nice display is inside my fireplace, it is a box and blankets to keep the draft out... :)

Jimmy stayed home with the kids while we went to dinner.... he was being a bad man, just kidding... Jonah was having wheezing issues so we thought it best for the kids to stay home and because I am closer to Jenny then Jim is, I won and got to go.... lucky me :)

The above picture is JImmy and I giving Jonah one of many breathing treatments.... We were up all night giving Jonah breathing treatments... but this blog post isnt about that... it is ALL ABOUT JENNY

Jenny and her niece and nephews

Jenny cuddling with her sick nephew :(

Today is Jenny's actual Birthday.... she is at the age where she still likes getting older... :) Happy birthday girlie.

Sick sick and more sick

2009-02-06T13:35:00.001-08:00

This week has been filled with illness....

Starting last week when Joe vomited.... Nice

Then Jimmy....

Then the boys got the runs.... :)

Then Hunter got broncitis

Then Haley vomit

Jonah an ear infection

And today... Haley woke up with her eye glued shut with crap in it... pink eye.

AHHHH

The blessings in all this is I have had some awesome quality time with each kid individually. Hunter and I got to spend four hours wednesday together...

Haley truly is an AWESOME sick kid. I mean, not that it is fun to be sick... but she was so easy. She got up and did the vomit thing in the bathroom... no big clean up required... She lets you know what hurts and what she wants... (Unlike the untalking Jonah)

Hunter isnt a huge complainer when he is sick... he makes me look like a big ol' liar when I am in the doctors office... then when they check him out they see that he really is sick. Hunter is super cuddly when he doesnt feel good.

Jonah is the biggest pain in the sick department. He wants to be cuddling with me when he vomits which means, I get all the vomit on me. He screams and cries when something is wrong... he cant just say, "Mom, my ear hurts"

Anyways... we are on the mend... at least that is what I hope.... So far Hunt and I are the only two who havent blown chunks so I hope it stays that way!

One big Liar

2009-02-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

I got my drivers license the other day. Finally. :)

Anyways, I went to fill out my info... brown eyes, brown hair, 5'4'... Then came the question of weight.... I lied... The lady looked at my weight and asked me, "IS this how much you really weigh?" I didnt lie that much, but I was still insulted. The girl said that she always asks the question and that everyone tells her that they lie. She even admitted to lieing herself. So my poll question this week is ... By how many pounds (less) does your license say you weigh compared to how much you really weigh.

By the way... I never answer my poll questions right away... I always wait for someone(s) to answer first...

Some blessings

2009-01-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

The kids and I made this train city set yesterday... we had fun doing it and they loved it. When we build sets like this, they can spend hours playing :) totally getting along, it is nice. Haley will play with her littlest pet shop and hunter... what else, his trains... even though now, thanks to Nate, he ALSO loves Cars cars.

I met a new friend, Rachael, who gave Hunter this bed. He loves it!

Ever since Jim and I took financial peace university, we only buy things when we have the cash to do it. So with our christmas money and some early birthday money, and after waiting a month for a good sale... we bought our first flat screen tv. It is 32inchs and is NICE. Our other TV was on its last leg. Seriously, the color would sometimes be green... or the sound would be off. It served us well, but now, thankfully it is gone.
When one is in time out, they all go. Actually in the above picture, Haley and Hunter got sent to time out and Jonah wanted to join in on the fun. It really wasnt much of a time out, per say, but more a need to calm themselves down... they had to count SLOWLY to ten before entering the living room again.

Jonah is in a huge Haley phase. HE follows her around calling her mama.... She is so gentle and sweet to him... Hunter loves Joe too, dont get me wrong... its just that Hunter and gentle arent really words you use much together unless you are telling Hunter to BE gentle.

Thankfully our children do love each other and get along well.

Scott turns 30 -1 :)

2009-01-30T08:54:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Scott's 29th birthday at our house. When I turned 29, Jim made fun of me for a year (we are the same age by the way)... that when I turned 30 it actually wasnt as bad as turning 29. So with that thought, I am messing around with Scott :).

Jenny got him Battle Star Gal--- something I know the word but am too lazy to get up and go check how to spell it (I have been up all night - read last post)
It was a smaller crew this year for his party... but it was still nice. We watched Dark Knight after the kids went to bed. Jenny, too, fell asleep. :)

Ahhhh vomit... I loathe you

2009-01-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

I have been up all night with Jonah.... Jim and I rotating on and off shifts... after vomiting twice in his bed, we ran out of bed sheets to fit his crib so Jim and I took turns sleeping in the recliner with Joe. I didnt realize how much crap could come out of a little 17 month old. He hasnt been able to keep anything down so we took him to Urgent Care this morning.... Pray that the other kiddos dont get this lovely thing.

I went to the Dermatologist this morning as well. I have had a few moles grow back after being chopped off so I had them checked out. Sure enough, one was removed... surprisingly only one. I am use to coming home with five less. But now that I am in my 30's I have gained a few extra spots... they are called age spots... LOVELY... ONE MORE thing that I get to enjoy now that I am older... CRAP.

Those crazy west coasters...

2009-01-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

My new friend, Rachael, invited me to a Beth Moore study on Esther. It meets every Tuesday morning and child care is provided... COOL! It really is an intense study on the book of Esther... I love it...

Anyways...

The woman in charge got up and started us off... we were talking about mean women :) and what we, the women in the study, think when we hear the word MANNER'S . We all put in our thoughts about what manners are... and the last idea is, using polite, kind words like thank you and please. The leader lady says... "I have a great story about that. My mom just went to visit her sister on the west coast. They went out to dinner and my mom used words like thank you and please when talking to the server. Her sister told her that she didnt need to use those words here on the west coast....." The lady telling us the story laughs... then says.. "you know west coasters...." all the women in the study agreed and laughed... Rachael poked me under the table laughing at me.... she was the only girl there who knew I was from the west coast :)...

Our kids

2009-01-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

Jenny's sister, Hayley, or as my kids have come to call her, Aunt Hayley (it sounds better then big Hayley) came out for a visit. She got a new camera and took some amazing pictures of my kiddos....
She took some natural photos... following them around... haley probably is the only one would could pose if asked... the boys just didnt want any of that.

She took about 100 of them... I just picked these three... I still need to look threw them all to pick my favorites to print :)

Thanks again Hayley! It was great seeing you! I love the pictures... thanks

Right now

2009-01-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

Updates:

I found a mops. It is at a local church, Chestnut Mountain Church. I have only been once but I am not sure if I will return. It was nice and people there were nice, however, something else came up at the SAME time as the mops. A girl I met at the MOPS, Rachael, invited me to a bible study that is every week on the same day as the mops meetings are. It is a Beth Moore study on the book of Esther. I am really excited about it. Child care is free :). Plus it is very educational and I am looking forward to really diving in and learning about Esther. :) If you havent read a study by Beth Moore... she is VERY detailed and knowledgeable... her studies are intense and really deep.

We have been going to Corner-Stone Baptist Church more regularly now and have even tried one of their "Life groups" which is a fancy way of saying bible study. This group seems very deep and detailed in their studies as well, which is very fulfilling. We are studying Philippians. I kinda feel like I am in school with how deep both studies are. I really like the challenge and the studies...

Both Haley and Hunter are back in school. They are having their 100th day of school party today! They both love school... the only thing Hunter keeps telling me he doesnt like is nap time. :) They dont let him bag his head... according to Hunter. :) Therefore he doesnt take a nap :).

I am enjoying my time with Jonah. He is growing so fast it feels like. He is 17 months now. Right now here are a list of his favorite things to do

- play in Haleys room with her Littlest Pet Shop

- Play with the dog food and water

- Pick other peoples noses

- High Five people

- Bath time!

- Feeding HIMSELF

- Trying to get inside the fireplace

- Baby Einstein

- Freedom to run anywhere he wants... like at Walmart

- Balls

- Little People toys

- Throwing Hunter's trains.... Hunter isnt to fond of this one :)

- Pushing TV buttons.

Those are just a few... :) he keeps me busy :)

Visiting with Mandy

2009-01-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

Mandy, Adam and Wyatt (their son) all came out to the east coast to have a vacation with his family. They flew out of Atlanta. So on their way home we met up for lunch in Atlanta. It was GREAT to see them. Wyatt is a doll.... Hunter fell in love with him. They held hands :). To quote Hunter when he first met Wyatt, "WE have a cousin named Wyatt in California." - so carrie, I guess we are sisters???
We went to The Varsity which we were told is compared to In-n-out. But really.... it doesnt :). In-n-out still gets my vote.
Haley was soooooo quiet and shy. It makes her come across rude.... Like when I introduced her to Mandy, she wouldnt even acknowledge her existence.... what do you do with that??? REALLY any suggestions???? Do you make her talk?
Hunter has the opposite problem... He talks to EVERYONE. the people behind us... this is Hunter, "Hi.. My name is Hunter and I like Thomas the Train."

It was really nice to see some friends out here!

New Years Eve

2009-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

We played games :)

Christmas dinner at the McElrea's

2009-01-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

Uncle Rodger helping HUnter with a Train set they got him for Christmas

Aunt Pam reading with Joe

Between Scott and I we decked my parents out in georgia gear

More Christmas Pictures

2009-01-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

Jenna made us some wooden frames and other wooden goodies.... she burned art into them.

Helen and Bud gave the kids a BIG winter jacket and each kids a Disney DVD.

I painted Haley and Hunter houses.... Haley uses hers for Littlest Pet Shop and Hunter for trains.
Haley HAD on a nice dress, but then it bothered her and she decided to take it upon herself to change into a summer dress... I didnt want to fight with her on Christmas so I left it be.

Just a few more pictures from my parents and grandparents visit

2009-01-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas eve dinner at scott and jenny's.

Jonah enjoyed climbing on gifts more

While my parents were here, we played a lot of games :)

We had a big game of war!

Hunters first day of Pre-School...

2009-01-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is kinda dark at 745 in the morning here.

Hunter was a little nervous on his first day. There were a lot of kids in the class... which he isnt use to. He kept wanting Mrs. Jones :).

On his first day of school they were having a christmas party (this was back in december - I am just getting to uploading all my pictures) this party made Hunter feel right at home. :) I think he thought it was for him.

Ahhh you gotta love AT&T

2009-01-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

For a while now our internet has been a booger.... we could get on for five minutes then it would shut down for hours.... very frustrating to me since most of my social life is on here (sad I know). SO I havent been able to update the blog because lets face it, it takes forever to upload photos on here and most blog posts take more then five minutes to type out :).

Jimmy is working for a Health Insurance company now. He is REALLY excited about it. Apparently it is a really good group that even Dave Ramsey would approve. (Dave Ramsey is the founder of Financial Peace University which Jim and I took and it has changed our lives!)

Hunter is in preschool. It is a great social outlet for him...

Haley still loves school. She is becoming an excellent reader! I cant believe how well she is reading!

Jonah has a lot of mommy time while the kids are in school. It is so fun to hang out with him. He gets a little obessed with ONE particular book and wants to read it for hours it seems... and when I say he wants to read it for hours... what I mean to say is he wants to sit in my lap and have me read it to him for hours... which is a blast at first.... but gets really old... and makes doing household chores harder... To help make the book more interesting for myself, I make up new words and sarcasism to it to make myself laugh... (Kinda like what Dan Houghton does in Honduras when he talks to the kids there in english as if they can understand him).

A quick Haley story...

H: Mom... Ethan kissed me yesterday at school.

Me: What?

With a HUGE smile, H: Ethan kissed me.

Trying to be aloof, me: Where?

H: At school

Me: no, where did he kiss you?

H: At school

Me:.... No, Where?

H: In centers

Finally understanding that she isnt getting what I am asking...ME: No where on your body?

With another huge smile, H: My arm.

I got a huge smile.... it was cute. Very innocent :)

Stockings 08

2008-12-29T06:24:00.000-08:00

Having my parents here was fun... they did stockings with us!

my mom brought her stockings from home.

The kids had set out donuts for santa.... it is so funny we never really focused on Santa.... Christmas has been abut Jesus. Haley asked Jim if Santa was real and he told her no. She got upset and began to argue with him telling us that santa is real and that if she took the polar express she would hear the bell. It was so cute... so now, because of the Polar Express... she thinks we are all scrooges. It is sweet and I loved watching her excitement when she saw that santa ate some of the donuts she had laid out. She also laid out food for the reindeer. :)

Haley surprised the whole family with pictures in our stockings... she drew each of us our own picture and placed in it our stocking a while back. She is so sweet.

I will post christmas pictures once I down load them... these past pictures are from my moms camera.

New traditions

2008-12-29T06:12:00.000-08:00

Here in a new state we had to start some new traditions..

We decided that on Christmas eve we would open ONE present and have dinner at Scott and Jenny's.

Then on Christmas morning, we would have breakfast and do all day hang out stuff at our home... Next year we may switch it up a bit... but this year that is what we did.