The Collard's

I'm back

2009-11-18T14:55:00.003-06:00

Wow, I just realized that I havent blogged in 3 months! I guess I have some catching up to do.
Since I blogged last Brayden has started preschool and is loving it. He has learned so much already. They are having Thanksgiving lunch Friday and he's pretty excited about that. Brayden will start Kindergarten next August and we will start Emma in preschool then. We have 2 sets of wonderful grandparents that keep her now so we can save a little money ;)
Also, I have lost a total of 40 pounds since I started my diet in March. I've gone from a size 12/14 to a 6 so I'm pretty excited about that! I would love to loose another 5-10 pounds, but I doubt it will happen during the holidays..lol
Speaking of holidays....I am so ready to put my Christmas tree up, but I'm going to hold off until Thanksgiving...which is only a week away. However, I have already put my Christmas wreath on my front door my 2 trees on the porch. I love this time of year....excpet for the getting dark at 5:00 thing....

Preschool, turning 2 and potty training

2009-08-07T10:05:00.005-05:00

I know, I know...I haven't blogged in forever....I've been too busy reading everyone elses...:)
It seems that I don't have 'babies' anymore. Brayden is starting preschool next week! We went yesterday to see his room and visit his teachers and he is very excited. I think he is really going to enjoy it. He will be going 3 days a week. I almost cried when we walked in his room, so I don't even want to think about his 1st day of Kindergarten next year! He is just growing up way too fast. My sweet Emma will be tunring 2 on Sunday....where does the time go?!? We are in the process of potty training her & she is doing vey well. She has had 2 accidents....thank the good Lord both times she was on the tile & not on my carpet! She had a poopy accident in the bathroom, and lets just say she went straight in the tub, after I wiped to poop off of course, the rugs got washed & the floor was scrubbed with clorox wipes (which are the best thing ever!) Ahhh, the joys of motherhood!

Happy Birthday Brayden!

2009-06-02T10:11:00.006-05:00

Wow, it's hard to believe my baby boy is 4 today! Brayden is an awesome kid! He is truly a blessing and I consider it an absolute honor that God has allowed me to be a his mom. We have a pretty full day planned. I woke him up singing 'Happy Birthday' this morning. He and Emma are at their Pawpaw & Nana's while I work til 12:30. Then we're going home to play outside in the pool, Bryaden and I are going out for dinner and going to order his birthday cake & finish getting his birthday party supplies for Saturday. Then we are going to go home & when Patrick gets home from work we're going to have some birthday cake and ice cream...well, they'll have cake & ice cream, I'm still dieting....

She's back!

2009-05-20T16:32:00.002-05:00

My mom has finally moved back to Tuscaloosa! Woohoo :) She and my stepdad moved Monday and are now officially Tuscaloosians again! I'm going to like being able to just call her up & ask her to go with me to T.J. Maxx or Walmart. I will probably get on her nerves for a while :) Brayden is thrilled and thinks we should be at her house all the time. I picked him up from my dads yesterday when I got off work & the first thing he said was "ok, let's go to Mawmaw's!"
My stepmom asked me what we had planned for Memorial Day. I told her I wasnt sure yet, but my mom mentioned cooking out. She then said "this is going to complicate things" :) Normally I would just run over to their house for lunch, after all it's only 2 minutes away (we can see their neighborhood from our front yard). Now I guess I'll just have to go with whoever asks first :) Too much family - I think thats a good problem to have! :)

My sweet boy :)

2009-05-01T13:51:00.002-05:00

I may have to keep my eye on Brayden. He apparently has just skipped over the 'girls have cooties' stage. This is the conversation we had on the way home from church Wednesday night.
Brayden: "Momma, did you see that girl in the striped shirt in my class?"
Me: "No baby, I didn't notice"
Brayden: "She kept following me around....she's my friend"
Me: "You'll have to show her to me Sunday"
Brayden: "She was at The Barnyard too" (his preschool party for church was there)
Me: "Was she?"
Brayden: "and Momma.......she sure is pretty!"

You go girl!

2009-04-22T13:29:00.004-05:00

I just want to say for the record that I am 100% backing Miss California! I (being a Christain) personally loved her answer for the gay marriage question. The fact that Perez Hilton (a gay man) is the one who asked it makes her reponse more wonderful. I think it's great the way she answered the question with an honest opinion and she didn't just give an answer that she thought the judges would want to hear. So, in the futre Mr. Hilton, don't ask someone their opinion if your not prepared for it!

Good news!

2009-04-21T11:29:00.002-05:00

My mom is moving back to Tuscaloosa! I am very excited about this new information :) She and my stepdad are moving back in about 4 weeks. I'm sure they will miss being so close to the beach! My mom stayed at our house while Patrick & I went out of town for our anniversary a couple of weeks ago & Emma became a Mawmaw's girl so I know she will love being able to see her Mawmaw ALOT more. My mom is very excited about moving back to be closer to the grankids. All I can say is she better get ready, I'm sure Brayden will be calling her everyday wanting to go to her house or her come over to ours! I am very excited about having a walking buddy now. It hard pushing 2 kids in a double stoller who weigh about 60 lbs (combined). Now I will have someone to swap pushing duty with :)

Change of plans

2009-04-14T12:16:00.002-05:00

As you know, Patrick and I went on our 1st trip alone since having children. Our plans were to stay on Lake Guntersville in North AL. We drove the 2 hours it takes to get there and when it was time to check into our room we got a surprise.. The room was filthy! I opened the door to walk out on to the balcony and walked right into a huge spider web. I called down to the front desk and told the lady how nasty the room was. She told me that we could change rooms so we did and the 2nd one was worse than the first! Patrick & I walked downstairs and told her we wanted out money back - it was $170 a night! I don't like staying in hotel/motels at all and I avoid it if at all possible. After this experience I had just about made up my mind that we should just forget the trip and go home. So, we started heading back to town. I called my mom and asked her to look online and see how much it was to stay at the Wynfrey Hotel in B'ham. We ended up staying there in a really nice CLEAN room. We ate at The Cheesecake Factory and shopped at the Galleria for the kids, of course. Although it wasnt the trip we had planned on, it actually turned out very well and it was nice to get out of town alone :)

Busy bee

2009-04-07T10:45:00.003-05:00

I have a fairly busy week & weekend. Patrick and I are going to Lake Guntersville Thursday for our anniversary. My mom is coming to town tomorrow from South AL and is going to stay with the kids while we are gone. My sister, niece and nephew will be coming to town from North AL on Thursday so Patrick & I will come home to a house full on Friday! Brayden and Emma will have so much fun with Mawmaw, Aunt Christy and their cousins they may not want us to come home. We will be dying Easter eggs on Friday evening. Saturday morning we have a preschool Easter party with church at The Barnyard from 9:00-11:00, then we're having a family cook out and Easter egg hunt at our house at 4:00. Sunday, we will get up to see what the Easter Bunny has left and then off to church where it's my turn to work the nursery. Sunday afternoon will be full of Easter egg hunts as well! I hope everyone has a very blessed Easter!

Finally rid of the stomach bug....

2009-03-30T14:20:00.002-05:00

I don't even know where to begin with this post. Emma woke up around 2am Tuesday morning throwing up. She also had extremely yucky diapers, I actually raised the window a few times :) Patrick called me at work Wednesday and told me that he thought he was getting what Emma had. Right after supper Brayden got the bug and the shortly after that I cought it as well. Patrick & I both started feeling better Friday. Brayden still had a touch of it yesterday. I honestly don't have a clue how many loads of laundry I have done this past week. Thankfully my mother-in-law owns a carpet cleaning company and Patrick was able to get the van and clean our carpet Friday. Now, we have passed the stomach bug on to my dad and Emma has a cold. I ahve not been to work since last Wednesday, so I guess I better get back tomorrow!

Praying for Stellan

2009-03-25T09:28:00.001-05:00

Please say a prayer for this sweet baby boy!

Anniversary plans!

2009-03-06T15:29:00.003-06:00

Patrick and I have decided to go out of town all alone! Can you imagine...:) My wonderful mom (who lives in South AL) has been gracious enough to volunteer to come and stay with Brayden and Emma while we are gone. Thanks Mawmaw! I'm sure Brayden and Emma won't even realize we're gone.....well, Emma may notice around bed time. She has never spent the night away from us. The first time Brayden ever stayed the night away from home was the night before little Miss Emma arrived. We had to be at the hospital at 6am so we decided to let him stay the night at my dads with his Pawpaw and Nana. I have never been more that a 10 minute drive away from either of my children and it completely freaks me out a little to be 2 1/2 hours away. I know my mom will take good care of them, so I'm definetly not worried about that. I just keep thinking that that will be the time that Brayden will run Emma down with his battery powered jeep or possibly the other way around... She's a tough cookie!
You're probably wondering where we are going....We have decided to go to Lake Guntersville in North Alabama. I am not loking foward to leaving my kids, but I am excited about some alone time with my hubby! Oh, and just to ease your little minds.....there will NOT be any eggs fertilized on this trip! :) Have a great weekend!

Remembering...

2009-03-05T09:24:00.007-06:00

The other day Brayden said something that I thought was sweet and I almost cried!
As most of you know my Pawpaw passed away in August. It was sudden & very hard on all of us. Brayden and I were talking one day about him & I said something to the effect of him being in heaven and that now when it rains maybe it's Great Pawpaw helping God water the flowers. Last week when it was raining so hard Brayden randomly said "Mommy, Great Pawpaw is watering the flowers for us!"
**I'm trying not to cry as I type this**
I had one of those moments the other day when you suddenly realized all over again that someone is gone. Patrick, the kids and I were in the car Saturday morning going to eat breakfast. I mentioned something about how my Mawmaw (she passed away 10 years ago due to breast cancer) would always cut the crust off of the toast for me and my sister. Patrick said his grandad would always make them eat all of the toast. I told him that she probably gave our crust to my Pawpaw rather than just throwing it away... And then it hit me...he's actually gone. After we ate breakfast we went to get Brayden a hair cut. The lady cutting his hair asked who he got his wavy hair from....... His hair is just like my Pawpaw's.

Oh the joys of having 2 small children...

2009-02-18T10:18:00.005-06:00

We had an interesting evening......
Ok, let me start off by saying that we have a door knob on our bedroom door that needs a key to open it. This was like that when we bought the house & I have no idea why it's there. I'm not even sure I want to know why they would have needed that. So, for whatever reason, they had that type of door knob & didn't bother to leave us the key to it. Last night as I was vaccuming the living room ( I vacuum the kitchen & living room every night....slight case of OCD I guess) Brayden came up to me & said "I'm sorry Mama...I didn't mean to". I turn off the vacuum so I can figure out what he's done......his sister is locked in my bedroom! He turned to thing to lock it & them Emma shut the door. I could hear her giggling on the other side of the door while I'm having a slight panic attack. I couldn't remember if the bathroom door was shut & I just knew that if I didn't get the door open soon she would find her way to the potty & proceed to splah in the water.... I'm running around the house trying to find a wire hanger that may work, but of course we have none "I hate wire hangers!" . Then I remembered my brother "breaking in" to my house 1 day with his debit card when hubby didn't lock the deadbolt. So I got my debit card out of my purse & voila... The door was opened. I told my hubby this fascinating story when he got home from work last night.....he's going to Lowes today to get another door knob.

Rainy Tuesday.....

2009-02-17T16:26:00.006-06:00

This is how we spent our rainy Tuesday afternoon....
***There are more pics of Emma than Brayden -he spent most of the photo session in his room watching cartoons**

No longer a surprise...

2009-02-12T13:27:00.002-06:00

My nosey husband as completely ruined his surprise party! He told me last night that he knew I was planning one! I have been carefully planning it for months.... Most husbands would realize that their wife had put alot of time & effort into it & just pretend he didn't have a clue....not my hubby! I told him he should have just kept quiet & went along with it. He had to opportunity to have the afternoon to himself tomorrow & I was going to clean & my dad volunteered to come over & help me cook, but now that he knows he can help me clean & cook is own burgers! :)

The Whistle Stop Cafe

2009-01-27T11:33:00.004-06:00

Most of you know what that is. For those who don't...it's the cafe in the movie 'Fried Green Tomatoes'. It is in Juliette, Georgia. I have been wanting to go there for years. I have been asking hubby to make the 4 hour drive it will take to get there & his response is always "I'm not driving that far just to eat". Well, our 5 year anniversary is coming up in April. I told him that I think that would be a great anniversary gift :) to my surprise he said ok!!! So sometime in April we will be making the trip!

Who voted for this man?

2009-01-23T13:32:00.003-06:00

As I read the following, one question came to mind 'What kind of people voted for this man?' Is this the kind of change you wanted???

Obama to Lift Ban on Overseas Abortion Funding
President Obama is expected to sign the executive order one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.
President Obama on Friday is expected to lift a ban on federal funding for international groups that promote or perform abortions, reversing a policy of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Obama will sign the executive order one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.
Liberal groups welcomed the decision while abortion rights foes criticized the president, who was long expected to make this move during his first week in office.
The so-called Mexico City policy requires any non-governmental organization to agree before receiving U.S. funds that they will "neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."
It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy.
The policy was first instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and continued by President George H.W. Bush. The policy was reversed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and re-instated by President George W. Bush in 2001.
Both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will oversee foreign aid, had promised to do away with the gag rule during the presidential campaign. Clinton is to visit the U.S. Agency for International Development, through which much U.S. foreign aid is disbursed, later on Friday.
Organizations that had pressed Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant.
"Women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance. "President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning," said Tod Preston, a spokesman for Population Action International, an advocacy group.
Anti-abortion groups criticized the move.
"President Obama not long ago told the American people that he would support policies to reduce abortions, but today he is effectively guaranteeing more abortions by funding groups that promote abortion as a method of population control," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.
Obama has spent his first days in office systematically signing executive orders reversing Bush administration policies on issues ranging from foreign policy to government operations. On Thursday, he signed three executive orders to rein in secretive U.S. counterterror policies and end harsh interrogations.

It's that time....

2009-01-21T10:06:00.004-06:00

Ok, here's the deal. I want, stratch that, need to loose weight! We're talking like 40 lbs! I've never been really skinny. Well, there was that 1 time I took diet pills & lost 40 lbs. putting me at 122lbs. Since then I have gotten married, had 2 kids & packed back on those 40lbs plus a little.....so depressing! Now, I never weigh...I avoid it at all cost, but for some reason last week, against my better judgment, I got the scale out of the closet & stepped right up. My first thought was, and I actually said it out loud, "Are you kidding me?" My second thought was "I am offically a 'fat chick'! " And my third....you guessed it - "It's diet time!" I usually can stick with a diet for a couple of weeks & then I kind of taper off - Well not this time. I am sooo disappointed in myself, I seriously cannot believe that I have just let myself go after having kids... So I am now on a diet! I also plan to start walking around my neighborhood. I got my ipod charged & ready to go last night, but when I got up this morning & realized it was only 20 degrees outside I decided to go back to bed. But, tomorrow, tomorrow I will start walking, I don't care if I have to dress in several layers, I will be out there tomorrow am at 6:15 walking!
I'm hoping my hubby will get on board as well, yesterday he brought home Zaxby's & when I stole a fry.....I know, I know....... he said "That's not on your diet" Ok seriously, how about you not bring it home. Couldn't he have eaten in the car in the gagrage before he came in??? Is that too much to ask? Oh, and then my dad brings by 2 50 count boxes of rice krispie for the kids. I told him "Daddy, I'm trying to diet" He said "Oh, Im sorry" Seriously...I need a little help here!

New puppy...

2009-01-21T09:14:00.004-06:00

We now have a new family member. Her name is Sadie. She is so sweet & the kids both love her! Anytime she is still Emma hugs & kisses her...and when she's not still Emma is chasing her...lol. Brayden still calls her "doggy" from time to time rather than "Sadie" & Emma just calls her "No" :) She sleeps with Brayden every night. We're working on the potty training, she has had a few accidents, but I just clean it up & go on, over all she is doing very well! Most of the time she will go to the door & whine when she needs to potty. Like all puppies she chews on any & everything so we try to keep plenty of toys around her hoping she will chew on 1 of those rather than my basket with magazines in it next to the couch. Emma likes to play in her food/water bowl. I'll catch her putting the food, 1 piece at a time, into the water side...We have had her 1 week & I still havent taken any pictures. I need to buy new batteries & I forget everytime I go to the store... I will work on that & post pics..

"I would love to!"

2009-01-14T13:27:00.003-06:00

I received a meesage on facebook yesterday from the youth director at my church. He asked if I would be interested in helping out in the youth sunday school area & asked me to call him. I made the call & was asked to help teach the youth girls. I graciously accpeted & I am to start helping this Sunday. I already know most of them because my brother just moved out of the youth & into the college group not too long ago. All of the girls are great & I am looking foward to my new "job" at church.

Rowdy children!

2009-01-13T12:15:00.003-06:00

My children have become extremely rowdy..... Sunday night while cooking dinner (Patrick at work) I yelled words like "no" "stop" don't do that again" about 4 billion times. Usually when I hear Brayden & Emma both giggling they are up to no good. I walked in the living room just in time to watch little Miss Emma take a nose dive off of Brayden's little chair. She got right back up laughing with a big red carpet burn on her forehead & proceeded to do it again....chair #1 was taken away. I walk back into the kitchen to check on dinner...again I hear giggling....I go back into the living room to see her doing the same thing with her rocking chair....chair #2 ...taken away. They follow me into the kitchen chasing each other. A few minutes later they wander back into the living room....and yet again I hear the giggling. I walk in to see Emma running from Brayden playing "chase" & then ......he tackles her! After sending them to seprate activities Patrick walks in the door... couldn't he have gotten there just 10 minutes earlier...lol

Happy Birthday Cameron!

2009-01-12T09:53:00.004-06:00

Today is my brother's birthday. He is 19! He was 3 when my dad & his mom got married. He was 3 & I was 11......now I'm 26 & he's 19! Where does the time go? Several years ago he was somewhat of an annoyance, as all little brothers are ;) Now he is an adult and I am so glad that he is a part of my life! He is a wonderful brother and a great uncle. He is very active with the college group at our church & he will be going to France on a mission trip this summer.... I am very proud of him & I hope that he was a very wonderful birthday!!!

Name that puppy!

2009-01-09T15:00:00.002-06:00

We have decided to get a dog! We should have our new family member in the next couple of weeks....Thanks April! She is a choc lab/doberman mix & she is so cute! I'm trying to get an idea of a name for her. Please let me know your fav of these & feel free to suggest more. My pics are:
1. Sadie
2. Zoe
3. Abby
4. Sophie

Brayden's surgery

2009-01-04T14:04:00.003-06:00

I just realized that I never posted an update on Brayden's surgery. I was busy taking care of him & then we had to get ready for Christmas. He had his tonsils and adenoids taken out on 12/11. We arrived at the Surgical Center at 6am. They started surgery around 7:30 or so. We had to spend 2 hours in recovery & we got home around 10:00. He did amazingly well! He ate his weight in jello the 1st day. He had ups & downs. There were times he would cry & say his throat hurts & then there were moments I would almost have to sit on him to get him to sit down & stop jummping around! He went for a check up 1 week after surgery & the doc said everything was healing nicely. He goes back for 1 more check up this Thursday (1/8). This surgery was a blessing! He sleeps much better at night & no more snoring!!! Now if we can just work on his dadd'ys snoring....;)

Just rambling

2008-12-30T12:07:00.003-06:00

The rest of my day is going to be a little busy. I am leaving work at 12:30, just the same as I do every Monday & Tuesday. Today my cousin has decided that she wants to come over & spend the afternoon with us. She is 11 and she likes to come over & play with the kids. They enjoy her company as well. This works out great for me because I have to go home & finish packing for our trip to Tallahassee for a visit with my in-laws. My cousin is a big help & entertains the kiddos very well! My mom & sister are both coming into town today so I want to be able to spend time with them before we make our road trip at 7:00 tonight. That's right....that will put us getting to Tallahasse around 1 am.......2 am FL time! Hubby & I decided to go ahead & leave tonight when he gets off work rather than wake the kids up at 3 or 4 am tomorrow morning to leave town. The plan is for them to sleep in the car on the way down. I know that doesnt sound very comfy, but we'll make it work. We will be back home Friday in time to watch the Tide Roll! My dad & stepmom are going to the Sugar Bowl as well as my stepbrother who, of course, will be cheering!
Please pray for safe trips.....for us traveling to FL and back, for my mom traveling here from Robertsdale & back home, for my sister/niece/nephew traveling from Hartselle and then home, & for my dad, stepmom & brother traveling to & from New Orleans!
I hope everyone has a blessed 2009!!!

Lovin' my hubby!

2008-12-29T11:15:00.002-06:00

I am so loving my hubby right now. He bought me a new diamond wedding ring. The ring I have now is my Mawmaw's so I really love it for sentimental reasons, but I've always wanted a white gold set.
When I opened the gift the conversataion went as follows:
me: "WOW! THANK YOU!!"
hubby: "Is that the 1 you wanted?"
me: "YES!.....but I don't have a band to go with it" (my other set is yellow gold)
hubby: "Can't you wear it with your other band?"
me: "Honey, you can't put a white gold engagement ring with a yellow gold wedding band"
hubby:" Well...... maybe you can get that next year."
So while I'm loving my new wedding ring it has been temporarily placed on my right ring finger until I can get a band to match.

Very Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T13:50:00.003-06:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
I really don't have time to be blogging right now, but I'm doing it anyway... I just finished icing a cake for a big family get together at my church tonight. We're talking great aunts/uncles, cousins, ...the works. I love getting together & catching up with everyone! The men of the family usually play Dominos the entire evening, they only stop to eat ;). This is our first Christmas without my Pawpaw so it will be really sad to see all of the men playing dominos & my Pawpaw not being there with them. I've been so busy this week, I've hardly had time to really think about it, but I know it will hit me hard tonight....
We had a pretty busy day yesterday. I started cooking/cleaning at 7 yesterday morning & didn't go to bed until 12:30 this morning. We went to my uncles house at 1:00 yesterday, where we had a great time. I took some really good pics, but thanks to my hubby they are now deleted off of my camera...I have no idea what he was trying to do! We got back home around 3:00, Patrick gave Emma a nap while I ran to the Dollar General for more wrapping paper. When I got home I started cooking again to get ready for my dad, stepmom & brothers. When I got back Patrick left to go get Brayden from my moms (he went home with her from my uncles). While I'm cooking & trying to play with miss Emma I get a phone call from my stepmom telling me we're under a tornado warning....WHAT?! I am such a paranoid freak about bad weather. I'll be the 1st 1 to the closet looking for a helment to put on ;) So I turn on the news & realize that it's no where near us & go back to cooking. We ate then opened gifts, made cookies for Santa, watched tv & hubby & I finally got in the bed.. Only to get up this morning with another day just as busy....I need go get the kids up from a nap so we can get ready for my mother-in-laws...I will post some pics from today later if my doesnt delete those as well......

Celebrating CHRISTmas!

2008-12-19T09:22:00.002-06:00

Ok, so it really bothers me when people say "Have a nice Holiday" rather than "Merry Christmas". Businesses do this so they wont offend anyone. Let's think about this for a minute....in reality only Christians should be celebrating Christmas. After all, Christmas is about the birth of CHRIST! It's ok for all of the non-Christians who get so offended to take a few days off of work when this time of year rolls around. If they don't believe in what Christmas is all about shouldn't they just go to work like any other day? While I'm on my soap box...it also annoys the stew out of me when I see xmas.....it's not xmas, it's CHRISTMAS!!!! You got that?? C-H-R-I-S-T-mas. ok...I think I've got it all out of my system :)

More shopping to do

2008-12-19T09:03:00.003-06:00

Hubby, the kids & I did about half of our shopping last. We have a babbysitter for tonight so we can finish up. We have found a little drum set that I want to get Brayden...I hope I don't regret it... I should probably buy some ear plugs while I'm out. I am not really looking foward to getting out with the other billion people who will be out tonight, but a date will certainly be nice. For those of you who may not know, Patrick & I very rarely go out by ourselves. We usually limit our outings to our anniversary & Valentine's Day & that's about it.

How many shopping days left?!

2008-12-18T12:16:00.005-06:00

Let me start off by saying that I have only bought 1 gift....one! I just cannot get fully into the Christmas mood this year. Don't worry, I plan on starting my shopping today & hopefully hubby & I will find a babysitter for tomorrow night so we can finish up. It looks like my weekend will be spent wrapping presents.

Tomorrow is the big day

2008-12-10T09:51:00.002-06:00

Brayden is having his tonsils and adenoids taken out tomorrow. He has been so funny about it. He keeps telling everyone that he has to do surgery. My mom is in town for the procedure & she asked him if he was going to stay with her & he said "Mawmaw I can't...actually, I have to do surgery. I'm having my tonsils taken out". I am, of course, a nervous wreck thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong. It's a fairly minor procedure that people have done everyday, but to a mom it may as well be open heart surgery. Please pray for Brayden a speedy recovery & for my sanity!

My sweet son...

2008-12-10T09:40:00.003-06:00

My 3 year old says some of the most random things....
Monday I decided that I would brave the cold weather and take the kids to the Christmas parade. I was running a little last as usual. I told Brayden to get in his car seat while I buckled in Emma. I apparently forgot to then buckle him. We had just pulled out of our neighborhood & Brayden said "Mommy, you didn't buckle me." I pulled over to buckle him & the conversation went as follows:
Bray: "Who made you Mommy?"
Me: "Who made me Mommy?"
Bray: "Yes"
Me: "You did"
Bray: "How did I make you Mommy?"
Me: "When you were born I became your Mommy"
Bray: "Well....who made me?"
Me: "God"
Bray: in such a sweet little voice "Mommy, your very smart!"

Just had to share...

2008-12-02T11:39:00.003-06:00

I just received this e-mail & I just couldn't resist passing it along
Can you tell I'm NOT an Obama suppoter???

As the CFO of this business that employees 140 people, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our next President, and that our taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases, I figure that the clients will have to see an increase in our fees to them of about 8% but since we cannot increase our fees right now due to the dismal state of our economy, we will have to lay off six of our employees instead. This has really been eating at me for a while, as we believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who will have to go. So, this is what I did. I strolled thru our parking lot and found 8 Obama bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the first to be laid off. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem.
These folks wanted change; I gave it to them.

Family.....

2008-12-01T11:24:00.004-06:00

Why can't I have a relatively normal one?....or maybe I do, I think all families are somewhat psychotic.......Ok, Thanksgiving went about as well as expected. I went to my mother-in-laws for lunch then went home with Brayden & Emma while my hubby stayed to visit some more. While on the way home my grandmother called me, during the converstation I said "We're still eating around 5:00, right?" She said "No, 4:00" What? It's at my house & nobody thought it was important to inform the host that people were going to be at my house an hour earlier than expected... So, I rush home try unsuccessfully to get my children to take a nap, start picking up toys/clothes, vacuum, clean the kitchen, start cooking, clean the kitchen some more, etc. Needless to say I was exhausted when my company arrived. It was my moms side of the family, however, she lives in South AL and had surgery the previous week so she didnt make the trip. I invited my dad, stepmom & brothers to eat with us. My youngest brother brought his girlfriend. Keep in mind that we really like this girl & hope she hangs around :) We go to church with her & Brayden says shes his girlfriend. Well, the evening started out smoothly and I hoped that it would continue on that same path... That dream was quickly shot down.....I guess it's true ~ all good things must come to an end. Apparently my cousins little boy said an ugly word - and it was a biggie! Patrick told me what he said & my aunt overheard. So she yells "He said WHAT!" Then she says "We'll they only repeat what they hear" Which is so true! That turns into my cousin & his wife getting defensive because of course he didn't hear it from either of them, when we all knew that he probably has heard it from both of them. They get huffy and leave, but not before my cousins belts out "I'm gonna take him home & beat the hell out of him" I wanted so badly to say "Somebody needs to beat the hell out of you, because thats exactly where your headed!" I was so embarrassed, not only were my dad, stepmom & brothers there, but this poor girl that we like so much now thinks that 1 side of my family is completely nuts! I appologized to her several times & told my stepbrother to be sure & tell her that he is not related to those people in any way ;) I am so looking foward to the Christmas get together!

Finally, a real doctor...

2008-12-01T09:42:00.003-06:00

I am so aggravated at my pediatrician!! I am seriously going to change peds! Brayden has had trouble breathing while he's asleep for a while now. He also has had trouble with his tonsils. He's had strep a few times & his tonsils are rather large. Anytime I mention this to the ped she always says it's fine. No, it's not fine! A 3 year old shouldnt snore so loud that it's hard to get any sleep. He also shouldn't toss & turn all night & wake himself up jerking because he can't breath. I finally had enough & made a vist to North River ENT. We saw Dr. Shields, who actually listened to what I was telling him & then he looked in his throat for about 2 seconds & said "His tonils are too big! He needs to have his tonsils & his adenoids taken out." I am so upset that the ped dismissed it when I asked her about it. We could have solved this problem months ago rather than letting it get worse. So, Brayden will be having his surgery on Dec. 11th. I am not sure what time yet. We will go back to meet with Dr. Shields next Wed (10th) & find out all the details. Also, I am now looking for a new pediatrician if anyone has any suggestions.

10 years ago today...

2008-11-24T09:00:00.003-06:00

Today is a sad day for me. My wonderful Mawmaw passed away after a tough battle with cancer on November 24, 1998. It has been 1o years and I still miss her like crazy. I think about her every day. I wish that my husband could have meet her and I know that she would have my children so spoiled I wouldn't be able to stand it :) Sometime when I am playing with them I find myself thinking about how she would have enjoyed them. She was a wonderful lady & a faithful Christian. This Thanksgiving will be really hard for my family. My Pawpaw passed away suddenly from a heart attack on August 13. I feel so blessed to have had such wonderful Godly grandparents. I am am thankful for all the love and support that they always gave me.

Thanks for the advanced notice..

2008-11-21T15:21:00.002-06:00

Well, it looks like my plans to have a somewhat relaxing Friday evening have been scratched. I asked my dad on Tuesday if he wanted to check with my uncle & if the had any plans for tomorrow & we could all get together at my house if they wanted to. My Pawpaw passed away in August & my Mawmaw passed away 10 years ago on the 24th. My Uncle has decided to take a break & go to the beach & I never seem to have time to spend with my dad on Thanksgiving so I thought it would be nice for us to get together tomorrow while no one was too busy. Well, like I said I asked my dad Tuesday & heard nothing else about it so I never really made any plans. Well I called my dad to see if hubby could borrow his drill to hang some blinds. During the conversation he informs me that he has talked to my uncle & they have no plans for tomorrow so they can all come over. WHAT?! Thanks for the notice! So now I am going home to finish painting my living room, clean my enitre house.....bathrooms, dust, vac, mop...the works. It also looks like I will be making a trip to the grocery store as well. In my dads defense he has been on midnights (11p-7a) all week so he's been tired & he said that he had forgotten about it until this morning.

Guardian Angel?

2008-11-19T10:35:00.003-06:00

Brayden, like most kids, has a wonderful imagination. He usually "plays" with my nephew - he lives in North AL. He pushes the clothes hamper around & says he's pushing Andrew in it;) He started talking about "Jessiny" about a month or so ago. I never thought much about it because we have a girl a church named Chasity so I thought he was talking about her. Well yesterday at his Pawpaw & Nana's he was talking about her. The conversation went somewhat as follows:
Nana: "Brayden, who is Jessiny?"
Brayden: "She's my friend"
Pawpaw: "Is it a she or he?"
Brayden: "She's a girl"
Nana: " Do you know her from church?"
Brayden: "No, I know her from Heaven......when I'm at your house she watches me in the kitchen and when I'm at my house she watches me in my bedroom"
Does he have a Guardian Angel?
I just talked to him on the phone & asked about her....
Mommy: "Have you played with Jessiny today?
Brayden: "No, she's at school"
Mommy: "Oh, she had to go to big school"
Brayden: "Yeah, she's little like me, but she had to go to school"
Now, Keep in mind that we don't know anyone named "Jessiny". I have never even heard that name on tv or anywhere else.....

Someone needs a good old fashion butt whippin'!

2008-11-19T09:55:00.003-06:00

And I want to be the 1 to give it to 'em!!! Ok, so I walk out my front door yesterday morning to take the kids to my dads so that I can go back to the hospital with hubby. I glance over at my car at & see what appears to be a dent. I think to my self.....'You have got to be kidding me! Its must just be a shadow or reflection or something'......Oh no my friends, it is a for real dent! It appears that someone has hit my car with a brick! Seriously!!! I don't know if they were trying to break out my window, missed & instead hit the car & then just left or if this person/persons just felt like chunking a brick at something. Did someones mamma not teach them how to behave? Did she not teach them that you don't vandalize someone elses property?? Did she not whip them enough?? too much? Well, if she whipped them at all it apparently did no good! If I ever, by some small miracle, find out who did it.....Woohoo, look out!!!! It isn't fair to me to have to spend my money that hubby & I work to earn to have it repaired because someone didn't want to do their job as a parent & teach their child to respect other peoples things!

Week didn't start out so well..

2008-11-19T09:33:00.002-06:00

We did not have a good start to our week. Sunday night when Patrick got home from work he started complaing of chest pain. He did not want to go to the ER so he waited until Monday morning & went to Med Express....where they sent him to the ER. I left work around 12:00 Monday & off the the DCH we went. We got back in a room pretty quick, but waited forever to see a doctor. Long story short...she came in & said that 1 of the test came back & she was worried that he may have a blood clot in his lung. Then we learned that he would get to spend a the night. O what joy! Just what he's always wanted.....a night in a germy hospital on those o so comfy beds with gormet meals & all the jello you can eat! Patrick has needlephobia (fear of needles) & it was interesting to watch a grown man make those faces anytime a nurse came in with a needle in hand. The doctor came back in yesterday around 12:00 & told us that all additional tests looked fine & he could go home shortly. That was at 12:00 & he did not leave until 5:00!!! Should it really take 5 HOURS to check someone out of the hospital??? Oh, & we still don't know why his chest has been hurting....... Don't you just love hopsitals??? You don't know anymore when you leave than you did when you got there.....Thank goodness for Blue Cross/Blue Shield!

Caution: Obama supporters may be offended

2008-11-14T16:05:00.002-06:00

I received the following in an e-mail today. It made me giggle so I though I'd pass it along. I am definitely one of the 56 million!!!

Barrack Obama, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey were flying on Obama's private plane. Obama looked at Oprah, chuckled and said, 'You know, I could throw a $1,000 bill out of the window right now and make somebody very happy.' Oprah shrugged her shoulders and replied, 'I could throw ten $100 bills out of the window and make ten people very happy. Michelle added, 'That being the case, I could throw one hundred $10 bills out of the window and make a hundred people very happy.' Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and said to his> co-pilot, 'Such big-shots back there. I could throw all of them out of the window and make 56 million people very happy. 'If you're one of those 56 million, pass this on!!!

Sharing the cooties...

2008-11-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

Will everyone at my house ever get well? Brayden has been sick for about 2 weeks. Emma has been sick for about a week & now......I have a cold! Usually when I catch cooties along with the kids we will all swap it around for the next 2 months! Seriously.....I still have boxes to unpack, rooms to organize, a living room to paint, pictures to hang & 2 sick kids to take care of...I don't have time to be sick! I have family coming over for Thnksgiving dinner (which in only 3 weeks away! Where has the time gone???) & I really want to have my house looking like a home by then.... Hopefully this germ episode wont last long.
On a side note:
Please pray for my brother-in-law, Ronnie. He has cancer (lymphoma) & now is in the hospital with pneumonia.

Thank goodness yesterday is over....

2008-11-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

We had a very eventful day yesterday! I took little miss Emma to the pediatrician yesterday morning while Patrick & Brayden satyed home to await the arrival of of the service man to install our Direct TV. I called Patrick when we got done at the peds office to tell him that Emma has a sinus infection & strep throat. It's not very common for children her age to get strep, but Brayden had it last week, so the ped said thats probably where she got it. I told Patrick I was going by CVS to drop off her prescription. Then he told me about his morning while Emma & I were gone. Patrick said that he was in the house & heard the service man scream. He said the he ran outside & the the man was coming down out of the attic with blood pouring down his arm. He had somehow cut his arm pretty deep. He told Patrick to call an ambulance. The paramedices came & took the man to the hospital. the only update that we had was that he was having surgery to repair the muscle in his upper arm. The sent another guy (very brave) to finish our installation. He arrived at our house around 12:30 & finished around 5:30 or so with no injuries.
I guess I should be a sign to post in my fron yard that says "Danger Zone"......

Lovin' the new house!

2008-10-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

After a long & very stressful couple of days last week.....we are finally in our new house! We still have several boxes to unpack. Well, I say we, but really I should have said "I". You know how men are....... they spend 1, maybe 2 days moving things & then they are done. Leaving us to unpack everything & put it in it's place. Which of course takes weeks or even months to get everything "just right". This week I hope to get my living room painted & some pictures up so it will start looking more like a home.
I was a little nervous about moving. I didn't know if we would have nice neighbors or if there would be other kids for Brayden & Emma to play with....... It turns out I already know quite a few people in the neighborhood.

We're moving!

2008-10-21T12:07:00.000-05:00

Our offer was approved!!!! We should be moving the end of the week or possibly next week. I am soooo excited! I will post some pic of the new house when we get moved in....

Possibly getting the kids a puppy for Christmas...

2008-10-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

Patrick & I (well more me than Patrick) are are somewhat thinking about getting the kids a puppy for Christmas. Still not real sure about it though....we're just thinking.
It of course has to be a dog that will be good with small children. I would love to have a chocolate lab or a golden retriever. If anyone knows of someone who breeds either type of dog & has them for a reasonable price, please let me know. Thanks!

More pics of Emma's 1st hair cut

2008-10-11T16:39:00.001-05:00

Emma's 1st hair cut

2008-10-11T16:32:00.000-05:00

Today my sweet baby got her 1st hair cut. She did a great job. She didn't cry a bit. She just sat there like a big girl while she was getting pampered ;)

Ok..here's the deal with the house...

2008-10-07T09:22:00.000-05:00

It look like we will be moving in the next month or so. It's a little complicated... The seller is 2 months behind on payments & they owe more than we offered. This is how it will work. Rather than the house being forclosed on we will send our offer to the bank & see if they will take the amount that we are offering. Since the only option is that or they have to forclose there is really no reason that they wouldn't approve it.... I will keep everyone updated!

Made an offer....

2008-10-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

Patrick & I made an offer on a house Saturday. We really like the house & the neighborhood. We should find out today if they have accpeted our offer. Please say a prayer for us....we really want this house! I will let everyone know as soon as I find out.

Happy Birthday Trey!

2008-10-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

Today is my brother's birthday. He is 23. It's hard to believe...he was 7 & I was 11 when my dad & his mom got married. I have had the prvilige of knowing him for 15 years now! He is a great brother & friend & a wonderful uncle! I am very proud of him & all that he has accomplished. He cheers at Bama so to Brayden he may as well have hung the moon ;)
We love you Trey! Happy Birthday!
Roll Tide!

ah...the joys of taking small children to Walmart..

2008-10-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

Thank you Amber - I comletely forgot about my adventurous trip to Walmart!
Monday (I think) Brayden, Emma & I went to Walmart. I normally avoid that place with the kids if Patrick's not with us, but Emma was running extremely low on diapers. I had no choice but to brave it alone...... They did very well to begin with, then like most kids, the last few minutes were chaotic. Brayden was having a minor melt down wanting to eat a banana. I explained to him they had to be weighed when we pay for them. Do you really thinka 3 year old cares about paying for the banana...uh, no. We finally check out & I gave him 1, well then Emma decides she needs 1 too. Picture if you will.....I'm trying to make Emma sit down so that I can push the shopping cart to the car. She turning around having a fit because Brayden is eating a banana & she has nothing. My phone rings....Amber always seems to know just the right time to call ;) So now I'm on the phone, pushing the cart, trying to make Emma sit down while she's having fit for the banana. I put the kids in the car & ask Brayden to share his banana with his sister. I put the groceries in the car & go to buckle Brayden in his car seat when I notice that he only has on 1 flip flop! Well, as far as I was concerened that was the end of those shoes...there was no way I was going back in to find it... Then he says "Oh, Mommy, there it is!" it was by the car parked beside us. I pick up the shoe & put it in the car, not really paying much attention to little Miss Emma.... I get in , back up & look in my rear view mirror & notice that Brayden has given Emma the banana & she was trying to eat the peel.... She had banana all over her & her car seat! So if anyone ever gets a phone call from me asking you to babysit so I can go to Walmart...I'm not kidding!!

Much of nothing.....

2008-10-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

I still don't have anything overly exciting to blog about....sorry Amber ;)
This week has been pretty calm. We had a good church service last night & I am looking foward to our speaker for Sunday night.
Patrick & I are currently looking at houses...yet again. We have stumbled upon a really good deal that I am very excited about. We have made no offers or definite plans yet, but hopefully soon. I am not going to rush it. I have just put it in God's hands & if he sees fit for us to have a new home right now then that would be GREAT. However, I also know that if it doesnt work out that there is a reason. I have read some really good daily devotionals over the past week & have finally realized that it does not matter how bad I wont something, if it is not in God's plan it wont happen. Everything happens in His time. I am a very impatient (and sometimes controling) person & sometimes its really hard for me to just turn things over to God & let it go. It's a work in progress!
I hope everyone has a blessed week!

Thank you Lord!!

2008-09-26T09:11:00.001-05:00

Brayden's visit to the pediatrician yesterday went very well! His hemoglobin level went from 11.8 in June to 12.4 yesterday! YAY! Thank goodness for Pedia-sure & Centrum Kids vitamins! He doesnt eat much & complains of his stomach hurting some. His pediatrician gave me some prevacid to try. Prayerfully this will work & he will start eating more...

My plans for the rest of the week...

2008-09-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law just informed me that I am slacking on my blogging.... I havent had anything overly exciting happen so I will just let everyone know my plans for this week. My mom is in town today so I will spend some time with her this afternoon. Tomorrow is church night. Thursday I am taking Brayden to the pediatrician. When he went for his 3 year check up his iron was a little low so we need to have it rechecked. The child wont eat anything so I'm thinking about having a feeding tube put in while we're there. I know 3 year olds are picky, but he eats barely enough to stay alive. If it wasnt for pedia-sure & vitamins he would get no nutrients. He will eat bananas so I'm glad about that. I'm excited about Friday....Patrick & I are having a date night...all by ourselves! Can you believe that? We NEVER get a babysitter to go out alone. In the past 3 years I think we have gone out by ourselves a total of 4 times...seriously! Saturday evening I have a lingerie shower to attend. I will post again after Brayden's doctor visit to let y'all know how it goes...

Not again.....

2008-09-11T12:57:00.000-05:00

I seriously just locked my keys in my car for the 2nd time in 4 days!

Brayden has a stomach bug....

2008-09-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

Poor Brayden, he has been sick with a stomach bug since late Saturday night. He threw up all in his bed around 11:30 Saturday night. Patrick had to take his sheets & pj's outside & hose them off. It was obvious he felt bad Sunday morning, but he wasnt throwing up. He wouldn't drink or eat anything & he started throwing up again around 4:00pm & continued until around 11:00pm. We made a trip to the ER, mostly because I thought he was dehydrated. We arrived at 11:30pm & left at 3:45 am! Thankfully, he did not need an IV. He was given some medicine for nausea & checked for strep (his throat was red), but that was negative.... He still wont eat anything, so he really hasnt eaten since Saturday & today is Tuesaday! Please pray that my baby feels better very soon!

You wont believe what I did!!

2008-09-09T09:14:00.000-05:00

I locked my keys in my car with it running & Emma in her car seat....seriously!
I called On Star even though I don't have it connected anymore I thought surely they would unlock my car with a child inside. The guy said "m'am, our records show that you canceled your account so we can't unlock the doors for you, would you like me to connect you to 911" Uh.... NO, I don't need an ambulance idiot, I want my car unlocked! He also said "When you get in the car if you'll push the onstar button we'll get your account rstarted" Are you kidding me!!! My 1 year old child is locked in the car & you won't unlock it in a semi-emergency & you think I'm going to pay for your service....uh, that would be a BIG FAT... NO!!!
Buford came & got it unlocked & Emma was fine. It was around 7:00 Sunday evening so I thought it would cost me an arm & a leg, but it was only $45....
If your wondering why I didn't just use the extra key.... My hubby was cutting our grass about a month or so ago. His keys fell out of his pocket & he ran over them with the mower...

Roll Tide!

2008-09-06T14:52:00.001-05:00

Today Brayden, Emma & ate lunch with Trey @ the coliseum. Patrick had to work so he was unable to join us :(..... We had a good time. Brayden loves being at Bama!

Memory Loss.....

2008-09-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

I think I need some medication! I can't seem to remember anything! I loose my car keys, phone, etc. all the time. I'd probably forget where I put a child if they werent walking around right behind me all the time ;)
If I don't do something the second I think about it, it wont get done. If you ever ask me to do something & say I will later...you will need to remind me about 3,000 times to make sure it gets done!

What did you say?!

2008-09-03T12:32:00.000-05:00

You'd be surprised what can come out of a 3 year olds mouth.....
Yesterday while picking Brayden & Emma up from their Pawpaw & Nana's Brayden was being a little huffy. He wanted cookies & I told him no. So he did what any kid would do, he ran & asked Nana... He was told "no" by Nana as well. He didn't like that answer so he got a little loud & said "YES!" I said to him "Brayden, you are not getting cookies right now, please stop being ugly" His response to that was "Well, Mommy, you quit being a b***h" I thought I was going to hit the floor! I didnt respond to him hoping he would never repeat it again! Sometimes if you make a big deal the word sticks more that if you just let it slide. I really try not to let ugly words slip, ecspecially in front of Brayden. I don't know if he heard it from me or somewhere else, but I was a very shocked & it took me a second to register what he said.... Of course, these days you hear worse that that flipping through the tv channels.

Separation Anxiety!!

2008-09-03T10:24:00.000-05:00

Ok...Emma has become an attachment to my hip! She walks around right behind me with her arms up for me to pick her up. I love her very much & would love to hold her all day, but I just can't. She cries when I get out of her sight. Patrick had her last night rocking her in our bedroom. I walked in to put the sheets on the bed & she saw me, but I didn't get her right away........ She cried so hard she "tossed her cookies" on both me & her daddy. Everything from the banana & peas she ate for supper to the peach yogurt she had for her snack..... I'm hoping this phase passes very quickly.. I think she's starting to hurt ther daddy's feelings....

Getting a little more sleep....

2008-09-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

Emma has finally started letting me sleep in...well , a little. The past 2 weekends we have slept until 9:30!! I know thats not really late, but when you have a 3 year old & a 1 year old it's a miracle to get to stay in the bed past daylight ;) We were even late for church last Sunday. Emma is usually my alarm clock & we're up by 7:30. Boy was I surprised last Sunday when I rolled over & the clock said 9:20...Church starts at 10:30. Patrick works on Sunday's so I am on my own getting myslef, Brayden & Emma ready for church. We were about 30 minutes late & it was pouring rain....I got a little aggrevated & church was exactly where I needed to be!

First time blogger...

2008-08-29T15:46:00.000-05:00

I have decided to start blogging since it seems to be so popular. I am going to try to do it more than twice a year.....but I make no promises...;)