Hump day

Here is a flower I took at my Mom's neighbors house the other day. I think it is called a Florida Orchid. It was realllly pretty. I loved the colors it has.

Here is my latest exciting picture of the kiddos. I took this at her house as well. I was taking spring pictures of them and had the best time posing them around all of her things. She is a Master Gardener and her yard is beyond words. I don't have that kind of talent. The only plants I can keep alive are fake ones! ha!!! Anyway, one of my friends suggested I get this one made into a canvas print. I am not sure how much those cost, but am looking into it. I love how it shows innocence and calmness. I was quite tickled with this shot, I must say. I took 15 to get this ONE! But...that is what all photographers do from what I understand.

I am so ready for school to be out and my life to get to a different pace. I am tired of all the running and going constantly. My body is showing the weariness big time.

It rained an inch and a half at our house last night! That is awesome news because we have needed it so much! I thank the Lord for what He sent. It is raining really softly and slowly right now. It is quite exciting to see and I am thankful that the Lord has given us this as well. The grass and all the plants are just soaking it all in..I know THEY are excited!

Wesley kept talking about the frogs today and how he knows they are loving the rain. He retains information like all get out but getting the boy to get his work done is another story. It continues to show me that we have made the right choice by holding them back next year. It definitely will not hurt them.

Well, we have church tonight and I have some tests that want to be graded that are screaming out my name so I better get going for now. I am also going to go enjoy the rain. I had a wonderful thought of a FIRE this evening since it is rainy and a bit chillier than we have had in a few weeks. That thought quickly left me, though, because I know that wouldn't happen. ha!! :)

Strawberry Pickin'

Today was the Strawberry farm field trip and it was great!! I was so excited to be able to go with them this time since I missed the pumpkin patch. We got to pick strawberries, feed the catfish and see a beehive and learn how the bees make honey. It was a very interesting and wonderful day. Of course, we saw three tractors which made Wesley thrilled beyond words. They weren't John Deere but he didn't care. :) He also saw lots of barns along the way.

When the field trip was over the kids and I went with our friend and her daughter to eat lunch and then shop a little. Do you want to know how much fun I had with my day off??????? WOW...I never knew. Up until this year I haven't taken a day off for pleasure...only for necessity. It is really nice. I know I won't do it often but it was just so nice today.

We got home for a few minutes and had to leave again because I had a dental appointment today. joy... Anyway, I stopped by a mall close to that and bought me a pair of Rainbow flip-flops. Now, I am sure you are asking WHY seeing as I have Birkenstocks coming out of my head, but there are times I would wear flip-flops and not Birks. (beach and those types of places...) Anyway, they are the Birkenstocks of the flip-flop world and you know how I feel about things on my feet! I have to break these puppies in, but they already feel really nice. :)

Dental appointment went well and then I went over to one of my friend's house to show her some pics of Wesley and Mikayla I had taken yesterday. She wants me to take some pictures of her daughters so I showed her the background of Mom's neighbors yard and how pretty it was. Anyway, we stayed there for a bit before heading home to start getting ready for reality tomorrow.

Today surely was fun...and I loved being with my children in a lesser stressed environment. I had a lot more patience with them today because it wasn't already tapped out by 25 at school. hee hee.... It was just a wonderful day with my babies...and I will always treasure the memory. On to reality now... :)

Receiving Christ

Steve and I had the most precious moment with our children. Tonight, Wesley and Mikayla asked Jesus to come into their heart and save them from their sins. They have been asking questions for a while now and we've been talking with them but not wanting to rush. This is a decision they had to make for themselves. What a sweet moment to know both of them accepted Christ in the same night. There was no pressure from us....we told them it had to be THEIR choice. They both wanted to ask Him to come in. Wesley asked Jesus to come into his heart and then thanked Him for all the things He has made...and tractors, too. Mikayla asked Jesus to come into her heart and then thanked Him for her family and friends. It brought tears to mine and Steve's eyes. I will always hold this day dear in my heart. I know they still have a lot to learn, but at least they are now babes in Christ that will learn to be more like Him each day. They still aren't perfect, but they are now sinners saved by the grace of God!

Rainy moment!

Here is some forsythia I had taken a picture of about a month ago. This is at a local park. Everything is beginning to stop blooming and become green. I have enjoyed watching that transformation closer this year. Usually I take it for granted and don't think about it much.

I haven't gotten on here to blog much lately. I haven't had the energy to be honest. It has been a busy week and by the time we get the kids in bed it was not far for me to be there, too.

On Thursday I went with my brother to see the play Mama Mia! It was great! We had seen it before but it was better this time because we knew more of what was going on. It is a play made from ABBA songs.....lets just say it was fun. :) I find the older I get the more I love songs from the 70's and 80's instead of today's music. LOL Major generational thing there.... I am planning on getting the best hits of James Taylor sometime soon. :)

On Friday we had a half day of school. Now, while it is great for the kids it makes for a busy day for me! I stayed later because I had to get ready for Monday....I am going on Wesley and Mikayla's field trip and had to get my substitute info. in order. I can't wait to go on this field trip and enjoy the day as a "Mommy." I must say, though, that it takes a mighty long time to get ready for someone to do the job you do everyday. That is the thing about teaching and why I don't take off unless there is a mighty good reason because it is more work to take off than to stay. My children are definitely worth it, though, so I don't mean to sound as if I am complaining.

After I finished up with the lesson plans and such, me and the kids went to visit Miss Pearl again. I can tell she is not the same as she was. Sitting with her this time I found her spark is missing and she can't remember some things in short term memory. Thankfully she remembers Wesley and Mikayla and they think she is still the same. Bless her heart....I really hope things continue to improve for her. It has been so good to see her again. Those times she was here are precious to my heart. I know they are precious to Wesley and Mikayla.

Getting now to the title of my post... Today we were beginning the day by cleaning up around here. I must admit that I was overwhelmed by the "tidal wave" of toys, books, boxes, etc... that are all over this house. I finally made Wesley and Mikayla do the bulk of cleaning on "their" side of the house because it was mostly THEIR mess!! Of course, it took me over an hour just to fold and put away clothes I had washed this past week. There are just not enough hours in the day during my weekends to get all of that accomplished. Anyway, I decided to run by the bank before it closed at 12:00 and then get my pictures I had uploaded yesterday to be printed. We picked those up and then headed to Walmart. Now, I knew it was supposed to rain and have thunderstorms today but we have been without rain for so long that I just wasn't putting the knowledge together in my head. We went in to Walmart and when we were walking in it didn't seem like it would rain anytime soon. I WAS WRONG. We weren't in there for very long but it began thundering...and we heard it in the Walmart! Usually when there is a storm you can't hear it as loudly inside a big building like that, but this time we did. I looked outside to see it POURING down rain. I had just talked to my Daddy right before we went in and told him we would come get him for lunch. I knew I only had a few minutes before needing to pick him up so I figured we'd make a run for it and be alright. Still wrong. We began running and got soaked pretty much immediately. I didn't realize that I had parked in China! We parked in an area which had a low spot before you go up to where our van was and it was flooding....and we had to go through it to get to the van... I held on to my package and the kids with all my might. I was so thankful for the toe grips on my Birkenstocks because we were having to go through about 5 inches of rushing water!!! Poor Mikayla was running beside me while I was holding her and one of her flip-flops flew off her feet and went down in the storm drain!

By this time Wesley and Mikayla both were crying and I was freaking out trying to get them to the van and get in the thing. Sometimes I hate those keyless entry things because they don't want to work as quickly as YOU want them to. LOL We finally jump in and are dripping/soaking wet. Poor Wesley thought we were having a flood and Mikayla is traumatized over her sweet orange flip-flop floating down the storm drain. I was as saddened as she was because they were her first pair. I was just thankful we were safe, though. I had to call Daddy and tell him we would be a little late because we had to go home to change. It was a rough drive home with lightning popping everywhere and rain standing on the roads. By the time we got home, dried off and changed the storm subsided some. It was a WILD time, that is for sure. I promised Mikayla I would buy her a new pair of flip-flops because it was my dumb idea to make a run for it. I'll think twice before I do that again. Of course, I wasn't the only one doing it. I think this weather caught everyone off guard because we have been withouth rain for so long. Still a stupid thing for me to do, though....

We ate lunch with Daddy and he went with us to Target and I bought Mikayla girl a new pair of flip-flops. She is so proud of them and tells me she loves them even more than her orange ones. Steve was able to leave work (he had to work half a day today) and meet us for lunch with Daddy. It was a nice time together. We came home after dropping Daddy back off at the Vet Clinic and the kids had to finish cleaning. I didn't clean "our side" of the house as much but we don't have all the toys that they do, either. lol

I am off to see what the kids are up to. They had gone outside to play for a bit since it was not raining now. Here's hoping for a less eventful rest of the weekend. :)

Yes, I am still here.....

I realize I was on Spring Break last week and could have written all of the time, but I didn't. I spent the week catching up on a few things I hadn't been able to get done as well as just enjoying the time off. The kids had a blast and played outside as much as possible. I had the one day where I thought I might enjoy cooking again, but that was short-lived. hee hee

The weekend was fast and furious with the kids birthday party and Easter. I haven't had a chance to upload any of those pictures yet. It is amazing how my time gets eaten up by "whatever" each day. The party was great and Easter was beautiful. I thanked God for the gift of His Son. I know without Him we would not have eternal life. He is our Savior and King.

We got some rain yesterday. Wow, are we really needing it. I must say, though, that I continue to be amazed at the workings of God's Creation. Even though we are in a pretty serious drought there are still green leaves popping out on trees and plants growing. I realize some things aren't as pretty this year as they have been but they are still living and green!!! How anyone can believe that God has just left this world to chance...OR that it was created by CHANCE has serious issues. God still holds His Creation in the palm of His hands. He has never gone away from us or what He has created. I thank Him for that. Above is the flower off of my brother's rosemary bush. I thought it was simple, yet lovely. Rosemary is a very nice herb for cooking. (I only know this because of dishes my brother has either prepared or made me prepare. ha!!!)

We also got to see Miss Pearl yesterday. (She is the one that kept Wesley and Mikayla since they were four months old till they started school and had the strokes last fall.) She was looking MUCH better than we thought. When we walked in she beamed when she saw the kids. They were thrilled to see her, too. She got up walking and that is a good thing. Apparently she has been a bit stubborn with the nurses. Now that I know where she is and that she is well enough for the kids to see her I will try to get in there more often. Wesley and Mikayla were so glad to see her...they have truly missed her.

It was back to reality for us today. The morning came early and the day went by quickly but it still felt long. My house is back to disaster mode and I figure one day I'll get it right. I still have boxes from their party scattered through the den. Toys are scattered along with Easter goodies. When will they be gotten up? Who knows. Right now that is not priority. Homework, some kind of supper (that usually Steve helps prepare!) and a hot shower are always first on my list when we finally get home. LOL!!!

My orange birkenstock flip sandals came today. I got an awesome deal on them. :) Wesley and Mikayla thought they were pretty neat. I now have eleven pair of Birkenstocks! Can you say that I am addicted?????? Maybe a little....

Well, the bed is calling for me. It is back to the weary state of mind for me. I am off to read and then to sleep. Tomorrow will be here before I know it.

Spring break....aaaaahhhh....

Ok....no picture today. The thing was taking forever to upload ONE picture so I figured it was messed up or something.

SPRING BREAK...may I just say I am loving it???? I know I couldn't have last another day if I wasn't getting a break soon. I have enjoyed just going at a slower pace and getting some things done that I have needed to do. You know...it is amazing what I can accomplish by being HOME. I actually have a DESIRE to cook something! ha!!! Normally I am too pooped to care. I went to the grocery store today with a renewed interest in the making of food. Of course, watching the Next Food Network Star has helped that....it is rather interesting I must admit. (If you have never watched that they are having a marathon of them this coming Sunday on the Food Network starting around 4:00 pm I believe..it is a GREAT show.) Anyway, my brother would be proud of me. :) Now, starting next week...I'll be back to what I have been all year. lol

Yesterday I scrapbooked most of the day and got a lot accomplished!! I did around 20 pages. Today I finished journaling on Wesley's pages and tonight I am hoping to finish Mikayla's and get those puppies together for the party on Saturday!! They are up to date to Valentine's Day but I think that is awesome. :)

The kids played outside alllllll day yesterday. They had the BEST time just playing and getting in to stuff. I was thrilled for them because I know it has been a rough year with not getting to play as much. They had a picnic in their playhouse and just had a wonderful day.

Today we had to run to the grocery store and when we came home the kids played again while I worked on a salad for our picnic lunch. Yes..we had a salad, yogurt, strawberries and apples. :) Mikayla kept going around in the grocery store today telling me things she wanted to eat because they were "healthy".... I love that. :)

The day was SO beautiful..temp was in the 70's and the sky was SO blue. I have loved watching the sky on days like today. I constantly think of what something would look like in a photograph with that blue sky behind it. :)

Well, we are off to find Steve. He went to get some mulch for the kids play area and should be home anytime. :) Off to search!

Ho-Ho's by Hostess.....

Here are some flowers.. hadn't shown any in a few days. These are from a local park. They were a vine plant that was growing over an arch. I thought they were lovely. :)

OK..to my title today. I LOVE, absolutely crave when I have them, am addicted to... Hostess Ho-Ho's!!! I haven't had them in YEARS and the other day while at Walmart I decided to get some so Wesley and Mikayla could enjoy the beauty of them, too. Well, they might have gotten TWO out of twenty. You guessed it... I have eaten the majority of them. I used to love them so much as a child that my Mom had to hide them from me and give them out when I wasn't around to see where she put them. lol I remember sitting on the couch in the crook of my Daddy's legs after he had come in from milking the cows and eating a WHOLE box in that sitting. I could do it today, too. ha!! I just finished off the last two this afternoon as my "afternoon snack". It is pitiful... I hide that I am eating them from the kids because I know it would draw attention to my weakness. Of course, I have a son who is just like his mother so that would REALLY cause something!! I know I won't buy anymore for a LONG time but they were surely good while they lasted. :)

I got my new glasses today. I couldn't tell how they looked on me because I still had my contacts in. I knew if I looked through those AND my glasses I was in for a headache! I know my glasses are thick enough as it is.... they don't need to get any worse. lol Maybe I'll take a picture of me in them... We'll see. I am thankful for my contacts!!

Here are some pictures I took of Wesley and Mikayla this past weekend. I wanted to take some "sweet" moments of them since they had turned six. I thought they turned out pretty sweet.

May I just say that I am ready for Spring Break??? I think we all are. It has been a LONG time since Christmas break and I am feeling it. My poor family is bearing the brunt of it, too. When I get stressed and tired I get reallllllllllly cranky. NOT a good thing. This time change mess didn't help the situation. Hopefully next week I'll be feeling more like myself. We'll see...

Well, off to get ready for church tonight. Lots to do before then. Have a wonderful day and go eat something you LOVE. :)

Hockey Game!

Steve and I went to a Carolina Hurricane's Hockey game tonight. Wow...it was a lot of fun. I know NOTHING about the game but learned by watching...of course, I kept having to ask questions. One of my parents from school offered Steve and I the tickets. It was a great evening and it was very kind of them togive us a chance to come. The 'Canes won in overtime and it was awesome. There were actually a lot of fights!! lol I must admit that the fights did make it kind of exciting ...hee hee... I am amazed at how those guys get out there and play. No one can say that hockey players are wimps....those guys are tough!! Since I didn't grow up around it the game doesn't mean the same to me as others, but tonight made me realize it is a pretty exciting game. Now I can understand a little more about it when people talk about it. lol

Today we had some bad thunderstorms during the middle of the day. I was so thankful for the rain and just asked the Lord to protect us from lightning strikes. With it being so dry it could have caused fires easily. It also came up bad thunderstorms tonight while we were at the game. Mom said Mikayla woke up and had a hard time with them. We couldn't hear anything in the arena. I am glad she was able to finally drift off to sleep.

Well, tomorrow morning will be here before I know it so I better close for now. I need to "calm" myself down so I can get to sleep!! Maybe I'll go read for a few minutes.

Have a wonderful WOW day everyone!

Thinking back six years....

My babies...my precious babies are six today. How quickly time has flown. Here they are in their hospital bassinet just a day old. Today has been a day of thinking back and remembering for me. I woke up this morning just about the same time I did six years ago. I was in labor, but didn't realize it at the moment and before the day was over we had two healthy and beautiful children. It has been even more neat the way that this year their birthday fell on a Saturday...just like when they were born. Where has the time gone?????

Little did I realize how my life would change. I always knew life would never be the same again....I just didn't realize the deepness of that change. I remembered parts of my labor all day today and when it was time for their special moment of being born I ran to them, hugged them and told them HAPPY BIRTHDAY and that they were born at that moment. Just thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes knowing it has been six years already. I am SO THANKFUL my children are growing and are healthy but to realize how quickly it is passing is what makes me more sad about it. I am celebrating THEM and the life God has given them but I also look at them and wish time could slow down. I think of all the times we can't have our special moments because of the busyness of our lives. It just shouldn't be that way.

Last night we went out with Mom, Dad and my brother to the Angus Barn...one of our most favorite restaurants....to celebrate a lot of things from this year but mainly Wesley and Mikayla's birthday. They were treated really special and it was a great night. We got in late, though, and that caused us to feel a bit draggy today. Our day today was quite busy because we had a special event at school most of the day. While it was a lot of fun, it was also an exhausting first part of the day. We came home and watched a movie to relax a bit. Wesley hung out with me on the couch for most of it. I cherished that time with him. After that we took our picture with them in between the times of their births like we always do every year. What a special thing for me each year. I look forward to it and enjoy looking back at the changes.

This evening Mom, Dad and my brother came over and we had a simple supper, cake and they opened their presents. They were so excited this year. It has been fun to watch them. They got lots of nice things and were tickled to get them. They were pretty tired, though, because they haven't had a lot of rest the past couple of days and this week has been super crazy on top of it. They were ready for bed, that was for sure.

I have said all of this to say that, yes, I miss how my babies were so little and the things they did. It is hard to see your babies grow up so quickly in front of you. However, I am so glad to see them growing and maturing and learning each day. The things they do and say just crack us up. They are so much fun to watch everyday. Tonight I was curled up with Mikayla before she said her prayers and telling her how it was when they stayed with us that first night in the hospital. It was precious to me to be able to share these memories with them now. How my Mother's Heart is filled with emotion tonight... I thank God for my precious, precious babies and what they mean to me.... Happy Birthday, Babies.....