Home Sweet Home

It is always so sad to leave the beach, but at the same time it is so good to be back home in our own beds and beds that are free of sand. We really enjoyed our vacation this year. The water was breath-taking, the laughs were constant, the food was wonderful, and the memories will last a lifetime. We were even blessed one day with an unexpected firework display and an ice cream truck visit! The kids were thrilled.

We love to stay at Sunshine Cottage, which belongs to my father and step-mother. It is so inviting and comfortable. The house itself is great, with a full size pool in the back and furniture you aren't afraid to get really comfy on and read a good book. Our favorite hang-out place would be the front porch of the cottage with it's two white rocking chairs and a great swing. It is nestled in a gated neighborhood that is so quaint and peaceful. The people there are so hospitable and helpful. There is even a tram that takes you right to the beach and back. There's nothing not to like about the place. It is honestly a little piece of paradise.


Here are just a few pictures from our trip.
M, K, and G

Here is baby O in his Bumbo

Friend, C catches a wave

Me and my sweet K (in her new oh so awesome airbrushed T!!)

Baby O and my baby J having a scooting competition

C is keepin'it real and G is striking a pose

The highly anticipated ice cream truck was a hit










There will be more pictures to come.

Oh, and by the way, if you decide to inquire about Sunshine Cottage for a stay of your own, then be sure to say you saw it here on my blog and I'm pretty sure you'll get a discount! How cool is that?

K Update from the beach

For all of you out there that have lifted up sweet, little K and myself in your prayers, thank you. Those prayers worked for her little body and my peace of mind. I can't thank you enough.

K is much, much better and fully enjoying her week at the beach. I do think that I will still take her to the doctor when we return for a good check-up and perhaps maybe some blood work.

The beach is pristine. Absolutely gorgeous. The water couldn't be more clear and the beach more white.

All the children are getting along very well and the babies have been on a great schedule down here and a very similar schedule so that helps a lot.

The Daddy's have taken the children to putt putt this morning, while the babies are taking there morning nap. When they return we will hit the beach for a while and maybe later go out to dinner. M has been dying for some shrimp since we arrived.

The week is almost over here at Sunshine Cottage and we are all sad, but we have today and tomorrow and we plan to make the most of it and try to make time go as slow as possible.

Greetings from Paradise..Relaxed but Worried

Well, I am in paradise now and having a great time. We have 6 kids here in all, 2 of which are under a year old so we aren't very bored. As a matter of fact, I told my friend W (the other mom here) that we will need a day at the spa when we return!

I'm sure you know the routine....Feed everyone breakfast, Get everyone ready for the beach, apply sunscreen to everyone, get everyone back from the beach, wash the sand off, feed everyone lunch, change back into bathing suits, get in the pool, get out of the pool, dry kids off, change their clothes, get back on their suits after like 20 minutes!, ......I don't think I need to go any further. We will be tired when we return for sure. But that was too be expected and the truth is, it's worth it!

I really want to ask all my friends and family out there to pray for little K. As you know, she had a stomach virus 10 days ago and then was better for a week. Well, the first night here she woke me up and had thrown up. It was difficult for me to go back to sleep, because my mind just started swirling with bad thoughts of what could be wrong with my sweet girl. She was tired all day yesterday but she tried really hard not to be. She went to sleep last night at 7:30 and had a slight fever so I gave her some Tylenol. She got some much needed rest, but when she awoke she was really pale, extremely sweaty, and weak like she was about to pass out. She now feels much better after drinking some Gatorade and a tiny amount of breakfast and I am still waiting for my doctor back home to call me, so maybe I can get a little peace of mind or just direction as to what I need to do.

I'm not sure if all of things relate or not, but I just everyone out there to pray for K. Most people that know me, know that I am a worrier, my mind always thinking the worst. I am trying my best not to freak out, but you have to admit that all these things are just a little weird and unlikely. Even if she is better the rest of the time here, I think this deserves a visit to the doctor when we return.

Be Still

This week has been a whirlwind week. I have been so busy with work, vacation bible school for the kids, trying to plan and pack for a family vacation, household chores, etc. I have literally just been swirling in my mind constantly....What do I need to do next? Where do I have to be now? what kind of problem do I need to solve? Who else is coming down with the stomach virus?....and so on. I felt stretched in every direction, my mind was swirling and I just felt overwhelmed by it all.

Feeling extremely anxious and stressed the other day, I was in the car, had a lullaby CD playing for J, who was restless and wanting a nap, and I had a God moment. On that CD, Sandy Patti, who I personally think has a wonderful, angelic voice, sings "Peace, Be Still". I listened to that song and just knew it wasn't playing for my son, but rather for me. I have heard this song too many times to count, but I guess I just didn't think anything about it until this particular day, while feeling so overwhelmed and stressed, that God just spoke to me through this song.

PEACE. BE STILL. THE LORD IS NEAR.

Ahhhhhh. I am still. I feel you, Lord. I thank you that you are near.

It was truly a moment for me. It stopped me dead in my tracks from all the swirling, worrying, chaos. It just stopped me, and I think I actually heard the words to the song differently...... "BE STILL".

We tend to get stressed, consumed by our everyday stresses, worries, duties, and chores. I now know, it is only when you BE STILL that you can feel God there with you. STOP. BE STILL. I AM HERE.

He will carry all of our burdens, worries, fears....Why do we even try to tackle it ourselves, because we can't possibly. That's a good feeling, and boy do I feel a load off my back!

We are heading to the beach tomorrow and we couldn't be more excited about it. I, and my family, desperately need this vacation. I'm hoping I'll have a lot more GOD MOMENTS while I'm there. We are headed to my favorite spot in the world... SUNSHINE COTTAGE!

I'll post pictures as soon as we return.

100th Post

Apparently, it is some sort of blog tradition to list 100 things about yourself on your 100th post. I don't know why anyone would want to know 100 random things about me, but I'll give it a shot, and if ya feel like reading, ok. If not, well, that would be ok too. Here goes.

1 I am one of three children.
2 I have 1 brother
3 and one sister
4 I am the baby
5 Yes, I was spoiled.
6 I look a lot like my mother.
7 I act a lot like my father.
8 I have freckles.
9 I have never really liked them.
10 I have had plastic surgery.
11 I'm glad I did.
12 I like to talk.
13 My husband says that I like to hear myself talk.
14 I think I agree with him.
15 I've never really liked silence.
16 I am starting to wish I had some every once in a while.
17 I had really big hair in high school
18 I even teased my bangs
19 I met my husband when I was seventeen.
20 We were set up on a blind date
21 Obviously, I didn't know it at the time
22 I had to go to summer school for geometry 2 times in high school.
23 I still have no idea what a proof is.
24 Or why I ever needed to know it.
25 My first car was a Volkswagen Cabriolet
26 It was burgundy
27 with a tan top
28 I liked that car a lot
29 I have had only had 4 cars in my 35 years of life
30 I am not a morning person
31 I am good under pressure
32 I procrastinate a lot
33 Therefore, I find myself under pressure a lot.
34 I went to Georgia Southern University
35 I did not do the sorority thing
36 I'm glad I didn't
37 I still have dreams that I miss my final exam
38 I was a nursing major to begin with
39 I changed to teaching,
40 when I realized I couldn't stand the sight of blood
41 I took field biology at GSU
42 I was the nerd looking through binoculars on campus
43 and catching bugs
44 All for a grade
45 Not because I liked it
46 It took my 5 years to graduate from college
47 I had a great time
48 I left GSU my senior year because a boy broke
my heart
49 He came running back
50 I married him 2 years later
51 We were married in 1997
52 On the hottest day of the year (I think)
53 I don't even talk to 2 of the girls that were
in my wedding
54 I don't even know what happened to them
55 I taught school for 7 years
56 I have no desire to go back to that
57 I love to shop
58 I never have money to do it
59 I love to sleep
60 I love to eat good food,
61 especially things with garlic
62 I hate brussel sprouts
63 Lunch is my favorite meal of the day
64 I love to cook
65 I don't like to bake
66 Mainly because I'm not good at it
67 I made a pound cake once
68 My husband thought it was sweet cornbread
69 I haven't attempted one since
70 I like Neapolitan ice cream,
71 probably because I'm not good at making decisions
72 I have 7 nieces
73 I have only 1 nephew
74 I love being a mommy
75 I am tired most of the time
76 I am blessed with good kids
77 Really good kids
78 I sometimes wish I would have
gone to school to be a lawyer
79 I have no desire to do it now
80 I have had 5 pregnancies
81 I have 3 healthy children
82 I had to have 3 c-sections
83 My belly will never be the same
84 My scar is a badge on honor
85 because it means I'm a mommy
86 I love being a mommy
87 It's my biggest accomplishment
88 It's my biggest challenge too
89 I am a Christian
90 I was raised in a Christian home
91 I am in a bible study group that I love
92 Those women keep me going
93 They encourage, challenge, and hold me accountable
94 I love those ladies
95 I am more in love with my husband today
than the day I married him
96 He is my best friend
97 He knows me better than anyone
98 I, in fact, married the best looking guy ever (by
the way)
99 I love the fact that my children look like him
100 I am blessed

Sweet K

She feels better!! And apparently she is ready to play ball!

After 3 days of feeling really bad and not eating hardly anything, K finally feels better (and probably about 10 pounds lighter). God love her.

Just Something Easy

I saw this meme on another blog and since I am need of some material to write about, I thought I would try it myself. I have been so busy lately and things have just been so crazy, that honestly I just don't have the energy to think about any kind of creative , inspirational, or even sappy post. So, this meme seemed easy enough for my scattered brain today.

I am.. a little stubborn.

I think ..I talk too much.

I thank.. God for my family.

I know ..I should be working right now.

I wish ..I had more hours in the day.

I hate ..to put up laundry.

I miss ..the newborn stage of my 3 children.

I feel ..like life is flying by.

I shop.. if I have money in my wallet.

I hear ..the sounds of small children playing outside, a quiet, but audible new dryer turning, a new washing machine spinning and a dish-washer washing.

I crave ..diet coke, but haven't had one in 3 weeks.

I wonder ..who my children will marry (on a deep note) and I wonder who won the lottery (on a light note) Hope it was me.

I dream ..not too often, but when I do it is completely random and usually makes no sense.

I love ..my husband with all my heart.

I care.. about all people.

I always.. wish I was skinny.

I celebrate ..whenever there is an excuse to celebrate!

I sing.. not horrible...I can carry a tune and that's about the extent of it.

I cry.. easily and it's never a "pretty cry." I get the blood shot eyes, red nose, and splotches..

I don't ..know where I am going to find the time to do all I need to do this week.

I write ..fairly neatly. I think all teachers (or former teachers) have neat writing.

I pray ..for the health and safety of my children and family every day.

I lose.. things a lot. I am not very organized.

I listen ..to people, but need to get better at it. I tend to listen WHILE thinking in my head what I am going to say next.

I am scared.. a lot. I am a worrier, although I know I shouldn't be that way.

I dance ..only after having a few cocktails because that's when I THINK I might dance o.k., but truthfully, I NEVER dance good at all.

I need.. to be doing something else.

I dread.. having to pack up 5 people for the beach.

I anticipate ..going to the beach.

I laugh ..easily, especially at my husband's dry sense of humor.

Father's Day

Today, as we celebrate and honor fathers, I am especially thankful for the "Dads" in my life. My husband is a great man and wonderful "Daddy" and my own father is a man I love and admire.

T is generally a quiet guy, but around his family he really makes us all laugh and smile a lot. I think some of the best times are when I see him pick up one of the girls, twirl them around, and tickle them, all the while the other is waiting saying, "my turn Daddy, my turn." On nice nights, he takes the girls around the block on their bikes. They love this time with their Daddy.

T is a man that loves to be at home with is family more than anywhere and we all know it. He is a wonderful provider, who is smart and wise with money, a disciplinarian when needed, and he has a loving and tender heart. My children and I are so very lucky he's the man of our house.

My Dad is a man who I have always looked up to. He is a man to be respected, who has achieved so much, but to him his greatest acheivment would probably be his family. He is an extremely generous and tender hearted man, one that would give you his last dollar or shirt off his back, and one that would be willing to sacrifice something for himself in order to give to another.

I have two distinctive memories of my Dad as a child. The first being the time that I disappointed him by being disrespectful to my Grandmother. I had rolled my eyes at her in disrespect, and he popped me and disciplined me. He did a lot of talking, words I can't remember, but I certainly will never forget the feeling I had... that bad feeling for disppointing him so much. The second memory is on a lighter note. My Dad took my shopping several times growing up. I loved to go with him, because he was more likely to get me things I wanted, not just the practical items that I needed. When I was around 7 years old we were on one of those shopping adventures when I saw the prettiest rabbit fur coat I had ever seen. It was expensive (probably like $35 ...but Expensive to me THEN). I asked for it and we got it! I couldn't believe it. I might have had bad fashion sense, but I definitely had my Dad wrapped around my finger. I'll never forget that!

Happy Father's Day to both of the Dads in my life. I love you.

Fish and Roses

Yesterday we had planned to go to some friends house to grill out with the family and I was so excited at the opportunity to get out of the house for a little bit. About 20 minutes before we were going to leave, M comes running into my bedroom where I was getting ready and yells, "K threw up, K threw up!" She is definitely not good under pressure or in an emergency situation...she panics. I found K sitting, very confused, on the sofa covered in vomit. ALL over the couch too! Yuck!

Needless to say, our plans for last night and our plans for the entire weekend were cancelled immediately. I have spent the last 24 hours taking care of a sick child, Cloroxing everything, trying to disinfect the house, and cleaning my sofa.

And wouldn't you know something else would go wrong on Friday the 13th (although I'm not superstitious, or anything!), but as I was washing clothes, towels, sheets, etc...My dryer completely stopped working. Ugghhhh.

The sofa cushions have been cleaned with soap and water, then vinegar and water and stayed outside overnight. I then sprayed them with Lysol and let them sit in the sun for a while this afternoon. I finally brought them back in a little while ago and I can't help but think "fish and roses"...I know it's clean, but I can't quite rid my mind of the smell.

T and I have been planning on putting our stimulus check back, but now I'm thinking we need to use it to buy a new dryer and a new sofa! Doesn't this kind of thing always happen? You earn an extra $100 that week, but then a bill comes for $150 the next day?

The Lord does provide though. He really does. He always meets our needs and I am VERY thankful for that!

Happy Birthday to My Man

My Man is 34 today. He's a great dad, husband, and my best friend. I am so lucky that he is mine!

Here are some great pictures of him as a young boy. Check out his fine duds!




Here is a picture of us when we first started dating. Check out my tacky fake fingernails!

And here he is the day he stole my heart and made me his wife.

Happy Birthday T! I love you.

A Picture is Better than a Thousand Words From Me..

We are enjoying our summer watching our kids grow way too fast and we are anxiously awaiting our beach trip in less than 2 weeks. I am busy, busy, busy at work and so therefore I don't have much time to post. When I do find any time, I use that as an opportunity to spend time with the girls and take them to the pool or do something fun. Laundry? Dirty Dishes?...well, those can wait!

I thought I would post a few pictures I've snapped so that everyone would still know I am, indeed, still here...just very, very busy. (Have I said that I was busy?!)

M's carefree attitude. Take a look at that curly, curly hair!



Sweet, sweet K.




and here's my happy baby boy, J

Gratitude

81. Lazy days of summer...Not having to wake up by a buzzing alarm clock, but instead waking up to little eyes staring at me in bed, or waking to a baby talking to the morning sun in his crib.

82. A new friend in my life who is so easy and comfortable to talk to. It's like we have known each other for years.

83. Little girls with tired, red eyes and wet hair from a day at the pool lying comfortably and peacefully together and watching a movie. (too tired to argue or fuss with one another)

84. Having the opportunity to tell my kids we are going to the beach in two weeks!

85. Having the opportunity to invite dear friends to go along with us for a week at the beach.

86. Later bedtimes that mean more activities outside like swinging, looking for fireflies, sparklers, and riding bikes until dark.



87. No set routine or times to be somewhere.

88. Seeing my little man in his swimsuit for the first time.

89. Little, pudgy toes tickling the water.

90. Cheerios. (they can provide several minutes of great entertainment for an 8month old)

You Know you blog too much when...

-You actually refer to your family members by the first letter of there name. Or you hear your real life blog buddies refer to their children using their real names, but all the while you are thinking, "R, K, or whatever..."

-You are constantly thinking in just about any situation, "Is this blog material?"

-Furthermore, even in a bad situation, you think the silver lining of that moment could be that it just gave you something to blog ABOUT.

-You wake up in the middle of the night with a great idea about a post and you can't go back to sleep because you are writing it out in your head.

-...then you forget what it was the next morning. It would've been a great one though.

-The first thing you do every morning is check your favorite blog spots to see if there is a new post. Who cares about the news or the paper!?

-You start to tell a friend a story and she stops you and says, "I know. I read it on your blog."

-You feel a sense of closeness and a bond with people that you have never and may never meet face to face. You know some of their deepest thoughts and raw emotions.

-You have laughed so hard at Big Mama's post in one minute and then cried so hard reading Angie's story at Bring the Rain the next minute.

-You have cooked several recipes that you have gotten from other bloggers. The Pioneer Woman is your friend because she shows you step by step instructions WITH pictures!

-You see a real life friend/blog buddy (that you have only seen in person one other time) at the pool and you say, "Hey! I'm Elizabeth, Operation Motherhood" so she would know who I was! That one takes the cake!