Merry Christmas!

It's been busy...on Sunday, my "baby" turned 2! It was great fun! Grandma and Grandpa came down and enjoyed a weekend with us. We celebrated on Saturday with some Papa Murphy's Pizza, presents, and cupcakes. Kamden really liked his new stuff and especially liked being sung to!

Sunday brought McDonald's for lunch, seeing Grandma and Grandpa off, and getting more company in the evening. Chris, Nicole, and Morgan stopped in on their way to Virginia for a family Christmas. It was nice to visit. The boys really like Morgan and had a lot of fun with the visit! Below is a slideshow of the festivities!

Then brings us to Christmas. We really have had a nice time. For Christmas Eve we hung around the house and while Kamden napped Adam and Kal went to see The Tale of Despereaux. They enjoyed the afternoon out. We went to a very nice Christmas Eve service at church then came home, had some dinner, and we let the boys open one gift. It was tough to get them to bed as they were enjoying their new stuff. Kal got a super spy kit and Kamden got a race track. BOYS. They loved it! Then, off to bed. The boys got up around 7 and had some breakfast informing me that they wanted to play with the racetrack first thing. Adam and I smiled as they seemed to have forgotten that there would be more presents this morning.

We established a Christmas tradition when we got married to read the Christmas story (usually from Luke) before we open gifts. So, after breakfast Adam had the boys go to the couch to read the story...then they saw it...they remembered...and they did very good listening to the story before digging in!

So, tomorrow, we head up to Brown County State Park to stay in the Lodge with my family and do our gift exchange. It will be nice. Will update on that later!

Thankful

Wow, what a day!

Kamden came down with a fever last night and today it spiked at 103.7! Poor thing. When that child it sick you can see it. He was pathetic! He woke up this morning only for a few minutes then fell back to sleep on the couch the rest of the morning! Adam was off today and for that I am very thankful!

You see, he layed with the sick "baby" all morning while I worked. He got Kal around for school. I finished making snowman ornaments with candy canes attached to them (which were quite cute by the way) for Kal's classmates' goodie bags. Adam got lunch for Kal and I took him off to school just in time for a small conference with his teacher and to pick up Adam's check. So, then it was off to the bank for me and to the new Pediatrician to get the paperwork filled out and records from Georgia released here. While I was there filling out paperwork and scheduling appointments for the boys, Adam called and informed me that Kamden needed to see the doctor, so, while I was there I tried to get Kamden in, but his doctor was off for the rest of the day and all doctors were at lunch...so, Kamden went back to bed with some Advil. Adam said at that point he sweat for 45 minutes! (Hooray!)

Meanwhile, I ran to the school for Kal's party (only 5 minutes late) and enjoy my time there. He did the cutest little dance to the "12 Days of Christmas". He is precious. During the party though, Adam called saying that another doctor could see him. He did a series of tests and it came up tonsilitis with a sinus infection. YUCK. So, a prescription for amoxicillin later they are out of there...

Meanwhile, Kal and I had gotten home from the party and I was starting to work. Then, I needed to go out to return a few things and do some more shopping so Adam got home with Kamden and I went out to fill the prescription and shop. I went to Kohl's and returned a bunch of stuff (maybe we should have gotten a babysitter so we could both shop together...) and headed to Target..arguably my favorite place to unwind. I finished some shopping and came home to a very happy Kamden playing ball with Kal in the playroom. Whew, that is a relief! While this was going on, Adam was making dinner! Woo-Hoo!

Finally, I sat down to finish my work and the day is finally come to an end. Maybe I will wrap some presents, I don't know.

Bottom line, I AM THANKFUL for my husband without whom I never would have made it. Thanks sweetheart!

FUN

So yesterday (in the FREEZING COLD) we went tree shopping...30 years of life and never an artificial tree...hmmmm maybe next year! Anyway, we found a very nice tree or should I say trees. The house we just moved into is an older home and it has a built in brick planter right by the front door. It is okay, nothing I am going to rip out right away but I did have to clear it from the sea shells and articial bouquet shortly after we moved in. We found a very small, maybe 2 foot tall, real tree. We strapped the bigger tree to the top of the minivan and put the smaller one in back and headed home. We brought it in and after a couple of hours of deciding where to put it, we set it up and got the lights on. Now, in the past, Kal has never been too excited about the tree, he had always liked to play with the ornaments and stuff but never really cared much. Well, this year, I he became a very good decorator. Kamden enjoyed helping too...he is very talented, he managed to get 3 candy canes at the end of one little branch and they stayed there. With the exception of having to move a couple of candy canes I did not have to de-decorate or re-arrange after the boys went to bed. It was nice!

Today, I branched out of my comfort zone and went to a cookie swap. Now, let me clarify, cookie swapping is not scary...its the not knowing anybody because we just moved here scary that I am talking about. I met this lady from church a couple of weeks ago and she had invited me. I went, I mingled, I met a couple more girls from the church that I had not met who had small children (woo-hoo!) and I met the whole staff from a local dentist office --cookie swap is kind-of a funny place to meet them! I had a lot of fun and I even learned how to make home made thin mints!!!!!!

On top of all of that fun, there were a few small snow flurries today!

Birthdays, Bowling, and Bathrooms

On Sunday, Kal went to a birthday party for one of his new friends at school...Parker. It was a bolwing party and all of his friends from school were there. I, personally, was a bit nervous as he had never bowled before (except on the Wii) and I did not know how he would do as he was convinced that he would be able to bowl a strike every time. Well, as it turned out he had a great time and he did actually win from his team with a score of 76 with the bumpers (of course).

Nick, Kal, and Parker

Kal watching the ball roll slowly....slowly...

On another note. Last night while I was on the phone with Adam as he was trying to find some medicine at Walgreen's (and the clerk was not being very helpful) I noticed Kamden had been in the bathroom for a long time. So, I went in and this is what I found:

The look on his face was "get me out of this shirt...it's soaked!" He had gone in to brush his hair (hense the water and the hairbrush). When I walked in he had just put some handsoap on his hands (lukliy it was only in his hands and not in his hair!) He wanted his shirt off soooo bad but I just had to get a picture. Isn't he just toooo cute!?!

SORRY!

So, I know, it has been a LONG TIME since I have posted. There has really been a lot of stuff going on. We'll start with the move. On November 11, we loaded up and drove to Indiana...this time to stay. Adam drove the moving van pulling his car and I drove up with the boys in the van. The trip was uneventful. We pulled in to a house full of people and a stocked refridgerator and candy filling the spice pantry and very fun posters plastered all over the walls. We also had a nice hot dinner brought to us and it only took about an hour to get unloaded! A few ladies did come in and clean before we got here, they touched every surface so the house was CLEAN! The boys were in heaven...tons of attention and lots of fun new space to run around.

Later that evening, Lisa and Andy came to help unpack some. Lisa helped me with the kitchen. It was a quick visit but nice...and helpful! As they were leaving our first overnight guest arrived. Brandon happened to be in the area and so he came by and stayed. He went the next morning with Adam to the office to get unpacked.

Adam was welcomed that morning in the office with all of the staff members in there waiting for him. They began his ministry there with prayer! Cool!

It did not take us very long to get unpacked but since the previous owner of our home was a smoker...and was quite advanced in years...it smelled like...well...stale smoke and old folk. So, we have been busy painting and painting and painting. Now, I will say that I am very thankful to those who came to clean...I cannot imagine what it smelled like before. But, thanks also to KILZ we have a home that is quite nice. We have painted nearly every wall, we just have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a hallway left. That is quite an accomplishment! We are settling in and making it home.

We are adjusting to the colder climate here. I actually had to go out and buy the boys winter coats...Adam is stocked in his hats to keep his head warm...and we have lots of HOT CHOCOLATE!

We have lots of space for the boys to play. They have a fabulous (flat) back yard with a full privacy fence, a sunroom, a play room, all in addition to the rest of the house. Adam has a library that he has to share with my office. It is nice.

So for our Thanksgiving holiday, Janet (Ganjee) came up for a while to visit and went up to my parents for our family gathering. It was nice to have her around. The trip to my parents was nice. It was good to see everybody. I got to see Anne, Adam, and Jackson...it was nice to see them; Andy and Lisa where around too (along with baby "peanut")!!! Mom and Dad were happy to see the kids and have their own kids all under one roof. I think they enjoyed having Janet there too! We then went out to Uncle Mike and Aunt Jodi's for dinner. ABSOLUTELY everybody made it this year. Kal and I counted 28! It was nice. We got to relax while we were there...aaaaahhhhh.

We came back home on Saturday morning...it only took about 5 hours! WOW! We enjoyed a little more time with Janet, showing her around town and such. Then, Monday, back to the routine.

Speaking of routine, Kal started school only 2 days after we got here. I was going to wait until the following week but he was READY. He started and he loves it and has not looked back! The boys really like their new church too. I am very relieved. They handled everything...all of the new...very, very well!

So, now we are in the process of decorating for Christmas. It is fun but challenging to decorate a new space for Christmas when it is not even decorated yet period. But it is still a very nice time. Kamden has found a favorite decoration. He's soooo cute!

Well, there is the last month in a nutshell. Please forgive me if I have left anything out...but I think I got it all. I will do better keeping this updated (for those of you...and there is more than one...who have been anxious for an update).

I would like everyone to check out Adam's new blog at http://www.firstmancolter.blogspot.com/ !

Packing up.

So, we have been packing for weeks now, pacing ourselves nicely...so we thought. Today is our last packing day before the big move. I know, we don't load the truck until Monday but we have a High School purity retreat Friday, Saturday, into Sunday and when we get back there is a church-wide party for us, to see us off. We load Monday and take off Tuesday morning.

We are excited but saddened too. Last night was the last "Crossing" (youth worship service) for us. It was surprisingly difficult. The original Crossing Band came back and played, Adam gave his last message, and there were tears. I did not expect it to be hard...but it was...I can only imagine what the rest of the weekend will be like.

On a different note, I got word that our home in Newburgh is beeing deep cleaned before our arrival so I get to go into a nicely cleaned home when we get there. I am thankful. The boys are a bit anxious and acting on it this week but who can blame them...we have the house torn apart and the kitchen is packed up! NOTHING IS "NORMAL" right now. I do think Kal is excited to make the move though. I look forward to seeing them adjust and make new friends. Change is just so hard. But I think we are up to the challenge!

Well, I need to get the pantry packed up and start on some cleaning, so that is all for now.

Happy Halloween!

Okay, so this post has nothing to do with Halloween but with my oldest child who apparently is "anti-Halloween". I could not get him to dress up for school today. He FLAT OUT refused...I did not push the issue.

But, this morning right after breakfast the following happened:

Kal: Mom, can I have a pencil and some paper?
Me: Sure...here. Why do you need them?
Kal: I have something cool to write.
Me: Oh, OK...(he has been working on writing "words" for several weeks now and it just a bunch of letters)

A few minutes later he brings me a piece of paper. I look at it and it says "Kal is Kal."

Me: Very good Kal, you wrote a sentence...and the word "is".
Kal: Yep...I'll be right back.

A few minutes later he brings me another piece of paper. I look at it and it says "Kal is Kal forever."

Me: Kal...WOW...you wrote the word "forever"! How did you learn to spell that?
Kal: I just sounded it out!

That is just super cool. Today was his last day at school before we move and he goes to a new school. I have been really impressed with his preschool here and I am sad he has to go as he has apparently learned a lot! I am sure his new school will be just fine. It was nice though today they gave him a present for being his last day today!

Anyway, just thought I would take the opportunity to brag on my kid!

Moving on up...

...to just north of the Mason-Dixon Line. That's right, God's calling is more powerful than Adam's determination to stay in the south. For the first time in his life, he will be moving north. Adam has accepted a ministry at First Christian Church Newburgh, IN. So, back to Indiana I go but I hear that southern Indiana is very different from up where I'm from. It does not snow as much and is not as cold, not so many corn fields and farms, BUT it will for sure be a change from Georgia. It will be nice to be a little closer to my family too. It's still 5-1/2 hours but a lot closer than the 10-12 it is now! We'll also only be about 6-1/2 hours from Adam's family so really we'll be practically in the middle! Kal's excited that when his cousins visit they will get to stay the night or two or three!

We are looking forward to the new adventure in November but we are also saddened by having to move away from our friends and family down here. This is all the boys know, they were born here!

But, as one of my friends pointed out...my new best friend is waiting for me in Newburgh! That's a good way to look at it! We really are exited. God has blessed us by giving us the opportunity to serve at Fayetteville Christian Church for 6 years and has made this new opportunity work out very smoothly. Things are falling into place and we are thankful!

Boys. Boys. Boys.

So, Kal enjoys enduling in an episode of "Spiderman and His Amazing Friends" on Jetix before bed, and since his dad enjoys it as well, it happens relatively often.

So, this morning, Kal was "Iceman" (one of Spiderman's Amazing Friends) and he came to Kamden, put his hand on his shoulder, and said "I'm Iceman and I'm giving Kamden the cold shoulder." I thought it was very funny, but then cringed at how much he picks up from those shows.

On a different note, yesterday morning before school I noticed that the boys were not downstairs when I finished with the breakfast dishes, so I snuck up the stairs and found them...both standing on the stool in front of the sink and Kal was brushing Kamden's teeth! It was soooo adorable! My camera is broken otherwise it would have been a great photo!

Anyway, they are just at a super cute stage together and I'm loving it!

PANCAKE NIGHT

This is a blogworthy pancake nite for us. So, when I make pancakes, I don't make little tiny pancakes that anyone could eat a half dozen, they are a pretty good size. So, to tally up tonite's dinner:

Mom: 3 pancakes (barely)
Kal Justus: 5 pancakes (and wanted more)
Kamden: 4 pancakes (and could simply eat forever)

So, the totals are not that many but the fact is both boys ate more than me! It has begun!

Must See TV

As promised...superboy lessons

The Demonstration

Getting Ready

The Execution

The Result

Gone to Carolina...

So, I hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend. We went up to North Carolina with the boys and Adam's sister and her daughter to see their grandmother. "Granny" was diagnosed last week with breast cancer so we went up to see her and be an encouragement/distraction to her and Adam's Uncle David. Kamden really enjoyed Uncle David. In fact, he was looking for him this morning! It was cute!

We got to do some swimming and I taught Adam to do a flip turn. It was great fun! The kids were great on the trip up and on the way back. It really helped to have cousin Kadyn along, the boys just love to be with her.

It struck me funny while in the van as in the very back we had Kal and Kadyn watching the same movie on 2 different screens, in the middle was Kamden and whichever adult not in front during any given rotation watching yet another movie on his own screen, then in front the radio/ipod/cds were going ALL AT THE SAME TIME! It was crazy but it worked! We are so spoiled now days.

The trip was nice, the visit was nice, but the kids were very happy to sleep in their own beds last night. I managed to forget my camera so we have no pictures from the weekend but I do have a superhero collection of pictues from the other day that I plan on posting later (maybe today)!

That's all for now, I should check to see if there is any work available as their wasn't this morning (whoo-hoo! I had the morning off!) But, there is a reason I work so bring it on!

BOYS.

So, lately the boys have been challenging. I suppose that is normal for children, especially when routines are changing. Kal loves school, Kamden hates that Kal loves school. Kamden gets to go to the gym with mom, Kal hates that he does not get to go anymore (because of school). Kamden has decided that he does not need naps any longer nor does he need to sleep past 6 am. Kal is craving independence and is dressing himself daily. Kamden likes what Kal puts on and wants to wear it too, and the list goes on and on and on. Needless to say, it has been very "exciting" around here lately. In all of my frustrations with the challenge of keeping things semi-organized and the children in one piece, I can't help but grap the camera. Those boys sure do know how to "work it" when I am getting a bit stressed out. Enjoy the mantage:

This is Kamden (supposed to be napping) being sweet lying on the chair working his charm to get out of trouble.

This is Kal having dressed himself (again, long sleeves in August in Georgia) and trying out my heels...(?) Silly boy.

Kamden, wearing Kal's shirt from earlier, sitting in the midst of his toys with his sippy hiding from the camera, just being CUTE (during nap time).

Here we go again...

Kal had his first day of pre-K today. He is at the same school, with the same classmates as last year but he has different teachers. He was super excited to go today. We let him pick out his clothes, and he chose long sleeve shirt (one we got new for the school year) and a pair of jeans. He was very handsome but it is August...in Georgia! Even so, he was adorable. Kamden missed him, it was sweet.

This afternoon Adam came home a bit early and we headed off to Turner Field to catch a game against the Giants. The boys just love the ball park. It was fun. Now we are very tired and will be calling it a night.

I want to give a shout out to our niece Kaliese who turned 6 yesterday! Happy Birthday!!!!! Wow, time flies.

Until next time...

CUTE PIC OF THE DAY

So, it has been awhile again. We have been super-duper busy lately, thank goodness the summer is almost over. It is such a busy time. Honestly, there has been a ton of blog-worthy happenings around here but quite frankly, I'm tired, so I don't think I am going to play catch up, after all, I'm not so sure many folks (that don't already know the goings on) read...so I will just leave everyone with a cute picture and pick up on my blogging on Monday. Happy weekend to all!

Kadyn (cousin), Kamden, and Kal Justus

going to see the Braves on a rainy evening in late July.

So, here it is...

Adam's Accent (not his cute little southern drawl) but his cute little car!

"Kudos" to Janet who noticed my clever title of the last post! Just curious...did anyone else get it? If not, it might be kind-of fun to play the clever game more often...to keep us all on our toes!

Today was a nice day, just hanging with the fam. We went this morning to the hospital to see Grandmother (who is doing just fine by the way) then we came home and just hung out together. It was a much needed day of rest. Tomorrow starts another action-packed day/week/end of month...you get the picture!

Anyway, just thought I would share the pics.

Accent

Wow, so, July has nearly come and gone...already. So much has been going on this past month I am not even sure I can accurately re-cap. I will say though that in the middle of the month Adam spent a week in Mexico with the teens. They had a great trip, but Adam stayed in bed VERY sick for a majority of the week. Thanks to his adult volunteers and an all around good group of teens the week went smoothly without him. Adam was better by the time they came back and all is well!

Mom came and stayed with me and the boys that week. I think that was a long week for her. She had her first real experience with a Georgia summer. Yes, you folks in other parts of the country, in Georgia "hot" is an understatement. Whew.

On a different note, Adam took the plunge today. For about a year-and-a-half Adam has been driving a 1991 Mercury Topaz. It was very nice in it's day, power everything, air conditioning, et cetera...but the power windows quit working in front, AC out (remember I mentioned those Georgia summers) no cup holders, et cetera, et cetera, and recently it would cut off randomly (but thankfully started back up each time). We live about 30 minutes from the church...so Adam drives about 250 miles a week. So, after careful research and consideration, he bought a Hyundai Accent today. It is a 3-door hatch back, completely basic. Power nothing. BUT, it has AC and cup holders...ahhh, the little things in life! This little car gets really good gas mileage and is very hard to come by. They did not make many to start with, do not make them anymore, and they are quite popular because of looks, fuel efficiency, quality, warranty, and price!

This month has been a rough one, part of why I have not been blogging. As Anne and I were talking the other day she mentioned my lack of blogging and we came to the conclusion that "If you can't say anything nice, do not say anything at all"! So, there you have it.

Until next time...

Girls' Weekend Out!

So, this past weekend, my sister-in-law Katie, our friend Nancy and I went to Savannah to escape. We had a great time. We spent Saturday on the beach. The weather was beautiful. I have a slight phobia of the ocean; the awesomeness is just too much for me, but I did get in (briefly). Katie and Nancy enjoyed the water and even shared it with a dolphin! He was just swimming around out there with everyone out enjoying the water!

Speaking of dolphins, we took a boat out dolphin watching. We cruised the river then moved out to the Atlantic and found a buch of dolphins. They were playing and popping up to see us! We all went to the back of the boat and the guide picked up the pace to make a big wake and the dolphins went "surfing". It was really cool to see! Below is a picture of the three of us just before getting on the boat:
As we were cruising the river looking for dolphins we spotted something:

Yes, that is a deer! Well, a fawn anyway! It was just swimming across the river to get to the other side! The guide said he had never seen anything like it!

Speaking of deer, Tuesday while I was working, I saw something out the window, and yes, it was this deer. We have seen her quite a few times in the time we have lived in this house but rarely in the middle of the afternoon!
Well, I have so much more to say about our trip but I really need to organize my thoughts, so maybe I will post more as I think about it. Until next time...

Been awhile...

Well, it has been a while since I have updated last. A lot has been going on. In my last post I mentioned Adam was in the middle of IMPACT week. It was a really great week! Since then, he did recreation at VBS and Kal got to participate in VBS. They both had a really good time. Kal loved making crafts and the singing time.

Last week was CIY. Adam took a group of 12 high schoolers up to Anderson, IN (close to home) for the week. The boys and I drove up behind the church van to spend some time with my family. It was a very nice trip. The conference was wonderful, Adam, Nancy, and the teens really had a great time. The weather was BEAUTIFUL!!!!! It hovered in the upper 70s, lower 80s all week, with sunshine every day!

The boys and I had a good time at my parents. I got to see my dad on Father's Day for the first time in a long, long time. It was nice because Lisa and Anne were also there that day, so we had all of us together! I got to visit with Lisa and Andy that day and also got to see baby Jack too! It was really nice to see him, I had not seen him since he was born and he is now nearly 3 months and 3 times the size! It was nice to hang out with Anne and Adam (some) too! My mom really enjoyed the boys, as usual. We took it easy some, played outside a lot, and on Tuesday we went to the Ft. Wayne Zoo. Kal loved it, Kamden was fascinated at first but then tired, and Jackson slept the whole time! It was fun. To try to get a picture of the three of them together was no easy task either. I finally got a picture...kind-of:

On Wednesday, I went up to Anderson to meet up with Adam and the group and Nancy (the female sponsor) came to Portland to meet up with an old college roommate. I had fun with Adam and the crew, we took it easy in the afternoon playing volleyball and just hanging out. What a great group of teens!

That evening, I drove just over to Pendleton and met up with my old college roommate, Jen, and her kids (with a quick hello to Danny)! It was nice to see her (and her kids) again. We got to enjoy only a few minutes but it was nice.

Before leaving Portland on Thursday, I stopped in to say "hello" to Cathy. She is amazing! She just had a highly specialized brain tumor treatment and she said she worked all of the way through it and she was working when I saw her too. She just keeps going on...with supernatural strength (not Spiderman or anything) but she has shown amazing strength that comes only from God. She and her family have such an amazing testimony! She looked great and seemed to be feeling great too! It was nice to visit.

On the way back we stopped at The Close and visited with the Johnson family...and Greers. It was very nice to see them as usual. Kal, Ivy, Kamden, and River played and played until about 9:30 pm. They had so much fun.

We finally made it back home later the next day and we are still all a little tired from the trip. The good news is that the boys are sleeping better than ever!

Well, that is about it for now, I am tired, will update later.

SO COOL!

This week has been a tough one. Adam has IMPACT which is a community wide youth service week. Several churches in the area participate and the youth all come together, split into groups, and do service projects in the community, then in the evening they get back together for a time of worship. It is really great...but Adam is working 7 am to 10 pm every day. It is tough.

A month or so ago we decided to take advantage of a special opportunity through Sharpsburg Youth Baseball League to Parade around Turner Field before the game tonight against the Florida Marlins. We jumped on the opportunity, got the tickets, and then realized it was IMPACT week. So, we decided just to not go...BUT someone (thanks Laura!) decided to take our youth to the evening worship session so Adam could be with Kal and go to the game.

So, we went, we walked the field, and it was SO COOL! Kal was very much in awe...but so were Adam and I. Poor Kamden was not feeling well. He had a bit of a fever and it was super dooper hot (90s) so needless to say he was miserable. Kal got to say "hi" to Brian McCann, and Adam said "hi" to anyone in a Braves uniform...and they were kind enough to respond and wave! It was GREAT!

For pictures, click below:
http://community.webshots.com/album/563706279zcjAEY?vhost=community

We stayed and watched the game for a while but poor Kamden was having a hard time holding out... so we left early. We got home, turned on the game, and THEN watched Chipper hit his 400th home run!!! UGH, we just missed it in person! That's okay though.

Will try to post more later, until then...

Fun in the Sun!

Monday was a great day to just relax and hang out with the family. Although I did work in the morning, I was able to enjoy a wonderful day at the ballpark with Adam and Kal, while Judi AKA "JuJu" kept Kamden (who apparently slept the ENTIRE afternoon). Then Adam, Kal, and I headed to the Knights to get Kamden and to enjoy a cookout with some friends fully equipped with Brats, Ribs, swimming and corn hole. It was nice! Here are a few highlights:

Check out my Slide Show!

BUSY, BUSY

We had a wonderful start to the week. We took a trip up to our Alma Mater as Adam wanted some educational advice. We got to spend some time going around Knoxville...which Kal refers to fondly as the "little city"...we went to McKay's which is in a new location, bigger and better. For those of you who are not familiar with McKay's it is a used book store. We had quite a bit of credit from some books we traded in so we walked out of there with a bag full of books without spending any money!





Adam's meetings were really good, I think he has decided to pursue a Master of Arts in New Testament and then he will go from there. The best part of the trip was that we got to spend some time with some good friends! We had a great time with the Overdorf family. The boys love to play together and it is nice to chat with Daniel and Carrie. Claire hangs right in there with all of those rowdy boys! She's sooooo cute! We also got to visit with Anyssa and Dustin Blackburn and their two adorable kido's. The boys loved jumping on the trampoline with all of their "new friends". I wish I had pictures, but the batteries were low so I didn't get any.





Well, he did it. Kal finished T-ball tonight. He really had a good time with T-ball. I am not sure it has sunk in that it will be a while before he gets to play again. He got a really cool trophy...bobble head! Thanks to all who came out and endured a T-ball game or two this year!

Shout out goes out to Braedyn today... he is 3 years old! Happy birthday Braedyn!

Adam and I also celebrated a big day on Tuesday, it was our 8th anniversary! I cannot believe it has already been that long! It was nice to be back visiting the place we first met. We even showed the boys where we went on our first date. They were unimpressed. Thanks Adam for 8 great years, I look forward to many many more!!!

OOPS!

So sorry Kelly and Brian--- They celebrated their 4th anniversary on the 15, not the third! Time just flies soooo very fast!

Today was a good day, the weather was very nice. Kal had a T-ball game this morning and it was nice to be out at the ballpark.

The boys spent some time this afternoon playing in the sprinkler...they had a BLAST! I love to see them having so much fun together!

Well, that is all for today, gotta put the boys down.

Catching Up

So much has happened in the past week plus! Sorry for being so slow to post! Well, I did it. I turned 30. I got to enjoy a Braves game (with great seats) to celebrate. Eddie and Nancy joined us...it was great fun!

Adam and I also went downtown ATL to the Shakspeare Tavern with Kelly and Brian. We had a very nice dinner and enjoyed a wonderful interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was fabulous!

Kal had a Mother's Day brunch at school that I got to attend. It was very nice. His class sang a song then we ate a very nice mid-morning meal. It was very nice to watch Kal in action at school, and to see him interact with his friends. I got some pictures but the lighting was not quite right and there is a ton of red eye. I think my camera is supposed to catch that automatically...oh well.

Speaking of Mother's Day, mine was particularly special. Kal had made me a very nice breakfast, waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream, a glass of milk, and coffee. He wrote me a card and got me a yellow mum. Adam said he negotiated with the florist. He wanted something yellow that would not die quickly...a yellow mum. How sweet! Kamden of course was completely involved in all of this too. Another very special part of the day is that my mother was down to visit and I got to spend Mother's Day with her! After church we went to La Parilla, a favorite of mine, Katie, Janet, Grandmother, and my mom...so it worked out great that all of us "moms" got to enjoy such a nice lunch. We even got roses! It was very special to share that meal together.

Well, Kal officially completed his first year in preschool. He really enjoyed the year and learned a lot! He had a small ceremony and an ice cream party afterward that I got to attend. They, again, sang a song then got their diplomas. It was adorable!

I am so blessed to have Adam and my boys. Kudos to Adam for working so hard to make this "big celebration" month special! We will celebrate our anniversary next week too...#8! Speaking of anniversary...shout out to Kelly and Brian on celebrating their 3rd yesterday!

I will try to update in a more timely manner next time...but until then...

Please read the previous post...

...if you want this to make at least a little sense.

http://community.webshots.com/album/563313254wYwmDU

Surprise!

This week (Wednesday) marks the fact that 30 years have now passed since my mother gave birth to her oldest child...(Okay, I celebrate my 30th birthday...there...I said it).

So, this Saturday I casually went out to a movie "Baby Mama" (good movie by the way), with my friend Krista...fun times. It was so nice to get away for a Saturday afternoon. Afterward, we had to run to the church because I needed to pick up a book for Adam and she needed some ice for a wedding shower she was throwing for her niece the next day. So, we head to the church, I walk into the room to get the book and SURPRISE!

There was a party waiting for me! Adam had been planning this surprise party for me for months! I was REALLY surprised! The whole room (and the people in it) was totally 80s! There were posters of 80s movies, 80s songs were playing when I walked in! Everybody was wearing leg warmers, cut off jeans with off-the-shoulder shirts, bright blue and/or pink eye shadow, glittery pink and orange spray in the massively teased hair-dos. The guys basically dressed like their wives 80s hearthrobs! My father-in-law even came as Indiana Jones! Adam put in a ton of time planning this and it was wonderful! We had our jelly bracelets, my cake was a boom box, I even got a Goonies lunch box out of the deal! It was fun to let loose and enjoy the party! Krista was in on it the whole time!

My sister and brother-in-law came down from Kentucky...all dressed up! It was great fun! Thanks Adam for organizing the party...and pulling it off! Below are just a few pictures, we should have more when Kelly gets hers pulled together! But....here's a taste of the action:

Kelly and Brian:

Ross and Lindsey (and Eddie):

Katie (and Lisa):

Krista and Nancy:

Me (and Lisa):

Check it out!

What got me started in this world of blog is a "childhood friend" of mine...okay, he lived in the house next door my whole life...had a little girl a couple of years ago born with a heart defect and chromosome disorder. Unfortunately, Baby Kate's heart stopped working earlier this year. Her mother, Krista, blogged her journey and I got really into the blog world from there.

Kate was a beautiful little girl, that I only had the pleasure of meeting in person only once, but she made a lasting impression. Her parents (and big brother) wanted to preserve her legacy and have now begun a service for other children in the hospital. Kate loved to read and look at books so begins "Kate's Kart". I have a link on by blog page...please feel free to check it out...and donate!

God's presence has been tremendously strong in Andy, Krista, and Seth's lives over the past couple of years and their testimony is nothing but glorifying to God...Amen! It is so nice to see the reminder that God is alive and at work in our lives, even when things do not seem to be going the way we want. He is faithful!

I would like to help the Layman family promote Kate's Kart in honor of Kate, and her family. Please click on the link below for more information also. Find out more about Kate and what you can do to contribute!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=5709f4a0e48ed8b547ef10&skin_id=1705&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=image

Layers

After 6 years of living in this wonderful state of Georgia, I still cannot figure out the weather. It is most definitely more mild than the Indiana weather I grew up with but this morning it was a very chilly 41 degrees with highs to be 75. That makes dressing Kal for school a challenge. But, when all else fails, layer!

So, here comes the real story...I grabbed a sweatshirt for Kal to wear over his T-shirt for school. Kamden went to the closet (that they share) and was reaching up...he apparently wanted his too (they match). So, I comply, and he is then wearing his orange baseball sweatshirt too. Then I proceed to Kal's drawer to get his jeans. As Kal is putting them on, Kamden is also digging in that drawer and grabs a pair of Kal's shorts. He proceeds to put them on his head. I thought he was just trying to be funny but when I help, he got very upset because I just put them on top, he wanted the shorts ON. So, I put them on (correctly) over his sweatpants. He was very happy. I think he wanted to be just like Kal today AND he decided that layering was the best way to go today as well!

So....

I have a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks...and I got an early birthday present this week and it is JUST TOO COOL! Adam got me a waterproof MP3 player!!!! It straps right to my goggles and has waterproof everything so I can load my own music and listen as I swim. It makes it hard to count my yardage but I can very easily keep track of time...just load x amount of minutes and when it is done, that is how long I have been swimming! I've already tried it out. I LOVE IT! Thanks Adam!

Kal had another T-ball game today. He just loves his games! Today, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Brian, Kaliese and Braedyn came today to see him play. Thanks guys! Braedyn has the record for coming to the most games! Good job buddy!

It rained (shortly) this afternoon and the boys had a BLAST playing outside in the rain and puddles. Kal is really in to "roley poley" bugs...he spent tons of time collecting them in the rain today. Kamden has gotten into ball (finally). He loves all kinds...kick balls, soccer balls, golf balls, footballs, and of course baseballs. He's got quite the arm. Maybe he will be a pitcher...he sure can throw but is horrible with the bat!

I will update another day but for tonight, I must get the boys to bed here pretty soon!

Never A Dull Moment!

HE JUST

CANNOT

SIT

STILL!

Yes, he's cute BUT he has been into EVERYTHING lately! I have had to get him off the table several times this week. He has amazing speed when he is climbing, jumping, or whatever he does. I turn my back for just a second and he is on to something new (literally)! I suppose it is a new phase, I should enjoy watching his "adventures" and keep him out of trouble so he does not get hurt.

Kal has had a couple more T-ball games since I posted last. Shout out to Ganjee and Braedyn for coming out Saturday. Thanks guys! Kal is really loving his T-ball games. He says he likes them much better than practice!

Yesterday was my brother-in-law's 30th birthday...Happy Birthday Andy! Hope you enjoyed your dinner and the Red's/Dodgers game!

Kamden celebrated Earth Day appropriately yesterday by picking up all of the trash around the ballfield and putting it in the trash. It kept him busy the entire ball game!

Not much else to report for today, will update more another day!

Swimming?

Okay, so, it was very warm here today...and calling for 78 tomorrow. Kal has been begging to set the pool up to swim, so, being the softy that he sometimes is, dad brought out the pool. THEY HAD A BLAST! Apparently, the water was quite cool, even after about 12 panfuls of hot water from the faucet. Here are a couple of adorable highlights: