The Johnson Family

Update...Again

2011-12-29T21:04:00.001-06:00

Obviously, blogging isn't really my thing. I think it could be, but it just hasn't been a very high priority these last few months. I could go on and on about busyness, but anyone reading this is probably in the same boat. Just wanted to give a quick update.
Baby A has been with us for 5 months. I thought about this while I rocked him to sleep tonight and wondered how many miles we have rocked these 5 months! He is such a sweet boy. We had to get up at 4:00 am to prepare for an EEG his neurologist wanted to do to rule out seizures. Our instructions were to keep him awake and one nurse even said if he falls asleep, we will have to reschedule! Scottie and I were both up with him and then took turns taking short naps. Keeping him awake was pretty easy at first, but got more difficult as the morning went on! Our appointment wasn't until after 10:00 am so you can imagine...6 hours of keeping a sleepy toddler awake!! Some of our tactics were eating, walking outside into the chilly air, playing with all sorts of toys and a cold, wet paper towel on the head and face! They worked well! Things got really tough when we left for the appointment. A wanted to go immediately to sleep in the car. Scottie had to task of keeping him awake there. I had a hard time not speeding to hurry to the appointment! Long story short, the appointment was a success. It was not easy for this momma to sit and watch the tech glue 24 electrodes to his sweet head while he fussed and cried. When the test was over, we thought he would go right back to sleep, but he surprised us all by staying awake! We drove over to Mad Pizza (one of my favorite places to eat) for lunch. A stayed awake through lunch and even munched on some ham and cheese. He did take a great nap this afternoon after we got him home and cleaned up (he still had some glue in his hair).
Christmas was so much fun! We haven't had a little guy for a while, so it was a fun experience. He got some wonderful gifts from family, friends and Casa. We have had a wonderful time together as a family this year, for sure!
We went to court recently and will have baby A for a while. It's tough to know how to pray. It is even tougher not to be selfish. I have to keep reminding myself that he isn't mine. He is in DHS custody and I'm a third party raising him for the time being. Our goal is still reunification. We pray for God's will everyday for this little guy's life and want whatever is best for him, even if that means we don't get to keep him.
The new year holds lots of promise and excitement for our family. We can't wait to see what's ahead! Happy New Year!!

Update

2011-09-28T20:21:00.000-05:00

It's been a long day.We had court today and I had no idea how exhausting it would be. For all of us.
I am thankful today for a judge who sincerely has the best interest of children in mind day after day.
I am thankful today for a system, though flawed, seeks to protect children of all ages.
I am thankful today for an incredible and supportive family who I love dearly and they love me.
I am thankful today that God put me in a family who loved me and took care of me.
I am thankful today for a network of friends who love me and my family.
I am thankful today that God has called me to be a mommy to children I did not give birth to.
I am thankful today my own son is able to love other children just like they were his siblings.
I am thankful today that God is always with us equipping me for every good work.
I am thankful today for so many reasons. Too many to name them all.
Most of all, I'm thankful for this crazy journey we are on. I am learning to trust God more and take it one day at a time. I am also learning to be prepared for anything at any moment!

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

What Can You Do?

2011-09-22T12:59:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking a lot this week about foster care and the church. I have read James 1:27 a bunch of times. Yesterday I read foster children referred to as "American orphans" and it took my breath. It is so true. I just read this post and was brought to tears. There is so much you can do to help, to bless, to love foster families. You don't have to become a foster parent to love foster children and support families who care for them. You can help be Jesus to these precious little ones, too. So, I ask...what can you do??

County Fair

2011-09-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

Henry had his first opportunity to show a sheep at the Washington County Fair this week! It was very exciting. And as you can see from his expression, even though he was a total rookie, he was all business. He was very serious and even though his sheep (not really his, just the one he got to lead) didn't win, he was really proud. And he got a free t-shirt!

Back To School!!

2011-08-23T18:22:00.000-05:00

The last 2 weeks have been unbelievable. Getting back into the routine of going back to school is always a bit challenging, but throw a baby into the mix and it's downright silly! I really don't know if I can sit here and actually recall everything that has happened. Let's just say that every time the phone rings we hold our breath and say a prayer.

Henry's first day back started off like this:

And ended something like this:

I had just stopped and picked up dinner at Wal-Mart (a rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies and Steam and Mash mashed potatoes). The cashier even made a crack about my purchases being an easy dinner. I was driving to the after school program to pick up Henry, literally down the street when the director called and told me "Henry has fallen off the monkey bars." And I knew. I knew the evening of an "easy dinner" and stories about our first day was out the window. When I got there I could tell he was in a lot of pain. Bless his heart. I called his pediatrician and they told me they don't do x-rays after 5:00 (it was just after) and said we should got to the ER. Yeah right. Not if I can help it! I wasn't about to make my baby wait for hours and hours! We picked up the baby from daycare and headed to the Mediserv Clinic on Wedington. I cannot say enough good things about this place. They have been there for us so many times on the weekends and after hours. Thankfully, they do x-rays, too! He had fractured his arm and would need to get a cast. Through it all he was very brave.

The nurse said we would be going to see the orthopedist the next morning and they put a temporary brace on his arm. I called a sub for the next day (2nd day of school, no doubt) and planned to take him with Scottie to get his cast. But they didn't set the appointment until the FOLLOWING day, which meant I would also miss the 3rd day of school. Not a great way to start off the year for H or me! But family always comes first. Always. The baby had a check-up scheduled that Scottie was going to take him to, but I ended up being able to do it. He had a runny nose so we had that checked out, but were told it was viral and he would be fine.

H got his super awesome blue cast on Wednesday and couldn't wait to get back to school. Scottie and I took the opportunity for a lunch out together after he was back at school and I had plans for a nap. As I laid down in my bed the phone rang. It was daycare. The baby had a fever and needed to be picked up within the hour. What?! So off I went. Which also meant he couldn't return the following day because he has to be fever free for 24 hours before returning. Oh my. I had to get back to school! I hadn't even seen my 6th graders yet and it was nearly the 4th day of school! Crazy. In steps Grama and saves the day! She agreed to keep him at her house and poor on the TLC Thursday and Friday so I could return to work. What a lifesaver! The week seemed to end alright after all. I was thinking this week had to be better that last week! Monday seemed to start out well enough even though the baby had been kind of restless the night before. Then the phone rang at school. It was daycare again and the fever had returned. Really?! Scottie went to pick him up and I made a doctor's appointment. Turns out he now has a sinus infection and the beginnings of an ear infection. Here we go again. Our friend, Kelly, graciously agreed to keep him for us at her house. Yet another lifesaver!! She even made us dinner!!

I am really hoping we are on our way up. After all that has happened, it is hard to say for sure. But I am definitely being optimistic!

Update

2011-08-04T21:20:00.000-05:00

As I type, a precious baby is asleep in his crib down the hall.
He has crawled all over this house today, cruised all around our living room furniture (he's getting quite good at it), eaten some yummy baby food, had a few poopy diapers and made a trip to Wal-Mart. Whew!
Baby M. has been with us for a week now.
We are having the best time!

Scottie attended the first hearing this week which went well. He was able to talk to baby M.'s mom and reassure her that he is safe and doing very well. There was a possibility he might go with a family member next week, but that has fallen through, so he will likely be with us for a little while. We are tickled to have him as long as we can!

God is doing some amazing things in my heart and in our family through this little guy. We are trusting Him for what is best and praying for him and his family. We are all growing though this experience.

I have been asked by several people lately, "How can you do it? How can you get attached and then have to give them back?" and even, "What do you do if you get one you wanna keep and have to give it back?" I have had to think about my answer to these questions. Here is what I have come up with: It's not about me. It's not about what I selfishly want. Becoming a foster parent is the opposite of selfish. We are giving up time, energy, money, sleep, comfort - you name it - for children who's parents who have made poor choices. I am not allowed to be selfish in this whatsoever. And that's why it's a calling. I sensed God calling us to adoption on November 3, 2010, but had no idea at the time what that would look like. We have such a peace that this is exactly what He wants for us to do right now. Even though it's not easy (what about the Christian life is?? Really??), God is in control. This is all His. These precious children are His. I am just being Jesus to them for a little while. What an amazing opportunity we have!

So, there. That's how I feel about it. We still feel called to adoption, but know that baby M. may not be our "forever child." If he's not we will give him back when it's time. We pray that God gives us the grace to give him back and we know we will be sad. But we also know that means our "forever child" is out there and we will keep loving children through Jesus until we get to him or her.

Brothers (part 2)

2011-08-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

Another call came last week.
Thursday at 8:00 am, to be exact.
It's amazing how one phone call can change EVERYTHING.

The DHS worker said there was a baby boy who needed placement. A baby! I told her I would talk it over with Scottie and call her back. In a matter of moments, we had a critical decision to make. We were both groggy and still sitting in the bed talking things over and praying (sounded something like..."God - what do we do??"). See, we were leaving the next day for a wedding in Mountain Home where we would both be singing and I would be playing the piano. We also knew I would be in Hot Springs for a few days at the ARKCDA Convention. We were trying to figure out how to make it work and I kept thinking about The CALL video where everyone was too busy to take a little girl. I couldn't be that person! I called my mom and she agreed to step in while I was away. We could make it work! I was excited to call DHS back and say yes!

I picked up baby M. later that day. What a precious little boy! He has the most amazing smile and is so, so happy. We took him with us to the wedding where he charmed our friends and they fell in love with him instantly. We have had to adjust to making bottles, changing diapers, baby food, spitting up, teething, diaper rash, rocking to sleep, etc. again. It's been 8 years!! But we have settled into our new routine with him and it has been so much fun! Henry is an INCREDIBLE big brother. He is so helpful and encouraging (he gave me a high five today and told me, "good job, mom!" after I was able to rock M. back to sleep after he woke up hungry from his nap!). This little guy has captured our hearts!

We do not know what is ahead and we are waiting for word on his hearing. We are praying for him and his family and enjoying him for as long as we have him!

We are so blessed to be on this special journey. We can't wait to see what God has in store.

Brothers

2011-07-13T10:14:00.000-05:00

Henry and Rollie have a special relationship. H has considered R his "brother" since he was a kitten! They have a brotherly bond.

Even though H will annoy him (like any brother would), Rollie prefers to sleep in H's bed to anywhere else in the house. R will burrow under H's covers and sleep all day in his bed.

Brotherly love knows no bounds!

Why We Do What We Do

2011-07-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

The first time I saw this video was in church and it made me cry. I cannot imagine being "too busy" to help a child in need.
http://vimeo.com/6576611

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 (NIV)

Our Quiet House

2011-07-01T09:47:00.002-05:00

Today our house is quiet. We took our girls to live with their grandma yesterday afternoon. It was very bittersweet. We enjoyed having them in our home for 9 days. We swam, played barbies and kitchen, ate at "Chick-A-Lay" twice (K's pronunciation) and I braved Wal-Mart with the crew by myself twice! They got to watch Henry play baseball, went to church, ate at MickyDonald's (again, K's pronunciation) and went to 2 swim parties. It was quite an adventure, to say the least! I'm happy K and L will be with family and will be able to visit with their mom. At the same time, I grew to love these little ones and desire nothing but the best for them. We saw them flourish during the short time they were in our house. We made a special point to love on them, encourage them and praise their good behavior and efforts. We all had moments of frustration, but we had a very good first experience with fostering. I have believed for some time God has called us to this unique ministry, but that was only confirmed after the last 9 days. It is my prayer that we will have a positive impact on the children who come through our home, no matter how long or short they stay. We will love them as our own for as long as we have them!

For now, our house is quiet. Henry and I are snuggling in the chair with Rollie waiting for blueberry muffins to cool enough to eat.

We will enjoy the quiet for now, but can't wait to see where our adventure takes us next!

Our Adventure

2011-06-25T08:53:00.003-05:00

This week has been quite an adventure. To say the least. I always wondered where I would be when our first call came. It was Tuesday and Henry and I were at the car wash. Two little girls needed a home. Even though Scottie was out of town and we had several obligations over the course of the week, how could I possibly say no?? Wouldn't that be incredibly selfish of me? After all, this is why we signed on to be foster parents. These girls' world had just been turned upside down and they needed help. Of course I said 'yes, bring 'em over!'
They came later that evening and didn't have much with them. I bought them some pj's and a few things to get us through the next few days. These precious girls are so sweet! We have had a great time loving them and playing with them. We have spent quite a bit of time playing outside and went swimming yesterday for the first time. They loved it!! I wasn't sure how they would like it, but they did so well. They are even tolerating Maggie swimming with them really well! We have had a few moments here and there, but I think the girls are adjusting very well. Henry is a super big brother! But I knew he would be! He has such compassion and is very caring with little ones. He is pretty patient and loves helping them do things. He is having to learn to share ALL his stuff...something tough for an only child! It's a new adventure for all of us. Scottie has been so anxious to get home from Super Summer and meet the girls. It has been hard for him to be so far away knowing all that is going on here. He comes home today and we can't wait!
There have been several amazing blessings that have already come out of our adventure. A lot of people have stepped in and offered help. I have bought the girls several things, but we have had lots of stuff donated. An organization called Nothing In Return brought us a bunch of toys, clothes, snacks, soap, toothpaste and all kinds of goodies! A DHS worker came yesterday afternoon with a sack for each girl of brand new clothes from The Children's Place and we had a fashion show! They are thrilled to have new things. I really don't think they have had anything new before. We have a meal coming tonight through The CALL. We are so blessed!
Beyond that, I appreciate Henry more. The last few days have been a huge adjustment for all of us and he has been such a trooper. He has had to share me with 2 other people, something he has never had to do before! We snuggle and hang out when the girls are napping and after they go to bed. I am trying to be careful to spend one-on-one time with him when I can. I have also come to realize how spoiled I am. I have been really selfish with my time and I didn't even realize it until the girls came. I went anywhere I wanted, bought what I wanted, ate out whenever I wanted and didn't even think about it. I have been blessed beyond measure and took it for granted. Having two precious little ones come into my home with nothing has made me realize a lot of stuff. God is doing an amazing work in my life through these kids and their situation. I had no idea that would happen. I knew I would be helping out some kids who needed it, but I didn't know they would be helping me, too.
Please pray for K. and L. The first court hearing is next week and I will be attending to find out as much as I can about their situation. Pray for their family. My prayer is for reunification, but I want them to be in a healthy environment.
Thank you for your prayers!!

Baseball

2011-06-18T19:54:00.009-05:00

This is Henry's first year to play baseball and it has been such a positive experience. His coaches have been wonderful and patient as he learns, and the players really work well together as a team. We are so glad we have had this experience this year.

We have traveled to Lincoln, Prairie Grove, Elkins and West Fork for games.

We had lots of games to make up because of a really rainy spring!

Henry's last game was this past Wednesday. They won 12-6! It was a great way to end a great season.
Tournament is this week and we are pumped!! The Fireballs are ready!!!!

What We've Been Up To

2011-06-15T09:58:00.014-05:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. The end of the school year came so fast and we were so busy, this has taken a back seat for sure! I wanted to update on our journey into foster care/adoption. We officially began our journey on January 17th at an information meeting with the CALL. The first part of our journey ended yesterday with our "final" final walk-through with DHS yesterday. DHS wanted to come on April 30th for our final walk-through, but we were not in town that day. I didn't hear back from them for almost a month. They came on May 26th and found several things that I needed to change or do. The night they came, Kendra and I were in the process of painting the "foster" room and Scottie's gun cabinet was still in the room! Shameful! Our DHS worker said we would have to have the room set up before we would be put on the list to get a child. I hadn't been told this before or I would have had the room set up a long time ago!! We were also told to put key locks on our gates and shed and a chime on our back door (they were pretty concerned about our pool). In the garage we had to put away some things that were just out. We were also told there would be a safety plan for the pool, the gun cabinet (which is now in our bedroom...ugh) and Scottie's 4-wheeler. With the end of school, my final concerts, Henry's baseball games, church, etc. we decided to wait until I was out of school to finish everything and have DHS come back. It was a good decision.

Yesterday we were approved for 2 children, age 0-5, either sex.

Here are some pics of the room:

Our journey is just beginning. We know it will take a few days or so for our information to be processed and entered into the computer before we get a phone call. We have been praying for wisdom and discernment in as we enter into the next phase. There are lots of unknowns, but we know God has called us to this ministry. We were told yesterday by DHS that there are 130 children in foster care and only 28 foster homes. We are humbled and excited to part of this huge need. We cannot wait to see what God has in store for us!

Easter and A Craft

2011-05-07T09:24:00.018-05:00

Easter Sunday was a great day! We had an early service at church in addition to regular worship. Grama and Papa came to church with us.

Henry was so handsome! He actually wore a tie that I got to pick out! That is a rare thing.

The Easter Bunny brought him some tasty goodies and his favorite...Legos!

Easter Sunday was cold and rainy. Not ideal for egg hunting! Henry's grama and I hid eggs for him inside.

I don't consider myself to be particularly crafty, but I dabble. We went to Second Mile (second hand store) to find stuff for MORP a couple of weeks ago when I stumbled upon these flowers! They charged me $2 for all of them!! What a deal! Most of them still had the price tags on them and if I would have paid retail, I would have paid over $35! When I got home, I got out my white pitcher and made a little spring arrangement.

I am pretty proud of my new project!! Happy Spring!!

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-29T12:10:00.022-05:00

We went to Winter Park, Colorado, this year for spring break with 24 teenagers, college students and adults from church. It was an AMAZING trip!! We had a wonderful time together skiing. Driving through Kansas was rough! So flat and a bit depressing...we saw lots of tumbleweeds! Mountains in the distance...

Taking a break on the first day. Scottie was so good and patient with me on the first day! I hadn't been skiing since high school and was a little rusty. He helped me so much!! Henry was in snowboard school all day that first day.

Scottie and I really enjoyed skiing together!! We've been together for over 17 years, but had never been skiing with each other!

We stayed at The Vintage Hotel which was a gondola ride from Winter Park Village. It was very nice and I would highly recommend it!

Henry had a fold out couch bed and loved it!! Our room had a fireplace and a kitchenette...perfect!! They also provided a locker for us to store our ski stuff at night.

Hittin' the slopes with my boys!! This was the last day we skied. It was snowy all day and windy. Made for rough conditions, but we still had a great time together.

Snowboard champ!! Henry really did great. He picked up snowboarding pretty quick and said he loved it and can't wait to go back! We are so proud of him!!

Gondola ride from our hotel to the village.

Tunnel on Village Way

What a great trip we had!! I can't wait to go skiing again - I forgot how much I enjoyed it!!

Our Adoption Journey

2011-03-13T20:25:00.003-05:00

Our adoption journey officially began on Monday, January 17th, and an informational meeting. It unofficially began much earlier than that. Mid-way through the meeting I looked at Scottie and said, "We are exactly where we are supposed to be." I just felt in my spirit that it was right. And I still feel that way.

We have been praying for several years for God's direction for our family. After cancer, a miscarriage and not knowing if a successful pregnancy is even possible, we began seeking God's will believing He desired for us to have more children. In November, we sensed Him leading us to adoption. Shortly after, the C.A.L.L. started in our area. While we have considered foreign adoption, we feel there is such a huge local need and decided to work with DCFS through the C.A.L.L. We have completed our PRIDE training and have our paperwork nearly done. We have our home study scheduled for next Friday and will complete CPR training on April 9th. The only thing left after that is a final DCFS walk through and our home will be open.
When we began our journey we planned to go "adopt only." We have the option to foster, foster to adopt or adopt only. As we went through training, we began to reconsider foster to adopt. Our trainers said it is typically the fastest way to go, but as foster parents, the goal is reunification of the child with their birth parents. So that means we could have a child or children in our home and have to give them back. At first we worried about Henry getting too attached and not understanding having to return a child to their parents. We ultimately decided we should foster to adopt and have a real peace about that decision. We have talked to Henry and explained that we may not get to adopt the first child we have in our home. We may only have them to love for a little while and have to give them back. He seems ok with this. Scottie asked him today if he wants a brother or a sister. He replied, "I would like one of each!" We feel we could take one child or a sibling group of 2.

So, the journey continues. Every day we are a little closer to the child God has for us. I pray every day for my children. For the family of the child. For God's direction. We have such a peace as we travel this road. We know there will be bumps ahead and this is not an easy journey, but are so excited to see what God has planned for our family.

Snow Day!!

2011-01-20T19:41:00.008-06:00

We had a great day together as a family staying home!! It was my second snow day, but Henry's first. He was very excited! There was cheese dip, video games, TV and pj's all day!! Henry declared it pajama day at lunchtime. Except for a brief period where we had to get dressed to get out, we were all in our pj's all day!

Having fun with Daddy and Maggie outside in the cold!

Daddy' wrestling with Maggie in the snow! Yes, that's our dog under there!

Maggie is jumping to eat the snow. She loves it!

Soon they started throwing their snowballs at me! Time for me to go inside! Quick!!

My boys (big and little) and Maggie Mae had a wonderful time!! With another snow day tomorrow, there is more fun around the corner!!

Ramblings On Time

2011-01-10T19:49:00.009-06:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about time.
It's such a funny thing.
Sometimes it seems to go fast and sometimes it seems to creep along.
Does time really fly when you're having fun?
I have come to understand that I don't understand this thing called...time.

There are days when I wish I could go back to when H was a baby and hold him again.
But there are other days that I can't wait for him to be a grown up.
It seems I am often caught in the middle of...time.
Almost like I watching time go on all around me, but I'm at a stand-still.
Then I look in the mirror. And I see the effects of time on my face and my body.
I feel the effects of time as I get older.

I love this picture because it's exactly how I'm feeling.
I'm in such a period of waiting and watching and listening.

And it's hard.

It's scary because I don't know what's ahead.
But it's so good to trust in God and wait and watch for His hand.

He is in control and I rest in that.

There is such peace in that.

It's not that I don't trust God.
I do, with all my heart.
But I also want to know what He's up to.
I say, "I trust You, God. But tell me where we are going. Tell me what's going to happen."
It's almost as if I can hear him chuckle when I do that.
He shakes His head and says, "Oh, you of little faith. Just trust me."
And that's where I am.
Just trusting.

I know that time is that it is short.
I want to make the most of every moment, be the best I can be because I know that life is short.
I don't want to regret moments in time that I didn't take or missed.
I don't want to hold on to bitterness and resentment.
I want to forgive and show grace.

Think about time.
And do your very best to make the most of your time.

My Family

2010-11-17T18:34:00.013-06:00

As Thanksgiving approaches, I realize how truly thankful I am for my family.

I also realize that family can mean many different things.

I have one brother. Always wanted a sister.

God blessed me with 4 sisters when I married Scottie.

I have an amazing church family who loves me and has blessed me richly over the last 7+ years.

I have friends who I consider to be family.

I live with the most amazing boys in the world.

I am outnumbered, but wouldn't trade these two for anything.

My parents still love each other.

(And they treat their only granchild like royalty!)

Our family.

I know these people love me for me and would do anything for me.

My dad's side of the family.

I have some wonderful memories with these folks.

God is changing my view of my family.

And teaching me how to trust.

Our family will be expanding.....

We will be adopting a child through The C.A.L.L.

We are super excited!!

We cannot wait to see what God has planned for our changing...

...family.

Henry Turns 8

2010-10-12T18:07:00.017-05:00

Happy Birthday, Henry!!

Henry turned 8 years old on Saturday, October 2nd. It was such a fun day and I'm so glad we all got to be together on his special day!

He started off the morning "cooking" with me in the kitchen. In this picture he is talking on his banana phone.

We had his party at the Jump Zone. It was so perfect!! What an amazing place!!

Mr. Jerry is explaining the rules! The party was in the Razorback Room. Soooo cute!

Henry got some wonderful gifts. Lots of Legos, money and a kickball and bases from his Grama and Papa!

It was such a fun day!!!

At 8 years old, Henry:

You are in the 2nd grade and love school.

You enjoy Math, but tell me your favorite subject is recess. :-)

You love to play with Legos and like to build "scenes" with your Star Wars sets.

You are very creative and have a wonderful imagination.

Your favorite TV shows are Spongebob and The Suite Life With Zack and Cody.

Your favorite snack is Goldfish Crackers.

Your favorite food is pizza.

You like to go to the mall and Target with me (and I'm REALLY thankful).

You have a sweet spirit and hate to be in trouble.

You like to go to church with mom and dad.

You are a helper and a leader.

Your best friend is Taylor.

You killed your first deer last year at the age of 7.

You are such a blessing to your dad and I.

We thank God every day for you.

We are so proud of you!

We love watching you grow up and can't wait to see what God has in store for your life!!

Tinker Toys

2010-09-30T18:04:00.007-05:00

Henry was playing with his Tinker Toys the other day and made "laser beams" across his door frame. He told me he would have to "scan my eye" to make sure I was a good guy before I entered. I love that even though he has a wii and a DS, some days he just wants to play with his Tinker Toys. Even if it is to build death beams and eye scanners.

The little turkey turns 8 in 2 days and is so excited. Birthday pics and fun stories to come.

Big Boys and Their Toys

2010-09-13T18:01:00.011-05:00

Last week my parents came down to go to the Clothesline Fair in Prairie Grove.

Henry and my dad LOVED the old tractors.

They even got to drive them!!

First Day Flashback

2010-08-23T19:16:00.008-05:00

Kindergarten, 2008

1st Grade, 2009

2nd Grade, 2010

His teacher has a "dog" theme in her classroom that this one was in the hall display. Perfect representation of Henry. He has already had homework and is already loving this year!

Summer Fun

2010-07-23T09:33:00.011-05:00

I realized yesterday marked my last 3 weeks of summer. While I am a little saddened by this realization, I love my job and am really starting to get excited about the upcoming year.

We are so blessed to have a pool in our backyard and enjoy it so much during the summer months. Our lab, Maggie, thinks it's her pool and we just get to swim in it! She loves to swim with us and dive underwater to get torpedos. She is so funny to watch!!

The water was a bit chilly this day so Henry played in his toy bucket. He called it his "hot tub."

Of course, this summer has been quite rainy so there has been some fort-building, wii-playing and movie-watching, too. There have been a few trips to the mall, the library and Grama and Papa's house.

Henry starts 2nd grade in a few short weeks. It is so hard to believe he is growing up so fast! I treasure our time together every summer. Every day is an adventure!

It's been a wonderful summer!!

Not What I Planned Today

2010-07-03T13:27:00.006-05:00

This is not the sight I was expecting today...rain. I expected to be swimming with Henry today, watching Maggie and him splash around and play. I did not expect rain. Although it is great for our lawn, it deflated our fun. However, Henry and I did set out on an adventure this morning before the rain set in (I tried to call it a "date" but he corrected me and called it an "adventure" instead). We stopped by the coffee shop and the donut shop before heading to the Fayetteville Farmer's Market. It was a beautiful morning and there was lots of produce! We bought some blueberries, cherry tomatoes, candy onions and cucumbers. We both really enjoy going there on Saturdays. We drove by the library and planned to pop in, but they were closed today, so it was on to Wal-Mart!! It was a pretty good trip - at 9:30 am. Maybe I'm on to something...go early before the rest of Fayetteville gets there! We made it home by 10:45 am.

Here's a view from the front. I bought a new flag this week and am feeling very patriotic!

I was afraid to buy flowers at the Farmer's Market since they would be sitting in the car a while, so I got some beautiful sunflowers at Wal-Mart. Henry suggested we "plant them in the yard."

I have thought about updating my blog a bunch over the last month, but quite honestly didn't know what to say! I think I was putting too much thought into it. HA

We have lots of fun things planned over the next couple of days...Freedom Fest tonight (assuming it's not rained out), cookout tomorrow and swim (again assuming it's not rained out), and launching an arsenal of fireworks currently taking up most of my kitchen table and something Henry has been looking forward to all week! I will do my best to get pics up soon. Happy 4th everyone!!

Losing It

2010-05-29T08:24:00.002-05:00

After a few tears and a little blood, Henry pulled his first tooth last Sunday evening, May 23rd. The tooth fairy came and left him a cool $10 bill. His theory is that the tooth was actually only worth $5, but because he was brave and pulled it himself, he got a $5 bonus. We'll go with that.
Congratulations, Henry! We are proud of you!

Ready for Summer

2010-05-16T16:10:00.001-05:00

Henry and I are so ready for summer. My brother took this picture last summer when he was here to visit. I think it sums everything up perfectly. I'm ready for hot days, my swimming pool, ice cold lemonade, ice cream and fireworks. Bring it!! I am ready!!

What are your summer favs??

A Special Day, A Busy Month and a Big Fish

2010-05-01T16:54:00.021-05:00

So, I'm a bad blogger. I have good intentions. I even said one time that I planned to blog once a week. HA. It's been almost 2 months, but let me say that they have been 2 very busy months!! I think contest season got the best of me this year. I took my 8th grade girls class to Choral Performance Assessment in Bentonville in March. They were the first group from KMS to ever go to this contest. They made straight first division on stage and in sight-reading. Not an easy thing to do!! The judges at these contests to do just hand out first divisions. They must be earned. My girls worked very hard and sang their hearts out! I am so proud.

In April I took about 65 7th and 8th graders to Solo and Ensemble contest at JBU and it was another amazing contest. Lots of first and second divisions. 2 of my ensembles made first division. One of those was a group of 7th and 8th grade boys who did a really cute arrangement of "This Ol' Man." They were so proud they made a 1 and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their plaque!

Our final contest of the year was last Saturday in Branson. The Ozark Mountain Band, Choral and Orchestra Festival is held every year at College of the Ozarks in Hollister. It is a unique competition because after the group performs on stage, 2 of the judges actually work with the students. It's such a good experience for the students and we go every year. My 8th grade girls performed the same pieces they did at CPA and received straight first division again! After the contest, we spent the day at Silver Dollar City. I LOVE Silver Dollar City!! But the weather was less than ideal. It stormed off and on all day. But overall, it was ok. They students had a good time even though the weather didn't cooperate!

Whew! That's a little of what's been going on in my world the last couple of months. All that is left now are 2 spring concerts and a talent show. We are close to the end, but we're not there yet!!

And now on to the special day. Easter was amazing. Not only were we celebrating Christ's resurrection, Henry was baptized that morning by his daddy. On December 9th, Henry asked Jesus into his heart by himself after AWANAs. He told us about it the next morning. We have been talking with him about it to make sure it was the real deal and it was! He is so sure about it. We had been talking with him about baptism and on Easter Sunday morning, he was baptized with 12 other children and youth!! It was incredible.

Henry's MeMe, Papaw, Grama, Papa, aunts, uncles and all his cousins were here for his special day. Everyone stayed for lunch in the youth building!

And last, the big fish. Last Friday Scottie fished at Lake Atkins and caught the biggest bass he's ever caught! He brought it home to show and it lived for a couple of days in the pool before being set free. Now that's a big fish!

I really hope to do better with blogging in the future! Thanks for reading!

Good Eats

2010-03-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: Those of you who know me know I am not much of a cook. I have a couple of recipes that I have been asked to share over the years, but even those are not my own. I enjoy the idea of cooking something delicious for my family and friends, but don't care for the process: shopping, preparing, cleaning up afterwards, especially cleaning up afterwards!! It's all very time consuming. If I were a wealthy woman the first person I would hire would be a chef.

With all of that being said, here are a couple of good eats from my kitchen.

I made this salad for a luncheon at my school last year and was asked by a sweet teacher friend of mine to make again this year. We have a winter soup and salad luncheon each year so I made it for that a couple of weeks ago. This is a super easy and yummy salad for spring.

Easy Ham Layered Salad

1 pkg (10 oz) mixed salad greens

6 plum tomatoes, chopped

8 kosher dill pickles, chopped

4 hard cooked eggs, chopped

2 cups cubed ham

1 small red onion, chopped

1 bottle (8 oz) Kraft Peppercorn Ranch Dressing

Layer in order and spread the dressing over the top.

I also made taco soup for the luncheon, but I'm sure everybody has their favorite recipe for that. I make mine pretty much the traditional way, but I put Velveeta in it so it's really cheesy.

Of course pizza is a favorite in our house. Especially with the little man. I found some small pizza crusts with the pizza sauces at Wal-Mart. The came 3 to a pkg. One night when Scottie was out, Henry and I made our own pizzas. I put sauteed veggies on mine and Henry had mini pepperonis on his. He got to make it himself - something he loves to do! They turned out very yummy! Henry's pizza:

I'm so excited to see green things starting to sprout in my flower bed! I think I will get out there later and pull the dead stuff to make room for more green stuff!! Yea spring!!

3 Years Ago

2010-02-13T19:31:00.000-06:00

3 years ago today, my life changed forever.

3 years ago today, I heard the words no one ever wants to hear.

You have cancer.

I remember that day like it was today.

In January 2007, Scottie and I decided we were ready to have another child so I went to my OB/GYN for a check-up to make sure we were good to go. During the routine exam, he noticed an enlarged lymph node above my right collar bone. He thought it could be enlarged from an infection and put me on high-powered antibiotics. He told me to return in 2 weeks and we would go from there depending on whether or not the size of the node changed. The very same day, I saw my regular doctor because I had developed seriously itchy skin and would break out in hives at night on my arms and legs. My OB/GYN said I should mention the lymph node to him, which I did, but he didn't think the two were related. We would find out in a few short weeks they were.

After 2 weeks on the antibiotics, there was no change in the lymph node. My OB/GYN was alarmed. He sent me from his office to meet with a surgeon to plan the biopsy. The surgeon and his nurse both assured me "99% of the time, it's nothing" over and over...until the biopsy was performed. My surgeon told my mom and husband "we will have to wait for the results, but I think it's just the tip of the iceberg." Not good news.

My biopsy was on a Friday and I had to wait for the results.
Saturday.
Sunday.
Monday.
Finally, I heard back from my surgeon on Tuesday, February 13th.
It was 4:00 in the afternoon and I had just come home from school with Henry.
I remember I was standing in my bedroom when he called.
I remember exactly what I was wearing. I haven't worn that outfit in 3 years.
He told me he wished he had better news and that he didn't want to have to tell me over the phone. He said, "you have lymphoma." I didn't even know what that was, but I knew it was cancer. I dropped to my knees. Literally. I began crying, scared to death that I was facing death. He told me my prognosis was good and that this was "the good kind of cancer." I hate to think of there being a "good" cancer, but at that moment, those words provided comfort. He told me I would be meeting with an oncologist and would go through chemotherapy. He told me I would lose my hair.

Henry was sitting happily in front of the TV with a roll of Lifesavers during this whole time. He knew nothing of what I had just learned. God was definitely keeping his attention occupied while I was hearing the worst news of my life. I am so thankful for that.

When we hung up, I had some calls to make. I called Scottie first. I called my mom and then I called Leah. I remember Janet Jenkins coming over with Laura to take Henry to their house for a while and she brought with her a medical textbook so we could look up information about lymphoma. We didn't have a computer at the house yet so that information was all we had. My parents came. Evan and Leah brought pizza so I didn't have to think about what to fix for dinner. We all cried and laughed and were together. In that one evening, Evan and Leah and the Jenkins became family to me. They were the first ones on the scene (with my family) to comfort, to help, to just be with me. That speaks more to me about love than anything I can think of. When you face a prognosis like cancer, words are meaningless. They don't help because people don't know what to do with a cancer diagnosis. They don't really know what to say. It is so scary. But I didn't want words. I just wanted my family and my close friends with me. To just be.

That was the beginning of a very difficult road for me. One which I still travel everyday and one which I will continue to travel each and every day. I began chemotherapy for Hodgkin's Lymphoma on March 8, 2007. That day, before my first treatment, a central line was inserted on the right side below my collarbone where I would receive chemo and where they would take blood each visit. This line protected my veins from painful chemotherapy drugs. I couldn't get it wet and was at risk of infection around the site, so I was very careful about keeping dry and clean. Glad Press and Seal is the best stuff in the world - perfect for keeping it dry during my showers. I received chemo every other Thursday for 6 months. 12 treatments total. The standard treatment for Hodgkin's is a combination of drugs Doxorubicin (Adriamycin), Bleomycin, Vinblastine and Dacarbazine. 2 were given in a drip, 2 were pushed. Adriamycin was the worst. It was a bright red color and I would have to chew on ice chips to keep ulcers from forming inside my mouth from it. It was hardcore. I could taste that one, too, as it was going in. Not a good taste. But it has been referred to by other chemo patients as "the blood of the lamb" and "the scarlet savior" so I guess I shouldn't complain about it.

My 6th months of chemo were the hardest of my life. I have no idea how I managed during those months. I would take off from school on the Thursday of my treatment and be right back at school the following day teaching. My principal put a couch in my office at school for me to use when I needed to rest. I took a few naps on that couch! I team-taught with another teacher at my school. She frequently took my classes so I could rest on that couch. My church family stepped in and provided meals and house cleaning for us during my treatment weeks. They blessed us so much. They can never know just how much. The women of the church gave me a Hat Party where I received some beautiful hats and scarves. The church also did a fundraiser to help with expenses. The teachers at my school turned one faculty meeting into a fashion show where they modeled and then gave me even more hats - complete with a slide show of bald women! It was hysterical. I laughed so hard I cried. I was definitely ministered to during that time beyond what I can express to you.

Which brings me to the best part. For a long time, I questioned 'why me?' as anyone would during any trial. But during that time I cannot put into words the blessings I received, the comfort, the peace and joy that God poured out on me. He kept me going. On my own, I don't know that I could have made it. He kept me strong and gave me grace sufficient for each day. I remember the day that, while praying, I was able to thank God for my cancer. Because without it, I would not have known those blessings and that comfort, peace or joy. I cried because it was hard to say, but I do thank God for bringing me down this path. I know him better as a result and I know that I am stronger for having gone through what I have gone through.

Today I still struggle with several side effects from my chemo. Joint pain has been very intense this winter and a daily reminder of 3 years ago. Fatigue is still an issue. And my skin is splotchy in places from the chemo. Those are very minor compared to being alive today. I will gladly take them each day as a reminder to live each day to the fullest.

I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if Scottie and I will be able to have any more children because infertility is a possible side effect from the chemo. I had a miscarriage later the same year. Another heartbreaking trial. But I am 2 1/2 years cancer free. I will take that. I do know that I see things differently now. I am reminded every day that each day is a gift. Nothing is to be taken for granted because we are all one phone call away from news that rocks us to the core. I know that God is in control and I am not. I can rest in Him and trust because He holds my future. I discovered who my true friends were and my church family became my family. People rallied around me some of whom I didn't even know. People all over the state prayed for me.

3 years ago was (what I now refer to as) a "growing year." I am glad to be on the other side of it, but thankful today that it happened.

Snowy Days

2010-02-01T18:33:00.000-06:00

Winter struck again.

All day last Thursday we anticipated what the forecasters were calling the 'sequel' to last year's terrible ice storm. We braced ourselves and prepared for the worst. Luckily it wasn't as bad as last year's storm, but we did get some ice and a whole lot of snow!! School was cancelled for 2 days and church was cancelled on Sunday. I am not looking forward to making up 7 snow days (and counting - it's just now February), but I have enjoyed not having to get out in the cold. We have had some great fun together as a family and eaten lots of junk!!

Saturday we ventured out to Slim's for lunch and Henry and Scottie built a snowman when we got home.

Maggie wasn't too sure about it all. She kept getting in her kennel in the garage.

I think she got cold!

Rolley was heading down the street...

but was rescued!!

Our neighbors had the best idea!!

A perfect snowman!!

Helping

2010-01-16T09:02:00.001-06:00

Thursday morning we were busy getting ready to leave and watching the new and were horrified by the images of the destruction and the helpless victims from the earthquake in Haiti. Henry and Scottie laid on the bed together and watched as I left. Scottie called me a little while later to tell me that Henry had gone into his room, pulled out all of his tools, put on his tool belt and hard hat, and announced that he was ready to go to Haiti to help find survivors and clean up. This picture was taken then. What a sweetheart. I pray each day that God would instill virtues in my son, but seeing compassion come out in an unexpected way really touched me.

I trust we are all praying for the people of Haiti. I know we will hear miraculous stories of rescues and lives touched in the midst of tragedy. God is in the business of miracles, rescues and touching lives, after all. I am planning to take Henry to purchase some items to donate to the people of Haiti so he really can help. If you want to get involved, Victory Church in Springdale has partnered with Operation Compassion and is accepting donations. You can read more here http://www.klrc.com/Article.asp?id=1658573. There are also Christian organizations listed where you can donate financially.

I may not be able to do or give much, I can give and do something.

3 Christmas's

2010-01-07T10:38:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful holiday celebrating with family and friends. Here is a pictorial journey through the festivities.

Christmas #1: Christmas Morning at Our House

Henry wanted a Wii for Christmas and Santa did not disappoint!! We have had lots of fun playing.

I got a new camera that I LOVE. It's just a little Canon Powershot, but it is perfect for me. I had been having trouble with my old camera. I am excited to use my new one!

Our house Christmas morning. It is the first white Christmas I can remember! It was fun, but changed our plans a bit. Which takes us to....

Christmas #2: Christmas Lunch with Grama and Papa Plummer

My parents were set to come to our house for lunch and to check out the new Wii. With the icy roads, they weren't able to make it out of their neighborhood so we took Christmas to them! We loaded up Scottie's truck, put it in 4-wheel drive and headed to Rogers. My mom and I had a great time cooking in the kitchen. We enjoyed spending the afternoon with them and were so glad we got to be with them!

Everyone was busy in the kitchen!

Green bean bundles (I made them and they were delicious!).

Corn casserole (the Jenkins's family recipe - also delicious!)

We feasted on ham, turkey, my mom's fabulous dressing and sweet potato casserole, just to name a few. It was an amazing meal!

We bought Barney a new fleece which has come in really handy the last few days!!

On the way home we saw a mama and baby deer.

The day after Christmas we headed to Little Rock for...

Christmas #3: MeMe and Papaw's house

Scottie's parents opening their new video camera

Papaw

Henry and most of his cousins. Jeremy was working, but came later.

Scottie with his sister, Paula.

Scottie with his sister, Terri.

Scottie with his sisters.

The Johnson family.

Opening gifts. This year we played a white elephant game instead of purchasing gifts for each other. We each held our gift and sat in a big circle. Scottie's mom read a story and whenever she said the word 'right' we had to pass our gift to the right. Whenever she said 'left' we passed to the left. It was so much fun and so silly. It was a fun alternative to buying things for each other. I really enjoyed it.

The kids did exchange gifts. They drew names. Henry got 2 Wii games.

Scottie read the Christmas story and..

Henry and his cousins acted it out! It was so cute and fun.

Henry was a shepherd.

The Magi bringing their gifts!

We enjoyed spending time with our families so much. After Little Rock, Henry and I headed down to McGehee to visit the Day's. We had a great time letting them spoil us!

I hope everyone is having a happy new year so far!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-20T20:36:00.000-06:00

December has been a whirlwind of a month. It is officially my busy season and this year was particularly busy. There were more performances this year than in years past and just extra stuff in general. But it has been a great month. I have enjoyed it so much! From playing Secret Santa at school, to my students performing at school, Barnes and Noble and MAD Pizza, to our faculty Christmas Party - there has been a lot going on. My students did fabulous at each performance and had fun - the most important part. I'm looking forward to having a couple of weeks off to spend with my favorite reindeer!! Henry came by school on Friday (he was with my mom) to see me and show me his Rudolph outfit from his party at school. He was so funny.

He was in the bathroom a few days ago and obviously spent some time thinking while in there because he came out and asked, "Mom, how come his name is Santa Claus when he doesn't even have any claws???" Hilarous!

Here is one more picture to share. I just figured out how to use pictures I take with my phone, so I hope to share more of those. Henry (sometimes) likes to go with me to Wal-Mart, but lately wants me to "bury" him under the groceries. This was a couple of weeks ago. He is completely covered but was quick to point out that he could still talk to me. He was careful not to cover up his mouth. People walking by wouldn't see him at first and would crack up laughing when they saw him. I think he definitely has Scottie's sense of humor!

We are having a great Christmast time and look forward to spending time with family and friends!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-05T08:57:00.000-06:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Scottie's family (mom's side) in Wooster, Arkansas, at Uncle Danny and Aunt Sandy's house. They have a beautiful home there and were so generous to open their home to over 50 people on Thanksgiving Day! There was more food than we could possibly eat!

Me with Scottie's sister, Jamie.

Family and friends

My mom and me. Mom and dad came with us to spend the day in Wooster.

This is Scottie's cousin's girlfriend - everyone said we looked like sisters!

Doug and Jeremy. Jeremy is our nephew and was the ringbearer for our wedding when he was 6 years old. He in now in college!! Time flies!

Scottie and his sister, Shannon. They are about 18 months apart in age and have always been very close.

Henry posing with a Sprite can. So silly.

Scottie's dad. He and Scottie both came in from deer camp for the day.

It was a great day! We had so much fun and just enjoyed really visiting with family and friends.

On the way home, Henry and I had a little fun with the camera and traded goofy poses.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It is busy season for me with concerts and performances every other day for the next couple of weeks. I hope to have some pictures up from some holiday festivities soon!

What I'm Thankful For

2009-11-18T17:00:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holdiays. I cannot lie - it has a lot to do with the food. I have fond memories of my family celebrating Thanksgiving over the years. But I also can't help but reflect on all the things that I am thankful for this season each year. Here goes.

I am thankful for....

....my Lord. I don't know where I would be without my relationship with Christ. He is my savior and the only thing good in me. I cherish my time with him each day and hunger for his word more and more.

....my precious little family. I love my family so much. I love Scottie's heart and that he is a man of God, unashamed of the gospel. I love my son because he is so much like his daddy. They are home and where I want to be.

....my parents. I am so glad my parents live close enough to drive to my house when they want to visit, and vice versa. I enjoy spending time with them so much.

....my church family. Over the last 6 years, the member of FBC have become my 2nd family and I cherish them.

....my sweet friends. I am blessed with some wonderful friendships - both near and far away, people that I speak to often, and not as often. I love my friends with all my heart and look forward to our times together.

....my health. I thank God for healing and for health. I still deal with several side-effects related to the chemotherapy I received in 2007 and get frustrated from time to time with those side-effects. But they serve as a reminder that I am whole thanks to the great physician.

....my students. I love what I do. God put music in my heart and has allowed me to teach my passion to kids. I love being around my students (most of them) and watching them experience the pride of performing. Helping kids learn responsibility is not always easy, but I enjoy the time I have with them each day. I pray that God uses me in some small way to impact my students' lives.

I could go on and on. I have a home, reliable transportation, a warm bed and plenty of food to eat. I am so very blessed, beyond what I could hope for or ever deserve. I hope those of you reading this will take stock of the things you are thankful for this season (if you haven't already) and say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

7 Years Old

2009-10-25T15:55:00.000-05:00

Henry turned 7 on October 2nd. Hard to believe!! On his birthday, Scottie and I took lunch to him at school and ate with him. After school I took him to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and we made some final birthday party preparations.

His party was on Saturday, October 3rd at the KidZone (our children's building). It was Indiana Jone's-themed with all boys (H's choice). No girls were allowed. He had to think about whether or not his mom and grandmothers could attend because we are girls. In the end, he said we could. :-) Here are some highlights:

Henry wanted his guests to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

The party hats were Indiana Jones style fidoras! So cute.

The Roller Racers looked so fun, the grown-ups wanted to try!

Even Grama got on the Roller Racer!

It was a fun day - the KidZone is the perfect place to have a party. The kids really entertain themselves. I found some really great Indiana Jones game ideas on the internet, but Henry wanted none of it. I guess he knew there would be plenty for them to do!!

Visitors

2009-10-01T17:54:00.000-05:00

Henry had his first buddy over to spend the night last Friday. Taylor came home with us after school and he and Henry had a blast! They rode H's 4-wheeler, watched a movie, played DS's and chased the cat, just to name a few things! We were tickled to have Taylor as our guest and can't wait for him to come back again!!

My Aunt Sibil (mom's sister) and Uncle Ed from Connecticuit were in Northwest Arkansas to visit my parents and grandparents for the last two weeks. Saturday night, Scottie, Henry and I met them at Catfish Hole for dinner and then took them to our church for them to see the youth building. We had a great time visiting with them.

My mom and aunt. My aunt says she looks worse in pictures when she smiles, so she doesn't smile! She is funny. She is 3 years older than my mom.

Three ladies!!

The fam!! I really like this picture of all of us.

Henry with his Gramma and Papa. Henry turns 7 tomorrow - hardly seems possible. I will try to have birthday pics up in a timely fashion!!

Henry Funny

2009-09-16T20:26:00.000-05:00

Dinner time is a battle at our house. Henry wants to be finished pretty quickly after starting to eat. We are concerned that he doesn't really know what "full" means! He never seems to get there. A couple of weeks ago, Henry was eating dinner and wanting to be finished shortly after starting.
I said, "You need to keep in eating because there is too much going on with your plate for you to be finished already!"
His reply, "Nobody's dancing, so this party is over!" I had a hard time keeping a straight face on that one.

First Grade

2009-09-04T18:07:00.001-05:00

We officially have a first grader in our house. It is so hard for me to believe!!

Henry really likes school. He tells us his favorite subject is math and this week he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by his teacher for "Marvelous Mathematician."

Henry told me I could not take any pictures on the first day of school, but I did anyway. His facial expressions tell the story.

I love this picture...little tongue sticking out and all.

We were able to snap a picture of Henry and his classmates doing the pledge before we left. What a sweet picture!!

Nothin' Says Vacation...Like Tulsa

2009-08-21T18:29:00.003-05:00

WOW....I am a bad blogger. I have been playing too much Farkle on Facebook to blog - how sad!! Oh well - better late than never. I promise blogger friends, I will try to do better!! I pledge to make blogging more of priority!!

The week before school started back for me Scottie, Henry and I took a little vacation to Tulsa. We had planned to go to the beach at some point, but we bought a couch and really and truly the summer got away from us. I am realizing that we have to plan it or it just won't happen. Summers are busy. Anyway, we had a great time in Tulsa. I had been there with my mom to shop before, but really hadn't been there to just hang out. I thought it was a perfect trip. Scottie sang our theme song the whole time we were there..."Nothin' Says Vacation...Like Tulsa." Ask him to sing it for you - I am sure he will!!

Before we left, I got on the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce website and found a good deal on our hotel. We stayed at the Hampton Inn at Woodland Hills (right across the street from the mall...woot woot) and took advantage of their Weekend Escape for Family package. We had a nice room with a king sized bed for Scottie and me and a sofa sleeper for Henry. He LOVED it. He thought his bed/couch was magical. With the package, we each got a $5 game card and free game of mini-golf from Incredible Pizza Company (also right by our hotel) and a snack pack which included drinks for all of us, microwave popcorn and candy. It was a great deal!! When we got there we went to Incredible Pizza and played. It was great fun!

The next day we went to the Oklahoma Aquarium. I think I can speak for all of us...it was so cool! Definitely worth seeing.

Scottie and Henry feeding some stingrays.

My favorite part of the Aquarium was the shark tunnel. It was shark week on the Discovery Channel and we watched some of the shows that aired that week from our hotel room. Getting to see them up close was very cool.

Henry and Scottie standing by the World's Largest Fishing Lure. There was a fishing museum in the Aquarium that was also very interesting.

I love how real this picture looks. It's a little disturbing, though.

The last day of our vacation we stopped by the Tulsa Air and Space Museum to check things out. Little did we know it was Oklahoma Defender Days and very crowded. But we got to see some really cool planes.

Henry got to try out being an astronaut!

He also got to experience laying on a bed of nails.

We had a great time even though we didn't go very far from home. Henry's favorite part about it all was the hotel. Every time we went anywhere he asked how long until we went back to our hotel. He loved that they served breakfast in the mornings, the elevator, and he got to be in charge of the room key. It was very exciting to him. We think our next venture may be up to the Embassy Suites in Rogers - just so he can have another experience staying in a hotel!

School has started back and we are very busy. I've been reflecting back over the summer a little bit...here's how I spent mine...
...with my favorite 1st grader. First day pics coming soon.

Things I Learned Today

2009-08-04T20:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some things that I learned today...

1. Little guys have bigger eyes than stomachs at a donut shop first thing in the morning. Monitor what they order and say "no."

2. When you take your car to "the shop" they may not get to it for a long, long time.

3. Changing baby hangers for big hangers in your child's closet is heartbreaking. But in a good way.

4. Some women are simply too old (and some too fat) to sport a string bikini in public. Please ladies, let's use discretion and not try to kid ourselves.

5. Reapply sunscreen. Enough said.

6. Staying away from sweets is not so hard. It just requires a little discipline and willpower.

7. My son is thoughtful and generous. He gave me $1.50 from his wallet (his idea) so I could get a drink at the aquatic park today and has told me all evening that I do not have to pay him back. Precious.

8. I love my family and my friends more than I express.

9. Being so sore from working out that it REALLY hurts to laugh is a good thing.

10. I married my soulmate and best friend. He is the absolute best.

Think about your day tomorrow...what did you learn and did it make you better? Today was an ordinary kind of day but I sure learned a lot.

Our Pool

2009-07-23T09:19:00.000-05:00

I really love summer. I love getting to sleep in, hanging around the house and just having few responsibilities. But, I get a little bored during the summer. I definitely love my job and miss my friends at school during the summer. I will be ready when school starts back....and I think Henry will be, too. He loves school and is so excited about the 1st grade!

One of my favorite things about summer is our pool. We are so fortunate to have a small, inground pool in our backyard and we use it all the time! Henry is a great swimmer.

Our lab, Maggie, loves to swim, too. She is Henry's swimming buddy! She is a true retriever and will wear us out wanting us to throw things into the pool for her to get.

We had a youth girls' fellowship at our house a couple of weeks ago. The girls swam and we cooked hot dogs on the grill. It was a great time. After swimming we all went to the youth building to watch a movie. It was a fun night!

Carrie and Janet came over early for a little extra swim time.

Kelli and Pam surveying the pool.

Maggie had to be chained up that night so she wouldn't bug everybody. She got to show off her tricks once everyone was finished swimming.

Kelsy and Stephanie on Henry's swingset.

Eating on the patio. It was a really fun night. I hope we can do it again next year!!

4th of July

2009-07-09T18:19:00.000-05:00

Summer is going by fast - no doubt about it! But I am enjoying it so much. 4th of July was a blast. Mom and Dad came over for lunch. We had decided several days before to grill and swim, doesn't everybody grill out on the 4th?? It seems to be the American way! Who knew it would thunderstorm most of the day. Anyway, we managed.

Henry was my helper in the kitchen (sort of). He loves to wear a chef hat and his "Grill Master Junior" apron whenever he works in the kitchen!

Henry and mom stirring the brownie batter. Dessert was brownies with homemade vanilla ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce. Yes, I do know how to cook a little for all you doubters. Everything turned out so delicious in spite of the rain! Later that evening, we all went over to the high school/admin parking lot for the annual Farmington Fest. It's a celebration with food, music and fireworks show after dark. Such fun!

Henry and my dad at Farmington Fest.

Henry sitting with Caden and Riley Champagne at the Fest.

Our worship band from church played. Here's me at the keyboard. It was great fun!

I like this shot because you can see everybody in the band.

We had to delay our family fireworks until the 5th because we were up so late on the 4th watching the amazing Farmington show. We did a few things in the backyard with mom and dad, Carrie, Andy and Laura, but saved the good stuff for the next night. At dark we loaded up the fam (including Maggie, our lab) and headed to the church parking lot for our fireworks. Carrie, Andy and Laura joined us along with Justin and his girlfriend. It was a hoot. I am truly surprised that nobody lost a limb that night!

I have to admit - I love fireworks. I have fond memories of getting fireworks and sparklers each year and setting them off with my parents and brother outside of our house. Believe it or not, this isn't all that we had. Scottie and Henry made a stop at the local grocery store and picked up a few more! We had a great time setting them all off.

Super Summer Arkansas

2009-06-29T10:45:00.000-05:00

Wow. The last couple of weeks have been a blur! We have been in Arkadelphia on the campus of our alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University, for Super Summer Arkansas. For those of you who may not know what Super Summer is, it is a camp sponsored by the Arkansas Baptist Convention. I think Super Summer has been around for about 25 years now. Scottie and I both attended as campers when we were in high school, were staffers in college, and now Scottie is on the Steering Committe responsible for planning the camp and served as chairman this year. It was a very exciting week!! My camera decided to crap out this week and has decided to work now that we are home, so I didn't get but a couple of pictures of the stage area. In addition to serving as chairman, Scottie was also stage manager and designed and built the stage.

The stage looked incredible. Scottie did an amazing job!! The band for the week was Two Empty Chairs and the speaker was Runks Runkles. Both were fabulous. What impressed me most about them was that they invested time in the students all week. They ate every meal in the cafeteria with the kids, they were on the recreation field and they took the time to really listen to the students. To me, that is what camp is all about. Too many times the speaker or band members think they are a big deal and don't spend the time getting to know people. But this year was different and so, so good. I am so glad I got to be part of the week. Here is the only other picture I was able to take from the backstage area where Scottie worked all week.

Before we left for camp my brother came to visit from California. It was his high school reunion in Fort Smith while he was here, but we were able to spend some time together. We really enjoyed spending time with "Uncle Brad!"
Now that we are home, I hope to be better about updating my blog! Keep reading!

Bunk Beds and Flower Pots

2009-06-10T09:23:00.000-05:00

Summer is here! But there is no rest for the weary. There is much to be done! This past weekend Scottie, Henry and I went to Conway for a visit with Scottie's younger sister and her family. Jamie and her husband, Rodney, went to Ouachita, too, and we have all been friends for a lot of years. They just updated their boys' rooms so we bought their bunk beds for Henry's room. We have wanted to put bunk beds in his room for a long time. He has had a double bed in there (his crib converted into), but it took up way too much room. Scottie, Andy and Kevin put the beds up after church on Sunday. I spent Sunday and Monday rearranging a cleaning out his room. Here is the new room:

We kept the cowboy theme and Jamie helped me find bedding cheap and some really cute cowboy sheets at Target.

Henry loves his new room! He's been sleeping on the bottom bunk and sits on the top to watch TV.

Those of you familiar with our couch will be glad to know that while in Conway, I ordered a new leather sofa from Cajun Brothers Furniture. Scottie's cousin is married to one of the owners and we usually always purchase our furniture there. The torn up, green couch will soon be a distant memory replaced by: We are so excited to get a new couch!! We bought our old couch at Cajun Brothers and it lasted for 12 years. But it was time for an upgrade!! Jamie helped me pick it out. She was such a huge help to me over the weekend - picking out bedding and a couch. Interior decorating is her thing and she is dang good at it!!

On Tuesday my mom met Henry and I at Chick-fil-A for lunch then we ventured to Lowe's to buy flowers for pots in front of my house. My mom has an eye for flowers and knows better than I what looks good and what will grow where. We (mostly she) planted them when we got back to the house.

I planted this hanging basket while mom worked on the pots. I'm not sure what Henry was working on, but when we got the water hose out, eveyone and everything got wet!

Finished pots

A new flag

These lilies are so beautiful and have come up all on their own. I don't ever remember them growing there before!

Our house
Anybody know this little boy??

He just hangs around....

Rescuing Rollie from the street (Rollie didn't know he needed to be rescued)

The cutest boy in the world!

Stuff I've Made

2009-06-02T18:46:00.001-05:00

Those of you who know me know that I don't claim to be any kind of cook. I have little patience for it - the planning, shopping for ingredients, the actual cooking, not to mention the cleaning up. It's all very time consuming. That being said, I have stumbled on to a couple of things worth sharing.

I was looking for a quick grab-and-go dessert for a picnic-themed luncheon we had at school last week and this first recipe was perfect.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

16 ounces milk chocolate chips

2 TB shortening

2 lbs. fresh strawberries with leaves.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the

microwave about 40 seconds at a time stirring as

you go. Then dip the strawberries and swirl them

around. Put them on wax paper to set. Delicious!

The next recipe is also something I made for a school-related function. My good friend and band director, B, had an intern this semester and for her last day with us, we gave a her a little celebration. I made Paula Deen's Lady Brownies for the occasion.

Lady Brownies

2 C sugar
1 C vegetable oil
4 eggs
6 TB cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C self-rising flour
1 C chopped nuts (optional)*

*I added 8 ounces of milk chocolate chips intead of nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend together sugar, oil, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Add flour; mix. Add nuts (optional); spread into greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
They turned out really yummy and I was surprised to make a Paula Deen recipe with no butter in it!

One more to share and this one is a little random. I am on the shower committee at my church and get really tired of the store-bought buttermints. I think the get real gross real fast. I feel like I'm eating chalk. So for an upcoming baby shower, I decided to try a recipe. This one comes from Southern Living December 2003.

Butter Mints
Makes 20 dozen mints

1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 TB butter
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Melt cream cheese and butter in large saucepan over low heat, stirring contantly until smooth. Gradually stir in powdered sugar, add peppermint extract and vanilla extract, stirring until well blended.

Divide cream cheese mixture into 10 (1/4 C) portions and roll each into a 12-inch rope. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Let stand, uncovered, 4 hours until firm.

These turned out great. The most difficult part was the stirring to get the sugar to melt. Otherwise, it wasn't too bad. I would definitely do it again to keep from having to serve those awful chalky mints again!

The Graduate

2009-05-27T17:23:00.000-05:00

Our little man has graduated.

From Kindergarten, that is.

Yesterday we celebrated a milestone in the life of our little man...Kindergarten Graduation. What a great and funny celebration complete with songs like "My Country Tis of Thee" and "There's a Great Big Turnip at the Bottom of the Field" and as you can see, the traditional cap and gown. They even marched into the "cafetorium" to "Pomp and Circumstance." Hilarious. But while I was chuckling to myself at this oh so cute time in our lives, I am reminded how quickly the next 12 years will go. It was a little bittersweet to think about how fast time goes by and how quickly we will be celebrating the REAL graduation. The BIG graduation. I am reminded to make the most of every day with Henry because before I am ready, he will be heading off to college. So for now, I will cherish the time with him.

The first graduating class of Folsom Elementary School.

Henry and his buddy, Ian.

Henry and his teacher, Mrs. Lichlyter.

"There's A Great Big Turnip at the Bottom of the Field"

Walking across the stage.

Something New

2009-05-26T19:29:00.000-05:00

After wondering if anyone cared what I had to say and lots of pressure, I have decided to start a blog. I hope that I will be as creative and diligent as some of my friends whose blogs I love to read. So, be looking for updates soon as I embark on this new venture!