Finally Home

I am writing this through very, very dry eyes aching for me to go and put my contacts in their respective case, however, I am exhausted enough to (be lazy on the couch) endure the pain and write a quick blog about the move! It's been a week now and it is starting to feel like home now that I have a total of 3 pictures up. We have been fortunate enough to have a lot of help from our very dear freinds to help us un-pack, hang pictures, get the garage door openers installed, and most importantly...get the boys' rooms totally ready for them before they spent their first night in theor new rooms. Thank you so very much Chris & Lisa, and Terrel & Crystal. Your help has been wonderful and very much appreciated!!! The concrete patios are poured in the backyard now, ready for numerous summer parties and many cookouts. All 4 of us pressed our handprints and wrote our names into the sidewalk leading from the garage to the driveway. I can't wait to compare Tyler and Christian's handprints years from now. It's like the first page of the new adventures yet to come in the home our children will grow up in. I can't wait to get totally unpacked so I can relax a little bit and plan our housewarming party. There's nothing I love more than surrounding myself with the people I love the most and eating some good food! :) Well, it's short and sweet, but it's all I have right now! Nighty night!

THANKS BE TO GOD!!!!!!

I am writing this through real tears of absolute pure joy, humbleness, and feelings of euphoria! Prayers have been going out these last couple of years about my aunt Carol, Jeff, Christian, Tyler, and recently...my uncle Mike and sister Amber. Carol's breast cancer has been nipped in it's little "milk dud" bud. Tyler's arachnoid cyst has not grown and is seeming to cause no problems. Christian's hole in his heart will probably never cause him any real problems unless he has large blood clots at an elderly age. Jeff's symptoms have been caused by inflamed vertebrae and muscle spasms due to his hard workouts to promote his impecable shape and athleticism. :) *Hoo-rah!* Mike's fluid around his lungs has been removed and it's hopefully not coming back. Today, I found out that Amber's "tumor on her kidney" was NO TUMOR at all!!! It was a hemangioma on her kidney and poses no real threat. I cannot tell you how much being a Christian totally RULES!!! My friend, Patti, has taught me how to pray for healing and making sure to "thank Him for healing". As I pray nowadays, I imagine He is laying His hands upon mine, I lay my hands upon my loved ones, and I thank HIM for healing them. It might sound nutz to some of you who have never stepped foot in a Southern Baptist Church, but I am telling you....GOD DOES DO MIRACLES and he RULES!!!

Jeff's 31st Birthday and Selling the House

Last week, Jeff turned 31. I decorated the house (just like my Mom always did for us) after he went to bed and when he woke up, he saw all of the decorations and all of the little notes the boys and I made for him the day before. I hid them in places like the cabinet with the coffee, the pantry where he keeps his power bars, and the fridge where he gets his lunch prepped for the day. I am so incredibly happy that I am sharing my life with the most phenomenal man I have ever known. I am emotional when I write this, but I am in love! He is so much more than I ever thought God would ever give me, and for that, I thank the Lord above ten-fold. Tyler wanted to make Daddy a "cake" for his bday after he helped me make the tiramisu he loves sooo much. We filled a bowl with random things and never measured. He wanted flour, whole wheat flour, powdered sugar, an egg, a little milk, a lot of cinnamon and cloves, and some salt. Ok, it smelled really good while it was baking, but I wasn't sure I was going to try it. He was SO PROUD while he was making it...I mean, the look on his innocent little face was truly priceless. He was much more interested in doing that for Daddy than he was when he made his card. Pride is an understatement. The boys devoured the cake and thought it was delicious. I promise to do this more often...it was just about 1/2 c. of all of the first few ingredients, and then a teaspoon or so of the cinnamon, and a shake of the cloves. It was edible! Love it! Some other random fun things the boys have been up to lately is bathtime talk. After breakfast, I usually give the boys a bath every morning in my bathroom while I take my shower and do my hair and make-up. While doing my hair, I hear Tyler say, "Look, Christian...mine's big!" Christian replies, "NO! Mine's big!" Ok, people...is this really starting at the age of 4 and 2?!? LOL!!!!! I turned around to look at them actually comparing. I am in big, big trouble and I am afraid it's just the beginning...so I am told. Another fun thing they like to say (to Daddy after their bath) is "Wrap me up like a burrito, Daddy." Then he carries them into their rooms and gets them dressed. Christian's lingo is: "Wrap me up like a frito, Daddy." We LOVE it and cherish these fun moments of innocence. Tyler has started to tell me I am pretty every single day....something I will never get tired of hearing. Even if it's right before he asks me if he can have a snack or if he can watch a movie. You gotta love his ambition, right? He also tells me that certain things I might suggest throughout the day are "just a great idea" and "you rock, Mom." What that does for one's self-esteem is unmeasureable! Our house has only been on the market for a little over 2 weeks and we got a full price offer on Friday. Marci Hinnen of Prudential rules. She sold our first house the first day, and we are so incredibly grateful. I used to be one to keep an immaculate home, but those days are over until the boys are a little older. Keeping this house spotless and keeping all of the toys picked up constantly was wearing on the kids and I thank God it's over. We went by the new place tonight so I could measure the windows in the bedrooms. I am excited to get things packed up and organized. It's the OCD in me. I am also pretty stoked to get a small bistro table for the eat in area by the kitchen and new curtains for my bedroom and the boy's room. I am on a mission to find some sweet sale somewhere for a fun glass table with iron chairs. Inexpensive and boy-proof! Penny's usually has some good sales on curtains...let the bargains begin! On a last note, my sis went to the ER last night with stomach pain, and a headache, and some other painful stuff. The docs found a solid mass on her kidney. She has a long history of kidney problems and we are praying that this mass is benign. Please keep her in your prayers, and that the sonogram they do tomorrow shows good results. She has an appointment with her doc next week (yes, she has to wait an entire week to find out, argggghhhh) to speak about the results. Please, Lord do your miracles and heal her. She also can't seem to beat this headache...that really bites. Thanks for reading our blog. I hope it brought a smile to your face, and don't forget to pray. xoxo