tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68395014185497069712024-02-19T03:21:47.790-08:00Beasley LifeAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-26512437014205497512011-05-01T18:47:00.000-07:002011-05-01T18:47:59.269-07:00Beasley Camping Trip 2011Neither Terry nor I grew up doing a lot of camping, but I went to church camp a lot and loved it and have enjoyed the times I went camping in college and then a couple times after Terry and I got married. Terry on the other hand is not much for camping. Last summer though we decided to put our tent up in the backyard and show the boys and from that moment Isaac decided he wanted to go camping and I was right there with him. I thought it would be a fun family activity, but Terry wasn't sure how the boys would do and thought we should try camping in the backyard first. Since Hayden was just turning one at the time I agreed that we would just stay in the backyard that summer. So, Isaac and I camped in the backyard one night. We roasted marhmallows and made smores, played, read books, and laid under the stars while Terry and Hayden camped inside. It was a lot of fun. <br />
After getting our Stone Mountain memberships last summer and hearing that they had a great place to camp (where you wouldn't have to rough it too much) we decided we would go the following summer. We knew we wanted to go before it got too hot so when we looked at our calendars we decided that Good Friday would be the perfect time to go since Isaac was off from school and so was Terry. Friday morning Terry and the boys went to Walmart to get food and other camping supplies while I finished packing. Although we had decided to only go for one night there was a lot to think about and pack since this was our first time. We had a small air mattress for Isaac, but debated about where Hayden would sleep. We thought about getting an air mattress for him, but since he has never slept in anything except a crib or pack n play we decided this wasn't the occasion to experiment with something different so we packed the pack n play. We got to Stone Mountain about 1:30 and set up our campsite. The boys wanted to help daddy set up the tent briefly, but then they were more interested in exploring the area. It was great to see them run around and yell and know that they could be outdoors which they love for the next 24 hours. After we got out campsite set up we decided to take advantage of a couple of the many things to do at Stone Mountain. The top three things on Isaac's to do list were to go to the Great Barn (an indoor play area), go to the top of Stone Mountain, and go on a ride called Ride The Ducks. We had heard that you get somewhat wet on the Ride The Ducks so we decided to save that for Saturday. We first visited the Great Barn. The Great Barn is full of soft foam balls that you can shoot at each other as well as things to climb on, slides, etc. We next headed over the get on the gondola to go to the top of Stone Mountain, but we found out that they stop it at 5:00 and it was already 4:00 by this time and the line was long. Plus it was a very cloudy and cool day and we decided this would also be best saved for Saturday. So we went to the ropes course which Hayden was a little small for, but we enjoyed watching daddy and Isaac do it and Isaac conquered a fear from last summer, the zipline. After being at the ropes course for awhile we decided to go back to our campsite and have dinner. We grilled hot dogs and french fries and had a great dinner together. We then went over the playground that was amongst all the campsites. The weather was much cooler then we expected and it actually started sprinkling a little bit, but the boys had a great time playing with all the kids that were there. The rain stopped so we went back to our campsite and attempted to start a fire. We didn't have much wood, but Terry tried to get it going. We had trouble getting it started, but I refused to give up. I love roasted marshmallows and smores and knew this just had to be part of our memories (I get a plan in my head and have a hard time letting it go :) so I went to the camp store and got a fire starter. Thankfully the fire starter worked and we roasted marshmallows and hard our smores. We then got the boys pjs on and started settling in. Tradition at home is for the boys to watch a show before they go to bed to wind down and although we were camping we decided to let them still do this on daddy's Ipad. It was fun to snuggle together and watch a video. I wasn't sure how they would do with going to sleep, but they were both so worn out that they went right to sleep. Terry brought Scrabble for he and I to play, but we were so cold we decided to get in our bed to stay warm. Terry went to bed and after playing around on Facebook for awhile I went to sleep as well. Unfortunately I kept waking up either because I was sniffling because of my allergies or because my face was cold. We knew we wanted to go camping before it got too hot, but we never expected it to be as cold as it was. I didn't sleep well, but it was worth it for all the good memories we made. Hayden called for us at 6:20 and wouldn't lay back down so Terry brought him in bed with us. He snuggled up and fell right back to sleep. Isaac woke up at 7 and wanted to get up, but we convinced him to lay in bed with us for awhile. He never fell back asleep and kept asking us to get up, but we managed to lay in bed until 8. As I was trying to fall asleep the night before I realized that I had forgotten the syrup for the pancakes that Terry was going to make for us. When I told Terry this the next morning he quickly insisted that we go to McDonalds for breakfast, but I was adamant about sticking to the camping experience. He even got Isaac to chant McDonalds as well, but I explained that we had other food such as bacon and fruit and didn't need to go anywhere. I finally said I wouldn't stop them from going, but I was going to stay and eat at the campsite. Terry of course wouldn't hear of that and suggested that the camp store might have some syrup. Terry checked it out and to his disappointment they not only had syrup, but it was light syrup :( He decided to grant me my wish and made us pancakes and bacon. Have I ever mentioned what an awesome husband I have :) He didn't like the syrup, but admitted the pancakes were better than McDonalds. :) After breakfast we packed up our campsite and headed over to do some more activities. We didn't have a lot of time because we needed to get back home to get ready for a friend's birthday party so we asked Isaac if he would rather go to the top of Stone Mountain or do Ride The Ducks. He chose Ride the Ducks since he had been to the top of the mountain before. This is a boat that can also travel on land. It takes you on a tour of Stone Mountain and then you splash into the water and take a short boat ride. We brought towels thinking we would get wet, but we didn't go into the water very quickly and didn't get wet at all. It was still a fun ride though that we all enjoyed. They gave everyone a duck bill shaped duck call that was loud, but fun. The captain let the kids take turns driving the boat which Hayden declined, but Isaac enjoyed. I would say our first camping experience was a success! The boys handled camping well and had a great time, Terry said from a noncamper's percspective he had a good time, and we made wonderful memories!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEj2f-HYsaUyuuQZaQRffcrQkdAyxjmgLlizWJSLrxxhz66fENpu3nfDAzMmKkWez8r59q2LNPFachGUKSnp1sn7qkRzw1HWFbMTfXvGXf-JHB0HYmNUpdxApoMVSVv0WUukT4CBLDJns/s1600/210470_10150544477460461_654975460_17860526_674408_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEj2f-HYsaUyuuQZaQRffcrQkdAyxjmgLlizWJSLrxxhz66fENpu3nfDAzMmKkWez8r59q2LNPFachGUKSnp1sn7qkRzw1HWFbMTfXvGXf-JHB0HYmNUpdxApoMVSVv0WUukT4CBLDJns/s320/210470_10150544477460461_654975460_17860526_674408_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-44473823389472294042011-03-24T18:04:00.000-07:002011-03-26T11:40:55.151-07:00Retreat blessingsI have always loved retreats because you get away from the craziness of day to day life, you spend time with old friends and make new friends, and you get reenergized! That is what happened last weekend at the Campus' Womens' Retreat and for that I am very thankful. Terry had a math tournament at GACS on Saturday so Marjorie came in town to help with the boys. She arrived about 12:30 on Friday and as soon as we got back from picking Isaac up from preschool I packed up and took off. Hayden had woken up at 5am that morning and has been waking up before 6 often lately so I was tired and wanted to rest before the retreat began. A few months ago I was asked to be a small group leader at the retreat. I have never been a small group leader before and although I was honored to be asked and excited to step out of my comfort zone and do something new I was also a little nervous. There would be 6 ladies in my group and I only really knew two of them. Although I am generally not shy (actually the opposite I would consider myself talkative and outgoing) I can be a little self conscious when I am around people I don't know or when I am in a role that I am not completely comfortable with. I knew though that if I prepared the best I could, prayed about it, and let God take control that everything would go smoothly and it did! The first group was brief and gave us a chance to introduce ourselves to each other as well as talk about the names of God. The first group went okay, but afterward I was criticizing myself (in my head) for the way I said things. I continued to pray though that I would just be in the moment, that the Spirit would fill me, and that God would work through me and the rest of the group times were wonderful. The 2nd small group discussion was about falling in love with Jesus. I began the discussion intending to apologize to everyone for my bad habit of talking fast by telling everyone that my best friend reminded me that I talk fast and somehow that led into a discussion about Terry and how we met (I hadn't planned to talk about that at all). I soon realized that what I was talking about led perfectly into the ice breaker question about falling in love. That small group time was my favorite. We sat outside because the weather was beautiful and we all enjoyed being outside in God's beautiful design and everyone really let their guards down and shared. It was beautiful (yes I realize that I just used beautiful 3 times! :). <br />
I have a bad habit of being long winded and telling a lot of details and that goes for when I am writing as well so I am going to try and write the rest of this blog by just mentioning what I consider highlights from the weekend.<br />
*I roomed with my best friend and got to spend a lot of time with her which is something that is pretty rare these days.<br />
*I roomed with Dawn, a friend who I think a lot of and enjoy spending time with.<br />
*I roomed with Paige, someone who I had never met, but enjoyed getting to know.<br />
*I learned more names of God then I knew before. It is so awesome that he reveals his character to us through all of these different names. <br />
*I had a late night snack at one of the hotel restaurants with good friends. We enjoyed good conversation and a singer and piano player who was performing there. A lot of the ladies from the retreat were there and really got into the fun music.<br />
*Laying in bed staying up til 2am talking.<br />
*Singing beautiful worship songs.<br />
*Sitting outside in God's beautiful creation with my small group and having a great conversation about falling in love with Jesus.<br />
*Getting to know Maggie and realizing that she might be the answer to my prayer to find someone to watch the boys next school year.<br />
*Spending personal time with God. Saturday evening we individually went through four stations, reading scripture posted on a path outside, praying with an Elder's wife, writing prayers of adoration and confession and nailing them to a cross, and listening to worship music and reading the names of God and what they mean.<br />
*Hearing Annabelle talk about seeking His face day to day. A couple points that she made that I liked were to reflect on your life by using the 3 Cs. What are you talking about in Conversation, what does your calendar look like (how are you spending your time), and what does your checkbook look like (what are you spending your money on). She also talked about how many of us like Facebook, but how about spending some face (seeking him) book (in His Word) time with God.<br />
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Okay, so I don't know if it was much shorter that way, but it was a little easier. I am very thankful for all the people who put so much time, energy, and heart into planning the retreat. It was a wonderful weekend!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-52092786684027647862011-03-11T05:19:00.000-08:002011-03-11T05:19:19.929-08:00Karaoke, Basketball, and the CircusThe weekend before last we had quite an eventful weekend. Friday night we had plans to watch Terry play in a basketball game at GACS. This was the annual GACS Faculty versus Legendary Globe Trotters Game. Terry plays in a basketball league, but most of his games are late so the boys don't get to see him play very often. The game didn't start until 7pm so we had planned to go out to eat as we usually do on Friday nights. Friday afternoon I was sitting outside with Hayden while he played just before picking Isaac up from preschool. I was looking at an Atlanta Parent magazine and came across an ad for a restaurant on the square of Lawrenceville called Singing Bean. It mentioned that they had kids karaoke every Friday night from 6-8. I immediately thought of Isaac. Isaac has always loved music, singing, and being on a stage! I thought this would be something fun and different to do so I told Terry that we should go for a little while before his game. Isaac of course lit up when I picked him up from school and told him about it. We got there at 5:30 thinking we could eat before the karaoke started. We sat down in the karaoke room and Isaac immediately wanted to know when the karaoke was going to start. He had never done karoake before, but we explained what it was and he was ready! A couple young girls came in with their parents. One was probably 6 or 7 and the other was probably 10 or 11 years old. I started second guessing my decision to come as I reminded myself that Isaac couldn't read and therefore wouldn't be helped by the words on the screen. He seemed a little intimidated, but still ready to sing so I started looking through the book of songs and trying to think what he could sing. I saw that they had "This Is The Day" and smiled knowing that was a worship song he liked. I thought that he could sing that with a little bit of help from us. However, when the song started I quickly realized that it was a different version then the one we were used to. So, he stepped down so we could think of another song. The younger of the two girls started singing a popular hit song and did well for her age. Isaac really watched her and I wondered again if this was a good idea. He still wanted to sing so I decided we better stick to a song that he knows all the words to, a real kid song. So, I suggested Old MacDonald. Now if we were at home he would never want to sing that song on his stage, but I think he felt as I did that he better stick to a song that he really knows. When it was his turn and the music started he proudly started singing. Terry and I stood in the back taking pictures and trying to record it with our phones while at the same time singing along with him so he would know which animal was coming up next. Everyone clapped and as soon as he got off the stage he asked if he could sing another one. After the girls had another turn he got back up on stage and sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Another family had come by this time and everyone was so sweet cheering for him. By this point Terry had to leave to go to his game, but Isaac pleaded for one more song so he sang Jesus Loves Me. I love that he sang this one because it is what I have been singing to both the boys since they were born. I was really surprised and impressed that he didn't hesitate a bit about getting up on stage in front of a group of people that he didn't know. I kept telling him how great he did and how proud I was of him on the way to the basketball game. He seemed proud of himself as well. I think we will be returning to the Singin Bean!<br />
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As I mentioned earlier every year some of the faculty at GACS play the Legendary Globe Trotters. We got there shortly after the game had started and quickly spotted our friend Sara with her two little boys. Her son Henry is Hayden's age and they are in Bible class together and she has a little boy named Cole who is just 3 months old. Henry, Isaac, and Hayden enjoyed playing on the bleachers together. We would point out when the daddys were playing and had the ball and they would cheer. We were sitting right behind the players and Isaac often tried to talk to his daddy and decided to help himself to the players' water. It was fun to see Terry play, but we were only able to stay until half time as it was past the boys bedtime and still had to drive home and get them in bed. We told daddy bye as well as Sara and her boys and headed for home. On the way to the car Isaac talked about what a great basketball player daddy is.<br />
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On Saturday we took the boys to the circus for the first time. Mimi and Papaw got us all tickets for Christmas. I was really excited because I looked forward to seeing their reactions and because it brought back memories from childhood. I went to the circus one year for my birthday and invited a few friends. I think it was maybe my 8th birthday. They invited me to the ring and let me ride on one of the elephants! I am going to find those pictures and I will post them. I had heard that there was a pre-show for kids so I wanted to get there early. From the minute we walked into the arena Isaac was a little nervous and asked daddy to hold him. He knew there would be clowns which he isn't crazy about and he didn't know what else to expect. Terry did convince him to walk and hold his hand. We found our seats and I was a little disappointed to look down on the floor and see how chaotic the pre-show was. There were three different rings with shows going on and tons of people walking around trying to see everything. Since there were so many people it was hard to see much of anything. We picked up some clown noses and Hayden got a circus tattoo on his arm. Shortly after Hayden and I went back to our seats the show got started. I think Isaac was immediately in awe as they started with a circus parade. There was so much to look at that it was hard to take it all in. Hayden seemed to enjoy it as well as first, but it didn't keep his attention as well as I thought it would. He quickly wanted to move around. It might have partly been because we had already been there for an hour for the pre-show. The show was quite spectacular. The prices were as well! We knew snacks and such would be expensive, but they were even more so then we expected. A large lemonade was $10. So, we all shared one and guarded it like it was gold so that it didn't get spilled. I think Terry was in awe of the show as much as anyone. He was constantly pointing things out to Isaac. It was cute to see them glued to the action and trading comments. I regretted not hearing those comments and seeing more of the show because I was wrestling with our little monkey. All in all though we had a great time and it was a great family memory!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-55503680931786643632011-02-27T17:52:00.000-08:002011-02-27T17:52:48.649-08:00A Valentine's Day to RememberOnce again more time has passed then I would like between blog entries, but I guess that is what happens when you work part time and take care of two little boys (and a husband :). I also want to go back and add pictures to some of my blog posts sometime. And I want to learn more about blogging and I want to.... I could go on and on, but I won't because as I said in a previous post I am trying to be better about just living in the moment. When I think back over what we have done in the past couple weeks one of the things that stands out the most in my memory is Valentine's Day. Now traditionally Terry and I don't do a lot for Valentine's Day. We usually get each a card and some candy, but it is not a big deal for either of us. We see it more as a commercial holiday. However, this year a couple who are mentors in our Bible class invited couples to their home for Valentine's Day and let us know that they wanted to serve us dinner. Cynthia and Geoff's children are grown, but they remember how hectic life can be with little ones. Knowing how thoughtful and giving they are I knew that it would be a nice evening, but it was much more than that. As we all arrived (5 couples) they took our coats and brought us a drink. We immediately felt relaxed and pampered. Although we were there with our friends whom we enjoyed spending time with they asked each couple to pick their own table. They had 5 tables set up around their home decorated beautifully. Terry and I chose the table in the family room by the fireplace. They brought us shrimp cocktail and bread followed by salad and then steak and asparagus. Then we had cake, chocolate covered strawberries, and coffee. The food was wonderful! It was so nice to sit back and relax, have a nice meal, and more importantly quiet time with Terry. We actually got to have an uninterrupted conversation! It felt a little uncomfortable to have our friends whom we look up to wait on us, but I knew that it was something they really wanted to do. I kept thinking, this is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for us! I told Geoff and Cynthia this and Cynthia told us that when their kids were very young and they were waiting for their house to be built they stayed with another couple for awhile. Geoff and Cynthia were both working and taking care of their kids not to mention under the stress of having a house built. One evening they came home to find that their friends had put the kids to bed and had prepared a nice meal for Geoff and Cynthia out on their back deck. They expressed how much that meant to them and how they wanted to do the same for other couples. I pray that Terry and I will do the same. I pray that we will remember how special this night was to us and do the same for other couples someday.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-92104401047954765862011-02-06T18:30:00.000-08:002011-02-06T18:30:53.499-08:00Allergies, Painting, and SpidermanI haven't written in a couple weeks so I want to get caught up on what we have been up to. Two weeks ago an allergy doctor confirmed that Hayden is allergic to nuts and almonds. When we were visiting Angela and her family after Christmas I let Hayden try a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He didn't eat very much of it, just mainly played with it. A few minutes after he got down from his booster seat Terry noticed that he was rubbing his eyes. I first assumed that he was just tired, but then Terry said he was fussy and then noticed hives on his face and that his eyes were swollen. We knew that we hadn't given him anything out of the ordinary other than the peanut butter so we knew that that must be what he was reacting to. We immediately called the Cliffords' pediatrician who asked us some questions and told us to give him some benadryl. Thankfully that did the trick and his face slowly cleared up. So, a couple weeks ago we took him to an allergy doctor who did a skin test which confirmed his allergy to nuts and they also did a nut panel and he mildly reacted to the almond. We knew after the incident at Angela's that he was likely allergic, but it was nice to get a definite answer and talk to an expert about what we need to do. Fortunately, his allergy isn't so severe that he can't be in the same room as peanuts. She said that he can sit next to Isaac while he has a PB&J. We were given a prescription for an EpiPen, but I pray that we never have to use it. I don't think it will be too big of a deal when we are at home because we can read labels, but I am a little worried about when he is out of our sight especially as he gets older. Dr. Sheerin (the allergy doctor) also recommended that we get some blood work done that will give her some information that she will track every year to see if he outgrows this allergy. I was dreading getting the blood work done because I assumed he would scream the whole time and I didn't want to watch him go through the nurse trying to find a vein, him squirming and screaming, etc. Even though I was dreading it I just wanted to get it over with so I scheduled the appointment for last Wednesday. To my amazement, he didn't scream. He didn't even cry! He obviously wasn't happy about it and squirmed just a little, but he was great and I was thankful to have a good nurse. The blood work showed that his allergy is moderate to severe. He is too young to be able to tell whether he will outgrow it, but we will have him tested again next year.<br />
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Last weekend I painted the living room. Last Spring we turned our dining room into a playroom since it was rarely used as a dining room and I painted it green. I started thinking about what color I wanted to paint the living room then. I put a couple colors on the wall to try out, but after painting the playroom I wasn't ready to tackle another room for a while. I finally got tired of looking at my paint swatches in the living room and decide to tackle painting another room. We have hired people to paint a few rooms in our house, but I have painted most of the rooms. Terry doesn't like to paint and I don't mind doing it. I like trying to decide on a color and I love seeing a nice, bright, clean, fresh paint of coat on the walls. I got my taping done Friday which is always a pain, but a big help to get that out of the way before hand. I started painting Saturday morning. Terry took the boys to Walmart and hung out with them until I stopped at 3:00 to get ready for a birthday party that Isaac was invited to. That night I finished my 2nd coat and did touchups and clean up on Sunday. I don't like the color as much as the one I chose for the playroom, but I am happy with it and glad that it is done!<br />
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I mentioned that Isaac was invited to a birthday party Saturday night and the theme of the party was perfect for him, Superheroes! Isaac is all about superheroes right now and one in particular, Spiderman. The invitation said that you could come dressed as your favorite superhero so of course Isaac wanted to be Spiderman. We didn't have a costume and I really didn't want to go and buy one just for this party so I put my superpower to work (also known as Facebook) and found him a costume. Some friends at church gave us one that their son had outgrown. He had a great time at the party and has put his Spiderman costume on I think at least once a day every day since then. It is fun to see him so into something, but we have decided to limit how much he watches the Spiderman show because it is a little violent and gory and we much prefer him to watch educational shows.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-6830689000500549272011-01-22T12:25:00.000-08:002011-01-22T12:25:18.243-08:00I don't want to forget this feeling!Earlier today I was thinking about how I haven't blogged in about a week and I was trying to think about what has happened in the past week (such as finding out that Hayden is allergic to peanuts and almonds) and what I wanted to write about. Then I decided that I wanted to write about how great I have been feeling lately! I haven't been complaining as much. Those who know me may think that I don't complain a lot, but I do on the inside. At times, I grumble to myself about Hayden waking up early, about not having enough time to get things done, about Terry, about the boys. I love Terry and the boys and am thankful for them, but I am such a planner that if things don't go the way I thought they would or the way I had planned for them to go I grumble to myself. In fact, I just realized that is another way that Isaac is like me. Just a little while ago he was trying to play something and Hayden wasn't doing what he wanted him to and he said "This isn't going how I planned!" Another aspect of how I have been feeling is that I am trying to spend more quality time with the boys and not sweat the small stuff like things I want to get done around the house. I am telling myself that when I can (like when the boys are watching a show, playing with daddy, or napping) get stuff done I will, but what doesn't get done, doesn't get done. I am also spending more time in prayer. I try to start my morning by saying a quick prayer (I say quick because I try to do this right when I wake up and that is usually when Hayden is crying for me to come get him) thanking God for the new day and asking that I will have a good attitude and be the best mother and wife that I can be and to be a light for Him. I have also been getting back in the habit of praying before I go to bed, reflecting on the day. Besides praying when I first wake up and before I go to bed I have also been talking to God throughout the day, when I get frustrated, when I need patience, when I watch our boys do something that makes me want to say thank you, thank you for these precious gifts, when I need advice, etc. I have also recently started reading a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. This book was recommended by our friends Jeff and Erin who we are in a small group Bible study with. They said it was a wonderful, life-changing book and that our small group should read it and discuss it together. I just finished chapter 2 and it is a great book. It talks about God's amazing, crazy love for each of us. The book helps you to come to know God and his love better. Once you truly know God and his love then the response of your love should be just as crazy! If we truly love God then it should show in the way we live our lives. This change in the way I have been feeling started a couple weeks ago when I prayed that I would talk to Him constantly and develop a closer relationship with Him. I prayed that He would fill me up and that I would be a light for Him. I feel like His answer has been I will give you what you ask for and More! I feel like he is saying stick with Me and I will make changes in your life that you may or may not be ready for.<br />
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The main reason that I wanted to write about this is because I have been on top of the mountain before. I don't know if I have ever felt quite like this because no two feelings even if they are both joyous are exactly alike, but I have prayed throughout each day before and felt close to God. I have been on the mountain at one moment and in the valley the next. Times that I am not close to God I wonder why, why have I lost my focus when being close to Him is so amazing! I am determined to continue to develop a closer and closer relationship with Him, talk to Him all throughout each day, and be a servant to others for Him, but if I slip back into the valley I pray that I will read this and run back up the mountain as fast as I can!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-70311461148915130742011-01-16T18:47:00.000-08:002011-01-16T18:49:38.659-08:00Snow WeekThis past week was quite unusual for those of us living in Georgia. At the end of the previous week everyone started talking about how we were supposed to get snow Sunday night and/or Monday and that temperatures would be very low. Terry and I kept checking the weather channel application on our phones to see if anything had changed. The snow prediction for Monday went from 70% possible to 90% to 100%. The snow was predicted to start some time between 9 and 11 pm Sunday night. Schools were cancelled Sunday evening as there was no doubt this snow storm was coming. I was watching tv about 10:30 Sunday night when I got a facebook message from my friend and coworker asking if we had any snow in our area yet. I hadn't looked outside since before we put the boys to bed so I looked out our back door so I could report back to her. I thought I would see some snow falling, but was surprised to see our backyard completely covered in snow and quite a bit of it! It continued to fall off and on through out the night and by morning we had 3-4 inches. The boys (Isaac especially) was excited to see the snow the next morning and immediately wanted to know when we could go play in it. It is funny that what was such a normal occurrence throughout the winter when I was growing up is a rare treat for our kids. Since it was barely light out I decided to hold him off for a little while. Once we had some breakfast and Terry got up we bundled them up and Terry went in the backyard with them. Hayden had never seen so much snow and wasn't thrilled with it because he could barely walk in it. There was like a sheet of ice on top of the snow that made it very difficult to walk. They played for a little while, but then came in. I had the idea the day before that it would be fun to build a fire in our fireplace since it was going to be so cold and this was something we rarely do. Maybe I should say we hardly ever do. I don't think we had built a fire since before Isaac was born. I had also mentioned to Isaac that we should have some hot chocolate after playing in the snow. So, as much as he enjoyed the snow he was almost as excited about drinking hot chocolate and sitting by the fire. Since I didn't go outside with the boys that morning I wanted to go out that afternoon. Terry and I talked about the possibility of letting the boys sled down the hill in our backyard, but Terry pointed out that there was a creek at the bottom and that it might not be a good idea. So, I thought about the small slope between our house and our neighbor's house and thought that might be fun for them. Since it rarely snows here and when it does it is not very much we have never bought a sled. So, Terry found the box that his flat screen tv came in and we decided to use that as our sled. I think Isaac liked the little slide down our side slope, but I wasn't satisfied. I commented that I wished we had a better place for them to sled and Terry said that we could try our big hill and he would be at the bottom to make sure no one went in the creek. I have a lot of fun memories of sledding from when I was a kid and so I think I was as or more excited then they were. We first went to one side of the hill and Isaac and I sled down. We didn't go super fast or far, but it was fun and Isaac immediately wanted to do it again and again. Hayden went down with me as well, but wasn't super excited about the whole experience. He couldn't walk on his own, was cold, and probably not that comfortable all bundled up in everything. So, Hayden and I went in and Terry and Isaac continued sledding for a little while longer. When they came in they told us how they eventually picked up speed and distance and there was one instance where Isaac went close to the creek, but Terry stopped him. Monday night's weather prediction was for very low temperatures and freezing rain so schools were cancelled for Tuesday. Tuesday Terry and Isaac did some more sledding, but I stayed inside with Hayden since I knew he wouldn't have much fun out there. <br />
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No more snow or rain was predicted for the rest of the week, but the temperatures were supposed to remain low until Friday. By Tuesday afternoon Terry and I got word once again that GACS and Hall County schools would be closed for Wednesday. We couldn't believe that we were going to have 3 snow days in a row. While we were enjoying the time off work and just being together I was ready to get out of the house even for a short while. I am used to going out of the house more than once a day whether it be for work or to take Isaac to school, run errands, etc. While I often complain about being busy I like to stay busy. So, I was thinking that it would be fun to take the boys to a movie. We have talked about taking Isaac to his first movie for a while now and just haven't done it. Wednesday morning I called around and couldn't get a hold of a movie theater. Besides schools being closed, a lot of businesses were closed as well. With the temperatures remaining so low and the lack of salt trucks that we have in the South, many roads were icy. So, I called Chick-fil-a and the man I talked to said they would be open at 11am. I also called Target and they confirmed that they were open. So, I suggested that we take the boys to Chick-fil-a where we could eat and they could play and then we could look around at Target (I had a xmas gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket). When we got to Chick-fil-a we found out that only the drive thru was open. Maybe they didn't have a lot of workers that could come in and/or maybe they didn't want people to fall on the ice in their parking lot. So, we decided to try Panera and were happy to see that they were open. We then looked around Target (I didn't spend my gift card) and stopped by Walmart to get a couple things. We were only gone for a few hours, but it felt great to get out. There were more people out on the roads then I thought there would be and the road conditions were better than I thought they would be. There were definitely icy areas, but a lot of areas were clear. That afternoon after putting Hayden down for a nap Terry, Isaac, and I headed for the hill. This time we decided to try a different part of the hill. It seemed a little steeper and turned out to be just a better area. We had a blast. We decided to bring the video camera and get some of this on tape. At one point Isaac wanted to go down by himself from the top of the hill (sometimes we would just start him from half way down). Terry went to the top with him and I stayed at the bottom to video tape. Terry gave him a little push and then started jogging down the hill with him to make sure he didn't hit any trees. Terry noticed that he was picking up speed so he started running after Isaac and it was a good thing he did because Isaac just kept going and going right towards the creek. Terry leaped for him and caught him just in time as Isaac was hanging over the cardboard about to fall in the creek. It gave us both a good scare and we decided that we would never let that happen again. The temperatures remained low so the ice and snow weren't going anywhere and school was quickly called off again for the next day. Thursday we made snow ice cream which the boys enjoyed. Isaac's first comment was "It's better then I thought it would be!" Although temperatures were supposed to get into the low 40s on Friday it wouldn't be until the afternoon so school was called off once again. We couldn't believe that we had a whole week off work and on top of that Monday was a holiday - Martin Luther King Day.<br />
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We had a lot of fun this past week. In addition to sledding we played XBox Kinect video games together (bowling is our favorite right now), made snow ice cream, and just hung out. I did get a little stir crazy at times, but the fun times and the memories that we made far overshadow the few times that I just wanted to get out of the house and go somewhere. I am very thankful for the time we had together. I feel like we got the best of both worlds this winter. We got to do a lot of traveling during our Christmas break and see both sides of our family and we got a week to just be home and relax and play together. I can't say enough what a fun, family week this was. I am very thankful for Terry and our two boys and the fun we have together!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-13817559730140117012011-01-05T10:10:00.000-08:002011-01-05T10:10:39.827-08:00Past, Present, and FutureAs the new year is beginning I thought I would reflect on 2010, think about what is going on right now, and what might be to come in 2011. The first thing that comes to mind when reflecting on the past year is how much the boys have changed. Hayden went from being 6 mths old to 18 mths old so of course a lot of changes took place. He began walking at 11 mths old in May and in June we celebrated his first birthday. We had a cookout with family and close friends. Since then he has learned to jump right in there with Daddy and Isaac when they wrestle, is feeding himself more and more, and has in the past month started to say more and more words. I feel like he is on the verge of saying a lot! He tries a lot of words now and really seems to pay attention when others are talking to see how to say a word. He understands a lot and is great about shaking his head yes or no when you ask him a question. Isaac went from being 3 to 4. Isaac became a big brother when he was 2 1/2 and has been a great big brother ever since. He didn't show as much jealousy as I thought he would and he really seems to enjoy Hayden. I think he has my love for little ones. Sure there are times as Hayden has gotten older that they will fight over a toy or both want my attention at the same time, but for the most part they get along great and I love to watch them interact. You can already see the love and the bond that they share. Hayden adores his big brother and Isaac loves his little brother. This past Summer Isaac became quite the swimmer! He has always loved the water. We were going to try and set up swim lessons with someone that Terry works with, but that never worked out so Terry just taught him different times that we were at the pool. Terry's parents' house in Tallahassee, Florida has a pool so he got a lot of swimming in there. By the end of the summer he didn't want to wear his swim vest and was jumping off the diving board and coming back up to the top of the water by himself (although we always made sure that one of us was close by in the water). This past Fall we decided to continue building his swimming skills by signing him up for lessons at the Collins Hill Aquatic Center. I probably signed him up for too basic of a class, but I didn't want him to be in over his head either. Another milestone for Isaac was starting preschool this past Fall. He goes Mon, Wed. and Fridays from 9:30 to 1:30. At first he wasn't too crazy about saying goodbye each morning. Most parents drop their kids off in front of the school, but you can also walk them in to their classroom. He was fine if I walked him in, but he didn't like for me to just drop him off outside. I think he didn't like seeing me drive away. There were some tears shed, but he pretty quickly got used to saying goodbye whether I walked him in or dropped him off. He is loving school and his teacher, Ms. Heather had a lot of positive things to say at the teacher/parent conference in the Fall. She said that he always reminds her of things she needs to do and she said that he is one of the brightest kids in the class. I know there have been many more wonderful moments in the boys' lives over the past year, but of course I can't cover them all now and now that I am blogging I can record more of them in the coming year! <br />
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When I started thinking about Terry and I, I first thought well we haven't hit milestones, we haven't changed in the past year, but then I quickly remembered that there have been significant moments in our lives as well. I really believe that God is working on both of us. This past Fall I decided that I wanted to plan a Ladies retreat for our Bible class. I did this a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I knew that I needed a weekend away and that many others needed one as well. Although a little stressful at times I really enjoyed planning it. We had a great time! Also this past Fall our friends Brent and Robin who have been Upreach leaders for our Bible class for the past 6 years (with help from different people at different times) asked Terry and I if we would take over this role. They had been fulfilling this responsibility for a long time and needed a break. I love organizing events, I love our class, and I wanted them to have a break so I was anxious to say yes, but didn't want to do so unless Terry was on board. I knew that he was having his busiest, most stressful school year that he has ever had so I wasn't sure if we would want to take on another responsibility. He knew how much I wanted to do it and agreed to take on this role with me. Well, right after we were asked to do this an announcement was made at church that our long time preacher had been having an affair with the previous children's ministry leader. This was a big shock to all of us, but I was proud of the way our elders and everyone handled the situation. For many of us instead of turning us away from Campus this renewed our commitment to this church family whom we love. We didn't want this to tear us apart, but instead make us closer and stronger. Robin and Brent decided that it wasn't the right time to step down as Upreach leaders and committed to leading with Terry and I. Our friend Taylor who had been teaching our Bible class was asked to preach in the auditorium so Terry stepped forward and said that he would teach. He said that being asked to be an Upreach leader and then with what happened with our minister he felt called to take a leadership role. He spent many years when he was younger working in youth ministry and now works in a leadership role as a teacher and head of his department at GACS so for the past several years he was happy to let others lead at church. He said that he thought many times, the men in our class should step forward and teach. He realized that it was time he stepped forward and took more of a part in our class. He has done such a great job as a leader and a teacher. He has walked our class through the Experiencing God book. He has a great way of getting his point across with music and stories and takes in everyone's comments as well. About a month ago Terry was asked to become a Deacon at our church. I am very proud and blessed to be his wife! <br />
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Well, I took quite a bit of time talking about the past year so I will try to make my present and future thoughts a little shorter. When I think about what is going on right now it is what has happened in the past year continuing. The boys are continuing to change and I love watching them grow (although I wish they would slow down a little bit!) Terry is going to continue to teach our class and we are looking forward to continuing to lead in our class. The women's ministry leader asked me to be a small group leader for our upcoming Spring retreat for our church. This is something that I have never done before. I am a little nervous, but mostly looking forward it. As I mentioned earlier, Terry is have a very busy year and it has been pretty stressful for him so we will both be glad when it is over.<br />
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The future, hmmm...I really don't want to make predictions because that has gotten me in to trouble in the past. See I like to plan and know what is going to happen and how it is going to happen and when it is going to happen, but I have learned that it is best not to make plans, but instead watch and listen for God's perfect plan for our lives. I have found that when I make plans I get caught up in how I think things should go and get a false sense of being in control. However, when I completely put things in God's hands I see things work out perfectly. As many times as I have seen my plans fail and God's succeed I still have many moments where I try to make plans and be in control. You would think I would have learned by now! Why are we so thick headed and slow to learn! Well, fortunately God is forgiving and willing to give us as many chances as we need to get it right so I will keep on trying to give up complete control.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-14984234524441894332010-12-28T19:13:00.000-08:002010-12-30T18:32:26.418-08:00From swim trunks to snow boots What a different, but great Christmas we had this year! Terry's parents, sister, and ourselves decided to make use of their vacation club membership and rent condos in Pompano Beach, Florida the week of Christmas. I knew this would be quite different for this Northern raised girl, but I was looking forward to getting away and to the warmer weather! We stayed at a place called Wyndam Palm Aire Resort and it was very nice. We each had a 2 bedroom condo that were a good size. The resort had 4 heated pools, a small put-put golf course, playgrounds, a spa, and an activity center for kids. I have to make a little side note here to explain what we did at the beginning of the week. I love Christmas and everything that goes with it, decorating, baking, looking through toy catalogs, shopping for others, and the anticipation in our kid's eyes as well as getting and decorating a live tree. So, before we left I got out our Christmas decorations and I so wanted to get a tree, but I told myself that it didn't make sense to spend money on and put up a tree when we were going to be gone before, during, and after Christmas. I told Terry how much I wanted a tree and he assured me that we could get one in Florida. So, that is what I wanted to do the day after we arrived in Florida. I wanted to get it as soon as possible to get more into the Christmas spirit and to be able to enjoy it all week and so we did. I don't think Terry was thrilled about going through the hassle of putting the tree on the car, lugging it into the condo, etc. when we would only be there for a week, but he didn't complain. He followed me around as I picked out a tree, a stand, a tree topper, and lights (I brought ornaments from home) because he knew it would make me happy! I love him so much! When we got the tree set up Mimi, Papaw, and Aunt Lauren came over to help us decorate it. It was great! A favorite memory.<br />
It wasn't quite as warm as we hoped it would be, but of course we didn't complain because we knew it was a lot colder back home. One of the reasons I was hoping for warmer weather was so that Isaac could do what he loves to do, spend a lot of time in the pool. The mornings started off in the 50s or low 60s and eventually warmed up to the high 60s or low 70s. Those temperatures aren't too bad, but it was also windy most days so it seemed even cooler. We did still go to the pool some since they were heated, but we usually didn't stay much longer than 30 minutes if that. Besides playing with Isaac and Hayden in the pool I also wanted to get some sun so one morning while Mimi, Terry, and the boys went to Walmart I laid out. It was pretty warm that morning and it was great to just relax by myself. We didn't spend a lot of time at the pool, but we found plenty of other things to do. One afternoon the resort was serving ice cream sundaes by the activity center so Isaac and I got one and then he made a craft in the activity center. He painted a soccer ball bank. We then watched the 2nd half of a movie that they were showing. That was one of my favorite afternoons because Isaac and I got to spend so much time together just hanging out. At home there is just always so much to do that I rarely get to spend that much time with him one on one. One day Isaac, Hayden, and I made our first annual Christmas train. Last year we attempted a gingerbread house which turned out to be a disaster. It was so hard to get the sides to stick together, Isaac took a bite out of one side before we got it put together, and it was just hard to manage so this year I wanted to try something different. I had found a cake pan that made different train cars. We made a train track with black licorice and then put the train cars on it and decorated them. We used gummy life savers for wheels and gumdrops, licorice, and sprinkles to decorate the cars. I was happy with how smooth it went and how well it turned out. That is also another favorite memory of the week. Another favorite memory was watching Hayden light up on different occasions, try new words, and sing la, la, la, and ho, ho, ho to different Christmas songs. His ho, ho, ho was my favorite!<br />
One morning we all went on a sight seeing boat called the Jungle Queen. It took us by million dollar homes and to a small island where they had alligators, exotic birds, and monkeys. It was a little chilly on the boat, but we had a good time. That afternoon the resort had an animal show. Terry, the boys, and I went to that. They had a lot of different animals and the boys really enjoyed seeing them all up close. During the show we ran into a family that Terry knew that used to live in Atlanta and were vacationing there as well, small world. Wednesday night Terry and I had a date night thanks to Mimi, Papaw, and Aunt Lauren. We debated about what to do, but in the end decided that what we always enjoy is just a nice dinner out. I asked the concierge desk for recommendations and got several. I looked at all their websites and chose a restaurant called Sea Watch. We had a good dinner and a nice evening together. Thursday afternoon Terry, the boys, and I went to the beach. It was probably in the low 70s this day and the wind wasn't too bad. This was really Hayden's first experience at the beach. The only other time he had been to a beach was when he was 4 months old (Daytona Beach close to Thanksgiving), he wasn't feeling well, and he stayed in my arms the whole time. I took his shoes off and let him walk and he seemed to like the sand, but when we got to the water and saw some small waves he wasn't too sure about that. When the water hit his feet, he started to cry a little bit, and backed up. He was content to play in the sand for a while, but after I coaxed him to try it again he got used to it and seemed to like it although he still needed us close by for reassurance. Isaac saw a young man playing a banjo and wanted to go by him several times so that he could see him playing. We stayed for about an hour and then needed to get back so that Hayden could take a nap. On Friday Terry went fishing out on a boat with his dad and uncle. Terry is not a big fan of fishing, but his dad loves to fish and so he went to spend time with him. They left early and were gone all day. Terry is a good son! Apparently Terry caught his first fish when he was sleeping! Then he caught a couple more. While they were fishing Marjorie and Lauren wanted to take me and the boys to a mall that they had discovered the day before. It was called Sawgrass Mills Mall. It was a huge mall and it had this play place for kids that was like nothing that we had ever seen before. It was called Wannabe City. It was basically this huge indoor city for kids where they can try out different jobs. They could be doctors, photographers, firemen. I can't even explain it well enough to do it justice. I have been to hands on play areas for kids before, but this one was better by a long shot. It also had a city fair where there was rides. Marjorie and Lauren took the boys to it, while I finished up some Christmas shopping. <br />
Christmas Eve I made Italian Sausage and Tortellini soup, we made sugar cookies for Santa, sang a few Christmas carols, Marjorie gave us each an ornament that we put on the tree, and the boys watched a Care Bears Christmas movie. Saturday morning Hayden woke up early like he had been doing pretty much all week, but I was able to get him to go back to sleep in bed with us. We ended up sleeping until 7:40 which is late for us. I had Terry stay in the bedroom with Isaac and Hayden while I made sure everything was ready (Marjorie was going to add some things to everyone's stocking). Terry said that while I was doing that Isaac said "I don't understand why we have to stay in here. Most kids just get to run out. I guess it is because we are in a condo." We had a fun morning opening presents. Santa Claus was good to everyone. Another nice part of this trip was that I got to meet and spend time with quite a few people in Jim's family that I had heard about, but never met. Jim's mother lives with her daughter and son-in-law and we went over there for dinner one night. That evening one of Jim's brothers joined us for dinner. Another evening Marjorie and Jim had Jim's mother, sister, and brother-in-law over for dinner and another brother and his wife came as well. Christmas day we went back to Aunt Sharon's house and there I met her daughter, son, and some of her grandkids. Isaac especially hit it off with his new cousin Taylor who is 6. Isaac also liked their dog Max, but Hayden wasn't too sure about him. After we got back to the condo we had a small birthday celebration for Isaac. We put candles in the train cake and sang to him and he got a few presents. <br />
We took off early the next morning to head home. On the way to Florida we broke up our trip into two days, but on the way home we decided to do it in one day. Most of the time I don't get motion sick, but a couple times in the past couple years I have when I have been on a long trip, looking down, and moving around to give things to the boys. I had taken a Dramamine the first day of our trip to Florida, but not the second and I was fine so I didn't take one before our trip home and I thought I would be fine. I also had packed everything up and didn't know where it was. Well, that was a mistake! It was very windy on the way home and after just an hour or so I started getting a headache and feeling nauseous. After just about 2-3 hours I started throwing up and did so a total of about 5 times over the next few hours. I couldn't believe I was so sick and we still had such a long ways to go. Terry asked if I wanted to stop somewhere for the night, but even though I didn't feel well I just wanted to get home. I had eaten breakfast before I got sick, but I didn't eat anything the rest of the day. We had heard that there was snow in Atlanta Christmas day so we weren't sure what the roads were going to be like. As we got closer to Atlanta we could see a little bit of snow and Terry said he could see some ice, but the roads weren't bad. Isaac was excited to see the snow and touched it as soon as we got out of the car. We got home about 8:15 and got the boys right to bed. We had a great time in Florida, but were glad to be home. It is true that there is no place like home! When Isaac went to get in bed he said "My bed is lower." He has a low car bed and he had been sleeping on a regular bed at the condo. I have to mention something else cute that Isaac said, on the way home he said "Am I 4 now?" and when I told him that he was he just got a big smile on his face. The next morning he asked the same question and when I said yes he said "But I am the same height" I assured him that he has grown a lot in the past year. That morning the boys were eager to go out in the snow even though there wasn't much on the ground. We couldn't find Hayden's gloves so his poor little hands froze when he touched the snow. I eventually put socks on his hands so his hands would at least be a little warmer. We had a great vacation and Christmas and now we are unpacking, doing laundry, and packing for our trip to Nashville!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-12518874206512213542010-12-12T13:08:00.000-08:002010-12-12T13:08:23.579-08:00Another Successful Birthday Party!Yesterday we celebrated Isaac's birthday a couple weeks early with a great music themed party with family and friends! Since Isaac's birthday is Christmas day we usually have his party a 2-3 weeks before Christmas to separate it from Christmas and to have it at a time when people aren't quite so busy with the holidays and can join us to celebrate Isaac. This year as Isaac and I were talking about what the theme of his birthday party should be we talked about either cars or music. I think at one point he asked if we could do both, but I told him we needed to pick one and he chose music which I was excited about because Isaac has always been all about music! He loves to sing and he loves all instruments, but especially the guitar and drums. I thought it would be fun for the kids to have a parade with instruments. So, I had a banner that said Happy Birthday Isaac that the kids could decorate for the parade. They had fun doing that and it looked really cute. Then they got their coats on, each picked an instrument, and headed outside. I tried to get them to line up on the side of the house, but it was a little chaotic with 9 kids as I expected it would be. None of the kids (except my niece, Kate) wanted to hold the banner because they were all holding instruments. I needed to hold Hayden so he could keep up with the bigger kids so one of the moms helped Kate hold the banner. They walked down the sidewalk playing their instruments, went across the street, and back towards our house. It was a short parade (pretty cold out), but hopefully the kids thought it was fun. Then we had lunch which consisted of pizza, chips, and fruit salad followed by cake. I debated about whether to have Isaac's cake made or make it myself. I thought that I wouldn't mind making it, but that I wanted it to go along with the theme and I didn't think I would be able to find any cake toppers that were instruments. I looked around and as I thought I didn't find any so I decided to order a cake from Publix and let them draw a guitar and drum set on the cake. Then when I was looking for decorations a man that worked at Party City suggested that I go to music store that sold instruments to see if they had anything that I could use for decorations. I went to a music store in Buford and didn't find decorations, but they had instrument ornaments! I saw a drum set and guitar that I knew would work perfect for cake toppers and cancelled my cake order at Publix. It was so cute to see Isaac's big smile as all his friends gathered around he and the cake and sang Happy Birthday to him. Isaac then opened his gifts which included two saxophones. He also got a microphone from grandma and grandpa which was perfect for our boy who loves to sing! A while back he had told Mimi (Terry's mom) that he wanted drums so she told him that she might get him a drum set for Christmas. This was a big deal and something that came up often in conversation from that point on. He was so excited and just couldn't wait to get his drums at Christmas! Well, Mimi and Papaw decided to surprise him and give him his drum set for his birthday. He was very excited and sat right down and played. All the other kids then took turns. It was funny to see some of the kids holding their ears, it was quite loud! All in all I would say it was another great birthday celebration. I have to say though that during the planning for it as well as at times during the party I was a little frazzled. This year more than any other I have felt a little stressed trying to plan his birthday party and get ready for Christmas (as well as getting ready to go out of town in less than a week) We have thought about the idea of having his party on his half birthday in the summer or waiting until January to have his birthday party. We will see which he would prefer, but I need to remind myself not to do it in December again.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-77721000102876887342010-11-28T18:41:00.000-08:002010-12-06T12:53:18.450-08:00So much to be thankful forWell, I am going to try to recap the last few days without writing several pages. I tend to be wordy and detailed when I am recalling events. I want to try to capture events without being too lengthy with my posts. It was great to have my parents and my sister and her family at our house this year for Thanksgiving! I really like having family visit. The boys loved spending time with their grandparents, and aunt and uncle, and had a blast playing with their cousins. When family visits the house is filled with love and laughter! Everyone arrived on Wednesday and settled in. Thursday morning Mom, Angela, and I started cooking. We had discussed what we would have ahead of time and each had our dishes that we wanted to prepare. The kids were having fun playing at the house, but since we weren't planning to have our big meal until 5:00 we knew that it might seem like a long time to them if they didn't get out of the house for a little while. Okay yes, we thought some peace and quiet for a little while might be nice for us as well. Dinner ended up being closer to 6:00, but it was well worth the wait! After dinner we went to the Gwinnett Fairgrounds to see a Christmas light show that we had read about in the newspaper. When we got there we were directed to turn our radios to a certain station and the music for the light show was played. The lights were synchronized to the music perfectly and it was really neat. After the light show we parked and got some cotton candy and hot chocolate. William and I went on a train ride with the kids. It was basically a tractor pulling something that kind of looked like a train and basically did circles in the parking lot. The kids enjoyed it, but it was kind of comical. Santa Claus was also at the light show, but the kids didn't seem to eager to sit on his lap so we decided that we would do that another time. Friday Mom, Ang, and I decided to check out the Black Friday sales. We like to shop and appreciate a bargain, but were not willing to get up at the crack of dawn to stand in lines. We left about 10:00 with no big agenda other than just looking around and enjoying a mother-daughter day. We each got a little bit accomplished as well. Saturday about noon we met our friend Sara who is a photographer at park to have her take our picture. We have never taken a professional big family picture and thought it would be nice to have. The sun was shining, but it was only in the high 40s and windy so we were pretty cold. Of course it was hard to get all the kids to look at the camera and smile at the same time, but the kids did well and there were some pictures that turned out very nice. After the photo session the boys and I took my dad to the airport and Mom and the Cliffords went to IKEA where we met them after the airport. After a long afternoon and evening at the IKEA the kids were tired, but Isaac said something about roasting marshmallows. Well, I had forgotten, but of course Isaac hadn't. When we went to the light show some people were roasting marshmallows and Terry promised the kids that we would do that at our house one night. So, Terry made good on his promise. While we were at IKEA Terry went to Walmart and got marshmallows and coals. We set up a fire on a small grill on our back patio and the kids were delighted! My mom and the Clifford went home after lunch today. It was really a great 5 days with family! As I am sitting here typing and thinking about our time together I am finding that it is hard to put into words how much we enjoy being together and the memories that we made. It is really fun to watch all the kids personalities grow. We were constantly commenting on something one of them said or did. We always love being together, but it was especially nice to be together for Thanksgiving. In Bible class this morning Terry had us share what we are thankful for and as he said we could go on and on and on about all our blessings! I am thankful for so much, but right now I am thinking about all our wonderful family, those we were just with and those we weren't with, but are always in our hearts. I will be posting pictures soon.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ggQVXKx1wAczzFGtTAGKzJrF1X6Fbc7aqiIDz5uV_-RGTSAhcuf2ZCEeQw-8WFIJOEA1jYhkobACF4YLpG4f8FucFXiNwXbDSMgukH3-YCVSfm9M2b0ovc28M3C0loRXCPadDTnD7M8/s1600/IMG_8686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ggQVXKx1wAczzFGtTAGKzJrF1X6Fbc7aqiIDz5uV_-RGTSAhcuf2ZCEeQw-8WFIJOEA1jYhkobACF4YLpG4f8FucFXiNwXbDSMgukH3-YCVSfm9M2b0ovc28M3C0loRXCPadDTnD7M8/s320/IMG_8686.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-21424627346337709892010-11-23T19:10:00.000-08:002010-11-23T19:10:50.766-08:00Furlough days aren't all badAs economic times are hard and everyone is trying to find ways to cut corners to save money, school systems are cutting days off the school calendar. The down side is obvious, a cut in pay, but the upside is more time with family which I love and in my opinion you can't put a dollar amount on! Due to fewer school days, Terry and I have the whole week off for Thanksgiving this year. Since we are both so busy during the school year we always have a long list of things that we want to get done given a free day or two. On the top of Terry's list was cleaning out the garage which has become more of a storage for junk then cars. So, on Monday I took care of the kids until 2 so he could sleep in and then clean out the garage. Then I took off for a while and looked around at the mall. I wanted to see if I could find a new top for myself for the family picture we are going to take on Friday as well as possibly buy a Christmas gift or two. I found a sweater that I may or may not wear for the picture, got a Christmas present for a family member (I can't let out any secrets) and got a Christmas present for Isaac. His present I can talk about since he can't read yet and therefore won't be reading this. I am having a lot of fun thinking of ideas for him this year because there is so much he can do and so many things he likes. Of course I can't get him everything he points to in all the catalogs that come in the mail, but one thing that he has consistently asked for lately is an Ironman mask and glove. The funny thing is that he has never seen the movie and doesn't even know who the character is, but since it is a popular thing right now he has seen it often in stores and catalogs and I guess something about it attracts him. I had a moment where I thought I don't really want to get this for him, but once again I had to remind myself that it is not about me. My thoughts quickly turned to how excited he would be to get this so I put it in my shopping cart. Today it was my turn to sleep which was a real treat. My two main goals today were to clean and to go to Walmart to get all that we would need for Thanksgiving and for the next few days. I asked Terry to take the boys somewhere for a couple hours so I could really clean. He took them to an inflatable place at Discovery Mills Mall. It was wonderful to have the house to myself where I could concentrate on cleaning. The 2 1/2 hrs that they were gone went by so quickly! I didn't get all my cleaning done, but I did get a lot accomplished and I appreciate Terry so much for taking them! He is always so great to take care of the boys if I need to run errands or if I need him to take them somewhere so I can get stuff done. He is an awesome husband and daddy and I am so blessed! When they got back it was nap time for the boys and time for me to run to Walmart. When I got home I unloaded the groceries and made dinner while Terry and the boys continued to play. After dinner I cleaned a little more, but also got in some play time. It has been a busy couple of days, but we amongst our busyness we have also spent some time playing together. Last night it was fun to watch as Terry and Hayden chased each other around. Terry would hide behind corners and Hayden would laugh. This morning the boys and I played hide and seek. I hope we get the whole week off again next year!<br />
Tomorrow Mom, Dad, and the Cliffords arrive and I am so excited! This is the first Thanksgiving at our house. It will be so great to all be together!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-26389999068778013702010-11-21T18:25:00.000-08:002010-11-21T18:25:40.237-08:00Recap of the weekI need to find time to write more often. I really want to capture our daily life and reflect on as many moments as possible. The problem is finding the time and the energy. There are usually so many things that I want to get done during the day that I put off writing until the boys are in bed. By the time the boys are in bed I either have things that I still want to get done before I go to bed and/or I don't have the energy to write. I enjoy writing, but it is a process for me that takes time to think through. Enough ramblings about that.<br />
This past week was a good week, but difficult because Hayden has been sick since Tuesday and Isaac also had a day on Wednesday that he ran a low fever and wasn't feeling well. Hayden really started having a yucky nose on Monday, but by Tuesday he was definitely sick. Tori said he had a hard day and was just coughing and puny. Wednesday morning Isaac woke up and felt warm and complained of his head hurting which he never does so I knew something was up. I took his temperature and it was 100. something so I decided to keep him home from school. Throughout the day he ran a low fever between 100 and 101 and complained of his arm and leg hurting. I guess he was just achy from the fever. Hayden continued to cough and have a yucky nose and ran a fever at about 100. Since the boys both had a low fever I decided that I better stay home from work on Thursday. Thursday Isaac wasn't quite 100%, but he was much better. Neither one of them ran a fever, but Hayden was still coughing. I debated and debated about whether to take Hayden to the doctor. I have this debate with myself every time the boys are sick! I know that it is probably just a cold that has to run its course, but then again I don't know for sure and question whether it could also be an ear infection or something else that is treatable. I just hate feeling like I can't do anything to help them to feel better and if there is even a slight chance that something can be done I want to take them in. Well, Thursday morning I made an appointment for Hayden for 11:30 and then at 10:00 I cancelled it because I had decided that it was probably just a cold that they couldn't do anything for and he had been acting better as the morning went on. Well, when he woke up from his nap at 11:00 he seemed worse! I decided I would just wait and see how he was before thinking about making another appt. I decided to take the boys to Discover Mills Mall because I just needed to get out of the house. I don't know if that was the best thing to do, but I decided that since they weren't running fevers and weren't going to be interacting with other kids it would be okay. Since Hayden wasn't getting any better and if anything seemed worse I took him to the doctor on Friday. Before going to the doctor though we stopped at Isaac's preschool for their Thanksgiving lunch. Again I debated about whether to do this since Hayden had a pretty nasty cough, but didn't want to not be there for Isaac and decided I would keep Hayden in his stroller. Isaac seemed happy to see us and we enjoyed having lunch together. Then Hayden and I dashed off to the doctor which luckily is just down the street from Isaac's preschool. As I originally suspected, the nurse practitioner said that Hayden had a cold that just needed to run its course. She said he didn't have an ear infection and his lungs were clear. I was thankful that he was okay, but not happy that there wasn't much I could do to help him feel better. Saturday morning Isaac and Terry made their weekly run to Walmart and went to SAMS as well. Have I mentioned that I love that they do the weekly grocery shopping each Saturday? While Hayden took his morning nap I started cleaning out the van. I got some junk cleaned out, but I didn't get a chance to finish before Hayden woke up. He hasn't been napping long because his coughing wakes him up. The rest of my day consisted of cooking. Our Bible class had a potluck after church this morning so Saturday I made a macaroni salad and an apple caramel cake. Then I made a lasagna for dinner. <br />
Okay, so now we are up to date. We took Hayden to Bible class with us this morning because I didn't want him to cough on all the other little ones. He and I sat in the back while Terry taught and he was pretty good. He wasn't loud, but he just never stopped moving! He is a very active little boy even when he doesn't feel well! After church our class had a potluck. I always enjoy potlucks however it was a little bit of a struggle with Hayden not feeling well and being tired by this time. Hayden had woken up a couple times in the middle of the night so I was tired as well. So, on the way home I told Terry and the boys that I wanted a long nap for my birthday and that is just what I did. As soon as we got home Terry took the boys outside and I laid down. It is very unusual that I take a long nap and it was very nice! After dinner we went to PF Changs for my birthday. I love their calamari, the honey shrimp, and the banana spring rolls for dessert! Hayden was fussy at times, but Terry was sweet and took both boys outside towards the end of the meal so I could have some peace and quiet and order dessert. Once we got home Terry and the boys gave me a card with a homemade gift card in it good as any store. Gotta love that! It was a good birthday. <br />
So, this past week wasn't real exciting and it has been difficult at times because Hayden doesn't feel well and it shows! But this week is going to be wonderful! Hayden I'm sure will start to feel better, Terry and I have the whole week off from work, and mom and dad and the Cliffords are coming Wednesday for Thanksgiving!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-32146251971797688202010-11-13T06:35:00.000-08:002010-11-13T06:35:43.040-08:00Soaking It All InI am enjoying taking it easy this Saturday morning. I have a million things to do, but for now I am just going to take it easy and enjoy our two precious boys! This morning started with my early riser getting up at 6:20 which is actually sleeping in a little for him. He ate breakfast and then we played in the playroom as we always do. As soon as Hayden hears daddy or Isaac coming down the stairs he gets so excited. Isaac was first this morning at 6:50. As Isaac started walking toward the playroom Hayden ran to him and gave him a hug. He loves his big brother! After Isaac ate breakfast we played in the family room. At one point Isaac said to Hayden "I will always take care of you Hayden" Later he told Hayden that when we go camping that they will be in the same room and he will take care of him. They have their share of fights, but it is great to see how much they love each other! After we played for awhile Isaac decided to make pictures for those who will be coming to his birthday party. He wanted to write their names on each one so I helped him with how to spell each name and write each letter. He knows how to write some letters (A,T, L, I, O, M, C, S, H, J), but still has a lot to learn. I love that he is so eager to learn. Daddy came downstairs about 8:00 and the boys were delighted to see him! They both wanted to help him make coffee. Terry usually plays with the boys in the mornings and then takes Isaac with him to Walmart, but this morning he has a deacon's meeting. I am very proud to say that Terry was recently asked to be a deacon at our church. I am very blessed to have two precious little boys and a wonderful husband!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-80184604140719328302010-11-10T18:31:00.000-08:002010-11-10T18:31:04.848-08:00Hayden's words & RocketsHayden will be 17 mths old in two days and still has a very limited vocabulary. What he can say is mama, dada, and uh-oh. He also says Isaac, but I don't know if anyone that didn't know us would know what he was saying. He can also tell you what a sheep says and what a dog says, but I guess those aren't technically words. He is pretty good at saying the beginning sounds of words. If you tell him to day ball, he will say ba, or dog is da, but I am pretty conservative when I count the actual number of words he can say. I don't want to rush time because I know that before I know it he will be asking to borrow the car, but we are all getting a little eager for him to learn at least a few words. There is mutual frustration when he can't express what he wants, doesn't want, or how he feels. His frustration is expressed in quite the loud scream at times. When I got home from work today I was quite surprised to find out that he had said two words together! Tori's mom stopped over and when Tori saw her mom at the door she said "Tessa's nana is here!" and Hayden said "Tessa's nana". We tried to get him to say it again, but of course he wouldn't. I was sorry that I missed it, but was glad to hear that he is starting to say more words.<br />
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One of our weekly traditions is to go out to eat before church on Wednesday nights. Nothing fancy, just fast food, but it is one less night that I have to cook and it is convenient. Terry usually works late on Wednesdays and then meets us somewhere. We take turns picking the restaurant. Terry's back and shoulder have been bothering him lately and he recently felt a knot in his back so he decided to go to a chiropractor. The appointment wasn't until 5:00 and took awhile so he wasn't able to meet us tonight. It was my turn to pick the restaurant tonight and I picked McDonalds so that the boys could play before we ate. On the way there Isaac pointed to the sky and said "Look Mom, a Rocket!" I told him that I thought it was a plane, but he assured me it was a rocket. I decided not to argue with him. I thought he's a 3 yr old little boy, of course that's a rocket and how fun that is! As we drove along he saw more and more and kept pointing them out, so excited and I got excited with him. :)<br />
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Isaac's wheels are always spinning, he is always thinking about something and I love that about him! Just as I was starting to write this blog entry he came into our room (Terry had just put him to bed about 10 minutes prior) and said "When you eat fish, what about their eyes?" I explained that you don't eat the eyes and he then responded "So, do you just throw them back in the water?" As much as I wanted him to get back in bed and go to sleep I couldn't help but smile at his questions. I wonder why he started thinking about fish? So many things to ponder, I hope he never stops!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-69835466698799989902010-11-08T12:46:00.000-08:002010-11-11T12:25:56.634-08:00Reenergized!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_urn-scc1gS6IYu3diKz84_8jpXakVawbgFssxoBD9atkwK5u74h87LGgn8LptegeIJLrW5ageJLaRz5IFdyVd8iywT67sXxHKFZVASGxTQ7hLQTYvOrsFpgJcD7bhQ272gavteCH3N8/s1600/DSC_7081-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_urn-scc1gS6IYu3diKz84_8jpXakVawbgFssxoBD9atkwK5u74h87LGgn8LptegeIJLrW5ageJLaRz5IFdyVd8iywT67sXxHKFZVASGxTQ7hLQTYvOrsFpgJcD7bhQ272gavteCH3N8/s320/DSC_7081-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
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What a wonderful blessing to be able to rest and reflect! That is what I was able to do this past weekend! A few months ago God placed it on my heart to plan a ladies retreat for our Bible class. I knew that this was something I needed and was sure that many others needed some time away from their busy lives to relax. So, 11 of us spent the weekend in Mineral Bluff (by Blue Ridge), GA. Nine of us arrived at the cabin Friday evening. We all had a little bit of trouble finding the cabin as we were traveling on narrow roads, through the woods, in the dark to an unmarked cabin, but we eventually all made it safely. We joked that it was like a scene from a Halloween movie. After everyone arrived we played Two truths and a Lie. We learned a little bit more about each other and enjoyed some laughs. After our game, Cynthia our wonderful mentor and friend lead us in a devotional time. We first spent some time singing together which I love to do. I don't consider myself a great singer, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Cynthia told us that she wanted to be mom to us this weekend and for us to be the children. She then told us that she wanted to read us a couple stories. She had us first put our pjs on and then she had us take turns giving each other massages as she read. One of the stories she read urged us to disregard what other think of us and to fully embrace God's love for us. After the devotional we sat around and talked, and talked, and talked some more. There is something so great about talking to friends who are at the same stage of life, share the same values, and experience similar struggles. It was 3am when I finally went to bed. It is funny because I dread being woken up in the middle of the night, but yet I gladly stayed up til the middle of the night to share stories and enjoy this rare moment. Saturday morning we leisurely started the day with breakfast and then another devotional by Cynthia. She spoke to us about the only 7 verses in the Bible that specifically speak to women. Of course there are many verses that speak to how all Christians should live, but she pointed out that there are only 7 that specifically speak to women. After the devotional we had lunch and then we went to a spa in Blue Ridge. I wanted everyone to have some free time on Saturday to go and do whatever they wanted to do. I had looked up some different things to do in the area and told the ladies what I had found. I told them that they might want to go shopping or go hiking to a waterfall or enjoy some time at a spa. When I mentioned the spa this seemed to interest everyone. As moms and wives we rarely take the time to pamper ourselves so this was the perfect thing to do during our weekend to relax. Some got a massage, some got a manicure, and some got a pedicure. It was a small place, but the people who worked there were very nice and accommodating. Since this was a small business it took awhile to fit us all in and we ended going straight to dinner from the spa. I had looked at different restaurant possibilities online and then Cynthia told me that she had a friend that lived in the area and could recommend some restaurants. Serenity Garden Cafe was one of the places she mentioned. There were a couple other restaurants mentioned as well, but they were more expensive and we wanted to make sure where we went was affordable for everyone. Well, unfortunately the restaurant was not good. Our first red flag was when the waitress mentioned that many of the items on the menu were frozen and not made fresh. Two people ordered Chicken Cordon Bleu and it was burnt on the outside and pink on the inside! I ordered shrimp scampi and it did not have much flavor. We mentioned rolls because we had not received them yet, and when she brought them out they were burnt and pitiful looking! I couldn't believe she actually brought those rolls to us! I felt badly that the service and food were so poor, but everyone was very nice about it and chalked it up to a memory we could laugh about. After we got back to the cabin we had another devotional. We talked more about the scriptures for women and Cynthia also told us about a book called The Lies Women Believe. She read the lies and many of them started good conversation about how we struggle with these. This night the devotional went in many different directions, was heart wrenching at times, but was wonderful. Cynthia has raised two wonderful children, has been through a lot in her life, and has a lot of wisdom to share. I also found that we all have a lot of helpful insight to share with each other. Some did not stay up quite as late this second night, but of course I did. I just love to talk! Sunday morning we once again took our time getting up, getting ready, and having breakfast. We then spent some time in worship together. We sang, had communion together, and listened to Cynthia read what God has to say about discipline in our family, patience, and prayer. After worship we presented Cynthia with a gift for leading our devotional times and for everything she did to help with the retreat. The ladies then presented me with a gift as well. This was a nice, unexpected surprise that I really appreciated. Then Hong set up her camera so we could get a group picture. I think we all wanted to capture this weekend with a picture we could look back on. We then ate lunch together and then packed up and headed home. I thought about stopping at some places on my way home, but decided I was too eager to see Terry and the boys. When I got home Isaac and Hayden were both napping. Isaac seemed happy to see me when I woke him up and I shared some fudge with him that I had bought in Blue Ridge. When I woke Hayden up he was happy to see me, but then wanted daddy. I enjoyed hearing about their weekend and was happy that things seemed to go so smoothly. Terry is such a great daddy and he did a great job flying solo for the weekend. I was quite impressed that on top of watching two active boys he got some dishes done, laundry folded, and papers organized!<br />
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One of the things I reflected on this past weekend is that I want to be a calmer mom. I really want to try to keep my cool when the boys misbehave and not lose my temper and yell. I also want to start each day by reading a scripture. Some of the ladies talked about doing this and many of us talked about that how we are feeling sets the tone for how the day will go. I know that if I spend even just a few minutes each morning reading God's word and talking with him I will be a better wife and mom. I also want to work on being less critical of myself and of Terry. I think Terry is an awesome, Godly husband and daddy, but for some reason being critical of myself (something I have always been) seems to transfer to being critical of him at times. I am so thankful that myself and so many ladies were able to go on this retreat, that everything went smoothly and everyone had a good time, that I was able to get to know these wonderful women a little bit more, and that I feel reenergized to be the best mom and wife I can be!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T5uLghhfJ2eMZWbGQC1f84bn5Q4BqBK5HTwI_k5WQHGY_K5TF_-6DGrjCM8ncJYT0ttqe4mZDZLEPr4fcaIm0M7sU_VJbeJlucvCaULUmjRvnf3i8DtQ-CvPnBH7aZ6KE2WuQFHAxVk/s1600/DSC_7092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T5uLghhfJ2eMZWbGQC1f84bn5Q4BqBK5HTwI_k5WQHGY_K5TF_-6DGrjCM8ncJYT0ttqe4mZDZLEPr4fcaIm0M7sU_VJbeJlucvCaULUmjRvnf3i8DtQ-CvPnBH7aZ6KE2WuQFHAxVk/s320/DSC_7092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-44237878153779141302010-11-02T18:25:00.000-07:002010-11-02T18:25:34.202-07:00Frankenstein and the Lion Well, I had planned to blog Sunday night after my little Frankstein and Lion got to bed, but I just didn't have it in me for two reasons. One is because my throat is still hurting! I had fun with Terry and the boys despite my sore throat, but it is rather frustrating that it hasn't gotten any better. I am going to go to the doctor this afternoon. The other reason is because my primary focus this week is putting the final touches on our class ladies retreat which is this weekend (I will blog more about that another day). So, here I am a couple days after Halloween, but better late than never, right!<br />
A few weeks ago the boys and I put up some Halloween decorations. I am like a kid by the way when it comes to holidays! :) Christmas is my favorite, but I like them all. It is such a treat to view the fun through your children's eyes. So, we were putting up some window stickers and Isaac asked who this one guy was. I explained to him that his name was Frankenstein and it was then that Isaac declared that he wanted to be Frankenstein for Halloween! It is kind of ironic because Isaac doesn't like scary things, but our Frankenstein decoration was smiling and wasn't scary to Isaac so he didn't know any different. I wasn't thrilled about his choice of costumes and tried to get him to think of other things that he might want to be, but he was determined to be Frankenstein. Sometimes I have ideas about what the boys should do on different occasions, but I have to remind myself that it is not about what I want. I need to embrace what they want to do and enjoy it with them. I wasn't thrilled with the Frankenstein costumes I saw online (there were none in the stores I went to), but I ordered the one that I thought looked the best. Isaac's costume actually turned out to be really cute! I painted his fingernails orange as he requested (the Frankenstein on our decoration had orange fingernails) and painted his face green. I also put some cardboard in the hood of his costume to make his head look more square. Hayden was a lion. This is probably the last year that we will be able to use one of Isaac's old costumes for Hayden. Next year he will probably have an opinion about what he wants to be. If not, you will see another little Frankstein :) Hayden was an adorable lion! He even let me color his nose brown and give him some whiskers. I didn't know if he would keep the costume on, but he kept it on the whole time.<br />
Sunday afternoon we went to trunk or treat at Campus. They had games, lines of cars the kids could go trick or treating at, and an inflatable. The boys had a great time and it was fun enjoying the afternoon as a family. Hayden really got into collecting candy. He wasn't shy at all and he always made sure he had one piece of candy in each hand. When I first started taking the candy from him to put in the bag he got upset, but then he quickly understood that when I did this that meant that he could go and get more candy! I loved seeing all the cute kids and their great costumes! I admire those who can make their own costumes and/or come up with something truly unique. After we got home, had dinner, and rested I took the boys to a few neighbors' houses while Terry stayed home to hand out candy. By the end of the night we had Tons of candy and two very worn out little boys! What a fun day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lets Go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for Trunk or Treat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two very tired little boys!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-16414747074260366782010-10-29T17:30:00.000-07:002010-10-29T17:30:32.056-07:00BummedWhat started at the beginning of the week as a stuffy nose and dry throat has turned into a really bad sore throat. So bad, that we had to cancel our plans to Nashville, bummed! I gargled salt water, drank hot tea and kept hoping it would get better, but it hasn't. As much as we were all looking forward to spending the weekend (especially Halloween weekend) with the Cliffords we didn't want to get any of them sick, but especially little Merritt who is only 4 mths old. After dropping Isaac off at preschool this morning Hayden and I went by the take care clinic at Walgreeens. I prayed that there wouldn't be a lot of people there so we could get in quickly. We walked into Walgreens and over to the clinic and there was no one there, yay! When the Dr. looked at my throat she commented on how red it was. She really emphasized how red it was and some how I felt justified for just how crummy I have been feeling. Unfortunately though she said it was viral and that antibiotics wouldn't help. She did say that she would give me something to gargle to help with the pain. That made me happy, but when I got home and measured out a tsp as the directions said I was surprised to find that it was as thick as honey. The directions didn't say anything about diluting it so I thought okay, here it goes. It was impossible to gargle and just made my mouth feel a little numb so I called the pharmacy and they said that I could mix it with water. They should really put that on the directions! Anyways, I tried it again with water, but it didn't help very much, disappointment. Angela and I talked and as much as we wanted to be together and knew the kids were looking forward to it we agreed that it was for the best. We dreaded telling the kids. <br />
Even though I wasn't feeling well Hayden I headed back to Isaac's school after Hayden took a nap. They had a fall festival today and parents and siblings were invited to attend. They had games and crafts for the children to do and each child could pick out a small pumpkin. Terry was able to come home a little early today and then I took a much needed nap. This evening Terry and the boys went and picked up dinner. I also had him stop by Wendys and to get me a Frosty for my throast. I was just following doctors orders :) No really, she said that something cold like ice cream would soothe my throat. Well, I am going to end this for now and hope that I am able to write more up beat posts in the near future.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-24920333442988344252010-10-26T18:56:00.000-07:002010-10-29T17:40:20.309-07:00Sipping Hot Tea with HoneyI am sipping hot tea with honey as I type hoping that this cold and sore throat don't stay around for long. I could tell the boys and I were getting colds when we all started sniffling over the weekend. Then Sunday I woke up with a sore throat and I knew it was hitting me full force. I am hoping that our colds do not get worse or last long because we are planning to go to Nashville this weekend. We debated whether to stay here for Halloween since our church is having their trunk or treat on Halloween day this year (something that Isaac has enjoyed every year) or to spend Halloween with Angela and her family as we did last year. As usual family time won out. Kate, Harrison, and Isaac love spending time together (Merritt and Hayden love tagging along as well). It is such a blessing that our kids are close in age, don't live too far away, and get along so well. Terry, myself, Angela, and William always have a good time together as well. <br />
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Today the boys went to Tori's and I went to work. This morning was a little chaotic as it always is as I fed Hayden breakfast, got myself ready for work, gathered up all our stuff, and got the boys in the car. I usually get the diaper bag packed and lunches made the night before, but most Tuesday mornings I am finishing up their lunches by putting a couple more things in their lunch bag. This morning I thought I was doing good because everything that needed to be in their lunch bag was already packed. I didn't need to take it out of the fridge and put anything else in. Well, the problem was just that, I didn't need to put anything else in it so I never took it out of the fridge! I realized that it was still in the fridge when I was half way to Tori's, ugh! I couldn't believe I had forgotten something so important. Thankfully Tori said she had plenty of things that they could eat and would be happy to make their lunches. I am very thankful for Tori. When April told me that she would not be able to watch the boys this school year I didn't know what I was going to do. A lady from church offered, but it just didn't seem to be a good fit and ended up not working out for her. When I announced that we needed to find a babysitter just 5 weeks before I had to go back to work in August I prayed that the right person would come along and she did! Tori is definitely an answered prayer and has been wonderful with the boys! Today they made rice krispie treats and cut them into pumpkin shapes. After I picked the boys up from Tori's Terry took Isaac to swim lessons. Isaac loves the water and Terry taught him a lot this summer. He really amazed me! By the end of the summer he didn't want to wear his swim vest, would jump off the diving board, and would swim underwater after a toy that had been thrown. Since he loves swimming so much we thought we would continue his desire to be a good swimmer with lessons. During his first lesson his teacher called him a little fish. After dinner Terry raked leaves for the boys to jump in. I have a few pictures that I will have to post later (it is getting late). Just another day in the life of the Beasleys! I feel blessed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLHcbw3SQsRI9SAPyiXM8yMjUj0LdULmyBBqXKKDf63MvEHJghojFLFhqP8I6zHqDq1MWpk6WIE_ajux7Mv1UUub5XKy9TGGKdmiiljIDpBX_MG0F-uQX7HLa_NZWqreg2tciMwMxbyk/s1600/IMG_3315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLHcbw3SQsRI9SAPyiXM8yMjUj0LdULmyBBqXKKDf63MvEHJghojFLFhqP8I6zHqDq1MWpk6WIE_ajux7Mv1UUub5XKy9TGGKdmiiljIDpBX_MG0F-uQX7HLa_NZWqreg2tciMwMxbyk/s320/IMG_3315.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-30304469156448360442010-10-24T18:19:00.000-07:002010-10-29T17:31:27.599-07:00Just a few thoughts todayI really want to capture as much of our lives as possible and so therefore I want to blog often. I think if I am going to consistently do that then I need to allow myself to just jot a few things down on some days instead of putting as much time and thought into it as I will on other days. Today is one of those days where I just want to jot a few things down. <br />
* It was a treat today to have my father in law with us for Bible class and church. He usually has to leave out on Saturday to get back to Tallahassee to preach.<br />
* I love when Hayden falls asleep on me in church. By the end of service he and I are both hot and my arms are tired, but I love this cuddle time.<br />
* I am excited about the ladies retreat that I am planning for our Bible class. I can't believe that it is only two weeks away! I am pleased with how everything is coming together, but am still stressing a little that it will be a wonderful weekend for everyone. I pray that I will be at peace knowing that God is in control and is going to do great things!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-52176624805986926662010-10-23T20:08:00.000-07:002010-10-25T17:30:15.171-07:00Mimi, Papaw, and Aunt Lauren weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ub-6i-J-ZUWHuxXl-Flf5l_0ADEzw-WCJCA8ne1BRPpIO9MGlBtcK6c2qH8yVqOdyOvbdDmSb10Z2xkaMscEZx-t7jOuM3yD6XOwjUpfwTCNYM9O4TGSTZkDANQqZAhFM0ecjmjEREM/s1600/IMAG1360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ub-6i-J-ZUWHuxXl-Flf5l_0ADEzw-WCJCA8ne1BRPpIO9MGlBtcK6c2qH8yVqOdyOvbdDmSb10Z2xkaMscEZx-t7jOuM3yD6XOwjUpfwTCNYM9O4TGSTZkDANQqZAhFM0ecjmjEREM/s320/IMAG1360.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
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Although Friday was not an all together bad day, I was glad to see it come to a close because I had a headache All Day! I get headaches at least once a week and over the counter medicine usually doesn't get rid of them. So, Friday afternoon I finally went to the Dr. and was prescribed something stronger. Once I got the prescription filled and took the medicine I was very happy with how quickly it took away my headache. Anyway, enough about that! Friday morning Lauren went with me to take Isaac to preschool. She was able to meet his teacher and see his classroom. After we picked Isaac up from preschool Friday afternoon we went to the park so Isaac could show Aunt Lauren his new remote control plane. We always enjoy going to the park and Friday was no exception. I want to make a side note here about how thoughtful Isaac is. Right before we were getting ready to leave the park Isaac found a stick. I told him we needed to go and when I was buckling him in his car seat he said "I found a stick and I wanted to bring it with me, but then I remembered that you had some things in the car from Target and I didn't want to get them dirty." His thoughtfulness shows in many things he says, but that is just one example. After we put the boys to bed Friday night I finally got relief from my headache and Terry, Lauren, and I enjoyed laughing together as we watched The Office. Marjorie and Jim arrived very late after driving here from Tallahassee, FL. <br />
This morning Terry made us a great breakfast of blueberry pancakes and eggs. Then Marjorie, Lauren, myself, and the boys took off for IKEA. Although Lauren's 22nd birthday was yesterday we celebrated all day today. When I had asked her a couple weeks ago what she wanted to do this weekend IKEA was at the top of her list! Isaac's goal was to get to the toy section, but he entertained himself along the way by pretending different display areas were stages. Isaac loves a stage! After shopping we took the kids home and us girls went to a spa to further celebrate Lauren's birthday. I got a massage and it was wonderful! Lauren got a massage and Marjorie got a facial. Lauren chose a Thai restaurant for dinner. I think we all agreed that it definitely wasn't the best Thai restaurant, but we enjoyed being together just the same. Although it had been a busy day and it was getting close to the boys' bedtime we had to fulfill our promise to carve pumpkins. The boys both had a lot of fun. Isaac enjoyed getting all the goo (yes, that is the technical term) out and we found out that Hayden enjoyed trying to put the cut out shapes back in. I am very thankful that we have had this family time this weekend!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839501418549706971.post-59510312226369277692010-10-21T18:29:00.000-07:002010-10-21T18:29:59.991-07:00Here We GoI have been putting off writing my first entry because I feel like I don't really have time to spend a lot of time and really think through what I want to say, because I feel like I have a lot to learn about blogging, and because I don't have my blog just the way I want it yet. Tonight I decided to ignore all those things, jump in, and figure things out as I go. So, I am open to tips about blogging, suggestions about my blog, and blog name suggestions. Beasley Life is just a temporary title. My main reason for starting a blog is to journal our day to day lives. I want to reflect on each day I am blessed with. I am hoping that this will help me to treasure each moment with my boys, my husband, and everyone I love. Not that I don't treasure them already, but I think sometimes we just get so caught up in the busyness of life that we just zoom past little, but priceless moments. I am going to wrap this up because I feel like this is a good place to stop for now and because I need to finish getting ready for my sister-in-law's visit. She is arriving in tonight and Marjorie and Jim will get here tomorrow night. We have a great weekend ahead celebrating Lauren's birthday and just enjoying family time.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10161504847865685866noreply@blogger.com0