Long Ride Home

Funny sayings

2010-01-09T08:11:00.003-05:00

Real quick I wanted to write a few funny things Beckham said this week so I can capture it before I forget.

Mom, I think we need to have a new rule - we should be able to eat in time out because it helps me think about what I've done. (this was said after I sent him to time out)

B: Mom, how old are you going to be on your birthday?
Me: 34
B: that's old. probably old enough for wrinkles are you going to get wrinkles on your birthday and is your hair going to turn white?

Where does he come up with this?

Ainsley's story - Spring Break 2009

2010-01-08T18:11:00.005-05:00

So I missed the deadline I set for myself regarding Ainsley's story. Here is the short version with a few pictures of her in the hospital.

Some of you may know the miracle that we experienced this past Spring Break. For those that don’t here is the recap (a very short version of all events that took place). As you read the story you will see the many places God intervened and saved sweet Ainsley’s life. Easter morning Ainsley woke up with a fever and said her foot hurt. When I couldn't get her fever down I took her to the ER. We were released so I headed back to my parents (we were there for spring break). I didn't even get out of the parking lot and she got sick again so I took her back to the ER. This time after many hours of observation they admitted us. Once admitted the attending pediatric Doctor didn't feel comfortable with her there. It wasn't a children’s hospital and if anything went wrong they wouldn't be able to help. So he transferred us to Children’s hospital in Greenville. Not even 5 min after we arrived at Children’s Ainsley crashed. Her body had turned septic and was starting to shut down. Thankfully we were 2 doors down from the Pediatric ICU. Words can’t express how a parent feels when they hear the nurse say, “I can’t find her pulse” and you see your child whisked away with 10-12 nurses and doctors around her. Thankfully they were able to get her vitals back and stable. Turns out she had a blood infection that turned her body toxic. Ainsley spent 6 days in ICU and had every test imaginable run on her. After that she was released to the pediatric floor for a few more days. Ainsley was like a case on the show House. She was the case of the day every day. All the doctors and residents were trying to figure it out. They never did figure out how she got it. The hospital staff and doctors at Greenville Children’s were amazing! Especially her infectious disease doctor. The Lord was so good to us during this whole ordeal and it made us realize how precious life is and how we need to cherish every moment we have with our kids. Thank you to all that prayed for us, supported us and helped out during this difficult time. A few weeks later you would have never known she was sick. It’s amazing how fast the body heals and how fast kids bounce back. Until this year I never thought I would think the kids arguing would be music to my ears but it is now.

A picture of her foot where it all started. In the morning her foot only had a few red dots by Easter night her foot looked like this.

Heart breaking picture that floods back a lot of memories of the event. So sad looking.

Once we got out of ICU and she was feeling a little better we were able to take a ride in the chariot wheelchair.

Words can't express how great it was to see her smile and back to (somewhat) normal. The Lord is good.

Playing Catch Up - Random Stories

2009-12-11T13:41:00.003-05:00

So, I'm not the greatest at remembering or being motivated to blog. Seems like life happens and blogging always falls to the bottom (if not off) my list of things to do. My dad reminded me that I still haven't blogged about Ainsley's miracle from the spring. At first I didn't write it because I wasn't ready to process it all. It still brings up a lot of emotion but it needs to be told. So, I'm giving myself a due date - by the end of the year I will post a blog about Ainsley's Miracle story.

Onto what's gone on since Halloween:

Monte and I were able to go to Austin to celebrate his 40th birthday. We had so much fun!! Austin is a great city full of great food and even better music. The weekend was spent hitting all our favorite food joints plus a few new ones. Only in Austin can you get a gourmet lunch from a trailer one day and eat at a gas station the next!! Both meals were delicious. We heard some of our favorite artists play. The best was hearing Robert Earl Keen play on Monte's birthday in Gruene Texas. We are so thankful mom was willing to watch the kids so we could get away for an extended weekend.

Thanksgiving was spent at my parents lake house. We love going there because it is so beautiful and peaceful. Amy, David and Katie were there along with Amy and David's new little boy, Matthew. He is so cute! It was fun hanging out with the fam but as always time flies and before we knew it the weekend was over. The highlight for the kids was helping Grammy Keeks decorate the Christmas tree. They got to do it twice because there was a mishap with the tree and it fell over (on top of Ainsley - but she's tough).

December has been a blur. The only thing Ainsley wants for Christmas is a real baby reindeer and Beckham just wants a robot to clean his room. Why can't my kids have normal lists like dolls and cars? Ainsley refuses to budge on her reindeer - that's all she wants (so it makes it hard to fulfill her list). I tried to tell her that Santa needs all his reindeer. her response "not the baby ones." My reply, "he needs the baby ones to train to take over when the current ones get too old to carry the sleigh." Beckham chimes in by saying, "well then have him bring an old reindeer." The conversation went on and on about weather, food and many other excuses I came up with all of which were shot down by Beckham. After a while Beckham looked at Ainsley and said, "maybe you should have a back up list." Another story from a few months ago was when were were in the car and Ainsley said, "Jesus forgives me if I do something wrong so it doesn't matter." Beckham immediately responded "but Santa doesn't". I was cracking up. This month has been full of hilarious conversations with the kids - too many to post.

I don't have time to post pictures right now but want to post this before I get too busy. Hopefully I'll add pictures in a day or two.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T19:49:00.003-05:00

The kids enjoyed trick or treating this year (when do they not?). This year Beckham was Captain America and Ainlsey was a Tiger. The rain didn't keep us away. Luckily it stopped raining when I took them. Unfortunately for Monte it started raining when it was his turn. A good time was had by all and now we have enough sugar to last us a long time.

2009-10-29T08:05:00.003-05:00

For a year Beckham has been begging us to do Karate but we could never fit it into our schedules. This fall we found a wonderful karate (taekwondo) place. They are class schedule is flexible and the instructors are great. We sign Beckham up in hopes that it would help his self confidence and his muscle planning skills. After a two weeks we already noticed a difference. He is loving it and is learning so much. The teach self discipline, respect, confidence, leadership, the actual karate skills, and self defense. A few weeks ago Beckham earned his orange belt. he was so proud of himself and we were proud of him. Monte and I were shocked at graduation when Beckham raised his hand to answer a question in front of everyone (40+ kids and 60+ adults). He stood up and in a loud voice answered the question! That proves how much confidence he has gained in a karate because earlier that month his school teacher had made the comment "I just want him to talk to me." We are proud of our little orange belt and know that he is going to continue to work hard and earn his yellow belt soon.

So it's been awhile

2009-10-14T06:36:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged since Beckham's birthday so I don't even know where to begin. The summer came and went and now the air is getting cool and the leaves are starting to fall. A lot has happened since May. we had an eventful summer. Monte and I celebrated out 10th anniversary and went to the Dominican Republic. My mom and dad watched the kids which was such a blessing. It was nice to spend a whole week together with no responsibilities. Monte went to India for 3 weeks for work. We spent lots of time at the lake and pool this summer. Beckham learned how to swim and loves his new water wing free freedom. While Monte was in India the kids and I went to the school bus races again. Always a highlight for the kids (well, Beckham more than Ainsley). Beckham started kindergarten and is loving it. Ainsley is in the 4 year old class at our church preschool. She goes 5 days a week so she thinks she is a big girl. A lot more has gone on but I don't think I could put it all. I just waned to post an update to ease myself back into the blog world.

Happy Birthday Baba

2009-05-18T21:12:00.002-05:00

Well, the last time I wrote on my blog it was Ainsley's birthday seems fitting that my next post would be about Beckham's birthday. A ton has gone on in our family (most of you know about the scare we had with Ainsley) but that is for a different blog entry. This one is for Beckham.

Happy Birthday to our kind hearted boy. 6 years ago today the Lord blessed us with a rather large (10# 13 oz) baby boy. Beckham is such a special kid that bring such life and joy to our family. He is a bright young boy that is always thinking and figuring stuff out. You can always see the wheels in his head turning. Not only is he smart but he is one of the most compassionate kids I know. He is always asking about others and is eager to share and comfort his friends. This past year he has also developed quite the sense of humor and is already taking after his dad with quick witted come backs. He is so much fun to be around and you never know what you'll end up talking about. The kid has an extensive imagination. He is definitely a special part of our family and we are so blessed to have such a wonderful son. It will be fun to see how Beckham develops and who he grows up to be.

**Pictures to come tomorrow once I down load the ones from his party. I also promise to blog about Ainsley's story in the next few weeks.

Happy Birthday to the Sweetest Girl

2009-04-06T19:58:00.003-05:00

So our sweet little Ainsley turned 4 years old today. I know everyone says it when they get older but time really does fly. I can't believe she is already 4. One more year of preschool and she'll be off to kindergarten - scary. I asked her if she wanted to stay 3 for another year and her response was, "no mom that would be silly, I can't be 3 again but maybe I could be 6." At least she said 6 instead of 16!

Ainsley has grown up so much in the past year. She is no longer a toddler she is a big girl. Not only does she know it, she makes sure you know it. She has quite the personality and is a ball to be around. I love her little giggle and the way she loves life. She spends a typical day "reading" books, doing puzzles, coloring or hopping around like a frog or kangaroo (yes, she is still doing this. A few weeks or maybe it was months ago I wrote a post about her jumping everywhere. I thought it wouldn't last but it has.)

The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful girl that has brought us so much happiness and joy. We love her desperately and are looking forward to what the next year brings.

Here are a few pictures of our "big girl". After not having a camera for months we finally got a new one. Problem is I still haven't gotten around to downloading all the software. Maybe this week I'll get it done and will be able to download some current pictures. Until then enjoy pictures of her younger (bald) years.

PJs and Ice Cream

2009-03-07T21:06:00.002-05:00

What better way to end a glorious day than with PJs and ice cream? Bruster's Ice Cream is right up the road from us and every year they have a PJ party. Anyone that wears their pajamas gets a free waffle cone of ice cream. So after dinner we put the kids in their PJs and headed to Brusters for free ice cream. The kids loved it and so did we because when we got home we just put them straight to bed since they were already in their pajamas!

Today was a wonderful day. It started off hanging out with friends of ours we knew in Chicago that now live in the Winston/Salem area. The Clemmons stopped by on their way to Hilton Head. It is always fun to see old friends. Unfortunately the visit didn't last long because I had to go teach swim lessons and they had to get on the road. While I taught lessons Monte took the kids to Home Depot to do the monthly project. Today's was a tough one and since it was 2 on 1 (Monte vs the kids) only one project got done. When I saw the finished product I was quite impressed - 2 ramps for little cars to race down. From there he took the kids to Target to get popcorn and a drink - which the kids love doing. I got home and packed a lunch for us to take to the park. Today was a perfect day - sunny, not too hot and not a cloud in the sky. It was great to be outside. It's funny to think that the kids had 2 snow days this week and it was in the 70s today. We spent the majority of the day outside enjoying the weather hoping it stays like this. All in all it was a great day.

Verse #5

2009-03-02T18:19:00.003-05:00

I'm a day late posting but here is verse #5 for the first two weeks in March.

"Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding." Proverbs 2:2-3

Snow In March?

2009-03-02T12:30:00.005-05:00

Snow Day in March? In the South? Yep! We got about 3-4 inches of snow yesterday. Can you believe that? We haven't seen that much snow since leaving Chicago. Of course school was canceled and the kids got a snow day. Both kids were up bright and early this morning begging to go play in the snow. What does one do if they live in the south and they don't have attire or sleds to go sledding? Improvise!! The kids were in miss-matched layers of clothes. And the sleds - cookie sheets. FYI - They work great! We do have an old sled that Monte's dad and Monte used when they was a kids. It worked well in this time (in the past there was never enough snow for it to work).

After bundling the kids up we headed out to the golf course to do some sledding. By the way, I'm am thankful we don't live up north because I would dread bundling the kids up everyday - it took so much longer than just throwing on a coat. The kids had a ball sledding until their feet and hands got cold (no boots just tennis shoes and only one pair of knit gloves per kid). After coming in to warm up Ainsley and I decided to venture out again and build a snow man. I'm sure he won't last but he was fun to make.

There are a few nice things about snow in the south - it doesn't happen often and it's gone by noon. That's my type of snow! Here are a few pics from our snow day in March!!

Beckham making the first run down the hill

Beckham at the bottom

Ainsley's turn

Monte's attempt on the cookie sheet

WIPE OUT!

Our Snowman

(the sun shining on Ainsley's face is a pretty good indication that the snowman won't last long - maybe until lunch)

Verse #4

2009-02-19T08:08:00.003-05:00

Once again I'm a little late posting this but I did pick out the verse on the 15th I just haven't had time to post it in my blog. Here is verse #4:

My dear brothers and sisters be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.

James 1:19-20

I picked this one because we have had a few issues with sibling anger lately. Now when the kids get angry with each other we quote this verse.

New Names

2009-02-07T19:29:00.002-05:00

Ainsley informed us tonight at dinner that we all have new names. Dad is now Coopster, Mom is Chippy, Beckham is Taco and Ainsley is now Boo-gee. We'll see how long it last but she thinks it's a riot and cracks up every time she uses our new names. Ahh, to be 3 again. By the way, she is still hopping everywhere.

First Heart Break at age 5

2009-02-07T19:18:00.002-05:00

After Friday I realized 1. I don't want my kids to grow up and be teenagers and 2. there are going to be a lot of hearts broken between now and when they grow up (not that it stops then). Here's a play by play summary of what happened after school on Friday:

Me: Beckham, how was your day?
B: Not good. I had a rough day.
Me: why what happened? (wondering what could happen to a 5 year old to make him say he had a rough day)
B: I'm sad because I asked Meredeth to be my girlfriend and she said no.
Me: That's too bad. maybe she's not ready for a boyfriend.
B: I asked her nicely and said please. I even told her the reasons why I wanted her to be my girlfriend.
Me: (This peaked my interest I had to find out the reasons a 5 yr old wanted a girlfriend) Really? What were your reasons?
B: I told her that she is a nice and she is the most beautiful girl on the playground.
Me: Aw. That's sweet. I'm sorry she doesn't want to be your girlfriend.
B: That makes me sad.
Me: Well, girls sometimes disappoint you. The only person that won't is God. Should we have lunch?
B: Can we have chips?

I felt so bad for him he was truly heartbroken. Guess Monte and I are going to have our hands full when Beckham is older. Especially if he is already getting his heart broken. He's our sensitive one. Ainsley on the other hand will be the one breaking hearts.

The Circus Came and Went

2009-02-03T16:23:00.003-05:00

This weekend Monte and I took the kids to the circus and boy did they LOVE it!! We took the light rail down to the show (which the kids loved in and of itself). We got there early to see the preshow which allows the kids to interact with some of the performers (mostly clowns and acrobats). The kids enjoyed the whole show and talked about it non stop after it was over. In fact they are still talking about it and Beckham has become obsessed with it. He has me pulling the website up on a regular basis so he can check out where they are headed next, what they feed the animals, how they get from town to town. The kids turned the playroom into a circus. Beckham lined up all his little plastic animals and Ainsley lined up all her my little ponies and put on a show. It was cute. They begged us to go back to the night show or if that wasn't possible the Sunday show. We told them - No, you can only go to once. Beckham's response - it's kind of like Christmas just once a year. Yep! Just once a year (thank goodness). Monte and I did have a good time and they do some amazing tricks. We still think clowns are a little sketchy but the kids thought they were funny. The one thing Monte and I are still trying to figure out is how the circus can get away with charging $15 for cotton candy. Talk about mark up - it probably only takes a penny or two to make. All in all we had a great time and the kids will probably be talking about it for months.

Verse #3

2009-02-03T16:20:00.003-05:00

So I'm a few days late posting this but here is my verse for Feb 1 (verse #3).

Psalms 55:22 - Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Thought this was a good one to learn since I know so many people struggling and stressing over different issues right now. I'm happy to report that I still know the other 2 verses I learned.

Funny story

2009-01-29T15:18:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick funny story about Beckham. Last night for Awana's they had to bring a letter for the troops. So, yesterday afternoon Beckham and Ainsley worked hard on their pictures and I was going to write what they dictated. So, here is what Beckham said:

thank you for being soldiers, stay safe and I hope you have a happy battle. Love Beckham

I didn't know if I should actually write that on the letter they were sending to the soldiers but I got a kick out of it and I thought the soldiers might as well.

25 things

2009-01-29T14:52:00.002-05:00

I've been tagged - Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

1. I have become addicted to working out
2. I love to feel sore the day after I work out. When I don't, I feel like I didn't work hard enough. I know that sounds twisted.
3. I don't like to drink calories. I pretty much only drink water (except for my morning coffee). If I am going to consume calories I want it to be through food.
4. I love food.
5. I love candy more than food.
6. If it has butter and sugar in it I'll probably like it (I'm a Scott)
7. I like all the lines to go the same way when I vacuum
8. I hate clutter
9. Patti Griffin is one of my favorite singers
10. I typically always drink out of a straw. I don't like drinking straight from a cup.
11. I prefer drinking out of a plastic cup instead of a glass one.
12. I drink my coffee black (see #3)
13. My new favorite adult beverage is Firefly which is a Sweet Tea vodka. I don't drink it much because of #3.
14. I love the feeling of sun on my body.
15. I still teach swim lessons
16. I love to travel especially internationally but we haven't been able to since having kids. Maybe someday.
17. I think one of the most important things about a church (aside from preaching the Word) is having Small Groups (Bible Studies to hold one another accountable).
18. I love to find a bargain and have gotten into couponing.
19. I am the worlds slowest reader.
20. I have found it crucial to spend time in God's Word Daily. The day just isn't the same if I'm not in the Word.
21. My bed has to be made. I can't stand it when the bed is a mess.
22. Don't like it when the sponge is left wet in the sink.
23. Two of my favorite restaurants are in Austin - Chuy's and Rudy's. Tex Mex and BBQ - Yumm (see #4)
24. I enjoy spending time with the fam. Wish everyone lived closer.
25. I hate when the kids just throw their jackets and shoes in a pile in the laundry room (mom now I see why this used to drive you crazy).

Little Frog

2009-01-21T21:20:00.002-05:00

Ainsley has turned into a little frog. She hops everywhere she goes. It's so cute to see her hop from room to room and activity to activity. She just looks so happy hopping around.

I do have to admit that when I am in a hurry her hopping isn't so cute. But I remind myself that she's young, carefree and time doesn't mean anything to her. I wish that was the case for me. All she cares about is hopping from place to place and she enjoys every second while doing it. Why can't we do that as adults? We are always in a rush to get places. We could all learn a lesson or two from our kids. Life isn't about rushing to get to the next event - it's about enjoying the journey and trying new ways to get there even if we look silly hopping to get there.

Lettuce Wrap Recipe

2009-01-21T21:06:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine got me the book Eating for Life which has a bunch of healthy recipes in it. Tonight I made Lettuce Wraps and they were so good and so easy. To top it off they are healthy too!! I thought I would pass along the recipe in case you are looking for something new to try. I did make some variations since I didn't have all the ingredients. I post the real recipe first and at the bottom I'll let you know what I substituted.

Serves:4
Prep time: 30 min

Ingredients:
4 shiitake mushrooms
7 stalks of napa cabbage
1 lb of LEAN turkey meat (not all turkey meat is lean)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 TBSP hoisin
1 TBSP lite soy sauce
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
1 (8 oz) can of water chestnuts, drained (rough chop if desired)
12 large iceberg lettuce leaves

1. Remove and discard stems of mushrooms and chop. Then chop the napa cabbage keeping the leaves and stems separate
2. Lightly coat a wok or skillet with cooking spray and place over med-high heat. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Remove turkey and set aside
3. Lightly recoat wok with cooking spray. Add chopped cabbage stems and onion, stir fry until tender about 2 min
4. stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and 5 spice. Add cabbage leaves, mushrooms and water chestnuts, stir fry for 1 min. Add cooked turkey and cook until it's heated through about 2 min
5. serve on iceberg lettuce leaves

OK here's what I changed: I didn't have shiitake mushrooms so I used 6-8 button mushrooms, I didn't have nappa cabbage so I used cabbage from a cole slaw mix bag and 1 celery stalk (I figured the celery stalk would give about the same texture as the stalk to the napa cabbage), I replaced the hoisin sauce with oyster sauce.

I'm sure it is just as good (probably better) if you make it the way the recipe is written but the way I made it turned out good too!

Conversation on heaven

2009-01-17T22:21:00.002-05:00

The kids and I were talking this morning and had the funniest conversation. Here is how it went:

Ainsley - mom I love you all the way to the North Pole
Beckham - I love you all the way to heaven
Ainsley - where is heaven?
Beckham - you see that white cloud that's where it is. And it has a big gold gate you have to open to get in.
Me - really, how do you open it?
Beckham - the angels let people in
Me - how do they know who to let in?
Beckham - you need a key and Jesus in your heart
Me - what happens to people that don't have Jesus in their heart?
Ainsley - They have to go to the princess castle.

Not totally accurate but funny none the less. After Ainsley said that people that don't get into heaven go to the princess castle I thought - They're going to wish they were in a princess castle.

Verse #2

2009-01-15T14:47:00.002-05:00

It's the 15th and it's time to learn a new verse. As of now I have the first verse memorized (I'm hoping it really stuck and I'll still be able to remember it in August). My memory isn't what it used to be - who am I kidding, I never had a great memory to begin with. Anyway, here is what I picked to work on for the next two weeks.

Eph 4:29

Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

I figured this would be a helpful one to know so I can recite it to the kids when their language with each other isn't as uplifting as I would like.

LPM blog challange

2009-01-09T08:19:00.003-05:00

This week I was reading through all the blog entries I've missed on the Living Proof Ministries blog. One of the challenges Beth Moore made for 2009 was to memorize 24 verses in 12 months. That means 2 verses a month. So I am taking her up on her challenge and challenge all of you to do the same. Each month on the 1st and 15th I'll post the verse I am working on. You can pick whatever verse you want or you can do the one I am doing. Even though I am a little behind here is the verse I chose for the beginning of January.

Romans 5:3

We can rejoice too when we run into trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure.

Another challenge for our pastor gave was to read the Bible and journal about it everyday. Monte and I did this last year and it was a wonderful blessing. We both made it through the whole year. Last year we studied the New Testament. This year we are doing the Old Testament. Give it a try it will be well worth your time. Spending time in God's word daily is life changing. Give it a shot.

Pictures from Christmas

2009-01-08T20:19:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Christmas. I might post more if I can convince my sisters to send me some of the ones they took at my parents. Our camera wasn't working on Christmas. Thankfully Doug and Judi had their camera and my sister's had theirs. We ordered a new camera but it's on back order so it might be a few more weeks.

Beckham as Rudolph

Our two little elves in disguise (they have such pointy ears)

Time to make cookies for Santa

Christmas Eve

Writers blues

2009-01-02T14:51:00.002-05:00

For the past few weeks I have not really been in a writing mood - hence the reason I haven't made a blog entry in awhile. I did write one on Jan 2nd but for some reason there was a glitch and it never posted and I lost it. It's not like there hasn't been much to blog about in the Watkins house. We have been very busy the past few weeks with Christmas, New years and the many other events. Maybe that's why I haven't been in the mood to write. By the time the kids are in bed I don't want to use my brain to write something profound or funny. Writing a blog entry does cross my mind every night but then I find something more enticing to do. I know it's the same old story - I'm going to try to be better about blogging but I honestly will try and make a better effort to at least make one post a week. That's not asking too much of myself right? So, if I fall off the Blog wagon and don't post something for a few weeks feel free to call me out. I probably just need some encouragement to get back to using my brain after the kids are in bed.

Now I just have to get myself to write our New Year's letter. I gave up writing Christmas letters because they always went out after Christmas. I figured I would take the pressure off myself and not add something else to my holiday plate of tasks to do. Well, I don't know if that was such a great idea because now that I give myself to New Years I put it off even longer. It's Jan 8th and I haven't written the letter (I have the pictures ready to send). Maybe I should make them Valentines cards that would give me until February. I'm hoping this blog entry will inspire me to start writing the New years Letter.

Life is like hot chocolate

2008-12-24T21:29:00.002-05:00

I didn't write this but wanted to share it especially during this time of year. It was in a Christmas card and I don't know if the person that put it in their Christmas card wrote it or if it is from a forwarded email that everyone gets. No matter who wrote it I found it interesting and thought provoking. Enjoy.

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate. When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.

Prayers

2008-12-24T08:20:00.003-05:00

Sunday night there was a terrible accident in our neighborhood. After hearing the story I realized I needed to blog about it so I could get as many people praying for this family as possible. A boy (eighth grade) and his mom was severely burned when a propane tank exploded. They were both airlifted to Augusta burn center. The boy, Connor has extensive burns on 87% of his body. His mom was not burned as bad. To make matters worse the father has been in Iraq since February. Thankfully the father was on his way home for his 2 week R&R so he is able to be with his family at the hospital.

Please pray for this family as it will be a long road to recovery. Pray for healing, strength, comfort, and that the father will be able to stay with the family and not have to go back to Iraq after his 2 week R&R. If you want to read more about this family so you can pray specifically they set up a website - http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckemey

When things like this happen it makes you realize all the things you have to be thankful for. All too often we complain or think our life is tough when in reality we have so much to be thankful for. I know that the Lord is the great physician and He has the power to do miraculous things for this family. Please take time to lift this family up and take time to thank God for all he has done for you.

Stories from Grammy Keeks and Poppy

2008-12-19T13:22:00.002-05:00

So once again I fell off the blog wagon and haven't written in awhile. It's not because I don't have anything to write. In fact it's the opposite. We have been so busy and there are so many stories to write about I don't even know where to begin. Monte and I were able to get away for 6 days which was absolutely wonderful (more about that in a different blog entry). A big thanks to my parents for watching the kids. The kids had a great time visiting with Grammy Keeks and Poppy and I think my parents had a good time too. When we got home mom and dad both mentioned that they asked themselves - how did we raise 5 kids? I told them Monte and I ask that all the time. That's why we are stopped at 2 - two and through.

Anyway, the kids had a jam packed week with Grammy and Poppy with lots of Christmas activities and fun. One of the funny stories mom told me was every night Beckham would brush his teeth look in the mirror and say, "I think I'm turning into an elf. Yep! I look like one more and more each day. My ears are starting to point." Mom said it was the funniest thing. Which I imagine it was.

Then there was Ainsley who acted like Santa's best friend when they went to see him at the restaurant up the road. When they pulled up Ainsley said that Santa wasn't there because she didn't see his sleigh. When they walked in and saw Santa Ainsley couldn't contain herself. She was smiling ear to ear, jumping and clapping. She asked Santa where his sleigh was and he said that Rudolph was sick so he couldn't take the sleigh out. Which must have made an impact on Ainsley because at night she prays for Rudolph to get better. The whole time they were eating dinner Ainsley was very concerned that Santa was not eating and asked him if he wanted to eat with them. He kindly declined and said Ms. Claus had made lasagna. Then she told someone to get him a drink because he looked thirsty. As my mom was relaying the story I wondered, was Ainsley really concerned for Santa or did she already figure out how to butter him up in hopes for more or better gifts?

At the dinner table last night both kids called out "get your elbows off the table this is not a horses table". Right when they said it I knew they picked that up from my dad. I remember him saying that when we were young. Ainsley also picked up the saying "Sugar Booger" from Aunt Megan. She thinks she is so funny when she says it.

There were many more stories but I'll have to post those later. I'll have to fill everyone in about our trip to Austin and Dallas.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T18:20:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful time over Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for I don't know where to begin. Our family has truly been blessed. One thing we are thankful for is living close to family. When we were in Texas we felt a little isolated. Don't get me wrong we LOVED Austin and hope to move back someday but right now we are where we are supposed to be. Not only are we close to my family but Monte's family is in driving distance too. Over Thanksgiving my whole family got together. I can't remember the last time my whole family was together on Thanksgiving - probably not since Adam graduated from the Naval Academy.

Anyways, we had a great time catching up and enjoying mom's great food. Mom is a great cook and you can always count on gaining a few pounds. (we were there less than 24 hours and she had already gotten out 4 different kinds of homemade cookies - Yumm.) The kids had a ball playing and getting to know their cousins a little better. Everyone made sacrifices to make Thanksgiving happen. We are thankful that Adam's family, Amy, David and Katie all braved the traffic and drove down from the DC area. (We're also thankful that Meggo made the long trip upstairs). And mom and dad for opening their home and mom for cooking and doing 11 loads of laundry after we left. We really have enjoyed being able to spend time at "His Way Inn". And are so thankful for the time we spend there. It is always so relaxing and fun.

Here we are:

Amazingly we were able to take a family picture and no one cried! That is a rare occurrence for our family. Every year while taking the Christmas card picture one of us would end up crying (usually me since I hate getting my picture taken and mom and dad would take 3 rolls of film just to get 1 good shot of all 5 of us)

New Craft

2008-11-23T16:38:00.003-05:00

I've been working on a new craft the past few days. The women's ministry at our church is having a dessert auction and I said I would bring something. When I saw the sign up list everyone was bringing cakes and pies. I wanted to bring something different so I came up with the idea to make a cookie bouquet and put it in a decorated paint bucket (which is another craft I have been making). Never mind the fact that I have never made one. I've made sugar cookies and I've "decorated" cookies so how hard could it be right? I quickly learned that my version of decorating cookies is slapping a bunch of frosting on the cookie and putting sprinkles on it. Usually the kids help so you can see why I use "decorating" loosely. Actually decorating them is a lot harder. It's even hard to make them look nice. So I did my best and they turned out OK. Well, their done nothing fancy and definitely nothing Martha Stewart would be proud of.

What I am excited about is how the paint bucket turned out. I've been making a few decorated paint buckets to give people and I think they turn out pretty neat. Anyway, I wanted to share my creation. Please no comments on the awful cookie decorating job I did. They are supposed to be Christmas trees, angels and bells - in case you couldn't tell.

Close up of the bucket. There is a matching lid (in green) I forgot to put in the picture.

Like Squirrels

2008-11-22T18:41:00.004-05:00

Have you ever wondered why your kids do stuff? Sometimes I think I am raising squirrels. You may be asking yourself - squirrels that's a weird thing to call your kids. But, if you knew my kids you might agree. Ever since Beckham was a baby he loved taking stuff and putting it in different places. My friend in Texas used to call it "squirreling" because he was like a squirrel who hides it's nuts. But with Beckham it was my wooden spoon, ruler, shoe, remote, etc. He would hide everything. It was like he was putting stuff away for safe keeping. He still saves everything and puts it away for "later". For instance at Disney he wanted to keep his french fry so he could remember it. Well, Monte said he could keep it thinking he would forget about it. He didn't and he still has the french fry.

Both my kids have always loved (and it drives me absolutely crazy) taking every toy, book, stuffed animal and putting it in small spaces. When Ainsley was younger and still in her crib one night I heard her crying for help. I went check on her and Beckham had put every toy in her crib and she was sitting in a small corner surrounded by stuff. (This happened more than once). Next was the bath tub. For weeks they would get all their toys and pile them in the bath tub. After this happened a few times I gave up and just left them in there for a few days. Then it was Ainsley's bed. But this time it was Ainsley putting her stuff on her bed not Beckham. The worst part about this was she has a gazillion books, animals and a lot of puzzles. She would sleep on her bed with all the "stuff" and would wake up with puzzle prints on her face. It didn't seem to bother her a bit. - drove me crazy. It must be a game that Beckham and Ainsley play. It's either called - Let's see how much stuff we can cram in a small space or let's see if we can drive mom crazy. When I start to hear the pitter patter or their feet going back and forth I know I can look forward to a pile of toys stuck somewhere. So if you ever lose something at my house it's probably hidden away for safe keeping or stuffed somewhere with all the other toys.

I thought I had a picture of them with all their toys in the tub and on Ainsley's bed but all I can find is the one of her crib. I'll keep looking and post the others if I can find them.

Church at Disney?

2008-11-21T14:47:00.002-05:00

As we are driving to the store today and this is the conversation between Beckham and I:

B: Mom are there churches at Disney World because I didn't see any?
Me: I don't think there are Beckham.
B: Why not? There should be churches every where
Me: I agree
B: I think they should put one in Downtown Disney because church is important and Disney World should have one. It has everything else.
Me: I agree
B: It should go right next to the Princess store.
Me: Maybe when you are older you can start a church there.
B: OK, or we could move Disney by our house because we have a lot of churches here.
Me: True but that might be hard. Good idea though.

It touched my heart to hear him talk about how important church is and that he even realized there wasn't a church at Disney.

Disney Pictures

2008-11-15T17:42:00.005-05:00

Here are a few of the pictures from our trip to Disney. We had a great time. The kids loved seeing all the characters and Beckham LOVED the rides. He went on everything he was tall enough to ride. He even went on the Haunted Mansion twice! For some reason this year Ainsley was scared of most of the rides. I don't know if it is a phase but she didn't go on as many as she did last year. She would rather see the characters. It worked out well for Beckham because he would go on a ride with Monte while we waited in line to see a character. By the time we were in the front of the line Beckham would join us. He got the best of both worlds - seeing the characters, going on rides and not having to wait in line to see the characters!!

When the park opened we ran to Dumbo to ride it first. We did a few more rides and then headed to Toon Town. (Toon Town opens a little after the rest of the park - I guess Mickey has to have time to get ready to see everyone). Anyway, we get there a few minutes before it opens and when they took down the ropes it reminded me of the Running of the Brides when they have that huge bridal gown sale in NY. People were running so fast to get to the character tents. Kids were running out of their shoes and parents were running over kids. It was unreal. We walked at a brisk pace and by the time we got to the princess tent the line for Tinker Bell and the fairies was already 90 min long!! We decided that it wasn't worth the wait to see the fairies and got in the princess line which was much shorter. I guess it was only the 2nd day the fairies had been in the park. Never before have you been able to get your picture with Tink and now that the fairies movie is out they have more fairies. Even when we found that out we still decided it wasn't worth the wait (I know all you Disney Die hards are cringing at our decision and are wondering how we could pass up a chance to meet the fairies). The first time we went to see the princesses (yes, I said first we went twice). Beckham was excited to see them but when we got there he changed his mind and didn't want to get his picture with them. So he stood back with Monte as Ainsley soaked it up. She was in heaven! She loved meeting the princesses and was so cute. Later in the day Beckham regretted his decision and asked to see the princesses. So we waited in line again and this time he met them all and was more than happy to give them each a hug. The rest of the day was spent on rides and in lines to see characters. It seemed like every time we were 2 people from the front of the line to see a character they would have to "go for a walk, go make some pies, go get a drink, or powder their nose". 10 minutes later they would be back. Ainsley loved seeing the characters - I think one day at Animal Kingdom Ainsley saw Goofy three different times. Here are some of the pictures of the kids with some of the characters.

Character Breakfast at Ohana's

Goofy and Pluto

Minnie in her Halloween Costume

Goofy in his Halloween costume. The kids figured out why Goofy is called Goofy because he was goofy.

Ainsley thought Donald Duck was so funny because she had a Mickey Mouse Pen and he would not sign her book with a Mickey Mouse pen. He threw it on the ground and stomped on it. She thought that was hilarious.

Ariel was one of Beckham's favorites

Cinderella (the second time we saw her)

Ainsley and Bell (Beckham would not get in the picture)

Ainsley's favorite princess - Sleeping Beauty

Why is she her favorite? Because she wears pink.

FSU Football Weekend

2008-11-15T16:33:00.004-05:00

A few days after getting back from Disney we hopped in the car again and headed to my parents. Monte and I had tickets to the FSU vs. Georgia Tech football game in Atlanta and my parents graciously offered to watch the kids. It's been nice living in an area where we can get to a few FSU games even if it's not at FSU. And even nicer to live close enough to family so we don't have to take the kids!! I'm sure the kids would love going to a game but then we wouldn't get to enjoy it because we would be taking care of them.

On Saturday morning we headed to Atlanta to catch up with some friends and head to the game. We first stopped in at the Varsity and had something to eat and have a frozen O (kind of like and orange cream slush). After filling our bellies with greasy food we went to the FSU Alumni tailgate hosted by the Atlanta chapter. As we walked around looking for our friends Monte and I started to realize how old we are getting. We finally met up with our friends, chatted for awhile and then headed into the game. We got to our seats which were right next to the band. Literally right next to the band. It was so loud. We looked at each other and commented on how loud it was which made us feel even older. I don't think I've ever sat that close to the band.

The game was a lot of fun but the outcome wasn't what we wanted. If you didn't see the game FSU rallied back from behind. With less than a minute left we were on the 3 yard line and were about to score and take the lead. On third down we ran right up the middle and fumbled the ball!!! It happened right in front of us. We saw the ball come out and felt like it was moving in slow motion. GT recovered the ball and we lost the game. Even though we lost we still had a great time. It was nice to spend time together. We both really appreciate mom and dad watching the kids so we could get away. Thanks mom and dad!!

Notice the band right behind us!!

Halloween

2008-11-14T18:55:00.002-05:00

OK, I'm going to try and play catch up this weekend. We have had a busy month but you wouldn't be able to tell from our blog. I have been neglecting to blog and am hoping to catch up soon.

I'll start off with Halloween. We were at my parents for Halloween because they were going to be watching the kids the next day when Monte and I went to Atlanta for the FSU game (another blog about that later). We knew we couldn't trick or treat in my parents neighborhood because 1. it's very hilly and 2. there are only a handful of houses built and it would take forever to walk to each one since they are so spread out. After asking around someone recommended an older neighborhood closer to Clemson. So off we went. The neighborhood was hilly - well, at least the driveways were which we had to go up and down to get to the front doors. And a lot of people weren't home or weren't answering their door. After going to a bunch of houses and only getting candy from about 10 we decided to call it quits. The kids had plenty of candy (especially since it was going to be in the house and I'm trying not to eat candy anymore). We had a lot of fun and the kids were adorable.

Originally Ainsley was going to be Sleeping Beauty which is her favorite princess because she wears pink but since it was a little chilly she decided to be a lion. Luckily I had bought a bunch of costumes after Halloween last year - they were super cheap under $5 each. I originally got them to play dress up. What better time to dress up than Halloween. So Ainsley was a friendly lion. Beckham is into space so he wanted to be a space explorer. Not an astronaut but a space explorer. I'm not exactly sure what the difference is or even what a space explorer is but Beckham corrected me every time I called him an astronaut.

Our Friendly Little Lion and Space Explorer

Give me a break

2008-11-04T14:37:00.002-05:00

Some people in this country have their priorities so screwed up. As people complain about the long lines to vote I shake my head in disbelief. Is it that big of a sacrifice to wait in line to vote? There are men and women over seas away from family and friends for months on end putting their lives in danger so you can have the right to vote. People in line are complaining about the wait to vote all the while they happily wait in line for hours even days to get a wii or see a football game. You can wait in line for something like that but you can't wait in line to vote for our next President!?! Goodness gracious - the priorities in our country are so messed up. Yes, the lines to vote are long and yes it might not be convenient but come on it's not that big of a sacrifice. If that doesn't get you out to the polls maybe this will - if you vote you can get a free coffee at Starbucks, free donut at Krispy Kreme and even a scoop of ice cream at Ben and Jerry's. If that doesn't motivate you I don't know what will (just kidding).

Back from the Sunshine State

2008-10-30T18:41:00.004-05:00

We arrived home last night from out adventures in the sunshine state. After picking up Beckham from school last Thursday we headed to Tampa to visit Grandma and Grandpa Watkins. The kids had a great tie and we packed a lot into our short visit. We went to the Fun Center, a museum, saw some of Monte's high school friends, went to Grandma's school carnival and even made it to the beach. We originally went to look in the tide pools but since it was high tide we couldn't. The kids ended up on the beach. Unfortunately we hadn't planned on them going in the water (no suits, no change of clothes and no towels) but that didn't stop them. They got wet in their clothes but they had a good time. Which is all that matters but that is hard to remember as a parent as you are trying to think of how you are going to get your wet kids home in the car. You should have seen Beckham trying to jump the waves. He had a ball. Ainsley didn't care too much for the waves but enjoyed looking for birds and digging in the sand. There are many other stories from our trip but I don't have time to blog about them now. I'll blog more about Disney and other stories later. In the mean time here are a few pictures from the Tampa portion of our trip.

Pirate Ainsley at the Fun Center

Jaws!!

Spider man was at the Campbell Park Carnival.

Grandma and Beckham wading in the waves

Ainsley birdwatching

Welcome back

2008-10-19T19:32:00.002-05:00

A few months ago a friend of mine, the women I had been training with moved. Due to her husband's job she moved back. Yea! On Wednesday I started doing her workouts again and it was a rude awakening. I had been working out the whole time she was gone but I quickly realized it just wasn't the same. After Wednesday's workout I was sore until today! Yep - it took 4 days to be able to walk, go down the stairs, and sit down without pain. I wasn't going to blog about being sore but tonight when I put Ainsley to bed she said, "Mommy my legs are sore from our walk." I guess she got that from me because all weekend all she heard was - ouch, don't touch my legs their sore, don't sit on my lap my legs hurt, ouch my legs (as I walk down the stairs or sit down). Even though it's not fun being sore it makes me happy because it means my friend is back in town and it means progress is being made. Pain is weakness leaving the body right??

Silly Sayings

2008-10-19T19:23:00.002-05:00

So I was putting Beckham to bed tonight and he asked - Mom how do I sleep tight? I guess a few nights I said, "Good night, sleep tight." Knowing Beckham he has probably been pondering this for a few days and couldn't figure out how to sleep tight so finally asked. I told him "It was an old saying and to be honest I didn't know where it started or what it means. It's just something people say at night. I probably about having a good night sleep." His reply - "If you don't know look it up on the computer." Smart kid. I guess after I post this blog I'll be doing a little research on what "Good night, Sleep tight" actually means. If you know feel free to post the answer in the comments section because knowing me I'll forget to post the answer and I am sure all of you faithful readers are dying to know the origin of the saying.

In case you were wondering

2008-10-14T18:10:00.005-05:00

what 100 pounds of apples looks like...

So cute!

Ainsley had a ball

Grammy Keeks, Poppy and the kiddos

Beckham trying to lift the bucket full of apples. He told me blueberries were easier to pick because they weren't as heavy.

The Kids and I

Down on the Farm

2008-10-13T19:29:00.004-05:00

Fall is in the air, well not really considering it was warm enough to wear shorts today but we are trying to get into the fall spirit. The kids and Monte had off today for Columbus Day (bank holidays are so much better now that Monte works for a bank). If you ask Beckham about Columbus Day he'll tell you all about it. He can tell you how Columbus thought the world was flat and discovered it was round, he can tell you the names of the ships, and all about Columbus. Beckham always gets caught up at the end of the story. He'll tell you that when Columbus landed he thought it was India but he really discovered Bank of America. I guess he hears us talk about the bank too much!!

Back to my original post - Since everyone had the day off we decided to go to a pumpkin patch. We really wanted to pick our own pumpkin not just from a field of already picked pumpkins (like last year). I was told about this farm about 30 minutes away that lets you pick your own and they have a hayride. So, we decided to give it a try. When we got there we had a little bit of time to kill until our friends got there so we walked around. This farm was so neat. It really focused on educating the kids (and adults). There were different trails and mazes you could wander through. You stop at different points to answer nature questions or do activities (jump rope, potato sack races, leap frog). The kids really enjoyed it and learned a lot about the animals in North Carolina. The farm had plenty of picture opportunities where you could stick you face through wood cut outs - which we love. There were slides, swings, toy tractors and dump trucks in a sand box (Beckham's favorite), mazes, hay rides, and much more. We had a lot of fun and the kids did too!! Their pumpkins were a little small this year due to the weather but we had a good time. Beckham's favorite maze was the one through the blackberry field. You had to wander around finding all the wood cut outs of animals that eat the farmer's crops (rabbits, snails, deer, etc). We'll go back to the farm again next year. It was very educational and fun!! The only bummer was Ainsley twisted her ankle while climbing on some of the hay bales.

The Fam

The goat, sheep and horse

Crazy scarecrow drives

Jumping on hay having a ball

Slide at the end of one of the mazes

Corn stock tee pee

20 pounds down....

2008-10-07T19:04:00.002-05:00

...19 to go. Unfortunately I don't mean my weight. I wish I was 20 pounds lighter but no, I am referring to apples.

The kids and I went to my parents this weekend because they didn't have school on Friday. On Friday we decided to go apple picking. I need to preface that before leaving home Monte joke with me about having fun apple picking but not to come home with 40 pounds of apples. He said it thinking - I'm going to give her an outrageous number so she gets my point of not coming home with a ton of apples. On the day of apple picking we got a little carried away. We try and go apple picking every year (except for last year when the orchard was out of apples) and I usually pick too many. In past years the apples have always been small and at the top of the trees. Luckily I'm tall so I could reach the ones everyone else couldn't. The orchard we went to this year had so many apples. They were low enough for the kids to pick. The apples were also huge in comparison to every other orchard I've been to. So we picked and picked and picked. We were having so much fun and the kids were having a ball. Ainsley was so funny she would find an apple and tell everyone "I found the perfect apple". She's pick it and then 2 minutes later she would say "I found the perfect apple". Needless to say we found a lot of perfect apples. Beckham had fun but once he picked a few bags he had more fun making sure we were following the rules. He was very concerned that we did not go beyond the ropes that said - No picking beyond this point. Any time any of us got close to the line he would make sure we knew not to cross it.

After picking a bunch of bags we head to the front to pay. At this orchard you don't pay per pound you pay per bag. The bags were $3.50 a bag. We figured since they were 3.50 a bag the bags were probably held about 5 pounds of apples. We counted up our bags and we had 10 (well, really 11 but that's another story). We made it back to "His Way Inn" (AKA my parents lake house) and unloaded the apples. As we were taking them out we commented that it looked like a lot of apples. Out of curiosity mom weighed one of the bags and it was 9.8 pounds!! That means we picked over 100 pounds of apples!!! Luckily Uncle Kirk and Aunt Jeannie were in town so we gave some to them, we gave some to my dad's sister, some to a friend, and some to mom's women's Bible Study. After splitting the remaining apples with mom I went home with 39 pounds. There was no way I was going to bring home a single ounce over 40 pounds especially after Monte joked about picking too many and not coming home with a crazy amount of apples like 40 pounds.

Since getting home I've made a huge batch of apple sauce, 2 large apple cakes (I used almost twice as many apples as it called for), apple pie, and of course we have all been eating apples for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luckily these are really good apples. They are very juicy and the kids seem to love them. Good thing because they have to eat another 5 pounds each. I love that they are so big because it means less peeling when cooking with them (luckily I have the Pampered Chef apple peeler, corer, slicer) Even though we will be eating apple for the next few weeks we had a great time. We only wished Monte could be there.

I'll post pictures once mom or dad emails me some (hint, hint). I didn't have my camera but they got a bunch of good pics.

Lesson in Faith

2008-09-27T09:27:00.004-05:00

I got a big scoop of humble pie from Beckham. I try to always teach the kids that we can pray about anything and that God wants to hear from us and that he can do anything. If he can create the universe he can answer our prayers. It may not always be the answer we want but he knows what is best for us. Monte was in New York this week and was supposed to come home yesterday. Well, he called yesterday morning and said that his flight was canceled and that all the other flights were booked. The soonest they could get him home would be late Saturday afternoon. I told the kids that his flight was canceled and he was stuck in New York until Saturday. Beckham's response to the news was - why don't we pray that dad gets home safe tonight. I didn't want him to get his hopes up and be disappointed so I said - why don't we just pray he gets home safe. Beckham's response - No we should pray he gets home safe tonight. So from the back seat of the car Beckham said a prayer asking for his dad to get home that night and that he would be safe.

Beckham had faith that Monte would get home that night and he wasn't afraid to ask. I was the one that was afraid. Afraid that if we asked and it didn't happen Beckham would wonder why. Here I was trying to protect Beckham in reality he didn't need protecting. It was me that needed to reevaluate and learn a lesson from him. If God can create the heavens and the earth why couldn't he get Monte on a flight? My lack of faith seems silly if you think of it that way. Well, Beckham's prayer was answered. Monte got home last night. He even got home before bedtime (well, a little after but I kept the kids up).

Here's what I learned from Beckham: you need to have faith like a child, fear often holds us back from growing in our faith. I was afraid that if the prayer wasn't answered Beckham would wonder why. I need to get over those fears and ask what is on my heart.

Edited to say - It's not that I didn't think God couldn't get Monte on a flight. I knew He could I just didn't know if He would. I guess that is why it's called faith right? I needed to have more faith like Beckham.

Night Under the Stars

2008-09-25T15:49:00.002-05:00

Last Friday night (I know I'm a little slow blogging about it) we went over to our friend's for Movie night. Since the weather was so nice we decided to make it outside movie night. They have a projector and a screen so they hooked their computer up to it and we were able to enjoy Alvin and the Chipmunks under the stars. It was a lot of fun. We did it earlier in the summer but the weather wasn't as nice as this time. I don't know what it is about kids watching movies in different places but our kids seem to love it. We went to the drive in theater a few times this summer and they loved it. The first time we went the kids were a bit confused - where are the seats? where are we going to watch the movie? Um, on the huge white wall in front of us. And the seats are in the car. They thought that was so cool and kept talking about it all summer. It's sad summer is over but it is nice to be able to enjoy the outside without the sweltering heat and bugs.

Tender heart

2008-09-22T17:20:00.002-05:00

Beckham is the most tenderhearted kids I know. He is always thinking of others and their feelings. Somehow Ainsley caught a bug and was sick this weekend. Beckham was so worried about his sister and just wanted her better. He even made her a card to help her feel better. It is so heart warming to see how compassionate he is. On Sunday he and I went to church while Ainsley and dad stayed home. As we were walking into his class he said - I wish sissy was here. Church is more fun when she is with me. he made sure his Sunday school class prayed for her.

He kept asking me when she was going to be better so he could play with her. And today when we drove to school he said, I'm sad sissy isn't coming. I love the fact that he loves and cares for his little sister. Don't get me wrong he has his moments with her but it's nice to know deep down inside he really cares for her.

What's red, white & 8 feet tall

2008-09-14T17:01:00.003-05:00

Lil' Red of course!! Friday I was at Tuesday Morning trying to find some cheap games for the kids (connect four, operation, battle ship - which by the way are harder to find then you would think) and in the clearance section I saw a box that had a bunch of college mascots on it. Out of curiosity I picked it up to see what it was and it was a University of Nebraska blow up yard decoration. My first thought was - mom would love this! My second thought - I could never buy that for her because I always make fun of people that fill their yard with that kind of stuff. Then I thought - but she would love it. She is such a huge Corn Husker fan - she loves everything Nebraska. My next thought - my dad would kill me if I got this for her. So what did I do? I called Monte and got his opinion. We came to the conclusion it was such a great deal. It was 75% off the original price. I figured if mom didn't want it we could return it. So I put it in my cart and proceeded to check out. While checking out I thought - should I really be getting this and feeding her Husker obsession? I thought, I can show it to her and let her decide. If it's too much my feelings wouldn't be hurt. (If mom is reading this she is probably thinking - is there such a thing as too much Nebraska? Dad is probably thinking - there is definitely a thing as too much Nebraska especially when it is 8 feet tall! When we took it out of the box and blew it up we were amazed at how tall 8 feet is!! When I bought it I didn't realize it would blow up to 8 feet. The only way it will end up in their yard is over my dad's dead body but since their great room has such high ceilings maybe mom could put it there on game days. Megan and dad I know I shouldn't encourage her. Even if they don't ever use it it was worth getting a good laugh when we blew it up and saw how big it was. And seeing dad's reaction! Priceless! He wouldn't even touch the box or carry it to the car because he wanted nothing to do with it.

My parents visit was short. They stopped in on their way back from the Navy vs. Duke football game. We had lunch and cake for my dad's birthday. The kids did a great job on his cake. Beckham came up with how we should decorate it all by himself. He thought it should have army men, a jet and American flags since Poppy was in the Navy. He wanted to put his helicopter on it but couldn't find it so we had to settle for the jet. Beckham was funny when we were decorating it he said "mom, Poppy isn't going to take my toys is he? How about he gets the flags and I keep the toys." We had a fun making and decorating the cake for such a special dad and poppy.

First Week of School

2008-09-05T18:36:00.004-05:00

Summer's over and it's back to routine. Which by the way we are all welcoming. Summer was great but the last two weeks of summer the kids and I have needed some routine back in our lives. Both kids officially started school this week. Beckham is in a transitional Kindergarten class and goes 5 mornings a week and Ainsley is in the 3 yr old program that goes 3 times a week.

I think this is going to be a great year for both of them. Ainsley is going to love the social aspect of being around more kids her age and will continue to grow academically (she already knows almost all her letters). Beckham's class is going to be just what he needs. We didn't think he was ready for kindergarten and the preschool he has been going to started a transitional Kindergarten for kids that aren't quite ready for school yet. He only has 7 kids in his class including him and there are 2 teachers so the kids get lots of attention. The only issue we are going to have with school is Ainsley gets upset on Tuesdays and Thursdays when she doesn't go. She wants to go everyday which is a great problem to have.

They both LOVE school and their teachers. Beckham even asked me today why a kid in his class cries for his mom every morning. I told him - well, maybe he misses his mom. And his response was - I don't miss you. I was a little sad at that response but happy in a way that he likes school so much he doesn't mind I'm gone. It also shows me that he is becoming more independent and is growing up.

Lastly for the first week of school we made a pencil cake to celebrate the start of school.

Beckham and Ainsley's first day of school together

The pencil cake we made

Tired

2008-08-22T06:58:00.004-05:00

This summer Beckham got to the age where he doesn't need a nap everyday. There are some days that by the time 6:00 rolls around he is exhausted and both of us wished he had taken a nap. Unfortunately Ainsley is already starting to drop her nap too. I blame her dropping her naps on the paci fairy. She was always a great napper until she gave her paci to the paci fairy. When she doesn't nap I wish the paci fairy would bring it back so she would nap and I could get some stuff done. I guess I was lucky Beckham lasted this long with naps. Don't these kids realize naps are the best. When they're older they'll be wishing for naps.

Even if they don't take naps the kids have "quiet time" for an hour everyday. It's time for them to play and relax in their room so I can get things done around the house. On numerous occasions I have gone in to tell them quiet time is over and when I open the door they'll be asleep with toys in their hands. They must fall asleep in the middle of playing. The other day Beckham had put all his toys and animals (Ainsley's too) on his train table. When I walked in I saw him asleep ON the train table laying on all the toys. From the look of his room he had been playing hard. I think he played with every toy or at least he moved every piece from it's original place of origin.

When we were at my parents house Monte went to check on Ainsley and she was asleep on top of a bunch of puzzle pieces. To top it off she was naked. I guess she had gone to the bathroom and didn't put her underwear on. We got a picture but for privacy reason's I won't post it. I did get a picture of Beckham asleep on the train table. It just goes to show you that if they are tired they will sleep anywhere.

Great Imagination

2008-08-19T16:27:00.003-05:00

Beckham has the best imagination. I have come to the conclusion that he doesn't need any toys. He has always been happy with playing with everyday objects and turning them into what ever his little mind can think of. Monte got an office chair for Father's Day and Beckham turned the box into a rocket. It has all the buttons, rocket boosters, door and more. He has literally played in his rocket almost everyday since making it in June. The other week we went to my parents lake house and he found an old moving box and turned it into a boat ferry. If you went into his room you might think we were moving since he has two big boxes (his rocket and his ferry). The other week he was busy playing in his room and came down stairs asking for water. Water? What do you need water for was my response. For my garden mom - come see. So I went to his room and he opened his "secret hiding place" in his bed and showed me his garden. He has drawn pictures of flowers and vegetables and put them in rows to make a garden. He took care of his garden by watering it with pretend water for a week before turning his secret hiding place into something else. I love his imagination and think that from now on we'll just give the boy boxes because he truly plays with them more than toys. Here's a picture of his garden - it doesn't do it justice. It was really cute and imaginative. Each paper has a flower or vegetable and the ones leaning agaist the wall and side were the ones that had already grown.

Scripture

2008-08-19T16:16:00.003-05:00

I am quickly learning the importance of memorizing and quoting scripture aloud. I have always known it was important but never really did it. I used my poor memory as my excuse for not doing it. We'll I've been trying to work memorizing scripture and have enlisted Beckham to help. I wish I had his memory. I can say a verse a few times and he typically remembers it the rest of the week when we say it.

I've tried to tell him it's important to know scripture so when you are in a situation where you need guidance or peace you can recall it and feel better. Well, the other morning we had a big thunder storm roll through our neighborhood (which is rare because it never rains here). Beckham came in and woke me up and said, "mom, the thunder was scaring me so I said - 'The Lord is with me' and I wasn't scared anymore." How awesome is that!! Not only is he remembering scripture and the stuff we talk about but he is using it and living it. I just pray he continues to grow in his faith and dependence on God.

Fun in the Kitchen

2008-08-06T18:47:00.003-05:00

The kids and I had a lot of fun yesterday making Silly Sam (or Spikey Sam). I think he looks cool and am proud of him. The weather has been really hot here so we decided to stay inside and have a craft day. After going to the store to get supplies we made Sam and a few other crafts. Watching the kids made me remember how hard it is to wait and be patient when you are 5 and 3 (actually it still is). Once the batter was made they wanted to decorate it right away. I had to explain that it needed to cook first. When the kitchen timer finally went off they were so excited to decorate it only to be met with disappointing news that they had to wait even longer for it to cool. Luckily it was lunch and nap time. Time goes by faster when your asleep. After nap time you would have thought it was Christmas Ainsley popped out of bed (which is unusual because she tends to take a little while to get going after a nap) and asked "is it cold now - can we decorate the cake?" The kids did a nice job and were very good about not eating the Hershey kisses. They both only ate one the whole time decorating. When I was that age I don't think many of the Hershey kisses would have made it onto the cake. Anyways, it was a fun day in the kitchen.

I'll Play - Tag

2008-07-31T15:38:00.002-05:00

The Rules: Answer the questions using only one word.Then tag four others.

1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2. Your significant other? Monte
3. Your hair? long
4. Your mother? Godly
5. Your father? leader
6. Your favorite thing? music
7. Your dream last night? forget
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? success
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your hobby? workout
12. Your fear? failing
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Austin
14. What you’re not? touchy
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? health
17. Where you grew up? NOVA
18. The last thing you did? dishwasher
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Favorite gadget? none
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? slow
23. Your mood? exhausted
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? works
26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
27. Favorite store? Target
28. Like someone? Husband
29. Your favorite color? yellow
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? awhile

That was hard. Some answers would have been different but I couldn't think of how to make it one word. If anyone else wants to give it a try be my guest.

Wilderness Adventure

2008-07-28T07:04:00.005-05:00

What do King Kong, Marshmallows, and smurfs all have in common? The camping trip that Beckham and I took. Let me explain. A few weeks ago I got an email from a good friend in Chicago. He was bringing a group of guys from the HS youth group I used to work with down to the Smokies to do some camping. Beckham has been asking to sleep in a tent for months (although Julie had thought maybe the playroom or the backyard was a good place to start). So Beckham and I made a trip to Target to buy a sleeping bag, camp food, bug spray and the next thing you know we are in the car heading for Tennessee. Four short hours (roughly 2.3 DVDs in kid time) we arrived in historic Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg can best be described as a red neck's Vegas. All of the velvet - just no Elvis. I had been when I was about Beckham's age so we had to park and see what had changed in 20 years. Not much - its still a blur of candy stores, t-shirt shops, those bears carved out of huge logs, and the Ripley's Believe it or not (yeah - believe it or not you just paid $17 to see a plastic replica of the bearded lady). Beckham of course was very impressed with the glitz. He was especially taken with the 30 foot King Kong in front of the wax museum. He had never seen King Kong so when I told him the story he said - "that is a very sad story - lets take pictures". Maybe he is heading for a career in journalism.

After we pryed ourselves away from the lights of Gatlinburg it was time to go to the Great Smokie National Park to set up camp for the night. We checked in with the park rangers and found our friends camp site. I had borrowed a 2 man tent from a friend at work. I remember thinking when I picked it up that it seemed really light - tent technology has come a long way. When we unrolled it I discovered that 2 man tent really should be more like a 2 smurf size tent. I think when they size tents they still must be using dimensions from the 1700s when the average height was 5 ft. Even Beckham felt a little cramped in there.

After setting up the 2 smurf size tent we met up with our friends and looked around for animals. We spotted a huge woodpecker and some deer. Then it was time for a traditional camp dinner. Beckham had selected a hot dog main course, fritos on the side, and a Smore for dessert. While he enjoyed the Smore - he quickly became impatient with the process and said "Dad can we just eat the marshmallows out of the bag - this takes too long". Then it was time for stories around the camp fire. And of course that night he insisted that we both sleep at the feet end because that was where the screen was an we could watch for falling stars and bears. We were wedged in there cheek-to-cheek for hours. I had forgotten that feeling the next morning after sleeping on the ground then getting the first waft of bacon on an open fire. It really is a great way to wake up.

In the morning there was a deer walking through our campsite and Beckham was looking to feed him poptarts but the deer didn't seem interested. Then it was time to pack up and do a few little park hikes on the way out. We saw some rapids and few waterfalls. It really is a very scenic park. Beckham especially loved the waterfalls. Although he quickly decided that instead of the ranger hike at 11 - he preferred to go see King Kong again and a McDonalds happy meal. So with that we were off for some fast food and then the four hour trip home for a much needed shower.

Bag of Marshmallows - $1.19
New sleeping bag - $30
2 tanks of gas - $86
Spending two days with Beckham on his first camping trip - priceless

R&R at "His Way Inn"

2008-07-20T21:03:00.003-05:00

This weekend we went to my parents lake house for the weekend. We got there on Thursday night after Monte got off work. Monte's job allows him to work from anywhere there is a phone line, Internet, and cell phone reception. So we have taken advantage of that by going to my parents on Thursday nights to get a jump on the weekend. The kids and I play in the pool on Friday while Monte works and then we still have 2 more days to enjoy the Lake house. It is so peaceful and relaxing there. I love to work out on their back deck over looking the trees and lake. what a great and peaceful way to start the morning.

On Friday we went blueberry picking. There is a farm a mile down the road from my parents. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a ball picking them. According to Beckham there was a contest to see who could pick the most. (you can tell he has a lot of Scott in him). We picked blueberries for a little over an hour. We were having so much fun we would have picked longer but we already had picked 8 pounds!! I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of them. The rest of the day was spent in the pool.

Saturday was an adventure for our memory bank. We headed out to the Jockey Lot (AKA a flea market) hoping to find treasures. Once we got there (1 hour and 45 minutes later) we were a little disappointed at all the junk. Monte kept saying shopping on the streets in Mexico would have been a step up and he was probably right. By the way, it typically doesn't take almost 2 hours to get there but the Internet had the wrong address which we put in our GPS. We were driving along and all the sudden "Emma" (that's what we call our GPS voice) said, "you have reached your destination" we all looked around, looked at each other and busted out laughing. We were in the middle of no where. There was nothing for miles. We decided to drive down the road where "emma" said was our destination only to come across a sign that said "end of county maintenance" and led to a gravel road. After calling the number for the Jockey Lot we realized the Internet said South 29 and it was supposed to be north 29. North and South make a big difference. Keep in mind the kids are hungry, Ainsley is crying and we had no clue where we were or where we were going. But we got there and did find a golf bag for Monte and some "junk" (I mean treasures) for the kids. The rest of the day was spent in the pool and on the lake.

Sunday was a bit of the same - church, boating, pool then we packed up and headed home. Letting the kids swim for a few hours before leaving is the way to go. They were so exhausted they fell asleep before leaving my parents neighborhood.

We had a great time and I'll post pics if Meggo emails me some (or you can check out her blog and see pics from the weekend.).

Picture Time

2008-07-15T15:41:00.007-05:00

I downloaded my pictures and realized it had been awhile since I had downloaded them which meant the blog doesn't have many recent pics. Here are a few from the past few months.

Beckham's birthday (see I told you it's been awhile)

Beckham and his friends at the baseball game

Air Museum while we were in DC for Amy's wedding

At the School Bus Races

Growing up

2008-07-14T18:58:00.004-05:00

The day has finally come - Ainsley got her first hair cut. In the past month my little girl has grown up right before my eyes. It has been a month of monumental events for her. First, she got rid of her paci. We sent it to the paci fairy for another baby to have. In exchange for the paci the "paci fairy" left a white dog that fits in a little pink purse (not a real dog for those of you wondering). Ainsley decided to name the dog "Monkey" - don't ask me why. Her next big step was Potty training. Which went better than I expected. She is definitely strong willed but after a day or two she realized we weren't giving up so she might as well give in and get as many starburst as she could. It's still a work in progress but after the first accident (2 minutes into the training) she has only had one accident at nap time.

Lastly she finally got her first haircut. Many of you know that Ainsley was our little baldie. She was bald until she was 2. Since she never had any I was letting it grow but it finally got to the point of looking almost mullet like so I took her in. I didn't know how it would go but she did great. She was very happy they didn't use the "machine" also known as clippers. Because according to her "that's scary". So our little girl is growing up and she is loving every minute of it.

School Bus Slobberknocker

2008-07-12T15:02:00.002-05:00

If you ask the kids (including Monte) what the highlight of the week was they would tell you the School Bus races. On Tuesday night we went to Lowes Motor speedway for the school bus races. Two hours before the race we thought they might not happen because the heavens opened up and poured rain. Monte was torn between being happy for the rain because we desperately need it due to the drought or sad because the races might be canceled. I have to admit I was a happy - thinking the rain was my way out. After calling the box office 4 or 5 times Monte confirmed that the races were on. So we loaded up the car and headed to the track. I'm glad we went because the kids had a ball. Ainsley was very impressed with the pink bus. She loves pink - it's her favorite color and she'll make sure you know that. It was pretty funny watching these old brightly decorated buses drive around the track crashing into each other. Many times I thought they were going to flip over as the rounded the turns. In the end we got much needed rain and we got to see a great Slobberknocker of a race between the school buses. I'll post pictures once I download them.

Potty or Bust

2008-07-11T13:29:00.002-05:00

The battle is on and the lines have been drawn. The day has finally come - we are potty training Ainsley this weekend (it's about time). We told her we weren't buying anymore diapers and when they ran out she had to use the potty. Well, we ran out yesterday so we began the potty boot camp today. In the morning she woke up and we explained what was going to happen (this isn't a new concept she has gone on the potty before and we have talked about it for weeks). We put on her new Tinkerbell panties and not even 3 minutes later she had peed in them. OK, let's try again - you are supposed to try and keep your new panties dry and your pee pee goes in the potty. Let us know when you have to go. Every 15 min I put her on the potty - nothing. I'm pumping her with fluids thinking that will help. You would think by 2:00 she would have to go (can you tell she is a little strong willed - wonder where she gets that). At 1:50 I put her on the potty and told her she had to stay there until she peed. Well, it's 2:40 and she just peed! Yea, success - well maybe just a baby step. After she peed she got up and started balling. Monte asked why she was crying and I whispered - probably because she is so strong willed she is upset she lost this battle. I'm sure there will be many more this weekend. hopefully at the end of the weekend we will have won the war.

5 yr old POV...

2008-07-01T14:38:00.002-05:00

...of heaven. The other week Beckham was looking out the car window and asked "which cloud does God live in?" I chuckled and tried to explain but obviously didn't do a good job because today Beckham said, "Mommy, I love you all the way to the sun." My response (with the competitive spirit I have) I love you all the way to heaven. His response - Well, the sun is further than heaven because heaven is only in the clouds so I love you more. I chuckled again.

Welcome to the family...

2008-06-27T15:46:00.011-05:00

...David. No we did not have another kid (though it's been so long since I've blogged you might have thought that). David and Amy got married last weekend in Northern Virginia. What a beautiful wedding. Amy was a beautiful bride and every time you looked at her she had a huge smile on her face. She is so happy and we are so happy for her. It just goes to show you that if you wait for God's timing He will deliver - and boy did he with David. They are perfect for each other and are both so happy. It was so fun to see my oldest sister get married. It was also nice to get the whole family together. Since Adam and his family live in Oklahoma we don't get to see them as often as we would like but they were able to make it out for the wedding. They were troopers for driving from Oklahoma to Virginia with four kids (one being a newborn) and a dog. I can't say that I would be able to do that!!

Ainsley and Beckham were both in the wedding. I was a little nervous because the last wedding Beckham was in (Uncle Ryan and Aunt Christina's) he backed out. But they did great. They were adorable in their little outfits. Beckham loved "looking like a waiter" (that's what he called his outfit) and Ainsley got to wear a "beautiful dress" (her words). The kids had a ball at the reception. Monte and I saw a side to Beckham that we never knew he had. He was on the dance floor the whole night!! He didn't even leave it to get cake. He was a riot! I wish I had video of him because those of you that know how shy he is wouldn't have believed it. He'll tell you he danced to EVERY song. He even got up and sang to everyone! Ainsley had fun too but didn't have quite as many moves as Beckham on the dance floor. The kids also had so much fun visiting with their cousins. After the rehearsal dinner we were driving back to the hotel and all Ainsley kept saying was "I miss my cousins, I miss my cousins..." Finally Beckham leaned over and said, "Ains, you'll see them tomorrow." It was cute.

It was so much fun to see Amy and David begin their next adventure - marriage. They are both so happy to be with one another and they both love the Lord so much. We were so glad to be apart of their special day.

Sisters and Mom at Cheesecake Factory before all the wedding festivities

The Sisters

The Fam!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T19:48:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to say Happy Father's Day to Monte, my dad and all the other dads out there. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who is a spectacular dad. He always puts our family first. He is a great provider and supporter. I love to watch the kids when Monte gets home they get so excited when he walks in the door from work. They can't wait to play with him. No matter how long his day has been he is always willing to play. He is such an encourager and is always pointing out the positive in everybody.

I am also blessed to have a great dad myself. Dad sacrificed a lot for our family. I really appreciate all that he did/does for us. Even though I am gone and married he still cares and loves me. thanks dad and Monte for everything you do. happy Father's day.

5 Years Ago Today...

2008-05-18T17:14:00.005-05:00

...Beckham entered the world and joined our family. I can't believe it has been five years. What a joy these years have been. Beckham is such a wonderful son. God has truly blessed us with a compassionate fun loving son. He is my "helper boy" - always willing to help. Every time I get the bucket out that has the bathroom cleaning supplies Beckham asks if he can help. (I'm hoping this enthusiasm last when he is a teen). He is so loving with us and with his little sister. Just the other week I over heard him trying to help teach his sister how to use the potty. Which is a story in itself because I heard - Ains, it's easy you just pull down your pants and stand in front of the potty. I quickly stepped into the bathroom and explained - thanks for helping beckham but I think mommy will have to teach her because girls don't stand up to go potty. He is such a happy kid and is always bouncing and skipping around the house with a huge smile on his face. We are so glad God blessed our family with such a caring, loving boy.

Perfect Water

2008-05-15T19:46:00.003-05:00

I mentioned in another blog entry I started a new adventure. I am selling Perfect Water and other products for a company. I originally got into it because we bought their vitamins and if you buy into the company you get the products at wholesale. We are a big fan of the Nutrilite vitamins. We figured we would make up the registration fee if we bought vitamins 3 times. Even though we had bought in to the business we weren't selling anything until they came out with this new product - Perfect Water. At first I thought it was a hoax and was very skeptical but after trying it I was amazed. It is said to increase flexibility, strength, balance and hydration. All it is is water that they have put through a process to shrink the molecules, oxygenate it and ionize it. They have been working on it for 30+ years and finally figured out how to make it shelf stable. Right after I drank 2 oz of this water my flexibility increased 3 inches and my balance was unexplainably better. The results are instant. I can't explain all the science behind it - all I know is it works. I took it to some coaches and players and even they were amazed. I really got excited about it was when my trainer (the lady that trains Marines) tried it she saw a significant difference in the way she felt especially in her knees. She has had 7 knee surgeries and her knees hurt a lot. After drinking 2 oz of this water she felt great. She ran, did lunges and was jumping up and down with no pain in her knees. After all I had seen I decided to take the plunge and start selling it. If you are interested or want to learn more about it let me know. You can purchase it at my website www.americasperfectwater.com and if you want to read more about it go to www.drinkperfectwater.com

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-15T19:28:00.005-05:00

We had a great time at my parents for Mother's day. It was a beautiful weekend and the pool is just warm enough to tolerate swimming (for a little bit). The chilly water didn't phase the kids. They had a ball and stayed in as long as they could followed by a short break in the sun and then back to the pool. If this past weekend was any indication I know we are going to have a wonderful summer hanging out at my parents lake house. Not that I doubted we would - The house is amazing. We spent most of the weekend at the pool (shocking I know). We did venture to Seneca for the Native American Festival. Unfortunately the festival was a bit of a flop - we were the only people there that weren't involved in the festival. After we left the "festival" we did the Art walk the town had. We saw some nice artwork and some great shops. The weather wasn't great on Sunday but we still had fun. The kids, Monte and Poppy took their typical trip to Waffle House and met the rest of us at church. We had lunch and then headed home after the kids got up from their nap. All in all it was a great weekend. (The wooden train was in a field next to where we parked for the Art Walk. I think that was the kids' favorite part.)

Soccer Star

2008-05-15T19:19:00.004-05:00

Beckham played soccer again this spring and LOVED it. I signed Ainsley up too thinking they would have a great time together but she refused to play. That's a story in itself because last year when she wasn't old enough I couldn't keep her off the field. This year she wouldn't do anything. Beckham still had fun and got a lot better. He still likes to make up his own rules to make it easier but he's learning. The parents all commented about how he is the happiest kid out there. Running (with a slight hop in his step) after the ball. The funny part to watch is when someone tries to get the ball from him - he doesn't like confrontation and if anyone comes close to him he just lets them have the ball. He's such a good sharer!! The best part of his season was getting his medal.

Beauty Queen

2008-05-15T19:00:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago I was downstairs making lunch before going to pick Beckham up from school and Ainsley was upstairs playing - or so I thought. It was 12:00 and time to go get Beckham. I go upstairs to get Ainsley and much to my surprise she has turned herself into a beautiful princess - make up and all. Some how she go into my make up and decided she wanted to be like mom and put it on. 3 yr olds don't put makeup on very well. She had mascara all over her cheeks and eyes, powdered eyeshadow everywhere (not just on her face - when I say everywhere I mean everywhere), and worst of all there was cover girl color stay lipstick all over her cheeks. I can attest that when they say "Color Stay" they really mean it. I could not get it off. Since we had to go get Beckham I quickly grabbed a baby wipe and wiped the majority of the makeup off except the color stay lipstick. I scrubbed her face raw and nothing came off. We had to go - I put her in the car and got Beckham. We had to go straight to speech and when we got home she was exhausted so I put her straight to bed for a nap. When I woke her up I forgot that she still had the lipstick on her face. I didn't have time to do it then because I had to get to the YMCA to teach. So she went to the Y with makeup on her face. When we got home I knew Monte would be home any minute so I left it on for him to see. Finally after dinner I got it off with a mixture of liquid soap and antibacterial hand gel. So if you have color stay lipstick don't let your 3 yr old use it. (Notice how sad she looks in the picture. She knew she had done something wrong and refused to smile.)

Playing catch up

2008-05-15T18:55:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I have blogged. I fell behind for a few reasons 1. I never seem to have time to down load pictures and most the stories have pictures to go with them. 2. I have been busy with a new adventure. I started selling Perfect Water and other products (more on that in a different blog). So I'll try and catch up and post a few stories tonight since I have time and I just downloaded the pictures. But since the blog entries are listed by the most recent you've probably read all of them by the time you read this.

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-05-01T15:10:00.007-05:00

We've been home from Vegas for over a week and I still haven't blogged about it - until now. Monte and I had a wonderful time in Vegas. It was so nice to get away for a few days just the two of us. We realized maybe we should have done it sooner. As you most of you know Monte and I are not big gamblers so there aren't any exciting stories about us winning big but we had a good time and it was great to be together without a schedule and without kids. the first day we walked around a few of the hotels - man they are amazing!! While walking down the strip we got persuaded to go to a timeshare presentation - only because they offered us dinner, a show and a free 2 night 3 day stay in one of their hotels. Let me warn you never to go to a timeshare presentation with Monte. You love to watch the dynamics of it (the mental game they play) and loves asking a ton of questions. What was supposed to be a 90 min presentation took us almost 3 hours. But we got our dinner coupon and tickets to a show and we didn't buy a timeshare. The show we picked was a cheesy impersonators one. We figured, if you're in Vegas you have to see a cheesy Elvis show. It was actually pretty good they had Barry White, Temptations, Madonna, and Elvis. we had to be the youngest people in there by a few years.

The next day we went to Zion National park and hiked around a few hours. It was amazing to get a glimpse at some of God's wonderful work. Saturday morning we went to Hoover Dam which was pretty amazing too. Monte loves facts and had a great time listening to the tour guide and again, asked a lot of questions. For those of you that didn't know there is enough concrete in Hoover Dam to build a sidewalk that would go stretch around the equator. Later that day we met up with friends of ours from Arizona who drove up to meet us. the night before we left we saw Mystere which is the original Cirque de soleie. What an amazing show - I don't even know how to describe it. I don't know how people can do things like that with their body.

I could go on and on about our trip. We had a fantastic time. We are so glad we are able to go and thankful that my parents were willing to watch the kids while we were gone. The kids had a blast with Grammy Keeks and Poppy and are looking forward to seeing them again.

Welcome Sarah

2008-04-16T13:05:00.003-05:00

My brother and sister in law had a beautiful baby girl on Monday. (I know I'm slow to blog about it but I've been playing catch up from being in DC this past weekend and going to Vegas this week). Anyways, Her name is Sarah Jane and she is adorable. We can't wait to meet her. If you want to check out her story you can go to their blog - 50 toes which is now 60 toes. Congrats to the family.

3 Years ago today...

2008-04-06T19:49:00.013-05:00

The Lord blessed us with a smart, caring and beautiful girl. It has been fun to see her grow over the past 3 years. She is very determined and always accomplishes what she sets her mind to. She has become quite the independent little girl that likes to do things on her own. This trait has allowed her to master new skills everyday.

We started the day off by carrying on the Scott tradition of having funnel cake on your birthday. I know it's not the healthiest way to start the day but I reasoned with myself by saying it's just like a donut. The kids loved them - of course who wouldn't love fried dough with powder sugar on top? I think the powder sugar was their favorite because they kept licking it off their plate. Aunt Katie was here so she got to join in on the breakfast fun before heading to my parents.

After church we had lunch, cake and let Ainsley open one present. We were trying to wait until dinner but she had been talking about her birthday cake for over 3 weeks. She couldn't wait to have a Dora cake with pink flowers. Since it was her birthday we decided to let her have cake early. We told her to pick one gift and of course she picked the biggest box. Well, she ripped it half way and decided that was not the gift she wanted and said, no I want that one pointing to another. Then we figured out she was trying to find the present with the puzzles. (She knew she was getting them because she was with me when I bought them.) Luckily I knew which box it was and she was happy as a clam when she opened them. The girl LOVES puzzles!! She did both puzzles in no time and it was off to bed for a nap. After nap time we headed to Chuck E. Cheese's. Let me warn other parents never go to Chuck E. Cheese's on a Sunday night. It was packed. After all the tokens were spent, prizes picked out and pizza eaten we headed home to open the rest of the presents. For those of you that don't know Ainsley is in her ballerina phase. If you tell her she's smart she says "No, I'm a Ballerina." She sits in her car seat repeating "I'm a ballerina, I'm a ballerina, I'm a ballerina" over and over and over and over again. She loves Angelina Ballerina which is not the easiest toy to find. Monte's parents got her a ballerina doll that hooks to her feet and she can dance with it. We got her a tutu so she danced with her tutu on and the ballerina on her feet. After eating cake for a second time it was time for bed. All and all we had a great day celebrating the birth of our little princess - I mean ballerina.

Easter

2008-04-06T19:19:00.004-05:00

I know I'm late blogging about Easter but when I was downloading the pictures from Ainsley's birthday I realized I never downloaded the Easter ones. We don't have many pictures because my camera was on the fritz over Easter but luckily it was working today for Ainsley's birthday.

We went to my parents lake house for Easter and had a great time relaxing and spending time with family. Their house is amazing and we talked about how we can't wait for it to get warmer so we can go in the lake and pool. While there Beckham enjoyed playing with all of the toys I used to play with when I was a kid (good thing mom and dad never throw anything out) and Ainsley did puzzles the whole time - I kid you not she did them nonstop. That girl LOVES puzzles and is amazing at them. More on that in another blog.

My sister Amy was able to make it down with her fiance David so we had an engagement dinner for them. His mother and extended family were there too. We did the traditional Easter stuff like dying eggs which the kids loved. Beckham wasn't very gentle with his eggs. I think 2 or 3 of his cracked from the force of being drop from 2 feet above the bowl. On Easter we got to go to my sister Megan's church and see her Baptized. It was fun to be able to attend and be apart of. They have a slide that goes from the 2nd story to the 1st which Beckham loved. It was a fun Easter and now we look forward to warmer weather so we can go in the lake next time.

4 yr Olds Point of View

2008-03-30T18:21:00.004-05:00

A few days before we went to my parents for Easter Ms. Teri came to our house to work with the kids. Ms. Teri works for the school district with the Leap Ahead program. Leap Ahead is a wonderful program our school district has. Teachers from the district come to your house once a month and do crafts, games, and read with your child. They also give you a bunch of ideas you can use with your child to enhance their learning. it's a great program and the kids love when Ms. Teri comes.

On to the story, Ms. Teri asked Beckham where he was going for Easter. He said, "To my Grammy Keeks and Poppy's house." She then asked if he saw them often and Beckham said, "We saw them a few weeks ago when my Poppy had his leg cut off. He got a new one and he couldn't walk or leave the house so we went to waffle house and brought him some back to cheer him up." Ms. Teri looked at me funny and asked about his leg being cut off. I had to explain that my dad had knee replacement surgery a few weeks ago. He couldn't walk around and Beckham went to Waffle House to bring my dad back food. My dad loves waffle house and Beckham thought it would cheer him up. (Not to mention Beckham loves it too and it was the perfect excuse to go). We were cracking up they way he said poppy's leg was cut off.

Recipe - BBQ Short Ribs

2008-03-30T18:11:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted a recipe in a long time. We tried this one tonight and thought it was blog worthy. It was yummy and super easy. Not to mention is uses the crock pot so you can fix it and forget it. We thought it would also work with a roast.

Slow Cooker BBQ Short Ribs
Prep: 10 min --- total: 8 hrs 10 min

4 lbs beef short ribs
1 large onion coarsely chopped
1/4 c flour
1 c BBQ sauce
1/4 c honey (I used less b/c I ran out)
1 T yellow mustard

Place ribs in slow cooker, top with onions, mix remaining ingredients, pour over the ribs and onion in the slow cooker, cover with the lid
Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 3-4 hours) Remove ribs from slow cooker, cover to keep warm
skim excess fat from sauce, return ribs to sauce. stir gently until evenly coated

Cup Holders??

2008-03-18T18:06:00.002-05:00

Beckham, Ainsley and I were reading the story of Jesus being betrayed by Judas and being arrested by the Roman soldiers. Beckham asked "mom did they put cup holders on Jesus?" Cup holders? What are cup holders? His reply - those things policemen put on people when they arrest them. Oh, handcuffs!! Kids are so funny.

Build a Bear

2008-03-10T18:51:00.003-05:00

This weekend was our first experience with Build-A-Bear Workshop. Our neighbor had her birthday party there and invited the kids. The kids had a ball!! Ainsley was a little scared of all the "factory" (her word) stuff but she loved the finished product. For those of you that don't know Build-A-Bear is a store where you pick a stuffed animal to build. It starts out flat. The kids got a kick out of seeing the animals flat. Beckham was convinced they were going to stuff it with jelly beans! That's a kid after my own heart. Once you pick the animal (there are a ton to pick from) you go to the stuffing machine. The workers put the animal on the machine and the kids get to push the magic button which fills their animal. Then you pick a heart, make a wish and put it in your animal. They sew it up then it's bath time. You take it over to a bath tub that blows air to "wash off" your animal. Since Aisnley was scared of the equipment she let the birthday girl push the button to fill her dog and let Beckham give it a bath. The rest of the store is filled with all the accessories you can buy. They have everything from clothes to suits to shoes, and even wigs!! It's a racket. Of course the accessories don't come with the party so after they build their animal they want to dress it. I have to admit the kids had a great time and I felt bad I had never taken them there (I don't really like stuffed animals they just take up space and collect dust). But the kids loved it and that's all they talked about all weekend. They couldn't wait for Monte to get home from Texas so they could tell him all about the party. Ainsley built a dog and dressed it like a ballerina. She named her Molly. Beckham made a koala bear and dressed him in a spiderman shirt. He named his Happy Birthday Balloon. Don't ask me. I tried to help him think of a different name but he refused. Oh, well.

New Red Boots

2008-03-09T19:30:00.003-05:00

Ainsley got some new red boots. Many of you know how much Ainsley LOVED her red boots. She wore them everywhere and with everything. She wore them so much that the seams started coming apart and the soles started to fall off. Sadly I had to put them on the self because they were too beaten up to wear. Well, this weekend Monte was in Austin and he went to Allens Boot shop and found her some new red boots. She is in hog heaven!! We can't get them off her. At dinner we tried to take them off so we could put them on the right feet but she refused. She did not want us touching her boots. In fact she won't even let us take the tags off. The first thing she did this morning was put on her boots (over her footie pajamas). I tried to get a picture of it but she kept running away. The best I could do was get her back but you can tell she is wearing them over her pjs. All day we have heard her clopping around on the wood floors. I guess you can take the girl out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of the girl. (Notice the tag on the left boot.)

Scared of Potatoes

2008-03-07T16:53:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday night we had a bunch of storms roll through that were pretty big. If fact we were driving home from swim lessons listening to the radio when the emergency alert system came on to say there was a serve storm warning and in other parts of SC there was a tornado warning. This scared the kids. I am still not sure if they were scared of a tornado coming or of the loud annoying sound they use for the emergency alert system. I don't know how they would know about tornadoes because we haven't ever talked about them but I could be wrong. Kids pick up on things they see and hear about once (I wish I could learn like that). So the rest of the night Ainsley kept saying - "I scared of potatoes, I scared of potatoes." I would gently try and correct her saying "No, Ainsley it's TOR nado not potato." It didn't work. She kept saying potato. It was so cute. The funniest thing was when Monte walked in from work and Ainsley ran over to him saying "I'm scared of potatoes, I'm scared of potatoes" He had no clue as to what she was talking about. His reply - that's silly to be scared of potatoes. Once I translated he thought it was cute and we both got a chuckle. Blogging this story doesn't do it justice. It's one of those things you have to see and hear for yourself.

World's Best Husband

2008-03-02T19:16:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I have gotten a break from the kids (and maybe that was beginning to show) so on Friday night Monte told me to take Saturday off. He told me to leave in the morning and not come home until after 5. Isn't that so sweet? It was so nice to have a day to myself. I didn't have to worry about or entertain the kids. I got to do what I wanted, when I wanted. I went to Starbucks and quietly drank a coffee and did my Beth Moore Bible Study, then went to the library. I can't remember the last time I went to the library without kids. It was a totally different experience. I could take my time and look at the books I wanted to. Then I head to a few shops. Shopping is so much easier by yourself. I actually had time to try things on. Problem with having time is I probably spent more than I would have because I had time to find "things I had to have". (Had the kids been with me I would have never even seen them or realized I "needed them". After shopping and having lunch I went to a movie with a friend. It was great to see a movie that wasn't a cartoon in the theater. We saw Point of View which was different but good. I had a great time and it was nice to get rejuvenated. I am so thankful I have such a wonderful supportive husband who encourages me to take time for myself.

I guess while I was gone the kids had a great time with Dad. He took them to Waffle House for breakfast, to Home Depot to do their monthly project and to the park. How can I compete with that? I'm glad they had a fun day with Dad.

David and Goliath

2008-02-26T13:06:00.003-05:00

This morning when I was talking to the kids about David and Goliath I realized that lessons don't always come out like you plan. I was telling the kids about the story and Beckham asked why David killed Goliath. I went on to explain that Philistines and the Israelites were at war and that is what happens in war. The next question was why were they at war? I told them that the Philistines and the Israelites didn't like each other so they were fighting. Ainsley then chimed in by saying - I think Goliath needed a time out because fighting is bad. I tried to refocus them on the lesson about how God can do anything. He used David (who was small) and a little stone to kill a huge giant. We need to ask God and believe when we need help. Unfortunately all they could focus on was how fighting is bad and Goliath needed a time out. Though that was not the concept I had wanted them to get from it at least they learned something. Maybe next time they fight I'll put them in time out like Goliath should have had.

Home Depot Projects

2008-02-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

The first Saturday of every month you can usually find us at Home Depot doing the project for kids. If you don't know Home Depot has a project for the kids that you can help them do (Usually it is a little too challenging for the kids and the parents that end up doing it but it's fun). This month it was the Saturday before the Super Bowl so the project was a football stool. Thankfully it was one of the easier projects. the kids enjoyed "making them" and thought it was neat to have special seat to watch the game on. If you are looking for something to do on the first Saturday of the month head to Home Depot and do a project with the kids. Next month is the race car which is one of Beckham's favorites (get there early for this one because they usually run out - they usually do it from 9-12).

Our Snowman

2008-02-10T16:05:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago (OK, many weeks ago - I've been slow to download pictures) it snowed just enough for us to build a snowman. It was the perfect type of snow for making a snowman, wet and packable. The kids had a ball helping us roll the small snowball into a big ball and then seeing it turn into a snowman. After it was finished we found an extra scarf, some peanuts for the eyes, mulch for a mouth and a carrot for the nose. Snow in the Carolinas doesn't last long. In fact it melted before lunch but it was fun while it lasted. After being outside for awhile Ainsley started saying "I cold, I wet, I cold and wet" Of course it was raining the whole time we were outside but we weren't going to pass up playing in the snow since we don't get it often. After working hard on our snowman we went in and had a cup of hot chocolate. As you can see Beckham thought it was yummy!!

Father's Eyes

2008-02-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

The Lord was looking over us this morning. We have a fireplace that starts by turning on a light switch it's great except it has a draft that comes into the house (there is no flue to close). Since it had been cold and windy the past few weeks we put a blanket in front of the fireplace to keep the draft down. Well, this morning I was drying my hair and when I was done something smelled funny. At first I thought it was probably a hair that got stuck in the dryer but then something told me to go out of the room. When I did I saw our fireplace burning. Ainsley had turned on the light switch that controls the fire. (Beckham know better but we have never talked to Ainsley about it b/c she has never been able to reach the switches - she can now). I race downstairs and shut it off. Luckily the blanket that was covering the fireplace fell down so it didn't catch fire. The Lord was protecting us and thankfully nothing happened. Ainsley now knows not to touch the fireplace light switch.

Welcome Jordan

2008-02-05T07:27:00.000-05:00

I am happy to announce Ryan and Christina had a baby boy. Jordan was born yesterday (Feb 4) at 6:40 pm. His weight was 8 pounds and he was 21 inches long. We are so happy for Ryan and Christina. Beckham and Ainsely can't wait to meet their new cousin (we can't wait either). Funny thing is he was born on our neice Emma's birthday. That will make it easy to remember. Happy birthday Jordan and Emma!

I'm on a roll

2008-02-01T18:06:00.001-05:00

I just finished posting the "4 things" blog and decided to write another quick one. I recently got 2 new gadgets for my birthday and love them both. Typically I am not a gadget person but these are fun and what I needed. The first is a Tom Tom navigation system. Many of you know that I have NO sense of direction. This is the greatest invention! I can type in any address or place I want to go and "Emma" tells me where to turn. I picked the British voice and named her Emma. The second gadget is a Heart rate monitor. Since I have been going to the gym a lot more I decided this would be a good thing to have. Now I could monitor how hard I am working and how many calories I am burning. After my class on Wednesday (with the instructor that trains Marines) I burned 750 calories in an hour! The Heart rate monitor also allows me to see my max heart rate during the work out, the average and how long I was in my target heart rate zone. A lot of people wouldn't get excited about a gadget like this but I love it. It helps me validate how hard I worked in a class.

4 things

2008-02-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it - I'm a slacker. I have all intentions of blogging more but never seem to get around to it. A few people have blogged or emailed me this 4 things list so I thought I would play along and do it myself. For those of you that keep looking for the snowman blog I promise I'll get to it soon (before spring). I haven't downloaded the pictures of our snowman but once I do I'll blog about it. Anyway, on to the 4 things:

Four jobs I have had or have:
1. lifeguard
2. Arthur Andersen
3. 1st grade teacher
4. mom

Four places I have lived
1. Northern Virginia
2. Florida
3. Chicago (suburbs)
4. Austin, TX

Four movies I have watched over and over
1. Grease
2. Any of the kids' movies
3. Top Gun
4. Sound of Music

Four shows I watch
1. The Unit
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. College Football
4. The Hills

Four places I have been
1. China
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. France

Four favorite things to eat
1. candy
2. white cake with butter cream frosting
3. wings
4. lobster
(all healthy stuff - LOL)

Four places I would rather be
1. On the beach
2. Somewhere I've never been (Costa Rica, Sweden, Spain, the list could go on and on)
3. Somewhere warm
4. the gym (I know it's sad but I enjoy working out - if it's with a good instructor or partner)

Four things I look forward to this new year
1. Meeting my new niece (a few more months) and nephew (only a few more days)
2. Amy and David's wedding
3. Going to Vegas with Monte without kids!!!
4. Going to my parents lake house this summer

If you want to join the fun consider yourself tagged. Leave a comment if you are playing along so we can come read your four things.

Our Little Princess

2008-01-14T19:48:00.000-05:00

I know I have been MIA the past few weeks. I have had a hard time getting motivated to blog. Typically the only time I have to do it is when the kids nap (and Beckham is slowly giving up his nap - bummer) or at night when the kids go to bed and I just don't have the motivation to do it then. Anyway, on to the blog entry:

A few weeks before we went to Disney Ainsley got into the princess thing. Funny thing is a friend of ours gave us 2 princess costumes a year ago and they just sat in Ainsley's room. I was shopping for Christmas and saw a great deal on a princess trunk full of princess outfits. I thought about buying it but decided not to since Ainsley wasn't into the ones we had. You can probably guess where this is going...the next week all of the sudden Ainsley wanted to wear the 2 princess dresses all the time. I don't know what spurred this on but she wanted to wear them 24/7. I was so bummed I didn't buy the trunk she would've loved it. Weeks went buy and I kept an eye out for a good deal and right before Christmas I found one. Yea!! I had finished shopping for her but my mom hadn't so I bought it for Ainsley from my mom. When she opened it she was full of delight!! She could not wait to be a princess!! Ainsley would wear her princess dresses all day everyday if we let her (sometimes we do). She has been seen at the grocery store and target in a costume (I just didn't have the heart to take it off to go to the store). Now that she has a whole trunk full of them she loves having choices - Cinderella, Bell, Sleeping Beauty, or Snow White (and sometimes she mix and matches) The picture is of her on the day she got them looking at herself in mirror - as Snow White.

Back from Disney

2007-12-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it back from Disney. We had a wonderful time. If you are planning a trip to Disney this is the time of year to go (after Thanksgiving but before Dec 20). The weather is great - you aren't hot and miserable, the crowds are light - the longest we waited for a ride was 30 min and it is decorated for Christmas.

The theme this year is "year of a million wishes". Disney picks people at random to grant wishes and make their park experience special. We were lucky enough to get picked for a few. The first day the line was pretty long for Peter Pan (about 40 min). We were standing there debating if we should wait or come back. A Disney employee came up to Beckham and asked if he knew who the Lost Boys were. Beckham replied yes and she said if you make an oath never to grow up you can go to the front of the line. So, Beckham did. She gave him a Lost Boys certificate and we got to cut in line. Later that night when we were watching the fireworks (which was about wishes coming true). I asked Beckham what he would wish for. His response - to be a cowboy. The next day we were walking through Frontierland and Beckham got picked to be a cowboy with Woody from Toy Story. You should have seen his face - he was the happiest kid in the park. He now believes that wishes do come true at Disney. Later that day we got picked to be part of the parade. We walked down Main Street waving to everyone and waving the flags they gave us.

The kids were great at the park. We stayed on property which worked out perfect. The first day was extended hours for people staying on property so the park was open until 1 am for us. Since we had extra hours we went back to the hotel after lunch for a nap so the kids would last later. This was one of the best decisions we made because it made the afternoon more enjoyable because they were rested.

I could go on an on but I won't. Beckham's favorites were - being a cowboy, the Buzz Light Year ride, and Ariel (he seems to have developed a crush on her - we had to wait in line to see her twice so he could see her again). Ainsley's favorites were meeting the Princesses and the Magic Carpet ride. I still haven't learned how to create a slide show of pictures (I'm sure it isn't hard I just haven't had the time to sit down and figure it out). Maybe when I see Meggo or KT next week they can show me. Until then I'll post a few pics.

His Way Inn

2007-11-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

Over Thanksgiving we were able to go to my parents new place "His Way Inn". They named it that because they wanted the house name to Glorify the Lord for all he has blessed them with. What an amazing house! Beautiful views from every window. The kids and I went early because two of my Uncles from Nebraska had come to give my mom some of the furniture that wouldn't fit in my grandma's new place. We don't get to see them much so it was nice to see them. There was a full house Thanksgiving week with us, all the Scott girls, Aunt Jeannie, Uncle Kirk, cousins Julie and John and Amy's boyfriend David. My dad's sister, Susan, her daughter Liz and David's mom Susan came for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Day was busy but with mom's new spacious kitchen we were all able to fit and work on our assignments (we divided up the food preparations so mom wouldn't have to do it all). As you can imagine we had a lot of yummy food and even more desserts. It wouldn't be a Scott gathering without a lot of dessert. Spending time with everyone reminds me of how blessed I am to have such a wonderful loving family. The pictures are of us in my parents backyard. Like always it was hard to get a good picture (and this time we were racing against the sun setting). I also included one of Beckham from his Thanksgiving feast at school (it was too cute not to put on the blog). Each kid in his class was given a name and his name was Rising Sun. Fun Times. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Layered Enchilada Bake

2007-11-09T19:41:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I have posted a recipe. I guess I can't call it recipe of the week when I don't post any for months. I have tried a bunch of new recipes but I never find time to blog about them. Anyway, the other week 8 of my friends decided to do a meal swap. Everyone made 8 of one dish and brought it to swap. At the swap everyone got one of each meal so you go home with 8 meals. The concept is it that if you are making lasagna it is easier to make multiple pans of it since everything is out and you can buy in bulk. You cook once and in return get 8 meals to freeze. It turned out to be a success and we plan on doing it again. It has been great for nights I teach swim lessons and don't get home until 7:00. I pull one of the meals out of the freezer put it in the oven program the delay start and when we get home dinner is ready.

I was planning on making chicken enchiladas but a lot of people signed up to make chicken dishes. I didn't want to make another chicken dish so I had to find something else to make. I saw this recipe in the Food and Family Kraft Magazine and thought I would give it a try. Pretty risky making it for 8 people not even knowing if it was good. Luckily it was really good. By the way, if you don't get the Food and Family Kraft Magazine I highly recommend it. it comes about 4 times a year and is FREE. Yep Free! you can't beat that. All you do is register for it on their website. It is full of great recipes.

Here's the recipe:
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 c Salsa
1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
1/4 c Italian dressing
2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
6 flour tortillas
1 c sour cream
1 package of Kraft Mexican Cheddar cheese (I used regular cheddar)

Brown meat and onions, Drain. Add salsa, beans, dressing, seasoning, and mix well Arrange 3 tortillas in a single layer in bottom of baking dish, cover with layers of half each of the eat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. cover with foil.
Cook now - preheat oven 400 bake covered 30 min remove foil bake additional 10 min. let stand 5 min
Cook later - freeze up to 3 months, preheat oven 400 bake covered 1 hour. remove foil bake additional 15 min let stand 5 min

Movie by God

2007-11-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

This weekend the kids and I went to help my parents move into their new house (they are finally in and the house is amazing - Yea!!!). The kids had a great time exploring while I helped move and unpack boxes.

Part of our night time ritual is that the kids get to watch 10-20 minutes of a movie before going to bed. On Saturday night both kids were exhausted and went straight to bed after dinner forgetting to watch a movie. The next morning Beckham woke up and told me, "Mom, we forgot to watch a movie last night but that's OK. I watched the stars twinkle. The sky was full of them and they were so pretty. God made a great movie (referring to the twinkling stars)." Beckham has the sweetest heart and he melted my heart as he told it to me. I have to admit he was right the stars are amazing there. In one room the bed is right under the window so when you look up all you see is stars. They are so bright, beautiful and you can see 1000s of them. The first night I was thinking the same thing Beckham was - What an amazing God we have.

Halloween

2007-11-07T14:44:00.000-05:00

As you can imagine Halloween was a hit at our house. Both kids got into it this year. Ainsley was a riot. She would push her way to the front of the group making sure she got first dibs on the candy as it was passed out. At one house she held both hands out reaching for the bowl of candy. The man asked - Do you want the whole bowl? Her response - YES!! It was fun to see the kids enjoying themselves as they walked house to house gathering candy. Ainsley was determined to do it all on her own and refused help fro anyone. By the end of the street she was dragging her bag but didn't want to stop. Beckham was so sweet at one house the lady opened the door with a sleeping baby in her hands he whispered "trick or treat" followed by a soft "thank you". Making sure not to wake the baby. Beckham was a cowboy and Ainsley was a ladybug. I think Beckham's costume was inspired by school because they had been studying the Wild West. When he said he wanted to be a cowboy I was delighted knowing it wouldn't be hard to put that costume together. We trick or treated in shifts. I took both kids to the houses on our street with our neighbor's kids while Monte passed out candy. then we came home ate dinner and Monte took Beckham out while Ainsley and I passed out candy. It seemed to work out well and it gave both of us an opportunity to see the kids trick or treat.

The next morning Ainsley was ready to go back out for more. She asked "we go trick or treating again tonight mommy OK?" Once a year is enough for this house. If we did it every night we would all weigh 300 lbs.

Not Easy to Pick Apples

2007-10-22T19:11:00.000-05:00

One thing we loved doing when we lived in Chicago was apple picking. Every year we would go to Apple Holler and would have a great time. Every year I would pick way too many apples. The ride home would always consist of Monte asking how we could pick so many and didn't we learn our lesson last time. (We also always stopped at the Mars Cheese Castle to pick up some cheese curds on the way home). we had some great memories picking apples up north. Texas didn't have apple picking so when we moved to the Carolinas I was so excited to be able to go apple picking. The other weekend we decided it was time. We piled in the car and headed out to pick apples. We planned on meeting a few friends and making a day of it. Before leaving we thought about calling to make sure they were still picking apples but then thought - No, surely they still have apples their apple festival isn't for 3 weeks they have to still have apples. You can probably guess where this blog is going. We drive there only to find they stopped picking apples the previous weekend. With the freeze in the spring and the severe draught we are having they only had 25% of their crop. So we let the kids play in the hay, chase the chickens, and get some apple cider donuts and cider. I was disappointed but must admit the donuts made up for some of my disappointment. they were yummy and as we drove home we talked about how we should have gotten a dozen instead of a half dozen. Maybe next year will be better and we learned to call before driving out to the farm. You can see from the pictures that the kids had fun which is all that matters right? You can also tell from the pictures that Monte let the kids dress themselves. Hence Ainsley's sundress with pink shoes (originally she didn't have the shirt under her dress I grabbed that as we left and put it on her when we got there) and Beckham's bright red and green outfit. They still looked cute!

Gentlemen Start Your Engines

2007-10-15T19:14:00.001-05:00

I can now call myself a resident of Charlotte. Monte and I got to truly experience NASCAR this weekend. Well, I don't know if you can say the true NASCAR experience. Monte got sky box seats to the race. We got to go on a pit tour that was pretty neat. The lady that gave us the tour is one of only a few female drivers for NASCAR. She gave us lots of insider information. It is amazing how much work and science goes into those cars (not to mention money). She talked about how instead of cleaning their windshield each pit stop they have clear stickers that have tabs and each pit stop they rip off the top sticker so the driver has a clean windshield. Also that the gas cans weigh 5 lbs empty but 80 when full. It takes 6 sec to empty the fuel can. They don't fill the tires with oxygen because there is moisture in oxygen so they fill them with nitrogen. I have to admit it was neat to get the tour. If you are going to go to a NASCAR race the sky box is the way to go. Air conditioned, soft seats, buffet and free drinks. What made the race even more exciting was the little personal TVs we got. The TVs allowed us to select a driver and see the race from the camera in his car, we could listen to any of the cars and their conversations with the pit crew. They also had a reply button you could use if there was a crash you could enter the car number and you could see the crash from their view and hear what they were saying. It definitely helped make the race more interesting. It was amazing to see how fast they drive and how loud it was. We did go outside for a little bit so we could hear the noise level. Before the race we walked around outside and you would have thought the circus came to town. If you like to people watch you would loves a NASCAR race. I can't even begin to tell you some of the things we saw. There are some very interesting NASCAR fans. We forgot to bring our camera but luckily the sky box gave us a goody bag which came with a camera. Problem is it is 35 mm so we have to get them developed and scanned before we can post any of them. All in all we had a great time. I won't call myself a NASCAR fan but I did have a good time. I told Monte I would go back...only if we were int he box seats again. Big thanks to Meggo and dad for watching the kids so we could go!

Getting better

2007-10-09T19:02:00.000-05:00

I wrote this blog a few days ago in response to everyone's reply to the previous post about Ainsley being sick but was waiting to include pictures. Ainsley is feeling better (I wouldn't say 100%). I took her to the Dr. on Monday (a week ago, remember I was a slacker with posting this) because she has had congestion for over 2 weeks and this weekend she got hives. Poor girl seems like she has had one thing after another. The Doctor put her on some antibiotics that have to be the worst thing in the world. The liquid medicine is gritty - it feels and looks like it had sand in it. It's like drinking chalky sand. Doesn't that sound good? Imagine trying to give a toddler this nasty medicine you wouldn't take yourself. Not fun! I have learned Ainsley's love for marshmallows/candy corn. We now use marshmallows or candy corn as chasers for the medicine.

The other part of the story is whenever the kids go to the Dr. they get a sticker. which they love. The first few times they put them on the window of the car. I didn't like that look so I suggested putting them on the roof of the car. As you can see from the picture of the roof of the car we have been to the doctor's a few times in the past 18 months. In fact just a few weeks ago Beckham said - Mom we need to go to the doctor. Curious I asked why are you sick? His reply - No, we just need more stickers we haven't gotten any new ones lately. (Only because it was summer and you weren't sick every other week). I told him there's a much cheaper way to get stickers - like the dollar store!! I am hoping this year won't be as bad as last. I am praying their immune systems got used to school germs, NC/SC germs and the environment here.

Ainsley's side of the car is the left picture Beckham's is the right. I had a hard time capturing how many there are.

I all better??

2007-10-04T08:59:00.000-05:00

The only thing worse than being sick is having your kid be sick (I guess the worst thing would be being sick and having a sick kid at the same time). Ainsley had the stomach flu this weekend and I felt so bad for her. At that age they don't understand what is going on. This is the first time she had the flu and every time she got sick she would look at me with her sad, confused eyes and say, "I don't like, I don't like" I tell her it's OK no one likes getting sick. I can only imagine what was going on in her brain - wondering what in the heck is going on. She would then say "I all better mommy?" It would break my heart because I would've given anything to make her better but couldn't. Luckily the stomach flu only lasted 24 hours but then 2 days later she spiked a fever. So right now we are held up in the house until she gets better. I am hoping her fever breaks soon so she can get some relief. It's no fun having sick kids. You feel so helpless and wish you could do more than just love on them.

How can they do that?

2007-09-19T13:26:00.000-05:00

Now that football season has started our TV seems to be on a little more especially on the weekends. Monte and I were watching a game while the kids were playing. All of the sudden we heard Beckham laughing hysterically saying "look at Ainsley! look at Ainsley!" Monte and I both jumped up not knowing what to expect. Beckham runs to the front hall pointing to the cabinet saying "look!" Ainsley had managed to cram herself into the cabinet. She was happily playing with the cards she had brought in with her. the cabinet is not very big and Monte and I wondered how it could be comfortable to sit in. She even wanted us to close the doors and go away so she could contnue playing. After capturing it on film we told her it wasn't a place to play and we pried her out. I guess we learned that if we want to watch football and let the kids play on their own we can't get upset if they cause a little trouble!

Fall Festivals

2007-09-19T13:16:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to do in the fall is go to festivals (aside from watching football). This weekend we didn't have any plans so I looked online and found an Apple Festival less than an hour away. It was a cool day (cool in comparison to what it has been - it was in the mid 80s) we thought it would be fun. When we got there we couldn't believe how big it was. There were food vendors selling everything from fresh fruits & veggies to fried apple pies and funnel cake. There was a lot to do but nothing could compare to people watching. I love to watch people and in the south I have found it to be even more entertaining. It was a great family outing and the kids loved their apple cider in apple shaped cups and loved the cotton candy even more.

Like mother like daughter

2007-09-15T06:57:00.000-05:00

Many of you know I tend to have a sweet tooth and love candy. Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with Ainsley and her love for candy. The other night Beckham had eaten all of his dinner and was ready for dessert. Just mentioning the word dessert made Ainsley perk up. She pushed her plate away and said, I finished - Candy!! We told her no you have to eat a little more meat first. She didn't like that answer and proceeded to cry and get down from the table. Ainsley ran over to the pantry and held onto the door handles. She kept trying to get it open while crying and saying - candy, candy, candy. In the end she stopped crying, ate some meat and got her candy. Monte and I couldn't help but snicker while she was balling at the pantry trying so hard to get it open to get candy. It reminded me of how I probably was as a kid. The pictures don't do the story justice because I had a hard time getting her face to show her true emotion. But it helps you visualize her trying so hard to open the doors.

Recipe of the week - Saucy BBQ Sloppy Joes

2007-09-15T06:38:00.000-05:00

I don't know what got into me this week but I tried 3 new recipes. I got the Food and Family Magazine Kraft sends out every quarter (If you don't get it you should - it's free. All you have to do is register for it online.) I typically flag a bunch of recipes to try and then never get around to trying them. Since school has started and I am teaching swim lessons again I decided it was time to get organized and plan out meals for the week. While planning I picked 3 new recipes to try. They were all good and the kids ate all of them (that doesn't always happen). I'll probably post the other 2 another time but this was Beckham's favorite.

Saucy BBQ Sloppy Joes
prep: 5 min Total:20 Min (You gotta love a meal you can make in less than 30 min)
1lb ground beef
1 each green pepper and onion finely chopped
1/2 c BBQ sauce
1/2 c water
4 oz Velveeta cheese cut into cubes
4 hamburger buns

Brown meat, drain, add chopped peppers and onions cook 5 min, stir in BBQ sauce, water, and Velveeta cook 2 min until Velveeta is melted and mixture is well blended. Serve on buns.

Since I teach at night I need something fast when we get home. I made the mixture ahead of time and just warmed it up when I got home. the magazine also said this is a good meal to freeze and warm up later. If you make it let me know how it turns out.

Fall is in the air

2007-09-09T10:39:00.001-05:00

Well, not really temperature wise (it has been 90+ degrees 43 out of 45 days with no rain) but it is in the air because football season has started. We like to think the season started yesterday so we can forget that the first week ever happened. Monte and I were able to go to the Clemson/FSU game but left disappointed. If any of you saw the game the first half was miserable to watch - being in the middle of all the cheering Clemson fans was even worse. The second half was better. I don't think it could have been worse - FSU only had one first down in the first half. It ended up being a pretty close game coming down to the last play but FSU didn't pull through. Monte and I both agree it was much better watching games when we were good and used to blow our opponents out of the water. Back then you could sit back and enjoy the game. Now it is nerve wrecking and frustrating. We did have a good time and are thankful we got to go. There is something about watching college football live! This weekend wasn't much better but at least FSU won. We are excited the football season has started but are worried the season will turn out like last year. On Friday night we took the kids to the local High School game and they were both clapping and cheering the Yellow Jackets on while eating their popcorn and skittles (their favorite part of the game). So even though it doesn't feel like fall you know it's here because football season has officially started. Go NOLES!