Weekend in review: A few days late.. my bad!

OK, quickly..

The yard sale went well. I wasn't expecting to make much because I had sold most of my baby stuff to consignment and that is usually what sales best around here. I did have a car seat in there and it sold quickly. And my two end tables sold, which is awesome.. new end tables for me once we get into the new house! Woot! I think I pulled in a little over a $100. The big shocker was how well Kent's Granny did. Let me tell you.. she started pulling stuff out of her house around 5am. She didn't stop pulling stuff out until well.. WELL after 7am. She has so much junk wonderful treasures. She did well. Pulling in over $200. With Kent's little sister's stuff, his momma's stuff and some of his little brother's stuff we pulled in all together about $450. Not bad.

That night was date night for Kent and I. We went to see Transformers. It was good. Not as good as the first one, but it wasn't horrible. This one they seemed to try too hard to make it a good movie. They put in a lot more funny, corny stuff. I would give it a 7.9 out of 10. I'm still wanting to see "My Sister's Keeper" but I am going to read the book first, which we got while we were out. I have just started it today and have gotten only 10 pages in, but so far so good.

Sunday I've already told you about, so that was my weekend.

Today is Kent's last day of work for the prison here. His last day in custody. He goes in at 4pm and will get off at midnight. Then he will be off until the 6th of July. Then it will be starting in his new position of IT Specialist, doing what he loves. I'm so proud of him and how he worked his way up the ladder on his terms and didn't lower his standards to get promoted. Truly am proud of him.

5 days until we move.

Saying Good-bye

Last night my church had a fellowship meal. It was in a small part in honor of my family and us leaving. Giving everyone a chance to say good-bye to us, love on us, encourage us. My pastor gave a devotional directed at Kent and I to continue to pass on the legacy, that our parents gave us, to our children. That legacy being living a Godly life. It was truly bittersweet. Many of those people have known me since my birth. None of them have known me less than a decade. They are all family. I sat there, trying my best not to cry, looking around the room and remembering different memories from each person I saw. I watched my children running around and playing and being hugged and loved on by various people. I was filled with joy and sadness. One second I'm thrilled to be leaving and starting a new chapter in our life book, but so sad to be leaving my church family and my actual family. Today the kids and I were at the park and I realize they didn't have any drink cups. So I knew my parents' house was just a short 5 minute drive, so we drove over there and they played while I talked to my brother and daddy. Spontaneous trips that like will be no more. It's odd to think "this time next week we will be in South Carolina". Or only _ more nights that we will be staying in this house. And that is like 3 more night currently. 3 more nights of staying in the house that we built. That's has been hitting me harder than I thought it would. But in a whole this whole moving this hasn't hit me yet. And I keep asking myself, "when is it going to finally hit me?" I wish it would already, so I can have a good cry and move on. I know our family will come up to visit and we will come home often (the kids and I are coming back for a week after we move up there.. lol) but it just won't be the same. Saying good-bye is never easy when you truly care and love the people you are leaving. I never thought we would be moving away or at least not this far. Maybe the town over or at the most an hour or so. But to be 5 hours away, it's something that this time last year wasn't even on our radar. And yet here we are. Preparing ourselves to move.. To say good-bye.

Answers to your "Nathan Update" questions

OK, so the doctor looked over Nathan's lump and said that it felt like scar tissue. He said he could actually pinch the whole lump. He said that it can take scar tissue any where from 3-6 months to disappear. He said if he were to go ahead and remove it Nathan would have a scar (he said unless what most doctors who aren't plastic surgeons believe, you can't hide a scar in the eyebrow, it will cause a bald area.. which is fine if that's what we have to do, but we also don't want to have any unnecessary surgeries if we don't have to). He said the fact that it hasn't gotten bigger from the time we first noticed it and has in fact gotten smaller gave him the conclusion that it's just scar tissue. Now if it grows at any point we are to call and he will get seen immediately. That's why he asked us to come back in 3 months.

Totally Random Post.. Brought to you by Sharpie

My head is totally spinning right now. If this is what feeling high is like then I didn't miss much.

Just got done making several "Yard Sale" signs. Kent's granny said I had neat hand writing. I can't help but laugh. I'm a south paw, so my hand writing is far from neat. My whole house smells like sharpie.

Speaking of being high.. I've never done drugs. Never. I was always afraid of getting caught and/or being one of those really stupid drug heads. Where when I got high I would think I had the ability to fly or play chicken with an 18-wheeler. I have never smoked or drank (beer, wine). Again just didn't want to get caught or be that really crazy drunk.

It's 10 days until we move. July 1 we are supposed to close on this house. I'm ready for it. I'm ready to have this house out of our hands. I mean I'll miss it. It was the first house we ever built or actually owned. We brought Nathan home from the hospital to this house. Zoey learned how to walk in this house. A lot of memories, but still I'm just ready to move on with things.

Kent and I have a date night planned for Saturday. Dinner and a movie. Transformers seems to be the movie of choice.. at least for my husband. I much rather see "My Sister's Keeper". I really want to read the book. I might have to pick that up while we are out and about. Saturday is also our yard sale. You know.. the one that I made signs for and thusly got spaced out on the Sharpie. That I still can smell over an hour later. We might have to let up some windows.

And look, my post has come full circle. My job here is done.

Nathan Update

The appointment went well today. The doctor determined that it wasn't a dermoid cyst. That in all likely hood it was scar tissue from one of Nathan's many bumps to the head. He said that since it wasn't getting bigger that it was probably that. He told us to watch it and if at anytime it looks to have grown to call and he will get us worked in ASAP. But if nothing happens and the lump remains the same we will go back in 3 months to schedule a surgery to have it removed. So it but my mind and heart to ease a bit. Now let's just pray it doesn't grow.

O'villers' Morning

We played walk the puppy. Today I was the "Mama puppy".

We threw rocks at the tree.

Played with the real puppy.

Did a little yard work. No work. No play.

Had a water gun fight. Or rather the kids ganged up
on the puppy and had a water gun fight.

Even Nathan got in on the action.

Climbed a tree.

Nathan more or less hung on to a tree. Not a lot of climbing going on.

Zoey struck a pose while climbing a tree.

Now we are in the cool A/C, had a snack and the kids are playing. I haven't any chores to do so I'm here, sharing our morning with you. Soon it will be lunch and nap. Then I will have to start pulling more stuff together for the yard sale we are having Saturday. I'm really not a big yard sale person. It seems like all the work you put into it doesn't really pay off in the end. But at least we will be getting rid of some of our stuff before we have to move it two states away. 11 days until we move.

I'm just going to say it.

I've been thinking about it since we got home from the beach. See, at the beach you are so preoccupied with having fun, applying sunscreen, building sandcastles, looking for crabs, eating crabs (rather watching other people eat crabs.. gross), reapplying sunscreen, talking walks on the beach, swimming in the pool, shopping, taking long naps, reapplying sunscreen, etc. to really think about anything else. But since coming back, all I can really think about is Nathan's up coming appointment to check out his lump over his eye. I try not to let my mind go there, I really do. But it's hard. I see that I have been clearly blessed with healthy children and then I think, "but are they really healthy?" I know, I know, I know.. "Give it to God. Pray." I have. I do. But I am human and my mind goes there. It goes to the place where everything isn't OK. Do you ever wonder if parents whose kids have been diagnosed with a horrible disease ever think, "but just yesterday s/he was just fine. Playing. Happy". I almost feel like I'm watching my life in front of me and I'm yelling at myself to "WATCH OUT!!! It's about to get rough!!" I know I have been given no reason to worry. The pediatrician even said he thought it was just a dermoid cyst. But still.. the thought is there. It's so scary to me that I can't even type it out. Please, just pray for Nathan. Pray that the lump is nothing. That it will be easily, successfully taken out and that will be that. I'm shaking even writing this. Pray for me. I just want my kids healthy. That's all. Nathan's appointment is Thursday at 2:30pm.

You asked, I'm answering: Pt. 2

From Tanya:
I also had another question...what is the best advice you can give regarding going from 2 kids to 3?? Hubby and I have debated having another, I would love one more esp trying for a girl.



Going from two to three was pretty hard for me. I guess because I was used to the way Jon Kent and Zoey did things together.. from the start. It was just easy. When Nathan came along it was harder. My advice would be to just plan, plan, plan. If you know you want another one go ahead and start figuring out how new routines would work. Granted you can't set anything in stone, because babies just don't care what kind of routine you have. But for a little part try to keep as much normalcy in your lives. Know that having 3 is more work. Duh, right? Well, I knew it would be more work, but the amount of more work is what shocked me. Know that when you have two kids you have two arms, but when that third one is born you don't sprout a new arm. You go from a man on man defense to more of a zone defense. But children are a blessing no matter what, so in the end the journey is worth more than you could ever imagine.

From D:
How did you come up with the kids names?What happened with the puppy you found?What is your favorite kind of music and who do you love to listen to?What food would you eat over and over again if you had no fear of gaining weight?

I basically knew that I wanted our first boy to be a Junior. Kent's name is actually Jonathan Kent and Jon Kent is obviously Jonathan Kent, Jr. How we got Jon Kent out of that is because my brother is Jon Paul and we thought it would be cool and different to name our first son Jon Kent. Zoey got her name from a show that came on PBS when I was in high school. But it was spelt Zoe. I wanted it to be clearly pronounced Zoey so I added the "y". Otherwise, someone at some point would call her "Zo". Nathan's name was a bit harder to come up with. Kent and I went through so many names it was ridiculous. So finally I wrote down Nathan and Kent said yes immediately. I was so relieved. Kent later pointed out that Nathan is a shorten version of JoNATHAN. Which I never noticed. So "technically" both of the boys are named after their daddy. Ego much? LOL

As for the puppy, yes he is still around and probably will be. I named him Bo. He took up with the in laws next door while we were on vacation and spends most of his time up there unless the kids are outside playing, then he is down here. Kent's dad really likes him and if no one calms him (he has a collar but no tags) then the dog will probably stay with them once we move.

I'm actually not a big music person. Never have been really. I mostly listen to music when working out (which I haven't done in a long time... eek!). I don't really have a certain area that I just listen to regular. When we are in the car we are listening to Veggie Tales or the Wiggles. During Christmas time I do love to pop in a Christmas CD or find a Christmas music station on the TV and listen to that.. does that count?

I would eat chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. And drink Sunkist. All.the.time.

Waterpark Fun

We spent all day at the water park. It was a lot of fun. The water park we went to is literally out in the middle of no where. In a middle of a cow pasture, basically. The place only has like 11 slides, but it was just perfect for the kids. They had an absolute blast. Nathan stayed at the great grands so we could focus solely on Jon Kent and Zoey. They loved every minute of it. We spent 6 fun filled hours of sliding, swimming, splashing, etc. It was just really fun. I didn't take any pictures but here is the site if you want to check it out. That one HUGE slide Kent and I went home and well.. it was nerve racking. I'm not as adventurous as I used to be, so I wasn't thrilled to plunge myself over a cliff and slide all around. But I did and I probably won't again.

You asked, I'm answering

If you still have a question you would like to ask feel free to leave a comment here or in my previous entry. So without further ado..

From Tanya:
OK since I totally admire your wife/mommy skills...can you please teach me how you keep calm and collected while dealing with 3 kids during the day and keeping your house clean? I am super obsessive about my house being clean and can't keep up with it plus my kids...

OK.. so firstly.. I have my moments (days!) where I am far from calm and collected. I get my feathers ruffled on more than one occasion throughout any given day and some days I feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew. I mean really, who has 3 kids in a matter of 3.5 years!?!? What I do though is I strive to stick to a routine. I think it makes things easier on the kids to know what to expect on any given day. The kids know that I am all for playing with them, doing crafts, etc. but there is a time in the morning where they have to play on their own (which I think is good and healthy for them). During that time I try to get some clothes washed, kitchen cleaned, etc. I also use nap time to get some heavy cleaning done. I'm also blessed to have family who take the kids in the afternoons for a couple hours. There are days though that the house work just has to go out the window. It's taken me over 4 years to come to terms with the fact that my house is a material thing, but the time with my kids is something sacred and will be gone far sooner than I would care to admit to. I still have my days where I think the house has to be perfect, but I ask myself which is more important.. the house or my kids and that usually puts things back into focus for me.

From Erin:
I've got one for you...So this one time I was driving through Alabama on my way to Florida... and this guy was selling "Boiled Peanuts" at a roadside stand.He looked a little road hard and put away wet... but very polite with thick southern charm.We bought some... and YUCK!I've talked to some southerners who LOVE them...What are boiled peanuts and why are they so appealing in the south?

I had to laugh when I read this. I LOVE me some boiled peanuts, but you are right some do taste nasty. I guess it really depends on who you buy them from. My favorite "homemade" boiled peanuts come from a place that is along side the road going toward Boaz, Alabama. They have some good ones. But my all time favorite boiled peanuts would come from a can. The brand name escapes me currently. They are really good. Salty, but good. To answer your question about "what are boiled peanuts" well.. they are peanuts.. hmm.. boiled. LOL. Really, I don't know how to make them as in the ingredients, etc. And I guess why I like them is more because of the memories attached to them. Like the road side ones my parents would always get us some on the way to shopping at the outlets in Boaz. The canned ones is because my best friend and I would eat them during sleep overs.

From Mary:
If you could change one thing about the last year(2008) what would it be? Why? ~Mary Happy Father's Day to Kent.

OK, I could be so cliche about this and say, "Oh there is nothing that I would change about last year. It all made me who I am today". And that would be total bull. I rarely believe anyone who says that. But for me, it would have to be the way I just was.. blah last summer. I felt since I had such a little baby that I couldn't get out and do stuff with the kids. It really made for a boring, uneventful summer. While we had some good days it wasn't the summer I wanted for them. Like the summer that we are so far having this time. I looked back at some pictures of the kids last summer and they didn't even have little tans. I would just make excuse after excuse as to why we had to stay inside and play. I was so afraid of getting out of the house, alone, with three kids in tow. I really regret that and wish it could have been different. But I did learn from that and have since just bitten the bullet. We will go out and have a good time and if it goes smoothly, great.. if it doesn't well.. there is always next time.

From Bridgett:
If you could spend an entire summer any place in the world, where would it be?Also...favorite season? Favorite color? FAvorite food? LOL

Hawaii!! Or maybe Ireland. I have always wanted to go there, since I'm part Irish. But totally would love to lay on a beach in Hawaii and just soak up the sun and relax. My favorite season is Fall following close in second is Summer. Favorite color.. depends. I like pink and purple, but love how red looks on me. Favorite food.. steak with potatoes. Like literally dipping my steak into mashed potatoes. Yummy!

From Brandi:
What is one thing that you like to do for yourself?

First off, I want to tell everyone that Brandi JUST had a baby boy 3 days ago. Go over and check out all his little baby cuteness!!
OK, I like to lay out. Not so much for the sun, but just for the peacefulness of it. I also like to surf the computer or take a long bath. OH and buy a new nail polish and paint my toes. Simple stuff really.

From Tiffany:
If you could live anywhere, where would that be?

This is a hard one. I really like the area we are fixing to be moving to. It has a lot of different activities for the kids to do, Kent and myself to do, for us to take visiting family to, etc. But I would still love to live on or near a beach. As long as the sand was pretty and the water was clear I would be happy there.

From Katie:
Hey Miss Em, you know you get more comments when you say people won't comment!!How much harder was it going from 1 kid to 2 and then from 2 to 3?

It was a BREEZE going from 1 to 2 kids. At least for me it was. With Jon Kent being so little and still such a baby himself when Zoey came along it wasn't hard readjusting to having a baby in the house. We were still in baby mode. But going from 2 to 3, that was harder for me. I guess because we had gotten to where we would just pick up and go. And each of us would take one and have things under control. But then when Nathan came along we were out numbered. There are still days, even now, that I feel overwhelmed with three and think to myself.. "What was I thinking!?!?". But I know things will even out eventually and we will be able to just pick up and go again. It does help that Jon Kent and Zoey are older now. They help with the little things, like getting a diaper or bringing me something I need while I'm tending to Nathan.

From Karen:
What kind of car do you drive?

I currently drive a 2003 Ford Expedition. I did have a 2004 Honda Element, which I LOVED, but it didn't have enough seating for 5. With the Expedition we can fit all three kids in the middle row and have the whole back opened for all our crap much needed things.

Well, that was fun for me.. was it for you? ;o) If there are any other questions you would like to ask feel free and I'll post them with answers later.

Free Post

So.. I'll probably get, like, two responses and that's OK.. but I thought I would have an "ask me anything" post. Just leave a comment asking me whatever you would like. I'll answer the question to the best of my ability. See? Fun for everyone.

And bonus, it will help me keep my mind off of moving away in 15 days. So ask away people!

Adventures in O'ville: Beach Edition

We are home. We are unpacked. We are tired. Or rather Kent and I are tired. The kids? Oh it's just right back to business as usual. Running, playing, having a good ole time.

We really did have a good time, minus the sunburns. Wednesday I had a weird day of just feeling like.. blah. It was really tired, my body ached, didn't have much of an appetite and had some chills. But by Thursday I was good to go.

The kids enjoyed the kiddie pool the condo had. They had much rather played in it all day than to stay on the beach. Jon Kent is not a fan of sand, at least on his hands. Zoey didn't really care either way, but she really liked going to the pool to "socialize" and Nathan.. well he didn't care where he was. He liked it all.

It was good to have one last beach get away before all the moving madness begins. That would be 2 weeks from today.

Adventures of Beach Bums

Well, we are on day 3 of our beach vacation. Kent's grandparents came down with us and stayed until today. They left around lunch. We have been having a good time for the most part. Kent got really sunburned yesterday. We had sunscreen on, but apparently he didn't reapply in time. My back is a little bit burned but nothing major. I think I missed a spot when putting mine on. The kids didn't get burned. I made sure to keep up with their applications. They have enjoyed themselves. We've done several things while here so far. Playing at Pier Park, beach activities, pool stuff, arcade games, eating, carnival games, go karts, etc. Lots of stuff going on for sure. Tomorrow is our last full day here. We hope to get some more beach time in since we really didn't get to enjoy it today. Enjoy the pictures.