A confession....

My brother Everett took Brandon and I to the movies to see Avatar on Friday night. This post isn't about Avatar, although I will say.....YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE!! I was speechless! To me it's what the Garden of Eden must have looked like!

Anyways.....we all met at my Mom's house to drop Emerson off and so Everett could ride with us. We piled in the van and headed to get something to eat before the movie. As we were driving we somehow got on the conversation of accidents we had been in over the years. I told them about the time I was rear-ended(nothing serious, didn't leave a scratch) and that the guy had flipped me off! Then Everett started in on the confession and it went something like this.....

Everett: One time I was driving to school and I rear-ended someone and didn't stop!

Me: EVERETT!!! What and how did this happen?

Everett: Well I was driving down Rt 30 running late to school and I was in the middle of switching lanes and the guy in front of me slammed on his breaks and I hit him with the front side of my bumper! And then I just sped off!

Me: Oh Ev! Do you think he knew you hit him?

Everett: Uh yea. It lifted his back end of his truck off the ground!

Me: Oh good grief....(laughter and heckling from Brandon & myself)

----BRIEF PAUSE----

Everett: But you wanna know the really funny part......

Me: Yea...what?

Everett: It was in your car!!!!!!!!! Remember when I borrowed it when I was still in high school for a week! I was soo scared but I checked and there was no damage sooo........

Me: WHAT????? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!

I nearly peed my pants from laughing so hard! I know longer have that car, so when I told the dealer where I traded it in that it had never been in an accident.......

:)

Pure Joy

We went to Target yesterday to use a gift card that my Nanny gave Emerson for Christmas. He is really starting to like Elmo, so we picked up a plush Elmo for him. He held Elmo like this the whole way through the store, smiling with pure joy the entire time. I love him!

Holy Wind Batman!!!

Last night we had a wicked storm. The wind kept me up most of the night! Sounded so creepy!! We have a ton of trees around our house so I am always nervous of storms with a lot of wind. And with good reason......

These were the trees by our shed yesterday.....

And these are the trees today!

YIKES! Two huge trees totally uprooted and down! Praise God they fell the opposite direction of our shed!! Brandon and I kinda just looked at each other like, "What the heck do we do with that?!"

Just another adventure thrown into the mix!!

Major Spring Fever Today.....

THE BIG ONE!!!

Emerson is turning one on 2/12! I can't tell you how excited I am....excited yet a little sad. Can't believe that it's been a year already.....feels like yesterday I was huge and pregnant and so excited just to meet the little person inside of me. Having a child has been the most amzing journey. And now I get to plan his PARTY!!! I was just going to have a small family party, but who am I kidding.....it's getting big!!! We have decided on a Dog themed party. Dog was his first official word besides Mama and Dada. He loves dogs, everything is 'dog, dog, dog'!

So we are having the big Dog 1st year birthday party at our church. Check out the cake I am going to try to make just for him to smash and smear all over!!

Then my sister and I are going to make these little pup-cakes (get it cup-cakes - he he) for everyone else! Oh I can't wait...I know he won't remember, but there will be pictures and he will know that this was his special day!

Are we still friends?

hmmm.....soooo.....awkward pause.....deep breath.....I'M SO SORRY I FELL OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!!!! I mean...Hi Friends!!!

Blog is back in action...and I mean it this time! :) Life and holidays got the best of me! I 'met' a 'new' friend who blogs and told me I need to start again! AND DANG IT, she was right!! Hope all is well in your lives! I look forward to reading your blogs again and catching up! Here is a quick recap, and I must keep this short tonight as I promised an 8 year old we would play a game before bedtime!

~Emerson is 11 months old and I just started planning his 1 year b-day party!!

~My sister had her baby, Jack who is almost 3 months old! I will definitely post on this new love of mine!

~We are doing house renovations...AGAIN!!!

~My sister Ashley is getting married....in 7 months!!!

~God has provided time and time again, financially, physically, and spiritually! OUR ROCK!

~Joined some new Mom groups which I love!

~ Oh gosh, sooo much more.......I'll start again tomorrow!

Here is a pic of Emerson....he is starting to walk!

Happy October Friends!

Been so long since I've checked in! Times flies, what can I say? Emerson is huge! 8 and a half months old already! Crawling, pulling himself up, "walking" on his Leap Frog walker, has 2 teeth, says 'Mam Mam' and 'DaDa', belly laughs like it's his job. We are so blessed with such a happy baby! SMILES ALL TIME!

Life has been good to us! Brandon has had a lot of OT at work, which is totally a blessing for this one income family! He is leaving me tomorrow(ugh that sounds horrid) to fly to Reno, NV to help his best friend move back to PA! They are driving back together....40 hours in a truck together! :) He's a good friend! He is excited to have his buddy back!

Branson is doing well! Month and a half into school and he has not gotten one cold or a flu! A miracle in my opinion. He is doing really well in spelling! Four 100%'s in a row on tests!! He was brought to tears when we told him that we would be studying every Thursday night for Friday tests! Oh the stress's of a 2nd grader!

I am doing well. I started teaching a class at church again. It is call DC4K (Divorce Care 4 Kids), which is basically a fun support group/class for kids 5-12. I love it! The kids are precious and so many are hurting and it's great to take my life lessons as a child of divorce and put them to a good purpose! I am loving being a stay at home mom! I am daily reminded how blessed and fortunate we are to be able to do this! God has provided abundantly! No, I don't go shopping and I can't remember the last time Brandon and I went to a movie, but we have all we need, bills are paid and food is on the table every day! I am also getting so excited for my sister's baby to arrive! Due date is 11/19 and I can't wait to meet my first niece or nephew!

Well, there's a small update on US. Nice to be back!

Wordless Wednesday

Yes, those are Pooh Bear slippers and Yes, they have to be the most ridiculous thing for a baby, but THEY ARE SOO CUTE!

What's in a nickname?

Emerson is only 7 and a half months old and my family has already bestowed upon him a handful of nicknames. I love them and they are quite fitting!

Aunt Bekah has two for him. Both after animal characters in cartoons.

Franklin - I love this one - as it is Emerson's middle name and the fact that Franklin the Turtle is cutest show. The show is on the Noggin channel and it's so cute.



The second one, I'm not so sure about, I mean it's a cute name, and it fits Emerson somehow, but.....it's after a rat....Templeton, from Charlotte's Web, you know the gluttonous one......oh my....still to be decided.

My Mom, Emerson's Marmie, calls him 'The Freshness'! Sounds sassy and royal! And sassy fits Emerson! :)

Yea, SASSY!

I call him 'Bubbers'. Don't know why, or how, but I just started calling him my bubbers and it's stuck!

Daddy calls him Mr. E. Which he thinks is cute because we did not find out the sex when we were preggers, so Emerson was a 'mystery' or 'Mr. E!'

Oh yea.....last and yea...Least, Uncle Everett thought MRSA sounded liked a good shortened version of Emerson. We squashed that one right away!

What do you think?

I am the woman at the well.

And this is why I love Jesus with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.

A modern day monologue. John 4.

by Chris Kinley & Drew Francis

I am a woman of no distinction

of little importance.

I am a women of no reputation

save that which is bad.

You whisper as I pass by

and cast judgmental glances,

Though you don’t really take the time to look at me,

Or even get to know me.

For to be known is to be loved,

And to be loved is to be known.

Otherwise what’s the point in doing

either one of them in the first place?

I WANT TO BE KNOWN.

I want someone to look at my face

And not just see two eyes, a nose,

a mouth and two ears;

But to see all that I am,

and could be

all my hopes, loves and fears.

But that’s too much to hope for,

to wish for,or pray for

So I don’t, not anymore.

Now I keep to myself

And by that I mean the pain

that keeps me in my own private jail

The pain that’s brought me here

at midday to this well.

To ask for a drink is no big request

but to ask it of me?

A woman unclean, ashamed,

Used and abused

An outcast, a failure

a disappointment, a sinner.

No drink passing from these hands

to your lips could ever be refreshing

Only condemning, as I’m sure you condemn me now

But you don't.

You’re a man of no distinction;

Though of the utmost importance.

A man with little reputation, at least so far.

You whisper and tell me to my face

what all those glances have been about, and

You take the time to really look at me.

But don’t need to get to know me.

For to be known is to be loved and

To be loved is to be known.

And you know me.

You actually know me;

all of me and everything about me.

Every thought inside and hair on top of my head;

Every hurt stored up, every hope, every dread.

My past and my future, all I am and could be.

You tell me everything,you tell me about me!

And that which is spoken by another

would bring hate and condemnation.

Coming from you brings love, grace,

mercy, hope and salvation.

I’ve heard of one to come

who could save a wretch like me

And here in my presence, you say

I AM He.

To be known is to be loved;

And to be loved is to be known.

And I just met you.

But I love you.

I don’t know you,

but I want to get to.

Let me run back to town

this is way to much for just me.

There are others: brothers,

sisters, lovers, haters.

The good and the bad, sinners and saints

who should hear what you’ve told me;

who should see what you’ve shown me;

who should taste what you gave me;

who should feel how you forgave me.

For to be known is to be loved;

And to be loved is to be known.

And they all need this, too.

We all do

Need it for our own.