Of course, as usual, I really messed up the sequence of all of these things....but just hang in there. First, last weekend we got to go to Jackson Lake with Jason's family. We had so much fun. The kids (especially Ella- she was surprisingly daring) LOVED this tube/float. She would love it as we would all get flopped around while Lincoln would cry and say he wanted to get back on the boat. Ella couldn't go fast enough on the wave runner either. Her favorite riding companion (besides Jason) was her cousin Megan because she always (and I have about ten pics to prove this) had her thumb up indicating that she wanted to go faster.

I had to put this picture on because it was just another one of those funny daddy moments. I was sleeping in (hey...it was my turn) and I got up just in time to bolt out the door to the lake. Jason let Ella dress herself (which I let her do with some guidance and discussion). She decided that proper lake attire would be her etnies with socks and long capris and a t-shirt. No Ella. Try a sun dress. Cute girl. She was so happy with herself. Jason claimed that he didn't see anything wrong with it. I am a nag, I know.

The other night we went upstairs just to check on the kids before we went to sleep and I immediately smelled something rank. Of course Jason didn't....my powerful nose doesn't let things go by. It was Quincy, stinky as ever and just sleeping through all his nastiness. So I got him up and this is how he was. Sleeping hard as a rock on my shoulder. This never happens. So precious. Wide mouthed and everything.

Then we saw lincoln asleep in his bed just.like.this. We have found him in some very weird sleeping positions. This one takes the cake.

The kids took swimming lessons this past week. A success.

Can't resist taking a million pictures of Quincy. He changes everyday. He is officially crawling. I have to say he was the slowest. He started trying at 6 months and now finally at 8.5 months he finally did it. I was saying for 2.5 months straight , "He's almost there." These pics are all of his attempts. Taken about two weeks ago I was quite entertained one afternoon just observing him. I tried to capture one moment in particular where he kept on putting his bum high up in the air and trying to lurch forward. He tried several times and then in defeat he laid flat on the floor, face to the ground. I barely missed the discouraging moment with the camera but was glad I took a moment to watch him. It was darling.

You know this position...they all do it.

Here we go way back to July 4th. We spent a really fun day at the Allred's riding four wheelers, swimming, riding horses, eating, and then Ben's friend, Danny, lit off a slew of fireworks that would have rivaled any city show. He lit them right over the Allred's lake.

The Peachtree City fourth of July parade with Hayden and Izzy- cousins.

This was our pre-fourth firework show taken mid June. These are Ella's pj's only- promise. And if anyone cares, I bought this little outfit in St. Thomas. There really wasn't a lot in this one market place. I thought they would be ok pj's. Little did I know it was a little belly shirt. Oh well. The girl can pull it off. :)

The cutest roundest bum ever. Even he has cellulite. Thank you Quincy for making me feel good about myself today.

Now we are really going back. All the way back to the week of June 11. It was the first of four weeks that I totally took advantage of the kind-hearted Christains around here and sent my kids off to the free Vacation Bible schools. My mom did the same thing- to all ELEVEN of us. Poor Dunwoody Baptist church. Anyway, we were on the VBS circuit. We hit everyone within a 20 mile radius. There were a few other familiar faces at all of them too, besides Cooper. Some other mothers look to VBS as an escape. I have to say we were all thrilled. They learned all about Bible things and sang cute outrageous songs about weird things while I got a break from 9-1 everyday for four weeks. Emily and I would switch off taking/picking up. It was perfect. This week's theme was "Saddle Ridge". Ella wore her cowgirl boots everyday. And at every VBS, at the end of the week they would have a performance on Friday night for the parents where the kids would sing all the songs they learned. That's what the above picture is. I think it's funny because Ella is of course doing exactly what she is supposed to be doing and singing with exuberance while Lincoln is looking bored and mischevious as ever and practically pushing his neighbor off the stage and then our friend Maggie from our ward (on his right) is giving him the "pay attention look". So funny and totally characteristic of these three buddies.

A few tender mercies

Most the time tender mercies come to me in small moments. Moments that most would consider insignificant. But really, they are the most significant. These moments are rare becasue they are soft and tender. So unlike the chaaotic and busy world we live in. I am so grateful for these tender moments in which I remember the most important things.

Moment number 1: I have recently had the most intense ache for Quincy. For him to be a newborn again. For him to stop growing. I remember my dad was talking about addictions one night....there had been a fireside on that very topic and he was discussing the things he had learned. He mentioned that there is a certain hormone that is released when you partake of certain addictive things...thus pulling you toward that addicitive thing again. That hormone is the very hormone that is released when a mother gives birth and the result is the instant "motherly bond/connection". I felt that automatically for Quincy. I felt an insatiable appetite for his sweet smell and for his cuddly body. This week especially I have wanted to wake him up and hold him in teh middle of the night. I am so lucky to be able to feel that way and to be reminded of the important things...

like this important thing....

Moment number 2: I was profoundly grateful for my husband this week and that feeling came in such a small moment that I am sure he didn't even realize it. I was crying and aching emotionally. My husband stopped what he was doing and simply held me and told me I was his best friend and expressed his love for me. Nothing compares to that. I am so lucky to be able to feel that way and to be reminded of the important things...

like this important thing....

Moment number 3: This past fourth of July luckily landed on a Sunday....a fast Sunday. I was able to bear my testimony of the great principles that this nation was founded upon and the inspiring men who founded it at a great cost. And the brave men who protect our freedom presently. I am so lucky to be able to feel that way and to be reminded of the important things...

like this imortant thing....

And people think I am blunt

I have serious foot in mouth disease. Always saying the wrong thing or WAY too much. Some people love me for it and some people hate me for it. Whatever the consensus is- its probably not changing any time soon. Goal 2000-2030: Stop foot in mouth disease. Anyway, I have had two recent experiences at the gym that have led me to believe that there is hope for me. There are people out there worse than I! Just on a side-note- both of these experiences happened with black males. It led me to wonder if that culture in general is more "out there" with their information.

Experience One: Several weeks ago I was running on the treadmill. This really nice black guy just happens to always be on the treadmill the same time I am. I usually run two-three times a week and he walks everyday. At the time I was training for a half marathon and so i was on a long run and was working on running seven miles that day. We don't really know each others names, but we are "gym friends"- we know each others' faces. So I am running and almost to the end of my seven miler and it DOES seem like an eternity to me and apparently to him too. He turns to me and asks a question. He had to ask me several times because I would've sworn I heard him wrong. After all, I had one ear bud in and the noise of the treadmill and gym music was bombarding my available ear. There was no way he was asking me what I THOUGHT he was asking which was: "Does running like that give you the craps?". After the third time of saying, "What?" I finally chopped it up to bad hearing and just laughed and said, "sort of". The answer that can satisfy a lot of questions. Then I was reassured that I had heard him correctly when he went into describing that he gets the runs when he runs. *** I am thinking: Really? Are we that good of friends to be sharing that kind of information.

Experience two: This experience happened today which reminded me of the above experience. I am in cycling today at the gym. I have just gotten back into it because I was training for several weeks. It's an hour long, very intense, very hot, and to add insult to injury, I had gone on Tuesday too. Those fellow cyclers out there can probably guess what part of my body was hurting from this bi-weekly regimen. My butt. Anyway, about 3/4 of the way through I was just adjusting like crazy and must have shown my discomfort in my face. I am good friends with the instructor so she said, "What's wrong?". I told her my butt hurts. You know you can say those things in a cycling class because EVERYONE can relate. I look around and everyone nods their head and laughs a little. I endure and thankfully class ends with my rear in tact. I am walking out not with but next to another gym acquaintance. Again, we are "gym friends". No names are known. He says to me, "You know that I do when my butt hurts after cycling? I put Vaseline on it and then let it air out- I walk around naked." First of all, its not that kind of pain. It is bone pain. Who shares those kinds of things with someone that is nameless????

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

We just got around to celebrating Father's day today. I was in Minnesota with my mom for the actual day but don't you fret...his mom spoiled him rotten. I gave him a gift that day but wanted to make him a special dinner and his favorite cake and treat him like a king. Happy Father's Day!!!!!!

PS- His favorite cake is a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting that Emily posted on the Jewkes Family recipe blog (look to the left for link). It is so delicious.

I have so much to blog about....but for now....here is this.
My sweet sweet angel Quincy who now loves to sit up while he bathes and loves to splash around. He doesn't even mind getting water in his eyes which shockingly my 4 and 5 year old think is the END.OF.THE.WORLD.

This past week my mom, Quincy, and I journeyed to Minnesota so my mom could get a cochlear implant. First let me just say that the weather was so pleasant i didn't want to come back. Last time I was there it was February and the weather was arctic. This was perfect- mid 70's and 80's. SO nice. On to more important things....Mom got her implant on Friday. The actual surgery went really well. A rather small incision behind her ear. They put an implant in her ear that extends out to a magnet that is behind her ear in between the skull and muscle. We focused on healing from that for a couple days. This picture is the day of the surgery. Have you even seen someone so beautiful right off of the operating table? Mom is so graceful and beautiful. SO then on Monday and Tuesday we had appointments that programmed the trasmitter that connects on the outside of her head. Mom is so brave to go on this journey. She essentially has to learn to hear all over again because the sounds are very different. What a task!

Happy fourth Birthday Link! THAT'S IT UNFORTUNATELY. I just deleted 155 pictures from very important events such as my bro's and sis's wedding, link's b-day, ella's pre-k graduation, our trip to UT, etc. Sick. I am sick.

Lately

First things first. Congrats to my brother-in-laws (Jason's brothers) who BOTH graduated from the Medical College of Georgia's School of Dentistry two weekends ago. It was so inspiring and I commend them for all of their hard work. I can't help but imagine us there in a few years....hopefully graduating! :) You can do it honey! Bo and Ben will be practicing here locally at my father-in-law's offices. Ben will actually be our neighbor!
If this picture is blurry it was because I was laughing hysterically when I took it. This morning I took my mom to the airport at 6:30am. Jason got Ella ready for school. It was beach day at school and so I set out Ella's bermuda shorts and shirt. I guess I should've set out the brush too. Oh and the shoes. Jason put them with Ella's pink patent leather church shoes. Funny funny. I completely forgot to take out her hair last night. She went swimming yesterday and I am not afriad to admit I bathe my kids every other day unless an unusual amount of dirt has incurred. Anyway, so this hair do was from Thursday and this pic was taken on Friday after school. Jason took her to school like this. Wow. What a sight for sore eyes. Her teachers were laughing with me when I picked her up .They both said they knew I was not home! At least they knew that. Am I embarrassed? A tiny bit? But mostly amused. Jason was so sweet to do that but there's nothing like a mother's touch, right?

Yum. I threw some things together on Thursday night for dinner (we had the missionaries over).I got really creative and called it "Strawberry Shortcake Surprise". I know, an groundbreaking name. Anyway...I just had some pre-made, pre-sliced angel foodcake and I just put one piece down and then slather it with the following mixture:
Mix 1/2 stick (so 4oz) of cream cheese
1/2 c. pwd. sugar with electric mizer. After thoroughly mixed, miz in 4 oz. of fruity yogurt.
Then fold in 16 oz. coolwhip. Top with another dollop pf mixture and then add berries. YUM.

I have been meaning to blog about this for about two months now. Jason made this book shelf this winter. Isn't it amazing. Seriously. He spent hours.

He even did these little notches by hand. I cannot imagine having the patience to do that kind of wood working.

This is Ella's Thursday outfit. It was backwards day.I thought she looked adorable. Her worried of everyone laughing at her overwhelmed her though and her teacher took of her "face" around breakfast. (Yes, they serve breakfast at her school. Wild, huh?)
Now on to my treasures that I found garage selling....my favorite thing to do. I now have stuff piled up everywhere and an eternal list of projects.I found this cute little brown finial thing for a dollar. Goes perfectly on top of my piano. Perfect.



This jute rug is heaven. I love the color and it is unlike any other jute rug I have ever seen. It is actually soft and comfy. So my husband- who's favorite place to be is on the floor during a movie much to my chagrin- can be perfectly comfy. Thirty dollars. Steal of the day. It is really high quality and soft and HUGE. Notice the boots right next to the rug? I scored a TON of hardly used clothes and shoes for my kids. Only the best shape and great brands. And I got about 15 "Value teaching" movies for a quarter.

This table is a real antique. The lady who sold it to me was telling me all about it's history. Her great great grandpa made. It is traveling writing desk that was taken everywhere by the pilgrims. It actually folds up. It's great. I wish I could've downloaded the pic of the cute sides but the comp. was not cooperating. She wanted 50 but I asked if I could pay 30. SCORE!
See my jar collection on top of my hutch? Love the green ONE. But notice I only have ONE green one. Story to be continued......
Again, emphasis on the ONE green one.
Pillows to be refinished. I actually really like the green and grey one. The green one is very cute and girly and would go really well in Ella's room. I think they were both a quarter. Who cares if I never even use them for that price! I plan to though.
This is beautiful green bottle/jar/whatever to go on top and join the other lone green one. I say whatever because I am not sure what it is. It's pretty and unique and I LIKEY!
This brown chair is another favorite find. SOOOOO much character. 5 bucks. Have no where to put it, but I love it. And the gold feminine chair I have great plans for it. ELla has this cute little white wood vanity that I got about a year ago garage saling for ten bucks. I have been looking for an appropriate chair for that long. This beauty painted white and with a cute funky pillow is a dream.
Unique and interesting. To go in the guest bedroom as decor. Not sure whether to hang it or just put it in the corner.
Awesome little frames. I love them. I plane to do a whole little corner in Ella's room with funky colored painted frames. These two are perfect to add drama and dimension. I actually really like the pics inside too. Twenty five cents ea. There is a lady in our ward who gets things that have fallen off semi trucks thathave damaged packages but the product is not damaged. So she brought thisKing Arthur white and wheat flour to church to share. FREE. When our AC went out last weekend the AC guy came into my house to find this and my green jar sitting next to it. They both looked very suspicious and he prodded me to tell him what it all was. Lets just say he didn't think we were obeying the word of wisdom. Not that he knows what that is....but...you get what I am saying, right? He thought the green jar was a bong and we all know what this flour wrapped up in saran looks like. Funny times.

Money Can't Buy This....

Jason gave the perfect gift/s for Mother's Day. You tell me if you agree:

1. Sleeping in
2. NOT getting ONE kid ready for church or even feeding them
3. Not packing the church bag
4. Breakfast in bed(with hot BB muffins) and then going back to sleep
5. Not taking Quincy to YW with me and actually being able to listen to an awesome lesson on temple marriages. Oh, and giving my two cents which really ended up being more like 2 dollars since I ALWAYS contribute too much.
6. Not taking one kids out during sacrament.
7. Not taking the kids to the bathroom in sacrament. (This meant I actually got to listen)
8. Not cooking lunch or cleaning up after
9. Not putting the kids down for a nap but only putting myself down for a nap
10. Not getting up ONCE during that three hour nap to do one of the following: put Q's binky in, tell the kids to get back in their room, wipe their bums, or tall them to press play AGAIN on their DVD player.
11. Not cooking dinner or fixing the kids plates or cleaning up after dinner.

I am sure there are lots of things I forgot that Jason did with a huge smile on face. Money cannot buy this kind of present. And at the end of the day when he apologized for hnot getting something monetary, I scoffed. A day off is the best kind of present ever. And it was very funny to watch FOUR men (Dad, Jake, Jordan and Jason) cook dinner with all the kids running around them. We didn't lift a finger. It was comical. THANK YOU SWEETHEART!!!!

PS- The icing on the cake for me is 1-having such an amazing (truly) mommy and being surrounded by so many inspirational mothers. Not to be trite- but it's true. 2- Also, I laughed hysterically when Ella asked me after giving me breakfast in bed, "Mommy, is Mother's Day when you get to lay in bed all day and we bring you stuff?". ALAS!!! An improvement to be made upon this year's celebrations. Next year I will lay in bed all day. Thank you for giving me this revelation Ella 3- Having such exciting kids (I hesitate to use the word perfect because my kids are just normal kids, but they do bring lots of excitement into my life). And when Ella said the prayer for our lunch and said this: "Thank you Heavenly Father that Grandma could stop going on trips so we can give her hugs" it made my heart swell with pride.

My New Life

My New Life
I cried through this whole inspirational video clip. I have followed her blog for a while now. If you think your life is hard at any moment, you can take one hard look at her and her perspective and your hope in life and will be renewed. It's moments like these that I realize why the internet is such a blessing - to share our testimonies of Christ.

Do not judge me. Quincy is in no sort of pain. He laughed after each face I made. He looks like the cutest bulldog ever.
Jason had a little bug this past week. This is him "recovering".

Can't resist this adorable face.
My little friend. This was not my friend the first time I stumbled on him- really, ON him. Jason casually asks me to water his newly planted plants. "Sure", I innocently say. Oh- if I only knew what was waiting for me. I reached out to turn on the faucet and practically stepped on this little fellow. I screamed and basically refused to water Jason's plants. They are HIS. I want no part of them if it means encountering this snake. Finally- after learning that this snake (and it's friend- YES WE HAVE TWO) is harmless and would actually eat any poisonous snakes- we made a truce and are friends.