Last post today, I promise!

I thought I would post some pictures to go with the trip reports. I will try to include those in the same post from now on... but anyway, here they are:

He's so cute.

So is she.

Sweet Jackson and a delicious baby girl in the background.

Keep in mind, the camera adds 10 pounds.

My sweet boy in a big boy bed (sniff, sniff!)

Day TWO!

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but it is just funny and I don't want to wait. This morning, as we were heading out, we really didn't have a plan of action. We had to find a Wachovia so we could make a deposit, so that was first on the agenda. We took care of that and decided to head to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

When we first got there, a guy came up to us asking if we wanted to audition for American Idol. I laughed and pointed to Brad. Brad just shook his head no, and kept walking. I turned around and said to the guy working there that Brad is a music guy and he would be great. So the guy kind of followed us trying to talk Brad into it. He told us that he, himself, was a music director (really? Then why you workin at Disney, big guy?) and a lot of worship pastors come through and audition for fun. So, Brad said fine, he would do it. What was funny was the lovely shade of red his face had turned at this point. It is funny to me someone who performs in front of 400 people every week was all of a sudden "shy". Anyway, he took his ticket and we headed over to the audition area. Of course, I teased him the whole way. So we get there and he goes in. Lord what I would have done to have been in there. The kids and I park the stroller and wait for him to return. After a few minutes, it really wasn't long at all, he comes out. He said they told him that he "was too classically trained". I asked him what he sang, he said Amazing Grace. I am not sure why, but I thought it was hysterical. I asked him if they really told him that or did he get the "this is a pen, not a magic wand" comment. I would have needed oxygen from laughing so hard if he had of gotten the "I'm going to Hollywood ticket".

Otherwise, Hollywood Studios (forever MGM to me) sucked. A few things were closed, so there were long waits for everything else we did. Then it *poured*. So we left early and came back to the house to relax. That part of the day was awesome. Everyone slept but me and it was so nice and quiet.

Tonight we got Red Lobster take out. When I called to place the order I told the guy that I have never had crab legs before, but I wanted to try them. I asked him how I would eat them without a cracker dohicky. He told me he would give me one when I got there. So we pick the food up and come home - and sure enough, he put one of their nice metal cracker dohickies in the bag. Haha. It was funny. The crab legs were pretty good, but messy. A little too much work for me - and I felt like when I was done, I needed a shower. So, next time, I will probably stick to shrimp, which is too bad now that I have my very own nice cracker dohicky. It was fun to freak the kids out though, I think they had visions of Mr. Crab from Spongebob and were completely grossed out.

So that is day two. I realize I am not a good story teller - if you made it this far, thank you. haha!

We're here!!! Trip Report Number ONE!

Well, we are here. Praise the Lord! Actually, the trip down was totally uneventful. The kids were great. Seriously, 10+ hours in the car didn't phase them. They did ask, I don't know, about a katrillion times how much longer, but other than that, they were perfect.

So we got here yesterday afternoon and went straight to Epcot. We messed around for a while waiting for our return fast pass time to ride Test Track. When it was our time, we headed over very excited to ride! Funny thing, I decided to take my three year old sissy pants on it with me. Last year, she *wept* because she wasn't tall enough. So this year, we were so excited because she grew like 12 inches. Ok, not really, but it seemed that way. For those of you that haven't riden it, it is a "car" that puts you through a series of "tests", like they do real cars. So it is a little bumpy and a little fast and a lot of fun. Well, sissy pants was fine for the most part until the very end. At the end of the ride, your "car" goes outside on this "rode" type thing and you fly! They have the MPH thing that tells you that you are going like 60MPH or so. It is awesome. Anyway, that is when the screaming began. It didn't stop. For a long time. While Brad and Jackson rode, I had to take sissy pants to the store and buy her a toy to get her to finally stop streaming. Keep in mind that the ride is just fast - there are no loops, or drops. We actually drove 20 MPH faster in our real car to get to Disney, yet on this ride, she felt the need to stream.

Afterward Test Track, we went to do the new Kim Possible thing. They give you a "Kimmunicator" which looks exactly like a real cell phone. It communicates to you your "mission". You follow the instructions around the countries - it was fun! It is kind of like a scavenger hunt. Jackson *loved* it, and wanted to do another mission immediately. It was really time to go though, so we talked him into leaving by telling him we were going to our "hotel", which really isn't a hotel at all, but a house. They still call it a hotel for some reason though.

So, we left, got dinner and checked into our house. The house is awesome! It is four bedrooms, lots of space and a rockin heated pool and jacuzzi! It is great. We settled in and got ready for bed. It was at that moment that we realized our baby didn't have a crib. So I took one of the bedrooms apart literally. I moved some furniture and put the mattress on the floor. I layed down with him until he fell asleep. He did great! Maybe he is ready for his big boy bed when we get home. He is napping in there now, again no problems. So... we may have hit a milestone this week!

I will post another update in a bit. It is a good one... I am still laughing thinking about it!

I Got an Award...

Nanny, nanny, boo, boo. Actually I really have no idea what it means to get an award. But here they are!




AND







I am just going to cut and paste from Meredith at 24 Hours - the giver of said awards. I hope she doesn't mind. And btw, thanks Meredith!


Here are the rules for these awards:


a) List 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
b) Pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.


Coming up with 10 things are going to be a stretch, but I will give it a whirl. I can't promise they will be interesting.


1) I used to be a New Kids on the Block groupie. I mean for real groupie. I basically stole my dad's car and followed their tour bus. I did this on and off for a couple of years. I (obviously) met all the guys and spent the most time with Donnie and Danny. It was a great experience. I had the time of my life. Honestly, when I heard they are touring again, it was all I could do to not pack my bags, jump in my mini van, and follow them again. Then like a second passed, one of my kids laughed in the background and brought me back to Earth. I still love Donnie Wahlberg though.


2) I have been thinking about giving up TV. Completely. It is just trash and it is a distraction in my life. I have started turning it off during the day for everyone. When Brad leaves for work, it gets turned off. The kids can turn it on at 4:30 to watch their favorite show, then they turn it back off. I really like it being off. And I think it would be awesome for it to be off all the time.


3)I am ready to move again. This time, out of NC. I am ready to go home. I think Brad is too. I don't think we will move anytime soon, but when we do, it will be to Charleston I think. Home is just where we belong.


4) Gosh, I am only on number four? Jeez. I think I have perfected Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha at home. I got an espresso machine for Christmas, and with trial and error, I think I have it mastered. It is close enough that now when I go to a town that actually has a Starbucks, I don't feel the need to go. Great. So my once a month treat, is now a daily occurrence. All 600 calories.


5) I am thinking about taking piano lessons. Jackson will be taking them in the fall, and I might join him. Why not? I have a nice new piano (thanks Papa Jim!) and a completely convenient live in piano teacher. So, I might give it a whirl.


6) I have severe self image issues. I think everything is wrong with the way I look. One time I saw an Oprah episode about that. Those women didn't want to leave their house because they thought they were hideous. I am not that bad, but I do understand where those ladies are coming from. I always feel like people are looking at my imperfections - and I have A LOT. I am very self conscious.


7) I also have severe issues with envy. Although I am not sure that is the right word. I don't envy material things - I envy they *way* people are. Like everyone's house is cleaner, they are better parents, better at time management, etc... I feel like I just am never on top of things and everyone else is.


8) I love long hair on guys and facial hair. Always have. My husband is hotter to me now than he has ever been - his hair is long and he has a goatee (minus the mustache). He is very handsome. It amazes me how different he looks now versus when we got married.


9) I am a stalker. I stalk people on the internet, and honestly, I have been known to stalk people in real life. Only old boyfriends, so don't be worried that I may stalk you. I wont. But I used to be a pretty good stalker back in the day, just ask Haley.


10) I wish that I had of named my little girl Juliette. I now love that name, and it is so close to what I actually named her. I wonder if I could change it and it not be a big deal? I wouldn't but I have thought about it.


I am supposed to pass these awards along to other deserving blogs. I fully intend to do this, but it is 1am and I have to go to bed. Stay tuned for who I will pass the awards on to...


Also, if there are grammatical errors, sorry. I am not proof reading. I am WAY to tired tonight. Just over look them! Thanks!

Our Trip Itinerary

We leave in 5 days! WOO HOO! I thought I would post our itinerary to share (for you Janna), but more so to organize myself. If you could not care less, do not read any further!

Tuesday: Feed the kids lunch and get on the road. Head to Savannah to have dinner with the in-laws. After dinner, we will head to Jacksonville to spend the night with Stacey and Matt.

Wednesday: Get up early and head to Orlando. When we get there, we will grab a quick lunch, then head to EPCOT! We will spend the rest of the day there. Then we will go check into the house we rented.

Thursday: Universal Studios.

Friday: Islands of Adventure. We will leave there around 3 to head back to the house to meet my parents! After we get them settled and visit for a bit, Brad and I are going on a date! We are going back to EPCOT to do grown up stuff! We are going to take our time seeing the countries, and just hang out. After that we are taking the monorail over to the Polynesian and are having dinner at 'Ohana.

Saturday: MY BIRTHDAY! We are getting up early and going to have breakfast at Chef Mickey's. The kids will really enjoy that - Mickey Mouse will be there! Then we are heading to Magic Kingdom. This trip we are trying something new. At 2, my mom, Julie and myself are taking the monorail over to the Grand Floridian for afternoon tea. Julianna is going to love it! Afterwards, we will head back to MG to pick up the boys and head back to the house for the evening. We will probably swim in the pool and just hang out.

Sunday: Animal Kingdom

Monday: Hollywood Studios (it will always be MGM to me).

Tuesday: EPCOT

Wednesday: My parents leave :( We will probably head back to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure

Thursday: Magic Kingdom

Friday: We are checking out. We have a lunch ressie at the new restaurant Downtown Disney called T-Rex! Can't wait. We will spend sometime hanging out, shopping. Then head back to Savannah.

Saturday: Head home!

So that is our plans. I thought about doing trip reports. We will see. I am so excited I could explode!

Aww... I could cry!

Years and years ago my husband (back when he was romantic) wrote me a song. We were just dating at the time. I don't really remember how he gave it to me, or what the circumstances were, but I remember the sweetness of the gesture. I asked Brad if he remembered the occasion, and he said no. We are so sentimental, huh? Anyway, about a year after we were dating, we moved to Texas. We got married there, lived there for a while, then moved to NC. We were in NC for a like two weeks, moved again. Three months later, what did we do? That's right, we moved. So, I don't know, like 10 moves later - I couldn't find that sweet song. He had written it on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. It never occurred to me or him to put it on the computer and save it to a disk (a floppy no less). I have looked and looked for that envelope. For years. Also during that time, I lost our marriage license. I was sure that they were together - somewhere. It was like a little black cloud every time I remembered they were missing. How could I be such a horrible wife? Not only did I lose the one romantic gesture my sweet husband ever done for me, I lost our marriage license. How do you lose that? I was so afraid that they ended up in the trash somehow.

Ok, so fast forward to late 2008. I was organizing all of our photo albums (like eleventy bajillion of them) and I stumbled across a memory box type thing. Inside was our marriage license!!! I was so very excited! I began tearing through that box knowing I would find my song. I didn't. I thought, I could replace the license, but I could never replace that song handwritten on a sheet of notebook paper. Sadness washed over me. I really felt then that it just got thrown away.

Bare with me, I know I am dragging this out. Sorry. Anyway, so for the last few days, I have vowed that I was going to clean out our book shelves in the corner of our den. Today was the day - I meant business. So I get pull up a chair and start the process. When I pulled out one of my old nursing books, a few *old* pictures fell. I thought, gosh wonder what those are doing in there?? Then I got to thinking, if I stored things like that in this particular book, what treasures were stored in the many other books? Curious, I pull out all the books and flipped through them. Honestly, I wasn't even thinking about the song. I guess I had really given up hope of ever finding it. So I am flipping through the third book and guess what was in there? My sweet, sweet song. Perfectly stored, tucked away in that Renoir book for 10 years. I ran to show Brad that I wasn't quite the stone cold hearted wife he thought I was! I guess if I had known then that it was going to be the last romantic thing he ever done, I might would have been more careful! hahaha! I am just kidding!

So I immediately scanned it and my marriage license to save on my hard drive. I am also going to type the words up, and save the song that way too. Funny thing, Brad nor I could ever remember if we got married on the 2nd or the 3rd. We really didn't know. I guess when you get married in your apartment with no fan fare, if could be easy to forget. Anyway, wanna see my scans? I really am happy I found them both!

I want to be more like Esther.

I started a new bible study last week called Esther: It's Tough being a Woman. All I can say it wow. Wow at the stuff God has revealed to me just over the course of a week and a half.

First of all - let me say, once again, how merciful and gracious He is. Most of you know about the health problems I have faced the last couple of months - the brain cavernoma and the huge kidney stone to be exact. Let me share a little praise with you. I went to the neurosurgeon right before Christmas and got a great report. Nothing needs to be done at this time for the cavernoma. Yippee Jesus. It probably has been there my whole life, and may never change. Of course, I believe in the All Powerful, All Knowing, HEALING Jesus, and I think it will not be there in two years when it needs to be rechecked. Most of you know that report, but what you don't know is my kidney stone "story". Check this out - it just proves what I was saying about that HEALING Jesus. I was told that I have (had!) a 6 millimeter stone in my left kidney and several small ones in the right. Just so you know, 6 millimeters sounds small but it is huge coming out of a ureter that is the size of a coffee stirrer straw. I had one that size in the past and I spent two days in the hospital. Anyway, my doctor said I could have surgery to remove the big stone if I wanted. I just couldn't deal with that at the time. He gave me the option to "pass it" on my own. So, that is what I planned to do. He loaded me up with medicine just in case and that was that. So I got my prescriptions for the pain meds filled (for the record, I haven't taken even one), just in case it decided to pass in the middle of the night or whatever. Ok, here is where the HEALING Jesus comes in (well, he was there the whole time, but here is where he comes in, in the story). So New Years day I said to my mom, "Hmm... I am feeling a little funny down there (and I pointed to my potty area, haha)." She asked me what I meant, and honestly I didn't know. It certainly wasn't pain, just an odd sensation. So I went to the potty, and guess what happened? That's right, JESUS happened! haha! I passed the 6mm stone. No pain, no discomfort, nothing. In fact, had I not been looking for it, I would have never known it happened. Isn't that amazing? Who can pass a huge kidney stone without pain? Anyone that puts their trust in Jesus, that's who!

Guys, seriously, that is just a couple of miracles that have happened in my life the last month. There are more that I am not ready to share, just yet. Just know that God is MOVING MOUNTAINS! I am humbled just thinking about it. What a precious Jesus I serve!

Ok, so back to the bible study. It is awesome. I am learning so much about a book in the bible that I never thought to read. I can't tell you the times God has spoken to me through this study in the last week. I recommend it, if you are looking to hear from God yourself!

Let me also say this - I am human. I get angry. I cuss (sometimes a lot). I am lazy. I have lots and lots of faults. But I am loved. I am forgiven. I am accepted. And you can be too! Yippee Jesus!

PS - I am saving all the kidney stones I pass and I am stoning my driveway. Haha! I feel like I am close to having enough.

WOW! Thanks guys!

You are all so helpful! Thanks for all the responses I got on my pictures! NOT. You are all worthless! haha!

I need photog advice, please!

Last year we took J, J and J to a professional photographer for their 5, 3, and 1 photos. Well, over $100 later, I left with pictures that I was less than thrilled with. So, I decided to *try* to take their pictures this year myself. I have a great SLR camera that is awesome. I took Jackson outside to try to snap a couple and see what I could get.

I did get a few that I liked. So next, I decided to tackle photoshop and see what I could do with the pictures. Here is where you come in - I need your help deciding if they are ok. I also need advice on which ones look the best. So without further ado:

SET ONE:

1)

2)

SET TWO:

1)

2)

SET THREE:

1)

2)

Alright that is it - now please tell which ones - if any?? THANKS peeps!

Scary Movies

I kept seeing a preview for the movie, The Unborn. Oh. My. Dear. Lord. That looks like the scariest movie of all time. http://www.theunbornmovie.net/ Check it out. Prepare to pee yourself.

Several years ago I begged Brad to go with me to see 13 Ghosts. I swear since that movie, I have never been the same. Seeing those ghosts in the glass jail terrified me. I always think I want to see these movies, then I am so terrified I can't stand it. What is wrong with me? I don't enjoy them at all. But I can't NOT see them.

My BFF and I decided that we wanted to see The Blair Witch Project back in the day when it was in the theater. We totally psyched ourselves up. So we get there - prepared to be scared out of our minds. Turns out, it was the dumbest movie ever. Not scary at all.

Anyway, this is a dumb post. I just was so freaked out by that stupid movie preview, I thought I would share with you (Tonya).

New Year Resolutions

Yeah I got'em and I am going to stick with them, dang it. So here goes:

1. I have to, HAVE TO, end my love affair with Mountain Dew. We have had a good run - almost 34 years (yeah, I am pretty sure I used to get it in my bottle), but it is time to let it go. If you notice that I am a little witchy, cut me some slack. Detox is hard.

2. I will watch less tv. I watch way too much - specifically too much trash tv. I have about 45 episodes of That 70's Show tivo'd right now. I knew I needed an intervention when I realized my three year old can sing the whole theme song, right down to the "Hellloooooo Wisconsinnnnnn" at the end. Doh!

3. I'm going to lose the 30 pounds I put on in 2008. No, for real. I am going to lose it.

4. I am not going to let the laundry become Mt. Everest anymore. I am going to actually do it more often. I decided on this resolution yesterday when my poor husband was forced to go commando when he didn't have any clean drawers. My bad.

5. I am starting a new bible study next week with some ladies at my church that I don't know very well. I am going to try *very* hard to not offend them right off the bat. It will happen eventually, but I am hoping to put it off for at least 2 weeks. Some say it can't be done, but we'll see.

I think that is it for now... if I think of some more, I will be sure to post them as they come to me...