This is Bryant and my mom (Grandma) enjoying the show Tres was putting on while he got his new do! 

Tres got a haircut today. When we pulled into the parking lot, he said, "No, I don't want a haircut. It's Bryant's turn!" But as you can see, he found a way to live with it! 

To Infinity...

Last night, I watched my husband meticulously dwell on a Buzz Lightyear design for T-shirts for Disney. Most men wouldn't care about matching t-shirts for a family vacation... but my wonderful husband does. He is so sweet! I'm talking he spent HOURS on the computer last night "cleaning up" an image of Buzz to make it worthy of our t-shirts. I have such a crush on him! I spent last night packing Tres's bag for the trip. We don't leave until the weekend, but we just washed his clothes and wanted to pack up all his Disney wear so he wouldn't wear it this week. So he is basically packed. I even got out a bag for me and Hank... but our laundry is not done, so that will have to be a chore for another day!

Tres's message to his Daddy: Grin & Bear It! 

Rough Days Ahead!

We head to Disney this weekend. We are looking forward to a really good time! Food, rides, family... I'm sure Tres will be amazed at everything! When we return, Hank's surgery for his ACL is scheduled for November 2nd (Election Day!). We are working on getting our absentee ballots in right now since we know we will be otherwise engaged that day. So be in prayer for our little family! My mom will be filling in for me at the office until I feel like Hankie is okay at home by himself. And hopefully, Hank's mom and dad will be taking Tres back to Nashville with them while Hank's initial recovery phase is taking place. Tres wants to play with his Daddy all the time, and I think it may be a little tramatic to see him laid up in bed and in pain. Also, I think a little peace and quiet will help Hank's frame of mind! Regardless, we know that after surgery, Hank has a lot of physical therapy and rehab before he gets anywhere close to where he was before!

After the birthday party, it was game time! Tres made it through almost all the game... but got tired out towards the end! 

Kamryn Corey turned 3 this past weekend! She had a tailgate birthday party at the Alabama/Southern Miss Game. Tres gave her those cool shades!  

Fruit Cobbler... yummy, yummy!

I made a strawberry cobbler this past weekend that turned out pretty darn good, and it was super easy! But I tweaked it to make it great! So if you are in the mood for something sweet, but don't have anything in the house, this is a great one.

Preheat oven to 350.
Melt 1/2 stick of butter in casserole dish in oven.
While that is in, mix 1 cup flour (self-rising), 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar.
Take out the casserole dish with the melted butter in it, and pour in the batter on top of the butter, but do not mix.
Then take whatever fruit you want and pour in down the center of the batter (don't stir in).
Bake until toothpick test comes back clean!

Serve hot with ice cream! It serves 6-8.

Love Languages

When Hank and I got married, Pastor Danny asked us to buy the book "The Five Love Languages." This was to help us understand how the other expressed love. I think I need to re-read it! I know that Hank expresses his love primarily with his actions (acts of service)... like washing my car, cleaning the kitchen, etc. And I know that I express my love with physical touch. But sometimes I have a hard time understanding why, if we recognize what the other's primary love language is... why we don't respond in theirs? I know I am at fault here. I get so caught up in trying to keep everything in order, that I tend to overlook when Hank IS trying to "speak" my love language. I'm going to re-read this book (now that we have some years of marriage under our belts) and really apply what I learn. I don't ever want to stop working on my marriage. I only want it to grow stronger, deeper, richer, and more fun!

Quick Chicken Casserole

My in-laws came in town last night and I threw together a quick dinner for us. It turned out really, really good and it was so quick and easy I thought I would pass it on.

You need:

(2 cans) Swanson's 98% Fat-free Chicken
(1 pkg) Chicken Gravy
(1 can) Veg-all
(1 can) Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
Shredded Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix up chicken gravy package with wet ingredients indicated (doesn't have to be cooked or thickened). Drain chicken and veg-all. Pour chicken & veg-all in casserole dish. Then pour chicken gravy over top of it. Sprinkle cheese on top, if desired. Then unroll cresecent rolls on top of cheese. I also melted some margarine and added garlic salt, then poured it over the top. Bake until golden brown. Quick, easy, simple. We all went back for seconds and there was absolutely no left-overs!

Here's one of the whole family! Olivia got some Minnie Mouse ears from her Uncle Jeremy and his new wife, Amber. They went to Disney on their honeymoon. 

Olivia Tidmore AKA Strawberry Shortcake! She turned a year old recently! Proud poppa Matt got her to stand still long enough for a quick picture. 

My Favorite Guys! Hank will probably NOT like me posting this one, but I don't have that many pictures of all of my men together! 

Tres has just recently started playing make-believe. This is him pretending to be a dog. We call him Mr. T when he does this! Good Doggie! 

Pop Pop and Bryant! 

No Nap Day

Yesterday, I tried to keep Tres from taking a nap so that he would go to bed early. You see, I had to get up at 4 am this morning to take my parents to the airport for a vacation to Disney, so I wanted to hit the sheets early! I took at later, quicker lunch to make sure he didn't get sleepy driving, then came back to the shop. While I returned phone calls, he went into his room and played. This is how I found him about 5 minutes later... All played out, surrounded by his toys!

And this little quarterback is Caleb Threadgill! This is one of Tres's playmates, and one of my oldest friend's little boy! 

This is Bryant and his pal Felicity! Valerie (Felicity's Momma) keeps Bryant for me 3 days a week. 

All Played Out! 

Start one N-O-W

I am trying to get some family members and friends to start a blog, too. I've been having so much fun with mine, I thought others would too! So if you are one of my friends I have been harassing to start one of these... DO IT! That means you Kelly! That means you Mrs. B! That means you Jackie! That means you Hankie! Love you all!

Turn right at Space Mountain...

We head to Disney in about a week and a half with Mr. & Mrs Boemer, my in-laws (we call them the Killer Bs), Jackie (Hank's sister), her husband Jamie, and their crew (Ryan, Delaney, Maggie, and Donovan). Below is a picture of Donovan on one of their previous trips to Disney. Donovan is one of the cutest little things you ever did see! He and Tres can be quite a pair when they get together. I'm sure we're gonna have to separate them more than once on this trip!

Donnie-Mac 

Sugar Baby

I was on the phone at work today. I had a string of about 4 phone calls that kept me on the phone for about 15 minutes. When I finally got off... in skips my little Tres-man clutching something in his hands. I called out to him to stop. He turns toward me with a grin and what looks like a white substance all over his face. He said, "It's good, Momma," as he held out 2 handfuls of sugar to me. He had gone into the kitchen while I was on the phone and found the sugar container in the coffee pot area. He had then proceeded to pour out ALL of the sugar and pick it up and lick it until it was a sticky mess all over him! While I cleaned up the mountain of sugar in the kitchen, I kept hearing Tres say "Ummm!" and "Yummy!" in his room. When I went to clean him up, he had managed to clear all the sugar around his mouth completely off, so he looked a little like a clown with shite sticky sugar on his cheeks and chin, and none on his lips or directly around his mouth!

Surgery & Disney Prep

Our household is about to be turned upside down for a while. In 2 weeks Hank, Tres, and I will be heading to Disney World for a week. We are VERY excited. Tres has been watching the DVD that gives you a tour of the parks and what they hold. After he watches it, he wants to go to Disney N-O-W! We still aren't sure how he is going to react to all the life size characters. He didn't do well at Chuck E. Cheese (otherwise known as a parent's nightmare!). He clamped his little legs around my waist so hard it hurt when he saw him... although I have to say that Chuck E. does look a little like Mickey's down and out cousin or something. We are stocking up on snack items and putting back every cent of extra money we have right now.
When we return from the happiest place on earth, Hank will be having surgery to repair the tear in his ACL. Although the surgery is routine, my wonderful husband is a bundle of nerves ALREADY! He doesn't like the thought of surgery. I can't blame him, but this is inevitable. I'm trying to make arrangements to get Tres out of the house for that week so he can get some good rest. Although I'm sure both of them will miss their playtimes!

When Tres was a year old, I was cleaning house one Saturday morning and he was playing in the den. I went to put away some clean clothes in my bedroom, and when I came back, he was gone! I went running through the house looking for him. I started calling his name and began to get panicked. Then I heard a noise and a giggle coming from the kitchen area. This is where I found him... in a thin cabinet beside the dishwasher.

Cabinet Boy! 

Here I am in the hospital during labor. The baby I'm holding is my niece Heather. She was 3 weeks old here. 

Post Partum Inflation!

After I had my first little boy, I was so euphoric and overwhelmed that I was content to overlook the extra pounds I had gained from my pregnancy. Just when I started to get concerned and get back on top of it, I found out I was pregnant with my second little boy. Now that I have had him, and our household has settled into somewhat of a routine, I am looking at what used to be my waistline and wondering how I can loose it with the hectic lifestyle we now lead! There are certain areas of my body I'm sure will never go back to the way they were, but I need to regain some control here!

Time Flies... So Catch It!

My youngest son Bryant started a new daycare situation recently. It allows me to be at home by 5:15. This has given me so much more time! I'm able to get home, start dinner, laundry, housework, etc... and still spend quality time with my boys before bedtime. Everyone keeps telling me how time is so precious, and I know it is. That's why I'm trying to make the most of the time I get with them!

This was Bryant on game day last Saturday. He has to be the cutest fan alive! 

This is sideways and I don't know how to fix it! Oh well! I just thought I would share this picture. There is nothing sexier than a man taking care of his kids. Especially when he is barely getting around. 

The Blessing of Children

I feel so blessed right now. Tres says, "I love you, Momma" without promting! It makes my heart leap. Bryant grabs my face and gives me big sloppy, wet kisses all over my face. And he gets so excited when he sees me! I am blessed, blessed, blessed. Just like the Psalm 23 says, "My cup runneth over." I heard the Kevin Derryberry song "Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes" on the radio this morning. The lyrics always get me. "And I hope that I will always be an example / of the love that God alone can give." What an honor, that God would entrust these treasures to me.

Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes 

Thank Goodness It's Monday!

Well, I never thought I would say this... but thank God it's Monday! Man, this weekend was tiring. Starting Saturday, I got up early with Bryant and got him dressed and fed. Then went and woke up Tres for a walk. We went to the park with our new neighbor (and Bryant's new sitter) Valerie and her little girl Felicity. My dad came and dropped off my nephew Luke and my sister Jennie at the park, cause they were spending the afternoon with us. So we played and ran for a while there, then loaded up and headed home. Once we got to the house, I set the boys to playing and fixed lunch while Hank iced his knee and watched one of the endless football games on. Fed everyone, got laundry going, changed sheets, straightened house, did my dishes... then it was naptime for all the boys. I tried to get Tres and Luke to sleep, but instead they ended up just watching videos and "resting" for about 1 1/2 hours. Then Luke and Jennie got picked up. I took a shower and made a pie, then Bryant and I headed over to Valerie's house for a house warming party. About 30 minutes into the party, Hank calls me because Tres was crying uncontrollably. I headed back home. Tres was literally hysterical and we still don't know why. So, I put Bryant to bed, loaded Tres up in the van and took him to McDonalds. He finally settled down once he realized he was going to get a Happy Meal! Then we headed home, I put him to bed, got the spare bed made up just in time for my in-laws to arrive home from the Alabama game. Sunday morning I got up, made breakfast, and got ready for church. Once at church, I kept nursery, passed out invitations to a baby shower next weekend, then came home and got everyone ready. I went to Wal-Mart and bought my sister Jennie a birthday present, then went to her birthday party. We didn't get home until after 9 pm. Then I had to clean all over again! I'll take Monday over all that jazz!

The Evil Minister... I Mean Emporer... Zurg!

I took my 2-year-old son to a wedding a couple of weekends ago, thinking there would be child-care. Since there wasn't, I made sure he had some toys to occupy him and sat close to the back, so I could make a quick get-a-way. Everything was fine at first. He tried to sing along with his Aunt Kelly, and tried counting candles (until he hit 4 or 5 and forgot his numbers), and then he turned his attention to his toy Spiderman (a gift from his brother Bryant for his birthday). The bridesmaids walked down the aisle, and the songs had been sung. Then the minister (Pastor Cox) came out in his officiant robe. When Tres noticed him, he looked very alarmed. He climbed into my lap and started saying (rather loudly) "Momma, it's Zurg! It's Zurg, Momma!" Zurg is the "bad guy" in Toy Story. He's Buzz Lightyear's enemy. And Buzz is one of Tres's favorite heros right now. Needless to say, we had to leave the ceremony, but not before we got a few laughs from the back row!

Santa Claus

My dad is one of the hardest working men I know. I've been thinking about him and praying for him a lot lately. He owns his own business... and he does a good job of it. But he works himself into the ground sometimes. He is also one of the most giving people I know. If there is a need, he tries to address it himself. I can remember as a child going shopping with him at Toys R Us around Christmas for a local family having a hard time financially. We went in a loaded up a cart. He let us pick the toys out. Then we took everything home, wrapped it up in pretty paper. Then he loaded them back into the car. He didn't take us with him, and I wanted to go. But it was around that time, I learned what Santa Claus really looked like. A wonderful man, with work-roughened hands, a giant smile, round in the middle, with thinned out dark hair. And I get to see Santa year-round!