Song In My Heart

Does anyone remember that song "Jesus Put A Song In My Heart." I think it was one of the first soundtracks that Tonnie and I sang to when we were little. Well that's what I feel like shouting today! God has given me another song. This one is based on Luke 21, the widow woman who gave all she had to the Lord. It's not a final draft by any means, but I feel like God is really feeding this one to me. Thank you, Lord.

Huh... my name is... huh... my name is

No it's not Slim Shady.... I was thinking when I was on lunch break about my name for some reason. I remember when I was in elementary school, there were a ton of Jamie's. All of the girl's names were spelled J-A-I-M-E... but not me, no sir! I had the masculine spelling, or at least that's what I thought. Then when I was in high school, my mom told me how they chose my name. Are you ready for this?

I was named after the Bionic Woman (character Jamie played by Lindsay Wagner), and Princess Leia from Star Wars which was in theatres when she was pregnant with me. My parents mis-spelled my middle name, so it became Leah (lee-ah).

Dad picked Tonnie's name out. He said he knew a girl in high school named Tawnie and like it, so they changed the spelling and went with it. I don't know about you ladies, but if my husband suggested we name our kid after an old girlfriend, I would NOT be receptive! Ha!

Do you know where your name came from?

Here is Tres fresh from a nap today! He likes to get his picture taken. 

Tres and I are leaving work today!! Yeah!! WE haven't posted a picture in a while, so I thought we would put one on here. 

I Did It!!

I got home from work and picking up Bryant and started the cleaning whirlwind!! I thought about not doing SEVERAL times... but the desire to have a clean house again won over!! I immediately fixed supper (actually tacos) and set them in high chairs with a cartoon on (a very good sitter if you have to get some things done!). I got their rooms done... sheets changed, toys sorted and organized, clothes put away. I then put them both in the tub. After they were scrubbed and playing, I ran back and forth between cleaning the kitchen and making sure they didn't drown one another! Ha! Once they were done, they went and messed up Tres's room playing, which was to be expected. While I scrubbed their bathroom. Then I moved into the kitchen and completely finished it!

Sidenote: I was impressed with myself by this point, because I was SO DARN TIRED!

Then I put Bryant to bed, and sat down for a quick bite to eat. Just long enough to watch "Kill Reality," which I will now be hooked on. I called Crystal to make sure she was watching it too, while I cleaned Tres's room back up. Then I went into my bedroom... changed sheets, put clothes away, dusted. Then I sprinkled some deodorizer on the carpet (cause I like the smell!) and vacuumed the entire house!

The only thing I didn't get to do before Hank got home was spot clean the hall carpet.

I was so exhausted by the time Hank got there, we barely said Hello before I fell asleep! So much for romance!

I Need A Game Plan!

I want to clean my house before Hank gets home tonight... he is taking the night off. I will be cleaning like crazy tonight! I think it's gonna go like this:

Get home
Feed kids (maybe frozen pizza & green beans.... maybe spam & M&M's--that's for you Crystal!)
Straighten kids rooms & put their clothes away
Strip beds
Start some laundry
Put away clothes washed over past 2 days
Vacuum entire house
Scrub front bathroom
Finish cleaning kitchen (started it this morning)
Tackle our bedroom!!
Spot Clean Hall Carpet

I hope I can get all of that done! I want Hank to walk in to a clean smelling and feeling house tonight. He has been taking care of the kids by himself a lot lately while I have been practicing and recording. One of his love languages is Acts of Service, so I know he will appreciate it, if I can get it accomplished! I just pray my kids cooperate with me.

Double Date

Hank and I went out with my parents on Saturday evening. We went and ate at Copeland's and went to see a sneak preview of "Must Love Dogs." The food was awesome (as usual!). The movie was funny. We laughed a lot! It was nice to get out with my parents without the kids. It felt so laid back and QUIET!! Jennifer Jones watched my kids for me. She is such a good friend! And my boys absolutely love her.

Tres... almost 3

Tres came into my office today and told me, in a very sad and forlorn voice, "Mama, you forgot my birthday today." I'm not sure why he thinks today is his birthday. I tried telling him that his birthday is in September, but he won't have it. He's a funny kid.

Most days, he pretends he is Buzz Lightyear. I have to be part of the Space Ranger team, as well as Bryant and Daddy. Yesterday, he kept saying "Rangers ready?" And spreading his arms out and pretending to fly.

He woke up this morning, and came into our bedroom and said, "Look, Daddy!! It's our sunny day!"

This past Friday, I took the boys over to my parent's house to swim after work. My Mom and Dad got in the pool with Tres while I got ready and put Bryant to bed (it was 7). When I came outside, my mom said, "Woohooo! Sexy Mama!" She was just kidding, obviously! Then Tres says, "Yeah, that's my mama. She's sexy. My sexy mama." I laughed so hard! He is such a funny kid, and I feel so blessed to have him! He hugs and kisses so easily. He is quick to ask forgiveness when he is in trouble. And he responds to correction.

Thank you Lord for my Tres-man!! Bless this little guy tremendously. Thank you for his future. Thank you for the plans you have for him. Guide his steps, Lord. Guard his heart. When he realizes that not all hurts can be cured with a kiss from Mommy... please help him to turn to you! Help me as his parent, to teach him Your ways! God, what a tremendous and honorable task Hank and I have. Thank you! Thank you! For this blessing you have given us.

Ross Dress For Less

I am going to be a frequent visitor at this store once it opens in Alabaster! I went to the one over on 280 for the very first time, and I loved it!!! Hank let me get 2 suits and a really cool shirt for upcoming singing engagements. We spent LESS THAN $60! Can you believe that. Both suits are name brand and fully lined. The shirt is silk. I love it!! I also saw a Liz Claiborne purse that I really wanted, but didn't get. I will definitely be hitting that store often!

Hank called me this morning to tell me about another Tres adventure. Apparently while Hank was in the shower, Tres got out of his highchair... took his diaper off... and proceeded to take a 'bath' in the sink. He used THE WHOLE container of Elmo bubble bath we had. Hank said he found him actually sitting in the sink. Here he is playing in the bubbles. 

All State Youth Choir

Last night the Alabama All-State Youth Choir came to sing at my home church (CLC). It was great! It totally took me back to that time in my life to sit there and watch those teenagers sing their hearts out, listen to testimonie, etc, etc, etc. What was really cool... the director this year was Haley (Spates) Mims. She was my packing partner one of the five years I did All State! And one of my really good friends since we were 15 or so. I was so proud of her! She did such a phenominal job, like she was born to do it!

I was just sitting there, so thankful for that ministry. I have so many terrific memories. I learned how to minister... I found confidence as a singer... I found a deeper connection to my Savior.

Sitting there last night, took me totally back to 'camp days.' To evening services, and summer romances. To Bible studies, and prank wars. To banquet night and sweating in dress clothes while waiting in the cafeteria lines. Emotional alter calls... receiving my prayer language. Making lifelong friendships (Kelly Willis, Haley Spate, Sherra Stone, Jennifer Russell, Janna Johnson,etc)... the list could go on and on. Tonnie met her husband through All-State.

I am so very thankful!

Here is our business card! 

Hankie painted and put everything back together. This is pretty much the finished project for the round house. He even made the turn-table thingy. 

Tres wanted me to take his picture too this morning!  

Here is my new chair!! I love the fact that all four of us can fit in it! 

Slacker!

I'm sorry I've been a slacker about blogging lately! But I have a really good excuse! We have started recording our first few songs with 'el. That has taken up a lot of free time lately. But it is so exciting and fun! I think our husbands are getting excited too. Hankie helped me make some business cards last night. And I know Brett was working on our website last night! Tonnie and I stayed on the phone constantly yesterday nit-picking songs and working out details. This is just so exciting and REAL now!!

Okay, on to other news. I really want Crystal to come and help me update the look of my blog now!!! (hint, hint)I don't want to beg, but I will if I have too! I ain't too proud.

Have I told you guys that I am SO PROUD of my husband? He has been working on this Thomas the Train table and accessories and they are turning out so well! After he is done with that project, he is going to start sanding and staining the other twin bunk bed for Bryant's room. We aren't ready for him to transition to a big boy bed, but I do want to go ahead and get the other mattress on the bed, so that I can store the Thomas table under Tres's bed (which is currently where the other mattress resides!). THEN.... he is going to build me a new ottoman for my new big chair!! And he said he would make it with storage so I can put my blankets inside and not on the arms or the backs of my couch or chairs!! I LOVE MY HANDY HUSBAND!

We are also looking into buying a foreclosure. We are hoping we might be able to make a wise investment. We were gonna build a house, but with gas going up... the cost of building materials is rapidly rising!

I guess that's about it! I have some pics to post soon!

This is part of the Thomas train table that Hank is working on. This is called a round house. If we had bought this in the store it would have cost upwards of $80! 

Here he is with his new 'big boy' hair cut. We took the boys to eat at Chik fil A while we tried to wait out the rain. 

He finally figured out that we weren't gonna hurt him!  

Here is Bryant's first hair cut!! He wouldn't sit in the chair on his own, so he sat in my lap.  

Here is one of Tres's bath experiences... he played in that sink for about 30 minutes before I finally made him get out! 

Crazy Counter Stuff

So, I saw that Crystal and Deb and several other bloggers had counters on their blogs, and I just had to get one! It was easy and it's fun to see how many people actually look at what you write! Anyway, the funny thing is the minute I got it on there, it went from 1 to 6! Crazy!

Dentist

I went to the dentist yesterday to get a permanant crown put on. That's why I didn't post, after that was done, I just didn't feel up to it! Anyway, I learned something interesting from him (he is also my friend, so we were talking about stuff). My dentist said the lady who drove her car into the Cahaba River was a patient of his at the end of last year. He said she used to bring her baby in with her, and leave him screaming out in the hall while she just sat there waiting on the dentist. He also told me that she quit coming, because he refused to prescribe any more pain medication to her. I seriously hope they screen her for drugs. If she is innocent, she has all of my sympathy. I could not imagine loosing my children like that!!! But if she was not in her right mind and she made the decision to put her children in a car with her regardless, she needs to be held responsible.

Sunday

On Sunday, we headed to church. Sunday school was awesome! Pastor Josh talked abour Godly reconciliation and the proper steps to take... what to focus on.... etc. I kept that hand-out. You never know when you might need that! We had a guest speaker at our church, Jeremiah Castille (used to play football for Alabama, and now his two sons Tim and Simeon play). He spoke on Covenant with God, and made a correlation to marriage. It was really good... slightly long and drawn out... but good.
We left just a little early and went and picked up our chair! Yeah!! Then we went and met most of family (minus Tonnie's crew) at Red Lobster to celebrate my Mom's birthday. That was fun. But my kids were ready for a nap, so it was a little bit of a struggle. Once the food got there we were golden!
Then we headed home, gots little boys to sleep... and our chair unloaded! That was funny! I'm definitely not as strong as I like to think I am... so I think I frustrated my husband by not being as much help as he needed! But we managed. Then Hankie went and took some time off from the boys and me to work on the Thomas table he is building. After the boys woke up, we went to Mom's house and swam. The boys love swimming at Grandma's! Then I bathed them there and got Bryant in bed, so Mom and I could play some cards. THat was fun!! We didn't end up leaving until 10:30. So when we got home, we all crashed!

Saturday Night

I told Hank that I did need a little time off from my men... so Saturday evening, I ended up going to see a movie with my friend Kelly Willis. She and I used to be inseperable!! Jobs, kids, husbands, life in general has changed things, but we still have so much fun when we get together! I had fun Kelly!! We went to the Carmike theater on Lorna Road and saw Fever Pitch with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon. It was funny and cute, and I liked it! And the best part it, that the movies there are $1.50 for matinees and $2.50 for nights. So it's a deal! Then we went to McAllisters and ate and sat outside and talked for a long time! McAllister's is about to move... but haven't yet, so it was after 9 when we got there, and Pub 261 was just getting warmed up for the night apparently. People were coming and going and yelling and dancing and singing over there... putting on quite a show. Around 10 or so, a lady comes out and hops in her SUV. She comes around the parking lot toward McAllister's (we are sitting out on the patio closest to the doors). We hear her tires screech and she hops the curb!! Then we hear a loud POP followed by a loud hissing noise. Her tire had popped. She continues to pull around, so I hollar towards her rolled down window, "Lady! Your tire is flat!" But she doesn't stop and she pulls onto the road and just keeps going. I'm sure she was driving on her rims. So, there is another reason why I don't drink.

Saturday Morning

Well I have some pictures I want to post, but Hello is not cooperating at the moment. I'll try to figure that out later!

Hank and the boys decided not to go to Nashville this weekend. It was a good decision though, cause we had a good time together. On Saturday we tried to go get our chair, but the weather wouldn't let up enough to allow us to! As we were driving home, it finally quit raining! What a bummer. But we did a lot of fun things while we waited. We went and got both boys a hair cut. It was Bryant's first official haircut, and he did all right. He sat in my lap and cried some... but when he figured out no one was going to hurt him, he calmed down. And I believe he liked the sucker he got at the end! Then we took them to Toys R Us. We actually got caught in the traffic due to the lady that drove the car into the river with her kids in it. That just makes my stomach hurt thinking about it. We let them play while we did a little Christmas shopping. They have some really great deals right now. So we got Sierra's (Tonnie's daughter) present, and a couple of small things for Bryant. He is finally starting to decide what he likes, so that makes it a little easier! Then we took them to Chik fil A and had a late lunch and let them play for a while... then we decided to go home.

Up In The Air

Well, a lot of things COULD happen this weekend... but I'm not sure what actually WILL happen this weekend. Hank and the boys may go to Nashville again. One of Hank's best friends will be in town with his wife and baby. And Hank hasn't seen him in, oh, goodness, I would say 3-4 years or so. Before we got married, I think. So anyway, Joe and his family will be in Nashville to get their little girl dedicated and he called and asked Hank to come. I have to be here for choir on Sunday morning, so if he goes, he would be by himself. He says he wants to take both boys if he goes. If that happens, I don't know what I would do! It isn't very often that a chance for a quiet night comes along these days. I've thought about calling friends, but then I think better of it... I may just use the time to clean my house, read a good book, take a bubble bath... maybe go see a movie BY MYSELF!! But it might not even happen. Something that has to happen this weekend: We have to go pick up our new chair!! Yeah! I can't wait!

Monkey See....

Daddy gets in on the fun too! 

Monkey Do!

Tres seems to be getting into bath time more and more these days. He took his first shower the other day... and last night he wanted to take a bath in the sink!  

Whoever said....

..."Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," was either deaf or ignorant.

Thank God for Karl!

I got my van back today! We had the transmission rebuilt over at Karl Jone's Transmission in Pelham. They did a great job, and if anyone ever needs work done on their transmissions, I encourage you to get an estimate from them. My dad does plumbing work for them and we also send the company trucks to them, so we knew they would treat us fairly. Not only that, but they guaranteed their work for 1 year or 12,000 miles! So far, it seems to drive smoother and easier, and I am super pleased to have my space back! The Camry is a good car, but it felt tee-tiny compared to the van! Now the boys can't reach each other again, and peace can reign in the car (yeah, right!). Now we don't have to buy a new vehicle. Praise the Lord!

Super Hero Fascination

Yesterday, Tres seemed to be obsessed with all superheros. He told me he wanted to go on a 'secret mission into space with Buzz.' He also told me a long story about Batman... something about how he saved the day! and all that. Then on the way home from work, he asks me to sing Happy Birthday with him... to Spiderman.

This is a picture of Keri Campbell. She is in 'el with us. We were acting goofy at practice last night and she put chocolate on her tooth... she looks like she is missing one and a little loopy in this picture. Keri, you can thank me for posting this later! 

Hank took the boys to play at McDonalds yesterday morning. They have such a good time together. I am so thankful that Hank can keep them in the mornings, so they aren't cooped up or with sitters all the time! 

Things To Sale At Yard Sale:

Health Rider
Patio Table and 4 Chairs
CD Holder (Twirly Rack Thing- sits on floor and spins)
Lawn Mower (won't crank)
Toys
Bean Bag
Exersaucer
Stroller
Baby Gate- Wooden
Small Christmas Tree
Fax Machine/Copier/Scanner (does not have cable)
White Vanity (minus counter top)
Clothes (Sz 2-22 ladies & baby)
Shoes
Purses
Home Items
Videos (mainly kids)
CDs (lots of Christian artists)
Silk Plants

Thoughts:
* I think I'm just gonna sell most clothes and shoes for $1 unless it is really nice stuff... cause otherwise it won't sell and I'm just gonna take it to Goodwill.
* My goal is $250, but I would love to do $350
* I have all the left over stuff from the 'el yard sale extravaganza which includes clothes, toys, home items, etc from Faith Lacey, Betty Morrison, Kelly O'Brien, Tonnie Glover, and me.
* I really don't want any leftover junk!

Tres got to get inside the clown fish or 'Nemo' tank! 

Our family at the seahorse exhibit 

This isn't a great shot, because a girl stepped into the shot, but you can see the shark swimming by!  

Butterfly Garden 

Bryant wanted to pet one... but Tres wasn't too thrilled with the idea! 

Grammy petting a sting-ray! 

July 9, 2005 

July 9, 2005
Chattanooga Aquarium
 

Days of Aquarium...

Hank and I headed to Nashville this past weekend to spend Mrs. Boemer's birthday with her. We got there late Friday night and basically went straight to bed. Saturday morning we got up and had a lazy morning. We ate breakfast and gave Mrs. B her presents, then we all got ready and headed to Chattanooga to visit the Aquarium. We got there around noon and decided to eat before we got into the Aquarium. We ate at the Mellow Mushroom. If you have never eaten there, it is awesome! We have one here is downtown Birmingham. There is also one in Tuscaloosa and Auburn. It was good. Then we headed to the Aquarium. While we waited for our tour time to come up, we let the boys play in the water out front. We ended up having to change their clothes and diapers before we went inside, but it was worth it. It gave the boys something to do while we waited, and it cooled them off. The Aquarium was nice and very big!! There were 2 different tours. One was ocean life and one was river life. I enjoyed the ocean one a lot. They had a place to touch sting rays and sharks. They also had a butterfly garden (my favorite). The river one was fun too. They had ducks and turtles and otters and all kinds of fun stuff. Bryant fell asleep half way through so I went to the end and waited on them. After that we tried to drive up to Look Out Mountain, but Bryant was being fussy, so we ended up just heading back to Nashville. It was a lot of fun!

This is one my old friends (center) Jennifer Russell. She is getting married in October to Kevin Hudson (left). Here they are last week at some music festival in Florida. They ran in A.I. contestant Jennifer Hudson and had to get a picture with her since she will, after all, also be Jennifer Hudson soon!