Am a Mother???

Okay...this is going to sound strange but sometimes it is hard for me to believe I am a Mother. I watch the birth of John at least three times a month to confirm this...I know...am weird!! I guess since I have waited and WANTED a child for so long it is hard to believe the moment is here. Why am I blogging about this you ask??? Well...my dear friend Laura and her family was in town for the weekend and she took a some awesome pictures...it is funny to see my boy with her boys...is this really true??? My child with her children??? It is so surreal!

Braxton, John, & Cayden - the boys were so sweet with John and John loved them!

Cayden & John

Here's our motley crew!

This is a new thing with John...giving sweet sugars! Great pic Laura!

September 25th

September 25th has always been my favorite day of the year. I like it better than my birthday. I have had many good things happen to me on this day. For instances…I met one of my best friends on this day...I started working for WorldCom on this day…I got a big raise on this day…I had my bridal shower on this day…and I moved to Amarillo on September 25, 1998 - ten years today! It is amazing how much has happened in ten short years. It seems like yesterday when my folks were helping me move here. I lived in the apartments at 45th and Coulter. The song…Wide Open Spaces was the “hot” song and it fit me perfect…I still can not listen to this song without crying! I will say without a doubt…moving the Amarillo was one the BEST decision I made.
I already have another event to add to my favorite day…although it is not a pleasant event in my opinion! My older brother Larry is leaving for Iraq today. I am very sad and upset with this decision he has made…but I love him very much and I have to support him. He is going to work for KBR driving a truck on Camp Liberty. I am not going to be able to see him for a year but we will get to talk and e-mail once he gets set up over there. He has wanted to go there since the war started…he is too old for military…so this is his way of helping out. He is going to make really good money and he is excited about it. I hope he knows how much I love him and how important he is to me. When you say your prayers…keep my big brother in them please.

Dinner Time...

Can you guess what we had for dinner?

Five Finger Prayer

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a 'sweet duty.'
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the leaders in government, business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, 'The least shall be the greatest among you.' Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Rights???

I not going to "rant" about gay marriage. Most of you know my feelings about this topic...they are just like yours. However...I seen in entertainment news where Brad Pitt donated $100,000. to support gay marriage in California. Here is his statement..."Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," Pitt said Wednesday. Hmmm...I wonder where Mr. Pitt stands with abortion?? No one has a right to deny another their life?? What about the 4,000 babies that will die...today...4,000 today! Where are their rights??

Seven Great Things...

Seven Great Things Today!
#1. My husband and I prayed together...and cried together.
#2. Had lunch with my very best friend and had a moment...and cried together.
#3. I did a sit up...with my legs straight out. This is big for me! Yoga rocks!
#4. I took a nap cuddled next to my son.
#5. Spent some quality time with my niece.
#6. Seen my folks at three different times today!
#7. Praised the Lord until I cried tears of joy!

Who Am I??

I am under 45 years old.

I love the outdoors.

I hunt.

I am a Republican reformer.

I have taken on the Republican Party establishment.

I have many children.

I have a spot on the national ticket as v.p. with less than two years in the governor's office.

Did you guess?

Teddy Roosevelt

Word of the day...Gaffe

Obama has a new campaign message this week blasting Senator McCain for not being "computer savvy"....the ad speaks of McCain not knowing how to e-mail or use the internet. At first this really shocked me...I am think our next Presidents should be somewhat knowledgeable on a computer...right??? Then I found out the truth. It's true...Senator McCain does not e-mail or work on a computer because he is unable to type due to the beatings he received as a POW!
He is not able to tie his shoes or his tie, comb his hair, or raise his arms above his head. You would think that the Obama researchers would have investigated that a little deeper.
Another gaffe this week from the left came from Senator Biden. Biden had an awkward moment during a rally in Columbia, Mo., Tuesday. At the start of his remarks, he pointed out several state lawmakers in the audience for praise. When he got to Chuck Graham, a state senator from Green Meadows, Biden urged the lawmaker to “stand up Chuck, let ‘em see ya.” Chuck was unable to stand since he is in a wheelchair.
We all make mistakes....write???

Wonder if this is true...or just some PR??

Associated PressIRVING, Texas -- Tony Romo: Pro Bowler, playboy quarterback and, apparently, a Good Samaritan handy with an air compressor.A couple says Romo helped them patch a flat tire on the side of a busy street last weekend after the Dallas Cowboys star returned home from a season-opening win at Cleveland.Bill and Sharon White told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that at least 100 drivers ignored their broken-down Mercury before someone stopped late Sunday. Sharon White said a well-dressed man "with something strange on his chin" walked up and offered a hand.Romo needed 13 stitches after his chin was split open in the 28-10 win over the Browns. He bent down and helped the Whites get their faulty air compressor to fill up the tire.Sharon White said she asked twice before Romo confirmed her suspicions about the do-gooder's identity."I did something no 50-year-old woman should be doing, but I screamed real loud, and then jumped up and hugged him," Sharon White told the newspaper in Thursday's editions.Bill White had a different reaction."Don't tell me how you guys did," he said he told Romo. "I'm going home to watch it."

Prayers...

Hey Friends...
I know you won't forget to prayer for the people living on the Gulf with Ike coming...can you please add a few of my relatives and friends to your prayer list. My oldest brother Larry is actually in Houston, my nephew Ryan and his family, my friends the Holbrooks, Benjie Fuller, and the Permenter Family. My brother Allen & his family live in Corpus along with some other family but it looks they won't be in the path! Thanks a bunch!!

The Results Are In!

After much prayer and discussion...and your opinions...John is going to continue sleeping with us. I took some advice from a good friend the other day...John sleeps in his bed until we go to bed then I take him with us...that works out best for us! Three nights in a row we have all slept from 10:30 until 7:00! John and I get up since Daddy has to go to work or we would probably sleep later. You know...like my friend told me...he is only one...he is probably going to be my only baby...I don't have to worry about going to work or tending to other children - why not! It is sweet...Randy will leave for work and tell me not to worry about anything except having fun & taking care of our son! What a wonderfully blessed life!!

Update...

Several of you have asked....sorry I did not follow up about John blowing out his first candle!! Unfortunately he did not blow out his candle at his party...he tried really hard.
We had been practicing on a single candle...on a cupcake...the candle on his birthday was big and he had a cake...plus I think he had some performance anxiety!!

However on his actual birthday with Randy and my parents he did blow out the candle...a single candle...on a cupcake!

Question...

Linda has me hooked on polling questions so I thought I would ask you one!
What do you think of children (under 2) sleeping with their parents?
The catch word for this is co-sleeping.
John sleeps about 50% in his bed and the other 50% on the couch or in the big bed with us!
When he naps he will sleep in his bed unless we (Randy & I) want to nap then we take him with us. He is a sweet cuddle bug and we both love to sleep with him...he is warm and makes this cutest noises but I am concerned I am starting a bad habit.
At night he will start in his bed about 8pm...he will wake up between 3 & 4am and cry until we go to the big bed. I have tried all the suggestion...re-tucking...re-positioning...rocking...the crying out method but we all are just losing sleep at this point! This morning we were up from 3 until 4:15 trying to get him to go back to sleep in his bed...finally I decided to give in.
Like I said...Randy and I enjoy sleeping with John but are we hurting him??

Just Between Friends

"Just Between Friends" will be in Amarillo this week!
"JBF" is the nation's leading children's & maternity consignment sales event. They offer toy, games, clothing, maternity, accessories, cribs, strollers, nursery, & play equipment.
You can shop, sell, or volunteer at this event. It will be at First Assembly of God Gym (just south of Hillside on Bell) - Amarillo. It is open 9-6 on Thursday and Friday and 8-1 on Saturday plus Saturday is half off day. I am planning on going Thursday...John is in need of jeans for this winter! Pass the word along to others!
www.jbfsale.com

The Sweetet Things...

I have found that the smallest things are sometimes the absolute sweetest!
Like...the past few weeks when John sleeps he will laugh. Not a small chuckle but a loud belly laugh - it is the best...or when he has food in his mouth he does this chuckling under his breath that is so funny! Or maybe it is when he sees Randy - he gets really excited and yells "Daddy". I am not sure how he knows to do this...but he will lay down in the bath and blow bubbles in the water...how does he know how to do that? He loves to wrestle...to be upside down...to act like you are going to do a pile-driver on him...he loves that!!
Yesterday was our first day of Kindermusik for the Fall and apparently John was on the welcoming committee. He had to kiss all the babies on the forehead and give them little pats - it was so precious and all the Mommies had to have hand shakes...John had to greet everyone before class started. What warms my heart about this story is...when I was in Kindergarten my Mom was worried that I would not make friends or I would have a hard time adjusting since I had never been around alot of children. About a week after school started Mom went to visit with my teacher to make sure I was okay. The teacher just laughed and told Mom I was friends with everybody...anytime someone new came to class I was the first to welcome them and made them sit by me. Randy said when he went to school he walked in the class and ran screaming after his Dad the second he left. So...John may look a like Randy, be smart and wise like Randy but I think he may have just a touch of my personality!!

New Pictures...