Lazy Sunday

I thought everyone might get a kick out of comparing baby Nicholas to baby Nolan. This is Nicholas at around 9 months old. There is no denying that they are brothers! Baby Nolan is 6 months old today. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We are going to get his 6 month picture taken next Saturday.
Not much going on over here. The boys and I are enjoying a lazy Sunday. It is to cold and wet to play outside so we are enjoying hanging out indoors.
Jason is over in Huntsville visiting his brother. His younger brother Jeremy had a small stroke on Thursday afternoon. He is doing better, but is still in the hospial for tests until Tuesday. They still haven't figured out what caused it which is the scariest part to me. He brother is only 31 and isn't overweight or anything so it was a total shock to all of us. He is married with 3 young kids. Please pray for a speedy recovery for him.

Crazy Days

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter. We didn't do much, just got up and went through our easter baskets and then went to Church. Nicholas spent the rest of the day playing and trying to eat all the candy! We did get to play outside some.

Monday was freezing here. I think it only got up to about 54 degrees. Today is supposed to be 60. It gets warm again by Friday with a high of 74. The weather has been crazy this year. I had on shorts Friday and Saturday and it snowed here on Monday! So weird.

Live everyday like its Saturday

After Earl's funeral on Thursday, the kids I came back to Atlanta. Jason stayed until Friday night to spend some more time with his Mom. Thanks to all for their prayers. Earl often said to live like everyday is Saturday and I decided that was a good motto to have. There will always be time to clean and wash clothes after the kids are in bed. The boys and have had a great Friday and Saturday just spending time together. The house is a mess, but I don't care! One day the kids will be grown and I'll have all the time in the world to clean.
Nicholas got a haircut on Friday, we went for a wagon ride around the neighborhood, and then we played in the backyard all afternoon. He then got to take a bath with the body soap paint that my mom and dad got him for Easter. He loved it and couldn't wait for Daddy to be home so he could "paint" him. Nolan enjoyed sitting outside in the sun and feeling the breeze on his face.
Today was our neighborhood Easter egg hunt. For the 2nd year in a row, Nicholas found a prize egg. He had so much fun. Tonight we dyed our Easter eggs. Nicholas wanted everyone to see them, so I've included a picture.

Earl Alexander

Jason's Dad, Earl, passed away last night around midnight. Luckily, Jason decided to go over to Birmingham last night and got to see him for a couple of hours to say goodbye. Please continue to pray for the Jason and his family. Earl leaves behind a wife, 3 sons, a mother, a brother and sister, and 5 grand kids. I'm grateful that Nicholas got 3 good years with him. I'm sad that he and Nolan won't have more. He was a great granddad and Nicholas loved going fishing with him at the lake and riding in his boat. Anytime we pass over a lake when we are driving he always mentions Pops. While I would rather have him here with us, I'm thankful that his suffering is over. We now have another angel watching over us from heaven.

Please Pray

Jason's father went into the hospital last night. His kidneys are failing and he has water on his lungs. He blood pressure is also dropping. Please continue to pray that things turn around. He is such a sweet man and deserves many more years with us. Please keep him and the family in your prayers during this difficult time.

Dothan Trip

The kids and I spent the weekend at my parents house. We went to farm days at Landmark Park with Grandmomma, Aunt Jay, and cousins Jake and Scout. Granddaddy had to work on Saturday so he couldn't go with us. Nicholas had a blast. He and Jake both got wooden guns and had so much fun shooting at animals. It was amazing how many coyotes there were in the woods (according to them!) Nicholas rode a horse and got to see all the farm animals. He even got to make a wooden shingle like they did in the olden days. Of course, I think they enjoyed walking the nature boardwalk the best. They couldn't wait to see the turtles.


All in all, it was a nice weekend. We got to escape the bad weather in Atlanta. Luckily, we had no damage. I don't think it got too bad north of town. I survived driving home with the kids by myself. They were really good in the car...thank you God :)

I do have to tell you the funniest part of the weekend. Nicholas was wrestling with Granddaddy and Jake Friday night and Granddaddy got the better of him so of course Nicholas got mad. He walked over to me and said, "Mommy, Granddaddy isn't making good choices!" It was hilarious!

The pictures are of me and the boys, Nicholas making his shingle, Nicholas and Jake riding the horses, and Nicholas and Jake shooting their guns.

Thankful Thursday

I have a friend that does thankful Thursday every Thursday. In light of everything that has happened this week I thought it would good for my soul to reflect on everything I have to be thankful for week...so here it goes.....

I'm thankful that the doctors have diagnosed my father-in-law so now they can get on with the business of healing him.

I'm thankful that Nicholas didn't kill Nolan. He is going thru a phase where he like to pinch him and make him cry. He bite him on the way home today. I'm thankful that he didn't leave teethmarks :)

I'm thankful for cartoons. It's amazing what a 3 year old will do for them.

I'm thankful for baby Einstein.

I'm thankful that Nolan goes to bed at 7 every night and sleeps until 6.

I'm thankful that I have a loving family that surrounds me everyday. I thankful that God gave me Nicholas and Nolan to remind me of what's important in life. Hint...it's not what I do from 8-4 Monday-Friday.

I'm thankful that the PMS is finally over for this month! I'm sure Jason is thankful for that too.

I'm thankful that the there are such things are bubble baths. It's amazing what 30 minutes in the tub can do for you.

I'm thankful that I get to go see my parents this weekend. No matter how old you get and how grown up you think you are, sometimes you just need your Mom.

Need Your Prayers

Jason's dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer today. I ask that you all keep him in your prayers as he begins treatment next week.

I was downloading pics from the camera and wanted to share these. I thought they were so cute. Nolan was happy playing and the next minute I turned around and he was asleep!

Both of the boys are doing good. Nolan gets cuter everyday. He was laughing so hard on the way home yesterday at something Nicholas was doing in the backseat. He continues to try to eat us out of house and home. He started pears last night and of course loved them. The only thing he hasn't liked so far is Green Beans. He is already eating solids at breakfast, lunch and dinner. We go to the doctor on the first and I can wait to see what he weighs.

Nicholas continues to amaze me everyday. A couple of days ago he counted to 20! I was shocked. He sang Nolan to sleep last night with the ABC song and had to kiss him about 20 times before we could leave the room.

I am so thankful that God gave me the two of them. They bring so much joy to my life.

Why is the book always better than the movie?

I took this afternoon off and went and saw the other Boleyn girl. I knew Jason wasn't excited to go see it and going together would require a babysitter, so I figured the only way I would see it before it came out on video was to go by myself. Really funny because of the 10-15 people that were in the theater all were women sitting by themselves!

Anyway, the movie was good, but of course the book was 100 times better. There is just no way to put all detail into a 2 hour movie that was in the book. I didn't think I would like Natalie Portman as Anne, but she was really good in the role. All in all, if you like historical dramas, then I recommend. And if your husband won't go with you, do like the women of Alpharetta do and go by yourself! I have to admit, it was nice getting the popcorn all to myself :)

Happy Hump Day

Is it Wednesday already? Not much going on here. I did want to share about Nolan's big accomplishment today. I put him into his exo-saucer and was about to put a blanket in with him to help hold him up when I realized I didn't need to. He was holding himself up great!
We had another hard night of trying to get Nicholas to go to bed in his own bed. It takes about an hour of him getting up before he'll settle down. Last night after him getting up once I went upstairs with him and we talked. I was trying to figure out why he is so scared. Finally I asked him if he wanted his baby blanket. I got one of his baby blanket's out of his closet. It was one that my Mom made for him. I told him about how I had one just like it when I was his age that my Mom made for me and how I slept with it everynight. Also how sleeping with it was like having Grandmomma watch over and protect him at night. It was amazing how it calmed him down. He said today that the blanket made him feel braver in his room. We tried calling Grandmomma and telling her, but she wasn't at home. So Mom, if you are reading this...Thanks for helping Nicholas get a good nights sleep. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works tonight as well :)

Help...taxes are giving me a headache!

I don't know how many hours I have spent doing taxes this year, and I don't want to know. I'm still not done, but I'm getting closer. Taxes used to be so easy, but I realized that as you get older and start making investments, they get really messy! After this year I'm now a supporter for the Fair Tax. I haven't read much about so I'm going on what Jason has read and what Neil Bortz says on his radio show, but it has got to be better than the current system. Have you ever tried to get an answer off the IRS website. It's like reading Greek. Please pray that I get through this year without pulling all my hair out. I know what you are going to say...hire a someone to do the taxes for me. Until this year I have really enjoyed doing the taxes. Yes, I'm a math geek :) I may take your advice next year though :)

Great Sunday

I hope everyone enjoyed the same wonderful weather we had in Atlanta today. It was great...sunny and warm. Nicholas, Nolan and I played outside and had a blast. Nolan took his first swing on the swingset and of course fell asleep. Nicholas rode his four-wheeler all over the backyard while Shannon, the dog, chased him.

Nicholas got a new pair of crocs yesterday. When we got to the store he went straight over to them and told me he wanted a blue pair. He got a navy blue pair. He hasn't taken them off since. He was so excited because I told him that Jake, his cousin, had a pair like them. So now when he puts them on he lets me know that they are like Jake's. Jake is my sister Jamie's little boy. He is a year older than Nicholas and I have discovered that I can get Nicholas to do most things by saying that Jake does it :)

Nicholas was star of the week at school this past week. As part of it, he got to bring the class friend home. His name is Pete. The picture is from the camp out they had last night in Mommy and Daddy's room. We built a fort and they slept in his lightening McQueen sleeping bag.

I hope everyone has a great week!