All women love jewelry

What lady doesn't love jewelry from her man? This morning my littlest man brought me this beautiful bracelet that he has made at some point in time. He is wearing a bracelet that he made at church one week and showed it to me. Of course I told him how beautiful it is. Well, I had sent him upstairs to clean his room and once he was through he came down with the bracelet. He said that he had made it and it wouldn't tie on his arm so he wanted me to have it. Of course I had to put it on right then and there. Don't you love kids!!!

Fat Cat?

Our cat has always looked like this really fat cat since we got her a little over a year ago at the pound. She is such a good cat and loves to be petted. Her hair right above her tail on her back has gotten matted and she would not let me get them out, so I had to take her to get shaved down today. After she was shaved she didn't look so fat. You be the judge.

Miss Kitty before being shaved.
Miss Kitty this afternoon after being shaved.

Storm

As promised, I finally have a photo of Storm. In the past couple of weeks I have been able to talk to Storm and am starting to build a bond with him again. It was so hard to make the decision to let him live with his dad, I felt like the worst mom in the world! There are days that I still do, but in talking to him, I realize that it has been the best thing for him and the entire family. He is learning how to make his own decisions. I have spent his entire childhood teaching him my values and now I just have to trust that he remembers all that he has been taught and applies it. I know that he will make mistakes in his life and I want to be the place that he feels comfortable coming to for encouragement when he falls, just like he did when he was little and got hurt. I am learning that letting them go is one of the hardest parts of being a parent. This is quite a journey.

Storm, Devin and Braxton.

Raining Turtles

I read Heather Whittaker's blog, http://whittakerwoman.typepad.com/, so when Braxton saw this turtle in the middle of our road on the way home from school and had to "save" him. I immediately thought of her blog yesterday. Her daughter found a larger box turtle yesterday. Of course, Braxton had to bring him home, and he has named him Edward because he reminds him of "Edward Scissor Hands". I snapped some pictures of Braxton with "Edward" before he sent him home to his mommy.

Braxton and Edward
A somewhat blurry picture of Edward, who was not much bigger than an egg.

Organization

I cannot stand disorder! I think that everything should be organized neatly and labled. I have even labled my youngest son's toy drawers. This drives my husband, who is more of a let it lay where it lands kind of guy, crazy. Since Robert has been out of town for the last couple of weeks I have been busy organizing everything, last week was the boys rooms and the bathrooms, today was the kitchen. My poor husband will come home and not be able to find anything, well except if he reads the lables I put up!

Blowing Rock

Robert and I took a trip to Blowing Rock-Boone, NC yesterday. We drove up the scenic route thru highway 221 which takes you straight through the mountains. We enjoyed each others company and looking at all of the beauty in nature that God created! We had a wonderful dinner, probably the best BBQ restaurants I have ever been to. don't remeber the name and it was not on the receipt. Below are a few pictures of what we enountered on or journey! If you ever get a chance I would recommend the drive.

A barn we saw on the way to Blowing Rock!

The biggest rock I have ever seen hangning over the road.

A small water fall on the side of the mountain.

I LOVE MOM

I found this when I was cleaning this morning. This is from Storm when he was about 6. It says in his own writing "I Love My Mom. He wrote around the picture "I don't look happy but I am". At 16 it does not always seem that he even likes me! This was a great reminder that somewhere deep inside him there is that little boy that does still needs and loves his mom.

Isn't he so cute! I am still working on a good current picture to post! Everything I have found he is making really wierd faces in the camera!

My big boy

Today Braxton's homework was to weigh and measure himself (with help from me of course). He now weighs 62 lbs. and is 50 inches tall! It's amazing to me that he got here about 10 years ago weighing 7 lbs 6 oz. and 21 inches tall!!!

I Can't Believe It!

I just dropped the boys off at school for the first day! Of course the bus was late on the very first day! I dropped Braxton off first and then Devin. It hit me after Devin got out of the car, that he is in high school! I have already done this with Storm and it was not really that big of a deal. Storm is just so different than Devin. Storm is more like me, he would talk to a wall (and has been known to on occasion) if there is no one else to talk to. Devin in a sense is my baby, he was the baby for almost 6 years before Braxton was born! To see him walk into high school just about floored me! I just could not believe he is so grown up! I wanted to take hime back to elementary school again! Storm is a junior this year! I guess the first day of school next year will be all about him!!! I am very proud of all of them!!!

Devin with his new clothes on for the first day of school!

My boys are home!

I was supposed to pick up the boys at 8:00 tonight, but Braxton called me around 6:00 and wanted me to come get him. He sounded so sad! When I got there he ran to me and hugged me so tight! He was almost as glad to see me as I was to see him!!! Devin even said that he wished that he would have came home yesterday after I registered him for school, but decided to stay one more day for his little sister's birthday party!!! I am so glad that they are home!

Family Night Idea

Robert and I were out last night and got a message from Braxton that he had gotten hurt. You know little boys, they need to talk to mommy when they don't feel well. I talked to him and found out that he was fine, he had fallen when riding his scooter and scraped his head, nose, knee and toe. I had to take him to register for school today and we had an idea for Family Night. We are going to have a First Aid night. We are going to have stuffed animal patients to take care of and we are going to learn safety tips, like wearing a helmet while riding a scooter. For supper we are going to have chicken noodle soup and jello and for desert we are going to have the little cups of ice cream that they give you when you are in the hospital. Each child will receive "get well" gifts, you know coloring books, word searches and cross word puzzles. The types of gifts that you would receive if you were sick and needed something to occupy your time. Braxton is so excited, he can't wait to get home for it!!!

Braxton's head and face after falling off of his scooter at his dad's house.

Braxton's knee after his accident.

Braxton showing off his boo boo's after his accident.

I miss my boys

Things around here get so hectic, the boys running around screaming, usually at each other, washing clothes, cooking, trying to keep the house clean! There are times when I think that I would love a week to myself! Well, this is the boys week with their dad. Usually the last week of summer they stay with their dad. The first couple of days are great, it is so quiet and I get their rooms clean and organize everything! By Wednesday or Thursday the silence is deafening! It is amazing how much you miss the arguing, but especially the hugs and kisses and I love you Mom! Of course I call them every day to talk to them. And their dad lives less than 15 minutes from my house, it's not like they are across the country or something. I will see them tomorrow when I register them for school and then they will be home on Saturday!

My first blog

Since this is my first post I thought that I would introduce you to the reasons that I dare to dream. Here they are:

Devin, my middle son.

Braxton, my youngest son.

Robert, my husband and biggest cheerleader!

I do not have a current picture of my oldest son, Storm, so I will post one of him in a future blog!