Let's Be Real

Have you ever noticed certain people in your life that know the right things to say and do when they are in the public eye but when it comes to real life they have no idea how to interact with people. Their friends and co-workers see them as one thing and then when they are around their family their true colors show! I know we all act somewhat different at work due to the fact that it is work and you can't truely relax and be yourself, but most of our friends see us as who we really are. But, do you have that person in your life that makes everyone think that they are the greatest thing going but when they get away from the outside world they become negative and condescending to everyone and everything around them? If you do how do you deal with it? How does it make you feel?

My three sons

It is so funny to watch my boys together. They all have such different personalities but when Storm is around the two younger ones gravitate to him and whatever he is doing. That is quite scary for him and for me. That means that they are watching his every move, good or bad and imitating it. I try to explain to him that people watch you every day that you don't realize are watching you, that is why it is so important to make wise decisions. In watching the boys together it made me realize that I too need to be careful of my actions and decisions. It is something we need to keep in mind at all times, we never know who is watching us and molding their lives after us, both good and bad!

What does 4 days of hard work get you?

We have lived her for a little over 2 years and we have not have time to paint, so I have been working pver the past few weeks one room at a time. This room was the hardest, the walls had lots of bad places so I spent several days puttying and sanding and then 3 days painting!

But look how happy he is!

It was all worth it!

Political E-mails

I am so tired of the negative e-mails I keep receiving! I recently received one that talked about all of the negative press Sara Palin's 17 year old daughter is getting. I agree on that part of it, her daughter is not running for office! Did she make some bad choices in her young life, yes, but let's face it folks so did we! I'm glad that my parent's never ran for office because I did lot's of things back then that I would like to do over, but hopefully I have learned from those mistakes and I hope that Bristol has also. The fact that her daughter is pregnant at 17 does not tell me if she is going to be a postive or negative influence in our government. To get back to the e-mail, the part that really ticked me off is that in defense of Palin the e-mail had a video of an African American gentleman blasting Obama's mom. In the very first statement of the video he called her trash and that she was also pregnant at 17 and was unmarried, I immediatley closed it. What does that have to do with his ability to run our country?

What offended me most was the fact that the person who sent this to me is a Christian and was supporting the person that she feels is the best choice for the job, but I ask this question:
Is sending this type of negative e-mail about either party the Christian way to act? I replied to the e-mail with a request that the person no longer forward me that kind of trash anymore and then deleted the e-mail.

Family night

Family Night!

I made some really good chicken and dumplings (not to brag, but they were good, probably because it has been so long since I've made them), and Storm came over for a while. We all ate together and just spent some fun time together. The boys acted silly like they do and we just had a great time! If you have small children you need to check out Heather Whittakers blog @ http://whittakerwoman.typepad.com/whittaker_woman/ she has great ideas! It is a little harder when they get bigger, I just kinda go with the flow!

Devin giving me his pouty look!
This is why god didn't give us naturally green hair!

As if the green hair wasn't scary enough, check out that look!

Don't you love weddings!

Who doesn't love a wedding. My cousin's daughter got married yesterday. It was an outside wedding and it was a perfect day for a wedding! It was not hot and there was a great breeze blowing. Well, the breeze did not work well with the unity candle, but otherwise it was great. The ceremony was great as well, the preacher explained that the wife should submit to her husband, but went on to explain to the husband that if he loved his wife as Jesus loved the church, his wife would not have a problem submitting to him. He also urged the husband to listen to andconsider her opinions. He told him that the wife is not commanded to love her husband because it was in her nature to love him with all of her heart. It was a great ceremony and you could just feel the love between them! If they heed the advice of the preacher you will be able to feel that love forever!

Victoria Nichole before the wedding.
The bride and her daddy!

Suzanne's chair, she went to be with Jesus 2 years ago.

Nikki and Quinten Jett at the reception.

Nikki having fun!

To be a teenager again!

I am so glad that I am not a teenager! My sweet Devin just broke up with his girlfriend on Monday. He only saw her when he rode the bus to his dad's house, which is every Monday and every other Friday. He wasn't sure that she was okay with the break up but his brother, Storm assured him that she was okay with it when he saw her on the bus on Tuesday. The girl called him tonight on a number that I didn't recognize. I asked him who it was and with a puzzled look he said it was Brittany. When he got off the phone I asked him why she had called and he replied that she called to give him her cell phone number. He asked her if she understood what breaking up meant, I am not sure she does.

Devin, my chick magnet!

Change is in the air!

I love the change of seasons! For the past two days it has been cool enough that I have had all of the windows in the house open. I was talking with someone yesterday and she said that she is always ready for each season change. That made me think, God IS in control of everything. We seem to forget that! He set the seasons into motion. He knows that we as humans get restless and complain a lot, so he set a change in seasons. Think about it, when we get to the point that we just can't stand the heat anymore, it starts cooling off, and little by little gets cooler until it is Winter. Then we are to the point where we are tired of shivering (not necessarily in the South), but at least we are tired of the brown, dull landscape, and the trees start budding, flowers blooming and the grass turns a beautiful shade of green. Then just as it got cold, it slowly warms up and then it starts all over again.

It's funny that we seem to forget that HE is in control of everything!!!

Bus Rider

With gas prices soaring we are doing everything we can to save money and gas, so Robert suggested that I let Braxton ride the bus home from school. I have fought the idea for weeks since the school is no more than a mile from my house, but this week decided to give it a try. When I first told Braxton he wasn't real happy with the idea either, it was our special time together. I told him that I would walk to the bus stop at the end of the road and wait for him. So yesterday I got there and waited. I was sure that he would be upset and beg me to pick him up for the rest of the week, I saw him on the bus and he waved and told the other kids, thats my mommy. He ran off the bus straight to me. I asked him if it was okay on the bus and he replied "it was great, can I ride it for the rest of the year?" This made me realize that I worry way too much. He is going to be fine on the bus, and we will make new fun times walking home from the bus.

Reality of a Hurricane

I have been thinking about the hurricane and how it has changed so many lives. We see images on TV of the damage, but there is no way we can understand the true damage, not just material damage. Can you imagine everything you have being completely taken away. I mean your personal belongings, your school, your church, your job, everything you have ever known your entire life, your security and even the feeling of having somewhere to call home. We all need some feeling of security and that soft place to land, for some of these people they don't have that anymore. I think the hardest part would be not being able to go back to find out if you have a home. Can you imagine the uncertainty. I just know in my heart that God has a purpose for everything, even hurricanes and some good will come from it.

I am praying that God can comfort the people there and that they find the security that only He can give them.

Hurricane clean up

Robert called me this morning and had found out that he would be sent to the Houston area for his job. They are assessing the damage for the Wachovia banks in the affected area. He is Austin right now and has not seen any of the storm in Austin. He said that it appears that Houston is devistated, from what the news media is showing them. It appears that he and his crew may be able to go in tomorrow. The major concerns are obviously the water, debris and glass everywhere and looters. I will keep updating as he updates me. I will also post pictures when he gets them to me. They are still not sure about how many people may have died, Houston did not have a maditory evacuation, and would not have had time to get everyone out anyway. Pray for all of those that stayed behind! I could not imagine the devistation.

JP Morgan building in downtown Houston.

This is a picture of Ike's water already invading Texas and it has not made land fall yet. These pictures were actually yesterday, it is already breaching the sea walls. I have been watching CNN and seeing the flooding already, and of course Robert is on his way there as we speak. At least he is staying in Austin, but he will be driving down to the areas that are flooded after the waters reside. He puts up a good front, but I am sure that he is scared. Keep him in your prayers.

Hurricane

Another hurricane on the gulf coast! Well this one is turning my house upside down! Robert got a call this morning that he has to go down to Texas for hurricane relief, before it even hits! He is on the emergency response team at work. He works for an environmental company that deals with problems associated with moisture. I suppose that there will be lots of moisture from a hurricane. What do you pack and for how long? There is a good possibility that there will be no phone service, no internet and maybe no hotel room either. This is scary since he will be there during the hurricane and I may not be able to contact him and know if he is ok. They want him as close to the town as possible so that he can get to the sight quickly, but it is not like you can camp out in a hurricane. Keep him in your prayers!!! Will keep you updated as it progresses.

Little Blessings

I went to a Career Talk last night at Greenville Tech. I thought I had everything together to apply for Nursing School in the Spring, but of course, I did not. I spent all day today making sure that everything would get to the school by Friday so that I could get my application in by Monday, the deadline. I got a little grumpy this morning, but then I realized that everytime I thought things were going wrong God has turned the situation around. It has been so awesome how God has allowed everything to fall in place. Losing my job has turned out to be a "blessing in disquise". I am learning so much about how God works through tough times to make us stronger and better.

Question

Is there any aspect of your life that is a huge mess but you make it look all pretty to outsiders. You don't want anyone to know how messed up that part of your life is. I am pretty sure that all of us probably do, my goal is to clean that part of my life up so that I am not having to masquerade that part of my life.

Entire Family Night

Last night we planned to take the boys to get pizza at Brixx, their favorite pizza in this area, only Barsoni's Pizza in Cortland, NY tops Brixx for all of my boys, including Robert. In fact at supper Storm even commented on how great Barsoni's Pizza was and he would visit NY just to get their pizza. Robert suggested that I ask Storm to come and we also invited Whitney, his girlfriend of almost 2 years, who I love, she's a red head! We had a great time. I pray that the past will be healed and forgotten so that we can be a family again!!!!

Heather Whittaker has inspired me to spend more time with the boys on her blog http://whittakerwoman.typepad.com/. She has some of the best ideas, her kids are smaller so she gets creative, sometimes it is all I can do to get them all to go out together!

Storm sporting Whitney's glasses
Storm and Whitney.

Atlanta

My husband and I visited Atlanta yesterday. After driving down I-85, I285 and Highway 20 I will never fuss about traffic on Reidville Road, Woodruff Road or I-85 between Pelham Road and I-385. What we see as a traffic jam is just a little delay. I saw traffic on 85 just outside of Atlanta that was at a complete stop going into town due to a wreck. There were people out of their cars having conversations with each other, like this was a normal thing. Thank God for our traffic jams in Greenville/Spartanburg, I will not fuss about them again. (Until I am late because of one again, haha!)

The Smurf's Village

Braxton and I have been taking care of our neighbors fish while they are gone to the beach this weekend. Right in front of their front door is this group of mushrooms. Braxton is positive that it is the Smurf village.

The Smurf village.
Braxton with the Smurf village.

Braxton looking for the Smurfs. No luck yet, but if we find Papa Smurf we will let you know!