IT'S GONE!

I did it! My hair is gone. I donated all my hair to Locks of Love. I had a similar haircut before I turned 30 and now I am back to it. I liked it then, but did not keep up with it due to someone making a comment about how much older I looked. So, I got partial highlights this time to enhance the cut and hopefully I will not look so much older...you cannot see them very well, but that was intentional. FYI, Joshua took the picture with Andrew...I had to include it.

AUGUST CHALLENGE

August is a busy month. People are getting doctors appointments in. School supplies are filling up the house. New school clothes are filling the drawers, along with old ones that have not been put away. People are wrapping up last minute summer plans. It is just busy! It has been even harder for us since Jeff has spent the first half of August out of the country. I don't get to go on my nightly runs since no one is at the house to watch the kids. So, when you find yourself in a crunch with time and surrounded by kids 24/7 then why not just try playing Follow the Leader with your kids. Play time with the kids burns calories and you get great quality time with them
Joshua is old enough that he understands Follow the Leader. We take turns following each other. We will run, jump, walk backwards, lobster crawl, bear crawl, somersault, etc...it is really hard at times. Joshua can run around forever.
Side note: you can do some weights by lifting the kids like a chest press or playing airplane. Joshua is heavier than Andrew, so I cannot do too many reps with Joshua.
Spend a few days a week playing Follow the Leader. Be sure to really get involved and the calories will burn quickly. Enjoy!

FIRSTS

I am so proud of Joshua! He is such a big boy...it really makes me want to cry! Joshua had his first teeth cleaning AND his first eye appointment. He did not cry. He did exactly what he was asked to do. He did not even need me...see, makes me want to cry!
The dental appointment was actually his second. The first visit was a "Happy Visit". Joshua meets the dental hygenist, sits in the chair, sees the equipment, and watches a video. However, a cleaning is different and I was thinking he might have a hard time. I was wrong! They came and got him while I was getting my teeth cleaned. He went without even looking back at me. The doctor came and told me that he was great during the x-rays and that they took pictures, see below. After my cleaning I sat outside the door waiting for him. I could here him talking about how he brushes his teeth, about the spit sucker he got to hold, and about what type of floss he wanted. I was so very excited for him! He is excited about the tooth brush and tooth paste he got from the dentist. He does not even want to use his spin tooth brush.
The eye appointment was his first. Although, he has gone with me for my eye appointments. Again, he was called back by the doctor and no worries...he went right in. He jumped up on the chair and put his chin on the machine...the doctor was amazed at how well he was doing. The doctor even dialated Joshua's eyes. Such a big step. Again, I was so very excited for him and proud at how big he is getting.
The first day of school is really going to hit me...why is it so easy for them to just go? Maybe that is a sign that we are doing something right by him!!!

NEPHEWS & NEICES

I have been an Aunt for 11 years now. I have 5 nephews and 5 neices. My brother has three children, my sister has five children, and Jeff's sister has two children (well she is a step-mom as well to two children that are not a part of the count above). I have tried to play a bigger role in their lives than just an Aunt they see every so often. The much larger need is for them to know my children, their cousins. I feel family is so important and played a very large role in my growing up. My best friends were my cousins! I may not see them often now, but when we do get together we have great times. We just pickup where we left off...
My brother's children lived in WA at one time and are now in MI. It has been and is very difficult to build the relationship that I want with them. I so wish they could be closer to us, but hope that as they get older and can fly on their own that they can come spend a week or so in the summer with me and my kids.
My sister's children live pretty close. I see them at least once a month, if not more. During the times they are not in school I try to get the kids and do something special with them and my kids. It is very stressful at times...my sister has a lot of kids and then to add my two on that. I know Joshua enjoys being with them and Andrew will someday too, so I will suck it up for a few days here and there.
Jeff's sister kids are new to the world and live in SC, so the times we will get to visit with them will not be once a month. However, they are 4 months old and we have seen them twice already and will see them at the end of the month. The bond will soon grow strong!
If you have nephews or neices please take the time to get to know them and make them a part of your life. Special times, memorable times, times that will shape them are to be had!

GIRLS ONLY!

Every year a few girls from my sorority get together on a party barge, Club Fred, to catch up and have some girl time. I have not made it every year, but always have fun when I can make it, no matter how long it has been since we have seen each other.
It started out as a few pledge classes getting together and now it has expanded to more than a few along with bringing friends that did not even go to college with us. We catch up on loves, babies, work, all kinds of news. We eat, drink, play games, and slide down the slide...so much fun! I look forward to next year and maybe this time I can stay the whole day.
Thanks goes to Mom and Randy for taking care of the boys for me on such a short notice. Jeff, this is a heads up...we are planning the same weekend next year.

We were actually on Club Ethel and not Club Fred.

My good friend Margaret...we were pledge sisters.

MILESTONES MET BY 11 MONTHS

Andrew is beginning to stand on his own now. He seems to stand well when he has something in his hand. However, if he is in the middle of a room and goes to stand from a squatting position he may or may not make it. It is so very exciting!
He is also waving "Bye, Bye", which he started doing while at Red Lobster at some stranger.
I have heard him say, "Dada, Mama, Joshua, Bubba, and More".
I love to see him hit all these milestones, but it does make me very sad that this may be my last baby...it goes by so quickly.

BAPTISM

I finally got a picture of Morgan and Jack Moats' baptism. In case you have not heard the story...the minister just started speaking when Jack started his "business". Kristen rushed him to the bathroom. They were gone for a long time...made it back just in time for the baptism. Jack was in a NEW outfit, not the nice baptism outfit his Mom and Dad specifically picked out for this occasion. I think I would have cried!

Jeff and I prepared Joshua for the baptism by asking him if he will help Morgan and Jack come to know Jesus. He said that he would, but he was nervous about being up there with the minister. He stayed by Grampie and answered all questions appropriately. Later that day he pretended he was the minister and he went around baptizing the kids and then singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".

We are so blessed to be included in this momentus occasion. We see God's blessing in our family..."Thank you heavenly father!"