Please Help This Mom!

Please help this Mom! She is trying to get 1,000 signatures (by Friday) to pass a new law. The current law denies her son (who lived 2 precious minutes) a birth certificate!

Sign the petition here! And read more about her story here!

Thanks, friends!

Get Well Mamaw!

My mom just had surgery, so we put together a little get well video for her.

The boys enjoyed being silly for the camera. Honestly it is mostly bloopers after the beginning. I was asking them to smile for the camera...that is why they keep saying "eee", I guess! Silly boys!

We love you and miss you Mamaw...please get well soon!

Catching Up #6 - Florida Trip - The BEACH!

These are my favorite pics from Daytona Beach (remember I am catching up so this was in June). The boys had a great time. And just for the record, I really do feed my kids...they are just skin and bones by nature! So wish they got they trait from me, but sadly it is not so.

Giving SwagBucks a Try!

I've been hearing a lot about this website. I finally did a little research and I see and hear good things. I'm going to give it a try. Basically, you use their search engine and earn credits towards "swagbucks" that you can redeem for prizes and gift cards. Seems pretty cool to me. I have already earned 5 so far!

Check it out...

Catching Up #5 - Florida Trip - Disney World

So excited! This was Will's first trip to Disney World!

Love this one in front of the castle!

The first ride!
Everybody had to...

get their picture taken...

in these!

Can't remember which ride this was, but is was SUPER hot so we were glad to be in the AC!

I think Rich is more excited than Will on the carousel!

Richie trying out his driving skills!

Will is a BIG Pooh fan!

And an even BIGGER Buzz Lightyear Fan! I love the proud smile on his face here!

As we were leaving...we missed out on the fireworks because there was a downpour at about that time and everyone was soaked and ready to leave! Still, it was a wonderful family day!

Catching Up #4 - Florida Trip - 50th Anniversary

The purpose for our trip to Florida in June was to celebrate as a family with Rich's parents who had their 50th wedding anniversary this past April! We did some other fun things along the way. The next few posts will touch on just a few of the highlights.
Enjoy!

This is actually a picture of Rich and I on our 13th wedding anniversary. We were able to sneak away for a dinner out and a walk on the beach that night. Heavenly!

We had lots of play time with our new baby cousin, Kelly Joy!

Check out those smiles...love it!


Here is a pic of the whole family at Buca Di Beppo's when we went out for a 50th anniversary celebratory dinner! YUM!


Here are Dick and Joanne in front of the banner Rich designed for them...we took the liberty of hanging it on the wall at the restaurant for our viewing pleasure!

After dinner, we came home and celebrated with some yummy desserts. And what celebration is complete without a little chocolate fondue?

At least we are pretty sure that is what William thinks!

Boy-sterous Living: A Book Review

Well, if you are a mom of a boy or boys, the cover and title of this book will most certainly draw you in. Why? Because you will instantly KNOW that this author must really understand what your life is like! And she does. I have been reading this book by Jean Blackmer over the last couple of weeks and I absolutely LOVE it!

You see, I grew up in a family of all girls (except my Dad, of course), so when I imagined being a Mom, the things that came to mind were baby dolls, tiaras, and lots and LOTS of pink. The things that did NOT come to mind were soccer balls, light sabers, and Legos. It turns out, though, that God had other plans! And (not surprisingly) His plans now make so much more sense to me.

I adore my boys! I love cheering on the sidelines of their soccer games and watching them wrestle on the floor with their Dad. And most of the time, I don't even mind having to defend myself as I maneuver through a Jedi battle of light sabers. I love that my boys have a special place in their heart for Mommy and I think there is something quite special about having all things feminine in the house reserved just for me.

Of course, the simple fact that I am a girl makes relating to my boys at times a challenge. There is often a learning curve involved. The first time I dressed my boys for a soccer game, I wasn't sure if the shin guards went inside or outside the sock! And although I am learning, I still have to turn to my friends often during a sporting event and say, "um...what just happened?". I could really use a manual. And while we all know the only real manual we have for raising kids (boys or girls) has a different Author, this book works nicely for a supplemental and humorous read!

If you'd like to know more about this book, check out the details below. Also, enter a contest for a chance to win movie tickets and a snack for you and a friend!

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About the book: Raising boys isn't easy. Life with them is loud. If it's quiet, they're probably up to something. Boys are messy, competitive, fearless, and proud. Living with them pretty much guarantees that you're in for an adventure.

In Boy-sterous Living, Jean shares a few of the priceless stories and laugh-out-loud lessons that she and her boys have experienced over the years. With humorous insight and practical advice, she offers encouragement and ideas to help both mothers and fathers impact and shape the lives of their sons. From understanding their love of sports to overcoming the superman complex, Jean shows moms how to find joy and contentment in everyday life by celebrating the laughter, passion, noise, and endless energy boys bring to our lives.

About the author: Jean is currently the Publishing Manager for MOPS International and she's been free-lance writing for 16 years. She has been published in a variety of local and national publications, including: Guideposts, MomSense, Today's Christian Woman, Christian Parenting Today, American Girl, Proverbs 31 Woman, Chicken Soup for the Mother and Son Soul, Chicken Soup Cookbook for the Busy Mom's Soul, Focus on the Family's Teen Phases, Guideposts Miracle Series, and others.

She also co-authored her first book, Where Women Walked: Powerful True Stories of Women's Perseverance and God's Provision. (Tyndale/Focus on the Family, 2004) This book was nominated for a Gold Medallion Award.

Jean graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a Bachelor's (1987) and a Master's (1992) degree in Journalism. She lives in Boulder with her husband Zane; three boys, Josh, Jordan, and Jake.

Would you like your own copy of Boy-sterous Living? Click here!

Check out what other bloggers have to say about this book here.

And click here to check out the author's website.

Also, don't forget the contest! Details below...

CONTEST: Enter your grossest or funniest moment as a mom of a boy (No boys? That’s okay – we still want to hear your story!) and you could win movie tickets and a snack for you and a friend to escape! Share your story by emailing your entry to amy@litfusegroup.com or posting it on the Moms of Boys facebook page!

Catching up #3 - Will's 5th Birthday

Enjoying the perks of helping Mommy bake his birthday cake! Yes, I let them lick the beaters...I've done it all my life and never had a problem! Admit it, so have you!

Doesn't he just LOOk 5?

Our yummy creation!

This is from Will's friend party...he shared a party with his friend Tessa!


Check out the cool Thomas!

Mommy and Daddy with the birthday boy (Richie was at camp)!

Catching up #2 - Will's Preschool Graduation - 2009

Last time walking in the door to preschool...

A picture really does tell a thousand words...


One seriously cute preschool graduate!


That same preschooler with his seriously cute Daddy!

Mommy and her little graduate!

Graduate buddies!

Will with his wonderful teacher, Mrs. B!

The Last Day to Vote...Bloggy Friends Unite!

Calling all bloggy friends! I need your help! The organization I work for (Big Brothers Big Sisters) is trying to win a grant to send our Littles to a Christian camp this summer! We are competing with another organization that simply has a lot more manpower and contacts that we do so I'm asking for your help.

Could you take just a few minutes to ask (read BEG and PLEAD) your blog readers to vote for us? I would be so very grateful! Right now we are 134 votes behind. What do you say, friends...will you help the underdogs!? Here's the link...

Check out this Nike Back Your Block application and vote

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Catching Up Post #1 - Mother's Day Tea with William - 2009

Will with Mommy's special place mat!

Will and Mommy!

Sweet friends Janelle and Loulabelle!

Sweet friends Dixie and Tessa!

Preschool Buddies!

See, I told you!

I told you I would be back soon with a real post, but I bet you we're expecting it to be this soon. I mean my track record lately with posting has been less than stellar. However, I am home with a sick kid for the 5th day out of the last 7 and I thought maybe I could use a little of my time here for something besides attempting to seize and destroy all the germs in this house!

So, how ya been? We've been pretty well. We had a really big event recently when my youngest went to Kindergarten! He is loving it! And once I was able to work through all the emotions and implications of this event in my life, I have really been loving it, too! I have been reminded about just how crucial alone time is to my psyche. I am still working three days a week, but I now have two days BY MYSELF to get things done at home and elsewhere. I will admit that I have been home more than elsewhere because it just feels so good to be alone in my house. Of course, I miss the boys, but I find that I appreciate the time I do have with them even more. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder!

The second big event in our life as of yet involves a word that starts with a B. And no, it's not BABY! The B word I am thinking of is not as cute and cuddly as that one. The B word I am referring to is BUDGET. I know. A bad word for some of you, maybe, but I'm actually finding it is not as bad as it sounds and that I really find a lot of comfort in it.

One of the biggest changes has been our frequency of eating out. This has been huge for me and I thought it would be a lot harder than it has been. Rich has been a huge help and we have really enjoyed cooking together at times and he has been a lifesaver at helping me clean up. Yep. He's a keeper. I have also enjoyed the quality time at the table as a family (somehow it is just different than being around a table at a restaurant). Also, I have found the boys have been eating and trying more new foods because...well, there is no short order cook to give them exactly what they want. It's good.

Another big change with the budgeting has involved meal plans, grocery lists (what a novel concept!), coupons, sale papers, etc. I have been truly amazed at how much money I have saved just by having a plan! It takes a lot of time initially, but I believe it saves time in the long run. Seriously, how many hours of your adult life have you spent standing and staring at the freezer/refrigerator/freezer pondering what to have for dinner? It's nice to be able to go to the kitchen and just do instead of think. Ya know?

Anyway, I guess that's my little update for now. I'm going to download some pictures later and see about putting a few of those on here to catch you up in visual form.

Later!

If Anyone Is Still Reading This

I don't know if anyone is even still reading this blog anymore (aside from my Mother and Mother in Law), but if you are...I need your help! The organization I work for (Big Brothers Big Sisters) is trying to win a grant to send our Littles to Kids Across America (A Christian sports camp). For most if not all of our Littles, this will be a bright spot in their summer and year! We need your votes to help us get there. So, please go to the link below and vote! It only takes a few seconds! And then go to your blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter pages, and email address books to ask your friends to vote! Please! We are behind in votes and only have a couple of days left! Thanks so much. I promise to be back soon with a "real" post.

Check out this Nike Back Your Block application and vote

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The Elephant in the Room

So. Notice anything different about my blog? You might be wondering if I have noticed anything different as I have yet to say anything about the fact that the design has been changed for the first time in about 3 years!

Well, I have definitely noticed and I LOVE it! I have to give some serious thanks to Jackie who tirelessly and patiently worked with me until I was completely satisfied with the finished product. Jackie has started a new blog design business called Memories By Design. I hope you will check out her site and maybe even hire her to redesign YOUR blog. I promise you won't be disappointed. She is a GEM! Thanks again, Jackie. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you.

And I'm tempted to leave this post at that because to try and catch you up on life as of late just seems too overwhelming.  It has truly been a crazy year for our family.  To sum it up, and I should really not say this without knocking on wood (hold on, I'll be right back)...I am the only person in my immediate family this year who has not had a head CT (among other expensive tests).  Yes, all three of my boys, including the oldest and largest one (who will remain nameless, but you all know who he is...okay, I'll just say it - RICH) have had injuries or accidents that have required a head CT.  Thanks be to God, all of the results came back normal. However, at this rate we are thinking about purchasing one (a CT machine) to keep in our home for future usage.  It really might be cheaper in the long run. 

In all seriousness, though, I have found myself wondering several times this year...what is up?  I usually go back to the conclusion that I must be doing something right or Satan would not be attacking so relentlessly.  Haven't figured out exactly what that right thing is yet, but I have a possibility or two.

Anywho...moving on to a lighter subject. Aside from Richie's eye injury and the passing of my Grandfather we have really had a good summer with activities including, but not limited to a trip to Florida (including Disney World, the beach, and celebrating Rich's parents' 50th anniversary), Tball, baseball, swimming, cooking out, etc.  And this week, my parents are here visiting with us!  We are going to hang out with them for a few days and then Rich and I are heading on a little outing BY OURSELVES to St. Louis.  After that we get to spend a few more days with my parents before they go home.  Thank you, Lord for these blessings!

I guess that is my little update in a nutshell.  I hope to post some pictures soon of our recent adventures, if I can ever muster the energy to download them...I know, it's pathetic. What can I say? Downloading pictures is a bit of an IHC for me.

In the Arms of Jesus

Yesterday, July 1st 2009, my Papaw Allen passed on into the arms of Jesus.



Papaw, you are dearly loved and missed...

Update on Richie

I apologize for not updating the blog before now regarding Richie's injury. I think a lot of you probably saw the updates I posted on Facebook, but Richie is doing just great! His eye has completely healed and according to the Opthamologist there will be no lasting damage to his eye or vision! We are so thankful to God for that! We really appreciate all of you who lifted us up in prayer during that time and sent us messages of encouragement. We definitely felt your prayers and believe that God was faithful to answer them!

We are heading out of town soon for a trip to Florida to see Rich's family and to celebrate his parent's 50th wedding anniversary! We are excited about that!

Pretty soon I'll have my new design up on the blog. Jackie and I are almost ready to unveil it!

Also, please forgive me for not getting around to read your blogs like I have done in the past. Ever since I started working part time, it seems like there are just not enough hours in the day. I try to get by as often as I can and I haven't forgotten about all my sweet blog friends!

Oh, one more thing, I ran another 5K with Rich last week and beat my first time by 6 minutes! I was so excited about that. I'm still running, but am taking a break from "races" for the time being.

I think that's all for now...over and out.

Richie's Eye Injury

I wanted to fill you in on the happenings of the last 18 hours or so. Last night Rich and I were playing tennis with friends and as Rich was serving the ball, Richie standing diagonally in front of him turned and the ball hit his eye.

I noticed shortly after that there was blood in the eye (where the iris is) and he was complaining that he could not see out of it. We went to the ER and they diagnosed him with Hyphema (bleeding in the anterior of the eye) and a corneal abrasion (which is very painful). They admitted him for observation and until the Opthamologist could see him in the morning. He had to be on bed rest and sleep upright so that the blood would not pool at the back of his eye causing more problems.

The Ophtamologist's report this morning was good. He said the blood in the eye was at 5% as opposed to 10% the night before. There was no damage to the back of the eye and the prognosis was good for a full recovery. He said at least 24 hours more of bed rest, a patch for the eye, drops, and medicine for the pain. We are to see him again tomorrow at 1:30pm to check the progress. He thought the abrasion should be healed by then and that (hopefully) the blood in the eye would be completely absorbed.

We were discharged from the hospital, but as soon as we got home he started complaining of his stomach hurting and threw up (we think this was from the medicine on a mostly empty stomach). He still seems to be in a lot of pain, is still struggling with nausea, and is having a hard time leaving the eye alone. We are also concerned the eye might be bleeding again...it is hard to tell by just looking.

Please continue to pray for him. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers, thoughts, and kind deeds. We are truly grateful!

My First 5K: Documented for Posterity

Guess what?

I ran my first 5K last week! This was truly an amazing feat for me. I have never been a runner. In fact, I was the girl in gym class who huffed and puffed around the track claiming that I couldn't run. I must admit the odds were and (still are) stacked against me. I don't have a "runner's body". There is nothing long and lean about me. I'm a mere 5'0" tall.

This all started with The Big D. I started running to amp up my weight loss efforts. Over a six month period I slowly and gradually worked myself up to a point where I could run a good amount of time without stopping. At that point, I decided to bite the bullet and sign up to run a 5K(3.1 miles) with my husband, Rich, and friend, Shelley.

I trained mostly with Rich who is not a mere 5'0" tall. He's a much more significant 6'0" tall. He was so sweet and helpful and ran right alongside me even though it was more difficult for him to run at a slower pace. He also helped me work through some of the mental stuff, which turned out to be a BIG part of the battle for me.

I didn't set any speed records, but I met my goal of running the entire distance (without stopping) and finishing in under 40 minutes. My official time was 38:22.5. And do you know what? I actually enjoyed it! I didn't enjoy all of the training, but I definitely enjoyed the race. In fact (now brace yourself for this one), I'm running another one in about two weeks! I'd like to satisfy my curiosity by seeing if I can run it a bit faster. After this one, I plan to take a break for awhile and not push quite so hard.

Anyway, that's a little bit about what has been going on with me. Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me and prayed for me along the way. It really meant so much to me!

Shelley and I (BR - before the race)

Rich and I (BR)

Shelley and I (AR - After the race)

Rich and I (AR)

Happy Mother's Day!

Rich and I miss our Moms (and families) on a daily basis, but there are days like today that make us miss them more than usual.. We both feel that we are where we belong, but being away from family is never easy. Our Moms and Dads miss out not only on the big days (like today) but also on the day to day moments of our lives. I don't always do a great job of keeping them up to date on what we are doing so I thought I would take this opportunity to share with them some our memories from the last year. We love you all so much. And our hearts miss you especially on days like today. Please know we consider ourselves very blessed to call you "Mother".

The Noticer: A Giveaway - The Winner!

Oops. I forgot to post the winner to the book giveaway yesterday. Seriously, the state of this blog is sad, sad, sad.

Anyway, I used Random.org to generate a number because writing out six whole slips of paper with your names on them seemed like a little too much work! Haha!

Anyway, without further ado...

The winner is

PAM!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Pam! I really loved your response by the way and can definitely relate! I'll send you an email so we can work out delivery! ;-)

The Noticer: A Giveaway

I've decided to give away my copy of The Noticer. See review below.


Leave a comment about a time in your life when a little change of perspective made a BIG difference in your life!

All comments must be left before midnight on Thursday, May 7th. I'll announce the winner on Friday, May 8th!

The Noticer: A Book Review

I recently read The Noticer by Andy Andrews and was immediately drawn in by the title. I consider myself a perceptive person and often find myself "noticing" others and caring about their general sense of well-being. I thought this book was going to be about taking the time to notice others, but it turned out to be more about perspective than perception.

The Noticer is a story about a man named "Jones" who appears in the lives of various people when they are in need of a "little perspective". Jones shares his wisdom in an effort to set each person on the right track.

From a Christian perspective, I can't say that I agreed with Jones on all points. However, I gleaned several bits of wisdom reading about his encounters and was able to appreciate the general concept - the impact perspective can make on a person's life. I found the concepts and general feel of the book seemed to be oversimplified, but it was a quick, easy read and enjoyable overall.

50 Years!

Today marks a very special day. Rich's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! We are so thankful for their beautiful example of a committed Christian marriage.

Happy Anniversary
Dick and Joanne!

Psst....Susan? You do know a marathon is 26 miles, right?

My friend Susan is trying to win a trip to Hawaii to run in a marathon! I know! It makes me tired just thinking about it. And as a person who has spent the last several months trying to build up the endurance to run a simple 5K...I've got to give her SERIOUS props.

Do you think anyone might give away a trip for running a 5K? Of course, the destination would probably be like Cleveland or somewhere like that, but hey....a girl can dream.

Anywho, could you take a minute to vote for this sweet friend? She's in 2nd place right now and all of us here in Btown are rooting for her!

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