Life with my sister

My fellow blogger and friend, Mandy has tagged me to do a six word memoir of myself. So here goes: Funny Tender-hearted Sassy Creative Clean Loyal Now it is my turn to tag five bloggers and lay out the rules!!! 1. Tori 2. Paige 3. Lindsey 4. Michael 5. LeighAnn Here are the rules: 1. Use six words to describe yourself. 2. Add a picture 3. Link back to the person who tagged you. 4. Tag five new people and link to their blogs. Jules- she tagged you too! Happy Tagging! Abby

Yep, a monkey replacement has been discovered and I am going to be the proud owner of it in 5 days! Thanks to the lost plush animals website , the monkey was located. No, it is not my original, but it is identical and in better shape than mine was. I am in J'boro with Rand and will leave tomorrow after a job interview. We have had a fun weekend of house hunting and eating. That is basically all we have done since I got here on Friday. Friday night we had a surprise visit from our family from Fair Oaks. We went to eat with them and had a fun time watching the guys play redneck games in the hunting and auto section of Wal-Mart. I tell ya, there is nothing like a Wal-Mart in North East Arkansas on a Friday night. Finding a house here is going to be tougher than we thought. We have caviar taste on a sardine budget. I would love it if you would please pray our home sells soon and that we can find the home God has for us in the J'boro area. Abby

Exactly 1 year ago today we started this blog! I hope you have enjoyed this past year as much as we have. Sharing our lives together among family & friends has proven to be a fun journey. Here is our very first post from 1 year ago today. So, here we are creating a blog together after 28 years of sisterhood. We have often talked about writing a book, a cookbook, etc but who has the time and how do you do that when you live so far away from one another? So Jules said, " Let's write a blog!" We always have some great thought we want to share with one another and of course we feel it is noteworthy enough to be shared for everyone to read. You may laugh at us, cry with us, celebrate with us or even shake your heads at us...but that is what blogging is all about. We are excited about publishing our daily journey with you. So, put us in your favorites and stop by and see us often. One of my favorite songs, Fellow Traveler has a verse that defines our paths so beautifully: ...

I took the boys to the dentist Tuesday. The hygenist called David back first and I told her that he had a loose tooth. When he came back to me-this is how he looked. No wonder I could hear him crying. Poor thing, but the tooth fairy came, so all is well again. Samuel also had a loose tooth, but I didn't get a chance to let them know that because I was consoling his brother. Samuel came back to me with all of his teeth in tact. He said he didn't dare tell them he had a loose tooth! It pays to go last at the dentist!!! While at the dentist I was reminded that Anna's mother lived nearby. Anna's mother( movver ) is an imaginary person. It is not me, or anyone else that we know. At times Anna's mother has been in Star City, but I've not ever seen her. When we left the dentist I asked Anna to show me where her mother lived and she took me right to a house that we had only seen one other time. Scary! Last night Anna came up to me and hugged my legs( I do love that!) a...

When I was a little girl my parents bought me a stuffed monkey at Cracker Barrel during one of their trips to Ridgecrest . I cherished that little thing. It had holes in its nose, mouth and ears and you cold stick its fingers and toes in the holes. It was great. When Sambo was born, I let Jules borrow it for him to enjoy with the condition I have it returned to me for my kid(s). I was 19 and ignorant and should have thought through the donation a bit more. I asked Jules a couple of years ago if my monkey was in good keeping. She blew me off and said she wasn't sure where it was but it was around. Well, today I asked her about it and she informed me she lost it a number of years ago. I think she or Stephen threw it away...Stephen has a knack for tossing things ( the Raggedy Ann trash Can.... Humm - hmmm ). I called my Mama at work and informed her of this tragedy. She has known about it for a few years and searches for a replacement all the time. I am appalled and most sad. Juli...

I have made a little list of some of the things I will miss when I cross the muddy waters in a few weeks to head back to God's Country. This list is in no specific order. Some are of course humorous and others are things that will definitely pull at my heart's strings. My Neighbors Mrs. Rochelle and Mr. Garry have become like family to us. I am going to miss our dinner dates, Diet Coke with a lime wedge over ice when I "sit a spell" at their house, shopping, seeing Cannon and Taylor when they visit, Having Mr. G look after me when Rand is gone, buying us "happies" for no reason and too many other wonderful things to mention. Germantown Parkway Driving down this road every morning and every afternoon can drive a woman to drink. I will miss the horn honking, rubber bumping, lane jockeying, endless fender benders and traffic cameras. I may get the shakes thinking about it. Bonefish I could cry thinking about not getting my Shishimi and Bang Bang Shrimp when I ...

Did anyone read the comments on the More Easter Pics post from the other day? If you did, you were sure to have noticed a post from anonymous. After reading and laughing out loud for a prolonged period of time, I called my "adoring" hubby. When I asked him if he had left the post he told me he didn't even know the web address to our blog, acting all smug like he didn't have the time to read our very tasteful, if not time-wasting blog. Well, it was him. And can I just say that I love that man!!! He is caring, loving, kind, dreamy, and an all-around great hubby. I know I hurt his feelings Sunday morning, so to make up for it(well, I think we all know that I will never be able to make up for it) I will wear my Easter frock(which is the little black dress from a few posts back!), my red patent leather shoes, and my cute necklace and earrings, this coming Sunday. That way I will stand out in the crowd of non-Easter dress wearers! If you are reading this adoring hubby-I lo...

That sounds sad doesn't it? Rand moved to Jonesboro this morning and took most all his clothes, his XBox , his hats, his shoes, his travel mugs, his snacks, coffee stuff, basically all his everyday stuff. It is really sort of strange to have all that stuff gone and knowing it will never be back here in this home. I am so happy for my Rand and hope this day has gone as well as he expected. He was not nervous, sad or worried. He was excited and happy. I love that he can start in a new place and a new job confident and full of joy. God has blessed that sweet man so much these past few months. So, I am here waiting on the real estate agent to put the house up for sale and trying not to make any messes in this way too clean house. Today I was off work for Easter Monday. I shopped at my favorite store and bought myself 2 new dresses. I then bought b-day clothes for D&D, bought supplies for a diaper cake and made a Sonic drink run. It has been a good and laid back day. It is pretty...

I told you there would be more pictures coming! I am keeping my word. Yesterday after the boys got home we had an Easter scavenger hunt. The boys looked for a nail, palm leaves, a hammer, sticks, etc... and then we talked about what they had in common and where they each took place in the Easter story. They thought it was fun, and I thought it was educational, we all felt good! This morning all the kids woke up to baskets outside their bedroom doors. They were so excited! The Easter Bunny(EB) had never done that before, and they liked it. I had to tell Anna that the EB had called and asked me to buy the stuff for the baskets and fill the baskets for him so that I could buy the stuff while she was with me. Then Daniel went in my room last night, opened up the closet door and saw all the EB loot. He told me he thought I probably was the EB, I told him that the EB had dropped everything off at our house and asked for my help. He said "yeah, okay" but I think the only reason he ...

I'm sure there will many pictures of Easter weekend posted here. This is just the first. Anna and I are waiting on the boys to get home from their week away, so we made this bunny cake. It isn't the bunny cake that I usually make, I kinda winged it this year, and tried something different. I know I am no competition for Abby, but I gave it a try!!! Happy Easter!!! Julie

Lest you think I am not the least bit spiritual on this holiday, I wanted to share with you a quote. I read this on Tori's blog. Tori is on our sidebar, I don't know her-I wish I did, but Abby must know her since she is there. I'm hoping maybe we can be introduced sometime. ANYWAY! The quote is from Amy Carmichael, a missionary in the early 1900's, a woman I haven't read much of, but will try to do so now. If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary's love. For a cup brim full of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water however suddenly jolted. Doesn't that just make you think? I mean Easter is real, guys. It was real then, and it is real everyday! Julie

Passion week is one of my most favorite times of the year. I love to read about every aspect of that sacred week and pick up new truths from it each year. It is amazing that I am able to draw something new from Easter each year after celebrating it for 29 years (20 of which I have been saved by His grace). God is just good that way. I love this story . Take about 15 minutes, click on the link, sit still and read it. You may already be familiar with this shopkeeper's story or you may not. Either way, read it. I love how it tells the story of our Risen Savior. Abby

That was my response when the Realtor left our home this evening. All I can say is, "Wow". I have spent the last week streamlining and depersonalizing our home. We have cleaned everything from top to bottom, painted walls, re grouted floors and washed the outside of the house. The house was pretty clean and in order before all the work. This real estate lady comes in tonight and spends an hour telling me what to paint, what to pack up, what to rearrange, what to plant and dig up, how to organize my closets, where to put my furniture, etc. Amazing. I was in awe. I thought Rand was going to rip her a new one but she left in time, lucky for her! I have spent the rest of the evening talking to Mama, Jules, Melissa and my neighbors trying to make sense of all that she told us. I have laughed until it hurts. If you only knew all that she told us to do. Truly comical. I think we will make some of her minor recommendations but the rest will have to remain as is. We aren't renting...

This is Rand’s last week at Stoneville. He has been there for seven years. The other night he mentioned that maybe it was possible that he might have broken a mirror before he started working there. He said it with a straight face and really questioned it in his mind. I laughed out loud. I do love his humor. I am so glad this job has come to pass for him yet, I am so glad at what it has taught him. He waited for the right job to come along before he left this job. This new position is nothing but part of God’s master plan for him. It is most exciting times in our home. Our home… well, it is not up for sale yet. It is ready for sale but not for sale. We are at the mercy of the relocation company, so we wait. Rand will live in a furnished apartment or extended stay hotel until our house sells. We will then purchase a home in the Jonesboro area. We have our eye on several homes and hope they will still be on the market when it is time to purchase. We had an agent come look at our home ove...

It is Sunday morning and it is quiet at my house. The kids are all at Nana and Papa's and my preacher man is at church. I love this kind of quiet. Not for a long period of time, but an hour or so of it really refreshes my soul. Wow ! Last night we went to the Newsboys concert. To say that I dreaded it badly, would be an understatement. We had gotten to Little Rock at 7:15 AM to shop the consignment sale, Papa came and got the kids at about 8:00 and then it was just the two of us until 5:00 that afternoon. We shopped until I dropped! I felt like I was living Abby's life. I could go to any store I wanted, stay as long as I wanted, and not have to worry about taking someone to the bathroom, refereeing fights, or anything of the like. You moms know what I'm talking about. Back to the concert. It was really great!!! A group I had never heard of was one of the opening acts. Their name is New World Son, and boy were they good. They have a different sound, one that I just loved. Th...

Only my Rand would get pooped on by a bird in the middle of Cat Country! We spent the afternoon at the zoo and we had been there no longer than 15 minutes when I hear, "You've got to be kidding me. A bird has just crapped all over my shoulder!" Only Rand. He has the worst luck for someone who doesn't believe in luck. It was nice to get away from the house and the stress of moving, finding a new job, etc. We went to the zoo one last time. Most everytime we go to the zoo I take a picture in this egg. We figured we probably wouldn't be back there until we were pushing a stroller in a couple of years, so we took full advantage of our freedom today. We then ate at one of our favorite Italian places in midtown and came back home for one last cleaning. We saved the bedroom for last. We have large and dark furniture in our room and a 64 inch wide arch window. I always dread cleaning it because it is dust central. It is the one room in the house that I just tidy up most ...

If all you guys are wondering why I keep posting and we aren't hearing anything from Abby it is because she is working, working, working!! Poor thing, she is sending her resume to anyone that she can think of, cleaning her house to make it look its absolute best(which I can't imagine would be very hard), and trying to enjoy her week of spring break. So you guys are stuck with me! This is the last day of school before spring break, we are so excited!! I am making the kids do as much school work as I can today, but I'm not teaching them anything new. I'm sure they would forget anything I taught them today if not reviewed for a week. I know I would. It looks as if we are headed to Ft Smith for a few days. Stephen hasn't been in a while, and we couldn't think of much else to do for just a couple of days. Saturday, Stephen and I are going to the Newsboys/Rush of Fools concert in Little Rock with a couple from church and their two children. I'll let you know how i...

Have any of you checked out hulu ? Oh my goodness, how I wish I had highspeed and not just really fast broadband. Go check it out!!!! Julie

Yesterday I went shopping in Little Rock. The original plan was for me to go by myself, but Stephen decided at the last minute to make a hospital visit, so we all went. And the update on the hospital visit is, she had been discharged!!! I looked at him with disbelief, I could have been on this trip alone!!! I think I will remind him to call before we all leave next time. So, after dropping off our clothes at the big consignment sale this weekend, we headed off to look for a dress for me. I found a great dress at Kohl's , it fit, it was priced right, and I loved it. Stephen, however, didn't. He suggested we keep looking. So I hid the dress on a different rack. (I know I'm not supposed to do that!). We then went to lunch at Shotgun Dan's pizza. Daniel got a kick out of the name and thought he should have brought his shotgun. It was really good, we will go back there. Well, back to shopping. We went to the mall, walked by every store, tried on many dresses and left empty-h...

I now have a sinus infection, ear infection and a little vomiting issue. I think the vomiting is from the headache pain. Oh me, what a fun Spring Break for me! Between cleaning out closets, scrubbing baseboards, polishing cabinets (all for the move of course and not for my pleasure) and then being sick....heck, I would rather be at work! A helpful tidbit: When nauseated, don't drink a large freshly squeezed diet lemonade from Chick-fil-A....it is not something you want coming back up. Trust me! Abby

YEA!!! We are proud another season of basketball is over. Basketball is not Samuel's favorite sport, but he plays it just because he has been sitting around with no real competition since July and it was about to drive him crazy!! This was his 2nd year to play and he showed some real improvement. He was faster (which isn't saying a whole lot), and made some shots-even free throws! We were proud. He has played 19 basketball games in his career(the last 2 years) and get this- he has only lost 2 of them, one each year. Isn't that incredible? Neither of the teams have been coached by the same coach nor do they have the same players on them. It was really unreal that he would win 1st place in the league both years, he was the only player to do so. I don't know that this speaks for his talent, but there is a story in there somewhere!! I'm going to go thru all of his schedules and see if I can come up with just how many games he has lost.He has always been on the champions...

We hustled home this afternoon to have one last Mississippi style snowball fight! I am in awe at how much it has snowed and in disbelief that it is still coming down. Spring Break started this afternoon and it is just insane that it is snowing on spring break! Crazy and fun times!

Hey! Just wanted to check in and say YEA! It is snowing here!!! The forecast had been for the western and northern part of the state, so we thought we were slighted, but God saw fit to let it snow here! Thank you, God, for answering the prayers of my children and my prayers too. I don't have pictures, because I haven't played out in it yet, but am on my way outside! I wanted to tell you about my lunch today. Since it was snowy I thought I would fix something different, but I was the only one that ate it! And man was it good! A fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They have never sounded good to me before, but you grill it just like a grilled cheese sandwich. They peanut butter gets melty and the jelly is warm and drippy. OH MY GOODNESS! It was so good, it is now my favorite sandwich. I will probably have another one when I come in from playing outside. Yummy!! Julie

Because of Abby's posting about how wonderful her parents are, I felt compelled, no commanded to tell my side of the story. Yes, it is true that we grew up in the same home with the same people, however I don't remember comic books or Osco sacks. I have no recollection of being sick or being comforted as a child. The first time I remember throwing up I was in jr high. I do remember having horrible stomach problems and going to the doctor as a child and being put on a special diet that required rice flour(which was hard to come by in the 70's in Arkansas), my mom would by special made cookies and my Granny bought rice flour to make her wonderful hot rolls just for me(those hot rolls are a post unto themselves!) So I did get some special treatment, but I don't know if it was as good as Abby's, I'll have to do more thinking about that!! Now, as a teenager I remember having some GI tests done. Dad and Abby went out to eat the night before, and mother fixed us(mom an...

I have strep throat for the first and hopefully the last time in my life. I feel awful, look awful and am acting pretty awful from what my Rand tells me. I fear he has the same condition, so we made him an appointment in the morning to get his throat checked out. Not fun times for us in this hectic season of our lives. As I was camping out in my chair tonight with blankets, throat lozenges, diet root beer, phone, remote and Kleenex my mind went back to being at home while growing up and being sick. It was the best time! Ha. Really though. Mama & Daddy were the poster children for mercy. I loved when I got sick...it meant lots of pampering! See, mercy wasn't a gift they possessed on an everyday basis, they saved it for sick days. It was always a treat to get sick, you see. Daddy would bring me comic books, candy (if it was not a stomach related illness, of course), coloring books, magazines and who knows what else, in an Osco sack usually (the good ole days...I miss Osco on Nort...

At our church we have a childrens story time during the worship service. Jeremy,the youth minister(a single guy, if anyone would like to know) gives all the kids candy and tells them a Bible truth. When Jeremy comes down from the choir to sit on the steps of the podium all the kids get up and run-walk down the aisle to him. My last words to my 3 are "don't run and don't say anything". I am so nervous that my kids are going to blurt out some family secret that we are going to have to pack up and move as soon as we get home! This past Sunday was no different. The kids go up there, no running, I was so proud. After handing out their candy, Jeremy asks who their favorite cartoon character is, and my darling, beautiful little girl raises her hand and says "my momma" and then looks back with such pride on her face and points at me. Jeremy laughs and repeats it for any of the hard of hearing adults in the crowd. Just imagine me! The kids come back to their seats, a...

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. The hope and happiness of the season makes me smile. I love to decorate my home for Easter. I usually go all out and leave nothing bare. I love it! Well, as soon as I put the Easter decor out this year, I find myself putting it away and it isn't even Easter yet! I sort of felt sorry for all my bunnies. They didn't get their time to shine this year. Poor bunnies. We are trying to get our house ready to sell and we are trying to de-personalize the house to make it more attractive. It is pretty boring if you ask me, but boring seems to sell. We will hope that it works. I do hope to get it on the market in the next couple of weeks. We are waiting on the relocation company to get the ball rolling. (Roll on and roll fast people!) Rand will start his new job the day after Easter and I will stay here and work until I find a job or my replacement comes on board here at the school. So much to do in such a short time. Pray for us. It is exciting yet ...

Here is a slideshow of our wedding weekend in eastern Arkansas. Rand's cousin, Micah got married and it was such a fun occasion. We went on Friday afternoon to take part in the fun wedding weekend. I am posting a slideshow since there are to many pictures to post! Congrats to Tab & Micah and congrats to Diana for making it through these past few months of planning! Just so you know, we changed clothes at the reception. (In case you are wondering why Rand has on a ball cap and a jacket!) Abby

Yesterday we met my in-laws in Little Rock for a tad bit of shopping and a whole lot of eating. While together, they gave us their old set of scales because they got new ones. Get this!! I weighed on them today to see their accuracy and-are you ready?- I weighed 68 pounds!! I even checked to make sure it said lb beside the number and it did! I haven't weighed 68 pounds since elementary school, so I am thrilled to be back to this weight again! Oh-if only scales didn't lie! Julie