Life with my sister

...That is what little boys are made of. IT'S A BOY!

Tomorrow is the day we find out if our home will be filled with pink or blue! I am so anxious I could not eat much today and was unable to focus on too much. I can hardly wait to know if I will be buying ball caps or bows! Julie has plans to hit A&E as soon as I call her with the news to pick up things she has had her eye on, Mama plans to hit the stores tomorrow night and start buying things gender specific, Diana has bids out on EBay and is waiting to know which ones to increase... and who knows who all else is waiting to jump on things....I just love the excitement everyone has for this baby. I feel like the race is about to start and I have that nervous stomach you get before the gun goes off. Wow. Abby

So, this week I am at childrens camp. We are at COW week. Now, doesn't that just make you feel skinny?! (COW-Children only week)So there are about 900 3rd-6th graders and a few adults sprinkled amongst them. Not too many to dampen their energy or their little pranks though! Anna is with us. She and D&D and I are staying in a family unit. Which is not to be confused with a hotel room at all. AT ALL!!! It is a small room with 4 twin beds, a sink, and its only saving grace a dresser! I love me a dresser! Oh yeah, there is also a shower and toilet, but please, this is a famnily kind of blog! Anna has had a couple of funny statements this week. Last night we were standing outside waiting on the kids to join up with us Anna said "these bugs are all around me!" " the bugs talk to me at night in bed" I said, surprised!"the bugs talk to you?" she said matter of factly "yes!" I said "what do they say?" she said" I don't know! I ...

Here is one of my most favorite photos of our childhood. Julie is a ghost and I look scared to death of the ghost. I crack up every time I see this picture of the floating face/ghost of a sister.

When I think about it, I think we have both had good parenting practice...at least as much practice as one can get. I am not sure you are ever fully prepared. Having been around my 3 nephews, my cousin Claire and my niece Anna as babies, toddlers and now children...I feel like I am their parent at times! My sister and cousin Hollye have taught me well when it comes to parenting. Julie has taught me the most efficient ways to get things accomplished and Hollye has taught me how to juggle a career and a family. Both are most helpful to me as I prepare to bring Baby L into this world. Randall came along after the boys and Claire were born. Claire had a huge crush on him when he came into my life...she melted for him. It was hilarious. She was 1 and so were the twins, David & Daniel. Samuel just thought he was too cool. Randall didn't really know what to think or do with the kids but since these children had my heart, he had to learn fast! Anna came along after we got married and...

"What names do you have picked out" Well, none at the moment. We always wanted Dixie & Dalton. It has been a standing joke amongst family and friends that those are our names. In fact, I have a monogrammed bib with "Dalton" on it that my sweet sister bought for quarter at a thrift store in Florida about three or four years ago. Since Patrick Swazye has ruined that name for us ("The name is Dalton..." from Roadhouse) we will not go this route. I have also realized there are a lot of rowdy/rough boys in this area with that name and I would rather not make people think my child is from the rowdy crowd. We all know how so many people play the name association game...especially teachers. I would rather not set my boy up for trouble! Dixie has been a hot/cold name game with us over the past six years. The name Dixie L was discovered by my sweet husband on a headstone next to my grandfather's stone at the National Cemetery back home. Randall loved it, I h...

You know that children don't often filter their thoughts before they speak them. I was once again witness to this yesterday. There is a man at church that the kids hadn't seen much of lately. He is a nice kind man. He will joke with you, tell you stories from his life and laugh with you. But for some reason today he looked a little sour. Anna had seen him in the morning service and again at the evening service. After looking at him Anna said "Mom, is his face always going to look like that?" It was laugh out loud funny, but since we were in church I just laughed softly. You know what I told her don't you? I got to use the "your face will freeze like that" lesson! It brought back to mind one of Abby Jo's sayings: Remember to be happy because you never know when someone is falling in love with your smile. So let this be a reminder to you. SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Julie

Tonight we decided we need a "theme song" for our baby. Not knowing if it is a boy or a girl for 2 more weeks, we picked a fun song for each and a sweet song for each. I do think Baby L loves the "devil music" because it is the first time I have felt it move and it moved like crazy. So funny! I promise to shelter its little ears from all this "trash" but for now it is fun. Girl Song - I have always thought of me dancing with my baby girl to this song and singing it to her and making her laugh. LOVE IT! Boy Song - Baby Daddy loves the words to this song and hopes that if it is a boy he will be simple like him. So funny and so sweet. I loved listening to Cheri Keaggy in high school and in college. When I had to sing at church I always sang her songs because they suited my voice well. I just love these 2 songs she wrote about her daughter and son: Girl Song Boy Song (excuse the beginning of this video) 2 weeks from today we will know what songs we will be ...

I feel like my brain may explode with all the thoughts, ideas and to-dos when it comes to getting ready for Baby L. My Newcomer's group held our monthly gathering at a children's store full of furniture and accessories. It was very helpful, yet I did leave with sweat on my brow from over stimulation...no joke. Everyone is so nice to giving me their opinion on what I need, what I don't need, where to get this and that, and so on and ahhhhh, Calgon take me away! I love the input and advice but sometimes I want to scream from the information overload. I could not sleep in the night tonight due to heartburn and my mind racing about what fabric to buy for the bedding. Yes, insane. Anyway, I got out my Babywise book and started reading it, finally. It helped calm me a bit. I am reminded that Baby L could care less if it is sleeping on an towel or in a nice crib with custom bedding made by its Nana....how I nurture that baby, love that baby and pray for that baby is all that matt...

In an effort of full disclosure. I have decided to post a few emails between Abby and I on Tuesday. It began with this comment I posted on a blog: For the record. I did not approve this picture to be seen by all of America and beyond.I'm not sure it was a sisterly thing to do. And Abby should know that I will get her back in a big bad way!!! Julie The following are the emails we sent back and forth. ( Abbys will be in a dull black, mine will be in a beautiful pink.) Maybe you learn to post to our blog and not leave it up to me! I think the pic is cute...it provides us new readers and the picture is a reflection of us...which is what our blog is about. Sorry you don't like it. I can delete it? Heck no! There is no reason to delete it. It just isn't the best picture of me, but who cares! I was just joking. your mama....you best be nice to me or I will put ice in your sheets. I'll hide things from you and move all of your pictures around! so, you took our blog off your s...

It is the simple things in life. Some bubbles and some jets make these sweet little look alikes go crazy. I loved it when they said "This is better than the one at Branson !" Not sure what that meant exactly, but it sounded like a good deal. I kept them from spraying the walls with the jets and then had to wash their hair because there were too many bubbles in the tub for them to do it alone. It brought back great memories of boys screaming bloody murder in the tub when the cup of water was poured on their little heads. This time, 7 years later, they laughed at it. Oh me, they are getting so big and it makes me so proud. I am so glad these 4 little blessings came to my house last week. We had great fun at the house, the nature center, the water park and of course.....going with the mother of these 3 to stalk their oldest brother at camp. What a fun time for all involved...even the little camper who said (when he was picked up from camp by all of us), " I saw you watch...

This was such a fun week! I got to spend a few days with my pregnant sister and her husband. Fun times! She is just so cute and pregnant. The last few times I have stayed at her house I have hidden something from her. She is so meticulous about where everything is in her house that I think it is my duty to move something. Anything. (Like having my children there for a few days isn't enough to send her over the edge!HA!) She asked that I not hide anything this trip. She looked at me with her pregnant belly and her tired face after a long day of work and asked that I not hide anything. That it just stressed her out. So, I decided everthing would stay in its place this trip. I mean she IS pregnant afterall . She works hard at work and then goes home and cooks supper and keeps her house very much in order. She really shouldn't have to worry about me taking something out of its place and putting it somewhere else. Should she? Well, I thought so until the moment before I left. I coul...

Samuel is at Centri -Kid camp this week. I won his registration on the Parent Life blog. He is with FBC Pine Bluff and knew absolutely NO ONE when he left with them Monday morning. As a mother who is with her children 24/7 it was a little much to take. We had each prayed about him going. Monday morning before I dropped him off we had to stop by Walmart and pick up some Nutter-Butters (because Stephen ate all the ones I had already bought). While we were there, and walking through the store I prayed out loud for Samuel. Samuel likes to hear me pray for him. I guess it is reassuring for him to know that I care enough to pray and that he gets to hear me. I guess it is really that way for all of us. We would love to hear someone pray for us in a time of need. So, back to the story. I decided when we chose to send him to Centri -Kid at ASU that the other kids and I would head to Jonesboro and stay with Abby and visit old friends. (And check on Samuel from time to time!) So that is wh...

We love this picture because it tells a whole big story and makes us laugh. What a day, what cute "cat eyes" and what a princess. *** We are participating in a Blog Hop! We are posting our favorite picture and if you know us and our pictures....this is a hard pick.***

Homemade Salsa We use the tomatoes from our garden and this package of salsa mix (found in the produce section). We chop up the tomatoes real small and stir in the package of salsa mix. We then grab a bag of tortilla chips and enjoy! It is so simple, so good, and is often a meal at our house. Spaghetti Casserole 8 oz sour cream, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 package angel hair pasta. Cook pasta and drain. Stir in sour cream and cream cheese until mixed well. Brown 1/2 pound pork sausage and 1/2 pound ground beef, with onion and Italian spices. Add 1 can Rotel and 1 can Italian diced tomatoes (and a fresh tomato from your garden if you have one!) and mix with meat. Add garlic and salt and pepper to taste. In a large casserole dish, layer meat on bottom, grated cheddar cheese and then spaghetti. Alternate each. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. I tried this recipe for the first time this week and was not sure how it would turn out. It turned out to be incredible and we will definitely have ...

I thought I would post some of my favorite things right now. It is most random, but I am pretty random...so here goes: Hot rollers are my friend again. The pregnancy hormones are doing weird things to the hair these days so back to the ole hot roller we go! I love it. No, this is not me or Randall, nor is it anyone we know. It is a photo I got off the Internet. We do have this pool though....and shamefully, I love it. Not knowing anyone with a pool in this town, nor being the "country club wanna-be up with the jones" type people, was going to make for a long and very white summer. I am still pretty white, but I am working on the tan in my little blue blow up pool. I sure miss the summers at the Takei's and at Ms. Jenny's pool. Ahhh....the memories. Melissa was kind enough to send me a picture of the pool today at Ms. Jenny's and say "wish you were here"....I am hanging tight in my blue blow up though...it ain't no thing! These are the cookbooks tha...

Happy *0th, Mawmaw!!!! We are tickled pink to have you as our grandmother. We were also trained very well to NOT put your age on this post. You raised us well. Happy day to you. You deserve the happiest of a birthday this year. Lovey, Julia Kathryn & Abby Jo