Life with my sister

A few snapshots of Thanksgiving 2009 in East Texas Julie and Stephen Aunt Donna, Mother, Aunt Janet Mawmaw & UD The TDay Hosts Anna Kathyrn Samuel, David, Daniel Abby, Tara and Sarah made over!! Julie's, Timmy's and Sarah's little girls. Same age difference as Abby, Tara and Sarah and they look just like them. Hilarious .

Update: My MIL is now out of the hospital and at home resting. Please pray for my mother-in-law, Molly. She is Henry's Nana, the one who made the bedding. She called us this morning to tell us that she has been in the hospital since Thanksgiving morning due to a bleeding colon, which she has never had an issue with until now. We had no idea about it. I think she was keeping it from us, hoping she would get out and not have to worry us with it. She was coming to "babysit" me on Monday while the baby daddy holds interviews all day in Memfrica. Randall said when she called all she could do was apologize for not being able to get here to help. We assured her we would get someone else and to get well! She also told us to not have Henry until she got out of the hospital! Poor thing. I just hate this for her and want to know what is causing all this pain and bleeding so she can get well and love on our baby boy. We ended up asking my sweet Daddy to "babysit" me on Mon...

Can you tell I am stuck at home and getting ready for motherhood?! You will need to turn the playlist/music off at the bottom of the page to hear the video. Abby

I miss the thrill of the deal, the rush to get to the stores, the occasional push in the rear from some rude non English speaking woman at Walmart with her shopping cart because she is trying to beat me to the toy section, and the long lines snaked around Kohl's that make my arms go numb because I failed to get that little cart, all before the light of day as I sit in my "lounge chair" (as the nurse refers to it at the hospital) on this Black Friday suffering from... sciatic nerve pain that is about to eat my lunch! Miserable doesn't describe it. My poor husband deserves a medal. I am not only confined to the house, but he is too because I cannot be left alone. I cannot take a shower alone, get to the bed alone, and often get stuck in mid step on the way back from the bathroom. Glorious times. Thank goodness for a computer chair with wheels. It has become a makeshift wheelchair when on the tile and laminate floors. It is times like these I wished we lived closer to ...

I look forward to starting my Thanksgiving watching the parade in my den....and watching Ace as he flies through. It is truly one of my most favorite things and evokes excitement in me each year. Randall has bought a coffee cake and pulled sausage balls out of the freezer for breakfast. It should be a great and comfy time as we sit here in our PJ's for hours enjoying the parade. I will then enjoy Thanksgiving lunch made by my mother-in-law and delivered to me this past Sunday. She brought us ham, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, corn and a pie (which Rand has already eaten). I will take out one of my homemade pies in the freezer and we will enjoy that pie instead. The bedrest and sciatic nerve pain is about to do me in. We were planning on heading to Randall's aunt's house for lunch tomorrow (1 hour away) but Randall thinks that the mass of people and car ride will shut me down for a few days. I love the people and the car ride but at this point it is not ...

One of these days you're going to check in on us and it is going to be baby time! But not yet. Abby went to the doctor Friday and her blood pressure was high so she was put on bedrest for the weekend. She went back to the doctor yesterday, her blood pressure was fine but she is still on bedrest . And she doesn't like it one bit. And Randall isn't very fond of it either! HA! Keep them in your prayers this week. Pray for patience and good health. And as David prays "that Henry will be safe in Abby's womb." Why does he even know that word?????? Julie

Enough with all the posts about Abby's preparations for Henry. Enough with the monthly pictures of her belly, Enough with the pictures of Henry's room. Enough with pictures of all the gifts and showers. Enough. Lets talk about me and how I'm preparing for Henry. I have recently had my hair colored and cut for his arrival. I have acquired a new set of hot rollers(because I loved the 80's!!) and am sure to woo this little bundle with my beautiful, straight brown hair. I'm hoping he falls in love with its texture and style. It is so unlike his mothers that I just know he will be aching to feel it and look at it so often that his parents will have to bring him to see me!! I have also been plucking my eyebrows. Oh, the pain and agony that causes. But for Henry it is worth it. The last time I got them waxed the girl did a great job and they have been pretty easy to keep up with. I really don't want Henry to think I have mustaches or caterpillars above my eyes the fir...

9 Months I can't believe this is the last pregnancy shot. It seems like I just started taking them. I am so glad that it is the last one. I can't imagine getting any larger than this! Whew, I am worn out from carrying this baby boy on my little, short frame, yet loving the experience. This month I am so puffy and just plain uncomfortable. I feel like a whale of a girl most of the time, but I hear that is just part of the fun! I love walking into stores and people looking at me like I have a third head because of my bellly and my walk. I am now walking like those poor pregnant women you see and think " why the heck is she out and about"...I now understand and will not be quick to judge. Life goes on....we have to keep plugging along, pregnant walk or not. I am now measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule, but I hear that can be normal. I am going to the doctor each week now and that makes it so much more fun, I think. Randall is finishing harvesting today in Alabama ...

Yes, it is early, but I am in panic mode with the baby coming. I told Mama that one would think I was preparing to die the way I am making final preparations and such. So funny. I love going home to my festive home each night. It helps me to relax and that is much needed in these last days. This is our den. We did not put the tree in here last year but this year I modified everything because I knew with Henry here it would be a lot different for us. This is the living room. This is where the tree was last year. Henry's Nana gave us her tree that looks just like the one in our den so I could have two. This year it was too big of an undertaking to put up two full trees. I hope to have that one in front of this window next year. We will cross our fingers with a one year old in the house. Maybe he can go to Nana's that day! This is the other side of the living room. I have acquired a collection of alpine trees at yard sales and after Christmas sales. I created a little forest her...

Henry's stocking made by his Marmie Our family has a stocking tradition. My maternal great-grandmother "Granny" handmade all of our stockings with those felt stocking kits you buy at the craft stores. We all had one - kids, grand kids, great-grand kids, sons-in-law, grandsons-in-law and she even bought a store bought one for Jojo (our family dog). All of our mantles displayed Granny's love each Christmas. Granny died when I was in the 8th grade. She was the head of our family and everyone of us miss her today just like we did the day she died. She was such a remarkable, loving woman. But all that is for another post.... Since the great-grand kids started having babies, our mother has carried on the tradition of making stockings. Samuel came first and then she had to make two in one year for David & Daniel. Grace came third ( Aunt Janet helped her with this one, of course) and then Anna came fourth. Molly came fifth (Aunt Janet helped her with this one also) and ...

First of all, how precious are those twin nephews of mine for praying for Henry like they do! My aunt heart swells with pride over those fabulous 4 kiddos. I can't imagine my mama heart if my aunt heart stays this full all the time. Wow! His Nana did such a wonderful job on his bedding, pillows and curtains. His Daddy did a fine job on the cling above his bed and his Mama and "Aunt Z" (Lindsey) did an artistic job on his canvases. The toy chest in front of the window is already filling up with fun toys and his drawers are filling up with cute things. The picture frames are waiting on photos of his sweet little face. This is Henry's closet and book shelf. His Daddy still has doorknobs to put on his doors. We painted the letters on his wall and filled his bookshelf up with all kinds of fun gifts, family heirlooms and his Daddy's miniature tractors. We are counting down the days until we get to see our little Henry Patton in this precious room of his. I can't...

I have soo much to blog about that once again I will give you a list. *** For many years I prayed for a friend. It seemed that God wasn't exactly listening to me. But now as I look back on that time I realize that He just needed me to concentrate on being a mother. I did that and now I have friends! Yay for me! *** One of my friends and her family came to our town Sunday. Her husband spoke at church Sunday, so we were able to eat lunch and supper with them and spend the afternoon together. The boys had fun with their son and Anna could not get enough of their 12 year old daughter! Christmas open houses were Sunday afternoon so Marabeth and I left the kids with their dads and headed out. It was quick but fun. *** Another one of my friends stood in line last night for over 3 hours to get me a copy of the pioneer womans cookbook . I can hardly stand the fact that Christy waited all that time and then not only got herself a copy signed but got me a signed copy of the cookbook! The abso...

I know this is more than just my blog. But today I am going to hijack it to play in a scavenger hunt with the preachers wife and her friends. I'm going to answer some questions and hope to win!!!!!!! The Treasures 1. My name is Julie. I also go by Jules, Julia, Ju , and I will soon be called JuJu by Henry, my nephew to be! 2. I live in Arkansas and always have but have only lived in Lincoln county for three years. 3. My wonderful hubby is the Pastor of our church. How about that for a lofty title! 4. I have already answered this question in #2, but we have been at this church for three years (well, three years and 15 days!) 5. Yes, I have children. The lights of my life, the laughter in my soul, the stealers of my sanity are Samuel who is 12, David who is 8, Daniel who is 8, and Anna Kathryn who is 5. 6. We have been married for 16 years, and have lived in seven different houses. Not bad for being in the ministry! But have served at 2 churches for 5 years each! 7. I cook Sunday ...