The Honeyheads

Puerto Rico

2012-01-16T17:11:00.000-06:00

We went to Puerto Rico!

Brian had a conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico and invited me along. My sweet and generous parents watched all three of our honeyheads. We had 10 days away!

Our first couple of days there we had a room on the back of the resort. Then there was a cancellation and we enjoyed these views from our balcony for the rest of our time there.

A view of the adult-only pool.

The resort at night. Did I mention Brian gave me a new camera for Christmas?

One of the forts in Old San Juan, El Morro. Loved walking around in a place with so much patina.

A room used to guard the bay during WWII.

More patina.

Old San Juan in the background

Brian on the balcony.

Getting ready for a banquet at the resort.

This place should be a movie set!

A nice guy took our pic.

Is it time to go back yet?

Skinny Jeans

2011-08-29T12:15:00.000-05:00

In reference to my last post I have had a few questions about the diet Brian and I have been on. I think I mentioned it before, but we have been following the diet plan in a book called "Protein Power" written by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades.

This diet is similar to Adkins or South Beach except there are no phases or allowances for good carbs/bad carbs. A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate, wether it is a bean or a teaspoon of sugar.

The book is very in-depth about why you gain weight as you age and how your body treats insulin as a hormone. It was very enlightening and made me realize why I couldn't loose baby weight just be doing pilates once a week or walking for exercise.

Overall it has been fairly simple. We allow ourselves about ten carbs per meal and consistently see results if we stick to it. It is not easy to eat out, which is usually a benefit. Who needs processed food anyway? And we eat pretty healthy, lots of fresh greens, LOTS of protein, no sugar and no white flour. And no potatoes. And no fun. Just kidding. The negatives become pretty obvious after the first few days: all that protein. I have never eaten so much meat in my life. And I really missed fruit for a while. AND it is expensive. Rice and beans is one of the cheapest meals around.

An average menu for one day:
Breakfast
Two scrambled eggs with cheese on top (I add half and half to the eggs to make them creamier), a meat like bacon or sausage, coffee with half and half
Lunch
Chicken salad on spinach leaves
Dinner
Grilled meat with steamed broccoli
Snacks
almonds or pecans (roasted and salted and yummy)
pickles
cheese
chicken wings

There are many low-carb breads now so we also make open-faced sandwiches or make pizza on flat-bread. Brian like to make sausage, egg and cheese wraps and keep them in the freezer for a quick breakfast when he leaves early to go play basketball. There are also recipes in the book that have given us inspiration when we tire of eating the same things.

I love how this diet has taken away the crazy feeling I would get when I didn't eat. I feel better than I have in years and know that even when I eat chocolate cake for Abby's birthday I can go right back on the diet the next day. We didn't consult a doctor but we did read the book the doctors wrote.

I Haven't Been Inspired

2011-08-26T13:28:00.000-05:00

Lately, blogging is one of the things I haven't been motivated or inspired to do. Between the tornado, having three kids and moving my mind has been otherwise occupied. Oh, and did I mention we started homeschooling?

We had a garage sale a few weeks ago that raked in $700! We had planned on having one before we moved but our old neighborhood wasn't getting a lot of traffic. Plus we had to move in a hurry. We had A LOT of extra stuff. Watching strangers paw through things that were special to you at one time is a little intimidating. But it was awesome to have other people clean up and carry off our junk. One chair we found next to a dumpster when we lived in married housing on campus at Mississippi State. We sold for $5. It was a great chair! Down-filled cushions, vintage gold-colored velvet. Awesome. Just couldn't make it work for us anymore. Got eight years out of it and made five bucks. Not a bad profit margin.

Abby turned one this week. She is pulling up now and crawling around the house. She LOVES her brothers. I LOVE that she LOVES them. They play together pretty well until Abby wants to play with the toy they have in their hand. They are pretty patient and usually let her have what she wants or give her an item of equal value.

Brian began his teaching semester this week. It is interesting to watch him balance teaching with research, writing and family time on his was to tenure.

We are still dieting. I have lost about 30 lbs. and Brian has lost about 35. We haven't reached our goals yet and they say those last few pounds are the trickiest. Yes. I have been stuck at the same weight all summer. But only been serious about sticking to our rules for the past couple of weeks. Had to make an exception for Abby's birthday cake, right?

Oh, yeah, her cake. It was fabulous if I do say so myself. Made this icing and this cake recipe. Two pounds of butter just for the icing! I did reduce the sugar for the icing. A little.

A Happy Birthday

2011-08-19T14:44:00.000-05:00

This is a pic of myself on August 1st of last year, three weeks and one day before Abby was born.

This is me and my smallest honeyhead now. She turns one in three days.

And don't forget the boys.

(Thanks again for the pics, Kathryn)!

Tuscaloosa Tornado

2011-05-04T16:39:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would be using the quiet hours of nap time to register for FEMA aid. I never thought my area would be declared a disaster or that I would see pictures of my neighborhood in the LA Times.

There are plenty of pictures available online and I will link up some of those at the end but for now I will just write about our experiences.

Last Wednesday, April 27, a line of storms went through my area in the morning. I think one tornado touched down in part of Tuscaloosa county and then we had a few hours of blue sky. It was a great day and we were outside for part of it. I had the radio on and the weather reports mentioned another line of storms that were coming through later that afternoon. Could be bad, possible tornado(es), have a safe place to go, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah, heard it all before.

I continued to listen to the weather reports as the day wore on. Three storms developed and I turned the TV on to see the radar. There were confirmed tornadoes south and west of us so I sent Brian a message at work and asked him to come home early. He didn't even send me a message back. He just got up from his desk without saving what he was working on at the computer and left. Later I asked him why he came home and he said he didn't want me to be by myself (with the kids) if it did get bad. I am so thankful he was there with us.

The local channel we were watching has a camera on the top of a tall building downtown. As we were watching the live footage from this camera a tornado appeared. A large tornado. The weatherman started calling out street names and calling for people to take cover. Then they said 15th st. and the power went off. Brian told me to get the kids and get in the closet. We went to the closet and then I thought the boys might want their special blankets. We headed for their room and they were so slow to get what they needed. I realized we didn't have enough time to get anything else so we got in the closet and waited for Brian to come back. He did come in and when I saw his eyes I knew it was getting bad outside. He told me afterwards that he could see debris flying past the windows outside.

We were huddled in the closet and the wind was howling around the house. We never heard the typical freight train sound but we heard glass shattering, lots of popping noises and items getting knocked around inside and outside the house. Andrew asked me if we were going to die. I told him I didn't know but we could pray and ask God to help us. I think that is what I said.

It was over in about 30 seconds. Brian poked his head out of the closet and had a view of the back yard from the hallway via a window in our bedroom.

He said: Amy, all the trees are gone.

I didn't believe him. I thought he was exaggerating. But when we came out into the yard it became very obvious that part of the tornado had gone over us (this is a video shot as the tornado goes over the Forest Lake neighborhood where we live). Not the center of it but enough to tear up and knock down and break five 50-year-old pine trees around the house. And the miracle of 3 Forest Hill is that all those trees fell away from the house.

Brian went to go check on our neighbors and I made a couple of calls to let family know we were OK. I tried to let the boys know that it would look very different outside but I don't think I could have prepared them for the way their playhouse looked. My sister said it was like seeing their own house destroyed. They wept.

Today is the seventh day without power or gas. We are in a hotel, courtesy of our landlords. It is very difficult for me to drive through the streets around our house. There are a couple of the hardest hit I haven't been down yet. At least forty people died and many more are still missing in Tuscaloosa.

To read more about the Tornadoes: here, here and A pretty amazing story here

Our Diet

2011-01-20T15:28:00.000-06:00

The other day Brian told me to go shopping. I like it when my husband tells me to get out and spend money. The funny thing is that I couldn't find anything I really liked. Except a sweater. I think I am in-between sizes because...

Brian and I have been on a diet since before Christmas. We talked to some friends who were very successful on this diet and decided to buy the how-to book. Brian read the whole thing in one day and decided to go to the store so we could begin the diet the next day. And we've been on it since then.

There was a lot of hype about low-carb, high-protein diets a few years ago. I guess they have been around awhile. And I'm not really sure how it will be when we come off of the diet once we reach our target of being about the same size we were when we married. But we know (according to the book) that coming off the diet is the most critical part of the whole thing. Forewarned is forearmed, right?

Did I mention we have lost more than twenty pounds each?

Meanwhile, Abby now has two bottom teeth and acts like she is getting a few more. When I say "acts like" I mean grabbing and putting in her moth anything that comes into her reach, drooling and waking up several times at night to nurse. Andrew and James both had teeth by around four months so I guess we are on schedule.

Now Abby is on my lap and it takes much longer to type with one hand so, although I was planning to post about making a gingerbread house with the boys and a few Christmas photos I must go see to le infant.

New Post

2011-01-14T17:48:00.000-06:00

It has been quite busy around here. The usual business of Christmas plus the added event of Brian's parents coming from Congo for a few weeks. It was pretty fun getting to visit with both sides of our family this year.

On top of that the boys were very sick the day after Christmas until about a week ago. Some kind of flu, I think. They are only now getting back to their normal selves.

Have I told you Brian and I are on a diet? We have lost 40 lbs. between us. Since I am nursing Abby we had to pick a diet that would let me eat enough fat, etc. to allow me to produce milk and so far I haven't had any problems. It is great to lose baby weight from the last pregnancy and be working on the baby fat from the first two as well.

Also, we are trying to help Abby go to bed a little earlier. She doesn't like to go to bed before midnight or later so this week I am trying to put her in bed around 10. Or 10:30. The only thing is that she is still in my bed (I know, I know,) and we can't go to bed until she falls asleep.

The semester has begun and we are back to normal life. Family, job, church, some homeschool and maybe even tackling a few organizing projects.

I have not forgotten about finishing my story...

My Love Story, Part 2

2010-12-02T14:37:00.000-06:00

Brian and I began spending time together in a group setting. We were both praying about the person God wanted us to marry.

I had so much fun that semester. I was taking classes that interested me, I had intriguing and fun house-mates, I was welcomed into a local church that made me feel right at home and I was gaining my independence!

The group that I had admired at the beach became my group. We were all very busy with school during the week but on the weekends we had football games, eating out after church, Friday night gatherings and movie nights out.

The funny thing to me, looking back, is that many times Brian and I ended up sitting across from each other at restaurants and even sitting next to each other at the movie theater. I didn't do this on purpose, but like our first dinner with everyone at the beach, it just sort of happened. Or maybe he helped it happen.

We had many rich conversations about school, family, and God. I say rich because that is how they made me feel, like I had struck a gold mine of intellect and maturity in Brian. He was unlike any other person I had known and yet he had many qualities I admired in other men, like my dad. When Brian wasn't there i felt like our group wasn't complete but tried to act like it was nothing so I could keep my growing admiration of him in cognito.

I remember one day I was under a lot of stress about school. I had been studying for finals in the quiet room at the library and felt so distracted by my growing crush on Katie's brother. I think I was praying as much as I was studying. Finally, in an attempt to give my brain a break from memorizing latin botanical names, I went downstairs for a cappucino. And who should I run into? My Prince Charming. Brian later said that he could tell I was stressed out. We chatted for a moment. But that moment made me feel so much better that I was eager to get back to Vitex agnuscastus and friends.

To be continued...

My Love Story, Part 1

2010-12-01T16:05:00.001-06:00

Have I ever posted about how Brian and I met?

We met at a mutual friend's house. It was the first time I watched any of the National Lampoon movies. I wasn't very impressed with either Brian or the movie. (: But the feeling was mutual (towards me, not the movie), as I was quiet and didn't act like I had a very good time.

The second time we met was when I went with a group of new friends and the same mutual friend to the beach for a day. I brought my sister along and she had a great time schmoozing and making new friends. I was a little intimidated meeting so many people who seemed to have a strong group already and I felt a little bit left on the outside. I was meeting my new roommates for the next year for the first time that day and I began to wonder what it would be like to live in a place where I was the only new person.

That night at dinner there were so many people. We managed to fit several tables together and to try to help with the confusion of getting everyone seated next to their friend-group, I quickly sat down, scooting to the middle of a long booth. Brian scooted in from the opposite side, ending up next to me. I was kind of surprised and hoped Brian would be a nice guy to talk to. Sarah, my sister, sat at the other end of the table and seemed to enjoy herself.

Brian and I began chatting with our mutual friend and the other friends around us. I began to think he might be a nice guy after all. I guess I was still a little quiet because Brian decided to draw me out with a little teasing. And tease he did, until I was laughing and the whole table knew a little more about me than I would have shared otherwise.

I was planning to live with Brian's sister that fall. I had finished up with the community college I was attending and was transferring to a university that I had wanted to attend since I was very young.

Do you want to know the rest? (:

New Mommy Feelings

2010-09-16T17:07:00.000-05:00

Overheard while Andrew was playing with his toys:
"Aaaaah! I thought you were my friend! We were in the box-hole together!"
I have spent much thought on those sentences. The funny thing is that Andrew doesn't know what a fox-hole is, and, as Brian pointed out when I told him about it, he equated time spent together in a box from the manufacturer to having a relationship between the two toys. Did I mention they were toy soldiers?

I have spent some of my time the last few weeks feeling sorry for myself. I told Brian I want to get a job so I can look nice everyday. Isn't that silly? So Brian, being the smart man he is, told me I could go to work if I wanted to. Try it for six months, he said, and then I can quit if I don't like it. I was crying by this time and shaking my head. And then I started laughing because I didn't know why I was crying. Brian just held my hand and let me get it out. Nice guy.

Thing is, for some people the super-dependent infant stage is their dream. To have another being need you to exist just floats their paddle boat. It is such a struggle for me to stay on course! Yikes, gotta watch those metaphors.

I told Brian I wanted to take a month off when I had the baby. That time is almost up and I am so glad! Call me crazy, but I want to clean my house! I want to finish hanging up pictures in the boys room and go buy mums to put outside. I want to involve my kids in daily life. I want to get on a schedule!

This is a season in my life and that is something I try to remember. Abby will be crawling and/or walking in the next year. She will not always need me to hold her and console her and feed her every few minutes. This is a precious time, a time to bond with her, and I cherish those special moments. She's a girl, for crying out loud, and that in itself is new to me!

Another thing is that I feel a wee bit lonely. Not the depressed, isolated inside kind of lonely but the kind that chats you to death if you meet it at church. I think I need a box-hole friend. (:

Abigail Grace Jordon

2010-08-29T18:04:00.000-05:00

She's here!

A compiled outfit from Aunt Sarah, Emily Redwood and Grandpa

I am so happy to write this post! Abby was born last Sunday, August 22. Very early in the morning Brian informed me that we had a girl. A girl! After two boys it is pretty thrilling to have pink around the house. When she was born I didn't have a single thing for a baby girl. For the first few hours of her life outside the womb Abby wore her brothers' hand-me-downs. But she didn't seem to mind.

The first week has gone well, thanks largely due to the presence of my mom in our house. Not sure how she kept up, but mom washed clothes, cooked, read to the boys, helped them clean their room and was available to me several nights when I couldn't get the baby to sleep after 1.5 hour feeding sessions. Yay for Grandma!

Andrew and Abby

The boys seem to like Abby pretty well. The first time James held her he counted her fingers and toes and tucked the blanket around her. Then Andrew held her long enough for me to take a picture or two and he was finished.

James likes to know where the baby is and make sure she is OK. The other day I moved the bassinet from my room to another room while we had dinner so I could hear her if she cried. James went to my bedroom, where Abby had been sleeping, and began calling for me. He came to me in the kitchen and asked where Abby was. I have to be honest, at first I was like who's Abby? and then I remembered, oh, yeah, the baby I had a couple days ago. (Sleep deprivation.) Then I realized James was trying to find out where his baby sister was. Pretty sweet.I showed him where she was and after he checked on her he proceeded to smile and go have his dinner.

My sister Emily has taken the boys for a few days so it is very quiet at my house. Unless Abby is crying. Or unless I'm crying. Gotta love those hormones.

James and Abby

Just for the record Abigail Grace Jordon was born at 4:45 on Sunday, August 22, 2010. She weighed 8 lbs. and was 21 inches long.

The Ninjas

2010-08-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

What we've been up to lately.

My due date is a little over a week away now. I feel pretty good, thanks for asking. Haven't been sick at all the last few weeks. Have had some normal pains I associate with the last month of pregnancy but no real labor yet. When I get to this stage I have to fight the feeling that I will always be pregnant. Pretty absurd when I try to rationalize it. It is impossible to be pregnant forever, right?

Monday is Brian's last day to work in Starkville. After that we will be living in Tuscaloosa full-time. I am looking forward to being home. Our new home, anyway.

The latest on the break-in is that the perps are still trying to forge checks in our name. Now the District Attorney is involved and says he is pressing charges (on, to?) a girl who ended up with one of our checks and tried to cash it. Maybe eventually he will get to "Mike" and the other guy who robbed us.

I miss parts of Starkville already. I miss seeing familiar faces at church and having friends to call up and get together with at a moment's notice. I miss chats in the produce aisle at Wal-mart. I miss being familiar with the best time to visit the local park.

We visited a new church Sunday. It seems like a pretty good fit. Brian said there were quite a few kids around the boys' ages in children's church, which we will attempt next week. Although after watching this clip the other day I almost laughed out loud when the greeters offered us coffee a moment after we walked in the door. (:

Our Move and July Fourth Weekend

2010-07-06T16:55:00.000-05:00

We were robbed.

Ten days ago we moved to a new city, a new state, a rental house on a cul-de-sac. Two days ago, while we were out visiting my family an hour away, someone broke a panel on our French door and stuck a dishonest hand through the jagged hole to unlock the deadbolt and let themselves in to my house. Completely uninvited. While we were enjoying hamburgers and homemade macaroni and cheese at least two people were pilfering through my bedroom drawers looking for anything they could pawn for a quick buck.

I know it was at least two people because they carted off my husband's reward (besides three diplomas) for eleven years of college: his 61" flatscreen TV. Guess they got pretty excited when they saw that thing. Brian said, "I hope they dropped it on the way out." My insurance claims rep said, "Was that thing on wheels?" Ha.

And yes, we have renter's insurance. As of FOUR DAYS before the break-in. The Lord was gracious and merciful and reminded me to get it last week. And so far, USAA, who we have renter's insurance through, has been great.

Now, I wasn't quite as impressed with one of the two officers who came to our house once we discovered what had happened. We had to charge our cell phones when we arrived home that night before we could even call the police. After they arrived the guy who was dusting for prints turned around and informed me to watch carefully where he was dusting and clean it later or I would "go out with black powder all over and not realize it."

"Um, like you have on your face right now?"

"Do I?"

Yes, he did. He looked like one of my kids after a long day of playing in the dirt pile. A little humor in an otherwise upsetting evening. He was a pretty good sport about it.

Later that night my sister, her husband and my dad showed up to keep us company and bring comfort. It was so nice to have family around to fill up our house and keep our spirits up.

Our kids awoke the next morning, being oblivious to what had happened, and asked if they could watch a movie. Sure, Brian said, go set it up. And then they came back. Where's the TV? Bad guys stole it. So we have been talking about the bad guys who stole our things. They seem to have a pretty good grasp of bad guys vs. good guys.

Last night and this morning the Bad Guys have been on a shopping spree. I forgot that we had stored a couple of credit cards in one of my handbags that they dumped out. This morning we stopped checks and cancelled cards.

And the thing I am the most irritated about? They took one of my pillowcases to put our things in. The nerve. We have had those sheets for seven years. You know how things fade slightly when you wash them. Think I'll be able to buy a pillowcase that looks like the other one? Or that matches the sheets? Does it really matter? No, but it bothers me.

I am very thankful for several things. One, that we weren't there when they decided to invade our house. Two, that they took nothing that we can't replace, although Brian's computer had current work papers, some of which he will have to re-write. Three, that we had insurance. Four, that they did not open the top of my jewelry box and take my wedding ring. It is of some sentimental value to me. At least a little.

We still have boxes to unpack and a baby to prepare for. But that is sort of in the background right now as we sift through this event. We do feel God's grace on us even in the middle of such an inconvenience. But it isn't very fun.

Another Adventure in Mommyland

2010-06-01T17:50:00.000-05:00

Most of the time my guys are easy and get along together, as seen in the photo above. Don't they look sweet and happy and innocent?

However, some days, like today, I want to call in my surrogate and go shut down for awhile.

We went to my parents to visit for the weekend. My boys are the only grandchildren on my side so far so you can imagine the thrills they have. They have grandma, grandpa, and many aunts and uncle's attention and even arise early every day so they can get three hours of Disney channel before I become conscious to what is going on upstairs. I'm not sure they ate a single unprocessed veggie this weekend, but they filled up on love and kisses and kittens and hanging out with their Johnson side of the family.

Whenever we come back from a weekend of this kind of fun we go through detox. Today I forgot about detox.

After going by the bank we stopped at our local ATT store to pay our internet bill. The salesperson greeted me and asked if I needed any help. (Me? A very pregnant woman with two active children on her arms? Could you be more specific?) I told her what I needed and she directed me to a kiosk where I could pay for my bill. Or I could go to a cashier and pay $5 extra. Ok, we're on a budget, I'll pay at the kiosk, no big deal. After 2.5 minutes of saying, "Don't touch that. Stand right there. No. No! Yes, you can push that button. Wait. Wait!" I felt like the five dollars would have been a small price to pay to let someone else push the buttons. Then on the way out, after I made sure James got his piece of toy armour and dollar bill he had brought in (he threw them down when he saw the kiosk) I walked out of the store. Three steps out of the door I heard a very loud head-hitting-the-glass-door sound and I turned around and saw James rubbing his forehead and squinting his eyes. Guess he was distracted by all the technology in the store.

Now on to our weekly grocery shopping. Just picture more of the same but without the running into door part. When we get to the checkout line I am one whipped puppy. I let James get out of the cart so he and Andrew can play with the toys that line the aisle just before you get to the cashier. He starts doing the pee-pee dance. Can you please wait? Yes. So after helping me throw a few things on the conveyor belt, he and Andrew squat down and play with the toys on the bottom shelf. After I get all the groceries ready for the cashier James comes over to me again doing the pee-pee dance. I decide to try something new. I send James and Andrew into the ladies room by themselves.

I'm not really sure what happened while they were in there, but when they came out Andrew yelled loudly enough for me to hear several rows away, "Mom, James didn't wash his hands! He has germs!"

I threw some hand sanitizer in the cart and tried to ignore my children as they ran over to me and then ran away with a devilish look in their eyes.

To the customers who bought a bottle of coke from the cooler and where annoyed when it wasn't as cold as it might have been if Andrew and James hadn't opened and closed and opened and closed and opened and closed the door of it while I was trying to pay for the groceries: my sincerest apologies.

A Tribute to My Home

2010-05-11T20:57:00.001-05:00

I have been able to avoid thinking about moving during the last six weeks in the business of selling the house and finding a new place to live. But this last week I have cried buckets of tears over leaving Starkville.

Today I have had a headached all day. Hormones? Morning sickness? Grief?

I have lived in Starkville all of my adult life. I met my husband here. I formed some of the best friendships of my life here. I gave my heart to a church body slowly over ten years of Bible studies and group activities and fellowships. And the things my church body has helped me walk through! I am so greatful for the people the Lord placed in my path while here in Starkville. When I came here I was a single college student. When I leave it will be with my husband of seven years, our two boys, a baby in utero, a van load of furniture and many, many memories.

With God's help I will embrace my new home and the people there. I know He has prepared a place for us and has prepared us for this place. Brian is excited about his new job and I am looking forward to settling into our nest and welcoming our new little baby. And, with just a little less excitement, I am anticipating eating onions again.

To my friends who have made real long-distance moves I admire you and am grateful for your example of how to be content in a new town.

Meanwhile, pray for us as we transition from one state and one college town to another. From Bulldogs to Elephants, from maroon to crimson.

Selling Our House

2010-05-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

Our house, which I wrote about here, is now for sale. Actually, we put it on the market on April 19 and we signed a contract with a buyer on April 28. I was very glad to be finished with the constant cleaning that accompanied showing the house. Plus, we have been potty-training. One day we had several people show up quite suddenly and I only had time to change my shirt. The one I was wearing said "Naturel Jenius." I failed to check the boys' room so after the home tour I looked to see what was on their floor. Just a pair of dirty Lightening McQueen underwear. Other than that the room looked pretty good.

We also found a house to rent in Tuscaloosa. Have I mentioned that we are moving? Brian will be working at The University of Alabama. I made five trips to T-town to try to find a family-friendly rental house. We found one with a fenced yard and a fortress in the back leftover from when the owner's two boys were young. They said you can hear the band practice from where we will live. Plus, the next day the owners met us half-way between here and there so we could sign their lease.Then they invited us to have dinner with them and we spent an hour getting to know our new landlords. Makes me feel a little better about paying X in rent since we are giving it to a pretty nice couple.

Oh, and the night we met them to sign their lease we were surprised by the home-inspector's arrival about 10 minutes before we needed to leave. Then the prospective buyers showed up. I was very glad I had cleaned the kitchen that day. So we left and I felt like I was in one of those dreams from when you are little where you show up at kindergarten in your underwear. Several strangers were in my house and I wasn't there to watch them or host them. I didn't know what to say when we left either. Make yourself at home? Don't touch anything? It looks better when I know you are coming? Anyway, they seemed nice and nothing was missing when I got back.

We thought we would have until August 1 to be in Starkville but the buyer requested for us to be gone by June 15. Brian will do a little work from home (in Tuscaloosa) and commute a few days every week until the beginning of August. Then he will have a couple of weeks off before starting his new job. My due date is August 16 and his first day at work at UA is August 17.

The Correct Way to Boil Eggs

2010-03-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

I heard on the radio today that only 30% of women know how to boil eggs what we like to call "the right way." Are you kidding? We don't know how to BOIL eggs? Don't you just BOIL them?

I am feeling much better these days. Barfing is down to once/day or once every few days. I can tolerate a small amount of garlic, such as in salad dressing or in my favorite hotdogs, but I wake up with a headache the next day.

This week marks week 20!

He'll Take Care of the Rest

2010-02-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

As I write this I am in my parents game room in my hometown in south Mississippi. My husband called earlier to tell me he was looking at the Puget Sound from the top of the Space Needle... wishing I was there with him. I wish I was too, but I'm enjoying myself here as much as possible.

As my first trimester comes to an end and the second begins the nausea is becoming more bearable. Of course, it helps that I don't have to do a single thing here except eat, hug my boys and take naps whenever I get the urge to sleep. And my mom is a quick-study on how to cook without the ever-present onion and garlic, so I get the regular fourteen or so meals/day.

Sometimes I awake before the queasy feeling in my stomach does and I daydream about what I want to do that day. Or what I would like to do when I get home. And then I get up and I remember that I probably won't be doing much for a little longer. It is not as frustrating as it has been. I am almost resigned to it. Being sick while I'm pregnant, I mean.

My mom and my dad have both told me I am not as sick as my mom was when she was pregnant. And I have four siblings. How on earth...?

Again, the Lord has been very faithful to me to see me through this time. Friends like Emily R. and Tori have brightened my sick days with either acts of kindness of words of comfort. My family has helped, and my husband has been a superstar to me. I know many of you prayed for me, like Rhoda in NY and my Bible study group at home, and I say thank you and may the Lord bless you.

Thanks also to my friends who offered to help. Maybe next time. (Close with hysterical laughter ringing in the background.)

Steadfast

2010-01-25T10:01:00.000-06:00

This morning God has been speaking to me about my calling.

Yesterday was another awful day for me. I developed a migraine and couldn't keep anything down until later in the evening. I felt so discouraged and wanted at least a day off from being pregnant. Brian and I discussed the seahorse method of gestation.

My life is at a standstill right now. I have not fixed my hair of put on make-up in a month. I have not been to church in an even longer amount of time. I resigned from helping with the nursery and have cooked one meal for my family since Christmas.

But if the cross that I am to bear is morning-sickness, then will I allow God to guide me through this?

Being sick makes me very sympathetic to others who are sick. It makes me more compassionate for people with long-term illness and those who need help to function throughout the day. Being sick causes me to ask for help, which, as I have mentioned, can be pretty hard for me to do.

So today I asked God to take the pressure off that I put on myself to be a certain way or do certain things. The June Cleaver/Betty Crocker days are out the window, but maybe I can learn to be more like Christ. And that also means no comparing myself to other supermoms who can fly through their pregnancy on the wings of eagles or have many, many children without a barf. Or without their walking children being neglected. Or their husband having to clean the house by himself.

Thank you for your prayers.

A Bright Spot

2010-01-20T21:16:00.000-06:00

Today has been wonderful. I went outside! I walked 1300 steps, according to my podometer. I met a new neighbor. I didn't throw up!

After all that excitement I had to take a nap.

Counting down week eleven. It is getting better. At least today and yesterday. If pregnancy makes you feel great then I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to know you. Want to be my surrogate next time?

I am also trying not to worry about an upcoming vacation that was scheduled before we found out I was pregnant. We are going on a crusie for four days soon. We got a great rate since we are going in February, and who wouldn't want to go on a cruise, right? A big rocking ship in the middle of the ocean. Hmmm.

My first mid-wife appointment is in a couple of days. She asked me to keep a food journal so no coke for at least a few days. I seem to want to eat much more junk food when I'm pregnant than when I'm not. Although I had something fried the other day and realized it had been months since I had tasting comething cooked by submersing in hot oil. My stomach is still sensitive to heavy foods. Not so yummy right now.

The kind words and well-wishes have helped to make me feel more like part of a team than like a loner in this treck. Thanks for thinking of me and letting me know you are thinking of me. I couldn't do this alone.

So Sick

2010-01-09T10:56:00.000-06:00

This has been the most difficult week so far. I am six weeks pregnant, eight if you add two like they do at the doctor's office, and one day this week I was so sick I had to call Emily to come get my boys. I threw up all day long, without rhyme or reason. I guess something important was being formed that day. The other days of this week have been taken up between lying in bed and lying on the couch. It was miserable! Thankfully, Brian had a snow day later in the week and he is here this weekend. He has been great, taking care of me and the boys and still working full-time.

I feel lonely when I'm sick. I haven't been out much and I don't really want to go out. I miss my friends. I miss my family. I miss onions. I want to get up and clean the kitchen and wash clothes and take the boys somewhere. I feel sorry for myself.

I keep telling myself that this part is temporary. I am very thankful to be able to have children, thankful to have two boys already and grateful to be able to be pregnant again. But I hate being sick! I do not enjoy laying around the house or having to ask for help. My pride suffereth.

The Lord is my provider and my sustainer. And Columbo entertains me through the day.

Please Hold the Onions

2010-01-04T19:51:00.001-06:00

We are going to have a baby!

I have been in bed for a week. This is hard work.

I am allergic to onion, garlic, leeks, and ginger ONLY WHEN I AM PREGNANT. My diet, at a time when it would usually expand, has decreased to bacon and bananas. And crackers.

We are very excited and look forward to greeting a new Jordon later this summer.

Homemade Gifts

2009-12-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

Each Christmas I have the dream of making every gift that is given from me or my family. I have visions of scarves and scones, picture frames painted and cards drawn with care. Wouldn't it mean more to my grandma if the ornament I give her is molded by tiny hands and sloppily yet lovingly painted by her great-grandchildren? How about my mother and mother-in-law? For them, every year now, I think of making a scrapbook. The last scrapbook I made was with pictures of our honeymoon I made the first year we were married. I have seven blank scrapbooks in my room waiting for pictures. And I know my mother gave me a few with the idea of getting them back filled with photos of her smiling grandkids. But alas, this too has not happened.

I've read the secret to homemade/handmade gifts is to start early. I know this. Does anyone do it? Is there such a person out there who begins making presents in January and is finished well before December 25? Does this person have friends, a family and a life outside of Christmas preperation?

I did make a few rounds of biscotti this year. Turned out quite nicely, I think. But only four people on my list will find out exactly how nice.

Merry Christmas and happy store-bought and homemade gift giving!

Thanksgiving Roast

2009-12-10T18:50:00.000-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year we were priviledged to have nineteen people in my house, six of whom were uner the age of six. We let the kids eat early and then concentrated on preparing a feast.

Brian has cooked a prime rib roast that was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. (Sorry if the sight of meat makes you queasy. I had to include a shot of the perfectly pink center. Yeah, and too bad if you don't eat eat either 'cause this was really good.) I made yeast rolls that my aunt had given me a recipe for a couple of years ago. Actually, I had planned to buy Mrs. Smith's frozen rolls but decided to go for homemade after splurging on some fall flowers for our living room. Brian's sister Katie made broccoli salad and rescued the starving with an appetizer. My mom made her greenbean casserole that is a holiday staple in the Johnson house and my sister Emily made her specialty: cream cheese mashed potatoes. Mmmm, it was a very nice meal. My bro Mike helped with the kids and with keeping things clean. And my dad helped me wash the dishes!

It did get a little tight in our kitchen,

but what's a good family meal without a little bumping into each other?

Anna and Emily set the table before I even got up on Thanksgiving day.

Later that evening we had dessert and my parents and brother Michael and Anna left. Then our friends Branden and Tori and their son Kai came over and we had another merry party with leftovers.

Sunday we were ready for church and noticed how nice Katie and Dale looked and decided to help them take a family photo. I had to include it because they are in the process of posing in the background. It was quite entertaining watching all of us try to get eight little pair of eyes to focus on the camera at the same time. It was a perfect morning for pictures and Katie had just happened to dress everyone in coordinating clothes. (Andrew decided he wanted his picture taken at the same time.)

Here a shot of Brian's sister Katie, my former roommate from college, and her family.

Elias, Katie, baby Caleb, Jordon, Dale and Anthony.

Mickey Mouse and More

2009-12-01T14:18:00.001-06:00

Last week we enjoyed the benifits of a career that involves the need to attend conferences. This conference just happened to be in Disney World at the Swan and Dolphin hotel.

Our first morning there was spent walking around the grounds while Brian attended a meeting. The grounds were immaculate and the boys probably would have been satisfied playing near the pond and along the beach area just around the corner past the playground. Then there was a wading pool and other play areas we didn't even walk towards. After Brian was finished with his meeting and we had our first accident we were on our way to the Magic Kingdom.

I had heard much about Cinderella's castle and the fireworks show Disney puts on in the evening. I have to say my favorite part of the show was when Tinkerbell flew off the highest turret and into the night, her wings whispering like a butterfly. I had been asked many times by Andrew if Tinkerbell would be there. Apparently that was what impressed him the most about the movie Peter Pan. By the way, Andrew is still learning how to smile for the camera and James was quite worn out by the time the pic above was taken.

The next day we all went to Hollywood Studios, another park of Disney's. I think my favorite part that day was seeing how excited the boys were to "meet" Lightening McQueen. They were pretty excited to hear the revving engines and see the cars' eyes blink. Brian grabbed Andrew just before he jumped on the hood.

The last two days of our visit were spent by Brian going to meetings and the three of us going to two more parks. I think we were all worn out by the time it came to go to Epcot. I tried to take Andrew and James in to see a short film about Canada and Andrew wept half the time. I think he was a little overwhelmed. Too much moose?

I was a nice mommy and stood in line with the boys again to see Mickey and Minnie and Friends. I was amazed at the adults also standing in line to have their pictures taken with the Big Cheese. I had an excuse...

Oh, and if you ask James and Andrew about their trip to meet Mickey they will tell you, Andrew with English, James with improvised sign language and sound effects, that Andrew hit Mickey on the nose and James pulled Goofy's tongue. I guess their was a bet between them to see who could get one of those Disney Characters to talk.

The Peanut Butter Files

2009-10-31T19:16:00.006-05:00

Exhibit A. My Two-Year Old And Me

Exhibit B. A Mostly Empty Jar of Peanut Butter

Exhibit C. The Boys' Room

Exhibit D. My Face at the End of the Peanut Butter Day

"This is the story all about how my life got turned upside down..."

One day last week I was feeling the effects of a lingering cold so I took some medicine. I didn't realize this cold medicine would make me drowsy, so on top of not feeling 100% I was now sleepy. Andrew and James were playing together fairly well but Andrew continually informed me of their movements. Mommy, we want to play with X toy. Mommy, we killed the bad guys. Mommy, James is Y. Mommy, can we go visit Z?

I had enough of the minute by minute updates so I turned to Andrew and said (drum role, please),
"Please stop telling me what you and James are doing. Just go play in your room. Don't tell me what you are doing, just go play."

Oh, boy.

Well, after fighting it for a couple of hours I told the boys I was going to lay down in my room and they were to stay in theirs. My head hit the pillow and I was out for about fifteen minutes. I awoke and James came into my room smacking his hands together. I thought he had been in the hand soap so I jumped up and took him to the bathroom.

Nope, it wasn't soap. Once in the light of the bathroom I looked down at James arms. He was covered in peanut butter from finger tip to elbow. Both hands. Had to get the dish soap out to clean him off. As I was scrubbing him Andrew walked into the bathroom carrying Exhibit B.

"Mommy, James SPREAD PEANUT BUTTER ON THE CARPET."

Oh, no. Oh, please no.

Oh, yes. See Exhibit C. Notice the medium shag cream-colored carpet? There was peanut butter smeared into about a third of the surface area in their bedroom. I assessed the damage after putting the boys in the shower. I was so upset I couldn't even take pictures of the mess.

Please consult Exhibit A. to see why I didn't stay mad. Plus, after an event last year where Andrew dumped a bottle of vitamin-E oil on my mother-in-law's couch I had a very good carpet and upholstery cleaner in the cabinet. It took the creamy peanut butter goo right out and didn't even leave a nutty smell.

Plus, I realized again how literal Andrew is. He explicitly obeyed my instructions and even tried to clean up the peanut butter mess in his room with a wet wipe. He usually sounds the alarm if James tries to do anything not kosher, but because I had told him to leave me alone he waited until I noticed what was going on without any help from him.

It was a long day. Consult Exhibit D.

Homeschool

2009-10-26T15:13:00.003-05:00

Although it is sometimes a polarizing issue I would like to talk about homeschooling today.

Actually, I will just post a link to my friend Sara's blog and you can tell me what you think. (By the way, I agree with Sara and was homeschooled, as was my husband Brian.)

And, just for fun, check out this clip on homeschooler vs. homeschooled.

Mousetrap

2009-10-20T15:00:00.005-05:00

Anna, Sarah and Amy

Last weekend we went to see my sister Sarah perform in her local community theatre, as mentioned here. She played a character in a murder-mystery play from one of my favorite authors, Agatha Christie.

Sarah in character

Sarah took on the role of a newly-married british woman who becomes one of the suspects and carried her accent and role flawlessly. We were very impressed with her ease of manner on stage. It is fun to watch her doing something she enjoys.

Actully, I couldn't relax for the first five minutes of the play because I was worried that Sarah might forget one of her lines or freeze or forget to speak in her British voice. I was thinking of how I would feel if I had to be up there saying lines and acting in front of a hundred people. But then I was able to relax and enjoy the show once I remembered Sarah is a natural at this, wanted to do this and really, really likes it. Great job, Sarah!

"Did anyone see Julie Andrews walk this way?"

Bible Stories

2009-10-13T22:40:00.005-05:00

So the other day the boys requested a Bible story. We began with David and Goliath, their favorite, and proceeded to Sampson and then to Jesus. As I was trying to explain what happened during the resurrection of Jesus, the earthquake, the stone rolling away, the angel, I realized I might be overwhelming my audience. Just when I thought I had lost them Andrew interrupts my description of that day with his interpretation.

"And Jesus rose from the dead? Like Wolverine? ROOOOOAR!"

This was said with much gusto and excitement, and when he said, "roar" he flung out his arms.

That was a parallel I had not thought of until now. Andrew has not seen the X-men movies but maybe he did catch the commercial. You can watch it here and tell me if you see the likeness. (Skip ahead to 1:10 pay attention to the next eight seconds or so.)

Our New Home

2009-09-10T22:58:00.004-05:00

We moved this summer into a house that was made for us. At least I like to think of it that way.

I didn't have a long list of requirements for the house we wanted to buy. The most important thing to me was that it was in our price range. And since we didn't really decide on our price range until the second time we went out with our Realtor the whole process really stressed me out.

But after several days spent riding around looking at houses Brian went to pay a bill and casually asked if the desk clerk knew of any houses for sale. Actually, there was this one...

And so God provided a house for us with freshly painted interiors and new flooring throughout, in a neighborhood we love, with an adequate amount of bedrooms and space for guests, a great backyard and nice natural lighting. I am thankful that God provided a place for the boys to play and even a place for a couple of hobbies- my room has a desk built in to one of the closets, made specifically for a sewing area, and Brian uses the guest room as a Lego Room.

For Autumn

2009-09-02T20:09:00.003-05:00

Lego mania. That is what we have at my house.

A couple of nights per week Andrew and James besiege Brian with pleas (and "please") of being allowed to play with The Legos.

Brian has a bin full he bought of e-bay a couple of years ago.

The best part: free time for myself.

My Sister, One of the Murder Suspects

2009-08-24T16:30:00.003-05:00

My sister Sarah called yesterday to tell me something very exciting. She landed a part in a play. A very famous play. The longest running play in "modern history", to be precise. It began in 1952 in London and is still playing to this day.

Sarah's performance will be given in her local community theater not too far from here. I hope to make a road trip to watch her.

Breakfast with Champions

2009-08-18T09:41:00.006-05:00

This morning I was reminded of what it is like to have an infant. Although there is no child below two-years-old in my household and I do not know of the imminent arrival of one I feel like one has been here this morning.

First, I did not get much sleep. My fault for staying up and finishing the 1982 version of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" , the boys fault for waking me up at seven and demanding food.

Second, it took an hour to get them breakfast. Up and down and up and down and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk and sliced apples and oatmeal and water and hot tea in special cups from grandma and I finally sat down. Buffet, anyone?

After Andrew and James finished eating I looked around at the messy kitchen and all the dishes on the table and the late hour of completion of the first meal of the day and thought, "Yes, I remember this feeling." It is like this every day when there is an infant who eats every two hours.

I admire my friends who have infants at this moment. It takes a lot to give up a schedule and the feeling of normalcy that creeps in after weening. A baby always throws that feeling as far as the east is from the west.

And yet, I would like to have another one soon.

Our New Residence

2009-07-23T19:43:00.003-05:00

I have missed the internet dearly but not enough to dampen the joy that came after signing my name to the paper that makes me part owner of a four bedroom, three bath house in my favorite neighborhood in Starkville. The same neighborhood where we have rented for the past three years.

I hope to post a picture soon.

We have had no internet and no cable and no problems since we moved in on Saturday. Future posts may be erratic until we get all our ducks in a row.

I do want to say thank-you to all our friends who expressed their love for us by helping us move our stuff.

And I realized just how much stuff we really have. If you had come to my house Friday night and asked for ANYTHING in my possession, especially very large or very small items, I would have gladly given it to you. Gotta love the moving-out hysteria that breaks twelve hours before the move.

I met my new neighbor today while he was out mowing his grass. He offered to let us borrow his lawn mower. Hmmm.

Group Vacation

2009-07-08T11:57:00.005-05:00

We are on the beach for one week of sun and this is the third day it has rained. We have been here for four days.

We are renting a beach house meant for eight. We packed in sixteen people.

We are eating fish for breakfast- at 1:00 in the afternoon!

We played Scattergories and I almost beat my mother-in-law. Lost disgracefully in hearts.

I forgot my camera but will probably be in more pictures that way.

I think we are closing on our house next week!

If You Are Really Good You Can Pretend To Be Really Bad

2009-06-22T22:55:00.004-05:00

My sister Emily introduced me to Miranda on Youtube. After I watched a few of her clips I felt much better about my life. Surely she must be delusional?

Her real name, according to this blog is Colleen Ballinger. And she can really sing. I don't know what to say. Comic genius? Psychotic fantasies? Where does the idea of becoming famous for being an off-key singing narcissist come from?

Actually, it is quite entertaining if you can get past the eyebrows. Don't forget to watch her first post. It's a classic.

Midget Loaf

2009-06-18T18:26:00.003-05:00

Using a recipe from the booklet written by KitchenAid that came with my mixer, I have made banana bread twice. The first time I thought it was kind of odd, but I tried to wait to pass judgment. This time it was painfully obvious that my gigantic mixer included a book of recipes for little people.

And that is a small apple.

Just thought I would share.

Publish Post

Anybody Seen A Little White House with a Picket Fence?

2009-06-17T20:39:00.004-05:00

I am so completely emotionally worn out I do not know what to do with myself.

We have been looking for a house to buy for about six weeks. During that time we decided to buy, then we decided we were moving to South Dakota (don't ask), then we were going to stay, no go, no stay. I feel like that alone has made me feel slightly unstable.

And now we are back to looking at houses.

Due to living in a university town, I am told, the prices of houses are fairly high here is Starkville compared to other cities in Mississippi. We are pre-approved at our bank for a loan and Brian has a great job. But we can't seem to find an affordable house to fit our needs. We have looked at fixer-upers and knock-your-socks-off-when-you-look-at-your-payment houses. It is really wearing me down.

The house we are currently living in we have been renting for almost three years while Brian finished school. Now we are ready to purchase our own home. Right?

There are no new houses in our price range.

There are very few four bedroom houses below $200,000. Yes, two-hundred thousand dollars. I choke to think about it. Waaaaaay out of our budget. Like, Dave-Ramsey-would-slap-us-if-he-knew outside our budget.

I just want a cute house that we can live in and have a couple more kids in, pay off in 15 years and enjoy. Fenced-in back yard, usable kitchen, normal-looking (translated: what I think is normal,) for well below $150,000. It doesn't even need to have granite and stainless steel and walk-in closets.

Is it always this way? Extremely difficult to find what you want in your price range?

I watched a couple of back-to-back episode of "Property Virgins" on HGTV to see if the couples they featured fared any better. Yes. They only had to look three houses to find the right one. We have looked at 2,000,000,000,000... I think. Plus driving around shopping the neighborhoods.

It is enough to make me want to rent until Andrew is ready for college.

My Wardrobe

2009-06-06T14:54:00.004-05:00

I had an ugly day the other day. The kind of day where I feel unattractive and frumpy no matter what, especially if I do not take much time to get dressed. During these kinds of days I try to remind myself that beauty comes from the inside and my self-worth is not derived from how I look. According to my husband these "ugly" days follow certain other patterns, but I will spare you the specifics.

After picking up this book at our local B and N I was inspired to do something about the small amount of time I usually have to get dressed and the feeling that usually accompanies the rush: what am I going to wear today? And I wanted to prevent another ugly day.

Most of my clothing is relatively new because of the early "change of life" (called having children) which transformed my figure. I'm sure no one can relate. I should have no reason to feel like I have nothing to wear or clothes that do not fit because we have spent the last two years refilling my closet.

Yesterday I made outfits. Using the clothes I enjoy wearing. I even took clothes out of the hamper to make outfits. And if I don't have a way to use a shirt in an outfit it will be gone within a reasonable amount of time.

Also I have tried to pay attention lately to what colors look good with my skin tone and what clothes are modest and flatter my body type.

It was pretty fun until the boys woke up. Then it became work. But I finished with about eight summer day outfits and about the same number of evening outfits. Not just shirts that match pants but shirt, shoes, earrings, necklace and purse. Well, not really purse. I was not that thorough.

But here are a few of the selections. I think I will make more outfit photos as I wear combos I did not think of.

Also, I my goal is to print these photos and make a notebook to take with me when I go shopping. Hmmm, I wonder if I'm spending too much time on this? (:

Buffalo Park

2009-05-26T21:09:00.006-05:00

For Memorial Day my friend Tori and I decided to do something special with the boys since both our husbands were out of town. (Emily backed out when we told her what we were planning. (: ) We took them to the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo to see the... buffalo!

I was impressed with the facilities and especially with the opportunity to rub noses with some interesting creatures not native to Mississippi.

A platform was built next to this guy's house so we could walk up and feed him. His tongue practically wraps around your arm as he reaches out to eat off your palm. Andrew was pretty excited about it but I think James was a little skittish.

Pretty nifty idea, I thought.

We Did This

2009-05-15T11:53:00.011-05:00

We, sans children, just came back from a beautiful town north of the Canadian border called Niagra-on-the-Lake. The area is picturesque, full of vineyards, old forts and of course, an enormous waterfall or two. (The above photo is one of the cafes on main street and gives you an idea of the look of the town. I enjoyed our first day there by shopping in this area with three other women who came with their husbands.)

Brian and I had been to this area a few years ago when we lived on Long Island. We camped on the Canadian side for July fourth weekend. We noticed during that trip the boat rides you could take that went right up to the base of the falls. We now know this is called "Maid of the Mist."

So we were back there this week for a business conference of Brian's and decided we should do the boat ride. Brian booked it (I think during one of his meetings) and we were set to go out Wednesday afternoon.

Let me say that I had seen the pictures of the boats that went out from this particular dock and I thought I had specifically asked for a COVERED boat. Brian is absolutely positive I requested an UNCOVERED boat.

What is the big difference, right?

The covered boat on the left only requires the guest to wear their normal clothes and a life jacket. The other boat has a weathered shed full of layers of smelly clothing that you must don before you set out on your torture ride. These clothes looked they were purchased from the wardrobes of the guys from "A Perfect Storm." We had a ribbed sweater, a jumpsuit, a hooded raincoat specially designed to drip water down your back when you tried to put the hood on and water shoes that were already dripping wet. Oh, and the life-jacket. These clothes, we were told, were not to keep you dry but to keep you warm. Hmmm.

We went up the Niagra river, through class five rapids, to the whirlpool created by a bend in the river down from the waterfall. Did not go in the whirlpool. Could not see the falls. Came back through the rapids. By the time this ride was finished my forehead was numb from the water that had hit it repeatedly. I wondered if I was going to freeze to death because I was seriously thinking of going to sleep.

The whole point of this uncovered boat ride, we learned, is to get wet. Most of our fellow passengers were 13 and under. And actually, getting wet is not such a bad idea in July, but this is May in Canada. Have you ever been to Canada in May? Our first night there was 39 degrees. The water was cold. And it was being thrown at us like we were in some kind of hurricane experiment. Our guide told us we would be slammed with a fifteen-foot wall of water at several spots in our ride. (You should have seen Brian's face when he realized what he was in for. Priceless.)

I must also make it a point to tell you where we sat in this boat of three engines that went sixty-five miles an hour before and after we were fully drenched. We sat in the front. Can you even see the people in the front row in the picture above? Nope. That was us. Brian and Amy Jordon. Defineitely an experience we will remember. And hopefully not repeat.

The boat ride is one of the most memorable moments of our trip. We also celebrated our anniversary by dining in the nicest restaurant I have ever been to, went out for a late movie just because we could, and enjoyed wine and cheese by the river made by a local winery. (The wine was made there, not the river.)

Our anniversary restaurant

And to top the whole week off my parents actually seemed to enjoy watching the boys. How's that for a vacation? I am very thankful.

My Birthday Present, cont.

2009-05-06T12:18:00.003-05:00

So I have really enjoyed my mixer, maybe more than any other birthday present EVER. I wanted to share a picture of the bread this thing can whip together.

I have been sharing the love. Emily now knows the secrets of the white bread recipe and will never be the same. (I think she has mixer envy.) (:

Can You Clean Rice With Comet?

2009-04-30T11:28:00.003-05:00

James thinks you can. But Andrew has a few years on him and knows you go straight for the broom.

This is what I walked in on this morning.

It doesn't look like much, but if you have ever tried to clean up cooked rice you know how much fun it was to sweep it up. I still have to mop the gummy residue off the floor.

Brian was gone for three days this week and I felt like I needed a morning off today. Except I forgot that you can't take a morning off from a job that doesn't stop for about eighteen years/child. (Or longer, if necessary.)

So while I was in my room reading a book pretending I could have some R and R with no consequences, the boys were very busy making sure I didn't forget a cardinal rule of being the primary caregiver for two boys under the age of 75: know where they are and what they are doing AT ALL TIMES.

Going Red

2009-04-26T08:16:00.007-05:00

The other day I had heard enough. Actually, maybe I had heard it enough awhile ago and had just realized it.

Oh, I remember what sparked my inner tirade. Wal-mart is "going green." Makes me want to use language I only hear when people are angry or not creative.

How many of us are duped into participating in our own manipulation?

(This is not a rant about Wal-mart.)

Ever since I was young I was taught to conserve energy, spend money wisely, and keep what could be used again. Reduce, reuse, recycle, right? Turn out the lights when I leave a room. Do not use all the lights in a room unless it is necessary. If you value your life, turn off the water when you brush your teeth. When you drink all the milk, and you better drink every bit you poured into glass, rinse the milk container out so we can use it to make sweet tea in. Once I even expounded on our "recycling" lifestyle and began making hair bows out of used dryer sheets.

Growing up I was the oldest in a family of five children thriving on one income. My dad always had a garden and we bought used cars. I heard someone (I think it was a commercial) say that they wouldn't have minded paying a few extra (and unnecessary) fees a few years (months?) ago but now... no way. This person wants to know exactly how much money she has and what the investor will do with it. Wait a minute, INVESTOR? Are we still talking about conservation and surviving in "difficult" economic times?

To act like you don't care about what you are given when there is plenty is just as irresponsible as not being able to provide when times are lean. I know not everyone abides by principles of honesty and wisdom, but it annoys my inner sanctum when they act like they do until everything is OK again.

I heard someone say that certain states in America are suffering economically more than others and that my state isn't suffering as much because we didn't have excess spending in the first place. If luxury industries are the first to suffer when we want to restrict our spending then we are fortunate to have a very small luxury industry. We do have a large gaming industry but that is another topic.

I understand that the term "going green" does not only mean someone is being more conservative with money or time. It usually means using less chemicals and more organics. Great. But please don't act like it is a new thing, and please, please, don't act like it was your idea. And please, please, please don't tell me when you go back to your previous way of doing things when the economic pendulum swings back the other way.

A Few Things

2009-04-23T23:17:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to write so you would know I haven't broken my fingers and fallen off the face of the earth.

I have had a blog hiatus. Whatever that means.

My dad is here tonight and Brian is going on a business trip next week. I will have extra time to tell you all the recent thoughts and share our Easter photos.

My friend Rosemary had a baby. Number four! Congratulations, Rose. She is beautiful, like her mom.

Just Your Run of the Mill Stereotype

2009-04-07T15:55:00.003-05:00

My friend Sara recommended Tim Hawkins as one who is good at parodies.

Apparently he knows a few homeschoolers. If you were homeschooled or know a homeschooler you have to check this out.

I have been laughing about it for a few days now.

Going Against the Flow

2009-04-02T17:47:00.006-05:00

So this post will be a little bit personal.

I shared last night in my bible study group. Cried my eyeballs out. Couldn't even speak for part of the time. It was the end of our study on King David and I already felt like I was attending his funeral. We have studied every aspect of David's life over the past few months and I feel like he was a pastor at our church or our governor or a relative. So we watched the last video for this study and I was crying even during that.

Then we prayed and asked God to speak to our hearts and I knew He wanted me to share what I would rather not have. As we took turns talking about something that we learned from the study I listened to several stories of amazing things. I kept thinking, soon it will be my turn, soon it will be my turn, and I just felt like crying again.

When it was my turn, I tried to speak, but no words really came out. Just blurbs. And half-phrases. I hoped they understood what I was saying. I couldn't even see if anyone else was crying along with me. I just tried to say what I felt like I should. I felt like I had brought my underwear drawer and was pulling out each piece to show all the ladies. Not that what I was saying was related to underwear, but it was a part of me that I would have liked to remain hidden.

So I shared that God had brought me out of a place where I had been emotionally for several months. I even shared the mental picture I had of how I had felt: Me, with an innertube around my waist, floating in an ocean, completely alone. Someone would swim up in their innertube and bump into mine, say hello, smile at me, ask how I was and swim away. I would feel unable to really connect with that person or swim away with them or get out of the water.

In our study we read Psalm 18 where it talks about God reaching down from on high and taking hold of us and drawing us out of DEEP WATERS. Wow, that was me! Because God brought me through that. He was with me and had a plan for me and will be with me until He takes me home.

I hope it is alright that I shared this with you. I am so thankful that God loves me enough to be with me through hard times, even if they are just emotionally or spiritually difficult. Becuase I really feel like if He had not spoken to me and helped me through that it would have been unbearable.

Told you it would be personal.

Magic Potion

2009-04-01T14:41:00.007-05:00

James will be two years old in May, Andrew will be four. James has been trying to speak a little more, especially words with soft consonants like b, m and d. He usually makes his point fairly well by using a mixture of context, pointing, babysigns and, if necessary, whining.

Yesterday I grabbed a glass beside the sink that I thought had been used as a water glass recently. I filled it with water and handed it to James and told him to drink it. He wanted something else, but I told him again to drink it. He began increasing the volume of his pleas. About the third time I told him to drink his water I realized he was not being defiant but trying to communicate... something. I turned back toward him and asked him what it was. "BA! BA!" he said. I looked into the glass and there, floating on the top, were three moths. He was trying to say BUG. Poor guy. I am learning.

Then the other day Brian was putting the boys to bed. I hear them all laughing and Brian told me later that James had made a joke. His first joke. He would say da-da and point to Brian, then say da-da, point to Andrew and laugh. He knew that Andrew's name wasn't da-da and thought it was funny to call him that.

"Bees are Bad"

2009-03-23T21:13:00.005-05:00

Today Andrew caught a honeybee. After many tries and many days of watching and pouncing, he succeeded in what he wanted to do. Only it didn't have the outcome he expected.

I was in the kitchen and the boys were outside in the backyard. I have warned Andrew that if he caught a bee it would probably sting him, but I don't think he listened. So, today Andrew ran inside and went into the bathroom. I heard the water running and didn't think much of it. After a couple of minutes Andrew came meekly into the kitchen.

"I caught a bee and it stung me on my finger," he said. Yes, I saw his swollen little finger and the hole where the stinger went in. It was almost funny that he caught a bee. But not when I looked at his face. He was really in pain. So after administering baking soda cream, ibuprofin, benadryl and an ice pack, we discussed the benefits of leaving the bees alone.

My Birthday Present

2009-03-16T19:48:00.005-05:00

Brian bought me the best mixer out there for my birthday. I have had it a week and have already realized the capabilities of this machine outweigh my wildest dreams. I think everyone will get banana bread this year for Christmas.

Also from Brian this year:

I think he was trying to give me a hint. Too bad I broke my one bread pan a couple of weeks ago. But maybe that will be my Christmas present.

I did make an Italian cream cake from the recipe book that came with the mixer. Pretty awesome machine. I could have painted my toenails or read a book while that thing was whipping egg whites for the cake. It was very satisfying to look over periodically and see the transition from soupy mess to fluffy clouds of meringue. And with very minimal effort on my part. Beautiful.

What the Weather Does for Fun

2009-03-09T18:39:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday, exactly eight days ago, we awoke to a blanket of white. My mom had mentioned to me in passing that she thought it might, but you know how weather predictions go. Chance of snow. So when it really happened we were quite surprised.

Not sure how many inches, maybe 3 or 4, but it was nice in the morning to play in before church and gone later that afternoon. Almost like a dream.

Today it was 79 degrees outside and I turned on my AC this afternoon. Welcome to spring in Mississippi.

Wanted: Affirmation

2009-03-03T17:48:00.003-06:00

Saturday I had a great time having lunch with a friend from church who I greatly admire. Brian was very gracious to babysit so I could have a few hours out. I greatly enjoyed it and came home feeling refreshed and renewed.

So when I arrived home I was ready to tell Brian all about our conversation at lunch and how great he was for watching the kids. But Brian was busy and seemed somewhat out of sorts. I thought maybe he wanted to be by himself. Then he told me what he had been doing while I was out. He had vacuumed the entire house. He had watched the boys. And now he was working on filing his taxes. I think he wanted me to recognize how much work he had put in even though when I got home he appeared to be at his leisure.

This made me think. There are many, many times when Brian comes home and I want to parade him around the house to show him what has been done that day. And tell him how many times the boys got into trouble or how many times I changed a dirty diaper. This event made me realize that when I feel grumpy because Brian (or no one) has noticed all my hard work it isn't just because I am a woman.

So next time I want to tell my hard-working husband everything I have done during the day the first few minutes he walks in the door I will wait and see if he notices himself. If not, maybe I can just chalk it up to a job well done and go on with my life. Apparently this is part of staying at home with munchkins.

Things I Do For Fun

2009-02-24T17:06:00.006-06:00

1. Hang out with my husband
2. Decorate my house
3. Cook a new dish or a dish I really enjoy (like eggplant parmigiana)
4. Read a good book
5. Make something crafty or paint
6. Garden (I do not do this one very often)
7. Read a book or twelve with Andrew and James
8. Go shopping with my sisters and mom or a friend
9. Organize something
10. Visit with a friend

Andrew the Honeyhead

2009-02-19T15:28:00.004-06:00

My sweet oldest boy has been making us enjoy him even more lately. Last night when I went to Bible study, Brian proceeded to put James in bed and then come back for Andrew. Andrew weather to delay going to bed or because it needed to be done, began to clear off the table. He even went as far as scraping the plates and then setting them into the sink. Amazing.

The other day, while eating a chocolate chip cookie, he told me my cookies were "chalky." No, they're not, I told him. "Yes, mommy, your cookies are chalky. They have lots of chocolate." Oh, yes, in that case, they are very "chocky."

Every night Andrew prays for his third cousin Esther and his second cousin Josh. I'm not sure why they have dominated his bedtime prayers, but he did have a good time playing freeze-tag with them at my Aunt's house during our Johnson family Christmas party.

The other day Andrew looked at me and out of the blue (I had never heard him say this before,) he said, "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" That was his phrase of the day and I heard it many times, mostly followed with a request to watch a movie. (And no, that was not what I was thinking.)

And by the way, Andrew took this photo. One of the boys had placed their transformer next to a tray of chessmen. Interesting.

Self-Titled Debut

2009-02-09T15:30:00.006-06:00

Shy is defined by Merriam-Webster's as several things, including easily frightened, disposed to avoid a person or thing, or my favorite, sensitively diffident or retiring, reserved, or expressive of such a state or nature.

It has come to my attention that I am shy. I have been completely in denial about this my entire life. It has taken a friend telling a friend who told me that she thought I was shy for it to hit home. (Does that mean she is shy as well since she didn't tell me?)

My husband told me I probably thought I was outgoing because growing up I was always with my sisters, who are very outgoing and gregarious. The last time I went to an outdoor event with one of my sisters it was slow going as we walked through the crowd, stopping to talk to person after person who she knew and wanted to chat with who all seemed like very dear friends.

I do not think that I have problems meeting people or hate change or anything like that, but I do get nervous going to a new store I have never been in before. And my heart races a little at church during greeting time at the thought of walking up to someone I have not met and introducing myself.

The point is that I didn't know I was shy and now I know. Not painfully so, but shy in that I hesitate to speak up in a group unless directly called upon. I get nervous going to the dentist office (who doesn't?) and worry about looking awkward in public (again, who doesn't?).

One article I read said that in her pursuit of trying to make up for being reserved and not willing to meet new people she tried to perfect her image- hair, makeup, clothes- and instead came off looking like a snob who thought she was better than everybody. This rings a little true for me as well. I have been told that I was cold and unfeeling but I was processing my own feelings and hesitated to express them without first putting them through my filter. Perhaps it appeared in the situation that I had no feelings to express.

So now that I know more about myself I think I will try to use my gifts and talents accordingly. Except I'm still trying to understand what that means. But yesterday my neighbor came over for coffee and told me about her 85-year-old dad being upset at something said in jest by another relative, and how she was laid off from her part-time job at the dentist office and now must decide whether to find a new job or stay home. And I thought about what I had read about shy people being good listeners. And then last night my friend Amanda came over and there was very little conversation due to the five children under 4 running around and playing. But we just were together to make the evening pass a little faster while our husbands were at Bible study. And I thought about how shy people might enjoy being around other shy people because there is not as much pressure to talk.

My personality will not change due to the realization of another facet of who I am, but I feel a little less pressure to be someone I am not. I will continue to cross the line I sometimes feel I would stay behind to be safe, but in doing so maybe God is trying to make me into something He wants me to be, not someone I think I should be.

Happy Early Valentine's Day

2009-02-05T15:37:00.005-06:00

10 reasons why I respect Brian:

10. He did five lessons of trigonometry per day all by himself, on his own initiative, to prepare for college

9. He lived with his sister when she came back to go to college

8. He had compassion on this same sister and used his own money to buy her a companion (dog)

7. He took his mom to a really nice dinner when he was co-oping in Atlanta and helped her pack multiple pieces of luggage for her trip back to Africa

6. Brian has a tender heart towards the Lord

5. He is a kind and loving father who enjoys playing with his sons. I love it when they play with legos together!

4. If he does not know about a gadget or mechanical thing, he will research it

3. Brian is not afraid to take risks

2. He enjoys meeting and talking to all kinds of people and is not afraid to say what he thinks (if they ask him)

1. He is very patient with me and takes time to visit with me

Happy Valentine's Day, Brian!

Payoffs

2009-02-02T15:38:00.005-06:00

We sent our first payment off in the mail today toward our $$$ student loans. It is very exciting and a little nausiating at the same time. We didn't spend frivoulously in college, but we did have to eat and sleep somewhere. Actually, we were both blessed with many scholarship opportunities and several grants as well. If not for that than we would have much more to pay off than we do now.

Andrew's new favorite DVDs (from Netflix because I haven't committed to buy these yet,) are the "Backyardigans" and "Handy Manny," both from Nickelodeon. The content of the episodes on these two shows seems pretty wholesome, but I cannot stand some of the previews and after-views on either of them. One has a somewhat scarry movie preview and the other has older-kid oriented dark magic-themed movie that is way above Andrew's head. It is disapointing that everything on these DVDs is not suitable (in my opinion) for under five-year-olds.

And while I am on the subject, what was with the adult-oriented commercials last night during the superbowl? Whew! And they kicked out this commercial because it was "inappropriate." I loved it and would like to see it and a few more like it on-air next year.

Our date the other night went very well. It has been awhile since Brian and I were able to have dinner out alone. It was very enjoyable! Sometimes I forget how much fun it is to just be together. I am blessed to be married to such a great guy. Oh, and I had $20 left from our grocery budget last month. (If you have never been on a Dave Ramsey-style budget you will probably not understand why this is a big deal.) (: I was thrilled, especially when Brian said I could have it to buy myself a prize. It's the little things that count, right?

Thoughts

2009-01-29T16:25:00.006-06:00

The state of the economy has hit home for me: my sister lost her job yesterday. The reason for her release was because the small business she worked for told her they couldn't afford to pay her anymore. Her boss informed her that she had been an outstanding employee for three years and her co-workers told her she had endured her position for longer than anyone else in the 27-year history of the company. But they couldn't keep her. Now she will search for a job. Andrew and I prayed that she wouldn't be discouraged and that one would be provided for her soon.

I have been accumulating coffee points and it is exciting to see them add up. Soon I will have enough for a mug and coupon for a free bag of coffee. It is nice since we had been buying this brand faithfully when they started their rewards program.

James is showing a little interest in potty training. Not sure if I reciprocate his interest. Should I stick to it and get him out of diapers by the time he's two? I know it will be a lot of work and it seems like it would be easier just to wait. But it would be nice to have him out of diapers. My friend told me if I can just get him to go once in his potty the rest is pretty simple. Andrew wasn't potty trained until three but I think I could have started him earlier (in hindsight).

We made chocolate chip cookies this afternoon, and while looking up butter substitutes (I only had one stick instead of two,) I found this. It looks like a fun place to go for crazy ideas (wouldn't you like to get a bacon-fat candle from me for Christmas this year?). I like their ideas and wonder what their suburban neighbors think of the authors having chickens. Doesn't that smell carry? Wouldn't it be fun to have your own chickens? Maybe not fun. Resourceful!

Check out these happy faces. Play dough makes them smile! (And makes their hair stick up.)

ps If you read my blog will you please leave a comment today? I saw someone else I know do this and thought it was a great idea. I love to read your comments and it encourages me to know you read what I write. Thanks!

End of the Month Nachos

2009-01-28T16:15:00.003-06:00

Brian and I are trying to pay off a few student loans this spring so I am trying to stick to our food budget. Normally I would run out of money during the last few days and just ask Brian for some out of the "miscellaneous" category.
But I am really trying this month... and next month and the next few after that. Then I guess there is the whole down payment thing to save for, and I hear braces are pretty expensive, so maybe staying in budget bounds should be a habit.
This afternoon around three o'clock when I wanted a snack I wondered what there would be to eat. Meals are pretty well planned but in between is something I am still trying to be creative with.
We had a third of a bag of tortilla chips, shredded mozzarella, cheddar and part of a package of pepperonis. Then I even found a bag of fresh cilantro! (I'm not really sure how long it was in there...) They turned our quite tasty and I enjoyed my afternoon leftover creation.
As far as the rest of the meals for this week, tonight Brian offered to bring home pizza so I can go to Bible study, tomorrow we are (hopefully, if we can convince Brian's brother to babysit,) going out on a gift certificate. And then Friday the budget starts over! Maybe I'll even have some left over in the grocery category. Or we can eat nachos for a few more days...

The Frugal Purchase

2009-01-24T12:52:00.009-06:00

Just in case you were wondering how to make your money go a little further...

Goof Ball

2009-01-23T10:50:00.003-06:00

My thoughtful husband, Brian, offered to babysit last night so my friend Amanda and I could go out to dinner sans toddlers. We jumped at the idea, so Amanda, her husband and kids came to my house and we ladies left. The men made dinner and watched the kids. We even came back to find they had done the dishes as well!

So Amanda and I went to our fave Mexican restaurant and had chicken soup and conversation. It was very enjoyable. Getting the green light from our babysitters we also stopped for coffee at Strange Brew. (You can read about the many activities of this famed coffee shop here.)

Well, we had just ordered our coffee and I was feeling the exhilaration of ordering decaf when I turned around and noticed a girl who had been in there the last time I was out with a friend. I know this because this girl had her laptop open and on the top was an interesting and unique mouse pad-sized sticker with the word, "London" on it. I thought, why not ask if she has been to London. Don't ask me why I felt compelled to strike up a conversation with a perfect stranger when I could have just sat down and talked to Amanda. So, I spoke to London-girl. Didn't notice she was wearing earbuds, so she removed them and I asked the question again, "Have you been to London?" She looked at me, pulled the lid of her computer closed to more clearly see the picture on top, and said, "It's Paris." Gulp. Upon closer inspection I noticed the monument emblazoned on the top of her computer wasn't Big Ben. No, it was the Eiffel Tower, something very obvious when you actually looked at the picture. And the letters I thought spelled the other city were actually what I assume was her name, Lyndsey. Sheesh.

My friend thought it was great, especially when we finally sat down and she reminded me that I had been to Paris. Brian and I even had dinner on the Eiffel Tower.

I think next time I feel like talking to a random person who I know not I will: 1. Not talk, and 2. Look closer.

Honeyheads

2009-01-20T15:26:00.006-06:00

I took my little guys to Wal-mart this morning to pick up a couple things for the potato soup I was making for lunch. It was cold outside but instead of hassling with their coats I decided just to let them wear their hats and sweaters. Three people stopped to compliment me on the hats. One lady even asked if Andrew and James were twins. Nope, but they do have matching hats thanks to Grandma.
(This photo is from Christmas morning. Aunt Emily and Uncle Jon had just given them a game with plastic hammers and Andrew and James were enthralled.)

In the Nursery

2009-01-18T20:38:00.005-06:00

Today at my church we paid tribute to the ladies who make my life on Sunday mornings a lot easier. This post is the equivalent of a round of applause for Crystal, Tamra and Cynthia; the ladies who keep our infants- three-year old kids in the nursery. They are wonderful! Tamra loves the kids so much she take a picture of one of them every few weeks to use as the background picture on her cell phone. It is so nice for me as a mother not to worry about my two boys for a couple of hours so I can sit with my husband and participate in our church service. Thank you girls!
ps In a perfect world or a third-world country families would all sit together, no matter their age or attention span. (:

Andrew and Mater

2009-01-14T13:40:00.005-06:00

On the way back from Meridian to visit Brian's grandparents Brian noticed a life-sized Mater. Andrew was pretty excited. We are grateful someone cared enough to spend time painting eyes and various other designs on an old hoopty-mobile. The movie "Cars" has been his favorite for almost as long as he has been alive.

And this is our Johnson family photo taken a couple days after Christmas. Look closely. One of us has his finger up his nose.

And if you're up to a little more humor check out my friend Emily's post for this week.

Family photos and Christmas Cards

2008-12-24T22:32:00.003-06:00

Every year I regret not sending out Chrismas cards. And every year I have the same thought process that ends in promising myself I will send them out next time. I enjoy receiving Christmas cards, especially those with family photos of the sender. Therefore, the only cards I will send must contain a current picture of my family. (Brian suggested we send the photo we took last year but I wouldn't hear it. All that work the boys did growing up this year and no one will even know?) But the problem is that we NEVER take a photo until after Christmas. Last year we took it on Christmas day. Then I think, oh, I know, I will just send out New Year greetings. Nah. Maybe next year.

Merry Christmas! Jesus is the reason for this season.

A Quote-y Quote

2008-12-22T18:28:00.003-06:00

My sister, Emily, and her husband Jonathan were visiting us for the weekend. Andrew and James enjoy their presence and exercise their verbal skills when their aunt and uncle are around to notice. On such instance when Brian and Johnny were gone for a few hours:
Andrew asked Emily, "Auntie Em, when are your friends coming back?"
"My friends?" Emily asked. "Who are my friends?"
"You know," he answered her, "your friends Johnny and Daddy."

Beer for My Horses...

2008-12-20T08:41:00.005-06:00

...and coke for my kids.

We do not have soft drinks around the house on a routine basis. We buy them when friends are coming who obviously enjoy them or if we are having a meeting at our house. Well, we do buy an occasional 24-pack. You know, BC powder is much easier to take with something that has a fiz to it.

The boys have discovered that soft drinks taste good and are somewhat easily acquired: just ask dad. If dad is not home they must wait because I will only let them drink in the evenings (caffeine's great for bedtime, right?) or if they are not feeling well and gag at the sight of water.

I heard James and Andrew's voices continue to be happy and they seemed glad to be alive. The normal repetitive, "Ma-ma" never came from the crib prisoner and I began to think Brian may have left out his prized over-size lego collection. This has happened before and Andrew will bring the treasures into his room to share with James.

As I entered their room Andrew looked at me and said, "Mama, I got James some root beer!" I looked at James in his crib and he smiled at me over the lip of his sippy cup.

From the evidence this is what I think happened: Andrew had gone into the kitchen, pulled a chair up to the cup cabinet and picked out the only sippy cup his brother can drink out of easily. Then he found a bottle of coke, opened it, poured some into the sippy cup, put the lid back on the coke, put the lid on the sippy cup and brought it to his brother.

I am very impressed with Andrew's enginuity. I think.

The Road Trip

2008-12-17T16:04:00.004-06:00

Editor's note:
This post is long. Sorry. It was a long trip. (:

Well, we made it back in one piece. Our two week road trip was a great success and we are glad to be back.

We left the Wed. before Thanksgiving and drove to see my sister and Brian's brother (who are married to each other, isn't that convenient?) in Kansas city. That wasn't a bad drive, no ugly weather and our neighbors on the interstate drove a leetle above the speed limit. There were a few states a few days later where the highway patrol must give out tickets for sneezing too fast. South Carolina, for example. We did not exceed the speed limit and were glad when we didn't decide to get behind those who did and who were ticketed a few miles later. (They were from Tennessee and must not have known better).

So, Tuesday we drove to IL, across fields of white and many pleasant quiet acres of farmland. When we were a couple of hours from Chicago we noticed a windmill farm. Not the oldschool Holland types, but the new-age, alien and foreign-looking wind-powered electric kind. Strange and bizarre. I wondered about the farms next door to the entrepreneur guy who let someone plant them in his yard. Do his neighbors hate him for spoiling their view?

We spent the night in a hotel Tue night and Wed drove to see my uncle, aunt and cousin in Elgin, IL. That night we drove to Chicago to stay with friends there until Friday morning. There was more snow there and it was 10 degrees when we left at 6 am. Cold!

From Chicago we drove to Washington, DC to see some friends from college. That was a long day and I learned a lesson I should have remembered from growing up in a family of 5 kids. That lesson is that whenever you are going on a road trip over 15 minutes long all children must visit the restroom before entering the vehicle. Even if it is very early and very hard to get out of bed and very, very hard to expose any part of yourself for fear of frostbite. But I had forgotten, and at almost 2 that afternoon when Andrew started crying because his "stomach" hurt, I realized my sweet little potty-trained three-year-old had not used the restroom since the day before. Oops! I guess we had only made one stop anyway and apparently he hadn't needed to go at 10 am. This is also the day we endured "Lady and the Tramp" back to back to back.

So we arrived in DC about 9 pm after driving through snow almost all day. (New experience for me.) Oh, let's really be specific. Driving through roadwork, in the hills, in the dark, in evening rush hour traffic, in the snow is a new experience for me. I let Brian take a break and sleep.

We spent a few fun days near DC. Our friends Nikki and John have 3 boys about the ages of our own so there was never a dull moment. It was nice part of the trip for Andrew and James because they were allowed to run around with fellow small guys and play with a basement full of toy trains. A dream come true.

Monday morning, Dec 8, we awoke around 5, threw our kids in the car and stopped at the local Wawa for coffee. That was a very busy place but I noticed there weren't many happy people around. Maybe I should include myself in that category.

We avoided 8 am rush hour in DC but hit it instead in Baltimore as we drove north. About 9am we passed a car in flames on the opposite side of the interstate. But it must not have been as dangerous as stopping traffic would have been; firemen and police cars stood at a distance but allowed cars to still drive past.

We made it to Long Island to visit our friend Rhoda after a fun stop at IKEA, a place where I could spend two weeks by myself. Rhoda is in her 70s and opened her basement apartment up to us four years ago. She is as Rhoda-ish as ever and seemed to enjoy meeting Andrew and James for the first time. They warmed up to her fairly quickly and proceeded to inspect all of her antique Christmas ornaments for defects. I think it would have been nice to spend more time with Rhoda but I understand that my children are very inquisitive and can be loud and anoying (like right now- Andrew is driving his Mack truck around the table and James is screaming "Mama!" while he tries to open the wipee box).

We said goodbye to Rhoda at 3 am at her door. We tried to convince her the night before she didn't have to get up but she wanted to make sure we remembered the picnic lunch she had packed for us. And she wanted to give me a dose of vitamin C for the sniffle I was developing.

On the road again, driving a trail we had blazed before. Only 22 hours in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico. We thought we might drive straight through but stopped in Birmingham to spend the night with my sister who we only saw for a second before they jetted to work at 7 the next morning.

We made it home Thursday afternoon around 2. It was great to be back in a milder climate where I didn't have to worry about coats and gloves so much. We enjoyed our trip and especially liked visiting with everyone. We didn't even sightsee this time besides looking at the historic industrial buildings we could see from the interstate in Pittsburg.

When we arrived back we brought in the kids and made ourselves at home. We love Mississippi!

Chicago

2008-12-04T16:24:00.003-06:00

Today we are visiting Kendall and Kendra Miller and their new son, Keaton Daniel. It is nice to visit since we haven't seen them in several years and Brian and Kendal were best friends growing up. Again, it is cold here. Snow on the ground outside and we stay inside. The best part was at night when I crawled into bed and realized the Miller's had given us not only their bed but also their heated mattress cover with an on/off button and heat controls. Ahhhh. If we lived here it would be a must.
Tomorrow's itinerary: 12 hours on the road.

It's Snowing

2008-11-30T18:43:00.003-06:00

Today in Kansas it was snowing. It began yesterday with a few flurries and continued today. There was about 1/2 inch of snow on the ground by the time my little guys made it outside to play. It was in the 30s and they thought it was great. After they played for a little while in the snow with their Uncle Michael, Andrew came in crying because his fingers were so cold. After a nap and a trip to Wal-mart to buy waterproof gloves, we went back outside and threw a few handfulls of snow at each other. Aunt Emily and Uncle Michael, one of my sisters and my brother, provided our entertainment by throwing real snowballs at each other.

A Few Things That Have Enhanced My Life

2008-11-24T09:41:00.008-06:00

My friend, Sarah, makes a list every now and then of her favorite things.
The following is my list:

5. This book has made training my kids a whole lot easier. Well, in a sense easier. Maybe I should just say it has made it very clear what I am supposed to do. At first it was a little offensive by the comparisons of kids to a mule, but after the author made their point I relaxed and read the rest of the book. Also, this couple has successfully raised five children who now have their own children, which gives it more credibility.

4. I have already mentioned the vitamins. They are still great, and now Andrew takes the kids version, SuperKids.

3. I am currently out of this item, but I love it! My sister Sarah gave it to me for my birthday earlier this year. It is an herbal bath sachet from the UK. Makes taking a bath feel like being on a muscle relaxer and it makes my skin look great. Sometimes I can find it on ebay, but I would really like to go to England and pick up a case.

2. Another book, and both on my list were recommended by my friend Rosemary. I can't say enough about it because it has helped me understand men a lot more. Really. And understand how women interact with men. I will try not to go into great detail, but it is the most practical and biblically sound marriage book I have ever read. Gary Chapman's "The 5 Love Languages" used to be my favorite marriage book, but this one has taken its place.

1. My new favorite thing! My insightful husband thought we might need some help with the kids on our 55+ hour road trip over the next couple of
weeks. He ordered this and a few DVDs to go with it. We tested it out on a trip to the grocery store and the kids looked like we had given them a mind-altering drug. I was against putting TV in the car for them to be absorbed with, but I think I have changed my mind. Maybe absorbed is not a bad thing.

I highly recommend my list as these things have helped me immensely in the last couple of years, or will help me. I enjoy reading or hearing what has helped others as well. Feel free to share your list of favorite things!

Happy Birthdays

2008-11-17T12:18:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday to Mimi!
Happy birthday to Aunt Katie!
Happy birthday to Jordon!

love,
Andrew and James

Thoughtful A and U

2008-11-17T12:05:00.003-06:00

My little boys don't know it yet, but this Christmas they will receive something I thought I would never buy for them. The greatest part of it is: I didn't! While traveling home from his weekend job early one Saturday morning "O Days" (translated: Uncle Dave) spotted a garage sale full of toys for children. Uncle Dave stopped and purchased this:

Uncle David and Aunt Sarah will be hard to compete with this year. (We appreciate the offer to let the cool toy come from mom and dad.) So, we'll see how Andrew drives and test his ability to share with his bro.

I haven't informed the boys yet, but we will travel to visit my parents this week while Brian is in NY on business. Emily, my sister, is also there, which will make them even more excited than they already would be. Not only do we get to see Grandma ("Ma"), Grandpa ("Dad"), Anna, Michael and Lady, but Emily as well. Then next week we leave for Kansas and NY and DC and maybe Chicago in the middle. On my list of things to do is but a few DVDs that we haven't seen yet that the boys can watch on the road. We are excited to be going soon!

Andrew's Adventures

2008-11-14T17:04:00.007-06:00

The other morning Brian left early for a meeting with his major professor. I stayed in bed until I heard James wake up, then I got up, got James out of his crib, and proceeded to the kitchen. Andrew was already awake and seemed quite content and active. I thought maybe he had benefited greatly from a full night's sleep and I proceeded with breakfast preparations. As I set James up at the table and moved towards the coffee pot I stopped in my tracks. There, on the counter in the approximate place I had put it the night before, was a store-bought Italian Creme Cake our dinner guests had brought with them. We had eaten about half the cake. What caught my attention was the small hollow carved out in the center- just where I would eat if I was three and could open the cake and EAT IT FOR BREAKFAST.

A couple of weeks ago we were in a large clothing store and Andrew lost sight of me. I heard him ask a complete stranger, "Do you know where my mommy is?"
She said, "What does your mommy look like?"
He said, "She has a shirt on..."
At that point I poked my head around the corner and made myself known. Here I am, very noticeable in public, you know, the female who is fully clothed.

Everyday when Brian goes to work Andrew races to the door to tell him, "Watch out for the train tracks! And Thomas!" Everyday. It's really funny when Brian tries to say it quickly before Andrew finishes.

Are We There Yet?

2008-11-07T14:35:00.004-06:00

I have enjoyed getting to know my husband these last five-and-a-half years. It feels like the last year has been very enlightening, like we are only now processing all the facts we know about each other. "Why do you XYZ?" Hmmm, I don't really know. I've never really thought about it rationally before. Why do I do that? Brian asked me the other day, "You don't really think we're going on our trip, do you?" Apparently I have this left-over expectation from childhood that fun trips we plan will never happen. Not really sure why I think that unless it is related to how I would plan things as a kid without consulting my parents, get really excited about it, ask permission and then not be able to do it. Isn't that silly? I felt that way when I was planning to go to college, then later when I planned to go to Costa Rica, not so much when we were getting married, but I wondered if we would really go to Paris for our honeymoon. I am only now addressing this. It is a very revealing experience.

Apparently Brian also has a hang-up or two. I don't think I am at liberty to disclose these at this date. I will just say that I am going to call him out on it soon and I will let you know what happens.

Election Day

2008-11-03T16:21:00.001-06:00

Don't forget to exercise your right to representation tomorrow- go vote!

Time for a Breakdown

2008-10-31T09:36:00.002-05:00

This morning my two boys awoke and started making sounds. Andrew can get out of his bed by himself so he gets up and mills around looking for trouble or food or both. James still sleeps in a bed with bars so he usually wakes up and calls for me in his sweet little voice. I then get up and we proceed to the kitchen to acquire some breakfast. This morning, before we left the boys' room both of them had practically thrown themselves on the floor with weeping and gnashing of teeth. I was at a loss as to why putting warm clothes on James could cause such a reaction from them both. It was so overwhelming I just left and went back into my own room where my husband was still in bed. He opened one eye, looked at me and asked, "What's going on in there?" Wish I could answer that one. I just closed my door and actually locked it so the crying couldn't invade my room. I don't feel like being a mommy today. Plus, we're all getting over a very violent stomach virus and none of us feel like normal yet. Hmmm, normal. But, I am trying to look forward. Brian arranged to have a babysitter for tomorrow (his idea!) so we could go to a home football game. That means we will be away from Thing 1 and Thing 2 for several hours tomorrow. I am very excited, not just to be alone with my husband, but I haven't been to a football game in a couple of years. And we live in the same city as our team! So, if we can just make it through today...

The Rose Patrol

2008-10-25T18:42:00.005-05:00

Brian sent me these yesterday. Aren't they beautiful? A dozen roses with a card thanking me for my support and signed, "Dr. J. Brian Jordon." Wasn't that thoughtful? I thought so.

Drumroll, please

2008-10-24T10:35:00.003-05:00

It is over. The end is near. Brian is on campus today collecting signatures and/or comments on what he needs to change before he acquires everyone's signature. I am very excited to be on the brink of normalcy. Maybe. I know this last segment could go on for several weeks, but until I know that for sure I will hope for the best- a speedy completion of Brian's PhD.

Yesterday was quite nerve-wracking for both of us. I had sympathy nervousness. But Brian is an excellent presentation giver and went through his 50+ slides in about 45 minutes. The whole thing lasted about 2 hours, including the 10 minutes spent trying to contact committee member #5 who is now on his honeymoon in Morocco.

I have to insert that I feel like one of those real stay at home moms now. Nearly everything I process is sent through the filter, especially if I am away from my children like I was yesterday afternoon, of, "Andrew and James would..." One of Brian's committee members is originally from the UK and when he gave a lengthy relevant comment after the presentation all I could think about was, "Wow, I wonder if he would ever read Thomas and Friends to my boys." Ha! I guess before we had kids I would have thought something about him reading me the Bible on CD.

So we came home and Brian took us all out to dinner and to see a movie. A silly kids movie that our 1 and 3 year-old watched with much interest. (It was about dogs.) We had a nice time and talked about school only a little.

Now we are planning on catching up with the things that have fallen by the wayside in the past 6 months: cleaning out the garage, trimming the hedges (the trees which are supposed to be hedges), and repairing the dripping faucet in our bathroom shower. And I will gladly adjust my role in our life play to something a little more relaxed than what it has been.

The Greatest Vitamins

2008-10-22T22:46:00.004-05:00

The reason I can be a Supermom is because of the grace of God and these vitamins. They are the best. I am thankful for my friend Rosemary who, like any good pusher, gave me my first two weeks free. They sat in my purse smelling of alfalfa and other healthy horse foods for a few months until my energy level felt quite low enough to be desperate. I tried them and now take two every day.

Tomorrow Brian defends his dissertation. Don't worry, I will be telling you all about it when he is finished. Today, just to help the committee members who have to sign off on his degree feel at home, I made cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies to bring. I am planning to be there for the entire thing!

Whew! Ever read a book about, "Experiments and Modeling of Fatigue and Fracture of Aluminum Alloys?"

2008-10-18T21:08:00.005-05:00

I have. This 137 page back I proofread in about 3 hours. Sentences like, "Optical micrographs and SEM pictures have further supported the conclusions that particle anisotropy is the major contributor to the mechanical behavior of the 7075-T651 aluminum alloy." And I am not an English major. Or an engineer. But I was very happy to do it and would do it again if asked. Brian turned in the first round of his dissertation and is preparing to present it to his committee in less than a week. I think (hope) the hardest part of this process is over. Today, after a week of insanity and sickness, Brian took a much-deserved break and watched a remote-control airplane show with Andrew and James and spent the remainder of the day playing with these same guys and a huge box of legos. Oh, the things they built! It is as if all of the tension built up over these last 6 months just oozed out and rolled down Brian's fingers into the gear shaft of his little lego hotrod.
Tomorrow is our church picnic and then Thursday is Brian's defense. We are looking forward to a road trip to visit a few friends around the country- Long Island, Chicago, Kansas City, DC. If you love us and want to be on the list, let me know!

School (again)

2008-10-15T13:05:00.002-05:00

I hate to sound redundant, but Brian really is almost finished with his PhD. I have to think about it a little bit because I have a feeling the end will really be quite sudden and I want to be prepared for it. I want to be able to relish it without going into shock at the thought that Brian will be home in the evenings now. I want to enjoy the happiness I will feel when I look at his face and don't see stress, strain, and bags under his eyes. Maybe his new job on campus won't be as fun as I think it might be, but won't it be easier for him than this?
Brian turned in part of his dissertation, due to his committee members tomorrow, October 15, and was granted a "great paper" review by his somewhat conservative in the praise category major professor. I think it made his day. And probably made the next 24 hours, which he said will be spent in his office, just a little more bearable.
Brian will soon be Dr. James Brian Jordon with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

Holding Down the Fort

2008-10-12T20:52:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I have the naive thought that my children cannot possibly think of something new and wrong to do. Surely we have covered the bases such as: no writing on the wall, no biting, no pushing, no taking other people's toys, no jumping off the top bunk, no knocking dishes off the high chair and no disrespect to your elders, especially your parents. So tonight, when I walked into the bathroom and saw what Andrew had done while he was supposed to be asleep in his bed I knew there was another command to add: no throwing "pee-pee toilet paper" in wads on the wall. Ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.

Almost There

2008-10-01T20:22:00.003-05:00

Brian, my husband, just left for another late night at the office. He defends his PhD three weeks from tomorrow. Oct. 23 is a red letter day for us. After that, two weeks to make any corrections, final copy due at the library Nov. 7. It has been a little rough lately due to the extra hours Brian has been putting in at work. Eleven years of higher education and we're nearing the finish line.

I took the boys walking a couple of days ago and stopped at the park near our neighborhood. There had been a few noticeable fire ant beds there recently but I saw on this day they had white powder on them and I assumed they had been poisoned. Guess I should have checked. I kept a pretty close eye on my younger kid, James, thinking Andrew was big enough to take care of himself. At least at the park. I should say the mini-park. One large piece of playground equipment on a raised sawdust bed surrounded by railroad ties that seem to be the favorite home of fire ants. So, Andrew comes running towards me while I'm sitting on the bench saying he had ants and seemed to be getting them off his hands. I sprang into action thinking it wasn't anything too big, just get them off his exposed skin. Well, he continued to jump and scream about the ants. I looked down at his legs below his shorts and they were there, too. So I tried to get them off, realizing at this point we were at war with these nasty demons. They were the bigger kind that almost feels like a bee sting when they get you. I thought we were getting them all as we continue slapping and screaming and what probably looked like child abuse from the road. I finally turned Andrew around to see if there were any on his back and I felt sick. It was like that scene on Indian Jones were they think there are just a couple of tarantulas and when they turn around they are everywhere. Andrew must have sat right in the middle of the maddest and most-active bed in a 3-mile radius. They were all over the back of his shorts, under his shirt, and even up into his hair by this time. I was so mad! I hate the thought of those little blood-sucking (not accurate, I know) vermin all over my first-born! So, stripped and beaten and bitten we finally loaded into the stroller for the ride home. James seemed to be oblivious to what had happened and had casually watched the show from the sidelines. Happy kid. But Andrew was scratching and clawing and crying all the way home. I know his bites hurt because some of the ants climbed onto me while I was trying to help him. They stung me and they swelled up and were irritated like some kind of wasp sting. Well, several baking soda and anti-itch cream days later Andrew shows no serious side effects and seems to have forgotten about his episode. Not me. I am ready to go back to the battle with gasoline and a box of matches.

Do you want to eat today?

2008-09-26T15:43:00.007-05:00

I have been reading more about how to manage your household. There are many hints floating around about how to be the best mom, wife, cook, etc. Here is an application of one of those hints. Feel free to be amazed, ask me for recipes, etc. I am quite proud.

Menu for the week

Red beans and rice with corn
Enchiladas with chips and salsa
Herbed shrimp and pasta with spinach salad
Pork chops, greens, black-eye peas and Cornbread (mmmm!)
Steak, baked potato and freezer veggie
Home-made pizza
Creamy-chicken casserole with green beans and other veggie

Now, for humor's sake, the restaurant menu version

Cajun-style red beans with Aztec rice, served with freshly boiled corn on the cob
Enchiladas smothered in our special red sauce [don't ask] served with our special family-recipe salsa and chips
Herbed shrimp and angelhair pasta with salad of fresh spinach, golden raisins and crunchy cashews
Country-style pork ribs with fresh thyme [I bought the plant at Wal-mart], fresh turnips with bacon, black-eye peas and Real Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
Steak au poive with baked potato and buttered green peas
Brick-oven style pizza
Creamy chicken casserole with saute green beans and fresh spinach salad [encore]

How about that?

At the Park

2008-09-25T00:54:00.005-05:00

We were headed to the park this morning and I called three friends to try and have the kids a few playmates there to play with. It is rather annoying when we go and no one is there and the kids just stand there and look at me or sit down at my feet and play in the dust. (We have no dust in our yard so maybe this is a treat?) No one could come today but we went anyway. The weather has been nice, cooling off a bit and the kids had been good so I wanted to reward them.

I was disappointed when none of our friends or their moms could come, but I was kind of glad it worked out that way by the time we left the park. I met three new moms. Not just new to me but new to the area. I met Chelsea and Ashlee and another Amy, all with little kids and university ties- like me!

I hope to always be willing to make new friends.

Friends in high places

2008-09-22T17:03:00.004-05:00

Our friends Matt and Sarah recently welcomed their first baby into the world. We are so excited for them and know that little Candice Ann will bring such blessing into their lives. And more.(>: I have always enjoyed being a mom but sometimes I forget that I enjoy it.(: So, Sarah was a trooper all during her pregnancy. She has done something not many people in the world can boast of: delivering an 11 lb., 10 oz. baby. Whew!

For the second time in my life one of my children is in the hyper-exploring-willyoualwaysbelikethis? mode of his life. I started to feel a little panic today thinking about it until I remembered that Andrew was like that too. For about a year it felt like all I did was chase a little guy around. And apparently that is normal or genetic or something because it is happening again. I do feel calm about it most of the time, but I was tested today at a friend's house when I had my hand in the sink in the kitchen and heard a very loud and sudden grinding noise. I looked down, after withdrawing my hand, and saw James at my side smiling in a somewhat frightened manner with his little fingers on a lighted green lightswitch. Whoever decided that the switch for the garbage disposal should be only two-and-a-half feet up was not a friend of small children or the mothers of small children. I thought, what if my hand had been down the sink? Not sure why I would have put my hand down the sink at someone else's home, but it is possible, right? I guess I wouldn't be typing this right now.

I think I am becoming a blog junkie. I have never been tempted to stay on the internet for extended periods of time. I think, in fact, I make fun of people who do. But blogging seems to have opened up an opportunity to see the world from my desk chair. And not just the world, but other people like me who write about normal everyday things, or people who I want to be like, or just people I wish I knew. Sometimes it seems like it really is a net, and now I can follow a strand logically and understand each stop along the way. It isn't just an unidentified sea of information, but a way to see and be seen. I have enjoyed it and hope you enjoy reading about it.

More News From Nerdistan

2008-09-21T18:11:00.005-05:00

I was watching a reality video show with Brian the other day and it showed a couple of explosions, a collision and several plane crashes. In the past few years I have come to understand a little more about all of these, especially plane crashes and why the wings sometimes appear to fall off for no obvious reason. The reason has now become obvious to me via Brian: fatigue. This is a term that is thrown around quite regularly in engineering and seems to mean that something is "tired." (Hmmm. I think I can use that around the house, too. No, I can't make dinner, I'm fatigued.) So, on the show the other day a plane wing fell off. In this case I think some well-meaning mechanic forgot to secure bolt #4, but I have heard other stories, again via Brian, of plane wings that became unattached due to what began as a tiny crack.

*really nerdy boring warning* Tiny cracks are very common in the aluminum that is used to make most commercial airplanes. If a crack is visible the mechanic simply applies epoxy glue and makes it all better. Our American regulations state that planes are only allowed to fly a certain number of hours before they must be grounded, so as to prevent these cracks and general wear becoming a problem. But, this doesn't apply in many third-world countries who buy old planes at a discount and then load as many people/goats on as possible. Brian's parents, who live in Congo, now no longer fly in Russian airplanes since the planes have a horrible habit recently of losing a wing and dropping like a rocket out of the sky (here, here, here and here).

Whew! So, you can imagine how I felt the first time I flew after we married, sat in a window seat, looked out of the window to the wing and noticed a hundred of those tiny cracks. Bit of advice: don't look for cracks or you will find them! And now, if I sit near the window or especially near the window by the wing, I keep my eyes to myself. I am glad there are smart people out there to keep us safe and happy.

"News From Nerdistan"

2008-09-18T21:50:00.006-05:00

I can't claim the above title for my own but I thought it was funny and applicable enough to borrow. My husband Brian is nearly finished with grad school. He will be a PhD, hopefully by December. This has not been an easy task for him or for his family. But isn't there a quote about the best things in life not being a piece of cake? This is the eleventh year of college for my hubby and he has been at the same University the entire time. We love this town! Brian grew up here and we will live here at least a couple more years. In a way it feels like I am a PhD as well. Minus the five chapter dissertation, of course. I just have a few blogs.(:
James and Andrew have been busy being James and Andrew. We went to the park this morning and while I was distracted James climbed up to the highest part of the playground equipment and, just as I turned around to see what he was doing so that I saw EVERYTHING, he fell. From about six feet in the air. My little baby! He acted a little disoriented after that and I tried to watch him for signs of a concussion, etc., but he soon recovered and was on his merry way.
Today Andrew was telling a friend of mine who was visiting a story about water rising in the living room. He is using his imagination more and making up things like shooting bad guys, seeing snakes, and racing cars, but this is one of the first times I have heard him make up a several sentence story that made sense. First he said the water was rising in the living room. So we pulled our feet out of the water, of course, as he jumped up on a chair and lowered his "fishing pole" into the "water." Then he said the water was still rising, "you know, like a river. See, that table [pointing] is floating?" Then he fished and caught something and showed it to us. My friend and I were quite impressed. I guess it may not sound like very much, but he is three and my first little honeyhead, so almost anything he does while using his noggin is great by me.

Anticipation

2008-09-16T09:56:00.007-05:00

There was a time in my life when I thought Brian and I would never get together. I have been thinking about it a little this morning and am amazed that there was ever a day when I didn't love James Brian Jordon. He is my favorite person in the whole world. He is the one I think of when something happens during the day, "I'll have to remember to tell Brian that," and he is the one I want to spend my evenings with.
The first time I met Brian I wasn't very impressed and the feeling was mutual. We met at a friend's house and almost completely ignored each other. I lived with his sister and three other girls the next year, and by the time I had been around him almost every day for a month I knew this was THE GUY. I was very excited and a little apprehensive because I didn't know if Brian had any other female interests (female interests = competition). (Should I make this the long story or the shorter long story?) The part where I was the most upset about serious competition was one evening when I went shopping with Brian's sister, Katie. I had tried very hard to keep my intentions a secret, ostensible to wait on the Lord and to guard my own heart, but I wasn't sure if those I lived with had guessed. So, making small-talk as we looked at a rack of monogrammed pencils Katie said, "Have you noticed how X seems to really like Brian?" (X is not me.) "Yes, I have," I said, trying not to look worried or otherwise concerned as I tried to look like I really cared about my name on a writing implement. I waited to see what Katie would say next, as being his sister I figured she would have some inside info into the guy who I wanted to know more than anyone on earth. She continued, "Yes, and I think he likes her." My world fell apart. How I finished shopping I know not. Thankful for autopilot, we rode home together and I went straight to my room. It was time to be alone. As that wasn't likely to happen in a house with four other females I headed outside.
There I proceeded to remind God of what I felt like He had spoken to me. I also tried very hard to concede to His will for my life, not mine, even if I felt like I knew what was best for me at that point. But I gave it back to Him and told Him that He could do what He thought was best... and I found out later Brian never really liked that girl anyway. Whew! So, here we are, two kids and five years of marriage later. I guess we really did have a future and a hope. (:

Advice, Anyone?

2008-09-10T08:20:00.006-05:00

I think I am about to lose my girly brain. My instincts to read, visit, clean house, cook, and beautify oneself are not very useful when I am trying to entertain two VERY ACTIVE young boys. Right now I can see James digging through his second-favorite cabinet in the kitchen, pulling out various jars and bottles and trying to find a lid that fits them. James is sixteen months old. Andrew, who is three, is thinking about joining him but seems content to wander around the house looking for something more interesting to do. If he does end up joining him there will be a great mess to clean but they will have been entertained for a short while.
My problem is that I haven't figured out what to do that will wear these two boys out while still leaving me some energy to keep up with them the rest of the day. (James just opened his favorite cabinet in the kitchen. You know, the one with all the cleaning supplies and scrubbing brushes.) If I take them to the front yard I have to continually play keeper between them and the road (mainly James) and what's the fun of playing outside if you can't play in the dirt? Well, that was fine until yesterday when James found the ants that live in the dirt. Did I mention the dirt they like to play in is the flowerbed? The back yard is out of the picture until the mosquitos all die. I don't particularly enjoy seeing my kids the feast for such insects prone to transmitting diseases and there's no way I can spray every inch of their little tender flesh. The park is another option, and they enjoy that if there are other kids there, but it isn't very practical for me to go to the park every day.
And then there's the blood factor. The only time I remember really seeing blood growing up was once when my younger sister Anna hit her forehead on the corner of a chair. But these guys! Andrew got his toenail ripped up at church a few weeks ago. Yes, ripped completely off by a door. And not the little one, either. And then we dealt with the next week or so when his toe was very tender and seemed to get injured several times a day. James' problem is his chicklet-like front teeth. It seems like every time he falls he has a bloody lip. Yesterday when Andrew and James were supposed to be playing in their rooms I heard a crash, thud, and then the usual follow-up to those two noises, crying. "I'm hurt" cries that pierce the heart of mothers everywhere. This time James had bitten his lip all the way through. There were two small dashes of blood under his bottom lip. But it wasn't over! For the rest of the afternoon it seemed like he wanted to make it bleed again. He just walked into my bedpost as I was watching, and he bled again. What is going on here? As if that wasn't enough, He and Andrew were playing in my room, James was behind a chair, Andrew on the chair, Andrew decides to drop a metal truck on James head. Please, take me away.
This morning I decided to make a return visit to story-time at our local library. We went two years ago and I wasn't sure who ran more, Andrew or Amy. So I waited to go back until James was the same age that Andrew was last time. But I know I ran more today because I was chasing two instead of one. The library is for running laps and pulling books off the shelves, right? And when my mommy says I can't do that I can throw a fit, kick, scream and try to pinch her? And who is going to openly discipline their one-year-old during story-time?
Ok, so, if anyone wants to make me feel better, please, go ahead. I will take platitudes, cliches, pat sayings, anything. (:

A Real-Life Love Story

2008-09-08T13:06:00.004-05:00

My sister Emily and her husband, Jonathan, moved to Kansas this summer. They had previously lived in the same city where we live and nearly every Sunday we would have lunch together after church. Then we would visit awhile and enjoy the "rest day" of the week. I spoke with Emily earlier today and told her that we miss them the most on Sundays. She agreed with me and said Sunday is a family day.
Just in case you don't know Emily and Johnny's story I would love to tell it to you.
Emily met Johnny when Brian and I were dating. Johnny is my husband Brian's brother. Emily and Johnny exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses at my wedding and struck up a friendship. Emily was still living at home, taking classes at a local Community College and working as a waitress. Johnny was attending a university about 31/2 hours away. So, they spoke on the phone and emailed every once in a while. For some reason, the communication broke off. They both moved to other relationships. Emily ended up moving to the same city where Jon lived, broke up with her boyfriend and started attending classes at the same University as Jon. But He was still dating someone else. Emily realized she loved Johnny and wanted to marry him. Unfortunately, this is about the same time Johnny thought he wanted to marry someone else. Well, Johnny announced his engagement at our local church and later told his parents that our whole family was very rude to him that day. He said none of us would look at him or even congratulate him after he spoke. Well! We were all dieing inside because Emily's life was being crushed right before our eyes. What could we do about it but pray? And pray we did.
So, Emily moved in with us and continued her education. We loved having her so close as she was learning to trust God with her future. She went on a forty-day fast to help her focus and learn what God would have her do. Well, that semester Johnny was interning in Africa with his family. And having a long-distance break-up.
When Johnny got back he told us he was no longer engaged. He spent the spring and summer trying to figure out what God's will for his life was and spending more time with his family. He started visiting us more often and later told us he was trying to get more chances to spend time with Emily.
They spent the next year dating, became engaged and are now married. Their whole dating/courting/engagement period was about a year but they felt like they had known that they were supposed to marry each other for a long time. They are a great couple and it has been fun watching two people learn each other who we both know so well. And our kids will be double first-cousins. (:

The Honeyheads

2008-09-08T12:38:00.005-05:00

I am still new to the blogisphere so I'm not even sure if I spelled blogisphere right, but I wanted to educate my readers on the reason for choosing "Honeyheads" as the title of this blog.
One of our favorite comedians is Brian Regan. See an excert of his material on youtube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2ezsVkv0pg&feature=related

He has another bit about old TV shows that I couldn't locate online. He talks about how the show "Gentle Ben," a show from the 50's about a tame bear, isn't very edifying for kids. He says, "What, you want to teach your kids to go out and play with bears? Here, kids, put this honey on your heads and go play with the bear. Honeyheads." And that is where it came from.

Books

2008-09-04T12:48:00.003-05:00

I love to read. And today I found out I am not alone. During our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting we have a discussion period where we talk about our kids, our lives, etc. Today we introduced ourselves and told of a hobby we enjoyed. Every mom but one said they love (and miss) reading. Yay! I smell a book exchange. My favorite books right now are either those that you can read in five-minute increments or the ones that are so above me that I read them just to try to raise my IQ and learn something new. (:

My favorite authors:
Jane Austen
Frank Perretti
Agatha Christie
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Linda Chaikin (Arabian Winds Trilogy)

Lunch

2008-09-02T14:56:00.004-05:00

We were in Birmingham this weekend with my sister, Sarah, and her husband, David, while Gustav was deciding which side of Louisiana to visit. After we arrived we decided to go to the Birmingham Zoo as neither of my kids have been to a zoo before and the weather was still nice. The boys have seen their share of Mississippi's cows, chickens, etc., but no lions, tigers or giraffes. So, off we went. Andrew and James both seemed very entertained, whether in or out of their double stroller, and, oddly enough, the animals seemed highly entertained by them. Every time I have been to a zoo it has been a challenge to get the penned monkey or bird or whatever I was looking at to do anything interesting, not to mention look at me. This was not the case with us. Everywhere we went it was like the animals were watching us. If they were resting, they got up. If they were distracted they turned and stared. After about the third or fourth reptile exhibit where the snakes followed the boys little blond heads like James and Andrew were snake-charmers my sister made a discovery. Our neighbors had given the boys matching shirts with cars that light up. Not just any light, but a flashing, red, moving light. They were both wearing their shirts with motion activated strobe lights! Apparently this is very interesting to all sorts of members of the animal kingdom. Especially predators like tigers and lions. Did you know giraffes stare? Anyway, we were highly entertained and very thankful for glass, Plexiglas, and electric fences. And we decided to skip the bull exhibit.

Honors

2008-08-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

Wow! Today my friend (yes, she's my friend!) Sara linked her blog to mine. Sara's blog (thebookbeast.blogspot.com) is a blog I aspire to be like. Thanks, Sara.

Last weekend my sister Emily came from Kansas City. She arrived Thursday at our local airport and departed the following Monday. She was in high demand around here but we were able to spend some quality time with her during pick-up and drop-offs. (When we brought her to her terminal Monday she was a half-hour early. I offered to stay with her so she wouldn't be alone, etc. She said it was OK for me to leave about 10 minutes later when the boys decided jumping on the stairs and screaming in a room with high ceilings was great fun.) (:

I hosted a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) steering team meeting at my house today. I had time last night to do a little extra cleaning after the boys went to bed and Brian went back to work on campus. I knew Brian was back this morning when Andrew came into my room at 7 am and told me Daddy took his blanket. (:

Also, I have agreed to be the nursery co-ordinator for my local church. I am on the hunt for two changing pads and disposable changing sheets to, you guessed it, change diapers. I have been in the nursery so much the past month people began asking me if I had been at church lately. One woman, assisting me with a screaming three-year-old who just happened to belong to me, asked me if this was my first Sunday. I have been attending this church for seven years. Maybe I have one of those faces that would work well for the CIA. You know, no one remembers THAT secret agent.

my boys

2008-08-16T22:48:00.000-05:00

James said "ball" yesterday. Today we put Andrew's new bed up. We cleaned out our guest room. Fun times.

New Thoughts

2008-08-15T13:23:00.001-05:00

Forgive the analogy, but I want to be like a dripping faucet. Not in the Proverbs sense of the word, but in a constant, consistent, continual dripping leak. I heard it last night from four until six a.m. It never stopped. Even when I prayed that it would. No matter what sort of Herculean effort I used to try to try the water knobs off just a little more last time I took a shower. Nope. Drip, drip, drip. I want my life to be like that. No matter what squeezes me and tries to make me stop, I won't ever stop giving, loving or sharing. No matter who puts pressure on me to change or cease altogether I will always have so much inside that it just spills out to others. The good stuff, of course. And, when it needs to, the good stuff will come out in a flood. All because of what has been put into me before and what is put in now. What is in my pipes, so to speak. ( :

My Children...

2008-08-14T14:33:00.000-05:00

...Should be asleep. It is officially nap time, but I hear laughter and squeals and thuds coming from their room. To investigate or not, that is the question.
Andrew is still in a crib and James is in a portable crib, otherwise known as a pack and play. They are both overdue for upgrades into something without rails and permanent, respectively, but we haven't unloaded the bunk beds yet. Do I really want them in regular beds? Are they growing up too fast? Is this like Wendy having to leave the nursery upgrade? Not really, but it feels like it.(:

Wish list

2008-08-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

My children are asleep and I wonder what to do with my time. Do I nap also or take advantage of an hour or two of quiet? Do I start a project or start a blog? If I do start something, will I be able to finish before they awake? Why does this feel like a complicated decision?
In my house there are three closets awaiting my intervention on their road to chaos. But then there is my family awaiting dinner. There are three patterns I purchased in hopes of creating an exciting new wardrobe ensemble and there are my little boys asking me to come sit with them and read a book. There is the newspaper or there is my Bible. Always a choice, always a decision.
I saw an object lesson performed once that equated the important things in life, God, family, etc., with walnuts. The other things in our daily life were represented by rice. When the rice went into a container first and the walnuts were pushed into the top there was not enough room for all. But when the same amount of walnuts were put in first and the same amount of rice went in afterwards it all fit in perfectly. I hope I put all the walnuts in first.(: