Manly Man's Monday

Thanks Manly Man for all you do for us. Thanks for loving me through it all. Thanks for putting up with me, especially lately. I know it has been a bumpy road, but I love you and love being married to you!

Thanks for a wonderful birthday trip to the mountains. It soothed my soul...you and the mountains. And, I loved that we finally found that old store...if only we could find the water falls!

I love that you took the day off to come to the boys' "show" that last night of music camp. I love the way you hugged me when you saw me for the first time in 5 days. I still love you even though you forgot to notice my new hair cut and color when I got home.

I loved drinking coke from a bottle with you and having that yummy burger. I really loved finding that gas for only $3.45!

I'll miss you this week. Remember, you are doing it for us all and in the long run, it will be worth it. I love you! Here's to some good lasagna coming your way!

Yep...It's The Pollen

I did some research and found this site that gives the pollen forecast for your zip code. You can also do a history search for the last 30 days. Ragweed is in full bloom again and so is Jonathan's nose. Poor thing, his eyes are watering and nose is running. He even wore his sunglasses inside the mall today. I have started back giving him his homeopathic allergy medicine that we found about a year ago, but it takes a few doses to really start helping a lot, so in the mean time, he is taking benedryl too. He has been on claritin, singulair, and zyrtec as different points in the past 2 1/2 years, which just seem crazy to me, but we took him off due to some side effects. I feel much better about this all natural allergy "medicine" than anything else. So, I must venture to get some tissues after Jacob wakes up because Jonathan, and Jacob a little, have been going through them like crazy! By the way, anyone out there have any good, natural remedies for allergies, besides honey?

By the way, all I have had to eat today is cookie bars and half of a turkey sandwich! Ha! Can't wait for the period to start!!!!

The Countdown

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We have three days left. Three days! How crazy is that? Homeschooling starts bright and early at 8:30am on Monday morning. I am still having some mixed emotions about it all. I have a feeling that some of those may get hashed out here in bloggy land. A lot of them I have already mentioned, but haven't necessarily had them completely resolved in my heart.

I do have to say that I am really looking forward to starting school at 8:30 in the morning, being finished at 10am and then heading to the gym for about an hour, run errands and still get home in time for lunch. Lunch. Not dinner! Amazing to me how long a day in "school" can last!!!

Summer Time, Right?

I am still not sure if it is the end of the summer allergies kicking in on both of boys, or if a cold virus has managed to find its way into our home. Either way, I am not so happy about it. However, I am SOOO thankful for the past almost 4 months of no colds and 3 months of little to no allergy symptoms! Such a blessing!

Honesty IS The Best Policy

Whoever came up with that saying was a genius! I remember always being told that by my parents...who doesn't? Telling the truth was always the "right thing" to do, right? Then, somewhere along the line, we decided we didn't always want to hurt the one we were telling the truth to. We started to pad the truth, soften the blow. From there, we spiraled into lying. Some degree of lying, but lying none the less. We didn't always tell the truth. We tried to be self-righteous and say that we didn't want to push someone away,or hurt their feelings or something kind of noble sounding. But the truth was, we were lying. Then it became easy...almost a way of life.
I bet you are wondering if I am a compulsive liar aren't you? I am not really. I do tell lies sometimes. But I am learning. Learning that lying doesn't help. Trying to hide the truth doesn't help. Especially when you are trying to portray yourself as something that you aren't. There has been a lot going on around my house lately. And honesty is reigning, which means that Jesus is reigning. And that my friends, is always an amazing thing! The best thing! It is hard to ask to the hard questions. It is even harder to answer them honestly. In honesty, there is forgiveness. In honesty, there is hope. In honesty, there is healing. In honesty, there are no pedestals or "holier then thou" attitudes. In honesty, there is only love. And love endures! And love is the greatest of things.
I am blown away by the nastiness of my heart sometimes. How I want to hurt Manly Man for something he has said or done. How I choose to be mean to people, family and friends even. How I can be so judgemental about things I know nothing about! How I can decide that "I am not like them."
When I can be hard core honest, it is humbling to watch what the Lord can do. My words, actions or attitudes may seriously hurt someone. But when I choose to be honest about it, and tell them "yep, I sure was trying to hurt you by doing/ saying ___________" and ask for their forgiveness, the honesty touches the other person and brings about a softening of both our hearts, repentance in my heart and forgiveness in their heart. Honesty truly is the best policy. Of course, there must be tact involved. Nobody likes being told they look fat in a pair of jeans. There are appropriate ways to be honest and sometimes it is hard to find that balance.
I challenge you today, to be honest with someone, perhaps yourself, and definitely with the Lord. See what He can do with it. It will blow you away!

A Week At GG and Daddy B's: Water Surprises

The boys and I are in the Queen City having a ball! They are here for Music Camp at my parents' (GG and Daddy B) church. We have been keeping busy in the morning with camp, and the afternoons have been filled with trips to the pool, playing and eating yummy food! I spent some good time with my dad, while waiting 2 hours for a tow truck! My van died in the parking lot of my sister-in-law's country club! What cracked me up the most about that was all the men leaving the pool or the tennis courts asked if it was the battery. What gave that away? The hood up? My mom's car parked front end to front end with my van and her hood up? The JUMPER CABLES??? They breed some smart ones there huh? The van is now fixed, much to the boys disappointment...they were really enjoying riding in GG's car!
We took a trip to the pool at the Y yesterday. The wade pool was closed until this morning because of an "accident." So I had to get into the big pool by myself with the boys so mom and I tag teamed. She didn't want to get in because we were going to dinner after the pool. I had Jonathan in the pool for about 10 minutes and then switched. I got Jacob in and he was in for about 5 minutes when the lifeguards blew their whistles. I guessed it was for a break. I guessed wrong! Someone had pooed in the water! For real! I mean, come on....in the water? The pool is clearly marked that only toilet trained kids can swim in the big pool!!!! So, we got out and I felt so gross! I wanted someone to pour alcohol over my head so I could feel clean! NASTY!!!
Anyone else had crazy pool experiences???

Time. Must.Stop. Now!

My youngest had sweaty arm pits last night. I noticed them as I was getting him ready for bed. Manly Man noticed them when he snuggled him through the thunderstorm last night. He smelled like a sweaty man! Well, time is flying by way too fast! Too. Fast! Both, not just one, but both of my boys are wearing Manly Man's deodorant. They are so proud. I just want time to stop! Can't they be my babies forever?

Jonathan at 1 week

Jacob at 1 week