Happy 30th Birthday Jess!

Hey Sweetheart! Just wanted to wish you a Happy 30th Birthday! I'm sorry i'm not able to be with you right now. I hope that you have a great birthday though down at the beach. I miss you tons!! I Love You baby!

Paula' s Party Update!!!!

Guess What???? We finally have an air date for the shows Aimee and I attended a taping of! Whoo hoo!
I check the Food Network website weekly to see what episodes are coming on. Aimee and I were just discussing the other night that we did not think the show was ever going to air. So I go on the site this morning and to my surprise, it is finally listed! I copied and pasted the info off the site here so everyone can watch (if you want too) ;)


Paula's Party
Episode IP0403
AIR TIMES:
Aug 02, 2008 7:00 PM ET/PT
Primetime Cuties Party
Get ready for fun when Paula spends an hour with some of TV's primetime cuties! Carson Kressley, Jason Priestley and Ugly Betty cutie Mark Indelicato join Paula to cook up some Southern dishes.


The other show we attended a taping of was "Italian Party". We are only in the segment where Cheri O'Teri cooks. This show is scheduled to air later in August. Here are the details:

Paula's Party
Episode IP0402
AIR TIMES:
Aug 23, 2008 7:00 PM ET/PT
Italian Party
Paula's celebrating Italian-style with her favorite Italian celebrities including Sopranos' star Lorraine Bracco joins Paula for Chicken Fried Tortellini's, Tony Danza shares his family recipe for Sunday Sauce with Meatballs and Cheri Oteri makes Tastes Like Lasagna Soup.

Ok, so everyone set your TIVO's and get ready to watch Aimee and me look like goof balls :)

Pip The Ryan

Ok did you catch the title of this post? Pip The Ryan is the name of Jackson's new imaginary friend. I have always thought Jackson had quite the imagination, so I knew a "friend" was sure to join us...and he did this morning. When Jack woke up I was introduced to him. It took a little while to get clear on his name (my best guess is the name derived from Pip the puppy-a character in one of his books) His name could not be something common like "Tom", nope it is Pip The Ryan.
So this is what I know of Pip The Ryan:
1. can not call him Pip or Ryan, must be Pip The Ryan
2. he is 4 years old
3. he has brown hair
4. he drives a red car
5. he attends Alabama football games and yells War Eagle (this is what coming from a house divided will do to you)
Jackson and Pip The Ryan have been busy today. They played board games, did crafts, and went to the park. Pip The Ryan had to leave to go to the Alabama game, but he returned in time for nap. Looking forward to when "they" get up. :)
So who else has had an imaginary friend???

A Day In Our Life

So it has been a while since my last blog. Life is hectic and I honestly just can not seem to find the time to sit down and type a post, so I thought this would be a great post to share with everyone what a "typical" day in our world is like.


6:30 am - I wake up to have my "Quiet Time". I usually get about an hour before the kiddos awaken :)


7:30 am - The kids are up! Now is the time to literally hit the ground running. I throw the hair up in a ponytail, grab the kids, and we head to the kitchen. The kids help me decide what is for breakfast. This morning it is french toast sticks and sausage links. mmm mmm good :)



Jackson cleans up the dishes from breakfast. This is part of his chores and he loves it :)



Breakfast is cleared from the table and it is CRAFT TIME! This is always an adventure. Today we used "safety scissors" and created lots of neat things for daddy.



After crafts are finished we make our beds, change out of our pajamas, and get dressed for the day. The kids love to brush their teeth (after I finish brushing them of course)


Next on our chores list is to water the flowers. The kids usually ending up with more water on them than the flowers get, but hey that is the fun of it right?



By now it is 9 am and we are at the park so that I can get some exercise in (as if chasing a 3 year old and a 1 year old was not exercise enough right?) I try to walk about an hour-to keep the kiddos in the stroller I give them suckers and goldfish. (I figure the salty goldfish will balance out the sweet sucker) Ok I am lucky if I get to walk 45 minutes, but it is better than nothing I suppose. Jason usually calls during the walk to let us know that he is going to be on the computer. I finish off the walk, let the kids on the playground for a while, then we hurry home.


10 am and we are home. This is the "DVD or Daily Visual of Daddy" The kids run back and forth from the webcam talking to daddy to the playroom. They must show daddy every toy in there :) The kids love this time! We look forward to it everyday. I am so glad that I am able to stay home with them so that they get to see him :)



12 noon LUNCH time - I fix the kids lunch (usually a sandwich with a side of fruit) then we watch "THE DADDY MOVIE" Jason recorded a dvd of him reading four different books to the kids. We try to watch it everyday before nap time.




1-3 pm AHH Nap Time :) All is quiet...if I am lucky Jason is on the computer so we talk (with no distractions) I use this time to catch up on email, do some Tastefully Simple work, and grab a ligtening fast shower because my two hours is almost gone. On Tuesday's during this time I have a bible study with Mrs. Janet...I look forward to these days, I am really enjoying our study :)
Nap time comes to an end way too quickly...and I hear the sweetest sounds "mommy" It is by far one of the best titles!

3 pm - To the post office we go to mail daddy a care package :) This one has lots of goodies and crafts-looks like we will have to send it in two boxes (won't daddy be excited!) Thank you USPS for flat rate boxes to APO addresses!


3:30 pm - Back to the house for some outdoor activities. Today since it was so hot we decided to play in the sprinklers. Yes, we, as in all three of us, ran in the sprinklers. What a site we must of been for the neighbors.


5 pm - Time to head inside and prepare dinner. Ok I am not super mom, so tonight we hit good ol McDonalds drive thru (but it is ok, we only go once a week) I really do cook for the kids every night and insist they eat something green (boy that is a battle, but I will save that for another blog) Jackson has been going to VBS this week so I give the kids their bath early tonight and we head to church.

8 pm - Bed Times-daddy calls to say prayers and tell us good night.


I put the kids in their beds and all is quiet again (at least for 12 hours) I crash!
Trying to rest up for the next day. As if any amount of rest could give you enough energy to be a temporary single stay at home parent. Only 275 more days....(but hey whose counting?)

So there it is my "typical" day. Throw in the occassional Wal-Mart trip, doctor's appointment, or dentist's appointment and you have got yourself one wild day. :) But that is ok...it helps the time pass.
I will try to post more often (like when I can gather my thoughts)

4th of July

My sweet babies at the Fireworks Show in Jacksonville.


Little Miss Madeline...anyone care to guess how long the hairband stayed in???


Mr. Jackson had so much fun at the fireworks :)


Thank you so much Rebekah for the adorable flip flops! You are sooo creative!


Jack and Madeline in their patriotic outfits.


Today we, as Americans, are celebrating the Freedoms we have because of the brave men and women who have sacrificed and are serving our country. To all of you, please accept my utmost gratitude. Thank you. Continuing to pray for the safety of all our troops!
Here is a Youtube video of The National Anthem. Please be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and pause the music on the playlist before listening to the video.

My sweet Madeline at bed time :) She must have her baby doll and the pooh bear that her daddy slept with as a child every night to go to sleep. There is something so comforting to me about routine and familiarity...must be for her as well



The kids love to do art work. We do some sort of art project (even if it is playing with stickers) on a daily basis. Then once a week we take it to the post office and mail them to daddy. This is a picture of some of the art work hanging in Jason's locker. :) How great it must be to see the work that those little hands created...


Speaking of work created by little hands...this t-shirt was created very spur of the moment as we were painting one day. It is hard to tell, but the kids hand prints are at the top of the shirt :) Jason, this picture of you makes me love you more than words could ever describe.

We are blessed beyond measure to be able to talk to Jason as often as we do. He is doing well, just missing home as I am sure you can imagine. He is getting a lot of care packages and letters which I know bring him so much comfort. Words can not even begin to express how much it means to me that people are taking the time to send care packages and write him. I know it means the world to Jason.

Jason said the other day the temperature got up to 140! After he told me that I made a promise to myself not to complain about 90 and humidity...I mean look at a thermometer...it does not even register 140. I feel so bad for our troops in that heat. Oh I pray for relief from the heat for them.

Life around here is so hectic...There are time when whether I am overwhelmed by my own making or by situations not of my choosing that I feel separated from Christ. Boy that is a lonely feeling. I find myself out of my element, exhausted. It is in these times that I am learning more and more about the mercy of Christ. What is mercy? Mercy is a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion. (I wrote this in my journal but I failed to note the author of it...wish I could take credit for that definition) I find myself constantly putting my prayerful concerns under the mercy of God, knowing that what I am unable to do He is able to do for me. We have come a long way over the past 5 months, but I often find myself focusing on the 10 months still ahead, instead of seeing God's faithfulness to us over the past 5 months. I pray daily not to dwell on this, it is out of my control. Dwelling on what can not be changed will only steal precious joy. The one who trusts in the mercy of God is productive and secure.

"But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth."
Psalm 86:15

In my need I trust and know that when I pray to God, He answers me out of His loving kindness. He does so because He alone is righteous and just. He alone knows what is best for me, because after all He alone is the orchestrator of events.

I have been reading in a book by Elisabeth Elliot called "Keep a Quiet Heart" It is just one of those books you can pick up here and there. I have found some great comforts in it. One prayer I read this morning really touched me and I wanted to share it. It was written by a 17 year old named Lady Jane Grey who prayed this prayer in her prison cell before she was beheaded in 1554!

O merciful God, be Thou unto me
A strong Tower of defence,
I humbly entreat Thee.
Give me grace to await thy leisure,
And patiently to bear
What Thou doest unto me;
Nothing doubting or mistrusting
Thy goodness towards me;
For Thou knowest what is good for me
Better than I do.
Therefore do with me in all things
What Thou wilt;
Only arm me, I beseech Thee,
With Thine armor,
That I may stand fast;
Above all things taking to me
The shield of faith;
Praying always that I may
Refer myself wholly to Thy will,
Abiding Thy pleasure, and comforting myself
In those troubles which it shall please Thee
To send me, seeing such troubles are
Profitable for me; and I am
Assuredly persuaded that all Thou doest
Cannot but be well; and unto Thee
Be all honor and glory. Amen.