Books, books and more books!

The library has their monthly book sale going on today and tomorrow. Michael, Bella and I went to check it out today. We bought 38 books for under $5! I don't think you could find a better deal anywhere! Michael started reading the Left Behind series today. He's read most of the Left Behind Kids books, so he started on the adult fiction. This child devours books!

My Princess turned 8 today!

Annalee celebrated her 8th birthday today. I cannot believe she is already 8 years old! She was all about makeovers this year! My Mom(Nana) took her to Libby Lu's and to lunch on Saturday. Ernie's Mom(Grandma) took her to Libby Lu's and lunch today. Mammaw, Pappaw, Tia and Uncle Joel gave the kids both money this year. They love to choose how to spend their money.



This afternoon we had an awesome cookie cake for Michael and a beautiful Barbie cake for Annalee. Paula made the Barbie cake and surprised Annalee. Annalee thought I ordered the cookie cake for both of them(I originally had), but Paula remembered she had promised Annalee a Barbie cake. The look on Annalee's face when Paula brought out the Barbie cake was priceless!

A new season

There is something about this time of year. It feels like it is a time for new beginnings. A time to close doors to things that are no longer working for me and my family. One of the things that is no longer working for us is our eating and lack of exercise. I am not teaching my kids healthy eating habits the way I tend to eat for comfort. I read an interesting thing tonight. It said that if a person feels empty inside they will usually turn to food, alcohol or drugs(some kind of addictive behavior) to forget about how empty they feel. It is hard to be real and admit that I do feel empty inside at times. I need to find healthy habits to replace the unhealthy habits. So, starting right now I am going to try to pay attention to the mindless eating I do. We are also going to add exercise to our daily routine. It will be good for all of us!

Cheerleading... our new Saturday activity!

Annalee had a great time cheering for Claiborne's junior varsity boys this weekend. It was fun to watch the girls cheer. Annalee loves to stay busy all of the time!



Bella thought she would cheer a little bit, also!

Thankful Friday

I have so many things to be thankful for this week!

1. My wonderful husband! He is such a giving, loving man. I can count on him to have my back at all times and to make me feel better when I am not feeling the best.

2. Three amazing kids. We spent a morning in the doctor's office this week and are dealing with an ear infection and sore throat, but other than that, it's been an awesome week with them.

3. Sharing, giving hearts. Michael got some money for his birthday and is constantly asking to spend it on someone else. It makes me so proud!

4. Friends are such a sweet blessing.

5. New jeans! I bought a size smaller this week! It was a great feeling. I actually think they are feeling a little loose after they've been washed and dried. I wanted to buy about 10 pair!

6. The library. I cannot say enough good things about the library! We went Wednesday afternoon. I think Michael has read 4 or 5 of his books since then.

7. The washer and dryer! Bella woke me up with a blow out this morning. I was very thankful it was simple enough to strip the bed and wash sheets right away.

8. The weekend is here! It is going to be busy, but it will be great to have Ernie home all weekend.

This time of the year and my new favorite day of the week!

I love this time of the year. I love the cooler temperatures. This time of the year is so busy getting back into the routine with school and extra curricular activities. The fair is coming soon and fall festivals will be here before we know it. I love the colors and scents this time of the year.

We started co-op last week with the homeschool association. I was worried the kids would not enjoy it. So far, it is the highlight of our week! I was nervous this morning because Michael was nervous last week and scared he wouldn't like it. He told me this morning that he felt much better than last week before going, so that was confirmation for me that we were doing the right thing by going. Annalee is thriving there. She loves all of her teachers and helpers. She's making a couple of new friends, also. I hope Michael makes a few friends this year. Bella is a constant source of enjoyment in the nursery. She has not been around many babies, other than Chloe, so it's fun to see her interacting with them. She was a bully the first week! She did much better today! She's not very fond of seeing me holding other babies, though! I am so thankful a couple of the moms in the group talked me into giving co-op a try! I needed the interaction with other adults. I was starting to feel like a loner without any adult interaction(other than what I was getting from Ernie and on Sundays at church). I did not feel like me at all anymore and it was making me quite grumpy. Now I have three whole hours to sit on the floor and play with babies and talk to other ladies that are like me! There are days that I feel so different from other moms because I do stay home and I love having my kids at home with me. I love teaching them. I love learning with them! I love seeing the wonder in their eyes as they learn new things. I love to hear I love English! lol I love to hear Wow, that was easy, especially when it's in Math and Math has not been the easiest subject to conquer. It is so great to be around other moms that experience the same things with their kids every day. Getting involved in co-op was a God thing, not a me thing. I came up with all kinds of excuses, but God knew it was for the best.

Encouraging

Chick night was so awesome tonight! It was very encouraging. I am sure every one needs encouragment from time to time. My favorite verse of the night was Psalms 56:8"Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll are they not in your record?". I know God sees and hears everything, but I never thought about him having a record of every single tear I have cried. That is amazing!

Angel had an awesome message, as always! I felt like she was preaching to me. It is amazing that God seems to know exactly what I need to hear when I need to hear it the most. I am so thankful for my family and friends at church. It is nice to have that support network behind you, ready to lift you up when you need it.

Bella did manage to stay in the nursery for about 30 minutes. She was crying when I went to check on her. It was nice for my arms to have a short break!