Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Closing Ceremonies...






Just a few pictures from Ben's closing ceremonies for T-ball. It was a fun season, and Ben is ready for fall ball to start!

I don't know if this is common in all leagues, but the ceremonies started with a prayer given by a local pastor. It was really neat to me, given that moments of silence are preferred in these politically correct days.
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Monday, June 16, 2008

What a Week!!!

It's been a crazy week here in TN. Billy was sick for 3 days with fever/chills/headache. He is such a big help, so when he is sick I have to fly solo.

9 Years...

We celebrated our 9th anniversary Thursday. In 9 years we have moved 8 times, Billy has had 6 jobs, and we have welcomed 4 Ivey's into the world. That's just amazing to me. It seems like we have been together forever, but yet like it was only yesterday. I love him more today than 9 years ago.

Anna Beth had "her week" at my mom's last week. She went to a theatre camp and then performed as a servant in Sleeping Beauty twice on Saturday. I went to the afternoon show, and Billy caught the evening one. It was really amazing what they accomplished in a week!















My whole family was together for dinner on Saturday. One of my brothers has a little boy 6 months younger than Ben. They are so cute and really love each other. They do get a little wild when they are together, but its fun. My other brother has a 20 month old little boy, so we can't wait until he and Abe start really interacting and acting as wild as the other two.

Uncle Todd and the 1 year olds.

We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant on Sunday (my dad's choice) and then rolled out a slip and slide and a filled up a pool for the kids. I sat on the deck and read a book while the kids played and all the dads watched golf all afternoon.

Big 4 year old buddies!

Happy Fathers Day Papa!

Happy Fathers Day Daddy!
Billy had a meeting today, so we went to see my grandmother and then race home for closing ceremonies for t-ball. I'll post some pics of that tomorrow. This is MC's week at Mimi's (she's actually coming home Wednesday) so all of them have had some one on one time with Mimi and Papa this summer. They LOVE being there. My parents live in a house my great grandfather built to be apartments in the 1940s. My moms sister and my mom's brother have houses built on the family property, which I lovingly refer to as the "compound." There is always a great aunt or ucle to spoil them, and more cousins and second cousins to play with than anyone could imagine. Its just fun to be there!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Prayer Requests...

Please pray for a friend of mine who had a miscarraige this week. Also, my neighbor lost his job today. He is the sole provider for a family of 6.

Thanks...

Monday, June 9, 2008

Gas Prices

OK...So we are 1 penny away from the $4 a gallon mark here in middle TN. I have done my share of complaining over the last year. I want to live closer to town (whine), I drive 35-40 minutes for my kids to go to preschool (whine), this house isn't my forever house (more whining), you get the picture. If you don't know, we live in a GREAT house (nicer than anyone needs, really), with an awesome yard, and have great neighbors. It is my choice to send the kids to pre-school where they go. I am so ready to be settled and never pack boxes EVER again. God is continually molding me and helping me to realize what matters. Try to follow me here...

About 2 years ago as I was complaining about wanting granite countertops and leather furniture, I happened to watch a Dateline-ish show and cried through most of it. Kids right her in the good ole USA who would have loved to have my "mediocre" house. At one little boys pre-kindergarten assessment, he couldn't tell the teacher how many meals you eat a day. Not because he couldn't count, but because he didn't have 3 meals a day. Another family ran out of money at the end of the month and had to get restaurant creamers watered down with water to have "milk" for the babies. I vowed then be more thankful for the things I have, rather than focusing on what I don't. I may not have a lot of things, but I have NEVER worried about my children having milk.

Fast forward to now. Gas is going up at about 10 cents a gallon every week. I have not been real happy about it, and it really cuts into the monthly budget. I have whined about it uncontrolably for the past year. Then I started reading blogs. Most of the blogs I read are about Ethiopian adoption. A friend of a friend is adopting from there, and I just link to all her blogs she reads. On occasion these people post videos and article about Africa. Children are sick and dying in Ethiopia from yet another famine and these people have to walk long distances to receive medical care. There is 1 doctor for every 26,000 children. In one story a woman walked 10 km go get her baby medical care. In another, a woman was facing the choice of taking her sick child 30 km for care and leaving her healthy child behind or letting her sick child die so she could stay with the healthy one. Africans walk, on average, 6 miles a day to get water. (Most Americans walk 6 miles a month.) And I complain about gas being $4 a gallon? While I have decided to try and not complain anymore, my eyeballs are probably about to pop out of their sockets as I watch the numbers when I fill up!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Life is Good...


AB and Olivia at the petting zoo.

Abe barked at the goats.

Notice the alligator swimming overhead.


Wow, what a week! I have been a little under the weather and tired, so I haven't updated on most of it.
Our neighbor and good friends are adopting a beautiful baby girl. She was born last Tuesday and it was supposed to be a pretty open and shut private adoption. Well, the hospital where she was delivered caused a bit of a stir and after a week of waiting, they brought her home this past Tuesday. They have 3 children (and one in heaven) so I got the call Tuesday to see if I could watch them while they picked the baby up. So I had 7 kids in all running around Tuesday afternoon. 4 of which were 3 and under - it was a little crazy but all went smoothly. Pray for this family and the birth family as the adoption is finalized through the next phases. (pics of the family are posted on weloveourlucy blog listed on the side of my page if you want to look at them)

Wednesday was pool time and church. Thursdays pics are on the blog, and today we went to the zoo. Nashville zoo is awesome!!! We saw the whole thing today. I was a little concerned about the heat, but the zoo's paths are mostly shaded so we stayed cool until the end. I did learn a little something about route planning. We ended our day going to "Africa" to see the elephants and giraffes. To reach that phase of the zoo you have to go uphill and it is NOT mostly shaded. Actually it is mostly not shaded. Pushing a double stroller in 90 degree heat in the sun was well, not the highlight of the trip - next time we will start here and then move toward the shady parts as the temperature rises. Everyone enjoyed the day, Abe was such a trooper and contently sat in the stroller the whole time (content and Abe don't necessarily belong in the same sentence).

We listened to Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus (I don't understand why there are two of them) on the way home, they know all the songs and sing very loud. It was then that I realized I know the words to most of the songs too. Comes with having an almost tween and I actually like the one called Let's Dance.

I have loved watching AB and Olivia this week. They do these hand games, put on performances, and have been so good. Last night as I was tucking them in, somehow college came up. I have visions of them staying friends forever and being roommates at Alabama (sorry David). Olivia asked me if they had to go to college and I quickly responded yes, of course you do. Anna Beth's response was, I am going to be a stay at home mom so why do I have to go to college? Rather than get into that discussion with an 8 year old I just had her name stay at home mom's she knew. Thankfully, about 90% are college graduates. They ended the conversation saying they were going to be roommates! I kissed them goodnight, they asked if they could whisper, I said yes as long as I can't hear you and I didn't until 8 this morning.

Life is good...
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Thursday, June 5, 2008

It's TOO hot in TN!


All the girls at the pool.

Abe getting wet.

Abe trying a different angle.

MC trying to boogie board with a kick board.


Its been a busy week here. Ben stayed at my mom's house, and we brought Olivia, Anna Beth's best friend from Birmingham, home with us. Normally I like to go to the pool in the morning, lunch, naps, and play outside in the afternoon. The temp here is normally in the low 80s this time of year. Well, its been in the low 90s everyday and humid. So, we have adjusted the schedule to play outside in the morning, before it gets too hot, naps and then the pool. Took the 4 I have and 2 girls from across the street to the pool today. We are going to the zoo tomorrow. Hopefully we won't melt!
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More Pics from Today




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