My Day...Before Noon per Billy

"I called my bride a few minutes ago. First of all, she was frustrated because it had taken an hour to get the clothes from the laundry basket into the washer. The kitchen was cleaned this morning, but somehow there were dishes on the table, counter and sink. She couldn't find any clean underwear. Abe was crying because he was in time out for biting Ben, who was crying because of the bite, but also because Mom wouldn't let him wear cut-off shorts and a purple shirt, "because even though we are close to it, we're not homeless, yet, dadgummit!" Anna Beth was yelling at Ben because he was crying too loud (because of the bite, which was now bleeding, but also because of the aforementioned redneck costume) and she was trying to hear the TV... and Merrie Cannon was saying, "Mama... Mama... Mama... Mama... Mama... Mama..." over and over and over again while standing at her feet and bouncing up and down.

Correction - Cut-offs would have been a welcome change to what Ben had on.

We finally got out the door so I could run by work and then take them to the park. I have never felt like I "needed" a break, but the past two weeks have been challenging. Don't feel sorry for me, I am going on the women's retreat at the beach next week. Wouldn't you know I'll be gone for Kindergarten registration and the school Spring Fling - good luck Billy.

Easter

On Easter Sunday, I decided to do something fun with the preschool kids at church. During the first service we had an Easter egg hunt and made Resurrection rolls. To make resurrection rolls, you roll a marshmallow in the middle of a crescent roll and then bake them. We talked about how the crescent roll represented the tomb that Jesus was placed in, and the marshmallow was Jesus. The marshmallow is white, because Jesus was without sin and when He takes away our sin he makes us white too. You bake the rolls, and the marshmallow disappears leaving a hole in the crescent roll - an empty tomb - and white remnants of the marshmallow that represent the cloth His body was wrapped in. When I asked the classes where Jesus was, the overwhelming majority exclaimed "He rose again." However, in one of the classes a little boy looked at me and said...."He melted."

Easter service at OMPC was really neat, too. The sermon and worship were great, but Billy was recently filmed while talking about a blog post he wrote a while ago. The video was played on Sunday morning as a part of the service with "Prince of Peace" playing in the background. You can see the video (without music) by clicking here.

Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Romans 6:4

**Just as a side note, Anna Beth is wearing the Easter dress my mom made for me when I was in the 5th grade.

Full of Family Fun

This weekend was busy, busy, busy. We started Friday evening with a baseball game, had another baseball game mid-day Saturday and then went to Columbiana to watch my nephew play Saturday afternoon.

Ben ready on 3rd base.

Ben at bat.

Abe and MC watching big brother.

The little sisters making dirt pies on the bleachers.

The baseball league had a donut sale as a fund-raiser. This was Abe sneaking a donut after swiping the girl's dirt pies off the bleachers - look closely at his hands. He contaminated the rest of the box! (and yes, I let him eat it...dirt and all)

Cousin Matthew getting a hit.

Abe and MC playing with water at the game.

The pictures I forgot to upload are of Abe pouring water on the ground so that he could jump in his self-made puddles.

We went to church on Sunday morning and enjoyed the annual Palm Sunday worship service presented by the choir. Words can't describe how moving and awesome it was. Anna Beth was so precious singing the praise songs VERY loudly. So loud that I think she annoyed the lady sitting in front of her. She kept turning around and looking at her! I just smiled.

After church we went to my mom's for the annual Palm Sunday egg hunt and pot-luck lunch. It was raining so we didn't think we would hunt eggs, but all the kids were already outside and filthy so we hid the eggs and let them go! Mom puts little goodies inside each egg, so they were pumped.

Cousins enjoying lunch.

Almost all the kids waiting for the go ahead. Everyone from both sides of the family come. Most of kids are my cousins children, we left one or two out of the picture because we thought we had everyone. There are more than 20 kids total (too many to actually count and remember them all).

Emptying the eggs.

How many did you get?

Sweet cousins - Anna Beth and Jaycee.

Cousin Mac (my brothers little boy) showing off his egg chalk. He came ready for the rain in his boots!

Merrie Cannon trying to "wake-up" my brother so he would get under the couch and get her bouncy ball.

The next two pictures are to clear something up for my fellow Toyota Sienna drivers. About halfway down highway 26 we discovered we were 5 miles to empty. Highway 26 is about 12 miles of country road with a gas station at either end. At the point we realized we needed gas, we had to pray that we made it to the gas station - we were too far to turn around. Anna Beth had a little freak out when my DTE (Drive to Empty) hit 0, but we made it another 2-3 miles to the gas station. So....If you drive a Sienna there is a little grace period between the time your DTE hit 0 and you actually run out of gas!

Two Months?

We've been really busy lately, and I haven't been a good blogger. It's especially not good when you gave up scrapbooking long ago and decided to blog as a way to record memories. So here's what we have been up to...



University of Alabama Gymnastic Meets

Basketball for AB (While still swimming 3x a week.)

And now we are in the middle of baseball.

Actually, we should be in the middle of baseball, but mother nature has thrown a curve ball in the form of rain. LOTS of rain. We've played one game and have had 3 cancelled.

We also completed 9 weeks of foster care training and LOTS of paperwork and...we are officially foster parents. Our paperwork has to go through various county and state channels both here and in Ohio, but as soon as that happens we can go pick up baby Quinn! Pray that this happens quickly. Our initial paperwork that was sent the second week in November had not been recieved as of 2 weeks ago. Our final paperwork will began the trek this week. I am having a hard time getting the social worker in Ohio to answer my e-mails, but I do have good contact with the current foster family - who LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him, which is such a blessing. They want to continue contact with us so they can see how he's doing. Here's what they tell us - he's almost 20 lbs, crawling, happy, lactose intolerant, has pretty bad asthma, but sleeps through the night!

We have also been going through a rough time personally. Billy's business in Franklin is no more. I am not dealing well with that. When we moved back to Birmingham, it was to be temporary and then back to Middle TN. Things haven't quite worked out the way we had planned. Unless you don't have a pulse, you know the economy stinks right now. After a very slow fall for the business, Billy's partner decided to call it quits and get a full time job (which had already been secured - I'm a little bitter). Billy is flying solo doing freelance and consulting stuff. Business is still slow, but we're doing ok. Although this was not our plan A, we know it is God's. We are growing spiritually like we never have before. I am realizing that sometimes sanctification stinks. I am striving to see his mercies as new each day (even if I have to squint).

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12