That's What I'm Talkin' Bout!

Final Post

2008-01-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

As of today, this is my last post on this site. Please visit our new family blog.

For Every Season....

2008-01-03T03:24:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of a new year, things always change. Some of these changes bring heartache, some joy. And some of these differences carry no emotion, they are simply changes. Ed and I decided to make such a change this year. After much chastisement from other couples, we have decided to "join as one" and share a blog and Picasa Web Album. Though I am sure that we will have differences of opinions as to what to "post", we decided to take the challenge. We are still working on the new blog, but as soon as it is up and running, I will do a final post on this page that links to our new blog. Happy New Year!

Christmas Happenings

2007-12-15T18:43:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while since I have posted an update. I have been staying busy in "Mommy World". Being able to stay at home with Mary Addison is incredible. We have play group every other week, and the kids are actually learning to play with each other...as you can see in the pictures. Gammie or Gramps manage to see us about once a week, and we try to make it to eat lunch with Daddy about every two weeks. This Wednesday we spent the day with Amanda and Ansley, touring the Gingerbread House Competition and hanging out in Asheville. We also celebrated Christmas with my Dad's side of the family this past weekend. As you can see, Mary Addison thought that the purpose of presents was to eat the paper. We had a ball, obviously more than Mary Addison could handle. She now has an ear infection along with a nasty Upper Respiratory Infection....PITY. It breaks my heart to see her hurting/sick...another one of the hurts that come with the joys of parenthood.

CU Baby

2007-11-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

These are two shots of Mary Addison's first CU Homecoming. We didn't go to the game, but she loved walking around.

I Can't Drive

2007-10-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

No, literally, I can't. I should probably have never been allowed to get my driver's license. The latest Julie Driving Incident....Mary Addison and I were on our way to meet Gramps for supper. I was pulling out of the garage and trying to be very careful to avoid hitting the jogging stroller with the front of the car. I was paying so much attention to the front of the car, that I failed to notice Ed's big red truck right behind me! Needless to say the truck wasn't hurt! My car, however, has one more huge dent in it and one less taillight. Ed has assured me that I will NOT be getting a new car any time soon; he suggests that we enter the Galant in a demolition derby. The good news...God had his angels watching over us ONCE AGAIN; no one was hurt!

Pumpkin Time

2007-10-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

Mary Addison had her first "Pumpkin Pickin" adventure today. Ed and I took her to Nivens Apple/Pumpkin Farm and had a ball watching her reactions. It was almost closing time, so we left without a pumpkin, but got some great photographs. We plan on going back tomorrow to actually buy a pumpkin.

The latest news

2007-10-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks to all of you who voted for Mary Addison in the photo contest. She came in 2nd place, which means we still get a free photo shoot and an 8x10. I am anxious to see how much this "free" photo shoot is going to cost us. It's amazing how photographers make you believe that you are a better parent for spending money on pictures of your child that will never see their way into a frame. I'm making Ed go with me this time! HE will have to say "no" to the picture pressure.

Things have been going well in our home. Our little girl is growing like crazy. She is a very happy baby; I love hearing her laugh. The loves of her life right now are her "Johnny Jump Up", her feet (which stay her her mouth), and her Daddy. She loves her mommy, but when Daddy comes home from work, she's 100% Daddy's Little Princess.

Mary Addison and I are experiencing our first difference of opinions in regard to when she should take naps. She thinks she shouldn't; I think she should. Other than that, we are getting along great. I love motherhood; yes, even the nighttime feedings. I am learning that friendship with other moms is essential to keeping your sanity when staying at home. I now have walking partner moms, play group moms,and small group moms. My sister-in-law and I also try to get together once a week and let the "girl cousins" play. while we have hang out time.

I am also staying busy with a school that our church has adopted. I volunteered to head up the Teacher Appreciation Group, a group of 20 some people.It is a lot more work than I anticipated, but it is a good way for me to still feel connected to a school and teachers.

Ed is staying busy at work. We also just recently bought 6 lots of land in our neighborhood. Ed is ecstatic. He is hoping to sell 4 of them and try his hand at building on the other two. He now has a reason to use his latest "toy", a bobcat (not the animal, the machine). If you know anyone interested in living in the great metropolis of Moore, send them our way.

Final Voting for Competition

2007-09-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Mary Addison made it to the final round for the photo competition. We would love it if you would vote again for her! The competition ends Saturday the 29th at midnight.
Click here to vote: Photo Contest

Lessons I've learned from my child

2007-09-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Okay! This is a long one, so if you aren't in the mood to read, don't get started...

Lessons I learned from my Child:

Lesson 1:

You are so tired, yet you refuse to go to sleep. You kick and scream and cry. I try to hold you tight and rock you; I want you to see that Mommy loves you and is trying to put you to bed because your body needs sleep. Yet you are relentless. You just don’t seem to understand. I finally determine to let you do it your way. I lay you in your crib and let you cry; it breaks my heart. 5 minutes goes by, then 10. I go in and give you your pacifier. You smile when you see me. I pat your bottom and reassure you that I love you and that you need to get some sleep. As I leave the room, you begin to cry again. My heart breaks as I watch you on the monitor, struggling against what I know is best for you…a nap

Your cries grow louder, stronger, more adamant. Yet I know if I pick you up, you will not sleep, and sleep is what you need. So I wait, I watch, and my heart hurts as I do so. Finally, after 36 grueling minutes, you go to sleep. I go in to check on you and realize that you have the blanket halfway over your face and wrapped around your neck. You have wrestled with it for the last half hour. It is about to strangle you; I remove it from around your neck and use it to cover you; it’s amazing that something I gave you as a source of warmth and comfort, you turned into a health hazard.

I look at you in awe and ask myself, “Why can’t you just go to sleep like Mommy wants you to, without so much protest. Don’t you know I would never do anything to hurt you? I have put you in this crib because it is a place where you are safe to sleep. It’s what you need. Why do you see it as a prison?”

But aren’t we just like a baby?

God puts us in a place that we don’t want to be. We kick and scream and holler. We try every maneuver we know to get out. When God finally comes into view, we smile and the world is a beautiful place. As soon as he leaves our sight, however, that place we are in becomes a terrible, awful place again. How smart we would be to remember that we are God’s children. He has us in this place for a reason. For some reason our childlike minds can’t comprehend, we need to be right where we are. He would never put us in a place that would hurt us. He wants what is best for us. How quickly we forget that, when the place He has chosen for us does not line up with the place we want to be.

Lesson 2:
All you want to do today is eat. What is your deal? You can’t be that hungry! All the books say that by 4 months you should only be eating every 4 hours. I’ll feed you every 3 hours, but every hour and a half? Come on! I have got to get you on a schedule. This cannot continue to happen. And what is going on with your naps today? You have been doing so well for the past week. Why have you slept so little today? And why are you so fussy today? You are usually such a happy baby. This is what has been running through my head all day, and then God reminded me..

But aren’t we just like a baby…

I have days that I am super hungry and no amount of food is enough to fill my appetite; then there are days when I don’t want anything to eat. I have days when I could sleep all day and others when I don’t want to sleep at all. I have days when I am grouchy and days when I am on top of the world. We would be wise to remember that these babies that we try so hard to control are people to. For whatever reason, we have determined that they are robots that we need to control and micromanage. And though they do need direction and help with scheduling, we have to remember that they are just tiny, little people with changing appetites, sleep habits, and moods. I am so thankful that others around me don’t get angry when I only sleep for 6 hours instead of 8!

2007-09-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! We entered Mary Addison in a "Baby, You're Beautiful" contest. This is the picture we entered. The winner gets an awesome photo shoot/package. We would love it if you would vote for her. You only have to vote for one candidate. Thanks for you help! Click here to vote!

Can I go wakeboarding, Daddy?

2007-08-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

Mary Addison is going out on the boat for the first time this weekend. Ed is just a little excited. Thanks to Chris and Kristie, we have an adorable little life jacket. Ok! So it's a little big, but it's adorable!

Family Vacation

2007-08-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Last week was a great week of vacation for the entire family. Ed, Mary Addison, Kelly, Jeremy, Mom, Dad, and I all headed to Edisto Island for a week at the beach. It was Mary Addison's first beach trip, but she was really too young to enjoy it. Though it was miserably hot and the mosquitoes were awful, it was still fun to get away for the week and have helping hands with Mary Addison. Everyone had fun just spending time together and Calahan and Harper Charis could not keep their hands off Mary Addison. At least once a day there was an argument about who was going to hold her.

We did go crabbing...a first for me. Ed and I were also able to do some kayaking, thanks to some friends who let us borrow their yaks. Paddling in the backwaters was fun; we saw lots of crabs and the dolphins came up to swim right beside us. It was not, however, so fun when my husband decided that we needed to take a trip ACROSS the ocean to an island. We were almost at our destination when two sharks swam right under my kayak. Let's just say that I managed to make it back to the dock in about 1/2 the time that it took me to get out there! I think I will stick to kayaking in the lake.

HUGE Milestone

2007-07-31T03:17:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning at 5:45 and realized that for the first time in 14 weeks, I had slept through the night...which also meant my daughter slept through the night!!!! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Now if she will only keep it up!

Summer Update

2007-07-30T04:37:00.000-07:00

It’s 4:30 am on a Sunday morning. My husband is asleep, my daughter is surprisingly asleep, and our friends from out of town are asleep. So why is a sleep deprived, nursing mother up blogging? It’s called heat misery; our air conditioner broke last night, and though yesterday was one of the cooler ones this summer, I am still burning up. How spoiled I am. I got up like 5 times between 11:30 and 4:30 to check on Mary Addison and make sure she was still breathing; I read somewhere that overheated babies were prime candidates for SIDS, so of course I have been paranoid.

We have, for the first time in our lives had a very low key summer. Ed has been staying busy at work and rushes home in the afternoon to spoil his little girl. The lake trips have been pretty sporadic; between finding a baby sitter for Mary Addison and the fact that I am not allowed to wakeboard until I am off the blood thinners, Ed’s desire to be on the lake has been somewhat dampened. We spent last weekend at my cousin’s house on Lake Lanier and Grant and Ed managed to make a few runs while Lily and Mary Addison entertained us. Mandy, Byron, Dickson, and Judah visited this weekend, so Ed and Byron made a quick run to Hartwell while the rest of us had a fun day of running errands and playing at the pool.

Ed has had a few projects this summer to keep him busy; his latest idea was to install an alarm system. After our neighbors and some of our friends were broken into, Ed decided that we needed one as well. Leave it to an engineer to figure out how to install an alarm system. He never ceases to blow my mind with his ability to do anything and everything.

I was playing with Mary Addison on Friday and she started laughing; in the past she has giggled a little, but this was all out laughing. She kept doing it long enough for me to call her Daddy, Gammie, and Gramps to let them hear. She also had her 3-month pictures made on Wednesday. We had a blast at the photoshoot. 3 outfits and 90 pictures later, though, I was miserable sorting through which pose to choose from. I am awful at making decisions and the $10 package that had enticed us was quickly turning into $300. I finally narrowed it down even though I felt like I had somehow done my child a disservice because I didn’t blow money on pictures that would have never been displayed. If she wasn’t so stinking cute, it wouldn’t be a problem. This is a picture from our post-photoshoot once we got home.

Smiles and Laughs

2007-07-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago, Mary Addison started smiling and laughing. This is one shot that my dad got of her looking at her mobile. Just this week, she has begun to smile at Ed when he gets home from work and picks her up; it melts his heart. She also discovered her hands this weekend; she can get her fingers in her mouth the first try and hit her mobile that is attached to her bouncy seat. When I was giving her a bath Saturday night, she just held up her fist and kept moving it slowly back and forth as if to say, "What is this thing?". It is amazing how quickly they grow! I am getting ready to update our web album, so go there to look at new pictures. Some of them are a little old, but they are still adorable!

Look at my smile!

2007-07-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Mary Addison has started smiling and laughing in the past two weeks, as you can see. She turned two months old this Tuesday. It's been a tough week for Little Bit. The doctor switched her acid reflux medicine, which meant a lot of reflux and pain while we waited for the new meds to kick in. Then she had to get 4 vaccination shots at the doctor. Hopefully next week will be a little easier on her. As you can tell in the picture, she doesn't look any worse for the wear. She now weighs a whopping 9 lbs 15 oz (the doctor wrote 10 lbs on the report to make her feel like a "Big Girl") and is 22 inches long.

Our First Vacation

2007-06-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend, our friends Marc and Amanda invited us to their lake house on Lake Greenwood; and so we embarked on Mary Addison's first mini-vacation. The weather, house, and water were all beautiful. The boys went wakeboarding on Saturday while the girls sat on the screened-in porch and enjoyed the view. Mary Addison loved the porch, but her eyes were on the ceiling fans, not the lake. Saturday afternoon, all the adults went out on the lake while Amanda's mom came down and watched Mary Addison for about two hours; the time on the lake was much appreciated. The weekend was filled with lots of grilling out, joking around, and everyone being entertained by Mary Addison. This picture is just another reminder of how much of a "Daddy's Girl" we already have on our hands. At only 8 weeks old, she already loves riding on his shoulders.

What clothes to wear?

2007-06-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been full of lessons to be learned during motherhood: some pleasant, some not so pleasant. One of the lessons that I have quickly become acquainted with is the fact that manufacturers of baby clothes have NO CLUE what size babies really are. Granted, Mary Addison's nickname is "Little Bit", but last week(5 weeks old) she weighed 8 pounds and 3 ounces. I have to think that would classify as a "newborn"; however, none of her newborn clothes fit. We have a closet full of cute outfits and all of them fall off her shoulders.

On Monday, I decided that I was sick of seeing her in Wal-Mart onesies, when she had a closet full of clothes. After rummaging through them all, I realized that most of her outfits would be out of season before they actually fit. I have never been one to like baby dolls or dress up, but Monday afternoon, Mary Addison became my baby doll. I put her in several of her dresses and took pictures, just in case she is unable to wear them before the changing of seasons. As you can see, they swallow her whole. Even still, she manages to come out looking precious! You can check out more of our pictures by clicking here.

There's Always a First Time for Everything...

2007-05-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

The past 3 weeks have held a lot of "firsts" for me...

We left our daughter for the first time overnight this weekend. Ed was in Chris and Lottie Moody's wedding in Columbia. My parents willingly gave up their weekend, crashed at my aunt's house, and played "babysitters" for the weekend. I left her about 7:30pm on Friday night and headed to the rehearsal dinner. I only called to check on her twice during the night...and with no tears. I was at my aunt's house about 8:30the next morning and stayed with Mary Addison until the wedding at 3:30. We went to the wedding and then went to pick up our precious little one. It's amazing how much I missed her in those few short hours! Her daddy was pretty excited to see her as well.

This whole week was full of "firsts" for Mary Addison and I. Here are just a few...

*The first week I have been allowed to drive in 2 1/2 months
*The first time since college that I could care less about checking my email
*The first time in my life that I have NOT been able to get right out of bed and
immediately get in the shower.
*The first time in my life that I am actually sick of taking baths (the doctor has
ordered 3 a day).
*The first time in my life that I am LONGING for sleep.

*Mary Addison's first projectile poop; yes, projectile as in a water gun. Her second projectile poop ended up all over the Patterson's ottoman, when we were visiting Natalie and Adri this week.

*My first experience cleaning up "POOP BLOW OUT". It happened in the car on Thursday. I had taken Mary Addison to Wafuasi Praise Band practice so everyone could see her. We got in the car and started down Pelham when Mary Addison started screaming bloody murder. I pulled into the McDonald's parking lot to find my child sitting in a pile of poop. It was seeping out of her outfit and filling the bottom of her car seat. Her outfit was covered and all I could think of was, "How am I going to get this outfit over her head? Needless to say, by the time we finished changing, she had poop all over her face, back, arms, etc. McDonald's parking lots do NOT make the best place to clean up messes like this.

*My first experience cutting Mary Addison's nails. I have been avoiding this for 3 weeks now, and finally decided that I was sick of seeing my daughter in gloves. She did really well until the last "cutting", when she jerked. I nicked her little thumb and it started bleeding. I felt awful, but Mary Addison didn't seem to notice at all.

Blue Eyes

2007-05-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Mary Addison doesn't do much but sleep at this point; she might look like me, but she sleeps like her Daddy! Here is one shot we were able to get with her eyes open! Click on "Our Family Photos" link to see all her pictures!

Mary Addison's Birth Day

2007-05-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't read Ed's blog, the last few days have been an adventure, to say the least. This has been our journey over the past few days....

1) Thursday, April 26th 1:30 pm---checked into hospital at 7 cm dialted.
2) 3:08pm- Mary Addison arrived after 2 pushes
3) Saturday- Mommy, Daddy, and Mary Addison went home about 1:30pm. 4 hours later Mommy, Daddy, and Mary Addison were back in hospital (Mommy had excessive bleeding/clotting due to blood thinner).
4) Sunday- Mommy had surgery to remove blood clots---
6) Tuesday- Mary Addison is taken to Emergency Room due the fact that the pain meds the doctors put Mommy on sedated baby and we couldn't wake her up.
7) Tuesday pm- Daddy takes Mary Addison to pediatrician; all checks out, pain meds wear off, Daddy and Mary Addison go back to hospital for Mommy
8) Wednesday, 1:00pm- Mommy, Daddy, and Mary Addison go home for the second time.

Please pray for continued healing for me, patience for Ed, and health for Mary Addison. Also continue to pray for Mary Addison. She has a knot on her head from a speedy delivery on the right side of her head. This is very normal, but the doctor said to keep an eye on it. It should be reabsorbed within about 3 weeks.Thank you all for your calls, email, visits, and prayers! We can't wait for you guys to meet her!
Check out Ed's blog (ededwards.blogspot.com) for pictures and more details!

My Hero!

2007-04-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

So, my hero lately has been my husband! I don't see how he continues to do what he does, but he does it anyway! He gets up, gives me a shot, gets ready, goes to work all day and then comes home to do the following: entertain his wife, work in the yard, go to the grocery store, run to the library for his wife, cook and clean up from supper, work in the nursery, play Mr. Fix-It for family members, clean house, fix something that is broken in the house. I know that he is beyond worn out and I am so ready to be up and about and serving my husband again!

Weekends are usually better, due to the fact that he doesn't have to go to work; yesterday however, proved different. This was Ed's Sunday...his day of rest!

6:30 am- Wakes up to a buzzing alarm on his one day to sleep in. Gets up, goes downstairs, and draws up a heparin shot for his wife. Gets upstairs to give her the shot and listens to her cry because her hips are black, blue, and swollen with welts. Holds her hand and lets her cry. Crawls back in the bed and holds her until she calms down.
9:30 am-Gets up and goes to church.
12:00 pm- Takes back baby stuff to Target and buys more baby stuff; his wife is on bedrest and can't leave the house.
1:30 pm- Downloads sermon so his wife can listen to it and be prepared for small group that night
2:00 pm- Builds book shelf for his baby girl
4:00 pm- Discovers that a water main is busted in the garage. Cuts wall out of garage, starts to fix the garage, and calls a plumber to come out!
5:00 pm- Cleans and vaccumms house and prepares to lead small group.
5:45 pm- Meets with plumber as small group starts to arrive.
6:15 pm- Draws up meds and gives wife a shot
6:30-9:00 pm Leads small group
6:00 am- Gets up and goes outside to turn on water main.
6:30 am- gives wife shot
6:40 am- prepares water for wife to use until water main is fixed
6:45 am- goes outside to turn off water main and discovers that the wind storm the night before has blown off tons of shingles off the roof; picks them up; leaves for work.

How did I end up with such an incredible man???

Daddy's Girls

2007-04-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was different, but great this year! The whole family came to our house, since I am still "technically" on modified bed rest. This picture pretty much sums up how Ed adores his "girls". He is already a great Daddy!

Unless Mary Addison decides to come earlier, I will be induced on April 27th! We are very excited to finally meet our little one!

Sleepless Nights....

2007-04-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

I am 36 weeks pregnant and Ed and I were both up all night! Why? Because our daughter was sleeping. Most parents are probably saying, "What is wrong with you people? Praise the Lord when your child sleeps." And believe me, when Mary Addison finally arrives, we WILL praise God when she sleeps through the night.

Our little girl, however, is usually VERY active at night, right before we go to sleep. I realized last night about 8:30 that I hadn't felt her move since about 3pm yesterday afternoon. We didn't worry too much at first, but at 11:30 we were still up, trying every tactic possible to get her to move. Mary Addison usually goes crazy when her Daddy talks to her; poor Ed buried his face in my belly for at least 40 minutes trying to get his baby girl to respond. We sang to her, we "jiggled" her, we even got a flashlight out and tried to get her to respond to the light (my nephew used to go crazy when we would do that to him in the womb). Nothing worked...not even a flutter. Needless to say, neither Ed nor I slept. Ed would wake up every hour and ask me if I had felt her move. I finally broke down at about 3:30am and decided that I would be at the doctor's office right when they opened this morning. I took a shower about 5:00am, then laid back in the bed to wait on Ed to get up. As soon as I laid down, Mary Addison got the hiccups. For the first time in my life, I praised God for hiccups! :)Then, she started moving around like crazy. From 5:45 until 6:45, she didn't stop! I can't begin to describe the relief that overwhelmed both of us.

Tears of joy, exhaustion, and praises to God took over! It was at that moment that I experienced that feeling that all parents at sometimes feel; that feeling of wanting to spank your child because they scared you so bad, but also wanting to hug, kiss, and cry all over them because you are so glad they are safe, healthy, and in your arms (or belly)!

Update on the Edwards's Family

2007-03-26T04:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest update on us... I left work during 7th period on Friday after much probing from some other teachers, my students, and my mother. My leg was a purplish color and was pretty hot to touch. I left school thinking, “Going to the doctor is such a waste of time!” Little did I know that 2 days later I would still be in the hospital. It turns out that I have a blood clot in my right leg. The doctor’s have put me on blood thinner; Ed is now having to play "nurse" and give me injections. I had to stay in the hospital until about 11:30am on Sunday.

The bad news:

I left school without getting any closure with you guys or the students.
Friday will have been my last day of teaching.I am currently on total bedrest (excluding trips to the bathroom and showers) but hope that after a week of this they will put me on partial bedrest.
Shots twice a day for 2 weeks and 3 times a day for 3 months!

The good news:

For once in my life I decided not to be stubborn and listened to the advice of others. I totally believe this was God taking care of me when I was not ready to take care of myself!
The clot is not mobile and has not broken off to travel to my lungs, heart, brain, etc. This is what the meds will prevent!
The medicine will not affect Mary Addison and she seems to be getting along just fine.
We have insurance. The medicine for each month would have cost $3,400; we had to pay $25.
My husband is doing a great job at playing nurse! He hates needles and yet is managing to give me shots multiple times a day.

Please continue to remember us in your prayers. Life is going to be very different for Ed and myself for the next few weeks due to shots and my limited mobility. Also, please pray for the birth of Mary Addison. The doctors are going to try to plan her birth so that they can take me off the blood thinners about 24-48 hours before I deliver. Planning is very important due to the risk of excessive bleeding. The doctor said that if they can't pinpoint her delivery, and she decides to come suddenly, I will not be able to have an epidural or a c-section. If I had to have an emergency c-section, a blood tranfusion would be more than likely. This is a little scary, but I am trusting God to take care of us...He has thus far. Thanks again for all of the prayers and support! I will try to keep you updated!

Thoughts from a pregnant lady...

2007-03-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

Exhausted! Tired! Sleepy! Restless! Impatient! OCD! These are just a few of the words that I would use to describe myself at this point in life! I have to keep reminding myself that it is okay to feel like this..I am 8 months pregnant! But somehow, I find myself getting frustrated at my lack of energy and the things that I feel I SHOULD be able to do, but can't muster up the energy. After working all day, the only thing I want to do when I get home is lay on the couch and veg. The problem...I have been in total "nesting" stage for about the past 3 months; it gets worse as the weeks go by. For someone who is already pretty anal retentive, this can be a dangerous situation. There are days when I feel on the verge of an anxiety attack just by trying to organize my daughter's drawers. What can I say? The hormones are raging!

Men, guys, boys...be prepared. There are few things you need to know before your wife gets pregnant. The following things are NEEDS of hers that you will be the soul provider of:

1) She needs to cry for absolutley no reason at all. And there will be days where she starts crying even harder because she knows that there is no reason for her to be crying. Don't run out the door scared. Just put your arm around her and let the tears flow.

2) She needs massages. No matter how little or big you get while pregnant, carrying around the equivalency of a bowling bowl does some damage on the legs, ankles, and lower back. Give her some massages.

3) She needs to talk. She has 18 million things going on in her head and she is about to drive herself crazy. She needs your input on stupid things, like which drawer to put the baby's pajamas in. Just appease her!

4) She needs to be told she is beautiful. No matter how crappy she looks, no matter how many pairs of pajama bottoms she has put on, she needs to know that you still find her attractive!

5) She needs for you to be sympathetic. Even though you don't know how she feels, she needs to think that you understand. And when she has kept you up all night tossing, turning, and going to the bathroom, remember that she hasn't slept either. Sympathize with her when she talks about how tired she is.

Thankfully, Ed has been pretty good about all of these. I have been averaging about 2 1/2 hours a sleep a night, and poor thing has not once asked me to go sleep somewhere else. He even commented that he doesn't know how I do it each day with that little sleep. Now as far as massages go, Ed DOES manage to sneak in one for himself when he gives me one, but I dont' mind that part. As long as I get to go to sleep each night with him beside me and his hand on my belly, all is well...

Meditations from a Trash Can...

2007-02-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

Groggy eyed, runny-nosed, and a little sick of the idea of going to work, I resolutley pulled out of my driveway and headed to work at about 6:15 am. My mind was quickly filling with the days agenda and to-do list, when something caught my eye. There, in the dark driveway, while everyone else was sleeping, stood my trash can. This isn't something that should have come as a surprise to me; every Tuesday morning, the trashmen come by, which means that every Monday night, Ed takes the trash can to the road. But this morning, I was overwhelmed with gratefullness for the little things my husband does to make my life a little easier.

Ed's not a great husband just because he takes the trash out. I was just in shock that Ed had worked all day, came home, cleaned out my car, hung a porch swing for his daughter that is on the way, and finally managed to grab some left-over supper about 10pm.....THEN he took the trash out. I need to remind myself of this when I get so frustrated with him for not doing other things around the house that I deem as important. I think I would be shocked to see how much he does for me if God were to show me a slideshow of all of the little things Ed does on a daily basis. I guess the saying is true, "You never know what you have until it's gone!" I just want to spend the rest of my life trying to appreciate what I have BEFORE it's gone! Thanks, God, for blessing me with a helpmate, a partner, a friend!

Blessings

2007-02-04T02:27:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was able to sit in the presence of 800 teenagers who spent their Saturday night at a conference learning about dating, relationships, and sex according to how God designed it. Not only were there 800 youth, but approximately 500 parents as well. I sat in my seat, surrounded by my 10th grade discipleship girls and some of my students from school and realized that there IS hope for the future. His name is Jesus Christ. And though our world is completely screwed up, immoral, and looking in all the wrong places for answers, God reminded me that there have been other generations that have been just as sinful as ours that He has reached out to, changed, and used for His glory.

As I pondered on these observations, I was stirred out of my musings by my dear friend, Justin's, voice. Justin was the MC for the conference that evening. As Justin was talking, I glanced to my left to see yet another friend, Ashley, running around behind the scenes. She was in charge of orchestrating the entire conference. Right in front of me, my husband was taking pictures; he and about 10 other Godly men had been responsible for providing tickets to about f100 of the students. The more I looked around me, the more amazed I was at the amount of my mid 20's to early 30 aged peers who had decided to spend their Saturday night with a bunch of teenagers. There were other Discipleship group leaders sitting on uncomfortable steps, singing hyped up praise songs, surrounded by youth. One of my friends, Tavarus, had come simply to show support for this incredible conference.

And that's when it hit me. If God could pull us out of the muck and mire of our generation, then surely He could do the same with the generation of students that sat before us. I am so blessed to be surrounded by Christian brother's and sister's whom I also refer to as "friend". It is my prayer that this next generation will experience God in the same ways that I have been blessed to experience Him in my short lifetime.

Sleepless Nights

2007-02-04T02:21:00.000-08:00

It's 5 am on a Sunday morning and I am up on my computer blogging? Why? Because I can't sleep. It's not that I want to sleep, I just can't. This seems to be the story of my life. Even pregnant, and being exhuasted all the time, I can't sleep. Perhaps my body is just keeping itself for prepared for midnight feedings once Tiny Tot arrives. Whatever it is, it's annoying.

What's super annoying, however, is the fact that my husband could go to bed at 7 at night and sleep until 2 the next afternoon with no problem whatsoever! How do people do that?

The only good thing that occurs from these sleep nights is that I am able to get some work done around the house. What I really need to do right now is vacuum. I do not think, however, that my sleeping beauty husband would approve of that notion.

I feel old!

2007-01-18T02:09:00.000-08:00

I got an email today from a girl I new in high school. When I saw the heading on the email, I could feel my skin gaining a few more wrinkles and my eye sight starting to fade.
It read, "EGHS 10 Year Reunion". My first instinct was, "Surely someone sent this to me by mistake. But my math expertise kicked in and I soon realized that 10 years HAD indeed passed since high school. WOW! How quickly time flies. It's funny to me, however, that those high school years are referred to as "The Glory Days". The only thing glorious I remember about high school, was that bell siginifying the end of the day!

15 Weeks and Counting

2007-01-18T01:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have posted a blog. I thought I would be doing this like crazy once I got pregnant, but it's amazing what my time on the computer has turned into. When I am not doing stuff for work, I am continually checking out the latest reviews/recalls on baby strollers and bouncy seats. I have 15 weeks left and pregnancy thus far has been absolutley incredible.

This was a typical day in my life during the first 14 weeks: Wake up, go to work, come home, lay on the couch, read on the couch, watch tv on the couch, sleep on the couch, go from the couch to the bed...and start the whole thing over again in the morning.

Week 15 hit and it was as if I were a totally different person. I had energy out the wazoo, and much to Ed's chagrin, my desire to prepare the house for our little girl was at a peak! We painted the nursery and put crown molding up over Christmas. We are currently in the process of tiling our kitchen, and once that is finished, we have to redo some furniture for our "tiny tot's" room.

Besides a few migraines, pregnancy has been absolutley incredible. I have felt more NORMAL these past 25 weeks than I've ever felt in my life. My husband has decided that I need to stay pregnant all the time.

I started feeling the baby move about 2 weeks ago. Ed is also able to feel her moving around. On Sunday night, he was talking to the baby, with his mouth pressed against my belly. She apparently knows her Daddy's voice, because she kicked him in the mouth. He absolutley loved it. He began talking again, and she repeated this action a few times. It was precious. I can already tell that I've got a Daddy's girl on my hands....and I can't wait to see him in that role!

Baby News!!!!

2006-12-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

IT'S A GIRL! We will post pictures of her ultrasound later on. Right now we are pooped! Keep the prayers coming!

Yellow means STOP!!!!!

2006-11-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Yellow means STOP! I learned this lesson the hard way today. I was on my way home from work and decided to head through a yellow light, not realizing that it was on the verge of turning red. I was side swiped by another car----and left in shock and fear...

I've learned a few things today...

1. My baby is a fighter! We went to the OBGYN as soon as we left the scene of the crime. The baby's heart was just a-beatin' and we actually got to see it move a little. It was moving it's mouth a lot...I think baby was telling Mommy..."I didn't like that!"

2. I have some very dependable friends and family. Ed was supposed to be hunting, and since I knew he wouldn't answer his phone, I called Justin to ask him to text message Ed ( I am not that technologically inclined). Justin, Ed's ever-faithful best friend, just happened to know that Ed was already at home asleep. After several trys of trying to call him, Justin finally got through.
I had managed to get in touch with my mom, who managed to get from Hendersonville to the doctor's office before we did. And before the investigation was even through, my aunt showed up to be with me. Mom stayed the evening to make sure I was resting and she got to see the baby with us as well.

3. My husband will forever be sarcastic...it's how he handles stress. After hugging me, then rubbing my belly, the first thing he said was, "You'll do anything to get an extra ultrasound, won't ya?". Gotta' love someone to make you laugh when all you want to do is cry!

4. God is faithful and has a bagillion angels watching out for us!

5. Yellow lights are there for a reason! I don't see myself ever going through another one!!!!

God's ways are not my own!

2006-11-07T04:29:00.000-08:00

I have never pretended to understand how God, in His infinite wisdom, works. This week has reassured me that "my ways are not his own". One of my dearest friends delivered her baby 3 months early. The baby was born with severe lung infections and hemorrages on both sides of the brain; he died 3 days later. Another acquaintence and her husband went to find out the sex of their baby, and when they started doing the ultrasound, they realized that the baby's heart had stopped beating. Both of these women have already suffered through one miscarriage. Praise God these women have Him to depend on; there is no other way they could suffer through.

Upon hearing these devestating stories, my immediate response was to worry about our little one. The waiting process is so hard; you go for 1 month between each appointment, not knowing if the heart is beating, not knowing if the baby is growing, not knowing if the baby is okay. The sadder I got, the more I realized how stupid it was to worry; worrying surely wasn't going to help anything. In the end, the words of a very wise woman (my sister-in law) came back to me. She told me at the beginning of this pregnancy, "Julie, this isn't your baby, it's God's. And though it's hard to believe, He loves this baby even more than you do!"

Wow! Talk about words that make you rethink who you are and why you are here. I have been constantly praying for this child, but constantly reminding myself that this is not MY child, it's God's....and His plans are much bigger than mine!

With all of that said, the baby and I are doing great. I am finally starting to get some energy back. Ed is still floating in the clouds, greeting me at home with a kiss, and then beginning his daily ritual of talking to and kissing the baby (or my stomach). I finally started showing last week. It's amazing how you just wake up one morning and your belly has popped. I am almost 15 weeks at this point, and the doctor's say that within the next 5 weeks, I should start feeling the baby move; we are pumped about that experience. We find out the sex of the baby on December 7th and promise to blog as soon as we find out. In the meantime, we covet your prayers.

Baby Update

2006-09-19T17:46:00.002-07:00

Wow! Wow! And more WOW!!!! We got to see our little boogermunch's heartbeat today (and yes, there is only one). It was so cool to be just looking at this blob and then all of a sudden to see this little heart just beating like crazy!!! The doctor leaned over and said, "It's hard to believe that a living creature is living inside your body, huh?". When he walked out the door, he looked at Ed and said, "Bye Dad!". You should have seen Ed's face beam with joy. I am still trying to convince myself this is all real. Please continue to pray for Baby Edwards. My delivery date is the first week in May....yeahhhh! We won't find out the gender until close to Christmas, but we will keep our blog updated with all the latest and greatest news! We love you guys!

Julie

Julie gives up wakeboarding

2006-09-01T06:41:00.001-07:00

Click here for the story: http://ededwards.blogspot.com

Opposites DO Attract!

2006-08-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know Ed, you know that he is ALWAYS on top of things. He knows where everything is, when everything needs to get done, etc, etc, etc. The fact that he married "Miss Absent Minded" herself blows my mind. In the years that we have been together, he is slowly starting to learn to live with my antics and show me unconditional love and PATIENCE through the circumstances (though I know he is probably about to blow a gasket). This was exemplified on Sunday night. We had been home for about 3 hours, when Ed inquired about the whereabouts of his phone. I had been the last one to use it, and so of course I should remember where I had placed it. I was quite frustrated that he had the audacity to interrupt "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" and quickly told him, "I think I left it in the car!". Ed went outside and left me drooling over Ty Pennington. When he walked in a few minutes later, I heard the door open, but he said nothing. "Did you find it honey?," I asked. Ed's reply was calm, yet quite monotone. "Yep, and my phone does NOT like lemonade!"

"What???" I asked. And then a picture came to my mind. Ed had placed his lemonade in the cup holder...the same place that I had placed his phone!!!! Needless to say, Ed's phone gave up the ghost. If you try to call him in the next few days, you better try him at home! What a patient husband!!!!!

So Stinkin' Sinful

2006-08-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

“ I am so stinkin sinful”. These were some words I used to describe myself to Ed today. A long time ago, I realized that one of my major “thorns” in life relates to my body image. Whether I’m a 21 year old weighing 84 lbs and dying with anorexia, or a 27 year old who is slightly overweight due to PCOS, I can’t seem to grasp the fact that God is NOT concerned with my appearance. I found myself in a totally bitter state today, putting myself down, belittling myself continuously and getting more and more frustrated at the fact that God has chosen to NOT let me be in control of what my body looks like. (All of this started because Ed and I had seen some pictures of people from high school who turned out to be absolutely beautiful; instead of being happy for them, I was belligerent at the fact that God had not allowed such good fortune for me….absurd, I know.)

Knowing that this was very unhealthy thinking and that I was responding to some heart issue that needed to be dealt with, I turned to scripture to seek some refuge from my flesh. This was the scripture that God led me to…

“ Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1: 21-22).

If I could just lay hold of the fact that God has done all of that for ME, maybe I would come to realize that God is pretty happy with me, just the way I am.

Peru Mission Trip

2006-07-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

It's now been four days since we've returned from Peru, and I am now recovered enough to try and write about such an incredible experience. Let me start by apologizing for being unable to put into words what a life-changing journey it was. I can't begin to list everything that happened, so I am just going to comment on the things that stuck out.

Peru In General-
Lima is pretty cultured, but you still can't drink the water there, or use it to brush your teeth.
Cieneguilla was poverty stricken:
-men pull huge carts, usually drawn by horses, loaded about 15 feet high with t
trash bags...these are your garbage men
-you can't put your toilet paper in the toilet; you have to put it in a trash
can,which makes for smelly bathrooms.
- the mountains are made of dirt and rock; it hasn't TRULY rained there in 55
years (it mists all the time, but never really rains)
- we were in a valley; it was really cool to be totally surrounded by mountains,
even though they were made of dirt
- People drive like maniacs and there are no regulations for how many people
should be allowed in a combie (bus) or cab. We had 12 people in a 5 seater cab.

Peruvian People-
The people were extremely friendly, especially the owners of Mahanaiem, the place that we stayed. Loendare and his wife Rosa ran the place, along with Felix, our cook. On the July 4th, they decorated the entire retreat center in red, white, and blue, served American food (as American as they could prepare it), and staged an unbelievable fireworks show for us). Some other Peruvians joined in the celebration and loved singing the American songs with us.

Peruvian Food-
Chicken, rice, potatoes, chicken, rice, potatoes, chicken, rice, potatoes, chicken, rice, potatoes....and if you want a real treat, GUINEA PIG is a delicatessen in Peru. A few of our youth and leaders, including Ed, tried it! I couldn't bear to look at it. It is served with all of it's parts in tact, and I could think of nothing but Rufus, my cousin's pet guinea pig!

Things I learned About Myself-
I am extremely spoiled; I love warm water, drinking out of faucets, brushing my teeth with tap water, a variety of food, paved roads, television, internet, and a million other things that I learned to deal without while I was there.

I miss working with the youth at church. Teaching middle school has kept me at bay from the youth group until now. I will no longer be working in the children's department, but will carry out my passion to influence youth from the classroom to church.

I am called to be a mother, and whether we have one on our own or not, I know we are called to adopt.

The Orphanage-
Wow! Wow! And more Wow! There were so many kids there that I could have taken home. My heart bled for two, Gracie and Alex (American names that we substituted for Peruvian ones). Ed was pretty selfish, not wanting anyone else to hold Gracie. And though I tried to share Alex with the other members of our team, my desire was to steal every last minute with him. Please pray that God will give us direction about pursuing adoption, be it with these two beautiful children, or children in America. We are still seeking direction and have no clear answers as of yet.

Peruvians work harder than Americans. We were building onto the orphanage while we were there. We would leave at 5pm with a brick wall 1/4 of the way done, to find it finished the next day at noon! It was unbelievable. And not only do they work quicker, but they use NONE of our technology...no bobcats, forklifts, backhoes, etc. Heck! They don't even use workgloves! They were amazed that we were willing to fork over our .99 cents Home Depot gloves! We are so ungrateful!

What I Took Home-
I love doing mission work with my husband and hope to do more!
I love youth!
My brother is an incredible youth leader!
I got to know some awesome youth leaders!
The Lord still has a lot of work to do with me yet!

Summer Vacation!

2006-06-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Being that I have the summer off of work, the words "summer vacation" are often misinterpreted. Ed seems to think that "summer vacation" is those three months that I don't have to work. When I say "summer vacation," however, I am referring to an actual trip out of town. For summer vacation this year, my dad's side of the family all decided to take a trip to Kiawah Island together this summer. The trip was greatly anticipated as everyone envisioned their idea beach trip with the family. The problem??? The ideal beach trip was envisioned differently for each of those 21 people.

The whole week was quite a juggling act. We 21 vacationers consisted of planners and free-foaters, early birds and sleepy heads, athlethes and couch potatoes, dominators and dominatees, pleasers and confrontationalists....you get the idea. Throw in 4 kids under the age of 5 and a pregnant lady, and you have a nap time, feeding time nightmare! Somehow, however, we managed to work it all out! We actually had a pretty good time.

Mom, Dad, Calahan, Harper and I drove down in the mini-van together on Saturday. Kel and Jer joined us on Monday afternoon. We had a great time and the kids kept us entertained, but I realized how little fun I have when Ed is not around (he had to work). My week got a lot better on Thursday night, when Ed was finally able to join us. Our days were spent on the beach, in the ocean, in the pool, and on the bikes! We had a blast! Aunt Belva, Ashley, and I did a 22 mile bike ride; I thought Belva was going to kill me when it was through.

Ed and I went kayaking the last morning we were there. We had been out for about 30 minutues, when Ed finally slowed down enough to let me catch up. When he turned around to take my picture, he started freaking out. Though I knew that I was having trouble paddling, I didn't know that it was due to the fact that I was carrying a kayak full of water, due to a hole in the rear compartment. The back of my kayak was about 1/2 inch above the water. We hurriedly paddled over to the nearest dock, one of four that was attached to that particular house. We dumped the water and then Ed paddled the leaky kayak back to swap them out, while I hung out on the dock of at least a 15 million dollar house (seriously)! I am glad to say that he made it safely back and we continued on our excursion. We paddled out to the ocean and saw about 5 dolphins on the way back! It was incredible! One of the dolphins was in about 5 feet from my kayak and swam alongside of me for quite a while!

We returned home late last night, and I must say that I was glad to be home. I have come to realize, however, just how boring my life would be without Ed around. He takes me on adventures that I would never think to pursue on my own. I love married life!
Check out the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/ededwards

Correct Craft Masters Ski/Wakeboard Tournament

2006-06-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

When most people talk about "The Master's" they are referring to golf. When Ed and I talk about going to "The Masters" we are referencing a wakeboarding/ski tournament in Calloway Gardens, Georgia. The tournament is held on Memorial Day Weekend each year; last year was our first adventure to this awesome event, but we got hooked and found ourselves making plans to be there again this year.

The weekend began with us heading to my cousin's house in Gainesville on Friday after work. We spent the night there, got up early Saturday morning, and continued south toward Calloway. The competitions were awesome. Only the best of the best water sport athletes are invited to attend this event, and Ed and I stood in awe of their talent. Our favorite event was the wakeboarding, of course, and we found ourselves secretly wishing that our kids would long to be professional wakeboarders. We are such dorks!

Ed and I arrived at the Days Inn in Lagrange about 10pm and were quite exhausted. As I went to climb in the bed, I was greeted by a huge wet spot on both the sheets. Completely grossed out, we called downstairs and were moved to their only available room...The honeymoon suite. We went from bad hotel experience to nightmarish hotel experience. Upon walking in the room, we discovered narcissistic heaven. There were mirrors EVERYWHERE! There were tile mirrors above the bed, as the headboard, on the walls, and over surrounding the hot tub. At 11pm, however, I was beyond caring. I grabbed all the towels that were in the room and covered every aspect of the bed. I refused to sleep on my back and went to sleep with my head under my pillow, hoping to avoid the 50 mirror images that I was seeing of myself and Ed. It was quite an experience.

After making a quick departure from Hotel Hell the next morning, we headed back to Calloway to enjoy some more of the tournament and then went back to my cousin's house on Lake Lanier. We spent the rest of the day Sunday and all day Monday wakeboarding and enjoying some much needed time on the water!

Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger!

2006-05-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

I went to a wedding this weekend, but it felt more like a Clemson reunion! It was great!
Melanie Reid and Brian Grooms were married this weekend and over half of the guests were Clemson grads. Anybody who knows Mel would know that CU is going to be represented if she is around, but I had no idea how it would play into the wedding. Be it the orange wedding dresses, the orange flowers, the CU Tiger paw ice sculpture, the orange candy, or the Tiger mascot that showed up at the reception...Tiger Fever was in the air.

About half-way through the reception, the DJ asked for all of the Clemson grads to come to the dance floor. We all started singing the alma mater, and I realized how cool it was that years after graduation, the CU grads could still recite their alma mater. How often does that happen? We then entered into the Tiger Rag followed by a couple of chants, once again, with everyone singing their part. The exciting part, however, was that most of us knew each other.

So what's the point? Tiger Fever is contagious. Yes, Clemson has their fair share of obnoxious fans. But Clemson also instills a sense of family; that family doesn't dissipate when you graduate, it just matures into something else! It's so neat to be a part of such a school and family!

I am Alive!

2006-05-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ok! So it's been forever since I've blogged. Life has been busy and blogging has not been on my list of priorities, I must say. Ed and I also heard on a radio station that people over the age of 30 should be prohibited from blogging....so I guess I better pick up the pace for the next 2 1/2 years...before I am too old! Just to clue you guys in on what is going on (that is if anyone still reads my blogs).

School is over in a week and I can't wait!

God has given me an awesome opportunity to mentor/homebound teach one of my student's who has an eating disorder. How cool was HE to handpick her for my class.

The doctors at UVA (and mainly God) are moving in the right direction for getting my body straightened out. After 3 1/2 years of doctors telling me they didn't know what was wrong, I was finally diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. After 3 months of meds, I have started loosing weight and actually ovualted for the first time on my own....ever! (Most girls don't get too excited about this)!

Ed and I are still praying for babies...and asking God if we should continue to wait or seek adoption. We appreciate all the prayers you can send our way!

Ed and I are going to Peru on a missions trip this summer. We are going to be doing construction on an orphanage and fellowshiping with the kids....I can't wait!

My 52 year old mother started back to college to get a bachelor's degree. She is one of the smartest women I know, but will not feel complete until that Associates degree has been outdone by a Bachelor's! We are quite proud of her for her determination!

Ed and I are taking the boat out for the second time this year with Cami and Justin. The water is still cold, but if you're up for some good wakeboarding, give us a call!

Why don't people listen?????

2006-02-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

Ok! So this is definitely a "post box" blog, so if you don't want to hear ranting and raving, don't read this. I am SO sick of people not listening to me when I try to warn them about the seriousness of eating disorders. I know people who are letting their kids starve themselves to death, and just blowing it aside like it is no big deal. What in crap is wrong with them? They act like it's no big deal and that it can be fixed whenever they decide to take notice. Do I need to bring them the death certificates of girls that have died from anorexia? Do I need to tell them how much money it is going to cost them when they have to send their child to treatment? Do I need to tell them about all of the doctors, therapists, hospitals their daughter is going to have to endure? How can I explain to them how this is going to RUIN their daughter's life as well as their own? You would think that people would listen to someone who has been a pro? I just don't get it!!!!!

How Do People Survive

2006-02-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

An email was recently forwarded to me that included a long list of stupid things that people say and do. The title of the email was, "How do these people survive?". I found myself laughing hysterically, until I realized that I myself have done some unmentionable things that could be deemed just as stupid. I then thought about all of the people I know who could add to this list. I have started my own list below. The following situations have taken place by either family or friends. I have been kind enough to leave the names anonymous. Please feel free to add to the list. I would love to hear your stories...

1. A young man was spending the weekend with family. They had gathered in the kitchen Saturday morning to eat breakfast. As he poured himself a bowl of cereal, he inquired, "Where do you guys keep the milk?".

2. A young girl was writing a research paper for class when she inquired, "How do you spell 'VCR'?".

3. One afternoon, a lady and her daughter were staring out the window when she noticed that a nearby building was on fire. She quickly ran to the phone book and began furiously flipping through the pages. Her young daughter asked, "Mom, what are you doing?" "Honey, I'm looking up the number for the fire department!!!" The little girl quietly said, "Try 9-1-1, Mom".

4. A man was driving his wife's car one day, when he noticed that something was wrong with the manual brake. He decided to stick his hand down in the console, in order to see if he could fix it. He didn't fix the brake, but he did manage to get his hand and half of his arm stuck in between the brake and the console. He drove the 30 minute drive home with his right arm tightly sandwiched between the two. When he arrived home, he called his wife on his cell phone and asked, "Honey, can you come out to the car? I need some help!".

Blog Advice

2006-02-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

My husband and his "Oh So Mature" Dillon boys can post a comment about eating dookie sandwiches and get 4,000 comments. I post serious blogs and get no responses. The moral to the story is this.....If you want people to comment on your blog, write totally pointless entries!

A Whole Lot of Braggin' Going On!

2006-02-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a school board meeting....and it wasn't even for my school district. M,y cousins attend school in our rival school district and I found myself at their board meeting because my "little" cousin, Jonathan was being honored...and in a big way.

Jonathan's whole life has been drums. He has given up summers for band camp, weeknights for lessons, and vacations for drum competitions. He was the drum captain of Dorman High School this year, when he decided to enter THE Marine Drum and Bugle Corp. Notice that I said, "THE"; there is only one in all of the armed forces. Thought there are different military bands, the Marines are the only branch that has a Drum and Bugle Corp. If you know nothing about drums or music, this probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but go o their website, Bhttp://www.drumcorps.mbw.usmc.mil/, and read the requirements for auditions. And then take these two things into consideration....

1. There were only four slots in the country avaliable for the percussion section.
2. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, Jonathan had only 3 days to prepare!

I cried through the whole ceremony. It is so neat to see a kid that I invested so much time in growing up and becoming a man. I helped paint his baby's nursery, yet in a few months, he will be a Marine...one of the few and the proud, fighting for MY freedom! Talk about a "WOW" moment!

Unshared Thoughts

2006-02-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a feeling, that, no matter how illogical your thoughts, you just couldn't make it go away? They are those feelings that you are embarrassed to share with anyone else, because you know that they won't understand. And even if they're trying their best to empathize with you and support your struggle, they just can't. They can't, because they have no concept of those feelings. They've never been there. They've never gone through that.

I've been experiencing a lot of those lately, and I am now willing to share. This is confession time for me, and so I confess.....

When I am in the baby aisle at Target and I find myself surrounded by blossoming bellies, I run out of the store and hide the tears within the safe confines of my metal car doors.

When I go to baby showers, and people are sharing all of their pregnancy stories, I make an excuse as to why I have to leave early; seeing the road on the drive home is difficult through tear laden eyes.

When I find out a friend is pregnant, I rage with anger, and then jealousy, and then guilt for the anger and jealousy, and then extrememe emptiness. This all happens within a 30 minute time span, and then I can be happy for the expectant mom and dad.

When I discover someone has an adoption "plan" in store, I get angry that they have a plan and that Ed and I's only plan for the past three years has been the "waiting plan".

When I find out someone is having a baby, I want to yell out, "And how long did you and YOUR husband try to get pregnant? Were ya'll even TRYING to have a baby?".

When someone says to me, "You'll understand when you're a mom," I want to call them every horrible four letter name I can think of, reminding them that I have spent the last three years "trying" to have that opportunity.

When I see a mom yelling at her kids, or saying, "Your life will never be the same once you have kids!," I want to say, "We don't WANT our life to be the same! We want the dirty diapers, and the nights of crying, and the nights of feeding roations."

I feel awful when I think thiese things. Like I said before, I know they aren't logical; they're completely insane, irrational, ridiculous. Most of the people I have these thoughts towards are people I dearly love; that makes the thoughts seem even more illogical.

While wrestling through this guilt this week, I found some comfort....my husband has them too. And I am going to make the assumption that everyone who has ever struggled with infertility has these feelings too. In that, I have found some consolation....

The Glory of the King!

2006-01-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

God has been totally revealing Himself to me through nature lately. This should come as no surprise, since scripture blatantly states, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." What an awesome God we serve for Him to reveal His power through something as beautiful as a sunset, a rainstorm, or a waterfall.

Today, it was through a flower. One of my students brought me tulips for my birthday on Monday. This morning, during some free time, my "problem child" student (who I happen to love to death) and I were standing at my desk. We just HAPPENED (though I now know it was God) to be staring at those tulips. All of a sudden, one of the tulips started opening. Never before have I seen a flower actually blossom before my eyes! We both stared in disbelief, him speechlessly pointing, me with my mouth agape. When it stopped moving, he yelled, "Did you SEE that??? That rocked!" I was in awe! That is the only word I can think to describe it!

How cool is God. And as this child left my room, I couldn't help but pray, "Lord, please let him see Your power through that flower. Let him understand that you could allow his life to blossom, just like that tulip, if he would allow Your power to enter in."May you all experience the power of God as revealed through His nature this week!

YIKES! I'M GETTING OLD!!!

2006-01-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

With my 27th birthday fast approaching, I began thinking about how old I am getting. One of my friends from high school called yesterday and we discussed the fact that next year will be our 10 year high school reunion (not that I'll go)! YIKES! Am I really that old? I sit in class and hear some of the 7th grade girls carry on the same conversations that my friends and I had just yesterday...or so it seemed like just yesterday! Man, the days really do fly by!

It's kind of neat to take a break and think about how many friends God has brought in and out of my life over the years. I remember thinking that I could only have ONE best friend...I am glad that God thought differently. I now have incredible friends all over the country, who have been very integral parts of specific time periods in my life. Thanks to ALL of you for playing such a huge part in my life when I most needed you!

Oh Christmas Tree

2006-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who we didn't get a Christmas Card to, this was our tree this year. It was originally 15 1/2 feet tall, but we cut it down a few to fit it in the house.

When the bell rings....

2005-12-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

It's 3:06 pm, after a busy Tuesday in middle school. The halls are silent. I sit at my computer in awe of the silence that exists just seconds after a barricade of students have rampaged the halls, headed in all different directions. It is as this point in my day that I am usually scrambling around trying to hurry and get home, but today, I just sit. My heart is heavy. I can't help but wonder whhat happens when the bell rings. That bell symbolizes so many different things for so many different people.
For me, like so many teachers, the bell is a symbol of freedom, announcing the end of a harried day. And for some of my students, they relate with the "freedom" bell.
For others, however, it is a "lonliness bell".... reminding them of the isolation they will face on the bus ride home, the jaunting remarks that will fill their ears as they look for someone to sit with. It is a reminder that when they get home, there will be no one there to welcome them, just an empty house, where they must fend for themself while mom works through the night.
For some, it is a "wanting bell"...a reminder that when they go home, there will still be no heat, no food, no clothes. They want only for the necessities of life, and they will stay wanting...for only at school are they housed, fed, and clothed.
For others, it is a bell of warning, signaling them to stay as far away from the pain and abuse that fill the walls of that place they call home. Though the caustic remarks of teenagers may hurt a little, it can't compare with the physical pain that a blow from Dad leaves behind.
So many days have passed by, when that "freedom bell" rings, and I realize that I did not provide that extra time for that student who hears the "lonley bell"; the day is done and I did not sacrafice for that child who hears the wanting bell; the day has passed me by and I have not hugged that child that hears the "warning bell".
Maybe tomorrow, when that bell rings to start the day, I will remember all of the different tunes that bell plays, and those tunes will resonate through my ears, so that I cannot forget their songs.

Exhausted with Life!

2005-11-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

I read this today from the Beth Moore book, Breaking Free. It sums up my life at this point in time, and so I thought I would share!

"When we're most exhausted, we're expending more energy fighting the enemy than we are seeking God's presence. More than you seek to win, seek Christ! More than you seek to defeat the enemy, seek his foe! More than you seek victory, seek the Victor! You'll never be more beautiful to God than when He can look down and see you hanging on to Him for dear life!"

If we could just crawl up on our Dad's feet, hold onto His hands, and let Him do the walking, we are bound to end up exactly where He wants us to go!!

Tradition!

2005-11-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

My brother andI grew up with parents who made it a priority to make our holidays the best ever. Halloween held one of my favorite tradtions. Before the typical trick-or-treating adventure, Halloween night always started with the traditional Halloween dinner: jack-o-burgers and maggots, served with a side of skeleton bones and witches nails. Blood, bee guts, and ghost puss gave some added flavor, and we washed it all down with withch's brew or lightining bug juice.

We opted out of going trick or treating last night, but the Halloween dinner tradition has continued. My parents came down last night, and we were able to prepare this scrumptuos supper for them. We can't wait to share this great experience with our kids as well.

Words Words Words

2005-10-27T04:04:00.000-07:00

As an English teacher, I learn new words everyday. Some of those words, however, I learn from my students. For some reason, those words don' seem to show up in the dictionary. These are two of the words I learned today, while checking a Vocabulary test:

obickoworys- notice of the death of a person, usually found in the newspaper; sometimes spelled obituaries

adrasrate-to enlarge; to overstate beyond the bounds of truth; sometimes spelled exaggerate

In the market for a baby!

2005-09-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Ed and I are new to this whole adoption thing. We are starting to do some research, find out about the different types of adoptions, etc. We purchased a 500 page book, written by the attorney we will probably use, if we do indeed decide to adopt.

As I worked out on the eliptical today, I was doing a little "light" adoption reading. I stumbled across something that sent me in such a state of shock that I just started laughing out loud. When going through private/independant adoption, it is a standard to practice to do the following things:
*List an add in the newspaper for a baby
*Make adoption business cards with your info on the back
* Write adoption letters to your friends, colleagues, and family members, stating your intentions to adopt and asking them to market for you, and keep their ears open for any prospective babies that might be up for adoption.

OKAY! So, my husband is quite good at marketing things, but a baby????? Wow! If we decide to go that route, that will definatley be a challenge!

What will today hold?

2005-09-09T03:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was in fact exciting for the Keever/Edwards household. Ed and I embarked on a new and different journey yesterday; we attended our first adoption meeting. Though we are not certain of God's direction for our life, adoption is a big possibility. We were very impressed with what we discovered about SC's adoption procedures and met some really neat couples who have adopted. It was amazing to hear how God's hand had been so evident in each of their individual stories.

When the phone rang later that evening, Ed and I thought my parents were calling to see how the meeting went. Daddy let me ramble on and on, before telling me that he had some exciting news to share. He began a long, emotion-filled recount, that boiled down to one thing: Daddy spent yesterday at the personal home of Billy Graham, met the great evangelist, and prayed with him on his front porch. He later played with the Graham's dogs and then spent one and half hours talking "guns" with their youngest son. He is apparently an avid marksman. Talk about an unforgettable day! WOW!

And if yesterday, which started out so normal, turned so extraordinary in a matter of seconds, you have to wonder what today might hold.....

A DATE WITH MY HUSBAND

2005-08-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dinner and a movie??? Nah! Ed and I had a better idea today! We spent the day on the Lake with Chris and Christy, wakebaording until we could barely move. We had a quick supper at Taco Bell then headed home to crash! Ed deemed it "No TV or Computer Night", so we spent the evening scrubbing each others feet and giving each other massages. Does it get any better???? I should say not!!!

Some people don't have a clue!

2005-08-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

School has started and I have learned one truth during the past four years of teaching....it's not the students who are a problem...it's the parents. Yes, the kids are sometimes a little rambunctious, but when it comes to being rude, disrespectful, and having no social skills, it's usually the parents who steal the show. These are some of my favorite quotes from parents:

"Don't worry Mrs. Edwards! I encourage my son to read every night. Does Playboy count?"
"Mrs. Edwards, you DO have a master's degree, you of all people should know that 8th graders can't be expected to do a research paper."
A phone call in which a parent had me wait for 7 minutes on the phone, her husband relaying her progress of getting out of the bed and to the telephone the entire 7 minutes. Did I mention that it was 11:30 when I called?
"What kind of grades did you make in college? I ask because I think you are too dependant on spell check. You misspelled ONE word on a letter you sent home.
"Mrs. Edwards, I know that my child turned in that project. I did the whole thing for her!"
"Mrs. Edwards, I know that my child flipped you off and ran out of your class, but I think it's because he has been being bullied at school!"

Like I said, the parents are such joys to work with! Don't you wish you were a teacher????

Moral Crashers!

2005-08-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ed and I went to see "Wedding Crashers" tonight...which turned out to be incorrectly titled. It should have been named "Moral Crashers". This movie isn't just non-Christian, it's totally immoral. I saw more boobs in the first 20 minutes of that movie than I've seen in my entire womanhood! What in the world. We stayed a little while longer, thinking that the worst was over; not so much! Ed and I eventually got up and left about half way through the movie.
We both agreed that we felt as if we needed to take baths in Clorox, just to clean the filth from our minds. I left feeling sad! Not only has this world done away with the sacredness of the consititution of marriage, but now they have made sex nothing more than personal fulfillment, lust, and short-term gratification. It wasn't supposed to be like that; God intended sex to be a blessing, beautiful and good. How sad that people live their whole lives not ever experiencing true love and missing the entire blessing of what sex with one person, within a marriage can fulfill. And though I felt sad and dirty when we left that movie, I was also grateful! Grateful for a husband that is godly enough to make the call to leave, grateful enough to have parents that raised me by example, showing me what real love is all about. And grateful for the opportunity to experience true love, not only from my husband, but also from God.

No better time!

2005-08-01T17:59:00.001-07:00

I drove to Charlotte today to spend some time with two of my former students from Fort Mill. On the drive down, I was reminded of how awesome it is to be alone in the car with God. I prayed for almost an hour and half and was amazed at how God was willing to show His presence in a Mitsubishi Galant. Just a reminder that if you think you don't have time for one-on-one with God, use some of that down time in the car!!!

The Land of the Missing!

2005-07-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have decided that there is a land that people often visit in which they seem to fall off the face of the earth. There are signs that let you know that peole are going to venture to this land. It starts with simple things. They stop having to time to watch tv, go out to eat with friends, etc. It gradually becomes more serious. Months go by without phone calls, letters, emails, or heaven forbid...BLOGS!!! Only people closest to that individual seem to have access to their whereabouts, and even those persons can't tell you a lot about what is going on in that persons's life. Never fear! These individuals may venture to the Land of the Missing for weeks, a few months, or maybe even a few years. They do,however, usually return.

I have just returned from the Land of the Missing. Some little obligation called a Master's Degree took me there! After spending two years completing my masters' degree, I have returned to the Land of the Living. Though no one probably reads my blog anymore (according to my ever supportive husband), I am now eager to be more consistent on keeping the world entertained with my musings. I have also added a link to my blog, directing you pictures of my favorite people.

Thanks to all of my friends, family, and my hubby who have been so supportive of me and kept life going while I have been AWOL in the Land of the Missing! It's good to be home!

Wakeboard Junkie

2005-05-30T04:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official! I am now a Wakeboard Junkie. Memorial Day weekend was spent at the Master's. No folks, that's not golf...it's the Nautique Master's tournament. For the past 46 years, Callaway Gardens, Georgia has been the home to the Master's Competition of wakeboarding, slaloming, trick skiing, and high jump skiing. It was unbelievable. We saw a 15 year old take home the Master's title in the men's wakeboarding competition and a girl that weighed less than 100 pounds take home the women's wakeboarding title. The talent was unreal.

Ed and I went with my cousins and we all decided that competition wakeboarding would be something that we would "suggest" our children to get involved in. It would be so much fun to travel the world watching your child wakeboard or ski!

The best part of the weekend was the Night of Champions. After the semi-finals on Saturday, they had several famous competitors come out and put on a show, give their secrets of success, and most importantly, share their testimony. The owner of Correct Craft sports (they make Ski Nautique boats) and the daughter of Overton's water sports were in charge. They are incredible Christians. It was amazing how many of the most well known water sports competitors are professing Christians. One of our favorite wakeboarders, Shawn Murray, was there with his new wife. He couldn't compete due to an inury, but still got out there and performed and talked about his relationship with the Lord. This summer, in his off-season tour, he is going around with another water sports competitors to do clinics and share the gospel through those clinics. It was an incredible experience. And the cool thing about famous water sports competitors, is that they are real and down to earth. Kristie Overton sat in the chapel service with us on Sunday morning and talked to us about the Russian adoption process that she went through. One of the wakeboarders led praise and worship. And Shawn Murray and his new bride just mingled out into the crowd and watched the competition with everyone else, though they could have had special seats.

If you have ANY interest in water sports, you need to check out the competition next year! Have a great summer and get on the water!

Ode to the Landscapers!

2005-05-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

After this weekend, I have a new found appreciation for landscapers. Don't get me wrong, I've always admired the finished product that landscapers are able to produce, and I've always known that it was pretty hard work. I now, however, can say that I truly appreciate what they go through.

Ed and I started laying sod at 7:30 on Saturday morning. Some boys from the youth group helped us until about 3pm and my mom stayed until about 5:30. Ed and I stopped at 11pm. We laid sod, raked dirt, planted grass seed, laid hay, scraped mud, pruned bushes, and cleaned up. I then went in my house and found floors covered with mud and dirt, so I had to vaccum and Swiffer before stumbling into the bed!

When the alarm clock went off this morning, I thought I was going to die. I've never hit a snooze on an alarm clock like I did this morning. And as I lay there trying to get my 26 year old self out of bed and moving, I kept asking myself how landscapers do this everyday. My 54 year old father recently retired from the Highway Patrol and took up landscaping for FUN!!!! Is he insane???? I consider myself in pretty good shape, but I can't imagine making myself do that every day...and ENJOY it!!!! I'm achy! I'm bruised! I'm sunburned! I'm blistered! I'm scratched! And I am sick of yard work!

Today, however, we spent 4 more hours this afternoon fixing our garden pond.

After two days of work I'm so exhausted that I don't know what to do! Props go out to all the landscapers of the world. I don't see how they do it. I guess it's passion! As for me...I'll stick to being passionate about going out on the lake! It's a lot more rewarding!

Torturing the Substitute

2005-03-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

I took yesterday off work to get some of my own projects for my Master's taken care of. I returned this morning to a two page, handwritten commentary on the antics of my students.

One student had called the sub a "B----" followed by a slew of other curse words, all because the teacher told him he couldn't go to the bathroom. Another student walked out of the classroom screaming, because the teacher asked him to work. One student blew his top because the sub actually asked him to sit in his desk instead of stand beside it the entire class. 4 students were sent to other classrooms because they were so disruptive. 3 students were assigned ISS. 11 students were given silent lunch. 4 students had no recess. And all of this happened in one day. My principal and I discussed the behavior of children when subs were in the classroom and tried to decide if this taunting behavior was normal. So, the open question for you guys....

What were some of the antics you pulled over on the substitute teachers when you were in school? (I am counting on the Dillon boys to provide some entertaining stories!)

Potty Talk!

2005-03-16T06:25:00.000-08:00

Ok! I am here to confess to the bloggers of this world, that I have a fetish...toilet paper. I can honestly admit that I am a toilet paper conoisseur. Some people don't realize that this takes talent. I make it appoint to visit public bathrooms and take note of the quality of their toilet paper. I decided to share my insights with some of the less experienced toilet paper conossieurs. Here is my top 4 list, starting with the worst:

#4. The home of Cheryl Keever. My mother, though she pays hundreds of dollars to get custom made curtains, buys the cheapest toilet paper in the world. This type of toilet paper is the kind you use, following up with a lather of Vaseline to prevent chaffing.

#3 Angel Soft- Feels soft to touch, but tears easily, and the rolls are so small you have to change them out after one day!

#2. Harper's Restuarant- Though I am not sure of the brand they use, I make it a point to grab a few extra sheets and put it in my pocket book to blow my nose with. It feels a lot like Puff's Plus!

#1 The winner for the best toilet paper is....the YMCA! Nothing says good morning like soft toilet paper after a morning trip to the potty!! And since I am at the Y every morning at 4:30, it is nice to have some soft tissue to find comfort in. It's the feeling of cotton and silk all at once. Once again, I don't know the brand, but am very tempted to ask the employees there. I am, however, fearful, that they might think I am a psycho and pull my membership.

Like Father, Like Son

2005-03-12T01:16:00.000-08:00

My nephew, Calahan, just had his 3rd birthday this week. For those of you who do not know my brother, Jeremy, he is a perpetual neat freak. And since Calahan has been alive, we see glimpses of Jeremy in everything he does. Thursday night was no different.....

Calahan, like most 3 year olds, was extremely excited about the cake. Understand that Cal has been allergic to everything on the planet since he was born, and so cake is a new concept for him. In November, we discovered that he had been healed from most of his allergies, and so I made him his first cupcakes at Thanksgiving! He devoured that first cupcake in seconds, and now requests"Pupcakes" everytime I see him (about once a week) We figured the same would be true with his birthday cake. The cake was served, and Calahan dove in. While the kids around him continued stuffing their faces with the gooey concoction, Calahan stopped and stared into space. I asked, "Cal, do you not like your cake?". He rested his little head in one hand and held the cake covered hand up to me. Those chocolate brown eyes were filled with tears as he said, "Juwee I got take awe ovuh my hands. Dayz duhtie!". It was all I could do to keep from busting out laughing, but instead, I did the thing any good aunt would do and quickly retrieved a wet papertowel. The hand was clean in seconds and Calahan, who is normally very independant, thought it was a good idea that I feed him his cake with a fork. The whole time, all I could think was, "You are SO like your daddy!"

What's the point to this story...there is none...just wanted to share a little family humor!

Man of God

2005-03-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

If you are like so many Christian single ladies looking for a strong Man of God who will lead you as a family down the path to Christian purity...you are going to have to look a little harder.

Why? Because I've already laid claim to one. I can't begin to tell you how blessed I feel to have a Christian leader...a man that I can pray with... a man that holds me accountable...a man that strives to follow God's will...a man who takes care of household responsibilites...a man who leads...a man who shows compassion for others......the list goes on and on.

And this week, he proved himself again. On Sunday he ironed my clothes for me for the week ( my most detested chore). On Monday he made the bed (which he hates to do). On Tuesday he took care of some of my bills, helped take out the trash, and took care of some last minute house responsibilities that were supposed to be mine to deal with. Last night he helped me take a test that I was totally unprepared for. And today, on a day that I needed it more than ever, he sent me an email filled with encouragement, affirmation, and motivation.

So ladies, I hate to break it to you, but there is one less fish in sea to choose from I've caught my Man of God...and I'm not letting him go!

Jumping in Job's shoes

2005-03-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

Ok! So...I am at a point in my life where I feel just like Job. Not that I lost all of my fortune and my family in one day, but my life is pretty frustrating right now. For those of you who don't know, I used to suffer from anorexia. After battling for quite a few years and finally giving it over to the Lord, it felt great to be free. Lately, however, I feel like God is punishing me...just like Job felt. Something is going on with my body, and I can't seem to stop gaining weight. It doesn't matter how little I eat, how much I excercise, or how much I pray for deliverance. Though the doctors know that something is wrong with me, they can't figure out what it is.

After a trip to the doctor's office this week, and yet another discouraging test result with no answers, I felt like cursing God. I was so mad ...mad that He would let me suffer through this, after all I have already been through; mad that He would put me in a situation that would make me want to return to anorexia; mad that He would not bless me with a fit body after my efforts to remain so healthy. I was very mad at God.

That night, when I got home, Ed had discovered that our pastor from Charlotte was being aired on the web every week. We listened to his sermon...on Job. And that night, as I started to read in Job, God spoke to me through the following verse...."Shall we accept good from God and not trouble" (Job 2:10). Wow! I love it when God does good things in my life, but it sure does tick me off when some trouble comes my way.

Am I still frustrated...yes. Am I still angry? Yes! Have I accepted that God is still in this? Finally! Please keep me in your prayers!

Living like a frog!

2005-02-27T04:04:00.000-08:00

With our new house, we have inherited what used to be a very nice fish pond. Unfortunatley, it was extremely neglected by its past owners; what we have basically inherited is a big pool of decomposed slime and grime.

Yesterday, while trying to clean out the pond, Ed called me outside to introduce me to our house guest that had been hiding out for quite some time. It was a gargantuos frog. Ed tried to scoop it out, but it kept jumping off the shovel and swimming back into the dirty pond. As I watched that frog, God showed me that we are sometimes like frogs too. We're living in the bottom of dirty, grimy, slimy ponds, where the water is so polluted we can’t even see our way out. He dives in, scoops us out, and shows us what is outside of the pond. God offers to give us a new home,in clean water, where we can see clearly, swim easier, and be taken care of….and what do we do…we jump right back in to the muggy water. Why are we like that? Maybe it's because we know that in our new home, any mess we make is going to be clear and evident in the clean environment; when we're living in the muck and the mire, our dirty habits just blend in with the rest of the grime.

Maybe that's why God continues to come back to scoop us up and pull us out. He realizes how truly ignorant we are to the new home and new life He has prepared for us.....I don't know the true reason He continues to come, but I sure am glad to see that shovel every time He comes to the rescue!

But When Am I Not Talking?

2005-02-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

In the past few weeks I have discovered that my husband has been secretly spending massive amounts of time with someone else. He shares his deepest thoughts with his new "friend" and even confesses to his actions. They spend time in the morning, while he's at work, and especially late at night. He often spends time with his friend in front of me. I feel so betrayed. I told him how I felt and he had a simple solution to the problem. He said that I should form a relationship with this new friend as well.....and so he introduced me to Blog!

So far things with Blog and I are going fairly well....

Top 10 Reasons to Have a Relationship with Blog:

10. I don't have to get dressed up to go out with Blog.

9. I don't have to cook for Blog, clean up after Blog, or wash Blog's clothes.

8. I don't have to pretend to get along with Blog's parents.

7. I never have to pay for dates with Blog.

6. I don't have to buy Blog gifts.

5. I don't have to put the toilet seat down after Blog.

4. I don't have to worry about my hip size, my bust size, or my ability to cook for Blog.

3. I get to choose when I want to spend time with Blog.

2. I don't have to smell Blog farts, hear Blog burps, or watch Blog pick his nose!

1. I get to talk to Blog for hours on end without Blog EVER interupting.

.......THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' BOUT