Christmas Time's a Comin'!

While I have obviously NOT been updating my blog, I've been getting ready for Christmas. Shopping, decorating, cooking, cleaning (ha!), caroling, and doing various Christmas things at church. It's been very busy around the Brown household with a basketball coach living here, a teacher whose ready to be out for Christmas break, and a now 18-month old sweet little Callie!

Callie is getting so big. She's gone pee pee and poo poo in the potty numerous times, and she is learning something new every day. She never ceases to amaze me, and I feel like I love her more every day - no joke!

I'm so glad we are out for Christmas break! I needed a break from school, and I'm going to try NOT to think about going back until I absolutely have to. The year is already half way over; that's hard to believe, but good too at the same time!

Christmas is just around the corner now, and I believe I'm almost finished with all of my shopping. Andy has a few more things he needs to get, and I think I still need one more thing for my loving brother-in-law, but I haven't gotten around to getting that yet! I am running out of time too!

We are getting ready for an EXTREMELY busy Christmas day as usual. We will kick off our long list of stops on Christmas Eve with a get together at 6:00 with the Brown side of the family. Then, on Christmas day, we celebrate here at home together, then it's off to Moma and Daddy's, down to Maw Maw's for lunch, then over to Flora and Fred's for the afternoon, and finally Andy's parents for that night. It is exhausting, and I hate to say it, but it makes my Christmas so stressful and less enjoyable than I feel it could be with all of the running around we have to do. I'm also preparing for the food I'll take to almost every stop we make. It's hard to think so far in advance to me when it comes to cooking. I'm a good planner in most areas except the food department.

Oh well, I'm trying not to let the busyness of this season stress me out, but I have already truly enjoyed the Christmas season in my heart. The sign at Rock Springs Baptist Church says something to the effect of you haven't celebrated Christmas until you've experienced it in your heart. I hope that this Christmas, God will bless you with that experience and your heart will overflow with joy at the celebration of the birth of our Savior, the one true HOPE of the WORLD!

Merry Christmas

I'm still here

Some of you may think I've gone undercover since my blog hasn't been updated in ages, but I'm still here. I've been busy as usual, and every time I think about updating, I'm either not in the mood, or I don't know what to say. So, I've been avoiding updating for those reasons.

We are all trying to get ready for Thanksgiving around here, and we are gearing up for Christmas too. After walking through the stores with their Christmas decorations every where and since some people I know have already started to decorate around the house, I decided to put up my Christmas tree this past weekend. It took Callie a day or two to realize that she just can't walk up to it and take off ornaments (all plastic) and play with them. As you can expect, she was all excited because there was all this NEW stuff around, and she had never played or messed with it before. She was excited about it.

Also, I bought an 8 foot inflatable snowman last year that is sitting in our yard. It was one of those 1/2 price after Christmas sale deals. Callie LOVES it! She wants to go outside and touch it when it's freezing and dark! He lights up; so you can see him in the dark. It's too cute. It looks like it's waving at you the way his little arms are made to stick out of his body, and she'll just look up at the snowman and wave at him like he's a real person. It's adorable. She is just too cute, and I love seeing things from her perspective. I believe it keeps be grounded and reminds me of some things that I take for granted and some things that I think are so important and get worked up over are really not that important at all.

Tomorrow is my Friday since we are getting out for Thanksgiving break this week! Woohoo! Talk about ready. It's a break that's been long overdue I think!

Well, I have officially updated my blog, and just want you all to know that the way it feels these last couple of days/weeks is how cold it was in Wyoming this past summer when everybody here was having a HEAT WAVE! We were freezing our rear ends off in Yellowstone while everybody was praying for a break here! I've thought about that several times since it's turned cold. I loved that Teton Mountain Range! I believe I could use another summer in Wyoming! This time, I think we need to wait a few more weeks before we go though! Since I've been reminiscing about my Wyoming trip, I'll leave you with some of our vacation pictures below. The climate in the picture looks more appropriate now than it did back in June!

Callie - Definitely a TREAT! not a trick!

Okay, so I must admit Halloween is my LEAST favorite holiday of the entire year. I'm not a fan of trying to be all spooky, scary, and all of that stuff. But we were able to have fun with Callie this Halloween. She was an adorable duck. She liked her costume. She wanted to hug it when it was hanging on the hanger in her room. She had fun getting candy and visiting with our families. We decided to just go and visit a few people. It still ended up taking a total of about 2.5 hours though, including driving time! :)

Enjoy the pictures. Tell me about your Halloween experience!

Much love!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kri8G-lGYfg

This video made me cringe. Barack Obama - God help him! Literally!

It's easy to fret and be anxious about this upcoming election, but remember that worrying doesn't "add one cubit to your stature" just like it says in the book of Matthew. It's still God's election, and He is still in control. Let that be what you're resting on this election and may God answer our prayers and by answering our prayers help keep someone in office who shares our morals, values, and loves this Country that God has so richly blessed.

I'm so disgusted with how some people are so consumed with Obama's view of how he can make everything better. The Devil is a smooth talker, hence the reason he runs so many people's lives. Temptations galore... So, why should we believe Barack Obama has all of the answers and can really "change" our country for the better? His smooth talking and list of promises makes him so suspicious and untrustworthy in my eyes.

Sorry to turn my blog into a political mess, but I'm concerned about our country! We need to stop letting our country be ruled by minority. That's who we cater to.

Just today I was listening to Jody Hice on 90.9 and he spoke of a Colorado high school valedictorian who was nominated by her class to have the last 30 seconds of the graduation ceremonies to speak. During her short time, she mentioend her relationship with Christ, and she was immediately hauled off to the principal's office and threatened to not get her diploma for saying the things she said. Are people so afraid of being convicted that we can't even speak the name of JESUS??????? His name is so powerful and convicts so many! The Liberty Counsel is defending the girl now, but it's sad how "religious freedom" has turned into religious persecution and an attempt to silence the true Christian!!!!! Ruled by minority, not by majority!

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowlege Him and He will direct thy paths." Prov. 3:5 - 6.

God help us during this election and may your divine will be accomplished! Come quickly Lord Jesus! We need you!

GO Palin!

Besides the fact that she's a conservative Republican, who in their right mind could say Sarah Palin is NOT qualified to be Vice-President? I mean, come on people! She's been a governor, that's more than Obama or Biden can claim!!! Just had to get that off of my chest!

Remember, God is still in control, and it's still HIS election! Please pray for our country and pray that people will vote for their values instead of some vague "change" that Obama claims he will bring to America!

God Bless America and may God see fit to put John McCain and Sarah Palin in office for our sakes!

Blogging - good for the soul...

Since I saw Katie's very interesting blog, I was inspired to update my own. I'm sorry that I can't say we had any new calves born, but I do occassionally have proverbial "cows" of my own, don't you? :) Some of you, one of the two people who read this blog or perhaps both of you, know what I mean! :) I have decided that blogging sometimes is just "good for the soul," as Katie once put it! So, it doesn't matter how many people read it. I just like pretending lots of people are enjoying my posts like I do theirs.

By the way, if you're ever in the mood for reading a great blog, visit Lysa Terkeurst's blog. The link to her blog is on the left side of my page. Of course, Katie's is great too, but I'm assuming most people reading this read Katie's already! :) Lysa and Katie both write great blogs.

I heard Lysa speak one time at a women's conference up in Hollywood a couple of years ago, and she blessed my heart! Her blogs are funny, and I wish I could be half as entertaining as she is when I blog myself! :) Her writing style and blogs are inspiring.

Callie is asleep right now. The poor thing has had a rough week. We had 15 month shots and a flu shot on Wednesday, and now her molars are breaking through the skin! Hallelujah they're FINALLY coming through, but it is not easy for her! She doesn't tolerate the pain too well. She's so funny about it sometimes, pain that is. After she had her shots, she would just point to her leg and start whimpering without even touching it. She has done that many times with several of her "boo boos" in the past. She actually will say boo boo too. She's just getting cuter by the day. I keep thinking one day I'll just get over how amazing she is to me, but so far I'm not even close. I am just so thankful that the Lord saw fit to bless me and Andy with her, and she is so precious to me!

Callie went to her first high school football game last night! We only stayed for about 30 minutes and left Andy there with his friend to finish watching the game, but she was very interested in what was going on, and I believe the band was her favorite part! YAY! Deep down I hope I'm raising up a music lover who will be involved in it some way! Today she made her way over to the piano and proceeded to sit in my lap, bang on the keys, and give her best effort of singing after I had just played and sung a song myself. It was precious. She really does watch EVERY thing that we do and tries to mimic us.

I don't really have anything else to blog about, so I guess I'll say good bye for now! I hope you have a blessed day and that you would be reminded of how much God really does love you!
If Moma and Ashley read this, love you both!

Time for a new post!

Every time I think about updating my blog, I get side tracked! If it isn't one thing, sometimes it's another! :) But, here I am typing away, and even though it's been 12 days since I last posted, I'm at a loss for what to type. Okay, let me think of all of the events that have transpired since Sept. 5th.

I sang with my 2 favorite a cappella singers the other night for a missions revival! It was FUN stuff! I hope those there enjoyed it, and most of all it was pleasing to our Father! We definitely try to approach every singing with the same purpose - to glorify God and lift Him up!

On a rather bittersweet note, Brother Clyde Garrison went home to be with the Lord last week. Actually it was a week ago today that he entered Heaven and was once again reunited with Miss Lizzie, and most of all he was finally face to face with his Savior whom he had served so many years. Preacher Clyde was such a blessing to me, and he was always so sweet with his words of encouragement. He always commented on how wonderful it was to see my family all at church and how Andy and I were one of the "finest couples [he'd] ever seen." One day he reminded me of how we were in his words, "such a fine couple," and said we had a lot to be thankful for because we had each other and we knew the Lord. How simple, but yet how profound! He didn't have to stop me as I walked by and tell me anything, but he did. He was blessed with the gift to encourage. I can't ever remember him speaking to me without saying something encouraging to me and something sweet about how beautiful my family was, how beautiful Callie was, and how he appreciated and loved me and my family! I'm sad he's gone away from us, but praise the Lord he's where he wanted to be now, and we'll see him again.

Let me recompose myself and wipe the tears off the keyboard! Goodness! I can't say enough nice things about Bro. Clyde. He was the epitome of a good Christian example and witness.

I am so busy at school here lately it seems. We have new math curriculum this year, and it's taking a toll on our department. We're frustrated most days, but try to make the best of it. It's like we've totally re-done how we teach math, and it's hard for those who have done it the same way for 20 years! This is only my 5th year and it's hard for me, so I guess others are really having a hard time with the switch. The new curriculum has its advantages, but right now we are trying to still get to a point to where we are comfortable with what we have to do now. I'm sure we'll get it all worked out! It will definitely take the Lord's help though! I believe all of us have been praying for God's help with these new classes.

Everything seems to be going good around the Brown household. Callie is doing great. She's just growing up so fast. She will say "hey" and "bye bye" and some other words that we can't always recognize. We're pretty sure she says "dog," and she tries to say "peek-a-boo." She's too cute! She LOVES the bath tub! Tonight I practically had to drag her out of it. She loves splashing, wringing out her rag, trying to wear her rag like it's clothes or something, and playing with this stacking toy she has that's made for the bath tub. I still love being her mommy, and I'm so proud to be her mommy too! She is such a blessing in my life, and I am trying to soak in every day with her because I know these days are priceless and precious, as are the ones to come in the future.

Well, just wanted to blog about something since I haven't in such a while.

Have a GREAT upcoming weekend!
Be safe!
Much LOVE!

Hola My Blog Readers!

So, maybe I should say hello to all of three people, but hey, you're important to me! :) I haven't been blogging lately because I've been busy and into all sorts of things for the last 2 weeks it seems. I'm glad it's the weekend. Now I get to stay busy at home! Cleaning, washing clothes, etc. The joys of married life and housework! :) Some days it's more bearable than others, but I believe all of you wives out there are feeling my housework woes as you read!

Let me see if there's anything stupendous to tell you about that's been going on with me.

Well, I had a pretty good week at school, with the exception that some lovely child with apparently no conscience stole a candy jar full of candy off of my bookshelf BEHIND my desk. I have my suspicions on several culprits, but it's hard to know. It could have happened during my planning period while another teacher uses my room, but I'm not sure. I usually don't let my students "roam" around the room at all! I guess I will pray that the Lord deal with his/her heart, since it's not my job to punish anyone! I know it seems petty, but what bothers me is that some kids have no respect for other people's property and things that I spent my own money on to buy. I just hope and pray my child does not do such things - especially to a TEACHER!!!!!

Anyway, I feel I've just complained this entire blog, so I should write about something positive! I know that's what you're thinking! Sorry!

I definitely have counted my blessings this week. It seems like everyone I know is going through some sort of storm or hard time with ill family members or other issues, and so I've been reminded of how blessed I am and how thankful I should be to God for all of the things I take for granted daily. I think about Mike Adcock (our AP injured in a horrible car wreck 1 month ago), and I realize how I need to not complain so much. Mike is still in ICU at Grady and has had his right leg partially amputated. How blessed am I to be in what seems to be perfect health, walking just fine, talking just fine, and feeling good 99.9% of the time? It's amazing how I forget all of that, but God has used Mike's accident to remind me that I am forgetting to thank God for those little things that I take for granted every day. Please keep Mike and his family in your prayers. Our school is still not the same in his absence.

Something else positive - We had Youth Sunday last Sunday and we did our Cardboard Testimony skit. There are several versions on GodTube, and we did our own rendition of it on Sunday night. It was great! Our youth have grown SO much in the last 2 years. The kids are really opening up, sharing their testimonies more during church, giving the Lord the praise He's due, and they are growing closer as a group. It's so wonderful to see and be a part of.

Well, I'm blogged out for now. My bed is calling my name. Seems like I can't get enough sleep! Thank the Lord for Saturday mornings! Hey, 7:00 is sleeping LATE for me! :)

Love!

Pink Eye is on the way out, hopefully!

Hey everybody! I'm blogging at home today at 11:45 am because the Bug is asleep, and she got pink eye from somewhere! Who knows?! I believe the little cold she had just lingered around until it turned into something else, or she got it from just touching something out in public.

Anyway, she's feeling much better after a trip to Quick Care yesterday and some antibiotic drops, which she hates! :) She squirms and screams when I have to put them in, but I guess I would too if someone was holding me down and putting some foreign liquid into my eyes. She's been pretty good about the whole thing other than that. Just to make sure everyone else doesn't get it, I stayed home with her today, and we've been playing and making messes all day.

Thank the Lord for the rain! It's a rare sight to see so much it seems. I don't know how we've been surviving with as little rain as we get. Maybe Fay will help us out after all.

I'm really not full of blogging info or blurbs today, but I just wanted to update since I have no idea when it will happen again. It's hard working all day and trying to be a good mommy and wife and all of the other titles I have! :)

Sigh... I believe some housework is calling my name. :)

Another week gone by

Well, another week has gone by! This week seemed to go by quicker than the last. We've been very busy (Andy's birthday, AC3 practice, dentist, etc.), but we managed to survive! I can truly say I'm glad that it's Friday. :)

I was trying to recall anything super fantastic this week, but the only thing that happened that was super fun was getting together with my favorite a cappella singers and practicing for our upcoming "gig." That's such a funny word... :) Anyway, we had fun! Music is like therapy for my soul. Whether I'm playing it or singing, it's just wonderful. I'm so glad the Lord gave me the ability to be able to sort of do the whole musical thing. It's been a wonderful part of my life and played a major role in my life ever since I can remember.

Callie turned 14 months old on Tuesday after Andy turned ..... years old on Monday. I'll leave it blank so that I don't get in trouble! :) He feels like he's getting old, and I hate to disappoint, but he is! I am too I guess....

Well, nothing overwhelmingly wonderful has happened this week, but I'm blessed to be healthy, feeling good, and just having things go great this week! I'm blessed to have a family that is doing well too. There seem to be so many people around me at school going through hard times with family members being sick or recovering from accidents/injuries, and it's made me count my blessings and be more appreciative of the fact that God has been SOOOO good to me. :)

I'll leave you with that thought.

Weekly update

So, I've decided that if I can manage to update my blog once a week that I will be doing great! What a shock to go from staying at home ALL day to going back to school ALL day. It's been a tuffy, but it's eventually going to become more of a routine I hope. The kids are beginning to get used to being at school again, and this week they should settle in a little more. I hate to say it, but I'm already looking forward to the next holiday! :)

Not much exciting has gone on around here lately. We're just busy, cleaning and picking up after the Bug all the time, and oh, listening to her whine about her latest teeth coming in! I believe it's the molars this time, and she is having a hard time (and we are too!)

Tomorrow is Andy's birthday, so Andy if you read this sometime soon, then my Happy Birthday will not seem late to you! Poor Andy feels like he's getting old (and he is....) hehe..... Hey, it's better than the alternative, right? :) Another birthday means he survived another year with me, and that's an accomplishment I'd say.

I can't think of anything else to blog about at the moment, so I guess I better start getting Callie ready for bed. Her only nap today was during preaching at church (go figure!), so she's getting tired as we speak! :)

Hangin' in the There!

As you can see, it's been a while since I've blogged. No one's whined, complained, or left me messages about updating, so maybe I'm just talking to a proverbial wall, but oh well, gives me something to do! :)

School is back in session, hence the reason there's no update from lately. I'm busy, I mean B-U-S-Y! It's hard to work all day and still do all of that other stuff at home. I can't complain too much, there are some women who work 2 jobs! Bless their hearts.

Anyway, my classes are okay. I'm still trying to figure some of them out. I have a range of super motivated freshman to totally nonchalant sophomores who might not make it through this year! It's weird to see the different attitudes and levels of intrinsic motivation in kids. It will blow you away. Of course I can relate better to those who stay on top of things because that's the only way I thought you were SUPPOSED to be in school, but apparently, that way of thinking is being pushed out of the door for this generation! Yikes!

I better watch it or I'll just be negative for this post.

I'm missing Callie during the day, but she's getting better about getting used to the routine with her little friends! I believe she enjoys it to a degree, but I'm sure she'd rather be home with mommy and daddy getting all of the attention herself!

Speaking of the Bug, I better go get her. I'm just blogging because I have to be at school until 4 and my brain is in shut down mode for the day! :)

Love!

Tomorrow is the big day

Yep, tomorrow is it! School will officially be BACK in session! Please say a prayer for teachers, students, bus drivers, lunchroom workers, etc.! I have been swamped and exhausted from three days of pre-planning. I am really paying for those 2 months that I've been relaxing! Pray for Callie too. She's at Legacy pretty much the whole day now, and she's having a little bit of a hard time getting adjusted to their schedule. She'll probably be fine next week, but in the mean time she's not been happy about having to get up early, and she needs to take longer naps while she's there. Just remember her. Bless her heart, she's been on vacation too! :)

Sausage Swirls

So, I must share with you how to make Paula Deen's "Sausage Swirls!" I made them tonight, and they were fabulous! They would make great appetizers, and I believe they would be great for breakfast too.

All you need is a pound of your favorite sausage and two cans of refrigerated crescent rolls (8 rolls per can). I use the Pillsbury Reduced Fat kind. Anyway, you divide the sausage up into eight equal chunks. Then you open up the crescent rolls, and for each can you can make 4 rectangles by pressing together two of the pre-cut triangles. Take one of the eight pieces of sausage and spread it over the rectangle (fingers work best!). Then, roll up the dough with sausage to where it looks like a cylinder. Follow the same directions for the other 7 rectangles you will make using the dough.

Refrigerate the darlins for about 30 minutes until they are firm. Then cut each roll-up into 4 pieces. Place all of the swirls on a cooking stone or cookie sheet and bake for about 18-20 minutes on 375 degrees. Make sure the rolls are brown and the sausage is done as well. It didn't take some of mine 18 minutes so watch to make sure they don't burn! :)

That's all! It's easy, and they are good. Well, if you like sausage I guess they are! They remind me of miniature sausage biscuits with the exception that the bread is sweeter than a biscuit.

Anyway, let me know if you try it or you at least think it sounds good. If you do try it, and it's good, thank Paula Deen! She does make some easy practical things, unlike some t.v. cooks!

Happy Cookin' Y'all! :)

Just a few more days remain...

Hard to believe it, but yes, the summer is JUST about over for me. I have until Monday to savor the joys of being at home with no school work hanging over my head! It's a bit depressing, but it's going to be nice to get back into a routine again too at the same time.

These last 2 weeks Callie's sleeping schedule has shifted to much later than normal. I think it's because we've been at church late most nights since last Wednesday, but she'll get back on track soon hopefully. It's almost been too much having the youth revival and then church revival starting the day after the youth revival ended. I hope they don't ever plan it that way again!

Anyway, I'm glad to be saved. I just wanted to say that. God has been so good to me. I feel like I don't praise Him enough. I know you are glad to be saved too if you are! Don't ever cease to "brag on Jesus" like Jody Garrison preached the other night!

I hope everyone who reads this has a blessed day and a great upcoming weekend if I don't post again until then. After all, it IS the tax free shopping weekend! Let's go battle the crowds and get those deals!!!!! :)

Pictures from Callie's venture with Eli

Here are some cute pictures of Callie and Eli playing at the park. They were so adorable!

Also, last night our youth revival started. We had a GREAT turnout! The service was great, singing was great, and the preaching was great. Please help us pray for the last two nights and come if you can! (Look below to see more info in an older post of mine about the revival.)

Callie's first real play date

Today Andy and I drove down to Roper Park in Gainesville to meet with my teaching budding Carol so that her grandson could play with Callie. He is 15 months old, and Callie is 13 months old. It was fun! They played in the swings, went down the slide, walked around, and Andy even gave them a wagon ride! They didn't really play together per say because at their age they don't really do that yet, but I believe both of them had fun anyway! Afterwards we went to McDonald's and both of them chowed down on chicken nuggets and french fries. So healthy, I know!

Callie was so tuckered out after all that. She fell asleep on the way home.

Before we came home, we stopped by Publix for a few things. Callie started screaming at one point, and I looked at her to see what was wrong, and she had gotten her arm STUCK in the buggy between two little bars trying to reach for something down in the buggy. It was literally stuck, she was screaming, Andy and I were both freaking out, but I managed to put some hand sanitizer on her to make it slippery so we could get her arm out. I felt SO awful! Mommies aren't supposed to let things like that happen, but it happened in a second ,and she was just reaching for something. I picked her up and held her but you could tell it had hurt. I still feel bad just thinking about it!

Well, speaking of Callie, she just woke up. I better go love on her some!

Shout out to Donna

Donna, if you're reading this, thanks for a fun time on Sunday. It was good to see you and enjoy lunch with you! Love you, my friend!

Long time no blog...

Been a while since I posted so I thought I should so everyone would know we're doing okay! :) Callie is walking more and more everyday by herself, but she still hasn't just let go yet! We aren't pushing her. I know she'll be running around everywhere before I know it, so I'm not rushing her.

We're trying to enjoy our last few weeks of summer while we can. I sure do dread not being with Callie and being away from her all day! :( It wouldn't be so bad if I just had someone to keep her instead of her being at a daycare all day. Anyway....

Our youth revival is coming up soon, so if you're reading this, please come! It will be on 7/24-7/26. We'll have three great preachers coming with youth choirs singing! We will have supper at 6:00-6:45. Prayer room at 6:45 and the service starts at 7:00. Bro. Chris Anderson, Bro. Jody Garrison, and Bro. Scotty Baker will be preaching during the revival. It's bound to be great! I know God is going to do something good there. Last year was an amazing time, and our youth seem to have grown in spiritual matters since then as well. Anyway, come on out to Mud Creek and have a good time with us! On Sat. 7/26 my wonderful brother-in-law will be hosting two sessions in the afternoon with some teaching. Session 1 is about defending the King James Bible and Session 2 is about defending our own belief and why other religions have incorrect teachings. I'm sure it will be great!

I guess I better go now. Callie bug has made several of her plundering messes that I need to clean up. :)

Later!

Where to eat?

Okay, if you read my blog TODAY or TOMORROW then you can help with this, but I have a question to ask: Where can Andy and I go eat for our anniversary on Thursday? I have a few ideas that include The Cheesecake Factory, Bahama Breeze, or maybe something like Longhorn, but I'm wondering if y'all know of a place that would be closer to home and no further than say Buford. I'm not crazy about driving to Atlanta to eat, especially with gas so high. Andy isn't really crazy about seafood places either.

Give me your ideas!!!!

Picture Day

Today we had Callie's pictures taken for her first birthday. They turned out pretty well! I will put a few on my page just to tease some of you! :)

Oh Victory in Orange Juice (and Jesus too!)

For those of you who don't know, it's been VERY VERY VERY hard for Callie to work up the desire to drink milk (plain whole milk) out of a cup. I've tried everything but a tap dance to get her to drink it, but I have found victory in mixing whole milk with some orange juice. I know you're thinking, "ew....", but I guess the juice just disguises that milk taste she doesn't care for. She'll drink it out of a bottle mixed with a little formula, but not from a cup without some tricks. For the past two days she's been drinking it pretty well. Just had to share my victory with you. It's been a pleasant surprise. With the Lord's help, maybe we can finally wave "bye bye" to the bottles before school starts back - which by the way is right around the corner! :)

Hola

Thanks to all who read my blog. I know I have at least one person who reads it - thanks Katie! :) I guess I'm in a bit of a blog slump. Anyway, Happy 4th everyone! :)

Summer is going by too fast...

Sigh.... I dread it, but it's coming up too soon for my likings - School. I love my job, don't get me wrong, but I really like staying home too. I just dread all of the stuff I don't like about my job I guess! I don't look forward to putting Callie into day care all day. I feel like a terrible mother for doing so, and some people make me feel terrible for doing it too. There are reasons why I have to go back to work, but anyway, different topic! :)

We had two people get saved on Sunday night at our church. One of the young boys at our church announced his calling to preach a couple of months ago, and he preached that night. It was a good service.

Well, I need to go and take a bath. I went and walked this morning and I worked up a small sweat.

Pray for Callie. She's been super moody with her teething all week. She didn't have a good night last night either. I wish those teeth would hurry up and come in and give her a break!

Not motivated to blog

(On the oldest farm in Utah, Antelope Island, on the Great Salt Lake.)
I don't know if it's just that nothing super-fantastic interesting goes on in my life every day, but I'm so not motivated to blog. Every day I've been picking a project to do around the house. For example, this morning, I cleaned out the filing cabinet (probably hasn't been done since we've been married!). Anyway, after that, I just don't want to clean anything else for the rest of the day.

Don't get me wrong it's not like my life is super boring, but it's not like I have an epiphany every day either. The only exciting thing to happen lately is that Callie has begun to take several unassisted steps! She will only take one or two, but she's not quite brave enough to try more than that yet.

We've also been struggling to get her to drink milk and to ditch the bottles. By the way, if you have any suggestions feel free to post them as a comment! Anyway, I've tried chocolate, strawberry, and mixing formula with milk, but she doesn't want to drink milk from a cup. Strange I know. Anyway, I tried orange juice with milk (sounds extremely gross I know, but it actually isn't that bad), and yesterday she actually drank some on her own! Hallelujah, and Praise be to God! I was so excited. She's not guzzling it down, but hey, at least she WANTED to take some sips yesterday.

Speaking of Callie I believe she just woke up from her nap. She got up pretty early this morning, and thanks to her mother's genes, she isn't happy until she's had a morning nap. :)
Guess I better go check on her.

Thank God for the rain last night! Just had to say that too. Pretty random, but I've got about 5 chigger bites right now (one on my bum, TMI I know!), and they are ITCHING like CRAZY!!!!! Guess that's what I get for picking blackberries just around my yard. Pray that God takes the itch away or at least relieves it!

Hey, I believe after typing this novel of a blog, I might be motivated to do it again soon. :)

Callie's Party

It's hard to believe my sweet little baby is already one year old! It really does seem like time is flying by. Everyone always says that, and they are right. Today we had Callie's party, and I believe it was a success. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and we had lots of good food and cake and ice cream to top it off! Callie got lots of dresses and a few toys. She will be the prettiest girl at church with these new outfits! :)

Anyway, the preparation and whole ordeal has made mommy very tired. I need a nap myself. Callie is still enjoying hers as we speak.

Finally Home... Still Tired!

Hey! We made it home from our long vacation. I don't think I've ever been gone so long on a vacation before! We had a good time, but crossing two time zones will get you so messed up! lol
My internal clock is trying to get back to normal. I guess this is what they call jet lag!?

Anyway, it was wonderful to see all that God has made on the other side of the country, but I'm glad to be home. Some of the things we saw were absolutely breath taking and nothing can describe them. The pictures that I took cannot do justice to the beauty of the Grand Tetons and the awesomeness that they have. All I could think was how it was IMPOSSIBLE to see those mountains and the beauty and believe there wasn't a God who created them. It was amazing. We think we have seen beautiful mountains on our side of the country, but believe me, they have us beat out there in the West!

We arrived in SLC on Friday, drove about 4-5 hours up to Jackson Hole, WY, and there we stayed a few days. It was very neat in that town, and the scenery was amazing. I can't imagine having a backdrop like those people do EVERYDAY! We went back to Park City on Monday, and we enjoyed our beautiful scenic route there as well. Who knew that parts of Wyoming and Idaho could be so boring to ride through but oh so beautiful to look at? At one point we were riding through "Open Range." I never saw any stray cows or animals crossing the road, but I wanted to! Our stay in Park City was a bit unexciting since it's a major ski town, and well, it's not ski season!

There were a few interesting things that happened though:
1. It snowed on my birthday! I don't think that'll ever happen in Georgia, but hey, it did in Jackson! Notice the date on the picture below!
2. We got really close to a bear while we were at Jenny Lake in Grand Tetons National Park. We know because we saw the bear scat and it was so stinky and VERY fresh! (See picture below!)
Callie did well on the trip. She really took it all in and wasn't a pain for the most part. Bless her little heart, she had two teeth breaking through the skin those last couple of days, but she made it. She did well on the plane flights and just traveling in general. I was pretty proud of her.

We are glad to be home!

Going out of town

We are leaving on Friday morning (very early I might add) to fly to Denver, CO, and then we will fly to Salt Lake City, UT. We are actually staying in Park City, but before that we are driving up to Yellowstone in Wyoming to see some of the park. I believe it should be beautiful! I know it's going to be stressful getting there, but we are excited, and I hope that Callie does better than I expect her to. :) (keeping my fingers crossed....)

So, I will not be home until June 14th. I probably won't blog until after that since we'll probably be super tired from all of our running around! I believe this is not going to be one of those vacations where we get in much "relaxing!" It's more of a sight-seeing tour!

Anyway, say a prayer for us that we will be safe in our travels and that Levi and Ashley will also arrive home safely on Sunday as well.

Finally Hitched...

Well, Ashley and Levi FINALLY got married today. It was a sweet service. Everything seemed to just be wonderful! The only exception would be the air conditioning dying over at the barn, but hey, it WAS a barn. It was authentic, right? I mean, how many barns actually have air conditioning? HA!

Anyway, after cleaning up afterwards, getting home to unload everything, feeding Callie, picking up stuff around the house... blah blah blah, I can FINALLY rest (while I wash/dry clothes that is....). It has been a LOOOOOONG two days for me. Andy has really picked up on his daddy duties and helped out with Callie A LOT! I couldn't have done it without him.

By the way, Callie looked like a little princess when Josiah pulled her down the aisle in her little wagon all decorated up so pretty! Josiah did a GREAT job too! He was so sweet and just did a good job. His mama and daddy should be proud! :)

Well, I guess I will close for today. I have to get ready for vacation this upcoming week. We are flying out to Utah on Friday, June 6th. Oh, say a prayer! We are flying with a baby. Thankfully, my moma and daddy will be there when I need a break! That's all I can say! :) I love Callie, but she is a handful. What in the world would I do with two of her?!?!?!?!? :) I want to wait a while to find out. :)

Officially Summer NOW!

Being a teacher has its perks, but summer vacation is by far the best perk of all. Today I wrapped up post-planning, so it's officially summer for me! YEA! My part-time days went by fast, but I'm so blessed and glad I got to spend time with Callie this year to watch her grow, and she's growing up so fast already. It's hard to believe that she was just a little baby 11 months ago.

Well, I think I might actually sit down on the couch and read a book. Callie was with her daddy all day, and now she's laid down for a nap, so I'm going to chill while I've got time! :)

Happy Summer!

Hallelujah

Well, today was IT! It was the last day of school and the last time I will have to see some of those lovely children until August. It's not that I don't like them, but everybody needs a break!

I just can't wait to get these two post-planning days over with. We have some sort of training for a text book on Tuesday, which I'm still a little perturbed (is that a word?) about. I purposely did NOT want Callie going to Legacy next week, for 1)to save money and 2) so she could just go to school with me. I wasn't going to have to do much anyway. Well, someone springs up and says, by the way, we need to have a meeting on Tuesday from 8:30-3:30 at West Hall. Well, that threw my plans for a loop. So, there's a lady at church who is going to watch Callie for a couple of hours for me. I still only work PART-TIME so there's NO WAY I'm staying until 3:30. Is that bad of me to have that attitude? If you weren't getting paid to stay longer than you had to, would you? Especially when you've got a sweet baby to go home to? :) I need to pray that God gives me a better attitude about it.

Callie had a small ear infection this week when I took her to the doctor. She had been coughing at night a good bit, and it has gotten better, but I guess she got an ear infection since her immune system was down from what was probably a cold.

It's hard to believe that she will be a year old on June 19th! It seems like it has flown by. I can't believe it. Ashley is getting married next Saturday too! That has really crept up on me here lately! Everyone's just getting older and growing up. :)

I can make it, I can make it, I can make it, ...............

As you can see from the title of this blog, I am just a LITTLE ready for school to be over. I love my job, but those kids can make it ROUGH sometimes! Hard to believe, but I had to write up 2 boys today for disrupting my class. They don't know how to mind their own business and they constantly pick at this other boy in the class. It gets old. Anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm also ready for school to be over so I can spend more time with my sweet little baby! Which, by the way, she's not feeling so hot these last couple of days. Could you lift her up in prayer? She's a little congested, and she's having this cough during the night that's interrupting her sleep. I do everything the doctor says to do, but I just wish there was some magic medicine I could give her to make it go away! She may have started to get an ear infection too. She's just not been her normal bubbly self. I'm probably going to have to take her to the doctor, but then I'll really increase her chances of getting sick since all of the germs are THERE! :) It's a Catch-22.

Well, I'm enjoying these last part-time days while I can. I believe I've decided and the Lord has let me believe that next year will be my last year at Johnson. It's time to get moved closer to home, and I believe that He's pretty much gave me that feeling in my heart. I believe it would be best for my family. :) I have NO idea where I'd go, but there are high schools way closer. East Hall is about 20 minutes away, Banks is only about 7-8, and Habersham is about 20 minutes away too. I've got some options I guess.

Callie is asleep, and let me just say that she has been getting so good (knock on wood) about going to sleep by herself. Just a little while ago, I KNEW she was tired, so I put her in her bed with her blanket, went out of the room, came by a minute later and she was standing in her bed, then the next minute she was laying down, and then, POOF! MAGIC! She's asleep. It's amazing how she's trained herself to do it alone! I'm SO proud of her! I know she'll still have her moments, but oh man, how nice it is to not have to sit there with her forever while she fights and fights to go to sleep!

A Busy Week!

Hey! If anyone out there still reads my blog every once in a while, I just wanted to tell you what's been going on this week!

We've been having revival. I've gone every night except 2 nights, and Callie has been Miss Wiggly every night! We've gotten home late every night this week but one, and it has been hard on me and her. She's also been learning how to fall asleep on her own instead of mommy rocking her to sleep, and she's getting better. The first night I laid her down in her bed when I knew she was tired, and she just cried for me (Thanks separation anxiety!)! I could hardly take it! It took her a while to settle down, but every night she's gotten a little bit better. She was so sleepy tonight that when I laid her down I didn't hear a peep out of her! I know it's hard on me and Andy too to hear her cry and fuss when she doesn't want to lay down and go to sleep on her own, but I believe I'm helping her and myself out in the long run! I don't want to be rocking her to sleep every night when she's 2 or 3 years old! I bet it would be REALLY hard to get her to learn to sleep herself when she's that old and set in her ways! :)

Anyway, back to revival. Chris Anderson from Enon Baptist Church has been the preacher this week, and I have really enjoyed his messages. He seems like he would be a great pastor and has a big heart. He has been preaching hard this week! We even had one of our youth group kids announce his call to preach tonight! He got saved last year at our youth revival, and he's the only person in his family that is saved I believe. He has spent so many mornings in the altar just praying and crying his eyes out. I believe he prays for his family, but maybe recently he's been struggling with call to preach, but he surrendered tonight! He's a sweet kid. We are all excited to have another youth revival this summer. Our church has not been the same since. It really charged up our youth. We need to start praying for those services already!

Revival has been great this week, and I can honestly say that I've been charged up myself. Giving just one week of your life to God and staying out late a couple of weeknights is really not much to give back to the Savior who gave up His LIFE for me! I wish that everyone in our church could have that mentality. It's so easy just to stay home and let the t.v. entertain you or the Internet, but so many blessings were missed by those who failed to come this week!

Oh by the way, I only have to have kids for 5 more days for this school year! I can't believe how quickly it has passed. Next year, I go back to work full time! I'm already crying and dreading that part of it! I love my job, but I love my baby too. If she could stay home with somebody and not have to go to a daycare it wouldn't be so bad. Sigh... I've already decided that when and if I have another baby, I'm taking the entire year off and just going to focus more on being a mommy than I feel like I have with Callie. I hope she doesn't turn out to have some sort of issues because of how I've worked and not been home with her.

Okay, I'm finished. This is a really long blog! I've just gotten lazy lately with the blogs. :) Much Love!!!

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day, but it really doesn't feel like a different day to me. It's kind of weird being included in this holiday! I remember it took me forever to get used to being called "mama" by people in respect to Callie! I'm used to it now, but it took a while! Callie even says ma-ma sometimes too, so even SHE is starting to call me that! :) She usually only says it when she's whining about something or wanting something though. :) Is that surprising?

Ashley and I sang today at church. It'll probably be the last time we'll sing together until after she's married. I'm sure it will come few and far between after that. It's kind of depressing! We won't be able to just be put on the spot anymore and asked to sing. I'm going to miss her SO bad at church. I've gone to church with her my whole life, and I can't imagine her not being there every time I'm there. I guess it will take some getting used to.

Well I need to get some more things done while the Bug naps, so I better go. Only 2 more weeks left in school! Oh, and my hydrangea is going to bloom this year FINALLY! YEA!!!!!!!! I've been talking to it and loving on it some, so maybe that's why!? :) I know, I'm weird.... Maybe I'm just an ole' hydrangea hugger?

Yay, it's Friday!

Hello blog peeps. :) I've been lazy this week and I haven't updated anything. Actually, I have just been pretty busy. I'm trying to get ready for Ashley's fun shower tomorrow night and do other errands like getting groceries, grading Geometry projects, etc...

"Bug," as Levi calls her, is sleeping right now or else I wouldn't be blogging! We call Callie "Callie Bug" a lot, and Levi just calls her bug. Isn't that sweet? :) He will make a great daddy one day and Ashley will make a great mommy too of course! I'm glad she's marrying someone who Callie likes and will be proud to call uncle as she will already be proud to call Ashley an aunt! :)

I have planted some pepper plants in my teeny weeny indoor greenhouse and they are ready now to be put out in the garden! I have some cayenne peppers and two other kinds that I can't remember the name of right now. I was so excited when they actually grew! There's nothing like watching God take a tiny seed and turning it into a plant! Farmers and gardeners witness the awesomeness of God's creation by watching their crops grow and prosper. It's too cool! I think that's why Andy's fascinated by his little garden. He's only planted green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Maybe we'll have more green beans this time. Last year, we threw away cucumbers because we had so many of them and couldn't eat all of them nor could we give them all away!

Anyway, I'm rambling. I think I'll go relax in front of the t.v. - alone! That's a rarity in itself! Yay... I'll actually have control of the remote.... STRANGE!!!! :)

Saturday

I cut Andy's hair again today. I believe I did better this time than last time, but I can still improve! It makes me pretty nervous using those big ole' clippers, but apparently it is possible to be good at cutting hair with it. I just need more practice. Andy is a good guinea pig. He's a good sport about it too. He doesn't make me feel bad if it's not just perfect in every way.

Callie has been so into pitching little fits today. Isn't she a little young to be protesting when she doesn't get her way?!?!?!? I have no idea what's up with her, but I believe I've got a little booger on my hands! I love her to pieces though! :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the sunny and dry weather. We could stand a little rain!

Another Update

1. Jeff's wife Tracie was able to come home today! She was resting in Jeff's recliner when he emailed an update, and I'm sure they are VERY glad to be at home. Praise the Lord! I'm sure she's still got a long road ahead of her emotionally and physically, so continue to pray for her and for Jeff.

2. Erin's prognosis is good. The doctors seem to believe they can keep her from delivering for about another 2 weeks so that Riley's lungs can develop more before he is born. Erin will need to be in the hospital for another 2 weeks at least, so remember her!

Thank you for your prayers!

Update on Prayer Requests

1. Jeff's wife Tracie is going to be moved this week into a normal room if all goes well. Jeff is still not back at school, and I heard that he caught some sort of bug while being at the hospital with his wife. So, pray for his health as well. I believe that he and maybe one of the kids caught some sort of stomach bug, so pray for them too.

2. Erin is still in the hospital and the doctors are going to try to keep her there for a few weeks until the baby's lungs can develop more so that he can be delivered. I don't know much because Andy has only talked to Kevin 2 times and you know how men don't try to remember details! :)

Thank you for all of the prayers thus far. I know that God is still in control and that Jeff and Tracie's baby is in Heaven as we speak. That's the only way I believe I could find comfort if I were Jeff and Tracie at this point. I will keep you updated.

Two Prayer Requests

1. A man that I work with and his wife had a miscarriage when his wife was 5 months pregnant. I received an email from a fellow teacher who said that his wife had a D and C and afterwards her uterus erupted. This caused her to lose a lot of blood, and her organs were beginning to shut down as a result as I understand it correctly. She was taken to ICU and had to be put on a ventilator. Praise God she is now alert and off the ventilator. Their names are Jeff and Tracie Brack and this would've been their 4th child. Please pray for Jeff, Tracie, and their family!

2. One of our friends is also pregnant and due in May. Her husband called yesterday to say that her water had broken (she's at 32 weeks) and she was going to the hospital. We have yet to hear another update from Kevin about Erin, so please pray for them as well. They are expecting a boy, and they already have a 3 year old daughter, Peyton.

Thank you. Please help me pray for these families!

Love,
Brittany

Support WRAF!

Okay, here's my plug for 90.9 WRAF!!! It's a wonderful station that TRULY seeks to present the Gospel every day to its listeners and provide encouragement for those who are already believers. Right now, this totally listener-supported-station, is in need of funds to help them stay on the air for another year. This year is my third year supporting them, and it has been a blessing to support them. I truly believe they use the money I donate to them wisely.

If this station or another Christian radio station or ministry has blessed you, consider giving to them! You will be blessed in return - I guarantee it!

Quick Post

Just wanted to post a quickie tonight. I've still got things to do and it's already 10 pm! At least there are only 2 more days to go this week. The count down for the end of school has begun. The kids are "ancy" (if that's how you spell it) and the teachers are beginning to feel that way too. I'll just be excited when the summer gets here so Andy and I can both be home with Callie all the time! She's just learning and doing so much every day. I don't want to miss any of it if I don't have to. :)

In Honor of Miss Vicki

Today was the first day BACK after Spring Break. I can honestly say that it wasn't THAT BAD! The kids were a little rowdy, but hey, that's to be expected. You'd wanna talk to your friends you hadn't seen in a week too, right? :) I know I would.

Ashley had her shower yesterday and got LOTS of GREAT gifts! She and Levi are very blessed with generous families and friends. It was good to see all of my family at the shower too! I got to have some good conversations with some people that I love. There's nothing like family is there?

I was reminded this morning how death is for sure and life is so uncertain. I was shocked to learn that the director of Legacy Academy passed away on Tuesday last week while we were away for Spring Break. It's so shocking to me because she died so suddenly of a heart attack. I spoke with her on Friday not knowing that I would never get to speak to her again. I don't understand God's reasons for taking her out of this world, but one day we will understand it all. Please pray for her family and for all of the employees at Legacy. They are all still very much in shock and in mourning for Miss Vicki. I feel like I can't do anything for her family but pray since I didn't know about the funeral until it had already passed, so, that's why I wanted to post this blog in memory and in honor of her.

Remember, life is short! I know that God has truly reminded me of this fact today. I'm just so thankful He knows what He's doing and that He's still in control no matter how stormy our lives may seem.

Much Love!!!

ABC's of Brittany

I found this blog in Ashley's archives from 2006. I thought it would be fun to edit it for me and post! It would be cool if others would copy and paste in your blogs and edit it for yourselves too! :)

ABC's of Brittany

A - Available/Single? Happily Married! Very UNavailable

B - Best Friend? My sister and my moma

C- Cake or Pie? Cake is better! (Red Velvet please!)

D - Drink Of Choice? Water, Sprite, or Coke (Cherry coke is good too)

E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? Hairdryer!

F - Favorite Color? purple, melon, green (too hard to choose just one!)

G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Bears

H - Hometown? somewhere in North Georgia

I - Indulgence? shoes, desserts, purses, etc...

J - January Or February? February

K- Kids & Their Names? Callie

L - Life Is Incomplete Without? JESUS!!! John 14:6

M - Marriage Date? July 10, 2004

N- Number Of Siblings? 1 beautiful talented and soon-to-be-married sister

O- Oranges Or Apples? Apples

P - Phobias/Fears? I don't like creepy crawly bugs, spiders, etc.

Q - Favorite Quote? anything quoted by Jesus is a great quote

R - Reason to Smile? Because God has blessed me so much and being saved!

S - Season? Spring

T - Tag Two Or Three People? Not sure what this means..

U - Unknown Fact About Me? I love bluegrass and clogging!!! woohoo!

V - Vegetable you don’t like? Beets...ewww

W - Worst Habit? Being too picky at times, saying "uh" and "okay" too much

X - X-rays You’ve Had? neck, teeth (haha), and praise the Lord none other that I know about

Y - Your Favorite Food? oh man... there's no favorite, but to start - mashed potatoes, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, you name it!

Z - Zodiac Sign? Not that it matters, but I'm a Gemini.

Brittany the Barber

Well, I accomplished something today! I cut Andy's hair for the first time. Yes, yes, I know. You all are gasping right now wondering how in the world Andy could let this ole' blonde put the clippers to his head, but in all honesty, I didn't do THAT BAD! :) He said it looked okay. So, whether he's telling the truth or fibbing just to keep from hurting my feelings, I felt pretty good about it. There are a few spots that aren't perfect, but overall, it wasn't that bad. I think I'll do better next time. :) Andy's excited about the possibility of getting his hair cut anytime he wants for free. He thinks that's just wonderful. Maybe I can learn how to trim it up pretty good so he doesn't have to venture out to the barber anymore. Looks like ole' Brad lost a customer! :) Sorry!

Callie has just been talking and talking today. She thinks she's actually saying something I can understand, and I just play along like I do. It's good to help her develop those communication skills. :) We had her pictures made today, and let me just say that they are toooooo cute! She was just adorable and just loves being a little card in front of the camera. As a matter of fact, she's been trying to entertain people all day with her little smiles and cackles. I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world!!! She is my world, and Andy's too! She has him RIGHT where she wants him. He would do anything for that girl. :)

Cantaloupe, Spring Break, and Ashley's B-Day!!!

Callie likes cantaloupe! I gave her a little piece of some the other day, and she just gobbled it right up! She'll actually bite off little pieces from a big piece while I hold it. It's cute! I know she's related to her mommy for sure now. :)

We are on Spring Break this week and loving it! It's nice knowing you DON'T have to get up and go somewhere tomorrow. It makes me ready for the summer! I love that part of my job!!!

I had my hair highlighted and trimmed ( maybe a bit too much in the back) today, and it's blonde again. :) Interestingly enough, I had my hair dresser explain to me how she uses math on her job daily. You wouldn't believe how much math a hair dresser uses! From mixing up color to calculating your commission or profit from your business, I was totally amazed at all of the things she told me. It was an interesting conversation. I can't wait to tell my kids at school when they tell me that all they want to do is hair and that they don't need math! :) I'll have a little victory dance afterwards too!

Well, today is Ashley's birthday, so I better get ready to go and see her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEY BROOKE HARRISON (no Nix yet)!!!! This is the last birthday as just a Harrison girl. Bittersweet, huh? :) Hard to believe you're 22 years old! Love you!

SIGH....

Okay, so it's almost 10:00 - WAY too late for a little baby to JUST be going to sleep. I believe the separation anxiety has set in as of yesterday. Last night Callie would basically fall asleep in my arms. Then, as soon as I laid her down and turned my back, she just went hysterical. Tonight - the same thing. SIGH... It's hard to know what to do. Do I let her cry for a few minutes to settle down? Do I go back in her room to pick her up? It's hard not to when those little arms are stretched out to you or she stands up in her crib and clings to me for dear life. I know it's just a phase, but it's hard! :( I know she's exhausted or else I wouldn't lay her down in her crib, but it's just like she can't go to sleep if she can't see me or feel me. It's cute and frustrating at the same time. Her daddy can't do anything with her at night time to help her go to sleep. Thanks to me, I'm the only person who has mastered putting her to bed for the night. That's good and it's bad at the same time.

SIGH.... Anyway, I had to vent about my dilemma. I love her to pieces, but sometimes enough is enough. It's hard to work on putting her to bed for 45 min. to an hour when I KNOW for a fact she's so tired.

This to shall pass, right? (Please say yes....)

Here comes the sun.... do do do do

Finally - SUN! I have missed the sun these last couple of days. Praise God for rain, but praise Him for the sunshine too! :) Nothing like some good ole' sunlight to lift your spirits.

Last night Andy and I had a date. Ooohh ahhh fabulous.... :) We had a good time. We went and ate Japanese - hibachi style. Our chef was a little quiet but still managed to entertain us and cook us a good meal. I have some left overs. I can't wait to gobble them up as soon as I finish with this post! After we ate, we went to Party City and then to Wal-Mart where we bought some groceries, saw a million things we could've bought Callie, and then we came home. It was fun, and it's just so weird to get out by ourselves! I really don't remember what it was like NOT having Callie anymore! I don't want to know either. :) I can't explain it, but there's just something about having a baby of your own. She has been the biggest blessing I've ever received other than a wonderful family and husband. Children are truly blessings from the Lord. I didn't deserve to have such a sweet little baby, but I'm so glad He sent her to us!

Well, before I get too mushy and sentimental, I better go. Ellen, I hope you found my blogspot!

Hola!

Hola to my fellow blog readers. :) I am SO ready for Spring Break! :) We only have one more day this week until we can have a little vacation away from the kiddos at school, and boy am I glad!

Nothing especially exciting has gone on in my life today. I had to take Callie to the doctor because I thought she was getting what I believe was pink eye again. I think she may have had it about 2 weeks ago, but we caught it early (along with an ear infection) and now that's cleared up as well. The doctor seems to think it's just upper respiratory things that are bothering her right now, hence the reason for her "goopy" eye this morning.

Speaking of which, I cannot speak myself hardly at all! After trying so hard to sing with AC3 the other night (which was wonderful by the way!! :)), I really can't talk! :) I believe it's the pollen, but who knows? Anyone have any suggestions on some allergy medicine to try that doesn't make you feel like you're hallucinating? :) I know that something I took at one point make me feel plum loopy! :)

Happy Friday!

Only 4 more days until Spring Break...

I believe the title of this blog says it all! I had a pretty good day at school today, but the kids were wild today after a fire drill. It's amazing how upsetting a high-schooler's routine will make them crazy!

Callie is snoozing right now (probably not for much longer). She is getting her front two teeth as we speak. The poor thing just gnaws on anything she can get her hands on... that includes her own hands. :) She's been holding out her arm/hand at things she wants. She hasn't pointed at anything just yet, but I know it's coming! Today, when I picked her up, she was so excited. Some days it's so hard to leave her! :( She's just getting so cute about things, and it makes it even harder.

We have heat! Yea!!! Our heat pump's fan motor decided to go bad on us last week, so we've been without heat in our house since Friday. If you know how cold it was this weekend, then you know it's not been fun! We have had two little heaters going in the house just to keep warm. Praise the Lord it's fixed now though! You don't realize how much you take things like heat and electricity for granted until you don't have it!

Into EVERYTHING!

Today I let Callie pilfer through my purse while I washed a few dishes. She was content for literally 10+ minutes. She would take out something, look it over, then toss it aside and take out something else. It was funny to watch. I had to capture a picture of the damage. :)

Also, I've attached the link to my album of Callie's Easter pictures. She WAS NOT in the mood for pictures on Sunday, hence the reason there are not many of them, and I did not get any that were just what I would consider fabulous. :) Anyway, enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/brittanyb82/CallieEasterAndPlayingInMommySPurse

Still here...

Hello to the three people (probably less than that!) who read my blog every once in a while! I'm still here, but I've just been busy. I only have time to blog when Callie takes a nap or goes to bed it seems! Anyway, Callie is getting her top two teeth. They are coming through the gums as we speak. She's been fussing about it, but who wouldn't and didn't?!

I'm ready for Spring Break. I don't think I need to explain that, do I? :)

Pi Day Video

Hello! Here is one of the "Pi Day" treats I was able to see last Friday, 3/14. I had a great time with my Geometry class. I put together this little video so that you all could see one of the things my kids came up with. They are so creative and talented! REALLY!!!

Peace in the Midst of the Storm

I just had to write on my blog what happened to me on Friday night. Ashley, Andy, Levi, and I were all together with our Sunday School class from church. We went to Atlanta to watch the Atlanta Passion Play. While we are watching the crucifixion scene, there was "lightning" in the clouds in the background on stage. Well, about that same time, we heard what we thought were cool sound effects or rain. We knew it was rain (or possibly hail) when we heard it again after the scene was over.

I looked at my cell phone just by chance and noticed moma had called 2 times. Then, she called Levi. Well, I went to call her to make sure everything was okay. She said we were under a tornado warning. I couldn't believe it since it wasn't even raining outside or did not appear to be bad weather just by looking out the door.

On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme, indulged in a way too fattening donut, and then went home. When we got home, we turned on the news (at around 1 am!) only to find the news was STILL on. We saw the damage at the CNN Center, the Georgia Dome, and just all around downtown.

The Civic Center is only a couple of blocks (less than 1 mile) from the Dome, CNN Center, Centennial Part, etc. We were SOOO close to the tornado that actually hit. I could not believe how close we were. It was scary, but I was SOOO extremely thankful to God that He somehow saw fit for our group to be safe from the storm. It was like He had His hands shielding us from that tornado, and He sent the path on a particular course that would avoid us and where we were. I was reminded of how great God is and how wonderful it is that He's still in control.

We didn't deserve to not be hit by the tornado, but we literally were at peace sitting there in that auditorium while the storm was just over the way. We had no idea of the storm that God was steering away from us, keeping us safe. I wonder how many times everyday God keeps bad things from coming our way as His children just because He loves us, and we don't even know it, just like we had no idea a tornado was causing damage less than 1 mile away from us. We all take His protection and His power for granted! I know that I do!

Sorry for the verbiage, but I just had to share the fact of how thankful I am that God kept us safe and that He is just SOOO good to us EVERYDAY!!! ALL THE TIME!!!

Gotta love technology!

So, I spent precious time updating my blog only to have it NOT load/save correctly. Apparently my Internet connection was bad and Andy ever so nicely closed the window before I could retry to post sometime later. Sigh... figures!

Well, originally I had written about the fact that Levi got a job offer today and he accepted it! He is on board with Chestatee for next year. Then, Ashley is still waiting to hear about the Lula position. She also has another interview coming up. Keep her in your prayers! :)

Then, I wrote about my epiphany last night while watching "The Nativity Story." If you've never seen it, you must! It was so great! I just realized how sweet it must've been for Mary to give birth to the One who would ultimately die for her sins and how she was a moma just like I am. I know she felt so unworthy to be the mother of her Lord, but that's the way God had it planned!

I really just realized last night how much Mary must've loved Jesus, not only as her Savior, but as her son. I know it must've broken her heart to see Him mocked, spoken unkindly of, and finally seeing him hang on the cross in agony. She was his mother, and I'm sure she remembered holding Jesus while he was just a little baby. Those precious memories probably tore at her heart.

After hearing the Christmas Story so many times, I was just amazed at how God showed me something different that I'd never seen before. His Word is truly alive as is He!

Sunday - tired and too much to do

I have been lazy about posting here lately. It seems like this past week was just so busy. It was hard to find time to sit down and actually think about what to say.

Callie and I went outside one day this past week when it was so nice and pretty outside, and I put down a blanket so she could sit on the ground. She was totally fascinated by the grass. I believe she'll be one of those girls who likes to play outside. She likes being outside so far. She hasn't had a chance to get out much since it's been so cold these last few months, but come spring time we'll be getting her out! I'm ready for warmer weather myself!

Ashley and I sang last night at a benefit singing. She and I did well singing, but we were there with a bunch of groups with their own bands and everything else. It was just me and Ashley - with my measly piano skills. I felt so inadequate and plain. I know it was just the devil trying to get me down. I know in my heart I went to sing for a good cause and the right reason, so I won't let that other "stuff" bother me, I guess.

We had a good service today at church. A missionary we support in Poland came to speak to us. The choir also did a good job, and the youth choir got to sing a song too. I have been trying to teach them some songs that are easy and have a good message, but they are just so shy when it comes to singing! They sing hard when we practice, and then they freeze up when we sing in front of the church folks. I guess I can't blame them. I used to be the same way, BUT years of experience and having a chance to get out of that comfort zone have changed that about me. :) Lots of practice singing with Ashley and with A Cappella Three have helped me a lot! :)

Callie is now fascinated with my guitar. I got it out the other day, and she just had a fit over it. She wanted to pull at the strings and just touch it. She wouldn't even let me play it. Now that she's so mobile, I can't get away from her so that I can play it without her being able to reach me somehow. :) I just hope she has a hunger and a love for music like I do. She's definitely got the genes for it! Maybe I can have me a little singing buddy one day. Her daddy just won't do it! :)

New Pi Song...

I have finally done it! I made my own remake of a version of a song for Pi Day! It's funny! Here are the lyrics... It has some "KID" lingo in it just to make my students laugh. No, I don't make a habit of saying "fi" when I think something is cool!

“Pi” (My version of “Pink” by Aerosmith)
These lyrics by: Mrs. Brown (March 6, 2008)


Pi it's my new obsession
Pi it’s part of my profession,
Circumference divided by diameter, 'and
Pi is the thing you discover

Pi - my favorite greek letter,
Why? 'cause it’s so much better
Pi it's the number of passion
'Cause on pi day it just goes with the fashion

Pi it was love at first sight, yeah
Pi all your digits are tight, and
Pi gets me every time
And I think everything is going to be all right
As long as I can have my pi

Pi is my favorite ratio
'Coz pi is a fi’ kinda lingo
Pi what an unending number
Your digits just linger forever

Pi it was love at first sight, yeah
Pi all your digits are tight, and
Pi gets me every time
And I think everything is going to be all right
As long as I can have my pi

Pi you’re my favorite number
Your digits I count in my slumber
When I wake up I never wonder why
Pi it's my favorite number, yeah

Pi it was love at first sight, yeah
Pi all your digits are tight, and
Pi gets me every time
And I think everything is going to be all right
As long as I can have my pi

(Just as a disclaimer- no, "Pink" is not a favorite song of mine by Aerosmith! I know some of the original lyrics are a bit weird! My song is not influenced by any narcotics if you know what I mean! The lyrics were just easy to manipulate for my purposes!!! :))