New Inductees Into The KUC

I must begin my blog by congratulating the newest inductees into The now infamous "Knocked Up Club". Thanks to these fine ladies, I continue to be off-the-hook in the baby department. The unfortunate thing is that none of you live within 4 hours of me so that I can squeeze cheeks (both butt & face). Cristie and Laura K. are due soon with Lola & Colton. Annie is due in September with Katie Charlotte. Laura A., Jillina, & Lori are due in September, October, and November with currently sex-unknown babies. I lovingly will call these tikes (until the gender is released) Fetuses (or Feti?) Alsup, Cabaniss, and Mycoskie. Congrats girls!

Things have been a little interesting in my life lately due to the inappropriate things that children do at school. This week, I have had to speak to 2 kindergarteners about inappropriate comments. One (who has both his ears pierced with one-carat CZ's) told his friend that he was going to pee on him while showing him his private body part (i.e. "penis"), and the other one told a friend that he wanted to kiss his girlfriend on her buttcrack. No lie. Now, please don't move your children to a remote island where they will never step foot in public schools--these kids are not roaming the hallways all the time looking for their next victim, most of the time they don't know what in the world they are saying. I also recently found out that 2 first grade girls at my school have their tongues pierced. I promise my school is actually a really nice one--I almost fell out of my desk chair when I saw the tongue piercings. I couldn't believe it, and I didn't think that much shocked me. But I must say that my day is never dull, and I enjoy almost every bit of it.

One last story before I head off to bed: Last night Andy told me that he needed me to drive his little brother's truck to work the next day. No problem, I thought, until I remembered seeing the truck when I went outside--it was full of mulch!!! Not a small bed full--a heaping mound of tree mulch that flies every where as you are driving down the road. I told him "No way, that is soooo embarassing". Now I realize that I sounded like a 7th grade girl talking to her father who just showed up at school and yelled, "Is that the boy you've been telling me about?!?"--but I don't care, that was embarassing! Long story short, Andy won, and I drove the truck to school, mulch and all. Needless to say, I parked in the back parking lot, and wore a disguise until I was at a safe distance from the mulch-toting truck. I was going to take pictures of me in the vehicle to post, but Andy unloaded it before I got the chance. Maybe next time. Happy Friday!

Spring Breakin'!

It is the end of my Spring Break, and as Andy watches The Masters, I get a chance to reminiscence over my paid week-long vacation from school! Anyone jealous? I spent the beginning of the week doing absolutely, positively nothing. But you know when you are at home, you always feel like you need to be cleaning or doing something productive? I did that for about one day, and then decided that I needed to get over the guilt and enjoy the days. I read a few books, and chilled out with Callie, then on Thursday evening, Andy and I headed to Nashvegas. We had a great time staying with Chris Anne, David, Campbell, and Andrew--those are some cutie-pie kiddos! There is certainly never a dull moment in that household, Campbell keeps you entertained with his matter-of-fact statements and obsessions with his person of the moment. When Andy is around, Campbell loooooooooooves to always know what Andy is doing and if Andy will play with him. Too cute. Eli came over Saturday night for dinner, and Campbell asked him every 3 minutes or so if he was done with his dinner. I think he kept checking because he was the first one done, and wanted someone else to finish so he could play with them. Baby Andrew chills like no other baby before him. It melts your heart when he smiles at you with his gigantic cheeks, and toothless grin! I also got a chance to hang out with Carrie at Bread & Co right after the typhoon hit Franklin. We sat in the restaurant for a couple of hours talking about everything we could think of--it was glorious! I then migrated to Starbucks in Brentwood to meet Lauren and chit-chat until dinnertime. Rebecca, Abigail, and Ansley met us for dinner, and the girls and Campbell kept us entertained in McAllister's Deli until it was time to leave. Saturday, Lindsay and Rebecca met Chris and I at Puffy Muffin (surprise, surprise!) for brunch. I had a food and friend-filled weekend, and it was so wonderful to meet up with everyone--thanks for taking time out to hang with me! I forgot my camera, so I have no pictures, I'll steal some from Chris Anne when she updates her blog! Happy Spring--isn't it wonderful?

The Flu...Boo.

It's official...for the first time in my life, I have the flu. It has been a very quick journey. Earlier in the week, I had a scratchy throat and a stuffy nose, but there is nothing new with that, it is Spring, and allergies are acting up (is what I thought). After school on Thursday, I began to get achy & weak. By the time I woke up on Friday, I felt like I had been hit by a transfer truck. I called in sick to work (for only the second time in 2 years, I might add) and headed to my doctor's office. She managed to work me in. But I don't know if you call an over 3-hour doctor's visit as working me in. They swabbed my nose (yuck!) and it was official...FLU! I have been laid out since then, with Callie as my nurse. If I am sleeping in the bed, she is right next to me, otherwise she is right nearby, it is too bad that she cannot go get my medicine for me. Andy has been missing in action, I think he is afraid he is going to catch it. It is no fun. Next year, I am definitely getting the flu shot--no doubt! I'm am definitely sick and tired of laying around and watching E! Entertainment Television--but if you need any celebrity updates, give me a call, I know what is going on with everyone: Brittany, Lindsay, Paris, everyone! I hope everyone else is healthy and well!

Happy Belated Birthday and Much More

Everyone knows that I am a blog slacker, so it should come as no surprise that I am wishing my husband a birthday one week late. Andy turned 29 years old on St. Patrick's Day--and I am so glad that he was born all those years ago:)! I find it hard to believe how blessed I am to be married to him, he has the patience of Job to put up with me. Many thanks to my parents for praying him into my life--God is soooo good! Happy Birthday to my fabulous husband! He might kill me for posting this picture of him from Christmas! I forced him to pose with one of his presents (if you're wondering, it is Monkey Bread--he loves the stuff:)!) I hope you all had a Happy Easter! Love you, Andy!

Friends & Facebook

Since I have been MIA for quite sometime, I have alot to catch up on. The last month and a half has been filled with getting back into the swing of school, and hanging out with lots of friends! Back in January, Andy and I went to a Dustin Overbeek "in the round" concert at the Ragamuffin Cafe in Roswell. We went to supper with Dustin & Lauren before the show, and it was awesome! He shared the stage with 3 other artists, and it was a great array of music (minus one performer, who was a little over the top, but made me laugh, so it was okay...). Andy and I are now the newest fan of Dustin's CD, and we have been listening to it nonstop since we got it. You should check out his website at www.dustinoverbeek.com!

The next weekend we ventured to Nashville to lay eyes on Andrew Sciortino and Ella Grace Fua. I got to see lots of friends, and hang out while holding their sweetie-pie babies. We also got to see Eli's new house from the outside only, he has now officially moved to "Bonerwood" Drive--and no, I am not kidding about the name--he thinks it is hilarious! Let's be honest, I think it is hilarious also:)!

February was filled with my birthday celebration (I'm 28--yikes), Valentine's Day, and then the last weekend in February, Andrea, Carrie, Laura, and Lauren came down for a weekend of talking non-stop and shopping! We had a blast, and we kicked Andy out of the house, while we took over, and stayed up until 1am. All we needed was Brooke and some pizza and we would have been back in the second floor back hallway of Elam! Oh, and we went to Lenox Mall in Buckhead, and saw Chilli from TLC there--we were so pumped, but Brooke was disappointed that we did not get her picture and sing "Waterfalls" to her--maybe next time!

I have no pictures from all of these outings downloaded onto my computer because I don't have the software from my new digital camera on my computer yet. I would promise you all that I will post them soon, but you know how that goes:)! I am a member of the Facebook community now, and I do have pictures posted there from some past events--that is mainly why I have been a blog slacker, because I have been making some new friends on Facebook. You should join me! Well, happy March to all!

Snow Day!

Downtown Gainesville at the beginning of the snowfall!

I just want you all to know that it is currently 6:10 am in the morning, and I am off of work today! All of metro Atlanta received beautiful snow late yesterday afternoon into the night. Everyone was nutty at school yesterday because we were all excited to possibly have a day off today. We were stalking the Doppler radar like meteorologists, and I was doing my best snow dance throughout the day, and it worked! When I got home from a meeting, we ate dinner, and I put on my ski gear, and headed outside! It was glorious! I wanted to sled, but Andy said there was not enough snow--I guess it was just wishful thinking. Callie thought it was the greatest thing, because she just ran around like a crazy person the whole time. I was so excited about maybe missing school, that I did not sleep very well, I promise, I am like a kid. I needed a kid last night to play with, but since I don't have one, I just looked like a silly Abominable Snowwoman playing in the snow by herself. I am stealing a picture from a local news station of downtown Gainesville, before the snow started sticking to the ground, more pictures may be to come! Oh, by the way, has anyone read Hollee (Huston) Ford's blog lately? Her and Sam are expecting triplets!!!!! Holy Multiple Children, Batman! We definitely need to pray for a long and healthy pregnancy for Hollee. Check out her blog: http://holleeford.blogspot.com/ There is also a teacher at my school who needs prayers for her unborn baby, Addison Leigh. I won't give you all the details, just her blog address so you can keep up--your prayers would be much appreciated for both these families. The Chastain family: http://babyaddisonholdsourhearts.blogspot.com/

Happy Thursday to all!

To New Beginnings...

Andrew Sciortino
Ella Grace Fua
Happy New Year everyone! I would go back and tell you all about my Christmas holidays, but it is too much to type about, so I'm starting fresh for 2008! First of all, I must say that being in the school system is a glorious thing, especially when you get 2 weeks off to sleep in and lay around in your pj's all day. Andy got alot of time off too, so we got lots of quality time together, it was so nice:)! At the very end of the holidays, Chris Anne and Rebecca did the thing that gives me nightmares to even think about--they went through labor, and had babies! Andrew was born on January 3rd, and Ella Grace was born on January 5th--maybe we should go ahead and arrange a marriage for these two, because they are two gorgeous kiddos!

As I type, Angie is in the hospital having Emily. She was supposed to be induced this morning, so I hope she is done by now, if not--GET THAT GIRL AN EPIDURAL!!

Speaking of babies, I am going to leave you with a funny story from the world of school counseling. No names will be used to protect the innocent. Two fourth grade girls came to me on Friday afternoon to let me know that a little boy had been saying inappropriate things to them that was giving them a funny feeling in their stomach. The kids at my school know this feeling is called the "uh-oh" feeling, and when you get it, go immediately to an adult you trust to talk to them about whatever is going on. Anyway, they told me that a little boy in their class asked them if they knew how babies were made, and then somewhere else in the conversation, he told them (please sit down for this if you are a parent...) that "white stuff comes out of a boy's...". I leave the last part blank because they could not even tell me the phrase, they had to write it down, and then they didn't know how to spell the last word, so I had to repeat the phrase back to them with the "private body part" word filling in the blank. Needless to say, I had to go get the little boy out of class and figure out how he knew this. It turns out that an older brother had blessed him with this knowledge. How lovely. There is nothing like ending your day at school, calling little girls parents to tell them that a classmate had informed their daughter that "white stuff comes out of a boy's penis". I hope you all had a funny ending to your week!

Katie

I have been writing this blog in my head for over a week, and now that I am sitting down at my computer to write it, I feel completely speechless. One week ago today, mine and Whitney's dear friend from home, Katie Whitlow, passed away. Her unborn son, Bascom, went with her as well. I appreciate so much the thoughts, emails, and prayers that have been sent to me from so many of you. Katie was truly someone who was set apart from the rest. I want to tell you about so much: my memories of her, other stories I heard over the past weekend, how people had to stand in line for over an hour at the funeral home to speak with her family, how our friend, Rusty, spoke the most perfect message at her funeral, how she prayed for each and every one of you, even if she did not know you. I want to tell you about her sweet daughter, Merriweather, and how she is still laughing and smiling, about her husband, Jacob, who is so strong in the face of so much heartache, about how Katie touched the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people, both before, during, and after her illness took her life. I want to tell you about her family, especially her immediate family: Curt, Melody, Curt Jr., Annie, Caleb, & Brock, and how wonderful they are. Please put Katie's entire family in your prayers. I could go on and on forever, but I am going to leave you with the email from Jacob when he let everyone know that Katie & Bascom had passed away. I am going to end with an email from Katie wrote last year to somene who is desperately seeking the Truth. May God bless you through these words the way Katie blessed everyone around her.

"I am sitting in Merriwether's room, watching her eat apples and pineapples, trying to explain to her the difference between the two, but all she can say is 'apple appie apple appie apple.' And she's telling me this story about this crazy cat she saw the other day at her memaw's house, except it wasn't a squirrel, it was a cat, and we don't think it was crazy. Katie was at the hospital on Friday getting blood and platelets. It took a long time and she just about had a nervous breakdown waiting for them to finish giving her the last bag of blood. I took her home and from that point her condition deteriorated quickly. She lost a lot of blood over the weekend and on Monday. Her mouth was filled with sores and her skin had little red bumps on it. She was in some pain, but she continued to believe that God could heal her. You are receiving this e-mail because you know my wife and you know that she lived her life with God and for God. Last night, around 3:30 AM, her mother Melody and I watched as Jesus took Katie to Heaven. He took our little unborn son, Bascom (after Katie's maternal great-great-grandfather) Ancil (my paternal grandfather) Whitlow. I do not know why this happened, why Katie died at the age of 26, why we had just two years and three months together as a married couple, why she died one year, to the date, of her being diagnosed with Adult Myeloid Leukemia. I don't know why she won't be there to make my daughters' wedding gowns or sing their grandchildren to sleep. I do know this though, and I know that Katie knew this until she breathed for the last time, because she was, in the midst of horrible pain whispering it, 'God loves me.' And she loved you too, even if she never met you, because Katie loved people. And God commands us to love him and love each other and Katie did those two things like no one else I have ever met. Merriwether is sitting in my lap now, wanting to go play, and she has no idea what is happening. Please pray for her, for my family, for Katie's family. The funeral will be on Saturday, I believe at Grove Level Baptist Church. The visitation will be Friday at some time at Julian Peebles Funeral Home in Dalton. I am an English major, so pardon any bits of the melodramatic in this e-mail and I am sorry if this news seems impersonal in this most impersonal of communication forms, but I hope you know it is written with sincerity and sorrow, but joy too, because Katie and my son are with Jesus. In her first e-mail to me, Katie closed it by saying 'My cup runneth over' and I remember thinking 'Who uses that expression?' and now I know what she meant. And when she wrote her last e-mail a week ago telling everyone the news we were having a boy, she finished that one with the same words, 'My cup runneth over.'" Jacob (written on 12/20/07)

Written by Katie last year:
" I am a Christian. Not because my grandfather is, not because his grandfather was...not because Grove Level planned the best activities when I was in middle school. I am a Christian because I have studied the life of Christ and it is good and it is love...and it is triumphant. I have never thrown my arms up in excitement or run around the sanctuary or shouted out to God during a sermon or fainted or swayed or been “slain in the Spirit” or spoken in tongues…or handled snakes(smile), It’s all I can do to clap in time to praise music…but I can hear Him whisper and I have felt Him only inches away if any at all and He has touched me and my insides stand in attention and my heart is red and it beats hard and fast and if you turn me inside out like an orange there would be some fantastic celebration with parades and ferris wheels and fireworks and marching bands and jelly beans and pinwheels and fire eaters and hula hoops and…..fat ladies in polka dots and lions and popcorn and acrobats. I pray that you might know my insides and realize that although I don't believe as you do...I believe with passion and with love and with direction of thought and purpose...not with a simple, gross obedience to a church or a pastor or a cause....All I know is that in the end it will be as God has planned and man can not interfere. And God is love. Love is everything. - Katie Hammontree [Whitlow]
Amen (smile)"

Have You Ever Prayed For A Miracle?

Many of you received an email from either Whitney or I about a month ago regarding our dear friend from Dalton, Katie Whitlow. I am just now having the time to post the information onto my blog so that more and more people can see what is going on. If you go back in my blog "archives" to the end of 2006, you will see that Katie was diagnosed with leukemia, and immediately began treatment for it during the holidays. The treatments were successful, and Katie has been being monitored ever since. The doctors told Katie that her treatments would make her infertile, but in the fall, Katie, Jacob, and Merriweather found out that they were going to have a new addition to their family, Katie was pregnant! Please understand that the pregnancy in itself is a miracle from God, the doctors told Katie she would not be able to have children. Unfortunately, about 3 months later, they found out that Katie's leukemia had returned, and have had to make what could possibly be one of the hardest decisions ever: do they treat the leukemia, and harm the baby, or leave the leukemia alone, saving the baby, but leaving Katie sick? They have prayed and prayed about their decision, and have decided that Katie will not treat the leukemia. I wish you all could have the chance to meet Katie and understand what an unbelievable example she is to everyone around her. She is patient, kind, and loves everyone around her. She has a way about her that makes you feel at peace even when there is turmoil all around. In the past, I have asked for prayer requests for this or that, but in this specific instance, I ask that you specifically pray for a miracle for Katie and her family. Thank you to those of you who have already prayed about this and written to me, I know Katie's family appreciates it as well. I'm posting a picture that I swiped from Whitney's blog of Katie, Jacob, and Merriweather. Please tell others about this, and thank you for praying for a miracle for Katie.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by Whitney to talk about "My Man"--so here goes!

1.Who is your man? Andy
2. How long have you been married? 2 years 2 months
3. How long did you date? We dated for almost 5 years before we got engaged--then we were married 8 months later.
4. How old is your man? 28
5. Who eats more? It must be me because Andy has lost weight since we got married, and I have gained it--I don't understand!!!!
6. Who said "I love you" first? Moi.
7. Who is taller? Andy
8. Who sings better? Andy, without a doubt. I feel sorry for anyone within listening distance when I am singing, I can't carry a tune in a gigantic bucket!
9. Who is smarter? When it comes to common sense, finances, and anything having to do with business, that would be Andy. If you are talking about actual grades in school, that would me--and he would agree, so I'm not insulting!
10. Whose temper is worse? Bless poor Andy, that would be me! I have to agree with Whitney's answer about her husband, Andy is very mild-mannered, and thinks before he speaks, so when he opens his mouth, it is meaningful, and you listen.
11. Who does the laundry? Me
12. Who takes out the trash? Andy
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are looking at the bed, Andy does. But when we travel, he always sleeps on the side of the bed closest to the bedside table--how funny!
14. Who handles the bills? Andy, or we would be bankrupt.
15. Who is better on the computer? I think we are about the same.
16. Who mows the lawn? Andy, I would be afraid to mess something up, he has this whole pattern" thing he does--it has to be a guy thing.
17. Who cooks dinner? I do, but Andy can cook wonderfully as well.
18. Who drives when you are together? Andy
19. Who pays when you go out? We have one bank account, so it is our money--but we have our Dave Ramsey envelopes, gotta love them!
20. Who is more stubborn? Me, me, me.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Andy, remember the stubborn question from above?
22. Whose families do you see most? That would be Andy's because we live in the same town:)
23. Who kissed who first? Me: Gatlinburg, Pi Delta formal weekend-how embarassing!
24. Who asked who out first? I honestly cannot remember, but if we're going along with the pattern, it was probably me. Wait, no, it was Andy! Hallelujah! It did take him a little while though.
25. Who proposed? Andy, and it was movie perfect!
26. Who is more sensitive? Andy is sensitive, but I am most definitely more sensitive in comparison.
27. Who has more friends? Probably about the same.
28. Who has more siblings? Andy: 2 brothers
29. Who wears the pants in the family? Andy does, and he should! Sometimes I try to steal that role, but it doesn't work when I do that!
30. Who is the biggest pushover with the kids? I think it will be Andy--but I'll let you know in 10 or so years!
I tag Chris Anne, Jillina, Lauren, & Lindsay...Go Girls!

Happy Birthday Dear Mama...

Yes, it's true, I am 27 years old, and still call my mother, "Mama"--so what? Yesterday was her birthday, and I'm sorry to be sending blog wishes one day late, but don't worry, I called her yesterday, and had celebrations over the weekend! Andy, Callie, and I went to Dalton this past weekend to have an early birthday celebration, and we hung out with my parents and my grandmother. I was in a hurry to leave, and forgot my camera, so I have no pictures. But, my mother looked awesome, so everyone can imagine her however you like! I'll have lots of pictures as the holidays near, though! Happy Birthday, Mama!!!!

One quick story about dessert. Dessert, you say? Yes, dessert! For those of you who are married to a man (which is all you:)) there is a mystery that I need help solving. How is it possible that two people can eat the exact same thing (and the man even more) yet the woman gains weight, and the man loses it! What is that about?! It is seriously ticking me off. The weird thing is that Andy has a MAJOR sweet tooth, and he would eat homemade dessert every night if I would fix it. His newest dessert fetish is Rice Krispy Treats. They are quite easy to make, I will admit, but when he requested them one night at 9:15 (I like to be in bed around 9:30--I know, totally old fogey bedtime) I was adament that I would not be making them. After his request, I was checking in with everyone's blogs before I headed to bed, and he was watching TV, or so I thought. I looked over at him to tell him I was going to bed, and this is what I saw:

I'm not sure how long he had been "cuddling" with the Rice Krispies box before I looked over--but needless to say, I made him his Treats because his stunt was too funny!

Why I'll Never Have My Own Cooking Show

Since getting married, I have taken up the enjoyment of cooking. I really try to do new things almost every week, and that involves constantly reading cookbooks, and keeping them out when I am cooking. The other day, I was cooking "Broiled Lemon Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce"--sounds absolutely fabulous, right? Well, as always, I had my cookbook laid out so I could know exactly what to do. I was cooking on the back eyes of my stove, and my cookbook was on the front of my stove. You can probably tell where I am headed with this. I was halfway through supper, and Andy and I smelled something funky in the kitchen. I checked all of my dishes, and everything was okay. Then, it hit me: I usually cook on the front eyes of the stove! I quietly (without drawing Andy's attention) looked at the knobs on the stove, and sure enough I had (out of habit) turned on the front eye of the stove, where my cookbook was laying. I wasn't quiet anymore, I grabbed my cookbook up and ran out on the back porch! Thankfully, it wasn't burned to a crisp, it just has a stovetop size burn on the back! Andy was trying to keep his laughs in, and I took some pictures because I knew I had to tell everyone how silly I was. So, if any of you were planning on coming to my cooking show on The Food Network, it's too bad--I don't think you qualify if you burn cookbooks! I'll leave you with the most recent casualty of my absent-mindedness!

The Pictures From My Last Blog...

Andy and I with our signature pose. Does anyone have any suggestions of how else to pose without it looking like we are about to head to our senior prom?
These are my sister-in-laws, Alesha and Rachel! Alesha is married to Andy's older brother, Jeremy, and Rachel is married to the younger brother, Charlie.
We were trying to get a Christmas card going here, but Andy and I screwed it up by doing another signature pose, instead of seeing what everyone else was doing!
My cousin's wife, Rebecca, and me at the game! This was the only time we stopped talking the whole time I sat by her! She is great!
This picture is for Eli! Since he didn't get to see the game on TV, I wanted him to see at least a little of his Dawgs!

Fall Is In The Air...

Ahhh, the crisp fall air has arrived! It is so nice to get in my car after work in the afternoons, and not suffocate before I can get it cranked! But, on the downside, there is a homeowner across the street from school, who just spread some type of manure on his field. There is nothing like having a gentle breeze waft the smell of nasty manure right into your nose--SICK!
This past weekend, Mark and Jillina came to Athens to watch the Bulldogs play. Mark was back on his old stomping grounds, and Jillina is in the final stages of her conversion from a UT Volunteer, to a tried and true, Georgia Bulldog! Welcome, Jillina! Whenever you miss that ugly UT orange, just remember that it is easier to find cute clothes in red and black! Jillina smuggled me up to club level to sit with them, and then I got the boot at halftime, because someone wanted their seats back, how rude! For some reason, I did not get a picture, but I'll get one at our baby shower weekend festival in a few weeks! After I talked Jillina's ear off, I moved over to the other side of the field to sit with Rebecca, my cousin's wife of 8 months. I did manage to get a picture of her, though!
Unfortunately, last week, we had a big loss in our family. Andy's older brother and his wife lost their golden retriever, Molly, to a freak accident. Now, don't even think about laughing when you read that we consider losing a dog a big loss. None of us have kids, so our dogs are our children. Molly got into some old charcoal that had meat on it, and the bacteria on the meat poisoned her. She was only 7 years old, she has been in the family as long as I have. Jeremy and Alesha (her parents) have been getting cards and presents from people--that was some dog! We all definitely miss her!
I am having a difficult time posting pictures, so I'll have to post later. Happy beginning of fall to all!

Friends, Anniversaries, and Football, Oh My!

I admit that I start reading everyone else's blogs, and forget that mine is not updated. When I click on someone who has not updated in awhile, I'm like, "What the heck? I wanna know what is going on with you!" then I realize I am a total hypocrite. So, to all my blogging friends, my sincerest apologies, here is the next installment of everything you did not want to know about my life...

Back in the middle of August, Brooke and her boyfriend, Daniel, came to visit us for her birthday extravaganza. We did not see them very much, since they came in the middle of the week, and we had to leave early for work, and they were gone to the Braves' games when we returned! No matter, it was still great to see you both (and to be the first to meet Daniel--yay us!).


Mine and Andy's 2 year anniversary was August 27th. Andy had done things up for our first anniversary, so I was unsure of what to expect for our 2nd. I woke up on the Saturday morning (before our anniversary on Monday), and found a handwritten note containing our agenda for the day (which included shopping, eating, and staying at a fancy-schmancy hotel--three of my favorite things!). We had a blast, and props to my sweet and thoughtful husband for being too good to be true! He even cooked on Monday night since it was our actual anniversary night. Go Andy!


The weekend after our anniversary was the opening game for UGA football! Andrea and Hunter came down to tailgate with us and spend the weekend. We had so much fun, and the Dawgs won their 1st game! I was going nuts cheering, I felt like my son was playing (if I had one:)). We won't even talk about the game last night...I want to keep things positive. Andrea and Hunter, I'm so glad you all came!


This weekend, Eli decided to escape Nashville for a weekend and come down to see us. We were unable to get tickets to the game, but went to the pool, and cooked out yummy steaks. It was so nice having Eli down to catch up on everything going on with him, and to swap stories about crazy elementary school children who make us laugh! Come back soon, Eli, we can't wait to see you again.


I only have a few pictures of our tailgating fun from the first UGA game. So many times I take my camera places, then forget to take pictures. For our anniversary, I didn't want to ask the valet guy if he would take our picture, a little embarassing! And a HUGE shout-out to the newest babe in swaddling clothes--Sam Hazlewood! Welcome Sam, and please sleep alot for your mama's sake! 1 down, 5 more to go!


Andrea and I posing at the tailgate!

I am adding this one, so you can see that we truly do "tailgate" at the back of a truck. We have quite the set-up with a TV set up with a satellite so the guys can keep up with the other NCAA games going on--Swanky!My hubby and me in our UGA colors!I took this picture because this tells you about tailgating...all the guys that are standing are total and complete strangers. They were watching the end of the Michigan/Appalachian State game with us--how funny!Random picture of Callie and her new favorite late night adventure: Playing with frogs. She has figured out that if she lays down next to them, and taps their butts with her nose, they will jump and she can chase them. Or maybe she is looking for her frog prince! Notice her hair cut. This is actually an almost 2 month old haircut that has grown out quite a bit. She is definitely a skinny-mini with a fro-head!

I Published Too Soon!

I wanted to add to the blog I just published that I know the email was written by someone who had kids and wanted those of us without them to shut our mouths, and realize what parents go through. My utmost respect goes out to you all!

So You Think You Are Ready For Kids...

I just got this email from Lauren, and I almost cried I was laughing so hard! I'm so not a fan of forwarded emails, but this one is awesome! And you wonder why I cannot decide on having children. WARNING: If you are about to give birth to your first child--DO NOT read this!!!! It is a bit scary!

Thinking of Having Kids? Do this 15 step program first!

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store. 2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. 3. Go home. 4. Pick up the paper. 5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2 Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior. Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel....
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive) Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out..
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
1. Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and a jar of paint, turn it into an alligator.
2. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper. Using only Scotch tape and a piece of aluminum foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle.
3. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty packet of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower

Lesson 7
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 8
1. Get ready to go out.
2. Sit on the floor of your bathroom reading picture books for half an hour.
3. Go out the front door.
4. Come in again.Go out.
5. Come back in.
6. Go out again.
7. Walk down the front path.
8. Walk back up it.
9. Walk down it again.
10.Walk very slowly down the sidewalk for five minutes.
11. Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way.
12. Retrace your steps.
13. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbors come out and stare at you.
14. Give up and go back into the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Lesson 9
Repeat everything you have learned at least (if not more than) five times.

Lesson 10
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is also excellent). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 11
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air. You are now ready to feed a nine- month old baby.

Lesson 12
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's "Noggin"?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 13
Move to the tropics. Find or make a compost pile. Dig down about halfway and stick your nose in it. Do this 3-5 times a day for at least two years.

Lesson 14
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying "mommy" repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each "mommy"; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 15 Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt-sleeve, or elbow while playing the "mommy" tape made from Lesson 14 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

The First Day of School...And Prayers Are Needed!

Today was my first day back at school with all 802 children! I have to admit, I love, love, love my school and everyone I work with! The first few days are tons of fun, because the kids are so excited to see you, and you get lots and lots of hugs and waves (which always fills me up:)!). It is nice to be a little more experienced and not having to say every 5 minutes, "Um, I don't know, let me go ask Carol Ann". Carol Ann is the other counselor, and this is her 12th year, so she knows waaaay more than me, but we are a fun team, I must say! Her little boy, Eli, started kindergarten this year, but she soldiered through the first day knowing he was having a blast. Okay, now for the prayers...I need some prayers on how to handle increased stress brought on by kids who have behavior problems. I can come up with behavior plans, consequences, and creative ideas, but I take everything really seriously, and get upset when things don't improve. And most of you know, if there is a true behavior problem, school employees can only do so much! So, just pray for patience & direction for the teachers and me--we are definitely going to need it! I hope everyone else's work is going well, and for all you preggers people, take care of yourselves, you can only be selfish for a little while longer!

A Trip to the Chiropractor...With My Dog!

Okay, it is official, I am absolutely nuts about my doodle, Callie! I will leave Andy out of this (although I will say that he was supportive). Callie and I went for her second visit to the chiropractor today (yes, I said chiropractor!). Over the past several months, if her head gets turned a certain way, she will freak out, start crying, and limp on her left leg. Since she only did this very randomly, I kept thinking I was stepping on her foot! As I paid better attention, I realized it was a problem with her neck--but since she didn't have a "fit" very often, I chose to not worry about it. Well, when we returned from vacation, she was having a freak out session 1-2 times a day! Now, let's just say it was so horrible that if she did it around other dogs, they would start barking at her, and I would just cry (okay, another reason I cannot have children, I cry when my dog is hurt!). It was horrible. After talking to our vet, he suggested that we could either treat it with medicine without knowing what was wrong, do a MRI to diagnose the problem, or since I had narrowed it down to a neck problem--take her to the chiropractor. I thought he was on crack, but he assured me that he has sent many dogs to the chiropractor to help with neck, back, and leg problems, with great success. Hesitantly, I called the chiropractor thinking they would think I was off my rocker for even calling. But, no, they welcomed us with open arms. We went to the first appointment last Friday, and the second one today. I am happy to report that she has not had one episode since last Thursday, and the chiropractor just said to monitor her. The visit was cheaper than a visit to the vet, and she has improved! How crazy is that?! The chiropractor told me that he usually works with dogs who are older and having problems getting around. He once helped a dachshund (sp?) who couldn't walk, and the dog left his office walking! So, all this to say, he made a believer out of me! Thank you, Dr. Dellinger! Here is an old picture of Callie--I hate to post without pictures!

At The Beach With Harry!

No, I have not left Andy for a man named Harry, most of you can probably guess, I mean Harry Potter! I graduated from UGA on Saturday, July 21st--we had a nice ceremony with just my cohort that I have gone through the program with. Andy, my family, and I then hit the road for the beach. We went with my parents, Andy's parents, and Andy's younger brother, Charlie, and his wife, Rachel, to Blue Mountain Beach for vacation. It was wonderful! We had a great time. Everyone was so laid back, we would hang out on the beach all day long, then eat our faces full at night. We had a blast, the weather was nice, and the water was gorgeous! Eli could not come because he was in pre-planning for his new job as an elementary P.E. teacher in Lebanon, TN. Keep him in your prayers as he begins his new career! I read several books over the week, and I got Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as a graduation present. To get ready to read it, I read books 5 & 6 to jog my memory. I began reading the last book on Saturday on the trip home, then finished Monday morning at 1 am--I could not stop reading it! I have seen several other blogs and know that many of you are Potter fans. I am sad the last book is done, and want to re-read it again soon! It will not disappoint! For those who are thinking about reading the books, now is the time, because you can read them all straight through! Enjoy my pictures from graduation and the beach!This is Dr. Pam Paisley, our professor who led us through our entire program. She is awesome! Thanks for all you did for us!In front of the arches with my parents and Andy.

Drs. Don and Donna Davis (yes they are married!)--great professors! They taught us as a team--do you all think you could work with your spouse? They are a great team!

My cohort! We are missing a few of our friends, I had a blast with you all!

My parents posing for picture time!The water was gorgeous!With Andy's family (Rachel left to go home for graduate school, so she missed this pic!)

Andy and Charlie in the ocean--sorry the picture is not the best--I just thought they were so cute!

Andy and I on the walkway to the beach! How cute is my husband?!?