White Milk

Grace asked for plain white milk for the first time in probably 1 1/2 years.  And that is all.  :) 

See previous post if this makes no sense.

Down Home

The kids and I headed back to my hometown for a nice visit.  We had lists of things to return with (ne'r a trip past Bowling Green or Glasgow without stopping for buckets upons buckets of ice cream and blocks upon blocks of cheese).  The van was loaded w/ coolers needless to say.  We arrived and found my dad out in the field on his tractor.  He was bush-hogging, if my memory serves me correct.  I wish I had taken pictures of him.  He is the quintessential country poppa.  He had on his well-worn straw hat, was shirtless, and chugged along at a snail's pace, as happy as could be.  Grace always squeals like a pig when we arrive in Monticello...well this visist she really squealed 'cuz she awoke when I honked the horn as a polite summons to open the gate please! The gate slowly drew opened.  I watched in my rear-view mirror as it closed behind me.  I felt safe and secure and knew...as it thudded shut...there is NO PLACE like home. 

This trip home was an especially special one because we were there to celebrate and attend my dad's deacon ordination.  Three years ago, to the very day, my dad transformed his life into a life of sobriety.  To.the.day.  July 25.  Tell me God isn't into details!  He numbers our days.  Oh, yes he does.  My mom knelt down on her knees as they prayed daddy in.  The deacons layed their hands on him...and I know from how full my heart was...God was happy.  He said "welcome home, son."

That afternoon, Dad, Grace, and I headed to the waterpark in Somerset.  My brother and Amanda and the girls were there as well.  We enjoyed a hot Sunday evening and stayed very busy keeping up w/ Grace and Isabelle.  Thankfully Grace was in a very, very bright pink suit...she was easy to spot.  At first, she was not comfortable playing in the water but by the end of the evening, she ran circles around and up and down the kiddie area, up and down the slides.

Unfortunately Noah John got sick and had a fever nearly the whole time we were there.  Lucky for him, nobody plays nurse any better than his Nonna.  :)  We thought he had an ear infection, as was suspected by my good friend and nurse prac Sarah.  (Sidenote:  We rarely ever, ever, ever go home without a trip or a call to Sarah!  Seriously!  And that is saying a lot, because thankfully, my kids are pretty healthy!)  When we returned, I had to work the next morning and my mother in law pointed out a rash on Noah's back.  Sure enough, it spread all over his trunk, and was indicative of an allergic reaction to the antibiotic.  So...we stopped the med and he slowly got better (his fever had subsided a few days prior).  We don't know for sure if he had an allergic reaction so the next time he's sick, guess what doc suggests, giving him the same med again to see if he reacts again.  Sounds cruel ... sheesh.  Of course I'll be all over him like a duck on a june bug, just to make sure he doesn't have any respiratory problems in the case it is an allergy!

Over the last 2 months, Noah John has stolen my heart.  It's true that I fell in love the first moment I saw his pink chubby self!  But this stage he's in here recently, has completely made me swoon.  He is just so...well, sweet.  And he has a little mischief in his blood that he seems to enjoy.  It's hard to put into words.  He loves to be silly and to laugh...as well as make others laugh.  He is a really fun baby boy and I'm going to have to go now because he has been awake for awhile!!!  Haha.

KIDSWAP

As I type, the little one who made me an aunt for the very first time and who was the first baby in our family is lying on the couch beside me :) .  She is 9 now and I can't believe how fast time has flown by.  I vividly recall her being a little one...her 3rd year is the one I recall most vividly because that is the year that I lived in Monticello and commuted to teach in Somerset.  It was a great year; I got engaged that year as well.  I lived w/ my parents that year as well.  I appreciated our moments and time that year so much...  Irony:  I read once that people spend 18 years tryin' to get away from home & the rest of their lives trying to get back. Yep, I agree.  So...my sweet Callie Paige who is here hanging out with me for 3 days...she was itching to get away and come stay with me (which makes me feel loved-so glad for our relationship-we even wore Best Friend charms today, hehe-makes my heart smile so big)...It's wonderful to have her here...we have had lots of fun conversations (9 is the new 13 apparently), listened to some teeny-bop music *Justin Bieber no doubt*, laughed lots, survived a 'diaper explosion' episode, and best of all, SHOPPED together *Claire's* for one!  I just wanted to note right here and now...there is nothing (N.O.T.H.I.N.G.) I would trade for moments w/ family...no amount of money, no travel destination, nuttin'.  I recognize I'm blessed and I praise the BLESSER.  On the list of things to do this week:  let this tween-ager know how special and unique she is to me and that God made her juuuuust right (middle school is too close for comfort-I want her to know she's a child of the King beforehand). (I love you Callie---she wants to know what a blog is and is getting ready to read this ;o).

PS  Grace is at my brother/Amanda's.  Robert and I met at Fazoli's in BG ... had a nice (fast) meal and split ways....  Shawn is @ KY Lake for the night...so tonight it's just the two of us veggin out, since little babies go to bed EARLY!