More Observations of Madison (Or How Will I Ever Keep Up With Her!!)

Maddie with her favorite BALL of all....in her great-grandparents' yard.

This child changes too fast. Every week  I am amazed at how much she has learned to do and how her personality has even more added delights and dangerously bold actions!

Last night we celebrated my mother's birthday at their house.  Madison was her busy self as usual. But this time came with a twist.  She is fascinated by a "gazing ball" that is a garden decoration in my parents' yard.  No one wanted to take her out to see it AGAIN because of the mosquitos that were in abundance out there.  So she decided to take care of that herself.  Front door...easy to conquer. Out she went. Thank goodness, I saw her go and grabbed her as she made her escape onto the front porch.  Back in we went and locked the door.  In a little while Maddie thought she'd like to go out on the back deck.  Deck door....no problem. Out she went and I ran just in time to catch her as she headed towards the steps out there. Whew! Back inside...locked the door!  Went around and checked ALL the doors. Garage door, basement door, check, check.  We thought we were safe then.  After a little while, she had had enough of adult conversation and looked for something to do.  She disappeared and within seconds my mom headed toward her bedroom to find her. Maddie stood there by her great-grandmother's bed looking very innocent.  Inside the master bath the water was running in the tub.  Good grief!  She spent the rest of the evening running back and forth, charming us all, swinging her arms, asking for the "BAWL" in her southern accent. She finally ran out of steam and her parents got her home and put her to bed. She never woke up as they got her ready, except to say "ball" one more time in her sleep. :)




  

This sweetheart with her mommy's sweetness and her daddy's happy, hyper personality is a handful already.  I love this crazy redhead!

A Sweet Pic and Still Waiting

There's my mom and me many, many, many years ago! Ha. About 52 to be exact.  Today is mom's birthday.  I have a wonderful mom and dad who have supported me, loved me, blessed me with their marriage, directed me and taught me with their faith throughout my life.  If I went to heaven now, I could say that I have had a wonderful, amazing, happy life due mostly to their upbringing and influence.  When people talk about their childhood and how hard things were, I sit in ignorance.  My childhood days and teenage days and young adult days were full, happy, disciplined (with one look out of my mom's eyes!) and fun!  I hope my children will feel the same way about me when I'm 73!!  Happy Birthday, Mom!

Now, about that grandmother thing going on in my life!  We are still waiting on baby boy's arrival. He's not late yet but about to be. He's just very comfortable I suppose.  I'm praying for my daughter as she gets less comfortable each day.  I hope you'll see some pics right here sometime next week of the newest member of the family.

Ohhhh.....FALL!

It is officially still summer according to the calendar but today feels wonderfully like fall. Just a few more weeks and this beautiful, cool, lovely weather will be the norm.  Everything is still green and summery but you can feel the change coming in the breeze.  You can also see the change coming if you just turn on the TV and see all the football games.  This is my favorite season and I know I'm not the only one that feels that way. The air just makes you feel good to be alive and anticipating the next few months of scarlet and orange and yellow color, pumpkins (I love pumpkins!), holidays, family, new beginnings!  I've always felt like fall was more the Happy New Year than January 1st.  I was one of those kids who loved school. Wish I still did...maybe I'd go back for my masters degree!

I changed the decorative stuff on my porch today, put on the autumn-designed bedspread, swept the back deck of the dead leaves...lots of good that will do in a few weeks. It'll be covered again! I've changed out a lot of my spring/summer clothes in the closets for the lighter-weight long-sleeved stuff. Yes, I know we'll be hitting 90 again next week but whatever. The AC will still be running and we'll be freezing at the office and at church and in restaurants.

I'm sitting by the phone, sleeping with my cell phone, etc, waiting to hear that baby grandson is on the way. I've helped my girl get ready somewhat for the new baby. Now we just sit and wait and get excited over every twinge of pain, contraction, etc.  Still another week to go and he seems content to stay put inside his mommy.

Yesterday I took some long overdue pictures of my granddaughter. I've neglected that lately and I know good and well that the camera will be reserved for the baby boy soon. So here are a few highlights:  

I'm 32 Years Old! (At Least I Feel That Way Most Days)

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" ~ Satchel Paige

 I read that question in a magazine article the other day.  Made me start thinking.  Sometimes I make too much of the fact I'm 52 and feeling "old"!  But actually, when I'm away from the mirror and just going about my business from day to day at work, home, church, with family, etc., I feel like I've always felt. I am young and happy and life is wonderful and seemingly will go on for years just like this. 

Kind of like I felt when I was around 32 years old.  I had a 6 year old and a 4 year old and plenty of energy and looked toward the future with much anticipation and joy.  I honestly still feel that way except for the fact that I'm now a grandmother.  My parents still seem the same as they have for years, my siblings also.  Days pass quickly, good ones, bad ones.  Holidays come around year after year and everything seems the same.  UNTIL I see photos.  Wow! That's when it hits me. Age is creeping up on me. I look in the mirror and there is silver (not gray) in my hair...just as if it had highlights, HA! I look at the photos and see wrinkles, saggy skin, and eyes that look like I never slept the night before!  I look at my children and see my 26 year old son with the beard and not the little blonde boy who talked incessantly in a high-pitched voice, delighted with the world.  I see my 24 year old beautiful daughter, 9 months pregnant, her little girl perched on her hip...not the little mischievous brown-eyed blonde who loved to play outside with her brother and carried around a stuffed pink kitty (her "dink ditty dat").

I wouldn't go back though.  I love my life now as I did then. I love this "season" I'm in.  I'll be in this one for a while I think.  But deep inside I'm still a 32 year old redhead, slimmer, a young mother in my "prime", walking with the Lord.

Not Wishing My Life Away But...

I love green but I want to see beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows!!

I am so ready for this!

And this!! Can't you feel the cool, crisp breeze?

And the best gift of all this fall....come on, baby boy!!  Just a few more weeks til we meet you!

Neon Green

Our boy has been to visit us several times since he moved back from Denver. But we haven't gone to see him ourselves.  What a surprise when we got there late Sunday afternoon.  We knew it was inevitable.  We thought it wouldn't be so soon but we just had to accept it. He is now the proud owner of this...

He never told us that he got it. He "didn't want to worry me" he said.  I'm actually happy about that except now I guess my prayer life will improve greatly.  He took the responsibility of taking the motorcycle safety course so I'm also glad about that.  He saves lots of money on gas and at least still has his car when it's raining.

I think he looks rather handsome in his beard, helmet and jacket.  (I'm trying to make the best of this, okay?)

Getting Ready

Fridays are spent with both my girls...the big one and the little one.  The big one is beautiful these days.  Well, she's always been beautiful but right now she's just glowing even though she doesn't feel like it. Almost 36 weeks pregnant and looking great...just a big tummy!  Which is as she should be!  I've been very proud of her this pregnancy. She's stayed healthy and active...has to be chasing the baby around.

 Anyway, she's been having some contractions...probably Braxton-Hicks...and feeling the need to get ready for this sweet baby boy.  We went to our favorite store today, "Babies 'R Us".  It's always very hard NOT to spend much in there.  Crib bumper pads, mattress pad, burp clothes, receiving blankets, changing table pad, baby wipes, and even a sleeper for Maddie went into the buggy! It was fun and made me feel like things are going to really happen fast now.  She's got her hospital bag packed for the most part and but still has plenty to do. She's young though and has plenty of energy!
  
Maddie was the sweetest today.  She loves riding around in the buggy and saying "Hi" to people. She drinks her juice, eats her cookies, hugs on the stuffed animals, and is always fixated on any balls or baby dolls in sight.  I'm sure she's going to consider her baby brother as her own "baba" as she calls her dolls.  We'll have to watch her closely!
 
Work has been extremely busy for me lately.  I don't think I've ever been so busy as I have in the past month.  My boss, who is absolutely the best boss I've ever had (except for my daddy), has been on quite a kick lately of changing things up and adding new music groups, and just a lot of new and different things. Maybe he's going through a mid-life crisis! Now we're getting ready for our "Christmas in August" bash next week. The music is gorgeous as usual and our choir will be quite challenged with the difficulty. But we have 4 months to learn it. I believe this concert will be unforgettable.

Singing the National Anthem & Having a Big Baby Shower All in the Same Week!

My usual somewhat boring life was a little more interesting this past week.  My choir at church went to the Braves games on Tuesday night and sang the National Anthem.  There were 84 of us singing in the 95 degree heat.  One of our younger members actually passed out from heat exhaustion before we even went onto the field.  She ended up staying overnight in the hospital. Another member almost passed out afterward. Despite the heat however we had a wonderful time singing and got a lot of compliments and applause.  It was a fun experience to walk out on the first base line and sing in front of 20,000 plus people.  One of our very special choir members had her cute, fat baby strapped onto her in the front...they both had on sunglasses...that was a hit...the cameramen loved it! You can see her in the group picture on the field!

Lining up to head out onto the field

Singing the National Anthem

Tired and hot but enjoying ourselves!

Our music boss was having a great time!

My co-workers and I...soaked but happy about the successful night!

After we got back to our seats, it began to rain and we just sat and got soaked. That cool rain felt wonderful.  We didn't even care what we looked like by that time.  We sat up in the stands and watched baseball and people and ate pizza and frozen lemonades.  Then we headed back to our air-conditioned buses and got home at 11:30 pm.   A wonderful time was had by all!

 Then on Saturday, three of my cousins and I had a big baby shower at my mother's house.  We four cousins are expecting 5 grandsons due from September to December.  Such a funny thing! What are the odds!? We just knew there'd be a girl among those babies but not so!  Our family used to be quite lopsided with an abundance of girls years ago. Now it is the reverse.  We feel very blessed no matter what!

There was a big cake and crab dip, spinach dip, cheese ball, sausage balls, fruit, rice krispie treats, mock turtle candy, and delicious pineapple and orange juice and ginger ale punch that tasted so good on this 95 degree day.  Despite this heat wave we are trying to enjoy ourselves!  The babies all got sleepers and blankets and bedtime CDs and pacifiers, etc. Just lots of cute things.  We enjoyed seeing all the females in the family. We seem to only see each other at wedding showers, weddings, and baby showers.  I loved seeing the great-grandmothers together also.  We are so very blessed to have such a healthy family at this time.
And, again, a great time was had by all!

Publix had fun making the cake!

Lots of family...such a fun occasion

My baby granddaughter and her cousin...she's learning to share :)

The Pregnant Ones with their ultrasound pics and due dates!

The three sisters/great-grandmothers!

Birthday Girl!

There was once a little blonde girl with big brown eyes and a very stubborn personality.  She was a handful.  She was a mommy's girl as a baby and then her own person as she grew.  She wore a stoic, expressionless face when she was being punished and was loving and happy when things were going her way.  She loved her big brother and they were best buddies growing up in Guatemala.  They played in the yard with their German Shepherd named Kazan and their kitties named Ricky and Smoky.  The little blonde had Chapina friends and they all played in the street jabbering Spanish.  Her friends loved to play with her hair as it was so different from their own jet-black hair.  Up until age 9, this little girl saw much poverty first-hand but loved her friends and adapted to them and their ways.

 At the age of  9, she moved back with her family to the United States and had to adjust to the American culture and schools and new friends and family close by.  She did! She excelled in school, learned piano, played soccer during her middle school and high school years and ran cross-country during her freshman year in high school.  She was a dedicated Christian student during those years, attending camps, mission trips, and church activities.  She graduated with honors from high school in the top five percent of her class and attended University of Georgia her freshman year.  Then BRAD interrupted and she transferred back home where she got engaged, got married, and completed college in 3 years total.  Right after graduation she got pregnant with a sweet baby girl who was born March of last year.  Now a little boy is on the way.  That little stubborn strong-willed girl knew exactly what she wanted and she got it.

I'm proud of that woman who is my daughter.  She loves her husband and children and her parents and grandparents and brother and most importantly, Jesus, and has a very rich life for which I'm so thankful to the Lord.  Happy 24th Birthday, Erin!  You've made life JOYFUL for your parents.

Love,
Mom

Dog Days

Just not a whole lot going on.  Good thing, too, considering the heat and storms we're having every day.  I'm actually glad to be working in my office in the basement of the church....so nice and cool.  In the spring and fall I love to escape for a few minutes every few hours to enjoy the sunshine and breezes. But not right now!

We've got seven weeks until we meet the sweet grandson. Can't wait to hold him and smell his little head.  There's just something about that sweet baby head! I'm thankful that his mommy is doing so well and I thank the Lord that things are going smoothly.

 We'll have a busier week next week with our choir singing at the Braves game and then a BIG baby shower for my girl and her cousins who are also having boys. That'll be fun!

 We had a nice unexpected visit from our son this weekend...just for an hour or so. He seems very content and happy in his job as a motorcycle mechanic and we really like his sweet girlfriend.  We hope to visit him in  a few weeks as he'll be moving into a new apartment.

So that's it! Just earth-shaking stuff! Life in a nutshell around here.  Get up, go to work, come home, read, play on the computer, watch the weather forecast, eat a bowl of cereal for supper (poor hubby), go to bed!

More later....I hope!

My Shepherd

From my devotional study today:

"I am a woman who walks with the Lord.

I do not stumble about or live in confusion.

My steps are guided by the One who goes

before me and prepares the way.

He leads me gently like a shepherd leads his sheep.

He does not drive like a herdsman drives cattle.

 He sets the perfect pace for me.

 He knows when it is time to move ahead 

 and when it is time to rest.

 He walks beside me to help me,
encourage me, and support me.

 I do not lag behind or try to get ahead of Him.

 As He leads me, He straightens the crooked places and

 makes the rough places smooth.

 As He walks with me, He talks with me 

 and guides me by His Word.

 I love to begin each day by committing it to Him,

 knowing that He will lead me in the paths of peace

 and direct my steps in what is good and right.

 Because I walk with Him, I do not live my life
with regrets."

The Good Shepherd is my favorite way to think of Jesus and how He relates to us.  

A Short Getaway

We decided to have a short little 3 days away in Gatlinburg since we haven't had any other time for vacation and we have quite a busy fall coming with work and little baby boy coming along in September.  It was very nice and a good change of scenery for hubby and me.  We stayed at the end of town and walked down the strip at least twice each day for shopping and food.  The mornings were cool and beautiful and the afternoons were pretty much unbearably hot.  Couldn't stay out much during that time. Evenings were great and we spent time out on our balcony looking at Mt. LeConte and the moon and a planet....I think it was Venus....who knows.  But it was pretty.

There were lots of people in the mountains...maybe because the beach is not the best option this summer because of the oil spill.  But I have to tell you....I have never seen so many really HUGE people in one place. Goodness! I was just plain skinny there compared to those folks.  We seemed to always be seated by a window while we ate our meals. Just made me want to go home and get on the treadmill after I people-watched for a while during supper.

Seemed like on every corner there were small little bands playing.  Usually a man with a fiddle, a man with a banjo and a woman singing or playing a washboard. Haha. It was nice though. They all were quite talented.
We bought fudge from the Ole' Smoky Candy Kitchen for the pregnant daughter..and some for us of course. I also had my traditional caramel apple. I have to do that once on each visit.  And, of course, we had to visit the Pancake Pantry for breakfast. Wonderful buttermilk pancakes and hot chocolate (diet coke for me also)!

We visited Cades Cove down near Townsend.  It's always gorgeous in that valley.  This was a village of about 600 people back in the 1800s. The government bought all the land from the settlers and they moved away. Now it's a park. There is an 11 mile loop that you drive through to see all the old buildings and beautiful scenery.  Here are some pics from Cades Cove:

    Such an isolated place, so peaceful though. But driving through helps you imagine the hardships those settlers in the valley had especially in winter there in the mountains.

 So we're back now to the real world.  Can't wait to see what the next few months hold within our family.