on their way

Roger and Ashley have both called me in the past 30 minutes to let me know they’re all loaded up and heading this way. Roger opted to get the bigger UHaul trailer (the 6×12 rather than the 5×8), and he said it was a good thing he did. They filled up the trailer and the back of the Suburban with all of Jacob and Ashley’s belongings.

Jacob’s mom and step-dad were there to meet Roger. After the trailer and Suburban were loaded up they all went out to lunch together. Lynette (Jacob’s mom) made sandwiches to send with them for the trip ~ the “kids” got peanut butter and jelly; Roger got ham and cheese. LOL

Ashley sounds exhausted. She got sick while she was here 2 weeks ago, and whatever the virus is, it has hung on this long. I think between being pregnant, the stress of moving, working 2 jobs, and simply not being able to get enough rest, she’s just about worn her poor little body out. Good thing for her she’s coming to Mom’s house ~ Mom will take care of her with plenty of hot peppermint tea and lots of sleep.

Patrick and Ariel were on spring break this past week. Patrick went and picked up Ariel on Wednesday. They’ve spent their time watching movies, doing homework, going bowling, and playing games with Sawyer. (Patrick plays games with Sawyer, anyway. They’re getting pretty good at Halo.) I will drive Patrick and Ariel back to school tomorrow and get home just in time to greet Roger, Ashley and Jacob when they arrive.

Today has been wet and chilly. Not a good day for me fibro-wise. It’s nice to have older kids who can take care of themselves, and even take care of me when necessary. I haven’t done much today. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go back to sitting on the couch and reading a book.

mama archer’s blog

Mama Archer’s Blog has been added to the Fruit of the Spirit blogroll. Stop by and say hello to Kristine!

flower power blanket

I finished my first no-sew fleece blanket today. The front is the side with the flowers, and the back is the side with the rainbow stripes. For a first effort I think it turned out pretty well.

My next fleece blanket will be Classic Winnie the Pooh on one side and plain apple green on the other. I also have a pink and white big granny square blanket in the works.

Attison is certainly going to have enough blankets!

9 phrases women use

I received this in an email ~ the author is unknown (but obviously, the author was a man!). I’m posting it because….well, because it made me laugh. And to be honest, it’s mostly true!

9 WORDS (OR PHRASES) WOMEN USE

1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine (refer to #1).
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!
(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)
6) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you’re welcome. (I want to add in a clause here – This is true, unless she says ‘Thanks a lot’ – that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say ‘you’re welcome’ … that will bring on a ‘whatever’).
(8) Whatever: This is a woman’s way of saying Yeah, ok you imbecile ~ I’m tired of dealing with you. It’s usually preceeded or followed by a loud sigh. (Refer to #5)
(9) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement,meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s wrong?’ For the woman’s response refer to # 3.

* Send this to the men you know, to warn them about arguments they can avoid if they remember the terminology. Consider taping to the refrigerator! *
* Send this to all the women you know to give them a good laugh, because they know it’s true. *

do hard things

I’m getting to this a little late in the day, but I wanted to tell you about a new book coming out in April ~ you still have several hours to participate in the “book bomb” for Alex and Brett Harris’s Do Hard Things. Click here to learn about the book bomb.

Amazon.com has a long description/review of Do Hard Things. If you’ve never heard of Alex and Brett Harris, click here to see their site, The Rebelution.

death of a six-foot teddy bear

A while ago I posted a review of Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear by Sharon Dunn on my book review blog. I enjoyed the book ~ it’s what my friend De’Etta calls a “cosy mystery.” Fun to read, not too deep, but the characters are intelligent and easily likable.

Well, with that said, I do believe I owe Multnomah Press and Sharon Dunn an apology. As I was moving my book cases and books around today, I discovered I have a second, brand new, unread copy of Death of a Six Foot Teddy Bear. Oh dear ~ I think I was supposed to have a giveaway when this book came up for review. And there I dropped the ball.

So, I’m going to have that giveaway now. If you would like a copy of this charming book, just send me an email. I’ll draw a winner from all of the emails I receive on Tuesday, April 1st. No foolin‘!

(Due to rising postage costs, this giveaway is limited to the lower 48 states.)

slowly but surely

As you can tell, I’m feeling a little better today. Not well enough to do housework, mind you, but well enough to sit at my computer and type up a few thoughts.

By this time next week my daughter and her fiance’ will be living with us. I’m excited about it, but I’m also a little scared. I didn’t raise Ashley, so obviously I don’t really know exactly what to expect as far as living with her goes. When we made the decision to move them down here, and to give them a place to live until they can get back on their feet, we set out a few initial “rules” or guidelines. They are:

1. Jacob must actively look for a job; not the first $10/hr. job that comes along, either. He must look for a job that will pay enough for him to support his family. They won’t live like royalty by any means, but at least Ashley will be able to stay home with Attison.
2. They must help with the housework. That means Ashley’s going to learn how to cook and clean, and so is Jacob. I understand that not every man does housework, but in my home they do. Roger has always helped with housework, and we’ve taught our sons to do the same. It will be no different for Jacob. And since Ashley was never taught the art of homemaking, she will be doing a boat load of learning. After Attison’s born Ashley hopes to be able to stay home with her and be a stay-at-home-mommy and wife. Homemaking will be her career, just the same as if she were working outside of her home somewhere.
3. Ashley will not work outside of the home or seek a job while living with us. I can’t teach her the art of homemaking if she’s running off to a “job” all the time. Besides, she’s 6 months pregnant ~ the chances of her finding good employment at this stage in her pregnancy are pretty slim. Since Roger will be paying all of the bills, putting a roof over their heads and food on the table, I see no need for Ashley to do anything but learn how to be a stay-at-home wife and mommy. This is not an easy task by any means ~ it takes instruction, time and practice. She’ll get that here during the last few months of her pregnancy.

My friends have all been so dear and so supportive ~ up to this point. Since we decided to move Ashley and Jacob to Arkansas, a few friends have questioned our motives, and a few have warned us not to get in over our heads. They are, after all, only 19 and 20 years old; they’re having their first child together; they’re not married yet; and they’re going to be a long, long way from the place where they grew up, and where the majority of their families live. We’ve talked about these issues ~ over, and over, and over ~ and for now I’m satisfied (dare I say confident?) that we’re doing the right thing.

Having Ashley and Jacob living in our home will give us a chance to witness to them without shoving our beliefs down their throats. All we have to do is be who we are ~ live our life as a family the way we always do ~ and let the Holy Spirit do His work in their hearts. Who knows? Maybe by the time they’re living in their own place they’ll understand the difference between no god and knowing God, and between religion and living as a believer and follower of Christ. I pray it will be so.

new fruit of the spirit blogs

I have fallen so far behind in my upkeep of the Fruit of the Spirit blogroll! I’ve decided, at least for now, it will be easier for me to announce new member blogs as they’re added rather than keeping them all until Friday. So, in an effort to simplify things, I want to tell you about 2 new members to the Fruit of the Spirit blogroll.

SweetCharity @ Sweet Charity
Charlotte @ Honour and Love Your Husband

Please stop by and say hello to these lovely ladies!

winter reading challenge winner

Congratulations to Gretchen of Good Enough for Now! You’ve won the $25 Amazon.com gift card!

And congratulations to all of you who participated in the Winter Reading Challenge. There were many, many, many books from other participants’ lists that I have added to my “to be read” list. I hope you took a look at other’s lists as well. If not, it’s not too late! Here’s the link to the original post with the Mr. Linky ~ just click on a participant’s name, and the link will take you directly to their Winter Reading Challenge book list.

If you just can’t get enough of great reading challenges, skip over to Katrina’s Callapidder Days and enter her Spring Reading Thing 2008.

experiencing the resurrection winner

Congratulations Terri from Teachable Spirit ~ you’ve won a free copy of Experiencing the Resurrection by Drs. Henry and Melvin Blackaby! I’ll be in touch with you by email.

family squeeze (book review)

Family Squeeze by Phil Callaway

You’re in the “Middle Ages”–sandwiched between the “greatest generation” and the “gimme” generations, busily juggling both with no relief in sight. Children are driving, and parents are not. Money is tight and so are your favorite jeans. And things that never ached before are beginning to give you trouble! For every baby boomer who wonders if it’s possible to navigate the Middle Ages with grace and style, Phil Callaway offers plenty of hope and a little hilarity, too. Because there’s nothing like a smile to make wrinkles less noticeable.

Described as “Dave Barry with a message,” author, speaker, and television host Phil Callaway has written twenty books, many of them bestsellers and is a popular speaker at conferences, camps and marriage retreats, coaxing laughter and tears from audiences worldwide. Of his personal accomplishments he rates the following highest: shutting off the TV to listen to his children’s questions (twice), taking out the garbage without being told (once), and convincing his high school sweetheart Ramona to marry him (once).
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trish’s Take

Phil Callaway has written a gem titled Family Squeeze. He relates stories from his own life, and answers questions other people have asked him, with a funny yet honest point of view.

I’m in those “Middle Ages” ~ sandwiched between aging parents who need care while raising teenagers and expecting my first grandchild from my grown daughter. Phil writes about situations that, if you have older parents and children who are still at home, you’ve probably experienced. He’s able to find the humor in life’s situations ~ and we all know laughter is good.

Family Squeeze won’t tell you how to solve all of your problems, or how to invest so you’ll have millions of dollars when you retire, or how to get your teenagers to listen to you. What it will do is help you to see the different situations in your life in a new light. You’ll find yourself chuckling ~ maybe even laughing ~ as you read what Phil has written about his own life, and compare them to experiences in your own life. You may even find the grace to not only laugh at an event that previously perturbed you, but to also forgive and move on. I love the way Phil constantly and consistently looks to God and His Word, and refers his readers to both.

Family Squeeze is a book worth reading. And on that note ~ I have a copy of Family Squeeze to give away! If you would like to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of Family Squeeze, just send me an email. I’ll draw a winner on Monday, March 31.

Due to rising postage costs (and the fact that I pay to send out a lot of these free books myself), this drawing is open to people in the lower 48 states of the US.

sick

I have somehow managed to pick up a really nasty bug ~ I think it’s flu, but I’m not sure. I’ve spent the majority of the past 2 days sleeping or vegging on the couch watching TV shows I don’t even remember watching. I’m exhausted, dizzy, nauseous, achy, and just generally feeling yucky. Believe me, when a person who has fibromyalgia says they think they may have the flu, it’s bad.

I have a book review that will be posted tomorrow, but until I’m feeling well again I probably won’t be communicating much.

A quick run-down of what’s been going on, while I still have the energy to write it: Roger is taking leave this coming Friday through Monday to drive up to Minnesota and move Ashley and Jacob down to Arkansas. Yep, that fast, that easy. We were able to get a 5×8 enclosed trailer from the Air Force base’s Outdoor Recreation center for $15/day. UHaul wanted $250 for the same type of trailer! I’ll take $60 over $250 any day.

Patrick is home on spring break this week. He’s applying for summer jobs in several places while he’s home. So far all he’s done is play Halo with his brother, but hey, at least they’re getting along! Tomorrow he’ll start the job search.

We will be doing some rearranging in the house in order to have room for Ashley and Jacob. We’ll have to move everything out of the boys’ TV room, but that’s ok. We have plenty of space. Once Ashley and Jacob have their own place, I’m planning on turning that particular room into a baby room, so the rearranging would have to be done anyway.

I’m working on save the date reminders for family members and friends regarding Patrick’s graduation. His graduation ceremony will be the Saturday before Memorial Day. I know lots of people make plans for that weekend, so I want to make sure that they’ll try to make their plans around Patrick’s graduation (or at least fit Patrick’s graduation into their plans).

We received Patrick’s graduation announcements, name cards, cap and gown, guestbook, and pen. I’ll have to work on addressing the announcements soon. I also have graduation party invitations to work on. Sounds like I’ll be spending a lot of time printing thing off and addressing envelopes over the next few weeks!

For now, I’m heading back to the couch. Roger’s already asleep in bed, and Patrick’s watching TV in the living room. I think I’ll go join him ~ I may end up just sleeping right there on the couch if I’m too tired to make it to the bed!

These are a few of the pictures taken at Ashley’s baby shower last week. There are more to come (the photographer has gone on a week-long mission trip to Mexico, so I imagine she won’t be getting any more photos to me until after she returns!).

These are a few of the pictures taken at Ashley’s baby shower last week. There are more to come (the photographer has gone on a week-long mission trip to Mexico, so I imagine she won’t be getting any more photos to me until after she returns!).

winter reading challenge wrap-up

I finally have a chance to wrap-up the Winter Reading Challenge. Thank you for being patient with me on this. When I started the challenge I had no idea so many things would happen in my life in such a short time! Good things, very good things indeed.

I thought I had lost The Hand That Bears the Sword, but I found it when I was packing for Colorado. I had tucked it into one of my knitting bags to take along with me when I went somewhere, and I had completely forgotten it was there. I have started reading it again ~ I really do enjoy (George) Bryan Polivka’s stories. I won’t be able to finish The Hand That Bears the Sword by Monday though, so that one goes unread as far as the challenge goes.

The other book not crossed off my list is Running Scared. I will try to concentrate on getting it read over the next few day since I need to do a review on it as well as a couple of other books. But, being realistic, I won’t have it read by Monday.

Only two books on my list that didn’t get read; that’s pretty good! A couple of people have already sent me links to their wrap-up posts. I’ll try to get those links posted for them on the Mr. Linky below. If you would like to leave a link to your wrap-up post, I would love to read it! It’s not necessary or required ~ but it will be fun!

I’ll draw a name from the original participants’ links on Monday.

moving at the speed of lightning

Well, things are moving along a LOT more quickly than I had expected them to. I’m thrilled, to say the least.

Ashley and Jacob have decided to move to Arkansas ASAP ~ as in probably next weekend! We’ve worked things out so that they can stay with us for a few weeks, until Jacob has a good job, and maybe even a paycheck or two in the bank. They’ll need enough money for a deposit and first month’s rent upfront before getting an apartment, and Roger and I are more than happy to give them a place to live until they can get back on their feet. They won’t live here forever, mind you, but a few weeks (or maybe even a couple of months) is fine with us, and should be enough time for them to save up the money they’ll need to get started on their way.

I’m excited to have them here, and thrilled that they’ll be so close by when Attison is born. Thank you, Lord, for the abundant blessings You’ve showered down on us in the form of a mother’s heart’s desire and new family members!

free language program

Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while — next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!

This is a $219 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.
This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they’re included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.

To win this most excellent program — in the language of your choice — copy these (blue) paragraphs (highlight, then hit Ctrl C to copy) and post it in (or as) your next blog post (hit Ctrl V to paste) — then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/ and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it. And good luck! The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!

wrap-up

Well, Ashley got on the plane and flew back to Minnesota today. We had a fantastic visit though, and there’s lots of good news to go with it!

She and her fiance’ Jacob are looking at possibly moving to Arkansas before Attison is born. The main issues are getting Jacob a job and making sure Ashley and Attison have prenatal care. Finding a place to live shouldn’t be a problem ~ there are several apartment complexes within a 5 mile radius of my house that have openings. Ashley and I spent a day apartment hunting, and the number of apartments, duplexes and townhouses we found in their price range was encouraging. Of course, their price range is pretty much a guesstimate at this time since Jacob doesn’t have a job here yet ~ we just went by what they’re paying now in Minnesota now.

The baby shower my friends held for Ashley on Sunday was so wonderful. There were about 50 people there total. The guest book registered about 30 moms and 20 young ladies (ranging in age from 19 to 4). I stole Barb’s scrapbook idea and modified it a bit (and I totally forgot to take pictures!). I found a scrapbook at Barnes & Noble that is held together by a ribbon that runs through the back cover and the pages, then ties on the cover. I took the scrapbook apart so all of the individual pages were loose and put them on a table at the baby shower. Then I laid out different colors of cardstock and patterned papers (cut to fit the scrapbook), gazillions of stickers, alphabets, markers, scissors and different types of adhesives. I let people know the supplies were there and encouraged them to make a scrapbook page for Ashley and Attison. I asked the moms to write some “mom advice” on their pages as well.

At first the ladies were very hesitant and shy about making pages. Then all of the younger girls showed up, and they of course were absolutely enthralled with all of the fun little stickers, alphabets and doodads. The table technically only seated 4, but I think there were probably 6 or 8 people crammed into that space once the younger girls took off with making scrapbook pages. A lot of the moms were so impressed with what the younger girls were making ~ and I think they realized how easy it is to make really cute scrapbook pages ~ that they started getting in on the act. By the time the shower was over there wasn’t a single page that wasn’t decorated on both sides. They turned out SO cute! And I’m so disappointed that I forgot to take pictures. I’m hoping the young lady I hired to take pictures at the shower got some good shots of the pages. If not, I’ll photograph them once Ashley moves down here.

After the shower Ashley told me that she had never had a group of people gather together just to love on her before. It about broke my heart. I’m not sure the ladies who hosted the shower, and those who attended, really understand how extremely grateful I am to them for making my daughter feel loved, accepted and appreciated. The love of Christ was so evident in the faces, actions and words of the ladies in that house on Sunday. And my daughter experienced it in a way that she never had before.

Ashley and I did some shopping while she was here, and that was definitely a lot of fun. I didn’t really realize how much more fun it can be to go shopping with your daughter than by yourself or (heaven help us) with your sons. We definitely had a great time together. Toys ‘R Us and Target should NOT let people loose in their stores with zappers (little handheld machines that read barcodes and add the item to your gift registry at that store)! Oh my goodness, Ashley and I had an absolute ball with those zappers. There are so many things on her registries it’s ridiculous. But boy did we have a fantastic time populating those registry lists!

One day last week my friend Kathryn and her daughters Caitlin, Paige, Elizabeth and Grace joined us for lunch at Olive Garden. Ashley fell in love with all 4 girls immediately. They were so wonderful ~ they made Ashley feel at home and comfortable right away, and I know she definitely felt loved. Paige is in the performances of Sing, Dance, Repeat at The Rep right now, so she wasn’t able to join us for the baby shower. Kathryn and I arranged the lunch get-together because Paige was so disappointed that she might not have the chance to meet Ashley. (By the way, thank you Kathryn and girls for not making me/us go to Victorian Gardens! As much as I love to take each of you there for your birthday lunches, I’m pretty sure Ashley would not have been as comfortable as she was at Olive Garden ~ Mr. Keyboard Player aside (that’s an inside joke ~ sorry I can’t explain it!)

I was able to feel Attison moving around quite a bit. She even had a few really good hard kicks for Nana, since Nana kept poking at her and disturbing her sleep. Ashley actually had a prenatal appointment this afternoon after she got back to Minnesota. She was able to hear Attison’s heartbeat again, and everything is going as it should. She’s even growing exactly as she should, although how the poor little thing has room to move around in there is beyond me! Ashley has the smallest bone structure I’ve ever seen ~ and she sure didn’t get that from me!

We had a very busy, extremely wonderful week together. I miss her already, and I’ve talked to her three times since she got back to Minnesota! LOL

As soon as I get the pictures from the baby shower I will post some. We also had pictures taken of Ashley and me together, and the two of us with Kathryn and Lisa (who hosted the baby shower). I’m really looking forward to seeing all of them.

book giveaway

I have a brand new copy of Experiencing the Resurrection (see post below) to give away! If you would like to win this free book, simply send me an email (simplescrapperATgmailDOTcom). Please put Experiencing the Resurrection in the subject box so my email spaminator won’t eat it!

I will hold a drawing from all of the email entries next Monday, March 24.

experiencing the resurrection

Experiencing the Resurrection

What does the resurrection of Christ really mean for us? What does it reveal about the heart and mind of God? And what real differences can the miracle of the resurrection make in your life today?

Discover answers to those and other questions as you examine God’s Word with this companion study guide to the book Experiencing the Resurrection by Henry Blackaby and Melvin Blackaby.

Packed with practical notes, advice, and questions for reflection, this highly interactive guide—ideal for small group or individual use—shows you how to witness Christ’s resurrection in and through your life. Each chapter of the book is explored in a flexible one-week format with “life change objectives” that arise from applying the truth for each day to your life.

Dr. Henry Blackaby, president emeritus of Blackaby Ministries, is the author of more than a dozen books, including the best-selling classic Experiencing God. He has spent his life in ministry, serving as a music director and as a senior pastor for churches in California and Canada. Today he provides consultative leadership on prayer for revival and spiritual awakening on a global level. He and his wife make their home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Melvin Blackaby coauthored with his father, Henry Blackaby, the Gold Medallion winner Experiencing God Together. He travels extensively as a conference speaker. He and his wife and their three children live in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, where he serves as senior pastor of Bow Valley Baptist Church.

introducing miss attison

Trust me, it’s a girl ~ I have proof, but it’s not something I can show on a family-friendly blog! If this one turns out to be a boy, well, then wow, we’ll be shocked!

I have a couple of pics in 4D. They’re really cool, but…….I don’t know ~ they sort of remind me vagely of a creepy movie I may have seen (when I was young and thought those things were fun) or at least saw advertised………..that’s enough details……

our moment

18 hours and counting…..

In less than 18 hours I will be meeting my daughter at the airport for our first visit since she was 6 days old. I think my stomach has either turned into a great big Celtic knot or maybe just a plain old stone. I have butterflies and feel nauseous, all at the same time!

I imagine I will be absent from the blogging world for a while. Ashley will be here for a week, and I doubt I’ll be spending very much of this next week sitting in front of my computer. I’ll probably check email, and I may take a quick glance at my Bloglines. But I think I’ll wait until after Ashley leaves to post pictures and such.

Next Sunday (March 16) is the date my friends have put together a baby shower for Ashley and Attison ~ please pray for us over the next week, especially next Sunday. As one of my friends said, “We Southerners are a huggy bunch ~ I hope she’s prepared to be loved on!” So do I……..

hard choices made harder

Why is it that sometimes good things make difficult choices even more difficult?

This morning Patrick was notified that he was selected as a University of Arkansas Honors College Fellow ~ he got an Honors College fellowship, which pays basically for everything. That’s HUGE!

So why is it that now he feels his choice of where to go to college is even more complicated and tough?

Since he was selected as a National Merit Scholarship finalist, he’s coming up on a deadline to choose a college to list as his #1 choice. UofA doesn’t care whether he lists them or not ~ he already has the fellowship. If he lists University of Tulsa as his #1 choice, he may still end up with a juicy offer from them as well. We’ll just have to wait and see.

He has as much as he’s going to get from Texas A&M (we think), but it doesn’t cover the full cost. Same thing with Drury University. University of Oklahoma offered him a nice deal and he didn’t even apply there ~ he still can, and he can still take them up on their offer. Same goes for Arizona State.

If he is selected for the Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished scholarship there are a couple of smaller colleges in Arkansas he can attend for free. I’m not sure when the release date is for that scholarship.

So, the poor kid is really coming down to the wire now, and he has some really tough choices to make. There are a lot of things to take into consideration. Choosing a college or university is a major decision that, quite honestly, can affect the rest of your life. When did we decide that 17 and 18 year old kids were mature enough to make these kinds of decisions?! And what, exactly, were we thinking!!?

Roger and I are of course helping Patrick wade through all of the choices ~ and we’re also trying to help him deal with the emotions that are involved in this decision. He may already attend school away from home, but he’s only an hour and a half away. He knows if he’s sick and needs Mom, I can be there very quickly. He can come home on the weekends. If there’s a problem with a teacher or another student (which we haven’t had, but nonetheless) Mom and Dad are not so far away that they can’t come to his rescue ~ although I doubt you’d get him to admit that’s a comforting thought!

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the whole thing myself………

snow? in arkansas? in march?

It has been snowing for hours and hours, and it’s finally starting to stick. Last night Roger said the prediction was anywhere from 3″ to 9″ ~ wouldn’t that be a hoot? In Arkansas, in March?!!!

Jake would be extremely happy ~ he’d have enough snow in the backyard to play “bury the tennis ball”!

what’s in a name?

When I told my friend Kathryn that Ashley and Jacob had decided to name their baby Attison, she asked me what Attison means. Heck if I know was pretty much my reply. Since then, I’ve done a little bit of research (not tons mind you ~ I just looked through a few baby name books at the bookstore).

I couldn’t find Attison (with 2 t’s) in any of the books, but I did find Addison. Are you ready for this? It means “awesome”! It can also mean “son of Adam” but I didn’t think that really applies when it’s a girls name.

So, “awesome” it is!

fellowship interview

Patrick wasn’t able to go to Colorado with us last week. There’s just no way he could miss that much school and still hope to graduate with a decent GPA (or graduate at all, for that matter).

While we were gone, Patrick drove up to Fayetteville and interviewed for a fellowship at the University of Arkansas. He dressed appropriately for the occasion, and even went to the interview clean-shaven!

When he walked into the room for his interview, there was an older lady and a man waiting for him. The lady said, “Now Patrick, I just have one question for you. But you MUST answer my question completely and totally honestly. Do you understand?”

Patrick replied (a bit apprehensively), “Yes ma’am.”

The lady asked, “Did your mother pick out your suit for today?” LOL

Of course, Patrick answered, “Yes ma’am, absolutely!”

(If only that were all it takes to get a fellowship to the Honors College at U of A ~ he’d be a shoo-in!)

major finds

It’s amazing what you can find at outlet stores. There was an outlet mall close to the hotel where we were staying in Colorado, and of course we just HAD to hit it. We went to every baby store looking for great baby clothes at decent prices. We found the absolute best deals at Gymboree. We bought close to $300 in Gymboree baby clothes for less than $82. Amazing!

(The photos are horrible but trust me, these clothes are super super cute!) There are 2 outfits that aren’t pictured. One’s just a plain little pink onesie. The other is a newborn jumper that was full price but much too cute to pass up. Ashley likes Graco’s “Deco” pattern ~ little brown, pink and blue polka dots. Gymboree had a newborn jumper with matching socks in a pattern very similar to Deco, so I bought them. I have already sent them off to Ashley. I used them as filler in the package that contained the “Waiting for Baby” journal and another journal I mailed to her from Colorado.

And, of course, every little baby should have some OshKosh B’Gosh!

At the Bath & Body Works store I found the cutest little pink plushy lamb. Attison’s room is going to be decorated in Farm Friends, and this little lamb will be perfect in her room!

(In case you can’t tell, I had a GREAT time shopping for Attison!)

birthday in review

Well, it started out a little yucky, but all in all my birthday was very nice. I got the sterling silver charm bracelet and birthstone kids I wanted, and I got the grain mill I’ve been asking for. (Sorry, Mer! But I don’t have the Bosch yet ~ does that make it any better? )

I also received several gift cards for Bath & Body Works and Barnes & Noble. Roger gave me some amazing 100% Portugese flannel sheets (2 sets, and they coordinate very nicely with our Pottery Barn quilt). The bracelet arrived before we left for Colorado, and the grain mill was waiting for me when we got home.

[Now, before you start thinking I should hit Roger over the head with the grain mill and/or the flannel sheets, let me say that I DID ask for them. When we were newly married, I told him he WOULD get hit over the head with any appliance or household item he bought me as a gift for any sort of day it's traditional to give gifts on ~ my birthday, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, anniversary, Christmas, Woo Pig Sooie Day ~ we are in Arkansas, afterall ~ Groundhog Day, National Talk Like a Pirate Day etc., etc. (What? You don't get a gift on Groundhog Day? Well, what about National Talk Like a Pirate Day? You get a gift then, don't you? Don't you?! Oh ~ well, don't tell my husband that. ) I've had a change of heart regarding the nature of gifts since I was a newlywed. Besides, I got girly stuff too, so it's all good!]

Let me throw in here that My Charmed Life has really great charms at reasonable prices, so I’m looking at adding to my charm bracelet already ~ thanks for the link, Joanne! She has the most amazing charm bracelet, but I digress……

When we picked up the mail from our neighbor who had been collecting it while we were on vacation, I found a package from Ashley. She had sent me a birthday present. The package contained a little book about how to cheer yourself up when you’re feeling blue (it has really cute pictures of animals in it), and 2 chocolate bars (yum!).

Also in the package was a birthday card. This is my very first card from Ashley!

The outside simply reads: Mom . The inside reads: Because you give so generously, and care so deeply, you deserve a day that’s beautiful – like you. Happy birthday Mom, with Love Always.

Wow. I can’t even begin to describe how I feel about this card.

If you click on the picture you’ll be able to read what Ashley wrote inside.

We haven’t had our traditional birthday dinner yet. We’re saving that for while Ashley is here and both boys are home. Our traditional birthday dinner consists of going out to eat wherever the birthday person wants to go ~ it’s almost always a Japanese steak house. That reminds me, I need to ask Ashley if she likes Japanese food ~ I know she won’t eat sushi……

safe and sound

We’re home ~ we’re safe ~ and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. I’ll post as soon as I can, I promise! But for now, I have to unpack, do laundry, clean my house, get Patrick’s room ready for Ashley’s visit, go grocery shopping, pick up my car from the shop (yet again), take Sawyer to his usual activities, and prepare myself to meet my daughter face-to-face!