The Scrivener Four

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

God Bless America. We are so incredibly fortunate to live in such an amazing Country. I am so thankful to all of the wonderful citizens who have or are risking their lives on a daily basis to keep our Country Safe. We love you all.

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE

2009-07-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

It is not often you find Luke asleep. This is one of my favorite captured moments.

2009-07-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

The weekend is here and Blake and Luke are ready to celebrate the 4th of July in style. Our Summer has been spent playing at the pool or the gym. The boys are establishing quite a love hate relationship with one another but at the end of the day Luke begs to sleep with his big brother. Blake pretends like it is a bother but in secret he loves it. Here are a few updated photos of my handsome boys.

Luke's First Soccer Trophy

2009-06-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

He is quite the player and he gleams when he scores a goal. And yes I am a SREAMING Mommy on the side line screaming for my boys in whatever sport they play!!!!

Sweet Male Rabbit needs a good home.

2009-06-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Around Easter I bought my boys a gorgeous brown rabbit because we were in Dyersburg and I stumbled upon these poor rabbits at the Tractor Supply of all places and I could not stand to leave them there to be sold to impulse buyers that would leave them outside or not care for them, which is usually what happens around Easter time. I took Stella home and Leslie, my sister, took Bella. Last week Leslie called and her girls are allergic to Bella so they are unable to keep her. We were going out of the Country so I took Stella to Dyersburg to reunite her with her sister so we could bring them both back here, and well- Bella is a Bart and my rabbit is probably pregnant and I can't keep both rabbits but I do not want to give him to the humane society to be put down within a week or two. Now- long story made shorter - he is a beautiful white rabbit and he is on his way to being litter trained. He likes to be rocked like a baby and he is about 4 months old and they live 5 to 10 years. We have had great success training Stella and she is extremely sweet. Now- in about 3 months I might be sending out a new e-mail with 10 more rabbits to give away thanks to my kind family that took care of my sweet girl and thought it would be funny for my kids to have baby rabbits.
Sorry about the long note but he has been well taken care of and he is sweet. He just needs to go to a loving family.

2009-06-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Cancun was a blast and so far no Swine. What luck- we book a trip to Mexico less than two weeks before the Swine outbreak. It was a very Happy 10 year Anniversary trip for Matthew and me. We loved the beach, the hotel, swimming with the fish and kissing a shark. But- boy are we glad to be back to the USA where the food is unbeatable. We appreciate our Country so much more today. We last went when we were 18 but I think the Tequilla made it seem much prettier on the outskirts of Mexico back then and I know it made the food seem a lot better. It was sad to see the poor citizens of that Country working so hard to sell things in the extreme heat with little bambinos strapped to their backs. We were so excited to see a Johnny Rockets when we hit the airport. A cheeseburger has never tasted so good. I am also so happy to be holding my bambinos. I missed them so much.

Can you believe it has almost been 10 years?

2009-05-07T06:46:00.001-07:00

The Boys

2009-05-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

Updated pictures of the boys. They melt my heart. But- Tuesday when school was called for a reported case of the Swine they were a bit on my nerves. Sibling rivalry to the EXTREME!!!! I had to breathe and relax ALOT!!!! But- boys will be boys and I am thankful for every second - the good and the ugly!

2009-05-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

Ok- I last posted in December. We moved that month and it has taken me that long to get back into a new routine. I had to practically start over but I still kept roots in my beloved Spring Hill. I have the greatest friends there and I still teach two classes a week there. The boys have gotten so big here lately. Blake gets taller by the second and Luke is trying hard to catch up. I live in a land of boys and the grocery bill is growing by the second.
We love our new house. I am going to attach some recent photos of the house and the boys. I can't wait to start sharing funny stories on here again. We have a new addition to our family. Her name is Stella Bear. She is the sweetest rabbit in the world and she thinks she is human. Matthew is in love.
The Swine Flu has had the media in an uproar here lately and they even closed down Blake's school for a day.
To top it off Matthew and I booked a trip to Cancun 1 week before the Flu made the news. How is that for luck? For our 10 year anniversary we might catch a case of the Swine. We don't leave until the 25th and we will not leave our resort and we will wear our masks on the plane. I hope that is enough. Keep us in your prayers.

St. Jude Marathon - #2 down and no more to go! :-)

2008-12-08T08:35:00.001-08:00

Well- It is over and we did it! There were 14,000 people entered in this race to find a cure. As you all know my life has been crazy with building, packing, selling, teaching classes at Group Fit, and life in general with two WONDERFUL kiddos and an amazing husband so I did not have a lot of time to train for this marathon. My longest run was 16 miles and I would run every now and then through out the week or sometimes every other week. Well- let me tell you LESSON has been learned. Training is a neccesity and I am not made of steel!!!! God, my angels and your prayers carried me through the last 10 miles. My right calf got tight at mile 13 and then both of my calves started seizing up at mile 16 but I kept praying and thinking of all of the people on my shirt who fought so hard to battle cancer and somewhere deep down inside I was given strength. I saw my sister three times and many other friends that helped to push me along the way. I have NEVER wanted to quit something so bad in my entire life. The pain was horrendous for the last 10 miles but at least I knew at the finish line my battle was over. By mile 25 I could hardly flex my feet to run and a sweet man told me to stretch and walk it in because I had come to far to give up. So I made myself walk, stretch, run, walk, stretch, run. And for those of you who know me you know how hard it was for me to walk but by golly it helped and God gave me a special boost at the end to finish strong. At the end I was so full of emotions that I collapsed into a ladies arms as her friend took off my time chip. I cried and cried and she asked me if this were my first marathon and I told her no that I was just crying for my grandmother and the angels that carried me through to the end. I am finally able to walk a little better. Matthew has been amazing and he has massaged my legs and taken over the household chores and boys. He has won father of the year in my book. Thank you Leslie, Rodney, Liz, Becky, and Andrew for helping me in the end when my legs finally gave out at the finish line. You were God sends and I will repay you one day. Nurse Leslie kicked in and took great care of me. You rock sis, and yes this is my LAST! I love you all! My final time was 3:55:23. Like I said before- my angels carried me those final miles. Now- I am going to limp around and pack up my house!!!! :-) Attached are some pre-race pics.

VEGAS BABY

2008-12-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

We had a GREAT Time with Grandma and Grandpa Linder. Will catch you up on the trip later when I have more time. Here are my favorite pictures of the family fun.

Marathon Countdown- 4 days

2008-12-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely OVERWHELMED so please pray for my family as we transition to a new home over the holidays and I run this marathon this weekend. I know my "gin-gin", Barbara Smith will carry me through the difficult untrained miles. She is with me always and I know she will be with me on that cold December day. I miss her so bad today. I miss the way we used to sit and talk on my back patio when I lived in Dyersburg. Like my mom, she would never stay long but we always had a good time when we were together. I loved to drink coffee with her and talk about flowers. She loved to do yard work and she would always pull my weeds and water my plants when she came over because I did not inherit that green thumb. I always think of her when I plant my flowers in the spring. After she passed I would find my self picking up the phone to dial her number. This is one of those moments that I just wish I had one more moment, one more cup of coffee and one more hug. My mom sounds like her and I inherited the same raspy voice at times. Sometimes when my mom speaks or laughs it reminds me so much of sweet Barbara. Life is so precious and each moment is so important. Right after she passed Blake threw a penny into the wishing well and when was about 4 and a half and he started jumping up and down and cheering and I was curious so I wandered over to see what he was so happy about and he said, "I did it. She is coming home. I did it! I made a wish and God is bringing Gin Gin back." Oh- if it were that easy. That was a hard thing to explain but in the end he was still young enough to take the news better than an older child would. But on the bright side, my grandmother is no longer battling Cancer and she is holding the son that she lost when he was just a little boy! It is now his turn to hug her and talk about flowers AND she is pain free! She and everyone who has, is or will fight Cancer WILL help me get through this race. Now- I am going to hug my kiddos and husband when he gets home and thank GOD for my blessings. I hope you are all having a BLESSED day! On this run I will be running with quite a few names on my shirt. My Cousin Cathy has two friends battling Cancer, my grandmother, Jason Myers, Jason Tarpley, and a few others. If you would like to put a name on the shirt it is not too late. I am making my shirt Thursday and I will take a picture and post it!!!! Please let me know. I want to hear the crowd yell the names of each and every person that has fought or is fighting this disease!!!! It is an amazing feeling to hear the crowd yell for not just you but for the ones you love!

Latest House Updates

2008-11-30T17:13:00.000-08:00

The house is coming along but not fast enough! :-( We will no longer own the home we live in tommorrow night at 6:00. Jill and Will will take over ownership and we will rent from them for the next two weeks. We will lack one short week of making it a direct transition. The Homestead Suites in Franklin will be our place of residence for about a week until our home is complete. It is what it is and we are blessed to have a roof over our heads. The holiday season is busy and we are having a great and chaotic time getting things done. At first I hated cleaning up dry wall but now I am so excited because I know it is getting us one step closer to being finished. :-) The boys are being good helpers and good sports. Blake has claimed his room and he is excited to decorate. Luke is just sad they took the big sand pile away.

I love my bathtub in the above pics. Matthew picked out the tile. The picture of the connecting bathroom is Blake and Luke's jack and jill bathroom. They love it!

Lukes first Choir Concert

2008-10-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Since Luke is our attention getter I switched him from Veggie Connection to Choir on Wednesday night and he loves it. Sunday we had our first concert and he was a little unsure at first but he ended up loving it. I could not get him to perform both services but he did great in the first. He was a grumpy bug from lack of sleep and so we left because we had a busy day ahead of us. He was a champ and lasted the entire day without a nap. He was treated with Sushi at the end of the day. Yes- my children love Sushi!!!!

Updates on our house!

2008-10-15T06:28:00.001-07:00

I want to start off by saying that Matthew is so talented and amazing. I am absolutely BLOWN away by how wonderful our house is turning out. He has changed and tweaked so many things and please take notice of the stone around the windows. He picked that out and I love it! We have hit our first bump! Matthew and I went to pick out the lights and it was a STRESSFUL experience. Our likes were on opposite ends of the Depot. I like Traditional and he likes Contemporary!!!!! Any help in this area would be wonderful! All of the choices make my head hurt.

Happy Birthday to Blake and Luke!

2008-10-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

We have had a blast celebrating birthdays this past month or so! We celebrated Blake's in mid September and Luke's party was last weekend. Blake chose to have a party at home roasting smores and playing flag football. I thought that was a great idea until the day came and I realized how much work it was going to be but it was worth it in the end. Luke wanted to have his at the My Fun Zone and he had about 15 friends show up and he had a blast jumping on all of the castles and slides in the room they provided. Now this was my kind of a party. I just showed up with my kiddos and they did all of the work. At this party the kids were great! It was daddy that I had to reprimand. He and the older kids, my brother and uncle Michael were having a blast nailing people in the head with the balls that they provided. Some of the mothers sat their watching with an alarmed expression on their faces. WHEW! Glad that is over and no one got hurt but I was also glad to see the bigger boys have so much fun. Blake could have had this but he wanted a "bigger" present and a less expensive party. So now he has a Wii to enjoy thanks to his sacrifice. When this house gets sold I am going to practice and actually win a game on the Wii! I can't believe my babies are 9 and 4 and I what is even harder to believe is that Matthew and I are 30! Wow- it seems like just yesterday when we were living in the ghetto in Knoxville at the young age of 21 raising our first child. Time goes by so fast! It is the moments like these that we will always remember.

Gluten Free Lifestyle

2008-10-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I have posted. I am not great at this because it takes what little time I have left over and consumes all of it! Well- Blake's headaches are getting closer together and he is having to miss half days at school here and there. For those of you who do not know, Blake and his daddy suffer from migraines. Sometimes they are severe and other times they are not as bad but for a 9 year old they are all BAD.
Today we are starting a process that leans more toward natural healing. This weekend I started researching a Gluten Free diet thanks to my friend Brooke. I have been very impressed with what I have read. Dr. Asa Andrews believes their is a connection between gluten and headaches. So today we have eliminated all wheat and flour from Matthew and Blake's diet. OH NO- you might ask- Is this the end of chips, snacks, cakes, and breads????? Well- last night I made a trip to the oh so expensive Whole Foods market and I just wanted to sit in the aisle and cry. There were so many choices and I did not want to spend a fortune on snacks that taste like dirt! My first experience with a gluten free shortbread cookie was a bad one. The birds probably left that cookie in my yard it was so bad.
Well- as I was frustrated God sent a couple of angels in my path. Some were headache sufferers that were buying gluten free products and others had digestive problems. They pointed away from the bad stuff and toward the good stuff.
So- I am proud to say that Matthew and Blake sampled tons of yummy treats that I brought home last night and only ONE was a no go!
Blake had gluten free waffles this morning and in his lunch box he had a parfait with gluten free granola and organic fruit. He also had a gluten free rice cake topped with peanut butter and honey, which he loved tasting last night. For a treat I added a gluten free chocolate wafer cookie that tasted amazingly good.
For his snack he took nut thins. They are crackers that are made out of almonds and rice and they are flavored with ranch seasoning. They are sooooooooooo GOOD!
So- as odd as all of this sounds it is very tasty. I packed Matthew the same lunch. He did not want to full blown parfait so I omitted the yogurt and sent that separate.
Tomorrow I am thinking I will pack a baked potato stuffed with cheese and butter and sour cream. Thank the good Lord he can still have potatoes and rice!!!!!!!!!!! They only meet we have to stay away from is Pork. But after reading about how disgusting pork is I am fine with my decision. Pigs are scavengers and they eat some pretty nasty things and then we turn around and eat them. And shellfish are the scavengers of the sea and their main job in life is to keep our oceans clean from waste. Just some food for thought!

Blake is looking at this as a fun adventure!!!! I am so proud of him.

Pictures of Blake just because

2008-09-07T09:12:00.001-07:00

Every now and then Blake will show the camera a funny moment. He is more laid back and reserved than his little brother. He used to cry if I laughed at him for doing something funny because he thought I was making fun of him. Now that he is older he is starting to come out of his shell when he feels like it. My sweet sweet boy is getting so big. He is turning 9 in less than two weeks.

Who needs cable when you have Luke?

2008-09-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well- the pictures say it all! There is never a dull moment in the Scrivener household when Lukey Tookey is awake. The third picture is my favorite. He went in the bathroom to take care of business and he came out with his underwear on his head. It may see like I favor him with the camera but Blake is more camera shy and it is torture trying to get him to get in a picture. But- I will get lots of good soccer shots of him next weekend when he is not looking. I love soccer season. Blake looks too cute in his uniform. Now that his hair is getting long he looks like a true soccer player.

Sarah and Grace visit the Port-A-John

2008-09-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sarah, my best friend from high school, and her sweet daughter Grace stopped by to see our house in progress yesterday. We had a great visit and I was sad to see them head back to West Tennessee. Grace got to experience her first trip to the Port-A-Potty and well, it will probably be her last. She was all for using the on site amenities until she opened the door. Grace- i don't blame you. At least you did not look in the hole. You might have gone home and had nightmares.

My Blake likes his first girl and my heart hurts!

2008-09-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Blake asked me some pretty serious questions a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to know how to tell if a girl liked him. Well I told him to just ask her and he said that it would be too painful if she did not like him. OH MY- my heart dropped. I thought about all of the girls he would have a crush on over his lifetime and how many heart breaks he might experience and I was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness and an urgent need to protect my child. I wanted to tell him that he should never like girls until he was in High School or maybe college and that I would hand select a girl that was good enough for him. He deserves the best you know? Mean girls will never do and I will run them off. But then I came to my senses and realized that this is out of my control and I will just have to pray for him to make good decisions and for God to send sweet girls into his life. And if they were not very nice then maybe Blake would be a great influence on them and show them how to be sweet. So - yes i got a little a head of myself in my thoughts and after I calmed down we had a great conversation. I told him some signs that a girl might like him and he was excited and he kept wanting to know more. Well- he came home a few days later and said that she approached him and told him that she had heard that he liked her. I asked him what he said and he looked at me like I was crazy and said- I just said WELL- and walked away. After that day he would not speak to her anymore. He did not get his shyness from me. He came home a couple of days later and said she had signed another boys folder and you could tell he was disappointed. I did not hear anymore about her for a week until this past Friday. He came home and told me that she approached him and said that he was a good singer and asked him if he would tutor her. Well- I did not tell him this but Blake has my tone deafness and he can't sing a lick so that is a HUGE sign that she likes him. :-) He was walking on air. Isn't that age so innocent and sweet! He is my sweet soul.

Do you know what Super-glue tastes like? Luke does!

2008-09-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yes- Luke has wowed us again. Quite a funny story now that it is over. I was taking a bath and I heard Luke crying. Well- that is nothing new because he screams when I do not answer him the first time. I think he may actually whine more than I did as a kiddo. Well he finally came up stairs and in one hand was super-glue and his mouth was open and he was crying because his tongue was stuck to his teeth. Well- I do not handle stressful situations well so I jump out of the bathtub SCREAMING - oh no - oh no- what do I do? over and over. So he is crying and I am making the situation worse my jumping and yelling. Which might put him in therapy by the way- can you imagine seeing your mother jumping up and down screaming naked? OK- enough said about that subject. I finally calmed down and pulled the super glue off of his teeth and that released his tongue and then I was able to peel it off of his tongue. It pulled the first layer of skin off but he could care less. He was just happy to have his tongue free. Who cares about the blood he was spitting into the sink. He could talk again. :-)

Stop and Smell the Marigolds

2008-08-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Life goes by so fast and too often I get swept up in the craziness and I forget to stop and thank God for the important people I have been blessed with along the way. I am so thankful for each and every person that I have met along life's journey. It always saddens me when I see friends that have touched my life struggle or face a horrible situation.

Tish Riley's boyfriend Jason Myers is engaged in a fight against Melanoma right now. He and Tish spend most of their days at Vanderbilt and they are tired but determined.

As you all know- we are running a race to raise money for Cancer on December 6th in honor of my grandmother, Barbara Smith.

I am now switching my focus of where the money needs to go. We thought about giving it to a Cancer Research foundation, but helping someone that we know that is fighting for his life now would definitely make my grandmother smile down from Heaven. Her sweet spirit will even be there with us as we run cheering us on. Please pray for Jason and Tish. They are so tired but they are so determined to win this fight. If you feel led to make a donation then just let me know and I will give you the information you need to make it possible.

My Birthday Surprise

2008-08-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well- I cried to one too many neighbors because my husband did not get a birthday cake for me last week and now I feel oh so foolish. I hate to admit it but Matthew did a great job of scheming to make me feel like I was getting absolutely nothing but a pair of PJs for my birthday. He did such a good job that I spent about 30 minutes crying at sweet Lauren Dunns house on the night of my birthday and she sat there and consoled me but she held in the surprise that was right around the corner.

The Saturday after my birthday Matthew took me out for what he said was dinner and a movie and we took a detour to the Arrington Vineyards and we had an incredible picnic on a hill overlooking the vineyards and on top of my salad was a beautiful anniversary band. After we finished dinner I heard people breathing heavily behind me from the huge hike up the hill and when I looked back all of my friends were gathered behind us for another surprise. I cried when I saw them, especially my brother and his wife. It was a GREAT night.

2008-08-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

Today I turned 30! Well- I am waiting and waiting but I do not feel any different. I still fixed my coffee the same way, put my pants on one leg at a time and ate the same breakfast that I eat every day. My boys were too funny today. Luke woke up and eagerly said, "daddy told me to tell you happy birthday." And then he told me that he loved my cake and I asked him if he bought me a cake and he looked down with a disappointed look and said no! I think he just wanted cake for breakfast. Blake was quick to give me a hug and kiss, and once I told him I did not want to get upset on my birthday I only had to tell him three times to brush his teeth and put on his socks and shoes. Now- that is a huge relief. It usually takes about 10 times for him to listen in the morning. Blake's hair is getting longer and we went to get it shaped yesterday to avoid the mullet. He is so darn handsome. Matthew was quite the jester this morning. He had a case of toilet paper set out disguised as my present. But- when I turned the corner there was a Victoria Secrets box awaiting me and inside was a pair of Pink PJs I have had my eye on for the last month. So far this has been a great day! I love being 30. Maybe now the neighborhood kids will quit thinking of me as their BFFs and they will think of me as an adult. Well- I doubt it!

Big Bad Chad is as Bad as They Come

2008-08-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

The title says it all! God blessed me with a fun loving brother. He always makes me smile and his wife is a sweet sweet soul. I love them. Chad- I WILL not erase these pictures. Thanks for the laughs.

Sweet Sweet Boys

2008-08-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I get a smile. Here are some pics from a visit we had from the Harrison's. I may be biased but my nieces are absolutely gorgeous. Check out these cuties and tell me they are not going to be heart breakers at an early stage. Blake and Luke love playing with their cousins. Luke would like to make Brooklyn his kissing cousin. We are having to keep an eye on him at an early age. He is a mess. Blake is my old soul. He is way too mature for his age sometimes. We had a great visit. We miss them already.

My funny funny boys

2008-08-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

My boys are total hams when it comes to the cameras these days. Just wanted to let you view some of my favorite funny pictures. Yes- only Luke would want a tattoo on his bottom.

2008-08-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am not a good blogger! I usually have to post two or three at a time to catch up! Here is the latest developments on our house. Matthew and I went out yesterday and did trash patrol. The construction men are quite messy and they eat some odd things. Our next door neighbor Hayden dropped by and offered us a pair of gloves. He is 5 and very outgoing. We love our new house and we can't wait to move in. It will be here before we know it. The picture with the neighbors houses showing is the view from our front door. There is also a view from our kitchen inside and it shows the connecting living area and the fire place.

My picture is the one I snapped of them "raising the roof". The picture with the stairs showing is taken from our breakfast nook. We have had a great time looking at the latest developments. BTW- we still are selling our present home so PLEASE PRAY FOR US!!!!!!!!!!!

Twilight

2008-07-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Fact or Fiction? The book Twilight was given to me by one of my fabulous friends and at first I was a little unsure of how into this book I would get. First off- it is written for teenagers and secondly it was a love story about vampires. I actually took two books with me on vacation because I was so sure I would not enjoy Twilight but I was going to give it the benefit of the doubt. I sat down and began to read this novel and two weeks and 3 book later I have finished the series and I am patiently waiting on the release of the 4th and final book on August 1st. I am picky reader and if a novel does not make me thirst for more then it collects dust somewhere in my house, usually under my bed or in a closet. This series is the most mesmerizing work of art I have ever picked up. There were people of all ages reading it in Ohio. Every time I went to the pool someone else was oblivious to the world around them because they were so lost in the world of Bella and the Cullens. If you need a quick summer read then you HAVE to go get this book. Yes- I have reserved my copy of the 4th book and I will be at the midnight release with all of the millions of teenagers at Barnes and Noble! I am actually looking forward to completing this final novel so I can get back to reality full time. Matthew did make the comment that this book is starting to affect our marriage so he too will be happy when this all over. Also- Blake said I am NEVER allowed to talk about this book again after I have completed the series. My sweet family still loves me even though they are wearing dirty clothes because the book takes up all my laundry time. KIDDING - maybe. Oh by the way- if you have read the book you will understand this- I am for Team Edward.

Run for Barbara

2008-07-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

It is marathon time again in Tennessee. My beautiful grandmother, Barbara Smith, died of cancer in 2004. My heart misses her everyday but I know she is in a better place and she is now holding and loving on the little boy that she lost so long ago. It gives me comfort knowing that it is his turn to have his mommy with him.
Cancer is such a horrible, ugly disease and I am hoping to get as many people together as possible to run and to raise money for St. Jude. We have about 15 people that are running so far and the numbers keep growing. We are running the race on December 6th and I am excited but I am dreading the training. Who wants to spend their Saturdays running 12 to 26 miles at a time? Well- it will be over in December and Marathon training is quite obsessive. I may complain but I truly love it! And for those of you who are reading this and shaking your heads, yes this is my last full marathon. I promise!
Here is a pic of Rachel and I at the Music City Marathon.
I began my training yesterday and running three miles in Tennessee humidity was insanely hot! I stopped and played in sprinklers throughout my route.

Yes- My son stuck his head in the urinal at Target!

2008-07-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well- as we were walking in Target Luke is being sour and not wanting to walk. I refused to get a cart because I only had to pick up three things. He finally got over the fact that he was going to have to walk and then he started dancing around. I recognized the pee pee dance and Matthew and I asked his brother to take him to the bathroom. 15 minutes later Blake is laughing at his soaked brother and in front of all of the ladies at the check out lane he informed us all that Luke was flushing the urinal and putting his head in it! Can I get some antibacterial wipes please is the only thing that I could think of to say!

Fun in Ohio

2008-07-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

We had a blast in Ohio. Blake and Luke had a great time swimming and playing with their cousins. I loved getting to hangout with the Wagemann clan. Matthew's mother was not able to attend because she had a major back surgery so please keep her in your prayers. She is doing good and we hope that she is able to go home to finish recovering tomorrow. She is a trooper. She has been so brave throughout this entire experience.
We visited Kings Island one day and we were able to meet all of the Nickelodeon characters. Luke was not so sure about them at first but he was quick to warm up. Blake loved all of the rides but the roller coasters. After the first two he was finished. He did not like the jerking and the headache that followed. I don't think he ate a thing after riding the first two rides. Luke had to have his face painted and after it was all said and done he walked around in character the rest of the time until he forgot about the paint. He also refused to call anyone by their names half of the time. He made up his own names and he could not be persuaded otherwise. He decided to call his cousin Erin by the name Harley and Aunt Cathy was Aunt Coffee. He is still calling them by his version versus their own.
We had a great time but we are glad to be home in our own beds with cell reception. Also- I do not think I will go on a long car ride again anytime soon. Luke gets very bored and he aggravated Blake a majority of the way and when he was not doing that he was looking out of the window saying, "tree, tree, sign, tree, tree, tree, sign, sign, tree, tree, sign, etc............................... OH MY goodness!

New House Pictures

2008-07-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well- I new from the beginning that building a house was going to be stressful and we have only just begun. There are your regular anxiety ridden moments and then there is the thrill of getting to pick out things and watching the kiddos run and play and ooh and awe at the new additions to the house. I have just learned that we have a storm room. I am so excited. Thanks to my mother and sister I hate storms. My mom always made my brother, sister and I share one chair in the living room until the storm passed. Well- now my kiddos get to hangout and play in the bath-tub with books and other fun toys. I am not quite as bad as I used to be unless there is a tornado warning. I do not like the idea of visiting OZ! We went to the lot and here are the latest developments. They have poured and framed the basement. In one pic Blake and Luke are sitting in what will soon be the living area window of the basement. The picture of the small room is my storm room. We are slowly watching with anticipation and amazement. By the way- if anyone would like to move this way we still have our wonderful home for sale in Spring Hill!

Off to Ohio

2008-07-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

We are going to Ohio this week to stay in a cabin for a week and to go to Kings Island to meet Sponge Bob. Matthews family gets together for a week every year and we all have a great time just hanging out and watching the kids play. I picked the boys up today and I was so excited to get to see them and to bring them home. Five days was too long. I get excited about having a week to clean and to get things done but then when they are gone I am bored and lonely. Blake and Luke had a blast but Luke called me this morning crying. He was ready to come home and mom was ready to go and get him. Lets hope that the 6 hour trip goes by faster than I am expecting. Luke is NOT a good traveler. He does not zone into the DVD player like his brother. He would rather ask about 10000000 questions. I am sure I will have some funny stories to tell when we return. Blake will yell at Luke the whole way asking him repeatedly to hush and to quit talking to him and Luke will keep asking questions to drive Blake insane. Quite comical at times. but I am not so sure about 6 hours of it! :-) Pray that we have a safe and fun trip! More pics coming soon I promise.
Oh yeah- a quick story about a man I met in a homeless shelter that will make you appreciate life and what you have. As I have mentioned before, I LOVE spending the night at the homeless shelter at my church. We usually have all men and on a rare occasion we will have women. Well- as we are building this house and trying to get things done I feel so overwhelmed at times. As I sat there this winter and had a not so great cup of coffee but a great conversation with this man that just wanted someone to talk to I was struck with how materialistic this world has become. This man had such a sweet soul and we went over some mistakes that he had made in the past, mostly gambling and we spoke about his daughter and his ex-wife. He in the end lost everything. The churches only host these shelters in the winter and I asked him what his plans were for the spring and the summer. Well- here we are always wanting more and always wanting something that is bigger and better and here is this amazing man that has made some bad choices in life and now he is paying dearly and at the top of his to-do list is to save up enough money to buy a tent to live in by the river. He was not sad about living in a tent. He was absolutely excited about having a place to call his own. Most of the men that come and stay at the church are mentally ill and it is heartbreaking to see how little they are taken care of by our country. They have to sleep with their medicine under their paper thin pillows so it is not stolen. Schizophrenia is such a horrible disease and these guys need better health care. OK- I guess I got a little long winded. My point is- it is amazing to take a day out of the year to go and sit with these guys or girls and to learn a few life lessons. I am grateful for the things I have been taught by each and everyone of them.

House Building 101

2008-07-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

We have started the building process and the boys and I were able to go and meet the new neighbors while Matthew worked for hours on , well, I don't know what he was doing exactly. We swam in our new neighborhood pool and the boys had a great time. I was shy at first which is really out of character for me. Everyone I introduced myself too were incredibly nice so I had to throw my preconceived notions out of the pool gate. I was intimidated at first but they were so warm and welcoming. I began to ask one lady about the neighborhood and she referred me to Fountain Brooks HOA Message board online and she said she was the moderator. Well- I checked out the site and apparently these guys are a lot more organized than frazzled Mrs. Scrivener. I hope they don't ask me to organize anything.

Luke is swimming like a fish from one end of the pool to the other, which is amazing for a three year old. The new neighbors thought he was drowning half of the time but I had to inform them that he has his own style. Blake is my shy one and it will take him a while to warm up. He wants kids to ask him to play. But- he will adapt well and he will have tons new friends before long and they will love his sweet personality. Here are pics of our lot before it was cleared. The basement walls have been set and they are pouring the foundation Thursday. I will take pictures and publish them Friday. I miss my boys and they have only been gone for less than 24 hours.

2008-07-07T16:48:00.001-07:00

Today I dropped my little ones off at a half way point between here and Dyersburg. My grandparents were having serious withdrawls because we are not able to come there as often as we used too! I miss them already but it will be good to get things accomplished tomorrow without so many little helpers! :-) Luke likes to destroy all of my accomplishments. He changes clothes at least 10 times a day and he has a new thing for what he calls his "bobby joe" socks. OK - I will let my 3 year old go any where he chooses with his batman costume on but I draw the line when it comes to Luke going out in public with black knee high socks on and black shoes with a white stripe. First and foremost- I have no idea where the shoes came from and the socks are from Uncle Chads wedding. We had a huge meltdown over this recently and it took him an hour to quit crying for his bobby joe socks. Typing about him makes me miss them even more. A quick note about Blake- his hair is getting so long and blonde this summer. Long hair in the "in" thing now but if he does not keep it brushed mommy is going to make it the "out" thing. He is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo handsome.