My Three Sons

Walls of Jericho

2009-02-21T21:27:00.005-06:00

I guess I'm on a roll here. Just wanted to share our Valentine's Day with all of you. This holiday is alway complicated. First we have to find a sitter. My parents usually watch the boys but they deserve the night out as well on Valentine's Day, so we don't usually have them babysit that night. (We really need to get a 'real' babysitter, instead of the 'free-and-obligated-because-we're-family' kind.) Plus, on this night of LOVE, every restaurants is oh so crowded, as are the movies. Plus that just doesn't sound like anything really all that special...kind of a boring and typical 'date' for such a day of celebration. I wanted to do something different, not so crowded, and something we can't usually do with the kiddos. I asked Daniel if we could take the afternoon to have a picnic and go hiking. His DREAM date. Something we both really enjoy and a quiet afternoon to just enjoy being together. So, off we went, headed to Scottsboro to the Walls of Jericho. It was a beautiful day and a perfect date.

Here are a few pics.

I HIGHLY recommend this 7 mile hike, if you get a chance. I just sat, surrounded by the huge rock walls and waterfalls. In AWE of such a great God, who gave us such a beautiful creation to enjoy. A day to celebrate love. My love for my friends, my family, my guy, and my God.

Boys Will Be Boys

2008-12-21T22:39:00.003-06:00

Hello. I feel as though I need to reintroduce myself. It has been too long. I really am not cut out for this blogging thing. As soon as I sit down to type this out, I immediately think of all the things I SHOULD be doing....reading my Bible, doing the never ending piles of laundry, wash the dog, plan for the next school day. The list goes on and on. But here I am....inoring those nagging thoughts.

February is a long month for me here at the Cothran house. February is the month my hubby lives for. Each year he heads to New Hampshire with his brothers to 'play in the snow'. They spend a week ice climbing, skiing, snow mobiling, and eating clam chowder. It is a long week for me, especially having 3 boys now. It seems each year I either have a new addition to the family or I am great with child. Either way, it is, at times, exhausting. I am always glad for him to go because I know how much it means to him. If it were up to him, we would be living where it is frigid most of the year. So, it's a good compromise. He gets to visit the snow and I get to live in the south. This year went pretty easily. I felt independent and proud of myself. Slightly feminist even. I don't NEED a man! (ha...I just really really want one.) I really think I need him much more than he needs me....although, he would argue that. I am just thankful for good boys who made it all a joy.

So, we were so excited to have him home. I then remembered...it is February. Oh dear. That means my man will be leaving me for snow once again. And that is where we are at today. It's his annual back-packing trip to LeConte. He went with my dad, his brother, and my brother-in-law. The colder, the better. Tonight Daniel is sleeping on a mountain in the Smokies with snow and ice all around. In his element. Perfectly happy. Here I am, alone in our bed....with you. My blog. The boys are tucked in and sleeping sweetly. This is the hardest time of day when he is gone. It's OUR time. Only 2 days to go. I can do it.

I think I'm due a cruise or something. I think my new hobby should be 'beaches'...since his seems to be 'snow'.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a couple pics of him doing what he does. My manly man.

Seven Things

2008-10-29T08:28:00.003-05:00

Ok, I was tagged by Lisa and Wendy and ever since, have been trying to think of seven interesting things about myself. How depressing is that? Anyway, I thought maybe if I just start typing, they'll come to me. So, here goes:

1) I hate feet. Grody! (I don't think I have used that word since I was 14!) Especially men's sweaty feet. Especially men's sweaty sock feet. There is a scene in Napoleon Dynamite where the comedy of the film turned to sheer horror for me...I just imagine Kip's feet. Nauseousness.

2) Two of my favorite foods are anything pesto and anything with guacamole. I also love just about any fruit...especially watermelon and frozen blueberries with milk and sugar. mmmm.

3) My goal has been to have 4 babies by the time I'm 30. 3 down, 1 to go! Bittersweet.

4) I have a terrible fear of regret. I am practically handicapped by indecisiveness. Seriously, it takes me a while to pick out a piece of candy. I am just so afraid I will wish I had something else later. You don't wanna be around me when there is actually a big decision to make! Pray for me! lol!

5) I have only kissed one man and married him. Kinda weird, I guess. Definitely special to me.

6) I have unnatural spazzy reactions to 2 things...bees/wasps and rubber bands pointed in my direction. I don't know, they just seem so unpredictably after me!

7) I love to fall asleep watching a movie, I love the thought of reading a book, I love the concept of blogging. As you can see, I have a terrible habit of starting things...

There you have it.

My Status

2008-10-02T23:43:00.003-05:00

Yeah, so I have noticed something about myself. I am not so good at this...but you know what I would be really great at?? Status updates all day! I spend so much time thinking about something deep and interesting to talk about, feeling intimidated by all the really great bloggers out there, and then thinking of about 10 other things I really should be doing. My life feels so full right now. Homeschooling is quite daunting. I am working out the kinks in my schedule and hope to become more disciplined, therefore post more regularly. Anyway, until then, here are my status updates for the last couple days:

* Going to give blood, don't weigh enough, ate too much, threw up in parking lot at hospital, hospital caught on fire......figured it isn't my day to give blood. Hey, I tried!

* Feeling like I am in high school....intimidated and insecure.

*My boys are camping and I am having a 'girl's night' with my mom and little sis.

*Off to a 5 year old birthday party! Hoping for great candy in the pinata (that I will confiscate from my kids, then they will completely forget about)!

* Just got back from taking the boys to a nice quiet park with some friends....wasn't quiet for very long.

*Drama with a 'Facebook Friend'...no longer friends at all....que serrah. (long story)

*Took Jonas to the doctor for 6 month check-up. Feeling like he should join the circus after all the 'he's SO big' comments. He is a very healthy, 20lb, 27", 90th percentile, happy baby!

*My 3 year old caught a squirrel. His father (Daniel is always referred to as 'his Father' in situations like this) told him that he if he caught a squirrel with his bare hands, he would buy him new Legos. 2 weeks later, Evan hadn't forgotten. What was intended to be a energy wasting impossibility for a 3 year old was, to Evan, an attainable goal. As my dad would say, that can preach!

*Getting out fall clothes! It's here!!!!

*Digging deep spiritually....exhausting and challenging. (more on that later)

*Both knitting and quilting in my spare time. HA!

*Went on a date night, finally!!! First date in over 6 months! Long overdue, much needed, but I still missed my kids terribly!

*Went on a walk on the Hampton Cove Greenway with my mom, brother, and sister. Soaking in this beautiful weather! (btw, congrats to whoever it is with the signs on Four Mile Post that read: It's a Girl! And a Boy! And a Boy! And a Boy!)

*Got a taste of what it would be like to be Jon and Kate plus 8 (except I had 6) for a couple hours.

*Embarking on another journey with Beth Moore...it's going to be great!

*Teaching my child to read. Patience, Lord!

*Going for a walk with my boys.

*Watching Gilmore Girls with my guy.

There is a touch of some of the things that happened in my life over the past 5 days or so. Hopefully the next 5 will be quieter, less dramatic, and go by a little slower.

These are precious times.

Boys Will Be Boys

2008-09-09T23:09:00.005-05:00

Ok, I'm sitting at home, watching my DH and bro-in-law play some 'shoot 'em up' xbox game. There isn't a lot of deep meaningful conversation going on here. Hardly more than grunting. Maybe an occasional hoop or holler'. So I thought what a great time to update you all on my weekend.

Friday we had a normal 'school day' with the boys. The weather was nice so Daniel decided to take Micah and Evan camping. He and his brother, Joel, loaded up their gear and headed to Ditto Landing. It's a small campground but nice place to take kids and very close to our house, should there be an emergency need to get home. There are bathrooms and actually a playground right by where they camped. I'm surprised Daniel would even qualify it as camping at all. Anyway, I stayed home with Jonas. We both slept better that way. The next morning we met them at the campsite for breakfast and then a bike ride along the Tennessee River. Very nice. The weather was perfect. It was so fun to see the boys in their element...all 4 of them! Micah and Evan were having a blast. I just sat back and smiled. I love my boys. Around noon we headed back to civilization. Here are a few pics that I took on Saturday morning.

Saturday night we had our monthly 'UFC night'. There was a pay-per-view event that we rented at our place. Daniel invites a bunch of the guys and they eat snacks and have, once again, gruntin', hoopin', and hollerin'. It's a lot of fun actually. It's a little disturbing how much I enjoy these 'UFC nights'. One of the guys brought his wife and baby, so it was the best of both worlds.....girl talk AND ultimate fighting. Fun times!

Sunday was a nice day with the family. We had a delicious lunch at my parent's house. We have all gone 'vegan' so it was a meatless meal but absolutely yummy. I really don't even miss the meat. Even when I think about having a burger or something, it just doesn't sound good. (For those who are curious, one day I'll write more about this new diet of ours.) Sunday night I went to the worship service at church by myself. It was a nice way to end the day and begin the week...refreshed.

Yesterday and today have been all about schooling and cleaning. I did some hardcore floor scrubbing...oh, sorry. Boring! Today my friend Sherle came over with her boys. She brought her precious new baby, Samuel. He just came home from the hospital last week and is a whopping 4 lbs! I could hold him all day. Looking at those tiny toes, perfect ears, and even that little voice of his...I just kept thinking of the goodness of God. Life is a beautiful miracle.

Here is a picture of this little miracle.

We had a nice visit and our boys had such fun together. It will be exciting to watch our boys grow up and play together....Micah, Paul, Evan, Jonas, and Samuel.

So there is a summary of the last few days. I like this blogging thing. It helps me slow life down a bit and reflect on the day. Somehow, looking at the day as a whole, I see all the good in it. No matter how much disciplining takes place, how down I may start my day, or how monotonous it all gets; I like to end it like this.

Thank you, Lord, for all that I've been given.

I've got the best dad in the whole world.

2008-09-03T23:54:00.004-05:00

Tonight was special. It was one of those moments that you want to last forever. I'm going to let you in on some sweetness.

I went to church tonight and enjoyed a powerful message. It was on Numbers 27 and being a 'Daddy's girl'. We can crawl into Daddy's lap and share our hearts. Cry. Laugh. Or just listen. There is nothing that separates a Daddy and His girl. This is the love that we can know. It was a powerful, beautiful message. What hit me was this....I have the responsibility to show my children that the Lord is my everything. That if everything else was gone, I would still have Him. That He is who I live for, He is who I love first. To impart this to them so that they can walk it out themselves. That their relationship with our Father will be real. So that if I weren't here, they would walk out their faith. That He would be their first love as well. I left feeling challenged and encouraged.

Daniel and the boys went to his parents house for dinner. On the way home they were listening to music loudly, the way Micah likes it. You see, Micah has a thing for music. Really, it's bizarre. He has always been this way. It seems there is rhythm in his bones. Anyway, right before they got home, Daniel put on a worship song by Rick Pino "We Have the Best Dad" which is just like the title implies. We have the best Dad in the whole world. (seemed to be the theme of the evening....coincidence? I think not.) Daniel looks in his mirror and notices that Micah is just rockin'. Normal. Then he looks again. Micah then has his hands raised and is singing (loudly) 'I will give you everything God! I will praise you! I will give you cash. I praise you God! I will give you my toys! I will give you everything! I will give you cash!' I wish I were there. They got home and Daniel asked him if he liked that song. He said 'Yes, I changed it a little bit. I just wanted God to know that I will give Him whatever He wants.'

Nothing like the heart of a child. Pure sweetness. Abandoned sincerity.

I feel encouraged. My children are 'Daddy's Boys' and I pray the Lord will always be this real to them...the simplicity of His love.

Write on my blog....check.

2008-09-03T23:24:00.004-05:00

Today was a lovely day. Productive. I end this day feeling like a good mom. Here are a few reasons why:

1. I accomplished a great, full day of school with the boys...in a tent, no less.

2. I straightened the house...mastering the task of picking up almost anything off the floor with my toes while carrying my 'fluffy' baby on one hip.

3. I fixed a delicious dinner....with the help of my darling and his green egg.

4. I played Legos with my boys and used my rusty imagination!

5. I took my boys to my parent's house to play and swim as an after dinner treat.

6. I concluded my day with my love, my boys, and good books all in my bed for a few minutes of reading.

then kisses goodnight.

Good Intentions

2008-08-29T08:37:00.007-05:00

I’m back!

I had great intentions. Really, my heart was in the right place. I had high hopes. But the truth is, I am terribly bad at this! And I have the tendency to start things…I am very good at that. Not so good at seeing them through. This will be my therapy of sorts. I have also had a lot going on in our little family. That is no excuse. It only means I also had a lot to write about! My sister in law got married. We started home schooling. Daniel has been a very popular man in his real estate world. And I am adjusting to life at home with THREE boys. And, on top of that, I have managed to keep my house fairly clean and have stayed caught up on laundry. Now, that would be considered a borderline miracle!

We just recently went to the beach for 8 days with Daniel's family. It was a wonderful relaxing vacation....well, as relaxing as a vacation can be with a 5 month old! The boys had a blast. Micah really got good at swimming and Evan just enjoyed making a 'memory'. Last year he was only 2 and doesn't remember it very well but this year will be different. They got to go 'crabbing' at night, watch the huge expanse of the ocean, look for teeny-tiny shells, spend hours and hours in the pool, and go to the Gulfarium. Lots of memories made and such fun doing it.

(more beach pics to come)

About a week before leaving for the beach, I dove into the world of a 'homeschool mom'. It is official. It was a hard choice. I admit I am a selfish mommy sometimes. Sending my boys to school sounds nice. I think of all the things I could get done. I could go to Starbucks and just sit. Or go to the mall and just window shop. I could plan and prepare dinner early. I could probably even enjoy a clean, quiet house for a few hours. Or I could just get a break! So, honestly, my heart wasn’t totally in it initially. I just prayed and asked God to rule my heart. To put the desire there. To help me be less selfish. To give me a passion for my children and their education, a passion for their character and for their souls. It was a step of faith. And you all get to see me walk it out. I am getting there. Actually God is getting me there. He is faithful and good. There is a lot of responsibility and pressure in homeschooling. I am in complete control of their education and socialization. Whew. That's a lot. I am not, in any way, knocking public school. I may be there myself next year. One year at a time. I have seen it done well and taken seriously. I have also seen some who have actually handicapped their children. I am determined...if I do it, I will do it well.

So, as long as I can keep my sanity, provide them a good education, and prevent them from being complete social outcasts, I'll continue on this path. And here, about a month into it....so far, so good. I have to say, the toughest part so far is juggling it all (namely a precious rollie-polie of a boy, Jonas). I am perfecting my daily schedule but usually our 'schooling' takes place during his first nap. On a perfect day I have also already worked out, dressed for the day, straightened the house and fixed breakfast. I think I've had one perfect day so far. I am a work in progress.

Anyway, this post is to just catch you up a bit. There will be more to come.

I forgot how much I enjoy this.

BTW, here are a few pics I took of the boys today. I am so blessed.

He's like the best Dad ever!

2008-06-15T22:45:00.003-05:00

We've had a wonderful weekend....celebrating the wonderful husband I have, an amazing father to our children. As well as, spending time with my dad who showed me by example what kind of man to wait for, to set my standards high. Daniel has exceeded those standards. He is more than I even hoped for. Ok, I'll stop now with the mushy talk. But I am so thankful.

Saturday I woke up feeling rough. It seems I have caught the head cold that has spread thru the rest of my family. Everyone else seems to be doing great. We spent the day out on Saturday. We went for ice cream and then did some shopping. We ended up at Rosie's to celebrate Daniel. Father's Day and Mother's Day ends up pretty crazy with church and then lunch with my family and dinner with Daniel's. So, we've started celebrating each other on Saturday. Just so you know the kind of man I have, while we were at Rosie's, Jonas started fussing. Daniel offered to take him outside in the heat. He didn't settle down much out there so he brought him back in when our food arrived. At that time, Evan needed a potty, so with Jonas still in his arms, Daniel took Evan to the restroom. On the way back, Jonas spit up all over him and onto the floor. Daniel then just told a waiter what happened so it could be cleaned up. I felt a tap on my arm and the lady sitting at the table next to us said 'He's like the best dad ever! he's wonderful!' She's right. He is wonderful. Jonas got happy and the rest of our meal was great.

After Rosie's, we ended the day with a game of kickball with the boys in the front yard. The loosing team, Daniel decided, would get sprayed with the water hose. Sure enough, just as he probably predicted, Micah and I lost. So he made sure we both got good and wet. Then, of course, Evan wanted a turn. It was a fun end to a busy day.

Sunday we went to my parent's for lunch. It was delicious, as always. Grilled (on the Green Egg) Mahi Mahi, roasted potatoes, salad, grilled corn on the cob, bread and the best I've ever had homemade Strawberry Shortcake. Mmmmm....Then we spent most of the day outside. Either in the back yard or in the pool. It was wonderfully exhausting. A great day to appreciate the 2 most important men in my life.

Read at Your Own Risk.....

2008-06-11T22:17:00.007-05:00

I write the following story just because above I have written the word sincere. This is about as sincere and personal as it gets. I hope to bring a smile to your face, a look of discust, or some other extreme reaction. But this is a warning, it gets personal.

So this morning I got up and got ready to head to the gym. Daniel watched the boys so I could go work out. It was so nice to get out. I called my mom on the way to let her know about the wreck and see how her evening was. I was sitting in the car, outside of the gym, when suddenly I was hit with the need for a restroom. I'm not normally caught of off guard so I knew I needed to find one immediately. I got off the phone and headed inside. I definitely needed a bathroom, if you know what I mean. Lets just say...wow. I had placed my cell phone on the top of the round toilet paper dispenser, as I always do. Now a quick explanation about this phone. It has been thru a lot....the bathtub, toilet, and dropped numerous times. It's still workin', although the screen doesn't. So, I have no idea who is calling me unless I have the sun shining on it at just the right angle. I have been, for a long time, resisting getting a new one. Why? I would rather buy an outfit. Back to my story. So after relieving myself, I pulled on the toilet paper. The plastic round dispenser fell down on me. Then, I heard a splash. Crap. Literally. I then remembered th

at my cell phone had been on top. I stood up and sure enough.....and it had to come out. For a split second I did think about just flushing. But then, how would I explain if/when it started overflowing?

I flushed my phone is a bowl of you know what? So, I was left with no choice. It came out......I washed my hands thoroughly and proceeded to the elliptical machine. (there, that's about as personal as I get)

After I got home we headed to Verizon.

We then went to Arab and spent the rest of the day with Daniel's family. While we were there, Evan seemed to come down with the head cold that Daniel had just gotten over. He has a fever, poor baby. Hopefully he'll wake up feeling better in the morning.

Also, I wanted to post a couple more things.....this is for you, Jen. Over the weekend, I had my sister color my virgin hair. This is the result. A little darker and a little redder. It was a little tough to get used to but thankfully not many people have noticed, which is the reaction I was going for. I wanted something that looked fairly natural. We'll see if I keep it like this, but it was a fun change.

Right before bed, Daniel and the boys had fun playing with Jonas. They got some cute smiles out of him. He's been doing a lot more of that here lately. Daniel was also sticking his tongue out at him and making funny noises. It was amazing to watch a baby so young trying to imitate him. He would stick his tongue out while he watched Daniel. It was so obvious that he was trying to copy him. Brilliant.

Angels and Insurance

2008-06-10T23:18:00.006-05:00

Another hot one. Once again, we spent a lot of the day either inside or out in the water. My mom came by to pick up Micah and Evan and head to Target. Lucy, their beagle puppy, got a hold of Micah's umbrella and Mom was taking them to get new ones. It was a nice break after being cooped up for a couple days. Meme got worked though. They came home with more than just an umbrella. Micah had a Transformer and Evan got a Nerf gun.

The gun was a hit....as you can see Micah looks on jealously.

While playing outside on the swings and with the gun, I noticed a large spider web on the swing set. The spider had on her web a rather large beetle of some sort. I called the boys over and explained what was happening. It was fascinating! (with 3 boys, I've learned to accept the joy found in such things as wrestling moves, video games, sound effects, bugs, etc.) Anyway, the spider seemed to be trying to secure the beetle to the web a little better. Then I noticed, the beetle was still alive! Compassion welled up inside of me. I announced to the boys that we were going to be super heros and save the day for this poor innocent bug. He could have had a mommy beetle looking for him or maybe baby beetles that he could be leaving behind. Suddenly, this beetle had a story. Thanks to us, we have one more bug in our yard. And one disappointed spider. Success (in a weird way). Could this be a school day???

Here is our spider and bug before the rescue mission.

After naps, Daniel took the boys to my parent's to swim in the neighborhood pool. He wasn't going to but then both the boys started laying hands on him and praying for his headache. That was it. If he didn't actually feel completely well, he was sure going to act like it. So, off they went to the pool. Jonas and I took off for the mall. It was nice to get out of the house and Jonas was a great little shopper. At about 9:30, after closing down Marshall's, we headed home. Jonas was sleepy and hungry. Suddenly, a car pulled out and slammed into the driver's side of my SUV. Knocked us pretty good. I pulled off the road and they did too. Everyone was alright, just a little shaken, Jonas was screaming. I drive a beast of a car so mine isn't too bad. Unfortunately, the other driver really messed up her car. Anyway, after a long ordeal with the cops, Jonas still screaming (remember he was sleepy and hungry before the wreck even happened), we finally headed home. I drove off very thankful....thankful for angels and insurance.

And this is just a cute face that I had to post.

If Daddy ain't happy....

2008-06-09T23:08:00.002-05:00

Ok, so yeah, I'm not too good at this blog thing. I think it's because I really want something profound to write about but find it a little scary to write something very personal, maybe shallow, and quite possibly completely wrong. Right now everyone is in bed and I'm not sleepy. I'm watching 'Jon & Kate Plus 8'....one of my favorite shows. I think I even sleep better after watching them and their six 3 year olds and a set of twins. It is exhausting and entertaining at the same time. I end up feeling very capable of taking care of my 3 boys.

Speaking of exhausting, Daniel was sick today and spent most of the day in bed. The boys and I spent the day just hanging out at home. I did a lot of cleaning and washing clothes. The boys played in the sprinkler. It's been so hot that it's just plain senseless to be outside unless you're in water. They had a blast. After dinner, we played 'I Spy Bingo', had some popcorn, and put them to bed. A nice day today. No terrible attitudes or major fights to report. Although, I have to insist on a new saying....'If Daddy ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.' His head cold seemed to damper the mood around the house and I am praying he feels better in the morning...and that none of the rest of us catch it. So that's it. Nothing profound today. Pictures will be posted tomorrow. I'm getting sleepy now, so goodnight.

Ho-Hum

2008-05-29T23:17:00.002-05:00

Today was a 'Ho-Hum' kind of day. Nothing extremely exciting happened. It was actually a day that flew by. Daniel has been in Lakeland, Florida attending a Healing Revival and flew back in this afternoon. I loaded the boys up and headed out to pick him and some friends up from the airport. Then we went to lunch with them, my dad and sister (who also went to Florida with them) and the rest of my family. Jonas was pretty fussy with tummy trouble so it was more rushed than I would have liked. Then again, I'm not sure I remember how to actually enjoy a meal.... even when I'm alone, I can't help but eat fast. A nice time though, to hear about some of what God is doing there. I have noticed that I'm more skeptical as I've gotten older but the miracles happening there are undeniable. It's great to see the faith that is produced from such a move of the Holy Spirit. I am anxious to see what else God has in store. Then we headed home to put Jonas and Evan down for a nap. After nap time, we pretty much just played outside. It was a beautiful day. I love spring and summer, especially when it is as mild as it was today. I am really enjoying my boys and spent a lot of today just feeling blessed. I love being a mom. I'm glad to have my husband home. A good day.

Booboos and Watermelon

2008-05-24T22:06:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful day! With the temperature nearing 90, it definitely seems summer is right around the corner. Last night Micah spent the night with his aunt and uncle. Unusual, I know. My brother and sister are 10 and almost 9. Micah and Evan adore them and they are amazing kids. Hopefully their relationship stays as close....they are a great influence on my boys. Anyway, we had gone over there to swim yesterday and he wanted to stay the night. I always miss the boys when they're gone, especially when I go to bed and look in their empty room. But it was amazingly quiet without Micah around last night....he is definitely my loud child (which my mom says he gets from me!?!?!). So, this morning Daniel had planned on working in the yard before it got too hot. He and Evan headed to Lowes while I stayed home with Jonas. We were rocking on the front porch when they got back. Daniel got out of the car and started unloading the mulch. Evan was getting out and we heard a thud. Evan tripped trying to get out of the car and landed on his face. It was so loud. My heart stopped. He screamed. Daniel grabbed him. Sadness. Tears. Here is his face. Pitiful!

He was so tough though. He cried for just a moment and then was just fine as Daniel cleaned off the booboos. Needless to say, our day had a dramatic start.

As Daniel worked in the heat making our yard beautiful, I realized just what he (I) needed. Watermelon. It just happens to be my favorite food (right up there with ice cream). I wait eagerly all year for this season. Watermelon is absolutely my favorite part of summer. The one downfall is that it is such a gamble and I have not perfected the art of picking out a watermelon. I thump but not sure what I'm listening for. And there are few things more disappointing to

me than to cut into a grainy, too ripe watermelon. This one, however, was perfect. Yippee!

After some much needed naps, we went out to Little Rosie's. Then to Dick's and Target. I have been wanting a bike since we live so close to the Greenway. Daniel has one that Evan sits on the back of and Micah loves his bike. We found one I like at Target, which just means I like the color. Now I am a bike owner. It has been so long since I've ridden one. I hope the saying is true.....it's just like riding a bike. Now, if we can just get Jonas rigged on somehow. (j/k!)

So, that was our Saturday. Some good family time.

Practice Makes Perfect

2008-05-23T09:45:00.000-05:00

Micah Riley, age 5

My first blog. Right now it's kind of a secret thing... practice posting for a while. I am completely challenged and intimidated by the thought of a 'blog'. I'm not a writer nor am I creative. But this is my attempt. I have to admit, my life isn't even very interesting. Therefore, I'll try to exaggerate a bit (which I am pretty good at, by the way). Seeing as I have three boys, under the age of 5, it does get a bit crazy around here.... so this begins a glimpse into my life.

Welcome.

Evan James, almost 3

I have had numerous attempts at keeping a journal to keep up with my spiritual walk, my precious boys and their growing up, and just daily activities. My memory, if you will, for when my own isn't working so well. Somehow, it seems like it would be easier to do it online, for all the world to see. I guess it's the accountability. I'll pretend I have a huge audience of readers that rely on my posting to finish off or begin their day. So, we'll see. Hope to not let you down, oh audience of mine.

Jonas Luke, 6 weeks

My Three Sons