I am still alive!!!

WOW. I can’t believe that it has been so long since my last post! I check everyone else’s journals ever day, so I forget to update my own, I guess! Either that or time just flies when you are having fun! That could be it too!

So, since you all seem to love it so much…here is my post in the style of Missy:

Scott
He is doing just fine! Since he works in sales – and sales of something that people don’t “need” when times get tough, things have slowed down some for him. We have seen it reflect somewhat in his paychecks, but we are hanging in there! It isn’t bad yet….so hopefully he will continue to do okay. He is still one of the top salesmen in his division, so I guess that is a good sign. And he still seems to really like what he does – especially the flexibility of it! I enjoy it so much because he is such a big help around the house. I know, I know…I am very spoiled by him! He still does all of the grocery shopping, all of the mopping, all of the yard work…we split the laundry pretty evenly now. He is just such a good house-husband since he has more time at home then I do. In other news with him, he is enjoying helping with the coaching of Isaac’s baseball team, playing softball on Friday nights and getting ready to help coach Isaac’s football team! So, needless to say, he keeps busy! We don’t see a lot of each other, but that will change…one day!

Isaac
He is doing great! I think he misses his friends from school. He gets out his yearbook frequently and looks at his class picture. He has been reading a lot this summer and doing great with that. He spends a lot of his time working on “projects” – which means lots of paper, crayons, glue, tape, etc. He and his sisters could sit for hours and create things. He also really has enjoyed the Wii! I probably didn’t share this cuz it has been so long – but his report card from 1st Grade was just awesome! He was above the grade-level expectation in most things – and the things he wasn’t were like music (hello?), art and gym. So, in reading, math, writing, etc. he was above the grade level. We were so proud of him! We bought him a new game for the Wii – Mariokart and let me tell you, that is a very fun game! We have all enjoyed playing that when we get the chance!

He is doing good in baseball! The first few games he struck out a few times, but since then he does great with hitting. Now, if we could just get him to stop watching the ball when he should be running, that would be great! He also needs to work on his fielding some…but their team is great and they all seem to really have a great time!

We signed him up for a Sports-Fun-Camp this week and so far he really likes it. They just play games all day long…so he was one tired pup last night and I am sure he will be tonight too! But we wanted to give him something to keep him busy in the summer. He will have football camp in a few weeks – the same week as Camp Extreme. So, he will be tired that week too! But then football practice starts like a week or two after that….so then he will really be worn out! We are very excited about his football coach this year – it is a guy that Scott went to school with and they are a very strong Christian family. He was actually a high school football coach in Georgia but then came back to join their family landscaping business. We practiced in the field next to them last year and we were always impressed with them – so that is very exciting! There is another kid on their team who is taller than Isaac – so between the two of them in the line – they will do a great job of clogging up the middle!

So…Isaac is doing great! Just keeping us moving!

Faith Anne
My little princess is turning 4 in less than two weeks. Is that hard to believe, or what?!?!? I can’t believe it! In so many ways, it seems like just yesterday that she was born – but in others…not so much! We are having a Hannah Montana party for her! She is very excited about that! We are also taking a few girls to Sweet-and-Sassy to get their hair done and their fingers and toes painted. That ought to be a trip!!! She is such a girlie-girl! I know that she will love all that girlie stuff! She is constantly asking me if she is beautiful and I, of course, assure her that she is! I need to work more with her on being beautiful inside too….she does have a temper with her brother and sister!

She is still terrified of dogs – so it doesn’t look like we will be getting one when she turns 4. I am really fine with that, because that would just be one more thing for me to clean up after, but I know that Isaac is disappointed. But she is truly terrified of them, so I can’t justify making her miserable!

She is so smart and should have no problem starting Kindergarten next fall. Her preschool teacher just raved at how far she had come in her first year of preschool. So, hopefully she does just as well this year! Do I sound like an annoying mother who brags about her kids? Well…I am! LOL I think we all are!

So, Faith Anne is doing fine and is becoming my “big girl” more and more every day!

Gracie
Where do I begin with Gracie? Well, some of you have heard this story – so if you have, I apologize. But for those that haven’t…you might have thought that you have been in the running for World’s Worst Mother a time or two with your kids? Never fear! I have that award all locked up!!! A few Friday’s ago, Scott had been doing yard work and the girls were outside playing. I was on the patio watching them. Well, Scott went inside to take a shower and the girls were on the patio with me – playing. Well, I must’ve dozed off and next thing I know, Faith Anne is asking me where Gracie is? I jumped up and looked in the back part of the yard and didn’t see her…so I ran out the front gate – which was open! I ran out front and didn’t see her….and since it had only been a split second and I didn’t really look in the back yard very well, I ran back to the back yard and looked in the two little houses we have out there. I then noticed that the back gate was opened too. So, I ran out that gate yelling for her and looking for her….Faith Anne is following me the whole time…also yelling. So, we ask an old man if he had seen her and he said no, so we ran back to our yard and I ran inside. Isaac was playing the Wii and I asked him if he had seen Gracie – he said no. I told him to go tell his Daddy to get out of the shower because I can’t find Gracie and I ran out the front door and up and down the street looking for her. Nothing. So I ran back to the back yard. No Gracie. I ran back out front and was crying (duh) and Scott finally came out and he starts yelling at me. I told him to shut up and just help me find her (we were both a little freaked out) and he ran one way down the street with Isaac and Faithy and I ran the other. I turned around and came back to our house with every intention of banging on all the neighbor’s doors to ask for their help. About that time, Gracie comes walking towards me! We have a path across the street from our house that leads to the school and the ball fields…we use it a lot. Well, at the end of the path, the first thing you encounter is a big parking lot. She had opened the gate to the back yard….walked all the way up the side of our house, through the front-yard, ACROSS THE STREET, up the path and into that parking lot! When I saw her, she was on her way back to me. I didn’t know whether to hug her or strangle her! Of course I picked her up and HUGGED HER…but then Scott had to take her from me because I was HYSTERICAL by this point and was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. So….yep…Worst Mother of the Year Award goes to….ME!

Other than that (lol), Gracie is good! I can’t believe that she is almost 21 months old! She is very ornery and has her own unique personality from the other two. Scott and I maintain…and you might think we are joking, but I assure you we are not, that had she been our first, she would have been an only! Life with Gracie is never boring, that much is for sure!!! I love her to pieces, but she sure brings a whole new dimension to ourlives!

Me
I am doing pretty good. I am at a bit of a plateau with my weight loss – stuck at 60 pounds. I am hoping to get past that tomorrow at my weigh-in. I spent part of this past weekend fasting. It really is a good thing for me to do – both physically and mentally. Physically – obviously it cleans some of the toxins out of your system – but mentally it is good for my spiritual well-being. I think I got pretty comfortable with a 60 pound weight loss and started to feel a bit prideful of it. I needed to re-focus and remember that I didn’t do that by myself. God has been with me every step of the way. If I lose sight of that, I will probably put it all back on! So, I am feeling better about the way things are going there. I still have a long way to go, but I do feel so much better being 60 pounds lighter…and buying smaller clothes!

Work is….well, work. Changes are on the horizon….but I don’t want to go into all of that right now. It will be an interesting…and probably stressful…few months! But…what’s new?!?!?

Kelli and I leave for our vacation next week! We fly out Thursday morning and return on Monday night. We are going to Ft. Meyers, Sanibel Island! I cannot wait…and I cannot be more excited about it! We have both worked so hard to lose weight before this trip…..I know that we are going to enjoy feeling better about ourselves and just enjoying a care-free vacation! We plan on visiting a different beach every day that we are there and just enjoying the freedom to pick up and go whenever we want to! So, I will have to share some pictures of that! We are planning on taking a day-cruise to Key-West one day….that should be exciting! That is my birthday present…and my Christmas…probably this year and next! We actually got a great deal - $500 for the air-fare, the room for 4 nights and a rental car (per person). I thought that was a great deal!

Umm… I guess that is about it for me! I know this is a long post, so hopefully you made it this far! I have been REALLY bad at leaving comments lately…so I am sorry for that! But I do read every day and most importantly, I do pray for my Journal Goddesses!

Love you all!!!!