Catching up...

So it's been since October that I last posted...sorry. Things at our house have been busy and didn't leave much time for blogging. Actually there wasn't much to blog about. It seems like the past two months have been stressful and like our entire family has been in survival mode. I don't know how we get there, or if anyone else feels this way, but sometimes life seems to turn into survival instead of enjoyment. Get up, get ready, take the kids to the sitters, go to work, pick up the kids from the sitters, come home, cook supper, do dishes, give baths, read stories, put kids to bed, pick up the house, go to bed. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the routines of everyday life, that often times I forget that life is supposed to be enjoyable. I forget to "stop and smell the roses" if you will.

One of my New Years Resolutions this year is to do a better job enjoying life. I don't want to look back on this time in my life and have any regrets...I want to have fun, not take life too seriously, and make sure all of my family and friends know how much I love and care for them. I am extremely blessed with wonderful people all around me - I'm not sure what I would do without them. I want to be a more positive person- trying to remind myself to always see the glass as half- full instead of half-empty with streaks on the glass and a chip at the top. I know this won't be easy- isn't it always easier to see the flaws than the blessings of others?

I have greatly enjoyed my Christmas break from school. The girls are at such fun ages- we have had a blast! In fact I am not looking forward to going back to school on Monday...(more on that topic coming soon). This break has made me wish I could spend more time at home with them, but since there are bills to pay, I have decided that I must enjoy and cherish every moment that I am with them.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Hopefully I will do better posting more often!

Since it's been so long since I posted, here are a few pics that were taken since Hallween- just to catch you up.

This was taken in Pigeon Forge, TN. Jamie and I went with some other couples from our church at the beginning of November and had a BLAST! So beautiful!

Karlie's idea of keeping warm and still looking good!

I know this is blurry, but it's my only picture of the girls in our first snow this winter. This was a present for my birthday- it fell on Dec. 11th and we got a snow day from school on the 12th!

Posing in front of the tree...Karlie kept checking out her big sis to see how she was supposed to pose. It was hilarious to watch her imitate Kinsley.

Karlie's favorite present of all- CHAPSTICK and lip gloss! We have to hide it from her on a daily basis.

Kinsley rockin' out to her Hannah Montana guitar...Karlie got one too. We are at Jamie's dad's house...do you think he likes UT?

Kinsley's first cake in her Easy Bake Oven.

Part of Kinsley's gift from us was redecorating her bedroom. We painted and got new bedding. Decorations are still in the works.

I have been feeling kind of crafty lately...so my latest project involved paint, ribbon, and Kinsley's boring white lamp shade. I think I'll keep my day job.

Whose idea was this anyway?

As we raise the girls, Jamie and I realize on almost a daily basis that life is not always like we envision it to be. When you think of Halloween as a parent, you think of dressing your children up in costumes, going trick-or-treating, and getting lots of candy, all while everyone is excited and has smiles on their faces. Maybe that is reality for some, but this year at our house- it was quite the opposite.

At the beginning of October I began looking online for costume ideas for the girls. While skimming EBAY I ran across a JoJo and a Goliath costume (from Disney's JoJo's Circus show). I thought "What a fabulous idea! Kinsley can be JoJo and Karlie can be her pet lion Goliath!" I was even more excited when I got both costumes for less than $20 each. They arrived a few days later in the mail. Kinsley was so excited- she tried hers on immediately and LOVED it. I pulled Karlie's costume out of the box and she immediately said "No". I thought she was just being difficult so I told her to come and try it on. With the costume halfway on, I realized she wasn't just being difficult- she was TERRIFIED. She was so scared, in fact, that she wouldn't quit crying until I put it back in the box and hid it in my closet.

That's fine, I thought, we can find another costume before Halloween. So I tried...a frog? No-still scared...a cheerleader? No...A bumblebee? Nope. She was not going to put ANYTHING on.

So I asked "Karlie, what are you going to be for Halloween this year?"

Her reply - "Nuffin" (nothing).

"But if you don't dress up then you won't get any candy." (This will get her....)

"So". And with that, she walked away.

So Jamie agreed to keep Karlie at home while Kinsley and I went Trick-or-Treating with my mom, Kari, and her kids. When we got to Kari's, Kinsley began by noticing Tyler (a vampire) right off - she was so scared of him, she wouldn't get near him all night. Granted his costume was really good, but she knew it was just him. She was scared anyway.

So we began the walk around the neighborhood with Kinsley holding my hand so tightly she nearly drew blood. We walked up to the first house slowly, held out the bucket, and then after the candy was dropped in, I told Kinsley to say "Thank you" and it went downhill from there. She started crying and refused to go up to any more houses. My mom tried, I tried, Kari tried, and even Emily Klair tried but Kinsley wouldn't go. She loosened up just a little at the end but I think total she went to 3 houses during the hour that we walked. Exhausted and frustrated, we were ready to go home.

So in my mind I am thinking- she'll never want to do that again. Halloween from now on will be just another day around our house. Karlie won't wear a costume and Kinsley won't trick-or-treat. Not exactly what you have in mind when you think of Halloween as a parent.

So I load Kinsley into the car to go home. I get in, and as I am backing out of the driveway I hear these words from the backseat....

"Mom, that was SO much fun! I can't wait to do it again next year!"

I am still trying to figure it out. But for now I will leave you with some pictures.

JoJo (Pre- trick-or-treating)

Minnie Mouse and the scary Vampire

Karlie Turns 2!

On Oct. 11th Karlie celebrated her 2nd birthday! She is quite the little character, and I am not sure what exactly to expect with her as a 2 year old, but for now I know that she keeps us laughing on a daily basis. She has a very large vocabulary for her age, in fact there isn't much that she can't say (or sing). She repeats everything she hears and right now some of her favorite things to do is cheer for the LC Panthers (G-O- Go Panthers! Go Pax! Go Defense!) and sing "Best of Both Worlds" from Hannah Montana. Surprisingly, you can actually tell what she is saying and she has the tune right...its a sight to see (and hear).



She has a very distinct little personality and is overall very different from her sister- so the Sister vs. Sister fights have already begun, although I have to admit that most of the time they get along GREAT and play very well together. I am sure that we will have lots of great stories to post throughout her Terrific/Terrible Twos. For now I will leave you with some pictures from her parties (yes, all 4 of them!) (The picture above was taken at Mama Jane's with Uncle Marty, Aunt Debbie, and Pax)

At Granny and Pa's house when we got home from the beach!

At Meme and Papaw's house.

At home with Grandpa and Paula!

A much needed vacation

Last week we went to the beach for a week of our Fall Break. We went to Gulf Shores and had an absolute BLAST! It was great to spend some quality time together as a family without the craziness of everyday life. We relaxed completely on the beach everyday. No one had any type of schedule to follow- except Karlie who always let me know when it was time to go to the room for her nap, and would tell me at night when she was ready to go to bed!

Kinsley was traumatized by an episode where her daddy let the elevator door close with her in there all by herself ( I keep reminding him that I never would have let that happen.) He also let her ride on the rolling cart that carries your luggage on the night before we left. He was loading the car and let her play on the cart- the next thing he knows he hears her screaming DADDY HELP! He looks and the cart is rolling down the parking lot (with her on it) right toward a brand new Expedition. (Again, a mother would have paid more attention! he he) The really sad part is that he was more worried about putting a dent in the vehicle than Kinsley getting hurt. It ended fine as the cart took a turn to the left just before hitting it. Kinsley has decided she will stick close to mom from now on.

The girls loved the beach. They enjoyed playing in the sand, looking for sand crabs at night, and eventually warmed up to getting in the ocean and jumping the waves.

One of the highlights of the trip was going out for ice cream every night. (yes the diet starts tomorrow).

I feel much relaxed and rejuvenated after our trip. I am also glad that I still have one week left to get things done at home before I have to go back to school.

Here are just a few pics from our trip!

It's that time again...

Football season! Jamie absolutely LOVES this time of year, which means that football is the only thing that will be allowed on our TV for the next 3-4 months (unless I start watching Disney Channel with the girls- I think I'll pass on both!) The fighting has already started- Kinsley v. Jamie...who gets the living room TV, and who has to go into our bedroom to watch the small one in there? It will be interesting. I try to remain neutral as much as possible.

Today the Big Orange will begin their season and Jamie is so excited he can't stand himself! He decided this morning that we all needed to wear something to support the Vols today. He says it is a new tradition around the Spears' house for the first game...(Oh goodie!) Don't get me wrong, I will probably enjoy tonight's game as much as he does, but I can't act like it or he will expect me to watch every single football game for the next few months and pretend to like them. So, I figure that if I act disinterested from the beginning, then I am released from any obligation to watch for the remainder of the season.

So we have planned our entire Labor Day around the big game at 7pm. Can't you feel the excitement as I post? HA HA! Well, like it or not, here it comes! Best of luck to you and your favorite team! And for all of you wives out there who will be single mothers for the next few months because of football- I'm right there with ya! Give me a call.

Anything but the Shoes

It's been a problem around our house for awhile now...every time we get ready to go somewhere Kinsley can always find only one of the shoes she wants to wear. So, Jamie and I go into her bedroom (in her tiny closet) and try to dig through the ankle deep pile of shoes to help her find the match. Jamie had finally had enough. He went to Wal Mart and bought a shoe organizer.

He brought it home, and we had an organizing party...we laid every shoe out on her bed and tried to make sure each one had a match by the time we found the bottom of her closet. I had no idea how many shoes there actually were....so I decided to count them! Are you ready? That kid had 30 pairs of shoes stuffed in her closet floor. No wonder it was such a mess.

I know what you are thinking- why in the world does a 4 year old need 30 pairs of shoes? Well, she doesn't NEED them but she LOVES them. Anytime she gets to go shopping she always has to look in the shoe department first, if she gets to go to the store to buy something-its always shoes, and for her May birthday every year FLIP FLOPS is the number one gift she wishes for the most. Yes, she is a true shoe lover at heart.

In fact, a few weeks ago she was shopping with Grandpa and Paula at WalMart. They had let her pick out a few things (the first 2 of which were shoes) . She saw something else that she really wanted so Paula told her that if she wanted that she would have to put something else back.

Her reply..."ANYTHING but the shoes- NOT the shoes."

(There are still a few pair in her floor...)

Ask and you shall receive...

We live in Williamsport, Jamie works in Lawrenceburg, and I work in Centerville. With the constant rise of gas prices, we began wondering if it were really necessary to be a part of 3 counties all at once and spend approximately $700 in gas each month. So, we started looking at and discussing our options.



I applied in Maury County back in the Spring, hoping to get a position closer to home, but not making a big deal out of it, because other than the drive I was completely happy where I was. The days and weeks went by and no phone calls...then I had a few interviews but still no offers...so as time got closer to the start of school, I decided it wasn't meant for me to move- I just needed to stay put.

I decided this on Saturday while we were at the Tennessee River. When we got home Sunday, there was a message for another interview...by this point I had decided that my interview skills must stink because I hadn't been offered anything- so it was hard to get excited about another interview. So, Sunday night as I lay in bed, I prayed...I told God that I was very confused about what I was supposed to do...stay put? Try harder for Maury County? Move to Lawrenceburg to get closer to Jamie's job and try to get in their school system? It was a topic that was weighing heavily on my mind. So I prayed "God, I have no idea what you want me to do...I need to know your plan for me. I'm not really good at reading into things, so please just lay it right out and show it to me...make it so that I know exactly what I am supposed to do." And with that, I went to sleep.

Monday morning around 11:00am, Maury County schools called to offer me a position from one of the interviews that I had done about 3 weeks prior. When I had interviewed, it was for a Kindergarten position (which many of you know is not good news). My favorite is 2nd grade where I have been for 5 years. When they offered me the position, it wasn't Kindergarten- it was 1st grade (I like to think we met in the middle). There is no other way to describe how these events unfolded rather than it was the answer to my prayer....talk about powerful!

This whole experience just reinforced to me that God really is there. He really does hear our every need. Don't ask for things if you don't believe God will/can grant them. He lays it out plain and simple for us..."Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matt. 7:7,8)

Fishing

Sunday night Jamie's cousin Paxson preached so we went down for church. After church we went to Grandpa's house and went fishing in the pond. Kinsley was DYING to fish, but quickly decided that the turkey livers daddy bought were not near as fun as worms. She told Jamie to throw it in the water and "let me know if that bobber thing goes under." She then went off to play and throw rocks in the pond. Jamie caught two, but all the rest of us caught were mosquito bites. Oh well- we still had fun.

Here are some pictures I took....

Trying out the "feel" of the livers...

Throwing rocks in the pond...

One of the 2 catches (not to count the turtle he caught)

Cheese!

Kinsley, Alina, and Pax

Crazy Eight

So, Stephanie tagged me and I have nothing else interesting to write about so I'll give it a try....

Crazy Eights...

Eight things I'm passionate about:

*God- trying everyday to get closer to Him

*Jamie- fell in love with him in high school and things haven't changed since. Sure we get into the rut of everyday life, but I love him more each and every day.

*The girls- I love watching them grow and develop into sweet little girls

* All of my family- family plays a HUGE role in our lives. I can't imagine not having all of them

* Friends- who can make it without these?

*My job- absolutely LOVE my job. I couldn't have picked a better profession.

*Reading- When I can find time, I love to get lost in a mystery/romance novel.

* Summertime- refreshing and allows me to spend everyday with my girls.


Eight things I would like to do before I die:

*Sky dive- no really I would LOVE to do this ( I guess this is my version of a tattoo since I already did that- trust me, don't do it!)

* Watch the girls grow up and have families of their own

* Read the Bible several times (and understand it)

* Go on a mission trip

* Go on an exotic vacation (Hawaii, Jamaica,etc.) just me and Jamie

* Travel to many places in the US (Grand Canyon, Washington DC, New York)

* Re-learn to play the piano

* Run a marathon

Eight things I say all the time...

* I will start my diet tomorrow

* What part of "no" do you not understand?

*Karlie, no no

* Kinsley why are you crying THIS time? (Drama Queen)

* I love you to the moon and back (me and Kinsley)

* Sure we can watch Hannah Montana AGAIN...

* Skank (don't even ask)

* I'm hungry

Eight Books I have read recently

*Bulls Island
* Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
*Baby Proof
*Something Blue
* Hissy Fit
* Savannah Blues
*Savannah Breeze
* A Walk to Remember



Eight movies I have seen eight times

* Grease (still LOVE it)
*Steel Magnolias (cry every time)
* Beaches (ditto)
* Lion King
* Aladdin
* Hannah Montana (Kinsley LOVES these- I can quote them)
*Dora the Explorer (Dance to the Rescue, again I know every word and every song!)
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (save Santa- it is Christmas year round)

Eight blogger (or blog readers) friends I tag....

*Kari
* Elizabeth Miller
* Mom or Dad
* Parks
* Kara
* Peggy
* Sara D.
*Sandy


Tag..You're it....

Just an update

Well, Jamie woke up Sunday morning with no pain or irritation. We went back to Dr. Selkin (at 7:15 in the morning!) and Jamie now has 20/20 vision. Today he says it was the best decision he's ever made. So, I guess that means we can turn the lights back on around the house and open the blinds! Ha!

I think I'll stick with my contacts.

Cool Shades

Jamie is so hot...he has to wear shades! Ha Ha! No, actually this morning he went to the Selkin Laser Center and had Lasik eye surgery performed. I had class, so he took his grandmother with him (probably a good thing). For the first 4 hours after surgery I think he was questioning his decision due to the burning, watery eyes, and itching that would not stop (again, good thing I was still at school). However as the night goes on things seem to be progressing in a more positive direction. He says it will be worth all of it as soon as the discomfort goes away because he can see perfectly (when he can open his eyes). He keeps proving this to me by trying to read small print on the TV, reading the alarm clock in the bedroom from the living room, etc. (OK, I get the point- but I am just fine with my contacts, thank you very much). Really I am proud of him for doing it. Supposedly by tomorrow all of the pain and discomfort should be gone. We go back in the morning for his checkup...we will see how things are tomorrow. For tonight, I guess we will continue sitting in the dark (literally).

Summertime Fun

Here is a picture of one of my most favorite parts of summertime...

picnics outside for lunch!

The girls and I have enjoyed being outside, playing, swinging, riding the Barbie jeep, riding bikes, and lots of other stuff. But the thing we look forward to the most is having a picnic outside every day.



I love summertime and getting to be home with the girls. I feel like they are growing up so fast, and I know that I will always cherish these times .

Grand Ole Opry

Jamie and I went on a little date on Tuesday of this week. We went up to the Grand Ole Opry. We enjoyed an outdoor concert in the Opry Plaza by Luke Bryan ("All my friends say...") He played for over an hour. I have to say he is becoming a new favorite of mine. After the concert we went inside to see Carrie Underwood, Montgomery Gentry, the Oak Ridge Boys, and more Luke Bryan. GAC taped the show and it will air Satuday, June 7th at 7pm. It was a really good show. I tried to take several pictures but the lighting was crazy so they are kind of blurry (or maybe it was the photographer)...but you can at least tell who it is. We had a great time- it was the kickoff of the CMA Music Festival which is going on through this weekend. Here are some pics...

Luke Bryan

Carrie Underwood

Montgomery Gentry

more Luke Bryan

Kinsley is 4!

Kinsley celebrated her birthday on the 14th of this month. She reminds me on a daily basis of all the things she can do by herself now that she's 4. She really feels like she is grown up now. I can't believe how quickly these four years have gone by. She is starting to come out of her shell a little bit, but she still has her moments...on May 15th we went to her Dayschool program and she cried the whole time she was on stage. Oh well! I got it all on camera and one day it will show up and embarrass her to death.

She is taking gymnastics once a week and is doing great at that. She isn't shy at all! She looks forward to going and loves her teacher. She has learned a lot in just the past 2 months.

Her favorite gifts included anything with Hannah Montana or High School Musical on it.




Here are some pictures from the school program. Note- this is after all the tears on stage.

Enjoying Life

Things around our house have actually been pretty calm lately. Everything is moving smoothly, no major drama- we're pretty much just floating through life enjoying every minute of it.

Jamie and I love to sit back and just watch as the girls interact and play with each other. Karlie is in the part of her life where she is very observant and tries to imitate everything she hears and sees- very funny at times. Supper time has turned into one of my favorite times. Kinsley enjoys saying the prayer before our meal and is echoed by "jabba jabba da da AMEN" by Karlie.

I try to cherish every moment because I know this is the calm before the storm. May is one of the busiest months of our entire year. We have Jamie and Kinsley's birthday, our anniversary, Kinsley's school program, and I have graduate classes every weekend. I am looking forward to being out of school to be home with the girls this summer. I always enjoy getting to just be a mom (as if that isn't a big enough job) and take a break from being a teacher, student, and mom.

So, I will do my best to add new pictures and post about everything going on, but if you keep checking and still find this post...don't give up on me....just check back in June. Ha Ha!

Happy Easter!

The Spears Family enjoyed a wonderful Easter this year. Both girls have enjoyed hunting eggs and eating as much candy as they can possibly get in their mouths...(Kinsley is paying for that tonight - she has been sick to her stomach). Guess that is a lesson that you learn quickly as a child.

We hunted eggs on Saturday at church. It went much better than last year when Kinsley was so afraid of the Easter bunny that she wouldn't hunt any eggs. Don't get me wrong...we still DID NOT get close to the bunny, but we at least got down and hunted eggs. Karlie didn't seem to understand why she was putting eggs in her bucket, but she quickly learned that when she saw a colored egg, she was supposed to bend down, pick it up, and throw it in her bucket.

We had Easter dinner at my parents' house and also had an egg hunt there. Karlie didn't need any directions this time. :) It was a good day- all the grandkids enjoyed flying a kite and playing outside. It was pretty cool outside, but they didn't seem to mind.

We were thankful to have another holiday where we were all blessed with good health. We had a scare on Saturday when Tyler (my nephew) was mauled by a huge Alaskan Huskie. He was rushed to the ER and it took 15 staples to close up the wounds in his head. He is such a brave kid. We are all thankful that he is okay.

The Snow is Here...so why the disappointment?

It finally came! The biggest snow of the season. It started snowing at our house around 7:30 Friday night and kept snowing off and on until around 8:30 Saturday morning. All in all we ended up with about 3-4 inches. It was beautiful! We all woke up excited and couldn't wait to get outside- to FINALLY build a snowman.

It took about 15 minutes to get eveyone bundled up in their layers. We stepped outside and within 5 mintues the whining and crying began...Kinsley was cold, Karlie didn't want her gloves on- but then her hands were too cold- so either way she was upset. Plus, the snow was so deep Karlie couldn't walk in it without falling down. So, the crying got worse. I think 7 minutes was the extent of our outside time before we all headed back in.

So, I think I was the most disappointed of all- the Yankie in me wanted to stay outside and build a big snowman- complete with scarf, eyes, stick arms, and a rock mouth. But, instead, I had to come back in the house where the "southern girls" were happier. Maybe when they get older they will learn to appreciate a big southern snow that doesn't come very often.

Jamie had decided not to play in the alumni tournament. "I'd rather stay home and play with my girls in the snow" I think were his exact words. By 2:30 we were at the gym ready for a good old basketball game with Jamie and about 7 of his buddies. They ended up having to play 5 games in a row because they kept winning. By 9:00 last night they were completely worn out and proving that "the mares aren't near what they used to be". Their basketball skills were still there- it was the cramps, heavy breathing, exhaustion, and dehydration that pretty much affected the entire team right in time for the championship game. So, they got killed. But still came home with a trophy for Runners-Up. It was a lot of fun watching all of them play together again...brought back some high school memories for me. I am already looking forward to the tournament next year.

Waiting for the Snow...

They say it is coming...the biggest snow of the season. I am excited, but skeptic...haven't we heard this before this year? As a teacher, I am sure that they have called for snow that we never got. So I was prepared to go to school and try to tame the wild beasts (the threat of snow does strange things to kids- ask any teacher). However as I was walking out the door, I got the phone call that we are out of school for the day. So as I sit here looking out the window and I see nothing- not even rain at this point- I'm wondering why school was closed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Just a little perplexed. Kinsley has been dying to build a snowman all winter and has been disappointed every time. Maybe this time she will get her wish. Until then, we'll just keep waiting, watching, and enjoying a long weekend at home together.

By the way, if you haven't heard, they are doing an Alumni basketball tournament Saturday in Columbia. Jamie and some of his CA basketball buddies are going to be playing. Should be fun to watch because if they are all like him...."The Old Gray Mare ain't what he used to be!" Ha Ha! He will love me for that one!

Finally a New Post!

Don't you just hate when you keep checking someone's blog and you see the exact same picture or exact same post day after day, week after week? Me, too. So , I figured I need to write SOMETHING- even if nothing wonderful or horrible have happened and life has just been moving along quite steadily.

So, what have we been up to? A little bit of nothing but a whole lot of everything. Somehow our lives seem to keep getting busier even though we keep promising to slow down.

Karlie is in the process of leaving the baby phase and turning into a little toddler. She is very verbal and will say just about anything you ask her to say (but only if SHE wants to say it). I have always heard about siblings who are very different but I never realized just how different they could actually be until Karlie came along. She is not shy and reserved like Kinsley. She is rough and tough, and if you make her mad she comes at you. In fact, her big sister is already scared of her! Ha Ha! Ages 3 1/2 and 1 and we already have some pretty interesting fights!

Speaking of Kinsley, she was struck with the flu a week ago. Luckily her pediatrician gave the entire family Tamiflu to help keep us from getting sick from her. Apparently it worked because the rest of us made it through our five days without any problem. She was pretty pitiful, but has made a full recovery. I think those were the longest five days of our life because the doctor advised us not to go anywhere because we might be contagious...so the Spears family spent 5 whole days(Wed-Sun) at home and didn't go anywhere. By Monday we were about to go completely out of our minds!

So, we took Karlie to get her 1 year old pictures made (yes she is already 16 months old- don't remind me). The proofs turned out pretty good, even though Karlie was in her "I don't care what you do, you can't make me smile" mood. Ah! Finally one thing my children both have in common- being hardheaded when trying to get pictures made. Now isn't that quality that parents just love for their children to have?

Jamie has been very busy at work. He has had to give a few presentations and for those of you who know him, that is completely out of his comfort zone. However he came through both of them successfully and I think he has actually increased his confidence a little. He has also been working very hard at getting in shape and losing weight. He does a much better job than I do of running or working out on a daily basis. He has lost about 7 pounds so far. (Yes I am jealous!)

I have been a little overwhelmed this semester with my Masters classes. We have 2 of our hardest classes at the same time- School Law and Organization of Public Schools. We've had lots of papers and interviews, and busy work- plus the professors decided to start giving us tests this semester. So, between work, school, and trying to keep our family taken care of, that has left me very little time (or energy) to workout.

Other than all of that, not much has been going on with our family. We are just trying to fight the pattern of getting so involved in daily life that we forget to stop and smell the roses. Does life ever slow down? Every year it seems to go by faster.

New Years Resolutions...

We survived the holidays. After our 5 days of celebrating Christmas, Jamie and I took off to San Antonio, Texas with some friends of ours for a long weekend getaway. The girls stayed with some family while we were gone, and I'm not really sure who enjoyed the weekend more- us or them.

It was Jamie's first time to fly. The bad part- one of the people traveling with us is a flight attendant. So, shortly after boarding the plane in Nashville, she made sure to let the crew know that he was a first timer. They suddenly became enthralled with him. He became known as "Precious" and was given a sack full of peanuts, a bag of wings, a certificate for being a first time flyer, a coloring book, a pen, and probably more junk (I mean- stuff) that I am forgetting. Needless to say, they made sure that he had a good flight. (Poor Kinsley has flown twice and never gotten a thing! Maybe she seemed a little more brave than her daddy! Ha Ha!)

Anyway, we had a great time. San Antonio is such a neat little city and we hope to have the opportunity to go back again. We got to see the Alamo, visit the Trade Square Market, enjoy the restaurants and shops along the Riverwalk, and even get a boat ride tour and history of the Riverwalk (which is BEAUTIFUL). Just our luck, as we climbed on the boat and got ready to take pictures of the beautiful scenery, the battery in our camera died...so we will have to get those pictures from the people we were with.

When we got home, Kinsley was having such a good time that she wasn't ready to come home to mom and dad. At first my feelings were hurt, but when I realized that this meant she has really come a long way and has started to come out of her shell a little, I decided to be happy instead. Even though we had a good trip, we were glad to be home. We didn't get much time to relax before it was time for everyone to go back to work/school. Somehow, though, it felt good to get back into a routine.

Karlie is still recovering from her vacation away from us- she wants to be rocked to sleep every night instead of just being laid down (like she has done since she was about 7 months old). Kinsley still thinks she can do whatever she wants and doesn't understand why mom and dad are so mean. But other than a few adjustments, we have all survived another holiday season, and are looking forward what 2008 will bring us.

We have made a few resolutions as a family...
1. I hope to read books to the girls every night before they go to bed.
2. Kinsley has started keeping all of us in line at mealtime...she makes sure no one eats, salts their food, or does anything until SHE says the prayer. (She enjoys this job so much, that when we read books, instead of saying "The End" she says "Amen!"
3. Karlie is attached to her passy about like a smoker is their cigarettes, so we are all hoping to soon find a way to get rid of it without too much drama. She likes to hide it so we usually spend a great deal of our time searching for the crazy thing when she wants it.
4. Jamie says that he wants us to spend more quality time together as a family...even said that he will give up watching so many sports on TV to spend time with us. (Funny- he said this to me as he was watching a football playoff game on TV.) We'll see how that goes......

Whew! Is it over yet?

As many of you know, our Christmas is not one that lasts only a day or two...no it is nearly an entire week of family, presents, and food. This year our celebrations began on Friday and went through Tuesday. We spent any spare time (which wasn't much) at home cleaning out the old toys to make room for the new ones. We did manage to be home Christmas Eve in order for Santa to find the girls and deliver their goodies to them. Kinsley had begged for a Barbie Jeep and good ole Santa came through and delivered one. The first thing she did was run straight into a tree in the yard. Poor Karlie doesn't know any better and hops right in for the ride. I'm surprised she doesn't have a bad case of whiplash from all of the times Kinsley has pushed on the gas then let off, then pushed, then let off....Maybe she will eventually learn.

Karlie got a bounce and spin zebra which she loves. She loves to climb on things and she also loves to stand and jump in her crib so...it's perfect. Santa must have really known what he was doing this year...(guess we'll enjoy it while we can- I'm sure in a few years he won't be as lucky).

Well we have eaten enough food to kill us- now its time for the New Years Resolutions about losing weight...we'll see about that later. Jamie and I are leaving on Friday to fly to San Antonio with some friends of ours. It will be the longest that we have ever been away from the girls. We are both excited and nervous about spending time away from them for 4 days. I know they will be fine- they will be getting to do whatever they want and not hearing "NO" at all. We probably won't know what to do with them when we get back.

Overall we had a great Christmas. It was good to spend time with both of our families. It is funny how Christmas changes as you get older...we no longer get as excited about our presents as we do getting to watch everyone else open what we bought them!

From the Grizwolds to Scrooge

Jamie and I were very excited about Christmas this year. So excited, in fact, that the day after Thanksgiving we got a head start on all of our decorations. Jamie fought the day-after-Thanksgiving madness to go to Walmart and get more lights and decorations since several strands from years past had quit working. And we had thrown away our tree last year so he went ahead and got a new one. When he got home we were so excited we immediately went to work decorating (even though it was only about 40 degrees outside). We got all of the lights hung, except for the icicles that were supposed to go on the high point on the front of the house. Jamie had to borrow a ladder and by the time he got home, it was too dark.

So we took our excitement indoors and decided to break family tradition and go ahead and put up the Christmas tree. Ever since I was 1, our family waited until my birthday (Dec. 11) to put up the Christmas tree. Jamie and I have carried on that tradition for the past 5 years we have been married. Oh well- we are excited about Christmas! Let's go all out this year.....We can't wait until then- let's do it now.

Long story short...the icicle lights never got put up on the high point of the house- I refused to turn on any of the lights until they were ALL hung. So the days went by with lights hung that never were turned on....and then they started falling down. Instead of fixing them, Jamie tore all of the lights down. Yes all of the Christmas lights have already been removed from the outside of our house and they were never turned on. So, we went from being Clark W. Griswold and "going all out" to Ebeneezer Scrooge and "BAH HUMBUG!"

Happy Turkey Day(s)!

The Spears family enjoyed a great Thanksgiving holiday again this year. We ate and ate and ate some more... with all of the family that we have, we not only celebrate Thanksgiving one day- but an entire weekend. We started on Thursday at my mom and dad's house. We had a great time eating, visiting, and playing "Catch Phrase". We loved it! I have to say it is the first game that the entire family has sat down to play and not gotten into a fight over in a REALLY long time. Ha Ha!

On Friday we had the day off so Jamie and I spent the day putting up our Christmas lights on the outside of the house and (yes I broke the family tradition) we went ahead and put up the Christmas tree.

On Saturday we headed to MiMi and Papaw's house to have Thanksgiving with them. Colyn had found their old original Nintendo- complete with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. Embarrassingly enough, I played it so much I had a blister on my thumb! Oh the good ole' days! We had a blast trying to see who could make it the farthest without dying! Such fun! Kinsley didn't understand what all the fun was about...can you believe it?

On Sunday, we went to church with Jamie's grandmother and then went to her house for the day. While we had a good time, it was also a little sad as this was the first Thanksgiving without Jamie's granddad sitting in the recliner smiling at everyone as they came in. We sat around and got to visit, which is good. It seems like life is so busy for everyone that we don't take the time to really sit down and talk to each other about what's going on in our lives often enough. We had a nice visit.

When we got home that night, we learned that Jamie's sister Danielle and her boyfriend John Ross had been in a car accident on their way back to college at Tenn. Tech. We were thankful to hear that neither of them were seriously injured even though John Ross's car was totaled. It really made us stop and count our blessings...which is really the whole reason we celebrate Thanksgiving. It's not about the turkey, or dressing, or pecan pies...it's about the people you are surrounded by and all of the wonderful things that God has placed in your life. These are the most important things.

As I look back over the 5 1/2 years that Jamie and I have been married, I realize that we have been blessed TREMENDOUSLY. We have two healthy, beautiful daughters and we do not take this blessing lightly- it was the day before Thanksgiving two years ago when my pregnancy was ended at 9 weeks. When things like that happen, you wonder why, and you wonder what God has planned instead. Two years later, I can't answer why it happened, but I can say that if that pregnancy would have gone full term, we wouldn't have Karlie. And at this point, I can't imagine life without her- she is so precious. And as Jamie and I sit back and watch Kinsley and her play together, hug, and even fight (already), I can't describe how blessed I feel. And while we gain a lot more weight over the holidays because we have so many places to visit, I can't complain because I am thankful to have all of that family to surround us and love us.

I hope all of you had a happy thanksgiving with those that you love...and if you forgot to count your blessings- do it now.

Oh What a Night!

Well, the Spears family had a very exciting night last night so I had to share it with everyone...be sure to use your mind to picture all of this as I explain it to you.

Last night I got home from work (late), started supper, and got both girls in bathtub so we could get ready to go to church. During supper, a pretty big storm came rolling in and it sounded pretty rough outside so I told Jamie I was going to check the news to see if there were any warnings for our area. Just as I turned the TV to the station - BAM! A huge bolt of lightening, a loud pop, and our house alarm system begins blaring with the loudest noise I have ever heard. I immediately realize we've just been hit by lightening and start telling Jamie to check for fire or smoke. He is running around the living room with his fingers in his ears proclaiming that he is about to go deaf...can I do something about the alarm system. I pick up the phone to call the alarm system company and- NOTHING...no dial tone. So our only way to communicate with the outside world is to use our cell phone, and if you know where we live, you realize this is a miracle in itself.... so i go into our bedroom in front of the window (where it is still lightening) and try to tilt my head just right to talk to the lady on the phone. After saying "Can you hear me now?" about 100 times, she finally gets our phone number for someone to try to call us back. When the guy calls back he can't hear me so he hangs up on me the first time. I call him back and can hear just enough to know I need to find out how to unplug the silly alarm. I hang up on him this time and go start pulling wires apart until the crazy thing finally shuts up. During this, Jamie is walking around the house looking for fire and Kinsley is screaming and crying. Karlie is still in her high chair just looking around to see what in the world is going on. Jamie opens the front door to go outside to check for fire and a bird flys into the house. Kinsley starts screaming again. She and I lock ourselves inside the bedroom while Jamie gets a broom and get it out ( not before it poops on the hardwood entry way).

Oh we're not finished yet...more excitement to come.

Once the first round of excitement has settled down, we realize that half of the house has power and the other half doesn't. So, I again stand on my head by the bedroom window to call my mom and ask her to call the power company for us. About 2 hours later, they arrive and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb knock on the front door and say "Your lights are on." (Like we had not noticed that point already Captain Obvious!) This stupid statement confuses Jamie so badly that he turns around and asks me "Did we call the power company?" So, I push him aside and step in to have a conversation with Tweedle Dee. We come to the conclusion that the lightening must have hit the breaker so its the box that needs fixed, not the power. Okay...so...."We don't fix that- call an electrician." Thanks for nothing.

So, Jamie and I are making phone calls today trying to get people to fix what needs fixed. So far the list of damages are: no power in garage area or hallway leading to the garage, breaker box damaged, internet and digital phone box blown, alarm system damaged, TV in our bedroom is dead as well as the cable box in our bedroom. Where do we start?

Well, I guess there is some good news out of all of this, there was no fire or smoke. It could have been much worse, and we are thankful that it wasn't. But I hope you got a laugh or two from the picture I painted for you about the events of our night.