G-O, Let's GO!

Kinsley celebrated her 5th birthday today with 8 of her friends and 3 of her favorite high school cheerleaders. She LOVES cheerleading so she decided about a month ago that she wanted a cheerleading themed birthday party. It was the first "friend" party that she has had and overall I would say it was a success. We ended up with good weather, except for wind that kept blowing all of the decorations around. Here are some pictures from the party:

Sidewalk chalk should always be supervised play

So, tonight after supper the girls asked if they could go outside and play while I cleaned up the kitchen. They have just gotten to the point where they will play outside without me or Jamie right by their side. So most nights after supper that's where they go. While they are out, they come in and out to give updates of what they're playing or tattle on each other.

Tonight they asked if they could play with their new sidewalk chalk that they got for Easter. They love sidewalk chalk and since we don't have a paved driveway, they draw on the garage floor. Kinsley has been practicing writing her numbers, letters, people's names, etc. Sidewalk chalk is great! Right? Well, maybe I should have asked where they planned to draw.....

Graceful

Have I mentioned before that poor Karlie is not gifted in being very graceful? Well, those of you who know our family or have read our blog over the past few months know that Karlie has been given the nickname "Knothead". She falls ALL the time and seems to always hit her head. Tonight we had another fall so I wanted to share pictures of the newest knot... She made it down the deck stairs just fine- it's the straight, flat sidewalk that seemed to just jump out at her.

Thank goodness her pediatrician knows us well or we might be getting a visit from DCS...her knees are scraped and bruised, if you look really close you can tell she has a busted lip (from 2 days ago), and there is a scrape on her right arm. Maybe I should put her in a bubble suit.

Easter Pics

We had a great Easter. The girls enjoyed dying eggs, eating candy, hunting eggs, eating candy, flying kites, eating candy, getting a visit from the Easter Bunny, and eating candy. Did I mention they enjoyed the candy?

Here are some pics...

WE did it!

This past Saturday I finally completed my Graduate program!! I sat through the last class, turned in the last set of papers, and found out that I had passed my Comp exam. Yippee! This is a great accomplishment for not only me- but my entire family. Notice that I titled this post "WE did it". That's because I absolutely could not have made it through this program the last 2 years without my family.

Jamie has been wonderful to entertain the girls on nights when I had papers that needed to be written, projects to be done, or books to be read. Both of our families have volunteered countless Saturdays to keep the girls while I was in class and Jamie was unable to watch them. The girls have also been wonderful through this- not always understanding why mommy couldn't spend the day with them on Saturdays, but willing to give that up for a period of time.

I have to say that it has truly been a family effort and I couldn't have made it through (and maintained a 4.0) if it hadn't been for Jamie and our families. Graduation isn't until May so technically I don't have my degree yet, but for me- IT'S OVER and it feels very very good.

The last step in the process is taking the Praxis in June in order to get my Administrator's license...after that, I don't plan on going back to school for a L-O-N-G time!

Some laughs from the girls...

I love sitting back and watching the girls as they grow and as their personalities develop. They are two completely different children. Their personalities couldn't be farther apart on the spectrum. Jamie and I get a kick out of listening as they interact with each other. Never does a day go by without something happening that we sit back and laugh about. Two particular instances happened today.

First up is Kinsley. She is a total GIRLY GIRL. She loves cheerleading, lip gloss, fingernail polish, purses, jewelry, and changing clothes several times a day. As soon as we get home from the babysitters house, the changing begins. And on days like today where we have nowhere to go, it is her favorite thing to do. I have seen at least 10 different ensembles put together today. The funny part about this- she has ZERO sense of style. Take a look at the #1 pick for today...

Yes, you see it right. It's a shirt with cherries, purple shorts with a flower pattern, socks, and plaid shoes. Jamie and I got a good laugh out of this one.

Karlie, on the other hand, is a rough and tough tomboy. She is always into everything. She has no fear. The problem? She is as clumsy as the day is long. One of her nicknames is "Knot Head." She first got this nickname right after she was born because of a cefalohematoma (sp?) that was caused from her being vaccumed out (even though she was born via C-section).

She has had many bumps and bruises from falling and running into things so the nickname still seems appropriate. Today she continued this tradition by falling and hitting her head on the corner of the refrigerator. She was trying to balance on top of a ball. She fell, couldn't catch herself, and went head-first into the edge of the refrigerator door. I know this isn't funny- or it wasn't when it happened...but after we knew she was okay, her daddy immediately called her a knot head and the laughter began. Below is a picture of her right after she was born and another one from today...just so that you understand why the nickname is perfect.

Ready for Spring

I hate winter. Plain and simple- winter stinks. Everything is dead and ugly. It is cold, windy, and just miserable. I have never been one to be very fond of winter. I think it's downright depressing. I love sunshine, warmth, tanned-skin, and the beauty of things that are alive and blooming. I do love summer, but I would have to say that Spring has to be the most inspiring and revitalizing time of the year- not only for plants and flowers, but for my inner self.

This winter has been an especially difficult one as our family has faced many challenges. In fact, at times we were shaken completely to our core. It is definitely a winter that I am ready to be finished with- in fact, it's one that I hope to forget and never have to be reminded of...so I am looking forward to Spring with more fervor than ever this year. I am ready for new beginnings, new growth, and revitalized strength. More than ever I want to put the past in the past and look ahead toward the future- a fresh start, if you will.

I fully believe that everything happens for a reason...sometimes we don't always see or understand the reasons, but eventually things will come into focus. Taking a look back at the last year, I can see God working in my life. He has been preparing me every day for the challenges He knew I would face. I honestly feel stronger than ever coming out of the trials from this winter. I feel closer to God than ever before, and know that HE will always take care of me if I let Him. I must trust that He knows what I can handle, and that He will never give me more than that amount. Trials only make us stronger- without them we would never grow, we wouldn't realize how much we need Him, and we wouldn't appreciate the truly good times in our lives.

Although there is still snow on my deck as I type this, the weather forcasters say that Spring weather will be here by the end of this week. Ah, warm weather...recess at school...flowers blooming...playing outside with the girls...Comp exams...Graduation (finally)...and who knows what else this Spring will bring for our family. I can't wait to find out!

Spring, please come quickly!

The trip to Knoxville

The following is a text that I received from Jamie today as he, his dad, his uncle, and his cousin traveled to Knoxville for the UT v. Memphis basketball game. It was so hilarious (and well-written I might add) that I had to share it. I had no idea Jamie had this type of writing ability...maybe he should start keeping up the blog since I am terrible at keeping it updated.

Anyway, the following is copied exactly from my cell phone...

It was that time. The time to head to the land of orange and white, God's country. After our usual stop at a fast food joint, the journey began. It started as always with a discussion about high school basketball and a prediciton of today's huge game. We then entered the interstate where I knew it would be just a short time and we would be there. A good nap was in the line for me.

All of a sudden I heard this pop, similar to that of a balloon busting, followed by a lot of air. I knew the food Uncle Marty had eaten had not had ample time to have settled -so he, for once, was innocent. The sound continued and it finally hit me- we have a flat tire. I wish I had had a video recorder. It was a sight comparable to a *(I think I better leave the comparison out)- we had to remove the tire.

This is probably the first time in our lives that you saw four guys swallow their pride and do what most guys don't do. Yes, we did it- we got out the instructions and began reading in hopes that one of us four rednecks could figure out how to remove the spare tire. After passing the instructions back and forth several times, we finally discovered where the wrench needed to be placed in order to begin the process of removing the tire. After 15 minutes, the spare tire was off. We then had to figure out where the jack needed to be placed in order to remove the flat tire. We put our brains together and decided the resting place for the jack. We were able to lift the van and remove the flat. We maneuvered enough to get the spare on. Guess what? Yes you guessed it- the spare tire was low- in fact, it was almost flat.

We were fortunate enough to have a device which plugged into the cigarette lighter and we were able to air the once-air-deflated spare tire to near maximum capacity. We were all frozen but could not have been happier to be on our way to see the Vols play.

Believe it or not, this all took place without any cursing, swearing, or wrenches being thrown!

You can imagine how many texts it took to tell the story. And if you know these 4 men who were traveling together, this story is absolutely HILARIOUS! There are a lot of comments I could make, but I think I will just keep my mouth shut. Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.

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).