I Sent Urkel To School...

Mason has decided that he wants to pick out his own school clothes every night. He picks them out and puts them in a pile on his floor. He thinks that burgundy and red match. He thinks that his jeans shouldn't touch the tops of his shoes... so he rolls his pants up! He also doesn't like long t-shirts. If he is wearing a shirt that he thinks is too long.... he rolls that up, too. You can only imagine how silly he looks but in his mind he is the coolest thing to walk into preschool.

I'm amazed at how independent he has become in the last few months. He rarely takes a bath anymore because he prefers a shower. He washes himself and even dries and dresses himself. I try to help but he refuses to let me. My baby isn't a baby anymore. It makes me sort of sad... He's growing up way too fast!

From headaches to heartaches to sick family...... Not necessarily in my life but in the lives of people that I love. When my friends or family are hurting, I hurt, too. When someone makes ugly comments about someone that I love, you might as well be making them to me because it makes me feel awful. You got a headache?? Then my head hurts, too. If your sister is sick, then I will pray for her as if she were my sister. I have always been that way. I try to carry burdens with my friends and family. But truly, there is only one person that can carry our burdens. Whether it's a headache or a heartache, He can restore you and if you trust in Him, things will get brighter. The best thing that I can do for friends and family that are hurting is pray for them. I learned that lesson after trying to fix my brother, who is a recovering drug addict. I tried for a long time to make him want to be better. I tried to talk him into it. Do you know what finally worked? I Let Go and Let God!! We can't change anyone but we can pray for them. Pray! Pray! Pray! It changes things!!

Mason... My Funny Guy

Mason had a splitter in his arm yesterday. He cried and cried and wouldn't let me touch it. He was really distraught about it and just didn't know what to do to get it out. I told him that I would pull it out. It was bearly even hanging on anyway. During all the tears, he asked me, "Is God making me hurt like this?" I told him no but that unfortunately hurting was a part of life. He told me that he did not like the hurting part of life. I couldn't help but giggle at him but he seemed so grown up.

The other morning Mason woke up and immediately started acting like he was mad at something. Brett asked him if he was mad because a cat had pooped in his mouth while he was sleeping. His breathe was kickin! Mason didn't think that it funny at the time. Yesterday he woke, laid there for a minute and then proceeded to get mad again. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "That same cat pooped in my mouth again!"

Mason Funnies

Mason fell off the trampoline last week and scratched his nose. It wasn't that bad and he didn't even cry. On Sunday he said, "Mommy, my nose is better! God healed my nose." I asked him how he thought that God healed it. He said, "Mommy, while we were sleeping in bed, God floated down in the backyard and He got my skin off the tree where I scratched it. Then he snuck in a put it back on my nose." Needless to say, I laughed!

On Saturday he fell in the house and hit his ear on the corner of the coffee table. It left an ugly bruise and a small sore. This morning he reached up and felt his ear and said, "Mommy, God hasn't healed my ear yet." Then he said, " I don't know what is taking him so long. I fell right in the living room and that's were my skin is." He cracks me up!!

Last night, I was browsing the internet and Mason was in my lap. The site that I was on had pictures of babies on the screen. Mason reached up and pointed at one and said, "Mommy, put that one in your cart." I told him that those babies were not for sale. He then proceeded to tell me to go to the baby isle.

We had such a great time in Snowshoe. We were among really terrific people and two great kids. We played in the snow, went sledding and tubing, ate some good food, did a little bit of shopping and a lot of laughing. I have to admit that I played gameboy a lot while I was there.... Yes, I am addicted to Super Mario Brothers.

Anyway, Mason and Will took a ski class on Saturday afternoon. Neither one lasted the entire class. I think that it was a little bit scary because they were among strangers, in the freezing cold, standing on skis. I think that I would be a little frightened myself. Mason did go out skiing with Brett the next day and he did really good. I think that next year he will catch on and be passing Brett on the slopes.

Let me tell you how stinkin cold it was! I really don't think that temperature got out of the 10's while we were there. One night before bed, I put a bottle of water in front of out window and forget about it. When we got up the next day, it was frozen solid and the window wasn't even opened. Now that's cold! When we left Snowshoe, the temperature was -8 degrees. BURRRR!

Mason was so excited when it started to snow on the way to West Virginia. We stopped for gas shortly after the snow started to fall and Mason laid down in the parking lot and did a snow angel. There was hardly any snow sticking at this point so he basically made an asphalt angel. I couldn't help but laugh at him!!

Snowshoe Pictures

Snowshoe, Here We Come!!!

We are leaving in the morning to go to Snowshoe, West Virginia. I am really looking forward to the snow but NOT the long ride! Mason woke up this morning in a very happy mood because he knows that today is his last day at school. He has our afternoon all planned out. It includes packing and packing and more packing. We have to take Ripley and Layla to Tia's, water plants, take the trash to the dump and several other things that he listed. Needless to say, we will be very busy this afternoon.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! Keep us in your prayers for traveling mercies and no injuries on the slopes!!

Do you believe that there is a God? I have always believed without a single doubt but you know that there are some people that don't believe. Last night was a perfect example of God's presence in my life.

I called Bernie yesterday and ask him if he was going to church because I wanted to ride with him. At that time he said that he wasn't sure but he eventually called back and then picked me up to go. On the way to church we stopped and picked up a friend of Bernie's who is suffering from drug addiction. He is trying desperately to get into a rehab facility but until then he is staying in a run down hotel. We picked him up and off to church we went. We ate dinner really quick and then went into Bible study. It was really great. At the end of the service Bernie stood up and asked for the church to pray for his friend. The Preacher said a prayer for him right then with several men laying their hands in him. It was so moving. God was there for sure!

While we were eating dinner I noticd that Bernie's friend kept getting up and piling more food on his plate. I asked him if he had any food where he was staying. He said no but he was going to eat enough at church to hold him over. It just broke my heart into pieces. But you know what, he said it with a smile knowing that God was going to provide food for him somehow. This guy is a Christian but the devil had gotten a hold on him and dragged him down. He is fighting his way back and doing it with a smile on his face. Needless to say, Bernie and I made sure that he had food by the time that we took him back to his room.

We helped him carrying his things up to his room when we dropped him off. You just can't imagine the filthy place that he is staying at. The ceiling looked like it was going to fall in on us, it smelled so bad and a roach crawled across the bed while we were there. But this was the place the God had allowed him to stay and he was so thankful for it because his other option was the street. Before Bernie and I left his room, we stood in a circle, held hands and Bernie prayed the most amazing prayer that I have ever heard. We closed our eyes and held tight to each other and I realized that it didn't matter what condition the room was in, God is everywhere. He is real and He was in that run down hotel.

Am I The Next American Idol???

NOT! But I am joining the young adult choir at church. My mom has been inspired to create a new choir and I, for some unknown reason, have agreed to join it. I can not sing worth a lick.... not even in the shower. I have never been in any choir. Mason looks at me funny when I sing anything.... I think that he wants to tell me to stop but he is afraid of hurting my feelings. I am actually looking forward to it and I know that it will bless so many people in our church, including me. So, please pray for our new choir. Lord knows, we all need prayer, especially the people who are going to have to listen to my singing! YIKES! Maybe I can just hum along in the back row??

Happy Wednesday Ya'll!!

Burrrrr! It is so cold outside today. I think that the high is 48 degrees. That is cold!! I guess that I better get used to it though since we are going to West Virginia in a few weeks. We have been going every February for 3 years. I am really looking forward to it. I am not much of a skier but I enjoy the snow and just relaxing with a good book. Mason is going to try to learn how to ski this year. We are going to sign him up for Kids World, which is a one day camp for kids. He will probably be flying past his dad on the slopes before we know it. I am really looking forward to going tubing. So fun! This picture was taken two years ago in the Village at Snow Shoe, West Virginia.

I hope that as you are reading this that you are sitting down because I have some news. I hope that it doesn't sadden you as much as it did me because I was so super depressed over it! As I was getting ready for work this morning, I found...... MY FIRST GRAY HAIR!!!! Oh my goodness! I thought that I was seeing things but I swear it winked at me! I tried to pull it out but that little fella wouldn't budge. I'm sure that this is the first of many.... after all, I am almost 33 years old. So, today I am a little bit sad. I have colored my hair for a long time because I don't really like my natural color but now I have to color it because I found a gray hair. I am sure that there are more that I can't see... what a big, fat, gray haired bummer!!

A Tribute to My PaPa

One year ago today, my grandfather passed away. It was by far the saddest day of my life. His was my first up close experience with death and it was so hard. My PaPa was one of a kind. I am positive that there is not another man like him in this world. I remember when I was little, I'd sit on MaMa and PaPa's couch and wait for him to get home from work. I loved to hear him whistle in the mornings or make up silly songs about odd things. He used to call me Lori the Horse. He'd called all of us turd head tappin's. I have no idea where he got these funny names from or where he came up with all the crazy jokes. He could tell you war stories and describe things as if they happened yesterday. He was a very smart man and a lot of times he had an attitude about one thing or another. But that is what made him PaPa.

Nickiehoakiemombo was one of his favorite phrases. What does it mean? I have no idea but I say it to Mason all the time. We would always reply with "banana split". So, Nickiehoakiemombo to everyone who reads this tribute! PaPa's legend lives on!

Mason has been sleeping in our bed since he was about 2 years old. The older that he gets, the bigger he gets, the more crowded our queen size bed has become. I told him that it was time that he sleep in his own bed. I swear that he woke up 10 times during the night. Needless to say, I was so tired the next day. Then Sandy gave me an idea. She said that Noah used to sleep on an inflatable sleeping bag on the floor in her room. I talked to Mason about it and he was so excited. I made him a cot on the floor beside our bed and he has been sleeping there for a few days. He sleeps all night without a peep! Praise the Lord for small miracles!

So, I ordered him an inflatable sleeping bag because I felt bad that he was sleeping on the hard floor. It came in yesterday so he was really excited about trying it out. He laid down and went right to sleep until...... I woke to his screaming at about 1:15 am. He had managed to get his upper body wedged under our bed. So his legs were on the mat but his head was under the bed and he was stuck like that. I had to pull the mat from under his legs and then pull him from under the bed. He was hysterical. I put him in our bed for the rest of the night. He woke up this morning so angry that he wasn't on his mat. He didn't remember what had happened during the night. Tonight we will be moving the mat away from the edge of the bed.... poor little fella!

2006 - Recap

Since the new year is just hours away, I thought I'd recap some things that happened in 2006. The thing that really stands out the most in my mind is that PaPa passed away on January 9, 2006. That was probably the saddest day in my life. Our family held on tight to each other and we made it through that rough time, with God's help. We had A LOT of birthday parties at mom's and several anniversaries. Brett and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary on July 7. We spent the weekend in Charleston at a Bed and Breakfast. It was so nice! I joined Weight Watchers and have lost 25 pounds. I was blessed with new friends and we became the Flip Flop Club. I can not even begin to tell you what this group of girls has meant to me. I look forward to many years of flip flopping through our lives together. I started going to Sunday School and let me just tell you that it has blessed my life more than words can begin to express. Our Sunday morning group is really unique and I am glad to be a part of it. Through WW and Sunday School, friendships have formed that will bless me forever. Ivette and I made it through another year of great friendship. We have held each other up through tears and laughter. She is my sister and I love her so much. I started playing golf again. I'm not that good at it but it is so much fun. Angie, Jessica and I played in our first tournament and we did not come in last place. Yah us!! Speaking of Jessica... she has been an amazing friend!! I know that God put her and Jeremiah in my path this year for a reason and slowly I am seeing that reason. It's because I needed them and I didn't even know it. God always knows what we need, even before we know it. (Sniff-Sniff) This year, I caught the "crying at the drop of dime disease" from Jessica... thanks for sharing that with me. The people who make Kleenex are certainly benefiting from that! Mason started taking karate. He can karate chop you and do it with a smile! He has been such a good boy this year, aside from the occasional, normal things. He turned four on September 17. He has a "girlfriend" at school. She is very pretty. He tells us that he is going to marry her when he grows up. He is growing way too fast. Brook and Justin got a new puppy named Remi. He is really adorable and full of energy. They love their pups! We got a new puppy and named her Layla. She has been a great addition to our family. Ripley is very happy to have her to play with.

I finished my 12th year at Real Estate Professionals. That's a long time, huh? Time has really flown by! Bernie graduated from the Faith Home in October. He is new man and continues to grow in his faith and his recovery. Bobby and Diana moved in two doors down. Mason loves having them so close because he can play with Robert and Wes more. Billy and Amy built a beautiful home in Walling Grove. It is their dream house and I couldn't be happier for them. They also got two new pups. Maverick and Bailey. They keep Billy and Amy very busy! Angie went back to work and seems to like it. Her purse business is also doing really well. I went on vacation with her and all the kids in September. Angie and I both got tattoos and belly button piercings. We had a great time! I'm sure that I left out a lot about 2006 but if I wrote about everything that happened, it would be 100's of pages long.

All in all, 2006 has been a good year. There has been a lot of laughter, tears, and disagreements but we made it through the year together. I hope that everyone has a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I know, I know! I haven't blogged in over a week. We have been so super busy since before Christmas. Now it is almost a new year and we are still busy!

We all had an amazing Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Mason, Jessica, Jordan, Jackson and McKenzie sang Happy Birthday Jesus at church. It was so precious and of course, I cried. I think that I am catching the cry all the time thing from Jessica Y. because I cry at the drop of a dime.

Christmas day, I made breakfast for Brett's mom, dad, aunt and uncle. They came over about 8:30am. Mason had been up since about 7:30 and plowed through the things that Santa left for him. He was so excited. His favorite gift was a trampoline! It was raining on Christmas day but he jumped anyway and Grandma (Brett's mom) jumped with him. Needless to say, he was soaked when he came back in but it was worth it to see the smile on his face.

We went to mom's at noon to open presents and eat lunch. It was really crazy but really fun, as always! After mom's we went to Brett's aunt's house for dinner. We ate all day long but it was all yummy and worth it!!

Mason is loving all the days off of school that he has had over the holidays. He has been trying to fake sick every morning that he does have school so he can stay home. This morning he told me that his tummy hurt. I asked him if it really hurt? He said, "No, but my knee hurts." Again, I asked him if it really hurt. He said, "No, but my elbow really does hurt...... for real." He did go to school today but he has three days off now. I am not looking forward to Tuesday morning when he has to go back to school!! Little Faker!!

Happy New Year Everyone!! Be safe!!!

Date Night

Friday night, Mason and I had date night. Brett had to work so it was just the two of us. We had such a great time. We went to see Charlotte's Web. It was so super cute and Mason agreed. He sat as if in a trace and stared at the screen. I have always loved Charlotte's Web and now so does Mason. It was fun of humor and we laughed and laughed! Templeton, the rat, was the funniest character. Mason's favorite part was when Templeton got a rotten egg and took it into his rat hole. He rolled it down and put in a spot where he thought that it would be secure. Well, it started rolling and Templeton started running. The egg eventually caught up with him and broke. Yucky, rotten egg went all over him. Mason laughed and laughed. I told Mason that I thought I could smell that rotten egg. He looked at me and said, "No, mom that's not rotten egg you smell. I passed gas!" Talk about giggling!!

The most special part of our evening was while we were in Belk before the movie. I don't remember what song was playing on the radio but Mason looked up at me and asked me to dance. Of course, I accepted and we did a little slow dance in the junior section of Belk, complete with twirling and dips. It was truly a memorable moment in my life.

According To Mason.....

On the way home from school today, Mason and I were talking about Heaven. I'm not sure how the subject came about but it was priceless. I asked Mason what he thought was in Heaven. He answered, very matter of fact, "Well, there are little floors because you walk on clouds and we won't need floors. God's bedroom is on the left and mine will be right across the hall." He named all the people and animals that he knows are in Heaven, waiting on him. Buster, Sabre, Jackson's grandfather, Cooper, PaPa and his hermit crab. Then he asked me if the "real" Joseph would be there. I told him yes. He wanted to know if the real Mary would be there, too. Yes, she will I told him. He sat in the backseat lost in his own thoughts. Then he asked, "Mommy, were you there when Jesus died on the cross?" I told him no, I wasn't. He told me that he thought that PaPa was there because he was old. He asked me how Jesus died on the cross. I told him that some men beat him and he died. He sat looking really sad and then said, "Mom, did you know that when people die that their eyes stay open?" I asked him how he knew that. He said that he was at Mr. Asa's house and that he had an alligator in his freezer. He told me that the gators eyes were still open but he was dead. He told me that he thought that Jesus died with his eyes open so that when he got to Heaven, he could look down and see what we were doing. Sort of a morbid thing for a four year old to consider but it makes sense to Mason. Can you believe this kid of mine??? He is truly amazing!

Mason's Layla Bear