Wedding Weekend Plus a Surprise!!

It's official! Emily and Wendell are married! Here is a picture of our new family (larger by one) minus Bennie, Amber, and Brooks. We took pictures of everyone but I don't have one of those yet so stay tuned for a complete picture of my crew.

Some of you may have figured out that the wedding didn't take place when it was supposed to. We were planning a wedding for September. About two months ago I got a frantic call from Em saying that we had to move the wedding up a little bit. I'm going to be getting another grandbaby!! Woo Hoo!! She is due on Austin's birthday on October 18th. So we scrambled and found a place to have the wedding and reception and pared down the guest list considerably. It was a small wedding with mostly family. Wen's family came from Chicago, California, and Texas and it was great to finally meet them all. We had a big ole family dinner at our house Friday night and got to know each other and then the wedding was Saturday night. Jimmy's mother had everyone for breakfast this morning on the farm and then they all headed home around 2 o'clock this afternoon. They are one fun bunch!! One of his brothers "tried" to teach me how to "step". Word has it that pictures were taken of that endeavor. Lord help me.

Shortly after they left Emily and Wendell loaded up and headed back to Florida. A wonderful weekend was coming to an end. I love, love, love when they come to visit but as wonderful as that is, it makes the good-byes that much harder. I always cry. I just can't help it. However, before they left today they made a wonderful announcement to us. They are going to look in to moving back up this way!!! No news yet as to when, but at least it's in their plans. I'm thrilled. Now that I know how great having a grandchild is, I was sad to think that I would have one so far away that I wouldn't get to see very often. And now, I won't have to worry about that for long. I'm one happy Momma!

And here is the happy couple!! These were just snapshots taken by family. I should have professional pictures to share in a couple of weeks.

An Oldie But a Goodie!

This was originally posted in November of 2006 when Austin was 8 years old.

Saturday night I had a date.The most adorable little boy in the world asked me out. I was thrilled! You see, the movie he'd been waiting for had finally hit Cinema Showcase and he was chomping at the bit to get there. His proposition was was if I would drive us there, he would pay for our tickets. My first reaction was to say, "I'll take you to the movie, but you don't have to pay for the tickets." Then, I realized that this could be a very good thing for him to do. For one thing he would be getting a lesson in the value of a dollar. For another thing, he would get to be the giver instead of the taker. He was very proud to pick up his wallet and I think he felt very powerful as we headed towards the cinema.

We walked into the theater and headed to the ticket counter. He had his little wallet in his hands and his little eight year old self said to the lady taking the money, "We want tickets for FLUSHED AWAY." The thirty-something woman behind the counter looked him straight in the eye and said, "Ok, let's see that will be one child and one senior, that comes to $11.75." He opened his wallet and began counting out his money. I was busy trying to decide if I had heard her right! My mouth had fallen open, and I heard myself saying in a voice I didn't even recognize as my own, "Surely I don't qualify for a senior citizen's discount!" I guess she could tell by the mournful tone of my voice that she had made a serious faux pas. "Oh, ma'am, I'm so sorry", she gushed as her face turned red. She then gave Austin the revised price of $13.75. He very correctly counted out two five dollar bills, three one dollar bills and three quarters. She went on and on about how perfectly he had counted the correct amount of money to give to her. It was too late, she could have declared him as the newest child math prodigy to the world at large and it was not going to make up for the fact that she had looked at me and deduced in some twisted corner of her demented mind that I was a senior citizen!!!! I just simply could not get over it. I know that I'm not a spring chicken. I realize that I'm closer to 50 than 40. I even realize that it's possible and maybe even expected that people could assume I'm Austin's grandmother rather than his mother. But I refuse to admit that I look like I would qualify for a discount that is only available to people over 62, or is it 65? See, I don't even know when it kicks in, because it's not something that is even within the realm of possibility for me yet. At least I didn't think so!

From the ticket counter we made our way to the concession stand and when Austin started to pay for our Cokes and popcorn I told him to put his wallet back in his pocket, "Granny is going to pay for the treats", I grumbled. He thanked me and we made our way into the semi-dark theater. After we got ourselves settled in our seats and were munching away on our popcorn I began to let the memory of the dumb ticket lady fade away. Then, out of nowhere, Austin turned to me and said, "Mommy, you shouldn't have said anything to that lady, I could have saved $2.00!

You know, there is something to be said for mothers who eat their young.

I was determined to have my next post be about something else...

But how in the world could I not post THIS!!!!????

Happy Easter everyone. I promise that the next post will be about something other than Brooks. At least I think I promise. Of course if he does something too irresistible I will change my mind. Hey, I'm a grandmother, that's how I roll!

Brooks entertaining me!

I had Brooks yesterday and couldn't wait to give him a banana baby biscuit that I'd gotten him at the grocery store. He is still too little to eat them by himself so he got it in a neat little gadget with a mesh pocket that you put the food in and then as it gets soft he's able to get it through the mesh. I think this is a wonderful invention and I can't believe they didn't have these when my kids were babies. Anyway, he looooved it as you can see.

I've been otherwise engaged...

It's truly official! I'm a terrible blogger! But when I'm not working or sleeping or cooking or doing laundry I've been very busy with this little guy! Can you believe that he is going to be 8 months old next week? I sure can't!

I knew that I was going to love being a grandmother, but I had no idea it was going to be THIS much fun! This baby is an absolute dream baby. I told Sarah she better not have another one (totally kidding!) because she'd never get another one as easy as Brooks. He is Mr. Laid Back and is so easy to make happy.

He loves his walker and just loves being able to get to where he wants to go...in this case, the refrigerator!

Here he is being charming at Uncle Patrick and Aunt Amber's house. We're all so smitten it's ridiculous!

We can't put him in his previous favorite place, the bouncy. He immediately flips himself over and starts using it as a jungle gym.

I love these next pictures! He loves his dogs, Sam and Mazy. Here he is with Sam! Poor Sam has terrible allergies so they keep a t-shirt on him so he won't scratch himself to death.

Here is Mazy giving him some love. Can't you just hear that sweet baby giggle?

And this one just takes the cake! He looks just like a little Kewpie Doll standing there!!!

I'm going to try to do a little better about updating things here. Emily and Wendell are getting married NEXT WEEK, so things are a little hectic at the moment. But I have an announcement to make here very soon!!!!

This Christmas will be the last time...

I love Christmas morning. I love Christmas morning every bit as much if not more than any child on earth. Christmas morning is the happiest time of the year for me and it always has been. I loved it as a child, but I have loved it even more as a mother. I love it because I get to see my children gathered around my tree and I get to give them things. The sight of my children sitting around our tree on Christmas morning does something to the deepest depths of my soul that I am woefully inadequate to describe. I only know that it fills me with joy and my heart runs over with love.

When I discovered I was pregnant with Austin I cried for four months. It was not in my plans to start over with my oldest child away at college! The thing that made me stop crying was the thought that I would have a believer again at Christmas!!! That got me through and I've since learned that he was to be much more to all of us than just a "believer" at Christmas. As the big kids grew up, they enjoyed the whole "Santa Magic" thing all over again through Austin. So, even though they were grown up and even married, Christmas morning would find them rushing over here on Christmas morning (even in PJ's), so they wouldn't miss Austin coming downstairs to see what Santa brought. Austin was their joy on Christmas morning. He was mine too, but what they didn't realize was that them being there was just as vital to me as Austin was. You see, it doesn't matter how old they are on Christmas morning, they are my babies and they belong around my tree ! For several years, Emily wasn't here, and the void was felt. It wasn't something that I ever got used to. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Christmas to me is having my children surrounding me as daylight dawns and all of our traditions begin to unfold time after time. We listen to the same music every year, we have the same breakfast every year, we go through the same routines every years and I never, ever, ever tire of it.

Today at Sarah's we were talking about Christmas morning this week and I asked Sarah what time she and Bennie would be coming over. And she said, "Early". And then she said that this would be the last year that they would be over early on Christmas morning because next year Brooks would be older and that they would want to stay home and watch him wake up and see what Santa brought him. And my very first thought was, "Of course they would". And that's when it hit me. That's when I realized that these Christmas traditions that we so take for granted can and will change over time. I don't know why in the world I hadn't thought of it before. It. just. hadn't. occurred. to. me.

When I think of it, it doesn't really matter where we are on Christmas morning as long as my children are with me. So, one of the suggestions was that next year, we come to Sarah and Bennie's house bright and early and we'll get to see Brooks wake up and run to the tree. That's probably what we will do. I can't imagine it just being Jimmy and I watching Austin opening presents on Christmas morning and then waiting for the afternoon to roll around for the big kids to come over and opening gifts with them. It would just seem so fractured and splintered.

And just this minute I realized that one day (and sooner than I want to think) Austin will be grown up and not living here. And, how in the world am I going to manage being around all four of my children's Christmas tree "bright and early" on Christmas morning to watch all of my grandchildren open their presents from Santa?

I guess I always knew that "someday" that tradition would change. Of course it would, children grow up and have babies of their own. And when that happens, it's only natural that they want to sit around their own tree on Christmas morning and watch their children open presents from Santa Claus. And you know what, that is how it should be. I want them to know the joy that a parent feels as they experience that. I've had it for 29 years now so it's their turn.

As wonderful as it is to have adult children I have dreaded seeing each of them leave home and my nest. I often laughingly say that I had children because I wanted children in my life and I didn't understand why they had to grow up and move out! I've said it kind of as a joke but it's really the truth of my heart. But time marches on doesn't it? Sooo, I will march right along with it and I will remind myself that I've had my time, and now it's their turn to develop their own Christmas morning traditions with their own children and be grateful for every Christmas morning I've had with them around MY tree. Yep, that's what a graceful, inspired, loving mother does. But that little devil that sits on my shoulder is saying, "Isn't it bad enough that you now have wrinkles, bad knees, need reading glasses, and have to get your hair color from a bottle. Do you have to give up your traditional Christmas mornings too?" Don't worry, I'll get her under control and next year I'll be at Sarah and Bennie's bright and early with the Alabama Christmas CD and all the breakfast fixins and this Grandma will learn to love every traditional minute of it.

No words needed

Wow! Did you guys see this?

Looky what I found! You can win a prize valued at up to $675. Verrry cool stuff. Even without the giveaway it's a very cool site. Head on over there and get yourself entered. And be sure and tell them that melissa-justanotherdayinparadise.blogspot.com/ sent you. Good luck everyone! Click on the link here: Fantabulously Frugal

I won! I won!

So, I got home from work tonight and everyone was asleep (where most people are at midnight on a Sunday night!). And me, being me, I grabbed the laptop and decided to check out some blogs. I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that I was the winner of this awesome little Gooseberry Patch Christmas cookbook from Pat over at Nonna's News! I mean, people, I don't win things! But I did! I won it! I can't wait to get it and whip up some yumminess for Christmas!

She made the announcement in such a cute way. She made a video of her little granddaughter, Avery drawing the winner out of a little Christmas bowl. Oh, and the cutest part was that Avery actually let her stuffed Minnie Mouse do the actual drawing. I was so engrossed in watching the cuteness of Avery that I forgot that my name was actually in that little bowl. So when Pat said my name I was beyond shocked. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that people actually do win these giveaways and it's tons of fun.

I'm going to pay it forward and come up with my own little giveaway here soon. I think I'll hit my craft room and come up with something. Stay tuned.

And Pat, thanks a million. I will so enjoy cooking from this great little cookbook.

And Cindi, if lightning should strike twice and I win that gorgeous little angel, she's coming to your house!

Too many to count...

(There is a short video at the bottom, don't miss it! )

I'm speaking of blessings. I simply have too many to count. We have not had the best of times in regards to my husband's business for the past several years. There are many times when I feel like throwing up my hands and giving up. But then I look around and see all the blessings and realize that I am rich beyond measure. It's the people in our lives that matter, not the things. And when it comes to people, I'm truly blessed. I have both of my parents living and happy. I have wonderful brothers and a sister and their families. And then the icing on my cake are my wonderful children. I know my children aren't any more wonderful than yours, but their mine and they are my reasons for breathing. Children truly are the most wonderful treasures. And then, of course, (just in case it escaped any one's notice LOL), we were all blessed with our little Brooks this year. He makes up for any lack we may think we have around here. So fresh from heaven, so very loved and wanted.

I have to work a double tomorrow so I won't get to spend the day with my family, but that's okay. I have Thanksgiving every day just knowing that these wonderful people are in my life. I also console myself with the fact that the patients I will take care of tomorrow don't want to be there either. And so, I will try to make their Thanksgiving a little brighter since they have to spend it being sick. Blessings are everywhere if we look for them.

But....today...I got to keep Brooks! I shot a minute long video of him playing and 'talking'! So, I just had to share it with you all. Can you believe he is soon going to be 4 months old!? It seems like yesterday we were praying for his existence. And now here he is, a gift to us all. We are so very rich in all the ways that count.

I wish you all a wonderful day of Thanksgiving every day of your lives. The blessings are everywhere if only we take the time to look.

More Giveaways. Because they're FUN!

Cindi from Wishing for My Turn posted about the giveaway she found for this little beauty on her blog. Now really, who wouldn't want this little angel in their home this Christmas?

Harvest Moon Primatives is where you go to sign up for her

Then, she told us about this Gooseberry Patch Cookbook giveaway. I just bought some of these little cookbooks for my girls for Christmas gifts and they are awesome. I've been using some of the recipes from them (shhhh, don't tell them!). I'm sure this one is just as wonderful as the ones that I have and I bet you'd love it. If so, head on over and enter the giveaway at Nonna's News.

I sooo heart this little scale!

Vintage Junky

I am working on a plan in my head for redoing my kitchen sometime soon and I have been browsing some decorating blogs for inspiration. While reading through a very neat blog tonight called Vintage Junky I almost jumped out of my chair when I got to the bottom of her post and saw this little gem. Would you look at the words on the face of that scale!!! OLD KENTUCKY HOME!! Helloooo! There is my inspiration. I absolutely love this little scale. Is it not the cutest thing??? And she is giving it away!


Anyway, even though I want to win it, I want you all to have a chance to win it too, not to mention you'll get yourself introduced to a very cool blog. So head on over there and feast your eyes on some inspiration.

I really am alive!

I know, I know! I'm such a bad blogger! I never seem to be able to get anything posted here anymore. My life is certainly not boring, it's just that I run out of energy!! I am going to try to do better. But in the meantime, I'll leave you this adorable new picture of Brooks. That's better than anything I would write anyway! I know that I am biased where he is concerned, but I tell you truly that this is the best baby in the world! He is so easy to take care of. Mr. Laid back!! He smiles constantly and only cries when he's hungry. He looks so much like his mother and thankfully he inherited her disposition as well. I used to say that she was the best baby in the world. It's kind of like having her all over again. We are all enjoying him and looking forward to watching him grow up. I knew that I was going to love him like crazy but I had no idea how wonderful it was going to be to be a grandmother. I. mean. really!

I watch him while Sarah Kate works on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I was kind of worried about how I was going to do that after working double shifts on Tuesday and Thursday nights but he is such a dream baby that it's working out fine. I pick him up on my way home from work in the mornings and when we get home he goes down for a 3-4 hour nap. He wakes up, takes a bottle, plays with me for about an hour and then he's falling asleep again! I get another 1 to 2 hour nap and then we're up and ready to go. I'm loving every single minute of it and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Brooks' Bad Manners

Sarah just posted this video on Brooks' site and I just had to share it. The little hat was made for him by one of the doctor's that Sarah works for. The grandmother who taught hin this trick is not me!! But I wish I had!

I was just informed that you needed a password to view this video. It's bbrooks

Click here to view this video

The New Mr & Mrs.

First of all I must say that the wedding was absolutely beautiful and everything went off without a hitch. They were both so happy and the fact that they are very much in love couldn't be missed.

I have loved Amber like my own for a long time now. Patrick married the perfect girl for him and I couldn't be happier with his choice. Because of how I feel about Amber I really didn't expect to have the feeling and emotions that I experienced in the lead up to and during the actual wedding. Now matter how practically I tried to talk myself out of feeling what I was feeling, the thought simply wouldn't go away. I was losing my son. Now, I know I haven't really lost him. He's a self-professed mama's boy (aren't most boys?), and we have a very close relationship. I know that I will continue to see him very often and that the love he has for Amber is a completely different kind of love from the love he has for me. One doesn't push the other away any more than one child being born takes love away from the other children. I know all of this and yet I had several emotional moments (don't worry, I kept them to myself!). I am so proud of the man he's grown to be and the way he lives his life. He has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known and I am so grateful that I am the one God chose to be his mother. When Patrick loves you you know it. He's the first one to help out a friend or anyone in need. His compassion for other's is often witnessed running down his cheeks. He's the champion of the underdog and every child's best friend. I've never met an old lady who didn't love him.

Patrick is every one's "go to guy".

Patrick is love personified.

Patrick has married a wonderful girl and we love her.

Patrick's mother misses him.

*****************************

These pictures were taken by a friend, when we get the professional pictures back I will share them, I'm sure they'll be much better than these snapshots. But for now you at least get a little idea.

I love this picture! Look at what is going on between Patrick and Austin. I didn't catch this as it was happening but someone told me about it. Apparently right before Patrick and Amber turned around to face everyone after they'd been pronounced man and wife, Austin reached over to give Patrick a fist bump. Then, when they turned around Patrick turned his palm up kind of behind his back and Austin "gave him five". I can't wait to see it on the video. Candid things are sooo awesome

We took the opportunity to have a picture of our immediate family taken with everyone all spiffed up! (Jimmy and Austin shared Best Man duties) Both Sarah and Emily served as bridesmaids. Benny was a groomsman as well.

The happy couple are now on their honeymoon cruise and we can't wait to see them when they get home next Sunday.

Patrick and Amber's Engagement Pictures

Here is the post I was trying to get up last week BEFORE the wedding. Needless to say, I didn't get it done. I did sit down and try to put into words what I was feeling as Patrick's wedding was just days away. I, quite simply, couldn't find the words to express all that I was feeling. So, after this post, I will put up one about the actual wedding and try once more to give you a glimpse into a mother's heart.

Here are their engagement pictures.

My funny and sweet friend Cindi at Wishing For My Turn gave me an award that defies explanation. I'm humbled! And hey, I wouldn't want any of you to be pecked to death by Zombie Chickens, so I'm hoping that by posting this award here you will all be safe forevermore!!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

I cannot possibly pick just five people to share the honor with so if you're game (pun intended) grab it and protect yourself and your readers.

Thanks, Cindi, you are the best!!

Engagements and more engagements!

Later I'm going to post Patrick and Amber's engagement pictures and post about their upcoming wedding, but first I want to announce (if I haven't already) that Emily and Wendell are engaged and are going to be married in May. While they were here for Amber's bridal shower last month they went to the park and had their engagement photo's taken. I love them! They are so happy, and to see Emily so happy after what she's been through in the past several years is absolute balm for my soul. Wendell is an answer to prayer and we look forward to having him as a son in law. The love between them is evident to anyone who sees them and I think these pictures capture that.

I FIXED IT! I FIXED IT!

My laptop has been out of commission allll summer. The desktop is so unreliable that I barely even check email on it. Besides, it's been a busy summer and I kind of figured that maybe not being on the computer so much was a good thing for me. But gosh, I've missed it. Anyway, after coming home from Sarah and Bennie's tonight, I discovered that the cable was out so I started reading. Then for some strange reason (I prefer to call it Divine Intervention) I decided to grab the laptop and see if it would suddenly work. I decided to do this because yesterday I asked the Universe to send me a new computer, and as I was reading I just felt "nudged" to try the laptop. I finally got it to turn on in safe mode and decided, "what the heck, see if system restore will fix it". Sooo, that's what I did and eureka! It works. I also asked my helper angels to show me what to do. And now I say....Thank you God and my helper angels that I have my laptop back.

Maybe I can now get back to checking blogs and finding out what's been going on with everyone all summer.

As for me, I'm so smitten with a certain little baby that it's ridiculous. All those things they say about grandchildren are true. He, quite simply, has stolen my heart. He's the best little thing and some people have had the nerve to accuse me of being a "baby hog"!! Hmmmph! As if!!!

And so, it's only fitting that my first entry back should contain pictures of Brooks, right? So here they are!

Here he is wearing his Daddy's hat. It's not often that it comes off of Bennie's head. He looks so much like Bennie anyway and with his hat on....well, can you say clone?


Here he is in one of his many Bengal outfits. And speaking of the Bengals, WOW! Football is fun again!! I've been a die-hard Bengal fan since 1980 and they've broken our hearts so many times. I cheered for them when they didn't win a game and always held out hope for "the next game", or "next season". So believe you me, I'm celebrating and having a ball watching these games. Having Brooks there with us is just icing on the cake. (Cindy, I know you'll love this picture! lol)

The next two pictures are just darn cute! I tell ya, I could just eat him with a spoon!

Patrick and Amber are getting married next weekend. I can't believe the day is finally almost upon us. Stay tuned for thoughts from the mother of the groom this week. It's hard on a Mom!