"Rolllll Eagle!"

For the ones of you who don't live in Alabama, or near it, you may not know that today is the Iron Bowl. This is the day each year that Alabama and Auburn meet up to fight it out in what is commonly dubbed "the game of the year" with the winning team winning bragging rights for the next year. (although I haven't really heard much bragging among anyone other than grade schoolers in years)

Anyway, I am not exactly a die hard, dress up in team colors, go to every game, decorate my home and car kind of fan, and I generally pull for both Alabama & Auburn throughout the year..... except in this game. I want Auburn to win. Mainly because many Bama fans tend to bear a striking resemblance to a certain team a bit north of here who wear orange and white, as far as the level of obnoxiousness goes, when things are good in T' town.

As most of you know, Auburn has won for the past 6 years (maybe that's why there has been no grade school type bragging? hmmm...not sure.) which leads me to my point. See that picture above? That's from Channel 19. I generally watch that station for news and have seen that picture along with hearing the bone jarring voice that says "Iron Bowl 2008, Perfection vs. Redemption" at least a thousand times in the past week or so. While I know that it's referring to the far less than perfect season that Auburn has had and the perfect season (as far as wins at least, not perfect performance by any means) Alabama has had so far this year, it's still really annoying.

As far as facts go, Auburn has actually won the "Iron Bowl" more times than Alabama has and has had multiple winning seasons over the past several years while Bama has performed far less than perfect for quite some time now, at least until this year. One bad season and AU is seeking redemption? Riding Tuberville out on a rail? Please!

Anyway, whoever wins today's game, I'm pretty sure I'll not loose any sleep over it. Carter and I usually spend our time in front of the TV on game day watching for Uncle Chris & Aunt Crystal on TV at the game....we'll be watching for Uncle Chris today wearing his Crimson & White (and you know we'll find him in 100,000+ people!)

I thought about dressing Carter in his Bear Bryant hat and his Auburn shirt...lol! We have said both "Roll Tide" and "War Eagle" so many times this year, he's adapted his own shortened version of both now, which his dad, grandparents and everyone else of "Tide" descent just love ...I'll leave you with it...

"Rollllll Eagle!!"


That's my boy!

fPhoto Friday

Due to my lack of time spent visiting blogs lately, I just stumbled across fPhoto Friday on Natalie's blog this week, and knew this was most certainly a meme' for me! My family & friends will attest to the fact that I am never ever ever caught without a camera close at hand! (especially my husbands family who aren't quite as camera crazy as my family happens to be.) Any time my family gets together there are flashes galore and we are always trying to decide who's Canon is who's. We blame this in part on the baby explosion we have had going on for the past couple of years. There is just too much cuteness for one person to capture! (I hope this isn't a wordless meme...I don't do wordless so well!)

Okay, so back to the pics for today. This is Carter and my sweet niece, Maggie last night. It looks like they are plotting something....(note Carters gun on his side, and Maggie's purse)

He is shhh'ing her! I'm not sure how long Miss Maggie will tolerate this from him!


A super sweet sing a long! Camera: Canon XSi
Setting: I have no idea I changed them about a million times yesterday :)

For more fPhoto Friday, visit Natalie at Married to The Preacher! What a fun idea Natalie, thanks for hosting!

Thankful....

though we prayed for so many years...

though we agonized through devastating losses...

though we wondered, "will it ever happen for us?"....

Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine how God would show out when blessing us and answering our prayers....





Thankful doesn't begin to express our gratitude to Him....

I am also thankful for the opportunity to participate in Cardboard Testimonies this past week at our church. Though my baby was sick, God wouldn't let me stay home (Dad stayed home with the babies). I couldn't decide exactly what to write on my card, but God showed me many times that I had been blessed with these two babies for a reason.....and I had better share my testimony. If you ever have an opportunity to participate or to witness a program such as Cardboard testimonies do it. Thank you Cheryl for bringing this to our church family.

I was blessed beyond measure on Sunday.

I am blessed beyond measure every day.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Update! A bit better!

First of all, thank you all so much for all of the comments, emails, texts, calls, and most importantly PRAYERS over these past several days! Carter seems to be feeling better this morning, and while he still has a temp, it's only 101.3 which is much better than the 104+ it has been for the past few days!

To update everyone on what's been going on since Thursday: We went back to the Dr Friday and they basically repeated everything they did on Thursday except they added some fluids via the IV to try to keep him from getting dehydrated. The blood culture that they drew on Thursday wasn't growing anything at last check, which is good, hopefully whatever this is is viral and not bacterial. The poor baby has been checked for everything from a spider bite ( I killed a black widow outside the garage a few days ago...second one in a couple of months!) to pneumonia to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (we pretty much live in the woods, therefore there are ticks in this area) and Roseiola (aka German Measles...Kyle's 1st cousin died from this as an infant several years ago).

I am a "fact checker" and went in that office every time with a list of questions complete with symptoms, times of temps taken, meds given, poops, pees and everything that went into or came out of his mouth......I'm pretty sure they knew that I wasn't going to be happy with an answer such as "it may just be a virus". I hope it is just a virus, but don't think for a minute we're going to wait around for a week to find out without checking when I know my baby, and I KNOW this isn't normal for him. Thank goodness Dr. Jeanie felt the same way! The minute she walked by our room and saw Carter limp in my arms, she came in and started checking him out.

He usually enters the office saying, "Doooctor Jeeeanie?!!!" and proceeds to go all the way to the end of the hall, around the corner and down another hall and right to her office....every time! I have apologized many times for this but she assures me she adores him and loves the fact that he remembers her name, and loves her as much as she does.

Anyway, late Friday night he broke out in a horrible rash and when I called the doc on call, they said that with everything else he had going on we should bring him in to the ER. We are new at this. So new that when I dozed off on the ride up there (no sleep in 2 days will do that), I woke up and noticed we were going the wrong way. "Where are you going?!!" I asked my equally exhausted husband. "To the hospital!!" He was going to the hospital where our babies were delivered....not to Childrens! Thankfully, we could still take another exit and get there pretty quick! When the triage nurse noticed who our pediatrician was she said, "she's actually working the ER tonight, let me see if she's still here!" Thankfully, she was! At this point, I doubt Carter would have let anyone else come near him!

Dr Jeanie believes the rash is an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. I think she is probably right. Both times I have had a Csection I have had a horrible reaction to the spinal block. My face is blotchy and red, and ITCHY BEYOND BELIEF! My lips swell and my nose is a lovely cross between Rudolph and a very large potato. Nice. Carter looked a lot like this.

After more tests we got to come home, but they still wanted to check him in the office later that day....Saturday. (they are OPEN, imagine that!) She didn't give him more antibiotics due to the reaction, but did give fluids and called to check on him later that evening and again yesterday.

I am supposed to call them with an update this morning and then we'll go from there, but I am really hopeful! He seems to be feeling a little better and fever is down some, so maybe whatever this nasty stuff is has run it's course!....and maybe Lilah won't partake of it!

Thank you all again so much for your prayers & well wishes!

I'll leave you with a pic of Carter as he enjoyed Alvin & The Chipmunks yesterday. He didn't dance along with the music as he usually does, but he did manage to hold his head up for most of the movie, which is a definite improvement!

...and Lilah would like to say, she will also be glad when her big brother is feeling better! His sickness is making her a bit grumpy!

Please.....

I have another prayer request for another precious baby.....mine! Yesterday Carter started the day off fine, then all of the sudden something hit him like a truck. No runny nose, no congestion, no nausea...nothing! He went from being fine to barely able to hold his head up. His temperature has been 104+ multiple times.

We were sitting at Dr Jeanie's office this morning when they opened at 8am and they rushed him in drew some blood and sent us for a chest xray after finding that his white blood cell count was real high. When we got back to the office they started an IV and gave him antibiotics and then a shot and told us to come back tomorrow for another xray and the results of the blood cultures.

Since leaving the doctors office his fever has stayed at 103-104 degrees even while alternating Tylenol & Motrin. He has been hallucinating on and off. Right now he is sleeping, but if he does that one more time we are going to the ER.

Please say a prayer for him. The nurses were astonished that he is almost 2 and a half and today is the FIRST time he has ever taken antibiotics. We have been so blessed that he doesn't really ever get sick. Now he doesn't know what is happening to him and he is really scared.

So are we.

Pray for this precious baby!

Update! For an update on Landon please go HERE. Thank you all for your prayers!

I waded though the snot (etc) coming from the nose of most every single member of this household to get to my computer to post this. I would have done it earlier but quite honestly have barely lifted my head for days much less stare at a computer screen. This doesn't by any means lesson the urgency of my request though!


My sweet nephew, Landon, 19 months, has been very sick for over a week and has been in the hospital since Friday. He has been so so sick and they have yet to discover exactly what is causing him to be so ill. Please remember Landon when you pray. Also, please remember his parents, Dana & Kevin. I know they are exhausted not to mention very scared at this point.

Please join me as I lift them up in prayer, as well as the doctors, nurses and specialists that they will find what is wrong and get this baby well! Most importantly I pray that Landon feels much better....FAST!

Thankful...

...This morning I am thankful. I am thankful for all the veterans, both present and past, who have sacrificed to make our country, our world a better safer place. My sweet Granddaddy was in the navy, and I shudder as I look at pictures of him at such a frighteningly young age in that uniform and imagine how scared he must have been as they fought in the second World War. I never heard him talk about it. I can only imagine why.

Kyle's Grandpa was an Army man. So was his identical twin brother. I still remember hearing him laugh as he told of how upset his wife would get when she ran out to greet the soldier coming home toward the house, only to be devastated when she realized it wasn't her beloved....but his twin brother. (I am having visions of two other twin pranksters I know...Lord help her!) I am thankful that within my husband's family there is a strong sense of humor, even if often they are laughing at themselves or at one another (in love, of course!).

I am so very thankful that Grandpa Smith passed away in such a peaceful manner in the wee hours of the night last night, surrounded by family. His youngest daughter holding his hand as he passed from this earth to the promised land.

I am thankful that by now he is reunited with his Mattie Lou, with that twin prankster of a brother, and that He has met his savior face to face. I know that he will love on my angel babies the same way he loved on my earthly babies. I know they will get as big a kick out of his contagious laugh/giggle that I always have. We will surely miss that laugh.

You will be missed Grandpa Smith. Thank you for treating me as one of your own. Carter knew that last night you were probably going to heaven to be with Jesus and he waited up, watching you closely. I hope you heard the words he said to you. After you had been gone for a while he climbed up into my lap, pointed to your body and said, "Mom, when Grandpa Smish(that's how he says Smith) going to heaven with Jesus?" I said, "He's already gone, baby." He didn't understand fully, but he was satisfied and finally...hours after his bedtime, fell asleep in my lap.

Until we meet again,.......

"Guess What, Mom?"

....this morning Carter comes running to where I'm changing Lilah and says, "Mom, guess what?"

He says this all the time, only he doesn't always remember that you are supposed to explain the "what". He usually just smiles at you when you say, "what?"....like that's the whole conversation.

Not today. I said, "What?" He said, "There's a rat in there."

huh?!

"A rat?" He nods proudly.

"On TV?"

He vigorously shakes his head no.

"In where?"

"In the cabbbbinet."

I said, "A real rat?! What's it doing?"

"Sitting on the corn, C'mon I'll show ya!" ...and takes off running.

I immediately grab Lilah and take off after him, with visions of nasty rodents grabbing my baby's fingers dancing in my head.

He flings open the pantry doors and pulls out the drawer with canned foods, including corn, in it.

"See mom. A rat sitting on the corn!"




Well, alrighty then. Does anybody know if anyone puts snakes or other rodents, spiders, or amphibians on their packaging? If he ever runs in and tells me there is a snake in the pantry, I might just faint!

I must start paying more attention to the packaging.

Seriously, DelMonte....what is appetizing about a rodent on a can of corn??

ewwww!

Update...

Update on Grandpa 9:39PM Sunday: We have been at the hospital most of the day today and he is still holding on, though there have been several times today when I thought he'd left us. He had a good day yesterday and even ran a lady out of his room when she dared try to shave him during the Alabama game...LOL! We were all really surprised to get the call this morning around 9 that he'd taken a turn for the very worst. He hasn't been alert at all today other than muttering a few times and creasing his brow now and then when talked to.

Most of the time his family was in decent spirits, even managing to laugh at stories....like the ones you all know and love....about Grandpa and the rest of the family. I hope he could hear the laughter and know that we would all be okay,.....but that he will be missed. I hope he heard those moments too.

Also, please remember the Jolley family. Their sweet Mother, grandmother, & great grandmother is not doing well at all. This precious woman is over 100 years old, and it hasn't been but just a few months ago that I saw her kneel in prayer with a lonely soul at the altar! She is truly a pillar in our community and she is the very definition of a Godly servant. My prayers go out to her and that family tonight, that she wouldn't suffer and would feel the very love surrounding her that she has offered to everyone she meets in her time on this earth....always,...always...with a smile!

Fallin' For Fall!

Fall is my Favorite time of year! There is no better time to live in out in the country than now. God is really showing off his beauty around here lately! I took every one of these pictures, and about a million more from my driveway. Which happens to be about 1/4 mile long.

I am so blessed to live in an incredibly beautiful place.

p.s....some of these look blurry. I meant for it to be that way, I like the way it looks kind of like a painting. Click the pic if you want to see it bigger.

This is the house across the road....
Tree at the end of my driveway. One day I thought "Man, the sky is gorgeous through those leaves..."

Same tree only a few days later.....



Doesn't this look like a painting?

You're Welcome.:)

p.s....Grandpa is holding his own! Thanks for all the prayers! I'm taking my tweezers with me today to tackle the unibrow. He would kill every one of us if he knew we'd let anyone see him ungroomed. If he is alert and give me any lip, I'm gonna remind him of all the homeade apple butter I've been smuggling to him!

"Maw Maw sad"....

We are on our way to the hospital where they have called the family in for Grandpa S. Please pray that he won't have to suffer, and pray for his family. We have had a few days to get somewhat ready for this time, but it won't be easy now that it looks like the time has come to say good-byes.

He is alert today and knows everyone which is a blessing! We are taking the kids to see him, in hopes that he will be able to talk to them. He always perks up when he sees them, and hasn't been alert at all any of the times we have been there over the past week.

Update:11:10PM Thursday. Just returned home from the hospital. Grandpa is starting to having 25-30 second periods where he isn't breathing every couple of minutes. He doesn't seem to be in any pain though. He wasn't alert at all while we were there, but Carter kept going up to the bed and just watching him. Once whispering, "I love you Grandpa". We talked on the way home about how Grandpa would probably be going to heaven soon to be with Jesus. He just nodded and said, "Like Jill did". He still remembers her singing to him before she got so sick, and he remembers going to visit her in the hospital. I said, "Yes, baby. Like Jill did." He said, "Maw Maw sad."

Wise beyond his years.

It was a new beginning.....

...I was in the fourth grade. We were getting a new student. That happened often, why was this time different? Why was the teacher giving us instructions on how to treat this new little boy? Then he walked in. He looked different than the rest of us.....and I'll never forget how scared he looked. Why would a little ten year old boy be scared to go to school?

Our school was an elementary school in a very small town. No stop lights, no high school. Everyone knew everyone else....and everything about them. People on their front porches waved to cars as they passed by.....they still do that. These were all things that made our town quite charming, really.

We lived on the top of a mountain. A beautiful mountain with tree lined roads, where overlooks provided breathtaking views of the valleys below, and where everyone who lived on this mountain had the same color skin.

....until that day in the fourth grade.

His mom looked like us, but his biological father, who wasn't in the picture, obviously didn't. I still remember going home and telling my parents we had a new little boy in our class and he was an indian. I don't remember if someone told us that or if I came up with the conclusion on my own, either way, I was clueless. My dad set me straight on the facts, but then went on to tell me not to treat this little boy any different than anyone else in my class, to make him feel like he belonged.

Our class quickly made friends with this charming little boy, who had the most beautiful smile, the most adorable dimples. He was just one of us. We went on to finish elementary school, and on to the high school a town away. We graduated and went on to live our lives.

I've always wondered what that little boy had to endure outside our sheltered classroom in that elementary school. At that time he didn't really "fit" into either race. White or black. I'm sure he has faced many difficult challenges in his life.

I still see him now and then, and he is still just as charming, with those same adorable dimples only now we compare pictures of our children and talk about "back when".

As I watched the election coverage into the wee hours of the night, the man I voted for didn't win. However, this morning I choose to begin praying for my newly elected president. I pray for God to guide his path, I pray that our new president will turn to my God in prayer for strength and guidance as he makes decisions for our country. I pray for his wife and two beautiful little girls as they begin their new and very public life.

I also can't help but wonder if this new president, whether or not he shares my beliefs, didn't grow up somewhat similarly to my childhood friend. Did they face some of the same challenges? I'm sure they did. I'm sure he felt like he didn't fit in to either race many times throughout his life.

For those children both then and now, I hope this victory is very sweet. I hope this helps move our nation forward in the quest started so many years ago not to see the color of someones skin, but to see their heart. I hope my sweet childhood friend who has grown into a kind successful man, claims his part of this victory. For he was truly a pioneer, though he probably didn't know it or want to be, simply by showing people in this tiny southern town kindness and friendship whether it was returned to him or not.

...I pray that this great nation moves away from seeing only faces, and toward seeing souls that need to know salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. Because after all is said and done, that's all that really matters, and that's the kind of place I would love to raise my children in.

update: I just found this on the LPM blog. Every American needs to read it.
And, I heard this on Moody radio today:

"This election was not about elephants or donkeys but about The Lamb. Let us cry out to the Lord not cry out at each other."

What if His people prayed?

A prayer by Billy Graham’s aired by Paul Harvey:

‘Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and
to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to
Those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We
Have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have

Exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us
From every sin and Set us free. Amen!’

I copied this from Laurel's site and wanted to share it.

The Red, White, and YOU!

...I saw a cute idea a kid in Oregon had for his Halloween costume on the news tonight. He was dressed as a ballot box. A hole was cut out on one side for Obama and another for McCain. The people he trick or treated put candy in the side they wanted to vote for. How cute is that? Here's a pic...Not so cute were the results of his mock election. However, I refuse to believe its validity since one person could have put 75 tootsie rolls on one side. Just sayin...

On the topic of the election though, I'm sure that unless you live under a rock in the middle of nowhere, you know it's tomorrow. GO VOTE!

I know, I know, I know, the lines will be long, you have to work, you're so busy, you have to drag kids with you to the polling place, blah, blah, blah.... I myself would give a hefty donation to a candidate who could get early voting legalized in Alabama (unless they also were in favor of abortion....that's a line I don't cross). I have tried to think of any possible valid excuse to vote absentee, but didn't come up with one that was, you know, true!

They didn't have a box on what qualified as absentee titled :Possible nervous breakdown when toddler destroys polling place, Or: Mother with broken foot who seriously overdid it this weekend would very much like to not stand in line holding 17 pound 7 month old and wrangling 29 pound 2 yr old.

I have very vivid memories of the last presidential election in which I stood in line, OUTSIDE, in the COLD RAIN, AND was late for work....but I voted! This year will no doubt be the most exciting ever! I will be hauling my offspring in for the event.

I do plan to dress them in adorable patriotic-colored outfits and have Carter toting an American flag in hopes that some sweet soul will have mercy on me and let me pass them in line. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll pinch them or something in hopes that the wailing will do what the cuteness could not. I'll let you know which works. (kidding! I probably won't pinch them!)

Most importantly, I hope that every American has agonized and prayed about the vote they will cast tomorrow. I know every American won't because our current state as a nation proves that we don't address many decisions...most decisions, with prayer. Another thing I do know, whether the results of the election go as I wish they would, I know that my God will be the same God when the results are in as He is now....as He will be forever. I know that He already knows the outcome. I know that whether He blesses our nation as a whole or not, He does bless His children for their obedience. And, I know that while I am a citizen of the United States, I am first and foremost a citizen of the kingdom of God. Signed, Sealed....and one day, Delivered!

Costume Contest...

...so I'm thinking, with today being Halloween, why not take a trip down memory lane, revisit Halloweens past and share our favorite, or most horrible, costumes?

Fun!

I know that my title says "contest", but the only prize will be the joy you have in knowing you have provided others with an entertaining comment, or maybe even a costume idea, or at the very least, a good laugh at someone else's expense....goodness knows, I'm always up for THAT! (right, Brooke? haha!)

So, since it's my blog and my idea, and since I may very well end up being the only participant (please NO! participate with me!!) I'll start!

I'm actually sad to say, I don't really remember very many of my Halloween costumes from the past. I'm sure this would devastate my mother, because she tended to put quite a bit of work into what our costumes were each year.

I remember the year I was in 1st grade and my sister was in Kindergarten, we were Miss Piggy & Kermit. My mom handmade the costumes...right down to the masks! (thanks Crystal for emailing me the pic!) They looked great, but that Miss Piggy mask was the hottest thing I've ever had on my face! Whew! Maybe that's where my claustrophobia (and other issues that may or may not have come from being Miss Piggy) came from?

I remember being Pippy Longstocking one year, Lord knows I have the frizzy hair to pull those pigtails off! I also remember the costume from the pic I'm going to show you. I have no idea what we are supposed to be, I can only guess some sort of alien being or maybe some sort of preview of the characters from Yo Gabba Gabba? In that case, we were before our time I guess! Either way, Mom and her sewing machine were obviously on strike this Halloween. I do remember the nasty face paint involved in this costume and how long it took to scrub it off! (I'm talking Brillo pad kind of scrubbing!)

So here is my entry into the First Annual Down On The Farm Prizeless Halloween Costume Contest!
I'm the one in yellow. I bet you can't guess from the couch what decade this one is from! haha! My favorite part about the picture is my sister's (in green) expression! How cute is it?! She still makes that same face when she gets mad. It may be a little less cute at 31 than at 3 though:) You can click to make it bigger if you want to see it up close & personal...you know, if you want to try to achieve this level of Halloween greatness for yourself next year!

What is your all time favorite or most horrid costume? I'm dying to know!

Or if you have no interest at all in sharing a story, then just enjoy this little cowboy & indian in all their Halloween cuteness!