HGTV.....Bathrooom Redesign.....

I have spent this whole week remodeling our bathroom. Since I don't have the cash to gut the bathroom and redo the whole thing like we really want, I decided to just make it livable for the time being. All for under $300, I was able to redesign the entire bathroom. New flooring, paint, window treatments, lighting and accessories! I love how it turned out and I am so glad I got it done while Todd was gone. Hopefully he will like what I have done.

He will finally be home tomorrow. I know he made it back into the States safely so that is all I care about. No moose once again, but he had fun and I guess that is all that really matters. I cannot wait to hold him in my arms again. I have felt like a part of me was missing all week.

He will be home tomorrow evening so I am gonna take the girls to the Georgia State Fair tomorrow while we anxiously wait for him to get home.

We had soccer pictures taken today for Bailey. She looks so cute in her uniform. She is really enjoying it so far. She has another game on Monday.

I guess that is all for now. I am tired and gonna head to bed. Hope everyone has a great week!

Soccer and Dances

Whew! What a week! I am so tired from all of it, but so fulfilled because my children are experiencing so much fun and excitement.

Bailey had her first soccer game this past week. She did SOOOO good for never playing soccer before. She was sitting on the ball before the game started, and I was like "oh boy, this is gonna get interesting". But once that whistle blew she just hopped up and got her head in the game. She played defense which I thought was a good choice on the coach's part being she had never played before. I just sat on the sidelines praying she would just not get hurt. Well, let me tell you that ball came down near her and she got right in there. She had a few good plays too. She learned a few things as well which was great. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Her team won 5-1. She was so excited and couldn't wait to tell Sarah and Daddy about it. She has another game again tonight so we will see if she does as well. It was so neat to see her involved in something.

Sarah had her Homecoming this weekend as well. It was Spirit week at school so she got right in on the festivities....twin day, tacky day/duct tape day, zombie day, red light day and finally spirit day. The football team won Friday night at the game which is always a good thing for homecoming. Band did great as usual. Saturday started off with a nail appointment, then hair appointment and finally the dance. Chase looked so handsome when he arrived to pick up our princess. Sarah looked fantastic if I don't say so myself. She was absolutely radiant and classy. Some of these teenage girls look like hoochies when they go to these dances. We took some pictures and the kids headed out to dinner. She and Chase went with one other couple to eat. I went out to eat with Chase's parents and when the kids were done, they met up with us again to get more pictures made at ABAC (our local college). Then they headed to the dance which they had an absolute ball at! I had a bonfire at the house and all the kid's parents came to it and then the kids joined us after the dance was over. We all had a great time relaxing and enjoying the laughter of our kids. We didn't get to bed till around 3:30 am. Sunday was spent recovering from lack of sleep! Sarah didn't want the weekend to end...but like all good things it did. She made lots of memories and that is all that matters.

So I sit here on Monday morning exhausted but fulfilled......funny how your children can bring you so much grief at times but seeing what my girls have been up to lately, the joys of being a mom by far outweigh the crazy times. I love being a mom and seeing our children happy....there is nothing in the world quite like it.

What we have been up to.....

Okay....so when I tell you band pretty much takes up our life.....I am not joking. For the past few weeks all we do on the weekends it band stuff. I feel like I am never home and that we are constantly at something band related. This weekend was no different. Sarah had her first major band competition of the season. The Blue Devil Brigade took home top honors....Superior Ratings, All 1's for scores, and a Sweepstakes win for the competition! They did fantastic and the kids were so excited. Bailey and I had fun watching the kids but we were sweating our bottoms off! It was like 93 degrees and humid! I felt so bad for the kids in their polyester band uniforms because it was so hot, so Bailey and I tried not to complain but it was hard.

Next week is Homecoming weekend so we will have the homecoming parade on Thursday, game at the stadium on Friday and then the dance on Saturday. So we will have a fun packed week/weekend. Sarah has her dress and accessories purchased. Going to get nails and hair done the day of the dance and then off to pictures and dinner before the dance. I am having a bonfire out here at our house after the dance for the kids to come and hang out. It is just gonna be Sarah and Chase and her friends Kaycee and Rob. I am gonna have the parents out while the kids are at the dance....so maybe I will get to relax a little next weekend....doubt it but a girl can dream.

Bailey has started soccer practice and she is doing quite good for never have played the game. She is realizing how tiring it can be too which is funny to watch her. Her first game is at the same time of the parade on Thursday, so I won't be at the parade but on the soccer field watching Bailey. That has been hard for me to have to now split myself between activities because I want to be there for both my children....hate that feeling. Bailey had her Pride Program this week for all the kids who made all A's for the first quarter. She is doing so well in school. The kids were treated to one of the original Harlem Globetrotters as their speaker. She got to ask him a question....and what does she ask? "What size shoe do you wear?"....too funny! By the way....it was a size 15. She was so excited she got to "talk" to him!

Todd heads out on his annual moose hunt on Friday. He will be gone for about 9 days. He loves this trip and has told me he thinks this is probably going to be the last year doing this because he thinks his dad won't be able to continue the hiking etc. because of his health.....I am more worried about Todd's legs this year too. I hope he will do okay with it. I can't wait to go to the doctor's in November to start to get some answers....I am fearful of what the outcome will be but in the same sense anxious cuz I want to see him finally know what is going on. Please continue to pray for him as things are not changing much and sometimes I think worse but in different ways. I know God has a plan for us and I trust He will take us through this, but I am human and I still have fears.

Well I think that catches you all up on things. Hope everone is well!

Playing in the Mud....

We had a really horrible rainstorm the other day that came through Tifton. The farmer's field across the road from us at one point looked like a pond. The girls and I sat on the front porch and watched the cars "flying" down the road in the torrential downpour. As soon as they would hit the intersection at the corner of our property, the cars would hydroplane. We thought for sure there was gonna be a wreck. So we sat there just laughing at how dumb people are....I know that is kinda sick, but we were looking for some form of entertainment and that seemed to fit the bill for the time. Once the rain let up, the little voices from the field across from us were calling the girls names....."come play in the mud"...."it will be fun"......so needless to say the girls couldn't resist. They had so much fun and were laughing so hard. I was on guard on the front porch with the camera, waiting for one of them to fall on their behind in the mud. It didn't happen unfortunately, but it was a small moment of childhood laughter that I got to experience with my girls....so it was priceless. We had a fun afternoon just enjoying the basics....rain and mud and laughter.

Just a thought....

No pictures to add right now, but just a thought. I saw a sign the other day that read......Before you speak think whether what you are about to say is true, helpful, and kind. That sign really has hit home for me. I struggle with this daily.....it is so easy to judge and criticize. I just thought I would share this with everyone to give you something to think about as it has for me.
Hope you have a good week.

Back to School

Well....I am officially the mother of a 5th grader and a sophomore...need I say more about my emotional state? I had a date with my husband this morning for breakfast and I ended up crying through most of it cuz I just can't believe how quickly time is flying. It just doesn't seem right that my children are growing up so fast. I know every mother in history probably has said that, but it is sooooo true. And until you are a mother, you just don't get it.....

Bailey met her teacher last night and seemed to like her very much. I was happy to see that she had several kids she knew in her class that she goes to church with and some that she knew from when she was in the primary school. So the change to the new school should be fine for her. I will see how she did this afternoon when I pick her up.

Sarah started at the main high school campus today as well. I pray she does well there. Her biggest fear is the drama that revolves around girls! She just doesn't want to deal with it, but it is gonna be there and how she deals with it will be the test. I still am numb to the fact she has only three more years left before she heads to college.

Well that is the quick update for now.....back to a routine and back to life as only I know it.

Have a great week!

Crazy past few days....

So we have had enough excitement to last us a while. Suncya we headed to St. Stimons Island to see my dearest friend Betsy and her family. They live in Texas so this is usually the only time I get to see her all year, so I was looking so forward to this trip. We got there Sunday morning and had a great time at the beach together. Kids had a blast. On our way back to the condo, Todd pulled into the complex and a woman decided to back out into our convertible.....crap!!!! So we spent the next hour dealing with police report etc. Had a great rest of the day, although my stomach was in knots because I am ticked my car is ruined. Went out to eat at the Red Barn on the Island and it was yummy. The next morning, Todd and Rick went out on a shark fishing trip and had lots of luck. Caught quite a few sharks with the largest that they got to the boat being about 4 foot long. While the guys were off fishing, we took the kids to the beach again and they had a great time! Bailey attempted skim boarding with the boys and Sarah decided tanning was the name of the game for the day. We headed to Barbara Jeans for a dinner of "she crab" soup and their famous crab cakes. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Tifton. Drove through some hellacious rain but all went well.....until we got home. We arrived home to find out Reilly was gone. The kids were really upset and I was trying to stay calm for them. We looked everywhere we could and to no avail she was no where. A really bad storm came through that night so we were of course really worried about her. Tuesday morning I went out on a search for her, reported her missing with the animal shelter, the local vets, the microchip company that is in her, and we posted signs up everywhere. Still no luck finding her. I then start going into freak out mode cuz I am realizing she may not be come home. Another storm comes through and now I am really worried about her. Still no luck all day. Wednesday morning we go on another search for her and she is still no where. I go home and decide to start painting the kitchen to get my mind off things....storm starts brewing outside again. The phone rings about 3:00 and I answer it. A woman down the road from us calls and says "I have your baby!" I started screaming and crying like a 5 year old cuz I am so excited. We went down to get her and the woman said she had been there since Monday and that she didn't feed her cuz she figured she would go home if she didn't do that, but that the storms we had made Reilly go hide underneath her deck and she couldn't get her out. When she finally did get her, she called the number on her tag which was our vets office and the gave her our number. So happy ending after all the drama!

Today had to get up at 5 am to take Bailey to Macon for her 6 month check up.....drove an hour and a half to be in the office for 7 minutes to here the doctor say, "it all looks great", and then drive home for another hour and a half. Got home and had to go get an estimate on the car which was $3300. Got home and insurance appraiser came to look at car and he says close to $4000.....so we will see what happens next.

I am exhausted after this weekend/week of events because my brain is mentally shot, but this too shall pass. And as my dad told me, "Nadine, your life is always exciting...there is always something going on....you need to write a book!" I guess this is as close to a book as I will get for a while cuz I am too tired and too busy to find the time!

Here is hoping this weekend and next week will be better. Sarah starts drivers ed this coming week. The girls have only 3 weeks left before the first day of school....can't believe summer is over already!