so proud!

It's been a while so I've posted, but thought that I would share what's been going on the last few days of our lives. On Valentine's Day, Chris and I (and a guy he works with, Shawn) headed up to Clarksville for a gig he had. It was Shawn's birthday and he had asked to go, so Chris obliged. Anyway, Drew (Chris' best friend) was watching the boys for us. I guess I should mention that we technically had our Valentine's day on Friday night, so it wasn't that terrible to be in Clarksville. So on the way up to Clarksville I get a call from Drew telling me that when I had ordered the pizza (via Online) I had put carryout instead of delivery. I try to call and have them change it, but they tell me it'll take 2 hours. So we cancel the order, and Drew orders stuff from Pizza Hut. Anyway, we spend the evening at this biker joint, complete with drunk girls literally falling on me, and finally head home. We get here around 4 am, to a sick Alex. We spend Sunday taking care of him.

On Monday, Alex comes with me to class (I have class from 9 am-7pm)....he did an awesome job, and all the professors were completely great with the whole idea (thanks education dept!). Tuesday morning goes fine...I start cleaning up the house, and wham! I get whatever it is that Alex has. I start to feel a little better around 5:30 and head out to the daycare to pick up the boys. We leave, head across the road to Walgreens to return a Redbox DVD. We then go to Kroger.

Kroger was the worst experience EVER. We get food (something quick for Chris to make since I refused to eat), and head to the u-scan. I'm next in line and start getting dizzy. I'm about to pass out, and my credit card won't scan. The guy tells me something about it being a major credit card and him not able to type it in. Anyway, he gets it to work and I'm out of it. I'm sitting on the floor in the bathroom, trying not to pass out since I have both boys with me. Alex gets into the grocery cart, gets my phone out...and proceeds to call Chris. He tells Chris what's going on and that he needs to get to Kroger immediately to pick us up. He even describes in detail which Kroger it is. About 10 mins later, I'm feeling a little better...enough to walk to the car. So, I stand up and put my coat on and start to leave. Alex then tells me that I need to sit down that he's taken care of it and that Chris is on his way. I eventually get home, and go to sleep. We then had the sickness pass on to Aidan and Chris yesterday while I was not doing well myself.

Okay, so this whole long post was simply to say how grateful I am that Alex was there. We just got new phones a couple of weeks ago. I had explained to him Tuesday morning (the Kroger day), how to call on the phone in case anything ever happened and he needed to. I can't believe how big my little Alex has gotten. I am so blessed!

time has flown

Okay, well apparently I'm bad at this updating thing. You'll have to forgive me. I'll try to shorten all that has happened since the end of Sept.

Alex is doing well in school. He was having a few "issues" with his behavior. Nothing really big. I spent a few afternoons with him, just the two of us. We played Wii one afternoon, we went to the library and we went to Sonic (he LOVES it there). After those 3 afternoons he started calming back into his usual behavior. I think sometimes we get so busy that we forget to spend 1 on 1 time with the kids. Don't get me wrong we do spend time with them. It's just it's normally Chris with Alex and me with Aidan. We're trying to switch each weekend and spending a few hours with each kid. It seems to have made a happier impact on the family as a whole. Alex did get his first report card, and we were very proud of him! He's starting to read already, and catching on really quickly.

Aidan for the most part has been great. I got a call at work a few weeks ago to pick him up for being sick, but he was okay after that afternoon. On Monday of this week, I got a call at work saying he had a 102 temp. I picked him up, gave him medicine and spent Tuesday with him. He didn't have a fever at all on Tuesday. Sent him back to school on Wednesday, and got a call around 4 in the afternoon saying he had a temp of 103. I pick him up, and they stop me on the way out to tell me that another kid in Aidan's class had just been diagnosed with walking pneumonia. Great! So this morning, just to be cautious, I brought him to the doctor. He has PNEUMONIA AND STREP! My poor baby! He had a shot at the office, and is taking augmentin and mucinex. Hopefully we can kick this thing quickly.

Chris, wow what do I say. Well at the end of October (the day before my bday), I got a call at work from him. He told me that I needed to come bring him to the ER. Apparently he was fixing one of the steel railings in the warehouse when a forklift came by and knocked it over. The brackets on the rail went into Chris' head. He had 3 gashes in his head, with 12 stitches total. I was a wreck, but we had lots of support from family and friends!

Chris' branch location has decided to downsize. Uh oh, right? Well you see, Chris just got a massive raise, a few weeks ago. But he called me literally 10 mins ago to tell me that layed off all but 5 people in the warehouse...basically the management team was left. They're all on salary, and they're all going to be taking a cut. His GM has promised that if he has to take Chris' salary, he'll give him the same amt at an hourly rate. Time will tell.

That brings it to me. Nothing really has happened with me. Just working, going to class, and trying to take care of my family. It's been a long stressful semester. But it's gonna be worth it when I'm student teaching next fall. I was kind of promoted at work. I'm now a front-end supervisor. I can audit registers and things like that. I enjoy it.

Okay, well so much for my shortened version. I'll try to update more than every 2 months from now on!

much needed

The four of us went on a last minute trip to NC this weekend. So many things brought us there, but it was definitely a much needed get away. Chris has been working ridiculous hours lately, and way beyond stressed. He's also been really sick. The weekend just gave him time to relax and get better. His parents pastor a church in Arden, NC and we just spent the weekend with them. We didn't do much of anything, just kind of sat around and relaxed.

We left around 8:30 from Hermitage on Friday night. We traveled for an hour and 15 mins, and I made a comment about how well we were doing on time....bad mistake. Literally 10 seconds later, we hear a pop and alot of "flop, flop, flop"-ing. We had a blowout. We had gone 112 miles. Chris tells me that as far as he knows, we don't have a spare in the truck. I ask him to check anyway, while I call around to figure out what we should do. He finds a spare, but realizes we don't have the lug wrench thingy. His AAA card is in his truck, and they can't find him in the system. I eventually find the old card and then they find him. They say they'll send out a truck to get us a wrench. We sit there...both kids asleep...both parents tired and on edge. A cop pulls behind us, helps Chris change the tire, escorts us to a gas station to put air in the tire. We proceed to drive to NC, going 52 mph....for a total of 7 1/2 hours. We went 200+ miles on a "doughnut". Do you know how dangerous that is? Anyway, we made it safely to his parents house. We got a new tire on Saturday, and realized that we have had 3 flat tires in the last 2 months, and bought a total of 5 tires in the last 3 months. No more flats please!

After we got back on the road I started thinking how lucky I am. I know it sounds frivilous, but I am extremely grateful that Chris was there and able to change the tire. I think sometimes I take for granted all the things he does...even the little things. I don't know how to change a tire, change the oil (or add it for that matter), or do anything like that. I found myself asking Chris about random things that he knows how to do (like roofing, I didn't know he had done that before). Anyway, I made sure I told him how grateful I was especially for the little things.

Okay last thing. Aidan started potty-training hard core last week. The preschool told us that he was ready for underwear....I didn't believe them. He's done super well! No accidents, even from driving this weekend. We're really proud of him...and really really happy that we don't have to buy diapers anymore. Between diapers and pull-ups we were paying about $40 every 2-3 weeks. Okay, that's my novel for today!

english please???

So I had to go pick up my bridesmaids dress in Cool Springs, on the way I noticed that the gas station by the stadium was at $3.55. I bypassed it, thinking I could get a better price somewhere. I get to Cool Springs, get the dress, grab Chris lunch from Calypso and head back to Keystone. After lunch, I notice gas prices are at $3.99. So I take my chances and head over to Shelby Ave hoping that gas was still cheaper there. It was at $3.59 so I get gas there. I'm waiting on my turn, and I notice this nice Lexus pull up. I'm on the phone with my mom and the driver gets out. I look over and he looks at me as I'm telling mom it's LenDale White! He sees me say his name and he kind of smiles, I guess because a girl actually knew who he was. (BTW, he plays for the Titans...I think he's a running back...not sure). Anyway, so I pull in, fratically texting Chris to tell him...but trying not to look like a big idiot. I start pumping and the passenger side window starts rolling down and I look up. It's yet another Titans player (who's acting like a big baby right now...) and I guess a friend of theirs. The friend says hey to me, asks me how I'm doing and then utters these words "let me holla 'atcha Ma". What exactly does that mean? Is that english? So, it kind of made it awkward when I explain to the guy I'm married, with kids. I really wanted a pic, or at least an autograph...but how do you do that when you've shooed away one of their friends? Anyway, so now all I've got is my memory...no proof. But if you talk to anyone who spoke to me afterwards, I'm sure my excitement could be all the proof needed. So if anyone wants to stake out the Exxon outside LP Field around 2:30, you might catch a Titan getting gas. And btw, even LenDale White was making a big deal out of the outrageous gas prices. If he's complaining based on his salary, I wonder if he can imagine what the rest of us are feeling.

still amazed

So my car has been breaking for the past week and a half. It's a major issue since we own a car and a pickup truck...so if the car breaks we can't fit into the truck. Anyway, so I didn't get a chance until this past Friday to bring it up to the mechanic, but just to get an idea of what it was and how much it was going to cost. I was waiting on a call from work to go in, so I couldn't stay long. Basically, I have had my serpentine belt replaced twice over the course of 2 months. The second time also required a replacement of the turn-y thing-y that makes the belt...well...turn. We had that replaced on a Monday, 2 weeks ago. By Friday it started making this loud shaking noise. We open the hood to realize that the part that was just put on is shaking and vibrating. But, like I said it took me a week to get it to the mechanic. He wasn't sure what was going on and told me to bring it back in today after class. So that's what we had planned on. But, Sunday on the way to church the car starts "misfiring". So much so that I need to hold the clutch in extra long to keep the car from stalling. And while I'm idleing I have to hold the brake and rev the engine at the same time so the car doesn't turn off. Fast forward to today. I'm on my way to class (on I-24) getting off at Fessler's Lane, and the car stalls...going 65! I find out that I tested out of a class and start to leave TNU, and head over to Keystone. It's almost 2, so that means Happy Hour at Sonic. Yeah, the car stalled 3 times trying to back out of my parking space...and about another 15 times on the way to the mechanic. We never make it to Sonic :(. Anyway, we really didn't have money to fix the car (but definitely didn't tell anyone that), but like I said we needed it. The mechanic fixes it, and when I ask him what I owe him (typically would be in the $150-$200 [if not more] range for what all he had to do), he tells me "not to worry about it". I've been praying for a week that God would help me figure out a way to get the car fixed. I've been stressed beyond all reason and God had someone say "don't worry about it". We've been going to Joe since I was preggo with Aidan and he knows all of us well. God takes care of us time and time again, so why do I always try to figure it out myself? Anyway, my long "little" story for today. And if anyone needs a car fixed, The Mechanic's Shop in Madison is a great place!

ramblings

So I started school this week. Yay for being in classes again! They changed out all of the faculty in the education department, and kind of downsized since the last time I was there. So, not only do I not know any students in the department, now I have to meet and get to know all new professors.

Now, if you know me really well you know that when I'm around people I don't know I become very introverted. I normally just sit quietly and try to mind my own business. But while doing this I felt God tugging at me. So, I'm gonna share my thoughts and you guys let me know what you think.

I found myself (not purposefully) listening to others conversations while being quiet and waiting on classes to start. Not necessarily eaves dropping, but most conversations were loud enough for people in the whole room to listen to. I actually have a very vivid image in my head of a particular conversation. I think that most people at Trevecca are Christians. Most were born and raised Nazarene, and have generations upon generations of Nazarene heritage. But, there are people at Trevecca that aren't Christians...even some people that we may think are...aren't really. So being in majority isn't it our "job" as Christian peers to show them the way a Christian should be? Shouldn't we distinguish ourselves from the outside world? Now I'm not talking about preaching at every person we see, or even wearing dresses and suits and our hair in buns. But I do think that we should avoid unrighteous things. I'm kind of dancing around the issue I'm particularly thinking about...so lets just go for it. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in the building others up according to their needs" If you can't figure out where I'm going, keep re-reading ;) I have found myself gossiping or "sharing in love", but after the last couple of days I've been more aware and removed myself from those situations and conversations. I pray that I will continue to feel this conviction anytime I attempt to talk about anyone else. I keep going back to the "he who is without sin cast the first stone" thing. I don't really know where I'm going with this, just trying to share my jumbled thoughts.

I also found myself reading Levi's earlier this week. And tada! we discussed it in my Family in Society class today. I think as a married woman, I take for granted all that Chris does to help me out. So when I find myself without him for some brief period of time I'm lost. I absolutely can't imagine what it would be like to be a single parent. So, thanks Chris for all that you do that I don't give you near enough credit for! Okay, I'm done with my ramblings, gotta go pick up the boys from school!

as promised

Here a few of the pics of the first day. Sorry it took so long to post, but the camera is only working some of the time...guess it's time for a new one! Enjoy!