MiMi's gift!

This was my mom's Mother's Day gift. The boys worked extra hard on this! And they were so proud of it!

It's a butterfly on the back with their hand prints as the wings, and the "body" is Brennan's thumbprints in black paint.. It says: "My grandsons make my heart FLUTTER."

I think MiMi really liked her homemade gift.

Tonight we had some delicious pork roast that was very tender and SO good. My middle brother drove up from the Gulf Coast where he lives, and what do you know? He pulled in the driveway at the exact moment dinner was being taken off the grill. Is that man radar or what? We had a good time tonight.

So, I had myself a big, huge hankering for some boiled peanuts this morning. I love living within a few miles of Donna's #6. However I was hoping to buy some hot boiled peanuts and some fresh, raw, green peanuts to cook in my crock pot for later. Who knew green peanuts weren't in season yet? I almost had myself a big girl hissy fit in Donna's. Good thing they know how to boil another kind of peanut. We brought home 4 pounds of the hot boiled peanuts. The boys couldn't get enough of them. It was Ethan's first time to eat the southern delicacy.

We also got some good, red tomatoes and some fresh squash to cook with dinner tonight.

And since it's Mother's Day weekend, Chad decided to cook dinner on the grill tonight. He stopped at Country Pleasin' Meat Market here in town and got a marinated pork roast, some jalapeno/cheese stuffed sausage, homemade salsa, and some beef jerky (for him and the boys--NOT me--yuck). I'm looking forward to my dinner tonight!

What being a mother means to ME:

#1. My favorite jeans are not only my "going out" jeans, but they are also my "going to Wal-Mart" jeans.

#2. Sitting down in front of the television, all alone, (the rare moments I get alone) and realizing I just watched an entire episode of "Max and Ruby" all by myself, for no reason.

#3. Having a permanent, small shadow following me around rain, sun, snow, or sleet, night or day, inside our outside, in the bathroom or in the backyard for at least the first 5 years after I initially saw the shadow appear.

#4. Really wondering if it would be easier and less painful to survive an appendectomy with a dull butter knife than survive potty training and appropriate public behavior.

#5. Patience is a virtue. It is also a virtue God has not given me.

#6. Never talk about someone's child. Even if you are reading this and have no children, but have plans for children in the future, take note!!!!! Do not EVER talk about that screaming, hollering, whiny, out of control kid who's mom and dad have discipline issues. One day, that WILL BE your child. You talk about them and God remembers. And God also has a sense of humor.

#7. As a mom, it is okay to go to the time-out chair. Sometimes a good cry is the best stress reliever and there is nowhere else better to do it than with my nose stuck in the corner.

#8. Picky eaters are not REALLY picky eaters. They will eat when they are hungry enough. And when they are hungry enough, they will eat what is put in front of them. Even the green stuff. However, I still claim to have a picky eater. Therefore he usually eats what he wants when he wants it. Again, never say never. It will come back to haunt you!!!!

#9. It's normal to find someone's underwear in a random kitchen cabinet or in the garbage can or under the couch.

#10. Even though the older and more "advanced" I become in motherhood, I question my abilities to raise my children everyday. Others are so critical and studies come out all the time about how to raise children in today's society. One thing I have learned, especially with my oldest who is a discipline challenge, is that I have to do what's best for my individual child and his needs. And I don't know where I'd be without my faith, religion, husband and mother!!!!!

What does Mother's Day mean for you?

As I am sitting here, updating my latest blog post, I am thinking about Mother's Day and watching my boys play like normal boys play. I am watching them do things like making each other laugh, and watching Ethan crawl across the back of the couch like a sneaky little cat, and watching Brennan see how hard he can make Ethan laugh before he falls off the back of the couch. It's always wild at my house. I sometimes wonder if these walls can uphold the adventures of my sons.

Mother's Day has really become a time of the year that I really enjoy. The month of May is always busy for us. Brennan has a birthday, and our wedding anniversary is the day before that. Graduations and weddings are always in May. And of course, Mother's Day.

My mother has a hard time with Mother's Day. My grandmother died on that special Sunday in 1997. For those of you who knew my Grandmama, you knew just what a special lady she was and how truly fitting that the Lord called her to Heaven on that special day. She was the epitome of what Proverbs describes as the virtuous woman:

Proverbs 31:10-31 (New International Version)

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I can imagine that Mother's Day is hard on so many moms, daughters, sisters, fathers, husbands, dads, nephews, nieces and friends. I can also imagine that Mother's Day for some mothers might be even more difficult to celebrate than Christmas or Thanksgiving. I can imagine that there are many mothers who would rather sleep through Sunday in a drug induced coma, than face what Mother's Day means. When my grandmother passed away 13 years ago, Mother's Day was never the same for my grandmother's daughter. My mom would rather the holiday have passed unnoticed.

Yesterday evening, on the way to church, I was really brought down a few notches in my way of thinking. I listen to K-Love which is THE most powerful radio station I've ever had the privilege of listening to. A listener called in and she was in tears. She was calling because of what this coming Sunday was going to hold for her. It was her first Mother's Day without her 21 year old daughter who died on October 31 after battling cancer. This lady was not even remotely feeling sorry for herself. But she wanted others to be aware that many women needed special prayer just to even make it through that day. Then she did something that astounded me: She prayed. She prayed on a nationally broadcast radio station. Thousands upon thousands listening at that moment, and she gathered her strength, her courage, and what was in her heart. She prayed for every mom who would be spending Mother's day without children. And by without children, I mean she prayed for those in her same situation. Mom's who's children had gone to Heaven before them. I don't get moved to tears very often just from listening the radio, but this lady literally moved me to tears.

It definitely tugged at my heartstrings. After she was through praying, I looked in my rearview mirror into the faces of my 2 angels. (And just for the record, I do NOT consider them ANGELS very often.) They may not always be angels, but they are ALWAYS my blessings. The gifts God has entrusted me with. They are my heart. They drive me up the wall, cause me to put myself in "Mommy timeout", they have made me cry, they challenge me, they test my patience, they make me want to scream sometimes, and they do things that disappoint me from time to time. And I know this is how it will be as long as I have children. But, they are my treasures. They are a glimpse of Heaven. They bring joy into my heart-- and through them, God shows me how much I am loved.

I'm not claiming to be a great mother. Ask my mom or my husband and they will tell you that I'm far from perfect. But, I try to be the best mother that God allows me to be. Just tonight I lost my patience over my toddler spitting a mouthful of melted M&M's all over my white, newly cleaned carpet. And then he looked up at me as I was scrubbing the floor with chocolate running down his face and grinned that angelic little grin. I pray every single day for my kids individually. And sometimes I have to realize, as painful as it is to really think about, they are not MINE. They are God's gift to me to have for a brief, fleeting moment, but they are still His. I pray in my prayers that God will use my children for His glory and for His will. I'm not immune to the fact that my babies can be taken from me. It's my greatest fear in life. But, I know that God has a plan and a purpose for me as a mother and for my boys as they grow.

Mother's Day is 3 days away. Stop for a few moments and feel blessed. Even if your mother is no longer here, or even if you have lost a child. Death is defeated. Can you imagine what Mother's Day is like in Heaven? I can't begin to fathom how beautiful a sight it is with all those angels singing.... the angels that were at one time my earthly grandmother, and someone's earthly son, and someone's earthly daughter. Happy Mother's Day to all and may it be a special day for families all around.

My hair! part 2

Here is a picture of my new 'do that Chad took with his camera phone. That's all you're going to get from me. I need to get a shirt that says "I love Rock 'n Roll" and go as a Joan Jett impersonator.

Book review....

I finally broke down and got a copy of my very own. I had heard from a few readers that this is a very, very good read. I just happened to see this while I was out shopping the other night and grabbed it. I could not put this down!!! I'm not sure if it was the story line that really caught me, or the fact that it was set in Jackson, Ms.

The story is set in the early 1960's and it centers around 3 main characters: Two black female maids, and one white "heiress" of a cotton plantation. Of course it takes place in the midst of the civil rights era and during a time that Medgar Evers was assassinated and the sit in at Woolworth's in Downtown Jackson took place. The story is a fictional plot line, but I can imagine there is a lot of truth behind everything written. From the way the whites treated the black "help", to the tension that surrounded the deep south at the time.

While I am educated on what happened during the civil rights era, to read certain details make me a little sad to say I was born and raised in Mississippi. However, I am actually VERY proud to be from this great state and I certainly think we've come a long way in the past 40 years. I am proud of Mississippi, and just as the author says in her notes at the end of the book: Mississippi is a lot like a relative who drives us crazy. As a native of the state, we are entitled to say all the things we want to about Mississippi, but the minute an outsider says something negative about our state, we immediately come to her defense.

GREAT BOOK!!!!

My hair!

Up above is the picture all you from the peanut gallery wanted to see. It's ME! :-)

Well, I always say that blogging is my therapy. It is the place I come to vent. So, I'm here to vent about my HAIR! After over 2 years of having a really cute haircut and for the first time in MY ENTIRE LIFE, loving my hair, I have decided to grow it back out. Two years of the same hairstyle starts to get old. I still go see my hairdresser every 6 weeks to keep it shaped up and have it thinned out every so often, because I have a MASSIVE amount of hair.

So Saturday was the day to have my hair shaped up. Before I say anything about my cut, I want you to know how much I love, love, love my hairdresser. She is WONDERFULLY AWESOME. She has never, ever given me a bad cut. And believe me, I've had A LOT of bad cuts in my life. She took over 10 inches off the first time she ever laid hands on me, and still did a fabulous job (which is why I kept going back.) So I've yet to have a bad cut done in over 2 years. Until Saturday. Ay-ay-ay.

I decided at the last minute I wanted some of those cute little bangs that are in. I've had bangs on and off for my entire life. Well, she cut some bangs, but the bangs are not the problem here. It's what she did with the rest of my hair. She decided to get snippy with it. Hair was all over the place. She was trying to thin out my hair so that it wouldn't look like a mushroom was growing on my head. Now I feel like I look like Joan Jett circa 1981. I can only hope that I don't look that way to others. However, when your own dad doesn't recognize you in Walgreeen's, there's a lot to be said. I have gotten a ton of compliments on it, even when I was drenched in rain on Saturday. But, I think people lie about stuff like that. I know I do. (Well, I'm being honest here--- honest about lying.) But even when Brennan saw me after my cut, he said, "Mama, you look AWESOME!!!!" And Ethan couldn't figure out if it was really his Mama under all those bangs.

I still love my hairdresser. I would recommend her to anyone. She is great and I think one bad haircut in over 2 years is acceptable. I haven't panicked about it because I know it will grow out. I tell myself it's just one of those really new sassy do's that all the runway models seem to be sporting these days. However, they have people to do their hair even when they're just going to the grocery store. I don't.

And by the way, you know how we never like what we have? How we are always envious of what others have? Well, I used to be envious of people who have very thin hair, but now I see why some who have thin hair complain about it. I feel bald. If I had naturally thin hair, I would either have to keep it in a short pixie cut or invest in some serious hair extensions. I should never complain, though. There are lots of people who wished they had hair.....