Our Week at Momo's House

My grandparents with all of their great-grandchildren.
They are the BEST grandparents ever!!

Mac loves him some Papa!

CeCe with her grand-babies.
How funny that two years ago she had none and now 4!

Mac chillin in the pool with his shades.
He actually wore those the whole time.

Mac and Parker playing in the pool.
They love each other sooo much. Its very sweet.

Eldon and Parker playing.
Parker was "cooking" with the bowls.

Mac loved jumping off the side of the pool.

Hanging out in the frog.

Playing with the magnets on the fridge.
Those are probably the same magnets I played with as a kid. haha

The boys sitting down to eat. Well, Eldon and Mac ate anyway.
Picky Parker mostly played and watched everyone else eat.

Sweet Ramsey and Ellie...this is pretty much what they did all week.

Last week Mac and I joined my mom, Jessica, Parker, Ramsey and Ellie for a good time at my grandparent's house. I was very excited for the chance to also spend some time in their pool. Now, I'll just go on and be honest and say that I was a little nervous and unsure about how long we'd all last with all those youngins. But, we ended up having a fabulous time and are already planning the next week long trip to visit. Parker just loves being at Momo's because its out in the country, and he can ride his little tractor, my dad's 4-wheeler, and run wild outside. Mac especially liked the pool, and he and Parker spent a lot of time playing in the water. My grandfather, who loves his Fox News, was a great sport and gave up lots of TV time to help us with the kids. My cousin, Eldon, was also there, and he proved to be an excellent babysitter. We tried to convince him to come home with us for a week or so, but he didn't fall for the trick. :) And with a toddler (teetering close to the terrible two's, mind you), a crawling 8-month old (with no exersaucer or play room to confine him to), and two 6-week old babies it was all hands on deck. It literally took every single one of us to keep things going. But we all chipped in and had a great time doing so.

I love my grandparents dearly and treasure each time we get to spend with them. I wish they'd come move up to Monticello, but they just don't think they want to move here...I wonder why??? ha

Mac and Montel

This is too funny to not document and share...
Mac absolutely loves the TV. Now, before any of you think I'm a terrible mother, I don't let him watch the tube all day long. He watches for short periods of time occasionally during the day, especially if I need a quick minute to do a chore or task. Mac's favorite channel is Sprout, and he intently watches any show that comes on that channel. For those of you unfamiliar with Sprout, its a channel run by PBS that is designed for very young children. (I'd encourage you to check out sproutonline.com and sign the petition to get Sprout added to your cable company's lineup.) Anyway, most of the commercials are geared toward parents, so Mac's attention is easily lost during the breaks. However, there is one commercial that lights up his face..."Money Mutual," in which Montel Williams is the spokesperson! haha Literally, when the commercial comes on, he grins so big and laughs and watches the entire commercial. This commercial is not funny, nor is it intended for kids. Its just Montel telling you how you can get an instant thousand dollars to pay your bills, buy a car, etc. It is absolutely hilarious!!! I can't for the life of me figure why he thinks Montel is so funny, but it is by far one of his favorite things to see on the television. I guess Montel would be proud he still has one fan left in America!

This is Mac watching Sprout.

This is Montel trying to scam people out of their money.

This is Mac's face lighting up once he sees Montel's commercial.

It's My Party...

Delicious cupcakes from Gigi's in Flowood.

Me with Mac, Parker, Ellie and Ramsey.

Mac and Parker had so much fun playing.

Blowing out my candles at my surprise party at church.


On May 26, I celebrated my 28th birthday, and it was a great one! For those of you familiar with my "birthday flowers," I do have some transplants here in Monticello, and, yes, they were in full bloom the week of my birthday. I must admit, I do like birthdays and always feel special and loved when others make it a celebration. In fact, when I was young, I always had to have a "school" party, "friend" party, and "family" party. As the years have gone by, I feel lucky and loved just to have any party! haha I also must admit that I was a little bummed that my birthday fell on a Wednesday this year. That means, no special outing because we have to be at church for Wednesday night. (Just a side note that our anniversary happened to fall on a Wednesday this year also) But my wonderful mom and sister loaded up the kiddos and came to Monticello to spend the day with me. They brought lunch and delicious cupcakes from Gigi's. We had a great time hanging out, and we had our very own party. I got some fabulous gifts including a special delivery from the coast and Dubai. And Sam got me a Flip camera which I was so pumped about. But I'm having trouble getting anything to load in a timely manner, so I may have to exchange for a different one.
And to top off a great day, the youth threw me a surprise party after church! I was truly clueless and shocked. They are so good to us and I love them all. It was the real deal party complete with streamers and balloons, and they made a big poster. Talk about feeling loved! It was a wonderful day, and I didn't worry one bit about being one year older. With Mac now in my world, it was my best birthday yet! May the Lord bless me with many, many more!!

Its the Simple Things...

Mac has discovered some new toys in the kitchen, and they have quickly become his new favorites. He has lots of fun things that light up and make noise, but for now he is content to make his own noise and fun with the tupperware containers in the cabinets. He loves sitting on the kitchen floor banging those things all around. Each time he "drags", not crawls, himself to the containers, I am reminded of the many times that I over-complicate my life. I can get so caught up in life and the worries of the world that I forget to sit back and enjoy the simple things God has blessed me with. Too many times I get distracted by all the flashing lights and noises of the world and I miss the quiet, small voice of God...Isn't it funny the things you can learn from your child :)

Fun In The Sun

Today Mac enjoyed his first day in the pool. Thanks to MoMo, Mac's great-grandmother, he had a styling swimsuit and hat and a very fun, though small, pool. The hat and shirt have UV protection which I love. His little skin would just burn up in this 90 degree weather here in Mississippi. And yes, as you could guess, I lathered that baby down with spf 50 sunscreen. I'm not taking any chances. He splashed and splashed and had a big ol time. I can't wait to take him in a "real" pool!

Baby Dedication and Mother's Day

This is such a cute outfit. However, by the end of the service, 5 buttons had popped off!

Me, Sam and Mac before church

All the babies and parents at the Dedication Service.

Mac and Martha Stewart, aka Aunt Lia.

Sam's family

My family

On Mother's Day, May 9th, Sam and I were proud, honored, and blessed to attend our church's Baby Dedication service. Though we have "dedicated" Mac to the Lord even before he was born, it was great to be a part of the special service. We were so fortunate to have so many family members come to Monticello for the occasion. Of course, Jess and Lee had to stay home with the babies, and my dad was unable to make the trip from Houston. But the rest of us had a big time after church celebrating. Even Eldon made it from Dubai! Lia was Martha Stewart for the day and I couldn't have pulled it off without her help. I'm so thankful for her nutrition and cooking classes at MSU! And oh my, I was ever so shocked at my Mother's Day gift. Sam made a sweet DVD with photos of our life with Mac. I wasn't expecting more than a card but got something that will last forever.

As I think about the meaning of a dedication service, I pray the Lord continues to bless our family. I pray the Lord continues to mold and shape us into Godly parents (and that we continue to allow Him :), so that we are able to help mold and shape Mac into a Godly child. The responsibility of parenting is HUGE! The Lord is so loving and generous to entrust us with his precious child. May I daily remember to dedicate and submit all of our lives to His authority, guidance, and will. And I am so blessed to have an amazing legacy of parents and grandparents to follow!

Houston Trip

The week before Mother's Day my mom and Lia decided to make a quick trip to Houston. Mac and I had no urgent plans, so we hitched a ride with them. THANK heavens for portable DVD players and "Praise Baby" DVDs. Mac was sooo good on the 8 hour trip and never tired of watching his dvds...now we, on the otherhand, could've had a break from the same songs but whatever kept him content! Since my parent's house is all packed up waiting for the perfect couple to come along and buy it, things looked so different. And we made do with the little they had left. My sweet dad went to their storage shed and got out TVs for me and Lia. He's so great! We had a great time shopping, eating, and hanging out. We absolutely wore Mac out. He even fell asleep eating a mum mum; now you know that's tired! This child has never fallen asleep eating. I got some much needed summer clothes for great prices! I am so glad we were able to tag along on the trip.