Jones-Hornbuckle Blog

We just signed Q up for tee ball!!!

2012-02-20T06:41:00.001-06:00

We're Moved In...Temporarily

2012-02-18T10:16:00.002-06:00

well we've been moved in for a week now. this 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse is much more comfortable than a hotel room. it's nice to have fresh food in the fridge and just live at my own pace. thanks again to all of my wonderful friends who have helped us get to where we are today. we do not take any of you for granted. we love you and appreciate you more than words can express.

unfortunately there is no progress to report on, what Q calls, the broken house. repairs have not begun. it did not bother me until yesterday when i finally felt settled in, i also felt like something should be in motion. so i'm in a weird place right now. everything will work itself out and we are staying on top of the situation, so no worries.

my parents have finally signed on and moved into their new house. it took them a year to build it, but they have been dreaming about it for a decade (no joke). i am so happy for them and love going over there to view the progress and decisions they make. i hear a lot of people say that building a house will make you want to kill your spouse, but i think it has brought them closer together. they seem very happy and in-sync. it's nice.

also, my boys love it over there. baby A thinks climbing the stairs and hiding around the corner is a game. currently he loves the men in his life. he is daddy's boy and cack's grandson. when everyone else is gone, i get all the loving. it suites me just fine. i don't want him attached to me 24/7 and it's nice to see him bonding with everyone. when he turned 10 months, it's like he turned a leaf. you know what it is? he thinks he's big now. or he wants to be big. second child syndrome. he started getting on his hands and knees to crawl, which if you read my blog constantly, i was starting to obsess over the fact that he was never going to "crawl" and was always going to look like an injured soldier. but it didn't take long after he got the crawl, that he wanted to start holding your fingers and walk around. by the way, it kills your back. but i'm not one to invest in toys and he doesn't seem to like those push around things anyway. so kill my back it does. however, i like to encourage the scooting around whilst holding on to furniture and also have him reach for me and try to do it himself. let's see...he also wants to eat big boy food: meat, bread, fruit, salad, you name it, he wants it. giving him baby puree sometimes feels like a force feeding war, because he also wants to do that by himself. "he think he big" the finger foods and the teething foods basically cause him to get even more stopped up in the #2 department, which sometimes gives him (and us) trouble if he hasn't had enough of his fiber supplement. his GI doctor thinks his intestines are longer than the average, meaning he needs more fiber and more water than the average person/baby and since that is so hard at this age, he has us giving him extra fiber that dissolves in his bottle. no big deal, unless i don't give him enough or i give him too much...if you have one of these babies, you know what i mean.

i guess i need to fill you in on Q too. he has a new bus that picks him up at 6:55 am, yes, YIKES! we didn't even make it to school the first time i tried to wake him up early to get to the bus. but now, everything is good. he adjusts quickly to new situations, which is a true blessing since we have had lots of different and crazy changes this past month. sometimes i feel like he is acting out, but other times i just wonder if it's just a bunch of compounded issues topped off by the fact that sometimes we can't go outside to play because of the weather. too wet, too cold. like he's not acting out, he's just bottled up. he needs to get all of that energy out. so we are trying better to direct everything in positive ways. he has been talking about baseball a good bit lately, sparked by passing the high school's diamond and tv and shirts and underwear. so i asked him if he wanted to PLAY baseball this year and he said yes, and he told his dad and grandparents he was going to play baseball. then the next day when i told him he had to wear a baseball hat to play baseball, was he going to, he said no. he seemed very sure of his answer. those darn hats :)

Tornado Alley

2012-02-04T21:39:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone! We are healthy, happy and doing well. Thank you everyone for your concerns, prayers and help throughout this tornado event (thus far). Our home damage was very small in comparison to surrounding areas such as Paradise Valley.

On our street no one was hurt because they made it to their safe place. I can't tell you how much we all learned from the tornados of April 2011 that took place near here. It is actually the reason I got two sleeping babies and our dog out of bed and downstairs. And thank God because Q's bed was covered in glass and there was a tree peeking in my room. We were very blessed because it could have been a lot worse. Most of the surrounding houses and cars were "totaled". Anyways, our damage was just a lot of broken windows & blinds; 1 tree on the house in master bedroom; most of the shingles & felting gone; hole in kitchen ceiling & roof; back porch roof ripped off; both back doors damaged; and then lots and lots of rain added water damage to interior ceilings, floors and walls throughout. It's going to be a pretty substantial remodel. We moved almost everything out of the house today thanks to the 11 helper-friends (plus Ma'am, Husband, myself). We will be living in a townhouse in Gardendale for about 3 months. Here's some pictures. I'll share happier moments later, but off to bed!

{Husband drives the bobcat that is somehow rigged to pull that tree off our house with the least amount of damage}

{Neighbors to our right}

{Two houses directly across the street lost entire roofs & side walls

& view of neighborhood behind}

{Helpers today! What else can you do except smile & take pictures of your wonderful friends? (Excuse the belly band, I was trying to lose some weight in the process, why not?)}

{Most of my old co-workers (laid-off on the 10th, great month). This group has become my self-made family. They are wonderful and wonderful. Couldn't survive without them!}

Boys on Video

2012-01-13T12:08:00.005-06:00

Here is the big boy using a lot of words. He continually adds on extra descriptive words. We are currently having problems with: him answering questions, him saying "no" & "mine", whining in general. You'll see in the video he shakes his head no or says "uh" instead of "uh-uh" trying to get around saying "no" or things that we have deemed unacceptable. He is doing really well in school & now riding the bus both ways. He gets excellent reports.

{"french fry house", "blue batman house airplane toy"}

The baby has been a joy. He wants to be standing (leaning against something or holding two hands). He is still doing the army crawl, but I wish he were doing knees & left-right for developmental purposes. His lower half is just not as strong as his brother's was or his BFFs is. Him constantly wanting to be upright, but not having the strength to do so, is taking it's toll on me and my hair. I'm trying to find other ways to satisfy his yearning to be standing, but have not had much luck. We are waiting on the big pointy teeth to come in, it seems to be throwing off some sleep patterns and comfortableness in general. He is doing really well with finger food and pincher grasp. But can we be done with teething soon?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T08:55:00.002-06:00

Well, here it is, twenty-twelve.

This year...

I turn 30.

This year I want to...

get rid of our debt, have a clean house (& get out of this ghetto), get back my pre-baby body, get a new occupation (job or school?)........oh, things to do. i guess the list goes on & on.

I need to spend less time blogging, and more time on my list of things for 2012. But before I do, and before maybe you do too, here is a link to a friend's blog:

Always a good read you can relate to.

{i want to see more of these girls in 2012.

can we talk about how old they have to be for aunt lynde to get their ears pierced? please?}

"You All, Everybody"

2011-12-29T10:38:00.001-06:00

2011-12-19T16:39:00.002-06:00

Create a free digital ecard

Cheer Up

2011-12-13T18:33:00.003-06:00

There is nothing better to cheer you up from some bummer news than to go on a preschool field trip. Our first born's first field trip ever! Therefore, my first field trip as a parent. You'll be so proud of me for taking the real camera and shooting away until the battery gave out. His field trip was to the Pine Hill Farms, where the have...dudududuh...Christmas trees! We were the only school there, and only 2 of the 4 classrooms, so I was told it was a laid back outing in comparison. It was a beautiful day outside and did a wonder for my sunken spirits and sick-ey feeling. Take a glimpse into the wonderful world of toddlers and maybe it will cheer you up too!

first, the tractor ride.

then, went to meet the reindeer.

(I think mine was the only one who touched, but maybe was not suppose to?)

the daddy reindeer.

our teacher.

our christmas tree.

most of his class.

(he named everyone in the picture!)

he got a laugh at the other kids being scared of a little dog.

he doesn't understand fear, so he thought they were playing.

storytime.

man was that story too long for 3 & 4 year olds!

all smiles.

Holiday Bummer

2011-12-12T14:20:00.000-06:00

Dearest Family & Friends,

I just found out at work this morning that the mall has decided not to renew our store's lease. It is not based off our profitability, because we have been very consistent and profitable as a whole. It was the end of our 10 year lease, and the mall has decided to go another direction with our space. So, that being said, after January 9th I will be unemployed. My wonderful company is offering a bonus if I stay on until the last day, which of course I will, and also I will get to collect unemployment afterwards if I do not have a new job, which I probably won't. I know that God works in mysterious ways, and He is looking out for me and my family. So I am not upset about the next chapter, but upset about the family of friends I am losing. They and the company made it the best job I have ever had. And I've been through some jobs :)

Unfortunately, that means Christmas will be tight. It was going to be anyways, but now I have to skimp on Christmas cards and just focus on putting some money to the side for THAT rainy day. So, look forward to an e-card instead of one in the mail.

Me and the kids are sick, so I would appreciate a little rest at this time. I may not answer the phone if you call, but I will be reading & responding to emails sporadically.

PS. I purposefully did not state my company's name or mall name, due to legal issues that have risen at the mall in the past. I assume most of you know my store & location, but if you do not, it is of little importance.

Children in the Cold

2011-12-11T19:17:00.001-06:00

Rachael

2011-12-10T01:16:00.003-06:00

rachael yamagata. birmingham, al. workplay. december 9, 2011.

i would love to get pictures from the fabulous guys & girls who were standing next to us. keith & co, orange & creme. if y'all ever read this...i had a blast, thanks!

Difficult, but NOT disastrous

2011-12-09T08:01:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, I was on my way to pick up our sweet baby BFF when Q's school called and said he had a fever, "100.5, please come and get him" Sure! No problem! lol. Q does this almost every other week now. A low grade fever, with hacking cough. I feel like he keeps picking it back up at school, but I can't be sure. Maybe he just can't shake it. So he was kinda drowsy and cranky. I had to do my best to keep him gated away from the babies. The poor baby we were babysitting was also a little cranky and didn't want to nap. It was an interesting day, including standing at the pharmacy for 30 minutes with my two kids who were hacking coughing, and they still didn't have any medicine ready. I'm sorry, I don't have time for that. I understand it's cold & flu season, and you get backed up, especially when nobody is there working, but I've gotta go...ya know? I guess medicine can wait another 15 hours...if it's ready by then :)

They're a mess, but aren't they cute?! I liked this one because you can see their teeth.

We're hoping for golfers!

He wanted his picture made too. Look how pitiful.

Finally, Hilton Head Wedding Pictures

2011-12-06T10:05:00.004-06:00

while in ATL for the weekend, we got to squeeze some dinner time in with the newlyweds. well, one of our many newlywed friends. the sholes kids will be leaving for ghana in february and we are planning on spending some more time with them in january, after the christmas craziness calms down, and just in time for another wedding :)

the bride & groom

i played around with some photograph effects

sepia

antique with edge blur

color boost

original(s)!

handsome boys

friend, with her favorite, gin & tonic

my friends went with various mustaches, i went with a unibrow

Another One Gone

2011-12-01T17:27:00.004-06:00

Somehow another month has flown by. I never realize it until some stranger asks how old the baby is and I have to adjust my answer. By the way, he is 8 months old now. He'll have a 9 month check up a few days after Christmas. I'm worried today that he has an ear infection. Just like the one when he was an infant, he's not feverish, but he is cranky and there is a lot of drainage. Hopefully it's nothing. Husband will have to keep an eye on it tomorrow because this momma's gotta work. (Secretly cheering inside) The baby has changed a good bit in the last 15 days or so. He still does not crawl on his knees, but he's getting where he wants pretty quickly by inchworming around and doing 180s on his belly. He holds his own "teething biscuits" (will call them that for the purposes of this entry because I'm afraid of being judged by you better mothers). He still only says "da-da-da" and only has two teeth. His naps are changing drastically and I'm just waiting for them to level out. He loves his brother and his dad, it is a beautiful thing to see. From the picture you can tell that he loves bath time. If I have to walk into the bathroom for anything, hairbrush, toothbrush, etc. he dives for the tub and starts laughing. If I sit him on the floor next to the tub, he tries to stand up, assumedly to get in it. He does not know how to pull up on anything yet, not quite as muscular or coordinated in the lower half as his brother was (or as his BFF is). That's actually okay with me. I'm not rushing this baby, my last, to grow up like I did his big brother (who had reflux so bad I would take chasing a running toddler over rocking a screaming baby). I try to enjoy these moments of babyhood without holding him back from growing into a little boy. It's a fine line.

Family

2011-11-27T09:29:00.002-06:00

Sometimes it is hard to prioritize things within the family. I found this article posted on Yahoo very fascinating. Here's a little quote if you don't feel like reading the whole thing...

"...I would die for my kids, jump in front of a train for them, and move mountains to keep them happy. But my love for my husband is different. It's burning and passionate and sexual (one would hope!). It gets me through the hard days and sustains me when things feel low. Without him, the rest would fall apart. I know this, he knows this, and we both work very hard to maintain it. It's not easy. My love for my children is much easier and comes more naturally and takes less work..."

I think all of us can relate to the last sentence, but prioritizing the marriage over the kids shows them what a healthy marriage should be and sustains our love connection long after the kids are gone.

A Redneck Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T19:58:00.008-06:00

I guess we have been discussing "Redneck Thanksgiving" for over a year now. When my mom and dad started planning to build their house out in the middle of the boonies, mom started planning her themed Thanksgiving. We have had many themes in the past, one centered around pumpkins, another centered around cajun food...she does the works, appetizers, drinks, a full on meal...that we happily look forward to. But since the house isn't quite finished, and my dad had to work, and my brother was busy switching jobs...thanksgiving was all but cancelled. Needless to say, the Hornbuckles were not so pleased about this. Mom needed to work at the house all day since closing is so soon, so we scrounged up our own redneck thanksgiving and took it to her. Yeah, we could have gone all out with collards and crock pots, but we managed to do everything on the grill. I should say my husband managed to do everything on the grill. (we had to use the grill because there is no kitchen at the new house, but it is where we wanted to spend our thankful day together). The beer can chicken was my idea, that unfortunately fell through, but he did everything else on his own. It was fun!!! Nanny brought the Redneck Drinks, that's Coors, Pabst, and YooHoo for those unknowing folk. We had the red dixie cups to go along with, but the drinks never made it that far...straight to the mouth, ya know? Doritos and cajun sausage were our fabulous appetizers. Then for dinner was chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, cornbread, squash & zucchini, and roasted garlic. For dessert was baked apples. What a day! We spent the entire day sitting on the porch with make shift chairs and tables. It was a great Redneck Thanksgiving. You can have your own Redneck Thanksgiving next year! All it takes is some creativity with whatever you have in the fridge and pay a little extra for some beverages. It really was no hassle (except getting the grill there, hahaha) and very inexpensive. It was a gorgeous day out and we couldn't have been more thankful for our 2011 themed Thanksgiving: Redneck.

The grill in the trunk of the 4 door sedan, this is how Rednecks get'er'done

Some of the supplies below. The paint bucket turned into the "kids table"

The trash bag next to the cooking spray are the vegetables marinating, lol.

Drinks & Appetizers, the best part being that we cut the sausage with mom's painting multi-tool, cleaned as much as possible

Another look at the drinks and the bobcat in the background

Nanny with her grandsons:

the Snake (dressed-up for the occassion :)

the Sweet baby

the Cook gets a rest

Dinner is served! Check out that buffet table!!!

The chicken made it into the cast iron skillet after the cornbread was done

Carve it up Nanny...Yummy!

Girls for my Boys

2011-11-22T08:22:00.004-06:00

If I were able to choose girls for my boys, it would be the McGs. I love the dad & mom as if they were my bro & sis. Even if we don't get to hang out as much as we would like too, we can always pick up where we left off and enjoy each other's company. Their girls are so precious, I had the honor of keeping them one night and loved every minute of it (including the crying baby who missed her parents, and the kids who could dance and run circles around me, literally).

My littlest man had his portraits taken the other day. Walmart gave me some amazing $10 package...guess what you're getting for Christmas :) If you are family and you are wanting to order some of his portraits, just know that you are already getting a "head shot" for Christmas, order accordingly :)

http://www.myonlineportraits.com/ViewSharedAlbum.aspx?ShareID=76573b99-5292-4eed-b895-3afd4acc98da

One Just For Us

2011-11-14T13:57:00.003-06:00

The boys and I finally had a chance to do whatever we wanted this weekend. (Thanks to my sweet boss, in-laws, dog-sitting parents & hard-working husband) Not attached to any schedule, but our own, was a wonderful blessing. My mother-in-law kept us well fed and I tried to help with the dishes and laundry, but she did most of that too. We are so thankful for their beach house. It is a nice little getaway and I feel like we see the family more because of this place. I hope they keep it forever, winkwink. Here's a snapshot of the past few days.

Baby has a girlfriend...

that soothes his toothache.

He is still my white baby, so he is extremely covered up, and not outside for long

(& I hope he stays that white for years to come)

And here's my brown boy who stays outside all day.

(He really enjoyed the beach and beach house this year. Finally)

Yes, another wedding weekend trip!

2011-11-08T08:15:00.005-06:00

our best friend, Mitch, got married this past weekend at lake martin. we love him and his new bride. they were so sweet and let us haul our precious cargo along. it made the weekend a little more difficult, but a lot more joyous. they are so adorable and had a wonderful time at the country club. it was gorgeous. the perfect time to be there, the leaves, the water, the sunshine. everywhere they took us was better than the last. it was definitely one of the best weekends we've had as an entire family. i wasn't able to get a lot of pictures in because my hands were so full, but we pulled out the camera once or twice.

Gotta love those boys!!!

And the giant child keeps growing.

One missing

2011-10-31T11:07:00.001-05:00

I love having our niece here with the boys...we are missing our other one & can't wait for her to move to Birmingham next year! Love that they are in their jammies.

Another Quick Photo Update

2011-10-30T16:40:00.004-05:00

The baby is 7 months old now. He is sitting up, army crawling (hands, no knees yet), and has one tooth. His best friend is turning 6 months old this week, but is much bigger than him. They teach each other interesting things all the time.

The toddler is much the same, but also not. He is finally enjoying school and the bus ride there. He is talking more than we can handle sometimes, but that's good. He doesn't line things up as much as he used to, but has an interesting way of facing things the same way or turning things upside down. Here is one of his wavy lines I photographed because I had never seen him do it before.

Short One

2011-10-06T10:57:00.008-05:00

Well, I am trying to compile a good group of pictures and stories from our multiple vacations, but we have been so busy back at work and with kids & babies, we just haven't had much time. So, to be short & sweet. The baby is 6 months old and army crawled today, semi-sits up & almost has teeth. The toddler is happier about school, but still not in a rush to get there. His vocabulary and sentence structure have improved drastically! So school is going well :) Here's a quick run down in photos and videos:

Q (left) with my cousin's son.

And then they shot me...and got a big kick out of it.

You might remember this picture of Baby Q during his first October.

(Brown skin, brown hair, brown eyes)

And here is Baby A in a similar pose this October.

Some likenesses, but still quite different.

(White skin, white hair, blue eyes)

Hilton Head Group Vacation

2011-09-06T17:51:00.002-05:00

Shades

2011-08-30T08:03:00.001-05:00

And ONE more (babysitting, not keeping)

2011-08-24T12:48:00.002-05:00

Here's our bestest friend again. He's 5 weeks younger, but 2 pounds heavier!

New goings ons: our eldest is riding the bus to school & he doesn't like it yet. He will get used to it & school pretty soon. I don't think he likes either right now (not that I can blame him). He eats part of his lunch & sometimes naps during rest time. No potty accidents (yet).

Moving on to the youngest. He all of a sudden does not like eating his oatmeal. Two forced bites and he's just not having it. Spitting it out or just leaving his mouth open, sometimes coughing on it. I don't know what that's about, maybe it's time to move on to something new? He is 5 months old today, and it's taken us a whole month to almost have these sleep changes figured out. He has two loveys to take care of him in bed and is enjoying sleeping on his back without being swaddled. Some days are different, but that's where we currently are. During playtime, he enjoys just about everything. Just keep it coming and he's happy. Now that he can see better, he likes looking at Dixie dog. It's sweet.

First Day of School!

2011-08-16T08:49:00.003-05:00

Our first born is going to school, K-3, but still...school! I can't wait to pick him up and "hear" about his day (hahaha, I'm sure he won't tell me a single thing!) He has to wear elastic band shorts, tennis shoes, and just all around clothes that he can get dirty or craft gunk on. So I couldn't dress him in his usual cuteness, he almost looks like he's wearing pajamas! Oh well, it's not important. He's going to school to "learn and get some knowledge".

Here are some other happenings with the boys:

Boys, boys, boys!

2011-08-14T13:17:00.001-05:00

Growing Up

2011-08-09T06:40:00.004-05:00

Best Friends!

The best dollar I ever spent (although guns and heads occasionally fall off the army men, lol)

The big boy keeps himself very busy with these army men. It's actually encouraged more imagination in his play. We got these while waiting for the farm to open a couple weeks ago.

The four month old is enjoying tummy time and back time as well. He can roll both ways (front to back and back to front). He seems to have lengthened a little bit, making him seem a little thinner in the thighs and stomach (Notice: I said, "a little"). We started our oatmeal on Saturday and he's doing really well. He really likes it and understands the process pretty well. We've started that new phase of sleeping, which has made me a little crazy, but it'll all get figured out soon. And one more new thing; put him in his walker and he played with toys. His feet just barely touch, so it's more like an activity center right now, but I'm excited about it.

Another Video?!

2011-08-05T05:51:00.003-05:00

Okay, I know...I know. You're thinking, "Another video?!" But I can't help it. It's too easy and so amazingly adorable just to show you what's going on. Every day is NOT a breeze, and is NOT as easy as it looks, however, any bad day with this baby is far easier than any good day with the first one. (I hope he never reads this because I love them both so much) The baby actually had a really rough couple of days, must be from something I ate or some teeth coming in, because he's normally pretty happy and predictable. That is one thing about nursing, beating yourself up each time the baby has an upset stomach about what you possibly ate, when it could just be growing pains. Good thing we haven't started solids, because I would be blaming it on that and be even more hard on myself. Like I said though, his rough days are easy in comparison. Actually, I take that back, there is NO comparison!!! So here is a video of me ("Is that MY voice?") reading the baby his favorite book, Grover's first day of school. His reaction is mild in comparison to his normal talky-laughy-kicky reaction, but still pretty cute.

The oldest child is doing really well. Other than the fact that you have to lay down with him at nap time, at least until he falls asleep, which means you sometimes do too. He naps for 3 hours in the afternoon and sleeps about 10 hours at night. Potty accidents are a rare occasion, even in the night he will get up to go. Preschool starts in 11 days! I look forward to his education and a little time to toss some of his toys while he's gone. I don't look forward to him being upset about going to school or losing that precious nap time (30 minutes vs. 3 hours). It will be interesting the first couple weeks, to say the least. He is still going to get speech at school. It will be in and out of the classroom. I believe the main goal is for him to mostly use 4-5 word sentences, instead of his occasional use of them. I think he'll catch on fast and be talking me in circles fairly soon. This seems to be a real time of growth and learning for him. He has his colors, letters, & can almost count to 20! (sometimes skips 18, so he can say, "19, 20!!!") He is currently into "Rio" because of the music. I want to start him in some lessons if anybody has some suggestions on where to start.

While this is not the best post ever, I hope it satisfies your taste for Hornbuckle news and holds you over until another week or so.

His Version

2011-07-29T10:00:00.003-05:00

this is big brother's version of how we talk to the baby: high pitched & sing-songy

excuse the background noise :)

Discoveries

2011-07-26T08:37:00.004-05:00

4 month well visit: 15 pounds 5 ounces (75%) & 26"long (98%). {Yes, I got myself a big baby this time!!!}

Babies make a lot of discoveries. They learn things so fast and it never ceases to amaze me. God's human design is a miracle, joy and blessing to watch everyday. Here are some recent discoveries of Asher's that Nanny or I have managed to catch on the camera phone {apologies for the poor photo quality}. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

We discovered early on that he likes books.

He discovered the other day how to turn the page!

{side note: I know it's early yet, but he's showing some strong left-handed tendencies and the eyes are staying very blue}

He discovers how to hold toys, shake them for his entertainment, and stick them in his mouth for comfort.

He discovers Nanny's tattoos! Hahahaha.

Latest discovery, holding his own bottle!

{Yummy Mommy Milk! Gonna start solids soon!}

Boys That "Yawn" Together Stay Together

2011-07-25T06:32:00.002-05:00

I was taking some pictures of my sweet boys sharing morning kisses, when I decided to see if I could catch it on video. Q is not talking as well, or as much, as he usually does in the morning, but I still managed to catch some funny moments. At the beginning of the video the boys yawn together, I think it is adorable. Also, Q lays his head on the baby's belly and then baby proceeds to smack the back of it. Q says, "No hitting. No, no hitting. Hmmph." with a nod of his head...oh my goodness! Priceless!

Catered To

2011-07-18T11:09:00.003-05:00

This "Grandson" is catered to quite often by his Nanny.

The White Ones

2011-07-14T13:05:00.005-05:00

What our 3 1/2 month old baby does all day.

Likes to eat.

Likes to read.

Likes to wiggle & talk.

Likes to face out & look around.

Little A likes photo-booth too. He smiles and laughs at himself.

We also listen to music together [a little dancing might occur ;) ]

The Brown Ones

2011-07-12T09:16:00.003-05:00

we like to play on photo-booth.

excuse the yard sale preparations in the background.

Boys will be boys (Forever)

2011-07-11T09:28:00.004-05:00

Q at "Nanny's house" Those grandparents have way too much energy...

All the boys have new friends...

Q adores Tim. I took them to see Cars 2

Even Baby has a new friend...they're bestest friends!

and meets Uncle Mitch, Our best friend

Even Husband has time to make new friends :)

Boys will be boys...

Q's wishes

2011-07-03T13:04:00.003-05:00

{"Happy Birthday Nanny. Love(s) you Nanny." "Happy Birthday!"}

I Did It!

2011-06-29T20:00:00.005-05:00

I recaulked my bathtub today. It took me the entire day, having two kids and all, but it got done. One project at a time, one day at a time. (Thanks YouTube for the help.)

Quick individual updates...

Husband: At MDA camp. Please say a little prayer for all of the campers and counselors (& Nurse Rachel).

Me: My latest book was a disappointment, so I am rereading HP7 to get ready for Part 2 of movie.

Q: No potty accidents in the last couple of days (knock on wood).

A: Teething has commenced. Bring on the insanity!

He Speaks

2011-06-27T10:06:00.002-05:00

My Boys

2011-06-25T07:58:00.003-05:00

I have a lot of new pictures, but this one just about captures everything.

Good morning!

Have a great weekend!

Mystery Meat

2011-06-13T13:02:00.005-05:00

Oh, so where do I begin? We've been SO SUPER busy, that I can't even keep my days and errands straight without a calendar. I haven't been home for a full day in a week! That's crazy for me. I'm pretty much a home-body, with the exception of some errand or store runs. Wednesday we both worked, Thursday the boys and I met Lindsey for ice cream and then I went to Alexis's dance camp (that girl can work it).

Friday we both worked again and Saturday while Lucian was at work, I had 3 boys! We went to the Southside house in the morning to work on the house before the new renters move in. And we got to see Uncle Nathan, Aunt Rachel, and Baby Zoe!!! Love! I went and picked up Tim, we pulled some weeds, and had a day of fun (minus the power going out during the dollar movies).

Sunday we worked again, and now...here we are. In our messy house (from running around all week) trying to have a regular day. No running around. But here's some funniness:

So, I'm trying to be home today and get back into a daily routine. You know, laundry, cook, clean, feed the baby, make some more bottles, put the boys down for a nap, that kind of thing. But (those of you who know me already know), I don't like to clean and put laundry away and definitely cannot cook...especially with a potty-training toddler and a newborn baby. I've been working on these things, and obviously I still need some work. Because I'm trying to throw something in the crockpot (for someone who cannot cook, this is Heaven sent) and go to dig in my freezer. Now, this freezer is overflowing with meat. My husband hunts. His friends hunt. His coworkers hunt. His coworkers slaughter cows...you catch my drift? Lots of dead stuff, which I am not crazy about because I used to be a vegetarian. Some of his coworkers gave him some meat, I have no idea what kind because all it says is "Stew". And I think, perfect for the crockpot. I've got some carrots and potatoes and tomatoes that need to be eaten, like, today. So I start chopping, one of my least favorite things to do...really, it is. I couldn't find my handy-dandy vegetable chopper (again, my house is not only a mess, but a constant construction zone) so here I go, with a dull knife, trying to chop. Everything goes well until I get to the meat. I unwrap the foil titled "Stew" to find paper. But not any paper...not the kind that you should wrap meat it, oh no, the colored comic section from the newspaper. And I think, "What?!" And I'm hoping the meat is not contaminated with ink from this newspaper, because the stuff is practically glued next to the frozen meat. I start peeling away. And peeling. And peeling. And peeling. I'm barely making a dent in this stuff. There's little bits of newspaper all over my sink. Finally I see the meat, and thankfully, it's wrapped in plastic. But wait, it's the cheap brand of saran wrap. It's thin and very easily torn. So now, there's little bits of plastic all in the sink with the newspaper and the tin foil. And there's just a little bit of plastic stuck IN the meat. I swear it looks like this poor animal had somehow swallowed plastic and it magically made it's way into the muscle. I'm beside myself. And now is when I decide, I should thaw this out. Or I should have thawed this out. But hey, I'm not a cook. I'm a young woman. A young wife. A young mother. And a newborn in the kitchen. It's hysterical, I know. It's sad and hysterical.

Now, I need a pizza and a beer. No joke.

Thank God for sleeping babies...

And now I know why my sweet husband offered to pick up dinner on his way home from work before I even started on the meal. Hopefully it will turn out well, despite the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing and the meat was a nightmare.

Cousins

2011-06-07T10:10:00.003-05:00

I have been so happy for my kids to have cousins so close in age. And pretty soon, so close to home. Growing up I had this. My brother is 2 years older than me, Chad was 9 months younger than me and Eric is 2 years younger than him. We rarely lived more than 20 minutes away from each other and saw each other every Sunday. It was pretty great, however crazy it was. I look back on it and smile, shake my head and occasionally laugh out loud. As you will see, Chad was my favorite cousin. We almost always sat together at our family dinners and holidays and circus trips. These pictures were not weeded through to find us together, we just always were. He was good and he was bad, I'm not trying to make him into something he was not, but I loved him regardless. And I can't wait for my kids to have this too. (We love you Zoe and HarperB. and can we have some more cousins, please?)

Don't Hurt Me

2011-06-06T09:54:00.002-05:00

Lucian's line, which he learned from his mother, is to ask forgiveness instead of permission. Well, this is the first time I have put that line to use. I buzzed Q's hair without asking anyone. It was too darn hot outside. He sweats like a man and I was having to change his sheets a lot, so I took off those thick luscious locks. I will say, it is shorter than I expected. So short, in fact, that it is hard to get it to stand up. That hair wants to lay flat on his head (again, one of the attributes that makes him NOT my child...along with that chin!) And please, I hope you appreciate this picture because it took me 20 shots just to get one with his eyes open, and he just so happens to be smiling. Wow! Yesterday he got his first compliment on being "handsome" not "cute", which made me so happy. My handsome 3 year old toddler. Almost time to go to school.

First homegrown salad

2011-06-05T12:33:00.005-05:00

thanks to Husband for buying "fruitful" plants instead of "decorative" plants. we've been watering twice a day in this miserable weather, but it's paid off. look at my delicious salad, from my own front yard! i can't wait to grow more things!!! (He already has a small garden growing in the back yard, these are just potted veggies)

Changes

2011-06-04T14:25:00.004-05:00

These children are always changing. Not just their looks or size, but their preferences and "ways." New Baby was happy sleeping on his stomach with his arms covered, but not his legs for the first 6 weeks of life. And then he didn't like his arms covered up, but didn't mind if his legs were. Now (most likely due to the antibiotics causing upset stomach) he won't lay on his stomach, but prefers his back with his arms over his head (just like the other 2 boys in my life!) or curled up in the fetal position laying on his right side in his car seat (don't even ask me how i figured this out, it's just one of those things that happened...).

Big baby is all into cars, usually any type of cars (and we have hundreds, so please, no more), but now he's only into "Lite-In-Ma-Keen" (Lightning McQueen, if you didn't catch that toddler talk). And McD's is having Kung Fu Panda 2 toys, and I thought he somehow magically knew about the second movie, but no...he was saying, "panda bear" and I thought he was saying, "Panda 2"...my toddler interpretation skills are pretty sad, huh? However, since I repeated back, "Kung Fu Panda 2" he does say, "Panda 2" whenever he sees Po. Other than my interpretation foul-ups, Q is talking really well. A LOT of spontaneous 3-4 word phrases, like "read Cookie Monster" or "Parker want french fry?" And Q loves his little brother. He blesses his sneezes, "Bess Ew Beh-beh As-er" and laughs at him when he coos (referred to as talking by us) and when baby is grunting he tells me "check on Beh-beh As-er". I'm loving this adorable time in their lives.

Baseball!

2011-06-03T08:59:00.005-05:00

{baby is 10 weeks old, Q is 3 years 7 weeks old: occasionally loves stuffed animals}

We enjoyed the SEC Tournament last week as much as we could, weather permitting and Nanny permitting. Last night we went to a Barons game with Matt & Stephanie. It was so hot & humid & there was no breeze at all. We stayed up til 10:30 bathing cause we were so gross from sweating. Nice bed head this A.M. Oh, and...Q said his ABC's last night before bed! Thank you Dr. Seuss!!!

Looks like...

2011-05-30T14:13:00.003-05:00

well he looks like a baby...he looks like an asher...that's what i think.

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here's q-man at aprox. same age (but 2 pounds lighter)

The Movie

2011-05-25T05:56:00.003-05:00

Okay, some of my friends have been waiting for my comments to the Hunger Games movie(s). I don't have a lot to say. I never really thought it could be done into a movie very well at present. I think it requires some pretty grand sets and computer generations that our technology cannot currently support. And the casting...I don't know, it seems all over the place to me. I mean the three main actors seem completely wrong (at least Peeta and Gale should be reversed as far as looks) and having "names" and "no-names" all thrown-in together, as well as Thresh and Rue being African, these things just don't seem right. I could be completely wrong, in fact, I'd like to be proving wrong about all of these things because I really don't want them destroying this series for me. Or for you. Or even for the people who haven't even read it yet (whoever you are, you should get to it!). The only thing I presently look forward to seeing is Lenny Kravitz. Who cares what role he plays (by the way, it's Cinna) I just want to see if he can act. And Stanley Tucci can do no wrong, I just wish his role was a bigger one.

Two Month Check-Up

2011-05-24T13:00:00.007-05:00

I'll try to make this quick while the little baby is sleeping. Little A is doing well. Today at his two month check-up he weighed 12 lb 3.5 oz (75%) and was 24" long (98%) and head circumference was 16.5" (98%). We are still solely nursing and happy to see him growing so well from it. The only down side to the visit was his "excessive ear wax" problem and the 4 shots that had him screaming like I've never seen. The shots shouldn't cause any problems, but we picked up some ~~aspirin~~ Tylenol just in case and the office scheduled us a visit with a pediatric ENT on Thursday morning. That should be another $35 down the hole, but better safe than sorry, right? Little A is eating like a champ, about 4 oz every 3 hours, even at night! I about slept through everything last night...I'm so exhausted...I guess it's all catching up with me.

And the big Q man had his follow up appointment to see if he qualifies for speech services at the preschool level. Well, of course he does because he won't talk to anyone but us. Even still, what we reported from the home made it sound like he was still behind. He seems to be doing so much better that I guess I was a little surprised by that. So, he'll start preschool in the fall going 2 full days a week! Crazy! They offered him bus services! Do what? He's still a baby!!!

ok littlest one is up now, gots 2 go

UPDATE OF PICTURES: Q is so photogenic, I would put him modeling if he didn't hate the camera so much! He's "airbending" the camera away...I know, he's so funny! And the baby slept through it all...(isn't he SOOOO white? and that blonde hair?! oh my goodness. GG Mellett said he's whiter than any of her babies ever were. So he has Hornbuckle skin and Mellett eyes because they're still pretty blue. I guess I get to claim Q after all.)

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:49:00.003-05:00

What wonderful little stinkers! Happy Mother's Day to all of you.

{My brown boy and white baby :) }

{Q came up with this pose all on his own, I swear!}

{First time in his adirondack chair, thanks Nanny!}

"New Baby"

2011-05-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

Update

2011-05-03T14:54:00.002-05:00

Most of you know that we are fine after the storms that shook Alabama to its bones. All of our friends and families are okay too, which is a blessing. We were without power for 5 days, but luckily my parents had power, so we bunked with them. It was a great stay, I'm gonna miss all of the extra hands and good food and someone to talk too.

Here is the update of our baby. At 5 weeks old he is 22.5" long and weighs 10-1.5 pounds. His head circumference is 15.5", which is off the chart. His length is almost as well. He has a long torso with shorter legs. Below he is in a 3 month Carter's onesie that is just comfortable, not too big or too small. The pants are still newborn size, which are also just right. We look forward to watching this baby grow and will keep you updated. (I think that is a smile? He was passing gas...as always.)

Q is the big man now. Or at least sometimes. We have some occasional "hold me" spells and high pitch voice whines, but other than that, he likes being big and being with dad. They do man stuff together. The next thing on the way is potty training. This will be the third attempt, because we keep getting interrupted by mother nature (the pregnancy and the tornado). Once the house is back in order from being gone for so long, we'll start up again. This may be a long process since we keep pulling the rug out from underneath him. Your never suppose to go back once you've started...oh well. I don't know any kindergarteners in diapers, do you?

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY

2011-04-18T19:38:00.003-05:00

SORRY FOR THE TIME DELAY. HANDS FULL. TYPING WITH 1 HAND :) HERE'S Q'S BDAY, 4/13, CROSSES CAME OVER & NANNY TOO, THEN WE WENT TO BASEBALL! HE GOT A GREAT WORKBENCH & NEW PUZZLE, GMA D MADE HIM A SWEATER. WHAT A GREAT DAY!

Last Visit

2011-04-12T12:15:00.002-05:00

today was q's last speech session with early intervention because he turns three tomorrow. next month we'll see if he qualifies for the next stage. ms. candice brought us bubbles and a puzzle! thanks, we had a great time! we will miss her very much.

Another Sick Family

2011-04-11T07:27:00.003-05:00

So I hear The Ick is going around to every family, and (unfortunately) we were no exception. We were keeping Q's cough and fever under control for 3 or 4 days before he got worse with ear perforations and pretty sluggish. Mine and Asher's 2 week check up was Thursday, so we all went in. My check up was first, and I was fine except that I was starting to pick up Q's and Husband's sickness. Doctor was sweet and gave me a script for a z-pack and cough syrup with codine. Q and Asher were next. I'll give you the good news first, Asher weighs 8lb 15oz and is 22" long. Even though they have a new growth chart to take into account all of the big babies these days, Asher still is off the growth chart in length and head circumference. I think he's going to be bigger than all of us. Q's news is worse. He had to get blood work and that showed he has mycoplasma, better known as walking pneumonia, that meant we parents most likely had the same thing. We all started on antibiotics on Thursday and will finish them today. Asher's tummy got upset (as did all of ours) from the antibiotics and even though we are all taking probiotics, it isn't really helping. Asher is now taking previously pumped milk and I'm dumping out what I'm making now. It's kind of sad, but luckily I had so much in the freezer. I guess you never know when you're gonna need it. So, here we are, all getting better, but Husband was almost backtracking. He wasn't getting better and his throat was sore and almost swollen shut. Nanny took Q away for 2 days and I took dad to the doctor. He still had mycoplasma and also had strep throat. He got 2 shots and is on a stronger dose of medicine and is somewhat better. He's at work at least. Now, we have to sanitize every little thing in the house. What a day we have ahead of us!

A Week Later

2011-04-05T19:19:00.003-05:00

Not a great picture, but these are the boys' aunts and cousins visiting. I'm on the floor with the girls. Oh, how I love them!

I know it's been a week since my last post, who can blame me with a newborn and a sick family? Yes, we are all sick with some sort of terrible cough and Q and Husband have fevers. I'm sure tonight is the night it will all break...if not, I'm not sure what else to do. Other than that, life has been wonderful. I have an amazing baby that eats and sleeps like you always hear that babies are suppose to do, but my experience proved otherwise. However, it is true-some babies do just eat and sleep and make dirty diapers. Wow. I thank God very many times a day. You have no idea.

I just wanted to check in with everyone and let you know we are here. But also, to thank all of our friends and family for visiting and bringing food and diapers. You are amazing. These major life changes always go to show you who really loves and cares for you, and it has been overwhelming. So, a major thank you to you...you all know who you are :)

Momma Too

2011-03-29T18:15:00.001-05:00

Welcome Home

2011-03-28T16:58:00.002-05:00

{Aunts and Cousins}

{Dad and Big Brother}

Welcome Baby Boy

2011-03-27T16:20:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Asher James Hornbuckle! Born March 24, 2011 at 11:46 am. Weighs 8 lb 9 0z and 21.5 inches long and head circumference 14 1/4 in. We are all home and doing well. Visitors are more than welcome, please call or email anytime.

{When we first saw our unnammed baby, I said, "Um...that hair is blonde."}

{Quinn meets Baby Asher and wants to see more}

Going In Now

2011-03-23T18:14:00.002-05:00

We are checking into the hospital tonight for a baby delivery tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers. (If you did not already recieve this information by email, you need to give me an updated one please.)

No News is (not) Good News

2011-03-16T07:36:00.004-05:00

{q couldn't get into this bag, which is his dad's water purifier for camping}

well, as the old saying goes, "no news is good news" but i think i'll add a NOT in there. i'm sorry i have no information on the pregnancy except that i am waiting just like you all are. i have my good days and my bad...some good moments and some not so good moments, too (even on the good days). we're working and doing what we can to keep busy, which means hardly anytime to see each other and actually discuss the name. sorry once again.

q is doing well with his puzzle. i think he has it memorized, time to move on to a new one! our little thinker man. he is following direction Pretty well considering he's not yet three. he has some new words and new phrases, that he uses sparingly, of course. he seems to be doing better with imaginative play, although i don't know what he's saying, he sure is talking a lot to his toys, which is a huge improvement. colors are almost 100% and memorizing books, movies, flashcards is amazing. he doesn't always want to learn, or we'd be at it all day. when they pick it up so fast and commit it to memory, you want to teach them more. i think we'll move on to letters and numbers next. he can count to ten, usually without any help, just like with the colors, we're almost 100%. but isn't it time to start recognizing letters and numbers? i guess i'll look into it.

Video link for zero waste

2011-03-11T08:21:00.004-06:00

I'm sorry, another post not written by me...but, if you don't keep up with news from Yahoo! you have to check out this video. This is the Johnson family who lives a zero waste lifestyle. This is the direction I want to go in...does she have a blog I can follow? (just found it http://www.zerowastehome.blogspot.com/)

http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-the-johnson-family-24454760

The weekly doctor's visit went well. No changes, not even weight gain. Still nothing on the calendar, but we'll keep you informed.

Confusing

2011-03-09T09:17:00.002-06:00

I guess I am sometimes confusing with my wording: "at the earliest" or "at the latest" or whatever it is I am trying to say. To clarify any confusion, we have NOT put an induction date on the calendar, and we are deciding as a family (with the help of our doctor) what is the best course of action for all of us. So, don't take off of work just yet...the baby will be here when he will be here and everyone will be informed. I am not trying to be rude. I am, as always, using this blog to ramble. Thank you for reading my ramblings on a daily basis, but please, don't ever take me too seriously.

Also, more confusion, I have eaten three bowls of cereal this morning. I was hardly hungry yesterday, I couldn't even eat two hotdogs for lunch, although I thought I was starving. And somehow today, one bowl of cereal wasn't enough, neither was two, I'm not even quite convinced that three did the trick...we'll see.

His Monday

2011-03-08T16:32:00.004-06:00

Well, his Monday was a little more eventful than ours was. If you saw the front page of the Birmingham News, that is Husband's fire station fighting the fire where a man was storing gasoline in his garage. The article is incorrect saying the man was only storing 2 barrels of gasoline. Husband said it was about 15! Here's a link to the article and all of the pictures (these photos are just of Husband):

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/03/west_birmingham_house_fire_ign.html

Another Guest Post

2011-03-08T09:07:00.004-06:00

So, my avid readers know I rarely, if ever, do guest posts (and this is two times in a row!). And it's only partly because I have nothing to say for myself. The real, bigger reason is because this is a great cause. I know most of you have a few minutes to spare and a linen closet that needs to be cleaned out, so get to it. Make this great pillow case dress out of an actual pillow case, or use your own fabric. There are instructions for each way on this web site:

http://littlebiggirlstudio.blogspot.com/2011/03/dress-girl-around-world-sew-long-day-1.html

You can be a beginner sewer or an old pro. There are patterns and video tutorials, so it's easy...get going! {Of course I found out about this fabulous project through my friend over at greatoakcircle.com, thanks again Christine!}

What I'm Doing Today

2011-03-05T10:52:00.003-06:00

Thanks, friend, for this wonderful laundry detergent recipe!

{http://www.greatoakcircle.com/2011/01/homemade-laundry-detergent.html}

I made it this morning and can't wait to use it. Hopefully all of my other followers will try this out, too. It is a great way, as Christine says, "to be frugal allowing us to free up more money to give radically!" Thank you so much for always being a constant source of inspiration and advice.

Try-to-squeeze-something-else-in Thursday!

2011-03-04T09:15:00.002-06:00

Wow. Yesterday was crazy. Like, plan every minute of the day, go-go-go.

We started out at the doctor's office. (Luckily mom and dad took Q to class, because that just would have been one more thing.) I'll combine last Friday and yesterday's appointment to make life easier. The Group B Strep test came back negative. I am measuring slightly ahead still, but again, with a second child that is typical. The ultrasound showed a big baby boy, about 6-1/2 pounds. Then they added some weird sayings like, "12 days ahead" and "85%". I mean, I understand what they're saying that he is larger than average, but all of those numbers don't say much to me. During the exam, the doctor said I was about 1 cm dilated with a soft, but thick cervix. She could feel his head, meaning he is low and in the proper direction. I don't even want to talk about the weight gain. Anyways, she said she wouldn't induce before the 22nd, but we're all still hoping and praying that he comes when he's ready...before the 22nd.

After the doctor's appointment we picked Q up from his Nanny and Cack. He cried for about 10 minutes. It was pitiful. Ridiculous. We drove out to Lucian's fire department to pick up his pay stubs and turn in some paper work. We ate lunch in the car and got home in time for a nap. Lucian had someone come and look at the motorcycle at 1:30, and buy it within the same hour! Wow. Bye-bye bike.

Then we had a tax appointment at 4, that we barely made it to because Momma and Q needed some ice cream. Yum. And we had to deposit the motorcycle check. Anyways, we used a new tax guy that is helping us do better with our fireman and rental deductions. It was a good visit. He charged us half as much as H&R Block. And as long as we get any amount of money back, and don't have to pay, and don't get audited...I'm good with that.

After the tax appointment we took Lucian to teach his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class, while Q and I went to the dollar movies. We ate dinner after the movies and class. Not ending up at home until 9:00, bathing, changing bed sheets, and getting in bed super late.

What a day. But it's all over. Today is a new day. (My poor mom and dad had a similar day of running around. So excuse all of our exhaustion and crankiness)

Road Trip with Toddlers

2011-02-28T09:17:00.004-06:00

We took a small road trip to Baton Rouge, LA to visit our friends one last time before we have our hands full with a new baby. We drove down with a friend and his son who just turned three, literally, it was his birthday. It was interesting trip to say the least. We got in late Friday night and slept really well. On Saturday, the dads and Hayden went to Jiu-Jitsu practice, while Quinn and I met up with Nicole and Maddie for some play time outside. Later that night we ate at the best crawfish place in town and celebrated Hayden's birthday. We left at 10 on Sunday and returned home. The trip home was much less eventful, thankfully, because momma's nerves were gone.

The boys hug, but eventually start to wrestle.

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Quinn is a mess!

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Part of road tripping with toddlers who wear diapers.

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Fun with our friends.

Two Boys

2011-02-18T19:31:00.000-06:00

an entertained one and a sleepy one.

"it's 3 a.m."

2011-02-18T04:33:00.002-06:00

what do you do when your toddler is talking at 3 a.m. and is now wide awake at 4:30? we must've napped too long yesterday, because i was hungry and not the least bit sleepy either.

You Said What?!

2011-02-17T15:41:00.002-06:00

Okay, so there is actually an update from today's doctor visit. [Again this is technically the 34 week visit, but we're about 4 days behind.] I knew since I didn't gain any weight last time, that this visit to the scale was not going to be fun. It was worse than not fun, it was shocking. Since 2 weeks ago we gained 7 lbs! Ugh. You heard me right. That's like a 1/2 pound a day. This is my largest gain. I was gaining about 4 pounds per month. That's like a pound a week or 1/7 pound per day. [Is my math right here?] So, like I said, I was expecting something, but not that. But even then, I was doing okay until the doctor said my fundus height was 37 cm. "Um, what?" Don't you love your ability to not talk when someone shocks you in a profound way? That's all I could get out, "What?" That's another 3 cm gain in 2 weeks. How can that be? Oh, goodness. The conclusion to my very short worded visit was that when I go back in 2 weeks that we're doing an ultrasound to see how large the baby is, ultimately predicting his weight at 39 weeks gestation, and to do my first physical check. Oh boy, what fun. [Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice?] But now, I must stop complaining. I'm healthy, he seems to be healthy. Everything is great.

Almost There

2011-02-16T07:54:00.003-06:00

Well, we have one room almost officially done. I shouldn't say "we" because I haven't helped AT ALL. I wanted to, but there's not much a big girl with a super sensitive smeller can do. {Husband: thank you for being so wonderful. You are more so everyday!} I have better pictures of the work done so far, but you can see it behind Q's running adventure this morning. The walls and trim are painted, we still have the doors to paint and the molding to put down. The last picture you can see where Husband had to cut the flooring to go around the vent hole...and the vent grate still fits!

"Ready...Set..."

"GO!"

Shorter Hair, Yea!

2011-02-15T15:31:00.000-06:00

Baby Shower & 34 Weeks

2011-02-14T10:56:00.002-06:00

The baby shower was fun. It was great to see all of my friends and have some good brunch and punch! We got some wonderful necessities for baby boy #2: diapers in size 1, 2, 3; wipes; pacifiers; clothes; socks; handmade hats; bath time goodies. Here's some pictures...

Wonderful necessities!

me, Christine, Rachel (Thank you for coming friends!)

My sweet hostesses (oldest and bestest of friends): Lisa, Amber, April

(Can someone tell me to fix my hair next time?)

Well today is officially 34 weeks. Who can believe I actually got to the computer in time instead of waiting until the middle of the week?! I actually should wait until later because I scheduled my doctor's appointment on Thursday during Q's Busy Bees class. So I don't actually have any updates. My face and hands seem a little swollen, my feet seem a little longer. I am now afraid to weigh myself and am not looking forward to that on Thursday. Other than that, it should be a fairly good and simple visit. I'll post more later.

Bad Lighting

2011-02-09T16:20:00.005-06:00

Is there anything worse than bad lighting in a home? (I mean, obviously besides all of those things like black mold and critters who don't belong. If you're reading this blog, I assume I can skip past all of those nasty things and just get down to the surface in your home.) Bad lighting is like a total bummer, right? First of all, we need light. I need to see how clean it is, so that when my skin starts crawling I can just look around and calm down. I need to see my dishes when I hand wash every single spot off of them (Yes, I live in the stone ages without a dishwasher). I need to lift any unnecessary burden off of these wonderful 20/20 eyes (Yes, you need lasik) so I can do without glasses for the next 10 or 20 years (Inevitable since my parents both wear reading glasses). Now you're thinking I'm crazy. I've put way too much thought into a couple of light bulbs. Sorry, they all went out at the same time. First, one of the three in the bathroom (Yes, I need all three). Then the one above the washer and dryer in the basement (How am I suppose to do 20 loads of laundry on my semi-only off day with no light? I think I lost a few socks...). And to pull my last nerve out of place, one of the two in the bonus room, where I sit and write to you little lovelies every so often, just now blew! Luckily, I was willing to fork out a few extra cents at the grocery store for some light bulbs (I know! Who buys light bulbs at the grocery store?!). And now, my sanity is restored (well, mostly). If I were going to live here any longer (That's right, I don't live here anymore, I checked out, oh....about....a while ago) then I would get more lighting, appropriate lighting, beautiful lighting. If you're reading this, I'm hoping you're not a potential buyer of my ghetto home, seeing how as I just bashed it slightly :)

I think we can go ahead and talk about my 33 and 1/2 week of being pregnant. It's weird how I was barely able to eat one hamburger a few weeks ago, and now when I should have even less room for that burger, the boy has somehow shifted and allowed me to eat more food. Doesn't that seem strange to you? I mean, yesterday, my wonderful mother-in-law brought over Milo's. Yum, right? She got me a double cheeseburger, "Yes!" and she ate about a third of her single patty burger. Um, guess what? I ate mine and hers! Should I even mention the fries that I scarfed down? And double dipped! Wow. Who can believe that I still had room to go to Cici's Pizza seven hours later? Well, I did. And I was going to tell you how all of a sudden the baby felt bigger (like my uterus made all of that room and then he gained weight), but I'm sure you're not surprised by that comment after what you just read. Whew. I'm worn out. Talk to you later.

32 (1/2) Weeks

2011-02-03T15:41:00.003-06:00

Yes, I have to throw that 1/2 of a week in! You would too if you were huge. My weeks start on Monday, since my due date is Monday, 3/28. Anyways, like I was saying, I am 32 and 1/2 weeks. I saw the doctor today. I did not gain any weight from 2 weeks ago, which was uber surprising since my belly expanded a lot. I mean, one day I was fine and then the next day, I was huge. We're talking about clothes not fitting, waddling while walking kind of huge. And she (dr.) said, "You're right, you grew about 3 cm in 2 weeks!" Yeah...thanks...I sorta figured. So, still no plans to induce early, we'll wait until the time comes for that. She's hoping, as are we, that THIS baby comes when he is ready (but not too late). From the expensive pills, my iron went from 10 to 12, so I'm just within the normal range. And I had sugar in my urine, all thanks to the banana bread for dessert and breakfast, I'm sure! Whatever. Everything is fine.

And did you know it was raining ice again? I didn't. I was pretty much under the impression that I lived in Alabama, and that it rarely (if ever) did that here. Someone needs to give me the real deal. Do I live in Alabama or not?

Rejoice!

2011-02-02T07:50:00.004-06:00

God continually blesses all of us and there are so many times when we forget what He gives us because we are fixated on worldly possessions or things that we don't have. Today I want to rejoice and be thankful for everything He has given me, my family and friends.

Last week my parents finished the paper work for their building loan and "broke ground." Those of you who know my immediate family will realize that this has been a process over several years. Being patient for God's blessings is not always easy, but he has a plan for all of us. I know, building a house hardly seems like God's plan, but by being where they are, it will enable them to be a more integral part of their church family. I believe there is a lot of room for wisdom and growth there.

Yesterday we received a phone call letting us know that Lucian got a second job with Concord Fire Department. He will be working for them part-time on every other C shift. Through God's blessing, he also got on the same C shift as a co-worker at his Birmingham Fire Department. This means we will also be able to save on gas money by carpooling. There will be some scheduling issues to work out on mine and baby boys' ends, but I know through Him everything will work out according to His plan. As you will see from yesterday's post, we were also able to start a renovation to our home, which I am very thankful for.

This morning I witnessed another blessing on a friend's blog, Pates Miracle Babies. Her monoamniotic twin boys just received their clearance from Early Intervention. Meaning they are now at or past the level (physically, mentally, speech, etc.) of any other two year old. They no longer require services, and as a parent of an Early Intervention child, I know what a blessing this must be. As Dana says, she is "giddy." Thank you Lord for your continual blessings on this family.

I know religion is not usually a topic on my blog, but I can't help but rejoice out loud and remind myself to thank Him for all things, great or small.

{Monday at 32 weeks}

Is this REALLY happening?

2011-02-01T09:45:00.006-06:00

A complete DIY renovation...in MY HOUSE???!!! Oh my goodness....Leaping Lizards! (To quote Q's current favorite movie "Annie"). Husband, I love you. Keep up the good work.

Not that my kitchen was organized...but now, it's a partial construction site.

I didn't get to take a good before picture. But here you can see the entry laminate and dirty carpet.

This is the front/living area (a space we hardly use). Husband has it all prepped and ready to go.

Now for that last bit of flooring and cleaning.

At Random

2011-01-27T12:57:00.002-06:00

I MUST report on Q's speech progress. As with most things concerning toddlers, it's an every other day thing. For example, the way they eat...somedays they will, somedays they won't. Whatever. They'll eat when they eat, and for the most part, they'll live happily. So Q-man's speech is the same. For the most part he'll only talk when he has too. Who can blame him? But, we're trying to encourage more talking and longer phrases. Yesterday, without any prompting, he said, "Uh-oh, I dropped the Gronkel." and this morning he said, "Where's the milk? Oh, there it is." You want to talk about some shocked faces! Of course, there were rounds of praise and literal pats-on-the-back. Usually his made up sentences are chi-pan-ese (Yes, that's my word for his language, it's like chinese and japanese mixed together. Trust me, I've done my research :) For him to use full, comprehendible sentences...at random...Wow! Good job, son.

How to cut toddler hair

2011-01-24T20:14:00.008-06:00

Well, I guess this was Q's first official hair "cut." It's always hard to tell what qualifies. We occassionally trimmed around his ears and neck, but had stopped doing that and let it get sort of long. I must say, it was behaving quite well up until a week ago. And he's getting so much older and taller that the curls were starting to look ridiculous on him. I'm not saying he will never have curls again, but you know I like my boys to look like men. Plus, this is much easier to brush and go. Read the {captions} if you need advice on cutting hair.

Two days before the cut. Front and back (below).

The cut begins.

{Comb the front straight forward and comb the sides and back of the hair straight down. Since he has curly hair, I tried for long cuts. So instead of cutting around the ear, I had to pull it past the ear and then shape it like the ear. Always cut on the long side. You can always trim more, but you can't put it back on once it's gone!}

{Now we're trimming the back to match the sides. Since it was so long, I started by pulling it down and getting the length I wanted before I started chopping in the middle. I still wanted to keep it on the long side so it would lay down opposed to curling up more. After I got the desired length by pulling down, I shaped the rest to match by pulling out. Match the middle length to that at the base of the neck. Again, always opt for the long cut if you are unsure. All the hair may not grow at the same speed either, making the lengths shorter in some places. So if you don't see anything to cut while you're matching it up, then don't cut. You can always go back and take a second look.}

His hair is short in the front, so we have never had to trim that.

{The goal in the front is to not cut too short. You would pull it straight down over his eyes and do a messy trim (don't cut straight across, cut in at an angle, hold your scissors at a 45 degree angle and trim). That way he doesn't look like dumb-and-dumber style cut.}

The finished product. What a big boy!

{As you can see, we are still going to have curls and waves, but much less of a frizzy-clown-hair mess!}

30 Weeks

2011-01-19T13:48:00.004-06:00

I had my appointment this morning. I had to see a different doctor, but it was good. He was really nice and checked my overall status since he didn't know me. I was glad to meet another doctor, you never know what might happen. So, about the visit. I've gained 20 lbs and am measuring 31.5 cm (from pubic symphysis to fundal height). Slightly ahead of the curve, but not by much. My blood pressure was excellent, as was my blood sugar. I have to start adding more iron to my diet, which doesn't bother me one bit (hello steak!). The baby's movement and heartbeat are well (at about 145-150 bpm, which is in the normal range of 120-160). He seems to be in the correct position for a vaginal delivery, but the doctors say he still has time to move, and I'm saying, "There's no room in there!" So, I don't know if you can tell, but we are ready to introduce the new little tyke into the world, however, he still doesn't have a name. I'm sorry. I'm not keeping anything from you, he really doesn't even have an inkling of a name. We have a list of over 60 names going, and none of them hit home to either of us. So, we do like a lot of names, but we don't feel like we've found the right one yet. We'll see how much time the little man gives us to decide...

Holding Down the Fort

2011-01-12T16:37:00.003-06:00

a little bit of sun and shoveling later (thanks dad, you're the best) i CAN get out of my driveway and up the hill to where they stopped sanding. thanks sanders. i hear all the neighbors trying to do the same thing...hacking at ice with shovels, that is. what fun. now i have a few more diapers and fruit snacks to hold me and the little man over until we can get to the store. he didn't have a nap today, so i think we're stuck here for the night to minimize fit throwing and "mama, hold me" which mama can't and won't do right now. can yall believe it, i'm almost 30 weeks!? wow how time flies. hope everyone had a nice day out in the world, as for us, we're still holding down the fort. (as i was typing, quinn just passed out watching "wall-e")

Blogging like it's Twitter

2011-01-11T13:03:00.003-06:00

for those of you following me today, i'm sorry. i'm using my blog like a twitter account. i don't even like twitter, but i have nothing better to do than tell you of my woes.

yes, we are stuck here. iced in. and now it's snowing, again. i'm hungry and running out of food fast because i ate almost all of my food yesterday. q-double will be out of milk soon because i keep eating bowls of cereal :)

and happy one eleven-eleven (01/11/11)!

And Another?

2011-01-11T08:37:00.002-06:00

and still, nobody has left my end of the street. the cars, driveways and road on this dead end are still icy white and now it's snowing! another snow day? maybe. lucian is on his way home. we'll see how far he makes it down the road. apparently all the roads are clear and ready to go. i guess living on a dead end, and did i mention "hill", has it's disadvantages sometimes. oh well.

"Snow Day"

2011-01-10T16:45:00.004-06:00

so, it was called a "snow day" for the kids at school before it even started. when i was in school, they NEVER cancelled school. i mean, it ended up that it did "snow" but still. what is that all about?

all it did was rain ice here. no, not technically hail. the pieces are too small. it really was just frozen rain drops. from 4pm and all through the night. i made it home in time to be stuck here. and i should have planned better. maam is at home without a husband, and i am home without a husband, and we should have got "stuck" together. oh well. q man is potty training today since we are out of diapers and stuck here. i'll have to say, he hasn't made it IN the potty once. nope, not even once. we're trying. what else can i do? because when i say i'm stuck here, i really am. i'm sure people are out on the parkway and the road is fine, but i'm on a dead end street with iced over yards and roads. nobody has even been outside yet. and the sun didn't come out, so we're still looking at a white sheet of ice. crunch-crunch. it couldn't be fun, soft snow, huh?

yeah...i'll quit complaining now. i didn't have to go to work today, so there's a plus. and q man took a regular nap, so there's another plus. and i made brownies from scratch, yum-yum. (don't tell my doctor i sat around all day in my pj's and ate food non-stop! i'm sure the weight gain will be off the chart...)

well, i hope you had a happy "snow day" and tell me all about it.

nesting

2011-01-07T09:59:00.001-06:00

nesting...badly. did i do this the first time? i don't think so.

moving furniture with hubby this a.m. what a sweet heart.

and one more thing...

2010-12-31T08:56:00.003-06:00

by the way, it's rude to be rude to sweet pregnant ladies who are just doing their job. don't cop an attitude and make her heart race (which makes her whole body shake). and...and!...don't tell her that she looks like she's about to pop, and when she tells you she has 12 weeks left, don't say, "you must be having twins." because, no!, i would have told you i was carrying twins. and then...then!...when she tell's you it's not nice to tell a pregnant woman those things, don't say, "well the truth isn't nice." oh, yeah. stupid old men! and i told him so too. i said, "you old men should watch what you say. it's hurtful!" baammm. the end.

post-Christmas, pre-Newyear

2010-12-30T13:44:00.004-06:00

well, i will say that this time of year is almost crazier than the week before Christmas. i'm gonna agree with amber d. and say my house also looked liked toys'r'us the days following Christmas (and i am answering my phone as such! "hello, toys'r'us, lynde speaking. how may i help you?" no lie.). not to say that we don't appreciate every last thing...we do...thank you guys so much. quinn is so active and happy with all of his new things, it is also helping his speaking, so...thank you. but, preggo momma had to organize all of these new things, and it took half a day, and quinn is continuously ripping off my pictured labels (um, aunt rae, need to borrow your expertise in lamination!). so, it is all very tiring is what i am getting at. and just because one room got organized, doesn't mean that the other rooms (office and front space) didn't get messier, because they did! we'll have to start that project at a later date. uh, can i have a drink yet?

today, i am waiting to hear more about our friend's baby who was born at 3 a.m. and am trying to figure out more ways to organize this chaos (when all i really want to do is move out!). other things of note: quinn is like super tall. it happened all of a sudden. it was the day after christmas and i was like, "did you grow a foot?" at 2 1/2 he's taller than all of his friends, including a 3 1/2 year old little girl! we tried to measure his height. i think he measured 39 inches, that's 3'3" which i believe is 90-95th percentile. he also weighs about 35 lbs, which is about 70-75th percentile. wow! who can believe that not too long ago he was not even on a chart!? well, he's always been tall, which we hope continues. quinn, please be tall like your papa t. it wouldn't hurt our feelings at all if you were much taller than we are. and sorry family i don't give you more appropriate updates about his size. he is wearing 3T and 4T clothes. and is reaching the end of his size 9 shoes. he really doesn't need clothes because the hornbuckles provide us with those great hand me downs, but he always needs pajamas, undershirts, shoes, and socks. if you're interested, for his birthday, we like those things. as you've read, he has plenty of toys, but if you feel bad for not getting him toys, just go to the dollar store and pick out anything. really, anything! it can be a cooking spatula, he'd love it! and thank you aunt rae for the savings account you've started for him. nothing will be better to him than when he grows up and has some money to spend. (i want to the same thing for zoe and harper, just need their numbers)

okay. what are your plans for the newyear? yeah, me neither. nothing. i'll probably have a sparkly drink since i've entered the third trimester (yeah us!). but, i do plan to make a newyear's resolution. these are always fun. i think two lenten seasons ago we gave up "fast food" (as opposed to "eating out", which i need since i am such a lame cook). and i think it will be my newyear's resolution, to stop eating fast food. maybe i'll give myself a once a month off sorta thing, i better decide before tomorrow, but i'll think it will be good. especially for this last trimester when all i want to do is eat, and i should be eating healthier for the both of us. so yeah, we ate "fast food" yesterday and today in preparation for this big life changing event. i'm pretty sure husband is going back to his paleo diet for athletes, so he's already included in the not eating fast food thing. one of my friends does really cool newyears resolutions, like take a cake decorating class, and such. i think that's fabulous. she's all prepared to be a mother and do all of these mothering type things. so, i hope you have something good planned for your new year and your resolution.

christmastime

2010-12-25T16:16:00.006-06:00

A photo blog of Christmastime with the Jones-Hornbuckles. To not confuse anyone here is the family layout. Tim and Denise (now Papa T and Gramma D) are Lucian's parents. His sisters are Hilary and Rachel. Hilary is married to David and they have an 8 month old, Harper. Rachel is married to Nathan and they have a 1 year old, Zoe. GG Mellett is Lucian's maternal grandmother and GG Marie is Lucian's paternal grandmother. Sometimes family units are not sitting together, so hopefully this will clear some things up. My family is much simpler. My parents are Curtis and Jamy (now Cack and Nanny). My brother is Jarod and his partner is Keith. They have a new baby girl puppy, Honeybaby.

CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING WITH THE HORNBUCKLES

{Harper B, Aunt Rachel and Zoe C.}

{Q's ready for a hookah}

{Lucian's present made by his dad}

{Q and Harper B at the piano}

{Nieces Zoe C. and Harper B. (held by their moms) with their Two Little Lovelies 'besties' clips. One of the only pictures I have of Uncle David B.}

{Papa Tim with his light up Bama hat}

CHRISTMAS DAY AT THE HORNBUCKLE'S

{Gramma D got some new brown boots}

{Q got an 18 wheeler truck that carries 30 cars}

{The nieces got matching toys, but Z baby wanted Harper baby's. Also, this is the only picture I have of Nathan...sorry bro.}

CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON AT GG MELLET'S

{It's snowing! Q is bending the elements. If you've seen THE LAST AIRBENDER, you will recognize some moves!}

CHRISTMAS NIGHT (AT GG MARIE'S) WITH THE EXTENDED HORNBUCKLE FAMILY

{And the craziness begins!}

CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT (IN ATL) WITH THE JONESES

{Jarod and Keith's cute tree}

{Uncle Keith is gonna have a smoke break}

{The plumbing fiasco}

{Uncle Jarod, always so cool. Another smoke break?}

{Nanny, Q and Honeybaby (J&K's newest edition)}

26 (1/2) Weeks

2010-12-23T07:24:00.000-06:00

Use Your Blinker

2010-12-22T20:45:00.002-06:00

Use your blinker. Please. Explain to me what is so difficult about it. {As Mr. Smith says in Shoot Em Up, "I move my finger one inch to use my turn signal, why are these (beeps) so lazy they can't move their finger one (beeping) measly inch to drive more safely?"} My husband is a non-signaler. He thinks he signals when there is someone near him, which isn't always the case, so I've been wanting to keep my blog quiet about my disapproval of the blinker usage. But, I can't stand it anymore! With all of the increased traffic for holiday time, consider being more considerate. Use your blinker, and go the speed limit (not 60 mph in a 70!). Thank you. Have a nice night.

What's Going On?

2010-12-16T13:55:00.001-06:00

So many of you are wondering what's going on over here. And the answer is "everything and nothing." We're both working a lot. Q just wrapped up this semesters classes (Busy Bees and Kindermusik). Just trying to stay well, which is hard when you are surrounded by so much sickness. When we're not working, we try to squeeze time in with each other and with friends. We're looking, but not trying hard to find a name for baby boy #2. Or, maybe I should say "I'm not". I look at names, and there are a lot I like, but I don't have any feelings towards them. As emotional as pregnant women are, you think there would be something, so I just haven't pushed it. I don't want to get stressed out over anything right now, which is hard enough with the holidays, a disheveled house, a speechless toddler, and a crazy dog. Yeah, she's crazy. The old, fat girl had twice the amount of food for dinner (I was humoring Q by letting him scoop her food) and she still managed to get into the cupcakes I was making. After a long day of hormonal ups and downs, all I wanted was to make cupcakes and feel better. So we quickly baked a batch of cupcakes, ate two, flew out the door for BJJ practice, and come home to half the amount of baked goods. Yeah, I should have known better. This coming from one of the dogs who ate two entire large pizzas off the counter inside closed boxes...similar scenario, but I thought she was better than that, or too old for that, or too fat for that. Nope. She's just a dog who thinks she's starving to death if there's not food going into her mouth all day long. Crazy. Why can't they just be like cats and know when enough is enough? I need a kitty. {Side note: congrats to jarod and keith who got their first dog and to april and buck who got their first dog, too.}

Keeping Christ in Your Christmas (coloring sheet attachment)

2010-12-07T12:56:00.004-06:00

So many friends (mostly co-workers) are shocked and appalled that we haven't decorated for Christmas in the past few years (2010, 2009, maybe some in 2008?). You saw the extent of my decorating last year (look back if you don't recall the "tropical charlie brown christmas"). I just don't see the point of hauling around, storing, putting up, and taking down six large storage containers full of decorations for 30 days out of the year. Not to mention the cost of all of these things that could be put towards a better cause.

This season represents Christ's birth in a lowly stable, so what do all of these trees and lights and presents have to do with that? There is a great history to each and every decoration. (I am by no means dissing your decor! Put it up, enjoy it!) Just remember Christ during your Christmas time and know the answers when your child asks, "Why?" (I found a great answer to all of these things in one location, bingo!)

And a great Christmas activity to do with your kids at home, or even if you don't have kids, is to color this nativity scene, cut & glue it on some poster board. It can be a one day activity, or you can follow the website's advice and do one item per day leading up until Christmas (p.s. we are 7 days behind! which is good because these pieces are actually your background, and we should focus on the persons present at the manger).

Looking back at my old Christmas posts, I now realize I have not been keeping you informed on Quinn's speech progress. We are still with Early Intervention at Children's Hospital until Q turns three (he is approx. 2 yrs 8 mo). He is seen three times a month and has benefited greatly from this. He is currently in a repeating phase (like, "No not exactly" or "Hey Jarod. Love you." however, not with that precise clarity.) He uses two or three word phrases spontaneously (like, "Help me" or "Shut the door") and is trying to say a lot more than two words, but is not clear/understandable. The best we've understood is "To infinity and beyond," but any sentences or fast repetitions are lost. His vocabulary has increased dramatically from this time last year. Less than 20 words to now over 100 words. And his recall is phenomenal. I picked up a book the other night we haven't looked at in months, but he remembered every picture and what sounds the animals made. It really took me by surprise. So, he is doing well. We weren't worried and still aren't worried that he will be ready by the time school starts, but thank you all for your continual encouragement and prayers.

Treats for Troops

2010-11-30T09:00:00.006-06:00

For the firemen working on Thanksgiving day...Okay, so not really "troops" in the soldier sense, but I couldn't find a good title. (Sweeties for Sweaties didn't sound yummy. And honestly, I wouldn't send anything with cheese in it over seas...don't be fooled by the title.) I made Cream Cheese Brownies, Blonde Brownie Caramel Cups, and Chocolate Overload Brownies. Yes, it was a brownie extravaganza! I'll share two of the three recipes with some photos.

The first, CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES, is a recipe my mother and I have had since I was in junior high school. It was always a joke, "The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I will have to say that the men love this recipe more than the ladies (most of the time). There are six ingredients, which I love about this recipe because it is super easy! Here it is:

1- Box Yellow Cake Mix (pudding in the mix)

1- Stick of Butter (i.e. 1/2 cup, melted)

2- eggs

--------

1- Box Confectioners Sugar

1- 8oz. Cream Cheese (might as well go with the all fat at this point, right?)

2- eggs

--------

1. Mix together first three ingredients, put in sprayed 13x9 pan. (If you can't get this thick, dough like stuff to spread out, just put it in the oven for a minute or so. See picture)

2. Mix together last three ingredients and put it on top of the cake mixture. (I tend to put most of the cream in the center, but this last time I put it all over and it did just as well.)

3. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes, or until light gold. (Sorry, no final picture. I let them set for about an hour before I cut them. They are always gooey and yummy, but letting them set does help.)

Up next we have BLONDE BROWNIE CARAMEL CUPS (Recipe from old Pillsbury Bake Off)

For the blonde brownie cups you will need:

1- Stick of Butter

1- Cup of Brown Sugar

1- Tsp. of Vanilla

1- Egg

1- Cup of Self-rising Flour

---------

For the caramel pecan topping you will need:

20- Caramels

1- Tblsp of Water

1/2- Cup of Chocolate Chips

1/2- Cup of Broken Pecan Pieces

1. Heat oven to 350. Line regular size muffin pan with 16 cups or mini size muffin pan with about 40 cups.

2. Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and egg. Next, add the flour and stir.

3. Divide batter evenly (or about 1/2 full cups if you're like me and don't count or don't want to make the wrong size).

4. Bake at 350 for 16- 20 minutes (less time for mini muffins, about 9 minutes) or until golden.

5. Immediately when cups come from the oven, place the chocolate chips into the middle of each cup. (I use regular size semi-sweet chips and press 2-3 chips into the hot cups.)

6. Melt caramels with water in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and spoon over the tops (add more water if necessary to get the caramel to cooperate)

7. Top with nuts.

8. When cooled completely, store in airtight bag or container.

I love these cups because they can be as individual as you are. You can do a dollop of caramel with one pecan or you can cover them in caramel and add multiple pecans! Feel free to be creative, because they taste delicious no matter what!

A (Lacking) Jones Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T18:22:00.007-06:00

Well, this Thanksgiving there was no crazy themed menu and all day chow down. We were lacking a few fabulous relatives (j.rod, keith, and my handsome hard-working husband. Please keep your thoughts and prayers with those who serve our country and cannot be with their families today-the armed forces, the police, and the firefighters-they are risking their lives to keep us safe. How I am thankful for ALL of them, dear God.) Since we were lacking almost half our party and since we were also at a smaller venue this year, we skipped on all the goodies and went back to the traditional Thanksgiving at Grandma's. Although our Thanksgiving was lacking in guests and themes, I am grateful to my ma'am and donna for picking up the entire menu and having edible food. In fact, I am thankful for food in general! We are so blessed and overfed here in America, let's not forget it any day, especially today. All of us should not only remember it, but strive to do something about it. Cut back on meals at gatherings and donate money to a worth cause, even if it is here in America. Spend some time as a family serving meals to others before you chow down yourself. I'm not saying we do any of these things, but I hope next year, or even this Christmas, that we will. I felt very convicted today as I looked across the table.

So our day was like everyone else's. Quinn and I ran around trying to visit and please others. I gladly picked up Uncle Jim this morning to go to maam's. There I dropped off the turkey that Dad fried at Grandma's. From maam's we went to Grandma's to pick up said turkey (where I ran over Micah's plastic wheel burrow. Not one of my finer driving moments). Took said turkey (from Center Point to Gardendale, from Irondale to west side Birmingham) to the fire department and ate with the men and none of their families...that's right. Went from the station back to Grandma's and now we're home. I had to get Q home for some food. He wouldn't eat all day, but when the dessert buffet was presented, he was interested. I said, "No, sir! We'll go home and make you chicken nuggets before you have cake and ice cream for dinner." We had a small bit of fussing today, which I was very firm on and quite proud of myself. Now the day is over. Thank you Lord for keeping us safe.

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and DON'T go shopping on Black Friday...

Quinn trying to show Micah everything!

Not only can you see the ridiculousness of these kids toys, but also the ridiculousness of the food. There are four desserts on the table, and that was only the beginning of more to come!

We found a motorcycle that makes noise...lovely.

Dad and Quinn playing (Mr.) Potato Head

My dad has surgery on his hand on Monday (from a work incident) and a friend's little sister is also having surgery on Monday. Please keep them in your prayers.

More Orlando

2010-11-22T09:25:00.002-06:00

We had a great time on our Orlando trip with the Crosses (Lucian's youngest sister, husband, and 10 month old) and Q & Z are like BFF now. Most of the pictures we have are from SeaWorld because we went twice and because it was the most fun we had. Sure, we went to the pool at the resort and ate at some fabulous restaurants, but SeaWorld was amazing! The shows were awesome. I'm so glad we forked out the big bucks to go. I don't foresee another vacation in our near future, so enjoy the pictures of life outside of our messy home ;)

for the In-Laws

2010-11-16T07:03:00.003-06:00

Q is finally getting around to using his Christmas presents from last year. He now tries to ride his car (from Gramma D and Papa T/aka Tim) and he does get on his rocking horse about every other day (from GG Mellett/aka Santa).

Okay, now for everyone else...look at this sitting area...a mess, right? Now imagine it full with a maze of oversized Rubbermaid boxes! And the kitchen, too! Nightmare. How am I suppose to nest in this kind of environment? I think I will have to enlist some help pretty soon. The in-laws have already offered, and that's when it didn't look so bad. I wonder if they'll still be up for the task? They'll probably be playing with Q so I can get some work done, but something's better than nothing!

Bad with the Camera

2010-11-13T06:29:00.003-06:00

"I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD"

As always, we take the camera, but we're not so good about hauling it around all day and getting good pictures. Luckily, the Crosses had their camera and we're able to take more than us. I'll get everything together and give you a proper blog post.

We got back from Orlando last night, in our house and in the bed by 10 p.m. Not so bad.

thankful for ALL the boys in my life

2010-11-05T07:54:00.004-05:00

i really am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. today i want to give thanks for all of the boys who have touched my life in numerous ways. they have been family members and friends. i would never have enough room to list them all or picture them all. but, you know who you are and i want to thank all of you for being men of God. may He continue to bless you, as your presence has blessed me.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

(Half way there!)

We will be on vacation and I will have lots of pictures when I get back!

Friends Forever

2010-11-01T13:27:00.002-05:00

Cute and funny and true. April and Amber have been my friends for a long time, and always will be! LULAS!