Thankful Thursday

Today I'm giving thanks for all the little but HUGE blessings...

•An awesome Memorial Day weekend in Edisto with good friends. I was just reminiscing about the great time we had last weekend and how thankful I am for these friends.

•My SC teaching certificate is being renewed as we speak. We're saying a few extra prayers that the perfect job for me and my family will show itself!

•My neurologist showed me a series of beautiful images of my brain. The headaches are just that...headaches. And he's trying to help me manage them.

•My mom kept Sam and Fu tonight and we were able to clean out 3/4 of the laundry/craft/multi-purpose/storage room. Can't wait to knock out more tomorrow! {Thanks Mom & Dad}

•My dad turns 65 tomorrow...June 1! I am thankful for every year we get to celebrate with our parents. They are so very important to me! Happy Birthday, Dad! You're the bomb-dot-com!

That's all folks!!! Stay tuned for Phone dump Friday!!

CTBaker

A break in the clouds

One of my last posts mentioned how overwhelmed and gloomy things had been recently. This weekend I welcomed a much needed break in the clouds...literally. It rained and rained for days, off and on for the past 10 days or so. Even when it wasn't raining it looked like it was going to. I think the weather can truly play a part in you how you feel and how you deal with things that come your way.

But Friday afternoon the sun finally started to come out and put a new light on things. I suddenly didn't feel as glum. We walked down to the school for Sambo & Fu's end of the year school-wide picnic. I forgot my camera :-( so I wasn't able to snap any pics, but the boys loved running around with all their friends and Shan and I enjoyed socializing with all the great moms, dads, and teachers of their school. The boys went to bed early so they'd be well-rested for their first Kids Triathlon on Saturday.

We got up at the crack of dawn to make our way across town for the Harbison Kids Triathlon. What an experience! I was so proud of my boys for attempting and accomplishing a great goal. More importantly, I have never seen them so proud of themselves for meeting a physical goal. Shan and I loved it!

Sam...Swim Bike Run

My dad used to be an avid runner. You can't tell from the collage but...Shannon and I couldn't get over how much Sam lookes like my dad with his determination face on! CRAZY!

Fulton...Swim Bike Run

Fulton acted like a pro! He seemed to be right at home and for the first time in his 6 years acted like he had a sense of urgency!!!

We had a great representation of the school and thoroughly enjoyed cheering on each other's children.

You go guys!!!!

Later Saturday afternoon we had Fulton's final T-ball game and his and Sam's baseball party out at the ball field.

Fulton was awarded his 2nd T-ball trophy (Sam's division doesn't do trophies unless it's the champion team).

Baby Ver and his BFF, Hampton ("Hantan"), ran around like wild Indians and got as dirty as possible and were just lovin' life.

Sam also enjoyed hanging out with a dear ol' pal, Charlie, while the little guys played. They too looked like piggies fresh out of the mud!

Sunday could not have been a more picture-perfect day! After so much rain and gloominess we felt very blessed to awake to a beautiful bright sun. When I went in to get Oliver he even asked "Mommy, what's that bright!?!?"

We spent the morning at church. And later Shannon, along with S & F and The Gibson boys all went for a bike ride and gave momma some quiet time while Oliver napped. It was LOVELY!

We topped our weekend off with the company of The Seigler family. We are fortunate to have gotten to know them well through school and the women's bible study Jennifer and I are doing. They are also our neighbors which has been great for "the Sams"!

The awesome burgers on the grill, great conversation and kids playing until dark made me super excited about the end of school and the summertime right around the corner! We can't wait!!!

So the weekend proved to be praise-worthy!

It gave me some hope that better days are ahead. We are looking forward to it for sure!

Giving Thanks!

I am so thankful for my boys' schools and all they provide them. Each morning when I send them off I know they are in good hands.
Oliver is in a preschool that we have been a part of for 10 years now, since I worked there when I was pregnant with Sam. They know us very well and have always taken the best care of my children. I have referred to it as "The Jesus Bubble" for years. It's this safe, sweet little place and I can feel God's presence there.

Sam and Fulton attend a Montessori school. We have been there for 3 years and have LOVED every minute. We can count on them to cover all the bases with their education. They always manage to slip life-skills and character education in some way, some how. I feel like they not only take care of them academically, they take care of their character as well. There is no arrogance and they are taught to appreciate everyone, even if they differ in other aspects of their lives. I love that the values my boys learn at home are also being taught in their school.

Getting close to the holidays there are always some extra special activities going on. Just yesterday, Oliver's class had their Thanksgiving party. And just like most preschools, they bring home the sweetest things. I love PRESCHOOL! He had a little hand print turkey place mat with scripture on it and he had made his Indian head-dress. Here's Chief Oliver...

 My friend Katie and I are the homeroom moms for Fulton's class. We spent the morning making Cornucopias {posted here a while back} and Fingerprint turkeys. They all turned out soooo cute and the kids loved making their own "horn of plenty".

Sam and his classmates are the lucky ducks, though. Today they are headed to the ballet...The Nutcracker! I really wanted to chaperone, but due to budget cuts they were limited as to how many people could go. Sam has never been to a ballet. He's been to recitals and plays, but never a ballet. Last night in a conversation with him, I asked him if he wanted to wear his cute hot chocolate shirt. He said, "no ma'am. We are going to a ballet and we have to look our best." LOVE IT! I asked him what he wanted to wear and he said he thought he should wear his navy blue blazer and a bow tie.
He did. And he looked so adorable handsome! My Dapper Sam...

Any who...I'm so thankful for what their schools offer them. I feel like God has truly blessed us with the best educational opportunities for our family.

A Magical Night

Doesn't Christmas Eve seem magical?


It seems surreal and magical to me when I think about...

• An event which took place over two-thousand years ago that changed the world forever
• The amount of faith the parents of this precious baby must have had on their journey
• The feeling of being humbled when I listen to the Gospel at church (Luke 2)
• The lyrics to the hymns we sing in church- ESPECIALLY, Hark the Herald and Away in a Manger
• The beautiful glow and coziness of our sweet church
• The quietness of the usually bustling streets
• The overwhelming feeling of gratitude I have for the things that really matter
• The AMAZING behavior of my children, which makes me wish every day was December 24th
• How no matter what my level of anxiety is, the second I walk into my parents home I feel like a care-free child again on Christmas Eve
• How giddy my boys get when I read "South Carolina Night before Christmas"
• How paralyzed with anticipation they get when I read "T'was the Night before Christmas"
• How awe-struck and solemn they become when I read the The Christmas Story from their children's Bible
• How blessed I feel to be sharing the Santa experience with my best friend of 18 years
• The bizarre feeling of comfort I get from hearing the voice of James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life
• The feelings of relief and appreciation I have when I look under the tree and see that we were blessed enough to be able to provide for our loved ones yet another Christmas

I'm so thankful that we had a relaxing evening and yummy dinner at mom's tonight after church. I'm looking forward to spending Christmas day with my boys in the morning and my mom's side of the family at mom and dad's tomorrow for dinner. And we had a great night at the lake with Shannon's family last night. But most of all, I absolutely cannot wait to see the excitement on my boys' faces tomorrow morning, as they experience some of the same magic!!!
So, here's to wishing your Christmas is as magical as it should be!
Christmas Eve dinner with Muzzy and Boppa (and the reindeer???)
At the lake with the Baker cousins

Simply Thankful

Last week I did this little project with the boys. It's simple. It makes me happy. It says it ALL!

We're not the family with the ocean-front vacation home. We don't live in a gated community. We don't have the fancy cars. We don't have the designer wardrobes. All these things used to bother me. I would often find it easy to get caught up in what we don't have or what we aren't.

Well we are what we are and we have lots for which we should be thankful. I am simplifying! And through my simplification process I am really enjoying learning to be thankful for the simplicity in my life.


I am thankful for:

1. The Lord our God who understands me
2. The husband who will wear a John-John
3. The little hands that helped me make the banner
4. My Sambo who has a true love for the Lord and compassion for others
5. My Fu-Fu who has the happiest spirit I've ever seen and who makes me smile...constantly
6. My yummy little Ollie-bird who is so incredibly edible and a sweet baby
7. The creative mom who lives only a mile and a half away
8. The familiar whistle I hear when my dad walks through the door
9. The mother-in-law who has been coming to help with the boys almost every Thursday since Sam was born
10. The father-in-law who will make me anything I ask for
11. The brothers and brother-in-law who add color to my life
12. The sisters-in-law who take care of those brothers
13. The nieces and nephew who love my boys
14. The Grandfather who celebrated his 92nd birthday today
15. Our little dogs who have been oh so loyal for almost 15 years
16. The once-a-month therapy sessions at Bunco from Allison, Ansley, Darby, Ellen, Jen, Leigh, Marie, Mason, Shannon H., Shannon K.
17. "Oprah's" JLC Underground and of course My Sidekick..."Gayle"
18. The church that helped me establish some of the best friendships I've ever had
19. The Aunts who are like Fairy Godmothers to me and my children
20. The neighbors who know my business
21. The sound of the dryer running because we have one and
22. The clothes to put in it
23. The sound of the heater that just came on
24. The job my husband has
25. My little business that allows me to use my creativity and stay at home in
26. The "yellow house with white columns"
27. The schools my boys attend and
28. The teachers who teach them
29. The MACY'S Thanksgiving Day Parade that I can live vicariously through tomorrow morning
30. The VERY infrequent and well-deserved date nights with Shan
31. The shampoo I can still smell in my hair
32. The beautiful turkey picture that Fulton brought home from school
33. My manicure in a pretty fall color by moi!
34. The trips to target and the grocery store...solo and
35. The $ to pay for what's in the cart
36. NOT just being thankful tomorrow but being able to give thanks everyday because God continues to bless us in so many ways!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! from What's Bakin'?

Why I Love October.

If you've read my "About Me" page you know I love October. There are so many reasons why I feel it is superior to any other month. So in my opinion...
October is AWESOME because of some obvious reasons that most people can appreciate...

• leaves are changing colors
• cooler temps
• short sleeves by day, snugglie sweater by night
• football season is in full swing
• the world series begins
• HALLOWEEN and seeing our precious little peeps in their get-ups
• pumpkin patches are billowing with those gorgeous orange gourds

However, in addition to those, I have my own personal list...

• have you ever noticed the color of the October sky? A-MA-ZING.
• it's my BIRTHMONTH! (a shout out to my fellow October birthday friends...Holla!) and in my family, we seem to celebrate all month long
• it's MM1's birthmonth, as well as several other family members who I love dearly
• the SC State Fair (yes, I admit, I am a sucker for the fair)
• it's the month the Yard Man and I celebrate our anniversary of being together
• so many great theme parties to be had (I'm torn between 3 & 4 for this year)
• costume parties for adults
• costume parties for kids
• Halloween brunch complete with a Bloody Mary bar and Mimosas
• a pumpkin carving party
• a Harvest supper with friends (which could also be done in November)
• tailgate parties
• chili cook-offs
• and the list goes on...
• our visit to the pumpkin patch where we try to find the ugliest pumpkin and where the MM's pick out our "family"
• the Pine Island fall carnival and costume contest that my in-laws have been taking us to for years
• costume making with my uber talented mom
• I love to decorate for Halloween and fall in general and drag out my old trusty-rusty Halloween decor that the MM's love. I devoted a post to it several years ago.
• and finding new inspiration for projects, such as:
• my friend Shannon over at Bunco Belle who has some great links to ideas for pumpkin decorating
• a fall mantel---some awesome ideas from readers of The Nesting Place can be found here
• these great burlap wreaths by at Confessions of a Plate Addict and Loola-bee Simplicity (See pics below)
• making a fall outfit for MM3
• time change...there's something so so comforting about the sun setting early on cool crisp night and settling down with my sweet boys
• Boo at the Zoo
• Corn Mazes

I could probably think of a million other reasons why I love October so much but that's just an idea. So in the meantime, y'all check out the links and if you'd like, add to my list of reasons. I'd love to hear more!

Practically Yours,

Oliver's Baptism

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation!---2 Corinthians 5:17

We celebrated Oliver's sacrament of holy baptism on July 12th! What started as a frustrating situation proved to be the most delightful and celebratory event. I was very sad going into Oliver's baptism just knowing he is our last child, growing so quickly, and this is the last time we'd celebrate the baptism of one of our children. I wanted it to be super special for him and our family.

Our original date in May to have Ollie baptized got double booked with another family. Four families (6 children) were to be baptized that day and Ollie would have made seven. It was just too many families to accommodate in one service. So against MY plan we were moved to July; only to find out that neither the rector nor his associate would be able to perform the ceremony. Not to mention that the family christening outfit that the boys wear wouldn't fit him 2 months later and I'd have to buy something...Just one more glitch!!!!

I was later informed that our former Bishop, Charles Duvall was appointed. While we do not have a close relationship with Bishop Duvall I had heard great things about his ways of conducting a Baptism. Oliver went from being 1 of 7 children to a private Baptism performed by a Bishop!!!! It just doesn't get any more special! Bishop Duvall was awesome!! The service was absolutely perfect! So many people commented on how personal and beautiful it all was. It was every bit as special as I had wanted for the last time we would do this. We are so thankful that God truly IS in charge and knows what He's doing.

We were surrounded by great family and friends. It was a HUGE honor to have our great friends, Ansley and Patrick Grier stand up as his God-parents. They are so special to us and have taken on such a special and important role in Oliver's life as a Christian.

What a GLORIOUS day indeed!

My Mom's sisters---"Uncle" Judy and Aunt Laynie

A few of the wild boys

Mom and Dad with Ollie

Clayton, cousin Renee and my S-I-L April

Part of the Gibson gang

Jason, Katie, and Henry

Me and our sweet God-daughter, Caroline

Good and Dear Friends!!!

Shannon and the Overdykes

Fenton and Heather

More of the crowd

And more

Mom, Dad, Aunt Laynie, Aunt Judy, and Ms. Phyllis our parish sponsor for Oliver

Ms. Phyllis Gee, Patrick and Ansley with Newton and Liddy, Bishop Charles Duvall, and the Bakers

Me, Ollie, and Shan posing in front of the St. John's signature keepsake banner

St. John's just does it right!!!!!!!!!!

Oliver's favors to our guests to match his invitations

His sweet petit fours