The A** Family

Ok, I have been trying for a while to upload this image and let me tell you it has been no easy task. But alas, I have done it. I saw this on Melissa's friends sisters (did ya get all that) blog; she has a section with pictures of bumper stickers people have seen on the road. This one cracked me up, what can I say I'm a simpleton. Hope you enjoy it half as much as I did.

Ballard Designs and Bell-ah

Bell-ah and I have been discussing our mutual LOVE for Ballard Designs so I wanted to post and show the armoire I got at the outlet center. I bought this piece for 1,300.00 less than it was listed for in the catalog with out a scratch/dent on it. I looked for two years for a new armoire after mine died and this was the only one I found that I liked so my husband and I started saving for the big purchase and when we went by to visit and see if they had any available we found this one for half of what we were expecting to pay. Needless to say I stood gaurd while he went and got his brothers truck to pick it up. This armoire weighs just over 500 pounds and the two other guys that came to the house to help us move it were more than struggling to get it up the stairs. Now some of you know these two guys J.R. Mitchell, John Weaver and Andy pulled this thing up a flight of stairs and placed it in the living room (all the while I hollered at them not to hurt my baby (the armoire, not actual baby)). Any way you should all give them a visit www.ballarddesigns.com and check Bell-ah out at http:southerness.blogspot.com
P.S. The Ballard Design outlet store is located at Old Alabama and Holcomb Bridge off 400 exit 7 turn left and it is on your right.

Tour the Bare's

Okay...we're a little out of order, and it took a little time to clean up, but here it is...the house of Bare.

Out of Order: our dining room/kitchen table**no eat in kitchen**so we get to ruin our carpet
Welcome to Casa Del Bare

Tour of Homes

Living Room
My Kitchen
My Blogspot/Living Room
My Bedroom
Theatre Screen In The Bare Cave

Andy's Bare Cave/Theatre Room

The View Off Our Back Porch

True Friends

I wish I had access to my pictures so I could post one, but oh well, what are ya gonna do? I have received such love and support from my friends about my poor woe is me fat post. It was so encouraging to read your comments and eye opening. I don't need to whine about my weight...if I want to change it then I need to just do it, and not so that I can feel thinner/more attractive, but so I can be healthy and active. Thank you all so much!
On another bright note...I had SUCH a blast at playgroup today!!! Isn't it awesome when we get a fun group like that, the kids play nonstop, and we can visit. Watching sweet little Lainey discover jumping party with Abigail to lead her was mesmorizing. Getting to see Tyler play with the other kids and play appropriately with the toys and others was such a treat for me. AND, then to get to have some sit down time with Pammy and Becca was icing on the cake. I love having this time with you all and have grown to love you so much. Miles was so adorable tucked up against his mommy (and Mason fighting for his space on HIS Mommies lap) he is such a cute little guy. I never knew Mason was such a tickleish little guy, you would think he was going to laugh himself to death over one poke to the belly. When it was time to leave Ella came over by herself and said goodbye to me...I was so surprised...I say hi and bye to her, but we don't see much of each other, so it was so neat to have her seek me out to say farewell. I think my favorite thing of all was seeing Jackson with Evan and Claire; he has made two little friends at 18 months old. I never had that experience with Tyler, and that has made it all the sweeter for me. I love all my new ELCC friendships and my kids have friends that they love. God is Good!

A Picture For My Profile

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This is a picture from my 4 year anniversary...and the only one on my computer since Andy decided to put all the pictures, except those taken in the last 6 weeks, on to his computer. Posting a picture of myself seemed like the easiest way to get a URL and attach a picture to my profile.

That's my kitty Miss O. in the picture with me and the microwave that Andy installed himself...There used to be a fan there and it was hard wired so he had to make a plug for it and everything *Very Impressive*

Well that's about all for now...

SAHM I AM

After many suggestions I purchased a used copy of SAHM I AM from Amazon; I received it in the mail this afternoon and started reading. I have to say that I like it and I don't. In some ways it makes me feel really bad; I don't like the tension between the moderator and the women in the green eggs and ham sub-group. They explain their reason for staying is to be there for the moderator if/when everything comes crashing down on this women and because you don't leave over a few personality differences. But this woman is so unpleasant and upsetting to me...I wonder if this is because I see some of myself in her, you know like the saying what you dislike the most in others is what you really don't like about yourself.
I have also been having an increadibly fat day...I have been having fat days in general lately but this one seemed a little more hard hitting. As I was reading the book one of the women commented on going to the OB and being told she was ten pounds over her pretwin weight and her cholesterol was bad. I am 30 pounds over my pre-Tyler weight and 20 over my pre-Jackson weight. So I felt even worse after reading about this woman that is a terrible 10 pounds over when I weigh more than my husband. There have been a couple other instances recently that have compounded the fat issue...a child in my CG asked me if I was pregnant on Sunday, and then the next evening a woman from church told me I was beautiful for a large woman. I never thought of myself as a large woman before, but I think perhaps that was my wake up call. I think I may suffer from the opposite of anorexia...I look in the mirror and think "I'm not that fat" but then I see a picture (or some one informs me) and I realize YES I am that fat.
I can't really believe this happened to me, but at the same time I can definately see how this happened. I not only eat everything I want, but I eat a lot of it. Maybe this will be the big drive that gets me to change my eating habits and keep them changed. I was on a "diet" in high school that kept my weight balanced a it was more of a way to live than a diet, but when I got pregnant I thought it was free reign and I never really got it back under control. So here I am wallowing in my fat and depression feeling sorry for myself when I have so much to be thankful for. Doesn't it just feel good to feel bad for yourself sometimes? I just want to have my pitty party, have everyone jump in and tell me how hard it is, and then move on (to a new thinner me).
Well those are my feelings today...hope I didn't put anyone else into a fat day!

Jackson Posing For Mommy

I couldn't resist posting this picture of Jackson, he was looking so cute!
I had taken him to Target to get his picture taken with Tyler earlier that day and they were such good boys. The photographer on the other hand had a terrible attitude. I wanted a picture of the boys in their "casual" outfits and their "formal" outfits, but she was not interested in doing a wardrobe change. Too stinkin' bad I was interested in the change!
Anyway to get back at me she rushed our shoot and we were done well before the next appointment arrived. We still got a couple of good pictures, but she made it a very stressful experience.
When we got home Tyler went to bed, but Jack was ready to rock. He posed on his bike for me for nearly 20 minutes while I took pictures. Then we watched some Sesame Street and relaxed.

Saying Farewell To Miss Bethany

Saying goodbye to Miss Bethany after two years with her as our service coordinator. She has gotten a job as a counselor at her local elementary school and is going back to college to work on yet another degree/masters. We will miss her so much; she was a very good service coordinator and was always there when we needed her. Bye Miss Bethany we love you!

The Fam At Lunch

The fam sitting down for lunch at my parents house. We had just been swimming and everyone was hungry (and a little tired). Tyler and Jack both ate lots of fruit which they never do for mommy at home!

My Brother Tim

My brother and his girlfriend Sarah at my parents house in Marietta.

They have been dating for almost four years and will graduate from Georgia College and State University in December.

Mantha's Post

I loved this little poem Sam and David found so much that I wanted to add it to my blog.

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,

Look upon a little child;

Pity my simplicity,

Suffer me to come to Thee.

Lamb of God, I look to Thee;

Thou shalt my Example be;

Thou art gentle, meek, and mild;

Thou wast once a little child.

Lord, I would be as Thou art;

Give me Thine obedient heart;

Thou art pitiful and kind,

Let me have Thy loving mind.

Let me, above all, fulfill

God my heav’nly Father’s will;

Never His good Spirit grieve;

Only to His glory live.

Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,

In Thy gracious hands I am;

Make me, Savior, what Thou art,

Live Thyself within my heart.

Joy in the Lord

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Joy in the Lord Current mood: grateful Category: Blogging

Some times the Lord just grips me and I want to cry...This afternoon in the car on the way home I was listening to a song and it was truly a time of worship. The words were mine and the feeling was pure. As a woman I want to feel the Lord instead of surviving on faith alone; I know my Father knows my heart and knows that when my faith is low I need to feel him near me.
I was so overcome I wanted to call someone and share, but then I felt discouraged about who to call when you feel that way. Who do I share that joy with? The people I talk to on a daily basis don't know the Lord and I don't want to be a braggart to my christian friends. I felt like I was alone in this joy from God.
Maybe the Lord wanted me to enjoy this with Him alone, and realize that He is the only one that can completely love, fulfill, and enjoy me.
As I ask the Lord to grow me in grace and put His spirit in my heart I know that He will, and I must wait on his timing. God has begun a work in me and will not leave it unfinished; that is so thrilling to my heart.
My prayer is to know, experience, believe and love the Lord with all of my being. I know this prayer will be answered for the Lord loves me and gave His only son to cleanse me of my sin.
Amen

New Post!!

Well...It's been since November of last year since I posted on my blogger. I love myspace so much that I neglected my poor blogspot.

I have the time tonight to update since by better half is working on his mood I came downstairs to escape. It has been another one of those days, they seem to be harder and closer together lately. I always thought I had a talent for organization and leadership, but the Lord is begining to show me that perhaps I do not. As I try to work out Tyler's schedule for school and therapy nexy year I am begining to realize just how inadequate my skills are. I can't seem to convice his therapist to work with me on a time that suits us all; which really doesn't matter since I can't find that time anyway. I went from having so much time on my hands with one child to barely being able to relax at home with two.

I want to find the time to do the things I enjoy and get my boys the therapy they need, and I know it could be done if I found someone with a similar schedule to mine. Alas, that is not happening. The therapits wants me to drive down to her even though I am the one paying her and special instruction is a home-based therapy (I'm a little confused about that too). I already have to drive down for speech 1x a week, and could they coincide to both work in this time...? Of course not. I can't seem to find the balance between how much school Tyler needs and how much therapy and then if I need to have him in a typical preschool with typical children.

I want to get him some swimming lessons, but since he's not like the other children teachers often don't understand why he behaves the way he does. He's scared and so he cries and says no and they don't understand why. Hence, they give up on him and let him sit off to the side by himself. I know he needs to learn to work in a typical group setting, but no one wants to give him a chance. The children right now have more grace and understanding then any of the teachers we have worked with.

What does the future hold for a child that doesn't match the mold? Why do people act out so viciously towards someone that doesn't know how to be any different? Why isn't there more love, grace and understanding in our world? Some say it's the people that don't know the Lord, but the people that do are often just as guilty. Sin is sin and the Lord uses what he hates to accomplish what he loves, but why does my sweet little boy need to suffer at the hands of it. So many people float along without much termoil and upset and others are crushed to the ground. How can someones life start out so difficult without the promise of impovement? What facet of God's character is that?

I don't want to be angry with the Lord or harbor resentment, but I don't understand how to love someone who acts out against my child. How can you treat someone so cruelly when they are not at fault for their actions. Tyler doesn't process things like the rest of us or see things like the rest of us or feel things like the rest of us...for that he is persecuted and I can't protect him.

My prayer is for the Lord to change my heart, and make me a advocate for those with special needs. I don't want prayers for my child to be like all the others; I want him to be him, but I want him to be happy.