Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
24 weeks and Counting
Had a doctor's appointment this morning, and he said everything still looks good! I'm at 24 weeks right now, and amniotic fluid still looks good. I don't remember when it started looking low last time, but I think it was close to 30 weeks. Every time I go, I think, "Will this be the visit when the boom drops?" I go back again in 3 weeks. At that point, I'll have to start going more often, but so far, so good! My doctor is completely comfortable with how things look right now. Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
We can rip off tags now.
Doctor says we're having a girl!
We are exhausted after 2 nights with a sick two year old, but this morning, he has no fever and seems to be fine!
I am also happy to have a day off from work due to "inclement weather." I guess there must be some flooding.
We are exhausted after 2 nights with a sick two year old, but this morning, he has no fever and seems to be fine!
I am also happy to have a day off from work due to "inclement weather." I guess there must be some flooding.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Visiting with the Masons
Aunt Sanny, Uncle John, Irene, and Isaac all came down from Nashville yesterday to visit with us. Lydia came up from Greenville to see them too. We made chicken curry with all the toppings, Mt. Kilimanjaro style, out of my new copy of the Herron/Cobb family cookbook that I got for Christmas. Aunt Sanny brought a delicious strawberry cake with cool whip and Irene made some chocolate cookies. It was yummy and VERY fun!
For any interested: I posted the link for buying the cookbook on the left-hand side of our blog among the links.
For any interested: I posted the link for buying the cookbook on the left-hand side of our blog among the links.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
It's a girl . . . maybe.
The doctor said today that he THINKS we're having a girl. He said not to rip off any tags yet, though. That would be good news to me -- I want a girl, but it is kind of scary too -- that's a whole new ball game for us!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Sick Kiddos!
Both of our kids are sick. Just colds, but both sounding very croupy, which is not unusual for Ben, but is unusual for Luke. Greg took Ben to the Dr. Thursday morning (Luke was still okay at that point). Apparently his breathing sounded really bad to them, because the lady behind the counter heard Ben cough, and the office just about flew into a frenzy. He hadn't been there 5 minutes when they took them back to a room and got Ben on a nebulizer, which Ben HATED! They made him stay at the office for 2 hours to see if they wanted Ben to go to the hospital or not. They said we should have taken Ben to the ER the night before. Greg felt terrible, of course, but it sounds worse to explain -- "He sounds like this all the time!" They should already know that anyway. I guess we'll know better next time, but this time, we thank the Lord that it wasn't any worse.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Baby's Moving!
Feeling DEFINITE baby movement tonight. Thought I might have felt it before, but tonight, I'm sure!
New Office Digs
I got a new office at work. It's no big deal, but it's been fun to make a change. I am now in an office that looks like an office instead of a closet. It's given me a chance to get a little more organized, which seems to be my boss' special project, for which I'm very appreciative.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Crazy Family
We had an awesome family vacation with my ENTIRE family in Ft. Myers Beach, FL last week. The kids had a great time -- it was a great beach for them, pretty level and wide, with shallow, calm water. The adults had fun too. We could actually let the kids run on their own on the beach while we sat in chairs, which is not a very common occurrence with kids under three. Thanks for the pic, Kaki.
Ego Feeders
Luke just asked for carrots and tomatoes -- for DESSERT! Funny how that's an ego boost for me! =)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Moms Building Cathedrals
I love this. I thought about sending it as an e-mail forward, but e-mail forwards can be a pain, so here it is -- you can read it if you want, and you don't have to move it to your trash afterwards.
The Invisible Mom
by Nicole Johnson
This excerpt is from Nicole Johnson's novel The Invisible Woman (W Publishing Group, 2005). For more information, check out the author's Web site at www.freshbrewedlife.com.
It started to happen gradually …
One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?"
"Nobody," he shrugged.
Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?"
I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing.
Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking.
That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me.
I'm invisible.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
She's going … she's going … she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
* No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
* These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
* They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
* The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
The Invisible Mom
by Nicole Johnson
This excerpt is from Nicole Johnson's novel The Invisible Woman (W Publishing Group, 2005). For more information, check out the author's Web site at www.freshbrewedlife.com.
It started to happen gradually …
One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?"
"Nobody," he shrugged.
Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?"
I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing.
Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking.
That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me.
I'm invisible.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
She's going … she's going … she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
* No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
* These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
* They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
* The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Puppies gone!
Praise the Lord -- literally -- it was a prayer request -- we have sold all 6 of the puppies. Well, sold and/or traded. We actually traded one for $100 and a brand new Nintendo Wii. Kind of funny, but we're enjoying it!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Just want to save this for later as an archive . . . it's old now, but I'll never remember how to find the website.
Arena(known to self and others) accepting, adaptable, helpful, intelligent | Blind Spot(known only to others) caring, clever, friendly, giving, kind, loving, mature, modest, patient, quiet, relaxed, sentimental, spontaneous, trustworthy, warm, witty |
Façade(known only to self) responsive, self-conscious | Unknown(known to nobody) able, bold, brave, calm, cheerful, complex, confident, dependable, dignified, energetic, extroverted, happy, idealistic, independent, ingenious, introverted, knowledgeable, logical, nervous, observant, organised, powerful, proud, reflective, religious, searching, self-assertive, sensible, shy, silly, sympathetic, tense, wise |
Dominant Traits
83% of people think that Deares' is caring
All Percentages
able (0%) accepting (33%) adaptable (33%) bold (0%) brave (0%) calm (0%) caring (83%) cheerful (0%) clever (16%) complex (0%) confident (0%) dependable (0%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (0%) friendly (50%) giving (33%) happy (0%) helpful (16%) idealistic (0%) independent (0%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (33%) introverted (0%) kind (33%) knowledgeable (0%) logical (0%) loving (50%) mature (16%) modest (16%) nervous (0%) observant (0%) organised (0%) patient (33%) powerful (0%) proud (0%) quiet (16%) reflective (0%) relaxed (16%) religious (0%) responsive (0%) searching (0%) self-assertive (0%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (0%) sentimental (16%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (16%) sympathetic (0%) tense (0%) trustworthy (16%) warm (16%) wise (0%) witty (16%)
Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 31.12.2007, using data from 6 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view Deares''s full data.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view Deares''s full data.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Our puppies are getting SO cute!
The four tri-color ones are still for sale and they are so adorable. I ALMOST want to keep them for myself!
Our online ad is here at Puppies for Sale...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Link to pics of our new hall bath on ratemyspace.hgtv.com
Our new hall bath -- finally some pictures!
Please follow this link to see the recommended page:
http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com/SNC/viewitem.aspx?pguid=6db6be3f-1720-4ba3-a081-999042c09b6b&itemGuid=0d89e8cc-9c87-441c-8b59-81e5d8fb7b56
Please follow this link to see the recommended page:
http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com/SNC/viewitem.aspx?pguid=6db6be3f-1720-4ba3-a081-999042c09b6b&itemGuid=0d89e8cc-9c87-441c-8b59-81e5d8fb7b56
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
New Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies!
We are the proud new owners (for now, anyway) of six brand new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies! They were born this afternoon and they are so tiny and cute. We have 3 tri-color and 1 blenheim female and one of each male. I can’t tell yet if any are smaller than the others, but that will show as they eat and grow, I suppose. We have 6-10 weeks before they leave us to go home with their new owners =(. It’s pretty easy right now while they only nurse for sustenance because Tori cleans up after them. When they start eating puppy food, six cute little puppies will quickly become a pain in the you-know-what and we will actually be happy to get them sold. But for now, they are cute and tiny and sweet!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
At the Beach!
We just got back from a vacation with Greg's entire family in Charleston, SC. We had a wonderful time with his family. The boys really enjoyed playing with their older cousins and I think Ben's vocabulary doubled because he learned everybody's names.
I also really enjoyed the ocean like I haven't been able to for a while. We were able to float on the waves past the spot where they were breaking. Not only was it very relaxing, but it also reminded me of Mombasa with my Mom. She loved to go out beyond the breaking waves during high tide and just float, and I loved doing that with her and talking. It also reminds me of my friend Rinnie, though too, doing the same thing with her. I also have this vague memory of singing "Lady in Red" out in the Indian Ocean with Rin -- did that really happen?
I also really enjoyed the ocean like I haven't been able to for a while. We were able to float on the waves past the spot where they were breaking. Not only was it very relaxing, but it also reminded me of Mombasa with my Mom. She loved to go out beyond the breaking waves during high tide and just float, and I loved doing that with her and talking. It also reminds me of my friend Rinnie, though too, doing the same thing with her. I also have this vague memory of singing "Lady in Red" out in the Indian Ocean with Rin -- did that really happen?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Our life
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bedroom. Our guest bed feels mighty small, and I've slept some on the top
bunk in Luke's room. I've been feeling like I was missing Greg, so last
night I moved back to the double bed. I was feeling that lack of adult
companionship. I'm actually kind of looking forward to getting back to work
and away from my kids a little! I feel awful saying it, but I know others
feel the same way at times.
Back to our house renovations. We're getting a tub and shower, plus wall, in
our bathroom. The other room with the biggest change is our living room. I
wanted it to be PERFECTLY clean before I took pictures, but unless I wait
until nighttime (bad pictures) it doesn't stay clean long enough for that,
so I just took them anyway.
Next Saturday we are leaving for vacation with Greg's family going close to
Charleston! The day after we get back, I have to start back to work, and my
cousin Clara gets married -- wish we could be there!
Summer is also birthday central in our world. For Greg's birthday we had a
little party, where I tried to invite people Greg would want, which included
Xavier and Kara. We need to do more with them. Timmy's birthday was last
week. Then, my birthday comes soon (although, it can stop if it wants) and
then Peter and Luke in September -- I can't believe Luke'll be three soon!
Heather and Matt have July and August birthdays too.
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