Livin' in the Spa City

Merry Christmas

2011-12-16T09:27:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Spa City!

Funny Sayings

2011-12-15T17:59:00.003-06:00

Drew is just so funny and full of personality these days. I just want to jot some of these things down so that I will remember.

Drew is quite the early riser. Like 5:30 or earlier kind of early. Tuesday he was up before me and waiting on me to get up. I told him he could not get out of bed Wednesday morning until I came to get him up. "Little boys need lots of rest to grow up big and strong," I told him. So Wednesday morning, he walks in the bathroom while I'm in the shower. I reminded him that he wasn't supposed to be up unless daddy or I had come to get him. His response: "I just wanted to tell you I love you." My reply: "I love you, too. Now go back to bed."
My sister is blessing me with a nephew in about 4 1/2 months. I called her yesterday to see how she was doing. I asked her how she was feeling and before she could respond, Drew said pregnant.
Drew is definately his father's son. He says things like: "And the crowd goes wild!" "Interception" "Arkansas wins by a field goal." "Into the home team territory." all while tossing the football around in the house. The boy loves him so football.

Been Feeling Crafty

2011-08-22T17:24:00.005-05:00

Interview with Drew

2011-08-10T18:18:00.002-05:00

So I saw this on another blog and stole the questions. Here goes:

What's your name? D-r-e-w R-e-e-v-e-s (at least he can spell it)

How old are you? 4

What's your favorite color? blue and red

Who's your best friend? Kolton

What's your favorite animal? tiger and a lion

What do you want to be when you grow up? a coach

What's your favorite movie? Cars 2, Hot Wheels Battle Force 5

What's your favorite book? Cars 2

What makes you happy? Dad wrestling me

What makes you sad? I don't know, wait I know what it is, somebody pushing me

What do you like to eat? basghetti and meatballs

What's your favorite song to sing? Dyn0-mite

What is your favorite game to play? football and baseball

Who is your favorite team? New York Yankees

Waiting...

2011-07-09T23:35:00.002-05:00

Exactly one year ago, while in Dallas visiting friends and celebrating our anniversary, Seth and I decided we were going to start trying to have another baby. The weird thing was that that very weekend I was already about one week late. We found a Wal-mart and ran in quickly to buy a pregnancy test. We returned to the hotel and anxiously waited to see if one or two lines were going to appear on that little pee stick. Negative. That was ok, we had just decided we were going to try for another one. No biggie! August approached and it was time for "that drs. visit." Yea, you know the one! When the nurse asked the date of my last period I told her that is was in June. "June," she replied, eyebrows raised. "Yes, June. But I've had 6 negative pregnancy test." The dr. came in and said it wasn't a big deal that I hadn't had a period in July. And that it usually happens at some point or another, but that he wanted to do a blood test. Now, me and needles don't mix! AT ALL! In fact, while i was preggo with Drew my obgyn would prescribe hydrocodone for me before a blood test.

They attempt to draw blood but can't get anything. "Come back sometime this week." However, 'this week' was the first week of school. Not happening! On the first day of school approximately 15 min before kids came in from the playground my body decided to "get back in the swing of things" as well. Yay! Does this mean I don't have to take a blood test? (fingers crossed!)

So at this point, June: normal; July: abnormal; August: normal. September was normal and October was as well. November: same as July.

I called the dr. in December and they got me in quickly. The dr. gave me a prescription for ProVera, a drug that would "trick" my body into having a period. On the # day take another drug, Clomid, for 5 days then you can __________. Ok, so I'm not actually writing what your supposed to do after that. The desired outcome is a baby so you can fill in the blank!

I did this for 4 months and then went back to the dr. That's when I had the HSG and he upped my Clomid dosage. It's been a year since we rushed into the Wal-mart in
Dallas and we are still patiently waiting. I know that a year isn't long and that some people try for years to get pregnant and can't. I also know how wonderfully blessed I am to have a child and I wouldn't trade him for the world. But I also know that God's not done with us yet in the way of children. So we'll wait another year if that's what God has in store for us. I joke that God laughed at me because when people would ask if we wanted to have another I'd always say, "We'd like to get pregnant in August so that I'd be due in May. That way I can have all summer at home with the baby." So the waiting game continues. In the meantime, we will continue to pray for God's will and His perfect timing.

Our Dream Vacation

2011-06-24T12:57:00.005-05:00

365 days from today we'll be heading out on this: the Disney Dream

Riding this: The Aquaduck

Eating here: Animator's Palate

And here: Royal Palace

Stopping to play here: Castaway Cay

And here: Nassau, Bahamas

Firsts

2011-06-22T09:15:00.011-05:00

Back in May, we went to Dallas to see this guy and his teammates. Seth is a Yankees fan and when he found out they'd be playing the Rangers in Dallas he got tickets. Like most little boys, I assume, Drew loves everything his daddy does. Drew can tell you every Yankees player and what position they play. He also knows most of their jersey numbers, too!

Seth's best friend/college roommate, Jeremy, his wife, and cutesy son lived in Plano at the time. We were able to stay with them for the weekend. Since it was mother's day weekend, Seth took me to Sprinkles! I can't tell you how much I love these cupcakes. They are like little pieces of goodness from heaven! And I'm sure they are fat free! lol

Back to the game...We got there early enough to watch batting practice. We got to see all the pitchers warm up right in front of us. Jaba, Jorge, Mo. I had to keep wiping drool from Seth's mouth. Ok so I didn't really have to, but he was so excited which made Drew supper excited as well! One of the ballpark's security guys was standing down on the field right by us. At the end of batting practice he picked up two balls and handed one to a little boy next to us and the other to Drew. He was sooooo ecstatic! First Major League Ballgame, his first Sprinkles cupcake...

His first crush!

Isn't she a cutie. I asked him the other day if he had a girlfriend and he said, "No, but when I'm older K can be my girlfriend."

A Little Taste of Summer

2011-05-17T15:43:00.003-05:00

Today I had my short little procedure at the hospital. It went well! After the procedure I came home and rested for about 2 1/2 hrs. on the couch. Ahhhh! So nice! I knew I needed to go buy some trash bags, razors, etc. and I had some coupons. I went to Kroger and bought two of these:

Kroger had them for BOGO and I had a $3.00 off two packages coupon. So I got 16 razors for $3.98. WooHoo! I then went to Walgreens hoping to get a deal, but they were out of the toothpaste I wanted. After visiting multiple Walgreens locations, I went to pick up Drew early. I had purchased some water balloons at one of my many Walgreens visits and decided to let Drew play in the backyard. So much fun!

Tonight is Girls' Night Out with the ladies in my lifegroup and we are having a Pampered Chef party! Yay! Unfortunately I bought a new transmission recently so I won't be making a contribution to the Pampered Chef company this evening. It will just be fun to get together with the girls!

After today I am really craving summer vacation. Only 13 days of school left. Yay!

Life Lately

2011-05-16T13:32:00.004-05:00

The last few months have been crazy busy! We've made it through baseball season. The Wolves finished first in their conference. We went into the post season and unfortunately lost this past Saturday to the home team, Marion. After taking it all last year, the boys were less than disappointed. Drew has started T-ball. He talks like he is all into it, but really enjoys playing in the dirt just as much as anything else. As of today we have 14 days left of school. Woohoo!

Since this is my blog I get to be personal, right? That being said, here goes! We've been trying to get pregnant since last July, but have been unsuccessful. I've been through 3 months of Clomid and tomorrow will have a procedure called an HSG. The procedure will see if there is any blockage which could be preventing me from getting pregnant. I'm hoping this will help move things along. So say a little prayer that all goes well!

On top of all of this the transmission in my van went out. Boo! Adios vacation :( Oh well. life goes on right?

Party Time

2011-02-12T13:32:00.003-06:00

Today we celebrated Drew's birthday which is not actually until Wednesday. We had his party at Play-by-Play. They have a big indoor play area and private party rooms. This was the way to go. No cleaning the house, everything either went in the trash or a box to take back home when we were done! This was also the first year we had a "friend" party. This worked out perfect because we had had about 6 inches of snow on Wednesday so none of my family was able to come. Bob and Pat drove down from Mountain View to party with us.

This is Drew with Brody and Lex. Their mom's are my teaching partners. God knew what he was doing when he paired us up: All 3 of these heartbreakers start Kindergarten in a year and a half. It'll be sob city in our classroom on that day!

Some Toy Story games. Yay!

Spongebob game.

Rock out!

Phineas and Ferb is our FAVORITE show! So of course we had to have a P&F party.

Isn't this adorable! It turned out soooo cute. Cookie Co. did a fabulous job!

Drew is still into Toy Story, Cars, and all things sports.
He has become a better eater, but is so slow!
We are becoming very independent and like to argue. Pretty sure he gets that from me!
He can write his name without help and can write any letter on his own if you show him a picture.
He is learning how to use scissors.(I realize that the teacher in me, is proud of this and probably no one else.)
He says the funniest things like "Good luck with those chocolate chips!" or "I didn't need to wipe, that's what my underwear is for."

Just a few pics

2010-08-28T20:38:00.004-05:00

Today we went to a birthday party for this cute little man, Brody. He turns 4 tomorrow. His mommy and I teach together. Actually, the two ladies a teach with both have boys Drew's age. Which means they all start kindergarten together in a few years. Watch out!!! Drew loves to play in the sprinkler! And take off his clothes! There is something sweet about him running around outside on a summer night soaking wet from the sprinkler. Good memories!
And how, how I ask, can you resist this face?

Arts & Crafts Time

2010-07-28T18:25:00.005-05:00

A few years ago I bought three frames for 80% off at Hob Lob. They were all black and had chips in the paint, dents, etc. Nothing a sharpie couldn't fix! :) I stapled some black and white fabric behind them and hung them on the wall in our old house. Here they have been repurposed into collages for pictures. What? These are already picture frames? Just wait...I started by spray painting the frames brown.

Collected these supplies: (scissors, duct tape, fabric)And these: (more fabric and some cardboard)All I did was this:

1) Cut cardboard to size of frame opening.

2) Wrap fabric around cardboard and pull tight.

3) Secure fabric in place with the "fancy adhesive"

4) If your cardboard is large enough, you will not have to do anything, but pop the cardboard in the back of the frame.
This frame and cardboard made a perfect fit. However I did a slightly larger frame and my cardboard was too small. To remedy this, I just didn't tape the two ends to the cardboard, I taped them to the frame. The cardboard was too small, but only I know that! (Now you too!)

You can see how I have these frames placed. I covered the other one with the brown and white polka dot fabric shown above.
I then using straight pins, added some pics. The pins allowed me to make tiny holes and I can also change pics whenever I want.Here's the finished product hanging on the wall. The other frame is done as well, I just didn't take a picture. Sorry.
Happy crafting!

Rachel

Seth Cooked!

2010-07-21T19:39:00.003-05:00

Seth made this Baked Spaghetti for supper the other day! Yum! Let me say, I am a spaghetti with meat kind of girl, but this...delicious and NO meat. It is just soooo good! We also had "fancy" garlic bread. Can you tell what it is? That's right, a hot dog bun that has been toasted with a little butter and garlic salt. Doesn't this just look delish! If you want the recipe just leave a comment and tell me you are interested. (All 4 of you that read my blog! haha)

Rachel

I'm In Love...

2010-07-15T21:29:00.002-05:00

With this...
And this... And this delicious, light, scrumptious, red velvety, cream cheesy, totally guilt free;), wish-I-could-eat-one-everyday Red Velvet with Cream Cheese frosting cupcake from Sprinkles in Dallas. These little slices of Heaven cost $4.00. I told my oh-so-wonderful-hubby before we left for Dallas that we might have to buy a dozen. (For the low, low price of $36) He thought that price was too high to pay for "just cupcakes!" When we got there, we ordered a cupcake each and two for my parents. Seth asked about the price of a dozen, then backed out. After he ate this...

he decided he should have bought a dozen, but didn't want to pay a second time. Guess I'll have to make more frequent trips to Dallas! By the way, his is Chocolate Marshmallow with a chocolate ganache top!!!

Rachel

A Post of Pictures

2010-07-07T17:06:00.004-05:00

As per Sherry G.'s request...house pictures. Since my family came for the 4th, my house is still relatively clean. This is the entry. My mirrors all have patriotic drawings done by yours truly! I found these Crayola window crayons that are soooo fun! Drew's/Guest bathroom

Hallway. Kitchen is to the left. The double doors are a linen closet. Drew's room is to the left of the linen closet, guest bath to the right as well as another bedroom. Across from the kitchen is the pantry and playroom/computer room. I'll share those pics later!

Drew helped me make chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. What a sweet boy!

Rachel

Summer Days

2010-07-06T21:30:00.006-05:00

One of the perks of being a teacher is SUMMER! I think every teacher would agree that summers get shorter every year! I always get frustrated with people who know nothing about teaching that say..."You get three months off during the summer." Not true! Two months is more like it and scatter a few professional development classes in there. Then be married to a coach or band director, like my sis, and you are very limited to a summer!

Earlier in June, Seth, Drew and I were able to go to Savannah with Seth's parents to visit Kyle and Jennifer (Seth's brother and his wife.) We did tons of fun things while there: took Drew to his first movie at the theater: Toy Story 3!

from my iPhone, so it's blurry

We went bowling:

We also had family pictures done on Tybee Island:

These were my two favs from the photo shoot!

The latest from Drew:

On the way to church Drew mentioned the clouds and heaven...I asked him who lives in heaven..."Santa"...lol
When we were eatting dinner on the fourth with my parents, Sarah, and Josh, Drew mentioned armpits. He said he wanted to see my armpits (I know, gross, right!) When asked what he saw he replied...dots! lol...better dots than hair, I guess!
You know the song on KLOVE, "You will be safe in His arms" It was on the radio and Drew thought they said safe in His eyes. "Why they say safe in his eyes?" "Safe in his arms," I said. Drew asked what that meant. I told him that we were safe because it was like God was holding on to us, protecting us. Drew said, "Like he saves us." Ahhhhhh!

What a Difference a Year Makes

2010-05-19T21:10:00.002-05:00

May 2009: Seth had lost his job. He had been teaching at a school where there was no opportunity to move up. We were uncertain about our future.

July 2009: God decided to move us to Hot Springs, gave us both jobs at Lake Hamilton, a great daycare for Drew, and a brand new home. Well the new home didn't come until November, but you know.

May 2010: Seth is about to wrap up his first year in a public school. Public school is a different animal compared to private school. And the baseball team he coaches (assistant) is playing in the state finals tomorrow afternoon at Baum stadium. This is the first time in school history that the Lake Hamilton Wolves baseball team has made it to state finals.

I am so proud of Seth, the head coach, and the players! They have worked so hard. As a matter of fact, baseball began the Monday after the last football game in November. Seth said tonight, "Well, tomorrow is our last practice. At least we know it's the end." Win or loose, they've had a great season.

I know God had His hands in this year whether I see it in the positive, upbeat attitude from my husband, the frequent phone calls from family, or a trip to Baum stadium, God IS in control!

Thank You for...Sewing Our Flag?

2010-05-13T19:50:00.002-05:00

In my profession there are days when a kid says something and you just have to laugh! Point in case: We have been studying government. So to wrap up our studies, we watched School House Rocks: Election Collection. You know the one, "I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill, and I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill!" In one of the songs there is a picture of a lady sewing an American Flag. So I asked..."Who is that?" To which a lovely student eagerly replied..."Betty White." I just had to laugh! (and politely correct her)

Yummy in my Tummy!

2010-05-12T19:22:00.002-05:00

If you aren't familiar with www.e-mealz.com you should be. Why, you ask? Because it is a meal planning system that provides you with a menu and shopping list for the week. It isn't free, but only costs $15 for three months. You get to select your particular plan. For example, I have previously done the Point System for Two people and I selected Walmart as my shopping venue. I have made three pretty tasty meals this week that I thought I'd share with all 3 of you that read my blog!

The first is Mexican Minestrone:
2 15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
2 14 oz Mexican style stewed tomatoes
15 oz whole kernel corn
14 oz FF chicken broth
2 c chopped potatoes
1 c salsa
1 c frozen cut green beans (but I just dumped in a can)

Combine all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours, or until veggies are tender. Makes 6 servings @ 4 pts each.
E-mealz suggests making this with Italian Breadsticks. 1 breadstick @ 2 pts each.

Crunchy Onion Tenders
1/2 lb skinless chicken breasts, cut into tenders
1/4 c FF egg substitute
1/2 c crushed French fried onions

Dip chicken strips into egg substitute and then into onion crumbs. Fully coat strips. Bake on a sprayed baking sheet for 20 min @ 400. Makes 2 servings @ 5 pts each.
E-mealz suggests serving with boiled corn (1 ear @ 1 pt) and Green Beans (0 pts).

I'll post the third later! Oh....I forgot to tell you one of the best parts! E-mealz calculates your estimated cost for the groceries needed to make these recipes. You can get online and view a sample meal plan and give it a try. If you're like me you make the same things over and over cause it's easy and you know the recipe by heart. I love that these are new meals to eat and most of them are very tasty! Happy eating!

He's Alive, Forever, Amen!

2010-04-04T20:36:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter! Don't you just love this day! Not only is this a day for ridiculous amounts of candy, food, and egg hunting, but it also is the day we celebrate the Risen Savior! While making egg and bunny shaped sugar cookies with Drew over Spring Break, I was trying to explain to him that Easter is not just about the Easter Bunny. I told him that Jesus had died on a cross so that we could go to Heaven. Then Jesus came back alive (I realize that isn't perfect grammar, but I'm also have a convo with a 3 yr. old) and that is why we celebrate Easter. To "test him", I mean see if he understood anything, I asked why Jesus died. His response was, "So we can go to Heaven and see the Easter Bunny." To which I replied, "maybe."

On a different, but somewhat related note, (the brilliance of my child!) children's vocabulary shocks me! On the way home from school on Thursday, I asked Drew how Play-by-play was. This is a gymnastics place that has a huge indoor play area and short gymnastics class that his daycare goes to. He told me that he went down one slide, not two because the black slide is scary! I thought he said he went down both of them (driving, texting, carrying on a conversation with a three year old {I realize the combination of two of those is illegal, don't turn me in. You all do it too!}) and asked, "You went down two slides." To which me genius child said, "Actually, just one, Mommy!" Did my child just say 'actually' and use it correctly in a sentence?!? On a slightly not as proud vocabulary moment: There is a preview on tv for a movie called Kick-!@*. My son saw the commercial and of ALL the words on the preview, guess what he decided to say? That's right! I quickly told him that we don't say that word and that we would be in serious trouble if we did! Yikes, I don't want a phone call from his school telling me that the teacher's kid cussed everyone out!

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter Sunday!

My Random Thoughts

2010-02-08T18:57:00.003-06:00

Drew is at such a fun age. He says and does the funniest things. This morning we started P90X. At the end of 90 days, I'll look like this:

Wishful thinking! Seth and I moved the coffee table out of the living room and were sweating after 5 minutes. Drew was working out with us for about the first 30 minutes of the 60 minute workout. He was so funny. When we finished he wanted to know when the next P90X was. We laughed, politely, in his face!

I'm watching the Bachelor as I'm blogging and have to say I really like Tenley and Alli. However, I've read a couple of sources that say (SPOILER ALERT) Jake keeps Tenley and Vienna as the finally two and that he picks Vienna. Really!?! Jake wonders why nice guys finish last? Cause he's a stupid, nice guy, that's why!

The Great Hot Springs Church Hunt: Reeves Edition. So that's what I'm calling our search for a church home here in Hot Springs. Let me begin by saying GABC is quite possibly the perfect church for us. I'm a little bias, though, as I've been a member at Grand for 16 years. We were married there, had Drew's baby dedication there, and have friends and family there. Visiting other churches is hard, because even though we try not to compare every church to Grand, it's really hard. I know that whatever church we choose to call home here, we will become involved and put our hearts into what God has called us to do. This has been harder for me, I think, because of my family's involvement with Grand. I often find myself reading fb statuses of GABC members about the great service and feeling jealous that I'm not there, singing in the choir, or the praise team, enjoying our Sunday School class, and learning from all Jeff has to teach. Then I remember how faithful God has been to us through the last 10 months and I know that He must have something great in store for our family here. Our job is to find the perfect place He has in mind for us to serve. I know that you get out of church what you put into church. So the search continues, and I am confident that we will find the perfect place to get involved.

I made a great Weight Watcher dessert today: Caramel Apple Salad. Yummy! What's not to like: apples, pineapple, butterscotch pudding, marshmallows, pecans, and a whole tub of cool whip!

I think this is the end of my random thoughts for the day!

Hi, My Name is...

2010-02-01T20:51:00.003-06:00

Drew and I were at Walmart today after school and I needed some wire cutters for school. I put them in the basket and he said, "Daddy needs these?" I told him that they were for Mommy. He said, "No, they're for Drew-be." I asked him who calls him that and he said, "You, Mommy." I asked him what his name was and he responded, Drew. I asked him what Daddy calls him and he said "Drew" and that GBob (Seth's dad) calls him "Toodles." Toodles is Mickey Mouse's helper who supplies all the Mouseketools on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I thought it was cute that he knew Mommy calls him Drew-be.

Random Thought

2010-01-24T19:35:00.001-06:00

Anyone remember these from the 80's?

Sister?

So proud!

2010-01-21T19:36:00.002-06:00

I'm so proud of my little man! He has made it to school and around the house in these:

What a big boy! He has only had about 3 accidents! It helps that he is now in "the big kid class" at school and those kids potty regularly. When he's in the two year old room he's one of the oldest kids. And most of those kids are still in diapers. Warning: I'm going to get "graphic" here. We haven't mastered going number 2 on the potty yet and I'm not sure how to encourage that. Do I do it just like going number 1? Help me out, moms! All of this means that my little Drew-man is growing up. Seth did say we could have another baby when Drew was out of diapers. Maybe soon? Who knows. (I'm kinda ready though. Seth, not so much!) Seth's excuse the other day when discussing why I was ready for another baby was: "We're just starting to get some sleep." I wanted to say, "Speak for yourself." Oh well.

On another, totally unrelated note, here's a funny school story. In class we are studying the Midwest Region of the US. We were discussing types of houses people built in the 1800's and that some people had houses made of sod. And how "creepy crawlies" could come crawling out of your walls or ceilings, etc. A kid raises their hand and asks, "Is your necklace made of real gold?" My comment was, "I'm teaching Social Studies and you are worried about my necklace? That won't be on the test Tuesday." I'll be anxious to see that grade!

Another story! In math today (which I don't teach), the kids were learning about grid coordinates. The math teacher comes walking down the hall toward me and says (with a giggle), "I feel sorry for you." "Why?" "We were trying to locate places on a map using grid coordinates. We were looking up Washington, D.C. and __________ was looking in Asia."
I keep reminding myself that they are only 10 yrs. old and I kinda like my job, so some days, I really have to bite my tongue.

Just a day in the life of a fourth grade teacher!

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

2010-01-13T20:55:00.002-06:00

So today's funny conversation at school went like this:

Student: Mrs. Reeves, can I get a drink of water, I feel sick.

Me: Where do you feel bad? Your head? Stomach?

Student: My stomach hurts.

Me: Well why don't you go to the bathroom.

Student: And my head feels like I learned too much today.

Me: Why don't you go to the bathroom and get some water and see if that helps.
(like drinking water out of the water fountain is going to drain some of the knowledge that was "swelling" the brain)

The student come back in and the story continues:

Me: Did you go to the bathroom? Do you feel better? Did you get sick?

Student: No. Do you know what this stuff is that's peeling off my fingernail.

Me: No, I don't. But, do you feel ok?

Student: Can I go call my mom about something really important.

Me: We go home in 35 minutes. What's so important that you just thought about it and it can't wait 35 minutes.

Student: I need to tell my mom I'm biting my fingernails again.

Me: That can wait till you get home.

A day in the life...Don't you wish you had my job!
On a different, more personal note: Drew was pretending to give me a bath (while I was fully clothed) and found a mole on my neck. He said, "What's that? A little poopy?" I died laughing.

From Beanie Weenies to an Appendectomy

2009-11-30T20:46:00.002-06:00

Oh my! Have we been busy here in the Spa City. We are finally in our new home. And by in the home I mean most of my belongings are in the garage, but "in the house" it is. As if moving isn't enough, my appendix decided to fill with fluid. Lovely!

On the 18th I awoke at 1:30 with what I thought was just cramps and by 6:30 decided I might have appendicitis. I called my assistant principal at 5:30 to secure a sub and Seth called at 7:00 to let his principal know he was taking me to the doctor. We went to a walk-in clinic at around 8:30 and they did some testing. They tested my white blood count. A normal wbc is around 11 thousand. Mine was 21 thousand. They then decided I needed a CT scan, but they couldn't schedule this until 11:30. At 10:00 they wheel me over the the CT waiting room where I politely drank the delicious beverage that would coat my stomach so the technician could get a better picture of my abdomen. Luckily I did not have to sit there for 1 1/2 hours in pain to have yet another needle jammed into my arm so that some iodine could make me feel as if I was wetting myself. The very nice technician listened to my sob story about how everyone has a hard time getting an IV in my veins. She was kind enough to put in a more permanent IV that could stay in in the event that my appendix would have to be removed. She is now my best friend because she saved me an additional painful needle wiggling, fist clenching stab. My CT scan showed that my appendix was fluid filled. I believe the nurse said my appendix was aggravated not angry. She obviously knew I needed a fourth grade explanation!

By 2:30 I was admitted to the hospital and by 5:00ish a morphine pump was attached to my IV! Heaven! At 7:15 I was taken to surgery and awoke to three comical nurses applying attractive support hose to my legs to prevent blood clots. Had I known we were going to get so personal I would have shaved my legs! I think I even said that to them, you know what anesthesia can do to a person! I am now fine and was released by the doctor today to "do whatever". I was only banned from lifting so I guess I can go lift some of the aforementioned boxes and unpack them in the house.

While decorating for Christmas, Drew and I found his cup and plate to leave out for Santa. We discussed how Santa would need a snack after carrying all Drew's presents down the chimney. Drew said he'd leave cookies and beanie weenies. I think the convo went like this:
Me: We will make some cookies and leave them out for Santa.
D: I'll share with Santa. He like beanie weenies, Mommy?
Me: I'm not sure. Let's ask Daddy.
D: Daddy, Santa like beanie weenies?
S: Sure, I bet Santa would eat beanie weenies.
D: Good. Milk, cookies, beanie weenies.

Now doesn't that make you want to hurl?

One for the record books

2009-11-03T07:41:00.001-06:00

Drew was having a hard time minding this morning. So when we got in the car to go to school, I told him that God could see everything he was doing. That we wanted to make God happy and that when we don't obey, it makes God sad. I told him that God could see everyone at the same time. We then preceded to list all the people we know.

Drew then says, "He's a big, big boy!"

"Yes, God is a big, big boy!"

"And I'm a big boy!"

I knew if I didn't write this down, that I'd forget it one day.

Out of the mouth of babes...

2009-09-07T20:48:00.005-05:00

Anyone who knows my husband, knows his love for all things Yankee Baseball! Because of this Drew now also shares his dad's love for the Yankees. Tonight at dinner Drew told me the Yankees were playing baseball today. Two games! (I actually think that's right!) I then asked him if he knew anyone who played for the Yankees. His reply:

"Arod!"

Now, how many two year olds know that!

Another Drew story! (Just grin and bear it, folks. You are reading MY blog!)

My parents came to visit yesterday and went back home today. While preparing for their visit, I was making sure the sheets on the bed were clean and the room was somewhat picked up! I sat down on the bed and Drew told me that was his stage and that he was a rockstar! He then preceded to sing "Deep and Wide" cause, "We sing that at school!" Too cute!

When I picked Drew up from school on Thursday his teacher told me she wanted me to have 17 Drews and bring them all to their school. She told me about how well behaved he was and that he was a good napper and didn't cry and .... I have to admit, it made this Momma a little proud! Drew is a really good boy, but I didn't know how he would react to being in a daycare and not just someone's house. He has done great! He can now sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" "Twinkle, Twinkle..." and he brought home his first "paper". It had the words to "I had a little turtle, his name was Tiny Tim..." and he drew a "turtle" on it! It hangs proudly on my fridge! I am so thankful that he has done so well through this whole move! God has really been watching over him!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the little man from this summer.

I almost forgot this sad/funny story from school last week. Let me set the scene: We are working on map skills. The students have been given a map of the United States with only 10 or so states labeled. Across the center of the map in ALL caps it says: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Keep in mind I teach 4th graders. They're 10!

Student: Where's the United States?

Me: That's what is on this map. You're looking at it!

Student: You mean Oklahoma is one of the United States!!!!

Me: Yes (but thinking: Are you serious!)

Said student turns in the paper and when asked: What country is south of the United States? The student answers: Oklahoma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember that I told you THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA was written across the center of the map? Oklahoma was written SOUTH of that title!!!

Drew's Room

2009-08-22T16:47:00.002-05:00

Finally, I am posting pictures of our house. Well not our house, but our temporary house. I'm starting with Drew's room cause it's the cutest and the room that looks the most complete. We are only going to be living here for a few months so things aren't as they will be, but will suffice for now. This first picture is just a group of stuff on the top of his dresser. Keeping with the school staring theme I chose books that seemed fitting to display.

Because we put his train table in his room it seems rather small. So, his dresser and changing table are pushed side by side.

Nothing too exciting here. Drew's faux big boy bed.

And my favorite part: his bookshelf. The boy has books everywhere. I didn't even unpack all of them either.

I'll leave you will a final picture to make you laugh. Seth will kill me!

We're in the Spa City!

2009-08-05T21:59:00.002-05:00

So we've been in Hot Springs for a week and a half and my house is in somewhat of an order and my classroom is on the verge of being complete! July was a whirlwind of a month! I don't even feel like I had a Summer Break!!! When I find my camera I will take pictures of our rent house and my classroom. Can I brag about my classroom? Of course I can, it's my blog and I'll brag if I want to! I am teaching fourth grade Science and Social Studies. In Lake Hamilton Schools this is considered Intermediate School. The building is brand new, the teachers moved in in January. And the building cost like $7 million. Holy Cow! There are 11 fourth grade teachers and about 290 fourth grade students! Yikes! I will only have 84. Man that is a lot of 10 yr. old attitude, and even more tests to grade!!! Anyway, my classroom has a projector that everything is connected to: tv, ELMO, DVD, VCR. And it's all controlled by a touch pad! Say What? The 3"x5" touch pad controls everything. How cool is that! There is even a basketball gym in this building for 4th and 5th graders. And it's huge! The teacher's lounge is the size of a classroom with washer and dryer hook ups, bathroom, and shower facilities. I could just live at the school! Ok, so it will be better when you can see it, so I'll look for the camera soon!

God has been so good through this whole season of our life and I know He will continue to bless us!

Goodbye

2009-07-16T21:35:00.002-05:00

Today was packed with activity! I had an interview at Lake Hamilton at 11:15. That went really well! I should know something soon. We then went to the bank to get a pre-qualification letter so we could move into the rent house and they could start building our home. We met Suzzi, our realtor, for lunch (@ On the Border) and she had contracts for us to sign!!! (Exciting!) She told us the model home had just sold. WHAT??? This was the house we were supposed to move into! Never fear, Suzzi is here! There is another house in the subdivision that we can rent and it's right across the street from our lot!!! Now we can watch the progress everyday!!!

When we left, I asked Seth if I could drive so I'd be familiar with the road because I'd probably be driving it alone at times. (Alone meaning with Drew, but he's not much help when it comes to driving!) However, I chose to drive when a huge thunderstorm was a-brewin'. We even had to pull off the side of the road for a few minutes!!! Needless to say, we made it home in one piece but it took us 3 hours!!!

When we got home I had enough time to change clothes, freshen up, make a short (3 items) shopping list before meeting my former colleagues for dinner. Tracy, my teaching partner, orchestrated a farewell dinner for me at Goodson's. We were able to use their back room to eat and socialize, but mostly eat! Let's get our priorities in order! We had the best time getting to talk to each other and visit. Let's face it, we don't often get a chance to do this at work! I enjoyed getting to see a table full of friendly faces and a chance to say goodbye. I thought I was going to cry when my principal made me stand up while she said very kind words to me. Prior to my employment at Euper Lane, I babysat for my Principal's two boys. Of course, she brought this up as well, which made me a little teary eyed. It has been wonderful to work with a group of ladies who are not afraid to tell you about their latest Bible study or discuss the obvious plans God has for our lives in Hot Springs. I only hope to work with colleagues half this wonderful in the future.

As I write this I am exhausted and think I will retire to the bedroom where I have a date with the second half of New Moon. I'm missing Edward in this one!

Update on the Move!

2009-07-13T19:34:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday we headed to The Spa City so Seth could meet the rest of the Junior High coaching staff and some of the kids. Our realtor, Suzzi, met Drew and I at the house we wanted to buy and had made an offer on. I wanted another look around and the family was out of town. We found out while we were there that the husband's company was going to buy the house for more than we were willing to pay to prevent them from losing too much money on their move to Pine Bluff. When I picked Seth up from school, we decided to just drive around realizing that we were going to have to find somewhere else to live. We happened upon a new subdivision and decided to just look in some windows. We liked what we saw so we called up our realtor, Suzzi, and she met us along with the realtor for the subdivision, Melissa.

Time out:
Having a husband as a coach definitely has its ups and downs. This was by all means and "up."

Time in:
Melissa, who is the realtor for the subdivision, brought her son and his friend with her and they happened to have on Lake Hamilton shirts. Seth mentioned that he was the new coach just hired at Lake Hamilton and it was like she was ready to roll out the red carpet. She asked what I did and I told her that I was hoping to get a job teaching 4th grade. She said she was the PTO president at the intermediate school this past year and she'd email some 4th grade teachers and mention my name. I told her that my dad's cousin was the superintendent and she called him by name, Steve. Her oldest son is the same age as Steve's son. Weird!!!!

When we decided on a floor plan she asked if we had housing plans until the house was built and we said that we'd just find an apartment or duplex until the house was done. She and Suzzi, our realtor, both said they knew people who owned some properties and they'd ask for us. Fast forward to Friday afternoon: Suzzi calls and tells us that we can rent the subdivision's model home! This is great! Now we don't have to move that far when our house is built and we can walk to the house in the evenings to check on the progress of construction! This has all been such smooth sailing, we know God's Hand is in this 110%.

Several people have asked how I've felt through this whole process and I have been unexpectedly upbeat about it. Things have gone so well that I haven't had time to sit on the couch and feel sorry for myself! I'm sure I'll be sad once we get to Hot Springs and move in and everyone leaves us there. But until then I've remained mostly tear free through this experience! God is good!

On a side note, I just started the Twilight series last week and oh my gosh! How much do I love Edward Cullen!!!! I know I'm totally behind the times, but when you read kids books all year long at school, you just don't want to overload! Plus I stayed up until 12:30 last night to finish the book! Then, Seth rented the movie for me today! (sigh) Enough said!

God is Good!

2009-06-30T18:43:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Seth and I drove to Hot Springs to have breakfast with college friends and look at houses. One of our goals for the day was to find a daycare. We drove past a huge billboard and I had Seth put the number in his phone. He called today and spoke with a lady about a spot for Drew. She said she had a place but that it couldn't be held. She'd talk to her husband and have him call to see if it was ok that a place be held for us until August.

Seth and I were catching up on 3 days of DOOL (ok, I was catching up and he was just in the room) and his phone rang. He said it was the daycare. This was Seth's end of the convo:

"This is he." "Hey man, how are ya?" "Oh my gosh, I can't believe this!"

Ok, so the owner is from...wait for it...MOUNTAIN VIEW! Seth went to high school with this guy and played baseball with him!!! Are you freaking out, I am! How cool is this! God works in mysterious ways! No way was this just a coincidence, God has truly been in control of our lives the past few months!

God is Good, All the Time!

House Pictures~Part 2

2009-06-24T08:25:00.003-05:00

My red dining room. For as long as I can remember I have wanted a red dining room. And I love it! The valances above the windows were created specifically for these windows. The previous owners had them stored in the attic, so we dragged them down and my Granny covered them with this fabric I bought at Walmart.

This is looking in the kitchen from the dining room. These built in shelves are great for displaying a variety of items.

This is looking back toward the dining room.

The door on the left is the pantry. The small door in the middle used to be the ironing board, but the previous owners put shelves in it for spices. And you can see the laundry room. There are pictures of that in a previous post.

More storage!

Not my choice of window treatment, but the previous owners had these up, and in four years I've never gotten around to changing them.

The stove is to the left, pantry to the right. There is another storage room directly across from the brown shelf. It houses small appliances, tupperware, Swiffer, ironing board, etc. It's quite large!

I'll post bedrooms and bathrooms later! Let me know if you're interested!

House Pictures~Part 1

2009-06-23T18:20:00.007-05:00

For those of you interested in our house here are lots of pictures. And for those of you that aren't interested in the house, here's your chance to snoop around.

This is your view of the house as you walk in the front door. This is the living room to the left, dining room to the right, and kitchen in the background.

Looking back at the front door.

Both of the above picture are of the entry.

These are picture of the living room. I love the how deep the mantle is. It's great at Christmas so I can fit more than just stockings on it.

This is what we call the sitting room. It has lots of light and would be a great playroom or office.

These built in cabinets and shelves are great for "stuff". There's an outlet behind that mirror so you could put a small lamp there.

More later! If you're interested please let me know!

Randomness

2009-06-13T19:58:00.002-05:00

Here are some random pictures of Drew. He is really focusing on this task.

Drew is drawing on his MagnaDoodle. Look how hard he is working!

So cute and working really hard and a wonderful drawing!

Cheese!

I love this picture! Except that he needs a haircut! Hope you enjoyed my random photos.

A Trip to the View

2009-06-06T20:08:00.004-05:00

Mountain View that is. We arrived at my in-laws around 8:30ish Thursday evening. Drew was so excited! So excited he didn't go to sleep until around midnight. The next day we (Seth, Drew, Pat {mom in law}, and I) headed into town to meet Seth's dad, Bob, for lunch. We then walked around the square and looked in a few little shops. The first shop was Cornerstone. During my last summer's visit to this store I left with a new pair of Yellow Box sandals and Reef sandals. Score! This year was not much different. My mother in law lead me upstairs to see the shoes. My eyes immediatley darted to this lovely...

so I obviously tried them on and they fit like a glove. Pat told me she'd buy them for me as an early birthday present. And by early I mean 2 months! Sweet! We then walked down to another store called Marty's. During my last visit to Marty's I got these cute little rhinestone peace symbol earrings. They had a matching necklace but I wasn't buying at the time so I passed. This time, I had my heart set on that necklace. It was sitting in the very spot it was in a month ago, so I know it was meant to be! Pat also bought me a Life is Good t-shirt to complete my birthday gifts.

That morning before shopping spree 09 began, the Today show had a lady discussing colors for the summer season. She claims that Pink is the color for summer. Thinking like the girly girl I am, I quickly told Seth that I needed a pink purse. I explained to him that the color for fall and early winter was purple and that I was totally going to be out of season carrying my purple purse when clearly pink was the new top dog! My oh so sweet husband to loves me dearly said, "You already have one. No!" Ok, so I probably do somewhere but you never know unless you try right? This reminded my mother in law, Pat, that she had bought a purse that she wasn't crazy about and that I could have it if I wanted.

The purse is Kathy Van Zealand and the only reason I know that name is because during my in-laws last visit to the Fort, Pat was looking for one at Dillard's. The purse is similar to this but instead of white is more creamy shimmery-ish. And instead of silver the details are all gold. It is soooooo cute. It also holds all of my crap and has an outer pocket for my phone so I'm not digging at the bottom of my purse when someone calls.

I always enjoy my time in Mountain View, but I have to say, I did Good! Thanks, Pat and Bob!

Picnik, In-laws, and Skin Care

2009-06-05T15:28:00.005-05:00

I love the website http://www.picnik.com/. If you haven't played with it yet, you MUST! I have played this this before, but due to my Digital Photography workshop on Thursday, I was able to actually take some photos. This first picture was taken on my in-laws back porch/deck. I just thought it was the neatest collection of items. I really like the weeds/grass growing out of the pot on the left. That is a saucer that you place under a pot sitting on top of the pot.

This picture was taken in my in-laws front yard. I love the old rusty jug and the American flag. My favorite part is the star banner hanging in the window. I uploaded this to Picnik and rounded the edges and added the text. Cool, huh?

Who loves a compliment? All of us, right? I am soooo thankful that my mom didn't skimp on skin care for my sister and myself. Since we were young, we've always used Clinique skin care and make-up. Because of Clinique, and good genes, I've received several compliments on my skin. I don't do anything out of the ordinary. But I will admit a few things my mom would cringe over. First, I have rosacea. Lovely! I didn't really notice it until about a year and a half ago. At my yearly dermatologist appt. I purposefully didn't wear make-up so he could have a good look at my face. He asked if anyone in my family had it. And yes, my dad does. He also asked if anything triggered it like spicy foods, temperature, sun exposure, pregnancy. Ding, ding, ding! I had had Drew about 6 months prior to noticing the red splotches.

So he gave me this prescription and told me to stay out of the sun, not to eat spicy foods, and not to blah, blah, blah. So I went to the Clinique counter in search of a cleanser that would meet these requirements the dr. told me to stay away from. Found one...

Ok, so I know some of y'all are going, "If she's used Clinique forever, didn't she already know about this?" Yes, I did however, I was not aware that there was an Extra Mild formula, perfect for my skin. (I just can't find a picture of it.)

I use this everytime I step foot in the shower. Here comes my biggest secret...I don't wash my face before bed. I know, I know...I should really take off my make-up because it clogs my pores and yadda yadda yadda. But, I don't!

After finishing the lovely cream the dr. prescribed I went back to the Clinique counter in search of there new Redness Solutions line. I found this creamy, lightweight lotion that I love.

The worst part, it's about $50 with tax. OUCH! I love it though. I bought this in March-ish and haven't even used a 1/4 of it. I'm hoping I can get away with only buying it during a free gift time. Let's all cross our fingers!

I know that most of you could not care less about my skin care regime, but you chose to read this..haha! Now it's your turn. What's your skin care routine? Do you have any secrets? Tell us all about it!

I'm still here!

2009-05-28T19:35:00.002-05:00

So not much has changed in our lives since my last post. Except...there is only one day of school remaining! Can I get an AMEN? Here's an update on all things "Reeves":

Drew has been on a waiting list for a local daycare since February. I was told that I'd know whether they had a spot for him around mid-April. Mid-April came and no phone call. So I made one. The response: "I'm working on it, but am going out of town. Can I let you know next Friday?" Next Friday came and again no phone call. The following Monday, I called. "No, we don't have a spot for Drew." Thanks a lot lady! I was told by two different people that his chances were good. So I didn't put him on any other waiting lists!(That cost money!!!) While looking for other daycare centers, this lovely daycare we had been waiting on called to let us know that there was a spot available. The ugly side of me wanted to say: "Lady, you didn't even have the decency to call me to tell me that you didn't have a spot for my son. You really want me to send him to you to care for during the work day? Let's think about this..." My good Southern Baptist girl response was, "I am still interested. Let me talk with my husband and I'll let you know tomorrow." I let her know today that I would NOT be allowing her the pleasure of watching my adorable, gifted, talented, well spoken, (fill in the blank with the best adjective you can think of) two year old. We are headed to Grace Place Preschool in the Fall! Yay!
My school is being painted this summer and having new carpet installed. How exciting! Except...every stinkin' thing has to come off the walls. I don't know about secondary teachers, but in elementary school we use the trusty hot glue gun to attach everything to the walls. This has been a pain! Also, because of the carpet being laid, everything has to be removed from shelves, etc. Another pain! This is horrible for me because for the last few years I have prepared my room for the upcoming school year during the last week of school. UGH! Not this year. Oh well, freshly painted walls plus the brand new carpet will make me feel like I have a brand new room!
Seth still needs a job! Please continue to pray that God opens the right doors and guides Seth in making the right career choices!

Sorry no picture!

Please Pray

2009-04-29T21:46:00.002-05:00

On Friday, Seth got called into the principal's office (probably felt naturally, cause I'm sure he wasn't an angel in school!) and told that his contract was not being renewed. Allow me to step on my soapbox! (Step up)
"Private school politics SUCK!" (Yes, mom, I said it!) My husband is a wonderful coach who happens to teach in a school where there are only around 230 students total in grades 7-9. His football team plays schools that have anywhere from 600-900+ students. Fair? I think not! You can figure out what I assume happened!" (Step down)
Seth had been unhappy and had already started looking for jobs in Rogers, Springdale, etc. so he had plans to leave anyway, just not on these terms.

Needless, to say, Seth needs a job. And although we'd LOVE to stay in this area, A job is a job is a job! We know that God will provide and take care of us like He says in Jeremiah 29:11, it's the fear of the unknown! So please pray for us as we go through this time of uncertainty.

Design on a Dime

2009-04-25T19:44:00.005-05:00

This picture's purpose is only to show you the laundry room in the background. Notice the rather long shelf/cart the microwave is placed on. And the pile of junk that has accumulated itself around and one the cart. This was not a very happy place to do laundry.

This is a happy place to do laundry.

I traded the "too long" shelf/cart for a shorter one and turned the cart sideways, which will actually allow oneself to stand in front of the washing machine while loading it! Wow!

Here's a closer view. The laundry sign on the wall is a bulletin board covered with fabric that was once used as a table cloth in our master bedroom. I hot glued everything together and pray that is lasts!

I moved a small lamp from another room to make this room more "homey." And yes I know how tacky it is that our appliances don't match, but if it really bothers you, feel free to make a donation.

This utility caddy was a cheapo $1 gift from our "wedding pounding" from our church choir. It was filled with wonderful cleaning supplies, etc. about 5 years ago, but today it got re-purposed. I happened to have a can of red spray paint and that cute red gingham ribbon. No, the ribbon does not wrap around the caddy, just the front. The best part...wait for it...I thought I'd have to hot glue it, but because the paint was still a little tacky feeling the ribbon held. For now at least!

The basket's contents are as follows: laundry detergent, fabric softener sheets, Shout, bleach, a red and white mug for change, and air freshener beads. The only thing I actually purchased for the redo: The red bordered runner on the floor. Red quickly became the accent color for the room, when I found the table cloth and red spray paint. Total cost: $19.89!!!!

This might even make me want to start doing the majority of laundry. This is a task Seth took on when we got married, but I just might give him a break. I think I'll enjoy this room now! I'll keep you posted!

The Mind of a 2 Year Old!

2009-04-19T13:38:00.003-05:00

Over Spring Break, the Ice Cream truck/van drove down our street. Seth made a big deal about it to Drew. Unfortunately, we had no cash on hand. Meme, Seth's mom, sent Drew ice cream money in the mail the next week. Thanks, Meme! The following week was back to work so we didn't see the Ice Cream man. Yesterday, Seth, Drew, and I picked my mom up from the airport and took her home. As she was dishing out gifts, Seth heard the Ice Cream truck and told Drew. Drew and I quickly ran outside to track him down. On a side note, Drew had taken his fake Crocs off and put them back on, only on the wrong feet. Back to the story...The Ice Cream man saw us and Drew yelled, "Come Back!" My thoughts: Where did he learn "come back" and I can't believe he used it appropriately. The truck turned around and Drew picked out a Batman Popsicle. Yummy!

Last night in the bathtub, while I was washing Drew's hair, he made another statement I didn't know he knew. I have one of those cups that has a soft plastic side that forms to the child's head to prevent water from getting in their eyes. The only problem is that the child must raise their head in the process and keep it raised. Drew has mastered raising the head, until you actually begin to pour the water out. Thus, negating the actual purpose of the cup. So...I just pour the water over his whole head. Last night, during this process he says, "No more, Mom!" Yes, yes, I know the boy knows how to say No and I know he knows More, but again the kid used them together in a sentence and used them appropriately. I'm amazed at the things he learns and how quickly he learns them. He's a smart cookie! (I am his mom, though, I'm supposed to think that!)

What does your kid say that surprises you?

Easter

2009-04-14T18:38:00.003-05:00

Easter Sunday in Fort Smith was lovely. And by lovely, I mean rainy, gloomy, and depressing. Luckily, the reason we celebrate Easter is enough to clear the rainy, dreary skies and brought people in droves to GABC. Easter began at our house with a visit from the Easter Bunny. He brought Drew 2 books, 3 movies, bubbles, Whoppers (for mom, he must have known!), and those capsules you put in warm water that "grow" into a dinosaur shape, for example.

This was Drew's reaction to his Easter Basket! Priceless!

Drew and his Mommy!

Drew and his Daddy!

Tis at the cross of Christ...

2009-04-11T16:08:00.003-05:00

We are singing this song in church tomorrow and I love it!

Happy Day

2009-04-10T16:10:00.003-05:00

We are singing this song in church Sunday morning, and I LOVE it! Hope you do too!

Funny Story

2009-04-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

Let me set the scene:

Time: 9:00pm

Place: bathtub

Who: Drew (in tub), Me (sitting by the tub), Seth (perched on the toilet, but not using it)

Drew lines up 5 rubber duckies around the tub. I asked him what their names were. I pointed to the yellow duck and he named it "Yellow", the green duck "Green", and the blue duck...can you guess? "Blue" I point to the purple duck and Drew names it "her". The last yellow duck..."Yah Mon" Can't you just hear a little Jamaican accent! Funny things come out of this boys mouth!

I wanna Talk!

2009-03-09T18:06:00.003-05:00

On the way home from school today I was talking on the phone to my sister. I asked Drew if he wanted to talk to her and he said no. Of course when I hung up he said, "wanna talk". I asked him who he wanted to talk to and he said, "Dora". He then laughed. I preceded to go through all of the cartoon characters and family members we know, to see if he wanted to talk to any of them. He said no to them all. I then asked if he wanted to talk to Jesus and he said yes. (This is when you go, "Ahhhh".) So we prayed in the car and thanked Jesus for our good day. Drew clapped when I said Amen. So cute!!!

A little alone time!

2009-03-08T15:49:00.004-05:00

On Friday my boys took off to Mountain View to stay with Seth's parents for the weekend. I am working on getting my National Board Teaching Certificate and the whole thing is due the end of this month. This was so nice to be able to just sit and write. I got a lot of work done, but I really missed both of my boys. I asked Seth to send my a picture of Drew Saturday evening. This is what I got...Enjoy!

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To...

2009-02-23T14:40:00.002-06:00

Saturday was Drew's Birthday Party. And boy was it a blast! If you haven't figured out by now, the boy likes trains. So a Thomas party was a must. The "tablescape" is a white ceramic train in four separate pieces. Seth's grandmother made this and has passed it on to us. I filled the two train cars with M&M's and Skittles. There is a gumball on top of the engine funnel to look like smoke. If I'd thought about it, I'd have gotten several and affixed them together to look better, oh well.

Next, the all important cake. I found this cute Birthday Thomas that has a box car that slides open and has balloons painted on it. I took them to Wal-mart and had them put on his cake. The results...

One of the first things Drew opened was a Diego Tough Trike. It's like a big wheel but you don't sit down so low. He plays with this at the sitter's and the first thing he said was "Adam's". Because it was just like Adam's trike. Josh and Bob, patiently put together the trike and Drew loves it.

Posing with Josh before riding his "bike".

Kind of a "deer in the headlights" look. Isn't he a big boy!

More Thomas toys, cause he doesn't have a thing. What a deprived little man!

The Birthday Boy!

2009-02-16T22:07:00.002-06:00

This was the scene two years ago today. Andrew William arrived at 9:49 pm and Rocked Our World! We woke Drew up this morning and let him open a present today. His party isn't until Saturday so he'll open more later. We got him Gator Golf. You know the game where you putt the ball into the gator's mouth and the ball automatically shoots back out to you. He loves it. Can't quite manage a putter, but loves it. Here are some shots of him opening his gift and playing golf with Daddy.

After Professional Development (fun!), Drew and I drove up to my parents' to pick up some stuff. Drew disappeared into another room to do his business. I went in to check on him and he said, "Poo Poo in the Potty." My response: "You want to go poo poo in the potty?" A very enthusiastic YES was thrown back to me. So...off to buy a potty. I know some of you are saying, "The kid just turned two, don't force him." I'm not forcing him. He stays with my aunt during the day and she has a three year old, so I know he sees A use the big boy potty and wants to do the same. Anyway, Drew and I had to go to Wal-mart to order his cake and I just thought I'd pick up a potty there. WRONG! They had one potty choice and although it was blue, I thought it was a little "girly". Target, here we come!

When I mention to Drew that we are gonna try Target, he immediately asks for icee and pop-orn. No, I didn't misspell popcorn! So I add "potty" to the list. Icee, pop-orn, potty! What a combo, right? So here's the end of the birthday night...

Potty, Icee, and well, we'd already finished the pop-orn!

P.S. No, he didn't pee-pee in the potty! Gotta start somewhere right?

A Yummy Supper!

2009-02-06T17:12:00.002-06:00

Southwestern Quiche

1 c. Southwestern Egg Sub
1/2 c. Fat Free Evaporated Milk
1 c. 2% shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 deep dish frozen pie shell

Combine egg sub, milk, cheese, salt & pepper and pour into piecrust. Bake 30-35 minutes at 325. I usually end up baking it longer until the eggs become firm.

This is a dinner from my lifesaver, www.e-mealz.com. I subscribe to this website and pay $15 for a three month subscription. Every week I am provided with a 5 day meal plan and a shopping list with estimated spending cost. The meal plan I have chosen is based on the Point System, like Weight Watchers, and is for two people. Most meals, this one included, make way more than a meal for 2. The side item to be served with this quiche is blueberry muffins.

The quiche makes 6 servings @ 5 points each and the muffins are 3 points a piece. If you are interested in finding out more about e-mealz, leave me a comment and let me know. Enjoy!

Calling all Snotty Noses

2009-01-31T13:44:00.005-06:00

Over the Christmas Holidays I found these wipes at Wal-mart. I only saw one package and they appeared to be opened. I perused the baby and health care sections of the store looking for these wipes, but to no avail. What are they, you ask...

Boogie Wipes. So our local Wal-mart does NOT carry them. I guess someone left their package by mistake. I thought they had every useless item known to man. I guess this proves that Boogie Wipes are going to be WONDERFUL! I found them at our "oh so unorganized" Toys R Us. I am so excited to use them because Drew is one snot-producing kid! These wipes have saline in them that is supposed to help! We'll see. I'll keep you posted!

Random-ness

2009-01-28T15:34:00.004-06:00

Because of icy weather, we have been out of school for the past two days. Can I just say, this must been the beginning of the end! Never do we get out of school for bad weather. Never! And two days in a row! Wow!

Sunday night I was browsing the web (doesn't that sound like I'm 80) looking for some great lesson plan ideas. I got up to get some water and came back to this...

Please ignore the messy desk and the lovely pink and gold lamp in the background.

Drew is a funny eater. Some days he won't eat and others, can't get enough. About a week ago I bought this small individual sized pizza crusts. There were three in a package so we each got to make a pizza. Yummy! Drew loved it! Since then that's all he wants to eat "pee-tza". Seth opened the front door yesterday to look out at the ice and Drew thought it was the pizza guy. He yelled out "Pee-tza, Mommy!" So lunch today...

And yes, that is a halloween plate! You'll get over it!

With all the cold weather Drew decided we needed to take a vacation. Where you might ask, does he want to go..

Disney World! I know we just went but, man I love it there! Here is a picture of Drew looking at all of our DW pics, just chillaxin'. That's a new word for me. My kiddos at school taught it to me.

Two Funny Stories

2009-01-18T22:13:00.005-06:00

Drew is at that stage where most things he does are funny. Like that fact that he has learned to say "Yep" instead of "Yes". For Christmas he got a puzzle from Nana and Poppy. It has animals that make noises when you match the corresponding pieces. They are pet-type animals so there is a house in the middle of the puzzle. Yesterday Drew was playing with the puzzle by himself and I heard this:

"Ning-nong! Come in"

Obviously ning nong is ding dong. He was ringing the doorbell to the house and answering the door. Cute! (I tried to find a picture of said puzzle, but one does not exist.)

We are a music lovin' family and therefore were jamming to Casting Crowns in the car a few nights ago. "Slow Fade" was on and Seth and I were putting on a great concert for all of our fans. When it got to the end of the song where the little girls sing "Oh be careful little eyes..." Drew sang "see" every time! Boy did I wish I had a video camera with me! It almost made me cry. He has repeated that part each time I've sung the song and it just keeps getting better! He even sang it for "Arah". It was a little pitchy, so she said we'd work on that later! Again Cute!

Please pray for...

2009-01-17T22:34:00.001-06:00

Harper Brown. She is in critical condition at St. Francis in Tulsa.

The Smell Test

2009-01-14T16:54:00.007-06:00

You know the smell test. Only guys do it, right? You pick up an item of clothing, usually off the floor, and give it the ole' smell-a-roo to see if it is suitable to wear again. If it passes the test, you don said item.

Well, the Reeves family would for sure pass the smell test this past week. And by week I mean two weeks. Maybe three.

This summer I ran into a blog and the lady talked about the best laundry soap.

Downy Simple Pleasures in Water Lilly and Jasmine

She mentioned that it was hard to find and that it was amazing. Over Christmas break I saw it at Target. I was in need of laundry detergent so I picked some up. Now, let me say, the Reeves house does not use liquid fabric softener. So I just thought, this lady called it detergent, it must be detergent. Ok, I know what your saying, "Does she not watch TV and see Downy fabric softener commercials?" Yes, I do. I don't know what I thought. Maybe that they'd made a detergent to match their wonderful scent? I don't know!

We figured out last night that we in fact had been washing our clothes with fabric softener! I know...we are idiots! At least we smell good!

I thought this would make for a great laugh for you all at our expense!

And by the way, I looked it up and Tide makes a companion DETERGENT to Downy's Simple Pleasure! Maybe I'll spring for that next time!

I know I'm late but...

2009-01-08T19:55:00.003-06:00

here are pictures of Drew's Christmas presents. There is a theme...can you guess what it is?

One of many trains we have at our house. Drew already had Thomas, but Annie and Clarabel are new. For those unfamiliar with the Thomas World: Annie and Clarabel are Thomas's coaches.

This is James and his tender. Drew likes this one and calls him "Jame". In the background you can see a blue car. This belongs to Sir Topham Hatt. He's new! And behind James in the background is Bertie Bus. "Arah" and Josh got Bertie for Drew-be.

And what better to put all of this Thomas stuff on...

That's right! Drew got his very own train table for Christmas from Nana and Poppy! Most of the items on the table were Christmas presents including the bridge and station and lots of track.

Drew also got this cool remote control Thomas from Josh and Sarah. Anyone pick up on the theme?

That's right, Thomas!!! or more commonly called Mah-tah. I have diagnosed Drew with Verbal Dyslexia. Instead of Tah-mas, its Mah-tah. Who knows??!!!

One of my favorite things Drew received, was this cookie plate and milk cup for Santa. I saw these in a shop in Dardanelle (I know only like two of you know where that is) and told my grandma that if she saw them on sale to get them for me and I'd pay her back. Well, Drew unwrapped these on Christmas day and loved them. "Choo-chees" and "Machk" were his responses. I didn't even tell him what they were for. Genius! He's a genius!

The Cuteness Factor

2009-01-02T21:51:00.004-06:00

Drew is at that age where everything he does is cute! (I use the word EVERYTHING, loosely.)

Seth and I bought the sixth season of Friends on DVD and have been watching it religiously. Last night, Drew cuddled up on the couch with his blanket and stuffed elephant, Lumpy. He handed me his blanket and I asked if he wanted me to cover him up. "Yesh" he said, then laid his head down on Lumpy. So cute!

Today at lunch he wanted Fish soup. Fish as in Goldfish, not like fish from the sea. And Goldfish as in the Pepperidge Farm kind. I was helping him eat the soup and he looked at a fish and said, "Sish nap." I asked if the fish was napping and he said, "yesh." He then ate the bite and went, "Mumm, Mumm, Mumm." When he does this he shakes his head from side to side. Again, so cute!

This next picture about says it all. Let me set the scene: For Christmas Drew had the handsome outfit to wear. I actually think it's in a previous post. He needed black dress shoes to wear with his black cords so we found some cheap-o shoes at Payless. The Saturday night before he was to wear the outfit, I made sure everything was laid out, including the said black shoes. Seth had just changed Drew's diaper and it was almost bed time, so we didn't put his pants back on. He wanted to put his new shoes on and the result...

Parents: lock up your daughters; this is the making of a heartbreaker!

The Handy Man (and Woman)

2008-12-31T12:50:00.006-06:00

During the hail storm we had back in the spring, our home received some damage. We have these lovely awnings over the windows on the west side of our house that looked like swiss cheese (Seth's words) after the storm. It has taken this long to get the awnings fixed and put up again and I think they look great! We also lost a pane of glass out of one of the light fixtures on the front porch. They were hideous anyway so...we bought new ones this week. My handy dandy husband installed them yesterday and they look great! Thanks, honey!

Those of you who know me well, know that my favorite store in the metropolitan area that is Fort Smith, is Hobby Lobby. My grandmother knows this well and got my a gift card for Christmas. It was obviously burning a hole in my pocket so...off to Hob. Lob. My mom-in-law and I went the day after Christmas with the crazy people who apparently needed another Christmas tree. One lady went hysterical when the poor boy came to unlock the door 5 minutes early! Ok, back to my story! I bought 4 rolls of wrapping paper, cause you can never have to much cute paper. Then Seth took my back last night cause it was really bothering me that I still had money on this gift card and I'd yet to spend it all. All Christmas merchandise had been marked down to 66% off. What you see below is what I purchased. I got a deal!

In the canister is one of those rub on saying that peels off when you want to take it down. My mom put one up this year and I really liked it! Her's said: Christmas It's the most wonderful time of the year. We (the fam) joked that it wasn't going to come down and someone laughed that in March it'd be the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I realize in typing this that it was so much funnier in person! Well, one of you might think that's funny! amuse me The one I bought says Merry Christmas. The other items I purchased are to help me "winterize" this wreath below. We'll see how that goes! I don't have a wintery something for my front door and don't really want to have to buy something. I thought I'd remove the tacky red bow and go from there. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Isn't this the cutest picture of my parents. Not so much a good picture of Drew, though. I took this on Christmas Eve after our Candlelight Service and he must have been to wrapped up in the thought of presents. ????

I hope everyone had a great 2008 and an early "Happy New Year" to you!

Christmas Tour Part 2

2008-12-28T14:11:00.003-06:00

So...here is the highly anticipated second part of my Christmas Home Tour. I know you've been anxiously waiting! (humor me!)

Remember that missing red charger from the table? Well, it makes its appearance here! The base of the lamp is so small that it needed something to balance out the width of the lamp shade.I put a few ornaments around the bottom as well as some "stupid ball things" (Seth's sentiments) that are covered with dried beans and possibly dried raffia looking stuff.

This is a glimpse of the entryway from the front door. I love these glittery red and silver ornaments when the garland is lit.

Again in the entry. Small decorations line the table with everyday stuff I leave out all the time. The lamp, candlesticks, and picture frame stay out year round. You can see in the reflection of the mirror what hangs on the opposite wall. There are two coat hooks on the wall with a wreath and wooden painted plaque hanging from them. Yes the price tag is still on the mirror!

Two of my new favorite ornaments this year. The first is from Disney World. It is a picture of Cinderella's Castle decked out in lights for the holidays. The second I made at a friend's daughter's Christmas party. Cute, huh?

I've already shown a picture of this nativity in the dining room, but I couldn't refuse this picture of Drew playing with "baby Jesus, mommy, daddy, hee-haw". The "daddy" has already lost a hand, but thanks to super glue, he was miraculously healed!

Christmas Tour 08

2008-12-26T11:55:00.005-06:00

If your like me, you love peeking into other's homes. I love to decorate for anything, anytime. I know it's the day AFTER Christmas but, here are pictures of my home, all decked out for my favorite time of year!

This is Seth's cedar chest that sits in my dining room. Atop the chest is simply a nativity, wooden tree, and gold star.

My dining room table (that was a steal!) with a new centerpiece. Gold placemats with red chargers match the room. I'll show you the missing charger later. The centerpiece has dried beans at the bottom then red and gold balls stacked on top. I found the red and gold glittery picks at Pier 1. I really like how this turned out!

This is my old dining room table with the leaf taken out. I have a red toile tablecloth drapped over top. The bubble light garland is just resting halfway across the table with gold iron packages, candles, and a tray with "stuff" around it.

Bubble light

I have two Christmas trees, but opted to only put up the smaller one this year. I love the sugared gumdrop garland around my tree. I also tried putting my wooden letters that spell JOY on the tree. They usually sit on my mantle around the bubble garland but this year dressed up my tree.

I'll show you more of my favorite Christmas decorations later. Hope you enjoyed part one of the tour!

Must be Santa, Santa Claus

2008-12-24T16:01:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas Eve, filled with fun and family! I know we will as we gather with the Shaver family tonight after our Candlelight Christmas Eve service.

Merry Christmas, from my boys!

Shaver Soup Night

2008-12-23T22:52:00.009-06:00

Tonight was our annual Shaver Soup Night at my Granny's house. We all gather together to have, what else...Soup! We get together on Christmas Eve but it is so chaotic that we don't really get to socialize with one another. Spending Christmas Eve Eve together lets us just sit back and enjoy everyone's company. This year, because of illness, my Granny hosted Soup Night. I found this picture from last year, and thought it was cute!

Shaver Soup Night 2007

Today also brought a visit to the doctor. Drew ran a temp. all day yesterday, his nose ran like a faucet, and he had a horrid cough. Trying to be proactive, we made a doctor's appointment for this morning. However, this morning Drew had no fever. And the one time his nose didn't run all day long??? The doctor's office! Why is that? I feel like the drs. are like, "Sure, your child is sick! (you lying, crazy mother!)" Poor thing, just has a bad cold.

After leaving the pediatrician's office, we headed to the airport to meet Owen, Nathan, and Emily. Only, we didn't get the message that their flight had been delayed. I called Nathan's mom to get the scoop and realized I wasn't going to get to be there when they brought Owen home. (Nathan and Emily adopted Owen from Korea and brought him home today. Merry Christmas!) I had already made lunch plans with "The Girls".

Micah, Kara, Kristen, Laurel

So, here are the girls (minus me) eating lunch at Cheddar's. I am so lucky to have friends like these girls! Micah, Kara, Laurel, and I are all the same age. Kristen is our elder! haha Micah and Laurel were the only two people I knew on my first day in seventh grade! Can you believe I still know these ladies and for the most part keep up with each other? All 5 of us grew up at GABC and our families still attend there. Auh-mazing!

Disney World

2008-12-23T00:03:00.006-06:00

The Sunday after Thanksgiving the three of us and Seth's parents hopped in the car and headed for "The World". We drove 17 hours the first day to reach Pooler, GA where my sister in law lives. We were so very thankful to J for feeding us and letting us stay with her! Drew did fabulously in the car. As those of you with small children know, having your child restrained in a car seat for that amount of time, usually leads to the consumption of numerous pain relievers on your part! I took a coloring book and crayons and that occupied a lot of time! The next day brought a short 4 hour jaunt to Orlando. We were in a mad rush to check in at 3:00pm and make our dinner reservations at 4:00pm. Yes, I said dinner at 4! You take what you can get at Disney.

The trip was great and we all had a great time! We even saw a few celebs! Neil Patrick Harris was reading the Christmas Story from Luke at the Candlelight Processional. But best of all was David Cook! He was taping his portion of the Disney Christmas Special on that Friday so we were able to hear him sing live!

I've posted my favorite pictures from the trip, including Drew's first encounter with Mickey. Folks, the boy walked up to Mickey and turned to smile for the camera. And he did this all by himself! It brought a tear to my eye!

Now what?

2008-12-22T15:26:00.004-06:00

Now that I started this blog, I'm not real sure what to do. My friend, Micah, came over to show me around the blogging world and I'm all set. Right? Hardly! I do however want to share this "oh so cute" picture of Drew on the local choo-choo train around the park. Every year my dad takes all of us out to eat and then to the park to see the Christmas lights. This year, however, was different. Drew is totally into choo-choo trains so we knew this was a MUST! We went to the park first to ride the train before going to eat. After much debate about how many rear ends could fit in a seat, we boarded the train! What a great family! Josh, Sarah, Mom, Dad, Seth, Drew and I all rode the train in the frigid weather. Thanks all! And thanks Josh for the good photo!

What am I doing?

2008-12-20T22:36:00.002-06:00

So...I've gotten sucked into the blogging world by reading countless blogs of people I don't even know! Weird, I know! As I browse their sites, I keep thinking of my family members who would love to see silly pictures of my Drew-be-doo doing who knows what. One of my friends started a blog for that same reason, so her fam could see her precious darling. Well guess what...here's mine! Welcome!