Perspective

Ever have one of those days where you are feeling down about something? Maybe your parents have moved to another country and mornings are kind of sad. Maybe your sister has suffered the loss of a child, has moved across the U.S. and you can't show up at her door to give her a hug; and when you think of it you tear up. Then it happens. Something to pull it all back into perspective. Like God is pointing out all the things you DO have in life and what is a little more important than your pity party for one. That happened to me this morning with one phone call from the middle school.

"Someone ran into the back of Wyatt's bus this morning". When the assistant principal said those words I felt like I couldn't breathe. That one second felt like several minutes and many things were running through my mind. Is she calling me because he was hurt? Is everything okay? Was he scared?

"Wyatt is fine, all the kids are okay, no one was hurt. They even got to school on time on a different bus". Exhale. I thanked her for calling and letting me know. Then I looked up and said, thank you God. I get it now. Thank you for my children and my husband and everything we have. I am more than blessed with family (my own family and my wonderful church family).

Thank you.

Gold Rush

The buddies have been wanting to pan for gold for months now. We farm some land near a local gold mine and pass it quite often. I always reply....wait until this summer.
Well, this summer has flown by and I was reminded of my promise, so we finally made it out there. Here is our find after panning for about thirty minutes. Allot of work for a tiny speck of gold, but the boys were happy.
They thought every thing was awesome, especially walking inside of the mines. Wyatt and I enjoyed seeing it through their eyes, as we have been there several times before.
I think we will have to go back to Reed Gold Mine for their haunted mine trail this October. It is just right for 7-9 year olds.
Cross "panning for gold" off of the buddies bucket lists. They were on cloud nine when we left that afternoon!

Camping

Camping in Memphis, Tennessee. When we left the next morning my sister Leigh looked at me and said in a very suprised voice, "I'm so proud of you, I know you don't like camping." To which I replied, "Y'all act like I don't know how to camp, I do, I just prefer not to!" :)
I never could adjust to the time changes on the trip and woke up very early. Sunrise pics in New Mexico for my dad. I had to wake up my sisters and ask them how long they were going to sleep. And let me say they do NOT wake up happy. If we were still little they probably would have brought on the smack down.
Campsite in New Mexico. You can't see them, but the ground is covered in ants. Weird ones that do not seemed interested in people at all. If we would have been at home we would have all been in the ER eaten alive by ant bites. P.S. this park does not have warm water in the showers, but the awesome swimming in the lake makes up for it. Oh, and the campsite host in the camper behind us was ancient and hard of hearing. Use your outside voice when talking to him.
Campsite in Arizona. A special thanks to the camper beside of us that had a party until the wee hours of the morning and let their children run all around us screaming. And how can we forget the other "neighbor" that accused us of unplugging her camper. I so wanted to undo her water but I didn't. She clearly didn't know who she was dealing with. Eddy sisters don't get angry, they get creative, haha.
You have to admit....this is a pretty awesome veiw! And the great thing about the desert is, it gets in the 30's at night. Much better than the temps we slept in outside in Memphis.

Reebok Reezig & Repeat

After looking at the Reebok website, emailing them and calling them, I found out that I can indeed return defective shoes at the store where I purchased them. I called the store manager and she said bring them on. Without a receipt and without the box. She didn't seem at all surprised that the shoe was falling apart.
Upon arrival at the store, I get two teenagers whom only seem interested in finding out if I am related to a buddy of theirs. They didn't have any of the cool colors the other stores did, and the boy was not happy. The workers wanted the original box and I told them their manager said not to bring it.
These were the only pair on the mens side that weren't white or solid black. At a different store I found out that MANY pairs of Reezigs have been returned. It seems Reebok may have rushed this design before it was tested properly. Notice how everything is thicker now and more reinforced. I think we will go back to a Nike running shoe after this is over and done with. Hopefully this pair will last the six week track season.

Conversation at the store

This was with a guy while I was waiting to pay for my gas at the store the other day.....

Guy- How much gas do you put in that thing? (pointing at suburban)

Me- As much as it needs.

Guy- You need a little Honda.

Me- You know I have four kids....right?

Guy- You need a little truck.

Me- FOUR boys. Not gonna fit dude.

Guy- A smaller vehicle.

Me- You gonna buy it for me? That thing is paid for. (pointing at the suburban)

Guy- You know what you need?

Me- A nanny?

At this point the cashier lost it, and she and I burst out laughing. Noisy guy just stood there bewildered.

Road Trip with my Brother and Sisters

Wow, okay. This weekend we packed up and headed to see Leigh and Dave. We all went to the Biltmore House on Saturday together. The biggest thing we will all remember, is this huge light falling from the ceiling about 30 feet, and shattering onto the marble floor below. The sound was extremely loud and scary. The floor shook, and the bottom of the light went up inside of itself. This is blurry because I was trying to get it while I was being told not to take it by the security people, lol.
This time around we got to tour some things we have previously not had the time to see. Such as the green houses and gardens and the winery. Here we have Leigh taking a shot of some ladies, while Landon looks on.
The four girls posing on the porch. Brandy, Bethany, Leigh, and I.
Walking into the greenhouse. The staff were setting up for a wedding to take place on the property later in the evening. We saw two different brides getting pictures made.
Landon and Shaun checking out the landscape. That evening we drove to Leigh's house, where we were greeted with the wonderful aroma of chili beans made by Dave, and many licks from Sleepy and Gertie (Leigh and Dave's dogs). It was a great weekend and I hope the first of many more trips to come with all of us together. Thanks Leigh!!!!!

WHAT???

Desktop was only showing a white screen. Apple peeps refer to it as the "white screen of death". Hubs and I made an appointment at the Genius Bar to see what the trouble was.

Conversation with Apple Genius:

AG- Your hard drive has died.

Me- What does that mean?

AG- You are going to need a new hard drive.

Hubs- Did we just lose everything on that hard drive?

AG- Yes.

Hubs- All the pictures of my kids for the past three years?

AG- Did you back them up with the Time Machine?

Hubs- I have a different one, not Time Machine.

AG- Hopefully it was doing it's job.

Me- Is this normal.....the hard drive only lasts for three years?

(Dude beside us says he is on his second one. Not helping dude.)

AG- Yes, pretty much. Do you want a new one?

(This question was like asking a kid of they want some candy.)

We left our baby for surgery. 5 to 7 days without my desktop. I am lonely. He could of at least played taps or something as we left the Apple store.

HA!

Recording you get when you call the NCDMV

Hi, you have reached the NCDMV. To continue in Spanish press 2. We are experiencing an unusual number of calls. Please call back on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday as these days are slower. If you chose to remain on the line your wait could be lengthy.

I have called on Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday. Oh, and the best part...it is not toll free. Haven't gotten a human yet. Still waiting.

Signs of Spring

I was so excited a few weeks ago, when the first daffodils started coming up.

Even more excited to see these daffodils blooming. They are my special ones.
Aunt Patsy gave all of us girls bulbs, from Grandaddy's home place, last year before she died. I planted them separate from all of my other ones, around a tree, that I can see from every window in front of the house. Every time I see them, I think about her and how thoughtful this gift was.
The others are along the side of the yard where the fence used to be. They were planted by Landon's grandmother and have spread quite well.
I love it when they bloom, because they signify a new season. The only color in a sea of leafless trees.
And the most favorite part? Having them inside. Heavenly.

So Much

So many things are going on right now, and time is flying so quickly. As many of you know, my sister Leigh and her husband have been serving at an orphanage in South Africa for a few months. She has written to us that the funding for the Door Of Hope is being cut, because of the World Cup taking place near there. They only have two months of funding left. This breaks my heart, because without this place, where are people going to leave these precious babies? It is simply what the title implies, a door in a wall where mothers can leave their babies and walk away. Above the door, are the words "Door of Hope". It is run by a church, and the workers are called Aunties and Uncles. These Aunties care for the babies as if they were their own. I know my sister has had life changing experiences these past few weeks, ones that she will never forget. She has loved babies knowing that she will never see them again. She has given selflessly of her time and energy. She writes that the Aunties and Uncles are on their knees praying for help. Please check out their website, holeinthewall.org.za, thank you.

The Things We Do

Monday evening, Levi told me he had 40 cents left in his account at school. If you have a boy around this age or older, you know that they can go through 50 dollars on a lunch account in no time. Tuesday morning I forgot about the lunch money and he left for school. As I was getting ready to run errands for the Easter Egg Hunt at church, I remembered it. I wrote on my "to do" list to run by the middle school. The lady in the office was hesitant to let me track down the boy and give him the check. I was hesitant to leave it with her, because I didn't want it tacked onto the message board in the hallway. So I asked if I could take it to the cafeteria myself. She agreed, and gave me his student ID number, which needs to be on all checks for food. This conversation took place later....

Me- Hey, did the cafeteria ladies tell you I dropped by today?

L- No.......

Me- I gave them a check for your account.

L- I was wandering, because I KNEW I had 40 cents left and they still let me get taco bar (laughing because he thought he had gotten away with something)

Me- Nope, I paid it.

L- Hahahaha, I can't believe they didn't say anything.

Me- I can't believe you didn't figure it out.

L- I know! (still laughing)

Me- I think a huge thank you is in order.

L- Thank you for saving me from a nasty sandwich. (they aren't allowed to get regular food or fast food when their money is gone)

Me- You're welcome.

Not A Baby Anymore

I am a little behind on some milestones around here. S lost his first top tooth a while back, as you can see from the date on the pic. He was most excited to get on the February tooth chart at school. I was thinking about how Wyatt didn't loose his until he was 8. Kids are so different! The twins are growing so quickly. But as my sister Bethany pointed out, I like how they say things like "hot chocolate" with a Q in it. "Hot chocquate", me too, Bethany......me too.

Tot Trader Sale

This weekend is the huge Tot Trader sale at the Cabarrus Arena. I have to admit, that after being skeptical of having a large venue so close to our house, I love being able to get over there in five minutes. Our church volunteers to work at various events there and the money goes straight into our building fund. I worked the other morning, and had quite a bit of fun. Despite the bitter cold wind, blowing in one side and out the other, it was enjoyable and the time passed quickly. They check in the cars at one end, the people drive inside, park, and our guys unload the stuff for them. Big things go onto a cart and pushed over to the side, and we check the clothes to make sure they are okay to sell. I only had to turn down around 10 items total all morning. Runners then take the clothes to the correct rack. It all ran pretty smoothly, until a lady pulled up a vehicle literally PACKED with clothes. It took three tables to count them all. Total count that passed inspection was over 2,000. My favorite ladies were the first timers, they were so chatty. One even gave me a box of Girl Scout cookies. The two ladies on one side of me were pregnant, and promptly ate one sleeve, I ate the other. They were good, I was hungry. :) Yesterday I got to shop early. Got some great summer clothes for the buddies, and then got talked into some more vehicles. G was quite the little shopper, pulling out anything orange that he saw and saying, "I like this!" That only lasted about ten minutes and then he was all man, "Hurry up mama, how long have we BEEN here, ten hours?" Get over to the arena this weekend and shop. Sunday is the half price sale. Remember church people, tear down time goes toward the fund also. The more people we have, the faster we get finished.

Thought it would be easier......

When the boys were little I thought, "when they get older it will be easier". HAHAHA on me. Here is my past few days (minus cleaning out the throw up bowl, I know... y'all can thank me later)

Friday- Pick up Levi from school dance, it starts snowing (grrrrr, so over this), take him home for a short while, feed him pizza, ask him to pack his crap 48 times for church, take him to church lock-in.

Saturday- Snow is everywhere. Send husband to church to pick-up Levi from the lock-in. He arrives home in a terrible, sleep deprived mood and informs you about a project that he has forgotten about, that is due Friday and he needs a presentation board. You mumble something about military school and send him to bed. He tells you he is a man, he can stay up until 3 am and be perfectly fine. You tell him to go anyway, and end up having to wake him up at 5pm from his "I am not taking a nap but I will go and read on my bed".

Sunday- E-mail his ELA teacher about a book report and find out it is going to be done during class. Child actually THANKS you for saving his life from extra homework. Small group is cancelled due to a meeting at church. Hallelujah.

Monday- After telling child he has a dental appointment and to set his alarm early, he fails to do so. Causing you to have to walk up the stairs again and wake him. After the appointment, he begs you to stop by McDonalds even though he has already had a bowl of cereal big enough to feed 3 people. You give in and he eats 3 hashbrown patties, a small coke, and an egg and bacon biscuit. He will then ask for YOUR egg mcmuffin. You end up behind his bus all the way to school, and drop him off before the tardy bell rings. Congratulate yourself on a job well done and go take a nap.

Baptism and Confirmation

This year we had quite a few kids get saved during confirmation class. They wanted to be immersed, and as we are Methodist, we don't have the baptismal at our church. We had a wonderful ceremony at the local baptist church.
Here we have Levi's confirmation class. There were 7 girls and 7 boys this year. I thought that was really neat. The confirmation ceremony was really moving, because each child knelt down in front of the pastor and the youth leader. They laid their hands on his or her head and prayed for them. These kids have been taking classes for months and it was amazing that they all stayed with it and finished, and are now members of the church. I am so proud of all of them, especially Levi. It hit me how quickly time is flying by. I am also thankful that he has these friends at church and school to help with the daily life of struggling through becoming a teenager, and standing for Christ.

Farm Fridays

Soybean harvest is in full swing. We had an early frost last week that killed the last green ones. Hopefully it won't hurt the yield.
This is the bean header. Note it is round, the corn one looks like it has fingers. I went to a birthday party last week. An old friend asked me where the hubs was. It still amazes me that people think farmers get off at certain times of the day. During planting and harvest season it is 12-14 hour days seven days a week. I am a single parent.
This is what the soybeans look like at harvest time. Again....Angie.....they are dead. :) We drive up to a field, the hubs gets out, walks into it, and chews on a bean to see if it is ready.
Unloading trucks in the dark. I love how the beans look like liquid in this shot.

Wordless Wednesday

Another corn harvest done. Now....on to soybeans.

What do we get kids who have everything?

We got them each a gerbil. Yep, I said gerbil. I know.....two rodents live upstairs now. (again, dirty faces, this time from Krispy Kreme doughnuts with icing from Grandma Debra)
They are so funny to watch. The first three days they carried pieces of bedding up to the tippy top and chewed it into shreds to make a bed.
G has a brown one with a white stripe named Rocky. S has a black one with a white tummy named Weezel.
Note: this cage, although looking simple to assemble, was NOT. If the store will pay to assemble, let them, lol. Also it was very loud and time consuming. If this were a Christmas gift, do the assembly somewhere else beforehand. We barely got through before the bus came.

Tuesday

Tuesday, was the memorial service for my aunt. My mom read my blog about Patsy, then her words, and then (the hardest of all) Patsy's words. The service was beautiful, just what Patsy wanted. Old hymns were sung, memories shared, and then the best of all, my brother played the guitar while Mattie sang "I Will Rise". I am still not sure how she got through the entire song, but she did, and it was powerful. Afterwards, the casket was placed on a horse drawn carriage and we all walked behind it to the cemetery. I felt like we were in an old movie. It was such an image. Seeing it going slowly up the hill, and hearing the horses hooves clopping along and people crying. Many of us walked in pairs, holding hands, side by side. The last thing Patsy wanted done, was for everyone to sing Dixie. I am sure she was laughing about how badly we did it. I mean, come on, we all know the tune, but the words are a little fuzzy. It sounded something like "I wish I was in Dixie, hooray, hooray, hmm humm humm hmm, huumm hum hum hum, hum hum hum, hum-Dixie." Thanks to everyone who came to the service. It was great to see all the lives Patsy has touched, such a diverse group gathered in her honor. And, last but not least, a HUGE thanks to Jeff and Cindy for coming to the house when my boys got off of the bus.

P.S. Many of you know there are allot of family birthdays this week and anniversaries. I will post about those later.

Patsy's Pearls

We all have purple bracelets to remind us to pray for my Aunt Patsy. She is my mothers little sister and the best aunt in the whole wide world. Why do we have the purple bracelet that says simply "Patsy's Pearls"? My aunt is dying of cancer. For a while I resisted wearing the bracelet, because it was like an admission that her body was failing her. My brother told me he never takes it off and when he looks at it he thinks about her. I replied that I can't stop thinking about it, with or without the bracelet. This woman who has been such a strong person in my life growing up. Nothing could bring her down. As my aunt, she got to be the cool one. She told me stories about my mom as a child that other people didn't know. She even told me that my mom was "cool" once upon a time. Aunt Patsy was my kindred spirit, in that we are both left handed. When I couldn't master tying my own shoes at the age of 6, she stepped right in and showed me how it was done. It only took one time. She explained to me that the "right handed" people do it backwards from "us". She taught me that women are strong individuals, and we can do anything that we set our minds to. Be it driving huge equipment or raising our children. Her body is slowly letting her down. It is so hard because, inside she is still in there fighting with all shes got. It has been long fight, and she is tired. She still has beautiful hair, and gorgeous eyes and hilarious stories for everyone. Anyone who has eaten lunch at my grandmothers table, can tell you about how Aunt Patsy can get some great conversation going, and maybe even a good argument or two. Lord knows the Fisher's have never backed away from a great discussion at lunch. Someone told me recently that thinking about death was morbid. I disagree. It reminds us to cherish each and every moment, we never know when our last breath will be. Not to take our time here on Earth for granted, but to store up treasures in heaven. Will Aunt Patsy be missed? Greatly. Will she be forgotten? Never. I picture her, with her beautiful smile, and arms outstretched waiting for us. Aunt Patsy, we love you.