Meet the Bakers

Clarkston-Day 2

2011-06-20T14:45:00.002-04:00

We were divided up in to two groups. One was a summer camp group where they went to a church to help the children with school work, crafts, story telling, and recreation. My group was called Spiritual Mapping. This basically is a way of finding those that are open or closed to the gospel. On this day, we prayed for unreached people groups and for our time knocking on doors and then we were off to The Lakes apartments. We spent the morning prayer walking. Alisa, Willis (summer intern), and I did just that...prayed as we walked. We were also able to ask Willis whatever questions we might have. As we were about to leave Jon (local missionary) came to us and said a social services office was moving furniture in for a new refugee family. We got over there and helped tear plastic off the new mattresses. The family would be coming within the next few days.

We headed back to the basement for lunch. Our second day in Clarkston felt a little off. We had more free time after lunch due to some late comers who had to be caught up on some of what we talked about in our meetings the day before. That afternoon we had "community development." One group knocked on doors at our complex to see who would be interested in English classes in their homes while the rest of us stayed back to paint around the basement. Kimberly and I painted the boys bathroom stalls that day. :) haha!

Clarkston-Day 1

2011-06-19T16:12:00.012-04:00

I have so much to say about the mission trip I went on this past week. I was hoping to keep up with it all better as I was there, but we had no internet access. Hopefully I won't forget anything important. :)

It all started a few months ago when our small group was thinking about going to Haiti. For some reason that trip fell through. The more we talked about it, the more we thought it would be nice to go somewhere where a little closer since we all have little ones. Our church prints out lists every year of short, mid, and long term trips. One was to Atlanta. It was proposed to the group and I signed up. (Matt couldn't go because he doesn't have much vacation time at work. We already used a week at the beach, and not enough would accrue before this trip. He can't get out of going next time. :) ) Our team of 7 met together a couple of times beforehand, but we were never really sure what we would be doing on this trip.

So on Monday, with very little information about our trip, we loaded up bright and early in order to be in Clarkston by 9am. We got there right on time. By there I mean to Clarkston Oaks Apartments. That's where we met the leader, Zach. He led us into a bottom floor apartment building that they call the basement. I'm sure that's because there were no windows and it was 2 big rooms joined together by a kitchen. The basement is very unfinished, but they said we should have seen it a few weeks before. :) Another group from Chattanooga joined us and then began our day of teaching/training. Our first session was mostly about what a refugee is, what Global Frontier Missions is all about, some rules, and cultural orientation. After that we packed a sack lunch and headed over to the Hindu temple.

This temple is the largest one outside of India. It's right amongst the new shopping centers that had publix, subway, etc. Although very beautiful and intricately sculpted and put together, there was a very creepy spirit. We made our way inside and my heart broke watching so many worshipers bowing prostrate to their statue gods. These gods get bathed daily, fed snacks/meals, have their clothes changed, and are put to bed in their pajamas at night. All we could do was pray for their lost souls to find Jesus.

We ate our sack lunch in the car on the way back to the apartment complex for some more teaching. After that session we went on a tour of Clarkston. We found out "the local high school has students from more than 50 countries; a local mosque had 800 worshippers; and by some estimates, half the population was from outside the U.S." (wikipedia) Since the early 90's approximately 60,000 refugees have been resettled in this area. With over 150 different ethnic groups represented within and around the city. I think they said about 2,500 refugees come to this area every year. After more teaching several of us loaded up in the van and drove to the apartment complex next door. (Clarkston is 80% apartments.) As we walked up to the open common area my friend Kimberly noticed a couple of ladies killing a chicken on their back patio. Not too much later we smelled something on fire. They had thrown the whole chicken on the grill to burn the feathers off. Very interesting. :) ha! We played with several children in the complex. Many that I met were from Burma.

After leaving there we went back for dinner and then had some free time. We walked out the door and watched children play on the playground that GFM provided. So cool to see so many nationalities. That night we broke up in to groups to debrief and talk about what we'd learned that day and what had impacted us the most. Then lights were out by 10 or so. We were very tired, but were looking forward to what the rest of the week held.

Fun in the Sprinklers

2011-06-08T14:04:00.004-04:00

St. George 2011

2011-06-04T21:31:00.035-04:00

We are blessed and thankful to have a trip to St. George Island every year. We look forward to it from the day we leave the beach until the time we arrive again. This year was one of our best! The boys are older and played well together (most of the time.) :) They liked being down at the beach for longer periods of time, and all of us adults got to relax and enjoy the beach for ourselves more than we have in the last couple of years. I think we were all needing the break.

Our first day on the beach!

Chillin

I thought I had hooked a big, nice fish. I was very wrong. So sad to catch a little sea turtle, but neat to see one up close. (I just noticed Bryan has a flashlight on his hat and it's turned on. Guess he was helping me look at the turtle.) :)

Pops & B hanging out on the awesome screened-in porch. By the way, the weather could not have been more perfect! Mid to low 80's with no humidity and a cool breeze. We hardly broke a sweat.

Lyndi & I took the boys to the park one morning for a change of scenery. We ended our play date with pizza & ice cream from B.J.'s. YUMMY!

Our one and only boat ride. See that nice man pulling our boat with his? Yeah, poor Ferrell's boat died on us. That man was kind enough to tow us back to the dock with his BRAND NEW, first time on the water, boat.

We were all tired and hungry after our evening stranded on the boat, but we had planned to celebrate G's 3rd birthday that night. He is the funniest little guy I've ever met. So glad we got to spend the week with him.

Breakfast with the Boys

Back out to play. They really like to run up and down the beach. Grant tried his best to keep up with Bryan. :) We think he was faster by the end of the week. Really!! (notice the dolphin?!)

Bryan and Pops wave jumping. Bryan was scared to get in the water at first. One day he had a horrible attitude so I grabbed him up out of the chair and ran to the water with him. He was hooked after that. :)

Our last full day at the beach we went to the end of the island to fish and look for seashells. We had seashells on the beach by the house we were in, but the end of the island has really nice ones. We got a couple of buckets full of shells and one bucket full of hermit crabs. They entertained us while the others fished.

Later that night we went to The Hut to have supper. Here are the boys waiting on us to get ready. Their movie of choice for the week was Peter Pan. They also LOVE Disney Channel's Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Pops gave them some "gold doubloons" and they were truly a treasure in their eyes.

And finally, in no particular order, group pictures!

May 2011

2011-05-29T19:56:00.002-04:00

April 2011

2011-05-29T19:49:00.000-04:00

There is a lot more to write about for April. Another post on the tornado day coming soon.

March 2011

2011-05-29T19:33:00.000-04:00

February 2011

2011-05-29T17:16:00.000-04:00

January 2011

2011-05-29T14:13:00.000-04:00

Catch up

2011-05-29T00:28:00.002-04:00

I got SO behind on all my blogging I thought I would just make a few collages and/or slideshows of things that have been going on since Thanksgiving. :) Here is December...

Blessings

2011-05-28T15:00:00.003-04:00

I love this song by Laura Story! The first time I heard it I thought of the tornado victims here in Alabama. Now it applies to so many others in the United States affected by the tornadoes and floods. You can hear some of Laura's story behind the song here.

I pray this song blesses you in whatever trials you may have in your life right now.

Look what a few years will do!

2010-12-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Program

2010-11-23T08:46:00.003-05:00

I am waaaay behind on blogging and need to take the time to catch up with all the stuff that's happened in the past few months. But, I have to post this precious video of Bryan singing at his school's Thanksgiving Program. It's definitely priceless. (It's also 12 minutes long! ha!)

Quote of the Week

2010-10-01T15:21:00.002-04:00

Bryan's teacher, Ms. Kay, told him to get ready for carpool. He said, "We gotta get our bathing suits!" :)

First Day of Preschool!

2010-08-31T14:06:00.005-04:00

Today was Bryan's official first day of pre-school. We had open house last night and got to meet his teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth. She seems very nice and had things very organized in his room. His classroom theme is "Faithful Fish" and she had their names written on fish in several different places. She said their seat will change after this week so they can start to recognize their names before kindergarten. Of course Bryan spotted his right away. Glad to know he's a little ahead in that area. :)

We left the house a few minutes early and got there in plenty of time to sign Bryan in. On the way in all he said was, "You'll come back to get me." Oh yes, buddy! I'll come back to get you. :) Lots of moms (and some dads) were waiting for the hallway doors to open. Bryan was very quiet and took it all in. He's always been super observant and today was no different. We walked right to his classroom, hung up his lunchbox and "pack pack" and he lined up outside in the hall with his other classmates. I gave him a hug and kiss and went on my way. No tears from either of us. I'll save those for next year.

I was thankful to go to the grocery store alone this morning. I didn't get a whole lot done after that, but it was nice to have some time to myself. I (and Simba) went back to get B about 12:25 and he was playing hard in his room. He was happy to see me, but then said "I had fun at school!" I am SO thankful for that. Anything else I ask him he responds with, "I don't know." HA! He did tell me a boy pushed the school and hurt his hand. I have no idea what that means. He also told me Mrs. Elizabeth said, "Shhhhhh!" and "Line up!" Hope those weren't directed at him. hahaha! His folder that comes home with him each day had a smiley face for behavior. Yay! I'm so glad he had a good first day. Hopefully he will feel like going back on Thursday. :)

Happy Day

2010-06-07T13:04:00.005-04:00

happy day

Update on Marie Ange

2010-04-26T15:16:00.003-04:00

So, I opened the mailbox today and found a letter from Marie Ange written on the 20th of February...just 8 days after the awful earthquake. I thought you might like to know what her cousin wrote for her.

"Happiness that is in Marie Ange's heart can't be measured. She feels glad to find this occasion that is so special to talk to you. How's your family? Marie Ange is very fine thanks to God, so his her family. She thanks you for the letter, thank you for giving much advice and lots of wishes to her. Thanks a lot for the gift of Christmas you sent her. With that money her mom bought a nice dress for her. She had nobody who died in the event that occurred, but her house has holes. She'll always pray for you so God blesses you. Help her to pray also because she'd like to become a great girl in order to be useful to her community and her church."

She went on to ask a few questions and sent me some good drawings. What a sweet family. I'm so thankful to know they are ok and all of their family is alive!!! Thanks for your prayers too!

Funny Sayings...

2010-03-31T23:56:00.000-04:00

So I'm WAY behind on blogging, but wanted to make a list of some funny things Bryan has said lately. I don't want to forget. :)

If he sees someone friendly he might say, "I want to talk to that." while pointing at them.

When he hears a phone beep he says, "You got a tessage."

I pulled out the tape measure one day to do something and he said "See how tall is me." Then he followed that by saying "I'm getting REALLY bigger."

If he wants you to throw him a ball he'll say "Catch it to me."

Today in the car he was talking about Allison's new puppy Casey and how she's at her house with Sydney. I told him Sydney wasn't there anymore and she was in Heaven. Then I asked if he knew how else lives in Heaven. He said, "Yeah! Mr. Fredrickson!!" :) (that's the old man in the movie Up!)

Today, he also pointed to the freckle on his arm and said, "See my pickle." HA! I about cracked up.

Snow Day

2010-03-15T11:53:00.000-04:00

That thing you do!

2010-02-05T14:53:00.001-05:00

Untitled from Lana Walker on Vimeo.

Marie Ange

2010-01-14T10:15:00.003-05:00

Matt and I sponsor a child through Compassion in Haiti. Her name is Marie Ange Benjamin and she is 5 years old. One of my favorite things is to open the mailbox and have a letter from her. Usually it's her grandmother or uncle writing it for her, but she always draws a picture for me.

I just got a letter last week and I can't help but wonder if that will be the last one. I got an email from Compassion yesterday saying they are working to locate her and will let me know as soon as they do. When I first heard of the earthquake hitting Haiti I immediately started to worry about Marie Ange and her family. I'm not exactly sure how far away they live from the capital, but I pray they were far enough away to avoid any harm.

I wanted to share with you one of the letters she wrote to us a few months back that brought me to tears. To think this sweet child wants to know more about me and how to pray for our family is humbling, to say the least. The letters are written in their language and then translated to English. That's why it may sound a little odd.

Here's what her sweet letter said:

This is a great pleasure for Marie Ange and her family to write to you any time it's possible. Much greeting to you in Jesus' name. Thanks a lot for your letter, your participation, and the Christmas gift you sent her. Her grandmother bought a beautiful pink dress for her with that money. Understand that God is using you to bless her. Know that God doesn't use people for nothing. May God in his grace accompany you in all that you'll do this year! May he always guide you on the right way because he says in Psalms 23 he's a good Shepard. Thanks for your love, your picture, and your beautiful smile. You are really a lovely family and the glory of the Lord is shining on your face. Bryan is a beautiful baby. She wishes that one day he will grow up into a big boy like his father, Matt. Thanks for everything! Do you have a sea in your neighborhood? (We sent a family picture of us at the beach.) Pray for her to keep on growing in the love of the Lord.

Her favorite animal is a hen. She likes almost all the birds and she likes to feed them. Her favorite colors are red, blue, and pink. She greets you and she takes advantage to ask you what you'd like Bryan to become so that she can help you pray.

I know many of us are tight on money, but there is one inexpensive way we can give. Text "Disaster" to 90999. This will add $10 to your cellphone bill next month and gives directly to Compassion to help in this time of need. If you'd like to give more, here's a link for you to Compassion's disaster relief fund.

Haiti, Our prayers are with you and especially with you, Marie Ange.

Joy to the World

2009-12-17T10:19:00.002-05:00

Joy to the World from jamie baker on Vimeo.

2009-12-17T10:18:00.001-05:00

test post via sms

Christmas Santa

2009-12-11T10:07:00.002-05:00

What a difference two years makes!:)

Christmastime

2009-12-01T14:00:00.003-05:00

Bryan calls Santa "Christmas Santa" and a snowman is "Christmas man!" Ornaments are called "Christmas balls." Sunday after church we asked him what he learned in Sunday school and he said, "Jesus was born! :)

This year is going to be a super fun at Christmas!

pumpkin patch visit

2009-10-26T20:44:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful time last weekend visiting the pumpkin patch with the Haefs and Fountains. We went to Old Baker Farm on a VERY cold morning. Bryan loved picking up the pumpkins and telling us how heavy they were. "This is sooo heavy." He also liked trying to drive the little tractors. All of the ones he found were on the side of the path for a reason...they didn't work! We all enjoyed the yummy kettle corn. It really was delicious. Hopefully we can make it a tradition to go there every year. So fun!

In the beginning...

2009-10-08T14:33:00.001-04:00

in the beginning from jamie baker on Vimeo.

Help!

2009-09-04T13:21:00.005-04:00

Ok blogger friends and family! I need your help. We are about to start putting together Bryan's big boy room and I cannot make up my mind on which theme to go with.

Here's his comforter:

I don't have any themed sheets or anything yet.

Here are my ideas for his walls:

These are some cool vinyl wall stick on things.

or

Those are the themes I've been thinking about. Which one is your favorite? I'm leaning in one direction, but I want to hear what y'all think!!! :)

How He Loves Us

2009-09-02T23:51:00.001-04:00

check up

2009-09-02T12:00:00.003-04:00

I should be blogging about our beach trip, but we haven't transferred the pictures over from the laptop. We did have a wonderful time and I'll try to tell you all about it this week.

Bryan had his 3 year check-up this morning. He weighs 36.2 lbs and is 38 1/2 inches tall. He's grown 2 inches and has gained 6 1/2lbs in a year. Amazing! Dr. Whitaker gave him a good check up, had him repeat words, checked his eyes, etc. All was well. He noticed that he does speak through his nose a little bit. We've noticed that too, but Dr. Whitaker wants us to go to a speech therapist to have him checked out. I figured it was something he would out grow, but who knows. :) He also did a vision test where they covered one eye and he had to say what picture he saw. His left eye was perfect, but the right wasn't so great. He missed 4 pictures. So we have to follow up with an eye doctor. (He also has a dentist appointment tomorrow.) On top of all that he had his MMR shot and flumist. I've put off the MMR due to all the controversy, but felt a little bit pressured about him having it today. I'm just praying for no harmful side effects...temporary or permanent. Will you join me? Thanks!!!

3 years old

2009-08-17T07:38:00.001-04:00

Today Bryan is 3! That is so hard to believe! We've already had a couple of family celebrations so I think we will take it easy today and celebrate as our small family of three. He's already gotten all of his big birthday gifts, but he has a couple of new puzzles I can wrap up for him to open. His big present from us is a new big boy room. We will set that up after we get home from our beach vacation.

I asked him last night what he wanted to do for his birthday and he answered he wants to go to "Target popcorn." That's his way of saying he wants to go to Target to get popcorn! :) So, I think we will do that after he eats waffles for breakfast. His favorite thing to eat out is Mexican, but the only thing he eats there is chips and salsa, but I have a feeling that's what he'll want for supper. (We just had Mexican Saturday night. haha! Maybe I'll just get him some "chips and dip dip" for lunch. I love Mexican whenever. Matt won't want it again.)

It's crazy to think that 3 years ago this morning I didn't even know Bryan. Now I know him as a very silly, yet strong opinionated little boy. He LOVES to laugh and to make people laugh. I love that quality about him. Some other things he loves are his guitar, music of all kinds, Guitar Hero, jumping on the bed, chips & dip dip (of course), m&m's, Kashi cereal that he calls "kind cheerios", grapes, cheetos, "Hosanna" and "Better is One Day", tobyMac, Max & Ruby, Simba (Simma, as he calls her), Imagination Movers, Tom & Jerry, taking a bath, sleeping!, Miss Amy at church, and puzzles. Just to name a few. :)

He's learned to be scared of things. He'll say he's "very scary" and start shaking all over. One thing he repeats is that he's very "scary" of the robot. I asked him what robot? He said, "the robot in the wall." haha! Not sure where he came up with that. He's also scared of bugs. He likes to tell you where one is and then shout, "Can you GET it?" Some other funny Bryan quotes are "Can you make it too loud?", "sure is!", "where are my binoculators?" If you ask him when his birthday is he replies, "3 in Au-gest for your birthday." haha

Bryan, I am so proud of you. Everyday you get smarter! I love to watch you figure things out on your own. Most of the time you can, but if not, you grunt and we help you. haha You say please and thank you a lot without us telling you that you need to. You say yeah, but it sounds like no so we are working on saying Yes plain and clear. Some days are long and hard and I'm ready to see bed time come, but others I miss you lots after you go to bed. I can't wait to see what year 3 has in store. I pray God will help me teach you more about Him! After all, that's why we are here. I want you to love Jesus with all your heart and not be afraid to talk about him to your little friends. One day I was telling you that God made your nose and God made your eyes and just went on and on. You sat spellbound. Then the next day I told you how God made mommy, daddy, etc. You sat spellbound again. Another day I told you about how God loves you, mommy, daddy, etc. and you listened to every word. I pray that every time we talk about Jesus you are enthralled. I can't wait until you start asking biblical questions. I have a feeling you will have a lot of them. :)

I love you so much big boy! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!
Mommy

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

August In Review

2009-08-16T22:24:00.011-04:00

There have only been 16 days this month, but they have been jammed packed full of fun! On top of that, I applied for a job at James Avery on Friday. Monday they called to set up for an interview on Tuesday and hired me Wednesday. I offically started yesterday (Saturday) and was thrown to the wolves. haha! Not really, but the store just opened on Friday and when I got there at noon yesterday the store was packed out. I kind of like learning that way though. Today was slower so I got to learn more about the computer system. I hope this job will work out for a while to make some extra money for us on the side, but not mess with me being a momma! That comes first.

The first weekend of August we went down to Albany to celebrate Bryan's birthday with our family there. We had a Lightening McQueen birthday party. We had a great time swimming, eating, and opening up new treasures. (Can you believe how big Grant is!?!?)

The week following we had a play date with our cousins that live here. We went to the McWane Science Center. We had never been before. I think B really had a great time. He loves his cousins too :)

Last week we drove down to my parents house. ML had a few days off so she and A hopped in the car (for 7 hours!!) and drove to see us. We celebrated Bryan's, Dad's, and my birthdays together. I love sharing my birthday with them. :) One of Bryan's favorite places is Monkey Joe's so we had to take them there. They had a great time together. Every time A & B get to be together they play better and better. One night they were dancing to a music DVD when A stopped and said, "I love you Bryan!" That's the BEST!!! Bryan tried and tried to tell Allison what to do, but she just ignored him. It was hilarious.

Another post is coming in the morning. It's the big 3 year old birthday!! :)

Now THIS is how a wedding should begin!

2009-07-22T14:10:00.002-04:00

I saw this on another blog and couldn't resist posting it.

God's awesome creation

2009-07-18T21:44:00.003-04:00

The clouds over our neighborhood were AMAZING yesterday. Really, over the whole city. They cleared out quickly so I'm thankful the Lord had this waiting for us as we left to get Bryan's hair cut. I'm also glad I had the camera with me. :)

As we were driving down the road Bryan said he saw a kitty cat. I asked him where and he said, "Right there. In the clouds." So fun!!!

Read this!

2009-07-14T13:30:00.003-04:00

Living Proof Ministries

Watching History

2009-06-29T20:10:00.001-04:00

look a likes

2009-06-25T20:14:00.001-04:00

I found this picture a long time ago and meant to scan it, but just got around to it. Isn't it amazing how much Bryan looks like me in this picture?

For those of you that don't know, these are my dad's parents with their grandchildren. (Paul, Holly, Michael, and me) They since had 5 more. (plus 4 great grands now!) Seeing this sure does make me miss Grandmama!

Another fun weekend

2009-06-25T09:05:00.006-04:00

Other than the fact that we almost died on the way to Albany on Friday, we had a wonderful weekend. Seriously, we were inches from death or at least being very, seriously hurt. We had only been on the road a little over an hour when we met a car going the opposite direction in our lane (left one)!! Highway 280 is a divided highway with 4 lanes across. We noticed a car that had been traveling far in front of us get over in the right lane, but just thought they were changing lanes. As we started to top a small hill, there was a Tahoe barreling down the road at us like they were supposed to be there. I was going 70 and they were at least going that speed. God's hands directed our car off the road just enough for them to miss us. Matt and I both said we couldn't believe they didn't hit our mirror or at least the right front side of the car. I was going 70 down the median and never once lost control. That is all by the grace of God. Friday night I didn't get much rest replaying everything in my head. Of course Satan likes to get me thinking about all the "what ifs." There are SO many! If there had been a car in front of us, we wouldn't have had time to get out of the way. Same if there would have been a car directly behind us.

We stopped at a McDonald's in Dadeville just about a mile or two down the road to check out our tires and calm down a little. A man pulled up behind us that had seen the whole thing happen. He had been in the right lane. He asked if we were ok. I told him yes, but that I was shaking. He said, "you were all in that ditch!" I told him we were praising Jesus for our safety. He then told me he was praying the lady didn't come into his lane. I never saw a lady...just a big shiny grill. I WISH I would have thought to turn around and try to get a tag number or something. I'm praying they didn't hurt anyone else and quickly learned they were on the wrong side of the highway.

Whew!! We went to Albany to celebrate Allison's 3rd Birthday and Father's Day with Bruce. Saturday morning we met the England's early so we could take the kids to the Riverquarium. We all enjoyed that. We then ordered pizza and had YUMMY birthday cake. Allison got a little shy when we were singing to her, but she blew all 3 candles out by herself. She opened presents with Bryan's help, of course. :) It was then time for Bryan's nap so while he slept, I swam with Mary Lynn, Nate, Allison, and our friend Kim. It was good to spend time with all of them. (click pictures to enlarge)

After naptime the Soles came in to town. They got a new boat so we went and tried it out. It was Bryan's first boat ride. I think he really enjoyed it. I always love riding on a boat. Now we have one in the family! :) We probably would have all loved it even more if it wouldn't have been soooooo hot! We went back to the Baker's house for supper and had a chance to visit with Punkin and Uncle Huck. Always so good to see them! :)

Saturday evening we went to Phenix City to go to church with mom and dad for Father's Day. We enjoyed lunch at El Vaquero. Mary Lynn and Nate were coming in around supper time to spend the night so we got to have dinner with them before we came back home. Thankfully, our trip home was uneventful! We were so glad to spend time with so much of our family this weekend.
(Papaw popped popcorn for Bryan. I think it's his favorite food. We eat some almost everyday. Anyway, he gets so excited hearing the "pop pop pop" as he says.)

hair cut

2009-06-12T14:13:00.008-04:00

Sug was here for a few fun days! :) We celebrated her birthday Wednesday night. Thursday we went to one of her favorite stores, Walton's Cabin, and then to get Bryan his first salon haircut. Granna usually cuts it, but we haven't seen her in a while and his hair was getting scraggly. We went to Sports Clips, which is a place just for men and boys. I figured they would know what they are doing. :) Bryan got paired with a really sweet girl who cut hair faster than anyone I've ever seen. I guess she knows how wiggly a 2 year old can be. Bryan did GREAT! He loved staring at himself in the mirror. When it was time to shave his neck with the clippers he couldn't stand it. He is SO ticklish!!!

He got a sucker from the hairdresser and some special treats from Sug at Target for doing so good. :) He's getting so big!

Busy month of May

2009-06-01T09:15:00.013-04:00

The first weekend of May we celebrated Grant's first birthday. We went down to Valdosta for the big day. Grant really got in to his presents and cake. Bryan even took a pinch for himself before Grant could get a hold of it. :)

Cassie graduated on Grant's actual birthday. The Nobles had a pool party at their house and we celebrated her graduation and G's birthday, again. :) Bryan loved the pool, but wanted someone to hold him the whole time. Grant wasn't so sure about the water.

On Memorial Day weekend we celebrated Adele's 5th birthday. What a blessing and miracle she is!

Friday, Bryan and I met Julie, Margo, and Adele at the zoo. The weather was so nice and the kids really enjoyed seeing the animals. They got to feed the giraffes up close and personal. What a treat!

The hot weather has returned to the South, so Sunday Matt blew up the little pool for Bryan to splash around in. Of course he loved it!

On to June.... :) It looks like this month will be just as busy with Father's Day, birthdays, Backyard Bible Club, and weekly bible study.

I'm glad he's our American Idol

2009-05-22T12:36:00.004-04:00

Here's Kris leading worship at his church in Arkansas.

Ready for more Jesus bumps? I read this on Kelly's blog today:

"One of my college friends told me her mom and Kris' mom are friends and that he had told his mom before he got to the final that he needed one more week there because he had been witnessing to Adam and felt like he needed just a little more time with him."

Praise the Lord! Let's pray that he and his wife will be used by God to reach many!!!

Brown Bear Brown Bear

2009-05-20T08:28:00.001-04:00

Do you think we've read this book a few times? :)

Brown Bear Brown Bear from jamie baker on Vimeo.

Happy First Birthday Grant!

2009-05-15T00:27:00.000-04:00

We love you!

Cute Saying

2009-05-13T11:31:00.001-04:00

Matt went to the grocery store for me Sunday and brought home chocolate milk. (He also brought home two packages of cookies because they were buy one get one free! Nevermind we're trying not to eat like that! ha!) Bryan was just asking for some milk so I made him a sippy cup full of white milk, as he calls it, and put a dash of chocolate in it. He tasted it and said, "Yum! I got chocolate chip milk!"

:)

Winner!

2009-05-04T14:30:00.007-04:00

I wrote out all the names,

Put them in a bowl,

And pulled one out!

And the winner of the 30 Day Shred is......

Congratulations Beverlydru! I just sent you an email.

This was so much fun! Thank you all for coming by to enter. I wish I could give one to each of you! :)

First Giveaway

2009-04-28T13:39:00.006-04:00

I've always wanted to do a giveaway and now I have the perfect thing!

I read Vicki Courtney's blog one day last week and saw that she had started doing the 30 Day Shred. I had ordered this video before Christmas and had never tried it. This post of hers had me motivated. I have now done 5 days worth. (I did not do 5 days in a row, but mostly every other day.) The first day is killer! I am not going to lie. But something about Jillian's video makes you want to keep trying it. The logo says "Lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days." Now, I don't want to lose 20 pounds, but my goal is to do this 30 times and see how my body changes. After just five times, I can do more push-ups and squats than the first time.

So, if you have weight to lose and/or just want to tone up, this is for you! All you have to do to win your own copy is leave a comment and a way to contact you (email/blog address). Deadline to enter is Sunday, May 3rd. I'll announce the winner Monday morning.

P.S. This post of BooMama's and this one of Big Mama's makes me laugh out loud.

Going to Grandma's...

2009-04-28T13:13:00.008-04:00

or Sug and Pops' House!

Last Tuesday, Bryan and I met Pops in Columbus so he could take B home with him until Friday. The first stop was the farm. From what I hear he ran his little legs off for hours and hours. It was hard to get him to stop and come inside. He loves to drive the easy-go too. That evening Sug put him to bed, not realizing the pack n play was a little too close to the door. Not long after he was down she heard, "Hey Sug! Whatcha doin Sug?" haha! He had turned the knob and opened the door. So she had to scoot him away.

Wednesday morning during breakfast he wanted to wear a "tickle hat." He and Pops ate breakfast with their tickle hats on.

Then they were off to fish. Sug and Pops bought him his very own fishing rod for Christmas, so he got to try it out. The first fish he and Sug caught took him by surprise. Sug said he couldn't crawl up into her lap anymore if he tried. :) He didn't want to touch them, but kept saying "catch another one." In all, he caught 3 brim.

Wednesday after his nap they headed in to Albany. Mema had invited them, and the rest of her family, over for supper. He got to see Avery, Banks, and Witt over there. Avery is almost 4; Banks is 7 months old and Witt is 4 months. Bryan called Banks "little buddy." :) When Avery got home that night she told her mommy that "Baby Bryan is not a baby anymore! AND, sometimes he speaks Spanish!" haha! We guess he was telling her something she didn't understand.

Thursday he was so tired he took an early nap. They then went downtown the the Riverquarium and turtle park to play.

Friday after lunch they headed this way and stayed with us all weekend.

We were excited to see Bryan. He seemed bigger and was saying new things. (He's now calling Rusty "Rusty Boy!")

Matt and I thank Sug and Pops so much for keeping him. We were able to go out to eat a couple of nights, go to the store by ourselves, and I was able to do some shopping. :)

blog post coming

2009-04-27T12:35:00.001-04:00

Bryan had a big week last week. He went and stayed with Sug and Pops for a few days. I'm working on a post to put up later today, but in the meantime, enjoy this precious picture!

Easter

2009-04-13T19:11:00.007-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Saturday, Bryan painted a cross as his art project. :) I found it while browsing Hobby Lobby Friday night and thought it would be something fun and meaningful for him to do. He really likes to color and paint so of course he enjoyed doing that.

I spent a lot of Saturday afternoon making cupcakes copied from Bakerella. I LOVE her. She comes up with the most creative cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, etc. I saw these and thought they would be pretty simple to make. And they were. And oh so tasty! :)

Sunday afternoon mom and dad came up. Bryan hunted eggs in the backyard. It was his first egg hunt. (see video below) We cracked up at the way he slam dunked the eggs into the basket. He is so funny. I think he picked up all the eggs in the yard in record time.

After the egg hunt we ate lasagna and then dad and I went to the evening service at Brook Hills. It was a great time of worship. They had to leave this afternoon, but not after a quick trip to the California Pizza Kitchen. YUM!

Did you have a good Easter weekend?

P.S. There are more pictures here.

First Egg Hunt

2009-04-13T18:19:00.001-04:00

Untitled from jamie baker on Vimeo.

Sunday's Comin'

2009-04-10T14:26:00.001-04:00

What a Testimony!

2009-04-08T19:05:00.000-04:00

Why

2009-04-02T19:53:00.003-04:00

Bryan loves the refrigerator and would open the door a million times a day if we'd let him. But we don't, so tonight we told him not to open it and he said, "Why?" First time he's ever asked that. Matt and I looked at each other and said, "Uh-oh, now it begins." The never-ending WHY!!!

On another note, we have one week of potty training behind us and he has done GREAT! Only two accidents and those were on the same day. He wears underwear except for nap time and bedtime. We've been to church twice, target, wal-mart, bass pro shop, and out to eat with him in big boy underwear. We couldn't be prouder.

Too Fast!

2009-03-27T22:44:00.003-04:00

Bryan is growing up too fast. I'm sure all of you moms think the same about your children. Even if they are on the road to 30...... :)

Yesterday I put some big boy underwear on Bryan and he didn't want to take them off. So I had him go pee pee every hour or so. He did great with that and even told me one time when he needed to go. The only potty training supplies I had were underwear, so today I went and got him a seat that attaches to the potty, more underwear, and some disposable sheets that you put on top of a public toilet. He's worn his underwear all day both days, except naptime and bedtime, and hasn't had an accident yet. We've been to Target, out to eat, and Bass Pro Shop today without any problem. He used the potty at Bass Pro like a big boy. He loves to tell you all about his "big boy underwear" too. So funny!

I have waited to potty train him because I wanted him to be past ready. I really don't want to drag it out for a long time and if he keeps going like he has these past two days, my prayers have been answered. :) I guess the next thing is learning to poo poo in the potty. Only problem with that, right now, is that he goes first thing in the morning as soon as he wakes up. We'll cross that bridge later. :)

New Growth

2009-03-26T14:41:00.004-04:00

bird

2009-03-25T19:13:00.001-04:00

Bryan made this bird today at church. His teachers told me he did it all by himself, glue and everything. I'm sure they gave him a little help as to where the feathers and beak go, but still! I was impressed. He loves things like this: color, paint, draw, and now glue. :)

We are taking B to Playhouse Disney Live this weekend. Of course he has NO idea. Hopefully we'll be able to take pictures. He is going to go crazy!!!

Sleeprunning Dog

2009-03-18T00:35:00.000-04:00

Simba "runs" in her sleep a lot. We always laugh at her when she does, but it's not NEARLY as funny as this.

pictures!

2009-03-16T14:14:00.003-04:00

Bryan and I made trip to Phenix City on Thursday to see ML and Allison. ML had the weekend off and made a spontaneous decision to come see us! Bryan was asleep when they arrived at Mom and Dad's, but was so excited when he woke up seeing Allison's face. He and Allison are so cute when they first see each other. Lots of squeals!

On Friday we got up and headed to Monkey Joe's for the kids to play together. I think it was much more fun for Bryan to have a playmate this time. After a while of playing we took them to Fuddruckers for a corndog (bryan) and grilled cheese (allison.) Promising Bryan a corndog was about the only way we could get him out of Monkey Joe's happily. :) :) We returned home later that afternoon, but were so glad to visit with the Englands! (Mom and Dad too, of course!)

Here is the link to the pictures and short videos:

Visit with ML and Allison

I can't wait to see y'all again, Mary Lynn!

Firsts

2009-03-02T12:40:00.003-05:00

Bryan had his first dentist appointment today. His teeth look great! No complaints from the dentist. And, to my surprise, he did not shed one tear. In fact, he loved it there! :) His favorite thing was the water and suction. The hygienist let him hold the suction and he was in heaven. haha!

Yesterday was another first for Bryan. His first snow! We enjoyed it so much. It was too cold and windy to play in it long, but it was so gorgeous to watch fall from the sky. It snowed from about 3AM until 12PM. If the ground would have been colder we could have had a lot more than we did, but we are thankful for what we got!

(more pictures in our webalbum. link to the right.)

Did you get any snow?

short video of b sliding at monkey joes

2009-02-26T08:58:00.001-05:00

Bryan Sliding Alone from jamie baker on Vimeo.

2 1/2

2009-02-23T10:06:00.001-05:00

Bryan turned 2 1/2 last week. I feel like we just celebrated his 2nd birthday yesterday. He is getting to be such a big boy.

Here are a few things about him:

*He knows about his pediatrician and calls him by name. If I tell him we're going to the doctor he says, "Dr. Whitaker, look at ears."

*If you ask him what he did today he can answer.

*I've recently started doing a bible study at church and he goes in the nursery like a pro now. NO tears for the past three weeks! Last week he literally ran to class. He got to the door and went straight to sit in the teachers lap. I was so proud. :)

*He's been coloring and making little cards in the nursery. Last week when I went to pick him up he said, "You did that?!?!" (That's what we say to him, so that's what he says.)

* I love when he says, "Did you heard that?" haha Instead of saying, "I'm hungry" he'll say, "Are you hungry?" But it's more like hOngry. :)

*He'll melt your heart by saying, "I love you, Mommy" or "I love you, Daddy."

*He has recently started adding "my" before mommy, daddy, granna, sug, papaw, and pops. "Where's my mommy?" So SWEET!

*He's outgrowing his 2T pants quickly.

*He's obsessed with the guitar.

*He's also obsessed with his new ball that he got for Valentines.

*He loves his sunglasses and wears them in the car all the time.

*He can be crying and you ask him if he wants to play ball (or anything else). He'll say, "Not yet, I'm crying!" The other day he was playing with his seat belt buckle in the car. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "I'm playing buckle."

*Speaking of, he got a new car seat. He was getting too big for the one we had. He loves to go, go car and sit in his new seat. :)

*Some of his favorite shows right now are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Imagination Movers, Wow Wow Wubbzy, and the Doodlebops.

*His favorite movies, that we watch over and over, are Lady and the Tramp, The Incredibles, all of the Praise Baby's we have, and Miss Patty Cake. Miss Patty Cake stays at Granna and Papaw's house. :)

*His favorite foods are pizza, spaghetti, chips & salsa, pb&j, and apples.

*We made a quick trip down to Phenix City last week. On Thursday we visited a place called Monkey Joe's. Bryan is very cautious so I wasn't sure how he would do on the jumpy things. It only took him a few minutes to warm up and he LOVED it! There was a 20 foot (at least) blow up slide that we went down together. He's not a fan of big slides or playgrounds for that matter. Not long after we went down, he wanted to climb the stairs by himself. He got brave all of a sudden and went down the slide by himself!! As he was getting off he said, "Oh wow!" He then went down 3 or 4 more times squeeling on the way down. So brave!!!

Please say a prayer for him today. He is sick...again! He woke up with a 102 fever after his nap yesterday. Now it's right around 100 with tylenol. We just got over the flu bug a couple weeks ago and aren't excited about something else.

Love is still a Worthy Cause

2009-02-17T09:10:00.000-05:00

Have you listed all the times you've tried
Do you call on all your alibis
When somebody asks the question why are you hiding

did you feel the pull, did you hear the call
did you take a chance and lose it all
do you fear there's no collateral left for trying

Friend, I know your heart is raw
But love is still a worthy cause
Picking up and pressing on
Oh, love is still a worthy cause
Like the touch that starts the thaw
Oh, love is still a worthy cause
or the word that breaks the pause
Love

in the midst of passing bravery
in the face of our own injury
It's the constant generosity of grace
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com

It's the beauty in the tales we tell
It's the pressing on and ending well
and the joy that comes when we give ourselves away

Friend, I know your heart is raw
But love is such a worthy cause
Picking up and pressing on
Oh, love is still a worthy cause
Like the touch that starts the thaw
Oh, love is still a worthy cause
or the word that breaks the pause
Love

I love because he loved me
when I had nothing
I love because you loved me
when I had nothing
I love because you loved me
when I had nothing

by Sara Groves

2009-02-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

Our Guitar Playing Man

2009-02-13T09:11:00.001-05:00

Guitar Man from jamie baker on Vimeo.

2009-02-03T13:14:00.002-05:00

We took a last minute trip to the zoo on Sunday. We knew it would be one of the last warmer, sunny days for a while. I think we got there about 4:00 and they closed at 5:00. It was fun strolling through when not many people were there. Bryan enjoyed the animals very much. I think the lions are his favorite. Maybe the giraffes too. By the time we got to the giraffe's they were putting them in their cages for the night. Hopefully we'll have another trip soon. :)

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-29T09:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to our cousin, Anna Kate! Today she is 5 years old. We love you and hope you have fun celebrating today!

mommy or sheep?

2009-01-24T13:31:00.003-05:00

When we color, Bryan likes for us to draw the shapes he knows. We let him tell us what to draw. He knows lots of shapes...circle, square, triangle, rectangle, star, heart, diamond, etc. Usually he'll ask us to draw a face in the circle. So yesterday he said, "two eyes" so i drew two eyes. He asked for a chin so I colored a little bit on the chin. When I was finished I asked him who it was. He said, "sheep!" Then he said, "no, mommy." :) Glad to know I look like a sheep.

hahaha

sweet cheeks

2009-01-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

letter to the president

2009-01-20T08:44:00.000-05:00

I just read this and felt like it needs to be shared.

Celine...

2009-01-19T13:13:00.006-05:00

These shots are from www.celinedion.com

The Celine Dion concert was GREAT! She is a wonderful entertainer and of course a powerful singer. She never missed a beat, a word, or a note. She had 6 outfit changes throughout, same as the pictures you see above. We decided she's just a cute and sassy lady with a big, big heart. (And of course a whole lot of money!) If she is ever coming to a city near you, I would highly recommend seeing her.

We weren't sure if we were allowed to take pictures, but Lyndi had her camera with her and we were so glad because everyone was taking pictures. As soon as Celine came out her battery died! Luckily a girl sitting next to Penny let us borrow her batteries to get a few shots.

The video here shows some highlights of her Taking Chances tour.

We had so much fun with all of our family here. We had good food and great fellowship. Looking forward to the next time. :)

Tonight

2009-01-15T11:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight is going to be a wonderful night! Penny, Lyndi, and I are going to see Celine Dion with my cousin Julie and one of her friends. We are so excited we can't contain ourselves. Celine is a huge celebrity and awesome musician. I can't wait to tell you all about it tomorrow!!!

Our New Years Eve

2009-01-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

2009-01-05T08:44:00.002-05:00

Tonight is the start of another season of The Bachelor! I'm so excited. I found a website last season that makes watching even more fun. It's IHateGreenBeans.com You should watch The Bachelor and then read her recaps that follow. Hilarious!!

Do you watch crazy shows like The Bachelor too?

I can't make a decision

2009-01-02T15:59:00.006-05:00

I am thinking about getting a new watch. I love watches and have plenty of them, but like to keep my collection going. :)

I've narrowed it down to two choices and wonder which one you like best. Here they are:

Our Christmas in Pictures

2008-12-27T21:13:00.001-05:00

Christmas 2008

We had a wonderful Christmas! Though this was Bryan's third one, it was by far the best. He could not wait to get in to the "treasures." :) We loved spending time with our family and friends this year. Hope you all had a Merry one too!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T17:30:00.002-05:00

so long pacifier

2008-12-23T09:04:00.005-05:00

Sunday evening Bryan took his pacifier for the last time (we hope!) :) I got a crazy idea for him to put them in an envelope and mail them to Santa. In exchange he got one of his fun Christmas presents.

He's now taken one nap and slept two nights without it. He's done a great job. He'll ask about it every once in a while and I'll remind him that he mailed them to Santa to give to another baby. This morning he said, "Santa paci baby." That's how his sentences go sometimes. haha! I'm proud of him for being so brave and such a big boy. (of course he is still only 2!) :)

Surprise Visit

2008-12-20T17:57:00.001-05:00

Look who came down our street today!

Bryan was waving and saying "Hey Santa!" We saw Santa on a firetruck in town earlier today too. What a fun thing for the fireman to do! Bryan couldn't smile any bigger!

Merry Christmas!

I'm IT!

2008-12-18T10:19:00.005-05:00

Amy Lynn tagged me for this fun game.

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder

3) Explain the picture

4) Tag 4 people to do the same

NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing, etc!)

This picture is of Matt playing a nintendo game at ML and Nate's house in Apalachicola, FL. I believe it was February 2005. haha

I tag Sherry, Kelley, Mary Lynn, and Kimberly!

Merry Chrithmuth from Dave Barnes

2008-12-12T23:21:00.002-05:00

This guy is too funny!

Weather and other things

2008-12-10T13:13:00.009-05:00

Aren't we having the craziest weather here in the South?! It is 65 and rainy outside. I just looked at tomorrow's forecast and and saw SNOW! No kidding! High of 44 and they are calling for snow. I'm glad I got out to do my errands today. I still have lots of shopping to do for Christmas.

This weekend B and I went down to Valdosta to see Lyndi, Grant, and Sug. We had a wonderful time visiting. Grant is getting so big and is very mobile. He's not crawling yet, but he can get something 5 or 6 feet away from him.

We went to Valdosta's Christmas thing they have downtown every year. While we were there Bryan and Grant got to see Santa. Of course Bryan didn't want to sit with him so I held Bryan while Santa talked to him. Santa gave him a sucker so that made him happy. As we were walking off Bryan said, "Thank you, Santa." :) He's making progress! Do you remember last year?

We enjoyed a funnel cake before we left. So yummy! Grant even had a taste. :)

Now we are home and trying to get ready for Christmas. :) I hope we can take it easy before the holiday rush hits. How is your Christmas shopping coming along?

The Halls are Finally Decked

2008-12-04T10:55:00.009-05:00

I am updating this post for BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes!

This is our first Christmas in this house and we wanted to spruce it up a little without spending too much money. I got both of the wreaths on the windows for $7.99! I love a deal! :)

I've had this wreath for 4 or 5 years. I love all the berries on it.
I found this garland at Michael's and intended to hang it on the arch outside of our house, but I noticed other people's mailboxes decorated and loved them. Yes, I'm a copy cat!

This is our little tabletop tree. We bought it last year when B was only 16 months old. We had a fear of him eating hooks and/or turning the tree over. Since he's a little over 2 now we decided to keep it again this year and pray he doesn't pull any ornaments off :) He's done great leaving it alone.

Matt and I stayed up late one night decorating the house. I wanted to get Bryan's reaction to everything when he woke up. Here he is! :) (After watching the second video, do you think he might be related to Frosty the Snowman?!)

Bryan seeing Christmas from jamie baker on Vimeo.

Untitled from jamie baker on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving Week

2008-12-01T12:54:00.004-05:00

We had such a big week for Thanksgiving. We got to visit with lots of family and friends.

Friday before Thanksgiving, Bryan and I traveled to Phenix City to have lunch with Pa, Mrs. Betty, Aunt Beth, Tony, Mary Lynn, Allison, and my parents. It was so good to see everyone and especially nice to meet our new grandmother, Betty.

After Bryan's nap we hit the road and headed to the farm to see Sug, Pops, Lyndi, and big boy Grant. We had a wonderful weekend visiting. Matt met us there on Saturday morning. Lyndi and I went to a friends sweet wedding on Saturday afternoon and we enjoyed some girl time while Sug, Pops, and Matt babysat. (We also enjoyed the wedding cake!!)

Bryan ate his first roasted marshmallow that weekend and enjoyed it! He's so cute saying "marshmawhoa." He also wanted to "drive" so Pops let him help steer the easy-go.

Grant had lots of floor time. He's trying so hard to crawl. He can get up on his knees and rock until he scoots backwards. So precious!

Sunday, after leaving the farm, Matt headed home and I stopped in Phenix City to visit longer with Mary Lynn and Allison. They won't be home for Christmas so we don't know when we will see them again. We were having a wonderful time and then I came down with a horrible sore throat Tuesday that turned in to a cold later in the week.

Bryan and Allison ran their legs off and tried their best to share. haha! Thanksgiving Day we had a WONDERFUL meal with our family and one special friend, Mrs. Miriam. She just happened to bring the BEST chocolate pecan pie any of us have ever had! It really was delicious!

Thanksgiving evening mom and I went to see "Australia." Very interesting movie. I'd like to see it again because I felt lost a few times. Overall it was good though.

I spent most of my weekend relaxing trying to get over the cold that knocked me down. We returned home yesterday and still haven't unpacked! Maybe tomorrow. :)

Enjoy the pictures and short video clips.

Thanksgiving Week

Our Nephew Grant

2008-11-25T12:35:00.003-05:00

He's getting too big too fast! We can't believe Grant is already 6 months old! We got to spend the weekend with him and had so much fun! :)

Click the webalbums link over to the right to see more pictures!

Sweet B

2008-11-18T09:42:00.001-05:00

I took this with my phone so the quality isn't great, but I love his sweet face in this picture!

Crafty Stuff

2008-11-14T15:40:00.009-05:00

If you are interested in buying a custom made shirt, or any other item you have in mind, I would love to create something for you! These would make great Christmas gifts! In fact, I already have a couple of orders.

Shirts-$15 each

Two Shirts for $25

I haven't practiced anything other than letters and numbers so if you have something else in mind I don't mind giving it a shot, but can't promise it'll look good! HA! Anyway, I'll accept orders until Monday, December 8th. That way it can get to you before Christmas. Please email me at jamalrae@gmail.com for more information.

Our Drummer Boy

2008-11-13T20:09:00.002-05:00

Dancing and Drumming from jamie baker on Vimeo.

Please Take Our Poll

2008-11-13T15:57:00.004-05:00

*update* Matt fixed it!! :)

The reason we ask is because when we view it on Firefox it looks perfectly normal. I got on Explorer today and the links were way off the sides. Thanks for your help!!

Hosanna

2008-11-13T15:26:00.001-05:00

Hosanna by Hillsong United

Check These Beach Pics Out

2008-11-10T18:06:00.000-05:00

Beach Pics by DeDe Edwards

The Cackle

2008-11-08T12:33:00.003-05:00

The Cackle from jamie baker on Vimeo.

If you have ever spent any time around Bryan, you know he likes to go to bed. He loves everything involved with the process, but mainly his blankie, paci, and puppy. Here he is after supper one night at the beach getting SO excited about going "night night."

Beach Trip

2008-11-07T14:20:00.003-05:00

We had an awesome time at the beach this past week. Lots of us loaded up and drove down to Rosemary Beach to celebrate Aunt Lynn's 60th Birthday. The weather was awesome and the beach beautiful! It was so great to spend time with our family. Here are the pictures!

Aunt Lynn's Beach Trip

United House

2008-11-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

A must read post...

The Cutest Train Conductor EVER!

2008-10-31T22:35:00.004-04:00

We had such a fun night. As soon as I put Bryan's costume on, I melted. He looked so adorable that I could not stop kissing him and taking pictures, of course! :) And I must say the pictures do not do him justice.

We went to eat with our friends, the McDowell's, and then we went to a few houses for candy. It was disappointing because no one was home. They just left bowls of candy out on their porches. We only passed out candy to 7 children. Anyway, other than no one being home, we had a great time of fellowship!

There are a whole lot more pics on our web albums...Click Here to see those!

Halloween's Past

2008-10-31T13:03:00.005-04:00

(Amy Lynn, I'm copying you!) :)

Here is Bryan's First Halloween (2 months):

Here is his Second (14 months):

I can't wait for tonight! We are going to our friends house to eat, trick-or-treat, and pass out candy!

We'll post pics as soon as we can!

Sweet Slumber

2008-10-30T09:15:00.001-04:00

vote as if you are not voting

2008-10-29T13:23:00.003-04:00

I saw a link to this article by John Piper on another blog. I think it will bring a lot of peace to your hearts as it did mine :)

Are there really 59?

2008-10-29T13:17:00.002-04:00

funny sayings

2008-10-27T09:47:00.004-04:00

Bryan says:

"Scoop" for Scoot

"Goopy" for Goofy

"Down Up" if he wants up or down from something. This started because he kept saying "down" when he really wanted "up." So now he just says both.

"Squeeze" for PlayDoh

"E I Moo Moo" for Old McDonald Had a Farm

"Craynuns" for Crayons

One of his favorite things to listen to right now is "All I Wanna Do" by Sugarland. He'll ask for "more ooo ooo" over and over. He also LOVES tobyMac. He calls him "T Mac." So precious!

quilt giveaway

2008-10-15T12:18:00.001-04:00

Check out this awesome quilt giveaway! It's beautiful and I hope I win!! Go leave a comment to see if you can win. :)