HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

While it's still only the 29th here, it's the 30th in China, so I thought I'd write a Happy Birthday post for my sister, Carrie.

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIS! I have admired you for so many reasons all of my life. You are strong, independent, wise and more caring than most. You are sensitive, loving and supportive. There is no one in the world that I would rather laugh 'til I cried with than you. It is so comforting having a sister, and especially one that you know cares so deeply for you. Growing up I tried to be just like you (notice I said be not dress like you ;)!! I always envied your discipline and strength. You use to enjoy planning out the next 5 or so years of my life and lay it out for me. Have I told you how much I miss that? Maybe I just threw you for so many loops that you gave up.

I love you, Carrie, and while I will let some tears fall today because you are so far away, I will be praising God for your life and your heart. You're the best!

ALIVE AND KICKIN!

Hey everyone-I finally got onto the internet today because Casey's office miraculously had power!

Ike came ready for a fight, but we're still standing. It seems the "panic mode" that everyone was in before the storm has only intensified, though. As gas stations get power one by one, the lines to the pump stretch on forever and frozen water is all of the sudden as valuable as gold. We stayed with the kids at my parents house during the storm since they have a gas grill. Oddly enough, we've eaten better in the past few days than most other times, grilling every last morsel of meat from our freezers so it doesn't go to waste. Saturday night's meal was a virtual buffet of turkey burgers, pork tenderloin, potatoes, corn on the cob, followed the next day by a mountain of chicken nuggets. Each evening it's as if we've jumped into a time machine, and at once we hunker down by candle light to sit around and listen to the radio until we head off to bed by ten o'clock.

It's been an interesting few days, to say the least. We spent the better part of 9 hours working to restore my parents yard to its former glory and our house is just a few more hours short of restoration as well. It's clear that many people were not as fortunate, though, and we are thankful to be safe and sound.

I hope everyone in the area is alright and recovering!

yIKEs!!!

It's Friday and apparently there is a hurricane on the way. I was sure that when I woke up this morning and turned on the news that they were going to say that it had turned and wasn't coming our way, but it looks like it is. People are freaking out. The lines at the grocery store were a mile long yesterday, almost every business is closed today, gas is running out... Casey and I, though, are solidifying our reputations of making light of heavy situations. Maybe it's our way of dealing with the situation, I don't know, but I can think of nothing more amusing than watching everyone scramble around like the end of the world is upon us.

Don't get me wrong, though, we know that this is a serious storm and that there are many people near the coast that are in immediate danger, but we feel pretty confident that, short of a bunch of fallen branches, some minor damage, and a power outage, we are safe. But, lest we be considered reckless, we stocked up on booze and twinkies. Just kidding. They were out of twinkies.

TOO FUNNY NOT TO MENTION...

I did one of the posts a while back, about things that Aiden has said that made me laugh, but I haven't done one in a long time and a post on one of my friend's blogs reminded me that I needed to do another one.

These are things that Aiden has said in the past three days that put a smile on my face:

While going to check the mailbox:
Me: "Hey Aiden and Pierce, do you want to walk to the mailbox barefoot?"
Aiden: "ooo, yeah-you guys walk barefoot, and I'll walk kittyfoot!"
Me: "No, it's barefoot, Aiden, not BEARfoot"

When I caught Aiden shoving Pierce down:
Me: "Aiden-why did you just shove your brother??"
Aiden: "But Mama, sometimes I just get so frustrated with him and then I my body just can't help it!"
Me: (thinking) I know buddy-I feel your pain

When trying to decide what to eat for breakfast:
Aiden: "Mama, I want beans for breakfast"
Me: "No, I don't want you to have beans for breakfast, how about eggs?"
Aiden: "But why don't you want me to have beans for breakfast? Because then I will toot all day?"

When discussing Santa Claus: (this may be controversial, I understand. Yes-we tell our kids that Santa is not a real person)
Aiden: "I wish I could go meet Santa Claus"
Me: "Well, you know that Santa is a character, and when we are playing we can pretend that they are real and use our imaginations. Kind of like Superman and Thomas the Train."
Aiden: "yeah, and like Dora, and Batman, and Chinese people!"
****note to self: don't be surprised when Aiden wets himself the first time he visits his cousins in China****

*My Favorite* While picking out what to wear:
Me: "Darn it, this pretty shirt doesn't fit you any more-I loved that shirt on you"
Aiden: "Why did you love that shirt on me?"
Me: "Because it has bright colors and I think you look handsome in bright colors"
Aiden: "Yeah! And do you know what? God thinks that the clouds look handsome, too, so that's why he puts bright colored clothes on them when it's a sunset!"

Despite his constant questions and endless antagonizing of his brother, He has such a sweet heart and can say some darn cute stuff sometimes!

Are you there, God??

Hi everyone! I couldn't resist showing this to you guys. Yesterday, Aiden wanted to make a little video on the computer, so I pressed record and this is the little snippet of our day it captured. Let me set the scene: After pressing 'record' I turned to see where Pierce was. I found him in my parents bathroom (we are house sitting at the moment), with a twizzler in his hand (movie snack), and his hand elbow deep in the toilet-stirring the toilet water with his twizzler, with a roll of toilet paper unrolled all over the floor. This lovely event is what you hear going on in the background. Aiden, who is accustomed to these sort of antics from Pierce, is unphased and proceeds in his conversation with God and Jesus.

If you listen carefully, at about the 48 second mark, you can hear me adding a rule to Pierce's ongoing list of random rules (like "don't take the poo out of your diaper" and "stop body slamming your brother").

2 cool to be 2!!

Our little man, Pierce, turned 2 today! It honestly feels like he should be turning 1-I don't know where the past year went! We have been trying all weekend to get him to say he is "two", but every time we ask him how old he is, he says something like "my daddy", or "aiden two", and when we insist, he smiles a sly little smile and says "naaaggghh I not two". oh well. With all of my family out of town, we decided to keep it low key and the five of us had a little cake (well, Grae had the milk, minus the cake). Pierce blew out his candles and immediately leaned over and took a bite without using his hands, and then devoured a huge slice. I remembered at the last minute to grab my camera, so these are the only two shots I got. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Pierce!! You are a constant source of joy, energy, smiles and fun for us. We love you little buddy.

not enough hours in the day...

I am so very backed up with editing right now, but I thought everyone might forgive my poor blogging if I just posted a picture of Grae. She is ALL smiles these days...

...and cheeks, apparently!