Happy Birthday to me, so long 33

Wednesday, I celebrated my 34th birthday... wow, when did I get so old? I am officially in my MID - THIRTIES!! I awoke to coffee in bed and a green tonka truck rolling up and down my legs while the sound of "vroom... vroom" hummed sweetly in my ear.

When Jimmy asked me what I wanted to do for my special day, I mulled over... sleeping late, laying by the pool with my People magazine, a shopping spree at the mall, a big night out on the town and finally decided on... going to see the choo-choo trains!

If someone had told my 5 years ago that that is what I would have wanted to do on my birthday, I would have thought they were crazy. Isn't it funny how things change? A day with my boys at a place I had no doubt would bring sheer joy and excitement to my little guy's face sounded like the perfect day. So off we headed to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.
Oops, somebody can't read!
For an hour, this was pretty much the scene. Trace running up and down the aisle between the trains, while I followed behind. Seems like I do that a lot lately. I used to gawk in horror at the women in the mall that had their children on leashes... oh yeah, I'm there!

That night, our families met at my in-laws for my birthday dinner. We were going to go across the lake and eat at Dockside. However, the heavens picked my birthday to let loose, so plans quickly changed and we drove (by car, not boat) to eat. It was still a lot of fun and I love getting to spend time with my peeps!
This was the rainbow that came over the lake after the storm. We could actually see where it began and ended on the water. It was beautiful. I love the lake right after a storm!
After dinner, we came back for a wonderful ice cream cake and gifts. It was the perfect birthday from start to finish.

A couple of days ago, some friends of mine that I've known for 15+ years got together for dinner. I always love dinner with my girlfriends. Funny how over the course of our friendship, the subjects of our conversations have drastically changed.

For instance, 15 years ago the talk around the table would have been about the latest scandal at the sorority house (whoo hoo ADPi), who was dating who (or is that who was dating whom??), what new clothes we just bought (with our meazly part time job money) and probably making big plans for the weekend.

Fast forward 15 years... our topics of conversation the other night centered around Weight Watchers, coupon clipping, treatments for brown spots on the face (sadly, I have already made my first appointment) and rating the areas best and worst elementary schools.

Oh... I forgot, we did briefly touch on the Jon and Kate + 8 scandal, if that counts!

But you know, after all these years, I LOVE that the friends I had then, are the friends I have now, and will have when we are old and wrinkly, discussing Depends and Social Security.

I feel blessed to live all of life's seasons with them. Thank you to everyone who made my day so special!

2 ...going on 32

I've been told since the day Trace was born to get ready because they grow up so fast and that is becoming more evident everyday. Sometimes it seems like he is literally growing before my very eyes. He looks so long in his bed and his little toes are already poking through his 24 month pajamas. I am still desperately trying to hang on to the little footed pjs but am finding less and less of them.

I am looking into having some made... ha, ha!

The other night, he was riding on his plasma car in the driveway (he puts Jeff Gordon to shame, he is so fast and fearless it's scary) and our neighbor walked over and yells, "hey buddy". Before I could turn around, Trace jumped off his car, walked over to the fence and said, "Hi Brian, how you?" and holds out his hand to shake it! I could not believe my eyes... he was like a little 3 foot, diaper-wearing politician!

Then yesterday, I was asking him what everybody's name was. He correctly told me my name was Heidi and then told me daddy's name was Jim. That was hilarious to me, because in the 8 years I'm known Jimmy, not ONCE have I ever called him Jim...that's his dad.

If fact, no one calls him Jim except in the "business world" and I can assure you, Jimmy barricades himself in his home office whenever he is on a business call. After all, nothing says "professional" like hearing a toddler in the background belt out the ABE's (as Trace calls them) at the top of his lungs at noon on a weekday. Some days, he probably really rethinks that "working from home" plan.

I have no idea where he picked up that name but it goes to show... they are listening to everything we say... scary!

But... rest assured, just about the time I'm convinced his "babyhood" has ended and I start getting baby fever, I hear "hold you mommy" coming from his sweet little mouth and he jumps up in my arms and lays his head on my shoulder... and I know it's not quite over yet. And then the poopy in his pampers really confirms it... no business meetings yet!

I can't decide if he's gonna be a Nascar driver or if he'll run for Mayor :)

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks. This is Trace with his Mimmie (Jimmy's grandmother). They were in town for a visit over the weekend. She is so precious and Trace adores her.
Four generations...

Sheila (Sylvia's sweet, sweet sister), Trace, sippy cup, Mimmie, Polly (Jimmy's great aunt) and Sylvia. Trace had a blast pushing Polly's walker around the house... anything with wheels!

I was truly blessed when I inherited this family. They are so special to me!

Celebrate... Remember... Fight Back

Saturday night, I had the honor of walking in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. It was supposed to be on May 1st but got postponed due to rain. Mother Nature did not want to cooperate Saturday either, so it was moved into the church gym. It was a wonderful event with many touching and emotional moments.

The Relay began with the cancer survivors in attendance being introduced and telling how long that had been a survivor. Then they took a lap around the gym wearing their purple survivor shirts. As the Mariah Carey song "Hero" played in the background, the caretakers and families of the survivors joined their loved ones for another lap. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the place.

The night was full of games, food, music, laughs, MANY laps around the track and tears. The walk goes from 6 pm to 6 am symbolizing that cancer never sleeps. Throughout the night, people are continuously walking the track until the sun comes up signifying a new day to begin the fight for a cure again.

Trace loved being there. The child ran more laps around that track than I could count and was thoroughly exhausted after. I can hear him now saying, "cuse me" to everyone as he plowed past them, weaving in and out of traffic. Since he is only 3 feet tall, a lot of people got a lot of bottom pats as he jockeyed for position squeezing between the crowd. He doesn't really operate along the lines of "stay in your spot and pace yourself"... he was full out, full time! He finally crashed in Nana's lap and was mesmerized by the band playing. That was by far the stillest he sat all night long. Ahhh, if only I had a third of his energy!!
The team we walked for was call "Team TP" which stands for Trivial Pursuit. It was named in honor of my mom and dad's Trivial Pursuit group with the Golden Girls and their husbands. This group has been going on for 20+ years. Last September, they lost one of their members, Jim Rogers, to lung cancer. This is my mom and my Aunt Gail (2 out of the 4 Golden Girls) next to the sign. Bonnie, Jim's wife, would have been so proud to hear Andi's beautiful words about him during the Luminary ceremony. He was very loved and very missed.
Trace and Abram had a big time sitting in the floor picnic style eating hotdogs, cheetos, and cupcakes... every little boys dream dinner!
Baby Lucas made it to the Relay. I can't wait to see him next year, running laps with the big boys! Wow, they are so little for such a short time. This year he was perfectly content to sit in his Papaw's lap and watch.
Keith, Abram, Jimmy and Trace meeting the chick-fil-a cow. You notice, Trace never takes his eyes off that thing... and he never let go of his Daddy!
Papaw dancing with Lucas.
Good ole family shot. That is Andi in the background beside me. She was our team leader and did such a wonderful job. She has been in charge of the Luminary Ceremony for 5 years and last year alone lost 3 people she loved to cancer. She works so hard to try and end this terrible disease.
This is Josh and Andi's little girl Addison...she is a such a doll! I LOVE those pigtails!!!
At 10 o'clock that night, they had a Luminary Ceremony. Bags are placed along the perimeter of the walking track and the lights are turned out. People purchase these bags in honor or in memory of someone with cancer. Normally, it is outside on the bleachers and the bags spell out "hope" or "cure" with candles in them. This year, they had to use glow sticks because it was indoors.

Everyone stands behind a bag and as the names are read aloud, you popped the glow stick and dropped it in the bag. When all the names had been read and all the bags were "lit" a bagpiper came walking through the gym playing Amazing Grace. It gives me chills just thinking about it now. It was so moving.

I was standing next to a woman who lost her 30 year old daughter less than a year ago. She was her only child and her best friend. I can't even imagine the heartbreak and emotion she was feeling standing in front of a white glowing bag that was placed there in memory of her daughter. That made it very real.

This picture doesn't do the beauty of this ceremony justice. The only lights you could see were the rainbow glows of the bags and the only sound you could hear was the song of the bagpipes. As I said at the beginning of this post, I was honored to get to be apart of this amazing night and will continue to do so until a cure is found. Thank you again, everyone who donated and help me reach my goal... it meant more to me than you know!

Hide and Seek

This is Trace's favorite new pose. If he ever gets really quiet or turns up in the house missing, I can usually wander into a room and find him like this. He has discovered the game of hide and seek but hasn't quite mastered the hiding part yet... as you can see.

Tonight after his bath, Jimmy calls me into our bedroom and says, "Mama, go find Trace, he's hiding!" He laid there very still on our bed (sorry it's not made) as I began circling the room "looking" for him.

At one point, I guess his patience level was weening (and probably his oxygen level too) because as I was going through my routine of... "is he under the bed, is he behind the curtain, is he in the closet?" I hear the faintest little muffled voice whisper "no" into the towel. It's like he just can't stand it any longer and had to help me out! Ohhh, those little attention spans...

Here's his... "I can't believe you found me... I thought I was hidden SO good this time" laugh!!

We decided to make some cupcakes and I let him help me ice them. I know, after his bath, great planning on my part.

He is the king of the double dip. Put the spoon in the icing, lick it, then spread a little on the cupcake, lick the spoon again and repeat! Good thing nobody else will be eating these.

Believe it or not, we didn't have to have bath #2 after this... just many wet paper towels. I could honestly go through an entire roll in one day, just cleaning this child!

Hope everyone has a great weekend...and if you get hungry, come on over for a cupcake ;)

Random Rainy Rambling

Well, it's ANOTHER rainy day!! But, when you wake up to this sweetness...
it's hard to be blue! There's nothing like a sleepy little guy who has just woken up with bus hair, his blanket, and his bobbie to make another gloomy morning happy!

We have had sooo much rain lately that I didn't want the geraniums I just planted to get root rot, so, in this mornings downpour, I ran outside in my pajamas (which consists of Jimmy's boxers and old t-shirt), flip flops and his lovely, hooded raincoat to cover them.

Those planters are way too heavy to pick up, especially with 10 pounds of rainwater in them, so I was searching around the house trying to find something to cover them with. My first attempt was a TV tray, but it didn't fit around the pot so it stood on top and just looked, well... ridiculous.

I could only find one umbrella so I had to improvise!
Classy... I know! But I will have to say better than two soaked TV trays looming 3 feet above each one. Ha! Ha!

I nearly broke my neck frantically running in wet flip flops to hide in the garage when our neighbor pulled out of his driveway for work. No one needs that type of scare so early in the day.

And, yes, I was referring to my neighbor seeing me first thing in the morning, not me nearly breaking my neck (that happens almost daily).

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If there are any lasting doubts that we truly have the most spoiled (but very loved) dog on the planet, here's proof...

If she doesn't get to ride and we don't put her in the house, she runs behind the lawnmower and every white spot you see then becomes green. She rolls around in the freshly mowed grass until she looks like a leprechaun, it honestly looks like she's wearing green socks.

The last time, it took about 3 days for her to return to her "natural" dog color of white and orange! Yes, we bathed her, but have you ever tried getting grass stains out... of a dog?
I guess she got tired halfway through and had to lay down. It's exhausting being a princess!

Hope ya'll have a great day and stay dry!

Wet Weekend

Well, the weather pretty much spoiled all of our weekend plans, but that's OK, it turns out sometimes a very low key, soggy weekend is pretty nice.

Friday, I was supposed to walk in the Relay for Life Cancer Walk but it got postponed until the 16th. Imagine me feverously packing Friday afternoon for the Relay. I had Trace's wagon loaded with towels, blankets, folding chairs, jackets, snacks, water bottles, hats, cell phone, and money (for our hotdog dinner). Jimmy and Trace we behind me in his truck (they weren't staying as late as I was) driving in the thunder and lightning with HUGE raindrops slowly hitting my windshield. Five minutes later, the bottom fell out! I turn into the high school and not a car in sight, no tents, no banners, no walkers... what????

I called my mom (who was also walking out the door for the Relay) and asked her what was going on. She pulled up my e-mail (which of course I hadn't checked since 8:30 that morning) and read to me that the walk had been postponed. That e-mail came in at noon and it was then 6:02. SOOOO... change of plans. I had nothing in the house for us to eat (was planning on feeding my fam hotdogs at the walk and we were leaving town the next day) so we went and got Choo-Choo's barbeque, rented Finding Nemo and came home for our first official "family movie night".

Saturday, we were supposed to drive to Alabama for Jimmy's cousins 3rd birthday. We were really excited to see his family and let the kids all play. They were even going to have pony rides at the birthday party. However, when we got up and realized the torrential downpours were going to continue and one of the towns we drive through was quickly flooding, we decided not to go. This weekend was just not turning out at all like I had planned!

So now, we have watched a lot of Barney, played with Play Doh, run trucks, choo choos and cars over every surface of this house, read The Little Engine That Could and Curious George takes a Train more times than I care to count and just tried to stay dry and as far away from the swine flu as possible. Although I'm usually the one that likes to go 90 miles per hour and loves having things planned to do, it has been kinda nice just hanging out around the house.

I read several other blogs everyday and Kelly's Korner is one of my favorites. I found it when her little girl Harper was born and nearly died shortly after birth. She is now 3 months old and adorable! Kelly is a wonderful Christian mom and their story is so inspirational. She posts a lot of prayer requests and praises on her blog.

This week, she posted one about a 5 month old named Noah who 13 days ago was shaken by his daycare worker. He is now possibly severely brain damaged and blind. They are still not even sure he is out of the woods yet. His story has touched me and I have found myself drawn to his blog everyday to watch for updates on this precious child. I can't even begin to imagine the heartbreak his parents are living with.

Please take a minute to pray for Noah, his parents, and the lady that did this. So far they have had over 23,000 visitors to his site from dozens of countries offering prayers for him. I have seen first hand what the power of prayer can do and I know his parents would appreciate all they can get right now. You can click here to go to his website, Noah's Road. I will warn you, the beautiful picture of him, smiling with those big blue eyes on the home page will take your breath away knowing what has happened to him. I only can pray his parents will see that same precious smile one day soon.