it's a date

See this good looking man? He's my hubby. We have a date today at 1 PM. We're going to see a movie.....at my son's school. Tomorrow is the day my 5th grader sees the "adolescent" video with the rest of the 11 year boys. LOL! The principal sent home a letter saying that parents are welcome to preview it and that if we didn't want our child to view it, let them know in writing. When I inquired as to when we could see it, he told us that no one had ever asked to see it, but that we were welcome to set up a time for viewing. I was shocked! NO ONE has ever asked to preview it? Is it just me or is this totally irresponsible? I'm sure things have changed since I saw the girls' video when I was in 7th grade. Don't parents want to know what their kids are going to see and ask questions about? Or am I being overprotective? Perhaps, but Ed and I are going to go through with it and make the best of it. We may even take a bag of popcorn! LOL!

right up this English teacher's alley

I got this off Linda M.'s blog. Try this quiz and let me know how you did! :)

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct. It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors. If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs. As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human. And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

you're gonna miss this

Some of the things I'm gonna miss as time goes by....

1. Kisses in the car before they get out to go into school
2. Going to little league games
3. Reading bed time stories
4. Playing in our pool
5. Playing "sandwich" with my two boys and pillows, and hearing their giggles
6. Singing and humming from the back seat of the car
7. A litle boy running to jump in bed with us after having a bad dream
(I will continue to add to this list for a couple of days.....just short on time now.)

While I wouldn't call myself a "fan" of country music, I do LOVE this song. Check out this video. (You can pause or stop my "Playlist" so you can hear the video.) It gets you thinking! Oh, and thanks for telling me how to do this, Linda!

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Sharon.

Okay come up with 5 things that would be on your gift wish list. It has to be something totally fun and possibly frivolous. There is no cost limit, but be realistic. (Only five?)

1. A Crop-a-dile II Big Bite.

2. A new Canon digital camera (an SLR) and Photoshop.

3. A gift certificate to Bed Bath and Beyond (there are so many things I need in there!) That's fun, right?

4. A surprise weekend trip to ANYWHERE and a copy of Stacy Julian's book Photo Freedom to read on the way!

5. Gift certificate for a family portrait (a nice one) or an oil painting of our family for over the fireplace!

Okay, I am tagging anyone who reads this! :)

signs and wonders required?

I don't know anything about this doctor, but I stumbled across this video today. All I can say is, "Amazing." Since I'm not blog-experienced enough to know how to post a video, just click on this LINK.

Several of the comments about the video were like this one:

" The problem with supernatural claims is that scientists later find out what causes them. The mystery goes away and it becomes scientific fact, like the belief that demons or evil spirits would cause disease. We now know how germs work. If this miracle has repeatedly passed critical scientific inquiry and Jesus Christ himself comes out and says he did it every time he is asked, I will believe and convert! "

Of course this might later be scientifically explained. But my response is, "Maybe not. But even if it is, would this man be alive had the doctor not listened to God's prompting to go back and pray?" In order to believe in God, this atheist wants a miracle, one that can't be explained away. Jesus said in Luke, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." As Jesus hung on the cross, soldiers ridiculed Him and said, "If you truly are the Messiah, then why don't you take yourself down off that cross?" The big picture was more important to Christ than brandishing His power to prove something to these people. We don't always see the big picture, and obviously everyone who is sick and gets prayed for isn't healed on earth. But that doesn't negate real miracles. It just means we can't explain everything in our finite minds, or perhaps more faith was required in certain cases. And if we have to see miracles to believe, what good is faith? Hope that makes sense.
Well...that's my two cents for what it's worth. I wasn't there and do not know for sure if this happened, but I do believe God still works miracles! He did them when He was on earth. He is alive today, and He hasn't changed!

spring things

I completely forgot to post the photo I took of our Easter dessert. It turned out so cute, and was incredibly easy. I just used a chocolate cake mix and baked it in a bundt pan. I turned it out onto a cake plate, cooled and frosted the top two thirds with vanilla frosting. I pushed a narrow little plastic cup down in the center, added a little frosting to the top, and garnished the top with Reeses Pieces Eggs. What a cute spring cake! It is supposed to look like a nest of eggs. I just love the simplicity of it and how excited my kids were to see it finished.

We are now contemplating what to do over spring break, which officially begins April 5th. That is also the week of the Masters golf tournament, which makes traffic crazy around here. I would love to do a road trip somewhere, but the gas costs! If we go somewhere, we'll have to cancel Matthew's therapy that week, and I am tempted to cancel today. He was so upset that he was going to miss a puppet show at school today. It's not that big a deal for him to miss a week or two, as our insurance only pays for 3o speech visits and 40 OT visits per calendar year anyway.

Maybe we can just stay home and play! :)

Easter 2008

Aren't my boys so handsome? My 11 year old acted sort of like he felt too old to get an Easter basket. When do you actually stop doing this? He did go trick or treating this year, but had to be talked into it. So if Matthew gets an Easter basket next year, what do I do for Jonathan at 12?
Anyway....we got up and went to the 9:30 service at church and enjoyed celebrating Christ's resurrection. We left there in separate cars since Ed had parking duty (parking was a mess!). The kids and I went by Wifesavers to get lunch. I just LOVE their chicken strips. Ed got home, and we ate. The kids opened their Easter baskets, played a little, and then we went out back to hunt eggs. We have a pretty big backyard, and I hid them all over. Matthew (now almost 6) did nearly as well as Jonathan. I hid 34 plastic eggs with treats inside, and 9 real eggs (dyed 10 and one was smashed). The kids got a quarter for each real egg they found. It ended up working out pretty evenly. Our neighbor ended up not coming because they were at their cousins house helping with tornado cleanup from a week or so ago. Although we would love to have been with family on Easter, we still enjoyed it. Maybe next year, we'll go to my parents' house for Easter.
Since we had such a big lunch, and the kids ate candy during the afternoon, I had decided not to cook. We were watching some documentary about different hot dog places on tv, and Ed decided we'd go to Nathan's and get a hot dog. Not only did we get hot dogs, but we also got ice cream for dessert. That kind of eating is exactly why I'm not posting my photo in my Easter outfit!! Anyway....it was a beautiful spring day, and we enjoyed being outside. I find myself looking more and more forward to pool season. Ed is going to open it in a week or two, even though the water won't be warm enough for me until some time in June.
The picture below is of the eggs I hung from my kitchen window. Wasn't sure the photo would turn out, but hopefully you can see it. The eggs were less than 2 bucks each, so I thought it was a cute spring addition.

mud and marbles

Just had to post a short one tonight. Matthew said the cutest thing, and I will have to do a scrapbook page about it soon. He told me about watching this show on tv called "Mud and Marbles." He said that they showed how to make candy....real candy that you can eat! Well, I know my little one likes to watch the History channel and TLC and This Old House....He's an Old Soul ya know. So I got the digital remote and started scrolling. And lo and behold, I found it! "Mud and Marbles" is actually, "Modern Marvels!" I laughed so hard! (Not in front of him though!)

And just now...even as I was posting, he came up and said, "Mom...when you grow up and want to be a pirate, you have to go to college!" Isn't he the cutest? LOL! Have a great weekend. :)

jelly beans and Easter

Well, Easter weekend is here! I'm so happy! Today, I finished shopping (I think). I got Jonathan a pair of shoes (a men's 7 1/2 at age 11). Even though I got his size, they don't fit. So back they go. On Sunday, he's wearing navy pants, a lavender shirt, and hopefully new shoes. Matthew will wear navy pants, and a light blue shirt. My hubby is going to wear navy pants and a beautiful pastel green shirt. Me? I didn't buy anything, but I think I'll wear a pink skirt/suit. I'll try to post photos next week.
Tomorrow night, we'll be going to the Good Friday service at our church. Some time tomorrow or Saturday, we're making bunny cookies (and the kids don't care that they're pre-shaped from the package). We'll dye eggs, and I'll get their Easter baskets ready. I used to buy the pre-made ones at the store. But the toys in those always seem to break in less than a day! So now I pick and choose and put my own together. While shopping for candy to put in the plastic eggs, I went to Dollar Tree and found Jelly Belly jelly beans. I love those things. I bought an individual size bag for each of us. We ate them today! :) My favorite is the popcorn flavored or the chocolate flavored. My least favorite is the licorice flavor....ugh!
Sunday should be an awesome day. It's the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus! It is so amazing to me to think about what He did for us! He willingly gave up His life, then rose from the dead, so that we might have life and freedom from sin.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
I heard the coolest quote on the radio today. The man said, "If 9-11 are the numbers that represent terror, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope." So true! Hope you all have an awesome and memorable Easter holiday! HE LIVES!

little league and Matthew

We're in the throes of little league baseball season, and things are getting busy. Yesterday, I got my hair permed, had a neighbor pick up the kids, and then rushed home later to help them get homework done, just in time to leave for practice. We got home after 8 PM and got ready for bed. Yowza! I was so tired. At the same time, it's fun. Matthew is doing so well in t-ball. Last year, he played in the dirt and picked weeds, oblvious to what was going on. This year, the difference is like night and day. He hits the ball, runs the bases, and is pretty good at stopping grounders. He actually seems eager to do well. I know he's older now, but I also believe his therapy has helped tons! He goes to MCG to get speech and occupational therapy for his sensory processing disorder (to learn more about this, click here). He has problems with auditory, some visual, and spatial processing. Each week during this school year, we've seen improvements. The Focalin XR we have him on helps with his attention span, and there are only slight side effects. We're hoping he's going to be ready to move up to first grade. I certainly have had to work harder with him than with my older son. But we're sure that Matthew is smart, it's just harder to see sometimes. And it takes longer for him to grasp some things. But usually, when he's got it...he's got it! And he's just the sweetest child. Last night, he looked at me all sad like and said, "Moma, when you get old and go to heaven, I'm going to miss you." I said, "Oh, you're so sweet. Don't worry. When it's your time, you'll see me again when you get to...." Then he interrupted and said, "But I won't know where to go." What he meant was, he thinks when I get old and die, he's still going to be a child and won't know where to go and what to do without me." He's such a little thinker!

happy St. Patty's day!

Top o the morning to ya laddies and lasses! Okay...enough with the phony Irish brogue! LOL! Hope you all have a wonderful St Patrick's Day!
Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was pretty good. God spared us from some scary stuff Saturday evening. Tornadoes all around us! There were at least TEN in our area, just not normal around here! Beech Island was spared, but just a tad over 5 minutes up Pine Log Road, there are massive trees down everywhere! It looks like someone took a giant vacuum and just sucked them out of the ground, dropping them across roads, on top of houses, and in yards. We rode around surveying the damage last night, and it is just horrendous. Power lines are lying down all over. In Bath, about 10-12 minutes from us, the roof was ripped right off the post office along with the top of the water tower. As of 8:30 Sunday night, thousands still were without electricity or water. At our house, we got light rain and a little wind. The sky looked ominous, and we actually received a weather alert call (a service we signed up for) that told us we were in the storm's path and to take cover, but we didn't even get that much rain or thunder. Thank the Lord! We pray for those who lost their homes, and we thank Him that no one was killed. You can read more about it by clicking here.
On a brighter note, I took my 11 year old shopping for an Easter outfit. I was dreading this because he usually hates shopping. I've found the secret though! I just have to take him to the mall! He actually enjoyed it, and so did I. I got him a nice lavender polo shirt and navy dress pants for Easter. He'll look really handsome with his freshly cut blonde hair and his blue eyes! Now I just have to get Ed and Matthew new shirts. Me? Well, I may just wear something I already have. I hate trying on clothes almost as much as Jonathan does. Well that's all for now. Have a great week, friends!

baseball and boo boos

Remember my saying how much I love baseball season? Well, there's one thing I don't love about it. Boo Boos! And boy my son got a big one last night. Matthew had practice at 5, and Jonathan, not until 6, esentially giving Jonathan an hour to hang out with his buddies. Matthew's practice had hardly begun, when I saw Jonathan holding his head walking toward me. He and some other kids had started practice on their own in the softball field, with no adults around. Jonathan decided to play catcher (with no helmet), and a foul ball came back and smacked him right in the forehead. You could actually see the stitching from the ball imprinted on his head! What a huge goose egg! Fortunately, we got ice for it and Advil, he did not pass out or anything, and we decided he was probably okay. By the time his practice started about 50 minutes later, he felt fine and actually played. I was a little concerned this morning when the swelling had not gone down more, but he assures me he's fine. It was just last season that Ed and the boys were playing ball in the backyard, and Jonathan accidently NAILED Matthew in the head with a metal baseball bat! He bled so badly...and ended up with one staple in his head! Hopefully, we will survive baseball season! YIKES!

getting to know me.....

Random Q & A

1. What is your middle name? My name at birth was Kimberly Renee, but I now use my maiden name as my middle one (Hughes).

2. Do you have kids? Yep...two sons who light up my life.



3. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? Ok...I'll have to think about that one a little longer.

4. Would you bungee jump? Nope....I don't think so. I am afraid of heights.

5. What is your favorite cereal? Fiber One Raisin Bran Flakes (very tasty AND good for you!)

6. When was the last time you cried? Tuesday at my friend Cindy's funeral. So sad.

7. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes, I do.

8. What is your favorite ice cream? Vanilla. Yes, I know it sounds boring, but if I want to put stuff in it, I can stir in anything I'm in the mood for (peanut butter, choc. chips, etc...)

9. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No, I don't. That would probably surprise my dad, because when I was a kid, he fussed at me for doing that, so he made me sit down with a pencil and sheet of paper and put on my shoes, untie them, take them off, then put them back on....going through the whole process 50 times! He said that taking them off without untying them was unnecessary wear on the shoes, and this was supposed to teach me a lesson. Guess it didn't stick!

10. What's the first thing you notice about people? Their facial expressions...I guess mostly their eyes and smile (or lack of one).

11. What is the least favorite thing about yourself? My height. I'm only 5 feet & a half inch tall.

12. What are you wearing right now? Gray sweat pants, white t-shirt and a bright pink hoodie.

13. What do you think are your greatest accomplishments? Adopting Jonathan and giving birth to Matthew.

14. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green

15. Favorite Smells? Rain after a hot day, babies, and my house after I've been baking

16. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My mom...usually an every morning thing.

17. Favorite sport to watch....definitely baseball.

18. Hair color....dark brown

19. Eye color.....chocolate brown

20. Scary Movies or happy endings? I don't do scary! Happy endings for sure.

21. Favorite food: Fried chicken and garlic mashed potatoes.

22. Favorite dessert: Peach Cobbler (warm with vanilla ice cream)

23. What is on your mouse pad? A gold fish

24. Favorite sound: the sound of my kids saying "I love you."

25. What did you watch on TV last night? American Idol

26. Summer or Winter? Summer....oh yeah!

27. Do you have a special talent? Not really. I used to play the piano and sing, but if Simon Cowell were to critique it, he'd probably say, "It was all a bit like a girl alone in her room with her piano at midnight!" Okay...maybe scrapbooking is my talent.

28.Where were you born? In Easley, South Carolina.

29. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Dark, baby!

30. Favorite flower: Don't really have one, but I love my hydrangeas, especially the ones I've cut and dried.


Okay....I know this was long, but if you got this far....consider yourself tagged. I want to hear these answers from you!

play ball

Little league season is upon us, and I LOVE it! Right now, both my boys are playing...actually they're just in the practicing phase, but the games will crank up soon. Matthew is playing t-ball for the Diamondbacks, and Jonathan is playing for a major league team, yet to be named. Although it cuts into American Idol and takes 3 or 4 nights per week, the kids get exercise, can play with friends outside school, and we all get fresh air and have fun!
Jonathan is a pretty good player. Last season, he played first base and pitched a little. Not sure what position he'll play this year, as this is his first season in the majors, and there are older kids who I'm sure will get the prime positions. Hopefully they'll have fun though. Have a blessed week!

Photos from last season

sunday stuff

I knew church would be sad this morning, but I had to be there today. When there's a loss in your life, it's comforting to be around those who believe the same way you do. Ed and I have been going to Stevens Creek Church for around 9 years. We love it, and if you live anywhere in the CSRA of SC/GA, then it would be worth the drive to check it out. See our website at http://www.stevenscreek.net/. We have "Life Group" tonight as well. We meet every other Sunday at a home. We do a Bible study and share a meal together. We have become quite close to this group of friends. It's our connection as our church continues to grow...and grow and grow!

Speaking of friends....I can't wait to get together with mine on Saturday as we Crop at the Creek! :) Maybe I'll get some awesome layouts done and post them soon.

Ed and I had some rare time together without the kids yesterday, so we decided to check out a BBQ place I'd been wanting to try. We went to the BBQ Barn in North Augusta. And I am pleased to say that it was extremely good! We both ordered BBQ plates with pulled pork, coleslaw, potato salad, and bread. We also brought home a slice of "Happy Cake!" Oh my! It was most surely HAPPY food! Ed and I have decided that while the kids are in school, when he has a Friday off, which is once or twice per month, we're going to try a new restaurant each time for lunch! Last Friday we tried McAlister's Deli, after Linda MacDonald's recommendation. It was awesome. I'll try to keep you posted on what we like. Okay....More Later!

loss of a dear friend

Yesterday, I lost a dear friend. Cindy Lytle had just dropped her daughter off at work and was on her way to the church when she was in a horrible car crash. The news of this tragedy has just left me reeling!
Cindy was one of my favorite people at church. She and I didn't "hang out", but if I ever needed her, she was there. Each time I called the church to schedule a scrapbooking event, or for whatever reason, I was always pleased to hear her cheerful voice. And what a sense of humor! If I forwarded her some E-mail I thought she'd enjoy...I always got a response that made me laugh!
I remember the Creative Worship Team's first trip to Gatlinburg. Cindy and I had eaten breakfast together a couple of mornings, and the last morning we were there, I got the news that my son was terribly sick and that he'd been in the ER most of the night getting tests done, a spinal tap, and all sorts of things that made me want to get home asap. I'll never forget Cindy praying with me outside the restaurant on that sidewalk. And when my friend, Lillian Brackett passed away, Cindy was there sitting beside me at the funeral. EVERY time I have ever lost weight, Cindy was the FIRST person to compliment me! I loved being on stage with her while she played the keyboard. No matter where we were, I always felt "at home" with Cindy. Gosh, I miss that lady! I know Cindy is with our Savior, and that we will see her again, but the selfish part of me would rather her here with us. I love you Cindy!
Below is a photo and bio from our church web site. Please pray for our grieving church family and for Rob and the kids. Thanks.




Cindy Lytle was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. Cindy has also lived in New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Somalia, East Africa, and currently lives in Georgia. Cindy attended Northwest Texas Hospital School of Nursing in Amarillo, Texas where she received her nursing degree. Cindy is currently a part-time psychology student at Augusta State University.
Cindy worked briefly at Church of the Harvest in the early 1990's and returned to The Creek in October, 2002 where she works as a receptionist.
As of October, 2002, Cindy has been working part-time as receptionist in the SCCC office while she is also a student at ASU. Cindy and her husband Rob Lytle have a son, Jonathan and a daughter, Suzanna, as well as a daughter-in-law RuthAnn and two grandsons. Kelly, the dog and Midnight the kitty complete their family. Cindy takes great delight in playing piano or keyboard for the music team as well as participating in the drama team where she both acts and writes.

bugs and idols

My first day of blogging here, and I'm home with a sick child. He woke up with a stomach bug....I won't gross you out with the details. My 5 year old is in the living room now with a blanket, pillow, and a trash can by his side. Poor Matthew! At the moment, he's watching Clifford. and content. I hope that I can share on my blog the general happenings in our lives. I want to share photos and scrapbook layouts, and just my thoughts on a variety of topics. Most recent on my mind is American Idol.

I have to admit that I'm a big AI fan, though I must say, for some reason, I haven't enjoyed it as much this season. I really like David Archuleta. My favorite of the girls last night was Syesha Macardo. I felt kind of sorry for her the way the judges zipped through their comments on her performance. I realize they were out of time; nevertheless, it was rude, and I felt sorry for her. No one girl stands out to me this season. In seasons past there were so many standouts that it was hard to choose. Not so this time around. And what's with the guy talking about his boogers last night? GROSS! My granny had to throw away the sandwich she was eating!

I've been scrapbooking a little bit lately. My latest layout is so simple, but I'm really proud of it. It's the first time I've taken something like a t-shirt and based an actual layout on it. I think you'll like the results. Below are photos of both the layout and the inspiration.