Seaside In My Mind

Fun, Friends, & Focus!

2009-04-08T10:02:00.015-04:00

March was a busy month for us! It was a heavy bday month for sure! First we had Lily's, then Blaine's, then my Mom's, then St. Patty's day...then Skylar's! So we had a good number of birthday parties to attend...And my baby turned 3 on March 27th!! Although, she said it was her birthday everyday in March and everyday so far after March 27th she wanted it to be her birthday....but she knew March 27th was her special day. We celebrated Skylar's birthday with her friends the weekend before at Marbles Museum. She loves that place....and so do we. There's so much for kids to learn and do there...just awesome! On her actual birthday she spent the day with me :-) We had her pictures made at and went to lunch at one of her favorite places...Chic fil'a....and our then took our traditional visit to Toys r us....That evening we all went to dinner at Outback with Joe, Kate, & baby Lily to celebrate more! It was a fantastic month! One of the parties Skylar went to was a princess dress-up party...right up her alley....she dressed like a princess and had her "make-up" and nails done, took a "carriage ride"....she had a ball..as you can see from the pic...Soooo Skylar's been busy being Skylar :-) She's in a dress phase right now....wants to wear tights and a dress EVERY..YES EVERY....SINGLE DAY!! She gets quite upset if she has to wear pants and a shirt b/c she says "It's not a princess outfit!" "It's not a princess!" And well...OF COURSE...we all know you're not a princess without the right dress.....uh huh....So...mornings are fun in our house if for some reason......we can't locate the appropriate attire and matching tights and shoes. Thank God for Tuesdays! She goes to "tap and tumble" on Tuesdays at school. It's a little gymnastics class....so those days she'll wear appropriate play clothes for tumbling....ok well most days..there was one Tuesday when I had to send her in her cheerleader outfit and leggings. She insisted on a dress....so mommy had to get creative....thankfully she was satisfied that it would suffice as the "special dress" for the day. Skylar seems to be growing more independent everyday...if that's possible. "I can do it all by myself mommy!" I wish I had a penny for every time I heard that each day! But I guess I should be thankful she has the desire and ability to lead and do things on her own! Let's see...well...Skylar now knows all her letter sounds. (Like A says AAAA and a' and b says BBBB and bah!) you get the picture. She's starting to recognize letters in words when we read or do flash cards and will say.. that's a T!! And T says Tah...like teddy and tiger.....You get where I'm going here right? If not , go back to phonics 101! :-) Sooo while she's known her letters for quite a long time now, it's fun to see her make the connection of what the letters sound like when we look at words on the pages etc.

Well...we are still going to soccer and Skylar loves it. "Coach Mark" is her buddy and she has even introduced him to the famous Moo Moo....you know she likes you if she shows you moo moo...her pink cow...that is really a giraffe but we thought it was a cow when she got it .....anyway..beside the point..Moo moo is her stuffed animal she's slept with since she was baby. Ok back to soccer...her favorite part of the clinic so far is when they get to stack up blocks and knock them over by kicking the soccer ball at them...I think I mentioned that previously...well it hasn't changed..........and the kid has pretty good aim too, I must say! :-)

It's hard to believe we are already in April!

Skylar moved up to her new small group class at church on Sunday. So she's in with the 3 year olds now and has a new small group leader. Skylar really enjoys going to Hope and we do too. We learn a lot and just love our worship time there. In September our church will be launching multi-sites (b/c we've gotten so large).....We'll have a site in Fuquay/Holly Springs and a site in Morresville. We'll still be "one" church but each church will have it's own campus pastor and all the staff /kid city/ and worship team like we have at the Cary campus....but we'll all see the same message each week. For example if you're at the fuquay site you'll still see Mike preaching...you'll just see it via projection screen. It's a "Hope where you are" kind of mission. Our Cary location now has 4 services and we're busting at the seams. Isn't God awesome! So with the multi sites, we can continue to be one church family with same beliefs and mission, but people will be able to attend at a site closer to their home / community location. I'm still learning about all this but we're really excited to see what God's doing through all of this! Wow....I got off on a tad of tangent didnt' I?? :-)

Well...to start April off with a bang..I had 4 wisdom teeth taken out..........less than fun...but not horrible...Six days later...and I can manage to eat something other than yogurt and mashed potatoes now...thank goodness. All in that weekend I had my teeth out, we had my brother in law's bday celebration, soccer Sat. morning, a birthday party Sat. afternoon, church Sunday and neighborhood Easter egg hunt and cookout Sunday afternoon. I wasn't able to actively participate in much, but I was at least "present" at all the functions...lol...Well this one's a long one so I'll cut it here and post more later! For those without a home church, I invite you to visit us for a Good Friday service at Hope and then an awesome Easter service at either a Saturday time or a Sunday time. Here's the link!! http://www.gethope.net/GoodFridayEaster2009.htm Have a fantastic week! Oh one more thing....my child confirmed I have ADD tendencies last night....We were talking at bedtime and I don't remember what I was saying...but she said "Mommy...FOCUS....You've GOT to FOCUS Mommy...!!" I cracked up but had to hide the laughter from her...and my mouth still hurts to laugh anyway...but REALLY??? MY 3 YEAR OLD ..telling me to Focus?? Ok I'm done....I have to go "focus" on other stuff now!

Welcome to March!

2009-03-05T21:26:00.009-05:00

Happy March! My FAVORITE month...well other than December I suppose...(St. Patrick's Day and SKYLAR'S BDAY! ) And to start out the month with a nice little snow...twas fun, but I'm ready for sun, sand, and yes...flip-flops! Ok so it's not summer....but you never know what the weather will be like in the spring around here. I'm good with 70's minus pollen and humidity :-)

Skylar really enjoyed the snow again this time. We all built a mimi-me version of a snowman, well Randy did the hard work...I mostly took pics and Skylar packed on some snow here and there and decorated him. She LOVED her little snowman and hugged and kissed him everyday until he melted down to a tiny pile. She was a little sad, but decided we could pack up his "stuff" and save it for when he could come back again next winter....let's hope he comes back next winter! At least once!

Anyhow...Skylar has now started in her first soccer clinic w/ XL Soccer World. She LOVES it. And I must say, I've been impressed so far with the age-appropriate tasks and the "coach." At least the coach we have is great....from what I've seen. We are really....or I should say Mommy is hoping she continues to love it and will play outdoor fall soccer but one class at a time...one class at a time... :-) All week she's been showing me her "red light" aka foot on top of ball to stop a pass....and showing of her passing. In her class last week she loved the "aim" drill where they stacked up blocks and kicked the ball at them to knock them over. (yes that's me with her...her personal block-stacker...lol) Skylar also enjoyed scoring on goal, but would kick the ball down the field a bit....pick it up and run close to the goal...put it down right in front...kick it and score! She was determined that ball was going in that goal one way or another! It was really cute. Last weekend after soccer / ice cream / lunch and nap...and YES in that order....we got to go visit with the Crocker's and had a great dinner and such a fun visit! Sunday we went to church then home for a lazy rainy Sunday afternoon!

This week has been busy as usual and the weekend won't be any different! Today is Lily (our neighbor's) 1st birthday and tomorrow is Blaine's 8th bday...So happy birthday to the both of them!! And so we have 2 parties, soccer, and church to make for a fun-filled weekend!!

Well..I'm off to dreamland...in my St. Patty's pj's ;-)

and again....

2008-12-08T22:05:00.020-05:00

I've missed 2 months of updating....and I must say those were some jam packed months! But...I'm back...Did you miss me?? (Don't answer that...)
Well here we are at mid-February...the love month...the month of the year where on one day...the 14th...we remind our family and friends how much we love them. We should all do that daily more often...or weekly at least...but we often don't. Interested in the history of Valentine's day....before the greeting card industry helped to commercialize it?? Well it's pretty interesting....so google it! :-) And yes I know Valentines day is over....but it's still Valentine's MONTH!

Speaking of love....I love my little girl more and more everyday..if that's even possible. She's such a gift and I thank God for her everyday! Skylar is growing up way too fast....she sounds more and more like a "big gurl" as she says...than she does a 2 1/2 year old...Her latest fascinations are Tinkerbell, throwing out some Spanish words here and there just to catch us off guard, being a "princess," beating her daddy in basketball, tap shoes, her upcoming birthday..which she reminds us daily "IS MARCH 27TH," jewelery, and more Tinkerbell. Conversations with her crack me up all the time...she'll say "Hey Mommy....Soooo..What's going on??" (in her best chilln' voice) ...or she'll taste a new food...proceed to spit it out..and say.."Now THAT'S DISGUSTING!"....LOL...She also reminds us that she "is a princess, and her Daddy is the Prince," or decides that she's the "teacher"....and boy is she a bossy teacher! New things...umm...well not so new..but new to you I suppose since I haven't blogged in a while...She knows the days of the week...in order...and song that goes with it...she's learning the months of the year but I don't think she will say them all in order just yet.

She's very good at remembering EVERYTHING...and I mean everything! Oh and she has and endless fascination with glue and scissors...and crafting...fun stuff there.

Skylar loves to make up songs...her newest creation the other morning was..."I'mmmmm going to be a pppprrrriinnceesss...ohhh yeahhh...and onnnnnn myyyy birrrthhhdayyy........on Marrchhhhh twentyyyy sevenththth...I'mmm gooooinngg tooo my parrtyyyy!!!" ....and the song went on.....and on....and on.. all while dancing and twirling in the middle of the living room...nice when you never have to leave the comfort of your home for quality entertainment!

This week she's been sick unfortunately....but seems to be better now. No more fever and seems to be getting back to being Skylar. I tell you, I'd rather be sick myself 10 times over than for her to be sick at all. It's so tough to see them not feeling well. Especially at at her age!

Well weekend before last we got to go see Blaine play basketball and spend the morning through lunchtime with Blaine, Shelby and Ken&Dawn. Was a great time! They always love spending together when we get the chance!

Last weekend we had a great time at one of her friend's (Meredith) bday parties at Gymboree. Awesome kid, has to be with a name like Meredith ;-) Skylar really enjoyed herself and we did too. Thursday night (last night) she had dance. She did a fabulous job with both the tap and ballet segments and seems to continue to enjoy her time there. This weekend..MOMMY is very excited b/c Skylar will start a mini-soccer clinic. It's just 3 weeks, 3 classes, but it should be fun and we'll see how she likes it. So far she enjoys kicking around with me in the back yard and trying to score goals....but we may have a future keeper on our hands...she does so love to pick up the ball and throw it...lol...so I've told her to pretend it's 'hot' and she can only touch it with her feet. We'll see how that goes!

Well I hope to post more updates soon and time permitting, I'll be better at blogging again! But for now, life is good, and I'm thanking God everyday for all the blessings in our lives!

The weekend......

2008-11-13T12:02:00.009-05:00

So this past weekend we had a Thanksgiving celebration with some friends. Joining the party were The Urban's, Riffle's, Mamo's, Eshelman's, Prince's, 2 of the Byzek fam, and the Sperry's for a brief visit. Of course, Randy, Skylar, myself, and Caffrey as well :-) So needless to say we had lots of kiddos (and a crazy puppy who we had to eventually gate in on the deck) running around. (ages 3 1/2 down to 7 months). Randy fried a turkey and grilled a pork loin. Everyone else brought the yummy side dishes and desserts. Kim R and I had planned some craft time for the kids......but...the weather was beautiful so the kids played outside and on the swing set until dark...figured we'd let them run out some excess energy....after our insanely wonderful dinner....I brought out the markers, crayons, stickers, and paper bags for the kids to decorate their "Indian vests"....you remember those from your younger years right??? You know you do...and those odd pilgrim and Indian hats we all made in school every year. Well...our attempt at the vests turned into the kids just having fun decorating the bags...(and themselves in some cases!) They had a great time....Kim R also brought a fun craft..she printed out turkeys and the kids were going to use their fingerprints (with washable finger paint of course) to make the feathers....but unfortunately it was getting late and we didn't get to it....so she sent them home with the kids and their parents to do! Skylar was sad to see everyone leave...and as usual wouldn't tell them bye until they were out the door...(she doesn't like to tell people bye if she doesn't want them to leave)....and she sure was enjoying the time with her friends! Everyone seemed to have a fantastic time, I know we did...and we're so thankful for our wonderful friends....Sunday morning we were up and out the door headed to church by 8:45....then we came home and had the Sperry's over for lunch with all our pork loin and turkey leftovers!! After naptime, Skylar and I played and Randy decided to cook some fresh collards for dinner...I sent him outside for that task...b/c I HATE the smell of them cooking :-) He was happy to cook outside and built an awesome fire for us to sit around while he was cooking. The Sperry's and Stewart joined us that evening...Skylar loved the "campfire"....and as I mentioned we needed some marshmallows to roast..Skylar pipes in with "Yes!! and I want to eat them!" I don't know that my child has ever even had marshmallows....so that was pretty funny to me. We had some playtime with Lily and another nice dinner that evening. After that we were all ready for bed!! Such a fun weekend and we were ready to get some rest!

Soooo...the holidays are approaching and I get extremely excited this time of year...I love every bit of the chaos...more post to come on upcoming events...but Skylar is getting excited too....about all the sales papers! LOL...She loves looking at all the Christmas stuff in the papers and she says she's "reading a story." She'll even bring the sales magazines to me so that I can read her the "story"...which MUST START WITH "Once Upon a Time...." and MUST end with "The End".....apparently that's a new reading requirement I've just been informed about...per Skylar......well have you ever tried to make a story out of pics in newspaper..magazine..or catalog...give it a shot....it's quite entertaining. And every person in the pictures has to have a name....another Skylar requirement....And......she must find Santa in every paper..just to make sure he's ok..and not sneaking up on her....She's not a Santa fan...by any means...but likes to find him in books and on paper...and she's ok with him there. Should be interesting shopping this year!! She loves the decor, the lights, etc...but you can scratch the big blow up Santa's....and that's ok with me...I'm good with the fact that she likes her little manger scene most of all.....and she likes any noisy decorations that are smaller than she is...the bigger ones..not so much. So anyway.....we are looking forward to seeing family and friends over the next two months and catching up, enjoying some time together, eating yummy food....and remembering all that we have to be thankful for!

One more thing..

2008-11-05T14:23:00.000-05:00

Mike's sermon last Sunday......

http://gethope-ministries.net/podcasts/mp3s/hcc-sermons-20081102-lee.mp3

The Verdict is IN.......

2008-11-05T10:29:00.003-05:00

WEll well well....we have a Democratic President, and the Dems have the majority in the House and the Senate....It's a scary day in history isn't it. So what are we in for? Well...that remains to be seen. I would tell you that the continuation of extreme liberal thinking (and taking God out of everything) in America has gotten us...ohhhhh...a higher crime rate, more teen pregnancy and un-wed mothers, more innocent babies killed at the hands of abortionists, a generation of young adults and children who don't know the true history of America, gangs galore, illegal immigrants, split families, abuse of horrific natures, more poverty, more people depending on government hand outs....I could go on and on and on......but I'll stop there. It is what it is. And if you are a believer, a Christ-follower, then you know God has a plan and He never said we'd understand it. But know that He is in control. It's hard to swallow, I know...it's an everyday struggle for me too. But what we can't do is let evil and corruption disrupt us in our service for God and love for our families. (Granted I do have some relatives whom I SURE were adopted....lol...kidding..sort of.) This election was very different from others. It has divided friends, families, states, and our country to an extent. That's Satan at work. Soooo,....what must we do...We must NOT let politics run our lives or ruin relationships. We must agree to disagree and pray for those that don't share our beliefs in faith and family. As much as I disagree with Obama and his view on politics (ie.socialism) and life in general, I can still pray that God will change his heart in so many ways for the good of our nation. For those of you on the right side of the fence with me, it's our responsibility to make the real difference in the lives of others. Sure..I'm ticked with the election results....and how blind our nation is....but what kind of example would we set as Christians if we turn our backs on those that don't hold our views. We should embrace the challenge, pray for them, let God grab their heart through something in their own daily lives. It's not our job save the world, it is our job to be the hands and feet of God...stand up for our beliefs and be His workers on earth. The changes in Government will affect all of us in some way or another. But changing the life of a human being through compassion, giving of your time, donating to worthy causes, and ultimately serving God is way more important and serves a heavenly purpose...not an earthly one....Living in a country where we can worship God, is something we can be thankful for. (Though it's getting tougher and tougher with all the "pc" bull, but we are still free to worship as we see fit.) That said, I would encourage you to check your political hats at the coat room and enter into this holiday season giving Thanks for our blessings, find a way to serve God by making a difference in someones life, and being humbled by the fact that you are in good health and have a family (however crazy it may be) and a home where memories can be made. I know too many people going through far worse circumstances than I ever care to imagine....and I personally feel blessed to have the life that I do. And I know what I do with my own life and for others....is more important than anything any politician will ever do. We as Christians are the true change makers....I agree with Gandhi on this..." You must be the change you wish to see in the world" -M.G.

Catching up......

2008-11-03T10:35:00.020-05:00

Has it really been so long since I last posted!??? Wow...time flys...and once again, we've been on the go. Since I last posted....we've.......celebrated my brother's birthday, celebrated my birthday, took a trip to Hillridge farm with friends, visited with my parents, brother, and grandparents in Henderson, (where I must add...Randy, Skylar and myself made our first apple pie....it was a family effort...and quite tastey!!...(AND..MADE with splenda...)spent some time with friends, visited with Randy's parents and his grandmother.......(all this over several different days and weekends of course)....ummm....attended and continue to attend Skylar's tap/ballet class weekly....spent some more time with some other friends.....did some trick or treating......had a party at Skylar's school.....(where she had treats so tasty she didn't want to leave any on her mouth as you can see in the pic)..did some trick or treating....or..."trick o treatttyyy" as Skylar would say.........went to church.....oh and worked...I guess I should count that too....afterall...Randy & I both spend (thankfully of course) 8-9 hours a day (or more) working M-F........

:-) (Actually we're always working...on something......but the 40-50 hrs I'm speaking of...we get paid to work..lol) Don't get me wrong...if I ever hit the lottery.....I'll gladly let someone else do my job...but until then, I'm thankful I am employed! AND...b/c I don't have hours of free time to explain all our adventures, I'll promise to be better at posting from now on.....now that I've caught you all up to date :-) Sooooo........tomorrow is the big election day........I must say...I'm ready for it to be over. If you don't know by now....I support the following....McCrory, Dole, McCain/Palin. And hopefully you do too. That's all I'm going to say about that. I've got more interesting things to talk about....like my sweet little girl! :-) Who by the way....will tell you "Jesus loves you.." when you are telling her to stop jumping on the bed, or correcting her behavior....how's that for a new take on back-talk!

So Skylar is growing more and more each day. Way too fast for our liking! We're beginning to wonder if she has a photographic memory (kidding........sort of..)....which would be really cool....or scary...not sure which....She at least has an amazing memory....I hear other toddlers do as well...but it still shocks me day after day the things she recalls.....Skylar wore a necklace to church yesterday that Randy's grandmother "great granny" gave her...Welll....she looks down at the necklace and says..."OHHH It's beautiful...just like Grandma's!" She was referring to the necklace my grandmother Pulley had on last weekend when we visited. We didn't even know that she had noticed Grandma's necklace!! The other day she told us "I need to see Katelyn in the blue shirt..." "Katelyn that went to the pumpkin farm".....This was a couple weeks after we all went to Hillridge with friends and Katelyn did indeed wear a blue jacket that day!! I can't remember what I wore yesterday...much less what someone else wore weeks ago! Kids are so much smarter than I think we all realize sometimes....that's why it's so important for us to be the best parents we can be and be a Christ-centered family. We'll never be perfect...but if we keep in our minds a song a friend of mine sang once...."Lord I wanna be just like You....cause She wants to be just like me...Make me a holy example for her little eyes to see...." it sure can be a good reminder to walk the walk if you're gonna talk the talk.....and so we try......and sometimes we fail...but you just pray the successes are many and failures are few. And pray for patience...I'm thankful God gave me a heart for children....and the patience that's needed to raise the miracle he blessed us with....Because my child suurrreee does test my patience!! She's got a mind of her own...strong-willed...I know that's characteristic of a strong leader....but gracious...some days I could do with a little less testing! :-) She makes me laugh so hard my tummy hurts some days because in trying to get her to do what I want her to do sometimes, she does the exact opposite...and with flair....and comes up with the funniest things to distract me...( I know I know...easily distracted...so what...) AND..It doesn't help matters when Randy just laughs and says "what a Little Meredith...now you know what you did to your mom!".... blah blah blah....notttttttt funny! :-p Don't get me wrong...she's the sweetest, cuddling, loving child...but she IS 2 1/2....going on 5 1/2 ...or so she thinks. Soooo..what's new with Skylar....well...she can count to 20 something now....in English....and a variation of 1-10 in Spanish....She'll say a few Spanish phrases....like a few weeks ago...She hands Randy something to open and says "Daddy..open this POR FAVOR!"...yes....our mouths dropped open and our eyes were saucers....cracked us up....anyhow...she's known her abc's/colors for quite sometime...she still loves sign language...and she love to sing/ perform...when she's in the mood...on her terms of course, and ALWAYS with a microphone! She seems to know a lot of her letters (as in if you show her a flash card...she'll tell you the letter...says A for Apple....H for horse...stuff like that.) Skylar seems to be gravitating to the world of Wolfpack mania...I'm trying to pull her to the UNC side....but she just throws up the Wolf sign with a "WHOOOOOOO!"....Oh well...at least she'll still be a Cowboy's fan! She's defnitely a sports fan...(Thank you God!) She's pretty much addicted to wearing flip-flops...loves dressing up....uses her manners most days....and let's not forget...loves to create masterpieces....artwork that is....and will happily take it to the fridge...(if she put it on actual paper and not herself, the wall, carpet or sidewalks)...and will put the paper on the fridge to display her work of art! There's never a dull moment with Skylar around we absolutely LOVE every minute...even through the tough "I'm not napping today" days...at some point...she makes us smile and melts our hearts.

As she was saying her prayers the other night....she thanked God for the following "spiders, mosquitoes, snakes, ants, ....and ladybugs...." I had to think for a minute...is she really THANKING God for these things I detest!!...(aside from ladybugs..they're ok)....she sure did....and ended with a loud AMEN!....I don't know why in the world she chose those....(b/c I prefer to squish and stomp those critters) but seeing life through the eyes of a child sure reminded me......Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"-----Go read for yourself....a great passage to think about, especially right now.......with our country and our leaders being in need of prayer......Toddlers sure are good teachers aren't they!

Walk For Hope 2008

2008-10-08T14:29:00.002-04:00

Friends and Family,
Hi, on Sunday October 12th I plan to join thousands of others who will participate in the 20th Annual Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope. The Walk for Hope is 10k walk that raises funds to promote scientific research into the causes, cures and to discover more effective treatment of mental illness.
Please consider making a contribution to these research efforts and help me reach my personal goal.
Anyone who donates $20 or more will be entered into a raffle for DINNER FOR FOUR AT BELLA MONICA in Raleigh!" Yum! Every $20 contribution secures a raffle entry so if someone contributes $40 to my walk, they would be entered twice.

Examples of supported effortsThyroid Serotonin Drug Therapies Depression Insulin Oxytocin Anorexia Social Phobias
Autism Women's mood disorders (pregnancy and postpartum) Early life traumatic events Schizophrenia PMS Children diagnosed with various disorders Special gifts to non-profit organizations: Hope Line Threshold Atlantic House Cooper Riis Lucy Daniels
It is easy, just click on the link below and use my walker code of MEREDITH.
http://www.walkforhope.com/donate.aspx?TheCode=MEREDITH
Many thanks for your support!
Meredith P Hodges

Letter.....

2008-10-08T14:23:00.004-04:00

So a dear friend of mine sent this to me...and I loved it...and agree with the author...and I felt like posting it. So here it is.......

Email :
All-I received this email from a friend. I hope you will take the time to read it as it's one of THE best letters I've read yet. Granted, I don't know "Joe Porter" from "Joe Blow," (although I did research and found a Joe Porter in Cham.,IL)BUT either way--it's a great letter with great points, well written, and everyone should read...Enjoy! -CbD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Friends:My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign, Illinois. I'm 46 years old, a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't believe there are "two Americas" - but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be if they'll just work to get there -and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.
The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working, tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called "news", thinking that what they hear is always spun by whomever is reporting it. They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more government programs.
We are in the unique position in this country of electing our leaders. It's a privilege to do so. I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on everything. I'll wager that most of us don't even agree with our families or spouses 100% of the time. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified for the job. I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially that's what an election is - a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?
I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it "change"."Change what?," I ask."Well, we're going to change America," they say."In what way?", I query."We want someone new and fresh in the White House," they exclaim."So, someone who's not a politician?" I press.
"Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama," they state."So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enableda man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?" I say."No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change."
And so it goes. "Change we can believe in." Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois, so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a lot of stuff. Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth - other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.
We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a moment. Put it all aside. Then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?
CHANGE WHAT?
Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who aresupporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidencedby the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spellout his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he should be elected. Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton, look it up onhe web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes. For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.
Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago? Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep. 6,000 meals, give or take. John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began.
Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.
Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq. Barack Obama is fond of saying "We honor John McCain's service.BUT.", which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, "Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change."
I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America, and there's a huge difference. Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to Congress in 1982.
Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybethey don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe "likeability" is a higher priority for them than "trust". Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.
Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, "Enough." It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.
There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country. I want a President who's qualified to lead.I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

Catching up...

2008-09-19T09:25:00.008-04:00

What a month it has been....yes...already....craziness with work....qtr end always is nuts...and of course we've been on the go as usual! Skylar attended her first Wolfpack game against William and Mary on September 6th. A little late posting about that.....but anyhow...she loved it. She was very much into the game....clapped at the appropriate times....and let the guys know...to "run that way...and catch the ball!!".....Maybe she should be O'Brien's little helper...lol...they could use it! But of course....mommy would rather see her in Tarheel Blue ;-) Ok....Fast forward.....and new topic....Skylar has show n tell on Fridays. Well she hasn't really been too interested in taking any particular item to share with the class. Everyday she has some sort of stuffed animal with her that she takes for naptime....but nothing other than that. Sooo..the other day I asked her..."What did you show the class on Friday for show n' tell." Without missing a beat...she looks and me and says..." I showed them my shoes!" ....Yes...she is her mother's child...and I'm pretty sure she was wearing flip-flops that day. :-) Another funny...Aunt Kate and baby Lily came over for dinner the other night...Skylar sits down in front of 6 month old Lily and says..."Sooo......What's up Lily?"....I cracked up. That may be one of those "you had to be there" situations, but it was REALLY funny. Later on Lily was fussy and Skylar cocks her head and wrinkles her eyebrows, throws her hands up in the air.... and says, "Lily...WHAT IN DA WORLD??"....YEAH...that had us all laughing at the dinner table. She just makes us laugh all the time...brightens our days...you Never know what's coming out of that little mouth. Lately she's been learning the days of the week...and she's learned that Saturday and Sunday she doesn't have school and "stays with mommy and daddy"....she loves school but I think she looks forward to the weekends just as much we do!

Skylar also recently learned how to ride her bike a bit better....she's known for quite sometime....and would ride periodically....but just didn't quite have the pedal thing down pat....boy has she got it now!! .....But wouldn't you know it,...she only likes going downhill....girl likes the speed...."I go fast Daddy!!! Mommy!! I going fast!".....I'm no fan of pedalling uphill either...but hey..comes with territory!!..Dance is going well. She gets excited on Thursdays b/c she knows that is dance night and she gets to stomp around a huge room in tap shoes ....and twirl around in her little ballet shoes to fun music. I'm pretty sure it's more entertaining for the parents than anything...but she does love it!

We're off to another fun/busy weekend....ECU/NCSU game...then to a double bday party...Noah's 1st bday and Ashley's 30th! church on Sunday.....and at some point cleaning and doing laundry....but that's not included on the "fun" list....it's more on the "required" list....not a fan...just not a fan.....LOL....I'm ready for the weekend to begin now!!!!!!! Have a good one!

Remembering....praying...sharing....

2008-09-11T10:06:00.005-04:00

Thought this may be an appropriate day to share.......

Tap tap tap....

2008-09-05T10:22:00.006-04:00

Our little ballerina tapped and twirled last night at her first Tap/Ballet class. She started dance last spring, but it was a mommy n' me class, so I was in there with her. Now she goes in the class without me and does tap and ballet. We watch the class through windows where the kids can't see us but we can see them. I thought she may be a little hesitant about it, but since she had the same teacher she had previously, and loves her, she went right in and tapped away!! Then came time to switch shoes, and the moms/dads come in and help then go back out. That was a smooth transition as well suprisingly. Skylar kept saying "Mommy, you watching me through the glass??" She thought that was so cool. There were a few toddlers who were less than thrilled with dancing and had to have their mommies....and that's to be expected....but Skylar just looked at them like..."what's your deal?" ....and kept on trucking! It was rather funny....b/c we all know...those who've met me...and/or my child....she's got some looks....Now let's just hope and pray it stays that way and she continues to enjoy her dancing time. When we got home she ran through the door looking for her Daddy to tell him all about her dancing.........

I'm hoping we get the same excitement out of her when she starts soccer or t-ball ;-)

On a lighter note....

2008-09-04T12:36:00.005-04:00

Skylar sported her new UNC outfit on Friday....as any devoted football watching toddler would...for some pre-game inspiration. And luckily it worked!...I'm pretty sure Dah loved the outfit.....I know I did, and she certainly did....however, she was a little confused at first....When she put it on, she said "GO COWBOYS!!"....LOL...I had to tell her, YES HONEY, exactly right...we do love our Cowboys...but this outfit is for the tarheels....and the she says...ok.."Go Carolina!!" .....That's my girl! :-) I'm pretty sure Randy is hoping for a better outcome for the Wolfpack this weekend and he'll have Skylar wearing the Pack colors of course!! Yes, I know...poor child....she'll be confused for life in the ACC world....Anyhow...It will be her first Wolfpack game this weekend...if Hanna doesn't come through and mess it all up!....

We had a fabulous Labor Day weekend, complete with family, friends, amazing weather, awesome food, and tons of fun! Celebrating the typically "end of summer" weekend....we had The Crocker Family, The Urban Fam, The White Fam, and of course, Randy, Skylar, myself and Nana Jan...all at the lake house. We also got to spend a little time with some of the Cooper family and that's always a welcomed addition to our boating fun! Even the doggies all had a good time! Gizmo, Caffrey, & Toby....ran all over the place, enjoyed the water, and tried chasing the bocci balls a few times....(mostly Caffrey) We had to discourage that....and encourage more tennis ball chasing instead. We ended the weekend with a fantastic dinner with my folks in H-town and then rolled back to Raleigh to get ready for the short work week.....it's been a busy week too....Skylar starts back with dance class tonight....this time it's not a mommy&me class but a pre-ballet/tap class....I'm sure my floors will never be the same after she gets those shoes....should I be re-thinking this???!! :-) Updates to come......have a happy Thursday.....

McCain / Palin

2008-09-04T08:55:00.008-04:00

Now, I'm not usually one to get extremely vocal about politics. But I've about had it with Obama's fluff and call for change, when the changes he wants to make.....well let's see....he's for an increase in taxes.....(yes..he is)including payroll, property, and death taxes,.....(likely to fund more programs for those who choose to sit on their rear ends waiting for government handouts...rather than work...)compromise the security of our nation....keep us dependant on foreign oil/gas....we'll that's just not the change I'm looking for. How about you??? And really...can you be "Comander in Chief" without ever having put on a uniform and fighting for troops that you want to command???? Let me put it in laymen's terms...Do you want a boss at your job, who knows nothing about the job you do?? We'll I for one,....not so much. In fact...I'd be inclined to quit that job quite honestly. I'll tell you, if you're a mother...one thing should tick you off about Obama if nothing else....he's "Undecided on whether life begins at conception. " I don't know about you....but I KNOW life begins at conception....and I'm going to leave it at that for the mere fact the more I think about that statement, the more my blood boils....
Republican or democrat....listen to the speeches....weed out the crap and meaningless fluff....and let's get down to the real issues facing our nation. I've even posted a link here for ya starting with Palin's speech.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/video/3480630/

I'm sick and tired of people who are jumping on the Obama bandwagon without knowing a freaking thing about what he actually stands for.....or what he DOES NOT stand for I should add.....Just don't be one of those people. Do the research, read on the issues and make an informed decision in November. And if you aren't a registered voter, I'll be happy to help you get registered.....as long as you're voting McCain/Palin ;-)
I'll even give you this link.....to help you read up on where the candidates stand on issues....from various sources....... http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm
I encourage you to read it. Understand it. If you need more information, find it....but do the right thing....and be an educated voter. We can all swing the words of candidates in our favor or with our opinions...but lets dig deeper and find out who our future leaders should really be....
I think Palin said it best when she said "For a season a gifted speaker can inspire with his words, but for a lifetime John McCain has inspired with his deeeds." McCain/Palin.....if you really want change.

Where to begin...

2008-08-25T11:22:00.020-04:00

Have you all missed me? Likely not...but I like to think you did anyway!! It's been quite a month for the Hodges family. Where did I leave off last time???......Ummm ok so, begining of August Randy and I celebrated our fifth year of marital bliss ;-) ....complete with a wine tasting, lunch at a fav. Irish pub, a movie, and an awesome dinner at 18 Seaboard. If you've never been....I highly reccomend it. Moving right along...the following weekend was spent visiting both my grandmother's in the hospital. After much prayer and some quality time with them, they are both out of the hospital now but still recovering some....and to a point...will always be in the recovering stages....it's hard to see them in the shape they are in...one is worse off than than other...but I'm thankful I can spend the time with them now that I can spend and give back to them for all the love and support they've given me throughout my life. Many days...I wish I lived closer so that I could see them more.....or help out more.....but we love our home and we've made a wonderful life together here....and until I move east....aka...to the water....I'm not seeing us leaving the Raleigh area. So I'll continue to visit as much as I can, and hope they know how much we love them....Anyhow, while in H-town on Sunday....Randy bought Skylar a new princess fishing rod to keep at Dah and Grand-C's house....(they have a pond right beside them.) We'll Skylar has learned how to cast her own rod and can reel it in too....so Randy, Dah, and I took Skylar to the pond to go catch a fish.....she's was rather excited about the worms they were using for bait...was pretty funny...well there were tons of little fishies just waiting for a tastey worm....and Skylar caught her very first fish on her own!!! However, as she handed the rod to Randy to grab the line ....and get the fish....she fell right into the mud at the edge of the pond....and boy she was less than thrilled about that. She immediately wanted the clothes off and to get in the bath tub....and so ended the fishing trip...but that was about five minutes of fun we can laugh about for some time...not to mention her first catch all on her own! (See tiny fish on hook to the left...and Skylar all muddy!)

Sooo the following week we celebrated Papa Joe's 60th birthday with an awesome dinner and cake at their house. Skylar always enjoys singing the happy birthday song and she of course helped Papa Joe blow out his candles! ......After yummy cake and ice cream....we headed home and straight to bed........For the weekend following...Randy had golf with the guys and Skylar played "golf" with me....in our hallway and living room....because she needed to play since her daddy was playing.....Saturday evening...we all went to a cookout at Tracy's to celebrate Stephanie's completion of her Masters Degree!! Yayyy..MSW...now! Skylar enjoyed playing cornhole for the first time....got the bean bag in the hole on her first try!! It was great visiting with everyone I hadn't seen in quite a while. Had church on Sunday.....and then...Sunday afternoon we spent at the pool with the ...(I think)...unless my days are running together...which quite possibly could be the case....that may have been earlier in the month.....anyhow...we were at the pool at some point this month with people.....lol...Is this what happen's when you turn 30?? The memory is the first to go?? gggeezzz...does that mean I can get away with turning 30 AGAIN this year in October rather than 32?? One can hope.....Anyhow...that brings me to this past weekend. Our 2 1/2 year old attended her first concert...POP GO THE WIGGLES....at the RBC....when the lights went down, and the "pre-show" started...she starts yelling I want to go home!!! they turned off the lights!!" "Turn the lights on!"".....my first thought was...oh great..this should be fun......so Randy took her out to the lobby...which was well-lit...and she was fine...Then she hears "Toot toot chugga chugga big red car" and she was ready to come back in for the show. She LOVED it....she sang and danced....as did all the kids AND parents....the silly things we do for our kids...it's truly amazing to me....she knew most of the songs....and Randy and I sang along too....sad that we knew all those songs....but Skylar had a blast and we are really glad we were able to take her to the concert. She, however, DID NOT care for the big balloon version of Murray on the stage....she keeps saying "Murray balloon needs to go away...." So we explained that the Murray balloon is now in the trash :-) Her favorite Wiggle is actually Jeff...hence the purple attire for the show...and the Wiggle "light" pictured above....wise investment....seriously.... ;-)

Saturday began with a breakfast out at Pam's farmhouse...then shopping at the NCSU bookstore for Skylar's attire for her first Wolfpack game in September...All her father's doings....Not mine...but I suppose I started it with my purchase of some UNC attire for my blue-eyed baby girl...;-) Blue IS her color afterall...lol...she'll be cute nontheless...of course. (Notice her shirt says..."It's the SMILE that keeps me out of trouble." )....Look at her expression...I couldn't resist this pic.....anyhow..After naptime we celebrated our neighbor's bday with friends and some other kids. Skylar had a ball playing with the older kids there....and of course spent some couch time with baby Lily...she does love Lily....We had a fantastic dinner and lots of fun. Sunday morning we went to church, then lunch with Randy's parents, uncle and Granny and then came home for nap-time. After nap, we loaded up and went to the Riffle's awesome new house. We enjoyed some pool time and a wonderful dinner and the girls (Katelyn and Skylar) had a fantastic time playing together, dancing, and singing. They were just too cute. As Skylar said her prayers last night....as she often does...she says..."Thank you for God....my family..."...(rather than thank you God for my family)....so she continues..."Thank for God...all my friends...... "Thank you for God...Katelyn...and Jesus Loves Me...AMEN!" that last sentence...all in one breath...it was really sweet. It was a perfect ending to a spectacular Sunday........have a happy week and thank Jesus for loving you too!! :-)

The weekend......

2008-07-28T21:16:00.013-04:00

We celebrated Nana's birthday with her on Friday at Kaze' Japanese restaurant! It was our first time going and Skylar's first time at that sort of restaurant. She was azmazed by the cook....for about 10 minutes....but she's 2, ok well almost 2 1/2....can't expect her to watch a cook too much longer than that. She enjoyed using chop sticks.....for about 2 minutes...then it was back to the fork. I don't like wooden utensils either...can't blame her there! (I really think she was more excited about her dress than watching the chef. The kid loves being all dressed up. She even wanted to wear her dress to school on Monday....but that's another story....I'm pretty sure the dresses and bows deal came from her grandmothers....but hey....she's got an arm you wouldn't believe...can throw a ball with toughest of 2 year olds!) lol....Anyhow....Skylar Loved the soup and salad....ate her hibatchi dinner quite well. After our chef was done, she wanted to see more "fire mommy" "I want more fire"....I'm not sure if that's a good thing...lol...but she thought that part was so neat! However,....when she was full...and ready to go...it was time to go....she was ready to head to the house for some cake and ice cream! But first she had to check out Uncle Stewart's bike....she calls him "silly Uncle Stewart" when she sees him on his motorcycle.... but she thinks it's pretty cool. NOT cool enough for her to ever ride on it though....or any other motorcycle....untils she's 50! ;-) ...says me!! Anyhow, we had a little cake and ice cream at the house and Skylar coaxed Uncle Stewart out of some quarters for her piggie bank. It was quite a nice evening and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Skylar even sang Happy Birthday to Nana...ummm...4 or 5 times I do believe!! Was a good time!

On Saturday, Katelyn came over to play. Skylar was soooo excited to see her. She was looking out the window until Katelyn arrived...and then she ran around the living room yelling "KATELYN'S HERE!!!" Needless to say...she was VERY happy to see Katelyn. The girls had such a great time and got along so well. They played on the swingset and ran around outside, had a dance party in the living room, did some finger painting,....color wonder of course! :-) Then Randy enjoyed making block-bead necklaces with them. That was rather cute. We had such a great time! The rest of the weekend was rather low key....little shopping for Skylar...out dinner at our fav. mexican restuarant on Sunday....where Skylar of course enjoyed the music and danced her little heart out in the aisle.....she's so ready to get back to dance class....told me so the other day....sort of surprised me....but I guess it shouldn't....the child breaks out the dance moves at the very thought of music!!.....anyhow that's about it...brings us to Monday...another fun start to the work week :-) Have a happy Day.....

A little Pacing in the racin'

2008-07-25T10:08:00.008-04:00

Today's Verse: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1 / KJV
Now...what I take from this...may not necessarily be what is being conveyed here..if you continue on reading further into the context....but it put a thought in my head......watch out!....MPH is thinkin' again!.....The race....life truly seems to be a race....a marathon, a triathlon,....all the "thons and lons" together...and it's not without tremendous hurdles I might add..... What are we in such a hurry for? In a real race, runners are racing to get the 'finish' line. Well I don't know about you, but I'm really in NO hurry to get to my 'finish' line. I'd like to have long,.. long fulfilling life and the time to be a.... feisty... old, old, old, healthy, but waaayyy old, lady sitting on my front porch in a rocking chair with my coffee.....watching great great grandkinds run around before my finish line meets up with me. It seems to me, most of us...or at least I know I'm guilty..of waiting for tomorrow...or next week to get here....for something exciting that is going to happen....or even waiting for that time when our child speaks their first word, takes their first step...or loses their first tooth. What's our hurry? Shouldn't we just enjoy each day for what it is....and what we can make happen in our lives that day....I think I'll try to do that more. I've said it before....and now I'm saying it again....because we all need a little reminder from time to time........And I know it will be a challenge. If you're like me, many of us are just "waiting for the weekend," so we can spend time with family and friends and not think about work work work....other than work around the house I suppose ;-) And really...who WANTS to think about that. But ya know, we are never guaranteed tomorrow, so today is what we have. I'm going to try and learn to be a bit more patient in the race of life....not to sound cliche' ...but I want to live each day being thankful for today....hoping for an even better tomorrow, but exercising patience rather than always "ready in waiting" for the next exciting thing that's coming....I'll enjoy each day with Skylar for what she says and does on that day...and if I can...I'll even write it down! :-) I certainly don't want to rush her growing up....time goes by way to fast as it is. She'll be 2 1/2 at the end of next month and that just doesn't seem real. There's no shame in being excited about new things...events to come....but maybe a little pacing in our racing is something we could all use. Running long distances builds endurance.....you have to pace yourself...you can't run a continuing sprint all the time......or you could...but not without an oxygen tank and a pack of wolves chasing you....(although some coaches used to believe otherwise.....I never got along with them) ;-) Anyhow...just a thought. Let's enjoy today and everything that's good with life today....pace ourselves and build endurance for a long happy life....as the verse says....."Run with patience...the race that is set before us." Have a good run today!

And..it's back to green tea 4 me!

2008-07-22T12:03:00.016-04:00

Hello one and all. The Hodges have been on vacation....and now need a vacation from the vacation ;-) We were fortunate enough to be invited to stay with our friend Kim down at the beach on last Friday night 7.11.08....this meant packing and leaving a day earlier than we had planned since we had a wedding on Saturday at Wrightsville and then my side of the family would be down for the remainder of the week. So we packed up and got down there Friday night. I tend to move a lot faster when sand, sun, and water are involved.....Anyhow, going down early was a tremendous help....and I don't even know if she reads this but if so...THANK YOU KIM!! It was such a relief to be able to enjoy some relaxing, sand and sun prior to the wedding....and despite the boat mishaps (long story)....check in to our house at Carolina Beach and still make it to the wedding on time! Unfortunately, I left my camera at the house that day so I don't have wedding pics, but it was beautiful! Ashley and Greg looked so happy and everything was perfect for their special day. My parents kept Skylar and Randy & I enjoyed some drinks and dancing at the wedding.....hanging out with friends.....a little too much fun I think....ummm...well I'm sure too much fun....but anyhow.....the wedding was amazing and I know the new Cooper couple has many many years of love and fun awaiting them.

As for our week at the beach....it was fantastic...crazy, fun, lots of food, family, friends...and perfect weather! And birds...there should be some rather plump birds at CB now...I'm pretty sure of it....Over the course of the week my aunt and her 3 boys were there along with my parents and my brother. My aunt's other daughter and friend came down for one night as did a friend of hers. Randy, Skylar & I enjoyed our time with everyone....Being a red-head, my little one can't be...and doesn't like to be out in the sun a lot...she prefers it cool and cloudy....(I know....she didn't get that from me!)...and we didn't have much of that except for early morning and late evening....which tended to be when she enjoyed the beach the most.....She loved our visit to the aquarium but we're pretty sure she was thinking it was a zoo too because she kept asking to see the animals!! Guess another trip to the zoo in the fall will need to be put on the calendar! Although the beach house tended to be a bit zoo-like at times...but I guess that's not really what she ment by going to "see the animals"....Wouldn't have it any other way though. We are definitely not a boring crowd...that's for sure....Ohhhh..the sharks...I have tell you about the sharks....After dinner one evening, we went out on the pier and watched people surf fishing for shark....why? I have no idea...I suppose they like the challenge...I prefer to fish for fish and keep them...but these guys were going after the big ones....(sharks)...and they caught some! But the neatest thing was seeing the sharks (while up on the pier) swimming in the water....it was so cool...and somewhat frightening at the same time. These were no baby sharks and they were freakishly close to where most people would swim off shore. It was insane. Soooo, the week was full of fun in the sun....food/drinks...swimming....oh and the wii, let's not forget the wii play...as you can see pictured here....boxers in action...and then have....walking, walking, and more walking....but we needed to be walking with all that we consumed...that's for sure!! I'm pretty sure the tiki hut /ocean grille will miss our crowd!! We got to see some fireworks, hear a little music, venture out for a little night life, and actually took a few naps ourselves...when Skylar napped of course....!! But trying to keep a toddler on a schedule at the beach.....haaa...it's a tough thing to do. And by the end of the week, Skylar was in dire need of getting back on her normal schedule. I don't care how late a kid sleeps to make up for going to bed late....or how long of a nap they take....if MY kid is off schedule...lemme tell you...it ain't pretty. So on the Saturday we departed, Skylar slept most of the way home...which put her timing back on schedule pretty much. And she's been a complete angel since. As for Caffrey's week....well he spent the week being spoiled by our friend Ms. Conni and her son. They took such good care of him and I'm pretty sure he misses them already. Skylar apparently missed Caffrey too, because she hasn't given him a minute to breathe when she's around him. Funny story about that ....in another post to come of course....anyhow...We picked Caffrey up Saturday evening and got everyone home and back on schedule. Sunday we were lazy and missed church but we made it to the grocery store where Skylar "helped" put all the items in cart and pulled the cart along. Twas a couple times we had to put random items back on the shelf without her seeing....but she was soooo proud to be helping us grocery shop. After our eventful shopping trip it was home for lunch and nap time. Skylar woke up from her nap ready to go "shopping" again...she wakes up saying..."I had a good nap mommy and daddy! I had a good nap!" ..... :-) So we loaded up and went to farmers market so she could pick out some fresh fruit and veggies. Then we took her to lake wheeler to feed some hungry duckies and play on the playground.....As she said her prayers that evening....she said "God bless...(insert name) as she goes through the family....and "Thank you God for the playground!" I had to laugh...I thought that was too cute. She comes up with the most random funny things...I must say...I'll have to post some Skylar wisdom sometime. You'd be surprised how much of a comedian a 2 year old can be, but sweet and gentle and so loving all at the same time.....So...as Skylar would say...for the beach week..."It was perfect mommy, it's just perfect!" .........And now...it's back to school for our little princess...back to work for Randy....and as for me...it's back to work...back to a 1/3'rd of the caloric intake I had last week....and as for my beverage of choice...we'll it's back to the green tea for me!! Have a happy day!

Catch a big fish!!!

2008-07-07T15:18:00.013-04:00

For the weekend previous to the 4th, we had thought about doing some visiting in H-town but things weren't going as we would have liked to facilitate that....sooo we actually stayed home....well, stayed in Raleigh, but when do we ever stay home??? Naptime and bedtime is about it I suppose. Randy and I took Skylar out to Lake Johnson to feed the ducks and ride the pedal boats etc. I'm pretty sure she was eye to eye with some of the geese. They were as tall as she was and so we preferred to guide her towards the little ducks to make friends. One of the ducks ate some bread out of her hand and she swore "That duckie bite Skylar's finger!" It didn't.....of course...but I think she was a little shocked that the duck took the bread out of her hand before she was ready to give it to him/her. Nevertheless, she enjoyed her time out there. After naptime we got to visit with the Urban's and other friends at Kim and Brian's new beautiful home in Eagle Ridge! Soooo pretty! Had a great time over there grilling out with friends and Little Aidan and Skylar tried to teach their daddy's how to play golf. Well Aidan liked the golf balls of course....and Skylar loved it all....especially running around all over the greens....maybe she'll teach me one day....that'd be a bit of challenge I think....lol...

I do hope everyone had a happy 4th. We were at the lake house among the storms and rain. But we did get in a good bit of lake/sun time, some fishing, and some "not so little" pyro action in the sky. Throughout the long weekend we had family time with the Hodges, my folks, and friends....the White's, the Prince family, and neighborhood folks. There was lots of yummy food, pretty sweet fireworks.....compliments of my hubby, golf cart escapades...at Skylar's request....and just an all around great time despite the storms that we had to plan around. Skylar's new hobby is fishing we think. She was quite adamant about going fishing and she even held a fish. We frequently heard, "Catch a big fish Daddy!!....Catch a big fish Mommy!" Obviously she wasn't thrilled with the size of the brim and the 'bait' fish we were catching ;-) However, she delighted in feeding them bread and potato chips. I'm pretty sure those fishes won't need to eat anything else for days. Nor do I for that matter. What is it with vacation and eating?? I've yet to figure it out. My brain seems to think...vacation = eat whatever you want...well that doesn't work so well for the waistline ya know! I'm pretty sure all that 'grey matter' up there in my head needs some re-wiring when it comes to being away from home. How about you? Do you "vacate" from your daily healthy eating routines? It sure takes some willpower not to do that. I mean I won't give up chips and salsa for anything but I can stay away from the pastas I think. Easier said than done though when you have a 2 year old to feed and what they need to eat isn't necessarily what you/I really need to be eating. Oh well....I suppose I just have to add miles to my running to make up for it for now! Speaking of which...boy do I wish I looked this cute in a bikini....Skylar was quite proud to show off her red, white, & blue! ......So it's back to work for the week and then we leave for the beach on Saturday....a wedding in Wrightsville then Carolina Beach for the week. Saturday can't get here fast enough for me! But I'm praying old Bertha out there in the Atlantic stays far far away from us! If the weather cooperates....maybe we can catch that "big fish" that Skylar wants!! Let's hope! No sharks though preferably....we've seen our share of those in our beach travels....I'll settle for the mahi please.... ;-)

Just ramblin.....

2008-06-27T08:45:00.005-04:00

It's amazing to me how fast kids learn....and how much smarter they are than we typically give them credit for. Example...the other night Skylar got out her flash cards....and typically does the 52...(or 152) card pick up game. Yeah that's always a treat. Anyhow, she started naming the pictures on the cards and THEN...she says, and Mommy, this is a house....that is letter 'H'....I'm quite sure the look on my face was quite puzzling for her. She continues, ..."mommy that's an x-ray, and so that is letter X"...."This is letter L" etc. You get the picture. I mean she's known her abc's for quite some time now, and even knows them when I do them in sign language, but she threw me off with the cards. She was rattling off letter by letter and the cards weren't in order either. Maybe that's a typical 2 year old skill?? I dunno,...but it sure caught me off guard. I mean I knew that she knew some letters when I'd point to them on her alphabet magnets....but she really knows her stuff. Reading by age 3?? ;-) We'll see!! Regardless, that little girl teaches her mommy and daddy knew stuff everyday. Never a dull moment in the Hodges house and I wouldn't have it any other way. Her latest craze is dancing and singing.....but you don't dare interrupt to sing or dance WITH her....it's her show and she sure lets you know that from the start. If she's heard a song more than once....she knows the words and will sing her little heart out.....how cute...even if she is tone deaf....lol...no really...it's the sweetest voice I've ever heard of course. So anyhow...the other night we kept "baby Lily"...my neighbors little one. Skylar was an excellent babysitter. While playing on the floor with Lily, Skylar decided it was time to exercise!! So she stands up and tells Lily...."Reach your arms waaayyy up to the sky...Now put your feet out like these and stttreeetcchh....this way....now this way.." I'd never seen her do this little routine so I was intrigued....Lily was too apparently...keep in mind Lily isn't even 4 months old yet....lol..but she was watching Skylar's every move! I think Skylar's highlight of the evening was feeding Lily her bottle....thankfully Lily was rather patient with Skylar as well.... ;-)

Well TGIF folks....I gotta run....literally...my treadmill is starring at me....yes it has eyes....now where'd i put that oxygen again??? ;-) happy weekend!

A 2 year old's mind

2008-06-20T13:02:00.003-04:00

Skylar : "Mark was really nice at school today. We read books."
Me : "You did?" "Well that's sounds like a great day!"
Skylar : "Hannah had on yellow."
Me : "She did?" "Yellow is a nice color."
Skylar : "Mommy has on orange and I have on pink."
Me : "That's correct!" "Good job honey...." "Now it's nite nite time....
Skylar : "ha ha ha...I"m so funny mommy! I soo funny!"
........And that's how a 2 year old procrastinates at bedtime.....

Breakfast....
Me : "Skylar do you want an egg and cheese with fruit?" Or do you want O's or a bagel?" "What would you like?"
Skylar : "O's mommy, I want O's please!" (aka cheerios)
....I bring her a bowl of O's........
Skylar : "I want raisins!"
Me : "I'm all out of raisins."
Skylar : "I want blueberries!"
Me : "We just ran out of blueberries." - (Side note..she likes fruit in her cereal...) "I can put bananas in it."
Skylar : "Well go to the store mommy!" "Go to the store and get raisins and blueberries please!"
Needless to say....there shall be an abundance of blueberries and raisins in the fridge for breakfast in the morning......

Just thinkin

2008-06-17T16:20:00.008-04:00

Have I mentioned I LOVE the beach? Just making sure I made that clear. I love the sun too....but I've actually learned to use sunscreen despite my tanning addiction. I guess when you have kids, with all the priority changes you make....(and even if you don't have kids...or your's are grown and gone) being healthy ranks high up on that list....or at least it should. I've become increasingly interested in organic foods & beverages, foods/vitamins that fight or help prevent disease ie...green tea...etc....and also in safer baby products. As as side note......if you haven't read up on the SLS and formaldahyde in shampoos and body washes....even J&J...read up on it. Pretty interesting what you'll find.....and because of things I've read...I'm trying a new shampoo/body wash with Skylar....called California Baby.....so far so good!! It has no SLS and no formaldahyde or formaldahye relatives.....so it says.....But apparently Castile soap is the safest thing to use...Check out this site....Pretty neat site. Can search for "safe" products like baby shampoos / makeup etc...show's you the toxitity levels in products and what each is linked to. So you can find safer products to use http://cosmeticdatabase.com/index.php?key=28066833&message=Successfully+updated+Supporter+information
Anyhow...we all know the organic foods and the safer products seem to carry a higher price tag....and that bites.....but quite honestly....for the sake of my child and my family....I can find ways to save in other areas. Those of you that know me....know full well I'm no "Whole Foods" dedicated shopper....lol...but with all the "bad stuff" going around these days....increased need for stronger meds,....overuse of antibiotics etc....I sure am willing to try newer healthier foods/products to keep my kiddo and my family as healthy and as safe as possible. I mean why not?? But you do have to be careful and learn to read labels. I've definitely learned that. "Juice" isn't always "juice"....you get the picture. So I'm not stressin' over the topic or anything.....but if there's a healthier alternative to what we use today....why not give em' a try....I'm just thinkin...

Showers, Weddings, Anniversaries...

2008-06-10T09:15:00.005-04:00

This week, Randy's parent's (to the left)celebrated their 34th anniversary and My parents (in pic below)celebrated their 35th!! Cheers to the parents and hope they had wonderful anniversaries!! This past weekend Randy & I helped the Hodges with a wedding shower for yet another couple getting married. They'll tie the knot in July at the beach. Won't miss that one ;-) Love me some sand and sea....oh I'll stop in at the wedding too of course. hee hee...Seriously I think Randy and I attend more weddings and showers in any given year than anyone else we know.......we love staying on the go....most of the time......we just need to figure out those winning lottery numbers though if we keep going at this rate!! ;-) After the July wedding, I think they settle down for us for a while....and our vacations to the beach will kick in!! yippee!! So in short....congrats to our parents.....congrats to all those just married and those approaching the altar.....and until our next nuptuial venture....I'll be posting some new topics later in the week....are you on the edge of your seat??!!....I'm so sure.....ha...tah tah 4now

Do you listen?!?

2008-06-05T14:28:00.010-04:00

The Kiesel -Thorne wedding was a lot of fun, and the happy couple is honeymooning in Antigua! How great is that. I'm sooo jealous! Although, right now, it feels like tropical temps plus yucky humidity here in the Carolinas! Anyhow, the festivities began on Friday with a fantastic bridal luncheon at Biaggi's in Cary, then rehersal at the church. Let me just tell you.....the priest was a character. He was absolutely hilarious. Sooo reminded me of Jack Nicholson. Strange comparison huh? :-) He had that raspy voice and crazy humor. After the rehersal we had dinner at the Scott's Mill clubhouse. Good ol' NC bbq. Who can say no to that! There were toasts, tears, and cheers, and we all had a wonderful evening. The wedding itself was awesome, lots of standing up and sittin' down, and new things to see that I hadn't seen done in a ceremony. Randy & I did our reading together and we're so thankful we got to share in their special day. Apparently our elementary reading education paid off ;-) It was a beautiful ceremony.....and THEN...OFF to the reception at the Hilton! Cocktail hour came first with yummy apps and large variety of beverages ;-) Then the wedding party was introduced of course. There were dances, more toasts, an awesome dinner, beautiful cake etc. And the party went into the late evening with friends and family celebrating the newlyweds!! Ya know though, during the ceremony there was something the priest said that made me think....whatch out!!...Meredith's thinkin' here...He talked about how at weddings the wedding party always knows their cues, when sit/stand, sing, give and Amen...whatever...you know..they know their role. But he went on to talk about how a lot of times we just do our job as wedding guests as if it's just "what we know we have to do"....rather than really LISTENING to the words the people, the couple, and the priest have to say. I must say...I've done that a thousand times....our minds tend to wander off rather than really clinging on every important word that is shared in uniting 2 people in a lifelong marriage. Let's hope at the very least....the couple is really paying attention to the commitment they are making in front of God, family, and friends. Maybe if we all started listening a little better, there'd be more anniversaries to celebrate and less divorce in the world. One can hope!! So the next time you attend a wedding.....like I tell my 2 year old...."Put your listening ears on!!!"

Catching Up

2008-05-28T11:02:00.018-04:00

Yeah...It's been a while. The weekend of the 17th we went to G-vegas for the weekend for Avery's 3rd birthday! That was a ton of fun. Skylar enjoyed riding the pony and eating yummy cupcakes...not to mention digging in the sandbox and swinging on Avery's awesome new swingset! And Avery looked so adorable in her cowgirl birthday attire!! We had a fantastic time with the Darden family and even got to visit their church.....Avery and Skylar had lots of fun playing together and I must say, the two of them sure have minds of their own! They were too cute!! So....Skylar got over the sinus infection....we think....and I say "think"....because she didn't finish her antibiotic because we came down with a nasty tummy bug last week.....on the 19th.... Needless to say....nothing was staying down and medicine was no exception.....So my time was occupied with....ummm...let's just say..."being sick".....and taking care of Skylar and then Randy........of course Randy tried to help with her, but ya know how the kiddies are when they are sick...most of the time....they want mommy.....at least mine does......Skylar and I had it Mon-Wed and then Randy was unfortunate enough to get it Wednesday night. Let me just tell you that was quite unpleasant but we all got through it and managed to be healthy by the weekend. Thank God for that! Because we sure did have a packed weekend with visiting grandparents, great-grandparents, and spending time on the lake with friends. We made our rounds as best we could despite gas hikes!! Now, we do drive an SUV and it sure makes you think about the best routes to take to save $$ on gas but get to all the places you need to go....Strategy....lol....strategic planning is in full swing now more than ever before. Gas prices are horrible, yes, and maybe we'll all be forced to go hybrid at some point........but it sure does make you more conscious of how much you/we normally waste running up and down the road without making plans ahead of time.....or making a conservative effort to save time and money where you can.....silver lining??? is there one?? Well if others are doing what we are doing....making the most of the routes you take.....planning to get where you need to go and finding the fastest way to get there.....I'm hoping we're at least cutting down on pollution and helping out the environment a little. Anyhow....let's hope and pray it comes down soon or we'll all need to start biking!! ....which of course wouldn't be such a bad thing in some instances ;-) So this past weekend we were on the lake....with Nana Jan, Papa Joe, Uncle Stewart, the White family and the Crocker family. We also got to visit with Julie, Fred & baby Ava, and Dah came to eat bbq with us Sunday evening as well! We couldn't have asked for better weather. What a beautiful weekend! The kids enjoyed the short boat rides....to the "beach"....the sand...and Blaine and Shelby even went swimming a bunch! A wee bit too cold for me though!! Skylar liked to make Randy stand in the water and hold her in his arms, .....the water temp was fine...once you went numb...lol..kidding..wasn't all that bad....if your from Alaska ;-) I'm pretty sure the song "Redneck Yacht Club"- by Craig Morgan is permanently engrained in my head.....Blaine frequently requested it, and since we had it on the cd...he knew just where to find it! So it was pretty much dance party on the boat for the kids when they were taking a break from the sand and water...Skylar also decided she wanted to catch some fish...so she went "fishing" with the anchor rope....she was quite excited about the big fishies she caught....the kid has an amazing imagination....lol..so that occupied her for quite sometime...I did learn this weekend, that even at 2 years old, my child is a shoe snob. I bought her some frocks...aka fake crocs ...to match her blue bathing suit....she put them on for all of 5 minutes......sat down, took them off and said..."NOT those crocs mommy!!"....For a bit, I had no idea why she didn't want them on...(she's not fond of going barefoot in the sand....so I knew she needed shoes on).....but she quickly took me over to her real crocs...which mind you are purple...sat down and said "These Crocs Mommy!!".."I want these." And she proceeded to put them on herself. Who'd have thought???!! I'm just guessing maybe they are softer or something...who knows...Speaking of sand...most kids like to play in the sand right?? Mine does....somewhat...but how do you play in the sand and not get your hands dirty?? I'm pretty sure that's not possible....unless you dig with a really big shovel and do nothing else....Apparently Skylar thinks otherwise. Everytime she went to fill her bucket with sand, she'd look up..."mommy!! my hands dirty!! wash my hands please!!"....and so we'd have to wash off her hands...I finally gave up and explained to her that if she wanted to play in the sand....her hands would stay sandy....she opted to come on the boat and color.. :-) for a while anyhow............So.... all in all, a great holiday weekend. We remembered the troops in prayer.....gave thanks for our blessings.....and enjoyed being with our friends and family. Now please excuse me while I go decontaminate the rest of the house from everyone being sick, deplete the lake water level from all the laundry I need to do, take the dog out in the rain.....under an umbrella because he doesn't like the rain of course...., start dinner..., and get "things"ready for Skylar to go to H-town while Randy & I participate in the Kiesel-Thorne wedding activities starting on Friday! We can't wait to see our Sharoni get hitched!!

Until I sit down again....I bid you good evening and well wishes for a sunny rest of the week! :-)