At Christmas, All Roads Lead Home

Okay, I definitely hadn't planned the lengthy hiatus from blogging that I have taken, but it happened.
To catch up...we spent all of August & September trying to adjust to our new life as a kindergartener. Homework & soccer practice took all of our time. Braden had to start going to bed @ 8 p.m. instead of 9 or later. In fact some nights he was asleep by 7 p.m. Life without naps was hard at first! K5 has been fun too though. Braden reads so much already and is learning at a lightening fast rate. He's doing wonderful!
October was our on our first school field trip, to McWane Science Center. That was a blast! Running around playing with his friend Hunter most of the day...you can't beat that. Then the very next day we went with our Papaw to Talladega where we watched the cars qualifying and the trucks racing. Since Braden is in love with anything that has an engine, the whole NASCAR experience was wonderful for him. So, it's no surprise that Braden was a racecar driver for Halloween the very next night.

November flew by in a rush. Josh was given the honor of walking with his unit in the nation's oldest Veteran's Day parade! The Birmingham parade is something that has quickly become a family tradition every year and watching my husband march in the parade made me very proud. Of course...the last half of the month was spent thinking of Christmas. Missing Kendall everyday...wishing we could see her again...but that's another long story. We actually missed Thanksgiving with the family because Braden had strep throat. He had it once at the end of August and then again almost the entire week of Thanksgiving! His trip to the doctor with his daddy at the end of August was when we first realized that Braden doesn't get a fever on his forehead. He gets it under his arms and on his scalp. He had a fever and we never realized it since we'd just put our hands on his forehead. Of course, he hadn't been sick in almost 3 years so it was almost a new experience to us anyway.

Now that December is here we are doing an official countdown to Santa Claus! 17 days! We've already seen Santa and told him what we'd like for Christmas and got our picture made. We even got a video from St. Nick. I love Christmas, it's so exciting...especially with a 5 year old!

K5 and other adventures

So, it’s been a little while since I blogged. I was doing good for a little bit there, but life had to get in the way and slow me down. In the last couple of weeks even more has changed. I turned 30 (boo) and Brady has started kindergarten. He’s doing really well and so far he LOVES his new daycare and school. His teacher is Mrs. Langston and she’s young and soft spoken and sweet. With any luck Brady will continue to like school for many years. I’d be grateful if he did enjoy school because he’s got a LOT of it left. I remember thinking about it when I was in elementary school and thinking that I would be so old when I finally finished. 30 was like a make believe thought that would never happen. I wonder sometimes if Braden has ever considered things like that.

Well, we’re officially dog foster parents! To a 2 year old Tibetan Spaniel named Autumn. She’s the sweetest little angel! I think this gives me the opportunity to love a new animal without the decade or more of responsibility that comes with animal ownership. We’re fostering her through Peace Love & Dog Paws http://www.peacelovedogpawsrescue.com/ here in Birmingham. They’re a great group that’s saving a lot of needy animals. It’s an organization that my friend Diana is closely associated with through her volunteer work with them and her mission of love has become something that’s rubbed off on her closest friends. Love Diana, love her fur babies. Here’s a picture of sweet Autumn, who was recently spayed, she’s got all her shots, & crate trained (so far she seems to be house broken. No accidents!):

And the other news we have is that Brady starts his 2nd season of soccer next week. Yay! Fall soccer will be fun I’m sure. There are 6 kids on his team, Braden & 3 others were all on the same team last season so I’m sure that’ll make him happy. Of course he’s got the same coach too which is wonderful. Coach Jordan is great with the kids. I’m definitely looking forward to soccer! Of course football season is about to start, so with any luck Braden will get to go to his first football game this year. There is so much to look forward to! I can’t wait!!

The Best Things in Life ARE Free

Crashing markets, falling economies, lay-offs and foreclosures... Almost everyone I know has something financially to worry about, including me. Lately I've let the stress and worries of potential lay-offs & unexpected bills truly bring me down. It's not enough to have a roof over your head and a healthy family on the days where you have no idea where the money is going to come from to buy tires and replace the washing machine. That's what the last two or three weeks of my life has been like. It dawned on me this morning driving to work (aka: mommy's quiet time part 1) that there are so many things that I have to be thankful for that there's no reason I shouldn't be on my knees saying my thanks to God all day long. The list started to build and build in my head until I finally made my way to work. Something about pulling into the parking lot at my job makes my thoughts go from life, family, money, God & friends to W-O-R-K. Of course that could be a whole new blog entry... So, my 9 hrs of servitude pass by and as I drive to Wal-mart & daycare this afternoon (aka: mommy's quiet time part 2) I think again about my list from this morning and it finally hits me; I should blog about this. I don't know anyone that couldn't use a quick reminder about the best things in life that are free. 100% totally, wonderfully, FREE.
So here's my list so far:
fresh air & sunshine - There's some days that I honestly open my door and step outside and take a huge deep breath and it feels so good to have the sun hit me in the face. This does not include the days where the heat index is 115 and the humidity is 98%.
a trip to the park - fresh air & sunshine made me think of our family trips to the park right up the road from our house. Tennis courts, huge playground, batting cages, walking track, picnic tables & basketball courts...that's a lot of options for zero money.
going to church - okay, to some people this seems silly, but it's the truth. They don't MAKE you tithe & they don't look down on you if you don't have 20 dollars to stick in the plates they pass down the aisles....but free a/c (or heat), great company, a wealth of Christian knowledge & a feeling of closeness to God you can't get many other places so close to home and it doesn't cost you anything. Church has something to offer everyone if you open your heart.
Cuddle time with family - whether it's just you and your spouse or your kids & grandkids have curled up in your lap; sometimes there's just nothing better than having someone you love physically close to you. I genuinely hurt for those lonely people in the world that have no one to share these basic physical comforts with. I believe that it's a necessity to living a healthy life.
riding a bike/taking a walk - I will say that Josh has taught me the value of exercise. Not just his hardcore "gotta sweat and run until you can't walk" style of exercise, but just getting up and moving away from the t.v. or computer. I feel better physically & mentally.

Obviously there's a bunch more, but these are just the few that I really thought about this morning. My other favorite freebies are HUGS & KISSES. Yeah, laugh if you want, but I love getting hugs from everyone and I especially love kisses from my kids & hubby. I don't know if this blog will make anyone else feel better, but I hope so, because it honestly made me feel better just to type it up.

I'll get a blog entry together tomorrow that includes pictures of Brady's birthday party.

And then there were 2

This past week has been eventful, but not in the typical way. Josh left us on Sunday for military training at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. and since then it's just been me and Brady. I've found that when Josh is gone I get a lot of things accomplished. This week I've finished making some photo blocks for a friend, made cupcake toppers for Brady's birthday party, re-covered my kitchen chairs (and fixed one of the legs that was loose), managed to keep my kitchen clean every night, pulled the weeds out of my garden and smoothed out some more mulch. And, even bigger than all that... I finally started my new crafting blog! I officially have 2 blogs to keep up with! Check it out: http://craftymoody.blogspot.com/

Also this week Braden & I have looked forward to seeing the random pictures that Josh has been sending us. I've never been further west than Dallas, TX. so I've got no problems admitting I'm a little envious that my husband gets to see the Arizona desert. Ft. Huachuca is only about 15-20 miles from the Mexico border so of course he's getting some great authentic Mexican food too. Not. Fair.
Here's some of the pictures he's sent us. Some of these are from Tombstone, AZ. I'm impressed at how good his cell phone camera is! Much better than my BlackBerry.

5 Wonderful Years

Less than 2 weeks from now my little baby will be 5 years old. It’s so hard to believe that it’s been so long since I was dealing with swollen feet (and hands, and face, and belly) Braxton Hicks contractions and trouble breathing. I look at him now and just see all the best parts of the two people who love him the most. I see how kind hearted he can be, and generous to a fault–especially for a little boy–the joy he has about life, the stubborn set in his eyes when he doesn’t want to eat his dinner, and all the love and adoration in his arms that literally makes my world whole when he tells me he loves me and wraps his short little arms around my leg. There’s nothing I love more than laying on the couch with Braden laying against me pulling my arm around him for a big bear hug. For a little boy that is in perpetual motion at all times when he’s awake…he still loves to take time to cuddle his mommy. For the last five years he’s had me totally enthralled, and Josh and I have been totally in love with him. I speak for both of us when I say; Braden is one of the most precious gifts God has ever given us. I can’t wait to spend the next five years watching him grow and become the young man God wants him to be.
Thank you Lord for my family, my life, and all the great and wonderful things that happen every day.
Here’s the birthday party invite that my friend Jaclyn designed for me:


So, of course after I have my emotional rant I’ve got to share the weekend’s events with everyone. I had issues with my car battery this weekend, but luckily (thank you God) it was still under warranty and I got a new one for free. It did cement my belief that cars are a huge waste of time & money. I wish the neighborhood around my work was nicer, then I’d just live across the street and we’d only need to own ONE money pit. Alas, I live 25 miles from work, and I can’t get away with walking every day. But I digress… Saturday my friend Jaclyn and I took all the kids (Braden, Kendall & her son Eli) to Treetop Adventures in Chelsea for our friend Holly’s little boys second birthday. The kids had a marvelous time. They even have laser tag! We’re going to have to go back just so I can do that, since I’ve never done it before. Sunday after church I had to run all over Jefferson (& Walker) County to get my battery replaced, but after that I went and picked up Ben & Savannah. My friend Kristy is in college and working full time, I figured she needed a few hours to study without the kids. So, I brought her kids back to my house for a few hours in the little backyard pool. Ben & Braden were in heaven. Savannah was pretty happy about it too. Then the next door neighbor’s little ones came over and it just became a party. Here are a few pictures…

Brady doesn't care that my camera isn't waterproof

Ben gave me all of 2 seconds to get this picture before he ran

Kendall & Ashley trying to enjoy the pool without the boys

Savannah-just happens to be one of the sweetest little girls ever!

These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Life with children can be so very interesting sometimes. Here’s a picture of how I found Braden watching tv last night. Sitting on his sister’s bed wearing his play safety goggles.
This was also after we had a very interesting talk on the ride home from daycare. It went something like this… “Alright Mommy, here’s the deal. When we get home you’re going to take the little wheels off my bicycle. Then you and daddy are going to get in daddy’s truck and go to the motorcycle store. You and daddy are going to get a little motorcycle for me and put it in the back of daddy’s truck. Me and Kendall are going to wait on you. Then you’re going to bring it home for me to ride on when I can ride my bicycle like a big boy.” Ha! I was officially cracking up by the end of his little speech. He’s been begging for a motorcycle for several months now and I’ve told him that little boys that still need training wheels on their bikes aren’t big enough for motorcycles. Apparently though, if he learns to ride his bike without training wheels I’m going to be stuck trying to figure out how to buy him one of those little dirt bikes! He even told me what color to get. He wants a black and white one. Obviously I’m not thrilled with the idea of my 4 year old getting a dirt bike, but I’ll probably end up getting him something like that around 6 or 7. I officially understand how parents spoil their children. They want something SO bad and you want SO bad to be able to get it for them.
Quick family updates: Josh has training in AZ at the end of this month. Just for a week, but I hate it when he’s gone, so I’m not looking forward to this one. Brady’s birthday is less than 3 weeks away now. His birthday party is 3 weeks and 2 days from now. And his first day of school is less than 5 weeks away. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself! I can’t believe my first baby is going to school. It makes me so sad to think about it. And soon Kendall will be starting sixth grade. Going into sixth grade and I think she’s already taller than me! When did that happen!? They are both getting so big, and time just seems to fly by.
Also, please keep us in your prayers. We’re constantly trying to do little things to our house so that sooner (rather than later) we’ll be able to put our house on the market. It’s long overdue and it’s been a painstakingly slow process, especially since the economy tanked. It’s definitely set us back about 2-3 years. Yeah, we definitely, definitely need prayers.

CRAFTY ME

Yes, that's ME! I've been working a lot lately on my hobbies/passions. Scrapbooking, Crafts, Card making, photography. I'm actually going to start a blog just for my crafts. I've got to get some better pictures taken so that I can showcase my work, but I wanted to give my friends & family a sneak peek. Here's a few projects I've been working on (ignore the crappier pics, they were taken on my phone, I'll have better pictures when I start my blog)












Pendants, photo boxes & picture magnets will all be available for sale with details on pricing & how to order when I start my new blog! With any luck I'll learn to make more fun stuff and start selling them too. I'm doing it for the fun of it, so I'm not going to charge much...but I have to cover my expenses.



July 1st 2010-
Questions are not scary. What is scary is when people don't have any. What is tragic is faith that has no room for them.
-Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith)

Spicy Chinese Shrimp

My new favorite shrimp dish! I made this tonight and everyone liked it! I use Jasmine Rice, which (in my opinion) works best for Asian style dishes.

Spicy Chinese Shrimp: "Spicy Chinese Shrimp
Serve with rice a green salad.

Servings: 4‹ Back to Entrees

• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces cooked deveined shrimp, tails removed

In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in green onions and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in shrimp, and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Cook and stir until sauce bubbles and thickens
.
Per Serving: 142 Calories; 4g Fat (28.1% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 18g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 166mg Cholesterol; 432mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Low Fat Recipes Furnished by LowFatLifestyle.com© - Copyright 2006"


June 28th 2010-
The moment God is figured out with nice neat lines and definitions, we are no longer dealing with God.
-Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith)

Laugh, Live, Love

So much has happened and so much time has passed since my last blog. We survived our first season of soccer with Brady. He really enjoyed it, so we’ll probably do it again. I know that they are going to have a Fall soccer season, so we’ll have to consider it. I got a small taste of how it feels to be a crazy screaming soccer mom. I tried very hard not to get caught up in it all, but it’s difficult. Soccer was great, so now we’re thinking of doing something new. There are a couple of people around town that offer piano & guitar lessons to children his age and Josh doesn’t seem to be opposed to at least letting him go a few times and see how he does with it. If he picks it up pretty well and enjoys himself, then it could definitely be worth the time and investment. I’m a true believer in music as a hobby. I think interest in music and the arts helps to make people more well rounded.

* My big guy throws in the ball

*Running through the "parent" tunnel

*Chasing the ball

*This is a traffic jam. And that ball is actually Braden's!

Of course, at the very end of May we took what will be our one and only vacation for the year and we headed out on a Thursday afternoon and started our little adventure to West Virginia to see Josh’s brother graduate from medical school. That night we stopped in North Knoxville and ate dinner and spent the night. The next day we left and finished our trip to Lewisburg, WV. We made it to our hotel in Beckley, WV, a small city 40 mins west of Lewisburg. We went to the dinner they were having at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and met up with all the Moody family that was in attendance. Surprisingly all of Josh’s brothers & sisters made it, as well as a couple of nieces. We spent the rest of the weekend there in WV and after the graduation we just passed the time going to shops and such. It was really good. THEN we had to start the trip back.

*All the siblings

*Holding the 33rd Commencement program

*Family

*Uncle Nathan & his little buddy

Let me just say that while I think WV is a beautiful state, the drive is horrendous. Especially for someone like me who can not stand being in a car for hours. Of course we made it back to Knoxville by early afternoon and we decided to take the kids to the zoo. This was the first time any of us had gone to a zoo that wasn’t the Birmingham Zoo.
The next day we went to Hiwassee Outfitters and took a kayak trip down the river. Kendall & I were in one kayak; Josh & Braden were in the other one. It was so much fun! Both the kids had a lot of fun too. I wish I had a waterproof camera so I could have gotten pictures of this trip! Maybe next time I’ll buy one of the disposable ones.

*The Knoxville Zoo

*Kendall at the zoo

Now, last weekend was interesting as well. My friend, Holly Allred who runs The Photographers, Inc. took me & another friend, Bonnie, on a photography 101 tour through Birmingham. We went to several neat places for pics: Avondale Castle, Sloss Furnaces, Pepper Place Market & a random wall mural. I had a great time! I’ve got plenty of wonderful pics to share. Some include Holly’s little boy Ayden as our model.

* One of the best city views ever (Thanks to Bonnie for taking me there)

*Ayden at the really cool mural

*Avondale Castle

*Ayden at Avondale

*Fresh EVERYTHING at Pepper Place Market downtown

*The train at Sloss Furnaces

*Creepy tunnel

*cool looking gear

*View of Sloss

This weekend is something to look forward to as well. Me, Josh, Braden, Holly, Ayden & Bonnie will be going to Morgan Creek Vineyards in Harpersville for their Music & Fireworks event. It’s great for families, a nice atmosphere, good music & gorgeous fireworks. I’m so excited!