Goodbye 2007!

Well, it's another exciting New Year's Eve. The boys are watching a little Tom & Jerry in the bed & we just returned from dinner at our neighbor's Eric & Elizabeth. I am hanging out with some popcorn & the Clemson game about ready to hit the sack.
As I recollect New Year's Eve's of the past I recall spending some on an airplane, some on layovers alone, some at exciting parties, but this kind of New Year's Eve suits me fine.
I have been very sick today, thus leading me to believe that it's a girl.
New Year's Resolution #1: I will not stop my running. I ran 5 miles on Saturday and 3 today. I am a little slower than before, but I'm going to try to keep on until I can't anymore. I had worked up to 10 miles before pregnancy and although I won't go that far, I hope to keep up some endurance.
New Year's Resolution #2: I will dig in deeper to bible studies & try to keep learning & growing. I will also try to get up at least 30 minutes before my children to have devotions/prayer in the am.
Hope you are all having a nice evening bidding 2007 goodbye. Can't wait to see what 2008 has in store....

I am the type of pregnant person that seems to be hit by all the symptoms immediately. In the past 2 weeks I have already gained 2-3 pounds, I am tired and feeling a bit queasy. For all of you who just love being pregnant, I am envious, because I don't enjoy it one bit.
But I am looking forward to blogging all about this pregnancy. This week's craving has been soup. Soup of all kinds! Salmon stew on Christmas, chicken noodle yesterday and today I made a huge pot of vegetable soup.

Hope you all had a great Christmas. Ours was wonderful. Today the tree came down and the floor was mopped. Almost all the toys have found a place to go and the boys are ready to play.

They are both excited about a new baby. Henry wants a brother and Nate wants a sister.

Merry Christmas!

What a wonderful Christmas this has been. There was lots of toys, food and exciting news in my family. I am going to be an aunt! My brother Mark and his wife Denise are expecting a baby boy due in May. And to add to the excitement, Bryan and I are pregnant also!! I am figuring an August due date. So our family willl have little cousins close to the same age, getting to play together. Yeah! Hope your Christmas was Merry!

Bragging Parents

Nate & Henry had their first real speaking parts in a Christmas program at church tonight. Nate was a sheep with curly horns. Nate's line was: I gave him my wool for his blanket warm and He wore my coat on Christmas morn.

Henry was a camel and his line was: Over the desert upon my back, I brought Him a gift in the Wise Man's pack. They had their lines memorized and of course, Bryan and I thought they were perfect!!

Here they are singing a song about bells and enjoying every minute of it.

Here is a blurry picture of them just getting on stage.

And, finally the proud parents standing in front of the most beautiful stage I've seen in a long time. It was a bunch of Christmas trees, almost like being in a Christmas forest.

Good night!

O Christmas Tree

Decorating the Christmas tree is a tradition I look forward to every year. Around mid-November I get the fever to go ahead and put it up. However, this year I made myself wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate. Oh the excitement when you unpack those decorations from last year. I just love the look in Nate & Henry's eyes when they open a box of ornaments and are in awe of their beauty. Nate especially appreciates beautiful decorations.

So finally you get the lights out and we all know what a pain they are. By the time I am stringing lights on the tree, Bryan and the boys are completely involved in another activity that is more exciting. Here is a picture of me trying to string lights. Scary, huh.

The boys did help put ornaments on the tree and each day I am delighted to see what may be added to the tree that wasn't there the day before. Last night we made one of those construction paper chains. It was on the tree, then strung around Nate's room and now I'm not sure where it is now.

Aaaahhhhh!
Now, that is a great holiday! Thanksgiving. You don't have to worry about gifts, decorating or having a tan. Highlights of my holiday:]

Our friends Robin, JD & kids Trace & Tara drove hundreds of hours from Florida to spend the day with us. Oh what fun we had together!!

I made crock pot mac & cheese for Granny's house & accidentally used sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk and it turned out like a dessert.

I made a new recipe called "oops I dropped it again - sweet potato pie cobbler" the recipe calls for a sweet potato pie cooked as directed, dropped (accidentally) on the floor and then smushed into a corning ware dish. Yum.

Needless to say, the food only plays part of a role in the celebration. However, my favorite Thanksgiving treat is mixing rice, dressing & turkey all together and then covering it with gravy.

Happy Thanksgiving. What Joy is thankful for:
My Salvation & my evolving relationship with Jesus
My wonderful family
My health
The beautiful place I live - isn't fall great??
Good Food!

Fall

I am in such complete awe of the beauty of autumn. It seems the upstate of SC is even more beautiful this time of year than it usually is. As I look at the landscape, the colors seem so vivid. It reminds me of a song by Watermark that I love. It talks about how all of nature praises God in its own beautiful ways, but how God cherishes our praises above all.

I'm already thinking about that great photo opportunity for the "Christmas Card Picture." Which is often the only family picture we have that year. It's sort of become a tradition for us to take a family picture & then send Christmas cards. Timing is everything. You don't want to forego Thanksgiving and take the picture too early, but you can't wait until the last minute, unexpected bad (buzz) haircuts or cuts or bruises on the face come into play. Remember, this is a house full of boys. So, I will keep you updated on this. Maybe an early snow would be a perfect setting --- ahhh! If only....

Legos

Nate has discovered Lego blocks. He just loves them. Here is a picture of him with his first creation. I think this was a ship. He had a great time crashing it into the wall and then trying to build it bigger. Henry, however, isn't quite ready for legos yet. Nate waits until naptime to pull them out so Henry won't tear anything he's built up.

Happy Halloween!

It was a low key Halloween for us. The boys have been sick with a cold all week and now Bryan has it. But we did go to a few neighborhood houses and scored just a few pieces of candy. I thought we had 2 spidermen, but a last minute change of costumes (thanks to TJ Maxx & Dee Dee) meant a knight & pirate graced the streets. Here are a few pics.

A trophy!

Today was the Oktoberfest 5/10K and what a great morning it turned out to be! I brought home a trophy! I got third in my age division in the 10K. Bryan got second in his age division for the 5K. This was Bryan's first race and he loved it! Elizabeth & Christy also ran & we all enjoyed each other's company & the beautiful scenery Walhalla has to offer! Hope to see you at the Oktoberfest!

Joy flying Delta

What fun it was to be on the airplane again after so long. I found myself paying close attention to the safety demonstration, making note of the emergency exits around me, I realized the closest exit was behind me. I tried not to be needy during the beverage service, and I couldn't help but notice the fantastic red dress that is now part of the Delta uniform.

Here are some pictures for the record.

Disney's Race for the Taste 10K

What a great weekend!! Here is a picture of me and Robin at the 10K in Orlando on Sunday. We didn't set any records for speed, however we did have a blast. The boys enjoyed a long weekend with both sets of Grandparents (thank you for babysitting!) I can't wait to share more pictures from the trip. However a very large pile of laundry is calling my name.

Guys love chainsaws! Bryan is actually behind me with his chainsaw, gloves & safety glasses getting ready to cut down a tree. They love to be just like dad!
What a beautiful day it's been here. We have had so much fun hanging out today. I love this time of year when you can't decide if you need long sleeves or if you'll be okay in shorts.
Big plans for the weekend! Bryan and I are headed to Punta Gorda Florida where we'll visit our friends Robin & JD and their kids and then on to Orlando (without kids) to run in a 10K with Robin that goes through Epcot! I can't wait. I haven't flown in over a year. To think that I would fly 20-30 flights a week just five years ago! Of course we will be on Delta!!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Mark!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Mark! We love you,

Bryan, Joy Nate & Henry

Check out these soccer pictures!!

The boys are playing under 6 soccer. Which means Henry is by far the youngest player on the team. In fact, I had to get special permission from the YMCA director to let him play. He just doesn't understand that he isn't 4 years old, like Nate. Henry loves the attention, he spends most of the "game time" giving kisses and hugs to us on the sidelines. Nate, however, is all about the "game." He is serious. He gets mad when someone else scores, even when it's someone on his own team.

Oh what fun it is to watch these boys learn about life. To be a kid again...

Well, our week has been quite full! The boys have discovered fun at the Clemson football games. They had a blast on Saturday rooting for the Tigers (while wearing Furman shirts - Bryan is currently attending Furman). Soccer is in full swing with our first game tomorrow night!! The weather is finally cooling off some and we are enjoying the great outdoors (again).

What a difference it makes to have high temps in the 80s instead of the 100s!

One of those days...

Today was one of those days where I feel like I've been scolding or screaming at one of my children most of the evening.

They must be tired. Right. Maybe they're hungry. Probably. Maybe they're just trying to aggravate me and they're doing a fine job of it.

They are asleep now. Precious and innocent(looking).

As I laid there trying to get them to sleep I prayed and asked God to give me more patience and maybe a few more ideas on promoting good behavior.

I will go to bed having faith that my prayer will be answered. In the meantime, I will thank God for the 3 quiet hours preschool gives me.

1st day of preschool!

The first day of preschool has arrived, and it was great! The boys go to an excellent preschool at Golden Corner Church and had a blast the first day. What a change from last year. Some of my first posts on this blog tell of how both the boys cried quite a bit getting used to school last year. But today went great. They both have fantastic teachers (of course all the teachers at GCC Preschool are fantastic) and they seem excited about the coming year. I know I am!

Bald Heads

My children are bald. Bryan asked me late Thursday (while I was half asleep) if they could all 3 buzz their hair. Well, they did. There is nothing left except a little stubble. I almost cried when I saw them and had to remind myself that it is only hair and it will grow back.

So, if you see 3 bald heads running around in our yard don't be surprised.

On another note, we had our first backyard bible club this morning at an apartment complex in town. It was so great. The children were precious and I know we got just as much out of it as they did. Jesus was undeniably there. Can't wait to go back!

Check out this cute picture of Henry when he had lots and lots of hair!

Just thought I'd share a few adorable pictures.

Here is Nate - age 1 1/2 (left)

And Henry - 9 months (right)

Still hoping my camera will turn up. Or maybe someone will give me one for a birthday present (but that isn't until October).

Daniel

"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone."

I am doing this AMAZING bible study by Beth Moore called Daniel. It is teaching me history & prophecy. If you ever have the opportunity to do this, seize it! And if you are really interested, let me know, I have the materials.
Anyway, I can't keep this verse out of my mind. I keep repeating it. I am so excited about all the interesting things I am learning.
PS - Loving that Kia Rondo more and more everyday!!

Well, I lost my camera this weekend in the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. So any posting until I find it/get another camera will be using old pictures (but favorites!!).

Ever heard of a Rondo? Well that would be the name of my new car. Check out http://www.kia.com/ and look at the Rondo's. I love it! 4 -cylinder, 30 miles a gallon, seats 7 and still lists for under $17,000 new!! A big step down from my Honda Pilot, but I'm spending less money for car & gas and I feel like I'm doing less harm to our environment. Rock on Kia!

The reality of 40 has set in now for Bryan and he seems to be enjoying this new decade of his life immensely. We drove the Kia to Atlanta for an overnight on Saturday and went to Ikea (if you haven't been, go now, it's great) and then took the boys to World of Coke - my personal favorite tourist attraction in ATL.

We are enjoying the last few days of summer before school starts - 2 weeks until preschool. Nate & Henry seem to be excited. Hope their teachers are.

Here is an adorable picture of Nate just hours after he was born. Dad's buddy already.

Oh Brothers!

I have 3 very cool brothers, 2 of which live nearby and the other is currently attending Yale and lives in CT. He came to visit last week and we had so many fun times together. So did Mama. Doesn't she look like she's in heaven with her 3 boys holding her up!!! Each of my brothers is unique, enjoying different activities and having different interests. They are all three very smart and devoted Christian men and we all get along beautifully, most of the time. Here they are tattooing my kids. No, it didn't come off in the bath!!

Happy Birthday Bryan!

My dear husband turns 40 this week! Trust me he still acts & thinks he's 20. I had him and his mom (who also turns 60 this week) a joint surprise birthday party Friday night. I totally pulled it off. They didn't have a clue. And I had a great time. October will be my 34th birthday! I really still feel in my mind like I did in high school. My body however, it starting to have a few aches & pains. Guess 40 isn't too far off for me either. Thanks to all of you who were able to come Friday, it meant so much to Bryan and his Mom.

Best Friends & Worst Emenies

How can 2 boys be best friends & worst enemies at the same time? Well, Henry can hit Nate or pull his hair until I begin to discipline him. Then, they both get mad at me for scolding Henry. They are beginning to gang up on me. 3 men & 1 woman in the same house, I can see it now that I am going to be outnumbered.

Krispy Kreme

The men in my house love donuts! Hot and now! Krispy Kreme! Here is the proof:

Kids say the cutest things!

I need to post the cute things Nate has said before I forget them.

Last night, as we were laying down in bed, out of the blue he says, "I have a milk cow. I milk it the old fashioned way. I sit down on a stool and put a bucket under the udders. Then, I just pull down on the udders and milk comes out." Bryan and I were both interested/fascinated in what made him think of this and that he knew how to milk a cow by hand. Bryan asked him what do baby horses do? Nate says, "They just lay around taking naps." "But what do they eat?", Bryan asks. Nate says, "Milk, of course, from cows."

While driving in Myrtle Beach I was enjoying a little rock and roll from the early 90s and Nate says, "Mom, that music is making me drive crazy." Which I took to mean that Pearl Jam drives Nate crazy.

Okay, so I think the things they say are priceless. Just wanted to share a few.

I have so much to blog about but never enough time to get it in. Maybe I will do a few short posts the next few days. We just returned from a beach trip with Bryan's parents. Lots of fun! On the drive down, we stopped at a convenience store for a bathroom break and low & behold in the candy section was candy cigarettes! Bryan and I hadn't seen them in years. Of course, we had to get the boys a pack, which they had a blast with as you see here in the picture.

Henry has officially potty trained himself. I had nothing to do with it. In fact, I really wanted to wait until his 3rd birthday so it would be easy. But, everyday he insists on wearing underwear. He ask me, "Mom, do working men wear underwear?" and I'll of course tell him yes. I have, on occassion tried to convince him that sometimes working men wear pull ups. He doesn't believe me.

So, the beach as expected, was a blast. I do love Myrtle Beach. It doesn't matter that I've been there every summer at least once for the past 33 years, it is so much fun!

Wesleyan District Conference

I have had the honor of being a delegate to our church's district conference for the past few years. This is a meeting at Table Rock that lasts all day with representatives from all the Wesleyan churches nearby. They vote on issues & people that will make decisions in the coming year. I am likely a delegate because no one else really gets that excited about going, who likes to spend 9 hours sitting at a table voting & listening to reports, but that's fine with me. I like it. The first year I went I remember my Papa calling me that night wanting to know all the details of what went on at the meeting. It was something very important to him, because it involved our church. He has since passed away, but I hope that I will make him proud by continuing to be involved in the Wesleyan church. Welcome church was so important to him and it is now so important to me.

There's nothing like a wedding with bubbles and chocolate! Here are the boys at Dustin & Hannah's wedding blowing bubbles and of Nate enjoying the chocolate fountain. Congratulations Dustin & Hannah! We love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness! Thanks for sharing your special day with us!

4th of July

Happy 4th of July! Nate & Henry love fireworks so much. We watched them Wednesday night on the boat, which was really cool. All the way around us we could see different firework shows. Here are 2 pictures from our 4th of July party at church. It was lots of fun, only a few things missing: Matt & Ashley, Dustin & Hannah. It just wasn't the same without you guys!

Grandparents!

The boys spent this week doing fun things with their Grandparents. Tuesday and Wednesday they camped with MeMaw and Papa at Mile Creek Park in the motor home. This vehicle (the motor home) completely fascinates both of them. They are amazed that there is a small shower, toilet & refrigerator inside something that Papa drives. They swam, rode bikes, grilled hamburgers and simply enjoyed relaxing with family. They especially enjoyed a thunderstorm that rolled in just after they bathed. I asked Nate "What did you do when the storm came?" and he replied, "I was naked!"

Thursday and Friday they went with my parents (John Daddy and DeeDee) to ride the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad from Dillsboro to Bryson City. Then spent Friday morning at Santa's Land - a place they really thought was wonderful fun! Can you imagine, a small rollercoaster with reindeer antlers, Christmas music in the background and a visit with Santa - all in blazing 90 degree summer heat! They loved it (the boys I mean, I'm not so sure about DeeDee and JohnDaddy).

Grandparents are such a gift. I am so thankful that my children have 4 grandparents that love them with all their hearts and take time to teach them about life, about love, and about their heritage. Bryan and I have 3 grandmothers between us still living and we cherish each moment we spend with them.

I look forward to meeting my own grandchildren one day...

Chattanooga Fun!

The boys and I joined Bryan on a trip to Chattanooga, TN this week. While Bryan was in classes learning about heat exchangers, Nate, Henry and I explored the city! While I was getting them to sleep tonight, I wanted to know what their favorite thing about our 5 day adventure was. I recapped all the fun things we'd done like exploring Ruby Falls,

playing in an interactive water fountain at the park,

visiting the Children's Creative Discovery Museum and

visiting the Aquarium. After a unanimous vote they decided that their favorite part of the trip by far was riding the elevator at the Marriott to our 5th floor room.

Guess that saying is true:

4 tickets to ride carousel at Coolidge Park - $3.00

4 tickets to Aquarium - $50

Riding the elevator at the hotel & enjoying every minute of it - priceless!

Things Joy learned while on a 9 day vacation in Myrtle Beach:
1 - When you get to the beach, just get wet and then lay down in the sand. Then all the pressure to not get sandy is gone & you can just enjoy building sand castles.
2 - Getting stung by a jelly fish or a man of war isn't that bad, when you 4 years old and your dad tells you how tough you are.
3 - Going to see an IMAX movie IS something you can do everyday, if you want to.
4 - Spending 9 days at the beach means you get to catch the tail end of Black Biker Week and the beginning of Senior Week.
5 - Nate and Henry will NOT participate in Senior Week, or ever go to the beach without parental guidance.
6 - Eating Ultimate California Pizza for 5 meals in 1 week is a good thing. YUM!
and 7 - 9 days isn't enough when you're having a blast with your family and getting tan at the same time.

Cleaning house

The boys helped me clean house Wednesday. I vacuumed while they mopped. They really did a fantastic job. It took the floors about 4 hours to dry, I thought I might need a shop vac to get up so much water! They loved it.

Quick post

Just sitting here thinking what I want to post, and I just want to say a big "thank you" to the main man in my life - Jesus. I have been so blessed. Much more than I deserve. Mostly to know that I have the opportunity spend eternity with these people that I love so much. I am overflowing with love for my children and my husband, and my extended family. There is no happiness like knowing the ones you love will be with you in heaven.

Nate and Henry have this fascination with smoking. They pretend they are smoking cigarettes with straws and french fries. If we see someone smoking, they stare in complete awe, I see it in their eyes how they are glamorizing smoking. Tonight, laying down, I had a long talk with Nate about the dangers of smoking, what it means to be addicted, and about what your lungs look like after you've smoked for years. I could tell that I was finally getting through to him. He turned to me and said, "Mommy, I not like smoking cigarettes, I just like smoking cigars."

Mother's Day

What a great Mother's Day it's been! I have spent the day with Bryan and the boys and we've had a great time. We haven't done anything that different than any other Sunday and I guess that's what I'm thankful for. That every Sunday is spent with my family just hanging out, going to church and eating. I am so glad that Bryan enjoys spending what little free time he has right now with us. Nate is crazy about Bryan right now. In fact, I think he's a little disappointed when he knows he's stuck with me all day. Bryan (and that is what Nate calls him, not Dad) is the coolest in Nate's opinion. And I do hope that they grow up to be just like their Dad one day.

Girlie Girl

I'm a girlie girl. I love makeup, to talk on the phone, I don't like fishing or bugs. I don't really like any sports and I love to shop. When I found out I was pregnant with Nate, I wanted him to be a girl. When I found out I was pregnant with Henry, I really wanted him to be a girl. Obviously, I got 2 boys. Now, I see how "way beyond anything I could plan," God's plan is. I have 3 amazing boys/men in my life (this includes Bryan). I couldn't be happier. God knew just what He was doing when he gave me these people. Because, in the end, they are all I can take with me. And, I wouldn't want anything to be any different.

Date Night

I had a date with my hubby last night. We went to 356, a yummy/romantic sushi bar in Clemson. You know what's so exciting, I have more fun with him and I love him more now then when we first were married. If things keep getting better year after year, I will surely burst with happiness by the time we're in our 70s. We've been married 8 years this year. I am so glad that I don't look back at high school or college and think "those were the good ole days..." because to me, these days are the best.

A Rebellion

Today is an excellent day for my children to rebel. I have almost completely lost my voice due to a bad cold, and I just had my eyes dialated at the eye doctor. So, I can't see or speak. Hopefully my vision will return before they (Nate & Henry) burn the house down. Someone should check on us soon!

I ran my second race today! A 5K with my friend Tara. We didn't win any prizes, although we really wanted to win a door prize because they were giving away stuffed llamas. Here is a picture of me and Tara, and her sister Kristen in October when I ran a 10K. I forgot the camera today, so I don't have any pictures. Thanks Tara for running with me.

Easter Eggs

It's the day after Easter, and you have a refrigerator full of beautifully decorated eggs. What do you do? You make Egg Salad! Yum! Now for those of you who are egg salad fans, my recipe is quite simple: chopped up boiled eggs, salt&pepper, and mayo. (If any of you have a better recipe please pass along.) For those of you who have never tried egg salad, well, don't knock it till you've tried it. NO, I don't like mayo either. Be sure to toast your bread when you make your sandwich. Enjoy!

He Lives!

"He Lives" is one of my most favorite hymns and of course we sang it Sunday morning! What a fantastic Easter it was. Easter is one of my favorite holidays because all the pressure of gift giving isn't there, it's just a great celebration! We spent the day with family (like we do on most holidays) and it reminds me and Bryan of how blessed we are to have a big family that live close enough to get together frequently.

Cool Costumes!

Check us out! Here we are dressed up as a bible family for a play at church today. Nate loved being in it & Henry had a hard time understanding what was happening to Jesus. Tim (the guy in charge) did a great job with a lot of kids & adults who weren't sure what they were doing! I played Mary, somehow I am sure that she didn't have short extra light blonde hair.

Crocs

Check out my new crocs! I love how comfortable crocs are, yet hate how they look. However, these are so cute & comfortable. They are also coming out with wedges this spring! Yippee!