Out of the Repair Shop!!!

Most of you know by now, but I just looked and realized that I haven't updated my blog in a month and a half. Sorry.

I went for a second opinion to another doctor...my NEW doctor....and he said that he wasn't sure why the last doctor would scare me to death like he did...but I do NOT have cancer and I do NOT need to have surgery. Chock another one up to God!!!!

Thank you for all the prayers on my behalf...and the cards, calls and hugs. You will never know how comforting they were!

So it's back to life as usual...running and gunning! (Hence the month and a half delay in updates!)

Prayer Request

Yikes, This post is a little hard to write.
It's easy to ask my prayer warrior friends for prayers of others that I know, but this time I have a prayer request for me. Yesterday afternoon, I went for my yearly exam. During the pap exam they found a mass. The doctor continued with the exam but has asked me to come back in 2 weeks for an ultrasound so that he can look in my uterus for any more polyps or masses. Two of the three scenarios he gave me required surgery.....not really my thing! :) Naturally, I fear the worst, but I am trying really hard to let God have my worry so I can focus on being the mommy and wife my family needs me to be. I promise to update you when I get more news. But for now, all I ask is that you add me and my family to your prayers. Thank you for lifting me up to our Father...the Great Healer!!!

(((HIDING SHEEPISHLY)))

Okay, So I know it's been a LOOOONG time since I posted last. But a lot has happened so I will try to catch up as best I can!

We are now in our house!!!! Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP!?!?! :) After a long 18 months of living in 5 houses and out of suitcases and boxes...we are now (almost) box free!! The girls are loving their own rooms and the play room. I love that they have their own rooms so I can have some down time on occasion. God has blessed us greatly!! Now.....we need visitors! (Come when you can...there's PLENTY of room and we would LOVE to have you!!!!)

This is part of our kitchen from the stairs. I love the red ceiling!!! There aren't counters in this picture...but we have them now! ;)

This is our bedroom. And yes...the bed is HUGE!And it's not even all of it...there is a metal canopy that goes on the top. Be careful what you buy on Craigslist! :) (We thought it was 1/2 the size!! hehe!)

This is our dining room...it's actually just after a shower so there are still "party ware" laying around! :)

This is the "top of the stairs."When I drew out our house plans, I REALLY underestimated how much space this was! :) Lucky for us we turned it into a sitting area with books and scrapbooks! We use it...so it's great!

This is the formal living room. The fireplace wall goes straight up to the ceiling. (About 18 feet!! It was scary up there while painting! EEK!

This is the master bath...it's still not put together! :) We use the sink in the hall bath for now! Time....just don't have enough of it! :)

This is my FAVORITE room....my closet! :) A place for everything and everything in it's place!!!!
This is my favorite wall of my closet! :) Haha! Love my shoes!!!
Tatum's Room...her room is BRIGHT!!! But it's her! :)

Eden's room! You can't tell from this picture, but her room is pink and brown hounds tooth....and it's always a mess. :)

Rough Revelations

Many of you know that the Cook's don't generally live a calm, slow and uneventful life. We tend to lean towards the spastic side of life. The past few weeks have been no different.

My wonderful, preacher hubby earns his money with the "after hours" that he puts in. But, I think the past week and a half he has done the work of MANY men. (But, I am partial!) Our church family has had a rough time lately. We have lost three members. It began with Ms. Opal Bradford. She was a sweet lady that has an even sweeter daughter, Winnie, that my girls absolutely LOVE. (She's another grandma to them!) Well, Ms. Opal passed away and David spent several days with the family comforting them and being a pallbearer at the funeral. It's so great to hear of all the wonderful things that were said about her. She meant so much to so many.

Three days later, we lost Carl Bonds. He was another important member to our church. A leader, once upon a time. Mr. Bonds has been ill for many years and finally went home to be with God. David once again spent several days with the family and performed the funeral. Carl will be missed by his dear wife, Elwanda.

Two days later, we had the one year anniversary to the tornado that ripped our town to shreds. Our community got together and had a special service to remember those that lost their lives and to celebrate those that came to help clean up and put us back together. It's still hard to think about the 'might have beens' with that storm. We got to praise God for sparing the lives of our dear friends the Blanton's. They were in their house when it was ripped apart. They were scattered all over their yard, amazingly there were only minor injuries and are all back to 'normal!' (As normal as a preachers family with 4 kids can be! Hi, Amy!) It was an emotional service for many.

The very next night.....complete tragedy struck our church family when a dear friend was killed in a car accident on her way home from work. Jean Henson left behind a 14 year old son, Dakota. Who I ask you to pray for. David spent 4 days with Jean's extended family helping to comfort them and make arrangements for the funeral. It was one of the most impressive funerals I have ever been to as there was standing room only and every possible seat in our church was full! The outpouring of love to Dakota was so incredible that David had a hard time getting through the eulogy without tears. (Which of course is contagious!) Jean touched the lives of so many that, I am sure, she never knew about. She was a soft spoken, but to the point woman. She loved my kids and treated them extra special. She was Eden Bible school teacher and would often tell me (sometimes terrible!!!) stories that she "told on us" in class. Many times I would be in tears from laughing at something Eden said. Jean never had lots of money, didn't wear the finest clothes or drive the fancy cars. But what she did have....genuine love for you. She never accepted a side arm hug...only two arms would do! And she made a point to tell you if she thought about you that week. She will be missed.

As you can see we have had enough sadness to last a long while around here. But it didn't come without a lesson. After being to three funerals and a service to remember those who have (or almost) lost their lives in a tornado, I have realized that I need to tell people that I love them more. I need to tell people when I pray for them...send more cards....hug more and hug longer. I am challenging you as well as myself to commit to this with me! What better time to re-commit to love one another than Valentines!!?!!!

So to all of you out there.....I love you! I appreciate you and what you have brought to my life.

I've been playing a lot of tag lately.....

I will tag anyone who wants to do it!!!! Have fun!


1.WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No my mom made up my name...just ask her ! haha!

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Two nights ago...watching "Because I said So."

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I worked really hard for it to look nice...I'm a lefty.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? honey ham...cold!

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Two girls

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I'd probably
think I was a snob until I got to know me...that's what usually happens. :)

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Nope..never...absolutly not.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Once upon a time I would have...and almost did..but not now.
My brain grew in.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cinnamon Life ..Mmmmm.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No

12.What's the first thing to pop into your head? My car needs a bath...inside and out.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate chip cookie dough

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their teeth...hate gross teeth.

15. RED OR PINK? Both..together even!

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Temper

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? All my friends from the past that I lost touch with.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Denim jeans and white tennis
shoes.

19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The gas well behind the house. Too bad it's not mine.....$$$$

20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Redish-orange...I'm sure there is a name....

21. FAVORITE SMELLS? I can't smell, so nothing! :)

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? David

23. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Gymnastics, Ice Skating

24. HAIR COLOR? Dark brown

25. EYE COLOR? green

26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope

27. FAVORITE FOODS? Pizza, Orange juice, pierogi's with cheddar and potato..yummmm.

28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? No scary for me...Happy endings every time!

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Because I Said So

30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Bright yellow...thought it might help with the mood today !:) ( I was dealing with tax people!)

31. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer

32. FAVORITE DESSERT? Strawberry Cheesecake...with LOTS of strawberries.

33. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? None, but I just finished Confession of a
Shopaholic....it was alright. I hope the movie is better.

34. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad

35. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? The Office, Flight of the Concords, big
Love (No Superbowl graced our screen! :))

36. FAVORITE SOUND(S): laughing babies, ocean waves crashing along the side of a cruise ship, bird chirping...and a cash register! :)

37. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Blah.....

38. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Bahamas

39. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? decorating, singing & scrapping

40. WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING? picking Tatum up from school....gotta go!!!

Happy New Year!

It's been almost 2 months since my last post....I'm sorry. It's been a crazy two months. I will try to update as best I can. So sit back and soak in....

-Our house is getting there. We hit a lull during deer season and the holidays, but we seem to have regained our momentum. We have garage doors now, that I happen to LOVE. And we have most of our house sided. We still have to go pick out our brick for the bricked parts, but that can't get bricked up till next month anyway...so we aren't stressing about that yet. Hopefully, next week we will be able to insulate and shortly after drywall. Whew! Can't wait!

-Our kids are still getting big. We started Upward Cheerleading this week. Because of the lack of volunteers, David and I both ended up coaching. David has a boys basketball team....which I think is weird b/c we don't have ANY boys or basketballs players. And until Tuesday afternoon, I was the coach for 2 cheerleading squads....17 girls. Also funny because I was never a cheerleader. Luckily a friend felt called to take half of them off my team and form another one. YEAH ROBIN!!!! So now I am down to 9. That I can handle. I feel sorry for the poor little girls who think they are going to learn how to be a cheerleader!!! A cheerleader...I am not.

-Christmas. Our family spent another year at Camp Takodah. It was great. We stayed in The Pines for 4 days. It was such a good relaxing time. We got to hike, eat, horseback ride, eat, sleep, eat.....and the best part was eatting. Did I mention we ate? The highlight of the week was finding out my little brother, Travis, and his wife, Stephanie, are going to have a baby! So around August there will be another McMillion! It was such a great Christmas. My camera was broken so I am relying on others to send me pictures....so far I have nothing. ;)

-New Years......we didn't do anything big. We went to a friends house and played Loaded Questions for hours and hours and hours. It was fun...and we even stayed up! (That's a first for 4 years!)

-Well that's all for now! Stay tuned...when I get pictures I will post them....HINT HINT HINT...family! :)

Random Things That I Love.....

In celebration of Thanks-living Week....

1. I love fall colors. Those are the colors that I look best in. My clothes, my house, my hair even, all fall.

2. I love Sonic Strawberry Cream Slushes. I will get one anytime I have a long drive ahead of me. I will turn on my favorite music from my #2 man and sip away at the cold yumminess. It's a little piece of heaven reserved just for me...and Tim McGraw.

3. I love David's big gray sweatshirt. It is HUGE on me....perfect for snuggling in. (He likes that I wear it too! ;) )

4. I love Google. I GOOGLE everything. From some new "ailment" that I have to anyone that I have ever known....it's been Googled.

5. I love fun panties. Life is too short to wear granny panties....to clarify: just brightly colored...no "weird stuff."


6. I love Tatum's giggle. When Tatum gets tickled, she has this little baby giggle. We don't hear it very often, but when we do....it takes me back.

7. I love putting my cold feet on a warm David at night. This may sound terrible, but I think in some small way, he likes it. It's just one of those "little things'' that we just do. I hope I always have a warm David to warm my ice-feet at night.

8. I love to sing praise songs with LOTS of people. Is there anything better than worshiping our God with others...in song? My heart overflows and it comes out my eyes...every time. It makes me miss the squeak of my chapel seat.

9. I love that Eden sucks her thumb....still. Okay, I know most of you are thinking...'She will have buck teeth!!" Well, no, she doesn't. It's the weirdest thing...she doesn't actually suck her thumb. She licks it...in her mouth. I love to watch her when she sleeps. Her little chin moves just like it did when she would nurse as a baby. It brings back those bonding memories for me. I know one day she will have to quit, but for now, I think it's cute.

10. I love to talk to myself in the mirror. Okay, I am telling on myself..but I do. Everyday when I am blow drying my hair and putting on my make-up, I am thinking of possible conversations that I might have that day...and I talk. Lots of awkward situations have probably been avoided because I have "rehearsed" in the mirror. I am thankful for the trial run.

What are your random loves?

All together now......(((SIGH)))

This is my new favorite book, movie, and dream! I wonder where Edward was when I was 17?

Three years ago a friend of mine handed me the Twilight book to read. She told me that I would fall in love with the main character and that I HAD to read it. I asked her what it was about and she told me vampires. "Whatever." I thought. I am NOT reading this book. So, I did the polite thing and took it, let it ride in my car for two weeks and then tried to give it back. She asked me afew questions and realized that I didn't read it. She told me she wasn't going to take it back until I read at least a little bit of it. I agreed. I read the first two chapters and was hooked....bad.

I spent the next three years waiting for the next books to come out. Only to read them in one day. (Did I mention that they are each over 500 pages?) Then I heard that a movie was being made....holy moly.

Well the day finally arrived...opening night of Twilight. And yes, I was one of the weirdo people that stood in line for HOURS to get tickets. 6 hours to be exact. I got to the theatre at 12:30pm and at 6:15pm they finally opened the doors and announced that there were only 70 tickets left for the late show. Lindsay, my mom and I rushed the ticket counter and got 3 of the final tickets!!!! VICTORY! We had to create the "human wall" from all the smitten 13 year olds. It was fun.

The movie was 2 hours long and I promise it only felt 10 minutes. I am excited for it to be out on DVD. ( I WILL own it.) I recommend it to everyone....

Warning: It is full of vampires and geared towards adolescents....but keep an open mind..it's great! And boyfriends and husbands WILL get jealous...how can they live up to a guy who is fast, good looking, rich, strong and spending eternity trying to read your mind and give you everything you ever wanted? :)

Go see it!

What I've Been Up To!

So, Christmas time is especially busy for me. I get lots of requests for tote bags, purses and diaper bags. This year is no different. In the last 3 weeks I have made 38 bags, 4 tuffets, 9 baby blankets, 10 pillows, 3 table runners and panels of curtains for 14 rooms. I have been a very busy lady. I love to do it though, I am a crafty girl for sure and would quite possibly die if something ever happened to my hands. It's such an awesome outlet that I thank God for all the time. I am blessed to be able to make money doing what I love and still be able to be a stay at home mom! Yeah GOD! :) I'm blessed for sure!

Scratch it off the List of Places to Go Ever Again

I have debated for a week whether or not to post about an experience I had at the Hearing Center last week. It is HORRIBLY embarrassing, but I decided that it's too funny not to share.

We had been noticing for some time that Tatum was having a hard time hearing out of her right ear. So, I took her to the doctor, and he recommended that we have her hearing tested at Triplet Hearing Center in Clinton. So, I made the appointment.

About and hour before her appointment I had eaten a few donuts. (Those of you on Face Book may recall the status update regarding donuts! :)) They didn't sit will in my stomach, but nothing that I couldn't handle.

I went and picked Tatum up from school and we made our trek across town to the Hearing Center. We got there early so I could fill out all the paperwork. While I was filling it out, I got really nauseated, so I grabbed a cup of water from the water cooler. I sipped water, cup after cup after cup, hoping that I would feel better, but no luck.

When they called us back to the exam room, I felt better when stood up. I decided then, that I wasn't going to sit down. While in the exam room , I felt a little queasy so I excused myself to go to the bathroom. No excitement there so I went back to the exam room.

When I get back into the room, the doctor asks Tatum what she is supposed to put into her ear. It's a trick question, you aren't supposed to put anything in your ear. Did I know that? NO, I look stupid and say, "Only your finger!" The doctor says, "No, mom, only your elbow!" He proceeds to talk about how you can put your finger in your nose, your mouth and eyes..."You can dig in those only...not your ears!" He, without taking a breath, then looks at Tatum and asks, "What does your daddy do?"
Tatum, still on the "digging" conversation, looks puzzled and answers, "Digs in his bottom?"

I could die.

The doctor got a really big laugh at that.

When it's time to go to the hearing test room, we all trek to the back of the office. Meanwhile, my sick stomach is getting worse. We are almost done with the test, and it hits me like a load of bricks....I am going to throw up. I bolt out of the room mumbling something along the lines of..."gonna puke...." I made it about half way down the hall to the bathroom, and realize that I am NOT going to make it to the front of the building. I decide to go back to the room that we were in first because there was a trash can in there. So I dart into the exam room, only to trip over the doctors stool and land on my stomach....and roll across the room....while throwing up on EVERYTHING!!!! I tried to get to the trash can, but it had one of those pop-up lids....that wouldn't work. (Can you picture it? Are you laughing yet?) So, I manage to hit just about everything in the office. I turn to look at the door and there stands Eden.....with the most disgusted look on her face. I tell her to close the door. She takes off and I hear her tell the doctor, "My mom threw up on the WHOLE office!!!"

At this point I am frantically looking for paper towels and spray!! Luckily, I found some under the sink. I DID in fact get the exam room cleaned up. But it took awhile. I didn't want to come out, but I figured that the doctor had been babysitting my kids long enough. When I did finally come out of the exam room, the doctor and receptionist were talking about me being sick....they thought I was pregnant. I assured them it was donuts,not a child, that made me sick.

So, a review:
*Tatum tells said Doctor that David "digs in his butt" for a living.
*Bethany pukes ALL over the exam room.
*We will never again be able to go to Triplet Hearing Center.....ever.

The End

I Heart Your Blog!!!

I was tagged by Stacy Stacy! I tag anyone who would like to participate!

1. Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Where is your significant other? ditch :)
3. Your hair color? Brown
4. Your mother? clone
5. Your father? fabulous
6. Your favorite thing? Shopping
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your dream/goal? happy
9. The room you're in? living
10. Your hobby? Making
11. Your fear? Kidnapping
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
13. Where were you last night? bed
14. What you're not? motivated
15. One of your wish-list items? HOUSE!!!
16. Where you grew up? Florida
17. The last thing you did? Sew
18. What are you wearing? Jeans
19. Your TV? HGTV
20. Your pet? Kids :)
21. Your computer? Drug
22. Your mood? Spacy
23. Missing someone? Lots!
24. Your car? Trailblazer
25. Something you're not wearing? Gown
26. Favorite store? HobLob (Me too!)
27. Your summer? Hot
28. Love someone? Always
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Monday

Spelling Test!!!

Tonight at dinner David was quizzing Tatum on her spelling words. After she successfully spelled all her words, he was picking objects out for her to spell....chair, plate, fork,etc....

Eden decided that she wanted to join in the fun too! She said, "Tatum, spell CUP."
Tatum thought for a moment and then said, "C-U......"
Eden decided that she too could spell CUP, so she repeated, "C-U....IN the morning!!!"

We all had a nice laugh.

I could only think of Billy Madison when he is in school and trying to spell "couch."
"R-....you going to the mall later?"

Eden: Nursery Rhyme Queen

Eden has come home the last few weeks of school reciting nursery rhymes. We always thought it was really cute, but yesterday was the funniest of all.

We had just finished dinner and she was "supposed" to be brushing her teeth while I cleaned up the dishes. David was helping Tatum work on her spelling words so I was listening to that.....
Then , out of nowhere, Eden pops out of the bathroom with toothpaste foam still on her face, and with the most serious of faces says,

"There was an old lady who lived in a shoe, she had so many children she didn't know what to do.
She gave them all broth without any bread, whipped them all soundly and put them to bed."

She then proceeded to dart out of the room just as quickly as she entered. David, Tatum and I rolled. I couldn't quit laughing. And that was just about the end of Tatum's spelling word practice!

If I can figure out how to download a video, I will! (I'm not computer savvy! :))

The One that Got Away!

I don't typically consider myself as the hunting type. Never been a huge fan of camo, unless it was pink. I don't fancy sitting in the woods with a gun NOT talking for hours at a time, just in case a deer walks by. Not my cup of tea.

However, today my blood started pumping as I saw that buck in front of me. It was literally only 3 feet in front of me. He had a head FULL of antlers....I didn't count the points but there were more than several. He was a huge buck and I was anxious. How fun to have my first deer a massive one. I would have definitely mounted the head and hung it over my fireplace...even though I'm not into that type of thing. It would be a real topic of conversation.

Much to my amazement....he got away. And I remained in control of the car and kept on driving.

Van Buren County Fair

Tatum's class did a unit on farm animals. It just so happened that the county fair was going on at the same time. (Coincidence? I think not.) So, the first graders went to the fair to see the animals.

Eden and I chaperoned. :)

While we were there we saw the pigs, cows and sheep. The sheep were Eden's favorite. The different owners dressed them in spandex "suits.." Eden got so tickled she could hardly contain herself. They looked like they were ready to go participate in a bike race! :)

The kids also got to be a part of a "Day at the Farm" exhibit. It's actually really cute. When they walk in the fence, there is a lady that directs them to the "chicken coop." (Actually: fabric chickens with plastic eggs under them.) Then they get to go pull carrots. (Actually: carrots buried in a bucket of dirt) Then off to the orchard. (Actually: plywood trees with cups on them with plastic apples and oranges in them.) They go through several more little booths and then they get to "milk a cow" and "ride a horse."

All in all, it was a great day.

House Update!

This is the landing at the top of the stairs. We are going to make a little sitting area with bookshelves. This was an afterthought. Because I have never designed a whole house before, I underestimated the size of a "landing." This one could double as a small room! :)

This is the living/dining room view from the kitchen. If you'll notice, the fireplace is framed up in the center of the room as a divider. It goes all the way to the roof (about 15 feet?).

This is MY closet! :) Enough said! I love it! There is a 6ftx6ft window in it...only because we were trying to balance out the windows in the front...but BONUS for me!

This is the front of the house. They are still working on the porch. (There are 2 dormers.)

This is another view from the front. We still have lots of clearing to do with the trees, but we need to get the wood from the ones we have already cut under control first! :) Who knew?



Well, stay tuned! I will post more pictures when I get them! These were taken this afternoon, so these are THE most up-to-date that I have! I am getting more excited as the days go by. We are hoping to be in the house by December. It's going to be a hustle to do it, but I am motivated! :) It's officially been one year "homeless." I am ready to be in my OWN house. :)

My Normal?

A fellow blogger had a post about her normal...thought it was cute so I am stealing it! :)

My normal :

wake up at 6:30am (school day or not!)
Get mad because David can sleep through running and screaming kids and I can't.
Get over it because I love him.
Feed Eden waffles with "sYrUP"
Try to get Tatum to eat something that's not Sprite and chips
( she has only gotten away with it once!)
Kiss everyone off to school.
Do the "I have four hours to myself whatever will I do" dance.
Pick up laundry
pick up breakfast dishes
Facebook
Myspace
Check blogs
Back to Facebook
Get showered and dressed
Go to Walmart
Drive by the land and look at house...get excited!
Go get Eden from school
Call David
Eat lunch-something Suzanne Somers wouldn't croak about!
Eden's nap time
Facebook
Email
Facebook again
Sit in Tatum's car line and wonder how much people actually got done today.(Some look like they just rolled out of bed....at 3!!)
Wonder if I got enough done to call it a productive day.
Fix dinner (sometimes)or go out to eat!
Homework- ugh.
Bedtime!!!
Do it all again tomorrow!

Weekend:
Church
Curriculum
sewing
scrapping
football game when they are at home
working at the land
Walmart


Anyway, I am Normal I guess.....what's your normal?

"I'm Walking!!"

This morning, Eden woke up a little left of center. She didn't want to wear anything SHE had, she didn't want anything for her snack that we had in the pantry, she didn't want what I fixed for breakfast, she didn't want to brush her hair with the only brush that we could find, she didn't want to wear shoes that matched...but the funniest thing of all was she DID want to WALK to school.

Now, to some that might not be a big deal. However, we live far away. It takes us 30 minutes (ONE WAY!) to get there. Without even a hesitation, David and I called her bluff and told her to start walking. So she did.

About 3 minutes passed and Tatum was going NUTS! She was so worried that someone was going to "pick her up" that she went running out the door screaming for Eden to get back in the house.

(At least I know that my "Stranger Danger" brainwashing is working...well at least on Tatum!)

Eden came back to the house waiting for us to lecture her. But, we didn't. She found reasons to stay. Bathroom, brush her teeth...again, make her room up and to try and convince Tatum to walk with her.

When David announced that it was time to leave, she took off running in a dead sprint down the drive way. I watched from the window until I couldn't see her anymore. David followed behind in the car. I have to admit that my stomach was a little floppy. My "Stranger Danger" brainwashing has convinced me too that there are NO good strangers! :) I had to call David and make sure he was still following her....he told me he wasn't stupid, and that she finally did get in the car.

I think that we threw her for a loop by calling her bluff. Next time...I say she walks the whole way. (6-10 miles....David and I can't agree how far it actually is!)

What a morning!

Put a cork in it!

When David and I went on our cruise we had a bottle of wine with dinner during the Captain's Dinner. Well, I save all sorts of stuff for scrapbooking, and it just seemed natural to save the cork. Days later, Tatum found it and asked what the cork did. I told her that worked like a stopper so that your drink wouldn't come out of its bottle.

I guess she had to try it out and see.

What a funny kid.

House updates!

Just one of the views on our property....lots of trees...some are now gone, this was last winter!

This is actually from the end of our driveway looking down the street! You can't see it here but there is a creek that runs under the road across our land. EEEK! :)

I promised pictures...here they are. But, lucky for us, they are already outdated! :) The framing crew is already working on the second floor today. We are still waiting to get our garage poured so they can frame up the garage too. But that should be poured tomorrow if the weather permits! (Knock on wood!)

We were kinda worried about Ike and his aftermath. Yesterday morning, we woke up at 2am to the howling wind and NO electricity. When it was light, we went to check on OUR house project. We had a hard time getting there because of down power lines and trees, but alas, we made it. We got to our property, and saw that we had two trees laying on the power lines by our house, and a HUGE tree that was laying across the driveway. But, the house was fine, except for the two inches of water standing on the INSIDE of the house! :) (We got rid of that later in the afternoon...thanks to some help from our church family!) When we tried to leave I got my car stuck in the mud. Luckily, our dirt guy, was driving up to check on our house (what a nice guy) too. So, he and his son in law helped to get me unstuck. No sooner did I get situated and we looked back down the drive, and the trees that were laying on the power lines were smoking. Yes folks, we are going to burn down the neighborhood! So, David called a friend that works for the power company and he came to kill the line. But, by that time, one of the trees had officially caught fire. I was a little panicked. Fortunately, the fire burned itself out and all was safe.

This is a picture of the tree as it was smoking....it's sideways sorry!

In the afternoon, we had a few of our church friends come help us cut up the trees that had fallen and drain the water out of the house.

We are blessed.