Golden Wave Football

It's Golden Wave Football time in Tupelo! I do believe they are going to have a great team this year. Drew thinks they will go to state play offs. He and I rode up to Tupelo last night to watch the boys play. His sister, Niccole and her nutty husband Jim came also. Sorry Jim. I mean that in the best possible way. Anywhoo...football or any sport for that matter is more fun to watch when your kids are involved in it. Hannah is about to start soccer too and Fall sports will be in full swing....not to mention hunting season in the near future. We are slowly getting settled into the new house. Pump grinder still not fully operational....see previous post...but we're learning leaps and bounds from it. Something else fun to mention..the women's ministry at our church had a pj party for women Thursday night. Great fun there! Got to go to church in my pj's, eat pizza with all my friends, have ice cream with all the fixin's, paint nails, have a hand massage, stock up on candy and chocolate and not have to share it, have Clinique do my makeup, get door prizes, hear a great speaker...and all for only $7. Now that's a bargain....oh yeah...free childcare too...but Hannah stayed home with Drew. Well, hoping this Hurricane doesn't wipe us out Monday or Tuesday. I don't deal well with no electricity. I'll be very glad to have the day off Monday...that is if we have electricity!

you've been tagged

this is from my friend, Suzanne..

Six random facts about myself...

1. I am deathly afraid of flying. I have NEVER flown that I haven't gotten sick. The last time, I had on a patch and had taken 2 dramamine.
2. I don't like cows. There is something about their big eye and eyelashes and the worst part is the sound they make. However I love hamburgers!
3. I love to bake!
4. Thick ropey saliva makes me nauseous. Interesting since I work in people's mouths.
5. I love to pour my m&m's into my popcorn at the movie...you know...the sweet and salty thing.
6. I baby talk to our dogs. Doesn't everone?

I would love to see some responses...it took me forever to come up with 6 things about myself...or at least 6 interesting things.

at least tomorrow is Friday..

OK..I finally get the hot water thing ironed out..except for the kitchen sink and the master shower...I'm saving that for Drew to figure out when he gets home. I walk in the house after a long day and immediately smell POOP. I rush to the kitchen...nothing. I rush to the bedroom..nothing. I walk back outside to notice that our sewage is overflowing all into the neighbor's yard. Apparently Lake Caroline has these things on each house called grinder pumps. Never heard of or seen one before...but we have one...and something was going very wrong with it! I called about 4 plumbers with no luck of anyone working on grinder pumps. I called the Canton Sewer Dept. and 2 very nice African American men came pretty quickly. Grinder pumps are like deep wells that hold your sewage before it is ground up and sent off to the sewage. 2 problems..first of all..it was not ON and second the motor had come off of the hole. This was a really gross job..but they did it for me and left with smiles on their faces! (probably because I slid them a little cash for being so nice and doing what they really shouldn't have done) I must've appeared really needy or something. On to good news..Drew is finished with his Infantry course and will be leaving Georgia around lunch tomorrow. He should be home by 6 or so. Hannah is going home from school with a friend, so we will really get to spend some quality time together. I won't put him to work as soon as he walks in the door or anything! Hannah is excited about her sleepover tomorrow night. She had a list of things to pack. The friend has one of those Neutrogena Waves they advertise on tv. (I believe this is basically an electric toothbrush for the face)They are very excited about "doing each others face." I would say that we are about to get settled but I keep forgetting where I put things. I guess it will all fall into place and I'll laugh about this whole experience one day. It is a good bit farther to drive in the mornings for school and work..but I believe I found someone to carpool with tonight that lives out this way. That will help tremendously! God has been so faithful to us during this time...was I always faithful and trusting in Him? Absolutely not. I don't know why I ever worry about things working out. They always seems to...Not exactly when I want them to..but in His own time...and that's the best timing there is.

FINALLY!!

So..this has been what all the fuss is about..I wouldn't dare do inside pics yet cause there are boxes everywhere!! We were able to close on both houses Friday and move. My parents and brother helped me..along with the movers. I most definitely wouldn't have made it without them!!! I think I was in denial...didn't realize we had that much JUNK! A little pointer for anyone thinking of moving...If you haven't used it in a year...Get rid of it!! My sister came and helped for a while on her way to pick up her husband at the airport. She laughed at my "80's sweaters" that I still have! Everything went pretty smoothly until we decided to call it a day around 11:00 Friday night, get hot showers and crash. I realized no one ever came to turn the gas on!! Long story short..the gas was FINALLY turned on today..so we should have hot showers tonight and I can't wait!!! Hannah had been dying to use the whirlpool tub, so I filled it about 1/4 full of water and boiled about 12 dutch ovens of water and added to it. We did get to have a hot bath last night but it was ALOT of work!! Hannah said, "We're doing like they did in the old days Mama!" Drew will be home Sunday to see the house with everything in it for the first time so I'm trying to get things semi straight before he gets home. More pics to come as soon as I can get things straightened out!!

Home is Where the Heart is

Well, once again , we plan to close on our house and the new one this Friday. Things are looking pretty positive and I think it will go off without a hitch. In the mean time, I've been packing fast and furiously. Hannah is a great help labeling each box for me. Drew is frustrated he can't be here to help out (yeah right!!) I keep telling myself, "You can do this..you can do this." In cleaning out old things and going through pictures, I've really enjoyed the packing process. It has made me think about what a home really is. In the short 9 years we've been in this house..it has certainly become a "home" for us. Somewhere we all feel good and safe. Hannah's first steps were taken here, she learned to ride her bike with no training wheels in the street out front, we've grilled out many a night with friends and popped at least a million fireworks in the driveway. In the living room is where we prayed with Andrew and Matthew when they were 8 and asked Jesus into their heart. The ditch in front of the house has about 1,000 hours of playtime in them..and also the place Drew tore his ACL trying to get away from yellow jackets! This is the place that I clung to when Drew was in Iraq...and the place he came home to. We've celebrated so many birthdays, anniversaries and holidays in this house. As thrilled as we are to start a new chapter in our lives with this new house...the "home" on Auburn Drive will be missed for a good while I'm certain. For these last few days we have here..even though surrounded by walls of boxes..and Drew in Georgia...I'm making the most of our "home"!!! It's where my heart is today.

Fourth Grade

Well, our baby is in the fourth grade. She bounded out of bed this morning like it was Christmas! I had been worried she would have a hard time because she has been staying up really late and sleeping until 11:00. I have a feeling that getting up at 6:30 in the morning will start to get to her after a few days. We'll get back into the school year routine soon. Lots to blog about this year I think. I signed her up for basketball and pep squad at her school and soccer will be starting here towards the end of the month. She LOVES soccer and I love watching it!
Well, on a bad note...the closing on the houses pretty much fell through. I've come to believe that maybe it just wasn't meant to be..as much as we loved the house at Lake Caroline. Maybe God has something much better in store for us. I am sure that He does. That's how he operates. So our house is officially back on the market. Please pray that someone buys it soon. Hey..we're already packed! We can move in a hurry if we have to! God has taught me a good lesson about patience and having faith that HE knows best in every situation. That doesn't by any means that I like it...I'm really stomping my feet at Him on this one, but I'm trusting Him that He will show us the best way.
Drew leaves for Fort Benning Friday morning. Pray for him while he is away and for his traveling safety!

Tupelo and cleaning

We celebrated Drew's birthday yesterday at his Mom's in Tupelo. We had the regular spread of home-grown vegetables, chicken and dumplings, birthday cake and homemade vanilla ice cream. She had his old jeep restored that he drove as a teenager. From what I understand if that jeep could talk, it would write a book. The boys just got their driver's license, so of course I had to make their picture each in the jeep. It seems like just yesterday they were riding in the battery charged jeep!
We went out to the Lake Caroline house this afternoon and cleaned the whole downstairs and hung light fixtures...without the A/C cooling, you can imagine how HOT we were!!! This will be a very busy week for all of us. Hannah starts school Thursday. We have Ice Cream social at school Wednesday night and find out who her teacher is and all of that good stuff. Hopefully all goes as planned with closing...possibly Thursday afternoon. Drew has to be in Columbus, GA by 4 Friday. We'll do as much as we can together..but whoever feels the need to lend me a hand..it would be much appreciated!!

SOLD..I think

I know I haven't blogged all week, but it's really been busy at work. The "wisdom tooth harvesting season" is about to wind down when school starts. Between that and trying to pack a little of our things each day..I haven't had a chance to do anything! The sign on our house says, "SOLD", but we have come to realize..or at least I have how many definitions this word actually has. As of today, we are closing next Friday, August 8. We're holding our breath that all goes as planned...which is to close on both houses first thing and get all moved the same day. Keep in mind, Drew needs to leave sometime around lunch for Fort Benning, Georgia...where he will be for 2 weeks. Planning to move all or most of the boxes ourselves and hire movers to do all the big stuff...and we have ALOT of it! It's amazing what you acquire in 9 years!!! Packing slowly has given me the chance to go through alot of stuff and throw away...and find alot of cool stuff that I have looked for but couldn't find.
Well, we are about to head to Tupelo to celebrate Drew's birthday that is next Wednesday with his family. Post some on that later..