Thankful

Usually we are thankful and express gratitude at Thanksgiving. For some reason, this past week, I have been reminded over and over again that I am thankful. What does thankful mean?
Thankful: adjective
feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative

Here is a list (I am a bullet point list type of girl) of 10 things I am thankful for at this moment:
1. I am thankful for Skip. He is a Godly man that honors his family, serves his community and is an all around great person. He never draws attention to himself or wants to be recognized. He is my rock, he is my best friend, he is my number 1 supporter.
2. I am thankful for my 3 wonderful babies. They drive me nuts at times but that is how the parent/child thing can roll at times. They are wonderful individual creatures. I am thankful for the time we get to spend together as a family. I am thankful that they are respectful and happy children (most of the time). I am most thankful that they know Jesus. Grant's health is 100% better. What a miracle!
3. I am thankful that we have a home that we love. This is our 5th house and we have been here 10 years. Yes, I get the urge to move into a bigger or newer house the my kids remind us that they LOVE it here. This house is big, bigger than we actually need. Most importantly, our neighbors rock! My kids have 20 instant friends to play outside on any given day. My kids still love to play kick ball, hide and seek, tag, build forts, etc. with the neighborhood kids. My neighbors would help us in any way at any time. We could buy a 'nicer' house but we couldn't buy these neighbors. As they say, priceless.
4. I am thankful for my parents. They are wonderful. We are all very close. They are still my mom/dad but they are more of my friends, counselors, supporters, encourager's now. The roles are evolving as we age.
5. I am thankful that all my medical tests this year have been normal. We are ready to battle anything thrown our way but we have been given clean results so far.
6. I am thankful that my hubby and I still have good jobs. I work part-time from home for an incredible company. Skip has a flexible schedule that allows him to be a part of the kids lives more while still succeeding in his job.
7. I am thankful for our little dogs. I never really considered myself a dog person but I love these little creatures. They are my company while I am working during the day.
8. I am thankful for our church. Our church has been instrumental in changing the focus of our family.
9. I am thankful for the opportunities we have to be together as a family whether that is watching a movie by the fire, traveling for vacation, to visit family/friends, going to dinner or having family dinner at home. I am thankful that our lives allow time. Or shall I say that I am thankful that we all value time with each other so much that we make our schedules fit "our" time?
10. I am thankful I am forgiven. I am definitely not perfect, never have been, never will be. I have had moments in my life where I was 'better behaved' than others. I am thankful that I am forgiven and restored. I am thankful that God forgives us and loves us for us. He created us to be individuals. I finally get that! God created each of us individually, why do we want to be 'like' someone else? That is no who he created. At 42, I get it!

Psalm 107:1 (NIV)

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

2009 Oh what a year...

2009 is a year I will remember for some blessings, some sadness and a bit of frustration. Yes, all 3 rolled into one year.

Frustration: For most of 2009, I have been battling some 'illness'. I basically consider myself a doctor so I have been frustrated with the profession and the time it is taking to find a diagnosis. I can say that my husband has been absolutely amazing. Skip allows me time to sleep when I need to sleep. He does most of the laundry and cooking. He even put the lights on the Christmas Tree and decorated the mantle this year. Waverly, Kendall and Grant has been very cooperative and understanding.

Blessings: Where to start? My dad and step mom, Martha, treated all of us to an incredible cruise to Alaska in June. It was more beautiful than I imagined. I recommend everyone go to Alaska at least once during their lifetime. It was great to spend time with our family.

A Fresh Hope has been such a blessing. We participated in quite a few outreach projects this year that kept us very busy. We did an Egg Hunt with Cedarcrest Church in April, Community Makeover at Compton Elementary in July, Back to School Celebration in August, Flood relief effort in September then October - December was geared towards the Hope for Christmas event.

Sadness: My step grandmother died this year, Mary Kaney. She was a dear sweet lady who loved her son, my mom, her husband, grandchildren and great grandchildren very much. She was my kids' step grandmother but loved just the same. My uncle Clayton died this fall. He was a man that supported me my whole life. I look back at all that I went through in my 42 years and he ALWAYS supported (maybe not agreed) but supported me. That means more than someone that just says what you want them to say. Uncle Clayton was a Godly man who loved the Lord and his family dearly. He is missed by many.

I also saw sadness with people that have lost jobs and suffered from the economy. I am a fixer and get obsessed with fixing things. I can't fix this issue and it is frustrating. I feel guilty because we are so blessed so I try to give to others as if it were Gods (and we know it is).

I was also sad because this illness has taken something from me. I used to be up and dressed by 6;00 AM every day. I never napped and was able to work 30 hours, be room mom, deal with doctor's appointments, drive car pools, etc. Now, I struggle getting what needs to be done accomplished.

So, what for 2010.. First and foremost, I am going to find out what is making me feel bad and tackle it head-on. I want to eliminate some things on my 'to-do' list and really be strategic in my day. I know i want to keep working with Liberty Mutual and am so blessed to have this opportunity for almost 19 years. I will keep volunteering with A Fresh Hope with more delegating. I will eliminate 'unnecessary' To-do's and learn to say NO. I use free time to rest, eat healthier and just be with my family. My incredible husband and family deserve my undivided time.

Odd post, especially after 6 months with no posting. Just a few things on my mind from this year and plans going forward.

Sappy story about Skip

Skip and I celebrated our 14 year anniversary last Tuesday. When I say celebrated, I mean the day came and went as we drove 3 whiny children home from the beach. We usually choose to go to dinner or something nice for our anniversary but timing wasn't on our side this year. Anyway.. what has the last 14 years meant.. Everything!!! Yes, I would do it all over again.

Things I love about Skip:
* Whistling.. he always whistles.
* He ties is cough drop wrappers in a neat little knot.
* He can talk in almost any accent. It always makes me laugh.
* Skip juggles
* He makes yummy noises when he eats wasabi.
* He brings me a large sweet tea (1/2 and 1/2) from Mickey's D's most every day.
* He brings my coffee upstairs for me in the morning.
* He takes really long cold showers. How in the world can he take cold showers?
* He let us get a dog even though he didn't really want one.
* Skip is so darn incredibly smart. He reads history books all the time. I do make fun of him because I don't understand the need to know about the wars I have never heard of. But, I admire his desire to learn more and more. He has has photographic memory which is amazing! He graduated from college 1 month after turning 20 because he clept so many courses.
* Skip sings and plays drums in the car all the time. Caught a good rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody in from a 'butt' call one time.
* He loves British humor. Frankly, I can't understand what they are saying. Maybe it is my southern upbringing.
* He is handy around the house. He has built a sun room, installed hard wood floors, built shelving, you name it.. he can do it.
* Skip loves his children more than anything. He is an absolutely amazing father. He is more consistent with discipline and boundaries.
* He reads to the kids every night.
* He is 43 and his iPod is full of hard rock, alternative and classic rock.
* Skip will ride his bike with the kids to Publix. He will take a back pack for the groceries he buys.
* Skip's closet is insanely organized.. Collars, colors, you name it.. they are in order. I used to find humor in hanging things up backwards.
* Skip gets embarrassed when other people make mistakes. Example: He will blush if an ice skater falls in a competition.
* He loves chapstick. I mean he is addicted to the stuff. He calls it Chappy. He even keeps tube in his jammie pants pocket.
* Skip loves the Lord. He has a very clear and pointed relationship with Jesus. I am in awe.
* Skip is one sexy dude! That's all I will say about that~
* Skip takes care of me and the kids. He would do anything (anything!) to keep us safe and make us happy. We are always #1 to him.
* Skip calls me several times through the day to chat or check in.
The list could go on and on....... He is more than I deserve!
I love you Skip!

Catch up....

My purpose in blogging was to document me our family activities for prosperity sakes. I am not a scrap booker. It is not that I have anything about scrap booking but I can't bear to cut photographs. I guess it is the photographer in me. As you can see, I have been rather slack in updating the blog. So.. here is an update of things going on in our crazy house in 2009.

February: It was a crazy month. We went to Disney for a long weekend. We only had 3 days of fun but it was a nice break. We went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and then downtown Disney one day. We had a great time. I think it was the first time I have been to Disney without a stroller or bag of some sort. I just went with my purse. I have to admit that I missed having a stroller as a 'carry-all' for stuff.

My friends, Angela and Tandy, came over for a wonderful day of cooking.. We cooked weeks worth of food for all 3 families. It was so fun! We gathered recipes that are great to freeze. We all purchased items for the big cooking day. Not only did this save time, it saved money. PLUS.. the food was fabulous.


Waverly has been growing her hair long for quite some time. She decided she wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love. So.. when her hair was long enough, we went to Tru at the Avenues and had her hair cut. They have to cut at least 10" to send to Locks of Love. This was a neat experience. Here is the before and after...



A Fresh Hope partnered with Cedarcrest Church to host an Easter Celebration in April. It was such a wonderful community outreach event. Skip even dressed up as the bunny.. Kendall was so embarrassed....




We had some friends over for an Easter Cookout and the bunny showed up again...


My sister-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends came for a visit. It is always wonderful to visit with the Doug/Steph Gilcrease family. If our kids grow up with 1/2 the manners and love of God as these kids, I will be one happy momma!

Genesis.... In the beginning...

Waverly and Kendall are participating in a Tech Fair tomorrow. We were really sweating on what to do for this project. Waverly and Kendall then came up with the idea to do it on Genesis, the first 7 days. So, they put photos we took and some photos (without copyright) and made a slide show. They then put Amazing Grace music in the back ground. The girls then took turns reading Genesis. I don't know if we did the project correct but it turned out to be a sweet project anyway. There is something so sweet about a child reading scripture. Enjoy....

2 degree changes...

The pastor at our church gave a message on making 2 degree changes. If you make small changes, then you are more likely to stick to your goal. Example, if you do not drink water but your goal is to drink 10 glasses a day, start with just 2 a day until you have accomplished that goal, add 2 more glasses, etc.

I want our kids to be goal oriented. I want them to think about their goals and ways to accomplish goals. Being reasonably goal oriented can help in your schooling, personal life, work life, family life, personal growth, walk in faith, etc. I gave everyone a piece of paper at dinner. The paper had the following:

2 Degree changes:
Home:
1.
2.
Health:
1.
2.
Heart:
1.
2.
What would you like to do in 2009?
What are 2 of your goals for the year?
1.
2.

I gave everyone 4 days to complete their sheet in privacy after much thought. We then all brought the papers back to the table and shared our goals, 2 degree changes and ways to accomplish our goals. It was interesting to see everyone's thoughts. I won't tell you Skip's goals or the kids' goals as that would invade their privacy. But.. I will tell you my goals to keep with my desire to be transparent on this blog. By the way, any suggestions on meeting the goals are welcome.

2 Degree changes:
Home:
1. Better bedtime routine- smoother, structured, nurturing
2. Plan meals ahead of time to cook more nutritious meals, more family meals, save money, healthier meals...
Health:
1. Cut back on Diet Coke- 2 or less a day
2. Lose 5 lbs.
Heart:
1. More dates with Skip
2. More prayerful family

What would you like to do in 2009?
Go to the Laser Show at Stone Mountain, Rent a boat on Allatoona (annual tradition)

What are 2 of your goals for the year?
1. ~Successfully make tuition payments~
2. Fix up the Laundry Room

So far... I am doing pretty good with my 2 degree changes except for the 5 lbs. change. I haven't put forth any effort on that change so it will remain. I am down to 2 or less Diet Cokes a day. We will bring out our sheets in a month or two for a goal check. For goals reached, we will replace it with a new 2 degree change. I'll post an update in a month or two on my goals. Wish us luck!

Waverly and Kendall were Grand Marshalls

Friday was Mt. Paran Christian School's Homecoming Parade. Waverly and Kendall had the privilege of being the Student Grand Marshalls in the parade. A wonderful mom from Mt. Paran (and our church) won the position in an auction. She turned the opportunity over to Waverly and Kendall for their service with A Fresh Hope. It was so neat that Kendall was recognized. She does so much of the grunt work for A Fresh Hope but is very behind scenes. She stuffed back packs for hours and hours this summer. Waverly and Kendall got to ride on the back of a car and wave at everyone on the parade route. They seemed to be okay until they reached their own classes. They were then embarrassed a little but still smiling from ear to ear. It is neat to be in a school with graes K-12 where the younger students get to participate in the spirit type of activities. All high school grades created the neatest floats. Fun day!

be still....

As all momma's do, I love my kids. I love my kids more than I ever knew possible. I love their individuality, their spirits, their hearts, their little faces, their cute fingers and toes, and their presence. I don't always take the time to stop and be still. Time is flying by and we all need to be still and soak in the moment. Life is so busy and I find myself multi-tasking to get things done. I am undoing back packs, repacking back packs, signing agendas, checking homework, packing snacks, finding sports uniforms, and forget to stop, look in my child's eye and say "tell me about your day". I am working on stopping the multi-tasking and sit down to watch a movie with them, cook with them, shoot hockey goals, and pray with them.

I very clearly remember a moment in Grant's life. He was 6 weeks old and EXTREMELY critical. He was on a respirator and his stats were horrible. He was in the Cardiac ICU at Egleston after crashing and having a Code Blue called at Scottish Rite. I remember the surgeon walking in on Thursday night at 7:00 on 8/11/01 and say "if he is still here tomorrow, we will do surgery." At that very moment, my heart sank. I was incredibly nauseous and felt like I was having an outer body experience. I remember laying in bed that night. I cried harder than I have ever cried in my life. I prayed so hard and so long. I was trapped in a hotel room unable to sleep and panicing. I had to be still and be with God. I asked God to give me one more smile. I told him I would be okay with a trachetomy, trachea reconstruction, severe disabilities, medical issues but I just wanted my little boy to give me one more smile. I can honestly say that I felt God speak to me. God gave me a sense of peace that he would make it through the the night and through the heart surgery the next morning. That was good enough for me.. after that, God was faithful. Grant stayed on a vent for quite some time after the surgery as he was having a tough time. I remember walking into CICU 1 week later and seeing Skip leaning over the crib. I saw Grant look up at Skip and smile. I was warm all over. God had his hand on me. I have no doubt that God sent that smile to me. Grant was a medical miracle but more than that, he was God's miracle.

Why am I telling this story? I am telling this story because those very specific moments are so special to me. They were me and God. A moment that I was able to feel and understand because I was still. We need to be still. We need to be still in the moment with God and be still with our children. Time keeps ticking.. our children are growing up. Cherish the little things.

Gilcreases go Green

The Gilcreases go green.. say that 4 times fast. Well, let's just say we are making 2degree changes in our lives to start living a more environmentally friendly way. Our trash company doesn't put much effort or availability on recycling so we took the easy way out. We are now recycling plastic and cans. We take them to a local school for drop off. We took our tree to Home Depot to be chopped into mulch. We took it one step further and had a truck full of the mulch dropped off here. We are going to have to put it through chipper one more time but it will be great mulch for the natural areas in our back yard.

My hubby is the most studied human that I have ever met. Come over to our house and you will find a library FULL of history and science books, a downstairs office full of books, bedroom bookshelves full of books and a stack from the library at any time. Skip reads several books at one time. None of them are at all appealing to me. His last book was 1300 pages of Lincoln and his cabinet. My point with this is that he is very educated, very! I go to him with questions all the time. My latest was concerning global warning. How in the world can people say Global Warning does not exist? That blows my mind. How do people think we are not effecting the environment? If you have ever flown into Atlanta on a hot humid day in the summer and have seen the thick yellowish/grayish layer of smog, you will see we do have an impact on our environment. You almost wonder if the plane will be yellow when we get through the blanket of yuck. Yes, the earth has warmed and cooled over time but NEVER as fast as it is now.

I think we need to teach our children to respect the environment. My children were actually proud of us for starting the recycling. I think they are taught recycling at school and it should be enforced at home. I am looking for ways to do better. If you have any ideas, please comment. I would love some 2% Green ideas... Thanks Jim for the ideas.. will change the light bulbs on the next trip to Home Depot.

Gilcrease Bow Tie Pasta Salad

If you know me, you know I am not a cook. I cook because I need to feed my family. Other than that, I get very little enjoyment out of it. Due to my lack of enthusiasm, my end product is usually lacking. My most awesomest hubby is a fantastic cook and loves to cook. So, we make a great pair.

There is one thing that I can cook well. I guess it involves more cutting and mixing than cooking but I think it will fall into the category of cooking. I decided to add this recipe to my blog. My buddy, Crumbs in my butter, adds recipes and they are always yummy.

Gilcrease Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Salad:
8 ounce Bow Tie Pasta, cooked
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (Hint: Use the basil sun dried tomatoes feta cheese)
1 celery rib thinly sliced, optional ( I do not add celery- personal preference)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Chopped olives, optional ( I do not add Olives- again preference)
¼ cup pasta salad dressing

Dressing:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 green onion thinly sliced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried tarragon
¼ tsp salt
Whisk together salad dressing ingredients

Make the night before. Add ½ of the dressing the night before and the remaining amount before serving.

Garnish with Fresh basil and Plum Tomato wedges right before serving.

I usually double the recipe since bow tie pasta comes in 16 ounce boxes at Publix.

Bon Apetite

BUUURRRRRR!

Woah! It is cold here in the deep south. It was 10.9 degrees this AM with a wind chill of less. I am okay with cold weather but this is uncomfortably cold. I am sure Skip enjoyed letting the dog out at 5:00 AM while she ran and played enjoying the outdoors. We lived in New Hampshire for 4 years. Waverly and Kendall were born in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is part of the great white north and has a reputation for some pretty cold winters. But.. something is different there. I don't know if it is because it is less humid or you just get used to it but it doesn't feel as cold as it is now in Georgia. I remember walking the streets of Portland, ME one night window shopping and the temperature was -1 degrees. It wasn't this cold. I remember thinking.. "Boy, I am not cold right now. Odd?"

In the 4 years we lived in NH, we only had to plow our drive way a couple of times. We lived on a beautiful peninsula in a town called Dover, NH. The Great Bay surrounded our peninsula. Since we were close to water, we didn't get as much snowfall as they did inland. We had to cross a large bridge to get to our house. There would be tug boats (the old fashioned red and black ones) pulling large barges up and down the bay. Maine was on the other side of the bay. I can tell you that as beautiful as the view from that bridge was... it was also a terror on snow days. Me.. with my GA plates.. would drive about 5 mph over the bridge. I would be white knuckled on all 10. I am sure I aggravated the stew out of all the Yankees behind me.

So.. here we are in GA. Thankful we will not have to go out today. Sorry our kids had to get on a school bus... Freezing our little tails off... drinking hot coffee... praying for a snow day.. and complaining. But, it gives our Yankee Transplant friends something to talk about. And Yes, we will all buy bread and milk today even though there is no chance of snow. Just in case.. you never know.

Yea Kendall!!! You did it!!!!!!!!

Hip hip hooray... We are jumping up and down in our house today. Kendall and Waverly got their report cards yesterday and both of them got straight A's. Waverly has gotten straight A's her whole life but this was a first for Kendall. We are proud of Waverly's grades but wanted this post to be a celebration for Kendall. Kendall is a very bright young lady with significant dyslexia. We have explained this to her as a gift, it makes her who she is. A lot of folks have contacted me about her dyslexia because they may be experiencing something similar with their child. From everything I have read, dyslexics have a larger right brain than left brain. PHonics and spelling are in the left brain which explains why it is so hard to grasp those skills. People with dyslexia tend to be very creative and think outside the box. The number of people with dyslexia that have changed the world is amazing: Eisenhower, Patton, CHurchhill, Picaso, Mozart, Beethoven, George H Bush, George Washington, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur, Da Vinci, etc. I could go on and on... God will use Kendall's dyslexia one day.

Here's the story... Kendall had a difficult time learning to spell, read her sight words and other basic skills. She was on grade level so was not tested by the school system. We finally followed our instinct and got testing on our own. The path we took enabled her to get the proper testing and it was covered by health insurance. We explained the scenario to our pediatrician who then referred Kendall to a neurologist. The neurologist did some basic testing and referred Kendall to an educational psychologist. The testing was extensive and took several visits on her part. Skip and I also had an appointment. The teachers had to fill out paperwork. So.. we went in to meet with the psychologist to get the results of the testing.. turns out she is very very bright(gifted) but has a severe LD with spelling and written expression. She was given an IEP at school and put into an inclusion classroom. By the end of 3rd grade, she was miserable. By the time she got home from school, she was over it, done, finished, not going to do another thing. Her grades were suffering too. She came home day and and had left her books at school. She said to me, "I decided I will just take the X tomorrow." At that point, we realized that the environment was not for her. We cut back on whatever we could to finish the year. We did not ask her to take 1 single AR test the whole 9 weeks. Now, I am not against AR but it was another pressure item that was hanging over her head.

By the last week of 3rd grade, Skip and I just knew that something had to change. She is one of the happiest, bubbliest, outgoing kids on the block but all of that was going away. It is not worth it! We contacted Mt. Paran Christian School. Waverly was already at Mt. Paran but we had not enrolled Kendall out of fear that she would not get services she needed. We met with the principal and curriculum administrator (both have a dyslexic child). This was the place for Kendall. We found out that Kendall qualifies for the GA Education Scholarship. Any child with an active IEP that attends public school for 1 year can get a scholarship for private school. This is a huge blessing. If your child has an IEP, check out the GA Department of Education website for scholarship information.

So, Kendall started 4th grade this year at Mt. Paran. Her teacher, Mrs. Gross, goes to our church, West Ridge. I can't exactly describe why this year has made such a difference to Kendall. I don't know if it is the class size, structure, teaching styles, staff, environment. I think the whole package is just the right fit for Kendall. The work is harder than she was used to but it is reinforced in a way that she responds to. She had strep throat this week and missed 2 days of school. She cried each day because she missed school. WOW.. what a change. Kendall has worked hard for straight A's and really done some extra studying but she has proven she can do it. She still has difficulty with spelling and written expression but her confidence is back. She is happy again and her anxiety is down. She is no longer on medication and does not have trouble concentrating in the environment. She also matured so that makes a difference.

I am not knocking her prior public school or any public school for that matter. Her prior school was an incredible school with incredible teachers. We miss the school and teachers terribly. Grant is still in public school and having a great time. If I learned anything from this very emotional experience, it is each kid has individual needs and that moms need to follow their instinct. I think we try to give the same to all our kids which really doesn't make sense when you think about it. We are all unique and respond to situations individually. We all have different learning styles. What is right for one kid may not be right for the other.

2008 Wrap up....

It has been a long time since I blogged. Sorry.. life just got crazy with the holidays, outreach and family activities so some things had to be put on the back burner. New Years has past and it is a great time to reflect on 2008. Here is what our family was up to in 2008:

January: January started with the kids going to my moms for a few days. Skip and I had a wonderful time lounging kidfree, watching movies, cooking dinner, etc. Grant came back a complete sports fan since he participated in the college bowl game picks with my mom. Skip's brother and his family came for a visit in January. They stayed the whole weekend. It turned out it was the weekend it snowed. They live in Tampa so they do not get a lot of snow. The kids spent the weekend playing football, sledding and building snow-men. The adults stayed inside near the fire and watched movies. It was just good ole' lazy family time.



February: We went on a cruise to Cozumel Mexico and Key West, FL. It was a great get away for our family. The kids had one room and we had an adjoining room. Kendall met a sweet friend from Indianapolis. She makes friends so easily. Grant learned to shuffleboard and became competitive at shuffleboard as he does any sport.


Skip takes the girls to a Father/Daughter dance each year. The girls love this time with their daddy:


March: Kendall, Waverly and I spent the night at the Chattanooga, TN aquarium with Girl Scouts. We slept in the tunnel under the sharks and big sea turtles. It was really one of the most peaceful nights. I remember looking up and seeing a large sea turtle, hammerhead shark and parrot fish swimming above me.

=
Waverly and Kendall started spring soccer. They have been on the Bulldogs for years. This was their last season with the Bulldogs. We will miss that great group of families. Grant went to ADay (Auburn) game with my dad. This was the beginning of transforming the little guy into an Auburn Tiger. Skip and I went through a renewal with our marriage this month. It was a challenging process but our marriage has never been stronger.

April: We went to Panama City Beach, Fl for spring break. My dad and step mom have a place in PCB that they frequently loan us throughout the year.
We spent time with Kim Wood and kids. We always enjoy our time in FL for spring break. We see the same folks there every year. Kendall is 100% a surfer girl. I have no doubt that she will end up living on the coast one day. Mt. Paran had Service Day which is an awesome event. It was my first experience with service day. The entire school and parents participate in a service project for a day. I went with some kids to the Warehouse of Hope in Hiram, GA. Skip turned 40 something this month. I surprised him by getting his mom to watch the kids. I got a hotel in Atlanta and sent him a text to meet me there. He was very surprised. It was a fun little vacation.

May: I went to the beach with some lady friends of mine. This was the 3rd year we have gone to the beach for a kid-free weekend. It was fun as always. Our beloved baby-sitter heaven went to be with Jesus in May. She died in a housefire trying to save her 2 year old son. Amber's son made it out of the fire but Amber did not. Amber was Grant's baby-sitter when he was young. She is missed. Our family went to Cozumel with my father. We stayed at a resort we have grown to love. My dad has stayed at this resort many many times. They know his name and know we are part of his family. It was kind of like a homecoming for us and the kids. The kids absolutely LOVE Cozumel. See posting about Cozumel. Grant became an Atlanta Braves addict. Skip and Grant went to the Braves game any chance they could get.


Cozumel:


June: June was the beginning of a very busy and crazy summer. It started out with Kendall and Waverly going to Girl Scout camp for a week. They loved the camp and had a great time.

Waverly attended a soccer camp at Mt. Paran. Waverly and Kendall then went to Tampa for "Cousins Camp". Aunt Stephanie has the kids at her house each summer for cousins camp. It is great fun. She is amazing! The following week was SURGE camp for West Ridge. I taught a photography course to 3rd- 5th graders. It was an incredible experience. Waverly took cooking, Grant took basketball and Kendall took scrapbooking. Skip worked with the parking guys. A good time was had by all. We headed back to the beach to recover from the crazy month. Grant turned 7 and had football birthday party. See post about Grant's birthday.
We spent time with friends during the summer. Here is a photo of one fun summer day at our neighbors, the Dennehy's, pool:


July: Kendall went to an English camp at Mt. Paran. Grant went to my mom's house for a visit. Kendall then went to Camp Glisson in Dahlonega. This is a great Christian Camp out in the woods. Skip went when he was a kid. It is not fancy at all but a great way for the kids to have a good ole' fashioned camp experience. Kendall turned 9 while at Camp Glisson. She was showered with attention and really enjoyed having her birthday at camp. I felt like a heel for planning the camp week with her birthday in the week. She had a spend the night party when she got home from camp. The last two weeks of July were spent working on a Community Makeover with Engage Atlanta. www.engageatlanta.com We got a group of friends together and did a make-over on a friend's home. We originally were going to put down flooring and ended up hard-wording and recarpeting the entire home, painting the home, adding furniture, landscape work, doing extreme repairs, cleaning, making drapes, decorating.. It was truly an effort by many that has changed the life of the family.


We also spent the summer getting ready for the Back to School Drive. Boy oh boy did that take a lot of time. It is quite an experience working for your 10 year old daughter. We had to give our sweet dog Judd away. See post on Judd. We still see Judd often and he is doing great.


August: The big event in August was the Back to School Drive 8-9-08. This was A Fresh Hope and West Ridge event. Over-all, 1100 new back packs and supplies were given to kids in the area. It was a true blessing for our family. It really brought service to the forefront of our family mission. Skip and I started the Dave Ramsey course. Although we did not graduate, we did learn a lot. Even 5 months later, we are putting his principles into practice. Kendall and Waverly started Mt. Paran and Grant started Picketts Mill. All 3 have had an incredible school year so far and LOVE their schools. Grant went to an Auburn game with my Dad. I think they went to 3 or 4 games this season. It has been a great way for them to bond.



September: Skip and I went to the mountains for a little R&R. My mom came and watched the kids for the weekend. My kids love when Gram and Joey come to watch them. Skip, Waverly and Kendall went to Father/Daughter Girl Scout camp one weekend. This was their 4th year to go to this camp. They bike, hike, cookout, etc. Skip takes several tents. They are not roughing it as Skip is usually working on his laptop after the girls fall asleep.

October: October was jammed packed with flag football, soccer, fall carnivals and events, etc. Our kids once again got their flu shots. They just love getting the flu shots, ha ha ha... it is a sight to see. Grant has to get his at the pulmonologist because of his egg allergy. This month was monopolized by junky election stuff. I hate elections and have over-posted on this fact to date so I will just drop it. I was diagnosed with mono so our life slowed down a bit. Skip was diagnosed several weeks after me. Thankfully, the kids never got it which is amazing!

November: Waverly turned 11. We went to Tuscaloosa for a weekend for my cousin, Lindsey's, wedding. It was beautiful. I could not believe Little Lindsey was getting married. We then headed to Tampa for a visit with the cousins. My kids LOVE the cousins house. They have 6 kids and live on several acres. There is more than enough for any child to do at any time. I enjoy spending time with my sister-in-law Stephanie and the gang. Skip, Grant and Waverly went to the Bucs game before we headed back home. Doug is the Chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so we are big Bucs fans. Obama was elected President. It was a historical moment that our children will remember for a lifetime.

December: I am officially no longer 40 as I turned 41 this month. 40 is not nearly as bad as everyone makes it sound. In fact, I think it is better than 30. We spent the month preparing for the Outreach Party. The party was help on 12/21. A Fresh Hope partnered with 5 churches, CAYA and Toys For Tots. We had an incredible outreach event. Over 5000 in the community were served.. Amazing! see www.afreshhope.blogspot.com for more information. The kids had their annual Christmas party. They love doing this little party. It started 8 years ago as a cookie decorating party for a few kids. It is now 25+ kids with crafts, parents, and good eats. The boys typically play sports and the girls will do a craft.

Our Christmas was slimmed down this year but it was the best Christmas Ever!!! We spent more on giving than on our own gifts and felt very blessed in the end. Our kids "Got It" and that was the best part of all.
We adopted Lily Bleu in December. She was an 8 week old Goldendoodle when we adopted her:

This year ended in St. Louis celebration Grammy and Grandpa Gilcrease's 50th wedding anniversary. It was a great celebration of 50 wonderful years.

Thanksgiving doesn't get the credit it deserves....

Thanksgiving doesn't get the credit it deserves... Don't you think that is true? I mean, the Christmas decorations come out when the Halloween stuff comes down (and even before in some stores). It blows my mind that Halloween gets more press than Thanksgiving. I am not a huge fan of Halloween. The kids dress up, we carve 3 pumpkins and Trick-or-Treat. That is the extent of my Halloween decorations and celebrations. But.. Thanksgiving.. Wow.. we can't take a little extra time and reflect on what all we have to be thankful for? I think it is especially important to reflect this year with so much craziness going on in the world. Regardless of our circumstances at this very second, we have a ton to be thankful for. I am writing this blog for my kids. As a parent, I want my kids to grow up with a feeling of gratitude, a heart of compassion, a desire to give and a LOVE of Christ. (of course happiness, manners, success, etc. is thrown in there too but that will all come if the others are in place).

We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving Travels. This week, we are headed to Tuscalosa, AL (home of the University of Alabama but we will hold our nose while we are there, hardee har har) for my cousin LIndsey's wedding. Lindsey and I have been close her whole life. She is getting her Masters at University of AL. I love her anyway but I do feel a bit of betrayal if I must be honest. I am an Auburn Grad and spent the better part of my life swaying her in that direction. Seriously.. this is a great moment and we wish her the most wonderful marriage. We then come back for school Monday and Tuesday then head to Tampa for the holidays. Skip's brother Doug and his wonderful family are in Tampa. They have 6 kids and my kids LOVE to go to "THE COUSINS'". I love spending time with family during Thanksgiving. I won't see my mom or dad this Thanksgiving and I miss that but we try to alternate.

Thankful.. what am I thankful for:
* my wonderful family. My incredible husband and 3 wonderful children. My husband loves me with all of his heart. He is the most giving man I have ever met. My husband is an incredible father. This could be a blog in itself and it could be juicy.. he never reads this blog. My children are a gift from God. They are the "apple of my eye". I was truly blessed in the family category.
* I am thankful that my kids have 6 very involved grandparents who think they hung the moon. They have 4 wonderful great grandparents. My parents and I are still very very close. Our extended familes are very close.
* I am thankful for our jobs. We both work at home (Skip goes in a couple days a week) and get to be more involved in our home life and kids' activities. Things are less hectic.
* I am thankful that Grant has not have pneumonia in 1 1/2 years. Grant has had pneumonia over 30 times with 25+ hospilizations so this 1 1/2 years is HUGE! I am thankful that he is a miracle! I am thankful that we are not going to the hospital, doctor's offices or for testing every week anymore. I am thankful that he is not in pain or not feeling well, his oxygen level is actually normal and he is thriving.
* I am thankful that we have an awesome neighborhood. We are very close to our neighbors. We feel very safe. Our neighbors help each other when we are down. Our kids have 20 instant friends on our street alone.
* I am thankful that our kids have great schools and teachers. Waverly and Kendall are at Mt. Paran. Grant is at Picketts Mill. This is a time to give extra thanks for Kendall's success this year. Kendall is dyslexic and has had a hard time in school until this year. She is now making great grades, her self confidence has increased, she LOVES school again.
* I am thankful for A Fresh Hope. Waverly started A Fresh Hope to help others. Wow.. what a blessing it has been to our family. It has made giving service a focus of the family.
* I am thankful for West Ridge Church. Wow.. what a great place. Check it out if you are looking for a church in the West Cobb, Paulding area.
* I am thankful for our nation and the freedoms we have. We live in a great country and complain way too much. We all want everything OUR way which is not possible and quite frankly, is rather self centered. I think we could all focus on the incredible things about our country rather than picking apart everything that is not specifically benefiting ourselves.
* I am thankful for our friends. We have a great network of friends, some new and some old.
* I am thankful for the lifestyle we lead. Our Pastors just got back from Africa. Wow.. boy do we take things for granted. We have food anytime we want it, clean water, a house, safe conditions, we don't battle starvation and disease. 4 out of every 10 children die before the age of 10 in the poor areas of Africa. Can you imagine the loss they feel? Can you imagine the desire to just survive much less to be happy and grow?
* I am thankful my children know and love God.
* I am thankful that we are not under huge financial stress at this time but also hurting for those that are. Now is a time to focus on giving to others.
* I am thankful, not as much as I should be, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. I am thankful that we have grace and forgiveness through Jesus. I am thankful that we will have enternal life through our faith and trust in Jesus. Wow- if I can get a full grasp on that alone... everything else is just gravy.

We Failed Financial Peace University....

It's official.. Skip and I failed Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. We were very "gung ho" when we signed up but then mono struck. I posted my anxiety about the whole FPU, spending only cash, don't have fun, eat rice type of living in the beginning. We missed the past 7 or so meetings (there are only 15). We really did have a fun small group and hate that we didn't get to spend more time with them.

We have specific words that we choose not to use in our house: stupid, hate, dumb, etc. You get the drift. They aren't necessarily cuss words but tend to be over-used once they are allowed. Well..... knowing we don't use these words, they are kind of like cuss words when my kids say them. All 3 of them at one time or another said, "I hate Dave Ramsey, he is stupid." I sensed they were tired of hearing, Dave Ramsey would not want us to go out to eat, Dave Ramsey would not want us to go to Disney this December, etc. But.. it did give them insight as to how much money we spend on them. Our children are less than deprived and they needed this budget stuff to bring them closer to reality.

All and all...our mini Dave Ramsey class was beneficial. If it did anything, it made us think about what we spend money on and start to formulate a budget. We have never lived on a budget so this is a big deal to us. For that reason, the class was worth it. So.. I apologize for my complaining and would recommend this course to anyone, just be ready to be miserable for a week or two until you adjust.

Thank Goodness the elections are over.. well kind of..

Inhale.. exhale.. inhale... exhale.. inhale... exhale...

If you know me or have read any of my posts over the last few months, you have probably gotten the idea that I do not like elections. In fact, I can't stand elections. I think they bring out the worst in people and especially in Christians. I have never been so disappointed in some things in all my life. I don't care who votes for who but the it is the very opinionated "my way is the only right way" attitudes that drive me nuts. I have to remind myself... Would Jesus approve of the Christian's behavior during elections? I do not think so, not at all. Do non-believers see anything in Christians during elections that would draw them to Christ? I don't think so. I am generalizing but this election seemed particularly bad. Imagine how much Christians could do for the Kingdom if they put the same effort and emotion in the Kingdom as they do in elections?


A few tidbits about the elections:
*** Forum blogs will allow you to change your name each time you comment. I won't tell you how I know that but it does allow one to agree with a comment written by.. let's say... yourself under a different identity.
*** Obama got 10% of the votes at my daughters' private Christian school. Kendall told Skip Obama got 49 votes and thought that meant 49%. It turns out.. he actually got 49 votes out of 500. I had to explain to my children that we live in a Red state and that would not be that way in a Blue state. Hard to explain to a 7, 9 and 11 year old.
*** MOST (over 75% if I had to guess) e-mails sent to persuade other voters are false (Both Democrat and Republican). I have become very familiar with snopes.com and factcheck.org. It only takes 10 seconds to prove the e-mails wrong. I am amazed at how people can read e-mail SPAM and it turns into 'truth' (I use that term loosely).
*** Obama is not a Muslim. He has professed to be a Christian. Who are we to judge? I can't believe it when I hear that out of Christians' mouths.
*** The two folks in the GA Senator race have the meanest commercials around. They are not family friendly. I am so upset that we have a run-off: 2 phone calls and 4 commercials in 1/2 hour. I refuse to vote for either candidate. Where is Sam Nunn or Zell Miller when you need them?
*** A random guy named Robert Franz from Virginia sent me a long e-mail on my positions. He was apparently forwarded an e-mail from a friend to a friend.. and so on. I don't even know the guy and could care less about what he thought. I was amazed in the amount of time he spent on his e-mail. Wow.. get a life dude.
*** I stood in line for 2 hours to vote early. Skip voted on election day and stood in line for 25 minutes.
*** I didn't know who my husband was voting for until 3 days before the election and did not know who he voted for in other races until after. I like the fact that we make up our own minds. We have stressed this to our children.
*** John McCain's concession speech was incredible! I think he showed more grace in that speech than in the entire campaigning period.
*** I was glad to see Jessee Jackson and Oprah were not on stage with Obama. But.. why were they shown on TV over and over again.
*** I voted for Obama. I know.. some of my friends and families disagree but I don't care. It is my vote, my decision, my right. I have voted for both Republican and Democrat candidates. I have watched victory speeches before but never have I gotten chill bumps like I got this time. It was a very proud moment in the United States.
*** I honestly think some people thought the world would end on Nov. 5th. I found that very humorous but also felt sorry for the fear they must live under.
*** I am amazed at how much parents must say in front of their children. The things my kids heard at church, school and from friends would frighten anyone. Sad...
*** If you write in a candidate, they don't make the newspaper.
*** I honestly think Obama will pick a great cabinet and do a great job. I do not think he will carry a left agenda but will be a more middle of the road president. will he be perfect, No, absolutely not.
*** I wish politics didn't enter church.
*** The Voter stickers in GA can get you free food. Will remember that next year.
*** I am glad we will not do this again for 4 years. I will probably quietly research the candidates myself. I will ask my friends and family members on both sides to keep their spam and opinions to themselves. Remind me if I forget.

Happy Birthday Waverly!

Waverly Julia Gilcrease was born at 1:08 AM on 11-3-97 in Dover, New Hampshire. She was 19" long and weight 6 lbs. 8 ounces. I can remember the moment as vividly now as it was then. It was the most amazing moment!!!! How can anyone look at a child being born and question our God? She was our first and everything that implies. We did not allow the TV to be on if Waverly was in the room and we played classical music. Most of you that know me probably are laughing hysterically by now. Waverly saw her first TV show, TELETUBBIES, when Kendall was born compliments of a gift from my dad. Funny side note.. we loosened up by the time Grant came along. In fact, Grant's favorite song by age 2 was Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen. Waverly only had organic baby-food. Grant, age 2, ate several week old sausage out of his car seat without me doing much more than shrugging my shoulders in defeat. So.. there is a little perspective on how parents change as the birth order progresses. After the first 13 weeks (colic-ugh), Waverly has been a really easy child. She is a pleaser and wants to make others happy. Waverly did not have much time to be an only child as Kendall was born 20 months later then Grant was born when she was only 3 1/2.

Waverly has grown up into such a compassionate young lady. She is still very innocent at heart but empathetic way beyond her years. She started a non-profit called A Fresh Hope (see www.afreshhope.com). Her non-profit does work Skip and I to death but it is such a blessing to our family and others. We have no doubt that Waverly will end up in a ministry of some sort. We only pray that she is not living in another continent (for very selfish reasons). Waverly has a very close relationship with God and puts all her faith in God. She sees things very Black and White. She does not know boundaries in helping others and wants to save the world. It is refreshing but sad when she realizes that she cannot change something.

Waverly wants to go to the Biltmore House for her birthday. We cannot find a free weekend until after New Years so we will head there for a weekend in January. We are off to Aspens for dinner tonight. This is the first year she is not having a party. It is a little hard as I have thrown pretty big parties in the past. Last year, she rented the FUR BUS for 20 or so of her pals. This year will be quiet but it was her choice.

My heart hurts when I think of the short time left with Waverly living at home. I selfishly wish I could stop time. We are so proud of you Waverly! We love you Waverly! Happy Birthday!

Pumpkin Patch...

Isn't fall fun? Going to the pumpkin patches, picking out a pumpkin, hay rides, etc. I have been to Bert's Pumpkin Patch 7 times if you count each Pre-K field trip, each Kindergarten field trip and once as a family (we may have gone twice as a family). It is a great little place. I could probably give the speech on the hay ride if they needed a sub one day. This year.. we had every intention of going to a nice pumpkin patch, enjoying a fall day, drinking cider, going through a corn maze.

So.. off we go.. each kid had the joy of looking through all the pumpkins to pick the very special pumpkin for Halloween 2008. Skip helps find 'great' pumpkins as usual by placing each prospect gently on the ground. My kids have specific taste in Pumpkins. Kendall and I like the short fat pumpkins. Waverly and Skip usually go for the tall, thinner pumpkins. Grant is a wild card. You never know what he will pick.
Here are a few photos of our kids picking out their pumpkins.....








Our fall has been busy coupled with the fact that Skip and I have mono and not quite the energy needed to do a 'real' pumpkin patch. Our pumpkin patch this year involved a different flair (and I don't mean the Facebook flair). We didn't quite stroll through a corn maze. It was maze of stuff, isles of goods and carts of groceries but not necessarily a corn maze. We didn't ride on a hay ride or drink hot cider. But.. we have 3 pumpkins that have been hollowed out ready for the cutting tomorrow night.
Here is a photo of our pumpkin patch destination (wouldn't Dave Ramsey be thrilled- check out the price of those pumpkins):

Christmas Party

Hey friends.. Skip and I have decided we are not going to have our annual Christmas Party this year. It has turned into a wonderful tradition and are sad about skipping it this year. Skip and I both have mono and have been warned by the MD that we need to take it easy this holiday season (yea right). We are going to AL and FL during Thanksgiving. Waverly's foundation, A Fresh Hope, is having a Christmas event on 12-21-08. Squeezing a Christmas party seemed like too much this year. We hope to see you all at our party in 2009.

Blogging limitations

A read a lot of really funny and inspiring blogs. A lot of the blogs are written by moms of younger children. The stories are very funny and I can related to most of them. So.. here comes posting on my blog. You see, I have to be careful posting on my blog because my 2nd, 4th and 5th graders are frequent viewers of the blog. If I were to post an embarrassing story, it would not be a good day in the Gilcrease household. I wouldn't want to embarrass them but there are some stories I think are funny and sweet that would be a reason to move to Canada in their book. I would love to tell stories of funny things they say or do but I will just have to jot a little note down and save it for when they have kids.

Another limitation is my kids' friends also read this blog (Hello Brandon and Megan)... so even if my kids missed a funny story on this blog, their friends would be sure to tell them about it. I was almost most in hot water over the ear piercing story. So... for now.. we will have to stick to censored stories for curious minds.

RANDOM UPDATE: Skip now has mono. Wonder where he got it from?