Happy Birthday, Jane + Screamin' Younguns

My sister had a BIG birthday yesterday. I won't 6 say 0 how old, but you get the picture. We surprised her with a family dinner over here. She thought I was taking her out to eat, but the whole family came (minus Andrea who was working & Jan who was at the doctor). Even my brother Jerry drove over from Irmo to be here. His wife stayed back b/c her horse Mia had to have stitches & she was conferring with the Vet.

Tom grilled pork chops which were divine. For dessert, I fixed strawberry shortcake. It was the largest pile of red & white sweet stuff that I've ever dealt with.

You can see the rim of the bowl & how far above the rim the dessert goes. It's also dripping down the side of the bowl. It was good!

I did not get any pictures taken during dinner nor any time after dinner. There was a good reason for that. Remember the old song "Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This"? Well, last night was a rare night when both G.G.'s were in full vocal mode. Cady still doesn't feel well after being sick over the weekend. Brie had only a 30 min. nap all day long and she was super tired. That related to both little girls crying throughout the dinner, dessert, card/gift opening, and until they departed. All of us were tag-teaming with screaming babies. When someone finished eating, they got a crying baby. It was especially interesting that my brother Jerry is not able to attend any of our regular Tuesday night dinner. Last night was a treat for us to have him. Of course, that would be the one night when both little girls were in rare form. He just laughted along with us. What else could you do? The babies couldn't help it; they were tired and cranky. That's life. Brie comes today for a few hours. I hope she slept well last night.

Here are some pictures before the girls started the crying chorus in stereo.

Cady got in this position and stayed for the longest time. Weird, huh?

Is this not a Gerber baby commercial? Love it!

Mark & Brie; Tom & Cady

Michelle & Chad with Cady

Brie with her cute little bow.

Both G.G.'s came dressed to the nines - bow in hair and precious shoes. By the end of the evening, the shoes were off and who knows where the bow went.

My Saturday: From A Haven Of Rain To A Den Of Chaos

I love the rain. Rain makes me very relaxed; it puts me to sleep. I really enjoyed the rain over the weekend. Friday night I took something to help me sleep b/c during the last few months, my sleep pattern has been terrible. So I was in a deep sleep that night. Saturday morning Tom woke up and was at Matt & Abby's by 9:30 a.m. to help Matt with the hardwood floor project. I'm sure he told me goodbye, but I honestly don't remember the conversation. Every time I'd become partially awake, I'd hear the rain and turn back over. I didn't get up until 10:30! I never, ever sleep late like that, but it felt great!
Abby took Cady to the doctor Saturday morning b/c she had a bad cough and congestion. Thankfully, Cady does not have bronchitis. Abby asked me if I would ride with her to run some errands so she didn't have to get Cady out in the rain. (Then I was to stay at Abby's and help out with Cady while Abby did some painting.)
Abby made two or three stops while Cady slept in the carseat. I sat in the passenger's seat and it wasn't long before I was nodding, too. Rain does that to me. By the time we arrived at Abby's house, I was about ready to find a bed and snooze away. Was I in for a surprise. I left a serene car and entered the world of ear-deafening noise and chaos! I have never in my life heard so many different loud noises in one place. Here's a list of what I dealt with:

1. Hammering - lots of it.
2. Hardwood planks slamming onto the floor above me.
3. Empty hardwood plank boxes sliding down the staircase
4. Ab moving and clanging a ladder while she painted
5. Electric saw
6. Vacuum attachment to electric saw to catch wood shavings
7. LOUD compression nail gun machine
8. Dogs barking (Ab & Matt have 2 and they were dogsitting 1; that = 3 barking dogs)
9. Phones ringing - my cell which was across the room and their phone, also across the room.
10. The TV - however, the TV was the very least of the noise.

All during the chaos of noise, I held a sleeping baby. Cady felt bad and she slept through all the noise. I don't know how, but she did. One time when Tom left, he accidentally pushed the doorbell instead of the garage door opener. The dogs went NUTS! It took forever to get them settled down. There was so much noise in that house that I thought my brain would erupt from cerebral overload!

We left around 8 p.m. and came home to a very quiet house where I cherished listening to the rain once again. Silence is golden.

Here are some pictures from the last week.

See Cady's cute knees? That's what my right knee looks like!

Papa, Ab and Cady

My sweet cheeks

Big-eyed Brie with her bunny outfit

She appears to be looking down at the rabbit

Love that face.

Random Thoughts

• I'm so glad I don't see those little ugly creatures hopping around my house (crickets).



• Tom's helping Matt lay hardwood upstairs. I'd like some . . . .



• I need new flops.



• My desk is so cluttered that I can't see the wood grain.



• I need a road trip. Anyone?



• My knee does not like this rainy weather.



• Why can't our city/state repave I-385? When I drive there, I get severe head trauma.



• I'm unorganized. I bought a book about organization and now I can't find the book.


• I'm trying to let my hair grow out. I'm getting sick of the awkward stage. I may get rid of this hair . . . one strand at a time!


• For a foreigner, the English language must be very difficult to learn. The pronunciation of words is not an exact science. Ex: Why isn't "have" a long A; "save" is? "Hive" is long I, but "give" is not. "Seen" is a long E, but "been" is not. And what about "has" and "was"? And "do" and "so"? "Good" and "food"? "Work" and "cork"? "Pint" and "hint"? Is it just me, or shouldn't all these words rhyme? Random.

I'm about to crank Tom's boat and head on over to Abby & Matt's to watch the hardwood flooring expo.

I Am In The Middle Of A WAR!!!!

We Have Been Invaded By Camel-Back Crickets!!!!

This is not the first time we've had problems with those darn crickets. We've already had our home sprayed twice. We can't seem to get rid of them. Let me tell you about Camel-back Crickets.

They are gross. Granted, they don't bite nor do they sting. They don't even make the cricket noise. I don't care. I hate them. Do you want to know a weird fact about these crickets? Their vision is backwards. When they think they are jumping away from the predator (i.e., me), they actually jump toward the predator (i.e., ME). EEK! Must have something to do with nature's way of protecting them from predators. Those crickets must be little scaredy cats but their backward vision makes them look like the attackers. So does that mean if I befriend the camel-back crickets, they will actually jump away from me? Maybe I should start calling, "Here, little cricket. Here, little cricket." Or maybe I should put out signs saying "Camel-back Crickets Are Loved Here." Would that make them jump away from me, all the while the crickets are thinking they are jumping toward me? This is reverse psychology at its best!

I was sitting on the love seat the other day. A camel-back cricket jumped on my hand. Freak out! Tom had one land on his face while in bed last week. Yuck! So, I called the pest control people again today. Once again they are coming out to spray underneath the house. That's the crickets place of comfort - dark, damp, cave-like residence. Oh! Wait. Maybe I should put in an industrial-size fan and bright lights underneath the house and really flush those little suckers out, what do you think? Spotlights on Camel-back Crickets! Yes. That's it. I'm on my way to Lowe's right now. . . . Oops. That won't work so well. Research says that the crickets eventually decide to leave their dark, damp environment and make their way inside the house. Why, I wonder, do they leave their environment and move in with me? My house is anything but dark & damp. I have lots of window w/o window treatments and I use a de-humidifier most of the year. So what gives? Am I just so darn likeable that camel-back crickets just want to be around me? Just kidding. I have one more observation about the camel-back cricket: Apparently, they are completely deaf b/c I scream hatred at them every time I see crickets and it doesn't faze them.

Abby's Ailment = My Gain

Abby has been sick for the past few days. Today she called and she was worse. Like her mom, she has another sinus infection. We're keeping our Dr. Handy Andy in business. The doctor's office is within walking distance of my house so I told her to drop off Cady and I'd keep her the rest of the day. Cady was so good. She didn't cry one time. She was so happy. We had such a good day together. Here are some pictures.

She's trying to turn over.

She loves to "eat" her bib.

I just love her smile. Her eyes smile, too.

A few nights ago, Tom & I kept Brie at her house. Andrea was working and Mark was playing in a basketball league. Brie was so much fun. She is so good-natured. Here are some pictures. Sorry for the poor quality. I forgot my camera (I was so mad) and these were made on my cell phone.

Mark was giving her a bath when we arrived.

She was sitting on the sofa like a big girl.

Playing with her feet - so cute

This is a pic of Cady one day last week.

The family came over for supper recently. Here are some pictures.

Andrea and Brie clowning around.

Brie is checking out Cady's shirt.

Mark & Brie

Mark & Abby with Cady & Brie

Cady is now sitting in a highchair. And eating cereal!

Mrs. Crock . . . Mrs. "Chronic Caller" Crock

Poor Mrs. Crock . . . she needs friends. I was out of town yesterday for several hours. When I returned, Tom said Mrs. Crock had called several times. Thankfully, I had told Tom about Mrs. Crock and he saw her name on the Caller I.D. She didn't leave any messages.

This morning I was sitting on the love seat reading the morning paper. I had not yet retrieved the cordless phone from its cradle. The land-line phone rang right beside me and I picked it up.

Yep. It was Mrs. Crock. She began pleading with me again about getting her out of Crackville. Believe me, if I could snap my fingers and move her I would, but it's just not that easy. She wants me to find someone in church tomorrow for her to move in with. I feel so bad for her, but I'm not about to solicit a church member to have a complete stranger move in with them. Mrs. Crock also pleaded with me to contact My Friend (or my former friend!) to be sure she calls her and tries to find her a place to live.

Oh, I forgot to say earlier that after our visit with Mrs. Crock the other day, My Friend and I went out to eat. My Friend said there was a place she'd been wanting to go, so we headed there. My Friend said she'd treat me to lunch since I was such a trooper. As luck would have it, there was a big sign at the restaurant entrance that said, "No Checks, No Credit Cards, No Debit Cards - Cash Only". Guess who had not a single coin with her. That would be My Friend. I picked up the tab for lunch. Friend, if you are reading this, "YOU OWE ME IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE".

My Friend received about 8 calls from Mrs. Crock yesterday. I suppose I should be grateful that I've only gotten one today. But, then again, I answered my phone, unlike My Friend.

Since I can't totally depend on my land-line phone to warn me, I might take this matter into my own hands . . . . . . .literally!

This sorta looks like me except that I always wear flops!

My World Today: From Senior Citizens To Babes

I went with a friend this morning to make a ministry visit. Had not a clue where we were going; had not a clue who we were visiting; had not a clue why we were visiting. Someone can say to me, "Let's go", and I'm sitting on ready. So off we went toward Greenville. My friend had only talked with this lady over the phone, so she knew about as little as I did. She didn't even really know what this lady wanted - just that she wanted my friend to visit. My friend had been on a TV show recently explaining a new ministry at our church concerning foster families and "wrap around" families who could help wrap their arms around fellow church families who are fostering. This lady, who I shall call Mrs. Crock (not her real name), misunderstood what my friend said on the TV show. Mrs. Crock thought the ministry was about "wrap around" families for widows/widowers. She was ready for someone to wrap themselves around her. My friend & I explained the misunderstanding to this elderly lady. My friend even said she would contact an agency who might be able to give her some direction. You see, Mrs. Crock lives right in the middle of "Crackville", SC. She is scared. She does not drive & she does not have any family. One of the first things Mrs. Crock said when we sat down was, "This neighborhood is very, very dangerous." Wow, thanks, my former friend.

Mrs. Crock is also very, very talkative. She must be quite lonely. It was difficult for my friend & I to get away b/c she just kept talking and pleading her case to us. Very sad. Mrs. Crock has the cell number of my friend and calls her very often. . . . 3 times this morning before 10am to be exact. While we were there, she asked me for my number so she could call me some time. I said, "Please give me your phone number so I can call you." I really didn't want to give my number out. I was trying to be gentle yet evasive with my response. Mrs. Crock is sharp. She got a piece of paper and had me write my phone number and the best time to call me. I almost wrote down the phone number of my friend Nancy (that's something Nancy would do), but I did write down my home number. I also wrote down the best time to call is between 9-11 a.m.

While we were visiting, my friend & I thought we heard a shot. Very unsettling. I was wishing that I had brought a can of Mace or brass knuckles. When we finally got inside my friend's car, we left and I know I saw "Crack" houses all around. Poor Mrs. Crock really lives in Crackville. I certainly hope the agency can help get her out of her living situation.

As we drove down the interstate, I looked over to my friend and said, "Friend, I have sinned." She said, "What do you mean?" I said, "I am rarely home between the hours of 9-11 a.m." But, to be honest, Mrs. Crock can call me any time day or night because she has my correct phone number. Darn

Moving on, this afternoon, I went with Abby to take Cady to have pictures made by the CRAZY photographer that did Ab's wedding. He's a nut! On the way, I was telling Abby the story about our elderly lady this morning. She asked what her name was. I said, "Mrs. Crock". Abby screamed, "You didn't give your phone number out to Mrs. Crock, did you?" Abby knows Mrs. Crock. Small world, huh? Seems her former boss met her while taking Meals On Wheels. He felt sorry for her and tried to reach out to her. He even took her to his house for Thanksgiving one year. Mrs. Crock visited Abby's former workplace. She called Abby's former workplace many, many times. So many, in fact, that Abby had to fib about her boss' whereabouts so he could get some work done. Abby told me in no uncertain terms that I would probably get several calls from her daily. I'm glad I have Caller I.D.

My friend & I parted ways around 12:30 today. She was going to the gym to work out. My friend just called me and said when she got back in her car from working out, she had FOUR missed calls from Mrs. Crock. I'm just waiting on my phone to start ringing.

And as far as Cady's photo shoot today . . . it could not have gone better! She was in the best mood. Denny took pictures of her "body parts". I told Abby it sounded like Denny was shooting a crime scene. Cady was dressed only in her diaper which was covered with a precious, white bloomer that had her initials monogrammed in hot pink. All her sweet rolls of preciousness were in view for the world to see. After about 30-45 minutes, Matt fed Cady a bottle. Denny asked Matt if Cady would possibly go to sleep. Matt said yes. Matt got her to sleep very quickly. Denny was able to take some pictures of her sleeping. And when she awoke, she laid so very still and smiled for a long time. He got some great shots. I cannot wait to see the proofs of this photo shoot. Just maybe I can scan one or two in the future for you to see.

Here are two pictures of Cady from a couple of days ago.

God Bless Courtney & Allen

May the Lord lovingly care for the six Tipping babies in Heaven.

May He strengthen, comfort and give peace to Courtney & Allen.

Call Me Crazy But . . . . . . .

I bought this book!

Disregard my earlier blog about hating Sudoku and never trying again. I was shopping Friday and saw this book. On a whim, I bought it. The instructions inside were so simple. Unlike instructions that I'd downloaded from the internet. I've done about a dozen. Mind you, the ones I'm on right now are the Easy ones. I have a few more then I advance to the Medium ones. Don't know if I'll get good enough to attempt the Hardest ones. But, hey, I'm very proud of me for at least trying again. I suppose it was the challenge. I don't like to admit that I cannot do something. Especially since I can do all the other things in the daily newspaper. I'm still not declaring that I love Sudoku nor am I saying that I'm good at Sudoku. Merely saying that I did try and I have succeeded on a dozen easy ones. I'll keep you informed if I continue to keep this habit. Don't bank on it.

Welcome Home, Tom! I'm Wilting Without You!

Tom rarely travels out of town on business. That being said, for the last 4 weeks, he's been gone 3-5 days each week. He's been in Georgia twice, Texas and Maryland. I don't like being in this big house all to myself. Don't get me wrong; I actually look forward to an occasional night alone - ya know, just blobbing around, staying up late, getting up later, eating whatever and whenever, no plans, no schedule, just ME time. But not a month of this. Even the neighborhood is excited about Tom returning today.

The neighborhood families (circa 1940) are thrilled you are coming home.

So what, you may ask yourself, has Joy been doing for the last five days? Well, I'm so glad you asked.

I have not been scared.

I had my alarm system in place (you must let me tell you about this new system). I felt very secure every night. I always leave a few random lights on when Tom's gone, so our Duke Power bill may be up this month.

I have been just a bit bored. (This is NOT a G.G.)

I've done more crossword puzzles, cryptoquotes, and word jumbles this week than ever before and I've completed every one. I've even tried my hand at Sudoku. Let me tell you - my brain is not wired to do Sudoku. I know it's not really a math game b/c it could be played with letters or colors, but just b/c I hate math so much, I HATE SUDOKU. I even printed out information on how to play. I didn't understand the instructions. I worked on one stupid puzzle last night til my blood pressure rose. I checked the paper this morning to see where I went wrong. I wasn't even close! The solution did not help me one little bit. I've decided to stick with crossword puzzles, cryptoquotes and word jumbles.

I tried to see if I could squeeze myself inside a banana box, but I got claustrophobic.

I was not sad.

Really, I wasn't. I rarely get sad or depressed. I was as happy as one can be sitting alone at night, sleeping alone at night, eating alone at night, watching TV alone at night, talking to myself at night, . . . .

That's me out there.

I was "Sleepless In Simpleville". When Tom's not here, I don't sleep well at all. I turn on the TV and watch anything that's not vulgar. I've had terrible sleeping habits during the last four weeks. One night I think I had 3 hours of sleep. Last night I slept 4 hours.This is how I looked this morning.

Some would say this is a major improvement.

So, Tom, when you read this: I missed you tons! I'm glad you're back home.

Let the firewords begin!

Now, let's get geared up to eat lunch at Anita's so you can bond with the G.G.'s!

Prayers For Courtney & Allen + Thankfulness For My G.G.'s

Update On Courtney & Allen & Babies
Last night Courtney delivered a baby boy who was unable to survive. At present, she is no longer having contractions and is resting. Both Courtney & Allen are at peace. Please pray for their five babies and for God's will to be done.
If you wish to keep up with this family, go to their website: www.thetippingfamily.com

The Last Few Days With My G.G.'s
Sunday Tom & I went to Abby and Matt's so Tom could see Cady. We had a very limited amount of time to be away so we didn't get to travel to see Mark, Andrea & Brie. Tom enjoyed kissing on Cady. Tuesday and today I helped out with Brie while Mark was busy and Andrea slept. Abby & Cady came by on Tuesday so both G.G.'s were together. That's always a fun time. Ab ran out to grab a sub sandwich. The minute she walked out the door both girls got fussy and both were crying at the same time. I got on the floor. I put Cady in one arm and Brie in the other and I tried to stick the pacifier in their mouths. It really was a crazy moment. I just laughed my way thru it - knowing that Abby would only be gone for 10 min. tops. One time I pretended to cry right along with them, thinking they might forget their problems when I chimed in. Well, they really didn't care if I cried or not. They just continued to let the wails crank on and on. Ab was surprised to find the mind chaos when she returned b/c they were so happy when she left. So goes the lives of 7 mo. and 4 1/2 mo. olds. When they're not happy, they sure let you know it!

Tom kissing on Cady

Maggie kissing on Cady!

Sweet Cady in her Bumbo (or as Tom says, her "Bimbo"!)

Brie was very happy on Tuesday

Cady visited yesterday, too. Looks like she got into Abby's blush!

Sweet cousins

I love this picture of their little hands and arms

Cady has a death grip on Brie's thumb!

When I was at Abby's recently, I took this picture of Cady while I was holding her. She was sound asleep and had her feet crossed!

I also love little chubby feet and legs.

Brie was here today.

Bright eyes and big smile!

Can you see her two bottom teeth?