OBX bound!

We're going back to the beach baby! Heading out for OuterBanks, NC on Saturday and staying in a beach house for a week. My dad will be joining us for a couple of days. He's really looking forward to it too. We're going to take the boys' fishing poles this year so they can fish at the sound. This year we also plan on going up in the lighthouse too. Last year it was closed on the day we were there. I'm looking forward to getting fudge at Timbuck II and saltwater taffy. It's so awesome there. My mom will be dog and cat sitting for us. I'm not sure if I'll post while I'm there or when I get back but I put on a beach picture from last year just to make you say Ahh! at the beauty of the ocean. The kids are really excited (except for the fact that Brenden will miss the field days at school and he'd rather be there...too bad so sad!). Cassidy is looking forward to swimming in the pool. She keeps asking about it all the time. The boys have saved up all their allowance money to take and spend there and we agreed to match whatever they've saved. Well, I'm off to the store now to buy some of the non perishable food to take there cuz it's cheaper here! I've got to get the kids some flip flops so they don't have to wear their good sandals to the beach, pick up my medicine, etc. I've got a busy couple of days before we leave so I'll write to you all again either during or after vacation. Wish me good weather!

Salute to the Troops

I got this poem from another mom on cafemom:


I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years
. How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

By Kelly Strong, 1981



As memorial day approaches, it reminds me of the sacrifices made by our soldiers, their wives, children, moms, dads, and family and friends. I am proud, grateful, humbled, and honored to wave my American Flag on Memorial Day and every other day. It shouldn't take a holiday for everyone to say "thank you" to the soldiers but I think we tend to forget what they are giving up to fight for our freedom. Another mom from cafemom who is a military wife said that her husband served before Sept. 11 and has been in Iraq now for the past 2 years and that he strongly believes that pulling out now will only strengthen the "bad guys" and they'll be stronger than ever and we'd be having it come back to our "backyard" again. They are fighting and dying over there to keep this from happening and we tend to forget about the war and their sacrifices because it's been going on so long and there is no support for them any longer. What we don't see or hear about, we don't think about. I have and always will support the troops and what the war means for our country. I'm a daughter of a veteran, a cousin to many veterans (Jay, Jeff, Matthew) and great niece to an uncle who lost his life in WWII. So I thank you to all of you who served and to the future generations of my family who may someday wish to serve. Matthew has just finished serving our country recently and is home safely. Thank you Matthew for all that you did for Americans. Thank you for our FREEDOM. Thank you for keeping America safe. God Bless!

My other blog....

I started another blog (see link to the left) dedicated solely to my COACH purse business. This blog will have pictures, descriptions, and asking prices of each purse available. If you or someone you know is interested in Coach purses, please send them my way. The direct link to the purse blog is www.juliescoachstore.blogspot.com

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day to all my friends and family who are moms and grandmas. My mom took me to Red Lobster on Saturday afternoon and got me a gift card to Irelands spa for a haircut and style. You all know I never get my hair cut but I've been mentioning that I want to cut bangs again so she got that for me. My brother got mom a gift certificate for a facial (cause she wants one) and I'm doing the pedicure for her (cause she wants one). Richard and the kids took me (and mom) to lunch yesterday and I'm getting a willow tree angel of protection that I want and it just hasn't got here yet. I collect the willow tree angels and I have all the mother and child ones. They are so beautiful. So that was my day. We were going to go to the park but it rained all day and there were tornado warnings in Columbus so we stayed put! Nothing came our way though....whew!

Three weeks til vacation and I hope it isn't this cold when we leave! North Carolina isn't too much warmer than us right now so I really hope the pool is heated or we'll be hanging out in the hot tub the whole time!

Spencer's Birthday Party

Here's my little buddy posing for his birthday picture! I can't believe he's already 5! Spencer opening his TV. He got a 20" tv so he can play his video games in his room now, away from a certain little girl who may or may not unplug it and mess him up......He really wanted a tv so he doesn't have to sit and watch Brenden take such long turns too.

Here he is on the trampoline that my mom bought him. FYI: apparently "easy to assemble" means 4 1/2 hours! That's how long it took to put this sucker together on Sunday. Cupcake face! He's also a ham for the camera. I don't know who he gets that from......(ha, ha!)
And our family picture for Spencer's big party day. I always take a family picture and a picture of me, Richard and the birthday child on their birthdays. It's nice to have pics taken with just that one child on their own day that they made our lives so much more special!

Spencer had a very fun birthday and in addition to the TV from us, we also got him a nascar video game he wanted and a power ranger toy he wanted. Brenden (and Cassidy) bought him a power ranger bad guy, Mom got the trampoline, Dad got him a t-ball set and a lacrosse set, Pam got him 2 Transformers toys, Josh and Jenny got him a bubble sword and a nerf soft dart gun that he keeps shooting at everyone! My brother sent up 2 video games, one spongebob and one sonic, and an outfit to which he turned to Brenden and said "I bet Uncle Kent gets you clothes for your birthday too". That's just something my brother always does, he likes to get them an outfit for their birthdays (along with toys) which I love cuz he always gets the cutest outfits! Thanks Brother! One last thing, when we were putting the trampoline yesterday, Spencer sat outside for 2 1/2 hours (after his nap) watching, helping and patiently waiting for it to be done never once asking if we were almost done. He's always been such a patient child. He's just got such a sweetness to him. I'm so proud and happy to be his mom!

I started an ebay business!

I started an ebay business this week. I sell Coach purses on ebay. I have added a link to my blog off to the side and you can check it out anytime. See one you like? I never knew there would be so much work to do with it. I think just the first time was the hardest having to set everything up and get acquainted with the process. I spent 2 entire days this week preparing, buying purses, writing the description, setting up a business acct, buying shipping supplies, then having to take Spencer to a soccer game one night and Brenden to a science night at school the other night. So I hope this goes well and please buy one if you see one you like! Thanks!

Spencer is 5 today!

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY SPENCER!

Spencer is 5 today, well officially at 8pm tonight. That's right, he was born at 8pm on the dot! I'll probably be crying tonight as I did when Brenden turned 5. It's just sad that he's turning five and he'll be going off to kindergarten in the fall and I've been at home with him his whole life. Mommy has a little trouble letting go. Oh crap, here come the tears. Ok, well, I'll post about the party next week. The party will be Saturday and he's really excited. Check back next week to see what cool things he gets.