Check out my new blog...

If you are a woman interested in a good study, please check out my spin off blog site::
the address is:
http://coffeebreakatimeofstudyandreflection.blogspot.com/

I would love to have some great online discussion with all of you!!
Carrie

Just Another Week....

Sorry the posts have not been coming as quickly lately. It seems like we stay pretty busy around here. I also apologize for losing everyone's weblinks....I will try to get them back up soon, when we change our template, I have not figured out how to save our links...so if any of you have any good advice on that, please share!! The boys are growing up so quickly. Today, Ben started singing to me a song that he learned at school, I am guessing for an end of the year program, but it was about how he was moving up, into Pre-K... and he would be writing his letters next year, and it made me really sad! Also, at church on Sunday, Earle handed Ben a dollar bill to put into the offering and Ben opened it up and said, "look mommy, it is George Washington!" My immediate thought was, wow, that preschool is really doing its job!! I thought that was pretty good for 3 years old...then Earle took it to the next level and asked who was on the one with the 5, and Ben just looked up confused! Boy has time flown! We have been able to spend some time outside taking walks. Collin is actually big enough to ride in the Wagon with Ben this year!! I had to put the picture of Collin, sucking his tongue in here, because I think it is so cute. He pulls on any shirt he has on and starts sucking his tongue when he is tired....this is his first, soothing thing he has ever done...he is a strange one, never taken a pacifier or needed a blanket, you just put him in the crib and he goes to sleep...so never the less, I had to post about this.

Earle and I have just been going through the motions! Our favorite pass-time at the moment, other than the few shows we record each week, is after we put the boys to bed, we rock out to Guitar Hero on our Wii! I know this sounds so silly, but it is actually really fun...and a bit addictive! If any of you have this and also have wireless internet...we have been know to battle our friends online!! Pretty sad, but when you don't live near family, and you don't often have a babysitter...it is like hanging out with another couple! Hope you are all doing well!! More posts coming soon!!

Girls' Weekend in Memphis

Me and Becky Me and Sharifa

Vicky, Jenny and Michelle, in a very stinky bathroom!! Jenny, Me and Lorie, doing Charlie's Angels crazy hair pose on top of the Peabody.

All of Us, Sharifa, Angela, Me, Michelle, Becky, Jenny, Lorie, Jana and Vicky

This past weekend, Lorie and I made a trip to Memphis to meet 7 of my friends from Illinois. We had a great couple of days. We spent two nights, shopped, ate, and just visited and spent some time catching up...the best part...completely kid free!! We had so much fun!!

Earle was great to watch the boys for me...I have to really give him credit, I came home and things were straightened up and laundry was put away. He was so sweet, although I am sure he enjoyed hours of playing Guitar Hero after the boys were down at night! Thank you Earle!!! I love you! You are a Hunka Hunka Burning Love!!

Thank you girls!! I miss you guys! We have to go somewhere every year!! And thanks, Lorie for coming with me, it would not have been the same without you!!

CB

Papa and Cindy come to visit The Big Easy!

My parents came to visit us last week. We had a great time, since it was Mardi Gras, Earle had some time off and we got to have a relaxing time visiting. The boys loved it. They were spoiled and lavished upon. I know they were sad to see them go on Friday. My dad took Ben fishing for the first time ever. He actually caught some fish...two bass and a catfish, so he was extremely proud of his accomplishments! Collin also finally really started crawling the army crawl while they were here, and of course, he rarely spent a minute not being held by one of them. Thanks for coming to see us!! We loved it!!
CB

Collin, 10 months old!

I decided that we needed a post about Collin! Ben always gets the spotlight around here and poor Collin is always left as an afterthought! Collin is now 10 months old. He can get just about anywhere on the floor by scooting in an army crawl, and rolling to whatever he is trying to get to. He is a happy little boy. He has four teeth, and he can eat a lot of table food. He is starting to try and talk. He can say Da Da, Mama, and Ba ba... He can also wave bye bye. He loves Cheerios and Crackers! He loves playing with toys, especially any toys that Ben likes to play with. As soon as Ben put something down, Collin is after it. He often tries to take the toys right out of Ben's hand! Ben is actually very patient with him and usually lets him have things. He is a great big brother. He especially love remote controls and phones. He rarely cries, unless he is hungry or very sleepy. He is a very curious and precious baby boy! Over the past couple of months, he has grown an abundance of blonde hair that seemed to sprout over night. He has been such a blessing to us over the past year. More pics to follow...my computer is locking up on me!

Visiting Family and Friends

Earle with his nieces Summer and Tiffany, and his nephew, Christopher

Christopher and his new toy!

Tiffany and Collin, she was a great help babysitting!













Pops(Earle's Dad) holding Collin













This month we have been to Texas twice. We went around New Year's to see Earle's family in
Kilgore and in Ft. Worth, and then we went to Houston a couple of weeks ago to visit Rochelle and Doug Waddill. Here are some pics from the trips. We had a great time catching up with everyone.

Me and Rochelle

Hi Amy Lary( We got to visit with them on Sunday at First Colony)





Here is a pic of all of our kiddos,

Briley, Braden, Blake, Ben and Collin

To Go on a Diet or Not to Go on a Diet!!

Earle and I have been have resolved to try and shed a few gained and unwanted pounds from the past couple of months. I thought it would be funny to share with you some of the signs that led me to finally stepping back on the scale and facing reality!! Maybe some of you can relate! It is just my idea of trying to be clever in an unfortunate circumstance! After a week of being really hungry, we have both had a successful week of losing, but still have a ways to go!






Top 10 Signs that You may have Gained a few too many pounds over the holidays!~!





10. You have to take mulitple pics with your digital camera to get just the "right angle" to not have a double chin. ( yes, the above picture is a prime example)


9. For some reason, your lower rise jeans seem to keep falling down because they have ultimately become, "under the belly jeans" like you wore when you were pregnant.


8. When you have to wear the same pair of pants to church every Sunday, alternating tops, because nothing else fits.


7. You find your self wearing your stretchy exercise pants every day.


6. You decide you look great in the velour warm-up suits!


5. When the waistband on your excercise pants or velour warm up suit begins to fold over when you bend down, and then stays that way all day, because your belly is pushing it over.


4. When you sit next to your husband, and all of a sudden his thighs seem so much smaller than yours!


3. When you are obsessively paranoid about someone drying a pair of your jeans or pants, especially on high!


2. When you put on jeans and have to do squats and lunges, so they will feel a little less tight.


1. This is the one that always does me in.....When you finally realize that your underwear are getting tight and even your big panties seem somewhat small and no, they are not shrinking in the dryer!!!

Enjoy!

CB