See you guys Monday...

I just love seeing sleeping children. I could sit up all night staring at them. Their breathing so regular and unlabored, their bodies totally at ease. I wonder what they are dreaming of- slaying dragons or swimming in the best pool imaginable or just playing in the yard. I love to imagine fairies dusting their super long eyelashes with sleeping dust, then angels watching over them at night. We've all been in the same bed since Jeff left in June. Another milestone is on the way...Charlie has told me he wants to sleep in his own bed with none of Luke's things anywhere around. He has asked if he can lock Luke out. I encourage him to set up his room his own way and he is doing it slowly, but every night he slips into the "big bed" saying that THIS will be the last night.
Charlie is my early riser. No matter what time he goes to bed, he is up around 7am
Luke is my sleeper. He enjoys sleep like a good book, likes to be in bed around 10 and will sleep soundly until 11am the next morning.

We will be going to Kiawah for the Labor Day Weekend and will be back Monday afternoon. 3 days without a computer....what will the boys do!!!

Back to school!

Yesterday was Charlie's first day back at school. I was able to catch him before he left. Monday he rode to school with a friend, but today he rode his bike both ways. As you can see, he's thrilled to have his picture taken at 7:15. While sewing some curtains for the preschool at church, Angus decided that the sewing machine was the most interesting thing in the house. Loading the bobbin provided the most fun for him...it was a mess for me! Then he enjoyed measuring as pictured in the first photo.....
Next he found that the needle going through the fabric was the best thing ever....
Getting alittle too close for comfort! He was chasing a stray thread. I love his eye in the picture. I wanted to get a better picture of his eyes which were as big as saucers, but they all came out blurry.

Poor Sadie....

Poor Sadie! She is such a good sport! Last night as I was blogging, the boys dressed her as a Rapper. They even posed for me! They laughed until they cried. She didn't try to get down or even get away. I have never known a more patient dog!

Charlie giving "rocker fingers" with her....
Luke being pleaded with to stop the insanity!
Luke getting kisses and Charlie actually smiling for the camera!!!

Barbara had given him the tatoo.....thanks Barbara!

Luke has had a fever all day and just threw up. Say a little prayer for him...and that we don't get it!

Yesterday we went to Hard Rock....

Yesterday I took the boys to the Hard Rock Theme Park Backstage Tour. It's a free tour with a room demonstrating each of the areas of the new theme park coming next summer. It's truly awesome how big this thing will be- all in the old Waccamaw Pottery buildings. The Led Zeplin rollercoaster is visible from highway 501 only 2 streets over from Hwy 501. It has so many turns that loops that it's safe to say Heather Blankenship will never set foot on it! Jeff will probably be first in line! The backstage tour is awesome as well. My very good friend Kelli, Luke's teacher last year, has two boys aged 8 and 6, Cole and Kyle. With Jeff gone and her husband a pilot for JetBlue, we have been taking turns keeping each other's boys for an afternoon here and there. Above is a picture of all the boys in Austin Power's car. All the exhibits are hands on- which is good with 4 boys.

Luke is giving his best "rock star" pose from the Austin Power's car. It was in the British Invasion part of the exhibit.
Charlie in front of a screaming crowd....complete with fainting girls in the front! I always knew he had a great voice which would take him far!
This is in front of the Backstage Tour. I took this picture to have one with all the boys, but also for my mom and dad- a sculpture of Elvis. ALL those little hands wanted to dig in the sand SOOOOO bad! The next one is for Jeff-----

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger.....

We really wish you could have been there, Jeff! Love and XOXO

Having faith in God

I like to think of faith in very simple means. So many times when my faith is tested, I try to remember the tiny mustard seed that can move mountains. I like to find examples of faith in my everyday life. I decided that one of the most simple of God's creatures would help me this week. Do you see him in the first photo? His name is Chewie (after Chewbacca in Star Wars). He has many babies (don't ask me how) who are names Chewie1, Chewie2, etc. These guys visit my tomato plants near the end of the season every year. They are perfect in their design, have a pointy tail and a set of fake eyes near their tale. I have been known to spend 30 minutes at a time at the window watching them. The first two pictures were taken on Monday. The bush was lush and full of green cherry tomatoes. I think that if an animal so small can have faith that the Lord will supply his food until he turns into a moth, my lesson on faith is all spelled out. We had a storm, baking temperatures, and swords and baseballs by the boys threatening his special buffet, but he never stopped eating.

Don't think for a second that Luke didn't pick the red ones. He only had to see that they had a tinge of red and they were picked all season long!
Here he is today. When I checked on him at 3pm, there were three babies and another adult on the plant too. He stopped chewing immediately when I came near him and went into camo mode.
Here is a picture of the vine today...I always make sure that all of them are off before removing the plant. The boys love to help me make sure they're gone.

Nursery Mural

I have to show you guys pictures of the nursery mural I've been working on. It's almost done- 3 out of the 4 walls have been completed. I'm just in time because the preschool workers started decorating their rooms this past Monday. I've been trying to get this done for the past month. Probably about 20 hours. I based the pictures on a children's book that I found in a pile to be recycled. The pictures are so vibrant and bright that they had to be the subject. I just finished the curtains on Sunday night. The boys have been great in letting me get all this done without complaining of the long hours when noone is at the church to play with. I hope you all enjoy them.... Frogs in a pond and foxes under a tree. Luke told me which animals to put where. I like the bees under the tree...
The only thing not in the pictures is the bible verses which I have written on the wall...Mark 10:14-16, etc. Maybe I'll get a picture of them soon!
My favorite on this wall is the bluebird which has a bonnet on. Charlie likes the dragonflies.

I've been able to give some of the little girls painted pictures for their walls for their birthdays and have been doing family pictures with my own version of "stick people". I've got some orders for Christmas presents, too. I'm so excited about being able to make a little money for my art! I've sold 3 small pictures so far. I just wanted you guys to see my favorite hobby when I have a few minutes to myself.

Meet Jayne Grace

I would like for everyone to see our new niece, Jayne Grace Womack. She was born 2 weeks ago today. Jamie and Jay say that she is the greatest thing ever. She has a full head of black hair and huge dark blue eyes. Aunt Ha ( me) will get to meet her in person in October. Jamie is feeling good and loving being at home with Jayne Grace. Man, I love all my nieces and nephews!!! I'm so glad we are all blessed with some of God's little angels. Praise God for each one of them!!

My two fish

Yesterday we had a birthday party for Ashley from Luke's school. It was in THE FARM, a neighborhood in Carolina Forest. They have the coolest pools!! They have already built 3 pools in their neighborhood in the last 3 years! Thats how big the neighborhood is. The big pool that we were in had a mushroom water shower, fountains spewing water every way, and a progressive entrance, all in the shape of a shamrock. It was really impressive. Luke LOVES the progressive entrance. The rope behind him marks the end of the 2 foot pool. He played and played for 3 hours with his friends! Charlie was very busy playing with my friend Kelli's son Cole. I slathered them both down and they were fine....I forgot to do my own sunscreen....Ouch is the word of the day for me. I look like a cooked lobster. For the last hour, Luke played by himself in the first section and I got to sit in the chairs talking to my friends!!!!! They are both getting so independent.

At the end of the three hours, they were both so tired that they just pooped out! They slept very well last night.

Well, maybe this time.....

A little birdie told me that I needed to post some pictures of the boys. Here is a picture of a cougar who likes to be petted. If he is petted, he will stay nice. If not petted, he gets mean. The sofa is his cage. Did you know that cougars can turn flips on the sofa? Mine can. The cougar named Luke told me today that he comes from Australia and that he needs to go there as soon as possible. Here is his stalking pose. Fierce, isn't it! The cougar said that this picture would scare Pop!
Charlie staying as far away from the cougar as possible. He loves his legos. He will mix and match to get all sorts of ancient warfare arms and armor vehicles. He did not want to smile for the camera! LOL!

We went to the bowling alley yesterday with Barbara and her niece and grand nephews. Luke beat everyone!! Charlie and I really tried our best and we couldn't catch him! I want to know how a ball going 0.0000001mph can knock down 9 pins all at once. If he didn't get a strike he got a spare on almost every try. Here is the bowling stance used by Luke after he has sent the ball down the lane.
Here is my big boy goofing off...I don't get many of these shots. He gets shy as soon as the camera is out. I'm glad he has these silly moments.