Technical Difficulties

We are not lost or out of town or sleeping. It's just that my camera is broken and I am distraught. Well, the actual camera works, which is good. I can still take pictures and preserve the memories. But the hole where the cord plugs into the camera is broken so I can't do anything with the pictures I've taken. Our computer is old so it doesn't have a slot for the memory card like some of your new-fangled ones.

I wrote a whole post about my crafty sewing adventures and took step by step pictures. I discovered the camera issue when I was finished. There's also a really cute picture of "Super Ellie" wearing a piece of left over fabric as a cape. And there's one of her in the big black dress up hat that was my Granny's that I used to wear to play dress up. But alas, I can not share them with you. I am trying to come up with a solution. (Convincing Brandon that we should just get a newer fancier camera is high on the list. I swear I did not break it on purpose.)

I will keep you updated. I'm sure you will all be waiting on the edge of your seat.

Cupcakes and C-c-c-c-c-cold Water

We've had a busy and fun couple of days.

On Thursday we met up with our PlayGroup Pals at a very cool place. It's called Cupcakes, Ya'll and it's a bakery that specializes in cupcakes. The perfect sugary place for a bunch of 1-4 year olds (and their moms of course).

The owner was nice enough to pull out some toys for the kiddos to play with and had coloring sheets for them too. We had plenty of time for them to play and then we had lunch. It was delicious. Then each of the kids got to decorate a cupcake. What a sprinkly mess! But they loved it. They also have other sweet treats like cookies and bars. I had a S'Mores bar and it was SOOOO good.

After playgroup, Ellie and I took Madison to the pool for a while and they enjoyed that too. We didn't stay long though because we had company coming! Forrest, Ashby and PeePaw came to visit for 2 nights.

Yesterday we went down to Vortex Spring again and it was even more fun since we had them with us. Some other friends from TN that used to go to Vortex with them years ago were also in FL this weekend so they drove up and met us there. It was a blast. Brandon, Forrest and Ashby jumped off the diving board, tower and the big swing.

The best part was watching them on the zipline. It wasn't working last weekend, but we were excited to see it was fixed yesterday. I used my current "condition" as an excuse not to jump, but I probably would've been too chicken anyway. They even took the opportunity to practice their SCUBA skills after a long break. Also, since it was Friday, there weren't many people there so we got a great shady spot with a picnic table.

They had to leave early this morning to get back to TN since they have lots of folks to visit before heading off across the ocean in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure what we'll do with the rest of our weekend, but for now I'm going to be lazy and lay on the pull out sofa bed that's still open from our guests!

Peanut Pics part deux

Here she is.

I swear, it looks like she is smiling.

Our visit went well today. She is still measuring a little big. I'm at 28 weeks and she's measuring at about 30 weeks. Heartrate and everything were good. She weighs 3 lbs and some change.

And no, she still does not have a name. I am very indecisive this time and no one else wants to help. Well, Ellie still likes Sally and Brandon's vote really is for Peanut. Suggestions are welcome.

More highly useful information

OK, so here's another meme. I just can't help myself. Maybe I won't feel the need to forward the email ones if I keep posting these.

This one came from a HILARIOUS (and also thought-provoking, of course) blog that I read daily. Her name is BooMama and she is a riot. I've been reading it pretty much since I started this one a year ago and I really dig it. I just didn't realize exactly how much we have in common until I saw her version of this. There are some answers I didn't even have to change and others I only had to tweak slightly. Check it out if you don't believe me.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I had just graduated from college and moved/ followed Brandon to GA, much to my parents' dismay. I was working at a daycare center that summer and trying to get a full time teaching position in the local school districts.

Favorite Snacks
pita chips and hummus
diet Coke with lime over ice
a scoop of peanut butter, I’m not even kidding
pretty much any form of cheese
and of course fresh fruits and veggies (just in case the OB is reading)

To Do List
I love a to-do list - mainly to try to keep myself organized. I like to write daily ones and also long-term ones. And I like to WRITE OUT my list because typing the list on the computer is not at all the same, NOT AT ALL. Give me a notepad, scrap of paper, back of an envelope and a hard surface and I'm set. Oh and any writing utensil will do. Except a pencil, cuz I might be tempted to change the list. I’m a fan of the to-do. And I will add the things that are not finished to the next list.

My current long-term list looks like this-
- make Milynda's bday present
-make Faith's bday present
-make cover for E's nap mat
-Brandon's present (not making that one)
-Zoe's bday present (not sure yet)
-E's shot record updated
-and as always, work on the scrapbook


Jobs I Have Had
Babysitter, hostess at restaurant on the beach, ice cream scooper, daycare slave, elementary school teacher, mommy and currently incubator

Places I Have Lived
South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama.
So basically, you know, the Deep South.
So much for the Army sending us to see the world

Bad Habits
procrastination, worry, caffeine, eating too much, exercising too little, letting the cleaning chores pile up, impatience, sitting at the computer when I should clearly be working on that to-do list

5 Random Things People May Not Know
-My husband was dating my friend when we started dating. I was 16.
-It took me 3 tries to get my driver's license. Driving a stick-shift minivan was not easy. But it did get a whole bunch of us to prom in style.
-I always thought I wanted a sister, but now I'm kind of glad it was just me and the boys.
-I love to sing, but am acutely aware that it is not something that should be shared with others.
That's why it only happens in the car when I am alone or only with Ellie.
-I used to have a borderline addiction to sticky notes. Being out of the classroom has pretty much cured it, but I still have some around the house just in case.

CDs I would want if stranded on an island
SDT's Churning Burlward, Any of Madonna's stuff from the 80's/early 90's, Soundtrack to Michael, Jimmy Buffet Fruitcakes, and I guess I'll cheat and say I'd have to make one from my list on itunes so I could have all my favorites

What I’d Do if I Were a Billionaire
1) Pay off college, car, boat, the new house and the army
2) Buy a large-ish place on Sullivan's Island so everyone could use it.
3) Buy another place to live in the country with lots of land and quiet.
4) Move to one of these places as soon as the army part of #1 was completed.
5) Put aside a chunk-o-money for the girls' college etc....
6) Try not to live extravagantly.
7) Donate generously.
8) Take my whole family on a trip.

So there you go, more than you needed to know about me.
And if you want - you’re it!

No New Pictures

We've had a fun and busy weekend, but I have been lazy in the camera department. Yesterday we spent most of the day at the shooting range with Brandon. It was really hot, but good to be outside. Ellie collected rocks and flowers and we had a picnic. Today was even better because we decided after breakfast to go here. It was awesome. The weather was beautiful and the water was FREEZING. We plan to go back again next weekend too. I promise to take some pictures this week and maybe there will even be a video. E had learned 2 new tricks that are hilarious. And we should have ultrasound photos for you on Wed.

A New Favorite

I thought the picture of Ellie in the flowers at my cousin's wedding from this post was my favorite. But it's been eclipsed by this one.

I love that she's barefoot and you can see her dancing. And that smile....I almost cried.

More Special Pics

Here are some MUCH better pictures from this past weekend. Brandon's dad's cousin's husband Bill took them. He is a pro as far as I am concerned. I like to think that if I had a fancy camera, my pictures would be this good, but I doubt it.


**Warning-- there is a giant belly in 2 of the following pictures. **


Graduation pic actually close up enough to see Forrest's face :)
The actual Green Beret
The happy couple. Ashby and Forrest
The whole Payne crew.
Belly Alert! This shirt will clearly not fit for much longer. (Or the pants for that matter.)

A "Special" Weekend

So we are back again. How many posts have I started that way? This time I am here to stay for quite a while. I am so tired. All the trips have been great and seeing family and friends is wonderful. But I swear for each mile we traveled, my belly grew another inch. Just carrying it around is exhausting. And I there's still 3 months to go. Yikes.

As of last Wednesday, the 9th, I was 26 weeks along. However, according to the doc, I was measuring at 29 weeks. That's the first time I've ever measured differently than where I actually was in the pregnancy. And 3 weeks is quite a difference. Next week we will get another ultrasound to check and see why the measurement is off. I hope it's just extra fluid and not a super giant baby. I'll keep you posted. And I"ll have a good belly pic soon. My SIL's mom took a cute side profile one.

Back to the weekend. We had a great time with Brandon's family. His brother graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course at Ft Bragg, NC.

It was a long trip, but worth it to see him graduate. We are so proud of him. And he and his wife are moving to Germany this summer so I knew we might not see them again for a while. And we got to hang out with them and some more family members a lot. We even took a family photo with 4 generations. I'll have that to post soon too. Here's E playing with PeePaw and MeeMaw. Not sure who had more fun.

The best parts of the trip for Ellie were the pool at the hotel and a special surprise.....Guess who was performing in the same building as the graduation.....The Backyardigans! E has been watching the promo commercial for their live show for weeks and making wishes with her glittery fairy dust to go see them. I looked all over the Internet to see where they were playing. I was going to drive a couple hours in any direction to take her. I only looked for places close to here so Fayetteville never caught my eye. So anyway, as soon as I saw that they were going to be there, I got on the phone. I ordered tickets for the show on Sat morning. It was really fun to watch her and a surprisingly good performance. They involved the kids in the audience which was great because trying to keep hundreds of 1-5 year-olds quiet would have been impossible. Photos of the show were not allowed, but here she is waiting for the show to start with her giant popcorn and souvenir.

A trip in pictures

We set off from AL on Wednesday and met up with Davis in Hotlanta. We went to lunch with him and Lori and then played at the park for a little while. We rode the MARTA to the airport and met up with Mom, Granny and Tyler for the flight to WI. The flight was uneventful and we made it to Racine with no problems. We had pizza from the restaurant where my cousin Carrie works and it was delicious!
Thursday we ran errands with the cousins and my aunt and uncle got out SOME of my cousins' Barbies and accessories for Ellie/my mom to play with. Keep in mind there were 3 girls, each 2 years apart so they have A LOT of Barbie stuff. Ellie/ my mom was in heaven. Note in the second picture how all the Barbies are dressed and lined up. (Ellie can not dress Barbies yet)


On Friday we went to the 4th of July parade. The weather was awesome. We had on sweaters when we left the house, but our spot was nice and sunny so it warmed up quickly. That night when we were watching the fireworks it did get kind of chilly. In between the parade and fireworks was the wedding rehearsal and dinner. Both were very nice.

Tyler was great about letting E sit on his shoulders to get a better view.

And so was Carrie. I love the pigtails in this shadowy one. Happy 4th with Granny
Happy 4th with Mommy
Some time in between all the rehearsing, Uncle Ralph got out my cousins' collection of Beanie Babies and Ellie was in stuffed animal heaven.
My uncle Ralph is in a band and they practice in his basement which is where we stayed. So every day (and night) we got a little drum solo.

Friday night- rehearsing her flower girl gig.

The big day.... I love this picture. Didn't she make a precious flower girl?
And the profile is just as cute.
The headband came off as soon as the posed pics were over. It was sticking her. I think this shot is really cute too. She was picking clover flowers and trying to make a chain out of them with my mom. Unfortunately, she picks them so close to the bloom that there is never enough stem to hook them together.

E was a dancing queen at the reception. This was taken before anyone else was even dancing. I'm not even sure if there was any music playing. When we were setting up on Fri night, she got so mad because people were putting stuff on "her stage".

Tyler made a great partner.

Every so often, she'd come back to the table to get her flowers and dance with them a while. It was almost like she wanted to make sure everyone remembered she was the flower girl. Hilarious!
Posing with the bride, my cousin Jessica.

Giant soccer ball at The Chancery where we had lunch with the newlyweds on our last day. In true WI fashion, we had Beer Cheese Soup topped off with a huge soft pretzel for dipping. Yum!

Last hugs for Baby Josh. What a cutie!
Digging potatoes with Davis. He and Lori picked us up from the airport and we stayed at their house last night. Our plane got in at 7:30 and I didn't want to drive all the way back to AL in the dark. Doing it today was hard enough. I am wiped out. I need a vacation after my vacation. I guess a trip to NC will have to do.

All in all it was a good trip. No major problems (aside from Ellie's tummy trouble on the plane). And to top it all off, we are officially home owners as of today.

Happy 4th!

Hi all. We are in WI for my cousin's wedding and I just wanted to say hi. Traveling was great. We didn't have any problems getting here. (Makes me paranoid about the ride home). E and I drove to Atlanta, picked up my brother Davis and he rode the MARTA with us to the airport just to help me get in with all the bags, stroller and child. What a guy! Then we met up with my mom, Granny and Tyler for the plane ride to Milwaukee. My uncle picked us up and we are staying at his house. Yesterday we helped out with wedding prep and today we went to the Racine 4th of July Parade. Supposedly it's one of the 10 largest 4th of July celebrations in the country. Ellie loved it. Tonight is the rehearsal and big fireworks over the lake. That will be awesome. I LOVE fireworks. Tomorrow is the big day. Ellie is a flower girl and she's very excited about wearing her dress and getting to carry flowers. Hopefully that will go smoothly too. I'll post some pictures soon. Happy 4th of July to everyone!