Oops!!

Hey...have you ever heard of someone falling through the floor of the attic?  Ya know, stepping through the ceiling of the room below?  Well, when I was in high school, one of my friend's dad stepped through the ceiling of their hallway.  I remember this because they made a sign and put over the hole until it could get fixed. 


I speak of this because "someone" in my family stepped through our attic floor into Nealie's bedroom below!  It all happened so fast, and perhaps the person up there was up there due to stubbornness...just maybe!  Anywho...that person's foot slipped off of the flooring and WHOOSH, down she, I meant they, went!  (Sheetrock provides absolutely no support whatsoever!  So I've been told!! Hehehehehehe!)

Nobody will notice, right?!



Nealie caught sight of it when she was going to bed that night and just laughed and laughed. 


Oh, here is something I don't hear often.  In fact, I don't recall EVER hearing it said to me before.  The other night Pher and I were in Wal-Mart...our Friday night date location for the last few weeks.  Pher was looking at something and I was checking out some ribbon for an upcoming project.  A lady in a motorized shopping chair with her granddaughter riding with her stopped and was looking at some items on the top row.  Not really easedropping, but I heard that they wanted it...so I said, "Let me get that for you."  The lady thanked me while the granddaughter said in this sweet, amazed voice, "Wow, you sure are tall!" Her eyes wide open!  HA! Now really!! I was so taken aback...but I thanked her with a smile!!  Pher witnessing this from the other end of the aisle, came up to me laughing and said "Ever heard that before mom?!"  No, dear Pher I have not, don't expect to ever again...but I will remember this one time...forever!!!!!!!

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY, CHRISTOPHER!!!!!

Well, it has finally happened...my baby boy has become a TEENAGER!!! Bugjuice turned 13 on December 29, 2011.  Since I am playing "recap" of Our Bug Life...here is how we spent one evening of my time away!!!

For the landmark occasion...we had a skating party and what a blast it was!!

Landon, Bradley, T - Birthday Boy!!!, Jake

Skates and ripstix

Love those pink socks, Jo-Jo!!

Jessica, Adam, and Sammy G!!

Ty on the floor!!

Me and Nealie showing off our moves!!

Baseball cupcakes, ice cream, chips and drinks!Yummmm! No candles to blow out and only an "accidental" singing of Happy Birthday...due to an error on the part of the DJ!!!

Bugjuice...we are so very proud of you.  You are growing into a fine young man.  You have a wonderful, contagious smile and giggle.  Keep the sparkle in your eyes and your interest in learning about things and you will go far.

We love you!!!

Mom, Dad, and Nealie

CAN YOU SAY...SUPER BOWL XLVI PARTY!!!!!

Super Bowl Sunday - New England Patriots vs. New York Giants. 

While neither team is our fave, the family is pulling for the Giants.  There are others in our family however who could be seen yesterday and perhaps today again, sporting Tom Brady jerseys!! We are not watching the game in the same house!!!

We always have a Super Bowl party for our little family.  In fact, only one other person has ever been invited...Auntie M.  Everyone picks out something to have and we make a little feast. 

2012 Super Bowl Menu

Chicken Wings

Cheese Fries

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

We also had chips and salsa, pasta salad, fire crackers and brownies and vanilla ice cream.  Now don't think we ate ALL of this...there are plenty of leftovers! 

I had a helper.

And since Nealie was not all about watching football, we went into the attic for some old "new" toys to entertain her and make her night special...Wow what fun a bean bag or two and an ice cream cart can bring!!!

 

Here's the ice cream cart. 

It was purchased for Chris when he was about 3 years old.  He would push it around the house asking everyone if they would like to buy some ice cream.  Oh, it plays music too!  And boy did he LOVE to push that button.  Chris showed her how to play with it.  Nealie was interested in it, but not as much as Pher was.  She moved back to laying around on the bean bags...but maybe she will in the next few days!

Good luck to everyone's team!!!!

**Final score - Giants 21...Patriots 17**



It's a PHER tree!!!

(This was supposed to be posted on Saturday, Feb 4...but somehow I hit the wrong button!!)

We have the GREATEST youth group at our church...1st Baptist Church.

The girls outnumber the boys, but no one seems to mind!! They interact like brothers and sisters.

 Our Youth Minister Scott has the most creative ways to teach young people about Jesus and His love for us.  He is such a wonderful soul...one that we are so thankful we have in our lives. As an adult I am so energized when I attend a youth meeting and I see that energy in the youth of our church.


At Christmas, the youth had a Christmas party at one of the youth's home.  Yummy food, wonderful fellowship and cool games were part of the night...

wrap a present using only certain parts of your body...

...make a true "living" Christmas tree...

"Pher" Tree

(He volunteered!!!)

Cutest tree I've ever seen...love the smiling eyes!!

It is wonderful to see these young people having fun together and building relationships that will hopefully last a lifetime...with each other and Jesus.

Today while the boys went to baseball practice, Nealie and I took off to run some fun errands.  First we went to Sam's for "cheap" gas, then to Wal-Mart for craft supplies...stay tuned for what this is!!!  Then, because we could, we took off to Smithfield about 20 minutes away to walk through the Carolina  Pottery.  I am in search of a boxwood, sage green wreath.  I've seen some really cute crafts online with these, but don't think they exist in my neck of the woods!!  Anywho...I purchased a very good "stand in" and hope to get my wreath made this afternoon.  Also got some cushions for the front porch rocking chairs...black and white polka dots, none the less!!! Pictures to come later!!

Smile...it's a photo op!!

Pictures are the most wonderful things in the world to me.  I absolutely love them!!  They capture moments.  When looking at a picture, you recall all the details of the day...things that were going on in the background, how you felt when the pictures were being made, etc.  My friend Steph shares this feeling with me...if not even stronger than I.  She loves to take pictures, a talent/interest she gets from her grandmother.

I am particular about photographers because I do not want them to rush the pictures.  Pher is my constant...he gets in place, puts on that cute smile, and stays that way until we say "all clear"!!He has been in front of the camera his entire life!!  (I'll show you his first photo op sometime.)

A couple of years ago, I asked Steph if she would take some pictures of me, Nealie, and Pher.  Of course she said yes...and we set out one Saturday morning for a couple of locations we had scouted out.  She snapped away... we changed clothes... more snapping... a location change, another clothing change...snap, snap, snap.  Needless to say, after 3ish hours...Steph had no less than 1200 pictures!!! Man do I love  her!!!!

Here are a few of my faves...but honestly...I would wallpaper my house with all of these if my husband would let me!!! How lucky I am to have such a sweet, talented, giving friend!!!  Girl - I had a blast and cannot wait to do it again!!

Gotta love the Ne-bug!                       Y'all may recognize this one from a past Christmas card.

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider

Brother & Sister conversations...priceless!

Hey Nealie...do you see that bug down there?!

I always wanted one of these "walking away" photos!

Who doesn't LOVE baby toes!!!!

My cutie-pa-tootie!!

Love,  Love, Love this one!!!!

Every good and perfect gift is from above.  James 1:17

The "Bugs" Beds

Beds!!

We love our beds!!!  We are a very active family, thanks mostly to the kiddos and their many activities that keep us all on the go.  Nealie, being the trooper that she is, can sleep in just about any position if she is tired...she makes me laugh sometimes as she can get away with doing the things we all want to do, but won't...like yawn when someone keeps talking and talking...or sleep right in the middle of dinner!!

YES...asleep under a side table in the kitchen!!!!

Eating pizza on "Friday night pizza" night!!!

Somewhere in the picture archives is a picture of Bugjuice sleeping while sitting straight up on the sofa during the Super Bowl that he so desparately wanted to see.  I will continue to search and post when I find it...but just know he too has some truly odd sleeping places!!

When it truly comes time for rest though, they have both created their own special "nest."  They are both known to fall into bed exhausted and just smile and giggle...they are that happy to be snuggled in amongst all those pillows and animals and music boxes (Nealie)!!!  Here's Nealie happy in her bed with her "leaf" roof - a gift from Uncle G and Aunt L.

There are rituals that must be followed to put each "Bug" to bed. Nealie has to check herself out in the bedside mirror, pat her pillow a few times, start her musicbox, and then scrunch her hands under the pillow. She then waits for me to put her sippy cup in its spot between the two pillows ( or in her mouth!!) and give her many kisses!! Lights out and she is off to slumber land!!!



Pher was a little jealous of Nealie's "leaf" pad...that was until he got some new furniture and created an "apartment" of his own!!! Yes, at 13 years old, he has started the "i love my room" part of life!!!

Pher's ritual is to flip... and I do mean flip...

into his bed.  He then re-arranges his pillows...there are SEVEN of them!!! Yes SEVEN!!! Once they are in the right spots, he gets comfy right in the middle of the bed facing his TV.  I wait for him to find the show of choice and then I set the timer.  Sometimes we talk a little about the happenings of the day, sometimes I rub his head a little (a habit I started when he was a baby and still likes; his wife may hate me one day!!!), but always, ALWAYS we give hugs. Wonderful!!  Although I am usually exhausted by this time and sometimes wish we didn't have to go through these rituals, I truly love this time.  He is my firstborn and growing up so very fast...it is in these moments that we go back in time just a little...little baby boy and smitten mom.  I hope we always continue to have little moments like this Bugjuice...they make my heart smile.

Night, night. Love you "Bugs"!!!!!! You are my life!

Pearly Whites

Hi again!! Remember us...The Bug Life??  I've been MIA for quite a while...sure blog-friends Steffie J's World and The Shoe Box can tell you exactly how long!!!  I'm gonna do better in 2012...honestly my determination is being fueled by The Shoe Box printed edition.  I want that for my "Bugs".  So...here we go!

Today Nea-Bug had a dental procedure at UNC Children's Hospital.  Nealie did quite well with dental visits until the summer.  A baby tooth in the front would not fall out even though the permanent tooth was almost completely in.  So our wonderful dentist Dr. Debbie Smith gave her a little sniff-sniff of the laughing gas and BAM...an orangutan was born!!!

Two of us wrestled her for over an hour...sweating bullets and laughing like little girls towards the end!!  NEVER AGAIN...I said!!!  So when Dr. Debbie found an issue with a molar, we decided to give Nealie general anesthesia and fix the molar, make x-rays, get a good cleaning, and apply sealants. 



This morning we set out at 7:15 for a 9:45 surgery.  All smiles on the way...dancing to music and tickling dad's ears!!!

Hurry up and wait is what you do in hospitals.  Keeping an inquisitive 8 year old entertained while starving her proved quite challenging, but we succeeded!!  Finally, at 12:30ish (yes...that long of a wait) it was our turn to put on these spiffy new pj's!!  You truly are a diva princess if you can look this dang cute in Youth Large scrubs!!!

Everything went very well...no issues at all. No pics, but on the way home Nealie downed 5 strawberry newtons, 1McD's cheeseburger, and small fries.  Before going to bed, she at some applesauce.  I'd say she made up for no food in the first half of the day!!