A Night in A-Town

Joey and I have not had a night completely by ourselves with no kids since February 2007. Let's just say that it was much overdue! We've had date nights, but we haven't spent the night away from our kids. On Friday night at about 7, we packed up and headed to Athens to meet my roomate from college, Katie, and her husband Saunders. Saunders' parents own a condo in Athens, so we were staying there for the night. Once he got to Athens, we went downtown to eat. We tried to eat at a restaraunt called DePalma's, but the wait was 2 hours. Considering I had been up since 4 and it was already 8:30, there was no way I was going to make it. So, we headed to one of our favorite hang-outs in college, Wild Wing and ate dinner there. We actually met up with my brother and Jennifer while we were out. It was her first night on the town in Athens! After dinner, all the "young people" headed out, while us old married folks went back to the condo and crashed!

The next morning, we battled the cold and rain and headed to the stadium. The Dawgs came out playing strong, but unfortunately, we lost in the end. However, Joey can never call me a "fair weather" fan again. I didn't complain one time even though I was freezing and wet! We had a lot of fun hanging out with Katie and Saunders. In fact, if you want to see more pictures, and get an even better detailed summary of the trip, click here. Katie is way better at blogging than me!

Katie and Saunders

Me and Joey

before getting our rain gear on

Me and Katie

Friday night at Wild Wing

Joey and Saunders

Trey and Jennifer

Black Friday

I was definitely one of the crazy people that got up at 4 am on Friday and hit the stores. Wal-Mart was by far the craziest; everyone else seem to have a little bit of order to the chaos. I have to admit that it was worth fighting the crowds. I got some amazing deals and we're pretty much done shopping! Some of my best bargains were:
jewelry box: reg. $100...I paid $40
jewelry: reg. $100...I paid $17
dress: reg. $70....I paid $15

I have to admit that I did a lot shopping for myself. Joey and I just alloted ourselves a certain amount of our Christmas budget to use on ourselves and I desperately needed sweaters and clothes for work. I got several great things. I spent a good bit at JC Penny's, but at the bottom of my receipt, it said, "You saved $262". Let me just say that that is WAY more than I spent, so that was a great deal!!! The rest of my deals, I can't mention on here b/c they were presents! :-)

Friday night we headed to Athens for the Ga-GT game, but that will be a post all it's own so that I can include pictures!

Thankful Thursday

I have many, many reasons to be thankful this holiday season. However, since I feel like I don't say thank you enough to the people that mean the most to me in this world, I thought I would take this Thanksgiving and reflect over each one and how much they mean to me. So, here goes!

Joey: Oh, I don't even know where to start. I can never explain how much burden he lifts off my shoulders every single day just by being him. He's an amazing husband and father and he does so many things most men never even think of doing. He does our laundry, he cleans the kitchen every night before going to bed, and he helps me keep things picked up after the kids. But more than any of that, he just loves his family. I never wonder where his priorities lie because he makes it clear to me on a daily basis. I love you, baby, thank you for being the perfect other half of me.

Tripp: I realize he's not old enough to read this, but there are so many reasons that I am thankful for my fiesty son. He came into my life 2 1/2 years ago and kind of rocked my world! He's never been an "easy" child, but I have to admit that I am thankful for his strong will. I know that one day, God will use that will for Him. My boy is growing up way too fast and I'll always be thankful for these days where the sweetest words I hear are, "Mommy, yook at you!" when I get dressed up! :-)

Makinley: I think back on a day about 21 months ago when I sat in an emergency room, cramping, bleeding and scared, listening to a Dr. tell me he was 100% positive I was having a miscarriage and that I might have to have a D&C. God is so amazing! My sweet, sweet girl grows more independent each and every day. Her disposition lights up the whole room and she is the perfect balance to Tripp. To us, she is our "miracle" baby, and we will thank God for her always!

Mom: My mom does so much for us each and every day. But, even more than the physical and emotional support that she gives, I don't ever go a day not knowing that my mom is praying for my family. What more could I ask for? Ever since I became a mom myself, I definitely appreciate my own mother that much more. My mama is the strongest woman I know and I truly hope that one day my kids are as proud of me as I am of her. I love you, Mama!

Daddy: There might not be a bigger "Daddy's Girl" out there than me! It really doesn't matter how old I am, those feelings never change. My daddy has done so much for his family over the years....sacrificing time and time again so that we could be happy and well taken care of. Although I know I don't show my appreciation near enough, "thank you" just really feels inadequate sometimes to truly express my gratitude. I pray that I teach my own children the Godly wisdom that my dad has taught me over the years. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for the earthly father he saw fit to bless me with! I love you, Daddy!

Trey: My "big" little brother. This has been such a big year in Trey's life and I am so thankful for the things that I have seen happen for him. Meeting Jennifer....becoming an ordained minister...buying a house....leading the Bible department of his school.....battling to lose weight (and succeeding)....the list really goes on. Trey has grown and matured so much this year. It's wonderful to truly be able to say that he is not only my brother, but my friend! I love you!

Jennifer: It's hard to believe that this time last year, I didn't know that Jennifer Hartley existed in this world, and now in just a few short months, she will be my sister-in-law. I am thankful that God brought her into my brother's life. The road ahead....marriage, children....will not be easy. However, I believe God has brought them together in a special way and I am confident that they will seek Him always. Welcome to our family, Jen, I love you.

Linda: Joey wouldn't be the man that he is today without his parents. I miss his Dad every day! Linda has been through her share of ordeals this year and I am so thankful that God is bringing her through them. It really looks like she will be in complete remission after the first of the year and I am so grateful for that. We definitely need Grammie around for years and years to come! I love you, Linda!

Last, but not least, I am beyond grateful for my Savior! He chose to bless me abundantly and everything I have is because of Him. I pray that my life brings honor and glory to Him always!

Thankful

About a week ago, we took our students on a field trip to a wildlife preservation. One of the areas for the trip was a pond study. The picture below is of the area where the kids were doing their research. I kept looking out across the water at the fall colors and it just made me realize how thankful I am this season. It has been a trying year for my family in many ways, but God is SO good and SO merciful. If he can paint the trees to look like this; I know He can paint my life the exact colors that He has for me. As I head into Thursday and spending time with the people that I love most in this world, I will take time to thank my Heavenly Father for each of them. I'll be sure to post a Thankful Thursday post for Thanksgiving. I have plenty to be thankful for!

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's off to church we go!

I wonder when Tripp will outgrow making this cheesy smile. He's been doing it for well over a year now. Oh well!

Sibling Rivalry

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

around the Lancaster house. Joey and I spent the whole morning getting all of our Christmas decorations out. Like pretty much the rest of the world, I LOVE Christmas time. After the holiday season last year, Joey and I went shopping and bought a bunch of stuff on sale so that we would have more to decorate with this year. I plan on doing the same thing again in January. One day, I hope to have enough Christmas decorations to decorate every room in my house with something related to the holidays. We bought a 4" tree last year with the plan to have one in the kids' play room, but we decided to wait until next year to put it up. We figured it would be hard enough keeping Makinley away from the main tree without having to keep her away from one not much taller than her as well! Here are a few pictures of what we accomplished!

The mantel and Christmas tree

The "ladder" in our foyer
A closer picture of our mantel

Our entertainment center with all my Christmas houses. Let me just add that we ended up moving our stockings and hanging them on top of our entertainment center. The stocking holders weigh a ton, and the stockings were dangling right at Makinley's height. I was having horrible visions of her pulling one down and busting her head open on the holders. So, it might look a little white trash now (and definitely not going to take a picture for the blog) but at least they are out of her reach!

We are headed to McDonough on Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Linda and Tom will join us on Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner. Then, on Friday, my mom and I will be out with all the crazy people looking for some great deals!!!! Oh, we are planning on decorating the outside of our house tomorrow, so I'll be sure to post pictures when we are done!

Just a little plug....

for my very creative friend, Carrie Beth. She has made so many things for Makinley over the last 14 months and I have loved every single one of them. The latest thing is this adorable hat! Makinley is the worst about keeping things on her head, but so far she is doing great with the hat. It's like she knows she is styling! Don't you love the outfit too? This was a birthday present from some good friends of ours. They have a son, and it was obvious Laurie had a great time shopping for a little girl. I loved it because she definitely looked all girly in her pink/green. She didn't know what to think about the fuzzy stuff around her neck and wrists at first, but she got used to it. If you want to check out some more of Carrie Beth's things, click here.

Playing Outside

A couple of weeks ago, Joey and I took the kids outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. It is really getting more and more fun to watch them play together. Makinley is obsessed with climbing the stairs that are in our garage leading to the door. She does great. But I get nervous, because if she misses one step, it's straight to the concrete she goes. But don't tell her that! She is becoming Miss. Independent (as I am typing this, she is climbing on top of a table!).












Notice Tripp still has on his pj shirt. He refused to take it off that day. This child has more meltdowns than any one child should have.

Look at my pig tails!!! Are they not so cute?! I love that her hair is getting longer. I really don't want to cut it, but I also don't want her to have a mullet. I'm hoping she will continue to let me put it up until the top catches up with the back. I think she is also destined to have my fine hair.

We love our wagon!!!! Notice it says "The Lancaster's Radio Flyer" on the side! Thanks Kora and Erica for such a great birthday present. It is definitely getting used!

Two Check-Ups, 5 Shots

Yesterday, we were finally able to have Makinley's 12 month check-up.....on the day that she turned 14 months old. That's what happens when your kids stay sick; they can't ever have a "well" visit because they are never well! Anyway, we went yesterday and here are the latest "stats" on both the kids:

Makinley:

22.7 pounds- 50 %

31 inches tall- 75 %

Tripp:

36.5 pounds- 95 %

38.2 inches- 90%

They are both right on schedule developmentally. I was worried about Makinley b/c she walks with her feet turned in really bad, but the Dr said it is completely normal and not to worry about it. So, okay, I won't worry about it. They both had to have shots. Makinley had 3, one of which was the flu shot. She was a trooper. She cried for about 30 seconds and really just had look of pure disgust on her face. Tripp, on the other hand, acted like someone was pulling his teeth out one by one. He had to have 2 shots (he was behind) and he had the flu "mist" that they put up his nose. I was really worried about how Mak would tolerate the shots afterward b/c her last round was so hard on her, but she has done great. Both my kids are growing like weeds.....

Another Steal of a Deal

Awhile back I posted about the awesome deal I got on a Britax car seat for Makinley. Well, I got another one! I've been searching for Tripp a Britax for months and I finally found one. A lady on Craig's List had a BRAND NEW Britax Regent that she was selling for $150. They retail for over $300. I am SO excited. The Regent goes up to 80 pounds, so needless to say, Tripp will be in it for an extremely long time. In fact, it will be his booster seat as well. Once he outgrows the five point harness, he'll be able to stay in the seat and just use the seat belt! Only a mom would get excited about this, but I pick it up tomorrow and I can't wait!

Am I on "Candid Camera"?

It is 1:45 in the morning, and I'm awake because Tripp is throwing up. AGAIN. I really feel like I must be on candid camera. I can not believe how much my kids have been sick for the last month. They have literally taken turns....first Makinley, then Tripp, then Makinley, then Tripp, then Makinley, and now Tripp again. Since it looks like Tripp has a stomach bug (he's thrown up 3 times in an hour), I'm sure Makinley will get this too. I don't know what God is trying to teach me through all of this, but I wish I would learn. I'm beyond tired of seeing my kids not feel well. Plus, I seem to get any stomach bug that comes within 100 miles of me....so I'm sure I'll get this to. Ok, there's my pity party.

Update on Linda

Below is actually an email that Joey sent out as an update on his mom. I thought since he never "blogs", I would use his words!

Hey Everyone,

It’s been a few months since I sent the first email asking for your prayers for Mom. Thank you so much for the calls and emails. So many of you have kept constant check on her and both she and I appreciate it. We are now roughly halfway through her treatments and she is progressing well. She lost her hair within the first few weeks of her treatment and for the most part she hasn’t lost much weight. The first treatment was extremely hard on her, but the last two have been much easier…..she has even been able to work some in between treatments. She had some relief from the pain in her back and stomach immediately, which was much needed. Now with each treatment the pain continues to subside.

She had a CT scan this week to review her progress and we were excited to learn that the treatments are working! The size of her lymph nodes and spleen has been reduced by over 50%. Her prognosis continues to be complete remission by the end of treatment. God is Good!!

She will have 3 more rounds of Chemo by the end of December and will then have more tests to check progress. I will continue to keep all of you updated and please continue to keep her in your prayers.

I would also ask that you continue to keep Stacey in your prayers. She has been my rock physically, emotionally, and spiritually and I am so thankful for her love and support through all of this. She also does a great job keeping friends and family updated on the daily comings and goings of our family on her blog.

Joey

So, there you have the latest update. As Joey said, God is definitely Good. He has definitely sustained us and given us what we have needed to help Linda through this trying time. I'm sure there is still a long road ahead....but we know He'll meet us there!

Pins and Needles....

is what it feels like waiting on this election to be over. I did my duty and voted over a month ago, and I've still felt a little nauseas all day today waiting to see the outcome. I don't understand a lot about politics, but I know this is the most monumental election of my lifetime for many reasons. I keep reminding myself that God ordained from the beginning of time who was going to win this election and none of it is taking Him by surprise. I'm just really anxious to see how much our day to day life is going to change based on who wins tonight. Ugh....

Father, thank you for my country and thank you for a President that has done his best for the last eight years. Thank you for all of the men and women who are voluntarily fighting for my freedom even as I type this. God, I pray for our next President. May he seek you in his decisions and may You lead him and guide him each day as he leads and guides our nation. Whatever the outcome, thank you for being sovereign and mighty. No matter who my President is, my praise will continue to be lifted to You as my Saviour and King!!!

Halloween

We had a great Halloween! I took a ton of pictures, but thought I would just post one so you can at least see what their costumes looked like. Tripp was a dinosaur and Makinley was a ballerina. In this picture, we were walking around downtown Madison trick-or-treating. I can't believe Tripp has his paci in his mouth in this picture; he never has his paci in public anymore, and he rarely has it around the house. Oh well, he snuck it in! On Halloween night, we went to the Fall Festival at our old church. It was a lot of fun and Mak thought she owned the place. She was walking around everywhere and dancing every time she heard a beat! She loved going down the huge slide!