Zoo Atlanta

Over Memorial Day weekend, last weekend, we went to visit our friends who live in the suburbs of Atlanta. While we were there, we did a lot of fun things, including a trip to the Atlanta zoo. We had not been to the zoo before as a family, and this was Ethan's first time. We spent about 5 hours there! Longer than we had expected, but there was a lot to see and do. They even had a kiddie area with a train that Ethan and his friend Ben loved to ride. Another favorite part of the zoo were the maps. Ethan and Ben used their map the whole time to help us navigate where we were going next. Ethan really, really wanted to see the giraffes, so I was sure to include a picture , which Ethan took himself sitting on top of Scott's shoulders, below. It was a fun time, but we were exhausted afterwards. We ended up staying an extra night at our friends' house before driving home, so we could recover a little! We got a ton of pictures, but here is just a sampling:

Caleb & I on the kiddie train

Scott & Ethan on the kiddie train

The picture Ethan took of the giraffes

The warthogs (with their new baby between them)

Elephant (they were showing us how they ate, it was neat!)

Caleb in front of the kangaroos

Ben & Ethan in front of the railroad crossing, using their maps

Caleb smiling nice in the stroller (we all wished we had a stroller with all the walking we did!)

Ethan & Scott with the elephants in back

Happy 30th Birthday to Me!

I am 30!!! I can't believe I am no longer in my 20's . . . but it doesn't feel that much different, other than I notice a few more lines around my eyes and my metabolism isn't what it used to be. I am so happy for what I've been blessed with in my 30 years of life on this earth so far though. I couldn't have asked for a better family growing up, whom I continue to share close relationships with, and now I have a beautiful family of my own! Here are a few pictures from our family celebration!

Tagged Myself

So, technically I wasn't tagged by someone else. But I saw this on another friend's blog and thought it would be fun to do it on mine also and tag some other people.

The Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 6 people to be tagged, list their names & why you tagged them. Don’t forget to leave them a comment saying “You’re it!” & to go read your blog. You cannot tag the person that tagged you, so since you’re not allowed to tag me back; let me know when you are done so I can go read YOUR weird/random/odd facts, habits and goals.

1. I have a degree in Middle Grades Education (grades 6 - 9) with concentrations in Math and Language Arts - but after teaching for a couple years, decided I didn't want to go to a job everyday where I could expect to be disrespected the majority of the time. So, now I use my Math background in accounting and work with adults and enjoy it MUCH better! I wouldn't go back to teaching.

2. My first job, besides babysitting and working at summer camp with Deaf children, wasn't until I was in college. And then I worked for a Deaf professor, because I was in the American Sign Language major my freshman year. I did office tasks for him and had to learn how to use TTY on the telephone and communicated with him by signing. Then after changing my major (several times at that: ASL to Accounting to Teaching), then I got a job off campus working at the GAP.

3. I can eat a whole bag of popcorn (Smart Balance Movie Theater Butter Style) in one sitting, and often do!!! It is my guilty habit of snacking at night . . . got to work on that!

4. My restaurant of choice right now is Olive Garden . . . I always want to go there lately - love the breadsticks, salad, & black tie mouse cheesecake for dessert the best! I could skip the meal and just eat those things and be happy!

5. I had 3 sets of braces growing up. Possible result from being in a military family and having different doctors with different opinions for each set. I followed all the rules, wore my retainer, and my teeth still moved back after the second set! After the third set, I got permanent retainers on top and bottom, that are still in to this day, 14 years after getting my 3rd set off. Guess the retainers are working!

6. I have never smoked or drank alcohol. Just have better things to do. Enough said.

7. I really like office supplies . . . I've toned down my supply and stash in the most recent years, but I still love a good supply of colored pens to write with in my planner!

8. Speaking of planners, I can't change to digital scheduling. I love the old pen and paper style of planner binders that I have to write everything in. It somehow helps me remember what I have to do better than a digital device, whether it be computer, hand-held blackberry type scheduler, etc. And I record EVERYTHING in my planner - I review it every night for what tomorrow holds for me to do and remember to do. If I don't write it down, I don't remember.

9. I like sleeping with pillows piled around me to support my back . . . even when I'm not pregnant! We really need a king sized bed instead of our queen . . . poor Scott!

10. One goal I have right now is to spend intentional time with my boys. I make sure I leave work no later than 3:30 so I can spend the afternoon with them. Hopefully when they start full time school, I can arrange my hours so I can be the one picking them up from school most days. That is important to me.

OK, now I am going to tag the following people - my fellow bloggers - just for fun! Don't forget to send me back a comment when you've finished your list so I can go and read yours! Thanks!

Stacy W.
Megan B.
Kyndra (you might have already done this before on your blog though)
Lynna Kay
Victoria C.
Melinda C.

Cuties

Just a few pics of the cuties around my house tonight!

Bubbles in the Backyard

This was our evening activity after dinner tonight, waiting for Daddy to get home from work. Ethan enjoyed using his bubble gun and Caleb enjoyed chasing and popping all the bubbles!

Preparing for a 5K

I think I've finally made up my mind that I am going to enter the 5K race on June 21st in Greenville. It is a candlelight charity run that starts at 9 pm, so a neat idea for a summertime race! Last year, Scott and I ran the 1 mile fun run before the 5K, and that about killed us, since we were so out of shape with running. But this year, I have been running more, and enjoying it more just this week even, so I am hoping I can complete the race in a reasonable amount of time. Ethan has been helping me train by riding his bike with me around the neighborhood. That forces me to do some quick sprints in the midst of my jogging, in order to keep up with him, and prevent him from drifting out into the middle of the road for cars to hit him, as is a constant concern of mine. He is always looking down at his feet on the pedals, or looking back at me, . . . anywhere but in front of him! Here is a picture of the two of us in training! :-)

Ethan's New T-Ball Set

Sunny Saturday!

While Scott and Ethan were busy enjoying washing Scott's car out in the Saturday afternoon sun . . . this is what Caleb and I were doing inside. Caleb fell asleep while reading a book, as usual! (I didn't take a picture of myself taking a nap, but it was a nice nap, I must say!)

Ethan's Spring 08 Musical & Fair

Riding Grandpa's Motorcycle

I found this picture on my parent's camera, while dowloading some other pictures they had taken. Caleb and his friend, Elijah, must've been trying out Grandpa's motorcycle! You never know what Grandpa Bailey is going to introduce to my sons! Hopefully he knows I am not planning on allowing either Caleb or Ethan to actually ride on the motorcycle until after they turn 18!!!

Combining Blogs

This will be a very long post . . . I basically am combining an old blog I started before this one, and only posted to a few times. I wanted to have the posts for my own memory, so I am transferring them here onto this very long post. Please don't feel like you have to read this, unless you just want something to do! Enjoy or feel free to skip!

A New Blog

I started this new blog today. It is my attempt at keeping some sort of online journal. I don't know what all I will write about. Probably just my experiences, thoughts, and feelings of my everyday life. It may not be of much interest to most . . . but may be of some interest to my family at certain times. I hope to recount daily memories here of my family . . . Scott, Ethan, and Caleb - my three guys! (Husband of almost 7 years, 3 year old son, and 8 month old son at the time this blog starts.)

What is new this week? We have been working on relandscaping our backyard and making it "playable" for the boys. Scott and Grandpa Bailey just finished putting together a new swing set for Ethan and Caleb. They have already enjoyed playing on it the past two evenings this week. Now, we just have to get grass to grow! I am excited about spending more time outside together as a family. I think this will be something we will all cherish and use for years to come!

Posted by JB at Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Awake

Here I am awake . . . not uncommon lately. As I type, my 8 month old is stirring from his sleep. It is always just as I am about to go to bed that he will start. I guess that is the joy of having a baby! I should remember this as a time to cherish, not a time to dread.

Earlier tonight my family went out and around on one of our "errand" nights. We ate fast food, and then went from store to store looking for a birthday gift, getting a few odds and ends we needed, and hunting for new patio furniture. Even though it sounds boring, this is one of my favorite things to do. Just to be out and about with my family and spending time together. Ethan and Caleb do surprisingly well being drug from store to store! I guess it helps that Ethan got a few new toys in the process! Well, I better try to go get some sleep! Until next time!

Posted by JB at Saturday, May 05, 2007

Lazy Saturday

Lazy Saturdays, like today, are one of my favorite things. I love when we don't have any set place to be or things to do and we can just hang out at home and relax. Today is one of those Saturdays. Caleb had fun rolling around the floor playing, Ethan was playing with balloons we blew up to celebrate Grandma Brisken's B-day later this evening, Scott is going through music CDs and organizing his music on the computer, and I am working on editing and updating all my websites. Now both boys are resting in their rooms. Peace . . . nice!

Posted by JB at Saturday, May 05, 2007

In a Mood

When I feel the way I do tonight, I often feel like writing to get my feelings out. But then later when I look back on what I wrote, I always wish I wouldn't have put my feelings in writing. I guess in a way sometimes I am ashamed to feel depressed. I am so blessed in my life, and there really isn't a reason for me to feel so down. So, I am sitting here typing and listening to music on my ipod by Chris Tomlin. His songs really lift me up and help me refocus on what really is important. "Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The earth is filled with His glory . . . " But I do think that God understands when we feel discouraged. And I don't think He holds that against us. I just hope I wake up feeling more refreshed and in a better mood tomorrow!

Posted by JB at Saturday, May 05, 2007

Babies Grow Too Quickly

I haven't been on here in a while. I have been enjoying reading my sister, Stacy's blog, so I thought I would come and type and entry in mine. Sometimes I don't know exactly what to write about. But I guess I will just share a few special moments from my day.

About my title, my boys - Ethan 3 yrs and 5 months and Caleb almost 11 months. I can't believe how fast they grow! I almost have a 1 year old, and it really seems like not that long ago that he was born. It's seemed to go so much faster with the second child. Lately, I have been cherishing putting Caleb to bed at night. Scott and I pride ourselves on the fact that we taught both of our boys to be able to go to sleep on their own, without a long drawn out process of rocking and laying with them etc. Most of the time we just lay Caleb down and walk out of the room. But lately, I've been rocking him for just 5 minutes at the most before laying him down. Because we've taught him that we usually only rock him when he's awake, he doesn't fall asleep while being rocked. But it has been a special time to just cuddle him and pray for him and love him. I know soon, he will be too big to hold. Although I hope it is not for a long while! Tonight I also carried my 3 year old baby to his bedroom for bedtime. I am just amazed at how much love you can feel for your children. What a blessing God has given us in our two boys!

Those are my feelings for tonight. I have started tutoring online in Algebra and have a session to get to. Until next time!

Posted by JB at Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Screamer and Update on Various Things

For the last few days, Caleb has been screaming! Ask anyone around, and you will hear a blood curdling scream that really hurts your ears! The thing is, he's not in pain, he's not hungry, . . . we don't know why he is doing this! It is really starting to wear on mommy's nerves though. We have been telling him no, because it's almost like he's just doing it to hear his own voice. I haven't heard him make these loud screams since he was a baby, only now he's got a lot more ooomph behind them, so they are a lot worse! Maybe from a mother's point of view, it is the worst. I feel like when we are out in public, everyone is looking at me to control my child. How do you make a 1 year old stop screaming though?? Well, I hope it's just a stage that is over tomorrow! I am worn out from it.

Other than Caleb's screaming, we've all been a little sick. I got sick with some sort of virus/infection that knocked me out for 3 days in the bed. I don't remember the last time other than maternity leave that I missed 3 days straight of work. And then of course, playing catch up is exhausting in of itself. Scott has had a bad cough for about a week and a half, and the boys have colds. I am just ready for everyone to be healthy again! We need some normalcy around here . . . although what exactly is normal?

I'm trying to learn more and more to trust God with our finances. Although it is hard. We try and we try to stick to a very minimal budget, but it is very hard when normal expenses are more than the income. I'm back to almost working full time again between my accounting and tutoring work, and Scott is working a full time job plus part time job. I don't know what more we can do, other than what we should be doing all along - just giving it to God. This morning we tithed and gave it all back to God. We normally do tithe, but this morning it was harder than usual, because things are so tight. I know some might think we could cut back on things even more than we do, but all I know is that we do the best we can and can't do anything more. I am stressed out enough as it is, and just can't worry anymore about it. It is just a day to day struggle that I struggle with. Giving it back to God, because it is all His anyway . . .

Posted by JB at Sunday, September 02, 2007

More Quantity and Quality Time

Mother’s Day sparked a renewed decision that I need to be home more for the boys, both in quantity and quality time. Having such a flexible work schedule is really nice, but it can often make it hard to keep a set schedule, just because I have the freedom to make it what I want. Sometimes I get on a roll at the office with the tasks I am doing, and just keep going! Lately, we have been so busy at work, I have been staying until 5:00/5:30 and just getting home in time for dinner. Having flexible child-care from my mom makes it even easier to lose track of time! But these are precious days that I need to be spending with my sons, and learning to get to know them even better, and them me. So, starting yesterday, I made the commitment to make sure I leave the office at 3:30 pm at the latest. If there is still more work to do, I can always log on from home after the boys go to bed and complete it - another nice perk of my job! So, yesterday, Ethan and I had undivided time together for about 1 1/2 hours, and during that time we played Hullabaloo together, as well as a game to practice writing his letters. Then when Caleb woke up from his nap, we all three played Hullabaloo and played outside after dinner. A nice evening of quality time with my boys indeed. Today, I have been sitting outside on our back patio in the sunshine updating my blog, working on a few financial updates for the household, and enjoying watching Ethan and Caleb play on their swingset with a couple other neighborhood friends. So today's time together wasn't as structured as yesterday's, but just me being here with them in quantity is nice. Both quantity and quality time together are so important, and I'm happy to be back on track with my commitment to both! It can often be hard balancing motherhood with working outside the home, but thankfully I am refocused to do my best at both for the time being!

Family Time at the Park

This past Sunday night was the first time in a while that we didn't have an activity or class we had to be at church for, so we enjoyed going to the park and spending some time together just the four of us. I love it when it is nice out in the evenings, not too hot or cold, and it is always nice when it stays light out until 8 pm. It was a special end to a special Mother's Day.

Happy Birthday Grandma Brisken!

We celebrated Grandma Brisken's birthday this past weekend, since Ethan and I had been out of town on her actual birthday. We had a nice dinner out at Copper River Grill, and then back to our house for ice cream cake from Brewster's . . . Yummy! Caleb enjoyed licking the frosting off of the cake a lot! Grandma Brisken has informed us that this is just the beginning of her birthday celebration, so we are celebrating all year long! Sounds fun to me!

Scott and his Mom (Grandma Brisken)

















Grandma with Caleb & Ethan

College Girlfriends Weekend in VA with Kids

I finally am starting to feel a little recovered from my college girlfriends weekend up to VA that I took with Ethan two weekends ago! It was a 10 1/2 hour drive there, and about 8 hour drive home. Then of course with the kids (first time we've included kids in our yearly visit) things were go, go, go without much time to relax! It was fun getting to see each other's kids, but we just didn't get as much "girl time" in. Hopefully it won't be long before we all see each other again!

Julie's son, Brayden, with Kelly's daughter, Caroline

Ali (Ginger's daughter), Brayden, Michaela (Ginger's daughter), Knowles (Kelly's son), and Ethan

Julie and I

Julie and Kelly

Kelly, Ginger, and I

Cars Fan & Me and Elmo

imikimi - Customize Your World


imikimi - Customize Your World