Rainy Tuesday

Today is another rainy day. I don't know about you, but I get headaches when it rains. I like rain every now and then (when I can take a nap, especially) but enough is enough! I had to take the kids to school in the rain, go to the grocery store in the rain and have to go to the fabric store later today in the rain. YUK! I know, it could be worse!!!

The kids have pretty much settled into their school routine. Yesterday was the first real day with homework. It will be a challenge for Brice and Shelby. Brice was mad because he has to carry 3 big books back and forth everyday from home to school and back again. They don't have lockers like I did when I was in high school. It makes for a pretty heavy back pack! Shelby is just happy to be alive, I think! She is enjoying being back in her social world. Being able to see her friends everyday and talk about whatever it is they talk about makes her happy. Eli has settled into his class and seems to be enjoying it. I know he would rather sleep later in the a.m. but other than that he seems to be happy.

Soccer should start up soon for all the kids. Brice and Shelby will be playing on rec teams and DII teams (a little travel with these teams). Brice will be playing for the Jr. Varsity at the high school and Eli will be playing for a rec team. We will be busy with all the different practices but it won't be anything like Brice's select team. With these rec teams if you can't make it or you have too much homework or need to study it's not that big of a deal. With the select team you better be throwing up or have a high fever to miss one of those practices...

I must go to the fabric store this morning. I've been putting it off long enough. Into the rain I go...

First day pics

The day started out pretty smooth. Eli didn't eat too much but seemed pretty happy. I can tell he is nervous in this picture but I wasn't expecting what happened when we got to his class.

We stopped and talked a second to the teacher across the hall. (Shelby's 2nd grade teacher) and then I asked for a picture with Ms. Walsh (Eli's teacher) I said good bye really quick and we started walking away and then the flood gates opened up! I just hugged him really hard and told him to wipe his face and go on in. He went in and then out again. I pulled him aside and told him that he was going to be fine and that I would see him this afternoon. He wiped his eyes and went on in. I hope is okay now! This is one of the main reasons that I wanted to hold him back in 1st grade. He needs a little confidence and a self esteem booster. I will have to work on that. Eli's best friend is in his class so I'm pretty sure the tears stopped soon after I left and that he is fine now. He is so like his mother... (Right Mom?????)

I thought the hard part was going to be sending Brice to high school. At least he is in a 9th grade only school this year and doesn't have to face all the "big" kids yet. He and our neighbor went together this morning. They have the first two classes together. He got out like no big deal and headed in like there was nothing to it. Nothing to it????!!!! My baby is going to 9TH GRADE!!!! Oh my goodness!!!

Isn't he handsome!!!

Shelby was a piece of cake today. She woke up in a semi good mood and we fixed her hair before I left to take Eli. When I got back she was ready and had her lunch fixed and everything. She was only worried about one teacher. She doesn't want the Social Studies teacher that Brice had. He is a coach for the high school girls' softball team. He was pretty hard. He had to learn lots and lots of maps. Maybe she got someone else. Shelby is changing so much in her looks. Since she got her braces she looks so much older! She's so pretty!!!
I can't believe it's time for school again. It's so quiet around here this morning. I don't know what to do with myself. I guess I could go do some laundry or something. I think I'll go and pray for all the kids. That should make me feel better. Especially about Eli. Poor Eli, he had to turn out like his mom!

Happy 18th Anniversay

18 years ago today I married the love of my life. We have done these pictures all 18 years. It is fun to look back on all the pictures and see how we have changed. Everyone always asks "What are you going to do when you run out of fingers?" I don't really know. Maybe we will use the kids fingers???? Anyway, Happy Anniversary Philip. I love you more...........

Beach 2008

We just got back from Perdido Key, FL. We had a whole week with the family and with Sean and Amanda Dodds and their little girl, Samantha. Sean and Amanda have some friends who have a condo at Perdido Key and they invited us to tag along with them. We had so much fun. We played on the beach, and in the water. We played games at night and went sand crab hunting at night. Sean even treated us to a day of crab fishing. We had never done that and it turned out to be pretty fun. We owe so much to Sean and Amanda. They were so kind to let us come with them. It was very relaxing and nice to get away from the "real world" for awhile. Thank you Dodds for making our vacation so special. You are great friends!!!

I have lots of pictures to share but tried to pick some of my favorites. We start back to school this Thursday. In a way I'm looking forward to it and in other ways I'm not. I'm hoping and praying that they all get good teachers that will help them grow and learn.

Daddy and his girl.

Mom trying hard to not let her little girl grow up.

The Thurman boys.

The Thurman Bunch

Dad and Brice

Ain't that sweet.

Mom and Brice

The kids
Sean and Amanda
The DoddsSamantha showing me a shell.

The view from our balcony.

Shelby looking for shells.

Shelby and Samantha playing in the sand.

The stick man.

Crab fishing...

Our first crab. We ended up catching about 12.

Eli playing in the waves.

Here is a video of Brice "escaping" from the sand.


Here is similar video of Eli "escaping" from the sand. You know...monkey see, monkey do...


Watch Brice in action...

Big Stuf '08

Philip, Brice and Shelby went to Big Stuf last week. They had so much fun! Shelby took some pictures but none of Brice or Philip. They had wonderful worship times and they had fun free time on the beach.

Shelby asked her good friend, Reagan, to go with her. She knew several people from school that went on the trip. Her is a picture of them outside there room.

One of the special guests during the week was Jeff Foxworthy. The kids said he was great. I didn't even know he was a Christian. Philip said he has been a Christian since a young boy and told his testimony. I'm glad they had a such a great time.

Quiet Week...I hope!

Eli and I sent Brice, Shelby and Philip off to camp this morning. Philip has been texting me along the way. I know they made it to Milton a while back so I'm sure they are pretty close to their destination... Panama City. The kids were so excited to be going. I don't think either slept much last night. Davis, the youth pastor, will be blogging throughout the week. You can read, if you want, what they are up to. Just click here and it will take you there. Eli and I plan to have a nice, quiet week. We went to Blockbuster today and rented some movies, we are going to sleep in everybody's beds, and we plan to have a friend over and maybe go swimming.

Please pray for us because I don't do very well when Philip is not here. I can't sleep and when I can't sleep I get very grumpy. Pray for Philip because he won't get much sleep this week either and he gets pretty grumpy too!! Pray for Brice and Shelby. I pray that they will listen and learn and have fun. I hope this changes their lives. Neither of them have ever been to something like this and I can remember my days as a youth. I remember how different speakers, at camp, changed me.

Well, Eli is pulling me to come play Wii with him. He loves having me all to himself. It's pretty fun!

Thanks for reading........

Do Over

This has been one of those weeks that you would like to do over. And when I say do over, I don't mean I want to do it again the same. I wish it could all be different. Tuesday we got word that one of our church partners, who was 36 weeks pregnant, lost her baby. It was so terrible! Today we are having a funeral/memorial service for her. Her name was Grayson Strong Butler. Please remember Joey and Gretchen Butler in your prayers. They need strength in the next weeks, and months. They are strong people and I have seen God work through them already but today is going to be hard. Pray for Philip today also because he is doing some of the service. He has really worked hard on the right words. You know how emotional he is and I want him to be able to make it through without falling apart. We also had another emergency within our church. A family being torn apart and there is really nothing you can do. Pray for Dawn as she tries to balance taking care of her own family while helping her brother. (God knows who Dawn is) I have mentioned our friend in Hattiesburg, Mike Madaris. He had 6 rounds of his treatments this week and seems to be doing fairly well. We have some other friends from our days in Hattiesburg that are going through an unimaginable time right now. Jason has been going through chemo for leukemia the last 8 months or so. This week he took a turn for the worst and is now on a ventilator with no brain activity. He has a wife and 3 small children. Please pray for them all. I can't imagine what is going on with that family.

Soooooo, as you can see, I'm just about done emotionally. I'm ready for some brighter days. Philip always says it seems to come in threes. I'm glad we are past that point. Let's start over with a new day!!

I don't think, in a long time, that I have spent so many late night hours thanking God for my children and my husband. It's times like these that you don't want to take anything for granted. Thanks for praying for all of our friends.