Balaam and his donkey.

First off, I want ya'll to know that I'm quickly losing my burden for this blog.  I know I know, it's not good, but I can only take so much headache and then I'm done. 

I was introduced to Instagram and I'm quite hooked.  I like clicking one button and my pictures are automatically published. Whereas, this dumb-founded blogging thing, takes close to 2 hours sometimes.

I'm at my parent's house and thought I would try to do another blog post, but I'm not sure how it's going to work out.  Here goes.................................

Josiah's school had their annual Thanksgiving program last night.  We always enjoy going.  They have wonderful food before the program and then we all gather in the sanctuary for it to get started.  Josiah was Balaam this year.  The play was about donkey tales.  (tales not tails, lol)  He got to act out about being Balaam and how the donkey seen the angel and stepped on his foot.  It was really cute and Josiah is a ham anyway so everyone got a good chuckle.  I was quite proud of him.  I was in lots of school plays and I have a feeling he may just take after his mommy.  Ha Ha.

Was it just last year that we all gathered around at christmas and laughed and laughed at me, while watching a video, when I was in a play called "Bunny Sue"?  I was a bunny that refused to hop.  It was hilarious because I have always been chunky, and here I was all hopping around on stage at the end.  Well, I don't care what they say.  I'm like Honey Boo Boo, "I'm a Superstar." Ha Ha (Sorry, that is my latest addiction too,  I have never laughed so hard before after I discovered this little Beauty Queen.) Look her up on you-tube if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Anyway, back on topic, Josiah enjoyed his time in the spotlight.  I did get a little sad when the Kindergarten class came out and there was another chunky indian like Josiah was last year.  It was a bit of reality that my little boy is growing up fast.  Titus quickly told me that next year, he was going to be that indian when he started  kindergarten.  Ha ha!

Here's a few pics to enjoy if they download.  I will not torment myself or you to try and post more than two!!!

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Happy 5th Birthday, Titus!





5 years ago on Oct 30th, this is what was happening in my world.



Titus Luke, 9lbs 2oz.



This boy enjoyed his birthday! 

 Last year he had a train ride and a party for his birthday, so this year we decided to have a low key birthday.  He woke up early for presents and then I took him to McDonalds for breakfast.  Then on to the library.  They sang to him during story hour and he jumped up and ran off.  He is so backwards sometimes.  We got him camo boots, john deere shirt, socks and underwear (everything he asked for, except a drum set). 

He asked to eat Chinese for his birthday dinner.  He ate pizza, mac n cheese, and chicken nuggets though.  lol

Later that night we had a monster truck birthday and had his friend Ethan from church to come over.

It was simple, but he enjoyed his day tremendously.

Maynard fussed at him for something and being the spoiled birthday boy, he said, "Is that anyway to talk to a birthday boy?" Ha Ha

I had more pictures, but this thing is acting up and I'm so done fighting with it so these will just have to do for now!

Fall Break Part 2

So where did I leave off last week, hmmmm.......
Oh, yeah, we were fixing to go to bed and then leave my Mom and Dad's the next morning.
Tuesday we got up and packed Mom's car up and headed to McDonald's for some breakfast.  That ended up not being too enjoyable because Titus spilled some water up front and I got busy and forgot to tell the workers.  Evidently, they seen it and gave me some bad looks and was all running their mouth and everything.  I have a hard time with that.  It's hard for the christian in me to squelch out the "mom" in me sometimes, but I managed to bite my tongue and just endure it.  I even went as far as to wipe all the sticky syrup off of the boy's table where they enjoyed hotcakes.  You don't even want to know how bad I wanted to leave that syrup on that table, but I didn't.  Ha!

Mom was driving me to Lexington to meet up with Maynard.  He has to drive to Lexington everyday, so it made it only a little over a hour trip for Mom.  Amelia wasn't too happy to see her Daddy.  She took a slight fit on us when she realized we were going back home.  We finished riding with Maynard on his route and then stopped for a nice lunch/supper.  By the time we got home it was time to go to our library to see a play about Tom Sawyer.  My boys have been into Tom Sawyer awhile because I had been reading them the children's series I found at our library.  It was performed by Lexington's Children's Theatre.  They done a great job and I enjoyed watching my kids laugh and enjoy themselves at such a classic story.

Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher



Titus sporting Huckleberry Finn's straw hat.


Wednesday was a beautiful day.  We slept late, which was WONDERFUL!  Then I packed a picnic and I took the kids to the park where we stayed for several hours.  I love how my kids can make new friends.  Josiah just walks up to kids and starts playing with them whether they want him to or not.  Titus is a bit more backwards, but he will play with other kids only if he knows Josiah has tested them out first.  Amelia, well, I'm not sure how to explain her.  It's almost like she wants kids to come to her and ask her to play.  She may turn them down or then again she may decid to grace them with her presence.  Such an odd little girl, I tell ya!!!!

Thursday was a day that I enjoyed for myself.  I took my kids to their other Mamaw's house to watch for me while I went to the grocery store,  Can I help it if I was gone 4 hours? Ha Ha!  I took my time and did a little birthday shopping for Mr. Titus, who will be having a birthday next week.  I even treated myself to Chinese for lunch.  I was all by myself.  I had no spills to clean, and no unlimited trips to the bathroom.  It was great.  Then I headed to walmart where I stopped and talked to friends and just looked around and enjoyed myself.  I don't mean to sound selfish, but I never get time to myself, and sometimes, it just does a body good to get away for awhile.  It refreshes me so when I get home I'm ready to be MOM again.  Isn't it funny that I enjoyed going grocery shopping?  Normal Moms would be blogging about getaway trips of spas and pedicures.  Ha, but I got to eat and grocery shop all by myself! Ha ha.  My kids had a great time at Mamaw Tara's and then we headed home to get ready for church.

Friday, Titus was feeling pretty bad.  Yes, I realize he did not get sick while we were away and for which I am very thankful.  He was coughing and congested really bad and was starting to struggle to breathe, so I took him to the dr's office.  He had bronchitis and an upper respitory infection.  He got lots of meds and put on breathing treatments 3 times a day.  Which breathing treatments is like steriods in a misty form and it goes straight to their lungs.  It's so funny to watch him before and after his treatments.  He goes wild! 
Maynard was working at the church so after the dr's office I took the kids to Gondoliers (kids eat free) for supper.  Then we met up with Maynard and headed to Playground Theatre to see Sleeping Beauty Play.  I can't express how much my little girl enjoyed this play.  She loves princesses and fancy clothes so she was in pure awe.  She sat in her seat and just took every bit of it in.  My boys enjoyed it too of course, but not like she did.  Can you imagine if I ever took her to Disney world?  Ha Ha!

Our Dr's office has redone every exam room and they look great.

Anxiously awaiting Sleeping Beauty to start.

King and Queen and Princess Betty

Amelia is in pure awe here..........

Saturday was a busy day too.  It was another work day at church so it was just me and the kids.  We met up with my friend Michelle and her kids for an early lunch at Shiloh's.  Then we headed to Camp Wildcat to see the civil war re-enactment.  Amelia sat with her ears covered the whole time while it was my boys turn to be in pure awe!!!  Funny how we went from princesses to war!!!!  I was a bit dissapointed this year in it because the actors were cutting up and being a little silly instead of taking it for real.  I didn't go there to laugh, I went there to get a glimpse of what really happened back in the day.  I kinda goofed and told Rachel that she should go out there and act too.  I told her she could go be Betsy Ross and help the soliders.  I was quickly informed that I probably meant Clara Barton being that Betsy Ross was the one who made the flag.  lol  oops,

Saturday night we took the boys back to their Mamaw Tara's and we went to visit a church in Danville, Ky.  I have become acquainted with some of the women there through blogging and Instagram, and oh how I already like them people!

Sunday was back to normal.
Monday, it was back to school.
Unfortunately, Josiah was sick now, but insisted he not miss his first day back at school.
His teacher called and said he was really feeling bad after lunch so I had to pick him up and take him to the dr, too.  It has to be this crazy weather, but also, I'm having a hard time keeping my kids in their shoes outside.  They don't understand that our summer days are over and no  more bare feet!!!!!

I believe that about covers our fall break.  I enjoy keeping my kids busy and finding things for them to do.

Happy Fall!

Fall Break Part 1

Friday evening we headed to visit my family.  We got a late start because, uh-humm, Maynard's car started acting up again.  My freezer in my refigerator has bit the dust too.  I lost all my apples and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I put up this year. Ha Ha!

Anyway, by the time we got to E-town it was around 8 p.m. and we decided to eat at Cheddars.  Most my family was in church and the others were already getting ready for bed, so we ate by ourselves.  It was so good!!!!!

We got to my parent's house and crashed on the floor and couches.

Saturday morning my Mom fixed an amazing big breakfast for all of us.  It was so good too!

Eating breakfast with some of their cousins.



The kids played outside with their cousins all morning and afternoon and then we headed to our annual Harper Harvest Fest.  It was good seeing all our family members we barely get to see.  They had lots of games and activities planned for the kids.  The hayride got canceled due to a problem with the wagon and my kids were majorly bummed, but they got over it.  All too soon it was bedtime.

Pinata Fun



Sack Races



She never quite mastered it which made her a bit angry!



Balloon Darts  (my nephew Logan)



My Parents




My brother Brian and his son Logan (I get to see them maybe 3 times a year, if that.)



Maynard making London proud at cornhole.  He only lost one game!



The Harper Family, Dad, Uncles, and my Aunt.


Sumday morning we went to visit a local church, but they ended up having a special Pastor Appreciation service, so it was kind of odd for us.  After church we went and had lunch at TEXAS ROADHOUSE.  I love Texas Roadhouse.  (I have no doubt seriously gained about 10 lbs this weekend).

Sunday night we went to church at Bro. Webb's in Brooks, KY. We got to see their new building and it was so nice.  I hadn't been to visit them people in over 10 years.  I got to see so many friends and see my friend's kids. I was so glad I went.  Maynard and I sung and I was near passing out in that massive church from nervousness, but the Lord visited us and was able to annoint and use us to help the church.  After church, Maynard drove on home and I stayed with my parents for a couple more days. 




My good friend Annette's little girls and Amelia.  I had only seen pics of them before.


Monday morning my Mom attempted to take me and the kids shopping.  We went to the mall. (Without a stroller, I might add)  I am NOT paying $5 to rent a stroller that Amelia can barely fit her chubby legs through.  She wasn't the problem anyway.  Can ya'll guess?????????  I'm pretty sure Titus still has my fingernail prints on his arm.  I believe I heard chimes from Heaven when I found Children's Place was right in front of a playground.  My mom ever so graciously, said she would watch the kids while I looked around.  As she went out I heard her say, "I'm gonna let ya'll play, but you better not hurt any of those other kids." Ha Ha!  That cracked me up.

After the mall we went to Sam's where my kids pretty much had lunch.  You know the people that hand out samples?  My kids had fish, pizza, apples, and I can't remember what all.  I got so tickled because Titus said, "Here come a food cart."  I looked over and someone was just setting up their sample station.

Monday night was my brother and his wife's baby shower at my parent's house.  It was just family, but she got a ton of cute stuff.  She has 2 boys and is now having a baby girl.  So she was super excited about all the pink stuff she got.




Congratulations, Todd and Michelle.


Now my kids are in bed and we are supposed to go home in the morning.  These 5 days have gone by super fast, but I'm ready to go home and back to normal again.  Maybe we can enjoy our last few days of fall break sleeping in and just hanging out at the park.  I am LOVING this weather!!!!!!

Nothing worth blogging about so my topic is "My Feet."

We have been really busy around here, but nothing really exciting enough to blog
about.  I have been going to work with Maynard because his car he bought to replace his old one broke down.  He had to get a new transmission put in it so he needed to drive my van.  We chose to go with him a few times just to get out of the house.
So, since you all are bored to tears already, let's talk about my feet.

Some of you that don't have instagram have no idea what I'm talking about so I feel the need to enlighten you.  I don.t want you to be left in the dark of my feebleness.

I have had feet trouble ever since this summer, but blamed it on my flip flops.  I mean we all know flip flops are terrible for your feet anyways.  I would get to hurting so bad that I couldn't walk through the house without excruciating pain.  I ended up in the bed one evening and refused to get up. I was desparate so I let Maynard wrap my feet in vinegar and brown paper. I reeked like vinegar for several days, but it did help a little.
I broke down and went to a podiatrist (foot dr).  I have heel spurs and plantar ficillitis in both feet.  He put me on some steriods and anti_inflammatory meds.  I had to promise my Dr I would only wear tennis shoes, except I did get permission to wear dress shoes to church for 2hrs a week.  Yep, he thinks people only go to church on Sunday mornings evidently.  I am doing some better, but not completely
better yet.  I have one month to get better or I get SHOTS IN MY FEET, PEOPLE!!  Cut me open, but please don't put needles in my feet. lol
So, if you see me out and I look like I've been to the gym, just pretend I have been.  Drs orders, no exercise right now either, lol.
I decided to spare ya'll on a picture because it would have to be of my feet and well......I think that got old on instagram. ha ha

Field Trip To The Dairy Farm

We have met a lady at the library that takes care of a 4 yr old girl that has really bad food allergies.  Just one whiff or taste of certain kinds of food could kill her.  This woman is homeschooling this little girl because she used to be a teacher and the mother doesn't trust her daughter's life in the public school system.  This lady has befriended us and has taken to Titus somehow.  Anyhow, she has been asking me if I was interested in going on field trips with them because they didn't have anyone to do anything with.  Yes, I am nervous about allowing my kids to be around this little girl.  Leave it to Titus to hand over a peanut or a peice of candy to her and finish her off.  Somehow though, I felt like she was reaching out to me and I needed to do this so we agreed to go to a dairy farm with them.  Ya'll know how much I love animals, right?  I was scared and grossed out all at the same time.  I probably don't even want a glass of milk for awhile either.  Ha!  Titus and Amelia had a great time.  Amelia impressed me the most.  She petted those cows, hand fed them, and even bottlefed a baby calf.  I just stepped back and took pictures and kept making sure my hand santitizer was still in my pocket because oh how they were going to need it.  Farmers have come a long way.  They lined their cows up and hooked them to some kind of milker machine.  The milk ran into some kind of cotainer and then into a refrigerator tank thingee.  Then the milk is picked up by Praire Farms.  It was pretty neat to see how it all worked.

Here is another collage of their day at the dairy farm.  I may see about getting Josiah's class at school to get to take a field trip there.  Those kids would love bottle feeding these baby calves.

Hot Wheels........For Real

Ever have those days where you have a ton of things to do, but nothing is going right and you feel like you are just going in circles?  I had a day just like that last Friday.  Our kids at church were having a thing at the park and I had to get a  few supplies together to bring, I needed to get a few items from the grocery store, and I needed to meet up with the lady who made Josiah's cake.  So, I am on the phone with the cake lady and we plan to meet up within the hour so I can get the cake.  In the mean time Maynard is calling me and said his car is acting up and I may have to drive to Lexington to pick him up.  So I start getting me and the kids ready when he calls back and says that he is going to continue to drive it on home and that he has almost made it to Livingston.  So while I am talking to him he said, "There it goes.  It just quit on me.  Umm, Amy, I think it might be on fire under the hood.  Yep, I think its on fire."
My reply? "SO GET OUT OF THE CAR, BUT FIRST TRY TO SAVE WHAT YOU CAN."
He tells me to come and get him so I call and postpone getting the cake and head to Livingston to get Maynard.  As I am stuck in traffic a fire truck passes me in the emergency lane before I even get out of London.  Hmm...... wonder where it's going?  Ha!
So I'm traveleing down 75 where I'm trying to locate exactly where Maynard is at, but it doesn't take me long to follow these black clouds of smoke to where I need to go.  I pulled over on the opposite side of the rd,  not knowing exactly what I needed to do.  So there I sat on the side of the interstate and took this picture ,which made a policeman come scream at me to get the "you know what" out of there.  I guess he thought I was a "gawker" instead of the poor man's wife who's car was now up in flames.

                                                   From across the median on the interstate.

    

                                                                      There she blows.

                                                                   And there she goes.

I was politely asked to go on down to the next exit and come back up to get Maynard and the stuff he salvaged out of his car.  I say politely because Maynard chilled the officer down that I was in fact his wife that was needing to know what to do and not just a "gawker" taking pictures.  I was about out of gas and the interstate was shut down so I went ahead and got gas before I went back to get Maynard.  Yeah, they were waiting on me, but if I didn't get gas soon we were going to be in a world of trouble.  I picked Maynard up and took him on to Corbin to finish his route for the day.  Luckily, my parents were in town for a campmeeting and I was able to get ahold of them to pick up Josiah from school.  When we picked Josiah up he looked at Maynard and said, "Did you get out in time, Dad?"  Ha Ha  A boy after my own heart.  I can see me asking someone something like that. lol

Now before ya'll start asking crazy questions like, "Did he have full coverage and all that stuff?"  The answer is "NO"!!!!!  I mean why put full coverage on a car he paid $300 for.  This car has been a blessing though.  Maynard has put I think about 75,000 miles on it himself and it is such a gas saver.  We were blessed though because Maynard was already in the process of buying another vehicle and was able to pick it up the next day.  We both think his little station wagon got it's feelings hurt over Maynard eyeing another vehicle.  So sad.  Ha!  All in all, things could have been a lot worse and I am very thankful that God watched over Maynard and allowed him to be safe during this fire.  I'm also thankful that Maynard didn't allow Titus to ride with him that day to work.  Maynard debated it and decided not to take him.  I'm glad because well, Titus plus fire, plus a busy interstate, well just equals even more disaster!!!