Christmas 2006

Oh yeah...you knew it was coming...Christmas....it is finally here. We had a lovely Christmas season, complete with a new tree and new ornaments. Enjoy...

To Be Continued......

God Bless,

Malia

Oz

This is something I had to do for work last October. The theme was enchanted fairytale land. I actually had customers come up to me and ask if I professionally painted murals. Not bad, huh?

God bless,

malia

Cola

About two months ago my brother and his finace' got engaged! I tell you, it is wedding central around here! Congratulations to Coleman and Karla, better known as Cola!

God Bless,

Malia

Jackson Journals

In his class, Jackson is apparently required to journal every day. I think they give him a sentence and he is supposed to try and write that sentence and draw a picture to match it. We got his journal thus far at the end of the last nine weeks. We were flipping through it when we noticed a particularly funny sentence that we are sure the teacher's didn't give him. I could not contain my laughter at what the teacher's thought when they read his journal and was quite surprised they didn't put some kind of smiley face or something on the paper. Without further ado....here is Jackson's sentence: "I can see a tent."

Thank God his picture showed that he really did understand the sentence, just not the spelling.

God Bless,

Malia

Thank Heaven for Big Brothers

Not long ago, we were all fixing to eat supper and we were all discussing who was going to say the blessing that particular evening. We all decided it was Jackson's turn to say the blessing, so we all bow our heads and listen. .....he thanks God for the trees, the house, our beds, etc. As we tune into Jackson's voice, we keep hearing this little distracting whisper. Wade and I break the rules and open our eyes and lift our heads and look at each other. We realize it is coming from Dylan's direction and change our focus to his voice, instead of Jackson's. As Jackson is now on "thank you for the animals, thank you for the car, thank you for my toys....Dylan is diligently tring to remind him under his breath....."Thank you for my brother....thank you for my brother....thank you for my brother!"

Thank you God for both of those precious boys.

God Bless,

Malia

Ring Bear

My sister is getting married this weekend and she is going to be the most gorgeous bride EVAH! I mean, just look at her.....

This is us, trying on dresses. She is the one with the great curves (and the bad tanlines) on the right. So, here we are, with our hair not professionally done, actually they are in rubberbands provided to us by the sales girl, she is all natural, she loves her freckles and barely puts on a coat of powder and she is still gorgeous, inside and out. She is a great person and is going to make a wonderful wife and life partner.

Now, this post is actually about Jackson. He was asked to be the ring bearer in their wedding. Well, actually, I told him he was going to be the ring bearer.

Jackson and I were discussing the fact that we had to go get him fitted for his tux one night at supper. He asked what a tux was and I explained that it was the suit he had to wear in order to be the ring bearer in Auntie Erin and Stinky Joseph's wedding.

Well, we went on about our supper business and were on another subject when Jackson looks up at me all sad. I said, "What is it Jackson?"

Jackson says in a very sad and tearful whisper, "Mom, does the ring bearer have to wear a bear costume?"

God love his little heart.....many pictures of this weekend to follow.......some time next year!

God Bless,

Malia

We Are Decent Parents

Although we did have Emma's official party on Thanksgiving Day, we did have a small party at home on her actual birthday too. Complete with a cake made by Dad, (isn't he sweet?) and presents. Oh yea, and lots of love for our Emma!

God Bless,
Malia

Still Catching You Up

This year...scratch that...last year, we had Emma's birthday and Thanksgiving on the same day. See, she was born on the 19th and come on, ya'll know how hard it is to get everyone together. Okay, I have been threatened to NEVER do that to my daughter again...and I won't...okay Melissa, I promise.

Never theless...that is what we did. Well, for Christmas, my aunt and uncle's present to my grandmother was a trip to Hawaii, a place she had never been. So my mother decided to get her a going away present and made sure it fit before she left. So, here are some pictures of the day. Enjoy!

God bless,

Malia

Powder

This...is my Emma...

These are my hardwood floors.....do you see the teeny, tiny footprints?

This is Emma, with baby powder on my hardwood floors...

Having the pictures to document the mess, so that I can use it in some form of blackmail later......priceless.

Definitely Belated Halloween--2006

Why do you see a Jack-o-lantern at the top of your screen in the middle of March? Because I have a life and it doesn't always include updating my blog. I really would like to work on this problem though. I think this could be the most belated post in history. I also think I officially have no readers left, except for Will and the occasional Zandria. Then there is that anonymous poster....For Halloween this year....scratch that (how do ya'll do that scratch out thing?) last year, my three angels were....Dylan (ninja, as always).....Jackson (Batman)....and Emma (a witch). She has yet to be something pretty and sweet for Halloween. No princesses and fairies here, no sir. Just stop by and tell me how cute they were!!!

Long hair, fake lashes, green face, broom and all. She is in NO WAY a witch!!!! Just look at that angel!

Now, who is THAT handsome devil?

Always the nimble ninja!

I think this is the third Halloween in a row that he has been a ninja, but, you know what, he is the most handsome ninja I know!

The Batman, the Witch and the Ninja---Coming to theatres soon!
Malia

Half a Century!

My mom turned 50 on Saturday! She has been wanting to turn 50 just so that she could joing the Red Hat Society and now she finally can! In that respect, I threw her a Red Hat Society party!

This is a woman who has climbed many mountains during her 50 years. She survived two older brothers. She bares the scar from when she had a glass jar of marbles and fell down the stairs with it and cut her neck. She bares a scar from when she touched a hot iron with her hand and to this day, cannot fully stretch her thumb out. She married for the first time at 15, dropped out of high school and then had her first child at 16. She was divorced by 20 and pregnant with me. She raised my brother and I in a couple of apartments, while working for a few years and then met the man she thought would be her saving grace and our saving grace. He moved us to a home in the small town of Smyrna. They then had another child. We built our lives there, went to school there and cowered in fear of this man. She realized her mistake and eventually left that big town of Smyrna to become a single parent again. From that point in 1992 she became this strong woman who could manage a career, her teenage daughter and young son. We struggled. a. lot. We struggled with teenage issues, money, ex-husbands and growing up. Well, eventually, the man of her dreams really did come. He wasn't in disguise this time. He really did sweep her off her feet and save her. He rode in on his Harley. She has now been happily married for eight years, living in a house she loves and running a successful career. She is now a wife, a Grammy, a mother and a friend. She has been my saving grace. We love you mom!!!

Malia

Savannah

We have picked our place to honeymoon. It's not too far from home and it is definitely southern, ya know, to go along with the theme of the renewal. Savannah, Georgia. Home of humidity, hauntings and Paula Deen. I am almost more excited about going to Savannah than I am of the whole renewal. Do you know that Wade and I, in all our 10 years, have never been on a vacation together...alone? We had our honeymoon night in a hotel in Atlanta, but that was it. The Savannah sock has been placed in a safe place in our home and money is being socked away in it weekly.

Since I am planning everything else, I thought I would be generous enough to allow Wade to pick his top choices from a myriad of inns in Savannah. Then I went and researched all of their packages and prices and this is the one he finally chose as our place to stay. The Olde Harbour Inn---Oh shoot, something is wrong with the hyperlink---www.Oldeharbourinn.com. It just doesn't look as pretty that way. Anyways, tell me what you think. If you have ever been to Savannah, let me know where to eat and what attracations we should see. You know we are going to go visit 'ol Paula.

God Bless,
Malia

2007...is it Over Yet?

So far, this year has been crap. First, my friend started the year off in the hospital, six months pregnant...with kidney stones. OUCH!

Then, the store I work at was robbed...at gunpoint. I wasn't there, thank God, but still...it is scary.

Over the weekend, one of our employees died. He would have been 19 on the 19th of this month.

Today, the dresses that I thought we would be getting for our bridesmaids are not going to happen. The company can't even send us swatches of the fabric, so we have pretty much decided not to use them. We were also going to use them for the flower girl. Back to square one.

Hope ya'lls is going better.

God Bless,
Malia

Goodbye

Rest in peace Josh. Your free spirit will be missed. Perform your magic in the sky. Go to a place where you will be understood and no longer confused. We will miss you.

God Bless,
Malia

Posts that Will One Day Be Published

1. Emma's tattoos
2. Halloween (They were so cute).
3. Emma+powder=Hallway wooden floors.
4. Thanksgiving
5. Jackson learns about Hell and the Devil.

God Bless,
Malia

Life-shaping Moments

I got this idea in a magazine, I think it was Real Simple, the December issue: In the rush of the holiday season, an exercise in remembering gifts that money can't buy. Think of a few life-shaping moments that you've been given at various times.

1. When I was 8, my aunt, Auntie is what I call her, called me around my birthday and told me that she was going to take me to get my ears peirced for my birthday. I felt like a total grown up.

2. Having that ring slipped on my finger by my husband.

3. The births of all three of my children.

4. Shopping for wedding dresses with my mother...finally.

5. Being with my Papa when he walked into the arms of Jesus.

6. Losing my first pet.

7. Realizing that being friends with the most popular crowd in school, wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

8. Having my heart broken by that first boy.

9. My first kiss, Eric Alexander.

10. The special traditions that are carried on in my family, like Christmas Eve at Memaw's and Papa's, I haven't missed a one yet. Collards and black-eyed peas at Memaw's and Papa's on New Year's Eve, getting ready for trick-or-treating with my mom when I was kid, every year, Crafting with my mother, etc.

Now, you try.

God Bless,
malia

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Yes, I am still alive!!!! Hold on! Today is a friend's birthday, let me run and E-mail her real quick!.....Okay, sorry, if I didn't get that done now, it wouldn't have gotten done. So, how was your Christmas? Hello? H-h-hello? Oh shoot, I haven't blogged in so long that I don't have any readers anymore......hello? Hey!!! I have a reader?! Oh...there are a few of you....no...no...I really wouldn't like to go to your website...well, I would just rather not try your product......no, wait a minute....all I have left are spammers?!!! UGH!!!! This sucks! Sorry guys! Really, I really will try to be better in this upcoming new year. I will try to keep you interested. More HNTs? Well...ok, I'm sure I could do a few more....yes, definitely more "Kids Say the Darndest Things" I could probably post one of those every day, one for each kid....oh, and you want to know how the renewal planning is going? Well, it is going....I can update you on that every once in a while...sure. Then you will come back and read?! Oh yeah! Yes, yes, yes, I will do much better this year. Thanks! Thanks for giving me another chance. K, have a good one. Bye.

God Bless,
Malia

Heaven and Hell

Jackson is just like me in so many ways. We worry about things we cannot change, things that are inevitable, like death. Like, it hurts our stomachs worry. He asks things about it all the time and these are subjects I avoid because in my happy little world, all things are good, never sad, never painful.

One night while I am at work, I get a message from my mother telling me that she has scared Jackson and he will probably never talk to her again, but will most likely be telling me about it and she wanted me to be prepared. When I got home, she tells me just exactly what it is she has done:

Apparently, this happened over several hours. He kept coming back and asking questions...just like he did me when he asked me about dying.

Jackson asked her if the Devil was real. She explained to him that the Devil is indeed real, but that you can't see Him like you do on t.v., like with horns and a pointy tail. (What!!! He doesn't have horns and a pointy tail?!!!) She expains that the Devil was an angel, but he did wrong by God and God banished him from Heaven. Jackson intrigued says, "Really?"

The questions start coming: What does he look like? Can he come here? Does he really live under the ground?

She explained that you can see the devil in people, like when someone is being real mean, that is the devil. He lives everywhere and yes indeed he can come here.

Jackson walks away, watches a little cartoons and comes back. "Well, can he hurt me? How do I know he is here? Where does he live?

My mother then tells him, "Yes, if you do what the devil wants then he can hurt you and he will try to trick you to hurt you. He lives in Hell." She then goes on to try to explain Heaven and Hell to the boy. She of course, now realizes she has dug herself into a hole and doesn't know how to get out of what she started. So she tried to explain to him about the angel sitting on your shoulder and the devil sitting on the other shoulder like in cartoons.

Jackson went away, watched some cartoons, used the bathroom and came back. He asked, "What happens if you listen to the devil on your shoulder?" You guessed it! She tells him that he will go to Hell! His eyes get wide. He tears up. She just tells him, "That is why we listen to the angel and not the devil, so that we won't have to go to Hell.

Tee hee.

My mother calls her mother and explains what has happened and is wanting to be reassured that she has done a good job of explaining this to a five-year-old. My grandmother helps her recover the mess she has made by telling her that she left out the most important part, asking Jesus for forgiveness. Oh yeah!!!! That would be a good part to add.

Poor boy, is scarred for life, but you know what, every time he has done something wrong. He stops what he is doing, gets down on his knees and prays. Go Grammy!!

God Bless,
Malia

Diarrhea, Cha, Cha, Cha

Emma has a diary. She writes in it. Scribbles really. She carries it around with her. She lays it down whereever there is a blank space. I, being the Mother of the Year, was cleaning up the living room and I grabbed her diary to take and put in a proper place. Next thing I hear is Emma screaming, "GIVE ME BACK MY DIARRHEA!!! GIVE ME MY DIARRHEA!" Sure thing honey, you can have it.

Malia

Biotch!

My kids...I tell you....The other day, I was frying catfish for Sunday supper. The grease was hot and poppin'. Dylan was supposed to be helping me cook supper as his chore for the day. He was over doing some dishes. I was standing with Wade as he was "helping" to direct me in if the fish was done or not. Just then the grease popped and landed on my hand. It was hot and burnin'. My first instinct was to scream an explicative, but I am a mom and so I have trained myself not to say those kinds of words. So, instead, I chose to scream out, "SON OF A BIOTCH!"

Dylan turns and looks and says, "What's a biotch?"

Mother of the year=Me

Malia

Kids Say the Darndest Thing...3

Emma has been sick this weekend. She has the crud that is going around because of the weather change....temperature, cough, raspy chest, stopped up nose, running nose....So yesterday, she was riding back with my mother from picking the boys up from school. She sucks her thumb and you know, not even a stopped up nose will come between a girl and her thumb. So she says, "Grammy do you hear that?" She sticks her thumb in her mouth and attempts to breathe through her stopped up little nose, "It sounds like Darth Vader!"

Malia

Friends...Words of Wisdom

There's a lot you can do to help a friend through hard times. There's also a lot you can do to make things worse.

Malia