Phillips Phamily Phive

I'm About to Go All Sally Struthers on Y'ALL!

2012-02-03T01:08:00.002-05:00

A little voice inside me keeps saying, "What can you do? YOU? You are not going to make a difference. No one will listen. No one will respond. YOU, Carey, are ineffectual. You won't follow through. You won't make any difference at all."

I'm fighting against that voice. It's not from me. And I WON'T BE THE ONE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

He will.

Psalm 9:18
But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Now as I said yesterday, here's what you can do. Here are all 42 of the children ready and waiting to have their most basic needs met.

They are waiting for food.

They are waiting for shelter.

They are waiting an education.

They are waiting for you.

I have three specific young ladies who need your help.

Bernadette Brevil, fifth grader and 10 years-old, her parents could not care for her or her sister

Jean Modline, fifth grader and 11 years-old, sister to Bernadette and their parents could not care for them

Fransoise Blanc, fifth grader and just turned 14 years-old, her father is deceased and her mother could not care for her

A $34 monthly support fora child provides basic needs including:

1. Food. Currently at Fond Blanc Orphanage children eat when there’s food available and food is available when there’s money to buy it. On a good day all the kids get one meal a day.

2. Clothes. Most of the children have one outfit and a school uniform if they’re lucky. At Fond Blanc Orphanage Pastor Jean Claude and the caregivers teach the children respect for each other and themselves. Even if they only have one outfit they have they make sure it’s washed for the day.

3. School needs. Whether it’s a school fee, uniform, or notebook and pens, a monthly sponsorship will help with these costs.

You might be reading this and feel that a monthly check is too much of a commitment for you, but sending a one time donation is. Or maybe just following our blog Fondly Blanc and praying for the children and Pastor Jean Claude and the rest of the staff in Fond Blanc is right for you.

NOTE: If you are interested in supporting one (or two or three!) children at Fond Blanc orphanage, comment below and I will send you an e-mail regarding your next steps in sponsorship. Or you can email me at Carey{dot}Phillips@gmail{dot}com and we can talk about how you can help.

Feeling Radical

2012-02-02T11:10:00.011-05:00

Last year, about the same time that Sweet SJ arrived, our church small group was in the depths of a book called Radical by David Platt. This book was a book I didn't want to read, but couldn't not read. I wanted to quit after chapter two, but felt called to do something about the way I was living my Christian life. Here's just a tidbit of the soul-stirring words from Radical:

“The price is certainly high for people who don’t know Christ and who live in a world where Christians shrink back from self-denying faith and settle into self-indulging faith. While Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God, literally billions in need of the Gospel remain in the dark”.

Through reading the book and group discussion, the seven families in our group decided

take

break

from studying the Bible

and

begin acting as a result of

believing the Bible.

We have been challenged to break out of our comfort zones, both physically and spiritually.

After deciding on Haiti, we were able to partner with Children's Hope Chest to begin work at the Fond Blanc orphanage. Over the course of the last year, we have prayed, fund raised, and planned for this next assignment from God. Last month three of our small group members were able to take our first trip to Haiti to meet the children of Fond Blanc.

Our next steps involve finding sponsors for 42 of the children identified as needing care in Fond Blanc, as well as assisting with the provision of basic necessities such as shelter, food, water, medical attention and discipleship as well as education.

OVER 400 children come to the orphanage and local primary school each day in hope for food and an education. Sometimes there is food. Sometimes there is not. Sometimes the teachers are there, but only if they have been paid. The children are hungry for both food and knowledge.

Tomorrow I want to share with you what you can do to help, but for now please enjoy the scenes from Audrey's video below and catch a glimpse into the world of Fond Blanc, Haiti.

Following God to Fond Blanc from Audrey Perrott on Vimeo.

Joy

2012-01-01T11:17:00.001-05:00

The Daddy's grandparents on Christmas Eve:

Still finding joy in family!

Florida Ice

2011-12-28T09:18:00.008-05:00

Our sweet little town puts up an ice rink in the park each winter. The tent goes up in October for Fashion Week and stays up through January. Last year the girls were DYING to go ice skating.

We never made it.

Suffice it to say that as soon as that tent went up THIS YEAR, the familiar chorus of "Mommy, remember last year when you said..." began.

And I knew it could no longer be avoided.

Helping HJ get her skates on

AE getting her bearings

Ready to go!

Super excited to start

And here's how it went down:

Mama skating while carrying an extra 40 pounds around the ice:

Hardest thing I've done in a while! I worked up a sweat while The Daddy had to exit the tent with this little one:

Seems every time I came around the rink, he would begin to cry. It feels so good to be loved!

Just in Case You Didn't Believe!

2011-12-14T09:10:00.004-05:00

As always while in Atlanta for Thanksgiving, we went to "our" Santa, who takes appointments at Phipps Plaza. SJ was not pleased.

It Happened Twice

2011-12-11T18:36:00.001-05:00

We went to see Santa twice. He had the same reaction both times.

LOVE it.

Fall Sweet and Salty Treat

2011-11-09T15:28:00.005-05:00

If you are on Pinterest, then you surely know that inspiration abounds when it comes to anything and everything crafty, yummy or beautiful.

A few weeks ago I made these:

And they were delicious!

Sidenote:

One thing I have discovered is that I am much more likely to try something I've pinned IF I have the motivation to put it on my "Did It" board where I can comment on how it came out and what the occasion was to make or try it. Try it. Make a "Did It" board to move what you've actually tried and you'll see!

So today at the store, I picked up some more pretzels and Hershey's Caramel Kisses. I happened to have a large bag of pecan halves in the fridge just waiting to be used in something scrumptious.

Throw a bunch of pretzels on a cookie sheet/ jelly roll pan.

Unwrap and place one kiss on each pretzel:

Bake at a low temperature for three minutes:

I think it is strange that my oven only goes as low as 170*. Thoughts? Also, nothing like taking a picture in your kitchen to know just how much you need to clean...

Anyway, you'll know when your kisses are ready to take out of the oven when they get shiny.

Next, gently press a pecan into each soft kiss:

As a last minute and delicious decision, I sprinkled on some of this:

Because chocolate, caramel, pretzels and pecans just weren't enough!

After I sprinkled, I stuck them in the fridge to harden back up. YUM!

In Cased You Missed Us

2011-11-04T14:28:00.003-04:00

Goodbye. (for a little while)

2011-09-21T21:50:00.004-04:00

I'm on hiatus.

I've disabled my facebook and twitter accounts.

I've got family in town.

I've got one BIG girl turning SIX tomorrow.

I've got a focus on our family that can't be derailed.

Beth Moore's got me deep in with Saul, Samuel and David.

I'll be gone for a little while.

But we'll be back!

The Cake Was Blue

2011-09-09T06:41:00.002-04:00

Our FIRST blue, boy birthday!

Found the sweetest nursery rhyme toile invites, plates and napkins in the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby!

I tied some ribbon to Humpty and strung it from the chandelier.

I picked some scrapbooking papers that fit the color theme, cut some pennants and sewed them onto some ribbon for a homemade banner.

I even made a miniature banner for the top of the cake. Got that great idea from Pinterest!

I ordered the cakes from a cafe/bakery in Marietta, Canvas. They were a dream to work with via the phone and email. They got it just right and it tasted divine!

One little cake for SJ, one big one for the rest of us.

Tied a ribbon to a simple glass cake stand. I have a set of three in graduated sizes, and they come in handy for all occasions.

Ommmmmmmmmmm.

The good stuff inside!

I made a hat for our birthday boy.

He wore it for 30 seconds.

We sang Happy Birthday.

He wasn't too sure about the sugar.

He loved playing in it without so much as a "NO!"

This sweet, but sour look really exemplifies his feelings toward the cake.

He went after it.

I love that little "tear" of icing just under his eye!

HJ couldn't wait to get a taste.

Sweet snuggles from a teething one-year-old, post cake smash

We played a little game with the post-its and the girls' pictures from their cake smash days. I wrote each of our three's birth weight and weight at one-year-old to have our guests match the correct measures with the correct child.

The answers:

AE:

-8 lbs, 4 oz

-19 lbs, 4 oz

HJ:

-7 lbs, 7 oz

-20 lbs, 2 oz

SJ:

-6 lbs, 11 oz

-21 lbs, 14 oz

Then we opened presents.

With big sisters' help, the big one was revealed.

And yesterday he mastered getting in and out by himself! He also found his horn!

Life in Pictures: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2011-09-08T01:47:00.000-04:00

I had over 130 photos on my phone that I may or may not have shared with y'all:

The boy did not like peas.

Our city is beautiful.

Aargh.

SJ fell asleep mid-bounce at church.

Memorial day weekend view:

Waiting for the doctor:

Indication that it's time to lower the crib mattress and remove the bumper:

At our local beach with friends BEFORE the amoeba warnings:

Brown recluse. On the back of our house.

Sweet boy one Sunday morning:

I ruined that outfit with Oxyclean.

What I've been eating lately:

Built a tent fort in the girls' room.

Happy girls:

Made more than one pan of lasagna this summer.

Spinach chicken lasagna topped with Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes:

Patient boy:

Cloud watching at the splash pad:

Eating puffs at the splash pad:

My sisters are freaking me out with all these toys in my crib!

Mama and The Daddy went on a date.

To a concert.

Where my eardrums may have been split open.

Forgot to put on sunscreen:

(Spent five hours at the beach.)

Watched the neighbor's kids and decided I can't have more!

We have a happy boy!

A smart girl.

And one seriously competitive little/big sister.

He's getting bigger and bigger.

In a hand smocked present from Julie:

Jessie stowed away on several car trips.

Cookin' up a storm:

Rainy afternoons:

Summertime attire:

Popsicle, popsicle.

Date night with HJ, when she wistfully said,

"I really wish I could fly."

He began eating Cheerios.

He put them in the circle and couldn't get them back out again.

The Science Center was good for a rainy day. We pet the baby gator and watching them eat.

Learning new strategy:

Practicing on the green screen:

Wore ourselves out:

Went to a marionette theater:

(Kind of freaky. Saw Alice in Wonderland.)

Naked time:

The Crazy Dog got locked out overnight. Found him on the front porch in the morning. Soaked.

The eyes. My word, his sweet eyes:

HJ modeling SJ's first birthday present from his Great Aunt Judy:

Because according to her, purple is NOT his favorite color!

Daddy's Opening Game

2011-09-07T01:05:00.000-04:00

As a possible new tradition, we headed up to Atlanta for Labor Day weekend to celebrate SJ, but we also celebrated The Daddy's birthday. If you remember, The Daddy's birthday is the day before our son's. Just so happens that The Daddy's beloved Auburn plays their first game that weekend, so what does The Daddy always want for his birthday?

To watch the game and get a win from the Auburn Tigers!

First stop: visit with old friends.

Next stop: visit the bookstore to buy hats for the girls and get some face painting.

The local high school sent their DECA members to do "free" face painting for donations.

They sent two guys? Strange!

Two not so cooperative girls!

Inside the stadium:

Can't complain about our seats. We were only six rows up in the upper deck. There was a wonderful breeze that helped keep us cool despite the high 90 degree weather. I know that the folks down in the bowl were sweltering!

And the most important thing: our tickets were free. The Daddy had his hand raised outside the stadium indicating we needed tickets. Some lovely people stopped and asked us how many we needed? Four. All together.

God bless them, they gave us those tickets for free. They have children that they used to take to the games, and now those children are enrolled at the university. I guess they are just starting the recruitment process when the kids are younger and younger these days! :)

Assuming this position for the first quarter, the noise was a little much for HJ.

We thankfully stayed for all FOUR quarters where the Tigers pulled off a seriously magical win.

See? The Daddy is smiling!

Views from the front seat on our way back to Atlanta:

As my friend Carrie suggested, AE's position does NOT look comfortable at all!

Worn eagles, hey!

On His Actual Birthday

2011-09-06T11:02:00.001-04:00

We celebrated with banana pancakes as per our family tradition.

Don't mind the pink, son.

There's blue and green on there, right?

Cute. One. Done.

He's Only One

2011-08-31T10:24:00.005-04:00

SJ turns one this evening at 10:06 pm.

He's on the move. He'll be walking any day now.

Everything goes in his mouth. He's got ONE tooth and it's only half way in.

Those lips. Those eyes. That sweet gummy smile.

He's a blondie. He'll be a heart breaker.

He's in love with his sisters. Each time we get in the car to pick them up from school, he's looking all around for them.

If they aren't in the car, he just goes to sleep to pass the time until they show up again.

He's got a few curls in the back of his tow head. A few rolls and sweet dimples.

He's only one.

I Love This Place

2011-08-25T11:11:00.002-04:00

Cruisin' through our sweet little college town, I often find a view such as this:

Love her flowers in the basket for decoration!

Now that school is back in session, our town has come to life again! Many families here summer in the NC mountains or spend their time at the local beaches in condos. All the snow birds are gone through the dog days of summer, which will unfortunately continue most likely through October here.

There is, however a hint of fall with the onset of school. I love the hum around town, and I love seeing the new freshmen arrive for their first step to independence. I love the sidewalk cafes full of moms chatting over coffee, coeds getting to know their new roommates and business people making deals over croissants. Our town has hit the reset button and has come alive again!

What gets you going for Fall???

Her Turn

2011-08-22T10:20:00.011-04:00

This morning it was her turn:

AE was ready to go to her first day of Kindergarten.

I finally found the perfect first day dress.

Backpack packed and ready to go.

The Daddy blocked off his morning a made the walk in with us.

At the front doors:

In front of her classroom:

At her table:

With her teacher, Mr. Foster:

Mr. Foster came to our house to meet our girl a couple of weeks ago. Last week, we went to his classroom to see where AE would spend her days for the next school year.

We also got to meet Nicholas, the classroom bunny:

I took this picture, so I could know where she was in her day if I stop to pray for her. Right now as I type this, she's at lunch! Notice, NO NAP TIME.

Daily jobs for each student:

AE will be getting a lesson in diversity this year. First, with a male teacher and secondly, her class is like the United Nations!

What made it pretty easy to walk away smiling this morning is AE is really ready to learn AND she has a friend from her preschool cheerleading class in her new Kindergarten class. They even sit at the same table!

Last night we took the whole family out to eat at Downtown Disney:

Can you tell where we ate?

SJ was scared the whole time, poor thing!

But look at what was trumpeting right behind him!

Our plan was to ride this balloon after dinner:

But it wasn't running last night.

HJ showing you her red tongue from her souvenir smoothie monkey cup:

And next year, we'll do the same thing as we send HJ off to Kindergarten, too!

This Year, Last Year

2011-08-15T19:21:00.008-04:00

First Day of Pre-K this year:

First Day of Pre-K last year:

Little Miss Independent went on a date with Mama last night. We discussed important things like how she really wishes she could fly, what to do on the first day of school and why guacamole tastes so good.

I found out the thing Miss HJ was looking forward to the most this year as a Pre-K 4'er, is getting to walk UP the stairs to go to her classroom. Only the big kids' classrooms are upstairs. HJ also declared that she did not NEED me to walk in with her. She REALLY wanted to be dropped off in carpool.

So I did.

Then I parked and came in to see how she did.

I found this once we arrived UPSTAIRS:

She came in, hung up her "bee bag," picked up her table work and sat down to get started.

Once we came in, HJ confessed to AE (who starts Kindergarten NEXT Monday) that there was something wrong with her letters. You can see the bottle caps with each individual letter, but there were are few of the wrong ones there.

Once she got the right letters, all was well.

Then we tried to get a picture of all of us!

And one with JUST HJ AND ME:

Sort of:

Can you see sweet screaming SJ being carried away by AE? Ha!

Now to do it all over again next week with AE!

The Encounter

2011-08-11T22:11:00.013-04:00

Last weeks of summer, so what does a mama do? Squeeze in all the things she said we'd do at the beginning.

On a whim, I took the brood to the butterfly encounter at one of our local nurseries. We bought a season pass in the spring, and it has proved to be well worth the money. I also got to pick up a few plants for around our yard while we were there.

I let the girls get dressed by themselves. AE looks adorable and Christopher Robin-ish in her rain boots, but why did HJ choose AE's old soccer jersey? I love that she paired the jersey with some beachy, terry shorts, ruffled eyelet socks and her "fast shoes."

I dressed the baby.

Love how they just hung those Adirondack chairs up in the pine tree!

My loot:

The butterfly encounter is a multi-room exhibit, landscaped with all manner of nectar producing plants.

It is all enclosed in a greenhouse-like structure, so you can imagine the warmth on a lovely day in August. In central Florida. In August. To be fair, we did have a nice overcast morning that I THOUGHT would make it a little more bearable.

There are lovely water features and garden art.

When you enter, you get a chart detailing the different varieties of butterflies and many instructions on how to behave inside. No chasing the button quail, no touching or catching the butterflies, except inside the designated area where you can feed them Gatorade.

Can you see the wings in motion up above? That little beauty would NOT sit still!

Inside the approved "feeding" station

Toward the end of the exhibit, there is a nice little surprise collection of finches.

Some are quite colorful.

This little blue guy was my favorite.

The girls of course love the rainbow colored ones.

If you squint, you can see the sweet little hummingbird that I was lucky to catch for half a second as she rested on this empty branch. One of the nursery employees was rehabilitating the sweet bird and brought her to work with him that day.

These are the sweet button quail that run around on the ground all throughout the encounter. They are hard to get a picture without laying down on the ground, but these old girls were roosting and preening right by the exit, so I was able to finally get a shot.

The colors and flowers throughout are gorgeous:

And so is our little button-nosed baby boy:

Her Birthday Was in April

2011-08-11T12:06:00.006-04:00

HJ graciously agreed to ask the party attendees to bring donations for our local children's hospital just like her sister.

In April.

Last week, we finally drug the red wagon FULL of crayons and coloring books down to donate them. (and to have lunch with The Daddy)

Oh, sweet sisters holding hands!

I hope this is a tradition that continues with all our children's birthdays.

While we were at the hospital, we to a spin on the playground:

And SJ FINALLY got to ride in the red wagon!

Four More Tubs

2011-08-08T06:43:00.005-04:00

of formula. Then he's one.

He's moving, moving, moving.

Almost walking. He'll cruise along anything, push along anything, crawl over anything to get what he wants.

He's eating Cheerios instead of puffs now.

He's spitting and slobbering, still trying to get his first tooth.

The Wiggles and Sesame Street are his favorites.

He waves hi and bye. He plays peek-a-boo with his lovey. He sees an open door and closes it.

I guess four more tubs means the bottles will be gone soon.

"And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground."

1 Samuel 3:19

Insignificant

2011-08-05T08:17:00.006-04:00

Standing at the kitchen sink, I can see a spider web. It stretches from the ground up to my neighbor's towering magnolia. I can see it all the way from across the street.

From inside MY house.

How can I see this delicate and transparent little thing of a web?

God shines His light on even the smallest, seemingly insignificant things.

"Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching."
Isaiah 42:1-3 (The Message)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo Journal at the Beach

2011-08-01T01:22:00.004-04:00

Saturday at New Smyrna Beach

He still doesn't care for the water, but SJ will consume and play in the sand.

Sweet boy stayed under the tent with Mama

The girls got to play with their friends Carter, Evan and Olivia. Sebastian and his mommy came too, but I didn't get the camera out until they headed home. Poor little Olivia didn't get any screen time either.

Evan contemplating the waves:

AE and Carter jumping the waves:

Waiting for just the right moment:

HJ was fearless in the ocean.

All four looking AND smiling?

Rare Mama shot:

Love that HJ almost lost her bottoms several times throughout the day:

Sweet Evan trying to catch up:

School's starting soon. Gotta get in some more beach time soon.

Art Class

2011-07-30T20:55:00.005-04:00

Our neighbor, B.B. took the girls a couple weeks ago to an art class along with her grandson. She did me an ENORMOUS favor by leaving me to my cleaning and baby rocking in a quiet house. Another day, she took SJ and The Crazy Dog for a walk while I got ready for a date with The Daddy.

I tell you what...Florida has good neighbors. We've got them on all sides and are so thankful that though we are hours and hundreds of miles away from family, we've got our own little niche here in our part of Florida.

Back to the art.

The girls made pinch pots and used various leaves to make impressions in the clay.

HJ's is certainly Auburn appropriate. Blue on one side.

Orange on the other.

I love the colors that AE used on her bowl:

I came to class with the girls after the firing so they could do the under glazing.

I may or may not have suggested a few combinations.

Pretty gorgeous work by our gorgeous girls!

Black Swan Comes to Mind

2011-07-23T21:12:00.003-04:00

This week afforded our eldest, AE time to be a big kid at VBS. She was the youngest there, but she jumped right in on the very first day. Walking right down the steps, taking a seat ALL BY HERSELF and listening intently, I quickly saw a flash to our future where, in one short month, she will begin Kindergarten.

Last night the church held a service for all the kids who participated and their families. After the service, there was a carnival to end the fun. Bounce houses (out of control), face painting, cotton candy and a caricature artist were the fun on the docket.

After getting knocked around the bouncy death-traps, we decided face painting would be a safer activity. Boy howdy, the line was long. We ate cotton candy while not moving but a foot or two in I-don't-know-how-long, but it was long with three kids, that's for sure.

We came to the conclusion that the face painting was NOT going to happen last night. The caricature artist had capped off his line, so we made promises to have a surprise at home and "MAMA WILL PAINT YOUR FACES TOMORROW."

The surprise once we got home was a dance party to the CD The Daddy bought at church of the five original songs from VBS that week. Awesome music. Great moves. Everyone was happy and went to bed.

Fast forward to today. HJ of course, remembered this afternoon our promise for MAMA TO DO FACE PAINTING. Oh. No.

NO supplies. I said we'd improvise.

The girls learned that sometimes good intentions are just no good. I'm so sorry if you are afraid of clowns.

My first try:

She was a trooper. She WOULD NOT let The Daddy see her like this. I couldn't stop laughing. I still can't. Good golly. What was I trying to do???

Second try:

Better. Princess of Hearts.

Annnnnd, the Princess of Diamonds:

Double crowning it:

I think we all learned an important lesson: go get the free caricatures done FIRST, skip the bumped noggins in the bounce house, eat some sugar and get home!

Sweet SJ's caricature:

*bonus for being a fussy baby during the service! No line for the portrait!

Hugs

2011-07-16T10:04:00.006-04:00

While we were in Georgia for the first 10 days of July, we took great advantage of our time together as a family. Memaw was still in the hospital when we arrived, but thankfully she got out during our visit and we got to love on her, too.

Which meant lots of hugs for Paw Paw:

Love this one with SJ and Paw Paw:

At Memaw and Paw Paw's new home:

They are just getting settled into their new assisted living home.

At Nana and Papa's mountain house:

We tried to get a family of five picture, but really this one stole my heart away:

This week I spent quality time with JUST SJ. The girls stayed in Georgia with Nana and Papa and arrived safely back here in Florida last night. I have lots pictures of their time at "Camp Nana and Papa" as they had many NEW adventures and some staples of fun, like ice cream at Bruster's.

Before It's Too Late

2011-07-12T22:36:00.008-04:00

As always, the family spent the Fourth of July up in the North Georgia mountains.

We packed up and left on June 30, which just so happened to be Mr. SJ's 10-month birthday. Leaving at 6 in the late-afternoon, we didn't arrive until way into the wee hours of the morning. The Daddy and I agreed: traveling with sleeping little ones is good. :)

After a day in Atlanta and haircuts for the girls, we headed up to Ellijay for all the fun festivities. Parade at 6:00pm, fireworks at dusk.

The firetrucks always announce the start of the parade.

Oh, y'all. This guy made my day!

Colonel Poole always makes an appearance. Love his BBQ, though we didn't get to enjoy it this trip.

I assisted The Daddy in capturing this alluring photo by hollerin' till Sonny turned around.

The Daddy also cracked me up on this one by remarking, "That's awkward."

Sweet patriotic girl

HJ was so tired without a nap. I'm trying to get SJ to turn around and see what's coming up next. He's more interested in his sisters.

After the parade, this fellow was pickin' some tunes. He wasn't half bad.

Face painting again. This year, the girls wanted the #6.

Whoa! The blue eyeshadow.

He did NOT get his face painted.

Pretty little girls

Our attempt at a family photo while waiting for the fireworks to begin was humorous.

When all else fails...

make a silly face.

Still tired, HJ got a little put-out at the photo op.

But then she warmed up with some individual attention.

SJ was not a fan of the girls' chairs:

Despite this photo, little baby boy held on and actually enjoyed the fireworks. Several walks around the block in the stroller helped facilitate that win.

The girls are still in Georgia with Nana and Papa, while I enjoy some time with my sweet, possibly teething, baby. I'm cleaning, exercising, showering without interruption, organizing, and cleaning out our closets for a special garage sale this weekend.

Tell you more about that later. :)

She's Worth It

2011-07-05T14:43:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love a good before and after?

Sometimes it takes a while.

Sometimes it seems like it is taking forever.

There she was when I began to blog about our lives. The Chair was the second post I ever wrote, yet somehow it has been the one I always go back to when I begin to reminisce.

She finally got her makeover. I finally got up the nerve to change her. She was $15.oo at that garage sale so long ago.

She's different somehow, don't you think?

Her back.

Gone are the channel-stitches. All pretty and button-backed now.

We left her finish the same. We kept some age on her.

Her damaged leg was repaired. No more tape and glue holding her together.

Gone is the old brass nail head trim and in its place, a simple double welt.

The classic linen shows off her pretty carvings now.

She even got a new shabby chic pillow to keep her company.

It's the place where we read to our girls at night before bed. It's the place where dirty clothes end up. It's the place where toys and books and blankets and hangers get piled. But she's new. She's different.

She was worth it. Worth the wait. Worth the money. Worth the time. Worth the worry that it wouldn't turn out right.

Worth it.

Do you have a project that you've been putting off? Are YOU that project?

Thanks to Rhoda for hosting the Thrifty Treasures party again this week!

Our Last Fourth

2011-07-01T01:50:00.000-04:00

All our kids this time last year:

Have a happy holiday!

Cruisin'

2011-06-29T22:22:00.007-04:00

Caught him standing up in his crib the other day:

And today he realized that he could cruise around to FINALLY get those pesky lambs!

Hey, ladies! Come and join the party!

Stop the madness. The boy is 10-months-old today.

And with that, June is gone.

Yesterday, I registered AE for kindergarten.

Stop the madness. Stop the madness.

So tomorrow is July. Let the fourth be with you!

The Special Y

2011-06-23T20:28:00.006-04:00

The sun was in their eyes.

We made a special trip to the "fancy" and "special" YMCA last week with a group of several of us "Y" moms. SJ stayed with a babysitter, so I got to work out while the girls played in the childcare center. Then the girls each took a swimming test to see what kind of skills they have.

Each girl did well on her test: HJ got a red band (I had to be in the water WITH her) and AE got a yellow band (she could go anywhere except the deep lanes by herself).

Oh, what a fun place! The water stays NICE and COLD in this pool because of the circulation from those big fountain thingys.

The slide was serious fun! Even the moms went down.

Might make a weekly trek down to enjoy this one again.

Welcome to Florida! It is hot.

2011-06-20T13:49:00.002-04:00

We are doing anything we can to keep cool here. Last week we went with friends to a local beach on the lake which butts up to our neighborhood. SJ and I stayed on a blanket in the shade while all the children played at the water's edge.

The very next day, they issued an amoeba warning. We won't be going back until it cools down (a lot) and we get enough rain.

So, back to the splash pad/bubble fountain. You can smell the chlorine as you approach, so no chances of our brains being eaten by amoeba and dying.

We met the Bishops and a few other friends for a picnic and water time.

SJ screamed when I set him down at the edge of the splash zone. Not ready just yet.

Other ideas for keeping cool here: library, science center, slip and slide, sprinkler, our neighbor's pool, heading north for the summer...

The Beach Trip

2011-06-15T14:20:00.012-04:00

For the first time ever (and I mean EVER!) we took a vacation on our own. Just our immediate family. Just Mama, The Daddy and the kids.

Scratch vacation. We took a trip to the beach. :)

Over Memorial Day weekend, we enjoyed the sun and sand and snot. Yes, our little SJ was a trooper with his snotty nose that ran for the entire trip. In those seven days at New Smyrna Beach, he got to experience lots of firsts.

First time in the sand at the beach:

Loved playing with and eating the sand!

First time to see the Atlantic Ocean

First time in the ocean: he wasn't too sure about it.

Watching the waves

Feeling the sand and salt water on his toes

These two had an absolute blast going back and forth between the beach, the baby pool and the big pool.

We stayed in the same condo complex with our good friends the Bishops.

One night we even met up with some other friends in Port Orange at Aunt Catfish's restaurant.

Aunt Catfish's is brilliant because they have a playground out front for the long wait times!

HJ, Brooke and AE

Going down the slide together!

Parker

SJ being a trooper again!

For the first time ever, we were able to put all the big(ger) kids down at one end of the table so the adults could socialize a little easier! All of us parents were so impressed with how well everyone behaved!

At our table were:

four families
19 people total
two sets of twins
7 boys and 4 girls aged 5 and under
two highchairs
lots of fun, laughter and conversation!

Racing to the beach

Just before the sky opened up, the girls and The Daddy took a walk on the ONE morning we had gray skies. Later that afternoon, the sun returned. Every day we were there was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous.

Lots of wildlife on the beach:

AE with her friend, Carter:

HJ getting in on the action:

Our ONE family shot from the whole trip:

It's been a great start to the summer!

On a Walk

2011-06-13T01:21:00.000-04:00

Guess who I saw out on a walk the other night?

Friends with a Love for Disney

2011-06-11T10:44:00.011-04:00

One of the biggest benefits of moving to Central Florida has got to be that it is the place where all of our friends like to vacation.

Our long-time friends, Will and Susan also have three children and often come to our part of the world to vacation at Disney. This visit afforded us a return trip to the Disney Beach Club. Awesome pool. Awesome conversation. Pool side drinks and ordering in dinner!

The big kids:

Claire and AE:

Bathing Beauty!

Love the progression in these photos of the babies!

SJ grabs a handful of sand.

He puts hand to mouth.

Really chows down

Luke asks for some, too!

SJ and The Daddy

Claire and AE spent most of their time playing in the sand.

David took a little time to warm up.

HJ sat in this little lagoon:

We love it when we get to join our friends at a Disney resort for a day of catching up while catching rays at the pool.

First Day, Last Day

2011-06-07T10:10:00.005-04:00

There they were back in August 2010:

Ready to start an exciting, new school year:

How quickly a school year goes by:

May 2011

One is ready for Kindergarten, while the other can't wait to be "in her big sister's class."

I just hope come this August, HJ understands that her sister won't be in the same room!

We're Number One!

2011-05-26T13:53:00.000-04:00

The end of the preschool year has also brought the end of the year cheerleading presentation. Both the girls have been taking cheerleading at their school once a week since January. Both were so excited to show off their new skills!

All the cheerleaders entered waving patriotic ribbons:

The first talent was the SOLO spirit run:

HJ was a big blur: she ran fast and yelled LOUDLY.

Each girl ran across the stage yelling, "Go team, we're number one! Go team!" Each child's personality came out as she braved the long trek to the end of the stage.

AE on her spirit run:

A jump in the middle of the stage! When asked, AE said that that was her "spirit."

So proud after her run!

My girls were just about the LOUDEST! Not shy at all!

Going through all the positions they learned

Spirit cards

Blue, Red, White!

Having a great time, HJ watched me during the entire presentation.

Mid cheer

Time for some pompom skills!

Love it!

That's a "K"!

Jumping!

G-O! G-O! Go, Wildcats, Go!

We're number one! We can't be number two! We're going to beat the whoopsie out of you!

This one is for Nana!

Pompom time

Getting trophies

Cheer sisters!

Cheer daddy!

The girls with Mrs. Wilhite, their cheer coach

After such a successful season of cheerleading, the girls will probably take gymnastics this fall and HJ will continue taking cheerleading at the preschool.

Mama

2011-05-21T10:48:00.008-04:00

Each of our girls celebrated Mother's Day with a special tea in her respective classroom. There were snacks, special gifts and songs for all the moms. It was a precious time with each of my girls.

Mama and HJ

The table settings with an original art piece displayed on a teeny, tiny easel. HJ titled her creation Mommy in a Flower Garden. Inside the card was an original poem by HJ.

My silly girl

HJ presented this necklace to me as the key to her heart!

Then she sang a song for mama.

AE greeted me at the door with a flower and escorted me to a table set for us moms.

She and her classmates sang a song about mothers.

Ever the hostess, AE went to the buffet and made a plate for me and poured my tea all by herself.

AE and Mama

AE is right on with her assessment of mom.

HJ's portrait of me doing pilates next to a flower.

I really like my age in this one!

The girls were so sweet to me on Mother's Day. We drove up to Atlanta to surprise Nana and Mema, and boy, were they surprised!

The Daddy and his brother (with a little help from Uncle C's girlfriend, Alyson!) cooked everyone a beautiful dinner. Our short and sweet visit "back home" was just what the doctor ordered for all!

The Turtle Lady

2011-05-19T12:25:00.000-04:00

A while ago I mentioned the woman who "walks" her turtle through the park in our little downtown.

Well, I stopped to talk to her on Tuesday and just happened to have my camera.

This one is the bigger of the two.

He really IS gorgeous!

Look at those colors!

This little one, she rescued when he was the size of a quarter. That happened eight years ago.

He was really very quick moving. I was surprised at how fast he was moving. A curious squirrel was checking the little one out while I chatted with the turtle lady.

The turtle lady used to have three under her watch, but one guy went AWOL. Although she can't be sure, she suspects that a biker passing by stopped and picked him up. She's still looking for him.

Bath Time

2011-05-04T10:51:00.001-04:00

He loves bath time!

Le Tour de iphone

2011-04-27T07:46:00.005-04:00

The recent birthday girl in our downtown rose garden after a picnic in the park

The girls in front of the Christmas tree in our little downtown park

Sisters in the rose garden on HJ's birthday; we MAY have smelled every flower in the garden!

The older sister trying on the recent birthday girl's birthday present

We had a couple of brown patches in the front yard, so I set up the sprinkler to let the girls play and water the grass at the same time.

What does little brother do while the girls play in the sprinkler?

He jumps in the jumparoo and hangs out on a blanket with me.

Oui. Oui.

One night I heard a lot of noise in the girls' room. I heard the opening and closing of the closet doors. Later we went in to check and see what was going on. I turned on the lights to take the picture of this scene:

Each girl had moved her "little sister" and bed right next to her bed.

And baby had been tucked in, too.

SJ just had his first grocery shopping cart experience out of the baby carrier.

Easter slip and slide fun:

Our final Easter egg masterpieces:

Yesterday, the girls reenacted several scenes from a current favorite movie of theirs:

Can you name it?

Chicks, Man

2011-04-25T14:50:00.015-04:00

This boy loves his chicks. And his peeps. And...

I'll spare you any more silliness.

I spent quite a while getting all the pictures uploaded for this post. So long that it got quiet. Y'all KNOW when it gets quiet, there's trouble. Or just a mess. OR BOTH.

But I didn't quite REALIZE it was quiet until it got LOUD. Very LOUD.

So I hope the fact that my house looks like an egg factory exploded is well worth your viewing pleasure.

Ladies and Gentlemen...Our Easter:

Yes, this is the new header.

SJ's first Easter was a hit.

The Daddy's mom brought us his Easter books from when he was a child. So sweet.

He caught it.

After church, we headed back to the same hotel brunch we enjoyed last year.

SJ was worn out from the church service and slept while we waited to be seated.

Then I ate my weight in prime rib, salmon, lox and oysters. Oh, mozzarella cheese. An assortment of berries. AND CHEESECAKE. AND DESSERT SHOTS. AND KEY LIME PIE.

Because what doesn't say Easter like eating like the rapture is about to happen?

Then we came home and took pictures of our stuffed selves.

So fresh. So sweet. So green.

Love.

Chick.

Pearls.

Cherub.

Big boy.

This one really makes me smile.

This one really cracks me up!

Nana brought badminton equipment for the girls.

Our boys.

Melt. My. Heart.

Seersucker.

Empty basket.

Which sisters came to fill.

Mid egg hunt slide.

Intense.

Oh, look! Mama found time to paint her toes.

Angel.

Love. Love. Love.

Yes, he was there.

The bounty.

Chick.

Sweet.

I almost can't handle it!

Reach.

And eat.

He is my child.

And we had a peaceful Easter until The Daddy set up the slip and slide out on the back 40. The girls were having trouble figuring it out. Guess who showed them how to do it?

NOT THE DADDY.

Yes. And there was a YouTube threat, but I think we're all safe from that scene.

At least we better be!

Saturday Sisters

2011-04-25T04:20:00.000-04:00

A Portrait of Christ

2011-04-24T00:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter! Enjoy the creation of some crazy good art while listening to some great music.

A Portrait of Christ from Jeremy Cowart on Vimeo.

P.S. Jeremy and I grew up in the same 'hood way back when in Tennessee.

PJs and Pancakes

2011-04-19T22:39:00.016-04:00

HJ turned four last week and we celebrated breakfast-style. I loved the idea of having all the kids over in their favorite PJ's for The Daddy's specialty, banana pancakes.

First the invitation:

We LOVE this silly girl!

The decorations up the sidewalk to mimic the flowers and bees on the invite:

I used the flower directions that I found here.

I just winged these happy guys!

AE liked the smiley bee the best!

For favors, I found some cute water jugs, filled them with layered treats (Cheerios, marshmallows, mNm's, Golden Grahams and more marshmallows), and tied a balloon to each.

They played double duty as a favor for each guest to take home and as decorations during the party.

The menu consisted of:

Banana pancakes
Mini quiches
Fresh Fruit
Overnight Egg and Sausage Casserole
Bacon strips and Sausage links
OJ, coffee and water (juice boxes for the kids)
Toppings galore for the pancakes!

Instead of a cake we used a stack of panCAKES,

for HJ to blow out.

For a game, I bought some bean bags on Etsy that looked like pancakes, complete with syrup and a butter pat. The kids tossed the bean bags into the red buckets a la the Bozo the Clown game. Remember that?

They lined up and had fun:

You can see one of the bean bags in the photo above. So cute!

The whole crew got together for a picture, minus a shy one and one on a bathroom break.

We even remembered to take a family portrait, post-party.

Yes, I wore pajamas. Why do you ask?

The grands all came in town for the festivities.

And got a little silly!

Instead of receiving presents, we opted to ask our guests to bring donations for our local children's hospital. They all brought crayons and coloring books!

We filled up the wagon and will take it down to the hospital some time this week.

What a big girl!

She had a blast with all her new friends from school, church and our neighborhood!

Next up? SJ's first birthday...low key!

Last Week Was Jam-packed

2011-04-18T21:16:00.005-04:00

AE at the book fair:

She's obsessed with The Magic Treehouse book series. Jack and Annie go with us everywhere!

Nana and Papa with AE for breakfast with the grands

HJ at circle time in her classroom

AE came down to her sister's class to celebrate HJ turning four.

Nana and Papa with the girls

Uh. Me with the three. Not the best picture, but it says a lot about what's going on in our house right now: AE scowling, SJ reaching for anything within reach, and HJ smiling and being quite attentive to her baby brother.

Me. I'm holding on!

Can't wait to share how the birthday party turned out.

I Have Four Minutes...

2011-04-18T11:36:00.001-04:00

...before I pick up the girls.

If you haven't clicked over to the blog lately, please go see my three today in our new header picture. We had a neighborhood egg hunt and picnic yesterday and I was able to get one really sweet shot of all three together.

MIRACLES HAPPEN!

Big Stuff

2011-04-12T11:13:00.008-04:00

FOUR.

A Phillips' family tradition: the pancake birthday breakfast!

After dropping her sister off for preschool, we headed to Home Depot to buy a couple plants. Little Miss HJ thought she was big stuff sitting in her sister's car seat, right next to SJ.

Then we went to our sweet little bake shop for a birthday cupcake. At 10:00 am.

We're heading over to the Chick-fil-A to pick up lunch for a picnic in the park. I'm hoping the lady who brings her pet turtle to walk in the park will be there for the girls to see.

Yes. A pet turtle on a leash.

Wouldn't the sight of that make your birthday complete?

Brain Dump

2011-04-08T14:30:00.009-04:00

Blah. I've been an adult lately, not doing the things I WANT to do, but doing the things I HAVE to do.

So, two weeks ago I got my high blood pressure taken care of. Check it off the list. All it took was some water pills that helped me quickly lose 4 pounds!

Next on the docket this week was taking care of my teeth. Remember THIS POST from almost a year ago when I cracked my front tooth?

Well. It's not good. It's really not good. I'm more than likely going to have the tooth extracted and replaced with an implant rather than getting a crown. It sounds painful. And expensive.

That's not all.

I have another tooth that needs a root canal, probably at the expense of that freakish softball accident 20 years ago. It died a slow death. After the root canal, they'll need to put a crown on it. It sounds painful. And expensive.

That's not all.

I need to have a gum treatment done because of my pockets and a little recession. It sounds painful. And expensive. I know because I've had it done before.

That's not all.

I need to have ELEVEN fillings. ELEVEN, people!

If you need me, I'll be at the dentist for the next three-four months.

Oh, look! A pretty picture!

(flowers in our cute, cute downtown)

What else is going on? After spending two days this week at two different dentists' offices, I also spent two different days sitting at Firestone having work done on my car. At least I had cute company! SJ was so well-behaved while we waited for two hours one day and three hours the next.

Maybe I should have let him cry in the waiting room to speed things up? I'll bring earplugs and try that next time!

In other bad/weird news, there were some terrible storms through Central Florida last week, and lots of rain. We lost a few limbs and a LOT of Spanish moss, but the worst thing was seeing this guy in the backyard:

It's a six-foot long yellow rat snake. My first real sighting besides a small black baby snake and a few flattened dead in the road.

He was likely making his way down to the small orange grove in our neighborhood (I know, weird? for there to be an orange grove in our neighborhood) to find some dinner. BECAUSE IN FLORIDA, orange groves attract RATS.

There's another thing I'm learning about here in the Sunshine State!

Despite all the JUNK going on in my life right now (and in my mouth), I'm feeling really good about where we are (on many levels) and how well our little family is doing. I'm looking for the joy. I'm seeking wisdom. AND I'll have some very exciting news soon about what's been going on in our spiritual life lately.

As soon as I get out of the dentist's chair...

Rub-a-dub-dub...

2011-04-05T21:31:00.002-04:00

Rub-a-dub-dub... finish that line!

It Was a Dark and Gloomy Day

2011-03-31T10:44:00.009-04:00

We're having severe thunderstorms here in Florida, which means a dark and cloudy and loud day indoors. Having lost many limbs off the old oak trees, our yard is littered with Spanish moss and leaves. We're drenched, but our grass is LOVING it.

In honor of SJ's seven-month birthday today, I took him to his room to snap a few current photos to show you what a big boy he is! Despite the dark conditions, we got some keepers:

Sitting all by himself, with lovie in hand

What an expression!

No doubt, being entertained by HJ

I want to smoosh those cheeks!

He's turned into quite a little blondie with the sweetest smile.

And here's where every photo session ends up!

A sweet moment during the craziness of three kids in a crib

AE is batting at the mobile, and HJ looks like she's throttling SJ while he plots his escape!

Ready for nap time and over the pictures

Our 18-pounder is doing well, sleeping through the night, eating up anything that comes near him and watching every move his sisters make.

He's sitting up really well on his own now. He reaches for our faces, toys and anything he can get his hands on.

He's a raspberry blower. Big time. During meal time, even. What a mess!

He's moved on to size 12 month clothes and 6-12 month clothes.

He'll sit outside in my lap for the longest time taking everything in.

He plays peek-a-boo and laughs when he pulls his lovie off his face.

He's a bouncer. He's a good stroller. He's snuggly. He's perfect.

Back From Wherever

2011-03-23T22:12:00.004-04:00

I'm exhausted and overwhelmed.

In short, I'm having some health issues and some mental issues. Not sure which is causing which! I kid, I kid.

Really, my blood pressure is STILL high, and if you'll remember the reason sweet, SJ joined our family a few weeks early, you'll know that I've been battling this problem for a time now.

Exercise and diet have not helped so far. I think it is a matter of stress and genetics.

So I went to the hospital today, and I've got a doctor's appointment early on Thursday morning. Please pray for me to calm down, relax and let some of the unimportant things GO.

In other news, the kids are great. I'm slowly making the shift from saying "the girls" to "the kids." We survived our 9-hour drive to Atlanta and back, with the help of Nana on our return trip. She's keeping me sane and ironing everything that will stay still enough to be pressed. God, love her!

I've got SO many posts stored up in my head, but I think many of them are falling under the "unimportant things" category that I'm battling right now.

In the meantime, we've got some cuties:

The girls at Nana and Papa's house on St. Patrick's Day.

The boy on our picnic today.