2 months ago

Two months ago a sweet baby girl joined our family!

Then

Now!

In just two short months, Jolie understands everything we say. She has picked up many English words. Some of her words are: momma, emmie (for the dog), she calls all dogs emmie and she even called a horse emmie, Honey, for my grandmother, baby, flower, coke, milk, she also says words for her brothers and for daddy...when in doubt she calls us all momma. She responds to just Jolie now...but sometimes we  call her Jolie wen wen. She occasionally says some Chinese words the ones I understand her saying are Ni hao, and the word for using the restroom, but I don't know how to spell it.

She loves music and bops her head to the beat when we are in the car. She even tries to sing along. Rascall Flats and Toby Mac are some of her favorites. Today while shopping in Targ*t...I noticed that Karlie was singing a JustinB. song and then I noticed that Jolie had joined her...singing ...Baby..O! I said is she singing a JustinBieber song?  So I recorded her  with my iphone, but I don't know how to get that little short video from my iphone to my blog. I do know how to get it to facebook though...so I will post it there soon.

It's only been two months, but it seems like she's been with us always. 

Wicked Winds

I love a little thunderstorm, but not when there are deadly tornadoes with it. Yesterday the wind was strong. I had the Einstein hair-do even with hair product. Some one in the family said I had BIG hair yesterday! LOL In fact,the wind was so strong that the basketball goal fell twice yesterday (once very near me and the baby). And the wind blew a heavy comforter off of the clothes line. THE wind had been wicked all day all over the south east.

We knew that bad weather was on its way so we watched our local channel for the latest updates, but when the weather gets bad the satellite comes and goes.

One of my friends texted me late to make sure that I had all my kiddos sleeping downstairs. At the time 3 out of 4 were downstairs. At 1230 we grabbed the kids and the important papers and headed to the basement.  BUT Karl kept coming upstairs and going out on the porch to watch the weather...I told him to come on downstairs...he could hear the warning sirens.

No tornadoes touched down near our house. I snagged some storm damage photos submitted by tv viewers from the local news channel website.

Pray for those who have lost loved ones, homes, and businesses.

Black and White Wednesday~PureFashion

My girl is going to be in a Pure Fashion show this weekend. She's looked forward to this all year. Yesterday, she went to a fitting with the rest of the girls. I snapped this photo with my phone so that we could match the shirt to nail polish later this week.

Here she is again in black and white.

Here's a link to the promo for the fashion show.

We can't wait to see the girls in their fashions at the show.

Check out other b/w Wednedays at

The Long Road to China and back

An egg we were not expecting to find!

Yesterday after all of the Easter festivities, Shek wanted to play outside. We went out to watch and blow bubbles with Jolie's new bubble wand that Gam and Pop gave her.

Shek opens the bubbles before playing basketball.

I want to do it!

A little help from mom.

A smile for Dad.

See the bubbles?

I want to hold it!

 After bubbles Shek brings his kite outside. While he and his dad are preparing the kite, I turn to go get the camera. The next thing I hear is a Thud and Karl scooping up Jolie. She was running toward  our dog and tripped...Her head hit the driveway. A large goose egg appeared...the egg we were not expecting to find on Easter...nor did we want to find it.

She had not had a nap all day (except a small one at church)....there was just too much fun going on to have a nap.Immediately after the head bump she started closing those eyes. I remember when the older kids were smaller that if they bumped their heads you had to keep them awake. I had frozen peas on her head and we kept trying to keep her awake.

 I flipped out a little about the size of the bump. I thought I had remembered that if the bump comes out all is ok, but if it turns in then you need to be concerned. I had Karl dialing her doctor's number I wanted the help nurse, which the recording said they were no longer affiliated with...so I called the answering service. Karl thought I was overreacting.

 I was ready to load her up and take her up to the fire station just to make sure! I could hear my oldest chuckling in his room. He could hear the whole ordeal...and he said, "When we bumped our heads you would say, "you're gonna be alright'"...I responded...you never had a a bump on your head like this one either. A few minutes  later, old kid number 1 came downstairs and saw the bump on her head up close...then said...You need to take her to the hospital!!!! 

The Doc on call called back and asked a bunch of questions. He told us to keep an eye on her and that she could sleep, she just needed to be easily awakened??? She slept a little while and woke up and seemed  better. This morning the knot on her head has gone down a lot...she still has a red mark under eye and on her nose...but she seems A-ok...Kids are tough...PTL!

Sunday Snapshot~Easter Celebration

Jolie's 1st Easter

Karlie helped Jolie dye easter eggs. Shek was "on the phone" and missed it. He said "no one told me"...Oh well. We followed the directions on the PAAS box for vibrant colored eggs and then I add neon food dye to the cup to insure their brightness. Jolie liked seeing the Paas color tablet fizz in the vinegar...she got so excited that she even dumped one of the cups over...I was saying hurry get me a paper towel....(Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but dying eggs is not my favorite thing!)

Can't you hear the Clunk as Jolie drops a hard boiled egg into the dye? 

There she goes...drop...clunk...crack! It's all fun!

Easter morning checking out the baskets, and trying out the Ladybug cookie treat that was in the basket.

Here's Shek's Easter goodies...notice the SPY watch...I have heard about the Spy watch and how much he needs one that I think I am blue in the face...or maybe that's the egg dye.

We made it through an entire church service. She especially loves the music. She fell asleep just before  communion Karlie and Shek had a.mishap  with Shek's "juice" and his was spilled. He got tickled about it when we were supposed to be praying and thinking about communion...the other day at Good Friday service...the same two  kids follow their brother to get communion (while I am outside in the hall with the loud Jolie)....they get a little lost and follow Zach onto the stage! He was about to play with the church band...he had to whisper to Shek...I am about to play...go back to your seat....What is it with my kids and The Lord's Supper...it hasn't ever been a problem before...but sure makes for the memories and  laughs...

 Karlie in her Zebra Easter dress. Yes, you see correctly...there are no photos of the family in our Easter attire...because I promised the other Saturday when I had them endure the dreaded family photo shoot with the tripod!

Zach brought Jolie in out of the truck when we all got home. She had been asleep and had just woke up.

Sitting on the kitchen counter checking out the goodies from Gam and Pop.

 Gam always makes something special for Karl and me too. Check out this cross shapped box filled with Hersheys nuggests that she stamped Happy Easter on...She is so talented and creative.

 We added the leaf to the table, found the fancy table cloth and cracked out the blue and mauve wedding china (yes I was married in the '90's when blue and mauve was the rave) ...I thought my china looked springy so we ate fancy today.

Jelly beans on a festive dish...yum

 Honey's birthday was this weekend too. SO Karlie baked Honey's  favorite flavor cake. Yellow cake with chocolate icing.  Honey wondered about the candles! I had 44..51...she said I am not that OLD. I said 4 plus 4 is 8 and 5 plus 1 is 6 which equals 86. Growing up, she always told me she was 39 and I believed her until my momma reached 30 and I finally thought that can't work....Math has never been my strong subject.

All Smiles....and we sang Happy Birthday...Gam said we were flat, but we sang anyway.

 Now for the Egg hunt. Shek and Jolie were the only participants. The other two think they are just too old for it. I think I will steal my friend Melissa's tradition next year. She and her family stuff plastic eggs with money...and it's a contest to see who can collect the most money. I think money stuffed eggs might get my oldie kids off the porch, don't ya think?

 Wait for me!

 And he's off.

 See my flowers on my dress and basket...Flower is my new word!

Here is one of our vibrant colored eggs.

 Zach and Honey are the egg hunting watchers.

 Gam, one of the Easter photographers; I'm the other.

 Jolie hearing some words of wisdom from Pop.

 See my spy watch dad?

Look...he looks like he really likes me in this photo, but I know he loves me! He's the best!

Happy Resurrection Sunday, Folks! He is risen INDEED!

check out what's going on in blog world at Ni hao y'all

Shek's Sunday afternoon adventure....and blast from the past photos...

Shek wanted to go to the new Academy sports store Sunday after church...really bad. It was the grand opening. And a former Braves player was going to be there signing autographs. We had to take Karlie to Pure Fashion after church and would not be able to take him so he talked his Gam and Pop into taking him there after Sunday School and lunch. Pop was ok with it...he could look at all the fishing stuff. So when they got there, Gam dropped them off and took Honey home. Pop was left without a camera! There was a contest out front. If you could make 2 out of 3 hoops in the basketball goal you won a free basketball with Atlanta Hawks on it. Shek was pumped...cause basketball has recently become his favorite. Pop signed him up. He took a shot and missed the first one. In fact he said it went over the goal and almost hit a parked car. BUT he made the next 2 goals and won the next to the last basketball that they were giving away that day. They were only giving away 100 basketballs.

Shek and Pop

Next he got in line to get Marquis Grissom's autograph. Shek had taken an old baseball and a bat to get autographed. While in line they ran into Mr. Roland, from church. He gave Shek one of his extra baseball cards to get autographed as well. So he really racked up with the signed items. This is when Pop wished he had grabbed Gam's camera. He said he wished he could have gotten a photo of him with Marquis Grissom. 

Here's a photo of Shek with all of his autographed stuff. He wants to get some kind of shadow box or some frame from Hobby Lobby to put it in to hang on his wall. 

Yesterday, I posted about our trip to the strawberry patch. Gam sent me a photo of another time when she took the kids to the patch it was in 2004 and Shek would have been 3 years old!

I think he has grown a little bit...and so has his sister Karlie...she is in the blue hat.

In fact all my little Berrys are growing ....this photo was taken when Zach was in to spiking his hair and bleaching it blond...time sure does fly.

There are Berrys in the berry patch!

It's strawberry season. So, we took Karlie to her 2 hour Science class and drove over to Cottle Farms to do a little pickin'.

11 bucks a bucket if Upick...so we picked 2 gallons. 

The people in this photo are not us.

Lots of Strawberries!

Big Juicy and sweet!

Brother helping sis pick berries.

Jolie taking a berry to put in the bucket.

Look a this big one mom!

Look at all the berries in my bucket!

Look at these!

Pickin' strawberries is fun!

Look at all these BIG.RED.ONES!

Yum!

Let me get my bucket...it's heavy!

I think I've got the hang of this!

Man!  Soooo many strawberries!

Time to climb through the fence and head home, but first let's take a few more photos.

2 Berrys with 2 gallons of berries! That's what I call SWEET!

 Sweet Siblings!

Aren't they cute?

As we were about to head out, Shek pointed out this sign! Ain't it the truth! It is a Berry good day at my house....everyday!

Until Next Time....be sure to check out my boy, Zach's  project!