The Sellers' Express

YES!

2009-10-07T11:12:00.003-04:00

To my Manly Man,
I would say yes to marrying you all over again. I love you. Thank you for your love!

Today...

2009-09-28T13:48:00.005-04:00

Dear Jonathan,

Today, I wasn't the best mom for you. I wasn't even a good mom for you. I did a horrible job.
I didn't show you how to use self-control. But I still yelled at you for not using self-control.
I failed in teaching you about sorting rules in math.
I didn't delight in you.
See, not even a good mom for you today. I am fighting with my pride over it too. I don't want to be the one at fault. I want to blame you for waking up early, or Daddy for waking you up accidentally. I want to blame you for me not being able to go back to sleep at 6:15am. I want to blame everyone. But not me. The truth is that I screw up a lot. And this time, I hear the Spirit telling me that I have screwed this up today. I made the choice to wallow in my misery, my grumpiness, my anger, my frustration. I have made a choice not to get out of the pit that I am in today. I am trying to allow the Lord to soften my heart and change my attitude, but I am winning the battle that I so desperately need to loose.

Jonathan, I love you. I am sorry for not being the mom that God wants me to be for you. I am sorry for not loving you well today. I do love you. More than you will ever know.

Mommy

Our first trip to the mountains after Jonathan was born. Loved this photo!

It might not be fancy...

2009-09-25T12:54:00.006-04:00

We bought our home 4 and a half years ago. It was new. No custom painting. Carpet throughout, including under the table area (!!!!), and not fancy carpet at that. Everything about out house screamed "builder." We were totally OK with that.

Four and a half years later, builder grade carpet doesn't look so pretty.

Four and a half years later, builder beige in flat finish is looking a little, OK a lot, dirty.

Four and a half years later, our home needs a little help. OK, a lot of help. Thankfully nothing too expensive, like a new roof or AC.

We have been tackling some projects around the house, SLOWLY!

A year and a half ago, we painted our kitchen. A year ago, we put knobs on our kitchen cabinets (see, told you it was SLOW!).

Manly Man and I have been wanting to make the boys room special...something fun for them. About three weeks ago, I bought paint and painted their room. We finally finished putting it all together yesterday.

(Frank's extra helmet and old mask)

(Frank's shield, patch, and life saving medals from his time with Greensboro FD, yes something is falling in the shadow box!)

(Model fire trucks the boys got, and their baseball trophies)

We are also cleaning out, decluttering, and try to make our home a little nicer.

We really would love to rip up the carpet and put in hardwoods or laminates, especially with Jonathan's allergies, but that costs too much right now and we just aren't going to do it.

Our home might not be fancy. It might not (OK, definitely won't) win any awards for home designs. The carpet might look tie-dyed. And smushed. But it is our home. It is lived in, a lot. And we live in it well. We homeschool in it, which means more people are in our home more hours a day than if we didn't homeschool. So even though our home isn't all cute...I am learning to accept it for what it truly is...our haven. Our safe place to fall. Our sanctuary.

Need A Laugh?

2009-09-07T07:58:00.004-04:00

Thought I would share a couple of funny things this dreary Labor Day morning. My boys are still in bed. Guessing they need their sleep, but we are still having school this morning, apparently a little later than planned!

First, for all you Twilight fans out there, I saw a bumper sticker on a car the other day. Here it is:

This cracked me up for some reason. Perhaps it should really scare me, but since the car was parked, I wasn't too concerned:)

Second, we let the boys watch Star Wars (Episodes 4 - 6) about a week ago and they are totally into it now. To quote Jacob, with light saber in hand..."I'm Obi Two Kenobi." Now I am sure that every kid makes that statement, it just makes sense to them. But when it is your own saying it...hysterical!

Have a great Labor Day!

A Little Early For This

2009-09-01T15:12:00.003-04:00

So my sweet, just turned six year old boy, Jonathan had a great time playing at the park today. I took the boys out to enjoy the upper 70's that are so unseasonable for us. After going to pick a paint color for their room we headed to a favorite park of ours. They boys always do really well finding other kids to play with and today was no exception. As we were leaving, he said "bye" to the little girl that he as playing with. (He called her a princess the whole they were playing too!) He asked her for her phone number! Seriously! I almost peed in my pants! Isn't it too early for this??? I love you Jonathan and you will break some hearts I am sure, but lets not be in such a rush!

A Fresh Start

2009-08-31T06:00:00.002-04:00

I've been absent. Been absent from a lot of things it seems. I am making a fresh start today, with lots of things. The biggest of those is school. Jonathan starts first grade at 8am this morning at TWIG (Trusting Wholly In God) Academy. I can't wait for this year....I can honestly say that I have missed teaching him for the past few weeks. Jacob is going to be doing some pre-k stuff: letters, numbers, sounds.

I hope to make a fresh start with blogging also. Manly Man asked me when I was going to blog again...guess now is as good a time as any. I don't really have a good reason as to why I haven't written in a while. I guess I struggle sometimes with feeling like I don't have anything exciting to tell (then again, Jonathan turned six last week and lost his first tooth the week before that and I didn't even get here to mention it!). I also got my nose stuck in some books this summer too. In the last month I have read My Sister's Keeper, The Time Traveller's Wife, Pride and Prejudice, the Twilight Saga (twice...sad huh?), and am starting To Kill A Mockingbird and am in the middle of the Mortal Instruments series. My nose in a book is a new thing for me, but I have really enjoyed it. But it has kept me from here. I don't plan on putting down the books, but trying to find a bit more balance with other things.

A fresh start with the Lord started last Monday. My coffee pot starts brewing at 5:45am and my alarm goes off at 5:55am. Last week, my alarm never woke me up...the Lord woke me up before it went off...EVERY MORNING! But it was a sweet time and I am looking forward to more.

A fresh start at the gym too. I am back at my goal weight, having lost about 20 pounds since the beginning of the year. I wore a new pair of size 6 jeans Friday night while Manly Man played a gig at a coffeehouse. Felt so good! But, I have to get back into the gym, starting tomorrow and get some areas toned and continue working on be healthy.

So fresh starts. Looking forward to it.

Blessings!

Tomatoes: A Lesson In Math

2009-07-15T08:48:00.002-04:00

See this bowl of cherry tomatoes? They were all picked yesterday from our garden. We have two cherry tomato plants, and they can produce! Jonathan came out to help me pick tomatoes. I told him it looked like we had a hundred of them! We came inside and it was time for school to start. We got to math. We have have been working on counting groups of 10 and the left over ones to come up with a number from 20 to 29. We have been doing this for several days! I mean, forever it felt like! Today, I asked him to do it without writing the numbers....I realized that he had no connection before two groups of ten and 4 left over being 24. No connection! I kept at it, trying to explain it different ways. I finally got one way to work (don't remember which one though)! I saw a light bulb come on in his head! It was brilliant! I love watching the light come on! I have seen it a lot since i taught for six years. But, there is nothing like a light bulb coming on in your own child's head! He had it! To test it, we counted the tomatoes. 74 of them. He did it! And, he made 74 cents! SO proud!

We've Been Busy

2009-07-13T15:34:00.007-04:00

After recovering from the worst June ever (since having mono right after I graduated from high school....caught from my ex boyfriend....I know!), we went on a little vacation (only 30 minutes from out house) to house and dog sit for my in-laws. It was wonderful, but I don't have many pictures!

We spent some time in the boat, fishing, at the beach, and eating yummy food. The highlight was the 4th of July festival in Southport. We invited some dear friends of ours to come to the parade with us and the kids had a blast! We ate some lunch, checked out the arts and crafts and then went back to the house to rest and cook some supper. We went back into town for the fireworks and they were great! The kids handled them really well...Jonathan really does not like loud noises, but he just covered his ears and did fine. Our friends stayed with us that night and then we all headed back to Wilmington for church. We had a pool party and Jonathan took a jump into the pool from a deck that was about 8 to 10 feet above the pool! He wanted to do it and did great! I have two almost swimmers...they are in lessons again, since we had to bail on the first session because on illness.

We are wrapping up school too. Jacob can write his name all by himself and that is too cool! Jonathan is reading up a storm. He reads everything put in front of him. I pray that he never loses his love of reading. Getting my curriculum order ready. We start the new school year in September and will have 3 weeks of school and a week off for the year. We will have a couple 2 week breaks in there also, around Christmas and Easter and once in the summer. I am getting excited about this year, but I am still trying to figure out a daily schedule so that I can still make it to the gym. Being able to exercise is really important to me. I am setting an example for the kids, taking a break from them, doing something good and healthy for me plus they get time with other kids. And, we are paying for it. School will be Monday to Thursday with Friday being a catch up/ field trip/ play date/ library day.

So there is the last few weeks in a nutshell. I am hoping to get back to regular postings now. I want the boys to have something to look back on one day and be able to see what life was like for us.

Oh, best of all, I am having a niece!

Finally!

2009-06-30T07:58:00.002-04:00

We have finally all recovered! Praise the Lord!
I had pneumonia. Jonathan had double pneumonia. Jacob had strep. Manly Man...he went out of town, came back early because we were so sick and then had to nurture us back to health! But, we are finally feeling well!!!! We are spending a little time away from home this week and are really trying to enjoy the time away, because we really need it. We learned on Friday that the bank that took over the bank that owned Manly Man's mortgage office closed them down. That means that he was laid off from his part time job. We are taking the week to regroup...to pray and seek God for His direction. After all, His plan is so much better than our own!
The boys have been swimming a ton in the last week. They are both making great strides and I am so proud of them! They are also learning how to boogie board! Absolute pure joy of their faces when they ride a wave in...pure joy!
We are hoping to do some boating, fishing, beaching and sleeping while we are away. I need the sleep...last night's sleep was terrible!!! Manly Man snored, so I was headed to the couch when Jacob called for me. He and Jonathan were sharing a bed and they had already woken up fighting about kicking each other in their sleep. I crawled in the double bed and slept like a mummy in the middle of the two! I say slept. I didn't sleep. I tried. I failed. I hate failure. Especially when it comes to sleep! I feel a nap coming soon. But, being that almost the whole month of June was taken off from school, (I'm so mean aren't I...having school in the summer, but when it is 95 with a heat index of 105, I think being inside and learning is much better. We will take time off in the fall when the weather isn't so miserable!), the boys have some learning to do.
What is the worst illness you have had in the middle of the summer?

Jonathan's Update, Again

2009-06-12T15:49:00.001-04:00

Thanks for the prayers. Keep them going please! They are not admitting him to the hospital because there are no pockets of fluid in his lungs...we are going to continue to treat him at home and take him back in a week or two to be rechecked.

Jonathan's Update

2009-06-12T11:02:00.001-04:00

We are waiting the results from a chest xray for Jonathan...he may be admitted to the hospital based on the results.

Update

2009-06-11T13:10:00.001-04:00

Jacob...no strep or flu, just virus and watching. Jonathan...two breathing treaments at doc office, adding another antibiotic and albuterol breathing treatments every 4 hours and goingback to doc tomorrrow am...may admit him to hospital tomorrow if no improvement.

Jonathan

2009-06-11T08:16:00.001-04:00

Taking Jonathan back to the dr this morning...he can't kick his fever after 4 days of antibiotics. Will update when I can.

And Now...

2009-06-07T15:09:00.001-04:00

Jonathan has walking pneumonia! Lord, heal us please! And quickly!

I'll Be Back...

2009-06-05T08:52:00.000-04:00

once I recover from a double ear infection and pneumonia!

Start Your Engines!

2009-05-28T14:43:00.002-04:00

Because the gates (aka Jacob's hands) are open!

A Kind Heart

2009-05-26T09:17:00.001-04:00

Whenever Jonathan sees a dandelion, he must stop. It is almost a little compulsive. We were headed into the park on Saturday. Usually the boys run when they get to the grass. They both took off this time and then Jonathan stopped. He bent down and picked this dandelion and gave it to me. Just like he always does. As I sat on the bench and looked at the dandelion that he gave me and told me not to loose, I didn't look at it as "another dandelion." I chose to look at the heart behind it. My boy loves me. And I think, if he could, he would give me every flower he ever saw. One day, a young woman is going to snag my boy up and she will be blessed by him. Until then, I will treasure every flower he gives me. Because for now, I am the only girl for him:)

Kicking Off The Holiday Weekend

2009-05-22T18:09:00.002-04:00

Enjoying the beach and the tidal pool!

What were you doing at 7:45am?

2009-05-21T07:55:00.003-04:00

I was playing monster trucks with Jacob. Here they are in the "shed" (aka, the piano bench).

Cherry Point MCAS Air Show

2009-05-20T18:05:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, we went up to Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. They were having their annual air show, featuring the Canadian Snowbirds (a flight demonstration team). We weren't sure how the boys were going to do, since they don't really like loud noises. We brought some ear plugs and they actually did great! The weather was iffy on our way up to Cherry Point...major rain showers! But the rain held off for us, and we were even blessed with a nice breeze. The boys got to climb on a C-130, an osprey and a refueling plane, just to name a few. Here are a few pictures to enjoy. (I even made it a point to get in the pictures with the boys too!)

We finished our trip with dinner in Morehead City at the Sanitary Fish Market. We were very underwhelmed with the food there...oh well. We had to find out what all the fuss was for. Still not sure. (Sorry about the picture quality...there were taken on my cell phone!)

Jacob's Well Check Up

2009-05-14T07:59:00.002-04:00

Jacob had his well child check up on Monday. 40 pounds and 41 inches tall. Puts him in about the 75% for height and weight, where he has always been. He is a little shorter than Jonathan was at this age, but totally healthy. We had to wait for a while for the doctor to come in, so I was entertaining the boys with "I Spy" and taking silly pictures. He had to get three shots. I had him get them in his arm instead of the leg. So mean right? When we were leaving a nasty thunderstorm came up so we hung out in the lobby and waited for it to pass. Afterwards, I took them to get pizza at a restauarnt in town that does 5 dollar pizzas on Mondays. All in all, not to bad.

Perhaps In An Effort To Compete With McD's...

2009-05-11T07:33:00.005-04:00

Starbucks is running a special on their ice coffees, now through June 29th. Get a grande iced coffee with milk for $1.95! You can find the details here. Just so you know, you can ask for it to be sweetened, or not! I had a tall iced coffee last night, without the milk and it cost me $1.90...the grande (16oz) would have been a better buy! Enjoy!

A Word to Moms

2009-05-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day wasn't very celebrated in my home growing up. My mom was there. She still is and I love and adore her! She is a great mom! However, we didn't celebrate her except with a card. When she was 8 years old, her mom died. The funeral was the day before Mother's Day. I am sure that you can imagine the loss my mom remembers on Mother's Day.
I have been a mom since 2003. I don't think that I have ever really allowed myself to be celebrated on Mother's Day, for fear of betraying my mom. Last Mother's Day, I realized that it is OK to celebrate it. I am not sure of what our plans are for Sunday. I do know that Manly Man doesn't have to work. Super excited about that! Sometimes I think it would be fun to spend the day being waited on...breakfast in bed and everything. But that won't happen, Manly Man has to be at church too early for that. But that is OK. I will be with him and my boys all day, and maybe even some special friends!
Being a mom is really hard. I was encouraged today when I heard a message that was broadcast on Family Life Today. You can listen to the two part broadcast here.
Enjoy. Be Blessed. Happy Mother's Day!

A Lucky Mom!

2009-05-06T17:10:00.001-04:00

How blessed am I?

New Reading Material

2009-05-05T17:58:00.002-04:00

Jonathan was looking at the Sunday Comics right before school started today. I let him read the first row of Blondie. He did great! Note to self: read them first...you never know! Thankfully, this one was fine!