Reading is Fun! See????

Here are my two little fella's reading together before bedtime! They got all quiet and I went to check on them (since as we ALL know....quiet isn't always good!). There they sat....sweet as could be.....just reading away!

Creston is looking at a book by Richard Scarey(?) "What do people do all day". This is a really good book if your little person won't tear the pages out and will actually sit and look at all of the pictures! It's filled with neat pictures that are jam-packed with activity that your little ones can find. Creston LOVES this book!!!

Mackie is reading about fruit! The book shows the picture and lists the name of the fruit in English AND Spanish! It's never too early to pick up that second language!!! Now....if he'd only pick up that first language first!!!

Bath Time!!!

O.k.....bathtime is usually a 1-kid-event. This is partially due to the fact that a few weeks ago, CRESTON decided to create some floaters (if you know what I mean) WHILE Mackie was also in the tub. I about died! CRESTON even about died! There were several "boats" floating around and he started screaming "Ooohh!!! Aagghhh!!! There's somethin' in the water!!!" That's our smart boy! Oh my! So.......anyway.......we tried it again the other night.....aside from Creston dumping water down our heating vent, all went well......the vent....not so well, but it dried out.

This is Mackie basically saying "Yippee!!!"

Lovin' the Bath!

You do it like this, Mackie!

Now, this one has a small story......this is Mackie crying and pointing up to where his washcloth is hanging on the peg. I don't give him his "Washie" because he tends to get it all wet and then "wash" the outside edge of the tub, which results in LOTS of water in the floor....I know-I know...he's a little kid, but I still can't stand all the water to be in the floor.....so......NO WASHIE! He hates me.....

This is Mackie crying to Daddy that he wants his Washie......mommy is mean, Daddy! I want Washie....pwease??? Boo hoo....I won't tump water in the floor! I promise!
This is Mackie with the washie...................................Daddy is loved......mommy is still hated.

Now.......this one is showing how we take "Multi-tasking" to a WHOLE new level......While in the tub, Mackie washes his body AND brushes his teeth! But note......he's got two brushes....and each brush is brushing the upper or lower teeth! Hey! May need to get a patent for one of those!

Zachary Brandon Sheppard ~ Marine Boot Camp

My cousin Zachary has been in Boot Camp at Parris Island since before Christmas. He was planning on joining after Christmas, but an opening became available in the area that he wanted to be a part of, so he went in early. He will be graduating on Friday (3/6/09). We are all so very proud of him. He is truly an amazing young man to have gone and done all of this while we are in a time of War. I know he will do great things and serve our country well!

Below are some pictures that a Church-member of Zack's families Church was able to take at a ceremony this past week. The Church-member is a retired Marine and was able to attend this ceremony that other family members can not attend. These pictures are very special to Zack's parents and to all of his family!


The Elizabethton Star has this thing "How far can you take the STAR?", and the picture below will most likely be in the Eliz. Star sometime soon showing where the paper went. Good looking group of young men!

CONGRATULATIONS, ZACHARY!!!!! We LOVE you!!!!

Rainy Friday!

Well, I watched "Nights in Rodanthe" last night, and it was really, really good! The scenery made me want to go to the beach and the love story made me want to hug my hunny! Like all of Nicholas Sparks' books, there was quite a story plot to make me sob yet again! I'll have to get the book and see exactly how great the story really is! The books are always better! If you love a good story and a good cry, read Mr. Sparks book "The Notebook". Boy.............I've never cried so much as with that one!!! Anyway.................It's raining today. We have to take the car to get it worked on later this afternoon, so hopefully it will be a good day! Everyone have a GREAT Friday!!!!!

More Changes to my blog!!!

O.k.! I took the music off of the blog.........no complaints.....it just got on MY nerves!!! :o) That's the way it goes! However.....now we all know that it can be done, huh? We're all still attempting to get over whatever it is that we have. I'm calling it a Cold, but I think it's something else. My dentist wouldn't work on me yesterday due to it! Just prolonging the inevitable. Getting ready to put the filthy little people in the bath-tub. Hope that they cooperate and don't try to "clean mommy" again tonight!!! :o) That's always fun. I rented "Nights in Rodanthe" and hope to watch it later after the kids get to bed. Hope that it'll be good!! I love Nicholas Sparks books, so I hope that this will be good too!

First bloody wound for Mackie!

This evening, the boys were playing underneath our dining room table and Mackie popped out crying and rubbing the back of his head. He's forever bumping his head on the table, so I didn't think anything about it until he turned around and I saw the RED in his curly blonde hair! Completely the over-reactor, I picked him up and rushed him to Mark in our bedroom and said "HIS HEAD IS BLEEDING!!!!!" Mark, ever the sane one in this family said to set him under the light in the kitchen. We did and found out that it was only a little puncture from one of the screws under the table. It stopped bleeding, and all was saved!!! I ended the event by getting out the camera......Mark looked at me and said "You're not putting this on the blog, are you?" To which I smiled and said "Uh-huh!"

This is Mackie at the scene of the crime...(note the table behind the small child with m&m stains on his cherubic face (well, maybe not too angelic at the moment, huh?))

And this is the bloody wound that was inflicted on my little person by the horrid table in our dining room! We should throw the thing out in the yard!!!!!

Saving your pictures!!!!!!!!

In between chasing children around the last few days, I've been frantically trying to get ALL of my pictures (from 2007-now) saved to something other than my computer! Our computer has been acting weird (we think it MAY be due to FaceBook, but are not sure). It keeps freezing up and being REALLY slow and then it'll be fine and dandy. So.................I thought that I would put them all onto CD's, but our burner is also acting up! I just knew they were all going to be lost!

So.....my back-up plan has become Walmart.com. At least, if the computer does crash, they'll be safe there. Mark mentioned getting thumb drives and putting them onto those and then put them in the safe, or someone else's safe in case something horrible happens to the house.

So............my point to all of this is...................ARE YOUR PICTURES SAFE???????? Do you have a back-up plan in case you lose your "originals". If you are like me, your pictures are your most valuable possessions (things, that is). So...........PLEASE put them onto something else as a back-up so that you'll know you've got them in case something happens!!!