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My bff, Ashley, and I got to talk on the phone for a few sacred minutes the other day. Seriously, it was only about 12 minutes, but that's one of those things I love about Ashley, we just pick right back up. No awkward silences.

Anywho, we got to talking about Pinterest, and then she blogged about it last night. I've had an account for a few days, but haven't done anything with it. I got inspired after reading Ash's blog last night and since we've been in the car all day, I've been pinning away!

Seriously, who ever came up with this is a genius. I'm so bad about finding things I like but not being able to remember where I found them, and for sending myself 20,393 facebook messages of stuff I like. It's a mess, but not anymore.

You can check out my boards at:

http://pinterest.com/etsmom/

Tomorrow is another full day of traveling, so I'll probably go pin happy again!

Nine Months Old

Little man, how can you be 9 months old?! Didn't I JUST finish up your 8 month post? You are such a sweet and fun boy. We love every minute with you and cannot even imagine what we would be doing without you! Dr. Y said you would change a lot and gosh she was right. I don't know when it happened, but you are ACTIVE and all over the place (see the out takes below)! Eli, Daddy and I are crazy about you. You make us proud to be parents!

Firsts: Mother's Day, watching the NFL draft, graduation ceremony, visit to Mobile, trip out on the boat/wearing a life jacket, summer vacation

News headlines: Wow, this has been a crazy month in the news! William and Kate married in the royal wedding, Cam Newton (whom you high fived!) gets drafted number one in the NFL draft-WAR EAGLE!, US forces killed Osama Bin Laden (9/11 mastermind) in Pakistan, tornado and deadly storms killed hundreds in Tuscaloosa and around Alabama, a different tornado strikes and devastates Joplin, Missouri, NASA space shuttle Endeavor launches, Oprah Winfrey says goodbye after 25 years hosting her show, mBone (Teach Me How to Dougie singer) was killed in a drive-by, and former wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage was killed in a car accident.

Milestones: you are crawling very quickly now, pulling up on things, crawling/climbing over things, standing for short periods of time, you have eight teeth, you are feeding yourself and eating a lot of table food, you clap your hands together (especially if others are cheering or if we say "yay!"), you know where all of your favorite things are in each room, you can shake your head no, and your first summer vacation has begun!

Measurements: Size 3 diapers, mostly 9 mth clothing but still some 6-9 mth clothing, about 21 lbs

Like Mommy: eyes, likes to go to bed early

Like Daddy: daily outside time is a must, you're always in a good mood like Dad, similar haircut (we're cutting it about every other week...just like Dad!)

Favorite Toys: your Woody from Toy Story stuffed animal, any spoons or straws, the hammer you got for Easter

Sounds: /b/ and /m/, you say 'mmmm' when you eat and you like it, you can say 'mom-ma' (it melts my heart every time!) and 'bye bye', you're pretty close to the /p/ sound also.

Challenges: biting, keeping your balance while you're standing, learning more consonant sounds

Our Days: Since summer has started, we're on less of a schedule. But, you're up 7ish each morning, eat about 5-6x throughout the day, eating more and more table food, and we try to have you in bed around 9ish. You are sleeping SO much better now that we've gotten that ear infection taken care of. You take about three good naps a day.

Funny/Favorite Moments:

Mommy's Favorite: So many things, I don't think I can pick one! I love getting 'kisses' from you. You just open your mouth wide and stick it on my face and drool/lick all over me...it's the best! I also love anytime you laugh. I love to watch you crawl fast. And of course I LOVE being home with you this summer!

Daddy's Favorite: Learning to shake your head. It cracks Daddy up every time you do it. Daddy also likes playing 'chase' with you. If Mommy or Daddy go around the corner you will crawl as quick as you can to come get us!

Nicknames: Squirmy, Squirms, Squirmy Wormy, Squirmy Wormy Doodle All Day, Squirmy Bug, Doodle Bug, Little Man, Buddy, and when you've just woken up we call you Drunk Monkey! : )

Upcoming Events: Trip to TX, Mommy's birthday, Father's Day, trip to Disney World!

Thirteen on Tuesday

Thirteen random things going on this Tuesday.

1. Little man slept NINE hours last night, got up at 5 am, ate, and went back to sleep for two more hours. Too bad I could not sleep hardly at all last night. My ears hurt, my throat hurts, my head hurts.

2. I made fruit salad today. It looks dang good.

3. I have two ferns on either side of my front door. One is huge and lush. It looks gorgeous. The other has only about six sprigs coming out of it. I have no idea why it's doing that, but it looks ridiculous. I need to replace it. I'm sure my neighbors would appreciate something more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

4. What the heck is up with all of these tornadoes? We're in front of the TV watching the weather channel right now making sure my sister and Clark are ok. Dallas/Arlington are getting slammed right now. And, poor Jopelin. They can't catch a break.

5. I played Bunco tonight. I lost.

6. Because I played Bunco tonight, I missed the live Biggest Loser finale. I'll watch the replay online tomorrow. That's my show. I watch faithfully every Tuesday.

7. Eli has learned some new tricks here lately. He can climb over several things and he's learned to shake his head no. I know he's mine, but he's so freaking cute! I am loving being at home with him right now. In June we start a weekly playgroup and are looking forward to that.

8. I get to see my sister in three days. I'm so excited! I haven't seen her since Christmas. That is too long! I can't wait to spend a whole week with her (and Clark). We're traveling west with my brother. I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time with him too!

9. I have been sewing the past two days. It was really only an hour-ish project, but when you have an active 9 month old (oh my gosh, where is time going?!) things take a bit longer! I sewed beanbags using this pattern. We're making our own corn hole game, which will be making its debut at Eli's first birthday party (tailgate themed...because what else are you supposed to do for a 1 year old and we're only inviting family). When we get back from TX I'm starting on curtains. I also plan on making cornice boards for a few windows this summer.

10. I received a few iTunes giftcards for end of the year gifts from students to download more apps for my classroom iPad. I bought a game called Stack the States and Wesley and I both have been addicted. Every time we travel long distances we play a game in the car and see who can name all 50 states, and then who can name all the capitals to the states. We're dorks I guess, but it takes up a good bit of time in the car.

11. My MIL sent me a happy day surprise in the mail. It's a really cute small utility tote from Thirty One (love their stuff). It's so cute and has my monogram on it. I don't have a picture of it, but I love it.

12. I seriously need to clean out/organize my closet. Things are out of control in there. I also need to clean up my bathroom, scrub sinks, toilets, tub, etc. I hate doing that though.

13. I was watching the Today Show this morning and Hoda and Kathie Lee were talking about Harold Camp (I think that's his name-the man behind this whole 'world was ending on May 21' business). Apparently he said May 21 was a mathematical error and the actual date that the world is ending is October 21, 2011. Kathie Lee then quoted Matthew and said that not even Jesus knows the date or the time. She went on to talk about how the Bible mentions false prophets. Go Kathie Lee. I must admit I was a little shocked to hear that from her mouth.

Ok, that's it. Sweet dreams everyone!

Alice Cooper & Alan Jackson

You maybe wondering what these two artists have in common. Well, they're our theme songs right now.

1. SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

I had a sweet class this year, and they will always be special to me as they were the class I had when Eli was born. I can't believe how my year with them flew by. While I'm so glad it's summer, I will miss those kiddos.

2. We've been 'Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee' a lot this weekend. We've had the perfect kick off to summer and have spent most of our weekend enjoying yummy food off the grill and wake boarding, knee boarding, skiing, tubing, and just riding around out on the boat way down yonder on the Chattahoochee (Lake Oliver) with our friends David, Mallory, & sweet baby Abigail.

Graduation!

Last weekend my brother graduated with a degree in theology from the University of Mobile. Congrats Zach, we are so proud of you!

(I love this picture of Z and Eli looking at each other!)

Also, congratulations to my brother in law, Clark. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University (DBU) last weekend also. We wish we could have been there!

Eli Lately

So, I'm feeling like mom of the year tonight. We haven't slept for more than four straight hours (probably more like 3) in a row in this house in close to a month...no exaggeration. We haven't done that since he was a week old and we had to wake him up to feed him. He's always been such a good sleeper! I finally decided to call the pediatrician today and get her to look at Eli's ears even though he's not run fever, not acted anything other than his always happy and good natured self, and not given any of the usual signs of an ear infection like pulling on his ears, etc.

I felt a little silly sitting in the sick child waiting room there. My kid is laughing, crawling all over the place, and sticking his tongue out and blowing really hard (one of his newest tricks). Well, turns out he has a severe double ear infection. I felt AWFUL. Dr. Y said it could be he's had it for a few weeks, or it could be that it just popped up and got severe very quickly.

She's going to see us again in a few weeks to recheck his ears, and gave us an antibiotic to use for the next ten days. Again, I feel horrible. It makes me sad to think I didn't know anything was wrong with my own baby, but he hasn't been acting sick! I really thought it was something like he was going through a growth spurt, or he was getting all he needed from me anymore and maybe we need to make that switch from breast milk to formula (I plan to keep doing it until he is at least a year old....but that's another topic for another day), or maybe he was having separation anxiety or something waking up in the middle of the night and not knowing where we were.

As long as he gets better though, that's all that's important now.

Ok, no more of the boring stuff. Picture time!

Eli is into EVERYTHING here lately. Grandparents and Aunt Caitlin, you best get to baby proofing your homes! Eli's coming!

He is crawling and is FAST!

Any cabinet that does not have a latch on it he opens and pulls out the contents.

He climbs over and on top of anything he can.

Little man sits with his feet crossed all the time. Just like Uncle Z. I love it.

Just four more days of school until we're all home for the summer. I can't wait! : )

Sips N Strokes

Last Tuesday night, I went with some of my teacher friends to Sips N Strokes in Auburn. While the night out was WAY past my bedtime, it was ok because I was in dire need of some quality girl time AND school is almost out (just five more days)!

(There are group pictures of Sarah, Katie, Amanda, and I on FB)

The painting we were going for was called Funky Tree. It was really pretty online, and I suppose it's ok (I think mine looked better than a lot of them there....and I did better than I thought I would), but the instructor's painting definitely was gorgeous!

They're supposed to be opening a Sips N Strokes soon in Phenix City, so we're looking forward to going again!

Mother's Day Weekend

I'm a little behind on my blogging. Expect several posts this week as I try to get caught up.

Mother's Day weekend was a blast! I'm so blessed and proud to be a mommy. We got to spend mother's day with both of our mothers. I hope I can be half the mom that they both are.

We started our weekend by heading to Elba.

We did a lot of swinging

and riding.

We had a lot of fun!

A few family pictures from my first mother's day!

It was a great, relaxing weekend. It was nice to get out of town and see so much of our family! Eli gave me two plates for Mother's Day - one with his hand prints, and another with his foot prints forming a cross and the plate has Psalm 119:105 written around the edge. He did good! : )

Life's Not Fair

Last week I received some terrible, heart-breaking news concerning the family of a former student. You can read the details here.

Another reporter sums it all up when he wrote, "These children have lived a very difficult life." They have experienced so much in the few short years they have been on this Earth. As Wesley and I later talked about it, I couldn't help but cry.

This is a family that I have been in contact with pretty steadily over the past three years, most recently having the cousin (who lived in the same house) as a student in my class this year (until they all moved away). These were students that Wesley and I took to church, took trick or treating, took to basketball games, and more. To be perfectly honest, they were not easy children to love. To my knowledge, they never received the love of Christ into their own lives, but it was shown and told to them.

I don't know that there was anyone who ever showed and told of that love to the 14 year old sister (whom I never met), and that's what breaks my heart - I don't know where a 14 year old girl is now spending eternity. I don't like the feeling that's in my gut.

There's a lot of people on this Earth that are not the easiest people to get along with, and make it very difficult to love.

Take Osama bin Laden. At the news of his death, my heart swelled with pride for my country. I got a little teary watching cadets flock around West Point, baseball fans cheering not for 'their team' but their country, and crowds who had gathered in front of the White House and in Time Square. But, I think it can best be said by a quote I saw on facebook:

"The God of Heaven and Earth knitted Bin Laden together in the womb, loves him, and deeply desired him to repent and believe."

...not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

He desires none to perish and for all to come to repentance ... and that includes you, me, Osama bin Laden, and those students (and people in general) who maybe difficult to love.

I've struggled off and on with going back to work. I love my job, I really do, but I've thrown my share of pity parties. My husband has offered to let me quit my job and he'll get a second (or third or whatever it takes) for me to stay home with Eli (he's the greatest). But I don't want that for him either. I want to see my husband, and I want my child to have his father at home to play with at night and on the weekends.

And, these students are on my heart.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Romans 10:14

It's easy to think of this verse in reference to 'going on a mission trip', but what about those people who live in your town? Or as in this case, lived less than five miles away. Will they spend eternity in His courts, or will they be eternally separated and without hope? So, at least for now, I teach.