More pictures, as promised!

Dreamin' of a trailer on the lake

I have lots to share about the past week! Shall we begin?

We spent a few days last week on a little getaway with our wild, wacky friends. Kim graciously invited us to spend some time with them at her parents' lake house. We had a fabulous time! The house is amazing, and we had a great time enjoying long talks with friends and the beauty of God's creation.

And having other kids around to entertain our one and only was a real treat!

I'll go over some highlights, but I'm going to post a slideshow of pictures. There are just too many good ones, and I know you wouldn't want to miss any of them!

The kids really loved fishing. No matter what other fun we were having, someone was always asking when they could go fishing again!

Perry caught his first fish! Eric even cooked it up that night, so they could all have a taste.

Jack's birthday was Wednesday, so, of course, we celebrated him!

Tubing was also a big hit.

Thumbs up means "go faster." Perry and Caroline did that a lot! They were our little speed demons.

We took a long boat ride on Thursday afternoon, and on the way back, this little miracle happened.

I must say, I very much enjoyed that moment with my baby. It doesn't happen often anymore that this big boy falls asleep on my lap. With him there sleeping and us out on the water enjoying the perfect weather, the lake, and the beauty all around, I was so thankful to a God who loves us enough to give us all of this! Blessing upon blessing.

That big boy did get heavy, though. Once I laid him down on the seat, all of us adults enjoyed this.

That's all of our kids, all conked out on the boat. We sat in the back and chatted as we watched our angels sleep, and, I'm telling you, it was Heaven on earth!

So I asked the hubby to buy me a trailer on the lake. I don't need a fancy lake house, just somewhere that I could lay my head and where we could enjoy the rich family time that comes with getting away from it all. With a trailer, a boat, and some fishing poles, we'd be living the life, I'm telling you!

Someday my dreams will come true. Dreams of a double-wide on the water in Alabama. Wooooo weeee, y'all!

Enjoy the slideshow of the rest of our fun!

I'll be back later with more. After we got back from the lake, I had the awesome experience of attending the Deeper Still conference in Atlanta. We heard some amazing teaching from Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer. And, of course, I LOVED the worship time with the fabulous Travis Cottrell and team.

I'm not even sure where to start, but I'll try to string together some coherent thoughts.

Why I enjoyed cleaning my bathrooms today

Method all-purpose cleaner from Target -- Cucumber scent.

Now, as many of you know, I am certainly not one of those strange people who usually gets joy out of cleaning. I will admit to getting some joy out of organizing (though summoning the energy and setting aside the time often alludes me), but certainly not cleaning.

In fact, my mom may have fainted after reading this title. And if she ever figures out how to leave a comment, I'm sure she will confirm for you all how I've never loved to clean.

My best friend, Shawn, used to clean when she was upset. When we were roomies, if I came home and the apartment was sparkling, I knew it was time to pick up some ice cream and maybe a box o' wine.

Anyway, back to the cleaning enjoyment I experienced today...

I was walking through Target this morning (I know, it's so hard to believe that I would be shopping! And at Target, of all places!), and as I passed the cleaning aisle, I recalled a post I read on Bring the Rain a while back. She mentioned her love for Method Cucumber cleaner. I knew that I had a good bit of cleaning to do today, so I thought, "Why not try something new and different?"

When I first picked it up, I hesitated a little because somewhere I saw something like "natural cleaner." Well, I'm all for natural in most areas of my life, but there are some things that seem to call for a little chemical assistance. So for the same reason that I've never tried natural deodorant, I wasn't so sure about cleaning bathrooms with natural cleaner.

I'm so glad I tried it, though. It worked great, and that fresh cucumber scent is just lovely!

I even cleaned my bathtub for the 2nd time this week, just to freshen it up a bit. I wouldn't want my big, fabulous tub to feel bad when the rest of the bathroom wore a fresh cucumber scent and it was stuck with the smell of Comet with bleach.

Anyway, next time you're at Target, pick some up. You won't regret it.

I might mop my floors with it later.

The After

You may be wondering why I haven't posted for a few days.

DIDN'T YOU READ MY LAST POST??? I have so much to do!!!

Seriously, we have had a busy week, which included this...



YES! It's finished!

And LOOK, there's even furniture!

That's our yellow lab, Beau, standing guard. He hasn't quite decided if he likes this new floor situation. It's much too slippery for him, I think. We had to get him to lay down for the first pic because he kept sliding around when he tried to sit!

Don't you love a finished product? We're tired weekend warriors, but we're quite pleased with the results of our labor.

The other excitement that kept P and I busy last week was Backyard Bible Club. I was going to write a post about it, but my friend, Kim, who hosted the whole shindig, did a fabulous job telling all about it on her blog. So I figured you could just read about it here. I had the joy of leading the music. This group of kids had so much fun singing, and I loved every minute of it! The theme, as you will read in Kim's post, was all about service -- to God and to others. Great stuff!

I am dedicated, I am motivated!

So I have many goals for things to accomplish around the house this summer, you know, since I don't have to work again until August and all. I have been starting to feel as if I had not made adequate progress, and I needed some motivation.

And today I saw an answer to my prayers on BooMama! She is hosting a "Before and After" extravaganza, and it is just the motivation I need to GET ON IT!

Below you will find my "to do" list. Then MARK YOUR CALENDARS for July 25 because you will not want to miss the before and after pictures of all of the wonderful projects that I have completed!

I hope you can stand the wait. The anticipation may be too much, I know.

THE LIST

• Completely finish basement flooring. Add rugs and return furniture, etc. to its place. Do not return anything that is junk -- THROW IT AWAY! (This one WILL be finished by the end of this coming weekend, in preparation for guests next week.)
• "Spruce up" master bedroom, including window treatments and decor to match our new bedding.
• Choose and install new ceiling fan in living room. ***Disclaimer: the timely completion of this one does depend on the hubby's time availability and willingness to take orders.
• Clean out and organize 2 storage areas (1 inside, 1 in garage). Clean out other closets and GET RID OF SOME JUNK.
• Plant flowers by mailbox.

OK, I think that's enough for now. I do have to leave myself some time to lounge by the pool, shop, read, and, oh yeah, spend time with my kid! : )

Be sure to check out BooMama's EXTRAVAGANZA for yourself!

A Day for Dad

On Fathers' Day, I would like to pay tribute to all the dads in my life.

First of all, I know everyone says this on Fathers' Day, but I am so thankful for my man! God really blessed me with the best husband anyone could ask for, and he is such a great daddy to our son. He loves us with all of his heart, and he truly enjoys spending time with us. I love watching him play with Perry, hearing him read bedtime stories at night, and seeing the true joy that P brings him.

So THANK YOU, Eric, for all of the personal sacrifices you make for us. Thanks for getting up in the middle of the night when P has a bad dream, for playing Backyard Football with him (because I DO NOT understand that game!), for putting him to bed every night, for coaching his baseball team, for laying flooring on Fathers' Day, for smiling for a million pictures, for enduring mobs of screaming children at countless birthday parties, for putting together all manner of toys and gadgets, for listening to me and laughing with me, for working so hard to provide a wonderful life for us, and for being the example of a man who loves the Lord and strives to live an honorable life. You are the best!!!

And now, some photos...

Of course, the older generation deserves a big shout out as well.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY to...

my dad (Big Daddy)

my step-dad (Grandpa)

and Eric's dad (Buppa)

You are all so special to us! Thanks for being the great fathers that you are.

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Our Star of the Stage

P's 1st words this morning were, "Today is the most important day of my life!"

Birthdays, vacations, 1st day of school... it all really just pales in comparison to the performance he was about to give. Obviously, he was quite excited about his play today!

It was really amazing what they were able to accomplish with these kids in just 5 days (and only 1/2 days at that). There were about 45 kids involved in the camp this week, and they put on 3 short plays today. The kids not only learned their parts, but they also painted the sets. It was all very cute!

Before the plays began, they all came out for an opening number, a funny song about drama camp.

Perry's favorite part was the kick line at the end of the song.

Here's a little video clip of his part in the play. He's the one in red -- he was the "2nd counselor" and the "Master of Swords." You can tell he was a bit nervous, but we thought he did a fantastic job. And check out his little "celebration" after he says his first part.

"More Than a Match" from Lisa Nadreau on Vimeo.

Taking a bow...

After the show...

He loved the whole experience and already asked if he could do it again next year.

On another note, here's the current status of the floor.

OK, so it's not exactly an "after" picture. It's more like a "during" picture. It's about 75% done, though.

As it turns out, pulling up carpet by yourself yields some sore muscles and makes you a slow worker the next day. : )

That after picture is coming soon...

Ty Pennington, Bob Villa, and Me

Look what I did while P was at camp this morning.

This is our basement, and as of about 10:00 this morning, there was carpet there. A lovely berber, circa 1996. By noon, it was no more.

And I did it. All by myself.

Don't worry, we're not leaving it that way. Hopefully by tomorrow evening, I'll have some "after" pictures for you. Now that the hubby is home, we are hauling all the carpet away and prepping for tomorrow's project -- laying down the new flooring.

After my very productive morning, P and I met my friend Kim and her son at a lovely indoor playground for some air-conditioned fun! The boys ran wild, and we enjoyed some adult conversation.

Sorry, no pictures of the adult conversation... only the wild boys.

And LOOK -- Perry is wearing his very first autographed t-shirt. Oh, remember those? That Sharpie-smelling t-shirt really took me back.

This one is a souvenir from the drama camp he attended this week. Tomorrow is their big show. P has 4 lines. His teacher actually offered him one of the lead parts, the king -- with 15 LINES -- after he did such a great job memorizing his 1st line.

He decided he did not want that kind of responsibility, though. Either that, or he didn't want to give up his warrior sword.

Day Trippin'

Yesterday the family and I took a little trip with Grammy over to Birmingham where P's cousin Hannah was playing in a softball tournament.

Grammy suggested that we go over there and surprise her -- and boy was she surprised!

Of course, P LOVED watching her play. She played a great game, and we got to visit a little afterward. We took our new addition, Samson, along for the ride. He got lots of attention. Teenage girls love a cute little doggie!

After the game, we took Hannah for a bite to eat before we hit the road for home.

When I saw P's meal, I just had to document it. Try to contain your amazement at the nutritional value contained in this kid's meal. It will be hard, I know.

Do you see that there are nachos and cheese, Cheetos, and Teddy Grams in front of him? Yes, that was it. I promise it was not specially ordered that way, either. He chose the kid's nachos from the menu (nachos have been a recent fascination), and that's how it came.

Please notice that he is drinking milk, though. Thank you.

You know, we ate at this really great deli, and all of us had yummy salads or wraps with some fruit or potato salad or some such thing. The kids, though? Load them up with carbs!!! Who is driving our economy? To whom do restaurants/stores, etc. cater? Don't be fooled, people, it's all about the kids.

And carbs, they do make a kid happy.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

We spent Thursday evening at the Braves' game.


You may be wondering why the boys are wearing Cubs gear to a Braves' game. Good question. Here's why...
It was "Braves' Night Out" for Perry's baseball league. They got to parade around the field before the game, dressed in their uniforms. A couple of the teams got to play a short exhibition on the field, too. It was quite exciting seeing those little guys walking around that big field. We even saw many of their sweet faces on the big screen.

It was totally worth standing out in the blazing sun for over an hour to see it!

Here are a couple more shots from the game.

Some of our good friends came along for the fun!

We had a fantastic time. P's love for baseball and his understanding of the game is really unbelievable at times. He followed every play so closely, with rapt attention, and talked about them with such excitement. It was really fun to watch.

And we were there when Chipper Jones hit his 400th homerun (we were actually walking through the stadium and didn't see it live, but, hey, we were there)! When P saw that on Sports Center the next day, he couldn't believe it. Now he tells everyone about it -- not just about the homerun, but about them showing it on Sports Center, too. That's the best part, right? : )

Another Day Full O' Fun

In the category of things boys love are knights, swords, and all the grandeur and majesty that was the Renaissance.

We spent this past Sat. at the Renaissance Festival, and although it was a SCORCHER, as they say, we still had a great time.

Perry's favorite, of course, was the joust. We watched it twice! He was thrilled that I took some pictures of it for him. Here's his favorite knight... the good guy, of course.


We've been to the Festival before, but this year he and Daddy got to sword fight! Here they are all suited up and ready.

En garde! The battle begins! Perry has gotten some fencing practice on the Wii, but the real thing was quite a bit different, as he soon found out.

And Daddy showed no mercy. Look at this! He almost knocked the kid down!

Perry was declared the winner in the end, though. It was a tough battle, but he got his 5 jabs in first.

All P talked about the whole way there was this eagle ride. He did it last year and couldn't wait to get on it again!

This barrel ride was really neat -- completely man-powered. That one guy pushes and spins the barrel. Quite the Renaissance workout!

Wow! That's one big dragon!

Our New Addition

We have had another eventful week, so I am going to do several posts with pictures in the next few days. Hope you enjoy getting caught up! : )

First, we have a new addition to our family! He's been with us for a week now, and we are really enjoying him. Some of you know that I've been wanting a small dog for quite some time now. So finally -- here's Samson

He's a long-haired chihuahua -- 7 months old. He's been a lot of fun so far, and he is adjusting well to life at our house. You'll notice he's representin' for PetsMart.

Perry really loves him, and they get along great.

Perry even asked to leave the pool 2 days in a row because he wanted to go home and play with Samson. This could possibly be even better than a little brother or sister! : )