My baby is 16?!

And in my stubborn youth I wanted a v-bac after not one but TWO c-sections.
The doctor rolled his eyes and shook his head...NO.....
TOO BIG! Won't ever happen.
"Can't I at least TRY?" I questioned further? We had studied and prayed and studied some more - it had been done before!
"Come in at 9am monday morning and we'll do an ultrasound so I can PROVE you're in a hopeless situation - this will NEVER happen no matter how much you pray!"
Sigh.............
more study - more prayer
Monday morning at 3am I thought...wait a minute this MAY be labor!
Mom's house next door had a tub and I thought...that would be lovely..a warm bath!
(WAKIE WAKIE! SORRY TO BOTHER YOU CAN I USE YOUR BATHTUB MOM?) LOL
(my mom offered me cheese to eat - we still laugh about that one..."are you hungry?" "no" "I've got cheese!" "no thanks!" lol)
After a nice warm bath I headed back home....
5am my water broke and I thought YEP! it's labor!
Was up and moving around at 6am (the hospital was about an hour away)
Didn't seem to be too bad!
Hubby set off to walk our oldest to the bus stop...
by 6:45 he was up and back from the bus stop...
I was getting very uncomfortable and moody at this point (WAY high pain threshold...but do NOT want to be around people)
Told him (insert snippy voice here...) "I'm going back to bed! I'm NOT having this baby on the road somewhere and I'm NOT going to make it!" He probably thought I was dilusional but....he said he'd check since I was insisting the baby was ON IT'S WAY! Now we were both trained in emergency childbirth so I was sure he'd know what he was doing when I said "CHECK!" :) God Bless him ;)
He said "Yep - that's the baby's head - get back in bed!
By 7:30 am Ranger Michael Gilliland was born - delivered by his daddy in a small cabin filled with love in "Moffitsville" South Carolina.
Daddy is listed as both father AND attending physician on his birth certificate :)
That sweet baby boy is 16 now.
He is still going against the grain - started his own business partnership with his dad last year and it's doing VERY well!
He's playing football for a local school (even though he's homeschooled) and LOVING IT!!!
My baby....
My sweet baby boy....
P.S. was one of the best moments of my life being able to call and cancel that ultrasound 16 years ago :)

With all my heart ~
Michelle

OH is this a cutie or what?!
We were CERTAIN that we'd sell her..........
now I'm getting very fond of her little face.
I was NOT going to name her...but I've been calling her cookie lately...
cause she reminds me of an oreo :)Maybe everything reminds me of oreos...hmmmmmm...
So I'm thinking....maybe we could keep her....breed her later on (like I NEED to add something else to my life) but then would I have 4 or 5 "smoochies, zippies, skippies etc..running around?!) ah probably...
So I will list her. but I may be the WORST person in the world when it comes to actually qualifying to GET cookie :)
I mean - their dog!

With all my heart ~
Michelle :)

SUNSHINE...ON MY FACE :)

Well - it was a fabulous weekend! We traveled 3+ hours to see our 16 year old play football and WIN! WOO HOO!!!! Then 3+ hours back :)
On Sunday I volunteered at a baby item recycling event - WOW was that ever fun! (Hope I sold as much as I purchased - but hey where else can you get highchairs for $1.25 and carseats for $5.00)
But my post is really about the sunshine - sing it with me now...sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy - sunshine in my eyes can make me cry (OH YEAH!) I even was careful enough to SLATHER on the sunblock (spf 30!) and you'd think I put spray oil (like PAM!!) on my face.
We all thought I was just overheated (as I have one of THOSE faces when hot - you know the red tomato type! :)
NOPE! It was sunburn!
WOW is is sunburn ;(
I was so very glad that I not only coated the baby with the (lousy) sunblock but I also put on the floppy hat and kept him in the shade - THANK YOU LORD!!
His little bitty nose evidently got some sun as he looked somewhat "Rudolphish" (you know the reindeer?!) but by Sunday morning it was just a toasty brown look - not so for me :)
I would LOVE to know if anyone knows of a good GOOD sunblock (preferably paraben free)
THANK YOU!!! :)
With all my heart....
bob the tomato
I mean...
Michelle

GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!

Well at 5:30 this morning when dear dear hubby was waking up delighted to face another day (seriously - "MR. MORNING PERSON") - and turning on every #$#$#%^%$#*^% light in the bedroom and my 8 month old was waking NOT delighted to face a day that early....and I'm pretty sure steam was coming out of my ears (measuring MY delight at being up at 5:30am of course)I was amazed at how much praying it took to keep my mouth shut. Hmmmmmmmm
Resisting the urge to yell...cry...or chuck something at him, I looked at him and said "Look Malachi - Daddy wants to take you with him to work!" Dave laughed (not the wisest thing at that moment..... but to a giddy "the birds are singing it's a beautiful day" type he may not be thinking laughter is a BAD MOVE- I however was a different story)
"Oh he just wants to be up! Get up mommy!" was his jovial reply - (again...no court would convict me) "NO he DOESNT WANT to be up.....it's still dark out...it's just that every light in the bedroom is now on and he's WIDE AWAKE!" was my loving reply.
As I huffed (I am being honest here people!) and got out of bed mumbling....I went pastthe mirror and realized that I looked as badly as I felt. AARRGGHHH!!!!

Oh and by the way the stuff that we needed from the grocery store hadn't been bought yesterday (MY FAULT REALLY - I JUST FORGOT CAUSE I WORKED TILL 6)so who got to go grocery shopping by 7am? OH YES JOY OF ALL JOY ME ME ME ME ME!!! :)

I wish I could throw a few bible verses in here - make this out to be a fabulous learning experience for everyone - "grow" from the morning........learn...be enriched and wow you all with my loving and graceful attitude.
SIGH...............................
maybe it will come to me..........
maybe............................
right after a nap :)


with all my heart.....
Michelle :)

Please pray

Won't you please consider lifting up this dear family in your prayers?!
Over to the right of this blog is the button you can click on to learn more - yep...that's the one the one that says "please pray for Gabriel Zachary" - go ahead click it...I'll wait :) you can come right back here afterwards.....:)

Our LORD is a wonderful and mighty healer who is STILL in the miracle business!!!
If you are committed to praying for this sweet baby boy and his loving family - please leave a comment and I'll let them know.
Thank you!
We all have SO very many things to be thankful for and to celebrate- TODAY I celebrate the ability to come to my "cyber" friends and ask them to pray!!
May each of you be truly blessed by a peaceful and family filled weekend!

With all my heart ~
Michelle

Well gang it's Wednesday already! What a week! I had a beautiful fabulous perfect weekend - it was 4 and a half days long - and now I think every weekend should be that long! :)

My (so very soon to be 16 year old) son had his first football game. Um...were they always that long? Really? and HOT? Hmm...I must have been younger then :)

We sat for over 3 hours in the direct sun in the SCORCHING HEAT - you'll note Malachi's hair do after sweating and being misted with water/rubbed down with sun block.

All in all - it was a good "learning experience" type of game. (read...we lost big time) They did manage to come back in the second half but in the end the score was 40 to 14 THEM. ALL THEM!!!
Ah well - the cheerleaders were fun to watch (hey anyone who can yell "GREAT GAME GUYS" after that....well - I'm not sure what game they watched actually ;) I know...it's all part of that "everyone's a winner" fluff - but it just made everyone look at them like...."gee...you can stop shouting that now!" :)

Other than that - we did one of those HUGE cleaning sprees on the house and have an enormous pile to yard sale next saturday (of course now it will probably rain for 2 months straight since I'm almost REALLY ready for a yard sale)
Ah well -
The other pic is Malachi trying out green peas.
First bite he wasn't sure - second bite.....this was the reaction.
LOL
So now I will just make something with the mashed organic green peas for the whole family...


or NOT!:)

With all my heart
Michelle

Happy?

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be - Abraham Lincoln

Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.- Groucho Marx

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.
- Denis Waitley

What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.
- Leo Buscaglia

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.
- Thomas Jefferson


Today is Thursday - ALMOST Friday.......ALMOST a long weekend :)
Today I choose to be happy.
I choose to be thankful
What do you choose?




With all my heart ~
Michelle

P.S. we should all be as happy as Malachi when covered with all the "yuck" life sometimes throws us :)
This is him LOVING his carrots and bananas.
BE HAPPY :)