Proverbs 31:22

We heard from the Realtor on Friday. We are pondering whether to negotiate more on the price on the house we made an offer on last week. We offered him his full price, but asked him to pay the closing costs. He didn't like that. We might meet him halfway; we're still thinking about/talking about it. I was fully prepared for Michael to say that we needed to just walk away. I even told the Realtor that on the phone. "I think we'll probably just have to walk away." But, Michael said, "We'll think and pray and talk about it and make him wait a few days." Today, we went to visit Kimberly, Dewayne, and Nathan and figured out that moving to Lakeside Highlands would cut our driving time to them in half . That's a BIG plus. We've only had one more call (today) on our house. Still no appointments to see it, though. We are running an ad in a local paper this coming week. We will see what happens with that and then make the decision on listing with a Re...

We made an offer on the house in our old neighborhood yesterday. We haven't had any word yet from the seller. We put up a for sale sign for our house on Sunday. We have had three calls, but no appointments set yet. We are deciding if we want to list with a Realtor. I know that if the seller refuses our offer, then it's God's will. But I'll still be a little disappointed. Even though the house is really nice, my disappointment will come from something else. We drove by the house on Sunday again. While in the neighborhood, we drove down to the community park and boat launch. I had forgotten (or didn't realize) how much I missed living near the river. When we lived on the other side of Lakeside Highlands, we were around the corner from Veteran's Park, which is on the Tennessee River. We often walked to the park and down the river when we lived there. Even when we were living through the difficult months of Michael trading online from home, we would walk down to the...

I finally get to post a picture to my blog --- because it's only of Nathan's hand. Isn't it adorable??? For those of you who aren't yet grandparents, I have to tell you --- you are in for such a treat!! I have never been so in love. :-)

Well, I'm plugging along, still going to the Y for 2 hours Monday-Friday. The results this month are less-than-stellar. I seem smaller when I look in the mirror, though. No change in the weight on the scale this month. I've lost a total of 7# since June 18. This month, I lost 4.5", which is better than the measly 1.25" last month! That brings me to a total of 13" since June 18. Woo Hoo!!! Some days, I feel like I can increase the weight I lift on the machine with no problem. Then, there are days like today when I feel absolutely drained and I have to bump it back down to get through the workout. I feel the most increase in muscle in my quadriceps. That feels great! I have been able to do more strenuous walking on the treadmill, though. When I first started, if I tried to walk too quickly, my knee would start to hurt and I'd have to slow down. I've been slowly increasing the intensity and my knee usually doesn't hurt. Laikyn and I are still taking Pil...

Laikyn has been doing so well lately with her asthma. She has hardly had to use her rescue inhaler. Yesterday, we were at the Y working out and she came to me on the treadmill and said, "I'm having trouble breathing. I just did my inhaler." I told her to go get some hot coffee. She did and then came back a few minutes later and said, "I drank the coffee, and it's not getting any better. I'm starting to get light-headed." I got off the treadmill and we rushed out and to the doctor's office, which was just around the corner. When we got to the counter and I told the receptionist Laikyn was having a severe asthma attack, she said, "I don't have a doctor. They're gone at 4:30." It was about 4:40. I said, "Is there a nurse that can give her a breathing treatment???" She said, "Let me check." We sat in the lobby and Laikyn said her hands were starting to tingle. The nurse came and got us and brought us to the back, sto...

Our house search has heated up this week! :-) Laikyn and I looked at a total of 6 houses Wednesday. The gas has been eating us up driving to look at only a few each day, so I decided to spend the day in town looking at numerous ones. (We did look at only one yesterday. We didn't look at any today. I'm worn out!) After the last tour was over, I called Michael and said, "I just looked at a house that I want you to see and I seriously want to make an offer on it." It's in the neighborhood we first lived in when we moved to Florence. We would like living there again. The neighborhood is 5 minutes from the main shopping area of our city. It's also right around the corner from Veteran's Park. Plus, there is a neighborhood boat launch and park that residents can use for an optional fee of $35 a year. Michael is already planning to take Nathan down there to fish. (And Dewayne, too!) The house is very nice, and the best part is that we wouldn't have to do much ...

Laikyn and I viewed 4 houses today--the two that I showed pics of the other day plus two others. The green cottage was SOOOO cute and I absolutely LOVED it, but the kitchen was tiny and the washer and dryer were in the tiny kitchen, too! The dining room was small also. I was trying to think of things we could do to remodel, but the price isn't really conducive to our remodeling it as well. Of course, we could make an offer for lower than what they're asking, but for now we're just going to keep looking. We aren't opposed to getting something that needs some updating *IF* the price is right, because it would allow us to make the home into what we want. The stone cottage also would need some adjusting of the layout. I didn't love it enough to even seriously consider it and it also was not at a price conducive to remodeling. On the way to one of the other houses we looked at today is a yellow ranch-style house that I commented on each time we passed by it. It was re...

Kimberly turned 21 yesterday!! I honestly don't know where the years have gone; they have flown past. I gave her a table runner "in progress." With making Nathan's dedication gown, I didn't start her table runner early enough to have it done by her actual birthday. Hopefully, it will be done by the end of this month. I am hand quilting it. I'll post a pic when I'm finished. She and Dewayne and the baby came over for supper and cake last night. She requested homemade cake, and I tried to comply. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but rarely do my cakes come out of the pans in tact. These were exceptionally terrible, so I had to revert to a boxed mix made into a sheet cake that stayed in the pan. (Yes, I butter and flour my pans!) At least the icing was homemade. The icing was like nothing I'd ever made before. It was from a Betty Crocker Chocolate cookbook and called "Marshmallow Frosting." It had the consistency of some merinque coo...

It always peaks my interest to hear a soldier's take on the Iraqi War.

Kimberly, Dewayne, and the baby moved out late last week. I'm happy for them because they now have MUCH more room than they did here in Kimberly's old bedroom, but we sure do miss having them here. They came for a visit today. Laikyn said it looked like Nathan had gotten fatter in just a few days! :-) He's got a double chin and rolls on the back of his neck. Too cute! I'm soooo in love!!! Since we now have two bedrooms more than we need here, we are contemplating moving into a smaller house (with a smaller note) back inside the city limits of Florence. I, for one, have really missed living in town, closer to shopping, etc. I've missed having the services in town, too, like curbside recycling and large trash pick-up (limbs, etc.). Laikyn and I spent yesterday morning and part of the afternoon driving by some properties for sale. Even after living here nearly five years, we still don't know all the different neighborhoods. We have appointments to see two propertie...

What does this: Plus this: Plus a good portion of this: Equal? In this case, it equals this: This was the first time I tried my hand at lace shaping. Here's what the yoke looked like after I'd shaped the lace and sprayed it well with spray starch. This was also the first time I'd used a pattern out of Sew Beautiful magazine . I have to say that I was less than impressed. None of these laces and entredeux are cheap and the pattern underestimated nearly every item on the list. I had to go back and buy more fabric, more entredeux (both ones called for). I also thought the directions were lacking. Even though I am an experienced seamtress, this was the first heirloom project I've done. I chose this ones from the ones that Kimberly listed as her favorites because it said it was for beginners. There were several things I did wrong because the directions were not clear (or perhaps because there weren't enough diagrams). I realized after I had finished the steps, Oh, I ac...

Niki, over at Pumpkin Country, posted this list on her blog today. I thought it would be fun to join in. 10 Things I've Never Done: 1. Traveled in an airplane (will if I have to, but it's not something I desire to do; I like to see what I'm traveling by) **2. Had a son (unless the one miscarriage I had was a boy) 3. Been able to whistle 4. Been snow skiing (tried to water ski, but that was a disaster) 5. Been able to roller skate 6. eaten raw fish, nor do I care to **7. traveled out of the United States 8. sang in public; I have spoken and acted in public, though 9. been able to appreciate snakes (at least I don't scream and run when I see them anymore, though) **10. knitted The ones with ** next to them are things that I would like to do one day.

I tried my hand at making biscotti yesterday. It was really pretty easy. I got the recipe from Giada de Laurentiis on Everyday Italian . Here's the link to the recipe . These are delicious with the almonds and lemon zest in them. Two of my favorite things are lemon flavor and almonds! Here's a little interesting information on biscotti from Wikipedia : The word "biscotti" in Italian is the plural form of biscotto, which applies to any type of biscuit, and originates from the medieval Latin word biscoctus, meaning "twice-baked": it defined biscuits baked twice in the oven, so they could be stored for long periods of time, which was particularly useful during journeys and wars. Through Middle French, the word was imported into the English language as "biscuit". If you want to read more of the article, click here . I already knew it meant "twice-baked" because Giada shared that little tidbit on her show. I like how she shares stuff like th...

I've been using Laikyn's camera lately and when downloading some recent pics, I found these funny ones she took of herself a few months ago. Laikyn is our "baby." She will be 18 in a few months. She recently received the study-at-home materials to get certified to be a Personal Fitness Trainer. She will graduate in December of this year from high school. One of the coolest things I love about Laikyn is that she's always wanted the "costume" for everything. She wanted (and I made her) a Pocahontas outfit when she was little. She also had a Little House on the Prairie dress and bonnet. She had the whole camouflage Army outfit at one point, too (complete with BB gun). When her study materials came in this week for Personal Fitness Trainer, she was looking through the material and said, "Ooh, I want a t-shirt!" I just had to laugh. She said, "What?!" I said, "You've always had to have the costume to go with whatever you're do...

I liked the bulletin board in our kitchen so well, I decided to do other bulletin boards in the house. I have paper for three of them, but I've only completed one so far. ;-) I did the one in my office over my desk with the MOST gorgeous paper from Hobby Lobby. (click on the picture to make it larger) When I shopped for the paper, I looked and looked through all the bins waiting for "the one" to jump out at me. When I saw this one, I *knew* it was it!! I wish that there was fabric like this. I'd have to make a bag or something from it!

Yesterday was the day to weigh in and take measurements after another month has gone by. (Where does the time go???) The results weren't as dramatic as last month's, inches-wise anyway. I only lost 1.25". Even though I say "only," I'll still take it! It's better than nothing. I did lose another 3 pounds this month, though. That's a total of 7# in two months. The total inches lost in two months is 8.5!! I have noticed an increase in muscle tone, especially in my legs (quads). I also achieved the first level of FitLinxx points at the YMCA. At 15,000 points, you earn a water bottle with the YMCA logo on it. Now, I'm working towards the 30,000 mark and a workout towel. It's something fun to see the progress and count the points.

Nathan Flynn Broyles has arrived! At his parents request, I won't be posting any pics of his face on my blog. Mom and baby are doing well. They came home from the hospital yesterday. I cannot explain how I feel about this child. It is totally different than the emotions I experienced with my daughters' births. For example, when he cries, I think it is the most amazing sound. When my daughters cried, I stressed out, wondering what was wrong with them. Is it just maturity and having gone through it already and knowing that all will be well in the end? Or is it that I'm not responsible for him that makes me enjoy his cries? Another neat thing about his being here is that now not only do my daughter and I relate mother-to-daughter but also mother-to-mother. Having Nathan has done exactly what having Kimberly did in our lives --- it has changed them. Nothing will change your life like having a child (except maybe having a grandchild!)

I decided that I am moving back to Blogger. I also decided that I'm not transferring all my posts from Typepad to here. I seriously doubt that anyone will be looking for my old ramblings anyway. :-)

This month has been a SUPER CLEANING month, which means we deep clean in each room. (Maybe it should be called DEEP CLEANING month??) This week, the upstairs room that got a deep cleaning was the library. Sorry, I don't have any before and after pics. :-( You'll just have to take my word for it that I weeded out a lot of stuff (this is our last year of homeschooling, after all) and made what was left more organized. The only things that are still hanging around in the room that don't belong here are the boxes and baskets I have set aside for our book sale on Tuesday hosted by our cover school. Whew! I said all that to say that I had my hubby take down a HUGE bulletin board from the library and put it up in the kitchen in place of the small one that was in there. Here's what it looked like after he hung it in the kitchen: The one with all the papers on it is the small one that was hanging in that spot. Yesterday, I picked up 12 sheets of pretty 12x12 scrapbooking paper f...

...if I should come back here to blogger after all Typepad's recent "improvements" that have made posting a pain. So, I guess this is a test post. Let's try uploading a photo. Pretty easy and it even let me automatically select if I wanted to center this photo (one of my mom and Kimberly one Christmas with "Betsy"), which is something that Typepad doesn't do --- and I can never seem to remember what the html code is for centering an image!! I just played around with changing the font type and the size. Also pretty easy compared to the "improvement" Typepad recently made, which would somehow decide to only change a paragraph even though I had selected ALL THE TEXT in a post. Let's see, what else do I need to check?? Here's a link to my Typepad blog: http://livinglovingandlearning.typepad.com/ . That was ALSO easier than the new way Typepad has it --- you have to type text and then highlight it and then click to insert a link. Okay, somet...