The Voting Tally

I am NOT technologically advanced (like reformed grits), so I'll give you an updated tally on this blog title daily. Here's what we have so far:

Ava- 1

Ana- 5

Lily - 9

Alivia - 1

keep voting!

Baby Name controversy!!!

December 30, 2007
So everyone has their "ideal" baby names picked out way before they ever get pregnant right?
Naming Abby was no problem. I knew from the beginning that her name would be Abby (fountain of great joy, the Father's joy) Grace (full of grace and mercy) Christine (she of the Christian faith). I have 2 middle names and I wanted her to have 2 middle names too. Scott did NOT like Abby. (He thought it was the ugly tom-boy sister on Eight is Enough-if you don't remember that show you are too young to read this blog! Actually, he was thinking of Mary. Abby was the beautiful step-mom.) Anyway, I did not give in and eventually he came to love the name. Well, my next "girl" name had to start with an A (for several reasons) and I wanted something that wasn't too common...."Ava". Guess what my precious neighbor is naming her new little girl (due in February)? You guessed it...Ava Katherine. We left our neighborhood Christmas party and I was totally distressed. I said you can't have 2 Ava's on the same street and you definitely can't take someone else's baby name. Scott said "hogwash!" You can name your baby whatever you want and we are not guaranteed to live by our neighbors forever. (Good point). (Sidenote: at the party I made the comment I loved that name and was going to use it if I ever had another girl. Poor Lori felt terrible because she didn't know I was pregnant at the time. As soon as she found out we were expecting the first thing she said was "I don't mind at all if you name your baby Ava too! I thought that was incredibly sweet! So we have her official approval.) So we've been throwing baby names around and I thought it would be fun to take a poll. You may NOT leave unkind comments if you don't like my choices. (I'm way too emotional to take criticism right now. ha ha) Please vote for your favorite. And if you have any other suggestions, leave those as well! (*Note: the middle name is definitely "Scott" whether it is a girl or boy so at least that part is settled!)

1. Lily Scott (my current favorite and Abby's ONLY choice-so she says. and yes- I know it doesn't start with an A, but that's ok. Scott hates it, but he is outnumbered right now 2-1. This also has "spiritual" meaning for me because this whole baby experience was quite a "valley" and I thought of that old hymn "Lily in the valley". This baby is definitely a beautiful blossom from a long, desert journey!)

2. Ava Scott (two Ava's on the same street?)

3. Alivia Scott (call her Livi for short!)

4. Ana Scott

Any other ideas? (By the way, the boy name is set and we all agree on it.)

OK people, let the voting begin. I know "reformed grits" will be first!!!!" :)

Big News!!!!

December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas! It is with GREAT joy that I write these words:

"I'm expecting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Or as Alice from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever would say...I'm "Great with child"

I don't have words to express what I'm feeling in my heart today, so we'll just save all that for another day. But I do rejoice that on the greatest day of the year, God allowed us to share with our family this wonderful news. God bless us everyone!

Ding Dong the "B" is dead

December 23, 2007
I came home from church today and the "B" was lying on the ground. So my question is:
Was it the wind? or Do I owe Gayle a prize? ha ha

The "B"

December 17, 2007
(Sorry I've been away for so long, but it has been a BUSY Nov/Dec.!)
I couldn't decide on a title for this blog. So many choices went through my mind like:

"Where are the vandals when you need them?"
"Honk if you hate the 'B' !"
"SERIOUSLY????"

Anyway, our neighborhood is great! Many perks, great neighbors, terrific pool, etc.
As with any neighborhood there is always a con or two. Ours happens to be....Christmas decorations! I love Christmas and I love to decorate. I appreciate beautiful lights and displays.
What I don't like is tacky or gaudy....and this year....our neighborhood wins the tacky/gaudy (throw-up) award! Last year, my neighbors and I really freaked out when we saw how the "designer" was decorating. Gold boxes (that really looked like cardboard boxes that had flown out of the back of a furniture truck), NEON green ribbon (not classic Christmas green), red, straw like garland sticking out of rocks, and to top it all off...a one-armed nutcracker! (I am NOT kidding). Well, I went to the home-owner's association meeting in February not to discuss sidewalks, lights, pool issues....no no no... I wanted to talk about the decorations. I read the budget and are ya'll sitting down..... $22,000 for decorations! Oh my gosh! Somebody TOTALLY got ripped off. I was soooo mad, my neighbors were mad, etc. We all somehow settled down until Dec. 1 when the decoration started going up again. Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse.... the lady brings out the "B". There is a giant wooden B at our neighborhood entrance. At first it was filled with red poinsettias on the outside and white on the inside. And then it rained....the white flowers became pink (are you feeling the gaudiness people?) I would get infuriated everytime I drove by. I begged Scott to let me stand by the B with a sign that read "Honk if you hate the B". I even asked him if I could start a petition! (he said no). After about 2 weeks of the "pink" flowers, the "designer" (I use that term loosely!!!) decided to change the flowers to ribbon and lights. (ok, a slight improvement) So now instead of looking like a bad Jr. College homecoming float or a giant funeral spray, it just looks like a giant budweiser sign! Seriously ya'll....not one person, friend, or family member has seen this B and didn't think it was the WORST thing ever! I mean, we have a 1 armed nutcracker and a B. Do you think I would go to jail for vandalism if the B mysteriously "disappeared"? I will be at the associational meeting in February to AGAIN discuss the decorations, only this time ALL my neighbors will b e there with me. (right neighbors?)
Ya'll your Christmas will not be complete until you ride out to my neighborhood to see this for yourself. If you do and you happen to loose control of your steering wheel and ram into the B, there might be a little reward for you!

The Stocking Story

November 12, 2007
I ALWAYS decorate "early" for Christmas. Veteran's Day holiday means...putting up the Christmas Tree. (I actually put it up Saturday this year...thanks Scott!) It's way too much work if you don't have time to enjoy it. I've never understood those" 2 weeks before Christmas" people.We've never been "stocking" people though. We do lots of fun gifts, but no stockings. I have 2 for decoration only. Well, this year Abby decided she wanted her own stocking. She saw a cute one at Lowe's, but I suggested we keep looking to make sure she found the one she really wanted. So today we were off to find Abby a stocking. While we were driving, I said..."Abby, what if we all got new stockings and had them monogrammed with our first initial? If we put you in the middle, do you know what that would spell?"( Well- I was thinking Scott, Abby, Wendy- "SAW".) I wish you could have seen Abby's face. She looked at me and said (very hesitantly) "DAM". She was thinking Daddy, Abby, Mommy:)
I have never laughed so hard- not to mention I was trying to drive!!!! Kids are sooo funny.
Needless to say, I had to call my mother, sister, etc. and share the story. When I told Scott, he immediately said, "Sounds like a blog story to me." So here it is! (And no-we did NOT get monogrammed stockings!!!!)

Punch-Buggy Controversy!

October 21, 2007
Over the past couple of months, Abby has really been "into" playing punch-buggy. (I think everyone knows that means spotting a volkswagen "doodle" bug, and then punching the person next to you.) Well...first of all I think you know how competitive I am. Do you know how hard it is to drive and try to win punch-buggy? The rules seem to "change" depending on the circumstances ya' know? (like whether or not Abby is winning/losing). Anyway, last Sunday we are on our way to church and we are playing punch-buggy. (Let me say-Daddy is not as familiar with this game. The night before we were playing and he didn't "see" the buggy, so he and Abby got into a "heated" discussion!) Continue....there are always at least 2 buggy's near the church- one old black one, and one new green one. Well Abby screams out punch-buggy and Scott and I didn't see it. We did see one of those cars that's kinda of a retake on an old vintage style, but I'm not sure what the name of it is. We thought that was what Abby saw, so we yell "Foul!"
Wrong thing to say! Arguing started all over our car. "I did see it!" "No you didn't" etc etc
To prove to Abby that you can NOT just say punch buggy without a car actually being there, we decided to TURN AROUND and prove our point. (Did I mention we are on our way to CHURCH when this is happening????) Low and behold, what do you think we see when we turn around?
A black punch-buggy sitting right where Abby said it was. Oh!!!! We felt terrible! But it was SOOOOO funny. We couldn't stop laughing as Abby was saying "See, I told ya'll" and "How do you think it makes me feel when you don't trust me? Why should I trust ya'll just because you say something?" OUCH!!!
Needless to say we certainly learned an important lesson! (Innocent until proven guilty???)
We apologized profusely, and then gave Abby double points because we doubted her.
New rule made by Daddy...."No punch buggy on Sunday! We're going to worship Jesus!"
Did you all know that someone at our church has a silver bug? Oh well, so much for that rule!