A nail biter....

~Me, Jordan, and Lem after the game~~Me and Lem are so excited that we won!!~

~I love this shot of Dad and Jordan after the game~ ~My beautiful niece, Amberlee~

~4 out of 6 of the Crowe family~ ~Dad, Jordan, and Mom~

Jordan (our 17 yr. old nephew) had his first official football game Friday night, and boy was it incredible!! Lem and I arrived about 20 minutes late, and the other team, Prince Avenue Christian, had already scored 20 points on the Titans (our team).

Needless to say, when we sat down with the rest of our family, nobody was happy. This was supposed to be an easy game for the Titans. My sister was furious. She would barely speak to me, because she was so upset about the score. (sorry, Ang...but true!)

By half time, we were still down 20-0. It was not looking good for the Titans. But, as soon as the 3rd quarter started, the Titans looked like a different team! They scored a touchdown!! The stands went crazy! After much more excitement and 3 more touch downs, we ended up winning 28-20. It was truly a miracle!!!

My nephew played a remarkable game! He plays offensive line, and did a GREAT job!!!

Another highlight is that my sister got a babysitter for my kids and her 2 little ones...so it was a date night as well!! Woo-Hoo!!

Friday night football is so much fun!!!! Can't wait for the next game!!

loyal Titan fan,

Jill

Move over Ken Burns....

~Before viewing, scroll down to the bottom of page and you can pause the music. You may not be able to hear him unless you do this. ~

Joseph was asked to be on the morning announcements this week at his school. He gave the weather report every morning. Presley and I went to see him on Thursday morning and video taped him from the smartboard in their class room. It's not the best quality, but you can get the gist of it. I was somewhat surprised at how much he enjoyed doing this and that he wasn't a bit nervous!! He was a natural! (if i do say so myself!)

He loved it so much he said that he now wants to be a "Doctor, a Scientist, and a Weatherman" when he grows up. Lol! I told him to GO FOR IT!!! :)

Somebody better let Ken Burns know that Joseph is hot on his trail!!! ;)

His Amazing Grace....

God is so good. His grace is ever sufficient. This morning I rose at 5:00 am to have some quiet time with Him. (yes 5:00 am!!) I prayed last night that He would wake me up early enough to share some time at His feet, and He so graciously did. My quiet time has diminished, and I have had a hunger to obtain this precious morning time with Him again. Thank you Lord for making it happen!!

I was so excited that I didn't know where to begin...with prayer, with journaling to Him, or watching Joyce Meyer on our tivo. He ever so tenderly led the way for me. I looked through my journal, which dates back to January. As I flipped through the pages, my eyes filled with tears at His faithfulness. I had so many tear drops and prayer requests on those pages...and looking at them made me so thankful for all that He has done. I have been writing love letters to Him for about 2 years now, but journaling forever it seems. These letters have my heart and soul in them and just browsing through them takes me back to this place of desperation and complete dependence on Him.

Life gets so busy, and I forget how much I need Him every step of the way. This morning reminded me of this. I am lost without Him. My heart aches without Him. He is my purpose and my destiny. Thank you sweet Jesus for showing me this.

He is such a gentleman..never forcing himself into my life, only gently calling me and caressing me back into the safe haven of His arms.

I always say, Lord, please never let me go back to not talking to you and spending time with you daily....i HAVE to have you every second. Never let me fall into a place of distraction again where I am not searching and looking for your guidance. However, somehow, I will be at that place again, and then when I am done, He will take me back with a kiss and a smile....as if I never left. Nobody loves me like this. Nobody can.

your wandering prodigal child,

Jill

Can't seem to wipe the smile from my face...

"You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm 23:5


~my much needed manicure..just had to show it off!!~

~at the beach with the Hilton in the background..not sure why i look so unrelaxed and stiff!~



~to quote lem..."hurry up and take the picture, we look like tourists."....umm, we ARE!!~
~the happy couple take a picture of themselves~

To say the very least, our weekend getaway was just what the Dr. ordered! We had so much fun together! I forget how great it is when it is just the two of us and we are not trudging through the wonderful, yet predictable daily routine. There is no other place that I would have rather been this weekend than with my sweet and precious Lem. The weather was not so great, however we shopped until we dropped, which always puts a little extra spring in my step and smile on my lips!

My favorite purchase of the weekend was...drum roll please........ a NEW CAMERA!!! Finally!! Most of you know that my other one is really on the brink of uselessness. I am sooo excited to start taking more and BETTER pictures with this one..yay!

Another highlight of the weekend was going to the spa! I finally got a much needed manicure..see picture above!!

still smiling,

Jill

Weathering the Storm....

"Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm." Luke 8:24


~I think this was taken last year at Christmas. I love the look on Lem's face...adorable!~

Today is only Thursday, and boy has it been a long week! I still feel like I just can't get it together with the new school schedule and both children being at school. Presley only goes three days a week, but it is still a HUGE adjustment for us. Things are getting better for me emotionally as days go by, but I can still turn into puddle of tears at the drop of a hat. It just seems that I am getting really old really fast all of the sudden, and it's not slowing down! I am pretty sure that hormones have a lot to do with the way that i am feeling, so we will just blame the melancholy on mother nature. :)

In better news...Lem and I are heading to Destin today on a business trip today. We are both looking forward to some much needed alone time and togetherness. Bless his heart, I know he gets tired of my moaning and groaning of feeling old and useless these days. Hopefully, the beach will help me feeling young and spry again! Of course, if Hurricane Faye happens to roll through, there is always the spa to get me back on my feet again!! Yippee!!

Next month Lem and I will celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Wow! I have many posts and pictures that I want to share to honor my "darling". ;) I am pretty sure that he is not looking forward to me putting him in the limelight. He hates this blogging thing, and thinks that some predator will come and ax the family up into pieces if I put too much info. on here. :)

Suffice it to say, we have a lot going on this next month and I am looking forward to blogging my way through it. My poor ragged journal hasn't been touched for months because of my blogging hobby. My typing is MUCH prettier than my handwriting anyway. ;)

I will leave you with this quote that I stumbled upon recently that really resonated with me....

"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness", Bertrand Russell.

Not sure why it hit home with me so much, but it did.

hurricane or not here we come,

Jill

Boys will be boys.....

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9



~The battle scar~ ~Lance Armstrong in the making~ [apology for the blurry pic...a new camera is on my wish list this year. :) ]

Sibling rivalry at it's finest is always occurring in our home. Case in point, Joseph loves reading our blog and looking at the pictures. He notices that more blogs have pictures of Presley and funny stories about her. I gently remind him that she is at home with me a lot more because of him being in school all day. Hence, more stories to tell. I also remind him that i have a scrapbook the size of a small state with photos, stories, etc.. all about him. As all mom's that have more than one child know, the first child has the most pictures, the most remembrances of "firsts", etc, etc. The second child gets.......well they get what the poor frazzled mother has time left to throw together, all the while she is optimistically reminding herself that "one day" she will catch up and do a perfectly " put together" scrapbook just like the first borns. :)

He still wasn't satisfied. "Presley gets all the attention", he pouts. Feeling guilty, as usual, i pick him up and squeeze him and tell him that we love them both the same and that one day he would understand when he has his own children. Much to my chagrin, he's not buying it. Pretty lousy explanation in his little 7 yr. old eyes.

With all of this said, here is a post about Joseph's first "bike accident".

This week on our ritualistic late afternoon family stroll through the neighborhood, Joseph fell off his bike and scraped his knee really bad. He did not want to get back on the bike......at all after that. Mommy (me) wanted to pick him up and carry him inside and nurse my sweet boy back to health. Just as i was going in for the motherly "swoop", Lem gives me a "do or die" look. Confused, i ask him what's wrong?? Lem, in a grave and matter of fact tone, says, "Joseph is FINE. He is going to get back on his bike and ride it NOW."

"But, But, But...", i stammer.

"He's FINE, Jill. "

Well, turns out he was fine. Despite my best efforts to coddle him and do my "mommy" thing, he quickly forgot about his wound and peddled away into the sunset.

"All great athletes have battle wounds", Lem firmly states.

"Ughhhh....WHAT-EVERRRRR", i say rolling my eyes.

So, the next morning as i am getting Joseph dressed for school, he complains about his scraped knee hurting while he is putting on his shorts.

"Let me get a band aid to put on your knee, darling", i cheerfully and fervently suggest, halfway to the first aid kit.

"NO, mommy. Then nobody will be able to see it", Joseph proudly announces.

"That's my boy!!", i hear Lem say from the kitchen.

Out of Joseph's view, i mockingly roll my eyes. I just don't understand all this boy-ness. It's really, really, really.........foreign.

Oh well.

From the mouths of babes.....

"Clothe yourselves with humility"....1 Peter 5:5

Scene One...April 2008

Presley: Look Mommy, now I look just like YOU!!! (reference above picture)

Scene two...yesterday about noon...

Presley: Hey, Mommy....let's play Hannah Montana!!!!

Me: Okay, darling...that sounds fun!!

Presley: I will be Hannah Montana, and you can be...(in deep,deep thought)....hmmm...i know! You can be her Dad! (which for all of you non-hannahmontana's...her dad is played by Billy Ray Cyrus on the show....you know...mullet, achy breaky heart??!!!!)

Me: Her dad?? What if I play Lilly, her best friend, instead??

Presley: NO, MOMMY!! You are WAY TOOOOOOO OLD to play her!!

Me: (bowing my head in defeat) okay.

Happy Days are here again....

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful."..Proverbs 15:13

~Star Wars theme, of course~ ~ Presley and Anna-Joy~
~ the kids desperately seeking candy~
~Mama Jane and Jess~
~Me and Ashley (i love presley's face in the background..."ummm...okay mommy that's enough...my turn!")~
~the gang at D &B~

~whoa!! a lot of tickets~
~joseph, royce, and william~
~calling it a night....finally!~
~goodnight sweet boys~

Update on Me: Outlook getting clearer with sunny skies ahead :)

My big girl panties were stretched to the max, beyond repair last week. Sending both of my babies back to school in one fail swoop just about did me in. However, this week finds me in a much better and happier place (without medication, i might add!).

It began Saturday by taking Joseph and two of his cousins, William and Royce to Dave and Busters to celebrate his b-day. They (We) had soooo much fun!! We were exhausted by the end..but it was well worth it.

On Sunday we had a family party here at our house. Also, a whole lot of fun with kids running everwhere! Just the way i like it!! ;)

As i began writing this, i paused for a second and heard.......absolutely nothing. Weird! Today is Presley's day for pre-k, so i am all alone and it is a little strange to have such silence in my house. :( Okay, Okay....happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts...

Better now. Okay, so back to the story...we had a really fun weekend and Joseph had an exceptionally fun birthday week!! Yay!

So, here are some pics from this weekend and all the excitement that came with it! Enjoy!

burning the big girl panties~

Jill

Girls, Girls, Girls...

Just some funny pics to lighten the mood around here.....hee hee

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel....

~Me and Joseph goofing off on the first day of school. I made it black and white because of my blood shot eyes!!~

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11

As I sit here this morning drinking my first cup of hot java, I am overwhelmed by the people in my life who love me so much. From the previous posts, you all know that I have been quite emotional and sentimental with my babies starting school. To be honest, I have a tendency to sink really deep at times and crawl into a hole for days leaving no trace of my normally sunny side up disposition. My highs can be extremely high, yet my lows can be devastatingly subterranean. Lying in my bed curled into a fetal position can easily describe these times of melancholy for me. My closest friends and family know this all too well about me. When I fly off the radar, they quickly start calling and probing. Which usually leads them to the deep dark black hole of my cell phone voice mail. Sorry guys...:(

With all of this said, I just want to thank you...my dear family and precious friends for loving me and accepting this about me. You never give up on me, and you always have words of wisdom and a listening ear when these times come for me. My mom and my sister are my anchors, and I would be about as useless as the Titanic sitting at the bottom of the ocean without them. Thank you for always praying for me, and giving me the strength that I need to pull myself up my boot straps and keep going. The two of you are the strongest women presences in my life and always have been. I am in complete awe of your strength, and i often wonder why that gene was left out of my DNA.

And then there are my friends, who never cease to inspire me and amaze me with their devotion and loyalty to me. God has given me friends that are inestimable, and i am so grateful for their constant support.

Lastly, i want to thank my husband and children for loving me despite my immeasurable imperfections. Poor Lem, he just had NO idea what he was getting into when he married this girl. :)

I was walking to the mailbox with Joseph yesterday, a rare moment with just the two of us, and i said..

Me: "Joseph, I love you more than anything in the whole world at this very moment. Do you know this?"

Joseph: "No, you don't mommy. You love God and Jesus more than anything in the whole world."

Me: (Fighting back the tears and the HUGE lump in my throat) "You are right Joseph. Thank you for reminding me of this, and for His love for me. "

Wow, my 7 year old and his wisdom.

putting the Kleenex away and opening the blinds again,

~Jill

I love Lucy!!!!!!!!

~Lucy and Ethel striking a pose~

~Presley and Shannon, Presley's 1st b-day!~

August is a big birthday month in my little world!! And Friday August 8th is a another very special one!! Cheers to you, Lucy on your big day!!! I am posting on Thursday, because I will not have time to do this tomorrow...so here you go beautiful!! :)

~always laughing, just not in our usual sporty attire~

I just wanted to send a very special birthday wish to my spectacular friend Shannon a/k/a Lucy!!

Hope your day is absolutely incredible in a spirit fingers kind of way!!! Yay!! Toe Touch!! ;)

Love you!!!

Ethel

The Long and Winding Road of Change....

~Joseph proudly sporting his Indiana Jones shirt and his trademark snaggle tooth grin~ ~Presley finally gets her turn for the traditional "first day of school pine tree picture"~
~"Don't worry mommy, I will be just fine"~
~Joseph and his birthday present....a new bike!!~
~AND, a new helmet!!~

What a week this has been! I am still trying to catch my breath from the whirlwind of it all! My simple and quiet life became a jam packed, emotional roller coaster of a ride with twists and turns which left me begging to get off! I have decided that I do not adjust well to change, especially involving my children. EVERY year on the first day of school, i go into this tail spin that takes a few days for me to recover. This is probably due to the fact that Joseph's birthday always falls on the first week of school. Like the first week of school isn't enough of an emotional battle field to crawl through? I have to succumb to the realization in that very week that my little boy is growing up. To top it off, Presley started 3 yr. old pre-k this week as well! I feel like I have been smacked down really hard by a semi truck, physically and emotionally.

Enough about me, here are some pictures of my little ones from this week. Thankfully, they were completely unfazed by the transformations this week. I think I could learn a thing or two from their easily adaptable behavior!

still licking my wounds,

Jill

A toast to terrific twins.....

~Mary and Bek's 30th b-day party!~ ~Me and Bek at Jenny's baby shower~
~Mary and me at same shower~
~Mary and Presley at her 1st birthday party~

~Mary, Me and Presley(2 days old)~

~Mary's wedding~
~Audrey and Joseph ~
~Halloween~Mary is pregnant with Sloane~

Happy, Happy Birthday Mary and Beka!! I just wanted to take a moment and honor two very special friends. They have been my friends since before I had my first born. I cherish both of them dearly. They both went to high school with Lem, so they know him pretty well. I used to love hearing their stories about him. They were all such great friends in high school, and I am blessed to have gotten to know them as well. As fate would have it, Mary and I became inseperable right off of the bat! She and I had an instant connection and we both couldn't believe how much we had in common. I had the honor of being an attendant in her wedding and of seeing both of her girls in their hospital rooms after their precious births.

Mary has an unbelievable gift of hospitality and thoughtfulness. She remembers every detail of everything i tell her. If I am ever going through a rough patch, she is there with a sweet smile, a listening ear, and a warm dinner. :) (no joke!) She has a way of being what you need, exactly at the precise moment that you need something!

Mary, I wanted to make you smile today, so i came up with a list of things things that will be a part of my memory bank forever.....

• Holly Hut



• our first bible study with Jody Frye



• sitting in the back of Jane's car and getting a call from you telling me that you were pregnant with Audrey!



• finding out that you were having a GIRL!!



• finding out that you were having a GIRL AGAIN!! YAY!!



• instant messaging...remember the sick face?? LOL!



• kitty...meow? (kitty face?)



• bible studies at your house



• coffee talks at your house



• joseph and audrey falling in love :)



• swimming at our house in old town



• throwing countless showers



• st. simons :)



• callaway



• telling you that i was pregnant with presley at chili's (in mcdonough i think)



• being mistaken for your twin countless times (i take that as a huge compliment!)



• the wooden spoon



• your gold explorer



• joyce meyer conference



• starbucks



• book club with melin and danielle :)



• countless notes and thank you cards from you



• mary kay and our meetings at michelle bonners



• back porch at the holly hut :)



• your mom giving me vitamins at her house (she thought it would help my stress...what a doll!)



• FBC fall festival with Joseph and Audrey



• Halloween at our house in olde town


• casually mentioning at Betsy's wedding that Chad Balicki was "cute and available" ;) (you're welcome!)

I have to stop here, i am getting teary eyed. We have shared a lot of memories, and I am thankful for each and every one. Thank you for always being there when i need you. You always have the right words and a prayer handy just when i need it most.

Here, Here to Mary and Beka today as they celebrate their 33rd birthdays!!!

Love you girls!!

A letter to my prince....

Happy Birthday, Joseph...i wrote this on August 4th, but it is for you to read on your 7th birthday (August 5th) and your first day of school!!

~My beautiful boy~ ~Presley's first Christmas (3 weeks old)~

~Joseph showing off his baby sister~
~Joseph's first sailing trip~
~1st day of Kindergarten~
~First day of 1st grade~

~15mos. old~

~11 mos.old~
~Royce and Joseph at Thomas The Train Ride~

~Joseph's first grade Picture~ ~1 yr. old picture (still in the window at Danny Lee photography)~ ~Joseph and Royce in the tub~


~Easter 2008~

Dear Joseph Lemuel Hill,

You were born on Sunday August 5Th at 3:05 pm. You weighed 8 lbs. and 4 oz, and you were 19 1/2 inches long. Your hair was so dark when we first saw you , which quite surprised us!! We had envisioned you having a head full of blond hair! When the nurses washed you off completely, we saw that your hair was more of a light brown and not as dark as it had looked at first. You were breathtaking and handsome, and the nurses quickly agreed that you were the most beautiful boy that had ever graced Rockdale Hospital. Of course, we whole heartedly agreed! Before your birth, we had never been privy to witnessing a more miraculous and angelic sight.

Before you were washed off, the nurses were measuring you on the table right beside me and we locked eyes. I will never forget that moment as long as i live. My world stopped turning in that very instant and i knew that i would never be the same. You had been crying and as soon as you looked at me, you were soothed. I had been whimpering in pain from the delivery, and simultaneously we had this moment together of complete peace and calm. In an instant, my heart belonged in your tiny hands. I would have given my own life for you a thousand times over, by just the very sight of you. The suffering that Jesus endured on the cross because of His love for us has become all too more complete and understanding to me now. I have told you this story many times, but I wanted to put it on our family website so that it will forever be etched in your memory as well as mine. Not that i could ever forget it.

Joseph, I can never even begin to express my love for you. When you have your own children one day you will nod your head in silent agreement and understanding of this feeling. If God loves us as much as my feeble flesh loves you, then God's love is immeasurable beyond any human comprehension.

I have told you many times, at least a zillion, that i wish that i could put you back into my stomach and keep you with me for all time. You laugh every time i tell you this, but i seriously mean it! This world is a better place because of you being in it, and i know that you will change it in your own perfect and unique way. God has made you extra special, Joseph and don't you ever forget this. He has given you a heart full of compassion, and a heart of obedience. I will never understand why God has blessed me and your daddy with this awesome and colossal gift of raising you. I just pray every single day, that we will train you in the way that you should go and that you will never stray from your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Your life verse could not be more fitting for you...."Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:4-6

Here are some things that you have done this year as a 6 yr. old.....

you memorized your life verse

you started Awana and you love it!

you finished 1st grade

you have read over 100 books

you learned to ride a bike

you played goalie on your soccer team for the first time

you starting eating mom's chicken pot pie (yay!)

your new favorite flavor is chocolate...it had always been vanilla!

you jumped off of the diving board this summer for the first time

you lost 4 more teeth!

you learned to swim underwater

you started using Listerine..your own choice. :)

you started using daddy's cologne..again your choice

you watched star wars for the first time

star wars became your favorite movie, game, toys, etc.

you were in the Madison newspaper

you got your first kiss from a girl at school (her name is Lena, and she kissed you on the playground)

you started riding the bus to school

you were able to start riding without a booster seat, but i still keep you in one.

you began reading chapter books, and you have a sincere love and appreciation for reading.

you have discovered that science is your favorite subject.

you want to be a doctor or a scientist (the sky is the limit, precious one)

you still love butterfly kisses

"bubbly" by colbie calait is our song

Joseph, these are just a few of the many things that you have done this year. I am sure i will think of thousands more after i post this...but hopefully this will be a reminder to you of how much you are growing and changing everyday. It certainly reminds me of how quickly this time is passing with having you here at home with me. Today is your 7Th birthday and your first day of second grade. I am excruciatingly aware of you growing up too fast on days like today. Much to my chagrin, it never gets easier beginning another school year or having another birthday.

You have stolen my heart, dear Joseph. You are my prince, forever, and ever and i will eternally be smitten by your presence.

~with humble thanks to our Creator,

your mommy