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

An Ode to Tracey.....

I am writing this now, because Lord knows I will not have a free second tomorrow with school starting on Tuesday! So here goes..

Tomorrow will be Tracey Newton Greene's birthday!! Tracey is Lem's best friend Darren's beautiful wife! And by the grace of God is one of my best friends in the whole world! Tracey is many, many, special things all rolled into one amazing girl. Here are a few things that i love about Tracey...

• she looks like Meg Ryan (especially when her hair is short)


• she is REAL


• she listens so intently


• she has the longest eyelashes i have ever seen!!


• we were on a double date at Victorian House with our husbands for her b-day dinner the night my water broke with Joseph!


• she threw me an unforgettable couples shower when i was pregnant with Joseph


• she is an unbelievable cook


• she is the BEST mother!


• she cried when she and Darren came to see Joseph in the hospital. (she soon found out she was pregnant with Reagan!!)


• she calls Darren Big Daddy and he calls her Mama! (its the cutest thing you have ever seen...or heard)


• she is extremely thoughtful and aware of other people's feelings.


• my mom thinks she has the prettiest legs around! :)


• she does cartwheels in the ocean


• she is passionate about being a blood donor


• she will always be a cheerleader


• she is very organized


• her family comes first always


• she made and sold cookie mix in a jar at the conyers fall festival...isn't that just adorable??


• she is extremely savvy and thrifty in all the best ways!


• she is older than me (heehee..had to throw that one in!)


• she knows WAY too much about me


• she will always be my friend


• she cracks me up

Happy, Happy Birthday Tracey Newton Greene!!!

wishing you were closer,

Jill

Blasts from the past......

This week found me reconnecting with 2 very old [not speaking of age, here :)]..and two very dear friends. Tuesday night my friend Michelle Peyton Chapman came to Madison and met me for dinner with her brand new PRECIOUS baby girl...Madden Claire. We met at the Chophouse and enjoyed a delicious dinner and even better conversation! Catching up with her was so much fun, especially as we reminisced of our old high school days and ways! She has since become a mother of two beautiful children, and she is a very inspirational Christian woman. We had so much to catch up on...we had not seen each other in many years. We reconnected through Myspace...of all places!

My other very dear friend from high school Allison Fuller Zeidler met us at Hard Labor Creek for a play date today along with Michelle, and Erin and their children. It was like old times with the four of us....and even more endearing having our children playing so joyfully together! Seeing us as grown ups with children was very surreal for all of us! By the way.....Allison has two GORGEOUS girls and they are just as sweet as they are beautiful!!

I can't believe how much time has passed between the four of us...yet we are all still so much the same! Thanks for a perfect days, girls! Can't wait until we reunite again!!

Allison took some pics, i will post as soon as she sends them to me!

~nostalgically yours,

Jill

All about MJ......

~ MJ, William, Joseph and my baby girl Presley (the crying one..i told you she was born with that cry!!)~



~MJ, Presley and baby Ashley~

This post is dedicated to my second mother....Mommy Jane, who also happens to be my mother-in-law. Today was a fabulous day!! Mommy Jane offered to spend the day with us and take the kids shopping for new school clothes, and of course i happily obliged. After finding great bargains at Osh Kosh, Carter's and Gap Kids, we settled down for a quaint lunch at our most beloved little watering hole....CHILI'S!!

As if all of this were not enough, after we finished lunch she took us to Party City to get Joseph's birthday party decorations and goody bags! He chose a Star Wars theme, which came as no surprise. He is a HUGE fan of all things Star Wars, and i do mean ALL things!

Upon leaving Party City, Jane spots a kids hair cuttery, and she casually mentions, "would you like to get Joseph's hair cut before school starts next week?" Would I, Would I, YES!! That very thing was on my grossly overgrown, and ever growing list of things to do before the first day of school next Tuesday, which if i may add is also Joseph's 7th birthday!! Like the first day of school isn't enough without having to add the incredible responsibility of preparing for his grand arrival home ready to celebrate his big day and his first day of school! Would I like his hair cut?? I wanted to jump on top of her and plant a big kiss on her forehead. It's like she had secretly peeked at my to-do list and sweetly checked everything off in one afternoon!

I am delighted to report that the haircut turned out fantastic..not in a "fantastic Sam's" sort of way, but in a fantastic "not too much cut" sort of way! Y'all all know how particular i am about Joseph and his haircuts. He has had one too many butcher jobs for me not to be!!

We were exhausted on the way home and all i needed was a shot of caffeine to get me moving for my next agenda...Joseph's parent orientation at his school. As we arrived at her house, we transferred the newly purchased clothes and party supplies to my car and went on our merry way. And as if she hadn't already been kind enough, she had a cold diet coke in the fridge to hand to me for my drive home!! Now that's LOVE!! Just the bolt of caffeine i needed to survive the next 5 hours!

In short, Mommy Jane was everything that I needed today and then some. My gratefulness and thankfulness is beyond my limited imagination to express. So, I will just say that I love you, and you are an angel sent straight from heaven to me in so many ways. You seem to always fill our needs by your sheer thoughtfulness and generosity before we even realized we had a need at all!

~overflowing with gratitude,

Jill

Farewell to the beach........

~Presley and her Daddy havin' a little fun~ ~Joseph and Daddy posing for me~
~Daddy and his princess~

~Jason, Andrea, Graham, and Ashley~
~Graham was way tooooo cool for the beach!~

~Mommy Jane, Joseph and Presley~

~I love this picture!! Just may be in your Christmas card this year!~

~William and Joseph breaking it down!~ ~ This was the cramped conditions my poor children were in coming down in Lem's truck!~

~The heavenly sunrise our first morning~

~The youngest beach bums, Danny and Ashley!!~

The Hill family made our last and final farewell trip to the beach this weekend, and although it was rather short, it was really sweet! We headed out on Friday afternoon, yes Friday, which made for only one day on the beach. Choosing to ride down in Lem's company truck made for a very cramped, yet economical ride! I couldn't help but laugh when i looked back at the kids as they had mountains of luggage and clothes in between them. They couldn't even see each other because of the junk we had sandwiched between them...which was probably a good thing. It actually made for a peaceful ride down.

When we arrived, we had dinner at Jason and Andrea's beach house. Jason is Lem's brother, and Andrea his wife. They have two gorgeous children, Graham, and Ashley. Also there was Lem's twin sister Jessica and husband Rob, and their beautiful boys, William and Danny. Last but certainly not least, the woman who made all of this happen in such short notice...the great, the wonderful, fantastic...........Mommy Jane!!! (Lem's Mom) :)

Jane had so graciously arranged for us to stay at the King and Prince for the weekend, and how grateful we were!! I had truly forgotten how NICE it is to stay on the beach!! Wow!! So with that said, after dinner our family, and Jessica's family headed to the King and Prince for the night.

I rose early the next morning to see the sun rise on the beach...which, by the way, is my absolute favorite sight in the world!! Presley of course, woke up with me to have breakfast on the balcony. As the world lay perfectly still, or at least it seemed that way, we watched a breathtaking sunrise right before our very eyes. My spirit was full of gratefulness and thankfulness as i sat there and watched the glory of God's creation unfold before my very eyes. My quiet time with the Lord that morning was the highlight of my day. As I sat there reveling in God's mercy and blessings in my life, I saw three sea gulls flying in an upside down V shape. I wanted to grab my camera, but the pure divinity of that moment wouldn't allow me to take my eyes off of the birds. In my spirit, I heard the words, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord, for showing me your love in that very moment. I realized in that moment, that God is always here with me, I just need to remember to take the time to look for him. Instead of getting caught up in the mundane activities of my life, if i will step back, keep my mouth shut and listen, He is there.

When the rest of the family woke up, Jessica and Rob went to the lobby to grab a Starbucks. As they were deciding what to get, they look over next to them and saw.................MORGAN FREEMAN!! They must have been a little star struck, they didn't say a word, but, hey, it's not every day you see a movie star at your hotel!!!

The rest of the day was spent on the beach, enjoying the warm, sunny weather and watching the kids playing in the ocean. Nothing beats going to the beach with people that you love!

Sunday morning we ate breakfast at The Sandcastle, and filled our little bellies to our hearts content. We said our goodbyes, and vowed to stay longer next year with better planning! :)

I am so blessed to be a part of the Hill family, i love you all!!!

~Jill

Tips for summertime sanity....

~Joseph reading a book to Presley~

As we settle back into life at home after our beach trip, we are constantly looking for some excitement and entertainment around the house. I have a few things in my bag of tricks that work on long summer days at home...want to hear them? Here goes...

• scavenger hunt~make a list of things that you find outside and give each child a paper bag with their names on them. Take them outside and give them 20 minutes to find each item on the list. The first one finished wins! Of course, it helps if one child can read the list. If they cannot read, you can call the items out to them while they are outside looking. Simple game, but hey, it passes time!


• play dough~ my kids LOVE that sticky gooey stuff, and it makes for atleast 30 minutes of playtime! another bonus....IT'S CHEAP! two thumbs up!


• outdoor picnics~this is probably my favorite and the kids favorite as well. we just take a big blanket or towel, pack some lunches up and sit in the driveway. granted, it is usually pretty hot, but we usually find a shady spot to land and it works perfectly.


• jump rope~ good fun and good exercise!!! yay!


• wash mommy's car~ all kids love to help wash cars, and it is a good way to get cooled off and get a suntan as well!


• trip to the library~ gets you out of the house and is educational!!


• older siblings reading to the younger sibling~ just yesterday, joseph read books to presley and was trying to teach her how to read. it was THE MOST precious thing that i have seen them do!! joseph was so patient with her, and she was hanging on his every word. i was so touched, that i video taped it and took pictures from their bathroom so they could not see me. i didn't want to interrupt the sweeteness of that moment.

okay, well that's all i have for now, if anyone has anything to add please feel free! this mommy is always looking for ways to keep the kids away from the t.v and video games that constantly lure their little brains to play them!! of course, when you need a long, peaceful shower, t.v or a good movie for the kids while do the trick, atleast for a few minutes!