Pictures

It has been a wonderful weekend! Later I will post some thoughts I have been compiling throughout the last few days, but until then I thought I would share some pictures of my lovely family!

PRAISE -- Martha Marie

I am so happy to report that there was good news from the latest test! They have discovered that surgery is possible. Read the story straight from Martha Marie here.

Stuff Christians Like

I followed a blog-friend's advice and went to check out this blog, Stuff Christians Like. It seems very interesting so I have subscribed to it in google reader. Here is an exerpt from yesterday's post:

"if your plan for "not sinning" is eventually not "liking sin" then good luck."

I like Jon Acuff's interesting view on the simple and complex aspects of being a Christian. Quite entertaining and challenging at the same time.

Sweet Phoeby

It has been a little while since I have posted a truly sweet pic of my little girl. So to give the girl her dues... here is Sweet Pheoby!


Phoeby has grown so much lately. She is becoming a little woman. She is so dramatic (I don't know where she gets it, lol) and funny. She loves to tell jokes and is a great story teller. Although I think she has a little of my Grandpa Tanner in her because sometimes the stories go on and on just for the fun of it! ;o) She is an excellent big sister and is definately a blessing to Mommy & Daddy helping where she can. She very rarely is hesitant to get a paci, burp cloth or something else that we need for Trey.

Trey Billups

Check out this link to discover the meaning behind the title of this post! I am really loving finding so many pictures of my little ones popping up all over.

Trey's day with JJ Star!

What a sweet boy this is!!! Once again, I am approaching my bedtime. I need to head to bed, but it was important to share my boy's day with you! Oh... and we were able to meet Jill at Upstate Gymnastics, where we will be enrolling Pheoby soon! Can't wait to see her out there running and bouncing around in that gym! ;o) Thanks again, Jill!

Tired

Hey all....

I am home from Michigan after a FUN Stamp Camp! I didn't get much sleep so I set myself a bedtime goal for the week. I am pretty tired and am up later than I am supposed to be, but I did want to post a couple pics. The first two are of some wall art that I created while at stamp camp. And then an updated picture of my sweet boy! He is 3 1/2 months old. I determined over the weekend that Trey and Pheoby could have been twins! Sometime I will post the two three-month pics to prove it!

Special thanks to my great friend, Jill, who is stepping up at the last minute to help out with Trey tomorrow! And please continue to pray for Martha-Marie (Trey's sitter) who found out today the prognosis is not good for her type of aneurysm.

He Rolls!

L.C. called this morning to tell me that Trey is rolling over! He has done it 3 times so far. No one has witnessed the action, just the results. Hopefully we will have some pictures or video soon!

An airport and an angry face.

This is one of the only times in my life that I have been happy to have an opportunity to sit and wait. You see... I struggle with a touch of ADHD so I struggle to entertain myself when in a waiting situation. Often times I fidget so much that it is bothersome to even me (not just the people around me)! This time, however, I am enjoying the time at the Charlotte International Airport since I have my new laptop and am able to tap into the complimentary wi-fi connection. How fun is that!?!?! I should be on my plane already, but there is a mechanical delay. Oh, don't worry about us... it is just the bathroom! YUCK! Hope they fix that soon!!! It will be a long flight to Detroit if the toilets are backed up! ;o)

In case you are wondering, I am headed to Michigan for Thinkin' Ink Stamp Camp. My mom and I put on this event twice a year for our stamping & scrapbooking friends. It is sooooo much fun! And I am really looking forward to this one since I am not pregnant. I should have more energy.

WHOOPS! Time to go...

Ok... a day late and a picture short... I was trying to upload the "angry face" when it was time to go yesterday. Here it is!

Blog Links

As I sit here and cry in prayer for my friends and even strangers who are brother & sisters in Christ I can't help but want to share their stories with you. I know how awesome it is to have the prayers of others to rely on when going through the toughest times in life. So I share these links with you so that you can share their burden in whatever way you can...

www.eddiesmith.com -- for updates on my good friend from college, Martha Marie, who is dealing with an aneurysm and will need surgery. Martha Marie is the one God laid on my heart as the perfect caregiver for our baby when I first found out that I was pregnant. What a blessing to know that we have someone so trusted so close by. I know that God has an awesome plan for this woman of faith. She is an example to me in so many ways, as a wife, as a mom and as a Christian.

www.cfhusband.blogspot.com -- saw a link to this blog just a few days ago. This is an amazing story from a man whose wife and daughter are in the hospital. His wife is awaiting a lung transplant and his daughter was born very premature. What an inspiration they are in such a difficult time in their lives. Please lift them up for strength and sustinence while they endure this journey.

Happy Easter!

It was a beautiful Spring day today. I spent most of the day cleaning the house. I hate to admit the last time we did a deep cleaning on this house! I will though... by our best estimation it was just before my parents came for Pheoby's birthday, February 22nd. I don't remember the last time I had that many dust bunnies hiding out... well... they weren't really hiding that much by this point. You know how if you see lots of roaches you know there are hundreds you are not seeing? It was a lot like that with the dust bunnies and dirt and germs. There was so much visible nastiness all around so I can't imagine all that I couldn't see. YUCK! I am so glad we got it all cleaned up, though.

Anyway... I digress. What I was saying is that it was a beautiful Spring day. I cleaned the house and L.C. mowed the jungle. (He has been working to get our lawn growing well and I think he was successful!) While I was mopping with the back door opened, smelling the fresh cut grass I couldn't help but praise God for the great blessing it is to own a home to care for. So many times I get bogged down by all the responsability on my shoulders, but in that moment with mop in hand I was so thankful for the many blessings we have been entrusted with. Thank you God for undeserved blessings!

On a related note, with my return to work last year and L.C.'s advancements at Duke Energy we have been able to make great strides in some financial goals we've been working towards. We have definately not arrived and have a way to go before we achieve our long term goals, but we are to the point where we can day dream about our next steps without having them seem unreachable. Because of that we have been talking a lot about where we see our future, our family and our ministries.

Yesterday as we went for a road trip we chatted about the areas we would consider moving when we are ready for our next home. We knew when we moved here that this home would be a stepping stone. Actually we don't really see ourselves staying put for the rest of our lives in any home... there is just too much we want to keep ourselves open to. When choosing the next home/community we will have to consider school options for our children, business opportunities and many other long term issues.

What we settled on was that we really liked where we lived when we were first married. We were about 5-10 minutes from anything we should need on Woodruff Road, but also were surrounded by farm land. It was the best of both worlds. Country living with quick city access. The opportunities for schools, activities and business are endless.

Another thing that we didn't really discuss was the vast array of great churches that we would be able to consider. We really love Foothills and one day if the Lord does allow us to relocate back to that area it will mean leaving our friends at FCC. We already struggle to stay involved due to the 30 minute commute. And it is a blessing that we are already connected there. It is hard to believe we have been at Foothills for almost 3 years. WOW!

Ok... I am hoping that this post doesn't appear so much as rambling thoughts. The truth is, though, it is! I am just sitting in the recliner with my feet propped up unwinding from a beautiful day. What a blessed life!

Happy Easter, friends!

Wow... its been a while!

It has been a while since I have taken the time to post, huh? I have felt pretty busy lately, not sure why. It has definately been a couple weeks where I have eliminated a few things due to being overwhelmed. Maybe, too, it is because I haven't had any great news to report. Well... I have news tonight! We just got our new computer tonight!!! It is a laptop. Our desktop is one that we purchased when we first moved to Croswell. We have done a lot of living since then and the condition of that PC definately shows it. It has crashed twice and we have just been hanging on to the shreds of the systems that would run for the last several months. So it was time, definately time, to invest in a new computer. I am so excited, too, because I have just started to invest time in digital scrapbooking and my old system wasn't handling it too well. Also, I am getting ready for Thinkin' Ink Stamp Camp. (TISC is a weekend retreat for scrapbookers & stampers in Michigan that my mom and I organize.) I will get to bring the laptop to organize business on and work on some digi projects, too! How fun will that be to be able to play with my new toy for a whole weekend? Can't wait!

Oh... and I suppose I need to do some research on what the problems are with Vista. I realize it has only been a few hours, but I am enjoying it so far. If you have any ideas on this subject please post a comment... I would love to hear what you have to say whether positive or negative.

First Digi Layout

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls... I am pleased to present you with my very first ever digital scrapbook layout! It was so fun to work on. I loved putting all the elements together and manipulating them to suit my whims. I have known for a long time that digi was the way for me and today's experience confirmed it! Now that I have a tiny bit of experience under my belt I will enjoy reading my digital scrapbooking magazines, I am sure! There is so much I want to know more about. For instance, I am not sure if I made the best choices when it came to saving. (It loaded, so I did something right!)

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Oh!!! I just realized something I did wrong! I didn't add journaling to the layout! Shoot! I guess I am already needing to go back and edit!

2 months old & moved out!

Trey moved out! We moved him to his bedroom a week or two ago. I meant to post pics then, but I figure you will forgive me! Because of Trey's continuous coughing we have elevated his mattress. He scoots a little now and with the scooting and the incline he seems to have taken a little detour!

Ketchup... oh, no, I mean "Catch up!"

I logged onto msn messenger this weekend, which is something I rarely do, and lo and behold my dear old friend Amanda K. popped on! Amanda was a member of the (I'm sure) famous Jetsabillies small group from SLM @ CWC. Amanda is a very special girl. I was really looking forward to watching her (and all the other Jetsabillies) grow, mature and graduate from high school.

I started out with these girls when they were in 7th grade, followed them to 8th grade and was preparing to transition with them into high school when I felt the Lord calling us back to South Carolina. It was hard to follow God's plan and leave my family twice, but it was a close second having to break the news to those teenage girls who I had committed my life to. I will never forget the night that I told them I would be leaving or the conversation, tears and special gifts that came from that. It was a pivital spiritual point for many of us in that room. We talked a lot about faith and trusting God through it all. And my, didn't we have to lean on Him so much through so many things.

It has been almost 3 years since we made the big decision to head back to SC. My heart still hurts for the relationships changed because of our decision to move, especially for the relationships lost. But I must praise God for the amazing gift of many special relationships that have stood the test of time and many miles. My friendship with Amanda is a tremendous blessing which reminds me that God is right by my side taking care of me when I need a little extra surprise!

Thanks, Amanda, for the connection we share! You truely are a blessing and an amazing young woman! I am honored that you call me friend!!! I love you, girl!!!

Virtual Weekend Crop

I am spending much of my weekend participating in a Virtual Weekend Crop with my secret sister group. We are all working hard to get lots of paper craft projects done while checking in on one another throughout the weekend. There are also challenges. We will post pics of our projects and prizes will be given for jobs well done. It is a nice concept, the virtual crop thing, because it isn't costing any of us anything and we can come and go as we please. Actually, I wasn't planning on participating as much as I have, but since I am still sick I didn't want to take my germs to the FCC Girls Night. And now, instead of going to the UniverSoul Circus with L.C., Pheoby and the rest of the Hayes & Banks families, I am staying home with poor Trey who is coughing up a storm still.

I am excited to share with you some of what I have accomplished so far. Then I am going to get back to work and make some more progress!

75% Of Us

This Tuesday was not-so-Super for the Hayes family. In honor of Super Tuesday II a poll was taken in our home and the results are in...

75% of the human residents in this home are sick!!!

It pretty much stunk when Pheoby came down with the flu symptoms (sore throat, cough, high fever, lathargic) over the weekend, but it has gotten worse! Last night my symptoms (sinus pressure, congestion... is that the same as pressure?, runny nose, achy neck, headache) became almost unbearable so I popped some Sudafed and some Tylenol and hit the hey pretty early. Trey started developing his symptoms today. (low grade fever, runny eyes, sneezing, cough) Pheoby seems to be feeling better, but she still has a runny nose, is sneezing and coughing, and has a low-grade fever.

Because of all this our 2-times-this-week doctor visit may turn into a 3-times-this-week if Trey's fever climbs. I took Pheoby yesterday, may have to take Trey tomorrow, and they both have well-checks (including vaccinations) scheduled for Friday. How much does that stink?!?! I am so thankful for L.C.'s good insurance with a relatively low co-pay!

A survey about my main man!

Basics
Who is your man? L.C. Hayes, Jr. (I must clarify so that you don't get confused... you know... there are three of them now!)
How long have you been together? 11 years
Dating/Engaged/Married? Married
How old is your man? 30
What's his middle name? Doesn't have one!

You or your man?
Who eats more? L.C.
Who said "I love you" first? L.C.
Who weighs more? L.C. (Thankfully!)
Who sings better? Who knows! Neither of us are singers.
Who's Older? Me
Who's smarter? L.C.-- The man is a stinkin' scientist! ;o)

WAYS
Who's temper is worse? Probably L.C.'s, but mine surfaces more often.
Who does the laundry? Preferably me!
Who does the dishes? Both of us
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me
Who's feet are bigger? L.C.'s
Who's hair is longer? Mine
Who's better with the computer? L.C.
Who mows the lawn? L.C.
Who pays the bills? I actually send the money out, but L.C. is the main money-maker!
Who cooks dinner? We both do.
Who makes more money? Oh... I see I have jumped ahead! L.C. does by far! Just in case you ever wondered social workers don't get into it for the money! ;o)
Who drives when you are together? L.C. does 89% of the time.
Who pays when you go out to dinner? Um... we have a joint account, but I typically let L.C. pull out his wallet! ;o)
Who's the most stubborn? Me!
Who is the first one to admit when they're wrong? L.C.
Who's parents do you see more? Surprisingly it is not too far off balance. We usually see L.C.'s folks every 3-4 weeks and my parents every 3-4 months. (But we see my family for several days at a time!)
Who named your dog? L.C.
Who kissed who first? L.C. kissed me first. Oh, the memories!
Who asked who out? I asked L.C. out for T.W.I.R.P Night. (The Woman Is Responsible for Paying) Then about 4 months later he asked me out to the Valentine's Banquet. There was a lot of mutual hanging out between all that.
Who's more sensitive? Me, definitely.
Who's taller? L.C.
Who has more friends? Me
Who has more siblings? Same... me-2 brothers, him-2 sisters
Who wears the pants in the relationship? I say L.C., but one of my favorite professors begged to differ! ;o)

Sweet Baby

Check out this sweet baby! Several weeks ago my friend Jill came over to take some pics of our sweet newborn. Tonight I finally sat down to really checking them out. I hope you like this one! ;o)

He Smiles!

Trey has been smiling for a week or so, but in the last couple days it is really obvious that it isn't just an involuntary movement. He has loved his bear mobile from week 1 so it is no surprise he is all smiles while he hangs out on the changing table. These smiles seemed to be lasting so I took the time to grab the camera. Enjoy!