A Lifetime of Love

Thirteen Things about South Carolina Mom 13 Books I have love. . . You will see that most of these titles are children's titles. I read all of these during my childhood and some of them again as an adult. I identified with the main character in many of these, which is why they are my favorites. The Bible is first because of the impact it has had on my life. The second title is loved by my oldest son Th and myself, and we have read it a few times together. The others are listed in no particular order. 1. Bible 2. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 3. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary 4. Tallahassee Higgins by Mary Downing Hahn 5. Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park 6. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls 7. Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene 8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 9. Corduroy series by Don Freeman 10. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George 11. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater 12. Ramona Quimby series by Be...

TJ and I have 2 dogs, a golden retriever named Jenna and a German shepherd named Kiana (pronounced Key-auna). We've had them since before we had kids, and they used to sleep with us in bed (both weigh about 60 pounds) until we moved from California to the Carolinas. They are like our kids, and we love them like our kids, which is why it breaks my heart to see Kiana in her current state. Both dogs were born in 2000, Kiana in May and Jenna in August. We had Jenna first, and Kiana joined our family by divine intervention. At 18 months old, Jenna was still having accidents in the house. She would do fine in the evenings and on the weekends when we were home, but during the week, we'd come home to a wet mess. We took her to the vet because we thought she was having kidney trouble. The vet told us her symptoms were that of loneliness, and he recommended we get another dog so she wasn't home alone. TJ and I wanted to get a German shepherd puppy, but before we had the opportunity, ...

What a weekend! TJ and I had such an awesome time! We learned so much about being better spouses to each other, but also I was able to get God's view regarding my pregnancy. That alone made the trip worthwhile! Friday night Ron, Shelly, and 3 of their children sang for us. It was amazing! They are such a talented family. We sang a few Patch songs, including the motions, and that was a blast! The kids sang together, Ron and Shelly sang together, and they sang as a family. The feelings were like those of seeing your favorite group perform. Our kids (Th mostly) were upset that they couldn’t go with us to meet Patch the Pirate, but we bought them a new CD and had the Hamilton’s autograph it for them. Plus, we had our picture taken with them, so the boys were thrilled with that. Saturday morning at breakfast Ron and Shelly came and ate with us at our table. It was so neat to hear them talk about their work, and of course we piqued their brains about their favorite Patch CD and why (and...

Got back from the Wilds (most received the email update) last night and I'm now busy with laundry, schoolwork, and feeling icky in my belly. Thought I was catching a stomach bug late last week but am now attributing it to morning (or in my case, evening) sickness. It seems to be coming on earlier and lasting longer each day. I'm not sure why, but it takes away my appetite and I feel worse after eating. However, I am eating so that's good. I'll update more in the morning. I'm tired and need a short nap!

Thirteen Things about South Carolina Mom 13 Baby Names I like. . . Since I am expecting a new baby, it's first name has to begin with 'T' to keep our family tradition. Here are some that I like, although I know there are a few my husband would never go for! *means we agree on the first name +means I like it but doubt TJ will 1. Thaddeus (Thad) Joel* 2. Timothy Joseph* 3. Theodore (Theo) Luke* 4. Tyler John 5. Tevyn Luke+ 6. Tobias Luke 7. Teagan Faith 8. Taregan Hope+ 9. Taryn Faith* 10. Tinsley Anne 11. Torrin Elyse 12. Tessa Reece 13. Taylor Luke or Taylor Hope Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The surgery went well for those who haven't heard. T.G. is doing great, although she didn't nap well yesterday. There is some drainage from her nose and ears, which is good because it means the infection is leaving her system. She doesn't seem to be in much pain, but I have been trying to give her Tylenol every 6 hours or so. I just finished taking a test and completed an assignment due later today. I still have another test tomorrow that I need to study for (I haven't even begun!) and will be relieved when this week is over! TJ and I are headed to the Wilds on Friday, and I am looking forward to relaxing. After everything that has transpired since last Tuesday, I definitely need it! Plus, I start teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning next week, which means I have to write lesson plans for each day; I am very nervous about that. There are 8 kids altogether, ranging in age from 4 to 12, and they all have Autism. My ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow morning so I...

Well, we're off to the hospital. I feel like I'm going to vomit at any moment. Please pray for everything that is facing us today. Thanks!