New Branch Added

I was looking at a comment on Joe Napalm's blog which gave a link to a blog called Because I Said So. This is a hilarious blog by a woman who is not at all afraid to share the craziness in a household of a stay at home mom of a large family that most people try to hide! How many times have we parents had experiences that make people laugh when we do tell them, but how many were really funny while going through these said experiences?

Oh yes, I could tell the story of Bubba and when he crawled out of the bed during nap time, opened his closet door (I did not think he was tall enough or for that matter strong enough), climbed over boxes that were stacked twice as high as he was tall, just to open a box that of course would contain pens and markers for him to use on everything in sight! Did I mention that the box was one that a stroller came in, which made it as tall as a stroller and it was not packed fully! That might be humorous to you sitting on the other side of the monitor, but it was not in the least bit funny to me at that moment. I had to pull him out of the box, hide everything he took out and clean up the rest, then I had to put him back to bed before leaving the room to call Joe to beg him to come home ASAP! I also was blessed by God in that moment with more patience than I could ever imagine having.

Tell me again why we wanted more kids? ;)

I Have A Problem

They say that the first thing you need to do to overcome an addiction is to admit you have a problem. Well, here it is...I am a shop-a-holic concerning a certain little girl. I know what some people might say, Aren't most women like this normally? You would be correct for many women, but I was never really like that. Now I do like finding great deals and all, but if it is not going to be used is it really a great deal? Not in my book (or Joe's, but he tries to avoid spending money all together in what is considered a counter-attack method). Luckily for Joe (and our bank account) I was blessed with a thrifty, bargain-hunting heart and relatively decent taste!

Hummingbirds and Woodpeckers

Here are a couple of the birds around our house.

Ruby-throated hummingbird


Downy Woodpecker

Update On Otter

On Monday I took Otter for her check-up. She did very well. Her weight was at 12lbs 6ozs. The doctor went on and on about how alert she was and how well she focuses. Then after her clean bill of health the nurse came in. That was when my happy, talking little girl became my sad, sore little girl! She ran a slight temperature through the night and during the day Tuesday. Last night she was becoming more like herself and today she is fine. I am so glad! I really missed my happy little girl. I missed her talking to me. Screaming does not count as talking in my book.

By the way, did you notice the burp cloth she has now? One of my best friends had it made for her. It is very special with an otter for our Otter!

We Need Your Prayers

Today is Otter's two month check-up and she is getting shots! Being the only one that will take her (all of the men run and hide ;) I am stuck. I hate this time. Please pray for my little girl and for me. It will be hard on not just her but me. She will forget it much faster than I will. Mommy does not like to see her so upset.

Also, today is the first day of school for Bubba and Butch. Pray for easy transitions and a strong desire to learn and do their best. I was happy when they got up eager for school this morning.

Guess What?

Otter is two months old!

Crochet Blog

I decided that I needed to make a blog specifically highlighting my crochet interest. I also did this because I am going to be in an Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday at the Gov John Sevier Home (Marble Springs). This is to draw attention to local talent and it sounds wonderful. There will be artisans selling their wares, music, food, and a flag ceremony with a local Boy Scout Troop. I am also excited about the idea for displaying my hats that Joe is making for me. I hope that all will go well and that I might find some good homes for my hats! ;)

Visit my new blog Heather of the Hills Crochet

Sleeping Patterns

My little Otter has been doing so well the past several nights. She is sleeping between 5-6 hours in one stretch! I am so excited! She first started on our trip to SC. I was shocked when she continued after we returned. I though four hours of uninterrupted sleep was good, but 5-6 is even better!

Family Reunion

Coming to you live from Latta, SC...

Tomorrow is my Lane family reunion and I need all your prayers! I am in charge and will be leading the reunion. Please pray that we will have people there and that I will overcome my overwhelming fear of talking in front of a crowd and that all will go well. Not sure what lies ahead for the early part of tomorrow, but hope we find something relaxing and/or fun.

Otters first long car ride went relatively well. We stopped seven times (three for food, once for gas, twice for new state maps). Only one time was solely for feeding Otter. She has slept like a rock since we got here this evening. I guess it is her first restful sleep of the day!

New Otter Pics

Otter In The Mountains

Otter (along with the rest of her family) took a trip to the mountains for a yummy breakfast cooked by her grandmomma and a hike with her family and some friends. This was little girl's first hike in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee. She is so happy to be outdoors. It really has a great calming effect on her. Both Joe and I carried her in the baby carrier (Joe on the way up, me on the way down) and she slept peacefully the whole time. I really enjoy these times we get together for breakfast and hiking and I am thankful that our little girl seems to as well.

Otter Is A Month Old!

It is hard to believe that my little Otter is already a month old! She is just so adorable that I seem to not be able to pull away from her. I am not sure if it is that I might be a little bias as her mother, but she is ssooo gorgeous! She is healthy, growing at a good rate, and she is sleeping well. What more could we ask for?

Fun On The Fourth

Today was a fun day (once we got it started!). We met with my brother and his kids and we all headed to the mountains. We had decided to head up to Greenbrier to try to find a swimming hole. We found a nice little area that the kids (along with the two big boys) could play in. There was another group close by that let us borrow a few tubes and the kids had a little area that they could use the tubes to go down. They were having so much fun! Then we headed to the Sinks so that the guys could jump off a rock. After Bubba, my brother, and my nephew jumped off several times Joe joined in before we left. From there we headed to my parents' house for a great cook out and to watch fireworks.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

It is that time of year again! The Stitch N' Pitch season has already started! So click on the link below to order tickets to see your favorite baseball team while enjoying another favorite pastime! I am sad to say that we will not be able to make it to the Braves game on July 15th. :( Maybe next year!

Otter Is Here!

Sorry it has been a while, but I have been slightly preoccupied the past week. On Saturday, June 9th we welcomed our newest family member. Otter was born at 11:56a weighing in at a whopping 8lbs 5ozs and 22 1/4 inches long! I never thought I would see the day that I would have a 8 pound baby! She is absolutely gorgeous and has a head full of hair. She is very much a momma's girl right now. We were discharged from the hospital with everything looking good for both of us.


Wednesday I took her in for her followup check-in at the Dr. office. They checked her and everything was good (weight loss was almost a pound, but she was eating like a pig!) They also checked her bilirubin levels. Well, they were quite high, so they sent us to Children's Hospital for the "industrial" light treatments. After two nights in the hospital her levels had come down enough for us to come home. So now we are home and she is doing well, or as well as a week old baby does!

How Much Do You Love Cats?

I was shocked when I learned that I was not the cat lover I thought I was! I was shown a link for this new amazing cat that was going to be so extraordinary it would amaze me (the cat pictured to the side is not it!). It has been specially bred to have the exotic feel of a leopard with it's spots, but it is a very tame cat for a regular household. It is even said to be easily taught to walk on a leash! Who would not want one of these amazing cats? (other than Joe! ;) ) Well, you will soon learn why even I would never want to try to obtain one of these amazing wonders of modern science. There is a 9-12 month delivery time (or for an extra fee you can reduce that by 4-6 months). That is not the biggest turn off for these wonderful cats, no that would be the exorbitant price for the privilege of owning one. Get this, you must pay a small fortune of $22,000 for one highly intelligent house cat that would awe your friends and family! If you think that this cat, called an Ashera, is for you here is a link for you: Lifestyle Pets

Finally, Some Time! (I Think)

It has been a while since I pulled out my blogger mind and wrote to tell everyone about what is happening in our neck of the woods. Last week was my last week of working and although I will miss the kids and my co-workers, it is a relief to have that time to focus on other things. Today was also the last day of school for Bubba and Butch. That means that I no longer have to wake up and get two boys ready for school each morning! Alright!!

I have been trying in the last week to finally get the baby's room cleaned out and set up for her imminent arrival. I was able to successfully remove several boxes as well as clean and set up her crib (you can see her bedding pictured to the right). I felt so good about being able to accomplish at least that much while the guys were away on their camping trip. Now if I could only be able to get the rest of the boxes cleared out and get her clothes washed and put away I would be thrilled!

So there you have it! I am now 36 weeks and counting.

Our New House

Well, it has been a while since I could post as we were in the process of moving and now as we unpack and settle into our new home. We moved a couple of weekends ago and have since closed on the house. So, now it is officially ours. Very scary! We have enjoyed being back in a wooded location. We always did enjoy the wildlife that surrounds you and now we have a large picture window to add to our enjoyment.

On the day that we moved my father-in-law saw that my dear Joe had tried to fill a finch feeder with regular birdseed. Of course that just frustrated the birds that came looking for food. So my father-in-law went and got us a normal bird feeder and some seed made for the finch feeder. He came and hung our new feeder and changed the seed in both. The birds were SO HAPPY! Now we enjoy seeing the different birds coming to our front yard looking for food. Recently we had noticed that the feeder was somehow getting knock out of wack and I assumed a squirrel was involved. Well, this morning we got to witness first hand what was happening. And here is the culprit!

One Step Closer

Well, it seems that we are finally one step closer to owning a home. We got the call today that the inspector came and FINALLY gave us the go ahead. I am so glad that I will not have to worry about those little flakes anymore (and I am sure that Joe and Wesley will agree)! Now there is just a little paperwork that needs to come in and I think we will be done. I will be so glad to see this process completed. Now, I am off to try to get some more packing done.

Spring is Here!

I always love this time of the year. The weather starts to warm up a little, trees and flowers are starting to bloom. For the past couple of days I have been able to have the windows open for the greater part of the day, which I love! Peach and pear trees have started blooming. You can see the buds coming out on so many other trees. Ahhh, spring!


I get so excited about seeing my flowers growing and starting to bloom. I started seeing the daffodils blooming in the end of January (in the Great Smoky Mountains by the Sugarland Visitor Center). In the next couple of weeks the dogwood trees in our area will be in full bloom. This is even more exciting now that we will be living on the Dogwood Trail. I am eager to see what kinds of dogwoods we will have. I am a little partial to the pink dogwoods, although I like both the pink and white.

Spring this year will also be very special since we will be having another little blessing in the form of our daughter. I know that I am very excited about her coming and last night we even heard about how her older brother, Butch, is also eagerly anticipating her arrival. In art class at school they are focusing on spring and he said that on his project this week he put "spring with my sister." How sweet is that!