My brother from another mother.....

This is Logan's new saying! Saturday night at the Casting Crowns concert they were doing a presentation about World Vision. I have a big heart when it comes to Orphans and children from other countries. If I could adopt every child, I would and if I could visit every country, I would. I have a very tender heart. I was privileged to get the chance to travel to Poland and Czech Republic when I was 15. There I was able to visit orphanages and just spend time with children in the schools there. God lays those images on my heart and mind alot.

Anyways, Kyle and I decided to pick a child to start supporting. We tried to pick a boy close to Logan's age that way they could grow together. We were able to find a little boy who is 1 year older than Logan. His name is Siphamandla (Siph for short) and his birthday is March 27, 2000. He is from Swaziland, Africa. After we filled out all our information, we started reading his biography and it stated that he loved animals (which Logan does too) and he loves to play soccer!! I took that as a sign that this is what God wanted us to do!

Logan is so happy to have a brother and he thinks it is awesome (his words) that he lives in Swaziland!! Logan hopes to visit him one day...I think that would be amazing! Logan can't wait for us to get our package with all his info in it, so he can begin writing to him!

I am looking forward to including things from Siph in my future blogs. I think this is an amazing opportunity for Logan. Hopefully one day they will meet...if not in Africa then in Heaven!

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY, SIPHAMANDLA!! We are already loving you and praying for you daily!

~Flag of Swaziland~

David Beckham, who?!?

I sure hope Logan carries on with soccer. I have gotten so many compliments about his foot work and just his over all ability to play. He had a game Saturday and just like every other game, he played great. His team tied the game 7-7 but it was a great game. Logan and his friends Trey and Jacob play so well together. Jacob is an awesome goalie. Trey scored 2 and Logan scored 4! Jacob did some awesome goal tending!

Logan lives and breathes soccer! He can't wait until he can play for Union Grove and he is determined to play soccer for Duke!! We will see!! But for now, I will enjoy watching him play for the community and spring soccer at school!

Logan, we are SO PROUD OF YOU!

Our Daisy Duke....you are missed!

I hate bad news and I hate to be the giver of it. I had to be the bearer of bad news to my family. Our dog, Daisy died sometime during the night Friday. We have had her almost 5 years and she was a part of the family. She was an outside dog but such a sweet dog. I woke up Sat morning and looked outside the kitchen window and it looked like she was asleep so I knocked on the window...she normally pops right up, but she did nothing. So I knocked louder, still nothing. So I opened the back door and called her name, nothing. I had Kyle to go outside and check. I then had to give the horrible news to Logan. He was so upset. He just laid there and cried and cried. I cried too but it didn't really hit me until I had to help Kyle put her in the truck. Kyle carried her down to his Grandpa's pond to bury her there. She was just too big to be buried at our house. She was a great dog, so sweet and lovable and she will truly be missed!! I am still finding myself looking for her each morning outside the kitchen window. I always looked for her when I was backing out of the garage. I found myself doing that today and then I lost it! We sure miss our Daisy girl!

Whoa oh oh! Whoa oh oh!

If you know Casting Crowns then I am sure you know where my title came from! One of my all time favorite songs and it has been stuck in my head since Saturday night. Not only because I have listened to my CD over and over but because my hubby wants to sing it LOUDLY through the entire house!

Dad and Mom had bought us tickets to the Casting Crowns concert for Valentine's Day. Mom, Christy and I had seen them last year in Charleston so of course I was so excited to hear them again. And this time they were with Caleb Chapman (Steven Curtis Chapman's son) and Tenth Ave North (which I love)!

So, Saturday night we all headed to Greensboro to hear them. This time, taking our men with us. We had a great time together and I believe everyone enjoyed the concert. It is amazing to sit back and look around at a place that is packed with everyone singing "Until the whole world hears!" It sure did give me chills. I can't imagine Heaven and I can't wait to be there!!

~Thank you mom and dad for the tickets (and for supper)!!~

Duke wins again!

Several weeks ago I ordered us some Wake vs. Duke baseball tickets. My guys aren't that much into baseball unless it's watching it in person and of course we love Duke so I thought this would be a great buy. It was General Admission day so there were no assigned seats so if you know me, we need to get there early to make sure we get great seats!! Plus we had to pick the tickets up at the "Will Call" booth so of course we needed to get there early! So I got off work at 3:00 to give us enough time to change, eat before the game and get there in plenty of time for good seats! Well, we got there early and we got GREAT seats!! Honestly, we were the 2nd family there...talk about your pick of seats...we could have sat where ever we wanted.

First, we tried right behind Home plate but I didn't like the angle. Then we tried behind Duke's dugout but up several rows up, but I didn't like that either! So then we settled for the 1st row, right beside Duke's dugout. Kyle didn't like these seats but it was 2 to 1 so we sat there. We were there 1 hour before the game was to start so we got to watch both teams warming up. Logan really enjoyed that.

We are sitting there beside the dugout and the coach for Duke starts talking to Logan. Asking him who he is pulling for...and of course he says DUKE and the coach laughed and said "I thought so, I saw your Duke shirt." Then he handed Logan one of the balls that they were warming up with. That just made Logan's day!!! Logan really wanted him to sign it so Kyle walked with Logan over there while Logan asked the coach to sign it. He was so excited about the ball!

The game was awesome...of course Duke won! 10-3 was the final score. If you want the stats from the game, just ask Logan he has them memorized! ~It was a great night together!

Weekends....My favorite word!

I used to find it depressing to stay home on the weekends but now I look so forward to it. Not only because I am with my 2 favorite people but because we are so addicted to games!! We had already planned to go out Friday night and pick up some things at Walmart. So Friday night I planned a very nice, romantic dinner for just Kyle and I. Have any of you ever heard of the Bleu Restaurant in Winston? We pass it alot when we take the back roads home from Winston. Kyle has always wanted to try it because it looks "cool". I will never understand why we beg to eat at a place because it looks cool. He doesn't care what the menu holds, he just wants to go! So, I planned a dinner there for Friday night. I must admit, there was many things on the menu for me...I am extremely picky! They only take reservations so I booked them online (1st for that), but it worked :).

I kept it a secret from him and he was very surprised!! The food was delish and it was well worth the anticipation...it was very "cool!" If you have never tried it, it's a must. I got a 12oz Sirloin with a salad and asparagus and it was yum yum! Kyle got a Pot Roast (1st time the chef made it) and he loved it. All this yummy food for only $32, which in my eyes isn't expensive when you get that quality of food and atmosphere!

So, on Saturday night we planned on staying at home and eating the Chicken plates that we had ordered from a co-worker's church. We look so forward to these plates every year! Saturday afternoon while we are driving to get the plates, I looked at Kyle and said "Can we go back to Wal-Mart and buy Scrabble?" He jumped right on that and we headed to Wal-Mart for Scrabble! We hurried home to play it that night. We didn't play 1 game, we played many games!! Yes, he beat me because he makes up fake animal names! My next Wal-Mart purchase will be a dictionary!

Can I just say...ImPrEsSeD!!!

This spring, Logan has been playing soccer at school. He is playing on the Blue Jets which have players in grades 1st-3rd. He is doing very well and his team play great together. The team is undefeated and they really do deserve that..they are playing their little hearts out. For some reason though the past several weeks there has been complaints given and this team has been told that they need to "hold back" and "keep the score down". To me, that is very unfair. I pay the fee to play just like every other parent but yet people can complain about a winning streak and now that team is told not to play to their ability. I was always told to play hard and give all you've got! So these kids are now being told something completely different. I can't see us telling any player for Union Grove to hold back as they are winning a basketball (etc) game! But oh well, we are going with the flow. Logan understands that it isn't his coach's fault and she is only doing what she's been asked!

Well, yesterday afternoon I received a call wanting to know if I was okay with Logan playing soccer with the older kids yesterday!! NO, I don't mind...that's awesome, I said! Keep in mind, these are 4th-6th graders which compared to Logan is GIANTS!! Logan was the shortest, littlest one out there but he did awesome!! Luckily, I have a great boss who at the last minute let me off of work. Kyle too, has a great boss so he was able to use a vacation hour and be there! I am sooo glad I was there! Logan was awesome (if I can say so)!! He was put onto the Red Rockets which does have several of his friends on there. The team had won 1, tied 1 and lost 3...they were playing against Black Knights which are undefeated! Logan didn't care...he was just so excited to play! The game was so intense, they RUN and they KICK that ball HARD! But it didn't stop him, he was a go-getter! He honestly could have ran in between their legs without ducking...he was so small compared to them!
The game was so close the entire time and then it happened....LOGAN SCORED!! Those boys on the red team were all bumping chests because the score was now within 1! Then the Knights had several chances but our goalie was awesome! Then it happened again......LOGAN SCORED AGAIN!! The game is now tied 5-5! Several more awesome saves by our goalie and then there was a hand ball on the Black team! Isaiah takes the shot and scores...6-5 (Red)! Down the field Black goes....Smacks that ball into the hands of the goalie.................GAME OVER!!! Red Rockets win and knocks the undefeated team out :)! Way to go Rockets!! I was one proud Mama...watching all those big boys carry Logan around the field...throwing him from person to person...It was awesome!! He was so little, he was being carried around like a toy but he loved it!! He has now been placed on 2 soccer teams for Spring Soccer!! So on Tuesdays...Go Blue Jets and on Thursdays...Go Red Rockets!!

I believe I am truly owning the "Soccer Mom" title....Soccer game Tuesday, soccer practice Tuesday night, Soccer game Thursday, soccer practice Thursday night, Soccer game Saturdays!! ~Whew...I'm tired, but so proud and impressed~

Hmmm...Where do I start?

Alot has gone on since my last blog and I apologize for the long span of nothing. I honestly have no idea where the time has gone...I have been so busy it seems but with what, I have no idea. Work has been insane the past several weeks and then with the beautiful evening weather, we have tried to spend it outside...TOGETHER. Also, it's soccer season, birthdays everywhere around us and just no extra time to spare!

In this span of time we have had MANY soccer games, either with school or with the community. I must say... I LOVE SOCCER!! Logan gets out there and runs like the wind! Between both teams Logan has scored 20 pts just by himself! He is definitely a "GO GETTER!" I am very proud of my "#1" and I enjoy being a Soccer Mom!

April 1st was my best friend's little boy's birthday! Clayton turned 1! I can't believe it's already been a year. He is SUCH a cutie pie and a character!! I am so happy to have been apart of his life for the 1st year and I can't wait till many more!!
April 1st was also my parent's 38th Wedding Anniversary. I am so happy to be a child that can say that my parents are still together after 38 years! Thank you mom and dad for that!

Then there was Easter. This Easter was sad because half my family was missing :(. This Easter was Justin's Easter and this is the first time he has remembered that so of course my baby was gone. So on the Friday before, everyone was out of work for the holiday and it was a beautiful day so my whole family went to Dan Nicholas Park for some KFC and hiding eggs! Although there was so many people there that we didn't hide the eggs but everyone still had a great time. We did some goofing off, some playground time, rode bikes around the lake and then paddle boats! It was a very fun, "hot" day!
Mom and Dad went to DC for their anniversary getaway so I didn't get to host Easter at my house like normal. Which was rather sad to me...I look forward to that every year. Kyle and I spent lunch at Grandma's with Kyle's family. All the kids hid eggs and the guys (and myself) played Corn hole...a very fun but stressful game :). Then supper was at K & W with the remaining part of my family and then back to Christy's house for bike riding and egg hiding!

Ahhh, the next event was sad...My baby turned 9 so of course he is no longer "my baby!" Logan is getting too old for birthday parties so he prefers to have several of his closes friends over for a sleepover. So Friday night, we had 2 boys over for a night of fun! We picked them up and it was off to Sonic...Logan loves to eat outside. Then we headed to Putt Putt. The boys played against Kyle and can you guess who won?! Then we finished the outings at Krispy Kreme!! Those 3 boys ate the entire dozen doughnuts!! They like to eat!! Then it was back to the house for some basketball, fighting and playstation games! I do believe they had a GREAT time!!

Saturday night we ate at Logan's pick...Olive Garden and then my family came back to the house for presents and a yummy giant cookie cake from the Cookie Factory. This year it was Yoda from Star Wars. Logan doesn't care for cake, he would rather have a cookie and I can't say I blame him. It was so very yummy!! Logan got some good presents and tons of gift cards to Walmart! Not sure what he wants to buy yet but he has plenty of money for it!

Sorry for the long blog but we had to catch up :)