Cause I promised I would....

Here are my favorite pictures from Memorial Day on the River! Our precious Harriet invited us to spend the day at her house (near my parent's home in Gadrock)....and it was an awesome day. I love the south in the summertime (well, anytime actually). It is simply amazing! Harriet has built her beautiful home on the river and she was kind enough to extend that joy to our little family.....

Mom made frozen strawberry, ginger ale slushies!

Chris took all the kids out for a spin on the waverunner...

and so did I!

I don't think Lucy expected me to be that much "fun"....

but I proved her wrong!

Mom bought a new paddleboat for everyone and Greer LOVED it!

Can you see that she is sippin' on her coke and lovin' it!?

Greer and Betty connected....

.....so did Lucy and Betty!

This one makes me laugh!

....and we'll call these "yoga at sundown"!

I really want to post more details...but I am hurting! Today I broke my tailbone (well, after much research and self evaluation, that is what I have concluded)! It is terrible, horrible, no good and very bad!!! I am h.u.r.t.i.n.g. It stinks.

Momma can't be broken. She just can't! Please pray for my "booty" to feel better soon. I have so much to do and no time to rest. Working tomorrow is going to be a challenge that I am scared to face, but I have to do it.

At least I'm still updating my FB status

Megan Rutland Mileski Reeves asked our babysitter, "Hannah, are you on BookFace?" It made me laugh!

February 17 at 9:51pm

Megan Rutland Mileski I can't believe that tomorrow is my last day to work in good ole Jefferson Towers! It's been an amazing 13 years....

February 18 at 10:33pm ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Back from my cave in the basement bedroom. Thanks to my work peeps and my precious husband for taking over so I could recover from some kind of HORRIBLE virus. All better today!

Sat at 7:49am ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Tomorrow's the big day! WooHoo!!!

Sat at 8:43pm · Comment ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Reeves just asked, "Hey Mom, do they have Snowball Fights at the Olympics? You know, like for a medal?" Me, "No, baby, they don't." Reeves, "Well.....they really should!"

Sun at 8:00pm ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Overtime shifts in the new hospital, book reports, talent shows, children faking illnesses, dogs who love mud, recovering from a virus, mounds of laundry, late night Olympic viewing...I'm a bit overwhelmed by this week!

13 minutes ago ·

...and I took this really cute picture of Reeves on my iPhone!

Nursemaids Elbow? A Do It Yourself, Fix-it Lesson!: A Re-Post!

About once a month, I get a random comment on a quite popular post from way back in the summer. Every time I get the email notification that there is a new comment, it makes me smile. :) I LOVE that something I have posted has HELPED a friend in need! How awesome is that!?

It seems my blog post on Nursemaids Elbow is a top hit on google....go figure! So, since I'm not the greatest at posting something new on the blog lately, how 'bout a re-post! Maybe it'll save you (or a loved one) an ER visit one day!

P.S. I had the opportunity to perform this maneuver again on Greer just recently. We were in the car with our friends, and their 3 year old reached over and grabbed Greer's arm, pulling it out of place. Thankfully, I wasn't driving, and I was able to pop it back in place right away.....I think my girlfriend was a little shocked! 30 seconds of screaming and good as new!

Click here to read the full post!

The Unexpected....

Well, today didn't turn out exactly how I had planned....

...but, does it ever? One thing I've learned since being a parent is that you've always gotta be ready for the unexpected. Amen?

I had a long (and quite busy) weekend at work. Working 24 out of 48 hours gets harder and harder (but is more and more rewarding) as the years go by. Most of the time, Labor and Delivery is fairly slow on the weekends. NOT this time! I didn't notice if it was a full moon or not, but lots of Mamas were having babies these days. And I mean LOTS!

As my Sunday was coming to an end, I posted this on my facebook status:

"Looking forward to my "Saturday" tomorrow....it's been a busy weekend at work! I miss my own babies!"

If I believed in luck, I'd bet that this status update jinxed me for the night....what do you think?! All kidding aside, it is pretty funny, don't you think?

I had the perfect evening/day planned. I would come home from work, throw in a load of laundry, kiss my babies goodnight and pack their bags for another busy week at school! I would load them on the bus around 7 am, drop Greer off in carpool at Mother's Day Out, and enjoy a few hours to myself. A few hours to shop, organize, shower in silence. A few moments to ready myself for all the business of the week and to get my house in order.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

When I got home from work, Chris told me that Reeves had had a tumble at a birthday party earlier in the day. He was coming down an inflatable slide (head first), crashed into the end, and hyper-extended his neck. Reeves was in terrible pain (and stiffness) by the time I got home and I knew that he needed to have it checked out. After a quick call to my parents, we decided that it was best to call the after hours service....Reeves just wasn't himself.

Much to my surprise, they recommended that we call 911 and have the paramedics come out to evaluate him before heading downtown to the hospital. They said that neck injuries are nothing to mess with (go figure) and that we should make sure he didn't need a c-collar before we drove him in. May I just say.....Reeves thought it was pretty cool that the firetruck and policeman made a visit to his house! (Making lemonade, friends!) Thank you to my sweet neighbors, the Holdens and Elrods, for checking in on us. Chris was happy to snuff out any neighborhood drama by explaining that it was NOT any sort of domestic incident...

...thanks for clearing that up, Chris. I know they were worried! :) JK!

So, the good guys at the Hoover Fire Department arrived in record time, gave us the Ok and and sent us on to Children's Hospital.

Where we waited.

and waited.

and waited some more.....

...poor Reeves was passed out by the time we were finally seen (and we were in the higher priority category.....I felt sorry for all those other children waiting to be seen!). The verdict? Bad strain/hyper-extension. Heavy doses of anti-inflammatory meds, limited physical activity for a while, rest, and TLC.

I can handle that.

So, we got home around 2:30. Crashed. Slept in. Ate a good breakfast. Drank coffee and hot chocolate. Watched Elf. Followed up with our pediatrician. Skipped school. Stayed in our pajamas all day. Were all-around lazy.

So maybe the weekend was crazy, and last night was not very fun....

.....but today is what memories are made of! I love any excuse to stay at home in my pajamas with my babies!

What has a hold on you?

It's that time of year when (along with all the gifts under the tree) we tend to get all wrapped up. Consumed by what we need want (steam washers and new clothes and the perfect tree and flatscreen tvs and the most beautiful decorations for our house and the cute holiday outfits for our kids and the list goes on and on and on). It's so easy to do....no matter how hard we try to contain ourselves.

And I am guilty. I confess that I am the world's worst when it comes to this attitude. I want and want and want some more. The sales and the shopping frenzy and the hustle and bustle get a hold of me and I am overcome (don't worry Chris, if you are reading this. I have NOT done anything crazy). I have friends whose kids have lists a mile long....who live for the biggest and best on Christmas morning. I was that way.....I remember revising my list over and over till I got it just right. It's something I have struggled with my whole life.

Why then, have I been blessed with such unassuming children? Sure, they have an idea of what they would like to find under the tree come Christmas morning, but I know they will love whatever they get. They've never asked me, "Is that all?" and they genuinely appreciate the gifts they receive. Sure, they have hopes and desires, but I know that if we could only get them a couple of very small gifts, they would still say they had a magical Christmas. They've always been pretty grounded like that.....I sure hope it lasts.

You see, my children are way more thrilled by the antics of their silly little elf than they are by how many gifts they will get from Santa. They could care less if our Christmas card is picture perfect or if the decorations will impress the neighbors.....they just want to drive around and look for lit up manger scenes and inflatable Grinches. My kids want to buy gifts for a little child who won't get anything for Christmas and hang ornaments on our tree.

They want to sip hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and a peppermint stick stirrer and sleep in for a couple of weeks. They want to tear off the paper rings and count down the days till their stockings are filled with chocolate. They want me to sit and tell them the story of the night Jesus was born (again and again and again) by acting it out with their little toy nativity scene. They want to bake cookies and visit family and watch Christmas movies in their pajamas. Hoping for Christmas Carolers to knock on our door.

Isn't all that the good stuff? The things that we remember loving about the holiday season? I remember singing Christmas songs in church and cookie swaps and live Nativity scenes and the taste of the Christmas turkey. I remember waking up before sunrise and leaving cookies for Santa. I remember the smell of the holiday candles and praying for snow to fall on Christmas eve. Curling up in one cozy bed with my sisters and our animals....

I couldn't tell you what I unwrapped on my 9th Christmas or who all gave me presents when I was 5. Most of it was quickly forgotten or broken or taken for granted. Only a few things were treasures that stood the test of time.....and most of those weren't really expensive gifts. They were things that meant something.

So, you wanna know what I want most this year? I want the spirit of Christmas that has a hold on my children.....that really stirs my soul. What about you?

Things I loved....

....about today.

1. It rained.

2. I got to stay home all day long! I love rain, but I love it even more when I get to stay home and enjoy it!

3. Greer slept till 11:00! Do you know how much stuff I was able to get done this morning while she slept? It is beyond belief....seriously!

4. I worshipped! I blasted my iPod and sang at the top of my lungs. God is sooooo amazingly, incredibly good! Nothing like praising Jesus while you fold your husbands underwear....Ha!

5. I laughed out loud when I couldn't get my front door to open for the Fed-Ex guy....it was really funny. Maybe you had to be there....

6. I got an unexpected call from a stranger dear friend! We chatted about life and fears and adventures and marriage and love and relationships and kiddos and the weather and the South and football and family. What a joyful surprise!

7. I fed my kids ice cream and cotton candy on the way to the dentist. What's wrong with me?

8. My kids didn't have any cavities!

9. Greer said Purple!

10. I figured out Apple TV.

11. I made a perfect pitcher of sweet tea. Ahhhhh!

Snapshots....

....from a busy couple weeks!

I am working on pulling together a cohesive post in the next day or two. In the meantime, why don't you try to figure out what we've been up to!

Living. Loving. Breathing. Feeling. Being. Doing....

....this!

And, a whole lot more.

Guest Posting, Randomness, Prayer Requests, and a Giveaway!

How ya like THAT for a Title? I probably could have simply titled it "Randomness", but that would have been just plain boring! This way, you know exactly what you're getting, right? Right. Here we go....

My Fabulous Friday post is up over on Danielle's blog. I was honored when she asked me to join in, but had a tough time coming up with a topic. I hope I haven't disappointed her readers with my sappy, sentimental topic {Fabulous Teachers}! Usually, her blog is all fashion and fun and I go there to keep myself feeling somewhat cool. Won't you please head over, poke around, leave a comment? You know the drill. There's even a chance to win something sort of yummy, too! You'll have to click here to see what's up for grabs!

Yesterday, another cellphone (owned by yours truly) fell prey to death by water. Yes, friends, this is the third phone I have killed in a year. My friend Lauren thinks I keep doing it to get a new phone (it has worked out pretty well for me thus far), but I promise I'm innocent. The hassle and stress it causes isn't worth all that, now! Thankfully, I keep a backup around just for this very occasion (you know, when I decide to wash my phone with my favorite jeans or drop it in the pedi-bowl....), and Chris managed to reactivate that old Razor for me to use in the meantime....

....while dear old Palm Centro dries out in a tiny tub of orzo and wild rice.

I didn't have much rice.....do you think it will do the trick? I've heard I need to leave it alone for three days (anyone else see the irony in that) before I see if it will live. I'm not counting on a second resurrection, but you never know!

On the bright side, turns out Chris is eligible for an upgrade. This very afternoon, I may be the proud owner of a slightly broken-in little Blackberry. Lauren, I promise I didn't know!!!

Speaking of great deals (that's what I was speaking of, right?)....do you Woot? We've been Wooting for a couple of years now, and Chris just loves it. I have to admit, I rarely see anything that really blows up my skirt, but they have finally gotten my attention. This week, our friends over in Wootland (hey, they have clever words to go along with their posts so I can too!) have launched a new site....

Kids Woot!

Genius I tell you! Great deals on fun toys/products for kiddos. You can bet I'll be clicking over every day! Maybe it'll inspire me to start my Christmas shopping before December!

And now for my last random thought today.....

Please say a prayer for my sweet grandmother, Bubba, as she recovers from rotator cuff surgery. My mom will be taking care of her for a few days and she could probably use some prayers, too.

And pray that my house gets rid of the sickies over the weekend....there's a suspicious tickle in my throat that is making me nervous!

Hope you have a happy, healthy weekend friends!

Great Finds

***Update***

So, I decided to play with a couple of pictures on "Picnik" tonight!

Scroll down to see the magic.....Cool, huh!?

Isn't it fun when you discover something really fun and cool? If it saves you money or time, well that is just a big 'ole bonus! I haven't had much time for scowling the internet or window shopping this Summer, so this list is going to be short....for now!

I love sharing great things. My friends laugh at me for it (yes, I have an unhealthy relationship with Costco....ask anyone who knows me well), but if I find something that is worth sharing....well, share it I must. I'll even venture to say that I drive a few friends crazy with these 4 little words....

"Guess what I found!?"

So, here is a list of my "great finds" this summer. Remember.....

If the text is lime green, then it's a link.....just click on it and see for yourself (just a little friendly tip for my less tech-savvy readers....You're welcome!)

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! The gist? Register your less than 5 year old child and receive a free book every month until they turn 5. Free books....Yay! Greer just got her first one this week (The Little Engine That Could).

Bottle Cap Necklaces Sure wish I was still young enough to pull off wearing these, but my 5 year old can and she LOVES them. They're all the rage down here in the 'Ham.

Picnik As much as I would LOVE to understand Photoshop, well, it still makes my brain hurt (I'm not giving up yet though). In the meantime? I found this fun/easy photoediting site, and well, I heart it! (thanks Savannah)

Look what I did in a matter of minutes!

Marshmallow Fluff Let's just face it....everything is more fun with fluff. It was the token food of the summer 'round here (no, we didn't eat it for every meal, but I will always remember this summer as the "summer of the fluff"!)

Oh, and if you follow me on twitter, you saw that I was on the hunt for some "waterproof vinyl labels" for Greer's sippy cups and food containers.....

I found some great ones on etsy! These things are awesome!

What Cool Things did you find this summer? Please leave a comment if you have something you just can't NOT share! I promise it'll make you feel so much better to get it off your chest!

Who says.....

....you can't grow plants actual PRODUCE! and children at the same time?

The Real "Them"

I plucked these individual shots out of all the photos I have taken this summer, and in them I see a million things. Things that only a mother can see. It's like they speak to me and tell a story. You probably don't hear what I hear, but I'd be willing to bet you have pictures of your own children that read like a novel (or at least like a clever short story....some of my most favorite pieces of literature are short stories)....

Lately, I've really been taking note of my children's differences. Last Summer, I read a book by Kevin Leman (phenomenal book, btw) that pretty much said you don't fully see your kid's personality until they are closer to the age of 5. I soooo understand what he means. I can NOT believe how much my Lucy (especially) has come into her own this year (for better or for worse). I am finding that she is my "challenge" at the moment....in good and bad ways.

She hates when I take her picture, but she will gladly pose for others. She has a MILLION questions....tonight she asked me what heaven looks like. She wants her hair to be long, but she won't let me brush it. She's an early bird and a sugar addict and a charmer. She wants to be a big girl and she will strike up a conversation with anyone.

She loves ferociously. She loves Praise and Worship. She loves, loves, loves to read. She is stunning.....her honey brown eyes will melt you.

Well, I know she's funny. That much is for sure. She loves to put her head in the sand and feel it on her toes. She is cautious at first, but when she knows she is safe....well, she's fearless. She sleeps, a lot. She eats, a lot. She is amazing. She is a blessing and our lover. She is delicious.

Wonder what I'll say about her when she is 5???

Tender, cautious, passionate.

Skinny, dirty, careless, loving.

Determined, striking, gentle, kind.

Tough, boundless, oblivious. Amazingly sensitive. Wild.

I love my punks.

Our Perfect Fourth of July

....and a not so perfect picture. It's humid here in Destin, Florida (in case you didn't know). As soon as you walk outside, the lens fogs up and you get pictures that look something like this. Reeves took this picture tonight as we played on the lawn near our condo watching fireworks out over the ocean. We were pretty busy having lots of untechnical fun today, so I sure hope you'll forgive us. It was a blissful day....

Even with the humidity (which is amazingly more bearable than the stagnant sweltering we have been experiencing in dear ole Alabama....thank the good LORD for a precious sea breeze). We have had an amazing Fourth of July.

In fact, we finally broke in one of our wedding gifts.

Yes, you heard me right.....a wedding gift. From our wedding that happened about 9 and a half years ago. Who says that old saying is true?......

Maybe you should hang on to those things that you haven't used in a decade year! Food for thought....

And for the first time in almost 10 years.....we made homemade icecream. With a perfectly good icecream maker that had never seen the light of day. She had been content to wait on a shelf in our little ole garage for the past 9 and a half years just living for this day....

This amazing 4th of July in the year 2009. This day filled with sweet donuts, sandy beaches, skim boarding, peach eating, nap taking, sun soaking, pool floating, rib grilling, porch swinging, firework gazing, watermelon devouring fun....

Yep, it was well worth the wait. Thank you, sweet icecream maker, for being so patient....and for being part of this perfect day!!!

I declare today....

..... an Apostle's Creed day!

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty.
from thence he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

I need it to be about this today.

The Cajun Cleaver

I would like to introduce you to my friends, Nick and Adrienne....

And their new store.....




Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this place! If you live in my neck of the woods (you know who you are, wink wink), you can't go another WEEK without stopping in. I've told you before that I love supporting small businesses....I have a special place in my heart for the local entrepreneur. Well, I've been waiting for this little business to open up for a while now. Nick and Adrienne are my friends because we share a love of a certain little family who moved to a certain little town in North Carolina. That's all I can say on the subject without bursting into tears.


But I digress.....


The Cajun Cleaver is a specialty butcher shop PLUS plus, plus, plus, plus....

It's the PLUS that I'm most excited about.


See, I'm a mom. A rather busy mom. A mom who enjoys delicious food and entertaining and taking meals to friends. I love to cook, but sometimes it's just too darned hot hard to get my act together. I have kids and a husband who love to eat yummy food. That's where this place has swooped in to save my sanity!


Affordable, delicious, ready to pop in the oven and heat up meals! Who could ask for anything more? They have entrees, side dishes, and the greatest peanut butter pie you will ever eat (not to mention all sorts of meats and soups and sauces and gumbo)! If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen my tweets about our supper Wednesday night. My sister was coming in with all 3 of her little ones, and the last thing we had a second to do wanted to do was spend the evening in the kitchen.


After an afternoon at the pool, Lucy, Caroline and I ran down and picked up a couple of entrees (chicken tetrazzini and penne pasta with meatballs and marinara.....oh, and some sausages to grill for appetizers). For $30, I fed 6 adults and 5 kiddos.....now THAT is a deal! I plan on stopping by soon for another easy meal night!


So here's what I'm thinking.....


Why not stock up on a few meals to carry with me to the beach in a couple of weeks....how easy will that be? And next time a friend is in the hospital or has a baby, I'm stopping by to let Nick do the cooking! It's as good as homemade....maybe even better!


Just had to share this little treasure with all my local readers. Sorry if you aren't close enough to enjoy it.....maybe one day they'll franchise!!!


P.S. (for Adrienne)....the kids LOVED the meatballs. I mean L.O.V.E.D!!!! I'll call you and tell you what else they had to say....it was really funny :)