and again....

I've missed 2 months of updating....and I must say those were some jam packed months! But...I'm back...Did you miss me?? (Don't answer that...)
Well here we are at mid-February...the love month...the month of the year where on one day...the 14th...we remind our family and friends how much we love them. We should all do that daily more often...or weekly at least...but we often don't. Interested in the history of Valentine's day....before the greeting card industry helped to commercialize it?? Well it's pretty interesting....so google it! :-) And yes I know Valentines day is over....but it's still Valentine's MONTH!

Speaking of love....I love my little girl more and more everyday..if that's even possible. She's such a gift and I thank God for her everyday! Skylar is growing up way too fast....she sounds more and more like a "big gurl" as she says...than she does a 2 1/2 year old...Her latest fascinations are Tinkerbell, throwing out some Spanish words here and there just to catch us off guard, being a "princess," beating her daddy in basketball, tap shoes, her upcoming birthday..which she reminds us daily "IS MARCH 27TH," jewelery, and more Tinkerbell. Conversations with her crack me up all the time...she'll say "Hey Mommy....Soooo..What's going on??" (in her best chilln' voice) ...or she'll taste a new food...proceed to spit it out..and say.."Now THAT'S DISGUSTING!"....LOL...She also reminds us that she "is a princess, and her Daddy is the Prince," or decides that she's the "teacher"....and boy is she a bossy teacher! New things...umm...well not so new..but new to you I suppose since I haven't blogged in a while...She knows the days of the week...in order...and song that goes with it...she's learning the months of the year but I don't think she will say them all in order just yet.

She's very good at remembering EVERYTHING...and I mean everything! Oh and she has and endless fascination with glue and scissors...and crafting...fun stuff there.

Skylar loves to make up songs...her newest creation the other morning was..."I'mmmmm going to be a pppprrrriinnceesss...ohhh yeahhh...and onnnnnn myyyy birrrthhhdayyy........on Marrchhhhh twentyyyy sevenththth...I'mmm gooooinngg tooo my parrtyyyy!!!" ....and the song went on.....and on....and on.. all while dancing and twirling in the middle of the living room...nice when you never have to leave the comfort of your home for quality entertainment!

This week she's been sick unfortunately....but seems to be better now. No more fever and seems to be getting back to being Skylar. I tell you, I'd rather be sick myself 10 times over than for her to be sick at all. It's so tough to see them not feeling well. Especially at at her age!

Well weekend before last we got to go see Blaine play basketball and spend the morning through lunchtime with Blaine, Shelby and Ken&Dawn. Was a great time! They always love spending together when we get the chance!

Last weekend we had a great time at one of her friend's (Meredith) bday parties at Gymboree. Awesome kid, has to be with a name like Meredith ;-) Skylar really enjoyed herself and we did too. Thursday night (last night) she had dance. She did a fabulous job with both the tap and ballet segments and seems to continue to enjoy her time there. This weekend..MOMMY is very excited b/c Skylar will start a mini-soccer clinic. It's just 3 weeks, 3 classes, but it should be fun and we'll see how she likes it. So far she enjoys kicking around with me in the back yard and trying to score goals....but we may have a future keeper on our hands...she does so love to pick up the ball and throw it...lol...so I've told her to pretend it's 'hot' and she can only touch it with her feet. We'll see how that goes!

Well I hope to post more updates soon and time permitting, I'll be better at blogging again! But for now, life is good, and I'm thanking God everyday for all the blessings in our lives!

The weekend......

So this past weekend we had a Thanksgiving celebration with some friends. Joining the party were The Urban's, Riffle's, Mamo's, Eshelman's, Prince's, 2 of the Byzek fam, and the Sperry's for a brief visit. Of course, Randy, Skylar, myself, and Caffrey as well :-) So needless to say we had lots of kiddos (and a crazy puppy who we had to eventually gate in on the deck) running around. (ages 3 1/2 down to 7 months). Randy fried a turkey and grilled a pork loin. Everyone else brought the yummy side dishes and desserts. Kim R and I had planned some craft time for the kids......but...the weather was beautiful so the kids played outside and on the swing set until dark...figured we'd let them run out some excess energy....after our insanely wonderful dinner....I brought out the markers, crayons, stickers, and paper bags for the kids to decorate their "Indian vests"....you remember those from your younger years right??? You know you do...and those odd pilgrim and Indian hats we all made in school every year. Well...our attempt at the vests turned into the kids just having fun decorating the bags...(and themselves in some cases!) They had a great time....Kim R also brought a fun craft..she printed out turkeys and the kids were going to use their fingerprints (with washable finger paint of course) to make the feathers....but unfortunately it was getting late and we didn't get to it....so she sent them home with the kids and their parents to do! Skylar was sad to see everyone leave...and as usual wouldn't tell them bye until they were out the door...(she doesn't like to tell people bye if she doesn't want them to leave)....and she sure was enjoying the time with her friends! Everyone seemed to have a fantastic time, I know we did...and we're so thankful for our wonderful friends....Sunday morning we were up and out the door headed to church by 8:45....then we came home and had the Sperry's over for lunch with all our pork loin and turkey leftovers!! After naptime, Skylar and I played and Randy decided to cook some fresh collards for dinner...I sent him outside for that task...b/c I HATE the smell of them cooking :-) He was happy to cook outside and built an awesome fire for us to sit around while he was cooking. The Sperry's and Stewart joined us that evening...Skylar loved the "campfire"....and as I mentioned we needed some marshmallows to roast..Skylar pipes in with "Yes!! and I want to eat them!" I don't know that my child has ever even had marshmallows....so that was pretty funny to me. We had some playtime with Lily and another nice dinner that evening. After that we were all ready for bed!! Such a fun weekend and we were ready to get some rest!

Soooo...the holidays are approaching and I get extremely excited this time of year...I love every bit of the chaos...more post to come on upcoming events...but Skylar is getting excited too....about all the sales papers! LOL...She loves looking at all the Christmas stuff in the papers and she says she's "reading a story." She'll even bring the sales magazines to me so that I can read her the "story"...which MUST START WITH "Once Upon a Time...." and MUST end with "The End".....apparently that's a new reading requirement I've just been informed about...per Skylar......well have you ever tried to make a story out of pics in newspaper..magazine..or catalog...give it a shot....it's quite entertaining. And every person in the pictures has to have a name....another Skylar requirement....And......she must find Santa in every paper..just to make sure he's ok..and not sneaking up on her....She's not a Santa fan...by any means...but likes to find him in books and on paper...and she's ok with him there. Should be interesting shopping this year!! She loves the decor, the lights, etc...but you can scratch the big blow up Santa's....and that's ok with me...I'm good with the fact that she likes her little manger scene most of all.....and she likes any noisy decorations that are smaller than she is...the bigger ones..not so much. So anyway.....we are looking forward to seeing family and friends over the next two months and catching up, enjoying some time together, eating yummy food....and remembering all that we have to be thankful for!

One more thing..

Mike's sermon last Sunday......

http://gethope-ministries.net/podcasts/mp3s/hcc-sermons-20081102-lee.mp3

The Verdict is IN.......

WEll well well....we have a Democratic President, and the Dems have the majority in the House and the Senate....It's a scary day in history isn't it. So what are we in for? Well...that remains to be seen. I would tell you that the continuation of extreme liberal thinking (and taking God out of everything) in America has gotten us...ohhhhh...a higher crime rate, more teen pregnancy and un-wed mothers, more innocent babies killed at the hands of abortionists, a generation of young adults and children who don't know the true history of America, gangs galore, illegal immigrants, split families, abuse of horrific natures, more poverty, more people depending on government hand outs....I could go on and on and on......but I'll stop there. It is what it is. And if you are a believer, a Christ-follower, then you know God has a plan and He never said we'd understand it. But know that He is in control. It's hard to swallow, I know...it's an everyday struggle for me too. But what we can't do is let evil and corruption disrupt us in our service for God and love for our families. (Granted I do have some relatives whom I SURE were adopted....lol...kidding..sort of.) This election was very different from others. It has divided friends, families, states, and our country to an extent. That's Satan at work. Soooo,....what must we do...We must NOT let politics run our lives or ruin relationships. We must agree to disagree and pray for those that don't share our beliefs in faith and family. As much as I disagree with Obama and his view on politics (ie.socialism) and life in general, I can still pray that God will change his heart in so many ways for the good of our nation. For those of you on the right side of the fence with me, it's our responsibility to make the real difference in the lives of others. Sure..I'm ticked with the election results....and how blind our nation is....but what kind of example would we set as Christians if we turn our backs on those that don't hold our views. We should embrace the challenge, pray for them, let God grab their heart through something in their own daily lives. It's not our job save the world, it is our job to be the hands and feet of God...stand up for our beliefs and be His workers on earth. The changes in Government will affect all of us in some way or another. But changing the life of a human being through compassion, giving of your time, donating to worthy causes, and ultimately serving God is way more important and serves a heavenly purpose...not an earthly one....Living in a country where we can worship God, is something we can be thankful for. (Though it's getting tougher and tougher with all the "pc" bull, but we are still free to worship as we see fit.) That said, I would encourage you to check your political hats at the coat room and enter into this holiday season giving Thanks for our blessings, find a way to serve God by making a difference in someones life, and being humbled by the fact that you are in good health and have a family (however crazy it may be) and a home where memories can be made. I know too many people going through far worse circumstances than I ever care to imagine....and I personally feel blessed to have the life that I do. And I know what I do with my own life and for others....is more important than anything any politician will ever do. We as Christians are the true change makers....I agree with Gandhi on this..." You must be the change you wish to see in the world" -M.G.

Catching up......

Has it really been so long since I last posted!??? Wow...time flys...and once again, we've been on the go. Since I last posted....we've.......celebrated my brother's birthday, celebrated my birthday, took a trip to Hillridge farm with friends, visited with my parents, brother, and grandparents in Henderson, (where I must add...Randy, Skylar and myself made our first apple pie....it was a family effort...and quite tastey!!...(AND..MADE with splenda...)spent some time with friends, visited with Randy's parents and his grandmother.......(all this over several different days and weekends of course)....ummm....attended and continue to attend Skylar's tap/ballet class weekly....spent some more time with some other friends.....did some trick or treating......had a party at Skylar's school.....(where she had treats so tasty she didn't want to leave any on her mouth as you can see in the pic)..did some trick or treating....or..."trick o treatttyyy" as Skylar would say.........went to church.....oh and worked...I guess I should count that too....afterall...Randy & I both spend (thankfully of course) 8-9 hours a day (or more) working M-F........

:-) (Actually we're always working...on something......but the 40-50 hrs I'm speaking of...we get paid to work..lol) Don't get me wrong...if I ever hit the lottery.....I'll gladly let someone else do my job...but until then, I'm thankful I am employed! AND...b/c I don't have hours of free time to explain all our adventures, I'll promise to be better at posting from now on.....now that I've caught you all up to date :-) Sooooo........tomorrow is the big election day........I must say...I'm ready for it to be over. If you don't know by now....I support the following....McCrory, Dole, McCain/Palin. And hopefully you do too. That's all I'm going to say about that. I've got more interesting things to talk about....like my sweet little girl! :-) Who by the way....will tell you "Jesus loves you.." when you are telling her to stop jumping on the bed, or correcting her behavior....how's that for a new take on back-talk!

So Skylar is growing more and more each day. Way too fast for our liking! We're beginning to wonder if she has a photographic memory (kidding........sort of..)....which would be really cool....or scary...not sure which....She at least has an amazing memory....I hear other toddlers do as well...but it still shocks me day after day the things she recalls.....Skylar wore a necklace to church yesterday that Randy's grandmother "great granny" gave her...Welll....she looks down at the necklace and says..."OHHH It's beautiful...just like Grandma's!" She was referring to the necklace my grandmother Pulley had on last weekend when we visited. We didn't even know that she had noticed Grandma's necklace!! The other day she told us "I need to see Katelyn in the blue shirt..." "Katelyn that went to the pumpkin farm".....This was a couple weeks after we all went to Hillridge with friends and Katelyn did indeed wear a blue jacket that day!! I can't remember what I wore yesterday...much less what someone else wore weeks ago! Kids are so much smarter than I think we all realize sometimes....that's why it's so important for us to be the best parents we can be and be a Christ-centered family. We'll never be perfect...but if we keep in our minds a song a friend of mine sang once...."Lord I wanna be just like You....cause She wants to be just like me...Make me a holy example for her little eyes to see...." it sure can be a good reminder to walk the walk if you're gonna talk the talk.....and so we try......and sometimes we fail...but you just pray the successes are many and failures are few. And pray for patience...I'm thankful God gave me a heart for children....and the patience that's needed to raise the miracle he blessed us with....Because my child suurrreee does test my patience!! She's got a mind of her own...strong-willed...I know that's characteristic of a strong leader....but gracious...some days I could do with a little less testing! :-) She makes me laugh so hard my tummy hurts some days because in trying to get her to do what I want her to do sometimes, she does the exact opposite...and with flair....and comes up with the funniest things to distract me...( I know I know...easily distracted...so what...) AND..It doesn't help matters when Randy just laughs and says "what a Little Meredith...now you know what you did to your mom!".... blah blah blah....notttttttt funny! :-p Don't get me wrong...she's the sweetest, cuddling, loving child...but she IS 2 1/2....going on 5 1/2 ...or so she thinks. Soooo..what's new with Skylar....well...she can count to 20 something now....in English....and a variation of 1-10 in Spanish....She'll say a few Spanish phrases....like a few weeks ago...She hands Randy something to open and says "Daddy..open this POR FAVOR!"...yes....our mouths dropped open and our eyes were saucers....cracked us up....anyhow...she's known her abc's/colors for quite sometime...she still loves sign language...and she love to sing/ perform...when she's in the mood...on her terms of course, and ALWAYS with a microphone! She seems to know a lot of her letters (as in if you show her a flash card...she'll tell you the letter...says A for Apple....H for horse...stuff like that.) Skylar seems to be gravitating to the world of Wolfpack mania...I'm trying to pull her to the UNC side....but she just throws up the Wolf sign with a "WHOOOOOOO!"....Oh well...at least she'll still be a Cowboy's fan! She's defnitely a sports fan...(Thank you God!) She's pretty much addicted to wearing flip-flops...loves dressing up....uses her manners most days....and let's not forget...loves to create masterpieces....artwork that is....and will happily take it to the fridge...(if she put it on actual paper and not herself, the wall, carpet or sidewalks)...and will put the paper on the fridge to display her work of art! There's never a dull moment with Skylar around we absolutely LOVE every minute...even through the tough "I'm not napping today" days...at some point...she makes us smile and melts our hearts.

As she was saying her prayers the other night....she thanked God for the following "spiders, mosquitoes, snakes, ants, ....and ladybugs...." I had to think for a minute...is she really THANKING God for these things I detest!!...(aside from ladybugs..they're ok)....she sure did....and ended with a loud AMEN!....I don't know why in the world she chose those....(b/c I prefer to squish and stomp those critters) but seeing life through the eyes of a child sure reminded me......Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"-----Go read for yourself....a great passage to think about, especially right now.......with our country and our leaders being in need of prayer......Toddlers sure are good teachers aren't they!

Walk For Hope 2008

Friends and Family,
Hi, on Sunday October 12th I plan to join thousands of others who will participate in the 20th Annual Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope. The Walk for Hope is 10k walk that raises funds to promote scientific research into the causes, cures and to discover more effective treatment of mental illness.
Please consider making a contribution to these research efforts and help me reach my personal goal.
Anyone who donates $20 or more will be entered into a raffle for DINNER FOR FOUR AT BELLA MONICA in Raleigh!" Yum! Every $20 contribution secures a raffle entry so if someone contributes $40 to my walk, they would be entered twice.

Examples of supported effortsThyroid Serotonin Drug Therapies Depression Insulin Oxytocin Anorexia Social Phobias
Autism Women's mood disorders (pregnancy and postpartum) Early life traumatic events Schizophrenia PMS Children diagnosed with various disorders Special gifts to non-profit organizations: Hope Line Threshold Atlantic House Cooper Riis Lucy Daniels
It is easy, just click on the link below and use my walker code of MEREDITH.
http://www.walkforhope.com/donate.aspx?TheCode=MEREDITH
Many thanks for your support!
Meredith P Hodges

Letter.....

So a dear friend of mine sent this to me...and I loved it...and agree with the author...and I felt like posting it. So here it is.......

Email :
All-I received this email from a friend. I hope you will take the time to read it as it's one of THE best letters I've read yet. Granted, I don't know "Joe Porter" from "Joe Blow," (although I did research and found a Joe Porter in Cham.,IL)BUT either way--it's a great letter with great points, well written, and everyone should read...Enjoy! -CbD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Friends:My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign, Illinois. I'm 46 years old, a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't believe there are "two Americas" - but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be if they'll just work to get there -and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.
The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working, tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called "news", thinking that what they hear is always spun by whomever is reporting it. They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more government programs.
We are in the unique position in this country of electing our leaders. It's a privilege to do so. I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on everything. I'll wager that most of us don't even agree with our families or spouses 100% of the time. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified for the job. I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially that's what an election is - a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?
I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it "change"."Change what?," I ask."Well, we're going to change America," they say."In what way?", I query."We want someone new and fresh in the White House," they exclaim."So, someone who's not a politician?" I press.
"Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama," they state."So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enableda man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?" I say."No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change."
And so it goes. "Change we can believe in." Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois, so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a lot of stuff. Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth - other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.
We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a moment. Put it all aside. Then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?
CHANGE WHAT?
Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who aresupporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidencedby the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spellout his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he should be elected. Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton, look it up onhe web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes. For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.
Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago? Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep. 6,000 meals, give or take. John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began.
Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.
Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq. Barack Obama is fond of saying "We honor John McCain's service.BUT.", which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, "Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change."
I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America, and there's a huge difference. Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to Congress in 1982.
Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybethey don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe "likeability" is a higher priority for them than "trust". Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.
Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, "Enough." It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.
There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country. I want a President who's qualified to lead.I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.