Spending Time With AHB And My Girls

AHB who is into sucking in his bottom lip and blowing bubbles.

He got his first tooth this week.

Leslie Mavis Biggs grew up next door to us when we lived in our first home in Fayetteville. They just happened to go to the same Lutheran church we did. I met Leslie when she was in second grade. At that time we only had Lindsay Ann. Soon Britta came along. Leslie would come over in the mornings before school and I would fix her hair (her mother left early, she's a nurse). In the afternoons Leslie would come over and help me out with the girls, some days she was such a God send. Leslie and I have been good friends ever since. Eight months ago she and her husband Todd had Aidan Harper Biggs. I have the privledge of being his Godmother. This afternoon we got to babysit Aidan. Usually his Grandma and Pops watch him when Leslie has her work weekends (she's a nurse too). Grandma (Bonnie) and Pops (Bill) watch Aidan every other weekend 6:00 am to 7:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday. They had to leave early today so we got to watch AHB, this is what we call him sometimes. Lindsay Ann and Eric were in town to celebrate Nana's 88th birthday, she is Eric's Grandmother. They came over and spent a couple of hours with us while we watched Aidan. It was fun to get to spend so much time with Aidan. We made dinner and when Leslie and Todd got home from work we all ate the barbacue, macaroni and cheese, broccoli cornbread and coleslaw we had brought with us.

Eric feeding Aidan.

Lacey Kate rocking Aidan to sleep

Lindsay Ann , AHB and Patches

Only in south Fayette County can you find a horse in your own cul-de-sac.

Broccoli Cornbread

1 Pkg chopped broccoli thawed and drained.

1 large chopped onion

4 eggs beaten

6 oz. of sour cream

1 tsp. of salt

1 stick of butter or margarine melted

1 Box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

9x13 greased pan

Bake 15-25 min. at 400

Absent-minded teenagers!

On Tuesday I met the girls at Todd and Leslie's for dinner. Todd was nice and picked the girls up from our house at 4:00 and brought them to his. We were serving our plates around 6:00 and Lacey turned to me and gasped..I left the cupcakes in the oven!! We live 30 minutes away so I was not sure what to do. Lacey called her friend Alexis and she drove over in her golf cart and saved the day!!

Alexis' at our oven (reenactment photo)

A few of the victims

Cute note Alexis left for Lacey!

We are so glad Alexis could help us out, no telling what would have happened, as is it took 2 days of airing out and washing to make the house bearable.

Lacey and Alexis

My/Our greatest accomplishment...I hope and pray!!

Recently Lacey Kate and I had a disagreement. I expressed my feelings and Lacey told me hers. It wasn't pretty, very real. Lacey stormed off to her room. Shortly after that she reappeared threw a note in my lap and went back to her room. To my surprise....Lacey Kate who is often difficult to deal with and seems superficial, left me with a very humbling letter. In those pages I found someone I knew was there ,but wasn't sure she knew. Lacey Kate is very smart, but finds the easy way out of much of life's responsibilities, or so I thought. It seems from her letter she is much more aware of the conflict between us than I thought. I've read and experienced that being 13 is not easy. Maybe it is not easy, because beneath that blossming teenager is someone we will be very proud to know, but we have not allowed ourselves to see. With this letter I was allowed to see that beneath all the ugly looks and sighs is a deep well thought out person who is really trying. Lacey Kate is the baby. I feel accomplished as I have two very wonderful women, one almost grown (Britta) and one grown into a wonderful beauty (Lindsay Ann). I am learning and I am humbled by Lacey Kate. Hopefully and prayerfully she will be my greatest accomplishment as a mother. I can not claim Lacey Kate's accomplishments as my own, as her sisters have helped me to raise yet another future "Hallberg" woman!! One of my dearest friends, Gena recently was taken aback by a photo of Lacey Kate...she could not believe the resemblence of Lacey Kate to me when I was a young adult. I hope Lacey appreciates this...I have been very blessed by God, I was blessed with good looks and eventually learned God had given me brains too! What I wish most for Lacey Kate is for her to love herself and be content in the gifts God has given her and never settle for less. I want her to feel confident in Gods love.

Eric's 25th Birthday!

Lindsay Ann and Eric's house decorated for the party.

Eric blowing out his candle, 25 years, wow!

Fabulous coconut cake Eric's mom made.

Mr Hammarlund, Bryan and his girlfriend Melody

Kendall, Britta, and Lacey

Hannah, Lexie, Lindsay Ann and Lauren

Lindsay Ann's four best friends!

Eric, Jan and Lincoln

Me and My girls

Britta, Kendall, Lindsay Ann, Lacey Kate

Yesterday we started the day shopping for Eric's birthday gifts. We had fun because we used gifts as the wrapping. Britta put her Itunes gift card inside two really cool black and white cereal bowls taped together like a big easter egg. Kendall made homemade oatmeal cookies(Eric's favorites). We purchased a really cool bowl in a rod iron stand to put the cookies in. Then we went to Buckhead to pick up my Mom and then headed to Athens for the party. There were over 28 people there, young and old. The food was fabulous, bacon wrapped shrimp, potato salad, several yummy dips, hot dogs and hamburgers. We had a great time! Eric got some great gifts. We left out a little early for the long drive home, fortunately the rain that was expected did not arrive so the drive was good. Dropped my Mom off and made it home around 11:30. Family get togethers are so important to staying connected!

All is well!

Everyone in my family survived the storm! Being a insurance agent, today was a crazy crazy day! Most of the claims were hail damage, big hail damage, a lot of cars will be totalled! Fortunately I work for Nationwide and they take care of their clients!

Hail!!

A bunch of these just hit my house! Fortunately it did not damage my car! What a fun way to spend the evening. Now I am waiting to see if my family survives this. The storm is headed toward Atlanta, where Britta is and Athens where Lindsay Ann is, needless to say I am praying for everyones safety!

Little things!

Saturday we were up and off early! I put Kendall and Lacey on a plane to spend the week with their grandparents. Then Britta and I head off to a doll house show. My Mom built and gave the pink house above as a present to Britta when she was little. Britta has just recently reconnected with it and wants to put her touches on it. A show seemed the best way to let her see just what is available. She bought a few things, a tiny scaled Krispy Kreme donut box, 2 donuts, a cake tray, and cake to honor her love of baking. It was fun to watch her take in all the possibilities. I have one room that I decorated a long time ago, which I share below. I love little things!

The weekend has come to an end, I've taken Britta back to GSU, Kendall and Lacey are safely with their grandparents. Now as I prepare for the new week, I realize that it's been a year since I have been completely by myself!! Being a Mom I am on 24/7/365. Being a single Mom with an absent father, I don't have anyone to share the responsibilities, concerns and well-being of my children with. I love being with my children, but a little space is always healthy, so I look forward to my little break.

A Curtain Raising not a Barn Raising!

Handy Man Eric

Me and Jan

Pam and Kendall

Yesterday we had a fun day! Britta, Kendall, Lacey and I load up and drove to Stone Mountain and picked up Jan and then we headed off to Athens. Trying to get 5 women ready and all the sewing gear loaded and on the road was an event in itself. We went to Athens to have a curtain making day. Jan (my cousin) and I sewed while Kendall, Lacey and Pam(Eric's Mom) ironed and trimmed. Eric put the hardware up for the curtains. We were lucky because Jan had most of the fabric from making curtains for her son David's house, we bought the black and white fabric and trim so we made this a very cost effective project. Britta had the task of doing "geek" work on the computer and ipod for Eric. Lindsay Ann made the most incredible lunch, wonderful chicken soup, strawberry salad and dirt cake for dessert. Lindsay Ann and Eric liked the curtains so the day was a success!! We have more to make but we made a good start!

Kitchen Door Curtain

Kitchen Sink Curtain

Pull Back Ties for Living and Dining Room Curtains

Living Room