Long Weekends

Long weekends are awesome. You're probably thinking that since I don't have a paying job (notice I said paying) everyday should seem like the weekend, right? No. I love the weekends because Ross is home and we hang out and do silly stuff, like play nintendo, run with the dog in the backyard and play with Jude. This weekend was a blast. My mom, Phil and Jessie came out and stayed a night. We ate, watched a movie, went to church, ate some more...it was fun. I didn't take any pictures, sadly. I was off my game. Anyway, we went to Shogun last night. The food and show were really good, but Jude screamed the whole time which made the experience not as fun. After awhile, the waitress came over and took him out of Ross' arms, and with an apprehensive look on his face, handed Jude over. The waitress got him to sleep in no time. So, not only do you get good service with a smile, you get a baby sitter who will put your kid to sleep for you. Sweet!

Today was great. Ross got up with Jude and let me sleep in, which was fantastic. Then we just hung out. We were in our pjs until 1 this afternoon! Here are Jude and his daddy hanging out.

Jude likes to hang out naked...
...and make really funny faces...
Earlier in the week while we were having back/tummy time, Fiona came to join us...


And now since I can upload videos, here are a few...

A short clip of Jude at 3 months, he really likes to eat his fists--




Here is Jude helping Daddy make some music...

The best ad ever

Today I was looking at the pet classifieds in one of those annoying free papers that gets thrown on our driveway every other day it seems and I came across this ad...

--SIBERIAN HUSKY, female, black and white, blue eyes, 42lbs, gentle, intelligent, energetic, housebroken, no papers, $200 or will trade for armoire, nightstands.-- (I added in the bold)

Wow. This person wants to trade their dog for some furniture. That's classic. I crack up every time I read it. My sister suggested I send it in to Letterman. I may do it!

So, if you have an armoire and nightstands and want a husky, you're in luck!

Friends...continued

I've been thinking about this friend thing. What makes a good friend? What better place to look for answers than my Bible. Here is what I read...

Prov. 17:17 says that a friend loves at all times

Prov. 18:24 says a friend sticks closer than a brother

Prov. 27:10 says never to forsake your friend

John 15:13 says that there is no greater love than to lay your life down for your friends

James 4:4 says that being a friend of the world means being an enemy of God

Jesus was/is a friend to sinners.

Jesus had a close, selfless friendship with His disciples.

What I didn't find in any of the verses I looked at was anything pointing back to self. It didn't say "friends are those who are there when you need them" or anything like that. I think mostly we think about what our friends do for us, rather than what we will do for them. Is this how it should be? I don't think so. Is this how I am? Sometimes. More times than I'd like to admit. Just something to think about.

Anyway, I gotta go...I've been on the computer way too much today!

Friends

I find that the older I get, the harder it is to find true friends. Today for a particular reason I have just been thinking about friendship and what friendship really means. I am finding out what it means. I think about the 2 best friends that I have, Ross and my sister, and what makes them good friends. I don't know too many people who will put someone above themselves, but my husband is one of those people. He knows me, the good and the bad, and he loves me through it all. And of course we talk about everything! He is the person I share my thoughts, hopes, dreams, disappointments, hurts, frustrations, not to mention my joys with....and more. He encourages, supports me and genuinely cares for me. There are so many things that make him a good friend. Much more than I can name here. He is truly the greatest man I have ever known. And then I think about my sister who is a good friend, but in a different way. We share this bond, I can't describe it. She understands me and supports me as well. If I needed her, she would be there no matter what. And I can talk to her about anything. Of course there are many more reasons, those are just the first that pop into my head. I just keep thinking about those things and what it means for me to be a good friend, too. I hope I am as good a friend to them as they are to me.

I also find that people that I once thought were true friends really aren't. I guess our definition of friend changes as we get older because we change. What we once had in common with someone, we may not have in common with years later. Sometimes I get sad when thinking about this, but then I remember that change is good. I am so glad I am not the person I was 5 years ago.

True friends are hard to find. I am so very blessed to have the friends I do have in my life.

Oh, and update on Little Dog (the stray dog we picked up this weekend--see the post below). The lady with the rescue came and picked him up tonight and says she will find him a foster home and in the future, a forever home. Yay! I am so glad. But Fiona misses her buddy. She was whining and kept looking out the window expecting him to come back. So sad. Hopefully we will be able to get her a boxer buddy real soon.

Fun Family Times

Today we were at my aunt's in Blytheville for our annual family cookout. It's always so awesome to go and spend time with them because I only get to see them a few times a year. We ate some good burgers, laughed, sang and enjoyed each other's company. And I even played the autoharp a little. I tell ya, the wind didn't make it easy for us though, it was so windy!

We also have acquired a stray dog. He was wandering around my aunt's house and he was so hungry and skinny, we felt bad leaving him there. And he is so cute! So, we brought him home and he was real wary of Fiona at first. She is a pretty big spaz around other doggies. At least right at first. But, they've been out in the backyard playing off and on for awhile. Fiona is super excited about him being here. He doesn't seem as excited. But, that's usually the way it goes when we get her around other dogs. She loves playing with them, but she also just gets on their nerves. We are treating him for his fleas and ticks and hopefully he'll be rid of those nasty things soon. I'm not sure we're going to keep him, though. I really have my heart set on getting a brindle colored boxer whenever we decide to get another dog. I contacted the owner of a rescue here in town to see if she can find him a home. We'll see how things work out. Here is the little guy...



Oh, and here are some pictures of Jude that I took yesterday.
Here he was chillin on the couch like grown folks...

Too long

It's been awhile since I've posted. Mainly because I haven't had time and I used to post at 3am when Jude wasn't sleeping, but that has changed. More about that later. :) Last weekend for Mother's day we spent the weekend in Memphis. It was really a good time. My sister got me a spa day at Gould's! She wants us to go together, which will be super fun. I was just telling her a few weeks ago that I need a spa day or something to pamper myself. I definitely need to recharge. She said she had already been planning this, how sneaky. She really is the best sister ever. So, the next time I go to Memphis, I will get a massage or facial, manicure and pedicure! Anyone who is a new mom understands how important this is. I haven't felt like a woman in a long time. I just feel like a mom.

Something new and exciting, Jude is sleeping through the night! We started a bedtime routine and a few other things and viola! He's sleeping about 12 hours a night now. I tell ya, getting sleep makes all the difference in the world. It's such a blessing. And, I started exercising this week. I decided it was time to get the baby weight off! Hopefully that will start paying off soon.

I need to post some new pics. Some of these are random, some are from this past weekend. Enjoy!

Chillin naked...

He was not happy here...

Jude and his daddy...

This is a new fashion statement...

These 2 pictures are funny. Here is Jude sleeping on his daddy...
And the close up...so sweet!

Cute face, he couldn't figure out what the camera was in his face...

Smiling so big!

More big smiles!

All the rest following are from our Memphis trip this past weekend.


He has started sucking his thumb. Too cute.


The girls....and Shawn! :)

Jude and his Nanny

Shawn and I. He is getting so big and so cute!!

There's always time for silliness...

More silly time

Eek!

I love my family.

Jess, Sissy and Jude

Jess and Jude (yes, he has a serious double chin. Ross calls him King of the Double Chins!)

More of Jess and Jude


Jude and his Gammy