Have you ever seen anything like these???

Ok....so, this friend at church came in last night with a pair of these shoes on! They are the weirdest things I have ever seen! But, I am ALL about weird! They are called Vibram Five Fingers......I know....I don't know why "fingers"....but I would like to have some just for the conversations that they start....haha....I was reading on the website and they are supposed to improve balance and posture and strength. That is because you are basically walking barefoot. Everyone knows I need to improve balance! On the website I found them on the women's cost about....brace yourself.....$70.....I don't guess I will be getting any anytime soon....but I can dream can't I?

"Miracles Come From Heaven......Not The Hairdresser!"

I have been meaning to get on here and post this for a few days now, but haven't found the time. Last Tuesday I had the bright idea to ride with Matthew while he got his hair cut and get mine cut A LITTLE too. My cousin usually cuts mine, but it has been a WHILE and Matthew goes less than a mile down the road and that just seems SO convenient. I did struggle with the decision of letting someone that I didn't know cut my hair. Although I would not recommend this lady to anyone now, I will not mention her name, so, in my story she will be referred to as "Helen".

Helen has cut Avery and Raegan's hair once, so, I thought "no big deal, right?" .........WRONG!!!! First of all, when I sat in the chair I told her that I needed to get it cut, but that I didn't want much cut off. She turned me AWAY from the mirror and began to snip. This didn't really bother me, because I thought we had already established the fact that she was basically "trimming" my hair. I didn't think I needed to supervise.........WRONG AGAIN!! It is important that I mention that my hair is VERY thick and every time I get it cut my cousin thins it too. Well, Helen mentioned thinning it and I agreed. Maybe that is where the trouble began! We were all engaged in conversation and after a few minutes she turned me around only for me to see what NOONE wants to see when they are in THAT CHAIR!!! Believe me.....imagine the worst haircut ever and then imagine that your husband gave you that bad haircut, only with a weed eater! Seriously.....it was that bad. It was also kind of mullet-like!!! Can you imagine??? We didn't get to leave right then, because Matthew still had to get his hair cut. I can't remember exactly when I looked up at the wall to see a sign that said "Miracles come from Heaven....not the Hairdresser"...how appropriate....I took Raegan to the car and waited on Matthew to come out.I could see him laughing. I asked him how he let that happen, after all, he could see what was happening. His excuse was he didn't know what the end result was going to be. I HAD BANGS PEOPLE.......I went in with hair that was a little longer than shoulder length (all of it) , and he didn't think anything of it??? Helen did mention sometime during the scalping that she was giving me the "Egyptian haircut". I will take this time to add that I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE EGYPTIAN HAIRCUT TO ANYONE!! (unless you like mullets or haircuts from weed eaters) When Matthew got in the car I was on the verge of tears and he was laughing......he said he wasn't laughing at my hair (lie), but just that I was making him laugh by how I was describing it. He then mention that the haircut was $8....lol....We rushed home and I washed it to see if maybe it would be any better when I fixed it. It wasn't AS bad, but I still had to go get it cut again Tuesday night. I had to go to the mall and for the second time that day let a COMPLETE stranger cut my hair. She did a MUCH better job and my new haircut is actually growing on me. Matthew says that he really likes it and that the bad haircut was just a blessing in disguise. (I have been wanting to get my hair cut pretty short for a while, I just haven't had the nerve to just do it. ) Everyone I have seen says they like it.....but, most of them know the story and maybe they are just trying to make me feel better, who knows.....The whole thing is funny now, but on that day it was a NIGHTMARE!! Well, I need to go fix dinner.....
~Donna K

My children are streakers.........

I am having trouble keeping clothes and a diaper on Raegan.....and keeping her from pooping on things!! So far she has pooped in one of their little pots from their kitchen set AND in the entertainment center. I take her to the potty and show her that is where IT is SUPPOSED to go, but she hasn't done it there yet!! She will sit there a minute though. I just have to keep at it, I guess. It does get kind of embarrassing when she won't keep her shirt on in public though (that has happened a few times!! Of course, when Avery sees Raegan's shirt off she has to follow.....I don't know what the deal is with them!!

I am about to go pick Avery up from Pop and Nanny's house (that is one set of her "grandparents". They keep her every Tuesday). It has been about 3 weeks since she stayed the day with them and she was READY this morning!! That is really the only time she is away from me. It was obvious that it had been a while too. She was getting tired of me! I'm sure today did her some good!! I'm sure they loved it too!

I have a prayer request for my cousin Michael Payne. I think he is a year older than me and he has been having some heart problems. A few days ago he went to the Mayo clinic (I think he is in Boston, I'm not sure). Today he found out that he is having open heart surgery tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers that God will work through the doctors and that it will be a success. Please keep his family in your prayers also. (His wife, Meredith and their maybe 6 month old son, Ellis) I can't imagine how is parents are right now either...I'm sure I would be a nervous wreck. I just pray that they give the whole circumstance to the Lord and that whatever comes of this He will get all the glory!

Until next time.......

~Donna K

"Wires are Dange-us!!"

Avery spent the night at my sister's house Saturday night and last night when we were on our way home we saw smoke coming from behind some trees. She said "Those people better be chare-sul. We better get away som that wire. Wires are dange-us." I agreed and I thought she was changing the subject because then she said, " Aunt Wassy panked me." I said, "Well, what did you do to get spanked?" She said, "My just went outside and made a itty bitty tidy wire." (like the fire being "tiny" made it so much safer!) I said "You did?" She said, "Yeah, and I was worried about it, and I got ant bites, and Aunt Wassy panked me." (that statement cracked me up, the way she said that.....it was like she was telling me that she was really paying attention to her fire, and she even got ant bites and she STILL got a spanking!!) I was telling her that fires are dangerous and that she shouldn't be anywhere near a fire. But out of curiosity I asked her how she made the fire. She told me she used "nakes and tees" (snakes and trees) For some reason she calls sticks of wood snakes.....I have no idea why, but she has always called them that. I asked her a little later, "Now tell me again about that fire you made" She said, "I don't want to talk about that. " Later when I was trying to get her to tell Matthew about it, she told us she was just being silly in the car. I guess she was tired of talking about it and was letting me know that it wasn't true. She cracks me up with some of the things she comes up with now. She really has quite an imagination! She really thinks she is all grown up too!

I had to take Raegan to the doctor again for more mosquito bites. She is just too darn sweet for her own good!! Poor little thing. This time she got bitten inside the house I guess. The places are getting better now. I am just having to keep repellent on her all the time. I am using that Avon Skin So Soft bug repellent. It is supposed to be milder and you can apply it up to 9 times a day. So far, it is doing pretty good. I just hope it keeps working!

Please keep the Reaves family in your prayers.....I mentioned them in a previous post. Jessica went home to be with the Lord on Friday. Her funeral is today at 2. I just pray that God will wrap them up in His arms and carry them through this time!!

I need to go do some cleaning!! I hope everyone has a GREAT day!!
~Donna K

Is 2 years too young for chores????

My little helper has taken it upon herself to potty train her sister. I heard a familiar sound earlier today and asked Avery what it was. She said , "Radey is peepeeing." Raegan has a habit of taking her diaper off, so, I figured when I got to her and she was bare bottomed that she had done it herself. I said, "Raegan, why will you not leave your diaper on?" Avery said, "No, I took her diaper off." When I asked her why she said , "so she can peepee in the potty." I looked and the lid to Raegan's little potty was open. I asked Avery, "Well, did she peepee in the potty?" She said, "No, her just peepeed in the floor." It would be nice if Avery really could just handle all that potty training Raegan for me!! Which brings up my next subject. Is Avery too young to have chores? hahaha......I mean the girl helps me do EVERYTHING! She puts the silverware up when I am unloading the dishwasher. (she is so careful and she makes sure everything is in its place! note: she doesn't handle the sharp knives...if anyone was wondering) She helps me with laundry...including loading/unloading the washer, loading/unloading the dryer, folding things (which she does really well), hanging things on hangers, and putting things away! She feeds her fish and her cats. I just hope she stays driven to do those things! I hope her little sister picks up on her good habits!
Raegan has learned how to open the baby gates now! So, I have to get them VERY tight so she can't take them down! Avery had started doing that, but I finally got her to only take them down if I tell her she can. She has done good with that. Like I said before, Raegan has started taking her diaper off all the time, and it is so funny because she tries to put it back on. She practically stands on her head to get it lined up and then sits down on it. When she can't get it how she wants it she gets mad and starts over. She sits there forever doing that. It is VERY entertaining. Until next time.....

Donna K

****I also want to add a prayer request for a girl's family that goes to church with us. Her name is Jessica Reaves and she had an infection that put her in the hospital last week. The infection spread and she was unresponsive. They did surgery but found no brain activity after that. The decision was made to turn off the machine on Monday and as of today she hasn't passed away. She started breathing on her on and they said that could slow down her passing. Please pray for her family to have the peace of God to make it through this terrible time. Jessica turned 29 at the beginning of May and has been in a wheelchair from my understanding her whole life due to a problem at birth. I just know that soon she will be running and dancing in Heaven in the presence of Jesus (if she isn't already). Please just remember her family in your prayers. Her sister had a baby on May 25th just a few days before she went into the hospital. I can't imagine the roller coaster of emotions they must be feeling. ****

Back by Popular Demand!! (haha)

Ok, so, it's only been a month (exactly) since my last post....that's not too bad, right? Seriously, for those of you out there who read this (you two know who you are...lol) , I apologize for my poor blogging, or my lack of blogging! I have thought about blogging alot...I really have! I just don't ever take the time to sit down and type. I am going to try to do better though!!

Things around here have been pretty crazy lately. Raegan has been sick (both ears were infected, she had bronchitis, a stomach virus, and she's teething). To top all that off we have recently discovered that she is allergic to mosquitoes!! Her little legs look awful and I feel like people think I don't even do anything about it because of how bad they look! But she got eaten up even with repellent on. She had to be put on antibiotics because they were starting to get infected. (Even though I was trying to prevent that!) Avery and Raegan are ALWAYS together and Avery has NO bites on her. Apparently she is going to have to spend the majority of her outside time in long pants.....Bless her heart, it is already SO hot out!! By the way, if anyone has ANY suggestions for good repellent or what to do after a bite, please feel free to let me know. I just hope it is something that she will outgrow!!

Well, I guess I am finished for now....Raegan is wanting me to play with her! It want be so long until next time!!

~Donna K

"Why do you have eyeballs?"

Hey Everyone! I know it has been a few days since my last post....I had a great birthday! We went to eat at Olive Garden.....yummmmmmmy!!!! And of course, they sang to me!! I didn't really get to enjoy the singing part as much as I would have liked to because literally seconds before they walked up Raegan began to fill her diaper!! So, all I was thinking the whole time was, "They are gonna smell this ANY second." hahaha. Anyway, the food was delicious as always, and my sister and bro.-in-law got to join us, so we had fun! We finished up the night with a trip to Target (Avery LOVES Target and she suggested we go there) and then headed home.

On Tuesday, my mother and my step dad left on their trip to Israel. It was my mother's first time flying and it was an 11 1/2 hour flight! They have called home a few times and said they are really having a good time and that it is really an unbelievable experience! I can't wait to see their pictures and hear all the stories. Please keep them in your prayers for a safe trip and safe flight back home....they will be returning on May 8th.

Avery is officially in the "Why?" stage!! She asks "why?" about everything. She asked me the other day "Mommy, why do you have eyeballs?" Then when I answered her, "So, I can see." She said "Why?"....Every answer only gets another "why?" I just keep reminding myself that with every question she is learning! Right now it is still cute though, so, I don't mind it. Along with all the why questions she asks a million other questions like "who is that?", "where are they going?", "what are they doing?", "what are you doing?".....she just asks questions about everything, I knew this was coming, but I didn't know it would happen now and all at once. She just started about a week ago, and it is unreal at all the questions that she comes up with!

Avery has also started having imaginary pets! She keeps 2 ducks, 3 chickens, and 3 turtles under the sink in our bathroom. She always checks on them and feeds them and tells them to be nice to each other. Well, the other day she started getting them out. (keep in mind they are imaginary!!) At one point she ran over to kiss one because I had stepped on it. I told her to tell me next time when I got close to them so I wouldn't step on any. She wanted to take them to church Wednesday night, so, she took one duck and one turtle. She had them in one pocket of her shorts and their "wood" (food) in another pocket. (a quick story in this story.....she calls all animal food "dog wood". I asked her if the turtles were eating turtle food, because she had been calling it dog food. She said yes....later when someone asked what she was feeding them she said "turtle dog wood" hahaha) Anyway, she took them in the nursery at church and she showed a few people and fed them while we were there. It is so sweet the way she holds them up like she really does see them.......Is there a such thing as "too much of an imagination??" Surely not!!!!!

I know it seems like I talk all the time about Avery and not as much about Raegan....I promise she is not starved for attention!! I guess Avery is just at an age where she is doing so much, there is just alot to tell. Raegan is going to be a mess when she is a little older! I am sure this blog will be filled with her stories! She gets into everything! She can climb up on anything....if she can get her toe hooked on it, shortly after that she will be standing on it. Since she is so good at climbing I can't keep her contained in anything anymore. She has successfully climbed out of (at one time or another) her highchair, her walker, even her pack-n-play!!! Avery never has been a climber, so, this is all new to me! Anyway, I just wanted to make sure everyone wasn't feeling sorry for Raegan and her lack of "blog stardom"......well, I am off to do some housework....until next time.....

~Donna K