Apparently...

I like to change the appearance of our blog more than I like to publish posts on it.  

Actually, it's just easier to play around on the computer with 1 hand while holding a baby (or a big boy) with the other (although MckMama makes it seem so easy)! I know this for a fact because I'm bobbling a half-asleep baby's head as I type this, and keep noticing myself sticking my tongue out just a little bit in an attempt to hold my mouth just right! 

Wow! I've got a lot of catching up to do... 

The first weekend after Thomas, Ms. Dot came to our house!  We had a GREAT time hanging out with Gigi, & the boys LOVED having her all to themselves.  I thought Eli was going to wear her out the first day she was here... He and Sam are a lot heavier than their cousins!

The next weekend was Easter, and it was great! Clay, Jeri Ann, and the boys came to visit and the boys all had a blast playing and doing Easter stuff together.  We went to the preschool Easter egg hunt at our church- the boys were in heaven because the eggs were hidden on the playground... Double fun! We even got really brave (crazy?) and dyed Easter eggs together.  The boys actually did very well, but didn't understand much about eggs.  Eli proudly displayed his blue egg for about 2 seconds before putting it on the table and smushing it with his hand.  Mack decided his egg needed to go in the green dye and the orange, so it turned a really neat color, until he decided to "peel" it.

I've been having trouble with my camera, so any pictures I take at more than 6 feet away from the subject are blurry. So the only pics I have to share this time are of Eli on Easter morning... complete with reindeer pajamas that are just a wee bit snug! (He gets to choose his pj's these days, and those accidentally found their way back into the drawer.)  I also got to the church that morning only to realize that I had the camera bag, but no camera! (Grant goes to the church at about 6 on Sunday mornings, so the plan was to get a family Easter photo at church.) 

Maybe I can get everybody to wear their Easter clothes at the same time again and "stage" a picture...  Also, I have no Easter pictures of Sam because he slept through the egg hunt, at least until I gave up on taking pictures... Maybe my sweet friend Amanda is still willing to share some of her pics? And then again on Easter morning, he slept until the very last second before church... Then spit up on his outfit at church.... I stink at pictures, especially with a messed up camera!

Then, my mom came the next weekend! We had so much fun, and actually remembered to take pictures, but used her camera, so I guess I stink again... Sorry!

I do have a funny story to share, though.  I know this is really long, so I'll try to make it as quick as possible:

A couple months ago, Grant had to go out of town for the weekend and I decided to take the boys to see my family.  It was our first trip (5 hours one-way, but who's counting?) with just the 3 of us, but we made it there fine! Then, on the way back, the boys were traveling well again, but there was a winter storm that had brought some fierce winds, and I had to fight hard to keep the truck on the road all day long.  Well, I was about an hour away from home when the wind suddenly let up, and I realized that I was going fast (because there was no longer a headwind to push against).  The problem is, there just so happened to be a State Trooper at the bottom of that very hill when I topped it at 87 miles an hour... and Grant had both of the insurance cards for the truck in his wallet.  So I got $800 worth of tickets, but the officer told me that I could go to the court date with the insurance card & I wouldn't have to pay for that one...

Fast forward 1 month... I worked Wednesday night (after staying up all day, of course), came home Thursday morning & took a 1 hr nap, then got up, got ready, and traveled to Grenada for court.   After 2 1/2 hours of watching people go before the judge and then to pay their fines, they finally called my name, and I approached the bench.  

The judge said, "So it looks like you got 2 tickets: One for speeding, and one for no insurance.  Do you have proof of insurance for that date?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Well, since you had insurance at the time, I can waive this ticket... But you still have to pay $100 for not having your card in the vehicle with you... Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Really? That's okay with you?"

"Well, I guess it has to be!"

"Aw, don't worry about that one... Now tell me (leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, as he announces to the entire courtroom), why in the world were you going 87 miles an hour in a 70 mile an hour zone? I know you've got a good reason!"

(First of all, I was just planning on paying that one, so I hadn't really planned out a quick, to the point explanation.  Secondly, for those of you who haven't seen me in a while, my Southern drawl is still intact, and it gets "thicker and thicker" as I get sleepy.)

"Weeellllll...."

"Wellll?" (still leaning back, arms folded, waiting on my story)

"It was reee-yall windy..."

At that point, he burst into laughter and cut me off, "Jim, get up here... What's my policy when I hear an excuse I've never heard before?"

(Jim) "You let 'em go... But I gotta hear it!"

(announcing to the entire courtroom and using hand gestures for emphasis) "It was REALLLL windy, and the wind was just PUSHING her truck, making it go 87 miles an hour!"

At that point, the entire courtroom full of people was laughing at me, and I was still standing before the judge, completely embarrassed and trying to figure out what I was supposed to do... And the judge, still cracking up, said, "Get outta here, girl! But don't ever use that one again!"  So I laughed my way out of the courtroom... So thankful for mercy... And thinking my accent may be good for something!