Happy 8th Birthday, Baby Girl!

Addie awoke this morning to balloons and banners strewn across her room! She is officially 8 years old TODAY! It's hard to believe that it had been 8 years since she was born! I vividly remember the day she was born. It was raining cats and dogs- raining so hard in fact, that schools were closed due to flooding!

Today, Addie is a vivacious, happy, eager to please, strong-willed, intelligent young lady! She loves Hannah Montana and Webkinz. You never have to worry that Addie is not going to do a job well. She sets consistently high standards for herself. Her handwriting in second grade is better than her teacher's writing. When Addie wakes up in the morning, the first thing she does is make up her bed. She arranges her stuffed animals and pillows just the way she likes them, then gets dressed in the sassy, little outfit she's laid out the night before...She told me this morning that she has 17 pairs of shoes! I don't even have that many shoes! Fortunately for Addie, her cousin, Natalie keeps her well-supplied with cute clothes and shoes galore!

Grandmom picked Addie up from school today and took her out for TCBY and a trip to Lily's Bead Box to create some earrings and a necklace. Addie came home grinning from ear(ring) to ear(ring)! I'm thankful to have my mom and dad so close. Then we loaded up in the car and headed out to her birthday restaurant of choice- Mr. Gatti's! Chelcie tried to talk her into Regas, but Addie would not be swayed! Lucky for the birthday girl, her BFF, Taylor was there with her family and stayed to help us celebrate. Drew was at the Bearden Track Banquet and Tom was in Jackson, Tennessee doing some work, so it was just the girls plus Sam, who didn't seem to mind. The highlight of Sam's trip was finding an unexpected smiley face in his Coca-Cola cup. I've attached a picture, but I don't think the picture does the smiley justice! Addie's highlight was her bright pink, #4 soccer ball and her Enchanted game for her Nintendo DS. She was pretty pumped about the whole day!

Once we got back home, Addie made a few phone calls to collect her pledges from the Fun Run. She managed to squeeze $97.00 out of the grandparents, Ed, and me. I paid Tom's bill for him, so hopefully I'll be able to recoup some of my $57 donation to Lotts Elementary! So much for FREE public education!

Now it's time for bedtime prayers, so I'll have to close with this: Addie, I'm so proud of you! You are a light in my day! You are beautful and smart. You are creative, imaginative, thoughtful and loving. I'm so glad God allowed me the privilege of being your mom! I love my 8 year old daughter!!!

Soccer, Baccalaureate, Soccer, Birthday, Soccer...Did I Mention Soccer?

Take a breath because the weekend was a whirlwind of activity! Ready? Here we go! Friday started off great with a cinnamon crunch bagel and unsweetened tea from Panera with my WVMS BFFs! We are growing attached to each other and it has really helped build a spirit of unity and "Team" for those of us who show up on Friday mornings. I know I'd go to bat for any of them if they should ever find themselves between a rock and a hard place!

The school day was busy, busy, busy, but oh, so much fun as we had Science Festival Day! I was assigned the duty of crushing cola cans all morning. I heated a can with just a small amount of water in the bottom until the water boiled and the can filled up with steam. Then, I turned the can over in a tub of water to cause the can to instantly crush itself. It was cool and I think the kids enjoyed it. We also did some team building activities outside. I led a ball toss game in which we formed a large circle, then called the name of the person to whom we were throwing the ball. We did this with several balls, then added in a plastic spider, a squishy ball, and a large plastic cockroach! Lunch was catered by BreadBox/Subway so that was yummy! I finally had plan time in the afternoon, so it was quite a day! Kudos to the WVMS Science teachers! They did a fabulous job!

After school, Tom and I loaded up Sam and Addie and headed out for Sam's soccer game. He looks SO CUTE out there on the field with his little shin guards and jersey! Fuddrucker's for dinner on the run, then to McKay's to drop off some of the books that were donated to my class for our book-raiser! I earned almost $200 worth of McKay's credit to restock my class library this fall. While we were there a HUGE thunderstorm rolled in complete with ice that resembled Sonic ice (yes, I WAS tempted to scoop it up and munch on it, but resisted!). The kids were scared, but it passed through pretty quickly, but not before knocking out power to a large section of Kingston Pike. The drive home was eerie without street lights and darkened store windows. How dependent we've become on electricity!

Finally, we arrived home to get the kids to bed. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day of soccer! Addie received her first birthday card from Grandma and Grandpa Crawford. They sent her $3 CASH for her to spend! I'm sure she'll put the cash to good use! Drew went to work on a job with Scotty and Chelcie spent the night with Sarah Hope.

7:45 at the soccer field for Addie's first game. Her team dominated, as usual, but the real test came at 11:00 when tournament time kicked in. The mighty "Girl Power" lost their first game, but Addie played great! They tied their second game against her former team "Poison Ivy." The girls grew in skill and confidence and Coach Blake was proud of them, as were all the 'rents! Relationships are forming and the girls are having fun-isn't that what being on a team is all about? The afternoon found Addie "addicted" to soccer! She must have played for over an hour in the side yard. Ed and Olivia came over to hang out and chase down the balls that were kicked over the goal and on the roof of the house accompanied by giggles and utterances of "Oops! I did it again!" Dinner Saturday night at Peerless, yum! yum! with our "young" friends, Erica and Noel. They are such a breath of fresh air! It's refreshing to be around them because they know how to enjoy being a family, and what a blessing it is to be together. Old age has jaded me a little bit and I tend to take too much for granted. Late night for the kids, but many laughs and smiles closed the day on a good note.

Sunday morning, Mothers' Day. No gift for mom, so Sam and I made an early run to Food City for cards and flowers. On to NorthStar, where Scott Cagle proceeded to wring me out emotionally yet again. Chelcie hugged me and whispered, "I don't want to go to college." I think she's a little scared of the next chapter of her life. Straight from church to the soccer field (I changed in the car!) for the next round of tournament games. Sadly, Girl Power lost a heartbreaker 4-5 to a team they should have beaten. Experience matters. Addie recevied the MVP patch from the opposing team for her gallant efforts on the field. Atta' girl!

We had to hand off Addie to Coach Blake and Jill, head home to change for the Baccalaureate service at Cedar Springs. Chelcie was looking all cute in her cap and gown. It's hitting me now that my baby is graduating from high school in just a few days! The service was wonderful! I sat with Sherri Thomson. Her son Hunter Lee Thomson is marrying a girl named Hunter Lee Thomas! Isn't that funny? I thought so...Hallerin spoke about the Love Boat and the fact that Love is the answer to everything. Well said HHH!

On to the Troutman's for a little tear-jerking video accompanied by a scrumptious meal! I think all the parents were overcome with thankfulness for powerful friendships our girls have found in each other. They are beautiful girls-inside and out! I am anxious to see how God will use each one in miraculous ways to impact His kingdom. Their parents serve as role models to me as to how to raise a godly young woman. I am indebted to them for the investment they have made in my own child. Addison is just now forming those friendships that will take into her teenage years. May God guard her choices as they have a powerful influence on her decisions.

Tom headed out of town to do some work in Jackson, TN, and I headed out to Wal-mart for decorations and gifts for Addie's 8th birthday tomorrow. Once I arrived home I had to wait a few hours for the soon-t0-be 8 year old princess to fall asleep. Then I snuck into her room to hang balloons and streamers up to greet her when she wakes up in the morning. Mission accomplished!

Playing Ketchup (Catch Up)

Like sands through the hourglass...so are the days of our lives! I can't believe I've let four days pass without a single entry!

Monday was a busy and exciting day filled with adventure! Our monthly Reach Them meeting was held at Citadel Broadcasting. I saw Ed Brantley walk through our meeting room a couple of time. I think it's so cool to put faces with names I've only heard on the radio! We had a great turn out of Dream Team members. Jennie and Hillary came over from Lotts, Ed and Anderson were there, of course (my most faithful dreamers!), Dave Gorden is a strong leader with a lot to teach us, Martha was there too, fresh from a remote broadcast. Much to my surprise, my friend and fellow teacher at West Valley, Phil Burnette was there. He kept pretty quiet though. I was excited to see Anthony Ingram on board with us. I think he truly understands our mission and the critical importance of making a difference. Summer Tucker also brings a lot of experience and insight and is proving to be a valuable asset to our team. Kathy Seagrist was back! Now that tax-time has passed, she's ready to provide valuable financial advice which our team greatly needs! Travis brought great news from his Chick-fil-A family. He said they want to "pull out all the stops" this year and provide food for everyone who attends the event in October. I was thrilled to hear that not only are they ready to renew their support, they're also ready to step it up a notch! Last, but certainly not least, my friend Chris and her son Justin came. As I look around the table, I can't help but be awed by what God has brought together!

The biggest surprise to me was that my dad didn't show up! Everyone was asking me where he was, but I didn't know. You can be sure I gave him a call from the parking lot to find out what was up with him. Would you believe that he "just forgot!" I had to walk up to his house to fill him in on all the exciting news. While I was there, I got to see Nina and Donna, and Katie with Lauren and Ben. What a treat! I don't have very much time to visit with family these days, but summer's coming and I know they'll all be sick of me by August!

I learned that Hallerin had spent the night in the hospital with chest pains! Fortunately, he'd been released and was feeling well again. Martha said he'd be back on the radio Tuesday morning, and sure 'nuff - he was! Yay! My wake-up call is back in business!

Tuesday, we managed to get Sam to finish his "q" homework paper right after school. Morgan had invited Addie home from school with her today, so Sam could work without distractions. Addie had soccer practice and so did Sam. Tom and I divided to conquer! He went with Sam and I went with Addie. After practice, Tom had to show a house, so Addie and I met Delaney, Chelcie, Allison, Ed, and Olivia at MOE's! The evening came to a close by watching American Idol with Chelcie. Poor Jason! He FORGOT the lyrics to his "Tambourine Man" song. We both think he'll be voted off tomorrow. Sherry and I hoofed it to Weigles at about 10:00. Poor Sherry, I just vented the entire walk! She makes a great therapist!

Wednesday was a beautiful day spent almost entirely outside! Our team went on a field trip to a farm way out in Corryton. The kids learned a lot of about the Civil War and seemed to enjoy their day. We all enjoyed eating lunch at the Food Court in the mall! After school, Addie was brought to WVMS by her big sis' and we went to Evan's house to pick up Sam. I enjoyed my brief visit with Evan's mom, Amy and Kelly Keener. From there, we made a quick stop at the grocery store. This blogging thing is going to my head! I'm constantly thinking about the BLOG!

My older baby girl, Chelcie, enjoyed her last day of high school today! She had baccalaureate practice this afternoon. After a minor crisis-she thought I had misplaced the white collar of her graduation gown, but then she found it (whew), all was good in the world. The highlight of MY day was watching my younger baby girl, Addie, share her book on Author's Day. She wrote a charming book with magnificent illustrations entitled, "Squeak Finds a Friend." Of course, her book was the best and she did the best job presenting her book! Think I'm biased? Of course I am! She's the best!

Addie read to Sam in her room while I cleaned up the kitchen tonight. We wrapped up the evening by making some yummy cookies, reading Addie's new "Spider" magazine, and sharing bedtime prayers. If only they could stay so innocent! Savoring the days,

Amy

Wonderful Weekend!

Whew! Saturday morning started far too early to count as a weekend! After our late night at the 8th grade celebration, we struggled out of bed for an early morning soccer game! Addie was due at the field by 7:45. We made it by 8:00, and the game started at 8:15. Addie played two quarters on defense (she was not happy about it either!), one quarter as center-forward (she LOVES playing offense), and sat out one quarter even though she "wasn't tired at all!" The mighty Hurricanes won 5-1 just before the heavy rains moved into to town.

Drew and Tom are out of town somewhere near Atlanta, so Chelcie and I hung out at home most of the afternoon. I met with Teresa Nixon at Panera today, and we both wiped tears from our eyes as we shared stories about things that God has done in our lives. There is a place for Teresa on our Reach Them team. I hope she clearly sees that she is the one to fill that place, so I don't have to write her a six page letter like I had to do for Truett Cathy last year!

Back at home, I loaded up Addie, Sam and Taylor (Chelcie followed in her car) and we went to Chick-fil-A for a little playground time. Ed brought Olivia over to play too, and the kids had fun pushing each other around in a high chair, and feeding pieces of bread to little birds. They laughed a lot and the giggles were beautiful sounds to my ears.

From Chick-fil=A, we scooted across the street to the dollar movie to see The Spiderwick Chronicles. Chelcie went to the BHS baseball game and Ed just brought Olivia to the theater because I did not have enough room in my car for four kids. Small world moment- in line for the movie, I talked to Tod and Candance Evans' son's in-laws! Nice people! I love Knoxville. This is my home. After the movie, Addie spent the night with Taylor, Chelcie was at a bonfire, and Sam and I munched on popcorn in bed. He crashed on me early, so I waited up for Chelcie alone. She's home now, so I can sleep easy now.

One more note of interest: The second place horse in the Kentucky Derby today broke both her ankles after she crossed the finish line and had to be euthanized right there on the track! Our local newscaster just said she had to be "immunized." Ugh!

Sunday morning, I woke up next to a sleeping angel! I spent a few minutes this morning watching my baby boy sleep and marveling in the miracle of healthy children. I've been reading some of the blogs on here from mothers who are mourning the loss of their children. The heartache must be excruciating! One story that was particularly powerful to me is the story of Mark and Angie Smith entitled, "Bring on the Rain." Their story may be found here: http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/. I would encourage you to turn up the sound on your computer and read a little bit about this amazing, beautiful, and courageous family.

Chelcie, Addie, Sam and I made it to the 9:00 service at church. My friend Chris was there with her son, Evan. I know Evan's presence is an answer to Chris's many prayers. Just the look on her face brought me joy! Thank you Lord! We sang "How Great is Our God." I whispered to Chelcie that I've never made it through that song without crying, but I would today. WRONG! I did great until we sang "Our God is an Awesome God" and then went back into "How Great is Our God." When the instruments dropped out and it was just the congregation singing acapella, I lost it...again! My record still stands.

After church, we went to Jason's Deli. Just us Crawfords 'cept Drew and Daddy weren't there with us. Addie had a special tournament prep soccer practice down off Watt Road, so right after lunch, Addie and I headed west to meet "Coach Blake" for an intense practice session. Sam went to Ft. Loudon Park with Ed and Olivia. After Addie's practice, I got a phone call from Ed informing me that they were getting ready to bungee jump, then they'd be heading back our way. Addie and I decided to enjoy a little "Mommy and Me" time by grabbing a snack at McDonalds and taking it to the Cove Park to enjoy the sunshine and 70 degree temperatures. The park was crowded, but Addie and I had some good conversation and I was overcome with gratefulness for happy, healthy, miraculous children. What a blessing my family is to me! My heart of full of love for each one!

Ed and Olivia showed up to deliver Sam, and they had fun kicking the soccer ball around for a while. Sam's new friend from school, Mason, happened to be there, so Sam and Mason played in the sand while I talked to his mom, Nancy, and dad, (?) about NorthStar. They just moved to Knoxville and are looking for a church home. They sounded very interested in visiting. One thing they mentioned was that they have been checking out area churches, and the only church that was friendly and went out of their way to make them feel welcome was WestLake. There is no such thing as coincidence, so I can't help but wonder what God is up to here. They mentioned that they were renting their home and when I told them Tom was a realtor, they said they'd like to do business with a Christian. Hopefully, Tom will call them, and help them find a place to put down roots!

Now that we're back home from another full day spent outside, Addie is working on her Cybill Shepherd homework, and Sam is illustrating a story. Tom and Drew are due back about 10 or 11 tonight. I'll start preparing for Monday morning after I put the kids to bed. We have another Reach Them meeting at Citadel Broadcasting tomorrow. I think I'll walk to school and have Tom drop my car at school. It's supposed to be a beautiful week! I'm dreaming of Cades Cove!

Our Friday in Pictures

How Many Days 'Til Summer?

Thursday's highlight was Addie's soccer practice. She's doing so well! I hope you can see the determination on her face!

Friday was the best day of the week, as usual! The morning started with Panera Bread and time spent with wonderful friends who love kids and love the Lord, NOT in that order! The school day passed quickly and fortunately, for this time of year, uneventfully. After school, Sam had a soccer game, so Sam and I got a head start on Addie and Daddy so we can drive thru Sonic for some ice, ice, Baby!

Sam played with fire and determination, with a few karate kicks mixed in for good measure. It was tough on Tom keeping the boys from getting too rowdy on the field tonight. After the game, Addie, Sam, and I joined the 8th grade graduation celebration already in progress!

The kids had a blast! They enjoyed sno-cones, popcorn, pizza, chicken nuggets, and cookies! Cheyenne and Brittany agreed to babysit for me, so I hid out in the "Volunteer Room" and chatted with Mrs. Storms and the mommas for a while. I think the 8th graders enjoyed their special night and the volunteers were pleased with a job well-done!

Donna Mallicote shared a special story with me about the adoption of her baby girl. A few years back, Donna lost a baby. While she was in the hospital, a woman came into her room and opened her curtains. The only thing Donna remembers her saying was, "A double rainbow! How beautiful!" At the time, all Donna wanted was to be left alone. Well, when it came time to adopt her baby girl from China, she was filled with apprehension and uncertainty. "Is this the right thing to do?" "Is this the right child for me?" All Donna's doubts and questons were answered when a lady said to her these words, "Her Chinese given name means 'Rainbow." How beautiful!" Amazing story that brought me to tears to hear her tell it, knowing how much she loves that little 3 year old girl! Another one of God's very special blessings!