Choices...

Bobby and I have been faced with some difficult choices as of late. I am asking for your prayers as we have had to make some changes around "Sweet Home Swaine" that do not include these two very sweet babies. Thank you in advance for witholding questions and just praying for Sheba & Belle and for our family without them. Have a wonderful holiday.

A Huge Thank you

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all who prayed, cooked, called, and visited me after and during my knee surgery! I could feel the calmness on Wednesday morning when we woke up to leave for St. Pete. ; I knew that it had to be all the prayers going up for me. I appreciate each and everyone of you and understand how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such great and gracious people.

Love and Laughs! Jody

Feeling better

Day six after knee surgery and I can finally say that I am feeling better. What a wild ride that was! The knee part was a breeze, the anesthesia and pain medications...not so much. However, focusing on the positive, I am well on my way to recovery. Saturday was the first day without my crutches for about a 1/4 of the day and Sunday was even better. I am trying very hard not to be overzealous and hurt myself. Upon waking up this morning, I sat on the couch, removed the bandages, and hobbled to the shower...Hallelujah!!

No bandage, a little swollen.

Huge bandage And just cause I think they are so stinkin' cute!

Well maybe...

I'm going to St. Pete on Wednesday am to see what's going on with my knee. I ran last week twice and once on the weekend and I can feel something going on in my knee and so, I went to my PT today to just start the therapy again. Yep, swelling happening again. I suppose I could and can say at least I know when things are going south. Apparently they are.

We had Mike and Mary Swaine down for supper last night and she mentioned to me again,{might I say, yet again!!!!} that maybe it was time to call a personal friend of hers whose son is an orthopedic surgeon, as well as whose partner is the Buc's sports orthopedic. Yeah, maybe...

As of this afternoon, I have an appointment Wednesday am in St. Pete to see what exactly is going on. I did just register for the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon, and I really want to complete it. Bobby just asked if he was going to have to be Belle...hmmm. Please pray for me and my sweet knee that we will make it through whatever is the issue, Bobby would look cute as Belle, but I would really rather the chance. Thank you!

Wonderful weather

We love this weather! We have just about spent our weekend outside. After our shopping trip Saturday, we ate supper and then we went to Saturday night church. Rise and shine to a beautiful Sunday morning with great morning runs and chocolate pancakes for all. We brought all the decorations for Christmas down from the attic, cleaned out the garage, put up the new bathroom light and made s'mores...yummy!

Another first for Madeline

Today we made a shopping trip over to Plant City to Southern Hospitality. Madeline went too! As a general rule, when I go off for the day to shop, the children stay behind, but I thought this would be a fun trip with her. She and I had a ball. We went with Aunt Ci-Ci, Miss Sue, Miss Summer, Madeline, & myself. After spending a couple hours in the store, we went to Panera Bread for a late lunch and then headed home. Here is to another first for her "Baby" book. I look forward to many more fun little shopping outings with her!

And this is how we ended our trip. She couldn't make it home from Aunt Ci-Ci's without a little rest!

You can still be a Princess with...

A bummed knee! I'm gonna do it even if there is walking involved. I'm so excited and I am praying that my knee will hold up for the race. I read in my running magazine about this and have wanted to do it ever since. I asked Bobby for this to be my Birthday present...I can't think of a better way to turn 35!

So grateful.

So grateful to be surrounded by truly amazing people. This was the picture of the day for one very gracious gal. Sweet Laura undertook Luke, Oren, Will, and her own two babies Jack and Mark for a morning filled with fun. First stop... school to practice for Friday's Thanksgiving Luncheon. Second stop...Burger King. Third stop...Dairy Queen. Yep there's more...YIKES!!! Fourth and final stop...The Barben home for some outside play.

I can only say, WOW!!! Thank you so much. Luke had such a fun morning. I appreciate you very much and I am so so grateful for you.

Now that's good ol' fashioned teamwork

Today when Bobby returned home, he went outside with Madeline and Luke and I came in to start fixing supper. Looking out the kitchen window, I was struck with the urge to grab my camera and hand sanitizer.


And the reason for the massive clean up efforts that happen daily at Sweet Home Swaine would be because of these three lovelies...Dapples (mini wiener), Sheba (blonde pup), & Belle (white bull in a china shop). We love us some mutts!

He is so handsome

My sweet little needed some help to have clear vision, so off to the Eye Doc we went. A couple tests and some "eye drips," as Luke would say later and we have one cool dude with new specs!

Hip Hip Hooray! Ben saves the day!

Finally, back in the world of photo uploading bloggers! Thank you so much to Ben at AT&T for helping me fix what was troubling me so. I have fixed my previous blogs with photos for your viewing pleasure so please go down and check it all out! I'm so happy I could just dance...I think I will, see ya!

I'm so computer illiterate

I, for the life of me can not download photos any longer to my blog. I usually like to send photos along with my daily blogging and seeing as how I am unable to attain this tiny, little goal I have yet again slacked with my updates. I am a very proud Aunt again, Luke has gone to see the eye Doctor, Bob and I are having many changes done to our home, Madeline has joined gymnastics at the YMCA, and Life is good ( a bit crazy), but GOOD! Looking forward to figuring out this little snafu, and until then...love & laughs!

I'm an Aunt again!!

I am again the very proud Aunt of another beautiful baby girl created by His hands! Allison Kate Swaine was born Friday, November 7, 2008. She was 7 lbs, 11 ounces and 20 inches long. She is truly precious and I was in heaven being able to visit and hold on to her.

It's Belle and Batman!

Madeline knew immediately this year she would love to be Princess Belle for Halloween, Luke on the other hand couldn't decide. The choices were many and he just couldn't pick one. Mama and Daddy finally had to decide for him and we must have picked ok because there were no sad faces to be had...thank the good Lord! This has been the first year that we have actually gone trick-or-treating with Madeline and Luke. Halloween for us, is a bit scary and Madeline and Luke have had some food allergies. This year however, we have grown out of our allergies and are much more brave. I think I can give little brother Luke the credit for all the bravery!

They both had parties at school and we also were invited to go on a hayride to trick-or-treat. They had the best time! Can't wait to see who we will get to be next year!

I do apologize, for the life of me I can not get my computer to download photos. Aside from the fact that it is driving me CRAZY, it is annoying because I usually like to send a photo with whatever I'm blogging. So right after my, "This is the day" blog, "THIS" is what I'm dealing with. Thank you for putting up with my shortcomings in technology.

Madeline and Luke looked so cute in their dress-up for halloween and I hope to post that to you soon!

Babies...Where did they go?

I do not know where the time has gone or why it has gone so quickly, but Bobby and I were noting that we do not own babies anymore. More pointedly, Madeline asked me the other day why I always call her "baby-love" when she isn't a baby. It is hard to let go of those sweet little names after saying them for so long now. Madeline will turn 5 years old in December and Luke will turn 4 years old in February, so babies they are not. I did ask Madeline if she would mind if I still called her "baby-love" and she said that I could. Bless her!

This is the day

I have been so behind in my blogging. Now, this doesn't mean that I haven't been checking up on all you other bloggers, it is just that, well, I really don't know why I am having issues with getting caught up. I have decided that this is the day to change all my slacking. Also on a side note, This is the day, is one of my favorite songs to belt out to Madeline and Luke in the mornings! Ha...don't you know that is going to go down in "the Book" of things Mama used to do!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

New York Photos

Sorry, apparently the Internet is being difficult at the moment and will not allow my photos to upload. My patience is gone. I will try again in the morning. Enjoy your evenings!

The Big Apple, Girlfriends, & Great Fun!

Sorry to just now be catching up on this wonderful adventure of mine, but I have been so busy finding out about what has been going on in my children's lives while gone, that this is my first chance to tell you about my travels! It was so wonderful to see my girlfriends Darlene and Erin! They are truly a delight to me and I am grateful to have them in my life, I just wish one of them wasn't so far away...hint, hint, D! All joking aside, we are all on the avenue meant for us and all are amazingly happy...praise God!
Darlene was nothing but a topnotch hostess while in the Big City. She has a great city style loft apartment and invited us to stay with her while we visited. We learned the ways of the subway(watch out for the rats...!), how to hail a cab...in the rain, and most importantly to haggle with the sellers on Canal St. What a blast and clearly so different from my everyday lifestyle here in Sebring, FL. We had a tour of NYU and the Dental School where Darlene will graduate from in the Spring; so proud of you girl! We had tea with black tapioca balls in it...weird, but good. We ate at some yumm-o places...TAO, The Coffee Shop, and Serendipity. And of course, we took the Sex and The City tour...awesome(we used to gather at Erin's in Tally for SATC)! Yes, we are old.
I had such a great time and feel so grateful for this opportunity to open up for me and actually have taken it! I appreciate my girlfriends and all they are doing. They are happy and growing in their beliefs, so awesome to witness! However, I love where I am in my life and wouldn't want to be anywhere else! Enjoy some photos.

We are here!

Whew! Finally to the Big Apple. A slight delay due to weather and a flight plan change later, and you get Jody in New York! It really wasn't bad at all, but poor Darlene and Erin were sitting in the waiting until 1:00 am. However, we are looking forward to a great day even with some rain, it is so fabulous seeing my girlfriends!

Have a great day!