Praying for a dear friend

I would like to ask my blog friends to join me in prayer for a very dear friend of mine. We have been friends since we were little girls. Last year, she accepted she had a problem with alcohol after receiving 2 DUI's in 6 months. After her first DUI and the classes required to keep her license, she met someone who introduced her to Xanax leading to her 2nd DUI charge. After 11 months of sobriety and trying to rebuild her life, she re-lapsed this weekend.

I can't say I really understand alcholism but I have more compassion for people who struggle with it now. One of my aunts was an alcoholic and I never cut her any slack but now I see no one chooses to live their life this way. I have come to understand it is a disease and no one asks for it, much like I didn't ask to have Asthma, I just do.

Please keep her in your prayers, I know she can fight this demon and win. She's done it before. She called me this morning to let me know she had re-lapsed and ask for my prayers. So I am asking you, my dear blog friends, to remember my friend in your prayers.

Swimming lessons-round 2!

Parker went under water! This a huge deal for her, we have really been making a big deal out of it. We tried swimming lessons last month, she did okay but was terrified of getting her face/head wet. This week she seems more comfortable in the water and is doing some things on her own like jumping off the diving board into a coach's arms, as opposed to being lowered by another coach, where she never gets her head wet. Last night, she jumped, went under for a few seconds and came up, then she used the dumbbell to swim over to the later unassisted by a coach. The best part? She wanted to do it again! Way to go Parker Liz!

Bang, crackle, crash!

That's what it sounds like when a rock (and I hope not a bullet) hits your window and breaks it while going 70 mph on the interstate. I bet you would never believe this is the 2nd time it's happened, would you? About 3 years ago, I was on my way to work when I heard what sounded like a gun shot, then my rear driver's window crackled and fell into car. I was shaking by the time I got to work. I remember there was glass in Parker's car seat which was in the middle back then and being so thankful she was not in the car. Brandon happened to be off that day so he came to get my car and wait while the window was replaced then to vacuum in out. A few months ago, he was working on my seat and found glass embedded in the carpet under the seat.

Today, at about the same spot on the interstate, it happened again except it was the passenger front window this time. Same sounds, bang! crackle! crash! glass everywhere even inside my purse which was closed at the time. What are the chances it could happen twice? So I immediately called Brandon who told me I have to stop driving the interstate which is not realistic. I already work in a rough neighborhood, going through the city to get here is really asking to get shot. No thanks, I will take my chances on the interstate. Then I called a very dear friend whose mom is in the glass business. She hooked me up so now I wait for the installer to come to my office to put in my shiny new window.

It's ironic because Brandon and I cleaned my car out last night after the kids went to bed. He told me today, he was not going to vacuum it again for me. Of course, kids can't ride in my car again until he does (see glass everywhere reference above). I hope you are having a better Wednesday than me!

Missed me?

I just realized it's been 14 days since I posted anything (thanks Lisa!) so I will try to update everyone on things going on.

Grant is growing like a weed and communicating more every day. When he wants you to know something, he finds a way to make you understand. Some of my favorite Grant-ese words:
Opie -- Open
Zizzy -- Lizzy, not sissy for Parker. Her full name is Parker Elizabeth, we call her Lizzy at home.
Wri-back -- Right back, this is a new term when someone leaves the room.

Parker is in her annual summer growth spurt. She always seems to get a taller around her birthday which is July 29th. Her latest trick, if you will, is pinkie swearing and the movie Hairspray, she loves all the music and dancing, she asks to watch it every week. This morning, I said your shirt is twisted, she said "twist, twist, twist, mashed potato, mambo" then reminded me it was from the movie. Too cute! I told ya'll she loves to dance. Tonight begins round two of swimming lessons, wish us luck!

Brandon is healing well from his bout with cellulitis. His ankle still swells every single day but he is not in pain.

Not much going on for me these days. Just working alot and getting Parker ready for Kindergarten. We bought her first uniforms this weekend. They need to be altered so we can get at least 2 years out of them. A friend from work sews on the side, I am going to ask her to help us.

So that's the update with us, what's happening in your world?

Parker's proposal!

Let me give you a little back story, Parker has been asking to go to 'Chick-a-lay' for breakfast for over a week now. Yesterday, I told her we would have to leave after Sesame Street went off in order for me to get to work on time and go to Chick-fil-a for breakfast. Although we did not leave when we needed to, we didn't leave late so I told her we could go. This made her late getting to summer camp, when we walked in a little boy hugged her. Connor also goes to our church and school, he then turned to the little boy next to him and said 'that is how you get the girls to marry ya!'. Ms. Courtney said Connor you have a long time until you need to worry about that, he insisted he didn't. I asked Connor if he wanted to marry 'my Parker' and he said 'yes ma'am, I do!' He was very matter of fact about it. I have been cracking up about it all morning. She is only 4 and she has been proposed to. How funny is that?

**UPDATE** Connor told Brandon he was going to marry Parker one day when he picked her up this afternoon. At least he is consistent!