So excited!!!

This is my best friend Amanda. (The above picture was taken at an Oakridge Boys concert in August 2007). We have been friends since we were 3 years old.  We spent many days digging up "bones" at her house, watching Uncle Buck over and over at mine, making up imaginary names like George B. George and Fred Egbert Newton,  and countless hours eating soggy hot dogs, lance potato chips and swimming at the city rec pool when we were kids.

She was in the delivery room with me when Justin was born. 

She is one AMAZING lady!  I am so excited for her, because in September, she will welcome this...

A precious baby girl!  A little girl who I CANNOT wait to meet,  hold, and spoil!  She is one lucky little girl to have such wonderful parents.  No one deserves this happiness more than my best friend!

I love you girl!

Bedtime...

Shhh....it's 9 pm at our house and it's quiet.  Know why?  Cause our children are in bed.  Since it is summer, Audrey can stay up til about 10 now, but Justin is usually in bed by 9.  During the school year, bedtime is between 7:30 and 8.  I feel very strongly that children need sleep.

Anyway, on to the subject (or should I say rant and rave) of this post.  We live in a neighborhood.  When we bought our house 9 years ago, we were sold on the fact that it was quiet, no streetlights, no sidewalks, just quiet.

Over the years, we have encountered different neighbors.  The first set of neighbors we had on our right, Chuck and Betsy, and their beautiful dogs were the ideal neighbors.  No fuss, no muss.  We could wave and say hello and go on with our business or we could have a nice chat with them.  Our neighbors to the left were only so-so. You know, the ones that may or may not cut their grass, etc.

Well, over the years, they have both moved out.  Leaving us with a bad situation on either side.  To our left, is what I like to call "too young for your own house".  Trash EVERYWHERE, grass may or may not get cut, loud music, etc.

To our right.  It is a strange scenario.  Their house is immaculate.  Their yards are always cut and pristine.  However, they have horses, which honestly, we haven't even noticed.  The worst thing about these neighbors is that they have four-wheelers.  And for some reason, the only time they like to ride them is after dark when my children are in bed.  It infuriates me.  They are SO loud and last night kept Justin up til almost 11 pm.

What to do?  Ask them politely? File a noise complaint?  Or let it be?  It is a thin line, cause I do not want to cause a rift, I mean, we do have to live next to these people.

UGH!  Okay, enough ranting for now. 

WAHM

WAHM, that is what I do.  I am a work-at-home mom.  I am a medical transcriptionist for a national company.  My hours are crazy.  I work Sunday-Thursday 5am-8am and 9pm-12am.  Why the crazy hours you ask?  This is why...
(Audrey 5 years old, Justin 9 months)

When I decided before Donnie and I got married that I wanted to be a medical transcriptionist, it was with the reasoning that I would be able to eventually work at home when we had children.  Thus being able to be a Mom first and help contribute to the family at the same time.

Once I finished school, I worked independently for a small company out of south Georgia, and well, that didn't work out too well.  I went on to work at a bank, daycare, etc.  Then I had Audrey in 2005.  I was doing some backlog work for someone every now and then.  My cousin worked for a large national company and asked if I was intersted in a job.  I was thinking it was a transcription job, but instead it was a job in the Training Department, basically training newly hired transcriptions on how to use the computer program to complete there work.  I worked there, in the office for 2 years and then decided that I just could not take being away from Audrey anymore.  When I spoke to my supervisor about turning in my notice, she offered me the opportunity to do transcription at home for the company.  I happily took the offer.  I was able to that and then take a temporary job at Audrey's preschool for the remainder of the year as well.

To make a long story short, there were other jobs in between here and there.  But I have not had to work outside of the home since 2008 and for that I count huge blessings.

Here is what being able to work at home means to me:

• I am able to control my schedule (for the most part) and spend as much time with my kids as I would if I held no job.
• I am not hindered in the things I can do with them during the day thanks to my evening/morning (sometimes grueling) schedule that I chose.
• I DO NOT have to get up an hour before my shift works to get dressed and drive to the office.  I get to work in my PJ's!
• I will always be able to volunteer at school for my kids and go on field trips with them.
• I am able (with the help of Donnie) to still be able to maintain our home and put meals on the table without being rushed.
• And #1, which is summed up in some of the above points is that I am able to FIRST be a Mom and Wife.

My job is not something I can "take home" with me.  Once I hit send on my last job at the end of my shift, my day is done.  I do not worry about it anymore, I am able to move right on with my day.

I do not want this post to sound prideful or boasting.  I give all the thanks to God for providing me with the amazing opportunity to be at home with my family and still provide at the same time.

In summation.....this is where I work.  It used to be our "laundry" in our hallway.  The doors have since been removed and now sits my desk. Crowded?  Yes.  I am currently in the thought process of where else I can move it to be less distracted.  Hopefully if we get our basement finished in the future, I can have office space down there.  But for now, I will take it, because above all, it is at home.

Oh, and sometimes, I have help.....



Welcome to our life...

As of Sunday, I deleted my Facebook page.  I know, crazy right?  I was tired of it and felt like it was very consuming.  So, I decided to start this blog so that family and friends can see how the kids are and what they are up to.

Here is what they are up to right now: sleeping.

No, really. Audrey just finished PRE-K at Sand Hill Elementary.  She had a wonderful year and loved every minute. 

Here she is at her Pre-K "We Are Off to Kindergaren" celebration and production of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear".  She was the green frog.  Also, a picture of her and her wonderful teachers, Ms. KaSheena and Ms. Sherry.

She also just wrapped up her first season of T-ball and I must say that we have a great ball player on our hands. GO METS!!!

 We are still in gymnastics once a week in the intermediate (invitation only) class.  Next week, she will start cheerleading camp at Villa Rica High School.  We are currently in discussions about her birthday party for this year, which she wants a "pinkalicious" theme.

Justin is 17 months old tomorrow.  Boy has the time gone by too fast.  He loves to play outside and LOVES to be home.  He is talking more everyday and is quite possibly the cuddliest (is that a word?) baby I know.

We are going to have a fun summer!  We hope to spend a lot of afternoons doing this...