Arthur Orr

Arthur with his wife, Amy, and their son Jack
This post is for those in Alabama who can vote. http://www.orrforsenate.com/

Our House

"By Faith"

We just had a wonderful revival. Bro. Troy Jones, from St. Petersburg, Florida, just held us a GREAT revival. I wanted the revival to continue on. The messages was so wonderful and a great encouragement to my soul. I got a great increase in my soul. I enjoyed every message so much. Last nights service was very good. I enjoyed hearing the wonderful things that God did for Bro. Jones. I really liked his story about the RV. That gave Kevin and I a inspiration.

Kevin decided that he was going to draw some pictures of lungs, ventilators, heart, and anything to do with his job. He is going to carry it around and show his patients, and at the very end he is going to have our dream house. I can't say I have enough faith to believe God will give it to us free. I do have enough faith to know that God will supply all our needs. God has proved his faithfulness to us.

We have had to spend a good bit of our money on having our children. We don't regret that. We would do it again in a heart beat. Our children has been a blessing to us. We chose to have children instead of a dream house. I know that God will continue to bless us, and in his time we will have our dream house, or one like it.

For those who did not hear the message last night, you would just have to buy the tape. I can not even explain it the way Bro. Jones did. That brother was awesome.

I just wanted to share our house..........By FAITH.

Did I make a Mistake?

We have a real problem in our house. We have two computers, but only one is hooked to the internet. Courtney wanted to start a blog. She pleated with me for so long that I gave in. :(

I figured it would not hurt to let her start one. Boy was I wrong. She wants to post every second of the day. She wants to read all my friends blogs. She wants to leave comments to all our friends. Which means I don't have much time for me on the computer.

Courtney and I race to get to the computer. Poor Kevin has to push us both out of the seat to even check his messages. That is another problem. Kevin wants on the computer also. You see it is MY computer and I don't really like to share it. LOL Teasing.

Courtney wanted to start this blog yesterday. I think we spent a hour trying to set her a blog up. She changed her mind a dozen times on what she wanted it called. Every cute name we came up with was already taken. I said " Well you are a chatterbox so I guess we could call it that" Chatterbox was already taken. So we came up with

bamachatterbox. Courtney was not thrilled with the name, but everything she came up with we could not use. I think she likes the name now. She really is a chatterbox.

The first blog name we came up with was brown eye girl. We set that up and Courtney decided she did not like that because is sounded like she only had one eye. So I tried to change it to Brown eyed girl. That was already taken. I knew when she wanted to change it the third time, that I was in trouble. I refused to change it again.

Yesterday Courtney was busy typing a post. (Which she is very slow at) That is another problem. I end up having to help her. I have supper on the table and I tell Courtney that supper is ready. She is like "Oh Mom let me finish this post. I just got started." I said "O.K." That was a mistake. Kevin, Brooke, and I ate, while Courtney posted. By the time Courtney came to supper her potatoes was cold. The whole time we was eating I kept telling Courtney that her food was getting cold. Kevin thought it was funny. He says "Now you know how we feel when we are waiting on you to get off the computer.":(

I have always gave Courtney time on the computer when she finishes school. She listens to Odyssey Stories everyday. That takes 30 minutes. Now that she has started a blog, I have to figure out how to push her out of the seat and me jump in the seat.

I thought today would be better and I could get a few things done. Courtney worried me to post all afternoon. She wanted to load this picture and that picture. I think I got 10 new gray hairs today. She is at a friends house tonight. If she was here I am sure we would be pushing each other out of the chair. Kevin is playing with Brooke. Bless his heart. He don't have a chance to ever get on the computer with us girls. Brooke has even got to where she likes to sit in the computer chair and play with the keyboard. She gets very upset when you remove her from the chair. I have to do school with Courtney and try to keep up with house work. I am not able to spend as much time on the computer as I used to. When I do want to use the computer I don't like to have to dump Kevin and Courtney out of the chair. I told Kevin the solution is to get internet hooked up to Courtney's computer. That could be a problem also. For now the computer is in our living room and I can see everything that Courtney is on. I trust Courtney on the computer. I am just afraid of the pop ups that could come up. Also one wrong letter could put her on a site that she don't need to be on. So I guess for now we will just push each other out of the chair. Actually the blog is good for Courtney with helping her write for school.

Little Friends

Emma and Brooke hug.

Nursery Friends. Look where Brooke's hand is. I did not realize that until I posted the picture. Brooke loves all her friends. When she sees Sadie she starts saying "Sayed, Sayed" She has not got the Sadie down yet.

Little Pumpkin's

My sweet pumpkin.

Discovering a pumpkin.

"Are these toys?"

Eating a Sucker.

15 years Ago

15 years ago today, I went on a date with the most awesome guy I have ever known. I would have never dreamed that we would have went out. To be honest when he first ask me out I was scared. I was not scared of him, but of different things. I was going through a very difficult time in my life. Through some bad circumstances I had just ended my relationship with this other guy. (Actually he ended it)
I was scared to date again. I was so afraid of being hurt. I was not for sure if I could love anybody again? Also, this was not just anybody, who asked me out.
This was my best guy friend. This was a guy who was my strength, my laughter, my shoulder to cry on, and my brother I never had. He was a guy that made me laugh all the time. I could talk to him about anything. He was a great listener.
This guy had been my best friend for four years. This was a guy that walked me to my classes in High School, and who sat with me in the halls on our breaks. This guy was somebody who I played basketball and ping pong with. He was somebody who I went on bike rides with. This was a guy that when we was in High School, my teacher thought was my boyfriend, because we was always together. I was in my cooking class and this girl showed me her stitches from getting cut with a cat food can. It made me so sick that I passed out. When I came to the teacher was telling some of the students to go to the gym and get my boyfriend. I am thinking “My boyfriend” I knew that my boyfriend was in college who was they talking about. A few minutes later in comes this good looking guy named Kevin.
Oh its Kevin. We all laughed. He is not my boyfriend. He is just my close friend. He is just my close friend, that is Best Friends, with my boyfriend. Yes, I know it all sounds complicating. You would just have to understand the whole story.
You see, Kevin and my boyfriend was best friends and my boyfriend had no problem with Kevin and I being so close. In fact Kevin was with us most of the time we went out. I never looked at Kevin as anything more. You know though, sometimes love really is blind. I never knew how much I loved Kevin. I guess sometimes it takes a hard fall to realize some things.
I had every right to be scared to go out with Kevin. I did not want to be hurt, but more than that I did not want to loose my best friend. I did not want to go out with him, and things not work out, and then our friendship could be destroyed.
In the past I knew that there would come a day when Kevin would start dating and I would have to give up my best friend, but I figured I would deal with that when it came.
I did decide to go out with him, but I think I told him we would have to go slow because I was still having to deal with a bad situation.
I had so much fun that night. Kevin did not have a job at the time, so he did not take me anywhere fancy. Kevin also knew I didn’t like fancy places. Kevin brought me roses.
He took me to Pizza Inn. I saved the napkin from that night. Kevin wrote “ I love you” on the napkin and so I saved it. I loved him, but not the way he loved me.(I did not think)
Kevin told me that he had loved me for two years. He said he just tried not to think about it, because he knew it would never work. For one thing Kevin would have NEVER tried to interfere with mine and this other guys relationship. For another thing that was his best friend that I was dating, and I seemed happy, and Kevin knew it would never work with me and him.
From that night on I started feeling something different for Kevin. I can’t say I knew I loved him that night, but I did know that our friendship would never be the same. Kevin and I started seeing each other all the time. He treated me like a Queen. (And Still does)
In a short time my pain and hurt was gone and I knew without a doubt that I loved Kevin. Perhaps I had always loved him and just did not realize how deep. I guess it took a bad circumstance to open my blinded eyes. That is the past and a memory that has faded. I would not want to go through it again. I wish I had never went through it, but it was worth what ever pain and hurt I went through to find the true love of my life.
Kevin prayed and told God that he never wanted to hurt me. He told God that if he saw that he was going to hurt me to let our relationship end right then. I am so thankful that we are still together. This has been the best 15 years of my life. We have had some difficult times with infertility, but God has gave us grace and brought us through.
We will be married 14 years in December. Kevin told me the other night that we have been together half of our life. We really have.
I know our 15th Wedding Anniversary will be more special than this Anniversary, but I wanted to do something special to remember our first date. The Pizza Inn that we went to 15 years ago is gone. I found another one about 25 minutes from here. I got a babysitter and took Kevin out. I even got a napkin and wrote “I love you. Your still the one” on it.

Painting by Darcie

My wonderful Sister-n-law painted this picture for Brooke.
I thought she did a really good job. Thanks Darcie.

Two Pretty Girls

Sisters

Brooke finding a leaf before she went into Church.

My little girl growing up.

A Pretty Little Zebra

Look at my Zebra Shoes!

It's over there mommy.

Playing in the grass.

Miss Priss

Sweet Girl

It's little bitty.

The Little Mermaid

Courtney and The Little Mermaid

Courtney and the Octopus
Cute Little fish
Another Cute Fish

Courtney, Alicyn, and the Sea Witch

The girls with the Little Mermaid

Posing at Pizza Hut.

We took Courtney and Alicyn to see the play "The Little Mermaid." Fantasy was putting on this play. It was so good. The girls loved it. They did not want to leave. Alicyn has thanked me a dozen times for letting her go with us. Little girls love the magic of Princesses. We took them to eat Pizza, and they loved that. I think between the two of them they almost ate a whole medium pizza. Fantasy is great for children. The play is still playing this weekend and next. It is well worth going to. I took a few pictures after the play. They wan't let you take pictures during the play. The props was so good. I would have loved to had a picture of them. Courtney always enjoys the plays. Christmas Carol is coming in December. It is also a great play.

Do you Ever Wish You could Sleep All Day??

I Do

When you don't have a Wagon

Daddy makes it fun.

This is fun

Kevin and I like to walk around our land. Brooke can't keep up with us. Kevin decided since we did not have a wagon, that he would fix something to help Brooke be able to go with us when we walk. Kevin took a rope and tied it around the toy and we could pull Brooke as we walked. It was much better than a wagon. Brooke loved it.

One of THOSE Days.

I have to say if you don't like gross stuff then stop reading this right now. This was a terrible afternoon. I feel like this is a Tammy or Kelly day. For those who don't know Tammy and Kelly they have some stories that is to funny.
I decided to go to Town to run a few errands. I was going to take the girls to McDonald, but Courtney wanted something different. So we go to this little country place, with country cooking.
Brooke was terrible. She was throwing food. (She never does that) She would throw a green bean and I would tell her "No throwing" So she decides it is more fun to play in the corn. She takes her spoon and hits the bowl of corn. Of course corn goes everywhere. I am trying to get her to stop, and she then starts laughing and grabbing Courtney's Fries. I did not mind her having Courtney's fries, but she wanted to throw them also. I think I finally ate my sandwich, but I am not for sure how it taste. I think it was good. I don't think it had a hair on it, or a bug in it. LOL I really had no time to look at the sandwich.
Ready for the gross part? Well Brooke poops in her diaper, so I go to change her. This place had no changing table. It did have a long bar with a sink. I decided to change her on that. I put towels down and look for a plastic bag to put the diaper in. I did not have one. I did not want to leave this poopy diaper in the garbage not tied up. I decided it was not to bad of a diaper so I would just empty the diaper in the toilet and then throw the diaper away. In the process of trying not to let Brooke's bottom touch the bar and trying to get a fresh diaper on her, the dirty diaper fail on the floor. The contents in the diaper went on the floor. I am trying to get that cleaned up, and wanting so bad to just get out of this little country bathroom. If you remember I had just ate and I really felt like I was going to loose everything I just ate. I finally get out of the restaurant. I then have to take a shirt back that I had bought Kevin. I go to the register and tell them what is wrong with the shirt. The lady is all nice and starts to ring up my refund. She then says' This shirt did not come from here" I was so embarrassed. I had purchased a shirt at Peebles, but the shirt I was bringing back was from Goodys.
We then go by Wal-Mart because I need to purchase a mop, because mine broke. I am looking at some Hamburger Helper with Courtney beside me and Brooke in the buggy. I get a few hamburger helpers and turn around and Courtney is gone. I don't panic at first. I figured she is on the next isle. I go to the next, and the next, and the next. I turn the buggy around and go back down the isle looking both ways. This is not like Courtney to just vanish. She usually will say "I am going to the next isle" I start to panic. My adrenaline is pumping and I am shaking. I had this terrible fear come on me. I was practically running to the front. I knew if somebody had got her she could scream and somebody would hear her. The fear was out weighing my positive thinking. I go to the service desk and the line is so long. I run to another register and tell this lady that I have lost my child could she please page her. The lady pages for Courtney and I am searching the doors. I then see Courtney coming up toward register 6 with this big grin on her face. (IT WAS NOT THE TIME TO BE GRINNING) I said " where have you been?" Courtney says " I went to get you a mop" My hands was shaking and I was so upset with her for scaring me like that. I could not even finish shopping. My hands was shaking so bad. I think they shook for 30 minutes, and I am not joking.
My mom wanted me to stop and get her some bread that was on sale. I had used my last check at Wal-mart. I knew I had some money in my billfold, so I stopped and got a few things. I go to the register and the lady said $5.75 I found the five, but not the 75 cents. I tell the lady to take one of the breads off. I am trying to figure out where this other money went. The lady takes the bread back, and I then find the $10.00, that I knew was there. I was so ready to get home.
I finally get home. That is my day. I don't want another one like it.

Brooke's New Bed

When Brooke First saw her bed.

The First thing she did, after she saw the bed.

All Smiles

Princess Bed

New Princess Table and Chairs.

We bought Brooke a Toddler Bed. Brooke was so excited when we showed her the bed in the store. We was planning on putting Brooke in a Toddler bed when she reached two, but that changed. I have a Twin Size canopy bed for her, but I thought it was to high off the ground for her age. On our trip we put her in a pack and play and told her that was her bed and she had to sleep in it. She was so excited and went right in the pack and play and done very good. She done so good that we thought we would go ahead and try the bed. In the store she would hug the box and say "Bed" She was so excited. Kevin put the bed together. We made Courtney play with Brooke while we set the bed up in Brooke's room. When Brooke walked in and saw the bed she was full of smiles. She ran and jumped on the bed and hugged the bed. It was so sweet.
The final test came when it was bed time. I rocked Brooke and gave her a bottle.(She only has one bottle, which is at bedtime) Brooke did not finish the bottle and she did not want me to rock her. I ask her if she wanted to go to her big bed. She jumped out of my lap and ran to her bed. :( My baby did not want to be rocked. :(
Brooke got in the bed and went to sleep. It was not a good night though. She woke us up a dozen times crying and not sleeping well. I hope I have not made a mistake by putting her in a new bed to soon. I used the same mattress, but I took the soft mattress pad off. I put it back on today, so we will see what happens tonight.

One Year Ago Today

Looking at her referral Picture

This is Me. (Look how I have changed)

Referral Day

One year ago today I got to see my youngest child's picture for the first time. I thought she was so beautiful. I will never forget that day. My mom, and friend, Diane, came down to help us try and relax. We tried to play some games, but I could not concentrate. Every time the phone would ring my heart would stop. My Feb. Yahoo group decided to pass the time by chatting.(Not a chat room like you are thinking. Only our group could chat) We all decided that the first one who got the call would do some weird type. (kdfhkjhjdh) We knew that referrals was coming and we all wanted to see our daughters. Kevin had our camcorder set up to tape when we did get the call. It did not work. I think we was all so excited that we hit the wrong button. I remember when the calls started coming. I wanted my phone to ring so bad. When the phone did ring, and we saw Texas on the caller ID, we knew it was the moment.
Chrissa from HFS called me. She said "you have a beautiful daughter" I can barely remember writing stuff down. I ask if she had much hair. Krissa said " Well her hair has been shaved" I was thinking Beautiful, but shaved? I guess she knew what I was thinking because she said " She is beautiful though." She then told me why they shave their hair. After I finally got everything wrote down we all was shaking and ready to see her picture. Krissa sent the picture. We decided that Kevin, Courtney, and I would look first. The computer would not let us open the attatchment. I was in tears. I wanted to see my baby. Kevin sent them to his work and he logged into his email from our house. The pictures was there. We counted to three and opened our eyes. I saw the most beautiful baby in the world. We was crying and hugging and squealing. I have never seen Kevin smile so Big. You should see our video. You would think we was all crazy. My mom and Diane was crying to. All the months that I had waited, all the months that things did not go the way I wanted, all the months of paperwork, and paperwork not being sent on time, all the months that I cried and longed to hold my baby, see my baby, It was over. Looking at the beautiful face it was worth everything I went through. The month before I missed the cut off date by one day. I am so glad I was not with that group of referrals. I would have missed a jewel. Brooke has been such a blessing to us. She has been in our life for 10 months, but in our hearts all her life. Our referral Day was so wonderful. Looking at Brooke then and now she has really changed. She was beautiful, even without much hair. We love you very much Brookie.
Mommy, Daddy, and Court.

When Love Takes you In

Create Your Own!