Growing up....

In September 2007, we found out that we were pregnant with our first baby. We did not know yet that we were having a boy or that we would be blessed with our precious Manning. Fast forward, four short years and my first born is in 3K! His first day was Tuesday and he did so well. He walked in 5 steps ahead of me and barely even told me goodbye. He loves his school, his teacher, and his new camo bookbag! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of our little man and we thank God for giving him to us!

Updating

Kevin got elected to be a deacon at our church several weeks ago and he will be ordained next Sunday night. (I am proud wife!) However, when the church secretary called and said she needed and updated picture of the 4 (almost 5 of us), I was completely shocked when I realized that I have absolutely NO recent pictures of all of us together. And since the only one she had was taken when Manning was 6 months old- I figured I needed to do something about this! We have plenty of pictures of the boys, some with Kevin or me with the boys, but none of all of us together. So here you go...the Hatchell clan. Manning-3 yrs, Myers- 16 months, Mommy- almost 18 weeks pregnant with McCann

Advice please....

I am certified to teach 9th-12th grade Language Arts, but I REALLY have a desire to get a Master's in Elementary Ed. I have researched so many online options (which by the way are endless!)
There are countless different programs with different layouts and varying costs. Can anyone give me advice about online programs that are both credible and cost-efficient?Thanks!

1st Trimester Reflection

We are a mere 2 days away from being 13 weeks pregnant with our third precious bundle of joy! I am excited to say that I am already experiencing that beautiful 2nd trimester relief. The first 11 weeks or so if this pregnancy was truly difficult on my body- so different from my first two pregnancies. To start, I started bleeding about 48 hours after my first positive pregnancy test. I will admit I thought the baby was gone. I cried- ok I sobbed. I pretty much surrendered to the idea of miscarriage. However, the bleeding only lasted 1 night and by the next week my blood work showed that I was indeed still pregnant. So we went in for an ultrasound to date the pregnancy. Guess what? There was a yolk sac but no baby yet. They told me it could mean one of two things. Either, I was earlier than they thought or we were experiencing a blighted ovum. A who? Pretty much that would mean that an egg had been fertilized and a baby had been conceived; but had stopped developing very early. So, we had to wait 12 LONG days for a repeat ultrasound. By then we should see a baby and hear a heartbeat if this was a viable pregnancy. If not, the yolk sac would be all we would see. Fast forward almost 2 weeks and I was convinced this baby was FINE. I felt it in my heart- I knew my baby was alive AND perfect. God gave me complete peace over the situation. Kevin and I went in faithful that we would see our tiny baby and hear his/her sweet heartbeat. And we did! Several weeks later we had another ultrasound and we saw it's arms and legs. God is so good ALL the time! Since then we have heard it's heartbeat three times on the doppler and in 3 weeks we hope to find out what we are having! I jokingly say it's a girl because this baby has not only been extremely high maintenance, but also such a fighter. If it is indeed a girl, we will call her Ruby-Kate after my momma, who was the most courageous fighter I have ever known. Do I think it's a girl? Maybe, maybe not. I get asked all the time if I WANT it to be a girl. How do you answer that? I got my wish- I am pregnant- I wanted our baby! We love our boys and would be thrilled to add a third to our bunch. A girl would be a wonderful blessing as well....so we will see!

Funny Stuff

My kids are the funniest people I know...here are just a few of the hilarious things they have said and done this week.

* Sunday night, Manning asked what we having for supper. I said," lasagna." He says, "Janya?" and was quiet for a few seconds. He quickly responded with, "But I thought the whale ate him." HAHAHAHA! No, Manning that was Jonah- but awesome that you remember the Bible story.

*I am bad- REALLY bad at remembering to water my flowers. One day last week we were coming inside and Manning says, "Momma, you need to water your flowers." I agreed but obviously not with as much conviction as Manning wanted because he continued. "Momma, the flowers are going to die if you don't water them." Okay, Okay, Okay. He is a persistent little thing!

*Myers' favorite word right now is ball....but he does not say it the way the rest of us do. He makes it about 30 secs long. BBBBBBBB-AAAAAAAAA-LLLLLLLL-LLLLLLLL. And then he repeats himself. Imagine our ride to school. BBBBBBB-AAAAAA-LLLLL-LLLLLLL. Manning screaming," Mom, he said ball." BBBBBBB-AAAAAA-LLLLLLL-LLLLLLL! Manning, "He did it again!" And repeat over and over!

* I have been pretty sick this pregnancy and the boys have started to notice. The other day Manning told me that he sure hoped this baby came out of me soon! Sorry, buddy, it (hopefully) is going to be quite a while longer.

*We were out of milk the other morning so I gave Myers juice instead. He (with his 14 month old self) pushes the juice cup off the high chair and says, "MIK!" He knows what he wants!

So thankful for my two little guys and so excited about our newest addition!

Baby Hatchell #3

The last few weeks have been crazy busy. We have been on vacation, had a 3rd birthday party, started a summer pre-school (the boys attend and I teach), played t-ball, and found out we were having our third baby! So far everyone I talk to about my pregnancy asks the same three questions:
1. "Was this a surprise?" No, we were trying. We love the age difference (22 months) between Manning and Myers and there will be almost the exact same between Myers and the new baby. We love that our boys are friends. We pray that they will always be close and take care of each other.
2. "Are you sick?" Yes, yes, yes. I felt awesome with boys! I even went so far as to brag about how great I felt when I was pregnant. Everything I said I never had. I have now....nausea, fatigue, moodiness, bad skin, etc. However, all of that is worth it. I know what the reward is and I would be willing to feel like this forever if it meant God blessing us with a healthy baby!
3. The "are you sick" conversation is usually followed up with, "Do you think it is a girl?" Honestly I have no idea. Yes, I feel different this time but it is 100 degrees outside and I am busy taking care of a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old. I truly have no preference. I love my boys so much and I love being their momma. There is a special love between a mother and her son. So yes, it would be nice to experience a girl, but on the otherhand what could be more fun than 3 boys!?

What's your opinion? Will we stay on team blue or will we have a girl this time? We should know in mid-August!

I love my man.

Kevin and I celebrated our 6th anniversary this past weekend. We met on Friday, October 1, 2004. We had dinner at some friends' house (who had set us up) and "watched" a movie. By watched, I mean a movie was playing but we were too busy talking to notice it. I remember the first time I saw Kevin. I walked into our friends' house and at first from across the room Kevin looked short. (Not that I have a prejudice towards short people.) I just didn't want to tower over him so I slipped my heels off just to make sure. (Yes, I remember every aspect of the outfit I wore that night). Thankfully, Kevin is not short, average, but not short. I can wear heels and look him square in the eyes. I like that. In fact, I like pretty much everything about this man. He called me two days later and asked for a second date. That was it. We were together. He started shopping for my ring 2 weeks later and asked me to marry him on November 30th. Sixty days after our first date. I will never forget Kevin praying with me on our second date or the way my momma shrieked with happiness when I showed her my ring. Yes, it was quick. Yes, there is an 11 yr age difference between us. Yes, it was one of the best decisions I have EVER made. He makes me a better Christian and a better woman. I am thankful to be his wife.

Remembering Ruby

In the early morning hours of April 14, 2006, Good Friday, I held my momma's hand as she took her last breath and went to be with Jesus. That Easter Sunday, we all went to church and then we buried my sweet momma. It is so easy for me to be overwhelmed with grief during this time of year. However, how can I be sad? My Savior is ALIVE and my momma is in heaven celebrating Easter with HIM. What could be better than Easter in heaven?
Mom has been dead for 5 years now. There are days that I feel like she has been gone forever and then other days I feel like she was just here. As the time has passed, I have tried to keep her memory alive. I focus on remembering how her voice sounded, how her hands looked, and how her arms felt wrapped around me. Everytime I walked into my parent's house, she would say, "Hey, baby!" I love that. She and my daddy always held hands even though they had been married almost 32 years. I used to love to be riding in the backseat and look up to see my momma's fingers intertwined in my daddy's. I miss that. Several weeks or maybe days...it's all a blur now....before my momma died, I distinctly remember crawling into her bed and her holding me. Her tiny arms engulfing me. I long for that. Just one more time. To hear her voice, see her hands, feel her warmth.
Momma was so special to me, but also to many others. She was a Christian, a fighter, a wife, mother, friend, animal lover.

• Above all, my mother was a Christian. She loved God and was steadfast in her faith even in the face of disease and death. That last day of her life, Maundy Thursday, she asked for her Bible and for us to pray with her. Just hours before her death, my momma prayed for us.


• My momma loved and she loved deeply and unconditionally. There was NEVER a time that I doubted her love for me or my daddy. She maintained relationships. Most all of her friends had been in her life for decades and she believed in family.


• My momma loved life. She loved to smile and rarely met a stranger.

I found her dying wishes after her funeral when I was sorting her clothes. She wanted this song played at her funeral:

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero

I am stong and wise and I have no fear

But the truth is plain to see

She was sent to rescue me

I see who I want to be

In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal

Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace

This miracle God gave to him gives me strength when I'm weak

I find reason to believe in my daughter's eyes.

And when she wraps her hand around my finger

It puts a smile in my heart

Everything becomes a little clearer

I realize what life is all about

It's hanging on when your heart has had enough

It's giving more when you feel like giving up

I've seen the light

It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future

A reflection of who I am and what will be

And though she'll grow and someday leave

Maybe raise a family

When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me

For I'll be there in my daughter's eyes.

I hope others see her when they look in my eyes. We miss you, Ruby!

As of lately....

People like to point out the fact that I haven't blogged lately. So this is for all you guys....Sorry it is not more interesting. My days as of lately....

• I am knee deep in baby blue and brown as I plan Myers' first birthday party. 1st birthday. I can't believe that he is almost one! He is not walking yet, but he is trying so hard. It won't be long. Myers loves to mimic his big brother. He wants everything Manning is playing with....I am sure that this is only the beginning. I love to see the love they share. On April 14th, Myers will officially be 1 and my momma will have been dead 5 years. In so many ways, it seems like I have been missing her forever, but then there are days I feel like she died just yesterday. As always, this is a hard time of year for me. However, seeing Myers and his smiling face makes the sadness of losing mom a little more tolerable.


• Manning is getting too big for his britches. Literally and figuratively. All of the sudden, he is growing so fast. I no longer have a baby faced two year old. But an almost 3 year old LITTLE BOY. He makes me laugh every single day. The things he knows blows me away. How did he get so smart?! Right now, he is very into "reading" his Bible. His favorite story is "Adam and Eve" because he sees their hineys in the picture! HAHA! He is also asking for a little sister with long, brown hair that looks like Jesus. He is particular with his taste. I guess it is good to know what you want!


• I am participating in 2 very different Bible studies right now. I love them both so much! God is really working in my heart and revealing some new ideas to me. One of the ladies that I attend Bible studies with advised me to start praying for my boys' future wives right now. Wives? My boys' wives? I can't even begin to wrap my little brain around that. I can barely deal with the fact that Manning will be going to 1st grade in 4 years. Don't get me wrong...I want my boys to grow up, get married, and have babies of their own. It is just so hard to think about the sweet little boys that hold my hand and my heart growing up and giving that same heart away! My friend described the relationship that she had with her mother-in-law as "just like Naomi and Ruth." I want this...with my mother-in-law and my future daughter-in-laws. So starting today, I am praying for the little girls out their that will one day marry my sons. I pray that God will guide and protect them. I pray for their salvation, their purity, and their maturing faith.


• Kevin wants a motorcycle. We will see. =)

That's how life is in the Hatchell home right now. Having fun, loving life, and growing closer to God everyday!

Say What?

Somedays are remarkably easy in our world. There are days when me and both boys go to school, lunch, Target, and the park; they both take 2 hour naps and I get all my chores done. Those are the days that I feel like I have it all together. Then there are days like today.....So far Manning has peed on my favorite Pottery Barn rug. Of course he wouldn't pee on the $30 Walmart rug. That would be too easy. I called my grandma to ask what would take the smell of urine out of rugs. She tells me she knows of something that works for puppy urine. This is followed with a 5 minute discussion on whether puppy and people urine is the same thing. I am honestly not sure. Myers may know though. He seems to have a VERY strong opinion on everything today. He has been unusually cranky today. I am praying it is not another ear infection!
We have pictures today at 4pm. I washed a couple of the outfits that I want them to wear. Guess what else I washed AND dried? A red and yellow crayon! Nice. Now all those clothes have yellow and red spots ALL over them. So for the last hour my sweet mother-in-law and I have scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed some more. I think we got the large majority of the stains off. I just came out of the laundry to find Manning completely naked except his diapers
Me: Manning, Where are your pants?
Manning: What?
Me: (a little louder) Where are your pants?
Manning: What?
Repeat this several more times and I all get his a smile. What is his favorite word. Answering his questions is not his favorite. Man, I love these kids! Even on days that are more difficult than I might like!

Brotherly Love

I have always wanted a sibling. I remember begging for one as a child. I was not even picky, I would have gladly welcomed a brother or sister. Growing up I was so jealous of all my friends whose mommies had babies giving them the precious gift of siblings. Even as a teenager and young adult I desired this companionship, especially when my momma was sick and later when she passed away. I know that God has a reason for me being an only child and I trust HIS will far beyond my own selfish desires. However, I can't deny the fact that my longing for siblings has directly influenced the choices I have made as an adult and as a parent. I would assume that most of you reading this (what like all 5 of you!) know me well and in turn know that I want a house full of children. I have always said I wanted 6 kids or as many as God entrusts us with....a lot of people tell me I am crazy when they hear me say this. "How will I ever send them to college?" "What about weddings and cars?" You know, I'm not sure about all that. I am sure though that God will never give me more than I can handle. Maybe 2 babies will be it or maybe 10. I place no limits on a LIMITLESS GOD. The Bible tells us that, "Son are a heritage for the Lord, children a reward from him."

Back to siblings, I still miss the bond sisters and brothers share. I love to watch Manning and Myers together. They seem to innately know that they share something that no one else has...the same mommy and daddy. Manning takes such good care of his baby brother. From the very first moment he saw Myers he wanted to protect him. When Manning came to the hospital to see Myers for the first time, they still had him in the nursery and he was of course crying. Manning, peering through the glass at this tiny being, got very upset and proceeded to search for a pappy for his new brother. How many other babies were in that same nursery screaming their heads off? There had to be at least a few. However, Manning only cared about helping his brother. Now almost 11 months later, Manning is still quick to bring Myers toys, pacifiers, or anything else it takes to make him happy. When we were trying to get Myers to sleep, Manning would get so upset hearing his brother cry. "Mommy, go get brother! He is crying!"

The love goes both ways. Myers adores Manning. We love to sit in the next room and listen to the two of them play and laugh together. When Manning is not home, Myers is constantly looking for him.

I love the love they share and I am so grateful that God has blessed us with these two sweet boys.

Blue Balloon

Today I took the boys with me to run some errands. At one of our stops, the lady at the store gave Manning a balloon. He even got to pick the color he wanted. (Blue) This was big stuff and it made him VERY happy. So we tied the balloon around his arm and held on tight until we got in the car and all 4 doors were shut. We had to make sure this balloon was safe! (Side note: It was absolutely beautiful outside today. 75 degrees and sunny. Perfect weather) So as we drove to our next destination, I opened the sunroof. Manning did not like this. He loves to have the windows down but hates for the sunroof to be open. I know it's strange. Anyways, he proceeds to tell me to, "Close that!" and I tell him "But Manning it is so nice ..let Mommy have it open just a little______" I didn't get to finish. Out the sunroof goes the balloon! Why didn't I just close the dumb thing? So I look in the rearview mirror sure that there will be tears in his eyes. I was wrong. He just sat there. He finally asked me where his balloon was and I told him that it had blown out and that I was very sorry. I'm still expecting tears and a lot of guilt. A few more minutes of silence and then, "it's okay Mommy just don't do it again." AHHHH.... I love my 2 year old. He teaches me everyday. How often do I react with patience and understanding when someone messes up my things or hurts my feelings?

Advice

I am planning Myers' first birthday party....I have a little over 2 monhs left but I love to plan ahead! Plus I will be planning Manning's 3rd birthday (I can't believe that my sweet boy is almost 3 years old!!!!) shortly after Myers turns 1, so I am trying to get ahead start. I loved Manning's first birthday cake and theme.... I used primary colors and polka dots.

I can't decide what theme I want to use for Myers' party. I have a few options that I like. Tell me what you think and any advice would be appreciated.

1. Option A: Nautical theme. I would use blue and red as my colors and do sailboats as my theme. I love the vision for this but don't know where I would find materials. I would like the cake to be shaped like a sail boat on a blue bottom tier.

2. Option B: Colors light blue and brown. 3 tierd cake just like Mannings but in light blue and trimmed in brown with his initals in brown.

What are your thoughts? Looking forward to getting some much needed input.

Holding me Accountable...

I have never been one to make New Year's Resolutions. I had no reason not to; I have just never felt compelled to set these yearly "goals" for myself. This year, however, was different. Not only did I make one resolution, I made a whole list of them. I want to be a better believer, a better wife, mom, friend, teacher....and it goes on and on.
1. First of all, I want to be more devoted to my heavenly Father. I need to commit more time to prayer and Bible reading.
2. I want to do the sweet things for Kevin that I did when we were dating, engaged, and newly married! I love him more now than ever, but show him so much less!
3. I want to spend MORE time playing with my kids and their toys and LESS time picking up behind them and their toys! They are only babies and toddlers once.... I vow to enjoy every single second of this precious time!
4. I want to keep my car cleaned out and neat. For whatever reason, my van has always been the dumping ground. If you needed and couldn't find it- check in my van ! I promise a family could have lived for a week on the contents in my car. (Kevin would lovingly whistle the tune to "Sanford and Sons" when he got in!) This is no more! The week after Christmas, I cleaned everything out and took my van to Snappy Car Wash. I spent $65 of the money I got for Christmas (hello- my shopping money) and got it completely detailed. I even had the carpets shampooed. It looks brand new! I am so proud of us - so far we have done wonderful at keeping it clean!
5. I want to grow my hair out. I haven't had long hair since I got married almost 6 years. Kevin likes my hair long so for the last 7 months I have been patiently growing my hair. For a girl who loves getting her hair done, I promise this is an act of LOVE!
6. I want to cook more and eat out less. Anyone who has good, EASY recipes, I would appreciate any advice!
7. I want to stay up-to-date on my scrapbooking. It is so much easier when I stay on track, rather than having to spend hours upon hours catching up on all the months that I have neglected to scrapbook!

Finding time for the MOST important things

I have always struggled to devote DAILY consistent time to Bible reading and prayer. I try to read my Bible everyday and I have attempted to read the entire thing in a year, unfortunately I have never made it through. I pray...I even pray often. However, until recently I lacked a set time during each day that was completely devoted to talking to God. Just me and God. Not group prayer, not prayer with Kevin, not prayer with my boys, not blessings before meals, not quick 30 second chats. (Not that these are not all Awesome....I just needed to make time for lengthy one-on-one time with my Father) How can I expect him to change me if I never sit still long enough to hear HIS plans?

Growing up, bedtime was the part of my day that was spent conversing with God. I rarely fell asleep without saying my prayers. As I got older, I would pray while I drove because this gave me the perfect time to connect with my Savior. However, my circumstances have changed (in a wonderful way)....I now have two wonderful little boys who keep me very busy (I am in noway blaming them or looking for an excuse). I know that I spend too much time on facebook, watching TV, etc that I could spend reading my Bible and praying. This is a failure on my part and my part alone. I just cannot commit to praying in bed anymore because I am too tired. By the time, my head hits the pillow I am gone. I want to give God the best version of Amy....this is not it! I also have a hard time talking to God when I am driving now. First of all, I am seldom in the car alone. Most of the time, Manning and Myers are in the backseat and I am talking, singing, or laughing with them!

I was recently telling Kevin about all of this and he gave me a wonderful suggestion. Pray while I take my nightly bath. (He lets me take a long bath EVERY night after he gets home from work. It is glorious! I have an awesome husband!) So I thought, why don't I make a new commitment to not only praying each night during my bath but every morning while I am in the shower? That's my goal! Hold me accountable. My question to you...esp to you very busy moms- When do you find time to devote to God?