The Silly Monkey

So some of y'all know how much I LOVE being crafty! And a lot of y'all have encouraged me to try and sell my stuff. So, I've started a "business" with all of my fun stuff... check it out. sillymonkeyms.blogspot.com. Named after my sweet baby P!!!

The Fair

For those who have never been and for those who think they need to go more than once a year... here is a tour of the famous (or infamous) Neshoba County Fair... affectionately referred to as "Mississippi's Giant House Party".

I tell Justin every year how much I dread going, but the truth is... the Fair is great. It's amazing... just one big family reunion. Everyone knows everyone and if you don't, they'll get to know you and make you a part of their family! And yeah... you do end up sleeping in the bed right next to your brother-in-law who snores louder than any bear, but it's ok... it's only once a year!! I wouldn't dare deprive my baby of this experience!! He loved it!

Of course, the Fair has had it's moments... there was the year that there was no water, and we had to fill up the bathtubs once a day just to be able to flush the toilet. That was my favorite. And the Fair is held the absolute hottest week of every year (the last week in July). And things have got a lot louder at our cabin with Preston being old enough to run around this year... well, that and the fact that Justin's sister has five kids... plus her husband's nephew staying with us (that's 7 kids, all under the age of 12 for those of you doing the math). But it's still great.

To me, the Fair is...Going for long walks in the sweltering heat just to get a Lindsey's Lemonade and then walking through the air conditioned part of the Exhibit Hall. Seeing my husband so excited he can barely stand it... like a kid on Christmas. Seeing him even more excited to have his "boy" going to the Fair with him. Watching the kids playing in the sawdust like it's a sandbox. Walking through the flea market every year, telling myself that I'm going to buy something and then just get mad and say I'm just going to make it. Coming in from a day walk and standing on the sofa to get right in front of the air conditioner. Swinging on the front porch swing early in the morning, holding my sweet baby, before anyone else is up and the fairgrounds are quiet. Watching the triathletes make their way to the Grandstands after a really long trek and wonder how they do it. Going to see family that we literally see only at the Fair. But most of all, to me the Fair is family... one big, great, (and sweaty... I mean really, it's like over 100 daily) family.

It's been a while...

Sorry for the absence!! So, so, SO much has been going on in our lives the last couple of months. Now that things have "seemed" to slow down, I have time to get back to this and to y'all!! So for a quick 60 sec. update... God is good and we are so blessed! Justin lost his job and found another (better) one, we almost bought a house right around the corner from my mom (I know what you're thinking), I've launched another new drug (yes another one), our son is a cross-dresser, and I've got baby fever... BAD. Now to elaborate...

Justin's job: So most of you know that Justin is a banker... well, used to be a banker. With the economy being as fabulous as it is right now, turns out that drug companies aren't the only ones who experience corporate layoffs. The bank that Justin was working for did just that, and Justin was the lucky one to go in Tupelo... and I mean that in all sincerity. Him losing his job has been the biggest blessing from God! It got him away from some of the people that he worked with that I WAS NOT a fan of, it got him out of a dead end job (it was going to take a LONG time for him to work his way up at that particular bank), and got him into an AMAZING job! God is so good, and God is ALWAYS faithful... ALWAYS. And just to let you know how great his new job is, I'll just say this... significant (and I mean significant) raise, unlimited possibilities for career opportunities within that organization, short weeks (usually just 4 day weeks), fabulous benefits, and lots of vaca time!! And he is so happy!! He absolutely has a joy about him I've never seen when it comes to his job... he loves it. He has had to travel some, but nothing that we can't handle!! God is SOOO good!!!

About the house: We've been trying to sell our house for a while, but took it off the market when Justin became job-less. Well, the weekend of the Fair, we looked at a house around the corner from my mom. I've always loved this house on the outside and I loved it even more on the inside. It's bigger with tons of built-ins, hard wood floors, and a full four bedrooms plus three other living areas, HUGE basement and a big, shaded backyard... just perfect for two certain someones to play football! But it sold before ours could, and again, such a blessing from God. As we were preparing our house to sell (cleaning carpets, purging the junk), I started to become really hesitant about buying that house. The master bath could literally fit into our closet and speaking of closets, there were none in that house. I was already thinking about demolition and how we could make that house fit what I really wanted... which meant I shouldn't have been thinking about it in the first place. So, it sold... and not to us!! Thank you, Lord!!

The new drug: It's really great. First in class for really, really, really sick patients. This is actually one that will literally change people's lives... and not in the warm, fuzzy feeling kind of way!

The cross dresser: Well, not really. I think all children go through this and boys are no exception! It seems that Preston's new favorite thing to do is try on my shoes... and not just any shoes... my heels!!! Of course, if none of my heels are to be found, he will opt for his Daddy's loafers! It's just hillarious seeing this little boy clunk around in his momma's high heels!! I did take a picture of him in them... thought it would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner slide show one day... or any girlfriends who happen to come to our house!! ha!

Baby fever: does that really need an expaination??

I'll try and do better about updating! Football season is quickly approaching and can't get here soon enough! Preston will get to experience his first Ole Miss and Mississippi State (we don't discriminate) games this fall!! So exciting!

Some updated Preston pictures...

sweet baby boy!!! Bed head!!!

Fourth of July... love that face!!!! Watching Daddy outside...

Tell me this look isn't trouble!!! And tell me that's not the sweetest smile you've ever seen!!