My Boy J

Jacob is now 14 years old. In less than 2 years he will be driving. Just two short years ago, he was still a little boy...at least I thought he was. But now there is no denying, Jacob is growing up. He has taken to calling himself Jake. That's fine because I had intended to call him Jake the whole time I was pregnant with him. He's been Jacob, Jake, Jake-Jake, J, JJ, Jay-G, Jake the Snake, Bunk, and heaven knows what else we have called him at any given time. Most of all though, I'm proud to call him my son.

Jacob hates to have his picture taken, so it's very hard to get a good one of him. He is such a handsome boy to me, and his heart is his best feature. He's a smart kid, with a lot of self-motivation, and he has a knack for making his teachers fall in love with him. He is in the 9th grade and is enjoying high school. He has started having a social life and is loving his youth group. This weekend he is zip lining in the Georgia mountains! He just got his braces off and has been shaving since Christmas. Man, I feel old! He is way taller than I am, and has a set of shoulders like you wouldn't believe. Everyone thinks he is going to be taller than his dad, and they wear the same shoe size now. He is becoming more confident every day, and has a great sense of humor...

Ok, I admit, I made him take that picture, but you have to admit, it is funny! Jake is a great kid, and I know that no matter where he goes, he is going to behave himself. He is smart enough to save the bad stuff for home! He has grown up way too fast, and all the good qualities that he has, I know we had very little to do with them. He's a great kid in spite of his parents. I know that the next few years will be very exciting for him, and hard for me. Part of it I'm probably going to want to fast forward through, and part of it I'm going to want to pass as slowly as possible. I can't believe that he will be an "adult" in four short years. But I know if the next few years pass as quickly as the last 14 have, it will be time for him to go off to college in a blink. I think I miss him already!

My Hero

That's him... My Hero! Frank graduated in June from GMC with his Associate's Degree in History. He did this with a 3.9 GPA. The only B he made was in a summer session Statistics class! He also completed this monumental feat at the age of 39 while still providing for our family and doing more than his fair share with the kids. We are so proud of him! He is now a full time junior at Macon State College majoring in History Education. He took the summer off (at my request) and we celebrated his graduation with a trip to California.

Frank "grew up" in California and we loved seeing his old stomping grounds. We were able to spend time with his wonderful aunt, and even got to meet some of his cousins that he hadn't seen since he was Jake's age. The kids loved hearing about "Frankie". We did realize though, that Frank has actually lived longer in Milledgeville than he has ever lived anywhere in his whole life.

Frank has become very good friends with our Sunday school teacher, John, and they are golfing buddies now. He is serving on the Youth Pastor Search Committee at our church, and will be teaching our SS class this Sunday.

I've kept him busy around the house building a bedroom and bathroom in the basement for Jacob. He will be starting the media room renovation down there soon. I even convinced him to go running with me. I thought I could impress him with my new found athleticism. Hahahaha, he is running 2 miles at a time already and has left me in his dust!

Our family is so blessed. He is a great dad and a pretty good husband too! He forces me to lighten up when I take things too seriously, and he has a great big heart. He is strong enough to handle the things I can't, and loves me in spite of myself. I was only 18 when we got married, and I sure didn't know what I was doing, but God sure did when he gave me Frank!

September Challenge

Well, I'm back. I have thought about blogging a hundred times, and I finally decided to give myself a 30 day challenge. I am challenging myself to blog every day in September. A lot of things have happened over the last few months, and I hope to get to some of that, while also keeping up with what's going on now. Right now, I'm gonna play catch up. Since it's my blog, I'm going to be very self-centered and blog about me today. I have been working very hard since January to lose weight. I have not taken diet pills (though quite tempted) and I am not sick. Both of those have become rumors as to why I've lost "so much weight so fast". First of all, it hasn't been fast! It's taken me 7 1/2 months to get this far, and I still have about 20 lbs to go. I didn't weigh at first, because I couldn't handle the devastation to know just how big I was, so I don't know exactly how much weight I have lost. I estimate it to be at least 50 pounds. Ugh. I have a hard time being proud of what I have lost because I am so embaressed about what I weighed to start with. This is my "before picture". It was taken the day before I started dieting. It is just of my fat shoulders and face because fat people who are deep in shame don't let people take full length pictures.
This is my 5 months progress picture. We were on vacation in northern California. (more about that later)

I started at a tight size 18 W and am now in a comfortable size 10. I do weigh myself now, each and every pitiful day, and I go through the anguish of it going up and down, up and down. I keep gaining and losing the same pounds over and over. But I am determined to do this. I started out with a low carb diet, and after 6 months, was officially stuck. Now I'm counting weight watcher's points. I walk/run with a friend who is in much better shape than I am, and I have just started strength training to go with the cardio. My goal is to run a 5K, but I am not a natural runner. I keep trying though, and am almost up to running half a mile non-stop. That doesn't sound like much, but considering I started out trying to run between light poles and couldn't do that without grunting (LOUD), it's quite an accomplishment!

As for other news, I'm still teaching second grade. This year has already been challenging, but I am optimistic. We will make huge improvements this year. And I won't lose my mind (and hopefully my temper) getting us where we need to be. We are really getting settled into our church home. We have made new friends, and have an awesome Sunday school study on forgiveness. My toes are battered and blue and I am learning so much. Putting what I have learned into practice is not nearly as easy though.

Sadly, one of my favorite aunts passed away right before school started. Her husband, my daddy's brother is also very, very sick. We have been trying to spend some time in south Georgia with family during this tough time. It's been good, because of being able to see family I haven't seen in so long, but it's also been tough because it makes my own parents' passing even more real. I have realized that when your parents die, it's like the last of your childhood goes with them.

Well, now that I've made myself cry, I guess I will end this lengthy catching up post. I will be back tomorrow, and I will tell you what the other three Meighans have been up to.

A Night in the Big Peach

Frank and I took Paige to Atlanta for a night on the town. We went to the Shakespeare Tavern to see the "The Taming of the Shrew". We went last year to see "Romeo and Juliet" which I did not enjoy. But we all three loved, Loved, LOVED "The Taming of the Shrew". We stayed in Midtown at the Hotel Palomar. This was the view from our 20th floor window. Paige said this is Georgia's version of the city that never sleeps. This is our hotel room view in daylight.

Paige and me before we went to the play.

This is our hotel room.

Paige's dress matched the decor!

After the play, we had a late dinner at the Broadway Diner.

Frank had lasagna...I was good and had a salad.

The hotel had these cool robes but they were a lot hotter than we looked wearing them! We had a great time, and Paige had a great time being an only child for the night. We all need to experience a little culture in the big city every now and then!

Having it All

There used to be a catch-phrase about working mothers trying to "Have it All". People have debated what that really means. I think "having it all" begins when you realize that you already have all you need. I am not lucky...I am blessed. I never win anything. But I have been given gifts whose worth are unmeasurable.

1. Salvation I have been chosen to be a child of the most high God. WOW!

2. Parents I had two parents who loved me without end. They worked their whole lives to give me security. And my daddy thought I hung the moon. Pretty cool, huh.

3. My Namesake I am named after my granny. She was a 4 ft 11 1/2 inch spitfire. She was an amazing cook, kept an immaculate home, and raised 6 kids, including my daddy, without pulling her hair out. And I was her Punkin. She washed my long blond hair and brushed it til it shined, she laid in the twin bed beside me talking for hours, and she loved me the best way she knew how...by cooking for me every day while I was recovering from a devastating car accident.

4. Marriage I have been married for 18 years to a man who will do anything for me...as long as no one else knows how sweet he is. He has put up with so much on my end, including people thinking that he is the hard one to live with! I love him more now than the day I married him. I've spent half my life with him, and know that I will spend the rest of it being continuously surprised by him.

5. Jacob He is the oddest combination of Frank and me. Amazingly smart, very witty, a bit stand-offish...a doggone good lookin' boy! And then from Frank he gets...haha, just kidding! Jacob is a son anyone could be proud of. He is a good boy, a really good boy. He picks on his sister, and he can be quite a pig, but I know that I will never be embaressed by his behavior when he goes somewhere. He is respectful and kind, and my very favorite son!

6. Paige My angel baby. She is growing up so much. She is as tall as I am, and has bigger feet than I do. She considers herself a fashionista, and loves doing anything artsy crafty. She is all drama, and life is never boring around her. She is a Daddy's girl, and loves the one on one time they have together, but she also loves to shop and decorate and cook with me. She feels everything very deeply, and loves being with the girls. She is full of life, and full of spunk...and she is my very favorite daughter!

7. Friends I've learned it's not about the size of your circle of friends, but the depth. Frank and I have been blessed with lots of friends who have been like family to us over the years, but we are truly blessed now with friends that ARE family. Gene and Cindy have loved on us through the worst of times, and the best of times. They love our children, they love our dogs, they even love us. I know if we needed anything, all we would need to do is ask....and I have, over and over. When I grow up, I want to be as good a friend as they have been to us!

8. Job Oh I whine about working, but I have a great job. I make good money, I have great hours, and I work with some awesome people. But most of all, I have 23 little children who think I hung the moon...sometimes. In what other profession do you get a continuous stream of love notes? The best part of my job is when I see a former student tell my current students how lucky they are to have me. Or when I see a parent years later tell their friends how much I meant to them. Wow, what an ego boost! (I've also gotten some preferential treatment and great deals from being a teacher lately...can't hurt!)

9. My Home I am a house mouse. A home body. I am all about my house. It's my hobby, my passion. I love making the place my family lives beautiful. Especially when I can do it for cheapness! I know that home is where memories are made, and I feel like having a warm, inviting home for my family gives them comfort they can't get anywhere else. I put a lot of effort into our home, and so does Frank. He hears my big ideas, and then he makes them reality. Our home is filled with love, chaos, laughter, noise, and pride.

10. Church We are getting more and more comfortable at our new church home. It is so welcoming and loving there. Bro. Tim is a pastor first, preacher second. I love to him her preach God's word, but I also can feel his love for his fellow Christians. Without a pastor's love, the words about God's love don't sink in as deeply. I hope that makes sense. I know this will. All four of us are excited to go to church every time the doors are open. We are excited to worship with others, to learn more about our Savior with other Christians, and to fellowship with good people.

Wow, what a long post! And that is just 10 of the many, many things I have been blessed with in my life. Have it all? Way more than I deserve!

Our New Sun Room

Welcome Visitors! (and friends too!)

My Metamorphosis this week is our new sun room.

My wonderful husband closed our screened in porch to make a sun room. I didn't think to take true before pictures but I do have a few construction pics.

My almost 14 year old son working...and my husband watching, hahaha!

The beginning of the siding going up.

The outside finished product on the pool side of our house.

The finished product...and my beautiful azalea.

The inside sitting area.

The new dining area. (We love to entertain and plan to use this room for overflow dining since its right off the dining room.)

My rescued baker's rack. This was left in the basement when we moved into our house, and my husband wanted to throw it away! A can of primer and black spray paint, and I think it turned out lovely! I use it to store pool towels and the basket is for sunscreen and goggles and such. I don't know what else I'm going to put on the shelves, and I'm open to suggestions! I know I'm going to put an aloe plant for people who do not use the sunscreen!

A close up of a sweet watering can I found at Lowe's.

A pretty thing I bought at Michael's a few years ago.

Thank's for visiting our new sunroom. Be sure to visit Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday for more transformations!

A Spring Tablescape

Welcome to my home! The table is set for spring and we are anxiously awaiting Easter dinner.My table is set with a few old pieces that belonged to my Mama. The little birdie was a gift from a student and as soon as I saw her I knew that she would be on my spring table!

The magnolias were rescued from an old wreath I made years ago.

Another view of some of my silver pretties. I love silver pieces!

My china is Montclair by Lennox. Silver is Gorham Chantilly. Crystal is Gorham Lady Anne. For napkins I used some fabric from Mama's fabric stash and white hankies! The napkin rings are from a very exclusive boutique you may have heard of...Walmart! They were clearance finds left over from fall.

Thank you for stopping by! We love company! Be sure to stop by Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday party to see many more beautiful tablescapes!