Crazy...wonderful...LIFE!

Wow...it has been a while since I updated! Life has been crazy, but wonderful! In the past couple of months I found out my stepson is gonna be a Daddy again and will be marrying a wonderful girl, Siara :) Lawson has had some more problems in daycare so we removed him and are now attending therapy so he can begin Pre-K in September. I became the aunt of an adorable little guy who already has my heart wrapped around his tiny finger! And these are just the biggies!!!

Becoming a Ya-Ya (that's Grandmother in Greek):

Wiley and Siara told us about a month ago they will be welcoming an addition to the family in early February 2011. Their original plan was to get married in May 2011, but they have decided to move that to September 2010 so they can readily prepare for their precious gift. I have been working with Siara to plan the details of her first big day, becoming a wife. I am excited for them and very happy to welcome her into our family!

Lawson - my sweet little man - my hyper little man: 

Lawson continued to have issues at daycare with hitting and not listening to his teachers. After a meeting with the directors and teachers, we decided to give it a couple of weeks to see if we could get things under control. But, that didn't last. Due to, what I believe was their lack of desire, he was removed from daycare almost two weeks ago. Luckily, it has not been an issue for childcare as I have a wonderful family so willing to help! I also think in the long run, that will be what was best for Lawson.

We have found a new therapist that is very skilled in working with children Lawson's age. We see him once a week and, at this time, he has not specifically diagnosed Lawson with ADHD, but will in time. We know this is the issue, we just have to make sure we specify it correctly. In the meantime, we will continue to meet with the doctor once per week, and figure out how to help Lawson be more aware of himself and his surroundings.

Becoming an Auntie:

On June 30 at 4:01 pm, I became an aunt! Jeremiah Jachob De'Quan Johnson made his appearance into the world. He weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 19 5/8 in long with a head full of black hair! I was so blessed to be with  my sister as she gave birth to this little guy. It was amazing to watch a new life come into the world and see her face the first time she saw him. Her pregnancy was hard and, at times, I wasn't sure she was ready...I could not have been more wrong. She has become a different person in the past two weeks and is an amazing little mommy...JJ is lucky to have a mother that loves him so much!

Life - what an adventure:


Other than the big things, I continue to run the shop in Dandridge. I love it so much better since we moved from Jefferson City. I am working on setting up a Vintage room and hope to have it open by early August.

I celebrated my 28th birthday on June 20 and decided I wanted to teach myself a new skill...so, I bought the "I Taught Myself Knitting" kit and off I went. I am doing pretty good so far...if I do say so myself! I have made a baby hat and, though it wasn't great, it turned out pretty good. I am working on one for JJ now and hope to have it done by Saturday for his first pictures :)

Charlie is working a lot lately and I have been working on some other things, so we haven't spent much time together...hopefully after summer life will slow down and we can take a couple of days to do some family things. We are going to the beach in October and I am pretty sure that cannot get here fast enough!

Introducing our new fur baby...

We have added a new fur baby to our family...Sassie. We got her from a couple in Georgia almost 3 weeks ago. They loved her but just couldn't keep her so we had the opportunity to get her. She is great! She is just over a year old and very hyper. She is a Silky Terrier, so hyper was expected :)

Lawson loves her and, most of the time, they get along great! When she is ready to rest and he isn't, she gets a little uptight ;)

Moved the business, got a new logo...

Well, we moved the bookstore from Jefferson City to Dandridge and have now been open almost 2 weeks! I love it...it was a great decision to move!

When we moved, we decided to stay with the same Christian bookstore roots we began with and add a few more things to the mix. We now have Bibles, books, gifts, and antiques! We are very excited to have added antiques to what we already carry. As of now we only have glassware (mostly) but we intend to also add some antique books and other neat items :)

Since we changed our inventory a little, it seemed only fitting we get a new logo. We also had to have a new, and very different, sign and what we had just didn't work well. So, I called a wonderful friend of mine who does custom logo designs and BAM...our new logo was born!

Now for the real reason of this post...

If you need a logo for your business or a new logo for a fresh look, let me suggest Tatorbug Creations! Stephanie is a wonderful designer and has some amazing ideas. She can do custom logos, business cards, wedding and birth announcements, and much more! She also does thread art and can customize blankets, shirts, and bags. She is one multi-talented lady! If you contact her, please let her know you found out about her from my blog. She loves knowing where her customers come from!

Here is the logo she custom designed for us :)

RIP Maggie (Our fur baby)

Yesterday afternoon was one of the worst days of my life! We lost Maggie, our fur baby. She got out of the house and was hit by a car; it killed her instantly. I wasn't home when it happened, so my Papaw and Daddy got her and buried her for me; Dad called to tell me and ask me if that is what I wanted them to do. I did not want to see her body, so I told them to bury her for me...I just couldn't do it.

Maggie was Lawson's birthday present two years ago. As of right now, he hasn't said anything about her not being around. When he does, I will explain to him she was hit by a car, it hurt her really bad and that she is now in heaven with Jesus. Then, I will try my best to answer whatever questions he has.

I think eventually we will get another dog, but right now I can't even think about it. How do you get over it? She was like a second child to us :(

RIP Maggie...we will miss you!

So sorry...

I haven't blogged in weeks! I have been crazy busy and I am worn out...all I want to do when I get home is sleep :/

Almost three weeks ago we made the decision to move the store from Jefferson City to Dandridge. It was one of those last minute decisions and it was a quick transition.

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month and, though I do not have a child with autism, I am very close to it. I have a wonderful friend who has a son with Asperger's and I was an aid to a boy with autism a couple of years ago - it was the greatest job ever!

I ask that you would take the time to educate yourself on autism and what it is. Children with autism are often mistaken for "problem children" because people do not understand the diagnosis or do not realize that is what is causing the behavior of a specific child. The children (and parents) are stared at in public, talked about, and sometimes asked to leave because the child is so "unruly."

It hurts my heart to think the children and parents are cast away because the child has an outburst due to an autism diagnosis. Take the time to ask before castin judgement - if you do not understand, ask questions!

My rant is over - just needed to get that out and let everyone know how I feel :)

Journey to Health

I am embarking on a journey for not only me, but my family. I have always been a bigger person and, until recently, this hasn't really bothered me. But, I went to the doctor last week and, though I haven't gained but a couple of pounds in the last few years, I am bigger now than I have ever been. I don't like it and it has to change!

I am relatively healthy even though I am overweight. I try to keep a check on my health and make sure everything is what it should be. And, other than the weight, things are overall good.

I have a great friend who decided to do Weight Watchers and started a few weeks back. We have been the same size for a while now but she was very unhappy with her body. Before she had her babies she was a 2/4 and then made it to 18/20 in just a few years - I can see how this would cause a problem for her. So, she made the decision to do WW.

She is my best friend in the world so she calls me to tell me her progress daily. I am so inspired by her that I have decided to follow the same path. I have made the decision to go to Weight Watchers and shed these extra pounds! I wish that we lived closer and could do it together, but that just isn't possible at this time. I have found a friend that I think is going to do it with me and I am thankful for that - I will need someone to keep me motivated and hold me accountable!

My first meeting is Wednesday evening - I am nervous and excited! Please pray for me as I begin this journey and send good vibes my way for success :)