The McRae Family

Finally some results!!

2008-10-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

Dr. Michael called today with the results from Janey Beth's blood work. She does have all of the components to her white blood cells needed to actually make antibodies, but for some reason right now they are not doing their job. This is why her IgA and IgG levels are low. Her body did respond to the Pneumoccocal (sp?) vaccination she received as an infant, but it did NOT to the tetanus vaccination. The doctor said that was odd and could be a glitch in the blood work, so we are going for a tetanus shot tomorrow. When we go back on November 19, we will see if her body responded to this vaccination. Please pray it does because I asked what we would do if it doesn't, and Dr. Michael said we would cross that bridge if it presents itself. I don't really know what that means. She WAS encouraged by these results, but JB doesn't have a definite diagnosis besides the IgA Deficiency. Because of this the doctor cannot definitely say she will outgrow all of these deficiencies. We are going to take it one day at a time with JB, stay on the Biaxin and do regular checks on her levels. We are NOT going to do any special treatments unless she starts getting sick more frequently. The upcoming cold and flu season will be a test to her body, but I am confident that she will "pass" with flying colors!!! Thank you all so much for your prayers. We truly felt them these past 2 weeks during the waiting.

Way too much alone time...

2008-10-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you leave a 16 month old with a forgotten chocolate cupcake on the kitchen table!!!!

We Love A Parade!

2008-10-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday Sara Glenn's Peewee Cheerleader Squad was invited to ride in the Winona High School Homecoming Parade. The theme was a Disney Homecoming, so our girls went with the whole "Making Wishes Come True" part of it. We had Chris's truck washed and made cute signs for the sides and back of it. Tiffany even made his antenna look like a magic wand since each girl had a wand they waved around while they cheered and threw candy from the back of his truck. It was so much fun!!! I have totally gotten way to into all of this, but it brings back such great, fun memories of when I was a peewee cheerleader. All of these girls are so excited, and we have our first game Monday night at 6. More pics of that to come! One more tidbit about SG.........SHE MADE THE HONORS CHOIR!!! The showchoir director decided to have an Honors Choir to travel with on special performaces, and SG was one of I think 5 fourth graders that made it. God has blessed her with such a sweet voice, and we are so proud of all of her accomplishments.

Nothing a Little Glue Won't Fix!

2008-10-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon we were at the high school for Sara Glenn's peewee cheerleader practice. We had not been there five minutes, and Emmy Lou fell on the concrete hitting her forehead on a jagged rock. Sure enough it was worth a trip to the ER because even though it wasn't long it was very deep. She really didn't cry much until they took her temperature RECTALLY, and it was all over with after that. Really, who can blame her? This is our second accident in less than a week. Thursday about 30 minutes before the Winona High School Homecoming Parade JB tripped and ran into the corner of our kitchen table with her mouth. Her bottom teeth made a huge whole in her lip and actually went through her lip. Not much you can do for that, and it has already started to heal and look better. Needless to say, it's been an eventful week!

It's Sneaker Time!!

2008-10-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today we went "sneaker" shopping as JB called it, and I bought her some leather Keds. She obviously had other sneakers in mind. You know, the kind that light up and honestly are the tackiest things Wal-Mart could ever sell. Everytime we go there she asks me over and over to buy her a pair that "glow" when she walks. I always tell her they are out, such a lie, but it works. Today she happened to find them herself and proceeded to put them on and walk out of the store in them. So now we own a lovely pair of these Disney Princess glowing sneakers. It's not enough that her teacher at preschool thinks she only has 1 dress since it's the one she wants to wear every school day and honestly these days it's not worth the fight. My new philosophy is going to be: As long as she is clean and her hair and teeth are brushed, it's OK!!!

Update on JB

2008-10-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

In December of 2007 Janey Beth was diagnosed with IgA Deficiency, and we were referred to Dr. Christie Michael with LeBonheur's Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Pulmonology Group in Memphis. We went a couple of weeks ago for a 6 month recheck on her immunity levels. The results were her IgA deficiency has gotten worse, and now her IgG level (immunity found in your blood) is very low. They had us come back last Monday, and they drew 6 more tubes of blood for extensive testing on her white blood cells maturity and the cells within them. They are also trying to see if her tetanus and pneumoccocal (sp?) immunizations as a child worked. We have been off and on the antibiotic Biaxin since January, and now HAVE to stay on it to prevent her from getting an infection of some sort since her body cannot defend itself right now. Depending on the results from these tests, we will either go back to Dr. Michael to get a "gameplan" together for JB, or she will refer us to St. Jude's Immunology Department for further help. There is a treatment for this, Praise the Lord, and it's called IVIG. Basically, once a month an IV would pump immunoglobulins into JB to help build up her immune system. The problem is once you start these treatments, they are lifelong. Janey Beth does NOT act sick since she has already gotten three spankings today and is jumping on my bed as I type!haha Her activity level and appetite are great, and she even weighs 35 lbs. which is very good for her age and having this immunodeficiency! We walked the dog 1 mile yesterday, and she was ready to go another. She doesn't seem sick, but there is definitely something wrong with her little defenses inside her body. We would very much covet your prayers during this next week and a half. Our prayer is that we can diagnose and quickly start treatment for JB depending on the test results. We do NOT want to start the IVIG unless we have to but are thankful that it is available. I will definitely update as soon as I know more.

McRae Update

2008-09-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Lately life has been SO busy that I haven't had time to update our blog. I am going to give a run down of what's going on with each of us.
CHRIS: Football is under way and the Jags are 1-1! We won BIG last week against Montgomery County 41-6 and play J.J. McClain this Friday night. Chris loves JZ George and the kids, but is having a hard time keeping up with teaching five 8th grade science classes each day. This area is also state tested, so he has been a little stressed about making sure he is REALLY teaching these kids what they need to know. SG is loving the fact that he brings home 3 1/2 hours worth of papers to grade each week! It makes her feel like a "real" teacher. Chris is also about to start a new Sunday School class at our church in October and is excited about that.
SG: Sometimes we wonder if she actually still lives with us!ha She is extremely busy with school, show choir, soccer, friends, etc. They had a soccer camp this past Saturday, and she loved it! She is playing up this year on a U12 team and is pumped about being on Lexie's team. We have Open House tonight at her school, and she has AMAZING teachers this year. SG is still taking piano from MayMay and is moving right along in that. Peewee cheerleader starts soon, so honestly she is rarely here.
JB: Preschool is going great! They are learning so much! She comes home with at least 3 papers everyday including writing and listening skills work. Her teacher, Ms. Barbara, does so much in the short 3 hours that she has them. She has learned the Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegience already. Dancing as you can guess is what she looks forward to every week! She has mastered walking up Miss Claire's driveway in her taps without slipping down at least 4 times. She loves Sunday School with Jacob and Miss Marla at church and says at least once a day "I love living in Winona with MayMay and PaPa".
EL: Our little Lou Lou has become a serious climber! She can climb on top of the piano, kitchen table, computer table, all of our beds and pretty much anything else that would give you a heart attack. We can actually understand some words she is saying now: "uh-oh", "bye bye", "ooooh" for the cow, "dug" aka dog, "baby" and "puppy".
Me: We just started Sunday School classes at our church for children, and I am teaching Sara Glenn's age class. Right now it's just she and I, but we hope to have some more come next Sunday. We are using John Piper's Children Desiring God curriculum, and it's AMAZING!!! I joined Junior Auxiliary and am going to be SG's cheerleader sponsor. I honestly take a nap everyday with the little two just to gear up for the afternoon and all of the activities. ha
As you can tell, life is busy right now at the McRae house, but it would be so boring any other way!

We Love The Coach!

2008-08-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

J.Z. George had its 1st Annual "Meet the Jaguars Night" last Thursday. Tiffany and I loaded up all of the girls in their MSU cheerleader suits and went over to check it out. We are very fortunate that J.Z. George has the same colors as State, so Tiffany and I decided to get a 2-for-1 deal and buy MSU outfits for both games. We had their picture taken for an ad in the football program before it started, and it turned out pretty good. Janey Beth has decided that she is a "real" cheerleader and does NOT understand why she can't be on the sidelines with them. She actually had an all-out fit that required Toachy to come over and talk to her to get her to calm down. The cheerleader sponsor, Miss Blaine, was so nice, and she let JB stand with them during warm-up, obviously after she witnessed the fit. She's also going to let JB cheer a little with the girls this Friday night during the first home game. When Janey Beth cheers, she doesn't say "Go, Jaguars!" or "Go, Boys!" or even "Go, Toachy!". No, she says "Go, cheerleaders!". I guess she got it honestly because I cheered from 4th grade to 12th grade. We do have our first home game Friday night at 7:30 against Greenville O'Bannon H.S., and hopefully it will be the first victory of the season!

#1 Fan of the Cheerleaders! haha

Toachy's very own cheerleaders

So in her element!

Not the actual ad picture, but a good one anyway

20 fingers and 20 toes!

2008-08-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

This past week Natalie who is one of my very best friends from high school was in town from California visiting her mom. Natalie is 22 weeks pregnant with TWINS, a boy and a girl! Many of you have heard me talk about Natalie and my other h.s. friend Samantha, and it's always so much fun to get to visit altogether when we can. We went out to eat at Jake and Rips in Grenada Wednesday night and laughed so much!!! The three of us were inseparable when we were growing up and definitely have some stories to blackmail each other with. haha Saturday we hosted a gift card baby shower for her, and despite all of the rain, we had a great turn out (almost 60 people!). She obviously can't travel back to California with a ton of bulky gifts, so gift cards were perfect for her. Natalie won't be back to MS until after Cade and Kara (cute names, huh?) are born, but I can't wait to get my hands on those two precious little babies in the spring. Love you, Natalie!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Grimlins?

2008-08-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

You know, I should have known that when you buy a house that is over 100 years old there are going to be constant problems! I have been so behind on my laundry lately, so yesterday I washed about 6 loads of clothes. Last night I noticed that the laundry room light would not turn on and the washer and deep freeze were not working. The weird thing is that the dryer DID work. Talk about strange! It has happened once before, and we thought then it was because the washing machine shakes that part of the house to China and back when it is in the spin cycle. Of course Chris immediately claimed that I was overloading the washing machine, so I tried it with half a load. Guess what?! You got it...still shaking. Chris took the entire washer apart last week and decided it needed to be balanced. He's very handy to have around.haha But it happened last night again. Turns out that our house is "wired weird with grimlins", a quote from the electrician. I obviously don't understand electrician lingo, but it was a burned out something or other under the house. To the tune of $65 the grimlins are gone, for now. No telling where else they will show up, though. Stay tuned for "Return of the Grimlins."

HELP!

2008-08-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

So I am a little challenged sometimes when it comes to blogging...I need to know how to make a website address come up blue so that all the reader has to do is click on it to go to the webpage. I have also noticed on other blogs that when something or someone is mentioned I can click on their name (it's blue), and it takes me to their blog. HOW DO I DO THIS?!?!?!

Recipe Blog

2008-08-20T07:12:00.001-07:00

I just happened to come upon this blog that has some great sounding recipes! I was looking for the delicious Heath Bar Apple Dip recipe that Haley Warren made for our church going-away party and found this blog. The Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce sounds so good! Check it out if you have a chance...www.yummyrecipefinds.blogspot.com

Broadway, Here We Come!

2008-08-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Just a little update on Sara Glenn...yesterday she tried out for the Showchoir at her school and made it! It is made up of 4th-6th grade students with an Honors Choir for smaller performances. Lexie is in it, so SG decided to try out. I was so happy to see her overcome her fear of being in front of a crowd performing by herself! It takes a lot of confidence to stand in front of your friends and sing a song! She had been prepared to sing a High School Musical song, but the director asked her to sing "This Little Light of Mine". I picked her up after the try outs, and she was all smiles! It blesses me so much to see how God is growing Sara Glenn. She is truly a blessing to us and is changing everyday.

NO TEARS!!

2008-08-18T08:35:00.001-07:00

Today was Janey Beth's first day of three year old preschool at Moore Memorial United Methodist Church. Her teacher's name is Ms. Barbara, and the class has 8 girls and 1 boy in it. It took 30 minutes last night to pick out what she was going to wear, but it sure made getting dressed this morning a lot easier. We have been talking about how much fun school is because she tends to cry when I leave her anywhere. That does amaze me since she is so outgoing and independent, but she is very attached to me. I was so relieved this morning when I saw how excited and confident she was about going to preschool. She marched up those steps, hung up her backpack and sat in her chair without so much as a whimper! YEAH!!! She even gave me a hug and a kiss, and then whispered, "Remember I get Old McDonald's chicken nuggets, french fries and a sweet tea if I don't cry" I did forget to mention that I bribed her! haha

Visit to Tupelo

2008-08-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Tupelo to clean our house and more importantly have lunch with all of my friends that I miss so much. We ate at Atlanta Bread Co. which was pretty good except that my food tasted like hot lava!! I am NOT a fan of spicy foods, and this pasta was very spicy yesterday. I honestly didn't care where or what I ate as long as I got to see everyone, and I did. Jane Clair, Leigh Ann, Candace, Whitney, Marty and Sarah were able to come. Emory, Adam and Graci stopped by the house on their way out of town, so I could visit with them a while. It was a great day, and Sarah and Candace helped me get the house all fresh and clean again. Then Sarah and I headed to the much missed mall for some much needed shopping for our new house. It was so much fun, and I plan on visiting alot more!!!

Fancy!

2008-08-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

As I was diligently posting about JB's first day of dance, she obviously thought it was time to get "fancy" as she puts it. She also said she needed more eyehairs a/k/a eyebrows. So...I obviously should post during naptime!

Dancing Girl!

2008-08-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

Janey Beth had her first dancing class yesterday at Miss Claire's School of Dance in Winona. Miss Claire and her mother who passed away several years ago taught my mom, my sister and me dancing! Wednesday JB got a special treat...She got to spend the whole morning with her MayMay and Momma all by herself! We took her to Greenwood to get her "tapping" and ballet shoes and leotards. We even took her to the Illuvian (sp?) Hotel downtown for a very fancy lunch, and she was great! She of course wore her tap shoes and leotard the rest of the day, so hopefully we don't have to refinish the hardwood floors anytime soon! She was slipping and sliding all over the place and thought it was hilarious. I don't really know how Miss Claire is going to do it with 10 of them in tap shoes at the same time. haha As you can see from the pics, dancing is definitely going to be her thing.

Some more firsts...

2008-08-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Monday Emmy Lou got her haircut for the first time. She actually did good and only got a very little bit snipped off the back of her hair. I hate the mullet look on little girls, so I am trying to help her hair grow from the top. Miss Julie cut all three girls hair, so it was an eventful morning. Sara Glenn and Janey Beth also had dentist appointments yesterday (Friday) here at a Family Practice. Thank goodness Tiffany is the new dental hygenist at the clinic because it was JB's first "real" cleaning and checkup. Both girls got great reports, and JB was very brave. That's all she talked about all day, how "brade" she was. She even told the Sonic lady who delivered our drinks! haha I forgot to take my camera to either of these events, sorry!

Summer = Watermelon

2008-08-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight Tiffany and I packed sandwiches for the girls and headed to Carrollton for some football practice watching and watermelon eating. (Of course I forgot to take my camera.) To give you a little background on the school where Chris is coaching, it is a Carroll County High School that was consolidated several years ago. Every night after practice Chris has to run a bus route to get the kids home up to 25 miles away from the school. Most players do not have cars or parents that are willing to pick them up from practice. There was a survey done on the players and out of 35 only 5 had male figures in the household living with them. These boys need these coaches and football alot more than football needs them. Tonight after a long Saturday practice we had watermelon waiting on them, and OH MY GOODNESS I have never seen boys tear into some fruit the way they did. Of course our girls loved it too and came home very sticky and dirty. It was such a simple treat for the guys, and they really appreciated it.

Bathtime fun!

2008-08-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Lately bathtime has become an all out party for Janey Beth and Emmy Lou. JB wants as many cups as she can get in the tub and most of the time you can swim in the bathroom by the time it's all over. Here are some cute pics.

And school starts!

2008-08-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday Sara Glenn started fourth grade at Winona Elementary School. I really can't believe she is 9 almost 10 and in the FOURTH GRADE!!! She loves her teachers, classmates, school, the boys (Ha), basically everything about it. Her very best friend our cousin Lexie walked her in Wednesday morning because having your mom walk you in is just not cool anymore. It could have hurt my feelings, but at this point in her life, being embarrassed is the worst thing ever. So Lexie walked her in and off they went. Hair in ponytails, wearing matching school uniforms, backpacks on with their names monogrammed on them and SO EXCITED! SG has loved being in Winona and loves school so much. All day Emmy Lou walked around with one of SG's old lunchboxes on her arm I guess pretending she was going to school. It was so cute! It won't be long before I will be posting about her first day.

Go Jaguars!!!!

2008-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night we hosted our first J.Z. George Football Coaches Cookout. All of the coaches were able to come and even the principal and his wife. We had a blast, but I forgot to get out my camera until the very end. I didn't get a picture of Coach Daves and his wife or the principal, Coach Gant, and his wife. I did manage to get some pics of Dicenzo Miller, who Chris has hired, in rare form. For those of you who don't remember Dicenzo, he played football at MS State from 1998-2001. He is at our house all the time, and JB calls him her "buddy". I told him I was going to print off the picture with him in one of JB's hats and get him to autograph it for us. haha Chris is very blessed to be surrounded not just by great coaches but also great men. We look forward to a great season at J.Z. George!
GO JAGS!!!!

Such a blackmail picture! haha

The infamous Abercrombie and Fitch model, Coach Queen

Defensive Coordinator Coach Bobby Bass and his wife, Tiffany

If you can't win with this staff, we give up!!!

Tennis Anyone?

2008-07-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night Sara Glenn and Sissy went to play tennis. Sara Glenn was so excited to spend some one-on-one time with Hattie Frank, and they had a really good time. SG's tennis game has improved alot, and she hit some great shots. Afterwards they went to get ice cream at Sonic, rode around listening to music and watched movies until 1:30 in the morning at MayMay's house. What a fun night!

You have to look the part!

On their way to play!

As JB would say, "You can do it, Sara Glenn!" She hollers that at all of my parent's tennis matches.haha

Cabinets and Cake!

2008-07-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Sarah, Emory and their three kids came for a much needed visit to Winona! Sarah was gracious enough to offer her artistic ability and "antique" my kitchen cabinets, and WOW what an amazing difference it made. It gives them a whole new look, and I love it! I also missed Emory's birthday supper Monday night in Tupelo due to a bad case of strep throat (another story for another day), so we celebrated her birthday with a delicious chocolate cake with buttercream icing from Wal-Mart. The girls were so excited to see everybody, and JB tackled Graci on the bed when she walked in. It was really sweet. I also loved getting to see Sarah and Emory, and even took them on a tour of the big city of Winona. They got a kick out of the fact that our phonebook is about 1/6 the size of Tupelo's, and we could walk to Pizza Inn and pick up our pizzas for lunch. We had a great day and would love for more of our friends from Tupelo to stop through and visit anytime!

Visit from the Elders

2008-07-25T20:08:00.001-07:00

Today Rena and Ben Elder came to visit from Grenada, and we loved getting to see them! I haven't gotten to see Ben since he was born, and he is growing so fast. We put a pink blanket on the floor in the den, but Janey Beth insisted that we put his blue blanket on top of that. Funny girl! Already knows that boys don't like pink. It was a great visit besides the fact that my children scared the poor baby to death with their screaming. These days Emmy Lou screams, and I mean very loudly, at Janey Beth when she takes something from her, and everytime that happened poor Ben started whailing. He's not used to the drama of girls. haha On another note, Chris just got in at 9:30 tonight from working in the yard all afternoon. Nothing has been done to it in years, and the poor dog was living in a forest with all of those trees in her pen. We figured out quickly that the yard is going to be a constant project, and it is going to take a LONG time to get it where it needs to be. I am going to start raking tomorrow, so maybe some grass will start to grow. I am also going to take some before and after pics of the yard mainly to look at when we are so tired from working in it! haha Hopefully seeing progress will inspire us! We still miss all of our Tupelo friends and think about you often.

Super Sunday at Aunt Ditty's

2008-07-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today we all traveled to Carthage to my Great Aunt Ditty's house for her annual Sunday lunch for the entire Flowers/McFarland/McRae/Bourne family. We had a great time and many visitors this year (including Laynee Claire, SG's friend). Aunt Ditty is a fantastic cook and always has excellent food! I love her deviled eggs!!! She always toasts those who have passed away and those who will be with us in the future. JB made a new friend, Hannah. They did not stop all day long, so hopefully she will sleep good tonight. We had a great day of food, fellowship and fun!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Before and After

2008-07-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some before and after pics of the kitchen, guest bathroom which is right off the den and the den. It's absolutely amazing what paint, new light fixtures and ALOT of scrubbing can do for a house! The ceilings in most of the rooms are 14 feet tall, so we say THANK YOU a thousand times to my parents, Chris's parents, Samuel, Misty, Hattie Frank, Miss Cindy and Miss Karen for taking down border and painting a ton. As Samuel told Chris, we picked one of the worst weekends (July 4th) to move, so he and Chris loaded our entire house in Tupelo by themselves. Thanks, Uncle Sam, for all of your "man power"! We were also greeted by all of my family on July 4th who let Chris and Samuel take a break, and they all unloaded the U-Haul for us. I hope to have some more pics of the girls' rooms, bathrooms and our room soon. We still haven't even attempted the guest room, dining room, front entryway, or back hallway. Everybody is sick of painting!!!

Kitchen Before

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After - the color is Tupelo Tree which I love!

Kitchen After

Guest Bathroom Before

Guest Bathroom After

Den Before

Den After

Had to prime and put two coats of paint on these walls to cover up the purple

We also decided to paint ALL of the trim!! CRAZY!!

New Friends!

2008-07-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

All of the girls have made friends quickly here in Winona. Sara Glenn always played with our cousin Lexie and Laynee Claire when we visited Winona, so you can imagine how much time they are all spending together now. Chris also hired Bobby Bass whose wife is Tiffany to be his Defensive Coordinator at JZ George. They coached together at THS, so Tiffany and I have been coach's wives friends for a long time. They have a little girl, Caroline, who is 5 weeks younger than Emmy Lou. EL and JB LOVE her, and she spent Friday with us while Tiffany worked. We all strolled and went to the coffee shop for Oatmeal Raisin cookies and juice. The coffee shop is Sara Glenn's favorite place because they also sell Fruit Slushes which she loves! Still miss all of you terribly!

Ready to stroll!!

Hungry and thirsty

Full and happy!

Laynee Claire and SG

Home Sweet Home...almost

2008-07-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

As all of you know the McRaes have moved to Winona! We spent our first night in our new house this past Saturday. Thanks, MayMay and PaPa, for letting us stay those 13 nights with ya'll while we painted! I hope to post some pics of the new house soon. Hopefully some before and after. We have had many, to say the least, unexpected things come up, and we should have expected it with a house that is over 100 years old. The latest is a flea infestation in the house, and the pest control lady, yes, lady, is coming to bomb the house tomorrow morning. Many of you know that I am constantly saying "But it will be ok", and that is the attitude I am trying to have. All in all it IS going to be ok. The house is huge, and we lose Emmy Lou about 25 times a day. She and Janey Beth love to start at one end of the house and run full speed down the hallway to the other end. I do love being in town with my family. We have been able to see my parents everyday, and Sara Glenn has been with her cousins since we got here. I know many of you travel through Winona on your way to other places, and our bathrooms are always available for a pit stop. haha We would love to see our sweet friends that I miss SO MUCH from Tupelo, so stop by anytime! Our new address is: 417 Summit St., Winona, MS 38967 home # 662-283-2208.

Beach or Bust!

2008-06-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

This past week our family went to Orange Beach with my Mom, Dad, Hattie Frank and Michael. We had an AMAZING time!!! Seaside Beach and Racquet Club was so family-friendly (thanks, Sarah) and we were right on the beach. We decided to break up the trip, so we left Sunday and stopped in Waynesboro to spend the night with the McRaes. Everybody else met us there for lunch Monday, and then we headed down. We have never been to the beach as a family before, so it was a new experience for our girls. They actually loved it as long as the waves weren't too big. The jelly fish were really bad, but we still managed to get out in the ocean and have fun! Emmy Lou wore out quickly and took many naps, but she loved the sand and water. She and my Daddy tried to see who could take the most naps, and I have to say it was a pretty close race. The Hamiltons were there also, so the girls loved playing with them at the pool. We ate at great restaurants, caught crabs at night, played Goofy Golf, rode Go Karts, bought Hermit Crabs, and played so hard! Everybody really got to relax and enjoy themselves which is what vacation is all about. Thanks, MayMay and PaPa, for such a great time with all of you at the beach! We love you and appreciate all of your help with the girls!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sara Glenn's Going Away Party

2008-06-29T06:07:00.001-07:00

Sara Glenn invited her closest friends to our house last Friday night for a Going Away Slumber Party. Camp Rock was premiering on Disney Channel that night, so she wanted to have a Cake Decorating Contest and Camp Rock Party. Rachael, Alex and Christian all came over, and we missed you, Chappell and Mollie Clark! We had pizza, presents, cake, Camp Rock and more cake! They really had a great time, and I am so thankful that Sara Glenn has been blessed in Tupelo with such wonderful friends.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Going Away Party

2008-06-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 13, Sarah and Brad hosted a church-wide going away party for our family. There was great food and fellowship, and we were so glad to get to see everyone. Brad and Sarah have been our friends in Tupelo from Day 1 when we lived beside each other in Hidden Valley Townhouses. We love them as brother and sister and have seen each other through many, many good and bad times. Thank you, Brad and Sarah, for hosting our party! We love you so much and will miss you terribly. Thank you also to our Lawndale family. Each of you have touched our family in different ways, and we will take wonderful memories with us to Winona.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fun in Waynesboro

2008-06-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Last week we all went to south Mississippi to spend a couple of nights with NaNa and Big Mac (Chris's parents). Our first stop was in Newton for a send off for Uncle David who is Chris's youngest brother . His National Guard unit has been activated to serve one year in Washington D.C. for Homeland Security, so please keep all of these men in your prayers. It was very emotional seeing so many husbands and fathers leaving their families that day. This is actually his second time to be deployed to Washington D.C., and we will all miss him! Next that night we celebrated Big Mac's birthday with a supper at Red Lobster which was delicious. The next day we all went to Maynor Creek outside of Waynesboro for a swim and had a blast! The girls loved swimming and playing in the water and the sand. That night the girls made their hand and foot prints in plaster of paris. Emmy Lou kept grabbing the stuff, so we finally just did her feet. We went to Meridian for lunch the next day and some arcade fun and headed back to Tupelo. Thanks, NaNa and Big Mac, for such a great time!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy 1st Birthday, Emmy Lou!

2008-06-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a great time celebrating Emmy Lou's first year of life. Family and friends came to our house for cake, ice cream and great fellowship. Emmy Lou got lots of great presents and actually dove into her cake at one point. It was hilarious! Emmy Lou's first year of life has blessed our family tremendously and we pray for many more with her. Hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Water Fountain Fun!

2008-05-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

On Monday, Memorial Day, Emory and I met up with our girls for some fun in the sun at Downtown Fairpark. There is a water fountain that randomly squirts water and a brand new playground, so the girls had a blast! Graci, Emory's daughter, is about one month younger than Janey Beth and as JB says "Draci is my best fwiend". She will miss Graci so much when we move, and I will miss Emory more. She and I have become friends since I have tried to set her up with three of my four brother-in-laws. I have tried everyway I know to have her as a sister-in-law, but it hasn't worked out. (HA,Emory!) I do cherish our friendship, and I have an extra room ready for when she and Graci come visit in Winona.

Sara Glenn and Graci

Emmy Lou was not scared of the water at all! She loved it!

Fun on the playground!

Emory and Graci on the seesaw

More fun!

Emmy Lou would not stop eating the wood chips!

More Weekend Pics!

2008-05-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

We came back from Winona with so many great pictures that it was hard to choose which ones to share. JB had her first haircut by a professional not her Momma at Riah Hair Salon by Miss "Jewie" (Julie), and I am scared it might be a weekly thing. She loved it and sat perfectly still like she had been getting her hair "did" as she says for years. Sara Glenn LOVES Winona and asked why we had to come back to Tupelo because she is ready to move down there. She has a special relationship with her cousin Lexie who I am sure we will be seeing alot of this summer, and I would not have it any other way. Chris and I walked around our new neighborhood in Winona Saturday afternoon strolling the younger two girls looking at all the older homes and dreaming about what ours will look like one day. We have big plans for our new house that will take years to unfold, but we are SO excited about them. I have been a little hesitant about the move to say the least, but after this weekend, I am ready. Life seems slower and more peaceful there. It's something I can't explain, but it felt right. Going home to all of my family is going to be the best!

JB's first haircut in a salon

Sara Glenn and her PaPa playing UNO on the front porch

The girls on MayMay's trampoline

Smile, Lou Lou!

Congrats, Rachel!

2008-05-25T18:34:00.001-07:00

My first cousin, Rachel, graduated from Winona High School this past Friday and we all went to Winona for the festivities. We had a supper at my grandmother's (GaGa's) house before graduation that night and another supper on Saturday night. It was a great weekend with all of my mom's family, and we are so happy for Rachel and wish her the best at Mississippi State next year.

My mom and her brother John who wanted to have his picture first on the blog (HA, John)

Rachel and JB before graduation

Sara Glenn and cousin Lexie after swimming all day at the Country Club

Rachel and her boyfriend Will

Janey Beth and cousin Lela

GaGa, Aunt Jeri, Michael, Hattie Frank, Momma, Uncle John

My mom's brother, Uncle George, he looks scary but really isn't

My mom and my sister, Hattie Frank

Uncle Jerry/Graduate's Dad/Mayor of Winona

Cousins Adams and Butler

School's Out for Summer!!!

2008-05-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 21, was Sara Glenn's last day of school, and she could not have been more excited! She has had an amazing two years at Tupelo Christian Preparatory School and has been blessed with Godly teachers like her third grade teacher this year, Mrs. Jackie Hawkins. Mrs. Hawkins always had a smile on her face and was so encouraging and loving to all of her students. Sara Glenn really enjoyed school this year, and I know Mrs. Hawkins had a huge part in that. I have to brag and say that Sara Glenn got the Highest Average Award in Bible, the Character Award of Dependability, All A Honor Roll and the Citizenship Award (A in conduct all year). Thanks, Mrs. Hawkins, for a great year! We love you!

The Pink Yarn Necklace Comes OFF!!

2008-05-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Out of the blue at lunch today Janey Beth asked me to cut off the pink yarn necklace. Come to find out Kate Darden Webb is the "big girl" from Youth Date Night at our church who made it for her. I really can't believe she took it off. We are minus a necklace right now because we gave Mary Blake's necklace back to her Sunday kicking and screaming. The pink sweater is going to be returned to Charlotte soon, I hope.

More JB Attire

2008-05-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Janey Beth is still obsessed with bathing suits and tacky ones might I add. She loves picking basically weeds out of our neighbor's yard, so I got some pics of what she had on while picking the flowers.

Notice the one size too small brown Sunday shoes

And She Walks!

2008-05-20T10:54:00.001-07:00

Emmy Lou took her first steps this past Saturday! Yeah, Lou Lou! She was very proud of herself, and ever since then she has wanted to try walking all the time. She can take at the most 6 steps by herself, and then she sits down. You can see in the pictures that Chris is pumped he is getting to be there for her actual first steps. Thanks, Sarah, for the practice!

Guitar Hero!

2008-05-16T18:22:00.001-07:00

Sara Glenn recently made a purchase...Guitar Hero for her Wii. It's pretty cool, and she's gotten really good at it. She took it to Waynesboro Mother's Day weekend, and Big Mac got "booed" off the stage 4 times she said. Uncle David also played it, and Sara Glenn said he was really, really good at it. Here are some pics of she and her friends, Alex and Christian, playing it.

Sg jamming out!

Sg and her best friends, Alex and Christian

Almost walking!

2008-05-16T18:18:00.001-07:00

Emmy Lou can stand up by herself now while holding a toy, but will NOT take a step. She can hold your finger and walk around the room, and as soon as she lets go, she gently sits down. She is also obsessed with telephones of any kind right now, cell phones, cordless phones, play phones of JB's... I guess it's a sign of things to come!haha

And yet another outfit...

2008-05-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

This was Janey Beth's attire for the day. Poor Charlotte might not ever get her jacket back and the same goes for Mary Blake's necklace.

The McRae Zoo meets the Memphis Zoo

2008-05-16T17:43:00.001-07:00

Back in April the girls and I went to Memphis on a Friday to meet Chris's parents at the zoo. It was NaNa's Spring Break, so we decided to let Sara Glenn skip school and head to Memphis. It was great weather and not crowded at all. We got there around 11 and didn't leave until 4 that afternoon. The girls loved it! Thanks, Big Mac and NaNa, for a great time!

Big Mac and Janey Beth

SG and JB at the Panda Exhibit

Lou Lou catching a quick nap

SG, JB and EL

NaNa, Big Mac and grandgirls

Happy Late Mother's Day!

2008-05-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Our family celebrated Mother's Day in different parts of the state this year. Chris, Sara Glenn and Janey Beth went to Waynesboro to be with his mom, and Emmy Lou and I went to Winona to be with mine. Most of you know that Chris's brother, Jason, died in March, so this first Mother's Day without him was especially hard for Mrs. Carolyn. Hopefully the girls being there really helped her through the weekend. I honestly can't imagine the grief she felt, and I know she was surrounded by prayer that Sunday. Sara Glenn played her piano recital piece in church on Sunday, and Chris said Big Mac and NaNa could not have been prouder. My father-in-law aka Big Mac is the pastor of a PCA church in Waynesboro and is a music fanatic. As Sara Glenn progresses I would love for her to play the piano and Big Mac sing one day. Down in Winona we had a great supper with my parents, sister and grandmother Saturday night. The weekend was so relaxing, and the time everyone had with just Emmy Lou was great. I can't wait until we move to Winona to be able to have more weekends like that. All in all it was a great Mother's Day weekend, and I am very thankful for such an amazing Mother and Mother-in-law. I love you both!

You Never Know with JB

2008-05-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lately Janey Beth has been obsessed with bathing suits, a hot pink sweater from her very best friend Charlotte, green frog boots (again) and any jewelry. She loves the bathing suit NaNa got her from "New Navy" not Old and wears it all the time. My neighborhood friend Leigh Ann, aka Charlotte's mom, likes to come up the hill just to see what JB might be wearing that day. I posted a few pictures of her latest attire, and I am VERY SURE there will be more to come. Life would honestly be so dull and boring without our Janey Beth.

The "New Navy" bathing suit NaNa got her.

Charlotte's pink sweater, Mary Blake's necklace, green frog boots and pink yarn necklace.

Little Lou Lou

2008-05-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

Emmy Lou we thought was going to be our quiet, reserved, laid-back, observant child. HAHAHAHA!!!! My Momma and I think she is going to be the most strong-willed of the three. Please add me to your prayer list now especially if you have met our middle child Janey Beth. I honestly do not think there is another child more determined or stubborn than her, so if little Emmy Lou is anything like JB, we need lots of prayers and patience. Emmy Lou is not walking yet, but who needs to walk when you can crawl as fast as her! She also has her own yelling language. I think it's because she fears she might not be heard if she doesn't yell. Our house is very noisy, and Emmy Lou just adds to the controlled chaos as we like to call it.

Sara Glenn's first piano recital

2008-05-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here is Sara Glenn's piano teacher for next year...her MayMay! How priceless to be able to take piano from your grandmother! She can't wait to move to Winona!

Sara Glenn played "Worthy, You Are Worthy" and did not miss a note. She had so much family there that we filled up two rows. ha

Sissy aka Hattie Frank and Michael also got to come to the recital. We were so happy to see them! Sara Glenn is the third generation of Bourne women to play the piano.

Mrs. Lisa Rish was her piano teacher this year. She has been wonderful, and Sara Glenn has learned so much this first year of lessons. Please keep Mrs. Rish in your prayers because she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March and will start treatments this summer.

Great Pics

2008-05-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

This was taken before we left for Janey Beth's 2 year old preschool program at Calvary Baptist Church. Her teachers this year were Miss Pam and Miss Susie who were wonderful. Notice the pink yarn necklace she is wearing...been on her since Youth Date Night at our church a MONTH ago. One of the "big" girls made it for her, and she will NOT take it off. It's kinda starting to smell, so it might just have to come off in her sleep "accidentally".

Uncle Samuel so gets "Brother/Uncle of the Year Award"! He not only took Chris to the hospital for me, but he also cut the grass for us because his "weakling" brother as Samuel called Chris could not do it. Thanks, Uncle Sam! We love you!

My Daddy says it looks like a gigantic mole lives in our yard! Ha

House News

2008-05-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

We signed today with Jason Warren, a realtor here in Tupelo. We have faith that God is going to use him to sell our house very quickly. Our closing date for the house in Winona is June 16th, so no pressure, Jason! ha

Back in Business!

2008-05-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Our computer finally made its long awaited trip home today. It was the second worst computer Coach Ballard, tech guy at TCPS, had ever worked on. He quit counting the viruses after like 600! He finally had to "ghost" it and start over, but we were able to save all of our documents and pictures. I wanted to kiss Coach Ballard on the lips for all of the hardwork he did to save my precious pictures of my family. A word of advice...check your computer often for viruses and invest in amazing virus protection software.

When it rains, it pours!

2008-05-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin? The McRae household has had a very challenging last 2 weeks. It started with our computer acting up about two weeks ago. Come to find out, we had over 450, yes 450, viruses on it!!!! That's why I am just now adding my second post to our blog. Pictures will be next when we actually get our home computer back. Hopefully by the beginning of next week. Then Chris had a trip to the emergency room via Samuel who definitely gets "Brother of the Year" award which turned into an emergency appendectomy last Monday. We got home on Tuesday to my mom and grandmother who had the girls, and our plumbing decided to fall apart that very day. We got that fixed on Wednesday, and on Thursday we found out that Emmy Lou needed to have tubes put in her ears. Janey Beth had a precious preschool program on Friday morning where she waved and blew kisses to me the whole time. Sara Glenn had her first ever piano recital on Sunday in which she did not miss a note of "You Are Worthy". This week has been slow (HA) with only one showing of the house that we are desperately trying to sell and sweet little Emmy Lou having her tubes successfully put in today. We obviously would covet your prayers since we seem to be having so many trials. I have been reminded over and over that God only tests those He loves, and Dr. Kuiper says you do not learn anything from good times. So needlesss to say we are learning alot here lately!

I am an official blogger!!!

2008-04-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hey, friends and fam! It seems that there is a new trend...blogging! I love reading all of my friends' blogs, so I thought I needed to join in on the fun. We are moving to Winona very soon, and this will be a GREAT way to keep in touch with everyone. I tend to have an OCD-type personality, so I just hope I don't become too addicted to doing this. :)