The Lane's

One Week Old

2011-04-08T13:52:00.011-06:00

Our little lady's first week...

Stella Wade Lane

2011-03-31T19:10:00.003-06:00

--Our Little Lady--
March 31, 2011
7:51am
8 lbs. 2 oz
20 inches

Merry Christmas from Auburn!

2009-12-24T09:50:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Lanes!

We are quite under the weather around here. Knox has had a double ear infection and I have the usual crud. Clay is fine though. I have enjoyed everyone's Christmas Cards so much this year! I think that this time of year is my most favorite time. I hope each and everyone of you have the most wonderful Christmas yet! Happy Birthday to our Savior!

A look back (and ahead)

2009-12-06T13:44:00.004-06:00

If we have anymore readers out there after not posting for 5 months.....I would like to use this time to do a LATE Thanksgiving post.

This is the most thankful I have ever been at Thanksgiving in my life!

So much has gone on since the end of June (well, since last year). Our family has been through tons and I am certain that God is teaching (and has taught) us some really valuable things. No matter what happens to our family now, we are certain that God will provide for us and get us through! Here is a brief timeline for those that want to understand where we have been and what we have experienced since I have not felt like blogging through it all.

Oct.15th, 2008 - Clay starts his new job in Auburn. We decide that Knox and I will stay in Dothan until Christmas (then later change it to May). I was a teacher and wanted to finish out the school year with my Seniors.

Oct. 29th, 2008 - We sell our house in Dothan after only days on the market! Thank you Jesus.

Nov. 20th, 2008 - Knox and I move in with Clay's parents in Dothan and live there until the end of May. (Thank you Jesus that we had somewhere to live!) Clay and I start traveling to see each other every weekend switching out between Auburn and Dothan and Montgomery. (Thank you Jesus for no wrecks or speeding tickets)

May 30th, 2009 - Knox and I move to Montgomery and live with my parents until September. I started working for my mom. (Thank you Lord for Mom's wonderful business and a job for me!)

July 6th, 2009 - Two weeks before closing on a house in Auburn, Clay gets laid off in the whole Colonial Bank mishap. (A blessing that we had not closed on our house!)

September 12th, 2009 - Knox and I finally move into our house with Clay. Our builder lets us rent to own until Clay gets a job. (Thank the Lord, again for our sweet builder who understands.)

Thanksgiving 2009 - After 13 months of Clay and I working and living in different cities, we are all three together. As of Thanksgiving, Clay has started a job as a commercial loan officer at a bank here in Auburn (Thank you Lord for providing) and I have started a new job in Auburn (Thank you Lord for no more travel back and forth to Montgomery). And, Knox is in a wonderful daycare here (Thank you Lord for us not having to worry about him during the day.) Oh, and we already have the most wonderful church here too! (Super thanks, Lord!)

**I know this was long but, like other bloggers, it was mainly for me to look back on.

Happy Late Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas Season to you all!Our family on Thanksgiving Day

Knox "helping" decorate the tree

A boy and his monkey

2009-06-29T20:16:00.005-06:00

Sorry

2009-05-01T05:21:00.006-06:00

Please excuse my absence in blogworld...I am trying not to go crazy after 28 weeks without living with my husband (and even more to go). I will update on that soon. Until then, here are some special pics.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Brother!

2009-02-23T06:28:00.002-06:00

Dear Uncle Brother,

I hope you have a good day today. I hope that it is very special.
I wish you could play with me today on your birthday.
Mom and Dad say "Happy Birthday" too.
We love you.
Love,
Knox

Knox's Birthday Party

2009-02-22T20:11:00.002-06:00

The following slide show is from Knox's First Birthday party. We had about 25 relatives that came to my inlaws house in Dothan (which is where Knox and I are living until June). It was so much fun and Knox had a great time. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday, Knox!

2009-02-14T12:05:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday, sweet son.

We love you more than you will ever know. You are such a joy to have around and so happy all the time. I know that you are learning things from us everyday, but I am learning things too from watching you and being with you. I will write a longer post another day and tell you all the things I want to remember about when you turned ONE. But, for today, we have a "Doggie" Party to attend. You are too precious to us.
We love you,
Mom and Dad

He's almost ONE...

2009-02-11T06:27:00.004-06:00

Knox, you are getting too big buddy.
I can't believe you are almost one.
I love you so much.
We're going to have fun at your party Saturday.
Love, MOM

Great Weekend

2009-02-01T19:14:00.007-06:00

Clay came to Dothan this weekend. It was so much fun just to be a family again with no one else around. Things were actually normal. Knox and I had a "date" Friday night to Target and Moe's to eat. We ended up seeing some of my students at Moe's and ate with them so that was fun. On Saturday the three of us ran errands and then played outside. Today was very relaxed too. I got some pictures of Clay and Knox together but it doesn't do it justice. I can't tell you how it makes me feel to see them play together. It only happens on the weekend so I must cherish it for sure. I really can't wait to get to Auburn...I miss being a family and doing everyday things together like we did this weekend.

Things the boy likes

2009-01-26T21:46:00.014-06:00

I know that it has been an incredibly long time since my last post. Most of you know that I am a single parent now that Clay has gone ahead of us to Auburn. He has been gone for 15 weeks and will be gone for another 20 until Knox and I can get up there...but who's counting. Knox and I are gone alot to meet him halfway at my mom's in Montgomery so I am not by a computer very much on the weekends and then at night I am running around until I crash. Oh, and I CANNOT blog at work...which stinks but is probably for the best because that would be all I do. For most of you with blogs, just know that I have been following your lives closely (I love the google reader) despite my lack of comments or encouraging words. I promise to try to do better at that as well as my own posts. So, I think, instead of trying to recap through Christmas and the better part of January I will just jump right in.

I got one of these this past weekend as a one year birthday present for Knox (I figured he didn't need anything really and I would give him the gift of great pictures documenting his life). So, my picture-taking really hit an all-time high this weekend.
Note: I am NOT a good photographer. This is why I got the camera, so it would do all the work for me. I did, however, promise to myself that I would take a lesson or two so that Knox would appreciate all my documenting of his life later.

So, here are some of Knox's favorite things...

Bath time - especially when jb (my mom) bathes him

He loves to crawl and walk behind things...espcially the choo-choo...in fact, he is not interested in walking because he can crawl faster than I can run!

He likes to "jump"off the refridgerator with Cappy(my stepdad). They have done this ever since he could sit up!
He loves to eat...anytime, anywhere, anything...bring it on. WARNING: he is sooo messy but has sooo much fun!

He loves to sleep. He has been through the night ever since about 8 weeks and takes good naps too. He has started this thing where I put him in the crib at night and he just looks at me and waves and says "bye bye" and then I tell him goodnight and he goes to sleep. Precious.

My favorite thing? I love all the cuddling. I only get it for a second or two at this age because he is so busy but I will take it. I also love that he likes to give hugs and kisses. He will give me a hug when I pick him up from daycare sometimes and I love it. Caution: do not ask him for a kiss if you are not prepared for an open-mouth/slobery one! He is the only man I will let kiss me like that! hahaha.

Well, I guess I have made up for my absence now. Enjoy.

Auburn Wins!

2008-12-15T06:26:00.004-06:00

I know that it has absolutely been forever since I have blogged...I have a good excuse that will have to be postponed for another day.

Since Clay is living in Auburn now, we have been to a few basketball games (which I love...I went to all of them when I was there). We decided to take Knox to one and he LOVED it. We went with our dear friends, Jack and Joslyn. He stayed up way past his bedtime and didn't complain at all. He had just perfected the skill of clapping so we figured it would be fun...the only thing he clapped for was the TigerPaws girls...figures. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the event, which was in November. Good part about the night...we ate at Momma G's before hand...wow, I miss that place. Bad part, we didn't get a family picture or one with Aubie!
He was 10 months yesterday and there is so much I would like to blog about so I can have it on record but can't seem to find the time. Anyway, I thought that it was good that the first Auburn sporting event we took him to we won! Yay for that.

2008-11-23T20:54:00.002-06:00

Our little Monkey

2008-11-03T20:18:00.008-06:00

These are from the day after Halloween...we couldn't quite get it together for the actual day and for Trick Or Treating but we did manage some pictures of this cutie! Thanks to Ford for letting Knox borrow your costume!

Getting him in the costume...

Little stinker

He can sit up really good but with that costume on he kept falling over backwards and just laying there...I tried to get it on video but we were laughing so hard I couldn't work the camera.

Happy Fall

2008-10-25T12:33:00.007-06:00

My little Roomie...

2008-10-22T17:58:00.005-06:00

We are very ready for Daddy to come home on Friday. This has been a good first week at home with just Knox and I but we miss Clay so much! Here are some pictures from last week at my mom's house...notice all the drool...can you tell we are working on getting some teeth?

He's crawling around everywhere now...

I could eat him up for sure...

He is such a mess...

We're MOVING!

2008-10-18T18:30:00.009-06:00

Clay accepted a position as Commercial Banker with Colonial Bank in Auburn, AL so we are moving to AUBURN...whooo-hooo. He accepted the job about 2.5 weeks ago, told his boss, worked out the two weeks in Dothan and started working in Auburn this week on Tuesday. Fast, I know...which is why there has been no time for blogging world with all the moving, selling the house, packing, making tough decisions about where I will be and so forth.
Clay and I have been wanting to move there since we got engaged and have been trying ever since. This was finally God's timing for us to relocate and we could not be more excited!
For now, he is living with Sarah's parents, who are way too nice to let him crash there for a couple of weeks and then he will move into a 4 bedroom townhouse with a guy from work, Max Coblentz, and two other bachelors (this should be interesting).
I will not be moving with him just yet...I am staying in Dothan until June in order to finish up the school year and obtain my Professional Teaching Certificate and then will try and score a teaching job in Auburn for the fall. So, we will not be together in the same house for the next 231 days or 33 weeks (yes, I am counting down the days) but we know that it will be worth it in the long run. We have already planned out all our weekends and holidays through February so he will be seeing Knox and I lots.
We just put our house on the market last Friday night and got an offer last night that we accepted...Praise Jesus! Clay will continue to live with Max until we can find a house for our family in Auburn. Knox and I will live with Clay's parents until June and we could not be happier about that. (Most of you know, Clay and I lived with his parents for a year when we first moved to Dothan.) Clay's dad just accepted a job out of town so his mom would have been by herself and me with not much help with Knox so it works out perfectly...I didn't expect any less when it is HIS timing though!
We are so excited and are enjoying seeing God's plan for our lives unfold in His perfect timing. We will be so much closer to our friends and my family and in a great city with great schools and are looking forward to raising Knox in Auburn.
Please pray that the people that put the offer down on our house have financing that goes through and we sell it without a hitch. Please also pray for Clay and I as we live apart for a season but hopefully grow so much closer together because of it. We are sad to leave our friends, family, and coworkers in Dothan but will always be back to visit since Clay's family is still here!

Trying to get some clarity...

2008-09-17T05:33:00.002-06:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy - Geneology

There was none here! I really have to agree with the darn thing too, that Knox is the most balanced mix of Clay and I. BUT...I did want to know if he resembled one of us more than the other!

Tuchdown, Auburn!

2008-09-13T09:37:00.001-06:00

War Eagle from the Lane Family!

If I had tons of free time...

2008-09-04T20:16:00.003-06:00

I would add more words to my blogs! The boy learned how to smile and look at the camera at the same time. He is almost crawling good now so there will be a video soon...when I get any free time.

It has been a while...

2008-08-29T05:34:00.002-06:00

...but we're still alive and happy around here! War Eagle.

I love Pajamas!

2008-08-16T08:43:00.007-06:00

This fact became very obvious when I went to find cute pictures of Knox and I and , in almost all of them, I am wearing pajamas! Well, here is a favorite from last week.Also, speaking of pajamas...my friend from college, Tara, posted a cute picture of her girls in OWL pajamas. I was so excited to see this because I just got these pajamas this week and LOVE them. My mom sells them now in her store...You Name It!
(Not sure if they are even on the website yet because they are so new!)

Knox loves j.b. and Cappy's pool

2008-08-12T19:23:00.006-06:00

Just to clear things up...

2008-08-05T19:57:00.004-06:00

...the boy looks like his MOMMA! That's me in the picture.

...he has my nose and mouth. That's me too.

He has both of our baby fat and dark completion.

He has Clay's eyes and ears. That's Clay in that one.

...and he has Clay's long fingers and toes, dark hair, and
we are still debating on the green eyes.

And now you know...Knox is a good mixture of both of us!

I love this little guy!

2008-07-31T09:43:00.004-06:00

I try and try to catch him smiling...which is all the time, but when I hold the camera up
and get it ready it has a red light that just hypnotizes him and he makes this face. Why can't kids just have
the natural ability to look and smile on queue?

This face is too precious...my heart is officially melted.

The boy finally got it...

2008-07-26T08:09:00.005-06:00

In all our busyness, I thought I was doing well to get pictures uploaded but forgot to post some big news. Our boy rolled over. He rolled over at 5 months...we were wondering when that little guy would finally take the plunge! Knox's personality is so layed back, it is no wonder that he would not get in any hurry to complete any of the milestones "on time"...that boy has his own agenda and believe me, mine is way too fast for him (and his daddy). I would like to say that I am glad that he has his dad's easy going/layed back personality...we only need one OCD/busy-body/can't sit still person in this house! Enjoy!

I am Auburn...

2008-07-25T11:26:00.004-06:00

I am Auburn

I am Auburn . I am the 30-year old couple coming back to campus for the first time with both little ones in tow. One wears her first blue and orange cheerleader outfit; the other wears #34 even though he is too young to understand why.
I am the 50-year old man who hoped no one saw tears in his eyes when the eagle circled the field. I was too choked even to say 'War Eagle'. For a moment, I felt foolish and then I didn't care. God, I love this place.
I am the 60 year old woman meeting her freshman granddaughter who is now the 3rd generation of AU students in our family. Despite my age, I'd strap it on Saturday and hit someone if it weren't for my gender and this blasted arthritis.
I am Auburn and I have always believed I was different. You can see it when you look up into the stands. My orange is not the same as Tennessee 's and my blue is not that of Florida …But the differences go much deeper than my colors. Read my creed. What other school has one? I genuinely believe in these things. To be a real Auburn man or woman speaks of character, not of geography. All are welcome to walk though my gates, not just the wealthy or the elite.
Georgia and Alabama may have their nations, but we have always been family. Make no mistake, we loathe defeat, but even in defeat, we would rather be an Auburn Tiger than anything else. We are family and you are the sons of Heisman, the sons of Jordan and Dye. You come from a long line of brothers whose names include Burkett, Sidle, Owens, Sullivan, Beasley, Jackson and Rocker. It is a great heritage.
So this Saturday, when the warm ups are over and the prayers and amen spoken, when you hear my thunder growing in the stands above you, when you stand in the tunnel and the smoke begins to form, listen for my voice when you run onto my field. Behind the frenzy of the shakers and deafening roar, I will tell you something in a whisper you may miss. I will be telling you that you are my sons and I am proud of you for the way you wear the burnt orange and navy blue. I am telling you that you are my sons and I love you.
Auburn is so much more than a city or a school or a team or a degree. It is something that, once you have experienced it, will live inside of you forever and become a part of what makes up who you are....
It is driving into town on a game day. You may have come from hundreds of miles away and as you get closer and closer to the city limits, you feel it rising inside of you. Other cars on the highway proudly display their Orange and Blue flags or magnets or car tags, and you honk and wave at them, because, for that one day, you are all on the same team.
It is the smell in the air and the ritualistic act of tailgating...catching up with old friends, making new ones, and invitations from perfect strangers to try their ribs or watch their satellite TV showing all of the day's important match-ups...of course, all being secondary to the one that will occur in the great cathedral of Jordan-Hare later that day.
It is the Tiger Walk...where you might just see 300 pound men overcome with emotion and weeping with pride, because you have come there to cheer them on. As they walk by, you might exchange a glance with one or two of them and you can see it in their eyes...it is going to be their day.
It is the students...dressed in their best, because going to an Auburn game is like going to church for Auburn people....you show the same respect as you would if you were in God's house. Those students remind you of the days when you were walking in their shoes and Auburn was your home...but then you realize, in many ways, it is still and always will be HOME.
It is that lump that rises in your throat when the band plays the alma mater as the eagle is soaring over your head during pre-game.
It is walking around on a "foreign" and sometimes hostile campus. You are easily identified ( Auburn people always are) and the enemy jeers and shouts things at you to mask their feelings of intimidation. But just then, you happen upon a friend you have never met before. You know they are your friend by the colors they wear or the shaker in their hand. You exchange a "War Eagle" and a confident grin, because he/she knows what you know.
It is when your heart leaps with every touchdown, field goal, sack, and interception...because those are our boys. And win or lose, they will always have our un-dying support. After all, it is those boys that you are really there for, and not a coach or a logo or a trustee or a president.
It is the complete and utter exhilaration of walking away victorious over a worthy opponent...that feeling of pride and accomplishment as if it were your own feet that had crossed the goal line scoring the last points yourself...that feeling of wanting to scream War Eagle" at the top of your lungs and hug complete strangers...and then there is the ultimate high of defeating your most hated foes from across the state. No words can describe what this feels like, but you know because you have experienced it.
It is the sheer agony of defeat as the last minutes tick off the clock and you realize that all hope of a victory is gone. You feel like crying and maybe you do...then you hear the faint sounds of a cheer that grows louder and louder...."ITS GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER."
It is knowing that year after year, no matter how things change in our hectic lives, you can always come back to "the Loveliest Village on the Plains"...the place where you came from...your home. It will probably look a little different and there will be new names on the backs of the jerseys, but deep down, no matter what, it is still the same. You still love it as much as you always have, because Auburn is as much a part of you as your arms and your legs and the orange and blue blood that runs through your veins.
And, finally, it is the feeling you have right now as you read these lines....the anticipation inside of you, because you know it's almost time....It's about to start all over again...but then it really never goes away, does it?

Lenzie here: Raise your hand if you got teary-eyed or even cried a little! This was sent to me in an email...author unknown. I have never posted anything like this but it was too good to pass up and I am one of those people who NEVER forwards anything. The AU logo is from www.loveliestvillage.com.

ONLY 5 MORE WEEKS UNTIL KICKOFF!
WAR EAGLE!!!

Onesie with a tie...

2008-07-18T17:15:00.002-06:00

....is from Old Navy. My friend got it for me last Summer/Fall so I don't know if they will still have anything like it. My mom monogrammed his initials just like Clay's.

Finally...

2008-07-18T09:33:00.006-06:00

...Got the time to get the pictures from the camera to the computer...whew! Here are some random pics over the last couple of weeks.

Douglas Cowart, me and Knox in the baby pool on July 3rd.
Douglas was helping pour water on him!

Mom and Knox - July 7th

Dad and Knox in their shirts and "ties" with initials. Mary Nelan gave us that
onesie and I have been waiting for Knox to grow into it so we could surprise Clay at his office one day!

Knox on July 14th

Maybe this is what it will look like...

2008-06-29T18:16:00.002-06:00

When the Sticklers bring home a baby boy (especially if he has Darby's features)! Darby is supposed to go in tomorrow to deliver her baby boy! This picture is from the beginning of March, when they came over to see baby Knox. We were trying to give Morgan some practice with a little boy...she did really well. Paige liked patting little Knox. We are praying for Darby and baby boy Stickler (and the rest of the gang!). We can't wait to see that precious BOY!

Mother's NIGHT Out

2008-06-27T14:49:00.004-06:00

Knox went to Montgomery this week for a couple of nights with j.b. and cappy (my parents). He always likes going there because he gets to go swimming! The captain already has a life jacket for him but he is not long enough for it yet...just wait Cappy, you will have a first mate soon!
On Tuesday night, Clay and I grilled out and sat outside on our deck for a while watching the NCAA World Series. On Wednesday night, Clay took me out to dinner for a date! This is our attempt to take our own picture...notice our other "kid" needing some attention? Piper would not get out of the picture so this is the best we have! We went to eat sushi and then to get Brewster's ice cream. We got home so early because we are not used to going out on the town so we decided to watch a movie. Great night! Thanks, Clay for a wonderful evening.

And the Oscar goes to...

2008-06-27T08:31:00.003-06:00

Sarah F. Martin...
for her most believable performance on the telephone on June 26, 2008...
it almost topped the April Fool's Joke attempted in 2003 at the Yellow House in Birmingham...
let's just say, you got me this time...
you little stinker!

(photo by Pulicciano onwww.flickr.com)

Great weekend and great friends...

2008-06-24T20:51:00.004-06:00

Hey, Guess what? I do love blogging but why do it when you have such good friends that blog first? Check out Ashley, Ashley, or Sarah's blogs to find out what we were up to at the beach this weekend! Thanks friends for posting first so I wouldn't have to! I had such a great time with you all and look forward to our 2009 trip! You guys are the greatest friends and most wonderful people I know. I am so proud of each of you and all you are! Love you Ashley, Ashley, Allyson, and Sarah!

Doctor's Visit and Boy's Weekend

2008-06-20T11:00:00.007-06:00

These two cuties are going to get to spend the weekend together! As of about 1 o'clock today, I am leaving for Destin/PCB. Sarah, Ashley, and I are driving up today and are spending some time (and money) at the Destin outlets. Afterwards, we are going to head over to Allyson Brown Harper's house and meet up with her and the other Ashley.
I even hope we get to see Erika, who lives there too, but who knows. I think that we are all glad to see each other and have a great time with just the girls. Knox, you take care of your dad and ya'll have a great weekend!

On Wednesday, Knox had his four month check-up, complete with shots and all! He did fine and got a healthy report! His weight is in the 75th percentile and his height is in the 90th percentile. Clay and I were pretty big babies at this age so we are certainly not surprised. We are very thankful that he is healthy and everything looked okay!

We are ready for football season!

2008-06-16T08:51:00.006-06:00

You know that Clay and I are ready for this rediculous home schedule this year! It is going to be amazing. Plus....we play Tennessee at home this year and it is after that very game on the Plains 5 years ago that I first layed eyes on Clay Lane! So, we are pumped for that one. Knox is too little to enjoy the games in person this year but we are working on turning him into one heck of a FAN! Here is our little tiger in his game day gear (which will be too little by then at the rate we are growing around here!).

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T14:53:00.006-06:00

Dear Daddy,

Thanks for being the best dad in the whole world. I love you so much already and we have only known each other for four months! You are the best.
Love,
Knox

Five Generations

2008-06-04T05:37:00.002-06:00

Knox, Clay, and I went to Evergreen, AL for the day on Saturday. This is where my dad is from and his parents and some brothers and sisters still live. It is a pretty small town but where I spent some of my days growing up visiting Grandma Shirley and Doodlum and various Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. This picture is very special to me...I thought that the one we took 4 years ago with only four generations was cool but this is the coolest! Pictured from left are: Dave Daniels, "Papa" (my dad), Mamie Daniels "Mamie" (my great-grandmother who is 100 1/2), Gwyn Daniels "Doodlum" (my granddad), Me and Knox. They are going to submit this picture to the Evergreen Current, the town newspaper...looks like Knox will be famous! {Note to mothers all around: Please excuse the onesie...we had a cute outfit on him and he had a bit of an accident that the diaper could not contain.} Anyway, we had a wonderful time and it will be a day that I remember for a long time.

Ps...To add to the coolness of this...Clay still has his great-grandmother living so we will have to take a 5 generations with his side of the family!

We'll let the little guy choose

2008-05-16T05:40:00.005-06:00

Red Sox or Yankees? Or neither?

All we know is that he will probably like the game of baseball as much as his daddy! Knox has already had some people trying to influence his decision of which team to be a fan of, but Clay and I will let him decide on his own MLB alliance! We figured we owed him that one because he will not be allowed to root for any other college team other than AUBURN! Hahaha.

Knox in the NY Yankees jersey that our friends Matt and Kelly gave him.
They are living in NYC at the time for Kelly to go back to school and love going to Yankees games.
Thanks Homan's, we can't wait to come see you guys!

My brother is a huge Red Sox fan. When he heard that Knox was wearing a Yanks outfit he
had to get this little shirt for Knox. Thanks Uncle Brother!

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-13T07:44:00.002-06:00

Our family went to visit my mother in Montgomery for Mother's Day. It was so nice to be able to share something so big as being a mother with the one woman that I truly look up to the most and who's opinion comes with great value in my life. It is really different, the relationship Mom and I have, now that I have earned the title of mom too. I had the most amazing time just relaxing and hanging out by the pool and the icing on the cake was that my brother was there! Uncle Brother got to meet Knox for the first time and it was so much fun. Knox got to get in the pool for the first time, which he didn't like. I guess it wasn't quite as warm as his bath! We also got to visit my mom's mom and take lots of pictures. I didn't want to come back home yesterday! And, now I have to go back to work on Thursday so I have to run because Knox and I have some quality bonding to do on these last 2 days at home with him. Where does time go?

11 weeks old...they grow too fast

2008-04-28T09:22:00.003-06:00

Knox will be twelve weeks old this week and he is growing too fast for Mom and Dad. We are trying to savor every moment with him but it is hard to let him grow up so fast! I know that this will be a reoccurring thought of ours throughout his life and I will have to continue to allow myself to put off things that I need to do in order to spend time with him...which will continue to be a hard lesson for me and my OCD personality to learn.
As of now, he is laughing more, cooing, and loving to hear himself talk. Knox is just like me in the fact that he NEVER stops moving...his little hands are always going and he loves to stand up and look around (with help, of course). If he is still for a moment, you can play music for him and he will start moving around to it...does this mean we might have a musician on our hands? If so, he can take after my brother, David, who can play any instrument by ear. He did get a wonderful trait from his Dad...the ability to just "chill" wherever you put him. He is genuinely a happy child. He cries when he is hungry or wants to take a nap and he is sleeping until 5 or 5:30 am, when he takes a bottle and a diaper change and then goes back to bed until 7 or 8 am (and then takes great naps during the day). We couldn't be happier about his ability to sleep!
This picture was taken Saturday afternoon in his swing outside...another trait he gets from his parents...he LOVES going outside. He actually starts smiling sometimes when you take him outside!
Alright, I must go now because I am feeding him (did I mention that this boy LOVES to eat?...sad to say but he got that one from me) and I have typed this whole post with one hand! Have a great Monday!

I'm it...I have been tagged.

2008-04-23T15:05:00.003-06:00

My good friend Sarah tagged me the other day and I thought about not doing it. Since my other friend, Lindsey, also tagged me a billion years ago, I figured I had better do at least one of them. So, here it is...only took me 5 days to finish!

What was I doing 10 years ago?

Wow. Ten years ago I was about to graduate high school and counting down the days until I went to Auburn. Things were a lot different then. I think back to the days when all I had to worry about was what I was doing on the weekend and if my hair looked okay and what CD to listen to on the way to school. Ahhhh…the life of a teenager…there is nothing like it but I still wouldn’t want to go back.

5 Things on My To-Do List:

1. Finish this list (it has been on my to-do list for a couple of days) Thanks for the pressure, Say! Haha.
2. Go to the gym
3. Watch the Bachelor from Monday night (yes, I am addicted to lots of shows since all I do is feed, burp, and play with a 10 week old….Tivo + Maternity Leave = Saving Grace)
4. Watch the O.C. (okay, I know, I have no life right now)
5. Get Clay and I’s calendars straight through July…why were we not this busy last year before the baby?

5 Snacks I Enjoy
1. Apple
2. Diet Coke (I try to only have one a week so it is truly a treat)
3. Cucumbers in vinegar and water (it is a Spring/Summer time tradition in my fam)
4. Popcorn (I truly LOVE the stuff from the Theatre but at home it is 94% Fat Free to be a good girl)
5. Granola Bars (if I must pick something sweet…can you tell I don’t have much of a sweet tooth? Neither does Clay so it works out well)

5 Things I Would do if I were a Billionaire
1. Give a lot away – for sure…to church and wherever I felt led to give it
2. Invest…only because Clay would make me….I have no idea in what so he would be in charge of this one
3. Pay off our debt
4. Build my dream home and have a place to park my jet so I could fly out at any time to see all my friends (Hey, a billion is a lot of money! We could afford fuel too.)
5. Take Clay to all the places we wanted to travel but couldn’t afford…first, New Zealand then Ireland.

5 Bad Habits
1. Lying for fun…now, I am just being honest (no pun intended). I love to tell a fib but sometimes I forget to say that I am kidding. This happens a lot at school with my teenagers to get their attention.
2. Not doing my quiet time every day – me too Sarah!
3. Doing my Sudoku puzzles a tad too much…I tend to miss a lot of what is going on around me during this time.
4. Forgetting to wear sunscreen. I am getting better.
5. Not brushing my teeth before bed….some of you just almost threw up in your mouth because you couldn’t stand the thought of this…it didn’t say 5 good habits!

5 Places I Have Lived
1. 464 County Downs Court in Montgomery…Childhood home that I love but Mom, in all her empty nesting, has redecorated much of it and it is not like it used to be…I love it though. It was the place to be while we were in school…all my friends would come and hang out at the pool.
2. Whittle Dorms on Gay street freshman year….they were redoing the quad and we didn’t sign up in time so no on-campus living for me. AND 3 different rooms in good ole’ Molly Hollifield on the Hill and a duplex in Northpointe at the same time
3. Wildforest Apartments and a House by Samford University on Lakeshore with 3 other girls
4. An apartment by myself in Birmingham until I married Clay
5. Clay and I had another apartment in Birmingham, a room off the garage at his parents house for a year and our house now for 2 years

Whew…did that say only 5? Sorry.

5 Jobs I’ve Had or Have

1. Office worker at my Aunt’s doctors office in High School
2. Sandwich maker and cashier at Logan Farms in High School
3. Systems Analyst and Office Document Specialist in B’ham
4. High School computer maintenance and programming instructor (current)
5. Gymnastics teacher one night a week to 15 6-10 year olds…CRAZY for taking that job as a pregnant person.

I want to know more about (a nice way of saying “you’re tagged”):
1. Lindsey Carreker
2. Amber Boylan
3. Ashley Collins
4. Shelley Parker – so I can learn a little more about you

A quick one...

2008-04-18T21:18:00.002-06:00

I managed to find a little time tonight to blog but I am so tired! Knox went Thursday morning for his 2 month check up. He is above average in height and a little below in weight...I forgot the specific percentages. I was just glad he was healthy. He got 5 shots and belted out a cry that we have not heard before...I guess he hasn't really been in pain any in 9 weeks, which is a blessing. He was sleepy and not feeling himself the rest of the day so we did a lot of cuddling to make him forget the doctor's visit. He has started laughing a bunch and "talking" to us and I swear he "sings" along with me when I sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star...it is too precious.

Happy Spring

2008-04-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

Time sure does fly when you are having fun! I have been having a great time with Knox at home and am not quite ready to go back to work just yet. He has started smiling and laughing but I just can't seem to catch it on video or photos very well. I took some pictures the other day so I thought I would share. No news here really. Knox goes next week for his 2 month check up and all the shots that come with it. I can't wait to see how much he has grown since the last checkup. I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday. Enjoy the photos.

The Boys

2008-03-24T10:07:00.004-06:00

Eben is holding Douglas who belongs to Doug, in the middle, and Clay is holding Knox.

These are the boys we love. When we moved to this wonderful neighborhood, Clay found out that Doug, who he works with, lived 3 houses down. I found out that Doug was married to Mary Nelan Barron who was a Chi O at Auburn with me...Instant friendship for all 4 of us. Eben and Doug were childhood friends and ended up marrying Mary Nelan and Ashlie who were also childhood friends. Clay and I hit it off with them too. Actually, I teach gymnastics now at the dance studio that Ashlie and her mom own. So, needless to say, we really love our new friendships that we have made here in Dothan and it doesn't hurt that we all live within walking distance from each other! Douglas is 26 months and Knox is 5 weeks and Eben and Ashlie's baby is due the end of October! I will have to post a picture soon of the girls.

Douglas and Knox...

I'm a good Big Sister

2008-03-14T11:48:00.003-06:00

I figured with all of my friends doing posts on their parents' blogs (Bud, Ollie, Millie, etc.) that I should do one too. I don't really have much to say other than things have been really different around my house for the past few weeks...that's because I am a Big Sister now! I know that everyone knows because Mom is always taking pictures and posting on the blog about Knox but this is my turn. I just want to say that I like my little brother a lot. He doesn't play with me like my older brother, Copper, does but Mom says he will one day. My favorite part of being a big sister is going into Knox's room with Mom in the mornings and waking him up...I can't see in the crib so she has to get him out and then let me sniff him and make sure he is okay. My other favorite part is when I get to babysit like in the picture above. Okay, well, I have to go and take a nap now.
---Piper

Happy 3 Years

2008-03-12T07:50:00.012-06:00

(Ok, so the boy was not "working" the camera at the time...)

Today is mine and Clay's 3 year anniversary. Knox had the great idea of surprising Dad with his picture on the blog...so, Happy Anniversary, Clay! We can't wait until you get home tonight! This anniversary is very special because our family has a wonderful new addition and we have so much to be thankful for and more love for each other than we ever could have imagined. While we don't have a fun trip planned (like we have the past 2 years) and dinner plans do not involve a fancy restaurant, we will be spending our anniversary right where we want to be...at our HOME...with our family.

One from right after we got engaged.

From our wedding...

A little late...but you understand

2008-03-08T17:32:00.009-06:00

Yeah, I am officially in the "I was meaning to do this but my baby...." Club! So, I was meaning to do a wonderful post on Thursday for Knox being 3 weeks old, but Knox didn't nap well that day and I was so tired and didn't feel like fooling with the uploading and typing and all that. Here are some pictures from the past 3 weeks.
It is amazing how you can pray so hard for your unborn child (whether pregnant or not yet) and then when he gets here, thank God so often you feel you might be annoying the Creator a little! What I didn't realize is how much this little boy, our gift from God, would actually teach me about my Father. Here I was, thinking I would be teaching him all about Jesus and what He did for us (which I will continue to do even now) but Knox is actually teaching me something...about how to just "be" in the presence of God. Clay and I got to go to a N.O.W. (Night of Worship) at our church last night while his parents kept Knox and it was wonderful. We haven't been to church in what seems like forever so it was a real treat. Anyway, at church we sang a song that says "I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand, lay back against you, feel your heartbeat..." The song is all about loving God so much that you just want to sit with Him in his presence and those words make me think about my son and how content he is when he is just laying in my arms or on my chest. We can't remember how that feels way back when we were babies but I have a slight feeling it is comparable to the way I am so relaxed and at peace in God's presence now or while in worship. So, I am going to try and cherish every moment of this time with Knox and continue to ask God what He can show me through my son about His Son! This little boy is truly a blessing and, like every other parent on earth, I can now honestly say that he has completely changed my life in the most wonderful way.

No reason at all...

2008-03-01T09:14:00.001-06:00

...I just really love this picture and felt the need to post one of my son after the birthday tributes. This was taken yesterday before my mom took Knox for a walk outside. (I got to take a nap while they were gone...thanks j.b.)

Leap Year Day...Happy 4th B'day, Piper

2008-02-29T19:26:00.003-06:00

My first "baby" is now 4 years old. Her breeder said she thought the puppies were born on the 29th so she is a leap-year doggy! It is really hard to believe that it has been 4 years since this little puppy came into my one bedroom apartment in Birmingham. We had a great year of just us girls living together. Then came the boys, Clay and Copper, which we both loved but no time will be sweeter than just me and Piper living together. We have a really close bond that I really appreciate in times of joy, sadness, frustration, etc...she is always here for me and ready to cuddle or lay down at my feet. So, Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl...I love you tons!

War Eagle

2008-02-24T17:49:00.004-06:00

In honor of the Auburn vs. Alabama basketball game on the plains this afternoon, we decided that Knox was not too young to wear his gear and show some support for the Tigers. Auburn came out on top with a 88-76 win over the Tide...War Eagle! So, here is the latest addition to the Auburn family...as if he had a chance to be a fan of some other team! (Please recall the AU hat he adorned only minutes after his birth.)
P.S. Thanks Aunt Judi for the outfit, we looked for you on TV today! Knox can't wait to go fly fishing someday.

Happy Birthday, Brother!

2008-02-23T10:10:00.005-06:00

Happy 25th to my little brother, David. He cannot possibly be 25 already because just yesterday I was picking on him when we were teenagers! He is a grown man now but will always hold a dear place in my heart as my "baby" brother. Here are some pictures I had to put together quickly before Knox woke up. David, Knox says "Happy Birthday Uncle Brother"! (I call my brother "Brother" sometimes so Uncle Brother only seemed appropriate for little Knox.)

I love you, DKD...love, BOB!

I'm back...and Happy 1 Week, WKL

2008-02-21T10:25:00.008-06:00

WOW...it has been a very long 7 days. Clay took me to Rite Aid and to get Ice Cream last night and you would have thought we were going to the Prom. I was so excited to get out of the house and it was only for 15 minutes and I didn't leave the car! Anyway, after an induction and C-section that were both necessary for my little one's health I was completely worn out. I can't tell everyone how encouraging it was to have someone read me the blog and comments everyday while in the hospital. (Thanks to Sarah and Honey especially.)
We are home now and it has been rough but I love it. I think now, at week 1, we finally have a handle on things. My mom is here and has been my saving grace, although Clay has been right there with me through tons of stuff going on here. Knox is precious and so good at sleeping and eating and such now. We took him to the doctor and he said he looks really healthy (Praise God) and his feet are really big with long toes (thanks Clay).
If you are wondering who my son looks like...it is me at first glance. Then, yesterday, Nana (Clay's mom) brought Clay's baby pictures over....um, they are identical twins. I wish I had thought to scan in a picture. The picture of Clay, only hours old, in the hospital bassinet looks just like the one of Knox. It is quite scary! So, if that is the case, we are going to have one good-looking boy!

I promise to take more pictures of Knox when I can get up and moving well...I am already doing much better than I thought I would do. Here are some of my favorite pictures from this past week.

Thanks, from Clay

2008-02-15T23:43:00.013-06:00

Hello everyone. I finally have found the time to post a few pictures. Sarah, thank you so much for keeping everybody informed. You have been so helpful. I am at home for the night. One of my best friends, Jack Mazzola, came down to see Knox, and Lenzie's mom was gracious enough to offer to stay with Lenzie for the night so Jack and I could spend some time together. After much persuasion from Lenzie and JB, I reluctantly took her up on the offer. Jack is asleep on the couch, and even though I am running on fumes right now, I just can't make myself sleep. Lenzie is doing well, just having some pain from the C-section, but I don't think it is enough to take away from the wonderful bundle of joy named Knox. Everyone, I want you to know that Lenzie is an excellent mother! I can't describe the feeling it brings to me to see her holding my son. Wow, that's crazy, "MY SON!" I thank God for the wonderful and beautiful child that he has blessed us with, and more importantly, the love of my life, Lenzie Lane. Seriously guys, she is a natural at being a mother. She was so worried that she wouldn't know what do when he got here. You should all see her with him, it is truly an amazing sight. They are both perfect!!!! I guess I need to try to get some sleep, here are a few pictures for everyone to enjoy. Lenzie and I love you all and thank you all soooooo much for the prayers over the last nine months and for the many years to come!!

Not a very happy camper, but look at that full head of hair.

The most beautiful sight in the world!

Proud parents!

Nana & PawPaw (My Parents)

(Left to Right) - J.B, Cappy, Annie, Papa (Lenzie's parents)

Thanks for coming Jack!

Can't wait for Little Bro & Mom to get home!

Future Auburn Tiger! WAR EAGLE!!!!

Another Glimpse...

2008-02-15T15:16:00.003-06:00

Clay forgot his camera when he went home this morning (I think the guy has a lot on his mind!), so here's another picture of this sweet little boy! They are all doing well and just getting to know each other. Lenzie's mom has read her all of your comments and she loves them and thanks you for all your prayers.

KNOX

2008-02-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Clay sent this picture to my phone! What a cutie!

William Knox Lane has arrived!

2008-02-14T19:04:00.002-06:00

He's here and he's perfect! He was born at 6:12 p.m. He weighs 6 lbs 11 ozs (EXACTLY what the ultrasound told them on Tuesday), he's 20 3/4 inches long, and he has a head full of brown hair and eyebrows to match! Clay will post pictures when he has a chance! Congratulations Clay and Lenzie, and welcome to the world, little Knox! You are already loved by so many people and have been prayed over since we found out about you!

He'll be here in 30-45 minutes...

2008-02-14T16:59:00.002-06:00

No, I'm not psychic, Clay just called and said the doctor feels it's best to go ahead and do a c-section. That little monkey is just not dropping! He likes it in his mama's tummy! I know it's been a LONG day for Lenzie, and I'm sure this is a little hard to swallow, but she and Clay obviously want to do what is best for Knox. So say those prayers that everything goes smoothly! I'm so excited that they're about to hold their son! God really is so good. Oh, and you might want to throw in some prayers for Lenz for an easy recovery. I know she'd appreciate it! I'll update as soon as I hear anything!

The News at 1:30

2008-02-14T13:33:00.002-06:00

Sarah again...Things are progressing better than the doctor hoped! Knox still has to drop a good bit, but Lenzie is really responding to the medicine. They had just offered to give her an epidural when I was talking to her, so hopefully her body will be able to relax even more. Thanks for the prayers and keep 'em coming! Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

The latest...

2008-02-14T10:33:00.003-06:00

Good morning! It's Sarah, and I just talked to Lenzie. The doctor broke her water a little while ago, but Knox is really high (-3 for those in the know) and he doesn't think it will happen anytime soon. Lenzie said maybe even late tonight or early tomorrow. They want to give her body time to do its thing! She's having contractions regularly but they're not very strong yet. Please pray specifically for him to drop. I'll keep you posted (no pun intended).

Knox's arrival date.....

2008-02-12T19:12:00.000-06:00

Update on Knox and I....
I had a doctor's appointment today at 1:10pm...still no progression (only 1 cm, and 0%). I like to think that I am just so accommodating to my son that he wants to stay a little longer. We set the induction date for Monday, the 18th and then my doctor ordered an ultrasound to see how big he was measuring (which I loved because I got to see my son unexpectedly). He is around 6 lbs. 11 oz., and that was the GOOD news.
The OTHER (not necessarily bad) news was that his amniotic fluid is really low. So, the doctor sent Clay and I over to Labor and Delivery for a stress test for Knox and I. Basically, they made me have contractions to see if Knox became stressed during them. Finally, around 6pm I was let go and with the report that Knox looks wonderful and everything was good. Unfortunately, the stress test is only good for so many days so Monday the 18th is out of the question and my doctor wants to go ahead and deliver him as a preventative measure.
For 9 months I have dreaded the thought of my son being born on Valentine's Day (I just really don't like the whole hearts and roses day being on his birthday but Clay assures me that he WILL be masculine no matter when he is born!) and was trying to get around it by any means necessary, except for when it concerns his well being. (Maybe he will get extra dates one day for his b'day being on V-day.) So, I will have to be induced on the morning of the 14th. I didn't want to be induced but I do understand that all that matters at this point is his good health so please pray that it will go smooth and be as quick as possible. (Don't worry, I have heard all the horror stories of inductions going on forever and ending in C-sections and believe me, I wouldn't if I had a choice.)

So sorry for the long update...it will be my last until he comes into the world. Don't worry, I have hired great temporary or guest bloggers to update you on Knox Lane the moment he comes!

Please, please pray for us. Pray specifically that my body will react positively to the medicine and Knox will come quickly. Thanks to everyone for your concern and prayers.

8 more days...or more?

2008-02-04T15:50:00.000-06:00

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. There was no change so I was a little disappointed but all is well. Knox and I are healthy and that is all that matters. Tomorrow I will be 39 weeks and I go back to the doctor on the afternoon of the 12th, which is my due date. I am all for the idea of going into labor naturally so I might have this baby a little later than 40 weeks but no later than 42, per doctors orders. So, still waiting but feeling fine. I still have not had any signs of labor but we all know that can change within the blink of an eye.

Test Run

2008-02-03T08:56:00.000-06:00

What's up everybody. This is Clay. Lenzie is showing me how to post so everyone can keep up with us when Knox is born. So get ready for some crazy bloggin' fun!

Here is a wonderful pic of Lenzie
& I on our honeymoon in Jamaica - 3/15/05

Update...

2008-01-30T18:45:00.000-06:00

I went to the doctor today. No huge news...I am only 1 cm. I have another appointment on Monday morning so we will see then. Thank you so much to all of you for all the nice, encouraging comments. We will continue to play the waiting game. I got these disposable braces to wear at night for my carpel tunnel from my mother who had it this fall...they worked great for her and she didn't have to have surgery so maybe they will provide some relief. (Thanks Jennie and Krista for the comments on carpel tunnel...they really helped.) Please continue to pray for Clay and I...we want Knox to be born in God's perfect timing and I am trying to be patient about it but I am soooooo anxious. Thanks again for everyone's prayers and kind words. They are much appreciated!!!

2 more weeks

2008-01-28T14:45:00.000-06:00

Well, I am at 38 weeks now and ready to have this baby! I'll bet many of you can certainly identify with the feeling. I am fine...no signs of labor or anything, which is frustrating. I am retaining lots of water so my hands and feet look like an ogre's. I also have developed carpel tunnel in my right hand and am having lots of trouble writing, getting ready, sleeping, eating...blogging, etc. It feels like your bottom half of your arm is asleep but throbbing at the same time which equates to...NOT FUN. So, please pray for my right hand. They say that it will go away with labor but at that point the pain in my arm will be the least of my worries. I just hope it goes away afterwards so I can take care of Knox because it sure is hard to use my fingers and hand.
I go to the doctor on Wednesday so maybe I will have more to report then! Everyone have a great day!

18 days...and counting

2008-01-25T06:23:00.000-06:00

Update...I went to see the doctor yesterday. I am 37.5 weeks (which I find myself rounding up to 38 A LOT). He just spoke to me and made sure I wasn't having any weird pains or complications. (Well, if you call weight gain at a rapid pace a complication, which I do, then YES!) I didn't mention it...I figure he gets enough complaints from women the rest of the day. I go again next Wednesday for him to check and see if I am anywhere near the end of this road. Hopefully I will have some good news then. I did get a glimmer of hope in the form of one little word..."induction." He assured me that he would not let me go past my due date so that was excellent news. You must know that my mother delivered me a whopping 2 weeks LATE so I have been very concerned that I would be pregnant for 42 weeks.
Until then, I will be waiting...impatiently I might add. I told my doctor I should pray for patience...he quickly informed me that now was NOT the time to pray for patience if I wanted this baby to come soon because God would definitely teach me about some patience!
I would like to say that he is the best doctor in the world...I hope that everyone can say that about the person that delivers their children. I was looking for a doctor and got a few recommendations in this one practice so I started reading their bios. I thought that the bow tie and the fact that he also has a degree in Religion and attends the same church as we do were all killer pluses. Check the Doc out. Don't you agree...the bow tie rocks? Until next week....

One Month to Go!!!

2008-01-12T16:45:00.000-06:00

Wow, only 31 days until my baby boy is due! Talk about time flying by...I can't believe it is time for him to be here already. I am feeling good, still going to the gym about 3-4 times a week walking and riding the bike but it is beginning to go downhill. My feet and hands are retaining enough water to fill a swimming pool and I can't seem to get off the couch or put my shoes on without much effort! Oh well, I am mostly complaining to friends who have been through this so I will keep the negatives to a minimum. I have officially gone into "hibernation mode" as Sarah calls it. This is when you have finally gotten big enough to only go out in public if you absolutely have to! I go to work, gym, grocery store and church...period. I did get to go to Target today but I tried to wear my cutest maternity outfit to do so...which is not that cute when you are in your 9th month! Being that I am in hibernation, I will no longer be posing for pictures and if I do, they will not make their way onto the world wide web! So, here are pictures from Knox's nursery...the painting was done by Lindsay Carreker and is my most favorite thing in his room! Have a great weekend!

Happy 2008!

2007-12-31T22:53:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! 2008!

And...War Eagle!

As I am trying to stay awake for the new year, I am playing on the computer once again. As I was watching the Chick-fil-a Bowl, it said to go to the Chick-fil-a website and register to win a free chicken biscuit for breakfast...so I went there and I was one of the 150,000 people to win! So, Auburn Tigers won and I won free food (which is great for a pregnant woman!).

I would like to say that I am probably anticipating this next year more than any other year, 2005 coming in second because it is the year I married Clay. I am going to be a real live parent in 2008, which is scary and exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time.

I would like to say that I am excited about our new Offensive Coordinator...Tony Franklin.

Thanks Brandon for a great 4 years! He has only lost 9 games as a staring QB! Nice!

This year's MVP of the Chick-fil-a bowl...Kodi Burns...good job tonight, dude.

Happy 28th Birthday, Clay!

2007-12-30T11:46:00.001-06:00

This was taken before the disaster of opening presents and cooking breakfast! First off, I would like to say that the table looked pretty and the brownies were GREAT! Now, as for the presents...I got him a pair of pants that were too small, a knife that was the wrong kind, and a video game that he has been playing right in front of my eyes since the spring and I didn't even notice! Not to mention, he didn't like the blueberry cheesecake muffins I fixed...we ate the brownies for breakfast! Wow...not quite the birthday celebration I was hoping for! However, I know that he still loves me and I love him and we have a little boy on the way and that is enough! The rest is icing on the cake...which we didn't have because neither one of us likes cake too much! After much playing on the computer, I managed to convert my old home movies to video on our PC and edit them. I am looking for software that will edit my movies so if anyone knows of anything, let me know! Enjoy this video, aside from the watermark left on it because I am not ready to commit $50 to the software just yet!

PS on this post...Happy Birthday also, to our dear friend, Matt Homan! He is 29 today I think! Clay and Matt have been great friends since meeting while at Auburn! Hope your day is great, Matt!

Merry CHRISTmas

2007-12-24T10:57:00.000-06:00

I am so excited about Christmas this year! It is the last Christmas that Clay and I will be able to wake up in our house alone because next year we will be parents!!! Wow. I feel like I, personally, do not need a single thing this Christmas. We did ask for lots of baby paraphernalia, though. All I truly want is a healthy baby boy to come our way around February 12th. It is amazing how I never really thought about having children and then fell in love with Clay and still never really gave it much thought (and even said I wouldn't mind never having kids) until he started telling me how much he wanted a family. Now, after living with Knox and seeing me grow, knowing that means he is growing, and watching him through only a few ultrasounds, I couldn't imagine my life without him. I mean, every time he moves or kicks I stop what I am doing and focus on my belly and feel so proud that I kinda want everyone else to focus on him moving too! Really, he is only moving...which is not a big deal in the grand scheme of his life, but every time he does it reminds me of the miracle that he truly is and how BIG God is and little we are. So, this Christmas is a very special one for Clay and I to really focus on our time with one another and look forward to the miracle that will come our way in only 7 more weeks! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! I realize through my friends in blog world that we are all so very blessed in our lives. I love reading, learning, growing, laughing, crying, and rejoicing through each of the blogs I read. Thanks to you all for sharing your lives with others!

Merry Christmas to all!

"Whoooos" excited about Knox coming?

2007-12-20T16:03:00.000-06:00

That would be me!!!

After looking at Tara, Darby, and JM's blogs about cute owl stuff for their girls, I thought it might be time to share what my mom (Alpha Beta '71) and I (Alpha Beta '98) have in store for Knox. You guessed it...owl stuff...complete with monograms! When mom found this company at Market, 3 Marthas, she thought the stuff was so cute. Then, they came out with their owl appliqué collections for girls and boys and she was hooked! After I found out I was pregnant, the pink and blue "happy owl" stuff was ordered for this fall! And did you think that Knox would not have every bit of it? Of course he will. So, just because you have a boy, does not mean that he cannot "sport" a little Chi O spirit. I mean, afterall, he will certainly marry a Chi O, right? Well, if you need a cute gift for another Chi O or want something special for your future Chi O or just really love owls...talk to J.B. at You Name It!

Aren't girlfriends great?

2007-12-07T17:13:00.000-06:00

Sarah, Ashley, Me (& Knox), Allyson, Molly, Allie

Most of you have probably read the Martin and Collins blogs about a little girls weekend we had last weekend. Sarah asked me if I wanted a baby shower and I really didn't want to do the whole shower thing so we came up with a girls weekend in Auburn to celebrate Knox coming. It was the best idea and I highly recommend it to any group of good friends! In fact, I think we should continue the tradition for the next one of us that gets pregnant.
It was the best weekend...full of fellowship, laughter, shopping, eating (of course), and learning about babies! Sarah and Ashley were great hostesses. Thanks to Molly for flying in from Ohio and the rest for driving to Auburn! We all went to eat at Niffer's on Saturday night and then went back to Sarah's house for dessert in our PJ's...how fun is that?! Thanks girls for the papasan swing and bouncy seat for Knox...I am sure that I will be thanking you more when he is enjoying them and I am getting some hands-free time! Also, Ashley, thanks for the wonderful baby book for Knox that matches his nursery!!! Everyone needs one of these and they are great for those who really don't have the time to hard-core scrapbook anymore. The weekend was just perfect and I am truly thankful for each of my friends...you guys are great! I can't wait for my son to meet each of you!

We all paused from shopping for an AUsome picture!

6 in a ROW!

2007-11-26T17:27:00.000-06:00

Did you think I would let this pass without a post?

Not hardly!

While I am getting my pictures uploaded and ready to post, I thought I would put a link to this cool video! WARNING...don't watch if you are an Alabama fan...it is too painful. Iron Bowl 2007.

Knox's 4d Pictures

2007-11-22T18:18:00.001-06:00

Well, I know that every mother has high hopes for her child and that was the case yesterday at my 4d ultrasound appointment. However, every mother also knows that our kids have minds of their own. Needless to say, my son was NOT cooperative during this very exciting time in my life. He not only had his arms in front of his face but his legs too! The only thing he really wanted to show us was his...well, you know! Not quite the ultrasound picture I was looking for! Thanks to a wonderful ultrasound technician, Laura, we were able to get a few good profile shots and video the whole thing. I think that normally they let you come back and have a "re-do" when the baby doesn't cooperate, but since it was just a favor for my aunt (from a fellow O.B. in town) I will take what we got and be totally happy with just being able to have a peek into his life for a few moments! Precious...could you not just lay there and watch the ultrasound screen all day if they let you? We should all go in together and purchase one of those things and share it because it is my favorite technology invention! My mom is convinced he looks just like Clay and I kinda agree. Clay and I really love looking at these pictures. So, you are welcome to let us know what you think...if you can even tell from the profile shots.

Looking Back...

2007-11-18T07:40:00.000-06:00

2004 - Clay and I around Thanksgiving at my old apartment in Birmingham. We had only known each other for about a year but were already engaged. (The beard is a Fall Tradition for Clay in preparation for hunting season.)

I am off this week for Thanksgiving and will be going to visit my Mom and Stepdad in Montgomery. The reason for this being that I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday in Montgomery for a 4-D ultrasound and then I have been recruited to help cook in preparation for having Thanksgiving dinner at my Mom's house, which we have never done. It is usually at my Grandparents. Clay only has Thursday off work so he will be participating in the Lane tradition of going to their hunting land in Cottonton, AL with his mom's side of the family. It is kinda weird being apart on a holiday because I can't remember the last time we were apart for a family event. On Friday, I am having lunch with my great friends from high school so that is also something to look forward to. I didn't want to leave my blog with another stupid image (like the burrito) for a whole week so I am blogging to replace the jewelery cleaner so you will not have to look at that one for another day...I'll bet Darby is happy! So, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday week! Happy Turkey Day and know that you have so much to be THANKFUL for!

Bling, Bling

2007-11-11T08:12:00.001-06:00

Some of the people in my Blog World have done "List" posts of their favorite things, paint colors, fabrics, etc. I might do that in the future but for now I would like to introduce you all to this amazing jewelry cleaner by Connoisseurs. I have had the liquid version since I got engaged and actually had a nice piece of jewelery to keep clean. Remember how obsessed you were with your engagement ring and keeping it really "sparkly" and now you look down every now and then and find something like peanut butter or lotion in your ring (PB being my favorite because it is like an extra snack)? Okay, if that is not you I just really embarrassed myself!
Anyway, my dear friend Cristi has been married for, I think, 6 years or so and her ring is still shinning like the day she got it! I asked her what her secret was because I don't have time to take my ring to the jewelry store every week for them to clean it. She mailed me this little baby and it works so much better than the liquid version of the product! So, if your ring needs some "bling" go out and get this product! She and I can only find it at K-Mart stores so if your town is lacking one let me know and I pick one up for you sometime!

National Peanut Festival Ya'll

2007-11-06T16:05:00.000-06:00

Alright. When I went to college in Auburn, we had a few pledge sisters that were from Dothan or a surrounding area. All I heard towards Thanksgiving was "You have to come to the Peanut Festival."...Wait, "National Peanut Festival." Now I am not sure about you but I thought that it had to be a big deal since the whole nation would be celebrating peanuts for an entire week! You're right...biggest deal this little town has ever seen! I am sad to say that I never once made it to Dothan during college to witness this national event but I have been in attendance for the past three years while living here.
Now, growing up in Montgomery, we had the South Alabama State Fair each year that was around the same time. (Don't tell the people from Dothan this but it is the same thing...) A major difference, though, is that the National Peanut Festival has lots of activities promoting the Wiregrass and peanuts for a whole month and not just during the "fair" part of the festival. There is a big beauty pageant, parade, concerts, contests of all sorts, livestock showing and stuff, and much more!
Well, last night was the famous Calf and Greased Pig Scramble. I have been told that you can't live in Dothan and not attend the NPF and if you attend the NPF you can't miss this event. Last night I witnessed it for the first time and loved it! So much fun. Clay and I got there early, grabbed 2 of the world's most famous corn dogs (a "must" if you attend the fair) and, of course, some boiled peanuts and then watched the scrambles! Here are a few pics from them but there are more on the website. It goes by quick but is a blast to watch!

A year later....

2007-11-02T17:01:00.000-06:00

Since all the Lane kids and grandkids were in Auburn this weekend, we decided to take a family picture. So, here is our family picture from 2007. Last year, we took a picture at Lake Eufaula during Thanksgiving and things in this household have definitely changed since then!

(Clay, Me (Knox in belly), Matt, Nikki - Clay's sister, Reid - 6 yrs., Maegan - Clay's other sister, & Will - 8yrs.)

Auburn vs. Ole Miss

2007-11-02T11:31:00.000-06:00

October 27, 2007

Yes, I know that this post is a little over due but I have been sick all week. It is just a head cold but those are sometimes the worst. Try being pregnant (and not being able to breathe well in the first place) and then loosing all breathing capabilities through your nose AND your sense of taste! Double wammy is right. Knox and I did go to the doctor on Tuesday for a checkup and everything was normal.
Back to Ole Miss weekend. Wow! This was so much fun but too short of a time spent with old friends. I can't believe how many of my pledge sisters and their families showed up. We are planning a huge Chi O '98 Pledge Class tailgate for next year at the Georgia game! Anyway, we had fun catching up with friends and at the game cheering the Tigers on. Thanks for the pictures Ashley and Erika...no, I didn't even have to get my camera out this weekend with all my talented friends with cameras! Enjoy the slide show.

My Week Off

2007-10-22T14:25:00.000-06:00

Above: A beautiful Auburn sunset before the game.

October 13-20
Last week was Houston County Schools' Fall Break which meant V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N for me! I had a great, relaxing time and did a lot of different things. First, Clay and I went to a wedding for Courtney Mazzola, our friend Jack’s little sister. It was fun and Clay got to see lots of old Auburn buddies (I got to eat great wedding cake). Then, my dear friend Sarah Martin came to save me from having to register for baby stuff alone. (You can read the Martin Blog for details.) That was so much fun and it was great to have a little baby in our house to see what it will be like…thanks for hanging out with me, Ford!

On Thursday, we went to Montgomery to see my parents and took the dogs. That was fun but short because on Friday we headed on down to Mexico Beach/Port St. Joe to stay with Doug and Mary Nelan Cowart and their son Douglas (Mary Nelan Barron to all you Chi O’s). Doug’s parents rented a wonderful house right on the beach for the month of October and they were so nice to let us come and share it with them for the weekend. We had great food and good times, despite a very tense second half and horrible ending of the Auburn/LSU game. Needless to say, we still had the AU sign up on the porch and said War Eagle proudly to people on the beach the next day.

I know that there have been lots of requests for bump pictures. Mary Nelan took a bump picture this weekend and, if I can kidnap her camera and upload the picture, I will post it. This first picture is of Clay telling Knox that Auburn just scored a touchdown and they are kicking a field goal to go ahead of the number 4 team in the nation with only about 3 1/2 minutes left in the game...too bad he couldn't narrate to his son how we ended up winning the game but it makes for a great memory nonetheless! If you look closely, you can see the bump.

These next pictures are of Douglas at the beach (he will be two in January) and us and Doug and Mary Nelan during the game. Then, you must watch this video...it is of all the adults singing the Auburn Fight song and Douglas chiming in on key parts. After each time of singing the song, he would say "more, more" to tell us to do it again. Don't worry, I got all 5 times on video! I only hope that Knox will be able to be this cute one day.

Welcome to Moe's...

2007-10-07T19:23:00.001-06:00

So, I know that you are probably thinking..."What the heck is a burrito doing on her blog?" Well, for starters I will claim the "I am pregnant and cannot stop thinking of food" excuse! I was talking with Clay a couple of weeks ago about how I am craving all of these really good places to eat and Dothan has NONE of them. We agreed that we were spoiled by living in Birmingham for so long and having great places to eat and things to do. Well, here is a list of this pregnant woman's cravings and she just got to cross one off tonight...Dothan finally got a Moe's!!! I didn't have the burrito but my quesedilla was muy excelente!

Places I wish I could go to eat (in no particular order because, at this point, I will eat anything) at a moment's notice while pregnant....
1. Scholtsky's Deli
2. Amsterdam's in Auburn
3. Cold Stone Ice Cream
4. Jason's Deli
5. Taziki's Greek Food (Say, I'll bet you just had a reoccurring thought of that place burning down!)
6. Donnato's Pizza
7. Pablo's Mexican (cheap little place in B'ham)
8. Beach House Grill on Mobile Bay - I need a Grouper Wrap
9. Chappy's Deli
10. Mom's fried chicken, Bea's Slaw, and Loyce's artichoke heart/hearts of palm salad
11. And, oh, about a billion others...I could be here all night

I am going to get some ice cream now. Oh, and by the way, War Eagle tiger fans! It sure was nice to watch a game and not bite all my pretty pregnant fingernails off!

Auburn vs. Florida, 20-17

2007-10-02T17:33:00.000-06:00

September 29, 2007

You know, it feels so good to win a game that you are not expected to win and knock off the number 4 team in the nation. It also feels good to beat the reigning National Champions and to be their only 2 losses in their last 17 games. More than that, and even if we had lost, it feels good to be an Auburn tiger! And to all you skeptics out there...yes, it still felt good to be an Auburn tiger when we lost to USF and MSU.

I found some great pictures with the help of Clay, who is addicted to auburnsports.com or rivals.com. It is this site that tells you all about your team's business and also has message boards...basically, his equivalent to my blog world and we are both equally addicted and have to take turns using the computer these days. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy them.

If you look closely, Kodi Burns has "Prov" on one side of his face (on that under your eye thingy...for lack of better words) and a number, which I cannot make out, on the other. See, it is good to know that one of our team's leaders is relying on the WORD.

I really like this coach!

"When the football season is over, Auburn will still be Auburn. The school we love and support has always been special in the hearts and souls of her people. I'm just thankful to be a member of her family...See you here next week." ---Jim Fyffe

War Eagle!

A variety of thoughts on a Monday night

2007-09-24T19:28:00.001-06:00

No specific reason for this post at all. I was just looking through our pictures on the computer waiting for Clay to get home from his Discipleship group and found this one. I love watching Clay with the dogs and seeing how much he loves them and knowing that his love for our son will be a billion, trillion times more than his love for them.
It is amazing how many things one can learn from the "blog world." I am truly inspired sometimes when I check my blog and then go to others (I confess, most of them people I don't know at all) and find out that they are experiencing times that are almost unimaginable to me or others that are going through the same things I am and then just ones that make me smile or laugh at the moment. I am so thankful and believe that God is evident through other people's lives and most certainly through their blogs. What a powerful witnessing tool!
I would just like to thank everyone who reads and comments on this blog. It makes a girl feel good to know that others are behind her and care about her!
***To end on a happy note...I can feel Knox moving around now! It is a truly amazing feeling and I want to stop everything I am doing at the moment I feel him and just soak it all in. Of course, the movements are small now but every one of them reminds me of the precious miracle that God is performing in my womb. Thank you Jesus for Knox!

This is why I teach....

2007-09-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

Of course there are many reasons why I teach. Some of them being the obvious...getting off before 5pm, tons of holidays, summers off, great pay for getting all that time off, teaching a subject that I love to teach, working with great kids in an honors program, and many others. Then there are some reasons why I teach that I was not aware of until I actually started teaching, like how much you can get done before your husband gets home from work if you get off at 3:10pm, how easy it was to teach kids something that you love to do, what an incredible impact you can have on their education, and just how much fun teenagers can be sometimes.
There are some reasons, though, why I can't wait to go home some afternoons. Those reasons usually have a first and last name and like to give me trouble. They might also involve a conflict between two students or a Chapter test that I start grading and become more and more angry with each failing grade I see, knowing that we just spent 3 days reviewing for it AND I read the students the questions from the test out loud the day before...ugh! You would be writing those down, word-for-word, would you not? Also, when you are trying to give the students a great lecture on the Command Prompt, which you think is so interesting and actually a bit FUN, and they are moaning and one of them is sleeping you are thinking "Why do I even try?"
Then, sometimes, you get a glimmer of hope from a student like an improved test grade or an actual "thank you" for something or just a "Mrs. Lane, you're the best." I love when these things happen. Oh, one of the best is when you get a visit from 5 of your old students the first couple of weeks of school and they tell you that they are all going to college and most of them to study something having to do with computers..."Score!" I quietly say to myself as they leave the room. Then, you get an email from the least expected person one day. This is a boy that was a great student but didn't care too much for computers and let me know that on a daily basis, which hurts a teacher's feelings and don't let them fool you otherwise. He gave me a little trouble at times and for that was not quite one of my favorites but I always wondered how he was doing when he left. Well, check out this email I received from Lance Corporal Blake Parker/USMC yesterday entitled "Thanks from an old student."

Mrs. Lane,

Hey, this is Blake Parker, I took your class a little over a year ago in case you don't recall the name. I just wanted to let you know that even though I always said I wouldn't use that stuff in your

class I was wrong.. Right now I am in the California desert with the Marines. I work in the armory and while that normally just entails fixing weapons the sand is horrible on our computers, not to mention the 125 degree heat. I wanted to let you know that had it not been for the knowledge I gained in your class about computer maintenance, and the occasional network problem, our computers would be useless. I really never would have expected to be using the skills you taught us back when I was actually in your class, normally goofing off. I've been out here for a little over a month and will be going back to NC around the 5th of Oct, and then depart from there around the 16th heading for Iraq. But, as I said, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate what I learned now that I can see the real-world use of it, even though my job description has nothing to do with computers. Thank you for actually taking the time, even though back then I know I acted like I couldn't have cared less. And also, all the Marines here with me in the 3/2 Battalion Armory send their thanks because of the fact you gave me what I need to keep them in touch with their families.

Maybe when I get back from Iraq I'll stop by to tell your class how important it is that they pay attention, and not just be there for the Counterstrike (This is a video game they used to play).

- Lance Corporal Blake Parker/USMC

Well, thanks back to you Blake, from an old teacher for making my day!

I also teach for the fun students that give me fun and silly drawings like this one, from one of my new favorite students...you might have to click on it to make it bigger and see it better. Who says only Kindergarten teachers get drawings?

I often wonder, too, about the eternal impact I am having on these young students(which is a whole other blog entry entirely). I hope, in some way, that they can see Jesus through me and what I am doing. And, believe me, if there is any way of tying JC into working with computers and networking, I have probably done it and am welcome to new suggestions! Then again, I have some students, like the one who drew the chicken above, that inspire me to be more bold in my stand...which is a complete blessing from God each day.

Baby Lane's name is.....

2007-09-17T15:13:00.000-06:00

William Knox Lane

Clay and I just had an ultrasound this morning and found out that we are having a healthy baby boy! We will call him Knox and we are so excited about him and can't wait for him to get here. I feel like I know him so much better now that he has a gender and a name...he is more real to me now.
The color change on the blogsite is in celebration of Knox. These will be his nursery colors. Brown and turquoise with a "splash" of red. Mom and I have already ordered his bedding and when it comes in I will post a picture of it on his crib! Also, Lindsay W. Carreker is painting a canvas picture to go over his crib and we can't wait for that either. This is so much fun. We hope you enjoy his first pictures.

Your not-so-typical Saturday night

2007-09-16T13:31:00.001-06:00

September 15th -
Well, our Saturday started off nicely. I got my house cleaned and fixed Sister Schubert rolls for breakfast. We started watching the Auburn vs. Mississippi State game and Auburn started doing pretty well and actually winning. I went and picked up my favorite chicken salad sandwich at my favorite place to eat lunch, River Nile and everything seemed great. Then Auburn LOST! What? Anyway, I am over that now and moving on.
Clay and I and our cousin, Kevin, then went over to our friends Ashlie and Eben's to watch the Alabama game. (At this point, most of us went from being strong Tiger fans to really strong Razorback fans.) We cooked out, the game was going in the Hogs favor and then, well, you know how it ended. These sports fans were 0-2(0-3 if you count the USC game in which we would have like to see them fall so some SEC teams would be at the top). And to top that off for poor Kevin, who just moved back to Dothan from St. Louis after 7 years, the Cardinals lost a double header to their rival the Chicago Cubs...wow, now he was 0-4 on his sports teams. We had a long discussion after all that about going to a few hockey games one day.
Now, you have to picture this huge house that is being re-done completely on the inside. Ashlie and Eben are having their whole house tiled, painted, etc. at the moment and so things are not out in the open and furniture is pushed to one side of the house. (By the way, it is going to look gorgeous when they get done!!!) Still, we had to watch the game there on Eben's new 61" HDTV...the movie screen as I call it. Well, one thing lead to another and the boys found out that you could slide on the new tile because of all the sawdust and sheet rock dust on it from the construction.
So, I decided to video this event since I could not participate. The last thing anyone wants is to take a pregnant woman to the emergency room and try to explain that she got a broken arm by doing a Pete Rose on someones living room floor! Back up to when Ashlie's friends, Tiffany and Peter, came over too. They are married and are both professional dancers and Tiffany teaches at the dance studio with Ashlie. So, watch the video, and if you see a man with great form and pointed toes at the end...that is Peter. And, by the way, he is a WAY better dancer than what you see! Did I mention that Clay is so sore today that he can hardly move? Concrete will do that to you!
Please Note: I was using my small camera and didn't realize that I wouldn't know how to turn the videos right side up....so just turn your monitor on its side or tilt your head a little.

Auburn vs. University of South Florida, 23-26 OT

2007-09-09T17:51:00.000-06:00

September 8, 2007

Wow...again...but in a different way this time. I will tell you something, it sure is hard to watch Auburn when we are not doing well after watching them win so much the past few seasons. Nonetheless, I still love watching those boys play football, especially from the stands, and would still be their #1 fan even if we went 0-12! (Some of you are saying to yourselves "Me too, Lenz...me too.") Anywho, after the hard loss, I will have to give a shout out to our incredible DEFENSE and young kicking team...WAY TO GO. It is like Clay keeps saying, "We can't ask the defense to do anything more than they did." I have put some pregame photos together to show you my favorite part of Auburn Football (besides winning). I love getting "pumped up" for a game in the stadium 30 minutes before hand...priceless. A note on pregame, the eagle did fly this time (last week was too rainy) and it flew over the whole stadium...the longest we have ever seen. It was a Bald Eagle though, not a Golden Eagle (which is our true mascot). It was awesome. Enjoy the pics...sorry there were none from the actual game, I was a little busy trying to yell so loud that the team would hear me and do better! It is amazing how I think that if I just shake my shaker a little harder, Brandon Cox will complete a pass or something. Last but not least, a "thank-you" is in order to the Melton's and Martin's...Thanks for letting Clay and I crash there after that very late game! We appreciate it!

You Name It!

2007-09-07T15:50:00.001-06:00

Why didn't I think of this before?
Since this is my blog where I give lots of "shout-outs" to various friends and family by posting pictures or just telling stories, I thought I would give one to my hard-working mother! She has a little business called You Name It! It is a monogramming/baby/home gifts/whatever you need kind of store. The Lord has really blessed her over the years with a business that started out in our house before I went to Auburn. Now, it is a cute little store that her inventory is bursting out of! If you are ever going through Montgomery, AL please let me know so I can tell you how to get there and you can check it out. Lots of you have probably already gotten many gifts from me that she has done. She is a truly talented woman. Here is a link to her website...it is being updated so check back from time to time.

www.younameitinfo.com

Auburn vs. Kansas State, 23-13

2007-09-06T05:35:00.000-06:00

September 1, 2007

Wow! What a game! I had so much fun being back on the plains. We had a great time tailgating and seeing old friends. Here are some pictures from the day.

We tailgated in our usual spot with our good friends Jack and Joslyn Daniels and some of their family. Sarah and Ford stopped by to give Baby Lane a present...the cutest pajamas ever! Ford was All Auburn All Orange for his first AU Football game and loving every minute of tailgating! We had a great time.

Something Strange...

2007-09-03T11:23:00.001-06:00

There is something really strange in our house now...a baby crib! My dad and step-mom or, as the baby will call them, Papa and Annie gave us a crib! Clay put it together yesterday and we have spent lots of time just staring at it like we have never seen one before. Our friend, Jack Mazzola, spent the night with us last night and got to stay in our "guest room" for the last time as just that because now it is officially the baby's room. All of this is way more exciting than I thought it would be! Thanks Papa and Annie, we appreciate this and know that Baby Lane will too!

Layin' Around

2007-09-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

Hey, it is what dogs are supposed to do, right?

I just couldn't resist taking these precious puppies' pictures. Sometimes when Clay and I are running around the house getting things done, we will look down and see them just laying there watching us. As if they are thinking "Why can't you humans just play ball with us one more time....what are you doing that is more important than that?" Sometimes I have to realize that what I am doing may seem more important but is not at all in comparison to the joy I get playing with my dogs! They are truly a blessing and those of you who have ever had one know just what I mean...

Summer Fun

2007-08-26T15:00:00.000-06:00

Alright, so I am a little behind on posting all the fun things I did this summer. So, here, in a short slide show, are my three most favorite things that I did.

June 30th - One of my best friends from Auburn, Bethany, got married in Alex City, AL. It was such a fun time. Clay and I enjoyed the wedding and the reception was beautiful!

July 14th weekend - This was my birthday present from Clay. He flew us up to Ohio to see Molly and her husband, Vince. We all went to a Comedy Club to hear Harland Williams on Friday night and then grilled out with a bunch of people of Saturday night. Molly even got me and Mike a birthday cake!!! It was the best birthday weekend ever.

August 11th weekend - This was a much needed weekend with my very best friends from college. Ashley, Sarah, Allyson, Ashley and I all got to spend a weekend in Panama City Beach staying at Allyson's house. We went out to eat, shopped, spent a day at the beach and talked the entire time. It was so much fun.

Enjoy!

Baby Lane update...

2007-08-15T15:12:00.000-06:00

Baby Lane is due on February 12th, 2008!

This is a special day for both Clay and I because it is my granddad's birthday and his grandmom's birthday...if the baby is right on time! As of the 15th of August, I am 14 weeks and counting! Baby is doing great and I have not been sick or anything, just very sleepy. Clay and I are getting more and more excited every day (now that the shock has worn off). We find out what the sex of the baby is on September 20th and will let everyone know then. We have some great ideas for the baby's name and nursery already and are just waiting to find out what it is! Here are some pictures of baby, the 4-D is at 9 weeks and the other is at 12 weeks. Enjoy.

POSITIVE-ly Excited

2007-08-15T14:57:00.000-06:00

June 9, 2007:
Clay had just gotten out of shoulder surgery and was laying/sleeping/zoning out on the couch. I just got back from CVS to pick up his pain medication and some other essentials. I walked into the den, looked at my half-awake and heavily drugged husband and told him that we were going to have a baby! His response..."good" (with a little drool coming out of his mouth) but he did manage the biggest smile ever.

This was not the way I had always planned on telling my husband the biggest news ever but I was most certain that this pregnancy test (that I picked up with his pain medication that night) was going to say "negative" just like the other 2 that week that I had taken....WRONG! So, I made him go over the instructions and the pictures to make sure that the test was a positive. Then, to be sure, I took another one the next morning.

So, needless to say, we are having a baby and are extremely excited about it!

Face Lift

2007-07-25T14:54:00.001-06:00

After much research and price quotes on getting our house painted, we decided that we could handle the task ourselves....and the PRICE! So, Clay and I spent an hour at the store in front of the kiosk that helps you see the color you are picking on the model house they have (when really that color is nothing like what you see in real life) and Clay spent another 2 or 3 hours at the home improvement store getting the paint, tape, window covering, brushes, and his big toy - the paint sprayer thing. Anyway, we have not completely finished but managed to get all the house color on and all the shutters painted. Now, we just have all the trim to do. I took a picture today of the front of the house, which is completely done except for the top of the chimney. Look closely at that so you can see the old color vs. the new! We are proud of the way it looks and also the way our neighbors have all commented on it as they walked by or slowed down to drive by! Here are the before and almost after pictures...Enjoy!

Graduation Day

2007-06-05T07:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was graduation day for many of my students. Since I have finally figured out how to put a video on my blog, I will post our class video. This video was made by my students (hince the wierd part at the end) for a class promotion. We had all the 10th graders in the county, over 5 different schools, come to our school to view all the technical programs we offer. I had only 10 minutes with each group so I showed this video and then spoke about the classes I teach. Cross your fingers that it worked and I will have really good students next year! Enjoy the video!

A "hole" lot of F-U-N

2007-05-27T17:48:00.000-06:00

May 26,2007:
This weekend my dad came over from Malbis, AL to help us knock a big hole in one of our walls. We have a wonderful living room and great den but no opening to make the two flow together. Clay and I have been talking about doing this since we first looked at the house about a year ago. Clay and my dad, Dave, started working on Saturday morning and were finished by 5pm that night. The only thing we lack is the painting. Enjoy the slide show of before and during and after pictures. I promise to post pictures of our whole house as soon as we get done painting and I can find the time to take some pictures!

Our WILD Adventure

2007-05-27T17:01:00.000-06:00

May 23, 2007: Wild Adventures, Valdosta, GA

This Wednesday, our school took a field trip to a Theme Park/Water Park about 2 hours away. There were only about 50 high school Juniors and Seniors in our Healthcare Science, Computer Science, and Auto Mechanics programs that went. Since I love my job tremendously, I thought that now would be a great time to share about it. I had 11 Junior and Senior boys that went from my class and we had a blast! I was riding every roller coaster they challenged me to face. Matt, one of my students that wasn't an upside down roller coaster rider, suggested that we all go and ride the bumper cars. "Lame" was one of the words from a student, along with other negative comments from the peanut gallery. I finally convinced 8 of them to go with Matt and I and give it a shot.
We had the best time on the bumper cars and ended up riding them around 20 more times and recruiting other eager drivers. All of them were out to get "Lane", which is what they call me (the "Mrs." got dropped after Christmas). I have multiple bruises on my legs and arms, along with a sore neck from getting hit so many times. Needless to say, it was the best field trip ever. The workers at the park were trying to figure out which one of us was the teacher! Here are some pictures and a video of my "Mad" Driving Skills! (In the video, I am the one with the gold/yellow go cart doing backwards turns...okay, I was not that good at first...but I got better at driving.)

(Travis, Me, & Matt - On the Safari Jeep ride. AND Me with most of my students...I am going to miss those boys.)

Orange Beach feat. WSP

2007-05-08T15:47:00.000-06:00

April 26 - 29:
Clay and I left on Thursday for the beach. We stayed in a house with 5 other couples from Birmingham and had the best time. Everyone was there for the Friday and Saturday night Widespread Panic concerts at the Warf, but we all managed to get in some "beach time" too. The weather was nice, the water was cool, our friends were fun and the music sounded good too! A great weekend to get away. These pictures were taken at the shows both nights. There is a group shot, a picture of the Lane's and the Homan's (Kelly & Matt), and one of Clay and I.

New Friends

2007-04-24T15:27:00.000-06:00

There is something wonderful about meeting new friends. Especially, friends that make you instantly feel like you have been a part of their group since day 1. Friends that you are comfortable around all the time. And, friends that live within walking distance! Here are two of those friends, Mary Nelan and Ashlie. Not only do I love to hang out with them, but Clay loves to hang out with their husbands Doug and Eben. I will try and get a better picture of the 6 of us one day.