Three Works in Progress

I feel like this week began my summer for me because we've been traveling so much the last few weeks. And thanks to RE-reading the FlyLady book, Sink Reflections, on the road trip to Illinois, I'm now so motivated to get my house in order and totally DECLUTTERED! I have 3 HUGE goals for this summer:

1. To TOTALLY declutter our house and establish the cleaning routines that FlyLady teaches. I know they work--I was really doing well with some of the routines I established a few years ago...I think it was before Ethan was born...having a baby kinda throws you into CHAOS! Well, I'm finally to a point that I think I can start establishing some daily routines to keep our home "blessed." You can check her out at http://www.flylady.net/.




2. To attempt to POTTY TRAIN ETHAN. This is HARD and not going so well so far! We (really, I should say "I") started trying to get serious about this on Tuesday. That day we went through 4 pairs of big boy underwear, a pull-up, and 2 diapers in 12 hours...and not ONCE did he potty in the potty! I think he might have gone twice since then in the potty. It's extremely difficult but he is actually ok with me putting him on the potty seat now. He used to cry and say NO every time I took him to sit on the potty. And he really likes wearing his big boy underwear...he just doesn't really care if they get wet. He just keeps on playing! We needs lots of prayer and patience in this area.


3. To lose the 20 pounds that I've managed to gain over the last year. I tell everyone that this move has been detrimental to my health and it has! I finally faced the hard facts and went back to Weight Watchers on Tuesday. I have gained 10 pounds since the end of January! I know one huge contributing factor is that I quit going to Curves...we could NOT get it to work in our schedules. I truly believe exercise is the key...that's how I managed to maintain for the last 3 years! Well, I've recommitted to exercising at home and have only missed one day this week so far. And I've recommitted to writing down what I eat because that is another HUGE key on helping with the weight loss. I know HOW to lose weight--I could teach all of the Weight Watchers lessons--I've heard every version of them off and on for the past 20 years! I know what works...I just have to "work the plan" as they say at the meetings. I'm committed again because I don't want to be HUGE and depressed when we go to Disney at the end of the summer! :)


OK, so I've posted my goals...so now I have to be accountable...


Now, I'm going to exercise and get that checked off my to-do list for the day. :)

Memory Verse #12

Wow! We're halfway to our goal now and halfway through the year! I'm still so thankful for Beth Moore giving us this challenge! I am working on memorizing scripture more than ever--except when I used to do Bible Drill in 4th-6th grade! I still remember sitting UNDER my desk in my bedroom, practicing my verses. I LOVED it! And I'm so glad I did! I still remember a lot of those verses and rely on them! ("Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.") I'm thankful that God allows my memory to still work too--they say as you get older it's harder to remember things and Evan reminds me daily that I'm getting old! :)

OK, I digressed a little...here's memory verse #12...

Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

A Busy Summer...Already!

OK, this is quite a long one...we've been on the road quite a bit since June began so I'm going to try to catch up a little now.

Aunt Sandy & Uncle Myron Celebrate 50 Years of Marriage!

The McCarty clan traveled to Paris, Illinois, on Thursday to visit with our relatives and celebrate my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. It was a pretty quick trip, but we all enjoyed seeing everyone! We drove a little over 1600 miles between Thursday and Monday! Evan and Ethan are such great travelers! We caravanned with Mom, Dad, Mauri, & Caleb in one vehicle, Kevin, Ami, Luis, and Lilliana in another, and the four of us and my sister, Shellye, in the van. We didn't make it there in the fastest time, but that was ok!

Saturday was the big reception at the First Assembly of God.

This is Aunt Sandy, Uncle Myron, and my cousins, David, Steve, and Dianne. They had a really nice reception at the church.

This is their wedding attire and their vows from their wedding! (Now I see where I get my "pack rat" tendencies.) :) This was a really neat display in the center of the room!

Mom and Aunt Sandy (They both hate having their pictures taken but I made them anyway.) :)

Aunt Sandy & Uncle Myron with me.

My cousin, Jeff, and his wife, Jan. (I had some really funny pictures of them and my cousin, Dianne, but I didn't post them...although I really wanted to. They would probably never forgive me.)

Our delicious cream cheese mints! I think we made about 500 of them! They were SO good right out of the freezer!

After the reception, we had a big picnic at the local park, Twin Lakes. The weather was so nice while we were there--around 75 every day! Wow! I wish we could have that weather here!

Dianne brought all sorts of toys for the kids to play with--balls, bubbles, jump ropes, balloons, frisbees (everything yellow because that was the color of their wedding). The kids loved it!

Ethan kept trying (and succeeding) to pop the balloons!

This is my crazy son! He loves to pose!

Can you tell we have a "tween" on our hands? He loves to swish his hair around!

Some of the family visiting after supper.

Every time we visit each other, Evan and Alyssa have to see who is tallest (they are only 3 months apart)...Alyssa won again and Evan wasn't too happy.

Ethan decided he liked sitting on Jeni's kitchen counter to eat...that kettle corn was so sinful! Ethan and Evan both enjoyed playing with their cousins, Morgan, Alyssa, Zach, and Jake. (OK, Jeni, why do I never get a picture with you in it?)

I guess I didn't get a lot of pictures of everyone, so those will have to do. Now, we're back in the 99.4 degree heat. (We got back just in time for Bible study last night. It was nice to sleep in our own bed, but I do miss my family!)

My Silly Son

Ethan has "found" a new toy to play with...Evan actually bought it over a year ago, and Ethan rediscovered it a few weeks ago. It's a little parrot that repeats everything you say with a much higher pitched voice. It's really funny but after awhile it gets a little old. He walks around the house with it ALL the time now. He also made Evan let him borrow his goggles and would NOT take them off. They were all steamed up and he couldn't even see out of them, but he just had to have them! He has such an imagination!

Evan is a Rebel!

(Flo told me I had to write this little story so here goes.) Last Wednesday, Evan decided to go outside and play for awhile. He told me he was going to ride up and down our dead-end street on his electric scooter. After a little while, he came in all flustered and said, "I just got pulled over by the police!" He said that he was about to pull in to park his bike and the Star Harbor police man pulled him over and said that his electric scooter was illegal to ride. The police man said you aren't supposed to ride things with motors in Star Harbor, but Evan thought in his head, "Well, what is a golf cart?" But he was very polite and said, "Ok, sir."

We had no idea...he's been riding it for a year now! It only goes up to 12 miles per hour and isn't any different than all of the golf carts that constantly roam the roads. He was so shook up about it! He told everyone that he saw at church that night! So...we've parked it in the garage for now.

Our Baby Deer

We think that two moms have had baby deer now--one with twins and one single one. Evan took these pictures from our back yard one evening last week. We are so mesmerized by them!

Another Quick Trip to Texarkana

On June 4, I got to see my college roommate, Deena, for about 24 hours! While it was a short visit, it was so relaxing! We spent the night with her friends, Elizabeth, Violet, and Katherine. We attended the Great American Scrapbook Convention on Friday. It was a scrapbookers dream! A huge convention center with classes, a place to crop all day, and a HUGE exhibit hall! We had a blast! I'm now motivated to get back to my favorite hobby that I haven't been able to do since we moved!

After dinner, I drove home from Arlington and got to Malakoff about 10. Then, Eric and I hopped in the car and drove to Texarkana for 4 reasons: to pick up our boys that had been visiting Grammy & PawPaw for the week, to celebrate Mauri's birthday, to celebrate Shellye's birthday, and to attend Kevin Barnhart's wedding! We didn't get there until 1:30 am! We had a full day and then headed back to Malakoff late that night!

Ethan and Lilliana wanted to help Shellye & Mauri blow out the candles!

Ami & Lilliana

Our First Boating Adventure

On Memorial Day, Andy and Helen Jackson invited us to come over for dinner and a ride on their boat with Doris & Harold Shields. It was so much fun! The weather was so nice and all 3 boys (Evan, Ethan, AND Eric) LOVED it! I enjoyed it too! There were a few times that we got wet but it was really pretty and neat to see all of the beautiful homes around Cedar Creek Lake.

Andy let Evan "drive" for awhile.

Ethan was really quiet, taking everything in...he had a good time though!

My happy husband! He really wants us to buy a boat someday! (That will come only after I get a back porch and he gets his shed. We have a lot of saving to do!)

Andy just ran over some big waves and got all of us wet...especially Helen and Evan! What a blessing to have great friends to spend time with when we don't have our family here every day!

So...that's about it for now...I did get really motivated as I read my FlyLady book on the trip to and from Illinois. It's a great book about organizing and cleaning and establishing routines that will bless our home. I'm hoping to get a lot accomplished this summer...it's all about BabySteps she says!

One last thought...does anyone really read this? I know this blog is more of a record of our family journey but I just wonder if anyone else reads it. Will you let me know if you do? Please leave me a comment! It will make my day! :)

Another Summer...Another Move!

Well, it's official! I finished teaching at Athens High School on Tuesday and now I'm off to start a new adventure at Malakoff High School. I'm going to be teaching part-time (5 periods of Algebra 2) each day. I'm excited that God is blessing us with a new opportunity. Here's how it all came about...

This year has been especially challenging for us as a family because we moved 3 hours away from everything that I have known for 30 years—my family, my church, my school “family,” my comfort zone. We truly believe that God works everything for GOOD and we feel that we made the right decision and are already being blessed in so many ways.

Several months ago when the stress was getting to me, we started praying about what to do with my job. I came across this verse that helped me make it through the rest of the year…it’s Isaiah 48:17. “This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”

At this time in my life, my most important responsibilities are to be a good wife and mom to my two boys. I feel that I have neglected them a LOT this year as I had to spend a TON of time doing homework to learn Calculus. After awhile, I began thinking that the answer would be to teach part-time so I could have more time for my family. I asked the administration at Athens if I could teach part-time and at first they were very encouraging to me about it. Then, a few months ago they told me that would not be a possibility. I felt crushed because I really felt that was the answer to my prayers. About a month ago, Malakoff had a math opening and I asked if part-time would be a possibility for me and they said yes.

When they offered me the job, it was still a difficult decision for me to make. My husband will tell you that I was still reluctant because I feel so badly for all of my juniors that I prepared to take Calculus with me next year. I am a loyal person and I get very attached to my students very easily and I did not want to upset them. I also think about all of the work that I did this year learning Calculus and I won’t be teaching it again next year. However, I truly believe that God does everything for a reason, and I know He is trying to teach me some important life lessons through all of this.

After much prayer and discussion, we decided that I needed to do what is best for our family right now. The high school is literally 2 minutes from our house instead of 20 minutes—so I’ll save 40 minutes in driving time every day! My math friend, Sandy, figured up that I’ll save around $700 a year just in gas money!!! Also, I have taught Algebra 2 for 11 years and absolutely love it! I love using manipulatives and doing a lot of hands-on experiments, and I’ll get to do that again!

Wherever I teach and whatever I do, my main goal is to be a good Christian influence to my students and those around me! I hope this new adventure will allow me to do that AND be a much better mom to Evan and Ethan and wife to Eric…they are, after all, my most prized possessions! :)

So...once again I have to completely set up a new classroom! But I really enjoy organizing everything...and it won't be as hard since it's just right down the road! :)

Catching Up...The Busy Month of May

Get ready...this is a long one!

Well, I've been wanting to talk about several things that have been going on in our lives during the last several weeks, but I have not had time to sit down and write. Today, we're off for Memorial Day, so I decided that I could take the time to write before I start cleaning the house...
First, I have not posted my last 2 Memory Verses...I have been keeping up with them...just haven't put them here. I am SO glad that I decided to take this challenge from Beth Moore to memorize 2 verses a month for 2009! I need the accountability, and so far I'm making it. I told Evan that I'm going to have him memorize verses with me this summer. :)

Memory Verse #9
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
The Lord is with me; He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.
Psalm 118:5-7

Memory Verse #10
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36

These two verses were both earlier selections of Beth Moore, and I really like them. I don't think I would have found them without her posting them. They both relate to things going on in our lives right now.

Evan's Mouth is Becoming "HOL-EE"
At the beginning of April, Evan lost his first molar...he started losing one every week for about a month! I couldn't believe how they were just falling out! I guess he's growing up! Within a month, he had lost FIVE molars! And he will NEVER let us pull them...he just keeps fidgeting with them until the fall out. Two of them fell out during lunch at school and the nurse gave him a cute little plastic treasure chest to save his tooth. The last one fell out while we were getting our haircuts at Candy's in Texarkana on May 2. I think that's the last one for a while. Here are a few pictures of his grown-up mouth.

Breathe Deep Conference

Eric and I had the opportunity to go to a marriage retreat at the Great Wolfe Lodge in Grapevine on May 7-9. It was a wonderful time to get away and relax. The hotel is really cool because it has a huge indoor water park! It would be great for a family vacation! It was so nice to visit with our friends from Texarkana that were there too...Tim & Shelby Strebeck & Cory & Shelly Calicott. Tim is the youth director at our old church in Nash, so we really enjoyed spending time with them again.

Silly Ethan!

All of my boys have such funny & crazy personalities--Eric, Evan, and Ethan always come up with creative ways to make me smile. Here are a few of Ethan's creative moments! One night, while we were talking to Mom & Dad on the webcam, Eric had his feet propped up on the footstool. Ethan said, "Daddy take your shoes off!" Then, he proceeded to take Eric's ANKLE socks off of him and sat down and put them on his own feet...well, they went all the way up Ethan's legs! It was so cute to watch him walk around the house, holding on to his new socks!

Meal time is always a messy adventure for Ethan as well. Here are a few highlights...



I Can't Believe this is my LAST year in my 30's!
May 19, 2009 will always be etched in my memory as the last birthday in my 30's! My age has really never bothered my until this one. I guess it's because I always think 30's seem pretty young, but the 40's seem like I'm really an adult and need to "grow up!" Because of the timing of my birthday, we didn't get to be with my family in Texarkana ON my birthday...we're going to celebrate next weekend when we get to visit again. Eric did make it a special day, though. He sent me flowers at school, brought lunch to me from Cherry Laurel deli, and then took me to Corsicana to meet Taffy & Buddy for supper at the Old Mexican Inn. One of my calculus students, Bryana, also made it a special day as well! She brought me some pretty orange lilies and a cute cake that had 13 x 3 on the top (a creative way to list my age). We all enjoyed eating the cake in class that day! I really enjoyed the birthday wishes on my facebook too! It feels good to know someone is thinking about you.

Pictures of my Boys
Every time we drive toward Tyler, we pass this neat little park in Chandler that has a really pretty gazebo and bridge. All year, I've told Eric we have to stop there and take pictures. On Saturday, we planned to meet my sister's family in Tyler, so I told Eric this would be the day we would take time to stop & take pictures. Well, my boys (all 3 of them) do NOT cooperate too well when I want to take family pictures but I did manage to get a few good ones. I didn't get one of all 4 of us, but maybe someday. :)

Evan decided to run in front of the camera when I was taking this picture. What a sweet son! :)

Yeah! We got a good pose!

Another good pose!Ethan was NOT going for this pose at all! It was a good idea though!

Whew...that was a lot of information! I hope I'm not too boring but I really wanted to have a record of all of these events in the life of the Beechem's.

We Miss Jake--He was a good dog!

Well, it's been a little over a week since we lost Jake. It was truly one of the hardest things we've ever done! Jake was almost 13 years old. We knew he was getting older, but I think he really went down hill since we moved…he had arthritis and limped sometimes because he hurt his legs,but that seemed to be the least of his problems. He developed this horrible odor that got so bad about 6 weeks ago that Eric took him to the vet and he said Jake has horrible periodontal disease. He wanted Eric to allow him to do surgery that would cost $1400+ but Eric said that was too much, so he gave him these antibiotics to give Jake once a month to help. Well, it helped for the 1st month but then he got worse again…the smell was SO bad right after Easter Sunday. Last Tuesday night Eric noticed that Jake had something on the bottom of his mouth. He looked and his entire bottom gum was abscessed…it stuck out like a huge lip all across the bottom of his mouth. No wonder it smelled so badly! So Eric said we couldn’t afford to fix that and it might not even help a whole lot because he’s really old and just needs to be put to sleep.

We’ve had him since the year after we got married, so it’s really hard & depressing! It is also so hard because I just wish he would have died on his own. We decided not to put it off another night and had it done on Wednesday afternoon. I picked up Evan and we took him to a little park to tell him and have him say goodbye to Jake. He cried off and on that entire night. It’s been a tough week but I know it’s best…just SO HARD!!!

Here are some pictures of our sweet hairy dog!

On Easter Sunday, we had an Easter Egg Hunt in our front yard for the grandkids. Jake was so obedient and stood right inside the front door and watched! This was the last picture of him.

This is proof that Eric did give Jake a bath occasionally! Jake loved it!

Jake LOVED Evan and Ethan! He was very protective!

Jake enjoyed the Christmas celebration too!

Top 5 Things we miss most about Jake:

1. His barks when Eric sneezes!

2. How he used to greet us when we came home each day.

3. His love for us.

4. How he helped keep our floors a little cleaner by hanging out under the table where Evan and Ethan eat!

5. His hair everywhere...well, not really! :)

Easter 2009

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with our family and with our church family! Our church choir performed the musical "Bow the Knee" on Fri, Sat, and Sun at our church. It was an awesome experience! We haven't ever been a part of such a huge production, but Eric did an excellent job of leading us (if I do say so myself). I'll post some pictures as soon as Eric gives them to me. I know Eric has posted some on his facebook page if you'd like to look at them there (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=2010361&id=1090530851). I don't know if that works or not but you can always go to Facebook and look at Eric's page.

The week was extremely tiring with practice every single night from Mon-Thur and then performances on Fri-Sun nights. Ethan spent more time in daycare last week than anything else but we all survived! He loves playing anyway. Evan thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the muscial with the children's choir. He got to sing in about half of the play.

We were so excited that our entire family (except Ami because she's still recovering from back surgery) came down for the weekend since we couldn't go to Texarkana. It was so nice to have then all here with us! They haven't all been here at the same time yet, but it felt like being at home (Texarkana) again! Mom and Dad were so great to help me with housework and cooking! Evan and Ethan loved having Mauri, Caleb, and Duke (Kevin & Ami's foster child) to play with them! We met them in Tyler to shop on Friday afternoon and then we all headed back to Malakoff. On Saturday night they all came to the musical. On Easter Sunday, we all went to church and then enjoyed a big Easter dinner. Then we had the Easter egg hunt that the grandkids look forward to all year! Grammy saves her change all year for their egg hunt! Although it rained a lot, it stopped in the afternoon for us to able to hide the eggs in the front yard. They had a blast!

It was pretty quiet and sad when everyone had to leave at 3:30 to head back home. And we were exhausted but we had to head back to the church for one last performance on Sun night!