Under Contract!

Over the past few weeks my mom has been taking me out house hunting. Last week I found a home that I really really liked(well I guess I can now say I LOVED!), I took Christopher by on Sunday and we submitted an offer this week. We went back and forth several times, and have now come to terms! So we will be closing on Feb 17th on our new home! The house is a 3 br with a bonus, about 2300 sqft, it has a great open(but not too open) floor plan, and an awesome backyard with TREES! The most exciting part is that it is in Davis Lake, which is about 4 minutes from Christophers work, 7 from church and about 2 minutes from our friends in Harris Cove(which is really an answered prayer to be so close to my friends!). So please just pray for a smooth transaction and that they house will serve us well!

Pictures!

This is the "Please can I have a horse for Christmas" shot

Cj is such a softy inside. He is so gracious towards Avery(most of the time). He is always getting things for her, asking if she is okay and most of all he helps her over train tracks!!

My Boys

Two Year Stats!

Today I took the kiddos in for their two year appointment. Which was pretty pointless, but Southlake Peds can thank me for my $30 later. We were informed again that we are behind on some of our immunizations, Whoops! Thankfully our Dr is still willing to see us even though we were told that they were going to kick us out of the practice unless we got them. She even agreed with the choices that we have made as far as the immunization! So here they are:

Avery
24 lbs 30%
34.5 inches 90% (which is hard for me to believe since she is pretty shrimpy!)

CJ
32 lbs 89%(Hmmm kinda scary that there is an 11% out there that weighs more!)
37.5 inches (Almost 38) Which has no percentage because he is off the charts!!

Tagged!

So that I don't get anymore threatening emails, I better answer this one. Or maybe I should confess that I don't have any favorite children's books because I don't read to my children(KIDDING!!) I just got a little preoccupied and forgot..I have been tagged by Becky, and I am to tell seven things that you may not know about me...

1. I am a Texas girl, and better yet I am an Aggie by blood....Gig 'em (down with the horns!)

2. I have driven for 10 years and have owned 5 cars.....My first one being a 1988 Jeep Wrangler, then a 1986 BMW 535i, a 2000 Jeep Wrangler, a 2004 Honda Element, and then my white stallion a 1999 Volvo V70

3. I have turned my back on the south and have turned my tea of choice from sweet to unsweet. It's almost sinful I know!

4. I want another set of twins, call me crazy but its true

5. I don't like to watch movies in the movie theater, I like to wear my jammies and I don't like how I always fall asleep!

6. I will not try clothes on in a dressing room, hey its the Myers Park in me!

7. I was saved after hearing a message that Brent gave at Celebration 2003, it was on the sidewalk in front of the coffee house!

I have tagged Liann, Meghann, and Jeanie

MUTE MUSIC AT BOTTOM BEFORE VIEWING

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

Thank God I'm a Country Boy

Cj is a meat and potato kinda guy, a mans man, a good old boy, and he loves his mama. Seriously we have trained him right, he likes tools, NASCAR, and his John Deere. He LOVES golf too but it isn't really working into the theme I have going on...

Working on the well house, Papa let him help make it and now every time we go outside he "works" on it a little bit. He pulls out his hammer, and the drill!

Gotta Aerate for the fall!

HE is obsessive about the tractor, he will go out to the shed climb on and yell for the key!

Go Jimmie!

Body for Life!

So as many of you know I have started the Body for Life program about two weeks ago. Even though I have only lost 2 pounds I already feel so much better. Not that I ate really that bad before I just had a few not so good habits I needed to kick(diet coke and Chickfila with the kiddos). Since I have rid myself(well I have had a few) of the DC's and have been taking my vitamins I feel like a new woman. As far as the BFL, I am finally started to really get into the swing of this whole being on a diet thing and it is actually quite easy. Since the time change(which I have loved) I actually am able to have enough time to exercise in the morning; which is one of the BFL concepts , working out on an empty stomach and waiting an hour to eat. The food aspect is pretty easy, I can pretty much eat most of the stuff we normally eat I just need to revamp it. But I also get one free day a week with No Exercise and I can eat whatever I want. So please ask me how I am doing, and yell at me if I am slacking! I am really trying to get back to my ideal weight before the baby train comes by again....

Two at Two!

Well our little twinnie-poos turn two today! What an amazing, wonderful, grace filled past two years these have been. Honestly I cannot express in words the joy that these two little kids have been in our lives. I keep trying to think of how to word this post but I cannot find the words for it. After how easily I took the kids turning one I thought two would be so easy, but it isn't! Our babies are not babies anymore, they are walking, talking, running, jumping little adults. So before I start to babble on, or start to cry.... here are a few pictures of the kids at the picture people today(don't mind the zazzle...I stole 'em).

Priceless Jewel

I do not get goose bumps a lot, and I rarely cry. So there is the setup. I was sitting here looking at our family blog and saw a picture of Eileen’s beautiful face. Then the Shane and Shane song “Be Near” comes on. Ok, goose bumps. I was reminded of a line in Ricucci’s book Love that Last when he talks about how Gary so often cherishes other things in his life more than his most precious jewel(ok that is the word I remember) his bride. In devotions I was convicted of so many examples of my doing the same. The goose bumps came in here.
Be Near. In his divine way, the Lord gives me his nearness in Eileen. Her gentleness and patience with me is a true example of the Lord’s patience and gentleness with me. Eileen is the prime example of a servant and selfless bride. She fulfills all that is written about the joy of a husband who has a submissive, serving, loving wife. Eileen is genuinely the most precious earthly possession I have and I pray that I always make her feel as beautiful and worthy as she is.
Crying. I will leave that for later. This one is about Eileen.

Patience is a virtue :)

So now all of the complainers out there who told me I needed to update here you go....I have officially cleared the memory card on my camera! We are about to head off to Asheville for the weekend, so hopefully we will have lots of pictures to share of our new mountain house when we get home! Pray for a safe weekend for us!

Daddy's Birthday!

For Christophers Birthday the kids and I got him a new wedge. For those of you who don't know what a wedge is let me tell you....it is a very complicated piece of golfing equipment. I went to Golf Galaxy thinking I could pick up this wedge based on a model number, oh no it is much more complex than that!! So this past Saturday Christopher and I went to go try this new toy out and play a round of golf. He loved his new club, it even ripped the covers off one of his balls! He played really well, he pretty much was right at par or under(I am proud of my little Sergio!) Christopher then surprised me(on his birthday weekend!) with a brand new PINK golf bag, and a pretty red driver!! We are hoping to be able to play a few evenings a month, as our date night!

The Beach!

The day after my brothers wedding we left for the beach! We went the whole week with Christophers family and had a great time relaxing after a busy few weeks. The kids had a great time, the remember the beach from May so they warmed up to the waves pretty quickly. We actually had to pull them off the beach most days. Our last night down there we went to Broadway at the Beach for dinner, Avery and I rode the carousel and the kids each picked out a Build a Bear. Cj picked out a dog that he promptly named Bobo, and Avery picked out a rabbit that is named Lovey. I was impressed that they actually cared and did the whole thing themselves.

I like how we went to the beach, and i have NO pictures of the beach....Christophers mom has a ton, so I will have to get them from her!

Uncle Nick and Aunt Britt's Wedding

On September 8th, my big brother got married! The kiddos were in the wedding, and they actually made it down the aisle. I was so proud of them I even started to tear up at the sight of them running down the aisle. We had a great weekend of wonderful food and festivities...my parents even got us a room at the omni for the weekend.....



This is the only picture I have of both of the kiddos, the photographer got some great shots of the them. This is my grandma and her new husband Frank.
My little man, he loved his suit...but he took the jacket of when he saw daddy take his off too!

Looking at the view of downtown Charlotte from our hotel room, which they loved!!

Happy Birthday!!

In just two weeks....

We will be homeless! That is right, we came to terms on the house. The Lord was extremely generous to us, and the buyers agreed to pretty close to what we were asking! The even crazier part is that they want to close SEPTEMBER 6th. This was already going to be a busy next few weeks, and now we also have to pack our home up and move! So don't expect too much from me the next two weeks.....I will be a packing machine!

Whooo Hoooo!

After being homeless from 11 until 7 today, having FOUR showings, and rearranging LiAnns whole house, we recieved an offer! And we are actually pretty sure we will get one tomorrow as well. So we are going to wait and see what the offer tomorrow brings and see if we can come to an agreement with one of them! So it is looking like after only 18(!) days on the market we will have this Old Girl under contract!

Weird

Now I am all for originailty, and finding a baby name that means something. But seriously people, 4 Real......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070808/od_nm/newzealand_name_odd_dc

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_fe_st/china_name_blame;_ylt=Aph6aP3DEkzvyVrQgdGlMFAZ.3QA

So....since I am always up for a good laugh, let hear some funny names you have heard..

I know a girl that her maiden name was Eileen Tuite....like Ilean2it. Get it. HA HA

House Ponderings....

So these past few weeks as we have been getting the house ready to sell, and now that it is on the market I find that I catch myself getting anxious about where we will live. It comes in spurts, some days better than others but I still do it. Why would I mock my maker, Why would I think that my plan is better than his, and most of all Why do I doubt his love for me? Yesterday I stumbled upon the verse in Jeremiah, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. He has a plan for ME, and he plans to prosper ME and to not harm ME, plans to give ME hope, and a future. If that doesn't humble me and help me to keep my eyes fixed on the cross....I don't know what would. What a great, merciful God we have!! So I guess that answers the question that most people ask, Where are you going to live? I dunno, where ever the Lord blesses us with! And it will be perfect because it is a gift from Him!

On a side note, after all the mortgage market worry and craziness on Friday activity has defiantly slowed down....but that is fine....It is giving me more time to enjoy this last season in our FIRST house!
Also here is a link for the house in MLS, I can't believe how bright the colors look. Are they that bright in real life??
www.carolinahome.com/findHome/report.cfm?mlsID=%26%2B%3C%3B%2EX%5CA%2B%0A

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

And here she is........

We are finally on the market! We had a showing within the first 24 hours it was on the market, which was encouraging! It is definitely interesting when we get the appointment phone call, or just when we leave the house, It is a mad rush to get the kids and dog in the car and get the house immaculate! Not something I would recommend. So that is it for us now, just getting this baby sold!

Update

Since it has been a while I figured I would do a little update on what we have been up to.

This past Wednesday the kiddos turned 21 months old, or as Christopher says almost 2! They have really started to blossom into little people. I know that they are people, but now that they are actually speaking in English, and it sentences it really makes me feel like I am not talking to the wall all day.

Avery the little princess, the little girly girl. She loves her sparkles, her pink, her high heels, and her pretties(any jewelry) and she will let you know when she is missing something! She carries her two babies(just like mommy!) around all day, she even feeds them, burps, rocks and puts them to bed. Her favorite things to do right now are read books, play legos, and copy everything Cj does. Avery is quite the chatter box. She has started to really talk in sentences(like two or three word here, I am not saying she is giving lectures or anything). Some of Averys(and CJs) phrases are "That's Cute"(this is mostly to clothes), "Oh Daddy", " Avery peepee in potty", "Love you, (mommy, daddy, Aunt BB, etc..) .

Cj is close behind as he has a few phrases that he says as well , but he is more the man of a million faces. He will do anything for a laugh. And he is 100% boy, he is constantly going, climbing, jumping, and taking everything apart. But, just like Avery, he is a great cuddler. Cj loves his daddy and eagerly awaits his arrival from work, as soon as he hears the garage door open he is waiting by the door screaming(and this is no understatement) "Daddy home!". Other than Daddy he like to play with his truck, his little plastic animals, and pretty much anything he finds laying around the house(examples: screws, pens, levels).

We are in full fledged training mode in our house now(and have been for several months), We are defiantly seeing the differences of raising a boy and a girl, but I think that it is why It is so rewarding. There are days when it is hard when both children are in need of some serious character molding, but on most days they like to switch off that role. I have really been praying that I won't continue to compare my children's sin, for example "Why are they so disobedient and the other is so obedient". God has really been showing me that it is such a joy to have two children in need of a savior, and really how at such a young age I can already have such an impact on how I portray the gospel in their lives.

And now the house....We are in the last phase of putting the house on the market. Meaning the sign is eagerly awaiting its home in our front yard. We have a few more nail holes to fill, a lawn to be mowed, and some tools in the garage to be pack up and we are ready. My mom has blessed us by sending her cleaning lady up here on Friday morning to get our house spotless before the rush of eager buyers come this weekend! Please pray that our home sells quickly and smoothly. I am pretty anxious about keeping the house clean with the kids around, as I have seen how hard it is to just get the house ready for the market with them under my feet. I am hoping that next time we decided to sell a house, the kids will be older and can actually help to clean up after themselves!


Grace abounding, strong and true
That makes me long to be like You
That turns me from my selfish pride
To love the cross on which You died
Grace unending all my days
You’ll give me strength to run this race
And when my years on earth are through
The praise will all belong to You
-Grace Unmeasured, Bob Kauflin

Hey You!

bet you didn't know that I drove a Pimp Wagon.....according to this kid on Craigs List I do:

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/382510872.html, granted mine is newer and has less miles....but it is still a Volvo Wagon!

Our Little Mobster!

CJ is the ring bearer in Uncle Nick and Aunt Britts wedding. Yesterday when he tried on his new suit he kept posing(seriously as soon as the camera came out he was Mr GQ)....So here are a few picks of my handsome little man!

Best Buds!

The past few weeks the kids have really starting playing with each other. It is so awesome that they have built in playmates for life. Honestly there is nothing sweeter than seeing the love that they have for each other. The way that CJ is (a little) more gentler with her than anyone else, the way that they jack jaw with each other all day long, how they are the epitome of monkey see monkey do, the way they make each other laugh and laugh and laugh, nothing can really make a mothers heart smile more. The joy that we have experienced with these two little monkeys really has shown me Gods favor in our lives. So anyways here are a few pictures of the youngest part of our Blackburn Crew....



Playing with measuring spoons Haha I have more!

Giving some brotherly love!

Looking like the possessive boyfriend!

Chillin on the fourth with some corn! Nothing says southern like two babies gnawing on corn

Sipping YooHoo!

A look back in time!

Here are some pictures. No it is not CJ Jr. They are of the Mr. Gale Blackburn. Not only am I starting to act more like my dad (this is Christopher Sr. talking here) but I have a son that looks exactly like him.

Verse 31

Guess who's back, back again, Topher's back, tell a friend. Ok, to the serious stuff. As I was driving into work this morning I began to think about my life. Well more about how much I enjoy being home. Not just being home but, being home. I arrive home from work to kids that are amazingly well behaved, food that is cooking and soon ready to eat, a tidy house, and big hugs from everyone. Most notably, I return home from work to a beautiful woman that loves me more than anyone ever has before. So back to my thinking this morning, I was reminded of Proverbs 31. So I collected some verses below that were spoken thousands of years ago but are lived out even today in Eileen. I do believe that verse 31 is, in a small way, being lived out in this very insufficient note about the "noble things" (v.29) she has done. So consider yourselves, the ones reading this, as city gates. Here is my bride written out by scripture:

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate

Changes.....

Well it is official, WE ARE MOVING!!! We are going to spend the next 10 days working like crazy to get the house on the market. This is all kinda bittersweet, we are leaving our first house where we brought our children home to, where they had many of their first....but we are getting a new house, a bigger house, hopefully one we can stay in for many years (until we buy our 10 acres in the country, hehe), and we will no longer have any car payment or credit cards(Praise the Lord!). We have not found a house yet, but we are leaning towards two new communities in Huntersville. We will not decide officially until this one is sold, and then we will have to wait 5 months for it to be built. So in the mean time Christophers Parents have graciously offered for us to live in their upstairs. We are really excited about this and think that it will be a really fruitful and sweet time. So please just pray that the whole house selling process goes smoothly, that it sells quickly, that we are wise in our home purchase, and mostly that we are humble and that we don't drive the Blackburns crazy.

Memorial Day Weekend!

This past weekend we went up to Maryland to visit our good friends Neil, Jess and Nyah. We haven't seen them since October, so it was really fun to see how the kids have changed. We had a great time. On Saturday we went to the National Zoo, and the kids rode the metro for the first time. The kids really enjoyed the little monkeys(I don't know what they are called!) and the cow in the kids farm. On Sunday we went to church and then tossed the kids into the pool after nap time. And then we sadly headed home on Monday. The kids had a blast with each other, they all slept in the same room, which was pretty comical all the noises coming out of the room, took baths together and just played! So we have now come to a close of the Blackburn Summer of Fun trips.....but we are thinking of selling the casa, so we have a whole new adventure beginning!

POOL TIME!

CUTIE PIES!!
STRING CHEESE!

AVERY WEARING NYAHS DRESS UP SHOES!

FIRST METRO RIDEMMMMWAAHH!

OBSESSING OVER THE COW!