::Back in the Swing of Things::

We are all healthy again. Still taking the antibiotics, but back to normal. Brant has returned to school this week, and has had two wonderful days. His teachers camera is broke, so no pictures yet. They are fixing it though. Good news, I have signed Brant up for another premium service at school. It is called the photo enrollment program. For a nominal fee, in my opinion, we will get a cd each month with 50 pictures on it and then 2 large scrapbook pages to put in a book with his name engraved on it. How awesome is that. Each month I will be able to post pictures and show you things he is doing at school. It is going to be lots of fun.

Also, keep me in your prayers. I have started doing PE, or Body Basics, as we like to call it at the school. I taught my first classes on Friday. All it did was make me miss PE and confirm that it is my passion and my calling. Needless to say, my attitude at school these past few days has been anything but upbeat and I am SEARCHING for things to be negative about. That is not good at all, and definitely affects how the kids act as well. Pray that I have an attitude adjustment and that I learn to be "joyful in all circumstances." Also pray that if I am to find a PE job starting in January then I will. My contract is only binding, if you can even call it that, until December. Mainly it is my word that is holding me there, but as a Christian I feel that I need to uphold my word, although that is not the common occurance at this school among the teachers. We have people quitting left and right, which is another reason I have become frustrated. People just decide not to show up for work when they quit. No notification or anything, that is just wrong to do people that way! Anyways - since I have made this explanation longer than I meant to - just pray that I find contentment in my situation and that if I am to find a PE job for January that I will.

At least being there with Brant so far, I have seen how they love him and care for him and I would be confident leaving him there and going elsewhere. I love his teachers and I have gotten to know them! That is a plus!

Until next time, hopefully with pictures once I find my charger!

::New Video as Promised::

::Last Week::

These two pictures sum up last week for Brant without having to use any words at all! I think that he is doing much better. Still has a little cough from all the drainage, but other than that we are on the upswing. We will be going back to school this week and probably having to get used to that whole idea again. A week with MiMi will do that to you! Hope all is well with everyone. Sorry that it has been a while since my last post, but this week has been a long one! YAY for Labor Day next week!

::Sick Babies Are NO Fun::

Not that I am mad at him, but having a sick child is hard. This week hasn't been the smoothest due to the fact that Brant has been a little under the weather. He has had a fever of like 101 - 102 for the past 48 hours, and the poor little guy has had it. We went to the doctor today and they did a strep test, which came back negative. But she said due to the fact that he had tons of puss in his throat and that he was exposed to it at school, she decided to treat him for it anyways. So now, we have a really fun antibiotic to take twice a day. Other than him being miserable and Brandon and I being tired, we are doing great!

Here are some pictures from this weekend. Brant got out and helped Daddy cut the grass and work in the yard. He loved it! He followed him everywhere. It was so hot though that we just hung out in our diaper!

I guess we need to teach Brant that you don't have to mow the rocks!

This was Brant after Daddy stopped. He didn't understand why the fun was over!

A new video, more current, as my sister requested will be posted soon. Hope all is well with everyone and we hope to see you all soon!

::Just For FUN::

Hope this makes all of you smile today. I found it a couple of nights ago on my computer and it made me happy and sad all in the same moment! He grew up so fast. This is when he was 8 months old.

::Flowers Don't Taste So Good::

Brant is having a great first week at school. He is learning how to play with other kids and hopefully soon he will be learning to eat lunch! I really think he has enjoyed getting out of the house everyday. At least in the morning when I ask if he's ready to go to school, instead of crying, he runs to the door and starts beating on it! And now when he goes to his room, he lets go of my hand and starts to play instead of clinging and crying. So, progress is definitely happening, and for that I am excited.

The part I am not excited about is how exhausted me and Brant are at the end of the day. We get home and after dinner it is basically time for him to go to bed. Not a lot of time to play with Mommy and Daddy, but we will get used to that and do fun things on the weekend to make up for it.

Today after we got home, Brant and I explored the backyard. First we made a stop at the marigolds by the fence. He liked to pick them and see if they tasted good. He found out they did not!



Then, we went to our path with rocks and tasted a few of those. The picture below is one that I thought he was tasting a rock, which I thought was funny. Turns out it was a dead flower with individual petals that flaked off...oops!

As you can see below, he did not like the taste of that, and the petals stuck to his mouth. I had to help him get cleaned up before dinner!

Brandon met one of our neighbors tonight. Said he seemed like a nice man with a nice family. They are the ones who are trying to sell their house though. He offered to help us move or take boxes, or even let BA borrow the lawn mower if he needed it. I was proud of BA for being so neighborly.

Funny story and then I'm done. So, most of you know that the couple we bought the house from is elderly, and when I say that, I mean the man had to use a walker and his wife told him what to do. Been married 47 years. My guess is they were in mid to late 60s. So we found out from our neighbor, that NO LIE, the couple's parents live across the street. Can you believe that? That would be like in 10 or more years, my Nanny living across the street from my parents. Just seems sorta funny.

Hope this finds you all well. Love to all!

::MOVED IN::

We are officially moved in and now Cherokee County residents. BA, Brant, and I are pretty exhausted, but loving every minute of it. We still have boxes and bags everywhere, and we are in not much of a hurry to get them unpacked. Brant and I start school tomorrow full time, and it is going to be a big transition. I think Brant will do well, at least I hope, because all the change is coming at once. Just get used to it all at the same time. He has had a bit of a cold, and he hates me because I have been suctioning his nose like non stop. But other than that, we are all just peachy!

Hope all of you are well. Till next time...

The Arnold Family
2055 Greenhill Pass
Canton, GA 30114

::Today at School::

Today was Brant's second day at school. He had a blast. Ms. Alyssa said he didn't even cry once! YAY! In his discovery report, this is a report that gets sent to my email every afternoon highlighting what he did and learned that day (along with pictures), was a picture of him playing outside with his friends. It is the picture above...Brant of course is in the blue shirt playing at the table!

There will be other things as well, like journal reports, which I will receive once a week which will be totally personal to him discussing something he accomplished or may need work on! It is the neatest thing. God really has blessed me with a creative and intimate place for Brant to be!

Also - there may be a chance that I will be moving to Pre-K instead of 2 year olds. Not that I don't love the twos, because I really did. But there was an opening and they considered me first! Kinda neat how when you make the right choices, even when they aren't the most fun...such as, taking a job working with Twos when it isn't my first choice because this place would be so cool for my son to be, God honors your decision and works things out for the best!

Love to all...

First Day Behind Us...

Brant had his first day today, and did relatively well. Didn't like the drop off time, but what one year old does. Five minutes later I peeked unto his room and he was climbing on top of the tunnel! That's my boy!

Mom came and picked him up before lunch. I decided to let him ease into this whole "school day" thing. Mom said he crashed the minute they got back to the house! We will be going back on Wednesday, because we are closing on our house tomorrow! YAY! Please pray that all goes smoothly.

Love to all!

PRAYER!

I am asking all of you to keep the Leino family in your prayers. Some of you know about the family and some don't, but they have a blog that I have a link to on mine. It is called Isaac Leino. If you do not know their story, then please go visit their blog which you can get to from mine.

Their son, Isaac, past away today. He was a fighter to the end and I have learned so much through both of the parents', Patience and Jordan, faith. Their blog never ceased to amaze me and bring me encouragement, even through their struggles. The next few days will be extremely hard for them, as I can only imagine. Every time I look at Brant I wish that they were able to experience this, and Lord willing, one day they will!

I can say this though. I have been forever touched and changed through their life. Their faith and prayer life and sheer strength in the Lord will forever remain in my memory.

Sweet Isaac is with our Lord now. Running, playing, and smiling down on all of us. Thank you Lord for your sovereignty and your perfect plan for our lives. I chose the picture above because that is the way I will always remember Isaac and the influence he had on thousands of people around the world! He was a miracle from the beginning and, to me, he always will be!

To God be the Glory!

SCHOOL SHOES::

IT'S OFF TO SCHOOL TIME!

I wanted to let everyone see my new shoes! Mom would have taken a picture of me in them, but her camera isn't here! I get to go to my very first day of school tomorrow...but MiMi is going to pick me up before lunch so I can ease into my first full day!

Everyone pray for me and my mommy so she can feel that this is what she is supposed to do!

We love you all - BRANT

JOB!

I haven't signed a contract or anything yet, but I believe that I have found job. It is at a private school for young children called Foundations for the Future. You can check out their website at http://www.foundationscorp.com .

I really enjoyed being there and meeting the teachers. Brant will go with me and I am so excited about the opportunity for him to learn from a teacher and learn to be in a school setting. Interacting with other kids is going to be so much fun for him, of course, after he gets used to the routine...which could take a while!

I will be a teacher in the 2 year old class, and they are so cute. Really precious. I have a couple days next week to go in, paid of course, and decide. They call it a "working interview." So - I will let everyone know.

Thanks to all of those who have been praying for me. I really feel like this is going to be a great opportunity for Brant. And as all of you moms out there know (and I am beginning to find out)...we will do anything for our children! It makes my decision so much easier to know he is going to be in such a neat place!