What Happens in the Minivan Doesn't Stay in the Minivan...Apparently the only thing guaranteed to Stay in the minivan are the fries we had for lunch.

Being a mother has brought my life so much laughter and happiness. I swear I've got the funniest kids ever. There is never a dull moment, so even when driving down the road, I usually have my camera within an arms reach so I can catch a few un-rehearsed performances from the stars in my life. Take a moment, if you would, and enjoy one such moment we had this summer. Isabelle was quite obviously the Star of this show. For a little background info, Isabelle was singing a song from "The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and when her brother and sister joined in the performance, she got "so angry"...Have a sneak peak inside one of many Minivan Adventures.

Beefcake - A great dish.

"For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked."

-Bill Cosby

I can't really give a proper introduction of myself without including a very important other half. Here's the scoop on this really great looking guy I met at church...




Born and raised in South Carolina, he's a true-blue southern boy (He's got that really cute drawl when he talks). He likes old country music, like George Jones and Johnny Cash, he watches westerns and owns a cowboy hat. He's athletic; used to be basketball, but now it's bodybuilding and he's not the type that half-way does anything. He's in the gym ALL the time. He loves Jesus and reads bible stories to the kids. He's a great father. He sings "hush little baby" to the girls at night and throws the football with Gage in the afternoons. He remembers everything...Everything. Mildly Obsessive Compulsive. He keeps his shoes on right up until climbing in the bed at night (that one drives me a bit crazy). To the kids, he's superman. He's got the best smile ever. He's strong and outgoing. He's a good friend.

I first saw him when visiting a church with my Mom. I glanced backwards at the clock and there he was, all dressed up, tan skin...wow. He left right after church and I didn't get to meet him, so I came back to church that night to see if he would be there again. Sure enough. He was sitting in the second to last pew...all alone. I sat down at the other end of the same pew...all alone. We looked at each other and exchanged a quick smile and I tried desperately not to look over again for the rest of the service. After church I grabbed a gal I had met that morning and asked who he was. She gave me a grin, said "come on...this is going to be trouble..." grabbed my hand and took me over to introduce us. We had dinner at Guadelajaras Mexican restaurant that night with a large group of people, and when everyone left, we stayed in the parking lot and talked for quite a while. He was wearing a t-shirt that said "smooth" on the front. Maybe that's what gave him the confidence to tell me, after knowing each other for only a few hours, that I needed him and couldn't live without him. I disagreed, of course...(hard to get?), but it turns out he was right. Don't tell him I said so. That was our start. I still see him the same way I did that Sunday in August years back. We were married in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and have been working towards happily ever after ever since.

Finding Me(mo)

For my first entry into the world of blogging, I thought an introduction would be appropriate, although not the most original idea, since everyone else does the same thing with their first blog...My name is Amanda Leeanne Addis. I have three amazing children; 7, 4 and 2. You'll be hearing lots about them, since they are my purpose in life, but in the meantime, a little background is in order...

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet"

-Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

I started life as Amanda Lee Brown (shout out to mom for not giving in and naming me Catheema Arlene like Grandma wanted). After the ink on my birth certificate was dry, Mom changed her mind and unofficially added Anne to my middle name.

=Amanda Leeanne Brown

As rambunctious youngster with a big mouth and a little attitude, my aunts renamed me again. I wasn't to fond of the nickname at the time, but it's grown on me.

=Demanda Leeandra (Demanda because I was demanding I guess, and Leeandra was some crazy woman from church...In retrospect, I'm still not too fond of that particular nickname...)

In elementary school and all the way through High School, as a much smaller student than my peers, I was given the nickname "Peanut". It stuck in about the 6th grade and still lingers to this day with old friends from school (Hi Lisa). With my cousins it was "Bean" because when Courtney tried to say "Amanda" it sounded more like "Beaner".

When the time came to make the switch from "Miss Brown" I gladly traded it for "Mrs. Addis", thanks to my Hubby, Russ. I call him beefcake and he calls me "Mandy".

Now on to my favorite. As you can tell, I've been called many things in my day. Some nice, some not so much.

I'm blessed more than words can express that the greatest human beings alive today...call me..."Momma". I'm a lucky gal.