love, laughter, and complete chaos

Yellow

2012-01-28T10:45:00.001-05:00

I never intended to get controversial with this blog.
I don't like confrontation or bad news.
In fact, I rarely watch the news at all in effort to avoid the bad news that will inevitably be reported.
It's not that I want to be ignorant or that I don't care. I care very much...it's just that things seem to be so bad out there that it's hard not to revisit the whole let's-scoop-up-the-kids-and-move-to-the country thing. Or to a cave. Maybe an underground shelter. You get the picture.

What I'm trying to say is that all too often I want so badly to shelter my children from all the bad stuff in the world, to avoid what's hard, what's messy, what's difficult to explain or even understand,
that I lose sight of the very reason we are here. And for a short amount of time, I'm able to convince myself that this is okay. That I'm justified, because it's a dangerous world out there.

As a mom who is also a Christian, there is a constant battle in my heart. The battle between living in the world and being of the world. I've been looking hard at myself lately. Looking hard at our family of 5, and wondering if we are doing anything at all that is making any kind of difference, and I know in my heart that I am toeing the "in" line and failing miserably at avoiding the "of" line. So as much as I hate to admit it, I'm pretty sure that we look like any other family out there, chasing the American dream, with the only possible difference being that we might go to church more often than some people.

This revelation disturbs me.

*Warning: this is where things might start to get a bit sticky.*

Over the years, I've listened and observed (whether in person, through facebook comments, etc.) to some interesting conversations between moms. These conversations are about all kinds of things....play dates, snack foods, nap times, when to call the doctor, etc. Lots of helpful advice being passed around, leaving me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside because of the love that these moms were sharing.

Sometimes the topic would turn to television, which shows their kids were allowed to watch, which were not allowed, and it was almost always a given that SpongeBob would come up.
And I would listen. And I would (by some God-given miracle) keep my mouth shut.
It really is remarkable when that happens. ;)

But I thought it was important to keep quiet for two reasons:
#1- It's none of my business what shows their kids watch, and we have plenty of rules about that in our house too. As my mom often says, "to each their own."
#2- I don't think SpongeBob is a problem. In fact....I think he's hilarious. But because of reason #1 for keeping my mouth shut, I didn't speak out about reason #2. Definitely a catch 22, right?
(picture me cringing while I picture you reading this, waiting for the shocked expressions, gasps, etc.
It's okay....I can handle it....I think;)

Let me explain.

I've watched several episodes of this show, (so many, sadly, that I can quote it....and often do. Right now my kids think that's cool. They won't always.) and this is what I've seen:

SpongeBob is kind to others, even when others are not kind to him. He's a hard worker, always showing up to work on time, and often staying late to get the job done. He's a loyal friend. He's creative and has an incredible imagination. He's funny, and really fun to hang out with. He has unending perseverance....I'm starting to wonder if the poor guy is ever going to get his boating license.

But he never gives up. Ever. And if there ever is an episode where he finally does get his license, I'm pretty sure I'll be watching earnestly from the couch, tears in my eyes, celebrating right along with him. ;)

Maybe you think I'm opening up a whole new can of crazy,

but I don't see anything bad about these things.

Are there "questionable" episodes of SpongeBob Squarepants? Maybe. We try to skip those.

Do they say words like "stupid" and "shut up"? Yes.

Are we allowed to use those words in our house? Nope. Or to clarify further, we don't call people stupid. We say things are stupid if necessary...because some things just are. ;)

That's not the point. When I watch the show, I see a guy (sponge, whatever) going through life, doing the best he can. And I like to think that when our boys see SpongeBob being kind to someone who has been mean to him, that something is registering with them. And then the boys and I talk about how the mean guy acted, and why that's wrong. And how it is probably really hard for SpongeBob to be nice in return, but that is how we should be too.

And you know what? I think they get it.

My goal with this post is not to convince you to let your kids watch SpongeBob. It doesn't make a bit of difference to me if they do or not. I just worry that if we're so concerned with shielding our children from everything that has the slightest bit of anything that could be bad or offensive in it that they're going to be so sheltered they won't know how to handle mean people, or disappointments, or anything else that's not sunny and happy. By no means does that mean I let them watch anything they want so we can make it a "life lesson." Age-appropriate television only. Just ask Harrison, who just turned 11 and spends way too much time begging us to let him watch a PG-13 movie.

Our response?

"Ask us again when you're 13." We're lame like that. ;)

Where was I? Ah yes....the in, not of thing.

My husband is a pastor at a church. Our kids go to Christian schools. Our friends are Christians.

And while, of course, all of these things are good, great even, I can't help but wonder how we're ever going to help change the world, to be love and encouragement to those who don't know Christ, to point others to Him, if we never spend any time with those people. If we don't bust out of this comfortable, happy bubble where everything is easy. And if I'm not doing that, how in the world can I expect my kids to do it? And while I crave spending time with other Christian friends, to love on and encourage each other (we need that), I long to have a heart who craves spending time with people who think that maybe something is missing in their life, who hopefully see that Something in me.

I've spent time praying about all of this, and I feel God is telling me that's it's time for us to step out in faith a bit. Or a lot. To spend less time worrying about what we might see or hear or are exposing our kids to, and more time out there being light, and love, and encouragement. Protecting them the very best we can, keeping them safe, loved, but also teaching them to love others. The ones that aren't exactly loveable. To lead by example rather than follow what's wrong.

This isn't a new concept. We have example after example of this, with Jesus being the ultimate example.

I don't want to be looked at as judgey and narrowminded.

I don't want to come across as one who thinks I'm better, or holier, or more godly than somebody else.

That's not my heart, but I cringe thinking about how I may look exactly like that.

Not to the ones who know me well, but the ones who don't. Who just have watched from a distance.

So you may not think things have gotten controversial with this post.

I agree....they haven't really.

But they're about to.

I'm being challenged daily about what I believe, and why I believe it.

This heart is changing. I'm tired of looking around at the world and the way Christians are being portrayed (and sometimes, if not often, rightfully so) and I'm officially done.

More to come.

PS~ Why is this post called "Yellow", you ask?

Yes, because SpongeBob is yellow...

but so are chickens,

and I'm tired of being one.

Perception

2012-01-22T21:37:00.006-05:00

First of all, thank you for indulging me this week as we celebrated two of our guys' birthdays.

Hunter's Lego Star Wars party yesterday was fun....thought I would share
a family pic of all of us in our Star Wars shirts. The things I do for these boys. ;).

Thankfully Harrison's shirt fit me.

Harrison's Airsoft Camo party is next Friday.

I will be sleeping in next Saturday. ;)

Now it's time to get back to business.

After the second post last week, I received a comment from a reader about how refreshing it was to know that I, a minister's wife, haven't finished a Beth Moore Bible study.
And now, out of the respect and love I have for Beth Moore, let me reiterate once again that it's NOT because I don't love her studies. They are amazing...life changing.

It's me and my scatterbrained, undisciplined self that is the problem.)

I found it interesting that out of all that was written, this part stuck with her.

And then another reader appreciated that I admitted that I'm behind in the boys' scrapbooks.
Girls...you have no idea.

Then later in the week I read this post from one of my new favorite blogs called Momastery.

This mom is about as real and hilarious as a girl can get. I would LoVe to meet her...partly because she seems like lots of fun, and partly because she totally gets it. I love her honesty, her testimony, and how she is taking her difficult past and using it for good~ namely, help others to get through their hard stuff.

Source: etsy.com via Liz on Pinterest

So, with all this evidence, I started to notice a theme here:
Seems to me that there are a lot of moms wandering around,
muddling through the day-to-day stuff,
feeling like a hot mess,

thinking that all the other moms have it all together.

Anyone out there relate to this?

I know I certainly do.

Not a day goes by that I don't question a parenting decision I've made.
I worry if I'm being to hard on the boys, and they're going to resent me.
I worry that I'm not being hard enough on them, and they're going to become lazy, irresponsible adults.
Am I creating a fun, happy home for them, or am I too concerned with messes and loudness?
Are they involved in enough after school activities? Do they have enough time to just be kids?
I wonder if they are eating well enough, if I'm cooking healthy enough, if the foods they are eating are safe, if our budget can handle going completely organic, and in a few crazy-mom-guilt-fueled moments, I've seriously considered the possibility of scooping them up, moving to the country,
living off the land, and homeschooling them.

And then I come back to reality.
Because as much as I would love to keep them in a happy little farm-fed bubble, shielded from toxins, hectic schedules, and bullies....that's not the right thing for us right now. For us.
Not to say it's not right for lots of other people.

That's the thing here....what's right for you may not be what's right for me.
And what's right for me may not be right for you.
And that's okay.
If God had created us all the same, with the same dreams, goals, hopes, and convictions,
life sure wouldn't be nearly as fun and interesting as it is, would it?

I look at myself and see so many things I wish were different.
I don't get out and walk/run as much as I should.
My quiet times are hit or miss these days.
My hair has way too much gray in it for being 34 years old. ;)
My baseboards need to be cleaner.
I miss my pre-babies tummy, and feel certain there aren't enough crunches in the world to get it back.
The condition of my stomach is so the least of my worries when compared to the love I have for my boys, but I don't really consider my stretch marks to be a trophy like some other moms might.
Maybe someday I won't care....or I'll pay some genius plastic surgeon to fix it. ;)
Really not important in the grand scheme of things, but it's the truth.

And I watch other moms, whether I'm at one of the boys' schools or out shopping, or at church,
and it's really hard not to compare myself to them.
It's amazing how I can go from feeling put together and fabulous one second,
and then frumpy and old the next.
And I figure that's probably normal, but it honestly never occurred to me that there are women out there who might be comparing themselves to me until I read those comments last week.

I'm sorry...what?

I picture them picturing me as a put-together girl who's house is always clean, who prepares healthy delicious snacks for the boys after school each day and amazingly complicated meals each night; whose nails are always manicured, toenails are never chipped, works out every day, wakes up with the sun each morning to have her quiet time; has each child's scrapbook completely up-to-date at the end of every month; whose laundry never piles up and ironing basket is virtually empty (that one's really funny); planning fun games and activities for our afternoons and Saturdays, etc. etc. I picture that....and I laugh.

Couple that with the added pressure of being in a minister's wife role.

*gulp*

Now, I'm going to talk about the minister's wife thing more in a later post.

For now I'll just say that I realize the expectations are higher, and I agree they should be.

Doesn't mean it doesn't overwhelm or scare me, but I understand and expect it.

But as far as the normal girl/mom stuff goes?

Crazy.

There's no reason to put this much pressure on each other.
Truth is....some of us have it together a little better than others.
Some of us are really good at keeping the stuff of life in order.
Others of us are really good at playing with our kids and allowing ourselves to live in the moment.
None of us are good at all of it all the time.
But I think that if we could stop worrying so much about what we're not doing right and be thankful for the stuff that we are managing to do right, then we're going to be okay.
At the end of the day, when I'm reading to the boys and tucking them in, and they throw those sweet little arms around me, kiss me, and tell me how much they love me....I know.

I know that we're good.
Not perfect...but good.
They are happy.
They are secure and safe.
Their tummies are full.
They are clean (most of the time;) and are cozied into their warm beds.
Life is good....enjoy it, and please....
try to just soak up the small stuff, because it's all the small stuff that adds up to one big happy life. :)

11

2012-01-18T14:58:00.003-05:00

Today my oldest baby is eleven.

Now he needs to take off a shoe and sock to show how old he is....10 fingers is no longer enough.

We are in full swing birthday mode this week, celebrating two very special guys in our family.

Because each of them, their birth stories, their lives are unique I try to make sure they each get their "day."

Not gonna lie~ by the end of this week I'm wiped out. ;)

No big deal....partyin' birthday-style is fun, and it's not their fault that their birthdays fall back-to-back like they do. I've told them enough that I tried really hard to go past Hunter's February 2 due date, happily willing to get as far into February as possible in effort to give us a different month to celebrate a birthday in. But Hunter had other plans, and thankfully, Harrison is happy to share the week. :)

I think about that January day in 2001, and how thanks to all the drugs and a scary NICU experience....a lot of the details of his birth are a blur. However, there are certain things I will never forget:

He was beautiful.

He hardly (if at all) cried.

He gave me a love I didn't know I had the capacity to carry.

He made me a mom....my lifelong dream. :)

Together, he and I began a journey....the journey of a mother and her son.

It's a special relationship....it was unchartered territory for me. Both the mom part, and the boy part. But there was something I learned really quickly....there is magic between a mom and her son.

An understanding. A love that he showed me, that I instantly knew was unique to us.

The love a boy has for his mama is like no other.

And I am crazy-in-love as well. :)

And so began our journey....he taking on the role of guinea pig without complaint.

Me, the inexperienced mom, who was determined to get it right, but messed up plenty.

Bless his heart.;)

Harrison is an old soul.

He understands things I don't expect a kid his age to understand.

His eyes are green, like his dad's. And mine.

He has a contagious smile.

He's a heck of a baseball player, and I'm not sure which one of us is

more excited about this season coming up. :)

He loves to read, and thankfully...he still loves to let me read to him.

Last night we started the Narnia series, after finishing the

Little House on the Prairie series for the second time.

I wonder if/when he's not going to want me to read to him anymore,

so I'm going to soak it up in the meantime.

I couldn't ask for a better kid.

Thankful for how much fun we have together, especially when it's just me and him.

And I love watching him be a big brother....he has a huge heart, and loves Hud and Hunter so much.

And they think he's the greatest thing ever...makes my heart happy.

As we continue on towards the preteen and teen years, I worry about how to change my parenting ways. Is it going to embarrass him if I kiss him in front of his friends?

(Don't really care if it does....that just builds character, right? ;)

As he begins to take on more responsibility, pulls for more freedom, starts spending more and more time with his friends, I hope I'll somehow be able to let him spread his wings.

But I can't promise there won't be a rope tied around his ankle. ;)

Crazy-mad-nuts about this kid...Happy birthday Harrison!

I'm Sorry....He's How Old?!?

2012-01-16T23:29:00.001-05:00

There's this little guy who lives in our house.

Tomorrow, he's going to be five.

Five.

How in the world is my baby five years old?

As much as I love a birthday (LOVE)....not gonna lie~

I'm struggling with this one.

Don't get me wrong....I'm so happy and thankful to be celebrating another year with our youngest.

There is much to celebrate, and we plan to party all week. :)

Here we are the minute after I first laid eyes on him.

It felt like I had known him my entire life, and just like it did with his brothers, my heart grew bigger to accommodate this new love that God had so graciously placed in my arms...in my life.

I was smitten....and in the moment this pic was taken, thinking that he was amazing just for the simple fact that he entered this world so very quickly and easily. I quite literally sneezed him out.

I highly recommend that kind of delivery. ;)

In a flash he went from a dream to a reality. And in a flash I fell completely in love....with his tiny 6 pound, 13 ounce body, his sweet chin dimple, his gorgeous blue eyes, his monkey toes. The perfect amount of hair that had already grown on his delicious-smelling head. Smitten.

Flash forward 5 years. Emphasis on the "flash forward" part, because, boy....it went fast.

His beautiful blue eyes have turned to a glistening green.

He's still rockin' that chin dimple, but now he also likes to rock out on his guitar.

He's still the tiniest of the three (for his age, compared to where H1 and H2 were),

now weighing 44 pounds and measuring almost 44 inches.
He has really great hair. ;) His head still smells delicious.

And yes....I'm still smitten.

He's hilarious and headstrong.

He's sweet and caring.

He's obsessed with Star Wars. Obsessed.

He loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate milk.

Cheetos and cake.

Blueberries and yogurt.

Legos are his go-to toys these days, and he's rarely found without a lego guy in his hand. Or his pocket.

He loves preschool, and thanks to Mrs. Cathy and Mrs. Laura,

has decided that writing letters and drawing pictures is lots of fun after all.

He's really excited about being 5, mostly because when you're 5 you get to

stop taking naps and start going to kindergarten.

*double gulp*

I've been thinking a lot about why I'm having such a hard time with this birthday.

I promise I don't intend to be all melodramatic about it....I mean, it's not about me anyway.

Five is one of those birthdays that have an impact, probably because it marks the end of some things, the beginning of so many others. I reacted in a similar way when Harrison and Hud each turned 5, so this is nothing new. But this time, it's the last time we will be celebrating 5. The official end of the baby years. The beginning of school, loose teeth, bikes without training wheels, and the tying of shoes.

The first bigger steps towards independence.

For almost 11 years I've had a baby in the house. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a degree of panic when I start to think about what next year is going to be like with all three of them being in school. All day.

There's a part of me that is a little excited. Time to....myself? What does that mean, exactly? My house will be so clean....but so quiet. I'll have time to formulate organized thoughts. And sentences. Huh. The preschool shows I've spent so many years watching on tv will be replaced with things like The Today Show and The View. Or I'll get caught up on my dvr for this first time in a long time. I'll probably join the gym or start a yoga class somewhere. Of course, I'll get more involved at the boys' school. Maybe I'll actually start my master's degree. I'll have time to get a pedicure, to shop a little without interruptions.

But what will I want to do, you ask? I'll want to go back to how things were. To spend my days playing with my boys like we did when they were little and our biggest decision was what to have for lunch, or if we should play outside before nap or after nap. To go back to the crazy. The chaos. The ridiculous loudness.

What could make me crazy on a day-to-day basis then is sounding absolutely perfect today.

I know they need me just as much (and in some ways, even more) now that they are getting older as they did when they were little. I will come to treasure even more the hours after school while we work on homework, cook dinner, get caught up on their days. And hey....let's face it. Some days I will laugh at the afternoon crazy and realize that the quiet days are kind of nice sometimes. ;)

I will long to slow down time as much as I can, in effort to keep them babies as long as possible. I will try to be wise in letting them grow up as well. I will hug and kiss and tell them how crazy I am about them on a daily basis. I will encourage their independence. I will fight for them. I will live in the moment with them.

I will probably embarrass them in front of their friends.

I will pay for their therapy.

Happy 5th birthday to Hunter. I'm so happy to call him my baby boy.

Love him to the moon and back, one bazillion times.

Bossypants

2012-01-15T19:43:00.001-05:00

Growing up, I was the oldest of three girls.

A typical oldest child, I was (am?) a pleaser, a perfectionist, and admittedly....

...a little bossy. ;)

I tried really hard to reel in my bossy tendencies. Really hard. And honestly, I didn't really think I was being bossy. I really thought I just knew what was best, and wanted to help others see that. ;) Thankfully for those around me, I was also a pretty shy child, until you really knew me well. So most people didn't have to listen to me share what I thought they should be doing differently and exactly why they should be doing it differently. Unfortunately, those who did know me well (namely, my sisters) received way more "instruction" than they probably cared to. Fortunately for my sisters, they were both incredibly headstrong, and didn't put up with my bossy ways much.

Any time I watch a tv show or movie, I try to figure out which character I relate the most to...don't know why...guess I'm kind of a nerd like that. :)
For example, with "Friends" it's a mix of Monica and Rachel....but mostly Monica.
On Beverly Hills, 90210 (the REAL one from the 90's) it was always Kelly.
On Grey's Anatomy....Meredith.
The Brady Bunch? Jan.
I Love Lucy? Ethel....even though I wanted it to be Lucy real bad.

But unfortunately with Peanuts....that time it was Lucy.
Lucy is bossy, and really thinks she knows everything.
She even set up this advice booth for her friends to stop by and get help when they needed it.
I'm too much of a pleaser (and think kindness is too incredibly important)
to be as mean as she ever was, but still,
the similarities are there.

However, I would argue that every once in awhile, Lucy had moments of genius.

This is a perfect example. ;)

In college I majored in Family Psychology and Social Work. I wanted to help people, by either working for an adoption agency or at a counseling center, and I also thought the Family Psych degree would help me be a better wife and mother. I had planned to pursue my master's degree in either Social Work or Counseling after graduation. But instead I got married my junior year, and then became anxious to get on with life, and put my plans for a Master's Degree on the back burner.

Then, 2 and a half years after graduation, I became a mom.

Finally, a chance to practice all I learned in college, mixed with the stuff that was already "in" me, the maternal instinct that I was supposedly born with. I loved babies, kids, etc. and was so happy to have one of my own. I was 23 when Harrison was born. I thought I knew a lot.....but I was so clueless.

Honestly, a lot of stuff in the beginning came somewhat naturally. Harrison and I were so very in tune with each other. He was a very easy baby~ happy and sweet and lots of fun almost all of the time. Didn't cry much at all. He was a great eater~ nursed when he was with me, easily took a bottle from B or my mom when I was at work. After he turned one, we took away his bottle, which I thought would be a nightmare. It wasn't. As he got older he was eager to try new foods. He wasn't the best sleeper,

but his dad was really good at getting him down for the night, so we made a good team.

He was my little buddy, and I thought I had this mom stuff down.

And then....he turned 3. :)

Admittedly, I was also pregnant with our second son, Hudson, at the time, so I was out of sorts, dealing with morning sickness, and I was extremely over-sensitive. Eight years later, my family still talks about it...and shudders. ;) So for all I know, I'm to blame for the sudden surge in "know-it-all-ness" that suddenly possessed my usually-easy-oldest-born. Or maybe he was already launching into oldest child-mode before his little brother had even made his debut. Who knows?

All I did know was that I had most definitely met my match. ;)

Harrison (now 10) is happy, funny, super smart, kindhearted, and thoughtful.

We have a total blast together....we share a love for movies, television, music, and books,

and I still read to him every night. Don't see that stopping anytime soon.

I often say he's the smarter, more-outgoing, male version of me.

Unfortunately, he also inherited the bossy side of me as well. And the know-it-all stuff. Maybe it's genetics. Maybe it's birth order. Maybe it's both. But the older he gets, the more I realize how hard it is sometimes to be a mom. To try to correct the very things that you see in yourself and are trying to change. I thought it would be easier to parent the one(s) who were more like me. I was wrong. Don't misunderstand me~ for every one thing that makes him difficult, there are 10 things that make him wonderful. I worry that in my effort to correct the things I see in him that I also see in myself and want to change that I'm being too hard on him. So each day I try to focus on all the things he does so well....and gently remind him when he needs correction. Celebrating all the things that make him my amazingly wonderful, incredibly loved firstborn son. Trusting that someday he will meet, fall in love with, and marry a girl who is the complete opposite of him, just like his dad and I are.

And then go on to become the dad of a little one just like him. ;)

Purpose

2012-01-12T12:35:00.002-05:00

Ok, confession time.

Last night when I finished typing up the "Changes" post, I really wasn't expecting much feedback. My humble little blog doesn't get much traffic, and I've always been okay with that. I mean, while I firmly believe I have the 3 most darling, smartest, amazing kids on the planet that everyone should want to read about, I completely understand that you may disagree, firmly believing that you are actually the one who has the most darling, smartest, amazing kid(s) on the planet that everyone should want to read about.

It's a pointless argument, so I'm not going to waste any time on it. As I said last night, this blog began as a way to record our family's memories to share with family and close friends who want to keep up with what's going on here. It was also intended as a point of reference so that when I go back to scrapbook them later I don't have to rely on memory. That, my friends, would be disastrous.

My memory isn't what it used to be, and I fully blame my darling children for that. :)

Where was I going with this? I don't remember.

Oh, yes...confession time.

The response to last night's post surprised me. While it was by no means a huge response by "celebrity blogger" standards, it was a start. Enough of a start to confirm what I feel God has been nudging me about....that I need to use this blog as a voice of encouragement. That you who read this blog are feeling similar rumblings, are seeking more, are looking for validation and encouragement as you raise your children. It's a scary world out there, but it's the one we live in.

I started reading the comments on the blog and on FB....and I got a little panicked.

What if I don't meet their expectations?

What ARE their expectations?

What if I fail?

Where in the world does God want me to go with this?

So I turned off the computer, put my phone on the charger, and got in bed.

And I prayed...asking God to show me, one blog post at a time, exactly what He wants me to share with you. And I chilled out considerably, thankful for my Jesus who has a calming effect on me. He's really good at reeling me back in. :) My hope through all of this is to make Him more famous through our story. To show people who read this blog that there's WAY more to this life than just making it through another day, another endless pile of laundry, another trash bag full of dirty diapers. When He made us mothers, He entrusted us with His greatest creations. That's HUGE, people.

The truth is, I love being a mom. It's the only thing I feel like I was made to do. According to my dad, I've been a mother since my sister, Reagan, was born when I was 2. Poor kid. ;) I'm sure she and my other sister, Beth, didn't always appreciate my need to mother them. I mean, they already had a mom, and she was really good at it. But I couldn't help it. So you can imagine how utterly thrilled I was on that January day in 2001 when I became a mom to my very own (that I had to share with my husband;) baby boy. I had found my calling. :) But with that calling came great responsibility.

This was a little person that B and I were SOLELY responsible for.

*gulp*

That scared the crap out of me. Still does....almost 11 years later. ;)

And since I'm all about being honest and transparent here, let me say this: I MESS UP ALL THE TIME. I've had to apologize to my kids way more than I'd like to admit.

I've gotten frustrated with their endless trails of shoes, clothes, toys, and snack wrappers.

I've let them watch more tv than they probably need to (yes, even SpongeBob. The horror;)

I've stepped on more Legos and Hot Wheels than I care to count.

I've had more "head-spinning, crazy mom" moments than I want to remember.

I've yelled when I should have talked quietly and carefully.

Thankfully, and mercifully, God has made children incredibly forgiving. And forgetful.

And I know without a doubt that my boys love me almost as much as I love them,

even though we often debate who loves who more. :)
What can I say? It's a love fest.

I've renamed this blog "The Mommy Revelation" because I believe the moms of this generation are thinking differently. And that is good. We're waking up and realizing that it's time for something different. The world we lived in as kids is completely different from the one our kids are living in today. I'm not okay with the constant comparisons, the feelings of failure, the ongoing competition that moms have between each other, and the resulting pressures that often get projected onto our children.

Let this be your safe place. A place to rejoice in our awesome mom moments, to regroup after our not-so-awesome mom moments, to encourage and build each other up. Some of my posts will be lighthearted and funny. Some will be more serious and purpose-driven. I've enabled the comment feed option for each post so that not only can I answer a question or make a comment, but you can talk to each other as well.

I'm excited....more to come

Changes

2012-01-11T21:27:00.002-05:00

I've been blogging for awhile. And like just about everything I decide to start, I'm usually one of the last who decides to jump on the bandwagon. In 1995 when I was about to head off to college, I talked to a dear childhood friend named Kelly who was going to a different college. She told me that we could email to keep in touch. My thoughts went like this, "Email? Yeah, that's never going to take off." I guess I was wrong. ;) I've had similar opinions about capri pants, flip flops, and texting. And while I no longer wear capri pants because they make my short legs look even shorter, I've been way off base about the other things. At the first hint of Spring you'll find me in flip flops. Texting? Not sure how I made it without it, although I still prefer phone conversations. Or even better? Real, live face time. I didn't think this whole blogging thing would ever stick...at least as far as I was concerned. I'm kind of a quitter....not in every way, thankfully, but in plenty of other, not-as-important ways. I no longer make New Year's resolutions. Life's hard enough without setting yourself up for failure. ;) I'm so ADD at times that I start projects that never get finished, start books I don't finish reading, start watching tv shows, then lose interest. I've given up Diet Cokes more times than I can count. I have yet to finish a Beth Moore Bible study, and absolutely not because I didn't like them. I LOVED them, craved what I was learning, couldn't wait until the next week's lesson. So I can't even begin to tell you why I stopped. Every time. I probably need therapy.

Not proud of myself. At all. But I promise that when it comes to my relationship with God, I'm not a quitter. More on that later. :)

And when it comes to my family, I'm all in. Hard core. However, there are some nights when I spend way more time in the bathtub than a person probably should, recovering from a particularly exhausting day of raising three boys. Pruney doesn't even begin to cover it. ;) But after a bath and a good night's sleep, I'm good to go, ready for another day of crazy. And laughs. And love. And chaos. It's what we do. :)

I started blogging when our youngest, Hunter, was an infant. It took 3 kiddos to make me realize that I was indeed not Superwoman. It took that 3rd one to humble me and make me see that I can't do it all. At least not well. When he was born I was teaching scrapbooking classes at a store that I loved. I was telling the ladies each week in my classes how important it was, and giving them all kinds of tips on how to stay current in their albums, all the while my boys' albums were sitting at home, collecting dust. I know, I'm a hypocrite....but not on purpose. It was not because I didn't care or didn't want to scrapbook anymore....not at all. I loved it then, I still do today. But I found that keeping up with three scrapbooks each year was consuming way more time than I was willing to give up...at least to do it they way I wanted it done.

So.

I accepted the fact that I had entered a crazy-busy stage of life, knowing it wouldn't last forever. I was a minster's wife, a full-time mom, a part-time employee (huge shout out to those of you moms who are full-time employees...I really don't know how you do it. And stay sane). We had a six year old, a two year old, and a newborn. Scrapbooking had to take a back seat, unless I wanted to knock out a few pages during Hunter's countless middle-of-the-night feedings.

But I was too busy staring into the beautiful baby blues of my tiny man,

marveling at his gorgeous chin dimple, and let's face it...sneaking in some zzz's.

I didn't want to be so consumed with recording our life that I didn't live it.

I also didn't want to be so busy living life that I didn't take the time to stop and record it.

Hmm. ;)

A blog seemed like the perfect compromise.

It would be a way to keep track of what was going on in our family so that I wouldn't forget

both the big things and the little things.

It became a way to share these boys with our family and friends...especially the ones who lived out of town.

And when we found out we were moving to Georgia, I was even more thankful for this blog, knowing it would keep family and friends connected to what we were up to, hoping to help them (and us!) feel that we weren't so far away.

Someday I will go back and do more work in their scrapbooks.

I will finish them, because it IS important.

I long for them to have completed albums with my handwriting in them, full of their photos and stories.

I have set specific goals for myself...and someday it's going to be way quieter in my house and I will have more time. But for today I'm going to live life.

If you're still hanging in there with me, you deserve a prize. :) Thank you.

You may be wondering why I named this post "Changes."

I've been in a royal funk for the past several days. Partly due to circumstances that I don't understand or feel comfortable talking about right now. Partly due to the seriously gloomy weather we've had for the past 4 days. But mostly because I've been looking around and trying to figure out what exactly God wants me to be doing right now. Feeling a little lost....more like I'm missing out on what He has called me to be here for right now. I think it's time to step out and make this blog more than the recording of our family's day-to-day stuff. Don't get me wrong...there will still be that. ;)

I want this blog to be a place where fellow moms can feel normal. Where honesty is not only welcome, but expected, without judgement. Let's face it...being a mom is hard. Really hard. It's soooo worth it, but it's hard. And that's okay. I'm hoping that if we can gather together and be supportive, laugh at and relate to each others' craziness, then the world will be a happier, more manageable place to live.

God is challenging my heart....things are getting stirred up. I have so much to share with you, things that I am still processing, but I need to stop for tonight. Partly because this post is now ridiculously long. And partly because I'm ready to get in bed and unwind with my DVR. ;) Honesty, right?

I ask you to join me on this journey. It will be fun.

It will be real.

And hopefully, your hearts will be challenged like mine.

More to come....

Hunter

2011-12-11T10:12:00.004-05:00

Our youngest has two current dreams:
1) to be a police officer when he grows up (*gulp*) ;)
2) to be a rock star
Knowing him, he'll somehow figure out a way to do both. We'll see. ;)

This week he got a taste of the rock star life.
Just kidding...he actually got the chance to sing in both the Christmas program at his preschool, and on Wednesday night with his church choir. This was his first time to sing in front of an audience, and in usual Hunter form, he hammed it up. There's no shyness with this kiddo whatsoever. He soaked up his time in the spotlight.

I love the expression on his face in this pic. I think he was dancing a little here...not sure he was supposed to be, but whatever. :)

And then he got to be a wise man for his school program.

Love the way he's looking up to his Daddy here.

How much I love this baby. So fun watching him do his thing in these programs.
He loves to perform.
He's growing up so very fast, and I'm really not okay with that. But since I don't have a choice in that, I'll be thankful that I get to watch him grow up, and do my best to soak it all up.

His pre-k class. Sweet kiddos!

Magical City

2011-12-04T11:48:00.003-05:00

Last night I got back from a NYC trip with my mom and sisters.
It was our second time to go together, and we had the most wonderful time. :)
Love the time with just the 4 of us...and while we all were missing kids (grandkids) and husbands, we really love the time together. The days went by way too fast, but we made some great memories, shopped hard (I'm still amazed that I was able to get everything home in the two bags I brought....pretty sure my suitcase has some sort of Mary Poppins magic in it), and unfortunately brought home some sort of cold/virus thing that I would have way preferred to leave behind. But that's okay~ it was totally worth it. ;)

Yes, I was that weird girl taking a pic of myself on the plane. ;)
I was so excited though, I had to share it with everyone!

This is part of the upper west side of Manhattan...my very favorite part of the city. And while we all decided on this trip that maybe living there wouldn't be the best thing for us (the noise and crowds would get to us, I think....even though we changed our minds again and again) we absolutely wouldn't pass up the chance to live right here if the opportunity presented itself.
A girl can dream, right?

It's very You've Got Mail-ish...isn't it?

Love these girls so very much. Words can't really express the bond we have....how much fun we have together....how hard we laugh. So thankful for my mom and sisters.

One of our favorite places in the city....Serendipity. Famous for their frozen hot chocolates. And it really doesn't matter how cold it is outside....we still have to have one. :)

Lunch at Serendipity

Rockefeller Center. Tried to see the tree lighting, but the crowds were ABSOLUTELY insane. We really tried to push through, but finally gave up. Thankfully we were there for it last time too, so we didn't feel like we were missing out too much. :/

Thursday night we saw Jersey Boys. Definitely the highlight of the trip! Reagan and Mom waited in line for last minute deals on tickets, and we ended up with these. This was the perfect show for us...the first one ever for me, and I can honestly say I am hooked. I now understand what people are saying when they talk about how amazing these shows are. The theater was way smaller than I expected, and there honestly wasn't a bad seat in the house. You felt like you were right there in a front row seat. The talent these people have is just unbelievable.

Took some pics outside of the theater after the show...

Beth had a little bit of a crush on the guy that played Frankie Valli. ;) As she was posing for this pic the door opened, sending Beth tumbling to the ground. It was hilarious. The guy behind the door was laughing right along with us...he was one of the cast members.

One of the best parts of the city is all the amazing architecture...this is St. Patrick's Cathedral. Breathtaking.

Dancing Salvation Army guys....I love this city. :)

Radio City Music Hall

Mom and Beth down near Battery Park

3 of my favorite girls in the whole world....so thankful for these past few days and all the memories we made. Love this city. :)

2011-11-12T20:13:00.002-05:00

Hi, there...remember me? I used to blog.
I still like to blog. Not sure exactly why I haven't been lately.
Oh well.

Even though it's well into November (crazy) and we're getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, making Christmas lists, and LOVING this cool weather, it seems just like yesterday (literally) that we were having Halloween fun.

The boys each carved a pumpkin and showed me their scariest faces.
You're scared, aren't you? ;)

This year's costumes were fun to put together:
One Hobo (thank you iCarly),

One escaped-from-prison bank robber who clearly hasn't learned his lesson. ;)
Hud likes to take walks on the wild side....I felt the need to stress that this is pretend. Lol!

And a Smurf. :) Hunter Smurf, to be exact.

There's about a million reasons that I love our neighborhood....it really does feel like something out of tv, or at least my dreams....tree-lined streets, tons of kids playing outside, people stopping to talk to neighbors, neighborhood socials, and wonderful friends already made. Halloween doesn't disappoint either....the entire neighborhood turned out for trick-or-treating together on Halloween. Here's a few of them:

Hunter and his buddy Aiden thought it would be fun to be Smurfs together.
They were right. ;)

And here's a random pic of my mom and me.
I'm not even sure who took it, but I miss her, so here you go.

And in HUGE, super exciting, wow-God-is-so-GOOD news....
there are two new members of our family.
I'm an aunt! Well, I guess I've been an aunt for years, but this time to kiddos on my side of the family....my sister and brother-in-law are adopting twins!

Yes, their names are Finn and Bailey. Yes they are perfect. And beautiful. And fun. And sweet. And very busy. And two-years-old. Who speak their own little language to each other, love Curious George, fruit snacks, reading books, their beds, hugging, chasing, and snuggling. :)
Until the adoption is finalized we can't post photos on any type of social media site, so this pic of the pillows and nite-nites I made for them will have to do for now. ;) Trust me, the second we can share them with the world, we will. I'm a super proud Aunt Jac. And their 3 H cousins (and Uncle B) are in love as well. Soon. :)

I got to travel home to TX last weekend to meet them and celebrate their arrival by throwing a shower for them with Mom and Beth. And I've been reflecting A LOT (about lots of things) but so that I don't get off track....I've been thinking a lot about God's timing, how AMAZING it is to watch Reagan and Jon be Mommy and Daddy, and how that this is not only an answer to prayer for them, but a dream come true for the twins as well. There is no question that these babies were rescued, and have been given a second chance at life.

It's hard to think about what their first two years were like. And really, we'll never know exactly what that was like for them. I don't like to think about it....I spent the weekend soaking up time with them, LOVING the chance to do for my sister what she has spent the past almost 11 years doing for me. I don't know what Finn and Bailey's life was like before, but I know what it is like now, and what lies ahead for them. There is more love than they know what to do with. And laughter. And playtime. Snuggling in to watch a movie. Playing chase with Papa, just like my boys like to do. When they get older there will be baking with Mimi as well. Bath and bedtime routines that involve super cozy beds with story times and rocking before they are hugged, kissed, prayed with, and tucked in safe. Things that we do on a daily basis without giving much thought to, but have given these two a strong sense of security rather quickly.
Exactly what they need, and are now thriving because of it.

I look back on the past few years that my sister and brother-in-law struggled to start a family. We didn't understand then what God was up to, but we understand now. :) He knew that there were two babies out there who were going to need a new family. And he knew that Reagan and Jon were just exactly what they were going to need. And I when I listen to Reagan talk about how amazing it is to be a mommy, and how they were so worth the wait, I'm thankful for the reminder that God's plan is so much better than we could ever hope or imagine, and is definitely worth waiting for.

Pumpkins with Mimi and Papa

2011-10-11T15:16:00.003-04:00

My parents have been here for the past few days, and in my usual fashion I've been so busy hanging out with them that I forgot to take pictures. Not happy with myself at all.

I did, however, manage to get these at the pumpkin patch on Saturday.
It was our first time to visit this place, and the pumpkins were ginormous.
The trees were beautiful.
There were ONE MILLION people there.
Seriously.

Love it when Mom and Dad are here. :)

He found the perfect pumpkin.

Our little family...I've decided that getting the perfect picture isn't possible. ;)
If I'm lucky only one of us won't be looking at the camera. Usually there's more than one.
And that's ok...real life is better anyway, right?

These big pumpkins ranged in price from $25-$150. Crazy. They were huge though, so I guess it's understandable.

On the way home we spotted many less crowded pumpkin patches that we plan to visit next year. Burt's is famous, and now we understand why. Love making a memory. :)

Sunday iPhone Dump

2011-10-02T19:00:00.002-04:00

It seems that my iPhone camera has taken over as my main camera these days. Between my new-found love for Instagram and the convenience of the camera that it's in my phone being with me at all times, it's kind of a no brainer.

Here's some of our recent pics...feels good to clear them out. ;)

A day at the park with my littles. I know they're mine and all, but boy they sure are cute.

the almost-pre-teen who is already acting like one
because of the amount of time he spends just like this.

The middle one out on a date with me. A date that he requested. Made my heart melt.

having way too much fun at the Disney Store with the tiny man. Arrggg.

During the same trip to said Disney Store where he convinced me that Bullseye was a must have.

Saturday morning laziness, made even better by robot and cupcake jammers.

The Gun Show with Daddy.

Working on the manly muscles with Dad. ;)

My happy place. :)

New shoes...they really were calling my name. Really.

Celebrating a 4th birthday for his friend Aiden....these guys are his best buddies. :)

Bike riding...love these 3 together. :)

Extra kisses.

A date at a sushi restaurant last weekend with this guy. We tried real hard to pretend we knew what we were doing. Don't think we fooled anyone, but we had a great time. :)

The middle one getting creative with his fruit. ;)

Neighborhood ice cream social, feet in the pool, hanging with friends.

Ice cream pretty much rocks. :)

Get-well notes from my first graders at church, sending lots of love and hopes that I'll feel better soon after my surgery this week. They are so sweet~ these made my day. This particular one made me laugh out loud. Loved it. :) Love their honesty and their sweet hearts.

A little something new for the house. I'm a little obsessed with birds these days.

Bought a much-needed body pillow to help with recovery (it feels great on my tummy) and Hudson tried hard to steal it. ;) Not really, but it does give us an extra excuse to snuggle.
Not that we need one. ;)

Then Harrison came in with the same idea. What?? Looks like there might be some boys getting their own body pillows soon, 'cause Mama's not up for sharing. Lol. :) Love them.

Pre-K Kiddo

2011-09-10T14:33:00.002-04:00

This week the Peanut started pre-k. Three days a week he goes to school with his 3 buddies who live on our street. None of them are in the same class, but just the knowledge that they are all there together has bonded them even more. :)

He was SOOO ready to start. So excited....so fun. Really proud of his Toy Story lunch box.

He was confident, walking right in to his class and introducing himself to his teacher.

He sat down in his chair and started to dot-paint over his name, smiling and saying hi (somewhat shyly) to the kids sitting next to him. Patiently smiling for all the pictures I was taking.

Looking like a serious student as he watched what the other kids were doing. ;)

And then he (very sweetly) told me it was time for me to go. ;) Yes, he did. I needed that though...otherwise I might have stayed and watched until the teachers made me leave. Awkward. ;) So I left...with minimal tears. That's kind of a big deal for this mom who just dropped her youngest baby off at his first day of preschool. A first for him. A last for me.

And here's the after school pic. :)
"School was great, Mom. I LOVE school!"

I look at him and am amazed by how much he has changed so quickly. Gone is the tiny one who used to hide behind my legs when meeting someone new. In fact, that's exactly what he did back in January when we went to visit the school that he so confidently walked into this week. That little guy has been replaced by an older version who is much more sure of himself, will talk to anybody (I have to watch him even more carefully because of that), and loves to be the center of attention. He's funny and thoughtful, tough and cuddly, sweet and confident.

I think it's going to be a good year. :)

And I'm just going to enjoy it as slowly as possible, because next year he will be starting kindergarten while his oldest brother will be starting middle school, which just might put me over the edge. ;)

Love and Like

2011-09-08T14:23:00.004-04:00

Last week we were sitting in the family room, enjoying a picnic dinner of Domino's pizza. It had been a long Sunday...Sunday school, church, and then a Sunday school teacher training after. 40 minute drive there and back. We were tired. Tired, but happy, and as I looked around the room at the 4 guys God has so graciously (and undeservedly) blessed me with, something hit me hard.

I really, REALLY like these people.
You know...we say "I love you" all the time. In the morning before we leave each other, for work, school, etc. At night when Brian and I are tucking the boys into bed. And lots of times in between. What can I say? It's a love fest in our house. ;) So much so, that I'm afraid sometimes that the word "love" is so overused in our house that it will somehow, over time,
lose it's meaning.

Love is typically instant, at least for me.
I fell in love pretty quickly with B. The second I saw him, I knew he was special.
Within the first 3ish months of our relationship, I knew he was the one.

And of course, when learning about each of our 5 pregnancies, the love was instant then as well. Just the knowledge that there was a little person growing inside me....there's nothing better than that.
That love only increased the second I laid eyes on each of our boys when they were born. And the love is the same for the two we lost...the two who I know are waiting for us, that we'll see again someday. I never understood that saying about how your heart is walking around in those little bodies until I became a mom. It's amazing.

But to say "I like you." That's different. It's not a guarantee that we're going to like everybody. You can love someone without actually liking them. And that's okay....we're all different, and we're called to love our neighbors, our friends, our family. But like? That's sometimes harder.

Today Hud came in our bedroom where I was watching "The Proposal" for probably the 100th time (it's one of my favorites), hugged me, and said "I like you Mom. A lot." And my heart swelled to much bigger than it's usual full self. :) Somehow saying "I like you" seemed to mean just as much as "I love you."

As these three get older, and taking them places is becoming less of a responsibility and more of a completely fun, easy experience....I see how much fun we have together. How each of their personalities are so completely different, and how they somehow complement each other. And I find myself getting excited with each new phase we enter with them, instead of focusing on having to let go of the phases we're leaving behind.

We're silly.

We willingly sit outside in the cold to work from home so that we can attempt to have a successful garage sale. ;)

We drive big tractors (actually...I've never done that. But Harrison helps my Dad a lot, and he's great at it.) ;)

And we ride the merry-go-round really fast and scream loud as we spin super fast around and around. And around.

Do we get on each others' nerves? Sometimes.
Are there days when we just need some alone time? Yes.
Is it always rainbows and puppies around here? Absolutely not.

But it's also home. It's us. It's mostly fun and crazy, with a mix of order and stability. A safe place where each of us gets to be us, without having to explain why. Where we love each other, and like each other too, and are trying to be the same way with the other people in our world.

5th and 2nd

2011-08-08T21:49:00.003-04:00

Grades, that is.

5th and 2nd grades.
seems impossible to this mama,

but it's the truth...

...these two started school today. That doesn't seem right. Didn't summer break just start?
Sure seems like it. Our lazy days of sleeping late, vacationing, swimming, and being carefree are over. Sadness.

On a positive note...they both had stellar days. :)

Hunter had a blast getting into all of his big brothers' stuff. ;)
And I got the entire house clean in just under 3 hours.

Amazing indeed.

This is last year's first day pic.

This year their hair is shorter and faux-hawkish, they are taller,

and thankfully we are short a green cast. ;)

This time last year the tiny one was flying off to TX with my sis and BIL for a few days in TX.

This year we're starting our last year with him home with me, before he joins his brothers in school. He starts pre-k next month, and is super excited!

which leaves this question:
What in the world am I going to do with myself?

I'll let you know when I figure that out. ;)

The Getaway

2011-07-27T19:32:00.004-04:00

Two posts in two days? No way. ;)

Crazy...you'd think I'd have extra time on my hands right now or something. Huh.

B and I are on our last night of his work conference at Ridgecrest in North Carolina.

This place is beautiful. Peaceful. Restful. Thankful for the time we got to take to go away together, and for our brave family for happily taking care of the boys so we got to do this.

It was just what we both needed.

Kinda crazy about him. And this is hard for me to admit...but we really needed this. I mean, we're fine, of course...don't get me wrong. But in the crazy day-to-day chaos of work, raising kids, taking care of the house and the yard, and being in the ministry....I think it's fair to say that we as a couple got lost a little. We've spent the past few days talking, laughing, being spontaneous (what's that?!?)...and we really needed that.

And this was the perfect place for that.

Gorgeous, isn't it? And the weather is beautiful too. A nice reprieve from the ridiculous TX heat and the equally ridiculous GA humidity. It's hard to not rest and rejuvenate here. And rested we have...I actually slept in until 10:00 this morning. Crazy.

These flowers? They make me happy.

Yesterday B and I did a little hiking. Somehow he was able to hold onto his coffee, so it wasn't super strenuous. ;) It was really fun, and it rained while we were up there, but thanks to the tree cover, we didn't get wet.

A waterfall. In the mountains. So pretty.

And...we made friends with a turtle. Kind of...he was a little shy. ;)

Would love to know who lives in this tree...he wouldn't come out to visit us.

Again...it's been perfect. Thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with my husband without any distractions. Excited to get back home and to have all of my chickens back in the nest.

They get home Friday night, and then we will have ONE week to get ready for the bigs to start school. What?!?! Can't believe it. And I'm sure that month will fly and then it will be time for Hunter to start. All 3 in school? Not sure what to do with that....surely I'll figure it out. ;)

I have really missed these guys this week...

This one....

...and this one....

...and yes, this one too.

Love my family.

Gypsies

2011-07-26T14:18:00.003-04:00

Gypsies. That would pretty much sum up the way we've lived this summer. :) It's been fun, it's been busy, it's been chock full of memories, and I've loved every minute of it. We've traveled from Nashville to Orlando to Texas, and now B and I are in North Carolina for a few days while the boys spend an extra week in Texas with family...work conference for him, relaxation time for me. Thankful I get to tag along. ;) And that the boys get some extra Texas time.

Our suitcases have spent the summer in our bedroom...no sense putting them back into the basement yet. Just unpack and repack, and head out again. I know one thing~ I'd never make it as a rock star. ;) And at the same time, this has been one of my very favorite summers EVER.

I've shared before that it has been really tough for us to be away from our family back in Texas. Even when you're doing exactly what you feel God has called you to do, there are still things that are hard. Being away from family and our friends back home (it will always be home) definitely tops the list....but God is faithful, and knows our hearts, and thankfully has provided ways for us to visit often. And for people to visit us often. It definitely makes it easier.

Here's a (somewhat) quick replay of our time there:

The boys with my dad and their birthday gift to him: a drawing of his tractor. They love the farm.

Hud opening his birthday gift from my parents...my mom passed down her iPod Touch. To say he was excited would be the understatement of the year. ;)

We spent A LOT of time swimming and hanging out at the pool. I love these 3 girls so very much.

It was hot. Really HOT. Thankful for cool swimming pools. And water squirters.

Aunt Beth and the tiny man.

I haven't seen this girl in a year and a half. Which is a year and a half TOO long. How very much I've missed her. And her girls. Love them like family...hopefully it won't be too long before we see them again.

All 6 of them picked up right where they left off...just like their moms did. :)

The super-cute, silly middle children. This photo defines them perfectly. ;)

I love the relationship these two have...only 10 months apart in age, and close from the get go. I love that they have memories reaching far back from when they were very little. Hope that continues for a very long time. :)

Hunter insisted on being in the photo. Harrison was less-than-thrilled. ;)

This is my cousin's baby....which would make him my cousin too. Or second cousin. Or first cousin once removed. Not sure, but he's family, and that's all that matters. ;)

He's darling, isn't he? And as sweet and happy as he is beautiful.

Have I mentioned that it was hot and we swam a lot? I haven't? That's weird. ;)

Did I mention that Beth and Todd have chickens? I didn't? They do. And they're hilarious.

Did I mention that it was hot? Like, 105+ degrees hot? Not kidding. When we weren't swimming we were having things like slushees and frozen yogurt.

I'm crazy about my sisters. The older we get, the more fun we have. Let's face it...high school was touch and go. It's a wonder we all survived, with all the fighting over clothes and such. Hahaha...seriously, it doesn't get much better than spending time with them. Hoping the boys will be just as close to each other as I am to these two. Few people know me as well as they do....

...and nobody makes me laugh harder. ;) Except maybe my Dad. Guess it runs in the family.

Hi Mom. :)

How much I love her. Love our walks, our talks, and how she takes care of me, even now at 34. I'm blessed.

And that baby....yummy.

We ate lunch at a place called Mooyah...great burgers. And they had this giant red wipe erase board. The boys were ALL over that.

Harrison's drawing...pretty cool, huh? Mooyah actually re-tweeted this pic I posted on Twitter. Impressive, H. :)

And here's Hud with his bird in a tree drawing. Love it.

And Hunter with his self-portrait. Amazing likeness, right? ;)

What can I say? They're artists. ;)

Ok...if I was to describe myself, the last words I would use would be funky, cool, or trendsetter.

Because I'm not. I'm more of comfortable, flip flops and jeans, play it safe kind of girl.

Who now is wearing a feather in her hair. ;)

I know...not like me at all. And I love it.

Looks like a brand new can of worms has just been opened. Watch out.

She's a Grand Ol' Flag

2011-07-05T10:06:00.005-04:00

And we really love to celebrate her. :)

I love a holiday. Any of them. But there are extra special memories associated with July 4th.

Mostly, those memories are of my childhood...we spent a couple weeks at my grandparents' house in Missouri every summer, and there are a couple of odd things I associate with the time I spent there: the Wimbledon tennis tournament, and fireflies.

Wimbledon because somehow it always seem to fall when we happened to be there.

Fireflies, because I don't remember seeing them anywhere but in my Momo and Dandy's backyard, which just solidified the already growing idea in my head that it was indeed a magical place. Trust me, it was.

I also remember spending the Fourth of July there....don't think it was every summer, but several of them. Lots of happy memories of fireworks, and fried chicken, and summer nights on their back patio, enjoying strawberries and watermelon, my Momo's apple pie, listening to the Royals' baseball games with my Dandy on the radio. My Mom, my aunt and uncles, cousins, sisters....happy. Simple really...nothing extravagant. That's not us. Just lots of love, lots of laughing, lots of time together. Something I treasure.

And something I want to continue with these 4 guys that God has so richly blessed me with.

So that's what we did. Celebrated a very important day in our nation's history by just being together. Talks with the boys about how much we have to be thankful for, and about the men and women who sacrifice their everything so we can enjoy life here with our everything. Little American flags and pinwheels humbly stuck in our front flower beds. A cake with a flag on it, made out of blueberries and strawberries. Dinner with some sweet friends, and our own little fireworks show right in our front yard. ;)

This guy right here? He loves fireworks. REALLY loves them. The past several nights our neighbors have put on quite a show....honestly it sounded like a warzone. And each night I'd find him sitting in a rocker on our front porch happily watching the display. You gotta love those rednecks....and we're thankful for the beautiful (albeit LOUD) show we got every night this weekend. ;)

And now I feel the need to assure you that we are a safety first family. :) As much as the boys would LOVE to be right in the big middle of Daddy lighting the fireworks last night, it was a no-go. They were allowed to help set them up, then back to the porch to watch as he lit them.

I don't really understand this need they all 4 seem to have to blow things up. Don't think I'm made that way. ;) However, I can appreciate the beautiful results of all the blowing up.

Love these guys. Love days like this that are happy, and fun, and peaceful.

Just being together at home. Simple and perfect.

They were thrilled when it was finally time for sparklers. :)

Life here is crazy. And funny. And loud. And silly. And...tiring. ;)

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

seven

2011-06-24T21:05:00.004-04:00

I mean really....how does it happen so fast?

I know every mom thinks that, most of us say at least once each time one of our littles has a birthday....but really. Where does the time go?

Hud was just two days shy of 3 months old in this photo.

Seriously...look at those rolls. He was the squishiest baby ever. :)

When I would carry him (which I spent much of his first two-ish+ years doing, he was somehow able to mold his little body to mine. Not sure how...the squishiness, I guess. Those eyes, the hangy-down cheeks....yummy.

And now, today....he's SeVeN. Seven...really?

Long gone are the rubberband arms, the hang-y down cheeks. I'm happy to report that he is still a little squishy. :) Super soft skin, I guess.

And he is really growing up.

Today....this one is smart. Sweet. Incredibly intuitive. Very much a gentleman. He is spiritually-minded...noticing things that the rest of us might overlook. He's a Mama's boy...and at the same time a huge fan of his Daddy. And speaking of his Daddy....he looks so much like him, mixed with a little of my Dandy. Definitely got his dimples, a few of his mannerisms, and the furrowed eyebrows when he's being serious or skeptical (although his Dad has a similar expression, so I can't say for sure who he got it from). ;)

He loves to swim and play on the computer. He's the one I ask for help when I can't figure out how to do something on the computer, my phone, etc. He has a heart for animals. He loves comics and Legos, and he's a pro at building them, unabashedly calling himself the Lego Master.

He's funny, and has some crazy-mad dance skills. Not kidding...this one has some moves.

On the flip side...he also has a temper. He's persistent. Stubborn.

But really...he's related to me and his dad...and a long line of other stubborn people,

so who can blame him? ;)

About 95% of the time he's our sweet, laid back, easy-to-please middle child.

I'm so thankful for this kiddo, and on his 7th birthday I want him to know how very important he is to this family. How proud I am for how incredibly well is he is carrying the name of his great-grandpa (Hud knows how important his middle name, Henry, is), and how much fun we are having watching him grow up.

Happy birthday, Hud-Man! We love you to the moon and back one million times. :)

Our "Vacation"

2011-06-20T19:48:00.003-04:00

Well, we finally made it to the castle. :) This was the trip of all trips that I had dreamed about taking the boys on since before they were all even born. I couldn't wait to introduce them to the magic that you can only find at that place. And now that we're in a stage of life that is past required naps and diaper changes, we decided it was time to go. :)

Thankfully, it didn't disappoint.

So, why is the title word, "vacation" in quotes, you ask?

Because now that we're back home, I'm more exhausted than I've been in a very long time.

To quote a sweet friend, I'm "happily exhausted." Yes indeed. So while it wasn't the restful, relaxing kind of vacation a person would usually ask for, it was happy and wonderful just the same. But it looks like I'll be taking naps and going to bed early for awhile until I recover. ;)

The official family in front of the castle picture. ;) No, I have no idea what Hunter was doing. But this is the best we could get. ;)

Our first day at Magic Kingdom, in matching Mickey shirts. ;) I promised them I would only do that to them one day. And no, Brian and I didn't wear them. Just these 3. I do have my limits. ;)

Why is Hud hugging that giant Coke bottle? Pretty sure that it was because it was SO HOT, and this bottle was actually a cooling station, and quickly became Hud's new best friend.

Have I mentioned how insanely hot it was? Still not over that yet. ;)

But rest assured...we didn't let it ruin our fun.

Ice cream and popscicle treats helped us beat the heat as well. Yummo. :)

We happened to schedule our trip the same time that Disney had scheduled a Star Wars weekend at Hollywood Studios. The boys were in heaven...esp. Hunter, who is in a major Star Wars phase right now. He couldn't believe he got to meet a REAL Storm Trooper. ;)

And of course, our trip wouldn't be complete without some time with the Mouse. :)

This is one of my favorite photos from the whole trip. If only Hunter had been in it too, it would have been perfect. :) But no worries.....

...he was right here in the stroller. :)

Not your traditional Mickey ears...we went with the R2D2, Pirate Mickey, and Pirate Goofy variety instead.

Character breakfast at our hotel....including Mickey-shaped waffles and everything.

It was so much fun having some friends there with us that week too. We got to celebrate LeeAnn's birthday, and spend some time getting to know that sweet baby boy too. So fun!

Riding on the carousel....

Date night with the hubs...looking smokin' hot in his Star Tours 3D glasses. ;)
(another benefit to having friends with you on vacation~ childcare sharing!)

We loved Star Tours so much that we brought the boys back to try it too. Again and again. This was definitely one of their favorites.

Even the sprinkles were Mickey Mouse! Crazy. And fun. :)

Harrison makes a pretty good photographer. :)

So happy we were able to do this....we've made lots of memories, had lots of fun.

See? ;) I love these 4 so very much.

We wised up pretty quickly and learned that spending time at the parks in the morning, then spending lunch and the afternoon at the hotel to rest and swim, then going back to the parks in the evenings after it cooled off and the crowds thinned out was the way to go. The boys LoVeD the pool....B and I did too. :)

I think this was taken the day before we headed back home. This one was having a rough morning. ;) Awesome bedhead.

So...there's our trip in a very tiny nutshell. I think I took about 400 photos total. So yes...it's a very tiny shell. ;) I'm excited about getting to scrapbook this trip...we were so busy and on the go pretty much the entire week~ afraid we were going to miss something, I suppose. Makes me extra thankful that I took as many photos as I did.

The boys' favorite part of the week?

Harrison: "riding the Aerosmith Rockin' Rollercoaster!" (It was amazing)

Hud:" Star Tours....and the pool." ;)

Hunter: "Toy Story Mania (my favorite too!) and all the Star Wars things."

Nashville, baby!

2011-05-30T14:36:00.003-04:00

This weekend we made a last-minute, super-quick, whirlwind trip to Nashville. It was a work-related trip for B, and I was really thankful that we were asked to go with him!

This place is one of my favorite cities I've ever visited. I love the country music, the feel of the city when you're walking on the strip, the cowboy boots and hats you see on the people everywhere....LoVe it. :)

We happened to be there the same weekend as Jimmy Buffett and several hundred (thousand?) of his friends. ;) It was cuckoo-crazy on the strip, and not exactly ideal for walking around with 3 little kiddos, so we didn't stay very long. We did, however, make the most of the time we had.

The place I wanted to visit the most was the Ryman Auditorium.

I'm a big Johnny Cash and June Carter fan....one of my favorite movies of all time is

"Walk the Line". Part of the movie was recorded at the Ryman. Sadly we got there at five o'clock, and it had closed at 4. :( So outside pics was the best we could get.

We will go back someday. Soon. :)

Then we walked some more and ran into Elvis. ;)

Hud thought this giant guitar pick was awesome. :)

Soon it was time for dinner, so we hopped in the car and headed to a place recommended to us by my friend Tomi. The Loveless Cafe. Um...can we say, amazing? It was.

Can't really see us too well, but oh well. :/

We ate WAY too much fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and the biscuits. Oh, the biscuits. With homemade preserves. Thankfully B had the wisdom to purchase some of their preserves in the gift shop. Now I'm craving some. Not good. :)

Fun with Nana

2011-05-26T10:44:00.002-04:00

We were totally spoiled last week with visits from both sets of grandparents. :) It rocked. First Mimi and Papa came in for a few days, then Nana joined us on Wednesday night for the boys' choir musical, then she stayed for a couple extra days.

She came with lots of fun things~ yo-yo's, water balloons, and water squirters.

Nana sure knows how to have a good time. ;)

Thanks for the visit Nana! We had a great time....see you this summer!

Elvis is IN the Building ;)

2011-05-20T11:31:00.003-04:00

When Harrison told me that he had gotten a solo part in the PraiseKids spring musical, I was really excited for him. When he told me that his teacher had mentioned something about Elvis and dancing...well, it totally cracked me up. Thankfully because Brian and I are Elvis fans, the boys are aware of who he is, know some of his songs, etc. But the idea of Harrison getting up on stage and being Elvis for a song was a whole different story. Thank goodness for YouTube...H1 was schooled quickly on Elvis' moves. ;)

Admit it....you really thought it was the real Elvis for a second...didn't you? ;)
Hahaha....just kidding. But in my completely biased Mom opinion....he totally nailed it. :)

See that sweet spikey-haired boy? Speaking of nailing it....that kiddo rocked his songs, and his moves. Loved every second of it.

Elvis and the Dancers

On Sunday Harrison was asked to replace another boy who was going to be unable to do his speaking part. Thankfully it was only a few lines, and he was really excited to be able to step in.

But really....who IS this kid? He definitely didn't get his love for being on stage from his mother.

One more pic of the 1st graders singing....because it just doesn't get much cuter.

We had a great visit with my parents, and I'm so glad they were able to be here to see the boys in the musical. Nana came in town for the big event too, and is spending the weekend with us now. Think the boys are a little crazy about them?

Easter

2011-04-25T19:21:00.003-04:00

Hope all of you had a great Easter. Ours was good...busy, but good. Here's the 3 H's in their Easter best...thankfully H3 didn't notice that he was the only one not wearing a tie. ;)

Saturday we went to the Easter egg hunt at the church. It was fun....

H3 was proud of his loot....

...the big boys loved the bounce houses...

...and the little one did too. ;)

They got their faces painted....

....and then things took a sad turn. ;) The 1st-3rd grade egg hunt. We had a LOT of visitors at this event, which was a great thing. And there were a LOT of kids wanting to hunt eggs. Understandable. When H2 took his turn with all of these kids, he ended up without any eggs. Oh, the sadness. He ran his little heart out, but there were just too many kids in front of him. And we had a good talk about how egg hunts aren't what Easter is all about, how good it was that so many new families came that day, and maybe they'll come back to church now, how important it is to put others first, etc. etc. He got it, but....he's six. And when you're six you just really want to hunt for eggs. ;)

So in usual form, Daddy came to the rescue. :) He made a stop at the store on the way home and staged our very own egg hunt for the boys in our backyard. Happiness abounds.

Isn't he darling?

Addy watched. :)

Much better. ;)

Then we colored eggs.

It was serious business. ;)

Gorgeous.

Yesterday after church we were invited over to some friends' house. A family from church. Their girls are all about the same ages as the boys, play really well together, and it was a really great day. Missed our TX family a lot that day, but are so thankful that we have people here who care about us and make sure to include us on holidays like this. Blessed. :)

Resurrection Bread

2011-04-22T19:32:00.003-04:00

This is a tradition that we've been doing at Easter for the past few years. We didn't do it last year...we had just moved here the week before, and it was a rough time for me. I was doing good to get them dressed and to church that day. Thankfully, I'm much better now, :) and we are back in our normal swing of things. Whew.

Since each of the boys were born it's been very important to B and me to be intentional when it comes to celebrating holidays. To make sure the boys understand the real meaning of Christmas and Easter especially, but even to make sure they understand why we have Thanksgiving and Independence Day. And we're all about doing that in a fun, kid-friendly way.

We want to make sure that the boys understand, each on their own level, why we have Good Friday, and all we get to celebrate on Easter Sunday. The resurrection bread helps them get the concept pretty well:

Ingredients: one can of Grands biscuits, marshmallows, melted butter, cinnamon and sugar

Simple. :)

Step One: Flatten out a biscuit. The biscuit represents the tomb where Jesus was placed.

Step Two: place a marshmallow in the middle, and wrap the biscuit around it. The marshmallow represents Jesus.

See? Like this. ;)

Step Three: dip the biscuit into some melted butter, then the sugar and cinnamon.

Place them on a cookie sheet, seam side down, and bake according to package directions.

After you let them cool completely, you'll see that the bread is now hollow inside.

The tomb is empty! Jesus is alive. :)

Or according to Hunter, Jesus ate the marshmallow. Symbolism is hard to understand when you're 4. ;)

Happy Easter!

Good Friday

2011-04-22T09:56:00.004-04:00

Each year, as I get older, I tend to reflect even more on the magnitude of this day. On what my Savior did for me. What He did for all of us. And I try to express these feelings, the emotions inside in just the right way...and realize that being thankful doesn't even begin to cover it.

I don't usually have music on this blog...used to, but realized that not everyone shares my taste in music, and sometimes I think it's a distraction, so I took my playlist down. But this weekend I'm going to keep this song playing again and again. I'm a huge Chris Tomlin fan...the Lord has used his music time and time again to minister to my heart. But I had never heard this song until last week when Harrison's grade did a performance of the life of Christ at school. It blew me away. This song, "The Mighty Power of the Cross" is the last song of the three included in their performance, and the two times I've seen it, well....there is no getting away without some tears being shed. And that's okay. It's good.

Growing up, and after I accepted Jesus as my Savior and asked him to be Lord of my life, I had a hard time understanding why today is called "Good Friday." Thinking about the gravity of what this day entailed for Jesus, how He had to suffer for us, so that we wouldn't have to...well, it's just more than my brain can handle, and there didn't seem to be anything but horrible and sad about it. But the older I get, the more I understand that Jesus did this for the greater "good," knowing full well what was going to happen on the third day, the day we celebrate His resurrection, and the promise that He will come back for us some day.

And so we honor this day, thanking Him for what He did for us....knowing that being thankful is never going to be enough, but because of God's great love for us, it somehow still is.

Impromptu Egg Hunt

2011-04-21T10:10:00.005-04:00

This morning I told H3 that we were going to his brothers' school for the Easter service, and then we would go to their parties and egg hunts. Which led to this question:

"When is my class party, Mommy?" :(

I explained to him that we were going to a fun Easter egg hunt celebration at church on Saturday, and that NEXT year when he's in preschool he would have a party too.

That was good news, but there was still some sadness. ;) So we had our own little egg hunt this morning, in our family room. It stormed hard all night last night, so things are pretty soggy outside today.

He was a great egg finder, and of course I had to snap a few pics of our fun.

And then, in true Hunter form, he insisted that I have a turn. With pictures too. :)

A little blurry, maybe, but not bad for a 4 year old. :)

And then it was his turn again, and then mine, and then his, and then...well, you get the idea. ;)

I love this kid. Hard.

The boys are out of school tomorrow for Good Friday, and we will turn our attention off of egg hunts and such (as fun as that is!) and turn it instead to the reason we have so much to think about tomorrow, and so much to celebrate on Sunday! I will share our "Resurrection Bread" recipe, why we make this each year.

He is risen! He is risen indeed. :)

Our Week in Pictures

2011-04-14T10:58:00.006-04:00

It's been a little crazy here these days.

But honestly, it's pretty much always crazy here, so that's really no excuse. ;) The littles and I just got back from a week in Texas visiting family and friends, relaxing, and enjoying a break from the crazy. Not that we mind the crazy....it keeps things fun and interesting. But a break here and there is good. :)

Before we left, Hud lost his first tooth. I pulled it out at dinner, at church on a Wednesday night. It was hanging on by a thread (or two), and was making it hard for him to eat. I decided it was time to get it out...so we did. Right there in the middle of the dining hall. I'm afraid that I might have scarred him for life. ;) Thankfully the $5 the tooth fairy left for him healed the hurt and lessened the trauma. ;) And since then he's lost the one next to it, and it was a much easier experience. Whew.

While taking Hud's toothless pic, Hunter asked me to take one of him. I happily obliged...why not? He's super cute. Can't have enough pics of these kiddos. :)

Two weeks ago marked the first anniversary of the boys and I joining Brian here in our new home. It was a weekend of mixed emotions for me. I'm thankful for how far God has brought us, for how He has taken care of all the details. And really, I love this beautiful place. :)

The Chattahoochie River...Brian's favorite fishing spot. :)

Hunter and I planted some new flowers in some pots...there is lots of yardwork to be done this spring, and I am so ready! Love it.

This tree is in my next door neighbor's backyard, and it's my absolute favorite. I do love a cherry blossom tree. We're planning to plant on in our yard this Spring too.

Then we headed to Texas. Here's a pic with my mom and sisters...love them so very much. Missing them already. We had SO much fun together. So much fun.

The boys spent lots of time playing outside, helping Papa at the farm, playing at the farm too. Here's Harrison driving the RTV. He drove me around in it for awhile...crazy having your 10-year-old drive you around.

Two cool guys hanging out. ;)

Hud is growing up so much....he did great driving the RTV too.

And he decided he was brave enough to drive the razor car. Papa taught him what to do, jogging along beside him ....until the daredevil sped off at full speed. ;)

There he goes!

And....the cows. Who are cute...but dont' get too attached. They'll be dinner soon. ;)

And in true Jaclyn form, I didn't take nearly enough pictures. I am determined to do better when we come back this summer. Everyone is going to be sick of that camera, I promise. ;)

Thursday

2011-03-10T10:36:00.002-05:00

Enjoying a quiet morning with the littlest H.

With mismatched jammers and bedhead.

'Cause that's how we roll. ;)

And because he has a newfound interest in dressing himself, and I'm letting him run with it. Mostly. Have to admit that I'm impressed with the way he matched the colors. :)

We spent our morning playing made-up domino matching games.

Building REALLY tall towers.

And a game of Buzz Lightyear Operation.

I'm sorry to say that with all the buzzing and lights that were going off...

I don't think Buzz made it. ;)

And now, at 10:45, the little man has announced that he's starving...off to fix a snack.

Happy Thursday to you!

Another Stream of Consciousness Post

2011-03-09T12:42:00.005-05:00

Because there is a lot swimming around in my brain right now, and it helps me to blog about it. I've been dealing with some health-related stuff lately. Thankfully nothing really serious or anything...more of a quality-of-life thing. Been having to make some decisions about medication vs. surgery...or maybe both. Trying the medication route for now, and we'll see what happens. Realizing how important these decisions are, and worried that I'll make the wrong one. But because I've been feeling pretty yuck and have had a lot of down time these days, it's also given me a lot of time to think, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, it's also given me a lot of time to over-think, which for me isn't so good. So far I think we've made the right decision, but the jury's still out. Time will tell.

Thank you for your patience. ;)

Things are hectic, and yet somehow still relaxed. Don't know how that works, but it does.

The littles watched a 3D movie at home...I had more fun watching them watch the movie.

See that white and black flowered thing behind the couch? That would be our ironing board. Which unfortunately seems to have become a permanent fixture in our family room these days.

*sigh*

I'm working on making sure to stay on top of the never-ending pile of ironing. Or learning to let go of my obsessive need to have everything in our house be wrinkle free.

I'm also considering buying a new ironing board cover that matches our family room decor. ;)

Hud started taking a cooking class at school. This kiddo loves to cook, and right now says he's going to be a chef when he grows up. I love that.
Mimi and Papa sent him an apron for him to wear to his class, with his name on it and everything. He is super proud of it and is loving the class.

Last night he helped me make dinner. We made one of the recipes he had made in class last week. Herb Chicken with Honey Butter. It was delicious. Eat your heart out, Bobby Flay. ;)

I made these blocks for a sweet, kindred-spirit friend. Actually, they are for the sweet baby boy she and her husband adopted in January. You can read their story here
if you'd like. I recommend you do, because it's amazing. I'm so excited about getting to meet Jax when we head to Texas next month for Spring Break.
Right now my sister and brother-in-law are fostering a darling baby girl. I've only seen photos of her, but can tell you without a doubt that it's love at first sight. And it's been like that for the entire family. She's already won her way into all of our hearts. We don't know if they are going to be able to adopt her or not. We're praying that they will, feeling that it is indeed the best thing for her. Trusting God with all of this, because we know that he really does know best. Waiting patiently for Reagan and Jon's miracle. :)

As you know, this one recently turned 10. I'm learning that the older they get, the more clueless I become. The infant and preschool stuff? Piece of cake. Getting up every 2 hours to feed a baby? Bring it. Poopy diapers. No big deal.

Pre-teen (tween?) drama? Help. Attitude? Seriously, help. Talking back? I'm thinking about running away for awhile. ;) Just kidding...thankfully our normally happy and outgoing son is still mostly his normal happy self. We're learning to deal with the times that he's not. And figuring out what to do during those times. And praying that this transition is quick. And relying on the advice of our parents and some other sweet friends who have already traveled this road and have lots of wisdom. Whew. :)

Our middle man is growing up. He has two very loose teeth. Thinking they should be out by the end of the week. Here he is showing us the "smolder." He learned that from watching "Tangled," one of our very favorite Disney movies. I'm having fun watching him gain more independence, making good friends at school, asserting himself more...he is SO the middle child. Easy, laid-back (unless his little brother is bugging him), doesn't want to do anything to rock the boat, still loves to snuggle. He's quite the artist...which makes this mama's heart very happy. Thankful that all 3 seem to know not to hit me with the hard stuff all at the same time. How considerate of them to take turns. ;)

Four is fun. One of my favorite ages. He's giving up nap time, but thankfully is taking a good long one right now. We have the rainy day to thank for that. His imagination is in full-force...and it's a total blast. :) We're having fun, and I'm soaking up every bit of this time with him.
Because I know from experience that this time goes by way too fast.

I love my people. :)

And I'll stop here...for now. Still lots to talk about. Be back soon.

Catching Up

2011-02-28T11:03:00.003-05:00

Where has this month gone? Really, I have no idea. It's been a whirlwind around here. A whirlwind of what? Really couldn't tell you that either. Busy with life, I guess. And cleaning, and reorganizing, going through boxes of clothes for spring and summer, figuring out what fits who, who needs what, etc. Reorganizing the garage with the hubs, buying new tires for the car...you know, really exciting and glamorous stuff like that. ;)

Oh, and I bought this frame too. Which, in my opinion, is pretty exciting.

Because I love it...not nearly as much as I love those three who are framed inside it, but I have to say that when I found this frame in this fab little gift shop at the mall, it was indeed

love at first sight. :)

And now I'm happy to report...our mantle is finally complete. I know, I know...you were losing sleep over it too, right? haha. :)

But here is a little glimpse of what we've been up to this month...

Harrison was asked to act in a USO-style show at church. It was so fun! He did a great job with his part as a great-grandson named Charley. I loved getting to sit back and watch him in action, doing something he LOVES, that seems to come really naturally to him. It was an amazing show...I'm so blown away by the talent that is at our church. I got lost in the music that night, watching the people who were playing the Andrews Sisters, Patsy Cline, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, etc...and of course, Bob Hope. Hilarious. Amazing. And so thankful we get to be here to see what is happening and play a small part in it.

Hudson was picked to be Star Student of the Week for his class this week. Which we didn't discover until last night when I was going through the boys' Friday folders. Oops. I made a mental note to check folders ON Friday instead of Sunday night from now on, as I pulled Hudson out of bed (thankfully he wasn't asleep yet) and we quickly colored and drew pictures and filled in all the blanks on this poster. We had fun though, and it turned out great in spite of our frantic rush to finish it. And now I'm anxiously expecting my "Mom of the Year" award to arrive any day now. ;) Geez.

March marks one year since we moved and made Georgia our new home. I really can't believe how fast it has gone. And I can't help but reflect on how much has changed in a year. How much I've changed in a year. I'm both humbled and thankful for how God has taken care of us here. He's provided new friendships, and new families here to be our "Georgia family"....not replacing in any way the family and friends back home, of course, but adding to the people He has already blessed us so incredibly with. It blows me away. Of course I still get homesick, but am thankful that we've been able to make pretty frequent visits back home, and that our family and friends have made so much effort to get out here to see us too. And I've learned to make the most of the time we get together in a way I never thought about when we all lived close to each other.

I'm excited about what God is doing at church, and so very thrilled to get to be a part of what is happening there. And now that relationships are getting stronger with people there, and it now feels like my church home...well, it's just very good.

And as you can see, I'm in my Pollyanna, everything-is-rainbows-and-butterflies mode. :) I dare anyone to steal my joy. Actually, I don't...those people need to leave me alone. ;)

My heart is full.

This Guy

2011-01-24T14:11:00.003-05:00

Yeah....I'm kinda crazy about him. ;)

Today we celebrate 13 years of marriage.

That doesn't really seem possible. At the same time, it's really hard to remember a time when he wasn't with me. It seems just like yesterday we were this young, 21-year-old couple. Babies. Getting married. Still in college. Clueless. Madly in love. No idea what was ahead of us. I love the fact that we have pretty much grown up together. I went from living with my parents, to living in a dorm, to living with him. And that was perfect~ for me.

People give us a hard time for being a cheesy, sappy, mushy couple, and that's okay. I'm just thankful that we like each other as much as we do. At least, most of the time. ;)

Are things always "rainbows and butterflies" around here? Nope. We really couldn't be more different. Things that I get uptight about, he's relaxed about. And vice-versa. We parent differently. We think differently. We like different tv shows. You will never find me in a deer stand (well, unless he really wanted me to go). ;) You also won't find him scrapbooking.

But the older we get, and the further along we go on this journey, the better we get at handling problems and disagreements. And despite our different interests, we have a lot of fun together. Truth is, I would follow this guy to the end of the world. And I can rest in the fact that he would do the same for me.

Thankful for how beautifully my photographer-friend (http://www.gypsyheartphotography.com/) caught the way we feel about each other.

Thankful that I get to share this life with him. It doesn't get any better than that.

Happy that God has entrusted us with these three to take along on this journey.
Icing on the cake, people. :)

Love, laughter, and complete chaos. That's us. :)

10

2011-01-18T22:14:00.002-05:00

How in the world is it possible?

Not sure...and I'm going to try really hard not to be a sentimental, sappy mom in this post.

Not making any promises, though. ;)

My oldest is 10 today. The day after my baby turned 4.

Kind of a cruel thing to do to a mom, isn't it?

Honestly, beyond the bittersweet-ness that comes with watching your kiddos grow up, there's way more a sense of wonder, pride, humility, and most importantly, thankfulness.

Because Harrison was born before the world of digital cameras was introduced, I don't have pics from each year for him like I do for the other two boys. :(

So instead I chose some of my favorites to share.

This one is my favorite from our recent family pictures that were taken while in Texas.

The Lego Maniac...age 8.

My attempt at Christmas card pictures. Love this one of him.

Summer after kindergarten, on vacation with Mimi and Papa in California.

7th birthday (photo taken by Tomi Cheeks)

Age 3, LOVING Mimi's cake at Thanksgiving.

Baseball stud. :) (Photo taken by Tomi Cheeks)

First art show, age 6.

Age 6 (photo taken by Kelly Stocksen)
I know he's mine but...boy is he cute.

Harrison is smart and funny.

He's kind-hearted and independent.

He still likes to cuddle, and loves his blanket...and doesn't care what anyone thinks about that.

I love that. :)

He's taken a new interest in music, playing guitar and singing in an ensemble group at school, and loves it. He's taking a break from baseball this year to pursue these interests, with the plan to play football in the fall. Not gonna lie....a little sad about the no-baseball thing, but love watching him go after his interests full speed ahead. Secretly hoping he misses baseball this season. ;)

Harrison loves his family.

He's a protective, patient big brother.

He loves the Lord, and it's incredible watching his relationship with God grow.

I couldn't be more proud to call him my son, and am thankful to see that with all the trial and error that comes with being a first-time parent, he's thrived in amazing ways. Whew. :)

Can't wait to see what the next 10 years hold for him, but really hope they don't go as fast as these last 10 years have. Happy birthday, Harrison! We love you very much.

Four

2011-01-17T09:22:00.003-05:00

Today my littlest H is four.

At four he is funny, sweet, loves to aggitate his big brothers (and he's great at it) ;), ride his bike, build with Legos, play Wii Sports, rock out his guitar, and help me cook. He's tall and lean, with big green eyes. His hair is the darkest of the three boys, but still has a little blonde in it. Thanks to 3 years of (really) loving his paci, he sounds a little bit like Daffy Duck when he talks. :) It's really cute, but starting to go away as the little overbite he had is starting to close, you know, since he's big now and doesn't need that old paci anymore. ;)

He's my little buddy, and I can't help but think about how quickly it will be when he joins his big brothers at school. :( But for now I'm going to soak up every bit of preschool-hood that I can, and for today reflect back on his past birthdays, celebrating today's.

Third birthday party...he was going through a shy stage then (he's way over that now), and covered his eyes when we sang to him, finally uncovering them to blow out his candles.

TWO...Elmo party. This baby LOVES cake. Loves it. Definitely my kid. ;)

ONE...this is one of my favorite pictures of him EVER. Thankful for a talented photographer friend
who happily took party pics for me so we could just enjoy the party. Missing her this year.

January 17, 2007. His birthday.

After a short labor, he slipped into our world quickly, 3 weeks early. So quickly, that my doctor almost didn't make it in time. Thankful she did. And thankful I had the wisdom to cherish every moment of that day, remembering so many details, because I knew he would be my last, and I didn't want to forget a thing.

Thankful for this little guy, and how perfectly he completes our family. Happy birthday, Hunter Man...you are very, very loved.

snow what fun it is :)

2011-01-10T16:09:00.002-05:00

Snow days. Love, LOVED them when I was a kid, and love them just as much now. About 5-6 inches of snow was dumped on the Atlanta metro area last night, and we were thrilled to wake up to the beautiful white fluffiness this morning. School was canceled, Brian's office was closed...we are snowed in. Awesome. :)

By about 9:30 the boys were over being patient, and ready to gear up for some outside time. So we layered up, grabbed cookie sheets to use as sleds (they really worked!), and headed out. The giant hill we have in our backyard is a beating when Brian has to mow it, but it sure is great when it's covered in snow.

Our next door neighbors had sleds and came over to share and play with us. We've got to get some of these. Wish you could have heard the happy-screaming-Hud as he was flying down the hill.

Harrison was smiling like this pretty much the whole time...sledding, throwing snowballs, making snow angels...we finally had to drag him in. :)

And this little guy was in snow heaven as well, loving it, laughing, sledding for about an hour. And then when he was done, he was DONE. Oh, the crying. "There's snow in my boots. There's snow in my gloves. There's snow in my eyeballs. I WANT TO GO IN!!" So we did. ;)

So while Hunter and I went in and warmed up, the other three kept on. And neighbors joined in. Have I mentioned how much I love our neighbors?

And this guy was loving it too. I loved watching him play and laugh,
totally covered in snow, sledding, sliding, throwing snowballs...greatness.

And yes, even I joined in the fun. I had forgotten how much I LOVE to sled. Haven't done it since we lived in Montana when I was 10. It's been awhile. ;)

Definitely have to say it's been a magical day. And school has already been canceled again tomorrow....yippee!!

Big

2011-01-06T13:03:00.003-05:00

Two milestones for my tiny man today. Who is actually becoming not-so-tiny way too quickly. Milestone #1: I registered Hunter for Pre-K today...which doesn't actually start until September, but we had to get him on the waiting list early in order to get the Mon-Wed-Fri schedule we're REALLY hoping to get. We'll see. :) Warning: I'm not going to handle his first day of school well. Really hard to believe my baby is getting so big. *Sigh*

Milestone #2: Hunter built his first real Lego set today.With some help from me, but it was remarkable seeing him build...I love watching those little fingers put the pieces together.

I love how I can practically see the little wheels turning in that punkin head of his as he figures out where all the pieces go. But my favorite part?

Watching the "I DID IT!" celebration when he's all finished.

Man, I love this kid. :)

Buckets and Resolutions

2011-01-04T13:05:00.003-05:00

It's a new year. A time when people are talking about changes, goals, plans, dreams, etc. Truth is, I don't like New Year's resolutions...always felt like I was setting myself up for failure. I don't think my plans for a new "me" have ever made it past February. Had the best intentions, of course, but life gets in the way. ;) Guess when I really think about it, I'm okay with the way I am. Mostly.

This year, however, I'm trying again. With realistic goals.

1) I WILL (if it kills me) scrapbook 2010. Not worrying about the fact that years 2007-2009 aren't done yet, but focusing on 2010. Because it was a big year for us, and I want to document it.

2) I'm going to step things up a bit with my workouts. I've recently started running a little during my normal walks, and (shockingly)....I like it. Planning to work up to where there's more running than walking. And heading back to Pilates...this class is a once-a-week, 2-hour class . Haven't done that since before I was pregnant with Hunter, and I LOVED it then. Excited about starting again.

3) I'm going to un-plug more, and not be distracted by that stuff when it comes to my kids and my hubs. Not distracted by the computer and phone anymore, but be fully present for my favorite people. We love to play games, play outside, watch movies, etc. More of that in 2011. :)

4) Trying to find the balance between housework and play, busyness and downtime. I'm not good at relaxing. And the truth is, there is ALWAYS something to do....something to clean, clothes to wash, a project to finish, etc, etc. And it seems that the more I try to do, the more I FIND to do. Not that it's a bad thing~ I love having a clean home, and a life that is as organized as can be when you have 3 boys, but I want them to remember their childhood as one that was full of fun, hugs, and laughs in a clean (but not neccessarily perfect) and cozy home. Not one where their mom was too busy cleaning and making things perfect that she didn't have time to play and have fun. Think I can make that happen? We'll see. ;)

Ok, that's it. Pretty reasonable, right?

And now, my bucket list. Part of it, anyway. Things I would LOVE to do this year.

1) Play on the beach with my hubs and my babies. Because we've never done that, and we're so close now...it's gotta happen.

2) There are lots of old, classic movies that I have never seen. "The Sound of Music" is one. ALL of "Gone with the Wind" is another (I've seen parts, but not all). And I know Christmas is over, but I've never seen "Its'a Wonderful Life" in it's entirety either. Can you believe that? I'm a little ashamed of myself. The Doris Day movies I have seen I loved...want to watch more. Any other suggestions?

3) Learn how to play the guitar. Harrison's getting pretty good...maybe he can teach me. :)

4) Go on a mission trip with my family. I keep thinking that Hud and Hunter are too little, but that's wrong. The earlier they learn how to share the love of Jesus with others, the easier it will be to continue to share it throughout their lives. I would LOVE to go to China (or anywhere in Asia, really) but that may be a bit ambitious, and there's a really good chance that I will want to bring a baby back home with me :) so we'll have to work out the details there. We'll see.

5) I would LOVE to see Central Park in the spring. Thankfully, it looks like I'll get to see it with my mom and sisters this spring. Yay!

And now, I leave you with a pic of the boys ringing in the new year in our hotel last weekend. They thought it was so cool getting to drink their sparkling grape juice out of real glasses, and getting to "clink" them. :) So fun!

Our Christmas in Pictures

2011-01-01T23:42:00.005-05:00

What's a sure way to know if I've had a great time somewhere? I have very few photos to show for it. : / There are LOTS of photos in this post, but not nearly enough that cover all the fun we had these past two weeks. SO fun. But here is what I did manage to get...

Our Christmas morning...since we were heading to Texas for Christmas, we had our own Christmas celebration before we left, party of five style. ;) When we woke up, Brian read the Christmas story first....the boys were surprisingly patient and engaged, which made my heart very happy.

Then we headed downstairs to see what Santa had brought. Hunter was SO excited about his orange 4-wheeler....

Harrison and Hud both had a major Lego Christmas, which thrilled them to no end. I can't believe they both built their big sets that day. Crazy.

Clearly, Brian was having fun with some of his gifts too. ;)

And at the end of opening gifts, there was a special gift for each of them from Mickey Mouse, telling them that he can't wait to meet them this summer when they come to visit him at Disney World! Not sure who's more excited, me or them. Maybe me because I know just how magical that place is. They are really excited too...Hunter keeps asking me if it's time to go to "Disney Channel" yet. :) He has no idea how much fun it's going to be.

The next day we loaded up the car (and managed to fit all of us and everything else in it, which was a Christmas miracle) and headed fort Texas. We spent Christmas Eve at Nana's, and it was great. Family time, a delicious dinner, and the Christmas Eve service at our old church. Really great getting to go back and see friends...it was nice getting to be with our old church family.

Hunter really loves playing the Wii at Nana's....

Cousin time....

...that night we headed up to the farm for Christmas day. Harrison played his guitar for Mimi and Papa (with the help of his brothers~Hud on spotlight, Hunter was the music stand)... ;)

Hud got involved in a very serious game of Monopoly with his uncles. :)

Todd thought my mom's new cozy socks were a handband....hahaha.

The boys got to drive their new car-thing, and LOVED it. They were very cool.

Hud loved his cozy fort...in fact, he spent most of the day in here, playing his new DS games. The kiddo was in heaven. :)

Hunter ended up sick on Christmas with some yuck upper respiratory stuff. Not fun. Thankfully he was better the next day, and improved even more over the rest of the week. It was pitiful.

And apparently that's where I decided to stop taking pictures. Not happy with myself at all. The rest of the week was great too. Hung out with my friend Tomi, had a dinner date with Brian and our friends Brent and LeeAnn, shopped with my mom and sisters, watched the boys play hard with my dad and their aunts and uncles, taught a class at the Little Blue House, did a family photo shoot (can't wait to update the blog!!!)....we made tons of memories, and are thankful for a fantastic Christmas with our family and friends.

Now we're back home, and there is unpacking, a little laundry, and lots of cleaning and putting away of Christmas decorations to do. I'm going to buy my new calendar tomorrow...can't wait! Love the cleaning, fresh start, nesting thing that comes along with starting a new year. Here we go...bring on 2011!

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-23T16:56:00.002-05:00

Hope you're having a wonderful week! Been taking a little break from bloggy world...busy with school Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, visiting Santa (took two tries to actually see him, but whatever), making cookies, wrapping gifts, sitting in front of a fire with the hubs...you get it. :)

Hope you have a very merry Christmas~ I'll be back with plenty of stuff to share in the new year!

Rockstar Heaven and Other Stuff

2010-12-03T13:43:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that Hunter loves to play guitar. And he really loves when he gets to play with his Uncle Todd, who has lots of really cool guitars. And a cool hat too. :)

This kiddo was in heaven.

So was this one. Playing, wearing the cool hat too. He's past due for a haircut~ but he asked me to make sure he gets to keep his sideburns. ;) Apparently he's starting to have an opinion about his hair. Thankfully I love his sideburns too.

Harrison is 3 months into guitar lessons, and is doing great! He played "Jingle Bells" for us the other day, and rocked it. :) Uncle Todd taught his a couple new chords while we were visiting too.

Love this one of Mom and Reagan. Don't know why Beth was hiding behind them. Weirdo. ;)

One with my hubs...playing with photobucket a little....kinda like the old photo look.

And this is one of my favorite photos from our week in Texas. Love those two boys very much.

Hunter loves hanging out with his Uncle Jon too. They are good snugglers, and share a love for playing games on Jon's phone. :)

Thanksgiving, Part Two

2010-11-26T16:23:00.003-05:00

Today was part two of our Thanksgiving.

We spent the day with my side of the family.

More turkey and all the yummo fixins...food heaven.

Hunter loves to lay down and drive his trains, cars, anything with wheels. :)

Harrison and Papa enjoying a pre-Thanksgiving dinner sucker. 'Cause that's what they needed.

The girls (we're so outnumbered.) :)

The lovebirds.

More lovebirds. :)

And some more lovebirds. There's all kinds of love here. ;)

And the whole big family. Happiness.

Thinking about making this my new profile pic of Facebook. What do you think? ;) Haha.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow the Christmas season officially begins for this girl. Even though our house is already decorated. I'm a step ahead, people. :)

Thanksgiving, Part One

2010-11-25T21:22:00.003-05:00

We are having a GREAT time with family and friends this week.

Today we spent the day with Brian's family.

I wore my skinny jeans in an effort to remind myself to pace myself today. Didn't work so well. Way too much good food. And we get to do it again tomorrow with my side of the family. :) Yummo.

All of the cousins together...I think they all look like they could be brothers. (Photos taken by Leslie Hatcher)

Nothing like a good card game with family on Thanksgiving. We played (and played and played) Toy Story 3 UNO. It rocked. :)

And what would be a visit to Nana's house without some Wii time? Gotta love the Wii. :) Hunter has been playing so much lately that he smoked his older cousins in severalgames. Made me giggle. ;)

I love this photo of Nana and Erik. So sweet.

Ummm...time to eat? ;) Bring it on.

A turkey coma hit Mike pretty hard. ;)

More Toy Story UNO....

And by some miracle, we got a family picture where everyone looks good and happy at the same time. Love it.

Here's hoping your Thanksgiving was happy (and maybe included it's own miracle) too. Tomorrow, more fun with my side of the family, more delicious food, and I'll be wearing more comfortable pants. ;) Happy Thanksgiving!

Stream of Consciousness

2010-11-11T18:50:00.003-05:00

Because I haven't done a stream of consciousness post in awhile. And there are so many thoughts in my head, so why not?

I can't believe how fast November is flying by. Almost the middle of the month already. Thanksgiving is two weeks from today...which makes my heart so very happy because that means that in less than two weeks we will be in Texas, celebrating all we are thankful for with family, seeing friends we haven't seen since summer, eating more turkey and stuffing (my favorite!) than people should ever be allowed to eat, and just relaxing and soaking up every bit of being back home again. Because even though this place is starting to feel like home in some ways, truth is...I'm a Texas girl. Through and through. Despite the fact that this peach state is growing on me. And I love the fall colors here. The trees are the most vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange I've ever seen. And speaking of orange....

Have I ever mentioned how much I love pumpkins?

I have? Hmm...must have forgotten. :)

Today was parent-teacher conference day at the boys' school. Thankfully they were uneventful. Both boys are doing great academically, socially....huge blessings. And because of the conferences, today and tomorrow are half days. Which I love. Today I treated the boys to McDonald's for lunch. Which is a restaurant I had banned. Too many disturbing reports on the food quality, and I just can't stand the thought of that food digesting (or not) in their tummies. But I gave in today, with the understanding that it would be a VERY long time before that happens again. And as a reward (hard for me to think of it that way, but they certainly do) for their awesome teacher reports. They understand my issue, and were just happy to get to go, and THRILLED that it happened to fall while MegaMind toys were in their Happy Meals.

Yesterday Hunter and I met some new friends for lunch and to play. We have SO much fun with them. So fun. Jenny and I just click, have similar interests (including a love for leopard print and decorating, especially at Christmas) and our boys are the same ages. Hers are 3 and 4, and Hunter falls right in the middle. And they play well, and are always so excited to see each other. I'm loving it. And no, that wasn't a McDonald's reference. ;)

Halloween weekend was Hud's last football game of the season. :( We're all a little sad about it. Loved his team, the coach, the parents of all the players...and most of all loved watching him figure this sport out and develop a love for it. He's begging to play tackle football instead of touch next year. *gulp* We're going to have to see about that...thankful we have a whole year to decide. So happy that Reagan and Mimi got to see one of his games.

Have I ever mentioned that there are some OLD (like, Civil War old) cemetaries near our neighborhood? One of the really cool things about living in the South, I suppose. I love to walk up there and read the headstones...is that weird? Sounds creepy, probably, but I find it fascinating read the names, how long the people lived, how many family members are buried together. Always blown away by how many babies there are. Breaks my heart....I get lost in thinking about the parents and how devastated they must have been, and start imagining their story in my head. Is that weird? Probably. ;) Once when my parents were here my Dad found a headstone belonging to a Confederate soldier. Amazing, huh?

And now I've got to get back to scrapbooking, getting the boys' stuff ready for school tomorrow, making a grocery list, clipping coupons, getting the kiddos to bed, etc. And tonight is my favorite tv night too...priorities, people. ;)

(Over) Achievers

2010-11-06T21:59:00.003-04:00

I'm a proud mama.

Can't help it.

I've posted many times over this past year about the mom guilt that comes along with plucking your happy, well-adjusted kiddos out of their happy comfort zone and planting them in a new place. Even when it's in the name of Jesus, it still kinda stinks.

After this past Friday, I have to admit I feel a little better.

On Friday Hudson was given the "Student of the Month" award for his class. His sweet teacher talked about why she chose him, mentioning his generous heart and sweet spirit as a couple of the reasons during Praise and Worship.

I mean, look at that face. Does it get any sweeter? I think not. :) It is so, SO good to see him adjusting so well at school.

And on Friday Harrison and his sweet friend, Blakely, were announced as the 4th grade Student Council Representatives during Praise and Worship too. We were so excited when we found out Harrison had won this week...he worked hard campaigning, gave a speech, etc, made posters to hang all over the school. Both of the boys are SO much more outgoing than I ever was as a kid, and it does my heart good to watch them dive in head first into their new school, making friends, rockin their grades....making an impression.

Like I said...proud mama. :)

Funny and Scary...and Really Fun

2010-10-31T22:20:00.003-04:00

I love Halloween.

I probably shouldn't....you know, considering it's supposed to be an evil holiday and all.

But we just make it about fun costumes and candy, and don't take it too seriously.

From the first time I asked the boys what they wanted to be, Hud was the only who had his mind set. He wanted to be Mario. Real bad. Not too much later Hunter decided on Toadhead. Or Mushroom Dude, as I like to call it. Harrison had a harder time....he's getting older, and wanted to be something more "Halloweenie." :) Finally decided on a vampire. I know, I know...you're probably rolling your eyes and thinking I talked him into that. I absolutely did not. I wanted him to be Teen Wolf, but I guess considering he didn't grow up in the 80's like I did, he had no idea how cool that was. ;) So, vampire it was.

I have to admit it was kinda fun doing his hair and face paint (makeup?) and stuff. I wish I had recorded what was going on with this picture~ Harrison had no idea that Brian was standing there with those googly glasses on....about scared him to death. Cracked me up.

And the toadhead....oh my. We used Brian's Patriots hard hat as a base, and just covered it with felt and stuffed it with tissue paper. It was heavy on his punkin head...he kept getting off balance, then it would fall over his eyes, he would walk sideways....hilarious. :)

The boys with some of our neighbors...have I mentioned how much I love our neighbors? :)

So, SO happy my mom an sister were here this weekend...can't imagine having Halloween without them. Thankful I didn'thave to. We've had the best visit. So thankful.

Back home, LOADED down with candy. Have to say....all three of them were passing out candy to Brian, Mom, Reagan, and me, giving us the things they knew we loved. Milk Duds, Twizzlers, Peanut M&M's, and Almond Joys....delicious. :) Happy Halloween!

Party People

2010-10-31T21:38:00.002-04:00

If there's one thing we've learned since we moved here...it's that our neighbors love a party.

We live by so many fun people....really loving that.

Last weekend our neighborhood and the one behind us had a joint HOA Fall Festival.

Bounce houses, clowns making REALLY cool balloon-things, face painting, and a petting zoo.

Does it get much better? I think not.

A vampire and a SpongeBob...is this a kid after my own heart, or what? ;)

Hud also chose a vampire (I PROMISE I had nothing to do with that choice...tried to get him to choose a pumpkin), and the clowns made him a red light saber. He was pumped. :)

Hunter and Daddy. Isn't he dreamy? ;) Hahaha....wow.
A little frightening.

Then last night we had a little block party. It was SOOOO fun. Everyone pitched in with food, games, face-painting, crafts, a scavenger hunt. Greatness. This is Harrison and Hud with our next door neighbor.

How very much this baby loves a cupcake. :)

My little Harry Potter with the ghost he made.

AND....look who's here for the weekend!!!!

I wasn't sure how I was going to handle Halloween without them....glad I didn't have to.

And there was a "little" (ha~ yeah right) baseball game last night. Can you tell we were ready?
How about them Rangers? Love them.

The Spooky House Returns...again

2010-10-24T13:34:00.002-04:00

I know, I know...you've been waiting all month for this post, right? ;) Hahaha.

The spooky house. A family tradition. Our third year to make this house.

My favorite thing about it? That it is more of a Daddy-boys project than a family project.

Of course, I'm there. I take the photos. And help some. The control-freak in me can't help it. But it's more fun for me to sit back and watch these four in action, doing something crafty.

First, Daddy builds the house.

Then the boys decorate it. And show amazing restraint by not eating all the candy. Mostly because they know there will be plenty left for them to eat after the decorating is over. :)

And....we're done. Happy Halloween!

Elections and Field Trips

2010-10-22T14:36:00.003-04:00

Today has been a big day for our family.

Particularly for our oldest.

Harrison was chosen (based on grades and a class vote) to run for 4th grade Student Council.

He's really excited, and we will be very busy this weekend

getting ready for him to campaign next week.

This morning he had to give his speech....something I thought my outgoing, talkative son would handle without thinking twice. I was wrong. He was a nervous wreck~ so out of character for him. I thought he was going to be sick before his turn, but thankfull he wasn't. He got up on stage and delivered his speech. We were really proud of him.

The school will vote next Friday....we'll see what happens. :)

After the speech I headed out for a field trip with this one...

....to a pumpkin farm. It's actually a Christmas Tree farm, not too far from where we live.

Very cool.

We went on a hayride....(check out the little farmer here)

...fed goats....

....and picked pumpkins.
Isn't his class cute? :)

They really are. Cute, I mean. And silly. And incredibly well-behaved.

This weekend is getting off to a great start. :)

Sidewalk Chalk

2010-10-14T14:16:00.002-04:00

I had some work to do this morning.

I really wanted to play with my tiny man.

But in effort to stop my procrastinator ways, I had committed to finish one of the minibooks needed to complete an order by the end of the month. Today. So, I did (yay!), and we celebrated by heading outside for some time with sidewalk chalk and our driveway.

Otherwise known as a gigantic canvas. :)

Hunter doesn't like to draw or color....which is so hard to wrap my brain around. He's artistic in other ways~ for instance, with music. He can rock his guitar like no other preschooler I know. But crayons and a color book? No thanks. He's analytical. He wants to know how things work. He loves tools and fixing things. It's like pulling teeth to get this one to work on writing his letters or drawing stick figure people. But because it's important that he be able to write his name, I keep trying. He's coming around. :)

We made serious progress today. And had fun at the same time. :)

We drew trees and snowmen, stick people, and practiced writing his name.

I know it's hard to see, but if you look closely, I wrote his name in pink, with him working under it in blue. Pretty good, in my opinion. Smart baby.

But then, he'd had enough of that, so we went on a nature walk. Can you believe how red this leaf is? I know this is my first Fall in Georgia and all, but it's just breathtaking. I hope I never get tired of the reds, oranges, and yellows that now cover the trees. That are everywhere.

It's beautiful.

We collected lots of leaves to show Daddy tonight when he gets home.

I am loving every second of having this guy home with me.

One year ago this month....

2010-10-13T22:12:00.005-04:00

...everything changed. Or rather, everything began to change. Little did I know just how much it would change me. Or what exactly was ahead for us, which I look at as a good thing because honestly, if I knew exactly what was ahead, I probably would have run for the hills. ;)

It was a year ago this month that God called us to a new church. In a new state. Something I had spent that month and the one before fighting against. But God, in His incredible wisdom and never-ending patience, made it absolutely clear to me that we were to go. In spite of my best efforts to tell Him all the reasons He was wrong. How's that for being honest and transparent? Geez.

This photo was taken two weeks before Brian headed out to start his new job. These photos mean even more to me now that I look back on them, one year later. They mark the beginning of something new, something hard, something that terrified me. They mark the end of a season in our lives, the comfortable bubble we loved so much. God had spent well over a year preparing our hearts for this move, for the changes that would take place....getting my heart and head around the idea of living somewhere new, away from my friends and family, and for the first time in my life (with a couple of brief exceptions) going to a new church. On top of that, we would spend the next four and a half months with Brian in our new city while the boys and I stayed behind. I'm so thankful that I had no idea how long this temporary separation would last. And honestly, it's something I'd rather not ever have to do again. But we made it. And when we were reunited here, we were able to appreciate each other even more than before.

It practically took a burning bush to show me that we were supposed to go....okay, not really. But it was the first time in my Christian walk that God made things so incredibly clear that there was no second-guessing it. Because (since I'm being so honest here) I know that He knew that if He didn't, I probably would. Second-guess it, I mean. And come up with a million reasons why this was the absolute worst idea EVER. It went like this~ Brian and I were flown in for an interview, and I literally spent the entire first day in tears. Seriously. Couldn't stop. And I argued with Brian about why I hated this whole thing. And he, being the patient, understanding husband he is, listened to me rant and complain. And he was quiet and loving and sweet. That night while he slept, I prayed. And prayed. Mostly, I did some more arguing until I was completely exhausted. And I ended my prayer with this: "Lord, if this is really what you want us to do, then please give me a total peace about it. When I wake up in the morning, no more tears. Not one. And then I will know that this is Your will for us." How did I know this? Because if you know me at all, you know how very emotional I am, and that only in God's strength would I ever be able to do that.

And I guess you can figure out what happened the next day. :) My eyes had never been drier.

And a peace I can't even really describe completely consumed me.

And we watched over the next several weeks as things began to fall into place. Our house sold within 3 months in the middle of the holiday season and a poor economy. We soaked up every bit of time with family and friends that was possible. We made memories, we treasured all of the little moments, the things we had spent the previous years taking for granted. We said goodbyes, and I literally thought our hearts would break. In some ways, they did.

Leaving was horrible. But God is faithful.

So now....one year later. Changed. Stronger. Homesick? Definitely.

He never promised that things would be rainbows and butterflies all the time. He did, however, promise that He would always be with us. That He would go before us.

And He has shown us, in big ways and small ways, that His plan is perfect.

I don't always understand it. I don't always like it. But I've learned that I would rather be out of my comfort zone and in the big middle of His will than be out of His will, trying to figure this out on my own.

The boys have been amazing. Their faith an inspiration. They miss Texas. They miss their grandparents, their aunts and uncles, their friends, their school. But they seem to understand (way better than I do at times) that when we follow God's plan, it's all good.

And they know that together, the five of us can handle whatever He calls us to do.

My prayer, my hope, is that someday God will lead us back home. He knows the desire of my heart. He knows how much I want our boys to be raised around lots of family. We miss having that support nearby. I miss the day-to-day time together, family dinners, movies with my mom and sisters, shopping with friends, Bunco, etc.

In the meantime, I'm thankful that He is providing people here who help fill that void. Not replace it, but fill in the gap. Proof that He knows this heart, that He cares about the details.

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." Deut. 3:18

Happiness is....

2010-10-03T17:06:00.006-04:00

Monster cookies cooling on the counter next to a rooster named Roger.

Who used to belong to my Momo and Dandy.

I love that he now sits on my counter....reminds me of them and all the wonderful memories I have of time at their house. I love the vintage-cool factor that this rooster provides too. My Momo had fab taste. :)

I got the recipe for these Monster cookies from the Pioneer Woman (http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/) . If you are not familiar with her, then go visit her website. Right now. She's an amazing cook, photographer, mom, etc. living life on a ranch in Oklahoma. She's hilarious, and her blog is one of my favorites. So go, check her out. You won't be sorry.

Happiness is also seeing mums and pumpkins on our front porch. This is my favorite time of year....I know, I've blogged about this already. I won't elaborate this time. :0)

AND...happiness is life with these three. Which can at times make me crazy. Crazy-happy. Never bored. And in the middle of dodging light sabers and tripping over hot wheels, crippling myself on legos, and cleaning up spills, there are more hugs, kisses, and "I love you's" than this girl should ever deserve.

And these next three photos prove that.....

....it is impossible....

....to get a decent picture.....

.....of us. My sweet hubs tried his best, but....it just wasn't happening. Oh well. Proof that life here isn't picture perfect, but it is fun, funny, unpredictable....good. :)

Two Visits, One Weekend

2010-10-03T16:33:00.003-04:00

One was a visit from Nana, which was expected and eagerly awaited. And lots of fun. :)

The other was my visit to the emergency room, which was neither expected or eagerly awaited.

Definitely not fun either, but thankfully it was nothing more than a rupturing ovarian cyst.

Not cool, and really painful, but thanks to some really great drugs and a plan from my new doc so that this never happens again, I can definitely say I'm a new girl this weekend. Much better.

And thankful for my next-door-neighbor-turned-amazing-friend who took me to the ER so that Brian could enjoy some time with his mom. I asked him to stay with her, promising that if something serious was going on he would be called in. It was such a fast weekend that I wanted him to get as much time with her as possible. :) And I'm really thankful that we have people here we can call on for help when the need arises. Proof that God really is in the details....being in a new town, away from family and friends who we always counted on for help in times like these, I'm thankful that He is providing people here that we can lean on.

But anyway....back to the fun part of the weekend. On Saturday we headed out to a fall festival in a nearby town. I had high expectations for the shopping part of the festival...apparently living an hour away from Canton, TX has spoiled me beyond belief. Sad to report I was greatly disappointed in that part of the festival. : /

The food, however, did not disappoint. Harrison shares my love for a funnel cake. He ate almost all of it. With some help from his dad. I hardly got any. Which was really fine. Really. ;)

Hud was a big fan of the corn dogs. They were yummo. And this is coming from a girl who is not a fan of hot dogs unless I am at a baseball came (preferably a Texas Rangers baseball game...they're just better there) or at a fair/festival event. THEN, and only then, are hot dogs and corn dogs the bomb. :)

And Hunter and Nana took off in search of a special treat, and came back with this frozen chocolate banana. He licked all the chocolate off and then handed the banana to me. Figures.;)

Brian with his extra sour lemonade. He's so dreamy. :)

I love this one of Hud with his Nana. Sweet, huh?

Brian made me wear this stupid hat on the bus ride back to our car. Ridiculous, isn't it?

A tired, sweaty Hunter with the bouncy spider he scored for only $2. All three of the boys got one. The only shopping we did at this festival. Which is okay, I guess. :) We had a great time anyway....just happy to have fall festivals to go to, and happy to spend some time with Nana.

He's Done It

2010-09-18T20:38:00.002-04:00

He's made me love it.

The sport I have spent the greater part of my life loathing....football.

Not that you're going to find me on couch every weekend cheering on college football or anything, but I definitely tolerate better.

But watching this guy play? Doesn't get much better than that.

He's a natural.

Love it.

2010-09-15T13:14:00.002-04:00

Did you know that Superman can bake banana bread?

Neither did I. :)

This kiddo has LIVED in this costume for well over a week now. He's the third of our 3 to wear it. I love that. And I'm guessing that the love of all things superheros must be hard-wired into boys' DNA because with the exception of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy on SpongeBob, none of ours have really watched any of it. Interesting.

I didn'teven tell him to pose like this. He just did it. Crazy. To infinity, and beyond!

Oh wait, that's Buzz Lightyear. Whatever. :)

3heart Designs

2010-09-14T23:17:00.004-04:00

So....I started a new blog today. You can read more about it at www.3heartdesigns.blogspot.com.
Basically....I'm back in business. And it feels great! Read on, my faithful blog friends.

This will continue to be my family blog~ the one that records the adventures in our world that my horrible memory will most certainly otherwise forget. :) 3hearts will focus on scrapbooking, decorating, and everything else that encompasses my part-time job that I have missed so much and am SO READY to get back to.

So, here we go. Thank you for joining me on this journey. :)

You're Going Down

2010-09-11T14:43:00.004-04:00

Today was Hud's first football game.

As you can tell, he had his game face on.

Still has a touch of sweetness, even when he's trying to look tough. ;)

A little pre-game pep talk

Gearing up for the big game with his friend Will.

Hud scored a touchdown...a 30 yard touchdown. It was pretty awesome. I didn't have my camera ready for that, of course, but I did record him running this play. Such a proud mama. :)

Mid-game pep talk with his Daddy. I sooo wish you could have seen the pride beaming on B's face. Priceless. :)

A little post-game chill time. It's hard work being a football player.

This baby has turned his mama into a football fan in just one game. Here we go, people.

It's Coming!

2010-09-09T14:00:00.004-04:00

Do you see it? See the red-ish orange leaves on our tree?

Fall. It's coming. It's my favorite time of the year. And I get more excited about decorating for Fall than I do about decorating for Christmas. Maybe because Fall leads into Christmas....not sure. All I do know is that there is something about pumpkins and leaves that makes me really happy and cozy on the inside. Wish I could go and put a sweatshirt on. Unfortunately, the 90 degree temps outside aren't allowing me to do that yet, so I'm just going to have to pretend for a couple more weeks. That's okay. Because it's coming. This tree promises that. :)

This is our kitchen table. Picked up this tray and the acorns, and the hemp table runner at Pottery Barn OUTLET (did you know such a thing existed? It's pretty fantastic), and everything else is just stuff I've had for awhile. Fun giving new life to it. And it's really great that each night at dinner I can just grab the entire tray and move it without disrupting the decorations and having to re-do them. Huge help.

I spent most of the morning fighting with this grapevine, trying to get it in just the right spots. That stuff is a beating to work with, but it screams "Fall" to me, so it was worth the fight. The pumpkins are from when I worked at Recollections....I made these for the class sample and got to co-teach the class, and then my fantastic boss let me keep them. I love them, and I really love the happy memories they remind me of from that special place.

What did Hunter do as I worked? He made up his own version of Veggie Tales with this little gourd and the pumpkins. Thankful on days like this that he has a fun imagination to keep him busy. He also watched way more tv than I usually allow....at least we've had a full week of active, non-tv things....takes away some of the mommy guilt for letting SpongeBob and Dora help me today. :)

And yes, I even did a Halloween area. I know it's early. But I was on a roll and just wanted to get it done. That jack-o-lantern is too fab to just be out for one month of the year. And I really love the boys' treat buckets (made by my very talented friend Trisha Louise)...they really need to get some time in the spotlight, don't you agree? ;)

Now, if this doesn't make you want to go pick a pumpkin, then nothing will. Happy Fall!

SpongeBob and Football

2010-09-05T15:09:00.003-04:00

This weekend has brought a much-needed break.

Between Brian's hectic schedule and the sickness and yuck

we've been dealing with, it was so nice to get a reprieve.

Friday we decorated SpongeBob cookies.

From a kit.

Which goes against everything I believe in, but whatever.

They loved it, so I did too.

Hunter's was a little green, but he thought it was delicious.

Yesterday I met a friend for coffee.

She has been a HUGE encouragement to me in getting adjusted to our move here.

She's a minister's wife too, so she gets it. And I love that.

And there is no doubt in my mind that God placed her right in the middle of my world at just the right time, because I know He knew how much I would need her.

It was a great way to start my Saturday, made even better by the

really yummy Pumpkin Spice Latte I got to enjoy while we met. I so love fall. :)

But anyway....after coffee Brian and I loaded up the boys and a picnic lunch and headed to the park. The weather was BEAUTIFUL. So beautiful. Perfect for a picnic.

We took along a football so we could play a little, and practice with Hud some too.

The boys were more interested in tackling each other, but we threw the ball around, kicked it some, and just goofed around and had fun. It was perfect.

We ended the day with dinner at our neighbor's house.

The kids played, we talked and laughed,

and then when it was time to go home we just walked back next door to our house.

Loved that. :)

Life is good.

I'm Gonna Miss This

2010-09-04T21:28:00.003-04:00

Something monumental occurred in our house this week.

Something that we (or I, admittedly) had been putting off for far too long.

The tiny one gave up his paci. With no drama or sadness of any kind on his part.
His mom, however, isn't handling it quite as well. ;)
Don't get me wrong....I mean, I know it's time. I know it's WAY past time.
I guess because he's my baby I just wanted to delay this last "changing from a baby into a big boy" milestone for just a little longer.And it just doesn't get much better than getting a paci kiss from this kiddo. And because he might have acquired my addictive personality, I kind of assumed taking it away would be a total nightmare.
How wrong I was. This kid is a champ.
The whole thing was way too easy. His (very last one) got lost. We couldn't find it anywhere, so one "you're a big boy now, so it's time to give your paci to the babies" pep talk coupled with a bribe trip to Target for a prize the next day, and he was all good. 4 nights later, and we're still good. No baby detox at all. Crazy. Crazy good.

Today he found his long lost friend.
He brought it to me and said I need to give it the babies.
My baby is growing up.

2010-09-02T20:38:00.004-04:00

Want a lick? ;)

Today Hunter helped me make brownies. He can crack an egg better than any other 3-yr-old I know. While they were baking, he happily licked the bowl. By the looks of these pictures, you would think he had actually climbed into the bowl. I'm sure that if he could have he would have. Never thought I would have to clean chocolate off of my child's armpits, but I suppose after 9 years of raising boys, nothing should really surprise me, right?

I will happily clean whatever off this sweet baby.

And yes, that is a pile of clothes needing to be folded in the background. This afternoon we had more important things to do....like make brownies. And lick the bowl. But because having clean underwear is important too,

I actually did get around to doing that this evening. :)

And speaking of clothes....

....what do you think of the boys' choices of clothing for their

afternoon of playing outside?

I recently read somewhere (another blog, I think) that a "good" mom lets her kids dress themselves. Don't really know if I agree with that or not. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm kind of a control freak. And letting them go out in public like this kind of seems like child abuse to me. Hahaha...just kidding. But when we're just hanging around the house or playing outside, I have no problem letting them pick.
For school, church, and other public outings, I still lay out their clothes each night so they know what to put on in the morning.
Because if I don't, this is apparently what they will come up with on their own. :) Wow.
I guess I thought that after all these years of dressing them pretty darn cute (if I do say so myself) some sense of style would have soaked into their smart little heads. Looks like I'll be laying out their clothes for them for a long time to come. :)

2010-08-30T12:53:00.004-04:00

So....6 months after moving here I'm finally getting my craft area set up.

It's going to be upstairs in our loft area...probably not the best spot,

but it's what makes the most sense for now.

Hoping that since it will be out in the open

I will be more likely to keep it clean.

We'll see. ;)

I had an order come in this weekend for 4 scrapbooks...definite motivation to get busy and get set up fast. So I've been reorganizing....

...and re-painting. This is Brian's childhood desk, and will fit upstairs perfectly. And, since I'm going through a "red" phase right now, the color makes me happy.

Today I had this really cute little helper to sort buttons with me. :)
Kind of thought it would be a good educational thing for him to do,
since we've taken the year off from formal preschool.
Two things I learned today:
1) This guy is a great sorter/organizer
2) I need more buttons. ;)

Before and After

2010-08-25T22:18:00.003-04:00

Today was the day. 5 weeks after the unfortunate accident at church camp...the green cast came off! Not sure who was more excited, Harrison or me.

Probably him....but I was a close second.

I know he felt so free after getting that thing off....his scrawny little arm is weak, stiff, and a little sore, but according to his doc has healed beautifully. He is now armed with a brace to wear during all daily activities, still has to sit out for 3 more weeks in PE, and THEN will finally be freed up to resume his active, busy, accident-prone lifestyle. *gulp*

And now, please excuse me while I run out to purchase a gigantic roll of bubblewrap.

Me, paranoid? Nah...not at all.

The Linebacker

2010-08-24T21:07:00.006-04:00

That's his nickname. My friend Tomi started calling him that first. Then random people at church started calling him that. And although we've tried really hard not to label our kiddos so that they are free to try different things until they discover their passion, sometimes names just stick. He truly was born looking like a little linebacker. Broad shoulders (trust me on that one) ;) huge hands, and solid as a rock. So, the name began, and has since stuck.

Today might have been the beginning of him showing more proof

of the truth of his nickname.

He definitely had fun. :)

And, although I don't want to brag (really, I don't)....he was kind of a natural.

I know it's probably just the proud mama in me and all, but this kid may just be the one that makes me finally find a love for football.

We'll see.

Sweet.

Determined.

Tough?
Definitely, when he needs to be.
But mostly, he's smiley. :)
And more like a teddy bear.

The Middle

2010-08-23T20:15:00.003-04:00

Today my middle man came home from school

with his first homework project of the year.

A family project~ we're all supposed to contribute to

decorating this apple however we want to.

My kind of project. :)

When I asked Hud how he wanted to decorate it,

he said he wanted to draw a picture of his family.

He grabbed his markers and got busy....look who ended up in the middle, holding hands with his Mom and Dad? :)

Apparently, he is very happy with his spot in the family. The psychology-lover in me gets really excited about this kind of stuff~ I believe that kids reveal A LOT about how they feel about things through drawing. It's clear that our Hud feels very secure and loved, and that makes this mom's heart very happy. And while I worry that by being the middle kid means he sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, and his more laid-back personality at times gets overshadowed by his slightly *ahem* higher-maintenance brothers, maybe I'm worrying for nothing. I worry about a lot of things.....have I mentioned that before? ;)

This kiddo has rocked his first 3 weeks of 1st grade.

I'm so proud of him~ he's reading like a champ and is a math whiz.

Now, if only his mom would get on the ball and finish teaching him how to tie his shoes.....

I think it's going to be a great year. ;)

How very much I love our family.

A Boy, His Dog, and a Butterfly

2010-08-18T13:49:00.004-04:00

Otherwise entitled, "The Most Random Post Ever." ;0)

I'm not really an animal person. I mean, I like them okay. In theory, I think pets are great. They teach responsibility, they're cute......I used to envision a big lab sitting at my feet keeping them warm while a fire blazes in the fireplace, him or her playing fetch with the kids, going on long walks with the dog on leash, etc. etc.

And then we welcomed Addy into our home.

She was abandoned. She needed a home. Harrison met her, fell in love, and begged us to let him keep her. She was sweet, gentle....and completely covered in long black fur. But b/c I'm a sucker for those sad, pleading puppy eyes (Harrison's, not the dog's) we agreed. And now, for almost 3 years, she's been a part of our family. She sheds. Everywhere. She's neurotic. Absolutely refuses to fetch anything for anyone. Scared of the vacuum, the doorbell, Hud's pet hamster, strangers, car horns, other dogs....you get the idea.

She's also sweet, incredibly gentle, patient, doesn't chew on anything, hardly barks ,plays well with the boys, sleeps and lays around a lot. If she was furless, she would be the perfect dog. ;)

So even though my equally neurotic, OCD self is constantly sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming in effort to rid our house of dog hair, I've accepted that she is here for the long haul. Love the relationship that she and Harrison have. The way she comes to life when he comes home from school. The way she sits at his feet to keep them warm. She is part of our family. And so my battle of the dog hair continues. Grrr.

And speaking of animals....look who spent the day at our house yesterday.

Isn't she beautiful?
She seriously spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon in our flower beds. I could see her outside our front door, and when I finally went out with my camera to take some photos of her, I'm pretty sure she stopped to pose. :)

And then the much-needed rain started, and she fluttered away.

But not without waving goodbye. :)

2010-08-17T14:35:00.003-04:00

This isn't my first post about our music-obsessed son.

And I have a feeling it's not going to be our last. :)

H3 got a real guitar from Uncle Todd and Aunt Beth last week, and to say he loves it would be a giant understatement. The obsession continues. And I admit that it's a little louder in our house than it was before, but I'm loving it. Love that he has sparked an interest in something so early in life (this started before he turned two) and that as he grows, so does his love for music.

And now, it looks like his biggest brother is jumping on the bandwagon. :) H1 starts guitar lessons at school next week. :)

Now we just need to get H2 on drums and we've got a band. :)

Rock on.

2010-08-16T21:42:00.004-04:00

H3 and I are back from our adventure in Texas.

He had a blast, and I did too. Great little mini vacation.

He spent lots of time outside with Papa...driving his monster truck

and helping "fix" things. :)

He swam and swam and loved on his Mimi.

And he drove his monster truck some more.

And then I got to hang out with my sisters....I am so very blessed to have these two.
We laugh, we talk, we understand each other in ways that no one else does.

These two, along with my parents, loved on and played with my tiny man all week, giving me a much appreciated break....it means so much to know I don't have to worry about how well he is taken care of. He was king for a week. :)

Love my mom and dad too.
As much as I don't like living away from these four, I do love the quantity and quality time we get when we are together. Focus on the good right?
That's me, Polly Sunshine. ;)

So happy this one got to have such a special week.
How very much I missed him.
So glad to have him back home.
But now I know I'm brave enough to let him do things like this.
We're growing up. ;)

A Couple of Firsts

2010-08-15T19:30:00.003-04:00

While these two were starting 4th and 1st grades.....

...this one was taking off with his aunt and uncle to spend a week in Texas.

If you can't tell, he was REALLY excited about his trip. And I was really excited for him. Crazy that he is big enough to actually do something like that. I got to fly in to pick him up on Thursday (and spend the weekend!). Everything went great~ the big boys had a great first week of school (unless you count Hud catching a virus and missing two of the five days), Hunter had a great time with family in Texas, and I managed alone during the day here. It was weird, but good in some ways. Made me realize that I need to resume my former hobby quickly. :)

My babies are growing up. Way too fast.
Thankful I get to watch them do that...wish they would just slow down just a little.

2010-08-08T15:55:00.002-04:00

We're still here. You know, in case you were wondering. :) We've been soaking up the last days of summer, enjoying lazy days of sleeping in, watching tv, mid-morning breakfasts, late afternoon lunches and naps, movie-going, swimming....all that to say, we're in for a very rude awakening tomorrow morning when school is back in session.

But for today I'm going to relish in this last day of summer, and remember our first summer in our new home that was full of days of....

ice cream-eating on the deck (complete with silly faces).....

... hanging out at the park.....

.....a little late-afternoon (still in our jammers, complete with bedhead) drumming....

....lego-building (once again in our jammers~ are you seeing a theme here?) :)....

....playroom redecorating...

.....running through sprinklers with the neighbor kids....

....eating at fab hole-in-the-wall restaurants with Papa.....

....and loving the visit with Mimi and Papa.....

.....AND getting to spend the weekend with Aunt Reagan and Uncle Jon.

We are seriously loved. :)

So now, we are off to our last-day-of-summer dinner out.

Tomorrow our oldest will be a 4th grader, our middle will be a first grader, and our baby will be boarding a plane with Aunt and Uncle to spend a few days in Texas. *gulp*

That's a lot for this mama to process, so I will be spending the day at the movies. :)

Really excited for all three of the boys

(and excited that I get a bonus trip to TX later this week to pick my tiny guy up). :)

But for now....I'm off to enjoy the last day of summer.

Under the Sea...

2010-07-24T22:00:00.003-04:00

....is how we spent our Friday afternoon. At least, that's how it felt. We were actually at an aquarium. And it was amazing. We had heard that it was a must see, and since we had our nephew in town, we thought maybe we should check it out. It didn't disappoint. For the most part, I mean. It was REALLY crowded that day, which was kind of a bummer, but we made the best of it and saw some really great stuff.

See? H3 was "ooh-ing" over these fish. They were my favorite too....LOVED the Pacific Coral Reef exhibit the best.
H1 and H2 had fun looking at things through the magnifying glasses.

Not a great picture, but oh well....I'm usually the photographer,

so I guess it's good to pop in here every once in awhile.

My sweet hubs taking a pic of with his iPhone. Those fish were so beautiful....oranges and pinks and turquoise and yellow....proof that God has an amazing imagination. :)

This pic is kind of freaky....looks like my babies are about to get eating by that shark swimming our way. *shudder* ;) Thankful he was behind some really thick, strong acrylic, giving us the opportunity to get this close.

And this is my favorite pic of the day....and I almost didn't get it. Pretty cool, huh? :)

Happy Hud. :) Our resident Dr. Doolittle was totally in his element here.

This place was so cool.

One area had a hands-on exhibit. Hud liked getting to touch the starfish and sea urchins. Hunter liked playing in the water, Harrison (the ever-cautious one) wanted no part of that. :)

Goofy, Happy, and.....Grumpy.

Really, he was happy all day too, except for this one photo when he wanted to be hanging out with his cousin instead of posing for a pic. He didn't understand that I couldn't force Austin to be in the pictures, but I most certainly could make him.

Mean mom. ;)

So...we definitely give the Georgia Aquarium two thumbs up.

If it was more affordable for a big family like ours we would probably go a lot.

I am going to look into getting season passes....seems like the way to go, and something we all really enjoyed. Can't wait to go back on a day when it's not crowded so we can really make a day out of it and chill with the fish. :)

2010-07-24T20:38:00.002-04:00

So....yes, that's H1. In a cast. That he got on the 2nd day of camp.

I know I wanted him home and all, but not this way. :(

It was a very long day, and is a long story....basically he had a bad fall where he landed on a rock, and broke his wrist. Going to spend the next 5 weeks in a cast. Bummer. But do you see that smile? This kid has taught me so much about having a good attitude...thankful for his heart, his happy spirit, praying that his arm heals quickly so that maybe he can get that cast off early.

Camp, Letting Go, and Other Stuff I'd Rather Avoid

2010-07-19T15:30:00.006-04:00

Harrison left for church camp today.

My normally outgoing, go-go-go kid was his normal excited self.

Until he saw his mama crying.

Then he thought maybe he didn't want to go to camp afterall.

Apparently, the tears I tried really hard to avoid letting him see got the best of him.

Sweet boy.

I'm not proud of myself, trust me. =/

Things were a little shaky there for awhile, but he got on the bus, and as I type this, I imagine he is having a blast with the new friends he most likely made within the first few minutes of the bus ride.

Because that's the kind of kid he is.

Resilient. Strong. Outgoing.

And still sensitive, sweet, and concerned about the feelings of others.

Like his super-emotional mom who worries that all of the changes we've faced these past few months may be getting to him.

In other words, being the new kid kinda stinks. I don't think sending him off to camp would have been nearly as hard if he'd had more time to make new friends. I'm used to him being in the big middle of lots of kids his age. Things are different this time around. Still lots of great people where we are now, don't get me wrong. People who know us, encourage us, and love us already. But when you leave a place where you had been literally since you were born like our kids have, with other kids who had been there equally as long, and go to a place that is completely different,

this is kind of an adjustment.

Which is exactly why we thought camp would be a great idea.

And I still think it is. I know that he is going to have an AMAZING time.

Trust me, if I didn't believe that with my whole heart, I would have snatched him up the second he had doubts and run for the hills. :)

No one said being a mom was easy.

And this whole, "let them spread their wings and fly" thing?

For the freakin birds. Literally. ;)

Missing him already, counting the days til I see that big smile on Thursday....trusting that God is going to do some awesome things in that sweet heart of his in the meantime.

2010-07-08T10:26:00.002-04:00

Because it doesn't get much better than

spending a week with Mimi and Papa...

....at the beach..

...at Lego Land....

....having a blast....

....visiting Elvis.... ;)

.....building really cool, super fast cars....

.....and sponges that live in pineapples under the sea....

...."flying" a helicopter...

.....and being face to face with a gigantic polar bear. :)

Making tons of really special memories and soaking up every bit of time possible with two really awesome grandparents

So thankful that Mimi and Papa took them on this trip.

They are still talking about it. :)

2010-07-03T23:06:00.005-04:00

Wednesday night we got a head start on our Independence Day celebrating.

Dinner, a comedian, singing, and fireworks at church.

And...a car show. We took this picture for Papa. He loves Mustangs. :)

It's times like these when I'm really thankful for how good these boys really are. We got to church at around 5:00, and the fireworks didn't start until 9:30. And when you're a kid (or honestly, an adult too) the fireworks are what the 4th is all about.

Those 3 were really patient. Waited and waited.

And it was totally worth it. The church put on a great show, and it felt like the fireworks were exploding right over our heads. Kinda felt the need to duck down....not that it would have done any good. :)

Hunter thought they were a little loud. ;)

Thankful for a protective Daddy who takes care of such things.

Happy 4th of July!

God bless America.

Bad Blogger

2010-06-28T22:25:00.007-04:00

(Otherwise titled, "The Longest Post EVER." :)

June has been busy. Real busy. Here is a little of what we've been up to...

We started the month by celebrating my hub's 34th (gulp) birthday. Weren't we just 19 yesterday? Seems like it. It was a low-key day...dinner at Five Guys Burgers (the best!), and presents and ice cream sundaes at home on the deck. Our kind of party. :)

The next week we loaded up the car for the 12ish hour trip
to Missouri for a family reunion.

The trip was way too short~ we had so much fun with my family...talking, laughing, playing games, fishing, a little swimming. It was great....and also bittersweet, as it was the first year for us to go without both grandparents being there with us. Thankful we did it....I'm assuming the first year would be the hardest. And honestly...there were several times when it felt like they were there with us. So many memories made there as a family~ it will always be a special place.
H3 with his "Runcle" Todd...his guitar-playing buddy. :)

And his Aunt Beth...he's a big fan of her too.

Harrison has a rockin' cast...love seeing him carry on the love of fishing.

Hud caught his first fish! I think he may have caught the fishing bug too....

Hunter stayed busy "fixing" bikes...here he is with his "gas can" and his wrench.

He fixed bikes all day long. Fun watching him figure out how things work...it's like you can actually see the wheels turning in that little head of his. :)

Mimi celebrating her and J.P.'s victory playing ladders, or redneck golf.

Whatever you want to call it. ;) It was really fun!

After our family reunion we headed back to Texas for a couple weeks to hang out with family and spend some time with friends. Got to have lunch with my friend Tomi and two of her sweet kiddos....first time we got to meet Maverick, and it was love at first sight! So happy we got to love on him and his yummy big sister too. :)

Papa and Hudson almost share a birthday~

they are just 3 days apart.

It was fun getting to celebrate both of their birthdays together!

Hud and his Aunt Reagan....love how close they are to each other.

I wish I had taken so many more pics than I did....guess I was too busy enjoying our time there...dropped the ball big time. We were so thankful for all that time to be with our family and friends. My parents took the big boys to San Diego during the time we were there (they went to Legoland, the beach, and the San Diego Zoo~ will blog about that soon), and Hunter and I got to spend extra time with Reagan, Jon, Beth and Todd. We went swimming with Nana, Aunt Stacey, Uncle Mike, and Jack and Erik. I had dinner with some of my favorite people. It was a great, GREAT trip.

We came back home last weekend, and celebrated Hud's 6th birthday.

Started the day with our traditional pancake breakfast.

How in the world is this baby SIX? Seriously? Time needs to SLOW DOWN.

Thankful to celebrate another year with our middle man.

He's growing up, reading like a champ, is a Lego wizard, and can hit a baseball like no other 6-yr-old I know. :)

He's sweet, gentle, funny, snuggly, mixed with just a little stubborn. ;)

He opened his presents, which included an alien night light and a Toy Story Lego set, and then opened a...hamster ball. Wish I had gotten a good pic of his confused face. Then we sent him up to his room, where he found a (empty) hamster cage. We asked him what was missing, and he flashed his sweet smile and told us it needed a hamster. So off we went to the pet store for Hud to pick out his new friend. I think we got a good hamster.

Yes, a hamster. This "not-an-animal-person" mom is now sharing a house with a dog AND a hamster. The things we do for our kids. ;)

Welcome to the family, Snowball. We hope you like it here. :)

Whew....if you're still with me after all of that, then you must really love me. Thanks. ;)

Won't be so long next time, I promise.

2010-05-30T21:59:00.009-04:00

Happiness is....

....spending the weekend with Aunt Reagan.

Getting to show her one of our favorite new places?
Double happiness. :)

"Wading" quickly turned into "accidently falling in." Oops.
No worries~ it was calf-deep water.

I was not at all prepared for the wetness. Apparently I underestimated the pull that a lake full of water would have on three little boys.

Thankful for airdrying and sunshine. :)

There's a lot of attitude in that little 3-year-old body.

This look makes me smile.

Brian set up three fishing poles for him and the boys.

I love watching him fish.

He's totally in his element, relaxed, at peace....makes my heart happy.

He caught this one almost by accident. Saw the pole jerk when it was sitting against the fence. Thankful he caught his pole before it was launched into the water and ended up with this catfish.

Do you think the boys are crazy about their Aunt Reagan?

They really are.

They love her so very much, and they know she loves them too.

This sister thinks she's amazing too. :)

So thankful for her and the friendship we share.

We had such a great time together.

I loved getting to show her where we live, places we shop, my walking route, our church, etc.

Thankful for her and the weekend we shared.