Us

This might be my new favorite picture.

Really, there's nothing I love more than being with my boys.  NOTHING.

So thankful for them!

When you look at your life,

the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

~Joyce Brothers

 

10-5-1 and a little 'deep thinking'

May 3rd we put our house on the market.

We had 5 showings in 10 days.

On the 10th day we had a contract on our house.

Ten days. Five showings. One contract.

It's bittersweet. This was our first home. Yes, we lived in California for 10 months and in an apartment for a year, but this was our first real home. We put in blood, sweat and tears into this house. Literally. Blood. Sweat. Tears.

There have been so many wonderful memories at this little house. I've loved making it ours. I can't imagine it not being 'home' anymore, but I know we'll make the next house a home just as much as we have this one.

We're moving to an apartment for the time being. Our house has not been started yet. The land has been bought and the plans picked out, but nothing started. As of now, I'd get lost in the jungle of the brush that has grown up on our once mowed lot.

But, soon enough, the brush will be cleared, the foundation will be laid and a house will be built.

I'm feeling a little metaphorical today. So, lets lay it out.

How many times do we let the weeds and brush grow up in our own lives? We don't tend to the things at hand and then all of a sudden, they are out of control; seeming to choke us out of the beauty that lay beneath.

How often do we picture that nicely manicured lawn in our heads of the way it 'used to look' but at second glance, there's all kinds of mess growing up around?

What about your life? My life? How often do we think everything is rocking along just fine, going through the motions, but then just like that, things change. Brush grows up.

What is your mess, your brush? Is it anger? Is it bitterness? Is it jealousy? Is it resentment? Is it fear? Is it addiction?

Mess looks different in each life. My mess may look completely different from yours, but truth be told, it's there.

We each have our own brush that needs clearing, but how do you clear it out?

Is it forgiveness? Is it admitting when you've wronged someone? Is it confronting when you've been wronged? Is it asking for help? Is it writing a letter you don't send? 

Whatever it is, I'd imagine it all comes down to Grace. Grace was at one point received. So grace must be given.

Clear the brush. Make a good, flat, clear spot for that foundation.

Sometimes though, when you lay a foundation, you've got to dig deeper than you think. More work than you planned. It's hard work, but the foundation is the most important thing.  It's worth it to put in the hard work on the front end to get it just right.   

Because, there's a house waiting to be built there. And good things are imminent.

Mother's Day

I love him so good.

So good it hurts.

He made me a momma.

He made me HIS momma.

No one but me will ever be his momma.

Thank the good Lord above that He chose me to mother this child.

It is my greatest joy.

And thank the Lord for my momma.

She is the strongest woman I know.

She is beautiful.

She is happy.

She is love.

She is giving.

She is funny.

She is mine.

Being a mom makes me appreciate so much more the things she did for me.

She sacrificed and gave so much.

She made sure my childhood was one of happy memories.

Playing outside. Riding bikes.  Swimming.  Playing restarant in the tub.

Sixlets in a brown paper bag after school. 

Lunch spread out on the counter like a smorgasboard on Sundays.

Being together.  Me and her. 

We're like pea's and carrots.  Always have been.  Always will be.

Happy Mother's Day to all the momma's!

Hope your day was sweet! 

The 30th Birthday ShinDig

Friday night I was surprised by my Husband and Bestie with a 30th Birthday Party.

I knew something was going on, but never in my wildest dreams could I have pictured anything more perfect than this.

Lance rented out the upper deck at Black Jack Cove and Brooke went to town on the decor.

The deck was amazing!

There was an arched bridge that led from the boat dock to the covered deck.

It was adorned with paper lanterns, lights strung from side to side, mexican themed decorations, a bar (with sweet tea) & great food.

The weather couldn't have been anymore perfect.

Of course, the friends and family are what made the pary complete.

Take a look.  See for yourself...

See.  I told you.  Fabulous right?!?!?

Thanks Boo for making my Birthday exceptional!

Thanks Brooke for the charming decorations and hard work and weeks of putting up with my husband while planning!  ;)

And thanks to my sweet sweet friends that made my Birthday special!

Here's to many more Birthdays!

30 feels pretty good so far! 

Can I get a week of Sundays?

Yesterday was one of those days I'd just like to freeze and enjoy forever.  We all slept in, not having to get up and rush for church.  Don't get me wrong.  I love our church and am so thankful for it, but there's something about a slow morning day that is so refreshing. 

We had cinnamon toast and blueberries on the deck.  A picnic.  My boy loves a picnic. 

We played with the water table (thanks Uncle Matt & Lauren!!!), filled and dumped out bowls of water, gave out kisses, smiles all day long. 

I'll take days like this any time they're handing them out. 

After lunch it was way past time for a nap.  

The new trend at our house is nap on a pallet in the floor.  He won't nap in his bed and he loves to nap with one of us, but a pallet is doing the trick for now.  He thinks he's big.  He is big.  He's nearly the length of the quilt that I lay down for him. 

The boys napped and momma sat on the deck for close to 3 glorious hours reading The Hunger Games.  I finished Book 1. 

I was getting dinner ready and the boys were on the front porch waiting on the rain.  I passed by and saw this.   

It's moments like these I have to stop and pinch myself. These two are my heart. I love them so much. I love catching moments like this when they don't even know I'm looking.

I see many more talks like this.  I can see the concentration in L, as his brow is raised.  He's really listening to his son.  And I see the amusement in E as he looks up to his daddy, telling him one heck of a story, I'd imagine. 

I don't know what they were talking aout, and it's really not too importatant.  What is important is the relationship that these two have and will continue to have as the years go on.

As Lance said yesterday 'can you believe that he's ours forever?' 

A blessing indeed.  A true gift. 

30 for 30th

I am no longer in my twenties!

Today marks the day I cross over to my 30's.

I feel pretty good about it actually.  I'm not sad like I thought I might be.  Time sure does fly.  It's inevitable.  You're going to get older every year, so you might as well embrace it.

YOLO as my sister says!  {You Only Live Once}

Here's to 30!

I thought I'd list 30 quirky facts about me that you may or may not know.  So here goes. 


1.  I have Jesus in my heart.  If you don't I'd love to share Him with you. 
2.  I am a lefty.
3.  I was married at 19, to practically a stranger.  I love him more today than I ever could have dreamed.   
4.  I delivered my firstborn at 27.
5.  I am a FREAK about germs. Spreading germs. Getting germs. Cleaning germs.  Germs.
6.  I wash my feet EVERY NIGHT before bed.
7.  I love yard work.
8.  I love thrifting and sorting through junk to find a treasure.
9.  I have majoy anxiety over stomach problems.
10.  I don't like banana's with spots.
11.  My most favorite place away from home is Rosemary Beach, FL.
12.  I make a lot of clothing purchases, but return most.
13.  I have to have a PayDay & Dr. Pepper on a road trip.
14.  I love spreadsheets.
15.  I am Type A to the max.
16.  I'm stubborn.
17.  I'll admit when I'm wrong.
18.  I don't drink.  Never have. 
19.  I don't smoke.  Never have.
20.  I {big pink puffy heart} blogs!
21.  My dream job would either be a hair dresser or own my own junk/handmade treasure shop.
22.  I am obsessed with hair.  Long.  Short.  Curly.  Straight.  Bleach.  Dark.  All hair.  It's an art.
23.  I only wear powder, mascara and maybe some highlighter.
24.  I am fairly low maintenance.
25.  I love Yoga Pants.
26.  I would wear flip flops all year.
27.  I'm a country girl at heart.
28.  Hate cooking.  Love to bake.
29.  I have a new found love of sewing.
30.  Sweet Tea and Dr. Pepper are my drinks of choice.

Well, there you have it.  30 enthralling things about me.  What would you have possibly done with yourselves if you didn't know these things?  You can thank me later. 

Happy Friday!

Not AT ALL how I had planned

I had a nice prodcutive, yet relaxing night planned.

The Husband was going to a hockey game.  Me and The Boy were on our own.  I was going to run to get some fabric and tanks to start working on the dresses from the Barn Sale, I was going to look for some new shoes to go with my new Birthday Dress and be home in time for an easy dinner, bath and bedtime.

But, such is life.  We got a curve ball.  Maybe 3. 

We got home from school, had Kirby outside with us, The Boy playing.  I was trying to convice L that I needed an hour to get my stuff done before he left for the hockey game.

It didn't work.  Me time was not going to happen tonight.  At least not during normal waking hours. 

We noticed Kirby limping so I took her inside and gave her a full inspection. I got that sick feeling in my stomach that it was her back again.  Easton, with his fudge-sicle hands and face decide to come in and help. 

After catching the 765 drips that were falling from that melted chocolate goodness, and washing his hands and face and holding an injured dog, I was about at the end of my rope.  Oh, and I shouldn't forget Kirby throwing up too.  Yeah.  That. 

A call the the vet suggested that we come in, just not yet, because the doctor was in surgery.  C-Section to be exact.  So, we'd have to wait. 

We kept monitoring Kirby, trying to get her to walk, all the while she was holding her right back leg close to her in pain.  She'd lick and bite at her foot every time she sat down.  Instead of being her back as we'd suspected, it was her foot.

She didn't want you to touch it. At all.  But, I held her little 9 pound self down while Lance felt around.  That's when he found it.  She had been stung by a bee.  And he found and pulled out the stinger.  

How he felt that thing, I'll never know because it was tiny, but he did.

After about 5 more calls to the vet and searching the world wide web, we decided to treat her at home.  A mix of baking soda with water and a toddler's ankle sock rubber banded to her foot would do the trick. A dose of Benadryl  (1mg per lb) would also aid with the allergic reaction and the vomiting.

A quick trip to the grocery, toddler in tow, because why would he want to stay home with Daddy and make it easier, we were back at home.

Now, for the conversion of mg to ml so I didn't kill the dog with an overdose of Benadryl.  My mind was going a million miles an hour.  The Husband was getting ready to leave, The Boy wanted me to hold him, The Dog was in her kennel whining about her bee sting, and this momma was about to flip.  I text my dear friend and used her nurses brain for a quick conversion.  Half a teaspoon would do the trick.   

Within 30 minutes, maybe less Kirby was demanding to get out of her kennel.  Once out, she limped a few times but then decided that it was safe to walk on.  Already improving.  Praise the Lord.

A dinner of peanut butter and jelly with strawberries and chips would round out our evening. 

As I sat there and watched my boy laugh and smile and inhale his later than normal dinner, I had to stop and think.  No, this night wasn't as I planned, but there was still a lot to be thankful for. 

First, it was not Kirby's back.  After paying for two back surgeries 2 months apart 6 years ago, this is not a cheap surgery. But the money I had spent in my head for that surgery, would not be happening.  Second, my boy was happy as a lark eating PB&J, even while I'm beating myself up because there wasn't veggies on his plate.  Third, there was still time to get that quick bath and in bed before 8. 

And that we did.  We finished our supper, had a quick bath and I had The Boy in bed by 8. 

Oh, and...Kirby...well, she got the sock off her foot...but the rubberband couldn't be located.  As I was about give her peroxide to induce vomiting I decided to make one final sweep of the bedroom for the rubberband...and I found it. Lucky dog.   Lucky me. 

See, it's not all bad afterall.  Things happen.  Situations come up.  Things don't always go as planned.  But, the more you roll with the punches, the better off you are.  I could sit here and be welled up with irritation (don't get me wrong, there was an hour of real tension 'round here), but really, what good is that going to do? 

Roll with it.  Take what life hands you.  Make lemonade out of lemons. 

Happy Thursday!

xoxo