Jack the bearded dragon lives by the sand, he lays in the hot, hot sun and eats bugs throughout the land....

I don't know what it is about rainy days that make me want to write on this blog, but here I am.  I have all three of my munchkins home today.  Ethan is skipping a field trip to the pumpkin patch in some nasty weather.  I have decided to let him skip all the field trips this year.  He is doing so well with his first year in public school, that I am not going to mess it all up by forcing him to go on trips that he has no desire to attend.  I had hoped that we would sleep in, but the boys need no alarm clock.  They are always up and ready to go at the crack of dawn.  I'm not sure why I thought this morning would be any different.  Normally, I don't mind waking up early, but I am still tired from a long weekend with our family.  We had a lot of fun though and it was worth it.  We also adopted a new pet.  His name is Jack and he is the most adorable baby bearded dragon I have ever met.  He is tiny right now and incredibly fun to watch.  Feeding him is the best part, if you like gross stuff like me.  He eats live crickets, but since he is so tiny right now, I have to break the back legs off of the crickets so they can't hop away.  As soon as Jack sees the little bugs running for their lives, he takes off and gobbles them up in one, swift bite.  Seriously, cutest thing ever. 
Anyway, I think I might take the kids to Hastings to pick out some new books and maybe drink some hot cocoa.  It's a perfect day for hot cocoa. 

It's that time of year....

Why do oreo cookies go so well with coffee?  I know, so unhealthy. I guess I will just have to make up for it tonight by eating some extra veggies.  Life is good.  Even with a cold and two sick babies, I can enjoy just being alive.  Brian and I were Baptized in the lake this last Sunday.  It was a such a beautiful, just have a good time, kind of day.  It's nice to be back home, close to friends and family.  I have missed this and I think Brian has too.
I can feel Fall just around the corner.  I know this because I have this unexplainable urge to bake.  I am ready for the smell of pumpkin spice and cinnamon. Orange and red everywhere you look. Weather cool enough for hot cocoa. And college football!  Yes, over the years Brian has turned me into a true fan.  I just love watching a good Razorback game on a cool Saturday while eating chips and homemade salsa.  I love Fall weather clothes!  All the sweaters and hoodies.  Big piles of leaves for my littles to jump in while I snap memories with my trusty nikon.  I. Seriously. Can't. Wait.

Sweet Babies Always Grow Up...

I am up early today.  I have actually been up since 4:30 due to Ethan waking up screaming from a nightmare. He never would tell me what it was about, he usually never talks about his dreams.  If they are anything like mine, they are very strange indeed.  Needless to say, he refused to go back to sleep and now he is running around like a wild animal while trying to force Rufus (our poodle) to hop around and play.  I think Rufus, like me, wants to go back to sleep.  Four and a half hours just isn't enough.

However, I am determined to enjoy this day. Alex is officially seven months old, and I must get lots of pictures. How has it been this long since that miraculous day I gave birth to my sweet baby boy?  And why does each passing year seem to fly by so much more quickly than the last?
Sometimes I want to pray, Please Lord, just slow this down a little, let me enjoy this stage of our lives a little longer, I'm not ready for change.  It seems like yesterday he was merely a sleeping newborn babe, but today he is trying to pull up on his feet and stand like a man.  Of course, I know in reality if these fleeting, wondrous moments that we cherish so much lasted any longer, we would not know to appreciate them the way only we can as mothers.
I am so thankful that our Father has helped me realize that this time I have with these precious gifts he has given me is short.  Sometimes we get so caught up in day to day frustrations that we forget to stop, breathe, laugh, and love.
If you are mom reading this today, take some time out to really treasure this time you have with your wee ones.  Today will be gone tomorrow.  

"Growing Up" doesn't end at 18

   I'm not sure where to begin this morning.  I have had a couple hours to myself to really think about my life, past, present, and future.  When I think about my past it's not a pretty picture.  My childhood was pretty rough, but I don't have any anger or even negative feelings over the first 17 years of my life.  Sometimes people just don't have the best circumstances.  The anger and shame starts to seep in when I think about the decisions I have made since becoming an adult.  The bad examples I displayed in front of my 1 year old.  The crappy wife I was to my husband.  The alcohol I consumed in my body so often because I thought it was fun.  The kind of people I let myself get caught up in.  Why did I make such shitty decisions?  After everything I had been through with my own parents, why would I put myself on that kind of path to destruction?  I really don't know.  I don't think I will ever have an answer as to why I was constantly running away from my family to hang out with people who never cared one bit about me as a friend.  I know that God has forgiven me. I think it is always hardest for us to forgive ourselves.  So, I will say it, moving away from what I picture still as our home is the best possible thing we could have ever done.
   Let's skip ahead to the present.  I have such a beautiful life, even though there are times when I don't always recognize it.  I get so caught up in the little frustrations of my day.  My home is never completely clean, no matter how hard I try to get it that way.  My kids eat a lot of junk food, even when I attempt to force veggies down them.  My husband and I never, ever get alone time.  I think these are the things that most moms deal with from day to day.  I feel like I grow a little every day.  My children amaze me in the most unexpected ways.  My husband proves his love for me through so many small gestures.  I am growing in my Faith.  I may not be perfect, but I am sure not who I used to be, and that is an accomplishment all in itself.
    For our future, I want to be thankful ALL of the time, not just when things are going good in that moment.  I will pray more and complain less.  I will appreciate every moment I have with my children and husband, even when we are in the midst of total chaos.  And I hope that one day we will be able to make it back home to be close to our family and true friends.
Enjoy this day.

Oh Happy Day, the Baby is Better and Life is Good!

After a very stressful two days, the baby finally woke up with a smile this morning.  It was 3a.m. when his fever broke and he was ready to play, but I didn't mind.  I was both exhausted and incredibly relieved!  :)  I don't have much else to say this morning, other than I have the best husband.  Even when I am completely stressed out and feeling like I am on the verge of nervous breakdown, he stays calm.  I can be quite mean sometimes, and he just laughs at me, gives me a kiss, and says, "You know you love me."  And he's right, I do love him! So much!  My love for him has grown every day for the eight years we have been together, and it continues to grow.  I don't know what I would ever do without him.  Happy Hump Day Everybody!  I can see the weekend from here, and it is going to be So. Much. Fun.  Peace and Love and all that!

1 Peter 4:8                                                                                                                                           Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.