Reality Check

 

 

Where to begin?

This week has been really sobering for me.

After Monday, I will no longer be the Mom

with a kid in preschool and a baby...

I'll be the Mom with a kindergartner and a

preschooler.

It seems like only yesterday I was swaddling each of them to take their naps or watching them sleep while we sat in the rocking chair.

Those are precious fleeting moments, I will store up in

my heart for the rest of my life.

My kids have grown up so quickly in the grand scheme of things!

Too quickly...

Every moment I have spent at home with them over the past 5 years has been such a blessing.  One that I don't take for granted now that I am about to return to the work place.  Everyday I stayed home was a chance for me to love, nurture, care for, play with, teach, and listen to with the ears, eyes, and hands of a mother.  Molding and making memories, that's what we did together.  Molded each other into the person we needed them to be. 

Cade is my first born. 

He MADE me a mother and taught me how to be one. 

Gracyn came along and molded me into the mother of a precious girl.  My heart will never be the same because it sees the world differently.  And the world is different because of them

and so am I.

In all of the best ways imaginable

So I will cherish each and every day

because

I know the memories will be with me always,

but my little boy and little girl won't. 

 

 

 

{when life gives you lemons....}

As most of you know,

we were involved in a car accident last month.

The responsible party's closest insurance adjustor

was about a 40 mile drive away!

We made the drive down several weeks ago and the kids were

Mr & Mrs Manners Plus

the whole way down and were very well behaved at the State Farm Office while the adjustor wrote up our estimate and everything.

Afterward we were hungry and decided to stop by a newly opened,

to pick up one of these

and 2 of these

There was a park near by so instead of eating inside, we had

an impromptu picnic.

It was a BrIgHt afternoon, SuNNy & cOOl...

my favorite kind of day!

Cade, Gracie and I all had such a pleasant afternoon.

So if life gives you lemons, squeeze the fire out of them

and

make yourself a

lemon drop martini

Menu Monday...a recipe for gettin' messy

3 Moms Chatting & Drinking Coffee

+

2 Spunky Little Girls on the Back Porch

=

D-O-U-B-L-E T-R-O-U-B-L-E

EVERYONE had a fun time at coffee

this morning, especially these

2 parteners in crime!

We love you Callie Girl :)

Little MISS's turn on the trampoline

Gracyn loves for you to hold her hands
and jump!

She said,

"Jump Momma, Jump 'wit me."

And that we did.

We also played chase on the tramp,

played like we were sleeping {another Gracie favorite}

complete with snoring and all,

bounced on our knees,

rolled over and over,

held hands,


happy danced,


I even held all 31 lbs. of her and jumped.

We laughed so much.

By the end, she had the hiccups!

Cade sprinted across the yard, carrying the phone yelling at me to answer it...
Gracyn and I were having so much fun that I didn't even hear it ringing
on the patio!

He held the camera for me while I answered the call

and turned the photo session around on me :)

Your a COLD one, Mr. Grinch!

We've heard the stories of the Gaylord Texan's ICE exhibit for several years now, so we decided to check it out for ourselves on Sunday afternoon!

And it didn't disappoint.

This year, ICE tells the story of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, by recreating scenes from the book in intricately carved, larger-than-life ice sculptures set in a walk-through world.

Here are a few fun facts about ICE:

3:

the number of types of ice used in the construction of ICE! ~ Clear “glass-like” crystal ice – so flawless that it is compared to Waterford Crystal – makes up 80 percent of the sculptures ~ “White ice” blocks, which are more like compacted snow, make up 15 percent of the sculptures ~ Colored ice, which is dyed brilliant colors, is used for highlighting and accenting the remaining 5 percent of the sculptures

9:

DEGREES that is! The temperature inside the exhibit.

Don't worry though, they provide HUGE blue parkas to keep you warm!

34:

the approximate number of days needed to hand-carve the ICE display

40:

the number of artisans from the City of Harbin (China) Tourism and Development Commission, who sculpt the attraction by hand

1,400+:

the number of LED lights frozen within ICE

5,000:

the number of ICE blocks hand-carved and transformed into our winter wonderland

2,000,000:

pounds.

That's the amount of ice it took to create the exhibit this year!

Oh and I'll throw in one more TIP...wait till after Christmas Day to visit, like we did.

You can thank me for that little jewel next year when you don't have to wait, like some folks did,

in line for 2 hours.

And now my favorite stanza from the Grinch theme song...

ah, hem!

"You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,

Your heart's an empty hole,

Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Mr. Gri-inch,

I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!"

Way Back Wednesday

Can I just say it for the record...

I love posting on "Way Back Wednesdays."

It is so exciting to dig through my photo archives and look at all the treasured

moments we captured on film.

Today's photo is from December 2007, 2 years ago today.

This was Gracyn...all 8 lbs. and 6 oz. of her.

Having been blessed with one healthy little boy and a brand new baby girl truly made it a

December to remember!

What is it in your life that's making THIS December one to remember?

Way Back Wednesday...2, Two Year Olds

Cade Matthew at 2

Gracyn Avery at 2

Terrific T-W-O

Gracyn Avery is TWO!!!!

My sweet little ladybug celebrated her second birthday!

Time really does fly by when your having fun.

I made a banner to hang over our fireplace with one photo from each month of her life over the past year! You could really see just how much she has changed and grown into a toddler by following her progression through the months.

Come on,

Follow me through the past year.

December/January 2009

February/March

April/May


June/July

August/September

October/November

Gracyn,

You are a ray of sunshine in our lives. Your beautiful smile and hearty laugh bring happiness to the hearts of all your friends and family. No one can resist giving you a squeeze or stealing some sugars from those sweet cheeks!

You love your brother...he is quickly becoming your favorite toy! Both of you are at just the right age to really truly begin playing together and becoming the best of friends. I love to hear Cade whisper all his giant plans and schemes as the two of you entertain each other in the playroom.

You love to put on pajamas {or any random clothes you can find around the house, for that matter}. You love to wear your shirt over your head with your arms still in where your tummy shows.

You love to be read to, to be held and cuddled, and you absolutely could not survive without your soft "piwwow" at bedtime.

You love to carry around your sippy cup full of "pom-gwanit" juice, your purse, and your "chip-chap" --translation -- chap stick!

You love to eat raisins, applesauce, bananas, green beans, turkey roll-ups, mozzarella sticks, rice, popsicles, beans and almost anything else we put on your plate!

I LOVE to hear you say, "Hi Mommy" every morning when I walk into your room...

like you've been waiting for just that moment. I love to hear you call Cade "bubby." I love when you say "do it myself." I love to watch you splish-splash in the tub. I love when you prance around in your pretty dress up shoes that brother gave you at your party. And I love to hear you talk to you babies in such a gentle way.

My sweet 2 year old girl, I love you with all that I am.

Party Pics & Party Peeps

Chocolate covered strawberries on cookie sticks!







You wearing your "pwetty, pwetty" shoes from bubby!

Happy Birthday to you, Gracie girl!

I anticipate the next 12 months of your life will be filled with many more memorable moments.