Adopting a Soldier

At church on Sunday, our preacher gave us some information on how we could "adopt" a soldier that is currently serving in the war. By adopting this person, you are agreeing to pray daily for them. I was very intrigued by this idea and I decided to take a look today at the site. If you are interested, you can go to www.presidentialprayerteam.org and they will randomly choose someone for you. I was assigned to pray for PFC Evan Butts. He is serving in the Army. As I sit here and wonder about Evan Butts- who is he, is he a Christian, how long has he been there, when will he get to come home- I can't help but think that he is someones son. I can't imagine how I would feel if one of my boys was away at war. Please pray for our soldiers and all the families that have a loved one not at home.

2 Little Indians

This has been a really wet week. We had plans to go to the park yesterday with some friends and that got cancelled after I noticed a small mist around 9 in the morning. Today has been the same thing. We are all getting cabin fever and ready for the sun to come out. So, in the meantime I had the duty of finding things for us to do inside. This normally would not be an issue but let me remind you that I have a child that doesn't like toys. He either disassembles them or ignores them. That's it. I struggle with the TV thing and how much is appropriate. I don't want my kids turning into couch potatoes. I decided to get a little creative and play "Indians" with the boys. We got out Hudson's tee pee and he used the light from his bug catcher to serve as our "fire." I gave each of them a bowl of marshmallows so we could pretend to roast them. It was fun. Cooper has not had marshmallows before (I tore the small ones in half) and he liked them once he figured out the texture.Notice that Hudson's screwdriver is never far away!

His first bites of marshmallow

Once he figured out that he liked it, he went to town!

Overall we had a good time. If it doesn't clear up soon I'll be forced to pretend play something else and who knows what that will be?

Girls Getaway

This weekend we had a little getaway with the girls from our small group/Bible study. We got up early on Saturday morning and headed out to Granbury to stay at my dad's lake house. We had a really good time and it was a good bonding experience for us. We have been in the same group for quite some time but having little kids and just being busy has kept us from really getting to know each other. We enjoyed talking, reading magazines, getting pedicures, eating out and playing games. Best of all, we all got to sleep without a monitor buzzing in our ears!

Here we are getting pedicures

Pretty toes!

As most of you know, our friend Megann passed away a couple of weeks ago. While at the lake, Holly brought some supplies so that we could make a cell phone charm. It has teal crystal beads (teal represents ovarian cancer awareness) and a silver cross. They were easy to make and look cute on our phones. Now, every time I see it I can remember Megann and also continue to pray for Jon and both families. Thanks Holly for a great idea!!

We enjoyed a nice dinner out

Me, Laurie, Julie, Tammie, and Holly

I want to thank all the guys for being wonderful husbands and fathers! We are certainly better mommies when we get some time away.

First and Last

Today we have experienced a few "firsts" and "lasts" at our house. Today, I bought Hudson his first pair of flip flops. He has never been the kind of kid to like flip flops. We didn't start him out wearing them early and then by the time we thought about it, he was old enough to give his opinion. Jason has a neat pair from Abercrombie so I thought I'd buy him a pair to see if he could be like daddy. I went to Old Navy and picked up a handsome brown pair on sale for $7 so if he never wears them it won't be the end of the world. I put them on him a while ago and it didn't last long. This will be a work in progress.

Today was the last day of preschool. This year has really flown by. Hudson has changed and grown so much. For proof, we were given a really neat "Me Book" that measured Hudson's growth physically, academically and spiritually. It is so neat and something I will always treasure. I took a peek on my way home today and came to the page called "all about daddy" and then "all about mommy." Apparently, Jason has black hair, black eyes, loves to watch funny shows, and his favorite thing to play with is a cord. (nope, that is Hudson's favorite!) According to Hudson, I have black hair, orange eyes, love to eat ice cream sandwiches, and read Goodnight Moon to him. It's so funny to see things from his perspective. I promise he does know his colors so not sure why he put that and I can't think of the last time I ate an ice cream sandwich?.

This week is the first time I have tried Netflix. I am really trying to catch up on Grey's Anatomy and I figured it was cheaper then buying the season or renting it from Blockbuster. I'm on the second season and loving it!

Speaking of, I'm excited but also sad about the last episode of Season 3 of Grey's tonight. I guess this summer I can watch reruns and get completely caught up for Season 4 in the fall.

Tonight was the first time I went through McDonald's drive-through for dinner. I know that sounds really weird but 1. we don't eat out a ton and when we do it's usually not fast food. 2. if we do eat fast food, we usually go to Chick-fil-A or something like that. I'm not really a huge MD fan but it is close and I offered it to Hudson and he accepted. Jason had a meeting tonight and I didn't feel like cooking dinner so going to the drive through was my answer. I could have practically cooked dinner though in the time it took me to wait in line, place my order, drive around, pay and get the food. Wow, didn't realize how many people frequent that place!

This morning, I put in my last pair of contacts which means I really need to make that eye appointment. I really don't care for them. I'm really weird about people looking closely into my eyes. I don't care for someone else's finger to be in my eye and that machine that puffs the air into your eyes totally freaks me out.

That's about it around here. Now I'm going to try to figure out what we will be doing this summer to stay active and busy. We already have some fun things planned like Sea World, swimming lessons, time with grandparents, etc.....

Mother's Day

I am so blessed to have a wonderful mother. I have always had an amazing example of what a mother should be. Although my mom only has two children, she is a mother to many people. Some are in our family that have lost their mom and some are just close friends that look to her as a mother figure. She's completely selfless and willing to help anyone, at any time, no matter what. She's what I strive to be.

Jason and I grew up at the same church and every time we visit we get to see both of our families and all of those that we knew when we were younger. I can remember the Mother's Day right before we got married. We were eating lunch at a huge table with both of our families. I had my mom on one side and he had his mom on the other. Our step dad's were talking about the latest sports game or game of golf and we looked at each other and said something like "we are the luckiest people in the world!" Not just because we have great parents but because they are friends and instead of deciding which family to visit this year we get to see all of them every single year, together. Yes, my friends, that does make me lucky!

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day:

My 2 favorite boys!

My mom and me

Jason and his mom

Yea! We had a good day!!

Random Gray Hairs

A month or so ago, I was using my ultra magnifier cosmetic mirror to pluck my eyebrows when I discovered a gray hair in my head. How could I miss it? It was standing up, above the others, and was very wiry. It had a different texture all together. It was thick and course. And it was gray. And it too was plucked. I sat there, examining my gray hair, wondering how this all could have happened. Wasn't I just in my teens not too long ago? Since that time, I have searched for other gray hairs and have found one other. This led me to wonder if this is just the beginning? Is this really "random" or is this the beginning of something more? What has caused this to happen? I know that I'm not a spring chicken anymore- being 31- but I definitely didn't expect to be finding gray hairs at this age. Granted, my grandmother started to gray at the age of 16 so this could likely be my fate. Genetics? Environmental? Well, before having my second child I probably would have argued that it's genetics. Now that I have my wild child, Cooper, I'd like to change that vote to environmental. Here is why:

These were all taken on the same day.

A few days ago I was in the living room and Hudson and Cooper were playing together in another room. I heard Cooper laughing along with a noise that I couldn't exactly identify. I followed the sounds and it led me into Hudson's room. Cooper had managed to crawl up the step stool and on to the bed. He was standing up at the foot board, just laughing and jumping. It scared me to death. Of course I didn't take the time to grab my camera, so today I actually left the door open on purpose, camera in hand, so that I could actually catch him doing it this time.

SOOO proud of himself

Moral of this story? Keep the door closed.

The next exciting achievement for the day was when Cooper discovered that he could push is block box close to the chair and stand on top of it. I was making his lunch and looking into the living room and I saw the back of his head and he was proudly sitting on the chair. Not sure how he got on, I took him off and went to get my camera. He quickly revealed to me how he did it. That little stinker. See now why I've found the random grays?

Whoa! Look what I just did!

Moral of this story? I don't know, get rid of all the furniture?

To top it off, I came home this evening (after spending the afternoon with my mom and sister having some girl time) and my neighbor across the street is standing outside, in her prom dress, taking pictures. I quickly remembered that it was prom. I guess I've had a hard time realizing that she is growing up and is no longer the little 12 year old that she was when we built our house. She is thinking college, boys, her future. As I pull up, I notice that Jason and the boys are outside. I take Hudson over to see Katie so that we can tell her she looks pretty and wish her well. We visit for a minute and then leave to let them take pictures and soak in the moment. I put the boys into the wagon and take off down the street. At that moment it hit me- I am no longer young. I am now the mom that is pulling her kids in the Radio Flyer wagon, wearing a small amount of make-up and not caring, dressed in a little sweat suit because it's comfortable, and thinking about the loads of laundry in the house that need to get done. It was a very weird moment for me. Am I jealous of her? A little bit. I had so much fun at that stage of my life. But, I would not trade where I am for anything in the world. It just made me stop and realize how fast time is moving. I'm certainly not complaining about my life or my gray hairs. Like my grandpa says: getting older each year is much better than the alternative. He is right. I just had one of those ah-ha moments and was reminded that before I know it, my boys will be going to prom..............and I'm sure by then I'll have a ton of gray hairs!

Saying Goodbye

I just got back from my friend Megann's funeral. It was a nice service but so emotional. It was wonderful to hear all the neat stories about her as a child and to be surrounded by so many people that loved her. Although I'm so sad that she is gone and to realize that I'll never get to talk to her, see her sweet smile, or hear her contagious laugh, it does give me great peace to know that she is no longer suffering. No longer hurting. No longer going through each day wondering if it will be her last. The selfish part of us wants her to still be here. Instead, we should truly be rejoicing in the fact that Heaven is now her new home. I think the hardest part for me today was seeing her husband, Jon. He did very well today and was able to keep it together. Unfortunately, once the families go home and everyone returns to their busy lives, he will be the one most effected. Megann was his life and to think of him having to start over just breaks my heart. It doesn't seem fair. I pray daily that God can give him ultimate peace.

Her funeral got me to thinking about how I would want my funeral to be. It's ridiculous to say that I don't expect tears or that no one will be sad. Of course they will be (at least they better be!) But I do want the overall feel to be upbeat and more of a celebration. It's weird to think about what people will say about me when I'm gone, who will speak the eulogy, and how many people have been inspired by my life. Thinking about these things can motivate all of us to constantly strive to be better, to do more for people while we are here, and live our lives to the fullest.

On a lighter note, I took the boys to the park on Monday and let Hudson feed the ducks and run around. It was a great day- not too sunny or warm and not too windy. It was just right. Here are a few pictures:

Hudson was feeding the ducks and a couple of them came rushing towards him. He got scared and turned away really fast and one duck pecked him on the ankle.

Stopping for a drink

Leave it up to my son to find a drain

Megann

Today my precious friend, Megann, lost her battle with ovarian cancer. Please pray for her family and especially her husband, Jon. Although we know she is in a better place, it's hard for those of us that were not ready to let her go.
http://megannupdates.blogspot.com/

Scrapbook Weekend

I just got back from an amazing weekend with my friends. These are girls I met during college and I'm so blessed that we are still close. Every year we have a scrapbook weekend where we get away- without husbands or kids- and work on our books. We usually do this at the ranch (Laura's family) but there was such a conflict with schedules that we could not make it work this year. Fortunately, my dad has a lake house about an hour away so we were able to go there. We had a blast working on our books and also spending time together. I needed this girl time so much!!

We sure made a mess

Friday night at El Chico

We had a great time eating dinner each night at a restaurant and talking about how fun it was to not hear our name, not to be needed, not to have to cut up someone else's dinner, and the fact that we didn't have to clean any dishes. Of course we missed our kiddos and hubbies but that didn't stop us from having fun. Saturday was Fischer's 30th birthday so we took her to Chili's and had them sing to her. This would not have been complete without the 30th birthday tiara. She was a bit embarrassed but she was a good sport.

Me, Robyn, Laura, Jennifer (a.k.a. Fischer)

Back at the house, we gave her gifts and a cake

Here is baby Nolan. He came along since Fischer is still nursing and he did so great. He is so precious!

I want to thank Fischer and Robyn for the awesome belated birthday gifts for the boys. I especially love these jammies from Robyn. I know it's hard to see how cute they are but the bottoms have dogs and cute sayings like "woof" and "bow wow" and the shirt says "Bad to the Bone" Too cute!!

We had so much fun that we have decided to do another weekend in the fall. We haven't quite broken the news to our husbands yet but that will work itself out. I can't wait to get together again soon.

High up in the sky

A couple of days ago we were driving around and Hudson asked me about Heaven. He was asking the typical questions like "where is it" and "when can I go" and I was answering them the best that I could, considering his age. I told him that Heaven is way up high in the sky. He knows that this is where God lives. He asked if he could go and I told him that we all have a chance to go one day but that we must wait our turn. I saw no reason at this point to go into the death aspect of Heaven so we just kept it light and simple. Yesterday, after taking a good nap Hudson woke up screaming and crying uncontrollably. He has never done this or acted this way so I immediately became concerned that he was hurt. He was so upset that he could barely tell me what was wrong. After a couple of minutes he was able to speak and he kept saying "I want to go way up high with daddy!" I was pretty confused by this statement so I started asking him what he meant by that. He kept crying and became really frustrated with me and he just repeated over and over that he wanted to go up into the sky with daddy. Luckily it was a little after 5:00 so I told Hudson that we would call daddy to make sure he was okay. I couldn't get in touch with him at work or on his cell. This entire time, Hudson is still bawling his eyes out and I begin to get a sick feeling that maybe something wasn't right. Was this God trying to prepare me for something horrible or was this a sign that something had happened? Does Hudson have a feeling that daddy went to Heaven? I am very nervous at this point as I'm dialing the two phone numbers and both times getting voicemail. A little while later we got a call from Jason telling us that he was on his way home. Once he got home, he talked with Hudson about everything and finally got him to settle down. Hudson was wiping away the tears and asking if daddy was "staying on the ground." Daddy said yes. Then Hudson went through each of us- mommy, Cooper, and Rudy to make sure we were staying on the ground too. Poor kid. I just love his innocence!

Over the weekend, Cooper ran a fever so we kind of stayed around the house. Jason stayed home with him on Sunday morning because we didn't want to take him into the nursery so Hudson and I went together. He's such a handsome man!

You can't read the bottom of Cooper's pajama shirt but it says "Curious George." Man, do these jammies sure describe him or what? His new thing is to open the bottom drawer under the oven and get out cookie sheets and metal pans and make a LOT of noise.

You can almost hear it, can't you?

Here is Hudson playing with his take apart toys........yes, one of the few toys at our house that he will actually play with. Right before Christmas, I found (and my MIL also found an airplane) a dump truck that is put together with large nuts and bolts and it comes with a drill so that you can take it apart and put it back together. He really likes this.
Yesterday, Cooper was standing at the couch and he leaned way back- almost doing a full back bend. I was afraid that he would fall back and crack his head open but he got a huge kick of this.

We don't call him Tooterbug for nothing!