Like Fish to Water

Don't you just love Summertime? All you need is a little bit of water to have a whole lot of fun. The kids are all doing great and having lots of fun this summer. I guess I thought since we weren't taking any trips until September (Rosemary Beach here we come! WooHoo!) that it was going to be a nice slow, quiet summer. (You all know I like slow and quiet.) Toots is loving the summer camp she goes to two days a week. She and Buddy also have swim lessons twice a week and they both go to gymnastics every week too. Whew!

Can you believe Pookers is 8 months old already? Within the last two months he's started sitting up on his own, gotten his first tooth (and is already working on the second one), started crawling, can pull up to standing and will even take little steps while holding your hands. Apparently my kids didn't read my memo about liking things to progress slowly (or quietly!)

Now why doesn't all back fat look this cute? He's just so yummy!

And how 'bout this little bit of brotherly love?

Lazy Summer Daze

We're just here trying to keep cool. How is your Summer so far? We'd love to hear from all of you!

This was Pookers first time in a big pool. He had a blast!

School's Out for Summer

It's hard to believe, but yet another school year has flown by. Hasn't anyone invented a time freezing device yet?! This year Toots was in the 4 year old class and Buddy was in the 2's. Next year he'll be in the 3's class and she'll be in Pre-K. PRE-K!! As in, one more year until KINDERGARTEN in a BIG school. Ughhh, heart palpatations... Ok, ok, one year at a time. I guess part of the anxiety is that my kids are blessed enough to go to one of the best pre-schools ever, filled with incredible teachers who love God and love their students. It will be a hard transition for Mommy when they "graduate" from that warm, fuzzy place. But I'll think about that tomorrow...

Here are some pictures from the end of School Picnic:

Toots with one of her pre-school buddies.

Buddy with one of our family's favorite teachers, Miss Kate. She had Buddy this year and Toots last year. We LOVE Miss Kate!

Hark! Angels Sing!

Here is a little clip from the Mother's Day Program at Toot's Pre-School yesterday.

(If the music is playing on the blog you may want to scroll down to the bottom of this page and pause it first so that you can hear the video clip. Then again, maybe you don't...)

We got these beautiful matted pictures as gifts.

Isn't my girl just precious?! She sure is growing up fast.

They also handed out diplomas to the preschool "graduates" who will be starting Kindergarten next year. I was so glad she's not in that group yet. I want to hold on to these younger years just a little bit longer.

My Lap Runneth Over

I hope all of you Mommies had a happy, hug-filled Mother's Day!

All Four Seasons

You all know I love Sting, and one of my favorite songs of his is "All Four Seasons" (click here for lyrics or listen here.) I used to think it described me. But I've got nothin' on Toots. That song is really ALL about her. (And I just love her for it too!)

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

On Buddy's Birthday we took him and his big sis (per his request) to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. (And yes, we did get to see Nemo and Dory.)Here he is chillin' on the the way there.

They're ready for the Imax movie "Sea Monsters" (Buddy's choice.)

Those pengiuns looked so huggable!

We all had a great time and most of all enjoyed sharing Buddy's special day with him. (Oh my goodness, my boy is three already! Did I mention how fast time is flying?)

Work in Progress

The warmer months are quickly approaching and our kids really need some more space to play outdoors. Since a weekend home on 50 acres in the country isn't in the budget at the moment, we have decided to add a deck onto the back of our house. It is a relatively small space, but our hope is that it will free up some much needed room for other things on the already over-cluttered patio. (Must get the sandbox out of the flowerbed!)

With the table and chairs up on the deck, I'm envisioning many hot summer days spent sitting on the patio with my toes dangling in the baby pool and being shaded by a giant sun umbrella while I catch up on my reading. HA HA, ok, there may be a baby pool and a sun umbrella, but I doubt there will be much sitting or reading going on for me, with three little ones to chase after. But that's fine by me. I'll probably have plenty of years, God willing, to spend sitting and reading. Which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Bob Moawad. "You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?"

So anyway, I was looking at this work in progress (our new deck) and I was feeling excited about the additional usable space it will give us. I was also marveling at how quickly the carpenters had built it (one and a half days for what you see here, which includes digging holes and pouring concrete too.) I thought that was pretty good.

Then my thoughts wandered onto another work in progress, (which happened to be dancing and twirling in front of me) so finely crafted by an even more skilled carpenter. I looked at my little girl, who is transforming all too quickly before my eyes into quite a beautiful young lady. I don't just mean physically beautiful. I mean she is a beautiful soul. I marveled at the miraculous design of God, and this time my excitement was for more than just added square footage or even warm summer days. I am excited for every future moment I have to spend getting to know her and I am abundantly grateful to God for choosing little 'ole me to be the mother of such a beautiful soul, who I know will keep us marveling for years to come at her progress.

More Pics from the Egg Hunt

My Cup Runneth Over

This moment will hold a special place in my mental scrapbook.

It was SO precious! It was one of those times in parenthood when you realize, in a nanosecond, that every struggle so far, and any worry for the future, is all so insignificant. There IS a plan! A purpose and a God much bigger than yourself. If you'll just have faith and let go, life's blessings will often fall into place all by themselves. Despite your urge to control things and in a more perfect way than you could've imagined.

It was often overwhelming managing a toddler and a newborn only 18 months apart and more than once I questioned the sanity of it all, but I've seen time and time again how lucky Toots and Buddy are to have each other and how grateful I feel just to be able to witness it.

We were at St.B's Easter Egg Hunt and Toots spotted a preschool classmate, Andy. She took Buddy by the hand and said "C'mon Buddy, there's my friend, Andy." I just followed and watched. When they reached Andy, Toots put her arm around Buddy and gently guided him to Andy, with her hand on Buddy's back saying, "Hi Andy, this is my brother, Buddy!"

She's 4 years old y'all. A 4 year old politely and lovingly introducing her 2 year old brother to her friend... I could've melted into a pile of sugar right on the spot.

Everyday

Everyday I try to keep in touch with with the people I love. Everyday I think I need to try harder. Everyday I wonder "HOW" I can keep up with everything.

I never thought I would write a blog. (I kind of thought that was for younger, or more interesting people... then again, I never thought I'd be sending text messages either.) But, my hope is that this can be a way to keep in touch with all of the wonderful people God has blessed me to know, and if it helps to hold on to a few memories for my sweet kiddos, that would be great too, since I'm failing miserably at scrapbooking.

I can't promise to post everyday. I'll just do what I always do. Try my best, to be my best, everyday. (And maybe share a few tales along the way.)