She's movin' on up

I already told you how our four-legged child "moved up" this week. Mom got some great shots of Jasmine while she was staying with them. I just had to share. Jasmine's new mommy called yesterday to let me know she's doing great. We are so thankful she's in a good home. She is getting more attention than we've been able to give lately and getting the best care. I still miss her, but we couldn't have asked for a better home.

Play time

This has been a crazy few weeks for us as I'm sure you can tell by my lack of posting (and now insanity of them). We've played a lot with friends, gone swimming, had appointments, celebrated birthdays, met new friends, been to the bounce house, and more. It's tiring, but so much fun. Last Thursday, my mom had the kids pretty much all day while Clay and I tackled the house. They had a blast as you can tell by the pictures. They enjoyed playing the piano, the girl wore this hat pretty much ALL DAY, and they played in the water (sans swimsuits). This was the beginning of the girl showing interest in the water. She's come a long way in the last week. She only cried briefly at the boy's birthday party. Sunday night at the church pool party we saw her smile and splash. We swam with some friends yesterday morning and there wasn't any sadness in her. She played hard on a 6 in. ledge with fountains. We are so glad she's taken to the water since vacation is only a couple of months away. You can tell the kids were sufficiently worn out. They love going to Grannylou's, and thankfully she loves having them. She got some great shots...

Another birthday party

July is birthday month for our family - the boy, Kadyn, and Uncle Eric all have big days in July. Last night we gathered to celebrate Kadyn turning 7. SEVEN! Mercy, time has flown. We had a great time grilling out and swimming. I think the birthday girl had a great time too - lovin' from her cousin, playin' in the pool, and lots of cool new arts & crafts stuff to do. Now we can breathe for a couple of weeks before Eric turns the big 3-0!

Crashin' hard

This is how he ended up at 7:45 a.m. Sunday. He fell asleep on the couch, but was so tired that even falling off didn't disturb him! This weekend the boy blew our minds away by how little sleep he needed. Saturday morning he woke up at 6:00 a.m. He played hard in the pool for 2 hours, but never napped. We put him down close to 8:00 p.m. and heard him playing for a while before falling asleep. Sunday morning he was rearin' to go at 4:00 a.m.! I tried, unsuccessfully, to get him to rest until about 6:00ish. I gave up and headed to the living room hoping the rest of the house wasn't disturbed. He finally crashed on the couch about 7:15 a.m. I got up to get ready for church, and then heard a light thud. Unfazed by his fall, he simply settled in to the cushion he landed on. Fortunately it was already on the floor - it's our compromise for his love of jumping on the sofa. I had to start waking him about 8:15 to get ready for church.


He didn't nap again Sunday afternoon, and that night he played hard again at a church fellowship/pool party. I knew Monday he was exhausted so after he fought resting for several hours, I sat with him in the recliner while watching Cars. It only took a few moments of rocking before he crashed hard. He was never bothered by me being on the phone, coming in and out of the room, or even by his sister who was so ready for him to be awake! If only I had a picture of Clay sleeping in the recliner - like father, like son!

Glimpse of our future

Are we in trouble or what?


Yeah, we think so.

Random thoughts

There probably isn't much point to this post, but we've had a lot going on since my last post and I've had random thoughts that at that moment I wanted to share. Now, as I sit here with a blank screen, most of it seems pretty silly or simply a run-down of our schedule. I do have lots of pictures to share though, but they will require more time.

- Our first "baby" - Jasmine - went to live with a nice family yesterday. She's movin' on up...4600 sq. ft. house on a double lot. She will be their princess. I mean, these folks paid $4000 to put a titanium bar in one of their cat's legs after he got hit by a car. Even if it had been our dog, we simply would have had to put him down. It was a tough weekend for me, but I am now filled with so much peace about how she will finish her life. And we've been invited to visit any time we want.

- The boy turned 3 on Saturday. Mimi and Aunt Claire came to visit. It was a full weekend with the holiday, and I promise to share all about it when I can post pictures.

- Saturday night I realized that this "not-really-an-outside-kind-of-gal" has become someone that loves to be outdoors. My heart breaking over losing Jasmine, I felt the walls were closing in on me as I tried to fall asleep. I just had to get out and breathe. I found great relief sitting on our deck enjoying the warmth of the night and the sky. I just laughed at myself because I never really enjoyed being outside as a little girl - well, at least from grade school on. The grass made me itch, mosquitoes LOVE me and I am allergic, I battle allergies, and I wasn't too big of a fan of sweating. Now I've found a wonderful way to keep my allergies away (not just treat them) and I have OFF with me everywhere I go - and I jump at the chance to take the kids out - Texas heat and all. It's best for me to be near water (even if it is just our small backyard one) and to have a cold Coke, but I manage just fine without either. And for the first time in years, I've got a real tan! I may even be darker by the end of the summer than I was after going to Hawaii in 2003. We aren't even going to the beach until September! No more fearing blinding those around me with my pale legs.

- I've noticed the difference in how I approach getting ready. For example, for the boy's pool party Saturday I didn't put on a stroke of makeup. I knew I would be in the water with the kids...and I wasn't about impressing all the other married men. Choosing a swimsuit for this season came down to what would stay in place while playing with two toddlers in the pool/ocean and what wouldn't possibly be a stumbling block for any men I was around (let's just avoid the numerous jokes that come up with that statement!). That goes for most of my clothes for church and various daily outings too. I have certain shirts and skirts that I simply do not wear if my children will be present because too much would be exposed by the bending, leaning, and pulling that naturally happens with my two.

- We had the best corn on the cob Friday night. We can't claim the recipe, but it was our first time to make it ourselves. We decided simply to cook out here at the house while the kids played outside. Clay grilled venison (backstrap and round steak), chicken and corn. It's so simple - pull husks back and tie, chill in ice water for about 30 minutes, sprinkle season salt over corn then grill 20 minutes or so turning every so often. YUMMY! That with Sister Schubert's wheat yeast rolls and my mouth was in heaven. My man can grill.

- I love our church. Sunday morning in place of LifeGroup, we walked the surrounding neighborhood advertising this week's Community Sports Tournaments. We broke up in teams of 2 and placed postcards in doors. It saves money. It allows us to actually meet some people who are out working in their yard or garage. It allows us to get to know others better as we walk together. This is so different from what I grew up with. I never thought I would like a small church, but this has been a fabulous place for us. I've been challenged with my lack of evangelism. I've been challenged to get out of my box. I've been challenged in my routine of church and why I believe what I believe. Our pastor always has me thinking. Our worship takes me into His presence. Our people exhibit the love of Christ in the most tangible ways. I love being a part of it.

- I was reminded how much I need regular mommy breaks on Thursday. Clay decided to take the day off. I had already arranged to take the kids to my mom's so I could get ready for Mimi and Aunt Claire. We can home and got busy on the house which hadn't really been cleaned in weeks. We took advantage of having a kid-free home to do some of the things that are just hard to do when they are around. Then we ran to Sam's and Wal-Mart for last minute items for the weekend and party. We met Jasmine's new family around dinner time so it was close to 7:00 p.m. before we got back to get the kids. While we were busy doing "chores", it was still a great day. No stopping to break up an argument. No trying to please clingy toddlers. No screaming or crying. The house was so quiet. I was amazed how full my soul was after a day like that. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Clay. They both gave me wonderful gifts that day!

- The boy had his 3 year appointment today. He did so much better than I expected. He usually puts up quite a fight. He weighs 29 lbs. and measures 38 inches. 3 years old. Guess he's not really a toddler anymore. And he's definitely entered a new stage of pushing our limits!

Okay, I'm sure I could go on about other random stuff, but I will refrain for now. It has been a long, wonderful week. This summer has turned out to be quite busy. I promise to post pictures and tell you more about the big weekend soon!

Greener grass

I saw a piece of flair on Facebook that seemed to put words to a thought that's been swimming around my head a lot over the past week so:

The greener grass on the other side is probably artificial turf.

Have you had those moments when you find yourself longing for what someone else has? Have you had those moments when someone is raving about your spouse, your child, your parent, or your sibling and you are wondering if they know the same person you do?

I have. Growing up my sister and I were often asked how great it was to have our parents as parents. My sister came up with a great response, "Yeah, they don't have to discipline you!" To everyone else, my folks were the cool ones. My senior spring break my friends wanted my folks to chaperon - how was that spring break for me? To my sister and I, they were our parents; at times, we felt they were complete idiots and totally unfair. There are times people share wonderful things about Clay and I'm thinking, "Uh, you don't have to deal with _____." And the kids always seem to put on a great show for everyone else so people think I'm lying when I talk about our struggles. (Hang with me, this is not a bashing my family email...)

I've watched/heard others think the same thing. I've had people say they wish their hubbies were more like Clay in some area or would do "x" like _______. I've had wives share that their husbands have told them they wish she was more like _________.

The grass often seems greener on the other side, right?

I've been pondering this phenom a lot over the last week or so, and I've come to realize that it usually isn't. That marriage that may seem so great may have huge problems behind closed doors. That man that seems to be an amazing spiritual leader to everyone else may have an anger issue or rarely spend time in the Word each day. That woman who seems to have it all together may be falling apart on the inside battling insecurities and fears. We only see part of the picture; and often that picture is strategically displayed. I know I've hidden behind smiles and niceties to maintain the "I'm in control" image I like to display. (Disclaimer - these examples are not specific examples of people I know...I just wanted to clarify!)

As I've found my mind comparing myself, my marriage, my husband and my children to others this week, God has graciously reminded me that all those people and relationships are just as flawed as I feel we are. No one is perfect. No relationship is perfect. Just because I don't see imperfection doesn't mean it isn't there. And regardless, what works for others may not be what's best for me or my relationships. With God's help, I must figure out my own path to being what brings God the most glory.

Sometimes that "greener" grass has just been carefully spray painted.

Surprises!

We took the kids outside for some fun tonight. The boy immediately went to the water, but I hadn't even put the girl in her suit. Up to this point, she has not enjoyed anything but bath water. Of course tonight she decided she wanted to splash a bit. Her brother saw an opportunity - and took it. SURPRISE! She even gave him back his "weapon" when he threw it in the grass. What a nice girl! They were both soaked by the end, but had a ball.

The little man in my life

Feeling like the boy has been neglected a lot lately in the picture department, I decided to continue my photo shoot (see previous post). The boy was not as agreeable, but I did catch a few adorable faces. It's hard to believe he'll be three in a week and a day. He can be so challenging and then melt my heart all in the same second. He has such a compassionate heart, and I've seen it a lot this week. Any time he sees me crying, he asks if I am okay. He's even come to wipe my tears away, give me a hug, and pat me on the shoulder/back. I pray his compassion grows as he grows. I know God has big plans in store for this little man.


Here he proudly shows off his best friend - Lightning McQueen. Lightning is almost always in his hand these days. I just laughed when the boy told him to smile.