Costume Time

This week is going to be a little crazy, so I thought I would go ahead and take a few costume pictures while it was sunny outside and I had the time.
Drew gets to wear his costume THREE times... to church tonight, to school on Friday, and around the neighborhood on Saturday! He's going to get WAAAAY too much candy and I dread the "mommy can I have just ooooooone more piece?" chorus that will shortly ensue, but he absolutely LOVES his costume and is excited to wear it so many times.
Maddi is going to be a bunny for her first Halloween. (Thank you G&G Glouner for the amazing costumes!!) She is so cute crawling around with her little ears flopping as she scoots and her little fuzzy cotton ball tail wiggling back and forth.
All I can do is look at my little bunny and my darth vader and thank God that I am right here in this very moment to see their smiles, to hear their giggles, and to share their chocolate :)

Do I know you?

I vividly remember standing in the kitchen with my grandma. She was teaching me how to make cornbread, and in between ingredients, she would offer up words of wisdom. "Hand me that corn meal puddin' pop and remember, If you only have five minutes until your husband comes home and you must choose between cleaning up yourself or the house, always choose yourself." I know, all of you feminists are gasping for breath, but years later her words still resonate in my mind. Sure I'm not home cooking and cleaning all day, but I have realized the importance of showing respect for my body by taking care of it.
Well, on this particular day, my hubby had already seen both me AND the house a wreck, so I threw caution to the wind and headed out to conquer my to-do list. I had a sick kid, a headache, and two hours sleep, so I felt rather proud of the fact that I had showered, dressed the kids, put on my one pair of jeans that fits, a bleach stained maternity shirt, and a little mascara before heading out the door. I got in the car, cranked up the air to dry my hair, and tried to ignore granny's words of wisdom bouncing around in my head. Well, as I hurried in and out of stores and banks and pharmacies, I think I stumbled upon EVERY SINGLE PERSON I have ever known...friends from high school, from church, from work, neighbors, family friends... every person I thought I would never see again just happened to bump in to me. Oi. They gave me that 'oh my, she really let herself go' look accompanied by the 'bless her heart' smile. Oi. Maybe I have let myself go. I HAVE let myself go.. but I don't want to start the sob story of baby fat that refuses to leave and the ridiculous amount of money that we don't have for hair and makeup, and the not so great plan I hatched a YEAR ago to just wear scrubby clothes until I could squeeze back into my pre-baby wardrobe. Great plan [insert sarcasm here]. But, all of my whining does not amount to any kind of excuse for not taking care of what I've got. So, to all of you who witnessed the scary, unkempt me out in action, I'm sorry, and to my dear southern belle of a grandma, thank you for teaching me both how to cook and how to be a lady.

From Russia with Love

Mikey will be home on December 18th!!!!! I am SO excited!!!! He will be here to celebrate Maddi's first birthday and Christmas with us. Did I mention how excited I was? Until I can actually see his face and pinch his little cheeks, I will just have to stare obsessively at these pictures. :)

Another Year Older and Wiser Too

My birthday was last week. Nothing amazing happened. It was really just like any other day. I worked two jobs, took care of the kids by myself, got peed on and snotted on, ate cereal for dinner, and called it a day. Unfortunately, this year I'm a little chubbier than last and have a few more strands of grey hair, but other than that, time has been very kind to me. Each year that passes seems to bring with it a bit more confidence in who I have become, and a greater sense of gratitude for the beautiful family and friends that surround me. This year, though, I was a bit conflicted. I had planned on graduating from school by now, blossoming in my new career, being active in volunteer work, and maintaining my rockin' body. I know... pretty selfish aspirations, but I was pretty content with the mastery of my mothering, wife, and church responsibilities and felt ready to tackle a few more personal goals. Well... I obviously didn't rack up as many personal achievements as I intended, and it's been pretty hard to get that nagging feeling of failure to go away.
I guess this year has brought with it a realization that sometimes goals are met that we have been too blind to set. I created and brought a new life into this world. Not on my to-do list, but an amazing achievement none the less. Maybe God saw a need for me to improve the skills that I felt I had already mastered. Maybe He knew I could grow, that I could become a better wife, a better mother, and a better woman. Maybe He knew I had a greater potential than I had realized. So, with my twenty-sixth year being much different than I anticipated, I still look back with humility and gratitude. I am absolutely, positively sure that I will eventually check off every thing on my bucket list, but right now I am thankful that I can find joy and purpose in each day, in each giggle, in each smelly diaper. My children truly are my purpose and my joy.

Stunt Biker

I wondered why Drew's legs looked like I'd beaten him with a crowbar.
Mystery solved...

Southern Skies

Why are these ominous clouds eerily comforting to me? I guess it's just part of growing up in the South.

Shoes

Maddi has started pulling up on things and standing. I have a feeling she will be taking steps soon. I finally got her to wear shoes since she wants to stand everywhere but lacks my phobia of germs. My baby is growing up so quickly.

Homemade Tornadoes

Drew was able to get a few books at the book fair last week. He chose a book about the solar system, a book about earthquakes, and a book about tornadoes. The books had some experiments in them that could be done at home, so Drew and I spent the afternoon making a tornado. I just love my budding little scientist. I can just picture him in 20 years making his Mama proud wearing a lab coat, glasses, and a pocket protector.

Daddy's Little Girl

Maddi is so lucky to have such an amazing father. He loves her completely, and she just melts in his arms. They're quite the pair. <3

Big Spring Jam

We worked the Big Spring Jam last weekend. Big Spring Jam is a music festival that raises money for local charities, and Sean and I have had the pleasure of working behind the scenes for the past 9 years. It was kind of a bust this year because of all of the rain, but we got to hear some good music and participate in some fantastic people watching. Here are a few pictures of our fun...