Can It Really Be?

My baby turned three! Samuel is all of a boy that you could ever dream of. I can hardly believe that three years have gone by since the day that I first got to see his beautiful face. My heart is full of all the mixed emotions of watching your baby grow. I am so happy and proud of my exuberant boy and at the same time I have that ache inside knowing that he is growing up and there is nothing I can do to slow it down.
" Oh the pleasure of watching the children growing is mixed with a bitter cup,of knowing the watercolor ponies will one day ride away"....-Wayne Watson

Pumpkins 2009

The Wabash and Pacific Railroad

Another crisp October day, perfect aboard a 12 inch small gauge steam train. It runs right along the Meramec River in Wildwood, MO. We had done this trip once before but Eli was a baby and it was summer and very hot. This time though the weather was cool and the scenery was beautiful. All the boys got a kick out of this for different reasons.... and it is only a three dollar donation per ticket. If you have not been it is a fun little trip and if you have a choo-choo fan it is very worth it.

Keep Me As The Apple Of Your Eye...

Here it is- FALL! YIPEE! We welcomed fall with our traditional apple-picking day. It was cool but warm, windier than normal and bright blue in the sky. The boys ran down several rows of trees, searching for perfect apples, and they found them:)
Bring on the apple crisp, apple cake and maybe apple butter??

Missing Matt and Java

I truly adore Matthew Missey. He is all I have ever prayed for. He has grown into a beautiful husband and he is an extremely playful daddy, and I am so grateful to God for "The Hook-up".
It's funny how when just one person is missing from your family, everything feels so different. Matt is kayaking on the river and tonight is the third night I will put the kids to bed without Daddy praying with us and tucking the boys in. Sammy has asked me everyday where his Daddy is and also told me that he is going to go in Daddy's boat. "One more day", I say, "Daddy will be home tomorrow."
I do a lot of things around here and love being a SAHM, but I know that behind all of me is an incredible man who gives me the confidence to be a better wife and mom.
Love the one you are with, give them your all and nothing less. Life is best when it is shared with those we love, fill them up, do kind things for them even when your tired, speak encouragement and forgive a lot.
Matt makes me coffee every morning and on this morning there was a sweet note to go with it. Something so simple but a reminder to me that I am cared for and loved. (He also loves his kids and knows they will have a better day if their mommy had her coffee)
Hurry home Honey.......I'm in husband and caffeine withdrawal!!

Busy Bees

We are using up a lot of brain power over here....most of it mine, as I try to stay creative in ways that both entertain and teach. I am feeling extremely blessed this time of year, that we get to do this again.

Art Projects for Kids

Last Batch of Naked Mole Rats

May-B's babies, last round... she has an appointment on the calendar. It has gotten very hard to get rid of them, not due to a lack of homes, but due to the broken hearts in our home when they go. Only two babies this time, nice and fat, they don't have to share. We are enjoying every minute with these little cuties and I send out daily reminders that they are not ours..... somehow I don't think this will save us any tears, maybe I'm just saying it for myself. I hope myself is listening:)

Playtex, Anyone?

You never know what happens in your home while you are gone. Last night I had some girl time with my sweet friend Nicki, we headed to the movies and saw Julie and Julia, which was really cute. Upon returning home it looked relatively normal in my house, a stack of dirty dinner dishes on the counter, Hot Wheels and shoes strewn across the family room floor, bathroom light was on, all the boys were sleeping except Sam, who tenderly requested that I sing him "Jesus". (Jesus Loves Me) Matt was in bed, blue shadows from the T.V. flickered in the hall. "Good", my heart spoke effortlessly,"Everyone is safe and resting." I never care what I come home to as long as everyone is well.
Morning came to soon and shined it's light on the secrets that night had kept from me. Getting Sam up and out of bed I noticed plastic tubes in his bed and on his floor. "What in the world?" Upon closer examination, meaning prying one out of his death grip, I realized he had opened several tampons and the little tubes and plugs of cotton had been disected. "Oh my gosh, you got into my tampons, you little stinker!" I scratched my bedhead and proceeded with our morning routine. That's when I said," Come on, let's change your diaper." Sammy shouts back at me with, "No, don't change my tampon!!" Well as you know, as soon as I started laughing he kept on repeating it, "Don't change my tampon! Don't change my tampon!"
Two reasons why I don't need to go out much, 1. My kids are a huge source of entertainment. 2. I sacrifice my personal hygiene products to the powers that regulate my home:)

Summer Forges Ahead

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I Know I Can't....But I Wish I Could

Collin Raye sings a song about saving moments, putting them in a jar and keeping things just the way they are. Sounds like a glorious plan to me, but we all know better and the inevitable is happening...my dearest occasions are fleeting.
But, say there was a jar, we could keep it on our window sill or our bedside tables, all of our life just swirling around in a precious jar. From time to time, we could take it down and open it, pull out a day or night and live in it again, breathing in the smell of newborn baby boy skin, or listening to the sound of thunder while a sleeping boy lies in your arms or blow dandelions across a yard with a boy who still believes in wishes. My jar would have lots of ordinary minutes in it, but all the minutes mine, my smells and my sounds, all of the colors that beat in my heart.
I can't stop the world from turning, but I am doing my best to savor all the bits and pieces that come with raising three boys, the good, the bad and the ugly, in no particular order:), I am welcoming it all, it is my gift from God to dwell here, in this space, in this time, where I am breathing.
Open my proverbial jar and see what I captured, today, it's full of Benjamin junctures.( I probably would'nt set my jar on the window sill, I'm sure it would vibrate right off the edge:)........
Star Wars movie watchin', Lego buildin', frog catchin', car noticin', diving board jumpin', tree climbin', water balloon tossin', guitar practicin', big brother bossin', star gazin', temperature gaugin', time tellin', strawberry-and-whip cream eatin', hide-and-seek hidin',no-floatation device swimmin', blue-eyed wonderin', sweet huggin', light saber fightin', firestick pokin', s'more makin', creek swimmin', Webkinz collectin', Scholastic book readin', lizard findin', Jeremy Camp rockin', permanent teeth grinnin', pancake orderin', war playin', shy singin', most of the time well behavin', number calculatin', Fruit Stripe chewin', bike ridin', skate board learnin', wise-beyond-years communicatin', celery gagin', adventure delightin', carefree dressin', friend gatherin', rock hammerin',against room cleanin', jump out and scarin', always negotiatin', love deservin', blanket heapin', wild imaginin', bird identifin', video gamin', bug huntin', not-so-fond- of-kissin', energy overflowin', knowledge offerin', gas passin', tender prayin', bunny rescuin', Pepsi sippin', 64 lb. weighin', target shootin', rubber band wearin', puppy dog smellin'.....
Another birthday, another reminder, cherished time is ticking.
When you can catch em', hold em', fast and slow, hard and soft and I don't care how big they get, never stop saying how much you love em' and how much everything would be different without em'.
Happy 9th Birthday to my blonde baby angel, who exhilarates my life and fills up my jar.

The Developing Vocabulary of my Two-Year Old

Sam uses "H" for "L".
So, when he says, "hipstick", he means lipstick, refering to his chapstick.
When he says ,"hegs" - legs.
"I love you" comes out, "I hub you" so, of course now we all say, "I hub you"..."I hub you more."
The funniest was this morning though, I asked, "What ya doin', Sammy?"
His reply, "Petting Hoochi"
.....So yeah, our boy cat, Loochi, who used to be our girl cat, Lucy....is now "Hoochi"

If your curious about how Lucy turned into Loochi go to the blog archives, June 2008, it might amuse you:)

Our Peachy Day

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Make a Smilebox slideshow