photo day

...I have a lot to share too! Here is Seth with his new mower:


I think he really enjoyed it. As enjoyable as mowing the lawn is anyway.

Noah enjoying his Buzz Lightyear Art Set. In the past two weeks, I have seen a major change in him: he really likes to sit down and color and draw now. He didn't like it much before. Yay!

We are working with Noah to use his words instead of crying everytime something doesn't go his way. We are trying to teach him that small things don't need to be cried about. This week, we are doing the sticker chart. After 5 stickers in a row (a sticker a day when he doesn't use his cry noise about the small things) he gets a treat. We talked to him about when it is okay to cry: getting hurt (or as Noah would put it: So if Rhett hits me, then I can cry!) or if something really sad happens. He has 2 stickers so far. Yesterday he cut his foot on a rock and he cried a lot (which is okay) but after a few minutes of him crying hard, I wondered if it was a release of all the crying he hasn't been doing! But he is doing well and I think learning that small things can be worked out by using words. Or at least I hope he is.

Rhett is doing great. Except for the other night when he sniffed pepper (from the pepper shaker) up his nose and it burned. He didn't like that too much! Good. Maybe it will teach him not to sniff things up his nose. I didn't let the important lesson pass, not with kids sniffing all sorts of things now a days.

Can you see his freckles? I love them! He is adorable.

The aquarium was fantastic. We spent 4 hours there and I know the boys would love to go back in a instant. Here are some favorites:


The blue moon jelly fish were awesome, the sea horses were cool, as always, I loved this school of fish in the coral reef aquarium (they moved together so well), and the lemon shark was huge and loved to eat.


The boys at the stingray tank. There was a tank where we could actually touch the stingrays so that was really cool. This turtle is an alligator turtle and it was huge! It is perched on a log, getting a breath of fresh air (hence the reflection on top). Besides this huge turtle, we also saw a 100 pound catfish, which was amazing because someone actually caught it at Lake Texhoma! Wow.

The boys watching the stingrays.

We bought a family pass, so we'll be going back. And the boys were excited because we saw a sponge (Spongebob), starfish (Patrick), crabs (Mr. Crabs), and we did see an octupus but not a squid (Squidward). But I think that was okay. :)

Have a great day!

fun planned

...We are headed for the Oklahoma Aquarium today and the boys are so excited. It is in Jenks (pronounced Jinks) near Tulsa. We haven't been to an aquarium in a while, so it should be fun.

Our neighborhood pool is already too warm to go and cool off and although the boys don't mind it, the adults do so we are trying to think of other things.

I know that this has to be the most boring post ever.

And how disappointing, considering my title.

still being lazy

...no photos to share again. I know it isn't that hard to upload pictures, but my computer is slow.

Just a quick note: Justin, although I said Edmond, OK is my favorite place to live so far, I am a Texas girl and always will be. So our friendship should survive this. :)

Have a great day!

a little of this, a little of that

...I have pictures to share but I am too lazy to upload them right now. Tomorrow will have a lot of pictures, hopefully! I have been taking many of the boys, being silly, being mad, being serious, being happy.

I also secretly took one of my husband and his brand new lawn mower!!! Why is this such a great thing, you may be asking? Because Seth has been thinking of getting a new lawn mower for a year. He finally took the plunge yesterday and bought it. All I know about it is that it mulches the blades of grass so small that they fall back deep into the grass where you can't see them and that it is self-propelled. That means I could even mow without thinking that I am pushing an elephant up the hills in our yard. Yay! :)

*****
Hot weather has finally come to Oklahoma. After 2 months of rain, we need the dry air, I guess, but I already wish it weren't so hot.

*****
The countdown to the last book of Harry Potter has begun for me. I have already told my family that I will not be available on Saturday or Sunday. I am so excited about the last book. I haven't seen the new HP movie yet, but we are finding a babysitter as I write, right Seth? :)

*****
And yes, I am so aware that for several, several Tuesdays I have not shared any scrapbook things. Besides the work I am doing for the design team, I haven't really been scrapping. At all. I guess I am taking a little break. Maybe with all the photos I plan on taking this week, I will be inspired to create some layouts again. But I am not too worried about it.

*****
We have been in Oklahoma for almost a year now. I have to admit, I love Edmond. I love the people, I love the atmosphere, I love our neighborhood, our house, our yard, yes, it is one of my favorite places to live. And being a Texan, that is no small thing to say, right?

Really the only thing that makes me shake my head is the newspapers. Edmond has a local newspaper that is so conservative, so anti-liberal that it is almost funny. I am not saying I am a liberal or a conservative--I really think I am more middle of the road--but in the past month, I have really taken a disliking for this kind of "liberals are so un-American" view. They have mentioned Jane Fonda several times (and use her unfortunate nickname) and are still incensed that she did what she did over 30 years ago. I just can't believe that people haven't just let it go. Because that is what they need to do. I have read her biography, she has explained herself, she apologized for what that photo must have looked like, she has gotten past it. Why can't everyone else? They automatically discount anything anyone who has a more liberal view and I just find it---unsettling. Because one of the things I am going to look for in the next President of the U.S. is how he or she can unify our nation, not if he/she is liberal or conservative, democratic or republican. There are so many more important things than that.

Anyway, I have talked to long. I just had to get that off my chest. I hope my friends in Texas (and husband) forgive me for my views. :)

Have a great, great Tuesday!

no work for you!

...Seth is on vacation this week and although we don't have any big plans, we are glad he is taking a break. That said, I don't know how much of us he can take. Us means the boys and me. Yesterday we went to the mall after church so I could get my wedding ring cleaned. One hour, two Disney store purchases (walkie talkies for Rhett and a Buzz Lightyear Art Set for Noah--both on clearance), one "wedding ring will be back Wednesday because it is getting sent off to be Rodiumed" (don't ask me how to spell that-I am not really sure) plus a lifetime guarantee purchase and one pair of shoes (for me, on sale--60% off!) later, we got out of there.
The spots on Seth's shirt are part of Noah's art set. It is the glitter glue. Glitter glue is how Seth talked Noah into the art set. Noah wanted a plastic aquarium that you fill up with water and put plastic "things" in that float. He wanted this because he didn't have an aquarium in his room. Uh, hello? We have a real life fish aquarium in the living room! Anyway, Seth talked Noah into the art set and when he tried to help Noah open the glitter glue, this is what happened. Glitter all over his shirt, his hands and arms. Glitter boy. You can see he was really happy.

This is the grasshopper that we found on Rhett's flowers. I have never seen one quite like this one before. I've seen the big, brown ones but never the green ones. Pretty cool.

And these are the two boys gathering the trash for me. At least that was what they were supposed to be doing. Instead they figured out how to ride the elliptical trainer together. They had fun. Hey, I am glad someone is using it. :)

mommy highs and lows

...Rhett and his toothless grin.

Noah and his infectious laugh.

Rhett and Noah ringing my doorbell over and over. (They are supposed to be getting the mail). I finally go to the unlocked door, open it while saying, "I didn't lock the door!" when they both say in unison, "I love you!"

Rhett asking, "Why?" after everything I say. Because I said so has escaped my mouth many times over the past week.

Noah melting down every time he has to go home after playing with friends. Every time he has to share. Every time he doesn't get his way.

Noah telling me that I am the best mom ever because he got to go swimming with friends.

Rhett telling Noah in response to his remark is that I was not the one who planned it.

Rhett and Noah finally getting a joke from one of my childhood books called The Laugh Book.

Of course, the joke is about underwear.

Rhett having the ability to hear the things we don't want him to hear exactly, but when we speak to him, he either says, Huh? or repeats it back to us completely mixed up and wrong.

Rhett and Noah wanting to be near us all the time.

Even when we are in the bathroom.

The way Noah tells stories. He is animated, his tone is hilarious and he makes sure you are listening.

Rhett's heart. His kindness is amazing. People tell me all the time how sweet he is, how caring, what a great big brother he is.

The fact is they are growing up fast. They can have conversations with you now, they can tell you what they want or what they don't want. But they still need me. They still want me. I love that.

I am so happy that they still want to snuggle with me. I hope the day never comes when they don't want a hug from their mom.

My goal this week is to take lots of pictures of the boys. Because I haven't in awhile. Because I am feeling like I need to capture Rhett at age 6 and 1/2 and Noah at age 4 and 1/2 before it is gone.

Now I am going to bed. Good night.

our new bedroom

...is finished! Well, the walls are at least. We hope to put wood floors in eventually, but right now I am just enjoying the finished product. Here are some photos:


I show this because 1)it only cost me about $20 for all three frames and photos. I know! I found the open frames (meaning no glass and backing) at Hobby Lobby for $4 each (clearance sale), took the photos myself (and I think they are pretty cool views of the St. Louis Arch, if I say so myself) and ordered them online, and found 3 pieces of glass from old frames I was no longer using. Seth had picture hangers in his tool box and I cut cardboard backing from a box. I love that it costs so little, yet looks great! Yay!

Can you see the chocolate ceiling? I love it! The walls are called white barn and the quilt is from West Elm (westelm.com). Thanks to Jana for having the catalog at her house. I love that store! Seth ended up having to choose the quilt for me because I had so many choices. It is an indigo color and is very soft and comfy.

And this is the piece de resistance. Also found at westelm.com, it is a botantical mobile and it adds fun to the room. I love how modern yet comfortable our room is. It is very grown up feeling as well.

I know I have gone on and on but this is our first bedroom, out of 5 houses that I have painted and decorated. So it is a big deal for me!

****
Right now, we are having a nice morning storm. Yes, it is raining again! Our grass is beautiful and we haven't had to use much of our own water! God's sprinklers work so much better anyway.

We are actually very lucky here in Edmond. We haven't seen a lot of the flooding that other areas have. I am sure if my house and surrounding area was flooded, I would be pretty sick of the rain.

****

Have a great Thursday!

getting involved

...I have been thinking of ways to get involved, helping with things that I am concerned about--the environment, global warming. I really hope that Edmond has something. I won't be able to really look into it until after school starts but I am writing this down now, so I will remember. I will be held accountable.

You see, my mom said something to me a few months ago that has stuck with me. I don't know how we got on the subject, but we were talking about how the generations behind hers (the baby boomers) are not actively involved with...well, not much of anything. They aren't doers. And if they aren't involved with things, actively helping out, then their children won't learn how to. And although I know this isn't true for everyone, it did make me think of myself and what kind of example I want to set for my children. Do I want to keep living like I do, hoping someone else will fix the problems of our world or do I want to participate in solutions to the problems? Of course the latter. Do I want to be more knowledgable on current issues and take an active role on things that are important to my kids' futures or do I want to pretend it doesn't exist? I know I don't want to pretend anymore. I know I don't want to leave the problems for my children's generations to fix them.

I am ready. I'll keep you updated...

some recent faves

...I haven't had a list in a while, so here is a list of three things that have made me declare, "I love that!"

*The movie Music & Lyrics. I was not going to watch this. I thought it would be too cheesy. But Seth rented it for me and last night I watched it and although, it was cheesy (but who am I kidding? I love cheesy movies) it was also funny and endearing. If you ever loved anything about 80 pop bands, then you must watch the first 5 minutes of this movie.

*Cereal Straws. I admit, when Rhett and Noah picked the Cocoa Krispy's and Fruit Loop's cereal straws for a snack, I was not impressed. But these things are good. I don't use them in milk, like they say too, and I love them. Crispy and flaky on the outside, with a chocolate or fruit-flavored inside---yummy!

*Experimenting with Ice Cream. This is very recent. I watched Scoop, on Food Network where they had 5 contestants make flavors for Haagan-Daas (sp?) and the winner would have their new flavor hit the shelves. How fun does that sound? So I decided to do the same (without the fame or glory--just for my family). I made Key Lime Pie Ice Cream the other day and it was pretty good, I have to say. I am thinking of other flavors to try. It is a fun way to spend time in the kitchen, when it is too hot to cook anything.

Have a great day!

where have I gone?

...hee! hee! So, I haven't blogged for a week almost. So maybe you are wondering where I have been? Here at home.

Wednesday: The nation's birthday. I spent it cleaning house while the guys all went to see Transformers. Yes it is PG-13. And yes, Seth found out why. Much to his disappointment. He thought it would mainly be some sophisticated violence and maybe a few inuendos. There were some bad words and something that was very straight forward that is not meant for little boys' ears (and honestly, I wouldn't want my 13 year old son to hear it either). It makes us a little angry because don't the studios, directors, writers, whoever, know that little kids will want to see the film. Don't they realize the big boys who played with the toys in the 80s, will want to take their kids? Why do they have to make it PG-13? Ugg.

Anyway, we also went to see the Fireworks and that was a bust because the boys fell asleep within 5 minutes of it starting. So we left early. But we ate popcorn and had fun visiting before it started so I guess there was that.

Thursday: I decided to start painting my bedroom. I will show you pictures of the finished product, but let's just say that my ceiling reminds me of chocolate. Yum! I am painting the walls a white-gray color and it looks great so far. Makes our furniture really stand out. I hope to finish today.

We also went to the pool today and left right before a big downpour came. It rained for about an hour and a half. That is the last rain we have seen for 3 days straight. That is something, since it rained for 22 days in a row here. Now it is hot and muggy. But the evenings are beautiful so that is nice.

Friday: More painting. The boys had a play date and they had a lot of fun. We went to the pool again. The computer was down so I couldn't get on to blog. I really had intentions.

This day was Phoebe's birthday! If you haven't read Krista' blog about the big day, you should. It was very touching and funny.

Saturday: Our friends from Midland were up this way visiting family and so we had lunch with them in Norman. This was the first time we had gone there, so they, being OU alumni, showed us around the campus (very nice, even if it is OU), took me to Harold's (where they were having a great sale--skirt and capris were $10 and $20, respectively), and we ate at this Greek dive (where they shaved the meat from this giant cylinders of lamb/beef mix. That kind of grossed me out. I had a gyro and the meat pile was enough to feed a family of 6. It was really hot in there--remember the giant cylinders of meat? They were attached to this open warmer and sat right behind the counter. There were 4 of those and the place wasn't that big. It was literally a big oven in there.) I thought it was pretty good, but after a while, I really began thinking that it was too much--the atmosphere, the meat cylinders, the heat), so I was glad when we left.

But that was a fun day with our friends. We love that we can see them, even if it is once a year. They have two boys so Rhett and Noah had fun too.

That evening we went to the pool and then watched Monster House. The boys' first scary movie. It was actually pretty funny. Seth and I laughed hard at some parts. The boys were a little nervous about it, but Noah wants to watch it again. Rhett does not. :)

Sunday: We went to church, then had some friends over for dinner.

Seth tried to get the boys to help him in the yard that afternoon. I could hear Noah cry the whole time--how it was so hot, how it was so hard. Reminded me of well, me. My dad would always make us rake the grass after he mowed--which actually was a big deal if you saw our yard. We lived in the country and also shared a yard with my grandparents, so it was a pretty big yard. We would have these huge piles of grass that we had to bag and haul somewhere. Not fun. I think I complained about it every time. It got even worse when Casey started mowing instead of Dad. Then I would have to rake by myself.

I guess I am a better person for it. And I don't hate yard work now, so in hindsight, it must have not been that bad. :)

Anyway, that was my week.

I hope you have a great Monday!

where have you gone?

...This is going to make me sound old. But I remember vividly climbing trees when I was a girl. I loved it. I never gave a second thought to how high I was off the ground. I never complained if the tree scratched me or if it was hard to climb. I just did it.

This tree, found in my sister Jana's front yard, is the first tree that my boys have climbed. They were a little apprehensive. But I was so proud of them because they did it. Without complaint. And they thought it was so cool.

How I wish we had a climbing tree in our yard. How I wish I still had that little girl's fearlessness, mentality and carefree nature. Where did she go I wonder? Nowadays, I catch myself being afraid of everything that could potentionally hurt my kids. Germs, high places, mosquitos, sunburns, strangers...

Does becoming a parent automatically mean you have to lose that part of yourself that wanted to do things just for the heck of it? Does it mean you have to lose your guts?

I hope that little girl is around here, in me, somewhere. I believe it was her, not me, that suggested the boys climb the tree in the first place. The mom in me protested loudly in my mind, but the words, "Hey, why don't you try to climb this tree?" still came out of my mouth.

And I am so glad they did.

you wanna know?

...I've been on "vacation" for 2 weeks, visiting with family and came back very exhausted to a husband that missed us very much! We loved seeing all of the cousins, but we missed Seth too and are happy to be back. In fact, I told Seth I didn't want to go anywhere else for awhile!

7 kids and 7 adults in a house makes for a lot of noise, but a lot of fun. At least, I hope the kids had fun. The picture above was taken after 2 hours at The Discovery Center in Amarillo, TX where they all had a good time.

What did I miss here in Edmond while I was gone? Rain. It actually rained every day that I was gone and now we at the 20th day in a row that it has rained sometime during the day. More rain is in the forecast. But I am not complaining. I love it. The weather is cooler and it is just showers, no heavy storms. Yes, there is flooding, but I know come August we will be wishing for the wet stuff, so I am not saying a negative word about it.

What else did I miss? Scrapbooking. I need to do some things for the design team I am on at Your Scrapbook Stash. The stash is having a great sale and some great contests coming up so go check it out if you need some scrapbook supplies.

Now I am in the throes of housecleaning. I have tackled Rhett's room and now am going to finish laundry and clean Noah's room next. I am hoping to start painting my bedroom sometime this week but I need the house clean first.

Have a great Monday!

happy birthday Holly!

...Holly is a big birthday celebrator, even more so than I am. I think Justin, her husband, has a birthday close to hers as well, so they pretty much spend the entire month of June celebrating!

So, my friend, I hope you have a wonderful celebration and a fantastic year ahead of you! Many birthday wishes to you and Justin and many more to come!

in a new place

...After a week in El Paso, I am now in Friona, TX with my entire family, sans Seth. 7 grandkids and 7 adults makes for a crowded house but the kids are having fun so isn't that the point.

Today is my bro-in-law's birthday so Happy Birthday Chris!!! Hope you have a great day!

I am a little worn out, so my brain isn't working too well, so I will leave this post now. More later, hopefully...

howdy

...from El Paso, Texas!! I am here with my kids, my mom and my sister's kids and we are going to have a fun-filled week of trying to keep everyone happy and busy while my sister is away on business. Wish us luck! :)

Yesterday was Father's Day and we weren't with Seth, so I promised him a celebration later next month. But I do hope he knows how much we love him, appreciate everything he does for us and how much he means to us. We love you!

to the train, to the bus, to the train

...Ok, yesterday I said I was done talking about St. Louis, but then Abbey reminded me I hadn't talked about everything. So if you can stand one more post on it, then I'll tell you about the joys of public transportation and the zoo.

I have to say--when Seth told me he wasn't renting a car because St. Louis has a MetroLine (a train system), I was a little wary. Even though he said that I would like it because I am all for being environmentally-friendly lately. And because of that, I never said anything to him about my reservations.

And I have to admit, it wasn't bad. The train takes you about anywhere you want to go and although there were a few strange characters, if you just don't notice them, then they aren't that strange. Example: One time we were riding to the zoo and I heard a woman's voice behind me just talking away. I didn't think too much about it--cell phone probably. Later, Seth said she was just talking. No phone, no one beside her, just talking. But because I didn't actually look at her, I wasn't nervous about it. See? :)

St. Louis has a lot of friendly people as well. They were more than willing to help us out when we needed directions or needed to know exactly how to get to the zoo.

For that, we needed to take the train and then the bus. So we were immersed in public transportation this weekend. I think every city needs a train service like St. Louis. Really.

***

The zoo was amazing. It is really beautiful there too. The snakes were housed in this beautiful building and there were beautiful buildings all around. They had this very neat penguin exhibit but inside was so cold, I could not stay. I am sure that is a hit in the hot summertime!

The funniest animal was the naked chimpanzee. I did take a picture of her but can't find it, so you'll just have to take my word for it. She had no hair but was tan so you really had to look for her. I was disappointed that they didn't have a sign explaining why she was naked, but maybe it was just how she was born. I don't know.

It rained on us at the zoo and the boys and I got a little chilled. So we left to go to Union Station. But it was pretty awesome.

***
Speaking of rain, it is raining here again! I can't believe how much it has rained here this past spring. They said we could get at least 3 more inches by Saturday. Wow.

Have a good day!

the rest of the story

...The top riverboat is the Tom Sawyer. We rode this riverboat, seeing the sights of the Mighty Mississip. (You should hear Rhett say that, it is funny!) The river is browner than brown and although the tour guides kept saying that the water level was pretty high and the deepest point was near New Orleans (over 200 feet deep), it just seemed like it wasn't that deep to me since it looked like muddy water. I vaguely remember when Dad went on a Mississippi River trip and maybe his views stuck with me, I don't know. Although it was neat to see the sights and hear the history, I wasn't too impressed with the beauty of it. Noah wanted popcorn the whole time, but Rhett was interested, so one out of two is not bad. I think Seth really enjoyed it.

This is the Eads Bridge (and forgive me if I misspell that). This is the view from our hotel, but we also went underneath it during our riverboat ride. When it was built, no one thought it would last because it was one of the first of its kind. It is still here, in working condition and the MetroLine even goes underneath the highway.

And this is Busch Stadium, the new stadium. It overlaps where the old one stood. It is very impressive. This is the view from the arch, but we also went in it for the game. St. Louis loves their Cardinals, let me tell you. 9 out of 10 people wore Cardinal attire. I am not kidding about that. I felt like getting a shirt that read "Pujols-#5" even though I really did not know who he was. The fever is catching I guess!

The game was interesting. I felt bad for Seth. This is probably the one thing he really wanted to do and he really didn't get to see all that much of the game. It was Saturday and by the time we went, we were all tired after a long day of "doing" and kind of cranky. Noah ended up falling asleep, but only after complaining half the time, I kept telling Seth that we could leave and let him stay (but I am glad we didn't do that--strange characters come out in the evening!), so, alas, Seth had to watch the rest of the game in the hotel room. The stadium was a neat experience though and we actually got to see the World Series trophy, so that was cool.

Anyway, that is some of what we did in St. Louis. I recommend going. I just never realized how historical it was (the Dred Scott case was at the Courthouse, Mark Twain got his start writing there, it is the Gateway to the West!). A good trip.

St. Louis: views of the arch

...this weekend we went to St. Louis and we had a blast! It was so not like Seth and me to do this--plan a whirlwind trip like this--and maybe that was why we had such a great time. We were tired when we got back home but it was a good tired. We did so much there that we have never done before: ride on a train (Seth, Rhett and Noah), ride on a riverboat (all of us), go up 630 feet to the top of the Gateway to the West or the Arch (all of us!!), see a naked chimpanzee (more on that later), see the World Series Trophy (more on that tomorrow), so it was a successful vacation. Here are some photos of the arch:

Ok, I did not realize that it was this...BIG! When Seth first mentioned going up to the top, Rhett, Noah and I looked at him like he was crazy. I think the reason I was so scared is because I had no idea how you got up there. You can't see an elevator or anything. It looks too skinny and too steep.

I love this picture because of the group of people standing behind us. They look like they were posing for our picture, doesn't it? I think they were lining up for their own photo but I still think it is funny.

This is my favorite--the view of the Arch blocking the sun. We were standing so close to it and I had no nerve. Too scared to go to the top so I told Seth no. But he finally talked us all into going and really, it wasn't too bad. Well, I won't lie to you--the trip up and down was less desirable than I would have liked. They put 5 people into this tiny pod (think Spaceballs--the pods that they go into to escape from the exploding space shuttle? That is what I thought of) and it was hot and uncomfortable and I thought if this thing gets stuck, I would seriously freak out because of lack of air but it didn't and we made it to the top just fine.

And there they are at the top. Looking out the windows was pretty cool, seeing the stadium, the view of Illinois, where we stayed, ect.

I will share some more photos tomorrow. I need to do some laundry and stuff like that though right now! Back to reality for me.

disappointing children

...Tonight's conversation went something like this:

me: I am going to have at least 4 more blooms on my Magnolia tree.
seth: good.
noah: what?
me: 4 more blooms!
noah: 4!?!
me: yes.
noah: where?
me: on the tree.
noah: I want to see the balloons!
seth: no! flowers! not balloons. Blooms.
noah: oh.

Oh, the disappointment. I mean, balloon trees would be fascinating.

****

While the boys were getting baths, I checked on the fish and noticed RJ, our catfish, was no longer a part of the living. After Seth got him out, we debated on how we would tell the boys. So I went in there, told them and immediately, Rhett starts bawling his little eyes out. Turns out, RJ was his best friend. It says so on the picture he drew of the catfish later. Rhett breaks down at least 3 times before bed because of this fish. This fish that would hide from the light, never come out to eat...it is a wonder the little guy lasted this long.

Rhett just couldn't understand why it died this fast. Meaning, we only had him 3 weeks.

In fish time though, isn't that pretty good?

Noah, in the meantime, was just fine.

***

sharing the joy

...Even though you may already know, I still want to share the news: Holly's announcement .
Congrats to my friends!

___________________________________________________

Summer vacation is in full swing here. Building forts in the living room, playing with friends, hanging out at the pool, staying up later but sleeping in as well, just the general taking it easy time for us. The boys are having a blast.

Hope you are having a great Wednesday!

read

...Rhett read an entire book to his dad last night. He also read it in the car earlier that day. It was Lilo and Stitch and it was a Level 2 book and he did an awesome job! I just can't believe he is reading. And what is great is that he even comprehended what was going on in the book.

And I love that Noah is so involved in this process too. He will repeat what Rhett reads and try to help him out when Rhett is stuck on a word. It is neat to watch.

My boy is reading!!!

hmm, cheese

...Yesterday, after yard work and house work, Seth said he would get us something to eat so I wouldn't have to cook. I chose Sonic because the Cherry Limeade sounded so good at that moment! The boys were excited too. For some reason, they love Sonic.

Anyway, Seth gave me a little treat besides the limeade. He ordered me Cheddar Bites, which is basically little bites that look like tator tots of a fried cheese stick. I gave the boys one to try. Noah bit into it and looked a little surprised about what was inside, but happily surprised. Then a few seconds later, Noah says, "Hey, where is the cheese inside these tator tots?" Seth and I looked and saw that he torn apart all of his tator tots, looking for the cheese inside. We started laughing and Seth said something about him just having regular tator tots and I am the one that had the cheddar bites. Noah asks why he didn't get those too.

Because:

"You know I love cheese!"

This boy will eat cheese every meal. Grilled cheese, string cheese, cheese sticks, tortilla with cheese, cheeseburgers (not hamburgers), ham and cheese, cheese pizza, shredded cheese, cubed cheese, cheese chips, anything with cheese is better than without.

He will pick apart his sandwich and just eat the cheese. He wishes everything in the whole world was made of cheese (actually, he has expressed this wish several times).

When I tell him that might not be a good idea, he looks at me like I am crazy. What could be wrong about that? I know he wonders. Cheese whenever he likes and in any form.

So now you know--Noah loves cheese.

Have a gouda day! ;)

first and last

...Happy First Day of June!! Happy Last Day of School (for Rhett)! Happy start of the lazy days of summer!!

I am excited for June. This will be a fun month because of all the things I have mentioned before (trips, cousins, sisters). Yesterday, I told the boys that tomorrow is June 1st and they were so happy. Noah said, "So we get to see Nicolas now!" Uh, no. Not yet, but soon!

May was the most rainy month I have seen in a long time. Oklahoma went from 2 year drought to flood zone in this month. Rhett has had at least 4 games rained out and Noah has had two. We bought umbrellas for the boys and they actually got to use them. Everywhere is greener than green. I don't know how long this will last but I am enjoying it.

So I hope everyone has a happy June 1st.

Woo-hoo!

Oh and one more thing: Rhett's bus driver has become one of my favorite people. Every morning he says hello to Noah and talks to him and really is interested in what Noah brings to show him. Well, the other day, he gave Noah a happy meal toy. A simple thing but it was sweet. Today, he gave him another one. He said, "You are the only little kid that comes every morning to say hi to me." Noah just beamed. Little things make all the difference.

nuts

...It is amazing what people can do when they really are fired up about something. Angry fans of the CBS show "Jericho" are sending thousands of pounds of nuts to CBS because of the decision to cancel the show. Check out their website: http://www.nutsonline.com/jericho.

Yes it is just a tv show. Yes, they shouldn't care this much about it. But, I do like that they are doing something worthwhile: they are also sending a portion of the nuts profits to Greensburg, KS. Donations have reached $7,000.

Then we have the guy who decides to fly even though he has a rare, lethal form of TB. Uh, why? I don't know the whole story but if you are sick (and surely that guy knew he didn't feel well), can you not postpone the trip? Don't you think people would understand?

Then we have "celebrities" making the news because of their latest DUIs, or entrances into rehab programs or prisons. What are we telling our young children when we splash their faces all over the news and magazines?

Rhett's big day

...So Rhett had a great weekend. Not only did he lose his "top" tooth but something even more exciting happened. He went to one of the Big 12 Championship games with his dad and grandparents and a little while later, while Noah and I were out, he called and left me a message. Here is a transcribed version:

Rhett on the answering machine: Mom! I ... I got...I got...I got...I got a FOUL BALL!!!! I just wanted to call and tell you that! I love you!! Bye!!!

Seth later told me that they actually got two foul balls. The first one, an older boy several rows above them actually caught but was nice enough to give the ball to Rhett. Really. He just let him have it. I love that there are nice kids in the world.

Then a while later, Seth caught one. He gave it to Rhett and said, "Do you think we need to give this to the boy who gave you the foul ball?" And Rhett immediately said, "Yes!" So he went up and gave it to the boy. I love that one of those nice kids in the world is mine.

Rhett was a happy, happy kid that night.

why I love

...I am doing not just a list today, but a photo list. Much more fun, huh? :)


Why I love...


*Magnolia Trees


The blooms are absolutely beautiful. I have been watching this bud for a good 2 weeks now and suddenly on Thursday, it opened up. Sandy and Sammy were here and they enjoyed the bloom too. The smell is just heavenly and although the flower does not last long (2 days and it turns brown and falls off), it was worth every minute of the 2 week wait.


*The last days of school



Ice cream parties and the start of summer, fun water days and giving gifts to the teacher. I have to say I was so excited because I got to help with Rhett's ice cream party on Friday. I hadn't helped with any other event at his school before because I always had Noah. Turns out, I could have just brought Noah. Everyone else brought their younger children. Oh well. Live and learn. But it was fun being there and watching him with his friends. I hope that next year, when we move to the new school that is opening for our neighborhood that he finds as good as friends as he found this year. Knowing Rhett, he will be fine.



I was a little weepy during Noah's last days of school. The first friend that I made here in Edmond is moving and taking one of Noah's best friends with her. Two more of Noah's friends are moving as well. So it was a little sad. I am happy that Noah will be back with one of his same teachers next year. She is awesome and does so much good for Noah.

*6 year olds

Yep, Rhett lost another tooth. Now he has that big gap that all 6 and 7 year olds have. He is actually laughing in this picture. It was bath time when he lost his tooth and Noah was parading around with his bath robe on but open. So when I took a picture of Rhett, I looked and saw that naked Noah was in the background. I quickly deleted it but Rhett thought it was the funniest thing ever. I was glad that he was laughing because about 10 minutes earlier, I threw a fly ball his way and it hit him square on the nose. I felt terrible! And so did he! :)

Have a great Tuesday!

more later

...I promise pictures and a full recap of Noah's last day of school and Rhett's school party that I finally got to help with because Seth watched Noah. I will let you know Seth's new nickname for me. I will let you know how big my kids are getting and how happy I am that it is summer.

Right now I have to do laundry though. Seriously big loads of clothes piling up.

re: lost

...Oh, wow. Just watched the season finale of Lost. All I can say is...oh, wow.

lessons learned

...Saturday was an interesting day. It started out normally--Seth taking Rhett to baseball practice, then lunch, then soccer game. But at the soccer game, there were no referees. They canceled the games past noon, but did not let anyone know. So we played anyway--just for fun. However, this was supposed to be the game where they got their medals. No medals. Frustrating!

Afterward, we went to Braum's for ice cream. That was a fun treat for all of us. Now this is where our whole day took on an interesting turn. Seth wanted to go see where his friend bought a house. One of Seth's hobbies is looking at houses. He loves driving around, looking at different neighborhoods, ect. So we went. It was about a 10 minute drive. While there, Seth happened to see a turtle on the road. Yes, you probably guessed it. We picked it up, put it in a cooler and drove to the pet store. A turtle would be a fun pet for the boys right? Right?

Wrong. Turns out, turtles are really a lot of work. You have to build an outdoor cage for them (because of their stink), feed them fruits and vegetables (almost rotten), then you may not even see them because they like to dig and hide. So after a few minutes thought, Seth and I said, "Uh, boys..." But they were very good about it--only because we promised them fish.

And that is where we went to next. After driving back to the neighborhood to put the turtle back, we went to pick out fish and an aquarium. Now, in our living room, we have 6 fish, 2 ghost shrimp (that are pregnant) and an aquarium to house them all. The boys love it. And honestly, so do I! Fish are so interesting to watch and I think it is such a peaceful addition to our home.

So that was our day. We didn't start out the day planning on adding pets to our household. I told Seth (after he paid for the fish aquarium, ect) that fish will be a great learning tool for the boys. Even us. He replied that he had already learned something:

Never pick up a turtle on the side of the road.

Lesson learned.

social butterflies

...If you know Seth and I, you know that we are not extroverted people. We usually are happy hanging by ourselves. But this week, we are totally social. Here is a sense of what was/is going on this week:

Monday: Girls Night Out. We ate at Red Rock, a fabulous home-styled restaurant and I stayed out until 10:30. Big time for me. :)
Tuesday: a double header t-ball game.
Wednesday: Neighborhood play time. We have an awesome neighborhood with lots of boys running around. Recently, I have gotten to know some of the moms and we are almost having more fun than the kids, hanging out and talking. This is also a bad thing, because my housework is lacking because of this. But it is nice to have friends that live just a few houses down. Another game.
Thursday: The boys had a water day at Noah's school, so I went and had a little "me" time for a couple of hours. I went to Ann Taylor Loft because my friend is going to start working there and fell in love with it. It is one of my new favorite stores. Seriously. Which is bad news for Seth. :)
Friday: a small group bar-b-que. I need to make cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.
Saturday: soccer game. We thought it would be the last, but one of the rained-out games is going to be made up on June 2. Bummer. Noah is sick of soccer.
Sunday: we are having a couple come over for dinner because they are moving next week. I am sad. She was one of my first friends here in Edmond. Her son is a great friend of Noah's.

Anyway, that is a glimpse of what is going on here. I hope you have a great weekend. I know we will. It will be busy, but fun.

summer's coming

...One more week of school for Noah. Two weeks for Rhett. Summer is coming and I'm looking forward to it! In June, I am going to get to go to St. Louis, see both my sisters and their kids and just relax. (No more taxi driver for awhile.)

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Bike Ride #5: I still only lasted 20 minutes. I've been so tired this week and my muscles are feeling the effects of actually working. :) Still, I am happy because I have gotten on that bike for 3 days in a row, even when I didn't feel like it. So yay!

The one more week of school means that I am going to have to be getting up with the sun if I want to ride my bike by myself. This will be a challenge. I like sleep. But that is my goal. I have one more week to get ready for it.

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Have a great Thursday!

i {heart} teachers!

...Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week and Rhett's school did a lot for their teachers. Flowers, book baskets, cards and a tree planting ceremony, ect. I decided to make his teacher this card.

This is the inside. On the top of the inside, we wrote a note for her. I am sharing this because I know many, many teachers (my mom, my mom-in-law, my grandmother, my best friend, many good friends, me{before momhood}) and although I am a little late for the Teacher Appreciation Week, I did want to say--Thanks.

Teachers aren't paid enough, they do so much more than just teach students, they put up with so much more than just students, I could go on and on but I won't. Instead I will say this: because of you, we have leaders, scientists, doctors, preachers, entertainers, protectors, and writers. We have artists, web designers, teachers, good upstanding citizens. You are the backbone. So thanks for what you do. Whoo is the best? You. :)

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Bike Ride #3: 20 minutes. Not long, but not too bad either for just getting started. Those hills are hard (as Abbey mentioned) but as I climb up the hill, gasping for breath, I just keep saying to myself: Hills will burn more calories. Hills will make stronger legs. Hills are stupid. Oh, wait, I am supposed to be positive. I am almost to the top of the stupid hill.

Ha. Ha. Just a little work-out humor for you this morning.

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Have a great day!

happy monday

...After a week full of downpours like this (above) the clouds finally parted and the sun was out the whole weekend. Beautiful. Green surrounds us, it is such a pretty sight.

Did everyone have a good weekend? I did. My boys (all three) treated me like a princess. Seth took care of meals, let me sleep in on Sunday, I got to read a book and watch a girlie movie. And I got a bike!

Yes this is me. I am actually glad I have the helmet (a good example, mainly for the boys) because my neighborhood is very hilly so it is nice to know if I fall, I will be protected. I wanted a bike because I really need to get going, physically. The past few months I have been lazy--too much computer time, scrap time, sitting time--and have not been exercising. Then my aunt had a heart attack. Thank God she is okay but it just made it clear that I have to take care of myself. Especially since heart disease runs in my family. So yesterday I made a goal that I would start riding my bike at least 4 times a week. (Bike rides with the boys do not count. They are fun but easy going.) So I am very excited about this new goal. Wish me luck and I will keep you updated.

Rhett lost his "first front top tooth"! That is what he calls it. So cute. Yesterday he asked me if I wanted to see his lost tooth at least three times. Then he would smile his gap-filled smile. He told Grandmom that I took a picture of it and the next time he saw her, he would bring the picture so she could see it. (Not realizing that she could see the real thing if he went to see her!) So I am showing the picture now. :)

And I can't go without a cute Noah story:
Saturday, when Rhett went to baseball practice, I let Noah watch tv while I got ready. A little while later, he rushed in and said, "Mom! You have to get a Chop Wizard! It is so cool! You put cheese or tomatoes or onions in it and when you are really tired of using a sharp knife and want to cut something really fast, you just push it down and...it is all chopped!!! So easy!!!"

You know, he could be the next "OxyClean Guy." You know the man who talks really loud and has commercials for all these great products? I think Noah could take his job. He is a lot cuter and gets very excited about products. :)

Have a happy Monday!

Mothers

...This Sunday is a special day. And it was not until I became a mother that I really started to understand the whole concept of Mother's Day. (and no, it is not because of the gifts...but they are a nice perk!)

So, because I haven't done one in awhile, here is a list of why Mothers deserve to have extra love on Sunday:

1. Once you become a mom, you never stop. Even if your child is 30 or 40 years old. They may need even more help from you then.

2. Moms put themselves last most of the time. I look at it this way--if there are 3 chocolate chip cookies on the plate and 2 were big and had lots of chocolate chips and the 3rd was a little smaller and burned on the bottom, who do you think will sacrifice and get the burnt cookie? The mom! She will let her children choose a cookie and they, of course, will take the best looking cookies, then the mom, not wanting to miss out on a cookie, will eat the last one. She may wish she had the other, better cookie, but she knows that it was not meant to be.

3. Moms are very smart. After she realizes that she does not want to eat anymore burnt cookies, she will hide her own stash of beautiful, chunky cookies in a jar of her own. Then when the kids have chosen their cookie, finished it and gone to play, she will get one out of her own stash. Perhaps she will get 2 because she thinks she deserves it for being so sneaky!

4. Moms must know how to be a nurse, a teacher, a taxi driver, a catcher, a pitcher, a receiver, a math whiz, a maid, a therapist, a peace keeper, a carpenter, a bug killer or bug catcher, a short order cook, a friend and a wife.

5. Moms will protect their child at all costs.

6. Moms will love with their whole heart.

7. Moms must teach their children to be independent, responsible, caring individuals so that one day they will leave her, breaking her heart but making her proud at the same time.

8. Moms multi-task. While writing this blog, I am also doing laundry, making sure my child is entertained, doing leg lifts and calling to see if soccer games are canceled tomorrow. :)

9. It doesn't matter who calls, if a mother hears the word, "Mom!" she will immediately look for the caller. It doesn't matter if her children are grown, it doesn't matter is she is at the store and her kids aren't with her, it doesn't matter if she has boys and it is a girl's voice. She will still look. And care.

10. Moms have a limitless supply of hugs, "I love yous" and band-aids. Also, the really good moms have kleenex in their purse. And gum. And pennies. And pens. And paper. And snacks.

To my mom: Thank you for giving me such a great example of how to be a good mother. It is the hardest job I have ever known but it is also the most rewarding. Thanks for always being there for all of your children and grandchildren. I love you! We love you!

To Seth's mom: Thank you for giving me great ideas, thoughts and sympathy for raising two boys, like you did. We love you and thank you for everything!

To my fellow mom friends, sisters, future moms and hope-to-be moms someday: I love you and you are so special. Happy Mother's Day. This is your day-make it special.

Have a wonderful day, weekend and Mother's Day.

PS-Here is a layout I did for my mom: The quote says: How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have become...all of these. -George Washington Carver.

Mom, I think you are all of those. I love you! A

Scrapbook Share

...This weekend I went to a Scrapbook Retreat with my mom and was amazed. Amazed by the amount of stuff that women brought. They were pulling in luggage carts full of supplies! My mom and I were awed.

We had a lot of fun though and got a lot done! Here are 2 layouts:

This is Cameron and Noah. They had a lot of fun together during Spring Break. Rhett was too busy reading to be in the pictures. Seriously. We had just gone to the library and he was looking at books. He loves to read. So, here is this:

This layout was simple and fast. It took about 10 minutes!

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Seth and the boys were so busy this weekend. He took them everywhere! To the Edmond Art Festival (where he got a carciture of the boys-so sweet!), the zoo, Incredible Pizza, Lowe's to buy trees, Sears, Kohl's, Walmart, you name it they went! They had a great time together though and I appreciate you so much Seth! He said he needed to go back to work so he could rest! :)

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It has been raining and raining and raining here. Funny that last year we were in a drought and now there is flood warnings. I just want to share this photo of the beautiful sky before I go:

I think this is one that Seth took on Thursday. Totally breathtaking.

Have a great day!

Eureka!

...I have found the perfect cookie recipe--at least for me. I love when chocolate chip cookies are thick, kind of crunchy, with lots of chocolate chips. And everytime I made cookies, they ended up being, well, flat.


But yesterday in the Oklahoma Daily Newspaper, I came across an article about how to make a better cookie. I decided to try one of the recipes they listed and also use their advice.


Here is the recipe (with a little twist from me) and some of the tips I read (in parenthesis):

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c unsalted butter

(use the best butter you can buy. Yes, better butter really does make the batter better! Also, make sure it is room temperature)

1 c light brown sugar

3 T granulated sugar

1 egg (also room temperature)

2 t vanilla extract

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1 bag of chocolate chips

1 1/2 t chai tea powder (I used Oregan Chai Original Chai Tea)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (Believe me the lower, slower bake is the way to go!) Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar and white sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. (Really whip the butter and sugar--it is the secret to a really good cookie.)
3. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until well combined. (Also, be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl while you are mixing with a spatula.)
4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture and mix for about 15 seconds. (Do not overmix the dry ingredients or you will get a dry, tough cookie. Mix until they are just incorporated and then stop.)
5. Using a rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips and chai tea powder.
6. Using a 1-oz scoop or a 2 T measure, drop dough onto sheets in dollops about 3 inches apart. Gently press on dough with back of spoon to spread dough into 2-in circles.
7. Bake about 20 minutes or until cookies are nicely browned around edges. (It is better to bake one minute to short than 30 seconds too long because cookies continue to bake outside the oven. So if they look like they are not quite done, you might want to take them out, especially if you like soft cookies.)
8. Remove from oven, cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy! I know we are! :)

See, Rhett even has the milk mustache. Too cute! You can almost look past the fact that his mouth is open, showing the contents...almost. See, Christy, how much fun you are going to have? :)


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And to make my post a long one, because I won't be around tomorrow (going to a scrapbook retreat with my mom. Yes, I am so excited!!), here is some photos of Noah telling an especially exciting story:

"For show and share, my friend brought a diamond! And it was as big as my head!"

"And I got to hold it and when I did I saw that it had something inside. It was my memories! The diamond had my memories inside of it!"

"This is a true story, Mom. Rhett, I'm serious."

Now you tell me. Do you think this face could ever lie? :)

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Have a wonderful weekend! I know that Seth is planning on having a good time with the boys and I am planning on getting a lot of scrapping done! And have fun while I am at it! :)

a few questions...answers appreciated

...Why does my dog sit in his and my boxer's water bowl? It makes it really gross and I have to empty it out at least twice a day.

Why are boys so gross at the table and gulp their milk and smack their food? And then when I tell the boys that they are indeed, being rude, Rhett gets sad and says he tries to be "not rude." So is it just their nature?

Why do we have to deal with things like lice and ticks? Today, at preschool, they had a lice check because someone brought a case to school. I feel so bad for that child and his/her parents because I have been washing things all day, even though Noah was clear of them. And you already know how I feel about ticks.

Why are they cloning cows? Really? And why won't it be necessary to label beef as cloned or uncloned if and when the FDA makes its final decision to allow the sale and consumption of cloned food products? I don't want to eat cloned food products. Am I already?

Photo update

...I've got photos to share, so here they are-from Thursday to Saturday.

This is Sir Knight Noah during his Fantasy Feast that he and his class had on Thursday. It was truly sweet. The boys painted their own shields and made their own crowns and magic wands (no swords--I guess because it is a church preschool). We had a lot of fun!

Noah scored a goal on Saturday! I don't know if he really realized it, but it was pretty cool to us! He is doing such a great job of hustling after the ball, but he is a little timid about getting the ball. Don't really know why-Noah is anything but timid-but I am hoping he'll get the hang of it.

This is the "moving" statue that we saw at the Art Festival in Downtown OKC. The boys gave him a tip and he shook their hands. They thought that was pretty cool.

The festival was right by the Myriad Botantical Gardens, so we went inside the Crystal Bridge. It was really neat--waterfalls, pineapple plants, cacti... The boys were really impressed and so were we. Here are a few more:

The art festival was very impressive. I found some jewelry there that was really beautiful (Mom, you would have loved it). I didn't get the jewelry, but it was nice to look at! I also loved the black and white photography. Rhett found some wooden cars that he helped Dad pay for and Noah found a light up frog. (don't ask)

Yes, there were a few off the wall things, but for the most part it was fun and I know I will want to go back next year.

bloom

(Peace Lily from Ephemera: http://www.ephemera.org/archives/375.html)

...I had a great post planned, but my camera's battery is not charged (the plug wasn't working, therefore, it the charger wasn't charging) so I will have to wait another day for the pictures of Noah and his super cute festival he had yesterday. He was a knight and had a crown, magic wand and shield. He was awesome.

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I did want to wish my sweet friend Julie a very Happy Birthday!! Her b-day is tomorrow and I hope you have a fantastic one! Julie has been my friend for so long and I'm very lucky to have her in my life.

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I also want to say that my peace lily is blooming. This is special to Seth and me because last year at this time, we received the peace lily when his Grandmommy passed away. It is a huge plant and almost didn't make it twice because it was in a hot car during our move last summer. But I cut some leaves off and placed it in a place in my house that gets sun. There are times I forget to water it and it droops, but it always bounces back. I have had to trim it a couple of times because the leaves get so big. I never thought it might bloom again (houseplants do not like me, usually). But, a week ago, I noticed the white blooms coming up. Today, they are tall and about to open up. I love that it is blooming again, one year later. It is like God is reminding us of Grandmommy and what a beautiful, special woman she was. Just like the plant, she was strong and bloomed even after going through hard times.

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Rhett had a t-ball game last night and he did an awesome job. He caught a fly ball (which is huge in t-ball)! I am so proud of how far he has come. The beginning of the season he was almost afraid of the ball and now he is catching them in the air. Wow! I didn't get to watch it though because I was at Noah's soccer practice. I hope someday I will get to see Rhett and his superstar plays because so far I have missed all of them.

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I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Celebrate those in your life that bloom, even though you may not get to be there for their special days or happen to miss special things that happen to them. Celebrate those that made a difference in your life. Celebrate those who love you. Take extra care of those relationships.

And remember to water.

these are the days

...Just because I did one thing last night, I changed a little boy's view of his day. After supper, Noah and Rhett went outside to play. I told them they could not play in their sandbox because it was too wet and I really didn't want to deal with the mess. Noah had been complaining about this being the "worst day" pretty much all day, which I can understand--it rained pretty much all afternoon and they didn't get to play with their friends.

Anyway, they were playing and I was trying to clean the house while listening to music and Keith Urban's song, "These are the Days" came on.

these are the days that we'll remember.

these are the times that won't come again

the highest of flames becomes an ember

and you gotta live them while you can.

As soon as I heard those words, I rushed outside and jumped on the trampoline with the boys. Even though I had just ate supper and knew my stomach would not feel too great, even though I had a pile of dirty dishes, even though...etc.

And you know what? Noah and Rhett had the most fun. Noah looked at me and said, "Mom, this is the best day ever."

Just because I decided to take that moment and "live them while you can."

Life is hard. Life is not fair and life goes by too fast. But one person has the power to make another person smile. To make someone's day "happy."

And I know I had more fun jumping on the trampoline than I would have washing dishes. Dishes will still be there. Little moments like that---well, they probably won't.

Realizing this, I decided we should play a game of Monopoly Jr. together. Rhett and I had fun "being poor" together while Noah couldn't stop laughing about how "rich" he was. I lost the game, but won as a mom last night.

So, I hope today you do something fun, something that you don't think you have time for but want to do. It might change your whole attitude about your day--at least for a moment or two.