Hello, www!  Just dropping by for a bit.  Here's a few pictures of life lately:



1. Our zoo pass is about to expire, so we've been trying to go more than usual lately.  Last week, while the weather was spring-like, we packed a lunch, played on the monkey bars, met some new friends, watched the alligators, and came home.  It was a lovely morning and made me want to renew our pass for the next year.

2. We are about to have a mortgage for the first time in our lives.  Kind of bittersweet, I guess?  Since we live in the house Scott grew up in, he is especially excited about the new abode.  I'm looking forward to more closet space and a flat back yard.

3. Little Sister Bug.

4. I got crazy in the kitchen last week and made homemade taco seasoning using this recipe.  The only revision I will make next time is to use garlic salt rather than garlic powder.  The meat needs a little salt and making the switch should help.

5. Scott, my dad, and I took Sam to a monster truck show last weekend.  Woah.  It was definitely one of Montgomery's finer events. ;)

6. Annie enjoying the zoo, too.

7. Valentine's Day: a good reminder to tell the ones you love that you love and appreciate 'em.

8. Sam, because he was so excited, had the shakes at the monster truck show.  He was literally shaking in his boots and could hardly stand still for me to take this picture.  Bless him.


Hope your week is off to a good start.  I'm meeting a friend for coffee tonight at my favorite little coffee shop and looking forward to the outing.      

It has rained so much here lately.  We've had to find things to keep us busy so that little 3-year-old minds don't dwell on not getting to go outside.

We made valentines from 3x5 index cards.  I already had all the supplies on hand.  Not having to take two kids out in the rain to fetch valentine materials is a good day in my book.  Plus, Sam and I had fun digging around in the craft drawer and making them together while Sissy took her morning nap.  I'm starting to learn that the littlest of things can make kids happy.


In other news, little sister is getting close to being more mobile than she already is, cruising around like it ain't nothing.  She is a lovebug.  We can't get over how curious and observant she is.  And she says everything we say.  A little parrot.

I asked her a few months ago, "Where's your baby dolls, Annie?"  She made a beeline down the hallway to her room where we keep them.  Little Mama knows where her babies are!  I guess it's part of that double X chromosome.


I hope your Wednesday is so good, despite the rain.  I know I'll be begging for it come August!

I'm thinking about cranking up the blog again.  Three reasons:

We went to the park this morning to celebrate the first day of December.  I love December. 

He slid down the slide at least 379 times.  It’s a favorite amenity at the park.  With every climb and slide he did, I held my breath and clinched my teeth.  Y’all, slides are scary business for 2-year-olds mommas with 2-year-olds!

  

(Who needs golf clubs when you’ve got sticks?)

In other news, you probably haven’t noticed, but I’ve obviously used my Christmas china tea cups and saucers a lot since being married.

This kinda makes me sad.  Life’s too short not to pull out the ol’ Christmas china during the holidays.  So, the moral of the story: If you visit me in the month of December, I will serve you tea or coffee from freshly washed tea cups without barcode stickers on them. Come on over!  :)

We are really into trains these days.  I wish I could describe the glee on Sam’s face when he saw the train as we rounded the corner at the mall the other night.  Kids are good reminders to get excited over little things.

And for good measure….here’s my lil’ Fred last December.  Pregnancy has made me all sentimental about him lately.  He’s about to turn two in a few weeks.  TWO.  Insane!

Hope your December 1st is simply wonderful. 

Hello, friends.  Howabout a little photo dump?  With captions underneath?

This is how Sam feels about what transpired a few minutes before this picture was snapped.  We’ve been practicing how to sit still.  On a church pew.  Without making noises.  You get my drift?  I know he’s only 23 months old, but the time’s a comin’ when we’d like him to be in “big church” with us.  We’re averaging 2 minutes of good, solid still time.  Considering our service is an hour and a half long, I’d say we got some work to do.  I think these next pictures sum up where we’re at with the whole process.

The good news is that he loves to sing.  I mean, loves to sing!  I usually never have my camera with me when we’re in the middle of a good jam session, so I am very delighted to have caught him in mid-note for this pic.  “Jesus Loves Me” was the song of choice, and if ever there’s a song I want him to sing with gusto, it’s this one.

Sam performs when he wants to perform…and it’s usually not when others are watching him.  I’m hoping this ends up being a good thing for him.

We finished Sam’s room a few weeks ago.  I won’t bore you with a ton of pictures, but here’s how it meshed together. 

I feel like I need to add that, although I love pretty things and lovely spaces, my hope and satisfaction isn’t (or maybe I should say shouldn’t be) in material stuff.  We know there’s a fine line between enjoying the beautiful things God’s given us and idolizing those things, making them little gods.  What Sam’s big boy room looks like carries no eternal significance in this life.  To sum it up, it’s enjoyable making our house more homey…and my husband encourages it and appreciates it, too.  And, if possible, we try to do-it-ourselves, design on a dime!  

Last but not least, my sweet grandmother bought Sam this electronic dog this weekend.

See the dot on its forehead?  When you trigger the censor, it rolls on the floor and laughs hysterically.  Sam will not come within 6 feet of it.  He really wants to play with the dog, but he can’t muster up the courage.  As soon as he gets close enough to trigger it, he runs for his life and finds me wherever I am in the house.  This keeps him busy for at least 20 minutes.  I wish my words could do the hilariousness of it justice, but they can’t.   

Happy Monday to you!

These two men:

My little family, my boys.

Football-loving, horse-playing, outdoor-enthusiasts….that’s them. 

In the big picture of life, they are what matters most. 

And, P.S., are they not identical or what?  It’s like a little Scott sitting on Scott’s shoulders.

Both got a haircut this past week.  It intensified Sam’s mini-daddy status by 150%.

While I’m talking rambling about my child, can I also say that he is hilarious?  I know it’s just that I’m his mother, but our days at home together are not lifeless in the least. 

He rattled off a sentence the other day, not coming up for air, and it contained almost every word in his tiny vocabulary.  It ran together something like this:

“snafoins…..MOMMA…asugojme….DADDY….fyaonf….WAWA…afninwn…PACE (his friend)….euianfo…MEMAW (my grandmother)…einfilois…CHOO CHOO!”

He said it so matter of fact, with such intent in his eyes.  It made total sense to him.

Okay, I’m going to stop before I start recounting all his wonderfulness.  Truth is, I’d love him just the same if he didn’t do a darn hilarious thing at all. 

Good night!

“Order this day all my communications

according to thy wisdom,

and to the gain of mutual good.

Forbid that I should not be profited

or made profitable.

May I speak each word as if my last word,

and walk each step as my final one.

If my life should end today,

let this be my best day.”

-“Morning Dedication,” from The Valley of Vision