Thankful

This year is different.
Lots of change, lots of things that just aren't like previous years.  There is a small part of me that still clings to the traditional large family Thanksgiving where all the relatives show up and the house is filled with enough food to feed an entire small country. The rest of me just isn't up for it this year. So thankful we will be going out to eat this year with family!  I find that in the midst of all the turmoil this year that I am thankful for things that I have traditionally overlooked in previous years.
     I am thankful I have an amazingly supportive and loving family. They have truly surrounded and protected us this year, offered support, time, money and so much unconditional love.
     I am thankful for my wonderful friends. I have been overwhelmed this year and truly shown the character of those that I thought were my friends vs. those that ignore everything else to protect and love. I have a such a feeling of warmth inside and a peace that I am never alone in my life.
     I am thankful for my husband that supports, defends and protects every decision I have ever made and has never doubted. He loves me to my core and is my strength when I am weak. 
     I am thankful for my incredibly bright, loving, beautiful, caring and healthy children. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not in awe of something that they do.
     I am thankful for the lessons learned. I've learned a LOT!!! 
     I am thankful for my husband's job. Even though it stresses him out sometimes, I have been so thankful for the support all of his coworkers have shown our family. 
     I am thankful for faith. The faith that next year will be more settled, be much less eventful and bring resolve. 
      Last, I am thankful for the gift of time. I am thankful I have been blessed with this time with my children and family to do the things we didn't have time to do before. Thankful for the extra cuddle time at night and in the morning that I am not running around stressed out about getting it all done. Thankful for the daily time that I have never had with my children. I know I would have never taken this time on my own. Sometimes God has answers to questions you never thought you had.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Football Championship

To be very honest, I am one of those mom's who sit on the sidelines reads a book or magazine, texts everyone I know for an hour and tries to sneak in a little wine in a sippycup during football practice and games. I try to stay in the background as much as possible. I am aware that my child will not be playing pro ball. I wouldn't even want him to play college football. I am just happy that he likes to hang out with the boys and he learns team work and sportsmanship.

This year's team got beat a few times, so I never imagined they would actually make it ALL THE WAY to the CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! But their team had something that the other teams didn't. They had heart and drive. Those boys went out there and gave it their all and even though they got beat in the final game, it was a wonderful year for them and a great learning experience that even though you may be down.... you can always recover and get stronger and better. Lots of adults could learn from that. WAY TO GO COLE!!!

Precious Time

Those of you that know our family well, know that this has been one of the most difficult times of our life. The transition from me working to me being at home, I wish I could say has been a smooth one, but unfortunately, it seems to have been a time of change and stress for everyone.  We are hoping for an end to the turmoil by the first of next year, but until then, we are trying daily to keep things as normal as possible and focus on the fun times and blessings in our life.

We had been planning our Disney Trip (Thanks mom and dad) for well over a year, and even through the worst crisis yet, we decided, we needed to go. We needed time as a family to regain strength, have fun and take some precious family time just for us!

We loaded up, nana and papaw took Shelby, Troy and I took Cole and 15+ hrs later we landed at Shades of Green on Disney Resort! It was wonderful and I know these are memories of our family being together that all of us will carry forever. 

After Disney, Nana and Papaw took both kiddos back with them, while Troy and I stayed for his conference and had some good husband/wife time for our 16th Anniversary.  Thanks again Nana and Papaw for this wonderful gift of time, love and support. I couldn't ask for better and more supportive and loving parents. 

All in all, it's good to be home! After Nana and Papaw drove off with our kiddos, Troy and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes and eventually left a day early to get back home to our precious loves. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip! 



Mickey at Shades of Green





Stitch is soooo my favorite!



Daddy and his Princess



How cute is he!!!!



She could hardly control her excitement!

My handsome man!



Happy Anniversary - 16 years and still completely in love.



The impromptu trip to Chicago

Troy had to do one of his quick trips up and back to the Chicago area, so in a whirlwind decision, Shelbster and I decided we would go hang out in the Windy City for two days. Since Cole man had school, we left him and Joy with Nana and Papaw and promised him something wonderful from the trip. I think he was pretty happy just to get away from his sister for two days and be totally spoiled by Nana! So we loaded up Wednesday afternoon and after placing our faith in Priceline (it worked!) we got a 4 star hotel for over half off! We stayed at the Sheraton downtown, within walking distance to American Doll Store and Navy Pier. Shelby was totally excited to hang with mama and go do fun things. OK - mama was pretty excited too!

Day One: Navy Pier, Ferris Wheel, Merry Go Round Children's Museum, then off on a Water Taxi to the Magnificent Mile to the American Girl Store, Hershey's Ghiradelli Chocolate and Filene's Basement and dinner at the Billy Goat Tavern then to the hotel to swim.



Day Two: We took a bus! Considering our town doesn't even have a taxi, a bus is pretty exciting. Off to Lincoln Park Zoo, which is completely FREE and very awesome! Then back to downtown to the Hershey Store again and Portillos Hotdogs before returning home.

Kitty

Kitty

She is insane with love for this stuffed thing.



A few months ago, whilst shopping with my friend and our precious little ones, I was desperately seeking a bargaining chip that would buy me 10 minutes of peace and quiet while I tried on jeans. We wandered through the kids section and I found the cheapest small toy I could find. She picked a small white kitty. I got two so the girls would each have one and occupy themselves for just a FEW extra minutes. Did you note the line above where it said WHITE? Now, please know my child has more small stuffed things than I can count. Mostly monkeys, but there are a few others thrown in and other than a blanket, she has never really OBSESSIVELY attached herself to anything. Well Kitty seems to have stuck. For weeks she has carried kitty everywhere, they gym, the football field, the garage, the pond, and needless to say Kitty got ICKY! I asked to wash kitty and you would have thought I was going to commit murder.  I even offered to let Kitty take a bath WITH her. Kitty was turning.... grey and slowly black and was developing an odor about it.





In step WONDER AUNT! Aunt Eva has a washing machine with a clear top. So on a recent trip to Aunt Eva's house she asked if it would be ok for Kitty to take a bath and Shelby could watch her the WHOLE time! Shelby agreed that Kitty would be ok and feel better if she could see her mommy.  HALLELUJAH!!!

ONE CLEAN AND DEODORIZED KITTY!!!! Now we know we just need to travel 2 hours to the Kitty salon every time it needs a bath. THANKS AUNT EVA!



Yea..... at least it smells better! Ready to spin?





I can hear her saying "It's ok Kitty, mommy is right here"



Isn't she amazing and SMART!



The Diva and The Manly Man

Some days I envy those parents that have either ALL boys or ALL girls cause around here it looks like GI Joe is holding Barbie hostage.

Cole is into EVERYTHING boy! He is into anything that shoots from Nerf guns to bow and arrows and pistols. He plays football, puts leggos together in minutes and will play x-box till his fingers fall off if I would let him.

Shelby is ALL girl, she frequently asks if she can grow up to be a Diva. I'm not sure that's something you can grow into, but if it is, mommy wants that too! She sings, dances, wants to wear make-up and is all about tea parties, barbie and pedicures.



I feel the need to lock and barricade our doors now.

 So when they say women are from Mars and Men are from Venus, all I can think is that at some point, they grew up with the same parents in the same house and they survived.

My Organizing Obsession

Before

Now that I am home more - lots more. I am becoming a little more neurotic about being organized. In truth, I am OK with my own personal disorganization, cause I know where my stuff is, I just don't like Troy or the kids being disorganized. SO in an effort to "help" them, I am cleaning out closets, going through the stacks of paperwork and reorganizing. Yes, I could be doing laundry, which is piling up because I am completely focused on something else, but it's so much more fun to play 100 questions with what to do with papers that Troy can't see while he is at work. So he gets to sit at work and try to imagine what I am looking at in the kitchen and then decide if I should pitch it, keep it, file it or do something with it. Oh, I could be cooking dinner, but this new game is so much more fun! At least for me it is! Thanks Troy for playing along!


After

YEA ME.  

Daddy's Girl

When Shelby turns dating age, which should be around 30, we should clearly warn any boys that come near her that she has a somewhat unreasonable expectation of men. Between her papaw, her bubba, and her daddy and uncle Eric, there has never been a man who hasn't catered to her every need and whim. From daddy giving pedicures to bubba being her personal Mr. Fix it. She has some high expectations. Papaw cooks her eggs and bacons and serves as her personal chef. Uncle Eric is there to serve an constant entertainment. I am thankful to have true men surrounding her. I am glad that in a day where REAL fathers are few and far between, she has amazing examples of men who not only LOVE to be dad's, but are good husbands and men. I am proud that the examples of men in her life are as comfortable out hunting and working on tractors as they are cooking blackberry cobbler and doing laundry. I'm glad her expectations are high and if no boy ever hits them, well, that will be ok with daddy!

Daddy had been painting all day, he'll love that I posted his fine non shaven look!

Dancing in the living room is the best thing ever!

Projects/Weekend Plans

School 5 days a week, football 3-4 days a week, gym 3-4 days a week (if I am motivated), it's not like we are lacking for things to do. I did however find a few extra projects to throw in, just in case Troy was finding himself bored. Furniture and curtains are going on craigs list and the remodel is set to begin. Troy has decided our flooring needs to be renovated, so he is in search of hardwood for the floors and I am hoping for tile in the kitchen/entry. We also managed to squeeze in a night of camping for the boys while the girls enjoyed a night in watching movies!

My hubby with his eyes closed painting away. Thanks hon for always taking these projects on, even when I know you could be doing anything else!

This would be the wallpaper prior. Yes, it felt really good ripping it down!

New blue paint a and curtain.

The MEN after a long night out in the wilderness. Ok, it was our friend's back yard, but close enough!

Dinner on an open fire, YUM-O

The girls idea of camping!