Tate Family

when you're too tired to blog with words...

2012-01-29T22:46:00.002-06:00

you just post the cutest picture known to man...

january

2012-01-23T12:54:00.003-06:00

Oh, hi, severely-abandoned blog. Let's see...what have we been up to?

a goose egg or few

mommy turned 30

jumped in a few rain puddles

dibble-dabbled in oodles of mischief (Eli, but of course)

we did a little flying

cut alotta fro

celebrated mi madre turning 53 - the 3 of us compiled a list of 53 reasons we love her!

spent a crazy amount of time intrigued by popcorn kernels

and succumbed to the ever-lurking asthma symptoms

So, there ya go, Blogger. An update on our lives through the lens of my iPhone. One day, I'll get better about dusting off the trusty ole Canon and taking more "real" pics. And maybe one day, I'll get back to blogging daily. {sigh}

2011 was good to me.

2012-01-07T20:50:00.003-06:00

Here I sit, a week in to 2012, still blown away at the goodness and grace of Jesus Christ in 2011. It absolutely blew my mind! I established some of the most fantastic friendships in my team at work (and miss them to this day!). Cuttin' Corners was formed in the early part of the year and I began helping others learn how to save money. Truly loving the content of what I was teaching gave me a wonderful outlet to meet some fantastic ladies. My photography appointments kept coming and coming and coming this year. Our kids turned 9, 5 (Kindergarten!!), and 1 and continue to be happy and relatively healthy. I experienced an almost out-of-body worship experience with my favorite group, Hillsong. And to top it all off, God answered a 6-year prayer of mine: I was able to quit my job. As icing on the cake, Eli has not had to have one single breathing treatment since he's been home with me every day. Although there are a few days that are quite the opposite of a bed of roses, God's blessings are just way too monumental to focus on the thorns instead of the beautiful flowers. I stand with a mountaintop view with constant praise but my prayer is to be full of praise even when the storms come. The Bible promises that they will.

Quite honestly, I suck as a wife & mom some days. My family is loving and so forgiving - resilient despite my insufficiencies. I am abundantly thankful, hopeful for the 2012 horizon.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T11:32:00.003-06:00

Our Christmas didn't include traveling or gobs of extended family. We stayed put and made the most of each other. Just the 5 of us. We enjoyed old traditions and made a couple of new ones. I'm always trying to find ways to make Christmas fresh & unique to our family. I am intentional about making memories that my children will reflect on with warm thoughts.

As we have for the past several years, we make it a huge point to keep the real reason in the forefront. Birthday cake for Our King is always part of the Christmas morning breakfast. Cake for breakfast, you say? Yep!

We started a new tradition of our boys all going shopping separately for one another and then doing all the wrapping independently. Christmas Eve is when they open gifts from one another. Nothing extravagant; just Dollar Tree for now. Perhaps when they get older and make their own money, they will branch out. The goal was to get their minds off themselves and thinking about how to serve their brothers through gifting.

Eli got both of his big brothers Silly Putty. Boo get Wesley a glow stick and Eli a wooden truck. Wesley got Boo a bag of Ring Pops and Eli some squeezable bath toys. It was a joy to watch our boys interact so enthusiastically with one another. So fun!

After the boys opened their gifts from one another, it was time to prepare for Santa's arrival and drift off into dreamland. We started the 3-gift rule a few years ago, and it has been one of the best decisions we've made in regards to the holidays. Not much stress and running around...not to mention, financially. Our boys have grown up with this and expect it. It is engrained in their minds -- Jesus got 3 gifts. YOU also get 3 gifts. (Not counting gifts from family, of course.)

{Clearly, matching Christmas PJs are not a priority for me. Oops.}

I think Wesley's favorite gift was the Diary of a Wimpy Kid paraphernalia.

Boo's was his iPod Touch!

And, well, Eli is easy to please. Thomas the Train plastic figures.

After our leisurely family morning, we headed to the Tate's home to spend the day with family and great eats.

Eli and I share the same sentiments about Christmas; sad that it's over.

an Instagram Christmas

2011-12-27T09:54:00.000-06:00

a new tradition begins...

2011-12-24T20:12:00.003-06:00

I've never been one to hop on the gingerbread-house-makin' wagon. Pumpkin and gingerbread are just two things that don't appeal to me, despite the widespread popularity. Instead, this year we began the tradition of decorating our own Christmas trees. The boys had a blast slinging sprinkles & Runts everywhere and somewhere along the way most of the Skittles ended up in bellies. That's ok, though. A fabulously fun time was had by all! Well, maybe not Eli...he got the short end of the deal & just walked around munching on plain waffle cones.

And finally, here are are creations...

Mom's Annual Brunch 2011

2011-12-21T10:46:00.003-06:00

{my last post generated a big response. thank you so much for the encouragement, whether through blog or Facebook.}

One of my favorite traditions of the Christmas season is the brunch my mom always hosts. It is definitely a great time of spectacular food and magnificent laughter as we steal gifts from each other during Dirty Santa.

a few pictures of food & decorations

We enjoyed great eats...

We listened to that familiar yet awe-inspiring scripture...

We laughed...

And, of course, we took photos...

Merry Christmas to you and yours! I cannot wait to see the joy on my children's faces!!

the peace that passes understanding is my song

2011-12-18T19:33:00.000-06:00

When my feelings overwhelm me, I usually turn to some form of writing. Opening my heart here, so bear with me...

Today marks 18 years since I've heard my daddy's voice. I cannot wrap my brain around the fact that it's been that many years, yet it feels like yesterday. Tears well and this year hurts more for some reason. Maybe it's that I'm grown up now? With a family of my own. With precious children who will never know their grandfather. With a husband who would've enjoyed wrestling with him. With a house I would love for him to visit. With a kitchen I would love to prepare meals for him in. With a Christmas tree that lacks a gift, "to: dad."

Speaking of gift...I still vividly remember the last gift I got for him. I was so excited to give him his new gloves in December of 1993. My sister and I were scheduled to go visit him during our Christmas break, and that present couldn't get in his hands fast enough. I just knew it would make him smile, and I loved to see him smile.

Instead of visiting to give him the gloves, though, we visited for his funeral. It was most likely one of the hardest Christmases of my life. Nothing seemed real at the time. I remember constantly crying, soaking pillows with my tears. Wondering why on earth this happens to children? Why not just a little more time...so hopefully things could get better? The fact that I was trying to process this a week before Christmas was heart-wrenching.

I remember so much yet oftentimes, it feels like it was all a rough-edged blur. I remember when my mom received the call and then broke the news to my sister and me. I remember my reaction. I remember the painstaking drive from MS to WI for the funeral. I remember lying in bed with my Aunt Amy asking her all sorts of questions about his death. I remember waking up from sleeping and hating that it all wasn't a dream. I remember reading his obituary to the point of almost memorizing it. I remember the vivid dreams I had of him shortly after. I remember the visitation. Hundreds of people paying respects. So many flowers. I remember my grandparents saying dozens of times, "It shouldn't be this way. He should've buried us." I remember seeing the open casket for the first time. I literally could not breathe. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I remember the service. I remember the drive with my grandparents to the burial. The bitter cold outside paralleled the events of the day. Tears, tears, and more salty tears.

That life-altering event as a heartbroken, scared 11-year-old marked the beginning of my new journey towards Christ. A journey that has been long and winding. Valleys, definitely. Low, low, low valleys. Still have some issues I'm working through in regards to this. Mountaintops? Absolutely. There is certainly no way I could get through this life without Christ right by my side. My hope is in Him. I praise him despite my circumstances without an earthly father. I worship whole-heartedly with a peace that passes understanding. I focus my eyes on my blessings: a daily relationship with Him, my refuge, my strong tower, my Perfect Daddy; a home full of laughter from 3 rowdy, rambunctious boys who drive me wild and bonkers; a husband who is crazy-wild about me and would do absolutely anything for his bride & boys; a warm home; my precious siblings, all of them; my family; a church that feels like home; a job that {finally} I absolutely love! I could go on and on and on.

18 years. 6,408 days. 153, 792 hours.

A multitude of tears shed today...

Tears of sadness, longing for his bear hug. Tears of remembering his laugh and giving me endless quarters for Kwik-Trip candy runs. Tears of memories praying for comfort at his grave site. Tears of feeling alone and tears of feeling like people have forgotten.

Tears of thankfulness to my Savior who has carried me each of these 18 years. Tears of gratitude for the life lessons I've learned during each of these 6,408 days. Tears of appreciation for each of these 153, 792 hours that My God has whispered, "I'm enough."

a little truth; a W update; a little tradition

2011-12-10T20:23:00.002-06:00

Oh man, I have been in somewhat of a blogging funk lately, partly because I hate when blogging turns into bragging about how picture-perfect life is. To put it quite bluntly, motherhood has been kicking my rear end lately. I have one little firecracker - who shall remain nameless - who is stubborn beyond everything I've ever seen. His temper and fits wear.me.out. If he's not throwing a fit, he's into something. When I clean up what he got into, he's on to destroying something else. Bed time has been torturous, but alas, I pray we are at the end of that tunnel. The non-stop-ness of it all is exhausting & leaves me questioning how I ever became eligible for motherhood in the first place. I have found myself more and more longing for the 7 o'clock bedtime hour each and every night. And then, after prayers, kisses, books, and hugs, I battle with the obvious mommy guilt of having wished for bedtime in the first place. Does that even make sense?

I so badly longed to be home with my children since the day I had Wesley. Now that it is my reality, I struggle with guilt any time I have a "bad" day. I use quotes because it's all relative. It's ok to have a rough day; but it's also wise for me to remember where I was a year ago and be thankful for my current circumstances, no matter how emotionally draining my little dude can be. :) I just have to smile and pray over my caboose that his fierceness will one day be used in BIG ways for our GOD.

Wesley doesn't get as much face time on the blog as Eli, because, quite frankly, he has better things to do than smile for the camera for the 846th time. :) He is enjoying kindergarten so far; however, school work doesn't seem to be his top priority. Haha! We have had to talk frequently about doing our best and putting forth effort even when "it's boring." (his words...lol) He started out taking a lunch, but one day asked to get a tray and has loved doing that ever since. I fought the idea a little bit, but hey, it made my life easier, too. Riding the bus continues to be the highlight of his day, and I just love to watch him be-bop off those bus steps every afternoon. :-) Although now at the age of saying things correctly most of the time, there are still a few things he says that are pretty funny -- and I just don't have the heart to correct him. Raisin for razor. Destructions for instructions. The other night during our bedtime conversation, his literal brain couldn't' understand having Jesus in your heart. "That would be gross and bloody!" Our Elf, Nelson, has returned and he is really excited about this tradition that was started in '07.

I am looking forward to staying in town for Christmas with our own family. No traveling. Just our own simple traditions with the 5 of us. Many more pictures to come.

thankful for...

2011-11-30T22:35:00.002-06:00

This sweet, handsome, tech-savvy, playful, sensitive, teddy bear of a guy I met over 16 years ago. Who would've ever thought that we'd end up married with kids and a love that is darn-near explosive? He makes me laugh when I want to cry, smirk when I want to be mad, and everything in between. I super-duper, double love to hear him drive in the garage every day.

The therapy of baking - Cooking is fun, but baking is my outlet. Love, love, love to bake. There is just something about creating something with love for someONE you love, packaging it up and sending it out. Because, frankly, with these hips, it doesn't need to stay in MY home. Gotta taste it first, though. :)

My sweet and feisty kindergartener who can be sensitive yet the most obnoxious human being ever. Yes, I just said that. On a public blog. It's true. The first thing he said when he jumped off the bus was that he wanted to write Santa a letter, because, let's face it...letters to Santa are much better than homework. To see him growing in all aspects is a delight.

A simple Thanksgiving - My sweet sister and her new hubby came in town for Thanksgiving after having kept Wesley at their house for 3 or 4 days (hello, one kid is sooo easy!). My mom made a brunch the day after Thanksgiving and had made this. Pumpkin is usually NOT my thing AT ALL, but this dessert is so tasty. She can throw down in the kitchen, that's for sure.

The saturation of the Holy Spirit - I'm still processing the incredible, knock-your-socks-off worship experience that took place at Pinelake Monday night. I wanted it to never end. It left me wanting to be a Hillsong groupie for the rest of my life. All out, 100% worship, acknowledging how completely messed up I am, how completely dependent I am on Christ...and how utterly thankful I am for the ultimate sacrifice. This world is nothing. Absolutely nothing. Money, jobs, education, fame, houses, cars...the strive for bigger and better is foolish in light of our ultimate home. If Monday night was just a taste of what heaven will be like, I can't wait to go.

Baby Libby - If this girl has been prayed for 1 time, she's been prayed for 567 times. I'm so thrilled for my sweet friend's new bundle of joy. =) Snugglin' her gave me the fever. Uh oh.

random thoughts

2011-11-22T11:25:00.005-06:00

Oftentimes, people stop to ask me if I'm enjoying staying home. Without a doubt, 100%, hands down absolutely - a big fat YES. There are difficult days of whining, snot, poop, and crumbs that seem to never end but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I think this picture proves my point. :)

Several days ago, I walked past a window in our house and saw this:

I don't think there are adequate words to describe the vastness and beauty of God. It's as if he creates nature to give us just a small taste of his goodness. Instead of grumbling about what I wish our house *could* have, I have turned my thoughts to thankfulness for what it already has. Thank you, Lord, for the fabulous yard and gorgeous trees that fill our yard.

We recently had a picnic in our backyard that was quite simply as close to perfect as perfect can get. The boys had just gotten finished all throwing the football to each other, their clothes tattered and stained. Wesley with his "ninja marks" on his face. Boo with his Christmas pajamas on. Eli was napping. Blanket, frozen pizza, popcorn, and a treat - real Coke for all. Lots of laughter and maybe a popcorn fight initiated by Number 1 Kid himself, Joeie. Sometimes I want to pinch myself. Is this really my life? So blessed with abundant love.

Friday night, we celebrated some special friends. I think gym parties with jumpy things on a Friday night is a great thing to be thankful for. It produces exhausted kiddos and that means rest for mommy & daddy, right? :)

my interest in Pinterest, part III

2011-11-15T11:11:00.003-06:00

So, I'm not QUITE as addicted to Pinterest now as I was when I first discovered it. (Isn't that always the case?) Nevertheless, I am ALWAYS implementing ideas that I've found there. Here are a few of my favorites lately.

*light bulb moment* this is genius!! green onions frozen in an empty water bottle so as to not waste any.

Source: lunchinabox.net via Emily on Pinterest

wonderful reminder...

Source: babygoodbuys.com via Emily on Pinterest

ooooh, I cannot wait for Christmas with my children...

Source: flickr.com via Emily on Pinterest

Yep...that's me. Ever since I had kids, chaos has been my theme. Like it says, I'm ok with it.

Source: etsy.com via Emily on Pinterest

We're only in kindergarten here but starting just a little to distinguish coins. I loved this idea.

Source: growinginprek.com via Emily on Pinterest

Another great thing to do with Wesley's sight words.

Source: jugglingwithkids.com via Emily on Pinterest

Ok, that's plenty for now. :-) Happy Tuesday, everyone!

20 months

2011-11-13T21:07:00.003-06:00

My dearest Eli,

You are 20 months...almost a whole 2 years old. I want to crawl in your brain and discover what keeps your gears running constantly. At any chance you have, you love to tangle and untangle things, screw and unscrew things. Anything that is analytical, you are all over. You work and work and work until your little brain figures it out. Cords, plug-ins, handles with locks...you are so inquisitive about how things work. You are a monkey in the most figurative sense of the word. As a matter of fact, just last night, you were enjoying Curious George after CLIMBING on top of the TV stand. See? A monkey, for sure. Mama has started to keep ALL chairs in the garage until it's time for any meal. You love to push the chairs up to the sink as fast as your tiny hands can go, turn the water on, and just go to town. A few plates, cups, and jars shattered as a result of your mischief. Speaking of climbing, you also love to grab miscellaneous objects (chair, toy, Rubbermaid container, anything) and push them up against the door to try to turn the key and escape. You haven't been successful yet, but your determination drives me mad and makes me proud all in one. Constantly on the go and incessantly into every.darn.thing, you wear me out and make me so tired. As a matter of fact, you managed to accomplish your art work on our couch with a Sharpie marker not once, but TWICE in a matter of only a few days. How did you get the Sharpie? Well, you climbed mischievously, of course. A little pistol you are, fierce and determined to get your way. When you pitch a fit, I politely step over you, ignore, and let you get it out of your system. Mommy & Daddy are in charge, little peanut. Sorry.

Grown-up toothpaste is your favorite object these days. It is the weirdest thing. You would suck on a tube of toothpaste all day long if we let you. What is up with that? Food is more of a nuisance than a necessity these days, but that's okay. I remind myself that you will eat when you're hungry. That is not a battle I fight. Ketchup is gold to you. You eat it by the spoonfuls. That is nasty, my dear son.

We tried to let go of the paci. I thought we were doing well, but not so much. Oh well. We will try again later. No worries. You did, however, conquer the milestone of big boy bed. You love that bed and, for the most part, stay in it so easily. I love sneaking in late at night to see you dreaming so peacefully. I wonder what your dreams are made of. I know angels dance over you.

I look at your precious cheeks, those dark brown eyes glistening like glass, and I am in awe that God chose me to be your mommy. You are on loan to us. I do my best to make each day count...to do something fun, quirky, special, or just simple yet meaningful. Being your mommy is a huge part of the joy in my life. I hope you FEEL how much you are loved in this home.

thankful for {the iPhone photo version}

2011-11-09T10:44:00.005-06:00

{these chalky feet}

{sweet & salty}

{laughter with my chirren}

{this carefree dude}

{simple dinners}

{my morning joe}

{the best gal friends a girl could want}

{free furniture}

{turned into FAB furniture}

a thousand gifts

2011-11-02T10:54:00.004-05:00

121. trees that symbolize His beauty and strength

122. one-on-one time with my youngest tornado

123. joy on tiny faces

124. kids' anticipation of unwrapping candy

125. crisp breeze

126. coffee with real creamer

127. spray paint

128. free/cheap furniture

129. 127 & 128 combined

130. bold faith

131. 10,000 Reasons

132. the blessing of capturing moments

133. simple conversations in the car

134. husband's hands

135. husband's humble work ethic

136. husband's simple text messages

137. husband's hugs

138. a husband. the husband. my husband.

139. baby Libby, a miracle I can't wait to snuggle every day

140. healing

141. Fitness Pal app

142. choices

143. hearty laughter with kindred spirits

144. scripture memorization with family

145. Wesley's words: a roof {humbling}

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T11:25:00.003-05:00

Watching our children wholeheartedly enjoy something is about one of the all-time best things of parenting. Holidays, mainly. At first, Wesley wanted to be an Angry Bird for Halloween. I got busy designing his costume, complete with iron-on adhesive and hot-glued felt pieces. Can I just be honest? I thought I did a great job. I was a little bummed when Wesley decided at the last minute that he'd rather be Spiderman. Deciding this was a fun night for HIM, I put aside myself and 100% supported his decision (ok, even though he was Spiderman LAST.YEAR.) I waited until the last minute to get Eli's costume and that worked out very well, considering that I found it 75% off at Old Navy the day before Halloween. Score! $5. :) Even though trick-or-treating fell on a school night and Eli didn't even make it to 3 houses before he absolutely.needed.his.bed, Wesley and I had a wonderful time. His excitement was contagious. :)

some of my grandest gifts

Spiderman, looking sharp

My little monkey couldn't quite hang in there for the whole night.

the boys' frozen boo-nanas -- after school snack :)

School party! So fun to watch my boy interact and having a blast in class...

Love these ladies...Eli was EVERY.WHERE. Doritos were about the only things that kept him still. 2 words about parenting: Whatever works.

Among the pumpkins, class party, spooky family dinner, special snacks, costumes, and gobs of candy, I was reminded of just how important it is to be intentional with my children (and my husband, too, but that's another post). Intentional about making memories. Intentional about laughing. Intentional about making messes. Intentional about smiling. Intentional about going the extra mile. Intentional about...loving hard. We are never guaranteed another day.

mischief, a first, and spooky eats

2011-10-24T11:12:00.003-05:00

If anyone doubts that Eli is a mischievous little pistol, here is your proof. The sad thing is...there are many more "mishaps" that I could blog. Yes, that is my couch. With permanent black marker. Let's just call it "Art by Eli," shall we?

I cannot believe I actually went through with Eli's first hair cut. 19 months in the making...this child had some beautiful curls.

It's so drastic. :( He instantly looks so much older. It's "just" hair, right?

Saturday night, we had our annual fun Halloween dinner. The boys look forward to this and I like having fun traditions for each holiday. :) Menu recap: bug juice, mummy dogs, bloody guts, orange fingers, and a rotten-toothed smile.

There's our weekend recap. :) I'll be spending this week finishing Wesley's costume and having Wesley help me with our Angry Bird pumpkins. Trick-or-treating, here we come!!

polka dots

2011-10-20T09:51:00.004-05:00

About a week ago, I noticed that Eli was starting to get unusually crabby and clingy. I dismissed it as a phase and figured that it would pass. Over the next couple of days, I noticed several red spots on his legs. At first, I simply thought he had gotten in some ants. Sunday morning, I had Helping Hands & Joeie had twisted his ankle the previous day; I was just in a rush to clothe the kids and get to church by 8:00am. I didn't even "examine" Eli or the bumps that I had dismissed as ant bites. By that afternoon, though, he was cranky to the MAX and it seemed as if his legs were covered. Clearly these "ant bites" had spread. Bless his heart. :( We skipped nap and headed straight to the only open MEA on a Sunday. She was pretty quick in diagnosing him with hand, foot, and mouth disease. It progressed so quickly that before I knew it, his legs, arms, hands, toes, inner thighs, and even booty were covered with sores. :( It was pitiful. So sad. All he wanted to do was lie in my arms or in my bed, next to me. We stayed hooked up to a continuous stream of Sonic slushes, popsicles, colloidal oatmeal baths, and his prescription for easing the pain. I vaguely remember Wesley having a case of this, but his was NOWHERE NEAR as severe as this.

Where did I get the title of this post? A couple days ago, Eli was puckering his lips up to Wesley, wanting desperately a kiss. Even begging and saying, "peeeeeeees???" Wesley said, "No way! I don't kiss polka-dotted people." LOL! There is no telling when all of his sores will clear but I'm ready for his silky smooth skin to be back. :( I'm thankful, though, that he is back to his mischievous, spunky self.

my interest in pinterest, part II

2011-10-12T16:14:00.003-05:00

Some of my favorite recent pins...

I plan on doing a gross Halloween dinner or lunch with the boys. This was just the pin I was looking for. :)

Source: saucysprinkles.com via Emily on Pinterest

I totally did this for Wesley's teachers. Because they deserve a happy every now and then. Randomly.

Source: apumpkinandaprincess.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Can I tell my kids this? Really. Can I?

Source: sawdustcityllc.com via Emily on Pinterest

This totallymade me laugh. It rings true for me. Most definitely.

Source: someecards.com via Emily on Pinterest

I think these pumpkins will be recreated by the Tate family. Wesley can't wait!

Source: sunscholars.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

My husband. My best friend. I loves him lots.

Source: None via Emily on Pinterest

can't make this stuff up, folks

2011-10-11T10:35:00.003-05:00

There is something about bath time with the boys that completely drains me and puts me on edge. I admit it; my "good-warm-and-fuzzy" mothering vibes completely fly out the window during the hell that is bath time. Actually, it's somewhat of a love-hate. I love it when my bathroom is not being mistaken for Rapids on the Reservoir and they are playing lovey-dovey. I hate it when Eli is up and down, turning on the shower, filling the tub to the brim...when Wesley is peeing in the tub (or on his brother), filling up his cheeks with gobs of water and then spraying Eli, etc. You get the point. A few nights ago at bedtime, I asked Wesley is there was anything he should tell Jesus he was sorry for (something we do a lot at bedtime). He looked at me, dead on, and said, "No, but you do. Remember at bath time when you yelled at me?" Oh my gosh. I could've died. It was hilarious!!! So true. I apologized to Wesley and said he was correct, that indeed I did need to repent. Another reminder that parenthood is a refining fire.

Other Wesley-isms...

Me: "Wesley, I'm losing my patience." Wesley, serious as a heart attack: "What? You only have one patience?"
W (after visiting the nursing home with his grandparents): "Hey Mommy...we had to go to a nursery. And see old ladies. And it really, really stinked in there. Like feet."
{several days go} Could not figure out why in the world my table was leaking water while Eli was eating snack....turns out he had climbed up in his chair after he took off his own diaper and was peeing everywhere -- all the while, Wesley's screaming, "THAT'S MY BOY!"
W: "Daddy's gonna be proud of you. You took out the trash." {referring to J's Dubai trip}
W, with a glare: "You're not the boss of me." Me: "Oh, really?" W: "Jesus is."
Wesley, after a long day: "I'm double-tired." Love the way he words things.
Me: These mosquitoes are tearing me up! W: Dat's because you're sweet like candy.
‎{bedtime: talking about Jesus preparing a place for us in heaven} W: I want my mansion to have lots of apps and lots of iPads, and lots of Angry Bird posters...and fruit snacks and root beer floats.
Uncle Thomas: "Wesley,why is your iPod in Spanish?" Wesley: "I can't read anyways. Why does it matter?"

perfect weekend

2011-10-03T20:13:00.003-05:00

If there is such a thing as "the perfect weekend," I think we just encountered it. Among the amazing weather, the fact that all 5 of us were together, and the giddy laughter that filled our home, I found myself one overly thankful wife and mama. Friday night was the typical...eat in, jump on beds, baths, and tuck in. Saturday morning, we all got up and headed to Canton as I had a scheduled photo shoot. I decided to try to get some good shots of our boys since I was going over there anyway. After that, we got home, had a great lunch, took naps, and I got out the door for my 7-mile run (w/a few walk breaks). {Less than 100 days until my half marathon!} As I was finishing my run, Joeie called me to let me know that our oldest 2 went to Granny & Pawpaw's for the night. Sweet!!! :) Sooo...Eli went to my mom's for a couple hours that night and we enjoyed a night out together. Eli is our late sleeper -- about 9 am -- so we opted to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely morning at home, guilt-free. :) And to top it all off, I no longer suffer from "the Sunday blues." :)

perfect weather + Hillsong + nature trail + prayer = perfect exercise
a few of the sweet memories I captured

reunited

2011-09-29T13:36:00.002-05:00

Woohoo! We got Daddy back after 8 long nights and 9 long days! Our week came to an end by preparing for Daddy's return -- cleaning the house, getting all laundry folded and put away, notes on every window and mirror, and a gourmet meal of my special lasagna, sweet & sour green beans, ranch mashed potatoes, sweet tea, and peach cobbler (double the dough, b/c that's how he likes it!). :) I was ecstatic to get the call that they were leaving Atlanta and would be in Jackson on time. We showered, dressed, and headed to the airport.

The kiddos waited patiently...well, Eli considered the airport his playground so I strapped him down after I let him run free for a bit. Several mentioned that I have my hands full. They have no idea.

As soon as we saw them, kids were in full force, ready to maul their daddies. It was precious & brought tears to my eyes.

And I may have been a little giddy myself ;)

Wesley's special gift was a camel that is quite unique. Boo got a container of special sand from the sand dunes there, and Eli also got a camel.

What a sweet & thoughtful surprise this was. This bowl is hand-painted and almost too gorgeous to eat from.

These two faces were all smiles after we enjoyed our family dinner together.

Since then, it's been back to life as normal -- I have been loving all the God stories he is sharing!
Fun girls night out at Bonefish Tuesday night!! Awesome conversation with some sweet friends.

And just something to end on a way-cute note. Makes ya smile :):)

Down one...

2011-09-23T20:35:00.003-05:00

About a week ago, we sent Daddy off to Dubai to love on some men in labor camps and teach them about Jesus. To say I am a proud wife is an understatement. I love the fact that my man is not afraid to step out of his comfort zone and go for something completely new, without hesitation. There are several factors that he could have allowed Satan to keep him from going; however, he was determined to see past those. With him being gone, my appreciation for single mothers has definitely increased. I always knew Joeie pitched in at home far above and beyond, but this trip brought out a deeper desire to vocalize my appreciation. That is my goal...to verbally acknowledge & thank even more so than before.

Over the days, I've felt like a giddy high school, waiting on the phone to buzz. You don't realize how special it is to see each others' faces until that is not an option, time after time. {We only got Skype working today! Friday!} Eli really acted out the first few days by crying, whining, and pitching lots of temper tantrums. I should have expected that, considering the bond they share. Wesley is more of a Mama's boy, but he is definitely ready to see Daddy get off that plane. I was determined to fill this week with fun, despite our family being minus one. I think we succeeded!

Our last lunch, sans kiddos (thanks to my sister, who watched the kids while I took J to the airport)
One last hug!
The Team...ready for an unforgettable 8 days...
No more daddy...time to make the best of it...PIZZA & PARK
Keeping Mama cozy & warm
Muffin Tin Meals - the boys love these with toothpicks for poking & trying new foods
Tuesday night, we had DESSERT for DINNER...how special :)
Wesley was surprised to see all of his bouncy balls turned into his favorite characters (thank you acrylic paint & Sharpie) -- ANGRY BIRDS :)
It was no accident that God led me to this scripture one morning...it brought me such comfort knowing that the Lord was fulling his purpose through my husband and his team. I just cannot wait to hear all of the incredible stories.
Wednesday night, we met Jenny, Crew, & Carrington @ Chick-Fil-A for "Kids Eat Free" night and tonight, we all had potato soup, ice cream sandwiches, and the kids played in the backyard until they almost passed out from exhaustion.
Tomorrow is our LAST full day alone...I am so thrilled to get my sweet Joeie back home. I am planning a special welcome-home dinner full of his favorite things!

18 months

2011-09-16T10:21:00.003-05:00

Little caboose is has already had 18 months full of milestones. I can hardly believe it. Our little wallflower who barely caused a ruckus the first year of his life is fully blooming into quite the character. His personality is sweet yet ferocious. His anger and frustration level can go from 0 to 10 in a matter of 2 seconds. He's a jealous little booger. He knows what he wants and when he wants it; I suppose Mama's genes are to blame for that one. His sassy is met with equal sweet, though. He can nestle that head of curls right on my shoulder and just melt me with the sweetest hugs.

A little tornado he is...ripping through everything, tearing things apart, leaving his trail of messes to remind Mommy & Daddy to cherish these wild and crazy days. I don't mind his messes. They make me just shake my head and grin. The gears in his brain are constantly spinning as he is fascinated with taking things apart and trying to figure out how things work. He is too smart for his own good!! Just recently, I walked around the corner only to discover that he had pushed a kitchen chair all the way over to the front door, climbed up on the chair, and was trying to unlock the door, declaring, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!" I think he figured that if he unlocked the door, Daddy would be walking around the corner as he does every evening.

"Sticker?" {no, baby. not quite.}

His vocabulary consists of LOTS of grunting and pointing. Ball, doggie, Mimi, Mommy, Daddy, PopPop, slide, ahhcky {yucky}, cheese, Elmo, baby -- those are just a few of his new words. If there ever was a contest for toddler sleeping, our boy would win, hands down! This little guy goes to bed at 7:00 pm and would sleep until 10 am every morning if I let him. He LOVES his snooze time. Goes down without so much as a whimper most times and just lies in his bed quietly looking at the ceiling until we come for him. Same for nap -- 2-3 hours per day. I know that will end some time, but for now, I'm relishing that time. A love for music and dancing seem to run through his veins. Any time a beat starts blaring, he's moving & grinning ear-t0-ear. Love that about him. His favorite part of the day is waiting for Wesley to get off the bus. I announce that it's time, and he frantically runs to the door, knowing exactly what I've said. Sweet times! He will be on a bus before I know it. I know this.

I'm still so humbled with the mighty ways God has moved on my behalf, not just lately, but through every phase of life. There is no other response than to worship. While I know that this is a season and we are not sure exactly how long I will be home, I am just so thankful to see Eli's precious smile every morning, kiss his boo-boos all day long, & be waiting to encourage Wesley after a long day of school. Some may think it's boring, not fulfilling, & nerve-wracking. I consider it joyful bliss & have never felt more fulfilled than I do now. Thank you, Jesus, for the blessing of our children.

pure simple fun. no frills.

2011-09-12T10:56:00.005-05:00

We had a great weekend together a family. We missed our Boo Bear, though. Joeie and I vowed that we would have a Super Family Fun day Saturday since the weather is getting so much nicer.

My Saturday started @ 6:00am (as every day still does), and I met my sweet friend, Leanna, for a run @ 6:30. I haven't said much of anything about it on the blog yet, because quite frankly, it scares the bejeezus out of me....BUT....here goes::::I signed up for a half marathon in January. A half marathon. 13.1 miles. I said YES on a whim, knowing that if I put much thought into it, I'd back out. I paid my money, got some new shoes, and this handy dandy device (on quite a steep sale!)...and it's all so real now.

The weather was absolutely amazing for a run and off we went, through her neighborhood and down our set path. Our training schedule required five miles. We chatted for a little bit and then both decided to put our ear buds in with our music. I ran (well, I'd say jog, really) the first mile, not even realizing I could do that because I had lost a lot of ground since my first running ventures a year ago. I took a short walk break and decided to try to run as much as I could. In the mean time, my friend got ahead of me -- and I will admit, I got down on myself that I couldn't keep up. It was then that I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, "Emily, you are not running with her....you are running with ME." It was the most surreal experience. I try not to use the word amazing a lot (thanks, Mom), but it was just that...amazing. With only a few short walk breaks, I ran FIVE whole miles. 26, 400 feet. "You Are Here," by Hillsong kept my mind on the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in all Christ followers. When I kept my thoughts focused on that, I let go of the pain I was feeling. Being honest about our weaknesses leads to a feeling of vulnerability but the sense of freedom that is reaped is beyond describable. Complete freedom from our chains only comes through Christ, no matter what those chains may be. {mine, obviously, is the area of health}

After I returned from my run and grocery store trip, we got ready and headed out the door for our family picnic...it was pure, simple fun. No frills.

Yesterday, we finished our weekend with a trip to Millie D's yogurt to use a Groupon I purchased several months ago. Wesley always loves picking out his ~~nasty combination of~~ toppings. :) Such a simple treat for him. Mama loves fro yo, too.

Mr. Sprinkle Face

As cliche as it may sound, I am just so thankful for my blessings.

round here

2011-09-04T21:56:00.002-05:00

Just a little peek into the obsession that is Angry Birds in this household...seriously...

this little dirty face is just too cute...the heat has been letting up just a tad to enjoy our backyard more. lots of bubbles and nakey baby time in the hose:)

I had a bottom wisdom tooth extracted Thursday afternoon. Let me just say...seeing pliers come in your mouth and being awake is never easy on the nerves. I had great local anesthesia & had downloaded a new Hillsong CD just for the purpose of this procedure. The procedure itself was only 15-30 minutes; however, I quickly realized when I got home that the hard part would be recovery. Pain med #1 had me hugging the toilet, but Demerol ended up saving the day(s). Joeie stepped in as soon as he got home from work, and I basically stayed in bed all weekend eating soup and ice cream. Feeling somewhat back to normal now, but still nervous about getting a dry socket. Here are my boys loving on me -- and mama being scared stiff that one of them would hit my jaw (of course, Eli did).

Several days ago, I looked back at Wesley as he was eating his marshmallows. He had figured out how to make them stick to the window and thought it was the neatest thing. He was so inquisitive about "why" it was happening. I realized that I had 2 options at that point: a) I could go all psycho about the mess and yell at him for getting sticky on the window or b) I could engage in his silliness and have a good time. I chose B. I quickly reminded myself that most memories and connections are made when we choose B. This kid drives me equal amounts of crazy -- crazy batty and crazy in love.

random

2011-08-28T20:39:00.002-05:00

What a weekend! I feel like we have been going nonstop just doing random house "stuff" all weekend. Nothing too noteworthy but plenty to make you wo' slap out! Trying to clean house with kids running right behind you is about as wise as trying to bathe a cat. Oy vey!

We had an awesome service this morning at church about anger. Although my kids tend to drive me batty every now and then, I really can't think of anyone in particular right now that gives me anger angst. No lie, there have been seasons of life -- childhood, adolescence, adulthood -- when I have let certain people take up way too much of my heart in a negative way. Those chains were broken and I live in peace knowing that God is just and sees everything manipulative & evil. And that every wrong will be made right. With those chains crushed, I can concentrate solely on loving Him, bettering myself through Him, and resting in his goodness.

{enough heavy stuff...I will leave you with the awesome Pinterest project that I tackled yesterday...}

{before} oak-y coffee table

{after} a fun way for the kids to be creative with chalk!

{new little spice jars (baby food jars) that fit perfectly in a drawer}

And.....some adorable cute faces to get your Monday started right :)

best of times

2011-08-26T10:58:00.002-05:00

Catching up with friends and laughing until your sides hurt may very well be one of my all-time favorite things to do. So amazing to me the way God orchestrates friendships. He brought us all together in the same school, we bonded, and now, time has passed and we are all in different areas of life - none still at that particular school. One thing we all agree about -- separation will not kill our friendship. Here's to MONTHLY girls' nights with some of my favorite people!!! {Missed you, Shelley!}

Wesley-isms

2011-08-24T19:49:00.002-05:00

If we're friends on Facebook, I'm sure you've read all of these, but I want to log them here in case one day I actually do get my blog book printed.

{confused about the day-in/day-out} "But I already did kindergarten."
"My booty's stickin' to the other booty."
To W: "You didn't pick your nose at school today, did you?" W to me: "It wasn't filled with boogers so I didn't."
W: May I be excused? Me: Sure, did you enjoy dinner? W: Well, a little bit. {nice. honesty at its best}

{first night of kindergarten. thank you, LORD, for hand-picking his teacher}

"Stop touching my weiner; you have your own." ••never a dull moment••

Bedtime conversation: "Wesley, how would you feel if you were Noah and stuck in the boat for 40 days?" "No big deal, I'd just plug the phone in the charger and play the apps all day."

Stumbling out of bed and rubbing eyes: "Can I have some of your coffee?"

‎"Tonight I'm thankful for candy, crackers, Angry Birds, & eggs."

Made a mommy mistake, asked for forgiveness and Wesley said, "it's ok, you know I **always** forgive you."

‎"When I grow up, I am NOT gonna listen to my parents. I'm gonna do the dishes and watch TV allll night."
‎"Do you know God's number? I need to call him to see when I can play the next Angry Bird level."
Can I have a cookie? (no) Why? (because I'm the boss.) No, Daddy's the boss.
"I love you two fifty twelve."
"Mama...you always worry about coupons."

precious children loaned to me

2011-08-15T13:08:00.001-05:00

Sometimes...

the best fun...

doesn't...

cost...

a dime!!

a thousand gifts (the at-home version)

2011-08-11T11:36:00.002-05:00

101. dirty laundry

102. smelly diapers

103. finger-printed windows

104. hot dinner in the crock-pot

105. fresh laundry to fold

106. minty toothpaste-crusted sinks

107. pee-splattered toilets

108. puckered toddler lips

109. toy-strewn floor

110. candles flickering

111. ice cold water in mason jars

112. cozy pajamas

113. leisurely lunches

114. whiny hugs

115. peek-a-boo smiles

116. convicting sermons during nap

117. crumb-littered kitchen floor

118. yellow bus in the afternoon

119. hearty breakfasts for husband

120. packed lunches for husband

It's all beautiful to me.

let him fly

2011-08-08T10:27:00.002-05:00

This morning, I stumbled out of bed at 6:00 am to get my new kindergartner ready for the day. I wrestled with holding back tears, but if I could just be honest, they are tears of thankfulness. I am so proud to be a mother. So proud of what the past 5 years have taught me as a child of our Father. So glad that I keep having these days of new mercies as I fumble my way through motherhood, constantly asking for forgiveness from my sweet boy. Forgiveness he freely gives. Today, he ventures out, and the best word I can think of is "fly." He's flying. He's leaving. His wings are getting their first bouts of exercise. Am I jittery? Yes. A little. About silly things, though. About the heat at recess. About him finding a buddy. About him, ummm, picking his nose. About him being able to zip up his shorts. About him getting on the bus this afternoon. About him knowing where to throw his trash after lunch. Like I said, silly stuff. But I'm a mom, the highest calling. And every little thing he will do today is on my heart. This summer of heat has been long and full of more TV and noise than I'd like to admit; however, on this first day of my little guy flying, I can't wait for the noise to return this afternoon. I'll be eagerly watching for that yellow bus @ 2:15 with an after-school snack in-hand.
Yesterday, we went out for lunch to honor our new kindergartner.

I've always dreamed of being a mother and packing lunches. I pray he feels, not just knows, how much I love him.

The obligatory first-day-of-school picture

Off he goes..."bye, mommy..."

perspective

2011-08-06T19:42:00.003-05:00

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these clips!!! Everything about these videos is true! Never once did a student ever say, "Thank you for doing so much MCT prep work with me." Never. Standardized testing is a joke and makes absolutely no impact on a child's longterm success. Where is the test for character molding, love, acceptance, determination, & perseverance? Those are the traits that will ultimately be the key for adult success...

July

2011-08-04T20:25:00.003-05:00

Is it really August already? I cannot believe it! The days of summer seemed to drag (due to being stuck inside because of the nasty heat!) but I still can't comprehend the fact that it's time for school to start. We have been doing nothing but staying busy if that makes any sense. :) Here's a jumbled blog for ya...

1.) Being big in the coupon/good deal world really pays off sometimes! While browsing a particular Facebook group, I came across one of the best deals! Found a lady who has hundreds of organic blueberry bushes...and you can pick ALL YOU WANT...for FREE. My mom and I had a great time munching, picking, and chatting the night away. Who could say no to free fruit while enjoying the colors and smells of God's creation??

2.) My sweet friend, Leigh Ann, brought me back some Mexican vanilla from their vacation. She knows I love to bake, and let me tell ya, this stuff makes a difference!! Yummy, yummy. Sometimes I cannot figure out why God has us in certain places in certain times of our lives, but I KNOW that the reason I have worked where I have is because God has wanted to place certain sweet friends in my life. I have made some of my dearest friends over the past 6 years!

3.) Speaking of friends...here's a pair of awesomeness I met at work...love these chicks!!! We have the best girls' nights. Laughing, joking, recounting stories...so glad my summer included these two!

4.) This summer, while Joeie was on vacation, he was super busy! One task was to take BOTH boys in by himself and tackle 7 shots between both boys. Yes, he is a rock star. One of the reasons I love him most is because I have NEVER had to take the kids for their shots. I just cannot handle it without boo-hooing myself. This has been a "daddy duty" since day one. :)

5.) What good is a summer day without a little ice cream?

6.) And finally, my sister got married!!!! Yes, saved the best pictures for last...we had a GREAT time in Oxford last weekend celebrating their nuptials. Wesley was the ring bearer and I was a bridesmaid (well, matron of honor) for the very first time. Yes, almost 30 and never been in a wedding. I'd call that an accomplishment -- not my favorite thing to do. I digress. It was so fun to see my little sister moving on an officially becoming a grown up. Anyone who saw my tears, though, can tell you I didn't do too well that day. It was HARD to let her go. :( We have been through SO MUCH together and can literally tell what each other is thinking just by the looks on our faces. Sometimes, we finish each others' sentences. We are so super close. I thank God for that bond and pray, pray, pray that my sons will love each other that fiercely. Next to my husband and children, it is the most rewarding relationship on Earth. Ok, enough with the sappy stuff....here are some picture highlights from the trusty ole iPhone...

As SOON as we got situated in our hotel room, Mr. MonkeyMan started climbing on EVERY.DANG.THING. Sheesh!

On our way to the rehearsal dinner -- delicious barbecue and wonderful family fellowship!

The Wedding DAY --

cutest dude! he had a blast with the flower girl -- made a girlfriend, he said.

sippin' on bottled cokes

the candy bar...all the kids stuffed their bags

me & my lovey

After the I DOs...off they go, The Spencers!

Anybody else seen a 52 year old Mimi look this good? Me neither.

"God gave me you for the ups and downs..."

gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous -- even more inside than out...

2 awesome peeps...Joeie celebrated his 30th on my sister's special day. Now I'll never forget their anniversary, that's for sure. :)

One day, I'll get back to taking pictures with my "real" camera...

a thousand gifts

2011-07-21T08:51:00.004-05:00

81. mason jars on the night stand full of cold water
82. baby dance moves
83. perspective given by a grieving family
84. Eli snuggles during Baby Einstein
85. Eli gibberish
86. sweet words from eldest - "you're da best mama ever"
87. relaxation by candlelight
88. grace in marriage
89. dear friend's miracle pregnancy
90. air conditioning
91. warm feet in bed
92. the sweetest word ever - MAMA
93. watching my children stumble & learn
94. another day
95. coffee
96. silence
97. Life Journal
98. 95-97 simultaneously
99. nap time
100. texts from pieces of my heart

my interest in pinterest

2011-07-13T11:27:00.002-05:00

Have you joined the Pinterest CRAZE yet? Although it has the potential to suck you in BIG TIME, it's an awesome place to get your creative juices flowing!! I LOVE the idea of organizing your favorite ideas from the internet into separate bulletin boards. Here are a few of the ideas I've pinned so far. Enjoy (and this is a site you can only join by having an invitation -- I have some to share, so let me know if you'd like one.) :)

Source: myrecipes.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: joyshope.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: bystephanielynn.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: shauna-thereedlife.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: refineddesigner.wordpress.com via Emily on Pinterest

just one...

2011-07-08T12:12:00.002-05:00

Just one of the hundreds of reasons I love my husband...his constant attitude of consideration for me. Seeing texts of this nature is a daily occurrence for me. I pray to love him as selflessly as he loves me. It's hard to beat, though. As cheesy as it may sound, our constant prayer is to "out-love" one another. What a difference it makes to lay aside an agenda for being right all the time and dying to your own needs each day. Strangely and ironically, our own needs become fulfilled when we are at peace to give them up.

signs of life

2011-07-01T15:38:00.002-05:00

Wesley was using dry-erase markers on the windows yesterday...practicing letters (of his favorite game, as you can see!). I can't bring myself to clean it up. Seeing little reminders like these make my heart go pitter-patter. I love my kiddos!!

summer days are made for...

2011-06-29T10:12:00.002-05:00

playing @ the museum...

meeting Daddy for lunch...

bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwiches

play dates...

crashing unexpectedly...

redneck pools...

sippin' on Sonic in the buff...

painting with shaving cream...

making Angry Bird puppets...

having fun conversations @ dinnertime...

homemade playdoh...

s'mores, s'mores, s'mores...

forts...

and more play dates...

simple summer fun. that's all.

W

2011-06-26T20:50:00.000-05:00

15 months

2011-06-20T13:20:00.002-05:00

My sweet and spunky Eli,
You are fifteen months old. Mama isn't so good at doing updates each month, but perhaps you'll someday appreciate my laid back, non-OCD tendencies. I have the best of intentions ;) You love being messy, playing wild and rough with your big brothers, looking out the window as we ride, climbing on every single piece of furniture in our home, and your paci.

You are adventurous yet you are a ball of sensitivity and can cry when someone even thinks about hurting your feelings. You give good hugs and smooches and your hair has the prettiest curls I've ever laid eyes on. Elmo & Veggie Tales are slowly creeping into our days, but I'm okay with that. :) You love music and may have inherited your love of dancing from mommy.

You are wearing 18-24 month clothing & size 4 diaper. Bath time will hold your attention for quite a bit of time and you can hold your own against your brother, Wesley. One day you'll sock him for all the grief he gives you and I'll be silently cheering you on. :)

You can say car, bye bye, dada, mama, ball, & yes among other things. Peek-a-boo keeps you laughing...and nothing makes me grin harder than hearing your belly laugh, son. You enjoy spaghetti, blueberries & strawberries, chocolate, almond & coconut milk, & yogurt. I love letting you feed yourself and watching you enjoy the mess you make. You'll sometimes come back to your high chair to check for crumbs. :) You love to eat, eat, eat. Sleeping is your preferred pastime, although Mommy and Daddy would have never guessed that based on your first 11 months here.

You love your daddy. Your face lights up when you hear him unlock the door @ 5 each afternoon. You run toward his voice and reach for him to hold you, as if you've been thinking about him all day. I love that. So love that. Do you know how blessed you are to have such an awesome father? He adores you.

I can't believe you are growing up so fast. I am thankful for the time I get with you each day. Each smile, each hug, each kiss, each booty shake, and yes, each diaper. It reminds me that you are happy and healthy and thriving. To God be the glory, GREAT things He has done.

nine

2011-06-15T16:05:00.002-05:00

NINE Reasons We Love our Boo-Bear...
1.) He is considerate of others.
2.) He loves to be gentle and play with Elijah, despite the age difference.
3.) He obeys cheerfully the first time (our 2 criteria in the Tate household)
4.) His smile can light up a room.
5.) He gives super squishy hugs.
6.) He is a dinosaur expert...future paleontologist.
7.) He has a gentle, quiet spirit.
8.) He is an easy-to-please child, not needing constant entertainment.
9.) He is ours.

Almost to the double digits! Can't believe it. Happy birthday, bud!

t-ball 2011

2011-06-13T09:17:00.003-05:00

Besides the stifling hot temperatures at the end of the season, I'd say Wesley had a grand time playing ball for the first time. One of my besties and I put our boys on the same team, and it made for some great fellowship time. Let's see...where to start??

Learned to hit...

Learned to flirt...

Learned to throw {awesomely!}

Learned to give 100%...

{or not}

Learned to keep smiling despite disappointments...

Learned to catch (my favorite picture of all!!)

Learned sportsmanship alongside a buddy

And this one just learned how to stay cool...a little Sonic never hurt a baby ;)

cheap is good, free is better

2011-06-09T10:11:00.002-05:00

For the longest time, we have had these drab, ugly pieces of furniture scattered throughout our home. Granted, most of it was from Freecycle and a couple pieces were even snatched from our old apartment dump. I had every intention of cleaning them up and rescuing them from death; however, work, motherhood, and everything else got in the way and there they sat, just as ugly as could be. After browsing Pinterest for quite some time, I gathered several ideas for how I wanted them to look -- colors, glazing, etc. I was pleased as punch with how they turned out, considering it was my very first attempt at something like this. We got several paint items from Freecycle (including the stain and glaze), and I bought the spray paint from Michael's with 40 & 50% off coupons.

Nightstand - sitting next to apartment dumpster

Cleaned, painted with Bauhaus Gold Krylon, distressed with Minwax Wipe-Off stain in Onyx

Patio Chairs -- Free from FreeCycle

Cleaned, painted with Flat White Krylon, distressed with Minwax Wipe-Off stain in Onyx -- Seats painted with Banner Red Krylon

End Table - sitting next to apartment dumpster

Cleaned, painted with Avocado Krylon, distressed with Minwax Wipe-Off stain in Onyx

my new boss...

2011-06-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

pretty much ROCKS.

dream(s) come true.

2011-05-27T12:35:00.004-05:00

I recently ran across one of those "25 things about me" survey things people were doing several years ago. This one was in my Facebook notes section and, just for kicks, I was reading through my old answers. After forgetting what I had written, seeing this nearly took my breath away. I am blown away at how good God is. All three of these dreams are now my reality. I am so humbled. And so freed.

i am mom.

2011-05-07T20:56:00.002-05:00

Ready for a hodgepodge of phone pics? What have we been up to? Well, we are on the final countdown for school to be O-U-T! I am more than ready. MORRRRRRRRRRE. Anxious to be with my babies. We paid our LAST daycare payment this month. Want to know how THAT feels? Like a load of bricks off the shoulders!

We have been doing a lot of playing at the park before the weather gets too hellish hot. Eli, unlike his older brother, prefers to be pushed as high and as fast as humanly possible. He also doesn't mind "diving" underwater with his whole body, popping back up and laughing. Daredevil much? Yes.

We swung by the Dollar Tree on Friday afternoon while we were waiting for Daddy to finish up at work (Fridays are his late days). Their freezer section had popsicles and the boys enjoyed the melty, sugary mess running down their arms. I didn't mind. Nothing better than dirty clothes, black-bottom bare feet, and messy faces on a Friday afternoon.

Eli even pleaded for another one...

Wesley just recently started his first year of organized sports with his friend, Crew. I know, I know...shame on me for not putting my child in sports at the tender age of 2. What a pity. Do you sense my sarcasm? Moving right along. He loved the practice but gets frustrated with himself easily. We are working on attention span and "stick-with-it-ness." :)

Eli was just about as cool as a cucumber while his big bro batted at practice. Definitely a people watcher!

Wesley's FIFTH birthday is coming up this week. I remember holding him as a baby and just thinking that kindergarten for him seemed like SOOOO far away. And now? Nothing but a few weeks stand between me and infinite sack lunches, field trips, and take-home folders.
Since life with other family members is crazy & hectic (and I'm not the all-out party-planning mom type), we just decided for the four of us to spend a few hours in Wesley's place of choice -- which was........CHUCK E. CHEESE. But, of course. ;) He's NEVER been (because I'm also not the take-my-kid-to-every-party-we're-invited-to type of mom either) and enjoyed himself SO much. He and his Daddy got in some awesome play time together. Afterwards, we grabbed a huge drink at Sonic, a large pizza, and headed to the park. I love these family memories. We will get together with family for cake & presents soon.

Roller coaster simulator! Hilarious face!

One of the most awesome kids ever. So eager to spend every single day with him.

one-year pictures

2011-05-02T20:56:00.001-05:00

smile

button nose

curls

lips

chubby toes

it's all mine.

ode to motherhood

2011-04-21T22:31:00.002-05:00

You know you're officially exhausted when...

you spend well over 30 seconds brushing your teeth...

with this....

before realizing it wasn't really this...

All I can say is....

these are the days......

boy

2011-04-18T22:21:00.003-05:00

This, to me, embodies everything about being a little boy.
Inquisitive.
Concentration.
Precision.
Bugs.
Dirty fingers.
I love it.

patience is a virtue

2011-04-14T20:57:00.002-05:00

I hate to let so much time go between posting. There is just so much going on in our little family to neglect taking time to post. I have just been beside myself with amazement lately at how much God has been pouring out His love. I can sit forever and try to come up with a string of words that do it justice, but there is really nothing eloquent enough to encompass the greatness of HIM!

Long story short, I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO STAY HOME WITH MY BABY NEXT YEAR!! I can remember when Wesley was first born....just crying and crying, wanting nothing more than to cradle him and take in every tiny second with him at home. Going to work was miserable. I watched the clock all day, hoping it'd move faster so I could go scoop him up. I learned to cope as years went on, but still, the longing of my heart was always to be with my children. Serving in my home. Granted, I will be "working," but doing so in the comfort of my own home! The Lord, through a series of "events" and happenings (one of which was a dream about a black snake - crazy!), slowly revealed to me His nudge that it was okay to resign and that He was answering the desires of my heart. It all sounds like rainbows and sprinkles, but honestly, the enemy has toyed with my mind and tried to make me believe that I don't deserve this blessing and that none of it will work out. It's crazy how the enemy can use even people close to you to discourage you and bring you down. It won't be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but Joeie and I both have 100% faith that God provides. I think Joeie may even be a little more excited than I am to have me home. :)

Another one of God's gems lately? The fact that I have begun to teach about something I absolutely LOVE...saving $$. Cuttin' Corners has TAKEN OFF, only by the grace of God. So enjoyable and FUN to educate ladies and form new friendships through something I'm passionate about.

Eli is EVERYWHERE. I mean, EVERYWHERE. That kid is about to run. His bow-legged walk cracks me up. I could just eat him with a spoon. His cheeks and dimples and rolls and outie belly button and curls...ahh! All of it. He's edible. He's fiesty. He's happy. And, y'all, ............ he's SLEEPING.THROUGH.THE.NIGHT! It has been a LONG 12 months of "spotty" sleep, and I am so thankful that we are finally getting some good 8-9 stretches of uninterrupted sleep.

Wesley is almost FIVE. That is crazy to me. :( I remember bringing him home from the hospital and just thinking about how LONG away it seemed for him to be entering kindergarten...and here I sit, only months away from his first day. He is MORE than ready for kindergarten and I have no doubts that he will do so well! Spelling. Trying to read. And more importantly, trying to mold his character more and more every day. He gave me this ring and told me to take it to work to show my "frands." So, I did. I wore it all day. :) He has me wrapped around his finger.

a thousand gifts

2011-04-09T22:34:00.003-05:00

61. my mother's gift of cooking
62. visits with grandparents that stir faded memories
63. Eli's bow-legged, belly-out, arms swinging walk
64. breezes on the backyard blanket
65. still moments with my wee ones
66. lawnmower humming, reminding of all things new
67. little man learning now things; today, drinking from a straw
68. brother to brother tenderness
69. being a "boy mama"
70. silky curls to brush on 2 hard heads
71. weather of perfection
72. sweet letters from children
73. an over-and-beyond other half who unselfishly supports me
74. 2:45 pm (off work)
75. 7:00 pm (thing #2's bedtime)
76. 7:30 pm (thing #1's bedtime)
77. 7:30--- (mommy/daddy quiet time)
78. a messy floor, strewn with toys, a reminder of health
79. The Light
80. pillow talk

**real blog post coming soon...got a lot going on in my head...gotta string it all together**

a thousand gifts

2011-04-05T21:08:00.002-05:00

51. box fans
52. 13-hour stretches of uninterrupted sleep
53. after-school laughter with teacher friends
54. Redbox
55. friends in my computer
56. thoughtful text messages throughout the day from JT
57. a fresh, new season
58. friends' answered prayers
59. 7 pm bedtimes
60. a spotless kitchen (but not made spotless by me :))

a thousand gifts

2011-03-30T16:55:00.004-05:00

41. baby snores and 10 curled toes

42. warm feet

43. uncle antagonizing Wesley and roars of laughter

44. husband's safe travels from work

45. carpooling as a family everywhere..conversation time

46. the magical marketing of Facebook

47. beaming light pointing toward the end of oppression

48. Psalm 37:4

49. a break from respiratory illness

50. noise of my children

oh em gee

2011-03-18T21:34:00.002-05:00

As a mom and wife surrounded by boys 24/7, I teeter between the extremes of pure excitement and sheer fear.

I'm also amazed at what comes out of my almost-5-year-old's mouth; his brain is always working 90-to-nothing.

This afternoon, Wesley had just finished putting his underwear on. We were all getting dressed to be presentable in public (ie: jammies off) when the following conversation took place...

Me: Wesley finish getting dressed so we can head to the park.
Wesley: Mama?
Me: Yes, honey?
Wesley: Am I getting bigger and older?
Is dat why my weiner is getting bigger and bigger like Daddy's?
Me: horrifically flabbergasted and overcome with laughter

I immediately e-mailed Joeie the conversation, and he got a great laugh, too. I sent a text to my sweet friend at work who has 3 (older than mine) boys, and she simply responded, "Being the mom of boys is great!!:)"

'Tis true. 'Tis true.

a thousand gifts

2011-03-16T14:59:00.002-05:00

26. dishes that mean we've eaten
27. rough hands that labor for our family
28. music that speaks -- "one day He's coming...oh glorious day, oh glorious day!"
29. sweet hands that reach for Mama
30. chunky legs & the miracle of walking
31. His faithfulness in granting desires of the heart
32. Christ-follower that will wed my sister
33. sunlight peering through windows
34. 65-degree weather
35. cherry Coke Zero
36. the gift of motherhood
37. laundry that means we're clothed
38. internet friends
39. 90% off house shoes @ CVS
40. truth-speaking church

Celebrating Eli

2011-03-15T09:14:00.002-05:00

12 months have come and gone.

12 months of bottles.
12 months of diapers & wipes.

12 months of sickness.
12 months of rolling, crawling, and scooting.

12 months of grins and giggles.
12 months of early mornings.

12 months of sleeplessness.
12 months of losing and finding pacifiers.

12 months of firsts.

12 months we won't get back. 12 months I will always cherish.

a thousand gifts

2011-02-26T19:57:00.003-06:00

messy mirror with Expo-scrawled love notes
easy bedtime with minimal crying
eating outside with my 3 favorites, no distractions
losing 12 pounds
Sonic drinks
husband hugs
cereal-for-dinner nights
Night of Worship @ church
coupons
MIL's breakfasts
seeing my sweets with their grandparents
Eli's naughty grin after I tell him to sit down in the tub
Wesley calling his privates his "peanuts" (blend of penis and nuts, maybe?)
life changing, genuine friendships forged at work
prayer time with said friends
morning prayer with my love before work
Eli's wave & 8 chiclet teeth
YouVersion app
new mercies
my sweet mentor & her listening ear after a rough day at work
candle flickering, Hillsong, no TV
picked-up living room by J
modern medicine that helps my children
friends who see character, not color
family who see character, not color

11 months

2011-02-11T20:41:00.004-06:00

Dearest Elijah Joseph,

You are eleven months old today. Eleven months old sounds unfathomable; of course, that seems to be the recurring theme with kiddos growing like weeds. You are an even mixture of sassy and sweet. When Daddy and I walk through Mrs. Sarah's door in the afternoons, you immediately speed-crawl straight to Daddy, all the while, giggling with excitement. I dare not weasel my way between you and your daddy's unbreakable bond. Precious to me. Just precious. Mama is fairly certain you have asthma, as Xopenex is a daily staple around here. We will take you to an allergist to check that out. You love, love, love to eat; honestly, you pretty much skipped baby food, which is certainly fine by me. Something about being the second kiddo...this workin' mama didn't have as much time to sit down and spoon-feed; finger foods it is. Beans, cheese, eggs, pancakes, banana, puffs, pears, crackers, diced chicken -- you eat it ALL, my chunky monkey. You are definitely pulling up and experimenting with letting go, but please, Dear God, pleeeeease do.not.walk.any.time.soon. :) I am not in a hurry for that milestone. You say a few syllables/words, and your babble is about the sweetest music to my ears. The pacifier stays securely on your shirt as you are a fiercely loyal lil devil to that thing. :) It always seemed like such a distant event, but finally, you and your brother are taking baths together. Squishy rolls and dimply booty cheeks and chubby feet just make your mama squeal with delight. You love to sit, splash, and play for dozens of minutes until your tootsies shrivel like prunes. Your sneakiness and mischievous spirit is already peeking through with the way you drop pieces of food from your hands as you look your daddy and I square in the eyes. :)

We love you, spunky boy. Not a day goes by that we take for granted.

hodgepodge

2011-02-07T20:35:00.002-06:00

Somehow among the scattered socks, dirty dishes (hello, broken dishwasher, hate to see you), and the constant crumb-filled high chair, I can never seem to sit down at the end of a night to produce a coherent blog post. From 5:50 am to 7 pm, I literally do.not.stop. -- and honestly, when I do finally sit, using my brain to blog doesn't seem too appealing. :) But, I press on, because I cherish the memories and like to reflect on years past, no matter the season.

1.) A little over a week ago, I was putting Wesley to bed and noticed that my ear was slightly aching. I was on the downside of a run-of-the-mill cold, but I didn't think twice about it. Literally, within a few hours, the pain went from a 2 to a full-blown 10 in my ear. Knowing that I had to work the next day, I took 2 Tylenol PM to try to dull the pain so I could sleep. The pain pierced right through the meds, simply leaving my body lethargic but my mind too preoccupied with pain to sleep. At about 3 am, I felt/heard this really loud crack/pop in my head. Immediately, the pressure released; I was still in plenty of pain, but there was a enough pressure released so I could get 2.5 hours of sleep before my alarm went off. Woke up (still in pain), got to work, and my ear started BLEEDING. Ummm. Yuck. I was pretty persistent about staying at work, even through my tears, but my sweet, sweet 5th grade team practically FORCED me to leave. I am SO thankful that I did, because the ENT took one look in my ear and determined it to be "the worst ear rupture/infection he's seen in a looooooooong time." So, after a vacuum suction, fainting episode, shot of Rocephin in my hip, and 3 costly prescriptions, I was on my way to feeling completely better. Now, I will NEVER underestimate the pain of an ear infection and a ruptured ear drum.

2.) Elijah is almost 11 months old. And I haven't done my monthly updates lately. :( He is the sweetest thing, but he is the sassiest thing. He's 50/50. :) That boy can go from smiling to throwing a fit in 2.2 seconds. He hates to have things taken from him, hates to be still for diaper changes, and more recently HATES to sleep. I have been so put out by him not sleeping...often only taking ONE 30-minute nap in a 12-hour stretch of being awake. Wakes up in the middle of the night and cries forever. He's dry. He's fed. He's warm. He's (relatively) well. I've been really agitated, because he REFUSES to stay asleep. The Lord really pricked my heart during worship yesterday and convicted me about my inner bad attitude. I have resented the fact that he doesn't sleep as well as Wesley did, and I am deliberately focusing on loving him joyfully through the exhaustion. Motherhood is such a mountain-top experience, but it can also bring out how yucky and selfish we are. Amen?

3.) I glanced in my box today at work and noticed a sheet for kindergarten pre-registration. Normally, that would hold no weight to me. Not today. Not today, my friends. Why? Because MY WESLEY will need to be registered for kindergarten this time around. Ahhhhhhh! I'm not quite too emotional about it, but give me a few months. I'll be a blubbering idiot. I'm holding on, because I feel like it only goes faster and faster. He is learning sight words among many, many other things. I have no doubt that he will be more than ready for school in August.

4.) The financial stresses of life have seemed to weigh on me like a 1,000-pound chain lately. It feels like ine of our kids is always needing a dr. visit, and of course, we all know the real damage to the wallet isn't the dr. visit but the prescriptions. Yesterday, I went to get Wesley's refill @ Target...$115 for a 30-day supply of Singulair. Seriously??? (and, yes, that's WITH insurance) And Xopenex for Eli. And Pulmicort for Eli. And Zyrtec for them both. And all those ear meds a few weeks ago. And throw in some antibiotics just for good measure. I'm probably missing a thing or two. Ahhhhhhh.... I rolled over after my alarm went off this morning, picked up my phone, and completely soaked myself in this verse: The Lord's promises are pure; like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Psalm 12:6. In this season of life, God constantly has to remind me that His grace is enough, that I need only to take it one day at a time. He promises to provide. SO hard to ~~quit being a brat~~ appreciate the refining fire.

5.) My precious friend, Monique, sent me a text message last week asking if I'd be interested in teaching a coupon class. And then even offered to host it at her house!! SCORE. :) I, of course, immediately said YES, because anyone who knows me knows that I love me some frugal finds. While I'm a little nervous about teaching adults (kids, no big deal:)), I'm also ecstatic to be sharing my love of saving money with other moms.

Surgery @ 10 months

2011-01-26T21:46:00.005-06:00

Once again, far too much time has passed without an update on the trusty ole blog. :/ Life has been pretty eventful around here for the past month or so. When we got home from Wisconsin, I noticed that Eli's health started to decline. I mean, I had gotten used to him having a constant, lingering sickness, but THIS was sounding horrible. After I talked to Joeie, we made the decision to skip the pediatrician and just head straight to the ENT (which just so happened to be on a snow day, so it didn't count against me -- love the small ways God works). I had both kids in tow, Wesley was getting restless as the dr. was taking well over an hour, and when he finally got in the room, he let me know that he would need to stick a scope up Eli's nose and down his throat to examine his adenoids. Ummmmmm....excuse me? Really? Rip. my. heart. out. It sucked. But he survived...we survived -- and the diagnosis was that they needed to come out and come out SOON. Dr. said that adenoidectomies are pretty uncommon if they are under age 2, but in this case, they were far too large. Of course, tubes would need to be put in also to take care of all ear problems.

So, we loaded up and got to the hospital by 6:30, and THREE.HOURS.LATER, they started the procedures. Poor baby became a pin cushion as they had to attempt several times to start an IV. Thankfully, though, he came out of anesthesia relatively well. And recovery was not nearly as horrible as I had envisioned (Wesley's recovery from tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy was h.o.r.r.i.b.l.e and heartbreaking!) . I am just so thankful to have this hurdle behind us. He is still wheezy (hoping the new Singulair will nip that), but a lot of his nighttime breathing issues have lessened.

I do sometimes get down and out about how frequently my kids have seemed to stay sick, but honestly, in the grand scheme of things, my kids are so, so healthy -- no life-threatening, chronic illnesses. Each day is such a gift. Working full time seems to make the days rush by and I hate that. I wish I had more moments to savor with them through the day, but that just makes me more thankful for their sweet smiles every afternoon.

Christmas -- our little family

2011-01-06T21:24:00.004-06:00

Santa knew that we'd be out of town for actual Christmas Day, so he and his team arranged to visit our house a little early this year. We headed out as family to watch the synchronized lights in a nearby neighborhood, headed back home for a family dinner, and then decorate cookies together.

Eli was just happy to be watching everything...

All the hype can wear a kid out...

Taking a break from the Christmas loot!

Loving all the laughing and wrapping paper

Our rowdy bunch...triple threat

Even in keeping with the 3-gift-per-child rule in our house, the kids still seemed a little overwhelmed.

Santa didn't forget E-man...

Stocking loot -- a free-for-all candy day

Again, just happy to watch :)

Wesley got "everything he ever wanted" -- now that's what a mama and daddy like to hear :)

Keeping the love of dinosaurs alive and well

After much going back and forth, Santa decided to keep the tradition of wrapping his presents. I decided that Christmas day flies way too fast as it is...anything to prolong it a little makes Mama enjoy it more.

A lil popcorn, pj's, and movie time -- Eli is thrilled, eh?

Cookie mess -- a sign of a fun time.

One of the prettiest smiles in town

goober smooch

Tate Christmas

2011-01-04T09:44:00.002-06:00

Since we were leaving for Wisconsin, we had a small Christmas breakfast one morning at Granny and Pawpaw's. The works...bacon, biscuits, eggs, and much, much more. Some of Joeie's aunts joined us and it was just so nice to sit around the table and enjoy each other's company. The two older played contently while Elijah took turns shuffling among laps. :)

Mama's boys -- I'm smitten.

these moments

2010-12-14T20:49:00.002-06:00

make

LIFE

sweet!

It's Christmas.

random tidbits

2010-12-11T10:10:00.002-06:00

Is it just me or does it not feel like Christmas yet? I think we may possibly be the last ones to get our tree up. Maybe it just seems unreal because of all the changes that have happened in our family. I just cannot wrap my brain around the fact that it is mid-December.

Long time, no blog, so how about some randomosity for ya? What's been happenin?

My BFF/sister got ENGAGED last weekend. I am so happy for her. Ryan is seriously one of the most blessed guys on the planet. He is marrying gold. For real! Not lyin' when one of the first questions out of my mouth was, "So, how long do I have to lose 30 pounds?" ha! :) Wedding shenanigans make me twitch a little, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there, right?

Obviously, it pays to Twitter. Our church hosted Christy Nockels & Chris Tomlin last week. After much thought, we decided not to purchase tickets because we had seen Tomlin just a few months prior and thought it'd be sort of a waste of money (and plus, ya know, I guess Christmas gifts for the kids are a little more important, eh?). Anyway, I was a little bummed, but just let it go. Fast forward to the night of the concert... I was reading my twitter updates on my phone (which I DON'T get to do often because A.) I work all day and B.) my kids require 100% of my attn in the evenings)), and I came across a tweet from Robert Green. It said something to the effect of first person to respond gets a free Tomlin ticket. WHAT?!?! And Joeie coincidentally was home from his 2nd job that night to watch the kids. Despite the fact that I was in my robe, eating grilled chicken, with a towel on top of my head from my nightly shower, Joeie (knowing how much I love, love, love music!) lovingly encouraged me to head out for a night to myself. Story gets BETTER....of course, my free ticket was sorta high up, but free? I didn't care one bit. My sweet friend, Amanda, had an empty seat next to her. Where was the seat?? ON THE FLOOR, FRONT AND CENTER. I kid you not. (So, yes, I returned the free ticket, hoping someone else would benefit.) :)

Ok, and I'll skip the part about how I had the opportunity to see Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer and Kay Arthur @ Deeper Still, completely FREE but couldn't go... yes, let's skip that. Because I may cry. Moving on... This video cut me like a dagger, though.

Wesley has been a complete angel here lately (about 70ish percent of the time - ha! that counts). Last weekend, he saw me in my church outfit and said, "OOh, Mama, those boots look so cute on you." He says little things like that alllll the time. Recently, "As big as a rainbow, dat's how much I love you!" Makes me smile that Joeie is instilling in him the importance of building up Mommy by being kind and complimentary.

Now, don't get me wrong...he still has his moments. Last week, Eli and Wesley were in the tub together. I stepped over for a second, and Eli started crying. Wesley quickly said, "Don't worry, Mama, I didn't try to kill him." hahahahahaha!!!! Guilty conscience???

Emily Tate Photography is still hoppin'. Thank you, Jesus.

We are looking forward to a great Saturday putting up the tree together, blaring some Tomlin throughout the house, making a Rice Krispie Christmas house, baking some cookies, & enjoying a few new Christmas decorations. Happy Saturday, everyone!! :)

already?

2010-12-01T21:00:00.001-06:00

We are officially at "the Cheerio age". That's a big deal to me. Signals that he is growing out of "baby only" stuff. :( But :):):) that he is such a happy-go-lucky lil lad! (despite his nasty 2x-day treatments for 2 separate meds). He even dances when he hears music. My kinda kiddo. Short & sweet post tonight...this little moment just reminded me of how quickly the time with our children slips away. Important to be with them as much as possible and make the most of every minute.

yours truly

2010-11-20T08:43:00.008-06:00

Let's face it. The only topics I usually blog about are my kids and my shopping. Lots of things going on with *me* so let's mix it up a bit, shall we?

A few months ago, I signed up to be a mentee in a mentoring relationship. It's a program our church offers, and I had heard testimonies about how wonderful it is -- about how the Lord truly orchestrates these relationships and how beautiful it is to watch them flourish with lots of care. My mentor and I just started our Beth Moore study. I can honestly say that my fingers have never even touched the pages of Esther in the Bible, so I am eager to learn everything possible from our time together. Because, yes, it is TOUGH being a woman!
Photography. Yes, photography. One of my loves. I love, love, love capturing tiny moments that tell the huge stories. I've always enjoyed it; however, when I got my new camera a couple years ago, my passion intensified. I've never taken a class or even learned all there is to know about my camera, but after having a few sessions with friends and seeing the delight on their faces upon seeing their photos, I was hooked. After much INSECURITY which birthed lots of PRAYER....came this...
I'm definitely not in it to "get rich quick" -- but if my passion can yield a few $$ for paying down more debt, YIPPEE! :) I haven't created a website or blog yet; honestly, the main form of networking and getting your name out there these days is pretty much Facebook exclusively. Check out my page! :)

I'm still single-mommin' it almost every night as Joeie works hard to provide. I love him so much and admire his willingness to "step it up," if you will. With Eli being sick A LOT these first few months, me missing several days of work, pinching pennies, sharing one car, etc... it has proven to be a difficult year so far (minorly difficult, all things kept in perspective). Cooking, laundry, mopping, and being anal-retentive about housework in general is pretty nonexistent around here. One foot in front of the other is my motto these days. Wesley's attitude has seemed to simmer down quite a bit, and for that, I am possibly sprouting fewer gray hairs. The other day, he said to me, "Don't worry, Mama...I will forgive you for everything you do." Nice to know, don't ya think? Comforting to realize that he's been listening during our "forgive one another" chats. (ok, and maybe the Veggie Tales movies...)

My obsessive couponing days haven't dwindled to nothing although my OCD tendencies have shrunk quite a bit. Gallavanting around town to snag all the deals while hubby works all the time and we only have one car is pretty much impossible. I have been humbled and so cognizant of the ways God has proven to be our provider, despite my human efforts (or lack thereof) to save money. Huge cans of powdered formula marked 50% off in the clearance section of Kroger. Thank you, Lord. Mama & Mike inviting us over for dinner just when our refrigerator only contained ketchup, milk, and a stale piece of leftover pizza. :) Thank you, Lord. A customer of Joeie's who owns a restaurant invited him to bring us (his WHOLE family) in to eat for free -- anything on the menu. Thank you, Lord. A friend giving us a thick stack of coupons that results in completely FREE bottles of formula and overage toward wipes. Thank you, Lord. Target has had a $10 gift card promotion every time we have had to get a prescription filled for Elijah lately. Thank you, Lord. Boxes upon boxes of hand-me-down clothing for ALL of our children, just in the knick of time for the changing seasons. Thank you, Lord. Several people have booked photo shoots. Thank you, Lord. Lots of coupons have popped out of the Kroger catalina machine to make packages of diapers end up costing only $3. Thank you, Lord. One of my sweet students brought me a Chick-Fil-A calendar just as a little happy...those contain 12 coupons for free food. Thank you, Lord.
I could honestly go on and on and on. Just a chilling and sobering reminder that our God is FOR US...FOR US. Don't know about you, but that GIVES ME CHILLS.

Looking forward to soaking up the next NINE days with my loves!! Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! :)

somebody pinch me

2010-11-18T22:27:00.000-06:00

8 sweet months

2010-11-13T10:30:00.001-06:00

Has it really been 8 months? In one aspect, it feels like Mr. Personality has been in our family forEVER; however, on the other hand, it feels like we just brought him home from the hospital. I will never forget the first two weeks of his life as long as I live. It felt like I was floating in a huge cloud of choatic blur. Joeie literally changed every single diaper for the first two weeks...I was emotionally drained (ie: on the verge of postpartum depression) and having a difficult time recovering. Looking back, every single ounce of it was worth it. =) Can't imagine our family without him.

Elijah Joseph, what are you up to these days?
*Wearing size 3 diapers
*Enjoying your new in-home sitter
*Constantly gritting your 2 top and 2 bottom teeth
*Getting over an ear infection
*Crawling EVERYWHERE
*{consequently}Learning to enjoy confinement in your pack n play
*Figuring out how to fall asleep on your own each night (no fun!)
*Perfecting your pincer grasp

*Eating...black beans, cannellini beans, sweet potato puffs, rice, microscopic pieces of mac& cheese, crumbs of Mommy's homemade banana bread, avocado bits, tiny chicken pieces -- overall, Mama's been more relaxed about letting you eat before turning the magical age (1). :)
*Enjoying car rides more, a drastic change from screaming when you were itty bitty

*Rolling back to tummy, tummy to back, and sitting yourself up easily

*Very close to pulling up (heaven, help me now!)
*Making us bubble over with joy from your deep, contagious giggle
*Waking up happy as a lark, a quality you definitely inherited from my better half
*Having the stinkiest baby feet known to mankind

ch, ch, ch, changes

2010-11-08T20:49:00.002-06:00

This little dude has gone through a big change over the past week or so. After I had only made it to October and missed 5 days of work (not even counting the days he and my in-laws took off), Joeie and I decided that we needed to explore other options for his daily care. While we love, love, love our daycare, we knew that we needed to do what was in the best interest of Eli (which, ultimately, is to be home with ME...but you know, that's another story for another time...). With lots of prayer and thought, we decided to explore options for an in-home sitter. Since Facebook is such a great place for word-of-mouth referencing, naturally, I asked there. Within a few minutes, I was given several names to choose from. I interviewed a couple of candidates and the Holy Spirit just gave me an instant calmness and peace and trust about one in particular. As soon as I walked into her house, I KNEW. That simple. Thank you, Jesus, for laying it out there for me!! He started a week ago today, and let me just tell you -- the changes in his sleeping patterns have been PHENOMENAL. The child who once only slept for 20 minute chunks twice a day is now napping 2 hours straight. We can take him in his PJs. Take the nebulizer if needed. Supply a can of formula for her to mix bottles. Give her a ziploc bag of baby food cubes for her freezer. Overall, less germs = hopefully fewer sicknesses. More one-on-one time and attention. And thankfully, gone are the days of paying for daycare that I don't use (Christmas break, summer, Thanksgiving break, etc)!!!! Hallelujah! So thankful that the Lord brought the exact person that we needed for our lil guy.

** PS -- full-fledged crawling and FOUR teeth!

2010-11-02T21:55:00.001-05:00

You, too, would get your way all the time if you looked like this.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T18:15:00.003-05:00

Aside from Wesley's random allergy attack, we had a great time celebrating Halloween Saturday night. I use the term "celebrating" loosely. By celebrating, I just mean wearing cute costumes and gathering a bucket of candy ~~for Mama and Daddy to sneak after bedtime~~. I know Halloween is a hot topic among Christians, but I believe it's all in what you make it. (Just like Christmas can be skewed...as can Easter...and so on and so forth)

As soon as Daddy got off work, we all headed over to our friends' house, The McGonagills. They hosted a fun get-together with homemade chili, bottled cokes, and s'mores among other goodies. It was a great way to get the night started. Wesley and Crew loved chasing and exploring in the backyard while we adults chit-chatted.

kindred spiritsobligatory family picture :) almost ALL smiling...3 outta 4 ain't bad!

As much as I would love to claim Eli to be a mama's baby...he's not. Granted, he does love me...but seriously -- this kid LIGHTS.UP. when Joeie walks in the door. It has got to be the sweetest thing I've ever seen.
Wesley, on the other hand, PURE Mama's boy! 100% -- no competition. Loves him some Mama.

best juicy jumbo I've ever laid eyes on

After we left the McGonagills' house, we headed out for some door-to-door trick-or-treating. Wesley really got into it this year and bravely went to each door by himself. We were in a very hilly part of the neighborhood, so after about 10 houses, he was ready to hop in the car and head over to Mimi and Pop Pop's house. :)

This collage makes me grin. I adore my family.

2010-10-31T18:54:00.001-05:00

uughhhhhhhhh....why is Blogger so stupid with pictures??? Frustrating. Got lots of cute Halloween pics to share...maybe tomorrow I'll try again.

2010-10-25T21:35:00.002-05:00

"What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?"

"Mama said knock you ouuuuut!"

Ok, ok, in the words of my big brother, "I just kiddin'."

punkin time

2010-10-16T09:14:00.004-05:00

Here I go getting behind on blogging again. I just can't keep up with it all. One day I'll look back and wonder how all these days slipped by so quickly. For now, though, it feels like I'm barely holding my head above water.

A couple weeks ago, Wesley and I went to the pumpkin patch with his class. This is his last year at his school before he will be in kindergarten next year. I hold Elijah now and just cannot even remember Wesley being that tiny. Time races. And I try to hold every precious moment. Despite the weather being nearly 90 degrees, we had a great day together. The animals and hayride didn't disappoint and neither did the fellowship. My boy is quite the ladies' man. Hmph. Lotsa corn!

MAZE

I love this face. I could smooch it all day.

Ever the health-conscious mama, I swung through Chick-Fil-A since I didn't quite get my act together in time to pack a lunch. He loved it just the same. Cold nuggets didn't faze him.And this little turkey??? Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn!! Have you ever seen a 7-month-old fall out because he didn't get his way. No? C'mon over. And won't sleep a LICK during the day. That smile is just a'flashin' every minute that he's awake, though. Can't beat that. I've started dicing and shredding little foods for him to eat with his fingers. Today he ate some chicken and banana, a feast he really enjoyed. And one last thing...HE'S CRAWLING. Nooooooooooooo....I'm not ready. He will be blowing out a candle before I can blink.

7 months {and time for CIO}

2010-10-11T19:24:00.003-05:00

My March baby is SEVEN months old now!! I plopped down to feed Eli tonight and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Seems like yesterday that I was ~~getting jabbed in the back 7 times~~ giving birth to my bundle of chub. Our little monkey has been soo chill for the first months, but seriously, his little personality is all about shining through lately. And by personality, I mean STUBBORN. Ha! He doesn't really take naps during the day. He's in daycare, so really, it's a battle I cannot fight. He sleeps maybe 30 minutes twice a day and is about the nosiest baby I've ever seen. He is constantly trying to grab any and everything from people, mainly Brother. He rolls to and fro and is going to crawl literally ANY.DAY.NOW! I'm so not ready. I will enjoy the remaining minutes of immobility to the fullest. He already falls back and cries when you take something away from him. Really? A tantrum already? Say it ain't so.

Just as I did with Wesley, I rocked Elijah to sleep for the first several months of his life. However, When Wesley was about 7 months old, we had a few nights of crying in order for him to learn how to go to sleep on his own. Let me just go on record and say -- BEST.PARENTING.DECISION.EVER!! I knew without a doubt that we'd do that again with Baby #2. Just having the freedom of a set bedtime, put baby down wide awake, walk out of the room, and have him drift off to sleep effortlessly?? Pure heaven & worth the few days of crying. I started CIO with E last night. Umm, yeah. Forgot how torturous it was. :( I caved last night but held strong tonight. After a while, he conked out from exhaustion. I just have to keep telling myself that it will all be worth it. Hoping tomorrow night goes better and in a week, this will all be a distant memory. :)

He loves me.

2010-10-05T21:43:00.001-05:00

Besides the fact that I get to call these ridiculously precious children my own, I have had a pretty darn good week -- already! Where shall I begin?!?! A few months ago, when Joeie and I heard that Chris Tomlin would be in concert in Hattiesburg, we just KNEW that we would HAVE to go. Time passes and time passes and time passes. Kids get sick. Dishwasher breaks. AC goes out. Car needs oil change. Daycare registration fee is due. Chris Tomlin concert becomes way more of a want rather than a need...a want that we can't squeeze in the budget. :( Bummer, bummer, bummer!! Fast forward a few months...LAST NIGHT, I read on one of my friend's Facebook statuses that she had TWO tickets to the concert to GIVE AWAY for FREE. SERIOUSLY???? I quickly told her that she'd found her new owner of the tickets, called Joeie at work, and scrounged to find someone to watch the boys. (It's in Hattiesburg, 90 miles down the road.) Everything fell into place beautifully, and y'all, I am SO.STOKED about tomorrow night. It will be a crazy day trying to get everyone off from work, packed up, bathed, fed, out the door, down to Hattiesburg, and it will be a SUPER late night getting home. I don't care. It will be so worth it.

Another blessing?? I have been searching diligently for some quality clothing for Wesley since the weather is changing. I refuse to pay an arm and a leg (and the phrase arm and a leg for me means over $5...ha!) for clothing that he will literally wear for a few months, so yes, I buy mostly everything from garage sales. Anyone who frequents garage sales, though, knows that little boy clothes (that are QUALITY -- I don't buy junk!) are hard to come by. I just haven't had much luck while looking lately. Well, Monday, I got a text from Wesley's teacher at daycare asking if I was interested in some clothes that her son had outgrown. Umm, didn't take me long to text back, Y-E-S! Top-notch jeans, long-sleeved fall shirt, hoodies, etc. Wesley is ALL set for this crisp weather, and it didn't cost a penny. Jehovah Jireh, My Provider!

And, to close out my week? I will finally be getting to accompany Wesley on his field trip to the pumpkin patch (mandatory that a parent attends with his/her child) this Friday. It will be my first time as Daddy and grandparents have had the honors in the past years. I have already missed a few days of work while Elijah has had to stay home sick (stupid wheezing!!), but I really wanted to take this day to be with Wesley and cultivate more memories. He is growing up so rapidly, and this is his last big trip ever in daycare! (Kindergarten this time next year? Really? How can I even be typing that??) We will have a special time together, I'm sure. I can't wait to see how he interacts with all of his little classmates at school. (And yes, there will be tons of pictures taken!:))

too much nosey = too much sleepy

2010-09-28T18:11:00.001-05:00

My lil nosey dude is so into everyone else's business all day that he forgets to sleep (ie: takes a few 15-30 minute naps). We come home, unpack, and kiddo is out like a light for a power nap. Of course, I never let him sleep as long as he'd like or I'd never get him down at 7:30.

This is what it's all about!

update on the Wes-Man

2010-09-27T20:06:00.002-05:00

I think I tend to post more pictures of Elijah lately, because he naturally just eats up the camera; however, Wesley is at the age where he is not so fond of the camera. I end up getting lots of shots that look like this. I look at Elijah and I can hardly remember Wesley being that small. My mind just can't rewind that far back. The way he talks, plays, memorizes, sings, writes, everything....it all just amazes me. He wants to be engaged in conversation with Joeie and me ALL the time, which is definitely mentally exhausting.

This growing up thing seems to really be taking off with Wesley. He sure does dig some self-assigned homework these days, which he tells me consists of practicing his letters and numbers. =) Wonder how long this love relationship with homework will last?!? Literally, he will sprawl out all over the kitchen floor while I'm cooking or washing dishes and just write and color forever. They are working on sight words in the 4-yr-old room, and today, while we were all waiting in the car for Joeie to get off work, I turned around and saw Wesley writing his sight words on the back of a paper plate. Pretty good handwriting for a BOY, if you ask me. ;)

We are slowly but surely memorizing scripture, which -- just being HONEST here -- is probably helping ME the most. Memorizing scripture has never been my forte; however, I don't want my weakness to trickle on to my children, so I have purposed to change that. So far, he's been able to recite Psalm 118:24, John 14:15, Proverbs 17:17, and currently working on I Timothy 6:6. Still rusty on memorizing our phone numbers...baby steps, baby steps.

practical blessings overflow

2010-09-26T20:52:00.003-05:00

In addition to having our health, jobs, etc, I am constantly reminded of how God takes care of us in such practical, everyday ways, especially with such a tight budget this year. I haven't linked up to Money Saving Mom in a while, so I thought I'd jump back in and share some awesome ways God has provided for us lately.

Latest grocery trip

Rotisserie Chickens, marked down to $1.50! I grabbed 4 to de-bone, freeze, and use for soups, casseroles, chicken salad, etc. These normally run $5 a pop, so I was elated to find these!!

Healthy (vegan) items to try for my school lunch! For only $0.99, I won't be too disappointed if they're terribly awful. Ha!

Lots of Annie's organic macaroni and cheese...not the healthiest, but something to stock in the pantry for those "end-of-my-rope" days. They were marked down to $0.49 each and I had several coupons for $0.75 off 2. Here's the math -- $0.98 for 2 minus $0.75 = 2 boxes for 23 cents!! Bananas marked down...apples marked down ($1 for all), and I'll boil and puree those for Eli's baby food.

Freecycle has been a HUGE blessing lately. Just as our TV started making this quirky buzzing noise in the background, we noticed a listing for a FREE TV. Of course, we do not have cable (and do not miss it, quite frankly), but those few channels we get with our converter box sound a lot better with our "new-to-us" TV. :)

Another Freecycle find...copier/printer/fax machine...works perfectly! And even has a new ink cartridge! The day before it was listed, I was telling Joeie about several of the hot deals I have been missing lately, because I have not been able to use printable coupons. NOW I CAN!! Woohoo. :)

On Sundays, our new family tradition has been to eat out at Mazzio's for dinner, because they have "pricebuster" pizzas for $6.99 and FREE drinks. The whole family eating out for under $8 is a pretty cheap way to avoid cooking and washing dishes once a week, if you ask me. Tonight, our order was incorrect, so our sweet waitress offered to let us have the first one and fix a second one for free. Some may call me weird, but I'm convinced that God takes care of us in ALL things, no matter how small.

Still playing the CVS game -- tonight, I scored a package of Pampers and 2 cans of tuna for $1.23.

Check out Money Saving Mom to read about more couponing finds!

i cannot handle...

2010-09-25T22:44:00.001-05:00

the pure love that I feel when I see these pictures...

a successful day

2010-09-21T20:09:00.004-05:00

-- waking up to this face

-- catching my son right before a bottle of bright red nail polish hit the floor

-- watching my youngen' roll to and fro' on the bed
-- an email from hubby that my beloved honeycrisp apples are in stock
-- getting the sweetest note on my desk
-- A free Entertainment book that allows for super cheap dinners when I'm wo' slap out
-- Lenny's picnic in our front yard

-- a healthy babe who's now taking big boy baths with bro

-- a creative-minded kid who loves drawing "tattoos"

-- silly faces

-- a quiet evening, listening only to the dryer and Perry Noble's sermons

Look who's...

2010-09-18T21:35:00.000-05:00

SITTING UP!

We've had a great Saturday...wish I had the energy for a detailed post today. This little cutie will just have to do for tonight. :)

lessons of motherhood

2010-09-13T20:43:00.005-05:00

Tonight, I had a moment that revealed to me a lot about motherhood. My eldest has been pushing the limits aaaaaaa lottttt lately. I mean...really... A LOT. Pull-your-hair-outta-your-head frustrating. We have seen a lot of the typical selfish human nature coming out in full-force lately. Pouting. Whining. Throwing fits. Wanting, wanting, wanting. I have been honestly pleading with God to help me lovingly discipline my child every day; to not discipline out of anger, frustration, or impatience.

I do not want my children to fall prey to the American lie from satan that life is about money. Or that life is about how much you acquire. Or how big of a car you drive. Or the name brand of your clothing. Or how souped-up your house is. Or how many fancy trips you take. Or how lavish your birthday party is. Or how many extra curricular activities you're in (or cramming your schedule, which is another soapbox for another blog post). Or how expensive your toys are. I want to curb that way of thinking as soon as possible. STAT! We want to re-channel that way of thinking to focusing on those who are less fortunate. And using that to see how we are so, so immensely blessed. Tonight, Wesley and I looked at some pictures of orphans in a 3rd world country. Is he too young? I certainly do not think so. Some may disagree. His eyes sat, searching each picture. "I want to see another one, Mama. Just one more. Why don't he have a Kleenex, Mama? His nose is running. Where are his wipes to wipe his legs off? He got all dat dirt all over him. Why his eyes look like dat? Do they have to obey?" As I explained to him that most of those babies do not have even the most basic needs -- food, clothing, shoes, and even mommies and daddies -- I could see the tender side of my "wild child" oozing out of his spirit. His little 4-year-old heart was broken. That is the side of this child that we want to pour into. Creating a spark of compassion that roars into a flame. I cannot discredit him as simply a rough and tough, naughty little boy when there is this little character in him waiting to be molded and shaped into something BIG for Christ, even through the discipline.

Just as I was about to close the web browser and head back for his bath, he snuggled under my shoulder and said, "Can we pray for doze kids, Mama?"

1/2

2010-09-11T14:25:00.002-05:00

If you came over to my house to visit right now, you'd likely not have anywhere to sit as my couch is piled mile-high with clean laundry waiting to be folded. Sweet babe is snoozing and Daddy and Wesley are out on a special date chowing down on some chicken wings. In the solitude of no noise, I find this blogging much more interesting than folding laundry at the moment. :) Our busy body, Elijah, is 6 months old today! Half a year, he has graced us with his sweet presence. We are (& have been) so blessed by the final addition to our family. Today, he sat in his high chair for the first time ever. Another first that I am not taking for granted. I am finding all of the milestones a little bittersweet this time around, whereas with Wesley, I was eager to try everything right away.

How did he grow from this...

to THIS...

E-Man, what are you up to these days?
Rolling from your tummy to back
Squealing and "talking" when you get excited
Kicking and swatting at things (including our faces when we feed you)
Grabbing things and pulling hard (necklaces, etc)
Gnawing on your mesh feeder that contains cold grapes
Adoring your big brother, no matter how much he's jealous
Sleeping SOLIDLY throughout the night (still in our room) *insert rolling eyes from readers*
Riding contently in your car seat (a big praise!)
Loving your pacifier
Food twice a day (mainly cubes of avocado, banana, boiled apple)
Splashing wildly in the baby tub -- gonna end up putting you in with brother soon!

Precious One,
Being your mama compares to nothing else on Earth. I desire deeply to show you Jesus so that He may be all You need in this life. Your life brightens mine.

what a day!

2010-09-09T19:13:00.004-05:00

This is the day the Lord has made; I WILL rejoice and be glad in it. Emphasis on WILL. Making myself say WILL. ha! Every now and then Wesley wets the bed. This morning was one of those mornings. Of course it was. Because it's the same morning that I overslept (my own fault, but for a good reason -- LATE night out with some fun girls!:)) Right before it's time to get all four family members out the door before 6:40, I hear THUD. Ohhhh emmmm geee. What really just happened? Oh yes, my sweet Eli toppled out of the swing. Yeah, I don't know either. It was only about 5 inches from the ground, but bless his little heart, it scared the bejeezus out of him. He recovered quickly and I was only slightly late for work, all things considered. Phew. Oh, by the way, in the hustle and bustle of getting out the door, Joeie and I both forgot to strip the bed and toss the soaked sheets in the washer. Oh yummy. Wonderful smell. Since my exercise has been suffering a little lately, I had this grand idea to run home from work -- you know...kill 2 birds with one stone, right? WRONG. Pretty much the worst idea of the week. Running. At 3 o'clock. With the sun beaming directly on your face. With nasty humidity. What was I thinking?!?! It made me a firm believer in early-morning running all over again. It was awful! And, yes, I ended up walking after about a mile. Now, when fall gets here?!?! Oh yes, I will be all over the idea of running home from work every day. Just now? In this heat? No thanks. Then Joeie went to job #2 and I single-mommed it all night. Ended up being a sweet night, despite his absence. :)

Wesley brought home an assignment to create an "All About Me" poster board. I guess you could say that this was his first official homework project. :) Of course, I did the headers, but he hand-wrote about 95% of it by himself! There was a letter or two that he couldn't write. I am so proud of him!!!

Do not ask me WHAT in the world is drawn under the family header? I completely gave up control and let it be his thing.

Before we worked on our homework, I was roaming through the house doing little chores here and there. I walked through the kitchen and it was the neatest thing to see Wesley's little imagination in action. He had wrapped scotch tape all the way around the kitchen, stuck some plastic cutlery on the tape, and was just talking to himself about this birthday party that he was throwing.

Here's Mama with Mr. Pride and Mr. Joy. I am loving Wesley's new faces these days.

19 pounds of pure joy!

It's almost Friday, y'all. I love the weekends.

in this moment

2010-09-07T18:50:00.002-05:00

Today was a typical "first day of the week." Lots of various tasks on the to-do list at work. So little time to do it all. I have been described several ways, but workaholic? No way. I adore the aspect of my job allows me to unconditionally love, love, love a group of kiddos for a whole school year. Other aspects, not so much (as with any job, not just teaching). That being said, I jealously protect my family time. My personal rules are A.) I leave at a decent time each day (by 3:15 at the latest!) B.) Aside from very rare occasions, I generally do not bring school work home to work on during my family time. C.) I turn my brain OFF after I leave. No work thoughts while I'm home. Period.

Tonight, I was sitting on my kitchen floor, feeding Elijah while he was in his swing, Wesley hanging on my shoulders and Eli just grinning ear-to ear. I sat in the moment, with my Pandora station on in the background, looked around. Legos everywhere. Dirty bottles waiting to be washed. Linoleum floor needing to be mopped. Cobwebs in the window. Fingerprints on the oven. Stacks of unread magazines. Bedding needing to be washed. Lunches needing to be packed. Formula needing to be mixed. (ok, by now, you realize I have no problem admitting my inadequacies -ha! because, really, how approachable is someone who fakes to have it all together all the time?) I soaked it all in. And emotion nearly overwhelmed me. I watched my boy trying to make E laugh by dancing. I watched Eli kick fiercely with excitement. And I nearly lost it. I love this. I absolutely love this. There is not a stitch of work that is more important than this gig called motherhood. I will never, ever, ever get this very moment back. So, as I sat in the midst of my incredibly unorganized house, I quietly thanked the Lord for my overflowing cup of blessings -- motherhood, specifically.

pearly whites

2010-09-02T10:23:00.001-05:00

DO Y'ALL SEE THAT? Oh my goodness...I was completely caught off-guard when I looked in this sweet baby's mouth Saturday and saw 2 white buds. No, no, no...surely, Emily, those are not teeth. Can't be. Look, examine, stick my finger in... YES!!!!!! Those are 2 teeth. If I remember correctly (which I can't remember much so don't mark my word), Wesley didn't cut teeth until about 7 or 8 months. He is acting much more interested in food, so we will give it a go again.

Looks like Elijah is doomed to suffer the same fate as Wesley in terms of asthma/allergy problems. I noticed some bad wheezing Sunday night and took him in Monday morning. In so many words, he will probably catch any and everything that goes around at daycare. He's been home all week, per doctor's orders, and we are hoping that Tuesday, he is all better and ready to go back. I think we may single handedly keep Target's pharmacy in business. That's OK, though. No price tag is too high for our precious boys. Even if it results in PB&J for dinner more nights than not. :)

This little guy seems to be just doing more and more every day. At nearly 19 pounds, he can nearly thrust himself out of his Bumbo chair as well as bouncy seat. He is scooting and rolling all over the place. Gone are the days of just plopping him on the bed with assurance that he was immobile. Eli has been a tummy sleeper since he was 3 weeks old. That presents a problem now, though. When he rolls over on his back in the middle of the night, he is TICKED because he can't figure out how to get back over. He is staring intently at objects and focusing on grabbing them. He loves to smile and observe what's going on around him. His little arms and legs go 90-to-nothing, flailing around, when he gets excited about something (usually something his brother has done!) :) I can't believe that nearly 1/2 of his first year has already passed. I am trying my hardest to savor each and every morsel of time. I can't tell you how many times I squeeze and kiss and hug on my chunky monkey during a 24-hour period.

score!

2010-08-30T12:08:00.001-05:00

Hmmm, so it's been a while since I've blogged about my deals & steals. Thought I'd share some recent ones with ya. Found these organic granola bars marked down...and GUESS WHAT?!?! I had a $0.75 off coupon for each one!! FOUR cents for each box! Woohoo. Now, I know everything that's organic is not necessarily healthy, but these will be great g0-to snacks for Wesley in the afternoons.

In the clearance section, I spotted my absolute FAVORITE kind of healthy cereal -- Oatmeal Squares. I love to eat these dry, with milk, or over Greek yogurt. $0.99 is a fabulous price for this "high-end" cereal. =) (Ok, y'all have noticed that it's the little things that thrill me, huh?) I also found some protein powder marked down. Hear me out -- I am not trying to get big and buff and drink nothing but protein smoothies. I have, however, run across a few recipes that call for protein powder and I never have it in the pantry. Was never willing to spend over $20.00 on it, so I skipped the recipes altogether. Now that I found this for a decent price, I can't wait to try THESE breakfast "cookies".

in which I admit exhaustion & imperfection

2010-08-26T20:44:00.005-05:00

forgetting about the bottles in the boiling water
taking Eli to daycare with no bottles
leaving a pot of boiling water on for so long that it all evaporated
putting cinnamon toast in the fridge to cook instead of oven
said cinnamon toast was dinner -- at least the bread was "double fiber"
nearly dousing my cereal with formula instead of milk
realizing that I never cleaned out the microwave after having a rock-hard chunk of oatmeal fly out
resorting to macaroni & cheese for more than a reasonable amount of suppers
putting the clothes in the dryer and realizing they had been washed well over 24 hours ago

and just for some eye candy... :)

this is how I feel

2010-08-19T20:30:00.002-05:00

So, Wesley's been obviously practicing his cross-eyed monkey face...and I can't help but think that this is exactly how I feel. A typical day for us seems so crazy, although, I do realize everything is relative. I honestly forgot how mentally taxing my job is. During those months off, I completely unplugged and solely focused on being at home, and honestly, getting back in the groove is kicking my butt. Wake up at 5:30. All four of us out the door by 6:40 (showered, dressed, makeup, both boys woken up and dressed, bottles mixed and packed...a feat in and of itself, y'all) to drop me off at work (we're sharing a car). Joeie takes kids to daycare by 7. Joeie comes back home to get ready for work. Takes his lunch break at 3 to come get me and the boys. Drops us off at home. Goes back to work for 30 minutes. Drives back home. Stays home for about 40 minutes and then heads back out to job #2. Needless to say, Joeie and I are both surviving by grace alone. Ha! He is exhausted from working, working, working; I am worn out from being mama to 23 kids all day and doing full-time mommy duty at night alone. Blogging sorta takes a back seat to sleep these days. That's all. Bear with me. =)

5 months -- 6 years

2010-08-14T20:34:00.002-05:00

Well, wouldn't you know, my boy turned 5 months old before I could even blink my green eyes. I knew this would happen. I knew it. It's just zooming too fast. I'm savoring. every. morsel. of time!! He's now reaching for things. Grabbing with intent. Practicing putting his pacifier in his mouth (someone say HALLELUYER!!). 18 pounds! And rolling over. Not happy about that one. I love the immobile stage, and I fear that it is coming to an end. He's still not eating baby food, but I think he is showing signs of readiness. Friday morning, we noticed that his breathing sounded awful. Been through this before. Same song, second verse. I knew right away that he needed to be seen. Poor thing was diagnosed with bronchitis and a "croupy cough." Guess that's how they love to welcome you to daycare after being there only 9 days. ;) Good thing is, we caught it very early, and he should be on the mend soon!

____________________

Today Joeie and I celebrated 6 years of marriage. Well, I say celebrated, but in reality he worked (is working) from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm and I figured out ways to ~~not claw my eyeballs out~~ juggle my kids for over 12 hours while it rained cats and dogs. We are in a season of life where it is necessary for Joeie to work 2 jobs. It's nothing new, and we are pretty accustomed to making the sacrifice. I was just reminded today so many times about how blessed I am to be his wife. He works SO hard, and never says a slanted word about it. None. Often works 14-hour days, comes home, pitches in around the house as much as humanly possible until he collapses and takes on the load with the kids on his off nights. No laziness. Not a hint. The past 6 years have not been flawless by any means, but the spirit of servanthood is flourishing like mad in this household, and I am so grateful for the growth that happens each passing year. Only by the power of Jesus Christ and what He does in each of us, and in turn, our interactions with each other. We are only babies in this marriage thing, and I look forward to gaining many more years of experience!! :)

been a while

2010-08-10T21:10:00.002-05:00

Oh me, oh my - life surely has done a 360 since the last time I wrote an entry. Since July 12, we have...driven to and from Georgia (9 hours) with both kids (interesting), been to Six Flags (HOT! and FUN!), been to Zoo Atlanta, celebrated Joeie's birthday, visited Newspring to hear our favorite pastor, returned to work, and survived the first few days of Elijah being in daycare. Phew!

Most of you know that I have not worked since the end of February when I was put on bed rest. Having that chunk of time off with Elijah was seriously one of the best times of my life. I loved, loved, loved soaking in each and every second of those first months of his life. I watched him evolve from a baby burrito with a constant milk-induced coma, all neatly swaddled, to a bouncing, fidgeting, squirming ball of energy. :) I took about 5,468 pictures during those 5 months, but that's ok...I'll have plenty of documentation ~~of every single hour of his life~~. He is doing great at daycare; however, he is having a few issues with sleeping. He gets about three 15-30 minute naps a day, which is a FAR CRY from the 3-hour naps he was taking at home. I'm sure it will take a few weeks for him to get accustomed to the routine. I'm sure he just wants to keep his eye on everything that's going on; I've been told that, ahem, he's a little nosy like his mama. Me? No. His little personality just cracks me up. He loves to sit attentively and watch everything that is going on around him. He quietly just takes it all in, all the while grinning from ear to ear. He has this little curly mo-hawk that is hilarious. It won't stay down no matter how hard I try. We tried baby food a few weeks ago, but he didn't seem into it, so I ditched it. Now, I think he's ready, though. Sunday, we were all eating, and before I knew it, Elijah had dug his fist into my chicken sandwich and had pieces of the bun and meat tucked securely in his fist ready to eat. Ha! Maybe he's telling me to get the food back out. :) He drools INCESSANTLY. Seriously. NONSTOP. He is happy pretty much 24/7. I know there is no such thing as a "perfect" baby, but darn it, Elijah comes very close! Crying, for him, is just such a rarity. My almost-five-month old. I can't believe it.

Wesley officially started work in his K4 room today. He's been with his teacher since the beginning of the summer (when he actually went to daycare:)), but today, they started the curriculum. I am so proud of the work he can do. Writing, spelling, memorizing -- it all starts so much earlier these days. Lately, he has been doing so well with his Scripture memory. Tonight, we worked on memorizing our address, Mama's phone number, and Daddy's phone number. Growing up before my eyes. He has shown ~~a horrendous amount~~ some signs of stubbornness since turning 4. He so often will stretch those boundaries and see just how close he can get to "the line" before we have to get Mr. Spank Spoon out of the drawer. We are constantly trying to work on building character. Sometimes, though, it's just so hard to contain myself as a parent and not crack up at some of the things hey says! Amen, anyone? For example, I was recently giving Wesley a bath, and Wesley said, "I don't have time for this bath, Mama." Seriously? Hilarious stuff. I can't make it up. He often says, "Ummm, Mama, can you PUH-LEASE fix HIM...he's crying." Mercy, mercy. My overwhelming thought since I've started work has been, "Oh my stars, MY Wesley will be in Kindergarten next year!

2010-07-12T21:34:00.002-05:00

I read this comment on a blog post, and I wanted to shout, "YES, YES, & YES!!" Thought I'd share...

"I try each day to ask the Lord to show me one thing that I can do with my kids that will make a memory. 99% of the time, it doesn’t involve spending any money.... just saying “yes!” to jumping in rain puddles and giggling with them. Yesterday, it was coming home from church and throwing an old quilt on the picnic table and actually packing my basket to go out into the backyard for lunch. They thought it was great! The things our children will remember have less to do with the money we spend on them than the state of our hearts while investing our time in them."

lately

2010-07-12T09:16:00.004-05:00

It's July 12. And that means 2 things...Elijah turned 4 months old yesterday. Summer is winding down. What have we been up to lately?

playing @ Renaissance

$1 summer movies
Randomly going to school ~~to save mama's sanity~~
Eating ice cream for dinner
Torturing brother

Trying a little avocado/banana baby food

being giddy

and jolly

A lot of running

Celebrating our nation

Lots of imaginative play

Sitting cute

Just so cute that I wanna squeeze him to pieces

and sleeping 8-9 hours every night! Now that's a perfect ending. :)

lil ham sandwich

2010-06-30T11:01:00.002-05:00

(notice Big Brother in the bottom, right corner)

That is our new nickname for Elijah. This 16-lb. (yes, I said SIXTEEN pounds...@ 3 months old) bundle of joy sweats and slobbers (and poops) more than anything I've ever seen! You can imagine that he smells "salty" (as Joeie affectionately says - haha!) from time to time. Thus, the nickname, "ham sandwich." I don't bathe him every single day (gassssssssssp!), but every other day is quickly becoming a necessity.

I love this little ham sandwich to the moon and back. His little personality has me wrapped around his finger. He's so incredibly smiley and bouncy...kicks up a storm and gets so excited about nothing. Heartwarming. Medicine for my soul. He's a very go-with-the-flow baby. We tried the whole Type-A schedule thing, but it just didn't work for us. He eats. He plays. Then he wants a nap. But our "schedule" is very, very loose, which allows for day-to-day changes that so often occur in our quirky family. =) Being rocked is one of his favorites, but once he's exhausted, he's all "PUT ME DOWN!" and just let me go to sleep!

He has all-out belly laughed a couple times before. Can't wait for it to be an everyday thing. These are the cozy, cuddly, no-talking back days, and I'm relishing each and every one of 'em. The hard days are yet to come.

8 already?

2010-06-22T14:06:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, we celebrated Dartavious's birthday. We wanted to make it special for him, so we had a wonderful family day. Ever since previews started showing for Toy Story 3, Joeie has commented that he wanted to take the boys, especially since the opening day fell on his D's birthday. I was told that this was a "BOYS ONLY - NO girls allowed" event. Ha! Ok, don't have to talk me into some silence. Seeing that I love me some quiet time, I happily obliged. The boys dropped me and Elijah off at Barnes & Noble, & I read until my little heart was content while Elijah snoozed in the Baby Bjorn.

After the movie, Joeie took them to Wal-Mart, where Dartavious got to pick out lots of new fishing goodies (bait, box, etc). He is REEEEALLY into fishing these days. And still dinosaurs, too.

We had originally planned to let the boys run through the fountains and play after the movie, but it started storming, so we just headed straight to lunch. The boys were CRAZY SILLY -- Joeie and I were POOPED just by wrangling them.

Besides the rain and storms, we had a memorable day celebrating! I know the boys had a fun time hanging out with their daddy. Won't be long until Elijah can jump right in and hang with the older fellas. :)

first dentist visit

2010-06-22T11:56:00.002-05:00

Wesley had his very FIRST dentist appointment last week! I wasn't nervous at all, because he is typically a laid-back, whatever-goes type kid in these types of situations (like Joeie). On our drive there, though, he said, "Am I'm gonna get a shot, Mama?" I said, "No, baby, it's just a check-up." "You promise me, Mama?? You PROMISE?" That little conversation reminded me of how big he has gotten and how quickly he growing up. Just as I expected, he did GREAT. He got a little antsy toward the end when she put the fluoride/vitamin (not sure what it was) solution on his teeth. Dr. Green said that was normal, because it has a gross, gritty texture. In her words, "Everything looks beautiful! Keep up the great habits!!" Woo-hoo. :) So pleased to have found such a great dentist (all thanks to my urgent Facebook status plea! ha!).

whatta man, whatta man, whattta man, whatta mighty good man

2010-06-20T14:00:00.003-05:00

(oh yes, I definitely just quoted some old-school Salt-n-Peppa)
D -- dedicated to working for his family
Y -- yes-man, not a push-over but rarely turns down a request from his wife or kids
N -- never shows anger
A -- always affectionate
M -- memory maker with our family
I -- iPhone addict (hey, we all have one - an addiction, that is:))
T -- trash taker-outer without ever being asked
E -- engages in meaningful activities and conversations with our children

D -- delights in his children for who they are
A -- all-around awesome
D -- delightfully funny
D -- delicate emotions, sensitive, loving
Y -- youthful spirit, yearns to always do better

quite the character

2010-06-19T19:21:00.003-05:00

I have been recording Wesley's memorable sayings on Facebook, mainly as a quick way to record what he's been saying. After a few weeks have gone by, I scroll back through and chuckle to myself and wonder where he comes up with the things he says. He's a moody little fella, one that wakes up cranky more often than not. He's just like his mama, not a morning person. He gets frustrated easily and he's quick to think of a mischievous situation to pursue (& as I'm typing, his daddy just taught him how to give me a "wet willy" -- nice!). He loves to push the limits, and he's quickly coming into his own in the independence & feistiness (is that a word?) departments. He loves Skittles and a pear is his favorite fruit. He's a chicken nugget snob, and he'd have a drink in his hand all day if I let him. Wrestling and tickle time with Daddy are favorite past-times, but snuggling with mama is a treasured time, too. The simplest objects make bath time a highlight of his day -- spoon, empty bottles, soap bits, and plastic cups. Doesn't take much to encourage his imagination. He hates loud noises, but somehow, he's the master of loud talking! His questions are often abstract these days, so hard to answer. Lots of questions about God, heaven, Jesus, etc... Although, his attention span is the size of a fleck of pepper, we've started scripture memorization and he seems to be soaking it in.

(Click the collages below to read about what's been rolling around in his brain.)

Tate Family

when you're too tired to blog with words...

january

2011 was good to me.

Christmas 2011

an Instagram Christmas

a new tradition begins...

Mom's Annual Brunch 2011

the peace that passes understanding is my song

a little truth; a W update; a little tradition

thankful for...

random thoughts

my interest in Pinterest, part III

20 months

thankful for {the iPhone photo version}

a thousand gifts

Halloween 2011

mischief, a first, and spooky eats

polka dots

my interest in pinterest, part II

can't make this stuff up, folks

perfect weekend

reunited

Down one...

18 months

pure simple fun. no frills.

round here

random

best of times

Wesley-isms

precious children loaned to me

a thousand gifts (the at-home version)

let him fly

perspective

July

a thousand gifts

my interest in pinterest

just one...

*signs of life*

summer days are made for...

W

15 months

nine

t-ball 2011

cheap is good, free is better

my new boss...

dream(s) come true.

i am mom.

one-year pictures

ode to motherhood

boy

patience is a virtue

a thousand gifts

a thousand gifts

a thousand gifts

oh em gee

a thousand gifts

Celebrating Eli

a thousand gifts

11 months

hodgepodge

Surgery @ 10 months

Christmas -- our little family

Tate Christmas

these moments

random tidbits

already?

yours truly

somebody pinch me

8 sweet months

ch, ch, ch, changes

Halloween 2010

punkin time

7 months {and time for CIO}

He loves me.

too much nosey = too much sleepy

update on the Wes-Man

practical blessings overflow

i cannot handle...

a successful day

signs of life