The Wilsons Five

One Word

2012-01-03T21:14:00.003-06:00

One word to describe your child. Is that possible? How about one word and a follow up paragraph? I started thinking about how to end the blog for this year. Of course this should have been done on New Years Eve but it fell off my long list of want -to-do's during this holiday break. I was able to check a lot of stuff off my list, updating baby books, sorting and donating toys, putting Christmas decorations away, cleaning house...BIG thanks to Jeff for not only putting up with my list but helping me complete it. The only thing left undone was putting Christmas on the blog and a concluding post. Again I mean to publish this blog, our life so far, and this year it might actually happen. So, I started looking around to see if there were any lists of questions I could use to help describe my boys, where they are, what they are like, at this point in time. That's when I came across the task of describing your child in one word. Can I do it? Probably not. But, I can do it if I include supporting details!

Luke, 4 years-7 months

Thinker: Luke is a thinker. Not a talker. He did not talk until he was two, not an intelligible word. Oh he'll talk to me, he's not quiet all the time, but elaborate stories? that's not him. Luke will play for hours with his trains. The sweetest moment for me is when he asks, mommy, will you play trains with me? Or sometimes, I'll play with Eli while Luke is playing trains so that Eli won't bother Luke's trains. This always gets a 'thanks mom, for playing with Eli so he won't get my trains.' I know he's listening and learning and taking it all in because the times come when he'll say or do something that lets me know he's been listening. It's kind of hard to describe really because if you know Luke, you would not really describe him as quiet. He talks but it's not really chatter, it's about something he wants you to know or a question he wants to ask. Luke is kind (other than the typical brother stuff) and loves his brothers. When I do the old, OK Nathan, I'm leaving, see you later routine, Luke is quick to holler, NO! Don't leave him. Luke is sensitive. That might have been an even better word to describe him. He's sensitive all around but in particular he's sensitive to change, change in our schedule, our routine. He tells me, let's just all stay home together. He's excited to go home and play. Even though he gets annoyed with Eli, he loves him. He kisses and hugs him, brings him toys and tells me things he thinks will make Eli happy. He is also rambunctious at times. He can run around the house with the best of them. Soccer is still up for debate. He goes happily but mostly enjoys running around with the other kids, playing with Coach Steve and the gum, the gum is a big deal. He seems to make friends easily and plays with most kids, even the annoying bossy girl in the class who no one else will be center partners with. When I asked him what he wants to be when he grows up he says a construction man (and I say oh, an engineer?!). No, I mean the man driving the tractor. Or, sometimes, it's a race car driver. Both sound good to me. Luke's not a cuddler. But, sometimes I can still steal a quiet moment with him and get a soft, I love you too mommy.

Nathan, 3 years-6 months

Pleaser: Nathan is a pleaser. Is he perfect? NO! his teacher would shout. (The second word to describe Nathan is mischievous.) But, Nathan loves to help and bring me things and get Eli things and read with me and rock with me and remind me that he's obeying when Luke is not. Nathan puts his arms around my neck in the early (pre-dawn!) hours and tells me he loves me. Nathan is also a talker. When I want to know something, I ask Nathan. I will get a long and somewhat confusing story but he'll do his best to tell me what happened, at school, on a tv show, in a book, whatever. Nathan is all boy. He loves sports and cars and trucks and sitting on Eli. He is not sensitive and I can count on one finger the number of times he's cried going to school. He goes in and gets busy playing. He loves his friends (and girlfriends) and talks about them all the time. He makes connections from books to life and life to life and amazes me with the things he says. He does not know his letters or numbers and does not really care to. He's too busy playing or tackling or getting into time out. But, his heart is very loving and I can see him being a loyal friend. And the dimples. All I can pray is that he uses his powers for good one day. Nathan wants to be a monster truck driver when he grows up. That's great I say. My cousin wanted to be a big rig driver when he was small and now he's a marine biologist who travels the globe. There's time.

Eli, 1 year-10 months

Changing: If you had asked me about Eli a couple of months ago, this description would have been really different. Well not really different, but different. Eli has been an amazing third child. He is very self sufficient, plays alone or with the other boys for long stretches, sleeps GREAT and very easy going. But now, he's starting to change a bit. Not so compliant Eli anymore. Very opinionated, even about his pajamas lately! But, mostly, he's still happy and loving and loving Thomas more every day. He loves to read with me in his rocker, before bed. And when we start to rock, he gives me a sweet, sleepy smile and lays his head on my chest, even when he's rammed me with his head a little earlier because I did not do his bidding. He's talking so much lately. He's even mastered phrases like 'I don't want that!' while flinging his milk off the table. Pretty good for a 22 month old. He's patient too, being the recipient of many ill placed kisses and rough hugs from two big brothers. He's pretty fearless on the playground but still cries sometimes when he goes to school. He's my baby who is becoming less and less of my baby each day.

Another year down. Too quickly passed. A lot of fun squished in with a lot of hard work.

And to Tulsa!

2012-01-03T20:28:00.006-06:00

The third part of our Christmas Celebration was a trip to Tulsa. After opening presents and having a little fun, we loaded the Jeep and headed to Tulsa. The fun few days finally caught up with the boys.

There was a great turkey dinner ready when we arrived.
Then it was time for presents!

Mimi and Aunt Leanne!

Luke and Nathan got Big Wheels!

Kyle and Kristin got Green Machines!

Fun riding outside at Mimi's!

Later, a little movie time.

Personalized by Daddy!

A great end to a great Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-03T16:18:00.008-06:00

A happy Christmas Eve was spent at Grammy and Papa's with Uncle Jake and the Mosley crew. We had a delicious Mexican food dinner with tamales and quesadillas!

To start off, here's a yummy shot of Eli. What's better, cupcake (Happy Birthday Jesus cupcakes) on the face mess or a double barrel of snot?!

Checking out the stocking loot. All three boys got a headlamp, just like Daddy! (they LOVE these!)

Luke, Ashley and Abby!

Sporting the new headlamp.
Present time!
Mosley kids and their presents!
Sweet Grammy!

More of the festivities (with Uncle Jake, Aunt Julie, Uncle Brian, Grammy and the back of Papa!)

Checking out Grant's new scooter!

Papa, introducing the joy of bubble wrap!

And the most treasured present of all, a handmade footstool fashioned (old fashioned, with no nails!) after a footstool that has been in the Wilson-Watkins-Wilson family for at least 80 years. The original, now with Papa and Grammy, is thought to have been made by Grammy's grandfather (Dr. J. Wilson) in about the 1920's. The stool then passed to Grammy's mom ('Dottie' Wilson Watkins) and then to Grammy and Papa. Wow! What a treasure and keepsake for our boys. And, Papa only lost one finger in the process :) (almost).
What a great way to start our Christmas celebrations!

Christmas CelebrationS

2012-01-03T15:37:00.006-06:00

As usual we had the Christmas that kept on giving! Although out of order, this first Christmas post is Christmas morning at our house.

The tree! We got a smaller tree this year so we could put it in the living room, in front of the window. For future reference when I'm old and asking myself, what is that terrible white spot on the wall, we are waiting to paint the house until closer to the time we will put it on the market. Painting a house that is full of boys and expecting it to stay nice would just be an exercise in frustration. So, that's why there are white texture repair spots all over the house. Lots of handmade little boy ornaments all over the tree!

The stockings, filled to the brim, along with the empty plate of Santa cookies. Nathan was SO excited that the plate was empty. So glad we got that reaction on video. Then night before, after we had decorated the cookies, I asked Nathan where we should put the cookies. He said, "We should put them by the fireplace, that way Santa is sure to find them!" I could just eat him up!
Eli, investigating his stocking with Mommy.

Checking out the Thomas pillow pet!

Showing Mommy Luke's James (Santa should have brought Eli more trains!).

Loving on his USM sock monkey :) (and holding Luke's other train from Santa!)

Luke and Nate digging into the stockings. Luke was happily digging into the first treasure, candy corn, when he realized there was more!

And, the famous Track Master Cranky! Luke had been saying he wanted Track Master Cranky for months!

One of Nathan's favorite gifts!

And, his other favorite gift! Santa had to work HARD to find these two gifts for Nathan.

We'll have to leave the football playing to Nathan I guess.

A few pictures of my super handsome boys!

It was a Merry Christmas!

Some December Pictures

2011-12-14T14:27:00.003-06:00

Being a 'W' it took Luke half the year to get to be the VIP at school. Part of being the VIP is getting to take Marvin the monkey home for the week. We took some pictures of the fun Marvin was having and put them in a class book. Here are Luke and Marvin playing trains.

Giving Marvin a little snack, a banana of course.

My Dad sent the boys a snowman playing a trombone. It's a big hit. Here is Nathan early one morning with the snowman. He would sneak his little hand out from under the covers and push the play button. It was really sweet.

Luke is awake now and has joined in the fun.

Last night Luke and Nathan had a Christmas program at school. The 3 and 4 year old classes sang several Christmas songs. Neither boy would sing the songs for me but I did catch a bit or two, now and then. Every time I asked them to sing one of the Christmas songs for me they would say, no Mom, it's for the program. The program was wonderful! Grammy and Papa were even able to come!

Getting ready to leave. I hope they are not too annoyed about the sweaters one day.

Eli sat so sweetly during the program. I think he was mesmerized.

A note about Nathan, I've heard from three of the moms in Nathan's class that their daughters claim Nathan is their boyfriend. One little sweetie named Avery A (as Nathan calls her, there's another Avery) is especially in love with Nathan and has told her mom she loves Nathan. So sweet! Nathan is a charmer, when he's not too busy being naughty. The other day after a long run I was sitting on the floor. He came over to me and said Mommy, you look beautiful. HA! I told Jeff right then we were in trouble, he's going to be a hit with the ladies! Shorlty after, I began hearing the declarations of love from his classmates :)

Random Fall Pictures

2011-12-14T13:41:00.005-06:00

Some of these pictures have made their way to Facebook but I wanted to include them on the blog too. These pictures are from Sept./Oct./Nov.

At the park. I love this picture because he looks so cute and was one of the first times I realized how big he is getting.

I had a rare day at home with the boys. They were playing so sweetly and it was wonderful to be with them.
Playing outside one day. Luke and Nathan like to get the chairs, put them in a row and pretend it's a train. I like to think I had some special insight into how many kids I would have since I only bought three chairs. Coincidence? (haha)

This picture is so funny because Luke had been at the end of the line but then moved his chair in front of Nathan. Nathan is so mad and Luke looks like a total stinker. He's saying choo-choo by the way. I bought that Big Bird shirt in Destin for Eli and I guess I really like it. I noticed he's wearing it in the last several pictures. Don't worry Eli, it will be too small by the time it gets hot again :(

We still bathe the boys together. The tub is a little small for it but it saves time. I'm sure I should be teaching them how to shower by now.

After soccer practice one day there was a backhoe? The boys thought it was great.

It had big tires!

Jeff and I celebrated 6 years on Oct 1. Grammy and Papa kept the boys so we could have a night to ourselves. I know I chopped Jeff's head off but it was the best one of me so I had to use it. :)

One Friday afternoon I took the boys to get ice cream after school. Luke told me he did not want to sit with us so he sat over there by himself.

We take bike rides around the neighborhood but they usually turn into really long rides because we make lots of stops to "fix" the bikes or "take a rest."

I trained for and ran the Dallas White Rock half marathon on Dec 4. Eli was my Monday running partner. I took this picture the day I finally conquered 6 miles, for the first time in about 3 years.

This was the first time Luke wrote his name for me. I think he had been writing it at school but had never written the whole thing for me.

Fun afternoon playing outside. I love watching them play together.

Great memories!

Trick or Treat

2011-12-14T13:31:00.004-06:00

The boys went trick or treating this year, for the first time. They had fun but got really tired by the end. Here they are leaving the house. I had planned to stay home with Eli and pass out candy (another first, we usually turn out the lights or go somewhere for the evening) but he was not having it. So, Jeff loaded him into the stroller and all four boys headed out together.

Hamburger and french fries, on their way!
Little Care Bear or the prize from the Happy Meal?

After the boys went to bed, Jeff and I tried not to eat all the candy. Surprisingly, the candy actually lasted over a month!

Pumpkins and Papaw

2011-11-04T12:46:00.005-05:00

We had a visit from Papaw a couple of weeks ago! Being around on a Saturday means soccer duty. Because I work each Saturday, Jeff is left with the task of getting all three boys to the game. He does a great job. Fortunately, Grammy is available and willing to spend her Saturday mornings at the soccer field helping our sweet Daddy. On this particular Saturday, Papaw was visiting and Grammy and Papa were able to be there too! Luke is getting better now and hardly ever runs off the field crying :) He's even scored a couple of goals.

Big #29.

Papa, on Eli duty :)

Nathan, chillin'

Grammy and Papaw

Later that day we headed out to carve the pumpkins. Nathan, playing a little baseball with Papaw. Maybe I'll get a lefty yet!

Serious planning.

Doing his own thing.

Digging out the guts.

The disgusting bubba teeth (thanks Daddy).

The finished products! Great job Daddy and Luke!

Papaw and the boys.

Love having that third lap around.

Thanks for the visit Papaw! We love you.

Where to Begin?

2011-11-04T12:18:00.005-05:00

Ugg! Where to begin? I've gotten so far behind again. I've had to start taking baby steps in getting this blog up to date and keeping it there. It's gotten to where I rarely have a couple of hours to sit and work on a post so I've started breaking it into pieces. Last week I organized the pictures from the last couple of months and finally today, I can get one post done. But, I don't have long. I've got to pick up the boys from school and run get a birthday present for Nathan's teacher (only one day late). Oh, and technically today is a work day for me. Work? That pile is so high, what's another lost hour? I want to do this blog, keep a record of this time in our lives. It will be great reading when I'm old and gray and on the treadmill. I've started doing some running at Liberty Rec center and have found the hot spot for retirees!

So, here we go! A few weeks ago we made it to the Pumpkin Farm in Celina. It's our usual place and was fun again. We had to squeeze it in after work late one Saturday afternoon. It was warmer than usual but we also went earlier than we usually do. Luke was determined to carve a pumpkin this year (so cute!) so we just had to get some. Usually we wait until after Halloween to go because it's cheaper, not crowded and they give away the pumpkins (usually, like we've been doing this such a LONG time! the last three years anyway). I was excited for Eli to go because EVERY time we pass the farm at Parker and Custer (which we do at least twice a day) he exclaims about the cows! cows! moo! moo! It was neat to watch him get so excited about all the animals.

On the way.

Nathan, always seeing about Eli.

Say cheese! I got what I asked for.

Could not get them away from the tractor. Nathan has been asking me to ride a tractor and I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how I could get him access to a tractor. For now, I guess this will have to do. Maybe when we move we'll have a big yard and can get a riding mower.

On the way home. This is SO Nathan.

Life is good!

On a Happier Note

2011-09-13T15:41:00.003-05:00

Last week Luke started soccer! He had one practice last week and then a game on Saturday. We're not sure if he's going to like it or not. He's still excited about going to the games and practice but he has run off the field crying several times because everyone was not taking turns. Hehehe. We have practice again tonight and then another game Saturday. I told Jeff he probably will just be a cross country runner, no crowds and no one kicking you (usually).

Game time!
Action shot!

Love that little soccer star!

Procrastination

2011-09-13T14:19:00.006-05:00

Over the past few months these posts have become a little few and far between. I think a lot about what I should or want to put on here. Like the boys' first day of school, I did not take a single picture. First there's just me and three of them and I was very nervous about Luke's reaction and what I might have to do if he continued down the trail of tears at school. It has turned out to be a great year so far with no tears, at all. God bless his teachers. Then, Luke has started soccer and I wanted to post about his first practice and game. I'll try to do that next, if there is time.

Today, I'm home from work unexpectedly. Eli got sick at school and thankfully Grammy was able to pick him up and take him to her house while I scurried home from FW. He's asleep now, and has been for a while, and I have a ton of work I need to be doing but I can't seem to get busy. So, to make this day not a total loss, I'll post some stuff on here.

With the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 a few days ago, I wanted to write for the boys my memories of that day. Of course I meant to write it on the 11th but like so many things around here, it's a few days late.

At the time I was teaching 3rd grade in McKinney. I remember the day very well. Somehow we got word of what had happened, I think it was Shannon's husband who had emailed her at work. So, during specials (at about 9:30), we turned on the TV in Jennifer's room. Jennifer, Shannon, Suzy and I stood in Jennifer's room staring at the TV (and some other random person from the district who was to meet with us that day). It was incredible. I thought right away that it was Osama bin Laden. A few days before that I had watched a program about terrorists and he was profiled. We watched as the towers fell and at the time I did not realize the magnitude of what was happening. I did not realize right away that there were people still inside. The realization was horrific. We soon had to pick up our students and sheltered them from the news for the rest of the day. We all felt the news and explanations would best come from parents. Nonetheless, it was hard to go the rest of the day unable to talk about what had happened. So, so terrible. That night when I started to have my daily devotion, I was shocked again. Here is the devotion for Sept 11, the one I read that night (From Faith to Faith, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, 1992): Click on it to see the text better.

Powerful.

My other significant memory from that period of time was about a month later. I was scheduled to run the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, DC in October. The route went around the Pentagon. There was some debate as to whether the race would still be held but it was decided to go ahead as planned. It was a cold day and as I stood at the starting line, the national anthem played. The sun was on my face and I was surrounded, it was very crowded. It was so cold but I could not feel it because of all the people standing so close together. It was an electric moment. I closed my eyes and it was so quiet. Very amazing and hard to describe really. We did run by the Pentagon, in the parking lot, and ended by the Iwo Jima Memorial. What a day.
And finally, I can't think of Sept 11 without thinking of the fact that it would be just 9 short months later when my brother would die. When people count years from 9/11 I find myself subtracting 1.

Oh my goodness, what a depressing post. I'll get the camera and put some pics of Luke's first soccer game on here to liven things up! So sorry!

Catching Up

2011-09-01T16:07:00.006-05:00

Instead of adding to the previous post, I decided to add details about our vacation here. It's been a while since my last post. My work has started again and the boys are back to their regular school. Luke and Nathan attend 5 days a week, 9-2, and stay late on T/W/TH. Eli attends T-F and stays late on T/W/TH. Once the school year gets really going I may keep all the boys home with me on Mondays, when I can. I've been assigned to a new committee at work that meets Mondays at 3PM so that really throws a wrench into our schedule. We'll see how it all works out. I knew committee work was coming this year but that day/time is at absolutely the worst day and time possible. Oh well, we'll work something out.

Good news for Luke, he's adjusting to the 4 year old class very well. All the summer angst is gone and he's gone into his room each day this week with little anxiety. Praise the Lord! It's a real answer to prayer. This summer was so awful that I don't know what I would have done if it had continued during this year. Nathan and Eli are happy as ever, always a good report. Nathan is still working on the potty training. He did an amazing job for the first 3 weeks but then it's like the fun wore off and he started having "accidents" during the day, over and over. He's had a few accidents this week, averaging about 1 a day. I try not to worry about his progress and know eventually he'll get there, just like Luke did.

Nathan's still getting up really early, usually about 5:50 or 6:00AM. I've learned to embrace it and even took him running with me one morning (which is no small task given we only have a double jogger so it constantly pulled to his side:). He gets up and gets dressed by himself, by the light of the nightlight. Luke usually has gotten in the bed with Jeff at some point during the night so that means I've moved to the couch and can intercept Nathan when he gets up.

Sorry for the rambling nature of this post. I'm trying to include anything I think the boys might be interested in knowing about this time in their lives. Luke is learning his letter sounds at school which is great because that's just what I've been working with him on this summer. Nathan is still learning to recognize his name. Eli is learning to follow directions and can do simple things I ask him to now. When Luke came home from school Monday (after his first day), he seemed to have grown over the 5 hours he was gone. And again, I was struck by the thought I have periodically (ok, almost daily), that I hope I won't regret this time away from them when they get older. I know school is good for them and they are learning so much. Anyway, I'll spare you all my mental conversations on that topic.

So, this was supposed to be about the trip to Destin. It was a really fun trip. even with 3 little boys who got tired and were off their schedules and one who did not like the ocean and pull out beds that were not sleep-able and one night without electricity, it was really great. We drove to Madison on a Sunday, spent the night with my dad and then drove to Destin the next day. We went through Hattiesburg (home of USM) so I was able to bore Jeff with my narrative of "this is where I...and this is where I..." I can't wait until the boys get older and I can do the same for them. We spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Destin and left Thursday. On the way back we stopped in Quitman to visit my mom and do more "this is where..." in the town (and house)I lived until I was 11. I was able to take the boys to the playground I loved as a kid and watch them play in the yard where I have so many memories. AND, I was able to see Kayleigh and Michael for the first time in 6 years. It was a brief visit but great. They have changed so much from the 1st and 4th graders I lived with in Plano. Ugg, so hard and another brain compartment I try not to access too often. Time moves on and thankfully, it's moving in our favor this time. Also, Kayleigh and Michael got to meet the boys for the first time. What a treasure. I'll post some pictures when I can. Another good thing that happened on this trip is the boys twice got to see my grandmother. It's always a game of "put that down" when we're at her place but it's worth it. I want them to have some memories of her.

Sitting on the beach is one of my favorite things to do, ever. It was different this time with the boys there but still really great. Watching them play in the sand and surf was amazing. Nathan did not care for the ocean but luckily my dad was there and patiently took him inside or to the pool when he had enough. We did not attempt a seafood dinner out but Jeff did get us some great takeout one night. Unfortunately, it was the night we lost power so we ate by flashlight. It was great, regardless!

The week was full and busy but it was great to see the beach again and some favorite people and places. Being from MS is such a part of me that sometimes I forget the boys don't have those memories or loyalties. They are Texan and have a very Texan daddy. So, I guess it's up to me to show and teach them about their "other side!"

Destin 2011!

2011-08-21T21:51:00.007-05:00

Wow! Our trip to Destin was really great, and I mean that. There are so many things I want to write about the trip. But, I'll have to come back at another time and add to this post. I wanted to go ahead and get the pictures up. There are A LOT and believe it or not, I had a really hard time limiting myself to these!

Nathan and Eli heading to the beach. Fuzzy I know, it's terrible. Camera going from air conditioning to heat caused a fogged lens but I did not realize it until much later :(

Papaw, Eli and Nathan
The family.

Jeff and Luke.

Jeff and Eli

Me and Eli.

Luke

Our place, third from the left, first floor.

Eli and Papaw.

Eli's favoriate breakfast.

Terrible picture but breakfast on the balcony.

View from balcony.

Nathan.

Got a few minutes alone, view from my beach chair.

Jeffrey!

Eli, Jeff and Luke.

Luke.

Eli, Luke and Jeff.

My three sons, fuzzy camera strikes again.

Can't believe I caught this...like Papaw like Eli.

Buried in the sand.

Nathan and Papaw.

I'll be back!

Summer Life

2011-07-26T11:31:00.008-05:00

So, other than the previous post, what's been going on in Wilson World this summer? The biggest thing we've been dealing with has been Luke and his aversion to his "old school." When he started in June things seemed fine. I did not hear anything unusual from him or anyone else. Then, the last week of June I was able to work from home and pick the boys up everyday. That's when the problems started (or at least when I first learned of them). I came to get the boys about 5:30 one day and Luke was sitting by the door crying and it was obvious he had been crying a while. So, long story short, since then it's been a real challenge to get Luke to go to school each morning (crying, feeling sick...). He cried each day, mostly when some kids left at 2 and he has to stay late (T/W/TH). We worked out this idea with the school to let him go to Nathan's class at 2 and that has helped and my mom and Jeff's mom have been able to pick him up at 2 sometimes. There are only three days of school remaining after today and I won't be sad to see it end. It's been a miserable way to spend $1,800 each month. So very thankful for the "new school" we'll return to on August 29.

For several reasons but probably most definitely due to the problems with the change in school this summer, we've decided to stay here one more year. It's been really hard having to deal with Luke's unhappiness at school. We had the option of letting him go to MS with my mom for the remaining two weeks but I was concerned with the signal that might give him. I want him to learn to tough things out and deal with them, instead of giving him an out. Maybe that was the right decision. So, we'll stay here and let him finish his preschool years at HG, where he was really happy last year. Leaving a happy child at school makes all the difference. So, I just realized the irony in what I've written. Wanting him to tough it out but putting off moving to make him happy? Oh well, we'll put the house on the market in March or April and look for something further west.

Work has been hard this summer mostly due to my inexperience with the topics and the pace of the courses. But, it's starting to slow down and will end next week. The UNT class will still be in progress but it's not hard to handle. The good news is that starting in the fall, my courses will finally begin to repeat. So, instead of new course development, I'll be able to update/improve courses I've already taught. Plus, just having that year of experience will help a lot. I can already see how much I have grown and changed and learned over the last year. It's been a good experience and overall, I like TXWes.

That's about it really. A tough summer but God has been faithful, reminding me that He cares and is the source of insight and wisdom. For a long time I would get caught up in putting my problems in perspective with others' problems, people who had "real" problems and feeling like I should get over it that my life is fine. And, it IS fine and in the big scheme of things my problems, compared to the rest of the world, are small. But, God showed me that to Him, all problems are the same and comparing my problems to "big" problems other people have is just a way to be tricked into not taking my problems to Him. So, I'm over that, big or small, my problems are His problems. July is ending and the summer soon after! Here's to heading into August with hope and joy, not to mention a trip to Destin!

The Last Month or So

2011-07-26T11:01:00.005-05:00

I've gotten behind on my blogging these last few weeks. This post is a random group of pictures, be warned! Probably only mom, dad and g-parents will care!

In the backyard.

Eli, falling asleep during lunch.

Opening his birthday mail from Mimi.

This is so funny if you know a certain uncle who used to do the same thing.

My Eli.

One day after school we went by Taco Bell and sat in the Jeep to eat it. It was fun to watch Luke enjoy turning up the radio really loud and feeling like a big boy in the front seat.

4th of July pictures. I did not take many but hopefully I can get some more from my sis.

Funny set of pics. Me trying to get a picture of my Mom with L and N. This is just a few of the many attempts.

Me, my Mom and Sister in all our undone glory.

Backyard pool time.

We have ONE doll in our house. Here she is getting a little love from Nathan.

In May we planted some seeds the boys' teachers gave them. Here is Nathan with the fruits of his (Jeff's) labor.

I am in silly love with this baby.

Love that blonde hair.

Everyone is swinging!

Forgot to turn the flash off. Nathan dresses up a lot. This is one of his favorite people. He makes me call him Mr. Fireman.

Lunch with Daddy.

Popsicles all around.

Nathan's Birthday!

2011-06-30T16:05:00.005-05:00

June 26th was Nathan's actual birthday. As we did with Luke, we had a little family party for him at home. Here he is soon after waking on his birthday. Nathan is always the first one up at our house (usually around 5:30-6:00) so there was no way to get a picture of him still in bed. This is part of his typical routine, get up, get some milk and read his favorite books.

Big brother got up a little while later and joined him in the chair (pardon the texture repair in the background, it's waiting for paint).
Sweet birthday boy!

Blowing out the candles.

Nathan's new love, Lightening McQueen.

Big brother finally talked Nathan in to letting him help open.

So what's Nathan like at 3 years old? He has an easy smile with the most incredible dimples. He is sometimes very mischievous. He is all boy and has started to say "that's for girls" to all things pink and purple. He's very solid and likes to play rough. He adores his Daddy and has a fascination with driving Daddy's truck one day and wearing a belt one day like Daddy and wearing his sunglasses on his shirt like Daddy and on and on. He thinks toots and burps are funny but still says excuse me, even if you can hardly hear it through the giggles. Has taken lately to singing silly songs, mostly about poop. He attempts most any song and can turn even my most terrible day happy with a little "spaghetti song." He still loves books. I try so hard not to get irritated at him when he gets me up at 5:30 or 6:00 every morning. If I get him some chocolate milk and a stack of books, he will entertain himself for a while, at least long enough for me to get a shower. He squeezes my heart when he asks so sweetly, will you play with me Mommy? Or, how about you read to me? Oh time, stand still! We have not started potty training, even though he wears pull-ups and will go in the potty if he's in the mood. He can ride his bike now but sometimes I end up pulling it home. He loves his cowboy boots and often becomes fireman or policeman or guitar man with them and a few accessories. All things Cars, especially Tow Mater, excite him now. The only show he will sit all the way through is Scooby Doo, all the while telling me "it's too scary." He can be shy around new people. He loves his brothers, even if sometimes it's love/hate. He's found a fellow wrestler in Eli and I see lots of matches in our future. He says the most amazing things sometimes. I can understand him and most of the time, other people can too. The last thing I'll write about Nathan is a conversation we had a couple of weeks ago. Nathan: What's that man doing? Me: Watering his flowers. Nathan: Why? Me: Well, they are thirsty. Nathan: But they don't have any mouths. You are so smart my wonderful Nathan! I love you so so much!

Boy Stats

2011-06-30T14:59:00.006-05:00

Tuesday, Nathan and Luke went for their 3 and 4 year old check-ups. Here are their stats:

Luke

Weight: 38.2 lbs (75%)

Height: 41 3/4 inches (88%)

Nathan

Weight: 32.4 lbs (50%)

Height: 37 1/2 inches (50%)

It was not a bad visit, although at one point Luke did pick up his shoes and run down the hall laughing. That was right after the comedy show that was me trying to get both of them to give a "sample." At that moment I was thankful they are boys and had something to aim at the little cup. Fun times!

May/June 2011

2011-06-30T14:35:00.007-05:00

As I was getting the pictures together for Nathan's actual birthday post, I came across some pictures from June and the end of May. Some of these have made their way to Facebook but, for the sake of the blogbook, I wanted to put them here too.

This one was so funny because Luke had gotten this "pail" of water and was calling himself Jack. So, of course I asked him if Nathan was Jill. Nathan responded with NO! I'm Jack too. So, here are the two Jacks with their pail of water (sounds a little too progressive, HA).

One Saturday before it got too hot, the boys and I went on a picnic at a nearby park. It was also an effort to stay out of Jeff's way as he dismantled our bathrooms.
Ice cream on the last day of school. Grumpy, grumpy boys. Was not the happy treat I had hoped.

Eli was there too.

Luke's sweet teacher gave him blue bubbles...it was a huge mess but loved by all little boys blue.

50% of my favorites.

Nathan, hard at work, early on a Saturday.

We break for Scooby Doo and not much else. Sorry for the creepy eyes.

Such a good picture of life at our house.

Shopping with his "Mimi money" (birthday money).

Swimming with Papaw. Papaw stayed at the La Quinta when he came out for the boys' party. Now every time we pass a hotel, Nathan asks, is Papaw there?

Eli, chillin' in the shade.

Nathan, loving his new chair from Grammy and Papa.

Happy Times!

Slip and Slide!

2011-06-15T21:34:00.004-05:00

The boys got so many fun gifts for their birthday! Here are a few from last Saturday when we got out the Slip and Slide for the first time! It was a hit and has worn a happy groove in our yard.

So funny to watch them play! The craziest thing is that Eli loves the slide the best! He can't get enough of the spray in his face. Thanks Papaw!

Birthday, Part 2

2011-06-15T21:08:00.005-05:00

So, if you read the previous post, you know we had the boys' birthday party together this year. I decided on The Little Gym and the boys approved. My very good friend Jennifer had her daughter, Brynn's, 2nd birthday party there a few years ago. I thought it was so fun for Luke that I always kept the place in the back of my mind for the boys' party. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon when we headed to The Little Gym with all of our loot! It's the kind of place where you show up and the party people do all the work (for a price). After having all the boys' parties at our house for the past three years, I can say the money was worth it and I'm sure it was more fun for the kids.

Nathan's cake: Cars! I took the boys to Market Street to pick out their cakes from the book of cakes. I thought they would be really excited about picking out their own cakes but it was really more like keeping them contained while I picked the cakes. I think there were too many choices. Next time I'll show them three or four pictures on the internet and let them choose that way. One of my favorite memories as a kid is going to pick out my birthday cake. I guess there were not as many choices in the '80's. Pink flowers or red flowers or yellow flowers...but I loved it!
And Luke's cake: Thomas! I had to supply the toppings for the cake because they had discontinued this Thomas kit. Luke has had the same Thomas cake for the past 3 years so maybe it's time for a change anyway!

The gym.

The party kids, starting the festivities.

Fun activities and free play, too!

Cake time!

The kids were WORN OUT from the 45 minutes of gym time. They all sat still for cake and ice cream and juice.

The party was a lot of fun! I wish we had more pictures of the party goers. Most of the shots were action shots because all the kids were running around having a great time! Thanks to everyone who came to the party. The only thing that was a little unusual was that there was no time to open gifts. So, we took them all home and the boys opened them. It was strange (to me and Jeff, the boys did not notice of course) not opening the gifts in front of the givers. Besides that, the party was just about perfect!

Birthday, Part 1

2011-06-13T21:31:00.004-05:00

Once, Jeff's Mom described the first child as sort of like the first pancake. Try as you might, sometimes things just don't turn out. Because Luke and Nathan are a little less than 13 months apart, their birthday celebrations had become two hot (temperature, I mean) parties at our house, about 3 weeks apart. So, this year we decided to try something different and have two, small, family parties at our house on the actual birth-day, and one party at a fun place for both boys, all the cousins and a friend or two. I would say overall, it was a good idea. The hardest part was having Luke's small party at home on the 29th. He did not understand why no one was there to celebrate his birthday. He kept asking, where are Mimi and Grammy and Papa and Kyle and Kristin...? I think it put a little damper on his excitement that day. But later, when we had the big party (next post), he seemed to understand a little more and really had a great time. But first, here he is on the actual birthday! For some reason he has started waking up during the night and getting in bed with Jeff (I usually give him my spot and move to the couch. I can't sleep with an alligator).

Waking up:

Birthday boy and big little brother:
Helping make his birthday breakfast:

For the first time I told Luke about his baby book. He was very interested and wanted to look at it closely. Of course, Nathan had to have his too.

After church we had lunch at Luke's favorite place, the enchilada place (O'Jeda's to everyone else).

Birthday boy and Daddy:

I would like to pretend we had a great lunch but really it was not that great. By the time we get out of church, Eli and Nathan are so tired that eating out is something we avoid now days. In the past we would eat out almost every Sunday but as Eli has gotten older, it's gotten harder and harder to do, after church anyway. Eventually, Nathan and Eli and I had to go and wait in the Jeep while Luke and Jeff finished eating and paid the bill. This too shall pass and then I'm sure I'll be sorry to see it go.
At home (after naps) with the mini-Thomas cake and cupcakes. Too bad the cake is leaning. It did wait to fall until we cut it.

Everyone enjoying the new track and trains:

It was not a perfect day but it was a very special day because it was the day we celebrated the birth of my wonderful Luke. When I think of Luke I think of an independent little boy who, with each month, seems to grow and mature and change. He is passionate and outgoing and knows his mind. He is eager to help and is growing more loving and kind each day. One special memory I have of Luke recently is going through the car wash. Last Friday after school I took the boys with me to get the Jeep washed. It was the drive through kind and on our way Luke kept reminding me that Eli does not like the car wash. So, as we went through the car wash and as Eli became afraid, Luke would comfort him with "It's OK Eli, I'm right here" and patted Eli on the leg. Finally he put his hand on Eli and leaned over into Eli's seat. That's just the kind of thing he would have never done last year but that comes so easily now. What an exciting four years it's been Luke. I've learned so much and often watch in awe at how you change and grow. I know I make mistakes but no one will ever try harder or love you more, my first little pancake.

May Memories

2011-05-27T11:46:00.004-05:00

These are a kind of random group of pictures from May.

Luke and Eli after a BIG time at Kyle and Kristin's birthday party. Nathan was asleep in the next seat.

Eli was playing so intently with the trains, I wanted to get a picture. It looks like we'll get our moneys worth on the trains with another train lover coming up.

Playing outside. Eli loves balls of all kinds.

Nathan showing Eli his new mask.

Mommy and Eli at his 15 month check-up. One shot, a few tears and a good report from Uncle Jimmy. Eli finally made it over the 20lb mark and is at 21 lbs (10%, which is a big improvement over the less than 3% of last time!). His height was in the 95% percentile at 33 1/4 inches but I think this is a little off and he's not that tall really. For HC, he's in the 50% so that's great news for any future helmet needs!

After school yesterday, playing with some end of the year presents from the sweet teachers at HG. I wish I could post some of the awesome books the teachers made with/for the boys. They are so sweet and filled with pictures and hand prints from all through the year. What treasures!

Nice one of Luke. The really funny thing is that he kept calling the golfball he got a goofball (you can see it in his hand) and then sat down with this bucket on his head. So so funny!

To Remember

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

The typical bedtime routine around our house (when Jeff and I are both home) is that around 7:45 I take Eli into his room, rock for a few minutes and then put him in bed. Meanwhile, Jeff watches a couple of episodes of Thomas with Luke and Nathan and then takes them to brush teeth and get into bed. Because the amount of books I read to Eli each day really varies and is sometimes none, I started reading to him each night when we go into his room. Usually the books are already there, next to the rocker. But, one night this week the books had been moved from his room at some point during the day (blonde, short, book loving culprit). So, before I headed into his room, I gathered some book from the basket. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my little bookworm eyeing me (Nathan if you don't know). I did not make eye contact with him and headed into Eli's room to do our usual thing. Of course, in a second or two I heard the door open and a little head peek in at me. He came over to the rocker and said, "Can I rock too Mommy?" So Eli and I moved over and Nathan sat very quietly while we read a few books. This is really different for Nathan because normally when I read to him he asks a million questions. When I asked Eli questions, Nathan would quietly help Eli by pointing to the answers. It was really, really sweet and something I wanted to remember. After we finished reading, Nathan got up and left the room and we all continued our routines. My sweet, sweet Nathan. To say he loves books is an understatement. If I ever sit down for longer than a second, he is asking me to read to him. When he gets up before everyone else, he gets some books to read (and a snack), and sometimes when I am getting ready in the morning, he gets some books and brings them into the bathroom to read. I can't wait to see what you'll become Nathan.

Slacker

2011-05-19T11:30:00.002-05:00

So, I've been slacking on my posts this month. It's already May 19th and I've only posted a few times. May has been busy. My last class was May 7 and it took the entire week to get everything graded. Things just kept coming up and eating up all my time. On top of that, the final in one of my classes was a paper. It took forever to grade 20, 15+ page papers. That's what I get I guess! The other class also had papers due on the last night of class but there were only 10 of them. Anyway, it's over. I submitted my last grade Sunday night, after being held up by yet another plagiarizer. Can you imagine, plagiarizing in a doctoral class, and this was not the first occasion AND the students thought I would not notice? So out of my realm of thinking when I was in school. That's by far been the biggest adjustment for me this year, realizing that everyone is not the same kind of student I was and, sometimes, that's ok. But plagiarism, really? Since then I've been delving into the wonderful world of curriculum! My two courses this summer are in curriculum and instruction. And...since I have a degree in educational research NOT curriculum, it's been a real challenge to develop two courses that are way out of my comfort zone. The students I'm teaching are all administrators, principals, assist principals, district coordinators, assistant supers, pretty much all people with A LOT more curriculum experience than me. So, technically, I'm qualified to teach these courses, you know that masters degree in early childhood you got back in 1999, you had some curriculum courses, right? HA! Anyway, we're taking the higher ed spin on the courses so that hopefully they will learn something new. I've been developing new courses all year and what I've really needed is a good curriculum course to help me develop these courses, yeah, like the one I'm teaching in June! So, I'll be able to tell them all the things not to do and how to handle students who complain, plagiarize, and critique every little thing you do and say. Ok, venting over. Of course not all my students are like that. I have a core group of about 4 or 5 that are really dedicated and are a pleasure to teach. Ok, so I had to take some stuff out at this point. Did you hear about the teacher who complained about her students on her personal blog and lost her job? I've learned so much this year, about people, about myself. The balancing is the hardest part. How to find time to do it all? Can a mother really have it all? The jury is still out. I have this mental image of myself standing alone with about 20 things swirling above my head, trying not to get whacked or let any of them fall. Things seem out of control sometimes and I'm the type of person who craves structure and routines. If I can figure out a way to put everything in its little compartment and keep it from swirling over my head, I'll be good (and probably rich if I can figure that out). In no way am I complaining. I did not say I was not smiling while ducking the swirl.

Ugg, this spell check is not working so I have to copy and paste the text from Word. Please, make sure your children learn phonics. Whole language stenks (haha, that's a joke).

Pure Joy

2011-05-19T11:14:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday Thomas came to Verizon Theater in Grand Prairie. We took Luke and Nathan to see him. The tickets and merchandise were overpriced and the food was outrageous and not very good. But, to watch Luke be totally and completely captivated was worth every penny. To say he loved it is an understatement. It felt so good to be able to give him that experience.

Here we are on the way in.

This is how Luke sat the entire time, except when he was clapping and singing and shouting. Funny side note, Nathan was not thrilled with the folding chairs. He wouldn't sit in his seat and wanted to sit in my lap the entire time. Nathan sat and watched the entire thing but was not that thrilled.

Thomas on stage. Percey, Diesel and Sir Topham Hat were there too.
We had so much fun and I'm so glad we took the boys. Eli stayed with Grammy and Papa. Luke and Nathan kept saying things like, "oh no! we forgot Eli," and "why does Eli want to stay with Papa and Grammy?" and," oh no Mommy, Eli is crying, he wants to go with us!" Sweet boys, they really do like each other.

2010-2011

2011-05-02T20:36:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago the boys had class pictures taken. Luke and Nathan each have two classes but I only bought a picture from one of each of their classes.

Nathan first: This is Nathan's T/TH class. It looks like everyone is there. Can you imagine, 12 two year olds...these teachers have an amazing gift. He has two teachers on T/TH but one of them was gone on a mission trip to China. The funniest thing happened the other day in his W/F class. His teacher stopped me at drop off time and asked me if Nathan was on some medication (I guess it was Friday of last week). I said no and why? She said, well he was so docile the other day. HAHAHA! I cracked up and I could tell she was a little uncomfortable, thinking I might be upset or something. I told her no, she just got lucky that day. Sweet Nathan, embracing the twos!

And Eli...I think there may be one more that was not there. Eli is the youngest, by about a week and has been the smallest. But, he seems to be catching up. Eli has the most amazing teachers. They have the unique ability to make me feel like Eli is the most special baby in their care. I'm sure they do this for all the parents and I'm so thankful for it. I know each time I drop him off, he will have a great day. And Luke...This is Luke's T/TH class. Several people were missing, most notably the redheaded object of Luke's affection :) There are about 14 in each of his classes. His teachers (T/TH) are Ms. Melanie and Ms. Susan and are both great!

School will be out at the end of May. I know I've said it before but we've had the best year at HGBC CLC. They boys have learned so much and, if we don't move, I'll be excited for them to return next year. Nathan is already talking about being a big boy and going to the Busy Bees class. Luke is already saying how he does not want to leave Mrs. Gina!

Easter

2011-04-25T13:38:00.005-05:00

Easter was good this year. The current trend of better behavior from the boys is holding. Praise the Lord! Here are some quick pictures of the boys having a little Easter fun.

Blurry but a fun shot of Eli going all out with his loot!

Decorating Easter cookies. Or at least they were supposed to be Easter cookies. I goofed up the dough and they would not roll out. So, they are decorating regular sugar cookies with icing. Not that they noticed or cared. Sucking the frosting from the tube was way more fun anyway.

Eli, hollering and watching the boys dye eggs.

We dyed real eggs for the first time this year. The boys did ok with it. Aside from a few cracked eggs and red fingers, it was fun.

Some help from Daddy.

I wish I had time to reflect on how things have changed over the past year. But, one boy has refused to take a nap and has succeeded in waking the boy who was napping...so, nap time is over along with my time to post. I guess some things have not changed.

Recap

2011-04-21T11:24:00.007-05:00

I haven't posted many pictures of the boys over the last several weeks. Falling down on my job! I thought about typing a narrative and describing all we have done over the past month but that would probably be really boring. Instead, here are some pictures of some things we have been doing. It's certainly not everything but I must have thought these times were important because I felt the need to pull out my phone and take some pictures. I had been boycotting my phone camera but it's all I had at the moment! After I loaded all these pictures, I realized they are in reverse chronological order.

Playing at home Monday morning. I'm probably one of the few people who love Mondays!

For a bike ride on Saturday afternoon. Nathan can pedal now but is not really interested in his bike yet. He loves sticks though!
Playing in the backyard on Saturday afternoon.

We have a walker now for sure!

Love this face!

One night recently we had some hail.

Nathan is still getting up very early. His usual time is 6-6:30. If I don't hear him get up and intercept him, he heads straight for the pantry and helps himself. One morning I was in the shower when he got up. By the time I got in there, this is what I found. Poptarts and Cheetos for breakfast. I'm sure his teacher loved me that day! We do have a child-proof doorknob cover but as you can see, it's not Nathan proof.

Luke had Bible Day at school and had to dress up as a Bible character. He chose Joseph. Here he is with Ms. Melanie. All Luke's teachers are great and he's had the best year at school. He's only cried once or twice when I dropped him off, compared to everyday at his previous school. The next day he also had to dress up but this time he chose to be a king. Too bad I did not get a picture!

I found this one night after the boys had gone to bed. I just thought it was so funny and wished I could have seen it in action.

Getting brave!

On a Sunday drive in late March. Too funny!

Ice cream in the backyard. Eli must have been napping.

Recently I took Nathan in to get his hearing checked. He was having trouble hearing and it turns out he has fluid in (on?) his ears. It seems to have gotten better lately. On the way home we stopped at Braums and had lunch together.

Luke has mastered the rope climb, something he could not do alone last year.

More playing outside.

Back around mid-March. Eli's first time to sit in a forward facing car seat.

So, those are all the pictures I have to post. It's been a busy month with work, school, some traveling and life in general. My semester is winding down and will be complete May 7, aside from a mountain of grading I'll have to do. Summer school begins June 7 so I'll have some time to prepare while the boys will still be in school. From now on my contract will be 12 months so I'll work each summer, 2 classes. I'm also teaching an online course for UNT, good to get a little extra money! The boys will spend the summer in school at FUMC Plano. HGBC does not offer summer care. But, the good news is summer classes are just as flexible as fall and spring so I'll have plenty of time to spend with the boys. I guess the big project for the summer will be potty training Nathan. We've sort of been working on it but will have to get it mastered before September. As I mentioned in the pictures, Eli is walking more than he's crawling now. It's so fun to watch but of course a little sad. It is a great sight to see them chasing each other around the house, especially at pajama time. Eli's down to one bottle, only at night. He is probably ready to drop that too. He's been drinking less and less of it each night. I guess he's getting what he needs at mealtime now. Big sigh, it will be good to get the counter space back I guess. TX Wesleyan is closed TH and F for Easter so it will be good to have a weekend with the boys, without having to work Saturday. We seem to be entering an easier period with the boys. It was so hard for a while, with Eli being so little, Luke being 3 and Nathan 2. Not that the boys are that difficult independently but they tend to feed off each other and sometimes create the perfect storm. Lately though, things seem easier. Of course it could be I have developed an immunity along with selective hearing. It's probably a lot of things in combination, I'm sure! And, I probably just jinxed everything so never mind.

Ten Trivial Things

2011-04-18T13:09:00.002-05:00

So, here are 10 things about me the boys would never know, unless I just told them.

10. Went to 8 different schools, K-12.

9. Do everything left handed, except play golf but putt left handed. Not that I play golf very much but it's the only thing I can do right handed.

8. Growing up, and even into college, wanted to be an orthodontist.

7. Knocked out four teeth during the summer before 1st grade. Bike wreck. Did get $20 from the toothfairy and that was a lot to a 6 year old in 1981.

6. Favorite author is Anne Bronte.

5. Ran cross country and track growing up. Loved cross country and hated track. Don't know why I kept running track. Every year when I would run around that track I would think, why did I do this again?

4. Won a jump rope contest in 6th grade. Jump Rope for Heart, ironically the prize was a candy bar and a coke.

3. Always wanted to live in Montana.

2. Was very sad to part with my 5 speed after baby number 2.

1. Always knew I would have little boys and not girls. Was so surprised when the first doctor told us Luke was a girl. Not surprised when she turned out to be a he.

Mommy, at one year.

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-15T12:07:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is my brother's 38th birthday. Here he is in 2001 with my Dad. We were in Destin and were headed out to eat dinner. My brother is such a quiet and privately sad part of my life. But, regardless of all the sadness and regret, I want my boys to know who their Uncle Chuck was and is. There are a million things I could write but I'll save those for the posts in my head.

Happy Birthday big brother!

Big News

2011-03-30T14:00:00.005-05:00

First, let me say I'm not pregnant! HA! Actually, I've been taking great joy in donating Eli's baby equipment/clothes/toys the second he outgrows them. I dropped off our two infant carseats today and it felt G.O.O.D! Although, I do have to admit that I did have to resist the urge to go back and take a picture of them. They have been with us for so long, well 4 years anyway, but it seems like a long time. I selectively ignored the new recommendations regarding car seats...what news report? My brother David gave us the car seats when Luke was born (he has twins, hence the two seats) so those seats have seen a lot of little behinds! Does some small part of me want to try for a girl? Yes, the thought of having a girl is thrilling to me but the REALITY of having another baby is more than I can handle. And, I would probably end up with another boy anyway and I'm all out of boy names. On that topic, spring break turned out to be a really great experience. The boys and I stayed home for most of the week and I learned something important. While I love my job and I'm so very thankful for it, the most difficult part of this year and my return to work has been this feeling that I don't get to spend enough time with Eli. He's so easygoing that he often plays and plays while I'm taking care of the other boys and household chores. But, spring break showed me that it's not the fact that I'm working that takes so much of my time from Eli, it's the fact that there are three of them now. Somehow, adding one more little person has increased the work around here exponentially. So, instead of sitting down to play with the boys once they are all playing peacefully, I'm off to squeeze in loading the dishwasher or clearing off the kitchen counter that seems perpetually cluttered. It was good for me to see that even when I'm home with them all day, everyday, I still have the feeling that I don't get to spend much time with Eli. In a weird way, it made me feel better. Now, when I become independently wealthy and hire a maid...

Anyway, on to my news. It's official now! I was offered the assistant professor of educational research position at Texas Wesleyan and took it! So, the "visiting" part of my title will be dropped and I'll be tenure track. And, I will get one year of credit toward tenure for this year! So very excited and so glad to get that off my back! This year has been like a year long interview! The most amazing part of the process is this: Last semester I was walking around campus and just talking to God and telling Him, Lord, I really don't want to go through an all day on campus interview. I just need them to give me the job. And do you know what? That's just what happened! It's almost unheard of but that is what happened. They did not even bring anyone else in to interview so I did not have to compete against anyone in an on campus interview. I went through one 30 minute phone interview and that's it! It's a real miracle for me and I'm so thankful!

What does that mean for our family? Well, we are making plans to move west. The 'when' is still unknown. We have been looking in the Keller area. The older I get the more I realize wisdom is the most important component of a successful life. With wisdom comes insight and knowledge about not only what to do but when to do it and the patience to wait until the right time.

So, while I'm spilling my guts on this blog which is really strange in and of itself, I'll go ahead and share another epiphany I've had recently. I mean, I write blog posts in my head all the time but never put them down on paper. But, something occurred to me not too long ago. For a long time I prayed and wondered what my role is in the Body of Christ. In a way I kept waiting to get involved until I "found out" what IT is that I'm supposed to do. But then one day it occurred to me that the IT happens every day. I should not wait to get in THE position before I can be useful. I mean, I get asked all the time, how do I manage 3 little boys, working, remain calm (HA, if they could see me at 8:30 every morning!)...? The answer is always easy and an open door for me to share with them, I could not do it without God. There it is, a role for me. Maybe one day I will have an official "ministry" role but until then, I'll embrace this one.

Family Fun

2011-03-30T13:32:00.005-05:00

Monday the boys and I had the chance to go to the Dallas Arboretum with Grammy and our Mosley cousins. And, Aunt Julie brought along her fantastic camera (aka, the baby)! Brian and Julie always take the most wonderful pictures of the boys so it was a real treat to get these pictures of our arboretum visit from Julie. It's terrible that I've lived in Plano/McKinney for 10 years now and had never been to the Dallas Arboretum (except for a beautiful wedding reception that was incredibly FUN!). It was cold and cloudy but that meant no line and not too many people. Julie, Grammy and I talked about how our version of fun has changed over the years. This day really was fun even if it did end in some tears and poopy underwear (I mean, who has time to poop when there are cousins around and wide open spaces to run?).

This one reminds me, someone asked Julie how old her boys were! HA! She said, well, they're 1,2,3 & 4 but they're not all mine! Grant's face cracks me up in this one. It's hard being the big boy!

A photographic display of the early childhood term, egocentric.

Take a look at Luke's feet. Huge! We received a wonderful box of supplies from cousin Kyle (Luke's hero). Once Luke spotted the shoes he won't wear anything else! They are two sizes too big but who cares?!

This past Sunday Brian and Julie had us all over to celebrate Grammy's and my birthday. It was a lot of fun and the boys had a great time! And, I racked up the loot with some books I can't wait to start and my very own KINDLE! So excited! So long to lugging my heavy textbooks back and forth to work!

Papa with his biggest fans.

Grammy and her helpers waiting to blow out that candle!

Our Vacation Day

2011-03-17T22:52:00.005-05:00

This week is spring break week for the boys and me. Today, Jeff was able to take the day off and we planned a little Vacation Day with the boys. Who knew it would be so exciting to give today a name! The boys were really excited about it. First stop, getting hair cuts. Luke and Nathan love to get their hair cut. On top of that, today was special because it was Eli's first time to get his hair cut. Here he is, happily (unsuspectingly) sitting in a little race car, waiting for the big boys.

And, let the fun begin.
Poor thing cried the entire time. :( The stylist worked like a pro and was even able to get us a little bag of his hair.

Mr. Experienced showing him how it's done.

Next Stop: Owens Spring Creek Farm. Not being a native Planoite or Texan, I had no idea this existed. Imagine, right in the middle of Richardson is a farm, a place where kids can feed animals, ride in a barrel train, and have a hay ride, while out back, The Owens Sausage is being made! Amazing!

Sporting their new do's.

Feeding the goats.

Nathan loved this weather vane.

They kept calling this man "the farmer."

Pretty place!

I guess I'll have to learn photoshop to get them all looking and smiling at me at the same time. I can't tell you how many times every day that old song "two out of three ain't bad" runs through my head.

Practicing a little baby tai chi. Really, it was super windy and I think he was trying to touch it.

On the way home. Looks like Trouble to me. No wonder I found him and Nathan yesterday completely naked in the living room and jumping on the couch. I was cleaning the high chair after Eli vomited ALL over it and was not, for once, staring exactly at them.

Thanks Daddy for taking the day off and spending it with us. We love you! XXOO

Can't Think of a Title

2011-03-17T22:37:00.004-05:00

We decided to stay home this spring break. I say that like anyone but me had a choice in the matter. I thought we would go to MS to visit family but I decided we would stay home and start Nathan on the potty training road and try and get Eli to drop his bottle. Basically I decided to torture myself instead of going to do something fun. To mix things up a little, we went to Grammy's house and went for a walk with a detour by the playground.

Wish you could have heard "The Wheels on the Bus."
Back at home. Good thing we have two fire hats and two strings of Mardi Gras beads and good thing you can't see the Mama's boots they are both sporting. At least they balanced the beads and boots with fire hats. I think it makes this gender neutral.

Now, in this one Nathan has turned into a pirate and is saying "aye matey!"

Just wanted to show my sweet baby and his post immunization rash. It covered his torso too :(

Catching Up, Again

2011-03-17T21:56:00.005-05:00

I feel like I have not posted anything in a long time but now that I see the date on the last post, it's only been a couple of weeks. This post is a little scattered but there were some things I wanted to record. The day after Eli's birthday party we went to the Dallas Zoo. The week before Luke had asked my Mom to take him to the zoo and then for ice cream. Don't know where he got that but that's what we did. Eli stayed home with Daddy while Luke, Nathan, Mimi, Uncle David, Kyle, Kristin and I went to the Dallas Zoo. It was fun, not too hot or too crowded. Mostly, I discovered the boys are still a little too young for the zoo. I pretty much just saw the backs of their heads as they ran after Kyle and Kristin. Here are a couple of shots to prove we were there.

On the monorail. I thought this would be a BIG hit with Luke but he was not that impressed.
The after-zoo ice cream treat!

Next Topic: On February 26 Luke went to his first (that he can remember) friend birthday party. It was for his friend Harry and was at WOGA. The interesting thing I found out was that Harry was turning 5, instead of 4. I guess I'm a little paranoid about Luke keeping up with the other kids in his class because his birthday is May 29 so it was quite surprising to find out at the party that several of the kids in his room are a year ahead and that a couple of moms there are planning to keep their kids back next year. I guess this is becoming a pretty common thing. Anyway, after the party Luke and I got something to eat. This, I'm sure, seems like a strange picture to post but sometimes a picture just really captures the essence of one of the boys. For some reason, I thought this picture really spoke of Luke. He tries so hard to be big and independent but really, he's just a little boy who loves his trains.

I was trying here to get a picture of him before the party.

Which turned to this.

And of course this.

Switching Again: Here we are in the backyard one day last week. It was this picture that made me realize Eli finally needed a haircut. Trains and mud and camo, oh my.

I did have a birthday on March 10. The big 36. On the downhill slope to 40. Am I where I thought I would be at age 36? Yes, pretty much. I thought I would be here a little sooner but basically I feel like things worked out the way they should. Time is a funny thing. In some ways it's moving so fast now but in others, it's still creeping. Ever had a head full of thoughts but nothing to say? That's how 36 feels so far. Maybe by 37 I'll have it all worked out. These are some flowers my very great friend, Sheila, sent me. Florida is just too far away.

Eli's Birthday!

2011-03-01T16:44:00.005-06:00

Birthday Stats:

Weight: 17 lbs, 13 oz , less than 3%

Height: 30 inches, 60%

Head Circ.: 46.2 cm, 40%

Projected height and weight at age 18: 5'11'' and 120 lbs! HA! Maybe he'll be a supermodel!

Eli's actual birthday was on Wednesday which was a regular work day for all of us. But, I did manage to get some pictures of my sweetie as he woke up (actually I had to wake him up to go to school, he was sleeping in on his b-day).

Sweet baby, hated to wake him.

How many years to come of this mom why are you waking me up face?
There's my happy boy!
Ready for school. So much ham in my house we could build a pig.

Birthday Boy!

More brotherly love!

We had pizza and cupcakes for dinner to celebrate.

And, on party day...

The cake...

Party goers...

Frosting makes me H-A-P-P-Y!

Sugar Daze

Sweet Eli! What can I say about you that I have not said a million times? It is an absolute joy to watch you grow and change. You seem to change more and more quickly each day. You have started crawling to me when I come in and give me the most wonderful open mouthed slobbery kisses! You pat me on the back when I am holding you and whack me in the head if I'm not careful! Love pats I'm sure. You are pulling up, cruising around furniture and starting to let go a little. I'm sure you'll be walking before we know it. You love your brothers and always have a smile for them. They are a great source of entertainment for you! You are eating most anything you can with your two little teeth. You wear size three diapers and 12 month clothing. Your favorite toys are firetrucks that make noise, you push them everywhere! You also like the trains that have taken over our house. You LOVE Sandi. I am pretty sure you are saying "dog." But, I'm also pretty sure you are saying "stop" which is a very common word at our house but not the first word I had hoped for you. You love to be rocked at bedtime. Aside from some time you were sick recently, you sleep from about 8PM-7AM. Now if I could just get your brothers to do the same...I really, really can't imagine this life without you. I know our house is a little crazy sometimes Eli so thanks for your patience and calm manner. Your sweet smile cheers me even during the most poop infested bite fest. I love you baby! Thanks for being my sweet boy!

Happy Birthday!

2011-02-23T21:10:00.003-06:00

Eli's real birthday post will come later, after his party on Saturday. But today, his actual birthday, I want to be sure and say Happy Birthday sweet Eli! One year ago today was your first day in this world. You always have been and still are the most amazing baby. It's hard to believe my little baby is one year old. This time last year you were a little bundle, swaddled tight, skinny little legs and quiet little cry. I can't even imagine this life without you.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

Happy Birthday!

2011-02-13T22:07:00.004-06:00

I did not want to let today get away from me without wishing my Dad a Happy Birthday! There are a lot of things I could say about my Dad but basically he's the best Dad a girl could ask for. I could go on and on about all the times he's supported me, been there for me and helped me (unless it involves moving furniture up three flights of stairs :). In short, my Dad is Awesome!

Happy 7-0 Daddy!

Not Much

2011-02-13T21:22:00.003-06:00

I think it's been about two weeks since my last post. Not much has been going on, at least nothing blog worthy. I went to a conference in San Antonio last week. I got a little stuck after the conference because of all the bad weather in Dallas and was not able to come home as soon as planned. I know Jeff was glad for me to get home when I finally made it. He had been stuck in the house for several days with all three boys because of all the bad weather. Thankfully, Jeff's Mom was able to come over and provide some much needed relief!

The next week was pretty uneventful too. Eli was sick and had to stay home Tuesday. Then, the boys were out again Wednesday because of snow and ice. Thursday the boys had Valentine parties at school. Luke really got Valentines Day this year so it was a lot of fun. Luke's teacher asked that we work with him and have him write his own name on the Valentines. So we did but the funny part is that he wanted to give every Valentine to Ms. Gina or Lauren. They are both very cute so not a bad idea I guess!

Valentine hat and love bug, made at school. Don't ask me what is up with Luke's smile.

Finally found the Elmo camera from Christmas. It was behind Nathan's bed.

Sweet Eli. Happy boy even when he feels terrible!

Still sick in this one but his lone tooth is showing. He does have another one coming in now so he'll have a couple to eat b-day cake with!

Tomorrow we start back on our regular schedule. Hopefully we won't have any snow or sick days!

Sweet Randomness

2011-01-31T13:33:00.004-06:00

No theme or special happening with this post. Just some random things to record. I keep having these conversations with the boys that I want to remember but then seldom do. But, I just had one with Nathan and I'll write it here before I forget. I was taking him to get changed before nap time and he saw something and said, Hey! It's baby Jesus! I said wow, that's neat, I missed it (a common response for me since half the time I don't know what he is talking about). He said, can I touch it? Since I had no idea where the baby Jesus sighting came from I said, no, but one day when you are older you can ask Jesus to come and live in your heart, right here, and touched his chest. That was exciting because that set off a stream of, then Jesus can eat dinner with me, Jesus can go potty with me, Jesus can play with me. I agreed! It was neat and I'm glad I did not miss it.

We've had some great weather lately. Here we are in late January playing in the backyard.

Now here is something I would not have done with the other two...letting my 11 month old crawl around in the backyard. This one will have the strongest immune system known to man.

Watching a little Calliou. I can tell it's Monday in this picture because Luke is wearing his Monday Thomas shirt. He LOVES this shirt but it's stretched out, stained and too big. So, I strategically put it out on Mondays (when we stay home) so he will wear it. Then, when he wants to wear it to school, I can say, oh no, sorry honey but it's dirty! Manipulation, a seldom advertised but necessary skill of motherhood.

Mmmmm, Pop Tarts for breakfast.

Nathan wanted to help me cook dinner last night. Here he is on his step (there is a constant battle to keep the step in the bathroom, those couple of inches open up a whole new world of reach).

Mmmm, our dinner seems to mysteriously have a bite taken out of every piece?!

So the rest of this post could be filled with my ramblings about my swirling thoughts about what the next year will bring. I'm starting to interview for the permanent position at Texas Wesleyan. I'm pretty sure I'll get it but nothing will be final until probably the end of March. Then there is the question of when to move and where. I am ready to move because the drive is not fun and shortens my time to work which makes things all around hard. But, then I'm not ready to move and move the boys from their school, significantly lengthen Jeff's commute to the point where he could not pick up the boys (from their as yet unknown new school) which would cause problems with my job and schedule...so, I keep praying that everything will work out according to the right timing. And, that Jeff will get the right new job at the right time. Then there is the search for balance among my time at work, the boys, workout time (what's that? my flab says), and most importantly, time to pray about all this change. These are not complaints by any means, all these things are good and I spend many moments watching three little blond heads thinking how blessed I am. We just have some stuff to work out. These are precious moments and I appreciate each one, especially ones like right now when they are all asleep!

11 Months!

2011-01-23T20:38:00.003-06:00

Happy Eleven Months Eli! They have certainly been happy for me. Here you are on the big day, slobbery shirt and all! It won't be long now until you are 1. I love you sweet boy!

TO-DAY

2011-01-22T21:22:00.006-06:00

So, my three sons, what did we do today on this wonderfully regular Saturday?? Well first Nathan (aka Early Bird), you got up at 6:00AM. Luckily my alarm was about to go off anyway. Unluckily for your Dad, he had to get up and see about you while I got ready for work. By the time I left for work at 7:15, you and Luke were both up, on the couch, drinking some chocolate milk and watching Caillou (a terribly annoying show that I have grown to love because it gives me a few minutes of quiet time). Eli, you did not get up until 8:00 AM. Eli, this is a nice change because for about 3 weeks now you have been getting up at 5 or 5:30 (that's AM!), having a bottle and going back to sleep. This has not been all bad though. It's actually kind of nice (except for the not enough sleep for Mom thing) because it gives me a few minutes alone with you. And, the time alone with you is very sweet. We cuddle in your rocker, under a blanket and you soon go back to sleep. I have this little fantasy that we get back in my bed and sleep away the morning! But, it's not to be :) Early Bird is usually up looking for me just about the time I get you back to sleep. But, back to our day. After class I worked in my office for a while. About 12 PM I called Daddy to see what you all were doing. Luke, apparently you told Daddy you wanted to "eat at the Mexican food table place, quesadillas." So, your very brave Daddy was taking you in to Taco Delight when I called. He told me that twice during lunch you needed to go potty so he had to load all three of you up and head into the restroom, while hoping no one would throw your food away! He said you four were quite the entertainment for the restaurant! After lunch you went for a ride and hopefully a nap. You all ended up in Keller, which is near my work. So, I met you there about 3:30 PM and we drove around looking at houses. Luke, you are too funny when you say, "is this our house?" and we say no so you say "well I want to go HOME!" You are not much for house hunting :) It was late by the time we got home. You and Nathan were a little nutty and took a while to settle down before bed. Eli, you were the first to go down. Like usual you drank a bottle, rocked a little, cuddled with me and were soon asleep. When I came out of Eli's room, Luke, you and Nathan were giving Daddy a hard time about going to bed. So, because Daddy had taken such great care of you today, I gave him the night off and put you in bed myself! I got so tickled at you Luke because you were cuddled in your bed on your Thomas sheets, under your Thomas blanket and hugging your new Thomas train. Then, you wanted your head covered with the blanket so that just your face was sticking out. It was such a cute sight I won't soon forget! Nathan, you were a wiggle worm tonight, getting up twice before finally settling down. Of course if Luke wants his head covered, so do you! You had big puppy dog on one side, little puppy dog on the other and your head covered with your blanket so all I could see was your face. I could not help but laugh and this did not help you settle down! So, so cute! Thanks for the great day boys!

I love you so very much!

Mommy

I'm going to boycott this camera on my phone. It's so handy but it takes terrible pictures if the subject is moving at all and my subjects are always moving! I have a phone full of blurry pictures.

First time having corn on the cob. Loved it!

Small Fry

Out for a ride. This is the best method we've found so far for bike rides. I guess I can start running again when Luke starts going faster and stops pushing his bike for half the ride.
Everyday Nathan tells me that Eli wants to sit in his lap. So, I put Eli in his lap and sometimes he actually stays. Here is Nathan reading (the Bible no less) to Eli.

The Other Side

2011-01-03T14:54:00.004-06:00

OK, so we do have another side to our family :) We got to spend time with Jeff's family too during Christmas! Unfortunately, these were the times I was thinking too much about the boys to remember the camera. I guess I worry more about the boys acting like nuts in front of Jeff's family than I do my own :) Getting together with the Wilson and Watkins families is always a lot of fun. You can be sure there will be a lot of food and a lot of laughs. This is a family that really and truly enjoys being together and it shows! Thankfully, Uncle Brian sent us some pictures!

Christmas Day with Papa and Grammy!

Luke and Nathan with cousin Ashley

Opening presents at the Watkins' Christmas

Some of the Watkins girl cousins and me

These are all the grandkids of three of the Watkins siblings (second cousins I guess?). The group gets bigger every year!

So thankful the boys were born into such a wonderful family!

A New Year

2011-01-02T22:44:00.003-06:00

Sometime during the past year I found a website that allows you to make a book out of a blog. It's been my intention since that time to get a book made, at the end of the year, of our blog. I started this blog in January of 2009. I remember the day very well. I was working in the lab at UNT and we were really slow so I decided to start a blog. I think my intention at first was to provide information about the boys to my family members that live out of town and don't get to see the boys as much as they would like. I think my intention for the blog was a little different back then and I certainly thought too much about what other people thought about what I was writing. I'm not much of a writer. Most of the writing I do is academic and I'm much more comfortable with that kind of writing. Even as a kid, when I would write a diary or keep a journal and go back and read it some time later, I would feel like a huge dork. I still feel that way. But luckily, as this blog has continued, the focus has changed. It's no longer geared for anyone but the boys. I love to share what we are doing with the five people that read this blog but my focus is much more, what would I want the boys to know, when they get older, about this time in their lives? Of course, this assumes that they will care one day about what they were like when they were little! In the meantime, I'm sure I will enjoy reading it as they grow and become annoying teenagers and I can look back and remember when life was simple and I thought it was so hard.

So, what I want to do here, and the point of the above rambling introduction, is provide the boys with a little information regarding what they were like at this point in time.

Luke: 3 years, 7 months
Luke Wilson, from the time you were born you were different from other children. Almost nothing that works for other kids, works for you. You are strong willed (code for stubborn) and independent. You developed physically by the book and started talking later than most (at least talking we could understand). You are very, very sensitive and affected very much by change. I have to admit that I see a lot of myself in you and it makes it easier for me to work with you. I understand your need to be independent and free from control by others. But, you also have an intense desire to please and be loved but it's sometimes hidden by your independence. You are so smart Luke and have begun to ask me "why" all the time! I love it and look forward to telling you all you want to know. You have matured so much Luke, this year. I can't even believe how much you have changed in the past year. You are developing and learning and growing so fast. I can't wait to spend another year with you.

Nathan: 2 years, 6 months
My sweet Nathan. When you were a tiny baby I would lay on the floor beside you, face to face, and just get this feeling that you were very smart. You have not disappointed me. I have always been amazed at what you understand, how you can follow directions and now, how many words you know (and I can understand more of them every day!). You have the most wonderful, easy smile with dimples that may get you into trouble later. Although you are two now and all that comes with being two, you are cooperative and easy going. You are solidly built and very much a rough and tumble little boy. You are my wrestler and take down Luke every chance you get (Daddy says you will be the football player). You have been telling me you want to be a fireman and I have been encouraging that! But, whatever you become, I know you will be amazing! You make my heart smile Nathan.

Eli: 10 months
10 months with you Eli. They have been good and very full months. You have been, hands down, the easiest and most wonderful baby. You eat well, sleep well and since you could sit up, you have spent hours and hours playing happily on the floor. I am so blessed to have you and have really needed you to be so sweet (your brothers can be a little high maintenance sometimes)! Over the last couple of weeks you have really begun to develop quickly. You have begun to crawl and even have your first tooth. You "talk" and "talk" so much now. I love to hear your sweet voice. A very precious memory of you is when I rock you to sleep. Even though you began to fall asleep on your own early on, I don't get to see you as much as I would like so, at night, I rock you to sleep. As you are falling asleep, you make these noises, I guess to soothe yourself. They are so precious Eli and something I don't think I will ever forget. You're getting bigger now and I'm realizing how fast time is flying. Forgive me if I try to hold on to my baby too much!

OK boys, that's all.
Your loving dorky mother.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T23:05:00.010-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. Luke and Nathan, especially Luke, really began to get Christmas this year. I give a lot of that credit to the boys' school. Not only did the school spend time on Christmas activities, they spent time teaching the boys what Christmas is really about. It's obvious the boys talked a lot at school about Christmas being Jesus' birthday and all the parts of the Nativity. Everything came home with a Bible verse on it and the teachers even gave the boys' books about the Christmas story. So, all I had to do was reinforce that at home. It was so neat to hear Nathan not only exclaim about "Santa Claus!" when we would pass one, but he also shouted out "Baby Jesus!" every time we passed a Nativity. This post is really picture heavy so sorry. Because I'm getting pictures off my camera and phone, the pictures are out of order too. And, I did not get pictures of everything we did. Sometimes, three little boys get the best of me and the last thing I am thinking about is getting pictures! One last thing I want to record, today when we were taking down all the Christmas decorations, Luke wanted to know what we were doing. So Jeff and I explained to him that Christmas is over etc.. Oh my goodness! He was so disappointed that Christmas was over and that we had to wait a long time for it to come again! He had just gotten used to asking me "Mama, what do you want Santa to bring you?" Love that sweet boy!

The boys and I went to Tulsa for the week of Christmas and came home Christmas Eve. This is a picture with Santa, outside, in the freezing cold! It was fun! Kristin, Nathan, Eli, Luke and Kyle.

So much fun at Mimi's! A Popsicle a day, right?
Back home, Christmas morning carnage.

Thomas set from Mimi trumps bike on a cold day!

Eli with his new train.

Getting ready for a performance.

At the Northpark train exhibit with Papaw.

Nathan thought it was OK but Luke was in love.

Says it all.

Back in Tulsa, at the Children's Museum.

Ever sweet Eli, taking it all in.

Nathan's shopping.

Me taking a picture of Uncle David and Mimi taking a picture.

Could not get Nathan away from the doctor's office exhibit.

Salon exhibit. Nathan kept calling this one "Daddy!" HA!

Me and Eli, after some pizza.

My Mom and sister :)

Mimi entertaining the troops.

Eli sits so still for me and smiles so much, I always have cute pictures of him :)

Lunch on Christmas Eve, Nathan hit his limit.

Eli, after his first Christmas dinner!

Me and my sweet sister!

Mimi and the boys!

Back at home, Santa loot!

Christmas morning.

Chocolate face, gun loving fun with Daddy!

Love this face!

Freezing cold and my feet don't touch the pedals! Who cares?!

My little fireman!

Move over Hanson, here come the Wilson boys!

Random December

2010-12-31T22:57:00.002-06:00

Just some pictures from December that I wanted to put in the blog. Below is the chain of events when Mom got the camera to try and capture all three boys on the couch together. Believe it or not, when I went to get the camera, they were all sitting quietly together (a rare occurrence so that's why I headed for the camera).

A sweet moment for me: watching them all play together (peacefully).

10 Months!

2010-12-31T22:49:00.002-06:00

On December 23rd, my sweet baby turned 10 months old! Here he is on the big day with my sister, his Aunt Leanne. On Christmas Day Eli started to crawl! I am excited for him to enter this phase! He also got his first tooth today, bottom right. He's a big drooler so it's great he now has something to show for it. Eli is really "talking" now and I can hear some of the same inflections the older boys use, in his sounds. He can wave bye-bye on command but also waves bye-bye if I ask for Mama or Dada! It must all sound the same to him :) I know I've said it a million times but Eli is an amazing baby and an incredible joy to have with us. I really can't imagine what I did without him!

Preschool Christmas Fun

2010-12-31T22:34:00.004-06:00

One Saturday before Christmas the boys' school had a preschool Christmas morning. So, for about 2 hours they had Christmas crafts and music set up geared especially for preschoolers.

Mr. Tambourine Man enjoying some Christmas music.

Surprised Luke in mid song :)
Sweet Eli too!

Luke and Nathan LOVED the puppets!

Very sweet 5th grade boy took a lot of time with Luke after the puppet show.

Pure joy!

So, I have to include some more details, to laugh about later. Part of the activities included five or six big plywood scenes of the Nativity, you know the kind you can stick your head through and you look like a wise man or shepherd or camel? The plan was to get our pictures taken and then leave. Not quite what happened. Nathan decided to check out the back of one of the scenes and knocked it over, causing a domino effect on three or four of the scenes. Luckily, no one got hurt. The entire place went silent and all eyes came to rest on our sweet family. Let's just say we did not wait for our pictures. Fun times!

Luke's Program

2010-12-31T22:22:00.003-06:00

This year the boys began attending the preschool at Hunter's Glen Baptist Church. It was hard to make the change from the Methodist church where they had gone to school for the last two years but it's turned out to be really wonderful. They are learning so much and so much about the Bible too. I could not be happier. One thing the teachers did with Luke this year is have a Christmas program. The three and four year old children all sang 4 or 5 Christmas songs. It was so cute! I wondered how Luke would do because whenever I would try to get him to practice with the CD as the teachers requested, he refused and told me that the music was for school! Luke really did a wonderful job. He sang (sometimes very loudly!) and did many of the motions. I was so proud of course and so thankful he is in a place where he can learn and grow and is really valued. We got great video of the performance but not many pictures and certainly not any good pictures. But, since I won't post the video, I wanted to get something in the blog about it.

Waiting for the program to start.

The beautiful sanctuary.
Terrible picture but there he is, on the front row.

So very proud of you Luke Wilson!

Christmas Parade

2010-12-31T22:16:00.003-06:00

This year we took the boys to their very first parade. It was the Plano Christmas parade. We decided to go at the last minute and were totally unprepared for the cold weather. The boys were mesmerized and we ended up staying for the entire thing.

Eli was so cold his eyes were watering.
The favorite of course!

Lots of waving and "Merry Christmas!"

The boys were a candy magnet! We all came home with pockets overflowing with candy.

Sick Baby

2010-12-31T22:07:00.003-06:00

In early December Eli came down with a fever and had to stay home from school all week. Fortunately, my classes had ended and I was able to work from home that week. I am sorry Eli was sick but I sure enjoyed spending all week with him. He was the most wonderful sick baby! So that Eli and I did not have to get out in the mornings, Jeff took the big boys to school for me. As you can see, they were crushed Mom was not taking them!

Sweet as can be but looks a little sick :(

Handsome boy!

Getting ready to pick up the big boys. This was Friday and he was finally fever free.
This was that same week. Nathan loves to put this candle stick in his mouth and calls it his trumpet!

Eli's Dedication

2010-12-08T15:52:00.004-06:00

Saturday night was very special. It was the night Eli was dedicated to the Lord. Pastor Brooks did the dedication and much of our family was there. It was great to have so many of our family members there to share in this special prayer for Eli. We did not get many pictures but, thanks to Papa, got a few. Besides the prayer, Pastor Brooks said what a sweet spirit Eli has. I agree and was very pleased that he sensed it too.

Eli with Pastor Brooks.

Here we all are, during the prayer. Very cute attempt by Luke to close his eyes but still watch.
We love you Eli Cooper Wilson and so very thankful God gave you to us.

Visiting Santa

2010-12-08T15:13:00.005-06:00

Monday is one of the days each week that I get to spend all day with the boys. Some Mondays are better than others! This past Monday was great! We were able to take the boys to visit Santa. Much to our delight (and surprise), no one cried! We had talked it up to Luke and Nathan, especially Nathan, because last year Nathan screamed when we took pictures with Santa. Monday during lunch turned out to be a great time to visit Santa. There was practically no line and the boys were able to spend a little time with Santa. Nathan did great until Santa started talking directly to him, then he got a little upset. When we walked up, I felt Eli's hands grip my shirt so I really thought we were in for it! But, he did fine. Luke has gotten to where he talks to everyone so he had no trouble telling Santa what he wants!

Before we left to meet Jeff, the boys and I made cookies. Here they are watching them bake.

The pans became a source of great fun (for 30 minutes anyway).

And, with Santa!

An after Santa lunch with Daddy.

Now I know why Eli's cheeks were so red. I ended up picking him up from school early Tuesday because he came down with a fever and congestion. No source identified but he's on the mend now.

Nine Months!

2010-12-03T09:47:00.004-06:00

On November 23 Eli turned 9 months old! I waited to do this post until he had his 9 month checkup. It was yesterday.

First, his stats:

Weight: 16.4 pounds (3%)

Height: 28 inches (45%)

HC: 45.2 cm (50%)

So, we still have a light weight on our hands! I was happy to see that his height is fine. Eli's doctor (Uncle Jimmy!) said if Eli continues at this pace, when he reaches 18 years old, he will be 5'9" and 120 pounds! Ha! Hopefully Eli will put on some weight in the coming months and years!

Eli is still a wonderful baby. I really could not ask for more from him. Sometimes I wonder if he is so much easier than the other two boys because I have more experience. I think really it's a combination of things. I'm more experienced, Eli has a lot of entertainment and he's just a good baby. As far as development goes, he's making more sounds, adding the nananana sound to his repertoire of mamamamama and dadadadada! He is sure to put in his two cents when other people are talking! Eli loves to pat Nathan's head when Nathan puts his head in Eli's lap. Eli loves peek-a-boo and being startled. He will play with most any toy the big boys put in front of him but especially loves the Little People fire truck and bus. He's getting to be more mobile now that he can turn all the way around on his bottom, rolls easily and gets on his tummy to reach for things. He's even made a few attempts to pull up on his own. I try to imagine what it will be like when he's mobile! My life has become a series of phases, good or bad, and I try to remember that when we are in a tough one! The thing I like most about Eli is that even though he is easy going, he's not a push over (although he does get pushed over by Nathan several times a week). Unlike the other two boys at this age, when someone takes a toy from him, he gets really upset and lets you know it! I love it! He will be one tough little boy. Eli is becoming a real litlle person and it's so amazing to watch him and see who he will become.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-29T22:08:00.006-06:00

For Thanksgiving, Jeff, the boys and I headed to MS to visit my family. My grandmother is 95 years old and had never met Eli. So, Wednesday we loaded the Jeep and headed out. The trip was fine really. Having Jeff there to help made all the difference. We did decide that we need a bigger vehicle if we go on too many more trips.

Here we are heading out. We left about 4:30 PM hoping that we could stop once for dinner and then the boys would go to sleep. Our plan worked pretty well although we did have to stop one more time. We got to my dad's house about 1:30 AM.

At my dad's. Have trains, will travel.

Different toys are the best!

Nathan took advantage of having a willing reader.

Thanksgiving lunch. We had a buffet lunch at the Hilton and it was great. Nathan is checking out his huge piece of chocolate cake here, contemplating his attack strategy.

Eli with his great Uncle Doug and my cousin, Jeff.

Papaw, Jeff and Nathan

Luke, enjoying his lemon cake (he picked it out!). Luke really took to being the big boy and getting to do things the other boys could not do. It's really neat to watch him progress and mature.

Eli with Nannie.

Just like big brother.

An after Thanksgiving snooze with Daddy.

Yummy toys at Papaw's. Eli's hair has grown but is not long enough to cut so we have these pointy sections in front. I try to keep them brushed over but they keep coming back for an Eddie Munster look.

Taking a break with Papaw.

My sweet Nannie.

Luke and Nathan with Nannie. Sorry to say the boys went a little nutty at Nannie's house. The trip, little napping and a new place made for some rambunctious boys. Still, I was glad they got to spend some time with her.

This is unrelated but so funny to me. Nathan is sitting on our little potty and insisted on reading the paper while doing so! Wonder where he got that one?

So incredibly thankful for my many blessing.

Favorites and Firsts

2010-11-28T21:49:00.004-06:00

I always know it's been too long since my last blog post when I have to really think about what my Blogger password is. This post started as several "firsts" I wanted to record but I kept coming across pictures that I wanted to post too so now it's favorites and firsts. I feel sure this will be a post only a mother would love.

First: Eli's first time to sit in a cart (used some diapers as bumpers just in case he fell over). Public highchairs and grocery carts still totally gross me out but I have learned that it's not likely they will get anything fatal from a cart so I'm trying to let it go.

First: Eli's first Thanksgiving and first time to sit in a high chair (more to come later).
First: This is Luke with Mr. Bumble. Luke's classes have a VIP each week, you know, line leader, dresses weather bear, holding the flag and other fun jobs. In his W/F class, when you are VIP, you also get to bring home Mr. Bumble for the week. You are supposed to do some fun things with Mr. Bumble and record them in his journal. Very cute! Having the last name Wilson, it's taken us until November to get to be VIP.

First: Nathan's first time to lay (lie? I can't keep it straight) on the couch with Eli.
Favorite: I'm named after both of my grandmothers (Celia Annell and Helen Elizabeth). I have the most wonderful memories of my Mamo's smile. In this picture, my Mom looks very much like one of those memories.

Mr. Bumble again.

Favorite: Playing outside on a fall day.

Favorite: Love this one of Eli.

First: This is the first time I ever saw Luke swinging himself (you know, doing the leg thing).

Pumpkins and Papaw

2010-11-08T22:02:00.007-06:00

This past weekend my Dad came for a (too) short visit. It was great to see him and see him with the boys! Saturday we all went to the Pumpkin Farm in Celina. It was a lot of fun and not too crowded since it was after Halloween (and cheaper).

Neither boy was too interested in getting close to the animals. This is Nathan's version of feeding the goats. Just pour it out somewhere in their vicinity.

Papaw and Eli.

Nathan was saying, "Hey cow, how are you today?"

Watching Daddy be brave.

Oh to live in a place with plenty of room to run.

Something was very exciting. Maybe he actually saw a pumpkin. It was slim pickings so the nine pumpkins at home will have to do!

On the hay-ride...my handsome husband! If you don't know, Jeff and I met on udate.com. I told him some time after we met that when I saw him online, I thought he looked good "on paper" but the only thing he was missing was a goatee. What do you know, when we met he had one after all...sweet!

Playing on the hay-ride.

On the tractor ride.

My three boys, taking a break.

Brothers? How I love these little heads!

Papaw with Eli. The ugly bibs strike again.

Reading with Papaw.

Nathan has this thing about the camera. He always wants to see the picture. So, once he saw the camera, he was out!

I'm so glad you could come visit Papaw, even though it was too short!

Catching Up With Life

2010-11-08T13:46:00.006-06:00

So, there have been some changes around our house in the past few weeks. Most notable, and requiring the most parental adjustment, is the fact that Luke and Nathan can now (and frequently do) climb out of their beds. It's ok really but is taking some getting used to. For example, as I write, Luke is awake and is playing with his trains instead of napping. Oh, and right now, Nathan just woke up and realized Luke is not in there. I'm sure I will hear a little climber any minute now! Anyway, just something I wanted to note about their childhood. We'll move both of them into their big beds in a week or two.

These pictures are probably not interesting to anyone but me but I wanted to get them into the blog. They are just shots of time spent with the boys.

At the playground, around the end of October, 2010.

He looks so big to me in this one.
No fear.

In the backyard, around the end of October also.

At lunch after church (O'Jeda's), November, 2010.

Trying to master the phone camera...not a good camera for moving targets. Jeff looks handsome :)

Both boys were "reading" their books. It was a great sight and sound.

Thursday nights are Jeff's night alone with the boys. While I teach, Jeff picks up the boys from school and gets them a Happy Meal. I found these pictures on the camera of their fun together. Thursday night is known around our house as "Daddy pick me up from Ms. Kelsey, go get a Happy Meal and ride in Daddy's truck."

The Rewards

2010-10-23T20:56:00.004-05:00

First of all let me say Happy 8 Months to my sweet Eli! What's Eli up to? He is sitting like a champ and swimming with those arms and legs. Eli eats five containers of #2 food each day and drinks 24 oz of formula. No crawling or even much time up on those knees but I'm not altogether ready for him to be mobile anyway. I did give him a little pep talk and tell him that by this day, Nathan was already crawling. I didn't tell him that Luke was 9 months before he crawled :) I guess this is how the parental sibling comparisons begin! Eli is like Nathan so far in the tooth department, none at 8 months. Nathan did not have any teeth until he was 11 1/2 months. Luke had his first by 6 months and a mouth full by the time he was a year. OK enough with the comparisons. Each child is different, right! Here is my sweet Eli today, on his 8 month birthday!

Now, on to The Rewards. Having three boys and three boys so close together is sometimes hard. Our carpet is a mess, the couch has become a landing pad and I can't even count the number of light bulbs we've gone through. But, when times are good (and they often are), they are really good. The boys have a lot of fun together and have fun more often than they fight. While I was getting Eli's 8 month pictures, the big boys were in the "background" having a great time. Here are some pictures of typical life at our house. The laughter is amazing and makes our house happy.

Nathan, after a take down.

It won't be long Eli!

Off to round two!

Happy Days!

THOMAS!!!

2010-10-18T14:28:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we all piled into the Jeep and drove to Rusk, TX for the long awaited trip to see Thomas! I say long awaited but it was mostly long awaited by me. Although we went to see Thomas last year, I knew this year would mean so much more to Luke and I was so excited for him to see Thomas. To say Luke loves trains is an understatement. It's always funny to me to tell people he loves trains and they kind of nod. Until they get to know Luke and understand that he LOVES trains. I can't tell you how many people at his school have said to me, Luke really loves trains. I know! So, I'll go ahead and apologize for all the pictures. They are also really out of order but I wanted to get them posted because I probably won't have time to post for another week or so.

Getting on the train.

Nathan on the train.
Luke on the train.

The family :)

The big boys and Thomas.

We were in the first car (of course).

Getting our Thomas tattoos.

With Sir Topham Hat. Nathan talked and talked about Sir Topham Hat but when the time came, Sir Topham Hat was just too scary.

They had all these train tables set up for the kids to play.

On a tractor (for the hayride).

All dressed and ready to go!

This picture does not do it justice but we were on the train and Nathan was starring so intently at Jeff and they looked so much alike, I tried to capture it.

Nathan entertaining Eli.

Jeff and Eli.

After running away from the picnic table for the 10th time, Nathan's new lunch seat.

Hard to stop for lunch with so much to see!

This was after about the 8th time of Nathan running away :)

This is when we were back in the truck. Eli was SO good all day. It was incredible.

Getting ready to leave. Haven't left yet and Nathan is asleep.

It was a really fun day and a memory I will treasure! East Texas sure is pretty!

Time

2010-10-18T14:04:00.003-05:00

Since I've gone back to work, time has really started flying. It seems like one day it's Monday and the next thing I know, the week is over. I don't mean things are bad, they are just moving fast. I remember when I first stopped working after Luke was born, the thing I missed most was coming home from work on a Friday evening and feeling like I had really worked hard, done something important that week and could enjoy my weekend. It's nice to have that feeling again, although it's on a Saturday afternoon now. The other thing I missed was really feeling like I was part of a team and getting to spend my days with girls that were my best friends. Well, I don't have that at my new job but there are some really nice people and I enjoy being around them. Maybe when we move closer to the University and I spend more days on campus, it will begin to feel more like I'm with my friends, not just coworkers.

These are just a few memories I wanted to record. Nothing special, just happy days at home.

Mechanic or road kill?
So cute I could not tell them to move back. The sweetest part was, Luke was watching TV and called to Nathan and said, "Here Nathan, here's a chair for you. Want to watch TV with me and eat your breakfast?" Nathan responded with his "yeah!" Luke had also pulled over the other chairs so they could put their plates on them (you can't see them but they are in front of the chairs they are sitting in). Eli is happy playing wherever the big boys are in sight.

This would have been even cuter if I had not had my finger covering the lens a little. This blanket Eli is playing on is one Jeff had in his room when he was a baby. So special!

So many fun years to come!

Trip to Mimi's

2010-10-18T13:50:00.003-05:00

Last weekend the boys and I took a trip to visit Mimi in Tulsa. It was the first time I had taken the boys on a trip, by myself. We left on Thursday evening, about 7:30 and returned Sunday afternoon. I found out that it's much easier to travel with the boys in the evening/night. Thursday was a much better trip than Sunday! But, we did manage to do something I had wondered how to handle. We stopped for a bathroom break on the way back Sunday. I really did not want to mess up Luke's potty training progress by putting him in a pull-up. So, we had to stop. It went fine really. No one tried to run away and we made it back to the Jeep in a reasonable amount of time.

Here are Luke and Nathan with Mimi, headed into the Pumpkin Patch.

Having a picnic lunch.
Watching a butterfly.
Watching the sheep in the distance.

In the hay-maze.

Not sure about the pumpkins.

Best attempt at both big boys with the pumpkins.

Lots of running!

Maybe next year they will all look at the camera!

Milestone Pictures

2010-10-07T11:31:00.006-05:00

Last month we took the boys to our old standby, Babies r Us, to have their pictures taken. We wanted to get more professional pictures taken but decided we might do that as a Christmas present to ourselves. Here are a few of my favorites.

Nathan's Two Year Old Picture

Luke's Three Year Old Picture

Eli's Six Month Old Picture

Five Years!

2010-10-07T11:09:00.003-05:00

Here, I'll start with one where we look young, rested and carefree!

On October 1st Jeff and I celebrated 5 years together. My how have things have changed in 5 years! It's been a busy but good five years. No offense to Jeff but it seems like it's been 10 years! I've learned that marriage is a lot like having children. It's a lot of hard work but the rewards are great. To celebrate, Jeff and I went to a Rangers game. Here we are, about to go in. My first thought when I saw this pictures was, wow, I could use an eye lift!

Self portrait. I guess I should have taken this before Jeff had those beers!

And, the flowers my sweet husband brought me.

Since I have gone back to work, Jeff and I have really become a team. We work hard every day and often comment that it feels like someone shoots us out of the gate each morning. We don't stop until the boys are in bed at night and then there is usually more to do to get ready for the next day (I'm sure this is the case with most families). I appreciate the way Jeff has taken on jobs I'm sure he never thought he would do! But, he does them without complaint. He even saves enough energy to scratch my back most every night. What a husband! I appreciate him and all his hard work, so much! I love you BDD.

Sick Day

2010-10-07T10:59:00.003-05:00

Last Friday Luke woke up saying his ear hurt and he needed to go to the doctor. It was such a specific request that I thought he had probably heard that at school. But, I decided to keep him with me, just in case. He kept complaining (in a happy sort of way) about his ear so I finally called the doctor's office to try and get him in to see someone. It turns out Luke did have an ear infection. Put me down for Mother of the Year. Even though it was for an ear infection, it was nice to spend some time with just Luke. I don't think that has happened since before Eli was born. We were able to go to the mall and ride the train and go to Starbucks. It was a lot of fun (minus having to carry Luke out of the mall crying not to leave but I'm sure I'll forget that part and just remember the fun).

It was yet another day I realized how blessed I am to have the job I have. I was able to spend time with Luke, take him to the doctor and work a little later on Saturday to make up for it.

Catching Up

2010-10-07T10:29:00.004-05:00

I wanted to be sure and put a picture on the blog of Luke's biggest boo boo to date. He was running at school, fell and hit his ear on a chair. This was pretty bad. It stayed purple for a couple of weeks and was able to replace Luke's chin injury as the worst to date.

On September 23rd, Eli turned 7 months. It was a school day so I woke him up a little early to get these pictures before we started our day. Poor thing still has sleep indentations on his face. Eli continues to be very easy going and a joy to have around. He sleeps 12 hours at night, naps twice a day, and goes to sleep by himself with little or no crying. He is amazing! He eats four Gerber #2 food containers a day and drinks 24 oz of formula. Despite all this food, he was in the 3rd percentile for weight at his 6 month check up! I've been trying to fatten him up ever since. The teachers at school love Eli and comment about how happy and easy he is. They tell me it's easy to tell he's a third baby! I'm so blessed.

We have this crazy horse in the garage. Her name is Buttercup and she was a pass on gift from a sweet friend of mine. When Luke was 2 and Nathan 1, we brought Buttercup into the house for the boys but, at the time, they were afraid of her. She takes batteries and makes noise and moves her head back and forth. In the garage she is much less menacing. As the boys have gotten older they have begun to love Buttercup. Here's Nathan riding Buttercup, or Miss One Ear as she is also known.

OOC

2010-09-29T11:42:00.002-05:00

Now, that's OOC, not to be confused with the OC, OCD or especially, OPP. It's Out Of Commission. Our computer has been in the shop for a week now so my computer usage has been limited to work and my new phone that has Internet but that I am still learning how to keep my sausage fingers from taking me to the wrong places. So, sweet sister, that's why I have not updated in so long! But, our sweet (sarcastic) Dell should be fixed today so maybe I can post some new pictures soon. One lesson I learned while carrying my CPU across campus in the heat to the Help Desk (thankful for the FREE Help Desk, regardless) is that my next computer will be a lap top (and not a Dell)! More to come...hopefully!

Mr. Independent

2010-09-14T20:50:00.008-05:00

It's official, my Eli is an independent sitter! A wobbly sitter who topples over, but a sitter still! I'm sure Eli is the most glad to make it to the world of the sitters. I can't imagine what it must be like to be on the floor, looking up and seeing all manner of Luke, Nathan and various objects flying overhead. And, now that he's a sitter, Eli is even more like a real person to the big boys. Luke is paying more attention than ever to Eli (and not all bad attention). He especially likes to make Eli laugh. It's a joy to watch.

This weekend we did not do too much. I worked Saturday and Jeff kept the boys. After nap time we just hung around the house. Sunday, we went to church and after church we stopped by our usual place to eat. Now, before we even ask Luke what he wants to eat after church on Sunday, he tells us he wants an enchilada. So, we all traipse into OJeda's and sit in our usual booth. It's a great tradition! We love our ruts around the Wilson house.

Here are a few pictures of the boys on Saturday. So, Jeff's dad said he thought this Boppy was a hemorrhoid pillow. I just had to take a picture when Jeff was using it for a pillow. I asked him what that made him...:) He did not appreciate my humor.

Nathan's new thing. I still can't figure out that this means but it's cute.
The big boys brought their toys over to play on Eli's blanket.

After spending Monday at home with the boys, another week has begun. Today went well and the boys still seem to like school. No tears at drop off!

Thanks

2010-09-08T10:11:00.003-05:00

First, I want to say thanks to everyone who contributed to the pity party I was having on the last post. I took your sweet comments to heart and I appreciate them very much. I'm sure I gave the impression that life is horrible and I'm miserable. That's not the case, really. In fact, I was listening to Joyce Meyer last night and she commented on this scripture:

I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (Amplified)

Be happy (in your faith) and rejoice and be glad hearted continually (always); Be unceasing in prayer (praying persevering); Thank (God) in everything (no matter what the circumstance may be, be thankful and give thanks), for this is the will of God for you (who are) in Christ Jesus (the Revealer and Mediator of that will).

So, I had already been thinking that my last post was really not great because generally I am a very level headed person and very thankful and aware of all the ways in which I am blessed continually by God. I know very well that things can always get worse (and often do) and I try not to take any good thing for granted. After seeing this scripture last night, I knew I should not have been so negative. So, to try and counterbalance my last post, here are some things for which I am so very thankful:)

1. My 3 wonderful and healthy boys! I keep finding myself on these terribly sad blogs about children with the most awful issues. I'm so thankful my boys are healthy. What a gift!

2. A supportive and loving husband.

3. A family that loves me.

4. Godly women in my life from the beginning who have set amazing examples for me to follow and from which to learn.

5. Being born in a country where I can serve the God of my choice.

6. Being born into circumstances where I have had the opportunity to have and achieve any goals I have set for myself.

7. Having all the resources I need to be able to find and fulfill the plan God has for me and my life.

The list could go on and on!

On another note, we had a great weekend. I did not have to teach Saturday so I was able to spend three full days with the boys. Monday, Jeff and I took them to get their 3, 2 and 6 month pictures. I don't have the picture CD yet but here is a proof of one picture. Never mind the words on their faces! After the pictures, we went to the mall and had lunch and rode the train. It was fun, even with three tired boys!

Oh, and here is a side note: Because of the bad weather, I am able to work from home today instead of driving to FW. That means I can pick the boys up early! I am so blessed!

...when September ends.

2010-09-04T21:06:00.004-05:00

So, I think it’s safe to say that prior to this week, I had been lulled into a false sense of security. For the previous two weeks, my Mom and sister and Jan had all worked hard and kept the boys while I went to work. My Mom was here the first week and my sister and Jan split the second week. Although I was a little sad each day to leave the boys, I felt like I would be able to handle it. Well, when the boys’ school started this past week and all my wonderful help had gone home, I got a real taste of what it will be like. I can’t even begin to express how hard it was to leave the boys at school each day, knowing I would not see them until 6 PM or not at all. I would say that it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I guess leaving them for the last two years was not as bad because, even though it was for a long day and I did not see them even at night, it was only for two days a week and I knew I would get to be with them the entire next day. This is such a different thing. So, I have all the right things floating around in my head, like, this is the best thing for our future, being on a University schedule I will have a lot of time off that other parents don’t get, they need to be around other kids, if I was not working I’m sure I would want to be, I’m being silly, so many people would love to have my schedule, and on and on. It’s not that all that is not true, it’s just it did not help last week. I am pretty good at handling stress but last week, several times I really felt like my head might pop off. So, I guess I wanted to put that all out here so that one day the boys can see how much I love them and how hard it was for me to make this decision to start leaving them. I really would not do this if I did not think that, in the long run, it will work out best for us.

Aside from all my misery, the boys seem to really like school this year. Luke did cry some when I dropped him off but I can tell he had a good time at school. I especially like that both big boys have Bible verses for the week and today, when Luke hurt his foot, he asked me to pray for it! I have done that some at home with him but I just know that must have come from school. I love the thought of the boys learning about Jesus each day.

My work is going fine. I’m learning a lot and learning how much I have to learn! I’m still excited about Texas Wesleyan and still think it’s a great place to be. Sometimes I can’t believe I get paid to read and learn and teach.

Finally, Jeff’s birthday was Friday. We went over to his parents’ house and swam, ate pizza and had Jeff’s choice: red velvet cake. It was a lot of fun and a great way to end a stressful week. We even managed to get a picture of all five of us. We’re not all smiling but no one is crying and we are all looking mostly in the same direction! Happy Times!

Waking Up

2010-08-27T14:55:00.002-05:00

It's so rare that I can get a picture of all three boys, at the same time. But, this past Sunday, it happened! Eli was up first and I brought him into the big boys' room with me to get them up. After the boys got changed, they wanted to sit with Eli (a rare occurrence). So, I quickly grabbed the camera and was able to get these two. Never mind the u-g-l-y green curtains in the background! They are awesome for blocking out light at nap time so I can't give them up!

Nathan, still a willing cheeser!

Graduation

2010-08-27T14:48:00.004-05:00

I really like for this blog to be mostly about the boys. But, I will say that I have officially graduated! A long journey has come to an end and the next one has begun! I was so very thankful to my entire family for making it to the graduation. Conditions were not ideal by any means and were especially difficult for the children. But everyone was so kind and so excited for me, in spite of all the trouble! I appreciate my family so much, I could never express it all here. But, I want everyone to know that I feel like the most blessed person in the world to have such wonderful support and love. Thank you all so much!

I'm still gathering pictures from everyone so I may post more later. For now, just one!

6 Months?!!

2010-08-27T14:28:00.004-05:00

My sweet baby turned 6 months old on the 23rd. He is growing so fast!

What is my Eli doing at 6 months?

Finally sleeping through the night! About 8PM-6 or 7 AM.

Drinking a 6 oz bottle, 4 times a day.

Eating cereal for breakfast.

Eating fruit and veggies for lunch and dinner (baby food #1).

Loves bananas and does not like anything green (but I hide it in the fruit).

Rolling around!

Not sitting up yet but gives it a good try.

VERY ticklish.

Does not scream during his bath anymore (usually).

Loves the "walker" thing, or as Nathan calls it, Eli's truck. I think he likes it because he can see everything without the worry that he will be trampled.

Squeals with delight when the big boys pay attention to him.

And, my favorite, loves his Mommy!

Eli is so very sweet and easy. I have been so blessed to have him these past 6 months. He is laid back and has a very easy smile. He occasionally still likes to be swaddled and when I pick him up, all wrapped up, and kiss his little face, he closes his eyes and giggles. What a delight to my heart. I'm so glad you are here with us Eli!

I love you little muffin.

Getting Ready

2010-08-11T16:12:00.002-05:00

Saturday, Grammy and Papa kept the boys (BIG THANKS!) so that Jeff and I could go to Fort Worth to set up my new office. The best part was the name on my door! It's starting to seem real now.

The education building, where my office is located.
My new school.

Even though I'm not looking forward to leaving the boys each day, I'm thankful for my new job and the wonderful opportunity it is for me and our family.

Summer Days...Drifting Away...

2010-08-02T13:17:00.003-05:00

Nothing special to report. Just making fun memories and I wanted to record them here.

Eli, about 5 months and 1 week. He's getting so big!

His feet are touching now. When I started putting him in this truck (as Nathan calls it), his feet were not touching.

The big boys went with Daddy on Saturday to get doughnuts. Luke is actually saying "cheese." This is the best I could get of both of them.

Eli was taking it all in.

Can he get any cuter?!

This morning, I had put away their clothes and they hopped in the basket afterward. I could not believe they both looked my way when I asked them to! Notice that Nathan has underwear on over his diaper. He insists because Luke is wearing it, he wants to too!

And a final shove off before Daddy heads to work!

Party in the USA

2010-07-27T20:34:00.004-05:00

Some backyard F.U.N.!!

Mid-air shot.