Time to be Thankful

It is time for me to sit down and pull myself out of this mess. Things have been difficult around our home for a couple of weeks now... well, that's the nice way to put it. While I have started trying to really pinpoint the problems, that isn't something I want to put out there. However, I do need to remind myself of how blessed I really am.

I have three healthy children.

I have a husband who I love more each day and who loves me unconditionally.

I have a wonderful family.

I have a home that is filled with things that are special to my family.

My husband has a wonderful job.

I have friends who would do anything for me and I would do anything for them.

I have a church that I love.

I am a mom.

I am a wife.

I could go on and on and on. God has really blessed us beyond our wildest dreams. I am so guilty of getting wrapped up in the moment dealing with my babies that I lose sight of how blessed we are. We really are.

Today has been so very hard on this Momma. I was finally able to pull myself together and grab some quiet time while the girls are laying down. I actually read a blog post that spoke so directly to me, it was wild. Then I felt like I needed to just be thankful for a bit. And it helps me to be thankful in an organized way, like by writing it out.... and this seemed like the appropriate place.

Now I'm going to curl up with some hot apple cider (yes, I realize it is almost 80 degrees today, but it is still Fall) and one of my Mommy Devotionals and pray naptime lasts a little while longer.

Be thankful.

Right Now...

My kitchen is a staging area for all of the carnivals/parties/projects/etc. that we are involved in. I am beginning to feel overwhelmed. With each bag from the store that is added to the "Keep This Until the Event" Pile, it is becoming harder to cook dinner. I feel like the dishes are staying in the sink longer than usual because I can't get around all the stuff to get them done. My family has eaten two dinners this week on paper plates. Paper plates, y'all! My Nanny would be horrified. :) It has helped with the dish situation though.

Of course, I love being involved in all of these events. I think I just need a bigger house. Ha! Seriously.

I'm considering taking applications for someone to come and hold all of my bags of goodies in their ams and off of my counter, table, stovetop, floor. :)

But more importantly, right now there is a little girl wearing a mashed potato mask who needs my attention. She doesn't have the best fashion sense yet (as evidenced by the cute dress/top and leggings I put on her this morning and the fabulous hot pink crocs she chose to wear with them) but she wears the mashed potatoes well. They are one of her favorite accessories.

Love.

My Top Ten Favorite Things...

I have been thinking about all of the things I'm loving right now. Of course my sweet little family is always at the top. {And to be honest, I could fill a top 50 (and more) of things I love about them}

But today I wanted to be completely superficial and talk about the things I love just for me!

1. I LOVE my Kindle. It is serious. :) I have loved books and reading my entire life. As a child my dream was to become a writer. Didn't happen. Sadness. But now I have my Kindle and I have access to so many books. It is delicious. When I travel I don't have to worry about packing enough books so that I don't run out. I have them all in one place. Love.

2. Hair clips. Even though my dear, sweet husband laughs at me, I love wearing cute little flowers and such in my hair. In fact, I sported a red hair poof last Saturday to the Hogs game. It made me feel cute, something that the t-shirt I had to wear took away from me. I am not a t-shirt kinda girl.

3. Burlap. I have visions upon visions of things to do with burlap around my house.... starting with our Christmas stockings. I just need to find the time to bring all of my ideas to life.

4. Fall Candles. I am working hard to burn up what I have left of my spring/summer candles. They are being replaced with the delicious smells of apple, cinnamon, spices, pumpkin.... everything Fall and everything I dream of my home smelling like.

5. Pinterest. Oh my. I never thought I would get as much use out of Pinterest as I am. It is not only really fun, but I have saved so many ideas to my boards that I don't have to worry about remembering them or writing them down on one of hundreds of scraps of paper and throwing them in my planner. It is possible that I spend more time than I should on Pinterest. But what else is a girl to do while the hubby watches game after game after game on tv? {Love you, babe}

6. Gray. I have NEVER been one to wear gray. Or even look at the color. It always felt so drab to me. But now, all of a sudden, I can't help but be attracted to all things gray. Maybe it has something to do with my love for wearing black {not in a dark, depressing or goth way, but in a classy way - at least I hope it's classy} and how gray is basically just another shade of black, right?! :) I even made a gray hair poof.

7. My Life Planner. A couple months ago I heard about a great deal on these too-cute-to-be-true planners. I decided to order one. I didn't know then that I would need that thing every.day. Seriously, I refer to it all day long. It is where I keep all my information about all the things that have quickly taken over our lives. I love it!

8. Crochet. I have been crocheting for a few years now. I have always liked it because it was something I could do while Jared and I watched a movie or a tv show or just talked. I finally broke down and made something for myself a few weeks ago.... I love it! It is the perfect shade of Fall Yellow. My dad called it a "mini scarf" which describes it perfectly. I will post pictures of it when it gets cold enough for me to actually wear it. It looks a little silly with my tank tops.

9. My longer hair. I have always been a short hair girl. I decided before my 30th birthday that I needed to do something different. I thought growing my hair out would not only be easy but would maybe make me look younger. So its growing. And it is longer now than it has ever been. Ever. I don't have to wash it every day so that is a huge bonus. The only drawback is that my sparkles {gray hairs} show up a little more when it is long.

10. Meal Planning. I have never been a weekly grocery shopper. I used to spend most of my afternoons trying to decide what to fix for dinner then going to the store to get what I needed for the meal. I finally got smart y'all. I now sit down Monday morning and plan out our meals for the entire week. I basically just pick a meal from our list of family faves and pick a day for it. I have to keep in mind our newly busy schedule and the nights I have to cook really early dinners and such. Then the girls and I go grocery shopping on Monday afternoon and get all of the supplies we need for the week. It has saved loads of time and stress.

There you go. A list of some of the things I'm loving right now. I am so thankful that I am so blessed to be able to enjoy these unimportant things in life. I spent many years not letting myself have anything just for me. It has taken time and lots of urging from special women in my life, but I gave in. I have these things for me... they make me feel a little more sane which makes me a much better wife and mother. Everyone is happy.

What do you love?

A New Season Brings New Things...

Oh how I love Fall.

After the long, hot summers I really get excited about cool mornings, jeans, boots and football! This year is no exception. My home is already decorated for Autumn. I've already made everyone's Fall/Winter hats and I've completed my first scarf, with two more in the works. I.Am.Ready.

With this year's new Fall season brings a new season for our family.

Our girls are getting older. I no longer have an infant or one on the way. We are settled into our little family of five and we couldn't be happier. We are all just content. And that is a nice place to be, isn't it?!

Since we are so comfortable with things, we have decided to add some new activities. Because who wants to just stay comfy? Let's spice things up a little bit! Peyton is playing soccer and Jared is coaching her team. We LOVE it. Seriously, this is one of my most favorite things our family has ever done together. There will be lots of pictures to share, I am sure. We have also started attending homegroup with our church. Jared's work schedule is semi-normal now so we are able to do things on week nights and homegroup was top of our list.

So now our family has gone from spending every evening a home together to having a fairly busy schedule (busy for us, at least). I am so glad I got a planner to keep up with all of our family activities.
We are busy. The good thing is that we do all of these things together as a family (for the most part).

There is excitement in the air.... a changing of season in so many ways. I couldn't be happier.

And since our family is growing up, I'm feeling a little nostalgic. Want to guess what I do when I start to miss my babies being babies.... yep, I go through old pics. Who doesn't?!

Here's a couple of memories of my babies:

Mika Lynn

Laila Whitney

Peyton Lou

Don't you just love Fall?? And memories??

Out At the Barn

While we were at Pappy's house last time we decided to spend some time out at the barn. I never would have imagined that my babies would love being at the barn so much, but boy they sure do! They love to brush the horses, talk to them, bring all the ropes and reigns around and basically do anything to help Pappy.

But most of all they love to ride.

All three of them Love. To. Ride.

Even my little Mika loves it. She bursts out in excited screams when she sees the horses. And she insists on getting her turn to ride.



I am constantly reminded of how much my girls are growing.... especially when I see pictures of them like this. Peyton is getting big enough to ride on her own. She is so confident on the horses.... I pray she is always confident in everything she does.

Laila spent the first month of summer afraid of riding.... now she doesn't want to get off. We love watching the girls find their courage and overcome their fears. I am so thankful that the girls are growing up with such neat experiences.

Their new favorite thing to do at the barn is to ride together. They think it is so much fun. I think they are so much fun!

Mika Lynn even got a chance to show off her solo equestrian skills.... she's a natural. Pappy also taught her a couple of new phrases: "Whoa, Sugar." and "Easy, Sugar." So cute to hear her little voice say those words.

We love going out to the barn with Pappy. We are so thankful that we get these opportunities. And you know it makes Pappy so proud and happy to watch his baby girls develop a love for horses like he has. He keeps trying to get me on the horses. But y'all, every time I ride my rear end hurts for days. Seriously. I'm just happy hanging out on the sidelines with the cameras.

Love.

Summer on the Lake

We spent quite a bit of time on the lake this summer. For the past 4 years I have either been pregnant or had a small baby during the summer. Don't get me wrong, I have totally enjoyed these past few summers. However, I was looking forward to this summer. All of the girls are older and are able to enjoy the boat and the lake more. (After all the fun this summer, I am so excited about next summer).

We spent quite a few weekends plus three full weeks at my dad's house on the lake. It was wonderful! Peyton and Laila love jumping in the water and swimming like little fish. Laila even jumps from the top of the boat with her daddy. No fear.

Even I got to enjoy the water and the sun some. And Mika... oh that sweet girl.... she liked the water, but was happier with a Capri Sun and some Pringles. Love her.

So I thought to commemorate our Summer on the Lake I would do a Top 10.

Top 10 Things I Loved About Summer on the Lake 2011:

10. Sun-kissed skin.

9. Swimming with all three girls.

8. Watching Peyton find her courage in the water.

7. Watching Laila jump from the top of the boat with Jared.

6. Pizza on the boat for dinner.

5. Swimming with our lake friends.

4. Exhausted little girls on the ride back to the dock.

3. Just the five of us taking the boat out early one morning.

2. July 4th on the lake... all day. Ending in a fireworks show.

And the number 1 thing I loved about this summer on the lake is.......

1. Making memories with my family that we will always hold in our hearts.

We will always cherish our times out on the lake. We are so thankful that we are able to spend so much time there and we know what a blessing it is.

Love.

My Baby

My baby girl. All the cuteness and sweetness wrapped up in one little package.

She is so special to us.



She makes the most hilarious faces. Always a source of entertainment.

She loves her blanket.

She shows her emotions and thoughts in her eyes.

She loves going places. Always happy.

Gives the sweetest open-mouth kisses.

She loves to eat. Loves doing big girl things.

She still looks like a baby to us.



She loves her sisters. Speaks her own language.

Loves animals. Can crack herself up at any time.

My little buddy. She is quick. Coordinated.

Loves music. Tough.

She completed our family in the most perfect way. She grabs the hearts of everyone she meets.

She will always be our baby.

Love.

My Little Bean

There is another girl in my life who brightens up each moment.

She sees the world through very special eyes.

She loves to eat. Loves to sing. Loves to make up words.

She loves all of her family and prays for them daily.

She has the most tender heart. A sweet daughter.

She loves babies and has a very motherly nature.

She isn't afraid of anything. She makes the silliest and cutest faces.

She is a great sister and loves being with her sisters.

She loves to snuggle. The biggest bed-hog.

Loves to learn. Smart.

She is funny. Always makes us laugh.

She is sweeter than sugar but has a hidden fiesty side.

She is our number one cheerleader. Always ready to give hugs after a long day.

My precious little bean.

Love.

My Firstborn...

I have this sweet little 4-year-old girl in my life. She is precious beyond words.

A heart of gold.

A friend to everyone. She loves singing "Jesus music" and hearing Bible stories.

She loves church.

She is silly. Loves snacks.

She has an infectious laugh and loves to fill a room with it.

She loves her family in a special way.

She has a very special relationship with everyone she knows.

Independent. Strong-willed. Smart.

Compassionate.

She looks just like her daddy. She loves to help out.

Loves a party.

A wonderful big sister. A wonderful daughter.

One of my favorite people in the world.

Love.