Gone Missing and Lessons Learned

     Ok, so it has been a long time A REALLY LONG TIME since I last blogged.  This summer has been insanely busy and so many things have changed (for the better)...From Craig's promotion, to vacations and family days, to having a baby, oh and throw in buying a new car somewhere in the middle of all of that! Life has just been too busy to sit down and blog. Days seem to just fly by and my kids are not getting any younger! I so wish time would slow down at least a little bit...Ethan is walking and Gracie is one month old! When did this all happen?? Anyways, that's where I have been and a little bit of what I have been doing!

       A few things that I have learned since becoming a mommy over a year and a half ago and things that I continue to learn everyday...

1. Parenthood is a job done on the knees

2. Sleep is to be enjoyed EVERY time the kids are asleep too

3. Bubble bath that is not disturbed...What's that?! A luxury to be enjoyed by those who do not have children yet!

4. Smiles, laughter, and constant playing are a must!

5. The "learning" and "teaching" never stop...It is a constant thing going on even when no words are being said

6. You just thought you had laundry before kids...haha! I went from laundry hamper to laundry hampers, and from empty to ALWAYS full!

There are many more lessons than that, but that is all that I am going to post for now! Like I said earlier, life is busy! Hopefully it won't be another couple of months before I post something else up!

This is the day that the Lord hath made

Here are some pictures of Ethan the last few days...He is growing up so fast and changing into a toddler more and more everyday! He is such a blessing to Craig and I, and we {love} him SO MUCH!!

So he was on our back deck playing with his Buzz car and saw a bug or something and decided to shoot it with his laser gun!

I {heart} his facial expression...so mischievous!

He talks with his hands a lot!

After shooting it, he had to tell me all about it! =)

Unfortunately, it started getting too hot outside so we came inside to watch a cartoon! His two favorite ones are...

Looney Tunes

  

Finding Nemo

Totally blank stare...mouth wide open...tongue out!

When he watches either of these cartoons, this is normally his facial expression during the entire show... 

 Today, he got to ride a mickey mouse car ride for the first time ever...he wasn't too sure about it at first but then decided that he loved it!

Quick post of a book worm

Just a quick picture of our little book worm...He was a little caught off guard when I snapped this picture...hence the tongue and the blank look! =)

Dreams of a toddler

I went into my son's room to wake him up from his nap...Yes, I'm one of those mom's that keeps her kid on a schedule even if that means waking him up from a nap! Anyways...I went in and found him sleeping just like his daddy. Of course, I had to snap a picture! 

Oh to wonder what the dreams are of a toddler...

It's the simple things in life

It's been way too long since I last posted something on here...I'm horrible at blogging. I lead a great life, and my pleasures in this life are simple. They are memories that are created between my husband, my son, and myself. I try to spend my days creating these memories and not spend my day on the computer. Life is too short and goes by too quickly for me to spend my day blogging. Don't get me wrong, it could easily be done. But that is not what life is about! Anyways...Let me share some of our more recent moments together!

Ethan caught the door to the fridge before it closed and decided to have some fun. I {heart} his expression here!

Let me explain these next couple of pictures...Daddy was home one night and Ethan dirtied his diaper, so Craig said that he would change Ethan for me to give me a break. Well, upon starting the changing process Craig decided that it was REALLY stinky and went and got his gas mask to help with the smell.

Ethan obviously has no idea what to think...Lol!

This last one is something that Ethan absolutely loves to do...He loves to sit at our back door and just look outside. So I took some pictures of him doing it the other day!

At the beginning of this post, I said that my pleasures in life are simple...but these memories are so cherished and I could not imagine spending my days any way else!

Where has time gone?

Today as I watched our little boy feed himself breakfast, play with his toys, climb all over our living room furniture, and be so independent I couldn't help but think...Where did the time go??!

It feels just like yesterday that he was on his way (and me in excruciating pain) and we got to meet our little guy for the first time. It feels like we just brought him home and introduced him to a whole new world. It feels like just yesterday that we were watching him smile and giggle for the first time and falling more and more in love with him as the moments went by.

He has gone from a tiny little baby who loved to cuddle and sleep in your arms...

to a little toddler who wants to do everything himself and show Mommy and Daddy just how big he really is...or thinks he is!

Oh how much I wish time would slow down...It's going by so quickly! Enjoy every moment that you have with your children. Embrace the time that you still have with them because in just an instant of time, it will be gone! Laugh with them, smile at them (even when you are exhausted beyond belief), sing with them, hug and kiss them...Don't just say that you love them, show them that you love them! Prove it to them...and one day, they will think back and be so grateful that you took time to show how much you care about them!

A Very Nearly Perfect Day

Do you ever have a day that just seems to go so good? Every thing falls into place and goes the way that you dreamed and planned the moment you woke up? Well, yesterday {Thursday} was that kind of day for me.

It all started when I got to spend some sweet time with the love of my life before he had to go to work. I love mornings that we get to spend together before work and before Ethan wakes up...which is when my work day begins!

Ethan usually wakes up right after daddy leaves in the morning, but for some reason, he slept in a little longer. I was going to wake him up at first just to keep him on his normal schedule, but then I decided to just let him sleep and take advantage of the little time to myself and enjoy some coffee...

What goes perfectly with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning? Well, in my eyes, that one thing would be a Bible study...I love to read the Word of God while sipping on a fresh cup of java! And since Ethan was still sleeping at the moment, I was able to do just that...

By the way...I love my Strong's Concordance! If you don't have one, I suggest buying one! There are so many words that the King James Version uses that we just don't use anymore and most of those words, I have no idea what they mean. So instead of just reading over it and moving on, I like to look it up and see what God is trying to convey in that particular verse and why He chose that word!

Anyways...After my wonderful Bible study and cup of coffee, Ethan and I had a delicious breakfast together

Later on that day, after all my house cleaning was done, I read some books to Ethan. This is not an uncommon thing for me to do. He loves books and I love reading to him. It is such a sweet time to sit down with my little boy and read him stories...even if the book doesn't make all the much sense. (i.e. The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss) His favorite book though is a book called, "Me Too". I'm not sure who wrote it, but it is a book that is about this older brother that has to share everything with his little sister that always says, "Me too?" ,and in the end, by sharing with her, she ends up sharing with him. Which I find ironic that he loves that book because in just a few short months he is going to have to start sharing with his little sister!

Well, after Daddy got off work we decided to grill some hamburgers. It was a perfect 70 something degrees outside with very little wind, which makes for an excellent day to grill outside! ...Yes, even Ethan got his own grilled hamburger!

After dinner, there was no way of avoiding a bath. For those of you who have kids that feed themselves, you know that it's not a very clean task! They always manage to get food EVERYWHERE! So...we ended the day with a bubble bath!

I love to watch him play in the bath and figure out how to squeeze water out of his rubber ducky. Of course, I end up getting pretty wet from all of his splashing and pointing the duck at me and squeezing it, but what's a little water on the clothes right?

Of course, there always has to be a little silliness in the mix...There is nothing wrong with being goofy with your kids! Let me introduce you to the scrunch face...

This day may not seem all that great to you...But I loved it and cannot wait to spend many more days like this one with the two men that I love the most...Craig and Ethan!

The End!

Boys will be boys

Welcome to one of Craig's typical lunch breaks...

Let the games begin!

Ethan starts it off with a grab to the face...

In response, Daddy throws Ethan into the air...

Ethan makes another grab for the face...

What will Daddy do about that?

He's gonna....

GET HIM!! Going for tickles on the chest and neck...(Ethan's most ticklish spot)

But in the end...They are best buds!

Then Mommy calls out for lunch time... And Ethan very nearly clears his tray off

That sure was yummy...Thanks Mommy!

Oh, how I love my life!!  God has blessed me with two wonderful guys...What more could I ask for? Yes, my life does have its up's and down's but I wouldn't trade a moment for anything that this world has to offer!

Men of My Life

I love being a wife to this man...

and a mommy to this boy...

I can't help but smile when I think of how good God has been to me!

In Full Bloom

Well, spring is right around the corner. The birds are chirping outside my window and the trees in our back yard are getting their leaves back. So with all of this in mind, I have decided to decorate my house for spring. I have chosen gerbera daisies and mums as my main decor...They are just so friendly and cheerful, I couldn't resist!

A while back, I made this cork board and it has turned out to be one of my favorite decorating pieces in my house. It's just cork tiles that I put in a bold black frame. I love to post scripture verses on it, and add some sort of decoration to it. So this is what I have decided to go with for this spring...

You can't really tell what the scripture verse says, so i will tell you. I searched for something that had to do with spring and found these verses in Song of Solomon. "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come..."

I wanted something new and fun for our dining room table. I already knew that I wanted to do something with the daises and mums, but couldn't figure out what exactly to do. I looked at all different kinds of vases, but none of them fit the look and feel that I was going for. So then I went over to the garden section and found this little green pot. I fell in love with it! It fits perfectly and is definitely something that I have never done before!

Now that I already knew the color scheme and the look that I was going for, I started keeping my eyes open for things that I could add to my spring collection. So a few days ago, I wondered into Cato's (pretty much the best store ever) and found the perfect candle holder...And it was on sale! I only saw one right off the bat but after looking around for a little bit, I found another one. What a great day!

So what does it look like all together? Let me show you...

There was only one more thing missing now. I had flowers and spring colors on my buffet and on my table, but our entertainment center was looking a little dull. So i decided to add some spring happiness over there. This is the best picture I could get of it...not that great, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like!

I love spring time, and the life and freshness that comes with it...So enjoy the happiness that this season has to offer!

Sweet Beginnings

     I'm finally taking the plunge into the blogging world.  Why have I decided to take the plunge?  The answer is simple.  I have a love for decorating/organizing my house, crafting, cooking, and anything that has to do with being a full time wife and mother. 

     Sometimes I will create something, come up with a clever solution, or have a wonderful day with my family and wish to share it with others...But facebook doesn't offer a very good way to share these life experiences!  Therefore blogging was the next solution on the list!

     I don't have any pictures to post just yet, but they are to come...When I finally do get some posted, I hope you enjoy them! =)