ten

my pumpkin.

the crawler in action

TOUCHDOWN!

yay! Alabama! Crimson Tide...

chipmunk

"if you think my hands are full, you should see my heart."

my how things have changed in the past month!
you are now crawling! my 1st crawler! phew.
you have been pulling up for a while and waving for about a month. it's quite similar to the "hail Hitler" salute, actually. it's too cute! you like to play shy and tuck your head into my neck and then all of a sudden throw that hand up and wave.
you love to clap, and say "Da Da", what sounds like "Yes", "Mamamama", and a host of other things that just make me melt.
your biggest giggles are saved for your brothers. and the respect and adoration is still mutual there.
we love you so!
happy 10 month birthday!

Here they go again on their own....

{i'm in love w/ this new template! wonder if i could find wallpaper just like it for my house??}

well...school's been in session for about a month now and i'm just getting around to posting pics. both boys seem to really like their teacher and class so far. s started off the year with a bang by winning a summer reading award. all summer his driving incentive was a giant chocolate bar. who does that remind me of?

the boy read a lot and not only got the coveted chocolate bar, but a gold medal, bible, certificate, and gift card to Books A Million, where he promptly purchased 5 Star Wars books without wavering in question of how to spend the $25. we have a slight obsession.

needless to say, we are very proud of his reading! his best gal pal E won an award, too! therefore, how else to celebrate than with more chocolate in the backyard...cupcakes from Edgar's!

i was nervous about how g would do at school. he would happily stay home w/ me everyday. he's such a young 4 and while he shows different types of independence than s did at the same age, he's still so little to me in many ways. he has a super bubbly teacher and i'm sure that has helped ease him into school life. boys don't give you much in the way of details of their day...if i'm going to get anything out of them, especially g, i have to ask him before asking s. if not, he'll just repeat to the detail everything that happened to his big brother at school!

my heart goes out the door with them each morning and many prayers are offered up for their influences, love for others and safety. this raising them to leave thing is hard! not sure the school administration would like a disheveled mom in her pajamas peeking in their classroom doors each morning, but i am so tempted!

new photos

just posted some new photos here.

cleanliness is next to godliness

trying to get the boys to wash their hands long enough to indeed kill any bacteria harboring there is not an easy feat. i've tried having them count to 25 and many other things. this at times has worked for sumner, but grayson is another story. he pops in and out of LaLa Land so frequently, that i have to be a little more creative. i'll send him to wash his hands, go about my business and then realize 10 minutes later he's not back and the water is still running. he's lost in thought or is watching the waterfall that is cascading down his hands (immediately after putting the soap on them!)

and there go our efforts toward water conservation.

so, i read a tip the other day that said to have your child sing the Happy Birthday song two times through while washing. this is done in hopes to keep them on task long enough to do the job.

this is what i heard grayson singing in his bathroom today:

"happy birfday to you, cha! cha! cha!
happy birfday to you, cha! cha! cha!
happy birfday, dear shelby, (our babysitter)
happy birfday to you
ahhhh-men. "

i think it worked!

a great summer

we had such a fun summer! here are some of my favorite snapshots from our months out of school!
hopefully i'll have back to school and other vacation pix up soon...

Sunday night I just wasn't up for going to church. I simply didn't have time. I was weary of all the tasks before me. Sad, I know.

I had gotten into Multi-Tasking Dragon Lady Who Has A 1st grader With a Week's Worth of Catch Up Work to Do Plus a Baby Who is Teething and Not Sleeping and Sandy Laundry from a Week at the Beach Taking Over My Laundry Area...Mode. (even sadder that after a nice week at the beach, i was complaining about laundry.)

I can't relax when I have those things hanging over my head. While I'm beyond grateful for each of the little stinkers that makes the laundry pile up, I often let it rob me of my joy. So, I waffled back and forth...should I stay and catch up or go? Jamie encouraged me to go so we could all worship together.

The second song we sang was one of my favorites from the Gadsby Hymnal~Will the Lord Indeed Appear. Our church musicians have taken beautiful hymns from the 17 and 1800's and created new arrangements for them that I am convinced rival the angels in heaven in melody. The music is just amazing and always brings me around.

I realized I had basically [again!] failed to acknowledge that I have a Heavenly Father who is ready and waiting to be my Help.

William Gadsby may not have been facing a to do list a mile long or 3 children who need loving well...in fact he may have had much more daunting things to face when he wrote this song. Nonetheless, it spoke to my heart when we sang it and I was glad my husband had encouraged me to leave it and go. Not only was it sweet to sing these songs of praise, I got to fellowship w/ the Body and some people I really love.

What am I, and where am I?
Strange myself and paths appear;
Scarce can lift a thought on high,
Or drop one heart feeling tear.

Yet I feel I'm not at home,
but know not which way to move:
Lest I farther yet should roam
From my blessed love.

Some small glimmering light I have,
Yet too dark to see my way;
Jesus' presence still I crave;
When, O when will it be day?

Is the evening time at hand?
Will it then indeed be light?
Will the sun its beams extend,
To chase away the night?

Will the Lord indeed appear,
Give me light and joy and rest,
Drive away my gloomy fear.
Draw me to his lovely breast?

Then his love is rich and free;
Jesus, let me feel its power,
And my soul will cling to thee,
Love and praise thee and adore.

*and, by the way, if you have never heard the music of Red Mountain Church, do yourself a favor and go download some at itunes. i'll be glad to share my favorites with you :)

i can't resist...

Like my fellow bridesmaid friend, the lovely Ms. Hannah, I cannot resist one of these...


You're feeling: that i should go to bed
To your left: something resembling the aftermath of a cyclone
On my mind: Sumner's clothes for school tomorrow, editing a session, the sermon tonight, an old friend
Last meal included: a Corona and chips and salsa
You sometimes find it hard to: get up in the morning
The weather: is predicted to be pleasant to my senses tomorrow
Something you have a collection of: oh brother...dust bunnies? hmmm...dirty clothes?
A smell that cheers you up: pumpkin spice!
A smell that can ruin your mood: poo
How long since you last shaved: one day
The current state of your hair: corralled by two clips, fresh grays waving atop
Largest item on workspace (not computer): i'm using my laptop on my couch...therefore, it would be my ample derriere.
Your skill with chopsticks: respectable with sushi only
Which section you head for first in a bookstore: fiction
Something you are craving: a full nights sleep
Your general thoughts on the presidential race: no more of the same, please, please!
How many times have you been hospitalized in the past year? One blessed week.
Favorite place to go for a quiet moment? Ha!
You've always secretly thought you'd be a good: dancer. not clubbin', mind you.
Something that freaks you out a little: animal hair everywhere; public restrooms; heights and my 4 year old
Something you've eaten too much of lately: chips and salsa
You have never been: one who wants to be the center of attention
You never want to: move back to my hometown

ok, blogsters, your turn!

i'm out-numbered

testosterone, anyone?

my life in a picture.

i. love. these. boys.

nine.

nine months ago today, you came into our lives.
days are busier.
days are hectic.
since your arrival
the days on the calendar seem to be marked off twice as fast.

but how precious the days are.
we can hardly remember life before you and can't imagine it without you.

you are pulling up, not crawling, but somehow highly mobile.
you are inquisitive, not much for sleeping (consistently),
you are teething, boisterous, ever-smiling, ever-laughing, ever-joyful and above all...

loved.

what happens when you give your child your camera....

nice.

our long suffering waiter

i really think he captured my best side here, don't you?

a moment on the lips = a lifetime on the hips. (sigh.)

who needs crayons when you've got salsa?

i really thought this one was quite cool!

"welcome to our home!"
click.

i think this one is my favorite ;-)


jamie recently purchased a small point and shoot (and waterproof, might i add) camera for hikes and adventures (and it's easier to stick in my purse for just regular everyday shots).
he found the most durable one on the market and it's the boys' new favorite toy!