Family Vacation 2016 (Part 2)

Read about part 1 of our vacation in this post.

After we left the park, we drove a short distance over to Cherokee Trace Drive Thru Safari.   I had never head of this place but found it on Trip Advisor.  

We tried to arrive earlier in the day before it got too hot.  We started our drive a little past 11.  Some of the animals were under the trees, but they would come up to the car for food when we stopped.  

It was such a pretty day, and we all enjoyed it.  We could take our time and drive at our own pace to enjoy the animals.  The boys thought it was fun to feed the animals out of the windows.

We recommend you driving through too if you are in the east Texas area.  Visit their website for more information about pricing and hours of operation.    

Here are some of the animals we saw:  

This camel was chasing us!

You can tell what a beautiful day it was when we went.  I loved the big clouds is the sky as we drove through the park.

We had to stop to figure out how to get around these guys!  This big fellow would not move!  Look at those horns.  

Have a day of blessings!

Bethany

Family Vacation 2016 (Part 1)

I wanted to share a little bit about our vacation.  We were not sure when or where we were going until about a week prior to leaving.  Earlier this year we'd thought about going to Arkansas but didn't know if we wanted to drive that far so I didn't plan anything.

I had found one cabin for us that I thought would be great.  Then a couple days later I looked and I believe the prices went up over night. While it said prices may change without notice, I just did not like that so I did not want to go there.

Instead we went to Jellystone Park at Whispering Pines.  I'm so glad we made the decision to go here!
We drove down the beautiful tree lined road and came upon the entrance to the park.

Examples of some of the cabins

We got checked in at the Ranger Station and found our cabin.  It was situated among the trees and across the "street" from the pond.  In the picture below you can see the pond behind these other cabins.  

The resort property is so nice.  Everything was clean and comfortable.  The equipment was well-maintained.  I thought the staff was nice and friendly.  They seemed to enjoy being there and wanted to help.

They have all sorts of activities for guests....swimming pools, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, volleyball, and a jumping pillow to name a few which are all free to use.  They have a mini golf area that was very new and very nice.  You do have to go "rent" the putters from the Ranger Station which is free but you have to buy the ball for $5. There is also a really cool playground with a neat wooden climbing structure.  They have a nice outdoor theater where they show movies at night.  They have a big fire pit surrounded with tree stumps to sit on where you can meet with Yogi to make s'mores. Besides these amenities, they offer some special activities for the kids including gem mining, tie dying, and ceramics.  

I thought this was a pretty picture with the light coming through the trees.  

We stayed here Sunday through Wednesday.  There was plenty to do and enjoy.  We would not have had to leave the park except we forgot a couple of cooking items!  It was not overly busy while we were there.  There were quite a few cabins full as well as RV spots and tents, but I did not feel like we were surrounded by people.  

We took food to cook on the grill outside our cabin.  Some of the cabins have kitchens in them, and I may get that cabin in the future. We forgot our BBQ tools so had to run to get some at the dollar store nearby.  One day it started raining too while my husband was trying to cook. He'd already finished the hot dogs and had to take off the pork chops because of the rain. I had not considered what we would do about our food if it had rained and he was unable to cook.  It did not last long though and was able to finish cooking the pork chops for our supper.

We all enjoyed our time here and would like to return.  Check with this park if you would like to make a reservation this summer for an affordable vacation at a fun, relaxing location!
  
Have a day of blessings!
  Bethany

Thankful Thursday

Today is a special Thankful Thursday because it marks 15 years of marriage for us.  My heart is filled with joy to be married to my best friend for 15 years. We are two imperfect people joined together by God.  I'm so blessed to be his wife and walk through this life with him at my side.  Thank you, God, for my wonderful husband!

Today I am thankful for....
~ 15 years of marriage.  What a blessing God gave me in my husband!

~ enjoying my big boy in his first week of summer vacation.  He's so helpful and fun! He got to go camping and fishing this weekend.

~ our baby boy trying out his little tiny pool he got for his birthday.  We put it on the porch for him.  He did not want to get in but would lean over and splash and think it was funny when his Daddy would spray his brother!

~ a good check up at the dentist for our 6 month appointments.  I'm glad we have such a nice dentist and staff too.

~ finding out I am part of the launch team for a new book called A Different Beautiful by Courtney Westlake.  I was so excited to find this out on Tuesday night!

~ going to the library with my boys.  I love that they both love books.  This will be one of our regular stops this summer.  Caleb is already reading a lot.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Titus' first birthday party.....Book theme!

I chose a book/reading theme for Titus' first birthday party.  He loves books and I'd seen cute ideas on Pinterest.  We all love books so it was fun for us all.  I loved how it came together!

For the invitation I used old library card pockets and check out cards.  On the part of the card you can't see I included the times and his clothing sizes.

The "1" was his smash cake.  For the other cake I printed the covers of some of his favorite books from the past year, and my Mom (who made the cakes) put them on sticks on top of the cake.

I saw streamers done like this on a  Pinterest post so we recreated it with two shades of blue.  I loved how it turned out.  My husband did the streamers and I did the balloons. I used a trick I learned from Pinterest for those too....use a needle to string the balloons together on a piece of thread.

We put the books and characters on the mantle and bookshelf.

Here are a couple more decorations.

This poster had pictures (that I took off before I took this picture) around the edge of Titus reading by himself or with us. The letters are cut out of pages of books.  I got them cheap at Goodwill to cut apart.

This is a banner that Caleb helped make. It was originally going to go in front of the high chair but I realized the high chair was going to be behind the table so you wouldn't be able to see it.  Caleb added the pictures to each side of the ONE.  He made the blue book shapes for the letters to go on as well.

I don't know how we missed a picture of the food but oh well!  We set out food on the bar with the book related to it sitting beside it.  Here is a list of the books/food we used...

Green Eggs and Ham.....deviled eggs dyed green and ham slices (to make a ham sandwich)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.....meatballs
Go, Go, Grapes!: A Fruit Chant (this was a book Titus loved for Caleb to read him when he was very little so we included it!)......bowl of fruit
Very Hungry Caterpillar.....fruit that the caterpillar ate laid out on a platter
Rah, Rah, Radishes!: A Vegetable Chant....various cut up veggies with dip
any chicken book.....Chick fil a nuggets
Three Little Pigs.....pigs in a blanket
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food....bowl of mini candy bars and bags of chips
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.....plate of chocolate chip cookies

It was a fun party, and we enjoyed celebrating our one year old!

Have a day of blessings!
 

For my baby boy...

To my sweet Titus,

I'll never forget  how surprised I was when my water broke early Sunday morning.  I couldn't believe this was really happening!  That wasn't our plan. Our plan was for you to be born on Thursday. I had a list of things in my mind that would happen before Thursday....our last supper as a family of 3, my last snack day with Caleb, a final baby bump picture before going to the hospital,making a definite decision for your name if you were a boy.

But it didn't happen according to our plans. You have been a surprise from the beginning really....from finding out I was pregnant after the doctor had told us a couple of months before that if we wanted more children I'd need to see a specialist....to the day you decided to "bust out early" (as Caleb said).

My heart is just so full of love for you. The year has gone so fast since that Sunday morning when all your family gathered to welcome you. I remember how my heart felt when the doctor held you up and I saw your cute little pouty lip for the first time.

The year has been amazing.  We have loved watching you grow bigger physically and learn new things. I loved the newborn days of holding you and just watching you, and I love these days now as you have turned into a little toddler. It's so fun to see you explore and discover new things every day.

 I'm so blessed to be your Mommy.  I'm thankful God gave us you!  You bring so much joy to us all. It has been fun to see you interact with your brother and see how much you love each other. I love the joy and contentment I see in your Daddy's face when he's holding you. I have honestly learned so much from you already.

God's plan and His timing were perfect in every way. I could never have imagined it all this way, and I can see that He knew best!  I thank Him for giving us you, sweet boy.

Happy first birthday!

Love,
Mum
(That's your name for me, I love it!)

Have a day of blessings!

Back home!

We have returned from our vacation!  We went to Tennessee this year and enjoyed our time so much.  During some of the long stretches of riding I used my iPad to type a brief overview of what we did each day.  I plan to share those posts with a few pictures here over the next few days.  I hope you will check back and enjoy the pictures I share! 

Have a day of blessings!

A treasured moment

We were walking in the parking lot towards our truck after browsing in Lowes. I realized there was a hand in mine. I looked down casually and noticed our boy walking between us, holding both our hands. This happens so rarely now because as a 9 year old he doesn't like holding my hand much anymore. As I've realized this,  I've come to appreciate those moments so much more when I do feel his hand in mine. This felt like such a special moment to me, even though it was so short of a walk and lasted such a brief time.

As I think about holding that hand I am filled with thankfulness that we have our boy. He is such a blessing, and I'm so thankful to be his Mom. (On a side note I love when the kids at school say, "aren't you Caleb's Mom?")

My heart has been heavy this week as Mother's Day approaches.  A year ago this week I went to my follow-up appointment after our miscarriage. I remember the doctor telling me to wait three months before we tried again for another child, which would mean wait until August.  I didn't know if I wanted to try again and for the three months went back and forth,  unsure what to do. I had figured it out though and knew my due day would be the beginning of May if we conceived in August. In my mind that would be a perfect plan. But obviously that didn't happen and we still aren't expecting another child. My heart has continued to feel mixed emotions about this.  My heart still hurts from the last miscarriage, and I have realized we may not have additional children here. I don't know what the future holds, but we are trusting God for the next step.

This Mother's Day I'm thankful for the gift of my son and his hand in mine. Because of the last 9 months, I've had a small glimpse of how women must feel who are unable to conceive. There is so much pain, frustration, and unknowns. It's just plain hard, and I never knew that prior to this experience.  I'm blessed to have his hand to hold, and because of the pain we've gone through, I don't take those sweet moments for granted.

Happy Mother's Day today.  I'm remembering all those who long to have children, for those who have babies in Heaven, and for those missing their Mom's today.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom who has been a loving encouragement to me. I'm thankful to have her in my life and our memories together.

Have a day of blessings!

For Meemaw

It's been a year since you've been gone, and I honestly can't believe how fast the year has gone or all that has happened in the past 365 days.

I guess now we can say we have made it through all the "firsts" without you.  As so many things made me miss you, I realized how much you meant to me and how thankful I am for my memories of you.

I still am not used to not writing a letter to you every week, and I always think of things I'd tell you if I was writing you a letter.

At Valentine's Day I got out our small tub of decorations and burst out crying when I saw the window clings I had purchased on sale the previous year to cut and mail to you.

In the spring I ran into Walgreens to get an ad and came out crying because they had Cadbury eggs on sale. I always watched for them on sale and would buy you a couple every year.

When we decorated for Christmas I found all the engraved ornaments you'd given me through the years.  One said "To: Val" and that made me laugh and cry. It reminded me that you were always so proud of me, and I realized how much I appreciated you believing in me. 

When I'm in a store and see something knocked off the shelf, I catch myself picking it up like you did and I realize you taught me to take the time to help others with this small act.

When I see some little trinket or magazine you gave us, I remember your giving attitude and how much joy it brought you to give and how you didn't want things in return.

When I see someone walking down the street I remember how many years you did without a car (by your choice) and your slow pace, and I'm reminded that I need to slow down and pay attention to my surroundings.

So many things will always remind me of you...upside down stamps on envelopes, singing "I'll Fly Away," banana splits, peanut butter, window clings, Wheel of Fortune, and chocolate covered cherries.  I'm thankful for my memories and am thankful for the time we had together through the years.

Have a day of blessings!

Missing someone I never met.....

11-1-13....A day I've been dreading for 6 months.  A day that looks much different than we expected it to back on March 25, the day we found out we were pregnant again.  A day that is the third due date I have had and the second one to come without a baby. 

I had a miscarriage at 12 weeks in April.  We found out I had a blighted ovum.  I didn't even know what this was prior to this.  And even though I don't understand how this happens, in my heart this will always be a baby to me. 



This song has replayed over and over in my head over the past few months.  It has been harder for me the closer we got to this day.  As we would turn the calendar each month since April, my heart would sink a little as I knew we were one month closer to November, one month closer to all of the things that don't get to happen that we so wanted to happen.....No announcing the name we chose.  No seeing big brother's face when he meets his sibling for the first time.  No photos with happy family  members.  No tiny little head to wear a tiny pumpkin hat.  No dirty diapers.  No counting toes.  No figuring out new baby cries. No nursery to decorate.  No singing lullabies.  No "coming home from the hospital" outfit. No cousin pictures. No newborn in our family pictures we take every November.  No extra Christmas stocking to hang on our mantle.

This time last year I did not even have a baby on my radar! This pregnancy was a surprise, and we were excited as the realization sank in.  Sometimes it doesn't even feel real that I was pregnant for 12 weeks.  It is amazing to me (as it was with my first miscarriage) how those 12 weeks forever changed my life. 

We watched the movie "Facing the Giants" recently.  My husband and I had forgotten the couple in the movie struggled with infertility.  At the beginning they are talking and the wife says.....

"Grant, I'm still clinging to a hope that one day we'll have children. I imagine them running in this house. I hear them playing in the backyard. Or running to our bed in a thunderstorm. And I think about reading them stories and teaching them songs. And I just keep thinking; how can I miss someone so much that I have never met?"

That is exactly how I feel.  How can I miss someone that I've never met? 

I have learned a lot through the experience as I did from our first loss.  Everyone is hurting in some way, and I've learned we can't compare our hurts.  We can't know the pains others are feeling because everyone has a different life story and situation.  But when we realize everyone has a hurt they are facing, hopefully we can be more caring, more concerned, more encouraging, more sympathetic.   

So many people have helped me these past 7 months--My amazing husband who has never stopped loving me, wiping my tears, letting me talk when my heart was overwhelmed or sometimes saying nothing at all. My sweet boy who has given me countless hugs when he saw the tears in my eyes and asked knowingly what was wrong. He has amazed me with his sensitivity and the things he notices that would possibly make me feel sad (and he's usually right). My family who has encouraged and loved me and not forgotten us.  My friends who have been encouraging to me, many times without even realizing how what they say or do touches my heart when I need a lift.  Our wonderful church family who has been there for us and helped us through the grief.

I told my Mom I had dreaded November 1 coming, and she told me to remember my blessings.  So I did that throughout the month of October.  I typed an email draft of two or three blessings I'd noticed in my days and added to it throughout the month.  And that focus on the blessings did help me.  I still had my sad times, but it encouraged me to do this activity all month long. 

My heart hurts.  I know that doesn't ever go away completely.  From our first loss I know that the pain changes as the years pass, but there is always that one missing, that one we wonder about.  And now we have two that we miss and wonder about.  We don't know the reason or why, yet we trust God and know this is His story.

I know that "long beyond the empty cradle" I will forever carry those 12 weeks in my heart. I'm thankful to God for carrying us the past 6 months and continuing to carry us today.     

Have a day of blessings!

A dozen years

A dozen years ago today I married my best friend.

A dozen years ago I could never have imagined the love we share today.  It is just so amazing and can't even be put into words.

A dozen years ago I would definitely not have written parts of our story the way it has been written so far.  Yet I can look back and see how the story is fitting together better than I could have imagined, and I know God's plan is best, even when we don't understand.

A dozen years ago I never knew the unexplainable joy of having a son nor the pain and heartache of losing 2 children we never got to meet.

A dozen years ago I didn't have the same relationship with God that I have today.  I have grown in Him because of your example and teaching.

A dozen years ago I dreamed of being a stay at home Mommy someday and volunteering at the school.  How thankful I feel that that dream has come true! 

A dozen  years ago I did not know the grief and pain of losing our grandparents who played such an important role in our lives. 

A dozen years ago I did not realize fully the fun we would have together or the way you would always figure out how to make me smile.

A dozen years ago I had no idea how blessed we would be to walk this parenting journey together.

A dozen years ago I could not grasp the blessing being your wife would be.

A dozen years have passed and I have so many memories I cherish.

Thank you God for these dozen years of marriage and I ask you to bless our marriage and continue to guide us as we walk this journey on earth.

Have a day of blessings!

Another birthday!

On March 1, 1988 I was in third grade.  My Mom was volunteering at the school.  The office buzzed our class for her to come to the office for a phone call.  Her sister was going to the hospital to have a baby.  I told my Mom to tell her to wait till I got there to have the baby!  Some time after 6 p.m. my cousin was born. 

It is hard to believe that was 25 years ago.  I have been reminiscing today as I now have a 3rd grader of my own and was volunteering at his school today. 

I'm thankful for my cousin!  I have so many wonderful memories of our time together.   Since our birthdays were only a day apart, we celebrated together.  When I got my license I would pick her up after school and we'd have a snack, sometimes with Peepaw, and some days I'd take her to her gymnastics practice.  If we went home, I'd pull into our driveway and get out to get the mail.  When I'd get back to my car she'd be in the driver's seat and would want to drive up to the house.  We had many sleepovers and went on many trips together through the years as well as camping trips at the State Park.  In the summers we would use our summer passes to go bowling and then to get a snowcone.  When I went to college, she would send me cards in the mail telling me she missed me.  When I got married, she was my maid of honor. 

Now she is finishing up an internship at a school and will graduate with her Master's Degree in May.  I'm so proud of her and know she will touch many children's lives.  I love you Chel!  I'm thankful you are part of my life.

Have a day of blessings!

A letter to Meemaw

Dear Meemaw,

I was so saddened and shocked to hear that you had passed away.  I didn't want it to be true.  I just saw you, and you were so happy and doing so well.  I guess it was just your time.

My heart is filled with sadness at this loss, but at the same time I am thankful you didn't suffer.  You always said that when it was your time you hoped you just went in your sleep. This was one of the many things you said many times throughout my life about death.  I never liked for you to talk about it, but you always brought it up at random times! Now that time has come, and I just can't believe it. 

I'm sad because I will miss you.  I wrote you a letter to mail you each week, I don't know how many years I did this.  I enjoyed doing it, and now I will miss that so very much.   I have others I write, but it's just not the same as writing to you.  I know it meant something to you, and you always appreciated it.  I thought I would write you here. It was just too painful to not write anything as I wrote my other two letters this week. 

There are so many memories of you that I have that I don't want to forget.  As a child I remember the excitement and anticipation of getting to make the 6+ hour trip to your house when you lived in East Texas.  I loved going to see you and always had fun there.  I remember playing with  my cousin Tim at your house, chasing him down one time when I thought he was going to eat something poisonous off of a tree.  I remember how you'd cut our toast to look like butterflies.  I remember how you had a stuffed bird in a bird cage that used to sing.  I remember how you'd give me a metal ornament at Christmas with my name and date engraved on it each year.     

You always told stories about me as a little girl and continued to repeat them all through my life.  Like how I used to sit on your lap in the car (back in the days before car seats and seat belts), and I'd want to get a "ham bur bur" and "dr. peppy" for lunch. One of your favorite songs was "I'll Fly Away."  It was 255 in our song book at church, and I'd ask if they could sing 'two thifty thive' for Meemaw.

It makes me laugh to think how for so many years you liked banana splits without bananas because your brothers (I think) told you those little black things in them were bugs.  Finally you did start eating bananas at the age of 70. 

There was a song I heard as a little girl and I'd sing it to you.  I thought it said "all night, all day angels watching over Meemaw, Lord."  I still think of those words when that song comes to mind.

When I was older you moved back closer to our town.  I remember you making corn casserole and chicken and dressing for us.  You always loved to have company and were always so thrilled to see us at your door.  It never mattered how long we stayed, you'd always tell us not to rush off. 

I remember your pets and how you always grew so attached to them.  Your cat "Mildu" you buried in an afghan when she died.  And of course there was Kinzee.  You always gave her treats when you ate.  You grieved her loss and missed her so much after she died.

You were a saver.....you saved empty toilet paper rolls to use to make crocheted candles at Christmas. You saved empty pie pans and Pringles cups because you thought surely someone could use them for something.   

You loved my husband, and I loved how you teased and joked with each other.  You were always telling me how you were so glad he had such a good job.  When he got his promotion, I printed the newsletter article about it and sent it to you.  You got a frame for it and hung it on your wall.

I am so glad Caleb got to know and love you.  He and Gramma always went to your house with a wagon load of flowers around your birthday/Mother's Day.  You'd sit on the chair on your porch and watch them plant the flowers for you.  You always commented how he was such a good worker--he was always doing some job when he came to your house.  He liked to climb on your green ladder chair.  When he was little he liked to throw leaves into your birdbath and thought it was the funniest thing.  And he always liked the treats you would give him as we sat on  your porch!  You always had ice cream bars or animal crackers and a glass of lemonade to offer us.

Looking at our picture we took at Christmas, how was I to know that it would be our last photo together?  There are so many things I will miss about you or doing with you...like how you used to push my hair back off my shoulders before you'd give me a hug and kiss.... or the way you'd always have something for us that you bought from the Schwann's man.... or the way you'd talk and talk on the phone not wanting to hang up..... or how we'd go to eat Chinese food when we came to town.... or your funny sayings that you always said.  So many things I see will always remind me of you like holiday window clings and peanut butter and Cadbury eggs and chocolate covered cherries. 

I will always miss you Meemaw. Thank you for loving me, for being proud of me, for caring about me and my life and the things I was doing, for being my Meemaw.  I love you. xoxo

Love,
Your girl Bethany

Good bye summer, hello 3rd grade!

To my Caleb,
As I looked back at the letter I wrote you as you were beginning 2nd grade, I was reminded how quickly time passes. 

We have had a wonderful summer.  I was thinking the other day again about how thankful I am to be a stay at home Mom.  It is such a blessing that we can spend our days together.  We had fun on our vacation in June, and you got to go to two camps this summer.  We also enjoyed our routine, both the days we were home or the days we went to run errands.  You are such a great boy and such fun to have around!

One thing you did a lot of this summer was read.  We should have  kept a list of every single book you read.  It would have been a very long one!  You love any of the Boxcar Children books and always get a stack of them when we go to the library. 

Now you are heading off to 3rd grade.  I really can't believe it.
Third grade...a new campus.
Third grade...three teachers instead of just one.
Third grade...changing classes. (I didn't do that till 6th grade!)
Third grade...the year you will be old enough to participate in more events, like 4-H.
Third grade...a grade I've never taught.
Third grade...the year you will start taking the state standardized test.
Third grade...

I will miss you when you go off to third grade.  I will miss your loud singing as you dance around the house or the quiet of the car as you read or having you help me on grocery shopping trips.  I know you will have many new opportunities and learn many new things as you have new responsibilities this year.   

I am so proud of you! I am praying for you. Your Momma loves you. 

Have a day of blessings!

Remembering...

This is the date of my first due date.  We will always remember that time of pregnancy, even though it was so short.  We trust that one day we will see that baby again too.   

We have a tradition to get ice cream as a way to remember that baby.  Tonight when we sat down with our ice cream I thought the song on the radio sounded familiar.  It was "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away."  Then a couple songs later was "You're Gonna Miss This."  It made me smile to hear these two songs.  I thought both were appropriate to think about as we remember one baby we never got to meet and think of Caleb's upcoming birthday and another year passing so quickly. 

Have a day of blessings!

2011

I see so many blog posts in my list on my Reader tonight looking back at 2011.  I've been thinking about what was on my goal list I made at the beginning of this year and had to go back and take a look.  In the past I've revisited my goal list periodically through the year here on my blog but didn't do that this year for whatever reason. 

So looking back at my goals, I see there wasn't that much on the list and most of it has been accomplished.  I don't know that we are totally unpacked.  There are still random boxes in the garage that need to find a new place.  It is such random stuff and I'm not sure what to do with it so it's stayed in the tubs against the wall.  As far as the SHE system, I started the cards but never got that complete.  I've pretty much kept up with the basic ideas of it in my head.  I don't have a set day that I clean the tubs but I do it regularly.  I had forgotten the goal of finding new places to volunteer.  It has been such a blessing to me to be able to volunteer at Caleb's school and have two areas where I am needed there. 

This has been a blessed year for our family.  We have faced many changes with our move and my husband's new job position.  I feel we have learned a lot and enjoyed the changes that have happened.  I am thankful for the new friends we have made here.  I am thankful for the memories we made as a family, like our fun trip to Colorado.  I am thankful for Caleb's school and the teachers he has had.  I am thankful we have been healthy.  I am thankful for the many answers to prayers we have seen this year both in our family and in the lives of friends/relatives.

As Caleb said tonight before bed Gooooooodbye 2011! 

Have a day of blessings!

Christmas 2011

We have been enjoying Christmas, and it seems to continue!  Last week we went to visit my Mom.  We opened our gifts when we arrived Tuesday night.  Wednesday we spent the day enjoying our gifts mostly.  I looked through my new cookbooks and some new sets of cards.  This is one of the cookbooks I received.  I love Taste of Home cookbooks.  My Mom gets me a different one most years! 
 

On Thursday morning we went to the cemetery to put out the Christmas tree at Peepaw's grave site as we do each year.  In the afternoon we had a Christmas lunch with my Meemaw and later my cousin came over.  We came home on Friday morning.  The temperature dropped and we saw snow on Saturday.  However, it was not very much and did not stick.  It was still pretty to watch as it came down.  Caleb managed to find some snow though to make some snowballs and throw them at the window. 

Saturday night (Christmas Eve) we went out to have dessert.  We have a tradition to go out to eat dessert and then look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.  This year we went to Logan's and shared the HUGE brownie fudge sundae.  Caleb opened one gift when we came home.  It was a recorder for him to learn to play tunes. 

Sunday morning we went to get Caleb out of bed and opened our stockings and gifts.  Then we had biscuits and chocolate gravy for our breakfast before getting ready for church services.  We came home to a nice meal (my Meemaw had given us a ham so we ate that with some leftover vegetables from my Mom's plus desserts!) and spent the rest of the day at home. 

Daddy and Caleb worked a long time on this, K'Nex Rippin' Rocket 2 Coaster.  It is a neat but took a long time to put together!  Caleb has had fun with it. 

 

Monday we put up the tree and decorations and then went to some sales.  I got some decorations for next  year. 

Tuesday we had a visit from my Dad and his friend Jan.  We had lunch, and I fixed him a birthday cake (his birthday is on the 1st) using a recipe from my new book called German Chocolate Cheesecake.  They gave Caleb this fun game "UNO Roboto."  We played it several times tonight and had a lot of fun playing and laughing. 

We will continue the fun as we visit with more family over the weekend!  I hope you are having a good week. I've loved having both of my boys home for a few days.   

Have a day of blessings!

To my second grader...

To my Caleb,
As you told me a few weeks ago, it feels like summer went by in 2 seconds.  It really did feel like it went fast this year for some reason.  We did have a lot of fun together I think.  I enjoyed our lazy mornings and how many mornings you'd say "Can we play Wii?"  You'd start the game and then I'd come join you for a little Mario.  You tried to teach me the truck racing game but I wasn't so good at that!  You gave me so much help with laundry, carrying the dirty clothes from the hamper to the laundry room and folding the wash rags for me.  I loved how you would sort them and stack them by color.  We had our days to go to eat lunch with Daddy and go bowling and to the library storytime.  We had our grocery shopping trips where you would mark things off my list for me and remind me to go by the bakery to get a cookie and donut!

It seems hard for me to think that you are going to be a second grader!  Kindergarten was hard for me but 1st grade didn't seem as hard.  You did so well with the transition to your new school.  Now as I think about 2nd grade I have a little sadness, sort of like with kindergarten but not the same.  Maybe it is because when I was student teaching, I did part of my time in a 2nd grade class.  Now those kids are beginning college...I know how fast those years went between then and now and how soon you will be the college kid.  My first year of teaching was 2nd grade and the year I was pregnant with you I taught 2nd grade.  One of my favorite teachers was my own 2nd grade teacher.  I have a lot of 2nd grade memories and now that time is here for you as well.
As I think of second grade, I guess I also think how what comes next is 3rd grade and TAKS test (or whatever they call it by then) and a new campus.  This is our last year at the elementary campus, and it just reminds me that you are growing up.  I have been wondering what things you will like in the coming year and how your interests will change as you get older. 

I look forward to this year and pray you have a wonderful year as a 2nd grader!  Daddy and I are very proud of you and thankful you are our boy! 

Love,
Mommy 

Thank you for visiting my blog today. 
Have a day of blessings!

Once upon a time....

Once upon a time there was two college freshmen who went for their first walk around the ACU campus on February 7, 1998.  On this walk a cute guy told the girl about a special trip he went on several years prior back in 1992.  It was a motorcycle trip from Texas to Colorado with his Pappaw.  That conversation began the girl's dream that one day she would get to go to Colorado with the cute guy. 
Fast forward to 2011....
The cute guy and the girl have been married for 10 years.  They begin making plans to go on vacation to Colorado.  Originally they'd wanted to go in June but that did not work out with cute guy's work schedule.  Later he found out he could go in July.  Plans were made and they loaded up for Colorado...

To be continued...

Have a day of blessings!
 

To Caleb

Things I want to remember about now and today... 

To Caleb,  I seemed to miss you more today than normal when I was in town doing a few errands while you were at school.  I'm not really sure why, but maybe.... 

Maybe it was remembering your cheerful chatter from this morning at the table while you were eating your breakfast and wishing you were along with me to talk to me the rest of the day.

Maybe it was throwing all the plastic bottles in the recycle bin myself and thinking how I could have waited until you were with me because you love that job so much.

Maybe it was seeing the Wii attachments at Dollar Tree and thinking how you would have asked for one.

Maybe it was going to the library and seeing all the Mommy's and little ones gathered for story time and thinking how I loved our time at our old library and the way you'd listen to the stories. 

Maybe it was hearing the little boy ask his Mommy why and thinking how I love when you ask me questions. 

Maybe it was because it is Wednesday and thinking of all the times we'd get up early before you were a school boy and go to the food pantry together.  Oh how I miss those days.

Maybe it was because as I watched you walk into the doors of your school this morning and head down the hall, I was so proud of you, so thankful for you, so blessed to be your Mommy.

I can't wait for our summer together with my favorite 6 year old! 

Have a day of blessings!
 

Five years

It's been five years since we drove to visit Peepaw in his hospital room.


It's been five years since we decorated a little Christmas tree to sit beside his bed.


It's been five years since he made us laugh at his insisting on eating the chocolate cake off his lunch tray.

It's been five years since we walked out of that hospital room, and I waved our special pinky wave.

It's been five years since the phone rang as my husband and I were driving home from eating out for supper. I knew what my Mom wasn't saying as she asked where we were and told us to come back home.


It's been five years since we got back to Mom's house and she told us that Sis had called to tell her Peepaw had passed away.


Five years.


Five years that I've missed your calls on Christmas morning, birthdays, and all the other random times.


Five years that I've missed your hugs.


Five years that I've missed hearing your voice and that noise you made with your lips.


Five years that I've missed our trips to the ice cream store.


Five years that I've missed having you here to see Caleb grow up.

Five years that I've missed calling you on the phone.

Five years that I've missed your funny sayings.

Five years that I've missed sending you cards and our family pictures.



Five years that we've taken a tiny Christmas tree to your graveside on this day.


Five years that I've missed everything about you.


I miss you Peepaw. I'm grateful that I have all these things about you to miss. You were always so special to me and continue to be important in my life. I'm thankful for our memories.
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Have a day of blessings!