Wordy Wednesday - Truth

"I am not afraid of tomorrow for I have seen yesterday

and I love today."

~author unknown

A kind woman at our church offered to take this photo of us on Saturday.  I can't remember the last time all four of us made it in one frame.  Sure, Chloe is doing her own thing, and yes the sun was in our eyes...but we are all here...all 4 of us.  This photo is a treasure to me.

And then there was anticipation, and eggs strewn about, and little girls who had trouble resisting the urge to jump the gun.  I love it when she smiles so big her eyes disappear....just like her momma.

There is grass and eggs, and the smells of spring...a time of year for new beginnings, new life, refreshed spirits, and new promises.  A resurection. 

She's 6.  She couldn't wait to hunt those eggs and even scoped and staked out a coveted golden egg for her baby sister.  I wonder how many hunts she has left in her...you know, before this becomes child's play for her instead of awe and wonderment. 

Last year Easter made me homesick.  This year it didn't, not in the slightest.  This year I didn't spend the day wishing I was somewhere else....I spent it appreciating exactly where I am.  A day spent just the four of us, running, playing, flying kites, napping, lounging, hiding eggs and baskets; grilling, laughing, swimming...and just being - a family; it was and is everything a holiday should be. 

This my friends, is appreciation in its purest form.

The Video - Mi Chloe

From her 3rd birthday shoot...

She's 3

My Sweet Chloe Belle,
Yesterday, you didn't take a nap and by 7:00 pm you were on your last leg.  You cried and cried over a horse picture that Camdyn colored and you wanted.  I told myself to be patient with you because you are only 2...and then I realized that tomorrow you would be 3.  So, I took you upstairs and we sat in the rocking chair and I replayed your birthday in my mind as we rocked for what will probably be one of the last times.  After 5 minutes or so, you asked me to stand up because you wanted to rest your head on my shoulder, so I did.  I stood there with you in the fading evening light of your bedroom and we slowly turned circles until you were fast asleep.  I laid you down and kissed your puffy cheeks good night.  And as I shut the door to your room I thought "this will be the last time I ever lay my 2 year old to bed, we will never have another 2 year old." 

This morning I went to wake you and you were not in your bed.  I was alarmed for a minute and then figured you had to be upstairs somewhere.  I found you fast asleep nestled against your sister.  How sweet that in the night when you are looking for a body to curl up against,  you now choose her bed over mine. 

And today you are 3!  Full of spunk and spitfire and solid sweetness just like the day you were born.

At exactly 7:14 this morning, Daddy & I took turns giving you kisses during your birth minute.  You swatted us away and we laughed about how you have always been the same.  You've always been a screamer and a "say it like it is" kind of girl.  You don't get pushed around, you speak your mind, and you care not what other's say.  I think you get this from Grandma D.  You remind me a lot of her, in spirit and temperament. 

But, you are also sweet as the setting sun.  You are a hand holder and a rule follower, and quick to share and please others.  At just 3 you already care about feelings and whether or not Momma is happy or sad.  Sometimes, if I turn my sad face on, your eyes will well with tears.  We are connected that way, just like me and my mom. 

Since we've done 3 before, I know what to expect.  This will be the year that the baby will disappear and a preschooler will be left in her place.  This will be a year of "why's?" and questions and limit testing.  But it will also be a year of independence and cohesive play with your friends and sister.  It'll be a year where tantrums fade and emotions are communicated with words.  It's an age that I'll miss when you are 4. 

What I wish for you this upcoming year is that you continue finding words for your emotions and gentleness in your hands.  I hope you feel loved and safe and secure, always.  I hope that you and your sissy develop a steadfast friendship, which I can tell is already forming.  My wish for you is that you keep that fire in your belly that makes you stand up for yourself and others.  I hope you always speak your mind and that you demand only the best for yourself.  I hope my weaknesses are your strengths.

Happy 3rd birthday sweet girl.

Love you Forever & Always,
Momma

Wordless Wednesday - Sunshine

"Keep your face to the Sunshine and you can not see the Shadow."

~author unknown

Wordy Wednesday - My Valentine

My Valentine Wrote This:

As we grow, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. 

You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. 

You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by. 

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt.  Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances, you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you, and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, be a flirt, & smile until your face hurts. 

Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love again, & most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second you can never get back.

Carol - You do matter, you are a brave, beautiful, out going, wild spirited woman! 
You are a wonderful mother and a dedicated friend.

I'm glad to have you as one of my dearest friends!

Hope my jar of happiness lifts your spirits!

Love,

The one and only Miss V

**and my eyes welled with tears.  I am loved.  I know this.**

The jar contains daily affirmations and they smell good too!  Sayings like:
"Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines"
"Optimists are nostalgic about the future"
"Put all your excuses aside and remember this:  YOU are capable of anything"

Then I spent a part of my day with 18 kindergartners.  Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious.  I smiled from ear to ear...how can you not be happy when you are around kids? (that horse head is part of Cam's homemade Valentines day box - it is a horse of course)

Then, I picked up my little Lovie from school and we sang all the way home.

Life is Good.  I feel blessed.

Wordless Wednesday - Strength

"All things in life are temporary.  If things are going well enjoy it, they will not last forever. If things are going wrong don’t worry, they can't last long either."

~Author Unknown

My strength lies here...

In their smiles...

In their passion for horses and all things horse related....

In their hugs and snuggles and endless imaginations...

My strength lies in motherhood....in my ability to protect, forgive, and love unconditionally.

Everything absolutely changes with motherhood...priorities, responsibility, schedules, finances...

But the thing that changes the most - is the perception of LOVE.  They are walking, breathing, laughing, climbing, bickering, whiny, joyous, bodies of LOVE.

And I am stronger for it.

Wordless Wednesday - Slide

If I could freeze this moment and the joy on their faces, I most certainly would.



Wordless Wednesday - The Unicorn

"A long time ago, when the earth was green

And there was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen,

And they run around free while the world was bein' born,

And the loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

There was green alligators and long-neck geese.

There was humpy bumpy camels and chimpanzees.

There was catsandratsandelephants, but sure as you're born

The loveliest of all was the Unicorn."

Poem written by Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

Wordless Wednesday (on a Thursday) - Love Her

Adore Her

The way she grabs my hand; The way her eyes shine

Her little high pitched voice

Her imagination

Her sweet side; Her fiery side

Love Her.

I also love my sudden ability to get the eyes in focus.

Chloe Sings the ABC's

I'm so much quicker with the video camera this 2nd time around. I realize that one day she'll wake up and the baby voice will be gone. One day, she'll belt out her ABC's perfectly as if she'd been doing it all her little life. So, I pick up my  Sony Bloggie (like the flip, only better - love that device) and I press Record...because a few years from now, this cuteness will be a long lost memory.

To Chloe - 2.5

Dear Chloe Belle,

Funny. As I type your moniker I think of your little voice saying "No. My name is Chloe!" You aren't too keen on your nickname anymore, and are often quick to tell us your full name, which sounds like such a mouthful coming from your little lips.

So, here we sit at 2 1/2 and things aren't so black and white anymore. There is this element of predictability that is nice, or convenient or maybe both with babies. In toddlerhood, that fades, and we are now in the phase where we never know what is in store for us.

Sometimes in the morning, you detest wake up time. I can sing the Good Morning song to you and you scream for me to leave the room. You cover your head with a blanket and wish to hold on to the darkness.  Other times, you wake smiling and singing along with me. It's a crap shoot, really.

The same is true at bedtime. Sometimes you stall, and you want to read one more story. You cry and flail and make a huge production when it's time to shut off the light.  Other times, you willingly shut the light off and then crawl in to my lap only to say 5 seconds later, "I go to bed now."  Either way, gone are the days of contented rocking in the chair.  I still try.  Every night I try, but rarely does it result in one or both of us falling to sleep.  It's still my favorite part of the evening though.

Developmentally, you are progressing, growing, and learning just as you should be.  You know all of your colors, you count to 20 in English, and to 12 in Spanish.  You are interested in learning your letters and often recognize, A, B, O, C, and S without hesitation.  You engage in pretend play right along side your Sissy now, who you prefer to call Camdyn instead of Sissy.  You both like to sit at the kitchen table with your stables and toy horses and play at length.  Your horses have conversations just like Cam's do, it really is the sweetest thing.

Your potty training is nearly complete.  You've been in big girl panties during the day since you turned two, but it's taken awhile to get comfortable with the deuce.  You still prefer a pull up for that business, but we are getting away from that now, and your pull up days are numbered.  You really were a breeze to potty train.

Your favorite things still include your blankie, your paci, baby, and your crib.  Oh, how you love your crib.  I speak of getting you a "big girl bed" often, but you aren't having it.  You love your crib.  Honestly, I love your crib too.  I love knowing you are safely confined in it, I love that you get good rest while you are in it, and that you don't have the temptation of toys to interrupt your sleep.  You can have your crib...for another six months.

As much as you have changed over the past six months, some things are still wildly the same.  You are still a screamer.  When you get really frustrated, embarrassed, or really mad, instead of using words, you just scream...scream at the top of your tiny lungs.  A few weeks ago, you were playing at a party and bumped your head on a metal railing.  When I asked you if you were okay, you simply screamed at me.  I tried to comfort you, but to no avail.  You screamed louder.  I began to stifle a laugh because you were really causing a scene, and when I could no longer contain my laughter, you really got mad, and took the scream to a whole new level.  I finally had to have Daddy come over and help you regain your composure while I walked away.  I know why you screamed.  You screamed initially because you were hurt, and then you were embarrassed, and then you were just flat out mad that I was laughing at you.  I'm sure bystanders mistook your scream for a tantrum, but I know the reason.  I know you.

While you've found your gentle hands, and your words in most cases, you still have that big, giant voice.  You have that ability to stand up for yourself and to make your desires known.  You are fiercely independent and headstrong.  You are testing the waters, dabbling in disobedience, it's the natural course, really.  It's what you are supposed to be doing as you figure out right from wrong and consequences.  But, you are also sweet as spun sugar; helpful as the day is long.  You love to snuggle in front of the TV, help me pick up toys and unload the dishwasher.  You are caring and motherly to friends that get hurt. 

You are the calm and the storm.   

And I am happy to weather both.

Love you Forever and Always,
Momma

Wordless Wednesday - Bubbly

"You are the Ocean of Water, and You are the foam and the bubbles on its surface. 

I cannot see any other except You, Lord."

~Sir Guru Granth Sahib

(excuse the after nap-time hair)

(this is her "cheese" face)

Treasured Moments

We had a busy weekend which included a trip to Busch Gardens on Saturday followed by a late night out with friends that evening.  We went to church on Sunday and then to a Fantasy Football Draft Party in the evening. 

But on Monday...on Monday we took it easy.  I spent the morning with a cup of coffee in my hand while the Hubs whipped up scrambled eggs.  I even blew the dust off my camera, which hasn't been getting much use at all lately.  I discovered that I miss her just as much as I miss the inspiration.

In the laziness of a Monday morning that was spent playing with the kids at home instead of making lunches, instructing little girls to brush their teeth, packing backpacks, and loading the car; I discovered treasured moments.

I visited their world.  A world that knows no stress, no schedule, no perception of time.

A world where your imagination can take you anywhere you want to go.  A world where horses talk and some can even fly.

A world where rules are simple.  "It's too hot to go outside.  Ride your scooter in the house.  BUT - STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN.  I do not want dents in my new appliances."  "Yes. Momma." 

After watching them play and letting the coffee in my mug grow cold, they snuggled up on the couch together to watch one TV show.  Playing is exhausting.

(this shot is horribly OOF...but I love how their little fingers are intertwined.  You just can't pose kids like this).

And as I scrolled through the photos that I had taken of the morning, I realized just how precious and fleeting these small little moments are.  I warmed up my coffee, turned up Pandora, and set out to clean my Master Bathroom...when a little voice came in and said "Momma - can I help you?"  I gave her the Windex and we worked side by side for half an hour. 

Treasured Moments.

Wordless Wednesday - Escape

Today I'm all "Viva La Mexico."

But I'm missing her smile.

I'm missing her puffy cheeks and her soft skin.

I'm missing her baby voice, the way she hugs my neck and the kisses she plants on my cheeks.

I'm excited to be here, but excited to get home.

This is life with kids. 

Sometimes you feel like you need to escape it,

but when you do,

you can't wait to get back to it.

We're Cruisin'...

We're off, well, 3/4 of us are. 

We are headin' to port. 

Just me, the hubs, and my eldest child. 

This will be Cam's and my first cruise.

My claustrophobic anxiety is already setting in.

I hope the cabins are "big enough."

I hope I can navigate the ship without having to get in an elevator.

I hope I am having too much fun to care (like I do in Vegas...elevators don't bother me there).

I hope Camdyn has the time of her life.

Although, how could she not.

Fun is the only language she knows.

Plus - her "boyfriend" will be there.

Gramma & Grandpa are holding down the homestead with Chloe Belle.

It's only a few days, but I'm going to miss her like crazy. 

The Beach

Y'all we had the best weekend and I'm going share bits-n-pieces with you, but I'm going to let LeeAnn do most of the storytelling. 

You see this week we are out of our normal pattern, Camdyn is out of pre-school and going to horse camp 3 days this week, we have Gramma coming to town on Friday, and I'm just trying to tread the water and keep my stuff together. 

So, I'll share a few photos with you, and then hop on over to LeeAnn's blog and read about how our time together went down. 

I'm trying to re-develop an appreciation for the snapshot, so here we go! 

Saturday morning, we met LeeAnn and her adorable family at the #1 beach in the country.  The morning looked a lot like this:





Camdyn's best friend and her family happened to make a morning out of the beach too.  And we were glad to hang out with them, they brought 2 umbrellas and thereby doubled the amount of shade we had to sit under.  Here Camdyn & her Bestie play in the sand.


Bryce was all about the snacks.  He filled up on blueberries and then promptly fell asleep on LeeAnn's lap...for over an hour.  She got to relax, snuggle her baby, and listen to the sounds of the waves lapping the shore.  Talk about heaven on earth!


Then, Chloe Belle and I took turns taking pictures of each other.  Here's my shot.


And here's hers.  No, I didn't take it of myself, I was trying to move her little fingers off of the lens and she pushed the button. 


OMG - I'm a lucky lady :)


Becky took this shot of me and Chloe together - Love.



After morning crept in to early afternoon, LeeAnn & her family headed to the hotel for naps, and we headed home for the same.  Then, they came over for dinner and play time.  When I opened the door, the first thing we noticed was that we had dressed Rylie & Chloe in the same exact shirt, and of course since my girls usually coordinate, Camdyn was wearing a similar shirt from the same Gymboree line.  How funny...and it made for a really cute picture!  Notice that Chloe has my point n shoot...


And then the evening was over and we bid our friends farewell.  I was kind of bummed that I never got a photo with LeeAnn...but then I loaded the photos on my computer (including 100+ pictures that Chloe took with her fingers covering the lens) and discovered this:


Chloe took it while we were taking pictures of them.  Not the best shot, but her fingers were out of the way!  It's a keeper.

We had a fabulous time with our friends, and we can't wait to get together with them again soon.  Now, head on over to LeeAnn's blog and read in detail about our time at the beach and see some super cute photos!

My Kinda Party....

Our weekend was anything but ordinary. 

The hubs was in Miami for a "work trip."  He won a contest at work and the prize was an all expense paid trip to Miami for the weekend.  He went deep sea fishing with 5 other guys who also won the trip and they had great time.

I was on the home front with the girls, although I had plans of my own.  I had tickets for a sold out concert at my favorite venue on Friday night.  So, at 5:00 my friend Liz came over to play with the girls and I met up with some friends and we headed out to see Jason Aldean.  The storm clouds were really looming and threatened to make our night really memorable.  I figure seeing a concert in pouring rain must be like playing soccer in a downpour...it only makes it better!

These photos are courtesy of my cell phone...

I have never seen so many people at this venue before.  Needless to say, the people watching was sublime.  And by some freak force of nature it never rained during the show.

We had a great time singing along and screaming when we were supposed to....like when Jason said "How y'all doin' out there on the lawn?" 


The lawn is where it's at.  We listened to good music and embraced our inner redneck on the lawn that night.


The show was one of the better ones I've been to.  If you have no idea who Jason Aldean is, you can read the review here.  And, it sure was nice to have a night out with the girls.  Of course, getting up with the kids early on Saturday morning wasn't a cake walk, but how can you not smile when this is what you wake up to?


Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend!