that girl

I mean, seriously, what do you do about something as cute as that? I know, my brother in law told me that I would never know if my children weren't cute - that blind eye thing....but I'm pretty sure I'm not blind on this one. She looks exactly likeher daddy. And she's absolutely adorable.

Just like he is - just in case you're reading this, Lee. She is just as adorable as you are.

**edited - She is ALMOST as adorable as you are**

favorite moment of the day

Sister: "B, do you want to look in the mirror to see how cute you are?"
Brother: "I DO! I DO! I DO! I DO!"
vanity at it's worst. and at it's cutest.

total joy

man. that girl. she just bubbles over with joy. and it's the little stuff. gatorade. that water bottle she's holding....anything, basically, can send her into a fit of silly giggles. and she's really really funny! anyway, this is just a picture from the weekend.

more from bed time

bed time

We were playing in the big kids' room tonight before bed & I caught a few cute pics of the baby. I have more of all of them but need to get to bed. So just enjoy these for now - more to come later.

That crawl......I know it'll be gone soon. So glad to have it captured on film.....they're so cute at this age.

sweet dreams

So, Lee was out of town for work & our basement was flooded & I spent every 90 seconds of the day emptying the shopvac, repositioning, running upstairs, making sure the kids were ok, repeat...like I said, every 90 seconds. It was good times.
And maybe it was because Lee was out of town, maybe it was because I didn't want to ride out another thunderstorm all by myself. but for whatever reason, at about 1030 as I am about to head to bed I decided to let the boy sleep with me. He wasn't crying for me. He wasn't even awake. But it seemed like a good idea. Sore all over, exhausted - hey, let's put a toddler in the bed.
I keep running it over in my mind & never does it make much sense.
Anyhoo, I do it. I pick him up out of his snuggly crib & put him in my bed. He sits up, tells me he wants to watch a video , I talk him into just lying down & going to sleep. He wakes up while I'm reading and tells me he wants to go back to his bed.
"settle in sweetheart, you're fine. night night"
Sweet - my baby boy sleeping so soundly right next to me. You can't buy this kind of happiness.
And the toes in my face all night - precious. And the falling out the bed 3 times - endearing.
The kicking me in the stomach - do you get the picture?
It was miserable.
I'm exhausted.
Lesson learned.
I'm grateful he likes to sleep in his bed.....because he's staying there.

that boy

I am crazy about this kid. I adore his laugh, and the way he whispers to me his very important thoughts, the way he shakes his head when he tells a story, how he likes to give God a play-by-play of the days happenings at bed time, I love those teeth, I even love the big triangle that was knocked out the day he bit the concrete, I love that he wears that hat almost everywhere he goes just because his daddy has one just like it. This is the best & the worst of all ages, in my opinion. It is the battle of the wills........he's 2 & he knows it. But as he lay on the floor in the kitchen last night getting tickled by the tickle monster & just stared at him & thought my heart might burst. I am so crazy stinking in love with that boy. And it's a love that I can barely explain....which makes me wonder......how much does God love us? It must completely consume Him - because I can't imagine loving these children any more than I do.....and I know that He loves them even more!
And then I wonder.....do I love His children well - all of them or just the ones that are easy to love, knowing just that fraction of the love He feels for them?

my bug

She's ONE! I can hardly believe it! I may have actually said at some point on here recently these exact same words - because today is not officially her birthday - it was just officially her birthday party. And I have always thought that it's not really official unless you've had a cupcake to seal the deal. Am I right?

Could you just eat her up???

(Kelly M - do you recognize that highchair?)

dogfood

Please answer me this.

Why is it that a child will grimace & refuse a bite of perfectly prepared baked chicken and mashed potatoes & then proceed to put a wad of whatever they found on the floor in their mouth? I mean, for serious. I have, honest to goodness, found myself pushing a cookie into my kid's face saying, "It's a cookie! It's sugar & chocolate & butter! You'll love it!" To no avail. I throw my hands up not understanding this line of thinking when just moments later I find myself finger swiping a kids mouth to get the SEVERAL pieces of DOG FOOD out!

What?!

I do not understand.

And then the other day it is POURING buckets outside & we walk to the car with an umbrella, you know, to keep us from getting all the rain on us. And my son, God bless him, will not get under the umbrella & still insists on screaming "It's raining on my head! Mom! I am getting wet!"

"Well, yeah you are buddy, get. under. the. umbrella."

"No"

What is that?

And why is it that it so clearly seems crazy to me watching my kids do things that seem to make zero sense to the normal funtioning human being......and yet it is what I do on an almost daily basis?

You see, God loves me. It's written all throughout the Bible. Now, some people don't read it that way - but that's because that we humans can often times read those words expecting that God has failed us somehow. That all the trouble that seemed to go wrong in Biblical times & the things that seem to go wrong today are God's wrong doing. And I think the foundation of the problem is this lie that we know better than God. Can't you look back on times in your life where you said "no" to the thing that was clearly right in the eyes of those around you?

And I heard it said so clearly the other day to me that 'you cannot keep judging the justice of God with the injustice of man'.....and isn't that true? We curse poverty & suffering & yet so many of us (yes, that would mean me included) are doing very very little to help those problems.

And back to my point....God loves me. And He has good, even great, things for me. For us. All within His plan. And we say no to the baked chicken or filet whatever, and foolishly choose the dogfood. We stubbornly say, "no thank you" to the umbrella graciously waiting to cover our heads from the downpour....and choose to be rained on. And then we blame God that we got wet - simply because we chose to stand in the rain.

A little taste of heaven

I am one of those people that when I eat somewhere amazing I cannot wait to tell everyone about it or if I meet a really talented person I want to scream from the mountain tops that you should totally buy their stuff....and I love the grass roots personal stories that can sometimes stay with a place. Sweet Pockets Cupcakes is all of those things. (And cupcakes are to me, what cream cheese is to BooMama.) I love Lennie's story of how she got started. I love that she was a part of our Garden Market before she hit the big time & opened her own cupcake shop in Vinings. SWEET POCKETS has THE BEST cupcakes....hands down. And I, my friend, stood in line in NYC for an HOUR for a cupcake that didn't hold a candle to Sweet Pockets. So, grab your kid, grab a friend or stop on by all by your lonesome & bring me one when you do. You'll be so glad you did.
And if I had to tell you my favorite flavor....it would be hard. I love the Happy Monkey, the Carrot Cake really is the best, the Raz Taz is so unique....but truthfully her chocolate frosting is something I dream about.
And Lennie, you may be part of the reason I was given the nickname Cupcake :)
Go try em & let me know what you think!
Cupcake

Heath, Neema & Katie

Have you ever seen the pain around you & felt completely helpless feeling like you can do nothing? Or watched from the comfort from your own air conditioned home as someone travels halfway around the world to make a difference...and really really wanted to do something? Well, I'm feeling pulled & stretched right now as I see the pain & watch others do something. And I know that we cannot ALL go - but we can all do something. And it turns out that I paint. And I am learning that my painting can actually make a little difference...maybe.
So, there's a "shop" in the making, but in the meantime - meet a couple of people we are hoping to help. Heath and Katie. 20% (with the goal of that amount increasing)of all profits from my painting will go to care for orphans - these are 2 courageous people who left the comforts of America to be the hands of feet of Jesus. When I read their stories I find my heart leaping inside of me to join them!! And this is the best way I know how right now. I would love more than anything for you to join them, too. Go here to see what I paint & stay tuned for the "grand opening."

cream cheese

I'm a frequent reader of this blog - partly because she's a Mississippi State bulldog fan, partly because she's real funny & partly because I, too, am a big ol fan of the cream cheesey kind of dips. And she's hosting this

Which I find to be a billiant idea on many different levels.

My contribution is one I can't take total credit for, but it is so easy, so yummy & so often asked for that I thought i should spread the joy.

1 pkg cream cheese
salsa
parm cheese - the powdery kind
wheat thins, fritos or those whole grain tostitos go nicely


Spread the cream cheese on the bottom, topped with the salsa, then the parm cheese - bake at 350 until bubbly & voila. Perfection.

happy tailgating, or to my dad who will undoubtedly host quite possibly 1000s of people on their porch this fall.....happy porching!