Nice to meet you Mary, I apparently, am Martha

For many years I have heard the Mary vs Martha analogy a lot. And I get it....I'm definitely a do-er & i think you have got to have a few do-ers...and I know that that's not all that the passage is about ...but it's sometimes just easier to make it about the do-ers vs the not do-ers. Well, the other night I got a sweet glimpse of that picture in my own home.

It's 330am & we hear a blood curdling scream from upstairs. We both leap out of bed, crash into each other at the bottom of the stairs, man down (not me) & we eventually get up there to see my sweet 4 year old crying & screaming in the bathroom. Just standing there & screaming & crying. And I know the look on her face - I recognized it all too well from 5 first trimesters.....and I keep running through this one in my head....I knew the look & i wrapped my arms around her anyway. Aaaaaaaaaand she threw up. On me. And on the floor, but it's the "on me" part that sticks out. We get it cleaned up, I run the towels down to the washing machine, Lee settles her in & she seems fine. 4ish am - screams, throws up (not on me this time) I grab the bath mats up & take them to the washer, get her settled back in

5, 6, 7 repeat....I wash more towels, strip the bed....all while Lee sat with her in the bathroom. Rubbing her back. Helping her get her new PJs on. Speaking softly to her.

And I know that both jobs needed to happen. But in the moment, one of them could have waited. And I knew it the next day when all she wanted was her daddy....the one who sat next to her & whispered to her words of comfort, and rubbed her back.....

and I'll never forget it. We will both sit still next time - because if I'm not careful I'm gonna miss it. When things get crazy I tend to get moving...and I'm going to miss those little whispers that come when I choose to sit still at His feet. What a sweet sweet, much needed picture.

icing lover in search of cake lover

I have come to believe that people are either "icing" people or "cake" people. I'm not saying that there are not people out there who enjoy the 2 things together - I mean, it would be crazy to say that. But what I am getting at is that say you have a slice of cake & you are going to "share" it with someone & you had to choose - icing or cake. Which would it be? And don't throw your "why don't you just cut the slice in half" at me. I'm trying a make a point & it's my blog - so there.
Which would it be?
Hands down for me it's the icing. I have learned in my old age that i could almost do without the cake, except that there's something about the 2 merging together...it does something to the icing - makes it better somehow, especially layered cakes & the icing that gets caught in the middle - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

So, we got this big ol cake for New School Year's Eve and also because of some bitterness from way back on our wedding night when the caterer put not one smidgen of cake in our basket. And having to hear my mother say, "we were GIVING that cake away! We had SO MUCH LEFT OVER!!!!" Ugh!!!!!!!!! It still irritates the stew out of me......but I think we have found a solution in that we will have a cake every year for our anniversary. And Lee doesn't really even like cake, so I will gain 25 pounds every year at the end of summer to deal with my cake deprivation issues.
And as it turns out, our anniversary seems to coincide with the 1st day of school so I don't have to feel like such a toddler getting my own cake to deal with my obvious issues. So fast forward just a couple of days to about 10 oclock in the am, I sat down with my big girl to have a mid morning snack....of cake, of course. The snack choice of champions. And I did what any normal person would do in sharing a piece of cake & took all of the icing & put it on my plate & gave her the cake.
I mean, who cares right? She's 4. It's cake.

Well.......turns out that it does matter & that she inherited my icing genes. She was none too happy that there was no icing on her plate.
Which is a bummer for both of us, but mainly for her as I will need to find another cake sharing partner......and I think the boy is my guy.

Here's to the Strict Parents

(something great i just read)
"When I was a teenager, my dad was strict. He was, I would’ve told you back then, unreasonable, over-protective and stubborn, and I would’ve rolled my eyes to illustrate my point. (Seeing as how those same eyes were thickly be-decked with Clairol Electric Blue Mascara, my moral authority should have been taken with a grain of salt.)
....continue reading

seven

Lee & I got away for a weekend - thanks to a gift & the service of my amazing in laws! Wow - we didn't know how much we needed that! So restful - incredibly peaceful & I feel like I know "us" better now than I did just last week - simply because of a weekend. We are being challenged in some pretty cool areas right now & I'm grateful to be in it with him. So, Happy Anniversary - OH! I may not have even mentioned that part! 7 years :) & lots of rocky roads along the way. But each bump has made us better. Looking forward to many more smooth & rocky roads with him.

Do something.

Do you ever hear about things going on in the world & feel completely overwhelmed? The news is enough to make me crawl under a rock. Lately I have had placed in front of me stories & statistics, and very simply just a reminder that there is life happening outside of my little comfortable circle. I am finding myself wanting to plug my ears & cover my eyes because at times the stories are too painful to hear about. If I'm honest, those reminders pour a sense of guilt all over me.....because how can I just go about my very cushioned daily routine knowing that people truly are suffering? It's been a real invasion to my life. And I find it tempting to call it overwhelming - knowing I can't fix it all, and therefore somehow let that justify my not doing anything. How could that possibly make me feel justified? Am i alone here? I am being pretty transparent.
But in this desire to 'change the world' - I'm not really that naive. But I do believe we all can do SOMETHING. So meet these kids. Realize that they are real, alive & living somewhere. In need of your help. Think about this. Pray about it. Pray FOR them. And do something. Spread the word.

Daddy's Girl

A picture to simply move past the shrimp pasta post. Thanks, Nancy, by the way for the recipe :). It's good to know how to get your attention.
I have a pretty awesome relationship with my dad.
My parents divorced when I was pretty young & I think because of that I became really good friends with my dad over time. I think maybe it had something to do with not being under his roof a lot of the time therefore there was never really a battle of the wills with him & me. I think that's correct english, but I'll be honest...I'm not sure. I've got some insomnia going on & my brain is functioning on 25%. maybe.
But Lee's on his way to Baskin Robbins to hopefully help. Help what? Not certain, but I think it'll do the trick.
Alrighty....moving on. I have a fun relationship with my dad. I wonder if he would agree with what I wrote up there? I should ask him sometime. So this picture of my big girl & her daddy makes me grin. They sure do adore each other. It actually speaks to me on so many crazy different levels. But I won't bore you with all the crazy drama that goes on in my head.

But just join me, will ya, and just look at how so so sweet they are.

In truth, she may have just wiped marshmallow cream on his nose.......but who cares, right? It's a great picture.

mmmmmm. Shrimp Pasta

OK, now this shrimp recipe looks like a winner & I hope to try it one day, but in all honestly the only reason I am posting a picture of this shrimp pasta is to remind MY COUSIN NANCY to send me her recipe that we had in Monteagle. She is my only reader, I believe, so it makes sense now that I think about it to post it here because she faithfully checks this blog - unlike my younger sister who had to ASK ME what the blog address was today. Seriously? You live in Colorado. I'm not certain you even knew we had a third.......There's good information here. Fun developments in the lives of your nieces & nephew....not to mention your sister & brother in law. I mean did you see the post where he & L did canonballs? In sync? They may go pro. Did you know that? Doubt it. Check. The. Blog.

And I digress.

Now, Nancy, would you kindly email me the shrmp pasta recipe asap. Oh, and they just opened a new cupcake place near my house. Come visit & we can try it together :).

Thank you very much,

Cupcake

so silly

We made somehomemade ice cream & I wanted to get the authentic 1st reaction when she put it in her mouth. She's real expressive, that big girl of mine. Buit what I got was just a series of silliness.......which made me just keep taking pictures :) She is so very silly.

2 peas in a pod

just more goggles

seriously?

What kind of mother before rescuing her baby, obviously distressed, snaps a picture? And in my defense, I don't think i saw that scowl through the camera lens. I think I noticed it after.

And while I'm at it, haven't I posted a picture of a crying child already?? I'm wondering how many pictures such as these I can find!! But again, what's with all the crying??!!

We. Are. At. The. Beach.

he really cracks me up

please. please. look at that funny little boy.

fantasy or reality?

So, I am in the middle of a great book. The kind of book you think about when you're not reading it & only wishing you were reading it. The kind of book that you stay up to the wee hours of the morning just to get a few more pages into it. The kind of book you truly feel you are a part of. And a friend who has finished the book a while back talks with that grief you feel when a good book ends. And we were talking about it on the phone the other day & it hit me.....she knows how the story ends. This story that is so presently alive for me has come to completion for her, and for many others I assume. But how is it possible that something so very real to me right now could already be over?? These trials that this person I am reading about have in actuality already been resolved?? And yet it is so.

And pondering this strange thought process today reminded me that I have heard this before in a different context. In the context of my very own life. This story that I am in the midst of, these decisions that I may be struggling over......have in fact been decided. My story has been seen in completion. And the fears & worries I feel in the present all have a purpose in the end. And I can't see it, because I am caught up in the middle of this book.

Now, I am off to finish this book.

trendsetter?

These pictures just make me happy. And those goggles?? What is the deal with those goggles?? First & foremost, let me tell you that they never once kept the water out. Each & every time she came out of the water with them on they were filled with water. Is she a trend setter? Will this become the latest of 4 year old fashion? Actually, I have seen worse fashion statements made by none other than myself. But somehow she wears the mistakes better than I.

should we seek help?

Now, I know this is normal...but why? Why in the world is it normal to go from this......

to this...in 2.2 seconds? What is about the age of 2 that creates this extreme melo-drama. Something that I was led to believe would just be present in the XX chromosomed children of mine. But as I look around i realize that my 2 year old boy is not the only one who seems emotionally unstable at times. We were at the beach, for crying out loud......it is the equivalent of DisneyWorld in their minds....so why the temper tantrum?

And now that I've posted it.....I have to say that he was pretty dreamy the rest of the trip....I just found it hilarious that within 2 clicks of the shutter button something major occurred....and now I wonder if my husband asks these questions about me from time to time. Now that I think about it - I'm certain he must.

Off to think about the similarities of my 34 year old personality and that of my 2 year old.

10+ months

Here's a little greeting from the beach - this one kept me on my toes....she was ALL over the place. She had herself contained here, as you can see, so I snapped a quick one.
Will certainly post more later.

beach

Well, we're at the beach......relaxin & eating all sorts of things that I'm certain God never intended for food...and I'm loving every minute of it. I can't wait to post pictures & share some stories - it's been a good time for all of us.
We got here & the first day we walked outside & the oldest paused, turned her head a little & said, "I smell sand"
She captured it! That's the beach smell & I have never heard it described as perfectly as that 4 year old did.
Hope you're having a great week.....update with pictures real soon!

these 2....

These 2 LOVE each other. They all love each other - but it is so funny to watch these 2 very very young people express how they care for each other. The way he stands by her crib to say very "matter of factly" - "good morning" & the way she burst into squeals & applause at the sight of him. Or like at lunch today whens he patted his head & kindly said, "No no. Not right now. I eating my lunch."Sweet times. Crazy. But really sweet.

my boy

Well, I got myself a new computer :). And I am learning that it takes a lot of time to reorganize one of these things. I thought technology was supposed to save time & i've never found that to be true. Anyway, not the point of this post. I was getting my pictures up on the new computer & was looking through them as I went. And I saw this one........have i posted this one before?
Sorry, if I have. I ran into a friend the other day & he mentioned that of the 20 times he's seen my boy he's had this shirt on 18 of those 20 times. I think he's dead on right. We do love our Superman shirt.
This picture captures so much of what I think I will remember about him being 2. He's a carefree kid. Just content to be on the path as long as he can stop, point & speak to any bugs along the way. And he usually moves his head around as he walks....or when he talks....he can be very expressive & "matter of fact." Like in this picture, I imagine that he's saying something like, "I am walking on the sidewalk, Mommy" or "my name is TWO" or "my shirt is red" - "no buddy - your shirt is blue" "no, mommy, my shirt is red"
When I was in labor with the 1st i was told by my OB that I was very "matter of fact" - I have wondered ever since what that meant....how sweet of God to give me a boy to show me.
So this is just a post about my boy :).

I am only surprised that his crocs are not on backwards. Another thing I will remember about him being 2.

the 4th

I am fully aware that today is like the 10th of July & that I am way delayed in posting anything, but better late than never, right?? We spent the 4th with some of my family up in Tennessee - it was wonderful. Relaxing and peaceful & i have tons of pictures on memory cards & memories swimming around in my head - but i thought it would be good to post these 1st. The kids loved the fireworks & they really were spectacular.

My big girl woke up that morning to put on her red white & blue that I had laid out for her & she asked "why, Mom? why do we wear red, white & blue?" and "Why, Mom? Why are we going to a parade?" So I gave her her first "we are celebrating our great nation! The freedom that we take for granted! The freedom that you even are ALLOWED to wear that adorable little skirt & shirt that we have the freedom to buy a Target! We have a Target in this great United States of America! And the breakfast you ate today - do you realize how incredibly fortunate we are?" And I am not sure when she walked away or how long I stood there with my hand over my heart talking to myself.....but I think Daddy will get all of the questions from now on. I fell certain that Mommy has been relieved of her duties temporarily.
But it was a great day. I'll post other pictures in a little while when the kids are not screaming & nipping at my heels. Enjoy these for now.

You'll notice here that she is in brown.....well, it is late in the day & I don't prepare multiple holiday outfits...the other one was just plum worn out after all of the picnicing & bike riding & candy catching. But isn't that a fun picture???