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!

4 frogs and a boy

My oldest has always walked way far away from these things & my boy.....well, I think he just thinks they are different looking friends of his. Friends he only gets to see every so often & friends he is so glad to be reunited with. Because he speaks to them so kindly & asks them inquisitive questions like, "What are you reading, frog?" and greets them with a "Good to see you, Frog." And I like to think, as I am certain he does, that they are happy to see him, too. Because if I were a frog sculpted out of copper - I would wait anxiously every day for that little boy to walk up & give me a hug.

I cannot wait to see this sweet compassionate heart as he grows!

Who will get to receive the joy of that much needed hug?!

so big

I just can't believe how big she's getting

And she has this look about her - like she is wise beyond her years. Like she knows what's going on. I love getting to know her better every day. She is such an incredible joy to our family.

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.