If you have been visiting lately, you noticed there have not been any new posts. It isn’t because I have stopped blogging it is because I have been on a mini vacation. The boys and I went to Kentucky for a family reunion and then onto West Virginia to visit my sister. The weekend and week were wonderful! It has made me appreciate so many things. To wrap up my time away, I am creating a list (short and simple) of things I am thankful for. Here we go.
1. My boys – They were such troopers on our trip. They were in the van for over 12 hours on our way home and hardly complained! It made it worth it.
2. My hubby – I missed him SO much while we were away. While we were gone he had our carpets cleaned, something that was needed badly. Tonight he surprised me with an Oreo Mocha Chiller from Baskin Robbins. They taste SO good and it was a nice treat.
3. My sister – She hosted us while we were in West Virginia. She was great with the boys and they love her so much. She spoiled all of us! She is such a great friend and the best aunt ever.
4. My Dad and Mom – Dad sent mom to Pittsburgh on Tuesday so that she could ride home with me on Wednesday. It was so good to have an extra set of hands on that long trip.
5. Tubes! This is a huge praise! Silas know has tubes in his ears! The surgery was super quick. We arrived at the hospital at 6am and I was home by 9a! Silas has had no affects from the surgery.
Hope this makes you think of things you are thankful for as well.
Lately Silas has been saying his first words. He started with Dada a while ago but had no clue what he was really saying. Let me tell you, all the boys said dada before mama – despite I carried them for 9 months and birthed them. Oh well! Silas is getting that Dada means something and shouts it out when Heath gets home. Then, just the other day as we were leaving Heath’s parents, he started waving and saying ba ba. Ok, I get he might say dada first but to wave for someone else before mommy? I am not kidding, they have all done things like that for other people way before me. And yes, I get that this sounds a little selfish. So I started to wonder why it might be like this. Then it occurred to me.
Would you be nice to the person who sucks out your nose?
Have you heard the song ‘What you won’t do, do for love’. Now, I love music – just about all kinds, too. Old Motown rocks and this song is no exception for me. However, this title took on new meaning for me this week.
The boys and I are leaving tomorrow (you read right, Heath is staying home). We are on our way to KY for a family reunion and then on Saturday we will travel to Morgantown, WV to visit with my sister for a few days. We are all excited! Let me just tell you, I love my sis. She is one of my best friends. She can make me laugh when I want to cry and let me vent when I need to get something out.
Her birthday is coming up next month and since we will be with her next week, we will celebrate it then (you know gift giving and such). I asked her if she wanted a cake for her birthday. She asked if I was making it. After I said sure, she said then of course I want the cake. A week ago it didn’t sound crazy. Today – not so sure. I will be making a cake after the boys are in bed (around 9p) for her. From an oursiders perspective, this is crazy. And yet, I don’t feel obligated, I want to do this. I mean she is the best Becca I have and I am glad she wants me to make her cake. So I thought about the old Motown song and decided the lyrics in my head tonight will be:
What you won’t do, do for Becca!
Can’t wait to see her and eat her cake, too!
Recently I felt challenged to find joy in every situation. It seemed like it was so much easier to be short with the kids rather than be patient, easier to judge than show grace, easier to be bitter than joyful. Believe it or not, I am not all sunshine and roses everyday – just ask Heath! I decided the only way to keep this challenge alive was to tell some people. I told my friend Christy. Would you know the next week was when we were back at the doctor with Silas! As I started to let out my frustrations that Silas was once again sick, she gently reminded me about finding joy. In that moment, I chose joy.
Today was no exception to this. Heath went in to the boy’s rooms at 545a this morning to tell them goodbye. Wouldn’t you know they weren’t interested in sleep anymore! All of the sudden my day seemed ruined…and poor Heath got some of the brunt of my frustration. As the morning went on I realized I was finding everything wrong with the morning and missing all the joy. Here is the joy I found today:
I have three wonderful boys who are full of energy and life in the morning time.
They have a daddy that cares enough to take time to tell them goodbye before he leaves for work
I have a hubby that will still want to come home even when I wasn’t very nice
My boys see a human mommy, who sometimes messes up huge, says things I need to say ’sorry’ for and shows love to them. I pray that they will continue to see me strive to be full of joy – even at 545a in the morning!
With yesterday being Father’s Day I feel the need to say thanks to my father for being the best dad I could have had. Now that I am a parent I understand the daily struggles he must have faced (and probably still faces) in raising my sister, brother and me. If I don’t say it enough – thank you for giving me your time, love and friendship. I love you dad.
Of course, what would Father’s Day be without celebrating with Heath. We were so lucky to have him home all day yesterday -well come might be a stretch of the word but he was with us all day. We took the boys to the zoo in the morning. We had so much fun being together. In the bust days of summer I sometimes forget how great it is to just laugh with Heath. The boys are endless streams energy and cause us to laugh often.
I look forward to next Father’s Day when Silas can join in the chorus of his brothers wishing their daddy a Happy’s Father’s Day.
I figure the best way to end a week is with laughter. I hope that each Friday you will find some reason to smile as you learn of some of the crazy and silly things that boys do and say.
We were in Alabama a couple months ago. Now in Alabama there is land – lots and lots of land. Even in White Bluff, it is rare to see that much land. Heath’s family has about 300 acres there. The boys loved having no limits and you could see them where ever they went. On the last day there, Heath and Isaiah were taking a short cut between two houses through a field of cows.
Let me stop here and tell you it is obvious I was not around. I mean a field of cows – don’t they charge at you? According to Heath, apparently they can stampede but it is not likely. A possible stampede is enough for me to go the long way but not Heath and Isaiah.
Isaiah started asking Heath is God made this path. Heath saw this as an opportunity to teach Isaiah about God’s provision. Heath explained how God created everything we see and how He provides for our every needs. Isaiah was intrigued and began asking if God made the cows, horses, grass, etc. Heath answered of course, God made everything you see. After a fre moments of silence, Isaiah turned and looked at Heath and said, “Do you know what else God made?” Expecting a deep type of answer he asked what. Isaiah proudly said: “Cow poop.”
I guess boys will always see the things in life I miss.
