Lately...

This one has been rocking his Explode the Code, eyes crossed and all.

It being a new semester and all, I had to pull out some new pencils to celebrate.  Something has to feel new and exciting.

These kids love each other enough to eat bean soup together.  

Excuse the mop bucket in the background :)

Superman lives on.

Sleeping under the tree is even fun in the middle of January.

I'm not sure why my kids love Aunt Judy so much.

I put my running shoes on a couple Saturdays ago thinking for sure it would make me go… but it didn't.  The day got away from me.  Ugh.  I need to start exercising again, but haven't. 

I did some school restructuring with some homemade chex mix and diet coke and Ellie Holcomb pandora.

This one read his first book all by himself.

This one had bed hair of the century.

I had hot tea by the fire with my plaid pants on.  It's all a great combination.

Nathan's favorite baby, Miss Hannah Jane, has been carried around the house… sometimes with a spatula.

What do you think of this mirror above our mantle?  Do you like it or is it too wow?

I had a date with these two.

He's been sleeping on the couch a lot and it's so so cute.

These boys loved spending time outside with good friends.

He had to endure my favorite furniture store.  But these army guys really really helped.

This is how I woke up one morning.  I think the massage chair has put him in some kind of relaxation trance.

Cutest thing ever//a little boy who brings his mommy flowers.

Samuel added this to my grocery list.  

Wrestling in the kitchen.

My friend Jen came over all the way from the jungles of Uganda.

This is what the playroom looks like after a home school day.  Creativity=Mess.

We had some visitors last weekend.

Oh the fun these three had.

Making happy messes outside.  And this is before we started in with the glitter.

A few Valentines things are making an appearance.

And we're doing school and waving pots on the counter in a suit that is now three sizes too small.  

Living the dream… it's what we've been doing lately :)

Because You Always Remember Your First Date

Remember this post from a couple of weeks ago.  Well, Sallie and Judy had a really great idea.  In honor of them wanting to dress and act like grown men, they decided to get all dressed up and eat at a fancy restaurant.  Graham and Samuel were so excited.  Who wouldn't be?

We took some cute pics on the porch swing ;)

They were given strict instructions from their father about how to act on a date.  They were super excited to do things like open the car door.  Graham even had a credit card tucked in his wallet to pay for dinner.  They were a little thrown off by the booth, because they were told to make sure that you pull out the chair for your date.  So many obstacles to being mannerly.

This was Samuel telling Judy how many people had complimented them.  Everyone from the waiter to the valet to random people eating at the restaurant.

They came home brimming with stories and smiles of their first time out on the town in their new suits. 

Thanks, Sallie and Judy, for loving our kids!

Chilly Days

January in Texas is finicky.  It's hot and then it's warm, and then it's raining, and then it's cold.  Then it repeats itself.  A vicious cycle.  We like to build fires outside when it's cold.  First we dug through our winter clothes and found some old memories.  

This one loved finding his baby hat.  It's a bit small for his head now.

Here he is in his hat just a few years ago.

Oh the drama this baby was… but I would love to go back in time and hold this baby Cry Cry.

There's something about boys and fires.  Just to build one, and listen to it, and stand around it.

It may even put you right to sleep.

I mean, I can't believe he fell asleep.  It scared for a for a few seconds because he was SOUND asleep.

Graham wanted a posed shot with his ax.

And then he wanted an action shot.  Very manly :)

And the wolf hat.  I couldn't pass it up when I saw it at Target.

A cute little Wolfe with just a smudge of s'more on his face.

Hope you are keeping warm on this cold Texas day!

Waiting for Santa

I stood in the long line of parents waiting to see Santa.  Some were holding their first baby with their sweet "My First Christmas" outfit.  Some had come from watching a Christmas show at the local theater.  Many were dressed in their Christmas best.  Some, like us, were just out with their families on a Saturday in December.  The line didn't seem terribly long, but it was moving incredibly slow.  Like really slow.  I like a friendly Santa, but I was wishing he would move the kids along a bit so that we could get on with our day.  The older boys lost interest in about ten minutes and Chris took them to read books at Barnes and Noble.  But Nathan and Jopie were so excited to see Santa.  And these two, sure they're still little, but they may be over Santa by next year.  This may be the last time they want to do this.  So I stood in line with a slightly different perspective, soaking in these "lasts" with my boys.  We stood in line for over an hour, and I thought about how we had come to this exact spot right after Joseph was born.  At that time, it seemed my kids would be little for all of eternity.  Now, seven years later, it seems to be passing through my fingers.  Bittersweet is the best word to describe this passing of time.  One of my goals for the New Year, which I may eventually get to blogging about, is to embrace this season in my life… to not dwell too much on the past or do too much wondering about the future.  There are many things that robbed my joy during those little years, and I don't want to miss this season of life with my boys because life isn't the exact way I want it to be.  This is the life that God has so graciously given me.  Thankfulness should be bubbling up out of me, not self-pity, and some of the other things that often come out of my mouth.

Back to Santa.

  Nathan knew exactly what he wanted:  Chima Legos and a bow and arrow.  Joseph had an hour think about it and still couldn't decide by the time he got up there.  That's just Jopie, happy with whatever he gets.

I'm glad I waited in that long, boring line.  I'm glad to have these pictures of my boys being little, even if it is passing, I will choose to enjoy it to fullest.

This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I know I'm biased, but you have to admit that all of those pictures are pretty adorable ;)