Organized Chaos = A Playdate

I'll tell you one neat thing about Bethabra.  God had some young families there when we arrived, and He has continued to bring more young families in the 2.5 years we have been here.  Our newest sweet family is from Alabama and I so enjoyed getting know Liz and Zeke a little better this past week at our house.  Thankful for the Lord surrounding me with Godly women to challenge and walk with me through this stage of life.  

 

Our sweet babies eating lunch...

Jeanette and Kelli

Sweet Baby Addelyn

Loved spending time with these ladies and their sweet babies the other day - even in the midst of organized chaos.  Thinking of other ladies who might be able to join us next time!

Fast Forward 3 months

Why in the world is it so hard to follow through? I really like blogging. I really like it because I feel like later I’ll be able to look back and what random days were like in our life and smile at the memories or cry at the memories...or whatever. I get on a blogging kick and do great for a while, and then life gets overwhelming and I just drop it for months. So, I’m going to attempt to get back on the blogging wagon. I think things went into the overwhelming overdrive after James had to have a little procedure, summer started, and we started traveling some – Southern Baptist Convention, home for a couple of weeks, James’ b’day, mine and Landon’s b’days, our anniversary, and so on and so on...more stuff I can’t remember. So, I’m throwing up some pictures of James’ b’day, some 2 year old pics Joy took of James and our family, and we’re picking it back up and moving right along.

James is growing like a weed. He has been quite challenging lately just trying to figure out how to discipline him – his will is STRONG. Serious business. Many toddler bed struggles have been happening in the last month or so, and it has been very interesting around here. Some waking up in the night (by James) yelling strange stuff...some throwing himself on the floor in many temper tantrums, still a little biting. AND, many good things.  Learning his ABC song (a little bit!), counting from 1 to 14, starting to sing (Scooby Doo Where are You and Jesus Loves Me), and talking up a storm! What a sweet blessing he is!

Landon has been working HARD this summer. I think he is in a season where he is really hearing God’s voice and direction very clearly. It’s fascinating to watch as he makes decisions and grows by leaps and bounds in the Lord. There have definitely been some challenges – no question about that – but I’m just saying that I’m thankful for him, thankful for his leadership, and thankful he is my pastor...and my husband.

I am still working part time for RB&Co. and still love my job. Because of the little bit of work that I’m doing, James will start preschool 2 mornings a week at the beginning of September. He will go to Bethlehem Christian Academy on Tues. and Thurs. mornings. I think this will be GREAT for him – to interact with other kids and get to do fun activities, and to give me a focused time to work and help my family financially – then maybe I won’t have to work quite so late at night sometimes.

 

Synopsis of pictures...

 

James 2nd B'day party...

 A few pics from our time with Joy...

 Such sweet shirts Grammie had made for James and GatorPa...

 And the girls and James eating breakfast on the beach.

 

Alright.  I'm going to pretend like I've caught up on every single thing the last 3 months.  Now, for my millionth try on the blogging wagon.  :)  

One Snappy Dresser

Daddy gave us some SCAG shirts last time we were home at the shop.  James loves any shirt with a tractor, and he wanted SO BAD to wear Landon's new SCAG shirt...so I helped him put it on :)

Clearly, a man would not use a pony tail holder to secure his t shirt, but alas, an almost 2 year old who hangs out with his mom a lot must.  This is why dads can be important :)

And, here's what happens when I let James pick out his own outfit.  A Mickey Mouse swim hate (and he calls Mickey Mouse "Mowey Cat".  Ha.  And, cousin Noah's way to big shoes :)  He is one handsome dude.

Suckers & a Tractor Lunchbox

James ate his first REAL sucker, like for big boys, the other day on the way home from Costco.  The sucker was attached to a balloon we got for donating to the Children's Miracle Network on the way out of Costco. My silly momma self though, "Ah, there's no way he can get all the plastic off of that sucker to eat it."  Ah, I am a fool, indeed.  Halfway home I look back and he has gotten a piece of the plastic of and is just sucking and sucking and sucking that one little part.  HA.  Where there's a will, there's a way, I guess.  He enjoyed it, to say the least.  Here is the end result.

Back around the time James was born, GatorPa gave James a JD lunchbox, for when he was old enough to play with it.  I got it out of the closet the other day, and he was pretty excited.  

The Zoo = A Place to Ride a Choo-Choo

A couple of weeks ago we took our first trip to the zoo.  It was very exciting.  The main thing that made it exciting had nothing to do with animals.  The Choo-Choo was there.  Oh my.  

  There were a lot of school groups there, which was pretty unfortunate – but it was still great.  James did not care AT ALL about any of the animals.  I think he was just confused.  Like, why in the world aren’t we going in there???  So, we would come up to the tigers and they would be really far away and we would be right at the wooden fence, and say, “Do you see those tigers??  See??”  Pointing, pointing, pointing (Me pointing).  Then James just kept saying, “Please? Please,” which I finally figured out meant he just wanted to go in there.  I thought the funniest thing though – and clear indication he could not see the animals all that great – was at the monkeys.  I was trying to point to the monkeys to show him where they were far away, and then he starts yelling, “Where are you monkeys” – which sounds like “WEEE OHHHHHH Moneys???”  At home when we can’t find stuff – like Thomas or like his drink, then I guess I must say that – so James has picked up on it and says all the time, Where are you _____ (whatever we are looking for).  And, from the time we got out of the car, he was asking about that little train.  We did ride it and it was the highlight for him, for sure.  We rode the carousel – which he didn’t like at first, but I hoisted my behind up on the animal with him finally and he felt better about that.  I didn’t, but he did.  I kept thinking…will this hold both of our weight?? He also loved the petting zoo.  All they had in there were goats…he kept saying “Hello Go”  Hello go.  It was really funny.  He didn’t take a nap on the way home either.  We ate at OK Café for lunch – AWESOME!!!!

Mother's Day 2012

I had a great Mother's Day.  First of all, Landon gave me the funniest card ever - and then James and Landon gave me a Pandora bracelet.  I had been back and forth over the last couple of years about whether or not I wanted one, but finally (after debating a couple of years) I decided I really wanted one.  I got the bracelet and two charms - one pretty one Landon picked out for me and a frog charm James picked out for me :)  It was great.  James got mad while giving it to me because he wanted to wear the bracelet and kept saying, "take a turn" over and over.  I am really, really blessed, and I know that.  I am very thankful for my family.  

First Real Boo-Boo

Well, I knew it was going to happen eventually, and it did.  Our driveway is sloped downward, and sure enough, James was running full force down it and fell.  I immediately see teeth being knocked out all over the driveway (in my mind), but thank the Lord, just a skinned knee was the result.  I'm going to have to pull the neosporin, peroxide, and bandaids together so we are ready at all times.  It was pretty traumatic for James, but he is doing great.  We check the boo-boo many, many times during the day.  He is on top of the healing process :)  I think he is going to survive, and unfortunately, I know there are many more to come!