Happy Birthday My Budda

Cole is 1 today!

I can not believe that an entire year has gone by since our family added its newest member! They always say how different that your first and second are. Since Jack was so laid back and barely cried I thought I would be in for a real doozy. Well Cole is completely different, just not in the way that I had imagined. He is so happy and very sweet but so busy and curious! I have called poison control three times, I have pulled an ornament hook, straight pen and a bar of soap out of his mouth! He has climbed up the outside of the stairs, pulled a very heavy glass pitcher off on his toe which resulted in a lot of blood, zoomed his big brothers race car through the garage, walked out of my front door at 10 months, crawled out of a five point restraint in his high chair and across the table multiple times, pulled the vent out of the floor at 5 months, pulled the gate off the stairs so that he could race up them and get to his big brother, already played keep away with Jack and won, swiped dinner and drinks from the table many times, played in the trash more times than I can stomach to think about and on and on and on! Many of these moments have have taken my heart straight to my toes and made me out and out beg Brad to come home early from work! However, I did not know I would ever adore or think anything was as great as Jack! Maybe that is why God makes sure that they are so distinctly individual. I adore him and delight in him just as much!

I love the way he comes into bed every morning and cuddles in with the family until he can not stand it any more and begins crawling over each of us. This in turn stirs up Jack which in turn makes our bed look like bear cubs are flipping and flopping all the while Brad and I try to continue sleeping!
Here is a list of more reasons why I love him.

• I love the way he grins until his eyes disappear.


• I love the way that he has a special giggle just for when his brother makes him laugh!


• I love how double waves at Brad in the morning when he leaves.


• I love how he wants to be held just to put a head on my shoulder and snuggle up


• I love how he wants two or three pacifiers just to go to sleep


• I love how he growls in frustration


• I love how aware of what is going on around him


• I love the way he toddles


• I love his spirit of adventure


• I love the love that he has brought to our family. I feel so much more joy because I am much more relaxed this time around, the bond between brothers is the sweetest, and Brad who once thought one child was plenty would not have it any other way now!

Happy Birthday my sweet baby Cole!

My grandfather is 90. He has led a VERY full and wild life (if all the stories are true, really even if just some of them are true). However, as far as I have known him, he has been just bigger than life! I often think of him as a true tall tale. I mean this figuratively and literally. He is about 6'5 and he can tell a tale like no other. He catches fish with his hands, hunts and every year he puts out a garden that could feed all of Lewisburg. I have spen many hours near him soaking up great tales and laughing until tears were streaming down my face and begging my brain to remember the last hysterical thing he said!

We try to visit him monthly and he takes so much pride in being a great-grandfather. He always has candy beside his lazyboy and hands it out willingly. It is very sweet to watch him with my children. He smiles so wide every time they come through the door. He still has many hushed conversations about working hard and the big dollars that he is going to pay out from his "pocketbook". He is still bopping kids on his knee and singing "bomp diddy bomp".

Those are the things that I remember from being a little girl. I also remember what comes next as a teenager.He hasn't (thankfully) started saying things to my children like, "If anybody tries to sell you any of that dope you tell them I want to buy some.You send them right here to Barron Rd. and I will send them home in a bag. This is always followed by a long pause and then a current Lewisburg newspaper article involving "the dope"and its many dangers. Or my personal favorite, anytime that there is a lull in conversation and you are still smiling from the last hysterical thing that came out of his mouth and he bellows "Stay off that Met (he means Meth) . It kills, do you understand (insert here wild eyes boring a hole in you for a solid 5-10 sec) it KILLS." I almost pee every time because of how much he has just startled me.

New for this generation are the games or activities that he has concocted. Most every time, I have thought, "Jack will never play with that", and then he plays for hours. He has gathered cups for stacking, balls and clothes hampers to play soccer, wood blocks, wheels and a plastic seat to rid though the yard, wheels to push across the yard and chase.

Other times, I have held my breath and wondered how to find the closest medical care. Big Grandaddy gave Jack (when he was two, TWO I say) his old tackle box with rusty lures and fishing line. Thankfully, my first born does not have that wild side that made this a real danger, but I knew then that I needed to keep a closer eye on Grandaddy than Jack!

Our last visit brought us another one of these treats. This time was more of a grab bag of sorts. We went down to his shed that truly looks like something from the set of a horror film to gather our loot!

This is what we came back with. Now if I were one of those bloggers who had sponsors and giveaways this would be a contest for sure. Except, I guess I would also need to know what these things are so I guess that would not work! However, give yourself a pat on the back if you can identify any of these things.

Even though we joke and laugh all of the time, he ends each of our visits making sure that I know how much he adores me. I truly love this man who gave me my red hair and the passion for life that goes along with it! He does not have much to give but he is always smiling and giving what he does have lovingly, and I NEVER leave without a great story!

Christmas Time Part 2

Christmas morning is truly the most magical time! I have often heard that when a child is 4 Christmas is the most fun!

I am pretty sure I was close to that age when I received my own puppy and kitchen set. The pictures of me are undeniable pure joy.

However, I was a little afraid that my son may go completely the other way. On Monday, Brad and I said" This is Monday do you know what is happening on Friday?" Now we have done countdowns and advent calendars and all of our traditions and he replies with total seriousness " I go back to school?

I was panicked. Did I do something wrong? Why does he not know to the second when Christmas morning is coming?

Well, I still do not know the answers to those questions but I do know sometime between Monday and Friday he figured it out. We spent Christmas morning with Mom,Dad Allie and Addison as well as Gigi and Papa who came for the Santa gifts. Most every present he opened came with" Oh my goodness Oh my goodness this is what I have always wanted" all the while clutching it to his chest. He was very excited. Santa left him a Titans bike and football men and he has not stopped talking about what a great job that Santa did.

Even though when the pedal fell off his bike I did hear Brad tell him that "sometimes Santa's elves get into to much of a hurry with the deadline of Christmas approaching!" (He was referring to me as that was the pedal that I put on.)

The day came to a climax for me when I lay in bed beside Jack getting ready for nap time and sweetly looked at me and said"Momma, this has been the BEST Christmas ever,in the entire world of all of the Christmases ever." Then he began to shriek because there were no more words. I melted!

* I will add some more pictures as I get them. Papa and Nana both have way nicer cameras and so we deferred to them on Christmas morning.

New Years Resolutions

My body has been a source of frustration, intense dislike and embarrassment. As New Years approached and I thought about a resolution I began to pray and something hit me.( I have had an internal dialogue about myself that would bring the most confident person to their knees. I can honestly say that I could not find anything that I liked! ) So when these new thoughts began to flow I knew they were not generated by me!

This body has carried two children while God did his handwork to develop them. My body labored and delivered them both. My body has provided their complete nutrition as babies. My arms have held them as the tiniest newborn and welcomed them to this big world. With these arms I have snuggled them and comforted them. These arms have carried them everywhere. My hands have given high fives, head rubs, infant massages, caresses, discipline,and pats on the back. My legs have run races, run to their rooms in the middle of the night, and to greet them after a separation. My back has carried a sling with both boys to sleep in, ride in and to just be close. My back has also given countless piggy back rides and helped me stand firm when it that was needed. My eyes have smiled, winked, and cried tears of joy and worry. All of my soft parts have been a cozy place to snuggle up to watch movies, read books and cuddle with to get ready for bed.



So as I look forward, I feel that maybe a different perspective might help. I am always aware of my extra pounds but I think I feel so defeated before I can get started that I either think why bother or I will have to deal with that later. Maybe, being grateful for all my body has given to me and allowed me to enjoy is a better incentive to take care of it! As Jack has always said to me "Momma I love the way God made you!" So I will start there.