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Random {Christmas} Rambles

A little recap of our Christmas holiday…

We got to see Santa and a couple of real live reindeer…

We ate a few chicken nuggets, went to the doctor for the FIFTH TIME IN 2 WEEKS and then came on home.

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Sweet Sayble is finally feeling a bit better. She got croup just like brother but had two infected ears on top of it and now has a cold. We did a lot of this around here…and I haven’t minded a bit to be honest…

Sweetest little (bald) thing... — Sweetest little (bald) thing…

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One of my FAVORITE things to bake is pumpkin bread and banana bread. I’m not a fan of thick, dense, heavy bread and these two are moist and light and heavenly, if I do say so myself.

Since we had a little downtime with all the sickies, I cooked up 22 loaves for some of our sweet friends…

We ate two and took two the Phipps family Christmas and the kids were asking for some this morning. Guess I shoulda made more…

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We always get the kids Christmas jammies as an early gift. They got to open them before we went Christmas light looking and hot cocoa drinking last week.

They got changed immediately and looked ADORABLE!

He looks so protective in this one... — He looks so protective in this one…

We cruised around Holyoke and then came home for some popcorn and a little Apple Dumpling Gang watching! This was one of Wrexy’s FAVORITE movies as a kid and our kids have fallen in love with it as well.

It was a REALLY good day…

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My home is truly a place of refuge for me. The other evening we had the lights off and the Christmas tree was glowing and the candles were filling the air with sweet scents…the kids were playing joyfully in the other room and Sayble was cooing at an angel from the nativity scene…daddy was on his way home and supper was in the oven and I was just so at ease. There is truly no place I’d rather be than HOME.

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Our sweet neighbors invited us over to have supper and have a little Christmas celebration. The kids had a ball (per usual) and were bouncing off the walls in excitement. (Pretty sure the Krueger house was a LOT quieter after we left!)

Mr. Rick built the kids a barn for all of their farm animals and toys and it. is. gorgeous! The hay mow flips open and the barn doors slide; there’s glass in the windows and ‘Phipps’ is engraved in the side. Seriously, you guys, it’s one of the kindest, most thoughtful gifts we’ve ever received. The kids have played with it CONSTANTLY since then!

Twins - Mr. Rick and Sayble — Twins – Mr. Rick and Sayble

Sawyer posing and Wryder over-smiling...you know, the norm! — Sawyer posing and Wryder over-smiling…you know, the norm!

Wryder didn’t fully understand that the barn was ours to take home. When it was time to go, he immediately started melting down and said, “Can I please come back and play with it sometime?” Ms. Kristi jumped in and saved the day and helped him realize he got to take it home. He stopped, dried his eyes and started jumping up and down with joy! It was pretty cute.

Mr. Logan and sweet Sara got the kids an EQUALLY awesome gift – a membership to Adventures in Odyssey! For the year, we can listen to any and every episode that we can! With our living in the boonies and driving 30 miles+ to get anywhere, this is a GREAT gift! The kids (and us!) love it!

We are blessed with some of the best friends, I tell ya…

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On Christmas Eve, we spent the day getting ready to head to Nebraska. We still had laundry to do and suitcases to pack and a few last minute gifts to wrap.

We ate a yummy lunch of steak and potatoes – everybody’s favorite – and took communion as a family. We are so thankful that Jesus was born! We took time to thank Him for the ultimate sacrifice He made for us with His death and took time to remember the faithfulness He’s shown us in 2015. We are a blessed people….

We went to Christmas Eve services at church and the kids got to get fancy!

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Sawyer and Wryder left Santa some cookies and milk and they left carrots for the reindeer. 🙂 Santa showed up and the kids didn’t even get up until 8:00 to check out their goods!

For Santa and friends

Microphone for WD and a push toy for Sayble

Wrexy snacked on the carrots and then threw them in the yard as if the reindeer ate them. The kids found them this morning and were SO excited!

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They have been so kind and gracious and grateful this year…makes a momma’s heart happy. They’ve wrapped “gifts” they’ve taken from their rooms and made gifts and then wrapped them all with whatever they could find.

Wrex was looking for his shoes to go to the barn the other day and Wryder had taken those, too! We found them wrapped in tissues under the tree. Their generosity and desire to bless blesses us…

Earrings Sawyer made me...her creativity is ASTOUNDING! — Earrings Sawyer made me…her creativity is ASTOUNDING!

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We headed to Nebraska on Christmas day to be with the Phipps family. We had a WONDERFUL time being together. The kids had so much fun playing with all of their cousins and we had fun with their cousins’ parents. 🙂

The boys got pajama pants and we took the mandatory modeling picture. If you don’t hear from me for a while, it means one of these guys has killed me for posting this. 😉

All of us grandkids got to give Grandma Rusk a very special gift this year. We wanted to make it the grand finale – the last gift to be opened – but we were all so excited we did it pretty much first thing!

A merry Christmas for a special lady... — A merry Christmas for a special lady…

It worked out well because the kids were all quiet and there weren’t a lot of other distractions. This lady is something else and so deserving of every good thing.

We took time for everyone tell the family a big thing they felt like the Lord was doing or something they really needed prayer about in the new year. During that time, Granny said that she’s gotten the same word two different times that the Lord has a mission for her in Stillwater. She was saying she didn’t really have a clue as to what it might be or have any preconceived notion what it was but she was ready to get there and get going! Lord I hope to be here and be that ready to serve the Kingdom at 80 years old…

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We finished up Christmas here today. This year has been especially fun with the kids older and fully able to soak up the joy of the season.

Wryder with the Paw Patroller and Lookout

We are so fortunate to have daddy home with us the rest of the week for Christmas vacation. We plan to soak him up and watch fun shows and eat fun food and play games and enjoy being together…our favorite thing!

Oh, and nap.

Christmas break is hard, y’all!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Since we finally got the new carpet in, we finally got the tree up…the latest we’ve ever done so. I didn’t want to put it up just to take it down or drag it around…

Our tree is covered in memories…special ornaments from when Wrex and I were little kids…ornaments from Grandma’s…ornaments our kids have made…ornaments we’ve given them each year…ornaments from our lean years and our years of plenty… It has no rhyme or reason or theme and I LOVE it!

The kiddos get a special ornament from us each year that they’ll get to have for their own grown-up trees one day. This year, Wryder got a golf cart to commemorate the cart from the elder WD. He LOVED it and just wanted to drive it instead of hang it on the tree.

Sawyer got a very outlandish chihuahua decked out in a bow, necklace, tutu…much like my pretty princess dresses day to day.

Sayble got a sparkly gold boot…mainly because I just really liked it…but it’s kind of like a baby shoe…right? Right. She just wanted to eat it anyways….

We pulled out the cookie cutters and made gingerbread men and women and candy canes and stockings and pumpkins. Yes, pumpkins. Thank you, Wryder.

They had so much fun getting frosting up to their eyebrows…and sprinkles all over the floor.

My little caker-baker. (Ignore the ugly electrical box. I blew the breaker earlier in the day and never replaced the mirror you see in the corner. Old farmhouse = subpar wiring.)

Wryder giving it a go on his own... — Wryder giving it a go on his own…

He's awfully cute, isn't he?! — He’s awfully cute, isn’t he?! And that apron. Swoon.

The finished products! (Note the pumpkin - ha!) — The finished products! (Note the pumpkin – ha!)

My personal favorites of the night... — My personal favorites of the night…

They ended the night like this…

Be still my heart... — Be still my heart…

Indeed.

Christmas Card 2015

We have some friends in the Denver area that have a tradition of rotating photos for their Christmas card. One year, it’s only the kids…the next, it’s kids and parents. I liked that idea but the way it’s shaking out around these parts, it’s just easier to photograph the kids and call it cute. That’s REALLY who people want to see anyway, isn’t it?!

Taking photos of a baby isn’t my strong suit and for a smiley little thing, she didn’t have too many smiles to give this day.

Wryder leaves a lot to be desired in the listen-and-obey department and was more interested in exploring the front yard than focusing on smiling or taking photos.

Thankfully, we have Sawyer who posed her way through 20+ shots to make my job a tick easier. 🙂

I’ve been in love with gold glitter…well, for forever…but I’ve used it a lot lately and our Christmas card was no different.

See? Don’t ya love the gold confetti glitter, too?!

I was thankful that I did end up with some good individual shots of each of my cuties…

Good gravy, she's beautiful... — Good gravy, she’s beautiful…

Girl's got it down... — Girl’s got it down…

My other little beauty... — My other little beauty…

My favorite (not in-the-moment favorite…but after-the-fact favorite) is the “blooper reel” that always has a way of manifesting itself. Take a peak…

Yes, that's a cat...AGAIN this year... — Yes, that’s a cat…AGAIN this year…

And of course there's one with Wryder crying... — And of course there’s one with Wryder crying…

And an awkward face or two... — And an awkward face or two…

The nose picking is new this year... — The nose picking is new this year…

Thankfully, dad came to the rescue... — Thankfully, dad came to the rescue…but Sawyer’s still posing!

Seriously, even the bad/frustrating/didn’t-go-like-I-planned moments are GREAT moments. Thankful for this life…

Random Rambles

A dear (and beautiful) friend checked in on me yesterday. She had noticed my lack of blogging and wanted to make sure all was well in Phippsville. Indeed, it is. We’ve just been in a season of feeling like we were just keeping our heads above water with all we’ve had going on. It’s been GOOD stuff, just lots of it!

Today’s blog is an attempt to catch you up on the past 6 weeks of our life…most likely in no particular order because oh, my brain….

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Sayble turned 7 months old and went in for her 6 month old check up. *ahem* (Re-read the first paragraph…we’ve been a little busy). She weighed in at 19 pounds and was 29 inches long! She was terribly fussy yesterday – not usually her style – and lo and behold there was a sharp little nugget of a tooth pushing it’s way up!

Cute as a button...and bald as a cue ball! — Cute as a button…and bald as a cue ball!

She started eating baby food and LOVES it. Kid is eating about 16 ounces a day and would eat more if I’d let her. She’s still just as sweet and smiley and bald as ever. It’s gonna grow. Really it will. Soon, sweetie…soon.

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We got new carpet! YAY! That’s what happens when your adorable 6 month old starts the barrel-rolling/crawling phase and she’s wrapped around daddy’s finger and he thinks the old carpet that was here when we moved in needs to go. Hey, whatever it takes! 😉

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One of Wrex’s dreams came true and he got a pony…with a cart. His name is Ernie and he’s about as wide as he is tall. He’s 12 years old and is actually quite broke and talented. The kids ADORE him and they can’t wait to ride him in a local parade. Keep your eyes out for us!

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I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for one of the sweetest girls I know! She is expecting a baby girl named Mesa Rae (isn’t that gorgeous?!) in January so we showered her with lots of love and gifts and (soup and cupcakes)! It was a fun afternoon of celebrating mommy and baby to be. There’s just something about a first-born girl…

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Sawyer has been DYING to have a Barbie Pop-Up Camper. I mean, they are pretty cool. I had the Barbie RV AND the Barbie Dream House when I was growing up so I get where she’s coming from. 😉

Wrex and I had pretty much finished her Christmas shopping and had gone back and forth on whether to take something we’d already gotten for her back to get this but that just didn’t set well with us. She has a dollhouse that she plays with and we felt like the Pop-Up Camper would be similar and that she’d enjoy some of the other things we had already purchased a little better.

Pop-Up Camper was ALL we had heard about for quite a while and we just asked the Lord for wisdom on what to do. She doesn’t have to have EVERYTHING she wants…this is the just the first thing she’s ever REALLY asked for by name. People always ask her what she wants for Christmas or her birthday and she has no clue, so this was definitely different…we just didn’t know how to navigate it. He answered.

She woke up last week and said she had an idea for us. She wanted to know if she could cash in her piggy bank and then do chores to work and earn money to pay for the rest; we were definitely behind this plan!

Girl had $64 in her bank! Thanks, sale barn buddies! We created a chore chart and she’s been working outside and moving chickens and picking up trash and doing laundry and dishes to beat the band! We saw it in Wal-Mart today and that added to the excitement. I’m so proud of her for having a goal and working for it! That will serve you well, sweet pea…

She did say she wasn’t going to buy it until AFTER Santa came because if he wanted to buy her one, she’d save her money for something else. She’s a smart one, that one…

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Speaking of Santa, we went and saw him Monday evening in town. He left a little to be desired in the santa looks department (no offense, sir!) and Sawyer was a little skeptical. She told us afterwards, “He doesn’t talk like the santa we saw last year. I’m pretty sure one of this is just some guy dressed up as santa…” She’s a smart one, that one…

Shopping with Sayble. I'm sure this is safe, don't worry... — Shopping with Sayble. I’m sure this is safe, don’t worry…

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We met up with the Phipps side of the family for Thanksgiving and the three youngest cousins got to meet each other for the first time! These cuties were all born within about a month of each other. We took somewhere between 50 and 100 pictures and I’m thinking this is one of the best ones we got! Three babies plus a house full of people trying to get them all to smile equal chaos…

Saylor (8 months), Chase (7 months), Sayble (7 months)

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Sawyer sold her first show heifer this past month with some help of daddy and her good friend John Tucker. She got her check in the mail and opened her first checking/livestock account this past week. My baby is growing up, it seems.

She picked out checks with horses on them and is so generous, she wanted Wryder’s name on them, too.

Signing her paperwork with our sweet friend, Katie

Even cooler than the checking account, she tithed off of her income to a ministry our church runs and supports called CARE Uganda. I helped host a fundraiser for them this fall and she’s as bought in as the rest of our family is. So proud of my girl…

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In the midst of all of the busyness, we have had so much to be thankful for. We have entered this Christmas season at a slower pace and a purposeful turning of our hearts towards Jesus. We’ve spent our mornings with our hearts and noses in our advent readings and have worshiped through song before bed every night. He is so worthy of it, friends…

Not Where I Thought My Morning Was Going

My adopted mom nearly killed me today. Can you believe that?! I went to her blog to find a post on Halloween that she did several years ago (that I love and wanted to share with the world) but found myself reading her latest two blog posts, which I did not know were up.

Ouch. My heart hurts.

I’m one of those people that feels things REALLY deeply and have to really prepare myself for things like that and I just dove right in…

We walked that path with my dad’s mom (my Mema) and then with my great-grandma on my mom’s side (Mema Helen) and now my grandma on my mom’s side (Grandma Cherry). We saw her (Grandma Cherry) last in June and it was a stark and drastic decline from what I had seen last. Her eyes just seemed so empty…

Alzheimer’s (or any other life-stealing disease) is so hard. It’s hard for the one experiencing it and it’s hard for everyone caring for them and it’s hard to see a person become a totally different person. Really.

As sad as I found her posts, I also found them so honoring. She sure loves her momma…

It’s important to honor our loved ones, especially our elders. My parents were so so so very good at that.

I had the privilege of living across the street from my grandparents (my dad’s parents) for the majority of my childhood. I wish I would’ve have fully realized how cool that was…

Every Saturday, my mom or dad would load up those two 70 (and then 80) year olds and take them to Wal-Mart and to the grocery store and anywhere else they needed to go. My parents would wait patiently as they did all of their shopping (as they moved a little slower than we did) and then they’d tie the tops of their bags so we could keep them all separate and load them in the back of our tiny little car. We’d usually stop and grab burgers or chicken and eat lunch with them at their home.

I don’t think I realized at the time what a chore and sacrifice this was…but I know how much work it is with three littles and I assume it’s much the same.

My parents always made sure to include them in all of our school activities and they were always finding ways (and consciously looking for ways) to serve them. This is something that will not be lost on my children…

Start now creating a culture of honor in your home. YOU honor your elders and help your kids follow suit. Go visit…take gifts…make time…pick up the phone…draw pictures…make cards…encourage conversation…tell stories…record histories…take photos…shift your priorities…

These old bodies of ours won’t last forever; they will wither and fade along with the minds and memories of some. Thank the Lord, there is no disease in heaven… But while they are still here and still with us and still able to fully understand what we’re trying to say, I encourage you to tell them how much you love them…take the time to care for them…to honor them…to find ways to bless them (not baby them)…to glean from them the pieces of the legacy of their lives that they have left to share…

So while I want you to reclaim the night on Halloween eve and shine that light for Jesus, what I really want you to do is shine that light for Jesus and hug your family. Tell them how much you love them and vow to honor them when they need it most…when their mind and memory is slipping away and it feels their independence is shriveling.

Mema Helen, now with Jesus - restored to the highest degree — Mema Helen, now with Jesus – restored to the highest degree

Grandma Cherry - five or so years ago — Grandma Cherry – five or so years ago

with my little, curly-haired brother... — with my little, curly-haired brother…

It’s rolling down hill for all of us, isn’t it, this aging thing? We aren’t meant to live here and in these bodies forever…we were made for a short time here and an eternity with our Creator.

For now, let us make these years count…for ourselves and those we love…

Birthday Bonanza 2015 – Part 2

In case you ddin’t see that late post yesterday, here’s the link to Part 1 of the Birthday Bonanza post.

We made sure and had an actual birthday party during the birthday weekend…

We found the majority of the fabric for $1/yard and scooped it up immediately! We just made some simple bunting and table runners and Wrexy sewed the backdrop. God bless him…

Grandma LOVES her family and LOVES pictures, so I made bingo cards with family faces and we played that during her party.

That project, honestly, was one of the more time consuming. Each card had to be different and random…glad that one’s over. 🙂

I covered some tin cans with cute paper and scrap fabric, attached a few horses and filled them with flowers for centerpieces…

Wrex made a barnwood plaque and we shaped an M out of a rope (for Maxine) and hung it on the backdrop…this was probably my favorite part of the whole thing.

Seeing it all for the first time... — Seeing it all for the first time…

My fabulous friend Stephanie (who also made Wryder’s tractor cake) made me some flower cupcakes and they turned out sooooooooo cute!

Since we couldn’t fit 80 candles on a cupcake (or even a larger cake) we made a cake plate full of candles for her to blow out. Apparently, the fire/smoke detector is INCREDIBLY sensitive at this place and before we even had them lit, the fire alarm went off! THAT was something we’d never forget! Thankfully they got it shut off, the building was still standing and she got them blown out in 3 tries!

It does look like quite the blaze... — It does look like quite the blaze…

We ate and drank and played games and then watched the video I talked about yesterday. I didn’t intend to make everyone cry but there were a few wet faces in the crowd…it’s been a life well-lived for sure…

The other thing Grandma really wanted to do was to have a talent show. She thinks she has one of the grandest, most impressive families on the planet and she wanted to see us do our thang!

There was ribbon dancing…

Vocal performances…

Skits…

Bedtime stories…

and a lot of smiles and laughter!

We played a little more pitch and then went to bed far too late, yet again. 🙂

We worshiped together on Sunday morning and Clint shared a message with us about family…a good word! We took communion together and remembered what the Lord has done for us….oh. so. much…

We ate one last meal together, packed up, cleaned up and went our separate ways… We sent the troops off with some trail mix and a hand stamped keychain.

I found all of these vintage boots and guns on Etsy…

and then we bought some metal blanks and memorialized them. I LOVED how these turned out!

Our prayer has been for Granny to feel so loved…to honor her…for her ideas and imaginations about her birthday weekend to be met or exceeded…and for this to be a catalyst for future and more frequent get togethers.

We pray we have countless more years together with our sweet Granny but none of us are guaranteed our next breath. We get ONE family; one crazy, imperfect family that most likely loves the stuffing out of us. Carve some time out of your schedule for them. We all make time for what’s important to us – it can’t be disproved – what does your schedule say is important to you?

All-in-all, it was a magnificent weekend! We had so much fun with the family and we had so much fun working together. There is no one I’d rather do all these crazy projects with than this handsome man of mine… There’s been lots of talk of doing this whole reunion thing again and these Phipps are on board! 🙂

Grandma, we love you. This was just one tiny little way we could bless you back for all of the countless ways you’ve poured out your love for us. Happiest of birthdays, sweet lady!

Oh! And one other memorable moment from the weekend (besides the fire alarm scaring the heck out of everyone in a 100 yard radius?!)…Sawyer lost her first tooth! She was so excited and the tooth fairy found her even though she wasn’t in her normal bed!

Pardon her poor eyes – it was early! There’s one more that is just hanging on by a thread! I better get to the ATM….

Birthday Bonanza 2015 – Part 1

So, I’ve had just a few things on my plate here lately, the biggest of which (so far) culminated this weekend in Kansas. Wrex’s Grandma Rusk turned 80 years old on Sunday and her only request was to have all of her family in one place…to spend time with them and make new memories and to share with them her love for the Lord and her desire for them to know and love Him, too. Why in the world would ya not show up for that?!

Granny is a ranchy thing, but you’d never know it just by looking at her. She’s always put together – never a hair out of place – yet tough as boot leather. I went with a vintage cowgirl/shabby chic theme for her invitations and party decor. Maybe I say this every time, but HONESTLY, this was my favorite party that I have thrown. It’s probably because the woman for whom I threw it is just out of this world lovely… I can’t say enough good things about her here, so you’ll just have to watch the video I made regarding her life. It sums it up to the best of my abilities. (It’s not perfect but after 36 attempts – not even kidding – to read it without crying, that was the best I could do).

I found the kids some little plastic spurs from Party City that they wore the first night. They. were. ADORABLE! Wryder had already lost his rowel at this point but still cute!

Leading up to the event, our family committed to covering it and everyone invited (Grandma, her 5 kids and spouses, grandkids and great-grandkids) in prayer. It’s hard to get 30+ people in one place at one time and we know that satan hates family and does everything in his power to attempt to divide them and we refused to let him.

That alone was such a rewarding time for our little family…something we plan to continue.

Grandma was so excited the day of the event, she woke up at 5:30am, got around and left even sooner than she needed to – she just couldn’t contain herself!

We gave her the grand tour, as we had all kinds of little surprises planned for her.

The only thing missing was the guest book because a certain 2 year old decided to sign the cover himself. *ahem* Thank goodness Granny thought that made it even cuter…

We bought a bundle of cheap cedar shingles and I painted them all to use as signage as the weekend. We had each person’s name on their respective doors and used them for directions and welcomes, etc.

We wanted to make the birthday girl’s room a little extra special so we had a few little things up our sleeve to do so.

When we sent out the invitations, we also included cards for each family member to fill out regarding their favorite thing about and favorite memory with Granny and asked them to send them back with their RSVP cards. We collected all of those and then tied them to the ends of balloons so when she walked in, she had a room full of love waiting to greet her!

Checking out her room.... — Checking out her room….

In everyone’s room, we left them a little goodie bag with fresh fruit, water, an itinerary of weekend events, the jelly belly bean-boozled game for late night fun and a name collage of our entire family. The family hadn’t been all together in a quite some time and we just wanted to make everyone feel as welcome as possible – we were so excited to be together again!

Friday night, Grandma wanted to have a pitch tourney and we couldn’t say no to that! This is quite the competitive group and there was quite a bit of whooping and hollering! 🙂

We had the idea to make Grandma the star of the show for this event and we made her the queen of the cards. I printed some pictures of her and photoshopped some crowns on her head and then mounted them on foam board. We loved the way they turned out!

Isn't she a beauty?! — Isn’t she a beauty?!

The queen in the flesh... — The queen in the flesh…

Some serious card playing - see the shuffler?! — Some serious card playing – see the shuffler?!

Wrex’s sister gathered prizes for the top two highest scores, one of which was Wrexy – no surprise there – and we used some old acrylic plates we had from a display case that we took apart and made plaques to go with them…

The losers got a little something, too. When we hosted pitch parties in Denver, we always tried to make the loser trophy completely ridiculous. I was at the dollar store before our trip and set out to find the most ridiculous looking thing I could find and I happened upon a glittery pirate owl. What the heck?! So I consulted the bestie on what to call the trophy and she came up with “Aye didn’t play my carrrrrds right!” Yes, she’s a genius.

Ashley took home one and Waco the other…he with a little less excitement than she. 😉

Saturday morning, we took professional family photos and then we all gathered to sit at the feet of 80 years of love and wisdom. Grandma shared her heart and her deep and abiding love with us and we got to tell stories and laugh and cry and reflect upon 80 incredible years… It was a really, really good time.

We had some lunch and then we reconvened for a little Minute to Win It showdown. This was so much more fun than I even hoped it would be!

M&M Elevator - good watchin'! — M&M Elevator – good watchin’!

Seriously, that was SO much fun! The Phipps’ are hosting a Minute to Win It night SOON – get ready!

That afternoon, we had an official birthday party for the birthday girl…but I’ll save those for tomorrow… You’re not gonna wanna miss it – trust me!

Sawyer’s Birth(day) Week

My first born is officially FIVE! Five has always been a big birthday number for her. She made a list about a year or so ago of all the things she felt like she could do once she was five…use a knife to cut her food, climb a tree, go underwater, etc. (Now that one has been moved to when she’s 10. Darn that bad swimming lesson…)

She had a really fun birth-week (and we did, too!) She got to get a pedicure…

and have heart pancakes for breakfast…

She got sang to at the sale barn and someone gave her a dollar and her special friend Mr. Rod gave her some roller skates! She was THRILLED! She picked A&W for her birthday lunch (girl loves her some root beer floats) and then we headed home to open presents. But first, a little birthday park play…

And yes, she wore that silly little birthday crown all day. 🙂

That night, we surprised her with a birthday slumber party! She’s been dying for one of us to sleep in her room with her in her new trundle bed so that’s what we did…for part of the night anyways. Bum feet and babies make an all nighter a little hard but we did our best! She’s been telling people we stayed up “alllllllll night.” It was 9:00, but good enough for me!

We fixed each other’s hair and did each other’s makeup – daddy, too!

(Yes, he IS the best dad on the planet!) We played flashlight tag and restaurant, read stories and played with sister…it really was a fun night. One on one times with her have gotten fewer with the addition of our other little blessings so it was fun for us to be immersed in her world for a little while.

We spent the rest of the week finishing up the details for her official birthday party. Little Wryder has been all about trailers lately…

So when Wrexy loaded up our little fair booths on Thursday evening, Wryder pulled his little car over and was ready to go. It was the cutest thing….EVER.

She wanted a county fair so on Saturday, a county fair we had! Here’s a little sneak peak…more to come later! 🙂

She had a ball and our hearts were so full. THANK YOU to everyone who came and showered her with love… We are so thankful for our spiritual family who fill in the gaps…you all have our hearts.

Sunday, we had brunch and (not enough) great grandma/PaPa/RaRa/auntie/uncle/cousin play time.

The kids are still recuperating – heck, I am, too! – but it was worth every late night, paper cut and sore foot. She felt so loved…

She is.

Random Rambles

Today was one of those tough mom days where I didn’t really enjoy my job. Wryder is in a definite boundary testing phase…again. My apologies ahead of time to the wonderful sitter I have lined up for tomorrow. *ahem*

There just seemed to be an overload of disobedience and nasty tones (some of them mine, unfortunately)…unkind gestures and more housework than I could juggle. I just felt defeated come nap time.

We made it through the afternoon – praise the Lord for short sales and daddy’s who come home quick – and the evening ended decently well.

Sawyer is learning to read and doing a fantastic job! Our plan is to home school (for multiple reasons) and there are days when I wonder if that will ever work. Sawyer is an incredible student but we have a few little distractions running around…and I’ve never taught school before…and I don’t remember how to teach someone to read…and I’m not the most patient soul on the planet…and days like today, where it feels like we barely survive the normal daily activities, I wonder how I can add one more thing…and the thought of trying to teach Wryder to read…well…that’s just scary.

Some days I just wonder if I’m gonna be able to finish this mom thing and finish it well…

And then…Sawyer read new words she struggled with just this morning…and I came across a blog that was saying exactly what I was saying…and I learned of families fighting far bigger battles than ours…and my world got a little broader and my self-pity a little smaller.

I have no doubt that HE wants me to finish this mom thing and finish it well and thus He will encourage me and refresh me and renew me and strengthen me and grace me and give me the wisdom I need to do such a thing.

Bring it, Friday…

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The last two nights, Wrex and I have grabbed a blanket, killed the power to the mercury light and laid out on the trampoline to watch the meteor shower. The sky has been cloudless and our prairie view has allowed for an awesome window in which to watch.

I was thinking of how majestic the Lord truly is and how He blessed us through His creativity. I mean what if He chose not to make stars? What if the night sky was just black? What if instead of a blue sky during the day, He chose olive green instead? What if there were no such thing as animals or what if every human looked exactly the same? What if birds didn’t make sounds or what if food had no taste? What if…

His creation speaks of His wonder and goodness and glory…

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The other day, the kids had gone out to play and I had to change Sayble’s diaper before I went out with them. I got that done, grabbed my shoes and headed over towards the tree, right where they were playing when out of the corner of my eye, I saw an orange streak slither quickly in their direction.

It was a long, nasty garter snake and he was headed right towards them. I told them to move and then cornered him while Sawyer got me a shovel. (The only good snake is a dead snake around these parts)…

I chopped him up and threw him in the ditch…and then had the willies the rest of the day… But it was a good reminder of how the enemy is doing just that – heading for my kids. He’s on the prowl, folks. He’s real and he’s looking for someone to devour.

Pray for your kids! Cover them and intercede for them and demand satan to flee in the name of Jesus. You’ve got no authority here, you creep.

The snake. I know it doesn't look that big, but it was. *ahem* — The snake. I know it doesn’t look that big, but it was. *ahem*

Sawyer holding Sayble so I could do my thing... — Sawyer holding Sayble so I could do my thing…

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On a brighter note, I saw this the other day in Sterling…

It made me feel so at home. Only a few more days until the start of football season and I’m sure hoping for a mildly successful one to say the least. Now, to get Wrex agree to cable for the winter…

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I’m headed to a consult with the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. I hurt my foot/ankle/leg back in February and it’s gotten increasingly worse. I’m sure they’ll want to do an MRI and all of that (expensive) jazz. If you would join me in prayer that it could be healed without surgery, I’d much appreciate it.

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Praying your Friday is fun and that the presence of the Lord is thick with you this weekend. Praying that for me, too…

Thankful to Tears

Today is one of those days. My heart is so full and so empty, all at the same time. We’ve had two of the best days of the summer thanks to some beautiful friends who came to spend a few days with us. They left today and we’re all feeling so full of heart, yet so emotionally raw.

Sawyer broke down at the lunch table a bit ago crying because she missed them already. Through her tears, she said, “I just love them so much.” Well said, sugar. Well said.

The Lord has been so gracious to my family and has blessed us with some pretty fantastic people that we get to do this life with…

Our neighbors are special people. If I have to live in the-middle-of-nowhere Colorado, I am certainly glad they are here with me.

There’s not much that can warm my heart more than when someone dotes on or shows kindness to or gives gifts to my kids. When someone goes out of their way to compliment them or include them or speak life to them or protect them just as they would their own, that’s a special thing…and Gillian does just that.

This woman has shown me what it’s like to love other people’s kids.

Sawyer with Gillian (and friends) on her wedding day

I’ll easily admit, I haven’t been the greatest at that. Sometimes, other people’s kids are a bit hard to love, ya know what I mean? You know you do…. I’m getting better, because of people like her.

Any and every time I’ve needed her to watch the kids (or when they’ve just flat begged to go over) she has never made me feel like a burden, has always begged for them to come right back and always has fun things for them to do while they are there. She’s always got her eye on them and sends me pictures of their day. She hugs them and loves on them just as she does her own son. She is a safe (and fun) place for them and that alone is priceless to me.

She is beautiful – seriously beautiful – and kind and gracious and encouraging. I could talk to her for hours even though we usually only get minutes! She is one of our biggest treasures and one of my favorite friends.

Gillian, we are so thankful for you. Thank you for teaching my through your example how to love other people’s kids and to love them well….

This lady…

What in the world would I do without this lady?

She is a well of wisdom; deep abiding waters drenched in love with a knack for spilling it out at just the right time in just the right way. ***My phone dinged minutes ago with her checking in, asking me to be kind with myself.

She’s a momma to me. She’s stood beside me as I birthed all three of my babies and got to bless them in Jesus name as I recovered. She has listened to my scared and aching heart more times than I care to count. She has stood in the familial gap when there’s been no one on my side to stand with me. She is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and she acts and responds and speaks in His power and authority and I am blessed because of it.

She’s the one I get to send all of my silly baby videos to because I know she see’s the beauty I see. She’s the one I get to bounce ideas off of and get real, honest, loving feedback from. She’s the one that knows my struggles because it takes one to know one; we are cut from some of the same cloth, she and I. What an honor…

She has loved me like her own for 6+ years now…given of herself so selflessly…and healed some wounded areas in my heart by doing so.

Mom-a-la, you are a treasure. Thank the Lord for Wal-Mart and bright blue church t-shirts. My life wouldn’t be the same without you in it. Thank you for all you do for me and for being the best spiritual momma (and real momma) a girl could ever ask for.

And finally, my sweet friend, Roisin. She is breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly organized and efficient, unshakable in any way shape or form and is the most loving, doting, Godly mother I have ever met. She is the wife and mom I aspire to be.

She and the kids came and stayed with us for a couple of days (poor Mike had to work – we missed you!) and we had the best time! Hence my sappy heart today…

She and Mike are the epitome of Godly parents. They love the Lord and are constantly and consistently taking the pieces of their lives back to Him and His word and strive to live in obedience to Him…and the fruit of their labors is evident.

Her kids are so gentle and loving and encouraging, not only to each other, but to our kids as well. For the past two days, they have helped Wryder up and down the stairs…helped me change baby Sayble’s diapers…played all kinds of silliness with both kids…blessed Sawyer for her birthday…were so grateful and polite and easily entertained – these are the kinds of kids that are quite easy to love, by the way. 🙂

They are all of those things because she is all of those things. Her oldest daughter told me I needed a cape because I was super mom. If I need a cape, Roisin needs a cape AND a crown AND a ceptor…

She is a wife who honors her husband; she loves him and loves to spend time with him and takes joy in being his helpmate. She takes care of her home and always has it in such splendid order, despite the wildly creative fun the kids are always engaged in. She prays for her family and over her family and is very intentional about teaching them how to love and honor the Lord and each other. She is a devoted friend – quick to listen, quick to pray and quick to lend hand. She has loved me and my family from day one without any reservations or hesitations; she was just all in!

Someone once told me that she’s the woman who, if it weren’t for her overwhelmingly kind and gracious self, you’d just want to punch in the face for being so darn near perfect. It made me laugh because I agreed. 🙂

Sweet Roisin, you are such an inspiration to me. If I could do life half as graciously as you, I would consider myself wildly successful. Thank you for loving my family so wholly. We feel quite undeserving of your affection and your time but we are oh-so grateful for it. You and your family mean more to us than we could ever, ever fully put into words. Just know you are in our hearts. And? I’d never punch you in the face, just so we’re clear.

So thankful for these wonderful women. Thankful to tears. Sappy momma needs a nap…