words – The Bless Your Heart Blog

They’ve Been At It Again

I’ve written several times before about funny things the kids say. I’ve had a growing list on my phone so I decided I better get them on the blog so they can live in infamy! 😉

Wryder-isms:

Boobie button = belly button
- “Look! I can see Sayble’s boobie button!”
Lucas = mucus
- “I’ve been swallowing a bunch of lucas.”
Flushel = shuffle
- “That is so cool! When I can learn to flushel?”
Gutter = udder
- “That cow has a big gutter!”

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Other funnies he’s said lately…

He and Sawyer were playing Awana and practicing the pledge to all the different flags. They starting pledging the Bible and while Sawyer was saying, “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word…” Wryder was saying, “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, Bob’s Holy Word!” I about busted a gut…and then wrote new lesson plans to go back to the basics of our Bible study time.

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Sawyer has her fair share of funny/interesting observations. She was telling Wrex about how bad the feedlot stunk one day and she said, “It smelt as bad as your poop!” Wrex looked disgruntled, as he thinks the only legacy he’s leaving with the kids is how bad he smells. Sawyer saw his face and was afraid she hurt his feelings, so she quickly recanted, “Ok. It didn’t smell THAT bad!” I loved her “apology!”

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Wrex was not feeling 100% one day after work and I was asking how much water he’d had that day (because it’s usually not much). He began explaining that that might be the case. He said, “I shouldn’t have gotten pop earlier but I stopped to get gas and they were” and before he could finish, Sawyer chimed in, “worth it!” They come by their love for pop honestly, trust me…

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I’m SURE there have been others, but these are the ones I’ve taken note of in my phone lately. I’m also certain that little Say will have her named added to these lists of hilarity in short order!

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

Our kids crack me up! I often wonder what we did for entertainment before their joy knocked us off of our feet with belly laughs. Enjoy a few quotable moments from the past few weeks…

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I walk into the mudroom and I could tell by the smell that the cat had just finished it’s business in the litter box.

Me: “Oh my word! Oh my gosh! It stinks awful out here! Oh, sick…” (There may or may not have been some dry heaving…)

Sawyer: “What? Is Wryder out there?”

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In discussing our neighbors pregnancy, Sawyer and I were attempting to guess whether we thought she was having a boy or a girl.

Sawyer: “If it’s a girl, she’s in luck. If it’s a boy……she better watch out!”

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After I had gone to the doctor last week, we ran to Ogallala to grab my prescription and get some lunch. I wasn’t feeling well and we sat in the Wendy’s drive-thru for what felt like forever. Apparently, Sawyer thought so, too…

Sawyer: “For such a small car, they’re sure ordering a lot of food!”

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After we pray with the kids before bed, we always let them choose a little song for us to sing to them. Silent Night was a pretty popular one around Christmas (still is!) and we would often sing more than one verse.

Wrex: “What song do you want to sing tonight?”

Wryder: “The diaper one! The diaper one!”

Wrex: wracking his brain to figure out which one it is, going over lyrics in his head…

Wryder: “Daddy, you know how it goes. Jesus, Lord of diaper…

Or ‘Lord of THY BIRTH…either one…

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Apparently, truly understanding lyrics for a two year old can be quite difficult. He loves “Springsteen” by Eric Church because he loves the “whoa, whoa, whoa–o–o–” part.

Wryder: “Mom, what’s bong-a-rong mean?”

Me, puzzled: “Bong-a-rong…where did you hear it at?”

Wryder: “On the whoa-whoa song. ‘I’m on fire and bong-a-rong’…”

Or, born to run…again, either one.

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Little Wryder does keep us on our toes! After one of his shenanigans the other day…

Sawyer: “Good job having that kid! He’s hilarious!”

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Eating Cherrios one morning for breakfast…which he’s done at least once a week since he was 18 months old…

Wryder, whining: “I can’t eaaaaaat these!”

Me: “Why???”

Wryder: “Because they have HOLES in them!”

Oh, the agony…

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While watching part of the NFL honors…

Sawyer: “What was that guy’s name again? John Noodle?”

It was either Cam Newton or Anquan Boldin – still not sure who she meant! You can only guess what her new nickname is around here….

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Eating lunch in Subway and this cute, middle-aged blonde lady comes in wearing a little, white Bronco’s jacket. Sawyer and I were talking about how cute it was and she must’ve heard Sawyer going on and on about it, so she came over to chat with the kids after she got her food.

I could tell pretty quickly that Wryder thought she was about right so he started pulling out all the stops, flirting with her.

Wryder: “Hi! I’m Wryder…WD, that’s me! I’m 2 and I have spikey hair.”

Sweet/cute blonde lady: “Well, hi Wryder. I like your spikey hair.”

Wryder: “Hey, do you wanna hear a Bible verse? For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline. I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me. They shall call him Immanuel which means, God with us. Depart from evil and do good. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hey, do you wanna hear a Broncos cheer? B-R-O-N-C-O-S, Broncos are the best!”

I think she was smitten. 😉 Wrex and I often worry about his way with the ladies, but we’re hoping that if his pick-up lines continue to be Bible verses, we might be ok…

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Seriously, they are funny, right?!

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…

A Grace Filled Mother’s Day

Where do I even begin?

I’m a momma three times over now and I’m not sure I could be any more joyful. Never, EVER did I think my heart could hold so much love…so much adoration…for such beautiful little creations…

Our days have been full of so much grace here lately; grace for things that might not seem like a big deal to anyone else but things that spoke so richly of His love for me…

A decent night’s sleep before induction (unlike the last two births)…

My babies waking up earlier than normal so that I got to love on them before I left for the hospital (which was a good thing since that whole labor thing took a little longer than we were expecting)…

Checking into the hospital with a nursing staff full of familiar faces that were excited and ready for us to meet sweet Sayble…

Rainy, cloudy, overcast weather that kept our recently planted grass nice and moist while daddy was away taking care of mom instead of the yard…

Decisions that I was nervous about making that ended up being made for us since we had some small progress…

A nurse that encouraged us to sleep until the next round of induction drugs could be administered because labor would come if it was going to come…

A doctor who is patient and understands the desire for natural labors…pretty sure had I been in a big city, they’d have just cut me open and snagged baby so they could attend their kids’ track meet since it was taking longer than expected…

Blood sugar and blood pressure that stayed right on their respective cues from start to finish…

A baby who’s heartbeat never once showed signs of distress during that lengthy process…

A nurse and a doctor who delivered their baby’s naturally who encouraged me just as much as my sweet hubby and doula-mom…

A friend who volunteered to cover a shift so I could squeeze her hand off while she championed with me to have this baby…

Being able to allow myself to sleep through some of those first few hours of contractions…

Pitocin finally doing the trick and other than transition, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be…and pretty sure transition would be bad regardless…

Pushing out that sweet baby girl in nine little pushes…

Post-partem drugs doing what they were supposed to do to help my uterus really clamp down back into place and size…

An easier recovery (mentally and physically) than Wryder’s birth…

A (so-far) seamless transition from two to three…or four to five…

I feel like grace was the word for this pregnancy from the get-go…and I’ve experienced it so richly the past week or so that I’ve found myself not being able to help but pour it right back out.

As a type-A kinda girl, there have been plenty of opportunities (now that there are five of us in one house) that didn’t quite meet my rigid expectations and I’ve noticed that I’ve dealt with them swimmingly. I haven’t felt rattled or frustrated or disappointed…I’ve just felt a sense of nonchalance…trust me, THAT is grace.

I know that grace is an area I struggle with; I don’t have much for myself, much less for anyone else…but when I see it in action, it literally brings me to my knees. It is SUCH a breathtakingly beautiful thing. How I looooooooonnnnngggg for more…and long to give it away more…

So this Mother’s Day that is what I wish all of you mommas and mommas-to-be and mommas who’s hearts are burdened for whatever reason or season…I wish you grace…

That you would be able to see how readily it is available for you and that you would reach out and receive it…

That you would fully understand the weight of the job you do but know that it’s not all up to you…

That you would cut yourself (as well as the mom next door) some slack and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty as He works with you to fill in the gaps…

That you would give it away even when you think it is undeserved – because isn’t that really what grace is…

Happy Mother’s Day to the women of the world! Grace to you in all you do!

Good Reads

When the kids go down for naps, I attempt to make a little quiet time for myself, too. I usually spend the time paying bills or writing blogs or doing a little Bible study or catching up on the news or other blogs.

I have to guard my heart a lot on what I do choose to read but the ex-newsy in me just can’t get enough most days. I find I’m always sending things to Wrex to read…things that either touched my heart or were full of Godly counsel or were inspiring, interesting or just downright incredulous. (There’s usually quite a few of those).

Today, I’ve decided to post some of my top reads of the week.

I ran across this one just today and I loved EVERY thing about it…other than the fact that the man is dying of cancer. He’s working his buns off so that when his time is up in a mere few weeks, he leaves behind less headache and stress for his single-mother granddaughter. Take a minute to read this story that spans the gap between race and age and consider donating to the GoFundMe Account! They’re uber close to their goal! 😉 Pun TOTALLY intended…

This report just made me sick. Our justice system is completely reprehensible when it comes to child abuse and neglect. 14 years isn’t enough. Not. Even. Close.

This one. Oh, this one. I’m sure this wasn’t the most fun for her to put out there and share with the world, but I have no doubt that she’s spoken right to some mommas’ hearts…including mine. Oh, Lord, I need heaps of grace…and I hope I get better at giving it as well.

Now this is one of those incredulous ones. In fact, when I sent it to Wrex I captioned it with, “Please don’t let me be this woman.” I have to hope that her intentions were far better than it appears. I’m all for ideas and information…but I hope I do it with a little more grace…or a few more flowers than blunt edges? I don’t know. Read for yourself and see what you think!

And, because it’s one of the cuter things I’ve seen in a while…you must read about and watch this adorable secret keeping couple. Seriously, how fun would that be?! Everyone’s reactions are just great!

The sun’s trying to peak out a little around here and the overcast lover in me is not liking it one bit! Give me a few more hours (if not days) of rain and clouds…pretty please?!

Random Rambles

So, last Friday, I wrote this lovely post about how excited I was about the weekend. Wrex and I were scheduled to go on a weekend babymoon and the kids were going to stay with some good friends of ours in Denver. We were all OVER THE MOON excited! Just as I hit post, my good friend from Denver called and one of her kiddos had gotten quite sick at school that day. I felt so bad for them and didn’t want her to feel bad about not being able to keep the kids that I deleted my post.

After a lot of discussion and prayer, we decided that based upon our schedule the next 6 weeks and just the need for some items from the big city, that we’d turn it into a family-moon instead!

We ate well, swam at the hotel, shopped til I almost dropped and just had a fun time together. It wasn’t quite the weekend I originally had in mind, but it was a good one regardless. We were just blessed that we were able to go…

He gave Sawyer a dollar and she was fired up!!

Wryder's side of the table at BWWs. That boy is HANDSY! — Wryder’s side of the table at BWWs. That boy is HANDSY!

A portion of Wrexy's paycheck sitting in the mudroom... — A portion of Wrexy’s paycheck sitting in the mudroom…

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Before we left, Sawyer had a bit of a cough and wasn’t 100% but she didn’t have fever and still had her spunk. She seemed a little off on Sunday but we thought she might just be exhausted from all of the festivities like the rest of us.

Yesterday, she told me her mouth (throat) hurt. She woke up crying in the night and my incredibly awesome hubby left me in bed and went to check on her. Her throat was hurting pretty bad and she was a miserable mess.

He gave her some Tylenol and got her some juice and ate popsicles with her at 10:30 last night. Honestly, you guys, he’s the dad we all wished we had.

She woke up this morning in BAD shape. I had a baby checkup so I took her in with me; poor girl has a nasty case of strep. We picked up some antibiotics, a lot of different fluids and “How to Train Your Dragon” on DVD. Here’s to hoping she’s 100% soon…and that it steers clear of the rest of us!

Sweet girl still insisted on a green mustache and bows in her hair before we left.

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Yesterday, we talked about St. Patrick and the REAL meaning/reason behind St. Patrick’s day. I was telling the kids that he was a christian missionary in Ireland and I asked Sawyer if she knew what “christian” meant. She said a christian was someone who had Jesus in their heart and she told me that she and I and daddy had Jesus in our hearts.

Little brother piped up saying, “Jesus me heart! Jesus me heart!” Mine about melted…

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Speaking of Wryder, he has been absolutely ravenous lately! The boy ate all weekend until I didn’t think he could stomach another bite. Yesterday at supper, he ate half of a ribeye, a cup of applesauce, corn on the cob, sweet potato fries, two pickles and then BEGGED for a piece of cake! The funny part? There was no cake anywhere around…apparently he just had a craving?!

Today, he charmed his way around the doctor’s office and hospital and scored a fruit by the foot and two suckers. Yes, that was while he was with daddy while mom was with Sawyer. *ahem*

How could you NOT shower him with goodies?!

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Tonight, we’re planning on taking it easy and doing a little rearranging in the baby room while the kids watch their movie. All of that stuff in the mudroom photo above needs to fit in the nursery or nursery closet…wish us luck! 😉

I Can See the Light

I’m not sure I’ve ever been so glad that it’s Friday…bearing that Friday means the weekend will be completely opposite of the past week. It’s been one of those. Dooooooooo-zeeeeee.

I have no doubt that pregnancy hormones have exacerbated things. I can also freely admit that my little handful of grievances and issues pale in comparison to 90% of the rest of the world’s problems and heart aches. BUT, it’s still just been a tough week.

Parenting is not for the feint of heart. Relationships aren’t for the feint of heart. Life is not for the feint of heart.

in the midst of the ick, I’m attempting to be grateful…

I’m thankful for…

…a sweet husband who will sit and talk through parenting issues with you, brainstorm solutions, solidify our team with his words and his vows and his prayers, and then hug the stuffing out of you until you can’t breathe (because of your burgeoning belly).

…for friends who will pray with you and for you and encourage you and support you.

…for people who consistently show me how I don’t want to be when I grow up.

…for sweet little girls and boys who love their mommy no matter how much of a failure she feels like she is.

…for opportunities to show grace and to be a woman of my word, because I’ve been on the receiving end of the opposite of that…and it ain’t pretty.

…for the promise that His mercies are new every morning.

…for the fact that I don’t have to be tomorrow who I am today.

…for the way I can groan in the Spirit and He hears my cries and gently leads me on.

…for the way weekends with my teammate bring renewal for me.

I have much more to be grateful for than I have to complain about – that is not lost on me, for sure – but here’s to hoping (still) for a better strings of days…

She’s a Funny Girl

Sawyer has said some REALLY funny things lately. Maybe you just had to be there, but she’d had us stifling grins and giggles…and sometimes flat out belly laughing!

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While trying to pray before supper, Wryder didn’t want to hold hands with me, just Wrex. Wrex was talking to him about how we hold hands when we pray and Sawyer said, “Well, unless you have one arm that was bit off my a shark, then you can’t hold hands on both sides.”

Pretty sure this stemmed from watching this past season of The Amazing Race, which featured Bethany Hamilton…pretty sure.

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In the car…

Sawyer: “Mom, who’s your favorite singer?”

Me: “I don’t know…that’s a tough one.”

Sawyer: “What about daddy?”

Me: “I don’t know who daddy’s favorite is. Probably George Strait?”

Sawyer: “No, I meant is daddy your favorite singer?”

Me (stifling a giggle): “Oh! Yeah! I do like to hear daddy sing!”

Sawyer: “Yeah, he can sing but he sure can’t dance.”

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Wrexy thinks Tom Selleck is one handsome dude. I concur. He turned 70 the other day and someone had a side-by-side pic of him in his 40’s vs 70. (Just so you know, he hasn’t changed much). I was showing it to him and Sawyer looked at it and said, “That’s PaPa!” They do look quite alike…

PaPa...or Tom Selleck's doppleganger — PaPa…or Tom Selleck’s doppleganger

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Oh, she’s a funny girl!

Quirky Quirkerson

I think Harry Connick, Jr. is adorably divine.

I love dill pickle flavored potato chips.

My favorite hairspray is Kenra # 25. Nothing else even comes close…

I always use two capfuls of fabric softener in every load of laundry.

I’m rarely without a glass full of ice water, complete with a straw.

I’m not a big fan of the “is it natptime/bedtime yet” mom…but some days, I’m that mom.

Caffeine free Dr. Pepper (shipped in from Texas) has been my sneaky little treat this pregnancy.

Our family only eats chicken on occasion and usually it’s when we go out to eat. We’re beef eaters ’round these parts!

Some days, small town America drives me insane. Yesterday was one of those days – thank you, Holyoke.

I’m so sad about the Super Bowl this year because I just can’t bring myself to cheer for either team. Cheaters or thugs…how do you pick?!

I get more headaches than any person I know and I can’t wait to take Advil again.

I don’t like having lots of emails or lots of texts or lots of pictures cluttering up my phone. I’m a deleting machine!

I love to bargain shop and 95% of the kids’ clothes come from either the thrift store, hand me downs or from super clearance sales at The Children’s Place or Crazy 8. I don’t like paying over $3 for a shirt or $6 for a pair of pants and I refuse to pay for shipping.

Today is Fun Friday, I’ve finally caught the cold that the rest of the family has and I’m not feeling very fun. Here’s to hoping for a good day without a lot of fuss!

Blog Buddies

Yesterday was this gorgeous lady’s birthday.

This world needs more of her, no doubt. I need more of her for sure!

She blogged yesterday about being a darn good nonna, which she most definitely is. This blog is one of my favorites she’s ever written. SOOOOO much wisdom for you other mommas (and daddies) out there. This is the kind of parent I hope I’m becoming…one just like my Daddy.

Read up here: http://www.jeanierhoades.com/on-being-a-grand-mom-nonna/

Guaranteed to bless your heart…