A First for Joe and Blessing #6

Joseph hasn't, yet, been much of a prayer. It could be because his sisters are more than happy to pray whenever asked and are sure to remind us when the other prayed last.
Joe has been saying, "I pay." for months and months now but when it comes to actually saying the words, no.

Last night Adam asked Joseph if he wanted to say prayer. Joe said yes, no shocker. Adam started,"Dear Heavenly Father" and Joseph actually repeated the words. Well, most of them.

Funny thing is, as soon as Joseph said,"Men" Ella and Grace jumped up and showered him with hugs, kisses and "good jobs." Joseph was excited about praying but the girls were crazy excited.

It was one of those warm and fuzzy parent moments for us.
I love those!

My Mama is Blessing #5

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

My mom had a birthday this week. I don't know if my mom would mind me sharing her age or not so I'll be safe and opt for not.

I have a very loving mom. She worries endlessly about her family, her home and her future.

My mom is very into her genealogy, scrap booking, sewing for her home and family and her work at the temple. My dad swears that mom is going to go blind in front of the computer or hunched over her sewing machine.

Every mom/mammaw shows their love in different ways. My mom likes to use her talents to spoil her children/grandchildren.

Each grandchild gets one of these for Christmas the year they're two. My kids LOVE their "big dolls". They're customized Raggedy Ann/Andy dolls, made to match the grandchild. At our house, each doll is given the child's middle name. Ella has Christine, Grace has Anne (Annie, lately) and Joseph has Adam (though, Joe doesn't talk to or about his yet).
My mom is also famous of these hooded towels. She doesn't just sew two pieces of towel together. These, too, are customized with lace, ribbon and their names. My kids are very particular that they use their towel and only their towel and they can tell you in a heartbeat where the towels came from. Mammaw!
Yes, this is a picture of my mom sitting on the floor of the church kitchen in her wedding clothes making sure my sister's wedding cake (which mom made) is as perfect as can be. This is how mom shows her love and support. Our mom is awesome!This picture was taken in 1987. I was eight or nine and mom was, are you ready, 34. (Sorry, I just gave away your age.) Can you believe that? 34? My mom has always looked young. (And yes, that is a stuffed chef angel "flying" in our kitchen. Mom went through a killer country phase in the 80s/90s.)
And one short year later, mom entered into her famous, or was it infamous, 80's permed hair phase.
See that statue in the upper left of the picture? No matter where I see one it reminds me of mom. It has always been in our house. When I was young I thought it was my mom. I can not count the number of times I barged into my parents' room interrupting my mom prayers. Even now I know that my family and I are in her prayers every single day. I've never doubted that.

Though I'm a grown woman my mom is still a great comfort to me. I love it when we get to visit though we make due with lots of phone calls.
My kids love their daily reminders of their mammaw. Their towels and dolls, their mammaw made Christmas stockings, Ella's snow globes and Grace's flowers.

I love you mom and Happy Birthday!

A Sparkling Blessing #4

Ten years ago yesterday I got officially engaged. "Officially" meaning, I got my ring. I picked out a similar ring at a local jewelry store but when we returned to buy it, it had already been sold. They couldn't get another so we found a guy to make it for us. We drew a picture, chose a center stone and waited.
A very nervous Adam surprised me with it (it wasn't supposed to be done for another week) on January 29th 1999. I love to tease him about trying to put it on my right hand.

Adam was very patient while shopping for rings. He was perfectly okay with my, "This is the only earthly thing I will look at everyday for the rest of my life." attitude.
I love, love, love my ring. I still think, after looking at it everyday for ten years, that I have the most beautiful ring I've every seen. Bar none!

I hope every wife thinks that about her wedding ring.

So, without being all materialistic and vain, I'd like my wedding ring to be blessing #4. Not that its the 4th most important blessing in my life, the date just came and went and it was on my mind.

Happy Birthday Pappaw, yet another blessing

My dad had a birthday last week. I don't think he'd mind a bit if I told the blogworld that he turned 59. My dad! 59! Is that possible? Is it possible for parents to make their kids feel old? Isn't it usually the other way around?

My dad is the youngest 59 year old I know. His graying hair looks very distinguished, his smooth face (thanks to him listening to the woman folk in the family years ago about using . . . lotion), his handsome smile (also thanks to the women folk) and his tall, lean build make him look much younger.

I have a really awesome dad. I do. I'm old enough to admit it freely and openly. My dad has aways been a big fan of . . . well, me. To this day my dad will call me out of the blue and ask me what I've done for myself that day.

My dad is a big fan of being a dad. He took/takes the job very seriously. I learned to cut and "weed whack" the yard, change a tire, properly wax a car, demo an old vinyl floor, work real hard and follow a good dance partner like nobody's business.

My dad is a big fan of fun. When I was three, my dad took me and Audra (5) to Myrtle Beach for a week. He even took us to the "Santa's Land" theme park in July (now that's dedication).
When I was 12, my dad took all four of us kids to Myrtle Beach for a week by himself (my sweet mom doesn't beach). He took off his watch and did whatever we wanted all week long.
When I was 15, dad took us four kids to California, by himself (my sweet mom didn't fly back then. Something about barfing from her heels the entire flight.) That's just my dad. He loved being a kid, having kids, acting like a kid. I think it keeps him young.

Since I am blessed to have an awesome dad, my kids are blessed to have an outstanding pappaw. If you were to check my cell phone usage I guarantee that my dad's number gets talked to the most. My girls know that they can call pappaw anytime, day or night. And they do. My dad says that if he can keep them talking and wanting to talk to him now, maybe, just maybe, when they are teenagers, they'll still want to talk to pappaw. I love that my dad worries about that. I think his plan just might work.

I could write a novel about the caring example he sets for me, the friend he is to my kids, the lessons I've learned and all the fun things I've done with my dad.

A few years ago, as a gift, each of us kids wrote three stories/experiences that we remember most about our dad. Once compiled there were 12 different stories. Wonderful reminders of a fatherhood well spent.

I love you dad. Happy Birthday

the Big 1 0 0

Believe it or not, this is my 100th post. I thought I'd use this chance to share my second of 52 blessings. My sweet kids definitely deserve to be right up at the top of my list.

This picture, taken last summer (when it wasn't witch butt cold outside), showcased my kids personalities at the time perfectly.

Ella, our helper, mother, bosser

Joseph, our patient and willing little brother who would eat bugs if Ella told him to

Grace, our fun loving, care free spirit

Now, five months later the kids are much the same only Joseph is developing an independent streak and Grace is trying her best to boss Joe (with little luck).

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They keep us always happy, sometimes frazzled, usually busy and often laughing.

Happy Birthday, My Sweet

Yes, I sometimes call Adam "my sweet" and occasionally "honey" and even "darlin'". My sweet , honey, darlin' had a birthday this week. An understated, "I'd rather forget about it" birthday but a birthday nonetheless. Birthdays are wonderful times to reflect and think cumulatively about someone. I don't think its too unusual that Adam is the person that can make me the happiest and the maddest. But overall, there is way more happy than mad. Thank heaven!

We went to breakfast on his birthday. Spending time, one on one, with Adam reminds me that we are still friends not just married people and parents. We genuinely enjoy each others company and have fun together. This, obviously, isn't a picture of breakfast rather one of us at Lake of the Ozarks, MO back in 2006. My mom watched the girls so we could get away for a few days before Joseph was born. Despite me being just a tad pregnant, we had a blast. It felt like a second honeymoon.
Adam is already the "fun dad". He's the roller coaster riding, rope swinging into the river dad every kids wishes for. Adam is on the left in the white polo making the goofy face.
Adam will forever be my favorite goof ball.
Making things cool, fun and memorable for the kids is a big deal for Adam. This train cake was all his idea and doing. Who's the cool dad who made a train cake for his son's birthday with three little "helpers"? Yep, that's Adam!
And he changes diapers. See, I have proof! I so much appreciate all the help Adam is to me with the kids and around the house.
Adam's wanted a motorcycle forever. His got sold while he was on "the mish" and I'm not sure he ever fully recovered (just kidding). Back in 2005 it worked out for him to get one. He was just a little bit excited. Just a little, mind you.
Anyway, the point is not that Adam rides around looking handsome on a motorcycle. The point is that when I was pregnant with Joseph, Adam (not me) decided that it probably wasn't overly wise for a father of three to ride a motorcycle around when a car was safer. And HE SOLD IT. That's right, out of sheer responsibility and grown up-ness he sold it. I didn't argue.
This is Adam after running the Provo River 1/2 marathon back in 2007. I've never run a 1/2 marathon, have you? He just decided, trained and did it, all by himself. I was awfully proud of him. And he's at it again, Adam came up with the idea to run a marathon for our 10th anniversary (coming up in May). I'm tagging along for the run this time, since its my anniversary too. Adam encourages me and reminds me to get my runs in while I don't have/need to say a word to him. He is on the ball.

I am thankful for my sweet husband, my sweet 33 year old husband. Yes, he's 33 now.
Adam is a wonderful husband that I am blessed to have for my own. Nobody's perfect all the time but he's working on it.