S Club Mama

Vacation was not quite a month ago, but I did promise pictures. I've been busy with the boys, working out (getting my mileage back up for running), making bracelets (maybe I'll do a tutorial), watching Bones on Netflix, trying to install Adobe Flash on my computer about 20 times (literally), and learning to make pecan rolls (today!). The first part of our vacation was to my parents' house. We hung out at my Grandma's house. Her sprinkler was on so my boys stripped to their undies - despite Squirt not going in the water and going WAY around the water to avoid any touching. :) My Grandma just retired from 28 years of working at the local dive - I mean bar & grill. It definitely won't be the same without her, I can assure the town that.  Some Grandpa shots. I think the boys really enjoyed their time with their "abuelo" and "abuela" (thanks Dora). My parents live close to Fort Kearny so we headed out there, hoping to catch s...

God walked the earth long ago when He made the earth. He again walked the earth when He came as fully human and fully man (aka Jesus Christ). For 1,000 days He walked the earth. Why? Not only to give us the gift of salvation through His death on the cross and resurrection three days later. Would that have been enough, too much even? Yes. We deserve none of it. And yet, He gives more. He came to show us how to live - more than a moral code or ethics.  Jesus Christ came as a perfect human, perfect God to show us how we need Him in order to live like Him.  That pretty much sums up the book. I'm not saying it wasn't a good read, because it really was. I was really hoping this book was a little more in depth than it ended up being. 1,000 Days spoke of how Christ used ordinary people, with flaws, to do His Will and do wonderful things for His Kingdom. It spoke of hypocrisy and how to avoid being like Pharisees. And the paradox of happiness from less. I like the way Falwell pr...

In Sunday School today, we were in the prayer and praise request portion (I had to leave the rest due to a child meltdown...it happens), and my husband asked for praise for our friends B & A who sacrificed some of their time together to have B come help Big A and our friend N with our roof (we've had a little leak). B has expertise in this area - or at the very least, way more than Big A & N. Anyway, B said he'd had a really hard day and was stressed over some leadership stuff from church (I believe he's a deacon or trustee. I can't remember). And he said this (or something paraphrased like this): when you find yourself thinking only of yourself, that is a good time to go serve someone else. Wow. I think that's the most profound thing I've heard in a long time. And then in the church service, the sermon was about the Good Samaritan. How we see people but we don't really SEE them. On the day to day, I see my kids and my husband but do I really SEE...

Over at Another Mother Run blog, they have revived the "things to know about you" memos that were all the rage awhile back (a few years ago?) although some linger on via Facebook and such. This one is running related. 1. Best run ever:  Wow, SBS had a specific run in mind. My memory isn't that great, but I really enjoyed the long training runs with my husband back in 2010 while gearing up for our first half. The runs themselves weren't that great - we never broke 10 miles - but the company was fantastic (my sons and husband). 2. Three words that describe my running:  Necessary. Spirit-lifting. Freeing. 3. My go-to running outfit is:  A pair of running shorts and a tank top. I prefer tank tops; I don't really like sleeves on my arms. I'd rather wear arm warmers (a pair of my husband's socks cut off). 4. Quirky habit while running: I laugh out loud to whatever I'm listening to (Born to Run right now). I try not to dance but if I'm listening...

If we're Facebook friends, you recently saw this status update from me: home from vacation! Exciting times with the boys: Grandma & Grandpa's house, picnic by Chimney Rock, Jump Street, hanging out with Uncle Nate,  Cheyenne's Children's Village (wading in the water), hiking at Estes Park with Tristan leading us (cool), Isaac pulling the fire alarm at the hotel, beautiful wedding, Isaac hitting himself in the head with a horseshoe & getting two staples, bridal shower for Auntie Amber ...whew! How did all of that fit into a week? Oh goodness, vacation was amazing. Top 5 vacations ever! We started out over Labor Day weekend at my parents' house. We went to an old fort nearby - I even got to wear a prairie dress & bonnet (always wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder growing up). Then we headed to visit college friends and see their little boys - they showed us some wonderful hospitality! We had a supper picnic by Chimney Rock - how amazing. I mean, pioneers p...

Five days a week, Moose is gone from 8am until 3pm. With the supper rush and bedtime routine, I really don't see much of him during the week. This being the first full week of school, we're still adjusting. I expected this to be hard on me. I expected this to be hard on Squirt. I expected this to be hard on Moose. The only one left unscathed would be Big A (because he's at work all day, so it doesn't affect his day-to-day). I didn't expect it to hit me so hard yesterday. Squirt had been asking for a few days to go pick up "Bubba" around noon. That was normal for us during the summer when he went to summer school three times a week. It's just very quiet, very open, and lonely without both of my boys here. Not that I don't love spending one-on-one time with Squirt, but I feel like he's missing out on his brother. They play together virtually from sun up until sun down. Their lives revolve around one another. They play, they fight, they gigg...

My baby. Going to preschool. Oh, my! How did this happen? I know it seems that I wonder at their growing up too much. But it has flown by. I feel I've missed moments. But I've been here for them. And I thank the Lord for that. So another milestone. Breakfast to celebrate. Piston cup eggs in toast. A little burnt (but they didn't mind). French toast made of the cutouts (yum!). More pictures. Memories captured forever. Little Squirt wants to be a superhero when he grows up. I think he's already pretty super! Big brother thinks so, too... at least sometimes. Daddy went to work, so Moose was my photographer for this son-mommy picture. He's got a good eye for it. Although, Squirt wasn't as tentative as he looks in this picture. Oh Superman! Can't go a day without being super. He did not wear this at school, but he did wear this to school. How could a mother say no to that face?? Run, little boy, ...