{happies}

the boys laying on their tummies going through their Halloween loot, sweet trades between them, and all of the ohhhhs and ahhhhs. In an instant, it takes me back to my brother and I doing the same exact thing. It was the best part of the night.

Pictures and details of tonight will be posted later. :)

{happies}

I just tickled the boys awake. Noah, was far from thrilled. :) Evan laughed so hard he couldn't breathe. When I would slow it down a bit he would gasp for air while at the same time begging for more! There is nothing that sounds better than those breathless, belly laughs. To me that would be torture, but to a 4-year-old, pure fun. Obviously, Noah agrees with me.

Oxygen saturations have now returned to normal. :)

{heartsick and confused}

Rhett, our boy rabbit is not a boy. He had babies today. Of course, we had no idea he was pregnant, he/she did not nest....and, well, he was a boy. We lost all of the babies, I am absolutely beside myself sick. Scarlet is a boy. I think. Or, maybe Jack is a boy? But, it wouldn't surprise me if he is a girl? We had them separated, but obviously, not in the correct gender manner. I'm so confused.

I'm certain Dr. Nick will be laughing. We had told him we thought we had an infertile rabbit. Well, now it makes complete sense. Of course, our boy rabbit was not getting pregnant!

So, so sad.

One Vote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwLY_HRt-AM

{a happy}

although my checkbook would strongly disagree.....i love holes in the knees of the boys jeans. particularly the ones handed down from n to e. those little jeans have traveled miles with each of them, adventures i have likely never known of and lots & lots of play; very well worth it.

note to self: pack away the little pair (denim with red stitching) e is wearing today. they are literally on their last thread. sweet little holey jeans. a happy, but, definitely a little sad.

{a happy for today}

i just tore myself away from holding my sleeping baby. i lingered longer than i should have. i memorized his face. ahhh....there really are not many things better.

{my nose}

see below. wow, my nose is very pointy and BIG. hmmmm.......maybe i should personally avoid the close-ups. yikes!

{attention: missie, julie and/or jessica}

you may want to avoid your phones. i am on a mission to get just a few sweet shots with my boys. i have ideas floating, but, am terrible with a self-timer. so, i begged, pleaded, pledged my life away and guilted scott out, camera securely fastened to neck. i positioned him so he could sit, in hopes to avoid too much camera shake. nada. although he got close to some of the images i was going for, too blurry to print. i'm so sad. so, girls......fair warning......

i love intimate shots with kids. so far, the moms i've tried it with - have not gone with it - maybe too uncomfortable in the middle of a field? i'm not sure? but, that's what i'm going for this next year in whatever sessions i may have. at least, that's what i want for myself - but maybe, not appealing to other moms. any thoughts? i may need guinea pigs.....

{so proud}

Here is one proud mom(mie) and her little man!

Noah was chosen as Student of the Month for his class - very, very proud! This is the third year we got to celebrate with breakfast at school with him for this. I think it's a much bigger deal for me than him. :) Mimi and Poppie came along also and we had a great time. Congratulations, Noah - we are so proud of you!!!

And, for those of you who know me......know I detest having my picture taken. However, I have been having little panic attacks that my boys will have NO pictures of me with them. There are very few of late. So, I am on a mission to suffer through as well as do better with the snapshots.

Wow.......that was painful!!

{another happy}

This is a great way to start a Monday morning.

What is better than hearing your little guy belly laugh in his sleep? Swoon.

{m.i.a. continued}

After a busy weekend in Fayetteville, a sweet baby shower, a very ill grandmother who is hospitalized - I am just now sitting down after spending some time with the boys. Now, it is just the computer and I. We have a very long date night planned. Kind-of like a blind date; I'm not quite so certain it will like me or even be nice to me. Now, if it will just not be in the fighting mood as it has been the last two weeks!!!! Just one more week of being busy beyond belief and then all should settle down. Did I seriously just type that?

But, I am about to light a Cinnamon Cider (my fav, Tonya!) candle. So, that will help drown out the fact the boys are fighting in the background. Olfactory trumps auditory in my little world. Or, at least I try to convince myself. Now, where is that candle lighter?

{projects}

I love seeing all of the fun things my friends are doing or have done to their homes. I try not to be green-eyed, but, love getting ideas. Okay, or simply copying. I tend to cheat that way. I could rummage through each of their homes all day long. It just so happens, my friends have very good taste!

So, recently my friend Heather came over. I adore her style. It's spectacular and cozy all at the same time. So, I seized on her decorating skills to give me a to-do list for my living room. It's funny; she knocked it out in less than 30 seconds. She knew exactly what it needed. I'm kind-of slow that way.

* I need to add a picture to my "wailing" wall. She was the 2nd (or maybe 3rd) to offer than suggestion.
* Chunkier coffee table.
* Chunkier, larger lamps. And, that one I knew. They were completely too small.
* Mistreatments for my windows. Long, high mistreatments that sneak above the top of the window. How fun will that be?

Hmmmm......I think that's about it for that room. Of course, I want new furniture and a rug...but, that will wait.

So, what I've done with little projects:

* I added a panel of leopard print fabric to mistreatments in the foyers. Love it! I needed a little more fabric to close the room off. That was a suggestion my other friend (thank you Amber! I think you will love it)
* Finished painting the living room. Ladder and all. No broken neck. Very, very good thing. I couldn't lift my arms for five days though.
* Patched the 1023 holes I had left on "the wall" in my search for correct spacing. Finally quit having a nervous breakdown when I put away the measuring tape and simply eyeballed it. One more picture to hang though. And, "take" I might add. But, unfortunately, I hear our photographer is booked. Seriously, I am not kidding. I do not even have fall pics of my boys! How sad is that? lol!
* Moved a chunky lamp that was on my entertainment center to my table. Better, but, still not what I'm going for. Those will remain on my list.
* Looking for fabric for my mistreatments. That's a hard one, because I really would love new furniture, but, that will wait a while. I want it, do not need it. Even though I hate mine. Hmmmm......what to do, what to do? Windows will likely remain naked for a while yet.
* Hung $2.99 giraffe print plates in my foyer. Love them. (TJ Maxx of course)
* ALLLLL wallpaper is down in the kitchen area. FINALLY found a man to do the texture. But, he is busy for now. Hoping it will be finished by Thanksgiving.
* Pick out a paint color for kitchen. Any ideas? Will likely just stick with my restrained gold - have enough left over.
* Little things here and there.

But, I have a plan. At least for one room. Thanks girls!!!

{M.I.A.}

I have been absolutely snowed under with every aspect of life. And, I am slowly digging myself from under that pile of snow. :) From several things that were totally out of my control that have occurred over the past 2-3 weeks to simple fatigue, it has been intense to say the least.

If I can make it (doesn't that sound hopeful?) for the next 2-3 weeks, hopefully most everything will fall back into place. I have been very prayerful regarding some big changes that I will have to make to get back to more balance immediately following that time period. Definitely, very difficult decisions, but absolutely necessary. Just keep me in your prayers. Change is never easy for me.

{warning: political post}

I tend to stir up negative, hateful comments when I make a post such as this; I hope it doesn't happen in this instance. It is truly a troubling time for our families and our nation - I think all would agree. I received this in the mail from Focus on the Family and wanted to provide the link so you can read it too.

http://links.mail-family.org/servlet/MailView?ms=MjIzNjczNwS2&r=OTQ1MDg4OTg0MgS2&j=NTk5MzIzOTMS1&mt=1&rt=0

{happy birthday}

happy birthday missie! i know this is a bittersweet day for your family....i am so sorry. i'll call you later and when you have a moment, i have that little something for you....that i've had...oh, about a year now. love you guys!

{will you marry me, again?}

i'm still floating around in that romantic bubble from the wedding i shot last night. it was truly amazing. i cried several times, at one point, i had to really pull myself together. the couple, the atmosphere, the family, the love.....it was breathtaking. i watched a couple who were well into their eighties dance like they did when they were in their twenties - the man's eyes looked a little lost....but, his feet still moved with hers.....perfectly. i watched a grandmother learn to do the shuffle/slid. and, she did it well!!! i watched on as the parents of the bride had a special dance to "your the inspiration" as they modeled a strong marriage for this young couple with a slideshow of their life playing in the background; a surprise from the bride. i saw a wedding cake that almost toppled........it took me back to mine. i saw a new family being created. it was such a sweet night. maybe i should become a wedding crasher, i think it's a great way to reflect in a positive way....

& I want to be each of those couples - i've been the bride looking at her groom beginning that pathway of bliss, i {am} and want to be building our future as the parents who danced & have inspired this young couple and then......that little couple who have likely shared decades and despite the faded hair, lost youth, and the fact they are nearing the end of their journey together.....still have "the look" in their eyes for each other....along with their fancy footwork! I want to end even stronger than we began. It is exquisitely beautiful.

more pics to post soon on AMC ........

{the love dare}

poor scott. he went into the church office to pick up our book & told the receptionist that he was there to pick up a book his wife had bought at the "love fair". not certain what love fair he attended, but, i'm pretty certain i didn't get in on that one? lol! bless his heart.

i had shared with some of the girls that between the movie, church and ss - he has been trying. although it has come pretty close to being disastrous. he lit me a candle without a candle holder. fire extinguisher anyone? i guess the message from fireproof hit him in some manner? he has been trying to help out in the kitchen more and trying to take some of the pressure off of me with little tasks. saturday, he baked some homemade cinnamon rolls for our ss breakfast. the problem was, he did not add the cinnamon and he was a week early for our ss breakfast. this morning he attached bows to invitations for a baby shower. he's never used glue dots, let's just leave it at that. but, it's the thought and the effort that counts. not the cinnamonless cinnamon rolls baked eight days too early or the song "burning down the house" i can't rid my mind of. :)

i started the book today. i started at a day other than one because we are both going to do it & i wanted it to be a little different. not sure if that was a wise choice or not (the starting day, not the overall challenge) but, the day i started on is AMAZING. and, truly there is so much to glean from just 2 pages - that i know i will have to read it several times. will keep you posted.

{is the sky is falling?}

i have issued a self-imposed ban to self from watching CNN. at the same time, i don't want to completely bury my head in the sand. it's almost surreal what is happening. i know it will start trickling down to our day to day living soon in ways more than the gas and grocery pinch. i am trying to do my best to pray and not be consumed with worry. i do more than enough of that one a good day.

{decisions}

i'm stuggling a bit being away from my other blog. for no other reason other than i than keep having the feeling that i have left something behind. of course, until i can figure out if i can even move everything over to our new home, i will just link up to the old one. but, i do remember running across a company that will "bind" your blog posts. that may just have to be my Christmas present to me. i'll let you in on the details if i can track it down.......



this blog is definitely cuter!

{change}

well, i've actually had a blogger site since early 2007 - but, dreaded the change, so, I stayed put at the other site. so, i will keep the other site active and figure out if i can i transfer the archives? although this is the new place for me to land - it will likely be without activity for several days. alot of work to do.....