End of 2011

The end of the year makes me a little sad, a little happy, a little cranky, a little excited...

I have always been that way.  I try not to be a person of regrets.  I usually try to be an optimist.  I really try to focus on today, and not the past or tomorrow.  I want to be someone who lives in the moment.

The end of the year just always brings to my mind everything from the year, good and bad. 

There were so many wonderful things about this year, 2011.
There were some heart-wrenching, bad moments too.

This post isn't about any of them. 

Today I am looking forward, but also living in the moment.  I have so very many things to be thankful for.  I am incredibly blessed. 

I am thankful for my husband, my love and best friend.
I am thankful for my children, my joy and pure delight.
I am thankful for extended family, support and guidance.
I am thankful for friends, fun and laughter.
I am thankful for a roof over my head and nutritious food to eat.
I am thankful for the opportunities that have presented themselves in our lives.
I am thankful for all my abilities.
I am thankful to God, creator and protector.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Love & Laughter,
Blessings for 2012,
abby

Christmas Program

Cooper was in the Christmas program at our church a few Sundays ago.

It was ridiculously cute.

I would have been a bundle of nerves at his age.  Not him.  Very cool.  Very collected.
I am so thankful my "crazy" has NOT rubbed off on him.  There were so many things I didn't do as a child, that I should have.  Oh-well.

He was a sheep.  The production was called A Lamb's Tale.  There were some pretty cute sheep...

Christmas time is so fun, so cheerful.  Especially from the perspective of children.  What a blessing.

Love & Laughter,
abby

Merry Christmas

Some photos from the weekend!

It was a really blessed, really busy, really wonderful Christmas!

Love & Laughter,
abby

Scrooges

Anyone else think this would make a funny Christmas card???

This is what you would call "not cooperating".



Love & Laughter,
abby

Sick Day

Over night, Cooper decided to come down with a cough/sore throat/fever.

I hate to see my kids sick.  Kills me.  However, a sick day allows us to slow down, for which I am thankful.  Everything else can wait and we can just snuggle and rest.  (Getting Cooper to hold still for too very long is challenge, trust me.)

In honor of my sick boy, here are some Cooper-isms.  Enjoy!


"Mom, I feel like an earthworm." 
Me- "huh?!?"
"You know, cruddy.  Like dirt."
Ah.

"I want hair like Elvis."
"Why?"
"You know.... (shyly, but with confidence) The LADIES love Elvis hair."
Hahahaha. (I was thinking, only if they are baby-boomers!)

"Check out my back muscles!"
mmm... k.
(Pretty sure I was praising his shoulder blades.)
"That's AdvoCare, baby!"
Hahahahaha!  He is definitely on-board.

"I really want bonk-beds."
"You mean BUNK-beds."
"No, I like bonk.  Sounds funner."

A mom at his school approached me recently, saying her little girl could spell Cooper's name and was excited.  She chants it like a cheer.  C.O.O.P.E.R. That spells COOPER!
I was giggling about it, and Cooper looks at me and says...
"Well, I guess that makes me famous."  With a look on his face like, "ho-hum, I am pretty amazing."
Then I was belly-laughing, tears pouring out of my eyes.

And some recent photos...

With his glowing Rudolph nose.

THE back "muscles".

And, the gingerbread house I let him decorate
entirely on his own.  I kept my "crazy" in check and didn't
fix anything.  :)

Love & Laughter,
abby

Giving Thanks...

Sometimes as a Mom, you wish you could have a report card of sorts.  "Am I teaching the right things?"  "Do they hear what I am saying?"  "Do my children think of others?"  "Am I messing up royally??"

It is so, so good to hear when our children "get it", when they have done something that makes you well up with pride.

Yesterday I picked Cooper up from school and 2 of his teachers expressed the sweet kindness of my eldest.  They are, of course, discussing the things to be thankful for this week.  Cooper has always had a heart for those less fortunate.  Always.  He let them know how thankful he was for his family, his friends and his home.  And then went on to tell how much he wants to help those with less. 

He wants to give food.

Money.

Time.

Love.

HE IS 5.

His teachers expressed just how passionately he expressed this, how sweet and kind it was to see.

At dinnertime, he said the blessing and expressed again, his worry over those with less.  How he wants to help provide food, homes and money for those with less.

Can I tell you how proud this momma is??!??!

He gets it.  He is compassionate.  He is kind and giving and wonderful.

We should all take note. 

I know I am.

A little holiday cheer...

Love & Laughter,
abby

Thursday

Anyone else remember as a child thinking time was literally standing still?  Some hours felt like days.  Some days felt like weeks.  Time did not ever rush by. 

Why, WHY can't life be like that a little bit as an adult?  There is no way to accomplish everything in a day right now.  We are abundantly, abundantly blessed.  We are spending time doing the things that we love doing.  But is is whizzing by.

Thanksgiving is next week.  NEXT WEEK!  As in, a week from today.  (For anyone else completely lost in time, like me.)

I have already begun putting Christmas decorations up.  My hope is if I put a few things up each week, it might all be up by Christmas.

I love this time of year.  As a child, it took an eternity to get through all the days between Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Double that, for the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Oh, it would drag.

What am I saying???
I guess, I just wish it didn't feel so rushed.  I wish I had some of the childhood innocence and carefree time of my youth.  Anyone else not appreciate it as much as you should have??

I love watching my boys.  And all the other kids around that age.  Just soaking it all up.  The decorations, lights, time together, the real REASON we celebrate...

Wait!  I can do all of that...  It just goes so fast.  Poof.  It will be January.   Sigh....

I will leave you with a Cooper-ism for the day.
Yesterday he was helping me wash windows.  Midway through, he asks, "Mom, do you do this for a living or something??"
Yes.  Yes, I do. 
And I love and cherish every stinkin' moment of it.

Love & Laughter,
abby

Recipe

I LOVE to be in the kitchen.  Love it.

Thought I would share a recipe from time to time...  This one I got out of a cookbook that comes from an AdvoCare website.  It was crazy good.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce (No Sugar Added)

1/2 cup salsa

1 package Low Sodium Taco Seasoning or 3 -4 TBSP Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

2 cloves minced garlic

Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour remaining ingredients on top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve over lettuce for a Tex-Mex inspired salad using the extra juice as a dressing or creating your own using some olive oil, lemon/lime juice, and taco seasoning.

Burrito or Salad Topping Suggestions: Black Beans (rinsed and drained), tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, salsa, avocado (make an avocado spread by mashing the avocado with some lemon juice)

So simple.  Crazy good.  We put it on tortillas with a little fresh cilantro, yellow bell peppers and guacamole.  That's it!  Delicious!


Love & Laughter,
abby

Quotes

Here are some encouraging words...


Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain


Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that’s all.
Oscar Wilde


The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.
Theodore Roosevelt


Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.
Author Unknown

It's the friends you can call up at 4:00 a.m. that matter.
Marlene Dietrich

It's never too late to be what you might have been.
George Eliot

No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein


I hope one of these resonates with you.  They all have a place in my heart.


Love & Laughter,
abby

How can October be gone???

Miss me?  I thought you might.

Anyone else feel crazy right now?

I absolutely adore Autumn.  LOVE the change of seasons.  The trees changing.  Ahhhh...

I just don't feel like I have been able to soak it in this year.  Might be the 2 crazies I have tailing me.  Or, it might that we are just so blessed in so many ways right now that I can't seem to remember what day it is.

Blah, blah, blah.

All that to say... I missed a few days of blogging that I wanted to do.  You lived.  I lived.  All is well.

Something super fun.  We just got back from a little mini-vacation to Branson!  LOVE it there.  We usually go at least once a year, and it is usually with my super-great mom and dad-in-law.  They love our kids so much and we love spending this awesome family time together.  (I bet they are always more than excited to get back to their "quiet" lives after spending extended periods of time with the crazy.)

We did so many fun things, but also relaxed. 

We went to a really neat cat refuge.  It blows my mind that people choose to take on, oh say, a tiger OR a bear as a pet and then decide after the poor animal is mostly grown that they can't handle it.  Really!  Blows my mind.

A bear... always a good pet choice.

Love this one and his expression!

There was a monkey named GOOBER... awful close to someone
else's name! 

So many of these animals had just been released into the wild.  Can you imagine?!?!  Some, had been rescued from their homes after owners decided it was too much.  I just couldn't begin to wrap my mind around it.  There are lots of them.  Dozens of tigers, lions, bears, a monkey, caracals and other cats like panthers and more.  My house feels like National Geographic at times with 2 dogs, a cat, a lizard and a frog.  But, wow.  Crazy...

We saw a fun show that was full of pets.  Cats, dogs, pigs, birds, oh my!  It was so kid-friendly and my two boys loved it.  They could be loud during parts of it and not get shushed!  So great.

We did a bunch of shopping.  Because, it is Branson.  Love the shopping.

Cooper went to a show with Grandma only.  Elvis.  Loved it.  He now has some new "moves" and a love for a dead performer like no other.

We went to the Butterfly Palace.  Always fun.  The kids still don't understand why they can't touch and pick up the poor critters. 

My kids look excited... I know.

We ate.  Oh, did we eat.  Lots.  We had a few "moments" in restaurants, but mostly they were because of a lack of decent service.  We did find a mexican restaurant that was AWESOME.  I love that kind of fare.  LOVE.

The trees were in full color this weekend.  It was beautiful.  I, of course, couldn't catch a decent shot of it while we were driving.  I tried.  Really.  But, this photography thing... not my thing.  I am happy with a couple decent shots.  My photographer friends will cringe, I am sure. 

I wish I could have captured it better.  It was something.

We laugh so much as a family.  I am very thankful for that.  There are times when I could lose my mind, but we usually find the comedy in it.  For instance...

Carter took a bath with his daddy, (I am sure Cory wants me to share this!) and he is learning to use the potty, (see previous post!) and there may have been a moment when Cory was yelling for me to come into the bathroom and I was doing my best to not hear it.  Maybe.  It is amazing how quickly that little one can tell you what he needs to do and then... Whoops!  Does it.  In the tub.  With his daddy.  HA HA HA HA!  I laughed.  Cory did too, I promise.

Also, Cooper always, always makes us laugh.  His one-liners and zingers keep us on our toes.  He was feeling a little car sick and Grandma was trying to help by pointing things out to look at outside as we were driving.  Cooper looked at her and said with much concern... "Did you forget my stomach hurts??? Can you stop talking?!?"  Oh dear.  NO manners. 

Then, he was watching a video on the way home and was repeating a part of it where a little boy is singing (badly out-of-tune) to a little girl, whom he loves.  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  Finally I looked at him and asked why he had to keep watching that part?  (The out-of-tune was wearing on my nerves.)  And he let us know he was getting ideas for one of the little girls in his class.  Great.  Already. 

I could write a novel just on the things that make us laugh coming out of these two boys.  Maybe someday I will. 

We had so much fun.  We laughed and pulled our hair out.  All-in-all, a success!!!

Love & Laughter,
abby

Valued

My darling husband came home today and wished me...

"Happy Bosses Day."

Rightfully so.

(At least I am known for something around here.)


I love that he can make me laugh.  Especially on stress-filled days.


In other news,
Carter is using a potty.  He's 19 months old.  And, a boy.
(I feel like I have to point this out, because, come on!  How many 19 month old boys do you know who are doing this???)

AND, he is telling me he needs to go.  TELLING ME.  This has to be some sort of record. 
(If not, please don't burst my bubble.)

It isn't every time, and really, I don't expect it to be.  I didn't expect to be jumping up and down in the bathroom over my child grinning about what he just made appear in the potty for at least another year.  But, I am oh-so-happy. 

It's the small things really, that make me happy.

Because I know, in the not-too-distant future, he is going to pull a stunt like Super Cooper did in the car yesterday.  Fish around in his nose, then fling it in my face.  I couldn't locate the foreign object, we'll call it, hence the screaming, and combing through my hair, followed by the silent treatment coming from me for the duration of said ride.  (My husband laughed.  Oh, yes.  He did.)

This is my life.

I know you are pea-green with envy.  Admit it.

Love & Laughter,
abby

Three Word Thursday...

Boys are c.r.a.z.y.

Love & Laughter,

abby

Serious Question

I am contemplating a big change for next school year.

Really big.

We have been looking further into the homeschooling option. 

I know there are lots of opinions out there.  I know it is a monumental choice and an incredible commitment.

Let's be honest.  Public school... well, it's not perfect.  And I grow more dis-enchanted with it the "wiser" I become and the longer my oldest is in school.  (I am not bashing the teachers!  Some of my dearest friends are teachers.  And I adore them and am in awe of what they do.) 

He is unhappy.  He comes home wiped out and disagreeable and incredibly emotional.  Often. 

Homeschooling looks better and better. 

The question...

What opinions are there on program options??

I want to be educated in this before the decision is made.  I want to know that I have chosen the best option for my babies.  I want the experience to be inspiring for us all. 

To be honest, I don't know tons about it.  I have poo-pooed the idea countless times because I didn't feel "qualified".  I need to catch up and embrace my inner teacher goddess and I want to be informed.

Those who have gone before me, or done any homework on the topic... bless me with your knowledge.

Many, Many, Many thanks!

Love & Laughter,
abby

Pictures from the last few days

Oh my.  Love these two!  Enjoying a fire
in the backyard.  (Look how skinny my man
is getting!!  So proud of him!)

Who wants to pinch these cheeks??!? 
Too much cute in one little face.

Thanks brother!

He's OK!

Adore this man.  I mean, treasure him completely.

Let's talk addiction...

I have bought more strawberries in the last
month, than I can ever remember.  He says
berries and please so well... I can't say no.
Ridiculous.

Hysterical.

 

Love & Laughter,

abby