I smile because you're my sister...

...I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it.

I saw that quote somewhere, and loved it.

As children, my sisters and I couldn't have been more different. We fought. We drove each other crazy with our "s" sounds. We skipped out on each other when it was our turn to do the dishes. We annoyed the heck out of each other. But even then, we loved and protected one another.

As grown women, wives and mothers, we have more in common than we ever did as children. I have the utmost respect for both of them, and I'm so grateful for their friendship.

I sometimes mourn the fact that Sydney has no sisters. She's missing out, and I hate that.

I turned 35 this year, and my life is once again in complete transition. The move to San Antonio a few months ago has left me loving my new home, yet missing my old one. I miss my girlfriends most of all. I've spent so many hours talking to God about how much I need a girlfriend, and He consistently tells me He is enough. It has been a lonely time. Yet it has been a time of a growing friendship with my Lord.

So on my birthday, my doorbell rang around 7:30 am. And my sisters stood on my front porch with a video camera. I cried for joy (and embarassment because I hadn't even put on a bra yet). The next 48 hours were the highlight of my year. On Friday, we shopped and ate and talked. Andy stayed home with the boys on Saturday while we girls did more shopping, eating and talking. On Saturday evening, I had a blissful night out with my husband, knowing that my children were well-cared for by two of the best mothers I know.

My little guys each picked a favorite aunt. Max loved snuggling with Aunt Erin, and Brady kept insisting that he wanted to stay with "that girl" (Aunt Amanda). Such precious memories.

I'm crying just thinking about the sacrifices made for that little bit of time we had together. Each sister had to fly a long way and spend significant cash to do it. Each sister's husband stayed home with all of their children, and did it joyfully. Thank you Jeff and Jimmy. I am so humbled and grateful.

Thank you, Erin and Amanda. It was the best birthday gift you could have possibly given me.

Let's do it again sometime, girls. That sister weekend was WAY overdue.

A REAL vacation

I love it when I hear someone say they're taking a Disney vacation. As far as I'm concerned, that's a complete oxymoron. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Disneyworld, but it is NOT a vacation. Vacation is a beach and a book with no schedule and no responsibility. It's doing whatever you want whenever you want without having to take into consideration if the restaurant serves mac-n-cheese or if you remembered the emergency pacifier, wipes and sippy cups. In my book, vacation really doesn't include kids...at least, not my kids.

Andy had business in San Diego in September, and I was blessed to get to tag along while my mom came to keep the kids (thanks, Mom!). It was awesome. The hotel was beautiful, the beach was close by, and I actually had the luxury of using the bathroom ALONE more than once.:) Have I said that it was awesome? Each morning, I got up and either laid around by the pool with a good book, roamed the quaint little shopping area in La Jolla, or went to the spa for a treatment (or two). Sometimes, I'd meet Andy for lunch, and we always had dinner together.

One evening, we walked down to the beach from the hotel. It wasn't technically a hike, but it was a very steep, paved road. It was more of a workout than either of us anticipated.

We also took a drive up to Mt. Soledad...gorgeous view.

We also had dinner downtown La Jolla at a quaint little Italian place, overlooking the beach. Good times.

If you're ever in San Diego, I highly recommend the Estancia La Jolla. Beautiful decor, incredible service, and the food wasn't bad either. We were scheduled to leave late on a Saturday, so we checked out of the hotel and headed to the world famous San Diego zoo. It's a gorgeous zoo, and we thoroughly enjoyed the pandas and the gorillas. As our plane touched down in San Antonio, I was anxious to see the kids, but I think I could have stood another day or two of REAL vacation.

It was four days of shear luxury, and I want to go back tomorrow. Maybe next year...

She's not a little girl anymore

So Sydney turned NINE last month. She's only a year away from double digits. Where did that decade go? There's no more princess parties or doll tea parties (although she still loves her American Girl doll). There's no more dress up and dresses that "twirl". Getting her to wear a hairbow is a battle these days. And while I miss the little girl that she was, I'm thoroughly enjoying the big girl that she is. So, here are just ten reasons I adore her, in no particular order:

1. She looks like me. I don't think I'm all that beautiful, but I do enjoy it when people tell me she looks just like me.

2. She's a natural nurturer. Anyone who spends 5 minutes with the kid knows this. And praise God that she is, because I need all the help I can get with the little guys.:)

3. She loves a stage and a microphone. That girl loves her some attention, and she belts her favorite tunes at the top of her lungs.

4. She loves bling on her clothing. As I folded her laundry last week, I realized that nearly every long sleeved shirt she owns has some form of glitter.

5. She loves all the same shows I loved as a child: Cosby Show, Little House, etc.

6. She loves arts and crafts of any kind. Give her some pipe cleaners, and she can keep herself busy for hours.

7. She adores her brothers. Even though they make her crazy sometimes, she takes great joy in reading to them, playing with them, and teaching them new things.

8. She loves to climb trees.

9. She loves to read mysteries.

10. When she's disappointed in herself, she just wants me to sit and hold her while she cries.

This year, she wanted a karaoke party, and she wanted to do it at home. So we set up a little stage, hooked up the speakers and microphones, cleared out the living room and let a bunch of little girls jam their hearts out. It really was a lot of fun, but if I never hear "Breaking Free" from High School Musical again, that'd be okay with me.

Halloween

Yes, I know I'm very behind. But I'm trying to catch up...again. On Halloween, we weren't quite sure what to expect, being new in the neighborhood and all. We were invited to trick-or-treat with some neighbors on the other side of the neighborhood. Kids were EVERYWHERE, and it was like the whole neighborhood was having a big party. The kids loved it. Syd and Blake opted for the Star Wars route. No matter how hard they tried to convince Brady to be Darth Vader, he refused. Of course, he wanted to be Diego. And he wanted Max to be Rescue Pack. He screamed every time I told him that Max would be sleeping during trick-or-treating and I had no intention of dressing him up. He really, REALLY wanted Max to be Rescue Pack. Max was a farmer because he just happened to be wearing a John Deere "future farmer" t-shirt that day. Good enough.:) We lasted a little over an hour trick-or-treating before Blake announced he was finished. Next year, we may just make friends with someone with a golf cart (great idea, Sara).

This is just a fraction of the kids living in our neighborhood. This place is crawling with kids!

Sydney's always in protective big sis mode in a crowd.

It's 63 Degrees...

...and my kids feel the need to drag out the hats and scarves. They would NEVER survive a real winter.

Batter up!

Blake started playing t-ball this Fall. We actually felt bad because he's been a HUGE baseball fan for over a year now, and we only told him this summer that he could play. Before that, he thought it was only a professional sport. He has loved his first season, and he's showing some talent for his daddy's favorite sport. He was upset at his first game because his socks weren't long enough to tuck his pants into, like Hunter Pence (one of his favorite Astros players). I love to watch him standing on first just itching for that ball to come his way. I see many, many more ball games in our future, and I'm surprised to say that I'm excited about it.

Even though the pitcher doesn't actually pitch in t-ball (they're supposed to just mime it), Blake gives the full wind-up:

On third, getting a little coaching from Coach Jeff:

Six Flags Fun

Last Saturday, Valero reserved the entire Fiesta Texas park for its employees. It was very cool. No lines, free snacks at every snack stand, and free game tickets for the carnival-type games. We took only Blake and Sydney. The little guys stayed home with Gran and Grandad (thank you guys!). The four of us had so much fun. Andy and Syd are a great match because they're both into the fast rides...all coasters all the time. Blake and I like the slower, closer to the ground kind of rides. I think all four "big kids" really enjoyed the baby free day.

Snaggle tooth

Okay, I know I've been VERY delinquent in keeping up posts. I'm going to try to get back on track. Please be patient with me.

Yesterday, Blake lost his first tooth. Yea! Finally. He noticed it was loose a few days ago. But yesterday, when he came home from school, it was really loose and bleeding. He and Sydney strategized for a few minutes about how to get it out most efficiently. And 45 minutes later, he was grinning ear to ear, holding his tooth out for us to see.

Conversations between Max and Brady

Amidst all the craziness of packing and moving, my children continue to keep me laughing and on my toes. I'll blog more later about the move, complete with pics of the new house, but I want to remember some of the funny things they're doing and saying. If I don't get it down now, I never will.

Max and Brady are becoming buddies more and more. They play together some, and have begun having the same conversation over and over. It goes something like this:

Max: Nononononononononono
Brady: Yes, Max, yes.
Max: Nononononononononono
Brady: Yes, Max, yes.

Repeat, repeat, repeat. It really is pretty funny in person.

Max makes a mean muscle, now. If you ask to see his muscle, he goes red in the face and his whole body stiffens. I have yet to get him to do it for the video camera!

After the kids had been at Gran and Grandad's for the weekend, Max greeted me with a huge grin and lots of giggling. I loved that he was so giddy.

Brady asks every day when we're going to "antonio wif daddy". Sweet boy. Every time I say it's time to go home, he asks if we're going to the "old house" or the "new house". His little two year old mind must be so confused!

Blake has spent a lot of the summer working on baseball skills. He's really become a very good pitcher. He also catches and hits well. He's so proud of himself, and I can't wait to see him play on a team. I've enjoyed watching him begin to really delight in his younger brothers. They are a constant source of entertainment for him, and I get regular play-by-plays of silly little things that Blake finds hilarious.

Sydney has always been a nurturer, but this summer she's been a trooper. She's helped out with the little guys with very little complaint. Without her help and companionship, this summer might well have been miserable. I'm so proud of the little lady she's becoming.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of things...oh, well. More later...

Wink, wink

Max is big into copycatting lately. He particularly loves to wink. I could spend all day winking back and forth with him. He's too cute.

Cousin Camp

Blake and Sydney had a ball at ACU's KidQuest this week. We had the privilege of taking Hollyn (Matt and Sara's oldest) with us. The three of them were so well-behaved. I think they genuinely had a great time. My Nonnie and Poppie hosted us in their home. Big thanks to them. I'm sure their quiet retired life was completely turned upside down by a crazy woman and five kids! But the little ones had a great time watering the flowers and playing in the wonderland of a backyard. It was an exhausting week, but a fun one. I'm missing my "H" (my new nickname for Hollyn) already.:)

My kids love the stage

I know, imagine that... Both Sydney and Blake went to drama camp at our church last week. At the end of camp, they put on a show, a very shortened version of Jungle Book Jr. Blake was the daddy wolf and Sydney was the baby elephant. It was pretty cute. They both delivered their lines beautifully. Sydney, in particular, shows a passion for the stage. I'm not sure whether to be excited about that or to fear it.

We're moving...again

Well, it's official. We are moving to San Antonio by the end of the summer. Andy has accepted a position with Valero, and we're in a full sprint to get the house on the market and get moved before school starts.

The kids have taken it pretty well. Blake is just excited Andy will be working for a company he recognizes (you know that kid's crazy obsession with gas stations). Sydney is a harder sell, but she's beginning to get excited. Obviously, the younger two are completely oblivious.

I am excited about living in San Antonio, although I will be sad to leave our church family and neighbors here. The hardest part is just getting from here to there.

I would appreciate all the prayer I can get at this point. The perfectionist in me wants this house HGTV ready before it goes on the market (in less than a week), but it just isn't possible. We have to pick and choose the things that are most important and leave some things undone...which drives me INSANE. So please pray that the Lord gives me clarity and peace and patience. A little perspective would be nice too.

More from Brady, the Comedian

Brady: Mom, I go to airport? (Why, oh, why is the airport so special??!)
Me: No, not today.
Brady: I go to Disneyworld?
Me: Sorry, not today.
Brady: I go to beach?
Me: Nope.
Brady (getting frustrated): I go to Wal-mart?!!

Now that's a possibility!

Blakey Blake

So Blake turned 6 yesterday. We celebrated on Sunday. He took a couple of friends to the Astros game, along with their fathers. Then their families came here for dinner and cupcakes. We gave Blake a basketball goal, and the boys had a great time breaking it in. What began as "shooting a few" turned into a hybrid of basketball and football in which traveling and tackling were perfectly acceptable. Blake had a great time. Here are a few pics from the party.











Blake is an amazing boy who has made parenting him a breeze. He's low maintenance, funny and scary smart. Some of my favorite things about him are:

He has style. He actually came down the stairs in the below outfit last Sunday. (I didn't say it was good style:)

He loves gas stations.

He can beat Andy in a game of "match the Astro player to their number".

He loves to watch ballgames with his Daddy.

All things school-related come completely naturally to him (which is a good thing...it might make up for his lack of style:).

Other kids like him. This is, in my opinion, a rare thing for a kid as smart as he is. Really smart kids usually lack social skills. But I'm always amazed at the number of kids at school (K through 5) who know his name . Everyone seems to want to be his friend.

He's funny. Granted, sometimes he doesn't intend to be. But he keeps us grinning.

He prizes good behavior. Each day, he is dying to tell me who was on yellow and red. He's particularly happy when he managed to pull off a green day.

He's predictable. For instance, every time we sit down to a family meal, it takes him about 5 minutes to excuse himself to poop.

He's neat. His room is the cleanest room in the house. He hates it when friends come over and rip his room apart. He likes things to be where they go, and if he doesn't know where they go, he will hound me and hound me until I help him figure out a place to put them.

He's transparent. If he doesn't know what you're talking about, you can see it on his face. Then you can see the moment he catches on, as a little smirk crosses his lips and his eyes light up as if to say "Oh, I get it".

He adores his sister. Even though they fight from time to time, he's lonely without her, and he likes to be near her.

He loves his little brothers. He takes his job as big brother pretty seriously and tries to play with them and help out whenever he thinks of it.

He loves any kind of slapstick or body humor. Burping, tooting, etc. are all hilarious. And he loves America's Funniest Home Videos. I've never understood how watching people hurt themselves is funny, but he just giggles and giggles.

Oh, and his laugh. His laugh is infectious. I especially love it when he's a little tired and gets his giggle box turned over. He will laugh until it hurts, and it's the cutest thing in the world.

All in all, I am so blessed to be mom to a kid that I not only love, but I really like. Happy birthday, Blakey blake! I love you.

Soccer, Dancing and Donuts

This weekend was very busy for us. There are a few things I wanted to record, just so I don't forget them.

Blake had his final soccer game. He scored. He really picked the game up well. I'll admit that I've been surprised at how good he is, especially on defense. He's been playing with Upward, a Christian sports organization. His coach was awesome...so encouraging and gentle. It's been a great introduction to sports for Blake. I missed his final game to be at Emily's baby shower (Emily is Andy's cousin), but he didn't seem to miss me.

Sydney and I went to Em's baby shower with Gran, and enjoyed seeing her open all her goodies. She's a cute little preggo woman. This will be baby number one for her and her Matt, and they've already named him Carter. Cute, cute, cute. Emily was in high school when Andy and I married, and it's so hard to believe that she has a driver's license, let alone that she's married and having a baby!!

Sydney had a dance recital on Saturday night. She dances with a Christian performing arts center. I love it. I don't worry about skanky costumes, etc. The theme this year was creation. Sydney was a flower...a very beautiful flower.:) She danced wonderfully, and we all had fun watching her.

During one of the numbers, there was a boy dancing...the only boy that danced all night. Blake leaned over to Andy and said, "Hey, Dad. Is that a boy?" "Yes, Blake. Boys dance, too. Would you like to dance?" (Pretty enlightened for Andy, huh?:) Blake shot back VERY quickly, "NO!" I think we'll stick to soccer and baseball.

Yesterday, when Brady got up from his nap, he was in a very silly mood. Our conversation went like this:

Me: Hmmm. What should we have for dinner tonight?

Brady: How 'bout nonuts! (donuts)

Me: We're NOT having donuts for dinner!

Brady: How 'bout....nonut holes! (enthusiastically with a huge grin)

He ultimately settled for mac-n-cheese.:) Love that kid.

Happy

Overheard this week in my living room:

Andy: Cookies make Blue happy. Cookies make Periwinkle happy. (reading a Blue's Clues book)

Brady: Cookies make Brady happy! Eeeeee (smiling really big...like "cheese").

Sweet Praise

This morning I was blessed to get to sing with the praise team. Blake and Sydney sat in the front row by themselves and behaved beautifully. I was amazed by the joy on their faces as they sang. I hope this video gives you just a taste of what I felt this morning. Nothing touches me like music.:)

Welcome home, Hannah!

We are so thrilled that Hannah is finally home. For those of you who have no idea who Hannah is, you'll have to scroll down and check out other posts. On Friday afternoon, we went to the airport (DFW) to welcome her, Matt and Sara home. There was quite a little crowd, and it was so exciting to see them walk through the gate to the baggage claim. We'd been waiting for a while, so the kids were getting antsy. My youngest ones had complete meltdowns and Noah was so overwhelmed he just kept running in circles around the baggage belt (that kid is hilarious). Hollyn was all sunshine. She was ready to see her mama and daddy and to meet her little sister.



Sara bought us all t-shirts for Christmas with chinese symbols for aunt, uncle, etc. We dressed Syd's "cousin" t-shirt up. Blake was the only one who couldn't find his shirt. Instead, he wore his usual Friday uniform (his school spirit shirt), even though he didn't go to school. Does that surprise anyone?



I love this picture. Hollyn was SO excited. Sweet girl.



And here's sweet Hannah. She's beautiful. This was the only time I held her, and I cried for joy at the privilege of being her aunt. You can see WAY better pics of her on their adoption site.



We tried (quickly) to take a picture of all the kids together. With this many kids, you're lucky to have them all IN the picture, nevermind if no one's looking at the camera or smiling.

Matt and Sara were kind enough to allow us a visit on Saturday morning. I know they were exhausted, but it was such a joyful time for me, Andy and the kids. We were so honored to get to be there with them. I am so proud of both of them, and of my nieces and nephew.

Hannah did, however, come home pretty sick. She is currently in the hospital fighting off a virus. Perhaps this virus wouldn't be a big deal in most kids, but Hannah was born with a heart defect that makes situations like these more dangerous. She is currently getting great care, but please pray for her. Also continue praying for the rest of the family. I know it's a lot of stress on Matt and Sara. I'm sure this isn't exactly how they imagined Hannah's homecoming. Hollyn and Noah seem to be holding up pretty well, but it's a big adjustment for everyone, and under more difficult circumstances than expected. I absolutely believe that the Lord will take care of all five of them, and that before long, this sweet family can find their new normal.

Bits

Just a few tidbits from the week:


We were driving to church last Wed. night, with the radio on pretty loudly (Superchick was playing, and the kids love them). Blake yells over the radio, "Hey, mom! Did you know that the Citgo next to church turned into a Chevron?" Hmm. Didn't notice. Where did this kid get his obsession with gas stations?

Blake's been playing soccer this season, and he's really good at it. He prefers to play defense, and does a great job of defending the goal. However, he has scored several goals. He's a very strategic player, which is odd for a kid his age. He's really enjoying it, and I love going to his games. Even Brady gets into it, yelling "Go, Blake, go!" at completely random times.


I tried out my new food processor, which by the way, is the coolest thing ever made for the kitchen. I made a chocolate cream pie. Brady, Max and I sampled it for morning snack today. (I'm sure we were quite a sight, sitting on the kitchen floor, me spooning bits alternately between the boys and myself.) Brady said, through his chocolatey ear-to-ear grin, "Dawishous!"


Sydney lost her "silver" tooth yesterday. She had a cap put on years ago, and she was thrilled to lose it. The tooth fairy brought her $10!


Max has begun flinging himself on the floor and sobbing pathetically every time he gets his feelings hurt. And let me tell you, this kid gets his feelings hurt A LOT. I think I'm in for a long few years, given that two is still a year away. Good thing he's SO cute.

This is my life? Really?

If you'd told me ten years ago that today, I'd have four children, I'd have laughed at you. If you'd told me four years ago, I'd have laughed at you. If you'd told me two years ago, I'd have laughed at you. And most of my friends would have laughed at you too. But here I am, and surprisingly, I'm learning to love being a mom of four. That's not to say that I don't still have days that I feel completely overwhelmed...I do. But for the most part, I am happy and content. I thought I'd sum up my favorite things about yesterday (Mother's Day) in a top ten list (in no particular order):

1. Donuts at church. I'd love to say church in and of itself, but I really didn't get to hear much of the service yesterday. Max was a royal toot. But I love when I go to pick Brady up from the nursery and he starts asking for a "nonuh" with this gorgeous grin on his face. How can I resist? That boy LOVES donuts (almost as much as my nephew, Silas:).
2. Girlfriends at church. Even when I have my hands completely full and I'm beginning to wonder why I even bothered to leave my house, those little "I'm right there with ya" looks from my favorite girlfriends make it all bearable (love you, Megan).
3. Grilled salmon. Andy makes the best grilled salmon, and coming home to eat one of my favorite dishes sure beats taking the two youngest children out to lunch at an overly-crowded restaurant. Thank you, Andy!
4. Homemade cards. Sydney and Blake had each made me the sweetest cards. They are totally frame-able, and I love them.
5. The mother of all food processors. Andy bought me a Cuisinart 11 cup food processor. It's SO pretty and it does everything. I can't wait to use it.
6. Little boys napping simultaneously. Both Brady and Max took really good naps, and the fact that they were at the same time was pure luxury!
7. Lost episodes online in HD. I've recently discovered that I can play Lost episodes on my laptop in HD any time I want for FREE. I spent two hours holed up alone in my bedroom watching episodes I've never seen. Love that.
8. Playing outside with the kids and neighbors. We have such great neighbors, and the kids all play so well together (even Brady). The evening weather was just beautiful!
9. Going out for ice cream with Sydney (just girls). I cherish the rare moments that I have Syd to myself with no boys hanging around. She becomes such a chatterbox and I learn so much about her. She is growing up before my eyes, and I am all at once amazed and terrified.
10. Long talks with Andy. I love the evenings when all the kids go to bed and I am more important than whatever game is on ESPN. It's wonderful when we have no "issues" to work through and we can just chat and laugh and enjoy each other's company. It's like we're dating again, and I am reminded of how blessed I am to be married to a man who loves me and our children as much as he does. He truly is one of my favorite gifts from God.

My life is crazy and hectic and exhausting. It isn't anything like I imagined it would be ten years ago. It's better...much better. God is so good.

Simplicity

As soon as school let out today, we packed up and headed for the beach. There is a spot on Galveston island where you can just drive onto the beach. We spread out our blanket, got out the toys and played hard for a bit. At the beach, it's all so simple. No cell phones or crackberries. No laptops. No Gameboys or Leapsters. A shovel, bucket and frisbee are really the only toys necessary. Smiles are found in abundance and whining is rare (except from Brady...but he's VERY two these days). The roar of the ocean is the perfect soundtrack. An evening at the beach is just pure magic. And to top it all off, it's FREE!

I had big ideas about taking some posed pics of the kids tonight, but just couldn't ruin a near-perfect evening by making them all sit still and say cheese. So the candids will just have to do for now.

I love what the humidity does for Brady's curls. He's the perfect little beach bum.

Sydney's my little poser. She loves to have her picture taken.

The minute we put him down, Max took off for the ocean as quickly as he could crawl. It reminds me of a certain nephew of mine when he was about this age (love you, Noah!).

Max is finally trying a few steps...as long as he's holding on to Mommy or Daddy.

A rare moment when Max is actually sitting still.

How sweet!

Andy and Blake played frisbee.

I love to see all four play together. It's kind of a new thing for them to include Max. They all seemed to get along so well. Like I said, the beach is a magical place.