Christmas Eve and Christmas 2016

Christmas Eve and Christmas 2016

The photos are jumbled up between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I shared some of my favorites from the two days.

This could be one of my very favorite photos of the boys ever, and it was taken on Christmas Eve night.

Making cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.

A Christmas Eve selfie while we watched A Christmas Story

The boys always track Santa on the NORAD Santa Tracker, and when they see he is in the U.S. they know it's time to go to bed.

Christmas Morning

Santa found our new house.

 

 Back to Christmas Eve

Mark's family celebrates with a Christmas Eve breakfast.

Back home on Christmas Eve

We had to say goodbye to our Elf Pets

Last year we adopted a Reindeer named Speedy, and this year we added a new pet.  We adopted a St. Bernard that we named Jingle.

Also we said goodbye to our Elf, Bill, until next year. 

My guys

Our family on Christmas Eve 

Will's Tooth Tale

It's taken me over a month to write this blog post because I didn't really want to think about the day Will knocked out his permanent front tooth.  Do you know that feeling when accidents happen?  You replay the event a thousand times in your mind and wish for a different outcome.  That's the feeling we've had regarding Will's front tooth.  I've joked with people that I'm weak of character because I was a mess after this happened.  This unfortunate event had me awake for many nights worrying about Will.  Mark and I felt so sorry for him.  We wished we could make it better but there was nothing we could do but follow the dentist's instructions and pray for healing.  

Here's how it all began.

My family from Virginia was visiting--my brother Chris, sister-in-law Laura and nieces Ella and Lily, and my brother Brian and niece Cassidy.  We were having a great afternoon (which I still need to blog about).  We'd grilled burgers, let the kids go swimming and enjoyed hanging out together.  The kids were playing outside in the swimming pool and on the swing set.  We also had out a giant beach ball sprinkler.  I let them wet down the slide with the water toys since they were already wet from swimming.  The kids were having fun going down the wet slide and playing in the sprinkler.

It was at the bottom of the wet slide where Will's tooth got knocked out.  He bent down at the bottom of the slide to wipe off some grass stuck to his leg.  At that very moment Ben slid down the slide on his stomach.  I don't think Ben and Will ever saw each other.  Ben's feet knocked Will's feet out from under him and Will was already bent over so that when Ben made contact Will's face hit the bottom of the slide.  Will never saw him coming so he couldn't brace himself.  His face/tooth took the brunt of the impact.  I saw it happen, but I didn't think it was that serious from where I was standing.  I thought he might have a bloody lip.  As soon as he turned around, I could tell it was much more serious.  He immediately yelled "I've knocked out my permanent tooth!" and blood was everywhere.  

I was on the back porch and turned to yell inside the house for Mark. This is my typical response when there's trouble.  I yell for Mark to come and help. We knew we  needed to comfort Will, but we also needed to talk to his pediatric dentist fast.  We got Will inside.  We got Dr. Kelli on the phone.  Laura had the composure and quick thinking to get the tooth from outside where it was knocked out and left on top of the grass.  Those first 5 minutes were a whirlwind.  Dr. Kelli answered immediately and told me the tooth needed to be reinserted in the tooth socket.  Since Laura is a nurse, Mark and I both looked at her.  I can't express how thankful I am that she was there.  If a bad thing was going to happen, we had the best possible scenario for handling it.  Laura reinserted the tooth.   We didn't rinse off the tooth.  It's important not to do that.

We left the house in a mad dash to get to the dentist office where they were going to put on a splint, which looked just like braces.  That would hold Will's tooth in place so it could hopefully reattach.  Will was such a good patient during the entire thing.  Obviously he was upset, but he was as brave as we could have hoped for.

Here's Will in Target waiting for his antibiotics prescription to be filled.  This is just after the splint had been put on.

Here he is a few days later.  I was so thankful he never complained of pain.

Here's my brave boy.

Here he is a few weeks ago after the splint was removed.

So here's the status of his tooth almost 6 weeks since the accident.

The X-rays at the endodontist didn't show any problems so that's a good thing.  I was disappointed when the tooth didn't respond to the sensitivity test.  At the 2 week checkup he did respond to a "cold test" for sensitivity.  The advice from the dentist was to wait and see.  We will go back in 6 weeks for another checkup.  I'll take no bad news as good news at this point.  We are cautiously optimistic and praying for healing.  We hope that the tooth will reattach properly and heal.  Please keep Will in your prayers.

The Night Before Kindergarten

It's the night before Ben starts kindergarten and I'm a bundle of emotions.  Mostly I'm happy and excited, but there's a small part of me that's sentimental.  How many times can I use bittersweet to describe my boys growing up?  I know you've heard it before, and I know you'll hear it again from me.  Ben is starting kindergarten in the morning and it's a big transition.  I know that he's old enough and he's more than ready (just a tiny bit nervous).  

We're excited about this new phase in our lives, but...  

I can't believe we're here.  My baby is a big boy!

Whenever I feel emotional about making such big changes, I think about some advice our pediatrician gave us, "One of your jobs as a parent is to prepare your child for independence."  I've got the nurturing and loving part down, but the letting go part is something that takes some effort.  Mark reminds me that they can't stay little forever, and he's right.  Thank goodness both of my boys have always been somewhat independent.  That confidence is really helpful for me since I'm a protective mother.  I'm praying a lot (for them and me) and remembering 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Now...if we could just get them to go to sleep!  As I type this, it's way past their bedtime and they are having a hard time settling down so they can go to sleep.   Oh well!  This is life.

Here are few pics from Meet the Teacher.  It was on Thursday last week.

Ben found his locker.

Ben and his sweet teacher.

Ben checking out his desk with dad.

Will and his new teacher for 2nd grade.

He's so excited that his desk is by his best friend.

It's going to be a great year!

Ben is 5!

Ben is 5!

I can't believe I'm even typing that.  My baby has become a little boy.  Maybe it's a mom thing, but I can remember the day that Ben was born like it was yesterday.  How did these last 5 years go by so quickly?  I'm having trouble even typing that Ben is 5.  My fingers keep hitting the 4 key.  Is that subconscious?  Probably!  

When Ben came along we knew our family was complete. He's the baby of our little family, and it's crazy to think we don't have a baby anymore.  In fact, don't even mention that around him because he will quickly remind you that he is NOT a baby.  He loves being bigger and is excited about starting kindergarten in the Fall.  

Ben is smart, loving, funny, creative, and independent. 

He's sweet mixed with just a little mischievous.  

For example, he loves to cuddle, but the very next minute he'd challenge you to a lightsaber duel.  Ben loves routine.  He doesn't like change.  If anything is out of the ordinary, Ben doesn't like it one bit.  One of his favorite things to do is cuddle up on the couch, eat popcorn and watch a movie.  Ben likes being outside and riding his bike or scooter.  He also likes music, songs like "Happy".

Ben's favorite things:

Colors: Green and Blue

TV show: Legends of Chima, Ninjago, Curious George

People: Mamaw and Papaw, Will, Daddy and Mommy, and his cousins

Toys: Legos, Cars, and Superheroes

Food: Pizza

Game: Baseball (Playing tee-ball in backyard with Will)

Bible story: Zacchaeus stuck in the tree

Favorite of all favorites: Bear (Baby Bear, Daddy Bear and Mommy Bear) and Blankie (which he calls his NFL Rushzone blanket)

Look at those brown eyes.  Love!

Ben has some of the funniest expressions.  He's definitely the most animated member of our family.  

Happy 5th Birthday, Ben!  

Celebrate!!! 

More photos of Ben's Chima Lego-theme party soon.

Mother's Day 2014

Mother's Day 2014

Before church on Sunday we took our yearly photo in front of the house for Mother's Day.  Mark and I study the photos from years past to see what changes we've made to our flower beds.  We're nerdy like that and make odd observations.  We've taken photos in front of the house since Will was born.  We can't break tradition now.  Who knows, in a year or two hopefully we'll be taking the photos in front of a new house. 

The boys are looking big here.  My goodness!  I'm holding their hands to keep them still.

I had to include this photo because they were both saying as loudly as possible "Happy Mother's Day!!!"  It made me laugh.  I should do a post of outtakes and you'd really laugh.  I'm waving at the neighbors as they drive by in one of the photos.

Saturday night we went to the girlie restaurant of my choosing.  I chose La Madeleine, which is a French Bakery and Cafe. We also went to Trader Joe's at my request.  We made stops at two different Whole Foods, too.  All the time, the boys were good sports.  They were being extra nice to me.

The weekend wasn't all about me.  We took the boys to the Lego Store in between stops at Whole Foods. We didn't buy anything but Ben got a lot of ideas for his birthday.  He has a wish list a mile long!

These guys know the way to my heart.  A cinnamon twist from the donut shop.  I like the sweet handwritten note from Mark.  He didn't want me to share it, but since he doesn't read my blog, he'll never know, ha! 

Sunday afternoon I watched chick flicks (do you spot Notting Hill), ironed and did laundry.  You might think that's not fun on Mother's Day, but it was actually just what I wanted.  I didn't want to go to lunch and fight the crowds.  We'd picked up Sushi for me and Will the night before and Ben and Mark had leftovers.  We got to spend the entire afternoon at home.  It was really relaxing.  I'll have a better week since I got time to catch up on house work and start the week with the laundry done. That's a true mom's dream. Seriously!

Mother's Day is bittersweet.  Physically Mama Winnie is still with us, but mentally she is not herself.  She is in the nursing home because of Alzheimer's. We didn't visit her this weekend.  I feel so much guilt because I don't visit her that often.  We used to see her a lot more, but her mind has quickly deteriorated in the last year.  She doesn't know us, and I'm afraid her actions will scare Will and Ben.  It's a very sad situation.  I find comfort in looking at old photos and seeing her in her prime.  She looks amazing in this photo.  I think she's so beautiful and happy here.

I reflected on Instagram.  I shared the photos on Facebook, but I couldn't bring myself to put my feelings out there.  Here's what I wrote for this photo that I shared on IG,

"This is me and my grandmother, Mama Winnie.  Mama Winnie raised me and I can't begin to share all the valuable life lessons she taught me.  I'm so lucky to have been raised by such a selfless and loving woman.  She currently lives in a nursing home because of Alzheimer's.  She doesn't know us anymore, but we still have all of the special memories of her to fill our hearts."   

If anyone has suffered loss, loss of a parent or child, then holidays like Mother's Day are difficult.  Each person handles their sadness differently, I choose to think about all the good in my life and not focus on the sad parts.  God's blessed me more than I ever could have imagined.  I'm thankful for Mama Winnie, for my wonderful mother-in-law Carol, my sweet sisters-in-laws, all the dear friends and relatives I have who are examples of how to be a good mother.  Not a single one of us is perfect, but we all love our children with all we have and that's what matters most.  

Siblings

So yesterday Facebook was blowing up with "National Sibling Day" photos. Mark made me laugh when he asked, "Has anyone even checked to see if this is a real thing?"  Good point.  Who knows?  

With all that talk about siblings I want to talk about the special bond between Will and Ben.  It's something I never knew existed.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you know I was raised as an only child.  I have siblings (whom I love dearly), but we did not live together growing up.  I'm not interested in focusing on that.  I've written a very long heartfelt blog post about it before.  

What I do want to talk about is how cool it is for me to see my boys together.  Since I didn't have a brother or sister around when I was a child, I never got to experience life with a sibling.  Some of you might be thinking, lucky her.  Just kidding!  Seriously, though, one of the most amazing things I've seen in my boys is their relationship with each other.  They balance each other out.  They miss each other when they are apart.  They have fun and play together.  They even work together to gang up on me and Mark, which is funny.  They fuss and fight like all brothers do, which is not so funny.  

More than anything, they are close.  

Will thinks about doing things for Ben when he isn't with us, and Ben does the same thing for Will.  It's not something we force them to do.  Mark and I understand they are individuals and unique, but their bond as brothers is special.  They have friends, but I don't think anyone will ever replace the friendship that they have.   As an only child, it truly amazes me.  I ask Mark all the time, "Did you and your brothers do this or that?"  He usually responds with a simple, "Yeah" kind of no big deal answer.  But it is a big deal to me.  I LOVE it!  

Will and Ben are special to me for so many reasons, but their sibling connection is one of my favorites. 

Back in the Fall, Lauren took these photos.  She pretty much captured the boys at this phase in our lives.  

Play Ball!

Baseball season started for us this week.  Will has moved up from tee-ball and is playing coach pitch baseball this year.  We had our first games in a pre-season tournament that started Monday and ended on Saturday.  They played a total of 5 games before they got beat out.  It was great practice and the team looked good.

He looks super cute in his baseball uniform.

Here he is up to bat. 

He's been playing in the outfield.  He got several good stops.

 I can't leave Ben out.  He's been the  #1 fan.  He and Mark's parents have cheered Will on at all of the games this week.

Mark's helping coach Will's team. 

My personal thoughts on sports...

Maybe it's because Mark and I are teachers and in the past we've both coached for our school, our perspective might be a little different than most parents.  We've made it our goal with our boys when they are playing sports to focus on 3 things: having fun, doing your best because you're on a team sport with others counting on you, and staying positive.  We have made a point not be critical of the officials/umpires.  We also try to be supportive and encouraging with the words we say.  We're happy Will wants to play and we want him to have a positive experience.  We know he won't be going pro in baseball so we this is all about developing skills and building character.  We want him to have a healthy competitive attitude.  With all of that said, I think we are going to have a great season and he will have lots of fun.  I know we really enjoy watching him play and we love to see him having fun.

Giving Thanks

 

Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with gratitude?  Sometimes I look at my life and feel undeserving of all the wonderful blessings I've been given.  Mark and I try to instill the value of gratitude in Will and Ben.  One way we are trying to teach this is every night we pray together as a family before we go to bed.  Typically Will prays, then Ben, me, and Mark is last.  If you were to listen in, this is what you'd probably hear, from Will and Ben

 

"Dear Lord, Thank you for our family, mommy, daddy, Will and Ben. In Christ name we pray, Amen."

 

My prayer is usually this,

 

"Dear Lord, Thank you for this day.  Thank you for all of our many blessings.  Thank you for our family, mommy, daddy, Will and Ben.  Thank you for our friends.  Thank you for the church, the Bible, for Jesus, for loving us and forgiving us.  Thank you for our home and providing us food.  Thank you for school and for mommy and daddy's jobs.  Thank you for watching over us and protecting us.  Please keep us safe.  Help us to always do what's right and be good examples to others.  In Christ name we pray, Amen."

 

Lately Will and Ben have been praying more lengthy prayers and including some of the things they hear us give thanks for.  It makes my heart happy.  It's that feeling of overwhelming gratitude that I mentioned earlier.  I feel like Will and Ben might be getting the importance of being grateful for all that we've been given and being mindful that all of those things are from the Lord.

 

Each night one of the first things I thank God for is my little family.  About a month ago, we met Lauren at the land we own in the country for a photo shoot.  She is so talented and these are my favorite family photos we've had taken.  The boys were extra cooperative, and it's special and sentimental because they were taken on the land where we hope to build our future home.  I'm thankful she captured these images at this special place.

 

 

 

 

Give thanks with a grateful heart!

xoxo,

Michele

 

 

{Photos taken by Lauren}