Welcome SPRING!!!!

This is my front flower bed.  Doesn't that look LOVELY!!!  And this is about 30 minutes into the job, when I finally thought about taking a before pic.  Last year we actually planted different kinds of lettuce in this bed, but I'd like it to be pretty, colorful flowers this year.


EVERY single year (for the past three years lol) I get SO excited when the weather starts warming up, I just can NOT wait to get out and start playing in the dirt.  And every year I get in a hurry and start planting in mid March.  Can you guess what happens next?  That's right.  This is Oklahoma, folks.  Snow.  Or ice.  Or even just a good freeze.  In April.  So this year, I've vowed not to start planting outside until it gets warm and STAYS warm.  We'll see how that goes.  Also, every year, I get the flower beds looking pretty good, then get tired of the keep-up by, say, um....first of May.  Another thing I've vowed to myself.  DO NOT GET TIRED OF THE KEEP-UP.


But last Sunday after church and a scrumptious lunch at Carlito's, I dusted off the 'ole gardening gloves and got to work.

I loved it.  It really is fun.  And this flower bed is right outside our two big front windows, so it's pretty nice to look out at a clean flower bed.  And it'll just get prettier as the season goes.

This is one of my hyacinth girls that I thought didn't make it last year.  The cold, hard truth is: I know nothing about gardening.  But I'm learning a little more every year.  :)  Below is an after pic of what I did that evening.  I'll upload more as the season goes.  Shane has also planted (in pots inside for now) LOTS of veggies and flowers.

See why I can't wait to start planting?? :)

Lane, Lane, Bo Bane

Three.  In seven days from now.  Here it comes.  That feeling that I've heard various moms mention.  I know this isn't about me.  Ultimately, I'm ecstatic for the boy you've grown to be.  At the same time, three has hit me.  So this is what "bittersweet" feels like. 

You were born at OU Medical Center.  The hospital has a level 1 trauma center, but in the Women and Newborn Pavilion there's no general nursery for healthy babies.  So you stayed in my hospital room with me.  (I wouldn't have it any other way.  The same with your brother.)  Daddy and Cole were staying at home, so it was just you and I in the hospital room.  Pure bliss.  It was quiet.  I am now a mommy of two and I was savoring every moment I got to spend with you alone.

When you were approximately 12 hours old, I was in my bed on the computer (shocker, I know), and I heard you cough for the first time.  Then you froze.  Then you turned blue.  From head to toe.  That fast. I jumped up faster than I've ever moved before and rushed over to your bassinet.  I will never forget the lips.  I ran you down the hall to the nurses' station, and my nurse unclogged whatever it was constricting your breathing.  Then you automatically were the pretty pink baby I knew.  The nurse took you to peds and had you checked out and everything was fine.  Not having ANY medical training, I'm still not exactly sure what happened.  But mother's intuition trumps all statistics in a situation like this, and I never placed you on your "back to sleep" after that.  Until you could reposition yourself, you were always placed on your side.

You were also jaundiced.  And the hospital "tanning bed" kept malfunctioning and would turn off, so I stayed awake most of the hospital stay to make sure you were getting the light you need.  I don't remember wanting to sleep.  We also had to have bili lights on you for a week after you came home.  It never seemed to bother you.  It was warm.  And I couldn't wait for the timer to go off that I could get you out and hold you.  After you came off the lights, I got horribly sick.  I don't exactly know what it was, but fever, achy, couldn't get out of bed sick.  Funny how God waited until you were healthy before my own body gave in.  He is merciful like that.

You were what I call a sensitive baby.  You were cautious, nervous, and at times seems unsure of this world.  You got startled easy.  You hated car rides.  But you LOVED cuddling with Mommy.  And Daddy.  When you were about five months old, we went to visit Daddy in Woodward. (2008 was a BIG year for the oilfield and Daddy was on location most of that year.  But I was enormously blessed that I was able to stay home with you the first six months.)  On that visit, I remember that even though you weren't around Daddy on a daily basis, you recognized his voice.  And when he held you, you went right to sleep.  

Fast forward almost three years, and, in this family, you didn't stand a chance at being sensitive, nervous, and unsure.  You are a pistol.  (You're the one Daddy says we'll be bailing out of jail some day).  Hopefully not, but you are definitely hard-headed.  And sweet.  And stubborn.  And lovey.  And testing.  And a cuddler.  You're a cowboy.  You're letting go of your cowboy hat some here of late, but you wore it recently for about six months straight.  No kidding.  Even to bed.

We love you, we're proud of you, and we can't wait to celebrate the big THREE with you next Saturday.

Love you more than you'll ever know.

Mommy

"I prayed for this child.  The Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me." 1 Sam 1:27

I made a MESS!!!

We have lived in our house three and a half years and it has needed updating ever since.  Well, a couple months ago, I pulled up the puke green carpet.  Yesterday and today I scraped the popcorn off the ceilings. I did the living room, kitchen and dining room.  And I textured the kitchen ceiling.  Shane sprayed the living room down for me after he worked all day yesterday.  Then today he had a rest day.  (We're snowed in...AGAIN).  He works harder than anyone I know, so I was very appreciative of his help.


I put a few things in my room so they wouldn't get messy, and this kept scaring the CRAP out of me every time I walked in my bedroom...

Here is lovely me.  Cole the photographer.  Ha...

Shane spraying for me.  (Makes the job go MUCH faster.)  Thanks honey poo!!! ;)

Lola. :)

Some of the mess.  It will look SO good when it's all complete.  Say, in about, oh, six months??? ;)

It's a lot of fun.  The boys have done great with all the work.  Cole played -- wait for it -- DSi most of the time.  And Lane entertains himself pretty good and likes to watch Dora and Diego.  Gosh, I feel so guilty for all the video games and television, but SOON I'll be blogging about RODEO and BASEBALL and SWIMMING!!!!

"She is energetic and strong, a hard worker." Prov. 31:17

Wii should really figure out something to do besides play Wii, shouldn't Wii???

Well, I admit it.  Cole is OBSESSED with Wii.  He also got a DSi for his birthday, but it is no match for the Wii.  And with the snow storm we had, he's been on it SO much.  We always said we wouldn't be 'those' parents.  The ones that let their kids play video games all day and eat potato chips.  Good thing my fridge is usually stocked full of strawberries and blueberries.  Come spring, we'll be outside all day working in the flower beds and playing BASEBALL!!!  Until then, I'll just keep saying, "You know come spring we'll be working in the flower beds and playing baseball." And I'm still trying to convince him (and Shane) that it's not 'quality' family time if you're yelling and getting mad at each other over a freaking game.  One of these times I'm going to record them so they can hear themselves.  


On a brighter note...hahaha....we got some sunshine this weekend!!!  Melted most of the snow, and school is in session for the first time in five days.  Although, I hear there's another wave of it coming this week.  I'm prepared.  Went to Walmart and got my cinnamon vanilla coffee creamer, so I'm good to go.  No, really...today I made homemade chicken noodle soup and spicy bean soup.  Put them in bowls in the freezer for us to pop out when we feel like a good cup o' comfort and viola.  I'm proud.  Come a LONG way from the days I kept forgetting to let the water boil before adding noodles.  


And I tell ya...that Lane.  He is a helper.

He bellied up to the sink for 45 MINUTES tonight 'helping' me wash all those dishes.  Then, even with ten- and five-minute warnings, when I pulled him down, oh, my gracious.  Full.  Blown.  Fit.  But he got over it very quickly.  When I sit on the couch and tell him I want to hold him, he's there.  Most every time. He's just my little lover bear like that.  What's really funny about that picture is if you look close enough, it appears I'm growing onions in my glass trivet bowl. Oh geez...and after all that time in the kitchen today.


That same lover bear is going to throw one of those full-blown fits in the morning at daycare after being with me for so many days in a row.  And I'll spend half the day mad at my job.  And the world.  And the frigg'in lady that beat me to the bicep machine at the Y.  Oh...let's not go there yet.  I've had one too many fat pajama pants days to talk about working out.  (I typically don't mention the Y to anyone unless I've actually been there consecutively for a long time.  Like a good two days in a row.)


"She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes." Prov. 31:21

Welcome to our first blog EVER.

We have been in a huge snow storm for the past few days, so I'm avoiding all other responsibilities and I'm up at 12:13 a.m. putting together a blog.  It has always looked fun, I like to talk about my family, and this will perhaps be a way to keep track of our lives forever more.


I'll start by saying that I am ONE blessed gal.  I'm a Jesus girl, and I am learning more every single day that God has and will provide everything I need.  This gives me more peace than I can even describe.  As a result of this blessed life, I am married to the love of my life, have two strapp'in, good looking boys, the best parents a girl could ask for, and a hyper, loyal, live-to-please chocolate lab named Lola.  I am a very selfish person at heart, but God has transformed my thinking, and I can honestly say that I can NOT ask for anything more.  I truly believe that I have it all.  I know Shane feels the same, and we both pray that EVERYone could experience such contentment.


Shane is the leader of our household.  God has done such A-MAZE-ING things in mine and Shane's life that it leaves us jaw-dropped and ready for more.  Cole just turned six Jan. 19th and Lane will be three on Feb. 19th.  They are our lives.  We blame no-date-nights on our work schedule, but I sometimes wonder if that's just our excuse to each other.  Our boys are our life.  It's loud.  It's rowdy.  It's disorganized.  It's messy.   ...It's something I will some day want back.