The best thing right here

Have you ever been sitting at your computer and felt a little tickle on the back of your neck, then absentmindedly reached back to swipe at it only to see your hand return with a squished bug on it?

Yeah...me neither.

Somebody should probably come clean this house.  I mean, if there are bugs crawling on the humans while they sit at their computer desks, a little dusting here or mopping there only makes sense.

I'll just stick it on the to-do list.

We'll scribble "clean the house" in over "spend two hours at the store getting groceries" since Newbie and I knocked that one off this morning.

My to-do list keeps getting longer the past few weeks because my little boy keeps getting busier.  I laugh at how much I don't get done in a day because I spend so much of my time chasing Newbie down or keeping him away from Opie's kibble. 

But the truth is, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Because in between the chasing through the dining room and the kibble fishing, there are moments when I get to snuggle with my sweet boy or when I get to introduce him to ants for the first time, or when I watch him bite into his first watermelon, or when I get to help him learn how to be a friend and be kind to others.

I wouldn't miss those moments for the world.

Yesterday a survey came in the mail from the College of Education where I got my teaching certificate two years ago.  They wanted to know what I've been up to and if I'd gotten a job in any school districts.  After reading the survey, I took a deep breath and smiled.  Because I am so, so blessed.

I certainly have plans to get back into the classroom and teach once all my kiddos are in school.  I adore teaching and really miss interacting with a bunch of kiddos and other teachers, but right now, I'm exactly where I want to be.  Doing exactly what I want to do. 

So I filled the bubble "Other" and explained I've been too busy introducing my baby boy to ants and watermelon to pursue my professional teaching career right now.

And the whole moment threw me back to an interaction I had two weeks ago when Newbie and I went to say "hi" to the Hubs at work. I had to share this story because we ran into the sweetest little lady who encouraged me to embrace the best thing right now and run with it...and I thought she just might be an encouragement to some of you as well. 

There we were, chatting with the Hubs at the front desk when an elderly woman walked in, making her way to the senior club where the seniors share coffee and chat in the mornings.  She walked slowly up to the front desk then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the Hubs holding Newbie.  She smiled at him with a knowing gaze and asked, "Is that yours?!"  The Hubs told her that Newbie was indeed his and that he had stopped by to say hello to his daddy at work that morning.  Then the little old lady looked over at me and said, "Is that yours too?!"  The Hubs laughed and claimed me as his own as well.  "Bless you! Bless you!" she said, happy to see the Hubs had himself a little family.

Then she made her way over to me, slowly pointed at Newbie in the Hubs' arms and asked, "Do you stay home with your little baby there?"  And I smiled, because I never take for granted the gift of staying home with Newbie: "Yes, ma'am, I stay at home with him.  He keeps me busy, but we have a lot of fun." 

And then she responded with something that I'm carrying with me for the rest of my days as a stay-at-home-mama because it was the sweetest bit of wisdom and encouragement I've heard concerning putting a career on hold in pursuit of full-time motherhood at home with the chickies. 

After I told her that I stay at home with Newbie she said, "Well, bless you.  Bless you!  You will have to go without to do it, but you don't need anything more than you've got right there."  Then she continued, pointing to Newbie, "You don't need anything else because you've got the best thing right there, and he won't always be that small. Bless you!"

Then she stuck four to seven kisses on my cheeks, hugged me around the shoulders, waved to Newbie and went on her way to have her morning coffee. 

But I'll never forget what she said.

You will have to go without to do it, but you don't need anything more than you've got right there.  You don't need anything else because you've got the best thing right there.

Boy, did she ever know what she was talking about. 

Because the truth is, we do go without to do it.  And sometimes being a stay-at-home mom is tough.  There are a lot of boogers.  And meltdowns.  And laundry.  And diapers.  And the budget is t-i-g-h-t. But there are a billion other things that affirm I've got the best job in the whole wide world.  The best thing is right here. I know that staying home with Newbie comes at a price, but I also know we are so blessed through God's provision for us while I do stay home. We give up a lot of luxuries in order to live off of one income.  And it ain't always easy.  But it's such a gift to get to be an ever-present part of my little man's early years that all the little sacrifices along the way pale in comparison to the joy of being his mama and getting to spend my days wrapped up in his world. 

The Hubs and I chose to have me stay home with Newbie because we know that these early years are fleeting.  We took a look at the budget and decided it was going to be a tight squeeze.  An only by God's provision will we make this work tight squeeze.  But we pressed on because we value the impact I can have on Newbie's formative years while he's at home.  We want to be the ones teaching him about the world and introducing him to the wonder of Creation and the love of Christ.  We want to hold his hands as his little heart grows and he starts to step out into the world on his own.  Our lifestyle took a heavy blow when I quit working to stay at home with our son, but it was a hit we were willing to take because we know that for us, this is the right thing to do. 

And so, I cut coupons like crazy.  And the Hubs works like crazy. And we pass on eating out like crazy. And I garage sale shop like crazy.  And I avoid the mall like crazy.  All because more is never enough and we've found that we can live with a lot less than we ever thought possible if we are being good stewards of our time and our money. 

And I wouldn't trade these sparse days for anything. 

Anything.

Forget keeping up with the Jones'.  I value waking up each morning to my baby boy's bright blue eyes and knowing that we've got the whole day ahead of us to learn and explore, to live, love, and laugh well.  I value that reality so very much more than a hearty grocery list or a slew of nice new clothes.  We go without because the sweet little lady we met a few weeks ago was right, you don't need anything more than you've got right there.  You don't need anything else because you've got the best thing right there.

Newbie won't be little forever, and my role as a stay-at-home-mom is a season that will pass. We don't take for granted the gift God has given us in providing a way for me to stay home. We know it isn't something everyone can do or wants to do, and we are grateful for each day we can make it work. I'm drinking in this season with joy and gratitude. Soon Newbie will be up and out of the house and off to school.  And his brothers or sisters won't be following far behind.  When that time comes, I'll be rooting for them as they walk in the doors, and I'll be jumping head first back into working outside the home. But in the meantime, I'm praising God for this opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom and focusing on making a difference in the world right here in my own little nest.

Because for now, I've got the best thing right here, and I don't want to miss a moment with this sweet little boy.

Hoping you are savoring fleeting moments this week and enjoying your own version of the best thing right here. =)

A Pretty Little Picnic

We had a magnificent weekend that ended with this:

Sunday afternoon picnics.  They're our new thing.  After church each Sunday, we're buzzing over to the gardens to share some sandwiches and sunshine. And that's exactly what we did on this brilliant Mother's Day.

But I have to back up.  Because this weekend, my friends, was jam-packed with memory makin'.

It all started last week when we hung out with this fun little red-head and her mama, Miss A, a friend of mine from high school.  We still like to kick back and chat over chocolate.  It's so crazy to think we used to have slumber parties and giggle about getting married and having a billion kids, and here we are, both with kiddos and hubbies...God is good!

Then Thursday night rolled around and we had the pleasure of hanging out with another little red-head and his mama and daddy- two friends we met a few years ago in small group whom we haven't scared off...yet.  =) The Hubs whipped out some kabobs on the grill and then we found ourselves at the carnival for dessert.  It was an excellent elephant ear extravaganza. (Sometimes alliteration thrills me, and I'm unable to resist it's charm.)

Then this sweet thing picked his mama a Mother's Day flower...

...And refused to hug his buddy for the camera after a billion hugs sans-camera.  Awesome.

I wish I had pictures of what happened Friday night when my mom, sister and I got together for a girls' night to celebrate Mother's Day, but lo, they are all on my sister's camera.  So you'll have to take my word for it- we had a blast.  We planned the menu for our vacation at the cottage this summer, and we laughed 'til we cried because let me tell you something, we are funny.  Good times were had by all, and we're officially making girls' night a monthly occurrence because everyone should laugh until they cry at least once a month.  At least.

Next came breakfast at the HOP.  Actually, next came Saturday, but my sunburn is so bad tonight that it has fried my brain, and I can't remember what on earth we did on Saturday.  So we're skipping ahead to this morning.  Like I said, it was breakfast at the HOP- to celebrate my mother-in-law.  Newbie was in rare form and incredibly ornery. 

See what I mean?  Not even a smile for his grandma.  Boo! I was busy shoveling food down him the whole meal, just trying to keep him happy, and wondering why on earth he chose today of all days to be so cranky.  Turns out he was busy cutting his FIRST OFFICIAL TOOTH because POW! tonight the little pearly white has popped right through!  Hooray for teeth FINALLY coming in!  Hopefully he'll wake up with a whole mouthful in the morning and we won't have to endure another 6 months of teething for one tooth!

After breakfast we went to church, where we had a guest pastor from Australia teach.  Listening to an entire sermon spoken with an Aussie accent made me and the Hubs want to move to Australia.  Such fun. And the message was awesome- the accent was just the icing on the cake, and it was some seriously brilliant icing, mate.  (Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Also, I want a safari hat.)

Once we scooped Newbie up from nursery (His first successful full stay!  Wahoo!) we headed to the gardens for our picnic.  If ham and cheddar Lunchable picnics are wrong, then I don't want to be right.

                                 

                                  

                                    
(The sheet we shared our lunch on was one I swiped from my mom, that I'm pretty sure she swiped from her mom, because I have memories of the pattern at both my mom and Mutte's house as a little girl. Though it may have been obtained through linen closet theft, I can't seem to make myself regret it because I absolutely love having it.  The tiny yellow flowers and sweeping green blades of grass in the pattern remind me of so many special memories.  One look and I am swept back to a cozy bed in a yellow bedroom at Mutte's house, or to the beach at a picnic with my mom.  It's amazing what a simple bedsheet can do for one's soul.)
                                        

After lunch, it was off to explore the gardens and work on perfecting the epic sunburn of 2011. And perfect it, I did.  My shoulders are radiating sunlight tonight.  You could throw another shrimp on my shoulder instead of the barbie, mate.  I'm just sayin'.  Ouch.

(The wading happening here?  Yeah.  Totally not OK.  I didn't read the sign We like to walk on the wild side.)

         

           

Spring doesn't get better than cute baby legs in cute baby shoes. 

    

  

And this is where you might say, "Wow!  What a busy weekend.  I bet this is where they called it a day."  But, this is not, in fact, the end of the festivities. 

[insert an "Oh no she didn't!" here]

After the gardens, we went home for an hour long nap before hitting the road again and going to visit this little guy and catch a few snapshots by the tulips before finally throwing in the towel.  That's right.  We are nothing if not absolutely pushing the limits of the how-long-can-he-ride-in-that-backseat game.  Two bowls of Cheerios and several enthusiastic rounds of "A Whole New World" later, Newbie was still smiling and we were ready to call it a day. 

The fact that the picture below occured is a pure miracle.  Everyone's eyes open?  Everyone looking at the camera?  Everyone looking happy?  Yes, please!

Newbie was really into showing that tiny little baby some love.

In case I haven't posted enough pictures already (ha!), here's a few snapshots of the gifts I made for my mamas this year.  I had to make one for myself too because I'm a sucker for a flower vase.

And that's all she wrote.  Finally.

Fair thee well, Mother's Day 2011- thanks for the sweet sentiments and the sizzling sunburn!

Here's wishing you all a fabulous week, friends!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

To my mamas...

and to all you mamas out there!

I'll never forget what it felt like when I became a mother...

I knew I had been given the most wonderful gift,

having been entrusted with the heart of a child-

and allowed the honor of teaching him what it means to live fully, love well,

and laugh along the way.

I have been so blessed by the gift of motherhood, and I am so grateful to the mothers and grandmothers in my family who went before me, living fully, loving well, and choosing joy so that I know what it looks like to pass those treasures along to my children.

Happy, Happy Mother's Day!

Hope you're having a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend! 

Happy G-Sale Season!

There is just something about driving by billions of garage sales on my way home that makes me want to empty out every box and closet and dump it all out on the front yard for strangers to sort through and fork over quarters for.  Or maybe its because I spent all my pennies on Dairy Queen last week and I'm just aching to partake in G-sale season and looking to earn a buck in my own driveway so I can go spend it in someone else's on a fantastic pair of 2 dollar Crocs for Newbie.

I'm just saying.

There was never a better G-sale find for 2 bucks than those Crocs I found for him before I was even pregnant.  And boy howdy, does he ever love 'em now.  And they've got Mickey Mouse heads punched through them instead of regular holes to boot.  I'm a Croc freak.  And a Disney freak. And a $2.00 freak. So clearly, *LOVE* Newbie's bitsy Crocs.

In honor of Garage Sale season and all the garage sale shopping I'm not doing today, I'm going to dump all the pictures I've been meaning to share and just haven't gotten around to the past couple weeks right now in this here post.

It will be like the freebie box when you walk up to the card table with the cash box and the homeowner with her cup of lemonade:  "You took the time to stop by, so here's some freebie goodies just for funsies before you hit the road.  Also, would you like to buy a Dixie cup of lemonade or some questionable baked goods before you go?" (I'm just trying to give you an authentic garage sale experience.)

Onward!

(Plastic corn.  Its what's for dinner.)

(He's a big fan of the culinary arts...we spend 97% of the day at the grill.)

(Newbie's maiden voyage on his tractor from Mutte and his Great Grandad)

(Get a load of this beauty!  This was my father-in-law's winter project- he built this puppy from the ground up and my mother-in-law did all the decorating.  It will be up at the lake all summer long.  Needless to say, we're looking forward to "camping" with Grandma and Grandpa this summer!)

Would you like a sneak-peek of the tour?  Here's the camp stove we'll have to use.  I know its really roughin' it, but somebody's got to do it. You'll have to wait for the rest of the layout until we get up to the site with Newbie this summer for the full version. =)

Dontcha love vintage finds at a G-sale?  These lovelies have been camping out in my computer for a good seven years...

(This is circa 2005...before the Hubs decided to go bald- check out that head-o-hair!)

In other news....

Completely unrelated to garage sales, but equally as thrilling, we've got dinner plans with some friends tonight, and don't look now, but its CARNIVAL season, and we're headed to the fair for some authentic funnel cakes for dessert. 

Please pass the powdered sugar! 

...and the elephant ears.  ...and the cotton candy.  ...and the fresh squeezed lemonade. 

Why is carnival food so temptingly delicious?  The whole thing makes me want to crawl up into my sister's suitcase when she and her hubby head to Disney in two weeks because everybody knows Disney can rock out the carnival food like nobody's business. 

How's that for the most random and irrelevant post to date?!  Very well, then.  My work here is done.

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday and find yourselves a garage sale or a funnel cake somewhere along the way! =)

A Thursday Sonnet. Or poem. Or whatever. Alternatively titled: ...where are my shoes, and what's my name again?

I have disappeared

because

we are showing the house

today at 11

and

it is really

really

really really

really

difficult

to keep a home *spotless*

with a

puppy

and a baby

and a hubby

in tow.

Can someone please

explain the stream of

kibble

and binkies

and hunting magazines

always following in their wake?!?

Also,

I think we need a U-haul

Just to hide all the odds and ends

that are threatening to burst

out of my

way

way

way way

way

too full

closets.

Praying for a miracle.

Praying

praying

praying praying

praying

for the world's quickest sale

and that

this family just might be

the one

to buy our home.

*Praying*

Wishing you all a joyous Thursday, and I promise to be back with pictures of our various trips out-of-doors this week as soon as my sanity returns. =)

Weekending 101

The Park:
We hit up the park early Saturday morning...it was too chilly to stay for long, but Newbie had a blast showing his Daddy-O how he can rock it out on the slides.

A Wedding:
One of the Hubs' good friends got married on Saturday, and we had the great delight of celebrating with the groom and BEAUTIFUL bride.  Seriously.  The bride's dress was gorgeous and she was breath-taking, making the whole thing all the more fun because who doesn't love a fantastic choice in bridal gowns? We had a hard time finding a sitter for a wedding our entire family was invited to, so Newbie tagged along.  He did really well, but as soon as everyone stood up to welcome the bride, I panicked and swooped him out of the sanctuary because we were dangerously near the end of our cheese and Goldfish supply, rendering me helpless in the event of a mid-ceremony meltdown.  Newbie explored the weeds growing up through the pavement while his mama craned her neck around the church window to see and hear what she could of the wedding. 

(The chocolate fondue was a real hit with Newbie.)

Trip to Grandad and G-Mama's
Since we were in the neighborhood, after the wedding we went over to G-Mama and Grandad's house for STEAK NIGHT.  We ate like kings.  And it was good. Newbie dug into some chicken and avocado and though he was in Heaven. Yum.

Baby Birds
I love babies.  G-Mama had a nest of baby Cardinals resting in one of the bushes on the side of the house, so we crept down to take a peek.  They were just as fresh as could be, barely a bit of down on them, and their sweet little beaks as tiny as a crumb.  I got in as close as I could without disrupting the branches and snapped this shot of a wee one in the midst of a yawn. 

Church
I'm a pansy and have avoided the church nursery like the plague for the past year.  Partly because I thought it literally might be teeming with the plague, and partly because I've never left my little man with anyone but his Daddy-O or his grandparents because I am a wimp with a capital "W".  But we miss getting the full-on church experience without having to exit early for diaper changes or meltdown control, so yesterday was the big day.  Unfortunately, Newbie only lasted for half the service before our number shot up on the paging screen and the Hubs had to go rescue our teary-eyed little man. I am so grateful to have such an awesome set of nursery volunteers and children's ministry staff, because I loved that they paged us as soon as he started to lose it instead of letting him cry for the rest of the service.  LOVE. Knowing they'll call us if he needs us totally put my heart at ease for trying again next week. Even though he ducked out early, we're counting it as a success because a) he made it half way through without freaking out, and b) his mother didn't have to be resuscitated after dropping him off. 

The Gardens:
After church, we zipped on over to the gardens for a picnic lunch and some family fun.  We spent the afternoon playing in the big sandbox and walking the grounds while Newbie napped in the stroller.  It was so much fun to spend a quiet afternoon outside with my boys, and the sunburn I came home with was just an added bonus. We had to buy our first bottle of baby sunscreen on our way to the gardens, (we just kept him out of the sun altogether last summer) and I'm adding babies lathered in sunscreen to my list of favorite smells. *LOVED* the sunshine we had yesterday.

A Great Recipe:
Last night I stumbled upon two fantastic recipes, and I just had to share:
Southern Living's Southern Sweet Tea
Super delicious Peanut Butter cookies that I made last night and almost entirely demolished in an hour. SO good.  And quick. And easy.

May Flowers:
Technically, this isn't from this weekend, but if a fantastic weekend flows into a fantastic Monday, I figure its worth noting. =)  MY TULIPS BLOSSOMED!!!!  Wahoo!  I've been waiting on these lovelies all month, and they finally, finally obliged.  Newbie and I made an adventure of skipping his morning nap to go explore the blooms and cut some to bring inside for a bouquet. 

Then I really went May-flower-crazy and went to work cutting out some magazine clippings to display on our chalkboard in the playroom.  Newbie is making so many connections and is so in-tune with his surroundings, that I wanted to jump on the chance to enhance his learning by sharing more flowers that we can take a look at throughout the day.  He has already noticed them and had a blast pointing at them while I named their color.  It is such fun to watch him explore and learn!

Partners in Crime:
Again, a Monday happening rather than a weekend happening, but these two just had to make the post.  Check out Newbie's latest trick:

Opening Opie's kennel, climbing in to grab his blanket, pulling it out, and watching Opie try to shred it to pieces.  Hey, if that's how we get our Monday afternoon jollies, I'm game...better he feeds him the blanket than the puzzle piece and the plastic hot dog bun that were on the menu last night! 

We're laying low today and finishing up laundry and getting the house put back together after having neglected it for a good three or four days in the name of weekending and family fun! But there's lots on the agenda this week including Newbie's tumble class, a return trip to the gardens, and plenty of fun in the 60+ degree sunshine forecast for this week...we might even go for a sneak attack DQ trip in there somewhere. (A "sneak attack" being when you trick your common sense- the one thinking about the up-coming swimsuit season- into thinking a small vanilla cone dipped in chocolate is a really good idea.)

Wishing you all a blessed Monday and some May flowers!