For Parents Only

My friend Jamie posted a beauitful blog on parenting. I ate it up...and decided that more parents need to read this. So...here it is....ENJOY! Really! GO read it. And let's be the BEST parents we can be!

Day 3 of summer goodness...

Tuesday morning I was on a mission. Clean out some areas of my house that NEEDED some attention. HOW ON EARTH do things get out of control so fast?

When I got married, I asked for TONS of dishtowels. In fact, I THINK a few people went together and bought me ALL the dishtowels I needed. So, yesterday morning...the dishtowel tub is one of the areas I cleaned out!

Before...
After!

Yesterday morning I worked and cleaned while Easton took his nap. BUT, when he woke up, he and I played with his NEW toy from my mom's Aunt Lois. (TRUST me on this...when it comes to TOYS you want Aunt Lois to PICK THEM OUT.)

We LOVE IT! Easton loves being in this toy and he can turn around and jump and drool all over the place. He was so excited and just LOVED that he was standing. OH how my boy loves to stand.

Tryin to be big! ;)

After we got done playing in the afternoon we were going OUT to have some fun. BUT, I declared yesterday NO MAKEUP day and honestly...that's the TRUE summer spirit coming out. LOVE.MY.SUMMER.

After lunch (and a detour to McDonalds for their sweet tea) we headed over to my friend, Ruth Ann's house for a playdate. Honestly, I don't know who plays more...the babies...or the mom's. But, it was so fun! Ruth Ann is in the works of starting her own business so the babies were the models for the clothes...so we spent the beginning outside. Easton has his 1st swing ride and loved it. Relaxed and kicked back--the world was his oyster. (what does that even mean?)

The whole time he was watching the other babies play. Honestly, I could just watch him all day. So glad he's mine!

AND...like a GOOD summer day, the heat got to us...so we headed inside for come A/C goodness. And some baby playtime...
Kenzie drinking Hadassah's water bottle. Learning to share is so much fun! ;)

My favorite little nephew Tristan. I told mom last night...being with Tristan makes me want to have JUST BOYS and make mudpies and forts, go fishing and pick up sticks, have water fights and jump in mud puddles. He's just all boy and I love it.

We got home and I HAD to put on Easton's rain boots. Cause they fit. Not a rain cloud in sight but they were just tooooooo cute to not put them on.

My little teething boy with his rain boots. Cause, we all know, that rain boots just make everything better!

The MANY faces of facebook!

Good Monday Morning to ya! Do you enjoy the Superbowl? I did! Very fun, and always a great way to end the football season.

Last night, after the game, I got on everyone's favorite---FACEBOOK---and was reading what people were saying. I had to laugh. ALMOST EVERY status was ABOUT the Superbowl! Good or bad...the Superbowl was a hit! ;)

It got me thinking last night about FACEBOOK. If YOU have a facebook what do you use it for? I've really been thinking what I use it for and I've come up with a FEW things...

1. To connect with FAR-AWAY-FRIENDS! Email, letter writing, visiting, all came to a halt when facebook was invented. Just kidding, but, it has been a GREAT tool to find long lost college friends and re-connect. SEE pictures of their children, homes, and just day-to-day lives. Really, makes me think they are NOT that far away. For that, Facebook has been a joy to have!

2. Another reason I enjoy it, is to share what is going on in MY life. Posting wedding pics, family time, friends, and a bit of everything, has been a great way to keep in touch with people myself! Just giving friends a glimpse into my small world and sharing a little sunshine makes it so fun!

3. Sometimes I use it (I TRY not to do this often) is to be snoopy. But, for the most part I try to stay away from that because I would rather have a friendship with someone that spend time snooping on their page trying to gain info!

Now, there is always some NOT SO NICE things about Facebook I don't like...

1. When people use their facebook to DAILY complain. Not fun...

2. When you have to READ into people's status and try to figure it out...childish.

3. When people add you to "spy" on your family. Really, people. We know what you are doing!

Facebook has SO MANY good things--it's sad, people make it not fun for others!

So, my blog friends...IF YOU have a facebook, what do you LOVE about it? Do you check your facebook daily? Does FB have something you don't really like? (Please note, this isn't a BASHING of friends/facebook time. So let's not be rude!) But, what does facebook mean to you?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Have a great MONDAY!

An old friend...

Today I got reacquainted with an old friend. It was beautiful to introduce my old friend to my baby inside me. Memories were made...as we sat and shared where we had been these past few months. I almost started to cry when I realized that TODAY was the day I was going to reacquainted. It had been TOOOOOOO long. Too long, that I forgot how much I missed this old friend!

Just to let you know HOW CLOSE we once were...Here's some tidbits of history about us:

~met as a children deep in the south
~graduated high school together in the midwest
~spent college apart, but on breaks spent every day together
~met up in FL and took pictures while driving to the beach

I could go on...but I'll stop. Many people have tried to break us apart, but we only get stronger.

So, blogger, I introduce to you...my friend.

Ms. Iced Tea herself!





Yes, Iced Tea has been my friend for years. But due to a miscarriage, and TRYING to get my body healthier, and another pregnancy, I gave it up for over a year. Sad.

BUT, today, I had this GRAND idea. DECAF!!!!!! I danced around the room as I was brewing it up. Call me crazy, but, before I took a sip, I introduced (aloud) the tea to my baby. I told Baby N that this was an amazing taste...and to enjoy it.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...Will we continue our friendship? Yes, we will. Not daily, like we had before, but I'm sure my old friend will show up again at my house for tea time soon!

Gilmore Girls

A few years ago, I started watching Gilmore Girls. In ONE summer, I had fallen HEAD-OVER-HEELS-IN-LOVE with the show. I'd sit upstairs in my bedroom and watch show after show after show. I'd stay up early in the morning watching the show.

Finally, I finished all 7 seasons. I did notice one little habit I wasn't so happy about...I was starting to eat like the Gilmore Girls! And the few pounds I put on that summer...was more because when THEY ate...I ate. NOT GOOD!





Fast forward, to today...I brought out Gilmore Girls just because I thought I'd relax. I've always wanted to watch the show from start to finish. So, this pregnancy is the time get that goal accomplished.


So far...I'm REALLY not into eating yet. Too early in this pregnancy. But, I'm excited my old friends have returned.

Friends...

My husband is away for the evening...

So tonight, it's ME and one of my favorite childhood friends.





This is Brook...we've been friends for as long as I can remember. Can't WAIT for the fun to begin! She's coming soon!

Just a little taste of my week...

This week has been CRAZY busy. But...no worries, here is just a taste of what we've been doing!



Saturday, my baby sister, Libby, got married. We had so much fun!

My new baby brother, Ike! Love him.


Sisters forever!


Libby Lois Wendland

Then, on Monday, we went to MOA to the American Girl store...LOVE that store!

Kit...she is my favorite!



Leslie and I...Best American Girl friends forever!


Just a few pics from the Bridal Luncheon....

So this has been a wonderful week! I'm BEYOND tired...but loved every minute of it!
CONGRATS Libby and Ike!

Let SUMMER begin!

I L.O.V.E. summer. By far. Sometimes, I even forget how much I love summer...until the weather gets warm, school is out, and I'm a free woman.

To welcome the beginning of summer...here are a few pictures!


Next month my sister married Ike! Can't wait! He's playing bean bag toss and lost to...


Team Fox... And they didn't let anyone forget who the champs were!

Wil and I were against each other playing Ladder ball-Amish golf-ladder golf-whatever you call it--and therefore Wil and I couldn't smile for the pic. TOO much competition for husband and wife.

Lots of friends playing Bocce ball.

Memorial Day Service. A highlight of the beginning of summer!

My Papaw's flag...brought tears to my eyes.

My dad praying for our nation.

What a great way to start Memorial Day...

AND what a great way to start off the summer. Let the fun begin!