Tuesday Mornings...

Sorry for my slacking.

2011-10-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

Mom emailed and said she was sad to see " no name" as my last blog post because THIS baby has a name! Eleanor Wren "Elie Wren"!!!! Part of me still does not believe that I am having a girl and the other part of me knew. When I found out I was pregnant I felt like God asked me to RISK believing for a girl and this was risky because next to getting married, having a daughter has been the greatest desire
of my heart. Even as I write that I know so many people personally who long for dreams fulfilled and are still waiting so I say it with humility and reverence. Yes the excitement of a daughter delights me but I think more than anything going to that risky place of faith and trusting Jesus with the outcome has been the sweetest gift of all. If she would have been a he I know God would have fulfilled that desire if not here then in heaven where I have babies that my arms have never held. We are still relishing in the wonder of it- a girl. Dreaming of her, preparing for her- are you kidding she already has 10 outfits in her closet. Excited about a full quiver of 2 boys and a girl.

No name.

2011-08-03T12:24:00.001-07:00

We are expecting our 3rd child on valentine's day! I am almost out of the first trimester and ready to start feeling good but am so very thankful for a healthy, thriving baby!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Graham.

2011-08-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

We did it. We got rid of the pacifier cold turkey. The first night was hell but the slept through the night last night and has only asked for it a handful of times since saturday. We "let" him use all of his paci's to buy s néw puzzle at target. We are so proud of how brave he has been and how supportive his big bro has been to him.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Keller.

2011-07-30T05:28:00.001-07:00

Keller just finished his first and perhaps last season of t ball- he was not the biggest fan but we got a kick out him this season. Some of the highlights-
1. When he was playing the field, he would hustle from one end to the other to get the ball and would literally tackle his own teammates to get the ball. Did I mention that there was only one other boy? So yes, tackling the girls.
2 but when it came to running the bases he was as slow as Christmas. We all have different theories on this one. My dad thought it was the helmet being so big and interfering with his swiftness. My observation was that because this was a competitive friendly year ( no outs or points), he didn't

really see the need to run fast even though most of the time his teammate behind him would usually lap him...remember the girls?
3. When the coach( who was his favorite person on the team) would put Keller at first base he had more fun hi fiving the batter once they got to first than catching the ball.
4.every time he was up to bat, he would take his bat and draw a circle around the t as his pre batting ritual. No idea where he learned this.
5. And lastly, as James was giving him a bath after his last game, this is how the conversation went, " buddy, what was your favorite part of t ball?" Keller responds with no hesitation and very consistent with what has been his obsession this entire season " the snacks."

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

SHM.

2011-07-27T13:02:00.001-07:00

I have been a stay at home mom for almost 5 years now and while in the scheme of things five years is nothing, it is the longest job I have ever had. Here are my thoughts so far.
1.What I love about being a stay at home mom.
-I can stay in pjs all day if I want.
- I get to see every milestone big and small in my kids lives.
- I get to go to the grocery store when it is virtually empty.
- I get to answer all of of my kids questions about life, Jesus, and people- that is pretty amazing.
- I get to spend most of my days at home.
- I have gotten to experience friendship and community with other moms that I could not otherwise.
- I get to kiss, snuggle, tickle or just sit with my boys anytime.

2. What is challenging about being a shm.
- doing the same thing most days.
- lack of adult interaction.
- the weight of responsibility to mold these little people.
- being with the same little ones all day every dy.

3. What I have learned by being a shm.
- PBS kids is the best thing created.
- a sucker from heb and a little apple juice can cure any ache
- mcdonalds is always a bad choice
- it really does fly by.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Doggone days of summer.

2011-07-18T16:01:00.001-07:00

Shoo weee- it is hot. I feel like every July I am so done with summer but I think I started feeling that way in June this year. So what have we done to fight the heat? Not much. Well that is not entirely true. We had lots of visitors in June which is wonderful and tiring. We go to the pool a few times a week. We have play dates a few times a week. Other than that, not a lot. More tv than I want to admit. Lots of games on the iPad. I am trying to do. Some light school work with Keller, notice I said light. It gets boring and I get down. I try to keep my head up and remember that fall will come but day after day of the 100's takes it toll. I look forward to September but then my always pragmatic husband reminds me that it does not really cool off until late October. Thanks babe.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Swimming with the trolls.

2011-06-19T14:00:00.001-07:00

My big boy completed his second round of swim lessons and I am not talking about let's have a good time and float on noodles. No no. This is 4 year old swimming lesson BOOT CAMP! I love it. Joy and Allison have been teaching swim lessons for a thousand years and have probably taught millions of children how to swim and as a parent of one those, I am grateful ( like my exagerations?)
He was a champ last year, I mean did everyting they asked, never cried, which is saying alot for boot camp swimming. This year I thought was going to go without a hitch as well until two days before the last day. I picked him up and he was BAWLING. Joy told me he hit a wall, was starting to fear when she was making him swimm to farther than he was comfortable with. She said just to encourage him and she knew he would do better the next day. I was not so sure especially since on the way home he was crying his eyes out telling me he never wanted to swim again. " But what about getting your water rockets when you graduate?" " I don't want ANY water rockets. I never ever want to swim!" Oh dear. We talked off and on about it all evening long. We told him how we are all scared of things and we have to conquer our fears, how important it is to learn to swim,etc. Nothing was working. James told him that night in a last attempt that the deep water was like a mean troll that the brave Keller needed to defeat.
So the next day he was dropped of without any fear, so far so good. I was anxious the entire 45 minutes before he returned to the car. Lo and behold, here came my precious boy running down the driveway with a huge smile on his face. Joy said he did awesome, far exceeded where he was just days ago. Music to my ears. The next day was parent day where we all get to come and watch. I was almost brought to tears several times out of pride. I felt pride last year but more because my little guy was such a character and fearless. This year it was because he had a very daunting fear that he faced and overcame. After parent day, my friend Luci called me and told me that she wanted me to know she heard Keller telling the other children there were trolls in the water. So one conquered his fear, the rest were overcome with it. Oh well.

Grand Canyon with vulnerable pictures.

2011-06-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

I hate every single picture of myself from our trip to the Grand Canyon so promise not to leave any snide comments about how awful I look and please keep thinking I am cute, k?
O the trip to the GC. What i have said is that there was nothign neutral about this trip, it was both magnificent and hell. The amazing moments I would not trade. Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time is exactly what people say it is- there are no words. It takes your breath away. When we first got there we were all just taking it in and Keller turned to me and said, " Mommy, I wish I could dance on the Grand Canyon." Wow. He said it better than anything I could have ever said. Sounds funny but there was something so right to what he said. It engages your senses in a way that you just want to take it all. The other plus to our trip was the wonderful time we had with family. Brian, Fukuko and the kids live in Hong Kong so we only see them once a year. Such sweet time connecting with them and a time that we will cherish forever. The downside....
-Riding in an RV for 1,000 hours with four children one of those being a 2 year old.
-Sleeping in an RV and having my children wake up at 5am and no one else wanting to wake up until 8am.
- The RV leaking diesel fuel on the trip back. Having to ride for 5 hours trying to make it to New Mexcio with all of the windows down so we did not pass out from the smell of diesel.
- Spending the night in New Mexcio which is WACKO because the RV was no longer driveable.
-Packing everything we had on an RV onto a 15 passenger van including four children and 4 adults. This was the low point for me.
Do you see a trend with the negatives? RV!! Next time, I will be flying and spending the night in a cabin or better yet a hotel!
And YES, we had our kids no leashes.
- Pa

G turns 2!

2011-06-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well this has been a long time coming. We have not had a computer for months so I have had a heck of a time uploading pictures from ipads and iphones.
SO our baby boy turned 2 on March 12th and we kept it pretty simple. Birthday breakfast with a few friends and family. It is crazy looking at these pictures because they are the last ones at our old house. The last birthday we ever had there. We started packing the next day. No sadness, just sureal when a season ends I always reflect for months even years afterwards.
We love our Bubba G and cannot imagine our family without him. He is such a gorgeous child with so much spunk and personality. We love you G and are so honored to be your parents!

A list

2011-06-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Borrowed from Kelly Harp's blog.

Listening: Bethel Live.
Reading: The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown.
Eating:Organic fruitmroll-ups, like 3 a day.
Drinking: lots of ice tea.
Watching: Army Wives and bawling at every episode
Enjoying: the Y pool with my two little fishies

Well, that was short lived.

2011-06-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

If you know me you are not surprised that I make unreachable goals and fail to meet them. Oh well. I have not blogged for two days and the emotions I have felt are as such- guilt, freedom, pensive, ashamed,regretful- you get the picture. So I have decided to tweak my goal. First I had to realize what stood in my way of my first goal before I make another. A few things contributed to this.
1. Keller.
2. Graham. They take it out of me folks and having no preschool or mothers day out is taking a toll.
3. I have stories and anecdotes that could be shared daily but I started feeling pressures like, well I shared a serious one yesterday today has got to be funny or people will think I am depressed.
4. Blogging on an iPad. While this is a nifty gadget and a great mothers day present, it has proven to be more difficult to type on at length and very challenging to share pictures.

New goal. Blog often. No time commitments just a commitment that I will be more consistent and intentional.
Thanks for grace.

No peanuts or cracker jacks at this ballgame.

2011-06-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Who is it possible that my little bundle is old enough to play t ball? Last night was our first practice- oh boy we have a long way to go. He got the throw down pretty good and he hit it a few times but catching it is a different story. What I will say about my boy is that he a hustler. He would be at 3rd base and ball would be hit to first base but you betcha Keller would be running to get it. By the end of practice he was getting frustrated that not every ball was being hit to him and would turn around to look at me with tears in his eye sad that he was not the one to catch the ball. Can we see a little competivenrss in this one? I have pics but I am still figuring out to post pics from my iPad since we are currently without a home computer. Any tips on that would be appreciated.

What I have learned being a mom of boys.

2011-06-06T12:51:00.003-07:00

1. Everything is more fun, adventurous and meaningful when it is LOUD.
2. Clothes are basically optional and if we are being completely honest they are a nuisance.
3. The dirtier the more fun they have.
4. Weapons are like shoes to girls- you can never have too many, the obsession begins very young and this continues on into adulthood...at least in my house.
5. A hug, kiss, back rub or anything affectionate is borderline abusive.
6. There obsession with their goods begins soon after leaving the canal.
7. They could care less if they have food on their face as long as the majority of it got in there tummies.
8. Every tree, rock, wall, bed, changing table is just waiting to be conquered by their strength.
9. Coloring or anything that resembles craftiness is a form of torture- at least for my boys
10. They help me imagine what my husband was like when he was little.
11. Boys are cheap when it comes to clothes- all they need are jeans and boots.

To be 18 again.

2011-06-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that James' little 18 year old brother is living with us for the summer. I am totally outnumbered. Sam is a rare 18 year old. He is clean, thoughtful, amazing with my kids. I think one of the main reasons he is like this is because he has been homeschooled his entire life. My mother in law is a SAINT and has homeschooled 2 boys. They really are excpetional guys. Since he has been home all of his life, a jump to college seemd kind of big so we were a good transtion for him.
It is so interesting to me how at 18 your life is so shaped already. Most of us were shaped by our friends, pop cultrue even our youth group but being homeschooled your main influence are your parents. I hear Sam say things and instead of it sounding like a typical 18 year old boy it sounds like my MIL! I am not saying it is wrong or right it is just what it is.
I am excited to see him grow and become more independent this summer. Feeding him is a difrent story.

Weekend so far...

2011-06-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Met honey for happy hour at Sam's on the Square.
Ate Pei Wei for date night and sat at the counter so we could watch them cook and feel like we live in a the big city.
Went to Barnes and Noble to buy a Math and Reading book for big boy to work on for the summer... we shall see.
Went to 3 Spoons with the rest of town to get some delish fro yo.
Came home and watched Spider Man with James 18 year brother who is living with us for the summer( more on that tomorrow).
Finished The Help ( more on that sometime soon.)
Woke up this morning and drank coffee in a quiet house because our boys spent the night at the grandparents which they do just about every Friday night. I know, it is one of our greatest gifts.
Had Leal's for breakfast. For you non Wacoans, it is a breakfast burrito dive that I have been going to since I was 13. I can remember waking up in the summer, watching Young and the Restless and then riding my bike to Leal's ( used to be Taco Rico) for lunch EVERYDAY. Wow, summers as a kid were amazing.
Went to a few garage sales.
Went to pick up the monkeys.
Argued with James.
Cleaned house.
Made up with James.
Made lunch.
Took naps.
Went grocery shopping.
Cooked dinner.
Cleaned the play room while James bathed the kids.
Had devotinal- tonight was Shout to the Lord and the story of Jacob. Quick idea for simple family devotional, we found a kids Jesus loves me station on Pandora and we sing a song from it and then we downloaded a $0.99 app for the ipad with about 25 bible stories on it. Nice little mixing up on the family devotional.
Now I am blogging, about to eat a blueberry muffin because I did not like the dinner I made and watch the King's Speech. The End.

My boys.

2011-06-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Bleh

2011-06-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

Today I am sick so I got nothing but I have to stay faithful to my word. Here's to hoping mom is back in action tomorrow.

Happy friends.

2011-06-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

Ok I cannot get the entire pic to post- sad you can't see jack and Claire:(I love this picture with all of my heart! I love jack and Claire like my own children and to have them be so close with my boys is such gift. I was talking with luci,one of my other friends for life, about how important it is who influences our kids and choosing a community that you want to be part of that influencing process. I just have to say from having several amazing friendships here in Waco, to other friends and family all over the world, I am overcome with gratefulness at what amazing men and women we have as friends and my kids have as role models. I know James and I are the main molders of our children but I think other adults have such an impact our kids lives. Thank you to all of my friends who are more like family that have changed our lives and will help shape my little men.

Get on the roller coaster.

2011-05-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Today I am having a low day. Even though it has been 4 1/2 months since my d and c, I still ache at the loss. Days like today are ones i wish I could avoid. Starting my period every month- would love to sleep through that. Today I feel the battle to believe that I am enough Not when I get pregnant, or loose 20 lbs or have my kids college fund full- but today in my ache, mess, extra weight and impatience- today I am enough. I talked to a friend who has had several miscarriages herself and has attended a group specifically for woman who have miscarried. One thing that she shared with me is that she realized that the world does not make room for you to grieve a miscarriage. It is so internal- there was never a baby in your arms for the world to see you grieve so it can feel so lonely. Other people would say but you have two healthy children and to that I would say I do and because of that, I know what I am loosing. My heart is so very sure of god's goodness and at the same time, I have to let myself feel what I feel. Life is messy and my clean answers that I have told myself or friends before don't seem reach deep into that hurt... Only Jesus himself can venture to that place.

Always,sometimes, never.

2011-05-30T18:24:00.001-07:00

For my family.
James
ALWAYS
Bathes the boys at night
Tells me i am pretty
Is the last one to leave church
Needs alot of condiments
SOMETIMES
Eats veggies
Will watch the bachelorette with me
Tells off color jokes
NEVER
Eats mushrooms
Puts up with gossip
plays golf

Adrianna
ALWAYS
NEEDS chapstick on my lips
Needs a daily nap
Goes in and lays with my babies after they have fallen asleep
Cries at army wives
Wants Mexican food
SOMETIMES
Likes to watch action movies
Enjoys going on an ear cleaning rage including and most favoritely the dog
NEVER
Wants to iron
Wants to play board games
Eats tomatoes

Keller
ALWAYS
Sleeps with his blue baby blanket
Wants a snack
Has hair standing up somewhere on his head
SOMETIMES
loves to sit and snuggle for hours
Blows me away with his questions and the profoundess of them
Is quiet
NEVER
stops talking ( so maybe my sometime for him was not completely acurate)
Eats cheese, drinks sodas
Meets a stranger

Graham
ALWAYS
Wants his paci
Copies his brother
Wants a piece of candy
Prays for "bubba" when asked who he wants to pray for
SOMETIMES
likes time alone
Ends up asleep in bed with Keller
NEVER
eats all of his food
Is neutral
Won't give hugs and kisses no matter what he is doing

A summer resolution.

2011-05-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

I am going to write a post on my blog every day for the summer. For my 2 followers you are most likely perplexed by such a lofty goal seeing that I posted only a wee bit over the past year but I am turning over a new leaf. The 2 reasons I started a blog in the first place were so I could catalog my family life day in and day out. Most days seem kind of mundane especially in a job like mine but I think when you are able to write about it you begin seeing the ordinary in a new light. Like a 10 month olds fascination with a red balloon from heb. If I had not written about this I would have smiled in that moment and moved on from it but because I wrote about it, it has become a precious experience that I am able to look back on. The second reason that I began blogging was so that I could have an outlet for writing. I am not a "writer" by any stretch of anyone's imagination but I enjoy it as a hobby and like some enjoy a cigarette- it calms the nerves. So I am making this bold proclamation to you all (mom) but more to myself and I am setting new standards. I do not have to include pictures in all of my posts. My posts can be boring. My posts do not have to be tidy, grammatically perfect or clean up well. Just consistent and honest which is what I am striving to be in all facets of life.

Since January...

2011-03-29T15:05:00.001-07:00

Alot has happened. Happy and Sad. Overall there has been hope. Because I am not on my own computer, who knows when that will be fixed, I have no pictures- only bullets.
My little 1 has turned 2.
We put our house on the market again.
We are moving in 2 weeks to a NEW HOUSE!
I am up to my eyeballs in little boy and I love it.
I am going to be moving into a house just a mile away from the house I grew up in- never thought that would be the case.
I am still addicted to Zumba- it is my crack.
I am hopeful.
Read a life chaning book " A Thousand Gifts"
Cried and laughed alot.

Sad.

2011-01-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

I went in for a check up at the doctor on Monday and there was no heartbeat. Very sad. This is my fourth miscarriage- two before kids and now two since Graham. I will go in for a D and C tomorrow so please pray. We are ok, always sad but we are hopeful.

3 chicks.

2010-12-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

Walker baby 3 making "its" debute August 13,2011.

Good thing my kids are cute!

2010-10-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

Cause they are wearing this mama OUT! The fall is always super jam packed for us and it is only beginning. Keller had his first official school program a few weeks ago- SO STINKIN' CUTE and this year they actually included the MDO kids to bubba G had his time in the limelight. Highlights from the Fall Show- Graham was kept in the bye bye buggy and I am guessing they did that because they knew that my determined-i know what I want-don't try to keep me from my mama child would run off the stage at his first chance. Instead, the little love behind him kept hitting him with her star wand and it was totally t-ing him off. He kept looking over his shoulder at her as to say, " yo babe, you fine and all but keep your wands to yourself, you cramping my style."
As for big K, two shining moments both very typical of my child. Unbeknownst to his music teacher obviously, she put Keller right in front of one of his best buddies since birth. From the minute the singing began, they were messing with each other which ended in an almost disaster of Keller fallign and almost bringing down all of the darlings in front of him. Lastly, they finished the evening by singing, "How Great is Our God" which has been his song of choice for about a month now. To see him on stage singing his heart out to Jesus, jsut about did me in. It gave me glimpses into his worshipping heart for the future- which I am needing these days because he is testing the boundaries. They both are in different ways. My children are textbook for spirited, strong willed or any other word to describe a willful child. Most days I can get some perspective and be positive but some days I am wiped. On one specific day, we went to the pumpkin patch in Temple- so cute but all I kept thinking is, get me away from my children! RED FLAG! I know I really need a break when thoughts like this begin happening. So even though the pics are cute, it was not the funnest of times we have ever had as a fam.
You know I am maxed if I am willing to skip out on Baylor Homecoming festivities- I look forward to them all year. This year all I wanted was to get out of Waco and be free of mama responsibilities for a minute. So my sweet husband took me to the Big D for lots of feasting, shopping and resting! No pics but I will say that the weekend included, four inch heels, a PHENOM jazz club, good time in the word, lots of great convos with the honey and Northpark. So I was so happy to see my monkeys and they were happy to see me. I think we both needed a break!

oh and...

2010-09-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

look at that precious picture of G bubs? I don't mean to forget him in my posts- he is very unforgotten in our home and if you came to visit you would see that he makes sure he is NOT forgotten. This picture was taken after who knows what sweet treats at Jojo's house. K dub could care less about taking pictures but G bubs LOVES! to take pictures. If he just sees the camera he runs up and says " Cheeeeese." He is so gorgeous and has the most precoius personality. I look at him several times a day and think, how did I get so blessed with such a precious baby?

I do love me some FALL!

2010-09-27T12:04:00.001-07:00

I had my first moment yesterday. I woke up after a normal Sunday afternoon nap to a cool breeze in the air. I think I begin to think that it will never be cold again by the end of August. We will cooped up in the fake cold house until the Rapture. But then, days like yesterday oh and then MORNINGS like this one. My sweet little soul feels like it opens it's door to the cold fall breeze. Here is what I have loved in falls past-
The Obvious
Autumn Festival Yankee candle
Pumpkin Spice Latte's
Leaves turning
football weather
going outdoors and not sweating like a man
Baylor Homecoming
Holidays
Pumpkin Patch
Decorations
First Fires
Exercising outside
The Not so Obvious
Watching Gilmore Girls- it is a very fall experience for me
Knitting scarves
Biggest Loser
Eating soup (okay maybe that is obvious but I am pretty black and white about when I can eat soup)
Parades
Eating lots of apples
HOT Fair and Rodeo

This fall will bring new traditions-
Soccer! My sweet boy is playing soccer this fall. He and his best bud Jack are on the same team that ended up being a "camp" since there were not enough kids to put together more than one team:) but it has been precious. OH I LOVE MY BUDDY! He is so sweet and encouraging to the other players. After the first night he wanted to pray for one of the friends who was not having a good time participating. He is also quite the leader, as if I did not know- they were asked what their favorite animal was so they could decide on a team name and Keller yelled " SNAKES'. The coach asked if any other kids had a favorite animal probably secretly hoping that they would not be the Snakes but Keller persisted and therefore is apart of the only soccer team ever named after the serpent in the garden!
Although I have been to the HOT fair and rodeo just about every year of my life, we have only taken KW once and G bubs has never been. So we are officially starting the tradition as a family this year. So excited to see them love it has much as I did when I was a kid.

I am also excited

NEST.

2010-09-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. I have been on a steering committee for almost a year now of woman planning a new ministry at our church that looks a lot like MOPS. We have been meeting monthly planning and making nothing into something. Today was our first official NEST time and it was precious. The whole time I kept thinking to myself I can't believe it has happened. I feel so honored to be apart. I love my church with all my heart. IT truly was such a sweet time of fellowship with other mom's both in my stage of life and a little farther along in the journey. We were blessed by Godly women teaching us about mothering personalities and celebrating being a mom of young ones. I felt envisioned and excited to be with my boys after it was over and I felt desperate for a nap since I had been up since 5:30 getting everything ready. So I hugged my boys, made them lunch, tackled with them because that is what little boys do, or my little boys and then took a nice long nap.

Firsts.

2010-09-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

This first picture cracks me up, what good effort huh?

I kiss that face about 50 billion times a day.

" Yeah mom, I am staying late after school for football practice so fix me some steak and tell all the girls I will call them back never because you are the only woman in my life til' I'm thirty." "Okay honey, kiss kiss."

My big boy. His best effort at cheese always turns out like he is going potty.

Love of my life.

Oh my gorgeous boys- they melt me, what can I say? How could they not? We started preschool and Mother's Day Out yesterday. So here are the stats.
Big K- wonderful Mrs. Kilpatrick and Mrs. Dollar- well, I think they will have their hands full with this little tiger. They told me he did good but, there was a lot of redirecting because he "just wants to play". Then today they said, " he did good, he is just so busy." I think it is a good thing though. For him to have structure and be in a school environment. I will be interested to see how he does as the year goes on. He is such a smart cookie so I am just praying that he will LOVE it.
Bubba G- I was a little worried about how he would do. He is almost 18 months old and I have not left him in childcare for more than a few hours. My first clue that this would not be the case should have been the strutting he began doing the minute we walked in the door. He grabbed his lunchbox from me and started marching to his door basically knocking it down. No tears. No bye byes, off he went. When I picked him he was happy as a clam. So sweet. Should I have been sad? I was not really.
Me- LOVED.EVERY.MINUTE.TO.MYSELF. I needed it more than I knew. I got time alone, with friends, out and about in my swagger wagon with no babes in tow. Loved it.
Then today, Kdub went back to school for the morning and G bubs and I bopped around. Another nice component was getting alone time with my little guy. Also, our new ministry that I am helping head up will begin next Wednesday. I am so excited about it and feel so blessed to be apart of pioneering it. I love this time of year, it feels so exciting and fresh. Happy September.

Obessessed!

2010-08-29T15:23:00.001-07:00

With THE Pioneer Woman. Enthralled, addicted, borderline stalker of this woman. If you have not read her blog or cooked any of her recipes- your life has been less than- I mean it. Stop what you are doing, stop reading and go to her blog. Before you do, make sure you have a few hours to yourself to read about her life, her love story, peruse her recipes etc. So far I have made (to list a few)- sloppy joes, key lime pie, Asian noodle salad, lasagna, cinnamon rolls, meatball sliders and blueberry crisp- and love every delicious bite of each. She is witty, and creative and so practical. You will want to be her best friend and probably feel like you know her. She inspires me and makes me laugh every time. So this is not a promo add for P Dub as she likes to call herself but ME trying to make YOU better. You are welcome.

Pearl. Turquoise. Ruby.

2010-08-09T06:57:00.001-07:00

I love precious Jewels. Here are a few of mine.
1. Pearl the cat. About 2 months ago this little black kitty started showing up on our porch as well as both of our neighbors. No one was feeding her(yet) and even though some were annoyed there was something sweet and endearing about this little black kitty. One day, Keller asked me what her name was and I said, "Her name is Pearl." Oh no. Where did I get that? One of the neighbor boys had been calling her Roger so why did I not say that? I think because Pearl is her name and I knew it. I started feeding her that day. After some rolling of eyes from our dear neighbors and a few tiffs with daddy dearest, we have decided to keep her as our "porch cat". I am going to take her to get fixed next week. I am not necessarily a cat person, I am pretty neutral to them, but I she has found her way into my mushy little heart, sucker.
2. As I have stated in a recent post, I am OBSESSED with all things turquoise and to be quite honest I think I always have been. I have not really wanted to admit that is was my favorite color for a few reasons- it always seemed to be the color of the 80's and got a bad rap because of that. It is my mom's favorite color and I wanted my OWN favorite danget but if I look back at my life, I am wearing some form of it in many pictures, my bridesmaids dresses were a hue of turquoise, I called it peacock then because I still was a out of the closet fanatic. Any who, a few months ago I was reading one of my favorite passages of scripture, Isaiah 54 and verse 11 says " I will build you with stones of turquoise.." and it struck me so deeply. God sees me and knows me in full color and is not ashamed of any part of me-even my love of turquoise! My whole point in sharing all of this is that I am starting to boldly incorporate into my decorating. I realize it is making quite the comeback so that is nice but I will love it always! So you see my old black china cabinet that is now a lovely white with a turquoise back- cute huh?
3. Ruby. The dog of my dreams. She was the boys Christmas present but she is one of the greatest gifts I have ever had. She is so precious, loving, loyal, obedient, quiet. Not perfect, still has made a once beautiful yard and back porch a disaster- we lovingly call the backyard Babylon now. Her tail is a weapon that knocks my baby down daily. She sheds all the time-but I will take it all because when the boys are napping and the house is quiet, she lays at my feet and gazes at me with her honey eyes so happy to have a home.
4. The other random pictures of pillows and dressers are some other DIY projects I have been apart of:)
Happy Monday!

My guys.

2010-08-09T06:50:00.001-07:00

Things I know.

2010-07-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

I am like an old retired man. I need a nap everyday. If I do not get one I am a bear all afternoon and its cereal or taco bell for dinner- no books, or games just let mommy lay on your bed or floor or stairs while you take care of each other.
I love living in Waco. Just today I saw five different people I know from five different times in my life and to some that sounds awful but to me it makes me feel at home. Waco is like that really no matter how long you live here.
I love Bid Red. If I knew that a sustainable diet could consist of Big Red, Pizza, Cool Ranch Doritos and Hairbo Gummy Bears, that would be my diet.
I wear my ugg houseshoes all day everyday. Does not matter how hot it is outside, they will be found on my feet.

Hi, I am Adrianna, nice to meet you.

2010-07-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

These were the first pictures that came up on Google images when I typed in my full name-interesting, eh?
The only person who really cares if I am write another blog is my mother but I also realize how cathartic posting can be and cathartic I need. My boys have been on and off sick for, oh, most of the summer. We had our introduction to puke Thursday. I am pretty surprised and grateful that after almost 4 years of mommying, this was our first puke. Isn't that an awful word- which is a better- vomit? throw up? ralphing? All of them sounds putrid to me. Putrid is awful too... welcome to the stream of consciousness I deal with on a daily basis.
So now to the positives. No bites, not even a lick on our house. But we are believing for perfect divine timing so most days it does feel like a positive. How spiritual and mature of me. We are happy. I think on a scale from 1-10 most days I am an 7, I would be an 8 if it was not so *insert curse word if that is your thing here* HOT.I always get to July and think why do I live here? Oh I forgot, I am being positive. Really though, my kids are beautiful and mostly healthy, my husband is a rockstar, my family and friends are treasures. See I am already an 8 again.
Let's see, what else? Because of a heel spur I have been swimming laps for exercise and that has been so refreshing and cathartic as well- I like that word, as much as I don't like puke. Big boy starts preschool in a month- what? G bubs will be on one day of MDO and Thursdays will be filled with Days of Our Lives and red wine. Hopefully we will be getting our computer back soon so I can post some pictures again of my treasures. If you were friends with me on facebook, I have not been defriending everyone but deactivated my account. Wow, I didn't realize how hard it would be to do but to be honest, I have not missed it. Be back soon, scouts honor Mom.

no pictures but still interesting.

2010-06-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Our computer blitzed, I am re reading the Twilight series, too many great tv show finales, a bike riding 3 year old, a walking 14 month old are my very worthy excuses not to blog. Since I am using a computer that I will not be loading pictures on there will not be any but I will share with you some of the things we have been up too as well as my new list of favorites.

Keller started swimming lessons last week and is loving it. His teacher told me that he is such a champ and does everything they ask him to do- he is pretty fearless so I knew he would do great. I cannot wait until Friday when they let the parents come and watch.

James and I had a little 36 hour get away to Austin last weekend- very appreciated. My folks kept he kids and we pricelined a hotel. Went and ate at the Iron Cactus on
6th street, slept, went to Jo's coffee and then the Arboretum and spent almost 3 hours in Barnes just reading. To kidless peeps this sounds like nothing but to those of us with young ens this is a dream come true. Then we got to witness a spectacular wedding and see so many old friends!

Graham is walking- it is the cutest thing to see a 14 month old stumble around like he has had one to many. Now him and brother play together all day long and it is music to my ears to hear them laughing in the other room together!

Some of my favorite things right now are:
vanilla yogurht and a little honey with whatever fruit is around that day- thanks Mary for the tip.
the little Farmer's Market- this is no big city farmer's market but I will be thankful for what we have.
Iced Coffee in the afternoons
Playing cars with Keller
Lady Antebellum or Veggie Tales at all times in the car
Purple eye shadow
my first spray tan
Turqoise anything
Bachelorette
Harold James Walker...just to name a few.

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

My Keller boy at Carolina's 2nd birthday party.

My bestie Robyn-friends since 5th grade-she is a treasure!

G bubba and I getting some Carolina Bell lovin'.

My boys are really starting to bond- best bubbas!

crossing the finish line at Cowboy Stadium!
I love this time of year- some moments take my breath away. We have had a busy April-celebrated our 7th anniversary ( still feel like newlyweds), completed my first half marathon (loved it) and put our house on the market.
May is creeping up and I just cannot believe it, where is my life going? I am into my 30's, I have a 3 1/2 year old and a 1 year old, we are looking to buy our second house-I am getting old! I love my life though- my bundles are PRESH- just the apple of my eye, my husband is my favorite person in the whole world, my parents are some of my favorite people to be around, my friends are treasures that each bring fresh breeze's into my days, my church is my family.... what else can I say? I am so blessed!

More Birthday pics!

2010-03-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

2010-03-18T13:37:00.001-07:00

I loved how Graham's party ended up! We had a full house with SO many sweets and treats.

Baby G turn's 1!

2010-03-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my, this little guy! I just can't get enough of him. I cannot believe it was a year ago that he joined our little family. it has been nonstop since then. Things that I love about our sweet Graham- his gorgeous HUGE smile. His perseverance/will:) I could not imagine a more strong willed little guy after having Keller but I was wrong. The fact that he did not sleep through the night until almost 10 months old should have been my first clue:) I guess I am getting a double portion of what I was. He loves to play with his brother, doggie, JOJO, Daddy and anybody he meets. He is a stranger to none. He is my snuggle bear too. Keller did not have much to do with snuggling once he was mobile but my Graham will sit and love on me all day. I feel so blessed to have two little boys that are such good buddies and will grow to be the best of friends. I love you my angel baby-life before you was not near as exciting and bright!

Snow.

2010-03-18T13:22:00.001-07:00

No it is not snowing today but remember when it did like a month ago? That is what these pics are from. We had fun with the Martin's, beginning a snow man and then just deciding to throw snow balls. We wrapped up with a movie and hot chocolate!

9 months... and now almost 11.

2010-01-26T11:47:00.001-08:00

The first pics are from Graham's 9 month photo shoot and the next were taken this weekend. He is growing so fast. I am beginning to plan his first birthday party. How did this happen? As much as you want life to stand still or just go in slow motion for some of these moments it will not. Graham is the sweetest treasure of a child. He is focused and driven. I told God that I probably needed a little bit more of a laid back child the second time around- he giggled and gave me Graham. He is just as strong willed as his older brother. They are already starting to get into little tiffs and to be honest I think I secretly like it. G is beautiful. He has got knock out eyes, gorgeous olive skin ( the 1/8th Mexican kicked in) and a smile that melts me. He loves to be held still but is becoming more independent. His favorite things right now are Ruby our dog, all of brothers toy and any kind of food that you stick in front of him. HE loves to ride in the stroller. I am so in love with this child and feel undeserving of the gift I have been given.

Rundown.

2009-12-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

December 23rd.
James worked while the boys and I finished wrapping gifts. Went to the Bell's and had our traditional Mexican feast with my parents, Lance and Kristen and Margaret and Eric. Opened presents one person at a time. Lots of toys and clothes. Then we came home and put out cookies and milk for Santa and wrote him a note. Boys went down about 9 and then "Santa" and I were up until 1am putting together the train table while we watched "Deck the Halls". Well, "Santa" did the work, I supervised and made muffins:)
December 24th.
Woke up at 6:30, well actually had already been up at 4:09 with the dog... at 6:30 made sure the house was nice and festive, started a fire but before made ash footprints from the fireplace to the Christmas tree.
7:00- Jojo and Grandpa arrive and we get the boys up to see what Santa had brought and they loved it all. Ate kolaches and coffee cake, James read from Luke 2,we did advent and then opened our presents from each other. Played with toys, Graham napped, Keller went home with Jojo for a while, James and I tried to nap, packed, cleaned up, packed the van, took Ruby to Jojo's, went to the bank, ate lunch at McAlister's, returned a few things at the mall, relished that it was snowing in Waco on Christmas eve, drove in the snow and wind to Houston.
Arrived to Houston about 4:30. Played with the cousins, ate Chili, got in the back of Pawpaw's truck with blankets, gloves, hot chocolate and went around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights.
Went to bed around 8:30 because did not get much sleep the night before.
December 25th.
7:30- Christmas with the Walker's. Pawpaw read the Christmas story, opened presents, mommy was a little out of it because of the Benadryl I had taken the night before. Played played played. I took a nap while the playing was happening and the big guys were putting together the gun case and new trampoline. Ate Ham and all the fixings. Went to see Alvin and the Chimpunk's with everyone minus Mimi, Pawpaw and Graham. Jumped on the trampoline, napped, played Monopoly with the teenage boys. Ate off and on all day long. Went to bed around 9:)
December 26th.
8-got a wonderful night's sleep! Ate breakfast, played, went to the mall with everyone:) Ate Mr. Ghatti's- which is probably one of my highlights. Napped, played, trampolined. Went to see Avatar with bro and sis in law- loved it which surprises me.
10 bed.
December 27th.
Went to church, packed up and left the munchkins with the in laws. Ate La Madeline at the Galleria, walked around a bit and decided that we needed a nap. Checked into our hotel, napped, showered and went shopping some more. Went to a fabulous wine bar, The Tasting Room-highly recommend. Shopped some more, ate dinner at PF Changs. Walked around and had a wonderful and romantic night out with the love of my life. Cheesecake Factory for dessert and in bed by 945.
December 28th.
Happy 30th birtday to me, slept til 830! Got up and went to breakfast at Panera with James. Spent time with Jesus and looked back on my 29th year and dreamed about my thirties.
Went back to the in laws and played with the boys. Had Sonic for lunch. Packed up. Picked up Charlie. Drove back to Waco. Unpacked. Picked up Ruby. Opened birthday presents. Ninfa's with parents, hubby and boys. Home on the couch with a fire, dog and husband. Finished off the night with some good ol' Gilmore Girls, in bed at 10.
If you are still reading this, thank you!

Got one.

2009-12-16T08:03:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas! Thank you God for the greatest gift ever!

Attempts.

2009-12-16T05:52:00.000-08:00

Maybe this post will actually happen. Lots going on in the Walker house. Lots of birthdays, pine needles, poop! Yes that is what I said. From my 9 month old who is eating table food now and would eat all day if I let him, lots of poop from him. From my 3 year old who is "potty training" and I say training in the most loose term, sometimes it ends up in the elmo potty, sometimes in the undies, sometimes on the wall.... yesterday we were playing hide and go seek, well actually I would let him hide while I tried to fold a few items of clothes or wipe off the counters while he "hid" I mean you got to take advantage of those times. So when I finally went into his room to "find" him, his undies, pants and socks were laying on the floor, wet and he was covered up in his bed. "Hey Keller, did you have an accident?" "No mommy, I was waiting for you to find me in the closet and I had to tee tee but I was hiding and then I got tired." Whoops, guess I took it a little too far. Back to the poop, we got a dog and she poops outside! Ruby Noel joined our family last week and she is the sweetest dog there ever was. We rescued her from a kennel out in the country. She is Lab/Blue Heeler mix and is the prettiest and greatest gift. She is supposed to be the boys Christmas present but she has been mine too.
Pictures are of our attempt at a Christmas pic.

This character is almost 3.

2009-11-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe my baby boy will be 3 years old this weekend. Wow. I hope to write a post on his actual birthday, but with my current blogging track record, not so sure that will happen. So I will write today. Keller Cade Walker, what a guy you are. You have the greatest personality in the world! You are fun loving, caring, tough, witty, precocious, tender, and just a complete joy to my life. Daddy and I come in to kiss you every night before we go to bed and still we both just smile and laugh at what a gift you are. My precious firstborn, I could already write a book about all that you are and all that I know you will become. I look forward to the next year with you. You amaze me and I love you my precious angel boy.

Plenty of excuses.

2009-11-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Not that I think anyone is crying that I have not blogged in 2 months but of course I feel guilty- why is that? Anywho, here is what has kept me from it.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2009-09-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of Keller's first day of Mother's Day Out last year and the second one was taken this morning. Wow, how my baby boy is growing! He is going twice a week this year and I think it is going to be great. He has awesome teachers and Keller thrives in social settings and needs some structure. I am looking forward to getting alone time with G baby who as you can see is eating solids-ish:) I am making my own baby food this time around something I did not do with Keller. I am enjoying it and have a nifty babycook contraption that steams and blends the food all in one. We are looking forward to the fall which is the busiest time of year for us.Here is what we are looking forward to-
* James has season tickets to the BU games with Brad so I will get to see my bestie Robyn for sure 6 times this fall since they will all come into town.
*It is also the birthday season in the Walker family so lot's of partying including my 30th birthday coming up in December, wowsas!
* We are going to see Thomas the Train in October who happens to be one of Keller's faves!
* The HOT fair, I am sure we will be going at least once!
* Lastly, I am so jazzed about a knitting class I am going to take! I have been wanting to learn for years so I finally signed up. I think it will be a nice outlet for me to do something by myself and learn a craft!
I just love the fall, it is my favorite time of year. I am excited to drink pumpkin spice latte's or at least Cafe Americano's with a shot of pumpkin spice, cook in the crockpot, watch Gilmore Girl's fall episodes, dress in warmer clothes, go for walks outside and get a little break from the gym, parades, football, fires, and on and on! Come on sweet fall, I am waiting....

kid #1.

2009-08-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Oh Keller, all I can say is that it is always extreme with Keller,always has been. We are either totally in sync, having a blast, the best of buds, or totally at odds-yikes. Maybe it is because we are both SO strong willed? He is in the throws of figuring out what he has control over and what he can get away with. I never want to say terrible two's because I don't want to speak that over my children, but we are fo' sho' having some terrible moments:)The picture of him eating is the little bite of salmon that he refused to eat and sat in his chair for 45 minutes bawling. Finally I told him that I would take a picture of him if he ate it- voila. What can I say, he loves the camera. He just melts my heart with that big grin and charm. I am so in love with this kid and he amazes me every day. We were driving by this scary looking carnival that was just thrown together in the middle of a field, a place that I would never take my children and I said, " look Keller, that is a yucky looking carnival," to that he responded, " no mommy, that is beautiful." HA!
He is still potty training:) we have got the tee tee down to an art, the poo poo is another story but we are taking it day by day. I did find poo all over his walls yesterday morning when I went to get him up, but I won't bore you....
The things Keller loves right now- Backyardigans, hearing made up stories by mommy and daddy, counting to 30, singing his ABC's and fighthing:) He wants to fight all day and with anything- swords, bats, balls, balloons, you name it, it is a weapon. He is such a boy. Smart as a whip and just too cute!

kid #2.

2009-08-13T12:59:00.001-07:00

Keller put G's paci in upside down, but at least it's in!
There are too many things to say about my precious kids, I have to do 2 posts. Graham, oh Graham, he is such a delight. This baby is so darn cute, his little cheeks are probably imprinted with marks from my lips! He is doing so good, still trying to figure out sleep stuff but he is making strides. He is also teething which throws off the sleep thing but other than that, he is such an easy baby. His favorite things are- me:), watching his brother do anything, his pacifier and his fingers. He is rolling over like a mad man and is just growing. I love everything about Graham but one of my favorite things is his eyes- if you notice in the pics, they are always WIDE open. He is like that at all waking hours, like a deer in headlights and I love it. He has been such a sweet blessing to our family and I love that he is my son!

New's.

2009-07-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Pictures to come very soon.
1. Haircut. I did it, I got my haircut by someone new, first time in over 10 years and I love it. Tyler at Salon Evidence did a fabulous yet on the pricier side job of a cut and I can even style it myself!
2. Vehicle. We did, made the plunge we are officially in the club of owning a minivan and I could not be more happy! I love it! It is a green 2001 Honda Odyssey that we bought from my in laws who take amazing care of their cars. It feels like I added another room to the house it is so big a spacious. The only thing that was stopping us was my pride but since I am on a journey to get rid of pride in my life, I am happier and have a lot more room- ha take that pride!
3.clothes. I was desperate for clothes that fit me in my in between body so mom and I went on a spree. Instead of being miserable and wearing clothes that either are too tight or too big, I needed to spend a little money to have clothes that fit where I am at today. Even though it is not my ideal place, part of loving myself is being okay with the journey to the goal and I need clothes to fit for the journey:)
4. Potty training. Day 2 of being confined to the house while setting the timer on the oven every 30 minutes is in full swing. I kind of decided to do it on a whim, very like me by the way, and got the boys up from a nap on Tuesday and made a trip to Toys R Us. We have been testing the waters with Keller asking him leading questions ,bribing him etc. and none of it has seemed to work. Shout out to my dear Margaret, who called me and told me to turn on Dr. Phil on Tuesday because he was doing a special on potty training in a day. So I watched 10 minutes of it and made up my mind, we were going to give it a try. I am not shooting to have Keller trained in a day, I don't think that sounds realistic for us, but I am using some of ol' Philly's tips like- 1. going and buying Keller his own potty that he picks out as well as his own big boy underwear- came home with Elmo underwear and an Elmo potty that is bilingual. 2. Throwing a party for him when he goes in the potty-more on this a few sentences down. 3. letting him call one of his favorite characters from a show he loves... So the report is as follows- all of the Elmo undies have been washed at least once due to accidents. Elmo, who I used to think was kind of cute, now is on my must destroy list because Keller is obsessed with hearing Elmo tell him how proud he is of Keller and how to go potty in English and Spanish about 100 times a day. All of the balloons that I blew up for the party have already been destroyed because my 2 year old BOY decided it was more fun to play "fight" with the balloons then go potty and would not even sit on it while their balloons were around.All of it worth it though because we have had 1 poppy and 3 tee-tee's in the potty! Which means we have also been on the phone with Pablo, Uni qua, Tyrone, Tasha and Thomas quite a bit the last 48 hours IE- James and in a bind my mom to report that we have tee teed or poo-pooed in the potty. We took him to McDonald's for happy meal and ice cream last night to celebrate( I know yuck for adults). So we will see, I am not pressuring either one of us just seeing how it goes.
5. Roll over. Last but not least, my 4 month old bundle is officially rolling over and it the most delightful baby on the block.

Well...the time has come.

2009-07-06T13:29:00.001-07:00

I have decided to make our blog private. By nature I am a trusting person but I decided with this that I would like to be in control of who is reading my thoughts and seeing pictures of my kids. So, if you are an avid reader, let me know and I will extend you and invitation. I guess the best way to do it is my emailing abellwalker@gmail.com. I will probably start doing the privacy thing by the end of the week so please let me know!

to be honest, I like to shake it with the other stay at home mom's.

2009-07-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

double dose of a blog, first I was tagged to tell 10 honest things and an update on my new favorite thing to do.
first things first

1. about once a month I have to take a break from facebook because I can get ADDICTED! I use the excuse that as a stay at mom of two, it is my connection to the outside world.
2. I am watching the silly ol' bachelorette once again this season even though I told my husband that would not:) I just can't help my self- it's like a bad car wreck on the highway, you don't really want to look but you cannot help yourself.
3. I LOVE my two boys with all of my heart, and am so thankful daily for the privelege of being their mommy but I do hope we have a daughter one day.
4. I love hip hop music but because of the content of the material, usually can only listen to it in the car by myself, yeah right when does that happen. Maybe that is why I love Zumba.
5. I do a pretty good job of keeping my house clean but deep down, I would LOVE to have someone clean my house once a week so I could do other things like learn how to have a pretty yard, learn to sew and give myself to other places outside my home.
6. Up until my last month of pregnancy, my son rarely watched more than 30 minutes of tv a day, and honestly I prided myself on that-hmmm... not so much anymore. I find myself saying, oh he has only watched a hour and a half today, that is improvement:)
7. I eat chikfila number one without pickles, fries, chikfila sauce and coke zero almost once a week- and I wonder why I can't get those 15 pounds off?
8. I LOVE living in Waco. I don't care what anyone says, it is where I hope I live most of my life.
9. I cry almost every time I worship at church. I can be all over the place-dropping the kids off at nursery, chatting with friends, and one or two songs in, I am centered and full of thankfulness.
10. and I will start my second rant with the end of this- I LOVE ZUMBA!

The past month I have been able to get back into somewhat of a normal routine at the gym again. well a new craze has entered our little Waco Family Y. My first time I was a bit nervous, I mean I have rhythm but after my stint at working at a inner city camp back in college I realize how much I really cannot dance. So I stood in the back where I could not even see myself in the mirror. After an hour of moving my body in all sorts of ways I thought I could only do at Midnight Rodeo:), I was hooked. It is fun, the music is awesome, there are all types of people doing it and loving it. I even talked my awesome husband to come with me twice. I love that about him, he is so secure and fun! So I found a new way to listen to "Low", " You think your gangsta cause you did time..."etc. So for an hour a few times a week, I feel like 19 again, dancing at at Kappa Sig party- except that my big ol' nursing boobs are hitting me in the face!

cutie pies.

2009-06-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

an honest post.

2009-06-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Can I be real for a moment? This is a hard stage in a young mother's life. Every day I say to myself, my body is not my own. From pregnancy, to nursing, to horsie rides and airplane and even nowadays my precious son purposely pulls my hair, pushes on me and hits me with some object everyday. I have bruises, scratches, stretch marks, varicose veins, cellulite(told you I was going to be real), and I look at myself in the mirror sometimes and think, what happened to the old me? To be honest, I struggled with being totally happy with "me" then. I mean, the normal insecurities- oh I wish my butt was smaller, I wish my arms were more tone, I wish I did not get that latin gene from my mother's side of the family that gave me good birthing hips etc. What I would give to have that old girl now. To wear those clothes and be in that skin but then I will probably be saying the same thing when I am 50 and going through menopause. So I try to be happy with the work in progress that I am in now but some days are harder than others. I want to have attainable goals and realistic ideals about health,weight and fitness. So there, I said it. I think. I am on a journey to the place I want to be. I will get there and it will be great and then I will get pregnant again and start all over.

I will get better at this...

2009-06-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

maybe in a year! It has just been hard for me to sit down and blog, although I want to all of the time because life is anything but boring around here. Graham is 3 months old today and I can barely believe it. James and I went to visit our friends Lesley and Brett at the hospital last night to see their new baby Jane and we both walked out saying, phew glad that we are us and not them at this moment:) I think we are coming out of the fog now and really starting to settle into life with two kids. Graham is sleeping better and has become such a smiley and happy little guy. I kiss his face about a million times and day he is so darn cute. Keller is getting bigger also, really starting to look like a preschooler. Here are some recent pics of my treasures!

Where do I begin?

2009-05-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since my last blog and I have good excuses-1. two kids keeping me very busy, 2. our computer has been down but we got it fixed this weekend.
So I will start with the latest. This weekend James and I took a 26 hour vacay to Dallas without the boys. My brave and fantastic parents kept both of my children- saints I know. Keeping up with a 2 1/2 year old will wear anyone out, but add to that a 9 week old who LOVES being held every single moment of the day and is still waking up at 3am for room service, that is alot of work for anyone. So my parents are such champs and are such a big reason that James and I have a great marriage- we get weekends away and dates! It was such a refreshing time. We left town after breakfast and headed to Dallas. We shopped a bit, went to the Mac store- that is a crazy place if you have never been. There is like a bazillion employees and they are all real eccentric, I was a bit out of my element but James loved it. Then we went and ate at Grimaldi's- this awesome pizza place in uptown that we found last year and loved. Then we shopped some more, then went to Sangria Tappa's bar for a little snack and some sangria- yum! Next we drove to Las Colinas to check into our awesome hotel that we pricelined and got a steal- The Omni in Las Colinas. Our room was on the 23rd floor overlooking this gorgeous lake and in the distance we could see the Dallas skyline. We napped and read and went and soaked in the hot tub outside while it was nice and cool. Got ready and went and ate at PF Changs for dinner and ended at the corner bakery for coffee and dessert. Are you seeing a trend? Lots of eating! We were asleep by 10 and besides having to get up once to pump (sorry guys) I got an awesome nights sleep. We woke up this morning and James went and got us breakfast and we ate in bed and then sat for a while journaling, reading and sipping our coffee in our robes. Packed up and headed back to town. It was just long enough too because I was ready to see my boys.

Mother's Day weekend was also wonderful. Saturday we bought a little pool for the backyard and spent most of the day outside. Then Sunday was baby dedication at church and it was so special since it was Mother's Day. Keller was dedicated to God on Mother's Day as well, so special. Then we went with my parents and had brunch. Came home and napped and then Mom and I went and saw a movie and ended the day with dinner at the folks house and the finale of the Amazing Race. I love being a mom and I love celebrating my mom, so it was such a fun day!

Kid updates- Keller amazes me with the things he says, he really is such a character. His daddy built him a fort for his bedroom- gulp, I am sure all of the mom's seeing these pics are thinking whoa, that looks a little dangerous, that is what I thought but it has not be so bad and Keller LOVES it. he wants to sleep in it most nights.
Graham is doing better. We found out he has heartburn/reflux and so he is taking zantac and that is making a world of difference. He is sleeping enough:) but we are trying to help him to stretch it out a bit.

We are slowly but surely figuring out life with two kids. It can be overwhelming at times and at other times my heart feels so full I think it will burst.

Today

2009-04-23T10:50:00.001-07:00

1. I am so glad God's mercies are new every morning.
2. went on my first walk with Graham and felt so refreshed- I have missed exercise these past 6 weeks.
3. My baby is 6 weeks old today.
4. I am addicted to roasted garlic hummus from HEB.
5. I am sleepy but not exhausted.
6. I finally got a new mop and my kitchen floor looks amazing!
7. I love Thursday- one day closer to the weekend and Keller has Mother's Day Out.
8. I am dreading trying to find a bathing suit after being pregnant and nursing a baby- oh how the body changes.
9. I went to lunch with Mom today and sat by a pretty obnoxious little boy - throwing major fits. After about 10 minutes of his crying my mom and I were having a convo about Keller and I said, " blah blah blah, and he was so good." Mom replied, " Yeah, Keller is so good, unlike this little brat we are sitting next to." definitely loud enough for the mother to hear. Oh Mom, I love you.
10. I am looking forward to a weekend away with James in May- eating and sleeping is all that we have on the docket at this point. Happy Thursday!

From the foggy land of no sleep...

2009-04-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Wow life with two is non stop. I always think to myself during the day, "oh this would be a great blog story" and then I get here and I am just staring at the computer. The land of no sleep leaves me with about an 80 iq so bare with me during these weeks. Graham will be five weeks tomorrow and I can barely believe it. What a doll baby he is. He is having some sleep strugs so we are hoping to resolve them at least in a moderate way soon. I don't want to say that he has full blown colic but some definite signs of it. So I will take any advice from readers. He is starting to smile and it his heart melting. He loves to be held and will just snuggle into you- I think he may be a little more of a mamma's boy then my Keller who hardly ever snuggled but has actually become more of a snuggler as he gets older. Speaking of Keller, he gets cuter and cuter every day. Monday, he pinched his hand in my closet door and it drew blood, he was pretty painful looking. Of course I am nursing Graham as this happens and so I am trying to nurse baby, and comfort my toddler at the same time- a multitasking mom indeed! So yesterday I was asking him how his hand was and he told me, " I got punched." I said, " no baby you got pinched." SO now as soon as he sees someone,anyone, daddy, friends, the checkout lady at Target he says, " I got peeeeenched." Too cute.
Easter was super fun at my parents house. Lots of amazing food and a gorgeous turn out of a day for an Easter Egg hunt that we re did about 10 times. I love Easter 1. because it was such a big deal in my family growing up. We had a huge get together at my Aunt Ester's house with probably 15 cousins my age with the greatest back yard for a hunt. Horshoes, bar b que, so much fun. I wish we had that tradition still but every one kind of does there own thing now. And I love Easter more than ever because what a precious gift we have recieved in Jesus. I was struck by the Hebrews scripture then other morning- " for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of God." The joy of reconciliation and the joy of getting to be near his Father once again for eternity. Jesus is the greatest!

My guys.

2009-03-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

One whole week.

2009-03-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Our little dude is one week old today. Wow how time flies. I know soon I will wake up and be writing his one year old tribute. Even though I am still pretty doped up on drugs and have very little sleep, I am trying to soak in every moment with Graham. As I write even, he is laying write next to me. I think I actually am more present in these first few days with him that I was with Keller.Keller was a hard labor and delivery and I struggled more emotionally at the beginning with him and I think because now I know how fast time flies, I am trying to love every moment with both of my princes. So the highs and lows of the week are as follows-
lows
Very little sleep
a very cluttered bedroom
major aches and pains
an infection in my God given bottles that has put me on antibiotics
a few sad moments that I have not been the primary care taker of Keller
HIGHS
the most beautiful and perfect son in my arms or by my side almost 24 hours a day
the fact that I am no longer pregnant and not having to pee every 2 minutes
yesterday morning, I was nursing Graham and Keller was watching Elmo's world(I know,the things you resort to) snuggled up next to me and it was one of the most full moments of my life.
seeing Keller be so precious with "baby Graham". Keller only says his name in a high pitch kind of baby voice.
success in nursing
a very clean, cleaner that it has probably ever been house, except my bedroom thanks to my wonderful mother in law who left yesterday. She was amazing, cleaned everything, brought me lunch in bed, took Keller out the park everyday.
James has had a great week back at work and is loving his new job.
and the list goes on..
my cup does overfloweth!
ps- I had to do a little "can you tell who is who" hint- Keller weighed 9 lbs and Graham weighed 6 1/2. pps- I gained 40 with Keller and 25 with Graham:)

Introducing...

2009-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Drum roll- Graham Hudson Walker arrived into the world at 7:49am March 12th. Weighing in at a whopping 6 lbs. and 5 oz. - yes two and a half pounds less than his older bro and measuring in at 19 inches. He is so beautiful and perfect in every way. We stayed in the hospital until Saturday morning and our home trying to adjust to life with a new being in our home. The Walkers and the Bells are helping us adjust and take care of our full-of-energy two year old. One funny story to leave you with-
so I got home from the hospital at 1230 yesterday afternoon and after nursing Graham and hugging Keller, took a hefty dose of Vicadin and napped for about two hours. Afterwards I was feeling so great I insisted that I needed my Dad to take me to the grocery store for a few things. Every one was kind of looking at me like I was crazy but I was sure I was okay. It was not until I was walking from one end of the store to the other and ran into a friend who had a what the heck are you doing here look on her face I realized that this was a bad decision. I am totally paying for it today. I can barely get out of bed. Those silly drugs make you feel like you are superwoman:) So back to bed for a few minutes before motherly duty calls and it is such a joy!

Ready or not, here he comes!

2009-03-11T13:53:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is our big day. Graham Hudson will be in our arms and I am just giddy. I don't know I thought it would feel like an old hat since we have done this before but I am just as excited maybe more because I know of all the blessings that lie ahead. I cannot wait to hold my precious boy and for our family to take a new shape. I have been a little sad or maybe just more nostalgic thinking that it will no longer be just the three of us. Keller has been the richest and most precious gift to our lives- I highly recommend parenting:) Here are pictures of baby G's room- we made some changes so it would feel new and fresh. My dear friend Jessica made the canvas and James painted the "G" above the crib-such talent. We will post pics as soon as possible.

thankful.

2009-02-28T12:33:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to update all of my blogging friends that James was offered a job yesterday. We are so thrilled and thankful. It was at the top of the list of jobs that he has been interviewing for which is very exciting. And just in the nic-o-time- he starts Monday March 9th, 3 days before baby Graham arrives. It has been a challenging two months but we are grateful for God who always makes a way. "Let us return to the Lord, though he has torn us to pieces, he will heal us." We have felt the tearing and the healing of the Lord in this trial. There have been precious gifts in the middle of it too...James getting so much time with Keller before Graham comes and seeing God provide for us in miraculous ways through the body of Christ. We will keep you posted!

bad blogger, good mommy.

2009-02-23T15:21:00.001-08:00

Goodness gracious what a naughty blogger I have been. Not sure what to blame it on because it has not been for lack of things going on. Here is a brief update.
I had an awesome shower about two weeks ago and it was by far my favorite shower I have ever had. We painted Graham's room and I will post pictures as soon as it is all done with. Even though I am having another boy, I wanted to use new colors and bedding because I know so many of his things will be hand me downs. We are getting so excited about his arrival. My C-section is scheduled for March 12th 7:30 am. I am trying to soak up this time with Keller Cade and not let it pass me by. I think the Monday before Graham arrives, Keller and I are going to have a date day and do all the things we loved to do together and have a little stroll down memory lane. I am starting to grieve a bit it not just being him but I know adding another bundle will be even better but I have to grieve what has been.
James and I had a great Valentines day/babymoon weekend. Friday night my parents kept Keller so we painted G's room and went on a little date. Then Saturday morning we drove to Austin for some of our besties birthdays at a quaint brunch place. Then we spend the afternoon in Austin and bought some goodies for baby boy. Then Saturday night we made fondue at home and watched a movie. But my favorite part of the entire weekend was our drive to Austin- we recounted our entire relationship beginning with our friendship. What a beautiful story we have and it ignited something fresh in my heart for my husband who I knew 7 years ago was amazing but the depth to which I know and experience with him now everyday is incomparable. I cannot believe I got him and I really mean that. He is the love of my life and I feel so hopeful and excited about our future together.
Other than that not as much has been going on. My mom turned 60 yesterday and is more beautiful and vivacious than ever.
On a heavier note, James has been out of work for over a month now. We have known since before Christmas and he has been diligently looking for a job and has had some good leads but nothing has happened just yet. It seems like such crappy timing and there have been many moments of disappointment and fear but God is doing something deeper in the both of us. And he is giving us our testimony that we can recount to our boys of how faithful God has always been to take care of our needs. I believe in my husband but my trust is in the Lord. Please keep us in your prayers and believe with us for something magnificent.

say it aint so...

2009-01-22T10:50:00.001-08:00

so my sweet baby boy has decided that kisses from mommy are a no go-most of the time. I got him out of bed a few mornings ago and we were sitting in his chair talking about his dreams and about the day and I snuck in a little smooch and he pushed me away and said, " no mommy, don't kiss my mouth"with finger motions added. Uh. What? Not yet, wait until kindergarten at least to stop giving kisses to dear ol' mom. Luckily he let me have a few sugars at bedtime, I guess he had forgotten about the resolve he had made earlier. Some of the other cute things he is saying right now are, Holy Cow, Ah Man, That's Awesome, That'd be fun? and I Wuv you. This age is more fun than I could have ever imagined and still just like I said when he was an infant, its equally challenging as it is fun. We are constantly having the discipline the tantrums, screaming no at mommy, hitting a friend, and the most likely thing for Keller to be disciplined for is, " no that's MINE!" Things that might surprise you that belong to Keller are the television, the park, the stairs, the characters on his cartoons, and the dog. So we are lovingly helping him realize that those are shared items and even the things that do actually belong to him are a privilege and are meant to be shared. Lord help us. So glad he will have a sibling in a few short months to at least share mommy with, oh yeah did I mention that one?

A Thrill of Hope

2009-01-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

O Beautiful Christmas- I know a little late on posting Adri, but better late than never. It was such a sweet Christmas. It was really the first time Keller understood. We spent the weekend before Christmas in Houston with the Walker clan, no pictures but lots of fun was had. Keller is just in heaven when we go because he gets to wrestle, jump on the trampoline, eat Papaw's yummy pancakes, wrestle... there are four grandkids and two on the way and only one of those is a girl not to mention James' younger brothers 13 and 15. Then Christmas Eve we took Keller and Eric to see Santa Claus. I really thought that he would be scared when he got up there but we could not get up there fast enough. He jumped up on St. Nick's lap with the best of em'. Then we went to the Christmas Eve service at church. They usually do a little story time for the kids and Keller got to up this year. It was too cute. He was on the steps facing the audience with his twinkling reindeer shirt and some of the other little boys noticed and began to bang on Keller's belly to make the lights go off. Once again, wish I would have had a camera. Next we went back to Mom's house to open gifts with my parents, Margaret, Eric and my brother and his sweet girlfriend. It was a party. We headed home late and were up until 1130 putting together Keller's gift from "Santa Claus". It was the real shift from being the kid to being the parents and we loved it. Keller loved his kitchen but even more so I think his drum! Wonderful times.

Christmas will come but first...

2009-01-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

I do have to tell my latest funny stories. First one on Keller. This is funny and precious. So a few days ago I went into his room in the morning because he was crying but it was not quite time for him to get up yet ie I was not quite ready for him to get up yet. So I held him and rocked him and sang him a song I was just listening to a sweet little song called Give me Jesus. I put him back down and got him up later. Well that was about a week ago and this morning same scenario happened. I had only taken a few sips of coffee and was opening my bible and I hear the cries from his little room. So I went in there and explained to him that it was only 645 and Mommy NEEDS to have some time alone talking to Jesus before she can play with him and take care of him all day. So I was putting him back to bed and he said, " Give Me Jesus?" I realized he remembered me singing that song to him a few days ago and wanted it again. So I sang it again and he puts his head on my shoulder and the only word he says is " Jesus" at the end of every stanza. While I am singing him this sweet song he pats me on the back and kind of whimper/cries and when I finish, he looks at me with a smile and says " do it again mommy." So all day long today, he will come up to me crawl in my lap and say " Give Me Jesus?" and snuggle and cry and little and ask for it again or get down and play. One of the sweetest memories for sure.
Second funny story has to do with Barnes and Noble which I do have a few stories from that store. Keller and I went last week after nap to play with the choo choo train and for mommy to buy a new book. So we walk to the back and their is another little boy around Keller's size playing and his mommy is watching. I smile at her and she glances away. Ok, a little shy I decide so I just walk Keller up to the choo choo table and remind him of the rules- play sweet, share, be kind, no throwing the trains at the other children etc. So I am standing off watching/browsing at the kid books and the other mother is sitting down in the chair so I decide to make just a tad bit of conversation because it is beginning to get a little awkward. " How old is your son?" I ask politely. "Two." She replies coldly and with nothing else. OK I get the picture now. She is a please leave me alone-I don't like to socialize- don't ever ask me another question kind of mom. That's fine, I get it but jeez I was just trying to me cordial. Then a few minutes later her son begins to cry and is telling his unsocial mommy that he does not want to share with the other kid(my kid) and wants him to leave the table RIGHT NOW! This was her response. " Oh you want the other kid to leave? I know you do. You are like Mommy and Daddy you don't want anymore friends because you already have plenty." Pardon? Did that really just come out of your mouth lady? Now my blood is boiling. First of all that a mother is training her child to not make friends. That is what kids do. And she didn't say well you at least need to share and be kind to the other kid, she basically was saying his attitude was just fine. AND at the same time trying to send a message to me standing behind her to leave her alone she did not need anymore friends. Give me a break woman, I was not trying to be your best friend I was just being friendly. I don't "NEED" anymore friends either, I had 10 bridesmaids for goodness sake! So I walked over and told Keller that we needed to say goodbye to the choo choo table and go see daddy. But what I wanted to say very loudly was there are some pretty snooty people in this world and mommy does not like to be near them with a 10 foot pole. "An ounce of pretension is like a pound of manure."

more pics.

2008-12-12T12:38:00.001-08:00

Advent Calendar and Gilmore Girls.

2008-12-12T12:09:00.001-08:00

This is a very fun post for me. First of all, pictures of my Advent Calendar that my Mom and I made together. Story- I saw this amazing felt 5 ft. Advent Calendar in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog back in October for $70 and thought, I could make that for less then $30. Have I ever sewn anything in my life? Nope. But I have been wanting to learn and what a fun project to learn on. So I asked dear ol' Mom if she would be the teacher and creator with me and of course she loved the idea. So almost 2 months later, with football season and a two year old ( we worked on in on Sunday afternoons while James and Daddy watched the Cowboys) we finished it. Amazing eh? And, less the $30. And we made it with our own two hands which I am totally patting myself on the back as I type:) Keller Cade has LOVED it. First thing he asks for in the morning is "advent calendar" but what he really wants is the candy cane I know.
Second thing that makes this post so exciting is my hubs and friends threw me an early surprise birthday party last night. My birthday is not until the 28th but no one is ever in town so we usually celebrate early. I knew James had something up his little sleeve. So last night we were supposed to go next door for dinner at our friends the Martin's, literally, the very next house to ours. So we were supposed to come over around 715 but Keller was so excited to go see Jack their son that I thought, lets just go over early so the boys can play a second before we put them down. James kind of starts sweating and stalls as long as possible. So we go next door, Sara says "oh Jonathan and Jack are in the backyard cooking the burgers" and all of a sudden I step into Stars Hollow. If you have ever watched The Gilmore Girls television show, than you know exactly what I am talking about and if you are a fanatic like me, you may be a little jealous. Basically, the backyard looked like the town square from the show and all of the guests were dressed as different characters from the show. I of course, was given an outfit to wear as Loralie Gilmore, the main character. Although I am 6 1/2 months pregnant so maybe I was her when she was 16 and pregnant with Rory. James was Luke, Sara was Rory, Robyn was Paris, Luci was Lane and on and on. The best costume was for sure my parents who played Emily and Richard, Loralie's parents from the show. Also shout out to Suki and Taylor. So they had two fire pits going, cooked burgers at Luke's grill, with onion rings, tater tots, pop tarts, twinkies. Then they had a town hall meeting and gave me a gift- the entire DVD collection. I told James I was spending the night with it and he needed to find another place to sleep. I am so excited to own them all! So then, we snuggled up by the fires and watched the pilot on the projector screen outside. Can you believe it? First of all, just a great idea in general but really, I felt so loved and known by James and my friends. It was the best theme party ever!

Thanksgiving Festivities.

2008-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

We had a great time visiting family in Houston and Louisiana but all of the traveling was alot on my poor little 6 month pregnant body. We spent the actual Thanksgiving in Ball, LA stands for - COUNTRY! We spent the day eating, petting the llamas, peacocks, chickens and dogs next door, playing the drums set up in the living room and shooting guns. Don't judge. You only understand if you are a cajun ( I am not I will add) that it is TOTALLY NORMAL to let a precious two year old boy hold and help daddy shoot the gun. Still no mashed potatoes but this time around the turkey was not fried and all of the sides were not "slawed" as in cole slaw, carrot slaw etc. All in all it was a memorable trip and we always love seeing James' parents and brothers.

But baby it's cold outside...

2008-11-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

Birthday Extravaganza Weekend.

2008-11-21T12:59:00.001-08:00

Well the big birthday weekend really went awesome but it wiped poor pregnant mama out. It all started Friday morning with pancakes with mommy and daddy. Friday afternoon Keller and I went with his best buds to the zoo- such a fun time and Keller loves the zoo so much that his Mimi and Papaw got him a pass for the year. In the pictures you will see Ana, Luci's daughter, Jack, Sara's son and Tate, LeeAnne's son. Melissa and Madeline were there with us too but had to leave before pictures began. Keller and Tate basically ran the entire time and both of their mommies are pregnant so Luci and Sara chased after them for us and kept them from being attacked by buffalo. It was a perfect afternoon for the zoo and it is what we did last year for his birthday so that was a fun tradition to continue in. Then James' parents came in from Houston and we had a birthday dinner at my parent' house with the fam. Opened presents and ate cupcakes- side note- I found a butter cream icing recipe that blew my socks off-perfect. Then Friday night Keller spent his first night in his "big boy bed". It was a bit emotional for me but he pulled it off like a charm and has done pretty awesome all week. James and I laugh because we can tell he is up and out of bed when we hear one of his guitars in the morning-just like his daddy. Saturday morning was the big birthday brunch for both my guys. No pics of this or anything else that followed because I was in survival mode by this time. It was a hit though, we had a house full and I love it. It is the Mexican in me- I really do not know how to have a small party. For myself, I really could care less about a big party just something small with my hubs and closest friends is fine by me, but when I throw one, especially for my husband and kids, I do it full out. Saturday afternoon is when James' surprises began-his two buddies came by the house and surprised him and took him the the Baylor game and they smeared A&M which made it that much better. Then, they brought him to my parents where we had a projector showing Bourne Ultimatum and had pizza, beer and poker- all of my honey's favorite. To top it off one of his best buds who won all of the money, shoved it in James' pocket and ran off- thanks Brad.
So by Monday, James' actual birthday I was too pooped to pop. We had a low key evening, went to dinner and a movie and have been recovering all week. I love it though. Thankfully next year are not monumental years in either of their lives.... but don't you worry, Graham will be turning one four months later...

Today..

2008-11-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby boy is 2 years old today- so hard to believe. He has been the greatest to our lives. Children really are a gift from the Lord. Things that I love about Keller Cade are-
1.his fun loving and outgoing personality.
2. his "big" hugs and kisses.
3. The good friend that he already is to his pals.
4. His precious kissable face.
5. His cute little voice.
6. His inquisitiveness- he asks me about 100 questions a day. His favorite one right now is, " where's daddy?"
7. The way his hair stands up like his Grandpa's when he wakes up in the morning.
8. His tenderness and strength.
9. The way he runs.
10. And to quote our favorite book these days, " You, the You person YOU. The bones and the meat you, the messy way you eat you, the total and complete you, the you person YOU! YOU yes YOU, I LOVE YOU!"
Happy Birthday precious one!

Too Cute.

2008-11-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

We had a fun filled Halloween/Baylor Homecoming Weekend. We decided just to take the kids to the Bonfire for Halloween night and once again skip the whole trick or treating thing- still not sure where I land when it comes going to stranger's doors with my innocent children??? Anyways, we ate a little dinner at Chik fil A with the Martin's and the Hoppe's and went to the bonfire- they were the cutest kids there. I have to say, Ana and Keller were cute but Jack Martin was the show stopper in his dog get up- too cute. Keller would not keep the dragon head on so we did not get many pictures of the full ensemble. The kids loved running around with glow sticks, pushing the wagon and dancing to the music. I love that Keller has such precious friends to make memories with- Ana is such a trooper with her rough and tumble buds.
Saturday morning, Keller and I went to the parade with Sara and Jack and my parents and Eric. I feel very adamant about being on campus for the largest and oldest collegiate parade in the U.S. but geesh- it is so crowded and much more of a social gathering for all the alumni. We had ladies come and stand right in front of us and just gab while we were trying to watch and get candy. So I don't know, maybe we will find a better spot next year- we will see. James got to go the football game with his brother and our nephew while my precious sister in law and I hung out with the little ones. Such a memorable weekend!

Better than Christmas.

2008-11-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

Really with both babies I have been more excited on the eve of finding out, than a kid waiting for Christmas. I cannot sleep the night before, I go back and forth in my head wondering what it will be, hearing the ultrasound tech say " it's a girl" or " you are having another boy." This morning, I woke up at 645 partly due to the excitement and partly due to the time change. I sat out on my porch guzzling down the fluids so my bladder would be full enough to see my baby and I thought, I am so glad I do not pick the sex. That God who loves me and has had a beautiful plan beyond my wildest dreams has in motion a beautiful quiver for our family. So we went this morning and the guy pressed all around on my growing tummy- which makes it hard to really engage in the moment because I have to pee so bad and am hoping that I don not wet my pants-and showed us how the baby's kidneys were functioning, "it" was swallowing and moving "it's" appendages and then our biggest question was answered. I once again am growing another penis inside of me. We are having a SON! James and I both feel so excited and full at the thought of having two boys. Keller has been such a joy, more than I could have ever imagined and the fact that I get to have two is beyond what I could have hoped for. We have been praying for him since before he existed. A few things the Lord has already spoken to us about him is that he will be different than his older brother and we will parent each of our children with uniqueness. The Lord told James that he would be a man who sees past peoples walls and defenses and shines light to who people really are calling out the gold inside of others. The Lord told me that this person would be a man that would walk in freedom and bring hope to the world and would be a safe refuge for others. Also that our son would be a strong leader even though he may not be as outgoing or extroverted as his older brother he will lead others by his resolve and character. So it seem so fitting that we name him Graham Hudson. Graham means homestead or home and Hudson means brave ruler. We pray that will mark his life. We are overjoyed at the new blessing that we will soon hold in our arms in March!

It begins.

2008-10-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

This time of of year is for sure the busiest for our family. Yes I am talking about holidays and birthdays (between the Walker's and Bell's we have 9 birthdays in November and December) but every other weekend is filled with weddings, reunions, camp outs, pumpkin parties etc. We would not trade it for the world, but by the time my birthday rolls around at the end of December, all I want to to is stay in bed. So a little update on us the past few weeks.
Two weeks ago was my 10 year high school reunion. It was a surreal experience. I had awesome moments of reconnecting with old friends at the football game on Friday night. At one point I was sitting there gabbing with the same group of girls I would sit with 12 years ago at football games and James called, he could not be there because he was on a camp out with Eric, I answered the phone and said who are you? It was just so odd being 28 married, parent, bun in the oven and sitting there talking like I did when I was 16.It was really a great time but the weekend also made me thankful that I am no longer in high school and that time of life is a great memory and that is where it will stay. Then last weekend Keller and I went to visit our buds in Austin, Robyn and Carolina. We had such a fun time with the munchkins. Robyn has been my dearest friend since elementary. It is fun to have kids together now and share in those joys. This weekend is Baylor Homecoming and the Walker's are joining in the festivities. Since the bonfire and pep rally are on Halloween, We are going with the Hoppe's and Martin's to that and dressing the kiddos up. The picture above is Keller as a dragon but he does not like wearing the head part so we will see. Keller boy is turning two in two weeks, we find out if our baby is going to be a dude or a little lady next Tuesday so we have exciting times up ahead!

Good ol' HOT Fair

2008-10-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

If you have ever lived in Waco, you know what a big deal the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo is when it comes to town. My dad told me once that he asked a Pawn Shop owner what was his busiest time of year and he said the Fair-a little wacky huh? Anyhow, James and I were planning to skip out on the fair this year because it is SO expensive but at the last minute my parents told us to come with them and the boys. The first hour was a bit rough because Keller was very overstimulated by it all but then we bought him a sucker as big as his head and that was all he needed-you got to do what you got to do.

feedback.

2008-09-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have to add pics of my cookie with just about every blog, even if it pertains nothing to him at all. although I will brag and say that my Keller Cade amazed us all last week with four major falls, gushing blood including in three and revealed that he can count to 10! Sometimes he skips 3 and 8 because he is in such a hurry to get to 10- I need to video it and put it on, adorable.
I am almost too prideful to ask this because I used to be quite the connaisseur of music but for some reason since being a mom, I am so out of the loop. I am going on a little day and a half retreat next week by myself, ( I know awesome, huh) and am wanting a new worship cd and am looking for suggestions. So throw any good ones out from the last year that have blessed you. Thanks.

goodbye fog.

2008-09-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

I am gliding through my 13th week of pregnancy and I feel like a cloud is lifting. Maybe its the end of the first trimester and my nausea is easing up,maybe its the amazing weather change here in Texas, and maybe it's just my faithful God who knows what I can handle. To be quite honest, I have felt emotionally "low" this pregnancy. I have had to a do a lot of self talking to get my self through the days and have felt that I was functioning in survival mode. It is so hard to know in those times what to chalk it all up to " oh that is just hormones and many of women experience the same thing", and what is choice, or what is a God allowed trip to the dessert? I love the scripture in Hosea 2 that talks about God alluring Israel to the dessert so that he can speak tenderly to her and give her back her vineyards. What a beautiful word picture that captures what I feel like ebbs and flows in my life. Times that I have been allured to the dessert- at one point in my life, literally, so that I could hear the tender voice of God like I couldn't in the valley, or on the mountain. I love when he allows places of "ouch" in our lives, some that have an explanation and many that don't- they change us forever. I love the nooks and crannies in my heart that only God and I know about that have been created through those tearful times. They are some of my greatest treasures in my jewelry box of life. But I certainly don't like them when they are happening. It is that waiting time, the "ouches", the silence where my faith is truly seen. I would love to tell you all that I always proceed those times with flying colors, but we all know that is not the truth. Most of the time I pout, stomp, throw myself on the ground (like my 22 month old did this morning because he could not get in his old bouncer anymore). Every once in a while, I respond kind of well:) Oh but the grace of God that flows when I come in all honesty, transparent, aware that even if I pretend, he sees all, it is a precious moment. Praise him for the fog lifting this week for me. I feel like I have fresh wind in my sails, vision for this season of life and hope for my future. Not much has changed from last week- just a gift from God, a lifting of the fog so I can see my life for what it really is...

what I am loving today.

2008-09-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

First Day of Mother's Day Out.

sporting the shades

no explanation necessary
Oh my gosh, if someone could have explained to me that I could love a person as much as I do this little boy, I would have started having kids at puberty! OK, probably not because then I would have alot of baby daddy's and that is bad but you get the point. This little person gets cuter every day. His vocabulary is so impressive and keeps us in stitches. Just a few anecdotes for the grandparents-
we have a friend who we call Chic. We were at her house Monday night and as we were leaving Keller said, "bye chicken." James and I died and Keller realized it was because of what we said, so literally, the entire 7 minute drive home, he was saying, " byeee chicken,byeeee chicken..." and we laughed every time. He as also realized that the only being he has any authority over at this point in his life is our beloved family dog Harley. Lately I will be in the other room and I can hear Keller "correcting" Harely as he sleeps soundly on the couch minding his own business. It usually goes something like this. " Stop it Harley. No. Stop it. Hush Harley. Come Harley. Stop it. No. Come." Hand motions included. Harley takes it. He has so much energy and life that every day feels like an adventure.
Other things that I am loving these days are-
Uncle Tom's Cabin. Why did no teacher ever force me to read this amazing piece of literature? Someone referred to it in a sermon a few months ago and so I picked it up at the library last week and halfway through, I am already saying, this is a life changing book. The harsh reality of slavery is sobering and puts my heartaches in perspective. I told James that I bet Jesus wept when those slaves entered heaven and rejoiced at the faithful men and women of God who had no choice to find any value on earth and really had an understanding of heaven being our home. What a precious sight that would be. If you have never read it, do.
I am also loving that my first trimester is coming to an end. I am almost 13 weeks and the sickies are really tapering off ha le lu-
I am loving the bits of rain, naps in the afternoon, football season starting back up even though my fantasy football team got smashed this week, dates with my hubs, good chats with friends, and Mother's Day Out.
I am blessed.

thankful.

2008-09-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

I don't usually write "deep" thoughtful posts but my heart is so full this morning. I gave my life to Jesus when I was 9 or 10 years old, sad that I forget. I remember the date, March 27th. I was wearing and UT Longhorns sweatsuit-random, and was at First Baptist Woodway on a Sunday evening with friends. Sitting in the pew doodling probably and for some reason I listened for a brief second and heard the beautiful message that I am not sure I had heard up to that point. Some random Baptist preacher who is was doing a "revival" of sorts spoke of Jesus being the only way to God. I honestly do not remember what he said, but in my little girl heart I knew I needed to respond. It was my moment. The one that God knew all along. All my days before this had led up to this point. I marched down to the front with tears in my eyes and said to some lady that I wanted to give my life to Jesus. We went into a back room and she made sure I understood- as much as a 9/10 year old does, I did. Wow. Even now I feel the emotion. Salvation. God saved me then. He rescued me. He began a work in my life twenty years ago that is still happening at this moment. I am still amazed at this message. I am a wretch, messing it up most days, giving my heart to other loves, not serving my family, choosing to ignore the voice of God. So salvation probably means more to me today than it did then. I look back at my life and see what it could have been and stand speechless before an unbelievable love. I hope that you too have a fresh understanding of salvation today and rejoice with me.
Wanted to share this precious Youtube video.

how cute, huh?

2008-08-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

And that is just the shoes on the feet, this kid gets cuter by the day. He never stops amazing us. From his pitcher's arm- this kid can throw, to his adorable personality, his extensive vocabulary- " come on guys", " nuggle mommy?" "hipooopotamuus",and the proper term for his private area which he now likes to say ALL THE TIME-rethinking that one...he knows most colors, some letters and numbers and can cook a mean omelete:) It is really amazing to think about having another child and experiencing it all over again and that my heart has room for more love-isn't that a gift?

Here we go again...

2008-08-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

well I am not sure if we are crazy, given into peer pressure or just really believe that a full quiver is a blessing, but we are adding to the Walker clan- 8 weeks with child! We are so thrilled about having another baby in March and kind of laughing nervously at the same time. God will give grace just as he has for Keller and our hearts feel so ready for a brother or sister for Keller. Parenting has been our greatest joy and greatest challenege. Its amazing how you can feel such strong emotions all at once that are very different. So these days for me have been full of naps, ice cream, peach yogurht and cantelope. Keller has watched more Thomas the Train than I can even admit while I "rest" but hopefully these days will end in around 6 weeks just as they did for Keller. Please pray for baby bug in my belly- we have great faith that he/she will be just a much of a treasure as big brother.

New shoes and a facelift.

2008-08-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

every women needs both at some point in their lives but, not yet for this old girl-
I just wanted to post and brag on the new shoes we discovered. I know most of my cool trendy friends are reading this thinking, wow, you guys just figure it out, that was so march 2008, get with the program, but the older you get and as you become parents it becomes harder to stay up with the trends. Our friend Chris ( a trendy dad with two kids, totally breaks that mold I just explained), gave James a free pair of Toms. They are so cool looking, very comfortable and give back. For every pair you buy they donate a pair to a child in an underdeveloped country. So yesterday I was about to buy Keller some new shoes for the fall, Luci suggested that I see if they have Tom's in tot size- oh my gosh, isn't everything cuter when its small? Just about everything. So we bought Keller Cade his very own pair of Tom's. Now I am just trying to decide if they are too granola for me? They do have a punkin pair of white with red polka dot ones- so maybe. Please let me know what you think- me or not me.
Second thing is more of a plea, my poor little blog needs a face lift. I probably don't even have to say it. I just don't feel that it is expressing who we really are. So I need help. I am little overwhelmed at the thought of taking on this endeavor, so I need suggestions? I don't want to pay for anything, call me cheap but its just not what I want to spend my money on. So help me please!

go away summer.

2008-07-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

This is what Keller does daily except in the backseat of the car with a cup of Sonic Ice.

if you live in texas you are probably amening and having a sonic drink with me daily. it is just too hot. there is no way jose we can be outside unless we are in the water which gets old after awhile. I think when it hits july I am done and so I am bracing myself because we still have August. The sad thing is, September and October did not bring much relief last summer but at least you can smell fall or begin putting out your decorations which makes it seem a little cooler. So I just needed to Bahumbug summers in Texas for a moment. Okay done. Happy Hot Tuesday and to those of you who live somewhere cooler and are chuckling thinking what fools we are to live in Texas, stop- at least its cheaper here.

Mango lips,what?

2008-07-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

So I woke up Wednesday morning and my lips were swollen-seriously like a Monday botox went bad. Not only were they swollen, they were cracking and oozing- gross I know but I have to give the details for you to get enough info so you can feel real sorry for me. Thursday, there was still no end in site of my Angelina Jolie look a like I was accidentally pulling off so I did a little research. I thought back to what I had eaten and found this- there is a sap in the skin of a mango that is similar to the sap that is in Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. Tuesday as I was cutting up Mango for Keller, I took some nibbles in the process and touched my lovely kisser to the sapped infested skin of that cursed fruit( I don't really feel that way about mangoes but I do think I have a constant love/hate relationship with several foods, mangoes and salmon being a couple). I did not take pictures of the horrific event but I feel that my descriptions has done it justice. So beware of these lovely tropical fruits that seem harmless. You may wake up and go the store the next morning and get lots of stares or even worse have your husband curl his own lips as he stares at you in disgust.

Big news.

2008-07-15T11:37:00.001-07:00

James is starting his new job tomorrow. It is pretty unbelievable how it all happened. James is a very creative guy- got his degree in film and editing, in his free time enjoys writing,drawing,filming different projects,playing music,remodeling projects around the house... Although his current job has allowed him to grow and flourish in other ways as an executive of a sales and marketing company, that creative side has been put on the back burner a bit. To spare you all the details of the last three weeks I will just say, that God literally plopped an amazing job in James' lap. He will be a project manager for Magnolia Homes. Although his job will consist of many things, some of it includes assisting in running a small business, something he has been able to learn a ton about in his current job, closing on remodeling deals and learning all the ins and outs of flipping houses and managing worksites. He will also be helping create a website for the company as well. It is really such a privelege to work with Chip and Jo (owners) who we met six years ago in our engagement classes- crazy huh? They are amazing business people and full of intergrity and humility. James is THRILLED to learn from them and help take their business to the next level. Click here to see a recent add in the Wacoan. We Will keep you updated on how it is going over the next few weeks.

What we have been up to!

2008-07-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a full month, and we are not even halfway done with it.
First. Some of our very best friends closed on the house RIGHT NEXT DOOR! Isn't that a dream come true?
Second.We have been passing colds and sinus infections around the Walker household for about three weeks now but have not gotten a chance to really take a breath because Keller is a wild man, going from the minute he wakes up until bed time. His new favorite "sayings" are, " Oh, motorcyle" (because his grandpa rides a motorcycle). Every morning when he wakes up and I am changing his diaper I ask if he had a good night sleep, he usually responds with a "YEP". Then I ask him what he dreamed about, and 99% of the time, "dadee,jojo, papa motorcycle." Not his wonderful beloved mommy who takes care of him all day, no, no. Oh well.
Third.We took a little family vacation with my parents and Eric this past weekend to the Dallas area. We stayed the night at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine-really cool place. Indoor and Outdoor water park with the hotel on site. They have thought of everything that a kid craves-waterparks,ice cream, arcades, manicure spa for kids,treasure hunts, story times- you name it, they had it. Keller was pretty fearless in the tot section. We had two people manning him at all times while the others ran around with Eric. Then we went to a Rangers game the next night. I will let you know that my 19 month old son had this for dinner- cotton candy,nachos,french fries, lemon chill and dr.pepper. Please do not report me to CPS, this is a once a year occurence. Now we are back home resting up to go to Houston next weekend to say goodbye to James' sister and her family who are moving to Japan at the end of the month. Phew, I need a nap just writing all of this!

My man is THE MAN!

2008-06-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you did not know, besides being a stud dad, husband, and working a full time job, James also does video production-in his free time. He has started posting some of his stuff on his new blog. please check it out and if you or anyone you know has any video or editing needs, contact him- he rocks!

coookieee...

2008-06-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

had to share-enjoy.

two things we are doing everyday.

2008-06-09T15:02:00.001-07:00

vices.

2008-06-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

everybody has them. some are bad and we need to rid ourselves of them. some are fine in moderation. some embarrassing. like my current one. the bachelorette. hooked. my mom, who is so un-religious and non judgemental all of a sudden becomes a staunch, non tolerant quaker and lectures me about how she cannot believe my love for the bachelorette. but what can I say, I'm human. . I will also admit, I have been known to watch the bachelor as well but I really prefer the bachelorette. Something about 25 guys fighting for one girl seems more right to me. Most of the guys did not impress me from the get go but there are a few I like. My top pick- Jason the dad. Maybe it is because I am a parent and "get" him and when he told Deanna his favorite part of his life with his son was being able to put him to bed at night, marry him girl is all I got to say. A far second for me is Graham, just cause he is cute and laid back and a bit mysterious. Lastly, I like Brian the big football coach. James does not love this show, really thinks the girls are so dramatic and needy but I will tell on him and let you know that he is watching with me. At the end of every episode though I am so thankful to not be in the dating scene anymore and so thankful I got me a man.

resemblances?

2008-05-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

Recently I was working out at the Y and this very sweet lady came up to me and said, " have you seen the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice? Because you look just like the girl who played Elizabeth Bennett and she is very lovely." I thought, oh how sweet, I will have to go home and see. And of course, inevitable, she has the resemblance of all the other people someone say I look like. See if you can see the similarities? Take a guess if you dare! Even with a "round" face or a "big" head as my high school boyfriend use to tell me, all three of these ladies are lovely and I take it as a compliment that they too have plenty of face to love! happy friday!

Gardening,playing and givng Toddler Time a Go.

2008-05-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Gardening with mommy.
playing with his dump truck.
getting inside of his football toy bin.
swiiming in the kiddie pool.
Eating cookies.

It has been a while indeed since I have blogged. Part of that is because like I said our computer is sick, still sick:( so I have not been downloading pics and part of that is because there has not been much to blog about. I do have a story today though.
So I have been hearing through a friend of a friend about "Toddler Time" here at our local library. 45 minutes full of songs, stories, and games. I for sure thought, this will be a hit for Keller. Books- his favorite past time. Other kids-his second favorite past time. Songs-can't get enough of them....except when there is a slide. All other desires or delights fade away in in the glorious light of a shiny orange slide. At first the other children were playing with the toys and I began thinking, this could work. A little play time, chat with other mommies, and then we move on. Nope not my kid. And to be honest, there was no chatting with other mommies either. It seemed to me that most of the other participants are regulars and have already established a little library mommy society that like most other societies, is hard to jump into late. Oh well, who cares if I don't make friends here, I am not here to make friends, I am here for my son. Well when it was time to "join the circle" around the parachute to the 45 year old woman singing with a puppet on her hand and the mommies belting out the songs proudly as well, this is when I began to feel a tad bit uneasy. Get over it Adrianna I said, sing the dumb songs and remember once again, you are here for Keller. So after my son falls off the slide and has a major meltdown, I console him and we move to the circle. Yeah right. Who am I kidding, don't you know your son? He was having NO part of this! Who wants to sit around a dumb circle and sing about flowers growing when there is a slide to conquer? ( I am luckily almost done reading "Bringing Up Boys" by James Dobson, so I had a little more grace for him not to sit than last week, because Keller Cade is ALL boy.) So it becomes sort of awkward for me. Do I sit with the other mothers and MAKE my child sit? Who am I kidding, "Making" him sit a sing songs would turn into a full blown tantrum. I decided to excuse myself from the third round of "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and join Keller. Now if you know my son, you know he is a bit on the passionate side, who knows where he got it from, so every time he slid down the slide he giggled with such giddiness. I know, cute huh? Not to the Toddler-time-library loving-look at you rolling there eyes-I cannot believe you are letting him slide down that slide-how will he ever make in at school-moms.
I went back and forth from enjoying watching Keller have a ball going down the little slide over and over and feeling embarrassed and insecure. Am I doing the right thing? Will he EVER sit at Toddler Time and listen quietly? The last straw was after the parachute time, which was the only group activity Keller partook in, he spotted another child holding a toy and decided he wanted it. I was not three steps behind about to redirect him when the child's mother very sternly and rudely reprimanded my son. OH no she didn't is what you are thinking if you know me at all.Luckily I had wonderful time with the Lord that morning and was feeling extra forgiving but she better beware. So as the group book read began we graciously left and as I rode up the elevator holding my goldfish smelling 18 month old son, I decided Toddler Time at the Library was not our little cup of tea, not yet at least. So we will just continue our park adventures where he can slide until his hearts content,and maybe we will try Toddler Time at the Library when he is 15.

news.

2008-04-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Keller at his first Luau at church.

1.Keller's new words are hat,duck,hot,yuck and Jack...maybe he is just saying hat and duck and we are pretending the other ones because they sound the same-but we'll give it to him. He actually says "haaaattttt", "duckkkkk".He likes to enunciate. Very cute.
2.James and Keller have started going on a weekly lunch date. Today they went to Chikfila. I love that my husband takes time to do this during a hectic day of work-chooses to engage his son and give mommy a bit of a break.
3. I mowed the backyard today. It's not a first in my lifetime but a first since, O, 7th grade. It was very enjoyable.
4.My picture sharing is limited these days because our computer is sick. pray for her.
Happy Wednesday.

namesake.

2008-04-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning at 8:23 am. Carolina Bell Areheart arrived into this beautiful world. I do not have a picture yet because I rushed to Austin the minute she arrived and of course forgot my camera and to eat breakfast,brush teeth or wear deodorant. Worth it all. She is beautiful and perfect. Robyn did amazing. She has Brad's nose and Klatt eyes. I of course will love this baby girl all of my days because she belongs to my best friend, but we will have even more of a special bond because we share the same middle name. Precious, huh? What a privilege to have such a special girl named after me. So I will post pictures of Carolina Bell as soon as her mama sends them to me.

Happy Anniversary a few weeks late.

2008-04-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

A little late, but nevertheless....
The last five years of my life have been extraordinary. James is the most kind,serving,authentic, true, hard working, fun, adventurous,pure,and whole person I have ever known. I think dating him via email/webcam for a year was the best thing for our relationship. We were forced to have our own lives, discovering still who we were and not confined to a typical dating relationship. I never took for granite, not once, our chat dates or an email from him in the morning. I learned to choose my words carefully and to not just rant something off quickly that I would later regret but was allowed to sift and think before speaking. There really is a romantic element to writing that you loose in face to face contact and James is such an elequant writer, I felt like every email was a love letter. The anticipation of being together was sometimes too much to stand that I would day dream of what I would feel when we were face to face again. It was not without its hardships but it is for sure a gem in my treasure chest of life and I am thankful that was our lot for our dating season.
Our engagement was a rush, only three months long:) Our wedding was beautiful. Sure there are things I wish I would have had more money for or things I would do different if I were getting married today, but for where we were and who we were at the time, it was perfect. I was telling a bride to be the other day that I remember our ceremony with such clarity it seems like a gift from God. I was so present. I loved it. The days and months to follow were blissful, getting to spend everyday and night with my favorite person traveling all over the word. One day we were in Germany, just a few months after we were married, and we were riding a motorcycle on the autobahn and riding so fast that I had to hold my head against James' back or I felt like I would blow off the back of that crotch rocket. So telling of our lives together. We lived on nothing our first year of marriage but it was such a rich year. We lived overseas our second year which was the hardest year of my life but the sweetest yet for our marriage. Moved back to America, raw and full of questions. I have memories of us sitting in our bare living room because we did not own anything but a bed when we moved back from overseas, each on one end of the couch, journaling our hearts out to the Lord, what are you doing with our lives? Some questions answered, some not but today we still sit on that couch, and every once in a while we will share something that God spoke or ask each other a question about life or God and I smile at what a gift that is. To walk daily with this man and to have a person to discover God and life with is amazing. Now having a son with him just adds depth to an already beautiful painting. He is the expression of both of us in so many ways and also his very own person. The greatest thing is that there is still so much to come, still more to discover about one another and to fall in love with. Many more April 5th's to celebrate. I love you James.

BUNNIES!!!

2008-04-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Is what Keller Cade loved the most about the Farm. We took our first trip out to the World hunger Farm which is such a cool place for "Farm Day" on Saturday. We also took Eric who is like family to us. The petting zoo got a thumbs up. The hay ride got a thumbs down- Keller did not like it because he was contained and was not allowed to run free and frolic with the goats and Eric did not like it because " the man talked too much". Beautiful day and great way to spend a Saturday morning.

Back.

2008-04-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

Well we are back in the real world, the blog world for those of you reading this:) Awesome trip. James and I celebrated our five year anniversary on Saturday and it was the sweetest time together. Highlights from our trip-
1.lots of time reading and laying on the beach,
2.watching a beautiful sunset on our annviersary in our bathing suits drinking champagne,
3.nachos and red stripe at 10 in the morning- when else would we be allowed to do that?
4. Great food,
beautiful scenery,
5.being beckoned to the stage to play the calipso drums because we were dumb enough to sit on the front row,
6. no responsibility or decisions to be made except " curly fries or regular?"
7. sleeping in until 8- I know only parents will understand that this is indeed sleeping in.
8. snorkeling beautiful reefs and sailing,
9. getting a tan,
10. dirty bananas- an amazing drink that probably equals all my weight watchers points for a day but it was vacation!

James and I said as we were sitting on the beach one night that vacations are awesome but really we have such sweet times together in everyday life and can duplicate most of the experiences we had on our trip-minus the ocean. So now we are home enjoying our greatest gift of all, Keller boy.

squeeze him!

2008-03-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

I mean, do they get much cuter? I know all of you other mom's think to yourself, umm, yes mine is the cutest! But that is how we are all supposed to feel. That is how I feel every day of Keller's life, truly. He is the cutest, most precious gift I have ever been given. Even now as I write he is yelling out of glee at the top of his lungs, looking at me from his highchair letting me know he is all done eating his peas. Heaven on earth once again. I love these moments. As you probably notice from the pics he has had a hair cut and got in his first brawl at church- I know, what a place to fight. Someone got a hold of him in the playroom at church yesterday- poor guy but the teacher said he never cried- my champ!