10 Years and a Million Miles

We began as babies.  We really had no idea what this marriage thing was going to be or could be.  We knew we were in love and we knew that we both felt the strong call of the Lord to marry. 

The Lord has been so faithful to us in our marriage.  He has blessed us in each other, with children, with family, with friends and growth, but mostly he has blessed us by drawing us near to Him.

We are different people than we were 10 years ago.  I have grown so much I barely know the girl he took as his bride.  I am so grateful to the Lord of Hosts who saw fit to provide me with this amazing husband to guide me and lead me.  Saying "I do" 10 years ago started a journey that has made me want to say thousands times, "I do, I do, I do!"  

Jason teaches me so much about my Savior who pursues me, who loves me, who desires good for me, who empowers me, who forgives me, who provides for me, and who comforts me.  He embodies Ephesians 5:25,  "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,"

Same spot, this past summer.  Picture taken with a cell phone.  

{My 10-year-ago-self would be laughing at the thought of pictures taken with a phone and then published to my personal website. HA!}

{PS 2010 2009}

F.I.V.E

He did it.  He turned 5 and he did it so gracefully.  I am so grateful for each moment with this precious boy and to see what the Lord has in store for him.

He is so very happy to be 5 like his friends Harrison and Bryant and he is so excited to be able to do 5 year old things.  He isn't quite sure what those 5 year old things are, but they are going to be, well, exciting.

The day before his birthday there was celebrating with friends.


On the morning of his birthday there were presents and donuts.


And the great-grandparents visit with lunch and a trip to Target to pick out his very own present.

Guess what he picked?


There was birthday dinner with cheese dip and a quesadilla.

Saturday there was a birthday party with lots of family and lots of love.


And the ah-mazing cake made my Aunt Ally.


Walker is determined, smart, inventive, a leader, happy, busy, loud, quiet, energetic and I cannot wait to see how the Lord uses his talents.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him." Colossians 3:17

An Exceptional-Ordinary Friday

Friday is our off day.  No school.  No plans.  Just catch up around the house, you know, prepare for the weekend.

The morning started off well, I spent a good hour on the phone with a friend solving all of our problems while we both worked on finding the order in our respective houses.  That is my favorite kind of cleaning.  It is like having help, but no one actually having to see your mess.

It started with changing the sheets.  Which means there is a pile of blankets to play in.  Oh, what fun.




There was much car racing.


And train running.


And cranes for the really big projects.


And much, "No Running in the House!"


And Baby's first time at the kids' table, and his first taste of pizza. And yes, everyone was still in PJs at lunch time.


Well, he actually ate that the big table.  The freedom of the kids' table was a bit too much.


And, honestly he pretty much at a banana and chocolate milk for lunch.  The dogs had pizza.


Then came rest, a quick rest before setting out on an adventure.  This is a rarity.  Usually our adventures happen before rest, to fill our mornings.  Not this day, I was feeling (maybe over-) confident.

We ventured across town to the land of all things jumpy, bouncy, open play and climate controlled.






And we burned off a week's worth of energy in an hour and half.  It was more fun than even I predicted.  And in a strange turn of events, Walker was the super-confident one.  He tried every challenge, made friends and ran wild until I was sure he might pass out.

We even ate at a restaurant on a Friday night.  Now this is exceptional.


Good thing it was the loud-okay-to-be-messy type of restaurant.




And the evening came to a close with PJs and a show.


Was every moment of the day perfect? No.  But, I choose to only remember the perfect parts, and I am filled up with the memories.

All In

Our beloved Auburn Tigers are the National Champions.  National Champions!

This Auburn football thing is a family thing, both on the large and small scale.  It isn't Auburn fans, it's the Auburn family.

We have been waiting a very long time.  Much longer than since 2004, but it feels a little like this season is the completion of the 2004 season.  Jason and I were in a very different place in 2004.

(2004 tailgate)

We were married, graduated and living in Auburn, without any children.  We went to almost every game, home and away.  It was an amazing season, but being left out of the title game left things feeling unfinished.  That was our last football season in Auburn.  We moved away and started adding precious little boys to our family.  Travel, time and expense for games slipped down the priority list, but that hasn't effected our allegiance.

(2009 football season)

Now we watch most games at Uncle Matt and Aunt Ally's house with 5 little ones running around.  With playmates, toys and entertainment abounding the kiddos are pretty good at playing together during the game play.

Last night was no different.  Jason decided we would be watching the game together and I'm so glad he did.

The icy roads, late playtime, and cold night could not keep us away.  We checked the roads (all open) and the temps (above freezing) and put the kids in their PJs (even gave early baths) and headed out.

The kids were perfect.  The littlest was laid down at kick-off and I didn't hear a peep from him all night.  The fab four were laid down for a movie night with popcorn and never ending Netflix in the second quarter.  In a football miracle they all laid quietly watching movies until almost midnight.

So that left the adults the fret, jump, scream, cheer, sigh, take deep breaths, and enjoy watching our boys WIN, WIN, WIN.

It was amazing.  Lots of ups and downs, but ending with the National Championship victory.  The kids came out right before Byrum's kick, so they were able to celebrate with us.  Eli kept saying, "They weawy did it.  They weawy did it." Amen, kid.

I would have loved to have been at the game.  It would have been overwhelming, but I really liked being right where we were supposed to be.  With our little part of the Auburn family.  And trust me, we are All In.  War Eagle!

Say Cheese

We are finally feeling better around here.
(last week)

Hallelujah!  So thankful for a God who lets us go through these times of (so very) minor illnesses and heals just as quickly.

Through this "hold me" time, Colin has gotten quite used to having his picture taken by the computer.  But now, he is really happy about it!

And he has perfected his "say cheese" face. 

Beyond Adorable.

The Most Beautiful Party, Ever.

Last night, upon Jason arriving home, the whispers began.  There were secrets being kept from mommy.  There was much busyness in the playroom.  After dinner was complete Walker announces, "Your party is ready."

Walker had decided to set up a party in my honor so, of course, it had to be a secret from me.

Eli and Walker build a myriad of sculptures to decorate the wall with.





And he decorated with hanging binoculars.  Cause that is the look he was going for.



He asked to turn on the fireplace, because that would make it, "most beautiful."



He was right.


He asked for music.  So he went and opened my computer.  (I don't think these kids will ever know what a stereo is.)  We choose the Pandora Beach Boys station.  It was perfect.

We were told to sit in front of the fire (in their perfect-size-for-kids chairs), and we were showered with gifts of toys from every corner of the house.



And Daddy taught the boys things like making darts stick to ceiling fans (oy).





And were you aware that half of a cement mixer barrel makes a great dachshund party hat?  Doesn't she look oh so amused?



Baby was still in extreme cuddle mode (as he was all day yesterday), so he didn't mind one bit.



At one point during the festivities I looked over at Jason and said, "This is when I wish we were on a reality television show, so every moment could be documented forever."  I mean I don't want every moment documented, only the good ones, and this was a very good one.

I can't believe Walker came up with a thought like this all on his own and executed it.  There were decorations, music, dancing, presents, and most importantly all of us in the same room enjoying every moment.  It was a perfect night for a party.

They Match!

I absolutely love dressing the boys in matching outfits.  I also absolutely love that their Gammy supports my habit.  I mean look how cute they are.  They share secrets and style.

Related: Yesterday I put actual clothes on them.  Not, just PJs.  We were all excited.

We are getting better.  Everyone was fever free for 12 hours yesterday.  Colin is back at it today.  Not bad, but still a fever.  But, over all this flu has not been terrible.  I am grateful to Jesus for that.  We know  so many really sick babies right now I am so grateful to be cooped up in this house with coughing, feverish, but happy kids.

2011 Bigger and Better

I'm not sure how everything will go this year.  But one thing is for sure, the train tracks are already bigger and better.



I mean, how awesome must this train ride be if the train stations are the Bat Cave and the Joker's Fun House?









*The train track was designed and created by Walker (with a bit of logistics help from Mommy) and most enjoyed by Colin.

A perfect way to spend a cold afternoon on day 5 of our quarantine from the flu.