SUMMER FUN!

Another FANTASTIC weekend spent with my family! And yesterday will be another day-of-firsts I will need to recap in Rylie's baby book- she went "swimming" for the very first time. One simple question from the overly-zealous mommy, is it possible to over do the sunscreen? I'm here to tell you, I put that sunscreen everywhere...and put it on thick! But guess what? No sunburn! Good job, mommy! :)

Sorry, Brian...I had to! :)

Have You Hugged a Pig Today?

Now, please don't go assuming that my husband is degrading or mistreats me. The story I am about to tell you makes him come across that way...but I can reassure you, he's not. But this was funny! Or, at least we had a good laugh about it. And the waiter watching from inside did, too. :)

Brian and I don't get a lot of opportunities to get together for lunch. So when one comes available, I'm always game! And meeting him for lunch just adds excitement to the fact that today is FRIDAY! We met at Earl's BBQ and I greeted him in the parking lot with a hug and a kiss on the cheek (too much PDA throws any attempt of being tactful and/or classy out the window, right?!). Anyway...not the point of the story. I'm moving on. Once inside, I turned to notice Brian pointing to a sign on the door and shaking his head as if he were saying "yes" to something. The sign had a pig in the middle and said, "Have You Hugged a Pig Today?" We had a good laugh about it and according to the waiter who witnessed this all, a lot of husbands get caught answering "yes" to the sign.

Have a great weekend!

A Few of Our Favorite Things...

Lately, I have been feeling guilty. And that guilt is coming from the fact that I have not been using my new camera as often as I should be. I know my apprehension comes from a not-so-fun trait I inherited from my father...perfectionism. We have the innate ability to take the fun right out of something that we truly enjoy. All because we feel like we have to be great at whatever it is we are doing. Not mediocre. Not average. Not ordinary. But great! Unfortunately, I have turned some of my once-favorite hobbies into newfound fears. Fears of not being good enough. Not perfect enough. Not talented enough. For example, I used to really enjoy scrapbooking. But now, just glancing down the scrapbooking aisles at Hobby Lobby makes me break a sweat and skip a heart beat. Seriously...I would spend hours just looking at scrapbooking pages because I wanted that one page to be perfect! Eventually, I stopped scrapbooking all together because it was no longer fun for me. My perfectionism robbed me of another joy! But I refuse to let it happen again. I know I'm not that great of a photographer. But I really want to RELAX and just enjoy taking mediocre pictures. So, with all of that being said- no judging, please! And to gain a little practice, I walked around the house this evening, taking snapshots of a few of our favorite things:

(I can't go ANYWHERE without my Chi Flatiron!)

(one of Rylie's FAVORITE toys...thanks Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Tony!)

(she loves Mr. Hippo.)

(this is most definitely a picture of my favorite LOTION...nothing else!)

And if you can't tell already, I like taking diagonal pictures. :)

I'll keep practicing...

Rylie Montage.

How Will You Be Remembered?

Today during church, our Pastor asked us how we would like to be remembered and challenged us to live up to our vision. Automatically, one of my first thoughts went directly to motherhood.

I want to be remembered as a great mommy! A mommy who loved unconditionally and who was there for her children every step of the way. A mommy who taught right from wrong. Good from bad. Who always did what was best for her family and supported her husband one hundred percent. A mommy who loved Jesus and who taught her children to do the same!

I vow to live up to my vision!

Weekend Full of Graces.

Yay! It's Sunday night and I am loving the fact that I don't have to work tomorrow morning. I need to find a job that allows me to work Tuesday-Friday, every week. I think I could handle that. This weekend was full of graces. And I want to share a few:

1) an unexpected visit from friends who came with gifts...two new bibles with our names engraved- awesome!
2) wonderful morning at church.
3) cherry limeades during happy hour.
4) beautiful weather. 5) sitting outside, playing with Rylie and watching Brian grill steaks.
6) the smell of people "grilling"-summer is upon us.
7) finally being able to edit a few pictures.
8) hearing Rylie giggle.
9) finding a great deal on Craigslist. and it being legitimate.
10) buying Brian's father's day gift- already.

Rylie bought her daddy an early Father's Day gift and boy...is he happy! Check it out:

(his gift is the 4-wheeler. Rylie didn't do too bad, did she?!)

A Little Random Story:

Is it seriously already Friday? I can not believe how fast this week has gone by. I've been meaning to write about last weekend but had yet to get a chance...until now. My dad, step-mom, brother and grandma and grandpa visited last weekend. And we had such a great time! Granny Peg (step-mom) has made it a goal of hers to see Rylie at least every six weeks...and she does a good job of making that happen! So it was time for a visit and they brought along my grandparents (who had never been to my house before, so it was nice to finally be able to have them over). We didn't do much of anything. But sometimes, those turn out to be the best. We planned a steak dinner for Saturday night and we had cheesy potatoes (thanks, Ruby...they were a favorite), cucumber salad, side salad, and rolls. And for dessert, Brian made a strawberry pie and I made a peanut butter pie. I'm sure you all couldn't care less what we had to eat but I AM going somewhere with this post...I promise! Brian is naturally competitive and although I grew up playing sports, I don't tend to be overly competitive. But when my husband started to taunt me about how much better his dessert was than mine...I couldn't hold back! So after dinner, we put a piece of each on everyone's dessert plate and made them vote on their favorite. And yes, we actually had them tally mark under my name for the peanut butter pie or under Brian's for the strawberry pie. Now, I know that some of you are thinking that this was kind of cruel to put them on the spot like that, but it was all in fun and we had a great time doing it! And after the nation wide vote...oh wait, this isn't American Idol! After the 5 person vote...I won!!! I seriously won. My peanut butter pie was a favorite. I beat Brian. My pie was better than his pie. I won! Well, maybe I am a bit more competitive than I realize. But seriously, who doesn't prefer chocolate pudding and reese's peanut butter cups over fresh strawberries? Don't answer that...it doesn't matter if you prefer strawberries. I already WON!

Twenty Years and Counting.

This post is for a loyal reader of mine who has already pointed out that I didn't post anything over the weekend. I'm taking you back twenty years. There I stood as a bratty, frizzy-haired child, screaming at the top of my lungs, in an attempt to introduce myself to a seemingly calm and quiet-natured brunette with thick bangs who lived two houses down. She had the coolest "toy" on the block...a bag swing that hung from the tree in her front yard. And I was deteremined to get to know this person so that I could blissfully swing back and forth as often as my little heart desired. Who knew that particular bag swing would help unite a twenty year friendship! Tess was her name. For the first several years, our friendship consisted of a bag swing, the local swimming pool, banana seat bike and an obnoxiously loud horn, hand jives to the words of Miss Mary Mack and My Dolly Playmate, and baths that made our imaginations run wild and turned us into hosts to our very own cooking shows! Later, it fostered many sleepovers that always included a movie or two, ice cream (I still say she gave herself more than me), a growly, bearded guy on all fours, chasing us in circles causing high pitched squeals to be heard throughout the house, and always ended with stories being told by the protective mother who had the heart the size of Texas. As we grew a bit older, you could find us running throughout the grocery store in hopes of finding the next "clue" on the back of a macaroni and cheese box. We always won our version of "Supermarket Sweep"! And as embarrassed as I am to admit this, even up until Junior High, you could find us locked in our bedrooms with paper-made food, scanners and cash registers. The ends of pens would create the clicking sound as if we were pushing buttons on the register and our mouths would create the beeping noise as we were sliding groceries across the scanner. We were great friends who discovered that we had a bond that nothing could break. Many summers were spent apart but we hand-wrote each other at least once a week. And although we haven't been in the same town in eight years, to this very day, we still communicate through notes (a.k.a. emails), at least once a week. We have been through a lot together and now that we continue to grow older, I feel blessed to have such a strong and long lasting friendship with her. I can honestly say that I have had a solid "best" friend for TWENTY YEARS already. And now, she is about to experience one of the most amazing things in life...she is becoming a mommy!!! And I couldn't be more happy for her. Congratulations, again, on your pregnancy Tess! I love you and can't wait to meet your baby! Thanks for being such a loyal friend.


Tess is on the left with the thick bangs and I'm on the right with the frizzy hair. Ignore the really cute one in the middle, lol.

Taking Chances.

I grew up in a very small town in the central part of Kansas. The size of town that allows you to know everyone and for everyone to know you. The size where hanging out at the square, Goodfellow's pond, or the Water Tower actually means something. Friday nights were spent dragging main with frequent stops at Sonic. Going to a party meant wearing hooded sweatshirts and tennies because they were being held at a pasture, barn, or in the middle of a dirt road (a.k.a. the dip). The size where we could get from the west side of town to the east side in a matter of minutes and I can count the number of stop lights on one hand (I guarantee if you are from my hometown, you are counting them right now, aren't you?). And believe it or not, in 8th grade, we were required to draw out a map of the town and list every street! We were excited to finally get a McDonald's and were sad to see it go. And on "game nights", you would notice that the town was quiet with the exception of a faint roar coming from the football field. I remember growing up and thinking that I could NEVER live in a big city. And although I truly miss my tiny hometown, I can honestly say that I love being somewhat of a "country" girl experiencing life in a big city. When Brian and I return from visiting our family...entering the city, surrounded by big buildings and traffic, actually makes us feel good. It feels like we are surrounded by LIFE! We're home again. And it full heartedly feels like "home". I'm glad that I took a chance and actually experienced living in a big city. Because now, eight years later, I can not see myself living in a small town. Funny how things change and life happens! Here's to taking chances.

Pressure.

Okay...so I may have exaggerated just a bit. I do know how to turn my new camera on. However, I now have tons of pressure to figure out all the different things I can do with it and to take good pictures. It will definitely be a learning process for me. But Brian has discovered that he enjoys taking pictures with it, too. So, photography may become a passion for both of us. I really don't know ONE THING about photography. I'm thinking about taking a class or two just to learn the basics. I think I'll check into that tomorrow. But for the time being, here is a shot taken by a beginner:


And here is one taken on my very first Mother's Day.


And here is Rylie and daddy.

Mother's Day.

Brian, Rylie, Griff and I really hope that Ma-maw, Grandma Ruby, and Granny had a fantastic Mother's Day! If only we lived closer...we could have hosted a Mother's Day lunch at our place...another good reason for me to throw a party. Maybe next year?!

As for my very first Mother's Day...it was absolutely perfect in every way! I will take Mother's Day over my birthday, any year. Bring it on. I woke up to two of my favorite people and my favorite dog cuddled next to me in bed (no, Rylie doesn't sleep all night with us...but I do put her in our bed on the weekends, around 6 or 7am). We went to church and in recognition of asking God to truly be in our lives, at the end of our Pastor's sermon, we joined him up front and he introduced us to the rest of the church members. Then afterwards, everyone came by and welcomed us to the church with handshakes for Brian and I and with baby talk, cheek pinching and nose pushing for Rylie (sorry baby girl). Within the next two months, Brian and I would like to get baptized together and I'm sure that when it happens, you will be able to read all about it. Also, we will be going through Baby Dedication for Rylie...in which we will dedicate our child to the Lord and promise to raise her as a Christian, in a Christian home. Moving on with our day...with rumbling tummies and a tired baby, off to Ted's we went to enjoy those homemade flour tortillas, once again. Then we were homebound and spent the rest of the day hanging out in our pajamas. BUT...before going to church, I found two cards and a box waiting for me in the living room. One card from Rylie and Griff and the other from Brian. And to my surprise, my family bought me a Nikon camera!!! For the past two months, I have told Brian that I would like to get into photography. As a hobby, not a profession. I love the idea of capturing moments on camera in anticipation of strolling down memory lane ten years later and remembering what wonderful times we had. Now, if someone will just show me how to turn this camera on...I'm ready to get started!

Show Us Where You Live.

This week, Kelly is featuring living rooms:

View from the entry way (above).

View from the Dining Room (above).

The family portrait wall is still a work in progress.

And this is the way it usually looks (my favorite view). In the background, notice the added swing, glider, breast pump sitting on the bar stool, bumbo seat, toys, Planet Jumperoo, and...Rylie, who looks a little bored!

7 Months.

Rylie,

Today, you are seven months old!

Before we know it, we will be celebrating your one year birthday (which I have secretly already started to plan). I'm not planning because I'm ready for you to be that old already...I just get really excited when I get to plan and organize parties. Dr. Suess inspired, picture: red, white and blue colors bursting everywhere; red tulle draped from the ceiling along with crete paper balls; white table cloth covering the cake table, randomly covered by big, red dots and simple yet FUN flower center pieces that include red and yellow flowers and blue fuzzy "stuff" surrounding black vases; Dr. Seuss books scattered about the house; green deviled eggs mocking the infamous "Green Eggs and Ham" book; soft, stuffed Cat in the Hat helping you celebrate; and a bright, stacked, falling cake! Oh, I'm excited!!! Brian, I know you're reading this. I PROMISE I won't spend a lot of money...all of these projects I can make myself (with the help of your mother, of course ). Plus, I don't want it to be completely over the top...it will be chicly understated!

You are sleeping in your own room now and mommy has become pretty comfortable with that- now I can turn my music on and I don't have to tiptoe around while I get ready for work in the mornings. You roll all over the place and are really extending out to grab things. You can sit by yourself. But I can't leave you completely unaided because you haven't learned how to catch yourself when you fall. Your hair is really starting to come in, slowly but surely. But I still can't tell if it's going to be straight or curly. You still eat cereal every morning and a veggie and sometimes even a fruit in the evenings. This weekend, I am going to substitute one of your bottles for another veggie/fruit/water combo. To date, you have had peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and green beans and have tried applesauce. We are going to buy you a sippy cup this weekend and start teaching you how to drink out of that! Our house is overwhelmingly full of your toys...but they make you happy! And you are trying so hard to talk!! Well, actually, you are "talking" already...but unfortunately, mommy and daddy can't understand what you are trying to tell us. But sometimes you get pretty loud...you may be a bit of a drama queen when you get older. But don't worry, daddy is already used to that because of me! You're welcome! We have joined a church and you do pretty good during the services. Last weekend, two ladies who sat behind us complimented that you were the best baby they have ever witnessed in church. You must have been tired because you slept the entire time.

This Sunday is my very first time to celebrate Mother's Day as a "mother" and I couldn't be more proud! I love you baby girl!

Love,
Mommy

Insecure Heartache.

Since the first day we brought Rylie home, it has been a nightly occurrence that I rock her to sleep. So, between eight and eight thirty every night, you can bet that I will be swaying back and forth, softly singing "Rock-a-bye Baby", and smiling as I peacefully watch Rylie fall asleep in my arms. I really enjoy this time with her and Brian even finds it difficult to put her down for the night. She must enjoy that "mommy and me" time, too! However, I got the urge to try something a little different last night. Once she showed me that she was getting tired by rubbing her sweet little hands over her eyes, I decided that I would rock her for five minutes and then place her in her crib with a blankey. I was curious if she would put herself to sleep and to my surprise, it worked! I checked on her often because I could tell that she was not sleeping for the first ten to fifteen minutes...she was "playing!" But without one temper-tantrum or cry, she fell asleep. At first, I felt very proud. But my insecurity quickly interrupted that state of mind and I became teary-eyed when I realized that she no longer needed me to fall asleep. And as Brian joined me in her room with Griff on his hip, we stood still in the dark, watching our "sleeping beauty" comfortably fall deeper and deeper into her dreams. We looked at each other and smiled. And Brian's smile reminded me, once again, that everything was going to be okay. We are good parents who have shown Rylie what it feels like to live in a home where love, trust, comfort, and stability supports it all! But you can still safely bet that between eight and eight thirty each night, Rylie and I will be swaying back and forth and I will be singing "Rock-a-bye Baby"...I don't think I will ever completely give that part up, even if it is only for 5 minutes!

My Predictions.

My husband and I enjoy watching American Idol and thanks to dad and Peg, we have now started watching Dancing With the Stars. Wouldn't that be great if Rylie grew up to be a dancer like Julianne Hough? I'm guilty of wishing that I was a dancer on the show, too...but it may be a little too late for my wish, huh?! But if dancing becomes a passion for Rylie, I would be okay with that!

American Idol Winner: Adam Lambert

Dancing With The Stars Winner: Melissa Rycroft

In Honor of Mother's Day.

I received an email and was amazed as to how much I related to it and how well I understood...every single line. Becoming a Mother has truly made my life more fulfilling...I'll joyfully take it all, the good and the bad!

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

To all Mothers, I hope you feel as much happiness as I do!

Fantastic Weekend.

Well, it's already Sunday evening...which means that once again, our weekend is about over...and that makes me sad. But, we had a fantastic weekend. Due to the stormy weather yesterday, we slept in, stayed in our pajamas most of the day, deep cleaned our house, and eventually followed through with our usual Saturday night fun and made it to our favorite restaurant...Ted's (although I only eat the chips, salsa, homemade flour tortillas, and one cheese enchilada on a flour tortilla, no onions, with cheese sauce on top, please!...best mexican food hands down). Then we were surprised by some of my family members who were driving through OK on their way back to Kansas. This morning we, again, were able to sleep in until 8:15am (thanks, Rylie). We visited a new church (trying to find the church that we feel best in), shopped at Wal-Mart, and then made our way back home to get ready for some dear friends of ours to stop by with their little one, Bailey! During our trip to Wal-Mart, I realized two new things: 1) why does Jell-O make so many different choices of pudding??? This drives me crazy. I get very apprehensive when it comes time to selecting "the right" pudding...instant, cook and serve, fat free, sugar free, reduced calorie...why??? People like me need ONE choice! Because...after getting a new recipe from my aunt and having an intense craving for butterfinger pie (I'm guessing that's the name?), I was excited to make my new dessert for our visitors. I didn't realize just how much went into making this pie...or it's possible that I would have made something different...like my tasty peanut butter pie. Anyway...I noticed that the mixture was a little watery and quickly called my aunt to see how long it was supposed to take to "set-up." After she told me it only took 30 minutes, I knew that I must have done something wrong. And after inspecting the box of pudding I bought, I realized that I had purchased "cook and serve" instead of "instant." And NO, I didn't cook the pudding first. So...needless to say, my craving for butterfinger pie was not satisfied. Maybe next weekend?! 2) There is a sound effect to EVERYTHING I do now...in hopes of keeping my precious baby entertained. I find myself "whooping", "chirping", "babbling", "ticking"...it doesn't matter where I'm at or who I'm in front of. Nothing else matters but seeing a bright smile on Rylie's face!!! Well, I better get going. Brothers and Sisters is on in an hour. I'll leave you with a picture of me and Rylie with our friends, April (mommy) and Bailey (baby):

Show Us Where You Live.

If you're a "blogger", you probably already read Kelly's Korner. But for those of you who aren't, Kelly has created a blog and has become quite known in "blog world." She is like a mini-celebrity, lol! She has quite the story to tell and her blog is very fun and encouraging. I really enjoy reading it. Anyway...she has started this fun thing she likes to call "Show Us Where You Live Friday." Basically, every Friday, she asks that people post pictures of a certain room throughout their house and take everyone on a "tour". It's just a fun thing to do and if you're addicted to reading blogs like me, checking out the pictures serves as a bonus! To date, she has had 256 people post pictures of their kitchens (featured room of the week). So...after looking through about 20 of them and contemplating whether or not I want to join the fun...I decided that I couldn't resist! So...here goes:

Behold, my kitchen!

Final day of Grace. Day 10.

I was so upset this morning when I woke up and realized that I had made it nine straight days of Grace and ruined it by letting life get away from me last night and forgetting to post an entry. I had planned on stopping at Day 10 (which would have been yesterday). Even though I broke the streak, this will probably still be my final day of Grace. I'm sure I will randomly post a "Grace" entry every once in a while because after all, not ONE single day goes by that I do not feel graced with positive things in my life!

1) Rylie sleeping in until 7:15 this morning
2) Waking up to a rumbling thunder-storm (no severe weather included...thank goodness because I'm terrified of bad weather)
3) Deep cleaning my house with Brian...feels good to have a dust-free, tooth-brush cleaned, bleached, recently swept, smelly good home
4) Family hanging out in our pajamas all afternoon
5) Family visiting from Kansas tonight

Monotony of Life.

My day starts out at five in the morning. I pump and prepare Rylie's breakfast before showering and getting ready for work. Once I'm finished, I wake Brian and Griff and then it's off to pack Rylie's diaper bag and load the car with my daily essentials (good ole' pump, purse, lunch, breakfast that usually consists of either blueberry mini muffins, a chocolate chip granola bar, or a honey bun...yes, I know, I like the healthiest of the healthy, right?!). If time allows, I try to pick up the house just a bit; but as soon as I hear Rylie through the monitor (typically around six thirty), I'm quickly making my way to her room where I stand over her crib and smile down at her. I absolutely love watching her endlessly stretch and oh! those tired eyes...she's simply adorable! Next, I head to the living room to feed Rylie while the morning news and Good Morning America plays in the background. As Brian bends down to kiss me and his daughter good-bye and gives Griff a few rough but friendly pats, he wishes us a good day and heads off to work. Shortly after seven fifteen, I'm on my way to drop Rylie off at her babysitter's house and then I spend the next eight hours at work. By five thirty, I'm usually walking into my house to find Brian, Griff and Rylie relaxing on the living room floor. We cook dinner together while Rylie plays in her Planet Jumperoo and then sit down at the table, every night, and eat dinner as a family...by now, Rylie is in her swing where she contently stays throughout dinner. And now it's already time to feed Rylie her dinner, give her a bath (which, of course, routinely includes baby soap, shampoo, a nasal aspirator...realistically called a nose or booger sucker, lotion, powder, q-tips, and cute footie pajamas). It's normal for all lights to be out and with the exception of our ceiling fan, not a single noise to be heard throughout our home after nine thirty or ten...another great day in our life! And although some people would say that my life is rather boring, I enjoy it very much!

I like monotony.
I need monotony.
Monotony keeps me sane.