What???

I was informed today from Telly- my 3 year old daughter this (in exact words)

"Miss Sarah is BE-A-UTIFUL!...  thats what Daddy said!

Here's the background, Miss Sarah is Telly's dance teacher, and she is BE-A-UTIFUL!!!   I am sure Rob has never even met her, but it was still pretty funny !

I was most excited this week when...

Sloan ~ You started giving hugs this week!  Every time Sades, Tel or me would ask you for a hug you would run right over with your arms out and lay your head on our chest.  I was so loving!  Also high five's are a regular part of your routine now to.  You are such an enthusiastic boy!

Telly ~ I was praying in your room with you tonight and I was telling you how much Jesus loved you!  I asked you if you knew that and you said "yes", then I asked if you knew who Jesus was and you said "GOD!  Right away, no hesitation, like" Of course mom, why would you even ask me that, you silly girl!"  And then She told me "That's neat!"  With a high squeaky Telly voice and my heart was lifted in that little, yet profound moment!

Sadie ~ You something new growing in you a concern for others, a constant thought and wondering how they are doing?  This morning you asked me "How was the nursery?"  And I went to a bridal shower this afternoon and right before bed you asked me " How was the shower mom?  Did you have a good time?"  I appreciate how you are maturing and growing into a beautiful little girl and I am looking forward to some wonderful moments like those today!  Thanks for caring about me too!

I love you three!

Sunday Afternoon Adventures

Sunday to many of you is a day of going to church, big Sunday dinners, sometimes sleeping in, relaxing all day, or just another day of the weekend, at times in my life its been any and everyone of those things, not anymore...

Sunday is FOOTBALL day!  

For 75% of the year we are an NFL family!  I must admit I rarely watch a whole game, and sometimes its just highlights, I am sure there are those out there that can understand and relate, maybe not football but some other sport obsession!

Even my girls are into it, they ask me now can we eat our lunch with Daddy, down there (pointing to where our  TV is)  Sometimes I give in and its morning till night NFL!  

Well its over... the season that is, except for all the bowls, you know the Pro, rose, orange, and so on and so forth!

That will still be a little while longer!

So I decided that the older 2 (Sadie and Telly) and I would start doing Adventures!  Today we didn't go to far from home, just down to the field under the overpass, we did find a calculator which was so exciting at the time!

It was fun and something I am going to try to do now and then with them, so Sundays can be more than just football, but memories with mom! 

Happy 18th Month Sloan!

Sloan, you are so big now!  In your actions and attitude!  You are so brave, you want to try to do everything.  On a day to day basis you think you are as old as one of your sisters, you want to play with them, jump off the stairs with them, eat what they eat, use markers that sometimes turn out to be permanent!  All of which lead to a pretty interesting/not so great outcome!  You can sometimes be a little bit of a bull-dozer!  You know exactly how to push their buttons, which I guess brothers can do, and all in the same moment you lay your head on there tummy for a little "I'm sorry cuddle"  You love them, and bug them at once, but you get so concerned when one of them cries or gets hurt!  You have an infectious smile, and you know when I am staring at you cause you show me your baby teeth and a twinkle in your eye.  I love being your mama and seeing you turn into a new little person each day!  Life is full of discovery at every turn and you are so interested in doing it on your own.  So independent!

Here you are desperately wanting an ice cream cone, and Sadie is NOT SHARING!

I love this one, your eye's are deadly!  You pierce me to the core!

I love your face!

You've come a long way already!

My little man, your growing up!  And I still remember when I looked like this, and I enjoyed every minute with you, even all the crazy stuff like the puking, and stretching, and the pushing you out part!  Its was all  amazing and a miraculous experience!  I am so glad we have you!

Here I am, around 8ish months!  I still think I looked cute, but lets be realistic!

Here you are day 2, being loved by your big sis Sadie, and she still loves you like this today!  You love to cuddle up on the couch with her, and read books, and watch cartoons, and sometimes you just walk over to her and lay your head on her tummy!  Its pretty sweet!

This was fresh out of the womb, and you totally look like you have a contented smile on your face!  This is your take on life right now!  Especially if I am around!  Actually only if I am around, you are kind of a mama's boy, but its nice to know I am your favorite person!

I love you, you intense crash-bang, football, touchdown, hockey stick hit loving big boy! Slow down!  You are growing to fast and the baby side of you is slipping away and the grown up boy is pushing its way in way to fast!

Love Mom!

Happy 41st month Telly!!!

Telly, you really love Sadie and you want to be just like her, here you are all dressed up giving her a kiss!  I love this photo!

PLUS: (Cause my hand looks exactly like my mom's, I hope that's not all she passed down, and that I am as good a mother as she is!)

Here is Telly with Auntie Stef, another person she loves, and is so excited every time she comes over!

Telly Emerson Elsie, you are a complex little girl, but I am more in love with you now, than ever!  I honestly giggle at our silly conversations all day long!  You are so petite, and your sweet little nose wrinkles up when you are happy, annoyed, disgusted, or sometimes just because!  You still do "stroke mouth" (its how I can describe it, when you are thinking and half of your mouth in the corner droops right down) and it usually leads to a cry session!  But we get through it, and a lot of the time all you want is to be truly listened to, and understood!  You are such a snuggler and I love it, its a nice change from your newborn days, when you would push away, now its about all that can comfort you every time!  I love our special moments together in the morning when Sloan is napping and Sadie is at school, when we play Barbie's, or bake or just sit on the couch together and act silly!  But everyday you ask me if its pre-school time yet... and to be honest I still haven't decided if I am going to send you or not!  Its a decision dilemma right now, but we will figure it out!  Thanks for being a chocolate lover just like me, we will have lots of fun going on chocolate adventures... or just having a "chunk" at home!  I love you my precious second born blessing!

Here you are on day 3, at home in the beautiful blanket that Auntie Anna made for you!

You look very content in this pic, which was really not the norm!  Things have changed a bit since then!

Auntie Mia is doing her famous pose, with you on day 2!

Here is Sadie meeting you for the first time!  She was so excited that you had finally arrived!

I love you Tell!

Love MOM!

I was most excited this week when...

As mom's (in my vast 5 years of experiance) I know that finding joy in the little things, is what keeps me going, and reafirms to me why I can, will, and want to continue on this crazy journey!  Its strange in a 7 day period how many high's and low's we can swing between with our kids!  Somedays it seems so significant and on others, the moments may slip by without being noticed, or once again its just me being a spaz! Its one of my favorite terms!  It describes me perfectly, but as we've discussed only one week a month!!  Here are my victories this week!

... Sloan started making "vrrrrooooom, vrrrrroooooom" noises when he was playing with his new cars from Auntie Anna!  (Its a big deal considering he is 18 months and I am the only one who knows what he is communicating with his lack of understandable words!  It'll come little guy!  Don't worry!)

... Telly's  Doctor says she's in perfect health!What a relief!!! (Sort of!)  The rest is up to me to figure out!  I am up for the challenge!  Its why I became a mother after all, "the most difficult, yet rewarding job in the world" spoken by a mother of 13!!!  Wow and I think 3 is sometimes tricky!

... Sadie emerged from her quiet time with the entire cast of Sleeping Beauty, along with costume changes!  They were each drawn on paper, colored, and cut out-meticulously I must add!  The costumes were so detailed, and each colored differently.  She really worked on them and took time to make each item unique, and she was so proud of herself!  And I was so proud of her!  She is growing up so fast, and I hope we will always stay close, even through the teenage years!

I have been saying for a little while as a pep talk (for myself) that I never wanted to miss the moments, and it has sometimes been easy to get wrapped up in all the things we have to do.  But it is my prayer that I will stop, and remember those romantic days of motherhood, and the goals of how I would be different from the world, and take parenting to a new heights and get in the mess, the toys, the paint, and the fun of it, and enjoy my kids, and let them enjoy me.  I want to rekindle that excitement in my own heart, and continue down that path!  I love you Sadie, I love you Telly, I love you Sloan.  

Don't miss the moments!

Happy 63rd Month Sadie!

These are some of my fondest memories of my first minutes (right before) after becoming a mother!  You changed my life Sadie, you came out so beautifully, and perfect, and your face warmed my heart, you were mine, and you and I have had 63 months together!  Where has the time gone.  I love you more today than I did that day, and my heart was so full, I didn't think I could get anymore love in there!  This is my first letter to you in 2009 and this is your year babe.  I love you and support you, you are a blessing to me and Dad!

Our Little glow worm, snuggled right in!

Grandpa Stan meeting you for the first time, and he loved that your name was Sadie!  We named you after Grandpa's sister!  I love you and miss you Gramps!

You started using your lungs right away, and you haven't stopped since!

Daddy was so excited that you had finally arrived!  We held you so close, and we still do!

Our last night at home, just me and Daddy!

Sadie's Most recent Birthday!  5 years old!  October 20th 2008!

You have grown up so much!  You are half way through kindergarten, and you love it!  You love having new friends, and doing lots of coloring, drawing, and any kind of crafty thing!  You love to be outside, (when mommy will brave the cold!)and inside, dancing, twirling,  and singing, and I love it!  I sometimes stop what I am doing, and just listen to you, your tender heart shines through your songs, You imagine you are being the princess, who needs to be rescued!  You are one of my favorite people, and we have so much fun together,   love to laugh with you and be silly!  I hope it will last forever and ever!  I love you

Love Mom!