Water Boy

We took Landen swimming for the first time a week or so ago and he LOVES the water! In fact, he has no fear whatsoever which is a little scary! He had a blast riding around in his floaty, but he especially liked it when he could "swim" on his own.

Last night, Catina, Jeremy, Sean, and Addi came swimming with us and we had such a great time grilling burgers and dogs and watching the kids swim. At one point, Richie sat Landen on the side of the pool with his feet in and then let him "jump" in! I was blown away by the kid--he isn't afraid one bit!

The Two Bubbies

Can you say spoiled? Landen LOVES to ride on his tricycle and always wants his big brother or big sister to push him on it. Of course, they love to ride him around. But after they get tired and stop, he literally throws a fit! Such a spoiled little man--he won't be worth anything!

Landen is on the move!

Landen is crawling everywhere and thinks it is so funny to get under my coffee table and hang out. These pictures are back from July 7th when he first started crawling....

The Boys--Landen and Kaden

Kaden stopped by the other day for a visit. These cousins are sure getting to be big boys! They had a good time playing in the floor. Landen is such a roughneck though--he kept trying to pull Kaden's ears!

There's no easy way to get two babies to look at you AND smile!

Here's Landen trying to pull Kaden's tongue out!

I told him to be gentle....

But he decided to yank his ears!

Go Braves!

While in Atlanta, I managed to catch a Braves baseball game my last night there. I am not a big major league baseball fan, but I wasn't about to miss an opportunity to see a game in person. Turner field is very nice and I had such a good time. I called Richie before I went and asked him who I should cheer for....the Braves or the Brewers? He said the Braves because the Brewers are from the North! :) Sorry, but we are Southerners all the way!!!

This lady was 101 years old and at the game!! You go girl!

Some of the sights from our seats....

A little baseball action...

And some more!

What a great time! Only problem was when I got up to go get some Chick-Fil-A in the 7th inning, they had closed! I was SO bummed!!

Crazy Boy!

These pictures are from a few weeks ago, but I am just now catching up on my blogging from my camera....Anyway, here's Landen being wild and crazy--I am going to have my hands full with him!

Here's Landen trying to crawl out of Richie's arm on to the floor! But the floor is a few feet down, so Richie is telling him he can't go....

He thinks this is just hilarious and pushes Daddy even more!

What a wild little man!

Tickled!

While I was in Atlanta a week or so ago, Richie sent me several pictures of Landen and they are so hilarious!

It started off with him taking a nap.....

But then he woke up!

And every time Richie would get ready to take a picture and the flash would go off, Landen would start laughing hysterically!

And he got so tickled!

And each time he sent me another photo, I started laughing harder and harder!

Because he is just the cutest thing when he is laughing!!

Yeah Lil' Bubby!!

The Art of Forgiveness

I have to say that forgiving someone for something that they do to you has to be one of the most unfair things in life we are called upon to do. This has been something I have really struggled with in my life, and honestly, I still do at times. It's so hard to experience such pain and hurt and then be expected to forgive the very person that caused the pain and hurt. When I was reading my homework for the MFT program, I came across some great text that really hit home with me. It says, "Forgiveness is an altruistic act, an act of doing a nice thing that the other person does not deserve, helping the other person have the gift of gratitude. Forgiveness is where justice and mercy come together. Forgiveness does not excuse or minimize the hurtfulness of the other person's act.....forgiveness is then acting mercifully and saying, I choose not to hold that against you. I forgive you." (This is from Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling by Everett L. Worthington, Jr.)

There is SO much to digest in that little excerpt. I have to admit that as I have read this book, I find the concepts actually help me really deal with things in my own life! I realize the text is written from the perspective of couples' counseling, but I think it is information that pertains to every aspect of our lives. I guess I struggle with forgiving others because I felt that it meant their negative actions have to be forgotten and I have to say, "All is well!" But rather, I think forgiveness is just as much about finding a way to break the bondage of the situation on our hearts as it is an extension of our love and compassion to those who have hurt us.

I got a different perspective of forgiveness today. I was talking with someone who is going through a lot of hurt and pain in her life. She recognizes that the pain is something that she is responsible for. She struggles with it daily. Yet, I think what really hurts her the most is the aftermath. People make mistakes. Every single one of us. Yet, it's in the aftermath of those mistakes that we learn about character. She struggles most with the way people have treated her and their judgment of her. As I listened to her, I realized how much she is hurting and is truly remorseful. I think that the times when we have falling outs with various people in our lives, it is very easy to forget the human behind the situation. I think it is easier a lot of times to ostracize the person that caused the hurt. Honestly, it's a defense mechanism--and rightfully so. But I think it is at those times, that these people need us the most. What would've happened if Jesus had left us? I would hate to think about life without his forgiveness, grace, and mercy. It's in that situation that I realize I need to be merciful as well.

With that said, I certainly understand that forgiveness does not need to equal forgetting. I don't think we should forget the hurt and pain we experienced. I think it is there for a lot of reasons. First, there is a lot to learn from the pain. It is in our darkest moments that we have the most opportunity for growth. Secondly, I think the pain should serve as a reminder. I don't think we have to continue to put ourselves in harms way and the only way to keep that from happening is to not forget the pain and hurt we experienced.

But forgiving someone does not mean we have to forget--it merely means we as humans show compassion to one another. We never know when we will be on the other side of the hurt and will long for forgiveness.

Job Vacancy

Well, I hate to report that Lily has decided she no longer wants the position at our home of "snake/scorpion" hunter. She didn't tell us what position she is taking or who she will be working for, she just walked off the job one day!

She's been gone about 2 weeks now and I know the kids are missing her and are worried about her as well. This picture was taken the night before she left (she's hard to see, but she's laying in the grass). I would like to think that she just wandered off and I hope that nothing bad happened to her! So, Lily, we will miss you!

Sick Baby, Mommy Not Home!

Yesterday while I was in class, I got a call from my Mom. I couldn't answer since I was in the middle of a class session, so I texted her to see what was going on. She told me that the daycare had called her and Landen was sick. I went ahead and stepped out and called her. She said they had told her that he was inconsolable and having trouble breathing. Well, that scared me to death! So, I told her to call me as soon as she got there. When she did, I could hear him trying to breathe and it was almost a gasping/hyperventilating sound. I was so worried because I knew it was not like him at all. He was very fussy and crying too. I called Richie and let him know about the situation and then made the decision to call the paramedics and have them check on Landen. I know it was a little drastic, but with both of us gone, I just couldn't risk not having a medical opinion on his situation. I was so worried that he was having a complication from his tear duct probe or an allergic reaction to something. The paramedics checked him out when they got there. Thankfully, he had a 100% oxygen level, but was running a 101 temperature and had some drainage. They gave him some Tylenol and within about 30 minutes, he seemed to calm down. They recommended having his pediatrician check him out since he was running a fever though. This morning my mother-in-law took him to the doctor and had him checked out. He had a sore throat and has some little "bug", but otherwise seems fine! I am so happy to hear that because it was so scary to be far away from him and not know what was wrong.
It never fails, when Mommy leaves, the bottom always seem to fall out at home!

Monday is over!

The first day of training went fairly well. Lots of info, but a great class overall! I still have my nice rash on my face and makeup doesn't cover it! Oh well, maybe in a day or so it'll be gone. Richie is attending a Chief's Convention in LR, so Landen is spending the week with Granny. Richie said that Landen slept until 4:15 a.m. at Granny's house. I was so proud of him for behaving!

Here in Atlanta

I just arrived in Atlanta for the week. This time I am on the other side of the "training room" in that I don't have to learn a new product, but I am a Class Advisor for a training class on a product that I sell. It's kind of a neat experience, but definitely not any easier than being at training to learn a product. In fact, I had to arrive earlier, I have to stay later, and I am expected to be a "know-it-all" for my product! And, sadly, I am not that. In fact, I feel a tad stupid--reading through the material I have to lead was very intimidating!! There's so much we learn that's just not used in the real world, so you tend to forget it. So, it will be a great refresher course!
Last night, when I was washing my face for bed, I noticed this horrible bumpy rash all down the left side of my face. I thought, "no problem, I'll take some Benadryl and it'll be gone by morning." NOPE. Still there--it looks like I have a horrible case of teenage acne! A little embarrassing, especially since it's only on one side?? Gonna take some more Benadryl and hope it's gone by tomorrow before I have to stand in front of a room of 30 plus people! I think it's possible that this rash is a result of a little anxiety....I've got some lately with all of the changes at work. Gonna have to just relax and remember who's in charge (and it's not me!).
Well, that's all I have for now. I am going to find some dinner and get some shut-eye. On top of everything else, I've had a major headache today. UGH.

And another one makes FIVE!!!!

As I am sitting here trying to get caught up on my blogs from the past week, Weston tells me he's going to go outside and skateboard a little board. Well, I hear the door close, the garage go up, and the door open again. He says, "There's a snake in the garage." GREAT!

So, Weston put the garage back down and Richie went around the house and opened it back up...all he could see was a tail sticking out from some boxes. YUCK.

Have I mentioned I hate snakes? 'Cause I do!

Anyone got suggestions on how to make these critters go away?

Landen's 1st 4th of July

This was Landen's first 4th of July and he had tons of fun! He was a little scared of the fireworks, but overall not too bad...just had to get used to them. We had a long holiday weekend and since the 4th fell on a Sunday, we were able to celebrate all weekend long!

Here's some pictures from the night of the 4th at my grandparents' house.

"Hey guys, I'm ready to shoot some fireworks!"

Landen is all excited to see the fireworks--it's finally nighttime!

"The fountain" that my brother and cousin thought was going to be some big aerial firework!

One tired little man! What a busy day!!

Landen's Eye Surgery

Wednesday morning was Landen's tear duct probe. He did very good considering he wasn't allowed to eat when he woke up that morning (which is a major issue for my chunky monkey!!). After the surgery, he was SO cute! We went in to recovery once he woke up and they had him in a full size hospital bed all propped up and snuggled in some blankets. He looked so tiny in that big bed. He was sucking on a Pedialyte bottle and was all calm until he turned around and saw us. At that point, he broke into this pitiful cry! It was like once he realized we were there, then he knew he would get some sympathy. Too cute!

He did fairly well the next few days--he was pretty cranky the rest of the day and even had a little bit of bruising on his eyelid and some bloody drainage. Overall though, he is doing wonderful. Dr. Knox said his tear duct was very "tight" and so he tried to dilate it. I just hope it helps and he doesn't have to have any more procedures done!

Happy 4th! I made it!

Well, I ran my first 5k yesterday.....what an experience! Lots of people there that I knew, so it was nice to see familiar faces. My one and only goal was to run the ENTIRE route, NO walking. And I did it! I was super thrilled. I didn't care how long it took, just as long as I ran the whole way. 7 1/2 months of training paid off! My time was 33 minutes even. Not too bad for my first 5k. Richie and the kids were waiting at the finish line for me and it was so awesome! Bucket list checkmark!

I loved seeing all of the people out to support their family members that were running. There was one guy and a little girl about 2 years old that was at every intersection as we would run by cheering their Mom on. That was the sweetest thing!

I didn't really have any good pictures from the race to post--the two Richie was able to get were blurry (I'd like to think it was because I was SO fast, but I think it's the camera, not my speed!)

Last night we went to my grandparents' house in Oklahoma. We don't do a lot with them throughout the year and we even missed Christmas last year, so they had never even seen Landen. So, I asked Richie if he would mind if we went over there for the 4th. They always have a great big shin-dig and my Aunt and Uncle from Texas usually come up, so it gives us an opportunity to visit with them. Oh my--it was so funny! My grandpa loves karaoke and there was a man there that imitated Elvis. We all laughed so hard--he danced, he sang. I just hope I have 1/2 that energy at his age!

Landen is 9 months old!

I just got back from Landen's 9 month check-up. I did great until, I had to go to the front desk to schedule the next one--the ONE YEAR check-up. Then, it hit me....HARD. He will be one year old in just 3 short months. Where has the time gone? I could just eat this little man up! He is just a precious, cute, and happy little man! I have decided they count months differently when you're pregnant than for a child's age because I know it was A LOT longer to get 9 months past me when I was pregnant!

At his 9 month check-up, he weighed 21 lbs. He was 28 inches long and his massive head is 18 7/8 inches! He was in the 40th percentile for height, 60th percentile for weight, and off the charts and well past the 95th percentile for his head size. I started quesitoning her on his huge head size--I was worried that maybe something was wrong. She assured me that he was just fine and the only problem would be buying shirts to fit over his head!

At 9 months, he has 5 "words": Momma, Dadda, Bubba, Bye-Bye, and Nana. He loves to clap his hands and say "Yeah" (so I guess that actually makes 6!). He waves and just in the past two weeks he has mastered his crawling skills and goes everywhere. He will get up on all 4's and rock, but when it's time to crawl, he flattens out and does an army crawl with a little bit of a frog-swim. Hey, whatever works! He has figured out how to get up the step into the kitchen, too!

He loves his "puffs" and while I was gone, Daddy even let him have some before dinner! Such stinkers!

Back from the Big "D"

Well, I finally made it back from training--YEAH! What a long week! I am worn out and ready for a long weekend. I passed my test--it was super easy, so I guess I prepared more than I thought I did. And my roommate turned out to be a girl from Jonesboro, AR of all places who was super nice.

Saturday is the 5k I have been working so hard on for the last 7 months. Honestly, I am nervous for some reason. I guess because I am doing it by myself and because I don't know what to expect. I wasn't able to run any this week while I was at training, so I am worried I won't be able to run the entire way....maybe there will be plenty of adrenaline pumping and it will all work out!

Lake Trip

We took the boat out for its first spin last weekend and had a ball! Granted, we had several hiccups. Let's see the day began late. First, we had to get everything together for the boat and it took forever! But, we finally were able to get loaded and head out. Except, about 30 minutes down the road, we realize we have forgotten our Bill of Sale and boat insurance....so, it was back to the house. Then, we headed out...again. We FINALLY got to the lake and it was around 2 pm in the afternoon. We had thought we had a tube, but that didn't work out so we just decided to buy one at the lake. So, we start down the road to the marina first thing. We didn't want to waste time parking the boat, etc. Well, there was no outlet and we had to back the trailer all the way back down this one lane road that had a lot of curves and pine trees lining it. Richie is awesome at backing up--I've decided that after he managed to get us out of that mess. So, then we were able to put the boat in the water. One problem--it wouldn't start. Seriously? So, we pulled the boat back out of the water and my brother was talking to his Dad and he told us a trick to try....and it worked! Yeah! So, then it was back to the water to load the boat. My brother had boat a jet ski and this was his first time to try it out. Poor guy had our luck rubbing off on him because it wouldn't run. So, he had to load it back up and get in the boat with us. After all of that drama, we finally headed out! And once we made it to the water, we had a blast. The kids got to tube for the first time. They were a little timid at first. They kept giving Richie the "thumbs down" signal trying to get him to slow down. Problem was, we were already creeping along! After everyone took turns tubing, we headed down to a calmer part of the lake and I got to ski. I haven't skiied in probably 6 plus years, but I was able to get up the first time! I skiied about 4 times and then we found a quiet cove and just swam around and hung out. It was SO much fun!

Richie called the previous owner of the boat to ask him if he would send us the boat's owner's manual....the guy is having "seller's remorse" because he offered to buy the boat back from us for what we paid plus $1000! Richie told him that we were already way too attached to the boat!

Richie and Kylie just hanging out

Kylie riding in the boat

Weston and his "boat" hair

Momma can ski!

Weston and Kylie tubing!

Richie and Weston tubing!