Thanksgiving

only 2 days late, I am getting better...
This year I was looking around the house at the Thanksgiving aftermath and patting myself on the back for a job so well done; this was the first year that I have ever hosted a Thanksgiving dinner (I even baked pies!!!); and I began to think about all of the Thanksgivings that J and I have spent together.  When we got married in 2005 we decided that we would not go home (home being CO) for the holidays.  It was/is just too complicated with 3 different families all living at least an hour from one another.  The holidays would more than likely be spent mostly in a car and even then people would probably have hurt feelings.  So every holiday for the past 5 years have been spent with the amazing people that God has blessed us with on this journey we have in the military.  And that is what I am thankful for this year, the military and the incredible places it has brought us and the wonderful people we have had the opportunity to welcome into our family.

Being a military wife is like nothing on earth, the families and people that you come to love and know and depend on for your survival touches me to my very soul.  It is so wonderful to know that wherever I go there will be people ready and willing to take care of my family if the need is there.  We are welcome to anyones table for dinner any night of the week.  If my child falls down at the playground there is a mom there to pick him up if I am far away. If my child is acting like a bully, and I don't see, I know there is a mom who will gently correct his behavior.  If I am sick there are women lining up at the door to take my kids so that I can rest, or bringing food so I don't have to cook.  Every month there are spouse socials to raise money for charities, there is wine club, and book club, and bible studies.  Women to go to the gym with, run marathons with, grab a drink with.  I am so blessed to live this life and so amazed at the families that I get to meet and the friends that I have met and will keep in my heart forever.  And I haven't even mentioned the incredible churches that we have been a part of and the delightful families and support that we have experienced with them.  Thankful for Seacoast Church in Mt. Pleasent SC and Family Life Church here in Altus OK.

SO here is to... The Kinney's, The Pamily, The Stuckey's, The Phillips, The Sober's, The Fisher's, The Shaffer's, The Taliaferro's, The Knizevski's, The Oden's, The Pullen's, The Schopmeyer's, The Clausen's, The Karas's, The Werner's, The Carpenter's, The Warnaar's, The Inscoe's, The Arbore's, and the many other families that have made all holidays from Birthday Parties to Christmas, Easter to Halloween, so incredibly special for us.  You all are amazing, and we are thankful for you!

Listen to freshberrys Playlist

How About Mommy?

Seriously, could he be any cuter?

Asher just turned 2 yesterday...

His favorite bedtime story is "Good Day"

He loves his blankie and bite

He cries and blames his brother even if they aren't in the same room

He loves all animals, but especially cows

His favorite color is green

He loves waffles and cereal for breakfast and yells "yummy!"  when he eats something delicious

He loves hot dogs

He loves Go Diego Go or "GO GO" as he calls it and repeats all the words in Spanish

He likes to play with monster trucks and balls
His favorite song is "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman
and most of all

He LOVES hugs and kisses

and whenever he gives ANYone else a kiss he always says, "What about Mommy?" and has to find me and give me a kiss too.

My Son.



Lunch This Afternoon

My kids find the strangest things amusing... this afternoon at lunch I yelped when I hurt myself and they all 3 cracked up like I was "insert funny comic's name here"  so I kept doing it and they kept laughing their pretty little heads off.  I then decided to get my camera so I could blog about this funny little experience and of course they got a little camera shy and distracted but I think you will get the general idea...

Who knew lunch time could be so funny?

Happy Halloween

"Trick or Treat" sounds its sweetest out of the mouths of two-year-olds.  I am convinced that is how my sons came home with literally their weight in candy after only an hour of trick or treating.  That, and the fact they are the CUTEST stinkin kids EVER!!!  This year's Halloween was the greatest of my 29 years here on earth, the weather was beautiful, we were with great friends and their fun kids, and trick or treating on base is so nice and safe and carefree.  We decided this year (well DJ decided for us) that we would all be marvel super heroes...
DJ was the Hulk
Asher was Captain America
J was Wolverine
I was Spider man
and Iz was the spider that bit me

We had so much fun!!!  DJ led the way up every driveway to every bowl of candy, Asher kept yelling "Mommy, Mommy, watch!" and he would leap (it's a leap for him anyway) off the curb and onto the street.  I stood with a grin on my face, trying to be humble as the people around me gasped and gushed about the adorableness of my kids.  Thank you GOD for the gift of this family and the fun memories that we get to share with one another!

funny (at least it will be one day)

SO my hubby has been traveling the world this month leaving me alone with our 3, 3 and under, which you know always leads to some story that actually brings me to tears today but one day will be funny.  Throw in some construction work on the house and we are all sure to have a good time.  Picture this, if you will...
Story #1
I am in the nursery feeding Iz and getting her ready for her morning nap, Asher is in the kitchen eating his second bowl of cereal, and DJ is quietly working on a puzzle.  Ahhhh sweet mornings are made from beginnings like these, then without warning BUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBUBU a jackhammer and 5 construction workers begin to tear out my back patio mere feet from where DJ is doing his puzzle.  Terrified screams come from the kitchen I have to rip Iz off of her morning snack and throw her into her crib, which does NOT make her happy.  I run into the kitchen and find a terrified Asher who has dumped his cereal into his lap and DJ running up and kicking me in the shin in a desperate attempt to crawl up me.  AND THEN I look over and... wait for it... my five year old completely potty trained dog is pooping on the couch.

Story #2
Giving the kids a bath...  giving three babies a bath by yourself is no easy task.  I put the boys in the tub and let Iz watch us from her bouncy seat, once the boys were nice and clean I got Iz's baby bathtub out and ready.  I took Asher out first and that little squirt took off the second his feet hit the floor, he ran straight into the hall and peed on the carpet.  After clamoring out of the bathroom I scooped Asher up and took him back to put his diaper on.  After I had Asher pee proofed I came back for DJ who I discovered let himself out of the bath and was using the bath cup to get water from the toilet and fill up Izzy's bathtub for me.  Needless to say Iz did not get a full bath that night, I opted for the more white trash baby wipe bath for her.  And now me and my dirty kids cannot wait for our Daddy to get back home.

Enjoy the stories, I know that they will make me laugh too one day.  Today is not that day...

the view in my rearview mirror

While I am driving around town I can't help but stare into my rear view mirror (dangerous I know, and I try to keep it limited to stoplights only) at this beautiful family that I have been blessed with.  I think back to the things I used to see in the rear view...
In High School I saw my friends singing, and smoking, and having a ball.
In College I saw my friends singing, drinking and puking, and having a ball.
When I married J I would imagine a car seat in my cute little Mercedes, then I had DJ and there was a car seat in my cute little Mercedes.  I remember driving home from work on the bridge between Mt. Pleasant and North Charleston, stuck in traffic, watching DJ's head bend to such an angle while he was sleeping that I thought for sure it was broken, then I would start to panic because stuck on the bridge there is no pulling over to check and make sure he was still alive :)
Then Asher came and we sold my cute Mercedes and got a *gasp* minivan!  Then I would watch and listen as DJ pointed out every car or truck and Asher screamed at the top of his lungs, until finally the day came we could turn him around! 
Now I look into my rear view mirror and I see my two sweet boys, DJ singing along to KLOVE bopping his head to the beat, Asher trying to catch my eye so he can say "hi mommy" with a shy little smile that makes his eyes go squinty from his fat cheeks.  All I can see of sweet baby Iz, in the mirror that faces her, is tiny feet which she has just discovered and she LOVES so they are always in the air, always in her hands.  I can listen to Iz's squeals of delight as DJ makes funny faces at her, and DJ and Asher having some very important brother conversations about types of cars and trucks, and that all animals are not called "moo" regardless of what Asher seems to think. 
Far gone are the days when my car was a lonely or peaceful place.  When I sneeze there are people in the car who say "bless you mommy" and when the radio plays a great song there are voices in the back shouting turn it up! 
I love the view in my rear view mirror and I am trying my hardest to remember exactly what I see in it today, because I know what I see tomorrow will be different; just as amazing, just as magical, but drastically different.