Better Than Counting Sheep...

Here are the videos I promised to share of Abby singing to Drew with her new guitar. Sorry the video quality is not very good. The lights are dimmed because it's bedtime.





Obviously, we are quite proud. ;)

And, we'll be contacting American Idol in about 14 years...

Yep, I'm Still Talking About Easter...

Easter was weeks ago. A tiny blip in most people's rear-view mirror. Yet, here I am, still blogging about it.

But, I finally made it through ALL the pictures and the memories are so sweet that I'm not afraid to document them even though it is practically May.

So, who wants to see more Easter pictures?!

Anyone?

*Tap-Tap* This thing on?

Ok, it's just me then. Here we go!

We traveled to Tampa on Saturday to spend the day with my nephews and their parents. We had lots of fun playing with Ryan and baby Tyler and the kids were BEYOND excited to spend the night - what an adventure!

Easter morning I got some cute pics of Drew and Abby lovin' on their baby cousin.






We waited for Matt's parents and Joe & Kelly to arrive before we did Easter baskets and the egg hunt.

Here is what the baskets looked like this year -


The kids seemed thrilled with their gifts. Actually, only Abby seemed thrilled. She was genuinely excited about every single thing she pulled out of the basket.

Drew, on the other hand, seemed happy enough. He was pleased, but definitely not over-the-top happy about any of the items. Truth be told, I think he was just ready to get on with the egg hunt.

The boy is turning out to be quite competitive.

Being the tallest one does have its advantages...


Abby and Ryan held their own though!


How sweet! Drew is pointing out a princess egg to Abby -


We put coins in all of the Easter eggs this year. For Christmas, my Aunt Kris got the kids some money jars that count the money as each coin is added. Drew and Abby both have about $40 in their jars and they are always asking (read: begging) for more coins to put in their money jars.

I also had special eggs for each child that contained a dollar bill. Drew's were baseball eggs, Abby's were princess eggs, and Ryan's were Elmo eggs!








After the egg hunt, Grandma called everyone inside and put on some music for dancing!




Then it was time to eat the chocolate bunny. I cannot even begin to describe Abby's delight in this fine piece of candy. Those bunny ears were gone mere seconds after this picture was taken.


But, we had other bunny ears for a fun photo op!


It was a fun family weekend made even more special by all the people we were able share it with.


Happy Easter!

Egg Hunt!

We headed over to my friend Danielle's house on the Saturday before Easter. Danielle and I have been friends since we were 5 years old. We have shared many happy memories and seen each other through many trying circumstances. We have 5 children between us and they all love each other - everyone especially loves new baby Graham!

However, let's be real.

I'm really only friends with her anymore because her backyard is so rockin' cool. Seriously, it's like an amusement park without the cost of admission.

They host an annual Easter party with an egg hunt that has become a huge hit with the kids. When I told Drew and Abby where we were going they knew just what to expect. Lots of eggs, lots of prizes, lots of kids, and lots of fun!!


And, they're off!


Look at this! They are finding eggs while climbing on a tree fort - so much fun!






Our pretty girls!


Checking out the loot in the Easter eggs!


Trampoline time!




This is a regular swing that hangs from a tree. It can go amazingly high!


Dewane recently added this tire swing - Abby loved it!




Giggles on the seesaw!


We had such a fun morning!


Thanks Snyder Family!

And, I was just kidding before.

We don't just love you for your awesome backyard.

That would be shallow.

We'll always be best of friends, no matter what kind of backyard you have.

But we are going to have to ask that you don't let baby Graham get any bigger...cause we sure do love playing with that sweet baby boy!

My Nephews

Well, I finally uploaded my pictures from Easter weekend to the computer.

There were 217.

That's going to take some time to edit.

And I'm thinking about joining a group for people addicted to taking pictures.

Because, clearly, I have a problem. You know, because I felt it was necessary to take 200 more pictures than the average person took this Easter.

Ahem.

Anyway, these photos of my nephews were just begging to be edited first. And they are too cute not to share!

Baby Tyler is such a sweetie. Seriously, the best baby I've ever met. He's content and happy and easy and adorable! I was so excited to take his picture - it was the first thing I did when we arrived in Tampa on Saturday.








Big Brother, Ryan, joined in on our little photo shoot.


It seems he takes every available opportunity to give his baby brother lots of love!






I sure do love those boys!!

Happy Easter!

We just got home from a very fun weekend with our family! The kids had a fantastic time with their cousins - sleepovers with Ryan and Tyler are always a treat!

I'll post pictures of our Easter weekend soon, however, I'll first need to get the pictures loaded onto my computer from the camera!

In the meantime, here are some of the photos taken of the kids when we visited the Easter Bunny on Friday...






My Drew cracks me up! His personality is the greatest and the next three pictures just make me laugh!






Such a handsome guy -




Pretty Abby Grace loved the bunnies and butterflies!












Happy Easter!!

Fleeting

We have a tree in our backyard. It blooms once a year. Early Spring.

The tree is full of yellow flowers for just a few weeks. Then, slowly, the flowers begin to fall to the ground and the brilliance of color is gone until next Spring.

This is what the tree looked like 4 years ago. I was 9 months pregnant with my Abby Grace.


This tree had fallen over in the hurricanes during the Summer of 2004.

We lost several trees in our backyard that Summer...






All of them were cut up and taken away.

But, for some reason we decided to use some stakes to prop up the tree with yellow flowers. It continues to bloom every Spring.

This is what it looked like this year.


I'm so happy when the tree is blooming. We see it each time we drive into the neighborhood and the yellow flowers remind me that my favorite season has finally arrived.


The flowers don't last for very long so I've learned to appreciate them while they are here.




And, sadly, they fall just a few weeks after they have bloomed.

However, I am blessed with a precious girl. She LOVES flowers just as much as her Mama. And she has been so excited for Spring with all her talk of flowers blooming, bees buzzing, and warm sunshiney days ahead.

So we ventured outside one afternoon to enjoy the last of those pretty yellow flowers...




She gathered them up in her hands.


And then she threw them up into the air!


She giggled as they fell all around her so we did it again and again!






I've never been happier that we kept that tree.

Hosanna!

Today is Palm Sunday.

When Drew and Abby were babies, Matt and I sat in the sanctuary at church on Palm Sunday and watched as the young children walked up and down the aisles waving palm branches. After the service, we agreed it was very sweet and couldn't wait until our own children would be old enough to participate.

Today was that day. I told them both that they would be in the "parade" and that I couldn't wait to see them as they entered the sanctuary. I found a seat right on the aisle so they would be able to see me.

Abby's class came first and as soon as I saw her I felt my eyes fill with tears. What a precious sight she was - just beaming as I waved and smiled at her. Drew was the leader as his class came in next. Again, my throat felt tight as I held back tears. My heart was filled to overflowing with love for the sweet boy who smiled shyly as he walked by me.

In the moment, I didn't know quite what it was that would make me cry. After all, it was just my kids holding a palm branch. I don't get that emotional when they pick up a stick at the park...what gives? As I looked around though, other mothers were wiping their eyes and smiling proudly as they saw their own children.

I was not alone.

And that's because it's not just that our kids walked by us waving palm branches. What they were doing symbolized the great celebration that took place so long ago in Jerusalem.

On Palm Sunday. A day for celebration before the darkness of Good Friday and before the rejoicing that comes once again on Easter Sunday.

Hosanna was the cry of praise shouted in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem. Though he was a king, he entered as a common man.

Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

The "Hosannas" quickly turned to "crucify" once Jesus was nailed to the cross. His crown was not one of a king, but a crown of thorns. A crown that He wore as He died to save us from our sins, though He had led a sinless life.

And the love I was feeling for my children as I watched them in church today? It cannot even compare to the love that my Father feels for me.

Because He is perfect and I am not even close to perfect. My love for my children is pure and strong and overwhelming in its intensity. However, my actions and words do not always reflect this.

I love my children and would do anything for them. That does not EVER change. However, I am also impatient, weak, quick to anger, and a whole other host of imperfections that leave me wondering if I am a good mom at all.

I was reminded today of something Abby said to me many months ago. We were in the car and I heard her cry out from her car seat behind me. I asked her what was wrong and with distress she replied, "I got a cut on my foot today at school! This is just awful!" I assured her that it was just a small cut and she would be fine. A few minutes later I heard a loud sigh from the backseat and again I asked her what was wrong.

"Mama, I don't like this cut. This is just not the way God made me."

And today as I sat in church and listened to the wonderful message from Pastor Joel and thought about the precious children that I've been blessed with, I thought to myself, "I don't like the way I am. This is just not the way God made me."

I know I was meant to be a mother. And I know that I am a good mother. But, motherhood is the most important thing I will ever do. I don't want to miss my chance to get it right as all of my imperfections work against me and get in the way of shaping the minds and hearts of my children.

Being a mother is like no other relationship or experience I've ever had. Sometimes it's fun and games. Sometimes it's long conversations trying to convey an important lesson or value. The days can be frustratingly repetitive. The hours are filled with a combination of activities that you wouldn't find listed on a resume. Things like hugging, caretaking, correcting, driving, wiping, laughing, cleaning, snuggling, entertaining, disciplining, sighing, reminding, conflict resolving, kissing, lesson teaching, prodding, encouraging - all as their own expressions of my deep love for my children.

And though all of these things do express my love for them, they also wear on me as I do them over and over and over - sometimes feeling as if I'm getting nowhere at all.

Today I realized this is probably how God feels about me - He is always there for me, He blesses me, He provides His word for me, He answers prayer, He sits in the aisle seat so He can watch me with pride...

And I am like a stubborn child who will not see it. Oh, how He would probably love to send me to "time out" just as I do with my children when they disobey, don't listen, do something that is hurtful, or when I know they just need time to think about what they have done or said.

I really heard the message today from Dr. Hunter: I can't believe enough to fix the mess I am in. I can't do enough to get out of that very same mess. I can't have enough faith to make the mess all go away.

A relationship with Jesus is the only way out. God's ability is what gets us through. To trust Him that all these circumstances will work together for good. To acknowledge Him - that He is in control. He loves me. He has a plan.

God made me for relationship. With my husband, my children, my family, and my friends. And He made me for relationship with Him. And so it is with renewed desire that I attempt to model that for my children. That I do my best to see them through His perfect eyes. Even when it is frustrating. Even when it is repetitive. Even when I feel like I can't do it for another single second.

Today more than ever, I left the service feeling the weight of motherhood on my shoulders. And then I went to pick Abby up from her Sunday School class. The teacher pulled me aside as Abby was walking over from the group.

"You know," she whispered to me, "I just wanted to tell you that I can really tell everything you must do with Abby at home. She is such a good listener - she always knows the answers to the questions about the bible story. And she is so well-behaved and has such a kind heart. She really is a very special little girl. I just felt like I wanted to tell you how special she is."

Of course, I thanked her profusely. However, my initial thought was - "No, she is that way in spite of me."

As I was thinking about the exchange later in the day, it suddenly occurred to me what God had done. He knew how I was feeling. He knew I needed encouragement. He knew I was having doubts about my impact as a mother.

And He provided Abby's teacher as an immediate response of encouragement.

What was my initial reaction? To not accept it.

A stubborn child...

Pastor Joel once said, "Mothers stand on holy ground." It doesn't matter if I'm making a sandwich, bandaging a boo boo, or teaching an important life lesson - I'm standing on holy ground. My actions, my words, my reactions to things - everything I do teaches my children how to relate to this world. And how to relate to The One who created them in His perfect love.

Soon I will go in to check on my sleeping babies. Their faces will look peaceful and innocent - like angels. I do this every night. And every single night I feel my throat tighten and the tears begin to well up in my eyes. Because I know what a blessing they are. I know how wonderful they are. I know their lives are so very precious.

And I know that there are so many things that I could have done better during the day.

I want to be better for them. I want to be the mother they deserve. The one God intended for them to have.

I want to be just the way God made me...

Happy Birthday Abby Grace!

Today is the day. My sweet baby girl turns 4 years old.

She is smart and funny and ever so beautiful. She loves to dress up as a princess and she wrestles on the floor with her Daddy. She likes to have her nails painted and she digs in the dirt with her fingers. She is a good little mama to her baby dolls and she quite enjoys defeating the dark side with lightsabers. She is outgoing and bubbly and at other times is impossibly shy. She is thoughtful and generous and sensitive and caring and then she gets mad at her brother for no reason.

She has the voice of an angel and yet she whines enough each day to take me right to the edge of insanity. She has a great sense of fashion (thanks, Aunt Anna) and then is annoyed with me almost every day because she doesn't like the outfit I have chosen for her.

She has a heart of gold and a smile that can light up a room. Her giggles are contagious and her hugs - well, there's just no words for how it feels to receive her love.

We can't imagine our lives without her.

Our family gathered at our house this past Sunday before her birthday party. We visited, opened presents, and celebrated the birthday girl.

Here are some pictures of the people who most love our Abby Grace...

Mommy-


Daddy -


Grams and Aunt Anna -


Grandma and Grandpa -


Aunt Denise, Uncle Joe, and Ryan -


Uncle Adam -


Time to open presents!


Drew is so silly - he had everyone laughing with this bow tied around his head.


A birthday hug for his little sister.


Abby has loved dressing up as a cheerleader lately. Aunt Anna and Kyle got her this awesome Gator cheerleader dress, pom poms, and ribbons for her hair.


There were two main things Abby wanted for her birthday this year. The first was a real, pink guitar. Uncle Austin and Uncle Michael were happy to fulfill her wish!


The other thing she wanted was her own camera that would take real pictures. Grandma and Grandpa found the perfect princess camera for her. Aunt Denise, Uncle Matt, Ryan and Tyler got her some great scrapbook stuff so she could have a place to put all of her pictures!


Ryan was happy to help with all of the present opening. He is such a cutie and my kids love him SO much! (P.S. We missed you Uncle Matt and baby Tyler!)


My kids have been asking for a pet for as long as I can remember. They really want a dog, but Daddy has told them that the only pet they can have is fish. Grams was happy to oblige.


They were so excited - they couldn't believe it! They immediately came up with names for the fish. Abby named her two fish Goldie and Leia. We got one blue fish for Drew and he named his Superman. Uncle Adam was so proud!


Thanks, Grams!


She loves her real guitar. And it's a huge bonus that it's pink and has jewels on it. Abby likes to pretend she is Hannah Montana. She also likes to sing lullabies to us before bed. I'll post video of that soon!


Kyle and Drew had so much fun playing with the Star Wars toys. Kyle is so great with my kids!


Happy Birthday sweet daughter! We love you more than you will ever know!

She Likes To Party

We had Abby's birthday party this past Sunday. It was supposed to be at a park. However, weather.com was toying with me all week long with it's forecast for a 60% chance of rain on Sunday.

Let me just say here that Florida is experiencing a drought. There has been NO rain and plenty of fires because of it. Except, you know, on the day we have an outside party planned. I watched enough weather reports on TV to practically consider myself a meteorologist, and I drove the people around me crazy with my high level of stress.

Would it rain? Would it not rain? Why does Mother Nature dislike me so? And, why in the world do the weather people have the only job where it really doesn't matter if they are right? Things change on a dime and then they just shrug their shoulders and move on to the next front coming through...

Anyway, on Friday I finally waved the white flag and called Miss Cassie at My Gym. I knew it was a long shot, but I asked her if they had a party time available on Sunday.

In two days.

And she saved the day and said, yes, they could host the party from 4-6 on Sunday. No, she was not working. But, yes, she would come in just for us!

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Returned almost everything I had bought. Called every single person on our party list. And then prayed and prayed for lots of rain to justify all this extra work.

Abby totally rolled with the changes because she loves My Gym and Miss Cassie. See, here's proof!


Abby also loves her best friend, Sherilyn. These are two of the fanciest girls I have ever met!


After some free play, Miss Cassie had the kids sit in a circle with Abby in the middle. Each child introduced themselves and then was to say something nice to Abby. She loved the attention!


Here the kids are all lined up and receiving instructions for the first of many fun games. Miss Cassie and Miss Laura did such a great job - all of the kids were really into the games and had a blast!


One of the games was chase. While watching the kiddos run around in circles, my brother turned to my sister's boyfriend and began talking smack about how he would beat him in a game of chase.


That gave me an idea. So, I went over to Miss Cassie with my suggestion. Next thing we knew - Austin, Adam, and Kyle had their very own turn!

Oh. My. Word.

Y'all, it was funny. The kind of funny where your sides hurt from laughing so hard and your eyes water with tears and you are still talking about it the whole next week whenever you see someone who was at the party.

The chase finally ended when Adam leaped through the air, horizontal to the ground, and finally tagged Kyle.

Awesome.


As fun as it was, the focus went back to the kids!


This little boy owns my heart.


All kinds of fun was had in the ball pit...






Abby got to sit up high on the swing while the kids marched in a circle around her singing Happy Birthday. She loved every second of it!


Admiring her cake...


Make a wish!


This little girl is sweeter than sugar. And her parents adore her.


She wanted a piece with a big, pink flower on it. Girlfriend only likes the icing - she won't touch the cake part!


Down the zip line...all the kids loved this!


Abby really wanted to have a princess pinata at her party. It had to be a pull-string one because we couldn't use a bat at the gym. The kids didn't seem to mind and they all got plenty of candy!


The party couldn't have been more of a success. The place/time change didn't keep anyone from being able to be there. My Gym is so much fun - and - so little work for the parents since Miss Cassie and Miss Laura handled almost everything. The kids had a terrific time - there were smiles all around!

We came home and watched Abby (with some help from Drew) open all of her presents. She was in heaven - surrounded by princesses, barbies, polly pockets, and other assorted treasures.

It had been a busy, fun-filled birthday celebration. And these two munchkins had a great time!



More family pictures coming tomorrow on Abby's birthday!!