New blog

In case you still come looking around her for some words from yours truly...I haven't posted anything in about a year and a half...well this is changing...come check out my new blog at www.apennyforyourthoughts-allison.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Family Vacation

We are just returning home tonight from our first family of 4 vacation. We didn't drive to go visit any family. We didn't meet any family at our location...it was just us...Jason, Allison, Caroline, and Wyatt. It was divine. You know I didn't know if it would be. Would it feel like we were just doing life in another location...it didn't feel that way...even cooking dinner seemed easier...kids appreciated food different...Jason and I connected...kids slept in same room even though we had space that they didn't have to but they requested that they should...they slept well, played well...I think we only had one spanking, a couple of wipe outs, lots of new words from Wyatt (like elevator, I got it, There it is, beach, jelly bean, ice cream)...there too will be a sufficient detox from all the videos watched in the car and at night...but hey...it was vacation...I loved it...Thankful we made the decision to try it this year...overall thankful!

The Generous Spirit

About a month ago I began talking to Caroline about donating her hair to locks of love. I told her that there are some kids that are sick and don't have hair. Would she like to give them hers...she paused and said "Yeah let's do it after naps." I laughed and said well, you've got a wedding that you're in in a couple weeks, lets wait until after the wedding. So, about 2 days after the wedding she said, "Mom the wedding is over, we have to cut my hair." I love it.
I wasn't sure how she would react...when they cut would she cry and beg for them to put it back on (would I cry and beg for them to put it back on)...neither happened...our little lady behaved again with such grace...I love it! I told Jason that I feel very responsible for raising her to know that truly "your beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised"...she won't always have gorgeous hair, so I don't want her to associate her worth with it...anyway...here is a look at her new look...

The Flower Girl

Caroline was asked to be a flower girl in a wedding. It was sweet Kelsey Stubbs (now Cordell). Kelsey has babysat for us since C was born. I have had the opportunity to mentor Kelsey for a while...it is a sweet relationship. Anyway, we have practiced and gotten ready...but oh what I experienced couldn't have prepared me for what I felt that night.
We did all the hoopla that a wedding should have...the rehearsal dinner (you'll see the pic w/ her adorned in her hoopla that the bride got for her) she instantly became 16 I am pretty sure. Then the next day she decided that she wanted to wear her tutu (that Kelsey also got her) to arrive at the wedding in...hilarious...then she got dressed...and from here on out I was so impressed with our girl.
She did a lot of waiting around like you do when you are in a wedding. Never did I hear a complaint, or a whine...never...she chose to behave w/ respect to those asking things of her, when the rain moved the wedding indoors and she had to roll with it...she did...then came the time for me to leave her upstairs w/ the girls, and make my way downstairs to sit w/ Jason and await her arrival. I told her I was going downstairs and was she ok. She said she was. I was nervous...not because I was afraid for her, or wanting her to be perfect...I just kept telling her all weekend to have fun...but here is what I came to realize. I had my first proud parent moment. You see, it was the first time that I became an observer of her life. I wasn't in control...she was...I had no say in how she did "it"...what happened was this...all the girls walk down, the music is building, and I see her little white bow above the tops of peoples heads...walking slowly...then she turns the corner with the most gorgeous calm smile on her face and she was tossing those petals, and walking, and smiling...she's never done a thing in front of people...I mean truly you never know what you're going to get w/ a flower girl...right...we've all seen them loose it...never make it down the aisle...but for me...it wasn't the perfection that she gave walking down the aisle that I was so proud of...but w/ tears streaming down my face I was observing my daughter make a choice w/ how she wanted to behave, treat others, step up to the plate at game time and deliver, then wait w/ grace even longer for that darned cake! I was just so proud of her. To top it all off, as the wedding is happening - vows are being said - she realizes that she still has all these petals in her basket, what to do. Jason just tells her to drop them on her way back out at the end. And so she does...it was great. Enjoy the pics of our little lady.

Seeing Old Friends

I apologize for my lack of blogging....probably have lost any readers I once had...well...here's to new beginnings...the fall is approaching (although you would never know from the heat outside)...there are some happenings that I wanted to capture here...so there will be several posts to come...

We had the awesome opportunity to catch up w/ dear friends Keith & Hope West and their two boys Jed and Bo. I worked w/ Keith and Hope at Kanakuk. She and I walked every day together, traveled together, dreamed of walking with our babies together, prayed for our lives together, she was in my wedding...and now we just live too far apart. But every year about this time she and her fam come cruising through Atlanta b/c they have just been to see Keith's fam in North Carolina. Well...we met for lunch, Keith never having met my kids, I only having seen Jed (now almost 5) right after he was born, and Bo (almost 3) when he was about 9 months old...our kids played so great together, and Hope and I spotted a few "glances" between Jed and Caroline...do see it too? Anyway, it made me so thankful for stolen moments w/ friends. Like my mom says...I don't think that absence makes the heart grow fonder...it is being w/ people that makes it grow fonder. I have missed Hope...it was a pleasure to be w/ her and her men.

Playing together

Yesterday was priceless...the kids are learning about playing together. It is so great to watch them and hear them. It was after naps and they stayed upstairs playing. They had crawled into the cradle which is the "boat" and I hear Caroline in there instructing Wyatt. Here's how the conversation went:
C: "Wyatt this is an apple. Can you say apple?"
W: "Apple"
C: "Good job buddy that's right. This is an alligator. Can you say alligator?"

etc etc. And this kind of conversation went on for over 10 min I bet. She is often getting married, and he is often her prince (even when he doesn't know it). She asks us who her "special man" will be...when I say I don't know his name yet I ask her if she would like to pray for him...she does...so we do.

Wyatt is ALL boy. I love it. And he is sweet to his mamma. Today as we waited for Jason after the service he smothered me with kisses. Probably 10 in a row...precious. He is into riding his bike, as is she. He loves "Lightning" "Doc" and "Mater"...he loves rough housing...

They both love the water. We are at the pool most days, thankful for the reprieve from the heat.

Mostly in these last few weeks watching them I realize - AGAIN - just how fast this is going. I mean was it really already a year ago that WC began all his puking and we realized it was reflux...has it really been a year since we potty trained Caroline...Lord in the midst of me trying to find a way to "kill time"...let me soak this up...let me soak it in...I think often of the passage that talks about Jesus' mother Mary "hiding these things in her heart."

....me too

pics: Caroline trying on her flower girl dress and practicing being a flower girl
Wyatt: swimming lesson and being well cute :)

New Musings

So sorry it has been awhile ....not sure anyone reads this except me anyway...hopefully our kids will someday and it'll be calming to them, reassuring, encouraging etc.
Sooo today...this is more about something w/ me than w/ the kids. I was out running a costuming errand at one of my old stomping grounds from when I worked. I am prepping for a video shoot this Friday. When I walked in w/ Caroline and Wyatt they were so glad and surprised to see us. When we couldn't find one of the things I needed the owner just said "Didn't I hear you say you were going to take the kids to lunch?" "Yes" "Why don't you take them to get some food and I'll just make you one." ...What?! She'll make me one..."We'd do anything for you Allison."...I just love when relationships that you invest in come back into your circle and you are able to see that investment at work. Does that make sense. It's been 3 years since I've been there on a weekly basis...They all hugged me, gushed over the kids...it was great.

The kids...are well...GREAT! I love this season. Caroline is 3 - full of words...I mean full...the swim instructor says one day after lessons... "Wow, how old is she again. Yeah I've never been around a 3 year old that talks that much." I'm going to take that as a compliment! :)
Wyatt is 18 months, communicating...loves singing "You Baby" and "Love on the Rocks" from the Jazz Singer - Neil Diamond baby! He is full of energy, full of life, opinion (mostly about food), and is a joy to watch him share w/ his sister, love on her, and have an opinion about when Jason tries to hug me or touch me of any kind...he's not a fan! Makes me laugh.

Life is good. Loving it!