My Crazy Kids

This is what Ava would look like every day if I let her dress herself. She has the makings of a fashion designer.  In this ensemble she is sporting silver shoes, striped tights, a giraffe print skirt, a pink sweater over a grey short sleeve sweater over a floral print shirt, and a scarf wrapped around her head. This was her "after school" outfit today. She told me her other outfit was just too boring. For the record I do let her dress herself most days, but I usually have to help her tone it down a bit especially on school and church days. Today at school she insisted on wearing a purple shirt under her red sweater just to keep warm. I didn't argue since it's freezing outside, but when I picked her up she had taken off the sweater, and had been wearing a purple and blue heart print t-shirt with brown and red leggings all day.  Awesome! This girl has a mind of her own. (I'm not sure why these turned out blurry. . .)

Pretending to be scared!

Playing an air guitar. . .

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."

Pierson is obsessed with anything that looks remotely like a ball. He can spot them from 50 feet away, so you can imagine the joy when he woke up to a tree filled with balls. We have had to move many of them up after a few got thrown and broken.  He is such a ham right now. He loves to make people laugh by playing peek-a-boo and dancing. It's like he knows he's goofy and he acts silly just to get a reaction.  He will be 15 months old tomorrow and says several words: ball, basetball (basketball), two, mama, da (dad), Aba (Ava), ha (hat), papa, shoe, go, boo (book), ni-ni (night night), lots of animal sounds, owsigh (outside), tan-tu (thank you), cacker (cracker), ju (juice), bath tie (bath time), and he signs please, thank you, more, milk, and blows kisses to say bye-bye.  He is so much fun. We love watching him grow and learn! 

Chad's mini-me

He wouldn't take off his hat when we got home. He's loves wearing anything on his head (including Ava's headbands and tiaras.)

Smiley boy

Where have all the bloggers gone?

I started this blog back in 2005, before "blog mania" began. Back then the only links I had were my sister, my dad, my cousin, and Shelly.  Whenever I mentioned "blogging," most of my friends had never heard of it!  Skip ahead a few years, and now it seems that everyone I know is posting their own deep thoughts or photos of their kids.  I was really enjoying being connected to all my blogger friends.  But lately I have noticed that the once faithful updaters have been slacking and even the comments have dwindled.  I was beginning to wonder where all the bloggers had gone, and then I found you. . . on facebook!  The Internet is a funny, fickle thing.  There's always something newer, better, and cooler!  I had been holding off, but I finally gave in and joined fb. I have to admit that it is pretty addicting watching every one's status and finding friends. I'm not giving up this blog though.  It's been with me now for 4 years since Ava was a newborn!  So if I don't comment on your post, I am still reading, but I'll just catch you on facebook.

October

ACU HOMECOMING

Fun at the parade

We got to catch up with the Ridgells. This is Ava and Anna who were having a great time yelling "Go Number One" with their purple ACU foam fingers while at Sharon Allen's BBQ. Joe Don commented, "At least they're not yelling, 'Go Number Two!"

I also got to spend some time with my good friend, Heather, who was on the Coming Home Court this year. She had a busy weekend juggling reunion events while keeping up with 2 kids and a 3 month old, but we managed to get in some quality time, which I loved! I can't believe it's been 10 years since she graduated. 

HALLOWEEN

Ava wanted to be a bride this year, and Pierson ended up as a giraffe. 

She wasn't the only bride. Here she is with her friend, Anna.

Chad went as zookeeper with Pierson to our small group Halloween party. They're both sticking out their tongues like the giraffes at the Abilene Zoo.

Since Brandon couldn't make it, Kate and I went 

as bridesmaids with Ava.

One cute little animal.

This picture cracks me up because Ava posed it herself. She wanted to take pictures like a "real bride," so she took a series of bridal portraits . This is the classic "Bride looking down at the bouquet pose." 

Both kids together.

Okay I went a little crazy with the picture taking.  I love kids in costume.

OUR TRIP TO THE METROPLEX

We got to spend Halloween night in Fort Worth with our old small group.  It was great to catch up with friends.  This is me, Pierson and Julia as a bee.

All the pretty girls. Hard to believe that when we left Fort Worth all of these girls were babies.

On Friday night after the party, Chad and I left the kids with his parents and headed to Dallas for a much needed getaway weekend.  We hadn't spent time away with just the two of us since we moved to Abilene. It's hard to believe, but time goes quickly with little ones.  We kept commenting on how easy meals were- no clean up, no one to feed but ourselves, and I couldn't get over how quickly we could hop in and out of the car with no rounding up of kids, diaper bags and supplies, buckling everyone in, etc. I took this picture with a timer; you can tell we haven't taken pictures without kids in a while because neither of us knew what to do with our hands.  

We ended our trip in Decatur on Sunday afternoon with the Walters family.  It was good to spend time with everyone, and the weather was perfect. Our kids LOVE their cousins!

Elmo, Pumpkins & a Visit to the Farm

A few weeks ago, we enjoyed an afternoon with Teressa, Larry, Melissa & Bryson at the Elmo Live Show! Bryson danced the entire time. It was so cute. We had great seats and loved watching the kids watch Elmo! 

The Sesame Street Gang
Teressa (Larry hiding) and Bryson
A visit to the Abilene Pumpkin Patch

Ava picks the perfect pumpkin.
Posing with the kids
Ava paints her pumpkin with Grandma Ruby.
And finally. . .  a visit to May Farm for  a friend's birthday party. Pierson was a little freaked out by this goat.
Ava thought they were cute, but kept her distance.
I reluctantly put both kids on a horse for a short ride. I can honestly say that I had one of those gut motherly instincts that tells you not to do it, but I had seen other kids riding and figured I was just being paranoid. The horse's owner told me she was very tame and they had never had a child fall off. I did stay beside the kids the entire time. I stepped back to take this photo a few seconds before a bee flew by which made the horse shudder. This caused both of my children to fall off, head first in the opposite direction from where I was standing. It happened in about 0.3 seconds, but I saw everything in slow motion and I still could not reach them.   A mother's worst nightmare!  That moment has replayed in my mind and might be the scariest thing I have ever witnessed.  Amazingly both kids were fine. . . scared but not injured. I am praising God for His protection.  We might have a new fear of horses now, but no permanent damage was done. (And by we, I mean me.) 

My Little Man

I realized that I haven't posted about just Pierson in a while. He is so much fun these days.  He has quite a personality, but is much more silly and laid back than his sister.  He loves to climb on everything even though he isn't even walking independently yet.  He loves to run (with assistance) and he still loves to play ball and chase Ava.  He also likes to make silly faces when I get the camera out.  I can't believe he is one already. What a busy year this has been! A mom friend of mine described this phase of life well, "The days are long, but the years are short." So true! This has been the fastest year of my life. I have loved getting to be Pierson's mom and watching him grow. I can't wait to see what the next year brings. I just hope it doesn't go so quickly.

Silly face

AHS Football with K-Papa

Ava wanted to "fike" Pierson's hair

Walking. . . almost

Riding on Daddy's shoulders

Birthdays

We have had an exciting few weeks around here with my birthday in August and Ava and Pierson in September.

Here are some photos from the festivities. Kara and I celebrated our birthdays with our small group at Joe Allens and then Oplin!

Today we celebrated Ava and Pierson's birthdays as Ava turned 4 and Pierson will be one next week. We had a "Princess and the Frog" Party! My sweet cousins dressed as real princesses, painted faces, and took pictures with the girls! So cute!

After we recovered from the party, we headed up to ACU and let Ava try out her new birthday jeep! Pierson even got in on the action. I can't believe my babies are getting so big. It was a good day. . .

Holy Firit and other "F" Words

I'm averaging one post a month these days since I have been attempting to practice some sabbath rest with my family. I appreciate all of the comments on my last post, and was encouraged by all of you. I think that my computer was helping me with my season of rest because it has been intermittently crashing and now our USB port is messed up so I can't upload any photos.

I have enjoyed taking some time off from blogging, but I thought I would reenter with this funny list of "F" words I have been collecting from Ava. She is a very articulate 3 year old, but still has trouble with the "sp" sound, pronouncing it like an "f." My mom (the speech pathologist) does not seemed worried about this and says she'll grow out it, so I am just enjoying the hilarity of some the words and phrases that come out of her mouth. To decode the words, place an sp in place of the f. Here are some of my favorites:

1. She loves to sing about the Holy Firit.
2. Ava has always loved farkly shoes.
3. She reminds me to go the feed limit before I find a good parking fot (or parking face.)
4. She loves to go to her grandma's house to fend the night.
5. I need to fit!
6. Don't fill it!
7. I'm finning in circles!
8. He's my fecial friend.
9. While reading a book, she'll ask, "What does that fell?"
10. I like to feak fanish. (She's learing from Dora.)
11. I don't like to go to the pool because kids flash me. (This one took some exflaining.)
12. The farklers are freading out! (4th of July)
13. Ava likes to play the "I fy game" in the car
14. Ava loves to drink frite and eat with a foon.
15. Sometimes she thinks she needs some hairfray.
16. She likes to watch gymnasts do the flitz in the Olympics.
17. And finally, when Ava is in big trouble she asks, "Am I going to get a fankin' with a wooden foon?"

I can't end without saying a quick word about Pierson. He is such a ham! He loves to shake his head, stick out his tongue, bark when he sees a dog, clap, crawl and cruise on everything. He has 7 teeth and a huge smile! He loves his sister and crawls around looking for her when she leaves the room. He says, "Ada, mama, dada, ball, and more." He loves to look at books and push a ball or car all over the house. He is a joy, and I love being his mama! I wish I could post some recent photos. We'll try to get our computer fixed soon.

Seeking Sabbath

I am physically and spiritually tired. I don't know of many moms with young kids who aren't tired so I know that I am no different, but I am writing because I feel in my heart that my family and I are desperately in need of Sabbath. Not just a nap (although a nap would be nice), but rest that comes from dwelling in the presence of the Lord. . .Sabbath rest.

Even God rested after creation. He rested for a whole day. I can't even remember the last time I rested for an entire day. Truthfully I don't even think I know how. Part of that is because of my "type A" personality and my stage of life--being the mother of two small children, but I also think that part of it is due the media-saturated, consumer driven, fast paced culture in which we live. I feel like our life has slowed down considerably since we moved to Abilene. The commute alone cuts our stress level in half. But even in a small town, we still find ways of being busy.

I was reading to Ava the other day from her children's bible the story of Moses and the 10 commandments. I know them by heart but heard them anew as I read to her. I was struck by the fact that I have grown up in the church and have rarely heard anything taught about honoring the Sabbath. I love how simply Ava's Bible summarizes the verse from Deuteronomy: "Rest on the Sabbath day. Keep it Holy." It's listed right before "Honor your father and mother, Do not murder, Do not commit adultery. . ." I heard quite a bit about those growing up, so why did we overlook resting and keeping the Sabbath holy? Honestly, I feel kind of jipped. Why have we been skipped over the Sabbath when it is so obviously the thing we all need the most?-- Time to stop working and remember God.

Since this idea of Sabbath has been surfacing in conversation and study, it's all I can see and hear lately. Every magazine and news segment deals with the an issue related to familys' being overstressed, overtired, overstimulated, overcommited, or overworked. A good friend and mentor of mine recently said that one way we can be countercultural as a body of believers is stop doing all of the things we think we have to do "be church" and take time to meditate on what it means to keep the Sabbath holy. Now that's revolutionary! I haven't spent enough time in study and prayer to know what Sabbath rest looks like in our culture and churches, but I'm pretty sure that God didn't intend for us just to stop by church on our way to lunch, and then head home with our long list of Sunday to-do's. I am longing for God to lead me beside quiet waters and restore my soul, to hide me in the shadow of His wing, to go with Him to a quiet place where He will give me rest, to be still and know that He is God. He promises that He will do these things. I am reading a book by Anne Lamott. Here's an excpert,". . .breath is our connection to holy spirit, to our bodies, minds and souls; and if the devil can't get you to sin, he'll keep you busy."

If you were at Highland a couple of months ago, then you heard Richard Beck talking about hospitality and seeing God in the stranger. The whole sermon was filled with nuggets of truth. God was speaking through Richard in powerful ways, but for me the most profound thing he said was, "God has a pace and it is slow." If we want to be a reflection of Him, we have to slow down enough to be open to the opportunities He is laying before us. I never thought of it like that before. Our culture glorifies a fast-pace, multi-tasking and busyness, but God's timing is slow.

I'm not really sure what to do with all of this. I know some people who, in their very nature, just have restful spirits. I am not one of those people. I have a running to do list in my head that never ends. It is hard for me to be still and listen, to honor the Sabbath and not work, to rest my soul. But I long for it, and I am praying that God will teach me.