Voice Memo

The girls left me a surprise voice memo on my phone. The only way to put it on the blog was to make a slide show, so the pictures don't matter. Just listen to the message. So fun!

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We went on our 10 year anniversary trip this past week. WOW...a week away from the kids!! The hubs is a secretive one, so this was no different.  I had NO idea where we were going....which is usually how he rolls.  I surely thought I would get to pack my suitcase, but instead he put Emily on the task.  He gave her a "manly" budget to which he said, "she blew right past." HA!! GO EM!  That's a true sister....one who will shop for you, pack your bags, and wave with excitement....even though she's not going anywhere but boot camp every morning.  Thank you sweet Emmy for getting me ALL SET.

She did not bring my suitcase over until the night before.  I woke up in the night and thought I might..sneak a little peak...just in case I forgot something...and this message put me right back in the bed.

With my secret suitcase and passport (which I newly acquired earlier this summer because I've never needed one) in tow, our destination was FINALLY revealed. We arrived in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico at the Banyan Tree, Mayakoba.  My taste buds were already confused (my stomach makes all the important decisions on vacation)...a Thai resort in the land of salsa and guacamole...awesome:)

 It was BEAUTIFUL! Quiet too...just what I needed.  My bag showed up on our door step. I didn't even notice the room or the pool....I wanted to see what was in that SUITCASE!  Of course, my sister has no fashion faith in me whatsoever (with good reason), so she wrote on the back of every tag what "bottoms" and jewelry coordinated with each.

Off to dinner! Em...good work. I don't look like a mommy after all.

This is two pictures merged together, but this is the true arrangement of our "villa."  Our room is on the right, and a "game room" type area was across the way on the left.  The villas were not located on the beach...rather they were about a 10 minute bike ride. One of my favorite parts of the place was riding bikes . We rode our bikes all over...to breakfast, to the beach, to the gym, to the spa, in the rain, and  in the sun.  I think we probably developed a little bit of a reputation because I didn't see any other couples zipping around on their bikes as much as we did.   I felt like a neighborhood kid again...loved every second.

He's a good egg (as my mom would say).  He had several surprises through out the week.  I was just there to relax, rest, and read, but I was treated like a treasure.  My dear friend and room mate in pharm school once said, "whoever we marry...they are to LOVE us, CHERISH us, and TREASURE us. Don't settle for anything less"...or something like that.  It certainly wasn't being waited on hand and foot or the incredible dinners at night, but it was the thoughtfulness that went into every detail. It was the way he turned around 100 times when we were riding bikes from the beach as it started pouring down rain....to make sure I hadn't slipped off the path. It was all the things he does to take care of me which I "normally" just don't take the time to notice. I was so thankful for the time I had to spend with my best friend....so thankful to be reassured that even though much of the last 10 years has been dominated by  runny noses, dirty diapers, piles of laundry, grocery lists, and shift work, the Lord has blessed me with a husband who cherishes me, treasures me, and loves me....so thank you husband..for a perfect week.  Oh and thank you Bunny, Nanna, and Emmy....and Jeanna, Christy, Amy, Kristen,Amanda, Elizabeth, Karen, Adam, and Robin...(good gracious..it really does take a village!) for making it all possible!  Ha!

Ready for school mom!

Mary has been ready for school for the last 3 weeks because she's had to watch Allie jump out of the car every morning....excited to go to school. Sometimes it's just hard being number 2. Today finally arrived for her.  We met her teachers last week, and as we left the school, she was VERY disappointed.  I asked her what in the world she was crying for, and she replied, "THEY WERE SUPPOSE TA TEACH ME HOW TO READ TONIGHT."  Aww....she had misunderstood me when I had told her she was going to learn to read this year. She had been so excited and thought it happened in one day!

Pre-K year...4.5 years old

"The boy" as I like to call him, started today too. He's going a couple of days a week. Now don't laugh at his school day duds. I ran across these over the weekend, and this mamma couldn't resist. I'm squeezing the last bit of "little boy" out of him that there is left.

Beach Scrap

I am WAY behind on my year book, and so I'm in catch up mode.  I found this cute beach kit on smilebox.com while I was showing Katie some neat things on their site.  You just DRAG AND DROP and save. To be able to save the pics and upload to shutterfly.com ( which is where I make my book), you have to pay for a club membership which is abour $40/year, but I think it's so worth it! It saves me a lot of time. I did the top 4 pages at smilebox, and then made the rest on Photoshop. 

Baby noises

Thanks to the hubs hanging around here with two of the kids, I was able to take a road trip to get my baby fix!  Middle Mary was "super duper" excited to spend a few days with me by herself.  I was "super duper" excited to finally meet my new nephew, Colson!!!!  He's already 7 weeks old, but it's not easy to visit a new born with three kids in tow, so I had to be patient. Finally....

It didn't take long for Mary to warm up. She and Zach were a perfect pair...she was happy to entertain, and he was happy to tell her what to do next! They really enjoyed each other:) 

We fed the ducks....

...threw some rocks (thankfully not at each other)...

...watched Colson sleep....

..listened to him make those sweet baby noises..

loved on Colson..

bounced in the jump house with Zach..

watched Colson smile at his beautiful mommy...

                         

(can't post too many pics of those first baby smiles!)

...fed the cows...

rode four wheelers...

..and ran through the chicken houses!

Are you as tired as we were?

I'm so thankful this worked out!  I'm so thankful that Colson is SOO content, healthy, and doing well...and even MORE thankful that laughter, hope, and joy abound in their sweet home again.  Katie sent me home with a plant which she gave all the family at Reese's one year celebration.  Wow, how much a green little plant will brighten up a room. I never knew I needed a plant right where it is sitting, and now every time my eyes are drawn to it, I will think of them, and of Reese, and of the Lord's faithfulness to bring life to His children even in the darkest of days.

PS: There will be no talk of the baby noises we heard. If Allie gets wind of this post, I am TOAST...you hear me TOAST!!! Thankfully Mary was too tired to talk when we got home yesterday!

Hey tooth fairy...check this out!

Allie is getting into the "orthodontic" phase already. She was so crowded that her 6 year molars couldn't come down, so she's had her baby molars pulled.  The dentist held the tooth up to show me the "whopper" root that was on the tooth. YIKES! It was longer than the tooth itself!

Pass it on down

Garrett obviously does not have many things passed down from the girls.  He will be going to "school" 2 days a week REALLY SOON, and so being the third child, I just now started to think about what he might need. Allie had a nap mat several years ago that is identical to the pink one you see below....which is Mary's.  I hadn't gotten rid of it, so I "spruced it up" with boy fabric.  

I'm sure Garrett REALLY COULD CARE less about his nap mat. I just hope he'll stay on it! To my sewing friends, Beth Ann and Gretchen....DON'T look too close. You wouldn't be proud or impressed!

Now that it's done....I can "Rest" easy:)