Let Them Be Little

This week has been our spring break and I can think of no other destination that I would rather be than at home with my boys!  Everyday is an adventure for them.  I am so thankful for their boisterous imaginations and enthusiasm over the smallest things. They can turn a bath into an ocean adventure, a romp in the backyard into a rain forest expedition, and a simple tent over a table in the living room will suddenly turn into Simba and Nala's cave at Pride Rock.  There is really no place they would rather be than at home and I know that I don't have many more years for that to be true.  Sooner than later they are going to think I'm not cool anymore, think that the fun is never at our house, and not appreciate one another in the least, much less yell, "Who wants to 'nuggle me?" from the top of the stairs! I am not looking forward to the future if that is the case.  If only I could make time stand still for weeks like this one.  We have played, created, messed, and been carefree the whole week.  I love it!  Unfortunately I do have to go back to work and "reality" will hit Monday morning at 5:30 a.m. but I know it will be summer break soon and I'll get to absorb what "stay at home mommies" have for a couple of months with little interruptions. If I ever catch myself wishing these times away I need to remind myself to "let them be little"!   

Braydon & Rhett goofing off in the tub...there was a lot of splashing going on!

Braydon's "big" 4 year old feet.

Rhett's little 2 year old feet.

Just being silly..or a "silly goose" as Rhett would call him.

All clean and mean!  Straight from the bath to battle the "monster guys" of our home.  I feel so safe ;)

Garett's Grandma "Nemo" reminded me of this song not too long ago and ever since I've been thinking about it's lyrics...they ring so true!

Thanks Nemo!

"Let Them Be Little"
[Originally written and sung by Billy Dean]

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand
Felt so good in it, no bigger than a minute
How it amazes me, you're changing with every blink
Faster than a flower blooms they grow up all too soon

So let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

I've never felt so much in one little tender touch
I live for those kisses, prayers and your wishes
Now that you're teaching me things only a child can see
Every night while we're on our knees all I ask is please

Let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

So innocent, a precious soul, you turn around
It's time to let them go

So let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

Let them be little

Roses & Thorns

& 

"Roses & Thorns" is a game I read about in one of my Mom's many magazines while recovering from surgery last summer.  I think it may have even been in an article about how America's first family, The Obama's, keep it real since they have moved in the White House.  No matter where it came from it is now one of our (well, at least one of mine) favorite parts of the day.  I have come to cherish the answers I hear from everyone and love how Braydon and Rhett can make us laugh with their perspective on things. 

Here's how it works..

Anytime your family is together, for us it's at dinner time, you go around the room sharing your roses, which are the things that made your day better, and your thorns, the things that you wish didn't happen that day.  Real simple..right? You would think so, but honestly I realized really quickly how negative I am throughout about my days, especially my workdays.  Now when something positive happens I try to hold on to that all day long until I can get home and share it as a rose.

Garett isn't the biggest fan, I know, but I do think he gets a kick out of hearing the boys and deep down I know he will cherish the memories, even if I force him to participate.

The kids don't seem to have a problem coming up with roses, as a matter of fact they have many days where they can't share a thorn because they have none.  What a great problem to have!  Nothing makes me happier than to know that my children are seeing the positive points of their days. Here are some of the cutest recent "roses and thorns" from our table & I hope someone that reads this will try it, enjoy it as much as I do,  and pass it on as well :)

Rhett:  Rhett didn't participate for the longest time, mainly because he wasn't talking much.  Now he expects his turn and the running joke at the moment is that he grins and lists

"babies" as his rose and "babies" as his thorn.  He goes to our sitter, Ms. Vicki, everyday and I guess the younger kids there really entertain him, but at the same time tire him.  We all laugh, but we will be shocked when he finally decides to tell us what really makes him happy each day.

Braydon's Roses -

"I got a new train"

"I didn't get in trouble at school today"

"Everyone is home safe"

"I get to see my _______ (fill in the blank with Aunt KK, Nana, or any of his other favorite people)

"I was able to go to __________birthday party!" (He loves birthdays)

Braydon's Thorns-

"My friend got his squirrel moved today."

"I didn't get a new train today"

"It was raining and I didn't get to go outside and play today"

My absolute favorite...."I don't have any thorns!"



Eating with the boys is one of my favorite parts of my day!



Dog"Gone" ...we loved you Byron

We said good-bye to Byron a week ago today. He fought his best fight against cancer and unfortunately it was time to let him go and rest. He was tired and the last week with him let us know that we had done all we could to make make him better and despite our efforts, it wasn't meant to be.

When Garett and I first got Byron we were told that we would regret our decision to get a Scotty. Said he would be loyal to only one of us and stubborn..just a bad choice for a family dog. That opinion couldn't have been further from the truth!

He was our first "child" and we treated him better than some children ever know. He was extremely loyal to all of us. If one of us was away for the night he would sleep by the door and wait, he loved the boys from the very start and was so tolerant of their pulling and playing with him. So he was a little stubborn, but aren't we all? He was easy to train and minded well enough. If we went camping, Byron went too. Ballgames, he went. Family function, he had a place. It was a given that if we came so did our buddy, Byron. For seven years, he was our only. He was with us in our first home, shared our excitement of my first job, our engagement, our wedding, comforted us when we had bad news or lost other loved ones, romped in the backyard of new home, walked us around the neighborhood, and greeted two baby boys into our home. We had lots of nicknames for him because of his quirky ways...he would moan like the sirens that often went past our house or that we watched at the parade each year, he would suddenly get bursts of energy and take off in a run around the yard or inside around the house and seem to go faster and faster as we chanted.."Fast Byron!", we would sing "B..Y..R..O..N..He is my best friend!" and call him our baby dog as I held him like a baby...he loved life and we loved him! We like to think that he loved us back, unconditionally.

So anyone that has ever had a such a companion can only imagine how saddened we are now that he has passed. I have come home everyday over the past week thinking I needed to let him out, dropped food and wondered why I didn't hear the clicks of his feet coming to retrieve the treat that fell to the floor, come down stairs in the morning to say "good morning Byron" and he not be cuddled up on his pillow...it definitely leaves a huge hole in your heart!

What's even harder is helping Braydon understand the concept of death. I realize he won't have the memories of Byron that Garett and I have, but he and Rhett loved him too. Braydon noticed right away on Monday that Byron was not in his usual spot and, trying to keep my emotions in check, I explained that only God could make him well so God granted Byron his wings so he could live a pain free life in heaven. Tough stuff right there! He cried a hard cry for about ten minutes and commenced to playing. He continues to worry that the rest of us will earn our wings and no longer be around and we continue to reassure him that he need not worry.

We know each and every day it will get easier, but he will never be forgotten. We are not ready to invite another doggy in our home, not because we don't love them, but because we just aren't ready to get attached to another so soon. If only they could live longer...

Garett had bought the boys a "diversion" hamster about two weeks before Byron's passing and that helps distract the boys from the absence of Byron, but that is as far as we are going. That was a good move on Garett's part..the boys love Rookie and gives us all a distraction from the obvious void when we get home each afternoon.

He shared our lives and in subtle ways he will continue to let us know his spirit stays with us. Old habits will be hard to break and the truth is our "dog" is gone. Even though he may be gone, he will always hold a special place in our hearts, will be missed terribly, and will never be forgotten. We will always love our Byron the Siren! He was a best friend....

The Small Stuff

The year is already going by so fast! Although I have to say, with the weather being so cold and snowy, there are days that linger. With all the time that we have had at home together because of the weather outside and with a "too close to home" and sad event that has happened to a family we know, I am thinking more about the small stuff.
There is a book, maybe even a series by now, that an individual has made his millions on called "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff", all about letting the little things that drive you crazy go so that you can really enjoy and appreciate the important things in life. I haven't read it, but I have to say that I think the opposite may be true. I have looked at the "small stuff" over the past couple of weeks as really the only things that are worthy of our attention. I totally get that you shouldn't worry so much about wether all the laundry is finished, or if the kitchen is sparkling by the time everyone turns in for the night, but there are other small things in our life that get passed by as well.
When Garett and I attended the funeral of our friends' 3 month old child I was trying to wrap my mind around why such things happen. It was then that I thought of the "small stuff" and I was jarred into a mind set that makes me want to grab a hold of the "small stuff"; my boys, my loved ones, my friends, the moments that make me laugh so hard I can't hold it, the feeling I get when I realize life is going by at warp speed, etc. I couldn't help but have selfish thoughts of how we are blessed to still have all of our "small stuff" and how important it is to just stop and soak it all up every chance we get.
So when we are just about to fall ill with cabin fever, I am reminding myself daily to take the opportunity to enjoy the "small stuff"; to not worry about things I have no control over, but instead try to enjoy each day for what it is and who it is spent with. I am by no means perfect, and I am sure I have already griped about "small stuff", but the "small stuff" is really what memories are made of and when I take the time life really is sweeter!

"Opportunity"

"We will open the book. It's pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and the first chapter is "New Years Day".

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Happy New Year....Welcome 2011!

With every year I am amazed at the number...I can remember going to my nephew's little junior high ball games and seeing the 2000 numbers on their Letterman's jackets and thinking to myself.."Whew...that is gonna be a long way away!" Well...here we are....2011 and I have a husband, two children, a "real" job and catch myself saying, just as my elders did, "Where does the time go?" Funny thing is though, I really don't feel as old as I am...like a twenty year old that never gets older. Garett and I look at others who are our same age sometimes and question, "Do we look that old?" None of our friends, of course, but you know how it happens..you meet someone new or see a couple in a restaurant and find out there age and "WHAM!", it hits you....reality!
This year I have hopes of opportunity! I wish for positive opportunities for all of my friends and family, as well as in our home. 2010 wasn't that bad really...I have to say I've been pretty fortunate in that I can't recall a really awful year. We have always had enough and our family's health has remained steady with scares, but all ended well.
I really wish for opportunities for personal growth. Despite my age I know there is more to learn about myself and others. Opportunities to be with and teach my children, spend time with my husband, and immediate family, things that I am holding more dear to my heart with every year. Opportunities to help others and stop myself before judging them. I understand that there may be some hard things to endure in the upcoming year and I am going to dig deep to look at those unknown events as an opportunity as well. I know I will need strength for that which leads to the fact that I need to take the opportunities I have to listen; listen to my loved ones, listen to my heart, listen to the Word I hear preached at church, listen to what others are asking of me. In the past I have done a lot of talking and that hasn't always proven successful..so I wanna be more ears and less mouth.
I want to embrace every day as an opportunity to do my best, be my best and give my best. I know this is an over the top resolution, but you gotta start somewhere, right? I've always heard to shoot for the moon, and hopefully you'll land somewhere among the stars..so I'm going for it!
In the words of Oprah, "Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right!"