The hero at our house.

Happy Birthday to my love! 10 years ago, this month, we met and I couldn't resist becoming totally obsessed with you. I knew, knew, knew that I HAD to get you to fall in love with me. 10 years later, one perfect little home, one crazy LARGE and naughty Godendoodle, and three life-changing little boys later.....I love loving you. The one who makes it so easy for me to love you every.single.day. This photos tells an amazing story. About who you really are. You are the man I married who always chooses to build into his children and wife first. You are a man who understands that the real currency of life is to strive to be the hero that they need. Happy Birthday, Love.

On Turning Three

My Chaseyboy.

Just as cute as they come.

It's more about his little personality than it is his dashing good looks.

There is just some factor this kid has.

I can't ever put my finger on it.

But it always, always makes me smile.

Chase turned 3 just shy of a month ago. We celebrated his big day out at the lake and it could not have been a more perfect weekend.

3 years ago.......things were starting to heat up in my womb. 

3 years ago......He entered and set our hearts on fire all over again. It's amazing how you think you couldn't love anyone more than you do your first...and then along comes the second.

And then, he is born and you are. just. stopped. All over again. {And not just stopped by the people with their hands in your crotch, pulling and snipping and yanking and all the great things we experience right after the birth-because that is just downright embarrasing}.........but I mean like your heart is just stopped. For a moment it becomes frozen/suspended/no movement. And this new little person just jumps right into your still, unable to beat, heart. Is that why they say, be still my heart? I don't know, but sheesh, that is what it was like for me.

You hold him and kiss him.

And you look at him and you are just rocked.

And then you blink your eyes.

And he turns 3.

And because every little child should wake up to balloons on their birthday, you and your mother in law blow up balloons at wee hours of the morning.

And all he wanted for his birthday cake was blue cupcakes. No special characters. No immaculate train scenes. Nope. Just cupcakes. Just blue. {me likey easy}

it was a cupcake eating.

love fest.

And since his big brother got a cool watery,glittery,magical wand for his birthday......clearly, this was top priority for the three year old. i just adore all his faces.

{not to mention, as i was editing this post, i just realized he totally has his hand up his pants!!! ok, so maybe this explains the faces?????}  www.that'ssonotmykidwithishandsinhispants.com

ahem. moving on.

then his dad had a super fun idea to hide his big present.

because our boys are musical.

an acoustic guitar was a cool choice.

how melted is your heart right now? mine is just a slop of a mess at the sight of this picture. a good mess.

ok for real. was this kid born for the stage?

i can see many a girl falling for this little charmer. however, they will need to just fowgetaboutit.......cuz mama's gonna hold the key to his heart until he is done with college. then we can talk ladies. maybe.

happy third birthday little man.

we love you so so so so much! you just don't even know how cool you are. well, actually you do. but you are even cooler than that. you are just sweet and funny and even caring. your little big brother instinct has really kicked in with Beckett. ok......now that's not to say you aren't mighty naughty with him too.....but when you love him. you just love him. and it's fun to watch. you and leighton are just side kicks. you have your share of fights but really mostly, you two just jive together. you have spent a good portion of your 3rd summer in the sandbox with him. he looks out for you very well. he really loves you. it's pretty impossible to do anything less than love you.

and your orange boots! i can't find a picture at the moment but i am sure i have many. you have been wearing those orange boots since february. you love those things! you look so cute in them. you wore them through rain,sleet,snow and hot hot hot heat. they are just you. i'm sure they are way to small for you by now but you don't care. you just trudge along with them. i love them on you.

you are going to preschool in a few weeks.  leighton will get to be with you during your entire first year of preschool and i adore that. you are so excited to go to preschool! the one big factor in your potty training completion this summer was just that. you worked for your goal and you accomplished it, way ahead of schedule! wahoo!

you are a little boy of curiosity and wonder. 

you are three. you are mine. and you were made to make people smile.

know it. know it well.

love,

your gangsta mommy

you're the sweet one, birthday boy.

my birthday boy. gettin all birthday on me. even though i'm finally getting around to this post several weeks later, i still can barely believe this boy is 5. my sweet,kind, gentle-hearted, sensitive, sooooo smart, sooooo musically talented, so everything and more than i had ever dreamt in a boy. my boy.



we decided to have a camp themed party.



the gunny sack races were my favorite.









best friends face off.

for the friendly battle.


campfire stories.



almost time for the yummy birthday cupcakes.




get ready for those candles.



after 4 years of experience, he's got this.



then the consumption of cake from Sandy's Donuts amazing campfire cupcakes.





leighton helping the babies eat.



presents!!! graham is diggin this!



photos. of photos.



my Neah.



we are surrounded by a lot of boys in our friend circle. ALOT of boys. i love boys. but boy is this little pony tail wearin girl ever a sweet addition to the boy crowd.



friend pacts.



lydia and her awesome baby loving skills.



happy turning 5 my big boy! the way you have made my life better is beyond words. my eyes are like wells that are just at the brink of spilling over as i type this. the sheer thought of who you are and that you are ours goes beyond the planets in the amount of blessing you are to us. it's like 50 bazillion, cazillion, quinchilion light years beyond the furthest solar system away. you know what i mean buddy. we talk about those awesome distances that can never be counted all the time. that's you buddy. you go beyond those.
'

there is no way we will ever be able to give you everything you deserve. that sweet heart. that sincere smile. that genuine love of people. your thankfulness to God for every gift. the way you pray out your thanks to God. the way you ask us when we forget, "ok everybody, what have we forgotten here?" when we are at the supper table and haven't said our grace yet. you just make us better bud.


it's hard to imagine that you are no longer a baby or a toddler or a 3 year old or even a four year old. you are five and on your way changing the world for the better. you have gifts. i pray you will use them  so well and bless others in this world the way you do us.

love you my sweet boy.

p.s. when you are older and reading this, i want you to know how much you brightened my day when you said, "ok, my sweet mom" when i asked you to complete something or do your chore or just anything. but just so you know......you will and always have been the "sweet one". i'm just the one who got lucky enough to raise you.

dolly parton wrecked my day

dolly parton wrecked my day.

why would she write a letter like this!!!!

doesn't she realize that moms of little boys cry very very easily at the very sight of their sweet pre-kindergarten boys....much less a letter like this!

"it seems like only yesterday they read you your very first imagination library book"

{balaahhhhhhhh}

"about to go to school"

{wahhhh}

"you can be anything you want to be"

{snort, gag, bluahhh, wahhhh}

oh my dear. just forget it!

i loved the letter.

she just didn't need to stick the skewer of love so deep into my heart that i'm slowly losing him to his older, even more amazing self.

so after we got over that freak out. which we could really call a "freak in" 

if and only if this were Kung Fu Panda II.

bottom line is this. 

my boy is five.

f.i.v.e.

five.

i get chocked up just typing it.

we had a perfect day. his party tonight was so perfect and fun and awesome weather and awesome friends and family and just perfect. a post is in order. 

but really, my favorite comment was from this morning cuddling in bed. 

i was scratching his arm for him and i said, "leighton, you are 5 today! what does it feel like to be 5?"

and he says, "mom, really i don't feel any different than yesterday except for just one thing."

me: what is that honey (still scratching his arm)

him: well, mom don't you think my arm is just a little bit bigger than it was yesterday?

me: yes, absolutely it is sweetie.

happy 5th birthday sweet boy. 

mommy loves you. so. much. 

a birthday joy dare.

today it's my birthday!!!!! i love birthdays. especially my own. today, i want to share something really special with you, for my birthday. yay! how excited are you!!!!

this book is so good. it will have you falling off the couch. or your rocker. or the bed. or whatever. 

it will have you counting the things in your life that really matter. 

so, i could go on an on about this book. 

Just get yo-self a copy. And unless you do that, you won't even know what gift I just gave you. For reals. 

So, in keeping with the book and the fact that it's my birthday. I am going to today start counting the gifts in my own life. There are so many I can barely figure out how or where to begin. But I will just start. 

#1.gifts caught in the light. 

#2.

gifts of nature.

#3.

the gift of summertime parties.

#4. the gift of committment.

#5.

the gift of a family who can always laugh together. 

#6.the gift of a huge smile and not being able to stop laughing.

#7. seeing through the dirty window and knowing the gift of it.

#8. the gift of the man i married.

#9. gifts on wheels.

so many gifts. the only way i can know the gifts is to count them. 

this marks my 31st birthday and the day i begin counting the gifts. 

please join me. 

happy birthday to me!