The Prescription

While browsing through the Samford bookstore one day, my Dad picked up this prescription bottle of golf balls for Brian. For years they have sat on a shelf in Brian's office..... until Thomas discovered them.  Dad, I bet you never thought they'd be such a hit with your grandson. They are; the cowboy loves 'em. 

If overdosing is possible, this little boys daddy would need an intervention.

Thank goodness our cleaning helper is coming today. My house looks like it's been burglarized by someone who specializes in complete destruction.

Happy Friday Friends!

On This Day Last Year

15 Months

15 Months and here we are.....

This is what's going on with our little bowl of sugar:

Thomas sleeps consistently from 8-8. Its fantastic, and I'm spoiled rotten.

His breakfast is around 8 and usually consist of a banana and some sugar free oatmeal. Lunch is around 11:30 and allot of times this is a grilled cheese, some applesauce, and a few bites of a green vegetable (he and I usually split a serving size of green beans). Dinner is a little bit of what we are having, but a crowd pleaser is always mac and cheese. 

He has sippy cups of whole milk twice a day and sips on water the rest of the day. Today when I picked him up from Mother's Day Out I found a FULL cup of what smelled like Sunny D. No wonder he's been so eager to get there! 

He's pretty much into side by side play. Thomas doesn't play with his friends as much as beside his friends.

Our little cowboy does sign language for:

-MORE

-FOOD

-MILK

-PLEASE

-YES
-NO 

Loves steering wheels; loves driving things.

Says "Mama", "Dada", "Cheese", "Hello", "Tractor", "Fish", "Cracker", "Matt Matt" - our neighbor, and "Nana"- our neighbor, "Nana" also referring to his most favorite food- the banana.

Can finish counting to 3 when I say 1. It's a start right?

He loves this "SkippyJon Jones" book. While Brian and I sit in the den we can ask, "Thomas can you go get SkippyJon Jones?". He signs "yes" and walks to his room and brings us the book. 

LOVES.HIS.PACI. Seriously, I don't know how I'm going to get it away from him.  I've started leaving in his crib during the day... but I'm telling you, the days get looong folks and the paci just helps all parties involved.

Doesn't enjoy long car rides.

Has started doing so well in the church nursery.

Is looking ALLOT like his Daddy. What do y'all think?

VIRAL 2.0

WOW! WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE RINGER, FRIENDS.

Virus 2010 hit at midnight Sunday. It left many in its path, but nothing a few loads of laundry, new toothbrushes, and a little Lysol can't fix.  Being sick, REALLY SICK, sure does make you thankful for your health doesn't it?  Another thing it makes you thankful for are your family and friends who are there to bring fluids, crackers, medicine, and take Thomas for the night. You all have done the Lord's work and we are so grateful for you.

 

This is what is going on outside my house at this very minute. Thomas is enjoying 3 of his favorite things.... His Daddy, riding on the lawnmower ( Damaris, Thomas is wearing ear protection!), and his paci. Oh man, does that boy love a paci.

My friend from G.A. Camp ("Girls in Action"- remember that?) made this post about her Community Bible Study group and I wanted you all to read it. I myself am a C.B.S. drop out. I have no problem admitting, "Hello, my name is Kasey, and I couldn't get my act together to get out of the house."

Cutting The Grass Will Knock You Out

Thomas loves to ride on the mower. Brian cuts the grass and Thomas will ride happily the entire time if we let him. Last Saturday morning Brian brought Thomas in looking like this. He had fallen fast asleep riding the mower with his daddy.

Look how big he his!

Around Here

I'm behind.... Sorry y'all.

I've just gotten back from a dance recital and as much as I would love to break out into an interpretive dance to tell you all about our week, I'll spare you and stick to pictures. 

Mother's Day

Crazy question; Have you ever had a pen to burst on you about 3 minutes before you walked out the door for church? You then scrub and scrub, and your fingers still look like this...

Yeah, me neither. I was just wondering.

We had a little cold snap in the beginning of the week. Thomas did a day or so of this.....

And since we weren't able to go outside, hanging out at the windows led to a tad of this...

 But don't worry, faces like that don't last for long.

 Since the cold snap, we've spent just about every minute of the day outside.

Thomas found an easter egg in the yard.

Something Thomas is really into these days is carrying things. He especially loves empty milk containers. I have a few that I use outside for watering. He loves to go get them out, carry them around, drop little pebbles into them. They are the neatest to him.

We've spent a little time at the ball park this week too.

While we were there, I completely let my hair down and let Thomas sit on the germ infested ground.

Thomas enjoyed a Gatorade with one of his most favorite person, Matt Matt.

I put 1 part Gatorade  to 3 parts water in his sippy cup. By his reaction, I think he liked it.

What about that gigantic mosquito bite on Thomas's forehead? We have come to think he has the skin of a peach. Either that or we have some really serious mosquitos around here. I'm looking for a bug spray that's deet free and smells pleasant. Feel free to make recommendations.

I'll be better about updates.

Ministry of Motherhood

When I was in grade school I played the role of a nativity angel in our church Christmas musical one year. I'm confident I was awarded this role because of how truly angelic I was as a child- YEAH RIGHT!. Lori Harris had just given birth to her son Connor.  They played the roles of Mary and Baby Jesus. During our big performance Lori was visibly upset. There was a soloist in the background; the stage was dark except for one mega bright spotlight (thanks Dad) that was on us.  For that scene I was directed to look over Mary and Baby Jesus while Mary embraced her sweet baby.  As the tears rolled down Lori's cheek, I leaned over and whispered, "What's wrong?" she quickly nodded and said, "nothing". Being the percocious child I was I persisted, "Why are you crying?". She wiped off her cheek, cleared her throat, looked up at me and said in a soft voice, "One day you will know."

On February 19th, 2009 I found out why Lori cried that night.

Last Mother's Day we visited Three Oaks Baptist with Brian's parents. During that service Brother Bill Phipps said (I will never forget it), "Having a baby is creating a piece of eternity. You've created something that is eternal."

There is no greater gift than the gift of motherhood. It's a humbling feeling of joy, gratitude and love so great and powerful it could move mountains. When I became a mother I experienced change at my core. A physical change took place in my heart. My energy and gifts pre-Thomas were spent on things of the moment, (my career, our home, vacations, things money can buy... just to name a few). I placed little thought on eternal treasures talked about in Matthew.
Just because you may not have your King James or NIV handy, I just wanted to share what Matthew tells us about eternal treasures.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:19-24)

It's hard and somewhat embarrassing to admit because my parents had me in church every time the doors were open, I accepted Jesus into my life at VBS in June of 88'. The really unfortunate part is, I didn't know how off base I was. I was a Believer but the life application was something I struggled with. My "fruits of the spirit" were stunted in growth.  I have tons of regret for opportunities wasted but I'm comforted knowing my past is behind me and living for Jesus Christ is what sustains me today. And whoever could be reading this, your past can be behind you too.

Thomas please know this: If I do nothing else with the time we are given together, I want to have taught you about the Lord.  I want to fill your brain with scripture and love for others. Jesus tell us "They will know you are mine by your love for one another", John 13:35 (sorry I'm paraphrasing....Brian has my bible in his car). When I breathe my last breath on this Earth I want to know that I will see you in Heaven. Nothing else matters, period.

Nothing makes me happier than to be Thomas's mother.

Happy Mother's Day to all you in the "Ministry of Motherhood".

I hope your heart swells with so much LOVE it could burst!

Adventures in PopIce

Blue PopIce to be exact.

Our weekend has been perfection. I picked up Thomas's portrait yesterday and I'm swooning. I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to part with it to get it framed.  Last night we solved the problems of the world over a birthday dinner with dear friends.  And I have been to a baby shower today- I.LOVE.BABY.SHOWERS!

Hope yours is going well,

and if you are in West Tennessee soak in some sunshine today! 

 

Cinco De Mayo

We had a big day playing outside with some friends.

There was a picnic on the patio....

...slip-n-slide fun...

....super cute swimsuits....

....folding chairs....

...popcicles..

...watermelon that left us with some serious stains, who knew that watermelons could leave such terrible stains....

...a lemonade stand...

...and some serious cute kids.

Our Cinco De Mayo was...

MUY BUENO!

Hands In The Air

We are exclusively bipedal in this house. Have I told y'all that? Yes, Thomas started taking steps on Easter Sunday and has gotten better and better with every passing day. There is absolutely no crawling around here and as sad as I thought it would be for me to see that stage leave us; it has been so fun. It's a whole other look on his life. You see the anticipation in his eyes as he's working toward something and it's neat to watch.

Something that Brian and I get a kick out of is his new hand placement.  He walks with his hands in the air, for balance of course, and it is very cute.

Don't you think?

Do You See What I See?

Thank you Mother Nature for listening.