40 Reasons....

I turned 40 on the 11th. A significantly round age, I guess. My family and friends got a whole week of celebrating in, which was just fine by me! I love gooey, chocolatey desserts, free lunches and attention!

It's hard to surprise me, mostly because my dear husband doesn't have a sneaky bone in his body. He doesn't get when he says, "We're going to Maggiano's for dinner and other stuff." that it spoils the surprise element. I mean, I do interpret 'other stuff' as 'something else is going to happen that he's being intentionally vague about'.

This year however, my two best friends got me, and they got me GOOD! Oh, the lies! Oh, the deceit! Oh, the wonder of it all!

They got together, pooled their photos, stole some photos of mine from here on my blog and my Facebook page. And they created a book "40 Reasons Why We Love You." The book didn't arrive until after the surprise party, so we just had to do lunch.

Now, Penny was in charge of wrapping the gift. She was on a mission to confuse and befuddle me, and I must say, she did a great job! She wrapped it in tissue an put it in a wooden "Clue" game box with the little pieces to rattle around. I shook it. I felt it. I hefted it. Try as I might, I could not even imagine what they could possibly be giving me! You could say that even though I had a "Clue", I was completely clueless!

I was completely BLOWN AWAY! The book is beautiful! I cried as I read it. My friends shared memories & moments, thoughts & thanks, faith & fun, times & traditions that we have shared. It was so uplifting and quite encouraging to be shown so tangibly that my life has made an impact on the lives of others.
And to my 'besties', Penny & Heather, WOW! You know that I feel every bit the same about both of you! All 40 Reasons...!

Wordless Wednesday - Snowmen.

Quelle Nightmare!

We had gone to a friend's house and I found there was no parking in front of their house so I parked smack dab in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Matt was there on his motorcycle, also in the middle of the cul-de-sac, and we were talking through the window. Kevin had gotten out of the truck and was playing with Gabby and climbing on Matt, being his normally friendly self.

Matt decided to park the truck, so he hopped in as I slid over to the passengers side. I told Kevin to wait on the sidewalk. Matt backed the truck to get a better angle at parking, then pulled forward. Suddenly Kevin ran in front of the truck and I saw his face right before we hit him. Matt didn't even slow, but kept going thinking Kevin would be between the wheels not under them. As soon as he stopped I leapt over him and out the door to go to my baby.

I saw him immediately, laying in the street with a smile on his face, but his head in such an unnatural shape. I began screaming, "OH GOD NO! CALL 911!" I ran to him and dropped beside him on the ground, touching and calling to him, "Oh my baby. My Kevin." And I knew there was no life in him. I also knew that with such a brain injury there was no hope in calling 911. I just could not wrap my mind around it.

At that moment, my brain, unable to comprehend such a horror, forced itself out of the subconscious and into the realm of reality. I woke. Trembling. Sweating. Crying. Relieved. Relieved that the most horrific scene I could ever imagine was indeed just in my head. A dream. My worst nightmare.

I woke my husband. I cried out my dream to him, the horror. He understood. He held me. He listened as I whimpered over and over, "Not my Kevin. My baby Kevin." I couldn't close my eyes without seeing the last part of my dream over and over. So, I did what any distraught mother would do. I got out of bed, crept into his room, threw his blankie over my shoulder and lifted my boy into my trembling, hungry for life, motherly arms and carried him back to my room where I held him, looked at him, caressed his perfectly shaped head, looked into his precious blue eyes, gave him a thousand kisses and waited. I waited until reality seeped back into my mind, until when I closed my eyes I saw his living, smiling, finger-sucking face. I listened to him breathe and suck his fingers and the little swish-swish-swish of his fingers rubbing his blankie in rhythm to his sucking.

I must have given him and his baby brother a thousand more kisses today, just for the sheer joy of living. I must have thanked God a thousand times today that my kids are alive and well. And I must have asked God a thousand times to not let that nightmare ever become reality.

And tonight, there is no nightmare, only him!

"Not Me!" Monday.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week as I potty trained my last son, I did not even once leave pee in the potty because I was too exhausted to get up and empty it. I didn't take pictures of my son crying on the potty after he emptied the entire roll of toiletpaper onto the floor, and I didn't rewind every last square of the toilet paper back onto the roll. Nope, not me!



Today I did not mess around instead of getting my work done. I totally did not feel completely exhausted and wonder "Why?" only to find my full cup of cold, unfinished coffee sitting on the counter. I did not proceed to warm it up in the microwave and walk out the door to run errands, leaving sit in the beeping microwave until I got home. I'm much too alert for that. Totally not me!

I so did NOT turn 40 this past week! I'm only 22!

How was your week?

Carson Joshua Peacher

Amber and Brian had their 3rd baby boy today!

Carson Joshua Peacher was born at 11:16 am this morning, weighing in at a nice healthy 7 pounds 15 ounces and measuring 18.5 inches long!

Carson is a much needed blessing to a family struggling with grief over baby Mason.

Welcome baby Carson!

Pictures to come as soon as I get some.

"Not My Child!" Monday.

Trying somehing new this week with MckMama. Being brutally honest about what our children didn't do and livng to tell about it.

I'm ready to end my hiatis from blogging with a fun "Not My Child!" post about what my kids didn't do. Unfortunately, if my child didn't do something, it probably means that his/her mom may or may not have shared some of the responsibility of it. So this post may also be a "Not Me!" post entertwined with the other. Let me show you what I mean...

This week it was not my children who had a water fight in the house. Even if they had it would not have consisted of mainly toilet water that they used to spread their joy. That might just disgust me! Not my children!

Their non-existent water fight did not also include soaking the bathroom rugs, the decorative shower curtain, wash cloths, some kitchen towels and dish rags, and a toilet brush. Oh no! That was not my children!

During their toilet water battle (puking in my mouth a bit, you?), they did not leave the confines of the bathroom and drench the carpets in the hallway, their bedroom, the living room and stairs. And the certainly wouldn't have had time to waterlog the couch or the lower bunk bed. Nope! Certainly NOT my children!

As for me, I was NOT blissfully unaware of their shenaningans, because I would have been watching them very closely and NOT ignorantly playing a video game on my computer, downstairs. I would never leave a 2 year old and a 4 year old unattended long enough to wreak such havoc! I did not hear any amount of screams, running and door slamming while I was playing my game, and I certainly wouldn't have tried to ignore it. No sir, not me!

Upon finally coming out of my deep denial that anything bad might be happening upstairs, I so did NOT get instantly and furiously angry when I surveyed the damage. I was not so angry that I deamed it best to lock my children in their room, and lock myself in another room and call my husband home from work for diaster relief. Nope, I am a calm, easy going, self-controlled mom that would laugh this off. That was not me!

See now wasn't that fun? What was it your child didn't do this week? Feel free to leave me a comment if you post so I can visit your blog or leave your own "Not My Child!" in the comments and be sure to check out MckMama's blog to see what other people's children didn't do this week!

Time Flies.

It's only mid-summer, but my boys will start school this week and Letha will start next week. Unbelievable, isn't it? Where did the summer go?

Well, this post isn't really about the passage of time or the summer. :)

This post is a cute story about Kevin! In preparation for the new school year we went clothes shopping yesterday. At first I was helping Letha look for pants and jeans. (side note: my kids are skinny. Things that fit in the waist are rarely long enough in the leg, even if we buy slims. So finding things that fit both is a challenge that takes time!) I sent the big boys across the aisle to begin their search. After seeing Letha try on clothes a few times, Kevin came to me and asked, "Mommie, can I change clothes?" Not now Kevin. I helped Letha a while longer until she was on the right track. Then I headed across the aisle myself to assist the big boys.

"Mommie, can I change clothes?" Not right now, I have to help Tim and Tadd.

After sending Tim and Tadd into the dressing rooms with 4 sizes in each of 4 styles of jeans, and making sure they were all off the sale racks, we were closer to making some decisions.

"Mommie, is it my turn to change clothes?" Be patient Kevin.

Ok, Kevin it's your turn. We headed over to the toddler boys section to check sale racks there. Found some cute (if there is such a thing) boy clothes. More slims. And some cute "Rock n' Roll" t-shirts. Kevin was ecstatic! He's never tried on clothes in the store. Off the to dressing room we went. "Mom, do I take off my underwear?" Um, no! He tried on the first outfit and ran, yes RAN out of the dressing room calling everyone's name that was with us to show off that he got to change clothes!

LEEEETHA! TAADD! TIIIIM! PEEEENNNNNY! ROBBBBBYYYYNNNN! BRIIIITTTTTANY! IZZZZAAAAAAK! LOOK AT ME!

Hahaha! I love this cutie! He is such a ham. And make no mistake, the second outfit he tried on was treated with the same enthusiasm!

After all that. I have a preliminary product rave. Sears, Kid Advantage program. When you sign up for this program, any children's clothes that you purchase (regular or sale price) if your children wear them out before out-growing them, they will replace them, free. All children's clothes and shoes. I don't know about you, but my boys can put holes in the knees of jeans in about a month without even trying! I'll let you know how it goes if/when I have to replace something.