A Christmas Miracle?!

You never know when you're doing something if it will be the last time youre doing it. Or very rarely do you know. My life is full of examples. I can remember the last time I did somethings in my life and most of the time I'm glad that I didn't know it would never happen again. That makes the memories more special. One of my most fondest memories of growing up was playing in the snow with my brother, sister, and my dad. My mom would get us all dressed in warm clothes and she would stay inside while we played outside. Daddy would go sledding with us and together we would have a great time. In the good old days most of the neighborhood would congregate out at the top of the hill with sleds in tow and we would take turns going down.

This Christmas, they were calling for snow! For the first time in over 10 years it looked as if we were all going to be "home" for snow.

So my Christmas miracle this year was getting to play in the snow again with my brother, my sister, and my dad. We didn't know all of those years ago that the days of us playing and sledding after dark were coming to a close. We didn't realize that life was about to kick into high gear and our childhood was wrapping up. This year Braxton had a blast building a snowman and having a snowball fight with everyone. It took me back a few years and I thought about my mom as I dressed him in warm clothes as he anxiously awaited the opportunity to get outside. Our good time quickly came to a close when our adult instincts took over and we started getting things together to come home and Chris started thinking about the mess that awaited him at the airport.

Now if only Chris could get back home I'm sure he'd say he had a Christmas miracle too!!

Merry Christmas!!

It's so very hard to believe that today is Christmas. Chris made it home last week and he is scheduled to fly out tomorrow afternoon. We all made it to church last night for Christmas Eve service at church which we hadn't been able to do in several years. We came back to Dads afterwards and enjoyed just being together. Santa made a visit and brought Braxton everything he had asked for. (I had no doubts!)

I can't help but reflect on how life has changed since last Christmas. I do that every year and always wonder where we'll be in a year and the experiences that we'll have gone through. This year was full of experiences that were painful and difficult. Somehow, in every thing painful or not, we grow and learn from them. It's sometimes hard to see the joy in some things.

Here's to family and good memories in 2011. May we continue to grow, continue to laugh and love, and continue to hope.

Of all the things in life that offer no guarantee, family and memories are two things that never fail us.

My New Favorite Thing....

Yesterday I went into Costco after church to pick up one thing real quick. Well, you all know how that goes. I walked in past a sample and OMG!! Chex Mix has a new flavor: Muddy Buddies!! Did anybody else love these as a kid (or even more so as an adult)? They were so darn good but so much work to make!!
After trying them and getting Braxton's approval I had to pick up a bag.
They are so delicious. I think I'll have to go back and pick up a few more bags because it seems that they are around only for a limited time. Let me know if you pick up a bag for yourself!!

Christmas Pleasures

Braxton has been so excited and into Christmas this year. We were going to go get our tree from the mountains again this year but with everything else going on we came to the conclusion that was going to be one thing we had top let go of this year. I kept telling Braxton we were going to get to a tree lot and pick one out and don't think he didn't remember. Every afternoon he'd ask, "Are we going to get our Christmas tree?" Finally, we got all set up and decorated this past week and Braxton told me he wanted to sleep under it! I told him we'd sleep under it on Saturday and after getting my dad's queen size blow-up mattress blown up (I don't think I could handle sleeping on the actual floor!) we were all set and he was SO excited. I thought it would be neat for him to fall asleep with the lights on the tree on but after about 45 minutes of him staring up at the ceiling and blowing I decided we'd have to go old fashion and cut the lights out. He slept great. I, on the otherhand, was kicked and slapped and rolled all over ALL NIGHT. At 5am he informed me he was "stopped up and needed his nose blown and some juice!" I ignored his demands for as long as I could. We finally got up about 7:30. I wouldn't have had it any other way~~

Amazing Grace

Today was Brax's big day. He had three little hernias right in the middle of his stomach that we noticed about 7 months ago. He had been complaining of his "tummy hurting him" and after taking him into the doctor and being referred to a surgeon the concensus was that they should be corrected now while he was young and were essentially causing no problems.

We arrived at the georgeous Levine Children's Hospital this morning at 6am. I was so very impressed with the facility but even more so with the staff. After we got in our room and he changed into his gown (which he hated because it was too big) the doctors and nurses started coming in. But what was so wonderful was what they did for him! They brought in crayons and markers and let him color on his bed sheets which he loved. We had to have a quick talk about not doing that at home! They gave him a little mouse looking doll that had all kinds of bracelets, a blood pressure cuff, heart monitors, and bandaids on his belly so that they could actually show and talk him through what was about to happen. They also brought in a beautiful quilt that was handmade by a lady for him to cover up with during surgery, recovery, and to bring home.

Brax has been in a great deal of pain today but I'm hopeful that it will subside tonigt after a good nights rest. Thank you to all that have called, texted, and prayed for our little man today. I included a picture from tonight. He's enjoyed hanging out on the couch.

I'm also so very greatful for having such a wonderful facility close by and for the amazing medical teams that work within.

Amazing Grace.

Big City Venture

I Wuv Dis City!!

These were the words said by my son on Wednesday morning as he sat in an apartment over looking New York and New Jersey. We just returned from an amazing trip up to visit with Chris and Ali for the Thanksgiving holiday. With all of the changes that took place in our lives this year we thought it would be a good idea to do something different for Thanksgiving. Brax did great for his first plane ride and was a real trooper as we hustled and bustled though the city. He walked almost the entire time and absolutely loved the subway.

After arriving on Tuesday morning we walked into Times Square and saw various sights in the city. On Wednesday we went to Radio City Music Hall and saw the Rockettes perform their incredible Christmas performance. We went to FAO Schwartz and retrieved a new "Busch" (that is NOT to replace the old one per Brax) and even walked on the BIG piano from the movie Big with Tom Hanks. (click on the link to see what I'm talking about) We ventured into China Town and Little Italy later that night. We found some fabulous finds and ate real good too!

On Thursday we all went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and we watched from Central Park. Our most favorite balloon was Spiderman! We enjoyed Thanksgiving lunch at Gracie's Diner. We had chinese food for dinner that night. Would it be hard for you to believe that hardly ANYTHING is open on Thanksgiving day?
We had a great trip and look forward to another visit real soon. Special thanks to Chris, Ali, and Mark for making our time so memorable!

Enjoy the pics!!

A Request

Braxton has been asking for a pretty big gift lately: A baby brother. The other night he told me he wanted a baby brother "right now!" I wrote about Zoie and how I hadn't gotten over to see her yet. Zoie is now seven weeks old and since yesterday was a holiday at work I thought it would be a perfect day for us to go and visit. She is absolutely adorable and was awake for a little bit while we were there.
Take a look at the pictures and you decide how Braxton felt about her. I had to get a real quick picture of him with me and Zoie. He was a little more cooperative when I wasn't the one holding her.
Later in the afternoon Allyson asked him if he still wanted a baby brother. He said, 'Yeah, just not at my home!"

How is it Halloween Already?

How can it possibly be Halloween? Last night was "Halloween" out here. We hope (only by the amounts of candy that we still have) that some people will actually come and Trick or Treat tonight. Spiderman had a blast. At first he didn't want to wear his mask and I had to convince him to put it on just so I could get a picture. After that he didn't want to take it off. The town we live in had it's first Fall Festival last night and there was a huge turn out. We walked up expecting a few people but it was really crowded. He jumped in the Bounce House (without one of us and with other kids!) and did some Trunk or Treating. When he said he had to go to the bathroom we headed home because it was a little chilly out and the costume had to come all the way off for something like that to happen.

We had a fire in the fireplace and Brax was so excited when people would come to the door. I was even able to get a picture of him in the candy bowl. A tradition we started his first Halloween and almost was unable to get him to pose for last year. This year he climbed in happily and posed!

Happy Halloween!!

A New Addition

Meet Zoie Eleanor. Braxton's new cousin. I, unfortunately, haven't had a chance to run by and meet her but these are some pictures that my dad took.

She was named after her mother, my cousin Rachel, and her great-grandmother Eleanor. Braxtons's G.G. Zoie is wearing the dress that G.G gave to Rachel this past May for Mother's Day.
I know she would have loved her so.

First Day. A Mere Memory.

Brax is a big boy no secret. But now we have the picture to prove it. Last month he had his first day of "school", preschool that is. Being that my school had just started a few days prior there was no way I was going to be able to take off to go and Brandon had a meeting so we made my dad swear that he'd get a picture.
For over a year my dad talked of retirement. The one thing that he kept saying he wanted to do was keep Braxton and do things with him. I convinced him that 2 days was plenty and that way he'd still have time to do things for himself. After the way summer turned out in a number of events, I was really looking forward to him being able to do that.
The boys have had a fabulous few weeks. They've been to the park, to the nature museum, and panning for gold. I know my dad has lot's of other things planned. Be sure to tune in.
I apologize for not posting in such a long time. Again, I promise to do better. The beginning of school is always so hectic. I feel like I'm on the run all the time.

Last Call

I had big plans for the summer for Brax and I. We were going to go to do all sorts of things. But with G.G getting sick and everything else my plans, like usual, fell to the wayside. Two of the things I had wanted to do was go to Carowinds and to the zoo. I had some tickets to Carowinds so several weekends ago we went for the day.
This past weekend Chris came into town and we took a trip to the zoo. Braxton walked almost the entire time and from the time we entered starting asking about the crocodiles. Wanna guess where they were in the zoo? Our last stop as we were leaving the other end.
I really think they were his favorite part. I kind of liked them myself!

Slow Down A Bit

Lately I've been feeling "that way" everybody with kids says they do. It's going so fast. I feel like I've blinked and Brax has just grown (don't laugh I know he's 3) into a little boy. I had a few things I wanted him to accomplish this summer.
Poop in the potty= Done
Sleep in his big boy bed= Done
Undress by himself completely= Done
I guess what I wasn't expecting was the way I'd feel when those things were "done".
Yesterday was another milestone that we had been waiting for and it went off without a hitch. He has now moved on from the nursery at church and goes to big kids church. Nursery is a straight 2 hours in one room and big kids church is an actual Sunday School class and then we'll pick him up and take him into the sanctuary with us where he'll stay for 15 minutes or so until the children's message. He'll then go down for children's church where they read a story and do a craft while the adults stay for the sermon. We had prepared ourselves to have to go down stairs with him the first day. I walked up to the front with him for the children's message and told him that when it was over he would go with another mommy and daddy but HIS mommy and daddy would be down to get him as soon as he finished his craft and listening to his Bible story. When the time actually came I told him to go with the others and we'd be down in a little bit. HE WENT WITH NO PROBLEM!! I have been waiting for the day when he would feel at ease at church so it was a relief that he went.
My parents always told me that you raise your children with the goal and intention to set them free. It's a testimony to the kind of parent you are. I know my job is not through, not by a long shot thank goodness, but my heart does a little dance every time we complete another milestone. I may have tears in my eyes and it may be hard to watch but I know it has to happen. I have a good partner helping me. We're having fun. And we have an amazing little boy. For these things I know we're lucky.
Big Boy Church= Done
Last night as I was putting him to bed, in his big boy bed, we were talking about his day and he started asking where his picture was from church because he wanted me to put it on the refrigerator. He then proceeded to tell me about David and Goliath. I was amazed at what he was telling me. Where did he hear that? Children's church....and it was his first day!

Another Reminder

Once again I'm reminded that life is too short. Cindy, a friend from college with 3 young children, died last week from a brain tumor. It's got me down and I went home today and plundered through old pictures looking for pictures of her and of all of my great friends from way back.
Life is busy. We know that without a doubt. But what is it that makes it so? A couple of weeks ago just this summer a few of us got together, with our children, and visited and it was fantastic. It's something that I wish we could manage to do more of with more of the group.
The pictures above were taken on a spring break trip with a few of my buddies and then at college when we went to ECU to help move some friends in. Cindy is in the top picture, far left.
My hope is that I continue to reconnect with friends. Life is busy. Life is too short. But friends make the journey, however long we're given, all worth it!

Too Much To Take

I'm not one to follow the parenting books precisely. I generally read up on all the "advice" just so I'll know what to expect and then seek help from family and friends if I have questions. One of the things that I had wanted to do this summer was transition Braxton from his crib to his big boy bed. He had never attempted to climb out and other than the first year (ha ha) of his life loved his bed. We could put him down and he'd go to sleep on his own. Even this summer when we'd be away he'd say, "I miss my baby bed". The boy loved his bed.
However, he did turn 3 this summer and he is getting really tall and besides all of that it needed to be done before I went back to work. With the way summer has worked out it didn't get done when I had planned and I had actually told Brandon at the beach that I was going to buy the bed rails this week and start it this weekend. Yesterday, out of nowhere, Braxton proclaimed he was going to sleep in his big boy bed last night! So we went out bought the rails and while I was at a meeting at church the boys built "the ship" (as Braxton called the bed). He was so excited when I came home. I pulled out a car/truck nightlight that I had bought a while back and showed him what it was and what it did and everything was all good.......until bed time. He became a little apprehensive and told me he didn't like that room etc. etc. I had to lay down with him. He told me to close my eyes.(It took me back to my own childhood) After about 5 minutes, he could see that the nightlight DID work, I kissed him good night and left the room.
As I walked out I stopped by his old room and just stood there. Dark, quiet, and now empty. My mind went back to 3 years earlier, when it was empty the first time and we were anxiously waiting for him to arrive,and I couldn't believe that the years had gone so quickly and he was was sleeping in a BIG bed. This summer has obviously been full of changes. Sometimes we're not always ready for them. And they aren't always good. Whatever the change they bring just that, change.
I guess it's a way for our hearts to make room for new memories.

Cake Boss

Tonight after dinner I asked Brax if he wanted to help me make a cake. He was so excited and I pulled out several boxes (I know my dad is SO disappointed) and let him pick the kind he wanted. He chose a yellow cake and chocolate frosting.

He loved pouring the ingredients in the bowl and mixing and I'm sure you can tell that he loved even more tasting the batter before we poured it into the pans.

It's important that you remember that I just wanted to make a cake. There really was no reason behind it. The sweet part of this story is while I was icing it Braxton started singing Happy Birthday. I asked who he was singing to and he said "my birthday is over". He started singing again and so I asked again and he said "G.G" He looked at me and said "We sing Happy Birthday to G.G and I eat her cake?" I got the candles out and let him put the candles in it (21 of them) and we sang Happy Birthday to G.G. Then he asked me about her presents!

The weird thing that Braxton doesn't know is her birthday is coming up on July 29! We just celebrated a little early.

The Sign Says It All

Thursday was the service for my beautiful grandmother. This is the sign going into the church parking lot. It says how we all feel.

The other is a picture of Braxton having a tea-party with his Grandaddy and his G.G the night before she had her stroke while we were in the mountains.

Life is too short

It's weird the way life works out. My dad just retired after 36 years and couldn't wait to begin spending some time with his mom. We took her with us to the mountains two weeks ago. Braxton had tea parties with his G.G. We went and got ice cream. We took her shopping. And we took naps. The last morning we were there we couldn't get her awake and had to call the paramedics. So for the past week we've been at the hospital everyday praying and hoping that she'd wake up. After being told on Friday that she'd had a major stroke, we called my brother home and after he made it we all gathered around her bed and prayed for her to make the journey to a better place.

She went to Heaven Monday.

We took a picture of this lilly from our yard. We received it one Easter and it's never bloomed before. It reminded me of my Grandmother. Beautiful.

Can he really be 3?

Geez, where has the time gone? My little baby is 3 years old now! This birthday was tough. (Don't laugh, I know he's still little) I just think there is a huge difference between a 2 year old and a 3 year old and what really gets me is when I stop and think that next year he'll be 4!! Everyday is amazing with him. We took him to the doctor on Wednesday for his well visit and we had to do the 3 year questionaire to make sure he was doing ALL the things he should be. Some of things require you to ask him questions and write down his response or ask him to do things and write down what he does. We had some ladies in the waiting room rolling. He's just so funny. You never know what he's going to say. Which is another reason we all have learned to watch what we say around him!

Friday was his birthday party. I had it here and invited a few of his friends over. I prayed for no rain and God obliged and along with no rain gave us a little heat! Actually, it was a lot of heat. The kids had a ball complete with Giga Ball and a bounce house. We had a few of Braxton's favorites from Chick Fil A and partied into the night!

So Long, Farewell.....

.....After 36 years the best Nuclear Medicine Technician hung his coat up for the last time.....finally! My dad, finally, did I say finally, retired!! His last official working day was May 28 but Chris and Allyson and I (with much help from Ali, Brandon and Braxton) had a heck of a party on June 5. I just got the pictures and I'm so excited about them.

The theme was wonderful. We had pictures at every table that coordinated with a movie. The table names were movie titles that had some meaning to dad's life. It took 9 months but after a lot of planning,lots of thinking, and coordinating we pulled it off. Over 100 people came out for the event. Some as far away as California (Uncle Steve) and as far back in his life as kindergarten.