A few things...

A few things I want to remember about this past week...

I want to remember that Russ went to church with us this Sunday, and how excited both of the kids were to see their Daddy going to church with them. Avery even said as we were walking in, "Mommy, do you know what I was doing with my hands together? I was saying a prayer and thanking God for helping Daddy to come with us today. I know it's something you have been asking God for." She surprises me sometimes with her thoughtful insight. It was a very sweet moment, and I'm so thankful that she has her own relationship with God. I pray that I can support her and provide a good example, so that she will always want to live with God as her Heavenly Father, and so that she will recognize the blessings He provides for us everyday. I pray this for Nate, too; that he will develop his own special relationship with God, and that he will understand how important it is to have His spiritual guidance in his life.

I want to remember how Avery loved the ocean. I want to remember how she ran in as far as we would let her (and then tried to keep going further) so that she could jump the waves. I want to remember her smile and her happiness in those moments.

I want to remember how thoughtfully Nate combed the beach, looking for seashells. He loved walking around and looking for "treasures" along the shore. He and I spent lots of special time together, walking along the beach. We walked out on one of the piers in the evening; it was a beautiful time with my little love.

I want to remember that for the first time in a long time, Russ and I actually got to sleep in a bed together without any kids (at least for a few hours)! And, there's something special about watching your children sleep together...I loved that.

I want to remember how thrilled I felt at seeing the dolphins jump from the water while we rode the ferry. I think those moments are just as exciting for me now as they probably were when I was little.

I want to remember that palm trees make me feel happy!

I want to remember the feeling of the sand between my toes, the waves against my legs, and the joy we had in "getting away" for a few days.

I want to remember how going to Galveston turned out to be a wonderful trip for our family.

As a sidenote, I'm going to try and forget the temper tantrums we had throughout the trip. I mean, after all, it's a LOT of together time for all four of us, and those moments are bound to happen...right? Just keeping it real!

Tales from a "medium-fat" Mommy.

So I've been thinking that there are so many sweet and funny things that the kids are doing lately, that I should write them down. Really, I won't remember anything that isn't written down - I have a terrible memory and someday, I will cherish each of these little details about my babies.

Avery is 5 1/2. Talking to her is like having a conversation with an adult. I know a lot of people say that, but it really is true about her. Even my friends have mentioned this about her before. She has a very grown-up vocabulary and she asks really smart questions. I wish I could think of an example...maybe one will come to me soon. Oh, she did ask me a few weeks ago if Beth from Little Women could be resurrected. And she knew exactly what that meant. She is such a reader...she spends a good majority of her days with her books. At this point, I've never heard her sound out words. She just "knows" them. It's weird. It's as if she's seen and heard them so often, that she can just read the whole word without having to see each letter that makes it up. She can even read some cursive, which also suprises me. She's amazing, and I love that at this point, she is so interested in so many topics. I'm so thankful to Russ and to his Dad for teaching her about Science and History; to give to her a love of nature and animals. Those are areas where I have little knowledge, but I love, LOVE that they are sharing that with her. She (still) doesn't like coloring, but she enjoys dot-to-dots, mazes, watercolors and other crafty adventures. She still uses the words, "boyly" and I caught her saying "clo" for clothes the other day. This is something I hadn't heard her say in awhile. She uses it when she gets confused about the singular and plural ways of using that word. (I hope that makes sense.) So, she'll say something like, "Can I take this clo off?" Funny girl. In other news, she thinks she has a crush on an 11-year old boy named Samuel Westbrook from our church. She saw him in our summer music camp production, and I think she fell for his acting skills and his bright red hair. It was love at first sight; she started sharing her Tootsie Rolls with him at the cast party. Ha. She talks about him every Sunday and tells me that she hopes to see him after class. She enjoys spending lots of time on the computer with her Dora Links Doll and also on sites like PBS kids and NickJr. Her favorite t.v. shows are Arthur, WordGirl, Berenstain Bears, and the game show, Wipeout. She doesn't like playing real games that might cause her to be "out". If that is the case, she'll choose to sit out instead. She also doesn't like anything timed. If she has time limits, she freaks out. Not because she can't actually do it in the time needed, but the fear of the timer going off is enough to keep her from playing or participating. She is afraid of balloons popping and the 4th of July fireworks was a real test of her coping skills. After about 10 minutes of holding her ears, she did finally let go and was able to enjoy the show. She is still a VERY picky eater, and we're going to start enforcing some new rules regarding that. Basically, she'll have to eat 5 bites of dinner, and after that she can either continue to eat what we do, OR she can have a piece of bread. Sounds mean, but we're tired of catering to her very limited palate. The only meals that she will willingly eat are PB&J, Chick-fil-A, or cereal. Everything else is a fight, although at times she can be convinced to eat vegetables, ham or turkey roll-ups, mac and cheese. Ugh. So ready for this very picky phase to be done with. Taking her anywhere to eat can be challenging. She loves her brother, but alternately, despises him. She can't stand when he gets something "first", and they are forever bickering about who touched who, who took whose things, and whose turn it is to do such-and-such. Hmmm...did I use the word, "whose" correctly? I'm not sure...whatever. You get the idea, though. She still loves to sing, and I love that. I think she and I should be the next Naomi and Wynona. :) I feel that there are so many more things to share, but my eyes are getting tired, so I'll be back later this week with the final touches about Aves and a post about Nate and all of this sweet and silly behaviors!

Brimming with Ideas!

I have recently become addicted to reading blogs which are primarily focused with decorating on a budget. I have searched, pored over, and re-read so many articles that I am now brimming with ideas!! I can hardly stop thinking about how I can update my home. I want pictures up, I want decorations on the walls, I want to make wreaths, and no-sew curtains!! I am inspired, people!

In the past week, I have spray painted two ugly copper frames and made them into simple black frames. I have spray painted a gold monogram letter from Hobby Lobby. (Why do they make them gold? Really, does anyone want that? Still, it was an opportunity for spray paint, and I am finding that that is SO much fun!) As I speak, there is an old table in my garage that I have sanded and painted. Just waiting for that first coat to dry. So, what used to be our very first tiny kitchen table, is now going to become an entryway table with decor. I can hardly wait! It won't be perfect, because it's a little big, but I still think it will work and look great in the space.

I can't believe how much excitement I have for decorating our home right now. We have no money to budget for this, but I still have the itch to create and make our home beautiful. I'll be hosting a birthday party at the beginning of September, so with that in mind, I've created a task list.

To Decorate before Party:

Decorate mantle with candles, topiaries, etc. and frame family portrait over the mantle.
Finish entryway table.
Decorate entry with monogram, wreath and some silhouette pictures that I plan to make.

None of this is too extensive, so I think I should have more than enough time to get it all done. I'm hoping to do all this for very little money, and by using my gift cards to Michael's and Hobby Lobby. I'll be adding some pictures soon!