Sweet Sisters!

Mia imitating Amanda!

 Peek-a-boo- sisters!

I count my blessings many times a day when I look at these two how could I not feel blessed?

I am so thankful for them and I love their sweet relationship with one another! They are playing so nicely together as long as Mia isn't tired or near Amanda's Barbies! I love how they protect one another. Amelia raced over to her sister and told the other children to not hurt her sister the other day when she thought they were hurting her sis! Amanda also protects her little sis so it is sweet to watch. One day when the kids were playing a little rougher but playing, Amelia ran over to her sister and started crying, she is passionate about protecting her older sister! It is fun to watch and I pray they will ALWAYS be there for each other as they grow up!

Amelia's report!

Tonight Amelia came into the kitchen very frustrated with her older sis Amanda and she said, "Amanda is trying to obey God, but she not doing a good job cause she is not sharing with me!"

Stuff like this really cracks me up! Tonight when she wanted me to come upstairs she said, "Come on silly woman!" I guess I have dropped from my sainthood status and now I am silly! Can't wait to see what I am tomorrow!!!!!! I love this age and the funny things that kids say!

Sainthood? Who me? Couldn't be?

Last night, (really morning at 3:00 am) our sweet girl Amelia, who is sooo not into eating much these days woke up and wanted a cheese stick...... I asked her if she was really sure she wanted a cheese stick now, and could she wait until morning....but no such luck, she said,"her tummy said it was empty") Since it usually says, "it is full" we went downstairs to get a cheese stick only......we didn't have anymore. I found some cheese slices and she was content with that. I let her sit up in the stools at the counter and she was in heaven! The cheese made her smiley!

She said, " You are a saint!"

I didn't think I understood her so I asked her to repeat what she said and she said, "Mommy is a saint."

I said, "What?"

Amelia replied, "Saint Mommy!" "You are Saint Mommy!"

Where she ever got that idea or even the word? I have no clue but since I have lost the "Mother of the year award" every year that I have been a mom, being a Saint sure makes up for it! Now if I can just live up to it!

Being a saint at 3 in the morning is fine with me, but being a mommy is even better!!!!!!!!!

BTW- She ate three more pieces of cheese and if I would have had chocolate in the house she could of had some all because I am "Saint Mommy!"

Praying to Jesus!

Last night at bedtime Amelia said, "I want to pay!" I thought she was saying "play" so I told her it wasn't time to play!

She looked at me and said, "I want to pay!"

I was tired from her stalling to go to bed, (she's an expert staller sometimes) so I said, "It is not time to play it is bed time but what do you want to play?"

She said, "I want to pay to JESUS!"

I said, "Oh, I thought you were saying play!"

She bowed her head and folded her hands and prayed the most beautiful and longest prayer she has ever prayed. I don't remember every word but she did pray, "for grandpa to come and visit and get all better."
He isn't sick but he is coming to visit and she is really excited to have him come. She asks me every day if he is coming! Yesterday he called and she yelled, "Grandpa coming now?"

We are all getting very excited!!!!!

Signs of Spring!

Aren't these gorgeous?

To think that Amanda says, "There is one thing that you are good at growing mom. You are good at growing weeds!"

She was trying to be encouraging since we took a gardening class and I wasn't very successful!

She's right! Mammaw and Pappaw did all of this growing!

Since I am not a good gardener........the girls planted a little garden with Mammaw.

Another sign of Spring is......our favorite Pizza Parlor opened! We had a nice family dinner out the first week it opened. Of course!

Another sign.......the sidewalk chalk came out.....it gave me a chance to pull weeds for almost two hours and unfortunately since I am sooo great at growing them....they are almost all back already!

Amelia loves playing with these roller coaster ball things.......I am not sure what the correct name is but we have seen them in several doctor offices and she plays with them. She loves them! This one is at school in a little area outside the office for kids and moms to hang out. The school encourages hanging out with other parents which has been nice and we have made some good friends we plan to keep!

Amelia and I love going to this playground after her movement and music class! She loves playgrounds almost as much as Amanda does. This summer our goal is to find a new playground to visit weekly.....we like to be adventurous!

The very best sign of Spring is that a Chick-filet opened up and we couldn't be more excited about it! Of course, we had to go on opening day! The line was long but it was soooo exciting!!!! We even got free stuffed cows! Gotta love that!

I ran into my former piano teacher there and she introduced me to the chicken and fruit salad and I have to say.........it is delish! The girls love this place and today Amelia got mad because we were headed home for a healthy lunch and she said, "No, I want to eat with mammaw and pappaw at Chick-filet!"  She will use any excuse to eat there! ha ha

More Story Book Land trip

I know another post about Story Book land...you would think we loved it or something? We really did love it and I have to document for our scrapbooks.......

We loved Puff the Magic Dragon or Pete's Dragon......not sure what his name was but it was a fun ride.

The balloon ride was fun!

Jack And The Bean Stalk ride with the Giant at top....This is one of the books that Mia bought at the book fair and loves it. She is obsessed with Giants now!

What is Mia doing?

Why she is milking a cow!

Yes, she is my biological daughter!

She loved doing this because water would squirt out. We went back several times for her to milk the cow because it was her favorite thing!

Hard worker!

Amanda joined in but preferred to ride the ride.

Back again for more milking.......

No mom, I am not done yet!

Amanda and

Amelia went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.......

Amanda came down.......

Amelia came down but insisted mommy go with her......

And we did it again and again.....

We did this over and over again.

Amanda wore my jacket since it made it extra slippery and faster........

I think we should build one of these in the backyard.......it was fun and I was glad Amelia gave me an excuse to slide.

Happy Mother's Day!

I love being a mom more than anything! (Note to hubby-next to being a wife!)
Being a mom for almost seven years, still soooo hard to believe still.........has really grown me in sooo many ways. Mostly, my heart has just stretched and just when I think it can't stretch any further because it is soo full of love........it continues to stretch!

 I have learned a lot about love by becoming a mom. Love just keeps growing and growing and just gets deeper and deeper. I would never have believed that before becoming a wife and mommy! I am so thankful to God that He has blessed me with my precious girls and amazing hubby!

Mother's Day was not always a happy day of celebration for me! I often wondered if I would ever find Mr. Wonderful much less become a mom.(it wasn't easy to find him even though we lived just miles away from each other for years) But God orchestrated it with the help of Match.com! Thank God for Match.com!

There were many Mother's Days that I would be on the verge of tears for most of the day. I had a longing in my heart to be a mommy. It didn't help that Mom's day is always on a Sunday!  When I would go to church and they would recognize all of the moms I would be happy for them, but sad for me. I felt like I was such an outsider looking in and felt like people thought there was something wrong with me....Why isn't she married? She must be too picky! (I heard that alot actually and am sooo glad they were right!) You can never be too picky with one of life's most important decisions!

At church the moms were all holding their babies and congratulating one another and rubbing their pregnant bellies.......I was a happy girl with a good life but that desire to be a mommy just never went away and as the years ticked away.....that dream never faded. In fact, I think it grew stronger!

I truly believed that since the desire of my heart was so strong God would grant me my desires. In the meantime, I would have to endure friend after friend getting married and then getting that baby shower invite and even hosting baby showers as I watched my friends start their families.

 I was a content girl, I loved God, I was involved in a wonderful church, dated, didn't have a criminal record,(still don't BTW).......so why was motherhood happening to everyone but me? When was it going to be my time? Was it ever going to happen? Was there something wrong me? Was I too picky?

 I wondered if God wanted me to just start an orphanage at times and devote my life to kids who needed someone to love them? But that longing for a hubby and motherhood never died.....even after boyfriend after boyfriend, I thought I was going to marry would dump me, (definitely THEIR LOSS, although I didn't think that at the time)
I loved my teaching job, loved being involved at my church, doing lots of acting which I loved and was content and happy, but had that desire to spend my life with someone and become mom and that desire never went away. Sometimes, the desire to be a mom was greater than the desire to get married. (Especially, after some of the jerks I dated!)

Eventually, I stopped going to church on Mother's day! I was tired of seeing the youngest mother get recognized, the mom who had the most children, and the oldest mom get a rose! Sometimes, those moms acting like it was all their own doing! Some of the moms were pregnant every time I turned around and didn't seem to understand what a true blessing a baby really is.....because it was so easy for them. Some of the moms acted like their kids annoyed them or stressed them out.

When my best friend got pregnant and then married and then won the rose for the youngest mother..........I really started questioning God. How could He bless her with a baby with all the wild living she did and not me? When I would see families continuing to expand with multiple children I would ask God why can't I just have one? I don't need 6, just one! When I would hear of cases of child abuse.......I would really question God and ask why couldn't I have been their mom? I would never have abused them.Why do abusers get to be moms and not someone nice who loves kids like me?

I think the worse part of Mother's Day was going out to lunch or even church and being told, "Happy Mother's Day!" By an usher who didn't have a clue that I wasn't a mom but wanted to be!!!!

I have to say though.....I am so happy that I went through those years of aching for a child because it made realize that Mother's Day is not a day Happy day for a lot of women out there and that I need to be sensitive towards that. So be careful today not to wish every woman you see a Happy Mother's Day because even though those well wishes may be sincere, if she is not a mom yet.....they can just make that longing hurt just a little deeper.

To my mom, and friends who are mommies, Happy Mother's Day! I hope is a wonderful day with your little or older blessings! To my friends struggling with fertility or singleness and longing for that child............I am saying extra prayers for you today! Cling to the hope that God will grant you the desires of your heart in His perfect timing because HE WILL!

Praying!

I am loving listening to my girls pray these days! Of course, Amanda prays more elaborate prayers or uses this prayer cube that is adorable that she made in kindergarten during art time. (Love that school!) We pray all the time.....everywhere.......for everyone......strangers........people we know.......I want my girls to be spontaneous about praying and know that they do not have to be in a church, or even feeling "holy" to pray. They can pray anywhere at anytime. So we pray over the little and the big.

 This past weekend we were driving to a play......daddy wasn't feeling well but thought he was just tired. On the way to the play he started having really bad back pain and once we got there he had to leave the play to go lay down in the car. We had gone to see Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed and he didn't want the girls to miss it so he sat in the car and waited for us. Once we got back to the car he was in sooo much pain and it was clear that I needed to drive. (You know he was in severe pain to allow me to drive!)

I told the girls, "We need to pray for daddy!" 
Amelia looked up to heaven, folded her hands together, and closed her eyes and prayed, "Dear God thank you for my family, please help daddy to get all better soon! Amen!" She prays expecting God to answer!

I wanted to just stop the car and get out and hug her for such a sweet prayer but needed to get my hubby to the hospital and fast. We did get there and the girls and I waited and I tried using my hubby's cell phone to call my parents to see if they could come and get the girls. I couldn't figure out how to use it since it is a new phone and I am sooo not into cell phones. I had left mine at home with my purse! I think I was just a little nervous because when my dad got there he showed me that I just had to push the button that said "Power."
Yep, I was a little nervous for my hubby since they had rushed him back so quickly! (Apparently, back pain can also be signs of a heart attack)

The receptionist in the ER told me I could use the courtesy phone so we went over there only an old man was talking away to his golf buddy about how he had gangrene and wouldn't be able to play but someone could take his spot. I was sitting there like come on old man, I need to get a hold of my folks so I can get the girls out of this ER before they see anything scary. Trust me, we saw some scary people some who wreaked of alcohol.....one emotional woman walking up and down crying.......one mom struggling with the effects of cancer......one bloodied face woman, so sad to see just a glimpse of what others were going through.....

My parents got there quickly to take the girls, they hadn't eaten dinner! They took them to eat and to play at their favorite Chick-fillet pass bedtime so the girls were thrilled! Then they tucked them into bed but we got there before they fell asleep....

We have sooooo much to be grateful for! God answered all of my prayers as I sat there for three hours waiting to see what was happening to my hubby. I went back with him so he could get a cat scan done....I was soooo thankful we have such amazing doctors in this area...and that hubby has a sense of humor. The cat scan tech told me that he would let him out in three days if he behaved.....my hubby joked that I shouldn't wait!

I thought of all of the things it could be.......prayed and prayed......Ambulance after ambulance rolled in with people that were hurt......one family lost a loved one and was screaming no, no, I love you! It was sooo sad.......and scary...I begged God to heal him quickly and  He did! By the time we left the hospital 3 hours later.... we had a diagnosis of a kidney stone and the kidney stone had passed.......of course we weren't exactly sure about that when we read the report.......and wondered why all the prescriptions they gave us.......but I guess that is just in case there is another one because right now my hubby is doing well and feeling fine. We are sooo thankful that God heard our prayers and acted so quickly for us! We are so thankful we can pray when and wherever we want and hubby has joined me in my no more diet soda campaign. (Diet Soda is not good for kidney stones) BTW- My mom told me passing kidney stones for a man was the equivalent of having a baby....seeing my hubby in that much pain does make me wonder! Thank you God for blessing my family soooo much! You are sooo good to us!

Story Book Land Part 2

We had such a fun time at Storybook land last weekend! The girls are still talking about it. We visited the home of Little Red Riding Hood.

This is one of Amelia's favorite stories. I am starting to think she is an auditory learner because she loves to listen to stories, music, etc. and appears to really take it all in that way but we will see!

This little picnic area was cute!The Three Bears Home

Amelia really loves this story. I didn't get a good pic of the front but they had moveable puppets inside and you push a button and they tell the story of the three bears and of course Goldilocks was in there too. Amelia would have stayed there all day if she could. She loves to hear stories over and over!

We visited the home of the Easter Bunny...

Inside the home of the Easter Bunny.

This was my favorite I think. The Little Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe.

Inside her home with all of her kids.

The girls were a little confused by the Crooked Little Man and The Crooked Little House.....they weren't familiar with that one!

The loved Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater's home!

When I think about Nursery Rhymes literally.....I do wonder.......I mean really Peter putting his wife in a pumpkin shell?

Amanda's favorite was Snow White's House!

Sweet little Dwarf!

The girls loved hearing the story played.

Snow White now has 11 Dwarfs since she added....

Mia Dwarf

Amanda Dwarf

Daddy Dwarf

and Mommy Dwarf! Yes, we know we are a crazy family and love it that way! So in other words, we do not plan to change!

Sleeping Beauty's house was closed for renovating.

I think this is the Nursery Rhyme that disturbs me the most........Rock a by baby in the tree tops.........when the bough breaks the cradle will FALL and down will come BABY.... but at least she comes with the cradle. I guess that is suppose to bring her mom comfort?

Daddy and Amanda love the Turtle ride........

Amelia and I didn't care for the turtle ride.........it made us feel sick....and we both wanted off!

I really can't believe that sweet Amanda can stomach a ride like this but she loves anything scary that spins or roller coasters that go fast and upside down...I don't get it but it thrills me that it puts a smile on her face.

I had forgotten about the three men in a tub.......