Home Sweet 'Homa

Many thanks to all of you who called, texted, and sent messages via Facebook to check on our little family during the horrible storms that crossed our state earlier this week.  Our family and our home are completely fine, but unless you have been hiding in a cave for the last three days you have seen the utter devastation that has taken place here in Oklahoma.  It is absolutely heartbreaking to see our neighbors going through such upheaval of home and family.

Both Sunday and Monday's storms came too close for comfort.  On Sunday I watched as my alma mater (and current place of employment) was shown on live television with a huge funnel cloud on the horizon.  That tornado missed our beloved campus, but did terrible damage and claimed homes and lives.  I have yet to blog about it, but we closed on our new home on Friday.  In our four days of home ownership we have had two tornados pass within miles of our new home.  What a humbling reminder that this new property we are so excited about could all be gone in an instant.  The things of this world must be held with open hands.  

Our new place has a storm shelter built into the floor of the garage, so when Monday's storm started looking serious I woke the boys from their naps, threw them in the car with the dog, the deed to our new house, their blankets, and some food, and sped through the pouring rain to our new home about ten minutes away (we are staying in our rental until we finish some work on the new place).  My inlaws met us there since they do not have a shelter.  We figured if anything our cars would be safe from hail in the two car garage, and at worst we would have underground shelter.

Jonathan left the practice and joined us, and we huddled around the storm radio as I watched the live coverage on my phone and the boys watched The Backyardigans in a bedroom.  It was absolutely horrifying to listen to the live coverage of the tornado ripping through Moore, and as the meteorologist gave the street-by-street description of the tornado's path we realized that if the storm continued on the same path it would head right for us.  When they said it had reached Lake Stanley Draper, we unplugged the radio and ran for the shelter.  

My Okie husband doesn't blink an eye at storms.  I have seen him get "intense" about a storm only once.  When we lived in Waco, a huge storm was in our area and I will never forget him coming in from watching the storm on the porch and telling me to get in the bathtub while he and a friend got a mattress off the bed to put on top of us.  That tornado demolished the area just one mile from our house.      He knows storms, and I could tell he was taking this one very seriously.  When he said it was time to get in the shelter my heart sank.  

Just as we were climbing into the shelter, the broadcasters started saying, "It's roping out!  It's breaking up!"  (If you've never seen a tornado "rope out" before, google it.  It's the craziest sight.)  The storm fell apart on on the southwest corner of the lake, just a few miles short of our new home.  We were so incredibly grateful to be out of harm's way.  

So many families have lost their loved ones, their homes, their belongings, their pets, and their security.  Please pray for our state.  Please consider giving to any of the wonderful relief efforts that have been established specifically for Oklahoma.  Cherish the mundane moments with those you love and the simple comforts of home.

All Aboard the Riggins Express!

We had so much fun celebrating Riggins' third birthday last weekend with our family and friends.  Months ago, I asked Riggs what kind of birthday party he wanted; he had been to enough parties for friends that he understood the concept of a birthday party and a theme.  He said he wanted a choo choo party, he never once changed his mind or suggested anything else.  As the party neared, he talked about his "choo choo pahwtee" constantly and was so excited about it!  He is in a season of childhood where the anticipation of something is half the fun!  And of course, he is still talking about it a week later.  

He looks like such a big boy here.  Definitely a pre-schooler now and not a toddler!  

"Welcome!  Get some gear for your engineer!"

I hit a major score back in January.  Target put all of its Thomas birthday party stuff on clearance.  I snagged all the hats, decorations and goodies they had, all for just cents each.  Is a plastic Thomas tablecloth my personal taste?  No.  Did Riggins flip out when he saw obnoxious, brightly-colored Thomas everything? Yes.  Is that what matters?  Heck, yes!  

My mother-in-law found the Thomas basket at Hobby Lobby during the Easter season.  It was stocked with Thomas fruit snacks.  If you know anything about children, you know that not one kid wore a hat or bandana at the party, but every kid was walking around clutching fist-fulls of "choo choo snacks." Typical!   

I only served cake and juice boxes at the party to keep it simple, but I figured the grown ups deserved a reward for spending their Saturday morning at a kiddie party.  Mexican Cokes were the cure!  (If you haven't had a Mexican coke, add it to your bucket list.  I could care less about regular coke, but this stuff is good.  I found it at Sam's Club.)

I found inspiration for the cake on Pinterest, and after talking with a friend who decorates cakes for a living I mustered up the confidence to try my hand at making my own.  It was easier than I thought, but definitely took a bit of time.  There's a reason there was only cake and drinks at this party!  I'll do a separate post on the cake some time to share a few of the good tips that helped.

The effort was worth it when Riggins saw it for the first time.  His jaw dropped and he gasped so loud before bursting into a huge grin.  As soon as he blew out his candles, his little friends started grabbing the candles, the trains, and the tracks off the cake in excitement, and poor Riggins burst into tears!  He loved his cake, and it was so fun to make it for him.  I'm not going to go into business any time soon, but it was fun to work on a new skill that I can use in the future for special occasions like these.  

Train signs made out of craft foam, bunting out of scrapbook paper, and train tracks on the floor out of masking tape.  

We had the party at the youth building of my in-laws church, and they own their own bounce house that you can use for free if you have a party.  I also set up Riggins' train set on the floor.  So basically the kids bounced, played trains, and ate fruit snacks all morning.  

Not to let Baby Brother steal the birthday thunder, but does he make a cute little junior engineer or what?  

The brothers finished off the morning by raiding the stash of leftover fruit snacks.  Score!  

Thanks to all of the family members and friends who made the effort to celebrate with us!  

Riggins is THREE!

 April 29, 2013

Buddy, you are THREE year old today!  We celebrated by going to the donut shop and to the zoo, where you finally got to ride the train.  For dinner, the four of us went Chic-fil-A, played like crazy, and finished the evening with ice cream cones.  It was such a special day.

I don't even know where to begin in describing you as a three-year-old.  Every day your Daddy and I are more amazed by the little kid who is growing up before our eyes.  Our communication with you has become so conversational; it is so fun to actually chat with you about things.  You have an impeccable memory and a killer sense of direction; you regularly shock me by noticing turn-offs to streets that we took one time months before and telling me, "That's the way to ____!"  Just as you have always been, you continue to be a very friendly kid.  You say hello to everyone you meet and love to join groups of older kids as though you're part of the crowd.  Frequent phrases from you these days are, "Dats too yucky for me,"  "I can't do that right now!" "I wake.  You wake?"

Lately you have become quite the singer.  You are always belting out a tune, your favorites being The Wheels on the Bus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Jesus Loves Me, Rain Rain Go Away, and The B-I-B-L-E.  You sing along to all of your favorite children's CDs in the car and learn the songs on television shows after only a viewing or two.  Speaking of television shows, your favorites are Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and The Backyardigans.  You memorize the choreography and songs from Backyardigans crazy quickly, and we get such a kick out of watching you sing and dance your way through the show.  You've got moves, Riggs!

You have accomplished so much in the last six months!  In January you transitioned from your crib into a toddler bed and handled it like a champ after a few days and lots of stickers.  Then in March, we began potty training.  Much like other transitions, it was a difficult first couple of days but then you hit your stride and have done wonderfully (also with the help of lots of stickers, praise, and a few prizes!).  You still have the occasional accident but overall you've been a rock star, buddy!  As sad as I was to see your little diaper bootie go (except for nap and bedtime), I have to say that your bootie is just as cute in Thomas the Train undies!  

You wear size 3T clothing and size 8.5 shoes.  You have gotten tall lately, too!  You sleep from about 8-7 each night and still nap for a couple of hours each afternoon.  You're still a pretty good eater although some typical toddler pickiness has crept in.  You love peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, pasta, turkey hot dogs, and fruit of any kind.  You still suck your thumb, which we're working on.

You and Rhett are starting to play together a bit more, which is so fun to watch.  You almost always call him Rhettarooter (Wettawoodur)...so precious!  Despite the budding friendship, you two already know how to fight and we are constantly talking about kindness, gentleness, respect, and self-control.  It's hard to have a little brother up in your business, but you're learning (slowly) how to be friends.  I'm hoping that will continue to improve as you both get older.

Both of you go to Mother's Day Out twice a week and you love going to "school!"  Your teachers have been Wanda, Toshiko, and Ashleigh; you love them and they love you!  We also go to BSF on Wednesday mornings and I love hearing you sing all the little songs you learn there.  We have memorized a few verses together this year and I have been so challenged by your capacity to memorize scripture.  You actually learned "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path."  Pretty good for a two year old!  May those words be in your heart and mind for a lifetime.

At three years old you love... the library, the playground, running, your new sandbox, your yellow nigh nigh and Hippo, vehicles of any kind, building train tracks, playing in the kitchen sink, reading in mama and daddy's bed, jumping on the bed, watching shows, listening to music, and going for walks.  You do not like coloring or crafting, getting dressed, going to bed, or going potty unless you really have to go!

Riggs, you are such a joy to our family.  Your blue eyes, big smile, and goofy giggle are just electric.  You are so much fun to be around, have a great sense of humor, and are just the right mix of sweet and spunky.  It makes us sad to see you becoming such a big boy, but we are so very grateful for the gift of your life and can't wait to continue watching you grow into a man.  Thank you, God, for the precious gift of our Riggins Thomas!

Love you, baby boy!
Momma

A Party for Peaches

We celebrated Rhett's birthday with a little party for family and a few close family friends.  My in laws were so gracious to open their home for the gathering since our little rental is not very conducing to hosting parties!  Here are a few shots from Rhett's special day.  Come on in!

For an easy personalized wreath, I tied a big burlap ribbon bow onto a purchased grapevine wreath.  Tie on a letter and you're done!  I can either take the letter off or swap it out for a "P" and continue to use it.  I'm a big believer in buying party decorations that can be recycled.  Almost all of the decorations were things I already had or borrowed from my mother-in-law.  The lanterns were all recycled from Riggins' first birthday party, but I added the pops of red to make it new for Rhett.  The vintage linens were all Mama Dot's; aren't they fantastic?      

I served a light lunch of fruit, veggies, chicken salad croissants, bunco buns (baked ham and cheese sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls, for all you non-Southerners out there!), and chips.  (AKA, what can I buy at Sam's Club that is super easy to throw together?  I'm all about good food, but when you're hosting a party it's nice to keep the food simple and easy!)  

I was going for a bit of a farm stand theme for our little "Peaches."  

Tea and lemonade, or Arnold Palmers for those who know what's good for them.

A dear family friend made the dessert and smash cake for us.  She also made our wedding cake, so it's always special to have a Linda Curry cake in our family!

  

Speaking of dessert, since Rhett is our little "Peaches," I embraced the nickname and served peach cobbler for dessert.  It was topped with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, of course!  Linda's peach cobbler is really like a deep dish pie; out of this world!  

Favors: Peach Rings and Peach Preserves!

Couldn't resist an opportunity to use the flag bunting I made for Riggins' first birthday party.  It was a bit different to use it in windy Oklahoma compared to Memphis where the air never seems to move!  

My ONE year old!

Grammy couldn't resist buying the adorable hat and bib!  That's what grandmothers are for!

My little crew.

Happy birthday, dear Rhettaroo!

The paparazzi watching Rhett enjoy his cake.

He was a big fan!  Unfortunately, that red icing stayed with him.  His little nose was stained red for a good 24 hours after the party!

Little naked bum on the way to the tub to wash off all that icing!

Basking in his birthday glory!  

It was a beautiful day with all of the people who love our sweet Rhett.  I was proud of myself for managing to hold back the tears until after the party.  Watching your baby grow up is so bittersweet!  

Rhett is ONE

April 5, 2013

Dear Rhett,

You are ONE, little boy!  Truly, this year has gone by in a flash.  You whisked into our lives in a hurry and your first year saw a lot of changes for our little family.  At times I felt guilty about the chaotic and transitory nature of your first year of life, ut Rhett, God knew just what he was doing when he created your life.  Your presence in our family has brought so much joy and peace into a year that could have easily been dominated by sadness and discontentment.  When we have missed Memphis and our community there, when we have questioned God's plan for our future, when we have felt lonely and unsettled, your precious spirit has brought us back to the reality of God's goodness and the joy that we can always find when we focus on our blessings.

The laid back, sweet nature that has characterized your personality since the beginning remains your disposition at a year old.  You are such a happy baby and it takes a lot to ruffle your feathers.  You have never met a stranger and still have yet to experience a separation anxiety phase.  Waving is pretty much your favorite thing, and you have the most adorable little wave: arm fully extended, hand fully flexed, twisting your wrist back and forth.  You are quick to wave if you hear anyone say hello or bye bye.  Although you have always been quick to smile, you have finally come around in the laughing department!  We're making up for that slow start by doing whatever we can to get that belly laugh: tickling, peekaboo, raspberries, and throwing you up in the air or upside down are sure bets for a good giggle.

At your check up you weighed 22 lb. 1 oz. (50th percentile) and were 32 inches long (97th percentile).  You are tall!  You wear 12-18 month clothing, a size 4 diaper, and a size 5 shoe.  You still nurse twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime, and take a sippy cup of milk with your meals.  Although you finally came around to solid food, you are a bit on the picky side!  If you don't like something, you immediately spit it out.  Your favorites include grapes, strawberries, bread, crackers, yogurt, turkey hot dogs, and fruit/veggie pouches.  Your sleeping continues to improve, and you now sleep through the night pretty consistently from 7 to 6 or so.  Your naps vary depending on the day; you always nap in the afternoon with Riggins (around 1-3) but you may or may not take a morning nap depending on our plans.  You still go to MDO on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I work, and you love it.

You started walking about two weeks before your birthday, taking your first steps towards Daddy.  The highlight of the moment was when you stopped to applaud yourself!  It took you a couple of weeks of sporadic steps here and there, but then you just started taking off!  You can still crawl ridiculously fast and will often default back to that once you've fallen.  You definitely still look a bit like a drunken sailor when walking, but day by day you're finding your balance and taking off!  Another accomplishment is learning to crawl onto Riggins' toddler bed.  I often find you sitting there, flipping through a book or bouncing on your bottom with a prideful smile on your face!

This month you did start to show some spunk when you don't get your way.  You love to be outside, and if I'm holding you when letting Weber out into the yard you absolutely fall apart when I shut the door without taking you outside too.  If we take a toy from you or say no, you collapse on the floor face-first and cry!  Apparently you're discovering your dramatic streak!

You love to be around Riggins and play with his toys, especially his little cars.  Although you aren't talking yet, you will grab a toy car and scoot it around while making a growling little "vroom vroom" sound.  You also love to get ahold of Riggins' trains and toddle through the tracks like a little Godzilla baby (much to your brother's chagrin, of course).  You discovered books this month and I often find you next to the bookshelf, flipping through a book pulling all of them off of the shelves.  

We had a small party for you at Mama Anne and Papa's house to celebrate your big day.  Grammy and Grampy came from Arkansas for the occasion.  It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed lunch and peach cobbler in your honor.  You thoroughly enjoyed your cake and your little nose was tinged with red from the frosting for a full 24 hours afterward.  Other fun events this month included your first Easter; you loved playing with all the plastic eggs!

When I think of you at one year old, I want to remember your soft blonde hair and the way it curls after your bath.  I want to remember your scrunch-nosed smile that shows your perfect little white teeth.  I want to remember seeing you take off walking after Riggins as he ran down the hall, the first of many games of chase between you two.  I want to remember your perfect little wave as you watch us drive off for a date.  I want to remember seeing you dance for the first time to David Grey, twisting your little waist back and forth to the beat as you waved your arms in the air.

Rhettaroo, I can't even begin to tell you how much we love you and what a precious gift you are to our entire family.  Thank you for bringing so much joy and comfort to our family this year.  The best part about being the second born is that your mama has a little bit of wisdom that I didn't have with your older brother.  I know now that the best truly is yet to come, and I am so thankful to have that front row seat for all the fun we still have in store!

I love you, Peaches!
Momma

Doors Opening, Doors Closing

We are in the process of trying to choose and buy our first home.  It is not my favorite thing.  Something about the permanence of this decision after many years of temporary living situations coupled with my transitory Air Force upbringing makes this process a bit overwhelming to me.  Time and time again we have been reminded that there is no perfect house and no perfect situation.  That advice is helpful, and yet we do have to seek God in making the best decision for our family and weighing those imperfect options is not simple.  

We also have the blessing and curse of a relatively open time frame.  I sometimes wish we were in a situation where we had one weekend to find a house and were forced to make a decision.  It is such a blessing to be content in our current rental situation and to have the freedom to wait on the right thing for us, and yet that openness to something better on the horizon can sometimes feel like a hinderance.  There could always be something better around the corner.  

Last week we made an offer on a home.  It was a bit smaller than we would have hoped for, but it was at a great price, in a great location, and on a gorgeous six acre lot.  To make a long story short, it turned into a bidding war with another owner and although the ball was in our court and the home was ours if we wanted it, we did not feel at peace with upping our bid and decided to walk away.

There was a clear lesson for me in this and I wanted to share it.  

Christians often use a neat, tidy little way of summing up these types of decisions: doors opening and doors closing.  If the doors keep opening, if the opportunities keep coming, then you continue to walk through them, assuming that they are green lights for God's will in the situation.  If the door closes, you stop, assuming that God has red-lighted the situation.  

And sometimes that's how it goes.  

But sometimes it isn't.  Sometimes the door is open.  Sometimes the light is green.  And sometimes God still says STOP!  Even though all the signs look like a go, sometimes the Holy Spirit just whispers that little warning or puts that hesitation in your gut, and you have to shut that door yourself and walk away.  

That's when obedience gets difficult.  Living by a moment-to-moment dependance on the prompting of the Holy Spirit can be difficult and confusing.  In the days after we let go of that house, we would occasionally look at each other and say, "Are you sure we did the right thing?"  We had to rely on our assurance of God's clear direction and not on the seemingly ideal situation we had walked from.  We are trusting that God has something different, better, in store than the great situation we had found for ourselves.  

Just wanted to share that little lesson I've been chewing on.  Perhaps it can be applicable for you in a decision you are facing.  We sure appreciate your prayers for discernment as we navigate this process of finding a more permanent home for our little family!  

Rhett is Eleven Months Old!

March 5, 2013

Dear Rhett,

How on earth are you almost one month old?  I know it is cliche but I'll say it anyway: this year has flown by and I can hardly believe that there is only one month left of your "babyhood."  What's funny is that when Riggins was this age I thought he was such a big boy.  You're growing each day, of course, but with your brother around as a point of reference, I still totally feel like you're my little bitty baby!  Watch out, buddy, because I'm pretty sure I'll still feel that way about you when you're 30.

You continue to be such a sweet joy, our little peach!  Your personality is just so endearing; calm, content, happy, and quick to smile.  Bucking all the baby timelines, you have yet to exhibit any separation anxiety.  You cheerfully go to all the ladies at church, BSF, or MDO and remain happy as a clam until I return.  Although you are a chill little guy, you have turned into a busy fella!  You are the speediest crawler and you cruise on the furniture, wreak havoc on the dog bowls, climb into the dishwasher, pull over the end tables, and climb onto your brother's bed.  Other new skills include waving, clapping, signing "all done" and "more," and playing "peekaboo" (which usually involved pressing your hands onto your eyes so hard that you smoosh up your face...hilarious!).

At eleven months you wear size 12 month clothing, 18 month pajamas, and 4 diapers.  You have eight teeth!  It's funny to think that you were once the guy who refused solid foods because now you are eating all table foods with the rest of us.  In the past month you have eaten beef bourgignon, roasted red pepper soup, and goat cheese quesadillas; quite the gourmand!  Favorites are bananas, pancakes, and crackers.  You still nurse at least three times a day but take a bottle of formula when you go to MDO.  Your sleep continues to improve; you go down around 6:30 and sleep til 5:30 before eating and then going back down for another hour or more.  I'm ready to figure out how to drop that 5:30 feeding but after the long road to getting you to sleep through the night I'm trying not to mess with you too much!  You sometimes take a morning nap, but you always nap in the afternoon with Riggins.  Your naps are typically only an hour and half, but you're so happy when you're awake that I can't fault you for sleeping less than I'd like!

Your big even this month was that daddy took you on a road trip with Mama Anne, Papa Tom, and Riggins.  The five of you drove down to Dallas where you met many of Mama Anne's extended family members, including Aunt Francille, Aunt Claudine, and cousins Sandy, Hal, and Ashley.  I was not able to join you due to work, but rumor has it that you were quite the hit!  They all agreed that you bear a strong resemblance to your Papa Todd.

When I think of you at eleven months, I want to remember your little diaper booty crawling speedily down the hallway of our little house; your proud grin as you bounce on your brother's bed after climbing up all by yourself; your scrunch-nosed smile that now reveals all of your cute little teeth; your chubby little clapping hands; your belly laugh when Daddy tickles you; your squeals of glee when Riggins does something funny.  You are such a treasure, Rhett, and we love you so much!

Love,
Momma