And he's TWO!!!

I guess this one should have been titled "Long Overdue" seeing as James has been TWO for almost a month now! I'm sure I will continue to say this every year, but I can't believe he's two! Time flies. James is so funny right now. He says funny things, he has funny mannerisms, he talks funny sometimes...just a funny kid. Tonight he said, about 7 different times, "what's that Mommy?" I would then tell him whatever it was that he was asking about: a specific book, a loud noise, a friend's toothbrush...and then he would respond with "Oh, I love it!". We had a great little family birthday party for him back on May 1. He is every bit of two and all boy. He loves sticks, cars, trains and being outside. He hates vegetables, unless it's in a dip (like spinach and artichoke). He loves Gracie and wants to be where she is and do what she's doing. He talks all the time and has a great vocabulary. He started climbing out of his crib a couple of weeks ago so we "converted" his crib to the toddler bed/day bed and he's doing really well with that. He also LOVES his paci and lovey. I'm trying (not very hard) to get him off the paci, but I'm a little afraid of what will happen. He's around the 75% for weight and height. He's a perfect little buddy.

Long overdue

I have started carrying around a little journaly notepad kind of thing in my purse and I hope to put it to good use for more than my grocery list. Over the past several weeks I have thought to myself "oh, I should blog about that" and then five minutes later I've forgotten all about it. Our kids say some pretty funny things that I know I should be writing down and they also say (well, just Gracie right now) some pretty cool and deep (for a five year old) things that I don't want to ever forget. I did not make a note of this, I'm not sure I could forget this, but just in case I do want to write it down (also, I need to get it into gear and help her act on the things her little heart is learning, so this is a great motivation/reminder for me to get going). About a week or so ago Gracie was having a really tough night. She wasn't listening and was being a little defiant. After finally getting through brushing teeth, using the restroom, and getting on pajamas (not difficult tasks) we finally had a moment of calm laying in bed. I got on a tangent talking about how there are plenty of people in the world that don't have clean water or a toothbrush to brush their teeth, so she should be very thankful that she has both. I told her that whenever she brushes her teeth she should thank God for the clean water we have, the toothbrush that she has (2 of them actually), and healthy teeth that she can brush. She then, very seriously, asked me what state these people live in. I told her that there were people in Birmingham (she knows this is our city) that didn't have a toothbrush. I then went on to tell her that there were people in every state without things that we have and also in other countries. I don't think I've ever said to her "there are starving kids in Africa", but I did tell her that night that there were people in Africa that don't have clean water to drink or brush their teeth with. The whole time I was talking she was very quiet. After I finished my little rant of frustration to/with her about complaining about brushing her teeth she leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear "one day can we go to them and take them clean water and food?" I don't know why she whispered, but it was such a tender moment with her. Giving and serving is not really a new idea for Gracie, but we have been doing more and talking about it more and maybe just being five she understands more. I know the seeds have been planted and they are growing! It is so very exciting to see the Lord work in a young child. A few days after the tornadoes we were gathering some items for a friend's family who lost their home in Pleasant Grove and Gracie was quick to tell me that she didn't want to only get the old toys in the basement, but she wanted to get some of the toys from her room too. She already has such a giving heart and wants to help others. Back to the other night. After Gracie asked about taking clean water and food to people that needed it, I told her yes. Then I started telling her about our friend, Mitzi (who we had just seen at the McWane Center), and how she was helping get things to children in Alabama that were affected by the tornadoes. Gracie was very intrigued by this and we talked about getting a "box of hope" ready for a child. She was so excited about doing this. I am sad to say that I just now went and checked Mitzi's site www.kids4al.com and the deadline for "boxes of hope" has passed (for Alabama). There was something on there about getting boxes to MO, so maybe that will be something we can do. kids4al is starting it's second project, Boo Boo Bags, and this is also something that I think Gracie would enjoy getting together and giving. I don't want to let these moments pass by without helping her and I want the ideas to grow and be encouraged.

Sweet Day

Today is such a sweet and special day. I am so lucky to live in the same city as my Mom and Mother in law. After church we went to Jason’s parent’s house and had lunch with his parents, my Mom, and Jason’s Grandmother (who also lives in town). I am so very thankful for both of our Mom’s and the rich relationships we have with them.

Me and my babies

Playing in the sandbox after pictures!
Suzanne with her Mom
Jason and his Mom
Cook/Howell Family (we miss you Julie!)
Mom, Me and Gracie
Grandmom, Mom, Me, Suzanne and Gracie
James was done with pictures by this point
Gracie was not interested in taking pictures...she only wanted to play in the sandbox. This was the face she gave me when I told her we needed to take pictures first.Silly face
Gracie developed a love for the Word of God at a very young age and James is following in her steps as well. They both brought their Bibles to breakfast this morning and then took them back upstairs after before church. What a joy to see my babies this morning with the Word.

24 hours

We all have the same amount of time in every day. Most days I wonder where the time has gone. Even by 8:30 a.m. I am usually perplexed at how it's already 8:30 and not still 7:25 like I feel it should be. I do the same at night...all of a sudden I look up and it's 10 p.m. and I haven't done much at all since putting the kids to bed. I struggle with time management and I am sure the hurried look on my face most mornings when we run into school shows it. I don't like being late, at all. I've told myself over the past couple of weeks that I would do better with my time. I have made progress in some areas, but not in all. I would have been on time to school on Friday (the first day all week), but I didn't see that Jason's car was parked behind mine and I backed into it, spilling my coffee, thankfully only on my seat and not my lap. So, I had to run back inside to get a towel to clean it up and then get Jason to come move his (unharmed) car. Back to the time issue. I thought blogging once a week could work for me, but it clearly isn't and I don't want to feel guilt over that. I will plan to blog once a month and maybe get an extra blog in every once in a while. I am not a writer and often struggle with what to write on here. I've been taking plenty of pictures, but it's just the everyday stuff that we do, nothing that seems blog worthy, so it's hard to feel motivated to sit down and blog. And it's really all about choices. Some nights I would just rather fall asleep on the couch at 8 and not even think about blogging (or cleaning for that matter!). I don't know how you dedicated bloggers out there do it!

One major area I'm concerned about and praying about is my time in God's Word. I am working through a Beth Moore Bible Study with Janelle and it has daily homework and a video to watch. I have spent the last couple of weeks waiting until the end of the week to do the homework and I know that's not the best way to go through a Bible study like this. I would learn so much more I'm sure if I would take the time daily to do the homework and actually be able to meditate on God's word and not just fly through it in a rush. I am loving this study and can't wait to see what all we learn from this.

Ok, so here's for a little update on the fam. Gracie and James are both doing really well. James is still growing like a weed and his vocabulary is growing daily it seems. He talks all the time! He is obsessed with all things Toy Story, Mickey and Thomas. It's going to be a hard call to decide what kind of cake to make for his birthday, which by the way is in less than a month! I can't believe that he'll be two! Gracie is just as active as ever and also talks ALL the time. She wakes up talking and goes to bed talking some nights. She is such a wonderful big sister (most of the time) and is a great helper to me. She loves James and is protective of him already. She is learing so much and still really enjoying school. Gracie participated in her first race this morning. She did the UCP Race Without Limits 1 mile fun run and couldn't have been more excited! I ran the 8K with Preston and Janelle and we had a great run. Gracie did really well in her run and we were so very proud of her. She wanted to hold my hand most of the run and that was fine with me. At one point when we were taking a little walking break she said very seriously "we shouldn't waste any time, let's get going" and was off running again! She received a medal at the end of the race (actually two, because Janelle was super prepared and got medals for the kids on Team Hite) and was so proud.

Jason is still doing well in real estate and that keeps him busy. If you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell, be sure to give him a call! He starts playing church basketball this week with a team of church buddies and Sunday School classmates (who are also buddies). I'm sure we'll be up at the church watching games and cheering him on.

I'm still running and have signed up for the Nashville half marathon on April 30th. I'm really excited about this run and have heard great things about it. I'm hoping all the music will be a great distraction! I have had a really bad strained muscle in my left calf since Mercedes and am starting a little physical therapy this week to see if that helps. I can still run, but have constant pain when I run and soreness when I'm not running.

Well, surely that's more than enough for now!

Gracie helped me make pizzas last week. She had so much fun and was so happy to help! James had fun playing with water in the sink!

Me and Gracie at the starting line for the fun run this morning...cutest kid ever!

my little ballerina

Gracie loves to dance. She also loves music. Gracie really loves to dress up, turn the music up and dance her little heart out. Her latest music selection has been the soundtrack to Snow White. And then there's this little buddy. His newest thing to say to me in the mornings is "jammies off".

Happy Birthday to me!
My sweet Mama brought this cake over for my birthday celebration on Sunday! We had a great time with Marland, Betsy, Theresa, Bill, Suzanne and Grandmom (Jason's Grandmother). We ate cake and icecream and enjoyed hanging out for a bit together. James and Gracie had a blast eating cake and icecream and having all the family in our house. On Monday I celebrated my 31st birthday. Jason let me sleep in, but Gracie couldn't wait until I woke up to come give me a sweet birthday hug and kiss. I had a great day at school (about the only one this week) and then got to go out with Jason for dinner. We were very romantic, being Valentine's Day and all, and went to Sam's to buy groceries after dinner.

This was a really rough week at school for me (Tuesday I cleaned up poop, Wednesday I was with a student when he was throwing up, thankfully we were in the bathroom, and today was a horrible day with Gracie), so it's nice to look back at the beginning of the week and think of all the fun we had. I am also very thankful that it's Friday night and both kids are asleep. I am most thankful that my joy does not depend on circumstances. If it did, I would not be a very joyful person today. I have to admit that it's been hard to choose joy, but I am making every effort to have a good attitude and find all the little ways that God is showing Himself to me this week. One small example is from tonight. After dinner while I wash dishes Jason gets the guitar out and sings with the kids. Tonight Jason called for me to come in a help Gracie with some new hand motions. They were singing "The Lord Reigns". I really didn't feel like singing or doing motions, but Gracie was so excited and Jason even said "maybe this is what you need" and he was right. Singing that song, over and over again with those silly hand motions was a great reminder that our God is in control and is so very powerful. Watching Gracie and James do the hand motions and Gracie singing the words was such a sweet and tender moment. I want our children to know and love Jesus. I want them to understand that God is big and is in control. I want them both to take delight in knowing that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. Tonight, I take delight in knowing that God loves me and has a plan for my life.

Running

We're not in this picture, but it gives you a little glimpse of the large crowd that ran Sunday, over 7000 runners!I can't remember what mile this was, somewhere near the middle I think. We're on the far right. This is around mile 11 I think. I was so happy to see the fam! I'm not running ahead of Janelle like it appears in this picture. She ran around/behind me so I could be on the outside to wave at them. Janelle ran beside me, at my pace, the whole run. Great friend!Waiting for Mommy.My class at school made this sign for me. Gracie was so proud!Gracie LOVED my medal! I look pretty excited about it too, actually. Me and Janelle (aka the Best Running Partner EVER)
We got the big kids matching t-shirts.

Me and Gracie with Janelle and Logan.

This past Sunday was a big day for me. I have been running since last summer and have been training for this race for the past few months (I can't remember when we actually started our training schedule). I, along with the best running partner Janelle, ran in the Mercedes Half Marathon. The weather was perfect. It started out cold, but the sun was out and it quickly warmed up...I didn't keep my gloves for very long, but so thankful I had them (thanks Trak Shak!). My original goal was to finish the race in 2 hours or less, but about a month ago I had a little reality check with my pace and bumped up my goal to finish less than 2 hours and 10 minutes. I think I've said before that I'm not a very fast runner, but I had high hopes for myself, especially since my running partner is a fast runner. Over the past few weeks I have been able to increase my speed, but only on shorter times (like on my 30 min. runs). Running for 30 minutes is a little different than running for 2 hours =) Ok, so my time was 2:07. I was very proud of myself (and Janelle of course too)! The last two miles were brutal for me, but we finished. Finishing those 13.1 miles was amazing. I don't know how people run more than 13 miles...I am so very impressed with the full marathon runners!

We had wonderful support from family all along the course. Preston and Logan were at so many locations it was almost funny to see where they would pop up. It was great seeing them and hearing their cheers so often. Bill and Suzanne were also there and it was so special to have their support in this. Suzanne got some great pictures at different spots (all the pictures posted here are from her). Jason and the kids made a special appearance and Gracie had a sweet sign that my class made for me. Seeing all their faces around mile 11 was wonderful encouragement! My Mom made it to the finish line and congratulated Janelle and me right across the finish line! I was also impressed with the overwhelming support of the city and all the other friends and families of the other runners. We also saw some great signs. One of my favorites was "Don't stop running, people are watching!". There was also a sign that read something like "You don't know me, but I'm cheering for you too" and that was encouraging as well! The finish line food was wonderful too. I don't think I've ever had an orange that tasted so delicious!

One more thing about food: When we first started running longer distances, anywhere around 9 or more, I would feel sick and useless after my run. I soon learned that peanut butter is a great secret weapon. If we were running long runs first thing in the morning I would get up and eat a piece of peanut butter toast about 1 1/2 hours before our run. I think that really gave me the extra energy I needed to finish the run and not feel sick. I also learned that I needed to eat right after a run (and then keep eating too). At the Red Nose Run I drank the Gatorade recovery drink after the race and loved it. I stocked up on those when they were on sale at Publix and made that a part of my regular long run recovery process. The day of Mercedes I woke up early to eat a banana and a piece of peanut butter bread (it was actually part of a bagel) and get started on my water intake. After the race I had an orange, part of a banana, Powerade and water. When we got back to the car I ate a granola bar too. I think fueling our bodies before and after running is so very important.

I felt great after the race and even got a little nap in Sunday after lunch. We had the family over for cake Sunday late afternoon to celebrate my birthday and that was also a great way to end race day! Speaking of cake, I celebrated my 31st birthday Monday. Running a half marathon the day before my 31st birthday was a great accomplishment for me. We've taken this week off to rest and I have to say that I actually miss running. I don't want to go run another 13 miles today, but I do miss it and look forward to running again next week. I'm also really excited that it is light outside at 6 a.m. so that we can have some weekday outside runs. I am so thankful for the gym at Dawson, but I really love running outside.

Rainbow

So I'm not very good at the blogging thing...we'll see how long this lasts.

Last summer Gracie got a new roommate. His name is Rainbow. Gracie loves her little fish and tells people about him often. Gracie really wants a dog and last summer we decided that a fish would be a good place to start. I have nothing against dogs, I actually love dogs and look forward to having one...one day. I'm in no rush for a dog though. I know having a dog is a lot of work and I don't see the need in adding any more work to our already full lives...maybe that's why most people have dogs before children. My Mom got two Beta fish not too long ago and Gracie got to help name them also...Rojo and Azul...she was learning colors in Spanish during that time =)

Rainbow is a great first pet for Gracie. He does add a little stress to my life though...most mornings I do walk into her room and do a quick glance to make sure he's still alive...just waiting for him to be belly-up. I'm also the one that cleans his tank. It's not hard and really doesn't take that long, it's just that I don't think about it until late at night when I don't feel like being bothered with a fish or when I'm helping Gracie get ready for school and the last thing I have is extra time to clean the fish. Maybe he'll get a clean tank tomorrow.

In other news...Gracie has her five year check up tomorrow! She's excited to see how tall she is, but a little anxious about the shots she's going to get. We're taking a trip to the dollar tree after for a little treat and she's really excited about that. Maybe I'll post pictures of the big girl next.

homemade

Dress #2 So this is the second dress I made for Gracie. This was her fabric choice, even down to the heart buttons.
We couldn't decide on a second fabric to make it reversable so I had planned to just line it in the same lady bug fabric. Once I started on the dress I remembered some old fabric that I had in the basement and was thrilled that it matched. A little sidenote: The lining fabric is from our days in North Carolina when I was involved with a wonderful group of ladies that met monthly for fellowship and crafts, our very own Circle Group. I made an apron and used this fabric as the lining too.

Dress #1

Here is a better picture of the first dress I made for Gracie. I loved making this and wish I hadn't waited so long to make a second one.

Close-up of the fabric.

So here is the reverse side...the one that Gracie doesn't care for. Maybe I can get an iron-on applique to add a little something to it to please the little princess.

Either way, the dress is super cute and I'm really pleased with it!