Pop

Here are some pics of Rory with Pop!  Jace was too worried over Jade to bother taking pics.... ahh, the nature of a 2 year old :)  LOL!  Jace did yell "HEY POP!" when he arrived and then dashed in for a hug.  But then she was more concerned with playing.  She and Jade helped Pop put together some cabinet for Nana, which she promptly decided NOT to use!  Thus, Pop had to put it in the garage instead... the home of all things not worthy for Nana's house but to precious to toss!  hahaha!  Rory got to spend some quality time with Pop since Jace was too busy to be jealous!!!  Pop is another person I wish we lived closer too.  I really want my girls to be close to him.  He's the only grandpop they have.....  But they know and love him so that's all that matters!

Here's Pop with Jace & Jade!  My cousin Jessica was a little put out when I named Jace since she had a Jade :)  Can you only imagine all the name confusion, especially at holidays!?!

Tennessee

So we just got back from spending about a week in Tennessee with our Nana.  I thought it would be hard without the computer, but surprisingly enough, I hardly missed it :)  This is my Nana with my girls!  I realized how lucky I am that I can take them up there whenever I want too.  Sometimes I complain that its so hard to travel with 2 little children... and I really shouldn't.  It's much easier on me to bring my children to my Nana than it is for her to travel to us, and I am truly blessed that I can take my children to see a woman who loves them so completely.

I grew up having a grandmother who made it her mission when she was with me, to make it about me always.  We never got to live in the same town as her but I never felt unloved or less loved than my cousins who did.  And now she does the same with my children.  I truly feel that every child deserves to have a grandmother (parent) in their lives 

who makes it ALL about them when they are together!  There are too many children out there who do not have enough love in their lives and that fact makes me sad...

Here are a few pics of the girls with their cousins!  They LOVED spending some time with them. They definitely know their people... LOL!!!

Tristan & Jace

Rory, Jade & Jace!  They adore Jade :)

Here are the kids with Aunt Pam!  She DEFINITELY makes it ALL about them when she's around!  She is well loved by these children :P  Rory attached to her quickly... she fussed every time Pam tried to set her down until Pam picked her back up.  It was kind of funny because Rory doesn't do that with too many people!!!

the past few days :)

The past few days have been quite busy for us!  Sunday Jace and I went to one of her little friend's birthday party.  They had HUGE pile of sand and buckets and shovels for the little ones!  Jace had the BEST time with the sand, of course!  She dumped it ALL over herself. LOL  And of course climbed all over their playset and slide and swings.  I have to say that swings are her FAVORITE!  We left there and I dropped her over at Reagan's house to play so that I could go to mass because I didn't make it that morning...  I knew it wouldn't happen since Jace was up so late saturday night!!!  When I came back by to pick her up she'd had a SLIGHT tee-tee accident so she had to get her undies changed.  Thus, she was wearing an orange AU shirt, purple pajama bottoms, clip on dressy play earrings and a tiara around her waist!!!!!!  She was stylin' and profilin' :O    I then hurried her home to he Daddy because I was pushing it to make it to a talk a friend was giving that I wanted to hear.

Today we got up late and hurried to get ready to leave the house for the day.  Jace is all the time asking to go bye-bye.  I guess she just assumes we MUST leave the house at least once a day! hahaha  We went to get our produce and then it was off to see Reagan again!  She woke up asking for 3 people today in the whiniest voice imaginable - first Reagan, second Caelyn and THEN Daddy!  I wonder if she ever asks for me if I'm not here when she wakes up!?!  So I was able to gratify at least one of these requests...  Reagan is going out of town tomorrow and we are going out of town thursday.  I wonder what these girls will do for a whole week without seeing each other!?! We hung out there until around 1:00 and then came home.  And luckily both girls went down for pretty decent naps:  Jace from about 1:30 - 5:00 and Rory from about 2:30 - 5:45!  A pretty normal nap routine for Jace but a longer one for little Roar!  

Daddy was trying to make it home by 5:00 so that I could go play bunko tonight but he was stuck in Greenville (which is 45 minutes away) at 4:30.  Luckily, Bic was nice enough to come and watch the girls until he got home!  YAAAY for Mommy!  Jace woke up grumpy, thus was acting a little babyish for Bic :(  But she didn't seem to mind that I was leaving so that's good.  Rory was still asleep so I had no problem there.  And she of course woke up in an excellent mood according to Bic.  She got that from Trey and Jace got her wake up grumpiness from me unfortunately!  But they had a good evening with Bic and then with Daddy when he got home.  I'm glad because Jace had been asking for her Daddy all afternoon before nap time and immediately after waking up!

And I had a BLAST at bunko!  So all in all the past few days have been busy but still the same old same old!  Tomorrow we get to spend more time with Caelyn.  YAAAY!  There are only 2 more days left with her :(

My weakness as a mother...

I realized today that I can't protect my children from everything...  I knew that logically, but in my heart I had hoped I would be able to protect their feelings forever.  But the reality is, I simply won't be able to.  There are going to be many times, instants, and people who will hurt my children.  I remember being mortified growing up because my mom would always take things that happened to me and brother so personally.  Now I know that it WAS personal for her... because how hard must it have been for her to sit back and watch us get hurt!?!  I want everyone to love my girls as much as I do...  but sadly that won't happen.  I can only hope that I am able to teach my children to be able to deal with rejections, and disappointments with a firm and loving attitude.  To turn to God with their hurts... that His "grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9)."  I hope that they will take one of my own personal favorite bible verses to heart in situations that hurt them:  "I delight in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10).

We are his everything...

Sunday - a day of rest, well for most anyways- but certainly not parents, especially mothers.  I actually got to rest alot today thanks to my wonderful and gracious husband.  He did tell me at one point that he was tired - physically, and mentally I think.  He said he was "just tired of doing."  I think he realized how exhausting it can be, day in and day out, with the kids.  I can get "tired of doing" too.  But the good thing is that though he may be tired, he NEVER quits doing for us.  He gets up, everyday, and goes to work for us - always.  I don't think my husband, in the almost 3 years that we have been married, has ever claimed a sick day for himself.  He rarely takes any days to himself at all, and we certainly never get to take family vacations.  If we're lucky, MAYBE, an extended weekend.  But these are the sacrifices that he makes for us, his family, because we are his life.  We are his everything.  These are the day to day realities of the life that we have chosen to make for ourselves.  We get tired, but we don't quit.  We fall behind, but we inevitably catch up.  What most would call sacrifices are joys that we eagerly seek.  Our children are the centers of our earthly lives and we have chosen to go against the belief of the modern day culture and treat them as the precious gifts that they are and not the burden that society would place on its children.  I want to soak up the love of my children, as often and for as long I can.

How to accompany Jesus

I found the following passage to be important in regards to how we interact with our children, spouses, family members, friends, and anyone else we happen upon in our day to day lives.  First, we must give our hearts to Him before we can give them to anyone else:

"When you do not think of yourself, my grace visits you, and I provide what is necessary for you.  When you try to do it yourself, I leave you to your own care... In the same way, the more simple you are, the more you will avoid great temptations, which are used to destroy in you that which is an obstacle between you and me.  I am simple and near you.  To come to me, your work is to remove obstacles;  to eliminate, to choose, to remove all that you accumulate in your mind and in your heart apart from me.  If you become simple as a child, where are the obstacles?  You say that little children, having no great struggles, have no great merits:  the purpose of your life does not lie in the personal merit due to your generosity;  your merit will lie in using all your generosity  to allow me to live in you... Remember this: the value of your existence is not in what you have done, or said, or suffered: it is in the part of your being that you have given to your Savior, in what you have allowed me to do with you.  Give me your heart- and your heart is your whole life!  See:  what you wish to take by your own power, you cannot grasp - and what you give to me, I give back to you... It is my love which prevents you from understanding my passion - if you understood how much I suffered you would be crushed... Do not tire of asking for love:  it transforms everything.  Even time:  thus, when one loves much, one has plenty of time, time in which to do many things."

Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity (1942, Jerusalem)

"I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it (anywhere I go, you go, my dear...)"    - E.E. Cummings

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Saturday

This has been a great day.  We didn't do much this morning... Jace and Kai, my nephew, played exceptionally well this morning.  My heart swells with joy to see them forming such a wonderful relationship... it has always been my desire that Jace and Rory are able to be close to their extended family.  And Jace has gotten to an age where she wishes to be with her cousins more and I find it so sweet when she asks to spend time with them.  We haven't gotten to spend much time with Kai in the past and have been able to see him more frequently recently.  And tonight, before Trey and I put him down to sleep, he hugged me.  This doesn't sound like much but it's the FIRST time in his 2 years on earth that he has ever voluntarily hugged me...  I almost cried.  And then he turned to Trey and hugged his neck too!  

Jace went to a birthday party with Bic (one of her TWO favorite grandmothers :) at 1:00 and Vicki, aka Bic and my MIL, said she seemed to have a really good time.  I'm glad that Jace is able to go and do things with her grandmother and spend some quality, one-on-one time with her.  Vicki loves her so much and I think Jace brings alot of joy to her life.  I look forward to Rory sharing the same relationship with her when she gets older.  Its important to me that Jace and Rory develops relationships with their grandparents, independent of me and Trey.  I think it strengthens their ability to discern respect for other authority figures in their lives.  I'll be so happy when my own mother is back here on a regular basis and has the opportunities to do things with them too.  Of course, she'll make her number one priority to be here when the girls start any extracurricular activities later in life!  She's praying fervently for SPORTS! 

We watched the AU game this evening with our friends, Pete, Lauren, Katie and George.  Matt was here for the first half :)  But he wanted to go see some of his friends for the second half, which was fine with us.  The game was apparently a fun one to watch, considering all the whooping and hollering that Trey and Pete did.  I wasn't paying that much attention... hahaha!  But Jace and Katie and Kai all played so well together.  It's always so fun for me to watch the kids play together.  It's funny how life changes and what brings you the most joy once you have children :)  Jace really loves Ms. Lauren.  

And tonight she had the opportunity to bond with Mr. Pete...  she was in his lap ALOT tonight!  But, then again, children are really perceptive about people who truly want to spend time with them.  Rory went to bed right after the game started!  That is one baby who doesn't miss out on her sleep!  But then again, she is not going to be the napper that Jace is either!  But that's okay :)  Kai, sleepy pie (that's what Matt calls him at night when he gets tired) followed Rory to bed shortly after half time!  He didn't take a late nap like the other kids and he was definitely sleepy!  And he really must have been tired because NONE of the noise woke him up :)

Baby George (as Jace still calls him sometimes) was so CUTE tonight!  He was the first baby Jace ever really paid any attention too and she talked about him constantly for months after he was born.  I credit him with getting Jace prepared for Rory!  LOL  Tonight he, this almost 10 month old baby, pulled himself up on Jace's trampoline all by himself and preceded to jump on it for a while!  He had a BLAST!

They left right after the game and we put Jace down immediately.  She was asleep in like 2 seconds!!!  Which is fine with me because it was LATE!  Matt came home shortly after that and we spent some time talking together before he went to bed.  It has been so wonderful to have him in my life in a similar fashion to when we were growing up.  I look forward to spending more time with him.  I had always envisioned us raising our kids close to each other and having special relationships with them.  And the vision is finally becoming more of a reality---YAAAY!  And Jace LOVES him!  She asks for "Unca Matt"  alot now, as well as Kai.

encouragement for parents

any mother (or father for that matter) who is struggling today should copy and paste this link (I don't know how to put it on here so that you can just click it - sorry):

http://seekingfaithfulness.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/i-chose-you/

....it's so beautiful.  I feel every mother (father, grandparent, etc) could benefit from the utter grace behind this woman's words.

misc

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back."

William D. Tammeus

Friends

Friends are so important to the social development of our children.  I truly feel that we need to teach our children how to interact with other kids, without the constant shadow of adult interference.  Through social development, children learn to love, respect and show kindness to others outside the comfort zone of their own inner circle of friends.  The most important aspect of a child's natural development is the cultivation of love within one's own family.  Without this delicate balance of love, nurture, discipline, and respect for parents and siblings, we hinder our children's sense of independence and confidence to exist outside of us, their parents.  Here are some great pics of Jace with her best friends!!!