Maggie's Birthday

We celebrated Maggie's birthday yesterday with our little family.

I kept saying, "Happy birthday, Maggie!"

And she would say, "Happy birthday, Maggie!"

I don't think she got it.

She and I went shopping in the morning.

After nap/quiet time (because she never fell asleep), we went bowling.

Can you see the enthusiasm?
Henry and Maggie made it through five frames.

Then spent the rest of the time running around,

playing hide-and-seek in the chairs,

and finding arcade games to play,

dance on,

and swing on.

Brendon and I took turns bowling two frames and watching kids.

We had fun.

The kids had fun.

It was a success.

Then we went home for dinner.

Spaghetti and meatballs.

I don't think she knows what her favorite food is yet.

We had cupcakes to celebrate Maggie.

We sang "Happy Birthday (Maggie)" while Henry blew out a candle.

Then "Happy Birthday (Maggie)" while Mom blew out Maggie's candles.

And then we chowed down.

At least Mom and Dad chowed down.

Henry ate frosting.

Maggie ate a few bites and was done.

In an effort to get the kids down to bed quickly, I forgot to open presents.

But two-year-old's don't know presents come with birthdays.

So we opened them the next morning.

She loves the stroller we got her.

She pushed it around all day today.

Church was cancelled today because Lubbock shuts down when it snows (as it should).

So we had two fun family days:

a birthday celebration yesterday (and today),

lots of Daddy time,

and fun in the snow.

It was a fun weekend.

Best.Vacation.Ever

Brendon and I went to Orlando together.

Without any children.

I felt like I left an arm in Lubbock. 

And a leg.

It was--for lack of a better word--amazing. 

The start of a new tradition (i.e. trips without children).
Carissa was a saint to take on our children for six days.

What did we do without our kids?
We ate out.

We slept without interruption.

We went to bed whenever we wanted to.

We played games.

We talked.

We held hands.

Brendon had a pediatric conference.
When he wasn't with me I was basking in alone time.
I didn't have any internet connection aside from the hotel lobby computer.
It was wonderful.
I went shopping by myself until I couldn't walk anymore.
I took naps whenever I felt I needed one.
I got in the shower without Maggie walking around me or crying at the door.
I watched TV.
It was wonderful.

Although not together the entire time,
Brendon and I were able to spend quality time together when we were with each other.
We found some must-eats in Orlando,
including the best turkey burger I've ever had.
I'm talking no-toppings-necessary good.
I don't even really like hamburgers/turkey burgers.


We went to Disney World's Hollywood Studios.
We played ping pong and pool.
We watched a movie.
We sat in the hot tub.
Brendon ran a 5k with me.
(It's my dream to have him for a running buddy.)
In return, we spent a day at the beach and I had my first surfing lesson.
Only Brendon could coerce me into surfing.
I was terrified, but I enjoyed it.

Brendon and I loved this trip.

When we got home, our children were thrilled to see us.
Maggie excitedly laughed when she saw us and wanted only Dad.
Dad saw a tear in her eye.
Henry was sick and just wanted to cuddle with me.
He was on the verge of tears.
It was a sweet reunion.

Since our trip, Henry seems to be more obedient.
(Thank you, Jones'.)
Maggie still laughs when Dad comes home.
I'm more patient (so far).
And Brendon is back to a busy schedule.

Ah, real life.

Finding Joy

I have had a difficult time lately finding joy in my role as a mother and being a stay-at-home mom.

I have always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Nothing else.

Ever since I can remember, I've dreamed of having a husband and raising children all day, every day.

But my dream isn't everything I thought it would be. 

It's a tough job.

Mentally, physically, and emotionally taxing.

In all fairness, my mom said being a mom is hard.

"That's why I stopped at four," she says.

But I didn't understand. 

Until now.

I have prayed to find joy in this noble calling. 

And sometimes I feel it.

I feel joy; the feeling people often use to describe motherhood and parenting.

I feel elated to have children and to have the privilege of raising them.

Tonight I felt a moment of joy.

It came as I watched Henry and Maggie laugh as they chased each other around the room.

As my children and I watched home videos, I remembered why I love babies so much.

To me, babies are the essence of joy. 

That's not to say babies are easy.

Neither are toddlers.

And I'm sure teenagers aren't free from pain and worry.

I'm finding wisdom in the saying:

Anything hard is worth doing.

Theodore Roosevelt said, 

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty."

I think that's where my struggles lie in finding joy.

My dreams came true, but being a mom is much more challenging than anticipated.

And so I am extremely grateful for those moments when the love I have for my children 

(because my love is always there) 

converges with joy for motherhood. 

When my head and heart unanimously rejoice in raising children, in being their mother, in having a family.

Maybe I don't feel joy as often as I should,

but in my heart of hearts I know there's nothing else I would rather be or do.

And so I will continue this path, difficult as it may be.

And I will continue to pray for strength, guidance, and endurance,

and for help to recognize moments of joy.

Snapshot

Life is moving quickly, without any documentation.

Our life has been full of trips and readjusting to real life.

Trips continue for the next couple of months.

We love seeing our families and have been taking every opportunity to do so.

In the meantime, our family is growing and changing.

Henry is at a fun age.

The hard times are rough but the good times are really sweet.

Today we spent some one-on-one time together.

During our activity, he hugged me and said, "I wuv you."

A hug to Henry means that you touch checks.

He often says, "Mom, I wanna hug your bace (face)."

The kid is full of loves.

Maggie is almost two.

And she is super clingy.

If I leave the kitchen without her, she starts crying, running around the house to find me.

She loves to cuddle and be held more than anything.

We snuggle for a long time every morning and after every nap.

She is still a big sweetheart.

A talker.

A tender spirit.

And our third child will be here in April.

I think it's a boy.

I tell people I just want an easy one--boy or girl.

But regardless of the gender, we're thrilled.

Summer Recap 2013

Our two trips made for a great summer in and of themselves, but we managed to get a lot of fun in while at home, too.

Swimming Lessons

Henry had his first set of swimming lessons. He was hit and miss with getting in the water, but made some progress. We need to keep up with swimming so his surfing-loving dad can teach him how to surf someday.

July 4th

We started the morning with going to the movie theatre to see Ice Age (3?). Thank goodness we only spent $1 per ticket, because Dad & Henry were the only ones who got to watch the movie. Note to self: do not take children under three to the movie theatre. We did the same thing when Henry was little, but I forgot 20-month-ish-year-olds don't like sitting through a movie in one spot.

The rest of the day was spent with friends and more friends. We love the good people of Lubbock and spending time with them.

(Brendon & I rocked this game)

Rain storms

Apparently it does rain in Lubbock. Consequently, Lubbock can be green. It's been a good summer seeing both rain and color. Henry initiated many play dates with the mud this summer and Maggie was quick to follow.

Playing

Other than this we did our usual morning routines of playing at the parks, with friends, swimming, and grocery shopping. We love our play time and getting out of the house!

Our second trip was to reunite with the Holmes family, complete with everybody, a feat to say the least. All twenty-four (and a half) of us were together in a cabin in Payson, Arizona for one week.


We decided to split this trip up a little bit and we spent a couple nights with some dear medical school friends (Ben & Jessica) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. No photos, but we have children the same age and it's always fun to reunite.

Our time together at the cabin was fun. I always worry about how my babies will be when they see their grandparents, but Maggie quickly warmed up to Grandma and she was thrilled. Henry doesn't need any warming up.

We played game after game after game (a dream come true for me) and there were always plenty of people who wanted to play. The funnest game was Minute to Win It, hosted by Randi. A big family with a lot of personality made for lots of laughing to the point of tears.

The children played and played and played together, which is always fun to watch, as we don't see our cousins often enough. They are close in relationship, despite living distantly.

{Hugs all around!}

Henry loved "hiking" (down the dirt roads) to find pretend snakes, bears, and monsters. He always had a stick in hand and, as usual, basked in the outdoors. Dad taught him how to throw rocks at trees. At first, Henry was not successful at hitting the trees and out of the blue sang, "Keep trying, you'll get better" from Daniel the Tiger's Neighborhood (a PBS Kids show that I highly recommend). He eventually did get better.

{We even had a moment of sibling bonding. Best thing ever!}

My favorite day at the cabin was my birthday (go figure). We went to a stream and swam in the cold water and went on a small walk/hike to a waterfall. Brendon and I hung out with our children for a good hour outside and we all had fun. Nothing better than family bonding time for your birthday. The special day was complete with my favorite summer meal: BBQ chicken, fruit salad, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake.

Throughout the week, Henry got whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it, which made for a peaceful week in the discipline area. Henry was either watching a movie (a Mom's gotta get her game playing in) or walking around outside. Maggie, on the other hand, was usually with me or Grandma, sitting on laps and loving the constant snuggles.

It was a wonderful, relaxing week with the Holmes family. We love this family so much. Hopefully our next family reunion will be soon.

Utah Trip

Our summer was complete with two vacations, one of which was to spend time with the Gibson family.

We drove to Utah in one day, our first ever attempt at doing a 14-hour drive which equates to a 16-hour drive between potty breaks. I could blame it on the kids, but I needed to stop more than they did. We left the morning after Brendon's night shift. Although I drove, Brendon didn't get to sleep very well between swapping out movies, picking up dropped blankets, handing out candy, and pacifying the children. But we made it (with a lot of help from Diet Coke, suckers, any other food/sugar I could lay my hands, and books on CD).

I discovered Utah for the first time, too. Perhaps it was because I was driving or perhaps it's because I live in Lubbock, but driving through Moab and Price felt as if I was seeing beautiful scenery for the first time. I drove in awe. I wish I could capture it on my camera, but I was driving and my camera isn't that amazing.

Our time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the dogs was priceless as usual. We tried to pack in as many things as possible and we were successful. We enjoyed dinners together and a trip to the zoo.

(If Brendon & I had to choose which animal we would be, it would be a giraffe. 

We discovered our similar interest while dating. Thus, our giraffe photo.)

Henry was thrilled with his souvenir and Grandpa was happy to spoil him, stating, "We'll see what you do with your grand kids."

We also had a lot of time to visit with friends which is always a treat. Brendon and I played volleyball with Brendon's old college roommate and his wife (Sam & Brittany) and had a good visit. We also hung out with my old college roommate and her family a lot (Brad & Cassie). Cassie and I went shopping together (without kids), we went to the park (with our kids), and had dinner together.

We love Utah, mostly for the people who live there. We'll be back soon!