Mama's house

My parents were born in the 30's which I think is rare in my age bracket. There are some things they have that I love-things that aren't around anymore. Do you know what the picture above is of?

A crumb vacuum. This thing is amazing. Works like a charm. You just roll it over the crumbs on the table and voila. Gone. Mom bought it from a door to door salesman from the Fuller Brush Company...


This timer my Mom got for her wedding 54 years ago. Still going strong. Why don't they make stuff like this anymore?! The toaster they got for their wedding just died a year or two ago. Amazing.
These tables my parents got with green stamps. Yeah, not really sure what those are either. I guess you got stamps for buying stuff like groceries or gas and then they had a catalog of stuff you could choose from. Anyway-they are years old, I have a nice scar from the corner of one of them, and I think it's just a cool story. They're not anything fancy...but I love them anyway.
My Mom's play kitchen utensils from when she was little. You can't see how cool they are from far away so you'll just have to trust me on this one. (this picture was taken right before Ava shattered the real glass salt shaker. I guess they have improved a few things over the years!)
Old pictures. This is Mama showing my nieces her wedding album. They got married in 1957 and have been a gift to all of us ever since. :)
This picture is one of my favorites of my mom. Love this woman! And my Dad, too. :)
It's sad to leave after getting the chance to live so close to them for the last few months. They just don't come much nicer than Gordon and Judy. I'm grateful!

Special Blessings

For as long as I can remember I have loved being around kids with special needs. In high school I did a mentorship program in a special education classroom, when I was a teacher had lots of the mainstreamed kids in my room, and when we lived in Houston I worked in the Special Blessings ministry at church until the Sunday before Ava was born. I love them, and I have such a heart for their parents.

Parents whose kids will never go off to college...when we selfishly and flippantly talk about all the kids being gone. Parents who can't just call a local babysitter to come so they can run errands, or go on a trip. Parents whose entire vision of life, took a totally different turn.

I can't even talk with any authority, because until you have been in that situation-as with any difficult situation, you can't know. But I do know that they want people to love their kiddos, just like any of us do.

Thankfully, the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to get to do just that while we've been on this whirlwind Florida vacation. These sweet boys were a total highlight of us living here. 2 of my friend Daly's 3 boys have Fragile X syndrome...she is an amazing mama to them, and they are amazing boys!

Sweet Cade is the only who responded to my request to smile for the camera. :)

Sidenote: Daly is from Memphis and made us the best fried chicken and mac and cheese and biscuits. Mmmmm. Cade was her sidekick.
Another sidenote: this is Foster. He and Ava have the same love language-running. Obviously, in typical male form he is thrilled about this situation. :)
Me and my buddy Cade!
Brayden swimming with his sweet mama.
Look at those beautiful eyes!
I have a couple other friends, or people I wish were my friends on my side bar. :)

Carrie-whose little boy Brayden is on my daily prayer list. He is the same age as Ava and she has to deal with more on any given day than most of us do in a lifetime. (feeding tube, chronic vomiting, wheelchairs, rude people, etc.)

Then Shannon-whose kids both have a degenerative disease called Sanfilippo, or MPS III. Please read this article about them! This couple went to Taylor and face the horrific reality that they're children will not likely live much past their teenage years.

Also, some friends of theirs started a fund for them as they try and purchase a home to accommodate two special needs kids. www.ahundredforahome.com If you feel led, what a great way to contribute to these precious people who carry such a great burden.

I know this is kind of a random post, but one with an issue that is often heavy on my heart. Keep these people in your prayers.

Top Ten List

Some of the most common things heard around our house these days. In no particular order.

1. Why is the floor soaking wet over here?!

2. Can you throw me a diaper?

3. To Ava: Why is Kaiya crying? To Kaiya: Why is Reese crying?

4. YOU ONLY COLOR ON PAPER!!!

5. Are you telling me the truth? ( to the kids. not between me and mark.)

6. This van smells disgusting.

7. No no Reese. Alternately, REESE, NOOOOOOO.

8. It's too early for you to be awake!

9. I love you.

10. Can I have something to eat? (mostly me.)

In pictures.

My friend Michelle pointed out I've really been slacking at the blog. She's right. I guess pretending like you're not moving will really take it out of you.

So here's what we've been doing. I'll keep the talking to a minimum. (Have you met me? Maybe that's not possible. If you've met my Mom you know I come by it honestly.)

Tomatoes from the farmer's market every Saturday. I can't believe Ava eats them. I didn't eat raw tomatoes til like a week ago.

Gotta stay warm here in the Florida summers.

Reese is like-WAIT a minute....


Splash pad pictures are becoming almost as obligatory as kids in Halloween Costumes. Everyone has them and they're all cute!
Although the splash pad is a little rough on the hair.
Oh Reese.
Like how I'm just sitting on the bench watching the child throw herself onto the concrete?

Every cute picture of my kids with me I look like death warmed over. Oh well.

This just cracked me up. Ava singing at the top of her lungs. Reese in the doll's pack n play and Kaiya was stage right doing who knows what.

Poor Reese. She's always missing out.

(Not really. She has a lovely life. Don't go feeling sorry for her or anything. :))


Hope everyone is having a great July, also!

She's a wild one, with an angel's face.

There would be a risk, I think, of having multiple children and allowing in the thought that perhaps you kind of have things figured out. That's what I love about the Lord. He never lacks at giving you an opportunity to be humbled. :)

This precious little monkey, I truly feel, has a cherubic look to her. Super blue eyes, chubby cheeks, says hi and sounds like an angel it's so sweet. (Feel free to think about how I'm her mother and so obviously I think that and I'm annoying. I accept that. Let's move on.)

BUT...

I've never had a kid like this. Most of the things she does I can't photograph because I have to rush in and save her life. This particular morning, she somehow got the donut box off the counter, all the other donuts ended up in the trash-but we found her walking around with the box and one lone donut to munch on.
I accept blame for this because I gave it to her. I'm sure all kids do this. (yes they do.) I think yogurt masks are in right now.
This is how we found her one night in Michigan after realizing she was missing. Just perched on one Diet Coke happily emptying the contents of another. And greeting me with the very sweet "hi".
Sweet Reese, we could not love you and your antics more. I wanna be your Mom for as long as I can. But you're really gonna wear me out at this pace! To think that my other two kids were her age when we brought a baby home is kind of scary. Clearly that didn't happen this time for a reason!

She's had 16 teeth since 14 months, and she has not made any transition easy. But really she is so much fun to be around. And I feel like she gets some low airtime-what with being the youngest and all.

Finally, I know it's happening. You know how I feel about acute mullet blindness. I just can't bring myself to cut her hair yet. But I'm going to have to soon.

Three cheers for my chatty, active, wild child. Thanks for making our life so much fun!