Date night

Lance and I read a blog that I follow, last night, about a little boy who is in his final days (if not hours at this point) with cancer.

It took a toll on both of us.

Though I always love my husband... I ADORE his caring heart.

He sent me a text this morning saying that he couldn't stop thinking about that family... About that baby boy who says he is no longer happy... How he had been racking his brain all morning trying to think of some way to help them... And just explained to me how much he loved me and the boys.

I decided then, that we needed some time together.

Adult time.

My mom took the boys from me after she got off of work today and I met Lance for an early dinner at Joe T Garcia's.
On the patio.
With a margarita.
Without kids.

Of course we love our boys more than life itself, but a little time dedicated to our marriage sure was nice!

We laughed.
We talked.
We ate.

And since we played the lottery for the first time, we spent the majority of our dinner spending our phantom millions in conversation.

Lance gave 100 million off the top to charities... A few dream cars... And he bought me a studio and instructor so that I could learn photography.

I gave a million dollars to each of our siblings and parents... College funds for our nieces and nephews... And built my dream home. (which is rather simple... But roomy and functional) I threw out a hundred random acts of kindness ideas that I would try and do every day.

Lance kept explaining to me that I was on the wrong scale, but apparently my brain doesn't go up to $600 million...
And since the whole conversation was in 'what ifs'... I told him to leave me alone.

[Even in my hypothetical millions, I tend to be a little frugal!]

We had a great time together tonight, and were both very thankful to my mom for keeping the boys those few hours.

We have family pictures tomorrow and I am so excited to see how they turn out!





oh... and we didn't win the lottery.
Not even a dollar.

A lovely weekend.

Friday I had to run all over the world... Taking my 2 virus ridden laptops to Azle... Taxes across town, to almost Arlington... Lunch with my mom at Don Pablo's ... And a visit with my grandmother (Meme) and great grandmother (Mamaw) in White Settlement... And another couple of stops for the perfect wedges that I have yet to find.

Meme was in the hospital this past week with chest pains but is back home now and doing much better. Mamaw is practicing on her stationary pedals, trying to strengthen her 96 1/2 year old legs. (she claims her feet work perfect.... It's the legs that need a little training)
Each of the two think they are taking care of the other... And in my opinion, I think they are both a little correct.

My Mamaw always tells me that I am rich. And she isn't talking about money at all.
There have been times when I have wondered if she really knows that I am not a 6' tall Neiman's model (where she saves me the Christmas catalog from every year)-- a wonder nurse-- with the 2 smartest children in the universe....
And if she just builds me up because it is her job.... Or if she believes it?!
I cant blame it on old age either-- since I can remember, she has praised me as if I was one of a kind...

Saturday morning, we had breakfast at McDonalds and then I headed over to a pedicure by my lonesome.
We will completely ignore the bottle of topcoat I accidentally kicked off of my foot rest, shattering across the tile floor.... Because It was amazing. to be alone.

The boys were rocking out to Taylor Swift when I returned to the car... And Maddox shared with me that his daddy drove him to an empty field to let him potty and then showed him how to do a donut in our car.
(his daddy will be 31 in days.... In case you were confused!!) ;)
But I think they enjoyed their time as boys too-- without momma ruining all of the fun-- even if it was just in the car.

A phone call from my momma, when leaving, revealed my brothers kids were over playing at her house and Maddox cried to go play too.

So we did.

Lance had plans to stay behind and finally hang the tvs on the wall... But he only gets one full day off each week and the weather was too perfect to stay inside, anyway.
So he joined us.

The kids played outside.

Lance and I rode around the property and then down to "our land".

And though my nose hasn't let up and my throat feels as if I have sucked on razor blades for 2 days straight, it was a good time.

That night, however, was an even better time.

Our friends were recently married and this weekend was their big shebang of a celebration.
The venue was a super-cool brewery (The Rahr Brewery) and the band (The Hosty Duo) was set up right in the middle of the huge machines with lights shining up on them.
The food was catered by The Love Shack and the cake was an exact replica of the couple's dog, Mitch.
It tasted even better than it looked! ....and it looked, AMAZING!
We got to see friends that we haven't seen in forever, laughed a lot, and had an awesome time.

They couldn't have done any better on the venue-- except maybe cutting me off on coke!
...since I don't drink beer, I had a coke in my hand the entire night.
I didnt realize (until I was staring at the clock at 3:00am... Counting down the hours until my alarm would sound off) that I had guzzled down 5 cokes over the few hours we were there.
I paid for it.

Sunday I had to work... With Amanda... So "work" seems like an unfair description of our morning.
Out by 12:15... A quick stop to get cash for my sister (who graciously watched my kids for us Saturday night and Sunday morning) and I was finally home to clean my destroyed house snuggle my boys.
But better yet, nap.
(Even if it was only 45 minutes and I had to wake up to console my baby boy who was sobbing next to me over a movie about a dog and a basketball...)
I needed the rest.

Today we have been taking funny pictures on our new iPad....
Casey sent me the last 2 books to read digitally on it-- but I haven't started them...
And Maddox has been practicing writing his letters.
...which are struggling but improving a little each day.
[The boy can type his name in flash speed, however, So maybe penmanship won't really matter by the time he's in kindergarten!!] ;)

I am still learning how to blog from this thing... And any pointers in how to make my pictures centered and larger, would be appreciated.
(like a serious control freak-- I plan to log on from work tonight and fix the last 2 posts until one of you educate me a little!)

Also, let's hope our laptops can be fixed pretty cheaply...
And that lance doesn't read the article that I just did about viruses on Pinterest.

It's happening

It's happening--

Even if I don't want it to.

Even if I stick my toes deep in the sand...

I'll be drug the entire way.

We are turning one.

In one month.

Eactly.

Beckham will be 12 months old.

It seems impossible.

not trying to even be funny...

but if he is turning one--

then that means Maddox is 4 months from 4.

Four.

Four years old!!!

I can't stand it.

And it seems false.

But it is here and I might as well gush about all that we have learned on our 11 month marker.

He is fulling walking and tossed crawling to the way side.
Laughing, clapping, dancing...
Saying momma, dada, but bubba and uh-oh the most.
Sleeps great.
And eats even better.

He is so happy... And there are lots of people who are convinced he just doesn't cry.

His best friend in the world is Maddox...
And he is the sweetest big brother.


The party (3 years ago) was well planned by this point...
The invites, handmade.

But also with the first one you are so excited to push forward to each new milestone....
And then the second, you are holding on to every piece that keeps them little.

With that said... I have an idea to do the party in paper airplanes-- chevron and polka dot patterns. Navy, turquoise, mustard colors.
But that's about it.

And "idea" is as far as I have taken it.

I also have the idea to say 'no toys'-- since we are overflowing as it is....
But saying no presents, seems like an unfair gig for the 2nd tot-- and I know my friends and family, it will get ignored anyway.
But then again, is it tacky to say "books, movies, or clothes please."
I think so....
But it is certainly less tacky than "diapers, wipes and baby snacks", which would be the most practical!!

I don't know....
But I better get on it.

We have his one year pictures scheduled for next weekend (and our family pictures)...
Easter...
Then it's days upon us.

Gulp.

It's happening.

spring break re-cap

When did I fall off of the blogger- bandwagon?
I am a terrible blogger these days...
I apologize.

Last week was spring break--
but my kids are too young for that to mean anything...
however, I felt the need to do something--
so we played.

**At the museum, the week before spring break with our Byford friends.

**The park in our neighborhood... with the coyote.
I wrote about it on FB, but you know I like to share here for my memory as well:
We just got unloaded and I hear dogs going crazy...
I didn't pay much attention, until he was on us.
Like a psycho, I loaded the boys back up...
pitter-pattered my feet in place--
and called Lance yelling, for survival techniques.

I was panicking over the phone, "he's coming right for us Lance... what do I do?!"
And Maddox was calmly talking over me, "no he's not momma, he's just a friendly coyote looking for water... Look!  He has a hurt leg.  We're going to be okay, mommy."
And he was right.
He moseyed right over to the pond... got a drink... and went right on his way. 

And we moseyed on back home, though... just to be safe.

**We also went on a play date with our friends...
On the Border... shopping... and play time.
It was a good day.

We picked up outfits for our family pictures...
and a nice little tummy bug.

**We spent Friday looking for wedges [that I never found] and then visiting Nana...
The weather was perfect and the boys had a great time in her beautiful back yard.
I was on call Friday so I tried to get to mom's before 5:00...
Almost to mom's, Maddox started telling me that he had to tee tee and couldn't hold it.
Luckily we were on a country back road-- so we pulled over and let go.
We got strapped back in the carseat and almost immediately he started yelling help! help! help!
And before I could get pulled over, he was spuing like the exorcist all over my back seat.
Filling up his shoes... and white as a ghost.
It was terrible.
We cleaned him up at mom's, tore apart the carseart and washed my car the best, possible.   
And he was back to playing, riding the Ranger and helping Pop on the tractor-- totally unaffected.

His mommy, on the other hand, was bed ridden all day Saturday with the same nasty bug.
Fever, aches... and all of the rest of the fun business that comes with gastro.
Fun times.

We have not shared with Lance or Beckham, just yet.
And we hope it stays that way.

**This week has nothing fun on the agenda.
Crazy weather...
Inside play.
Lance and I do have a wedding reception to go to on Saturday... and that should be fun.
Blogging.

I'll work on that!

a missed 10 on 10... turns into gushing.

I am so bummed that I missed yesterday being the 10th.

I feel like I always do that...

I need to put a reminder in my phone so that I am prepared better next month.
I will do that right now.

I have to be honest, though.
Had I remembered 10 on 10...
My pics wouldn't have been the greatest to look at.

You would have got to see me and Lance doodling away in McDonalds around 9:00 while the boys played.
We are both a bit obsessed with the Draw me game...
and I may have spied another guilty momma coloring away, while eating her breakfast, as well!

We left there and ran around the area a bit, enjoying Lance's day off... making due in the rain.

To a luggage store that had Crocs 50% off... in every size but Maddox's.
Except one pair...
And A&M pair...
that certainly wouldn't fly in this house!
So I left empty handed.
(knock Crocs all you want, but they are the perfect shoe for a 3 year old boy-- easy to put on-- easy to clean-- and almost impossible to tear up.  I love them.)

I ran into Children's Place to get Maddox some Aviator sunglasses.
Well, I got 2 pair, because they were 2/$6, and you can guarantee one pair will be lost or broken in a week!

We then dropped a few hours in Best Buy-- looking-- wrangling kids-- and buying nothing.
Although Lance tried.

Freebirds for lunch.

And then home buy 3:00 or so.

The rest of my pictures for the day could have been summed up in one.

My friend Amanda has asked me to read this book a few times...
but she asks me to read a lot of books.

I have seen this book blowing up on Pinterest and Facebook and saw that the movie is coming out soon...
So with her persuasion, I jumped in.

I was on call Friday so I got to read a few chapters before the pager started sounding off...
Tore through a few more after I got off at 11:00.
And was back up at 7:00am reading again.

Back home from Freebirds, the boys napped and I started reading.
Once they were awake, I fought through chapter by chapter to finish it last night.
(finally winning by locking myself into the bathroom, submerged into a hot bath.)

The book was sooooo good.
And a far-cry from my type of book.

The main reason I never read the Twilight series, (aside from not wanting to feel like a 13 year old or from not wanting to have another reason to think my husband should love me more than a fictional character-- like I had seen a couple of my friends do) was that I did not think I could connect with characters that aren't real.
I don't like sci-fi stuff... and if it is too far fetched-- I can't begin to like it.
Vampires... ware-wolfs... It just seemed too much for me.
But maybe I should give it a try now...
Now that I have stepped out of my comfort zone and fell in love.
Maybe I turned my cheek too quickly?


***
I have been texting, emailing and FBing everyone that I can think of to read this with me.
Kristen, Casey, Jenna, Erin, Kaleb...
I am already excited for the movie to come out... and hopefully making a GNO out of it!

And once Beckham wakes from his nap, I am off to buy the 2nd book.

I hope you will take my advice and read the series too.

I cried twice in the first 2 chapters...
And felt about every other emotion my body has, through the rest of the book.

It makes you think.
It is suspenseful.
It is sad.
Your heart feels the love she has for her sister...
and there's a love story along the way as well.
You can not put it down.

I realized, an hour after I had finished the book last night, that I still had that air bubble in my throat where I had been holding my anxiety for the main character, Katniss.
 
{{I wish this were a live chat so we could gush about how we felt when it was over...
but I am okay feeling like a crazy woman, gushing about-- as if I can hear your response.
So I'll continue...}}
 
Last night, while laying in bed, I was thinking about the book and how I am just not a fighter.
I think I would have just stepped off the circle before the games started and called it quits from there.

I was thinking about the arsenal of guns we own, and how I honestly don't think I could pull the trigger-- ending another human's life-- unless my children were in direct danger.
Not even for my husband, I don't think.
Or maybe so?
But still-- I would have to act on adrenaline alone... well... and maternal instinct.

[Don't tell my husband that I am saying such business about the fear of using our guns, it will just end with me at the range "getting more familiar with the pistols" and a "serious discussion" about the importance of being able to use the shot gun he bought me last year for home defense once I mentioned my stray bullet from the pistol missing and accidentally killing a neighbor.]

Almost my entire family is (or was) in law enforcement.
Beyond that, my brother is a concealed handgun instructor.
Between my husband, my brother, Lance's dad and brother, and both of my dads... we can lead a small army.
See, I was born into the ammunition... but I don't think I have the fight.

I can't hunt.
I can't climb trees.
I get cold just going into the garage-- much less sleeping in the rain.
I'm not athletic.
I would have died in the book.

I am certain.   

***
Okay, okay, okay....
just read it....

And then we can gush together.