Kendall's Kindle

Did you ever know a girl who loved reading so much that companies actually NAMED a reading device after her? I do, Kendall Nicole Reece, yes, she has a Kindle. :) They didn't really name it after her, but they should have. Tomorrow my sweet little Reecey Cup is turning 8! Eight years ago I was blessed to be in the hospital room as we welcomed a beautiful blue eyed baby into our family.
  Kendall has grown so much. She's reading very hard books, she's riding a big bike like a pro, swimming like a fish, and my boys love her. No matter how big she gets she'll always be a precious and important part of our lives. We love her very much.....



I had to add this one. It is my favorite :) She just loves catching crabs at the beach.


Happy Birthday, 
Coley
Reece!


Read more...

Dirty Laundry and Wonderful Blessings

After my upteenth load of laundry this morning (upteenth is a word, the definition is located in the "Book of Nanaisms") I realized I need to purge the boy's clothes. Everyday I try something on one of them and it is ALREADY TOO SMALL!! This tears my heart a bit each time. When I'd finished packing them away and labeling the boxes I seemed to have a  bit of panic. The drawers seem so empty. That caused a little stress, but like always the Lord provided, this week I was blessed to have two wonderful friends and a wonderful sister to fill their closets again. I am so thankful for all of those who love my family enough to think of us for their hand-me-downs. Jamie and I have been so blessed to have those to help us out.
  Back to the story, after putting away all of the clothes I was getting a little frustrated because my house is a disaster, I mean landslide/tornado disaster, and it looked like I have accomplished nothing. After my moment of self pity I realized I was overlooking something so important. We are so lucky to be able to have the clothes in our baskets, and that our boys always have clothes. I'll admit that I always try to see the sun through the clouds, but every mother gets overwhelmed at some point with endless laundry, but today I have never been so thankful for all of the clothes, shoes, and socks scattered on all of our beds.

Thank you Lord for the laundry and for my healthy, growing boys that create it.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits”. Psalm 103:2
 

Read more...

Critter #3 (4,5, and 6): "Pillars"

Casey, Charlie, and I have been trying for weeks to find a caterpillar in our meadow to send to kindergarten with Casey. Besides finding a hoard of beatle bugs we just had rotten luck. Until....the other day we found 3. I sent 2 to Casey's class and got out the critter aquarium from Uncle Dave, and put the other one in there. The next day my sister, Tiffany, came over and I thought it would be neat if her kids had one to watch grow too, so as luck would have it we found one for each of them. Because of Tiffany's tech problems, she can't comment, I can say this. I knew there was little hope for these tiny critters. Sure enough, one died and the other escaped. Tiffany has the touch. Ha ha ha. Anyway, I looked for replacements, to no avail. While in the meadow I grabbed a handfull of milk weed to replinish our food supply. The next day I was shocked to see another LARGE caterpillar and two extrememly tiny ones. I guess I over looked them on the new leaves. Maybe they will make it to the Reece house, I'm still thinking on that.
It is right above the hole. It is so tiny.
  Now Charlie has one "crystle-miss"(chrysalis), one ginormous caterpillar, and two very tiny ones. He enjoys looking at them and sneaking a squeeze while we are giving them new leaves. He came running in the kitchen the other day and told me they were "squishy" SO.....we decided to move them atop his book shelf. Stay tuned for more progress.

                                            

Read more...

Everybody knows Cleve

Read more...

Mar Mar

Had a dream the other night. I dreamed my Dad's sister, Myra, called with exciting news. She had found an autographed copy of a Forester Sisters CD. If you didn't grow up in country North Carolina in the 80's then you have no idea how exciting this dream was. Why did I incooperate this  music with my Aunt Myra? Well....because Myra loaded me up and took me to my very first concert. Yep, The Forester Sisters at the Fair.
   This dreamed sparked memories that are very appropriate. Thursday is Myra's birthday. Growing up Myra was always a big part of my life, but every year that has passed we have become more and more like sisters. She's hauled my lazy college butt to class, listened to me cry when teachers gave me the shaft or doctor's gave me off the wall diagnoses, she's looked up numbers for me while I drove, given me random cooking tips, screamed when I told her I was having a baby, celebrated with me each and every pound, BABYSAT and taught my son how to use a Yoga call, answers every "Hey, do you have a minute to listen?" with a caring, "Sure." Everytime.
  I love her. I tell her, but I just don't think I can tell her enough.
  The other day I was walking with the kids when I stumbled on something I had years ago forgotten about. When my Grandfather added a new addition onto his barn, he made a brick wall right outside. Like yesterday I was flooded with the picture. I remember Myra standing with me and my sister, Tiffany, and pressing our handprints into the drying cement. I ran home (not literally because Brady weighs a ton) and got the camera. The prints were old and faded, but still so clear to me.

The date reads 8/26/89

Heather (age 4)

Tiffany (age 10)
Myra     

I didn't need these handprints in stone to remind me just how long Myra has been there for me, but it sure brought some tears when I sat there thinking as I was holding my own boys. Charlie's hand fit perfectly into my print. Funny how just yesterday Myra was watching me grow, and now I am so blessed that she is a part of my boys' lives each and everyday. Aunt "Mar" (as Charlie calls her) WE LOVE YOU!


Happy 29th Birthday, Aunt "Mar"!!
                                

Read more...

Food for Thought

Here's a quote I am not even sure where I heard it, but lately it seems so true.

"If you measure your gain, you better count the cost."

Yes, we might have certain things in life, not just material things, but at what cost? It doesn't matter what the world sees or thinks, only you know what you missed out on to have what you have. Before we celebrate our "achievements" and high opinions in society maybe we should stop and think about what has been lost getting there. At the end of the day what really matters and what was just selfish gain?

Whatever, just something on my mind.

Read more...

Bumbo

I am a HUGE fan of these little handy seats. All mothers should invest in one. I bought this for Charlie to have at the beach, but it quickly became something I used everywhere. I almost freaked the other day when I realized Brady's chunky legs might not fit by the time he can hold his head up enough. I am trying to use it whenever I can be right with him. I don't want him to grow out of it :(



Read more...

I will fight you down!

So, I came into this game of motherhood knowing that coaching boys is a different ballgame all together. Charlie has really started to get interested in Superheroes, flying, and bad guys/good guys. In his eyes a good guy/bad guy battle ends when one of them "fights the other one down" That being said....Charlie has started telling me when something makes him mad or annoys him that he will "Fight him down." Below is the list, that I am sure will grow, of all the things Charlie will "fight down":


1. bees

2. the door on the dishwasher that he has trouble opening
3. my shave gel bottle
4. the sun shining in his eyes in the car
5. bears he sees out the car window, not sure how I keep missing them though
6. the horse that sticks its head out of the fence as our car drives by
7. his wooden alligator that I keep just out of his reach
8. the buckle on Brady's bouncy seat

....and of course several bad guys with the super power of invisibility. I can't think of them all now, but I am sure there are more.

Note: I am sure those of you who have actually been "fought down" by Charlie will NOT think this blog is funny. I just hope it might lighten the mood of defeat.

Read more...

Stitched with Love

"And I told her, you think it's impossible to love anyone more than you do your own kids, until you have grandchildren, and then you know you can."

These words came flooding from my mother's mouth the other day when we were talking, and I don't even think she realized what she'd said. She kept on with her story and I sat there about to cry. I never knew how much I would love to hear this. I knew she loved them from the day she knew they were in my belly, but to hear it, well, was something different.  My mom is someone who makes sure they know this. I wanted to post some pictures of the quilts she has made for my boys and my sister, Tiffany's kids. After I heard her say this the other day, I knew I it was the perfect timing.
In mere days my mother can come out with the most crafty and beautiful quilts, curtains, scarves, dolies, (not sure how to spell it) and anything else. I get so excited when she makes these things because those are the things that mean the most. Knowing the time it took to make them, and the love it took to design them absolutely melts my heart. I treasure these things, and I will always make sure my boys do as well. I record each gift in their journal, in hopes that one day they can pass them onto their children. Yes, she should sell them, no, she never has.

I've always thought in my mind when it comes to love, "Don't assume they know you love them unless you show it." Life is so short, too short not to spend it telling those you love that you love them. Mom, I love you, and thanks for loving my family so much.


Here are a very few pictures of many of the things she's made for our boys.









Read more...

Mommy Milk Week!

I am proudly celebrating 

Read more...