couldn't ask for more, wouldn't settle for less: August 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Brady and Thunder

"On a pontoooooon"

LYRICS:

On the pontoon
Makin' waves and catchin' rays up on the roof
Jumpin' out the back, don't act like you don't want to
Party in slow motion
Out here in the open
Mmmmmmm...motorboatin'

Starring the real band

Starring Charlie

A shelter in the time of storm

The other night storms rumbled through our area. I was shaken awake and went numb to my toes as always happens when I am suddenly awakened. As usual with each clap of thunder one of the boys woke up or stirred. Needless to say I was not sleeping for an hour or two. As I lay there and watched the lightening in the sky I was overwhelmed at the power and magnitude of nature. I was laying there holding Charlie and I started to pray. I always end up in deep prayer in storms. I realize every time I find myself in the middle of a storm just how powerful and strong nature is and still how God has every little drop of rain in His control. I prayed over and over for the Lord to keep my family safe. The next day I was thinking how shallow I was, how ashamed I should be. I waited until danger was on us before I was truly humbled in prayer.
Then, again, as the news came to me of the death of a young Deputy with a wife and expectant child, I broke down. Once again I was reminded of just how powerful God is, and how precious and fragile life is. I prayed for my family and their safety. I thanked God for them over and over.
Why? Why do I wait until I am in a storm or faced with tragedy to ask God to intervene? The Lord is great, and His plan is much greater than mine. My hope is that I might have strong faith, but be able to ask for God's hand to work in my life ALL the time, not just the hard times.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Bikes

Ears

I love baby ears. Especially the way they smell. I have this strange habit of when my boys hug me I nuzzle their faces and sniff their ears really loud while I do it. They laugh, sometimes they scream, either way, it happens. Tonight after a tantrum in church, I was walking Brady to the car. I was holding his blanket across my shoulder as I walked. He snuggled it and then leaned into my cheek and sniffed over and over really loud. No one was there with us to watch me well up with tears, but that might be the most wonderful feeling I can remember. I can never feel down on myself when I have rowdy little boys who slow down just long enough to warm my heart :)

Daddy

Here's another day spent celebrating the most wonderful Daddy I could ever ask for. Happy Birthday, we love you Daddy/Paw :)

Sweet Cheynie

Here's a special belated birthday wish for the sweetest 16 year old ever to walk into my house. She's special girl who loves my boys as hard as I do and plays just as hard, but still manages to straighten my hair and give me compliments on my toughest days. We love you, Cheynie!

The messer becomes the messee

If you know me at all you know I love the TV show "Friends." Today I was reminded of a funny quote, when everyone finds out about Chandler and Monica and joke with them I think Rachel says, "Oooooh, the messers become the messees." Anyway, today the boys both climbed into Charlie's storage tub, and I thought it was the sweetest. I grabbed the camera and caught a sweet kiss, then it broke lose. A kiss led to a bite, then the bite to a fight, then a lot of crying commenced. I acted quickly and threw 9,000 dinosaurs and accessories in the floor and gave them each their own tub. Charlie appreciated the solution, and I laughed a little. Baby B has learned from the master.

Blackbeard, sharks teeth, and crabbing 2012

This is so delayed, but I have to keep up my reputation as Queen of Procrastination.

In July, Jamie and I took the boys to Emerald Isle with Tiff's family and our friends, Sheldon, Casey, and their son, Finley. There is no way to tell all of the events, but I will hit the highlights. We rode waterslides, go-carts, Charlie bowled for the first time, and rode bumperboats, and so much more.

My favorite part of teaching was always sitting with my kids in a circle and telling a social studies lesson in the form of a story, not just any story, but a big eyed "Joann" story with lots of captivating gasps. While at the beach I told Charlie a night-time story about Edward Teach (Blackbeard for those of you who didn't teach 4th grade NC History) I really worked it up. He LOVED it. He fell in love with pirates, and enjoyed saying "booty" in every sentence and then laughing because he got away with it. Anyway, I pulled everyone to the Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Turns out Blackbeard's actual ship wasn't completely on display like I thought, but it was cool anyway.

While we were there we visited a waterpark, and I am so glad we did. Charlie is at the age where is really liked it. Brady enjoyed the splashes with Finley and Charlie went down the slide over and over. It was fun. Also, Jamie almost died when he came within feet of hitting the side of the pool. Enjoy the video soon.

Sheldon is a freak of shark tooth nature. No joke. While we were there he found about 75 teeth. About 2 every steps. Charlie loved looking. He claimed to have found several, but never actually found one.

One night we all took our lights and went crab chasing/hunting on the beach. Jamie and I ended up carrying the boys and had to cut the hunt for crabs short, but when the others flooded in with a bucket of crabs the fun started. In short, we boiled alive innocent crabs, spiced them and ate them. Good memories after I got over the guilt of watching them die.

It was so much fun. Jamie and I were WORN out to say the least, but we loved the time together. We laughed, splashed, jumped waves, and played lots of corn hole. It was a great vacation. Visit our photo site here for more pictures.

Birdfeeders

Today we enjoyed a kinda rainy morning making pinecone birdfeeders. Very small ones, but feeders none the less. Brady's goal was the get the peanut butter to his mouth, and Charlie just wanted to get as much on the cone as possible. I let the boys place their own feeders, and we are watching them out the bedroom window. Hopefully the birds will brave the bark of a mean old wiener dog and eat from our feeders. Here's to my efforts at raising more "nature aware" children. Ha ha, not really. Just wanted them to have a reason to get their hands sticky :)

You get a line, I'll get a pole

Nothing more special than a day hunting crawdads with some of my favorite kiddos. Yes, Charlie is wearing doctor's gloves, no, I'm not so sure of his reasoning.