God’s Helpers

Mother’s Day this year for our family was different, we spent time with my mom and grandmothers and we honored Dave’s mom. This past year has been the most difficult, losing one of “our” mother’s but it’s also been a reflection of just how important mother’s are in our lives.

As a little girl, all I dreamed of was being a mom and thankfully the Lord blessed me 9 years ago with that dream. He has blessed me 3 times in my life, 2 of which I get to spend every day with and 1 of which I can’t wait to meet one day. Being a mom is all I dreamed and I'm thankful each day that my dreams have come true.

“God’s Helpers” by George W. Wiseman

God could not be in every place
With loving hands to help erase
The teardrops from each baby’s face,
And so He thought of mother.

He could not send us here alone
And leave us to a fate unknown;
Without providing for His own,
The outstretched arms of mother.

God could not watch us night and day
And kneel beside our crib to pray,
Or kiss our little aches away;
And so He sent us mother.

And when our childhood days began,
He simply could not take command.
That’s why He placed our tiny hand
Securely into mother’s.

The days of youth slipped quickly by,
Life’s sun rose higher in the sky.
Full grown were we, yet ever nigh
To love us still, was mother.

And when life’s span of years shall end,
I know that God will gladly send,
To welcome home her child again,
That ever-faithful mother.

Life

I’ve been a bad blogger….. I don’t know what is wrong! It’s not that I have nothing to blog about, just life! So since lists are easy, here is a list of what we have been up to lately, in no particular order.

My Painted Pretties

In our small town, during the spring, summer and fall months, we have a little thing called Bible Story Time on the Square. April was the first month and the girls had a blast. They played games, listened to bible stories, played with friends and got their faces painted. (Don’t you love the little couple in the background praying?!)

Black Eye

My little daredevil… Recently, one particular weekend was bad, all boo-boo’s occurred while riding her bike. After falling of several times in one day, both knees were scraped, a black eye and a busted lip. This picture was taken as the black eye was healing.

Hand on your hip…….

I bet no one has ever used the phrase “don’t talk to me with your hand on your hip”, except me. I get to say it regularly with Layton. 

Date Night for mama and daddy

We have  friends (last couple on the right) moving to Dallas soon. We get together every once in a while, without the children, and eat somewhere. We always have so much fun with this crew. We will miss them but look forward to visiting them in Dallas soon!

Friends

           

We have spent lots of time with friends. Especially since the weather is warming up! We love this time of year, when we can be outside.

Lydia the Gymnast

Lydia is still enjoying her gymnastics class. This particular night, she had pictures and had to wear her recital costume. Her recital is at the end of May and I cannot wait to see it. She has come a long way since August!

Softball cousins!

We have seen Ali and Lulu play several times this spring.  I love the game, Lydia and Dave love to socialize, Layton loves to eat!!!

How much stuff can you put in mama’s car?

A few weeks ago, we decided to go to Sam’s for the usual “stuff” and decided at the last minute to get a new tv too.  Just because we bought a new tv and all the accessories didn’t mean we could still get the normal Sam’s stuff too! We may or may  not have driven home like this…

Hot, hot, hot

The other night we were playing outside and Layton kept fussing that she was hot. She wanted to go inside and change clothes. After hearing her whine for a while, I gave in and told her ok. She comes out like this. I guess boots cool you off!

You wanna race?

                   

Our nephew comes over a lot and he and Layton are buddies. The other day we were standing around outside and Layton looked at him and said “You wanna race”.  J

Spring Break in Chattanooga

We decided at the very last minute to take a trip for Spring Break this year. We packed up quickly and headed to Chattanooga! We had an awesome time. We did the Aquarium one day and Ruby Falls, Rock City and the Incline Railway another day. My favorite was Rock City but Layton + rock cliffs = a whole new level of anxiety for Dave and I. I just knew she was going to be the first child ever to fall over Lover's Leap.  Dave said his favorite was Ruby Falls minus the part where he had to hunk over ALL the way through because he is so tall! The girls favorite part of the trip was the hotel swimming pool! :) We had all a great time, so nice to get a few days away from home.

Picture overload below! Please note that Layton has all the sudden started not liking having her picture taken, therefore she looks mad in most of them or is making some sort of crazy face or body motion...

                                               Aquarium looking out over the Tennessee River.

Love the pose!

World Largest Turtle Shell!

 

Not the greatest picture but this is in front of Ruby Falls. You would think when you ask someone to take a picture of your family in front of the falls, they would include the whole waterfall..... :)

                                                                Dave had size issues!!

Lover's Leap, absolutely beautiful.

Layton throwing out the peace sign!

Dave had a dead grip on baby girl!

So long tonsils...

For years, I have begged doctors to take Lydia’s tonsils out. She has tonsillitis very regularly and even when she isn’t sick she is stuffy. She complains that her throat hurts all the time and she snores louder than a bear! Being the spouse of a snorer, I have prayed for her future spouse many nights. I could sometimes hear her across our house.

At the beginning of February, she got sick AGAIN. After consulting the doctor, he finally agreed it was time we take them out. When he spoke these words, she went into full blown panic – in the doctor’s office! It took no less than 10 minutes to calm her down. (She is her father’s child…) After I explained that this was really a win-win situation for her because she wouldn’t be sick as much and she wouldn’t have a sore throat all the time, she relaxed a little. Her surgery was scheduled for the following week. After praying and reading lots of things about a tonsillectomy, she wasn’t nervous at all!

The morning of surgery, she brought her doll in hopes that she could go back to surgery with her.

She was so excited about getting a trip through the bunny tunnel before going back. After looking for 3 or so minutes, her daddy rushed her along to make a decision! Her decision was of course a new doll.

They told us it would take about 30-40 minutes. After 45 minutes, I was anxious as to why no one was telling us anything.  Finally after about 50 minutes, the doctor came out and explained that everything went well, her tonsils were really infected and he was glad we had made the decision to have them removed. We were able to go back and sit with her in recovery. She had to stay in recovery for about 2 hours, just to make sure everything was ok. She was really groggy at first but later woke up and tried talking to us.

The staff was wonderful and treated her dolls, just as they did her.

After 2 hours, she felt fine so the nurses started preparing for us to go home. Right before we head out, she started getting nauseous. Thankfully once in the car, she fell asleep and slept all the way home.

After we got home, she wouldn’t talk AT ALL. She would make hand signals or text us! She suggested that I go buy a bell, then when she rang, I could come running…um no! Once, she text me that when she clapped, I come running - that didn't work either! She loves being a patient! She hates to take medicine so she went all week without taking any pain meds. She lived off of Sprite and chicken broth. After 2 days, she finally started feeling better.  

The staff at the surgery center sent her home with lots of play things. After a few days, she and Layton were performing surgery on every doll we own!

It has 2 weeks now and she feels so much better. She isn’t stuffy anymore and says her throat doesn’t hurt. She said she can’t remember the last time her throat didn’t hurt. L AND she doesn’t snore anymore, which has in turn not woken her sister up at night, which has meant I have had a child free bed for 2 weeks. Tonsillectomy = Success!

Layton Selfies

This is what I see when I look through my pictures on my phone.

She never fails to bring a smile to my face, my spunky monkey!

                    

Apparently she's caught onto the “pouty lip” fad going on now!

Pretty girl!

Who needs a tissue? Ewww.

She is one busy little girl...talks non stop, dances constantly, always giggling, acts silly more than she should, loves being outside and eats more than 10 boys... and I love her so much it hurts!