Day 2~One of my all time favorites

This was taken when I brought the boys to Calverts in Dickson for Walker's first panel installment. I have about 10 of these pictures and it's so hard to pick out a favorite, but I love the way Will is holding Walker's head. He took the job of big brother very seriously and if I close my eyes, I can still picture that first year of bliss after Walker was born. No fighting, just loving. :) Will is a my nurturer and this picture just says it all. He is very loving and has such a heart for the well-being of others. Now he might aggravate the fire out of Walker, but he is also the first person to make sure Walker is safe and if anyone tried to hurt him, watch out! I can still remember the way Walker watched Will's every move when he was a baby, he would practically get whiplash watching him run back and forth and oh, Will could make him laugh like no one else. Will had the sweetest voice that he would only use for Walker when he would talk to him.

I look at this picture with fondness. I don't remember what it took to get out of the house, how many times I had to run back inside because I forgot something, driving the boys an hour to get their picture made, nursing in the dressing room at Calverts (which I'm sure I had to do), Walker's endless crying because he hated being in the car (which I'm sure he did, because he cried in the car pretty much the first year of his life).

This picture gives me HOPE! Hopefully, I will look back on what my life is like today with fondness too. Hopefully I won't remember the tears (mine and theirs), the long days that I don't think I can possibly get through, the feeling that I'm living out the movie Groundhog Day, or the constant messes. Hopefully I will remember their precious voices when they sing, our bedtime routines, hearing their belly laughter when something is really, really funny, searching for treasures outside and watching them grow and learn something new everyday.

Project 365~ Day 1-I might try this

We had a beautiful snow day yesterday. It wasn't to cold, the snow was just the perfect consistency and we had fun riding the gator down the street to our neighbors. The boys loved sledding on our make-shift sleds (tops of plastic storage containers).

My sister is participating in this picture a day thing and I thought I might give it a try, better late than never. I can't promise I'll keep it up. I'm known for starting lots of things and they sound like a great idea at the time, but then I have lots of unfinished projects. ADD anyone? The reason it sounds enticing is that I don't have to put tons of pictures up and try to go back and document what happened 3 months ago. That's why I dread blogging. So, here goes...

"Brotherly Love" on Christmas Eve

I was trying to get a shot of the boys in front of the Christmas tree before they went to bed and here is a "keeping it real" collage of what really transpired. I just kept snapping away while my "boys will be boys." Len and I got a good laugh out of these photos. In all honesty, they really do love each other and for the most part, are really sweet to each other, but we also have our fair share of fighting these days.

I hope everyone had a wonderful day celebrating Christmas. It really is so much fun to continue our traditions with our boys and start new ones. **You don't have to keep reading, this is mainly so I can document our Christmas this year and look back on this post next year. This is the first year that Will actually woke up and remembered that Santa was supposed to come. I didn't take very many pictures this morning because I decided that I just wanted to enjoy watching their faces instead of having my face behind the camera and trying to get the "perfect picture." We had the best morning opening presents, having a good "Christmas" breakfast of my mom's sausage balls, cinnamon rolls and fruit salad. We also enjoyed the beauty of a White Christmas. The Lord has been so good to us this year and we are most thankful for the health of our boys.

We let the boys play for awhile and then I went upstairs to pack for Alabama. We hit the road a little before noon and as we drove down I-65 in the beautiful snow covered trees, I had a moment of nostalgia, sadness as we passed the exit to my sweet Nene and Papa Jack's house. It just feels so strange that they are gone now, that a huge part of my life is now in the past. I started thinking of all the times we spent Christmas in Tuscumbia and all of the memories I have of being at their house during the holidays. It gives me the warmest feeling, but I also felt sad for my mom and aunts, that this is their first Christmas without their parents, but I am comforted and feel at peace, knowing that they are celebrating with Jesus in Heaven. They lived such a wonderful, long life. They were simple people who loved the Lord. Money wasn't their focus in life. Material possessions were not important to them. Their relationship with the Lord, their marriage and family, and serving others is what meant the most to them and I think of that often and strive to be content like they were.

When we got to my parent's house ( in a record time of under 4 hours!) we had a wonderful time opening presents, which was can only be described as mass chaos of everyone talking at once, paper flying, and all the kids running around with their presents. I wouldn't have it any.other.way! We enjoyed a fabulous meal that my mom prepared. Ham, beans of some sort, sweet potatoes, creamed corn, biscuits and broccoli salad was on the menu and to top it off, we had my Nene's delicious caramel pie for desert. I'm still stuffed 4 hours later!

Last night, we had Christmas Eve dinner with just the 4 of us, by candle light which was a huge hit with the boys. We had great conversations and the highlight of the dinner for the boys was getting to blow out the candles when we were finished eating. I told them a story about my childhood memories of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my siblings and Walker made us laugh when he said, "well, when I was a little boy, I"and then he mumbled something and got embarrassed when we started to laugh, because I had started the story with, "when I was a little girl, I..." The boys put on their Christmas pj's, got to open an early gift (pillow pets), got the cookies and milk ready for Santa, put out reindeer food, tracked Santa online and then we headed upstairs to read the story of Jesus' birth. Then we watched "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on utube and the boys were asleep at 7:48!! Len and I love playing Santa, getting the gifts set up, stockings stuffed and just spending some Christmas Eve time together. Thank you Lord, for sending your son, Jesus Christ to this earth to become like us. Thank you for my precious boys and the memories we are creating.

Thanksgiving Feast

Here are a few pictures from our Thanksgiving Feast at our preschool. It's only for the 3's, 4's and 5's so it was nice to get some one on one time with Will from mommy and daddy.

Will and sweet Maisy.

Will and his buddies from class. I wish we would have gotten Carter in the pictures. Hutson, Miles and Will.

Me and my BIG baby! He's not a baby anymore, but he will always be my baby :( Love this boy so much. He is really growing into such a sweet hearted boy and has matured so much this year. He is getting easier and easier and is such a joy to be around. I can't believe he sat on my lap in front of his friends for this picture.

And no post would be complete without my little turkey and he is indeed a little turkey! ;)

Fall Soccer

We've had a lot of fun playing soccer with the Upward League this year. Will has done very well and is a little bit more focused this year. ha! He does like playing with bugs when he's on the sidelines though. It has been great for us because there is a playground directly behind the field so Walker just plays the whole time and we don't have to chase him around the whole time and keep him off the field. Here are a few pictures of our season.

Gentry's Farm Fieldtrip

 

 

 

What a gorgeous day to have a field trip! We had a great time, even though I was still feeling the after effects of the stomach virus. I almost didn't make it, but once we got there, I started feeling better. Will had a great trip and has really been looking forward to it. I didn't know it would come so soon, but he is already acting embarrassed when I show him any kind of affection in front of his friends. :-( The little boy who always had to sit in my lap, hold my hand and give me hugs WILL NOT have anything to do with me in front of his friends. sniff, sniff. He did, however want to sit by Ms. Pam and snuggle up to her. What??? I'm so glad he loves her so much. The boys had a ball wrestling in the field and I couldn't believe how rough they were with each other. I guess boys will be boys! He picked out the perfect pumpkin and we picked out one for Walker too. I love Fall!!

Go Titans!

The boys are really starting to show their love for football and the Titans. We found these little jerseys at Walmart and the boys didn't want to take them off for 3 days. We were at Walmart the other day and they had a Titans area with paper plates, napkins, t-shirts, etc and Will just had to get Len some plates and napkins to eat on for the games. He was so proud to show them to his daddy. I love the simple mind of a child. I really wish I could think that way!! Somedays I long to play dolls, barbies, dress up, sit quietly and color, paint little finger asnd toenails and do all of the girly stuff. But as I sit here with both boys snuggled in my lap, eating popsicles and watching Sc00by D00, I wouldn't trade these boys who love to get dirty, love sports, cars and trucks, playing in the mud, wrestling, kisses, snuggles and "mommy, your the prettiest mommy in the entire universe" for anything in the world. Who knows, maybe there's a girl in our future. The jury is still out on that one.

How did this

turn into this

SO FAST??? Makes me want to cry.