Honored

Today we traveled to Andy's former school for him to accept an award for "Most Influential Educator," presented to him by a former student of his who is in the top 10 in her class!!!

He was invited to the luncheon weeks ago, but did not know who had chosen him for the award until the ceremony today.

Each student was asked to introduce any friends and family who was there supporting them, and then announce the teacher that they had chosen and give some words on why they chose them.
Katie chose Andy because when she arrived as a new student during her sophomore year, Andy had made her feel welcome and comfortable.  As she put it, "I thought he had missed his calling and should have been a guidance counselor!!!"
Although Katie was not a part of the Honor's program when she had Andy as a sophomore, she has worked her way up to becoming 9th in her graduation class!!!

The teachers were also asked to say a few words about the student who had chosen them.  Andy was the second teacher to speak, and he blew all of them out of the water! ...as though there was any doubt about that!  He got up there and it was like he owned the place! He was articulate, loud, addressed the crowd well, and never once said, "um..." :D He recounted when he first met Katie, and told her how proud he was of her for all of her hard work and shared his excitement with her about her success!

If you are a teacher, you know what it's like to hear that you have deeply impacted a student's life.  This was an especially exciting since Andy has not worked at this school for 2 years!!!  Everyone was so glad to see him and catch up!

Congratulations, Andy!!! You are a fantastic leader, teacher, encourager and motivator to your students!  This award was much deserved, and I know you'll treasure it!  We are all so proud of you!!!  We love you!

These Two

Oh, these two!!! 
How perfectly this picture captures both of them!
I love these two more than words can explain!  They made me a Mommy, and I am working every day to be worthy of that privilege. 
I can not believe how fantastic these little people are. 
Tucker is so smart, polite, and funny.  He is treasuring God's words and truths in his heart and applying them to his life, all while being a robot, superhero, and knight in shining armor!
Livie is...well, I can't think of a word to accurately describe her!  She is full of life, laughter, smiles and mischief! She is our "Sunshine Girl," "Destructor,""Woman with a mission," and all around goof ball!!!

This was my best Mother's Day yet!  After serving at church together, Andy and the kids took me to Gingers for lunch, my choice!
They then surprised me with my gift-choosing a plant for all of us to plant together and watch grow as a family!
I chose Peonies, and I am so excited to see them grow!  They will actually bloom each year around Mother's Day, so it will be a reminder of this special gift!

Tucker was excited to use the shovel...

...and wanted to use my mini Polaroid to document the experience!  Great idea!!!!

This was by far my favorite picture! :D Livie was not having the whole situation, and I guess Tucker was over it too!  But, I love it.  It was a great memory, fantastic day, and grand celebration with my favorite people in the whole world! :D

Tucker and Livie,
Thank you for the joy of being your Mommy!
I love you!

Wednesdays

This last Wednesday ended our year of Creative Living Bible Study.  My mom actually brought Kendall to this with her when she was the kid's age, and now all of us are back as Moms, and bringing our own babies!!!

This is the first year that we have all been here together, now that the girls have moved back, and I think we all look forward to these days!

Surprisingly, this is the ONLY day that all of us are able to get together, other than birthdays and major holidays. With kids, care taking, church, work...we usually only get together in small bunches, so these days are treasures.

Today was the children's program, and each class performed a few songs and scriptures that they had been working on all year.  The boys are the only ones who are old enough to perform, but next year I'm sure Ain's will be up there!!!... that will be a treat! :)

After Bible Study, we either go to Allison's for lunch, or all head to the mall to eat and walk around.  Yesterday was a mall day, and I got "The Party Car!!!"  I love to trade kids during car rides, and usually Pax and Tucker switch, but Stone requested to join the party this time...he knows what's up! :)

Once we finish our lunches outside of Nordstrom, the kids play at the play area for a few minutes, and then we head to Pottery Barn Kids! 

Sounds a bit odd, I know, but they set up their "stuff," and the kids just love playing! Yesterday, the kitchen was a big hit!  It was no surprise to me that Tucker would love playing there, 1. since we don't have one, and 2. he always loves helping me in the kitchen!

Ains and Story are ALWAYS into stuffed animals!  They are little mommies, and love and hug on them!!!  This cracked me  up because Ainsley managed to find a giant giraffe and proceeded to carry it with her around the store.  No big thang :)

Pottery Barn also carries these really neat all plastic toys that the boys are always drawn to.  They had 3 out for display yesterday, which worked well...minimal sharing issues.  Tucker was obsessed with the rocket ship because it had 2 astronauts, and he was "zooming" it all around the store! 

And, of course, back to the kitchen!  They were a great team, and made me pizza :)  They know the way to my heart ;)

Just a little girl time :)

See?!  Everywhere!  He loved that little rocket ship!!!

And, of course, there is always hand holding. 
Always.

I am really so thankful for our Wednesday treasures.  We all desperately need the Bible Study, the kids love their classes and friends as well, and then watching them all continue to knit themselves together as "Brousins," and "Cisters" is just amazing. 

*And, on a side note, Livie was there.  She was right below the camera in every shot...in her stroller :D She's a mad woman when let loose, and I thought 5 loose cannons instead of 6 would be better for everyone's sanity ;) atehehehe

Sesame Street Live!!!

This past Friday my parents took Tucker and I to Sesame Street Live!!!  Andy couldn't get off of work, Livie is too little, and the Hintons were in Georgia, so it was us and the Parkers!

I didn't tell Tucker about it until the day before, mostly because he has no concept of time, so I wanted it to happen relatively close to when I told him about it!  So, the morning of, he was PUMPED!!!  Pumped because it was just going to be me and him, pumped because Mops and Pops were riding in our car, and pumped because Aunt Meeske, Stone, Ainsley and Uncle Zack were going to be there...oh yeah, and he was going to see Elmo :)

We got to park right outside of the theater and walk right in, where we were met with the opportunity to buy a $10 program...um, no thanks!
But it was a great photo op.  Sorry that it's a bit blurry.  I was just warming up my photog skills for the day :)

Once we were in, we hit the "swag" booths :)  The kids were actually just interested in looking, and were super excited to find out that they could pick something to get!!!  The boys immediately decided that they wanted "the Elmo spiny thing," and Ains opted for a Zoey stuffed animal!  (She wanted Abby Kadaby, but they didn't sell her...which is ironic, because she was the star of the show.  Missed opportunity there swag people!  Just say'n :)

They were all so excited!!!

The "Elmo spiny thing" was so much fun for the boys!!! Tucker used his to cheer for his favorite characters as they came out!

Once the show started, Tucker moved down onto Mop's lap to get a better view of the stage.  The kid's eye's were glued on the stage because they had never experienced anything like it before!!! Ains really got into it and was grooving to the music!  So cute!

I love that he even went down and sat on Meeske!

Did I mention that we were in the 7th row, center stage?!  They were perfect seats!!!

Afterwards, we lunched it up at McAlistar's where the "Elmo spiny things" were playfully used as swords, funny words were made up, memories were recapped, and way too much sweet tea was consumed!!!  It was a perfect day!!!

Thanks, Mops and Pops!!!

So I don't forget...

Last week I heard Livie wake up earlier than her usual rise, and went in to check on her.  As I changed her on the changing table, I realized that she was not even fully awake, but just crying. Once she was back in her jammies, I scooped her up, and she immediately clung to me and laid her head on my shoulder.

We stood and swayed in her room for a few minutes, but being the early hour that it was, Momma quickly realized she was as sleepy as her little girl :)

We comfied down into her rocker where she melted into me even more, and we rocked and snuggled for a good 30 minutes.

--------------

Tonight, while I was tending to Tucker, who wasn't feeling well, Andy brought Livie in to tell us goodnight, and then put her down.  A few minutes later I heard her crying in her crib...very unlike her.  When she never seemed to settle, I went in to give her a good night hug. 

Once again, as I picked her up, she clung to me and just melted in.  Ahhh, that feeling!!!  I swayed with her a while, and when I adjusted my arms, she squeezed me tightly as if to say, "don't put me down yet!"

You didn't have to tell me twice!  Again, we moved to the rocker.  As I sat there with her on hugging me so tightly, I thought my heart might burst out of my chest with love.  I remember just loving to cuddle with my parents, and loving every moment they would spend with me before bed.  I just can't believe that my kids feel the same way about me now!!!

I just want to bottle up these memories in a magical case that will let me relive them over and over and over as they get bigger...and probably too big to still cuddle on my lap :)  Sooooooooooooo, if you could just find some one who could make one of those, that would be great :)

Weight Loss Wendsday!

Hi, friends!!! I wanted to document where I am in our new healthy lifestyle.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know that after about a month of only changing my eating habits, we began to add physical activity into the mix.  I used the 5K runner- Couch to 5K app to ease me back in on the treadmill.

We are able to use Andy's school's gym for free, and work out as a family.  I really enjoyed our family time as Andy and I worked out and the kids played.  After completing my treadmill training, I would lift a few weights, but don't be too impressed.  Bicep curls with 8 lb. dumb bells wasn't exactly super hero training :)

A little over a week ago I realized that although I was seeing minor changes in my body, the numbers on the scales were not lowering.  I began to get frustrated, and thought I might need to intensify my workouts to really shed the pounds.

As I was searching for a few good exercises to help me get rid of my "pregnant belly," I ran across the Bikini Body Mommy blog.  I remembered talking to a friend just the day before about this girl, so I dug a little deeper to see what she was about!!!

Aaaaannnnddd, she's great :D  I began following her YouTube channel for the workouts for the 90 day challenge, and fell in love with how quick they were...*Please notice that I did not say easy, because they're not.  But, I can push myself for 15-20 minutes every day.  And, I big perk is that she looks like me!!!  I'm not watching some 90 lb. girl tell me that she knows it's hard, but I can do it!!!

This girl is literally panting, sweating, and modifying right along with me!!!  Because I've see her before and afters from her first time around, I am motivated that I, too, can change.  I'm dealing with the fact that it's not happening as fast as I would like, but I super proud that I have worked this hard for this long, and am committed to continue until I no longer look "possibly pregnant!!!"

I was just telling Andy the other night, who is completely rocking his weight loss progress!, that I can't believe that I am THIS DETERMINED to loose weight!  If you know me at all, you know that I like to flutter from thing to thing, and am not completely devastated if a project doesn't get completed "on time."  But this is different.  I LOVE food, and eating, BUT I have chosen to only eat healthy.  I DO NOT like running, but I have chosen to push myself and run more than I have before.  I am NOT FAITHFUL at completing a work out, but I have chosen to complete these video workouts without any accountability.

I am determined to make changes.  I am determined to be healthy.  I am determined to look good in a bathing suite :). I am determined to look and feel good in my clothes.  I am determined to keep going.

So, to cap things up, the number on the scale this morning was the lowest it's been since I started, I moved up a notch in my belt, and I am proud that I just keep going! :D

This Week...

This week, the littles haven't been feeling the best.  A few low grade fevers, many runny noses, and a bazillion sneezes from Baby Girl. 

They aren't, however, "sick."  They are both in the best of spirits, not "sick" moods at all, but just wanting a bit more rest.  This Momma isn't going to argue with that :D

I had to wake Liv up at 9 the other morning!!!  As I checked the monitor before I went in, she was just lazily laying in her bed, stroking her lovies... SO cute :D

Then, as I went in to get her up from her nap yesterday, she was in no rush for me to pick her up!!! She just happily gazed up at me from the far corner of her crib with a giant paci smile, and stayed there playing with her toys!!!  I couldn't get her to stand up for like 10 minutes...which also meant I couldn't reach her to pick her up :) #shortgirlproblems

She was just so sweetly playing with her animals, loving on them, and giving them paci kisses :D  I should also mention that she is hardly a paci girl.  I put them in her crib, but other than that, she never really desires them. #sunshinegirl

Tucker has even been a little lethargic, but even that has not stopped him from his curious little spirit.  The boy wants to know EVERYTHING!  He wants to know every single thing we are going to do from the moment I wake up until bedtime, ("no, not bedtime!!!") :D

He has also been very curious/concerned/in tuned to the Bible stories that he's learning.  Last week after bible study, his teachers told me that after studying Joshua and the Wall, he was VERY concerned about all of the people inside the wall, and what happened to them when the wall came down, and if they were OK.  He talked about it non stop for the rest of the day.

As you know, the outcome for those within the wall was not...ideal.  So, although his teachers briefly described how they explained things to him, I still felt at loss of how to continue a discussion with him at home.  

His teachers did, however, say how much things were clicking with him during their discussion.  They were impressed with the questions he was asking, how much he was grasping, and said they wouldn't be surprised if he came to know the Lord at a young age!

So, that's what we've been up to!!!  That, and the 2 Colors n Cups parties I had last week with a total of almost 40 people, and the 3 that I will have this week, all in a row!!! I feel like God is really blessing me with these opportunities to do what I love, and make money!

So, yep, it's been a good week.  Exactly the relaxing schedule that I think we all needed :D