A Swing Set afternoon

Liv's home today and I've been thinking

that I can't wait for school to be out again.

Mothers Day 2010

I was that little girl whose dream was to grow up to be a wife and mom. I had a great example. My mom created a childhood for me that I think of as perfect. And one that I hope I can recreate for my own kiddos. My thoughts on what it's like to be a mom? Some days I get stuck on the Laundry, the potty training, the never ending messes, and the constant questions. There have been days when I worry about being able to do enough for them. But really, I feel so lucky that I get to look at my children through a mother's eyes. My mother's eyes see how each of them is perfect. I love them completely. I love who they are. I am so proud of them for who they are becoming. I get to snuggle them, and kiss their squishy cheeks, and make them feel how much I love them. My goal as a mom right now is just that. To make them feel how special they are, and how much I love them and to help them gain a relationship with God. I hope that I can step back, let go of the frustrations, cherish them, and focus on enjoying this journey. Thank you Liv, Thank you Gwen, Thank you Beckham for coming to our family. I hope you will always know that your mommy loves you more than I imagined was possible. And you too Brad, I love you.

Road Trip 2010: Part Seven

I'm losing steam. The rest of my documentation of this trip is going to be sparse and quick.

Day 8: Dollywood. Mostly as a joke. Ended up being great fun. we wish we had planned to be there longer. Laughed until we cried while driving down through the town. Stores full of eccentric junk were plentiful. It almost felt like a different country.

Day9: Met up with friends from Iowa, The Reynolds. Toured the Hershey Factory, Played outside, went to dinner, much much too short.

Day 10: The Crayola Factory. A children's museum designed around art. Spent hours there. Started our drive home around 4:30. Went almost crazy while we waited 3 hours in traffic in NYC. Felt way better as soon as we started moving again. Arrived home around 2:30 A.M. Slept nicely in our own beds, Ahh.

Road Trip 2010: Part Six

One of the coolest things we did on our trip was to go to a concert at the Grand Ole Opry. We went to see Craig Morgan, whom we have seen before and loved. When we saw him in Maine, it was at a huge stadium filled with thousands of people. In contrast, the concert in Nashville was quaint, at a small theater loosely filled about 3/4 full. Our original seats were near the back, and after eyeing an empty row up front for quite a while, we decided to be brave and move up to it. The move was amazing and put us about 10 feet away from the performers. Before we arrived at the concert, Brad bought a rose for Liv to give to Craig Morgan. She was excited the whole night for her chance to bring it to him. After one of his first songs, Brad carried Liv up to him, and she did a great job holding the rose up high, right in front of him. Craig Morgan didn't notice it for a while and Liv never wavered. Finally he noticed it, and thanked her, telling her he had never received a flower during a performance. She was stoked, and said it was her favorite part of the whole trip. All of the kids liked the concert. Liv LOVED every minute of it, Gwen liked the people watching, and Beckham is happy anywhere. About half-way through the performance, I wrapped him up in a blanket and set him on the bench beside me. He rolled over, fell asleep, and never moved again =0) {The concert didn't end until almost 10:00}.

Road Trip 2010: Part Five

Day Three in Nashville Started off at the Pancake Pantry, where we gorged ourselves with their specialty pancakes. The girls had polka dot pancakes (filled with M&Ms), and Brad and I ate sweet potato pancakes drenched in cinnamon syrup. YUM! After that, we went back to the hotel for swimming and naps. We ended out the day at Centennial park where we followed the kiddos wherever they led us.

After dinner, Brad decided to see what Beckham thought of pickle juice which led to everyone joining in. We had a good laugh with Gwen. She tried it and tried so hard to like it. After her sour face she gave her best try at a smile and rubbed her belly, saying, "yummy."