Dear Easton

Hey handsome boy,

Two years ago today you changed our lives in the best possible way. How could we have known before your arrival that we were missing anything? And yet, as soon as you came, we were more complete than we had ever been. One look at your beautiful blue eyes and big 'ole honkin' feet and we were smitten. Somehow, in His perfect way, God had created you for our family and us for your parents long before the beginning of time and in those seconds after you were born every single thing clicked.

April 4th will never again be just another date on the calendar. It belongs to you and to us as we celebrate you. I will always stop and remember the pain and the pushes and the tears. I will always look at the clock and know that at 1:10 pm you came into this world. I will always cherish your first cries and how I held you so tightly and kissed your precious cheeks. I'll remember how we laughed when we heard that you were an 8lb 10 oz bundle of all boyness. I'll remember the first special moments we had as a family of four. I will remember it always.

The past two years have been harder and yet better than we could have ever imagined. We have a great responsibility as your parents to teach you and train you and love you and show you God's love and some days it feels absolutely impossible to be everything you need. But, we have given you to God and we pray daily that no matter how many things we get wrong as parents, He will use us and it all for His glory.

I pray Micah 6:8 over you, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." We pray with urgent hearts for you to love the Lord, Easton. We pray that you will know His great redemption and grace and love. And we pray that you will walk humbly with him all the days of your life.

You are the sweetest little boy I have ever known. I won't lie, I was totally nervous to be a boy mom. I had no idea what it would be like to have a little man-child running around. I knew princesses and tea parties not tractors and trucks...but, you brought so much more than a little extra testosterone to my life, you brought one of the greatest connections I've ever had. When people say there is something special about the love between a boy and his mama, it's true. It's not better or worse than a mama daughter relationship (cause you know I love that one too), but I sure wouldn't trade having ours for the world.

I absolutely cherish the fact that you are still a little cuddle bug. When you wake in the morning and after naps you still need mama to hold you or, "keee me" (carry me). You get worried when others are sad or crying and want to know what is wrong. I hope that means you will grow into a great protector of the weak and innocent.

You love your big sissy so much. Lately, you've started copying everything she does and says. I love watching the two of you pray together. She prays and with my eyes squinted I watch you bow your head and clasp your hands and repeat words from her prayer quietly. It melts my heart and I can only imagine the huge smile it puts on God's face.

I love watching the two of you play nicely together....for the most part you have this down, although some days are better than others! One of your new favorite words is "mine!" so you can imagine how well that goes over with sister. You are both at an age where you can get lost in your own little imaginary world together and I feel like I have the best seat in the world.

I know you know that she loves you. But, do you know that she will be your biggest fan? Maybe you don't yet, but I know what its like to have siblings. You guys will irritate each other and bother each other and yet you will always have each other's back. She will be someone you can always count on. You have a special life-long best friend in her Easton. You are so blessed to have each other. I pray for your sweet friendship and relationship always.

You are such a huge part of our family, little man. We love you more than we ever knew possible. We are thankful for the life and energy and fun you bring to our home! We've laughed more (and had more sleepless nights) than ever since you came around. You are the absolute perfect addition to our family.

Today, I look back with some tears. I wonder how two years has passed. I wonder where my baby went. He's been replaced by a very talkative and increasingly independent little boy. I remember late night feedings and learning to crawl and firsts of every kind and the back of my throat tightens and my eyes burn for the days that are behind us. But, then I think about the days (Lord willing the many, many, many days) we have ahead of us and I can't help but smile. I'm so glad that God made me your mama, Easton. I look forward to the days ahead with you and your sister. Let's make them count!

I love you to the moon and back fourteen million times.

Mama

Pray

"I am praying for you"

I say those words and I mean them. More than I have in all my 29 years of life I feel like I just might finally get what it means to say I am praying for someone and to actually do it. Not a fleeting thought or a quick, "God be with them" but an all out fervent, feverish prayer to the God who hears me.

I've got friends this week who are hurting. A little one born less than a week ago undergoes open heart surgery this very morning and the tears stream down my face as I pray to God for the doctors who balance powerful tools over his delicate heart. I pray for his mama, a dear friend of mine, and my heart breaks because I can't imagine how her heart is holding up. She is a beacon shining God's light to anyone who watches her go through this trial, but I know she is hurting too and I pray God's specific peace and love over her oversized and oh so tender mama heart.

I have friends with sick kids, and friends who are hurting, and a husband who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders at his job, and my own mama who has surgery scheduled for April and there is nothing I can do for any of them really but to pray.

I lay awake in bed last night, heart heavy with these prayers and so many more running through my mind. As I poured them out to God I felt overwhelmed at the great need out there for Him to intervene and protect and sustain and give health and strength and it was almost too much. But I read somewhere that I am to pray hardest when it is hardest to pray and so that is what I did and will continue to do. I'll rest in knowing He hears.

Hello Monday

You blew in with a gray sky and I felt the cold toward you instantly. How could you? Just two days ago we were playing in the spring scented wind and here you came pushing winter once more.

Thankfully, my in-laws were here and so I stayed huddled beneath my warm covers and my mother and father in-law cuddled my little girl in the wee hours of morning. E and I stayed smart and cozy in our respective beds like sane people do.

Your sky is just now opening again to the sun that I know is always there and though the temperature is still low and my toes are still cold, I'm warming to you.

Later my little girl and I will go to a real life tea party to celebrate a sweet friend turning five. It's an honor and it makes my throat hurt because in just 5 short months, my firstborn will claim that same title.  And that is simply just not possible because I only just held her for the first time yesterday.

So, hello Monday with all your complexities and changes and beauty. I am thankful for you.

Snow Day

We haven't had much snow the last few years around here. I seriously remember being a young child and going sledding or building snowmen multiple times each winter. Anyway, we had a small snow on Tuesday and the kids and I enjoyed playing out in it for a bit. We attempted a snowman but there just wasn't enough and Shawn wasn't here...he's our master snowman builder.

The view out my kitchen window was pretty spectacular.

And the kids were so ready to break in their snow boots that haven't gotten much action this year. Unless you count wearing them around the house with their pj's.

It was snowing lightly and Lauren kept trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

Don't mind the pink gloves....we couldn't find his manly ones so he borrowed sissy's. :)

Yummy SNOW!

Of course no snow outing is complete without a few snow angels.

We played outside for about 30 minutes and then decided the wind was pretty chilly so we headed in for some hot warm chocolate.

The snow day was great, but I'm not gonna lie...I'm dreaming of SPRING!!!!

On the Off Chance You Haven't Seen This

Fair Warning...Grab a Tissue!

I watched this video this morning and bawled my eyes out. Don't say I didn't warn you.

While We Were Gone...

My amazing parents watched our babies for us while we stole the weekend away. Of course I missed them but it was so nice to get away and be with my man. I'm so thankful for my parents and my grandparents who lavished them with love and ice cream this weekend.

Here are the pics I got from my grandpa that prove they had a blast! Easton even told me he didn't want to come home. Nice, right... ;)

Popsicle anyone?!

The kids went to visit Lauren's kitties, Ariel and Ella. They live with Meme and Papa but Lauren knows they are really hers, hahah! :)

Papa said Easton was really gentle and loving with the kitties. Which made me happy because I figured he would have literally loved them to death. That boy is a BOY.

SO grateful for my parents and grandparents. Couldn't do this parenting thing without them and that is the absolute truth.

I should also add that my baby brother, Jared, watched my kids for a couple of hours on Sunday night so my parents could go to their Bible study at church. He fed them dinner, played with them, and made sure they stayed alive all by himself. I don't think I've ever been more proud of him than I was when I heard he had it all under control. I laughed so hard though because mom said that when they were pulling back in from church they saw Jared taking the kids to the car. Apparently Easton had pooped and obviously Jared was having nothing to do with that so he was going to drive them to the church for my mom to change him. Hahah! Now that's the brother I know and love. ;)

What a Weekend!

This past weekend was so much fun! We got away for a night with some really sweet friends of ours to go see Mr. Luke Bryan himself in concert! We left pretty early Saturday morning so we could hit up some shopping in Lebanon and Lake of the Ozarks before heading on to Columbia.

The road trip was so fun and other than getting a tad bit car sick when we missed our turn to get to the Lake and ended up taking the scenic (read: curvy) road the long way around it went by really quickly. We had so much fun just joking around and talking the whole way.

When we made it to Columbia, the girls all hit the hotel to get ready and the guys went to a boot store a few miles away. It was kind of nice because I felt like I was getting all ready for a hot date that night. :) Haven't done that in a looooong time!

I got a pic of Lindsey and I in our boots but somehow missed one of all three of us girls. :(

We went to eat before the concert at Murray's or something like that. It was really delish although I kind of killed it with my order...I got a greek salad which was yummy and then some blue cheese bread. It was WAY too much smelly cheese in one little dinner. Haha. Needless to say the bread ended up half eaten and I picked a lot of the cheese of my salad too!

Our men wanted to sit by each other at dinner, hah!

And us ladies sat by each other...

 Of course Jeremy chose this opportunity to photo bomb Kasey and me.

When we got to the arena for the concert we all decided to try to sit by each other. When we bought our tickets forever ago we couldn't get six together. We had to buy two seats here and there and there.  We figured we would just all sit in the highest seats up we had and hope that the people sitting next to those two tickets would be willing to move down to a lower section. It worked! We ended up pretty high up but we were all together which was pretty cool. Especially since we I had some pretty sweet dance moves...oh dear!

The concert was absolutely amazing. Seriously, Mr. Luke Bryan loves what he does and puts on quite the show. I blushed several times at his dancing but he was confident in how he can move! :) I didn't get any pics of him at the concert because we were pretty far up and even to the side where we couldn't really see the jumbo screen very well. After the concert we went back to the hotel and popped popcorn and chilled in Jeremy and Kasey's room before we all decided we were old and needed sleep.

The next morning Shawn and I got up and showered and dressed and headed downstairs to get some coffee. We sat right in front of the fireplace and talked. It was so nice to spend a quiet morning with my man. It's usually crazy and hectic and rushed around here. It was an added luxury!

We had the best time and are already looking forward to our next concert adventure whenever that might be! So thankful for good friends and country music!!!