Go Oreos!

Tball is back in swing and Jackson is loving every minute of it. He is playing on the same league and with the same coaches and mostly the same team mates that he was with last year and the year before. We have been so blessed with such wonderful coaches and sweet team mates. This year though their team name is the Orioles, which all of the boys refer to as the "Oreos. "  I love it!

I am so proud of the maturity I see in Jackson this year on the field. He is naturally a very coordinated little guy, so of course with another year his skills have shown great sharpening. His batting is becoming much stronger, his catching more natural instead of an exaggerated step then throw, and he is spending much less time playing in the dirt, in his own way is giving it his all, concentrating on the game most of the time. He of course is still the most spirited one on the field, but he might always be and that's ok with me. As long as he's having fun and trying his best at playing and at being a team player that's all that matters especially on a 5 year old team. I love that he loves it and that he is so proud of himself for playing so well!

Here are some pictures of our Oreo before and during his first game and what an awesome game it was. I think he surprised himself with how well he did. He beautifully fielded two balls to first base without hesitation in the first inning and hit the ball way into outfield his first time up to bat.  He kept catching my eye with his fist up and a proud little expression,nodding at the same time as if to say, "Way to go me! I know you're proud mama!"

Spring Break '12

This year we headed to my parents (Mimi and Poppy's) house for a week of relaxation and catching up with friends and family. 

The beginning week attire was solidly galoshes and play clothes for puddle jumping and mud sloshing, a perfect event for my very boy boys. Midweek activities included trips to an amazing new local park, loving on the farm life, playing with sticks, tinkering in Poppy's garage, playing the part of train conductor, a girl's night out with my dear friend Emily, cookie making, spending lazy afternoons in a country open spaced back yard. And then my sis came with her family and our week really took off. More park trips, endless playing, evening wrestling matches, catching up, girl shopping trips, guy shooting range venture, a visit from Uncle Wayne and Aunt Jennifer. A week of relaxing, playing, eating great food, hanging out with great people, getting dirty, days of no makeup or hair fixing, slowing down, taking a break from the daily grind, letting the boys be boys in wider spaces... It was a breath of fresh air and of course I have a lot pictures to prove it.

 

Who couldn't have a great time with these faces in view around every corner.

Cowboy Jack

Jackson had rodeo day at school last week and boy was he one cute little cowboy.   They had a

 fun day of cowboy games and got to mingle with farm animals at a visiting petting zoo. Jackson had so much fun dressing up and oh how I love taking pictures of this precious cowboy!

Meet our new little one!

Yesterday was so exciting getting to meet our newest little BOY who looks quite similar to my other two cuties.  Jackson just squealed when I told them that they were going to have another brother.  From my last ultrasound at 12.5 weeks I was certain from what I saw that I was carrying another boy, but it was fun waiting and finding out all together.

We loved watching our baby boy's strong heartbeat, watching his little feet and hands wave to us, and then the Dr. switched the machine to 4D mode. It was simply amazing!  How special for Colin and Jackson to really get to see him and oh how they love looking at the pictures we brought home. 

We are in love!

I feel so blessed to get to raise three incredible boys!

16 weeks...woo hoo!

Already in love with our new baby who is quite the little kicker already (the best feeling ever!).  We are all going together to my appointment on Wednesday to hear great news about the healthy development of our baby and to find out what names we need to be working on, boy or girl.  How exciting to get to know more about our new little one!

Limbo

Several months ago on one of our many drives to and from holiday gatherings Bryan and I had time to catch up a bit, deep conversation wise.  With the kids strapped down tight in their carseats and enjoying the new minivan's (which totally rocks!) entertainment we had many mini dates.

During one of our conversations I was telling Bryan that I had let my trying to get pregnant, the chance of being pregnant over this last year, being pregnant etc. put me in limbo mode and how that frustrated me.  I put off working out like I had planned on and finding an area to better serve at our church among many other little things.  Part of that limbo was necessary in trying to promote a healthy pregnancy, but I let limbo kind of overwhelm all my decision making, or lack there of.  That's not a good thing, but I was glad to recognize that I had let that happen and that though there maybe many times in my life again when the details of my life plan are up in the air, while I wait I will not allow limbo to take over decision making and acting.  I felt like I was spiritually active in my waiting, but not as much in a physical sense as I should have been, so I guess the first being most important does put this whole topic into perspective.

Not that it was an inappropriate conversation to have in front of the children I did think they were totally oblivious to what I had been talking to Bryan about on this mini date of sorts. About 20 minutes later when we stopped to get gas, Jackson spoke up with much clarity in the backseat and said "Mama, it doesn't sound like a good idea to sign up for limbo." Man he totally nailed the point of that conversation.  He was right.

Signing up for limbo is not something we always choose in a sorts, but it is something that we need to be active in and it is something we can choose to not dictate decisions that don't require making it under the rope.  There are many waiting periods we face in our lives whether it be waiting to get pregnant, looking for a new job, waiting on God's calling on how to serve, considering a move, or simply waiting to make it through a certain phase of our lives.

It seems as if I make it under the rope successfully that I'm faced with another round.  Sometimes the rope is lifted a little higher, easier to make it through, but sometimes it lowers slightly causing me to flex my muscles spiritually and physically even more to make it through without it taking it's hold on me. To use the strength I just acquired from the previous round.

Specifically I find myself currently in the phase of waiting to see if I'll be put on bedrest this time around.  I'm praying that this won't happen, hopeful that it won't, but it's there.  The feeling that I may be weeks away from a very big change in the day to day ways I care for my children. I don't want to look back at this waiting and see that I've let a waiting period turn into limbo dictating my decision making and spiritual growth.  I want to see that I actively seeked God's guidance, that I made decisions based not on what could happen, but what was happening, that I responded to, not ignored callings.

I do love what I learn about myself in these waiting times, what I learn about my marriage, and my motherhood.  I'm excited to see how God reveals himself to me, in what new ways I will learn about Him, and how tangibly I will feel His amazing love for me as I clear the rope again.

Are you putting yourself in the bad kind of limbo mode while you are in waiting?  Are you letting your limbo state dictate more than it should in your decision making?  Are you spiritually and physically active in your waiting?

Baby Winner

I have a very competitive 5 1/2 year old on my hands which has in turn caused Colin to be quite competitive as well.  Looking back a lot of it probably stemmed from Bryan and I encouraging Jackson to do things with greater speed and focus when he was little by saying, "let's race to see who can get upstairs first" or "I bet I can beat you at putting my shoes on" etc.  We didn't use this all the time, but it seemed to really work, Jackson could always use an excuse to get some extra energy out by moving fast, and it was fun. Now I think naturally he would have been a pretty competitive little guy anyways, but this only enhanced this trait and hindsight had I known that this would carry over into brotherhood I never would have started it.

Of course anytime Jackson initiates a competition, like who's going to be the first one upstairs to brush teeth, the first one to get shoes on or the first one to buckle up, he is the winner.  This has gotten annoying to Colin evidently.  He wants to be the winner sometimes too for goodness sakes. 

The other day when they were having a race to see who would get in their carseat first, after Colin got situated last he looked at Jackson and told him "I baby winner!"  Big brother's response was, "there are no baby winners," to which Colin replied yelling at the top of his lungs "I BABY WINNER, JACKIE!"  It was so funny to see him be so assertive.  We just laughed and laughed and big brother agreed that he definitely was the baby winner.  Every once in a while Jackson will say jokingly that Colin is not the baby winner just to get him to repeat his very strong opinion about this.  It's kind of become a thing of theirs and it's really hilarious. 

Just one of the many moments with my boys I never want to forget.