My Little Athlete

Just some videos of Riley playing basketball & football that I thought were cute.

He’s getting his layup form down! ;0)

He thinks that playing football=falling down. So he kinda falls randomly. So funny.

There Goes My Life

I heard Kenny Chesney’s song “There Goes My Life” this morning on the way to work & I literally bawled like a baby. It’s just one of those songs that makes me think & reminds me that my babies are growing up waaaay too fast. TAG visited a couple pre-schools yesterday to get some information on them for Riley in the fall. I absolutely cannot believe my little boy will be going to Pre-K in just a couple months.

I mean, weren’t we just in the hospital having him the other day?



And now he’s going to be 3 in a little over 11 weeks and starting school. How is that even possible??? That leads me to my next point. School. Him going out into the real world. Without me. Without TAG. I know I can’t keep him (or Averly) cooped up in our house forever. But y’all, it’s an evil world we live in & that saddens me. And worries me like no other. I know it’s unrealistic, but I want to shelter them from all things bad. I mean, of course no mom wants anything bad to happen to her kids, but I just want them to stay naive to it as well. This is something I talk to God about everyday. That people that try to bring corruptive things into my children’s lives will stay far, far away. I also pray that they will have the strength & will power to stay away from the things God doesn’t approve of. That when mom & dad are not there to tell them what to do, they will know the right decision & choose it. That they will grow up to be godly men & women. To know the love God has for us & to share it with others. I pray that TAG & I can lead them down the right path that is guided by the Big Man upstairs and that we honor Him in how we are raising them. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. That verse means more to me now than ever. There’s a LOT of pressure on us as parents to mold our kids into the kind of people they will turn out to be.

These are just some of the thoughts that kept me up last night. I’m having a hard time adjusting to the changes that are about to be made but I know it’s something every parent goes through. I’m no different when it comes to not wanting your kids to grow up so fast. I am beyond thankful that I am able to stay at home with them for most of the week instead of sending them off somewhere. (Nothing at all against daycare. It just wasn’t for us.) And that when I am at work they get to stay with my mom. I know that is something they will look back on & cherish one day just as I reminisce on all the wonderful memories I have from staying with my grandmother when I was young.

Sunday at church we honored the graduates & I had another weak moment when they did the slide show with their baby pictures & growing up through the years. All I could think about was how fast our time is coming & before we know it, we will see Riley & Averly up there on that screen when we are sending them off to college. I’m sure I cried enough tears for the Mamas of those graduates & then some.

But the time has come, whether I like it or not, to send Riley off to preschool. The clock is ticking & it is so close. I will just have to suck it up, pray, & know that God is with him no matter where he is. Same for Averly when that day comes. (Which I don’t even want to think about!)

Gosh, I love these kids so much!!!

2 going on 30

Riley has his own little shaving kit that he loves to use. He always asks to “shave jus like Dada” after this bath. He thinks he’s big stuff when he’s ‘shaving’ too.

  

I swear he’s going to be going off to college the next time I turn around. Makes me so sad.

My Sweet Boy

Riley is turning into such a little boy instead of a baby. Although, if I had my way he would be a baby forever! But since he won’t, I am enjoying every minute of watching him grow. He is so inquisitive & wants to know about everything. He’s already at that stage of asking “What for?” & “Why?” He truly empathizes with others & worries if something is not just how it should be. He is so caring & sweet.  Sweet boy always wants to make sure Averly is always taken care of. That she has food or milk & that we don’t forget her when we go somewhere. ;0)



Riley is just like me when it comes to sleeping. He likes to cuddle up & put his feet on someone when he sleeps. I put my feet over TAG’s leg every night. I just like to feel him there when I sleep. And Riley is the same way.

I love hearing Riley pray. It is possibly the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. It usually goes something like this: “Tha you Lird for my famwee, mama, dada, my sister, brudder (he is meaning himself-as in Averly’s brother). Tha you for my unnawears, my food, that I not siiick. Tha you for Sheesus. AAAmen.”



He says the funniest stuff too. The other day TAG told him he looked like a baby giraffe because he’s so tall. He looked at TAG, shrugged his shoulders & said “I not a giraffe. I just Riley.”

He loves to pick flowers (usually weeds) for me. He will hide them behind his back & whisper "I got sumpfin for youuuu." He gets the biggest kick out of my reactions when he gives me flowers. This boy loves to see his Mama happy!

Saturday morning I was laying in bed watching TV & in our room we have the older big bulky TV that they came out with calling it a "flat screen" right before the real flat screens. Anyway if you know what I'm talking about, you know that they are box or square-shaped. Well when Riley woke up, he came in my room saying "Come on! Get up, Mama! You can watch da rectangle TV in da yibin {living}room. Not watch yours square TV." Funny how he noticed the shapes of the different TVs!

He knows that "R" makes the "rrrrr" sound. But that's about it as far as the sounds of letters go right now. Of course he's an old pro when it comes to saying his ABCs though.:0)

A few days ago he was playing basketball with TAG when suddenly he got this determined look on his face & said "Da game's not ovber yet!" I guess he was losing at the time but about to come back to beat Dada!

Also have you seen that 5 Hour Energy commercial where the guy is walking down the stairs at the end & says "Let's do this." Well ever since Riley saw it, he now walks around the house randomly saying "Les do dis!!!" It took me a minute to realize what he was saying but that has to be where he got it from.

This little boy. I'll tell you what, he is such a mess!



I could just eat this little fella up! I cannot believe that in just 3 months he will be 3 years old! What in the world?!?

On a much lighter note…

First of all thank y’all so much for all the encouraging comments, texts, emails & Facebook messages you sent me & for saying a prayer for my family yesterday. I really do appreciate it all! I have the best family & friends (real life & blog) anyone could ask for. That is just one of the many reasons why I love the blog world. The support system it offers. I debated on even posting that yesterday but I’m glad I went ahead & did it. Within minutes I had messages coming in from so many friends who care. It’s comforting to know you’re not alone when hard times hit. We don’t know the outcome of last night’s decision yet. I’m still hopeful, but now we are playing the waiting game.

Anyway, on a happier note…my sister is ENGAGED!!!!! I can not believe my little sister is going to be getting married soon! Last night around 10:00 I got a phone call that Brett had asked her to marry him! I am so excited for these two. I know they will have a great life together.



I haven’t seen her yet but here are a couple pictures she sent me last night.

 

Look at that rock! Good job, Brett. Good job. :0)



I’m already getting into wedding planning mode! Ahhhhh!!

God just smacked me in the face

I’ve had a lot going on the past few weeks, which explains my absence from blogging. I’ll just come out & say it. I have been having a pity party for myself. I’ve just been in a slump lately. Worrying about stuff I can’t control. Stressing over every little thing. Wondering when it’s all going to turn around for the better. Without getting into much detail, I’ve been struggling with some issues that have basically consumed my every thought.

I have always been a worrier. It’s in my blood. My mom & my grandma passed that lovely trait down to me. TAG calls me the world’s worst worry wart. I know I shouldn’t, but I worry about things that are usually irrelevant. I find myself losing sleep over even minor things. I worry about work-getting everything done for a full week in the 3 days that I’m there. About that client that was so hateful to me on the phone. Why are people so rude? I worry about my sister-driving to & from school. About bills-majorly. And don’t even get me started on the things that go through my head in regards to my kids. I am going to be a nervous wreck when they are old enough to drive. Even though it’s just in me to worry, I have been doing an extra amount of it lately. My poor husband & mom have seen me cry more in the last 30 days than probably ever in my life. My stress just builds up & I call one of them randomly during the day to vent. Sometimes it makes me feel better, sometimes it doesn’t.

There are some big things coming down the chute for my family soon. These changes are definitely a positive thing. So what am I so stressed about? The timing. I know that things are not done in my time, but in God’s time. He knows when the perfect time, place, etc is. I’ve prayed for patience & I feel God working on me. Last week was a big slap-in-the-face type moment for me. As I went down to look at the river it really put things in perspective. Thousands of people have lost their homes & everything they own-not to mention some have lost loved ones in this flood & the tornadoes a few weeks back. I am not one of those. I still have a roof over my head & my family here. God has really been teaching me to trust in Him with everything. Of course I know to trust in the Lord. I know this & have grown up knowing this. But I just have a hard time putting that into action sometimes. Letting go of all my worries & handing it over to God. He will take it all for me. He wants to take it all for me. Amazing love. So I’m trying. I am making a more conscious effort to just let go of all things that stress me. God is in control & everything is going to be just fine.

I know life is not going to be all unicorns & glitter. And I don’t expect it to be. I know you have to go through valleys to reach the mountains. We are going through a pretty deep valley right now, but hopefully that means there is a big mountain on the other side. Plus, I think we are getting close to coming out of it. I sure do hope so anyway.

And these two make everything so worthwhile.



I’ll let y’all in on everything when the time is right, but could you please say a prayer for my family today around 6:00? There is a big decision being made at that time & I just pray it is in our favor. A good outcome for tonight will mean great things to come for my family that are very much needed.

The Mighty Mississippi

So unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard about the “Flood of the Century” in Memphis. I went out on my lunch break today to take some pictures. It’s crazy enough seeing these images on the news, but when you see it up close it is just unreal.

This is the view from my parking garage at work.



And down on Riverside Drive.



See the brick side walk?



The driving ramp to the far right is normally very steep down to the riverbank for parking. Now there is no ramp.



This is what it normally looks like.

 Image from here.

The corner of Beale Street & Riverside is under several feet of water.



CNN, Fox News & other news reporters are everywhere. It’s just surreal to me.



Normally you can only see the very tops of the riverboats, but now they are up even with the road.



Please keep the people who’s homes are affected by this flooding in your prayers. It really is so devastating.

Mother’s Day

Every year my Mother’s Day just gets better & better. I am so blessed to have these 2 healthy, beautiful babies that made me a Mom. I am also so very thankful to have such a wonderful Mom myself. I am could not imagine life without her either. I pray that one day my kids will look back & realize how great they’ve got it, just like I have with my Mom. She is everything in the woman & Mother I try to be. Thank you, Mom for everything you do for me. I love you & am so grateful for you!

We spent the weekend at my parents’ house & it was a perfect Mother’s Day of relaxation & hanging out with my family.

 

My dad gave Riley an old fishing rod to play with & he thought it was the coolest thing ever. He fished off of the porch all afternoon yesterday. It was so cute how he would pretend to reel the fish in & then tell us how big they were.

     

Averly has just recently started wanting to hold our hands while we walk. Before she just wanted to be little Miss Independent & go everywhere on her own. Now I guess she thinks it’s more fun to hold our hand. I definitely think so. :0)



Riley is just about big enough to play with our old basketball goal when it’s lowered as far as we can get it. He loved hanging on the rim!



And Averly shot some layups too. Look at that form! Woohoo! Haha!



Riley refused to get in the picture with Vivi but we got one of the girls anyway.



Happy Mother’s Day!