The Small Things

Here we are at the boys' Thanksgiving Feast at their school. I love their school. I love their teachers. It's such a blessing. It's just two short mornings a week, but it's just enough so that everyone gets a break from each other, and Mama can get some things done around the house! 

Grammy, Pop, and Uncle Stephen came to visit for Thanksgiving. We had a great feast and great fellowship. The only rough part was Carter's behavior. He seemed so excited when they arrived, but slowly he started getting grumpier and grumpier. He was crying and whining constantly and even pitching a few tantrums. I was perplexed! Why was he acting like such a brat?! Finally, Friday morning I took him to the doctor only to find out he has strep and an ear infection! Is it bad to say I was relieved? I mean he wouldn't even let me leave the room without crying for me! I was about at wit's end by the end of the weekend. Poor Grammy and Pop had to listen to his whining all weekend! Thankfully he is a new kiddo today and back to his happy self, but I took Coop in this morning, and now he has strep. Ugh.

Here was one of the few smiles from the weekend.

Playing "Fumble" with Dada. Daily occurence since it's football season.

Warning: Mom Blab below:

Lately, I have really been struggling with sweating the small things in life. I don't know why. I really wish I was one of those people who didn't worry. Before I had kids, I was one of those people! But ever since I had these two little stinkers, I have had a hard time "letting go and letting God." Carter has really had a few hiccups lately with is separation anxiety and this has really shown me my lack of truly trusting the Lord in all things. There is no rhyme or reason to his separation anxiety. Sometimes he has it, sometimes he doesn't. He was doing soooo well all fall, and all of the sudden he has had a few bumps in the road...almost always at church. Two different times in the last two weeks, he has cried and cried for us during church. Also, he has been crying when I leave to just go run a few errands! And like I said, when he was sick, he didn't even want me to leave the room (although, that was excusable since he was feeling so bad.) I really, really, really want to just trust God with this. Why does Carter struggle so much with separation? I ALWAYS come back for him. I have never lost him before! This has been going on for almost 2 years. Why does he still struggle with this? I know God is in control, and I believe with all my heart that God is doing ALL of this for a reason and for our good, but man oh man, I am struggling to hold onto God's peace. I find myself dreading the next drop off, and even lying in bed sometimes thinking about why he struggles with this so much. I know it's a small thing compared to what a lot of people struggle with. Carter is healthy and happy and smart and beautiful and fun, and he isn't in St. Jude. He doesn't have a disease, and he loves life, but being a mom, I just want everything to be easy and perfect for my babies. But that's not life. If you think about it, would you pray that God would give Carter security and courage? I so badly want God to deliver him from this. I want him to be secure and not fearful. I want him to explore and not worry about where Mama is. Mostly I just want him to feel safe. Would you pray for him? And would you pray for me that I would not sweat this small things?! God loves me, and I am bound for the promised land, so why do I make small things so big?!!!! Ugh. I really want to trust God more. I want to hand this burden over to Him and NEVER TAKE IT BACK!

Thanks for listening :)

Jill

Eight Thankfuls

This year I am overwhelmed with thankfulness. Here are a few of my top "thankfuls."

1. God's grace. This year I feel I have begun to give my burdens to God...big and small. I still take them back daily, but I am getting better at handing them back over. I am thankful for this progress in my trust in Him...that He truly is sovereign, and that all things are working for my good no matter how painful, inconvenient, or confusing. It's hard to always believe that, but my faith is growing.

2. My husband....my wise, hardworking husband. I have never trusted or respected anyone more.

3. Carter, my buddy. He has made so much progress this year with his speech and anxiety. I am thankful beyond thankful. God is so good.

4. Coop, my beautiful baby. I am thankful for his charm. No one makes me laugh like that little guy. What a gift he is.

5. My parents. I think everyone should have as great of parents as I do. They are the biggest servants I know, and I have never known anyone to love so sacrifically. I hope I make my boys feel at least half as loved as I feel.

6. True frienships. I am thankful for friends who love me for me. Listening ears, advice, love. You know who you are.

7. Oxford. I am thankful for such a wonderful, welcoming place to live. My friends, my house, my church....I love my community.

8. Staying home. I get to be at home with my boys. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity, and I often take it for granted when it gets tough.

Happy Thanksgiving Week! We all have so much to thank God for this week. I look forward to the celebration of His goodness.



Oh so animated

Life with two little boys is oh so animated. Not an hour goes by that we don't experience laughter, a tantrum, a fight, a giggle, a wrestling match, or a performance. Life is moving, and it moves even faster when you are refereering, laughing, rescuing, spanking, and cheering.

Our crazy backyard where most of our action occurs. I sit in a lawn chair and hoot and holler when they do something cool, yell when they fight, and occasionally rise from my throne to spank or rescue from danger.

Mr. Drama himself....always "crashing" like Lightning McQueen, swinging "up to the trees," or riding through obstacle courses on his tractor.

Carter's reaction to the Joel cranking up the leaf blower...excitement.

Coop's reaction....terror.

Mr. Performer....always entertaining us with his funny faces, dance moves, charm, and wipe outs.

Look at those fleece lined crocs. Hahahaha! He loves them.

A sweet, still moment.

Carter loves rolling in the leaves. Notice he dressed himself....firetruck jon jon and crocs.

Couldn't you just eat him for lunch?!

If Carter is my lunch, this must be my dinner! I mean look at that face.

Here is Coop's new trick:

So we found out that this little boy at Carter's school has been pushing him/picking on him a little bit. I don't want to teach him to hit or retaliate, but I also want him to take up for himself and not be subject to bullying. So what do you do? I am going to start with the below training....of course Coop had to jump in on it too :) 

Tis the Season

Joel and I are going out to dinner with some friends in Tupelo tonight, and then we are heading to TOYS R US for some Christmas shopping! I am pumped. I think this may be one of my all time favorite things to do. I am giddy about what we will come home with to keep hidden in the attic for the next six weeks.

So Christmas shopping plus this video of Carter have me all fired up for the holidays. Carter has joined the Children's Choir at church, and this is what he came home singing last night. Melted my heart. He couldn't quite finish the song :) Makes it that much cuter.
P.S. Ignore the tractor noises as he is singing. Typical.

 

Buddies

Watching football and snuggling. Love it.

What is your name?

Pronunciation....the source of lots of laughter at our house. Here is Coop pronouncing his name :)

 

In case you didn't catch that, he calls himself, "Poot"....yes, you read that right....Poot. Hee Hee. Poor Coop, Carter called him "Pooper" for the longest time, and now he calls himself Poot. He is just destined for a bad nickname. Who knew Cooper/Coop was such a tough one to pronounce? Makes for some good giggles :)

Festivities

We had a wonderful Halloween weekend. The boys loved our church Reformation Celebration. They both had fun school parties, and lastly, we went trick or treating around the Oxford square. The boys soaked it all up, and Mama is exhausted!  

We opted for painting our pumpkins instead of carving this year. Can you tell I put them in the clothes I care least about?

Final products. These make me smile.

That is one handsome crew.

Joel bought this huge thing of Jelly Bellies, and the boys are like little starving birds when they see him get out the jar. They immediately flock to him and beg. I am not sure why he is giving them candy on Halloween weekend....as if they needed more than they had already consumed!!!

Okay, I have gone a little crazy on the matching outfits. I rarely matched them last year because Carter was in big boy clothes basically, and Coop was still in baby clothes. Now they pretty much wear the same style clothes, and I have gone a little whacko making them match ALL THE TIME. They just look so cute when they match!

Let the fun begin! Spiderman showing his muscles before the Reformation Party.

And our Super Coop ready to save the world.

Coop in his classroom at school. I am pretty sure he plays on the slide all day long. That's all he did the entire party besides stopping to eat his snack.

Carter in his classroom. He was sooo excited DaDa got to come to his party. I love that Joel gets to go to all their little school events. He is such a great dad.

We had a great weekend, but I think I will go lay down and take a nap. I think I am having a sugar crash!