Happy Birthday Bryon!

Check out pictures of Bryon below!

34 years ago today, my husband Bryon was born. I met Bryon right after my 18th birthday. He had just started law school and I had just begun my freshman year at Baylor. We were sitting in the college class at church going around the room introducing ourselves and Bryon remembers me having a big bow in my hair and saying, "I am Elizabeth and I am a freshman at Baylor!" in a very cutesy voice.

I remember thinking that Bryon was so nice and soooo old. After all, he was 22. A huge age difference to an 18 year old! Bryon was engaged to someone else and I was in a long term relationship but we continued to be friends throughout his time at Baylor.

As time passed, I broke up with my boyfriend and Bryon broke off his engagement. I remember where I was when my mother said, "Bryon is almost through with law school. I guess he will be leaving soon." I don't know why, but this really saddened me. I couldn't imagine him leaving.

The next week at church, I saw Bryon after church and he asked me to go with them to eat. His best friend was in town and the three of us went to lunch. From that moment on I was hooked. We just clicked. I came home and told my roommate that I was going to marry him. Five months later we were engaged, nine months after that we were married.

I won't go on and on about the reasons I love my husband, but I will give a few highlights on why I feel like I am the luckiest gal around.

Bryon is incredibly optimistic and enthustiastic. Most of the people who know him would say this trait sets him apart. He has a 1,000 watt smile! This is probably the thing that made me fall in love with him first. That and that he is really tall. A very important physical characteristic to me! He was so refreshing and I always felt good just being with him. Still do.

I know in my heart that Bryon loves the children and me with all his heart. He would do anything for us. What more do I need to say?

Bryon is first and foremost a Christian. He loves God and strives to be a better person every day. I know that he prays for the kids and me. What a wonderful feeling.

These are just a few reasons why I love my birthday boy! I am looking forward to having a great weekend with him.

My neighbor, George

Yesterday, I was passing Wal-Mart and looked up to see the presidential helicopter overhead.

This has become a relatively common scene in my neck of the woods. We hear F-16 fighter jets circling and say, "Oh, I guess the president must be in town." Or, "What a pretty day. I hope Crown Prince Abdullah has a nice time at the ranch."

How strange is it that our president lives 15 minutes from me? Ariel Sharon was hear discussing middle east peace talks. Vicente Fox has been here. So has Putin, Blair, Condeleeza Rice, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, among others.

I was at Crawford High School when Bush announced that Colin Powell would be Secretary of State. Pretty cool.

I talked to NBC news white house correspondant David Gregory when he was behind my in line at Starbucks last year. Not stuff that normally occurs in a little town!

I think that it is pretty funny that Bush spends most of August here and that the media have to endure our scorching hot month. Think: Minnesota in February. I used to think, "Why doesn't he come in April when the wildflowers are blooming and the temperature is mild? That would make the media happier and give them a better impression of our state." Now I think he does it to annoy them!

Happy 25th Birthday Lauren!

Check out our pictures below this post!

There is so much to say about my sister, Lauren. I love her more than anyone could love their sister. She is my best friend, my constant companion, and I couldn't imagine life without her.

25 years ago tonight my little sister Lauren Michele was born. The next morning, my grandmother woke me up and said, "You have a new sister!" And being the very confidant almost 5 year old, I replied back, "I know, because I prayed for one!" We have always been close. She started out as my live baby doll and turned into my best friend. She lives in my neighborhood and I get to see her almost everyday.

Somethings I love about having Lauren as my sister:
*She adores my children. They are practically hers as well as ours.
*She has great fashion sense and can buy a lot more clothes for the money than I can. She keeps me hip!
*We love to laugh with each other. We have been told that we have a secret language. We can just look at each other and bust out laughing.
*She always wants to be with me and she always has. It never bothered me when I was in high school and Lauren wanted to hang out with older kids.
*We stopped sharing a room when I got into junior high but she still slept in my bed almost every night. After she fell asleep, I used to love to hold her soft little hand.
*Our husbands get along great. We have fun as a foursome.
*Almost all of my memories growing up have her in them.
*Probably the scariest memory with Lauren was when she was seven. Michael, age 9, and I (age 12) were supposed to keep an eye on her at a restaurant on Cape Cod. Of course we turn our head for a minute and the next thing you know, a fisherman is pulling her out of the Cape Cod canal heading straight into the Atlantic Ocean. Whoops...
*When I was 9, our family took a trip to the Grand Tetons. I was wearing a sweater and jeans and we went on a hike into the mountains. I leaned over to look into a mountain stream. Dad warned me not to, but I did and fell in. Everyone laughed at me hysterically. The only one to comfort me was 5 year old Lauren. I walked back down the mountain several miles in a soaking wet sweater and jeans with Lauren at my side.
*We were in a horrible car accident 5 years ago in England that totaled the Mercedes we were driving. Praise God that we walked away from the accident (Mercedes are known for their safety) and were able to finish our vacation. Lauren, Bryon, and I toured England and Scotland with bruises all over each other!

I can't say enough about Lauren. I couldn't imagine life without her. She has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.

Happy Birthday Lazentoodles!

Going barefoot in Wal-Mart

Have you ever done something as a parent that you swore you would never do? Did you talk about other parents doing the same thing and think, "I would never do that?" Those words came back to haunt me this morning! But first let me back up.

We were running late to school this morning as I slept in a little too long. I was helping with a dinner party last night for the Waco Cotton Palace Pageant and did not get home until late. ME was buckled in, I was getting Thomas dressed, and I told Matthew to get in the car.

When we arrived at school, Matthew emerged from his seat in the back of the minivan without shoes on. He said with a devilish grin on his face, "Oh well, I guess you are going to have to take me home!"

"I don't think so mister!" I replied. He thought he had outsmarted me, but I just took Thomas's sandals off and gave them to Matthew. His toes were slightly longer than the front of the shoe, but maybe he learned his lesson!

After I dropped Matthew off, I remembered that I had to go to Wal-Mart to pick up extra supplies to make the birthday cake. There was no way to get around it.

Yes, folks. I took my child barefoot into Wal-Mart.

I used to poke fun at people who did that. It would disgust me to see little children running around a store with dirty feet. I would say things like, "You know those parents who take their children to Wal-Mart barefoot...."

Oh, the horrors. Of course I saw several friends there and I explained the situation. Fortunately, Thomas sat in the basket and didn't ask to get up.

I guess I will keep my mouth closed in the future. Have you ever done something as a parent that you swore you would never do?

Birthday bonanza

This weekend starts Birthday Bonanza at our house. In the course of 1 1/2 weeks, we are celebrating my nieces 2nd birthday, Lauren's 25th birthday, Bryon's 34th birthday, and my mother's (age withheld ;) ) birthday. Our family doesn't know the meaning of spreading things out so there are three big clumps of birthdays each year and this is the first.

I am making a Dora the Explorer cake for my niece. Dora is Thomas's favorite show and he doesn't understand why this cake isn't for him. I explained that he could have a piece of the cake, but it was Ashley's birthday. Several minutes later, I heard Thomas playing and singing quietly in the other room. He was singing, "Happy Birthday to Ashley, (whispered) and Thomas." How can you resist that? I guess since he is so sweet, he should get two birthdays every year!

progress

I enjoyed a good lesson in Sunday school yesterday morning. Scott was discussing how Jesus was always hard on the people in his life who thought they had it all together but was always gentle with "outsiders". He talked about how if we were exposed to Jesus, we should constantly be molding our lives to be more like him. He asked, "In the past 10 years, have we become more forgiving? More gentle, more patient? Less self-centered? Kinder to hurting people? More accepting? More intune to God?" I think that on most days, in most occasions I could answer yes. I hope that in 10 years I could still answer yes.

For some reason, this question stuck with me. Am I closer to God now than I was 10 years ago? Would He be proud of my progress? My how my life has changed in 10 years. I was a college junior loving life, dating Bryon without a care in the world. Now I am a married mother of three! I don't feel like I spend as much time in prayer and reading my bible like I once did. I am not proud of this fact, but I have to remind myself that I am busy raising little people to be the future of our church.

All of these thoughts and emotions came with a visual aide yesterday. My mom, sister, and I hosted a graduation tea for our preacher's daughter who will be graduating from high school next month. These were precious girls who were so excited about their upcoming prom, graduation, and entrance to college. When my sister and I took their bags, they said, "Thank you, ma'am." I wanted to scream, "I was just in your shoes! It has only been 12 years since Elaine, Stephanie, Amanda, Samantha, Emily, and I were there!"

I remember people telling me that this was going to be the most exciting time in our lives. That the world was opening up to us and we could choose ANY path we wanted. I remember smiling and saying, "Yeah" when these words were spoken to me. I wanted to say the same to these girls but I knew it would go in one ear and out the other. You don't appreciate it until it is gone.

Would I choose a different path? No. The truth is, I am doing exactly what I always wanted to do. Would I go back? No. Not necessarily. Would there be moments I would love to live over again? Absolutely. My first night in the dorm, getting excited about dating a new guy, first kisses, getting an A in the hardest class I ever took, meeting Bryon, the first few months of our courtship, going on our honeymoon, finding out I was pregnant with Matthew, staying home with my brand new baby. All wonderful memories.

I want to spend the next 12 years living each day to its fullest. Squeezing every once of joy out of each day. Molding myself to be more like Jesus. Being the mother and wife that my family needs. Being the friend, sister, and daughter that is an encouragement.

I made it!

Well, I have survived! Bryon has been out of town since Sunday morning and is coming back tonight. Praise God!

Bryon has an annual trip to Las Vegas every April. He has been begging me for months to come with him, but I don't leave my babies during their first year and the thought of traipsing down the Las Vegas strip with three children wasn't exactly my idea of a good time!

Bryon's mother agreed to watch Thomas for a few days, but I always feel more comfortable with my chicks close to the nest. I couldn't have asked the children to be any better than they were this week! I think they knew that I needed them to step up to the plate this week, and they were wonderful.

Bryon had a good seminar and is looking forward to seeing us tonight. He actually bought ME two dresses at my favorite little girl clothing store without telling me about it first. There is something so sweet about a big 6 foot 3 man getting excited about having bought his little princess dresses all on his own! I can't wait to see him tonight. And I am TOTALLY sleeping in tomorrow morning!!

So far this week...exploding pottys, kissing earthworms, and Matthew...male nurse

I don't normally read the funny pages, but I do have a cartoon taped to my fridge. It is Dennis the Menace receiving money from the local plumber. When a friend asks what the money is for, Dennis replies, "He wanted to thank me for keeping him in business!" Dad cut it out for me b/c one of Matthew's nicknames is Dennis the Menace and this seemed like something he would do.

Life immitated art this week as not one but TWO of our commodes were stopped up. Thomas had apparently put an entire box of wipes down one of the pottys. Sunday night Matthew came running in screaming, "The potty exploded!" And what do you know, he was right. "Potty water" (I'll spare the details) two inches deep in the bathroom. And did I mention that at the time, Bryon was not home? Yes, I got to clean the entire mess. Another jewel in my Mommy Crown, please....

The plumber came today and everything is in working order. I guess he needs to tip Thomas!

I went to my favorite green house today and bought lots of new plants. A lot of my perennials died last year when I was very pregnant and not one bit interested in the yard, so I have to do a lot of new planting this year. This is always fun with the boys. They love digging in the dirt, kissing earthworms (a local gardener told Matthew when he was little that we always kiss earthworms b/c they are friends to the plants) and spraying water. A little boys dream. Thomas loves watering the "planets".

On Monday, Matthew and I went up to my mother's office. I used to work at the same office (my mom was actually my boss). Since I still technically work there, I have a box with my name on it. Matthew wandered over to the mailboxes and noticed my name on a box. He said, "You don't work anymore, you stay home with me!" And my name came down after 7 years! Matthew wrote his name on a piece of paper and taped it to my old box. "I work here now. I am a nurse!"

Today, Mom told me I needed to bring Matthew to the office. Sure enough, there was mail in Matthew's mailbox! Sweet employees had seen his name and written him notes like "So glad that our mailboxes are close together". Candy was in the box, and one of the Vice Presidents of the hospital made an official award with the hospital's seal. Award in Excellence....For Matthew Barnhill....Best Mailbox.

His eyes were like saucers! He was so excited. It melted my heart that so many people had thought to make the day of a 5 year old boy! I want to tuck this memory away and remember it when I can make the day of someone else's 5 year old.

Note from Matthew

Nothing too exciting to report today. I just had a good day with the three kids. Matthew stayed home from school today claiming that he didn't feel great. He could have fooled me! Since this is the last year before real school starts, I figured he needed a day just to rest at home. I was sitting on the couch feeding ME when his skateboard slid close to me. There was a note on it from Matthew. It read:
Mom I Luv U
I won
to
spin
time
with
u
(heart) Matthew

Melt my heart! I am going to save this note and give it to him when he is older and not so anxious to "spin" time with me! Off to take a walk on this beautiful day.

Glimpses of this weekend

T-Ball practice Friday night and Saturday
Snowball fights at the new snow cone place in town. (The kids get to throw snow balls at the employees. If they hit them, a bell is rung. Heaven for little boys!)
Ran into dear high school friend who I haven't seen in years
Walk by the river at Riverside
Bluebonnet pics again
clean house
Found HUGE snake in the road headed straight for our house. Fortunately a saintly person ran over it.
Talk with Lauren and Mom
Yard work
Gorgeous Saturday
Played catch with Matthew and Thomas

In search for the great bluebonnet picture

Every year, I get very excited when I see the first bluebonnets. We live in an area where there are tons of bluebonnets dotting the highways and fields and it always makes me happy.

On the other hand, I start obsessing about getting the "perfect bluebonnet picture". I believe this is harder than getting the perfect christmas picture. You have to do them around dusk or a cloudy day. It can't be cold, windy, or rainy. The kids have to be dressed just so. By the time everyone is dressed and in the car, it is often too dark for a good picture. I have to find a patch that is thick, but not on a major highway. I have to keep calming down the kids when they see a bug.

We attempted pictures last night. I found a nice patch in the subdivision where we own a lot. I started a little earlier in the day than I would have liked so they are just a tad too bright. I got some cute ones of Matthew and Mary Beth, but Thomas doesn't look as cute. Bless his heart, he is a beautiful child but he is not photogenic!

Two hours went by and I got a few that I liked. I think I will go out tonight and try again.

A hard night ahead.

Update: ME slept until 7:30 yesterday morning! Gotta love growing babies!

Heaven help me tonight. You know the saying, "Never wake a sleeping baby?" I have taken this to heart. ME has been sleeping since 4:30! I wasn't about to wake her during the dinner rush and now it is bed time and she has been sleeping 4 hours. I guess I will turn in early to anticipate a hard night.

Finished the Job! 

5Q4 from DJG

Here are the interview questions by DJG and my answers:

1. You seem to have an obsession with Starbucks. What started this particular habit, and what are your favorites?You are very perceptive. I do indeed have a Starbucks obsession! I think that the habit probably started in college and has gotten progressively worse. I love the smell of it. I have blogged earlier about how the smell of coffee reminds me of growing up and my parents obsession with coffee. As far as favorites, it varies. I used to get espressos until I got an espresso maker for my birthday. When I am not watching my calories (like right now when I am nursing) I love frappuccinos. When I am watching my calories, a great substitute for that is an "iced grande non fat latte with a splash of half and half and three splenda". This is very good! I also love chai lattes and just plain jane sumatra coffee.

2. You mentioned that Matthew had inherited some of your traits as an oldest child. What do you think are the strengths and or weaknesses of being the oldest child?
Overall, I love being the oldest child. My parents were hard on me like most parents are of their oldest children. A lot was expected of me which annoyed me growing up, but now I am grateful for. I am also very independent and goal driven. These could be seen as good and bad qualities I guess!

Truthfully, I also struggle with wanting the limelight. It was always shone on me most and first as the oldest. When my younger brother and sister had their time in the sun, I have at times felt like, "Hey remember me?" This is the little devil in me that I have had to fight back in the past. I see it in Matthew and I can sympathize with him but it drives me crazy as well. My sister, who is the youngest, and I agree that there are many benefits and drawback of each position in the family.

3. Most of the things I truly dislike in my life can be traced back to an incident. What caused your extreme dislike for cheese?
I am sure that there was some incident that caused this but I am not sure what it was. I have asked my mother and she doesn't know. All I know is that as long as I can remember, I have hated it. I have a great dislike for "smelly" foods. The stronger the cheese, the greater I gag. Don't even get me started on deviled eggs...

4. You mentioned that you were a speech pathologist. How long did you work in that field before starting your family? What do you miss about working outside the home?
I worked during my masters program for a year and a half with a variety of patients including children and adults both in acute care and rehab. I also worked in local schools. I really enjoyed working with the elderly patients the most.

After graduation, I worked in a home health care agency. My territory included an hour radius of my home. I really enjoyed this b/c I got to work with elderly patients (strokes were my favorite) and travel in the rural areas around my home. I used to get directions to homes like "turn left when you see the herd of cows..." I love to take long drives and explore the "road less traveled" so it was perfect for me. It started my love affair with talk radio!

I worked there full time for 1 1/2 years before Matthew was born. I am still employed there and fill in between therapists or when they are busy.

The thing I miss most about working is using my degrees which were very difficult to earn! Sometimes, when I am in the trenches at home I think, "I have a masters degree and I scrub throw up out of carpet."

I also miss the goal oriented therapy. I saw a patient, diagnosed him, set goals which could be attained in 6 weeks, checked them off and moved on to the next patient. I absolutely love checking items off of to do lists so this profession was right up my alley! Overall, though, I am thrilled that I get to stay home with my children. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

5. Do you think that your cake decorating will turn into anything other that a hobby? What do you enjoy most about cake decorating?
This is a good question. If I didn't have children, my dream job would be to own a small bakery or have a catering service. Not to host big events, but maybe where people would call me and say, "I am having a busy week. I would like to make a homemade meal but don't have the time. Could you bring a casserole over to me?" This would to encourage families to stay home and eat around the table vs. eating take out on the road. Maybe one day....

What I like most about cake decorating is:
*making beautiful things
*saving money on buying specialty cakes
*seeing my kids expression when I make a Spiderman cake! They think that is the coolest thing in the world! It makes me happy seeing them so excited about something I have done. Cheesy, buy true.

Last night

Ugh. Bryon and I watched in relative silence last night as Illinois lost to the Tarheels. They could have pulled it out in the end, but their shots, which are normally dead on, just wouldn't go in the basket. Coulda, shoulda, woulda...

I am some what of an anomaly in that I don't like to play sports (why risk messing up my hair?) but I do enjoy watching it on TV. Bryon and I are equally excited at the beginning of football season! Bryon is very proud of me in that aspect. However, he rolls his eyes when the mothering side of me takes over like it did last night!

Those poor Illini players. They worked hard all season, only losing the last game of the regular season. But this year, the Tarheels will be the ones remembered. Poor Augustine's parents. He was the MVP of the Big 10 tournament, but he only played 9 minutes of the game last night before getting fouled out and was scoreless. I know their hearts were aching.

I guess to acheive greatness, you have to risk defeat. Last night Illinois risked it all and lost. Tonight, our Baylor Lady Bears are vying to achieve greatness. I just hope their gamble pays off.

Thomas Michael

I wrote earlier that I got to spend a lot of QT with Thomas this weekend. Looking back at my previous posts I realized that I spent most of the time talking about Matthew. He has such a funny, in-your-face personality, that more of his antics are "blog worthy."

Thomas on the other hand, is my gentle spirited child. When he was 6 hours old, I looked at my mother and told her that he was a completely different child than Matthew. Even as a baby, his voice was softer, he was more cuddly, and he played with toys for hours. All three were new experiences for me!

He was a beautiful baby with blonde curls and sparkly eyes. He was always happy to sit and watch "Buddy" for hours. Now that he can hold his own, he and Matthew are great little play mates. It is a love/hate relationship for sure, but as long as it is more love than hate I am OK!

One of my favorite things about Thomas is that while he is compliant and easy going, he is also very funny. He loves to make his family laugh and mimics voices very well.

He also loves to eat. The other night, Bryon was working late and I wasn't hungry, so I made the boys sandwiches. Thomas looked up at me with his puppy dogs eyes and asked, "Mommy, may I please have a hot meal?" Talk about being blown over by guilt!

As you might have seen in my earlier blogs, I cannot stand cheese. I use it very sparingly in my meals and usually make Bryon touch it. Lately, Thomas has developed a love affair for cheese. When we are eating a meal, he will say in a monotone voice over and over, "More cheese, more cheese." A lot of times for lunch, I will make "peanut butter quesadillas". Today, Thomas said, "Instead of peanut butter, can I have peanut butter quesacheese?"

Life just would be the same without my sweet little Thomas. He is such a gift to us.

Weekend at a glance

WATCHING THE BAYLOR LADY BEARS COME BACK FROM BEING 15 POINTS BEHIND TO BEAT LSU, THE NUMBER ONE TEAM IN THE COUNTRY, TO GO TO THE NCAA WOMENS CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
T-Ball practice
Matthew's third lost tooth
Lots of one on one time with Thomas
Illinois advancing to championship!
Hour massage at a local spa (using the gift certificate Bryon bought me two years ago!)
Decorating sugar cookies
Seeing pictures of my 3 day old niece
Taking Matthew's glasses to get fixed for the second time in 3 days.
Thomas and I going to church late b/c he was so tired
Thomas praying on the way to church, "Jesus please forgive us for not going to class!"
Picking 20 pounds of weeds.
Cleaning out flower beds.
Unbelievable beautiful weather.

Night of interrupted sleep thanks to the Tooth Fairy

Matthew's two front teeth have been loose for quite some time. His sweet little smile with perfectly spaced out teeth had been replaced by a smile that resembled Runny Babbit as his two front teeth began moving forward and crossing each other. Finally last night it was time to lose the first one.

My dad had to come over to do the honors. I have given birth to three large babies, one of them without medication, but the thought of pulling out a tooth literally makes me weak in the knees! Bryon (think fainting at the sight of needles) and I both had to leave the room.

Matthew was very excited because I told him that since the top front teeth were pretty important, the Tooth Fairy thinks they are worth more money than the rest of the teeth. He put his tooth in a ziploc bag and placed it under his pillow.

At three o'clock this morning, Matthew comes into our room barely holding back the sobs and explained that Thomas had taken his tooth from under his bed and threw it away.

Side note: Since Matthew was a toddler, he has never liked people seeing him cry. He goes to great length to hide his face or hold back the tears so as not to show his emotion. Nothing makes my heart melt more than when he does this. Now back to the story...

At the sound of Matthew's voice, Bryon darts up and says he will go look for the tooth. I shot him a look (if looks could kill) like, "How could you have forgotton to put money under his pillow? You might as well have told him there is no Santa Claus!" Shortly afterward Bryon came back to bed to tell Matthew that he had found his tooth and if he hurried back to bed, the Tooth Fairy might still come. He scampered off to bed.

Bryon told me that before he went to bed, he attempted to put the money under Matthew's pillow, but when he saw that there was no tooth, he didn't want to leave the money only for Matthew to find the tooth later and to have questions. I erased the earlier thoughts from my mind and gave Bryon a hug!

We both tried to stay awake long enough to put the money under his bed. About 15 minutes later, I got up to do the job. I went into Matthew's room, got close to his pillow, and he shoots his head up and asked me to tuck him in. I then drag myself to bed to wait another 15 minutes to try again. It is now approaching 4 o'clock in the morning. Finally, I was able to make the exchange and keep the peace in the house. By this time I am wide awake and cannot go back to sleep.

It was all worth it this morning, though, when Matthew came into our room beaming and shouting, "The Tooth Fairy came! The Tooth Fairy came!"

I am trying to savour every ounce of Matthew's innocence and belief in the magical events surrounding the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny. He is such a logical thinker, that I know it won't last much longer. I remember a little piece of my childhood slipping away when I was told the truth.

Parenting thus far

Lately, I have been looking at Matthew and wondering where all of the time went. I have always thought of myself as a new mom, but he is almost 5 1/2 years old! Life changes so gradually.

Looking back at my life 6 years ago:
1. I did laundry once a week instead of everyday.
2. I did the dishes a few times a week instead of twice a day.
3. I got in my car and left vs. taking 5 minutes to pack diaper bags, 5 minutes to round up the kids, 5 minutes to buckle everyone up.
4. I vacuumed and swept the house every other week vs. every day.
5. Bryon and I went to the movies at least once a week vs. 2-3 a year.
6. My favorite dinner was cereal which I ate while watching the news, vs. never watching the news.
7. I slept through the night every night.
8. I knew what was on TV every night of the week vs. only watching CSI and 24.
9. I knew all of the latest songs vs. listening to whatever song from an old CD my kids are obsessed with at the moment.
10. I never knew how many bodily fluids could come out of a child on any given day.

Please don't think the list was a list of complaints, it is just reality!
*In the last 5 1/2 years, I have experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of
lows.
*I have laughed hard and cried hard.
*I have fallen more in love with Bryon watching him be a father, yet feel like the
time we used to have for each other has diminished greatly.
*I have discovered hobbies that I love that I wished I had discovered before kids
when I had more time to devote to them.
*I have felt so grateful to God for blessing me with three healthy children, but
have less time to devote to prayer and study.
*I have enjoyed reliving my own childhood through my children. It felt like such an eternity growing up but now realize how quickly it goes.

Thank you God for my children. Thank you for all of it: the good, the bad, the hard, the fun, the partnership with you, Bryon, and me.