Safety tips courtesy of Thomas

Thomas and I spent our last quiet morning together before school got out on Friday. We were reading Officer Buckle and Gloria which is a book about safety rules. I asked Thomas to list some safety tips. Without hesitation, these were his answers,

"Never pretend to be a crossing guard."
"Never pretend to be dead."
"Never pretend to be a NASCAR driver."
"Never climb windows, walls, or doors."

Good tips, Thomas!

Summertime!

What I am looking forward to in the coming months:

No schedule!
Playing in the backyard.
A break from searching for matching socks.
Trips to the farmers market.
Watermelon and peaches!
No so strict bedtime for the boys.
Seaworld/Schlitterbahn
Music camp
Weekly trips to the library, zoo, and pool.
Trip to the Cape.
Sleeping in or at least not having to leave the house early.
No piano or sports (love them but nice to have a break).

Addition to my blog

After saying things such as "Don't use the spinach as a weapon!" etc, my sister came up with a great idea. She suggested that I put a "Quote from the Day" on my blog and write down different things I say during the day that I thought I would never say. Of course, I probably won't update it every day, but this should be funny!

That's a wrap..

***Update on the last day of kindergarten. I now know what the term "ugly cry" means. I thought I was fine. Then I walked into the classroom to give Mrs. B her gift and an unbelievable wave of emotion hit me. I started crying uncontrollably which is so unlike me. I guess it felt good to get it out of my system and I am feeling a little better. This is what they mean when they say the minute a child is born, a mother's heart leaves her body and resides in her child.

Well, that's it. The last kindergarten kiss has been given. The last hurry out the door to kindergarten. The last father/son bonding while driving to kindergarten listening to sports talk radio. The long goodbye is over. The next time I see my little guy, he will be a first grader! I have added the picture of Matthew's first and last days of kindergarten. I can't believe how much bigger he looks!

Here are some of the things that have made this year my favorite of Matthew's life:

*Matthew's teacher. It was nice getting to know her and I feel like she is one of my friends! She helped make the introduction to school very smooth for Matthew and me.

*Reading Matthew's journals. Although 9/10 are usually about sports, these journals give me an insight into what Matthew is thinking about.

*Watching Matthew mature so much this year. He loves to go above and beyond to make Thomas and ME happy and then wink at me like we are in on a little secret!

*Becoming good friends with many of the moms at school.

*I love watching Matthew interact with people who I don't know. I know this could be scary, but it is fun seeing Matthew leave the nest a little.

*Watching Matthew's love for reading grow even more. He loves books more than any toy or game.

*Looking at papers where Matthew is doing multiplication and division. These aren't class assignments. He asks his teacher to do extra problems for him!

*Watching all his sporting events.

*Talking to Matthew's teacher about his personality. She says is a perfectionist and highly driven. He also gets along with all the kids in his class and enjoys being with them all.

That's all I can think of this morning. I am looking forward to having Matthew home this summer and before you know it, school will be back in!

Thomas is reading!

Thomas is officially reading books now. Matthew was in Montessori at Thomas's age and was reading by 4 1/2. To curb my guilt for not sending Thomas to Montessori, I have been working with him using some techniques I remembered from Matthew's school. He is reading Bob books and spouting off sentences such as, "Ten men went to the end of the land." What an exciting milestone!

He was reading a Lipton tea bottle yesterday and asked if he could spell his name, "TeaHomas" because you spell "T" "tea". I thought that was interesting!

I feel really good about our decision to have Thomas only go to school 2 days a week next year. I know that every child is different and Matthew really thrived going 5 mornings a week when he was a preschooler. Now that Matthew is in full fledged school, I realize how quickly (and how precious) these years go before they HAVE to be in school. I want enjoy every second of Thomas being home next year! The best part is that Aunt Lauren will be his teacher at Mother's Day Out next year!

Look Out First Grade!

MATTHEW'S A KINDERGARTEN GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last night was a magical moment for us. It was more fun and sweet than sad which I am thankful for! We got there 30 minutes early and there was standing room only. I guess this is a downside to a school with so much parent involvement! I ran into one of my friends who was sitting in the second row and she said she had room for one more. My sweet husband, who knew if I didn't get decent pictures what a bear I would be, gladly sent me on my way!

After the cap and gown ceremony and introduction of the class of 2018, the kids got ready for their kindergarten musical. Matthew's phenomenal music teacher put on a show where all 113 kindergarteners had a part! The show was called, "Gettin' Down With Mama Goose" so all the kids acted out nursery rhymes. Matthew was Old King Cole. As I watched him order his servants around, I noticed that he wasn't wearing shoes. He told me later he just liked not wearing them while he was king! Whatever the king wants, right? In the picture, he had just called for his pipe, and called for his bowl, and he called for his fiddlers three.

At the end, they sang a song to the theme of "New York, New York" and belted out, "Can't wait to be a part of it, First Grade, First Grade!" This was the part I got a little teary on. Those sweet, high voices singing about what they had learned this year. Then all the children were introduced and they walked out into First Grade.

What struck me as I looked around was how Matthew's and my world expanded this year. I was sitting next to several friends who I made this year. Some from room mom stuff, some from PTA, some from sports. I have totally loved getting to know a whole new set of friends. Likewise with Matthew. He talked to several friends and yelled out their names while we were walking down the hall. How does he know people I don't know? I looked at these sweet children and wondered how many would graduate together in 12 years.

Bryon took Thomas home in his car. ME was with a baby sitter and Bryon had to meet me at the show so we had two cars. Matthew and I had a nice talk on the drive home about how his life has been this year. I told him how proud I was of his behavior. He really only had one color change and that was for talking to his best friend. True, he got one with a substitute (Matthew pled innocent) and one where his entire table had to move their name because of crayon issues, but those were forgivable! I told him I was proud of how much he loved reading and learning. I told him how proud I was of his athletic acheivements. Two line drives into the outfield on Monday night! It was a really sweet and tender moment between us that I won't soon forget.

I think this is probably the longest I have gone without blogging. I have been having trouble with coherent thoughts right now. Between end of year/room mom duties and "soccer (make that baseball) mom" duties, I am having trouble concentrating! Once the dust has settled next week, I will write more about all that is going on.

Tomorrow starts Matthew's last week as a kindergartener. He has been busy at work getting ready for graduation on Tuesday night. All the kids are putting on a musical, "Getting Down with Mother Goose". Matthew is Old King Cole. Imagine the music teacher picking Matthew to be the person ordering people around?! How perfect is that? ;) I am trying hard not to think things like, "This is the last weekend that Matthew is a kindergartener." , "This is the last Sunday night that I help Matthew get ready for kindergarten the next day." Why do I torture myself this way?

************************************************************************************

I realize that I don't tell lots of stories about Thomas. He doesn't pull the antics that Matthew does or change constantly like ME does. Most of his life isn't a funny story. He is just my sweet, gentle Thomas who I adore.

I did think of a cute thing that happened this weekend. I have told the story many times that I didn't get serious about cooking until I found out I was having Thomas. The thought of two boys and all their friends coming over made me want to improve my skills so all the boys would want to hang out at our house!

This is interesting because Thomas is my child who adores eating above all else. He gets more excited about bringing the snacks to his T-Ball game than actually playing. He doesn't like eating meals that aren't "warm". His eyes roll back in his head when he is loving a particular bite.

On Friday night, I decided to make BLTs for dinner. When I make them, I usually make the bread or at least buy good stuff, make my own mayonnaise, and roast the tomatoes. Friday was busy, so I went to HEB to get some specialty bread. As we sat down to the table, Thomas asked me if I had made the bread. I told him that HEB did, not me. He sat there quietly with his head down and I asked what was wrong. He looked at me with big tears hanging on his lids and said, "But I really wanted you to make homemade bread!" Poor Thomas! I hate to let him down so!

What's in a name?

I have seen several posts about the story behind kids names so I thought I would give it a go.

Matthew Bryon:
a.k.a. Matthew Mina, Mina BaDina

There are a few reasons why this name came to be. First of all, my father-in-law's name is Mack B. His father was Mack B. His father was Mack B. My mother-in-law decided with my husband to name him Mack Bryon. He would still be the fourth Mack but there wouldn't be the "Big Mack/Little Mack" thing. When I found out Matthew was a boy, I asked Bryon if we could say goodbye to the "Mack" tradition. Bryon signs all his documents "M. Bryon" so I thought we could have a son with the same initials, just a different first name.

I have loved the name Matthew for years. John Denver had a song called "Matthew" that I loved. I also loved the character Matthew in Anne of Green Gables. I loved his strong, quiet, sweet, gentle demeaner. Wouldn't it be great to have a son just like that? Hmmmmmm.....got the sweet and strong thing right. Quiet and gentle? Oh well, 2/4 ain't bad!
Thomas Michael
a.k.a. T-Bone, Tom Tom, Tom Boy, Hos

Boy did we struggle with this one! For a week, he was Robert. For a while we considered James. Thomas kept jumping out at me. It took Bryon a while to be convinced. I like that he was an apostle like Matthew. Two syllables sounded nice when said with Matthew. It also seemed like a strong name. Everyone is familiar with it, knows how to spell it, but it isn't used a lot here. Michael is my father's and brother's name. Had to get that in there somewhere! I have fallen even more in love with the name now that I know Thomas. I can't explain it, but his name really suits him.

Mary Elizabeth
a.k.a. Mary Beth, ME, ME Lou, Little ME Lou Who, Mary Bear, Mary BooBoo

A combination of my name and my mother's middle name. My grandmother was Mildred Elizabeth. Her mother was Sarah Elizabeth. Her mother was Elizabeth Ann (my name). I knew if I ever had a girl, I had to get Elizabeth in there somehow. Not only is my mom's middle name, Mary, but there are tons of Marys in my ancestry. You can't be Irish without a few Marys in the family! I knew a beautiful little girl named Mary Beth when I was growing up and I remember telling my friends when I was an 8th grader that I would like to have a little girl named Mary Beth one day. As strange as it sounds, my Mary Beth looks an incredible amount like the Mary Beth that I knew as a little girl!

So there you have it. The stories behind my little ones' names. I hope they enjoy the names given to them like I do mine!

"Stop using the spinach as a weapon!"

Can you believe I actually said that this afternoon?

Let me explain:

Not long after I found out I was having a second boy, I went out to eat with my brother. He said to me, "You know, boys are much more physical than girls. Don't be alarmed if they wrestle all the time." I don't know why this conversation stuck out to me, but the truth of this statement has come to pass.

I don't mean to say that they are harmful to each other. Yes there are times when Matthew pushes the limits and Thomas winds up in tears. I also can honestly say that they are each other's best friend. My harshest punishment for them is when I tell them they just "can't be friends" for a while. This devastates both of them. Oh I just love finding a punishment that really works! ;)

No, they just like to wrestle. They tackle each other. They pile on top of each other. They pick each other up. They splash water on each other. They roll around on the floor. They throw pillows at each other. They burrow under covers together. They tickle each other. They sit on top of each other when they both are wanting to sit in the same seat. Everything is a competition. They remind me of two little bear cubs. The transition between my quiet/easy going Thomas before Matthew gets home to the combination of my bear cubs greeting each other after a long day is amazing!

Tonight, they found a bag of spinach in the car and decided to take turns whacking each other in the head with it. Why? I have read an article from a mother of boys who said one of the best things about being a mother of a son is that you don't have to understand them. Just love them.

Now, if I can only get them to eat their spinach instead of using it as a weapon....

P.S. I tried to get Matthew to eat one little bite of spinach for dinner. He put it in his mouth and gagged so much that he threw up. Maybe they should go back and start using the spinach as a weapon again?

A few highlights from the weekend.

Friday night, my brother called and said that he was coming into town to watch one of his friends play at a local coffee house. Dylan played at Michael's wedding and Matthew calls Dylan one of his "Dallas cousins" (a throw back to Michael's single days) so Michael thought Matthew and I might like to come to (as well as the rest of the family). It was a little too late for the little ones to go, so Bryon stayed home with them and Matthew and I went out with the rest of my family.

We really had a great time! It was funny going to this certain coffee house which opened my sophomore year of college. I went on several dates to this place and it was a little strange going on a date with Matthew there! Needless to say, he had a blast. He even left the family table a few times to get closer to the music to listen. One of the highlights of the evening was when Matthew volunteered to pass the tip jar around for Dylan. I think he made enough for gas money to go home to Dallas courtesy of Matthew!


Saturday was of course ball game day. We were at the fields from 11-2 with a short break for lunch. The boys had a blast and enjoyed having so much family around to cheer them on!

I received my Mother's Day gift last night. Bryon and the kids got me a new grill! I realize this sounds more Father's Day-ish but I am the chief executive griller in the family and was in desperate need of a new machine!

This morning, Thomas came into my room, wished me a Happy Mother's Day and told me I could keep his Seattle Seahawk football cards in my room for a while as his gift to me! Thomas adores the Seahawks so this was a very sweet gesture! Meanwhile, Matthew made me breakfast in bed! He came in with a peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwich, apple, and yogurt. The silverware was wrapped in a paper towel, "You know, like they do in restaurants!" He sat next to me with his arm around me while I ate my breakfast. He beamed with joy when I told him it was the best breakfast I had ever eaten.

I know everyone feels this way, but I just love the family that God gave me. What sweet kids and husband. They made the holiday such a fun one!

Another weekend, another weather event. We had flash floods in our town today. Our easement looked like the roaring rapids and a woman got stuck in her minivan in rising water a mile or two from my house. Good grief!

Matthew's thoughts on Mother's Day.

Matthew came home today with a fill in the blank card for Mother's Day. He got my height and weight totally wrong but the rest of it is cute!

My Special Mother
by Matthew

My mother is the most wonderful mom in the whole world! She's as pretty as a Baylor Cheerleader. She weighs like 142 lbs. and she's 8 feet tall. Her favorite food is soup. In the good old days when mom was little, she used to go to Illinois and Alabama. I think Mom looks funny when she does her silly face. But I know she's really angry when I break something. I wish Mom would take me to McDonald's every day. (Hello? Transfats?) I wouldn't trade my mother for Benjamin Franklin. (He is totally in to the signers of the "Decalarashun of Independence" so this is a BIG DEAL!:)

Happy Mother's Day beautiful blog mothers!

Poison ivy and potty training

Well, after being up half the night scatching itches coupled with the fact that the rash is spreading, I am going to the dr. at 10 for a shot. Ahhhh, relief, thy name is cortizone!

As much as I would like to curse poison ivy, I think it probably saved my dad's life. Let me explain... Dad is extremely allergic to poison ivy. I have never seen such nasty oozing sores like he gets with it. The first outbreak he had was when we were living in Tuscaloosa. A doctor took one look at his mole ridden back (courtesy of jobs such as life guard, officer in the navy, and way too much time in Panama City, FL scuba diving) and told him he should see a dermatologist. He started going on a regular basis and sure enough had a malignant mole removed a few years later. The mole didn't look much different than the rest of them, so chances are that Dad probably wouldn't have gone in just to have it looked at. Thank you, poison ivy!

In other news, ME was dry all day yesterday! She had a tiny accident last night. She told me she needed to go, and I didn't get her undressed in time and she had a little pee pee accident. She cried when it happened! I felt so bad.

This whole potty training thing with her has completely thrown me off guard! The boys were over three when they mastered it and my little almost 21 month old has pretty much gotten it down. This surprises me because:

a) She is small for her age. She can't even get up on the potty with my help! and..

b) I have never pressed it with her. The last thing I would think to do is start this process with a child in the early stages of terrible twodome. The only proactive approach I have taken was to put her on the potty once at 18 months when I thought she needed to poop. The rest has been her idea.

She is such a neat child. Again, very different from the boys. She picks up papers on the floor, announces, "Trash!" and puts it in the trash can much to Bryon's and my amazement. She rarely makes a mess when she is eating even though she is now using a fork all by herself. I guess this trait has made her want to potty train early. Who knows?

No more diapers, no more high chair, eating by herself.....Where did my baby go?

On fire

Poison ivy on lips
Poison ivy on hands
Poison ivy on ankles
Poison ivy under eye
Poison ivy under nose
Poison ivy on cheek
Poison ivy on chin
Poison ivy on arm
Poison ivy on ear

Chiggers under arms
Chiggers on legs
Chiggers on backside
Chiggers on back
Chiggers behind knee
Chiggers on ankles

Never stepping outside again...

This and That

A few stories from the past few days:

*I had the unexpected surprise of having Matthew home with me yesterday! Matthew kept telling me on Sunday night that he didn't have school on Monday. "Yeah right, Matthew. Good try!" He was adamant about it and it is unusual for Matthew to get something like that mixed up. We went over to see some friends on Sunday night who informed us that their kids were spending the night with friends b/c there wasn't school the next day! I never received anything in Matthew's folder about it, but it was listed on the internet. Another friend, whose daughter was in a different class, didn't know until Friday when her daughter's teacher said not to bring her b-day cupcakes to school on Monday b/c of the inclement weather day that was not needed.

We had a relaxing day just the four of us. We had a picnic and enjoyed the slow pace of the day. I can't remember a day when there was NOTHING on my schedule. I enjoy all the activities, but yesterday was pure heaven.

*My mother lasted 55 years without a black eye. Matthew put an end to that on Friday night! We went to a Cinco de Mayo party on Friday night so my parents watched the kids. They spent most of the time outside playing ball with the kids. ME started begging my dad to swing her, so Mom took over as pitcher (I would have loved to see that!). She threw one to Matthew and he hit a line drive right into her eye ball. Poor Matthew felt horrible about it. Poor Mom sustained the first injury of baseball season.

*ME is now out of the highchair! Since we are having a garage sale soon, I thought we could try to put ME at a booster seat at the table and see what happened. She loved it and has REFUSED to set foot into the highchair since that first time! I am all too happy to see it go. I will be sad to see the crib go and several other baby items, but the highchair took up too much room in my kitchen!

*I look like I have gone a few rounds with Mother Nature. Bryon and I were working on our lot on Sunday night around dusk. It was my job to pull ivy off of the large oak trees in front. Yesterday morning, I started itching and haven't stopped. I have between 25-30 mosquito bites all over my body and poison ivy under my eye, nose, and chin. My left eye is swollen like I have been in a fight! Bryon got nothing. I think mosquitos just love me b/c Bryon and I can be sitting outside and I will have them all over me and Bryon is just fine. I must be super sweet!

Think that's all for now!

The hills are alive, with the sounds of chainsaws.

Yes, the past day and a half has been surreal. All over town are the sounds of chainsaws and helicopters flying overhead. Trucks designed to shred trees line the street often making it impossible to pass. I can't get the picture of the storm out of my head and the sounds of sirens that warned me of impending danger. I held my kids tight in that tub and worried that something terrible might happen to them.


I have taken several drives now around our little suburb. Again, I feel such sadness looking at beautiful trees with their roots in the air, sidewalks buckled up over root systems, roofs caved in, etc. Matthew's answer to this statement? "Sad? I'm downright depressed!" The photos shown are of my parents' dear friends' front yard.

It was determined that the damage done near the mall was from a tornado. All other damage done was by straight line winds on the downdraft of this powerful storm clocking in at a record nearly 90 miles per hour.

I saw an advertisement on a billboard stating that the new Providence Maternity Ward was set to open Labor Day, 1996! All the advertisements above this one were torn off!

A few thoughts:

1. I have always been fearful of big weather. The power that these storms can possess can be so frightening. I take such comfort in Jesus' disciple's words... "Even the wind and the water obey him." God is so much stronger than anything Mother Nature can throw our way!

2. I am touched seeing neighbors helping neighbors. So much of the damage done has already been cleaned up because of loving neighbors. This morning in church, several members offered their generators to anyone who needs them. By a show of hands, a good 1/4 of the congregation still is without power.

3. This incident is another reminder of how temporary this earth is. Trees that have been a part of this landscape for 70 plus years are now someone's firewood. Things come and go. Only God is constant.

A terrifying night.

Pictures from around town.



Three doors down from my house!

Well, we just experienced a night we will never forget.


A tornado touched down 2-3 miles from our house early this morning.



Here is the full story.

We knew bad weather was coming, but nothing like this. I woke up at 12:30 to the sounds of tornado sirens and a man's voice over the intercom shouting, "Take shelter immediately!" That will wake you up! I looked outside and was astonished to see my big red oak with it's branches at an almost 90 degree angle.

I ran in to get Bryon and told him to get the kids while I dug out from piles of clothes in the most centrally located bathroom. This is the bathroom that I have been using to store all of our garage sale items. All 5 of us were huddled in the tub. Very comfortable! Thomas kept saying, "Mommy, Buddy is touching me!" I had to explain to him that when 20 limbs are in one bathtub, the odds are everyone is touching everyone!

I will admit I was terrified. Big weather has always scared me, but I had to keep it together for the kids. Matthew was very calm and said he wasn't scared because God was with us. Oh, to have the faith of a child! One funny thing: the closest flashlight available was our "Halloween flashlight" that makes lots of scary noises like ghosts/someone shouting "Help Me!"/and electric shock noises. The kids kept hitting those buttons and I finally took the flashlight away. My nerves could only take so much!

ME had a fabulous time and enjoyed looking through all the books we are about to sell. To her, this was one big party.

After about an hour, things seemed to calm down a bit, so we tucked the kids back in bed and watched the news until after 2 a.m. We heard lots of horrible sounds during the storm and I was anxious for daylight to view the damage.

I couldn't believe the damage this morning. We were blessed by only slight damage. Broken fence boards, clumps of leaves off me tree, uprooted perennials. Three doors down, two huge trees were split down the middle.

We went for a drive around our little suburb. Gorgeous old oaks were down everywhere. Windows were knocked out of restaurants. Signs torn from their base. The tornado hit near our mall and destroyed the Coca-Cola bottling plant as well as many furniture stores in the area. Several gas stations' roofs caved in.

Our community took a beating, but we were so blessed to find out that no one was hurt. The most damage was done in commercial areas in the middle of the night. Thank God.

Twenty thousand residence of our area are without power including Stephanie whose husband brought over lots of food to store in our extra refridgerater. I always knew it would come in handy! ;)

I'll update when I can.

Two words.......

Week in review

Another week has almost come and gone. I can't believe it! Here are a few highlights:

*Matthew had his end of year piano recital on Monday. He told Bryon that his birthday present was a perfect performance. He didn't disappoint! He played both his solo and ensemble pieces perfectly. We couldn't have been more proud!

*Thomas had a game on Monday night and Matthew had a game tonight. Those are always so much fun. Every time Matthew made a great play, he immediately looked to see that we were watching him. I love that!

*Mary Beth is now asking to go to the potty in addition to going anytime I put her on the potty. We ate out after the game and she pointed to the bathroom and said, "Poo poo!" I guess I should get serious about training her. Maybe when school gets out.

*We are in the middle of the great Barnhill clean out. Here is why: Our family decided to pitch in and buy my mother an arbor for her birthday. I ordered it only to find out a week later that Dad thought it was his responsibility to order it! Well, I just couldn't see how I could refuse a beautiful arbor sitting at my door when I have the perfect place for it especially when the $36 shipping fee was nonrefundable! Bryon agreed that we could keep it so long as we had a garage sale that we have been mulling over to pay for it. I have been working like a dog going through the house and separating the things I no longer need (think baby clothes/equipment). I think it is so interesting how excited I get to aquire things and how I am equally excited to see them leave my house!

*Tomorrow is Matthew's track day at school. This is a very big deal! I remember my track day in kindergarten at Woodland Forrest Elementary in Tuscaloosa, AL. There was a contest to see who could blow the first bubble from a piece of bubble gum. I won! What a proud moment in my life! ;)

*This weekend will consist of a Cinco de Mayo party tomorrow night, 2 baseball games, a birthday party, and lots of yard work. I am sure it will fly by!

Have a wonderful weekend!

My garden

My Madame Issac Periere rose. My favorite flower in the garden. It is the most heavenly thing I have ever smelled!





(Warning: Potentially boring blog!)

Anyone who reads my blog knows how much I love to garden. Next to being with friends and family, it is my favorite activity! It's great for exercise, being outside with the kids, helping to beautify my environment, and take care of the earth God gave us. It makes me appreciate the here and now. Most of my beautiful flowers only last a few days. Some are gorgeous in the early spring and are gone until next year.

My dream is to go through the master gardener program in a few years when all my kids are in school. Can that really be only three years from now?

Yesterday, I was working back there and saw my first vegetable. A jalapeno! Who knew one little jalapeno could bring such joy? I decided to take a few pictures of my favorite plants in the back yard that are currently blooming:










This guy has been with my from the beggining of my garden. A few weeks ago, there was nothing in the ground but a few twigs. My hummingbirds love the spirea which makes me love it!

My Heritage rose is holding on to one of ME's hairs!

My vegetable garden is getting huge! I can wait to eat fresh veggies really soon!

To my mom.

Happy Birthday, Mom! Here is what I wrote about her last year.

If I could have chosen who my mother would be, I still would have chosen you! I love you so much.

Although I am always anxious for the weekends to get here, Monday morning is one of my favorite times in the entire week. We don't have to be anywhere in particular and Thomas and ME usually sleep late. I love getting back on a schedule and preparing for the upcoming week.

This was a busy and fun weekend!

Friday night, we had a cookout at our future subdivision. It was supposed to be a campout, but severe weather was expected that night (a tornado actually touched down in north Waco) so we went home after dinner. We roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and got to give all the kids a lesson in what a copperhead looks like since one was killed on the path to the fire pit! Two snakes in one week is ENOUGH!

Saturday was Bryon's birthday! We had the boys' pictures and games starting at 8 and ending at 10. Then, after a quick birthday breakfast, we headed to Conroe to spend Bryon's birthday with his family. Bryon and his dad took the kids to a Kids Fest in town and Bryon's mom and I headed to the mall! For part of the shopping trip, Bryon's mom dropped me off and I was able to shop...by myself...no strollers...no diaper bags...in non kid friendly stores...pure heavenHere is a picture of my kids and Shari's kids (Bryon's sister).

Sunday after church, we headed to the Antique Rose Emporium. It was beautiful and I felt like a kid in a candy store! I have been doing my research for months in anticipation of my visit, but I was still overwhelmed! I picked up 4 new roses and it was time to come home.

We were able to drive on a beautiful scenic road outside of Brenham and it did my soul much good! I love driving off the beaten path. I guess it is from my days working in home care where I had directions such as "Turn right when you see a bunch of cows", etc!

It was a whirlwind weekend but fun nonetheless. Matthew has his end of year piano recital tonight which, sadly, I will miss so I can take Thomas to his game. Bryon will stay with Matthew since he missed his Christmas recital.

Happy Monday morning to you!