blessed beyond measure

I had to work Saturday and Monday of this holiday weekend, both in preparation for my upcoming leave and because we had a major project scheduled. A little depressing to be away from the family on days I should have been with them. Oh well. We do what we have to do. As I was toiling away in my cubicle, my darling husband was working his little fanny off around the house. Helping his folks out, spending time with Trey, mowing, working in the garden, and cleaning our porch. Bless his heart, he worked so hard on things he usually has help with. But a certain helper, and all those around her, are so scared she'll go into labor early, she's not allowed (or physically able) to do much more than breathe. Ah, the joys of late pregnancy. On Sunday, we enjoyed church, rested a while, and then continued what has become a Memorial Day weekend tradition - cookout at our house for the whole family! Freshly mowed yard, sparkling clean porch, incredible food, and a whole bunch of toget...

Trey is not too big on us taking video lately, so it took a few weeks and some sneaking around to get this. Totally worth the wait.

The boy's joy #1: Throwing rocks out of the garden. I can almost taste the peach cobbler. Can you?? This bird condo is in its third year of use. Getting crowded. Tiny little volunteer strawberries. The boy's joy #2: Running after the golf ball with Daddy. Grow, beautiful corn. Grow! My hydrangea bush. Never have I seen so many blooms. If I'm not incapacitated at the time, I'll try to snap another picture at its peak. My studly husband, channeling Andy Griffith, playing guitar in the front yard. The boy's joy #3: Tricycle. Still won't use the pedals. Beauty all around. Praise the Lord.

Our minds and lives are cluttered right now, and while it's been at the back of my mind that I need to update the blog, there has just not been a consistent theme to write about. So here are some life snippets. Trey is doing pretty well with the potty, especially if he's going "nekkid bottom". Pull-ups are less reliable, but much better than diapers. The poor kid is scared to death of public restrooms and of going #2 in the potty. And he adamantly refuses to wear big-kid underpants for me. Oh well, we're slowly getting there. All the plants in our garden, including Trey's carrots, are growing beautifully. Except the cucumbers. This is our third year of not being able to grow cukes, and we have no idea what the problem is. I'm afraid it may be time for Brandon to undergo an "angry planting" (lay out a row and just chuck as many seeds in there as you can). Brandon has been teaching himself to play the guitar, and he's really quite good f...

On a blustery but glorious Saturday, the men of the house tilled and planted the second half of our garden, while too-big-to-be-of-any-help Mama took pictures. Beautiful. Mother's Day was the best yet, as Daddy and Trey surprised me with a card and some snack-sized plain Hershey bars. Then at church, Trey walked into our Sunday school room with his class and handed me a red carnation. Cried a little. Oh, there is no way to describe how it feels to be a Mama. Thank you Lord. Trey had also worked with Giga a while back to make this for me. I couldn't love anything more. Happy Mother's Day to all you few Mommy-readers!

Time is moving so fast. Is it being older? Is it having kids? Is it not wanting time to move fast? I can barely keep up with Trey anymore, and not just because I have turned into a five-foot weeble with legs. He is growing up so quickly. And as we dig out baby stuff, it is a constant reminder that pretty much every piece of baby is now gone from Trey. This is a little sad. No, quite sad. Sometimes I just get all weepy, and even though it physically hurts to hold him, that's all I want to do. Anyway, enough sap. Thought I'd post a little update on what Trey's been up to lately, lest we forget. Which I am inclined to do. The hospital called me the other day because I had not sent in my preregistration forms, which had been given to me at my first doctor visit for this pregnancy. Oops. Second child. Trey is a Puggle no more. Last night was his last Awana class of the year. In September he will be a Cubbie. (sniff) He has done very well in Puggles, learning stori...

What a weekend. I don't know if we could have fit anything else in if we tried. But how better could you fill up a weekend than with family, family, friends and family, and more friends?? On Friday night, we went with Brandon's parents to a local minor league park for Trey's first baseball game. He occasionally watched the action, but more preferred the music, scoreboard, middle-inning antics, and the huge cat mascot. Overall he did very well. It was a great, relaxing night. On Saturday morning, my parents came over to help us overhaul the guest room. Dad and Brandon moved furniture while Mom, Trey and I worked on hanging valances, putting the crib together, and doing some general cleanup. Oh I feel so much better about things. The nursery looks really cute, but it's not quite done yet. Promise I'll post pictures soon! Saturday afternoon, my small group/Sunday school girls threw a sprinkle for me, complete with chocolate fountain! We had so much fun togeth...