tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-370913972024-03-07T02:28:25.644-05:00Stover's StoryThis is the story of the Stover Family - well, really, it's all about Jacob, Jonathan and Joshua. Mom and Dad may be included as well!Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.comBlogger373125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-21218596852714826962015-02-02T14:34:00.002-05:002015-02-02T14:34:37.686-05:00Super Bowl/Super LessonWell, I'm not exactly a football fan, that much is obvious. Much to my hubby's dismay, I do not like it at all. Not even a little bit. BUT, I do try to watch it with him some and I can crack a smile if the Packers win and I try to at least know who is on his fantasy football team each year. Well, sort of. I have no clue this year other than his QB. My hubs is the ultimate sports fan. Thankful we have boys - maybe they can share in his delight. :-) <br />
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I get that the Super bowl is a big deal. I get that everyone watches it. I get it. I do. But really, all that hype and all the money on the adds? Bluck. But, for the past several years, our church has hosted a Super bowl party for our church family and it's a lot of fun. Mostly because I get to socialize and our kids get to have fun with their buddies. Oh, and I guess there's a football game on the big screen. <br />
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Last night was no disappointment - our church family knows how to party y'all! Our party was super fun - complete with a Krispy Cream Donut eating contest (ewww!). Jacob thought he needed to participate - he was a trooper. He ate 6 donuts in 5 minutes. The winner ate 12 1/2. Ewww! It was so fun to watch though. The best part of the night though, by far??? Our halftime worship experience. Forget Katy Perry... our worship team flat out brought the house down. They organized all our worship teams plus the student band which was probably 15 or more musicians. It was great... here's the best part: <br />
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Yep, that's my little man. Rocking it out for Jesus. It was so cute and totally warmed my heart. My first instinct as he was walking up to the front of the room was to grab him and say "no no baby. Stay back in the back with mommy." But, I let it play out. And I'm so glad I did. He was absolutely captivated by the music and just stared and danced. And then one of our church members invited him to play the bongo drums. Heaven. This must be a little picture of what heaven will be like. Everyone- big/small, black/white, young/old joining together to worship the One True King.<br />
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I love how God works. Yesterday, the lesson I taught in Sunday School was from Mark chapter 10 when Jesus welcomed the little children even though the disciples tried to shoo them away. Jesus always has time for us. I'm so glad I didn't stop baby J from worshipping God in his own little way. Jesus wouldn't turn him away. He doesn't turn anyone away. Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-29549106402488931952015-01-30T14:18:00.000-05:002015-01-30T14:18:40.402-05:00You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid + Jesus. Just Jesus. This one is LONG overdue... but somehow, I find myself a drama/theater momma. Not what I'd ever thought I'd be doing as a momma, but my big boy has definitely caught the acting bug. He's participated in 5 shows at our local theater and loves every second. It's a lot of work (I mean kick your bootie, get so worn down you get walking pneumonia, losing hours of sleep kind of work) but Jacob has really enjoyed it. And so have I!!! <br />
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Most recently, Jacob was cast as Randy in the SCCT's production of "A Christmas Story." - yes, the traditional Christmas movie that plays non-stop on TBS every Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Randy is the little brother of Ralphie - the main character. You know, the "you'll shoot your eye out" kid. This was a major role for my boy. He was practically on stage the entire production. He had 5 costume changes and probably 30 lines or more to memorize. The show was fabulous. Not just because Jacob was in it, but it was really really good. I'm so proud of Jacob - praying that God uses his confidence and stage presence for HIS glory all the days of his life. <br />
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Here's Randy...the picky eater of the show. Couldn't have been cast better. Jacob is by far the pickiest eater on the planet!</div>
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Here he is with his on stage brother (Ralphie) played by Jack Swindler. </div>
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Jacob got to share the stage with his Papaw (Santa) - so that was extra special too. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the play. Randy pretended to pee on Santa's leg. I just wish we could have figured out a way for Jacob to really get warm water on Papaw during the show. It would have been priceless. :-)</div>
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Here's some lessons from a theater momma:<br />
1. If you show up, you WILL be a stage momma. <br />
2. Stage mommas have to understand the lingo - stage left, stage right, cues, props, breaking legs and all that jazz<br />
3. Stage mommas need to wear black - otherwise you stick out like a sore thumb. Don't really get this one - it's not like stage mommas are on stage THAT much, but when you are, you'll want to be wearing black. Trust me. <br />
4. Stage mommas will have every line memorized but have no idea what the whole thing looks or feels like until that magical moment when you are actually sitting in the audience. <br />
5. Stage mommas should have a reserved parking spot -they don't, but should right outside the doors since for two months, you practically take up residence at the theater. In fact, I felt like I should have been getting mail there. <br />
6. Stage mommas will worry about the lack of sleep and homework and all other facets of normal every day life for the duration of tech week and the two performance weeks. <br />
7. Stage mommas have a lot to be proud of - putting on a production takes a lot of practice. <br />
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Y'all - Jacob is only 8... he rocked this show. For real! He knew exactly where to go and where to stand and where to enter and who to listen to for his cues. He had a blast. Each and every night - even the nights he was literally coughing his head off because he ended up getting walking pneumonia. (stage mommas also have bottles of water and cough drops ready and opened when needed!)<br />
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Reflecting on this play process has me thinking about a relationship with Jesus. It takes practice - I can't expect to be prepared to handle spiritual warfare if I'm not prepared. I want to be so in tune with God's will and God's word, that I know all my cues and all my lines. We, as a family, poured so much into the production of "A Christmas Story" - and it paid off. Lots of laughs and praise involved. Y'all - how much more important is our purpose in life? To bring glory and honor to the one true King and to tell others about Him. Reflecting on this play process has reminded me that being an effective Christian isn't easy. It takes work and practice and prayer and studying God's word... and it's so exciting. Every day, God's giving me opportunities to shine for him - on stage or behind stage as the stage momma, the opportunities are there. Will I accept? Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-91963701340664684912015-01-14T23:07:00.001-05:002015-01-14T23:07:53.706-05:00trains on the floor and water stains on my mirrorsOh my goodness. So much to update. I really intended to blog throughout the building/moving process, but clearly that just didn't happen. So, we are indeed in our new home. It's hard to believe. We closed on December 22. Yes. Three.Days.Before.Christmas. CRAZY - but awesome. Building a house was stressful. Fun mostly, but also very stressful. The details. The choices. The keeping our house clean while it was on the market. Oh man. Never ever want to do that again. I was a crazy momma. So now, I'm trying to sit back and enjoy the moments and memories we are making! <br />
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Case in point, at this very moment, there are miscellaneous train engines and train tracks scattered in my new dining room (that has no table - it's still in storage!), there are water spots on my mirrors (WHY???? Why do boys always splash water on the dang mirrors?), there are dirty dishes in my new sink and there's a big bunch of empty boxes on my back porch that need breaking down. Oh and there's lots of trash out there too because our trash service has yet to bring us new trashcans. But, I'm really really really trying not to stress over those details. I feel like over the last six months I had to say "just a minute" or "not right now" or "no, we can't do that because we might have a house showing" so many times that I'm really trying to just live and be with my kiddos and hubby. It's hard. Not gonna lie - I desperately want my new house to look like one of those perfectly staged newly remodeled homes on HGTV - I want rugs in the right places. I want cool, trendy window treatments. I want things hung up on the wall. But those will have to wait, because for now, I'm too busy looking with fascination at the yellow trucks in our neighbor's yard and practicing spelling words and trying to put some healthy food options on the table (such.a.struggle.)<br />
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And, I'm trying to stay sane living with these beautiful, messy, loud crazies. <br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-36460500237140346182014-10-05T22:39:00.000-04:002014-10-05T22:39:02.777-04:00catching up...Wow. Now that's a bloggy break. No real reason... just life with three boys and a sweet hubby - I know one day I'll regret not taking the time to update the blog with the shenanigans of our sweet family, but I guess I've just been too busy living life to stop and document it. Here I am, though, in my big comfy recliner with a few minutes while the hubs watches baseball playoffs. The best I can muster is a few bullets to update our craziness. Where to begin... (uggh - can't get pictures to upload...) so a picture less update it is tonight. <br />
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Oh, how about this? <br />
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YEP - we are building a new home. What a crazy and fantastic process. Our house has been on the market for a while and we actually had a contract on another house, but that contract ended and we decided to build in Old Mill Village. A brand new home - so exciting. Kind of a dream for us - we got in on this house late in the process, but we are getting to pick out most everything. I'll try to update the blog with progress. I go over there every.single.day. So excited about all the kids and their awesome parents who live in this neighborhood. Our prayer is that God will be exalted and that people will be introduced to God in this home. Also that as the boys grow, that their friends will want to hang out at our house - that they would be totally comfortable there.<br />
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Whew... my brain is filled with projects pinterest tells me I must do... paint colors...cabinet and granite choices. Yikes. Fun, but slightly stressful. <br />
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We just wrapped up another theatrical performance by the oldest J boy... Jacob was in SCCT's production of Beauty and the Beast - it was a great show. He seems quite smitten with this acting thing - in fact, he's already auditioned and been cast in the nest show, "A Christmas Story." I'm a proud momma. Jacob is so funny - and so full of confidence. I love the spirit that God is growing in him and I pray that it is always used for good things. He continues to love school and does very well, though the play has kept him so busy, it's hard to get him to focus on his homework. :)<br />
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The middle J is still totally obsessed with all things basketball. He shoots hoops all the time and makes up games in his head. Usually when I ask the score, he says "I'm winning 154 to 120" - or some high score like that. He also really enjoyed playing soccer this year. We decided to move him up to U8 - even though he is only 6. He totally proved us right. He hung right in there with the big kids - he even scored two goals one game. :-) I love watching him grow and develop! I get the pleasure of volunteering in his class every Monday. He is a sweet friend and loves learning. He's so very quiet at school and is a rule follower to a tee (like his momma!). He has the most kind heart - I love his servant's heart. He always thinks of his brothers. He got to go to the UK/SC football game last night with this daddy and loved it so much. <br />
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Baby J... is so fun right now! A little crazy ...okay a lot crazy, but he's so totally awesome! He's starting to put several words together for his first sentences and he knows most of his colors (he always gets purple, blue, and yellow right!) He's starting to say "love you" and it just melts my heart. When we walk in his room this morning, he says "HI" like I am the best person in the world. I love that so much! He loves to brush his teeth and is pretty obedient over all. He has a new found love for screwdrivers and keys. He carries them around all the time. He's a wild man... we frequently say we've been Tazzed - like when he goes into the laundry room and dumps out an entire box of vanilla wafers or when he rips Jacob's homework into 20 pieces, or when he pulls all the clean clothes off the couch that are ready to hang up... or when he puts quarters in our CD player in the van and totally breaks it or when he marks on our hard wood floor with permanent markers... Of course these are all totally hypothetical. My sweet little Taz would never do those things. The cutest thing he says is what he says when he refers to his brothers. He says, "where's bubba?" - to which I always reply, "he's at school." Then he says (in a high pitch sing songy way) "where's ubba bubba bubba bubba?" - he means other bubba, but it.is.so.stinking.cute. Can't believe he's almost 2. <br />
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In other news, I've been continually plagued with an annoying foot injury, plantar fasciitis I absolutely hate it and am over it. I get to wear a lovely walking boot for a while - praying this helps!! rrrrrr. So ready to be healed so I can run again. :-)<br />
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See, I told ya we've been busy! God continues to bless us much more than we deserve. Billy and I are enjoying this phase of life, but sometimes we wish that time would just stop or stand still. Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-61568964972894936092014-06-27T14:31:00.002-04:002014-06-27T14:31:58.689-04:00Catching Fireflies with Pa and GrammyIt's summer y'all. We have thrown bedtime out the window. We are sleeping in (can I get an AMEN???). Our house is messy. The kids almost always smell like chlorine. There are broken water balloon remnants in the back yard. Our van smells like a swim mom van. Laundry baskets are full. Sometimes we eat cereal for dinner. We are eating way too much McDonalds. Flip flops are everywhere. The beach is on our brains. Yep, it's summer time. Thank God for special moments. If I'm honest, my house and the laundry are totally stressing me out, but....<br />
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Sometimes you just have to stay up late and catch fireflies... oh the simple stuff that makes summer magical. My house will be clean in 18 years. Maybe. ;-)<br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-10837558056912208272014-06-15T23:08:00.001-04:002014-06-15T23:08:53.794-04:00Little updates...<br />
these boys... keep me busy and keep my house dirty, but also are the loves of my life and are so very special. Here's a few updates about what's happening with each of my loves. <br />
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First, Jacob - my very spunky 7 year old. He finished first grade with flying colors, reads like he's in middle school and LOVES sweet treats. He is a terrific big brother and helps me entertain Joshua all the time. He also loves to be with Jonathan and feels lost when he's gone for some reason! He loves to watch TV, but would much rather be outside riding his bike, shooting water guns or playing on the swing set. He is creative and has a passion for learning. He is also the silliest of all my boys - never know what that boy is going to say! He continues to be a painfully picky eater, but is hungry all the time. Probably because he only likes to eat carbs and he burns them like crazy! He is a total fish - would stay in the pool 24/7 if he didn't have to eat or sleep. He's quite the talented swimmer too!<br />
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Second, Jonathan - my sweet, sweet 6 year old. He is amazing and has such a kind heart. That boy is OBSESSED with basketball. For real. We got him a goal for his birthday and our garage has now become a basketball court. I don't know what he'll do when it's winter time and we insist that our cars be parked in the garage. He loves legos and can do the entire set (hard ones!!) by himself. He is a great reader too, but not nearly as confident as his big brother. He recently was in the little Mr. Shelby County pageant and I couldn't have been prouder of him as he recited a Bible verse for the whole crowd. He got 2nd place - totally should have won, but oh well! :-) He is loving summer time and also loves to swim, but not as much as basketball!!! He's taken an interest in NBA just like his daddy and can name way more players than I can! In fact, he requests that his daddy DVR every game he always wants to watch the games during rest time. <br />
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Last but not least, Baby Joshua (TAZ!) - oh buddy. How we love him so. He is so busy and full of life. He is talking a lot and says "where's da da?" at least 417 times a day. He loves shoes and loves to bring them to people. He is a great eater and has slowed down on the throwing food (thank.you.very.much!). He loves to be "outshide" - in fact, you grab your shoes first thing in the morning and say "outshide outshide." He loves bubbles and is still fairly fond of shovels and rakes, but finally, mommy and daddy got smart and hid the darn plunger so he can't carry that thing around. He loves bedtime and is a fantastic sleeper and napper. Praise the Lord! His nighttime routine is so precious - one of my favorite times of the day! He likes us to sing a few songs, say some Bible verses and sit in "momo" chair (Elmo) and read the Bible. He's a bit of a fudger at bedtime - how could he ask for "mo bible" and us say no. :-) <br />
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(some photo credits - go to the amazing and awesome and fabulous Rachel Webb!!! - thanks Aunt Rachie!) Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-6370434951476178382014-06-15T22:37:00.000-04:002014-06-15T22:37:48.356-04:00Happy Father's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahhh - summer is in full swing here. And I love it. Every single second of it! We are having so much fun. I have so many blog posts that need to make an appearance, but they are mostly only in my head. I know one day I'll deeply regret that since I don't have a great deal of time to scrapbook...but I'm going to try to keep this thing updated better. My 60 year old self will thank me many years down the road. :-) I think I'll just start fresh and then if time allows, I'll fill in the gaps, so off we go. <br />
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Today is Father's Day. What a blessed day we've had. A great church service, a wonderful afternoon with sweet friends, a nice family nap, and the evening with Billy's family. The night ended with daddy getting to watch the NBA finals with two of his special dudes. They definitely have a special bond over basketball - especially daddy and Jonathan. <br />
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I'm so grateful for this man. I've said it before, but Billy really is the greatest daddy ever. He was built and specially designed to be a daddy to our sweet boys. There is no greater role model for them. He loves the Lord, adores his family, respects others, works hard and is a friend to anyone he meets. He teaches the boys to be honest, live with integrity and consistently try to be the man God wants him to be. This man is the same whether he's teaching little girls in Sunday school, working in his office or with judges across the state, playing basketball or hanging out with his friends. I am so grateful for his consistency. I'm so grateful that God saw fit to bring us together. Jacob, Jonathan and Joshua all have a special bond with him - each relationship is unique and he loves them fully. When he's home, he's all daddy - they get his undivided attention and his time, a special gift from parent to child. Happy Father's Day to the love of my life! <br />
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Happy Happy Father's day to my daddy as well. Hate that we didn't get to be together today, but can't wait to celebrate with him next weekend. I was always a daddy's girl growing up. He, like Billy, gave of his time and energy to my sister and I every single day. He worked hard, but when his work day ended, he was all about us! Some of my favorite memories of my daddy were our weekly trips (dates) to Bowling Green for gymnastics or music lessons. What adventures! Yes, he is indeed a great daddy - but he might even be a better Pa!!! He hung the moon in the eyes of all three boys and I love the relationship they have with him. Pa is completely wrapped around their fingers and will do anything they ask. Especially if it involves a trip to DQ or Dollar Tree. <br />
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And lastly, I'm a blessed momma to have a super duper father-in-law too! I love how helpful he is to everyone and how much he enjoys being with family. Billy's had a great role model too - Bill loves the Lord and loves his family. He is a TERRIFIC Papaw too - my boys love "papaw adventures" - that usually include going to breakfast and getting a BIG Hershey bar. :-) So grateful for the legacy he is building and pray that the Stover boys continue to love the Lord just like these awesome men in their lives. <br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-22578082747468682672014-06-06T14:38:00.000-04:002014-06-06T14:38:06.227-04:00Mother's Day - what a blessing!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My job is mommy. Yes, I have a real J-O-B too - I'm a part time therapist. But I'm a full-time mommy. Y'all - it's better than any job ever. Harder too, but definitely better. I used to think my mom was cuh-razy for keeping all the homemade stuff we made her. I mean my sweet momma STILL carries the ugly key chain I made her in 7th grade shop class. It is leather and painted pink. It is HIDEOUS, but she still uses it every single day on her car keys. Did you catch that? I made it in 7th grade... that's like a million and ten years ago. Really it's like 24, but who's counting. She carries it because it's special to her. The same reason that I have my homemade cards under magnets on my refrigerator and the same reason that I wear the necklace Jonathan made me at school as often as possible and the reason that I carefully water the plants the boys made me so they do not die this summer. I am a total sucker for anything with hand prints too. Sigh. I love my littles. They are making my hair gray and they've made my body look way different than before, but I wouldn't trade places with anyone on the planet. I know this is late, but happy mother's day!</div>
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Fancy Nancy Tea Party with my big boy Jacob at school. See his little tie he made? Precious and so fancy. He was so proud. </div>
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Mother's day dinner with the best momma ever... and oh, being Grammy suits her so well!</div>
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Me and my loves on Mother's Day after church. Just so cute!</div>
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There are no words. (oh and check out that new swing set lovingly put together by daddy and our good friend Andy-tales.) I am one blessed momma. My prayer for these sweet boys is that they truly seek the Lord and that they strive to do what's right in life, even when others do not. I pray that they grasp how high and wide and long and deep is the love of Christ. </div>
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<br />Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-36896923618924114282014-05-05T14:27:00.000-04:002014-05-05T14:27:06.324-04:0018 months??? (well...actually almost 19 since I'm late!)18 months already? Totally hard to believe! And of course I'm running late - Jashua's actually almost 19 months old... but I'm finally getting this post out of drafts and trying to add pictures. <br />
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Here's 18 fun facts about my baby boy...<br />
1. You love to be outside. Seriously, before you even get a sip of milk in the morning, you grab your shoes and go to the door and say, "outside?" - or something two-syllables that I know means outside. <br />
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2. You recently got your second haircut - it makes you look so old, but boy did you need it! I was having to resort to hats when you were going out in public. :-)<br />
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3. You love to look at pictures and consistently point out daddy, mommy, and pa and you smile so big when you see Jacob and Jonathan!<br />
4. You understand most of what we are saying - if we give you simple commands, you totally follow them. (sit on your bottom, go give this to Jacob/Jonathan, can you find me a diaper?, give me a high five...) It's so cute! <br />
5. You have a strange affinity for brooms, mops, rakes, shovels and the plunger. Oh the plunger... G-ROSS! We finally had to hide it on a top shelf in the garage. It was starting to look and feel like Sanford and Son with that darn plunger always laying around - usually in the front yard where you leave it. <br />
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6. You love the little toy mower - just like your brothers did - and you "use" it when daddy mows. I know you're the third little sweetie to do this, but I just melt when I see you do this. It reminds me of how lucky you are to have such a great role model in your daddy!<br />
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7. You tend to make everything into a phone... any random object goes straight to your ear and you say, "Lo" and then you babble a bit and then say "Bye Bye." I promise I'm not on the phone all the time. Not sure where the obsession is coming from. <br />
8. You are now 100% bottle free. I even threw away our bottle scrubber away today. Sniff. You did great with the transition! I miss the snuggle time though! (Though today when I babysat your sweet baby cousin, you did NOT like it when I was giving her bottle to her.) :-)<br />
9. We have a new night time routine - you get "nite nite milk" in a sippy and I sit you in your big ole rocking chair by your self while I sit on the ottoman and read a Bible story and say prayers with you. I miss the rocking and snuggling that accompanied your bottle, but I do like our new normal too!<br />
10. You.still.throw.food. AND picture frames. Ummm, please stop that, okay? <br />
11. When you give kisses it's full on wide open mouth action. :-)<br />
12. You love our little neighbor, Jessica and grab onto her every time we see her. We are trying to teach you to give high fives rather that grabbing her clothes - it's really cute. You're not doing it in an aggressive way, but that's totally the way it comes across. <br />
13. You weighed 25 lb 4 ounces and are 33.5 " long. 50th percentile. :-) <br />
14. You love bubbles. Oh the shear joy they bring to you! <br />
15. You are really a momma's boy, but oh man, when the garage door opens and daddy is home, you take off running so fast. It's so sweet! <br />
16. You love love love going to Ms. Erin's and only slightly harass her kitty and dog. Good thing they are gentle souls. You say, "bye" and don't even bat an eye when we drop you off!<br />
17. You are super attached to your pacis and green blankie. <br />
18. You continue to be a fantastic sleeper and an overall, very easy (but ON THE MOVE) little dude. You are amazing and we love you so very very much. Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-71500642573163312702014-03-30T23:23:00.001-04:002014-03-30T23:23:56.507-04:00Kid Writing - this will blow you away!Oh my word. My kiddos have amazing teachers. We feel so blessed with the ladies who get to pour into our littles. Frequently, they text me sweet or funny things the boys do during the day. I love the updates! They make me feel so connected! Last week, Mrs. Haggard, Jonathan's AMAZING kindergarten teacher, texted me these pictures... <br />
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This was Jonathan's "kid writing" for the day - kid writing is a time of unstructured writing time during which the kiddos get to write about anything. They have to work independently and then read it back to the teacher (that's where the corrected spelling comes!) The only instructions are to draw a picture then tell a story about it. Three sentences is the goal. (here's what it says...in case you can't read it) "God died on the cross for us. Three days later he came back alive. The people were very scared. The people cried. God was bleeding on the cross." WOWZERS!!!!<br />
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Y'all - I was floored. And crying. And amazed. And proud. And grateful. What a sweet sweet boy with an amazing heart for the Lord. I can't believe that THIS was what was on his mind that day. It was totally unprompted too - it wasn't even our Bible story from family worship the night before or what the kiddos had studied at church the night before. It's two-sided (hence the two pictures). I may just have to frame this one... it's a keeper. I'm so glad that he's starting to keep the word of God hidden in his heart. My prayer has always been that they would choose to love the Lord with all their hearts and minds and souls... and that they would shine in a dark world. <br />
Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-54640392712800900752014-03-02T20:58:00.000-05:002014-03-02T20:58:27.471-05:00Sky Zone (run... go now!)Oh my word... my hubby and I have been super spoiled lately. Three weekends in a row with a date night. Seriously, we haven't had three date nights total since baby Joshua was born and now 3 weeks in a row? How blessed we feel! Usually, when we actually do get a "date night," it's a date with a purpose. We go eat and then go birthday shopping or Christmas shopping or birthday party shopping or running to a few places to return some stuff... anyway, you get the drift. But, for Valentine's day this year, I was determined to have an intentional date - with no purpose other than having fun and being together. I thought about movies - you know, I think there are movies out there that aren't animated. :-) But movies are great, but there's no communication allowed. SOOOOOO, I planned our date this time and we went to Sky Zone - the indoor trampoline park. Oh my goodness, it was so much fun. We were the only "old" folks there not attached to little kids. It was hilarious but it was really a lot of fun. And a bonus??? After three babies y'all know how AWESOME THIS IS... I didn't even pee myself. Now, if we'd jumped more than 30 minutes, I would've been in trouble. :-) Now, go.... take your hubs on a date there. (oh - but do reserve your spot ahead of time online! - I did this and was so glad because when we got there they didn't have any open jump times until several hours later that evening!) It was super fun. We will definitely go back - next time probably with our kiddos, but it was a blast. I smiled the whole time. :-) And that cute little blur??? That's my hubs slam dunking the basketball on the basketball trampoline. Terrible picture but he was just too darn fast. <br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-28801633233429702582014-02-21T22:00:00.001-05:002014-02-21T22:00:44.363-05:00Family WorshipAbout a year and a half ago, we made a real effort to begin and do family worship every night. Now, I will say, we don't do it every night, but we do at least do a Bible story and prayer. But we really have tried to add scripture memorization and music to our nightly routine. It's a little crazy, since the Joshua requires a little more 1:1 time from mommy at night, so sometimes, I'm taking care of big boy and Daddy's tag-teaming the big boys...but, nevertheless, we try. Usually, I sing songs with the boy and tell him the verses we've learned while daddy does the Bible stories and prayers with the big boys. So I guess it's not really FAMILY worship, but we do the best we can. <br />
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Occasionally, we get the distinct honor of doing worship with our dear friend Luke Wisley, who has an incredible gift from the Lord. He comes by once every 4-5 weeks or so and we do full on family worship as Luke leads us with his voice and guitar. Tonight, was one of those blessed nights for us. We just love Luke so much. So thankful to have wonderful young men to be Godly role models for our sweet boys. Joshua was precious tonight... just staring up at Luke while he was playing. Then, he started trying to give Luke things while he was playing. So cute. Really. Most of the time, he just kind of played around doing his own thing, but when Luke played "Jesus Loves Me" - he flat out stood still and was mesmerized. He clearly knows that's his "nite nite" song. After it, he went to the gate and wanted his pacis. So cute! Thanks Luke for blessing us tonight - we love ya!!<br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-14739985991632133812014-02-10T22:29:00.000-05:002014-02-10T22:29:44.538-05:00favorite momentsOne of my favorite ever momma moments happened last night. And then just like that, one of the OTHER moments that defines motherhood happened today. :-) They really deserve separate blog posts, but I'll just put them together. <br />
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Last night, Billy was playing ball so I was home alone for bedtime...not a big deal, but not always the easiest task either. SO, last night at 730, I had big boys get on their jammies and work on brushing their teeth while I gave Joshua his bottle and snuggled him and sang silly songs (MY FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY WITH HIM... and the only time he's still.) He laughs and laughs. I tell him all the Bible verses that the boys have memorized and he shakes his head whenever I say no one or never... it's so cute. Anyway, when I was done with him and laid him down, I came into the big boys' room to find this...<br />
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Melt.my.heart. Jacob was reading the Bible stories and Jonathan was reading the little prayer at the end. I ran down to get my camera and when I came back upstairs, they hadn't moved - so I did what all mommas do... I eavesdropped. Come on, you know you've done it too! I heard Jacob say, "I love reading the Bible. Like, I LOVE it." Jonathan said, "Yeah, me too. God is cool." Ahhhhh - almost erases all the tough moments - the fighting, the tattling, the WILD boy behavior, the dirty clothes all over the floor. What a special moment for this momma! <br />
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And then there's today... another snow day. Sigh. But it's been great. A play date, Valentine's crafts, homemade cookies, lots of Brown Bear Brown Bear reading... and then.there.was.lunch. Joshua was getting cranky - too close to nap! So, I put some carrots and green beans on his tray and he immediately threw all of them on the ground. He is a thrower, that boy! I immediately took him out of his chair said, "Uh Oh" and put him in time out - only the second or third time I've really done it. He was pitiful sitting by the door - but totally didn't move. I grabbed my camera and went in to get a sneak peak and this is what I got... Can that sweet boy turn on for the camera or what? love his heart - but the throwing??? not so much!!!!<br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-85492892571216075022014-02-05T22:23:00.000-05:002014-02-05T22:23:57.300-05:00What I Should Be Doing...Goodness... I'm sitting here snuggled under covers, perusing facebook and writing this blog. Feeling a little guilty while doing so...Y'all - you should see my house. There's unknown sticky substances on my kitchen floor. Dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. Zaxby's sacks (yep - that IS what I cooked for dinner) cluttering the counters, and countless balls and little alphabet magnets all over the place. There are remnants of Valentines Day crafts on the table and scraps of papers the littles failed to pick up after craft time (they tried!). The contents of every basket in the bathroom is dumped out in the floor and there's a game of Candyland that we started but didn't finish in the floor. Oh and I can't forget the bags of stuff I pulled together to spend the night with some dear friends because our power was out today. It came back on, but the bags are still packed. And I should be cleaning it all up. But I'm pooped. <br />
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I've always tried to remind myself that at the end of the day, my kiddos won't give a hoot about a clean house. Today I need that reminder. I KNOW that they won't remember a clean house today, here's hoping they will remember the Candy Land game, beating me at Disney Beat the Parents (twice, but who's counting...), the impromptu dance party, watching Joshua bust a move and the Valentine's Day crafts we made for my new niece. Oh and to top it off - we spontaneously went to see a movie... Frozen is SOOOOO good. Yes, those are the memories that build a family. Not Windex and pledge and the trusty ole vacuum. Here's to many more dance parties and fun games of "win lose or draw" on the chalk board... <br />
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Oh Snow days, you.are.exhausting. Fun, but exhausting!<br />
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Here's a few pics from the other snow day this week (Monday) - today, it was too icy to get out and play. :-) <br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-27106947150756265892014-01-22T22:16:00.000-05:002014-01-22T22:16:31.340-05:00snow day funI'm just going to go ahead and say it... I'm totally over the snow days. Don't get me wrong... I LOVE being home with my boys. We have a blast, but enough is enough. Come on spring... please hurry. I don't want my sweeties going to school in June. But alas, today was yet another snow day, so here's some of our fun.<br />
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A family game of Mario on WiiU. Joshua thinks he's playing too. Little does he know he only has a fake remote. Poor little guy. Usually we have to keep him out of the room when they play Wii U because he just wants the cords. But today, I found a trick. Let him think he's playing too. :-) It worked like a charm. For all of about 14 seconds. HA!<br />
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Thanks to Pinterest, I created a couple of racetracks with electrical tape in the living room. We had a tribute to the Olympics - Stover style. It was so funny! The big boys loved it. We quickly learned that using crazy straws to "push" the fuzz balls was just too hard. So we did different races with different body parts. Their favorite??? Pushing it only with the booty. It was hilarious! I was laughing so hard I forgot to take pictures of that part. Guess what little man was doing during our Olympics? He was happy as a little bee - throwing little fuzz balls all.over.the.living.room. <br />
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-78722526202480376472014-01-22T22:01:00.001-05:002014-01-22T22:01:30.406-05:0015 months<div align="center">
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Fifteen things for Fifteen months...<br />
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1. You are transitioning to one nap a day. I thought I'd like it... I do not! You do fine until about 6 pm - then you are super clingy and more sensitive than usual. (dinner cooking time + clingy baby = bad news bears...especially when daddy works late.) Then for some crazy reason, you perk up at about 7 again and are your normal happy, playful self. <br />
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2. You lost (gasp) your lovey yesterday at church. A very special green blankie went to church, but did not return. I sure hope someone brings it back next week. I'm sure it got put in the wrong bag by mistake. <br />
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3. You have an old cell phone that you LOVE. It's so cute how you put it up to your ear and say, "Lo." - and you bring it to us and say, "bo bo" - which means open. <br />
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4. You love to play hide and seek with us. Your smile is so cute. <br />
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5. Your favorite book is "Brown Bear Brown Bear." - you say "ba ba bo" when you are looking for it. You love to look at the pages but you don't really like to be read to... you wiggle out of my lap after about 3 pages. (maybe it's the red bird that looks like a cardinal that scares you away... HA!)<br />
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6. You got your first hair cut. I was sad and didn't want to do it, but your hair really was out of control. So many people called you a girl and you finally started walking into stuff because you couldn't see. Hee hee. You did great! You sat in that red race car like a champ. Perhaps it was the sucker that helped. <br />
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7. Sometimes when you are hungry, you go into the laundry room/pantry and bring out random food like crackers, noodles, potatoes... funny boy. And sometimes if I'm busy or not looking you might dump the contents of whatever you grab from the pantry in.the.floor. <br />
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8. You are still a pretty good eater, but would rather eat in our laps off our plates than in your chair and your plate. Daddy lets you. I do not. :-) <br />
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9. Daddy may be becoming your favorite. I'm not sure how I feel about that. <br />
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10. You throw everything you see. Balls are cool, baby boy. Picture frames are not. Just sayin.'<br />
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11. You adore your big brothers and like to get in their beds. You say "ba ba" and point to their beds. I think it's because of their sippy cups. You think you are HOT STUFF if we do let you up in the top bunk. (no worries - totally supervised!)<br />
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12. You are still obsessed with the toilet. uggh!<br />
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13. You love your little slide you got for Christmas. You also love your ball pit/tent!!! It entertains you for hours! <br />
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You are a happy little dude and love to play with just about anything. <br />
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14. You are awesome at the grocery store. My little shopping companion. You play peek-a-boo with people behind us in line and laugh at the people at the deli counter. You steal the show. <br />
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15. To entertain you at restaurants (and at home while we eat dinner), sometimes we give you the ketchup bottle. You are slightly obsessed with opening it and closing it... sometime with your teeth. I know - totally gross and germie, but hey, a peaceful dinner is worth it I suppose. Don't judge. <br />
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Oh sweet boy - you bring us so much joy and happiness. I pray for patience during the next very busy years with you! We love you sooooooo much!Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-9101254121954824222014-01-08T12:03:00.001-05:002014-01-08T12:03:51.346-05:00Jesus + magic + Santa + presents... must be Christmas!Wow - what an amazing Christmas we had. Must be the ages and a lot of God's great grace, but really, I think this Christmas was my most favorite ever. We try so hard to keep Jesus at the Center of our holiday celebrations, but I know we fall short. But we try. And we always will. Despite some fevers and lots of snot, we had a great Christmas!<br />
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This year, we added a new tradition - for the 12 days leading up to the big day, we attempted to complete 12 days of service. Each day, we did a little project for others - some of the highlights were paying for a stranger's coffee when we went to get hot chocolate, making brownies for one of our ministers, making rainbow loom bracelets for the principal and asst. principal at the boys' school and choosing 3 toys to donate. Admittedly, a few days slipped by and I didn't get it done. But guilt can't get me down... (well, maybe!) Anyway, hopefully we can make this work each year. It was fun to get the boys involved. <br />
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One of my other favorite memories from this Christmas was the Santa Shop experience... let me explain for all my mommy friends who haven't experienced elementary school yet. Santa Shop is this wonderful little production supported by our PTO. Kiddos are given the opportunity to bring money and "Shop" for others. As a confession, I have to say that when I got the notice in the back packs about Santa Shop, my first impression was, "seriously? They want money for something else now???" (sorry - but it really does seem like there's something a couple times a week in the backpacks asking for money or something for sale all.the.time.) So, we gave them Santa Shop money - I mean who could say no to that??? Each of them had 5-7 bucks. When they got home that afternoon, the excitement on their little faces was PRICELESS!!!! They had carefully picked out something for each other and their baby brother. And mommy. :-) Bless Jonathan's heart, he said, "There was a tie I wanted for daddy but it was too many dollars. If I got it, I couldn't get Joshua anything." They both wanted help wrapping their treasures and of course, then they just couldn't wait to give them to each other. Y'all - this in my opinion is one of my favorite memories. Giving. They had totally unselfish and giving hearts. What a lesson. <br />
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Anyway - here's a few shots of our celebration... <br />
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Before we do ANYTHING on Christmas morning, we spend a little time reading the Christmas story from the Bible. The boys were anxious to get downstairs, but were also great about waiting. I know one day they'll hate me for the bed-head pictures. hee hee</div>
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This little cutie pie loved his Dispicable Me goggles - thanks Aunt Carol and Uncle Chris!</div>
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Baby Joshua LOVED his little Batmobile. So much fun. He was excited about ribbons and bows and boxes too. Presents were kind of an after thought for him. :-)</div>
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We surprised Jacob by getting his last two play posters framed. He was super excited. </div>
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And this (even in our jammies/sweats) is my life. Thank you Jesus for this crew that I get to call my family. And yes, as long as possible, my kiddos will wear matching jammies every Christmas Eve and all day Christmas day. I got no shame. :-) </div>
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Merry Christmas everyone!!!!</div>
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-13145021865414127202013-12-14T10:38:00.000-05:002013-12-14T10:38:27.477-05:00What I really want for Christmas... <em>DISCLAIMER: I saw a similar article as this on FB one day, so the idea is certainly not my own, but I laughed so hard when I read it that I thought I'd create a similar blog post that is my own. </em><br />
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Dear mom and dad, <br />
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I know you are having fun shopping for Christmas presents for me and my big brothers but if I may, here's a few suggestions: <br />
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Forget about getting me any plastic keys. I'm way smarter than you think...I know they aren't real. I want real ones. In particular, I want the exact ones that you need to drive the car. The extra set won't do. <br />
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Forget about stacking cups or building blocks. I'm perfectly happy dissecting the contents of mommy's makeup bag - I especially like the ones I can get open. And the powdery stuff that makes a big mess?<br />
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- yes please. I'll take two of those. <br />
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Since you are always asking for help with chores, I'll take a broom. And I guess a mop. But again, no need to get me a toy one. I like the big super size ones. The dirtier the better too. <br />
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I'll also take any trash can filled with trash. The one in the bathroom is my favorite though. Just wrap up that for me, but make sure it has dirty toilet paper and Kleenex in there. Those are my favorite. <br />
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And while you're at it, that cool contraption on the bathroom wall with the fun rollie paper? I want that really bad. I really like it when I can roll the paper all the way into the kitchen or even to the living room. <br />
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Oh and don't even think about getting me a toy cell phone or remote control. I'll take your iPhone - the one in the pink case...and all the TV controls. I don't really like the ones that sing cute songs or have Mickey on them. I like the ones that really make the TV go on and off. You know, the big great ones? I really like the red button - I think you call that the record button or something. I want a real one with lots of red buttons. I like recording stuff. <br />
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Oh and for the grand finale, please oh please get me my very own Wii U cords. I love those more than anything. And I really like the one with the white paper sticker on it. Please please please can I have that? <br />
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Thanks and I love you bunches, <br />
Baby JoshuaStover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-19635646697626115012013-12-05T21:07:00.001-05:002013-12-05T21:07:41.209-05:00He's BACK... and some other stuffGuess who's back??? Chipperson, our trusty little Elf on the Shelf. Y'all - the boys have been talking about Chipperson for at least two months, preparing for his arrival, speculating about his shenanigans, and writing him little letters to take to the North Pole. I love all the magic. It's so fun! So, Chipperson made his debut by flying to Cave City first. He sent the boys on a scavenger hunt around Grammy and Pa's house and they finally found him drinking out of the pancake syrup bottle. They were so cute! Jacob wrote him a note that said, "please hide up high so Joshua can't get you!" PRECIOUS!!! Then, Chipperson found his way back home to Shelbyville, but before stopping at our house, he made a pit stop at the Shelby County Community Theater to catch Jacob in "The Christmas Carol" on opening night. The next morning, a program from the show and a little note was included and Chipperson was hiding in our Christmas card basket. Since then, that little rascal exchanged our stockings for underwear, played tic tac toe on our bathroom mirror and ate a bunch of brownies. Wonder where we'll find him next? <br />
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And just some other stuff I just don't want to forget...<br />
* Joshua says "Ho Ho Ho" all the time and it is so cute. Any Christmas decoration he sees he says it. <br />
* Each morning when I go get him, he makes sure to tell me all his words - "ho ho ho" "bye" "Ba ba" "uh oh" "mama" "hi"<br />
* He is into throwing his food off his plate and it makes me crazy - he's still a pretty good eater, but it seems like we only have a three minute window to give him some food on his tray<br />
* He hates getting dressed! He gets into everything - it's nothing for him to go in a room and come out with the most random stuff in his hands. Hilarious!<br />
* JONATHAN IS READING!!!! Really well - it's precious! I love hearing him read and working so hard<br />
* We have a meeting tomorrow at school for an IEP for him to get speech services. It makes me sad, but I know it will help so much. <br />
* He recently went to a princess peacock birthday party. There was one other boy there, but he totally held his own. I love that they have such good friends that are girls. <br />
* Jacob has really enjoyed his role as Tiny Tim in the Christmas Carol at the SCCT. He does a great job! I'm so proud of him. I think he has a little acting bug!<br />
* He continues to love school and thinks his teacher hung the moon - the other day, I got my hair cut and colored and he said, "it almost looks like Mrs. Fallen's..." I knew that was a huge huge huge compliment!<br />
* They are both slightly obsessed with making Rainbow Looms for others<br />
* The big boys are actually "into" playing with the boy. It's cute - the favorite games are peekaboo and hide and go seek. Joshua craves their attentionStover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-36906027281610801882013-11-18T22:34:00.000-05:002013-11-18T22:34:55.481-05:00Catching upMan, it is so hard to keep up with everything these days, but I know if I don't keep up with this blog, I'll be so disappointed one day. So... here's the Halloween re-cap. Halloween is such a fun time for our family. We love all the fun HAPPY stuff about Halloween. I could skip the yucky scary stuff. :-) <br />
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Oh sweet Taz - you earned this nickname. You can destroy a room in just a few seconds, but you have the BEST, most lovable personality! Your smile is truly contagious. We were surprised how well you did with your costume - you didn't mind it at all! This was the weekend before Halloween - you guys went trick or treating at JCC. :-) You had your first sucker. I think you fell in love. </div>
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One of our family traditions... going over to visit Mamaw and Papaw and helping (just watching really) Papaw carve the pumpkin. This year - a Scooby face. </div>
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It's a Looney Tunes fest here - the cutest little Sylvester, Taz and Bugs ever. Jacob's ears just wouldn't stand up very well, so mommy did emergency surgery with a couple of rulers and hot glue gun. Yep, mommy can fix anything with the hot glue gun. </div>
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Of course, Halloween wouldn't be complete without a family pic! Can't believe we are all actually looking at the camera. </div>
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Grammy and Pa always love being here for Halloween. Such a treat that they live close enough to be so involved!</div>
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Trick or Treating with some of our closest friends - a new tradition for us, I hope. It was awesome! We hit every house in our neighborhood that was open. We are blessed with great friends! </div>
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Almost done, Taz... poor guy. He felt awful all day (had croup) - even went to the doctor that morning. :-( But of course we had to go to our favorite neighbors... the McTales family. </div>
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-35030338222731514902013-10-26T22:21:00.000-04:002013-10-26T22:21:53.138-04:00Happy Birthday Baby Joshua! (TAZ!)I cannot wrap my hands (or heart) around the fact that my baby is now one. It's been an unbelievable year! Baby Joshua gives us so much joy - it's like God knew exactly how our family needed Joshua to feel "complete." He fits in perfectly and I cannot imagine one single day without him. Life is so busy with three sweet boys. We are busy volunteering at church - teaching, pastor search committee for daddy, deacon meetings... We are busy with homework and back packs and lunch boxes. We are busy with play dates and helping out our teachers with special projects. We are busy building legos and playing superheroes and putting on plays at home with multiple costume changes. We are busy with diapers and finger foods and balls. Lots and lots of balls. :-) We are busy with slobbery kisses and sweet hand holds. We are busy parenting and trying to teach these kiddos about Jesus and His mercies. We are busy failing at that last part, but we try. And we pray. And we pray some more. We are busy. But life is SOOOOOO good. <br />
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I'm a little late for this, but Happy Happy birthday baby Joshua! I'm so afraid the busy-ness of our lives is going to make me forget how precious these days are for you. So here we go - lots of things I just don't want to forget about you:<br />
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<ul>
<li>You smile all the time! Seriously - you never ever cry (except in church lately... hmmmm)</li>
<li>You are an amazing sleeper - you go down at about 8 and sleep until 7:30 or 8. We don't even have to rock you or anything. You love to sleep with your little bear, green blankie and about 4 pacis. You also have a glow worm in your bed and you've learned how to push his tummy to make him sing. </li>
<li>You take two naps a day - one at about 10 and one after we get the big boys at about 3 or 3:30. </li>
<li>You weighed 20.8 lbs and were 29" long at your appointment. You are a little smaller than our other guys were at this age. </li>
<li>You took your first steps on October 1. You are still a little wobbly, but oh so cute. You are walking all over the place. </li>
<li>You are down to two bottles a day, morning and night. If you see one during the day, you really want it bad - but you are easily distracted. :-) </li>
<li>You love balls - it's your most clear word. </li>
<li>You are a great eater - you eat almost anything, except blueberries and celery. I don't blame you bud! Your favorites I think are gravy and biscuit and chili. </li>
<li>You have a cute sense of humor - if I put something silly on my head, you think its hysterical. When I throw a ball and catch it, you think it's the greatest. And of course, you laugh all the time at your brothers. </li>
<li>When changing your diapers, sometimes you hold the diaper cream. You can get it open. Hope it's not too bad for you if you get a little in your mouth. </li>
<li>Whenever we are hanging out in your room, you sneak over to your bed and get your blankie and paci out. I've been working in there a lot lately, going through clothes and getting your new big boy clothes all ready. </li>
<li>You love cords - especially the Wii U cords. </li>
<li>You love to open cabinets and dump out the contents. Actually, you like to dump out the contents of anything. </li>
<li>You understand "No No" really well and seem to be a good listener so far. </li>
<li>You love going to Ms. Erin's - your face lights up when you see her. </li>
<li>You finally got a new big boy carseat. You feel like hot stuff in it. </li>
<li>You are going to be the Tasmanian Devil for Halloween. It really (for real!) may be the cutest thing I've ever seen. </li>
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<li>You have the craziest hair! Some cute curls! :-) </li>
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<li>You lean in and give kisses when I ask. It melts my heart!</li>
<li>You like to turn off the lights in room. </li>
<li>When you wake up and we come get you, we say, "drop your paci" and you thrown it in your crib (or across the room if you choose!). In the mornings when you wake up, you don't even cry. You just sort of sit there, play and wait for us. </li>
<li>You just started to put your hands together when we pray before dinner. It is so cute!</li>
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I have to say, I think you are my momma's boy. The big boys are most definitely daddy's boys, so I'm secretly glad. I'm so grateful that my part time work schedule allows me to be with you so much during the day. I wouldn't trade places with anyone for any reason. <br />
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I love you to the moon and back and more than that!<br />
MommyStover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-7100838060007024072013-10-10T23:53:00.001-04:002013-10-10T23:53:44.186-04:00Scooby Dooby Doo - where are you? Have I ever mentioned that I love being mommy to God's three little gifts? Well, I do. Sometimes, admittedly, I feel like my head may spin off my head with frustration with all the messes and the occasional arguing that occurs at my house. Ahem... BUT, I love it. Last weekend was one for the record books, let me tell ya. <br />
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For Jacob's 7th (yes - my baby is almost 7 -WHAT??) birthday, he requested a Scooby Doo Party. And a slumber party. So, I got busy planning. We decided to have part one of Scooby-palooza at our church. Y'all - it was Scooby city in there. Here's the front door. <br />
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Just inside - yep, that's right, Jacob's very own Mystery Machine - made by his Papaw!</div>
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There were Scooby Snacks (Jacob helped me name everything... Scoober-iza, Scoob-tato Chips, Mystery Juice and Scooby Cakes. We also had cheese balls - I just couldn't bring myself to call them Scooby Balls or better yet, Shaggy balls... Ha!!!)</div>
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A fun photo booth with special little props</div>
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A Mystery Machine painting project (we split up the kiddos in 3 teams) </div>
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Then, the teams had to help solve a mystery... Jacob's presents were taken by a mysterious villain. The teams had to follow clues around the church to help solve the mystery. The final clue was tied around Daddy's leg - he was the villain. It was hysterical to watch the kiddos try to catch him. Finally, the last clue led Jacob to the Kids Studio for presents. </div>
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Not sure who had more fun... Daddy, the villain or the kiddos. :-) Jacob said this was his favorite part. It was a lot of work, but so totally worth it. </div>
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Finally, the night ended with individual shots in the photo booth with Jacob and all his buds. And then, yep, for part two of Scooby night, we had a sleepover at our house. 7 kiddos came over. We watched the Scooby Doo Movie, played a few games, did legos and went to bed. Girls in one room, boys in another. :-) Yes. We did have a co-ed sleepover. Hee hee! The kiddos were amazing. All asleep by 11. We got them up early and all went to church with us the next morning. Jacob was a very happy little boy and kept saying, "this is the best day ever! Thanks for working so hard on my party mommy." Yes, yes, I'd do it all over again to see that smile. I love my job as m-o-m. Thank you Jesus! </div>
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Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-54316771929483321112013-10-06T22:09:00.000-04:002013-10-06T22:09:14.729-04:0036 things(this bloggy post is LONG overdue! - It's been in my saved drafts FOREVER - was gonna add pictures, but text only is all I've got today!! - but here's to remembering the little things and blogging more often!)<br />
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I had a FANTASTIC birthday. I am one blessed momma. For real! Here's to 36! Just some facts...<br />
1. You never ever get to turn off "Mommy" - sometimes I wish you could, but the thoughts, the worries, the feelings of being mommy never go away. <br />
2. I'm not complaining - I love my job as mommy, but the constant feelings of "am I a good enough mommy?" or "wonder how they are feeling right now?" or "hope they are enjoying reading today at school."...never.go.away. <br />
3. Being mommy of three boys makes me totally outnumbered. Not that I wasn't before, but sometimes I just need a little more estrogen and a little less testosterone. Ha!<br />
4. I clean the bathrooms in my house, but I'm ready to pass the torch. I mean, I can promise you that I AM NOT THE ONE WHO GETS PEE ON THE FLOOR AROUND THE POTTY! <br />
5. My house can be clean one minute and totally cluttered the next minute. How does that happen? <br />
6. On days that I work (Tuesdays and Thursdays), I feel as though I miss out so much on the boys' lives. I'm so grateful for my part time work schedule, but those days sure are long. <br />
7. Jacob had a really yucky bike wreck tonight. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't too bad, but when you see your baby face down on the concrete, your heart will stop and you might accidentally pee your pants. I was a little concerned that his permanent teeth were damaged, but all is good. <br />
8. I'm really grateful for new friends God has placed in my life over the last year. <br />
9. My hubby's watching football. Blah - I'm trying to enjoy it with him. <br />
10. Year 35 brought exciting news of a new baby! Here's to never having that news again. <br />
11. Year 35 also brought us to the hospital with our sweet baby for breathing problems. Here's to NEVER ever being in the hospital again with our sweeties. <br />
12. Jacob is in another play at the Shelby County Community Theater. Fun times. <br />
13. Jonathan is really enjoying kindergarten and is working so hard on his reading! <br />
14. We affectionately refer to Joshua as "TAZ" - short for, you guessed it, Tasmanian Devil. His personality just fits the description. He's into everything!<br />
15. Billy is still working in Shelbyville - thank the Lord. That is such a huge blessing for our family. Our gas expenses too! <br />
16. Joshua is a bottomless pit. He eats anything and everything in sight. I sometimes wish someone else could feed him - just to expose him to all the things the picky Stover crew never will. <br />
17. I love running - but not by myself. I'm running about 15 miles per week. It feels good.<br />
18. Billy and I are 100% totally addicted to the show 24. I know we are about ten years late to the party, but we just happened to find the reruns and are loving it so much!<br />
19. Jacob's play was time consuming, but so amazing. It was called "Jack and the Giant." <br />
20. The songs from the play continue to run through my head. Especially, "fee fee fi fi fo fo fum." <br />
21. Parent teacher conferences were successful - boys are doing great!<br />
22. We are excited to be having another niece in a few months. We are thrilled for Kelly and Shawn. <br />
23. Joshua opens the cabinet in the kitchen with his plastic bowls and plates and completely empties its contents - at least 20 times each day. TAZ!!<br />
24. Billy and I are teaching 1-3 grade girls again this year at church. We are really enjoying it. For some reason, God's got me camped out in the Old Testament. Enjoying seeing how all the stories flow. <br />
25. A gallon of milk spilled in our van last week. It reeked - still does, but is better! Did you know that a bag of charcoal under the seats neutralizes odors???<br />
26. It does not seem possible that my baby is almost seven and Joshua is almost one. I just want to put on the breaks. <br />
27. Billy's on the pastor search committee at church - it's super time consuming, but I'm so proud of him. Praying hard for our church. We have SO much potential. <br />
28. Every morning, we carry the boys down to our bed. After they get their school clothes on, they watch Tom and Jerry - I love how it makes them laugh. <br />
29. One of my most favorite times of the day EVER is going in Joshua's room first thing... his bed head is awesome. He smiles HUGE. He tries to hide from me in his crib under his little blanket. <br />
30. After I pick him up, I say, "drop your paci" - and he throws it back in his bed. <br />
31. He also likes to turn off the light for me - when he does, he claps for himself. <br />
32. Three boys = lots and lots of laundry!<br />
33. Joshua and I love stroller rides - but running with him is no joke. <br />
34. I'd really like to work on publishing a book full of social skill practice activities. I do a weekly social skills group and love it, but I'd really like to formalize all my ideas into a book - anybody know how I could/should get started?<br />
35. Joshua loved to put the pegs of his little puzzles in his mouth and it's so cute. I distinctly remember the other boys doing the same thing! <br />
36. I am so blessed. I love my life! I pray that I would not allow the enemy to steal my joy as I live life in the trenches of a busy momma! <br />
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How's that for some random thoughts???Stover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-91710564063908702922013-08-14T22:24:00.000-04:002013-08-14T22:24:16.749-04:0010 months old... 10 facts (and some bonuses)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1. You LOVE to eat - seriously. Anything we give you, you seem to love. I'm trying to teach you the sign for more, but you do this really cute arm swinging thing when you want more. </div>
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2. You had a scary allergic reaction to cottage cheese yesterday - you immediately broke out in red bumps/splotches. I called your doctor immediately and they totally freaked me out - told me to watch for blue lips, decreased breathing and such. But, you were fine in a few hours. :-) No more cottage cheese for you for a while. </div>
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3. You got introduced to Wick's pizza - oh my word. YOU devoured it. A chip off the ole block - mommy and daddy LOVE Wicks pizza so much. </div>
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4. You.are.a.man.on.the.move!!! You are keeping me on my toes - if I look away I might find you in the cabinets, inside the laundry baskets or up the steps.</div>
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5. Yes, you at ten months old can climb the stairs. Fast. </div>
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6. You have crazy hair - when you are hot and sweaty or it's really humid outside, it's a little curly. Super cute. You may need a haircut before you turn one. </div>
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7. You almost always have your mouth open. It's so cute. It's a half smile/half surprised look. </div>
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I love it. </div>
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8. You say "ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma " over and over and over all day long. Occasionally you say "aba" and "dada." But mostly, it's "ma ma ma ma ma"</div>
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9. Your little photo shoots are getting more and more difficult.:-) You are growing so big and so strong. I love your sweet little personality. You are such a laid back easy-going little dude. <br />
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10. You now smile big time whenever I get the camera out. It's like you "get it." I got out the little red car for you and you feel like hot stuff. It occupies you for a good 30 mins or more. <br />
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Oh buddy, how we love you so. Your brothers adore you and are always going to watch out for you. I love the way that you bust out laughing spontaneously at the most random things. You love it especially when we dance. You love it when Jonathan does the hula. You continue to be an amazing sleeper - not the best napper, but nighttime is awesome. You talk A LOT more when the big boys are at school than when they are home. You do not like to ride in the car, unless mommy is sitting right beside you feeding you puffs. You are crawling everywhere and pulling up and trying to cruise around on furniture. You prefer finger foods over pureed foods, but still enjoy those too. You love to dump things out of buckets or baskets. You still put EVERYTHING in your mouth and get pretty ticked if I have to get something out. You are an amazing little dude and I'm so grateful I get to be your mommy. I'll never ever tire of you crawling up to me and saying "ma ma ma ma ma" and reaching up to be picked up. I love that. So much. At your nine month check up, you weighed 19 lbs and were 24 inches long - somewhat smaller than the other little men were in our house at that age. I'm still pumping milk for you, but only 2 times a day now. You are getting about 1/2 formula and 1/2 breast milk. It has not been a problem for you. Though I know it's best for you and certainly less expensive, I am so ready to throw my pump in the street. It's been a huge sacrifice and I'm ready to be done. :-) From where I stand, 10 months is pretty awesome. XOXOXOStover's sitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04594798208954293316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37091397.post-66810135952472124332013-08-07T11:09:00.000-04:002013-08-07T11:09:08.154-04:00Lump in My ThroatI'm sitting here with my computer in my lap and what do I hear? Silence. Wow - not what I'm used to. The big boys are (gulp) at school and the baby is asleep. I don't hear a peep in this house. And I don't like it. Don't get me wrong, I've been cleaning and playing with my third little sweetie today - and I love that time. But, admittedly, I've looked at the clock a ton of times wondering is it 2:20 yet? <br />
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I've got a big ole lump in my throat today. This feeling has happened several times in my life - always a sign of change. I remember feeling this way the first night I was away at college - laying in that twin bed wondering what was in store for me... I remember feeling this way the first night I was in Africa 9 years ago - laying in a strange "bed" wondering what was in store for me. I remember feeling this way the night before my wedding (although it was a very happy lump in my throat that night!!!) - laying in my childhood bed wondering what was in store for me. I remember laying in the hospital bed on October 13, 2006 wondering what it would be like to be a mommy - wondering what was in store for me. And again on May 29, 2008 - the night before I would be a mommy again - wondering what it would be like to love two beings with all my heart. And yet again, on a hospital bed on October 11, 2013 wondering what life with three amazing boys who give me the title mommy. Last year around this time, I laid on the floor beside my boys' bunk beds wondering through tears, how this momma would make it with Jacob going off to school. And darn it, that same feeling is back today. I'm sitting here on my bed, with a big ole lump in my throat wondering - how in the world is it possible that both my big boys are in school today. Yep, today, I'm the proud momma of a first grader and a (GULP!!!) kindergartener. And I'm wondering - what's in store for my littles. Y'all, I'm missing my babies. I know they are in great hands and I feel great about the school they are in and I know they will love learning new things. Jacob is so excited. I love his exuberance about learning and exploring. CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR ABOUT HIS FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE! Jonathan is another story... he is so sweet but for some reason seams a little more vulnerable than Jacob did this time last year. I know he's quite a bit younger and maybe it's his sweet little speech delay, but whatever it is, I'm more worried about him. He was super excited though, so that makes it easier. Last night, the lump in my throat was HUGE. Before bed, I was feeding Joshua and trying to read to big boys and do worship. Joshua wiggled out of my lap and guess who was quick to crawl in... yep, my sweet Jonathan. He crawled up in my lap and asked me to hold him. Then, while I was reading a story to them, he brushed my hair the whole time. I mean, melt.my.heart. I held him extra tight and snuggled him a few more minutes than usual and prayed the whole night long. Literally. I don't think I slept more than a couple of hours. Today, I snapped some pictures, wiped his face and fixed his hair and sent him off to kindergarten. Seems unreal. Praying he has a fantastic first experience with learning. Praying he doesn't feel lonely or afraid. Praying that he won't have trouble with his belt or pants button if he needs to go potty and that he will be able to open his straw okay on his juice box and that he knows exactly what to do at the end of the day for car riders... oh God, help me not worry. They both have wonderful Godly teachers and I'm so grateful for that! Praying God surrounds my boys with great friends who also love the Lord and make good decisions. Lord, they are yours. Use them for your Glory. May they always be willing to be light in a dark world and true salt of the earth. <br />
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