week :: thirteen continued

Here is week thirteen continued....

 

If there was one photo that could capture the essence of my life right now I think this would be the one...

 

 

If I could pick two photos that captures a love between siblings it would be these two.

 

Our little Annie girl is three months today.  Those three months went quick.

 

In the last 24+ hours baby girl Annie has really found her voice.  She can get into a rather lengthy conversation with herself. 

 

Since she came into our lives I am more sure then not that I would like to have a fourth one.  She is just something magical.

 



week :: thirteen

There has been lots of exciting activity around these parts over the past two weeks. 

 

I had hoped to extract some of these exciting moments and post them independently from these weekly updates but as you can see that hasn't happened. 

 

You see, I am worried that some peeps might think that now that I have my sweet little girl I might forget about the boys in my life and this blog will be re-titled "Annie's World."  Rest assure I deeply love all of my kids just the same but in their own unique way.  I am a sentimental sap and the thought of not having this particular update on this particular day makes me sad AND well....because my mom has both boys on this day makes it a lot easier to sit down and focus on my thoughts here in this space. 

 

Here is the first exciting thing:

(January 9th)

 

An elderly neighbor was taken out via ambulance for a non-emergency medical situation.  The firefighters at station 12 saw my boys taking a peek at the big exciting truck and they asked them if they wanted to hop in.  Bug, as you can see, was very excited to see the firefighters up close because he quickly ran inside and put on his firefighting costume.  Oddly though, after that first picture was taken he split.  The poor boy is turning out to be very shy like his mama.  Squish hung around long enough and was able to shoot the fire hose. 

 

Truthfully, I felt guilty that my boys were getting to experience something like this at the expense of my elderly neighbor but I keep telling myself that they approached us.   

 

Thank you guys at Station 12 for making these exciting moments for my boys.  I do hope to make it down to your station soon to say thank you again. 

 

~~~~

 

The Daddy-O left this past Thursday for a meat hunt in Texas.  While he was away Bug graduated from his balance bike to his pedal bike sans the training wheels.  We have had his pedal bike for probably a year now.  He has tried to ride it a few times but the braking system for beginner bikes, to me, just seems too confusing for little kids so Bug quickly gave up.  This past Friday we found ourselves in Walmart playing around and he hopped on one of their pedal bikes and took off.  It took me a few minutes to realize he was riding that bike without any problems.  We came home and I put him on his pedal bike and he took off.  He only needed help a few times to figure out how to start pedaling without falling over but he quickly got that dialed in and the rest is history.  For me it is kind of crazy to know that I can now go ride bikes with him.  My first baby is getting so old!

 

 

Unfortunately, it appears this bike is already small for Bug.  It will work for some time but I do believe someone has a birthday coming up real soon.

 

With Bug on the pedal bike that means Squishy will now have all rights to the balance bike.

 

 

Also while the Daddy-O was gone Squish and I finally got the potty training thing down.  We've been trying for months but it was always so hot and cold with him.  Our trip to Walmart on Friday was to get him some stickers so every time he did his business in the potty he'd get a sticker.  By God, that was what he needed to make it all happen in the toilet.  As of today he has only had two daytime mishaps.

 

 

Also while the Daddy-O was gone Annie demonstrated why she can no longer be left unattended on anything that isn't the floor:

 

You know that mama feeling you get when you just sense that something isn't right without actually seeing that something isn't right?  Well, that happened and this is what I found.  Turns out my girl is a mover and a shaker now.

 

 

Total side tangent....

 

I came across this blog a few years back ...aniandmatttaylor.blogspot.com.  I was directed to their blog after they lost their child Ruby Jane.  It's been awhile since I was last on their blog but they crossed my mind today and I thought I would see how they were doing.  After reading the latest news I scrolled down and read the posting titled "In His Hands"  and watched the VIDEO.  I nearly cried but only because I really sucked it up.

 

Today, I had a MOPs meeting and the meeting was titled: My mess is bigger than yours.  Our guest speaker brought up a few things for us to think and ponder on.  She said:

 

Love them fiercely

 

Hold them loosely

 

Let them fly.

 

 

There was a fourth one but I can' recall it. 

 

 I have faced loss but never the loss of a child.  I have faith but I know my faith has never been tested.  I hang onto my faith fiercely.  I trust. 

 

At the end of the day that is all I can do.  As I have heard someone say "they are only on loan to us."

 

I hate to throw all of this in here so suddenly after counting out just some of the wonderful blessings I have in life and for the all the wonderful things I have been celebrating over the past few days. 

 

I think the good Lord above it kindly asking me to take pause right and savor.  Instead of sitting here and typing all of this out perhaps I should go and feel those blessings.  Breath them in and hold them.  Take joy in the present.

 

My kids are my life.  They are my joy.  My happiness.  My cup o' coffee in the morning. 

 

One thing I pulled away from the MOPs meeting today is that I still don't know who I am as a person but I do know me as a Mom.  As a mom I don't ever waver on who I am and where I am taking us in this life.  I may not always know the direct path but I do know where the destination is and I will do everything in my power to get us there.

 

Week thirteen to be continued.....

 

week :: twelve

Baby girl is twelve weeks today.  She made some new developments in the past few days.  I noticed that her few hour nap in the late morning/early afternoon disappeared.  Of course I noticed this because I decided to dust off the ol' Bernina to work on a few projects.  In the last day she has also decided that she prefers to sit up in your arms and will lunge herself forward to do so.  I have also heard the beginnings of a laugh so I know the full blown chuckle is right around the corner.

 

 

I know I have mentioned this a few times before but it still amazes me the kind of power this little girl has over all of us.  You'd expect it from me because I was the one who carried her for nine months, labored 16 hours and then pushed three times all just to have her but from her brothers...it amazes me.  Bug was 25 months old when Squish was born and he really could have cared less.  Squish was 31 months and he loves her.  He's pretty cool about sharing me with her.  Bug can beat the poop out of Squish all day long but as soon as he accidentally, ever so carefully hurts Annie...he is in his room crying.  As soon as Annie wakes in the morning both boys will fight in a semi-friendly way on who gets to hold her first. 

 

 

Baby girl....you are so loved!

 

where our hearts are at....

"Pa said there were too many people in the Big Woods now.  Quite often Laura heard the ringing thud of an ax which was not Pa's ax, or the echo of a shot that did not come from his gun.  The path that went by the little house had become a road.  Almost every day Laura and Mary stopped their playing and stared in surprise at a wagon slowly creaking by on that road. 

Wild animals would not stay in a country where there were so many people.  Pa did not like to stay, either.   He liked a country where the wild animals lived without being afraid.  He liked to see the little fawns and their mothers looking at him from the shadowy woods, and the fat, lazy bears eating berries in the wild-berry patches."

 

 

Those are among the first few paragraphs from the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

 

On a whim while at Bookman's with the boys and girl I decided to pick up the first book in the "Little House" series.  Those two paragraphs pretty much sum up how the Daddy-O and I feel. 

 

 

For the lifestyle we want to live we have simply outgrown Tucson and Tucson has certainly outgrown us.

 

I didn't blog much about it in detail but back in September 2012 we rented a class C motor home and headed to Idaho.  We had one place in mind, Grangeville.  We had been sold on it by what we could find on the Internet.  The name Grangville, at that point, simply represented to us just the place we would want to call home some day.  It didn't mean that was the city we wanted....just the idea of that small town.  Truthfully, after three FULL days of driving when we finally made it there we were, in one word, disappointed!  It was bare, flat, gently rolling hills.  There was some forest.... just way over there!  We decided to settle in for the night to sleep on it all and then in the morning we would explore. 

 

(Taken at the Bear Den RV Park)

 

 

Well, by that afternoon we were sold on the town of Grangeville.  Grangeville, itself, was the city we wanted to call home. 

 

For the first part of that day we explored Main Street

 

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

 

I wasted no time soliciting the quilt shop and making small talk with the owner.  From there we played at the park for a while.
 

 This park is beautiful.  The kind you actually want to stay at all day.  There are big, big trees everywhere.  A pool.  Clean picnic tables abound.  It's just really a lovely place to come and hang out at.  Best part of all...the coffee shop is right across the street. 

 

 

 

No, Grangeville doesn't have the typical stores .  There is no Starbucks, Home Depot, or Safeway.   Well, except for Napa Auto Parts.  For the most part it is all Ma and Pop shops.  The nearest town to shop at any of the typical big box stores is Lewiston which is about an hour away.  Our planning will have to greatly improve, we know.

 

Wanna know what is even better?

These guys... 

 

 

We are a hunting family who enjoy these tasty little morsels and to have them just laying around on your lawn is awesome.

 

 

It's been over a year since we were there and recently out hearts are being called back there again.  In fact, we hope to return sometime in the spring.  This time however we plan on doing more homework.

(The snake river)

week :: eleven

week :: eleven

 

My baby girl is a good one.  We have been blessed again with just another happy baby.  Well, except for her car seat.  Do not, for the love of God, say those two words to her.  She will melt into a puddle of tears, but not before she leaves your ears ringing from all the screaming.  Other then that...she's a keeper.

 

This week was a bit rough on her.  She became overwhelmed with her play mat and toys and simply fell asleep.

 

Week ten in her dress looked like this...

 

She is still full of smiles.  The kinds that melt your heart.  No laughs yet but I suspect they are coming. 

week :: ten

All through the house and not a peep could be heard.
 

It's 7:57am and everyone is still asleep!
 

No, I didn't drug anybody.
 

I am up early because it's New Year's Day and in our household that means....

Black eyed peas, white rice, ham, red onions and corn bread.

All enjoyed with good company.

So, my apron strings are tied, the oven is warmed and the delicious smells are wafting.
 

It's a tradition that was handed down to me from the Daddy-O's late grandmother and it's a tradition I won't let go of. It was an important meal to her and it was important to her that I carry on the torch so I am a running with the flames a blazin'.

Let me preface these photos with this:
Santa was extra, extra nice to me this year and one of the awesome gifts I received was a macro lens.  The clarity is awesome but I need to get used to the fact that my feet do all the zooming now.

 

Here is our sweet Annie girl at ten weeks...

 

 

This last picture cracks me up.  If only she could talk.

 

And last....I love this video.  I know one day my sweet Annie will find a guy who love and adore just as much we do.