Sometimes life hands us Sparkly TOMS!

Simple conversations we have with others about the weather, or shoes, or events do not always seem important or really that memorable at the time. Life can change in an instance!
Then those last conversations you had take on more meaning.

These cute shoes were a simple conversation piece I had with a parent on a school field trip the day of the wreck. A conversation she remembered as she watched me being loaded into the ambulance barefooted because the force had thrown my shoes off.
After I was released from the hospital she and her family brought me these new special shoes to my house.

A pair of shoes. Shoes that I have cried over and that she will never know how much have meant to me. These shoes are a small sign of the love and care that our family, friends, community, church family, and amazing husband have shown over and over.

I do not believe in coincidence or luck. I believe in God's plan for my life. These past few weeks God has shown me tremendous grace and blessings and I am learning to focus on those in my life. I have read the book of Job several times in my life and a lot more lately and am still amazed at his dedication to the Lord. I want to be more like Job. I have had to say good-bye to a precious child and watch his family deal with a tragedy. My only hope is in Christ.
My life has taken on a new "normal" for a little while. With my new pink shoes I have also taken on a yucky blue back brace (I wish it were pink). As yucky as it feels and looks I know that it is a daily reminder of what God has saved me from. I am so blessed to be able to walk away in just a back brace.
If this is Gods way of telling me to slow down well I am definitely getting the message. I can not be up for over 30 minutes at at time and that is limited to 5-6 times a day. Also with a 5 pound weight limit of what I can pick up, knocks out my 25 pound 14 month old and my 32 pound 3 year old. It even knocks out an 8 pound gallon of milk. So now with around the clock sitters our "normal" busy life has taken a quick halt. It has been hard not caring for my boys but is a reminder of how lucky I am to still have them to take care of.

Kase has adapted better than Knox. He is my snuggler. Our recliner in our bedroom has now become "my bed" and my hide away. Kase will crawl up beside me and and say, "Mom I am going to sleep in your bed tonight." Then he falls asleep on my chair and Scotty carries him off to bed later.

Kase has been Scotty's little assistant and has hung pretty close to me.

Knox on the other hand isn't a fan of the brace. He REALLY isn't a fan of not being picked up by his mom. After a couple of times crying at my feet he has realized it is not going to happen.

At first he pouted and let me know he was not happy. Now he has ventured toward me a few times but for very short moments. Occasionally he will walk by with a quick kiss but they are few and far between these days.

This down time has given me more opportunities to pray, read and THINK. This was not in my plan, but it was in God's plan. His plan is the one that matters!

Strawberry Season

My mom is still haunted by the memories of picking strawberries on a hot sunny day with me laying on her back whining to go home. (Well, so she says!!)





I guess it didn't damage her too much because she still enjoys picking strawberries with Wendy and I (and now my little rug rats.) I think she was inwardly hoping that they would lay and roll on my back crying.

My grandaddy always has a beautiful garden (Wendy got his green thumb, I did not). So I am very thankful he shares his hard work with his family.

The boys and I went to pick strawberries in his garden the other day and it became a race against Knox and I.

I could not pick and hide the strawberries fast enough. He ate everything from dirt, stems, leaves and I think he got a little bit of strawberry in there as well. Actually, I know he did because he had red juice stains from his head to his toes! I can't say I blame him though, strawberries straight from the garden are the best.

I loved having my happy little helpers out there with me. They didn't want to miss out on any of it. They helped me pick, wash and cap them.

I have lots of ideas of what I want to do with these strawberries. Of course Scotty had a fresh strawberry milkshake that night. I am planning to make some freezer jam as well.

Any other new ideas of what I could do with these fresh strawberries?

Sign Me Up!

2 months of watching little kids play in the dirt, and all 20 of them running in a huddle chasing one little ball. Sign me up!

After a long drizzly rainy day I took both boys to the ballpark for Kase's first practice. It was not at all what I had envisioned. The 3 year old that begged me to play was not the same one that was crying at practice (on his behalf I did have to wake him up from his nap when we got there and oh yeah and I hit is head on the door trying to get him out of the car.) During this memorable practice Knox was running around trying to eat rocks and trash off the ground while I was trying to reason with Kase why he needed to run the bases. Boy was this going to be a long season. Were we going to be the first t-ball dropouts? Most imortantly was I going to have to admit to Scotty that he was right and Kase may be a little young to play?

Thank you Kase for pulling through!! He LOVED his first game. He got a hit off his first pitch and did great.

It is all he has talked about and all we have played in the yard ever since. So yeah, 2 months of this, I can't wait!

He loves having Jayden on his team. They kind of stick together out on the field as you can tell.


Knox cheers him on and can't wait til he can get out there.

Of course, he has a fan club.

Great Job Kase Grae!!

Embrace the Camera

You have to love camera timers!!! This picture was taken on our first family of four vacation. We love to travel and Knox had already been several places since he was born but this was the first one we took on our own without family and friends since we had become a family of four. I was determined to get a family shot. I propped the camera up on the ledge of the dock by the ocean,(Yes, I was brave) and then we ran to get the picture. A very nice couple came by and offered to take our picture. I thought we were saved. But then I realized he cut our heads off and I really wanted all of our heads in this one :). So even though you can tell I was running and grabbing Kase to get in the picture and Knox is entertained by the birds I am still happy with our family of four picture!

A few of Knox's favorite things

Knox means business when it comes to his food and drink. Which are just a few of his favorite things.

On this particular night, he realized, would could be better than one juice, but 2 juices?

It took a lot of work for him to get them in his hands just right. But at last he conquered it. I love his determination and his PJ's.

Mommas Day ( this is what Scotty calls it)

(right after I became a mom of 2, last year)

4 years ago "Mommas Day" changed for me. It was the first time I was not only celebrating my mom, and grandmothers but also had become a Mother. However it was a Mother Day's I would have never predicted, but was another reminder that God is in control and has a much bigger plan in my life.

I began to dread my first Mother's Day after losing Grae (our first son). I did not want to "skip the day because Scotty and I still felt we still needed to celebrate our moms. God taught me so much on that Mother's Day. Yes it was hard, however, God has blessed Scotty and I with such amazing moms, grandmothers and families that how could we not be thankful and happy with all of the people around us. A day that I had selfishly dreaded turned out to be a memorable day. Thankfully God has blessed me with 2 more wonderful boys that I get to hold and kiss, on Mother's Day and everyday. Mothers day is a reminder every year not of what I have lost but what God has given me and I am beyond Thankful that he has a bigger plan for my life.

Like most holidays we like to turn them into weekend events instead of just a day. We enjoyed spending the day with Scotty's mom and family on Saturday. After Kase and Carters baseball games were rained out we all headed to our house for an indoor grill out(yucky rain). Thankfully the sun came out and we all headed out and watched the kids play ball.

They had such a great day playing together.

Sarah kept the kids busy and put knox to sleep on the golf cart.

Scotty's life is a reflection of his mom, and how she has raised him. I am thankful she raised a man of God, and am thankful she is apart of our lives and is helping us raise our boys to be men of God as well.

We also enjoyed spending Sunday at the lake with the moms on my side. My mom gave up her career and so much more to be able to dedicate her life to raising Wendy and I, and she still is an amazing example of the mom I want to be. I am fortunate to have such amazing wise grandmothers that helped raise me and are helping raise my boys. Mother's Day is so special to me because I have SO much to celebrate!

The Little things to make it cute

Since we celebrated on back to back days, I decided to use the same decor for both lunches. I dug out some bottles and tablecloths for a picnic look.

I ran out to Dads field and cute some wheat (Dad reminded me wheat is $8 a bushel) I have to learn to cut it in the middle of the row so you can't tell I took it.

I think eating at a decorated table makes the food taste better and conversation flow.

I don't like the look of paper plates but I also don't like the idea of washing all the dishes when everyone leaves. I found these baskets and have used them over and over. They are a quick cleanup and are cute and fun to use. They were a great investment.

Happy "Mommas Day"