one of the first places I look...

when things get too quiet.  

blankies

I want to be able to make a baby blanket for each of my babies... problem is... I'm not much at sewing.  But thanks to my friend Mary Anne, who showed me how to make this simple quilt, as well as the sewing advice and babysitting services of my amazing mother-in-law; my wish came true. Thanks so much! Ya'll are the best! :)

seriously?

The past two Sundays I've whipped out my camera to take and get a few cute shots of Rach.  I open up the front door and she takes off behind cars, around trees, through the grass.  She'll go anywhere to get away from Mommy and that silly camera.  I've gotta come up with a new strategy for next Sunday... hmmmm.
Well for now, these are the best I could do.  Yes, seriously.

Consider the Lilies

A few years ago I made a promise to myself that I would read the Book of Mormon before the year was through.  Christmas had just ended, and I was only just starting Alma.  It was a quiet time, a time of year that I just love.  The enchantment of Christmas still hung in the air, but the panic and scheduling was over.  And the excitement of a new beginning, a semester was growing.
So I did it.  I don't know what came over me, but I did it. I am not one to read things fast, at least not read them and understand at the same time. It was the first time in my life were I got completely lost in the scriptures.  Don't get me wrong, I loved reading them prior to this experience, but this was different.  This was something special.
And well there was a certain scripture that pierced me.  When I read it my whole body got warm and I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks.  The scripture was about lilies.  3rd Nephi 25-34.
When I read it, I knew it would bring me comfort multiple times in my life. And it has.  Particularly in recent months.  There have been many moments were I've felt like I was unequal to the task placed before me.  Simple things even... like how to calm Rachel down, when I can't even seem to calm myself down... to not so simple things... like how is this ever going to work out?  And when I get to these points, and pray to Heavenly Father for help, I get this small, tiny, minuscule, can barely make it out feeling that says, "I'm taking care of you".
Then I simply hold on for dear life.






"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."   

Your killing me smalls!

One of my all time favorite movies is Sandlot... I grew up on baseball and this movie was a staple in our house.   And well, I had an, "Your killing me smalls!" moment today.  You know when the mom is telling smalls... "go run outside, scrape your knees, get dirty, get into trouble for goodness sakes!" (it went something like that) and then she said, "How many moms tell their kids that?"

Well, I think I'm one of those moms.

Today there was a battle... Raisins vs. Brownies.  I had this I idea that Rachel and I would make brownies and go nuts!  And although she enjoyed the brownies, she was quite perturbed with me when I took away her raisins and gave her brownie batter.  So much so that when I finally gave her back her raisins, she was more overjoyed than when I gave her a spoon full of brownie batter.

But as you can see... Rachel wasn't going to let a perfectly good spoon of chocolate go to waste... so I suppose I'm raising her right, haha.












All I have left to say is... "YOUR KILLING ME SMALLS!"

Nothing like a Daddy

Rachel and I already miss our Daddy so much!  Him being out in the field is one thing... him being states away is another!  Good morning Daddy, we hope this starts your day off right!

We love the Rain!

Aren't summer thunderstorms the greatest?

She's a-comin!

People at the gym finally aren't afraid to ask me if I'm pregnant anymore... so I figure it's now official!  Pooch and all! :)

One of her favorite things...

This is "The Nap Puppy".  I first saw this little dude at the Brookstone Store in the Woodlands Mall around christmastime. If you know that store, he wasn't cheap.  He would be the only thing that Rachel would get with her allotted Christmas budget.  Tyler thought we could do way better.  He was right, we could have gotten her multiple presents instead of this one.  But! I had what I like to call a "Mommy Image".  I just imagined her dragging her "nap puppy" around everywhere by the ear.  I was hooked... and Tyler said "OK, if you really think so".
We left him at Grandma Payne's house back in May, and he arrived in the mail last weekend.  I didn't think Rachel would get so excited (she's not really attached to any one particular item).  But she did!  She gave him tons of kisses and hugs, and would squeal and squawk with her nap puppy in hand!

Some of my "Mommy Images" have panned out, others not so much.  I'm so glad that this one did! :)