Bath Doodles

I decided I was actually going to take a nice relaxing soak in the tub tonight. Drew was watching the girls so I grabbed my towel and turned on some steamy hot water. I was in there about 2 minutes when I heard,

"Hey Mom, you taking a bath?"

Sigh. It was a nice two minutes. Two minutes of silence. Two whole minutes all to myself before my little shadow found her way into the bathroom. 

She set her little pink chair right beside the tub so she could watch me take a bath. So lovely. Watching turned into dipping her fingers into the water, which turned into sliding her little toy skateboard down my knees, and before I knew it, she had me singing Disney theme songs under water so she could guess which ones they were. 

Then I heard Drew call,

"Livy! Come here!"

"What Dad?"

"Stay in here with me so Mama can relax."

"But she wants me in there."

"No, just let her enjoy her bath."

"Dad, she really wants me in there and I already put my chair in there so I'm not giving up!"

I hollered to Drew that it was fine. I had long since given up hope for a relaxing bath anyway. Then Livy came back. 

"Daddy said I couldn't come in here but I told him I'm not giving up."

"It's ok. Go tell Dad that I like hanging out with my daughter."

"Who's your daughter?"

"You are, silly!"

"Oh me? I am? Ok!"

I could hear her relaying the message. 

"Mom said she likes hanging out with her daughter and that's me. I'm her daughter."

Then, naturally, she asked to get in with me. Why not. It was the only logical thing to do at that point. We spent the next few minutes drawing on the bathtub with her crayons. 

I wrote Mama❤️Olivia so then she wanted to write Thanks and then I was   instructed to write You're welcome. It's all about manners. Then we drew a turtle, a duck, a cat, and Blue and Steve from Blue's Clues. 

Obviously it wasn't what I had planned but it really was fun spending time with her. I don't always get that one-on-one time with her like I used to so it's nice when we do. I love that silly little girl!

Beavers Bend Getaway

Here's a little throwback to our anniversary trip in Oklahoma that Drew surprised me with last year...

 

Guess what?? We're going again! Woo hoo!

On Memorial day when we were laying around the house (doing nothing since Livy was sick) I mentioned that I wanted to do lots of fun stuff this summer. I didn't enjoy anything about last summer since I was so sick the entire summer. Seriously, my morning sickness lasted from June-September so I was miserable during our beach and lake trips. Thank you, Charlotte. So this summer I can't wait to do things. Anything. Just be active. I told Drew I wanted to float a river, go hiking, knee boarding, tubing with Livy, etc.

Tuesday morning, Drew called me from work.

"Hey, I have to ask you something."

"What do you want to do now?" I was thinking he was about to ask permission to go golfing or fishing.

"No, nothing like that. I wanted to ask you if you want to go back to Oklahoma? I found us a really sweet cabin with a pool and hot tub. I also checked into floating the river. The website says it'll take about 4 hours to make it down the river. There's some ATV trails at the State Park too. What do ya say?"

"Yes yes yes!!!"

I love when he plans things out! We're going the last weekend in July while the girls spend a couple nights with Pappy and Annie. I haven't been away from Charlotte for more than a couple hours so I'm sure I'll be a little anxious leading up to that weekend, but I can't wait to spend some time with Drew! Ah, I'm so excited!

My Little Sicko

Well, it's day 6 of Livy being sick with what we think is strep throat. Which means I haven't left the house all week. It seems that her new hobby is following me around all day making this nasally whining sound approximately every 12 seconds, probably to remind me that she's sick. Ya know, in case I've somehow forgotten.

I'm so ready for her to feel better because my patience is wearing thin. I hate when she's sick. It really does break my heart. Thankfully she's not running fever anymore, she just can't get over that sore throat! I've tried giving her some lozenges to help soothe the pain, but she insists on chewing them up immediately instead of sucking on them. She hasn't eaten much. Grits, applesauce, macaroni, and lots of ice cream have been the main menu.

"Livy, what do you want for supper tonight?"
"I don't know. Just get whatever you want to get."
"Applesauce?"
"No."
"Ice cream?"
"Umm, yes... I suspect I will."

She suspects she will? What is she? 85? Anyway, we are looking forward to this weekend, a chance to get out of the house! Drew's team is playing a tournament in Hot Springs. I see sunshine, a tan, and maybe a little Hobby Lobby in my near future.

A New Kind of Thermometer

Late Friday morning, Livy told me she was tired so I told her she could lay down in my bed and take a nap. She never naps anymore, so when she actually fell asleep I started thinking something might be wrong. Then she woke up from her nap crying.

"Why are you crying?"
"I... just... don't... know..."
"Do you feel ok?"
"No, I feel sick."

I picked her up and she was burning up. I checked her temperature, and sure enough, she was running a fever of 101.1. I took a picture of the thermometer and sent it to Drew so he would know what's going on, and this is what I got...

 

 I just don't know what to do with him sometimes! Ha!

Dance Recital 2014

Thursday night we got to watch Livy show off what she's learned all year in dance class. I love that the studio she takes from has small classes which makes the recital that much sweeter. It's not a production. It's just an intimate, relaxed, family setting that is all about the dancers.

Believe it or not, I didn't take any pictures during the recital. I videoed each dance, but since Tara had a photographer there I didn't worry about taking my own pictures. I just got to watch and enjoy! We'll be able to order the action shots from Misty Byrd, and I can't wait to see them!

Livy Lou did a great job, but more importantly, she had a blast! The girl loves any chance she gets to wear make-up, and her "rainbow eyes" just made it even better! She was so excited!

I keep asking Drew what he's gonna do when she's a teenager. He doesn't want to talk about it.

AWANA Closing Program

Wednesday night was Olivia's AWANA closing program. We had practiced her Bible verse for 3 weeks and she knew it perfectly! She even knew what book of the Bible it was in.

God loved us and sent His son. -1 John 4:10

I think she got a little nervous in front of everyone and looked at her teacher for help, but once she got a hint she said her verse proudly in the microphone (after they lowered it down). We were so proud of her!

Pappy and Annie (Livy's most favorite people in the world) don't miss a thing!

Uncle Glenn and Aunt Bebbie were her Cubbies teachers. We are SO thankful for them!

Livy and Tatum were sporting their new Cubbies ribbons.

Tatum insisted on holding Livy.

And then Tatum wanted to take our picture. 

And then the girls took a selfie.

Pineapple

A few days ago I was in the kitchen doing dishes and I could hear the girls through the monitor in our bedroom.

"Charlotte, say p-p-pineapple. C'mon you can do it. P-p-pineapple. Say it girl!"

"Aaaaaooooooooooooaaaaaaa..."

"Mom!!! Charlotte said pineapple!!!"

What can I say? I have genius kids. 

Blossom Festival 2014

I kicked off this years Blossom Festival by walking the 5K with my gal pals. I'm pretty sure the best part was sporting our hilarious shirts... "5K Mommy - 3.1 miles of peace and quiet!" Ha! Love it.

In the meantime, Drew was at home getting the girls dressed and ready, and they were waiting for me when I crossed the finish line. Then it was Livy's turn to run!

I signed Livy up for the 1 mile Fun Run thinking she'd probably start the race, run a little, and then turn around and cross the finish line. So what if she didn't run the whole mile... she would still have fun and get a medal! But shame on me for not having more faith in my child.

The girl ran the entire mile!

She talked the whole time, cheered on her friends, and even picked a couple of flowers along the way. I kept asking her if she was getting tired and needed to walk a little bit. She'd stop running, take a couple of steps, and then say, "Ok, let's run!" 

Towards the end of the race I was really trying to pump her up...

"You are doing so good, Livy! I can't believe it! Daddy is gonna be so proud of you! You're going so fast I can hardly keep up! Look! We're almost to the finish line!!!"
"I know! I'm gonna be so proud of Walker if he wins!"

Sweet little thing. Always concerned about the people around her. The lack of competitiveness bothers her daddy but I just think it's sweet!

She crossed the finish line at 17 minutes. Literally the last one (the police car was bringing up the rear directly behind her). But I was SO incredibly proud of her! Three years old and she ran a mile by herself! One of the ladies in charge of the race told us she didn't have to run the whole thing, but I wanted her to have that satisfaction of knowing she did what all the other kids did. She earned that medal!

Then it was off to dance! Her tap class danced their Cuddly Duck dance in front of the stage.

Then after dancing, we had to rush to the parade line to ride with our steak cooking team. We spent the rest of the day with them hanging out and cooking for the judges while Drew was back and forth between there and the softball tournament. We had a great day with great friends!

My Husband

When my parents announced their divorce to my sister and I on New Years Day 2013, it was a complete and total shock. Seriously. They had never been the affectionate type to one another, but some people just aren't. That didn't mean they weren't in love, right? The thought of them divorcing had never crossed my mind... especially after 29 years of marriage.

But as the saying goes, things aren't always what they seem. My parents' marriage had been crumbling for many years, and I watched as the walls came tumbling down around them. The divorce process began semi-cordially, but just became more of a mess as time went on. There were some very intense moments of fellowship between our entire family. At 25 years old, I had never been directly affected by divorce but I quickly learned why God never intended for it to take place. It's messy. It's bitter. It tears families apart and sets them against one another. Sure, good can come after a divorce, but nothing is good about the actual process.

I've heard a lot of people question the sanctity of marriage when their parents get divorced. What's the point of sharing your life with someone when divorce is inevitable? Do wedding vows even mean anything these days? If my parents couldn't hold it together, then how am I expected to? All of which are valid  questions when it feels like the rug has been jerked out from under your feet.

However, I never felt any of that. Not for one second.

When Drew and I first started dating, I could tell we had something very special. It didn't take long for us to become best friends, wanting to spend every second together. It took me 5 months to tell him I loved him (I wanted to really mean it!), and after that we were inseparable. He was my world, and I would've married him right then and there.

Naturally, when my parents divorced, Drew was my rock, my support, my listening ear, my shoulder to cry on, my friend... he was everything a husband is meant to be. His loyalty and love for me runs deep and true, and that is a wonderful feeling... to have complete trust in someone. My favorite part of the day is when he walks through the door after a long day at work and gives me a hug and a kiss. I find comfort and security in those arms, and I can't say enough about how much he means to me.

When he looks at me I still get butterflies.

Just like I did 12 years ago.

Little Dancer

I seriously can't believe it's already May! Time for the Blossom Festival, AWANA closing program, and the dance recital! Livy had her last day of dance practice this Tuesday. She has changed so much just since last August! She dances this Saturday at the Blossom Festival and then her recital is next week. We can't wait to watch her dance!

 First day of dance & last day of dance

2013-2014

K-LOVE Livy

A few weeks ago it was my turn to sing the special for Sunday evening service. I picked the song "Let Them See You" by JJ Weeks Band, and Olivia sang along with me every time I practiced it. 

Fast forward to this afternoon... I had to run in Walmart to grab one thing and since Charlotte was asleep I decided it would be a lot easier just to leave the girls in the truck. I told Livy I would be right back and she gladly agreed to keep an eye on Charlotte for me. 

About 5 minutes later I got back to the truck, opened the door (halfway expecting to hear Charlotte crying), but instead I heard Livy singing along loudly with the radio...

Let them see You in me. 

Let them hear You when I speak. 

Let them feel You when I sing. 

Let them see You, 

Let them see You in me. 

Some moments in the midst of motherhood make you want to pluck your eyelashes out, and then there are moments like these... Moments where you completely forget what you're doing because you think your heart might literally burst out of your chest with pride! 

There is nothing like hearing your child singing praises to The Lord! 

Pillow Talk

Livy is a great sleeper. For the most part, she goes right to sleep at night and doesn't wake up until mid-late morning. However, on the nights that she's not really sleepy yet, she'll try anything to keep from going to bed. 

The other night, Drew had tucked her in 3 different times already when we heard,

"Daddy!"

"What?"

"I see some hangers in my closet that don't have clothes on 'em!"

"It's OK, baby. Just go to sleep."

"But I can't. I need to hang some clothes on 'em. They're empty!"

About 20 minutes later, Drew had fallen asleep and I heard,

"Daddy!"

"Daddy's asleep. What do you need?"

"I don't know where to lay down."

"Seriously? Just lay down anywhere and go to sleep!"

"But I don't know which part to put my head on."

"Livy, put it on your pillow and go to sleep!"

"But I don't know if I should lay my head on the end or the middle or the other end?"

"JUST PUT IT ANYWHERE AND GO TO SLEEP!"

It always starts out humorous. Drew and I usually lay in bed and laugh at whatever she tries to come up with. But after an hour or so, it's not so funny anymore. I gotta hand it to her though... She can really come up with some doozies!

Vilonia, AR

I had the privilege of riding along to Vilonia to deliver all of the donations our church collected. We had a trailer FULL of everything from water bottles and canned goods to bed sheets and dog food.

As soon as we entered Vilonia, it was like entering another world. A disaster zone. Immediately, I had a pit in my stomach and a knot in my throat trying to fight back tears. Seeing pictures on the news or from Facebook just isn't the same experience as seeing it for myself in person. The devastation was just unbelievable.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay very long. If it would've been up to me, I would've put on some work gloves and gone to work trying to be of some help. But we were limited on time. We were, however, able to ride around and get a good look at what was left of the town. The pastor at the church we took the donations to gave us the "tour" and introduced us to some of his church members. We even got to eat lunch with some people who had lost their home in the tornado.

I left there that afternoon feeling humbled. And sad. And guilty. And strangely uplifted. It's amazing to see a town come together to help their neighbors, and what's even more amazing is hearing personal testimonies of the people who lost everything, literally everything, in the tornado but still praise God's name. The couple we ate lunch with lost their home and everything in it, but instead of questioning or doubting God, they just put everything in His hands, knowing that God would provide a way to carry on. They are already rebuilding their new house and I have a picture of it below...