My Favorite Things

Last week, Nathan and I headed to our old stompin’ grounds . . . I guess they were just my old stompin’ grounds!  Nathan is gradually getting to know my college world.  I headed to Waco to . . . ehem . . .get a haircut (I know that sounds silly to some, but to those who know Marla, you TOTALLY understand) and decided to stop and visit a dear friend of mine.  She has a son who is 2 weeks older than Nathan.  Brit, our boys and I went to dinner on Tuesday night (I love Ninfa’s) and, after putting our boys to bed, she and I stayed up almost all night talking, laughing, crying, sharing what God is doing in our lives and how far He has brought us!  I love special friends like this!

On Wednesday morning we joined another mom and her kiddos at Mayborn Museum on the Baylor Campus.  It was incredible.  Here are a few of the pictures that I took!  We will HAVE to go back! My nieces will love this place!

Ready or not, here I come! He was in a goofy mood this morning and these pictures prove it!

Cheeeeeeeeeeese!

Here is the group of kids that we had a blast with.  I got to know Brittney’s friend, Dana, and her kids a little better.  What a beautiful person, mom and friend.  God is so good to bring people like this into our lives.  I have a friend like this in Tyler and I am so glad that Dana and Brittney are friends.  Our kiddos together are the most precious thing I have ever seen!  From L to R: Kaitlyn, Lily, Jonathan, Hannah, Nathan and Ethan

Funny, the last time I looked at the Mona Lisa, it wasn’t nearly this cute! 

Nathan has a new love with school buses!  Every time he sees one he starts singing “The Wheels on the Bus!”  (No one else may realize that is what he is singing, but mommas know what their babies are saying!

Here he is singing the song and doing the “round and round” motions!  I am, of course, singing “The Wheels on the Bus”.  I would post the video but it is short and my voice is a bit annoying!  Take my word for it, this kid is adorable and when you add this song, he just down right melts your heart!

Here is another picture of the bus a little later!  Notice, Nathan is STILL singing “round and round”! 

Isn’t Police Officer Jonathan the cutest thing you have ever seen?  Look Ethan, it’s a cop car!

Again, my heart is mush and I am laughing hysterically at the silliness of my kiddo!  I love this kid!

I also love taking pictures of kiddos from behind (notice the Dallas zoo pictures for more evidence).  Here Jonathan, Nathan and Ethan are playing in the water table!  We all left wet!

The music room was next and Nathan was initially interested in this ‘larger than life’ guitar!  Maybe he will have longer fingers than me!  I tried to play the guitar and couldn’t make my fingers reach the strings.  Oh well!

This set up reminded me of the scene in Big where Tom Hanks and his boss enter a toy store and play Heart and Soul on the floor piano!  This piano didn’t play quite as well (of course, I tried to play it) but it sure was fun and the kids loved it!  Isn’t it cute to look at those toddlers crawling all over the piano?

Working on his mixing skills with Kaitlyn and Hannah (and some random boy)!

Pioneer Room ~ on the wagon trail with my favorite little boy!

Now this room is just plain cruel!  Nathan and Ethan sat down for what looked like a wonderful snack after a long, hard day of playing and exploring and (look at Nathan chowing down) THE COOKIES WERE FAKES!!!!!  They didn’t seem to mind all that much, but I could see a touch of disappointment! 

I pretended to pour some tea, the boys drank and then we left and got some real lunch!  Chickfila!  Brit and I always have a date with Chickfila when we get together!  It was wonderful having 6 kids (4 under 2 years) and three adults in the middle of lunch hour on a weekday!  It was utter mayhem and I loved it!  I hope we can do it again real soon!

Hah, at the end of the day our kiddos were pooped!  They played hard and slept hard!  What specials blessings these guys are!  Thanks, Brit, for letting us hang out with you!  We love you and can hardly wait to hang out again!

What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it?
Chickfila

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Sausage, black olives, and any veggie except green peppers and onions

***********TECHNOLOGY*************** 
What color cell phone do you have?
lime green of course

***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Both, I can also write backwards in cursive

********BULLCRAPOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to
die?
No way
 
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I like mine, I think I’ll keep it!

Would you drink a whole bottle of Hot sauce for  $1000.00?
Doubt it!

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
I have lost count!

*************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Last person you hugged? 
My favorite little boy and some dear friends!

Favorite Holiday :
Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas (can’t choose just one~ sorry)

Day of the week? 
Thursday during the school year, during the summer, every day!!!

*********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Birth month…….
April

Missing  someone? 
You bet

Mood?
Content, blessed and very thankful
 
What are you listening to?
silence (and Rusty snoring)

Worrying about?
Asking the right questions soon and is it really going to happen

***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
First place you went this morning?
Sonic

Last movie you saw?
The Lakehouse

Do you smile often?
I think so!

************** QUESTIONS**************
                         
1) Do you always answer your phone? 
Most of the time

2) It’s five in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
My mom or Jennifer

 3) If you could change your eye color what would it be?   
Blue , however, I rather like my eye color
   
4) Do you own a digital camera?
Yes,and I know how to use it, too! 
 
5) Have you ever had a pet FISH?
yes, Scooby!  He was the mascot for my Pre-K class until his tragic ending!

6) Favorite Christmas song? 
Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and Oh Holy Night (sung by my father and Point of Grace)

7 ) Can you do push ups? 
Yes, like a girl!

8) Can you do a chin up?    
Not sure

9)Does the future make you more  nervous? 
Not today

10)Do you have any saved texts?
absolutely

11)Ever been in a car wreck?
 nothing more than a fender bender

12) Do you have an accent?  
Pretty sure I do!

13) What is the last song to make you cry? 
A Mother’s Prayer

14) Plans tonight?  
Pedicure with a friend

15)Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? 
Oh my gosh yes, but thank God for faith, family and friends! 

16) Name 3 things you bought yesterday. 
Custard at Andy’s, a pair of shoes and a Diet Dr. Pepper

17)Have you ever been given roses? 
Yes, yellow ones (my favorite)
 
18) Current hate right now? 
ummmm . . . resilient mosquitos in my backyard!  I can’t get rid of them!

19) Met someone who changed your life?
without a doubt

20) How did you bring in the New Year?  
 At my parents house with my brother watching the ball drop!

21) What song represents you?  
Your Grace is Enough; How Can I Keep From Singing; Thank You, Lord; Broken Hallelujah; Free to Be Me: Amazing Grace
  
22) What were you doing at midnight last night? 
Sleeping and dreaming
 
24) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?  
Not telling

I Tag: KarenD, mab, Jennifer, Brit 

Well, I have been inspired by several of my friends to start a list of the books that I have read!  As I have grown older I have become more of an avid reader!  So, like mab, I have started (or will start) a running list in the margin of my blog of the books that I have read.  I am going to break it down by school year ~ September through August (I know, teachers are just a little wierd).  I will set a goal for myself starting next school year and try hard to meet and/or exceed it.  Thanks to all my inspirers (is that a word?)! 

PS.  One of my sweet friends just discovered how really odd I am.  I usually have several books going at one time.  Currently I am reading 4 different books!

This is what you get when you combine peanut butter and a toddler!!!!

Today was a big day and I made an even bigger deal out of it!  We started the day with cinnamon rolls and ended the day with a special pizza dinner!  My little man turned 18 months old ~ a year and a half!  It is almost unbelievable!  He has ONLY been in my life for 27 months (18 months in my arms) and I have the hardest time remembering what life was like before him!  What a difference he has made!  The commercials are correct, “Having a baby changes everything!” 

May 2008 ~ Smiling and rolling over, not yet sitting on his own

I didn’t think it could get any better than this . . . but sure enough it has! 

May 2009 ~ Walking, running, climbing, talking

My heart is full looking back on our short time together and how much it has changed me!

Happy Half Birthday, Kiddo!  I love you!

Well, it looks like I am turning out to be quite the animal lover!  I have always liked animals but I guess having a child makes someone (or maybe just me) stop and take notice of little things in life.  I am starting to find beauty and joy in looking at rocks, noticing bugs (namely ants) and learning about different animals.  Nathan and I even enjoyed digging in the dirt the other day! 

This weekend, I went to the Dallas Zoo with a group from my church!  It was so fun!  Here are some pictures!

Instead of bringing two strollers, my friend and I rented a wagon to tote around our munchkins!  Aren’t they cute?  My kiddo had a hard time keeping his feet to himself, though!  Sorry, Jonah!

Nathan also did amazingly well on his first pony ride!  He really seemed to like it!  That’s my cowboy!

Looking at turtles!  Nathan started this “trick” here and continued it through out the zoo!  Also turns out that Number 5 is also named Nathan! Good name! 

Nathan with his new little friend, Jonah!  They have so much fun together and are so DANG cute! 

Stopping for a quick drink!  I love this picture! 

Both boys are intensely looking at the monkey!  My family knows this but I LOVE pictures of the backs of heads!  Something goofy about me!

My love! 

In front of one of my favorite animals!  I love giraffes!  The Dallas Zoo had just receive two new giraffes!  Notice the babies that are behind Nathan’s head! 

I will post more pictures tomorrow about our weekend!  It was a great weekend, full of friends and family!  I hope you had a blessed Mother’s Day!