Thankful

We went out for Mexican tonight guys.  It's Monday night.  I hereby declare all Mondays...well...Mexican Mondays.  It's the right thing to do.  I have no pictures from Mexican, but I would like to share these "last of Fall" pictures we captured last weekend.  They do say it's going to snow tomorrow in Georgia.  What's up with that anyway?  I don't know what to think.

Anyway...back to last weekend.

You know, most people were shopping after Thanksgiving.  I invision doing the same thing when the kids want to pick out cool, teen GAP clothes, but for now, we do the parks after Thanksgiving.  Hmmmm...how do I keep them wanting to do parks over shopping...like forever?  I don't know.  Truth is that it is probably impossible, but part of me looks forward to taking Jesse and picking out all of her Christmas clothes while Jonah screams at us to hurry up.  It's the natural progression of life I guess.

It was Saturday after Thanksgiving and the kids needed to get out.  So did Luke.

They were sort of delirious after all the food.  Look, you can see it in Jonah's eyes.  That's what caught my attention at first glance of the above photo.  But...look at Luke.  He also had turkey and pumpkin and sweet potato on Thanksgiving.  Luke buddy seriously needed to get out of the house and burn off some calories.

We heard lots of noises along the trail.  Some noises are obviously more apparent to children and dogs.  See, my love has no clue in the above photo.





And more proof.  There was obviously something creeping down low here.  Goodness...wish I was a kid again.  We miss all the fun you know.



Hey Luke Duke!  Luke, buddy, buddy boy.  You are so awesome.  We love you Lukey Luke!

I'm sorry.  This is how we sound when we talk to him.  We can't help it.

We had a talk about what to do if we saw a bear.  Like kids...don't run.  Here's the deal.  Mama will go ahead and check for bears and you have to stay still and listen.  If I'm alive, then the coast is clear.  Come towards me if I say it is OK.

They didn't seem to have a problem with this scenario.  Why is that?

They had a frisby golf trail along this path, and we stopped here and there and enjoyed the boys play.  What the heck is frisby golf anyway, and who in the world knows how to direct a frisby so well?



She was so excited about our adventure.  I loved her for it.



You know...I don't put myself in pictures much, and it's time for a change.  Yo...this is me and my dog.  We are a fine pair, don't you think?



This is me and my best girl and my best dog.  We make a great trio, don't you think?



And these three...well...this is the best trio of them all.

You know, I didn't miss shopping one bit.  I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.  I'm so thankful for my family.  They could never possibly top the gift of themselves that they have given me.  I will love them forever for it.

Always and forever my best boy and my best girl...

and my best man...

and my best dog.

My Instagram Life

I thought I would share my Instagram life (with myself and my couple of followers and random International hits).  I finally synced my iPhone tonight.  Amazing what pictures I had.  I love Instragram because of the cool effects.  It's so awesome.



This was from my Jesse's first trip to the dentist.  As you can see, she was more of a dental assistant than a patient.  That's Jonah in the chair.  She preferred watching Jonah getting his teeth cleaned.  Maybe next time she will let them do more than just count her teeth.



On a Friday night, my boy came home from school begging to go to his school's 50's dance.  "Ha?" I said.  "Please Mama!" he said.  That's all it took.  I threw jeans on them, rolled them up, my love slicked Jonah's hair back and and off we went.  Jesse rocked the dance floor while Jonah ran laps around the girls with his buddies.  Boys.  Anyway, we had to go to Target after the dance.  I didn't have cash for Kona Ice (some ridiculous ice truck at the dance).  So...we had to make it up to them by going to Target for ice cream.  Ice cream makes everyone happy.



Jonah has started basketball practice.  I had a time finding a church on Tuesday night for practice.  It was dark and rainy.  Jesse was yelling for me to turn up Scooby Doo in the Tahoe while Jonah was all upset that I would never find the church.  I was late, but we made it!  I forgot how much I loved basketball!



This was my ride home today.  There were tornado warnings in the area.  I hate tornadoes.  I've been running from one in my dreams since I was a little girl.  Seriously, in my dreams, I'm back at the home I grew up in.  I see it coming, and I run up that Golf Course Road like a bat out of hell.  I'm determined for that thing to never get me!  It hasn't yet!  (And I didn't grow up on some swanky Golf Course.  My house leaked when it rained.)



And here's Luke buddy.  He had two sardines for super.  Did I get a dolphin or a German Shepherd?  And what's up with his ears?  They are supposed to be pointing up, but he would rather let them flop around.  What does that mean?  Oh shoot, I don't care.  I love this dog.

Funny how an iPhone can tell a life story.  I knew I had a good excuse to have one of these things.

Harry and Jesse

My boy wrote me the sweetest letter on a napkin this week.  He said I was the best Mama ever and that I was beautiful and also that I was very "bisy."  I loved his sweet comments, but later I wondered if a child noticing that you are busy is a good thing.  I don't know?  Surely he recognizes that most of the reason I am busy is to somehow benefit him.  Shoot, he's too young for that realization.  Why do I worry about these things?  I'll just turn my concentration to the most important part of the letter...you know...the beautiful part.

One of the wonderful things about being a Mom is how beautiful they think we are.  It's brings me so much joy.  Kids do not see wrinkles and dark circles under our eyes from lack of sleep.  They see loving arms and well, beauty.

Halloween surely kept us up a lot and very busy.  It was a roller coaster week and in an ideal world, I could sit down and write a daily blog about it all, but that's just not going to happen.  I'm too "bisy."  But goodness, I surely wish that I could.

I've been about to explode to share some of it.

No doubt what Jonah wanted to be this year.  No doubt.  My Harry Potter fan wanted no other than to portray his favorite wizard.

And let me just say something here.  My blond haired, blue eyed child transformed pretty shockingly.  The dark hair, the scar, the glasses, the shirt and tie, oh my.  Buddy won the costume contest for being the "most transformed."  I still look at the pictures in disbelief.  Is that my boy?



Jesse had a pretty obvious choice as well.  When we watch Toy Story or pass by a Jessie doll in Target, she quickly shouts, "Look!  That's me!"  Sharing her name with the Toy Story celebrity has been quite amusing to her.   It made sense that she should be the cowgirl this year.



I decided to make her costume.  Yes, I decided to make her costume.  I thought it would be easy.  "It's just a cowgirl," I thought to myself.  But nothing is easy for a full-time working Mom with a busy life.  Oh, and one other thing...I can't sew!  Oh crap, that was a bad oversight.  Sorry I said crap.



I managed though.  Iron-on adhesive and a fabric pen folks.  Iron-on adhesive and a fabric pen.  Why am I repeating myself so much?



Who is that child with my daughter?



She was a Rootin' Tootin' Cowgirl.  Her daddy found her belt for me at the last minute.  Good job there daddy!  Have I told you how awesome you are lately?



No way he was going to scare off Voldemort with that face.



You see those cheeks?  I just can't get enough of them.



There should be a cowgirl tune playing here while Jesse walks off into the sunset.



And here's their sidekick, Luke.  The ferocious German Shepherd with the floppy ear.



I can't fool you with ferocious can I?  On a side note, Luke buddy has been so sick.  I'll have to tell you about it one day.  He's doing great now.  We are so happy to get a good night's sleep again.



Harry, "Oh no!"
Jesse, "What is it Harry?"
Harry, "I just realized something.  How am I going to fight Voldemort without Hermione??  All I have is you, a cowgirl with yellow flowers.  I'm doomed."
Jesse, "Do not underestimate me Harry!"



"Yes, I look sweet and pretty, but I'm a tough girl.  Voldemort has nothing on me."



"Oh, good grief.  I better practice my spells."



"Trust me wizard boy."



It's all worth it.  The wrinkles, the dark circles, the "bisy" and the tired.  It's all so worth it.

I love these two so dadgum much I can't stand it.