He Makes Me Laugh...

I have been told by many to write the funny things down that Chase says so I will not forget them. Here are just a few of the things that have been said in the last two days.

I think my two year old is concerned that I don't have enough friends. While we were checking out at Lowe's, he tried to make small talk with the cashier then he grabbed me by my shirt and told her, "this is Wendy."

The other day, I walked into my room and saw Chase standing in the middle of my bed while saying to the mirror, "Ladies & Gentlemen, introducing Mama Wendy {maiden name} {last name}!" I was then fully expected to dance and sing for the enjoyment of an imaginary audience.

Yesterday, I got dressed and was looking at my expanding figure in the mirror bemoaning slightly to myself at how nothing is flattering. Chase looked up (like he could read my thoughts) and said, "Mama, you stylin'!" I thought he said that I was darling because I have never heard him say such. So I said, "You think I am darling?" He just shook his head and repeated himself. Then, I got it and my slight bemoaning was forgotten. He decided to add, "Mama, you darlin' too."

I was pushing him in a grocery cart and he put his hands on my boobs. He said, "these are your boo boos." Before I could say anything, he started shaking his head and grabbed my elbows. Chase said, "No, THESE are your boo boo's." Interesting. Didn't know that.

Chase was wearing a shirt that was apparently bothering him. He was trying to get it off and was scratching his arms. We were away from home and I did not have anything else for him to wear plus it was cold outside so I told him to wait until we got home so I could give him a different shirt. I walked away from him and I heard him muttering under his breath, "I don't like my outfit. I wish it would go away."

Seriously, where does he get this stuff from?

I know that most people immediately point their fingers at me when such a question is asked. Yet, some of these things, I have never spoken around him.

I promise!

Honestly, he keeps life so entertaining with all the things he says and does that I really don't care. Life can get so serious especially when you are in any kind of ministry. I see Chase as a huge gift in my life to remind me to just laugh it all off and not let all that serious stuff get me down.

What Matters

This has been the craziest year full of great things but I feel that as the year is coming to an end that I become more unraveled. I worked a 13 hour day yesterday which is very unusual but there were things I had to do and places I had to be. Glad today was my day off but I have not gotten nearly enough done because tonight I have had quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions.

Therefore, I sit and write.

As I write, I try so hard not to look at my half decorated tree with all the Christmas decoration boxes scattered around the room. I try to be positive when looking at my unfinished kitchen floor while believing that Jeremy's main Christmas gift to me will come into fruition... which is a new floor. {Miracles DO happen!} I try not to get antsy about the baby's room which could fool anyone walking by because it still looks like a guest room.

Jeremy told me today that I am negative when I am pregnant but quite positive when I am not. I told him that he was blessed to only have to endure two more months of negativity. Okay, I promise that I am going to work on that, now, that he has brought that to my attention.

I will start right now.

I am happy that I even have a tree and eventually some presents will be under that tree which have already been bought.

I am so relieved that I am not one of those women who have to be on bed rest for most of their pregnancies. My heart so goes out to each of them.

I am beyond grateful that I don't have one of those husbands who demands I have the house clean, everything organized, and dinner on the table every night when he appears from work.
I would love to have it together enough to do all those things for him just to be a blessing to him but he knows how crazy our lives are and throws so much grace my way. God blessed me quite a bit tonight by having a lady in the church cook my family a wonderful meal.....just cause. Thank You, Lord!

I know that all the things that need to be done for the house/baby's room will eventually get done. The house may not be all decked out for Christmas like it usually is every year. I may even slip up every now and then with my negativity.

Then, all of a sudden, I feel a kick.

Then another.

I can't help but smile as I look down at my growing belly.

Oh yes, I am reminded what really matters in this life I have been given.

Being Full of "Thanks"

Everyone is doing it. This is one of those things that I should do as well. I want to jump on the being thankful bandwagon on this special day.

While we should be thankful all through the year, it is nice to have a day where everything closes down, most people are not working, and everyone gets together with loved ones to eat and be reminded that each of us have so much to be thankful for.

Even if this has been the most trying and tough year that you have lived through in a while or ever, you still have so much to be thankful for.

Trust me, I had a year like that in 2007 and by Thanksgiving, I had several "thanks" which were:
1. being alive & healthy
2. all of my family being alive and finally healthy
3. we still had food to eat while God was helping us pay each huge medical bill that came our way
4. having a roof over my head and a man who loved me living under that roof with me
5. a church family who helped us through so much grief during that year

I could go on and on but my heart is just as full of "thanks" this year as it was back in a dark time in my life. This year has been much better. Not perfect. Life will always have it's mountaintop experiences along with those times in the valley but I have found that in those times in the valley, I make it through so much more smoothly if I am reminded to be thankful.

I hope that your day of "thanks" will be full of wonderful memories and cherished time with loved ones you may not get to see often. I also hope that you can stop sometime during this day just to thank God for what He has given you. Your year may not have been your favorite but there is so much to be thankful for during this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not So Sure about Santa

Chase & Santa. Chase is half in awe and half scared of him. We go to the mall a lot. I am one of those people who can look and look yet never buy a thing. Drives my mom crazy but makes my husband happy. Chase and I like to meet my mom there because she is a "mall walker" then she treats Chase to a cookie if we appear. He is all about that.

Santa just happens to be right next to the cookie place so we have seen Santa several times. My goal is to get Chase so used to Santa that he will gladly sit in his lap to have his picture taken.

Chase would tell us that he was NOT going to sit in Santa's lap but changed his mind when I told him that he might not get those drums he wanted if he did not tell Santa by sitting in his lap. How else would Santa know? {Yes, I am doing all of this for a picture!}

When we are in the mall, Chase will be in his stroller happily singing while playing the drums with chopsticks or pencils when {GASP!} Santa appears around the corner.

Chase's whole world stops.

Seriously, he freezes in mid-air. Santa smiles and waves. Chase slightly wiggles two fingers from his chopstick holding hand which is still in mid-air. Then both hands with sticks go straight to cover his mouth.

We move on and Chase stays frozen like that for another 5 minutes AFTER Santa is long gone.

I can't figure if he is star struck or scared to bits but we still have a long way to go before actually sitting in Santa's lap.

Then yesterday, I heard Chase in the backseat doing what I would call 'rehearsing' this:
"Hey Santa, I would like some drums for Christmas. Thank you very much. Bye Bye."

Hmmmm, this has given me a little hope that this thing may actually happen or my child is now thoroughly confused and decided to start praying to Santa for drums like the way we pray to Jesus for everything else.

Oh, boy.

Stay tuned. This story is still unfolding.

Fall Traditions

This happy face says it all. We, like many of you, went to a local pumpkin patch and had a blast. I had never even been to a pumpkin patch until I had a child of my own. I had no idea what I was missing. I must say that this year was way more fun than last year which I am catching on that life is like that with each year your child grows.

Here we are just chomping at the bit to get in there but we must take the annual "Pose with Mama before I get to have Fun" Picture.

There is apparently a new beauty treatment that is all the rage in the toddler crowd. It is called "Corn Bathing." Chase took to it like a Pro. It did wonders to his skin and his clothes just loved it. I kept finding corn in all kinds of interesting places throughout the rest of the day.

There were many animals to pet but Chase loved the goats the most. He came really close to just hugging this goat. I was a bit concerned that the goat might kick him so I really discouraged this friendship Chase tried to get going.

I made my mom take a belly picture of me because I am finally getting a good looking bump going here. It took forever for me to show. I am about 23 weeks here.

I just LOVE Fall. I have noticed in the last few years that people are really getting into decorating for this season which I am all about. This season also has many traditions that I have really enjoyed since becoming a Mom.

This Pumpkin Patch is my favorite Fall tradition for us. Oh, I also love eating pumpkin anything and drinking apple cider. Yum!

What is your favorite?

Expecting & Excited

I shared right before my (unintentional but just being lazy) hiatus from blogging that my niece and I are due within 5 days of each other. April is due on February 7 and I am due on the 12th.

This is a picture of us both at 20 weeks.

We also are expecting GIRLS!

This fact really shocked me. I took one of those supposedly 99% accurate gender prediction test. It told me that I was for sure having a boy. At least, I used a coupon to purchase it. I just wanted to prepare myself ahead of time. Well, a lot of good that did me!

I told a few of my friends that if I was told I was having a girl then I would just cry my eyes out. You must know me to know that I don't go around doing such but I have dreamed for as long as I could remember that I wanted to have a daughter.

So to my utter shock and disbelief, I laid on the table at the doctor's office and cried. Then I cried some more.

I finally stopped.

Then I started back up again.

My mother got worried about me but all I could say was that they were extremely HAPPY tears. Don't get me wrong. I Love my little boy. What fun and an honor to be his Mama...

but

I am ready for some pink, baby dolls, and hair bows!

Rock Out!

Adjusting and tuning....

Trying to get the right fit...

Yay! Time to rock out....

I am finally back!

Sorry for the absence. Life has been something else since July but I will not bore you with the past. Time to start blogging again.