west virginia

If you haven't noticed, our little family is a little obsessed with K-State sports (no, it is not just football). This year we have loved watching the K-State Wildcat Mask every week...the West Virginia video was Brady's favorite (yep, I'm going to blame this on him:).  Last week, I'm pretty sure Brady watched it at least 18 times...luckily, he only let Parker watch it once (although it didn't stop him from calling me his 'sister mama' the next day...we won't talk about that).  I didn't think much about it until this last Friday when all I heard all day was, "West Virginia why don't you understand? You're playing the K-State Wildcats; we're the best team in the land."  Seriously...all.day.long.  I finally decided to try to video him singing...this is what I got...oh, and yes, if I blame brady for showing him the video, I probably have to take the blame for the weird voice...oh and probably just the weirdness in general...:)

Oh, and I swear that I am not a slave driver who made him try for hours until he could no longer stand...this all took place within five minutes...I promise...:)

just practice

Don't worry, I will take many, many more pictures on his actual first day of school, but here is a preview.  We went for P's 'practice' morning yesterday and it went really well, however, we did have a few tears...  

I had left the room to speak to the teacher and a couple of minutes later, I heard P say, 'mommy, mommy?' Then I saw him come out of the room with his lip quavering...the minute he saw me, he put his little hands over his eyes and just started sobbing...my.heart.broke....it took everything I had not to just start sobbing with him...

Luckily, P is usually fine when I leave...as long as I tell him I'm leaving...for that reason, when they asked me to leave for around 45 minutes, he did awesome...he's going to be just fine...who am I kidding, we're going to be just fine...:)

taco soup recipe

During my last semester of college, my three roommates (Jamie, Kylie, Blair) and I would have weekly 'family' dinners.  Every thursday, no matter what, we would take turns cooking, sit down to eat together and then watch the OC...yep, we were huge dorks fans.  These dinners are some of my fondest memories.  I'm pretty sure I learned to make taco soup from Kylie when it was her night to cook...thanks kylie!

This soup is one of our favorite meals when the weather starts to turn and it can literally last for three or four meals...amazing.  Even better...it is super easy!

2 cans black beans
2 cans Rotel
2 cans corn
2 packages Ranch seasoning
2 packages taco seasoning
1 package of ground beef

All you do is brown the beef first and then mix it all together.  I sometimes like to add a can of ranch beans or extra corn if I need to feed a few more people.  I have also made it with chicken...I actually almost like it better with chicken, but that doesn't usually fly with Brady:).

Enjoy!

pirates, pumpkins and football

I love fall...leaves turning, pumpkins, football, scarves and boots...seriously, what more could you ask for?  For some reason, this weekend finally felt like fall.  Despite being sick (again) all day Friday and most of the weekend (I'm blaming my last whiny post on not feeling well, ha), it was fabulous.  

I really hate being sick, but because I have had three friday nights in the last month where I have been completely out of commission, Brady and Parker have had some awesome quality time together.  Daddy usually treats P to Zac's, and they both get to eat their favorite dinner...cheeseburger and fries...lucky, lucky...I just love these two.

We also had a pirate-themed birthday party...Parker was pretty excited to wear his pirate costume until we realized that he had grown out of the shirt within the last month...oops!

Yep, that is my kid waving at the cameras.

Saturday night we had Matt, Mandy and their girls over for soup and pumpkin carving.  I think the highlight of Brady's weekend was getting to use our recently acquired Rotel and Ranch dressing (thanks mom) to make our favorite taco soup.  We can't buy Rotel here (I had to order it online for $5 a can...excluding shipping) so we haven't had it in a long, long time.   Brady ate it for three meals in a row...seriously.

So, I am a terrible parent and when the kids were ready to carve pumpkins at around 7:30 PM, all of the grown-ups looked at each other and suggested painting instead.  Mat was smart and told the kids they would last longer this way...thank goodness.  I love to carve pumpkins, but it seemed so late for such a big mess.  I should have taken pictures of all of the kids, but I completely forgot...shoot.

And we can't forget football...thank goodness we were able to record the game and get up first thing Sunday morning to watch it before church...what a great way to start a day!!  Great win Wildcats!

too much?

I feel like I have been neglecting this blog lately...I think it is partly because I have had the virus that never ends and just haven't been on my computer as often, but mainly it is because I am afraid that what I actually want to say is just too much information...well, here is a warning...TMI to follow...

Is it too much to say that I have been completely consumed with the thought of having a baby?  That I pray every night that God will just send us a wonderful surprise like he did with Parker because if we continue to try to plan P will be 18 before we have another?

Is it too much to say that I really want to have a baby over here so that our second child isn't completely left out of this part of our lives, but that I am also scared to have one here...that the thought of having a baby without our family and friends around makes me sick to my stomach...that I really wanted to try to have my second child naturally, but my doctor from home said he wouldn't feel comfortable with me attempting that over here because of the risk of my uterus rupturing (ha, yeah, that is probably too much information)?

Is it too much to say that I have at least one panic attack daily about the thought of P starting school in two weeks?  That I know he needs this, but I am going to miss him like crazy...that I am terrified of not finding something worthwhile to fill my time three mornings a week...that Brady will look at me differently because I am not working and Parker is in school?  That I won't feel like I am contributing enough?

Is it too much to say that I sometimes feel left out when we miss out on things going on back home...that I hate that we aren't there to share in our friends joys and milestones...that seeing people moving on in their careers makes me worry about what I am gong to do when we move back?

Does it make me sound crazy to say that despite all of these worries, I am so, so thankful for this opportunity...that I feel so blessed that I can stay home with Parker...that I am one lucky mommy and wife...okay, so maybe not crazy...hormonal...ha, just kidding!

True Fan

Maybe 'obsessed fan' would have been more appropriate:)!

awe-inspiring

I don't know how I had never seen this video before...I know that most of you probably have, but I couldn't resist sharing.  They showed this in church on Sunday and there is just something so powerful about listening to the creation story (being read by astronauts) while looking at the earth from space.  

Truly awe-inspiring.

Today

Ok, so maybe a little more like 'this week'...

This week we practiced kicking field goals (I know, I know, scary that I am trying to teach him...Brady promises to fix the damage I did this weekend:)...I realized that I am kind of awesome, ha, and P still switches from right to left foot...

This week I blew up (and almost passed out) Uncle Landon's birthday gift for P...a giant tackling dummy...seriously, P is in heaven...

sorry, I know this picture stinks

Today we found the missing little baggie...in the place where I thought I lost it...apparently, the guy at the library just didn't understand me when I called yesterday...darn American accent:)

Today we went to toddler dance class wearing a USA shirt two weeks in a row...shoot, nothing like alienating potential new friends:)

Today we had this conversation on the way to dance class...P, 'BURP,' Me, 'don't pretend burp...girls don't like it when you pretend to burp,'  P, 'did Ellie tell you that?'  Me, 'yes, Ellie told me that,'  P, 'did Ellie tell you that yesterday?'  Me, 'yes, she did,'  P, 'BURP!'  

Apparently after the struggle over toys while we were watching Ellie yesterday has changed how much he cares what she thinks.

Today Parker wouldn't 'wriggle' during 'if you're happy and you know it.'  This was our conversation...P, 'no, I don't want to wriggle,'  Me, 'why not,'  P, 'because boys don't wriggle,'  hmmm.

Today Parker once again tried to put the moves on Daisy (one of the cutest little things I've ever seen) during class...I have a feeling it is going to be an unrequited love...

Today I learned that I am going to have one girl-crazy kid on my hands in a few years...Me, 'what is your favorite part of dance class?'  P, 'Daisy...she is my girlfriend, and Katie is my girlfriend.  They are both my girlfriends...I have two girlfriends.' 

Oh my.  Never mind that I was his girlfriend just last week...tear...

losing my mind

I am slowly...but very surely...losing my mind.  I can't pinpoint an exact date, but it started around the time that I crashed the orange stroller.  Before then, we managed not to lose any of parker's little toys that he takes with him everywhere...since then, we have lost seven...and that doesn't count the entire 'little baggie' of toy cars that we lost yesterday.  Seriously, I am sick to my stomach.  A part of me would like to blame it on being sick on and off since the beginning of August, or that we have been traveling everywhere the last 3 months...can I do that?  I am seriously saying lots of little prayers that we somehow find the little baggie so that I feel a little less crazy and a little more like myself...geesh.

Parker's Dino Party

Our first 'real' birthday party was a success!!  Seven kiddos, 10 parents and loads of dinosaurs:).  I am so glad we had the party at the dinosaur park...it was a beautiful day and the kids played for hours...we had a dinosaur hunt through the forest, picnic, and loads of play time...it was a fantastic day!

thanks to Victoria and Rachel for the awesome invites!!

the trampoline is always a big hit...

Noah and P on the jungle gym...

oh my little 'big' man

hunting for dinosaurs

all of the little boys were fighting to hold Katie's hand...so sweet...

Yep, there's P just hanging out on the horn:)

I made my grandma's sugar cookie's in the shape of dinosaurs (word of advice...skinny necks and tails make for really tricky transfers to and from the baking sheet), and I refused to bake cupcakes for the second time in a week so P blew out a candle on another cookie...sorry P...

he loves these girls:) 

tired boy

I have about 100 attempts to get everyone to look at the camera, but for some reason this one is still my favorite!!

So thankful for good friends and fun times!!

Parker's birthday

Parker had the birthday that never ended this year...he is a lucky boy...we celebrated with Grammy and Papa Marvin in August, Gram Gram and G-Dawg in September, us on Tuesday and his friends today...seriously, I think he is going to ask us to sing him happy birthday until October next year.

Tuesday was his actual birthday and we spent the day doing his favorite things...peanut butter banana pancakes for breakfast (even orange juice), time at the library, swimming lessons, lunch with daddy, and the dinosaur park (thank goodness I had passed my driving test).  We even ended the day with what we have decided will be a tradition...the best burger and fries in town (whatever town that might be)...it was a great day...

Parker's purple nalgene bottle is never fall from his side...

Pretty excited to show us the animals in his new book...

lunch with daddy...I even managed to get Koch's guiding principles in the background, ha...

We let P carry his cupcake to dinner...and he finally can wear the jacket uncle cort and aunt van got him last year!

Love this kid!

Showdown at the park

Parker and this little girl were playing so nicely and taking turns chasing each other. Out of nowhere I see P turn around and put his hands on his hips and tell her something. I got closer and heard him say, 'no, I'm a big guy!' And then he turned to me, 'she called me a baby and I am not a baby!'

Hahaha. Luckily, he pulled himself together and told her his name before we had a showdown...

dear parker

Last night when I prayed by your bedside, I prayed that God would always keep you safe and healthy and happy.  I thanked Him for your empathetic heart, quick hugs and endless laughter...I hope those never change.  I prayed that this crazy adventure we call life right now builds a love of travel and a appreciation and love of all cultures, people and places.   I thanked him for your love of endless stories, books and songs and prayed that you continue to use your imagination as vividly as you do now.  I prayed that you will be a good listener like your daddy.  I prayed that you find something that you love to do and can spend your life doing it.   I prayed that when you do experience disappointment or heartache, that you will aways be able to find a bright side.  I told God that I am doing everything I can to be a good mommy and I prayed for the strength and tools to be the kind of mommy you need...I asked for help to make sure that you love Him.  Most of all I thanked Him for picking me to be your mommy...I am so, so grateful.   

You are the very best part of me...you know exactly how to make me smile and laugh (even when you are in trouble) and are always the highlight of my day.   You are such a nice boy and I am so proud of you.  It is sometimes hard for me to watch you grow up, but I am always so excited to see what God has planned for you and what kind of person you will become.  You will always be my little bug and I love you so, so much.

Happy 3rd birthday Parker!    

Lessons from Parker

1. Boy bathroom habits start at a young age (yes, he is watching football in that picture).
2. Never leave wrapped presents within eyesight and reach of a birthday boy in a room alone.
3. Life is about compromises...sometimes that means you leave the house in the outfit below:)