Easter Throwbacks....Just because I can

I have been an emotional wreck this morning.

Good Friday.

I love Easter.

I love the colors and the fun.

I love my family and the food.

I love the reason for this holiday MORE than anything else.

I adore the courage of my Savior.

The purpose of THIS holiday means more to me than any others...

How precious to throw it back and look over the celebrations with MY children over the years?

I am so grateful that I have a Savior and that He chose to love me.

I cannot imagine being Mary and watching my son die, so that others may have life.

What a courageous heart she had...

A mother's love is nothing compared to my God and his love for me.

Easter 2010

Easter 2010

Easter 2010

Hayes was about 4 months old.

Easter 2011

Easter 2011

Hayes was about 16 months old.

I was about 5 months pregnant.

That is my FAVORITE maternity shirt.

I still have it....

Easter 2012

Hayes is 2 and Libby was about 8 months old.

So.  Much.  Joy.

Easter 2013

Hayes was 3 and Libby was 18 months old...

Easter 2014

Spencer was DAYS old...

Hayes is 4.

Libby is 2 and a half... going on 20.

Easter 2015.

Spencer is 1.

Hayes is 5.

Libby is 3.5, going on 16...

Easter 2016... to come.  

#mymklife

In August I went on a beach retreat with my NSD to her condo in PCB.  I got to listen to amazing women talk all weekend and I was blessed with courage from them.  The view was awesome, the food was FAB, and the company was amazing.  I really enjoyed it!

All things pink.

Photo Dump from the iPhone.

New cousin to play with at our playground.

She loves the Cochrans and we love her!

All smiles with Aunt Kitty!

Yes.

We went there.

Hospital selfies with my kiddos while visiting my mother in law last fall.

Get Your Pink On race at WES.

4th wedding

I love spending time with my kiddos one at a time.  Doing something special with them individually is so much fun!  Daryk, Elizabeth, and I took a trip to Chattanooga this July and went to a dear friend's wedding.  It was on the campus of Lee College and it was gorgeous!  Libby clearly enjoyed herself.  We put curlers in her hair and spent all sorts of girls time prepping for the day.  We drove up to the wedding and then got dressed in the parking lot just before we went inside.  Didn't want to mess up our dresses!  

This girl enjoyed every minute of our time.

Such a ham.  

Every event from now on should have a photo booth.

All of them.

So much fun!  

Oh my heart.

Here's hoping she always thinks that we are the coolest people she knows.

Buddy

I don't even know that I'll ever be able to verbalize or write how this whole relationship functions.  They are almost one in the same.  Same love.  Same laugh.  Same silly attitude.  They love each other SOOOOOOOOOOOO big.  It is precious and overwhelming and so much fun.  Buddy was the first person in our family who got to see Miss SpenBrynne via photo right after she was born and I do believe it was the beginning of a beautiful love song.  They are hilarious together.  In person, via FaceTime, on the phone, via Snapchat... You name it and the silly spans miles.  If ever she needed anything, I have no doubt that her Boppy would be first in line to donate an organ, or dollars, or anything else she required.

Heck, he might just give up his right arm if she asked for it!

I love that they have so much fun together!

Seriously?

When was the last time you saw someone smile that big?

Please ignore SB's giant forehead bruise.  She had been stair diving.

Its fine.

Frozen Finale

I'm pretty sure we had our last gymnastics session with Hayes this spring.  He's too big and too old and too busy to be bothered with them now.  I'm not sure what we will do with him from here forward...

He tried soccer.

Loved it!

He is currently participating with wrestling and he loves it!

I'm curious to see what happens next!

First, you apologize.

On Saturday we had a rainy day at home.  We gathered ourselves up, went to run some errands, and spent time with Kitty.  We came home, had lunch, and cleaned the playroom.  Well, some of us cleaned the playroom.  Some of us argued with each other about it.  Somebody talked back to me and I lost it.  All the cool mom composure I had, it was gone.  Adios.  Bye.  BYE.

I yelled with enough frustration to scare someone.... myself and my son.  I absolutely had a come apart.  It was shameful.  I literally chased him to his bedroom and shut the door so I could gather my thoughts.   I gathered them quietly in my own room.  Prayers with tears and sad realizations that I need the Lord to guide me in all aspects.  All.  Aspects.  Parenting isn't excluded.  I am not an expert.

I went back to Hayes and asked him to sit with me on his bed and I apologized.  

"I didn't mean to yell at you like that and I'm very sorry.  I should have talked better to you and not yelled.  I just got really angry because you didn't do what I asked you to do and you talked back to me.  But I am sorry I yelled at you."

I am so thankful for the spirit of forgiveness.  I am thankful that my children embody the spirit of forgiveness and model that for me.  My mother displays the 'world's most forgiving' spirit possible.  I inherited that from her.  Hoping to pass that along to my sweet people as well.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart.  It is not for the weak or weary.  It is not easy and it is not always sunshine and rainbows.  I love that job even if I fail miserably.