Saturday, August 27, 2011

An unexpected Blessing

Remember a few posts back when I told you about our trip to Sam's Club with Nana?  Well then you would remember me telling you that she surprised us with something spectacular...

 There she is...

Amazing right?!  
Believe me I know!!
Let me share the story.

First I have to give a little background.  Just days before our trip to Sam's I had been looking online at cedar play sets.  I spent some time dreaming up the perfect set.  What kid wouldn't love a playground of sorts in their own backyard?!  I found some real beauties and knew my kids would go crazy over one but also knew it wasn't something that we could invest in right now, because they are an investment, bad boys aren't cheap.  That night while in bed I simply asked God to "maybe work something out".  I was thinking maybe we could find a used one within the next year or so.

Little did I know that He would answer within days, and not with a used one but a brand spankin three story new one!!



I mentioned it to Ryan but never spoke a word of it to anyone else.  After all, it wasn't really something that we thought would happen for a while.  

A few short days pass and we go to Sam's with Nana.  We are there for a few moments before the kids set their eyes on the "park" and begin to beg to play.  We had to explain that it was just to look at but we did enjoy looking!!  :)  Not too long before Nana decides she is going to buy it for them.  I looked at her with crazy eyes and told her "no way".  This is not the type of thing you just walk into the store and purchase!  I mean we aren't talking about a $10 toy!!  She insists that she would love nothing more than to watch her grandkids enjoy themselves on it.  I just walk away and figure her and Ryan can discuss it later...

We end our shopping adventure with a few things in our cart and as she is checking out I hear the checkout lady say "ok well let me see if it's in stock".  I glance over and exclaim, "you're buying the playscape?".  

She smiles and happily says "yes".

Insert tears.

Yep, I cried.

I was completely overwhelmed and unsure of how to graciously accept such a generous gift.

She gave to my children something I knew they would enjoy but couldn't afford to invest in right now.  

I told her the story on the way home of how I had just been looking and dreaming and praying for one.  

Later that night I told her that I prayed that God would somehow give her all her money back, we chuckled, but I was serious.  
God cares about each prayer.  






Oh did you think the story was over?  

Nope, not yet!!

A couple more days pass and Nana calls and says 
"guess what, I got my money!!"

What is she talking about?!

My brother in law and his wife had just sold their old gold and told her that she should get rid of hers as well.  Selling gold is all the rage right now, too bad I don't have any to sell!!  Anyway, she takes her old gold that never gets used and comes out with a purse full of cash!!  I am talking 3 times the total of the playscape!!  

Unbelievable right?
Well maybe to some.
But not to me.
I prayed about it.
God answered.
Amen!



"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Phil 4:13


Thank you Nana for the beloved "park".  I have yet to find the right words to adequately express our gratitude.  Thank you doesn't seem like enough, but for now it's all I have, so we will say thank you and hope you truly understand all that lies within those two small words...


Friday, August 26, 2011

In all seriousness

Tonight, while saying prayers, this sweet love asked Jesus to
"bless my stinky feet"...






Yep she's a clown!!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Happy Birthday Nana!!

Today we celebrate the birthday of a very special lady!!


Clearly she is beautiful on the outside but let me assure you that she is every bit as lovely deep within.  Nana is one of the sweetest, most generous, fun loving people you will ever meet.  She wears her heart on her sleeve and would give you the shirt off her back before you could ever even think to ask for it!  If you know her you are blessed, if you don't know her you are missing out!!  

Ryan calls her mom.
I call her my mother-in-love.
Our kids call her Nana.
Everyone calls her friend!

We love you to pieces!!  May you be blessed beyond measure this year and many more to come!!


From Collin (4 years old)

How old is Nana?
24 or 25 or let me think here... how about the one with the 5 and 4 so thats 54.

What do you want to buy her for her birthday?
I want to buy her new shoes, write that.
Write Nana and then her  name...

What's your favorite thing about Nana?
Um, her birthday write that.

What is Nana the BEST at?
Driving on a motorcycle.

What does Nana look like?
She has green eyes.  Actually she has brown eyes.

What is your favorite thing to do with Nana?
Go to her house, and I love her because I love going to her house. 
 I love her.

Dear Nana,
Happy birthday and surprise!!  Happy birthday.  When are you coming over for cake?  I love you Nana!!


Love Collin


From Madelyn (2 years old)

How old is Nana?
2

What do you want to buy Nana for her birthday?
A pack pack (a back pack)

What does Nana like to eat?
A "samich"

What does Nana look like?
Um silly

Dear Nana,
Happy birthday!  Um happy birthday to you.  
What else do you want to tell her for her birthday?
BOOOOOO!
(Apparently this is her trademark birthday message?!)


Love Madelyn






Be blessed beauty!!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Orientation

Tomorrow night I am hosting a girls night at my house.  I am oh so very excited to have most of my fave girls in our new home!!  Clearly I have lots to do in order to prepare for said girls night, I do live with two busy littles.  But I could not let tonight go by without journaling about this night.  You see tonight I went to Collin's preschool orientation.  Gasp!  I know, I can hardly believe it either, but yes, yes it is true.

During the drive there I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the last four years?  Surely it was only yesterday that I was a giddy tear filled (happy, thankful tears of course) momma driving home in the backseat with the hawk eye watching over this sweet little bundle swaddled up in blue.  And now here I was driving off to preschool orientation, still have the same tear filled eyes, maybe not quite as giddy this time.  :)

Don't get me wrong, I am SO very excited for Collin.  He will love school I am pretty sure of it.  He will make lots of new little friends, create fantastically unique projects that we will proudly hang on the fridge, we will go on exciting field trips, and hear all about the new things that he is learning about, including "Jesus is his best friend". Sweet right?!  Totally!  Of course I am giddy for him, just a little weepy for myself...did I mention my first born is going to school?

So crazy mom enters preschool gymnasium for orientation.  Said crazy mom checks in and picks up a folder with a gazillion forms to be filled out.  I mean seriously people, I may have signed my life away tonight, I am not completely sure, all I do know is that I signed my name more times than I could count.

Our lovely preschool director (who I have known for years, and completely adore) begins her presentation.  Loads of info.  I am completely listening.  I mean that is what good moms do at orientation right?  Good moms don't fill out their paperwork while the director is speaking, we all know that.  Yes, crazy mom, put your pen down and listen.  So I do, and I did.  Just in time to hear the "drop off procedure"....

First day parents will spend the day with your child in the classroom.  Beginning day two you will drop your child off from the car.  You don't even have to get out!  You wait in the drop off line, pull up and your child's teacher will meet you at the car door and escort your child in.  It works beautifully and really cuts down on the crying....

Um excuse me, cuts down on the crying?  For who?  Seriously people I was teary eyed just thinking about it.  It is at this point I am sure I will look around to see other teary moms, yes clearly this will be the case.  We are all about drop our kids off at the curb and drive away.  This is something to cry about.  I look up and no one looks teary, notta  one.  In fact, many moms (who have had kids in the program) are smiling and joyfully nodding their heads in agreement!!  You will not be the only one to cry orientation, get it together crazy mom.

Maybe I should just start filling out my paperwork like all the other moms.  I get to the "child info" page.  The mom across from me is also on this page.  Directions are as follows:  Check all words that describe your child most of the time...
I happily check "helpful, kind, loving," he truly is every one of these things, most of the time.  :)
 I suddenly hear the mom across from me ask the dad "should we check defiant?"  Dad says "no" and then changes his answer to "yes".  I look at their folder which is the same shade of yellow as mine.  Oh great we are with defiant.  Then I see defiant is a "frog" and we are "ducks".  
Gotta love the a.m. and the p.m. group.  

It's not long before I let my mind wander off into unsafe territory.

What if someone hurts his feelings?
What if he misses me?
What if he feels sad?

And then I really start terrifying myself with thoughts of Collin misbehaving in school.  Oh mercy I do not want the "you lied on your orientation paperwork" phone call...

Oh my word crazy mom get a grip!

Clearly I should not have been sent to preschool orientation alone.

Even more clearly, daddy will be doing the first dew drop offs...

Now please pass the xanax!

Monday, August 22, 2011

The Help

Went out with a few of my girlies to see the movie The Help.  Highly recommend!!  Truly made me want to start a daily tradition of reminding my children    
~You is smart, you is kind you is important~

 Because they totally are!

If you haven't seen the movie I can assure you that you're missing out!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Talent

All photos courtesy of the very talented Collin Ryan...





He is for hire, in case you are wondering.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Catching up

We have had a few busy days.  I say busy and yet we have been home most of the time!!  For some reason evening comes and all I want to do is lay on the couch and watch mindless television.

Anywho, time to catch up...

Monday night we had a family BBQ at Grammy's to celebrate her birthday with Michael, Andi, GG and Gran Fran.

Apparently Grammy is 22 this year...  :)
 As always, Mads was very excited about dessert.

 Isn't she delicious?

Yesterday the kid's cousin Jaiden came over to play with us while his mommy was at the hospital giving birth to his baby brother Gavin!!  Exciting day for Jaiden and his family!!






The boys spent a good part of the morning driving around in Collin's motorized vehicles.  Madelyn play the old fashioned way and pedaled her bike up and down the driveway.


Apparently she decided that pedaling was too much work and a certain motorized vehicle was calling her name because she literally came blazing around the corner full speed ahead.  Nana and I just looked at each other and bust into side splitting laughter.  She had never driven alone, ever!!  This was no joke, girl was serious, pedal to the metal baby!


Tonight we went out to dinner with sweet GG.  We took a few pictures before walking out the door.  Both kids were in their Cape Cod shirts from Grammy and Papa.

 Starts out sweet...

 Always turns silly...

 Mads thinks he is funny...
 and is quick to join in!



Our days are full no matter what we do!  Each day with these beauties is a blessing indeed!!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Marry Me...

The other night Collin and I were laying on my bed just chatting after bath time.  He was all clean and snuggly in his pajammers and we just chatted about this and that.  All of a sudden he pulled out this batman ring and said,

"here mommy wear this on your finger when you get married".  

My response 
"thanks buddy but I am already married to daddy, remember?!"  

"Well you can keep it for when you get married again."  


We talked about how I am only getting married one time and then we decided that he will keep the ring for the girl of his dreams.  He'll pop the question, she'll take one look at this killer ring and will surely say YES.  She will be flashing this dazzler to all her friends, no doubt...


We love you Collin bug!  You will always make your momma's heart sing and soar!!







Sunday, August 14, 2011

Birthday recap

Yesterday we celebrated the birthday of two of our all time fave gals...

Grammy and Gabby

The kids and I took a few balloons over to Grammy in the morning.
 I let the kids choose and we ended up with a Happy Birthday and a Spiderman!  :)  
Grammy and Papa came over later in the day for a casual dinner and some dessert.  We are excited to celebrate again tomorrow with the rest of the fam!

We couldn't wait to give Grammy her gift...


The kids decided to do a little birthday serenading...
















 Mads likes to put her hat on all by herself and she does she rocks it sideways...

 That's all folks...

See you tomorrow!