A Lil Love Letter to Mr. Man

Dearest Husband ~

I hope you are doing well. I can hear you playing Ali Baba on pogo.com behind me and everytime I look over there I smile. I love you very very much. I wish we could run away together, just you and I, run away and get lost somewhere (preferably somewhere with a Marriott and a view of St.  Peter's Square) and just spend some time as husband and wife. You know, act like the "newlyweds" we are supposed to be.

Just wanted to tell you this, so now you know. I love you.

~Mrs. Man

Childlike Love

What is it about little kids that makes us melt? Is it their cherubic cheeks? Their messy hair that they think looks "coooool"? How about the way they run while wearing footed Buzz Lightyear pajamas? Absolutely! Those things really get me with Da Boy, but sometimes it's the things he says and they way he says them that really melt me.

We have a rule in our house... we pray before we eat. No matter where we are or who is around, we pray. We also have a fun way to do it - whoever sits down at the table first, says the prayer (or starts it). Da Boy makes sure he's always the first. How cool is that? Anyways... so here we are, sitting at the table, with the sweet smell of Salisbury steak wafting from our plates and I ask "Who gets to say our prayer for dinner tonight?" He smiles and says "I sat down first!" Here is the prayer that my son said last night:

Dear God,
I love you and I love you and I love you, and I want you to come out of my heart and come down here and love on me. 

Wow. I was blown away. I honestly could not have put it better myself. How apt, how simple, how genuine. Yes, that's what I want!! Not only do I want that, I want to be able to talk to God like that. I asked Da Boy (after he was done with his prayer and we were on our way to the church) "How did you learn to pray like that, you sounded like you were just talking to your Daddy." His answer? "I did, God is our Daddy. He's in our heart and in Heaven."

My Prayer for today:

Father God, let me love you like a child loves his Daddy; honestly, openly, without hesitation or reserve. Teach me to be childlike in my worship to you. I know that I'm not "deserving" and I know that that doesn't matter to you. Teach me to fall into your arms and know you'll catch me. I love you, I love you, I love you. Come down here and love on me. Amen

Catch up!

The last 4 days have been filled with adventure and excitement, so I thought I'd share a little of it with you!

Thursday evening Mr. Man, Da Boy and I visited some friends in the Valley for dinner and growth group discussion. We had a lot of fun, both families are blended, so we spent a lot of time talking about our kids, our families, and our exs. It was actually really interesting to hear other people going through the same things we are in regards to "step-parents" and "birth-parents". Da Boy had fun too - he spent the evening playing with their two kids, and being read to by them. lol

Friday morning, Da Boy and I went to the church and helped the Princess paint one of the children's ministry rooms. We weren't able to stay long, but had a good time with her and two other friends, Alice and Jessica.

Saturday was a blast... we took da boy to the Nevada State Railroad Museum! We bought our tickets (his was free) and spent some time looking at all the trains and pictures of trains from our area. I totally forgot the camera (my bad) but I managed to find a dollar for Da Boy and he bought two teeny plastic train shaped beads and one of those flattened out pennies with a train imprint on it.

 

Then, after lunch, we went shopping to finish out our outfits for Sunday.  Mr. Man needed a belt and I needed a necklace, so we headed to JCP for it all. Didn't spend much, but managed to get just what we needed. Church service on Saturday was great - the Princess sang on stage for worship, and even though she doesn't think so she ROCKED! She has a beautiful voice, and she shines with God's love when she sings! 

Yesterday it snowed allllllll day but luckily none of it stuck and we spent the morning desperately trying to find something to do with my hair, and settled, finally, on a Bumpit. Shuddup. It worked and that's all that matters. After watching the Nascar race, we got ready for the Thanks To You event at the church. We got there and it was wonderful!! Elegant, glamorous and pretty, with everyone dressed up and smiling! 

 

Jessica, Princess, and Miranda

Mr. and Mrs. Man

 

Miranda and Chandra

Again, I forgot the camera. I think I'm gonna have to get me a new one, something small enough to fit in my purse, because mine is bulky and heavy so I never carry it around. Da Boy is now eating his cereal and playing with his "bloons!" that we got at the party last night. I can't believe it's already time for him to go back again... only a few more days and then he'll be gone. Time to get off the computer and spend some time with my boy!

Da Boy's Choice

Today I've decided to let Da Boy choose my blog post for the day. He wanted to blog about his balls. You laugh, but I'm serious. Da Boy collects two things -  Hot Wheels cars and balls. Balls of all sizes, materials, and colors. He loves them, he cherishes them, and he's very proud of his balls.

Me: Hey Babe, you wanna help Mommy work today?
Da Boy: Yeah.
Me: Mommy has to write a story - what should we write about today?
Da Boy: I know!! My balls.
Me: (blink blink) Excuse me?
Da Boy: My bally balls!
Me: Oh, hummm, yeah ok, why not?
Da Boy: Cuz I want to.
Me: (snort, giggle) Sounds good babe. Tell me about your balls.
Da Boy: Awwight.



5 Questions About Da Boy's Ball Collection:

1. Which ball is your favorite?

I wike my miwy ace ball. (smiley face ball)

2. What's your favorite game with a ball?
I wike Bally ball game!

3. How do you play bally ball game?
I can do it with orange ballies. You do it wike this:
He takes 2 orange Nerf balls and throws them in the air and dances and jumps until they fall and stop rolling.

4. How many balls do you think you have?
Um. I have one in my hand... (he runs away, comes back with 4 blue plastic golf balls) Wook! 1, 2, 3, 4!

5. How many balls do you wish you had?
I wish I can had 2 more (he thrusts two fingers 1/2 an inch from my eyes.)

Me: Thank you Da Boy for letting me ask you about your balls today.
Da Boy: Your welcome, hey Mommy? Can I ask you some westions?






5 questions with Mama: (after asking me about balls, I told him I don't collect balls, but I do collect perfume bottles) Yes, I let him type his questions.

1. t7uigtgu556i60665i6i5855ifti What your Aarate perume bowwle? (favorite perfume bottle)
My favorite is my butterfly jeweled bottle.

2. e-t5-656666960rrr06-5polt;lssgggitopw;;;y;;l How many you got?
I have 8 all together.

(See Loue - I fixed Tink!)


3. agsetftrtryeyruukgirgiut  Which one mell da bess?
I think the 'Fancy' perfume by Jessica Simpson smells the best. (That's the orange one in the back, rightside of the pic above)

4. jityyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyfttytyufyuyjhjfughfrhhhhhhhryfftgff  Is dere one you wike to had for mommy?
Yes there is. I would like to have the 'Princess' by Vera Wang.

5. ffffffffffffffffffffffffffyt (he stops typing,looks over and whispers at me) I don't had anymore westions. It you turn. You had anymore westions?

Me. No, actually I don't.
Da Boy: Mayee Daddy do.
He gets up and walks away. End of interviews.

Wordless Wednesday 2/3/2KX

Just a few random photographs that I've taken, that really just intrigued me. Thought I'd share. :) 

  

...a leaf in our garage...

  

 ...a light ball at one of our church's concerts...

  

...a "just watered" rose at a friend's house...

  

 ...Adso...

 

...where we live...

Home Sweet Home

I love my home... not 'just' my home, but my house. It's not massive or brand new or custom. It doesn't have a bay window, or a garden tub in the 'master bath'.  You know what it has? Way more than any of that...

We've completely re-painted the living room, dining room, Josh's room, and the guestroom. We've torn out all the carpet in the entryway and had pergo flooring put in - AND a brand new 'princess' style glass door. We've re-painted the bathroom cabinets and trim. We've painted and faux'd the fireplace. New doors on all the rooms and closets, with new doorknobs and hardware to match. We've poured our hearts and souls into this house, and you know what? It's better than any new house. Why? Because my family lives here. We've made memories here that will never be forgotten. I'm damn proud of this place, and when I look around the rooms .. I know I am blessed.

I am blessed to have such a kind, loving, understanding husband. I'm blessed to have a bright, happy, healthy son. I am blessed to be breathing, to have laughter in my life, to have my family, my friends, and my life. I am blessed to have the church I go to , that is teaching me to be in right relationship with my God. I am blessed to have this house... and everything that goes along with it.

My son

Joshua. He's the light in my life, the only thing that has held me together since the very first moment I saw him. That was 3 and 1/2 years ago. He was big for a newborn, but tiny in my arms. I'll never forget the bruises on his face from his journey to this world. His pain was mine, and I cried along with him in those first few moments. Now, as I watch him putting a puzzle together I am reminded of his first day. The look of fierce determination on his face now, is the exact same look I saw as he tried to 'latch on' for the first time. God how I love this child. My favorite picture from that very first day...



His foot was the exact length of my fore finger on my left hand. I'll never forget that. Now it's as long as my entire hand. I can hardly believe he'll be 4 this year, yet sometimes he looks at me and I feel like I've known him all of my life. There is an understanding there, an insight that he has... he knows me. Unconditional love. That is what I have for him - but more... that is what we share.