{Find & Follow Friday}

Today's blog-light features a little blog I've been following for quite some time & enjoy immensely! Definitely worth clicking through and checking out :)

Sam is such a sweetheart - and I love the pink hair! She's married to an equally adorable guy, Chas + together they have the sweetest-cheeked little girl, Hero. Her photography and video skills are so amazing, I think I spend as much time following her photography site as I do her regular blog. The fact that Sam manages to multitask a growing family, running her own business and finding time to publish her first book just amazes me + totally inspires. me. (Fun fact: I've always daydreamed about publishing my own work of fiction...someday) 

I also want to point out this little tidbit: Sam and her family follow the Mormon belief, and I've never read her blog and thought "there's no way we can relate, having such different views" -- exact opposite! I think Sam speaks from the heart + that's someplace we can all relate to and find common ground on. 

Take some time today & this weekend to check out her blog, Young People in Love. It's totes worth it! 

PS: Their gender announcement video (in the About section) is just about the cutest little thing ever! 

PPS: Sorry for the crickets this week -- both the girls have been sick, and we've been trying extra hard to get them on the mend. Sidney has her kindergarten field trip to the zoo today, and we really want them to enjoy it 100%. Next week will hopefully be better, and I can share more fun things with you all. Have a happy weekend! 

{Find & Follow Friday}

Holy guacamole -- thanks to Kaelah at Little Chief Honeybee I found THE most amazing blog: The Militant Baker.

This girl? Jes is ah-mazing. Her open letter to Mike Jeffries (y'know, the CEO of A&F who hates fat people?) is GENIUS. I love that she's all about positive body-image, has a wicked sense of humor and seems 100% authentic. It's hard to find good blogs sometimes in the all the muddled, hipster, wannabe mess out there -- this blog is such a breath of fresh air!

If you only follow one new blog this weekend -> The Militant Baker is the one to follow!

And a big kudos to Kaelah for always featuring the most awesome people + things on her TiLT series. I have discovered so much coolness out there thanks to her and her weekly posts! Happy 4th birthday to your blog!

Two Girls, One Heart

For sisters that don't really look anything alike, these two have turned out to be the best of friends ... watching their relationship blossom has been one of the biggest rewards of parenting for me. 

I've watched them transition from a nervous, but gentle, big sister watching lovingly over her newborn sister -- to a roaming baby who insisted on following her big sister everywhere, crawling while she tucked that one leg up underneath her, just like her big sister used to do -- to a nosy toddler who wants all the toys her big sister has in her hands at the exact moment she picks them up -- to two little girls who are learning to play together and really look out for one another. 

It's been just amazing. Of course, they have their moments. There is yelling and crying and hair-pulling. But in all honesty, they are few and far between. 

If Rhealen gets hurt or gets in trouble, she will crawl into Sidney's arms, Sidney will hold her chest-to-chest, and rub her back. She whispers to her and doesn't move until Rhealen is ready to get back up. It's the most achingly tender thing I've ever witnessed. 

They really do love each other -- I don't know why I find that so surprising -- and it just makes me so happy for them. This sisterly bond is such a blessing to watch unfold, I feel like the luckiest momma in the world. 

Two very different looks. Two distinct personalities. Two little girls. 

One heart between the two of them. 

Currently

Loving: Sidney's haircut -- Justin's mom cut it off for her a couple weekends ago, and it's made taking care of her hair so much easier! I also get "she's your twin!" comments 10x more than before, which I don't mind one stinking bit :)

Reading: Mortal Instruments: City of Bones -- y'all know I love me some YA Fiction, and this book is right up my alley. I admit, I only heard about this series because of the movie soon to be released. No judgment! 

Watching: The Sound of Music -- or rather, I intend to this weekend. (Library score!) 

Eating: Dorito Casserole - seriously so easy and so amazingly delicious! Finally Pinterest paid off: chicken breast (boiled and shredded). Add to a mix of 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 packet of Taco seasoning, sour cream and shredded cheese (I add a little milk just to make it more creamy). Place on top of Doritos and sprinkle with cheese, then bake in the oven on 350 deg. for about 30-40 minutes 'til everything is melted and bubbly. It's SO GOOD.

Anticipating: Our Memorial Day trip to Tweetsie Railroad with my mom's third grade class -- Sidney has been before, but this'll be mine and Rhealen's first trip! Woohoo!

Listening to: A bunch of old mixed CDs I found from high-school. And I'm so excited that 94.9 is doing a throwback weekend coming up!  

Working on: Packing my lunch to work everyday -- I know that sounds kind of silly, but it really does save money in the long run. Bonus: it forces me to get creative with my lunches instead of the "same old, same old". 

Wishing: There was more I could do about the death and destruction in Oklahoma -- I've been keeping up with the aftermath of the tornado, but it's more than I handle most of the time. My heart just breaks for those poor children lost and the ones left behind. I'm very grateful that I live in a particular area where our most severe weather is an occasional thunderstorm in spring or a snowstorm in winter. Our weather usually ins't extreme to any degree, and I can't imagine the fear of knowing you live in an area where tornadoes like the F5 that ripped through Moore, OK can happen every year. 

Currently series inspired by Danielle. 

I just remembered I didn't quite finish sharing our photos from our session with Pam Burke last month! Here are some of my favorites...

This is my Dad (Stacy), my step-mom (Brenda), my step-sister (Danielle), her kids (Olivia and Matthew) and then, of course, my three wild ones: Sidney, Rhealen, and Jaxon. 

I know I've gushed before, but I really do adore Pam and her work - I have a ton of other sessions lined up in my head (I want some photos with my Mom and step-dad, Peanut, ASAP!) and a few already lined up on her calendar, including Rhealen's birthday session at the end of the month. It's so wonderful to have a photographer you love and trust to capture your family's moments. I am just so grateful to have found Pam! 

All photos credited to Pam Burke Photography. 

{Find & Follow Friday}

I know, I know -- let me go ahead and guess what you're thinking: this is just another series that will fizzle out before it ever gets really going...

And you may be totally right! Admittedly, I'm the world's worst at starting something here on the blog and then never seeing it through. But here I go again, despite the voice in my head that says, dude? why? -- because there are a lot of great blogs out there, and though my spotlight may be small, it's still a light and I'm going to let it shine. This series will feature at least one blog --sometimes more-- that I've found and think you should know about. I'm always looking for new blogs to follow, seeing as how variety is the spice of life, and maybe you are, too! 

So here we go, another feature series, one I hope to continue for a long time. Or at least 'til next Friday :)

 

I found Elycia's blog, ♥Elycia, through another long-time favorite of mine, The Dainty Squid -- definitely worth checking out, especially if you're a fan of Kaylah and her blog! You can see some of their fun collaborations --including hilarious videos-- here.

New to Me Music

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I've reached that point in my life where my kid knows more about "current" music trends than I do...and she's only five. Waaah. 

Sidney is a big fan of Neon Trees -- "Everybody Talks" may just be one of her favorite songs ever (and I think it's really cute how she clears her throat at the beginning of the song, just like Tyler Glenn). 

Personally, this is my favorite Neon Trees song we've found so far. And it's nice to give FUN! and their song "Some Nights" a little break -- because girlfriend has nearly broken our car radio with that song! 

[Take Care]

The moments I really feel something hit me hard in the face and heart and knock me over with such force, there's no possible way to ignore them. 

I have general feelings constantly. I generally feel happy. I generally feel loved. I generally feel anxious. But to truly feel an emotion, in the heat of a moment without warning or delay, is blinding. 

I love my kids, love them all day, every day and will continue to love them 'til the day I die. But there are moments when I look at them and love them so hard, it psychically pains me. In those moments, I'm reminded of a million reasons why I love being a mother, why being a mother has made me a better human, and why I'd shrivel up and fade away without these three in my life. 

Sure, I could have taken a different path in life -- a path that led me to never being a mother. That life sometimes beckons to me -- a carefree, reckless spirit that taunts me, tries to tell me I've missed out on so much living by being a young mother. I get jealous of the part of the me that never even existed, and I begin to resent my surroundings. I daydream of a life without all these responsibilities and demands, without sleepless nights and screaming babies. I dream of, for lack of a better word, freedom. 

And then I see my children, these three innocent beings that took the best parts of me and my husband, and magically came to in a world of hope and love. I see them laugh and smile and play and hold each other. I see them whispering and touching noses, sharing inside jokes and creating a world around them made only for three. They love each other, so fiercely, and take care of each other, a sentiment I've been preaching to them lately. 

Some day, your daddy and I won't be here -- you have to take care of each other, always. 

I see my children and I love them, and it hits me like a wave, these emotions come over me -- I feel guilty for ever feeling anything but contentment and joy. I resent myself for resenting myself. I stop and thank every star in the sky, because I am so lucky -- there are so many mothers out there with empty arms, and here my home and heart are full three times over.

I take joy in falling in love with my children, over and over again. In between the routine and the pitfalls and the everyday grind, I am blessed to feel deeply for them at the most spontaneous and unexpected moments. I know there will come a day when I take them for granted again, when I pine for a life that I wasn't meant to live. But deep down, I know -- I will always love my life. I will always love my children. And I will always love the feeling that comes over me when I fall in love with them again. And again and again and again...

Currently

Loving: Being in our new house! It's crazy how much more room we have, even though we didn't really upgrade that much in regards to square footage. But, I love my kitchen. And I love that he kids all have their own rooms. And I love our big, soaker tub! All of it, it's just amazing, and I'm one lucky lady for sure. 

Reading: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood -- I love the movie, and while the book has same the tone as the movie, it's really different. I'm one of these people that enjoys watching a movie first, then reading the book second. I am not good at imagining up my own characters, and I much rather have all that imagery taken care of for me!

Watching: Nothing on TV because we still have no cable at the new house! But we are watching a ton of kiddie movies (Rhealen is stuck on a huge Shrek phase at the moment!) - over the weekend, we watched Wreck-It Ralph (which I enjoyed!) and Puss in Boots (which I didn't!)...thank heavens for Redbox! 

Thinking about: Rhealen's second birthday party! Our little gal will be turning 2 on June 6th, and already, both the weekend before and after her birthday is full of family functions. We're going to have to squeeze in a little party for her somewhere in there, somehow! 

Anticipating: The end of school, the start of summer, and all those wonderful memories that come from warm, sunshine-filled days and big-moon nights. 

Listening to: anything Travis Tritt - I'm on a huge kick right now! 

Working on: Myself, and what's important to me in this life....

Wishing: I could slow things down a little - it's all flying by so quickly, and while I wait with anticipation for what's ahead, I still want to treasure these little moments and days that tick by. This is such a fun and precious little time with our family, I'm really trying to be in the moment as much as I can and focus on the joy I have abundant in my life. 

Currently series inspired by Danielle. 

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to YOU!

circa 2010

 Happy! Birthday! to my sweet Cassie Jane!

I love those two girls up there more than words, and it kills me that my butch lives so far* away now, and we never get to see each other! 

Both of my BFFs have May birthdays, so maybe at the end of the month we can do something fun - we'll all be getting together anyway for Dobby's wedding next month! 

Happy B-day, butch, I love you! 

*Kentucky really isn't that far away, but with three kids and a full-time job, my free-time is non-existent! Oh, how I long for those lazy days when we did nothing but lay by the pool all day, watch movies at the drive-in all night, and hang out at Huddle House 'til 2AM!*

Jaxon - Month 4

At four months old, our little Jaxon isn't quite so little anymore! He may have made his entrance into the world at a mere 5 lbs but he's now tipping the scales just over 16 lbs!!

I am so happy to see him growing, more and more every day - he's turning into such a little chunk, his leg rolls are my absolute favorite thing ever. His personality has really developed over the last month. He's giggling and smiling and taking in more of the things and people around him.

He's still a morning guy while evenings are his roughest time. Those first few hours in the morning are his absolute best time; it makes getting up in the mornings all the more enjoyable knowing this smiley little guy is going to greet me :)

It still just amazes me to see how much a baby will change from month to month - that's part of the reason I love doing these monthly updates (even though sometimes I feel like there isn't much to say that's really important) - all these little things add up to a growing baby and, thankfully, a happy boy.

On This Day, Last Year...

Last year on May 2nd, we were dipping our toes into the ocean and enjoying our first official family vacation at the beach! It's crazy to think it's been an entire year since then -and that we've added another baby to the mix!- but time is sweet and life passes us all by in the blink of an eye.

Thank heaven for photos snapped with my phone, or else I'd never remember it all! 

I can't wait for our vacation this year! We are hoping *fingers crossed* to make a Chattanooga/Knoxville trip to see aquariums, zoos, parks and lots of sweet treats along the ride! Roadtrip with three wild and crazy kids? Bring it on! 

Whaa.....? Music Today, You Are So Strange

So is this a new fad or something: 

Normal (by today's standards) country song with a little pop flair -> turned into a totally pop song infused with rap (if you can still call Nelly a rapper these days...)

Whaaa.....? Huh? When did this become a thing. I totally blame Taylor Swift (I blame her for all the evil in the world, just FYI)

I mean, I'm all about crossing boundary lines and blurring the existing lines and just enjoying music (and life in general) but this is just kind of strange. Good strange? Bad strange? Remains yet to be seen. 

I guess I'm just still annoyed that I can turn on a pop-music station or a country-music station and find Taylor Swift playing both places. Pick a side, woman! No, really, you don't have to like either/or - but I'm over her in general and usually like my rock music to sound like rock music and my country to sound like country and so on and so forth. 

And don't even get me started on that insane Darius Rucker cover of "Wagon Wheel" - shame on you! OCMS had the perfect version, totally appropriate for radio play, you don't need to redo it ARGCHFAFH insert multiple exclamation points! 

And and YES, I still listen to live radio. On a station. Not Sirius or I-Heart-Radio or what have you. 

And and and, I'm turning into an old person (and my father) because I like listening to JohnBoy & Billy in the morning. G-D HELP ME.