Random Thoughts from the KSU game

*A W is a W. Amen?
*Nothing screams "we are here to parrrrr-tay" like rolling into the stadium/parking lot with windows rolled down and a Veggie Tales CD blaring!
*I love that my husband said in response to the above comment, "I wouldn't want to be here any other way!"
*I love old men that wear shorty shorts. And, I mean SHORTY shorts.
*Speaking of shorts, girls, if the lining from your front pockets sticks out below your jean short hem, then your SHORTS ARE TOO SHORT!
*No words can quite explain that feeling of the first game, stadium packed, pregame fanfare going on...it just feels like home.
*By the grace of God, we made it through our first full KSU game with 3 kids...and no meltdowns (parents included!).
*I love looking down our bleachers seeing our sweet friends from Pratt and college friends with 3 young kids, too...makes me smile to see the next generation of Wildcats!! "Loyal to thee thy children will swell thy cry...hail, hail, hail Alma Mater" takes on a whole new meaning!
*What is up with inflated prices at the concession this year? Seriously, $4 for a bottle of Gatorade??? That's 400% mark-up! C'mon, I thought this was a 'family reunion'!!
*Nothing confirms how far away from our college days we are like walking past the grassy area just beyond the East parking lot. Am I right fellow K-Staters??

GO CATS!!

Wow...

The boys have been fighting with each other a LOT...especially over toys. At the peak of it a few days ago, Jereme and I decided that perhaps the boys needed to feel the sting of giving away some toys. We didn't ask them to give away new toys or special toys but go through ALL of our stuff and decide on what things really don't get played with (AKA thrown across the room, used as weapons, etc) and give them to someone who needs them.

Um, so two days later, we have filled 4 diaper boxes of toys. We also filled a trash sack with broken toys, ripped pages/books, etc. Then, we put all the Lincoln Logs (minus a "gun" or two for Isaac as some of you know!) and small farm stuff in their own boxes to get out and play with as quiet activities. You got all that?? Again, 4 boxes, 1 trash sack and 2 boxes set aside for special play time. You.can.not.tell.one.bit.of.difference.

Incredible. I'm embarrassed about how much 'stuff' our kids have! And, their parents, too.

And, another wow...tomorrow marks the start of our 11th season as ALUMNI (alumnus?) season ticket holders for KSU. That truly doesn't seem possible either. Funny how previously, we'd get there AS SOON as the gates opened so we could maximize our tailgating time. 11 years and 3 kids later, we try to time it to the second...how long prior to the game can we be there that will allow for a little fun but not too much fun so we can make it through most of the game with the least amount of meltdowns by the little people?? Wouldn't have it any other way!! GO CATS!

A few things to remember...

**Side note...my niece, Taylor, decorated Luke's b-day cake...didn't she do a great job?**

All the kiddos had check-ups last Monday. Everyone also got shots. Needless to say I think it was most traumatizing for Isaac and Momma. Isaac does *NOT* do well with shots. It.Was.Ugly. And, let me assure you, his daddy will accompany him to the next doctor's appt that requires shots.

All the boys are healthy!! Here are their stats:
Isaac: 40 lbs (65th), 3'7" (85th)
Jorden: 39 lbs (61st), 3' 7" (85th)
**Isn't it nuts that after 4.5 years, they are still within a pound of each other and the exact same height?? I don't think they have varied much beyond that ever!**

Luke: 30 lbs (72nd), 3' (81st)

And, just so I will remember someday laughing hysterically over this little ditty Isaac told me after his nap today.
"You know momma, sometimes I just chew my toenails off instead of having you clip them. Do you wanna know what I do with the toenails? (Not really!!!) I just put them in my mouth and chew on them for awhile and then either I swallow them or throw them in the trash."
Okkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, then.

Luke

Sweet Luke,

Happy 2nd Birthday!! I am continually humbled by the privilege we have in being your parents. And, thankful. Thankful that we serve a God whose plans are so much greater than mine. The day I found out I was pregnant with you...well, it was certainly tainted by my fears of 3 little ones so close in age. Your brothers were not quite 20 months old and I couldn't fathom another little one. And, here we are, celebrating your 2nd birthday and I marvel at how one little person can bring so much joy, laughter, love and completeness to our family. *YOU*, sweet boy, are what we were missing all along!!

Even though I've missed a lot of sleep these past two years, I have enjoyed almost every minute of getting up with you in the night. There were times when I was frustrated but that was just the tiredness talking. Usually within a minute of putting you in my arms, I was grateful to have one more night of rocking with you. As I look at your older brothers and how quickly life changes, I realize my days of rocking in the middle of the night with you are almost over.

You love everything truck, tractor, construction related. You watch the road everywhere we go for "truck-trucks, lo-los (loaders), 'bines and tats (tractors)". Quite certain that you can do anything the big boys do, we see you jumping off the furniture, walking around drinking full bottles of Gatorade (without hardly spilling a drop) and climbing on their bikes. One thing you especially love is reading books. We will often find you sitting in your room or the boys' room, looking through books for long periods of time. In fact, you refuse to go to bed at night now without a couple books in your crib. I love that you want to be anywhere your daddy is...I pray you and your brothers always look to your daddy the way you do now.

We love you more than words could say, sweet boy. Praise God that His ways are always better than ours!!

A Perfect Sunday

I love Sundays...they are my favorite day of the week! Yesterday was exactly what I love about them.

*Sleeping in (well, if you have kids, you understand this is not even close to what sleeping in used to be!!!)
*Family Breakfast
*Church (ok, and minus the inevitable yelling and racing around trying to find shoes, get kids in the car, etc that has to happen in order to get to church)
*Baby (and I use that term loosely) rocked to sleep
*Jereme snuggles with one boy, I snuggle with another boy for short naps
*Little boys make a picnic of blankets on the floor to eat nachos and watch was has to be the most annoying video ever, Fireman Sam, while Jereme and I have a "date" with our nachos at the dining room table and catch up for the first time in a week (or more???)
*Play time!!! Wrestle-mania (for the boys)
*Go for a drive with the windows down out in the country
*Books and bedtime for the little people
*Ice cream sundaes (why are my pants too tight again????) and Friday Night Lights

Rodeo!

We headed to a great local rodeo this past week. I love going places like this b/c I am a BIG people-watcher and folks, let me tell you, there is NO PLACE like a local county fair, demo derby and or rodeo to get some solid people-watching. Anyways, the below items may or may not have occurred on our visit thus essentially assuring we are the people people-watchers are watching.

*I might've told my son his $3 ear of roasted corn was fine after he dropped it on the gross concrete shortly after opening it.

*One of my 4-year-olds may have lifted up my skirt from behind for all sorts of unfortunate people to view while my hands were occupied trying to carry Luke and a diaper bag.

*It's possible I did buy a bag of cotton candy for EACH child and proceed to let them eat the entire thing during the rodeo. Then, I remembered why I don't ever buy cotton candy.

*At one particularly restless point, we might have let Luke beg the people sitting next to us for a "bite? bite? bite?" until they felt obligated to share their food with him. And, then the 4-year-olds.

*I may have told the little boys to meet me outside the bathrooms not knowing I would need to tell them to meet me out there with their pants UP...really?? Do I have to be that explicit? Ok, so maybe they have troubles snapping jean shorts but pull them up for crying out loud!!!

*Speaking of our sweet children may have worn cowboy boots with their jean shorts...or should I be calling them jorts???

REDNECKS!!

A few vacay pics

Luke's face as we rode the train up Pike's Peak...I can't say I disagree...also note the black eye!


Me and the boys...our one shot for 2011 that still proves I was around...don't the boys look delighted??


This kid is a squirrel!!!!


Jorden! Almost always a good cheeser!


Family pic--Jorden, hiding behind my leg, starting to get some altitude sickness!


Just for the record, I am unsure how it is August and almost time for our "baby" to turn 2!!!

And, I am also unsure how it happens that looking at the calendar for this month, I realize Jereme will be gone the next 11 out of 15 business nights!?!? That guy has the life. Hold on, wait, what? Oh yes...I am sitting in my chair in the middle of the day drinking a pop getting ready to read while my children take a nap...ok, ok, ok...I think I have that backwards. I am pretty sure I got the good end of this deal!!!