Twenty Eleven

2011.... where did 2010 go?  Not to mention 2009 and 2008?  As a kid, time didn't seem to go by all that quickly.  High school was a busy time, lots of fun but still didn't seem to fly by.  College went faster than I would have liked... didn't help that I took enough credits each semester to graduate early.  Getting married and adjusting to married life,that went by pretty fast!!  Had Chase the end of 2006... time started moving a lot faster! Then had Jacob the beginning of 2008... now time was really flying by!  Fast forward a few more years and I can't believe we are in 2011.  I feel like it was just yesterday we had our second baby and were living in Greenville... now we've moved, been in this house for 2 years already and added another boy to the mix.  Time, slow down!!!!! PLEASE!  I know this year is going to be a whirlwind as well... first new years resolution: appreciate each and every moment, the good, the bad, the frustrating, the hard, the sweet... appreciate them all because they don't last forever and before I know it my time with the boys at home will be over and they'll be big boys going to school!

 

What sweet moments we have with these boys and even when I'm exhausted, short on patience, not feeling well these boys are tremendous blessings given to us by our Lord.  We have such a huge responsibility to be an example to them, show them God's love, and point them towards their Savior.  I'm not perfect, I fail daily... but I'm thankful I have a loving Father who has endless patience with me and loves me for who I am and I desire to have that kind of patience and love for my boys!!

This little one is growing way too fast!  He is learning new things all the time and has discovered that he has a voice and can be as loud as he wants!!  He wakes up from naps and unfortunately at night time too to practice his "talking", his rolling over and his ability to get Mommy to respond to his every demand!  He has been a great sleeper since he was born but lately he has had too many things to learn and explore to sleep... waking up at night a few times each night has been rough for me but I do try to remind myself every night that going in to his room to give him his paci, as annoying as it might be and as much as it may cause me to be tired the next day, seeing him look up at me and smile makes it all worth it.  I won't be visiting his room in the middle of the night forever so I'm enjoying this stage, knowing it will pass before I know it!  He definitely brings us all so much joy!!!

This Daddy sure is enjoying his boys!!!  He had 2 weeks off from school and he loved being home every day.  He was such an amazing help for me and even let me sleep in a few mornings over the break.  I honestly couldn't ask for a better father for my boys and a better husband for me.  He thinks of me before anything else, puts my needs at the top of his priority list and loves me unconditionally.  He is always working towards becoming a better dad and he works so hard to show his boys how much he loves them!

New years resolution #2: show my appreciation for my husband way more than I do!  Charles comes home from a long day at work ready to help take on some of the responsibilities... silly things like taking the boys to the bathroom and pulling up pants when they're done, cleaning them up after dinner, to helping with the bigger things.  Putting the boys in their pajamas, brushing their teeth and putting them to bed on nights that I'm either putting Luke to bed or really tired from a busy day.  From the little things to the big things, I appreciate Charles more than he knows and my goal for this year is to remind him daily of how much I love him, how proud I am of him and how much I appreciate every thing he does!!

2011 will be a year of many more goals that I will make for myself but these are two things that I want to be consciously aware of every day and work on doing on a daily basis!  Praying for a great year with my family, a healthy & safe year, a year of sharing God's love with all those around me and a year of being the best Mommy I could ever be! Because these boys.... 

.... they deserve the best!