"It happens in a blink. . ."

I think this song is fabulous. So many verses really resonate with me. I mean life really does "happen in a blink." It seems like just yesterday my little Luke was a baby and now he's in kindergarten. I look at Emma every day and can't believe how grown up she is... didn't we just bring her home from the hospital... really she can't be 2.5 going on 13. Then I look in the mirror at myself and see a wife and a mother and I can't help but think it wasn't that long ago when I was a little kindergarten student myself. Life really does happen so quickly. I find myself very often trying to "hold on tight" to all life's sweet little moments, but somehow that tends to make them go by even more quickly. We need to make the most of each moment we are given, because it is a gift God has given to us.

Another line in the song that I love is "When it's all said and done, no one remembers how far we have run. The only thing that matters is how we have loved." No one is going to remember the things we have, the awards we've won, the amount of money in our bank account. Rather people will remember the love we have shared with them. So true.

Just some thoughts. Hope you enjoy this song as much as I do. Remember to enjoy every moment because it really does "happen in a blink."

My Grandparents

This past weekend was absolutely wonderful. My Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Ruthie and cousin Rachel came in from Virginia. I always love getting to spend time with them. I am very lucky to have a family who actually enjoys each other's company. We had such a wonderful time. Most of our family gathered at my parents house on Saturday night for a cookout and for the UK football game. Then we got together again all day Sunday. It is so rejuvenating to be around my family, and especially around my grandparents.

My grandpa is amazing. He always greets me with a wonderful smile and a warm hug and of course a very sincere, "I love you." He makes you feel loved the moment you see him. He has always been this way. You can just tell how much he truly loves everyone and he expresses that love so freely. I have always tried to be like grandpa is this way, but I know I am no where near as good at expressing it as he is. It just makes me so happy to be around him.... he is so special to our family.

My grandma is wonderful as well. She is never shy about expressing her opinions and I love that about her. You never have to guess how she is feeling, because she will come right out and let you know. I wish could be more like her in that way. Grandma is so much fun. Sunday afternoon, Grandma, Rachel, Jen, Ruthie, mom and I played a 2 hour game of Loaded Questions. It was so much fun. Grandma's answers had us cracking up a few times. It was great to spend time with them.

I also love watching my grandma and grandpa care for one another. It is absolutely beautiful. Grandpa is always there to help Grandma out of her chair (I know that sounds silly, but really he does... it's quite cute). I love to watch Grandpa give Grandma sweet kisses on her forehead. Their love for one another is so obvious. They've been married now for almost 62 years. I hope Andy and I are this way when we've been married for 62 years. :)

My grandma and grandpa are two of my favorite people. I feel lucky that they have been in my life for 29 years. I know some people don't get to have their grandparents that long, so I feel blessed to still have them and to still get to hang out and have a good time with them. And I think it is wonderful that my kids have the chance to spend time with "Old Grandma" and "Old Grandpa" as well. I hope we can share many many more memories together.

My Sweet Family

So here is my attempt at my first blog. I've been thinking about doing it for a long time, so here goes.

I'm a mom, a full-time mom, and I wouldn't have it any other way. My family is my life and I love them dearly. If you would've asked me when I was 15 if I was going to be a stay at home mom I'm sure I would've said, "No way!" But, I think in the back of my mind I've always kind of known that's what I wanted to do. I guess I always felt pressure to say I wanted to be something more "impressive." But, I have my dream job. Really I do. I honestly couldn't imagine doing anything else. I feel blessed that I get to stay at home each day with my sweet family. I was there when both my kids rolled over for the first time, crawled for the first time, walked for the first time, talked for the first time. I am so thankful I was there for each of these moments. My family is my heart... I love them so much!

Now, my kiddos... oh my sweet little kiddos. There's Luke, who is 5 years old and just started kindergarten this past August. Luke has such a big heart. He is such a sweet and sensitive little boy. We got a call from Luke's kindergarten teacher about the second week of school. She told us that Luke had befriended a boy in his class with special needs and Luke had even asked to sit next to him. She also told us what a sweet boy Luke is in class. He truly is such a kind-hearted boy. He makes me so proud. Here is a picture of him on his first day of school.

Luke also loves flowers and trees. He knows the name of most flowers and can name probably about 30-35 different trees. This love started at about the age of 2.5 years. His favorite is the Crepe Myrtle tree. We have two at our house. For Luke's 5th birthday he wanted a crepe myrtle, impatiens, ornamental grass, a bird bath, and an ant farm. He loves nature. He is such a sharp and smart little guy. He catches on to things so quickly and is always asking questions about how things work or why things happen. He already knows all about photosynthesis at 5 years old... I learned about it too while explaining it to him. :)

He can also be quiet and shy at times until you get to know him. Then he will talk your ear off, mostly about flowers and trees though. :)

And there is Little Miss Emma Kate, my sassy little girl. I don't think I could have ever imagined how different little boys and little girls could be until I had one of each. Miss Emma is all girl... at 2 and a half years old she already loves shoes, purses, clothes, and even getting into mommy's make-up. She changes her clothes about 5 times a day... at least. Emma is spunky and fun-loving and brings so many smiles and joy to the family. Her smile just warms my heart each morning. Emma is currently taking dance classes and absolutely loves them. I love when she comes home and shows me all her dance moves. Here is a picture of her on her first day of dance class.


My kids really are very sweet and special to me. Of course they have their moments when they both drive me absolutely crazy, but I couldn't imagine life without them or those moments.

Then there is the love of my life, Andy. I could go on and on about him... he is so special to me. We starting dating during in November of our junior year of high school, it was six months before we had our first kiss, and after about eight months I knew I wanted to marry him. It would be 6 years later before we actually got married right after we finished college. There is MUCH more to the story, but I am not going to go into it in this post. :) Andy is such a special guy. He is an amazing husband and father. I often wonder how I ended up with him. He is loyal, honest, kindhearted and so loving. I love spending each day with him. He loves our little family as much as I do. Andy is very devout in his faith and has shared that and taught that to me and our family which has made our marriage and family have such a strong bond. I love him so much.

My family truly is a blessing from God and I love them so much. I cherish each moment we share together... no matter how big or small. I hope to use this blog to share the silly, happy, crazy, and whatever else kinds of moments our sweet little family has.