Choo Choo! Thomas is 2!

  Yes, it's that time again! It's been two months since my last post, so it's time to play catch up! I'm even using the trick one of my Tara's taught me to change the date on the post, so in 20 years when we are reading the blog book, the order of events MIGHT make sense.

Honestly, just thinking about all the blog posts that should have been written in the last two months makes me have heart palpitations. (Because of the anxiety, not the excitment...) I am not sure why I get this way, but when I haven't blogged in a while, I start to get anxious and crazy. I can't even read other people's blogs: A. I have zero time for it. B. If I accidentally see a blog update from someone it reminds me of how behind I am and it takes a while for me to calm back down.

Ridiculous, I know. But that's how it is for me! :-)

I have so much to say about what has been happening with our family these last two months! In a nutshell, we have been enjoying becoming a family and praising God for what has been happening in our lives.

Now that everyone is caught up with us...ha! I'm going to try and put short blog posts of how we are living each moment to the fullest and appreciating little and big things in life.
That being said: THOMAS IS 2!!!!! How did this happen!? My baby boy is growing up so fast.

We had a joint party with our fellow turning 2 friend, Mollie, at Boingo Bounce! It's always a hit when the kids love it and the parents love the long naps the kids take when they get home.

We had a Thomas the Train and Minnie Mouse themed party. I'll let you guess which theme went with which 2 year old.

Some things I don't want to forget:

• He says "Gook!" for "look"
• He wakes up happy and singing to himself waiting for me to get him out of bed. When I open the door he usually says "Hi, mama!" or he hides himself to let me try to find him (in his 3 foot long crib)
• He doesn't sleep with a paci anymore, but has to have his lovey with the tags (thanks, Ro-ro), his "baby" (Grandma Tracy gave him a "fur real" pet bear that pretends to sleep and makes noises---yes, I let him have it although it makes loud snoring noises. It's just too cute that he asks for his "baby" each night,) and his big, soft, red Razorback blanket (thanks, mimi.)
• He loves juice. He will grab my pant leg and drag me into the kitchen and point at the refrigerator saying "juice, peas!" (no, he isn't a veggie lover. It's his "please.") Once he realizes I am going to get it for him he does a little dance where he shuffles his feet really fast and laughs.
• He will pray with his hands folded and eyes shut so tight that they look really wrinkly. He ends with "AHMEN" (This is not 100% consistent, but he's on his way!)
• He loves his sister and follows her EVERYWHERE.
• He gives the sweetest, barely there whisper of a kiss on your cheek if you ask (and if you are really lucky, even when you don't ask!)
• He does get mad. (yes, he's not a perfect angel, he's 2.) He will yell "NO!" and point at me like he's getting on to me. He hit me in the lip today with a toy (not really on purpose, but not really by accident...) and when he saw how hurt I acted, he got very concerned and came close to pat my hand. So we are learning about cause and effect.
• He tries to read. Whenever he sees letters he says "E, O, A, O, E" over and over. I love it.
• He has good balance, but has had a couple of falls that took a few years off of my life. (Once at a tennis match from the bleachers, and once at a playground.)

And next to turning 2 August 17, the biggest event in September:

• the worst visible "scar" came from one of his closest friends...Percy.

 I am one of those parents that reads all of the labels and warnings on toys. #1 I want to be sure we aren't missing out on some feature that isn't apparent. (For instance, we played with the Chuck the Dump Truck for two weeks before realizing it was on "demo" what a nice surprise it was that it could say 20 different things instead of "I'm Chuck" over and over..and over again.)
So back to Percy.
This train is one of those cool, motorized trains with an on/off switch. It explicitly states to be wary of hair close to the wheels. I knew Caroline should be careful, but didn't imagine Thomas could be in danger!
I didn't realize he had it with him in the car until he was screaming loudly and I turned around (a little annoyed, admittedly. "Mom of the Year 2011") and saw that it was caught running on top of his head!!!
I ran around the car and by the time I tried to turn it off, Thomas pulled straight up, hard. And tons of beautiful, blonde hair came up, too. I was sure I would see blood on his head. Nope, just a bald spot.

We are doing our best to keep a "comb over" in place, but Thomas found a solution one evening. I found him in his room like this:

Most people say they can't tell, but if the wind blows just right--it is there. I hope it grows back in, but if not, it will be one of those funny stories he will tell as he gets bigger, and he will be able to part his hair and show it off. :-)

I love you, sweet Thomas. You are a blessing from heaven and a God send in so many ways for so many people. I look forward to your year of being "2" and all it has in store. Love, Mommy

Amazing Love

Amazing love,
How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it’s true.
It’s my joy to honor You,
In all I do, I honor You.

I start with those lyrics from "Amazing Love" because it's the only way to start a blog post like this one: by praising God!

As I type this I am overcome with emotions, happiness, sadness, joy, grief...(how many posts have I written that include a sentence like this, but I can only write what I am feeling, so all of that and more is on my heart today!) I'm happy and joyful about all God is doing in our lives. I'm also sad and full of grief for our broken world (for our own loss of Thomas, Kimberly's family as the second year of Hannah's heavenly birthday approaches, the Keylor/Hillian family as cancer took their mom and wife last month, and another local family loses their 18 year old daughter in a car accident this week) --it isn't supposed to be this way, but PRAISE TO GOD there is a plan in place to not only get through the hard times that come our way, but to rise above them and find joy here on Earth as we wait to reach our heavenly, forever home!

One of the best blessings and part of God's plan is RELATIONSHIPS! Most of us have realized this as we've seen trials and relied on each other to pray and support each other. I know first hand how important it was/is for me to have a relationship with God, my church and, of course my family and friends. Everyone rallied around myself and sweet little babies. And did we ever feel God's arms wrapped around us!

On August 5th, 2011 Tyler and I said our vows on Seagrove Beach, Florida in front of family and friends. The wedding exceeded our expectations for the love felt by those who joined us in Florida, the weather(!), and the peaceful, fun, full of God, atmosphere that surrounded us.

So many of you prayed constantly for my family over the years, I had no idea about the power of prayer until I felt it for myself especially in 2009.  Our Thursday night bible study group has been studying Prayer. We have learned not to feel the need to articulate perfectly our plan or expected outcome, but to pray with confidence! Prayer releases God's power so He can/will work in our lives.
So without further ado, praying friends,...here's the fruit of your prayers in picture form (Thank you for capturing them in pictures, Staci Coston!)

 

Your prayers allowed the power of God to transform me into a new person. A person who only wants to seek Jesus and tell others about Him...and while I still grieve today for a life and love lost, the prayers sent heavenward allowed God to work in a way I didn't even see coming for myself and children; it allowed a new family to form, not forgetting the past, but embracing it. Tyler and I are grateful that God has blessed us in becoming a family and we are committed to praising God through the trials and good times in the years to come.
I am praying thanks for all of you.