Party Time!

We had lots of fun celebrating Austin's first birthday with many of our family and friends. Here are a few pictures from his celebration. Hope you enjoy!!

Austin waving at everyone

Opening gifts with his little friends

Austin's cake, made with love by Mommy, Mimi, and Katie

Austin's "smasher" cake

Waiting for his cake...

First tastes...

MORE cake...must be yummy!!

Good enough to share with Uncle Myles

What was left after Austin finished :)

My sweet birthday boy!

We really enjoyed having family down to celebrate with us! It was a busy weekend, but the kids had so much fun!! Austin had a GREAT birthday! He was in a great mood and loved the attention. And he loves his gifts! He got a huge variety of things, both "practical" and "fun"...clothes, shoes, cups, toys, books, and money for savings, etc. A big THANK YOU from Austin {and Mommy & Daddy}!

Not Me! Monday

I did not celebrate Austin's {first} birthday this past week. It has certainly not been a year already!!

I did not really enjoy having my family here for the weekend...full house and all! And I was not sad to see them go.

I am not starting Katie's K3 homeschooling program today, and she is {so incredibly} excited!!

I am not going to save the birthday pictures to post later today {hopefully}, so watch for it...

I am not ending my post here, in order to work on other things, but I'll be back FULL FORCE for "Not Me!" next week.

Wordless Wednesday

{One}

A year ago today, we welcomed you into this world with open arms, joyful hearts, and {happy} tears streaming down our face. I know it is often said that it "seems like only yesterday," but truly, I blinked and here we are at your first birthday!


I still cannot believe it myself. I so vividly remember your birth day...how you scared us at first with your shallow breathing, but quickly showed everyone your lungs were in {perfect} condition...how you were such a calm baby, letting Mommy and Daddy have more quiet time in the hospital than we knew what to do with...how you learned how to eat like a pro, even from day one...how your big sister loved sitting on the hospital bed to hold her "brover"...and how every time Daddy and I would look at your precious face, we could do nothing but grin and thank God for our little boy!


And now we are here celebrating your 1st year of life with us! You. Are. ONE!!

At one year old you...

are walking {very} fast

say dada, mama, nana, kk {Katie}, bye-bye

sign milk, thank you, all done, more, and daddy

enjoy playing hide and seek

love playing in your sisters room {especially on her bed}

eat more than your sister often

drink milk from a sippy cup

try to jump {and it is hilariously cute}

take two naps a day

go to sleep on your own {with the help of your burp cloth and paci}

love playing outside

have so much fun chasing Meeko

like to bang your head on everything {walls, floors, doors, etc.}

wear 12-18 month clothes

hit the 20lb mark in weight

love any kind of balls

try to do everything your big sister does

are very 'go with the flow' most of the time

{absolutely} love to climb stairs of any kind

are such a fun boy to be around

are loved more than you could imagine.

My sweet boy, I am so excited to be celebrating your first birthday! You have already grown into such a sweet {and sometime mischeiveous} little boy. I look forward to seeing all that you learn this next year. God has special plans for you, my little one. We all love you more than you could know. Our lives changed greatly a year ago, but it was a change that all of us thank God for daily! I hope your day is extra special today!! Happy {first} birthday, Austin Tyler!

Being A Mom...

Today, instead of spending time being productive with my much needed housework and laundry, I found myself listening to a video made by Christy Nockels {you may know her as Watermark}. She really encouraged and even more challenged me in areas that I really needed right now. So, I want to share them with you...

Being A Mom {Part 1} from christy nockels on Vimeo.

Being A Mom {Part 2} from christy nockels on Vimeo.

Now, onto finding glories in the mundane!

Wrapping Up...

This week has been busy. It's actually nice to be wrapping it up. Our family has been running in 100 different directions lately, and I think we're all tired and stretched thin. I never understand how you can get pulled in so many directions when you are carefully choosing which projects to take on or leave. But, somehow, I still end up with too many. We are making progress, though {by God's wonderful grace}!

Now, our focus is on our sweet boy, who is {I can't believe I am going to say this} turning ONE next Tuesday! We're so excited about celebrating his special day next week. We are even more excited that many of our family and friends will be able to be with us for his celebration next Saturday!! Katie and Austin have missed their long-distance family so much lately {and frankly, so have I}.

You'll probably not see my "Not Me" post this Monday. That's one thing that will have to take a side seat this week. But I will be posting the results of the Cutie Patootie contest from the Watermelon Patch that you all so faithfully voted for Katie in. And, I'm hoping to get to tell you that she's going to celebrate her 3rd birthday at the Watermelon Patch because of your votes! We'll see... Then, I'll be cleaning and baking cupcakes for Austin's birthday playdate on Tuesday, finishing last minute details of Austin's party for Saturday, and getting the house ready for all of our family coming in. A busy week...but a fun one!!

Sorry for no pictures! I'll work on that this afternoon, if I have time!! :-)

Wordless Wordy Wednesday

Katie is trying to win a birthday party at The Watermelon Patch, and she needs your help! Go to www.thewmpatch.com/contest.php to vote for Katie, number CP003. Only one vote per email address. Contest ends this Friday at 5pm. We'll let you know next Monday if our votes were enough to get Katie her birthday party! :-) Be sure to get all of your friends and family to vote for her, too!! Katie says "Thank you!"

Time for Laughs...

A friend sent this to me, and it hit home so well with me, that I thought I'd post it for the rest of you to laugh with in a "this is so me" kindof way! ENJOY!!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table thatI brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table,put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.
But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Pepsi aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. The Pepsi is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,

a vase of flowers on the countercatches my eye--they need water. I put the Pepsi on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.

Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

the car isn't washed

the bills aren't paid

there is a warm can of Pepsi sitting on the counter

the flowers don't have enough water

there is still only 1 check in my check book

I can't find the remote

I can't find my glasses

and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day,and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem,and I'll try to get some help for it,but first I'll check my e-mail....

Not Me! Monday

I most certainly would not be found "wearing" a vegetable {a cabbage, if you are curious} in my bra in order to aid in the post-weaning process, and it actually worked!

I did not witness one of the most pointless arguments between Katie and Austin....over {baby diaper} boxes of all things! Katie didn't want to share {her} box with Austin, so I gave Austin one. Bad idea...Katie no longer wanted her own, but Austin's. It was the silliest unending argument I'd ever seen!

I did not spend {at least} 45 minutes looking for Austin's lost sippy cup of milk {that I had poured for him only 5 minutes prior to it's disappearance}. After 45 minutes I still didn't find it, so I finished feeding Austin lunch, cleaned him up, and let him down, and what did he get out of Meeko's toy bag?? Yes...you guessed it...the {no so} lost cup!

I did not almost throw away a new and perfectly good car seat because I couldn't get the fabric off to wash after Katie's vomiting incident. And I was not so frustrated that I posted my "review" of the car seat online AND email the manufacturer to tell them my opinion. I have never had a car seat that was so impossible to clean {impossible to remove, not machine washable, definitely not dryable, and beyond impossible to put back together}. I would never get that frustrated about something like this...never!

I have not picked up {lots} of pots, pans, and strainers this week since Austin learned about my kitchen cabinets. Oh, the fun!

I was not so proud of Katie when she said her first "big girl Sunday School class" verse {all by herself} to her teacher. I only reviewed it with her {maybe} 3 times (she only got it last week), and she had it down like a pro! It was: "Matthew 5:16, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." That's a very long verse for a 2 year old! Her longest yet!! My little girl is growing up!

And, to top it off this week... Remember last week in this post that I told you I had been letting Austin sit on the potty while Katie was pottying? Well...I definitely did not just witness him going on the big boy potty {#1 and #2, if you want to know *smiles*}! My not-quite-12 month old boy would never surprise his mommy in such a way!!

Hope you all have a great {and shall I venture to say productive} week! As for me, it's a busy one!!

5 Years

Today marks 5 years of marriage. In some ways {how we can complete each other's sentences, how we often know what each other is feeling without words, & how our family has grown in number, to name a few}, it feels like we have been married for much longer. In other ways {how head-over-heels in love we are, how we still manage to 'court' each other, how vivid the wedding memories are, & how we still have a hard time finding any 'pet peeves' with each other, for starters}, it feels like we are newlyweds starting our life together. But however you look at it, whether we've been married forever or whether we're still newlyweds, I am so thankful to be celebrating our 5th anniversary with the true love of my life!

Our lives have changed a lot over the past 5 years...from apartment life {with questionable neighbors} to building our first house...from driving across several states to find our {perfect} dog to driving across the county to welcome not one, but two precious gifts from God...from both of us working 8-5 all week {bringing much stability and consistency to life} to me becoming a stay-at-home mom while you work 6-3 {bringing much joy and faith to life}. The list could go on, but my point is, God has brought us on a beautiful journey together. We have had some up's and some down's...many blessings and some challenges...but most of all, we have had 5 years to grow closer to each other {even when I didn't think that was possible} and closer to our loving God.

Without getting all ushy-gushy romantic on here {you know, since this is a blog}, I just want to say that I love you more and more each day! I am so blessed to have you as my husband and best friend. Happy 5th Anniversary, Sweetheart!! I am looking forward to another 5 years...and another...and another...and...

Katie and Austin - LIVE!

I know I have been terrible at uploading new videos of the kids lately. I suppose I chose to focus on getting pictures of them, leaving me to easily forget about having a video camera. Or, maybe it is because I've been running around chasing the kids and staying {crazy} busy! Either way, I did {finally} upload new videos of the kids for you to enjoy. So....ENJOY :-)

This first one is of Austin. This is his new "game". He played like this for probably 30 minutes before we thought to pick up the camera and video it. It was hilarious! He does it around the house, too, but it's nice to have him confined to his crib once in a while :-)

This one is of Katie singing. Papa R. sent her a bear that sings this song. She caught on quickly...even the background sounds {you hear her saying "bom...bom..."}. So cute!

I hope you enjoyed the quick videos of the kids lately. I will try to do better getting videos up more often. {No promises, though...only really really good intentions}

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

I am posting a picture from last month at my delicious birthday lunch at my in-laws' house. The kids are enjoying some "PawPaw Time!" Right now, Nana and PawPaw are enjoying a much needed vacation, and we all miss them terribly...especially the kids. We can't wait to see them again soon!

Our God-written Love Story, Part III

I know you are all probably tired of reading by now...and believe me, I am summarizing and cutting out a lot! What can I say? I am blessed to have a beautiful [and long] love story. Hang in there...I'm skipping on to the engagement and wedding now. We're almost up-to-date!

Our God-written Love Story, Part III
by Mark (written in italics) & Marsha Barton (written in bold)

Mark and I spend a beautiful day (November 8, 2003) at Bellingrath Gardens to take pictures with my new camera. Little did I know that it would truly be the perfect day! Mark took me to my favorite bridge and asked me to marry him with this poem he wrote for me:

The Perfect Day

We've travelled different roads

Searching for a love that's true

Meeting person after person

Wondering is this the one for you?

Sometimes life seems so confusing

And nothing seems to go quite right

It makes you wonder what you're doing

That is until God shines down His light.

You see, true love is about timing

And our Father knows what's best

All these years of pain and heartache

They've all just been a test.

A diamond isn't ready

Until it's tested by the flame

And you and I are both like diamonds

We have been tried over and over again.

We tried for two long years

To pretend we didn't see

The love growing within us

Afraid of what those words might bring.

God's love was shining down upon us

When I asked you out that night

Never have I felt such comfort

Knowing my love no more would hide.

My love for you is like a fountain,

Bubbling from the depths of the sea

Springing forth with joy and gladness

Because you are the one for me.

God has taught me how to love

And brought the perfect girl into my life

She's shown me a love from God

And now I see that God was right.

I'll love you forever, Marsha

And this seems like the place for me

To look deep into your eyes

And get down upon one knee.

There's one thing left I haven't said

And I think you know what that might be

I bought this ring to show you my love.

Marsha, will you marry me?

Of course I cried with joy, and said "YES!" And I have a beautiful ring to show it!! It truly was the perfect day...God truly blesed my life with my new fiance'.

I really am skipping a lot, now...but...we were married on August 14, 2oo4, on a beautiful bridge at Annabella at Cedar Glen. Though it was August, the weather was perfect, as was the ceremony! Mark and I chose to walk down the aisle together, hand in hand. He has been by my side through good and bad...my best friend. This was the start of our new beginning as one.

"Isn't it amazing

what can happen

when two paths

cross, seemingling

by chance,

becoming one path

with one purpose:

to love and be loved.

What our future

holds I can only

imagine, but I

anticipate every day

with JOY."

God has blessed my life in ways I could never express with words! Every day I thank God for writing my love story and sending the most perfect husband into my life. Our lives are now joined with two precious children...more love added to our love story...and I couldn't picture it getting any more perfect, though God does always surprise me! I love you, Mark! Thank you so much for making my dreams come true. The past 5 years of marriage, and the 4 years prior to that, mean more to me than you could imagine. I LOVE YOU!!!

Not Me! Monday

I am not going to intentionally post many pictures today, because I have slacked in the picture area for my "Not Me! Monday" posts a lot lately. ENJOY!!

I did not realize this week just how much help my husband is!! {He injured his ankle/foot and hasn't been able to do very much on it.} The kids enjoyed having Daddy home with them, though...even if he was unable to do all of his normal activities.

I did not laugh when Katie pointed at a flower garden as say "Look! That is monkey grass! But monkeys don't live there." What an observant little girl we have...

I did not put my 11 month old on the potty this week because he kept playing with the potty chair, only to find that he sat there longer than he ever sits anywhere! Maybe I need to let him sit on the potty in the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom...okay...maybe not...

I did not allow Katie to "paint" in the bathtub {with soap paint}, only to find her painting with her feet. She said she had to paint like Curious George does. Definitely a masterpiece! :)

And I did not find Austin in Katie's room again {he is attracted to her pink room for some odd reason}...he worked for 5 minutes {at least} trying to fit himself in this little tin! Then, he couldn't figure out how to get himself out!

I definitely did not find a new "gadget" that keeps Austin's attention quite well. And, I certainly wouldn't take advantage of it by putting a plum inside and let Austin work for 45 minutes trying to eat it. I wouldn't do such a thing...see?

I have not been working hard this week to prepare for: an upcoming children's resale, Austin's first birthday & party, several church activities, and homeschooling Katie. And I will certainly not be working even harder on them this week, as my deadlines are quickly approaching. I will try to "check in" on here occasionally, though, to let you know that I am surviving! ;)

And, to conclude my list of "not's"...I am definitely not going to be celebrating my 5th wedding anniversary this Friday! Has it really been that long?? I love you, Sweetheart! I am so blessed to be your wife. Thanks for knowing everything there is to know about me, and loving me still.

Down Memory Lane

Pictures of "us" over the years...

{please overlook the bad quality of the older ones. We weren't "digital" wayyy back then,

and we have no scanner, so I took pictures of pictures.}

Our God-written Love Story, Part II

I'd give you the world if I possibly could,

All the stars and the moon up above...

But all I can give you is what's mine to give,

All my hopes, all my dreams, all my LOVE!

-Author Unknown-

Our God-written Love Story, Part II
by Mark (written in italics) & Marsha Barton (written in bold)

It's hard to believe that a year has already passed since Mark and I have been dating! This (March 10, 2003) was a very special anniversary I had been working on for a few months. I wanted to surprise him with something extra special. She did surprise me with something special. She kept me around for an entire year and didn't get tired of me! :) This one year anniversary was extra special to me, because I had the girl of my dreams in my arms...and she's not getting away now!!!

This year has given me more memories than I could have ever dreamt of. God blessed my life in unbelievable ways when He sent Mark into my life. Looking back, it has truly been the greatest year of my life so far, but with Mark here, I'm sure I will say that for every year to come! A year is so short when it is spent with someone as special as Marsha. I couldn't express how lucky I am to have her in my life. I spent many hours every day this past year thinking of ways to surprise her and find that perfect gift for the love of my life. I never could find a gift to express my love for h er, but I doubt I'll ever find a gift like that!

Mark did find the perfect gift for our 1 year anniversary. Sunday afternoon he sat me down and gave me a box that held inside it my promise ring from him. I was so surprised! It was beautiful. And I read the following letter explaining the meaning of the ring and almost cried:

One year, a moment in time that has made me the happiest

and luckiest guy in the world. I thought for a while to figure out

what I could do for a one year anniversary gift.

I looked and looked but didn't see anything that seemed right.

Then one day, I was sitting and thinking about

a comment you made one time when you tried on my class ring.

You said you always dreamed of wearing your guy's class ring

during high school but didn't have the chance.

Well, high school is over, but maybe, just maybe this ring

will take the place of my class ring and make you

feel as if the wait was far worth it now.

I love you sweetheart and will do everything I can

to make you smile, and hopefully our first year together

will be an unforgettable memory for you as it has been for me.

And you better believe I showed my ring to the world! It was more than I could have ever dreamed of. Marsha just thinks that she got the perfect gift. I don't agree with her on that one though. I came in from church and found a monkey on my bed, and it wasn't my brother, either! But wait, there's more! The monkey sings to me with the most beautiful voice I've ever heard...it sounds just like my angel, Marsha. Wait!! There's still more...it was laying there next to a picture that Marsha had framed for me and her with the perfect poem under it that comes close to explaining just how perfect we are together. No matter what she may tell you, I got the best gift out of this whole year, I got her!!

Take my hand and walk with me

Across the sands of time

Hand in hand, heart to heart

Together, friend of mine.

We will share the solitude

And walk in quiet peace.

For my heart hears what your heart says.

It listens when yours speaks.

The years have brought us to this place

Across the sand of time,

And we will walk here 'til the end,

Together, friend of mine.

Still looking to hear more of our love story? There is definitely more...I hope you aren't getting bored. If so, I am doing these posts so I can reminisce :) Part III is coming soon...

Paging: Dr. Katie

When Mark came home from basketball last night with an injured ankle, I figured this would be my time to "play" doctor and care for him. I did bring him things as needed throughout the evening and night, but that has since changed. When Katie found out that her Daddy had hurt his foot last night, she immediately took over as Dr. Katie!

Her first "plan of action" was to be sure she could sympathize with her Daddy's pain. As he was immersed his foot into the bucket of ice water, she sat beside him with her foot also submerged. And, though she made mention often of how cold it was, she was a trooper for him! {Sorry for no pictures of this step. I was cooking breakfast and didn't see this going on.}

Her final step (so far, anyway) included having a full ankle examination with all of her many "doctor things."

Her diagnosis was precise..."Daddy's foot hurts."

Her treatment plan was even better... "Daddy needs to play with me and watch a movie."

Per Dr. Katie, he'll feel better soon! Thanks, Dr. Katie!! You're the best doctor around. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Our God-written Love Story, Part I

I've been working on a very special post for this month, because I will be celebrating 5 wonderful years of marriage with the love of my life! But, while working on that post, I decided that it may be fun to share "our story" with each other and you all again...you know...to reminisce together :) God has given us such a beautiful love story...the best love story, if you ask me! {I may be a little partial, though.} So, without further hesitation, written a long long time ago:

Our God-written Love Story, Part I

by Mark (written in italics) & Marsha Barton (written in bold)

One day I was online chatting with friends and looking at profiles, when I found a profile that I just had to read. The screen name was UMchic18, and I noticed that she had been on mission trips. I had also been on mission trips and was curious to see where she had been on her trips. So, I decided to instant message her and find out for myself. So, I am sitting online and out-of-the-blue I get this instant message from Bama11088. I didn't know who he could be, but I was curious, so I talked to him to find out. It didn't take long for him to make me smile. He was someone I definitely wanted to talk with more! We talked about our mission trips and started asking each other questions about what we believed, and before we knew it, it was early the next morning. We decided it was time to call it a night, even thought we still had thousands of questions, but I made sure that I found out if she would like to chat again soon.

Over the next months, Mark and I talked more and more. It seemed like the more we talked, the more we had in common, and the more I wanted to get to know him. I knew he was extra special...a blessing I couldn't begin to thank God for...my new best friend. As we learned more about each other, during those months, I started wondering to myself, "I wonder if she would like to go off sometime?" I knew that Marsha said that she enjoyed talking to me online, but I wasn't too sure if she would go anywhere with me, since we met online. I finally decided to try my luck and asked if she would like to go to the IMS Homecoming football game with me. I knew that it probably wasn't the most enjoyable place to meet for the first time, since she wasn't into sports much during high school, but at least it was a start. Then I get an instant message back from her that had her number at school and another line that said, "I'm going to hang up if you talk like a redneck LOL."

Many things went through my mind when Mark asked me to meet him...you know, like..."Could he be some mad man that stalks people?" or, even worse, a REDNECK! But I really wanted to meet him, so I said I would go to the game. I met him at Chevron [romantic, huh? ;)] and followed him to IMS. And from that first glance, I knew he was special...someone I hoped I could get to know. Now you are probably all thinking, "CHEVRON!! What a loser!", but let me tell you my side of this. As we had talked about where to meet for the first time when I called, I couldn't think of a place that would be easy for her to meet me, and I wanted her to have a good first impression. Once she pulled up, I was smiling from ear to ear and was excited that I was finally getting to meet her in person. Don't get me wrong, emails and instant messages were great, but meeting in person was even better.

We spent our first "date" getting to know each other at a ballgame, but the game is not what I remember. We talked about almost everything possible that night, and the more I listened to him and his stories, the more I wanted to know. Even after a few simple hours, we were alike in many ways. I could only hope to get more time with this wonderful guy God sent to me. That first date seemed so short as the time quickly passed, and it left me hoping and praying for another chance to go off with her. Our first date led to many more, but we weren't "dating" seriously like everyone teased us about. We both wanted to get to know each other better because we didn't want to lose the awesome friendship that we had gained over this short amount of time. We got to spend more time together, as well as many late night conversations online. A friendship had been made and was growing more and more each day. Though many picked on us for only being friends and not "dating," I cherished every second of it. Being friends gave me an opportunity to see the heart of this wonderful guy, and it gave God a chance to grow us closer together and to Him every day.

I soon realized that my feelings for Marsha were changing and I really wanted to ask her out. I thought about her constantly, but kept reassuring myself that she only wanted to be friends. Every time we were together, I tried to make sure I didn't slip up and make a fool of myself, knowing deep inside that I really loved her. I held back my feelings for 2 years, but realized I couldn't continue on acting like I didn't want to be more than just her friend. Those 2 years brought me closer and closer to Mark. I started hoping he could like me as more than a friend, and I often thought of how wonderful it would be to be able to tell him the feelings I felt for him. But, I thought I was fooling myself...what could such a wonderful guy see in a girl like me? When I looked at him, I could see our future together lasting forever, but I prayed often that if that wasn't God's will that He would somehow take away my desire to be more than friends.

In the spring of 2002, Marsha asked me if I would like to come and meet some of her family during our Spring Break. I was really excited because I was afraid that I would be miserable that week if she was at home and I was still here. We left Mobile after we both got out of school and started the journey to Caddo. I left t hat Friday with an awesome friend and came back to Mobile with an awesome and extremely perfect girlfriend. I finally gave up on holding back my feelings, and, to my surprise, she said YES! To whoever said best friends can't become more, I am here to say otherwise. Mark, my best friend, asked me to be his girlfriend March 10, 2002, and every day is a perfect day because he is in my life. Though we have more memories than a book could ever hold, each day will add more that I will cherish with him now and FOREVER!

Okay...I know this was really long. But I didn't want to rewrite something in my words, when I could use something we wrote together many years ago, to help tell our God-written love story. If you can stand to read more, be watching for Part II. Coming soon to a blog near you ;)

Not My Child! Monday

For my week last week, we're going to have to revert to the "not my child" post.

Look for "not me" to return next week! :)

I did not walk into Austin's room this week (during naptime, might I add), only to find him painting a masterpiece with...well, you can see my post about it here. He would never do such a thing! And, just in case you didn't read that earlier post, he certainly would not EAT dog poop, gag on it, and throw up because of it! Lovely.

On a better note...Katie did not have her first experience with "big girl" Sunday School and Children's Church today. And she loved not being in nursery with the babies. My little girl is growing up...

She is not begging to start school now. Boy! I have so much to get organized to start in September. Thankfully, even small projects can seem like school to her right now :)

Austin did not begin playing pat-a-cake (clapping, rolling, and throwing) this week, along with signing "Thank you". Out of the blue, too!! I wasn't trying excessively to teach him these this week.

And he certainly did not try a new way to get something out of his reach...and he was so proud of himself {until Mommy told him 'No-no'}...
And he is not {almost} completely weaned from breastmilk and bottles. {If you recall, he started weaning himself at 10 months, so I had to pump LOTS and supplement some, until he was closer to 12 months.} Well, since then, he's been doing great on milk-based formula, so we have slowly introduced whole milk to replace nursing sessions. And, he's drinking more milk from his cup than he would from me or a bottle! Obviously, he was ready to be a "big boy"...and, though I'm sure I'll miss the breastfeeding, I am glad to be at the end...he has not been an easy boy to breastfeed!!

Did I mention that he is also not choosing to eat diced (not pureed) table food (not baby food) now?? He's making lots of changes in a very short time! I think he's trying to be a "big boy" for his upcoming birthday party... :)

Okay, so I know this was a long post, but so was last week! Honestly, mine could be much longer...so enjoy it! Have a blessed week.

Okay...your turn! You can head over to www.mycharmingkids.net to read what everyone else have not been doing this week or to join in!